:CO
THE PARADISE
OF THE HOLY FATHERS
VOLUME I
CONTAINING THE INTRO
DUCTION: THE LIFE OF ST
ANTHONY, BY ATHANASIUS
ARCHBP OF ALEXANDRIA:
HISTORIESOFTHEFATHERS
BY PALLADIUS B p OF HELE-
NOPOLIS: THERULEOF
PACHOMIUS: ST JEROME S
HISTORY OF THE FATHERS
ra Oo <tal
.cm
<ral
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FROM THE STORY OF THE MONK WHO VISITED SYLVANUS IN SINAI.
(Brit. Mus. MS. 14,648, fol. iol>.)
HE PARADISE
ORGARDENOFTHE
HOLY FATHERS BE
ING HISTORIES OF
THE ANCHORITES
RECLUSES MONKS
COENOBITES AND ASCETIC
FATHERS OF THE DESERTS OF
EGYPT BETWEEN A.D. CCL AND
A.D. CCCC CIRCITER COMPILED BY
tATHAWASIUS ARCHBISHOP
OF ALEXANDRIA: TALLADIUS
BISHOP OF HELENOPOLIS: s SAINT Cv
JEROME AND OTHERS (LNOW
J ^ J H HndU4.-J
TRANSLATED OUT OF THE SYRI-
AC WITH NOTES @> INTRODUC
TION BY ERNEST A. WALLIS
%UDGEM.A:L nT .D:D.L lT : KEEPER
OF THE ASSYRIAN ftP EGYPTIAN
ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUM
PUBLISHED AT LONDON BY
CHATTO ftp WINDUS V
MCMVII
v
preface
DURINGthe winter of 1888 the Vicar of the Chaldean Patri
arch at Mosul (Nineveh) was so kind as to shew me some
of the Syriac manuscripts in his possession, and among them
was a thick oblong quarto volume containing the Lives of
the Holy Men by Palladius and St. Jerome. I was familiar
with the Syriac MSS. of the Paradise of Palladius in the
British Museum, but I had never before seen so lengthy a copy
of the work. The manuscript was old, that is to say, it was
written probably in the thirteenth or fourteenth century, and as
it was impossible to buy the volume, it being Church property,
I asked permission to have a copy of it made. To this the Vicar
assented, and a copy was made in due course and sent to
England. On examination it was found to contain the Life of
St. Anthony, by Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, the
Book of Paradise, by Palladius, the Asketikon, or History
of the Monks of Tabenna, the Histories of the Solitaries of the
Desert of Egvpt, attributed to St. Jerome, the Sayings of the
Fathers, and the Questions and Answers of the Holy Men.
In fact the manuscript contained a collection of works which
were of the highest importance for the history of the rise and
growth of Christian monasticism in Egypt.
In 1893 I published a full description of the contents of the
manuscript (see Thomas of Marga, The Book of Governors,
Vol. II, pp. 192-206), and several extracts from it, and it was
generally recognized that it contained a copy of the famous
Redaction of the Book of Paradise which was made by
Anan-Isho when he was a monk in the monastery of Beth
Abhe, probably early in the seventh century. In 1898 my friend
Dom Cuthbert Butler published the Prolegomena of his edition
of the Greek text of the Paradise of Palladius, and in this
work he discussed at length the critical value of my manu
script copy of the Syriac version. Soon after this I made trans
lations of the five works contained in the manuscript, and these
appeared, together with the Syriac texts, in two volumes in
1904. The work was not available for the public, being printed
for private circulation only.
The number of those who are interested in the history of the
Christian monastic movement in Egypt has increased consider -
v
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bol2 jfatbera
ably in recent years, and in answer to many requests it was
decided to publish a popular edition of the translation of Anan-
Isho s great work in a handy form, and at a price which would
place it within the reach of every reader. I therefore revised
my translation, which had appeared in 1904, by the light of
recently acquired manuscripts, and was able to fill up several
gaps in the text : the present work is the result. An entirely
new introduction has been prepared for this edition, and in it
an attempt has been made to indicate the great value and im
portance of Andn-Isho s Syriac Recension for the study of
Christian monasticism in Egypt. It is hoped that this edition
may add to the deserved popularity of the Book of Paradise
and increase the reputation of Palladius.
E. A. WALLIS BUDGE
British Museum, June 5, 1907.
Contents of tbe first IDoIume
Frontispiece
Preface v
Jntrofcuction: xv
1 Palladius, his Life and Travels xv
2 The Book Paradise xxv
3 Christian Monasticism in Egypt xxxix
4 The Supernatural Element in the Book Paradise xlix
5 The Lives of the Egyptian Monks and their Teaching liv
6 Palladius as a Historian Ixij
j Ube OLtfe of St. Hntbons bs Htbanasius, Hvcb*
bisbop ot Hlesanfcria 3
ij Ube paradise ot
Book j
1 The Epistle of Palladius to Lausus 77
2 The Plan of the Book of Paradise 7 8
3 Counsels to Lausus 80
The Histories of the Holy Men :
1 The History of Abba Isidore 89
2 The History of Dorotheos of Thebes 9 1
3 The History of the Virgin Potamiaena 93
4 The History of Didymus 94
5 The History of the Maiden Alexandra 95
6 The History of Abba Macarius and a certain Virgin 96
7 Concerning the Monks who lived in Nitria 99
8 The History of Abba Ammon 100
9 The History of the Blessed Man Hor 102
10 The History of the Blessed Man Pambo [or Panbo] 103
11 The History of the Blessed Man Ammonius 105
12 The History of the Blessed Man Benjamin 106
13 The History of Apollonius the- Merchant 107
14 The Histories of Paesius and Isaiah 108
15 The History of Macarius, the Child of his Cross 109
16 The History of the Blessed Nathaniel 1 1 1
17 The Histories of Macarius the Egyptian, and of Maca
rius the Alexandrian I J 3
18 The History of the Blessed Man Macarius, the Alex
andrian I1 7
19 The History of the Blessed Man Paul the Simple 125
20 The History of the Blessed Man Pachomius 129
21 The History of the Blessed Man Stephen I3 1
22 The History of the Blessed Man Valens, the Palesti
nian i3 2
vij
parafctse of tbe 1bol$ 3f atbers
23 The History of the Blessed Man Hero, the Alexandrian 134
24 The History of the Blessed Man Ptolemy, the Egyp
tian 135
25 The History of the Blessed Man Abraham, the Egyp
tian 136
26 The History of the Virgin in Jerusalem 136
27 The History of the Virgin in Caesarea 137
28 The History of the Virgin who fell and repented 137
29 The History of another Virgin who fell and repented 138
30 The History of the Blessed Thais [or Thaisis] 140
31 The History of the Blessed Man Abba Elijah 142
32 The History of the Blessed Man Dorotheos 144
33 The History of the Blessed Man Pachomius 144
34 An Apology, and Preface, and Admonition 149
35 The History of the Virgin who hid Athanasius 150
36 The History of Piamon the Virgin 152
37 The History of Mother Talida 153
38 The History of the Virgin Taor 153
39 The History of the Virgin Colluthus 154
40 The History of the Virgin and the Magistrianus 154
41 The History of Melania the Great 156
42 The History of Melania the Younger 161
43 The History of Olympias 163
44 The History of Candida 165
45 The History of Gelasia 166
46 The History of Juliana 166
47 The History of Heronion and Bosphoria 166
48 The History of Magna 167
49 The History of the Monk Misericors 168
50 The History of John of Lycus 169
51 The History of Possidonius 173
52 The History of Chronius of Phcenix 175
53 The History of James the Lame and Paphnutius Ke-
phala 175
54 The History of Solomon 180
55 The History of Dorotheos 180
56 The History of Diocles 181
57 The History of Kapiton 181
58 The History of the Monk who fell 181
59 The History of Ephraim, Deacon of Edessa 182
60 The History of Innocent the Priest 183
61 The History of Elpidius 185
62 The History of Eustathius 186
63 The History of Sisinnius 186
64 The History of Gaddai, the Palestinian 187
65 The History of Elijah 187
viij
Contents of tbe jf irst IDolume
66 The History of Sabas of Jericho 187
67 The History of Serapion of the Girdle 188
68 The History of Eulogius 192
ffioofe ij
1 The Triumph of Mark the Mourner 197
2 The History of Mar Paulus (Paule) 197
3 The History of the Alexandrian 203
4 The History of an Old Man in Scete 209
5 The History of a Disciple 212
6 The History of a Disciple 212
7 The History of Peter 214
8 The History of a Disciple 214
9 The History of Aurelius (Adolius) 214
10 The History of Abba Moses, the Indian 215
1 1 The History of Abba Pior 218
12 The History of Abba Moses, the Libyan 219
13 The History of a Wandering Monk 219
14 The History of Evagrius 222
15 The History of Malchus 226
1 6 The History of the Two Naked Fathers 234
17 The History of an Old Man who went Naked 235
18 The History of another Holy Man 238
19 The History of a Grass-eating Monk 239
20 The History of a certain Virgin 240
21 The History of the Two Young Men with Macarius 240
22 The History of Bessarion 242
23 The History of the Ac~ls of Bessarion 243
24 The History of the Man with Nine Virtues 245
25 The History of Maria 248
26 The History of a Sage 251
27 The History of the Two Brothers 253
28 The History of a Virgin 255
29 The History of Stephana 260
30 The History of Eucarpus 262
31 The History of the Deacon 264
32 The History of the Bishop 265
33 The History of Abbd Poemen s Neighbour 265
34 The History of a Brother who denied Christ 266
35 The History of an Old Man in Scete 267
36 The History of Serapion and the Harlot 268
37 The History of a Harlot 269
38 The History of Apollo in Scete 270
39 The History of Cosmas of Sinai 270
40 The History of Abbd Macarius 271
41 The History of the Melchisedekian 273
ix
ZTbe ifrarafcise of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
42 The History of Macarius, the Egyptian 273
43 The History of Mark the Less 278
44 The History of Abba Paule, disciple of Anthony 278
Ube IRule ot ipacbomius at Uabenna, or tbe
"Hsfeetifeon"
1 The Monks of Tabenna 283
2 The History of Sylvanus the Actor 284
3 The History of a Sinner who died 287
4 The History of the Funeral of a Holy Man 289
5 The History of the Things heard by Pachomius 290
6 The History of the Things which Pachomius did 292
7 The History of the Revelation of Pachomius 292
8 The History of the Revelation of Pachomius 293
9 The History of the Revelation of Pachomius 295
10 The History of the Words of Doctrine of Pachomius 296
1 1 The History of Pachomius and the Wheat 298
12 The History of Pachomius and the Wages of the Bre
thren 301
13 The History of the Apostate Monk 301
14 The History of Pachomius and the Phantom 304
15 The History of the Gift of Tongues 307
16 The History of Jonah the Gardener 308
17 The History of Pachomius and the Buildings 310
18 The History of Pachomius and the Heretics 311
19 The History of a Question and Answer 312
20 The History of a Vainglorious Monk 313
21 The History of the Monk in the Monastery 313
Further Remarks by Palladius 315
Ube Distort of tbe /Ifeonfes, b^ Ibferonsmus
1 The Apology 317
2 The History of John of Lycus 320
3 The History of Abba Hor 334
4 The History of Abbd Ammon 336
5 The History of Abba Abban 337
6 The History of the Monks of Oxyrrhynchus 337
7 The History of Abba Theon 338
8 The History of Abba Elijah 339
9 The History of Abba Apollo 340
10 The History of Apellen 353
11 The History of Apollo, and of John the DesertDweller 356
12 The History of Abba Paphnutius 358
13 The History of Eulogius 362
14 The History of Isidore 363
15 The History of Dioscurus 363
Contents of tbc ffirst IDolume
16 The History of Copres and Petarpemotis 364
17 The History of Hor, Isaiah, Paul, and Nopi 372
1 8 The History of Evagrius 373
19 The History of Abba" Pithyrion 374
20 The Triumphs of the Blessed Fathers 374
21 The Triumphs of the Monks who were in Nitria 376
22 The Triumph of Ammon the First 377
23 The Triumph of another Ammon 37^
24 The Triumph of Didymus 37&
25 The Triumph of Chronius 379
26 The Triumph of the Three Brethren 379
27 The Triumph of Philemon) 379
28 The Triumph of John 379
29 The Triumph of Serapion 380
30 The Triumph of Apollo the Less
Contents of tbe Second IDoIume
Frontispiece
ZTbe Salinas of tbe jf atbers
Boofe j
Cap. I Palladius on Flight from Men and Silent Contem
plation. Sayings 1-62 3
II On Fasting and Abstinence. Sayings 63-104 16
III On Reading of the Scriptures, Night Vigils, the
Service of the Psalms and Constant Prayer.
Sayings 105-135 24
IV On Weeping and Mourning for Sins. Sayings
136-157 31
V On Voluntary Poverty. Sayings 158-182 35
VI On Patient Endurance. Sayings 183-237 40
VII On Obedience to God and Man. Sayings 238-247 52
VIII On Watchfulness of Thought, Word and Deed.
Sayings 248-392 56
IX On Love, Charity, and Hospitality. Sayings 393-443 88
X On Humility. Sayings 444-558 103
XI On Fornication. Sayings 559-597 126
XII On the Acceptance of Repentance. Sayings 598-613 136
XIII On the Fathers who wrought Wonders. Sayings
614-630 141
XIV On the Greatness of the Ascetic Life. Sayings
631-635 146
JSooF? if
I-XV Questions and Answers on the Rule of Life. Nos.
XVI, XVII Questions and Answers by the Fathers and
Monks. Nos. 540-577 262
XVIII Questions and Answers on the Visionsof the Mind.
Nos. 578-603 271
Appendix. Nos. 604-706 283
xn
Jntrobuctfon
3ntrotwctton
j. ipallafcius, bte Xtfe anfc travels
THE principal facts of the life of Palladius we owe to the
famous biographer of the monks himself, and nearly all of
them are to be found in the History of the Acts of the Holy
Fathers, which he dedicated to his patron Lausus, and en
titled Paradise. He was born, probably in Galatia (see Vol. I,
p. 170), about A.D. 364, but of his family, and of his boyhood
and early manhood nothing is known. He appears to have em
braced the ascetic life, to a greater or lesser degree, when he
was about twenty years of age.
Soon after Palladius became a monk, he went and lived with
the "blessed priest Innocent" on the Mount of Olives for a
period of three years (386-388). Innocent had formerly been a
court official "in the kingdom of the Emperor Constantine,"
and he had a son, but he "withdrew himself from marriage"
(Vol. I, p. 184) and became a monk. Palladius describes Inno
cent as a man of most merciful disposition, and he tells us that
he used to steal things from the brethren in order to give them
to the poor and needy; all the same he considered him to be
a man "lacking in sense." Innocent possessed a small mar-
tyrium in which he kept a blessed [relic] of St. John the Bap
tist, and by means of this he cast out from a young woman a
devil which vexed her exceedingly, and caused such writhing
and contortions of her body that "when she spat the spittle
" fell on her side," instead of away from her.
When Palladius was about twenty-three or twenty-four years
of age he visited Alexandria for the first time; this event took
place, as he himself tells us (Vol. I, p. 89), in the second Con
sulate of the Emperor Theodosius the Great, i.e., in 388. Here
he met Isidore, the secretary of the hospital which was sup
ported by the Church of Alexandria, who had lived as a monk
in Nitria, and was at that time about seventy years of age.
Isidore was a wealthy man, and gave large alms to the poor
and needy (Vol. I, p. 90), but he fared hardly. He never wore
a linen shirt, or put a covering on his head ; he never ate meat,
never partook of a full meal, seated comfortably at a table,
and never washed, yet his body was strong, sound and healthy.
With him Palladius lived for a short time, but finding that he re
quired "not the Word only but also the labour of the body,
"and severe physical exercises, even like the young unbroken
"animal," and that he had no great need of doctrine, but did
need the power to subdue the passions of his early manhood,
he besought Isidore to let him go and live by himself. Isidore
granted his request, and then took him to a place about six
xv
in
miles from Alexandria, and placed him in the hands of Doro-
theos the Anchorite, who had lived in a cave for sixty years,
and had been a friend and associate of St. Anthony in the de
sert in the days of the Emperor Maximinus [II] (305-314)
(Vol. I, p. 93).
Of the manner of the life which this Dorotheos led we obtain
a good idea from Palladius (Vol. I, p. 91). He lived on a daily
allowance of six ounces of bread, a little bundle of green herbs,
and a limited quantity of water. He spent his days in collect
ing stones in the desert near the sea, and in building cells for
the monks who could not build cells for themselves. He did
not sleep by day, and he occupied himself during the nights in
weaving palm-leaf baskets, from the sale of which he bought
his daily bread and herbs. He never laid himself down to sleep
on a bed of palm leaves, but slept in snatches as he sat at work,
or whilst he was eating his scanty food (Vol. I, p. 92).
When Isidore left Palladius with Dorotheos, he told him to
stay with that stern old man for three years so that he might
slay his passions, and then to come back to him to receive the
completion of his spiritual education. Palladius, however, was
unable to complete his period of three years, for the want of
sleep and food, and exposure to cold brought on a severe
illness, and he was obliged to return to his friend Isidore, who
cared for every one but himself. About this time Palladius be
came acquainted with Didymus of Alexandria, who was at that
time eighty years old, and had been blind since the fourth year
of his age. In spite of his blindness he was well versed in the
Scriptures, and was thoroughly acquainted with the "belief of
"the truth," and he "comprehended so deeply all heresies
that his knowledge was more excellent than that of many who
"were before him in the Church" (Vol. I, p. 94). He was a friend
of St. Anthony, who visited him three times in his cell. Thus,
before he was twenty- five years old Palladius had made the
acquaintance of two great monks who had known St. Anthony.
During the three years which followed his return to Isidore,
Palladius passed his time in going about from monastery to
monastery in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, and he says
(Vol. I, p. 99) that he met about "two thousand of the great
"and strenuous men" who lived in them. After this he departed
to Mount Nitria, that is to say, to the district commonly called
"Wadi an-Natrun," the "Nitre Valley," or "Birkat an-
Natrun," the "Nitre Lake," which lies between 30 and 31
North Lat., about two days journey from the Rosetta arm of
the Nile. A tradition which seems to rest on fact asserts that
the oldest home of Christian asceticism in Egypt was in this
place. Between Nitria and Alexandria lies Lake Mareotis,
xvj
in Iftftria
and having- sailed across this in one-and-a-half days, Palladius
came to the "Mountain of the Mazaki and Mauritanians."
Here he found a society which consisted of some six hundred
monks, who lived either in communities or as solitary dwellers
in the mountain, and he stayed in this place for a year. We
may note in passing that several of the monks whom he met
possessed purely Egyptian names, e.g., Arsisius = Heru-sa
Ast, Busiris = Pa-Asar, Peta-Bast, Serapion = Asar Hapi, etc.,
and it is probable that they were pure Egyptians. Having
learned from these many facts about Ammon and "the first
" spiritual fathers " who had lived there, he departed to " the
"inner desert, wherein is Mount Nitria" (Vol. I, p. 99), proba
bly in the year 391, when he w s about twenty-five years of
age, and he remained there fo nine years.
Inthe inner desert of Nitria, 1 alladius heard of Hor, whenever
uttered a lie, or cursed, or swore an oath, and who never spoke
except when it was absolutely necessary to do so, but did not
see him. Pambo died on the dayof the arrival of Patladius in Nit
ria (Vol. I, p. 103), but many of the sayings of this famous monk
have come down to us. Whilst in Nitria Palladius became a
a great friend of Macarius the Alexandrian, who was originally a
merchant in dried fruits, and of Evagrius of Pontus. The former
lived in that portion of the Nitrian Valley which was called
"The Cells," and for three years Palladius enjoyed close inter
course with him, and learned much concerning the true spirit
of Egyptian asceticism from him. Macarius lived "a sad, stern
"life of self-denial," (Vol. I, p. 117), and could not endure the
thought that any monk surpassed him in the exercise of ascetic
rigours. On one occasion he heard that the monks in the
Monastery of Tabenna did not eat any food which had been
cooked by fire during the Forty Days Fast of Lent, whereupon
he determined that for seven years he would e~ othing which
had been cooked by fire, and he carried out his intention to the
letter. On hearing that a monk in a certain monastery only ate
one pound of bread per day, he reduced his own allowance to
four or five ounces of bread, and to waterjustsufficienttoenable
him to eat the bread. On another occasion he determined to
vanquish sleep, and for twenty days and nights he never took
shelter under a roof, but sat in the sun all day. Once he crushed
a gnat in his hand and killed it because it had bitten him, there
fore, because this a6l made him despise himself, he went to
Scete and sat in the inner desert naked for six months, where
the gnats were large and resembled wasps (Vol. I, p. 118). At
the end of this time his skin was so bitten and swollen that it
was like the hide of an elephant, and when he returned to his
cell, the monks only recognized him by his voice.
xvij b
palla&ius in tbe Scete Desert
Yet once again he heard of the great self-denial of the
monks of Tabenna, who were under the direction of Pacho-
mius, and having disguised himself as a farm-labourer, he
walked in fifteen days to the monastery where, having proved
that he could fast for a week at a time, he was admitted. Soon
after the season of Lent drew nigh, and he fasted the whole of
the forty days, weaving ropes of palm fibre as he did so; on
Sundays he ate a few moist cabbage leaves, so that he might
pretend that he was takingfood. His success, however, betrayed
him, for Pachomius knew that none but Macarius could have
fasted with such strenuousness for so long a time (Vol. I,
p. 121). Though such exercises must have interested Palladius
very much, it is quite clear from some of his remarks that both
physically and mentally he was unable to emulate them. In
connexion with Macarius he tells us that the "chills of fever"
came on him at times, and that at others, when weariness of
the ascetic life laid hold upon him (Vol. I, p. 124), his thoughts
would say to him, "Thou art doing nothing here, get thee
"gone."
From the "inner desert" Palladius paid visits to several ot
the great ascetics, and the details which he gives of their lives
are full of interest. On one occasion he went to Scete, a dis
tance of forty miles, and saw and conversed with Pachomius
who had lived there for forty years. On another he and Albinus
travelled to Scete in company with Nero the Alexandrian, who
only ate a meal once every three months (Vol. I, p. 134). Palla
dius also found his way to that portion of the Nitrian Valley,
which was beyond Scete and was called "Klimax"; it was a
wild and rugged place, and the nearest drinking water was
twelve miles distant. Here dwelt Ptolemy, the Egyptian, who
for fifteen years drank nothing but dew which he squeezed out
of sponges (Vol. I, p. 136).
Having explored the Nitrian Valley Palladius turned his
steps towards the south, and made himself acquainted with
the lives of the ascetics who lived there. At Atrepe, near
Akhmim, he visited the nunnery which had been built by
Elijah, a wealthy landowner (Vol. I, p. 142). Elijah s successor
was Dorotheos, who lived in an upper chamber which had no
staircase; from this place he kept watch over the nuns, but no
woman ever went up to his chamber, and he could not go
down to any. At Tabenna Palladius visited the monastery of
Pachomius, whose rule he describes at some length (Vol. I,
p. 144). At Antinoe he found twelve nunneries, in one of which
he found the aged nun Talidd and her sixty virgins (Vol. I,
p. 153). At Lycus he visited John, who had received the gift
of prophecy, which he demonstrated on several important
xviij
anfc 3obn of
occasions. This famous recluse was an object of great interest
to the followers of Origin, and especially to Evagrius, who
was the most intimate friend of Palladius at this time. One
day he heard Evagrius say that he desired greatly to find out
what manner of man John was, but that it was impossible for
him to go to visit him because he lived so far away. Palladius
said nothing at the time, but after pondering the matter for
two days, he committed himself to God, and set out for the
Thebaid. His journey occupied eighteen days, on some of
which he walked, and on others he sailed in a boat. The season
of the year was the beginning of the Egyptian summer, when
the Nile was rising, and many folk were falling sick (Vol. I,
p. 170), and Palladius himself suffered from illness. At length
he arrived at Lycus, and at the proper time obtained speech
with John, who convinced him that he could read his thoughts,
and understand the things which were passing in his mind.
John knew that Palladius was anxious to leave the desert, and
also that he was afraid for various reasons to do so, and he
told him to remain in the desert, and to quench his desire to
return to his kinsfolk, for his father would live for another seven
years (Vol. I, p. 171).
In reply to John s question, " Wishest thou to become a
"bishop?" Palladius replied that he had already been made
the * bishop of the public eating houses, and of the taverns, and
" of tables, and of wine pots. Myvisiting," hecontinued, "is my
" episcopate, and it is the love of the belly and gluttony which
" hath made me the visitor of these." To these jesting words
John made answer, "Quit jesting, for a bishop thou needs
"must be, and thou wilt have to labour, and to be troubled
"greatly; now if thou wishest to flee from tribulations and
" trials go not forth from the desert, for in the desert no man
" will make thee a bishop." This prophecy was uttered about
397. Of the period between this year and that wherein he left
Nitria to go southwards he spent four years in Antinoe (Vol. I,
p. 180), where he found a society of about twelve hundred
monks. Here also he met the famous cave-dwellers, Solomon,
Dorotheos the priest, Diocles the grammarian and philosopher,
and Kapiton.
How far to the south Palladius travelled is not quite certain,
but it is clear that he visited all the chief settlements of the
monks in Upper Egypt. Three years after his visit to John of
Lycus, which probably took place in 394 (Butler, Lausiac His
tory, p. 182), he was overtaken by a severe illness caused by
his kidneys and stomach, and the brethren, fearing that he was
becoming dropsical, sent him to Alexandria. Shortly before
his return to this city he seems to have been present at the
xix
in Jerusalem
death of Evagrius of Pontus, who died in the year 400, aged
fifty-four years (Vol. I, p. 222; Butler, Lausiac History, p. 181).
The account of this monk s career is one of the most interest
ing in the Book of Paradise, and it is easy to see that Palla-
dius regarded him with great admiration and affection. The
two men had passed several years together in the " inner
desert," at the place called "The Cells," and Palladius tells us
that his friend lived upon a daily allowance of one pound of
bread, that a "box of oil" lasted him three months, that he
lived by the labour of his hands, that he prayed one hundred
prayers each day, and that he spent the rest of his time in
writing books (Vol. I, p. 225).
When Palladius arrived in Alexandria the physicians advised
him to leave the city and to go to Palestine, where the air was
lighter and purer; and, in obedience to their counsel, he de
parted thither.
It seems that Palladius next made his way to Bethlehem,
and lived there for a year with Possidonius the Theban, at a
place beyond the Monastery of the Shepherds, which was near
the town. Possidonius was a man of amiable disposition, and
Palladius declares (Vol. I, p. 173) that he did not recollect ever
meeting any other man in whom the qualities of patience, endu
rance and goodness were so highly developed. Possidonius,
apparently, loved living alone, and on one occasion he said that
hehad not seen a man norheard human speech for a whole year;
his food was of the simplest, for he lived on the insides of palm
leaves soaked in water, and wild honey whenever he could get
it. For forty years he never ate bread, and he never allowed
the sun to set upon his wrath. Whilst Palladius lived near
Bethlehem he became acquainted with St. Jerome, whom he
describes as a learned and eloquent man and one skilled in
the Latin tongue; but he declares that his great abilities were
obscured by the vices of " envy and evil-eyedness," which he
possessed to an extraordinary degree (Vol. I, p. 174). Because
of his envy, none of the holy men would live in those districts.
From Bethlehem Palladius went to Jerusalem, where, no
doubt, he found one of the numerous companies of ascetics
from the monasteries, who were entertained by that famous
woman Melaniathe Great, and by the Italian nobleman, Rufinus
of Aquileia, her friend. The praise which Palladius bestows
upon Melania and Rufinus is very great, and it is evident
that he knew both of them well, and there is little doubt that
the kindness and graciousness of these distinguished Christians
and their kinsfolk had a considerable effect upon his character
and disposition. We know from his own testimony that he
travelled from ^Elia to Egypt by way of Pelusium in company
xx
pallabfus in Constantinople
with Melania and " the gentle virgin Sylvania, the sister of
Rufinus " (Vol. I, p. 159); and this being so, it follows, almost
of necessity, that he was no ferocious, fanatical monk, to whom
the companionship of women was an abominable thing. As
Palladius had lived for a wholeyear with the gentle Possidonius,
and he speaks of him with the warmth of a true friend, it seems
justifiable to assume that he was himself a man of amiable and
sympathetic nature, and one to whom the pathos of the ascetic
life appealed more than its grim majesty.
A little later [400?] he passed over into Bithynia, where, as he
says (Vol. I, p. 172), "for what reason I know not, whether
" by the care and solicitude of men, or whether by the Will of
"God, Who is exalted above all things, I was held to be
" worthy of the laying on of hands for the episcopacy, which
tf was far above my deserts." Thus we see that the prophecy of
John of Lycus was fulfilled. Palladius tells us that when he
returned to the desert from Lycus he related to the fathers what
John had said, and that then he forgot all about it. Curiously
enough, Palladius does not say who ordained him, neither does
he give us the name of his see, but there is little doubt that it
was St. John Chrysostom who ordained him, and that his see
was Helenopolis, which was formerly called Drepanum.
In May of the year 400 Palladius was present at the Synod
held at Constantinople, and very soon afterwards "he be-
" came an associate in the trial which rose up against the
"blessed John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople" (Vol.
I, p. 172). In July, 403, Chrysostom appeared in the church of
a suburb of Chalcedon to answer before a council of thirty-six
bishops a series of charges which had been formulated against
him by John the Archdeacon and Isaac the monk. The chief
offence with which he was charged was that he had spoken
words against the Empress Eudoxia, whom he was declared
to have likened to Jezebel. After much unseemly wrangling
Chrysostom was condemned by his enemies unanimously, and
he was deposed, the Emperor confirming the decree of the
council, and ordering him to be banished. Three days later
Chrysostom surrendered to the Emperor s soldiers, and he was
carried to a vessel and sent to Hieron at the mouth of the
Euxine. Within a few days, however, he was brought back in
triumph to Constantinople, in response to letters from the
Emperor Arcadius and the Empress Eudoxia, who had been
frightened out of their wits by a severe shock of earthquake
which was felt in the city on the night following his departure
to Hieron. In September, 403, Chrysostom fell again under
the displeasure of Eudoxia, and in June of the year following
Arcadius decreed his banishment to Cucusus, a mountain on
xxj
pallafcfus in 1Rome
the border of .Cilicia. It was most likely about this time that
Palladius was "secluded for a period of about eleven months
"in a dark cell" (Vol. I, p. 172), wherein he probably hid
himself to escape the fury of the triumphant enemies of his
friend John Chrysostom.
Some authorities think that at this time he betook himself
to a river valley near Jericho, where a large number of ascetics
lived in the rock-hewn caves, the making of which tradition
assigned to those who fled from before Joshua, the son of
Nun. In one of these dwelt Elpidius the Cappadocian, who
practised the habits of a strict asceticism, and was eventually
ordained priest. This man only ate food on Saturdays and
Sundays, and he was wont to rise up many times during the
night to pray. With him, for a time, lived Palladius (see Vol.
I, p. 185), and from the description which he gives of this
wonderful man it is clear that he regarded him with affection
and admiration. Palladius tells us that Elpidius possessed
power over noxious reptiles, and that on one occasion, whilst
he was reading the service for the night, a scorpion stung
him; without shewing the least sign of pain, and without
leaving his place, or making any break in his reading, Elpidius
put forth his hand and crushed the scorpion. Such an incident
could not fail to impress the imagination of Palladius, and he
must have felt that the holy man possessed the power which
would enable him to "put his hand on the cockatrice s den,"
and to draw it away unharmed.
In 405 we find that Palladius had succeeded in escaping
with other fugitives to Rome at the time when Innocent,
Bishop of Rome, was enquiring into the appeal which had been
made to him by many friends on behalf of Chrysostom. As the
result of this enquiry Innocent annulled the deposition of
Chrysostom, and declared that the council of hostile bishops
who had condemned him was irregular. Whilst in Rome Pal
ladius and his companions were entertained by Pinianus, who
received them "with the greatest good will, and supplied them
"with provisions for the way in great abundance, and they
" sent them on their way in joy and gladness" (Vol. I, p. 163).
From Rome Palladius journeyed to Constantinople in company
with the members of the mission sent by Honorius to Arcadius,
asking that a general council should be convened to investi
gate the charges brought against Chrysostom. When Palladius
arrived in Constantinople he and his companions were treated
with great harshness ; each of them was condemned to solitary
confinement, and every effort was made to induce them to break
their adherence to the views of Chrysostom. The friends of Chry
sostom, however, stood firm, and finally, as the result of an
xxij
pallabfus JSantsbeb
imperial decree, all were banished. The place of banishment
chosen for Palladius was Syene, and on his way thither his
journey was made as unpleasant as possible by the petty spite
and malice of the imperial servants ; he was not allowed to
have a servant, and his notes and writing tablets were taken
away from him by force. How long- he remained at Syene, or
in its neighbourhood, cannot be said, but it is tolerably certain
that between 406 and 412 he spent four years at Antinoe, and
also some time in the monastery at Akhmim and neighbouring
towns. Some authorities think that he may have been allowed
to end his exile in Egypt on the death of Theophilus, the bit
ter foe of Chrysostom, which took place in 412, and it is pro
bable that he travelled about Galatia and visited Ancyra be
tween 412 and 420, the year in which he wrote the Book
Paradise. According to Socrates he was translated to the
see of Aspuna, in Galatia Prima; this event happened probably
in 417. How long he remained there cannot be stated, but he
certainly died before 431, for the bishop of Aspuna in that year
was called Eusebius.
As to the period of his life in which Palladius wrote the
book Paradise there is, fortunately, no difficulty, for in his
Counsels to Lausus (Vol. I, p. 82) he says that at the time of wr t-
ing he had lived a life of rule and had been in a monastery
of solitary brethren until the thirty-third year of his age, and
that after that he served the office of Bishop for twenty years.
He was therefore fifty-three years of age when he wrote the
book Paradise, and as he was ordained Bishop in 400, he pro
duced his work in 420.
Nowhere in Paradise does he tell us anything about his
parents or family, though in his "further remarks" (Vol. I,
p. 315), he speaks of "my beloved brother, who hath lived
" with me from myyouth up until thisday." Itis, however, alittle
uncertain whether he refers to an a<5tual or to a monastic
brother. In praising his manner of life he remarks that, "he
"never arrayed himself in fine and costly apparel," and this
seems to suggest that the brother was a man of some fortune.
Moreover, as this brother, "in his coming in and going out,
"walked through one hundred and six cities (or provinces)
" several times, and in the greater number of them tarried for
" some time," we must assume that he possessed means suffi
cient to allow him to travel wheresoever he pleased. On the
whole, we may conclude that the parents of Palladius were
people of some standing, and that they could afford to give him
money enough to travel from place to place in comfort. That he
was never a very robust man is proved by the fact that he was
unable to serve his term of three years with Dorotheos of
xxiij
Entwrance of
Thebes, and by the allusions to the sickness and fever which
attacked him when travelling-, and to the troubles caused by
his kidneys and stomach, which eventually compelled him to
forsake the desert and to go to Palestine. On the other hand, it
must be confessed that few young men of gentle bringing up
could emulate successfully Dorotheos, who lived on dry bread
and wandered about in the sun all day on the seashore col
lecting- stones for building, or could endure the hardship of
walking for days at a time, to say nothing- of the heat by day,
the chills by night, rough lodgings, and rough food which
could only be obtained at irregular intervals.
xxiv
tj. ZTbeBoofe "parafcfse"
THE book Paradise was composed by Palladius in the year
420 at the request of Lausus, a man who held high rank
at Constantinople, and who is generally thought to have been
a chamberlain of the Emperor Theodosius II, who ascended the
throne in 408; for this reason the work was called the Lausiac
History of Palladius. According to some authorities, Lausus,
the friend of Palladius, is to be identified with " Lausus pras-
"positus," who received the lady Melania when she visited
Constantinople about 435. Be this as it may, the friend of
Palladius was, as we know from his testimony (Vol. I, p. 79),
a man whose mind was " full of doctrine, whose habits were
" those of a lover of peace, who feared God in his heart and
Moved Christ in his mind," and elsewhere (Vol. I, p. 80) he
describes him as the "ornament of this believing and God
-fearing kingdom," and the "true friend and servant of
"God." Nowhere does Palladius tell us what the bond was
which united him in friendship with Lausus, or why the great
court official entreated him to write down the histories of the
lives of the Fathers of the Egyptian desert, and of other holy
men. To guess at the origin of their friendship is useless, and
whatever his motive may have been in urging Palladius to
compile his histories, the thanks of every student of religion
is due to Lausus as being the immediate cause of the produc
tion of a work which gives a true account of the origin and
development of one of the most remarkable phases of Christi
anity which the world has ever seen.
In the brief account of the book Paradise which will be given
in the following paragraphs, no attempt will be made to con
sider the difficulties which exist in connexion with the investi
gation of the original Greek text of the work, or to outline the
chronological sequence of the versions which are based upon
it. A general discussion of these matters will be found in Dom
Cuthbert Butler s Lausiac History (Cambridge, 1898), and in the
learned notes which he has appended to his critical edition of
the Greek text published at Cambridge in 1904. These works
contain an honest description of the difficulties which have be
set the paths of earlier editors and translators of Paradise, to
gether with solutions of many of them. As the result of the
scholarship, clear thought and well-balanced judgement which
Dom Cuthbert Butler has bestowed upon Paradise, Palladius
stands forth with an enhanced reputation, and the reader may
once and for all rest assured that he is perusing the work of a
man who described truthfully the things which he had seen
and the men whom he had known.
XXV
IRecensfon of Hnan-Jsbo
The translations of Paradise and of the Sayings of the Fathers
collected by Palladius, which are printed in the following
pages, are made from the fullest Syriac versions of these
\yorks A known to us, namely, those which we owe to Rabban
Anan-Isho, a monk who flourished in Northern Mesopotamia
in the latter half of the sixth and the first half of the seventh
century. Of this man we possess a tolerably full account,
written by Thomas, Bishop of Margci., about A.D. 840 (see The
Book of Governors, ed. Budge. 2 vols. London, 1893). Writing
in this work (Book II, chap, xi), Thomas says:
" It is A not right that the glorious memory of the holy Abbct
" Andn-Isho should drop from our mind, or that we should sup-
" press the mention of his indefatigable zeal; on the contrary,
" let us place his noble a6ls among [those of] his companions,
" for happiness at the right hand of our Lord Christ is laid up
"for him with them. Now this blessed man, and his brother
" Isho-Yahbh, came from the country of Adiabene. They were
" both trained in doctrine in the city of Nisibis, bejng children
" of the school and household of the blessed Ma"r Isho-Yahbh.
"They became disciples in the Great Monastery [of Mount
" Izla, about ten miles from Nisibis], as the books which be-
" longed to them A [and are now] in the library of this monas
tery (i.e., Beth Abhe) testify, for they show that they were
" written by their hands there. Now Anin-Isho, having lived
" the life of an ascetic with all excellence, and having had his
" mind constantly fixed upon the works of the ascetic fathers,
" determined to go and worship in Jerusalem. And from there
" he went to the desert of Scete, where he learned concerning
" all the manner of the lives of the ascetic fathers, whose his-
" tories and questions are written in books, and concerning
"their dwellings and the places in which they lived. And
" when he turned to come back he made his journey by way of
" [the place of] holy Mar John, the Bishop of the Scattered,
"of whom I have made mention a little way back, that he
" might be blessed by his holiness and enjoy his conversation.
"And after he had come to his own monastery (i.e., Mount
" Izla") he took his brother, and they came to this monastery
" (i.e., Beth Abhe) by reason of the annoyance and contention
" which had taken place there, for certain slanderous men who
"had set themselves against holy men, had risen up there,
" and they drove out the holy Rabban Narsai, the disciple of
" Mar Babhai, who finally became head of the monastery and
" was renowned for a life of excellence.
"Now when they came to this monastery, and weje living in
" silence, according to the rule of ascetics, Rabban Ann-Isho,
" the wise of understanding, laboured so hard in the study of
xxvj
Compilation of tbe :JBoofe parafcise
44 books that he surpassed all who were before and after him
44 in his knowledge. And when Mdr Isho-yahbh was Metropoli-
44 tan of Arbel and wished to draw up in order a book of the
44 Canons that he might send copies of it to all the countries of
4 his patriarchate, he made the wise Anan-Isho, the love of
44 whom is very dear and sweet to me, to sit with him during
44 the drawing up of the Canons, because he had composed
44 Institutes and Rules, and because he found that he alone
44 possessed, in a sufficient measure, a clear mind and a natu-
11 ral talent for the art of music and a knowledge of how to
44 arrange words.
44 And the noble Anin-Isho composed Definitions and Divi
sions of various things, which were written upon the walls
of his cell. And when his brother Mar Isho-yahbh came to
pray in this monastery (i.e., Beth Abhe), and saw the Divi
sions of the science of philosophy of his brother, Ansin-Isho,
he begged him to write a commentary on them for him, and
44 to send it to him, which Anan-Isho actually did. And he
44 wrote to him a clear exposition in many lines, from which
44 will be apparent, to every one who readeth therein, the great-
44 ness of his wisdom; now the title of the work is, A Letter
44 which a Brother wrote to his Brother. . . . He also wrote a
t work on the correct pronunciation of the words, and of the
44 difficult words which are used with different significations in
44 the writings of the Fathers; a copy of this work exists
44 among the books in the library of this monastery, and it sur-
44 passes all other collations in its accuracy."
A The A above extract is of great interest, for it proves that
Andn-Isho, who edited the Syriac version of Paradise which
is translated in these volumes, prepared himself for his great
work by visiting the Scete desert, in order that he might see
for himself the conditions under w^hich the monks lived, and
the dwellings and places wherein they abode. Knowledge, at
first hand, and experience went side by side with great learn
ing and literary skill, and the more his translation is studied,
the greater its accuracy is found to be.
A little further on in his Book of Governors (Bk. II, chap, xv)
Thomas, Bishop of Marga, gives us some details of the
44 Compilation of the Book which was called Paradise."
From these we learn that Anan-Isho undertook this work as a
result of an order which he received from the Patriarch Mar
George. Having asked for the 4 Prayers of M&r Catholicus and
4 of the holy old men of his congregation, he began and finished
44 the command wherewith he had been commanded. And with
44 an enlightened mind and a wise understanding especially
44 as the Spirit had manifested in him the efficacy of His gifts
xxvij
Compilation of tbe Boofe
" he arranged and grouped together in smooth order (i.e. , con-
" secutively), 615 Heads (or Chapters), in Canons and
" Sections, [with] each * Head a * Question giving informa
tion concerning the subject matter of the Head which
"preceded it. So that if a brother was labouring in any
" [spiritual] warfare whatsoever, and he wished to pluck con-
" solation or to take counsel on the matter which was
" troubling him, he might find it close at hand. And the
"Counsels were arranged and classified according to the
" subject matter, so that he might very quickly be consoled in
" his tribulation, and find relief, and might also lay a soothing
" plaster on the wound which was causing him pain."
"And besides these [615 Heads ] there were 430 others,
"which would give a man information in general upon all
"kinds of spiritual excellence, and there were many others
" which he did not arrange in numerical order, and which he
" did not group or classify. And he took from the * Commen-
tary on the blessed Matthew, the Evangelist, the Discourse
" which was composed by Mr John [Chrysostom] on the
" praises of the monks who were in Egypt, and the Questions
"of the blessed Mr Abraham of Nephthar, and demonstrations
" and other histories which he himself had collected from the
" writings of the Fathers."
"And he arranged the whole book [Paradise] in two Parts.
" In the First Part were the Histories of the Holy Fathers,
" which were composed byPalladius andHieronymus (Jerome),
" and in the Second Part were the Questions and Narratives
" (or Matters) of the Fathers, which he had arranged and classi-
" fied. And he called this Book Paradise and under this name
"hath it been handed down and accepted in all the monas
teries of the East, and the Fathers in every place have
"praised his ability and applauded his work."
It may be mentioned in passing that the word "Paradise"
means "garden," and there is no doubt that Palladius in
tended to suggest to his readers that his compilation resem
bled a spiritual garden, the flowers of which were the Histories
of the famous monks which he had collected therein, just as
the monks themselves were the flowers of the Garden of God.
Prefixed to the translations of Paradise and the Sayings
of the Fathers printed in these volumes will be found a render
ing of the Syriac version of a Life of St. Anthony, which is
attributed to Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria. This
work is of very great interest, and it is of considerable impor
tance for the study of Christian monasticism in Egypt. The
original was written in Greek, but the Greek text now extant
is different from that used by the translator into Syriac (Butler,
xxviij
%tfe of Safnt flntbons
Lausiac History, p. 227; Schulthess, Probe einer syrischen Ver
sion der Vita S. Antonii, Leipzig, 1894). Many authorities
have denied the authenticity of this Life of St. Anthony -, but
there is really no good reason why Athanasius should not
have taken part in the preparation of some portions of the work,
or in its revision, and until proof is brought forward that such
a thing is impossible, we shall be justified in believing that the
framework of the narrative is historical. The character of St.
Anthony, as drawn by the author of the Life in the form
wherein we now have it, is wholly lovable, and it is easy to
understand how the words and deeds of the great monk drew
all men to him. His manner of life was as simple and as strenu
ously ascetic as it could well be, and yet his manners towards all
men were kind and gentle. He ate bread and salt, and drank
water only, and on certain occasions passed three or four days,
and sometimes whole weeks, without eating (Vol. I, p. 12).
He passed most nights in vigil, and when he slept his bed was
a palm-leaf mat. He never used oil and he never washed. He
wore an untanned leather garment with the hair next his skin
(Vol. I, pp 40, 73), and he slept, when an old man, with a skin
covering over him. Before his death he gave his leather tunic
to Athanasius, and his leather coat to Bishop Serapion. He
remained healthy to the last, and his eyesight failed not, and
not a tooth dropped from his head; he died aged 105 years.
Before his death he ordered the brethren to bury him in a
grave, and not to embalm him, for, said he, ["there shall I be]
"until the Resurrection of the Dead, when I shall receive this
"body without corruption" (Vol. I, p. 73). He spoke Egyptian,
and knew neither Greek nor Latin, but his speech was digni
fied, austere, pungent and "seasoned with salt"; his mind was
alert, and his shrewdness and sagacity won the admiration of
the crowds of ascetics of all kinds who visited him. Though
kind to all, and gracious even to those with whose opinions
he disagreed, his quick intelligence enabled him to defeat the
worldly-wise in argument, and to shew the superiority of his
religion over that of the pagan philosophers who propounded
problems to him. His disposition was happy, and his faith in
God as firm as a rock; no devil, fiend, or phantom could under
mine his trust in the goodness of God, and no wickedness
of man made him to doubt it. We hear nothing of his tortur
ing his body, as was the custom of later monks; nevertheless
he was willing to suffer hardship, imprisonment, and even
martyrdom, if by so doing he might help his fellow man. Dur
ing the persecution of Maximinus he left the desert and went
into Alexandria, and visited the prisons and ministered to the
wants of the blessed confessors who were shut up there. He
xxix
Contents of tbe Boofe parabise
comforted those who were condemned to hard labour in the
mines in the Sudan, and those who were to be banished to the
islands, and those on whom the sentence of death had been
passed, and he went in and out among the prisoners fearlessly.
At length the governor heard of him and his ministrations,
and ordered that he should in future be kept out of the city.
In spite of this prohibition he made his way into the judge
ment hall of the governor, intending, no doubt, to make a
vigorousjprotest against his treatment of the confessors. His
friends, however, saw him there, "and prevented him that day
" from appearing before the judge," and thus he escaped cer
tain condemnation.
We may now proceed to the consideration of the contents
of the First Part of Anan-Isho s Syriac recension of the book
Paradise. After the Epistle to Lausus, the high official at
whose request the original work was compiled, we have a
description of the plan of Paradise and a series of " Coun
sels " to Lausus, and then comes the first history, namely,
that of:
1. ISIDORE, who had been a monk in Nitria, and died fifteen
years after Palladius met him, aged 85 years. With his sisters
lived a company of about seventy nuns. His history is followed
by those of:
2. DOROTHEOS, who lived in a cave for sixty years.
3. POTAMIAENA, the virgin, who was boiled to death at
Alexandria in a cauldron of bitumen by the order of the pre
fect Basilides.
4. DIDYMUS. He was a friend of St. Anthony, who had visited
him in his cell thrice, and he received through the Spirit the
news of the death of Julian the Apostate on the very day on
which he died. He was 80 years of age when Palladius met him.
5. ALEXANDRA of Alexandria, who shut herself up in a
tomb and saw neither man nor woman for twelve years. Her
history was told to Palladius by Melania.
6. The AVARICIOUS VIRGIN, who gave Macarius 500 dinars
to buy emeralds and jewels; he spent the money on the sick
poor.
7. The MONKS OF NITRIA. Palladius mentions the monks
Petd-Bast, Arsisius, Chronius, and Serapion, and describes
the life led by the monks there.
8. AMMON, one of the early monks of Nitria, who died aged
62 years.
9. HOR, a monk of Nitria, who died before Palladius came
there.
10. PAMBO, who died on the day of the arrival of Palladius
XXX
Contents of tbe 3BooU
in Nitria, aged 70 years. Palladius received his history from
Melania, Ammonius, and Origen, the priest and steward.
11. AMMONIUS, the Tall Brother, the disciple of Pambo. He
cut off his left ear to prevent the brethren from making- him a
bishop; and he never ate anyfood which had been cooked by fire.
12. BENJAMIN, of Nitria, the physician, who died of dropsy;
he was 80 years old when Palladius visited him.
13. APOLLONIUS the merchant, who lived in Nitria for twenty
years, and purchased with the money he earned necessaries
for the 5,000 brethren who dwelt in the mountain.
14. PAESIUS and ISAIAH, the sons of a merchant, who spent
all their money in charity.
15. MACARIUS [the Younger], the " Child of his Cross," who
lived for three years in the open desert, and for twenty-five in
a cell.
1 6. NATHANIEL, who died fifteen years before Palladius
visited Nitria. He lived for thirty-seven years in his cell, and
never passed outside its door.
17. MACARIUS the Egyptian, who lived in the desert for sixty
years, and died aged 90; he is said to have raised a man from
the dead.
1 8. MACARIUS the Alexandrian, who was famous for his fast
ing and vigils, and self-abnegation ; some of his cells had no
windows, and at one time he walked about in the desert
carrying a basket with two or three bushels of sand in it on his
shoulders. He performed many cures, and worked miracles.
19. PAUL THE SIMPLE, who became a disciple of St. Anthony
when he was 80 years of age (Butler s Greek text, chap. 22).
20. PACHOMIUS of Scete ; he was 70 years of age when visited
by Palladius (Greek text, chap. 23).
21. STEPHEN the Libyan, who dwelt in the desert for sixty
years (Greek text, chap. 24).
22. VALENS the Palestinian, who went mad, and was put in
fetters for a year by the fathers (Greek text, chap. 25).
23. HERO the Alexandrian, who became a drunkard and
whoremonger, but returned to the desert, repented, and died
(Greek text, chap. 26).
24. PTOLEMY the Egyptian, who dwelt in the portion of the
Scete desert called " Klimax" for fifteen years, and went mad
(Greek text, chap. 27).
25. ABRAHAM the Egyptian (Greek text, chap. 53).
26. A VIRGIN in Jerusalem, who fell (Greek text, chap. 28).
27. A VIRGIN in Caesarea, who fell. A fuller form of this his
tory is given in chapter 29.
28. A certain VIRGIN, who fell (Greek text, chap. 69).
29. A VIRGIN in Caesarea, who fell (Greek text, chap. 70).
xxxj
Contents of tbe Boofc
30. THAIS, or THAISIS, the harlot. According- to the Syriac
version of this chapter Thais, the harlot, was converted by
Abba Bessarion. She burnt all her possessions, and was intro
duced by Bessarion into "a religious house of sisters" (Vol. I,
p. 141), where she lived on one pound of dry bread daily and
water for a period of three years. At the end of this time Bes
sarion went and asked St. Anthony whether God had forgiven
her her sins or not, and Anthony told his monks to shut them
selves up in their cells all night in order that the matter might
be revealed concerning which Bessarion had applied to him.
After a long time Paul, the disciple of Anthony, saw a vision
in the heavens of a splendid couch with a crown of glory laid
thereon, and three angels with three lamps standing- by its
side. Paul thought that the couch was prepared for Anthony,
but a voice came to him from heaven, saying, "This couch is
"not for Anthony, thy father, but for Thais, the harlot." When
Bessarion heard the news of the vision from Paul, he returned
to Thais and told her that God had forgiven her her sins. Fif
teen days afterwards she died. In Book II, chap. 36 of the
Syriac version (see Vol. I, p. 268) will be found the story of
the conversion of a harlot by Abba Serapion, but it differs in
many respects from the story of Bessarion and the harlot.
Now according to the Greek versions of this history the monk
who converted Thais was called Paphnutius, or Serapion (see
F. Nau, Histoire de Thats, in Annales du Musee Guimet, Tome
trentieme, pt. iii, Paris, 1903), and some authorities identify
this Serapion with "Serapion of the Girdle." In 1899-1900 M.
Gayet carried out a series of excavations on the site of An-
tinoe, and in the course of his work discovered the tomb of a
woman which contained baskets made of plaited reeds, a chap-
let made of wood and ivory, an object in the form of the ancient
Egyptian symbol for "life" (ankh, the crux ansata], palm
branches, and a rose of Jericho. In the tomb, roughly traced
in red ink, was the inscription :
EKOIMH6EMA
KAPIA9AIAS
.... 9ESSAA ....
which proved that it was the resting place of the "Blessed
"Thais." In a neighbouring tomb was found a fragment of
pottery, on which were inscribed the words :
KOPNOS9AAOT
which prove that the occupant was called "Serapion." We
knew that Thais, the harlot, was buried in Egypt, and there
xxx ij
Contents of tbe Boofe
are fairly good reasons for believing 1 that Serapion of the Gir
dle was buried there also. This being so, some have not hesi
tated to think that the Thais and Serapion whose tombs were
excavated by M. Gayet, are to be identified with Thais, the
harlot, and Serapion, who converted her. On the other hand,
M. Gayet s words {L Exploration des Necropoles Greco-Byzan
tines d Antinoc, in Annales du Musee Guimet, tome xxx, Part.
II, Paris, 1902), are to be well considered: "La question a e"te*
"controversee; je me bornerai a redire ce que je n ai cesse"
"de re pe ter a ceux qui m ont questionne" a ce sujet: Je n ai
" aucun document me permettant d identifier Thais d Antinoe
14 a la Thai s historique; je n en ai aucun, non plus, m autori-
" sant a nier la possibility de cette identification. " It seems,
then, that the identification is not at present certain, but it is
difficult not to wish that the bodies of the man and woman
who now lie side by side in the Muse"e Guimet, may eventually
prove to be those of the famous monk and the woman whom
he converted.
31. ELIJAH of Atrepe (Athribis) near Akhmim, the builder of
a nunnery (Greek text, chap. 29).
32. DOROTHEOS, who lived in an upper chamber.
33. PACHOMIUS the Great, of Tabenna, the Abbot of 1,300
monks, and the nuns (Greek text, chaps. 32-34).
34. The VIRGIN who hid Athanasius (Greek text, chap. 63).
35. PIAMON the Virgin (Greek text, chap. 31).
36. EMMA TALIDA, the old woman of Antinoe (Greek text,
chap. 59).
37. TAOR the Virgin (Greek text, chap. 59).
38. COLLUTHUS the Virgin (Greek text, chap. 60).
39. The VIRGIN and the MAGISTRIANUS, who was thrown to
the beasts in her stead (Greek text, chap. 65).
40. MELANIA THE ELDER. She lived in exile for thirty-seven
years (Greek text, chaps. 46 and 54).
41. MELANIA THE YOUNGER (Greek text, chap. 61).
PAMMACHIUS (Greek text, chap. 62).
42. OLYMPIAS, daughter of Seleucus (Greek text, chap. 56).
43. CANDIDA, who lived on dry bread dipped in vinegar
(Greek text, chap. 57).
44. GELASIA (Greek text, chap. 57).
45. JULIANA, who received Origen (Greek text, chap. 64).
46. HERONION and his wife BOSPHORIA (Greek text,
chap. 66).
47. MAGNA (Greek text, chap. 67).
48. MISERICORS the monk (Greek text, chap. 68).
49. JOHN OF LYCUS, who foretold that Palladius would be
made a bishop (Greek text, chap. 35).
xxxiij c
Contents of tbe Boofe para&ise
50. POSSIDONIUS the Theban, who possessed the gift of
prophecy (Greek text, chap. 36).
51. CHRONIUS of Tomarta, the priest, who lived in the desert
for sixty years (Greek text, chap. 47).
52. JAMES THE LAME and PAPHNUTIUS KEPHALA (Greek text,
chap. 47).
53. SOLOMON of Antinoe (Greek text, chap. 58).
54. DOROTHEOS of Antinoe (Greek text, chap. 58).
55. DIOCLES of Antinoe (Greek text, chap. 58).
56. KAPITON of Antinoe (Greek text, chap. 58).
57. The MONK who fell.
58. EpHRAiMof Edessa,who madeanopen-airhospital(Greek
text, chap. 40).
59. INNOCENT of the Mount of Olives (Greek text, chap. 44).
60. ELPIDIUS of Jericho (Greek text, chap. 48).
^ENESIUS (Greek text, chap. 48).
61. EUSTATHIUS (Greek text, chap. 48).
62. SISINNIUS (Greek text, chap. 49).
63. GADDAI (Gaddanus) (Greek text, chap. 50).
64. ELIJAH (Greek text, chap. 51).
65. SABAS of Jericho (Greek text, chap. 52).
66. SERAPION of the Girdle (Greek text, chap. 37).
67. EULOGIUS and the Crippled Arian (Greek text, chap. 21).
1. MARK the mourner.
2. PAUL, the prince of monks, who died at the age of 113
years, when St. Anthony was 90 years old.
3. History of A YOUNG ALEXANDRIAN.
4. History of AN OLD MAN IN SCETE.
5. History of A SOLITARY DWELLER.
6. History of THE DISCIPLE of a certain old man.
7. History of PETER, a disciple.
8. History of A DISCIPLE.
9. ADOLIUS of Tarsus (Greek text, chap. 43).
10. MOSES the Indian (Greek text, chap. 19).
11. P!6R (Greek text, chap. 39).
12. MOSES the Libyan.
13. A WANDERING MONK.
14. EVAGRIUS (Greek text, chap. 31).
15. MALCHUS of Maronia.
1 6. Two FATHERS who went naked.
i6A. An OLD MAN who went naked.
17. An OLD MAN who fed with the beasts.
18. An OLD MAN who lived forty-nine years in the desert.
19. A MONK who fed on grass by the Jordan.
xxxiv
Contents of tfoe Boofe paradise
20. A HOLY VIRGIN.
21. The YOUNG MEN who were with Macarius.
22. BESSARION, who went naked during- the frost.
23. BESSARION S acts.
24. The HOLY MAN with nine virtues.
25. MARIA, who assumed a monk s attire.
26. A CERTAIN SAGE.
27. Two BRETHREN in a Persian Monastery.
28. A VIRGIN.
29. STEPHANA of Scete.
30. EUCARPUS, who went mad and reviled Evagrius.
31. A FAMOUS DEACON.
32. A BISHOP who fell into fornication and repented.
33. The neighbour of POEMEN.
34. The APOSTATE BROTHER.
35. An OLD MAN in Scete.
36. SERAPION and the Harlot (see Vol. I, p. 140).
37. The HARLOT whom a subdeacon drove out of the Church.
38. APOLLO of Scete.
39. COSMAS of Mount Sinai.
40. MACARIUS, who was accused of committing fornication.
41. The OLD MAN who thought that Melchisedek was the Son
of God.
42. MACARIUS, the disciple of Mar Anthony.
43. MARK the Less.
44. PAULE the Simple, the disciple of St. Anthony.
ZTbe Hsfeetifeon of pacbomius
1. ON PRIDE AND WICKEDNESS.
2. SYLVANUS the Aclor.
3. The SINNER who died.
4. The RIGHTEOUS MAN who died.
5. What the DEVILS SAID TO PACHOMIUS.
6. The ACTS OF PACHOMIUS in his Monastery.
7. A REVELATION concerning heretics.
8. A REVELATION concerningthe Settlement of the Brethren.
9. ANOTHER REVELATION.
10. WORDS OF DOCTRINE.
11. THE FAMINE.
12. PACHOMIUS and the Steward.
13. The MONK WHO DENIED CHRIST.
14. PACHOMIUS and the PHANTOM.
15. PACHOMIUS and his GIFT OF TONGUES.
16. JONAH the Gardener.
17. PACHOMIUS and HIS ORATORY.
18. PACHOMIUS and THE HERETICS.
XXXV
Contents of tbe Boofe parafcise
19. PACHOMIUS and THE MONK.
20. PACHOMIUS and the MONK WHO MADE MATS.
21. PACHOMIUS and the MONK WITH CUT HANDS.
FURTHER REMARKS BY PALLADIUS.
Following the above we have in the Syriac version of Anan-
Isho a HISTORY OF THE MONKS WHO LIVED IN THE DESERT OF
EGYPT, which is said to have been compiled by Saint Jerome.
This work is generally known as the Historia Monachorum,
and was written in Greek; the Latin version is now acknow
ledged to have been made by Rufinus. It has been shown
(Butler, Lausiac History, p. 276, Cambridge, 1898) that it was
compiled by a Monk of Jerusalem, who belonged to the
monastery on Mount Olivet founded by Rufinus, and who
went to Egypt in 394, with six companions, to visit the
monks. On his return to his monastery he wrote the book at
the request of the brotherhood. According to Sozomen the
writer was Timotheus, Bishop of Alexandria, but Dom Butler
has proved this to be impossible, and he suggests (op. cit.,
p. 277) that the writer was not the Bishop of Alexandria, but
the Archdeacon of Alexandria, who was also called Timotheus,
and was put forward by his party, on the death of Bishop
Theophilus in 412, as a candidate for the see against St. Cyril.
The contents of his work are:
1. The Author s APOLOGY.
2. JOHN OF LYCUS.
3. ABBA HOR.
4. ABBA AMMON.
5. ABBA ABBAN (BENUS).
6. THE BRETHREN OF OXYRRHYNCHUS.
7. ABBA THEON.
8. ABBA ELIJAH.
9. ABBA APOLLO and ABBA AMMON.
10. ABBA APELLEN.
11. ABBA APOLLO and ABBA JOHN.
12. ABBA PAPHNUTIUS.
13. EULOGIUS.
14. ISIDORE of Thebes.
15. DIOSCURUS of Thebes.
1 6. ABBA COPRES and PETARPEMOTIS.
17. HOR, ISAIAH, PAUL, and NOPI, the Confessors.
1 8. EVAGRIUS.
19. PlTHYRION.
20. TRIUMPHS OF THE FATHERS.
21 THE MONKS OF NITRIA.
22. AMMON THE FIRST.
xxxvj
Contents of tbe JSooft parafcise
23. Another AMMON.
24. DIDYMUS.
25. CHRONIUS.
26. The THREE BRETHREN who cut off their ears.
27. PHILEMON.
28. JOHN, Abb& of Dikapolis.
29. SERAPION, the head of ten thousand men.
30. APOLLO the Less.
The Second Part of Anan-Isho s version of the book Para
dise contains several series of miscellaneous collections of
" Saying s " and " Stories " of the Fathers, some 635 in num
ber, and also a series of "Questions and Answers," about 706
in number, which deal with the rule of life of the holy men.
Though Anan-Isho attributes all of them to Palladius, it is very
doubtful if more than a few of them were collected by him.
Large numbers of them are found in Greek manuscripts of the
sixth century, and it is almost certain that the "Sayings"
were first collected and done into writing in the fifth century,
probably about the time when the book Paradise and History of
the Monks were compiled. It is only natural that the men who
wrote these works should think that the terse, pithy * Sayings "
of the ascetics whom they had visited were just as well worth
preserving as the histories of their lives, and that they should
take pains to put on record the words and opinions on difficult
points of the ascetic life for the benefit and guidance of future
generations of monks. It is, in my opinion, quite impossible
for all the " Sayings " and " Stories " collected by Andn-fsho
to belong to this early period or to be of Egyptian origin, but
it is certain that a very large proportion of them is of Egyp
tian origin, and that the teaching and spirit in all of them are
the products of the Christian monasticism of Egypt. On the
other hand, the authorship of many of them is doubtful, and
this we must probably attribute to the mistakes of copyists.
When the " Sayings " were first collected, they were grouped
either according to the names of their authors or their subject
matters; but these arrangements were soon broken up, and
after a generation or two anything like systematic order dis
appeared from the collections. The "Sayings" and the
"Stories" of the monks translated in the second volume of
this work are of great value for the study of Egyptian monas
tic Christianity, for they reveal the very thoughts of the ascetics
and illustrate the views of the monks on almost every con
ceivable point in connexion with the theory and practice of
the Christian Life as they understood it. In them we have de
picted the strength and weakness of the holy men, and though
xxxvij
Contents of tbe Boofe
our modern ideas may suggest that selfishness was at the
bottom of their stern asceticism, that their labours did nothing
to help the world along, and that their hardships and the tortur-
ings of their bodies were both useless and unnecessary, no one
can deny that the fixedness and intensity of their faith, and
their high aims and practical morality made them bright
lights and guides to all, and proved them to be most earnest
seekers after God.
xxxvnj
iij. Cbristian /Iftonastidsm in
IN approaching- the consideration of Christian monasticism
in Egypt, it will be well to remember that the more the
ancient religions of the world are studied, the plainer it is that
in all ages, both in Asia and Africa, certain kinds of men have,
for various reasons, devoted themselves to a life of asceticism
which was more or less severe. It is foreign to our purpose to
adduce detailed proofs of this statement here, and it is unne
cessary, for anyone who will take the trouble to read the his
tory of the leaders of the great religious movements which
have taken place in China, and India, and Western Asia, and
also the literature of ancient Egypt, cannot fail to be convinced
of this fac~t. Men who were tired of the world, or who had ex
perienced great disappointments, or who wished to impress
their views and ideas concerning spiritual matters on their
fellow men, forsook the habitations of men and retired into
mountains and deserts, where they fasted, prayed, kept vigils,
and meditated, and sometimes devoted their lives to minis
tering to the wants, both material and spiritual, of the poor
and needy. They preserved their bodies chaste, and despised
the possessions of this world. At the same time it must be
borne in mind that the asceticism practised by the monks of
Egypt differed in many particulars from that of men of other
countries, and also that its essential characteristics were
founded on views which were quite distinct from those which
made the devout priests of the pre-Christian religions of Egypt
pass their time in solitude, silence, reflection and study, and
caused them to adopt lives of poverty and austere self-abne
gation.
The Christian monks of Egypt, like investigators of our
own time, often discussed the question, "Who were the first
" monks?" Some held the view that the first who led lives of
virginity and holiness in the desert were the Prophet Elijah
and John the Baptist, and seemed to have assumed that the
lives of the monks of Egypt were the counterparts of these
great desert teachers. Some were firmly convinced that Chris
tian monasticism began with St. Anthony, who was born about
250, and died about 355, whilst others again asserted boldly
that the first Christian monk who dwelt in the desert was
Paul the Anchorite, "who ended [his career] in the days of
" DeciusandValerianus"(A.D. 249-253, 253-270)^01. 1, p. 197).
Now we find from the life of Paul, attributed to Palladius in the
Syriac version, that this man w r as the son of wealthy parents
who died when he was sixteen years of age; he was educated
in the learning of both the Greeks and the Egyptians, and he
xxxix
Be0ftmftH) of Cbristian /foonasttcism
loved God with his whole heart. His sister s husband was
always lying in wait to deliver him over to those who were
persecuting the Christians, and at length he found it necessary
to flee to the mountains, where he found a rock-cave wherein
he lived for many years. When he was 113 years old, he was
visited by St. Anthony, who travelled across the desert, and
held converse first with a hippo-centaur, and next with a satyr.
Now, according to the story, Anthony was at this time 90
years old, but this is impossible, for it is said in the same
story that Paul "ended" in the days of Decius and Valerianus,
in other words, that Anthony was a youth when Paul was a
very old man. Assuming, however, that Anthony was 90 years
old when he visited Paul, and that Paul was 113 years old at
the time, it is tolerably certain that Paul had lived the life of
an anchorite some twenty-three years longer than Anthony.
If, on the other hand, we accept the statement that Paul died
between 249 and 270 aged 1 13 years, it would follow that he was
born about 150, and that he lived the life of a Christian monk
before the close of the second century. It is impossible to think
from any point of view that Paul was the only Christian who
retired to the desert, whether he was born in the second
or in the third century, but the history of his life is valuable
as showing that a tradition, which was extant when the writer
compiled his life, asserted that he was the first of the Christian
monks who lived in the desert. What we are probably intended
to understand by the writer of the life of Paul is that Paul
was an anchorite in the desert to the east of the Nile, between
the river and the Red Sea, before St. Anthony, and that when
he first settled there Christian monks in general had not chosen
that desert as a place of abode.
When we consider the trials and tribulations in the midst of
which the Christians of Egypt lived during the second century,
it is difficult not to think that large numbers of them forsook
the towns and villages and fled to the mountains and deserts,
the men to avoid military service, and the women to escape
dishonour and persecution. A tradition states that during the
reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161) an abbot called Frontonius,
hating the world and longing for solitude, collected seventy
brethren and led them into the Nitrian Desert, where they
cultivated the ground, and lived exceedingly austere lives
(Afla Sanftorum, April 14). For one systematically arranged
"flight from the world" such as this, there must have been
hundreds of which no record now exists. Taking all the pro
babilities of the case into consideration, we are justified in stat
ing that by the year 300 there were in all the mountains and
deserts of Egypt a large number of Christian monks and soli-
xl
IRepentance
tary ascetics. It is doubtful if brotherhoods existed at this
time; indeed, the histories of the ascetics which come first in
the book Paradise indicate that they did not, for from these
we learn that each recluse did what seemed right in his own
eyes. Each man was entirely devoted to the saving of his own
soul, and apparently cared for nothing and no one else. Each
tried to lead a more austere life than that of his neighbour,
believing that through the multitude of his fastings, vigils, and
prayers he could make himself acceptable to God. Some, no
doubt, repented of their evil deeds and thoughts with absolute
sincerity, and their repentance lasted for years at a time, but
repentance had never been a characteristic of the Egyptian, as
we may see from the older literature of Egypt.
Up to about B.C. 2400 the Egyptian based all his hopes of
reaching heaven upon the performance of ceremonies and the
recital of formulae, which would enable him to learn the great
and secret name of the God of the other world. His moral code
was of the highest character, and he often boasts in his inscrip
tions that he was good and dutiful to his father and mother,
and affectionate to his brothers and sisters, and that he never
did harm to any man because he feared an unfavourable judge
ment in the Hall of Osiris. In no inscription, however, known
to me is there any mention of sorrow or regret for the com
mission of any sin or offence.
In the religious texts written about B.C. 1500, when, pro
bably under Asiatic influence, a more spiritual conception of
religion existed among the priests, we find clear indications
that the doctrine of retribution was accepted by them. Good
deeds and pious acts performed on earth secured for the doer
when in the other world a regular and unfailing supply of
offerings, and a favourable hearing when his soul was weighed
in the Balance in the Hall of Osiris, and, in the Fields of the
Blessed, a grant of land, the extent of which was in proportion
to his good deeds upon earth. The funerary inscriptions which
describe the lives of those whom they commemorate are full of
protestations put into the mouths of deceased persons as to
the righteousness and integrity of their lives, and in the Books
of the Dead they deny the commission of forty-two sins and
offences. Nowhere, however, do we find that the deceased
persons express regret or contrition for such offences against
the law as they must certainly have committed. Indeed, it seems
as if the Egyptian regarded sin merely as a breach of an obli
gation to the moral law from which he could free himself by
his own subsequent good works, or by the payment of offer
ings. There is no word in the hieroglyphic texts for "repen
tance," and in making the Coptic version of the New Testa-
xlj
3f (nutting of fl&onasteries
ment the translators were obliged to borrow the Greek word
HETavoia when they needed to express the idea of repentance.
The fundamental ideas which underlie the words repentance,"
" conscience," and "faith," as understood by modern Christian
peoples, seem to have been unknown to the ancient Egyptian,
and it seems to me that they were only partially understood
by the earliest of the Christian monks. The Christian and
Egyptian monks trusted very largely to the efficacy of their
own works for salvation. Hence their prolonged fasts, their
multitudinous prayers, their constant vigils, their excessive
manual labour, and their ceaseless battle against the cravings
and desires of the body. The greatest monk was he who
could fast the longest, rest and sleep the least, pray the
greatest number of prayers, keep vigil the longest, work the
hardest, endure best the blazing heat of the day and the
bitter cold of the night, and who could reduce his body to
the most complete state of impassibility. When hunger, thirst,
cold, silence, watching and praying had reduced the body, the
spiritual nature and faculties sprang into active operation, and
the monks saw visions and received revelations of a super
natural character.
Whether we regard Abbd Paul or St. Anthony as the first
monk who dwelt in the desert, it is quite certain that the syste
matic establishment of monasticism in Egypt is due to the
latter. During the first half of his life St. Anthony was sur
rounded by a large number of monks who emulated his mode
of life, and who were more or less under his spiritual direction
and guidance. Very early in the fourth century, perhaps, before
310, he gathered together a considerable number of monks,
and they came and lived with him in a monastery not far from
the Red Sea. Up to that time he had lived in Pispir, the
u outer mountain," which appears to have been situated about
sixty-five miles to the south of Cairo, eight miles to the north
of the modern town of Beni Suwef, and several miles inland from
the west bank of the Nile. The monastery to which he betook
himself with his community of monks was about twenty-five
miles from the Red Sea, and the most direct route to it from
the Nile is by the old desert road which runs almost due east
from the village of Bayad, about eighty miles to the south of
Cairo. It stood on the " inner mountain," as the place is called
in the history of St. Anthony. The Monastery of Paul (not Paul
the Simple) lay some twenty miles to the south-east of that of
St. Anthony.
The next great event in the history of Christian monasticism
in Egypt was the founding, about 320, of the famous Monas
tery of Tabenna, near the modern town of Denderah, in Upper
xlij
1Rule of flbacbomius
Egypt, by Pachomius, who was born a few years before the
close of the third century. When he had finished his disciple-
ship, an Angel appeared to him and told him to go and collect
the wandering monks, to live with them, and to lay down such
laws as he should tell him for their guidance. The Angel then
gave him a book (or tablet), wherein were written six laws.
According to these a monk might eat and drink, or fast, as he
pleased; no pressure was to be put upon him to do either. The
strong were to labour hard, and the weak according to their
strength, and each was to be encouraged to do his utmost.
Monks were to live three by three in cells, and were to eat to
gether in one house. They were not to sleep lying down, but
seats were to be provided, so that when sitting down they might
" support their heads." They were to sleep in sleeveless gar
ments, wear skull caps with crosses worked in purple upon the
fronts of them, and partake of the Eucharist on Saturdays and
Sundays. The monks were to be divided into twenty-four
grades, each of which was to bear the name of a letter of the
alphabet.
In addition to these rules the Angel ordered that no man
should be received into that monastery until he had toiled three
years; the same period, we may note in passing, which Isidore
ordered Palladius to serve. Though the monks ate together,
they were to cover their faces with their cowls, and were not
to converse with each other or look about. The rule of Pacho
mius seems to have been attractive to many, for the company
of monks in the house in which he lived numbered 1,300, and
there were several other houses near, each containing from
one to three hundred monks. Each monk worked at a trade,
and we learn (Vol. I, p. 146) that there were in the community
gardeners, blacksmiths, bakers, carpenters, fullers, makers of
baskets, mats, nets, and sandals, and one scribe. As each man
worked he repeated the Psalms and selected passages from the
Scriptures. Of the articles made by the monks a certain num
ber were sold to the people of the neighbouring villages, but
from the story told in Vol. I, p. 300, we see clearly that Pacho
mius did not allow an excessive profit to be made by the dealer
who disposed of the surplus goods. From the Asketikon
(Vol. I, pp. 283ff) we may conclude that Pachomius was an able
and just administrator, and one who detested excess of any
kind among his followers. He urged every man to do his best,
but he was most severe in his dealings with the vainglorious,
and with those who undertook tasks beyond their power to
fulfil. In illustration may be quoted the story (Vol. I, p. 291) of
the cook who neglected his duly appointed work of cooking
vegetables for the brethren for two months, and devoted his
xliij
Cbrtstian IRunnerfes
time to the plaiting of mats. He excused himself by saying that
the brethren used not to eat all that he cooked, and that much
food was therefore wasted, to say nothing- of the forty flasks of
oil which were mixed daily with the peas and vegetables, but
Pachomius refused to accept his excuse, and having ordered
the five hundred mats which the cook had made to be brought
to him, he threw them into the fire.
Another monk sighed for martyrdom, and begged Pacho
mius to pray that he might become a martyr, but there was
little chance of this happening, for there was peace in the
world, and Constantine was reigning. Pachomius told him to
lead the life of a monk blamelessly, and to make his life
pleasing to Christ, and then he should enjoy the companion
ship of the martyrs in heaven. This, however, did not satisfy
the monk, and in spite of the warnings of his abbot, he con
tinued to crave for martyrdom. Two years later Pachomius
despatched a number of monks to an island in the river to the
south to cut reeds for the mat-makers, and he sent the monk
who wished to become a martyr to them with some money for
their expenses, which he took an ass to carry. When he came
to the place on the river bank opposite to the island, a company
of the Blemmyes came down to draw water, and finding the
monk there, they made him dismount, and having seized the
ass and his money, they carried him off to the mountains. Then
they made a feast and poured out libations to their gods, and
urged the monk to join them in their worship. He refused at
first to do so, but when they came against him w r ith drawn
swords in their hands and threatened to kill him, he took wine
and poured out a libation to their gods, and denied God. When
he returned to his monastery and confessed what he had done,
Pachomius condemned him to solitary confinement, to one
meal a day of bread and salt, to perpetual vigil and tears, and
to plait two palm-leaf mats each day. After ten years of this
penance he died (Vol. I, p. 304).
On the other side of the river near the monastery of Pacho
mius there were several nunneries, some of which were main
tained by the work of the monks. Of the nuns who dwelt in
these Palladius tells two stories (Vol. I, p. 147). A sister was
seen by another talking to a man who asked her for work,
and some time later, during a dispute between these two nuns,
she who had seen the other talking with the man accused her
of committing an act of infamy. This accusation distressed
the innocent sister greatly, and at length she went and
drowned herself secretly; her accuser, terrified at the result of
her calumny, also drowned herself secretly. The second story
s that of a sister who had been possessed of a devil, and who
xliv
/l&onfes of IFlitrfa
permitted her companions to treat her with contempt; she
waited upon them in the refectory, and performed so many
menial duties that Palladius says she became the " broom of
the whole nunnery." It was, however, revealed to Abba Pite-
rius, who lived in the Porphyrites, that a nun of Tabenna was
more excellent than he, and he asked his superior to give him
permission to go and see her. When he arrived there, all the
nuns came in to be blessed by him except the sister who made
herself the servant of them all, and when he asked for her,
she had to be dragged into his presence. As soon as she ap
peared, Piterius bowed down before her, and in answer to the
remonstrances of the other sisters, declared that she was their
" mother and his," and that he entreated God to grant him a
portion with her in the Day of Judgement. On this the sisters
who had been in the habit of buffeting her, and throwing the
"rinsings of vessels" over her, and insulting her, expressed
contrition and asked her pardon. These stories are told in
such detail that Palladius must have heard them himself at
Tabenna, where he cannot have failed to stay during his travels
in Egypt.
Now whilst Anthony was directing a community of monks
on the " Inner Mountain," and Pachomius was Abbot of Ta
benna, numbers of other monks were leading lives of austerity
in the Desert of Nitria, or the Natron Valley (Wadi-an-
Natrun), as it is generally called, and in the Desert of Scete.
To reach Nitria Palladius was obliged to cross Lake Mareotis,
which occupied him a day and a half. The main portion of the
valley lies a little to the north-west of Cairo, and can be
reached in two days by camel. When he arrived there he found
a company of about 5,000 monks, who lived in twos and threes,
or in groups; besides these there were 600 anchorites/who lived,
each by himself, in the neighbouring desert. The making of
bread for these occupied seven bakers. Each monk lived as
he pleased, either by himself or with others. Here in a court
yard stood a large church, which was served by eight priests,
and the monks attended divine service on Saturday and Sun
day. In the courtyard were three palm trees, with a whip
hanging on each; one whip was used for beating the monks
who committed acts of folly, another was used for chastising
thieves, and the third for beating strangers who misbehaved.
Close to the church was a guest-house, in which the visitor
might stay as long as he pleased, provided he was willing to
work in the bakery or refectory. At Nitria there were physi
cians and confectioners and wine merchants, but no man was
needy, for every one had to work at the weaving of flax. At
night-fall the monks began to sing psalms and to pray, and
xlv
Cells an&
the visitor who heard the singing of the monks rising up
round about him, might, "his mind being exalted," imagine
that he was in the " Paradise of Eden," i.e., heaven.
In Nitria Palladius heard of Ammon, Nathaniel, Paul the
Simple, Hor, and Pambo, and he saw Ammonius, Benjamin
the Physician, Macarius, and many others, and from the fa6ls
which he relates it is clear that Nitria had been inhabited by
monks for more than one hundred years before he arrived
there. One portion of the Nitrian Valley, because of the steep,
precipitous rocks in it, was called "Klimax," i.e., "the Lad
der," and as no water was to be had nearer than twelve miles,
it was usually considered to be uninhabitable. Here, notwith
standing, for fifteen years lived Ptolemy the Egyptian (Vol. I,
p. 136), who collected in sponges the dew which fell in the
months of December and January, and having squeezed these
out into jars he obtained a supply of water for the whole year.
It is sad to learn that he went mad, and scoffed at the Eucha
rist, and that he finally departed to Egypt, where he gave him
self over to prodigal and riotous living.
Another interesting portion of the Nitrian Valley was called
"The Cells," because here were situated the abodes of the
monks who were hermits in the strictest sense of the word.
Each man lived by himself in a cell at some distance from any
neighbour, and only mixed with his fellows when he went to
the Church of Nitria, which was some miles distant, on Satur
day and Sunday.
Now we know from other sources that during the second
half of the fourth century a large and important societyof
monks lived near the modern town of Suhdk, about 320 miles
south of Cairo. Their rallying point was the famous "White
Monastery," which stood on the skirt of the desert on the west
bank of the Nile, and was dedicated to the great ascetic Abba"
Shenuti by the Empress Helena. Shenuti was born about 333,
and died at midday on July 2, 451, aged 118 years! He became
a monk when a boy, and for years was under the direction of
his uncle Bgul, and for nearly 100 years he possessed very
great influence. It is difficult to understand why Palladius
makes no mention of him, and why he does not describe the
rule of his monks, which was a very severe one. Shenuti was
a man of violent temper and a strenuous opponent of Nestorius
and his followers, and we can only surmise that Palladius
omitted all reference to him because he disapproved of his
personal characteristics. It would be wrong to think that he
had no knowledge of the great communities of monks which
flourished in the neighbourhood of Suhak and Akhmim
(Panopolis).
xlvj
Women
Another great host of monks lived at Oxyrrhynchus, about
125 miles south of Cairo, where, we learn from The History of
the Monks, there were thirteen churches (Vol. I, p. 337). "The
" city was so full of the habitations of the brethren that the
" walls thereof are wellnigh thrust out with them, so many
4 * were the brethren." Five thousand monks lived inside the
city, and five thousand outside, and the praises of God rose up
to heaven every hour of the day and night. Besides these the
Bishop had under his charge twenty thousand nuns. Strangers
were cordially welcomed at Oxyrrhynchus; and the writer of
The History of the Monks says that his cloak and other garments
were wellnigh torn off his back by the eager hands of those
who contended with each other for the pleasure of receiving
him into their houses.
At Lycus, near the modern city of Asyut, was another
famous community of monks, the most famous of these being
John the Carpenter. He was born about 304, became a monk
about 330, and five years later he took up his abode on the top
of the mountain of Lycus, where he lived until his death, which
took place about 394. He possessed the gift of prophecy and
worked miracles, and his counsel was sought by all, from
Theodosius the Emperor to the humblest monk. During the
earlier years of his life as a monk he ate nothing cooked by
fire, not even bread, and towards the close of his life his
food consisted of dried herbs only. He founded no community
of monks, but large numbers of ascetics must have regarded
him as their spiritual father (See Vol. I, pp. i6gff. and 32off.)
During the period of his banishment to Egypt, Palladius
wandered about the country and paid visits to many monas
teries and solitaries. He found Antinoe so interesting that he
spent four years there. The town lay on the east bank of the
river, and its site is marked to-day by the village of Shekh
Abddah. At Antinoe there were twelve nunneries, and Palla
dius met there Emmd Talidd, the head of sixty virgins, and
the virgin Taor. Close to the town lived some twelve hun
dred men "who worked with their hands and lived the life of
44 spiritual excellence " (Vol. I, p. 180). In the desert of Antinoe
lived Elijah the hermit, who was no years old when the
writer of The History of the Monks became acquainted with
him, and who had lived there for seventy years. His daily food
consisted of three ounces of bread and three olives, which he
ate in the evening; in his earlier years he partook of food only
once a week (Vol. I, p. 340).
From what has been said above it is clear that during the
fourth century Egypt was filled with monks of all kinds, and
that the monastic life was general there. During the two pre-
xlvij
Ube Hrm$ of tbe
ceding centuries the followers of the ascetic life were content
to lead solitary lives in isolated places on the borders of the
towns and villages, and in the mountains and deserts, but
after the persecutions of Decius and Diocletian, they found
that their personal safety depended upon their living together
in organized communities. The formation of societies, or bro
therhoods, was quickly followed by the building of substantial
monasteries, which were provided with courts enclosed by
strong outer walls and gates, and the resistance which could
be offered to intruders by some hundred of monks armed with
the stout stick or cudgel of the Egyptian peasant was not
small. Palladius, unfortunately, gives no description of the
monasteries which he saw, but it is tolerably certain that their
main features resembled those of the great buildings, half
monastery half fortress, of which a fine example remains
in the ruined monastery of St. Simeon near Aswan. If the
numbers of the monks in Nitria, Antinoe, Oxyrrhynchus,
Panopolis, and other places, given by Palladius and the author
of the History of the Monks, be correct, it is clear that the
whole body of the ascetics of Egypt must have formed a
veritable army which was sufficiently strong to resist any un
popular measure of the Government. This fact, no doubt,
explains why the heads of great religious houses were often
consulted by the authorities on matters of State, and why
their advice was so often followed by the leaders of military
expeditions against the barbarians to the south of Egypt.
xlviij
tv\ ftbe Supernatural Element in tbe :!Boofc
* * ff\ ct t*<^^tfi/> **
IN perusing the lives of the holy men given in the Book
Paradise and in The History of the Monks the reader
will find described a series of incidents and events in which
the supernatural element plays a prominent part, and some
critics have asserted that they constitute a proof that these
works are not genuine. Palladius was, no doubt, credulous in
respect of miracles and supernatural occurrences in general,
but, in my opinion, the evidence that he was so is a proof that
he lived at a time when the Christian world believed in the
things which he describes, and the details given by him con
vince me that his knowledge of the particular events which he
records was acquired at first hand. Those who are familiar
with the magic of the Dynastic Egyptians find few miraculous
occurrences in the histories of the monks of which parallels
do not exist in the pagan literature of Egypt. The monks cer
tainly rejected the old gods of the country, but the folk-lore
survived, and with it the beliefs and superstitions which be
longed to the mythology of a remote past and which were
never wholly eradicated. To the Cross were transferred the
powers and attributes of the old Egyptian amulet dnkh, and
the histories of the monks supply many instances of its use as
an amulet. Thus when Anthony made over himself the Sign of
the Cross the devil "was straightway terrified" (Vol. I, p. 10);
and on another occasion the devil, seeing the Sign, "passed
" away quickly in the form of a flame of fire" (p. 16). Anthony
protected himself against a being half-man half-ass by the Sign
of the Cross (p. 44). One day the devil appeared to Macarius
the Egyptian and explained his system of wiles and fraud ; the
"chosen athlete" made the Sign over himself and the devil
disappeared (p. 278). John of Lycus made the Sign over some
oil which he sent to a woman who had cataract in her eyes ;
she smeared her eyes therewith three times, and after three
days she saw (p. 322). Poemen made the Sign over a youth
whose face "had been turned backwards by the Evil One,"
and the youth was healed (Vol. II, p. 144). A certain father
was about to drink from a vessel, and when a holy woman
made the Sign over it, the devil fell from the vessel in the form
of a flash of fire (Vol. II, p. 269). The brethren said, "The
" demons fear and tremble, not only by reason of the Cruci
fixion of Christ, but even at the Sign of the Cross, whether it
" be depicted upon a garment or made in the air" (Vol. II,
p. 299). The "name of the Cross" even was a "word of power,"
xlix d
Sign of tbe dross
wherewith Anthony put to flight the fiery phantoms which
attacked him by night (Vol. I, p. 43).
The monks, like the Apostles (St. Matthew vii, 22) used the
Name of Christ as a word of power. A haughty and insolent
devil "once appeared to Anthony, and said, I am the power
" of God, " whereupon the old man blew a puff" of wind
at him, and rebuked him in the Name of Christ, and the
devil and all his host disappeared (Vol. I, p. 33). On another
occasion Anthony held converse with Satan, but when Satan
heard him mention the "Name of Christ his form vanished
"and his words came to an end" (Vol. I, p. 35). One night
when Satan had brought a troop of devils in the form of beasts
against Anthony, at the mention of the Name of Christ Satan
was driven away "like a sparrow before a hawk" (Vol. I,
p. 44). By the Name of Christ Anthony drove out a devil from
a maiden (Vol. I, p. 59), and it w r as well known that he per
formed all his healings by means of prayer and the mention ot
the Name of Christ (Vol. I, p. 68). Now Anthony was an
Egyptian, and he did in such matters as a pagan Egyptian
priest would have done, only his prayer took the place of the
old magical formula, and the Name of Christ was used instead
of the name of an old Egyptian god. Abba Benus adjured a
hippopotamus which devoured the crops in a certain village in
the Name of Jesus Christ, and the beast departed forthwith,
and did no further harm (Vol. I, p. 337); and the fathers went
so far as to say that laymen might drive away devils by the
Name of Christ and the Sign of the Cross (Vol. II, p. 300).
When we remember that Anthony was, notwithstanding his
natural shrewdness and virtues, an uneducated Egyptian, we
need feel no surprise at the stories of his conflicts with devils
and phantoms. His wandering among the tombs must have
made him familiar with the painted reliefs in them and with the
figures of gods and mythological beings in whom his ancestors
believed, and the vivid imagination which he inherited from
his ancestors endued them with life and movement. He was
unacquainted with the literature of ancient Egypt, for he could
neither read nor write, and therefore he could not know that
the paintings only represented the attempts made by funerary
artists to give form to the weird conceptions of the supposed
denizens of the other world, both good and evil, which his
forefathers had evolved out of their own minds.
It is noteworthy that many of the stories which relate the
appearances of the Devil are told in connexion with men of
Egyptian origin. Thus Palladius tells us (Vol. I, p. 115) that a
certain Egyptian who wished to gain the love of another man s
wife hired a magician to employ his sorceries in order to make
1
2>e\>ils anfc Demoniacal possession
the woman love him or to make her husband hate her and cast
her out; the magician failed to make the woman unfaithful,
but he succeeded in transforming- her into a mare. After three
days the husband of the woman took the mare to Macarius
the Egyptian, to whom God had revealed the matter, and
when the brethren announced her arrival to the holy man, Ma
carius told them that the appearance of the woman to them in
the form of a mare was due to an " error of sight " (hypnotic
suggestion?) on the part of those who saw her. He then threw
water which he had blessed over her, and she straightway ap
peared in the form of a woman to every man there ; after
eating some sacramental bread she was healed. To Macarius
also they brought a man possessed of afiery devil (Vol. I, p. 117),
who, when he had eaten three baskets of bread and drunk
three bottles of water, vomited them in the form of " smoky
" vapour." Under the treatment of Macarius the man became
content with three pounds of food per day, and was healed.
Nathaniel, another Egyptian recluse, was sorely tempted to
leave his cell to help a young man whose laden ass was said
to have fallen in the bed of the river. He refrained, however,
and the young man, who was the Devil, and his ass disappeared
in a whirlwind (Vol. I, p. 113). When Macarius the Alexandrian
went to the garden of Jannes and Jambres "seventy devils "
came forth against him in the form of ravens ; these devils were,
no doubt, mere birds, but the imagination of the saint turned
them into devils (Vol. I, p. 119). On one occasion, when Ma
carius was one hundred years old, Palladius heard him " striv-
4 ing with his soul and with Satan," and saying to the Evil One,
"Thou canst do nothing unto me, get thee gone" (Vol. I,
p. 1 24) . One day a man possessed of a devil was brought to Paul
the Simple and Anthony, and when the ordinary means failed
to drive him out, Paul appealed to Christ, and swore that he
would neither eat nor drink until the devil had come out of the
man. Thereupon the devil cried out that he was being ill-
treated, and when he asked Paul where he should go, the holy
man said, "To the uttermost depths of the abyss." On this the
devil came out, and transformed himself into "a mighty
"dragon seventy cubits long," which wriggled its way down
to the Red Sea (Vol. I, p. 128). The serpent is a well-known
representative of the Evil One in Egyptian mythology, and
the length of the monster here given suggests that the holy
man regarded the creature before him as akin to Apep, the
arch-enemy of Horus and Ra. Pachomius, the Abbot of Ta-
benna, was also vexed by devils, and we are told (Vol. I,
p. 290) that one day, whilst he was journeying in the desert of
Ammon, "certain legions of devils rose up against him and
Casting of Spells
" thronged him, both on his right hand and on his left," and
they clung to him until he reached the monastery. On another
occasion, when he and Theodore were walking through the
monastery by night, a woman appeared to them whose beauty
was so great as to be indescribable, and even Theodore, who
looked at the phantom, was exceedingly perturbed, and his face
changed colour (Vol. I, p. 304). In answer to his questions she
told Pachomius that she was the daughter of the Calumniator,
and that she had received power to fight against him.
Another survival of the old Egyptian belief in the power of
men, under certain circumstances, to cast spells is recorded in
the history of Apollo (Vol. I, p. 351). The ten villages which
were round abcut his place of abode, near Hermopolis, i.e.,
the city of the g 3d Thoth, were filled with men who worship
ped a wooden idol, and they carried him in procession from
village to village, whilst the priests and people danced be
fore him. One day Apollo saw them carrying on their
" devilish sports," and he knelt down and prayed, and im
mediately all the people became spell-bound where they stood,
and being unable to move they were obliged to remain there
the whole day long in the fierce heat of the sun, and each was
parched with thirst. Then certain of the inhabitants sent oxen
to drag away the idol, but they also became spell-bound, and
could move neither the idol nor themselves. At length it was re
cognized that the sports had been stopped by Apollo, and the
people sent andbegged for his help. Hewent quickly and prayed
over the men who were spell-bound, and removed the spell,
and they at once believed in Christ, and burned their idol, and
were baptized.
The supernatural powers of Apollo were exercised in many
other ways. During a dispute in a village about certain boun
daries, the leader of the barbarians declared that there could
never " be peace until death." To this Apollo replied, " It shall
" be as thou sayest, but none except thyself shall die ; and the
11 earth shall not be thy grave, but the bellies of wild beasts."
That night the man died, and on the following morning his
remains were found horribly mangled by vultures and hyenas.
The faith that was in the holy man enabled him to kill snakes,
asps, vipers, and all kinds of reptiles, and in a time of famine
he fed the hungry folk from baskets of bread which always re
mained full through his miraculous powers.
In connexion with Apollo mention is made of another
Egyptian called Ammon, who slew a mighty serpent (Vol. I,
p. 352). The monster was wont to slay sheep and cattle, and
when the people begged the saint to free them from him, he
went and knelt down at the place where the serpent usually
Supernatural powers of tbe flfeoufes
passed, and prayed. Whilst he was praying, the serpent came
and tried to strike him, but as soon as Ammon had called
upon Christ to destroy him, the reptile burst asunder.
The instances quoted above are sufficient to illustrate the
miraculous powers attributed to the ascetics of Egypt, and it
is clear that the monks believed that they were able to cast
out devils from the human body, and to destroy their evil
works. The author of The History of the Monks boldly states
that, at the time when he was writing-, they raised the dead,
and like Peter, walked on the water, and performed everything
which the Redeemer and His Apostles performed.
\>. TTbe 3Lf\?es of tbe Bsppttan fl&onfes anfc tbeft*
FROM the Histories related by Palladius and by the author
of The History of the Monks we can gain a very clear idea
of the manner of the lives of the solitary dwellers in the desert
and of those who dwelt in monasteries. The first thing to be
done by the man who determined to become an ascetic was
to flee from the world, that is to say, to forsake the habitation
of men, and to avoid all intercourse with men, and especially
with women. At first the strong-willed man left his town or
village, and seeking out a lonely spot in the desert or moun
tains took up his abode there. Later, when men like Anthony,
and Paul, and Ammon lived in the desert, the man who would
be a monk joined their followers, and learned from them the fun
damental principles of the ascetic life. Those who, for various
reasons, felt themselves unequal to the labours of the solitary
life, remained in the company of their fellow-monks, and
usually lived blameless lives until they died. The solitary
dweller, having chosen his place of abode, at once began to
eat sparingly with the view of reducing the strength of the
passions of his body, and he drank nothing but water. Those
who lived in the mountains and near the river had little diffi
culty in obtaining water, but many of them lived at consider
able distances from a stream or well, and deliberately made the
task of obtaining a supply of water as difficult as possible.
The chief article of food of the solitaries was bread made in
the form of thin cakes; many of them ate these dry, but some
soaked them, or dipped them in water first. When one father
asked another if he would not dip his bread-cake in water, his
companion replied, "When a possession increaseth set not
"thy heart upon it" (Vol. II, p. 18). Abb& Isaac, the priest of
the Cells, ate the ashes of the censer which was before the
altar with his bread (Vol. II, p. 18), and another father used to
make the Sign of the Cross over his food instead of mixing oil
with it (Vol. II, p. 23). A monk usually ate bread and salt once
a day, in the evening, but some only ate every second day,
others every third or fourth day, and men of might often fasted
for a week at a time. Moderate men thought it best for a man
to eat a very little bread each day. A limited number of monks
never ate bread at all, for they agreed with Theodotus, who
said, "Abstinence from bread quieteth the body of a monk"
(Vol. II, p. 21). And Poemen said, "The soul can be humbled
"by nothing except thou make it feeble by eating bread"
(Vol. II, p. 22). Some monks never ate bread at all, others ate
nothing else, and the former lived upon vegetables and fruit,
liv
Bating, HJrtnfctnfl, anfc Sleeping
arid, when they could find it, wild honey. The greater number
of the monks "cooked with fire," that is, boiled their vege
tables, and the rest ate them dried. One stern monk advised
a brother who consulted him about monastic comforts, to
"Eat grass, wear grass, and sleep on grass," adding, "then
"thy heart will become like iron" (Vol. II, p. 17). A counsel of
this kind could be followed but by few, but there are recorded
some cases in which monks actually lived on grass. Thus a
certain monk went a journey of three days into the desert, and
looking down from a rock he saw an old man "grazing like the
" beasts"; he went down and gave chase to him, and when he
came up with him he asked him to "speak a word." The old
man replied, "Flee from the children of men, keep silence, and
"thou shalt live" (Vol. I, p. 236). Elsewhere we read of an
other monk who fed on grass by the Jordan (Vol. I, p. 239).
The rule of Pachomius permitted monks to eat when they
pleased, and to a limited degree what they pleased, but the
solitaries were very strict in the matter of food. Isidore never
took a full meal seated comfortably at a table, and flesh he
never ate; Dorotheos lived on dry bread; Macarius the Alexan
drian for seven years ate no boiled food, and lived on herbs
and vegetables which had been soaked in water, and for a long
period his daily allowance of bread was four or five ounces,
and of water he only drank enough to enable him to eat his
bread. During the Lenten fast his only food was a few cabbage
leaves which he ate each Sunday. For fifteen years Ptolemy
of the "Klimax" in Nitria drank nothing but the dew which
he collected in sponges during the months of December and
January each year. The solitaries who passed their nights in
prayer and contemplation, and their days in plaiting palm-
leaf mats, needed less food than the monks who lived in mona
steries and performed hard manual labour. Sometimes they
were so much occupied in repeating the Psalms that they for
got their food altogether; at other times they fought against
their inclination to eat, and their hunger left them (Vol. II, p. 17).
As to the use of wine various views were held. Macarius
the Egyptian liked wine, but if he drank one cup he would not
drink water for a whole day afterwards. Paphnutius drank a
cup of wine to escape death at the hand of a robber chief.
Sisoes would drink two cups, but always refused the third,
saying, "The third cupful is of Satan." One old man handed
back his cup of wine to the brethren, saying, "Take away this
"death from me"; and Poemen said, "The nature of wine is
" not such as to make it useful to the dwellers in monasteries."
Abb& Abraham only thought three cups of wine too much to
drink because Satan existed. Solitaries and coenobites alike
Iv
Glotbtncj
agreed that, "As the body groweth the soul becometh weak;
" the more the body becometh emaciated, the more the soul
"groweth" (Vol. II, p. 22).
Of the clothing worn by the solitaries little is said in the
Book Paradise, but we are justified in assuming that it was
small in quantity. Some, like Anthony, wore leather tunics,
and others rough, untanned skins of goats, with the hair next
their skin. Large numbers of them possessed no clothing ex
cept loin-clothes, and many went naked. Macarius says (Vol.
I, p. 234) that he saw two naked monks, one an Egyptian and
the other a Libyan, who had lived with the beasts for forty
years ; they told him that they were not burnt up in the summer
and that in the winter they did not freeze. Another naked old
man was seen grazing like the beasts, and he had lived so
long in the desert that he could not endure the smell of man
(Vol. I, p. 235). Another old man had lived naked near the
Red Sea for thirty years, and his hair had grown so long dur
ing this period that it covered him (Vol. I, p. 237). The dwe-1-
lers in monasteries were better clad, and from the Rule of Pacho-
mius we know that they wore skull-caps, and slept in a kind of
shirt which was without sleeves. The solitaries and some other
kinds of monks wore cloths over their heads, which served
the double purpose of preventing them from seeing the faces of
their fellows, and of keepingoff the keen winds from their faces.
In places where the monks worked at the weaving of flax,
they, no doubt, wore garments made of linen. The coverings
of their beds were pieces of coarse linen, or, as in the case of An
thony, the skin of a sheeporgoat. Some monks possessed cloaks.
The beds of the monks who lay down to sleep were mats
made of plaited palm leaves.
It is laid down over and over again in The Sayings of the
Fathers that a man is kept from sin by three things : flight
from men, silence, and contemplation. Arsenius said that the
sound of the twittering of a sparrow would prevent a monk
from acquiring repose of heart, and the rustling of the wind in
the reeds made it absolutely impossible (Vol. II, p. 4). Poemen
told a brother that he did not learn to shut a door of wood,
but the door of the tongue (Vol. I, p. 7), and when a brother
asked Macarius how it was possible for them to flee further
than the desert they were in, he laid his hand upon his mouth,
and said, "Flee in this manner" (Vol. II, p. n). "Lay hold
"on silence," "Keep silence," were sayings that were always
in the mouths of the old men; and Poemen said, "A monk s
"victory is only assured when he holdeth his peace" (Vol. II,
p. 13). Agathon only learned to keep silent by holding a stone
in his mouth for three years (Vol. II, p. 16).
Ivj
Silence anb
Almost as important for the monk as keeping- silent was
dwelling in the cell. "Eat, drink, sleep, and toil not, but on
"no account go out of thy cell," was the advice of Arsenius
to a brother (Vol. II, p. 5); and Sarmata said to a brother,
* Sit thou in thy cell, and whatsoever thou canst do, that do,
and trouble not thyself." Anthony said, "As a fish dieth
1 when it is taken out from the water, so doth the monk who
tarrieth outside his cell" (Vol. II, p. 8). He also said, "The
cell of a monk is the furnace of Babylon wherein the Three
* Children found the Son of God, and it is also the pillar of
cloud wherefrom God spake with Moses" (Vol. II, p. 14).
The monk who sat in his cell and kept silent was enabled to
pass his waking hours in the contemplation of spiritual mat
ters, and this occupation was held to be of the highest impor
tance. By meditating upon the dealings of God with man as
exhibited in the histories of the saints given in the Old and
New Testaments, the monk was enabled to apply their spiri
tual lessons to his own needs and circumstances, and to cor
rect his thoughts and to make his deeds harmonize with those
of the prophets. The time not spent in contemplation was de
voted to the reading and learning of the Scriptures, and to
prayer. If the monk ceased his contemplation the devils at once
entered his cell, and one old man actually saw a devil standing
outside the door of a brother s cell, and waiting until he ceased
his contemplation ; when he did so the devil was able to enter
(Vol: II, p. 24). When a monk read the Divine Books the de
vils were afraid (Vol. II, p. 24). The principal work of the
prudent monk was "constant prayer"; he was taught to pray
"in his heart, or in a carefully prepared service, or in that
" service which he performed \vith his will and understanding"
(Vol. II, p. 27). He was to speak to God in a quiet voice and
say, "Lord, Thou knowest full well that I am a beast, and
"that I know nothing. O Lord, by Thy Will vivify Thou me"
(Vol. II, p. 27). A certain monk prayed always, and each
evening he found bread in his cell for his evening meal ; when
he joined in manual labour with another monk no bread ap
peared in his cell. To him a voice said, Whilst thou occupiedst
" thyself in converse with Me, I fed thee; but now thou hast
" begun to work thou must demand thy food from the labour
" of thy hands" (Vol. II, p. 30). The prayers of the brethren
formed a " glorious pillar of brilliant light which reached from
"the place where the brethren were congregated to the hea-
"vens" (Vol. II, p. 30).
The strenuous monk slept little, and Arsenius used to say
that one hour s sleep was sufficient for him. Arsenius prayed
from sunset on Saturday to sunrise on Sunday, and Pachomius
Ivij
Weeping anb
tried to do without sleep altogether. For fifteen years he and
Abbd John snatched a little sleep after their all-night vigils,
as they sat in the middle of their cell, without leaning against
a wall (Vol. II, p. 25). Abba Sisoes, to drive away sleep, used
to stand all night on the precipitous peak of a mountain, to
fall from which in a moment of unconsciousness meant certain
death. The angel of the Lord, however, removed him from the
peak, and forbade him to stand there again (Vol. II, p. 26).
The accompaniments of true prayer were mourning and
weeping, mourning for the crucifixion of our Lord, and weep
ing for sins committed andgeneralunworthiness. Muthues said,
" Weep and mourn, for the time hath come," and Ammon
said, " Laugh not, O brother, for if thou dost, thou wilt drive
" the fear of God from thy soul." Paul sank in the mire up to
his neck, and he wept before God, and said, " Have mercy on
"me." Isidore sat in his cell and wept always, and Poemen
said, " He who weepeth not for himself in this world must
" weep for ever in the next," and " There is no other path ex-
" cept that of tears." And Macarius thought that the words
" Flee from men" meant, " Sit in thy cell and weep for thy
"sins "(Vol. II, pp. 31-34).
The poverty of the monk was absolute. Serapion saw a hol
low in a wall in a monk s cell filled with books, and he said,
" That which belongeth to the orphans and widows thou hast
u laid up in a hole in the wall." Theodore of Parme had three
books, and he sold them and gave the proceeds to the poor.
An old man took off his garment, and standing up, said, "A
" monk must be as destitute of this world s goods as I am of
" clothing." When Arsenius lived in Scete his apparel was in
ferior to that of every one else, and a monk s apparel ought to
be so worthless that if it were cast outside his cell for three
days no man would consider it worth taking away. A monk
once came to the church of the Cells wearing a head-cloth, and
Abba Isaac said, " Monks dwell here, but thou art a man in
" the world, and canst not live here." Nastir was ready to give
away all his apparel, for he was certain that God would give
him something wherewith to cover his body (Vol. II, pp. 35-40).
The virtue most cultivated, and, perhaps, the most admired
by the monks themselves, was patient endurance. Agathon
bore quietly every accusation except that of being a heretic.
When thieves came to plunder the cell of Macarius he helped
them in their work, so little did he love possessions ; and when
thieves were robbingthecell of another brother, hesaid, "Haste,
" be quick, before the brethren come " (Vol. II, p. 43). Another
brother, when attacked in his cell by evil-doers, brought a basin
and entreated them to wash theirfeet ; the thieves were ashamed
Iviij
befcience
and repented. Abba" John nursed Ammon for twelve years, and
abated nothing of his own great labours (Vol. II, p. 44). Twelve
brethren were led out of their road for a whole night by a
brother who had lost the way, but none of them thought it
right to tell him. Arsenius changed the water in which he
soaked the palm leaves only twice each year, and endured its
foul smell in return for the scents and oils which he had enjoyed
when he was in the world (Vol. II, p. 46). Through the agency
of Satan a monk went blind ; he did not pray that his sight
might be restored, but only that he might be able to bear his
trial patiently (Vol. II, p. 48). " What shall I do?" cried a
brother to an old man, and the answer he received was, " Go
4< and learn to love putting restraint upon thyself in every -
" thing "(Vol. 1 1, p. 51). "Bear everything, endure everything
" from every man, except any attempt to separate thee from
" God," said Poemen.
Obedience was another virtue which the monks cultivated.
Abba* Paule told his disciple Abba John to go into a tomb
wherein was a savage panther, and bring out some things, and
when John asked what he was to do with the panther, Paule
said, "Tie him up, and bring him here." Though horribly
afraid John did as he was told, and brought out the panther
(Vol. II, p. 52). Mark the Scribe, on hearing his master s call,
left his copying with the letter " O " unfinished. A life of obe
dience is better than a life of voluntary poverty, and once when
a monk famed for obedience stood up in the river among many
crocodiles the creatures " worshipped him " (Vol. II, p. 54).
Sisoes told a man who wanted to become a monk to throw his
only son into the river, and the man went and was about to
do so, when a messenger from the holy man told him not to do
so; the man obeyed and, through his obedience, "became
"achosen monk."" Obedience begetteth obedience," said the
Abba of Ilm, and " If a man obeyeth God, God will obey him "
(Vol. II, p. 55).
Above all things a monk was ordered to watch his thoughts,
words, and deeds, and especially his thoughts. The desert shut
a man from the sights and sounds of the world, and from
speech with men, but it could not save him from his thoughts.
" I have died to the world," said one brother, and his friend
replied, "Though thou sayest, I have died to the world, Satan
" is not dead" (Vol. II, p. 59). Any thought which filled the
heart with pride or vainglory was to be regarded as fornication
(Vol. II, p. 77). Paphnutius said, " A monk is bound to keep
" not only his body pure, but his soul free from unclean
"thoughts" (Vol. II, p. 86).
To each other and to all men the monks were bound to
Hx
Xox>e, <Tbarit& Dumf Hts
show love and charity, and to entertain strangers was one of
their first duties. On one occasion two brethren visited an old
man, and he gave them his daily portion of food and fasted
himself (Vol. II, p. go). A certain brother had a woman in his
cell, and the monks wished to bring the matter home to him.
Bishop Ammon knew of this, and going into the cell he made
the woman get under a large earthenware jar, and then took
his seat upon it. At his order the monks searched the cell and
did not find the woman, and when they had all gone out
Ammon said to the erring brother, "Take heed to thy soul "
(Vol. II, p. 92). Macarius once visited a sick monk, and when
he asked him if he wanted anything to eat, the brother re
plied, " Yes, I want some honey-cakes." Thereupon Macarius
set out for Alexandria, which was sixty miles distant, and
brought back the sweetmeats and gave them to the monk
(Vol. II, p. 92). Theodore was wont to make his own bread,
and one day finding at the bakery a brother who did not know
how to make bread, made bread for that brother and for two
others, and last of all for himself (Vol. II, p. 93). Another holy
man entreated God to let the devil which vexed his companion
come to him; his prayer was answered, and the evil spirit de
parted after a few days (Vol. II, p. 95). When Agathon went
into the city to sell his work one day, he found a stranger
lying sick in the market with none to care for him. He hired
a room and lived in the city for four months, and spent what
he earned in nursing the sick man, and when he was healed
he returned to his cell (Vol. II, p. 98). A brother once admired
a small knife which Agathon had, and the holy man did not
let him depart until he had taken it. "If I see a brother asleep
" in church I place his head on my knees, and I give him a place
"to rest upon," said Poemen. A brother said, "And what
"dost thou say unto God?" Poemen replied, "I say: Thou
"Thyself hast said, First of all pluck the beam out of thine
" own eye, and thou wilt be able to see to take out the mote
" which is in the eye of thy brother" (Vol. II, p. 103).
With the cultivation of patient endurance grew humility,
and this virtue was esteemed very highly by the monks, for
the devils told Anthony that humility made a man to escape
from the snares of the Evil One, because they could not attain
to it, pride being their chief characteristic. A monk when
praised should always think upon his sins and say, " I am un-
" worthy of the things which are said about me" (Vol. II,
p. 108). "The greatness of a man consisteth of humility,"
said a holy man; and Abba John used to say, " We relinquish
" a light burden when we condemn ourselves." A monk once
fasted for seventy weeks, and his labour did not reach God,
lx
fmmilttt
but because he humbled himself afterwards the Lord came and
gave him rest (Vol. II, p. no). " Be humble in word and in
"deed," said another old man." Abbd Longinus described
himself to an old woman whom he healed of cancer, but who
did not know him by sight, as a " lying hypocrite," and,
praying that our Lord would heal her, told her that Longinus,
who was a liar, could do her no good whatsoever (Vol. II,
p. in). Abba John said that humility was the most excellent
of the virtues (Vol. II, p. 113), and another old man said,
11 Humility is salted with salt" (Vol. II, p. 113). Abba John,
through his humility, "held all Scete suspended on his ringer"
(Vol. II, p. 1 16). "The perfection of a monk is humility," said
one old man, and another said, " I would rather have defeat
with humility than conquest with boasting" (Vol. II, p. 117).
And Poemen said, "He who abaseth himself shall never fall "
(Vol. II, p. 119). Zechariah took his cloak and laid it beneath
his feet, saying, " Except a man let himself be trodden upon
" thus he cannot be a monk " (Vol. II, p. 123).
The above selection from The Sayings of the Fathers is suffi
cient to show the high aims and lofty ideals of the Christian
monks of Egypt, and we know from the book Paradise that
many devout women led a life of asceticism as strenuous as
that of the Fathers. We see from the lives of the holy men and
women printed in these volumes that the labours which they
performed and their fastings and prayers made most of them
kind and considerate to their fellow men, slow to anger, un
willing to judge others, and patient to bear silence, solitude,
hunger, heat and cold, nakedness and poverty and the scorn
and contempt of the world. One of their characteristics, which
shows itself every here and there in their histories, is the
kindliness with which the great solitaries regarded animals.
One day a female hyena came and knocked with her head at
the door of the court in which Macarius was sitting, and
came and dropped a whelp at his feet. He took up the whelp,
saw that it was blind, and when he had prayed and spit in its
eyes, the little creature was able to see. Its mother suckled it,
and then took it up and carried it off. On the following day
the hyena reappeared carrying the skin of a sheep which it had
no doubt killed and eaten, and left it for the old man (Vol. I,
p. 124), who accepted the gift and subsequently handed it on
to the lady Melania. In the account of the burial of Ma"r Paule
we also have a pretty story of the two lions which came and
dug his grave. As they stood before Anthony near the body
of Paule, they wagged their tails, and rubbed their teeth to
gether, and purred, and then they dug a hole in the ground
with their paws; this done they drooped their heads and tails,
Ixj
3Lov>e of Hniinals
and licked Anthony s hands and feet. Having prayed over them
he told them to depart, laying his hands on them as he did so
(Vol. I, p. 203). When they had gone Anthony buried his
friend. Whatever the facts of the case may be in this instance,
it is clear that Anthony was accustomed to be with lions, and
that kindly hermits in all countries have lived on friendly
terms with beasts of all kinds is so well known as scarcely to
deserve mention. Theon the monk was fond of animals, and
loved the sight of buffaloes, goats and gazelle, and gave them
water to drink (Vol. I, p. 339).
Ixij
\rf. ipallafcius as a Ibistorian
ABOUT a generation ago several scholars of eminence
devoted much time and labour to the study of the Para-
disc of Palladius, and some of them arrived at the conclusion
that it was neither more nor less than a work of fiction, in fact,
a "pious fraud," perpetrated by a writer who was not called
Palladius, who had never been to Egypt or seen the people
whom he described, and whose knowledge of the "true his-
"tory" of the period was incomplete and inaccurate. Others
took the view that Palladius had never existed, and even sup
posing that he had, that he had never been made a bishop.
There is no need to discuss here in detail the statements of
these writers, for Dom Cuthbert Butler, in his work on the
Lausiac History, has shown that there are very good rea
sons for believing that Palladius did exist, that his book
Paradise rests on a historical framework, and that a great
portion of his work has come down to us substantially in the
form in which he wrote it. Moreover, the evidence on the sub
ject which is to be derived from a study of the great mass of
literature written in Coptic, Syriac, Arabic and Ethiopic, which
has been published during the last twenty years, supports or
confirms his statements on many points, and justifies us in
accepting what he says about matters for which proofs can
not be given from extraneous sources. On behalf of those
who denied the existence of Palladius, and the genuine
ness of his work, it must be pointed out that they had never
read the documents which excavators have unearthed since
1885, and knew nothing of the investigations which travellers
have made in Egypt and Mesopotamia in recent years. They
had, moreover, no practical knowledge of the regions of Egypt
wherein Christian monasticism took root and flourished, and
even the conditions under which the monks and ascetics live
in that country in our own times were unknown to them.
From the Paradise we learn that Palladius visited Egypt
for the first time in 387, and that he lived there for twelve
years; from other sources we know that he passed another
six years in the country, i.e., from 406 to 412. During these
two periods he travelled all over Egypt, from Alexandria to
Syene, and his work contains abundant evidence that he saw
every phase of the ascetic life of Christian recluses and coeno
bites. Many were the cities and villages through which he
passed, and every cave and hole in the earth, and every taber
nacle in the desert which sheltered a monk, for a distance as
far as a monk could walk, did he visit. With several hundreds,
and perhaps even thousands, of monks he talked face to face,
Ixiij
3mparttalit of pallabiua
and the truth of this assertion appears, in my opinion in every
page of his work. When he writes about the "athletes" who
were dead, he takes care to give the source of his information,
and in nearly every case we find that his informant was some
one who had known personally the man whose life he describes.
The amount of the material which he collected must have been
enormous, and we may well believe that his work only con
tains " very few of the very many exceedingly great triumphs"
of the holy men whom he knew and heard of. The toil and
labour involved in the desert journeys which he undertook
were very great, and they must, at times, have been accom
panied by much physical pain. Most of his journeys he per
formed on foot, for there was no fodder to be obtained for
asses or camels in the arid wastes where the monks lived.
Whenever possible he, no doubt, obtained a passage on some
cargo boat sailing up or down the Nile, but all who have
travelled on such know how uncomfortable they are for those
who are not in the most robust health. The cold of the night,
the chills of the dawn, and the blazing heat of the early after
noon, must often have given Palladius sleepless nights and
fever, especially after his health broke down. In spite, how
ever, of sickness and fatigue, he clung to his work, and he
succeeded in producing a book which has been the guide in
all fundamental matters for those who have followed the asce
tic life for hundreds of years.
A perusal of the book Paradise shews that Palladius does
not describe one side only of the life of the monks, and that he
sets before his readers a story which illustrates both their
strength and their weakness. The histories of those who have
tripped and fallen are given by him as warnings to monks
that spiritual excellence may itself become the occasion of
stumbling. Thus he tells plainly how Valens the Palestinian,
who had been educated in Corinth, became so proud and
arrogant that he thought scorn of the Body and Blood of
Christ, and at length fell down and worshipped a phantom in
the form of anti-Christ. The pious and learned Hero, who
only partook of a meal once every three months, was tormented
by lust, and then he went to Alexandria and fell into a life of
debauchery and drunkenness. His sin, however, brought its
own punishment, for he was smitten with a loathsome disease,
and he returned to Scete a broken man. Ptolemy, the Egyptian,
after living a life of the sternest self-denial for fifteen years,
gave himself up to prodigal and riotous living, and " never
" more spake a word of excellence unto any man." The failings
of the nuns are described as impartially as are those of the
monks, and Palladius makes it quite clear that spiritual pride
Ixiv
of 1fool Tfflomen
was the chief cause of them all. The great merit of Para
dise is that the Histories make the reader feel when reading
them that he has not before him narratives of the lives of
a set of beings of a supernatural character, but stories of men
who were trying to lead superhuman lives, and Palladius
shews clearly how far they succeeded, and in what they failed.
He was no mere panegyrist of the monks, but a patient, sober,
and impartial critic of their lives, words, and deeds. One by
one he makes to pass before us the various types of men with
which all are familiar, and his character-sketches enable us to
see in our imagination every kind of monk and recluse, from
the kindly Anthony to the stern, self-tormenting Macarius.
As Palladius composed Paradise about thirty-three years
after his first visit to the monks in Egypt, it is possible that
his remembrance of some of them may be a little blurred, and
that some of his statements contain mistakes from a chrono
logical point of view. On the other hand, we must remember
that his judgement was more matured, and that he was, so far
as knowledge and experience are concerned, betterable to write
impartial histories of the holy men in 420 than he would have
been when he left Egypt for Palestine in 399 or 400. His wide
grasp of the subject enabled him to consider the Christian mo-
nasticism of Egypt as a whole, and to present to his patron
Lausus an account of it, in which the truth was set forth with
out exaggeration of detail or extravagant praise. Throughout
the work Palladius says but little about himself, and although
there is never room for doubt as to the side to which his sym
pathies leaned, his narrative is singularly free from denuncia
tion of his religious opponents. Those who will take the trouble
to read the biographies of holy men, written by their disciples
and admirers in later centuries, will appreciate the calm and
almost judicial manner in which Palladius arranges and states
his facts, and keeps himself and his opinions in the back
ground.
Another important facl; made clear by Palladius is the toler
ation shown by the early monks in respect of nuns, and holy
women, whether married or single, and he shews clearly the
important part which devout women played in the Christian
world of the fourth century. Of the sixty-eight histories which
are given in the first book of Paradise, according to the
Syriac version, nineteen are devoted to the lives of women.
From these we see that women lived stern, strenuous lives,
like the monks, and that some died for their religion. Thus
Potamiaena suffered martyrdom by being plunged up to the
neck into a cauldron of boiling pitch. A nameless virgin of
Alexandria lived secluded in a tomb, and saw neither man nor
Ixv e
Candida, Juliana
woman for twelve years. Piamon, the virgin, worked at the
weaving of linen by day, kept vigil by night, and ate once a
day in the evening; she possessed the gift of prophecy, and
had the power of casting spells on men at a distance, which
rendered them helpless. Emmd (i.e., " Mother ") Talida was
the head of a house of sixty virgins, and very old when Palla-
dius saw her; he relates that when he sat down by her, "in the
" boldness and freedom which she had acquired in Christ," she
stretched out her hands and laid them on his shoulders. Taor,
another virgin of Antinoe, wore neither veil nor sandals,
dressed in rags, and worked always. Colluthus had lived for
sixty years in her nunnery and had never gone down to the
market.
Next we have a group of devout women headed by Me-
lania the Elder, who had visited many recluses in their abodes.
She was of Spanish origin, and was the daughter of a man
who had held consular rank, and was left a widow at the
age of twenty-two. She left her native land, having realized
much of her property, and came to Alexandria, whence she
went into the desert and lived in Nitria for six months. Here
she met Pambo, Arsenius, Serapion, Paphnutius, Isidore,
Dioscurus, and many others. She next went to Jerusalem,
where she dwelt for twenty-seven years, and there she spent
large sums in supporting the faithful and in receiving stran
gers. She studied and read the works of the Fathers with great
diligence, and was a wise and understanding woman ; her
generosity was boundless, and she gave everything she could
to help her religion. Melania the Younger withdrew from the
world at the age of twenty, and she gave 35,000 darics to the
churches in Egypt, Palestine, and Antioch ; Palladius estimates
that in other ways she must have given away four times this
amount of money. And she set free eight thousand of her
slaves. Olympias also, another patrician lady, set free her
slaves, gave all her silk apparel to cover the altars in the
churches, and spent her wealth lavishly on the brethren. Her
garments were the worst to be seen, and she ate the food
which her own servants rejected. Palladius knew this woman
well, and was, 4< as it were, a member of her household," and
on his advice "she made gifts unto many." Candida, another
patrician lady, gave all her possessions to the poor, and night
after night she left her bed, ground the corn, made the bread
for the Offering, and heated the oven and baked it. She ate no
meat, and her food on ordinary days consisted of dry bread
dipped in vinegar; on festival days she ate fish, vegetables,
and oil. Juliana of Caesarea hid Origen in her house for two
years, and kept him at her own expense.
Ixvj
Serapion anfc tbe IDfrafn
Another woman of exceeding merit was EmmaS^ra, who lived
in a cell above the Nile, and led a most strenuous life. She is one
of the few women whose "sayings" were included in the books
of The Sayings of the Fathers. Though she lived by the Nile all
her life she never looked at the river (Vol. II, p. 46), and
whensoever she was about to put her foot on the ladder to go
to her roof, she set her death before her eyes (ibid., p. 61).
She rebuked Paphnutius (ibid., p. 63), approved of the giving
of alms (ibid., p. 99), and is said to have contended against
the devil of fornication for seven years on her roof (ibid.,
p. 127). Her character and disposition are well illustrated by
one of her Sayings to her brethren which runs: "It is I
" who am a man, and ye who are women" (ibid., p. 257). In
his Histories of Virgins Palladius follows the same plan as
when dealing with those of monks, and he records instances
of women who, like men, tripped and fell into fornication. He
shews also that some nuns were puffed up with spiritual
pride, and what steps were taken by the Fathers to abatejt.
Thus we have the story of the Roman virgin who had lived in
the strictest seclusion for twenty-five years, who had never
seen a man, and who thought herself perfect. Serapion went
to her house, and after waiting two days he was permitted to
see her, and in the course of her talk with him she told him
that she believed, by God, she was dead. "Then," said Sera
pion, "come down, and get thee out of thine house"; and she
did so, and followed him to a church. There Serapion told her
that he would believe that she was dead if she would do one
thing, and she said, "Tell me what it is meet for me to do,
"and I will do it." Serapion said, "Take off thy garments,
" put them on thy head, and walk through the city, and I will
" do likewise, and will go in front of thee in the same guise."
The woman replied, "If I do this I shall offend many, and
" people would say, This woman hath gone mad, and hath a
" devil. " To this Serapion answered, " Since thou art a dead
" woman, why shouldst thou consider what people say?" The
virgin would not, however, do as Serapion had said, and
having shewn her that she had not died to the world, and was
not as perfect in the spiritual life as he himself was, he left
her (Vol. I, p. 192).
One other instance must be quoted to shew that women
existed who were as well able to live the stern life of the soli
tary as any man. As some of the great sages of Scete were
travelling through the desert one day they heard a sound like
a groan of a sick person, and having searched they found a
cave and a holy virgin lying in it. The cave was absolutely
bare, and when the sages asked the woman why she was
Ixvij
1>f stortcal Character of parafcise
there, she told them that the place had been her home for
thirty-eight years, and that during that period she had lived
upon grass. She added, "I have never seen a man before to-
<( day, and God hath sent you to me this day that you may
"bury my body"; having said these words she died (Vol. I,
p. 240).
The histories related by Palladius excite curiosity on many
points concerning which he gives us no information. Thus we
know nothing of the reasons which caused him to dedicate his
work to Lausus, and very little about the strong friendship
which seems to have existed between the exalted court official
and the friend and lover of the monks. It is possible that Lau
sus, in common with other highly-placed officials and nobles,
wished sincerely to know what there was in the teaching of the
desert Fathers which induced wealthy virgins and matrons,
and nobles like Arsenius, to cast aside the world and to retire
to the desert, in order to lead a life of fasting, prayer, and self-
denial. That he should have chosen a man of such knowledge
and sober judgement as Palladius says much for his sagacity,
and we are justified in believing that, when he had received his
friend s report and read it, he felt he had before him the evi
dence of an experienced and truthful witness. Although Chris
tianity had become the official religion of the Empire, many
members of the governing class must have been alarmed at the
number of wealthy and noble men and women who left their coun
try and joined the armies of monks and nuns in Egypt.
It has already been said that the book Paradise has a
historical framework, and it must now be stated that in the
histories which may be safely attributed to Palladius there is
evidence throughout that he was well acquainted with Egypt,
and that the manners and customs of the people were known
to him. His descriptions of the desert and mountains, and his
reproductions of the beliefs, superstitions and traditions of the
Egyptians, are full of local colour, and every one who has
wandered about Egypt must feel that Palladius himself had
travelled much in the country, and at all seasons of the year.
Indeed, it is wonderful how well he succeeded in depicting so
accurately a phase of life which to most men would have been
difficult to appreciate and hard to understand. To those who
have visited the hills and mountains of Upper Egypt it is easy
to find caves and holes in the rocks similar to those described
as the dwelling-places of the solitaries by Palladius, and in the
neighbourhood of the Oases there are small isolated hills near
the tops of which are still remains of small chambers which
must have been inhabited at one time or another by monks. A
visit to the " White Monastery " near Suhak at once makes
Ixviij
Duration of Xtfe
known the character and plan of the buildings in which the
coenobites of the fourth century lived, and the so-called Monas
tery of St. Simeon, on the left bank of the Nile, near Aswan,
shews that the chief characteristics of such habitations of
monks were preserved in the monasteries of later centuries. It
is pretty certain that many monks lived in Nubia during- the
third and fourth centuries, and it is much to be regretted that
neither Palladius nor the author of The Histories of the Monks
visited that country to inspect their abodes and describe the
manner of their lives.
On many points of a general character concerning which the
modern student wishes for information Palladius is curiously
silent. We know that many solitaries earned enough to keep
themselves by weaving ropes of palm leaves, and by plaiting
mats and baskets of palm leaves, but only the most strenuous
workers could do this, and there must have been many who
were obliged to live on alms. We wonder how the alms ot
pious women like Melania (Vol. I, p. 103) and well-to-do men
in the towns were distributed among the scattered dwellers in
the desert, and what proportion of the recluses needed assis
tance. In the case of the coenobites the matter was easy
enough, for many of them worked at trades, and many of them
possessed private means, and the wants of the rest were sup
plied by the stewards of the monasteries, who received the
gifts of friends of the brotherhood, and managed all financial
arrangements.
Of the average duration of life among the ascetics also we
know nothing. The men who lived on small rations, and who
were exposed to the cold of the night and of the early morn
ing, must have suffered from fever, even as men do now,
and diseases of the eyes must have been common, especially
among those who did not possess head-cloths. Of cuts, bruises,
and chafing of the hands caused by excessive work at wea
ving palm leaves, the monks seem to have taken no notice,
and one brother was rebuked by Palladius because he oiled his
hands, which were so much cut by the palm leaves that the
blood which ran out from them soaked the mat he was weav
ing (Vol. I, p. 314). The strenuous monk committed his hurts
toGod,believingthatHewouldheal them, but, notwithstanding,
there were in "Mount Nitria physicians for the use of the sick "
(Vol. I, p. 100). Many recluses must have died, even as Pambo
died, " whilst he was sewing palm leaves for mats, without
" fever and without sickness"; and Chaeremon died sitting on
a chair and holding his work in his hand (Vol. I, p. 175). At
Nitria lived the merchant Apollonius, who devoted his time
and his money to providing eggs, raisins, and dried cakes for
Ixix
Beatb an& Burial of /Ifoonfes
the sick folk among the five thousand monks who lived there
(Vol. I, p. 107), but whether his ministrations extended to the
dwellers in the desert is not said. The solitaries did not disdain
the aid of the surgeon in certain cases, for we read that Am-
monius and Evagrius, when they visited Stephen the Libyan,
found him being operated upon by the physician. He was suf
fering from a cancerous sore, and whilst portions of his body
were being cut off he quietly plaited palm leaves and conversed
with his visitors (Vol. I, p. 131). According to one story, a cer
tain old man who went naked and lived with the beasts was
miraculously cured of a liver complaint which prevented him
from standing upright, and he was therefore obliged to pray
lying on the ground. One day a man appeared to him, and
said, " What is thy pain?" and he said, " My liver troubleth
" me and causeth me pain." And when the old man had
pointed out the place where he felt pain, his visitor slit his
body, as with a sword, and took out his liver and shewed him
the sore on it, and having removed the [cause of] the pain he
healed the wound in his body forthwith (Vol. I, p. 237).
Throughout Egypt the monks believed, like their pagan an
cestors, that pains, and sicknesses, and diseases were caused
by devils, but they knew that death would come to all of them,
and that nothing could prevent it. Though men like Bessarion
cured paralytics with a word, and, like Christ, walked on the
water, and, like Joshua, made the sun to stand still, and, like
Elisha, made bitter waters sweet, and added years of life to
dying men (Vol. I, p. 368), and passed through fire unharmed
(Vol. I, p. 370), and collected water from the air in their garments
( Vol . I , pp . 244, 367) , they died as all other men died . Some, how
ever, reached a good old age in spite of their privations and
self-denial, for we read that Pambo lived to the age of seventy,
Didymus, Macarius of Alexandria, Dorotheos, Paul the Sim
ple, and others to eighty, Isidore to eighty-five, Arsenius to
ninety, Theodore of Parme and James the Less to nearly 100,
Anthony to the age of 105, Elijah of Antinoe to no, and Mdr
Paule to the age of 113 years.
The bodies of many of the solitaries who lived in remote
places and who died alone must have remained unburied, and
have been eaten by the hyenas and jackals. Those who were
fortunate enough to have friends near were buried by them in
a simple manner, and without apparently service or ceremony.
Each community of monks possessed a cemetery, and the ex
cavations made in such burying-grounds during recent years
shew that the shrouds of ordinary monks were made of coarse
linen, and that it was customary to place at the head of each
grave a stone recording the name of its occupant.
Ixx
Beliefs of pagan aiU> Gbristfan Easpt
Sufficient has now been said to illustrate the main facts
conne6led with the rise and growth of Christian asceticism in
Egypt, and to shew that in many particulars the beliefs of its
leaders resembled those of the early pagan inhabitants of the
country. Moreover, it must always be remembered that the
rise and progress of Christianity in that country were partly due
to the fact that many of the doctrines of the old religion closely
resembled those preached by Christ and the twelve Apostles,
and by St. Paul. The system of morality made known to us by
the Precepts of Ptah-Hetep, who flourished before B.C. 3000,
is of a remarkably high character, and is in many respects
equal to that formulated by the writers of the Book of Proverbs
and Ecclesiasticus. The monks held converse with their souls
on spiritual matters, and so did the writer of the Dialogue
between a man and his soul which we find in a papyrus at
Berlin. The doctrine of rewards and punishments for deeds
done in the body was well known to the Egyptians under the
Eighteenth Dynasty (B.C. 1700-1400), and the belief that a
god could put on human flesh and dwell in the form of a man
on the earth also existed at this period. The belief in the
judgement and in the resurrection of Osiris is as old as the
dynastic history at least, and there are many proofs in the old
literature of Egypt that one school of thought believed in the
resurrection of a material body, and in the existence of a ma
terial heaven which was full of material delights, and that
another proclaimed the resurrection of an immaterial or
spiritual body, and the existence of a heaven in which the
blessed lived with a god whose attribute was light. The
denizens of this material heaven lived upon incorruptible food
which proceeded from their god, and those of the immaterial
heaven fed upon the light which emanated from their god. In
each case the blessed succeeded to immortality, that is to say,
to an existence which lasted for "hundreds of thousands of
" hundreds of thousands of years " (Book of the Dead, chapter
clxxv, line 16). The heaven of the Christians was filled with
saints and martyrs, who awaited the arrival of the blessed
from the earth and welcomed them with gladness and songs of
joy; and, similarly, the kingdom of Osiris in the Other World
was filled with his loyal followers, and with those who had
served and worshipped him upon earth. Both the pagan and
Christian Egyptians believed in an individual existence in
heaven, and each class thought that the blessed would be able
to recognize each other and to enjoy each other s society.
From the Book of Opening the Mouth we learn that at the
time when the pyramids were built the Egyptians believed
that, through the performance of certain ceremonies and the
Ixxj
Edicts of pagan aitfc Gbristfan
utterance of certain formulae by properly qualified priests
standing in places which had been made ceremonially pure,
bread and meat and wine could be transformed into spiritual
things which were of the nature of the disembodied spirit and
of the divine being who was believed to be present at the final
funeral ceremony. When the ancient Egyptians ate on this so
lemn occasion, they believed that they were partaking of food
which had been transformed into the substance of their god,
and that communion of themselves and their dead with the god
was complete. The belief in transubstantiation was, in fac~t, a
fundamental element of their belief in the efficacy of this cere
mony. Now in the matter of the Eucharist we find that the
monks held two opinions; some thought that the sacramental
bread was only a "similitude" of the Body of Christ, and
others thought that it was the a6lual Body. Among those who
held the former view was " a man of Scete " (Vol. II, p. 159),
and when two brethren heard of his opinion they went and
reasoned with him, and tried to convince him that he was
wrong. They told him that as man who was taken from the
dust of the earth is fashioned in the image of God, so also,
since He said of the bread, " This is My Body," the sacra
mental bread is God. The old man, however, was not con
vinced, and at length they agreed to pray to God for a week
that the difficulty might be made plain to him. At the end of
the week the three men went to the church, and when the
bread was placed on the table a Child appeared there at the
same time. As the priest stretched out his hand to the bread,
the Angel of the Lord came down and slew the Child, and
pressed out His Blood into the cup, and when the old man
from Scete drew near to partake, "a piece of living flesh
4 smeared and dripping with blood was given to him. Then
" the old man cried out, I believe, O Lord, that the bread is
u< Thy Body, and that the cup is Thy Blood, and straightway
" the flesh which was in his hand became bread like unto that
" of the mystery." In the pagan ceremony the flesh of the
bull, the bread-cakes and the wine or beer, represented the
material forms of Osiris, and the god was in all three; but in
the Christian ceremony the two monks believed that the Body
was turned into bread and the Blood into wine, because " God
" knew the nature of men, and it is unable to eat living flesh."
It is clear that the two monks who converted the old man of
Scete believed that the Eucharist was " not to be regarded as
" a merely commemorative thing," and that, like their pagan
ancestors, u they could eat their God."
The Christian monks of Egypt, however, lived and preached
a religion which possessed characteristics unknown to that of
Ixxij
ZTbe Insurrection
the ancient Egyptians, and among these must stand first Faith,
Hope, and Charity. The Egyptian never succeeded in freeing his
mind from the idea that the resurrection of his body, whether
material or spiritual, depended as much upon the efficacy of
amulets, magical and religious formulas, and the making of
offerings, as upon his belief in Osiris, but the sublime Faith
of theChristian monk, Anthony, made him declare thatmummi-
fication was unnecessary, and that Christ would give him back
his body, pure and undefiled, at the Resurrection. The pure
Hope of the solitary of the mountain or desert was a far loftier
conception than that of the pagan Egyptian, for it made him
reject every worldly thing and live in and by his faith. Simi
larly his Charity, as exhibited in the Histories and Sayings of
the Fathers, reached to lengths undreamed of by any except
the most spiritually-minded of the ancient Egyptians. In all the
known literature of pagan Egypt, no parallel to the following
passage can be found: * Fasting is the subjugation of the
"body, prayer is converse with God, vigil is a war against
" Satan, abstinence is the being weaned from meats, humility
"is the state of the great man, kneeling is the inclining of
"the body before the Judge, tears are the remembrance of
" sins, nakedness is our captivity which is caused by the trans-
" gression of the command, and service is constant supplica-
" tion to and praise of God" (Vol. II, p. 263). To Palladius we
owe the oldest and best history of the lives, and words, and
deeds of the solitaries and coenobites of Egypt, and every
student of the history of religious thought should be grateful
to him for a work which describes truly and impartially a great
Christian movement, the effects of which exist even in our
own days.
Ixxiij
^be jpavabise of tbe 1boty jf atbers
y tbe power of our Xorfc Jesus Cbrfst we beain
to write tbe BooR ot tbe HMstories of tbe glo*
rious Bets of tbe 1bclp jfatbers, [wbo were]
monKs of tbe fcesert anb wbo bates tbe worlfc
all tbat belongetb tbereto, wbtcb was composed
tbe bol^ man of spiritual excellence /llbar
JMus, Bisbop of tbe Citp of Ifoelenopolis, ant) was
to Xausus tbe prefect.
ZTbe %ife of Saint Hntbon&
Etbanasius, Hrcbbisbop of Hlq>
anbna
Bt us begin now, by tbe belp of our OLorfc, anfc
write first ot all tbe bistort ot tbe Xife anfc Bets
of tbe Saint anfc tbe migbty one of (Bob, tbe
blessefc /Ifcar Hntbonp, wbicb was composes
bg Saint Htbanastue, tbe Hrcbbisbop of Hlejan&ria.
/IDay our Xorfc belp ant) strengtben tbe writer to write,
an& [tbe reader] to reafc to perform everptbina wbicb
is command [berein]. Bmeiu Xorfc, belp me, an&
bring me to tbe enfc [of tbe worfc]! Bmen.
MARVELLOUS care and the loving urging 1 of your
understanding for the monkish brethren who are in
Egypt have moved me with solicitude [to hope] that
by constant meditation on the following stories your mind may
be drawn to perfection, so that you may not be repeating with
your mouthfs] only the following triumphs, and others which
are like unto them, but that also in your persons you may be
preachers of the example of these lives and deeds. Now, your
careful solicitude is seemly and is most acceptable, and in this
respect you have become ministers of the Sublime Will, for it
is right that this appearance should not depart from the mirror
of your career, and that ye should know at once the craftiness
of the Enemy, that is to say, what form exactly it taketh, and
what it actually is, and by what means it bringeth [a monk]
to naught. And this thing hath been wrought at this time by
God, for behold ! monasteries which flourish like the flowers
and sweet scents of the springtime have been scattered through
out the whole earth, and the sign of the solitary ascetics ruleth
from one end thereof unto the other. It is then a beautiful thing
for us to embrace and to lay hold upon this power of discern
ment which your mind hath conceived, and to be the ministers
of the fervour of your love with joy and solicitude. For who
could be negligent of this service and be blameless, inasmuch
as those who have invited me [to write] the history of the tri
umphs of a righteous man are themselves righteous? And may
the Giver of gifts (blessed be His honour!) Himself open the
door of our entreaty, and may we draw into our net each one
of the stories which we have been deputed by your love to
write down, not for our own sake only, but for the sake of your
ZTbe parafcise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
most excellent entreaty, and for the sake of the courageous
[thoughts] which are in you, so that we may fulfil your labour,
and for the sake of the work of him who triumphed by these
acts and deeds, in order that his triumphs may never die among
his sons in our Lord; and finally for his name s sake, that in
this history we may also magnify the glory of God [and show
forth] how great is the might which He giveth unto those who
fear Him.
Now we have been deputed through your affection to write
down the triumphs of the blessed man Anthony, and to send
by an envoy a history of them to you in writing [which will
shew] how it was that he began his discipleship, and what
manner of life he led before this took place, and how he was
living when he brought his days to a close, and whether all
the words which have been spoken concerning him and have
come to our hearing are true; and straightway with joy I have
devoted myself to the fulfilment of your command. Now by
merely writing a commemorative history of the blessed Anthony
I also shall gain great benefit, for I am convinced, O my be-*
loved, that by narrating these histories two things will be
effected: we shall increase the renown of the man of God in
honour and wonder, and we shall begin to instruct your minds
step by step; for the acts of the blessed Anthony form a perfect
example for the solitary ascetics. Now, O my beloved, as con
cerning the things which ye have heard about him aforetime,
from those who [lived] with him, or [from those] who heard
[them] from those who were with him continually, or from
those also unto whom accounts of him were handed down by
tradition, ye shall have no doubt whatsoever. Ye have, how
ever, only heard a little out of a great quantity, and only just
as much as the mind (or memory) is able to narrate; now, mine
own mind convinceth me that such is the case, and in com
piling the present history 1 have learned that indeed this is
so. For when I thought that I had collected and enumerated a
large number of stories, suddenly a great many others, which
were far more numerous than those which had already been
collected by me, sprang up, and made my mind to be confused;
but as many as I was able to remember and to collect my mind
hath, with joy, committed to writing. And as for you, cease
ye not to ask questions and to inquire [concerning the blessed
Anthony], especially of those whocomeby river from theTheba id,
that is to say from Inner Egypt (i.e., Upper Egypt), for it may
happen that from those from whom ye expect to hear nothing
ye may increase your knowledge greatly. For when a man
belongeth unto those who have knowledge, he repeateth the
story which he knoweth, and though we may think and be
4
Xffe of Saint Hntbong
convinced that we have collected too many already, [we find,
on examination, that our] narrative is immeasurably short.
Now many of those who openly received [the accounts] of the
wonderful things which were wrought by his hands have de
parted from this world ; and of those who are still living-, how
many are there who have not revealed unto us concerning the
conversations which they had with him, or the things done in
his presence! And what man would wish to narrate unto his
companions only a few stories out of many?
And when I had received [your] letter, and had read and
seen the force thereof, and what it demanded, I was wishful to
send and bring certain solitary ascetics who were always with
him, so that, peradventure, between them and me I might be
able to fulfil your desire. But because the time in which ships
could travel from Egypt to the Thebaid, and from the Thebai d
hither, was unfavourable, and because the letter-carrier was in
haste, and because I knew that I had been with Saint Anthony
continually, I made it to be a care unto me to write myself
unto your loving persons, and tell you what I was able to learn
about him, and all that happened between us for a long time,
and [how] I poured water upon his hands; and I have regarded
carefully the word of the truth, lest a man should hear what
was superfluous and should be in doubt, or should despise and
belittle that which he heard.
Now, by race the blessed Anthony was an Egyptian, and
he was descended from a noble family, and was, indeed, an
owner of slaves. His forefathers were believers, and from his
earliest childhood he was brought up in the fear of our Lord;
and when he was a child and was being reared among his own
kinsfolk, he knew nothing of his father or of what went on
among his own people. He was so silent in disposition, and
his mind was so humble, that he did not even trouble his pa
rents by asking them questions. He was exceedingly modest
(or shy), and he was honest beyond measure. He was un
able to read or to write because he could not bear the rough
behaviour of the boys [in the school]; his whole desire was to
be even according to what is written about Jacob, "He was a
"simple man, and a dweller in tents" (Genesis xxv, 27). He
clung closely to his parents, and when they came to church he
would [run] before them in the flow of his affection; and he
was not like an ordinary child, the course of whose customary
attendance is broken by the amusements of childhood. He
never neglected [the observance of] any of the seasons of the
Church, and he neither neglected them in his childhood, nor
held them lightly in his early manhood. And from the time
when he was a child and knew how to distinguish between
5
ZTbe para&fse of tbe 1fool$ ffatbets
good and evil, his going- to church was not a mere matter of
custom, but was [the result of] discerning understanding.
And, moreover, he did not wait for the members of his family
(or parents) to be admonishers unto him, because by his life
and acts he became a teacher unto them. For they learned by
the experience [of] his childhood that he did not live among
them like an ordinary simple child, and they accepted the proof
of the rectitude of his early manhood; he paid them honour
after the manner of a full-grown man, and they regarded him
as the master of the house (i.e., steward).
Now when the time arrived and they brought their days to
an end, and they departed from this world when he was about
eighteen or twenty years old, he and one little sister were left
behind, and it happened from sheer necessity that he had to
rule the house and take care of his sister. And when as yet
not six months had passed since the death of his parents, and
when, according to his wont, he \vas continually in the church,
it came to pass one day, when he was in the church, that a
righteous idea entered his mind, and that he began to meditate
within himself how the blessed Apostles forsook everything
and followed after our Redeemer; and how the others who
succeeded them and walked in their footsteps sold everything
which they had possessed and laid [the money which they
received] at the feet of the Apostles, that it might be spent
upon the poor; and how great was the blessing of those who
had in this wise obeyed the voice of our Redeemer. Now whilst
he was meditating these and such-like things, the Lesson was
being read, and when the Scriptures were ended, the Gospel
was read, and he heard the words of our Lord, Who said unto
the rich man, " If thou wishest to be perfect, go and sell
"everything which thou hast, and give to the poor, and take
" thy cross, and come after Me, and there shall be unto thee
" treasure in heaven" (St. Matthew xix, 21). And the blessed
Anthony received the word of the Gospel as a sign to himself,
and he reflected that this reading had not taken place as a
matter of chance, but in order that the righteous idea which
had taken up its abode in him might be confirmed. And straight
way he went out from the church, and departed and set in order
his house and the possessions which he had inherited from his
parents. Now he had three hundred fields, a great estate
[which produced] abundant crops, and these he handed over
to the people of his village, so that they might trouble neither
himself nor his sister; but the remainder of his other posses
sions which were in the house he sold, and gathered in money
not a little, which he distributed among the poor, but he laid
by a little which was sufficient for his sister s wants.
6
ITbe Xife of Saint Hntbong
And when, on another First Day of the week, he had again
entered the church at the time of [the reading of] the Gos
pel, he inclined his ear carefully to see what word would
come forth for him; and as he was inclining his ear, the
word of our Lord to His disciples was immediately read out,
saying, "Take no thought for the morrow" (St. Matthew, vi,
2 5> 3 1 * 345 St. Markxiii, n; St, Luke xii, n, 22). And straight
way he received the commandment readily, and he went out
and distributed that which remained to him for his sister s use
among the poor. Now unto his sister he spake words of love,
and of truth, and of the fear of God, and he made her mind to
be like his own; and he delivered her over to certain chaste
nuns who were living there at that time. And when he had
made an end of these things, he forthwith became a solitary
monk, and he took no care for anything whatsoever except
his soul, and he began to train himself in the habits of the
strictest abstinence and self-denial. Now he dwelt alone in a
house which was by the side of the village, for as yet there
were no monasteries for ascetics in Egypt, and among the
monks there was no man who had any knowledge of the inner
desert; and every one who wished to have a care for his soul
used to seek out an habitation of this kind. Saint Anthony did
not betake himself to the mountain at a great distance from the
village, but only at a sufficient distance therefrom, so that he
might be somewhat apart from the habitation of men.
And at that time there was in another village on their bor
ders a certain blessed old man, who from his youth up had lived
a life of solitary asceticism, and this man the blessed Anthony
saw, and was wishful to emulate his fair deeds. First of all he
also began to live by the side of the village, in places which
were free from the feet [of men], and whilst living in this abode
his mind was rent with doubt about the fair works [of the asce
tic life], and he gave his soul no rest, for he was constant in
meditation about the truth. And he used to ponder within him
self [and say], "How did the righteous men of old live? With
" what manner of triumphs did they please God? And who can
"make me worthy of even a sight of these?" And as a result of
this meditation which arose from love of the righteous men, he
began to ask and inquire, "What was the condition of the
" righteous men? And who shall inform me concerning them?"
And whilst asking questions that he might learn something
about any of the righteous men who were in [that] place, in
the fervour of his love he used to go forth strenuously to seek
him (i.e., the old man); and he did not at first return to his own
place, without first of all paying homage to the man of God.
And he was like unto the wise bee which hovereth and resteth
ZTbe parafcfse of tbe Ifools ffatbers
over plants of every kind which are filled with honey that it
may fill its habitation with the goodness of the earth. In this
manner he himself also received from the sight of each of the
righteous men provision for the marvellous way; and this was
his manner at the beginning of his ascetic career. And his
thoughts were exceedingly well disciplined by him at the be
ginning of his [life of] righteousness, so that he might not in
any wise be anxious about his family, or be fettered by the love
of kinsfolk, or be held fast by the affairs of this temporary life;
from all [these] he purged himself that he might be a pure offer
ing unto God. Now he used also to labour with his hands, be
cause he had heard [the words], "If a man doth not work, he
4 * shall not eat " (2 Thessalonians iii, 10) ; with a very little [of the
wages] of the work of his hands he used to provide himself with
food, and the rest he spent upon the poor. And he prayed con
tinually, for he had heard [the words], "Pray, and let it not be
4 tedious unto you" (i Thessalonians v, 17); and he w r as wont to
listen to the reading of the Scriptures in such wise that not one
word might fall to the ground, and henceforth he kept in his
mind the remembrance of the commandments which he heard,
and they became unto him even as the Scriptures.
Now by these acts and deeds the blessed Anthony was shew
ing love to his soul, and, even as it is written, "He found fa-
"vour with God and with man" (St. Luke ii, 52). For when it
happened that he went [to visit] the righteous men, he hear
kened unto them and was subject unto them wholly and in every
thing, and the love with which they loved him was such that, if
it happened that he tarried in paying his visit to them, they were
wont to send after him with anxious care. They observed how
greatly he was the object of [God s] mercy, and how great a
measure of the love of the things which were spiritual were
found with him, and they saw how easy it was for him to gain
a reward by trafficking in the riches of heaven. Therefore each Y
one of them, according to the measure of his power, took him
by his hand. And they looked and saw that he was to be per
fected as a chosen vessel, and they observed when as yet he
himself saw it not that he had adopted for himself a glorious
rule of life among the righteous men. For what joy is there unto
which graciousness is not found to be yoked? Or what humility
is there wherewith those who possess it are adorned in which
it doth not dwell? Or what love is there, which is the founda
tion of all the commandments, which it doth not rule? And \vhat
man is there who, when he imagineth himself to be merciful, is
not carried away thereby [i.e., by this imagination], and who
doth not become a prince of wrath, and jealousy, and calumny?
Now Saint Anthony was the storehouse of fasting, and of
8
ZTbe OLife of Saint Hntbons
prayer, and of ascetic labours, and of patient endurance, and
of love, and of righteousness, which is the mother of [them]
all, but towards those who were young- monks like himself he
was not envious, except in one matter only, that is to say, he
would not be second to any of them in fair works. And he con
trived in every possible manner not to give offence to the wicked
man; on the contrary, [he wished] that those who were yoked
together with him might be drawn to his opinion (or mind) by
his solicitude [for them], and by his graciousness, and that
they might make progress in their career. And he toiled in his
labours in such a manner that they were not only not envious
of him, but they rejoiced in him and gave thanksgiving for him.
Now by reason of these triumphs every man used to call him
"Theophilus," which is, being interpreted, God-loving," and
all the righteous gave him this name; and some of them loved
him like a brother, and some of them like a son.
And when the Enemy, the hater of the virtues and the lover
of evil things, saw all this great perfection in the young man,
he could not endure it, and he surrounded himself with his
slaves, even as he is wont to do, and began [to work] on
Anthony. At the beginning of his temptings of the saint he
approached him with flattery, and cast into him anxiety as to
his possessions, and solicitude and love for his sister, and for
his family, and for his kinsfolk, and the love of money and
lusts of various kinds, and the [thought of the] rest [of the
things] of the life of [this] world, and finally of the hard and
laborious life which he lived, and of the weakness of body
[which would come upon him] with the lapse of time; and, in
short, he stirred up in him the power of the thoughts so that
by means of one [or other] of them he might be flattered, and
might be made to possess shortcomings and be caught in the
net through his instigation.
Now when the Enemy saw that his craftiness in this matter
was without profit, and that the more he brought temptation
unto Saint Anthony, the more strenuous the saint was in pro
tecting himself against him with the armour of righteousness,
he attacked him by means of the vigour of early manhood which
is bound up in the nature of our humanity. With the goadings
of passion he used to trouble him by night, and in the daytime
also he would vex him and pain him with the same to such an
extent that even those \vho saw him knew from his appear
ance that he was waging war against the Adversary. But the
more the Evil One brought unto him filthy and maddening
thoughts, the more Saint Anthony took refuge in prayer and
in abundant supplication, and amid them [all] he remained
wholly chaste. And the Evil One was working [upon him]
9
Ube iparafcfse of tbe tools f atbevs
every shameful deed according to his wont, and at length he
even appeared unto Saint Anthony in the form of a woman;
and other things which resembled this he performed with ease
for such things are a subject for boasting to him.
But the blessed Anthony knelt down upon his knees on the
ground, and prayed before Him Who said, Before thou criest
" unto Me, I will answer thee" (Isaiah Ixv, 24), and said, "O
" my Lord, this I entreat Thee : let not Thy love be blotted out
1 from my mind, and behold, I am, by Thy grace, innocent before
" Thee." And again the Enemy multiplied in him the thoughts
of lust, until Saint Anthony became as one who was being
burned up, not through the Evil One, but through his own
lusts ; but he girded himself about with the threat of the thought
of the Judgement, and of the torture of Gehenna, and of the
worm which dieth not. And whilst meditating on the thoughts
which could be directed against the Evil One, he prayed for
thoughts which would be hostile to him. Thus, to the reproach
and shame of the Enemy, these things could not be performed ;
for he who imagined that he could be God was made a mock
of by a young man, and he who boasted over flesh and blood
was vanquished by a man who was clothed with flesh.
Now in all these things our Lord, Who put on a [human]
body for our sakes, was his helper, and He strengthened him
to become a shield against the Evil One, so that by means of
this ac~t of grace which was wrought on our behalf, before any
of the blessed men lived, by the merit of His agony He taught
us in what it is meet that we should boast. For when one
repeated too often those triumphs which were wrought for him,
Saint Anthony answered and said, "It was not I who worked,
but His grace which was with me " (i Corinthians xv, 10).
And when the Enemy saw that he was vanquished in this
fight, and that his craftiness was driven away and brought to
naught by the thought (or mind) of the righteous man, he
gnashed his teeth, and cried out that he would shew the
righteous man his [evil] inner nature (or thoughts) in an
external [material] form, that, peradventure, by means of
fear and terror he might find an opportunity to perform his
will. And he appeared unto Saint Anthony in the form of an
Indian boy, and he began to say unto him, "Whom seest thou?
" I have come, and behold I will stand up, and I will overcome
* thee, and I will bring thee low, even as I do many." And whilst
he was saying these words, the blessed Anthony made over
himself the Sign of the Cross, and ceased to tremble, and the
Enemy saw the Sign of the Cross, and straightway was terri
fied. And when the blessed Anthony saw that he was terrified,
he began to ask him a question, saying, "Who art thbu, by
10
TOe OLife ot Saint Hntbons
whose voice such words as these are heard by me ?" Then the
Enemy began [to say] unto him after the manner of a man who
blustereth, "I, even I, am the lover of error and of fornication,
" and it is I who cast the goadings of these [thoughts] and flat-
" teries [into the mind of man]. It is I who have taken upon
* myself to lead many astray, and I fight against every man, and
"I am against righteousness, and I am, even as the Prophet
" called me, the spirit of fornication (Hoseaiv, 12), for through
" me have gone astray all those who have stumbled. It is I who
" have injured thee on several occasions, and thou hast been held
k in contempt by me in everything."
And the blessed Anthony gave thanks unto the Lord, and
gained great encouragement, and said, "What power thinkest
thou that thou hast in thee, O Enemy, to resist the might of
the Cross? Thou hast done well to appear in the form of an
Indian, for thou art black in thy nature, and thou art as piti
ably weak as a boy who hath been brought low by punishment.
Thou art esteemed as naught by me, and I tremble not at thy
wiles ; for the Lord helpeth me, and I shall look [in triumph]
upon mine enemies." Now when that black being heard these
words, straightway his appearance vanished from Anthony s
sight. This is the first strife which Saint Anthony [waged]
against his Enemy, or rather, this is the first acl: of assistance
which came to help Anthony from our Redeemer, Who van
quished sin in His own body, that the righteousness of the
Law might be fulfilled in us, and that we might not walk after
the flesh but after the spirit (Romans viii, 4).
But although the blessed Anthony saw the Enemy made
powerless and brought low, he neither neglected his prayers
nor ceased from his [wonted] course [of life], for he knew well
that his contest was against a crafty being, who, although he
had been vanquished for the time, would not cease [to trouble],
and who, whenever he could find an opportunity through some
small negligence on his part, would suddenly rise up and van
quish him that had on several occasions gained the victory over
him. For Saint Anthony knew that there was no cessation to his
wrongdoing, and that he wandered about like a roaring lion
seeking whom he might break (i St. Peter v, 8). And he had
learned from the Scriptures that the snares of the Adversary
were many, and he was certain from his own knowledge that he
strove in this manner; and he therefore contended strenuously
in the fear of God, keeping his object before him.
And he pondered in his mind that although the Enemy had
not been able to draw him into his net with lusts of divers
kinds, he had still other means whereby he was wont to make our
humanity to sin; for the nature thereof yearneth to sin always.
1 1
ipavafcise of tbe 1bol$ if atbers
Now it is especially right for us in the time of our victory, when
we have our understanding under our will, to oppress and bring
our body into subjection to the will of freedom and of righ
teousness, lest, while we are imagining that we are victors over
one class of sins, we find that we are vanquished by others
which are their opposite. And Saint Anthony kept this in mind,
and [he was thinking] these thoughts always, and day by day
he was adding toil unto his former works of asceticism ; and
many were wondering at the greatness of the patient endurance
which he possessed, and how long-suffering he was in his afflic
tions. For behold, the freedom of his spirit (or soul), and the
thoughts of his mind, by reason of the great length [of time]
which they were practised by him, as it were renewed him,
and changed him from one kind of being to another ; and he
used to employ as a foundation some small matter from the
example of others, and then he would take it and polish it in
his own person, and with him it became so beautiful that the
spectators thereof imagined that it was to be found with him
alone. For he was a perfect handicraftsman in matters which
related to the fear of God, and wheresoever he saw that one
of the heavenly works of uprightness was being practised by
a man who was not honouring it for its own value, he would
take it, and polish it in his own person, and would make mani
fest how great its beauty was.
And Saint Anthony kept vigil to the utmost, and to such an
extent that the greater number of his days dawned on him with
out his having had any sleep. He was wont to eat at even
tide daily, but on occasions he passed three days, or four days,
or even whole weeks at a time [without eating]. His food was
bread and salt, and his drink was water, and in the matter of
wine, and flesh, and other dainty meats he declared [them] to
be so superfluous, that they ought not to be used even by or
dinary monks. What he slept upon was a mat made of palm
leaves only, but for a very long time he used to make the bare
ground his bed. He was, moreover, exceedingly careful not to
anoint himself with oil, for he used to say that oil rendered the
body soft and made the members thereof effeminate, and for
this reason [he] required young men to distil upon themselves
from their inward minds the oil of strenuousness. He was also
mindful of the word of the Apostle which he spake, saying,
"When I am weak (or sick), then am I strong" (i Corin
thians xii, 10). And he possessed a wonderful mind, for he
never pondered and thought how far he had advanced in dis-
cipleship, but each day he kept in mind that he had only just
begun at the beginning thereof; for he remembered the word
of the Apostle which he spake, " That which is behind me I
12
ZTbe Xife of Saint Bntbong
" forget, and I stretch forward unto the things which are before
"me" (Philippians iii, 13), and also the words of the Prophet
Elijah which he spake, "As the Lord liveth, before whom I
" stand this day " (i Kings xvii, i). Thus he prepared himself
to bfe worthy to stand always before the Majesty, even as the
man [Elijah] who stood on that day before the Lord ; and he
used tosayto himself, " It is right that a monk should knowthat
in his manner of life (or habitation) and in his acts and deeds
he must be an alien unto the world, and an associate (or son
of the yoke) of the Angelic Watchers."
And after these things he passed into another frame of mind,
and, having decided within himself that he would go forth
from the village, he departed and took up his abode in a tomb
in the cemetery, which was situated in a mountain which lay
close by the village ; and he commanded one of his acquain
tances to bring him a morsel of bread from time [to time]. And
having done these things and entered into the tomb and shut the
door upon himself, straightway the Adversary, together with
a multitude of devils who were his associates, burst in upon
him there, for he was afraid to let Saint Anthony go from the
village altogether, and he began to say unto him, "How great
* is that which thou endurest ! And to what limit wilt thou drive
" thyself? Thou hast come and hast entered into the place of our
" abode. What man is there who hath ever done the like? And
* when was it ever heard that men ought to live among the
" tombs? We have been driven out of the village, and we shall
" also be driven out from among the tombs. Now therefore will
" we take vengeance upon,^ae, for it is thou who hast made
" fools of us." Then the/sand ti to smite him with blows, and
they smote him so severeijo &at at length he fell [on the
ground], and nothing but his breath was left in him ; and Saint
Anthony used to relate that the blows with which the devils
smote him were more severe than those of the children of men.
But God brought help unto him, and would not deliver him
over to death, for He put it into the mind of him that used to
visit him to come quickly, and to open [the door of] the tomb
according to his wont, and he saw the blessed Anthony, who
was like unto a dead man by reason of the blows ; and straight
way he lifted him up and brought him to the church in the
village. And there collected about him no small number of
people, and they gathered together and sat by his side as if he
had been a dead man. Now by the sweet rest of sleep the
blessed Anthony was refreshed, [and he was relieved] from his
affliction, and he came to himself, and he turned round and
saw that all the people were asleep, and that only his friend
who was sitting watching by his pillow was awake; and he
13
ZTbe iparafcise ot tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
made a sign to him, and he drew nigh unto him, and Saint
Anthony said unto him quietly, " Come, do [an a6l of] righ-
" teousness (or charity), lest the heart of the people should think
4 and mankind should imagine that there is still power left in
" the Evil One, and should be afraid to lift up the heel against
"him."
And the man hearkened unto him, and whilst the people
were quiet and asleep, he lifted him up and carried him to the
tomb, and shut the door as usual. Then Saint Anthony prayed
as he was lying down, for he had no power in him to stand up,
and when he had multiplied [his] prayers, he said with a loud
voice, "Where are ye, O children of Gehenna? Here am I,
" even I, Anthony, and I will not depart from this place until ye
" are destroyed in this place: for although yemultiply tortures, I
" shall not be remote from the love of Christ." And next he said
with a loud voice, Though a whole legion [of devils] encamp,
" against me, my heart shall not fear": such were the words
which this man, this athlete, proclaimed in his striving. Then
the heart of the Enemy of righteousness melted within him,
and he cried unto the dogs his kinsfolk, and spake, emitting
smoke from himself as he did so, saying unto them, " Did ye
" not say unto me, What shall we do unto this man, this inso-
" lent fellow, who hath treated us wholly with contempt and dis-
" dain? His heart is not afraid of the quaking terror, his hearing
" is not perturbed by words (or voices), his eye is not terrified by
" visions, and his body hath no fear of blows. Who among you
"can give [me] counsel as to what shall be done [with him]? "
And thereupon they contriver [mtiMlowing plan.
Now it is very easy for the was w? to create apparitions and
appearances of such a cbarac^-tv L nat they shall be deemed real
and actual objects, and [straightway] phantasms of this kind
caused a phantom earthquake, and they rent asunder the four
corners of the house, and entered therein in a body from all
sides. One had the form of a lion, and another had the appear
ance of a wolf, and another was like unto a panther, and all
the others were in the forms and similitudes of serpents, and
of vipers, and of scorpions. The lion was roaring as a lion
roareth when he is about to slay ; the bull was ready to gore
[him] with his horns; the panther was prepared to spring
[upon him]; and the snakes and the vipers were hissing, and
they appeared to be in the act of hurling themselves upon him ;
and the sounds which they made and the forms in which they
showed themselves were terrible. Now the blessed man An
thony was not disturbed (or frightened) by their commotion,
and his mind remained wholly undisturbed. And as he was
lying down he laughed at these phantoms, and said, " Thus
14
ZTbe %tfe of Saint Bntbong
k there is no power in you. Ye have taken unto yourselves the
" forms of wild beasts, and if there had been any power whatso-
" ever to do harm in you, for one of you only to come [against
" me] would have been sufficient; but because our Lord hath cut
" off the things which incited you to attack me, and the goad of
"your wickedness hath no strength therein, ye lay plots and
contrive snares, thinking that, peradventure, ye will be able to
"make men quake by fear only. And, moreover, whosoever
" hath had experience of your feebleness [knoweth] that ye have
" obtained as your helpers the mere forms and appearances of
"wild beasts."
And Anthony also spake unto them in very great bold
ness of heart, saying, " If ye have indeed received power over
me, or if it be in your power to do me harm, hesitate ye not to
do it, only draw nigh speedily and do ye whatsoever ye lust to
" do ; but if ye be unable to do anything, wherefore do ye weary
" yourselves in vain? For our faith in our Lord is a seal and a
" wall unto us." Now our Lord was not unmindful of the athlete
Anthony, and He appeared unto him after his victory. And the
blessed Anthony lifted up his eyes, and he saw a roof-curtain
drawn aside, and a ray of light descended therefrom upon
him ; and straightway the devils dispersed in terror, and the
sufferings of his body were relieved, and the blessed man felt
the help of our Lord [nigh unto him], and understood.
Then having waited for a space, and having recovered
somewhat from his tribulations, and having enjoyed rest from
the graciousness of the revelation of our Lord, he lifted up his
voice, and said, "O my Lord, I adore Thine help : where wast
" Thou before these sufferings and tribulations came upon me?"
And straightway a voice came to him, saying, " Here was I
" by thy side, O Anthony, and I have never left thee, for I re-
" mained that I might look upon thy strife; but inasmuch as
" thou hast triumphed completely, and hast not been broken
" down with sadness in thy tribulations, I will be unto thee a
" Guide and a Comforter, and I will make thee to be renowned
" as a faithful servant throughout all the earth. "And when these
words had been heard by him, straightway [peace] came upon
his body, and he had rest from his afflictions. Then he rose up
and bowed the knee, and prayed, and gave thanks unto God
Who had visited him ; and from that time onwards he perceived
that he had very much greater strength in him than formerly.
Now at that time Anthony was about five-and-thirty years
of age.
And it came to pass that on the following morning he de
parted from the tomb and went forth to that solitary old monk
who used to dwell by the side of the village, and he tried to
15
Ube parabfse of tbe 1bols jf atbers
persuade him to go with him to the desert, but the old man
excused himself from this, for one thing because of his old
age, and for another because he had not been in the habit of
living in the desert, and indeed at that time none of the monks
lived there. And straightway Anthony rose up and prayed with
the old man, and he besought him to join his prayers unto his
that God might make his way prosperous before him; and
[afterwards] he went forth [alone] into the desert.
And once again the Enemy went forth after him, and when
Anthony was exhausted by reason of the distance [of the way],
he began to contend with him. Now when the blessed man
Anthony had journeyed along the road [and had arrived] at the
skirt of the desert, he perceived that the Enemy had cast down
before him a large silver tablet (or plate); but the blessed man
knew that these things were of the wiles of the Evil One, and
he made him to know that this example of his handicraft which
had been fashioned by him could not cause him to err. And
looking at the tablet he answered and said, " Assuredly the
" Evil One [wisheth to do me evil] by means of this tablet. How
" can it have come in the desert? This is no frequented road, and
" there is no inhabited land near, and thieves do not dwell in
" this country; it is the handiwork of the Evil One. Thou shalt
" not, O [Enemy], pervert my mind by this thing ; may thou and
"it go to perdition. " And having made an end of his words the
silver tablet was consumed and disappeared in the form of
smoke before the fire of the words of the blessed man An
thony.
But again the Evil One showed him some gold, and it was
real gold, and Anthony fell into anxious thought and pon
dered [saying], " What is this thing? It is either a piece of the
4 handiwork of the Evil One, or it is a temptation from God, and
" a trial from Him (may His Honour be blessed !) Who hath re
-strained me from the blandishments of the Evil One [who
" saith], Behold, I will show him real gold"; but the blessed
man was not overthrown thereby, and he esteemed the gold
as filth. [And Anthony said unto the Evil One], " Choose thou
some other kind of handiwork and snare, for out of this one
have I delivered myself." Now whence that gold came or how
it got there Anthony telleth us not, and we, even after most
careful thought, are unable to afford any information on the
matter; but [what Anthony saw] was gold, and gold in large
quantities, fortheblessed man marvelled at the great abundance
thereof.
Now when the Evil One saw that he had protected him
self by the Sign of the Cross and was praying, and that he did
not remove himself from his place, he stepped aside and
16
TTbe Xife of Saint Hntbong
passed away quickly in the form of a flame of fire, and he
neither turned nor looked at him. And Anthony was particu
larly well armed for this species of warfare and [he fought]
valiantly, and he set out again on the road whereon he had
been travelling-. And having arrived at the desert, he went up
into a mountain wherein there were serpents ; but inasmuch as
the snakes found there were very numerous, he departed from
that place and came to the bank of the river, and took up his
abode there. And the snakes, which were there when the
righteous man set his foot upon that spot, speedily gave place
unto him, and each one of them made the greatest possible
haste to escape from him ; now his smell caused them to flee,
and they knew that this man was not [one] of the people of
that country.
Now therefore the blessed man Anthony took up his abode
there by himself, and he shut himself in ; and he laid in a sup
ply of bread once every six months (for the Egyptians were in
the habit of making at one time bread sufficient even for a
whole year), and as for water he found that there. And he went
and dwelt there in a place which was like unto a cleft in the
rocks, with the intention of seeing no man and of being seen
by none, and he had his abode there for very many years ; in
the roof of his house there was a small opening, and through
this he used to receive [bread] thrice yearly, for the mountain
wherein he dwelt was [remote] from inhabited land. Such
people as came to him, whom he could not be induced to ad
mit into his presence remained outside, perhaps for one or two
days, and when they strained their ears that they might hear
something, they would hear a noise like that of a mighty mul
titude of people, and confused sounds, and some of the sounds
were like unto the voices of men shouting loudly, and some
were like unto great cries of lamentation, and some were those
of men of war and of a mighty tumult. And among all these
was a voice which said, "Depart from us! Why hast thou
44 come to our country to [cause] our death? Hast thou never
"heard that which thy Lord spake concerning us, saying,
44 Evil spirits dwell in the desert, and in desolate places, and
44 in the lands wherein there is no water? Behold, hencefor-
u ward thou shalt know that this is our habitation; depart
41 thou, and give place unto us once more."
And when these words were heard, those who were outside
[Anthony s dwelling] thought that men had entered therein
through the roof of [his] house and that they were quarrelling
with him ; but when they had gone round about the house they
found a small opening in the wall, and having looked through
it they saw the blessed man alone. Then they understood that
17 2
ZTbe paraWse of tbe 1bolp jfatbers
those voices were those of the devils who used to wage war
against him, and mighty dread came upon them, and they
began to cry out to the blessed man Anthony. Now the just
man was more ready to hearken unto their words than unto
the tumult of the devils, and to hold converse with them, and
he would draw nigh to the side of the door, and say unto
them, " Come ye nigh unto me, and be not afraid "; and hav
ing conversed with them graciously, and filled their hearts, he
would dismiss them in peace, and admonish them, saying,
* 4 Be ye afraid neither of sounds (or voices) nor of phantoms of
44 this kind, for in this wise the devils are wont to acl; towards
44 those who are timid; but seal ye yourselves with the Seal of
44 the Cross, and return ye unto your homes in confidence, and
44 forgive those who would make of you laughing-stocks." Thus
they were dismissed in peace. And as for Anthony himself he
had dwelt in strife with the devils for a long time past, and
was very courageous, and the strength which was in him was \
added to in proportion as he saw that his enemies were van-
quished.
Now when the report of the kind of strife in which he lived
reached his friends and acquaintances, they set out to go to
him, for they thought that they would certainly find him dead;
and having arrived at the place where they wished to be, they
came to the side of his house and inclined their ears at the
door that peradventure they might hear any sound or breath
ing inside. And they heard a sound like the voice of one who
played a harp and said, "Let God arise, and let all His ene-
44 mies be scattered, and let all those who hate Him flee before
44 Him; let them be destroyed, even as smoke is made to dis-
44 appear, and as wax melteth before the fire, let the wicked
44 perish before God" (Psalm Ixviii, i, 2). And again, 44 All the
44 nations compassed me round about, and in the Name of the
44 Lord I destroyed them." (Psalm cxviii, 10). And the blessed
Anthony lived in this habitation about twenty years.
And it came to pass that in the process of time his fame
reached all the monks who were in Egypt, and all the other
folk therein who did not lead the life of the ascetic and re
cluse, and men of distinction, and monks in Egypt began to
come unto him in large numbers. The Egyptian monks came
that they might copy the manner of his life and deeds, and the
laity came that he might pray over them, and might heal cer
tain of them of their sicknesses. One day, when a multitude of
people had come there in a body [to see him] and they had
besought him repeatedly [to speak to them], and he had
answered them never a word, they lifted the door out of its
socket, and threw themselves down on their faces before him,
18
ZTbe OUte of Saint Hntbons
and made supplication unto him and pacified him, and then
each man among- them stood up, and made known his request
unto him. And having- gone forth [to them] even like a man
who goeth forth from the depths of the earth, they saw that
his appearance was like unto that of an angel of light, and
they marvelled why it was that his body had not been weakened
by all his confinement, and why it was that his understanding
had not become feeble, and why, on the contrary, his appear
ance, and his bodily stature, and his countenance were then
as they had known them always to have been in the times
which were past.
Now when he saw a large concourse of people he was not
disturbed, and when they brought their petitions unto him, he
was not moved to impatient anger, but he remained in a placid
and thoughtful state, for the Living Word was unto him a
guide. Among those who came unto him, there were many who
were indeed very sorely afflidted, and our Lord healed them by
the hand of the blessed man; and, moreover, God gave him
such a measure of grace in his speech that every man was
wholly gratified thereat, for those who were in affliction and
distress were encouraged to endure thereby, those who were
occupied with contention were quieted thereby, those who
were afflicted sorely became long-suffering, the haughty were
made humble thereby, and the arrogant were brought low
thereby, in order that every man might learn the doctrine of
righteousness. For he used to say, "That we should possess
"anything besides Christ is unnecessary, and we should not
" esteem anything of value besides the love of Christ, neither
" possessions nor kinsfolk, not even our soul itself. For if God
did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up on account of our
" sins, how much the more is it right for us, having tasted and
" known Divine grace, to give our souls not on His behalf, for
( such a thing is not required from us, but on behalf of our own
"lives!" By these words he used to persuade many to with
draw themselves from this world, and from the tribulation
thereof, and to take refuge in a habitation of monks.
And he began to increase from that time with Christ in
simple-mindedness, and in love towards strangers, and in long-
* ffering; now these things not only go with us, but they also
go before us, and they make ready for us a place in the coun
try of the humble and meek, and no man should lack them,
especially when he knoweth the will of his Lord, and that he
is bound to prepare himself according to His will. Would any
servant dare to stand before his master s face and say unto
him, "Yesterday I toiled, but to-day I have done nothing at
"all"? Or have we not heard what our Lord said in the
19 2a
TOe paraMse of tbe 1bols ffatbers
Gospel, "When a servant hath toiled nobly and hath laboured
" in the work which is outside, as soon as he hath gone in-
" side he shall weave a place for his hands and shall minister
"unto his Lord, and then happiness shall be his"? Now,
since we have heard these things from the Divine Books, what
reason can we have for being without the fear of God? Was
it not for this that Ezekiel the Prophet was made a watchman?
(Ezekiel iii, 17.) Did not Judas, because of the one night
wherein he wrought wickedness, lose the labour of all his
days? (St. Matthew xxvi, 47, 49; xxvii, 5.)
Let us continue to be strenuous then, O children of our
profession, and let it not become wearisome unto us, for our
Lord hath been made a guide unto us and unto every man who
hath a desire for the virtues. And that it may not be tedious
unto us, the blessed Paul became an example unto us aforetime,
and said, "I die daily " (i Corinthians xv, 31). Now, if we were
to think each day that we had to die that day, we should never
sin at all, and this is the explanation of the word which was
spoken. If when it is morning we were to imagine that we
should never arrive at the evening, and if also when it is even
ing we thought that we should never arrive at the morning
[we should never sin]; by this thought also the nature of our
life would teach us that it is not a matter for confidence. If
therefore we were to prepare our mind in this manner, and if
we were to live with this thought within us, we should never be
overcome by sin, and the lust which is fleeting would not reign
over us, and we should not keep anger against a fellow-
creature in the flesh, and we should not love the possessions
which pass away, and we should forgive every man who
offended us. And the lust for women would die in the heart,
for how could it be ministered unto? For at all times every
thing which is greater than its fellow overcometh its fellow,
and the fear of God exalteth itself above everything. *
Now therefore, O my beloved, let us be zealous in carry-|
ing out the work whereunto we have once bound our
selves, and let us travel to the end on the road whereon we
have begun to journey, and let no man among us look be
hind him, lest we be like unto the wife of Lot (Genesis xix,
26). It is not easy for him that shall turn behind him, after he
hath received the doctrine of righteousness, to enter into the
kingdom of heaven; he that turneth back, whatsoever be the
way in which he turn, will repent of what he hath done, and
he will turn to the elements of this world, even as a dog to his
vomit (Proverbs xxvi, 2; 2 St. Peter ii, 22). Be ye therefore not
afraid as if ye were carrying a heavy burden, for the burden
of our Lord is easy and light (St. Matthew xi, 30) unto those
20
Xtte of Saint Bntbons
who desire it; if therefore we have the desire, everything is
easy unto us. The children of this world travel over the seas
and make journeys across difficult countries in order that they
may learn profane wisdom, in the do6lrine of which the
means of righteousness is not employed, and in the praise of
which there is no profit of life ; but we are not wanted either
to set out on a journey or to travel on the sea for the sake of
the kingdom of heaven, for our Lord declared aforetime, say
ing, "The kingdom of heaven is within you" (St. Luke xvii,
21). So therefore, O my beloved, life is in our own hands to
gain, for it is within us, and it is ministered unto by us. For
the soul by its nature possesseth the perception of the under
standing, and therefore our soul hath knowledge of what our
life is; it is prepared by the nature of its creation, and is ready
for everything which it wisheth. Therefore also Joshua, the son
of Nun, commanded the people, saying, "Prepare your hearts
"before the God of Israel" (Joshua xxiv, 23), and John also
said, "Prepare your ways" (St. Luke iii, 4). Now when the
Book decreeth the preparation of the soul, it wisheth that the
rectitude of the nature of its first creation shall be in it, but
when it goeth forth outside its limit it is condemned by the
Book like the Evil One. Therefore, the matter is not a difficult
one unto us. For, if we remain in that wherein we were creat
ed from the beginning, life is in us and with us; and our mind
also condemneth us, when it thinketh evil and hath envy of the
thoughts, and bringeth forth a deed of injury in an unseemly
manner. Everything, therefore, is given into our own power
to do, and there is no master set over us to command us what
we shall do; moreover, there is no man who can restrain us
either from thinking or doing fair things ; whether we live or
whether we die belongeth unto ourselves. For if we desire to
withdraw ourselves from thoughts of the wicked and from
usurers and pledges, let us take heed diligently and guard for
our Lord the liberty, which hath been given unto us without
blemish, as something which we have received from the begin
ning, and let us be faithful children unto the Lord. Therefore, take
ye heed, O my beloved sons, that ye keep not silence like those
who have been brought low through sin, or by wrath or by
lust ; for it is written that the anger of a man perfecteth not the
righteousness of God, and besides, lust conceiveth and bring
eth forth sin, and when sin hath been performed completely, it
bringeth forth death (St. James i, 15; Psalm vii, 14; Isaiah
lix, 4). _
In this wise, O my beloved, let us lead the life of watch
fulness and strenuousness, even as it is written, "Keep thine
heart with all diligence" (Proverbs iv, 23), for we have cunning
21
tTbe iftarabise of tbe f>oi ff atbers
and crafty enemies, and it is against these that our strife must
be, even as the Apostle said, "Our contending 1 is not against
" flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and
"against those who are masters of the world of darkness,
"which is beneath the heavens" (Ephesians vi, 12). Their
contending against us is very frequent, and there is no respite
to their attacks upon us. Now, even between the devils there
is a distinction, but concerning their nature and concerning
[this] difference it would be a labour to narrate; we will, how
ever, here reveal and describe very briefly those thing s which
are necessary to be learnt concerning- their contending against
us, and their temptings, and their blandishments (or, flatteries),
and, in short, the whole system of their cunning.
Before this, however, it is proper for us to learn that the
beings which are called devils were not created that they might
be devils, for there is nothing evil in the works of God, and
even they were created beautiful being s ; but when they turned
aside from the mind of righteousness, or from the heavenly
understanding, they were removed to a distance from the
place wherein they lived. And seeing that they were cast away
by the exalted Will, they drew nigh and mingled themselves
among the created beings of this world, and they made the
heathen to go astray wholly according to their desire; and
against us, because they have envy of us, they multiply their
contendings that, peradventure, they may be able to turn us
out of the way of the truth of the kingdom of heaven, and that
we may not attain unto the country wherefrom they were
swept out and fell. Therefore the labour of prayer and of
abundant supplication is necessary for us, that through the
Divine Providence, and through the gift which we have re
ceived from the Holy Spirit, we may be able to know what
distinction existeth between the evil spirits, and what each
one of them hath been commanded to [seek] after, and by what
manner of means the destruction of every one of them is to be
brought about. For their cunning is very great, and they spread
abroad the mesh of their net in everything. Therefore the
blessed Apostle and the rest of the righteous men, who like
him had experience of and had tried the Tempter in every
thing, and it is for this very reason that they have declared it,
said "The artifices of the Evil One shall not overcome us "
And I will now narrate something of what I have endured from
them and a little of the vast knowledge which I have of them
and, like the beloved Prophets, I will tell what I understand
about them.
The whole race of devils is beyond measure an envious
one, and it is altogether jealous of all mankind, and particu-
22
tlbe life of Saint Hntbons
larly of the monks, for they cannot bear to see heavenly deeds
wrought and heavenly lives led upon the earth, and they,
therefore, make hidden pits and snares for us, as it is written,
"They have laid their nets over my paths" (Psalm Ivii, 7) : now
[the words] "their nets" mean thoughts of iniquity. Let us,
however, be not afraid of their stirrings, and let us not be
made lax by reason of their blandishments (or flatteries) ; but
let us be constant in fasting and in prayer, and straightway
they shall be vanquished and disappear. Now when they de
part, let us not be confident and say, "Behold, they are put to
"shame, and we are freed from them," for this race of beings
can never be put to shame, and they know not how to blush ;
for even whilst their temptations are being brought to naught
on this side, they make an attack upon us on the other; and
when they have examined and tried by what means our under
standing may be flattered or terrified, they plan numberless
schemes [to deceive us]. Now the devils are in the habit of
leading men astray by declaring something such as the follow
ing: "Behold, we will inform you concerning the things which
" are about to take place," and then they show them mighty
phantoms which reach up to the ceilings, so that by means of
these similitudes they may lead astray those whom they are
not able to injure in their minds.
It is quite unnecessary that we who are believers should be
terrified either by the motions of the various species of devils,
or by the various forms [which they take], and we should not
be afraid of their voices, which are angry and threatening at
one time, and which are flattering at another. For the Evil
One is a liar, and there is no truth either in his words or his
deeds. But although mankind once gave him power, and sin
lifted up its horn, our Lord hath now broken the goad (or,
sting) thereof, and hath humbled it and brought it down be
neath our feet ; and it hath been made a thing for the Gentiles
to trample upon, and a laughing-stock to the nations. And this
is the proof that the matter is thus, and righteousness testi-
fieth that it hath been performed in creation, for behold, he
who, in his error, hath exalted himself in his heart, and who
boasteth that he can dry up the sea, and can parcel out the
dry land, hath not the power to destroy the heavenly mind
which is in the monks, and he is unable to turn so small and
unimportant a creature as myself from speaking about him.
Now the devils are cunning, but they can only lead astray
those upon whom they find an opportunity for exercising their
wiles ; they appear in all kinds of forms and similitudes, and
it happeneth that the Evil One even demandeth for himself
the form of righteousness, as it is written, "Satan even taketh
23
tTbe paraMse of the tools if atbers
ipon himself the form of an angel of light" (2 Corinthians
There is a time when we see no man and yet the sound of
the working of the devils is heard by us, and it is like the
singing of a song in a loud voice ; and there are time[s] when
the word[s] of the Scriptures are heard by us, just as if a living
man were repeating them, and they are exactly like the words
which we should hear if a man were reading the Book.
And it also happeneth that they rouse us up to the night
prayer, and incite us to stand on our feet ; and they make us
to see also the similitudes of monks and the forms of those
who mourn (i.e., the anchorites); and they draw nigh unto us
as if they had come from a long journey, that they may make
lax the understanding of those who are feeble of soul, and
they begin to utter words like unto these, Are we condemned
"throughout all creation to love places of desolation?" Or,
"Were we not able, when we came to our houses, to fear God
"and to do fair deeds?" And when they are unable to work
their will by means of a scheme of this kind, they cease from
this kind of deceit and turn unto another [and say], "How
now is it possible for thee to live? For thou hast sinned and
committed iniquity in many things. Thinkest thou that the
spirit hath not revealed unto me what hath been done by
thee, or that I know not that thou hast done such and such
a thing?" If, therefore, a simple brother hear these things,
and feel within himself that he hath done evil as the Evil One
[hath said], and he be not acquainted with his craftiness, his
mind will be troubled straightway, and he shall fall into de
spair and turn backwards.
It is then, O my beloved, unnecessary for us to be terrified
at these things, and we have need to fear only when the devils
multiply the speaking of the things which are true, and then
we must rebuke them severely. For even in the days of our
Redeemer, when they spake [unto Him] the things which were
true, He rebuked them and made them to hold their peace and
to speak not, lest they should mingle their wickedness with
the truth that was in the words which they were speaking. We
must then not even appear to incline our hearing to their
words, even though they be words of truth which they utter ;
for it would be a disgrace unto us that those who have rebelled
against God should become [our] teachers. And let us, O my
brethren, arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness, and
let us put on the helmet of redemption, and in the time of
contending let us shoot out from a believing mind spiritual
arrows as from a bow which is stretched (compare Ephesians
vi, 10-17). For they are nothing at all, and even if they were,
24
tTbe OLffe of Saint Hntbons
their strength hath in it nothing which would enable it to resist
the might of the Cross. Whatsoever they do they do like
thieves and robbers, and not after the manner of soldiers (or,
trained men of war), for they have not the strength to stand
up and to contend for any length of time. They shout, and
wrangle, and make tumultuous noises and commotions, that,
peradventure, by means of the sheer fright which they them
selves inspire, they may be able to lead away captive weak
minds and to make them do their will. If they had the power
to perform anything, or to do any harm whatsoever, so much
tumult and outcry and trouble would be unnecessary, and if
one of them only were to come, he could perform [by himself]
that which he had been deputed to do. For when the angel of
truth was sent by the Lord of creation against the camp of the
Assyrians he had no need of many companions, and he came
not with tumult and terror, but with quietness and firmness
he made use of the power which had been given to him, and
destroyed one hundred and fourscore and five thousand of the
Assyrians (2 Kings xix, 35; 2 Chronicles xxxii, 21; Isaiah
xxxvii, 26) ; but the assembly of the evil ones, because it
possesseth not the power of performing its own will, maketh
use of means which are full of terror.
Now if any man shall say, " Supposing now the devils to
** have no power in them, by what agency did they bring upon
44 Job all the calamities which are written in the Book?" let him
understand that he must think in this wise, that is to say, he
must believe that the Evil One hath no power to do harm, and
that God only gave power to tempt him into his hands. For
if this were not so, He would not have stripped him of every
thing, and He would have had compassion upon his soul, but
mercy is not found with the Evil One. In this wise must a man
think. Moreover, the Evil One appeareth to have been parti
cularly feeble, inasmuch as the just man vanquished him in
the contest which he waged with a man ; yet this is not a
matter for wonder, my beloved, for Job the just was not given
over wholly into the hands of the Evil One. And know ye that
unless God had so wished, he would neither have had power
over Job himself, nor over his herds and his flocks, nor over
the miserable wealth of those who were spectators of him if
a man may speak thus. And that the matter is thus be ye
persuaded from the blessed Gospel, for when our Lord re
strained and pursued the devils in one place, they besought
Him to permit them to enter into a herd of swine which was
nigh unto them (St. Matthew viii, 30; St. Mark v, 2-13; St. Luke
viii, 32, 33). If now the devils had not power over the swine,
how much [less] can they have power over man, who was
25
tbe paraMse of tbe 1bols jf atbers
made in the image of God? So therefore in proportion as it is
necessary for us to increase our fear of God, it is meet for us
to add to the contempt which we should have for the congre
gation of the evil ones. Now in what way can we increase our
fear of God? Or in what way are we able to add to our con
tempt for the evil ones? The means by which both these things
are to be performed are similar in each case. Whensoever we
make our life and deeds better than they were before, we
increase the pleasure which we give to God, and we also
multiply the contempt which we have for the evil ones. For
the devils are far more afraid of the fasting of the monks, and
of their prayers, and of their chastity, and of their abstinence,
and of their meekness, and of their gentleness, than they are
of their triumphs, and they are afraid most of all of their
righteousness, which is in Christ. And all these [virtues] pierce
them on every side after the manner of arrows, and for this
reason they do all they can, and they become mad and foam
at the mouth, that, if they can help it, they may not arrive at
this condition of disgrace.
Therefore do not ye give unto them an opportunity in any
matter whatsoever, neither when they come against us in the
guise of enemies in wars, nor w r hen under the form of friends
they attempt to natter us; for they are wont to draw nigh unto
us in the guise of friends and to pretend to reveal matters unto
us. At one time they will come unto us and inform us before
hand concerning the coming of the brethren, and at another
we hear [from them] also rumours and reports [of things which
are] remote; when, therefore, it happeneth that they tell us of
something which is going to happen, and it cometh to pass,
let us not be surprised. For it is not a great thing, seeing that
they themselves are spirits in their persons, that they should
see and perceive the brethren who are coming to us, and should
tell us beforehand of their coming, and should [make known]
a matter which hath happened in a certain place, and that they
should be as it were those who revealed it unto us. Now these
things a runner who is swift in his course could do, and also
a horseman who rideth rapidly. Therefore, let us not be led
away after their deeds through such things, and let us neither
marvel at them nor think that they are matters of importance,
for that they are not things which have not been done already
hath been made known aforetime; but to reveal secret things
and to make known aforetime what is to be performed are
matters which are in the hands of God only.
Know ye, however, O my beloved, that they have made
known to many who were afar off the fortune of this our pre
sent congregation, and all matters which were in dispute; and
26
Ube life of Saint Hnt^
of what I have said the following [word< ow
and an explanation. It hath happened by,-. A r our
hath set out from India, or from some remote coui:jj
unto us, and when as yet we did not see him, or* v at
thing about him, straightway we have had sight of him a
have heard where he was prepared to go, for immediately [tl
devils] seized upon the news quickly and brought it unto us
saying, "Behold, such and such a man from such and such a
"place is coming unto you." It hath happened, moreover, that
thie man who was coming was a king, or that some obstacle
haith prevented him from coming, whosoever he was, or that
halving travelled a certain distance, which was not little, he
re/turned to his own country, but nevertheless the shameful and
reprehensible craftiness of the devils had found it out.
j And thus it is also in the case of the waters of the river
Ghhon (Nile) which is in our country, for they inform us be-
fojrehand whensoever they are going to rise. And whensoever
thtey see the clouds and the abundant rain which [falleth] in
idia (now this river Nile cometh from that country), they
k now and see that by reason of the storm that hath taken
lace in India, the river will be full from one bank to the other,
d when the final rise of the waters of the Nile will come th
clare beforehand, and thus they lead astray the souls ot
ririous people who lack understanding. Now the inhabitants
India also if they had the pow T er to travel, as the devils have,
r ould come and announce the rise of the waters of the Nile to
t le people who are in Egypt.
And the matter is like that of the watchman when he goeth
p to some high place in the sight of the whole camp and is
ble to see him that is coming before he arriveth; but he who
ometh is also able to afford exact information concerning
hat is coming and what are the contents of his dispatch, and
hat is the condition of the nation from whom he cometh. In
1 ke manner do the devils see or hear and give information
oncerning what they see and hear beforehand. ^ w if God
leditateth anything concerning the waters of w river, for
I_ le hath power over it, the cunning of the devils .., rebuked
ii n the opinion of the wise, but to those who lack understand-
i ; ng of heart their error is sweet. By such means of error as
t hese hath paganism made its way throughout creation, but the
I, x>rd of created things came and rebuked him that did these
lings, and humbled his spirit; and behold, the earth is tilled
y the law of righteousness, and by the sword of the Spirit;
fand behold, the thorns, and the briars, and all the weeds of
t^the seed of the Evil One have been rooted out therefrom. Such
; hre the means which are made use of by the error of the devils,
27
ifcise of tbe 1bol dfatbers d
as these do they lead astray creation ce
, . be among you, O my children, any mai v y_
ade in the image^ Behold, do not the devils declare many thingftn
icessarft ic |r us^ haye not [ be f ore ] heard, and do not they describ en
> add nany*" things which they have not before seen?" Now, evei n d
ation t his be so, O my baloved, let not your minds be disturbe^e
- ar c hereby; but enter ye into the counsel of your mind, and g(,
^"understanding concerning the things of [this] world, and fror f fc e
re these ye will obtain the power of [preserving your minds] frt o \d
"> from storm[s]. ach
And before all things know that the physicians, by meaij e .g.
of the experience which they have gotten of their handicraft^
are able to know of a certainty before a man falleth sick whVjs-
ther he will live or die, and how long the sickness will ] ^\^ \
u and when it will be at an end. And it happeneth thaVeven^t
>i when a man himself hath no idea that he is about to pass , t
v under afflictions, the physicians from their constant practice in
i and from the experience which they have acquired, are able \io ),
re& to inform [him] concerning the sicknesses which are about t\o t( h
at ^ome upon him, even when the first symptoms thereof hav e je
this 1Q t declared themselves. Now the power of foretelling thing s/ e
greater with those who steer ships than with the phy
ma lsicians, for they have experience of the heavens (or sky)
of the wind which is therein, and they are able to declar
several days beforehand on what day the heavens (or sky
- a]
gs
will change, and at what periods the wind will become strong^ ike
and these things they can do by their knowledge and by theiij
experience. And know ye also that the ability of the devils i
not superior to that of helmsmen and physicians, for they also
ve
;br
n);
by their experience of matters are able to declare what they
have never before heard, and to describe what they have!
never before seen. Unto you then these devils and the suppli- nd
cation which is made to them are superfluities; let those whc ), of
are without them seek these things, but seek ye not freedon i^de
therefron? "id let it be unto you an objecl; to finish you) "-it
work. ? 1( r h V er
For whV [hath commanded us] that we should be strenu- ^e
ous in this matter, and should know it? Who among the men. u j c
of olden time received praise because they had knowledge of ^
events before they happened ? And who [among them] was ever t "
blamed because^ he had no knowledge of events which were er s
afar off, or were ; about to take place [immediately]? Each one
of us will, howeVer, be judged if he performeth not the work i^
of righteousness, and not because he krioweth or doth not )i
know the things of the future. Therefore let us excuse our- L
selves from this supplication, and let us pray, not that we mavl
28
paraMsc of tbe Ifooly jf atbers
been vouchsafed unto it. This then is the manner of the
velation of the knowledge of the truth. f
Now fright of the Evil One cometh about in this wi
First of all the soul is disturbed and terrified, and it hear
the sounds of a great tumult, and of the playing of musical
struments, and of singing, which are like unto those made ^
a feast of drunken men and in the caves of robbers; and
cause of these sounds which it heareth, the timid soul is grei
moved ; and for this reason it becometh afraid. And other soj
ke
which are brave are terrified because they have heard strai*
sounds, for all their affairs in every possible way belong
tribulation and misery. And there is a time when they <B
after the similitudes of the persons of the children of men
very truth, and although [they do] thus, it is well known
it is merely a phantom and the form of a man only [which
obtain]. For however much an Indian were to rub himself, hf.
could never make himself resemble a Greek, and similarly witr
Satan, however many forms of the children of men he migl\
steal for himself in order to enable him to declare unto thos^
who beheld him that the truth was with him, and to lead in> ^
error the children of the truth, and however much the phanto,;!^
might resemble the reality, that it could be compared
is impossible. There is therefore no room for the devils
us into error by any one of these things, and whatsoever thW 11
do, they do to their own disgrace. if
Understand ye also the following matter, and learn briev
concerning it, that is to say, in the revelation of the Spirit, ai|^ e
in the tumult caused by devils [in the soul] fear is vouchsafe r
In respect of the devils, however, they can certainly stir upi v ^
us a tumult, and put terror therein, but they cannot turn thej.- or
away and make an end of them. Now whilst the Holy Spiritjj-\.
revealing itself to a man, the soul is greatly moved by the ro^yg
jesty thereof, but the terror which it hath of Him cometh tot nc j
end speedily, and perfect happiness maketh its abode in hiii ^
Thus are the wiles and crafts of the Evil One, but, even accd^jg
ding to the things which I have already said, let us not be move. - t
by the fear which he causeth, and let us not be terrified at h.
visions, and let us not turn unto him and make ourselves su ne
ject to him so that he may say unto us, "Fall ye down and wcP?
" ship me" (compare St. Matthew iv, 5). By his wiles and craj) ^
he hath led the heathen into error, and they imagine that he! -
God, but the fearers of our Lord have prevented us, and th ea *
have gathered us into His habitation, and [thus] there is BTC|
given unto him an opportunity of leading us into captivity. F! .
the Evil One is exceedingly bold, and he is without shame, ar \ ^
he even dared to approach our Lord in his madness and deprv lc t
30
TTbe Xtfe of Saint Hntbon#
Ity, that is to say, the body which He had put on; and our Lord
loked upon him and scorned him, and rebuked him, and said,
Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt wor-
ship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (St.
[atthew iv, 10; St. Luke iv, 8). Through the consolation of
ese thing s especially the Evil One should be held in con-
mpt in our sight; for the word which was spoken by our
prd to Satan was spoken on our behalf and on account of
that in the same manner we ourselves might also rebuke
[e devils, and that as the Evil One was destroyed before the
prd of our Lord, so he might also perish and come to an end
[fore our words, for in this he cannot multiply boasting.
[Now when our word hath power over the devils, and the
[nds [run] terrified from before us, let no man marvel when
rebuketh the demons and they become subject unto him,
Id let him not hold in contempt another man by whose hands
limilar thing cannot be \vrought, but let him examine first of
land understand the lives and works of various men, and from
s scrutiny let him know with whom abideth Divine Grace, and
Jere the righteousness of God resteth. For they will be unto
la very much better mirror than those who cast out devils,
11 in them the wicked will be able to see their blemishes and
] become rebuked, and in them good men will be able to look
lefully at their career and become strengthened. Whether a
|n becometh a prosperous toiler or an abje6t coward belong-
unto himself, but for a man to stretch out his hand against
devils and for them to yield place belongeth not unto him
unto heavenly Grace. For when the Disciples returned with
[unto their Lord from [preaching the] Gospel which they had
sent out to preach, they rejoiced in that even the devils
e obedient unto their words. Now therefore let him that
B discernment look and hearken unto this answer which
given unto them: " Rejoice ye not because the devils also
Lve been made subject unto you, but rejoice because your
j.meshave been written down in heaven" (St. Luke x, 20).
tor names to be written down in the Book of Life is a
mony to conduct which is pleasing [to God], and it showeth
those who are worthy of this thing have an upright mind;
bower over devils is, manifestly, [a mark of] the grace of
Redeemer. And that ye may know that this is so, observe
: Christ answered those who took refuge in this thing when
jpirits were going forth before Him, and they said unto Him,
Thy Name we have cast out devils, and have performed
l.ny signs and wonders." And He said unto them, "Verily,
j-ily, I say unto you I know you not" (St. Matthew vii, 22,
Therefore let us pray, as I have already said, that there
3 1
paradise of tbe tools jf atbers
may be given unto us the grace to seek after the [power to c
distinguish between spirits, according to the word of the Boo
which saith, " Be not ye led astray by the spirits which err ^
(compare i Timothy iv).
[ZTbe following is] bs tbe tools Writer /Ifcar Htbana? d
sius. r e
NOW I merit praise in that whilst repeating the triump/ , ^
of the blessed Anthony I desire to keep silence conce/ r . 6
ing many things, being at the same time very care" ,
not to speak anything on mine own authority only; it> 1
sufficient for me to record the things which actually toe^"
place. Let not any man imagine that we declare ther es
things as a pastime, but let him be sure that we narra(^~
them as things which took place in very truth, and thfc
we do so knowing from a6tual experience that they air
true, and that we are only placing on record the wonderfij
acts of the blessed man that they may form a small memoris\ n
of him. Let the wise man know the purity of our intention anl!
that we do not narrate the things which have been said by u (1
in this history without a good object; and we shall be mad. 16
strong by the measure of your love. For I am convinced th? -, 6
it would be neither useful nor beneficial if matters of this kir* }
were spoken of in a boastful manner, because our Adversa/^ 11
is very crafty, and it might happen that he could cause us [
stumble even in a thing which concerneth the truth; therefo-r S
whilst recording the narrative of the histories of the wiles a\* e
arts of the Evil One, it is meet that we should make you toj^
watchful against his subtlety. / - V6
Ube blesseb anfc bols man Hntbons [saitb] : fi") ;
H
ive
OW often then did they ascribe blessings in a Iq
voice, and whilst the voice of blessing was reai n ~
ing my ears, the words of cursing were sent for?
by them ! For how many times did they inform me befo/. . 6
hand concerning the flood of the Nile, that is to say, of
river Gihon, and how many times did I say unto them,
"as for you what have ye?" And I used to say unto
" I have no need to learn these things from you," but they wo^
come again to me after this in the guise of thieves, and t ne "
would surround me, and would stand up and utter thn eat
against me, having at the same time their weapons upon th, ei ^
And again, on another occasion they were suddenly found i ?H
ing my house with serpents of various kinds, and with rep F.^
in large numbers, and with these there were also horses w.!v"J
neighed; then straightway I made myself ready and I st<
32
ZTbe Xtfe of Saint Hntbons
I lifted up my voice in Psalms, and said, "Some [put their
rust in] chariots, and some in horses, but we will be strong
i the Name of the Lord our God" (Psalm xx, 7), and im-
diately they came to an end and disappeared from before
On another occasion they came to me by night, and they
e holding torches of fire and were saying, "We have come
ow to burn thee [alive], O Anthony," and as they were say-
these things unto me, I closed my eyes so that I might show
n that I had placed their light in the portion of darkness;
straightway I put on the armour of prayer against them,
w r hilst I was praying the light of the sinful ones was ex-
jfuished, and it was no more.
d again, after a few months they came in the guise of
singers of the Psalms, and they began to speak to me
th words] from the Scriptures; but I, like a deaf man, did not
rken unto them. On another occasion they shook down upon
the habitation wherein I was living, but I laughed at them
reason of my confidence which [was placed] in our Lord,
my mind was in no way whatsoever disturbed by them,
d after this they came unto me with whistlings, and they
e beating their hands together and dancing with joy; but
m they saw that notwithstanding all their clamour I did
cease to pray, and that I held not my peace from the sing-
of Psalms, like unto men who have been defeated and over-
le they turned their songs of joy into lamentations, and they
an to wail and to beat their breasts in grief, and at the same
e I gave thanks unto my good Lord for all these things, and
ause He had broken, and destroyed, and brought low, and
mbled, their audacious arrogance and mad folly.
\.nd again, on another occasion, there appeared [unto me]
evil of an exceedingly haughty and insolent appearance, and
tood up before me with thetumultuous noise of many people,
he dared to say unto me, "I, even I, am the power of God,"
"I, even I, am the Lord of the worlds." And he said unto
?, "What dost thou wish me to give thee? Ask and thou
fhalt receive." Then I blew a puff of wind at him, and I re-
ked him in the Name of Christ, and I made ready to smite
n, and when, as I thought, I did smite him, at that very mo-
mt all his strength, and all his host [of fiends], at the [men-
>n of] the Name of Christ, came to an end.
And on another occasion, when I was fasting, the crafty
e appeared unto me in the form of a brother monk carrying
ead, and he began to speak unto me words of counsel, say-
j, "Rise up, and stay thy heart with bread and water, and
rest a little from thine excessive labours, for thou art a man,
and howsoever greatly thou mayest be exalted thou art clothed
33 3
Iparafcise of tbe U:>ol2 jf atbers
" with a mortal body, and [thou shouldst] fear sicknesses a^ Q
"tribulations." Then I regarded his words, and I held my pea, r y-
and refrained from giving [him] an answer. And I bowed m
self down in quietness and I began to make supplication
prayer, and I said, "O Lord, make Thou an end of him ev^
" as Thou hast been wont to do him away at all times"; a
as I concluded my words he came to an end and vanished li.
dust, and went forth from the door like smoke. fjrh e
And again, how very many times in the desert hath e )old
shown before me things like phantoms which resembled g. , ich
in order that I might bow myself down before him and toi g-
him even with my finger! I, however, never ceased from sinjLes
ing the songs of the Holy Spirit. And how very many tim Ks-
when I was receiving enjoyment in the Holy Spirit did he di 0,5 !
turb me in anger, and he even dared so far as to strike mo it
Not that I myself am of any account whatsoever, but that y -t
may be seen that the power of our Lord is mighty, and that i; in
cannot be vanquished even in the feeble ones who believe *1),
Him. And Satan laid upon me hard stripes (or cruel blows t<h
and in proportion as he multiplied them I kept crying out wit Jje
a loud voice, saying, "There is nothing which shall separatee
" me from the love of God" (Romans viii, 35); and after thes a ,ll
words [had been said] Satan and the members of his host fe -yn
one upon the other, and each of them vented his wrath upo^ to
his fellow. Now it was God, Who aforetime reduced Satan, ags
subjection, and God alone, Who performed all these thijf like
which I have related; and [the Book] saith, "I saw Satan f a 7iy
" lightning fall from heaven" (St. Luke x, 18). And I, O Y! ve
sons, remember the word[s] of the Apostle, who said, "I haj :br
" spoken these things for your behalf, both for myself and fl ii);
Apollos, that ye may learn of us " (compare i Corinthians i-idive
in this wise ye also must learn of me these things which ye h^r nd
heard, and ye shall not be wearied [in running] your course, aAof
ye shall not fear the appearances (or visions) of Satan and ^de
all his hosts. And even though I, like a simple man, have malv it
use of these histories, it is for you to hold them to be true; foij v er
is meet that we should bring forward in this place whatsoev . tfie
we remember, lest under one pretext or another, or by sor , u l c
means or other, [Satan] draw nigh unto you, and that ye make 1 *
find yourselves ready [to fight] against all his schemes. ea t
Now on one occasion Satan approached the house one nig er; s
and knocked at the door, and I went out to see who wi fi
knocking, and I lifted up mine eyes and saw the form of tiU
exceedingly tall and strong man; and having asked
"Who art thou?" he answered and said unto me, "la
"Satan." And after this I said unto him, "What seeke,
34
Ube Xtfe of Saint Hntbong
"thou?" and he answered and said unto me, "Why do the
"monks, and the anchorites, and the other Christians revile
"me, and why do they at all times heap curses upon me?"
And having clasped my head firmly [in wonder] at his mad
folly, I said unto him, "Wherefore dost thou give them
"trouble?" Then he answered and said unto me, "It is not
" I who trouble them, but it is they who trouble themselves.
" For there happened unto me on a certain occasion that
"which did happen to me, and had I not cried out to them
" that I was the Enemy, his slaughters would have come to an
"end for ever. I have, therefore, no place [to dwell in], and
" not one glittering sword, and not even people who are really
" subject unto me, for those who are in service to me hold me
"wholly in contempt; and moreover, I have to keep them in
" fetters, for they do not cleave to me because they esteem it
" right to do so, and they are ever ready to escape from me in
" every place. The Christians have filled the whole world, and
"behold, even the desert is filled full with their monasteries
" and habitations. Let them then take good heed to themselves
" when they heap abuse upon me."
Then, wondering at the grace of our Lord, I said unto him,
" How doth it happen that whilst thou hast been a liar on
"every other occasion, at this present the truth is spoken by
" thee? And how is it that thou speakest the truth now when
" thou art wont to utter lies? It is indeed true that when Christ
"came into [this] world thou wast brought down to the lowest
" depths, and that the root of thine error was plucked up from
" the earth. "And when Satan heard theName of Christ, his form
vanished and his words came to an end. Since, therefore, Satan
himself confessed that there was nothing in his power, we are
compelled wholly to despise him and his host. Such then are
the crafts and wiles which are found with the Enemy and with
the greedy dogs which form his host. And having learned the
feebleness and helplessness thereof, it is meet that we should
make ourselves ready to [march] against them as over a road
which our Lord hath trodden for us.
Let then these phantoms be a help unto us so that our
minds may not be frightened by his cunning, and fear may not
abide in us by reason of his impudence ; and let not anxious
thought be wrought in us, lest the Evil One gain greater
strength, and let us not be afraid when he hurleth his darts at us
lest this thing be an occasion unto him for boasting. And let
us not be like stricken men, but let us be prepared at all times
[to act] as men who have vanquished the enemy ; and let this
thought be with us at all times, namely, that God, Who hath
revealed and exposed the "powers and dominion," is with us
35 3*
Ube parafcise of tbe fbols tf atbers
at all times. For [otherwise] when the evil ones draw nigh unto
us, having made ready to come against us in the hope that
they may gain some advantage over us, or may discover some
thoughts of fear in us, for they prepare phantoms [which ap
pear] unto us in the event that they may find that we are ter
rified and afraid, straightway, like thieves who have discovered
a place which is without guardians, they will enter into us and
will lead us captives of their will, and our miserable souls will
be found to be in an agitated state, not by reason of the punish
ment of the Adversary, but through our own sluggishness. If,
however, the evil ones find us in the love of Christ, and medi
tating continually on the hope [of that] which is to come, and
thinking thoughts concerning the commandments of our Lord,
and [believing] that the kingdom and dominion are His, and
that the Evil One hath neither opportunity nor power to resist
the might of the Cross, if, I say, the Evil One shall find any
believing man in this state of mind when he draweth nigh unto
him, at that very moment he will remove himself from him to
a distance.
It was in such a frame of mind that he found Job who was
prepared [to resist him], and the Evil One feared, and was
ashamed, and he departed from him as from a man of war ; on
the other hand, he led captive to his will wholly Judah whom
he found to be entirely destitute of such matters. Let us learn
then fully from such examples and from such narratives, that
if we wish to do so it is very easy for us to hold in contempt
the Evil One. Let us meditate at all times on our Lord, and let
our souls rejoice in His hope, and behold, we shall find that
the Evil One will vanish from before us like the darkness, and
we shall also discover that those who come to persecute us will
turn [their backs] upon us like men who are chased out of the
battle, for, as I have already told you, they are cowards. For
the decree of doom (or judgement) is at all times before them,
and they are ever expecting the punishment which is prepared
for them, and the fear of the Cross is cast upon them in pro
portion to their impudent audacity. Let then these and all the
other things [which I have said] be unto you the means of
understanding the insolent cunning of the Evil One, and of
recognizing the similitudes of the torms of his appearances. If it
happen therefore unto any of you that the appearance of one
of these forms presenteth itself, be ye not forthwith terrified,
but look upon it with great courage as it really is, and ask it,
" Who art thou? And whence comest thou?" And if it be a
true revelation of the Holy Spirit, straightway the mind will
feel that it is so, and will have confidence, and courage (or
consolation) will grow in you and fear will diminish ; but if it
36
ZTbe Xfte of Saint Hntbons
be an appearance of the error of the Evil One, the thing will
be confounded, and there will be no opportunity for it to be
bold, and the form of the appearance will not tarry, and the
question [which ye ask] will make manifest the courage of the
confidence of refuge in our Lord.
On one occasion a manifestation revealed itself unto
Joshua, the son of Nun, and he asked that which had appeared
unto him who he was, and took his stand upon the question ;
and similarly Daniel also saw one of the Watchers and rejoiced
at the sight, and was afraid at the measure of the honour of
him that had come, but he was wholly comforted by the grace of
theconfidencewhichhehad in his truth. And in like mannera re
velation (or manifestation) of the truth came to each and every
one of the [saints of] olden time, and none of the stratagems
of the phantoms of the Wicked One ever led them astray.
AN D as the blessed man Anthony was saying these things,
and every man was hearkening unto him with gladness,
unto every man who listened unto him was given help of
one kind or another according to his need ; the man who was
strongfound his strenuousness to beincreased, andthemanwho
was weak found that he received encouragement, and the proud
man found that his arrogance was overthrown and swept
away, and every man was persuaded to reach forward confi
dently towards the hope which is to come. And all the people
with one accord ascribed blessing unto the righteous man
Anthony because such a degree of strength had been given
unto him, and because such great wisdom had made its abode
in him, and because that in the fierce strife and warfare which
he waged against devils he was able to distinguish and dis
cern the difference between good and evil appearances, and
the manifestations (or revelations) of our Lord from those
which appertained unto devils.
And in the days of the blessed man the habitations of the
monks were accepted as tabernacles of praises, and Psalms,
and hymns, and spiritual songs were heard therein; and love
and righteousness rejoiced therein, and therein was found the
rest of prayer coupled with fasting. And the monks toiled in
the labour of their hands that they might not be a burden upon
any man, and of [the proceeds of] the sweat of their faces the
poor and the needy were relieved. And the monastery [of An
thony] became at that time a wonder unto the inhabitants of the
country, for behold, the silver, and the gold, and the riches of
this world which were so highly esteemed in their sight
were despised and accounted as dross by such men as the
monks thereof; and those at whose wastefulness, and drtin-
ZTbe jparaOise of tbe fbols jfatbers
kenness, and lasciviousness the monks marvelled, returned
[to their homes] in wonder as [if they had seen] an angel
and not a human being. No sounds of dissension or con
tention were heard there, and no voice of the violent man (?)
or of his gaoler sounded therein ; well might a man describe
that monastery in the words of the parable which was uttered
in olden time, and say, " How fair are thy habitations, O J acob,
"and thy tabernacles, O Israel!" (Numbers xxiv, 5), for the
country was as if the desert had been roofed over, and it was
like a paradise which was by the rivers, and tabernacles
which the Lord had stablished, and like cedars by the side of
the stream.
Now therefore the blessed man, according to his wont,
withdrew himself and departed to his habitation (or cell) and
to the place which was convenient for him to dwell in, and
there like a mighty man he triumphed in the apparel of war ;
at all seasons he was mindful of the mansions which were in
the heavens, and groaned, for his mind abode between two
x [worlds]. He despised the world and held it in contempt, and
his mind longed greatly for the kingdom of God, for already,
even according to the word of the Apostle, he wished to be
with his Lord (Philippians i, 23). And moreover, he was greatly
troubled when the time drew nigh in which it was proper for
him to eat and drink with the sons of his habitation, for he
was shamefaced, and he would fain depart from their midst,
and he did not like any man to see him eating or drinking;
nevertheless, although he felt thus at the appointed season,
he would eat [with them]. Now on the greater number of days
the love which he bore towards the brethren would in this way
draw him to their company, for he did not desire to grieve
them in any way whatsoever, and he was as careful for them
as if they had been himself; for he was mindful of the word of
the Book which saith, "Ye are members, each of the other,
" and if one member be glorified, the whole body is glorified "
(Romans xii, 5).
And this he used to say and teach unto them: It is right
that we should at all times follow after the food of the soul,
for the soul worketh together with our spirit in the striving
which is against the adversary ; but it is meet for the body to
be in subjection and tribulation, for it very speedily becometh
unduly exalted by the persuasion and flattery of the Evil One.
And it is therefore right that the soul should be more prepared
and more exalted than the body, that the body may not prevail
(or be strong) over it, and bring it low by the lusts [thereof].
And our Lord also gave this indication to the blessed Apostles,
and commanded them, saying, "Be not careful as to what ye
38
Xtfe ot Saint Hntbong
1 shall eat, or what ye shall drink, for such thing s do the peo-
4 pies of the earth seek after, and your Father knoweth what-
soever things ye have need of; but seek ye the kingdom of
God and His glory, and the things which are superior unto
these shall be added unto you " (St. Matthew vi, 31 sq.)
Now some short time after these things a storm and a per
secution arose in the Church, during the years [of the reign]
of Maximinus, the wicked Emperor, and [the soldiers] began
to seize and to take into Alexandria a great company of the
blessed confessors ; and the report of these things reached the
blessed Anthony. And straightway he left his habitation and
place of abode, and he made haste at the sound of the strife,
and he said to himself, " I will go and draw nigh [thereto], so
* that if Divine Grace call me, it shall find me prepared, and
4 if it thinketh otherwise concerning my unworthy self, I shall
4 at all events be a spectator of the strife." Now he desired
exceedingly to enter [the race], and to be accounted worthy of
the athlete s crown. So he travelled on his way and drew nigh
and arrived at the city, and he went in through the gate, and
inquired where the athletes had been made to assemble, and
where they had been gathered together, and asked concerning
the report of the strife. And when he had heard and had
learned where the place was, and in what manner of restraint
they were fettered, he made his way thither ; and as soon as he
saw those who had been called by Divine Grace [unto death]
at this time, he planned with all diligence and by every means
in his power to be a companion unto every one of them in the
contest wherein they were to stand. And he prepared and made
himself ready to be with every man, and he became a prisoner
in the prison with those who were shut up therein, and he
ministered unto them and relieved their wants ; and he passed
his time continually in close companionship with the rest of
the prisoners who were to be exiled, and those who were to
be sent out from the country to the mines, and to the islands,
and he ministered unto them with great pains and care. And
he was found to be ready to accompany all such as were brought
and were going in to their doom, both in their going in and
coming out ; as they went in he gave them encouragement and
admonition, and as they came out he ascribed blessings unto
them and sang hymns of praise. And it was his custom [to do
this] day by day, and his acts were so well known and so famous
in all the city that at length [the report thereof] came to the
ears of the governor. Now when the wicked governor learned
concerning him, and the people had informed him concerning
Anthony s disposition and work, he marvelled at [the bravery
of] his mind, and because he was neither moved by the tortures
39
ZTbe parafcise of tbe 1bol ffatbevs
and tribulations which were falling upon his companions, nor
was afraid ; and he commanded that he should no longer be
found in the city, and that the other monks who were with
him should not come therein, because they also were doing
the same work.
And on another day certain athletes were summoned to the
contest, and when the blessed Anthony knew of the command
and threat (or prohibition) of the judge, he washed and made
white the apparel with which he was clothed (now his tunic
was without shoulder coverings and was like the tunics with
which the Egyptians cover themselves), and having arrayed
himself in his clothing, he went and stood up inside the hall of
judgement, opposite to the wicked judge. And when the men
who had heard the commands of the king concerning Anthony
and his companions lifted up their eyes and saw him, they pre
vented him that day from appearing before the judge, for they
marvelled at him and at his boldness concerning himself, and
his courage in the face of death. Now all this threatening was
very sad to him, and [in spite of] his contempt for the Enemy,
the door which would enable him to testify was not opened;
but God preserved him for the strengthening of those who
testified, and for the benefit of those who were about to do so,
and for the increase of the monasteries of the monks, and for
the praise of the whole Church. And he continued to do this
work until God was pleased to put an end to this persecution
of the Church (now in those days the blessed Peter, Bishop of
Alexandria, bore his testimony) (i.e., was martyred); and after
these things the blessed Anthony departed to his monastery
and habitation, and he bore testimony continually, and, as it
is written, he died daily (i Corinthians xv, 31), and after the
persecution he was always adding a little more to the toil of
his daily life.
Now he wore his apparel with the hair inside, and the skin
outside, and to the day of his death he never touched his body
with water, for he wished to keep it meagre, and he never
dipped his feet in water without the sternest necessity; and no
man ever saw him naked or exposed, except when he died,
and his body was carried in honour by his disciples. He once
decided that for a short time he would remain in silent contem
plation, and that he would neither go outside his dwelling nor
be seen by any man, and it came to pass that during the days
wherein [he was thus occupied] a certain Roman nobleman
whose name was Martinianus came to visit him, and he drew
nigh and besought him to come forth and to pray with him,
and to lay his hand upon his daughter, who was torn by a
devil. And when the nobleman had waited a very long time,
40
.
ZTbe Xife ot Saint Bntbong
and had besought the blessed man incessantly to open his
door, though he would not be persuaded to do so, Anthony
looked [out of the window] and saw him, and said unto him:
" O man, why dost thou weary me? I am a man like unto thy-
"self, but if thou dost believe in the Christ Whom I serve,
u depart in peace, and according as thou believest pray, and
" it shall be [unto thee] even as thou wishest." Then straight
way that man had full and complete confidence in the word
which he had heard, and went by the way he had come, taking
his daughter with him, and she was delivered from the power
of the subjugation of the Evil One. And God, Who did say,
44 Ask ye and receive" (St. Matthew vii, 7; St. Luke xi, 9),
performed very many things like unto this by the hands of
Anthony; now many people who were smitten with diseases
of several kinds thronged to him, and came and sat down by
the side of his cell, and each of them obtained relief from his
afHiclions.
Now when he saw that much people were gathered to
gether to him, and that the trouble which men and women
caused him increased, he became afraid either lest he should
be unduly exalted in his mind by reason of the things which
God had wrought by his hand, or lest others should esteem
him beyond what was right and more than he deserved, and
he determined to go away from that place and to enter the The-
baid. Then he took a little bread and went and sat down by
the side of the river, and waited until he should see a boat go
ing to that district to which he was ready to go. And as he
was pondering these things in his mind, suddenly a voice from
heaven was heard by him, and it called him and said unto him,
" Anthony, whither goest thou? Why art thou departing from
" this place?" Now he was not afraid of the voice which came
to him, but like a man who was accustomed to do so he spake
with it, and answered and said, " Because, O my Lord, the
people will not permit me [to enjoy] a little silent contem-
* plation; it is for this reason that I am wishing to go up to
k the Thebai d, and especially do I desire it because the people
are seeking at my hands that which is wholly beyond my
4 powers."
Then again the voice came to him, saying, " If thou goest
k up it will not be to the Thebai d only, and even if thou
* goest into the Thebai d as thou art thinking [of doing], thou
4 wilt have to endure toil greater than that which thou [per-
formest] here; if, however, thou wishest to enjoy silent con-
templation and to be at rest, get thee gone into the innermost
1 desert." And Anthony the blessed answered and said, "O my
Lord, who will shew me [the way to] that difficult place? For
4*
Ube paraWsc of tbe t>ol fathers
"neither do I myself know it, nor am I acquainted with or
" have knowledge of men who do." Now whilst he was standing
up, there passed by certain Arabs who had made ready and set
out on their way to go to that region, and the blessed man drew
nigh unto them, and entreated them to let him go with them,
and they received him gladly because it was manifest that it
was the commandment bf God which was to be performed in
this matter. And having travelled with them for three days and
three nights, he arrived at a certain high mountain, and he
found in the lower parts thereof water which was clear, and
cool, and sweet, and a few palm-trees, for the land which was
by the side of the mountain was a flat plain; and the place was
pleasing to the blessed Anthony, and he loved it well, and he
loved it especially because God had been his Governor and had
led him to that spot. Therefore Anthony encamped there and
dwelt in that place, and he was exalted there like a king in the
courts [of his palace]. Now when those Arabs who had brought
him to that place saw [this], they wondered and marvelled,
and they left with him a little bread which was found with
them; and from that time forward whenever they were journey
ing into Egypt and returning therefrom, those Arabs, by reason
of the wonderful things which they saw in the man, always
passed by the place where he was, and also brought him bread.
Now there were found in that region a few small birds [which
came] from the palm-trees.
And it came to pass that after a time it was heard by the
brethren where he was, and like beloved sons they remem
bered their righteous father, and they made inquiries and
found out where the place was, and they laboured strenuously
and sent to him everything that could be of use to him. Now
when the blessed Anthony saw that the brethren had begun to
take trouble for him, he besought those who had begun to go
to him to bring him a little jvheat and a hoe; and when they
had brought them to him, he went about the land at the foot
of the mountain, and found a little place which was suitable
for cultivating and watering; thus he was able to provide him
self with as much bread as he needed, and he rejoiced greatly
because he had found the means which would prevent him from
troubling any man, and because he would be a burden to him
self only. And having seen that the brethren were thronging to
him, and that they would not be prevented from coming to him,
he tilled a portion of that ground and made it into a vegetable
garden for the benefit of those who came to him. Now when
he first began to sow wheat in that place, the wild animals used
to come there in large numbers for the sake of the water, and
they damaged the crop, but one day when they were among
42
tlbe Xite ot Saint HntbotiB
the corn according to their custom, he went quietly and seized
one of them, and he said unto them all with a laugh, * Why do ye
" do harm to me, seeing that I do no harm to you? Get ye gone
" therefore in the Name of the Lord, and come ye never again
4 nigh unto this place"; and from that hour this was a com
mand from heaven to them, and they never again did harm to
that place.
And the blessed Anthony was alone in that desert, for the
place wherein he had his habitation was waste and desolate ;
and his mind therefore dwelt the more upon exalted : things,
and it was content therewith. Now the brethren who used to
go to visit him besought and entreated him to allow them to
bring him there month by month a few garden herbs and
olives and oil ; and although he contended with them about it
they overcame him with their entreaty, and compelled him [to
receive them], and they began to pay him visits, one at a time,
according to their entreaty to him. And the blessed man was
exceedingly old, and he was far advanced in years. And in
that desert also he endured strife^ not with flesh and blood,
but with devils and with impure spirits, and we have learned
this also from those who were going to visit him continually.
They used to hear also there the sound of tumult and of out
cry, and to see flashing spears, and at night time they \vould
see the whole mountain filled with fiery phantoms, and those
men were greatly terrified; but the blessed Anthony was
trained in stratagems (?) of war like a man of war, and he
was prepared, and he stood up and rebuked the Evil One,
who straightway ceased according to [his] wont; and he en
couraged the brethren who were with him not to be terrified
or to tremble at [the sight of] such visions as these. For, said
he to them, "They are only empty phantoms which perish
"as if they had never existed at the Name of the Cross"; and
wonder and admiration laid hold upon every man at the great
ness and at the manner of the righteousness which was found
in the blessed man.
He was not terrified at the devils, he was not wearied by
the desert, and his soul had no fear of the wild beasts which
were therein ; but Satan suffered torture from all these things.
And one day he came to the blessed man who was singing the
Psalms of David, and he gnashed his teeth upon him loudly ;
but the blessed Anthony ceased not [to sing], and he was
comforted and helped by the grace of our Lord. One night
whilst he was standing up and was watching in prayer,
Satan gathered together all the wild beasts of the desert, and
brought them against him, and they were so many in number
that he can hardly have left one beast in its den ; and as they
43
paraMse of tbe 1bol ff atbers
compassed him about on every side, and with threatening-
looks were ready [to leap upon him], he looked at them boldly
and said unto them, " If ye have received power over me [from
" the Lord], draw nigh, and delay not, for I am ready for you ;
"but if ye have made ready and come at [the command of)
44 Satan, get ye back to your places and tarry not, for I am a
44 servant of Jesus the Conqueror." And when the blessed man
had spoken these words, Satan was straightway driven away
by the mention of the Name of Christ like a sparrow before a
hawk.
And on another day, when he was weaving palm leaves
for such was his occupation, and he used to toil thereat so
that he might not be a burden upon any man, and that he
might [make baskets] to give as gifts to the people who were
continually coming to visit him suddenly he put up his hand
over the door, and took hold of a rope of palm leaves to bring-
outside, and he leaped and stood up to look out. And as he
looked out from the door, he saw an animal which had [the
following] form : from its head to its side it was like a man,
and its legs and feet were those of an ass. When the blessed
Anthony saw it he only made the sign of the Cross over him
self, and said, "How can anyone imagine that the Evil One is
crafty? And how can anyone be agitated [by him] more
4 than once or twice? Is it not within the scope of his cunning"
4 to know that these things are accounted by me merely
4 empty phantasms? And now, if there be anything whatso-
4 ever in the power of him that sent thee, come hither and
* perform that which thou wast sent to do ; but if Christ,
4 Who shall make an end of thee, and in Whom I have
4 my hope, liveth, and if He be true, let the destruction pf
44 thyself and of him that sent thee take place immediately."
Thereupon, at the word Christ, there fell upon the creature
quaking and trembling, and he took to flight, and [as] he was
going forth in haste and was running along terrified, he fell
down and burst asunder at no great distance from [Anthony s]
abode. Now the devils did all these things in order that they
might drive the blessed man from the desert.
And it came to pass after a time that the brethren [who
were] monks appeared before him and besought him to come
down and visit them in their monastery for a long period, and
having multiplied their entreaties he granted their request;
and he rose up and travelled with them in the desert to the
borders of Egypt. Now there was with them a camel which
was laden with bread and water [and] provisions for the way,
for no water whatsoever was to be found in the whole of that
desert. And having travelled for one or two days, the water
44
ZIbe Xife of Saint Rfttbottg
was finished and came to an end, for the men with him were
not a few, and in those days the heat was very fierce, and the
people were overcome by thirst ; and they were troubled the
more because they had wandered about the whole of that dis
trict that they might find water, and they threw themselves
down on the ground, being in trouble and in great danger,
and because they were in despair about themselves they turned
the camel adrift to wander about in the desert. Now when the
blessed old man saw the people in such great distress, he
sighed heavily, and having departed from them a short dis
tance, he bowed his knees upon the ground and spreading out
his hands towards heaven, he cried out to God, and said,
"Consider, O Lord, at this time also the prayer of Thy ser-
"vant" ; and before the words of his prayer were ended, water
sprang up from that place whereon he had prayed, and he
brought all the people and made them to come [there], and
they prayed and gave thanks unto God, and they drank and
were relieved from their tribulations, and they also filled the
water-skins with the water. Then they went forth in quest of
the camel, and they brought him back [to their camp]; now
they found him quite near, because it happened that, through
the Providence (or Dispensation) of God, whilst the animal
was wandering about his cord was caught by a root and he
was unable to move, and he stood still until they went and
brought him [back]. And they gave the camel water to drink,
and they loaded up his load upon him, and they set out on
their road.
Now when they had come to a district which was inhabited
and had entered the villages, many people rushed forth from
the whole of that neighbourhood and came to the place where
the blessed man was, for every man was waiting and longing
for him, and the love of him was hot in their minds, and they
drew nigh and made obeisance unto him as unto a righteous
father. And the blessed man spread abroad the things which
he had provided and was carrying [with him] when he came
from the desert, and he made them happy with the enjoyments
of the Spirit; and at that time there was twofold joy in the
monasteries of the monks, and they rejoiced in the triumphs
of the blessed old man whom they saw renewing his youth like
the eagle. Now the chief of all the commandments which he
used to give unto all the monks was that they should freely
confess, before everything, the true faith of Christ, and should
love it with all their strength; that they should preserve them
selves from evil thoughts, and from the lusts of the body; that
they should flee from vain boasting; that they should pray
continually, and should be prepared and ready [to sing]
45
Ube parafcise of tbe 1bol^ ffatbers
Psalms and [to recite] the Office before they went to sleep;
that after sleep they should read and remember the words of
the Scriptures, wherein was their life; that they should medi
tate upon the ac~ks and lives of the Apostles, and should con
sider what they were before they approached Christ, and also
what they were after they had drawn nigh to Him, and how
in their former state they were despised and held in contempt
by the world, and how in the latter state they suddenly waxed
great, and were held in high honour, both in this world and
in the kingdom of God; and that it was not their own strength
which had made for them this exalted estate and honour, but
their perfect righteousness towards God. With these and such
like [admonitions] did he make zealous and strengthen their
minds.
And, moreover, he spake the following words: " Since
"we, who are monks, are not held fast by anger in anything
"whatsoever, Satan filcheth us away through this very thing
" that we may rage one against the other; and it is therefore
" meet that we should at all times remember the word of our
" Lord which saith, If thou bringest to the altar thine offer-
" ing, and there rememberest that thou art held by anger against
" thy brother, go thou and be reconciled with thy brother, and
" then offer up thine offering (St. Matthew v, 23, 24). We
" should remember also the word of the Apostle, Let not the
" sun go down upon your wrath (Ephesians iv, 26). Now
" this command, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,
4 was not written merely [to tell us] that we were never to be
" angry, but [to warn us] against offences of every kind, and
" against keeping wrath one against the other; for it is very
4 right and seemly that the sun should not go down by day and
" leave us in sin, and that the moon should not overtake us in
" the same by night, and should not find us in the service of the
"Wicked One, or thinking of him. Since therefore it is well for
* us [to be] thus, it is right thatwe should considerand examine
" into the word of the Apostle which admonished us, saying,
"jTry ye one, another, examine ye one another (2 Corin-
"thiansxiii, 5). Letus then each and every day meditate in such
"a way that every man among us may receive from his soul the
"computation of all his works and thoughts, both by day and
"by night; and let every man be an honest investigator of his
"own thoughts for himself, before shall come the righteous
"Avenger Who shall reward righteously (compare St. Matthew
"xvi, 27), and shall punish even according as the Holy Gospel
"hath admonished us; for the wages of the mind are always
* the same. Those who have fought against sins He will encou-
"rage, and him that standeth in the truth He will admonish
Xife of Saint Hntbong
4 and urge to new exertions, lest he be filched away by boast-
"ing, and be despoiled by means of over-confidence, and lest he
"despise one man and love another, and justify his own soul.
4 [Let us then do these things], even as the Apostle Paul said,
444 until our Lord cometh (i Timothy vi, 14), Who shall judge
44 the things which are hidden.
4 For it may happen that we ourselves do not know our
44 own manner of life and works, but though we have lost this
44 knowledge it is manifest before God, Who knoweth the things
44 which are hidden. Let us therefore appoint Him to be the
4 Judge. Let us, at all times, take each the burden of the
4 r 6ther~~and let us suffer for each other even as our Lord suf
fered for us; but let us examine our souls unceasingly,, and
44 let us provide and fill our houses in this world with whatsoever
things we lack with the greatest care. And let this thing also
44 be an admonition to us against sin, and let each man of us
44 write down both his actions and his thoughts upon the tablets
"of his heart, as if he were obliged to read and lay them out in
4 4 due order under the eye of every man. For when he pondereth
4 and considereth [he will find] that it would be a shame and a
4 disgrace that these things should come to light, and when he
"meditateth further [he will see] that, inasmuch as the mere
"hearing of the same would cause him great ignominy, it is
4 manifest that the doing of the same [would work] great de-
"struction. And since it is difficult for sin to come to the light,
"it is certain that falsehoodjclingeth and cleaveth thereto; for as
"when the natural eye seeth [what is happening] no act of
"shame is to be expected, so also if we were men who were
44 obliged to tell each other our manner of life (or conversation)
44 and thoughts, no sin would ever be committed by us because
4 of the shame which would result therefrom. Let then the
4 writings wherein are inscribed our shortcomings be things
44 of which to be ashamed, for they take the place of the eyes
44 of the spectators, and since we are as much ashamed of the
4 writings as if they had been spectators, let us, like men of
4 understanding, cease from the doing of and from meditating
4 upon the works which bring in their train reproach. Now
4 therefore by such means as these, if our souls are a care unto us,
"let us bring our bodies into subjection, so that by our works
"we shall please God, and treat with contempt the Enemy by
44 means of our strenuousness."
Now it was with such matters as these that the blessed
man Anthony used to rejoice the monks who went to visit
him, and the others, that is to say, those who were smitten
with sickness, and those who were evilly entreated by evil
spirits he would comfort by his words, and would aid by his
47
paratnse of tbe 1bols f atbevs
prayers. And our Lord at all times made him to be happy in
his prayers, for when they were heard he was not unduly lifted
up in his heart, and when they were not hearkened to he mur
mured not, but in all of them he gave thanks to God. And,
moreover, he encouraged those who were smitten with sick
ness not to be disheartened by reason of their tribulations, and
he told them that they must know that neither he nor any
other man had power to grant relief to them, and that it was
God alone Who could do so, and that He would do so for
whomsoever He pleased whensoever He pleased. And these
and such-like words became a relief and an aid for those who
were smitten with sicknesses, and he gladly lightened the
weight of their trials by more than the words which were
offered unto them; but those who were made whole were told
before everything else that they must not return their thanks
and gratitude to the blessed Anthony, but that they must as
cribe praise wholly unto God [for their healings].
Now there once went to the blessed Anthony in the inner
desert a certain nobleman who was an officer in the palace,
whose name was Parniton, and he had an evil spirit ; he
was always gnawing his tongue, and the light of his eyes was
wellnigh destroyed. And this man went to the blessed Anthony
and entreated him to pray over him, and having done so he
answered and said to that man, " Depart, and thou shalt be
"healed," but Parniton entreated him that he might remain
with him for some days. And the blessed man was saying unto
him continually, "Thou canst not be healed here. Go away
from this place, and when thou arrivest in Egypt thou wilt
" see suddenly the wonderful sign which God hath wrought
" upon thee." And having confidence in [these words] the man
went forth, and before he saw Egypt, there came unto him
deliverance straightway, and he became healed, according to
the word of the blessed man which was revealed unto him in
the Spirit by our Redeemer.
And there was a certain virgin of Busiris who suffered from
a severe and terrible disease, for the water (or tears) which
flowed from the pupil of her eyes, and the matter which fell
from her nostrils, before it fell upon the ground became worms,
and her whole body was in a state of putrefaction ; and because
of the progress of the disease her eyes had lost the power of
natural sight and were useless. Now when the kinsfolk of this
young woman heard that certain brethren [who were] monks
were preparing to go to the blessed Anthony, because they
believed wholly in the man who had healed a woman of a flow
of blood [which had lasted] twelve years, they entreated them
to allow them to go with them also and to follow in their
48
U\K Xtfe of Saint Hntbong
company ; and as the brethren received their petition and per
mitted them to go in their company, they arrived [in due
course] at the place [where the blessed man was]. And the
kinsfolk of the maiden remained with their daughter a short
distance on this side of the mountain, at the place where
dwelt the man of God, Paphnutius the confessor and anchorite.
And when the brethren had gone in and had greeted the
blessed Anthony, and whilst they were meditating- about relat
ing to him concerning the maiden and her kinsfolk, he began
to speak before they did about her sickness and afflictions, and
said how it happened that she came to be in their company.
Then making the conversation of the blessed man the pretext
for their words they besought and entreated him to allow the
maiden to come into his presence, but he would not be per
suaded to do so, and he said unto them, "Get ye back to the
" place where the maiden is, and if she be not already dead,
" ye will find that she hath been wholly healed; now this hath
"not happened either through me or through the gift which
"my poor and contemptible person possesseth, but it is a gift
from our Redeemer, Who performeth grace and mercy in
" every place for those who cry unto Him in affliction. Get ye
" out then quickly, for the merciful God hath hearkened unto
"the prayer of the maiden, and hath regarded the toil and
"labour of her kinsfolk; and behold, His lovingkindness hath
"made known and revealed unto me in this hour that relief
"from her affliction hath come unto the maiden. Thus this
* wonderful thing hath taken place. "And thebrethren went forth
and found the kinsfolk of the maiden rejoicing, and their daughter
was freed from and was completely healed from her affliction.
And at the same time there went forth from Egypt two
brethren to visit the blessed Anthony, and when they were
near to arrive at the place where he was, it fell out that the
water failed, and they were so completely brought low for
want thereof that, by reason of his great tribulation, one of
them departed from this world, and his companion was well-
nigh departing likewise. Then the blessed man called suddenly
unto two of those brethren who happened to be with him, and
said to them, "Take ye a little water in a vessel and get ye
"down quickly on the road to Egypt, for two brethren set
* out together to come to us, but when they had left behind
them the greater part of the mountain road, they lacked
water ; one of them hath already fainted and died, and the
other is nigh unto death, [and will die], if ye do not speedily
* overtake him. For thus hath it appeared to me when I was
praying." And the brethren having made haste arrived at
the place and found [a dead man] according to what had been
49 4
TOe paradise of tbe 1bol jfatbers
said to them, and they took up the body of him that was dead
and carried it away, and they fed him, in whom the spirit was
still found to be, with bread and water, and took him and
brought him with care to the old man. Now the blessed man
was distant from them a journey of two days. And if any man
ask why and wherefore the vision did not appear unto the
blessed Anthony before the man died, he will ask that which is
unseemly, for it belonged not to him to know what God was
meditating concerning every man ; this thing belongeth unto
God only Who, whensoever He pleaseth, maketh a reve
lation unto him that feareth Him.
And the blessed Anthony possessed this wonderful attribute.
When he was dwelling in the mountain, his mind was alert and
watchful to observe and to see, by the operation of the Holy
Spirit which dwelt in him, that which was afar off as if it were
near. For, on another occasion when he was in the mountain,
he lifted up his eyes to heaven and suddenly saw a man being
taken up therein ; and wonderment having fallen upon him he
magnified [God] and ascribed blessings unto him that had
been accounted worthy of this [honour], and he besought the
Lord that he might know who the man was who had attained
unto such exalted greatness. And suddenly a voice from heaven
was heard, saying, "This is the soul of the blessed man
"Ammon who used to dwell in the country of Nitria." Now
Ammon was a mighty man and a valiant fighter [in the asce
tic life], and he had been a monk from his early manhood
even unto his old age, and the end of his life was greater than
the beginning thereof; and the distance of the country of
Nitria from the mountain wherein dwelt the blessed man
Anthony was a journey of thirteen days. And when those who
were found with the old man Anthony saw him marvelling in
this manner concerning the blessed Ammon, they entreated
him that they might learn when his departure from the world
took place, and he informed them that it had happened when
the revelation appeared unto him.
And there was also another famous man with whom many
were acquainted, for he used to come very frequently to the
blessed Anthony, and many glorious deeds and signs and
wonders were wrought by his hands unto our Lord. Now on
a certain occasion one reason or another made it necessary for
the blessed Ammon to cross the river, the name of which was
Ddbha (i.e., the Wolf River), and he had with him the righ
teous man, [who was called] Theodore; and this blessed man
also was mighty in the ascetic life. And when they had come
nigh unto the river, and were standing on the bank, they
agreed that each should go away a short distance from the
50
ZTbe Xtfe of Saint Hntbong
other so that they might not see each other s nakedness as
they were crossing- the river. Now when the righteous man
Theodore had removed himself from him, the blessed man
Ammon began to have shame even of himself, and whilst he
he was in this state of mind suddenly Divine Grace seized him,
and set him up upon the [other] side of the river. And when
the righteous man Theodore had crossed the river, he drew
nigh unto the blessed Ammon, and examined him attentively,
[and found] that his feet had not been dipped in the water, and
that not a drop of water had touched either his body or his
garments. Then Theodore began to entreat Ammon to inform
him how his passage over the river had been effected, and
when he saw that he was making many excuses about it and
was debating the matter, he became certain in his mind that it
was Divine Grace which had taken him across the river. And
he persisted strongly in questioning Ammon, and took hold
of his feet, and said unto him, "Yes, or no? I will not leave
" thee until thou hast shown me" [this thing]. Now when the
old man Ammon saw the persistence of the righteous man
Theodore, and [remembered] especially the word which had
gone forth to him, he entreated him to make the matter known
to no man until his departure from this world had been effected,
and then he revealed to him that he had indeed been carried
across the river [by the Spirit], and that he had never walked
upon the water thereof at all. And this thing our Lord Himself
did by His own power, and He made the great Apostle Peter
to do so (St. Matthew xiv, 29), and it was done [by Ammon] also
by the command of our Lord ; and [it was only] after the old
man Ammon was dead that this matter was spoken of by the
righteous man Theodore, according to the agreement which
he had made with Ammon.
Now the brethren, who had heard from the blessed An
thony the story of the departure of the old man Ammon from
the world, bore in mind the day and the hour wherein it took
place, and three days later, when certain brethren came from
the country of Nitria, they inquired of them concerning the
death of the blessed Ammon, and they learned that the days
of the old man had come to an end at the very moment and at
the very hour when the blessed Anthony had spoken to them,
and when he himself saw Ammon being taken up into heaven.
Then the brethren did indeed marvel among themselves con
cerning the purity of the soul of the blessed Anthony, and how
he had seen performed clearly and openly before him that
which had taken place at a distance of a journey of thirteen
days, that is to say, the ascension of the soul of the blessed
Ammon into heaven.
51 4
ZTbe paradise of tbe 1bols ffatbers
And moreover there came unto him a certain Count called
Archelaus, and he found him in the outer mountain praying
by himself, and he made entreaty unto him on behalf of the
nun Polycratia, who was from the city of Laodicea, and was
faithful and devoted to the ascetic life. Now she was much
afflicted by pains in her stomach and in her right side, and, in
short, her whole body was in a state of suffering-. And when
the blessed man had prayed for her, Archelaus wrote down the
day and the hour in which the prayer had been made, and
after this the blessed man dismissed him, and he returned to
his own country; and when he had gone to the province of
Laodicea he found Polycratia the nun in perfect health. Then
he asked at what time she had found deliverance from her
sufferings, and by what means it had been brought about, and
they related to him that the mercy of God had been poured
out upon her at a certain time suddenly, and that she had felt
relief and found herself made whole and free from the violent
pains of her disease. And immediately that the words of their
narrative concerning her illness had come to an end, Archelaus
brought forth the paper whereon were written the day and hour
wherein the prayer had been made on behalf of the believing
woman (Polycratia), and the words of their narrative agreed
with those which were written on his paper as if they had been
written down [at the same time] with a pen. Then wonder
laid hold upon every man, and they all admitted openly that
the time at which the prayer was made by the blessed man
was precisely that at which relief had come to her.
And multitudes of things similar to those which have already
been described were performed by his hands; and also when
the brethren used to set out to come from Egypt to him, he
knew it beforehand and was able to declare it to those who
happened to be with him, and it was revealed unto him some
times even months and days beforehand that they were com
ing to him, and the reason for their journey. For some used
to come to him merely to see him, and others [came] that they
might be with him for a few days, and others came to him
because of their diseases and afflictions of various kinds; and
no man found that long road exhausting or fell into despair
thereon, because the relief which each man obtained from the
blessed Anthony was greater than the toil which he had en
dured thereon. And when a man saw these triumphs, and felt
anxious to narrate them, the blessed man used to entreat him
not to marvel at these deeds, but to wonder at the Divine
Grace of God which considered unworthy and feeble men
worthy of such great [care].
And on one occasion the brethren entreated him to visit
52
ZTbe Xife of Saint Hntbonp
their monasteries, and when they had come to a certain place
they besought him to embark in a boat and to cross over the
river; and when he had gone up into the boat a foul and fetid
smell smote him suddenly. And when the brethren heard of
this, they answered and said unto him, " Master, this smell
" ariseth from the fish and the salted meat with which the boat
is loaded," but he would not be persuaded that it was so, and
he said, "This smell ariseth not from these things." Now
whilst he was ending his words, a young man, in whom was an
evil spirit, was found in the boat, and as soon as he saw the
blessed man, he shrank away from him straightway; but when
the devil abused him, he cried out and uttered threats against
the blessed man from among the people. Then the blessed
Anthony turned himself round, and rebuked him, and silenced
him, and immediately the young man felt the deliverance from
him; and every man was persuaded that the smell was that of
the devil whereat they had wondered.
And again there came to him a certain well-known man who
was very sorely tried by an unclean spirit, and he was so dis
tressed through him that his mind was carried away, and he
was unable to understand any question which was asked of
him; and in his whole body there was not a spot which was
not lacerated by his bites, and those who had brought him
took him to the blessed man Anthony and besought him to
pray for him. Then the old man Anthony looked upon him,
and his mercy having revealed itself, he took him by the hand,
and made him stand up, and he knelt down on his knees be
fore him, and he watched with him the whole night. And at
the time of dawn the young man approached the blessed An
thony from behind his back, and smote him, and those who
had brought him began to rebuke him; but the blessed man
answered and said unto them, "Let no man be wroth against
" him; this act is not of him, but of the Evil One who is in him,
for he hath been commanded to depart from that which God
hath created, and to return to his place, and he is, in conse-
quence, incensed with him, and hath done this thing. Glorify
* ye then God, because of this thing which hath taken place,
for it hath given unto you a sign whereby ye may be sure
" that God hath wrought for him deliverance." And when the
blessed Anthony had said these things, straightway the young
man was made whole, and he came to himself, and remem
bered where he was, and through whom deliverance had
come unto him, and then he began to salute the blessed
man, and to confess God with many loud protestations. Now
believing men have related very many [wonderful] things
like unto this, but in comparison to the other deeds which
53
paraMse of tbe fbois ffatbers
were wrought by the blessed man these are not very im
portant.
On one occasion he stood up to pray at the ninth hour, and
he perceived that his mind was exalted, and, what was still
more wonderful, that whilst he was on the earth his mind was
transformed, and he did not feel that he was upon the earth.
For he saw that his soul was not being lifted up by the power
of his mind, but was being governed by the angels ; and when
he himself was raised up, he saw other beings who came and
stood opposite to him, and they prevented him from passing
on. And they said, "Let us see of what kind are his deeds,
"and if we cannot by any means make him to be taken (or
"held) by us." Then those who were guiding him turned
round and rebuked them, and said unto them, "Our Lord
" by His grace blotted out his shortcomings and his sins before
" he became a disciple, but ye are embodied in his triumphs
" and in his works and deeds [which took place] after he had
" become a disciple"; and thereupon his soul was immediately
exalted to the place unto which it attained. And after this
his mind took up its abode in him, and he felt and perceived
that which had happened to him ; and he magnified and gave
thanks to (or confessed) God by reason of everything which
had taken place, and [he remained] in prayer the whole night
which followed that day, and he tasted no food of any kind
whatsoever therein.
And a man must also marvel at the severity of our contest,
and at the great labour by which he passeth to this air ; and he
must remember and say, "This is the word of the Apostle, who
"spake, saying, Your contending is against the ruler who
" holdeth the power of this world " (Ephesians vi, 12). For
this reason the Apostle himself commanded, saying, "Put on
" the armour of God in order that ye may be able to stand
" against him in the evil day" (Ephesians vi, 13), so that the
Enemy may have no occasion in any way to say about us that
we have been sorely put to shame. And, my beloved, in con
nexion with the history of the blessed man, let us remember
the matter of the Apostle who said, "Whether in the body or
" out of the body, I know not; God knoweth" (2 Corinthians,
xii, 2). Now, the blessed Paul was snatched up into the third
heaven, and heard words which may not be uttered, and came
down [again]; but the blessed Anthony was lifted up into the
place to which he was lifted up, and he received a pledge of
the confidence of his labour, and he returned and took up his
abode with himself. And the [sign of] grace was also found
with him. Whensoever he had in his mind any matter the truth
of which he could not comprehend with his thoughts, he would
54
ZTbe Xife of Saint Hntbong
make supplication in his prayer, and it would be revealed unto
him, and in all these things he was taught by God even as it
is written (St. John vi, 45; Isaiah liv, 13).
And after these things he had a disputation with certain
men who came to him about the ordering and disposition of
the soul, and the place to which it went after its departure
[from the body]. Then, on another day, he heard a voice from
heaven, which said, "Anthony, get thee forth, and thou shalt
"see." And, moreover, this thing had also been wrought for
him: he was able to distinguish between heavenly voices and
the voices of enemies. And he lifted up his eyes and saw the
form of a man which was immeasurably abominable; his head
reached up into the heavens, and round about him on all sides
were numbers of beings, some of which were flying about
with their wings, and were soaring up above him; and he put
forth his hands that he might lay hold of some [of them], but
he was not able to do so. Now those winged beings who were
flying about were those who had preserved (or guarded) their
faith and their works; but the others he could lay hold of be
cause they were those who had not received the faith, and who
were remote from works. Then the blessed Anthony saw that
the form of the man was gnashing his teeth with bitterness at
those who were being lifted up into life, for [that] son of per
dition would have been content that every man should perish
with him. And straightway a voice came unto the blessed
Anthony, and said: " Know thou that which hath been made";
and then he understood that this was the passage (or bridge)
of souls, and that he who was standing in the midst was Satan,
the enemy of righteousness. Such was the vision which came
unto him, and it roused him up and incited him exceedingly
to triumph in his old age.
Now these things were not related by his will, but the
brethren who saw him when he was sighing during his prayer
to God perceived that something had been seen by him, and
they clung to him and pressed him with entreaties to inform
them what had happened. And having examined his mind, and
seen that it was free from boasting, he decided within himself
that the report of such things as these would certainly admonish
the youthful monks to stand up like mighty warriors in the
war which the Enemy maketh against us, and not to be caught
by him in any way, so that he might not be able to lift up his
heel against us; and having thus decided he revealed and made
known unto them the whole matter even as it appeared unto
them. For he was exceedingly long-suffering in respect of the
things which were fitting, and he was thoroughly meek in
spirit, and in all these things he preserved scrupulously the
55
ZTbe parafcise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
Canons of the Church, and made answer unto every man ac
cording to his grade and rank. Unto Bishops and Elders he
paid honour like a man who was in duty bound so to do, and
he was not ashamed to bow his head before them at the time
of the blessing; but deacons he received with joy and with
affection, and although like a father he made them to hear
words of righteousness and admonition, during the time of
prayer he would set them in front by reason of the authority
which had once been given unto them by God. He meditated
continually upon righteousness, and he did not seek only to
make another hear the Word, but he himself rejoiced to hear
it, and he was never ashamed to do so, even though he was
an old man and a famous one; for on several occasions he
asked questions of those who were with him at all times, and
entreated that he might hear that which was suitable to his
life and deeds, and he would confess that he had been bene
fited whensoever a subject of this kind was debated among
them.
And the countenance of the blessed man was clothed with
the splendour of praise, and wonder thereat laid hold upon
every man. Whensoever it happened that he was with many
people, and it fell out that a man came there who had never
seen the blessed Anthony, his eyes would glance quickly over
all the people, and he would gaze intently upon them all, and
would at once distinguish the newcomer, who, by reason of
the splendour of grace which dwelt in the blessed man, would,
as if drawn by cords, leave the other people and boldly make
his way direct to him. Now this did not arise because the sta
ture of the blessed Anthony was greater than that of any other
man, or because his external appearance was more beautiful
than that of any other man, but by reason of those spiritual
triumphs which were within [him], even as it is written, " A
"happy heart maketh beautiful the body; and an evil heart
" maketh gloomy the countenance" (Proverbs xvii, 22). And,
moreover, Jacob discerned by the appearance of the counten
ance of Laban that he was meditating fraud concerning him,
for he said unto his wives, "I see that the face of your father
" is not towards me as it was yesterday and formerly" (Gene
sis xxxi, 5). And in the same manner Samuel recognized David,
for his eyes were beautiful (i Samuel xvi, 12) and his features
were joyous. And thus was it also in the case of the blessed
Anthony, and by such indications he was known by those who
saw him; when he was troubled [they saw that] his visage was
disturbed, and when he was angry that his thoughts were
ruffled.
And, moreover, he was immeasurably firm in the faith, and
56
Hbe OLtfe of Saint Hntbon$
he held fast thereunto with honour and discretion (or discern
ment); he did not conduct himself in the matter of faith like a
man who made himself a stranger unto the children of men, or
like one who dwelt in the desert, either in common with other
monks, or by himself; and he would not receive the people who
used to go to him without question and also enquiry. For he
never joined himself to the Meletian heretics * who were in
Egypt, for from the very beginning he was well acquainted
with their dissensions (or schisms), and their restlessness,
and he never took count at all of the other heresies, and he
even exhorted every man to withdraw himself from them, for
he used to say, Neither in the discussion of them nor in their
" result is there any advantage." Similarly the Arian heretics
were so detestable and contemptible in his sight that he with
drew himself altogether from having any dealings with them,
and he also exhorted other people to keep themselves far from
their words and their doctrines. And it happened on one occa
sion that some of these Arians went to him, but when he had
enquired at their hands, and had asked them questions and
learned that they belonged to the dough of the leaven of Arius,
the unbeliever, he drove them forth from his presence like the
other wild beasts and vipers. And he said unto them, "Ye are
" more bitter and more evil than the beasts of prey and deadly
"serpents." Now on one occasion the Arians spread a report
and made a scandal which they cast upon the world, and they
went about, saying, "Anthony hath agreed to our faith and
"hath accepted it," and when this report came to his ears,
astonishment laid hold upon him, and he marvelled greatly at
the falsehood of the Arians, and how easily error came to them
through the impudence of their minds.
Now when the bishops and the other brethren saw that the
wickedness of the Arians was prevailing, and that they had
spread this report through the whole city, they entreated the
blessed man to exert himself a little in order that those liars
might be put to great shame; and he was persuaded by them
to go down to the city of Alexandria, and to proclaim openly
there that the Arians were blasphemers, so that their iniquity
might come back upon their own heads. And having gone down
[to Alexandria] a vast multitude of people thronged there at the
report [of the coming of] the blessed man, and when all the
people were gathered together [to him] he admonished and
exhorted them in a loud voice to beware of the error of the
Arians, and he said, "This [i.e., Arianism] is the essence of all
" heresies, and it is the work of the Christs of falsehood; get
* i.e., the followers of Meletius, Bishop of Lycopolis; he was deposed for
his irregular behaviour A.D. 306.
57
iparafcise of tbe 1bols ffatbers
4 ye away then from them afar off that ye become not cor-
44 rupted by them. God forbid that the Son of God should be
44 proclaimed to be a thing which hath been made, or that He
44 should be named as something which came from nothing.
44 For He is of the substance of the Father, and He is His
4 Child, and it is therefore great wickedness for a man to say
44 that there was ever a time when He was not; for the Word
44 existed at all times with God. Therefore flee ye from associa-
44 tion with them, lest ye have a portion in their blasphemy, for
44 light hath no connexion with darkness, and ye must have no
44 connexion whatsoever with them, and ye must have no like-
44 ness to or association with them, for ye are in the righteous-
44 ness of your faith believing Christians, and those who say
44 that the Son of the Living God is a created thing are in no
4< wise different from the heathen. Believe me, O my beloved,
4 the very creatures are far more to be desired than those
44 who worship the creatures in preference to their Creator, and
44 who confound and compare the creatures with the Lord and
44 Creator of the universe."
Thereupon all the people held the Arians to be like other
heretics, and they were esteemed in their sight wholly as blas
phemers and unbelievers, and all men were confirmed in the cor
rect view concerning the faith. Then [the people of] the city,
both the Christians and the Armaye (i.e., the heathen of Alex
andria), and also those who were called 44 priests," ran into
the church to see the 44 man of God," for by this name and
title was he called; and in that city also our Lord wrought by
the hand of the blessed man many signs and wonders, and
so many of those whose minds had been injured through
error obtained through him the means of healing that more
people became Christians on that day than in the whole year
[previously]. And large numbers of the heathen entreated to
be allowed to see the blessed man, and to draw nigh unto the
cloak of the righteous man; to this wonderful pass did the
measure of the power of the blessed man come. Now when the
brethren saw that a great uproar had arisen, and that the
people were troubling him by thronging about him, they made
a way through them and surrounded him, for they thought that
he would be choked by the throng; but the blessed man answered
and said unto them quietly, and with a smile, 44 Let the people
44 perform their desire. For what think ye? Is it not as easy for
44 me to bear with this crowd of believers as with the throng of
41 devils which are in the desert?"
And when he had made an end of all these things in Alex
andria, he went forth to depart into the wilderness, and the
whole city clave unto him; and when he had come to the side
58
ZTbe %ife of Saint Hntbong
of the gate of the city, a certain woman came running with all
her strength after the crowd, and cried out, "Wait a little for
"me, O man of God. My daughter is grievously vexed by a
"devil and tormented, and I beseech thee to wait, and let
"healing be to my daughter; and moreover, let not my soul
"be carried out of [my body] through running overmuch."
And when the voice was heard by the ears of the old man, he
paused and stood still until the woman drew nigh unto him
and cast her daughter down by his feet. Then the blessed man
looked up to heaven and cried out the Name of Christ over the
devil, and straightway the damsel stood up, and turned towards
her mother, being freed from the subjection of the Evil One; and
every man gave thanks unto God, and the mother of the damsel
also glorified him that had wrought deliverance for her. And
immediately after the blessed man had performed this work he
turned [again] to his journey, for he rejoiced exceedingly at his
going to the desert, and he was even like unto the man who re-
joiceth at going [again], after a long absence, to his own house,
and the house of his kinsfolk. Now the blessed Anthony was a
wise man, and he was one who was full of understanding, and
it was a very great wonder in the sight of men how such know
ledge and understanding could dwell in a man who had not
learned to read or to write.
On one occasion there came unto him two philosophers to
try him (now he was living on the outer mountain), and so
soon as he perceived them afar off he knew and discerned what
they were by their garb. And having gone forth to meet them,
he said unto them by means of his interpreters, " Why have
"ye given yourselves all this trouble to come and see a man
"of low estate?" and they answered him [in these] word[s],
" Thou art not a man of low estate, but a wise man." Then,
after he had understood (or tasted) their words, he began to
say unto them, "If ye had come to a man of low estate, ye
"would have given yourselves all this trouble in vain, but if
"your words are true, and if ye believe indeed that I am a
"wise man, become ye even as I am, for it is meet that we
" should at all times be zealous to obtain the things which are
"fair. Had it happened that I had come unto you, I should
"have been impelled to become like unto you; and now that
"ye have come unto me, become ye Christians like myself."
And when these philosophers heard these words, and saw in
what a state of subjection the devils stood before him, they mar
velled exceedingly and turned away on their heels in silence.
After these there also came unto him others who were like
unto them to the outer mountain; now they came prepared to
make a mock of him as if he had been a fool, for they had
59
paradise of tbe Ifools ffatbers
heard that he possessed no learning. And when they had
pressed their talk upon him after this manner, the old man
said unto them, " I will ask you a question, and ye shall return
" me an answer. Which is the older, learning or the mind? And
" which is the source (or cause) of the other? Is learning the
"source of the mind, or the mind of learning?" Then the
philosophers said unto him, " The mind is the prince of learn-
" ing, for it hath discovered learning." And he said unto them,
11 Doth not then the man whose mind is enlightened and bright
"surpass greatly [him that hath only] learning? For by the
" first word [which he uttereth] do men test a man, and they
"understand whether he possesseth a wise and understand
ing mind [or not];" then they also marvelled at what they
had seen and heard, and they likewise went back to their own
country.
For he was a man whose intelligence was profound, and he
was wise and exceedingly understanding, and he was not in
any way like unto a man who had been brought up in the
desert from his youth. And when he became old and waxed
aged he was simple in his speech, and austere and stern (?) in
his mind, but still he was perfect and complete in everything,
and every [good] quality was found in him in the state which
was most fitting. Now his speech, even as we have already
said, was so exceedingly savoury and so well seasoned with
heavenly salt, that none of his hearers could be angry at his
words, and no man could be envious of the a6ls of his daily
life, for he was ready and prepared to hear and answer every
kind of opinion.
Now on another occasion it happened that certain men, who
were wise according to the world and who were received gladly
among the Greeks, went to him, and began to ask him ques
tions concerning the faith which is in our Lord Jesus Christ,
wishing to confound him in a discussion concerning the matter
of the Cross and of the preaching of our Lord, and having seen
that they were ready to scoff and to mock, he bore with them
a little, and then, having observed them, he roared greatly in
his heart concerning the error which dwelt in them. Then he
spake unto them by means of an interpreter, who was ex
ceedingly skilled in translating words from the Egyptian into
the Greek language, and he said unto them first of all, "Which
" is the easier? For a man to confess the Cross, or to believe
that adultery, and fornication, and impure a6ls with men are
committed by those who are called gods. For the [doctrine]
4 which is spoken and believed by us is a mark and a likeness
of the men by whom death is held in contempt, and the
world is considered to be of no account, but the religion
60
Xife of Saint Bntbottfi
44 which ye preach is a service of impurity, and the desire of
44 foul lusts. Which thing then is more beneficial for us to be-
44 lieve? That [Christ] is the Son of God, and that that which
44 He was in His Godhead was in no way changed, although
44 through His care for the redemption of the children of men
44 He took upon Himself the body of our human nature, and
44 with His Godhead was mingled therewith, so that by means
44 of His union with our human nature He might mingle it
44 with His Godhead, or that we should liken God unto beasts
44 and cattle, and that in consequence thereof man should make
44 himself like unto the similitudes of beasts and of the creep-
44 ing things of the earth and should worship them? Now, our
4i belief proclaimed! that the coming of Christ took place for
44 the redemption of the children of men, and that it should
44 not be unto us a cause for fornication, and falsehood, and
44 injustice (or avarice), and gluttony, and drunkenness, and
44 lasciviousness, and the rest of the luxurious practices which
4 exist in the world. And we exhort and admonish [men to
44 avoid] all these things, for a penalty hath been decreed for
44 every man who shall dare to transgress in respect of one of
4 these things. Now ye, through the fable of error, labour in
44 the work of abomination, but we, because we have trust in
44 the power and lovingkindness (or mercy) of God, believe that
44 the preaching of the Cross is easiest for us [to follow]. And
44 ye, without any discernment, ascribe all kinds of hateful prac-
44 tices to your gods, so that ye without any further thought
44 may do everything [ye please].
44 And moreover, as concerning the soul ye say that it is an
44 image of the mind (or understanding), and when ye have
44 meditated well upon this subject ye go back and say that it
44 will be dissolved; and therefore, because of this opinion
44 which cometh from [your] study, ye lay it down that the
44 mind itself will be divided (or broken up) and changed.
44 For, of necessity, the image must in its form and similitude
4 be exactly like that of which it is the copy; and ye should
4 know that when ye think in this manner about the mind
44 ye also blaspheme the Father thereof.
44 And in respect of the Cross, which is it better for us to
4 say? That it endureth patiently the anger of the attack of
44 the madness of our human nature, and that it neither de-
44 parteth by death, nor doth the terrible death which striketh
44 fear into the mighty man come unto it, or [shall we ascribe
4 to it] the error, and the allegories, and the cunning plans,
44 and the vain stories, and the incitements [to sin], and the
44 flight, and the mockery, and the shame, which are written
44 down in your fables, wherein your gods took refuge, when
61
Ube paraMse of tbe 1boh? ffatbers
"strife and death came upon each one of them? For such
"things are the wisdom of your wisdom. And wherefore do
"ye make a mockery of the Cross only and hold not in won-
" der the Resurrection? For those who have written [the
"account of] Christ s crucifixion have also proclaimed His
" Resurrection. And why, when ye make mention of the Cross,
" do ye not also recount the miracles, and the Resurrection from
"the dead, and all the other thing s also, that is to say [the
" restoration of] the sight of the blind, and the cleansing of
" the lepers, and the healing of the paralytics, and the walking
" upon the waters? For from these ye would be able to have
" understanding of Christ, and ye would learn that he was not
"only a man but God also. Indeed, ye appear to me to act
"wholly unjustly. For ye do not judge matters rightly, and
" the Scriptures are not read in a proper manner by you; and
"since certain things are accepted and believed in by you,
"whilst others, which are akin to them, are not, where is
"your fair dealing in this matter?
"Narrate ye now unto us your scriptures, and explain ye
"unto us what is therein. What are the animals which are
" worshipped, and what are the reptiles unto which are given
" the names of gods, except subjects for mockery and con-
" tempt? But if a man void of understanding cometh to you,
"ye liken each one of them [unto gods] in the speech of ra
tional beings, and ye expound the unlikely things [which
" are declared concerning them], so that the foolish may think
"that they are true. Ye give names to the earth, and to the
"heavens, and the sun, and the moon, and the air, and
"the sea, and the fire, and the waters, and to other created
"things, and call them gods, that ye may lead man astray
"thereby from the One God Who is the Creator of the uni-
" verse. The quest of the God of truth is not among you, and
"ye are found worshipping the things which have been created
* rather than Him Who created them. For, if ye gave the names
" of gods to such similitudes because created things were so
" exceedingly beautiful, it would have been sufficient for you
"to be able to admire them, without holding them in such
" absolute and singular honour in your minds. And because
" of this opinion of error which dwelleth in your mind, it is not
" difficult for you either to divert to the house which He hath
fashioned and adorned the honour which is due to the Mas-
" ter-handicraftsman, or to hold lightly the King, and to ascribe
" the glory which is His due to His household which ministereth
" unto Him. What then have ye to urge against these [words],
" O wise men? [Speak,] so that we may know if there be in
" the Cross anything which meriteth mockery." And when the
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blessed man had spoken unto them in this fashion the things
which they could not endure to hear from him, they began to
look to the right hand and to the left.
Now when the blessed man knew that they were silently
seeking to make objections to his words, he spake unto them
again through an interpreter, saying, "The work (i.e., proof)
4 of these my words is also their testimony; but because ye
"yourselves take refuge in words of guile and falsehood,
"and because ye employ them with the greatest skill, ye
" desire that we, like yourselves, shall also journey on without
" the truth of investigation. Show ye me now briefly the work
" [or proof] of [your] words. First of all, How can the know-
" ledge of God be truly comprehended? Which is the older:
"the faith which is in works, or the quest of words?" They
answered and said unto him, "The faith which is indeed faith;
1 * and this is the true knowledge. " The old man saith unto them ,
" Ye have well said, for faith is the sign of the love which is
" made perfect in the soul. For discussion cometh from words
"which are strung together, and therefore the faith which is
" in works, and which is closely united to them, is not sought
"after, because the quest of words is superfluous; for the
" matters which we comprehend by faith ye try by every means
" to represent by comparisons and similitudes, and howsoever
* much ye weary yourselves ye will never be able to narrate
" the things the truth of which we have comprehended. It is,
" therefore, well known and evident that our faith which is in
* works is far more excellent than your wisdom [which con-
" sisteth of] a discussion of words, and that your wisdom can-
" not by any means be [rightly] compared therewith."
" For we Christians have not acquired the mystery of life
"through the wisdom of strange words, but by the power of
" faith which hath been given unto us by God, the Lord of all ;
" and that the[se] word[s] are true accept the proof from the
"following. Behold, we are not learned in books, yet we be-
" lieve in God, and we possess understanding concerning His
" creation, and concerning the mercy of the Providence of His
"grace, and we have confidence through the faith of Jesus
"Christ that our faith is sure, [whilst] ye have only words
"which are full of contentions ; in your case the phantom of
" the adornment of your idols gradually cometh to an end, but
"in ours our faith increaseth and becometh more abundant
" day by day everywhere. In your case, in spite of the abun-
4 dance of your discussions and wisdom, ye have no power to
"turn even one Christian to paganism, but in ours, by the
" faith of Christ which we preach, we despise your doctrine,
4 and there is in your well-ordered, carefully arranged and
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ZTbe paraWsc of tbe 1bolp ffatbers
"polished words no power which can do away the teaching*
" of Christ. And, moreover, we by means of the Cross which
" ye hold in contempt chase away and put to flight those devils
" which ye worship as gods, and wheresoever the name of the
" Cross is mentioned all the crafts and wiles of error come to
"an end. If it be divination it is destroyed, and if it be sor-
" eery it is made an end of; and that such hath been done in
" very truth ye must admit when ye are asked by us, Where
" is divination? Where are the magicians who were in Egypt?
" Where are the phantoms of the errors of the sorcerers?
" When were these things which appertain unto you de-
" stroyed except when the Cross of Christ was mentioned ?
" Is then this Cross worthy to be despised? Judge ye this
" matter in your souls, and consider it also and marvel there-
" at. It is a matter of wonder that your doctrine hath never
" before been a subject for persecution, and that it hath only
4 become so at this time when Christian kings [live] in honour
" and majesty in every place.
" In proportion as persecution cometh your doctrine hideth
"itself, but ours, against which storms innumerable have
"arrayed themselves, becometh stronger and stronger. Your
"doctrine, notwithstanding that it is praised and magnified,
"becometh despised and rejected, whilst ours, although held
|" in contempt, is great in its acts and glorious in its operation,
"and being harassed [spreadeth] from one end of the earth
even unto the other without men taking care about it. For
" when did the knowledge of God come down into the world,
"and chastity flourish, and virginity shed its light abroad,
"and death become held in contempt, if it be not after the
"Cross of victory came and triumphed throughout all the
" earth? And of this fact no man can have any doubt, when he
" considereth the blessed martyrs by whom death was de-
" spised because of the victory of the Cross. And behold, do
we not see that the Church rejoiceth in innumerable congre-
" gations of virgins, both men and women, who preserve their
"bodies in all holiness? These are the true likenesses which
" make known and shew forth the faith of Christ, which is a
" living confidence and a knowledge in faith unto those who
" put their trust therein. Now if ye have been in doubt [con-
" cerning these things] up to this present, it is because your
"mind (or opinion) hath been fettered with words of binding
" and loosing, the end of which ye will never be able to find ;
"for we do not, like you, go astray through the blandish-
" ment of the words of alien wisdom, but, according to what
"our Teacher spake, we give a proof of our faith, and we
"readily make manifest in the clearest possible manner the
64
ZTbe Xife of Saint Bntbon$
"truth of our opinion unto every one who wisheth [to
"see it]."
And behold, there were in that place certain men who were
suffering from injuries to their bodies, and the blessed man
commanded them, and they came forth and stood in the midst;
then he answered and said unto those wise men, " Draw nigh
"now and, by whatsoever means ye wish and will, whether
"by the wisdom of your renowned idols, or by your sorceries
"and enchantments, give the word, and let these afflicted
" souls have relief from their sufferings. But if ye are not able
" to do so, stand aside and cease your hostile attacks upon us,
"and ye shall straightway see the power of the Cross of
"Christ." Then he made the sign of the Cross over them
three times, and the people were healed immediately and
stood up; and when those philosophers saw [this], they praised
him greatly, and they marvelled in very deed at the under
standing of the man, and at the visible sign which had been
wrought by his hand. And the blessed man said unto them,
" Why marvel ye at this thing? It is not we who have done
" this, but Christ Who is wont to do suchlike things by the
" hands of those who fear Him. Therefore do you also believe
" even as do we, and become like us, and see that we possess
" none of the handicraft of devils, but only the faith which is
" made perfect by means of the love of Christ, our Lord Jesus.
" If ye possess this also, ye have no need of the quest of much
" discussion, for the deed itself will convince you that it is not
" by words, but by manifest works, that our doctrine increaseth
"and giveth the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ." Such were
the words which the blessed man spake unto those philoso
phers, who tarried to hear [them], and who put to the test and
then received the proof of all the [mental] adornment of the
old man ; and thus having received his grace, they applauded
his words and his acts, and having saluted him with great
honour they returned to their own country.
Now the fame of the blessed man reached even unto the
king and the princes, and the Emperor Constantine and his
sons Constantius and Constans heard concerning his works
and triumphs, and they began to write epistles unto him as
unto a father and to entreat him to pray for them, and they
longed greatly to become the recipients of letters from him.
Now he did not write letters quickly, and he did not consider
too highly or boast about those which he received, but he con
tinued to preserve the humility and sweetness of disposition
which he possessed before he received the imperial epistles,
and after he had received them he remained unchanged. When
soever he received the imperial letters, he would call and gather
65 5
tTbe ftarabf se of tbe ffools ffatbers
together the monks who happened to be with him, and say
unto them, "Ye marvel, perhaps, that the kings and the
"princes should write epistles unto us, but what [need] is
"there for wonder, seeing that it is only one man writing
"letters to another? but what ye should wonder at is how
"God wrote the Law for the children of men, and how He
" hath spoken unto us through His only Son." He preferred,
however, not to receive epistles which were sent unto him by
the king and the princes, for he said, "It is not in my power
" to write epistles like theirs"; but inasmuch as the king and
the princes were Christians, he did not consider it seemly that
their epistles should be held lightly, lest they might become
offended and be displeased, and he permitted them to be read
before every one who happened to be with him.
Now the manner in which he wrote his epistles [in answer]
was as follows: In the first place he magnified [those to whom
they were addressed], and returned thanks because they were
worshippers of Christ, and he gave them advice and united
thereto the counsels which were suitable, and which would
benefit them both in this world and in that which is to come.
And he told them that the wearisome labours which were
visible should not be accounted overmuch by them, and ex
horted them to remember the judgement which is to come, and
that it is Christ Who is the true and everlasting King. And
he advised them to let lovingkindness be found in them, and
to be careful for that \vhich is right, and to have considerate
regard for the poor. Kings used to receive him and rejoice in
him greatly, and he was greatly esteemed by every man, and
regarded as a righteous father.
Whensoever certain matters had to be done, and certain
things had to be talked about, he was in the habit of going
back to the inner mountain, and as something which was
gratifying unto him he would work his triumphs there. On
many occasions when he was sitting with those who went to
him, or was walking about, he would hold his peace for a long
time, and would keep wholly to himself, according to that which
is written in [the book of] Daniel (Daniel vii, 28) ; and after
a season he would utter in its order the word which would
bind him to the brethren. Now those who saw him [act] in
this manner used to know that some vision had appeared unto
him, and indeed on several occasions when he was in the
mountain he saw things which were being wrought in Egypt ;
and Serapion,* the Bishop, related that during the whole of the
* Bishop of Thmuis, the site of which city is marked by the Arab village
Tamai-al-Amdid; he was surnamed "Scholasticus," and died about
A.D. 360.
66
TTbe Xtfe of Saint Hntbong
time which he remained with him he had seen the blessed man
for several days at a time labouring seriously with visions in
this manner.
One day whilst he was sitting down at work on the palm
leaves he fell into a state of profound stupefaction, and re
mained for an exceedingly long time therein seeing a vision of
revelation, and he groaned frequently, and after a season he
turned round to those who happened to be with him, and
groaned again ; and he trembled greatly, and began to pray,
and he bent his knees and [then] stood up with his eyes full of
tears. Now those who saw the old man thus troubled were
beginners in the monastic life, and they were greatly moved
and were afraid with a great fear; and after a season they
began to entreat them to tell him what was the vision which
he had seen, and which had troubled him in this fashion. Then
when they had pressed him, he sighed the more, and said unto
them, "It would be much better for me to die than for that
" which hath appeared unto me to happen." And being urged
by their entreaty, he spake sadly and excitedly, saying, "Great
" wrath is coming upon the Church, which is about to be de-
" livered over to men who are in no wise different from the
" wild beasts. I have seen an altar surrounded by mules which
"without mercy kicked all the people, both great and small,
" for they were as excited as a drove of horses which had been
"turned loose without bridles. When I sighed concerning
"these things, even ye heard the sound of my sighs, and I
" heard a voice which said, My altar shall be defiled. " Such
were the things which the old man saw. Two years later
(about A.D. 343) the trouble with the Arians took place, and
the spoliation of the churches by the hands of the pagans in
the sight of all the people of the city who were gathered to
gether, and they caused the performance of the holy service
to be set aside and abrogated. Now these pagans went forth
into the streets of the city, and they thronged them and
brought forth people from their shops, and compelled them to
assemble with them, and before their eyes they performed the
service of the Church and [administered] the Holy Mysteries.
It was then that we understood [what] the kickings of the
mules [meant], that is to say [the vision] which had appeared
unto the blessed man, and the whole work which was wrought
with such iniquity and wickedness by the hands of the Arians
in the Church.
Now when the blessed man saw this vision, and perceived
that it was very grievous to the brethren, he consoled them,
and said, "My beloved sons, be not afflicted, for as God is
" angry now even so will He become pacified again, and after
67 50
ZTbe paraMse of tbe tools jf atbers
" no [great] interval between these trials and injuries rest and
" peace shall come upon the Church of God. And ye shall see
"those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake
" return to their places, and the Evil One, together with those
" who work his will, shall turn on his heels, and the horn of
" the righteous men who hold the true faith shall be exalted,
" and they shall openly proclaim the truth in the ears of a perse-
" cuted but believing nation. Hearken ye then unto these
" things from me, and take heed that ye keep yourselves from
" fornication in respect of the faith, and from intercourse with
people who are polluted therewith ; for the time of these
" things shall be short, and there shall be redemption for the
" people of God, and the righteous man shall live by faith.
Such were the things which were spoken by the blessed man,
and it is not a great matter that such things were uttered and
seen by the man who was crucified unto the world, and to
whom the world was crucified. For our Lord made the pro
mise unto believers, saying, " If ye have in you faith like a
" grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, *De-
" * part ; and it shall depart, and there is nothing which shall
" be too hard for you" (St. Matthew xvii, 20) ; and again He
said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask of My Father in My Name
" shall be given unto you." And He commanded His disciples,
saying, "Go ye forth, and preach, and heal the sick, and cast
" out devils; freely ye have received (St. Matthew x, 8), freely
" give." Now the blessed man did not perform healings by his
own power after the manner of a master, but only with prayer
and the mention of the Name of Christ, so that it might be
manifest unto every man that it was not he who was the doer
of these things, but that God wrought them by his hands.
Thus the old man was triumphant in all such matters, for his
strength was renewed from day to day even as is the youth of
the eagle, by the fervour of his mind, and he had pleasure in the
constant works which our Lord Jesus wrought for him.
Now he was afflicted and suffered much by reason of the
people who were continually coming to him, and he enjoyed
no respite from them, and he was therefore compelled to with
draw to the outer mountain; and moreover the judges and the
governors of the country entreated him to come back to a place
of habitation, because it was difficult for them to come near him
on account of the numerous people who clung to him, and be
cause of the fatigue of the journey which [they had to endure]
in going to him. And this matter was exceedingly hard to the
blessed man, and he excused himself from suchlike things.
Now when the judges and the governors saw that he refused
to do what they wanted, they dealt craftily with him in this
"68
ZTbe OLife of Saint Hntbons
matter, for they sent to him the Greeks and the other people
who had been arrested for evil dealing- and wickednesses of
various kinds, and they entreated and besought him with much
supplication to come back to the habitations of men so that he
might work deliverance from prison for them ; and by such
means and excuses the judges were able to see him continually,
and the toil which he suffered on such journeys was not in vain,
for his coming was beneficial to every one. Now the judges
heard from him that which helped them to rule [righteously], and
they learned to know that they themselves were men, and were
even as those who were subject unto them, and that they must
not behave towards them angrily, but judge them righteously,
for, " With what judgement ye judge [ye shall be judged] " (St.
Matthew vii, 2). But although the blessed man rejoiced in the
works of the fear of God which he wrought, he was more
pleased with his habitation in the desert than with any other
thing. And after he had been led by force by those men who
had made supplication unto him, and had entreated him to
come to the outer mountain, so soon as he had performed for
them his kind offices and had spoken unto the governor words
which were suitable to his majesty and dominion, he would
hasten back to his place. And when the governor did homage
to him, and begged him to remain with him for a day or two,
the old man entreated him courteously [to be allowed to de
part], saying, "This thing is impossible, for as fish die if a
44 man lift them out of the water, so, if we monks prolong 0111
44 stay with men, do our minds become perverted and troubled;
44 therefore it is meet that as fish [pass] their lives beneath the
44 waters we also should let our lives and works be buried in
" the wilderness." Now when the governor heard these and
other things like unto them, he marvelled and said, "Verily
44 [this is] a true servant of God. He speaketh not that which
44 cometh from himself, but that which is given unto him from
44 heaven. How could this simple man possess such rich know- ^
44 ledge unless he was beloved by God?"
Now a certain duke whose name was B&lak (Balacius) per
secuted the Church sorely at the instigation of the Arians, and
his wickedness increased to such an extent that he would beat
the nuns, and strip the monks naked and flog them. And when
the blessed old man heard of the wickedness of this man, he
wrote a letter and sent it to him, and in it was thus written,
44 Behold, I see that wrath is coming upon thee; desist there-
44 fore, and accept rebuke, and persecute not the believers,
<4 that peradventure the angel of wrath may be restrained, for
4 behold, he hath set out to come." When Balacius received
the letter, he looked thereat and laughed, and he spat thereon,
69
ZTbe para&tse of tbe 1bols jfatbers
and took it up and threw it away; and in his hatred he cursed the
bringer of the letter, and said unto him, "Get thee back and
"tell these things to him that sent thee." And he said unto
him, " Inasmuch as thou hast exceedingly great regard for
" the churches and for those who are persecuted, behold I will
** speedily execute judgement upon thee also"; but after these
words he went no further than five days before wrath over
took him. For he set out to journey to the first stopping-place
[on the road from] Alexandria which is called Chaereus, and as
the duke Balacius and Nestor, the prefect of Alexandria, were
riding together now they were riding two of Balacius s horses
which were the gentlest of all his horses before they arrived
at the place [of destination], the horses began to play together
according to their wont, and suddenly the gentler of the two
horses, that is to say the animal whereonNestortheprefectrode,
seized the thigh of Balacius with his mouth and dragged him
from his horse and fell upon him and rent him like a dog. And
they took Balacius and brought him into Alexandria, and after
three days he died; and thus the word of the blessed man
actually came to pass, and wonder laid hold upon every man.
And these were the things which he was wont to say to the
judges of [this] world, and he would give them counsel in a
loving manner, that they should not be puffed up in their minds,
and that they should not magnify themselves over the people,
for there was no governor at that time who would not gladly
hearken unto him, and they repented of their [evil] deeds, and
ascribed blessing unto those who despised the world and be
came aliens thereto. And moreover, he had such great care for
those who were treated unjustly, and were plundered of their
possessions, that he himself would bear all their [troubles] ;
and his words were so grateful and pleasant unto all those
who drew nigh unto him that many of the dwellers in villages
and in towns, and pagans (or rustics) and men who served in
the army would forsake their riches and their occupations and
would go and enrol themselves in the order of the monks.
Now he was unto Egypt like a good physician who had been
given unto the people thereof from God. For who ever came
unto him being afflicted that did not go away rejoicing? Or
who ever came unto him in sorrow because of the sufferings
which had come upon him that did not come back wholly en
couraged? And who ever came unto him full of rage and wrath
that was not enriched with graciousness and long-suffering?
And what poor man ever came unto him broken by poverty
who did not [afterwards] by reason of his words and the sight
of him despise all riches? And what monk ever came to him sor
rowful in mind who did not depart full of strength like a mighty
70
ftbe 14fe of Saint Hntbon$
man of war? And what young man ever came unto him with
lusts burning- in him, and saw that the old man had conquered
in the strife, who did not go away with his lusts quenched and
dead within him? And what youth who was afraid of the war
which had come upon him ever came unto him, and seeing
his triumphant old age did not [henceforward] contend in the
forefront of the battle? And what man ever came unto him
troubled in mind who did not go away with it composed and
in a state of reason?
And there was found in him the gracious gift of being able
to distinguish and understand the wiliness of the devils, and
the various ways whereby each one of them caused injury [to
man]; and he comprehended not only those things which were
wrought by the Evil One, but also the various causes whereby
men were troubled and perturbed, and he could inform them
concerning the craft and cunning of the deceitful one. And
every man hearkened unto these things and learned them, and
he went away bearing armour and a shield against the pro
found wiles of the Evil One. And, moreover, how many were
the virgins who saw the blessed man afar off and left the men
to whom they were betrothed, and betrothed themselves to
Christ ! And many people used to come to him from outside
Egypt, and unto all the questions he would return suitable
answers ; and he was so great, and was so much beloved by
every man, that after he had departed from this world, and
had left all men orphans, the memory of him never died among
the people, and every man gave himself courage by the repe
tition of his triumphs and of his words.
Concerning bis Beatb
IT is meet that we should call to remembrance his death,
and should relate how it took place, and in what manner he
finished his life, for I know that ye will be exceedingly
pleased therewith. Now he was accustomed to go out and
visit the memorial stones of the brethren in the outer moun
tain. Now the matter of his death also was not hidden from
him, and he went forth [to visit them] even when he knew
that his departure was nigh. And after he had spoken to the
brethren according to his wont, he said unto them, "ThisacT;
" which ye have just performed is the end of all acts; and I
" marvel at this world. Let each look [for himself] alone; for
"it is time for me to die." Now he was then about one hun
dred and five years old.
And when the brethren heard [these things], they wept bitter
tears, and each of them began to embrace and to kiss him, and
the old man, like unto a man from a strange country who is
tTbe paraMse of tbe 1bol$ ff atbers
about to depart thereto, with great gladness besought them to
be quiet, and exhorted them, saying, " Be not ye in despair by
reason of your tribulations, and be not lax in your lives and
works, but even as men who are dying daily prepare ye for
life, and, as I have already said, be watchful ever. Keep ye
your souls from thoughts of iniquity, and strive ye for good
gifts, and guard ye yourselves against associating yourselves
with the Meletians (see page 57), who are heretics, for ye
know the cause of their schisms, and how cunning and bitter
they are. And flee ye with all your might also from the doc
trine of the Arians, for their wickedness is clearly manifest,
and take good heed to avoid them, and be not like unto
them for ever, neither if they be mighty in their help, nor if
they be many in bearing burdens, for however often error
raiseth up her nest (?) it shall never be able to contend
against the truth. Be ye, therefore, free from all intercourse
with them, and thus shall ye be able to take good heed to
the true doctrine of our fathers, and to the preaching of the
" truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, which ye have received from
"the Scriptures."
Now when the brethren heard concerning the matter of his
departure, they entreated him that he would remain with them
in order that his course might be ended there, but he would
not accede to their request for many reasons which he had
made known in his silence, but for the following reason espe
cially. The Egyptians were in the habit of taking the dead
bodies of righteous men, and especially those of the blessed
martyrs, and of embalming them and placing them not in
graves, but on biers in their houses, for they thought that by
so doing they were doing them honour. And the blessed old
man had on very many occasions besought the Bishops to
preach to the people and to command them to cease from this
habit. And he himself used to entreat and exhort the multi
tudes who came to him, saying, " This work is neither seemly
" nor right. Moreover, the burial places of the early Fathers,
"and of the Prophets, and of the Apostles are known unto
" this day, and even the grave of our Lord Who rose on the
" third day." And by these words he showed forth that it was
a transgression of a command for a man not to hide [in the
ground] the bodies of those who were dead, even though they
were righteous men. Therefore many hearkened and were
persuaded not to do so, and they laid their dead in the ground,
and buried them therein, and they thanked God because they
had accepted [his] entreaty, which was seemly. And it was
through fear of this thing that he would not grant the entreaty of
the brethren and remain with them, but departed to his own place.
72
TTbe %tfe of Saint Hntbottfi
And after a few months he became sick, and he cried out to
the brethren who were with him (now these were only two in
number, and they had been with him from the time when his
old age [began], which was nearly fifteen years before, and they
ministered unto him with the greatest care), and said unto
them, even as it is written, " Behold, I go the way of my
4 fathers, for I have felt within myself for some days [past]
"that I have been called by my Lord. Observe ye now how
"carefully ye can maintain this contest, and take good heed
11 that ye lose not the long-suffering which ye have acquired,
"and that, like men who are just beginning [the strife], ye
" increase it more and more and add to it day by day. Ye are
" well acquainted with the baneful devils and their craftiness,
" and ye know well this fact, that if ye please they shall be ac-
" counted as nothing by you. Be ye therefore not terrified by
"them, but always take refuge in Christ. And remember ye
" everything which ye have heard from me during all this time
" [which ye have been with me], that ye have no intercourse
" whatsoever with the Arians, the heretics, for ye know how
" filthy they are in my sight because of their blasphemy of our
" Lord Jesus Christ. Take ye also heed then diligently at all
" times that ye cleave to the Spirit of Christ and agree there-
" with, and be ye, moreover, friends and associates of just
" men that they may receive you into their everlasting habita
tions as friends and men of whom they have good know-
" ledge. Therefore meditate ye upon these things and keep
"them in your minds. And if your minds are [set] upon me,
" and ye remember me as a father, permit no man to take my
"body and carry it into Egypt, lest, according to the custom
"which they have, they embalm me and lay me up in their
"houses, for it was [to avoid] this that I came into this de-
" sert. And ye know that I have continually made exhortation
" concerning this thing and begged that it should not be done,
" and ye well know how much I have blamed those who ob-
" served this custom. Dig a grave then, and bury me therein,
" and hide my body under the earth, and let these my words
"be observed carefully by you, and tell ye no man where ye
"lay me; [and there I shall be] until the Resurrection of the
"dead, when I shall receive [again] this body without cor-
" ruption.
"And divide ye my garments [into lots], and give one
" leather tunic to Bishop Athanasius, and the covering of this
" my bed which he gave unto me when it was new; but now
"it hath become old. And to Bishop Serapion do ye give the
"other leather coat; and this covering of my bed which is
"made of hair ye yourselves shall keep; now therefore, my
73
TOe parafcfse of tbe tools ff atb >rs
"children, abide in peace, for, behold, Anthony bringeth his
"journey to an end, and he goeth whither Divine Grace shall
" bring- him."
And when he had spoken these words, he straightway
stretched out his legs, whereupon the brethren began to cry
out [to him], and to kiss him; now his face was full of joy un
speakable at the meeting of those who had come for him, and
it resembled that of a man when he seeth a friend whom it re-
joiceth him to meet. So the blessed man held his peace and
died, and was gathered to his fathers.
Then the brethren, according to the command which they
had received from him, wrapped him round in the garment
which he wore, and they carried him out, and dug a hole in
the ground and buried his body in the earth, and no man
knoweth where they buried him except those two brethren who
laid him in the earth. Now whosoever received any one of the
clothes of the blessed Anthony regarded it as a most valuable
possession, for whensoever a man looked thereat he imagined
that he was looking at the blessed man in it, and whensoever
any man put on one of his garments he felt as if he were
arrayed in the commandments and promises of the blessed
Anthony.
Here end the history of the life of the blessed old man in the
body, and the previous narrative thereto which [dealt with] the
beginning of his deeds and labours; and if these appear to be
too small in comparison with [the number of] the triumphs of the
blessed man, still from these ye will be able to imagine how
great was this man of God, who, from his earliest youth to his
old age, never desisted from his career in the fear of God. Old
age did not reduce his vigour and compel him to gratify the
body, and he was not urged by the sickness of his body even
to touch water with his feet; and whilst he was thus keeping
his body in restraint God preserved him unharmed. For, in
spite of his great old age, his eye waxed not dim, and not one
of his teeth dropped out, and both his feet and his hands were
in a sound and healthy state; and notwithstanding that he kept
his body low [in respect of food], his appearance was more
glorious than that of all those who fed themselves luxuriously
on dainty meats, and who wore fine clothes, and who made
use of baths. And moreover he possessed strength which was
out of all proportion to his aged body.
i ^Now inasmuch as the fame of the blessed Anthony hath gone
into every place, and every man holdeth him in wonder, and
worshippeth him, it is a sure and certain sign of the truth of
his a6ls and deeds and of his perfect love towards God. For
he did not become known unto all the world by means of [his]
74
ZTbe Xife of Saint Hntbon^
discourse, or by the wisdom of words, or by means of crafty
plans and schemes, but by radiant righteousness towards God,
for it was God Who performed this work, and he who hath a
doubtful mind about this shall be held in contempt. Otherwise
how is it possible that a man who lived in seclusion and who
dwelt alone in the desert should become known and proclaimed
abroad in Spain, and in Al&niA, and in Rome, and in Africa
and other countries unless God, Whom Anthony confessed
from the earliest times, had revealed him [to them]? For
althoug-h these men of God live in secret places and do not
desire to be seen and known, yet our Lord [maketh them] to
shine like lamps upon all men. Thus also let those who hear
[me], and who are mighty men before God, and who love His
commandments, be persuaded to keep [their] steps, not that
they may be praised but that they may be justified. Let all the
brethren then who are monks read these things so that they
may know how it is meet for them to live their lives, and let
this little book be unto every man like the testament of a
righteous father who had divided his riches and possessions
among his beloved sons in our Lord ; for when we gather to
gether and reveal unto the believers those means whereby he
gained possession of and collected all his wealth, we deliver
up riches and give them unto prosperous and beloved sons,
even as doth the man who gathered up wealth [for his family].
Let every man know then and have confidence that our Lord
Jesus Christ our Redeemer honoureth those who honour Him,
and who serve Him unto the end, and that He doth not only
invite them to the kingdom of heaven and lead them into it,
but in this world also, even though they live in seclusion and
hide themselves, He revealeth them, and proclaimeth abroad
[their names] for their own glory, and for the benefit of our
humanity. And if it be seemly, do not excuse yourselves from
reading these things even in the sight of (or before) the hea
then, for peradventure even by hearing the same they may
become convinced that our Lord Jesus Christ is not only God
and the Son of God, but also that for those who serve Him in
purity of heart, and who believe in Him in truth, those devils
who are imagined to be gods take to flight at the name of
Christ. Now that they are not gods the matter itself maketh
known, for behold, they are held in contempt, and they are
trodden down like the furrows of a field, and they are expelled
as thieves and destroyers by the believers everywhere.
1bete enfcetb, b tbe belp of our %ort>, tbe Ibiston? of
tbe Uriumpbs of tbe blessed Hntbong, tbe atblete anfc
perfect man, wbo trinmpbefc in tbe contest anfc re*
75
ZTbe parafcise of tbe tbol^ ffatbers
ceivefc tbe crown of victory 3Bp bis prosperous traf*
ticking be mafce double bis mercbanfcise tbrouob our
Xorb Jesus Cbrist, TOUbo belpeb bim ant) mafce bint to
trtumpb, tbe Xorfc [of ricjbteous men] anb tbe Con*
gueror.
7 6
Iparabtse of
HIRfc again we begin to write tbe Boofe of tbe
umpbs of tbe 1oql\? ifatbers wbo were /Iftonfes,
wbicb is called paraM0e.
Tribe Epistle of pallafcins, tbe Bisbop of tbe city of
vJUIbelenopolis, wbicb be mafce (or wrote) to Xausus
tbe prefect wbo asfteb bim to write tor bim an account
of tbe lives au& fceefcs of tbe jf atbers wbo were monfcs;
anfc be wrote tbus:
PALLADIUS the Bishop to LAUSUS the prefect: greeting
(or peace).
I ascribe blessing to thy beautiful desire, for we may
begin [this] epistle with blessing, because whilst many men
are devoted unto vain things, and build buildings of stone
wherein there is no profit, thou hast shown thyself strenuous
to learn concerning the building of the words of the narratives
of holy men. For there is One alone Who hath no deed of doc
trine (or learning) that is to say, God, Who is over everything,
for He existeth of Himself, and there is no other being who
existed before Him. Now all rational beings are learners, be
cause they are beings who have been made and created. The
ranks of the celestial hosts who existed first of all, and the
orders of beings who are the most exalted of all possess teach
ers in the Trinity, Who is exalted above everything. The orders
of beings of the second group learn from the beings of the first
group, and those which belong to the third group learn from
those of the second group, which is above them, and in this
manner each of the later groups learneth from that which is
above it, even down to the lowest group of all; for those among
them who are superior in respect of knowledge and excellence
teach knowledge unto those who are inferior to them. There
fore those who imagine that they have no need of teachers,
and who will not be convinced by those who teach them things
of good, are sick with the want of the knowledge which is the
mother and the producer of pride. Now those who are princes
and the foremost ones among these in respect of destruction
are those who intentionally (or wilfully) fell from sojourning
in heaven, and from the service thereof, and these are the
devils who fly in the air because they forsook the heavenly
Teacher and rebelled.
77
pavabfse of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
For polished words and sentences, or words strung together
in admirable order, are not doctrine, for these things are for
the most part found with evil-doers and sinners; but this is
doctrine, which is the correction of the natural habits and dis
position, and the leading of a life of spiritual excellence ac
cording to rule, by which I mean the possession of the faculty
which shall make a man superior to affliction and to emotion,
and to timidity, and to wrath; and which shall make him to
possess freedom of speech before every man, and which shall,
through the fervour of Divine Love, produce works that shall
be like unto coals of fire. For if doctrine be not this, the
Great Teacher would not have said unto His disciples, " Learn
" of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart " (St. Matthew xi,
29), for He did not instruct (or order) His Apostles merely in
the beauty of speech, without at the same time making mani
fest a proof (or work) in His own Person. And He caused
grief unto no man except those who spurned doctrine, and
those who hated their teachers. It is meet that the soul which
leadeth its life in God should either learn in faith that which it
knoweth not, or should learn wisely that of which it hath
knowledge; but if it will do neither of these things it is, if it be
possible, sick through madness.
The beginning of instruction (or discipline) is the fullness
which is of doctrine, and density of speech is a helper of the
fear of God, and for these things the soul of him that loveth
God hungereth continually. Be strong then, and play the man.
Farewell. And may God grant thee the gift of pursuing at all
times the knowledge of Christ.
ZTbe plan of tbe Boot* [of paradise]
IN this book are written the excellent deeds and the mar
vellous lives of the holy and blessed Fathers, who took upon
themselves the yoke of the solitary life, and who made
themselves to be remote from the world, and who lived in the
desert, and who wished to live wholly the heavenly life, and to
travel on the road which leadeth unto the kingdom of heaven.
Let us emulate their example and endeavour to do with all our
might what they did ! And together with these we commemo
rate also the marvellous women who led their lives in the
Divine Spirit, and who waxed exceedingly old, and who with
a brave mind brought to an end the strife of the labours of
spiritual excellence, according to the Divine manifestation and
ove, for they wished to lay hold upon their souls, and to bind
[upon their heads] the crown of holiness and impassibility.
And as for myself, (because of the sweet manners of the
man by whom I have been commanded [to write], whose mind
78
JEpistle of pallabfus
is full of doctrine (or learning), whose habits are those of a
lover of peace, who feareth God in his heart, who loveth Christ
in his mind, who in the things which are needful is an asso
ciate, and who, because of all these qualities, hath been chosen
from among many, and hath been honoured with the highest
rank of all), being protected by the might of the Holy Spirit
especially if it be right to speak the truth I would rouse up our
heavy minds to the contemplation of the things which are spiri
tually excellent, so that we may strive to imitate the most ex
cellent lives and deeds of the pious men, and of the immortal
and spiritual fathers, whose lives in the flesh were passed in
1 borious and stern service and in pleasing God. Of the virtues
of such athletes of the fear of God it is my desire to set down
some account in writing and to send it to thee, and I would
make clear in my discourse the manifest spiritual excellences
of each one of these great men. And he who loveth a divine
and spiritual desire like unto this is thyself, Lausus, who art
triumphant among men, and who, in accordance with the Divine
nod, hast been established as the guardian of this kingdom
which loveth Christ.
But inasmuch as I have not been trained in language (or
speech), and as I possess spiritual knowledge only in the very
smallest degree, and am unequal to the task [of describing]
the company of the holy Fathers and [their] spiritual lives and
works, I am afraid of the greatness of [thy] command which
surpasseth my capacity. I have, therefore, up to this present,
been urging myself to escape (?) from this work, because I am
in great need both of the wisdom which is [essential] exter
nally and of spiritual understanding. But being put to shame
first of all by the strenuousness of the excellence of him that
stirred me up to [do] this work, and considering also the bene
fit which shall accrue to those who shall come across these
histories, and being, moreover, afraid of the danger of the
penalty of disobedience, which is right, I will first of all com
mit the weight of the matter unto the Providence of God, and
I will, with all diligence, make use of the prayers of the holy
Fathers, so that I may be able to mount up as upon wings to
the place where their contests were waged, and may tell the
story briefly of those athletes, who though young became
great and divine men who did valiantly and who triumphed
in the works and deeds of spiritual excellence. And I will also
relate the histories of those blessed women who were adorned
with the fair garb [of the monastic life], and who attained to
pre-eminence in divine labours. Now some of these divine
persons of whom I am about to tell the story I was held to be
worthy to see face to face; and concerning the heavenly lives
79
TOe parafcise of tbe 1bols ffatbers
of the others who died in the contest of the fear of God I
have learned from the athletes of Christ, who were arrayed
in God.
Therefore, through very many cities, and villages, and in
caves and holes in the earth, and in the tabernacles which
the monks had in the desert for a distance as far as a man
could walk have I gone round about for the sake of the
labour of the fear of God, and I have set down in writing
with exactness the things which I have seen. And I have also
made known unto thee in this book the things which I have
heard from the holy Fathers concerning the triumphs of great
men, and concerning the women who for the sake of the hope
which is in Christ performed mighty works which were above
nature, and I have sent it to thy hearing which loveth divine
words. O thou Lausus who art triumphant among men, and
who art fair among the friends of God, and who art the orna
ment of this believing and God-fearing kingdom, and art the
true friend and servant of God, I have written down for thee
as far as my feebleness is able, the [history of] the strife of
each of the athletes of Christ, both male and female, a name
which is honourable and which meriteth praise. And I have
narrated unto thee only very few of the very many exceedingly
great triumphs which belong to each one of these athletes,
and of many of them 1 have added [the names of] their fami
lies and cities, and also the places \vhere they lived.
And we have also commemorated the men and women who,
indeed, attained to the highest excellence in the labours of the
spiritual life, and who, because of the pride (or arrogance),
which is the mother of that [quality] which is called vainglory,
were brought down to the lowest depths of Sheol, and so
wasted the great work in the spiritual qualities which they
had only acquired after a very long time, and the triumphs in
the ascetic virtues which they had won, through [their] pride
and boasting in one brief moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Nevertheless, by the Divine Grace of our Redeemer, and by
the carefulness of the holy Fathers, and by the cherishing in
fluence of the mercy of the Spirit, they were plucked [finally]
out of the net of the Calumniator.
Counsels to Xausus
LET the following be before thy mind in all [thine] acts,
and thou shalt sin in no particular.
I. To do good to the fool and to bury the dead; both
are alike.
II. It is meet that a man should put on armour over the
breast, and the word of our Redeemer Christ [over] grief;
80
ZTbe JEptetle of
armour and shield will hide the breast, but [only] faith and
action [can hide] the soul.
III. As it is possible to see the skill of the painter on a small
tablet, so a small gift [sheweth] the greatness of the disposi
tion of the soul.
IV. Have no confidence in the belief that that which is
placed outside thy soul is thy possession.
V. Clothes and raiment drape statues, but habits and
manners drape men.
VI. An evil word is the beginning of evil deeds.
VII. Speak thou according to what is right, and where it is
right, and concerning the things which are right, and hearken
not unto that which is not right.
VIII. It is better to shake a stone vainly than [to utter a
vain] word, and it is better to be under subjection to the Bar
barians than to evil passions.
IX. The excellence of a horse is made apparent in battle,
and the disposition of a friend is put to the test in tribu
lation.
X. It is impossible to divide the sea, and it is also impos
sible to still the waves thereof, although for them it is always
easy [to still themselves].
XI. The wise and God-fearing man is he who hateth that
which is not right.
XII. The gentle and gracious man is he who treadeth pride
under foot ; but he who is set upon that which is the contrary
of this is one who is governed by arrogance.
XIII. Constant prayer is the strength, and the armour, and
the wall of the soul.
XIV. Wine maketh warm the body, and the word of God
[warmeth] the soul.
XV. Know thou that not even much time will bring oblivion
upon one act which thou wouldst hide.
XVI. The believing mind is a temple of God which it is meet
for a man to adorn daily and to burn incense therein, inas
much as it is God Who dwelleth there.
And numbers upon numbers of books at divers times and in
various ways have they left unto the habitations of men, and
some of them are according to the Mind which is above and
Divine Grace, and were [written] for the edification and pro
tection of those who wished to [follow] carefully after the faith
and the doctrine of our Redeemer, and some of them are
according to the adulation of the children of men, and the
corrupt mind which is mad after the lusts of the body, [and
some of them] are for the consolation of those who destroy
vainglory; but others are from some vain madness and the
81 6
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bolp jfatbers
agency (or operation) of that evil Devil who hateth the things
which are good, and [their writers] made use of arrogance
and hatred, and in order to corrupt the children of men whose
minds have been laid waste and who have no understanding
they introduced [them] that they might defile the purity of the
holy Catholic Church, and hinder its pure life and deeds of
ascetic excellence.
And, moreover, it hath seemed to me I who fall short of
the hope which is in Christ, and who am shamefaced before
the command of thy greatmindedness O thou man who lov-
est doctrine, that I ought first of all to narrate to thee the
story of how I was reared, and concerning the gradual growth
of my mind of such excellence as I possess towards God. I
lived a life of rule and was in a monastery of solitary brethren
for the first part of my life, that is to say until the thirty-third
year of my age, and I served the office of Bishop for twenty
years ; thus the whole period of my life hath included fifty-six
years.*
It is, therefore, absolutely necessary, inasmuch as it hath
seemed to me that thou art very anxious to hear the triumphs
of the holy Fathers, because of the divine and spiritual profit
[which is therein], that I should tell thee in writing [concern
ing] the men and the women, of whom some I have myself
seen, and concerning others of whom I have heard from be
lieving men, and concerning others whom I have met with
when I was travelling about in the land of Egypt, and in
Libya, and in the Thebaid, and also in the region of Syene,
and among those who are called men of Tabenna, and after
wards in Mesopotamia, and in Palestine, and in Syria, and
among these in the countries of the West, and among the
Romans, and among the people of the Campagna. And I must
also set down in writing with careful exactitude the history of
everything which appertaineth closely to these men from the
very beginning and set before thee as an example that which
will be a most excellent memorial and a benefit of the soul,
that is to say, a sure and certain binding up, so that by means
of it thou mayest be able to dispel from thy soul all the slumber
of error, which cometh into being through irrational desire,
and all the doubts of the soul in respect of faith, and sluggish
ness in respect of the things which are useful, and all loathing
and littleness of soul concerning habits of virtue, that is to
say, keenness of wrath and perturbation and animal ferocity
and empty fear.
Then shalt thou flee from the vain and corrupt delight of
this world, and through [thy] constant eager desire thou shalt
* There is some mistake in the numbers here given, for 33 + 20 53.
82
TOe Epistle of
draw nigh to the hope which is in God; and thou shalt govern
thyself in the desire of the fear of God, and those who are with
thee, and those who are under thine authority, and moreover,
unto him that feareth God thou wilt become king. For through
these triumphs all those who have become friends of Christ
shall hasten to be united unto Him, and they shall also look
for the loosing of the soul from the body, for it is well known
that daily [they will do this], even as it is written, " I am con-
4 strained by the good desire which I possess [to wish] to
"become free and to be with Christ" (Philippians i, 23). And
exceedingly excellent is all that which is said, "Make ready
44 thy works for [thy] going forth, and prepare thy field" (Pro
verbs xxiv, 27). For he who remembereth death continually,
[and keepeth in his mind the knowledge] that he must most cer
tainly die, will neither be negligent of nor commit sin in respecl:
of great matters, even according to what is said, 44 In all thy
44 words remember thine end, and thou wilt never commit sin"
(Ecclesiasticus vii, 31). And beside all these things I will add
this also, so that thou mayest not belittle the tradition of this
our faulty history, and mayest not hold in contempt the sim
plicity and want of polish of the language [thereof] ; for this
matter appertaineth not to the divine doctrine (or teaching),
that we should compose speech with wise skill, but we should
strengthen the mind with sure and certain words of under
standing, according to that which is said, <4 Open thy mouth
44 with the word of truth, and judge every man in a sound
4 manner" (Proverbs xxxi, 9); and moreover 44 thou shalt not
44 forget the narratives of the old men, because they also have
44 themfrom their fathers" (Ecclesiasticus viii, 9).
I therefore, O thou lover of doctrine, thou godly man, have
lighted upon many things with the holy men, not through
making use of ordinary thought, but by making journeys
[among them] which have lasted thirty days, yea, even thirty
days twice told. And [I say it], as before God, that in travels
and journeyings I would have trodden the whole of the terri
tory of the Greeks so that I might have the opportunity of con
versing with each of the lovers of God, and I would have under
taken the labour of a journey such as this gratefully so that I
might be able to traffic for a profit (or benefit) which I did not
possess. For if that man who was far more excellent than I am,
and perhaps far more excellent than the whole world, and who
in his life and works, and in his knowledge, and in his wise
opinions of the Spirit, and in his faith which was in Christ,
surpassed many, I mean the blessed man Paul, who in order
that he might see James, and Cephas (Peter), and John made
a journey from Tarsus to Juda3a, and it is well known that he
83 6a
ZTbe parafcise of tbe Dols 3f atbers
related the fa6l of this journey somewhat as a boast when he
was declaring abroad and revealing his labours in order that
he might stimulate those who were living lives sluggish and
indolent in respect of spiritual excellence, and when he said,
"I went up to Jerusalem (Galatians i, 18) that I might see
" Cephas (Peter)," not that he was denying the spiritual ex
cellence of Peter of which he had received [information] by re
port, but because he was longing for converse with him also.
[Now, if this Paul had need of converse with Peter], how much
more did I, who am a debtor often thousand talents, need to
do this (i.e., to visit the holy men), for the sake of the benefit,
not for the sake of any good which I could do them but for
the sake of the advantage which I the sinful man should my
self gain? And moreover, the things which writers have writ
ten down about the holy Fathers, I mean Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, and Moses, and Elijah, and the other saints, were
not composed and narrated to glorify them, but that those who
should peruse them might profit thereby.
Therefore, O chaste and believing man, Lausus, thou ser
vant of God, knowing these things, and having also instructed
thyself in many others, be convinced by our discourse also and
let the matters thereof be laid up in thy God-fearing mind as
in a secure storehouse which is not wont to be disturbed by
evil things of divers kinds, either visible or invisible, and which
only constant prayer and the converse which concerneth the
service of the soul can make to be moved.
For many of these brethren who in the fear of God won spi
ritual excellence, and who waxed great in ascetic labours and
lovingkindness, and who were famed (or boasted) because of
their perfect chastity and virginity, and who protracted to great
length their meditations upon the Holy Scriptures, and placed
their trustupon [their] strenuousness in spiritual doctrine, were
never held to be worthy of the state of impassibility, because
they served with a mind which possessed not discretion and
employed only the form of the fear of God, and because they
were diseased with the love of external converse, wherefrom
are produced all vices which enter [into a man] from without,
and which eradicate that which is the mother of the service
which taketh place in the soul.
Be strong, therefore, in all wisdom, and nourish not thy soul
in the riches which thou hast made (or gotten), having made
them sufficiently little by means of the gifts to those who are
needy, so that the ministration which ariseth therefrom may
perfect the service of excellence, for [this] cometh into being
neither through any urging whatsoever, nor through the foolish
thoughts of any form whatsoever for the sake of vainglory. And
84
tEbe Epistle of patlabittd
do not bind thyself to [do] anything- under a penalty [secured]
by oaths as many men do, as for example those who for the
sake of vainglory strive eagerly neither to eat nor to drink, for
though by the force of [such] oaths they may bring their feeble
will into subjection, through this same thing they fall miserably,
either by means of pleasures and the loathing [which followeth
thereafter], or through the sickness of the body, or else through
the delightful gratification of some lust they bring forth false
hood. And as thou receivest [what is good] according to reason,
so according to reason shalt thou make thyself to be remote
[from what is evil], and thou shalt never sin at all; for by the
word of God shall all motions of fear be extinguished, and thou
shalt draw nigh unto the things which bring [thee] profit, and
shalt trample down those which would cause [thee] loss. For
for the righteous the Law was not laid down.
It is better to drink wine in moderation than to drink water
immoderately, and it appeareth to me that those who drink
wine in moderation are holy men, and that those who pride-
fully use water in an immoderate fashion are depraved and
pleasure-loving. Do not therefore ascribe blame or praise to
the eating [or not eating] of food, or to the drinking [or not
drinking] of wine, but ascribe praise, or woe, unto those who
make use properly or improperly of meat and drink. Joseph in
olden time drank wine with the Egyptians, and was in no way
injured in his mind thereby, for he took good heed unto [the
admonitions of] his understanding; but Pythagoras, and Dio
genes, and Plato, and with them also the Manichaeans, and
other sects of philosophers [did not], and they came thereby
to such a pitch of licentiousness and vainglory that they even
forgot the God of the universe and worshipped soulless images.
On the other hand, the blessed Apostle Peter and those who
were with him drew nigh to wine and made use thereof, and
because of this the Jews reproached our Lord, the Redeemer
of all [men] and their Teacher, and made complaints against
Him, saying, "Why do not Thy disciples fast like John?"
(St. Matthew ix, 14; St. Mark ii, 18.) And again they lifted them
selves up (?) against the disciples and blamed them, saying,
" Why doth your master eat and drink with tax-gatherers and
"sinners?" (St. Matthew ix, n; x, 18, 19.) Now they did not
make their complaints about bread and water only, but also
about wine and delicate viands, for it is evident that they only
wanted to lay blame upon the disciples in everything.
Thereupon our Redeemer made answer, and said, "John
"came in the path of righteousness, neither eating nordrink-
" ing " now it is well known that flesh and wine [are here
referred to], for it was impossible for him to live without food
85
tlbe ipatabise of tbe 1fooi$ jf atbeta
of other kinds " and ye say that he hath a devil in him; and
"the Son of Man hath come, eating and drinking, and [ye]
4 say, Behold a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax-
" * gatherers and sinners ! " What then is it right for us to do,
so that we may neither go after those who make complaints
[of our a6ts], nor after those who praise them? For we must
either fast with John according to discretion, even though the
Jews said that there was a devil in him, and that he was cer
tainly mad, or we must drink wine with Christ with knowledge,
if the body shall have need thereof, even though the children
of men shall say concerning us, "Behold a glutton and a
" winebibber." For in very truth neither the eating of food nor
the abstaining therefrom is anything, but the faith and love
which are made perfect in works ; for when a man followeth
after faith wholly by actions, he who eateth and drinketh is
blameless for faith s sake, for everything which is not of faith
is sin. But perhaps one of those who love the carnal lusts, or
perhaps one of those who sin not, will say that if they eat in
faith, or if they do anything else by the irrational thought ot
the carnal appetite, or through a corrupt intent, those who
support themselves on faith commit sin. Now our Redeemer
made a distinction, saying, "By their fruit ye shall know
"them" (St. Matthew vii, 20); and the fruits may be recog
nized by the word of God, and by spiritual wisdom, according
to the word of the blessed Apostle, who said, "Love, peace,
"gladness, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek-
<l ness, patient endurance" (Galatians v, 22, 23) these are
the fruits of the Spirit according to the word of the Apostle.
Whosoever then is eager to possess these fruits will never,
without reason and without thought on any occasion, eat flesh,
or drink wine, or dwell with a man with evil intent. Moreover,
the blessed Paul saith, " Whosoever is about to strive in a con-
" test preserveth his mind free from every other thought, and
" thus keepeth his bodyhealthy, and maketh himself to be remote
" from the things which would make him fat " (Compare i Co
rinthians ix, 25, 27). But if he fall into sickness, or into severe
sufferings, or he become a companion unto afflictions which
fight against him externally, he must then make use of meat
and drink by way of a binding up, and a healing medicine for
the things which work tribulation for him. Let us then keep
ourselves remote from the evil things which are wrought in
the soul, I mean anger, and envy, and vainglory, and dejec
tion, and evil discourse, and the suspicion which is not seemly,
for whilst a man is giving thanks unto God he cannot com
mit sin.
Now therefore, having spoken sufficiently concerning these
86
jpfstle of pallabius
things, I have another entreaty to bring nigh unto the love of
doctrine which is in thee, that is to say, I would that thou
didst flee with all thy strength from the converse of men from
whom thou canst gain no benefit, although their outside skin
be ornamented with various patterns ; even if they be orthodox
they will cause thee to suffer loss, and if they be heretics that
loss will be very much greater. And although they appear to
be exceedingly aged, and their bodies be shrivelled and wi
thered, and it may seem to thee that thou canst not in any way
be injured by them because of the beautiful dispositions which
are in them, that which is in them and which appeareth to thee
to be a small matter, will do thee an injury; for thoushaltbecome
lax in thy mind in respect of them, and whilst laughing at them
thou wiltbecome unduly exalted, and that thou shouldst be driven
to arrogance would be a loss for thee. Follow then after the mind
of pious men and women who shine with the light which en-
tereth in through the windows, so that by means of these,
like a book the lines of which are extremely close together,
thou mayest be able clearly to see what is in thy heart by com
parison with them, either of sluggishness or strenuousness.
For there are very many things which testify concerning spiri
tual excellence, [such as] the colour of the face which blos-
someth with ascetic labours, and the manner in which the
apparel is put on, and a peaceable manner, and a mode of
speech which is not inflated, and modesty of the countenance,
and a discourse which is not crooked, and cheerfulness of the
mind, and an understanding which is full of knowledge; by
these things both thine own fair beauty will be made strong,
and also all those who follow after the goal of the fear of God,
even though they be [living] in a state of negligence or in
some other similar [vice]. For, according to the word of the
wise man, the behaviour of a man, and the gait of his legs,
and the laughter of his mouth testify concerning him (Eccle-
siasticus xix, 30).
7
Tbere beoin tbe Tbletorice of tbe 1bol$ flDen b\>
palla&iua.
Gbapter j. ZTbe HMsforp ot Hbba Jsifcove [^Sisbop of
ffoermopolis pan>a (IDamanbuv) in Xovver JE3ptJ.
BY the help of our Lord I will, therefore, begin [to write]
for thee, [O Lausus,] the histories of the holy Fathers,
and I will omit nothing concerning them which I will not
make known in [my] discourse, neither the histories of those
who lived in cities, nor of those who lived in villages or in
caves, nor of those who became famous in the desert. Nay, I
will even add to my discourse the histories of those who lived
among the general assembly of a community, for no special
country or place wherein they lived and wherein they perfected
the life of ascetic excellence needs to be sought out, for [every
where] they led the pure life and conversation of chastity and
integrity, and performed the deeds of the simple mind wherein,
through the help of Christ, they wrought and fulfilled the lives
and deeds of angels.
Now at first, when I went to Alexandria in the second con
sulship of the Emperor Theodosius the Great, who now be
cause of the orthodoxy of his faith in Christ sojourneth with
the angels, I met in the city a wonderful man who was adorned
in every respect with the most beautiful qualities of speech,
and knowledge, and life and conversation, whose name was
Isidore. He was a priest and was the overseer (i.e., manager
or secretary) of the hospital, of the church of Alexandria, and
it was said of him that in his early youth he had lived in a
monastery in the desert, and that he triumphed in the contest
of the ascetic life: I saw, moreover, his cell in the mountain
of Nitria. I met him when he was an old man seventy years
of age, and when he had lived fifteen years longer he departed
from this world. Now to the end of his life this holy man never
put on either a linen tunic or even a head-covering; he never
washed, and he never ate flesh, and he never ate a full
meal seated comfortably at a table; and yet, through Divine
grace, his body shone. He possessed a sound and healthy
body, and he was, by the grace of Christ, so fully endowed
with strength that those who beheld him and who did not know
him would not be persuaded that he lived a life of self-denial,
and they thought and said that he must lead a life of great
luxury and that he must eat abundantly of rich meats. Now, if
89
Ube parabise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
I were to undertake to declare the marvellous character of his
life and deeds, and wished to recount the excellence of his
soul, and to make manifest every fact concerning them, all
time would not suffice [for me to declare them], nor would
paper [suffice for me to write them]. For this man was so
lovingly merciful and so full of peace that, by the reason of
orthodoxy of his faith in Christ, even his enemies who did not
believe were put to shame by him, from his early youth up, and
at his good deeds and at the abundance of his graciousness
were put to the blush ; for he was gracious unto every man.
Now he possessed the gift of the spirit and the knowledge
of the Holy Scriptures, and the comprehension of divine learn
ing, and he kept the commandments [so strictly] that at noon,
the time when the brethren were wont to take their food, the
mind of this holy man was carried away as it were in a slum
ber, and the greater number of the brethren were marvelling
at his example and knowledge, and many, many times they
tried to persuade him to relate unto them the things which he
saw, and entreated him to tell them concerning the marvellous
state which had come upon him, but he could not be persuaded
[to do so]. Finally he was constrained by the power of their
love, and he answered and said unto them, " My mind de-
parted and was carried away by contemplation, and I was
" snatched away by the similitude of a thought, and I was fed
" with the food of glory, which, however, it is impossible for
" me to describe."
Now I knew this man, and on several occasions he burst
into tears at the table; and when I asked him, " What is the
" cause of these tears?" he said unto me, " I am ashamed of
" myself because, being a rational being, I eat the food of an
irrational creature; I desire to live in Paradise, where I should
1 enjoy the food which is imperishable. For [although] we have
received that power which is from Christ, yet am I drawn to
k partake of the food which perisheth. I would partake of the
" food which is spiritual, and I would that I were in the Para-
" dise of delights in the dominion which God hath given unto
" me; and behold I am eating the food of the beasts."
And unto this man were known all the members of the Ro
man Senate and the free-born women of the nobles [of Rome],
because in former times he had gone with Bishop Athanasius
to that city, and he had also been there with the holy man
Bishop Demetrius.* And Isidore, having great riches, and
wanting nothing, was wont to give abundantly and without
* Bishop of Pessinus in Galatia Secunda, and friend of St Chrysos-
tom, whose letter to Innocent I he took to Rome; he was in Rome ag-ain
in 405.
90
Bovotbeos of TOebes
sparing to the poor and needy. And when he had ended his
days and came to die, he made no will whatsoever; and he left
no money to any man, and he left nothing- to his brethren. To
his sisters who were virgins he also left nothing, and he made
no provision at all for them, but committed them to the care
of Christ, saying, " He who created you will provide for your
"living and also whatsoever things of which ye have need,
** even as He hath [provided] for me." Now with his sisters was
a company of about seventy sisters.
Now when I had come unto him to be his disciple, and I was
persuading him to hold me worthy of the rank of those who
lived in a monastery, being in the vigour of my early manhood
and needing not the word only but also the labour of the body,
and severe physical exercises, even like the young unbroken
animal, I besought him to teach me his beautiful way of life
and to let me dwell by myself, for I was heedful of nothing,
being in the vigour of my early manhood, and I had no great
need of doctrine, but only [to learnj to subdue the passions of
the flesh. Then, like a good teacher, he took me outside the
city unto a place which was six miles distant, and wherein
there was restful solitude, and he handed me over unto an
anchorite whose name was Dorotheos,
Cbapter ij. ZTbe Ibtstot^ of 2)orotbeos of ZTbebes
AND whose life was one of spiritual excellence, and who
had lived in a cave for sixty years. And he commanded
me to live with him, and to lead a life of self-denial with
him for a period of three years, so that the passions of the flesh
might leave me. For the blessed Isidore knew that blessed old
man, and he knew that his life was stern and severe, and he ad
monished me, saying, " Whenthou hast completed this period of
" three years, return unto me forthe remainder of the doctrine of
"spiritual knowledge." But I was unable to fulfil these three
years with him, on account of a severe illness into which I fell,
and so I departed from Dorotheos before the end of the period,
and I returned to him that had brought me out, and entered
his abode [that I might learn] the doctrine of the spirit.
Now the life of Dorotheos was one of exceedingly hard toil,
and the manner thereof was severe, and his food was meagre
and wretched, for he lived on dry bread. And he used to go
round about in the desert by the side of the sea the whole day
long in the heat of the noonday sun and collect stones with
which he built cells, which he used to give unto the brethren
who were unable to build [cells for themselves]; and he used
to finish one cell each year. One day I said unto the holy man,
" Father, why workest thou thus in thine old age? for thou
91
ttbe ifrarafcise of tbe fbols jf atbers
11 wilt kill thy body in all this heat." And he said unto me, "I
" kill it lest it should kill me." He used to eat one small bread
cake, which weighed about six ounces, each day, and a little
bundle of green herbs; and he drank water by measure. What
then? I know not. As God is my witness I never saw this man
stretch out [his legs] and lie down as [men are] wont [to do];
and he never slept upon a bed of palm leaves, or upon any
thing else, but he used to work the whole night long weaving
baskets made of palm leaves to provide himself with the daily
bread which he required and food. Now I imagined at first
that he used to work in this manner because I was present,
and then I thought, " Peradventure it is only for my sake, and
"to show me how to perform such severe labours, that [he
" doeth this]." So I made enquiries of many of those who had
been his disciples and who were then living by themselves and
were emulating his spiritual excellencies, and I also asked
others of his disciples who were living by his side if in very
truth he always laboured in this wise, and they said unto me,
" He hath held to this practice from his youth up, and he hath
4 never been in the habit of sleeping according to what is
" right. In the daytime he never sleepeth willingly, but [some-
times] when he is working with his hands, or when he is
eating, he closeth his eyes and is snatched away by slumber.
"As he sitteth working he eateth, and unless slumber over-
" came him [suddenly] he would never sleep at all. Many and
" many a time he is overcome by slumber while he is eating,
" and the morsel of bread falleth out of his mouth because he
" is overcome by drowsiness." And when from time to time I
used to urge him to sit down, or to throw himself upon a mat
of palm leaves and to rest a little, he would answer and say
unto me in a grieved manner, " If thou art able to persuade
" the angels to sleep, then thou wilt be able to persuade me."
One day, towards the ninth hour, Dorotheos sent me to the
fountain from which he drank water to fetch him some water,
so that he might eat his meal, for he used to eat about this
time, and when I had gone there I chanced to see a viper going
down the well; and because of [my] fear I was unable to fill
[the pitcher] with water, and I went back to him, and said
unto him, "O father, we shall die, for I have seen a viper
"[going] down into the water." Now when he heard [these
words] he laughed reverently, and constrained himself, and
he lifted up his face and looked at me not a little time, and he
shook his head, and said unto me, "If it were to happen that
" Satan had the power to shew thee in every fountain an asp,
" or again to cast into them vipers, or serpents, or tortoises,
"or any other kinds of venomous reptiles, wouldst thou be
92
TOe Dirafn potamfaena
44 able to do without drinking water entirely ? " And when he
had said these words unto me, he went forth and departed [to
the fountain] and drew water, and brought [it back], and
having made the sign of the Cross over it he straightway
drank therefrom before he ate anything. And he constrained
me to drink and said unto me, " Where the seal (or sign) of
44 the Cross is, the wickedness of Satan hath no power to do
4 harm."
And this blessed man Isidore, the overseer of the hospital
[in Alexandria], related unto me the following story, which is
worthy of record, and he heard it from the blessed Anthony
where he lived with him in the desert in the days of Emperor
Maximinus, the prosecutor.
Chapter tf j. ttbe ifoistovs of tbe Dtrgtn potamiaena
THERE was a certain young virgin [called Potamiaena]
who was exceedingly beautiful and she was a Christian;
she was the handmaiden of a certain worldly man who
was given over to a life of pleasure, and she lived in very great
luxury, and her master flattered her greatly, wishing to destroy
her. And being unable to bring her into subjection to his will,
he at length was seized with madness, and he became furiously
angry with her and delivered her over to a certain prefect who
lived at that time in Alexandria (i.e., Basilides), saying, 4< She
44 is a Christian, and she revileth the government, and uttereth
44 blasphemies against the Emperor." And he promised to give
him much money saying, " If she can be persuaded to do my
44 will, keep her for me without disgrace and punishment, but
44 if she persisteth in her obstinacy of heart, punish her with
44 every kind of torture thou pleasest, and let her not remain
44 alive to laugh at me and at my luxurious way of life." And
when they brought the valiant woman before the throne of the
judges, she was greatly moved, but she was not persuaded ;
and the prefect tortured the body of the virgin of Christ with
many different kinds of tortures. Then again after these things
he thought out a crafty plan, and invented a method of punish
ment by torture which was as follows. He commanded them
to bring a huge cauldron which was full of pitch, and to light
a fierce fire under it, and when the pitch was melted and was
boiling, the judge cried to her, saying, 44 Go thou and submit
44 thyself to the will of thy lord, and know thou if thou doest
44 not this thing thou shalt straightway fall into this cauldron."
Now when she heard this, she sealed her soul, and answered
and said, 44 Thou judgest with iniquity, O judge, for thou com-
44 mandest me to become subject unto fornication. I am the
44 handmaiden of Christ, and it is meet that I should stand be-
93
Ube paraWse of tbe tools jfatbers
"fore His throne without blemish." And when the judge heard
this, he was straightway greatly troubled and filled with wrath,
and he commanded them to bring her and to cast her into the
cauldron. Then the virgin said unto him, " I adjure thee, by
" the head of the Emperor, if thou condemnest me to this
"thing of thine own self, to command them to put me into
" the cauldron little by little, without stripping my apparel
" from me, so that thou mayest know the patient endurance
" which I have through Christ for the sake of my purity." And
as they were dipping her little by little into the cauldron, for
a very short space of time, immediately the pitch reached her
neck it became cold; thus she delivered her soul unto God,
and she was crowned with a good martyrdom. And a great
congregation of holy men and women were made perfect
(i.e., they suffered martyrdom) at that time in the church of
Alexandria, and they became worthy of that land which the
meek inherit. [Potamiaena was martyred, with her mother
Marcella, in the reign of Septimius Severus.]
1bere enfc tbe trtumpbs of 30ifcore, anfc S>orotbeos,
anfc tbe IDircjin potamiaena
Cbaptet i\\ Ube 1foistot of iDi&gmus Iborn H.S). 309
or 314]
"OGETHER with these I also saw a certain blessed man
who was in Alexandria, and whose name was Didymus,
and who also, with us, wrote these things; now he was
blind, and he could not see at all; he was a marvellous man,
and I went several times to see him. He was eighty years of
age, and he told me that he became blind when he was four
years old and could not see at all, but according to what he
himself related to me, "After forty years I perceived the faces
" (or external aspects) of things." And although this man had
never learned the Testaments, and had never entered a school,
the gift of an excellent and healthy mind had been given unto
him by God, and he became learned in the knowledge of books
through an enlightened understanding. And he was adorned
with goodness and with the knowledge of the truth to such a
degree, and was so ready and was so wholly wise that there
was fulfilled in him that which was written, "The Lord openeth
" the eyes of the blind " (Psalm cxlvi, 8). He could interpret the
Old and New Testaments word by word in its proper place, and
had investigated carefully the commandments and could repeat
all the words which were in them. And he was so thoroughly
well acquainted with the belief of the truth (or of the true faith),
and he comprehended so deeply all heresies that his knowledge
94
VI OIT
T
B>t&K>mus anfc Hlepnfcra
was more excellent than that of many who were before him in
the Church. Now [once] when he was urging- me to make a
prayer in his cell and I was unwilling to do so, he spake unto
me and related unto me concerning Abba Anthony who, he
said, "came three times and visited me in this cell. And when
" I begged and entreated him to pray, straightway he knelt
"down upon his knees, and prayed, and waited not for me to
" speak one word about it, but at the first word he corrected
" me by his obedience. He did not let me finish my speech, but
"by work he made manifest obedience." And Didymus said
unto me, "Thou also, if thou wishest to walk in his footsteps
" and [to imitate him] in [his] life and deeds, and in hospitality,
" and if thou wouldst walk in the life of excellence and in the
" love of God, remove thyself from contention."
And this blessed man Didymus himself told me the following
ing story. "Once on a time I was suffering by reason of the
" wretched Emperor Julian. Now one day, when it was even-
" tide, and I had eaten no food through my anxiety about this
" matter, whilst I was sitting on my seat I dropped into a light
" slumber, and there fell upon me a marvellous thing. I saw and
" behold there were white horses galloping about, and they had
" on them riders who were dressed in white, and they were cry-
" ing out and saying, Tell Didymus that Julian died this day
" at the seventh hour. Rise up, then, and eat, and send and
" make [this news] known unto Bishop Athanasius, so that
" he also may know and rejoice. And I w r rote down the day,
" and the hour, and the month [wherein this vision took place],
" and it was found that it had happened even as it had been
" told me in the vision."
And the blessed man himself also told me the following
story:
Gbapter v>. TIbe Ibtston? of tbe /Iftaffcen Hlejanfcra
THERE was a certain maiden of Alexandria whose name
was Alexandra, and she left the city and shut herself
up in a tomb until the end of her life; she used to re
ceive her food and whatsoever she needed through a window,
and no man and no woman saw her face, neither did she see
the face of any man, for twelve years. And a few days after
wards she yielded up her soul, and she lay down and went to
her rest in peace. Now when her serving woman went to visit
her according to her wont, she knocked at the window, but
Alexandra gave her no answer, and straightway she knew that
she was dead, and she came and made known unto us concern
ing her mistress. And we took off the door of her cell and we
found her body dried up.
95
TOe paraMse of tbe 1bol2 jf atbers
Now the blessed woman Melha also related unto us the
story of Alexandra, saying, I have [never] seen her face to
face. And I stood outside the cell, close to the window, and
* entreated her to tell me for what reason she had shut her-
self up in the grave. And Alexandra answered and said unto
* me, * Inasmuch as the thought of the love of God was pre-
sent in my mind, I prayed before the Lord, and I entreated
* Him to permit me to offer unto Him my virginity in the
" * state in which it had been born with me. Now a certain
" young man regarded me in his thoughts, and looked upon
" me, and desired me, and sought to destroy me. But because
" I did not want to grieve him, or to say what was evil unto
" him, or to be to him an occasion of sin, I chose rather to shut
" myself up alive in this grave than to cause a man who was
" made in the form of the image of God to stumble. And I
" said unto her, How canst thou bear [to] live here not seeing
" the face of any man without being driven to despair? Then
" she answered and said unto me, I occupy myself with my
" prayers and with the work of my hands, and I have no idle
" moments. From morn until the ninth hour I weave linen,
" and recite the Psalms and pray; and during the rest of the
" day I commemorate in my heart the holy fathers, and I re-
" volve in my thoughts the histories of all the Prophets and
" Apostles, and Martyrs; and during the remaining hours I
work with my hands and eat my bread, and by means of
" these things I am comforted whilst I await the end of my
" life in good hope. " These things we have heard from the
blessed woman Melania who told the story of the maiden
Alexandra. But in this history I must not underrate those
who have toiled in the faith of Christ, to the glory of the per
fect and to the admonition of those who hear.
Gbapter v>j. TTbe fnstovp of Hbba jflDacarius
[tbe Hlejanfcrian] ant) a certain tDinjin
THERE was in Alexandria a certain virgin who though
meek in appearance was of a haughty disposition.
Now she was exceedingly rich and had possessions
without number, but she never relieved the poor, and the
strangers, and those who were in misery, and she never gave a
drachma to the Church, and notwithstanding the frequent re
buke with which the Fathers rebuked her, she never allowed
any portion of riches to leave her. And this woman had kins
folk, and she adopted her sister s daughter, to whom she used
to promise by day and by night [to give her] all that she had,
for she had fallen from heavenly love. Now, it is a customary
thing which belongeth to the deception of Satan that he pro-
Cbronius anfc 3ame9
duceth avarice under guise of love of family, for that he hath
no genuine care for kinsmanship is well known from the fadl
that he taught murder in order that he might make war [be
tween] brethren, and is admitted by the Holy Book. (Com
pare St. John viii, 44.) And, if he imagined that he implanteth
solicitude for kinsfolk in [the hearts of] men, [it must be re
membered] that he is not moved to do this on their behalf be
cause of [his] love for them, but only that he may minister
unto his own will, for manifestly he knoweth the sentence of
judgement which hath been passed, that the wicked shall not
inherit the kingdom of God (i Corinthians vi, 9). For if a
man be moved by spiritual understanding and by divine de
sire, he will be able to care for his kinsfolk if they be in want
without bringing himself into contempt; but if he devoteth the
whole of himself to the care for his kinsfolk, and he bringeth
himself into contempt by making himself to labour under
poverty, he will fall from the divine law. And the divine man
David singeth in the Psalms concerning those who possess
themselves of the solicitude of the fear of God, and he saith,
"Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord?" (Psalm
xxiv, 3.) Now, inasmuch as hesaith, "Who," he maketh known
concerning the smallness of the number [who shall go up].
And [again he saith], "Who shall stand in His holy place?
" He whose hands are clean and whose heart is chosen, and
" who giveth not himself unto poverty" (Psalm xxiv, 3, 4). For
those who devote themselves to poverty are those who think
that the soul is dissolved with this body.
Now this virgin, who was so in name only, became a stranger
unto the various kinds of [spiritual] excellence. And there was
a certain priest whose name was Macarius (or Isidore) who
wished to cut away as with iron and to lighten the weight of
the possessions of those who loved money, and he had the care
of, and was the governor (or secretary) of a house for the
poor who were sick and infirm in their bodies. And this man
thought out the following plan whereby he might entrap the
virgin. From his youth up he had been a skilful workman in
the cutting of gems, and he went to her and said, "Certain
" very precious emeralds and gems have fallen into my hands,
" and whether they have been stolen or not I do not know;
their value cannot be ascertained, because they are above
price, but the man who hath them will sell them for five
* hundred dinars. If thou wishest to take them thou wilt
* be able to recover the price of five hundred dinars from [the
1 sale of] one of the gems, and the rest thou wilt be able to
"employ in the adornment of thy sister s daughter." Now
when the virgin heard this she was perturbed, and she fell
97 7
TTbe iparafcfse of tbe tools ffatbers
down at his feet making 1 entreaty unto him, and saying 1 , "I
"beseech you to let no other person take them." Macarius
saith unto her, " Come to my house and see them," but she
would not consent to this; and she poured out for him five
hundred dinars, and said unto him, " According to what thou
" dost require even so take, but I do not wish to see the man
" who is selling them."
And having taken the five hundred dinars he spent them on
food and on things for the use of those who were hungry, and
on the poor. And when much time had passed, inasmuch as
he was a famous man in Alexandria now this blessed man
was well known for his love of God, and for the merciful dis
position which was in Mm, and he was almost one hundred
years old, and we also knew him and had tarried in his house
with him the virgin was ashamed to call the matter [of the
five hundred dinars] to his mind. But finally she found him in
the church and said unto him, " I beseech thee [to tell me] how
" thou hast disposed of the gems for which we gave thee the
" five hundred dinars." And he answered and said unto her,
< When thou gavest me the money I gave it for the price of the
* gems ; if thou wishest come and see them in my house, for there
" are they deposited. Come and see them, if it pleaseth thee [so
" to do], and if thou wilt not then take thy money." So she
went with him joyfully. Now the place to which [she went] was
a house of the poor; in the upper parts thereof were lying wo
men whose bodies were destroyed, and in the lower parts were
men. And when they had come there Macarius brought her in
through the door, and said unto her, " Which wouldst thou
41 see first, the emeralds or the gems?" She saith unto him,
" Whichever thou pleasest." Then he took her up to the upper
parts of the house and showed her the women whose faces and
bodies were diseased and deformed, and said unto her, "These
** are the gems" ; and he brought her down to the lower parts,
and showed her the men, and said unto her, "These are the
"emeralds. If these please thee [good and well]; but if not
"take thy money." Then was the virgin ashamed, and she
went forth and departed, and by reason of her grief she fell
into a sickness, because it was through God and of her own
will that she had in this wise performed the matter. Finally,
however, she came to herself, and was exceedingly grateful to
the priest, and as for the maiden for whose wedding feast she
was laying up her riches, she died.
TOe fl&onfes of IRitria
Cbapter \>ij. Concerning tbe flfconfes wbo lix>efc in
IFUtria
NOW having held converse with many of the saints, and
having gone round about among the monasteries which
were nigh unto Alexandriaforthree years, & having met
about two thousand of the great and strenuous men who lived
there, and who were adorned with the excellence of spiritual
lives, I departed from there and came to Mount Nitria. Now
between this mountain and Alexandria there lieth a certain
lake which is called " Mareotis," which embraceth a space of
seventy miles. And having seated myself in a boat I crossed
this lake in a day and a half, and I came unto the mountain to
the south, whereunto is joined the desert which reacheth unto
Gush (Ethiopia). In this mountain of the Mazaki and of the
Mauritanians there live excellent men who are adorned with
divers kinds of ascetic virtues ; and every monk leadeth the
ascetic life as he wisheth and as he is able, either by himself or in
a community. Now in this mountain there are seven bakers
who make bread and who minister unto them, and unto the
chosen men of the inner desert, of whom there are six hundred,
and also unto the people of that mountain. And when I had
dwelt in this mountain for a year, and had profited by the
fathers, the pious and blessed men, I mean Rabbd Barsis
[i.e., Arsisius], and Busiris, and Peta-Bast, and Agios, and
Khroms, and Serapion, the elder, and had learned from them
also concerning the ancient and first spiritual fathers [who had
lived there], I entered into the inner desert wherein is Mount
Nitria.
In this mountain is a great church, and in the courtyard
thereof are three palm trees, in each of which hangeth a whip.
One of these is for the correcting of the monks who transgress
through folly ; the second is for the punishing of the thieves if
they be found falling on the place; and the third is for the
chastising of the strangers who flock there and who transgress
in any matter whatsoever. And it is the same with anyone who
shall commit any offence, they bring him to the palm tree and
punish him, and he receiveth upon his back the number of
stripes which they have appointed unto him. Adjoining the
church is a house in which the strangers who arrive there
may lodge, and if any man wisheth to work [there] one year,
or two, or until he departeth of his own accord [he may do
so] ; and every week of days they permit him to rest, so that
he may do nothing, but they give him work during the re
maining days of the week, either among the bakers, or in the
refectory. And if there was among these anyone who was suf-
99 7
Ube parafcfse of tbe fools jfatbers
ficiently educated they used to give him a book to read, but
they did not allow him to hold converse with any man until
the sixth hour. There were also in this mountain physicians
for the use of the sick, and those who sold cakes ; and they
also used wine which was sold there. All these people worked
at the weaving of flax with their hands, and there was no needy
man there. Now when the evening cometh thou must rise up
to hear the praises, and the Psalms, and the prayers which are
sent up to Christ by the people from the monasteries which
are there, and a man might imagine, his mind being exalted,
that he was in the Paradise of Eden.
Now the monks only came to church on the Sabbath and
On the First Day of the week. Belonging to this church there
were eight priests and governors, but as long as the first one
lived none of the others ministered in the church ; he neither
judged nor spake with any man, and they lived with him a life
of silent contemplation. Now this great man Arsisius and
many of the ancient holy men whom we saw were followers
of the rule of the blessed man Anthony, and Arsisius himself
told me that the holy man Ammon, who was from Nitria, and
whom he knew, and whose soul was taken up and carried by
the angels into heaven, even saw Anthony. And Arsisius
also spake to me concerning the blessed man Pachomius, who
came from Tabenna of Hekham, and who possessed the gift
of prophecy and who became the governor and head of three
thousand men; of this man I will relate the virtues at the end
[of this book].
dbapter vnij. TTbe Distort of Hbba Bmmon, [tbe
" ff atber of Egyptian /Ifconasticism"]
CONCERNING the blessed man Ammon, he used to say:
He became a monk in this wise: When he was a young
man, and was about twenty-two years old, he was left
an orphan by his parents. His father s brother wanted to give
him a wife, and because he was unable to resist the counsel of
his uncle he was compelled by force to marry one, and to fasten
the crown of bridegrooms upon his head, and to take his seat
in the marriage chamber, and to fulfil everything according
to the law of the marriage feast. Now, Ammon submitted
to everything outwardly, but after every one had gone forth
having put Ammon and his wife to bed in the marriage cham
ber, the blessed man rose up and shut the door and seated
himself. And he called to the true and blessed woman his
spouse, and said unto her, " Henceforth thou shalt be my lady
"and my sister; come therefore, and I will relate unto thee
4< concerning a matter which is more excellent [than marriage].
100
Bbba Bmmon
41 The marriage which men contract is a perishable thing, but
" let us choose for ourselves the marriage which perisheth not,
" and the marriage feast which never endeth. Let us each sleep
* alone, for in this wise we shall please Christ ; and let us
" guard the glory of our virginity unspotted, so that we may
" take our rest at the marriage feast which is incorruptible."
Then he took out a book from his bosom and read to the
maiden [passages] which were uttered by the Apostles and by
our Redeemer, and since she had no knowledge of the Scrip
tures he added unto their words from his own divine mind.
And he read many passages unto her and talked much to her
concerning virginity and purity, and at length, by the grace of
Christ, she was persuaded. Then she answered and said unto
him, "Master, I know well that a rule of life of purity is very
" much more excellent [than marriage]; therefore whatsoever
" pleaseth thee that do. And I also from this time forth will be
" persuaded [to do] whatsoever thou wishest to do."
Then Ammon said unto her, "I beg and entreat thee to let
" each of us from this time forth dwell alone"; but she would
not agree to this, and said, "Let us live in the same house,
" and let each of us have a separate bed." So they dwelt to
gether holily in the same house for eighteen years. In the
morning Ammon used to go forth and pass the whole day in
cultivating the balsam trees which he had in his garden ; now
the balsam tree is like unto the vine, and must be planted and
pruned and cultivated, and it demandeth great attention and
in the evening he entered into his house, and recited his
prayers, and then ate with her. And he also rose up to [say]
the praises (or hymns) of the night, and as soon as the dawn
had come he would depart to the garden. Now as they were
doing these things they both removed themselves from pas
sions, and attained unto impassibility, and the prayers of
Abba" Ammon helped [his wife]. And at length the blessed
woman said unto him, "Master, I have something to say unto
" thee, if thou wilt hearken unto me, and I am convinced that
" for God s sake thou lovest me." The blessed man said unto
her, "Tell [me] what thou wishest [to say]"; and she said
unto him, "It is not right (seeing that thou art a God-fearing
"man, and one who liveth a life of righteousness, and that
"thou hast also made me, outwardly, to yearn for this path
"[of life], and by the help of divine grace I have gotten
"purity), to live with me. It is not good that, for my sake,
"thou who dwellest with me in purity for our Lord s sake,
" shouldst hide the spiritual excellence of thy philosophy; for
"it is not seemly that thy fair deeds should be hidden, and
"should not be known. Let thy dwelling be apart from me
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Ube parafcfse of tbe tools ff atbers
"and [thus] thou shalt benefit many." Then Ammon praised
God, and said unto her, "O lady, this mind is beautiful, and
"if it be acceptable unto thee do thou remain and abide in
" this house in peace, and I will go and make another for my-
" self." And having gone forth from her Ammon departed and
entered into Mount Nitria, where as yet the monasteries were
not numerous, indeed up to that time there were no monas
teries at all there; and he built himself a habitation there, and
dwelt therein for two and twenty years. And having attained
unto the highest practice of the labours of the ascetic life he
ended his days, that is to say, the holy man Ammon went to
his rest and slept when he was sixty-two years of age. Twice
in the year he used to go and see his spouse; and he died in
his virginity, and his wife likewise brought the years of her
life to an end in purity.
Now the following wonderful thing is told concerning him
by the blessed Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in the book
which he composed about the life and deeds of the blessed
Anthony. Once when he was about to cross the river which
is called "the Wolf" with Theodore his disciple, he was
ashamed to take off his clothes [lest] he might see the naked
ness of his person. And being doubtful in his mind (literally
thoughts) how he should cross over wonder fell upon him,
and through an angel he crossed the river without any [boat]
whatsoever [on his part]. It was the same Ammon who saw
the blessed man Anthony, who lived and died in such wise
that his soul was taken to heaven by angels, and it was he
who passed over the waters by the might of the Holy Spirit.
Now as concerning this river which is called "the Wolf," I
myself was once in great fear when I was crossing it in a boat,
because it is filled with the overflow of the waters of the Nile.
Cbapter f. ZTbe fnstors ot tbe BlesseD /IDan t>or
NOW in Mount Nitria there was a certain man whose
name was Hor, concerning whom men, especially all
the brotherhood, testify to many of his triumphs, and
also that marvellous and excellent woman Melha (i.e., Mela-
nia), the handmaid of Christ, who went into this mountain
before I did. As for me, I never became acquainted with this
man. And in his history they say this one thing: "He never
"told a lie in his life, and he never used oaths; he never
"uttered a curse, and beyond what was absolutely necessary
" he never spoke at all."
102
pambo
Cbapter . Ube t>istor of tbe Blessefc /IDan pambo
[Met) H,B. 393J
IN this mountain there also lived the blessed man Pambo
(or Panbis), who was the teacher and master of the
Bishops Dioscorus, Ammonius, Eusebius, [Euthemis]
(Eutymius), and Origen the nephew of Dracontius, a mar
vellous man. Now this man Pambo possessed [the power to
utter] words of prophecy, and splendid triumphs, yet with all
these he despised gold and silver, even as the Word demand-
eth. Now the following things [concerning him] were related
unto me by the blessed woman Melhci. (i.e., Melania):
When I first came from Rome to Alexandria I heard con
cerning the life and deeds of Pambo, inasmuch as the blessed man
Isidore, who also brought me unto him in the desert, told me
about him. And I brought unto him a basket which was filled
with stamped silver (i.e., coined money) three hundred pounds
[in weight], and I begged him to accept some of my posses
sions for his needs. He was sitting and plaiting the leaves ot
palm trees, and as he was doing this he merely blessed me,
and said, "God give thee thy reward!" Then he said unto his
steward, whose name was Origen, "Take and distribute [this]
among all the brethren who are in the Island and in Libya" ;
for these monasteries are exceedingly poor, and he commanded
the steward not to give unto any man who dwelt in Egypt,
for those who dwell therein have [abundant] means of subsis
tence. Now I stood there and I expected to be treated with
honour or to be praised for the greatness of the gift, but when
I heard nothing from him, I said unto him, "Master, knowest
" thou how much money it is, and that there are three hundred
"pounds [in the basket]?" Then Pambo, without lifting up
his gaze, said unto me, "My daughter, He unto whom thou
" hast offered thy money hath no need [to know] the weight.
" For He who weighed the mountains in a balance knoweth
"how much is the weight of thy silver. If thou hadst given
"the money unto me thou wouldst have done well to have
" informed me concerning the weight thereof; but since thou
" hast given it to God, Who did not despise the two mites ot
"the widow, [what need hast thou to tell Him?] Hold thy
"peace."
Now our Lord so directed that in the day on which I entered
the mountain this blessed man died without having been ill,
for he died whilst he was sewing together palm leaves for
mats, without fever and without sickness. And he was seventy
years old. Now he was sewing together palm leaves for
a mat, and coming to the end of it he sent and called me.
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TTbe parafcise of tbe Ix>l2 ffatbers
And when he had finished sewing 1 it, he said unto me, "Take
* this mat from my hands, so that thou mayest keep me in re-
" membrance, for I have nothing- else whatever to leave thee";
and having given it unto me he straightway died. And t
wrapped his body in linen swathings, and buried him, and
then I departed from the desert; and I shall treasure the mat
as a sacred relic until the day of my death.
Now at the time of the death of this holy man Pambo there
were standing before him certain famous men, Origen the
priest and steward, and Ammonius, together with the remain
der of the brethren, and they told [me] that at the time of his
death, he said, "From the day wherein I came into this desert
"and built this cell in which I have lived [until this day]
"I know not that I have [ever] eaten the bread of idleness
"(or bread) which did not come from the labour of mine
"own hands; and my soul repenteth not that I have ever
" spoken an empty word in my life; thus I go to God like one
" who hath, as yet, not made a beginning in the fear of God."
And Origin and Ammonius, the servants of Christ, in telling 1
us the story of his life, bore witness concerning him that he
was never asked a question by any man about a saying 1 from
the Book, or about the rules and labours of the ascetic life
which he did not either answer immediately, or say, " I have
" not as yet understood the matter." Nowthere were times when
he spake these words [only] after three months consideration
of a matter; and he used to make answer with such under*-
standing that every man received the things which were said
by him with as great reverence as if they had [been said] by
God. Now this excellence was also attributed to Anthony the
Great and to the rest of the holy men. Among 1 other things
which are said concerning the holy man Pambo is the follow
ing. The blessed man Pior once went to Pambo s cell and
took with him some bread, and Pambo made a complaint,
saying unto him, "Why hast thou done this?" Then Abbd
Pior made answer, saying, " Let [this thing] be not grievous
" unto thee"; but Pambo was silent and sent him away. And
after some time Rabbi Pambo went to the cell of Abbd Pior,
and he took with him bread which had been dipped in water;
and being asked, * Why hast thou done this ? " the blessed man
Pambo said unto him, " Let it not be grievous unto thee that
44 1 have also dipped the bread in water."
104
JSlessefc Hmmontus
Chapter rj. Ube tnstorp of tbc Blesses Hmmonfus
NOW this man Ammonius and his three brothers [i.e.,
Dioscorus, Eusebius, and Euthymius, who were called
the " Tall Brothers " by Sozomen] and his two sisters
were disciples of Rabba Pambo; and when they had attained
unto the perfection of divine life and conversation they depar
ted from the desert, and founded two monasteries, I mean,
one for men and one for women, but they placed the monastery
of the women at a sufficient distance from that of the men, for
Ammonius did not greatly love the intercourse of speech. It
was for this reason that a certain city desired that he should
be its bishop, and the people thereof drew nigh unto the bless
ed man Timothy, Bishop of Alexandria, and entreated him
to make the blessed Ammonius their bishop; and Timothy
[who sat from 381-385] told them to bring Ammonius unto him
and that he would make him their bishop. Then they took
with them much people, and they went unto Ammonius to bring
him, and when he saw them he tried to find means to take
to flight. But when he saw that he was unable to escape
from them, he tried to persuade them, with many oaths,
that he would not accept it, but he was unable to make
them give up their intention. And when they would not be per
suaded by him, he seized a razor and cut off his left ear at the
root, and said unto them, " Now I am indeed persuaded that
" I cannot be that which ye are urging me to be, for the Law
* also commandeth, The man whose ear hath been cut off
" shall not draw nigh unto the altar " (Leviticus xxvi, 17);
so they left him and went and informed the Bishop, who said
unto them, "This law is observed among the Jews, but even
" if his nose was split and he had fine qualities I would make
4< him Bishop." Then the people went to Ammonius again and
entreated him [to come], and when the pious man would not
be persuaded by them, they wanted to take him and to make
him come by force; but he said unto them, "If ye do [not]
** leave me I will also slit my tongue" ; and when they heard
this they left him and departed.
Concerning this man Ammonius so wonderful a thing as the
following is said. Whenever a carnal thought entered his
mind he never spared his body, but he would make a piece of
iron hot on the fire and lay it upon his members, so that they
might always be in a state of wounds. From his youth up his
rule was as follows: whatsoever had been cooked by fire he
would never eat. He could repeat the books of the Old and
New Testaments by heart, and he used to read also the books
[which were composed by] excellent men, by Origen, and by
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ZTbe paradise of tbe tools ffatbers
Didymus, and by Pierius, and by Stephen [containing] about
ten thousand six hundred sayings; concerning this the great
fathers who lived in the desert bear witness. It is also said
that this man possessed the power of foretelling events, and
living in his cell he was so great a comforter to the brethren
who lived in the desert that no other man could be compared
with him. Now the blessed Evagrius, who was clothed with
the spirit, and was skilled in examining thoughts, used to say,
" I never saw any man who had attained more closely unto im-
" passibility than Ammonius."
Once a certain need of those who were dwelling in the desert
called the blessed man Ammonius, and Rufinus who was at
that time the prefect [also] greatly persuaded him, and he went
up to Constantinople. And with him there were also the holy
bishops, and other monks who had come from various pro
vinces [to be present] at the service of restoration of a certain
martyrium which Rufinus had built. And Rufinus wished him
to receive him after holy baptism at the service of restoration
of the temple which he had built, and so the blessed man re
ceived him from the bishops who had baptized him. Thus,
as was right, Rufinus paid to the blessed man Ammonius the
honour which is due to a life of asceticism, and he used to
listen to him in everything; and after a short time he died and
was buried in the martyrium which is called the " martyrium
" of Rufinus," and many helpful acts took place at his grave
on behalf of those who [were worthy] of help.
Gbapter jij. ZTbe UMstors of tbe JBlesseb JSenjamin
AND there was also in the mountain of Nitria a marvel
lous man whose name was Benjamin, who attained to
a high state of perfection in the ascetic life, for he had
fasted and toiled for eighty years. Now he was held to be
worthy of the gift of the craft of the physician, and from every
wound (or stripe) upon which he laid his hand, and which
Christ blessed or gave [him the power to heal], straightway
every pain departed. And this man, who was worthy of such
a gift, collected water in his body for eight months before his
death, and he was so much swollen that he might well have
been called a second Job. And Dioscurus took us, that is to
say, the blessed Origen and myself, and said unto us, Come
"ye and see a new Job, who whilst [suffering from] such a
"severe disease of the body as this healeth others." And
Benjamin gave thanks concerning his affliction beyond mea
sure, and glorified God continually, and his soul rejoiced and
was glad in the hope which it laid up for the saints. Now
when we had gone and seen the swelling of his body we found
106
Benjamin an& Epollonius
that it had become so large that a man could not with all his
hand encircle one of his fingers; and being unable to look upon
such a terrible affliction through disease we turned away our
eyes. Then the blessed man Benjamin said unto us, " My sons,
"pray that the inner man may not collect water. Even when
* this my body was in health it in no wise helped me, and now
" that it is sick it in no wise hindereth me." Now during the
[last] eight months of his illness they made a broad chair for
him, and he used to sit therein always, because he was not
able to lie down upon a bed by reason of the necessity of his
belly and of the other [members of his] body. And whilst he
himself lived in such suffering through all his affliction he was
healing others, and it is for this reason that I am compelled
to narrate to you concerning the affliction of this righteous
man, so that when such an affliction as this happeneth unto
the righteous we may not hold the matter to be hard. Now
when this blessed man died, the whole of the framework of the
doorway had to be removed to enable them to bring out his
body from his cell, for his body was very large indeed.
Cbapter if j. Zlbe UMstors of Hpollonius tbe /Ifcercbant
AND again another man, whose name was Apollonius,
used to dwell in this Mount Nitria; and he was a mer
chant who had come there to learn to lead the life and
conversation of an anchorite. Now this man found no handicraft
at the exercise of which he could employ himself, and he could
neither fast nor keep vigil like the other ascetics to any great
extent. During the twenty years which he lived in this moun
tain it was his rule of life and triumph that by his own labour
and toil he used to buy from Alexandria everything which was
required by the brethren, and the things which were needed
for the healing of the sick, and carry them to the sick. And it
was a marvellous thing to see him going about among the
monasteries and cells of the brethren each day, from the
earliest dawn, when he set out, until the ninth hour, and he
used to stand by the door and say, " Is there, peradventure,
" anyone sick here?" And he carried about pomegranates, and
dried cakes, and raisins, and eggs, and the things which arc
necessary for the sick. Now he found this rule of life easy to
acquire, and to continue until his old age, and he was able to
attend to the affairs of the five thousand brethren who were
dwelling in the mountain. And when he died he left whatever
he had unto another man like unto himself, and he begged him
to carry out this ministration, because the [place where the
monks lived] was a desert and was destitute of the things of
the world
107
ZTbe parafcise of tbe tools ffatbers
Gbapter ix>. Ube IMstortes of tbe natural JSretbren
paesius anfc 5saiab
AND there were also there two brethren, whose names
were Paesius and Isaiah, who were the sons of a cer
tain merchant who traded in Spain ; and when their
father died they divided his inheritance between them, and
there came to each of them money which amounted to five
thousand dinars, and furniture, and raiment, and slaves, and
property of all kinds. And these blessed men took counsel to
gether and meditated together and said unto each other, "By
" what manner of trafficking shall we live in this world? If we
"continue to exercise the trade of our father, we shall only
"double our labour and toil for [the benefit of] others; and
"perhaps [our wealth] will fall into the hands of thieves by
"land or of pirates by sea." And whilst they were being*
troubled by such thoughts as these they answered and said
unto each other, " Let us come to the way of truth, and let
" us acquire the life and conversation of the Christians, whereby
" we shall both keep the benefit of what our father hath left us,
4 and get possession of our soul. " And this proposition concern
ing the labour of the dwellers in the monasteries was pleasing
unto them, and each of them found in his discipleship the power
to judge as to what work he should embrace. And having
divided their father s inheritance they both possessed the eager
care to please God by the various kinds of labours of life of
the mourner. One of them divided everything which had come
to him and gave it to the churches and monastic habitations,
and distributed it among the poor and needy; and he learned
a handicraft at which he could work and earn [his] daily bread,
and he was constant in prayer and fasting. The other brother
did not distribute [his possessions], but he built himself a
monastery and gathered together unto him a few brethren and
providing therefor became a care unto him. All strangers and
poor folk, and all the aged men and sick folk who thronged
unto him he used to receive and relieve their wants. And
every first day of the week, and every Sabbath, he used to
prepare three tables and relieve the wants of every one who
happened to be present there ; and thus he spent all his pos
sessions.
Now, when the two brothers died abundant blessing was
ascribed unto them by the whole brotherhood, but the one
brother pleased some of them [most], and the other the others;
and although the brethren praised both brothers, adispute arose
among them concerning the superior merit of one or the other
of the two brothers. Then the brethren went to the blessed
108
flDacarius
Pambo and related the matter unto him, and wished to learn
which rule of life and labour was the greater and more excel
lent. And Pambo said unto them, " They are both perfect.
" One man made manifest the work of Abraham by his hospi
tality, and the other the self-denial of Elijah." And again
the brethren said unto him, " How is it possible for the two to
"be equal in merit? We praise and magnify him who eiriT
"braced poverty, for we find that he did the work of the
" Gospel in selling everything that he had and giving it to the
* poor, and that every day, and at every season, both by day
and by night, he took up his cross and followed after his
" Lord by his fasting and his prayers." And again the other
brethren contended with them, saying, "The other brother
" showed such supreme compassion on those who were stran-
" gers and on those who were afflicted that he would even sit
"in the highways and gather together the passers-by who
"were in trouble; and not only did he relieve his own soui,
" but he also brought a lightening unto many souls that were
"heavy laden, and he would make ready the dead for the
"grave ?.nd bury [them]." And the blessed Pambo said unto
them, "Again I say unto you that both are equal [in merit],
" and I will tell you how each of them became so. Unless the
" one had fasted he would not have been worthy of the good-
" ness and compassion of the other, and again, the other in
" relieving the wants of strangers also lightened his own load,
" for although a man may think that he hath trouble in recei-
" ving [them] yet he also gaineth rest of body. But tarry ye
" here a few days so that I may learn [the answer] from God,
" and come ye [back] to me and I will declare [it] unto you.
And after a few days they came unto him, and they asked him
to tell them what had been revealed unto him ; and he answered
and said unto them, " I have seen them both standing in the
" Paradise of Eden, as it were in the presence of God."
Cbapter jp. Ube IMston? of flDacarius, tbe Cbilfc of
bis Cross
THERE was also a certain youth whose name was
Macarius, and when he became a young man about
eighteen years old, he used to pasture flocks and herds,
along with [other] young men of his own age and position, by
the side of the lake which is called Mareotis, and without
wishing to do so he unwittingly committed a murder ; and with
out saying a word to any man he straightway rose up and de
parted, and he went out and journeyed into the desert. Thus he
attained to the fear of God, and to the love of men, in such
wise that he esteemed himself lightly; and he passed three
109
ZTbe parafcf se of tbe Tboly ffatbers
years in the desert, in the open air, and without a roof [over
his head]. Now in that country no rain falleth, and this every
one, so to say, knoweth, either from hearsay or from a<5lual
experience. And after three years he built himself a cell, and
he dwelt therein for five and twenty years [and performed]
great labours ; and he was held worthy of the divine gift of
being able to treat with contempt the devils, and he was com
pletely happy in the ascetic life and in the noble labours there
of. Now I dwelt hard by this man for no short time, and once
I asked him, "What is thy thought about the sinfulness of
"that murder [which thou didst commit]? And he said unto
me, " I am entirely untroubled by it, for I am bound to con
fess that the sin of [this] involuntary murder was the good
" cause of the redemption of my life, and the testimony of the
" Book confirmeth this view, saying not even Moses, the ser-
" vant of the Lord, would have been held worthy of the divine
"vision unless, through fear for the murder which he had
"committed, he had forsaken Egypt, and come unto Mount
"Sinai, where he was held to be worthy of converse with
" God, and to compose the commandments of the spirit."
Now we speak these things, not because we wish to help
murder, but only in order that we may particularly shew that
spiritual excellences spring from tribulations, when a man is
not of his own will persuaded to draw nigh unto goodness.
Some spiritual excellences arise from the will, and some from
tribulation ; and in the works which I have found appended to
this history I have discovered that the murder which Maca-
rius committed belonged to this latter class. And Macarius
prayed always, and he prayed with his arms and hands ex
tended in the form of a cross. And when he had drawn nigh
to the end of his course, which was not caused by illness, at
that time [I say] he stood up in the corner of his cell, and ex
tended his hands and arms in prayer, and thus praying he
yielded up his spirit. And when he who used to bring him
food came and saw him standing by the side of the wall with
his hands stretched out, he remained standing outside think
ing that Macarius was standing up in prayer, as was his wont.
Then, having waited for about three hours, he opened the
door and went in, and he said unto him, "Bless, master!"
And when he did not answer him he drew nigh and shook
him ; and when he saw that he was dead he came to us and
told us, and having come we saw him standing in the form of
a cross, and we marvelled. Now when we had laid him out
upon the ground we were unable to bring his hands nigh unto
his body, and so we dug his grave in the form of a cross and
laid him in it. And I was sorely grieved because of his depar-
no
matbanfel
ture, and I fell into a slumber and slept, and a voice came
unto me, which said, " Inasmuch as during- his lifetime he
Moved the cross, which he bore through his good works, in
"it also he shall have his rest; in the form of that which he
" desired longingly hath he been buried, and in the same form
" shall he stand up at the right hand on the day of Christ."
And having heard these things I awoke, and I glorified God
and the power of the Cross.
Cbaptei \>i. ttbe Ibfston? of tbe ffilessefc IRatbaniel
[Met) about 376 H.B>.]
AND there was also another man among the aged ones
whose name was Nathaniel, and him I never met in
his life, for he died fifteen years before I entered into
this mountain ; but I have met those who dwelt with him for
a long time. And having made enquiries of these I learned
concerning the triumphs of the man, and they also shewed me
his cell wherein at that time no man was living, because it was
nigh unto the world; but Abba" Nathaniel built it long ago
when the monks were few in number.
Now they used to relate concerning this man that his patient
endurance in his cell was such that he never moved from his
place to go outside the door of his habitation for the disposi
tion of his will. At the beginning he was laughed at by the
Evil One, who mocketh at and leadeth astray every man, and
he made Nathaniel to feel weariness in his first cell, and he
went and built himself another cell in the neighbourhood of
the city. Now after he had built the other cell and had dwelt
therein, some three or four months later the devil, who had
waged war against him from the beginning, came by night
holding in his hand a sling like a hunter, and he was dressed
in the garb of the Romans, and he was slinging [stones] with
the sling which he was holding. Then the blessed man
Nathaniel answered and said unto him, "Who art thou who
"doest these things in the place wherein I dwell?" The devil
said unto him, "I am he who made thee to flee from thy first
"cell, and I have come that I may make thee to flee from this
"place." Now when he knew that the devil was laughing at
him because he had departed from his first [cell], straightway
he turned and went back thereto, and he lived in his first cell
for the space of thirty and seven years in such strict abnega
tion that he never passed outside the door, and meanwhile he
was warring with the devil. And the wicked devil made him to
experience so many afflictions and troubles in order to drive
him out of his cell that it would be impossible for [any] man
to recount them. But the Evil One watched [and obtained his
in
Ube pataMse of tbe tools ff atbers
opportunity] in the arrival of the Bishops who came to Na
thaniel (now they were all holy men), and whether the order
ing of the matter was due to the will of God, or to the tempta
tion of the Evil One, we know not, but he made Nathaniel
to fall away somewhat from his intention. For when the
Bishops had prayed and had gone forth, Nathaniel did not
escort them the distance of one step, and the servants who
were with them said [to him], "Dost thou possess the faculty
"of pride that thou wilt not accompany the Bishops?" Then
Nathaniel said unto them, "I died once and for all to my
"lords the Bishops, and to the whole world, and I have a
"secret matter concerning which it is God only Who knoweth
"my heart, and why I did not go forth and escort them."
Then that devil, who was still making a mock of this self-
abnegation, nine months before Nathaniel s death took upon
himself the form of a young man who was about twenty years
old, and he was following after an ass which was carrying
bread in the bed of the river. Now when it was far into the
evening the young man passed close to the cell, and pretended
that the ass had fallen down under its burden, and he began
to cry out, and said, "Abba Nathaniel, help me, and come
"and render me assistance." And Nathaniel heard the voice
of the young man who he thought was crying out, and he
opened the door, and as he was standing inside, he spake with
him, and said unto him, "Who art thou? And what dost thou
"want me to do for thee?" And the young man said unto him,
"I am such and such a young man, and I am carrying bread
"to such and such a brother because he wisheth to make a
"love feast, and the day which dawneth to-morrow will be the
"Sabbath, and [bread for] the Offering will be necessary.
"I beg of thee, therefore, not to tarry in assisting me, lest the
"hyenas come and devour both me and the ass." Now there
were many hyenas in that place.
Then the blessed Nathaniel stood still in great astonish
ment, and he was much troubled in his mind by the mercy
which had revealed itself to him, and he meditated within him
self, saying, "It is either through the command of God that I
"must fall, or through my will [having reached] its limit."
Finally he meditated within himself and said, "It is better for
"him who hath guarded for all these years the limit of his
"will, and hath not passed over his door, to remain in the
" same condition which will put the Evil One to shame than
"to go out"; and he prayed to God. Then he made answer
unto him whom he believed to be a young man crying out,
and said unto him, "Young man, hear me! I believe that the
"God Whom I serve will send thee help if it be needed by
112
fl&acarius tbe Egyptian
"thee, and that neither the hyenas nor anything else will harm
"thee; but if thou art a temptation may God discover thy
"craftiness!/ And he shut the door and held his peace. And
that devil was put to shame, and by reason of his wickedness
he took the form of a whirlwind and the forms of wild asses
which dance about and skip and break wind. This is the
[story of the] triumph of the blessed Nathaniel, and this is
the [story of] his labour and of his ending.
Cbapter jvij. Ube Ibistors of tbe two ejaltefc anfc
excellent men, /iDacarius tbe lEgsptian, tbe Disciple
of /iDar Hbba Hntbons, ant) /IDacarius tbe Hlesan*
fcrian
CONCERNING the holy and immortal fathers, that is to
say Macarius the Egyptian, and Macarius the Alex
andrian, who were men to be feared and who were
invincible athletes, and concerning the strife of their life and
deeds, and conversation, it is exceedingly right and good that
we should tell the story. Perhaps it will not be accepted by the
unbelievers, and therefore I find it difficult to relate their his
tory, and to set it down completely in writing, lest by so doing
I should be accounted a liar; and that the Lord destroyeth
those who speak falsehood the Holy Spirit maketh clearly
manifest. Now, as I myself do not put to the lie the help of
Christ, do not thou, O Lausus, thou believer in men, become
an unbeliever in the triumphs of the holy fathers which are
spoken of, but adorn thyself more and more with the deeds
and conversation of these glorious men who were in very
truth, even as they are called, blessed men.
The athlete of Christ, the first Macarius, was by race an
Egyptian, and the second Macarius, although he was second to
him in the matter of age, was nevertheless first in the opinion
of the monks (or solitaries) ; and this man, whose name also
was Macarius, which is interpreted " blessed," was from the
city of Alexandria, and he was [one] of those who sold dried
fruit and wine.
In* another manuscript I have found a different version [of
the history of the two Macarii which I have used] in the pre
paration of [this] history, and I set this down here also; now
it reads as follows :
And as concerning the two blessed men whose names were
the same, inasmuch as their rule of life and conversation were
of an exceedingly exalted character, perhaps many will not
believe [what I write]. I, however, am afraid lest I may under
state and belittle their triumphs in any way whatsoever, and lie
* This is a note of a careful scribe or editor.
113 8
XTbe parafcise of tbe 1bols ffatbers
concerning them, for it is written, " Thou wilt destroy those
i who speak falsehood" (Psalm xii, 3). The Holy Spirit hath
passed this sentence upon me, therefore, O beloved and faith
ful men, believe ye me. Now one of these two blessed men
was an Egyptian by race, and the other was an Alexandrian
who sold dried fruits. First of all I will tell the story of the
ascetic excellences of Macarius the Egyptian, the whole of
whose years were ninety; he was thirty years old when he
went up to the desert, and [he] lived therein for sixty years. And
he was given the gift of [performing] mighty deeds in such a
remarkable manner that he was called by the fathers " the
"aged youth," because straightway and quickly he ascended
to the highest grade of ascetic excellence and gifts, and to the
power of interpreting the Scriptures, and to spiritual foresight.
And the gift of possessing power over devils was also given
to him, and he was also esteemed worthy of the priesthood.
With this blessed man there lived in the further (or inner)
desert, which is called "Scete," two disciples; one of these
was his servant, for many folk were wont to come unto him
to be healed, and the other remained always in a cell which
was nigh unto Macarius. And when much time had passed
by, Macarius looked and said unto him that ministered unto
him (now his name was John, and he afterwards became the
elder in the place of the blessed man), he answered, I say, and
said unto him, " Hear me, O John, and receive the rebuke with
4 which I rebuke thee. For thou art suffering temptation, and
"behold the spirit of the love of money (i.e., avarice) tempt-
"eth thee, for even so have I seen. And I know that if thou
"wilt listen unto me thy end in this place shall be praised, and
"no harm shall draw nigh unto thy habitation. But if thou
"wilt not hearken unto me, because of the love of money which
"moveth thee, the leprosy of Gehazi (2 Kings v, 27) shall
"come upon thee at the end." And it came to pass some fifteen
or twenty years after the death of the blessed man, John for
got his commandment, and because he used to steal from the
poor, his body became so covered with leprosy that there was
not in the whole of it one sound spot large enough for a man
to lay his finger upon. Thus the prophecy of the blessed
Macarius concerning John actually came to pass.
Now if we were to attempt to describe the food and drink
of the holy man, we should do what is superfluous, because
among the thoughtless monks who lived in that place there
was not to be found any one thing which could lead to excess
either in eating or drinking; first because of the poverty of the
spot, and secondly because of the divine zeal which they dis
play towards each other. But I may mention his sad and stern
114
flDacarius tbe
habits of self-denial in various other ways. And they relate con
cerning him that he was at all times in a state of wonder at
some divine vision, and that he used to become like a drunken
man by reason of some hidden vision, and that his mind was
more often exalted unto God than it was concerned with the
things which are in this world, and those which are under the
heavens. And, as concerning the wonderful things which God
wrought by his hands, it is not seemly that we should keep
silence, and of him the following marvellous things are told.
A certain Egyptian loved another man s wife, but since he
was not able to incite her to love him and to make her yield
to his will, he spake unto a certain magician, saying, "Make
"this woman to love me, or employ thy sorcery in some way
"so that her husband may hate her, and cast her out." Now
when the magician had received money not a little, he made use
of his sorceries, and he made the woman to appear in the form
of a mare ; and when her husband went into his house from
outside, and saw her, astonishment seized him [at the sight
of] a mare lying upon his bed. Then he lifted up his voice in a
sorrowful cry, and he wept tears, and heaved sighs; and he
spake with her, but she made no reply unto him, and she
answered him not a word. And having seen what had taken
place, he went to the elder of the village (i.e., the Shekh al-
Balad), and told him concerning this matter, and brought him
and took him in and shewed him what had happened. And for
a space of three days he knew not what the matter was, for
the mare neither ate dried grass like an animal, nor did she
partake of bread like a daughter of man ; and she did without
food of either kind. Finally, however, in order that God might
be glorified, and a miracle might also be made manifest at the
hands of the blessed Macarius, and his spiritual perfection be
made known, it entered into the mind of the man who was
the woman s husband to take her to the desert to the blessed
Macarius. And having saddled her like a mare, and thrown
over her a halter, like an animal, he led her away and departed
to the desert.
And when the man arrived at the cell of the blessed Macarius,
the brethren who were standing by the side of the cell of the
blessed Macarius saw him, and they wanted to keepbackthehus-
band of the woman, and strove withhim, saying, " Whyhastthou
"brought this mare into the desert?" And the man said unto
them, "That she may receive mercy, and be healed." They
said unto him, "What aileth her?" And he answered and said
unto them, "She is a woman who hath been suddenly trans
formed into a mare, and behold, she hath eaten no food for
"three days." Then the brethren went and told the blessed
115 8a
TTbe iparafctee of tbe fbols ffatbers
Macarius what the matter was, and when they came to inform
him they found him standing inside [his cell] and praying- for
her, for God had already revealed this matter unto him, and
he was praying for the woman. And the holy man Macarius
answered and said unto his disciples: "Ye are mares which
"have the eyes of horses; but that mare is a woman. She
" hath not been changed from her nature of a woman except
"in the sight to those who have made a mistake; and that
" she appeareth as a mare is only an error of the sight of those
" who see her." Then the blessed man took water and blessed
it, and he threw it over her head and it ran down all over her
body; and the blessed man prayed and straightway he made
her to appear in the form of a woman to every man. Then he
gave her some sacramental bread and made her to eat it before
every man, and then he sent her away healed with her hus
band ; and they departed from him rejoicing and praising God.
And the blessed man exhorted the woman, and said unto her,
"Be not at any time remote from the Church, and deprive not
"thyself of the Holy Mysteries, for all these things have hap
pened unto thee because for five weeks thou didst not partake
"of the Offering."
Let us now speak about his other excellences, and also of
his sad and stern habits of self-denial in other particulars. Now
because the large numbers of people who came to be blessed by
him gave him much trouble, he thought out the following plan
in his mind. He dug out a passage (or trench) in his cell
which was about twenty measures [in width], and he made from
it a tunnel of considerable length, [and it extended] from his cell
to the distance of half amile; at the place where the passage came
to an end he made above the end of it a small cave. And when
large numbers of people came to him and troubled him, he
used to leave his cell secretly and pass along hidden by the
tunnel and hide himself in the cave, where no one could find
him. Now he used to do this whenever he wished to escape
from the vain praise (or glory) of the children of men. And
one of his most strenuous disciples told us, saying, "As he
"was going from his cell to the cave he used to recite four
" and twenty antiphons, and as he was coming back four and
4 twenty also ; and whenever he went from his cell to the church
" he used to pray four and twenty prayers during his passage
" [thither], and four and twenty as he was coming back." And
moreover, they say that he gave life to a dead man in order
that he might convert a certain heathen who did not believe in
the resurrection of the dead, and this was spoken of through
out the desert.
Once a certain unmarried man who was vexed by an evil
116
/IDacarius tbe Blejanfcrian
devil was brought unto Macarius, being carefully fettered by
two other men, and his mother had caused him to be brought
unto him. Now the devil used to ac~l upon him in the following
manner. After he had eaten three baskets of bread and drunk
three bottles of water he used to vomit, and scatter the bread
and water in the air in the form of smoky vapour, and in this
wise his food and his drink were consumed in waste, even as
anything which is cast into the fire is consumed. Now there
are certain kinds of devils which are called "fiery," for there
are varieties among devils even as there are among men, in dis
position if not in nature. And inasmuch as his mother had not
that wherewith to satisfy him, he used to eat his own offal and
drink his own water; and his mother besought the blessed man
with tears on behalf of her son, and Macarius took him and
prayed over him, and entreated God on his behalf. And a day
or two after he had healed him of his trial, the blessed man
cried unto the mother of the young man, and said unto her,
" How much hast thou need of for the food of one day for him?"
And she said unto him, "Ten pounds of bread." Then he re
buked her and said, "Thou hast said too much." And after
seven days Macarius made the young man so that he needed
to eat three pounds [only, which was sufficient for him] to work
upon and live. Now this miracle God wrought by the hand of
the blessed Macarius, whose soul now sojourneth with the
angels. I never saw this man, for he died one year before I
entered the desert.
Gbapter \>fij. TOe Ibtstor^ of fl&acarius tbe
brian, tbe Glorious
AS for the other Macarius, the Alexandrian, I did seehim,
for he was an elder in the place which is called the "Cells,"
wherein I myself lived for nine years, and he lived for
three years after I entered therein; some of [his] wonderful acts I
myself have seen, and some of them I have learned from others,
and [of others] I have also heard rumours. Now his sad, stern
life of self-denial was as follows: Whensoever he heard of any
beautiful deed being done by any man whatsoever, he must
straightway carry it into practice in a fuller form. He once
heard from a certain man that all the brethren of Tabenna
never tasted any food whatsoever which had been cooked by
fire during the whole of the Forty Days Fast, and he straight
way determined within himself that for seven years he would
not eat any food which had been cooked by fire, and that he
would not partake of anything except young wild herbs, and
vegetables which had been made soft by soaking in water, or
similar things. And when he had completed this rule of life he
117
TOe paraMse of tbe Ibols jfatbers
heard of a monk in a certain monastery who only ate one pound
of bread each day, and he straightway broke his bread into
pieces and cast it into a vessel with a narrow mouth, and he
determined within himself that he would eat nothing that his
hand could not draw up out of the vessel the first time [he put
it in]. And time after time, he used to tell the story with a
smile, and say, "When I put my hand down I could fill it
"readily, but I could not draw it up full because the mouth of
"the vessel was [too] narrow, and it would not let me take it
" out full." Now he lived this hard life for three years, and ate
[daily only] four or five ounces of bread; and of water also he
only drank sufficient to enable him to eat his bread. Of oil [he
took] only one flask each year, making use of it only on the
great First Day of the Resurrection, and on the great day ot
Pentecost, and at the Nativity, and at the Epiphany, and when
he received [the Mysteries] during the Forty Days Fast. I will
tell also of the various other practices of his sad, hard life. He
determined [once] to vanquish sleep, and it is related that he
never entered under a roof for twenty days, and that he was
burnt up by the exceedingly great heat of the sun at noonday
during all this time, and that during the nights he was without
rest. And he himself told us, "Had I not quickly gone in under a
" roof and slept, and rested myself the brains in my head would
" have dried up, and I should become like a drunk man. But,"
he would say, "I have been conquered against my will, for
"although the nature of the body hath been overcome I have
"given it what it needeth."
And again, once when he was sitting in his cell a gnat bit
him in the leg and he suffered pain, and he crushed the gnat
in his hand and killed it. Then straightway he despised him
self because he had avenged himself upon the gnat, and
he passed upon himself the sentence that he should go^to
the place which is called "Scete," that is to say, the inner
desert, and sit there naked for six months. For there were
many great gnats (i.e., mosquitoes) there, and they were so
savage that they could pierce the skins of pigs, and they re
sembled wasps; and his whole body was so eaten and swollen
that a man would have thought that he had the hide of an
elephant, and when he came [back] to his cell six months later
they could only recognize from his voice that he was Macarius.
And again he desired greatly to go and see the garden of
Jannes and Jambres, the magicians of Egypt, because, as he
himself told us, they had obtained power, and riches and
dominion, and had built there a tomb, and had established
there great works in marble; now their tomb was ornamented
with many things, and they had also placed there gold and
118
flfoacarius tbe Hlejanbrtan
things of a marvellous character, and trees and plants, for the
place had been made into a garden, and they had also dug a
well there. Now because Macarius did not know the way, he
observed the course of the stars, and travelled thereby; and
thus he journeyed through the open desert as upon the sea.
And he took with him also a bundle of thin reeds, and at the
end of each mile he used to drive a reed into the ground like a
rock, so that he might be able to find the way when he had to
come back. And when he had journeyed for nine days, and had
drawn nigh the place wherein was the tomb, the Evil One, who
always wageth war against the athletes of the Lord, gathered
together all the reeds which the blessed man Macarius had
driven into the ground, and put them under his head for a
pillow whilst he was asleep, when he was about one mile
from the garden, and when the blessed man woke up he found
the reeds. Now it is probable that God permitted this thing to
happen for His own glory and for the triumph of His servant,
so that Macarius might not put his confidence in reeds, but
upon God, Who by means of a pillar of cloud led the children
of Israel in the desert for forty years. And Macarius told us,
saying, " Seventy devils came forth against me from thatgar-
" den, and they flew about before my face like ravens, and
1 they were crying out and groaning, and saying, * What
" seekest thou here, O Macarius? What seekest thou, O
" monk? Why hast thou come hither? Thou canst not stay
" here. And I said unto them, I only want to go in and see
" [the garden], and then I will depart. And I entered therein,
"and I saw everything, and [I found] hanging over the well
" an iron chain with a brass bucket, but they were rusted
"through age; and the pomegranates which were therein
" were dried up and burnt by the sun." And having seen [the
garden] he turned and came back in twenty days.
Now when he was coming back he lacked water, and the
bread also which he had carried was finished, and he was nigh
to perish, and was in great tribulation through thirst, when
suddenly he saw a damsel who was arrayed in a spotless linen
garment and who carried a pitcher of water wherefrom water
dripped, and she was distant about half a mile from him.
Then he followed her for three days, thinking that he would
overtake her and drink, but he did not do so, although she
seemed to him to be standing still in one place and bearing a
pitcher. Then he despaired of obtaining water to drink, and
he was brought very low, when suddenly there appeared unto
him there a herd of buffaloes. And among them there was one
which had with her a little sucking calf, and she stood still
before him; and he drew nigh and sucked milk from her. And
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ZTbe parafcise of tbe fools jf atbers
she came with him through all the desert even unto his cell
and gave him milk to drink, and she would not let her calf
suck from her in those days.
And on another occasion the brethren were digging a well
in a certain place which was called Thronon, when a serpent
which belonged to the class of deadly serpents bit him. Then
Macarius took hold of the serpent with his two hands by his
upper and lower lip and, grasping him tightly, tore him in
twain, from his head even unto his tail, and said unto him,
" Since Christ did not send thee, why didst thou dare to
"come [here]?" Now the blessed man had four cells in the
desert: one in Scete, in the inner desert, one in Libya (?), one
in the " Cells," and one in Mount Nitria. [Two] of these were
without windows, and in them he used to dwell in darkness
during the Forty Days Fast, another was so narrow that he
could not stretch out his legs, but another, wherein he used
to receive the brethren who came unto him, was wide and
spacious. And he healed so many people who were possessed
by devils that no man could count them. Once when I and the
blessed Evagrius were there in his cell they brought unto him
from Thessalonica a certain virgin who had been a paralytic
for many years, but by means of prayers and by anointing her
with oil with his hands he cured her in twenty days and sent
her away whole to her city and home; and when she had de
parted she sent to him gold and goods of various kinds.
And again, he heard from a certain man that the monks of
the Monastery of Tabenna lived stern lives of self-denial, and
he took counsel with himself, and put on the garb of a young
man and a husbandman, and in fifteen days he went up to the
Monastery of the Broken Ones by the way of the desert, and
came to the Monastery of Tabenna, seeking to see the head of
that Monastery whose name was Pachomius. Now Pachomius
was a man elect and perfect, and he had the gift of prophecy,
but the [business] of the blessed Macarius was hidden from
him. And when Macarius saw him he said unto him, "Abba,
" I beseech thee to receive me into thy monastery that I may
" be a monk therein." Pachomius said unto him, "Thou art
" an old man, and art not able to fast. The brethren are men
" who fast, and thou canst not endure their labours, and be-
" cause thou art not able to do this [thou wilt] be offended,
" and thou wilt go forth and wilt abuse them"; and he would
receive him neither the first day nor the second day, nor any
day until seven days [were passed]. But since he remained
fasting throughout all these days he said unto the head of the
monastery, "Abb, receive me. And if I do not fast like unto
" you, and toil as ye do, command them to cast me out;" so
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/IDacarius tbe
the head of the monastery persuaded the brethren to receive
him. Now the number of the members of the brotherhood of
that monastery were four hundred men, [and they are thus
even] unto this day; and they brought in Macarius.
And when a few days had passed, the Forty Days Fast
drew nigh, and Macarius saw that large numbers of the
brethren kept the fast and observed the rule of the house in
various ways. There were some who ate daily at eventide, and
some [who fasted for some] nights, and there were also some
who ate once in five days; and some stood up the whole night
through, and sat down in the daytime. And the blessed man
Macarius took a large quantity of leaves of date palms, and
brought them [to his cell], and he stood up in one corner
thereof, and he neither touched bread nor water, nor bent the
knee, nor lay down, until the forty days had passed, and the
days of unleavened bread had come; but each Sunday he used
to eat a few moist cabbage leaves so that he might pretend to
be taking food. Whensoever he went outside his cell for a
needful purpose he returned straightway and stood up in his
place without speaking a word unto any man ; and he stood
in his place and held his peace, and he used to do nothing
else except pray within himself, and as he stood up he wove
rope of the palm leaves. And when all the brethren saw him
they made a tumult against the head of their monastery,
and said unto him, "W T hence hast thou brought upon us this
" man, who hath no body and who is incapable of being tired
"out, to judge us and to take vengeance upon us? [Either
" send him away and let him depart], or know that we all will
" go away." Now when the head of the monastery had heard
from the brethren concerning the fasting of Macarius and his
rule of life, he prayed to God and entreated Him to reveal to
him who this man was, and it was revealed unto him by God.
Then he went and took him by his hand, and he brought him
to the house of prayer to the place where the altar was stab-
lished, and he answered and said unto him, "Come, O blessed
"old man, thou art Macarius, and thou hast hidden thyself
"from me. For many years past I have earnestly desired to
" see thee, and now I thank thee that thou hast broken the
" heartof the brethren somewhat, so that they may not imagine
" any longer that they observe their fast with excessive rigour.
" Go then in peace to thy place, for in no slight measure hast
"thou edified us, and do thou continue to pray for us"; then
Pachomius having persuaded him, Macarius departed from
thence.
And Macarius used to say, "Every kind and variety of rule
"of the life of self-denial and fasting which I have desired to
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Ube parafcise ot tfoe tools ff atbers
" observe with all my heart have I kept, but there came upon
"me the desire that my mind should be with God in heaven
" [if] only for five days, and that I should be exalted above
" the anxious cares and thoughts of material things. And
"having meditated upon this thing, I shut the door of the
"courtyard and of the cell, and I constrained myself so that I
" might not give a word to [any] man. And I continued thus,
" and I began [to fulfil this thought] on the second day of the
"week, and I commanded my mind, and said unto it, Thou
" shalt not descend from heaven, for behold, there thou hast
" angels, and the princes of angels, and all the hosts which
" are in heaven, and especially the Good and Gracious God,
" the Lord of all. Thou shalt not come down from heaven.
" And continuing thus I was sufficient for this thing for two
" days and two nights, and I constrained the Evil One to such
" a degree that he became a flame of fire and burnt up every-
" thing which I had in my cell, and at length the very mat
" upon which I stood blazed with fire, and I thought that I
" should be wholly consumed. Now when, finally, fear of the fire
" took hold upon me my mind came down from heaven on the
"third day, because I was unable to keep my mind collected
" in the state in which it had been, and I came down to the
"contemplation of the world and the things thereof. And this
" happened so that I might not boast."
And on another occasion I went to his cell, and I found a
priest lying there by the side of the door; his whole head was
consumed, and was eaten into holes by the disease which is
called cancer, and the bone of his skull was shewing through.
Now this man had come unto him to be healed, but Macarius
did not wish to see him. And I myself besought the blessed
man and said unto him, "I beseech thee to have mercy upon
" him, and to give unto him a word." Then he answered and
said unto me, "He is not worthy to be healed, for [this]
"punishment was sent upon him from God. But if thou de-
" sirest that he shall be healed persuade him to forsake the
" ministration at the altar, for he used both to be minister at
"the altar and to commit fornication, and for this reason he
"was punished. Persuade him then to forsake [his ministra-
" tions], and God will heal him." And having said these things
to the sick man he pledged himself and swore an oath, saying,
"I will never minister at the altar again"; and afterwards
Macarius received him, and said unto him, "Dost thou be-
lieve that God existeth ? " and the priest said unto him, Yea,
" master." And again Macarius said unto him, "Peradventure
" thou art able to scoff [at God]," and the priest said unto him,
" Nay." Then the blessed man said unto him, "If now thou
122
/I&acarius tbe
4< dost acknowledge thy folly, and also that thy punishment
" was from God and that it was a fitting 1 punishment for thy
" deeds, first of all confess thy transgressions." And the priest
gave a promise that he would not sin again, and that he would
not minister at the altar, but that he would lead a life which
was suited to the capacity and grade of those who were in the
world ; and Macarius laid his hand upon him, and in a few-
days he was made whole, and the hair grew upon his head
[again], and he went to his house healed whilst I was looking
at him.
And again a certain young man who had an evil devil was
brought unto him and he laid one hand on the head of the
young man and another on his heart, and he prayed until he
made the devil to rise up in the air, whereupon the young man
breathed out his breath and became like a great [empty] skin
bottle ; and he suddenly uttered a cry, and water flowed out
from all parts of his members, and he was made whole and
became as he was before the devil entered into him. Then
Macarius anointed him with the oil of the martyrs, and com
manded his father that he was not to taste flesh or wine for
forty days, until he was thoroughly healed.
And again on a certain occasion certain thoughts of vain
glory vexed him, and urged him to go forth from his cell and
to depart and heal the multitudes in Rome and to give assis
tance unto those who were lying [there] sick, for the grace and
might of God were inciting him greatly to heal those who were
possessed of devils and to make whole those who were diseas
ed; but although he was much disturbed in his mind [on this
matter], yet he was not persuaded to go, for the Evil One
greatly pressed upon him in his thoughts. Finally, however,
he lay down inside the door of his cell, and having set his legs
(or feet) on the threshold, he cried out and said, "Pull, un-
" clean devils, pull hard, for I will never go [thither] on my
* legs, and if you are able to carry me you must do so thus."
And he took an oath to them [i.e., the brethren], saying, "I
"continued to lie thus until the evening, and if ye had not
" lifted me up, I should never have moved from my place."
And when the night had come he stood up.
And again, on another occasion, when these thoughts were
mounting up [in his mind] he filled with sand a basket which
held two or three bushels, and lifting it on his shoulders he
began to wander about [with it] in the desert. And his kins
man Theosebius the Antiochian met him and he said unto
him, "What art thou carrying on thy shoulders, father? Tell
" me, so that I may carry thy load, and that thou mayest not
" toil thyself." And he said unto him, " I am making to work
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ZTbe paraMse ot tbe 1bois ffatbers
" that which hath made me to work, for it wisheth to go forth
"from its state of rest, and it fatigueth me"; and having
walked about for a long time he went into his cell, having
exhausted his body.
And one day there laid hold upon me the chills of fever, and
I went and sat down, and watched him from the window (or
opening in the wall), in the feebleness of his old age. And I was
thinking about him that he was like unto one of the brethren of
old, and I began to listen unto him that I might see what he
was saying, or what he was doing; now he was alone inside
[his cell], and he was one hundred years old, and moreover,
his teeth had fallen out by reason of his old age. And I listened
unto him and to what he was saying, and he was striving with
his soul and with Satan, and he was saying unto himself,
" What dost thou wish for, O thou wicked old man? Behold,
" thou hast eaten oil, and thou hast drunk wine, what more
* dost thou wish for ? Wouldst [thou] eat Satan s white food ? "
And he was reviling himself. And moreover he said unto Satan,
" I cannot conquer thee in any wise, and thou art not able to
" do anything unto me; get thee gone from me." And again
he said unto himself, " How long shall I be with thee ?"
And moreover, Paphnutius, the disciple of this man, re
lated unto myself and unto the blessed Evagrius, saying,
" One day a female hyena took her whelp, which was blind,
"and came and knocked with her head at the door of the
"court when he was sitting therein, and she dropped the
" whelp at his feet. And he took up the whelp, and prayed, and
" spat in its eyes, and straightway its eyes were opened and it
" saw ; and its mother gave it suck, and then took it up and
" went forth. And one day later she brought unto the blessed
"man a sheep-skin cloak, that is to say, a skin which hath
" been stripped off a sheep; and the blessed woman Melania
" spoke unto me concerning this sheep-skin cloak, saying, I
"myself received this sheep-skin cloak from the hands of
" Macarius as a blessing."
And Paphnutius also spake thus, " From the first day where-
" on he received baptism he never spat upon the ground, and he
" lived for sixty years after his baptism."
Now in his latter days he was beardless, and he only had a
small quantity of hair upon his [upper] lip and upon his chin;
because by reason of his excessive fasting and the abstinence
of his solitary life not even the hair of [his] beard would grow.
I once went unto him when weariness of the ascetic life had
laid hold upon me, and I said unto him, " Father, what shall
II I do? For my thoughts vex me, and say unto me, Thou
" art doing no [good], get thee gone from here. " And he said
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Paul tbe Simple
unto me, "Say unto thy thoughts, For Christ s sake I will
" guard these walls."
I have written for thee these few things out of a very large
number concerning the life and deeds of the holy man Maca-
rius, and concerning the solitary monks who were his com
panions; and everything is indeed true. I entreat all those
brethren who read in this book, or who desire to take a copy
therefrom, not to forget [to write] after [this section] the nar
rative which is found in certain of the codices at the end of
the above history which relateth unto the matters of Macarius,
as if these histories had been composed by Hieronymus, but
they must know that of a certainty that they were composed
by Palladius. For I have found the absolute ending of this
book which belonged to the histories of the matters of
Macarius, with an apology and a preface which were com
posed by Palladius [and addressed] to Lausus the Prefect,
wherein he maketh known concerning all the various kinds of
the divers histories of men and of women which were com
posed by him; and I will prepare this apology and preface,
and by the help of God I will write them down in the proper
place.
Cbapter i . f tbe ffilessefc tf&an Paul tbe Simple, tbe
HHsciple ot Hbba Hntbon^
NOW there was a certain husbandman whose name
was Paul, who was more simple and innocent in nature
than are [usually] the children of men ; and he had a
wife who was beautiful in her appearance, and wicked in her
deeds and actions, and she had wandered from him and had been
committing adultery for a long time. And one day, suddenly
Paul went into [his house] from the field, and he found her
and another working impurity together; now this took place
so that Divine Grace might incite Paul [to follow] that which
was more excellent. And having [gone in and] seen them, he
laughed chastely, and answered and said, "It is good, it is
"good, truly she is not accounted mine by me. By Jesus,
" henceforth I will not take her again. Get thee gone, and be-
"hold she is thine, she and her children : and as forme, I will
"go and become a monk." And saying nothing unto any man
he went away a journey of eight stages, and he arrived at the
cell of Mar Anthony the Great. And having knocked at the
door, the blessed man Mar Anthony went out, and he said
unto Paul, "What dost thou seek?" Paul said unto him, "I
"seek to become a monk." Mar Anthony answered and said
unto him, "[Thou art] an old man eighty years old, and it is
"impossible for thee to become a monk here; but depart to
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parafcfse of tbe 1bol^ ff atbers
"the village, and work in the fields for thy living, and give
"thanks unto God at the same time that thou art not able to
"endure the afflictions of the desert." And again Paul
answered and said unto him, "Whatsoever thou wilt teach
"me, that will I do." Anthony said unto him, "I have told
"thee that thou art an old man, and thou canst not [do it];
but if thou wishest to become a monk, get thee gone to some
monastic house, and abide where the brethren are many,
and where they will be able to bear with thy sickness (or
infirmity). As for me, I live by myself alone here, and I only
eat once in five days, and even then I do not eat a full meal."
With these and suchlike words did Anthony frighten Paul.
And as he would not be persuaded to depart, Anthony went
into [his cell], and shut the door upon himself for three days,
and because of him he did not go outside his cell for three
whole days, not even for his need s sake. Nevertheless Paul
did not go away; and on the fourth day, when his need com
pelled him, Anthony opened the door and went forth. And
again he said unto Paul, "Get theegone, O old man, why dost
"thou trouble me? It is impossible for thee to stay here." Paul
said unto him, "It is impossible for me to die in any other
"place except this."
And the blessed Anthony, having looked carefully and seen
that he was carrying no food with him, and no bread and no
water, and that he had fasted during the four days which he had
remained, said within himself, Peradventure he will escape and
"die, and will plunge my soul in tribulation"; so he accepted
him and brought him into [his cell]. And because of Paul
duringthose days Anthony performed exceedingly severe ascetic
labours, the like of which, even in his early manhood, he had
never performed. And he soaked [palm] leaves in water, and
gave them unto Paul, and said unto him, "Take these palm
"leaves, and weave a mat therefrom even as do I myself."
And the old man Paul took [them], and wove them [into a
mat] fifteen cubits [long], until at the ninth hour he was ex
hausted. And Anthony, seeing what he had woven, was angry
with him, and said unto him, " Thou hast woven [the leaves]
" loosely, unweave [them], and weave [them] over again neatly
"and closely. "And Paul unwove what he had woven, and wove
the leaves over again, but still he wove too loosely, because
the leaves had become twisted through [the former] weaving
and unweaving. Meanwhile Paul was fasting all these days,
and Anthony laid these hard labours upon him while his soul
was vexed with hunger, so that he might become disgusted
and depart from him.
Now when Anthony saw that Paul was neither angry nor
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Paul tbe Simple
wrathful, and that he made no complaint, his mercy made
itself manifest; and behold when Paul had lived [there an
other] day, he said unto him, "Dost thou wish to eat a piece
" of bread?" The old man Paul said unto him, "As it pleas-
"eth thee, father." And this also especially shamed Mar
Anthony, that he did not hasten in his desire to the promise
of food, but that he cast all his desire upon him. There
upon Anthony said unto him, " Set the table and bring
"bread." And Anthony placed on the table four loaves, each
of which was of the weight of about six ounces, and he dipped
them in water because they were dry, and he placed one before
himself and three before Paul. And having placed them [there]
he sang a psalm which he knew twelve times, and he recited
twelve prayers that he might try Paul, but Paul prayed with
him in gladness ; and after the twelve prayers they sat down
to eat in the late evening. Having eaten one loaf Anthony
did not touch another, but the old man Paul ate slowly, and
[when Anthony had finished] he had still some of his loaf [to
eat], and Anthony was waiting for him to finish it. And having
finished it, he answered and said unto him, "Little father,
"wilt thou eat another loaf?" And Paul said unto him, "If
"thou wilt eat another I will also; but if thou wilt not, I will
"not." Anthony saith unto him, "I have had enough, for I
"am a monk." And Paul said unto him, "I also have had
"enough, for I also seek to become a monk." And after these
things Anthony again stood up, and made twelve prayers,
and when they had said together the psalms twelve times
they slept for a little during the night, and then they sang
and prayed until the morning.
And when Anthony saw that the old man was carrying out
with gladness a rule of life similar unto his own in every
respe<5t, he said unto him, " If thou art able to bear every
" day passed in this wise, then stay with me." Paul said unto
him, "Although I know nothing else, yet the things which
" I do know I can perform easily"; and on another day An
thony said unto him, Behold, thou hast become a monk." And
a few months afterward when Anthony saw that his soul was
perfect before God, and that he was simple beyond measure,
and that Divine Grace was helping him, he built him a cell at
a distance of about three or four miles away, and said unto
him, "Behold, thou art a monk, and henceforth thou must
" live by thyself so that thou mayest receive the temptation of
"devils." Now when Paul had lived by himself for a year,
the gift of healing and of casting out devils was given unto him
And in those times they brought unto Anthony a certain
man who was vexed by a fierce devil, and that devil was one
127
Ube paradise of tbe Ifools ffatbets
of the princes of the devils, and he was so fierce that he would
even revile and blaspheme the heavens. And when Anthony
saw the man he said, "I cannot heal this man, for [over this
" race of princes] neither the gift nor the power [of healing]
"hath been given unto me; unto Paul it belongeth to heal
" this man." And Anthony therefore took them with him and
went unto him, and said unto him, "O Abba Paul, cast out
"this devil from this man, so that, being made whole, he
" may depart to his house." Then Paul said unto him, " And
"what wilt thou do?" And Anthony said unto him, "lam
" not able to do it, for I have other work [to do]" ; and he left
the man with Paul and went [back] to his cell. Then the old
man Paul rose up and prayed a prayer with great feeling, and
he began to speak unto that devil, saying, "Father Anthony
"saith, Go forth from this man. " And the devil answered
with blasphemies, saying, "I will not go forth, O thou who
" eatest white bread"; then the old man took his shoulder
garment (or skull cap), and began to smite the devil on his
back and sides, saying, "I tell thee that Abba Anthony saith,
" Get thee forth from him "; whereupon the devil began to
curse and revile Abba Anthony and the old man Paul. Finally
Paul said [unto him], "Wilt thou go forth, or must I go and
"tell Christ, yea Jesus? For if thou wilt not go forth I will
"go and tell Christ, and great woe shall come upon thee";
and again he blasphemed and said, "I will not go forth."
Then was the blessed man Paul wroth with him, and he went
out from his cell; now it was the season of noon, and the heat
with the Egyptians [at this time] is so fierce that it is akin to
the heat of the fiery furnace of the Babylonians. And he stood
upon a stone and prayed, and spake thus, "Behold, O Jesus
Christ, Who wast crucified in the days of Pontius Pilate, I will
"not come down from this stone, and I will neither eat nor
" drink until I die unless Thou dost cast out that devil from
" this man, and dost set him free from him." And whilst these
words were yet in his mouth the devil cried out by reason of
his tribulation, and said, "By Hercules, by whom am I ruled,
"by Hercules, I am being persecuted with violence, for the
"simplicity of Paul pursueth me; whither shall I go?" Paul
saith unto him, "To the uttermost depths of the abyss"; and
straightway the devil went forth from the man, and he trans
formed himself and became like unto a mighty dragon seventy
cubits long, and he wriggled along the ground and in this
wise went down to the Red Sea, that might be fulfilled that
which is written, "Perfect faith removeth mountains" (St.
Matthew xvii, 20). This is the triumph of Paul, who was called
the "Simple" by the whole brotherhood.
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pacbomius
Cbapter . f tbe Blessefc /toan pacbomtus
AND there was also another man whose name was
Pachomius, who was seventy years old and who dwelt
in that mountain which is called Scete; unto him I once
went when lustful thoughts concerning- women were afflict
ing me, and when my mind was dark and obscured by the
thoughts of lust, and by the visions and heaviness of the
nights, and when I was well nigh departing from the desert,
for lust laid upon me many things [hard to bear]. Now I did
not reveal unto my neighbours and unto the brethren who
were living with me my tribulations, and not even unto my
master Evagrius; but I went forth and I began to wander
about in the desert, and I saw one of the old men who had
grown old in the place now they were all perfect fathers
and after this I saw this blessed old man Pachomius, and
I found that he was superior to them all in his life, and deeds,
and in his understanding. And I took courage to reveal unto
him the strife of my mind, and he spake unto me thus: Do
" not imagine that this is a strange matter in any way. This
" thing hath not happened unto thee through thine own negli-
" gence, and the place itself in which thou livest is a witness
" for thee, for it is restricted in the matter of things of every
" kind, and there is no woman therein; this lust hath fallen
4 upon thee through [thy] strenuousness. For this warfare
" of lust and also of fornication is of a threefold [character];
" sometimes it setteth our body against us when it is healthy
" and well fed, and at others lust itself, with the natural pas-
" sion which is implanted in us [attacketh us], and at others
" the Evil One himself because of his envy. And I have
" watched many times, and I have found that it is even as
" I have said unto thee." And he said unto me, "I, the old
" man whom thou seest, have lived in this cell for forty years,
" and I have taken the utmost care for my life and for the re-
" demption of my soul, and even in this period of great old
" age, wherein thou seest that I am, I am greatly tormented
"by lust."
And he assured me with an oath, saying, " When I was
" fifty years old lust placed itself [upon] me for twelve years,
" never going away from me either by day or by night, and I
" thought in my mind that God had forsaken me, and there-
" fore (for to such an extent had lust gained dominion over
"me) I determined in my heart that I would either suffer
" death through dumb beasts, or that I should become a
" laughing-stock or a man condemned through the lust of the
"body. And I went forth and wandered round about in the
129 9
ZTbe paraMse of tbe ffools ffatbers
44 desert, and I found a den of hyenas, and I laid myself down
44 naked at the entrance thereof that they might come out and
44 devour me. And when it was evening as it is written, Hehath
44 made the darkness, and it becometh night, wherein all the
14 beasts of the forest do move (Psalm cxiv, 20), and the lions
44 4 roartobreak[theirprey] the hyenas, both male and female,
"came out, and they all sniffed at (or smelt) me, and licked
44 my body from my head to my feet, and while I was thinking
44 that they would eat me they went away from me; and there
44 I remained the whole of that night, and they ate me not.
44 And again I thought that God had had compassion upon me,
44 and straightway I returned and came to my cell. And that
44 devil of lust, having forborne with me a little, returned once
44 again, and moreover he attacked me more fiercely than be-
4 fore, and he did so with such vigour that by reason of my
44 affliction I well nigh cursed myself. Now, this devil of lust
44 used to take the form of an Ethiopian damsel whom I saw
44 in my early manhood gathering canes in the summer, and he
44 came in her form and sat upon my knees, and he used to set
" me on fire with lust to such an extent that I imagined I was
"having intercourse with her, and when through the burning
14 of my heart and the madness thereof, I gave her the cheek,
44 straightway she would lift herself up from me and take
44 to flight. And from the time when I touched her my hand
44 was so polluted that for the space of two hours [afterwards]
41 whensoever I brought my hand near me I was unable [to free
44 it] from her foulness. But again I went forth because of my
44 affliction, and I began to wander about in the desert, and I
44 found a small asp, and I took it and placed its head upon
44 the members of my body, and I squeezed the head of the
"asp so that it might bite me and I might die, and so find
44 relief, but it bit me not. And after this I heard a voice which
44 came to my ears and said unto me, Depart, Pachomius,
44 and be strong; I have allowed thee to be overcome in order
44 that thou mightest not imagine that thou wast a mighty
4 4 man and a man of perfection, and that thou hadst triumphed
4 through thine own life and deeds, but that thou mightest
44 know thine infirmity, and the feebleness of thy nature, and
44 that thou mightest not rely upon thine asceticism but
44 mightest confess the help of God and cry out to Him al-
44 ways. And having heard these words I returned to my cell,
44 and I dwelt therein with great boldness of heart, and I never
44 again had anxious care concerning this warfare of lust, but
4 I continued in peace for the rest of my days after this war-
44 fare. Now, the devil of lust, seeing that I no longer medi-
44 tated about the matter, never again approached me." With
130
Stepben
these words about the striving against Satan the holy man
Pachomius confirmed me, and he made me strong to play the
man more and more, and to be mighty in the warfare against
the devil of fornication, and he dismissed me and said unto
me, "Be strong and mighty in our Lord."
Cbapter j. f tbe Blessed /I&an Stepben
STEPHEN was a man who was by race of the Libyans
who [dwell by] the side of Marmarica and Mareotis, and
he lived there for sixty years. Now in another codex [the
text readeth] differently, thus : There was also in the desert a
certain blessed man whose name was Stephen, and he was by
race a Libyan from the border (or side) of Marmarica; and he
dwelt there in the desert for sixty years. And having attained
unto the heights of a perfect rule of life, he was esteemed [by
Divine Grace] worthy of the gift of discerning prudence and
of the faculty of giving consolation to such an extent that
whosoever drew nigh unto him, being afflicted in any way
whatsoever, departed from him with joy. Now the blessed
Anthony was acquainted with this man. And this Stephen
continued in this life even unto our own days, but I never
lived with him and I never met him, because the mountain
[wherein he dwelt] was a long way off from me. The holy men
Ammonius and Evagrius, however, who went to visit him rela
ted unto me stories concerning him, and they said, "Having
gone to him we found him grievously sick of a certain sore
* sickness which had come upon him, for a cancerous sore
had broken out in the lower parts of his body; now this
sore is called gangrene, and we found him being cut by a
certain physician. Nevertheless the holy man was working
with his hands and was plaiting [palm] leaves, and he held
4 converse with us whilst portions of his body were being cut
off. And he possessed the faculty of patient endurance to
* such a degree that it seemed as if the body of some one else
4 was being cut instead of his own; now when his members
* had been shorn off like hair he continued, through the
grace of God, to be without perception thereof. And whilst
the physician was binding him up he sat still and plaited
baskets with his hands, and he conversed with us, rejoicing
and giving thanks unto God. And moreover, he displayed
* such patient endurance whilst his member was being cut off
that one might have thought that it had not been cut off at
4 all, and he resembled altogether a man from whose body
threads of hair are being plucked. Now we stood there and
marvelled at this affliction, for we could not bear to see the
man who had led a life of such ascetic and spiritual excel-
131 9/z
Ube parafcise of tbe tools 3f atbers
"lences fall into such a state of suffering that at length
" amputation of his members was necessary. And the blessed
" man, having perceived our thoughts and seen that it grieved
"us, answered and said unto us, O my sons, be not ye
" afflicted concerning this matter, and do not lessen your
* faith because of this thing, for God never performeth any-
* thing whatsoever that is evil, on the contrary, He looketh
" for a happy conclusion [to His work]. Oh, how many were
" the times when these members were condemned to punish-
" ment! For they merited being cut off, and it is better that
" they should receive their reward here than after their depar-
" ture out of this world. These were the things which he
14 spake unto us, and he comforted us and sent us away, say-
" ing, Be not ye scandalized when ye see trials of this kind
" coming upon holy men, for by such God hath built us up
" and comforted us, and hath made us to be confirmed in the
(l laws which are against tribulations. " I have related these
things in order that we may not wonder when we see the
saints falling into tribulations.
H preface concerning tbose wbo bave fallen into tbe
Brrors of Sins
IT is very necessary, O my brethren, that we should also
keep in memory the histories which concern the life and
deeds of those who have tripped up and fallen as an excel
lent admonition of those who come across this book (just as
among the trees that were in Paradise the Tree of Good and
Evil was also found), so that if it happen that certain men
lead good lives through the Grace and help of God, Who is
wont to help those whose motive of soul is [directed] straight
to the mark, they may not be exalted overmuch and have
pride in their works of ascetic excellence. For on many oc
casions this very excellence itself hath been the cause of a fall
when it hath not been made perfect by means of a correct
motive, for it is written, "I have seen the righteous man who
hath perished in his righteousness, which also is vanity"
(Ecclesiasticus vii, 15).
Gbapter ij. f Iflalens tbe Palestinian
AND there was a certain man whose name was Valens,
who was by race a Palestinian and by education a
Corinthian ; now the blessed Paul ascribed to the
Corinthians (i Corinthians iv) as a special attribute the passion
of pride and inflatedness. And having come to the desert and
dwelt with us for many years, at length he arrived at such a
degree of vaunting that he was laughed at by the devils; and
132
IDalens
from this state he went astray, little by little, until he was de
rided by them, and they became able to make him think that
angels were appearing unto him. Now therefore one day,
according to what they relate concerning him, as he was work
ing in the dark at the labour of his hands, the needle where
with he was sewing together the palm leaves fell down [on the
ground], and although he searched for it he could not find it;
and a devil lit a fire for him until he found it, and because of
this thing he became the more proud. And at length he be
came so proud, and allowed such arrogant thoughts to rise up
in his mind that he despised and thought scorn of the Holy
Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. And moreover, it
came to pass that certain men of discernment came and brought
unto the church some dried fruits as a [means of obtaining a]
blessing, and the blessed Macarius, our elder, received [them]
and sent [them] to the brethren, that is, some to every man in his
cell, and among the brethren he also sent [some] to Valens. And
Valens took the man who had been sent to bring the fruit to
him, and heaped insults upon him and smote him, saying,
" Go and say unto Macarius: I am neither inferior unto thee
" nor am I more of a servant than artthou, that thou shouldst
" send me a blessing. "
Now Macarius knew that he had been laid hold upon by
error, and he rose up and went unto him at the turn of the
day that he might persuade him, and he said unto him,
" Valens, Valens, thou hast made thyself a laughing-stock,
and hast fallen into error; receive then correction"; but seeing
that he was unwilling to hearken unto his admonition and
reproof he left him and departed. And having become more
confirmed in his pride, and having reached the summit thereof,
that devil, who had completely led him astray, went and made
unto himself a form wherein he resembled our Redeemer; and
he came unto him by night, together with phantoms of angels
in great numbers who marched along bearing lamps and wax
candles, and they advanced with chariots and carnages of
fire, as if that devil were Christ Himself. Then one of the
angels came forward unto him, and said unto him, "Christ
loveth greatly thy life and deeds, and thy boldness of speech,
* and He hath come to see thee. Get thee forth from thy cell,
* and do nothing whatsoever except such things as I shall tell
* thee. When thou seest Him afar off fall down and worship
Him, and go back to thy cell." Now therefore when Valens
had gone forth and seen the ranks [of phantoms] bearing
lamps of fire, and Antichrist himself sitting upon a chariot of
fire now he was distant from him about a mile he fell down
and worshipped him. And Valens was so much injured in his
133
paradise of tbe 1bols ff atbers
niind that at the turn of the day he was sufficiently mad to
come into the church and to say before all the brotherhood
who were assembled therein, " I have no need to become a
" partaker in the offering, for this day I have seen Christ
" Himself." Then the fathers tied him up and put iron fetters
upon him for about the space of one year, and in this way they
made him whole; and he was praying continually, and they
humbled him and brought him down from the exalted concep
tion which he held concerning himself by means of sundry and
divers works of a lovely and humble character, and thus they
rooted out from him pride, even as it is written, "Each oppos
ing sickness must be healed by medicines which are contrary
and opposite thereto."
Cbapter stfij. f 1bero tbe Hlejanbrtan [Bfsbop of
E>iospolis about H.H>, 365]
AND there was also my neighbour, a man whose name
was Ahron (Hero), who was by race an Alexandrian;
now his early manhood was exceedingly glorious, and
he was enlightened in his mind, and his intellect was keen,
and the habits of his life were pure. This man, I say, after
[performing] many labours was also seized by the passion of
boasting and pridefulness, and he wavered and fell; and he
evolved in his mind and imagined great things against the
fathers, and he reviled also the blessed Evagrius, saying,
"Those who allow themselves to be persuaded [into accept-
" ing] thy doctrine certainly go astray and err, for [men] re-
" quire no other teacher than Christ." And he put forward and
urged in witness of his words, with foolish intent, the speech
from the Gospel (which our Redeemer also spake), "Ye shall
" call no man master on the earth" (St. Matthew xxiii, 8). And
his understanding became so greatly blinded that at length on
him also iron fetters fell, and he was fast bound, because he
would neither be persuaded nor would he receive or be a
partaker of the Holy Mysteries, although he loved the truth
greatly. Now, the food upon which he lived was too little and
the habits of his life were immeasurably strict, for, according
to what those who were continually with him used to relate,
on several occasions he only partook of a meal once in three
months, the participation in the Mysteries only being sufficient
for him; but if it happened that he came across some wild
herbs by chance [he would eat them].
Now I myself, with the blessed man Albinus, received an
experience of him when we were going to Scete. Scete was
forty miles distant from us, and we partook of two meals and
drank water three times [on the way], whilst he tasted nothing
Ptolemy of Scete
at all during his journey with us. He travelled on foot, and he
was repeating [passages] from the Scriptures by heart; during
the time that he went with us, he repeated [passages] from the
Scriptures and sang fifteen Psalms, and he repeated the Beati
tudes and the Epistle to the Hebrews, and [the book of] Isaiah
the Prophet, and a portion of Jeremiah, and after [that] the
Gospel of [Saint] Luke, and after [that] the Proverbs; and in
spite of all this we were unable to overtake him as he trudged
along. Now therefore this man was at length persecuted by
lust as by a fire, and he was never again able to dwell in his
cell, but he went to Alexandria, and by reason of his pride it
happened unto him, through Divine Providence, even as it is
said, "One good is rooted up by another." Nevertheless,
having fallen willingly into a state of indifference, he finally
found redemption. Now he was present continually at the
shows of the theatres and circuses, and he was never absent
from the public drinking rooms of the taverns; and thus whilst
he was leading this life of prodigality and drunkenness he fell
and was brought to a standstill in the miry ditch of the lust of
women. At length he went to one of those women who are at
the head of the grade of harlots, and because of his passion
with all boldness he held converse with her, and these things
having thus been done by him there broke out in the place of
his nature a carbuncle which grew with great vigour, and his
sickness waxed sore upon him for a space of six months, and
his members rotted away and they had to be cut off. By these
means he became finally cured, but he remained without mem
bers; and afterwards he went back again to the integrity of
[his] nature, and to divine thoughts. [And he came to the
desert] and confessed all these things to the fathers, and
though he remained not a long time [there] he did not flee
from leading the ascetic life, nor from weeping because of what
had happened to him, nor from offering up the repentance
which was meet. And after a few days he died and departed
from this world.
Gbapter ix>* f Iptolems tbe Egyptian wbo was in
Scete
AND there was also another man whose name was
Ptolemy, and he was by race from Egypt, and he ob
served a rule of life which no man is able to describe,
or rather it is very difficult to relate the story of his life. He
dwelt away beyond Scete in that [district] which is called
" Klimax." Now the place which is thus called it is impossible
for a man to dwell in by reason of its ruggedness, and it was
distant from the stream of water wherefrom the brethren used
135
TTbe iparafcise of tbe *fcol2 jf atbers
to draw twelve miles. Now this man Ptolemy used to take
many vessels for water, and carry [them] to a certain spot
where much dew fell, and in December and January he used
to collect it, for in those countries the dewfall is abundant.
And having gathered together for himself water in sponge[s]
from time to time they were squeezed out by him, and the
water which he had collected from the dew ran out, and this
he was in the habit of doing during the fifteen years which he
dwelt there. Now this man, having for much time been deprived
of doctrine (or teaching), and of the meetings with the holy
fathers, and of the intercourse of edifying speech, and especi~
ally of participation in the Mysteries, went as wholly astray from
the straight path as if he had said, "The matters of service,
"that is to say, the Holy Mysteries, are nothing at all." And
from this state he senselessly departed and went on until at
length he went into Egypt and delivered himself over to pro
digal and riotous living, and he never more spake a word of
excellence unto any man. And his madness came upon Ptolemy
also because of the senseless and exalted opinion which he held
of himself, even as it is written, "Those who are not under
" the law of the governors shall fall like leaves."
Cbapter \>. f Hbrabam tbe
AND there was also a certain man whose name was
Abraham, and he kept a rule of life of the sternest
hardness in the desert ; and he was hurt in his under
standing by reason of the vain opinion which he held concern
ing himself. One day he came to the church and strove with
the elders, saying, " I have been made an elder by Christ
"during the past night, and ye must associate me in the
"ministrations of the priesthood." And when the fathers had
come to a decision concerning him, and had brought him out
of the desert, they laid a light rule of life upon him, and in this
manner they cured him of his arrogance, and brought him to
the state of being sensible of his feebleness, and of having
knowledge of his infirmity, through which the devils made a
mock of him.
Cbapter \>j* <W a certain IDir^in wbo was in 3eru*
salem
AND moreover, I saw a certain virgin in Jerusalem who
had been clothed in sackcloth for three years, and she
had secluded herself in a solitary cell, and had never
permitted herself to enjoy any of the desirable things wherein
there is pleasure. Now this woman, having been forsaken by
the Divine Providence, because of her immeasurable pride and
136
Ube "tools Momen
arrogance fell into the ditches of fornication, and she opened
the window of the habitation in which she had secluded her
self, and received [tht rein] the man who ministered unto her,
and she had inteiv^arse with him. And because she did not
continue to persevere in faith and in the ascetic life with a
perfect will, and with a mind which possessed Divine love, but
[departed therefrom] for the sake of men, that is to say, for
the sake of vainglory, doing so, moreover, with an evil intent
and with a corrupt and lascivious mind for her own thoughts
having been cut off, since they had been robbed of the Divine
understanding, she came to the condition of casting blame
upon others the guardian of chastity did not remain with her.
Cbapter v>ij* f tbe Dirgin wbo was in Caesarea of
Palestine*
AND again there was a certain virgin who was the
daughter of an elder in Caesarea, and having been
beguiled and led astray by a man, he who led her
astray taught her to bring an accusation against a certain
reader of the church of the city. And the time having arrived
when it was known [unto all] that she was with child, and
being called upon by her father to confess her matter, she
made an accusation against that reader. Now her father, the
elder, because he believed [her] implicitly, made known the
matter unto the Bishop, and the Bishop was a holy man, and
a fearer of God, and one who did not hastily pass sentence of
death or punishment upon any man, and then only when it
was revealed unto him by God whether he who was accused
before him was indeed guilty [or not]. So the Bishop went and
shut himself up until the matter was made plain [unto him] ;
and because God informed him that the reader had never been
nigh unto the woman he held him to be innocent, and con
demned the virgin.
Cbapter E\>iij* f a certain Woman wbo fell an&
repentefc
THERE was a certain virgin who was a nun, and who
dwelt with two other nuns, and she had led a life of absti
nence and voluntary self-denial for nine or ten years.
And having been beguiled and led astray by a certain singer
of Psalms, she tripped, and fell, and conceived, and gave birth
to a child ; now she hated with the fullest hatred him that had
beguiled her. [And she repented within herself with a perfect
repentance,] and she followed after repentance with such
vigour that she went beyond the bounds of what was seemly,
**See Chapter xvix.
137
ZTbe parabise of tbe 1bols jfatbers
and she continued to observe fasts with such self-denial and
strictness that she well nigh died of hunger. In her prayers
she used to make supplication, saying, "O God, Who dost
"support and sustain all creation, and Who desirest not the
" death and destruction of those who err and commit sin, if
"Thou wishest me to live before Thee, shew me a marvellous
"thing in this matter, and gather in this fruit of sin which I
"have brought forth, lest, because I cannot again attain to
"chastity, I kill myself through reproach and disgrace." And
having made supplication for this thing, she was hearkened
unto, and he who had been born unto her did not remain very
long alive. And from the day wherein she fell and onwards
she neither saw him that had beguiled her and led her captive,
nor held converse with him, but she gave herself to frequent
fasting and to ministering unto the women who were sick and
smitten with disease for the whole of a period of thirty years ;
and thus her repentance was accepted by God, and He at
length revealed unto a certain holy old man concerning her,
saying, Such and such a woman is very much more pleasing
"unto Me by her penitence than by her virginity." Now I write
down these things in order that, if any man be observing a
correct rule of life of any kind whatsoever which is pleasing
unto God, he may take heed lest he fall, and that even if he be
tripped up in a snare and fall he may not come to despair, and
remain in his fallen condition, but that by leaning upon the
staff of the hope of the Divine Mercy, and by arraying himself
through repentance in the apparel of simplicity and humility
he may again become strong enough to stand up, for we
should not despise those who truly repent.
Gbapter (. f anotber Iflirain wbo fell anfc repenteb
A CERTAIN virgin, the daughter of an elder in Caesarea
of Palestine, having been beguiled and led astray by a
man, fell, and he who had beguiled her instructed her to
make an accusation against a certain reader of the church of the
city. And the time having arrived when her conception became
known, and being called upon to confess her matter by her
father, she made the accusation against that reader, and the
elder, her father, thereupon, like one who believed [her] im
plicitly, made the affair known to the Bishop. Then the Bishop
laid his hand upon the shrine, and commanded that the reader
should be called, and his affair having been enquired into, like
one who was confident in his own integrity, he was unwilling-
to confess [that he had done the wrong] ; for how was it pos
sible for him to accuse himself of that which he had not done?
And the Bishop becoming angry said unto him, "Wilt thou
138
tube 1bol2 Women
"not confess, O wretched and polluted man, thou guilty one
"who art full of uncleanness?" And the reader made answer
unto him, saying, "Master, I have neither knowledge nor
"feeling about this matter, for my thoughts and mind are clean
"in respect thereof, and [no thought] concerning this woman
"hath ever entered my mind. But if thou wishest to hear that
"which hath never taken place [I will say that] I myself
"committed the offence"; and having spoken thus, the Bishop
straightway removed the reader from his position. Then the
reader drew nigh and entreated the Bishop, saying, "Master,
"since I have tripped up and fallen, give the command that
"the woman be given unto me to wife, for I am no longer a
"cleric, and she is not a virgin"; so the Bishop gave the
woman to the reader to wife, because he thought that he was
held by love of her, and that he could not cut the affair con
cerning her out of his thoughts.
And when the reader had received the woman from the
Bishop, he placed her in a religious house for women, and
he begged the woman who ministered unto the wants of the
sisters to take great care of her straightway. Now a short time
afterwards the day arrived wherein she must give birth to her
child, but the poor creature was not able to bring it to the
birth, and although she could hardly bear the cruel and violent
pains of her birth-pangs which were bringing her to the house
of the dead, her child did not come forth. And one, two, three
days passed by until the seventh [day arrived], and by reason
of her great and frequent sufferings the woman was nigh to
come unto Sheol; and she neither ate, nor drank, nor slept,
but she was crying out and saying, "Woe unto me, for I am
"dying, and I made an accusation of fatherhood against such
" and such a reader." Now the women who were standing be
fore her having heard these words made them known to her
father, who, however, fearing lest he should be blamed severely
because he had made an accusation of fatherhood against the
reader, held his peace concerning the matter for another two
days ; and meanwhile the young woman neither gained relief
from her sufferings nor died. Now therefore when the nuns
could no longer bear the pain of her violent shrieks, they ran
and told the Bishop, saying, "Such and such a woman hath
" for some days past been crying out and confessing that she
" made an accusation of fatherhood against the reader." Then
the Bishop sent deacons unto him with the message, "Pray
"thou that the woman who made an accusation against thee
"may have relief"; but the reader answered them never a
word. Now he had not opened his door since the day on which
the accusation had been made against him, but he entreated
139
ZTbe paraMse of tbe tools jf atbers
God and made supplication unto him that the matter might
become known and the truth revealed. Thereupon the father
of the woman went to the Bishop, and prayer was offered up
in the church, but even by these proceedings the woman did
not obtain relief. Then the Bishop rose up and went to the
reader, and knocked at the door and the reader opened [it] to
him, and he went in to him and said, " Eustathius, rise up and
"unloose that which thou hast fastened." And at once the
reader knelt down with the Bishop, and they prayed to God,
and straightway the woman gave birth to her child. Thus were
the supplication of this man and his constant persistence in
prayer able to clear away oppression and to chastise and re
buke also the woman who made the false accusation, for from
that day onwards she fulfilled the days of her life with good
works ; and we should learn to be constant in prayer and to
recognize the power thereof when it is offered unto God with
the deep feeling of the whole heart.
Gbapter u& f tbe JSlessefc Woman Ubais or Ubaisis
AND now I desire to narrate unto you the excellent his
tory and the great repentance of the blessed woman
Thais or Thaisis, for speech concerning her is most ex
cellent, and it is full of encouragement and penitence of soul
unto those who love God. Now this woman had a mother who,
because her daughter was beautiful of face, made her to take
up a position in the market, and the rumour of her beauty
travelled unto every place, and those who were living afar off
desired greatly to see her ; and no man who looked upon her
was satisfied with the sight of her face, because she burned
like a flame of fire into the hearts of those who saw her, and
many by reason of their mad love for her sold whatever pro
perty they had to her parents that they might have commerce
with her. Now when Bessarion, the servant of God, heard
these things concerning this woman and that through her
beauty she was dragging many to destruction, he arrayed him
self in the apparel of a man who was in the world, and took
with him one dinar and went unto her, and when he saw her
he brought forth the dinar and gave it to her; and having
taken the dinar she said unto him, "Let us go into a room,"
and he said unto her, "Yea, let us go in." And having gone
in, the blessed man Bessarion saw the couch which was laid
out, now it was a very high one, and the woman said unto the
old man, "Come, get up on this bed"; and he said unto her,
44 Hast thou not inside this chamber another room?" and she
said unto him, "Yea." Then he said unto her, "Let us then
go in there." And Thais answered and said unto him, "If it
140
tools Women
" be that thou art ashamed of men [seeing 1 thee, know] that no
* man can see [us] in this chamber; but if it be God of Whom
" thou art afraid He can see us in whatsoever place we enter."
And the blessed man Bessarion hearing- these words, said unto
her, "My daughter, dost thou know that God existeth?" And
she said unto him, "Yea, I know that God existeth, and [that
11 there will be] kingdom, and judgement." Then the old man
said unto her, "If thou knowest that God is, and [that there
" will be] kingdom and judgement, why dost thou destroy men
"in this manner?" And straightway the woman cast herself
at his feet, and said unto him, "I know that there is repen-
" tance for those who sin. But I beseech thee, master, to tarry
" with me for three hours, and whatsoever thou wishest to do
"unto me that do because of all the evil thing s which have
" been wrought by me" ; and having told her in what place he
would await her he left her and went away.
Then in that same hour the woman took everything which she
had gained by fornication and burnt it with fire in the midst of the
city, and she said, "Come, O all ye who have had commerce with
" me, and see that I amburningbeforeyoureyesevery possession
" which I havegatheredtogetherby means of sin"; andthethings
which were burned were [worth] three hundred pounds of gold,
and there were there also goods and apparel of all kinds; and after
she had burned up everything- she went to the blessed man Bess
arion. And when Bessarionsnwherhetookherbyherhandandled
her along and brought her to a religious house of sisters, and he
shut her in a little cell, leaving her only one small window in the
wall through which a woman passed in food to her. And the blessed
Bessarion said unto the head of the house, "Give her a pound
of dry bread each day, and water according" to her need. " Then
the blessed woman Thais said unto the venerable Bessarion,
" With what petition dost thou command me to pray unto God?
" That He should forgive me my sins?" The blessed Bessarion
said unto her, "Thou art neither worthy to pray unto God, nor
* to make mention of His Name with thy lips, nor to stretch out
" thy hands unto Him; for thy lips areunc ~n and polluted, and
" thy hands are contaminated with impurity; m^ "halt only sit
" down and gaze towards the East, and thou shalt say nothing
4 ( except, * O Thou who didst create me, have mercy upon me. "
And having dwelt in that cell for a space of about three years,
the blessed Bessarion had mercy upon her, and the blessed man
went to Abba" Anthony that he might learn from him whether
God had forgiven her her sins or not. Then having spoken con
cerning her unto Anthony that blessed man called unto his dis
ciples, and said unto them, "Let each one of you shut himselt
" in [his] cell all night, and pray ye unto God that we may see
141
Ube paraMse of tbe 1bol jfatbers
4 unto whom shall be revealed the matter concerning which
" the blessed Bessarion hath come unto us [this day]."
And when they all had done as they had been commanded and
when a long time had elapsed, the blessed Paul, the chief of the
disciples of Mar Anthony, looked into the heavens and saw a
couch which had been spread with great splendour, and three
angels who were carrying three lamps were standing before
that couch, and a crown of glory was laid thereupon. And hav
ing seen all this glorious sight, he said, "This couch can only be
" for my father Anthony." Then a voice came unto him from
heaven, saying, "This couch is not for Anthony, thy father, but
"for Thais the harlot"; and the blessed Paul rose up early in
the morning and related the vision which he had seen. And the
blessed Mar Bessarion came back from Abba Anthony in great
joy, and he went to the religious house of the sisterhood, and he
opened the door that he might bring the woman out from the cell
wherein she was secluded; but she made entreaty unto him,
saying, "Leave me here until my death, for my sins are many."
Then the blessed man said unto her, "Behold the merciful God
" hath had compassion upon thee, and He hath accepted thy re-
"pentance"; and then she wished to go forth from her cell. And
she answered and said unto him, "Believe me, O Father, from
" the day wherein I entered this cell I have made all my sins a
" mighty burden and I have set it before my eyes, in suchwise
* that as the breath of my nostrils hath not separated itself from
" me, so my sins have not separated themselves from me until
"this hour."
And the blessed Bessarion answered and said unto her, "God
" hath not forgiven thee thy sins because of thy repentance, but
" because of the thought which thou hadst that thou wouldst
" deliver thyself over unto Christ." Now this blessed woman
Thais lived (literally, made) after her repentance fifteen days,
and she departed unto our Lord in peace. Thus was thecrowning
of the blessed Thais, who was lost and was found, and was dead
and who came to life by the grace of Christ, unto Whom belong
mercy, and compassion, and glory, and honour, for ever and
ever. Amen.
Cbapter jj, f tbe iBlesseb /Ifcan Hbba JEUjab
THERE was a certain man whose name was Elijah who
loved the virgins exceedingly, for there are souls which
are thus inclined, and having compassion upon the
order of virgins [and] women who lived celibate lives in
Thebes, and in the cities which were [round about], and in
the Tcity of Atrepe (near Akhmim), and possessing many
flocks and herds, he built a large nunnery, and he gathered
142
Hbba JElijab
together thereunto every woman who chose to adopt the
garb of the nun, and placed them therein. And with ready
will he took care to provide them with everything- which
was necessary for them, and he supplied everything required for
their well-being, and he also made a garden for them, and he
filled their every want with great zeal and care, for our Lord s
sake. And inasmuch as these women were gathered together
from various places, they used to quarrel with each other con
tinually, and because it was meet to keep them in order (now he
had gathered together about three hundred), he was obliged to
take means to pacify them; and he hearkened unto their affairs
and arranged the disputes which broke out among them for the
space of two years.
Now this man being young, that is to say being about thirty
or forty years old, more or less, was vexed by the passion of lust,
and forthisreasonhedeparted from that nunnery, and wandered
about for two days in the desert, and he made entreaty and sup
plication unto God, saying, "O Lord, either killmesothatl may
" not see those who are in trouble and may not become afflicted
" thereby, or remove from me this passion, so that I may be able
" to provide for the women in everything." And when the even
tide had come he lay down and slept in the desert and, according
to what he related, three angels came to him and took hold of
him, saying, " Why didst thou go forth from the nunnery?"
And he related unto them the matter and said unto them, "I
" was afraid lest I should do harm not only unto them, but unto
" mine own soul also." The angels said unto him, "If now we
" make thee to be free from this passion wilt thou go and take
"care of the women in the nunnery?" And having promised
that he would do this they required from him an oath, and the
oath which he uttered was as follows ; the angels said, "Swear
an oath unto us," and he said: "I swear by Him Who taketh
" care of me, that I will take care of them." Then having laid
hold of him by his hands and his feet, one of them took a razor
and mutilated him, not indeed in very truth but only apparently
and in a phantomlike manner, and he imagined in the vision
that, as one might say, he had been cured of his malady. And
next they asked him, Feelest thou that thou hastbeen helped?"
And he said unto them, "I am greatly relieved, and I feel sure
that I have been set free from the pain and suffering, and
" that I have already been delivered therefrom." Then the
angels said unto him, * * Depart and return. " And after five days,
whilst the women who were in the nunnery were weeping be
cause of what had taken place, and because he had forsaken
them, and because the care which he had taken for their needs
had come to an end, he entered into the monastery wherein
143
Ube paradise of tbe fbols jf atbers
they were ; and he dwelt there from that time onward in the cells,
in a place which was nigh unto them, and according- to his power
he ordered their lives for them. And he lived other forty years,
and he said unto the fathers, "This passion of lust hath never
"since roused itself up in my mind"; now this ac~l of grace
happened to that holy man because of care which he exhibited
in respect of that nunnery.
Cbapter ij. f tbe Blesseb Borotbeos
NOW there was there besides this man Elijah, the
chosen man Dorotheos, who had grown old therein
leading a life of excellent and sublime ascetic rule; and
as he did not wish to dwell in the nunnery by the side of the
women, as Elijah had done, he shut himself up in a certain
upper chamber, but left therein a window which faced and
looked into the interior of the nunnery; and when he knew
that it was proper to do so he used to open it or shut it. He
always sat by the window, and he shewed the women that he
knew everything which they were doing, and by these means
they were rebuked and prevented from quarrelling. And thus
he grew old in that upper chamber, and no women ever went
up to him, and he was unable to go down to them, for there
was no ladder, and in this manner of life he brought his days
to an end according to the will of God by the help of His
grace.
Cbapter iij f tbe Blessefc pacbomius tbe 6reat,
anfc of tbe Sons ot bis .Monastery, an& of tbe IRun*
neries wbtcb were in tbe Ubebaifc
IN the country of Thebes, and in the district thereof which
is called Tabenna, there was a certain blessed man whose
name was Pachomius, and this man led a beautiful life of
ascetic excellence, and he was crowned with the love of God
and of man. Now therefore as this man was sitting in his cell,
there appeared unto him an angel who said unto him, " Since
" thou hast completed thy discipleship it is unnecessary for
" thee to dwell here; but come, and go and gather together
" unto thyself those who are wandering, and be thou dwelling
"with them, and lay thou down for them such laws as I shall
" tell unto thee"; and the angel gave him a book (or tablet)
wherein was written the following:
" I. Let every man eat and drink whensoever he wisheth,
4< and according to the strength of those who eat and drink
" * impose work; and thou shalt restrain them neither from eat-
11 ing nor fasting. Furthermore, on those who are strong thou
(<< shalt impose severe labours; and upon those who are of
144
TTbe IRule of pacbomtus
" inferior strength and upon those who fast thou shalt impose
" Might labours.
" II. And thou shalt make for them a cell, and they shall
" dwell together three by three.
" III. And they shall partake of food all together in one
" chamber (or house).
" IV. And they shall not take their sleep lying down, but
" thou shalt make for them seats so that when they are sitting
" down they shall be able to support their heads.
"V. At night time they shall put on garments without
" sleeves, and their loins shall be girded up, and they shall be
" provided with skull-caps; and they shall partake of the
" Offering on the Sabbath and on the First Day of the Week,
" wearing skull-caps without any nap upon them, and each
" skull-cap shall have in the front thereof a cross [worked in]
" purple.
"VI. And thou shalt establish the monks in four and
" twenty grades, A and to each grade give a letter of the Greek
" alphabet from Alaf to Taw (i.e., from A to Z); every grade a
" letter. "
And the blessed Pachomius performed and fulfilled [these
things] according as he had been commanded by the angel;
and when the head of the monastery asked him that was next
to him concerning the affairs of the brethren, the man said
unto him, "The voice of Alpha [and] the voice of BM salute
"the head [of the monastery]." Thus the whole of that
assembly of brethren had letters of the alphabet assigned to
them, according to the designation of the four and twenty
letters. To those who were upright and simple he assigned
the letter yodh (i.e., i), and to those who were difficult and
perverse he assigned the letter ksi (i.e., ), and thus according
to the dispositions and according to the habits and rules of
life of the orders [of monks] did he assign letters unto them.
And he (i.e., the Angel) commanded that "a monk who was
" a stranger and who had a different garb from theirs should
" not enter in with them to the table; the man who sought to
"be accepted as a monk in that monastery was obliged to
" labour there for three years, after which he was to receive
" the tonsure. When the monks were eating together they
"were to cover up their faces with [their] head-coverings,
"that they might not see each other eating, and might not
" hold converse together over the table, and might not gaze
" about from one side to the other." And he commanded that
during [each] day they should repeat twelve sections of the
Psalter, [and during [each] evening twelve sections of the Psal
ter], and during [each] night twelve sections of the Psalter,
145 10
parafctee of tbe tools jfatbers
and that when they came to eat they should repeat the Great
Psalm.
And the blessed Pachomius said unto the angel, " The
"sections of the Psalter which thou hast appointed unto us
" [for repetition] are far too few"; and the angel said unto him,
" The sections of the Psalter which I have appointed [are in-
" deed few], so that even the monks who are small (i.e., weak)
" may be able to fulfil the canons, and may not be distressed
"thereby. For unto the perfect no law whatsoever is laid
11 down, because their mind is at all seasons occupied with
** God, but this law which I have laid down for those who have
" not a perfect mind is laid down for them, so that although
"they fulfil only such things as are prescribed by the canons
" they can acquire openness of face." Now very many nuns hold
fast unto this law and canon.
And there were living in that mountain about seven thou
sand brethren, and in the monastery in which the blessed
Pachomius himself lived there were living one thousand three
hundred brethren; and besides these there were there also other
monasteries, each containing about three hundred, or two
hundred, or one hundred monks, who lived together; and they
all toiled with their hands and lived thereby, and with whatso
ever they possessed which was superfluous for them they pro
vided (or fed) the nunneries which were there. Each day those
whose week of service it was rose up and attended to their
work; and others attended to the cooking, and others set out
the tables and laid upon them bread, and cheese, and vessels
of vinegar and water. And there were some monks who went
in to partake of food at the third hour of the day, and others
at the sixth hour, and others at the ninth hour, and others in
the evening, and others who ate once a day only; and there
were some who ate only once a week; and according as each
one of them knew the letter which had been laid upon him, so
was his work. Some worked in the paradise (i.e., the orchard),
and some in the gardens, and some in the blacksmith s shop,
and some in the baker s shop, and some in the carpenter s
shop, and some in the fuller s shop, and some wove baskets and
mats of palm leaves, and one was a maker of nets, and one
was a maker of sandals, and one was a scribe; now all these
men as they were performing their work were repeating the
Psalms and the Scriptures in order.
And there were there large numbers of women who were
nuns, and who closely followed this rule of life, and they came
from the other side of the river and beyond it, and there were
also married women who came from the other side of the river
close by; and whensoever anyone of them died, the [other]
146
1Rule of pacbomius
women would bring her and lay her down on the bank of the
river and go away. Then certain brethren would cross over in
a boat and bring her over with the [singing of] psalms and
with lighted candles, and with great ceremony and honour,
and when they had brought her over they would lay her in
their cemetery; without elder or deacon no man could go to
that nunnery, and then only from one Sunday to the other
(i.e., they could go only on Sundays). Now it happened that
a certain tailor, who was a stranger, came to that nunnery
looking for work, and one of the sisters went forth to talk with
him, and she said unto him, "We have our own tailor"; and
one of the sisters saw her speaking with him, and she held her
peace and informed no one concerning the matter. And after a
short time the two women had a dispute about a certain
matter, and the sister who had seen the other talking to the
tailor went and brought an accusation against the other before
all the sisters, saying about her in an evil manner, "This is
"the Satan who hath sown the strife among us"; and then
many of the women having heard [these things] believed
[them]. And the sister, not being able to endure the accusation
wherewith she had been accused without cause, by reason of
her distress went and cast herself into the river and was
drowned; and when the sister who had made the accusation
against the other perceived this, seeing that she had calum
niated her evilly, and that she had caused the sisters pain in a
most serious manner, she also secretly drowned herself. And
the elder who had been made [guardian] of them, knowing
this matter, commanded one of them that none of the sisters
who had believed that sister who had made the accusation
against her companion should receive the Offering, and he
was not reconciled unto them, and prevented them from [par
ticipating in] the Offering for seven years.
Now in that same nunnery there was a certain sister who
was a virgin, and she made herself an objec~t of contempt, and
she had had a devil in her; and the [other] sisters used to treat
her so contemptuously that they would not even allow her to eat
with them. And the woman herself was well content at this
[treatment], and she would go into the refe6lory and serve the
food and wait upon the whole company [there], and she be
came the broom of the whole nunnery; and indeed she made
manifest that which is written [in the Book of] the blessed
Apostle (i Corinthians iii, 18), who said, "Whosoever wisheth
" to become a wise man in this world, let him become a fool
" in order that he may become wise." And this woman used
to throw over her head a roughly cut piece of cloth, whilst the
other women wore veils, well cut and well made, according to
147 loa
TOe parafcfse of tbe fbois ffatbers
the rule which they had, and in this garb she used to minister
in the refectory, and they would not allow her to sit down with
them at the table. And whilst she was eating they never looked
at her, and she never touched a whole loaf of bread, but used
to eat the broken bits and crusts [that fell] from the tables, and
[she drank] the rinsings of the basins and of the hands, and
they sufficed her; and she neither reviled anyone of them, nor
murmured, nor spoke superfluous words, though they con
stantly reviled her, and struck her, and thrust her away with
harsh words and blows.
Now at that time the blessed PiteYoum (Piterius), that man
of wonder, appeared, and he dwelt in the region which was
called "Porphyry Mountain," and an angel appeared unto him
and said, "Why boldest thou in thy mind the proud opinion
" that thou art more excellent in ascetic practices than many?
" If thou wishest to see a woman who is more excellent than
"thou, go to the nunnery which is in Tabenna, and behold
" thou shalt find there a woman [with a roughly cut piece of
" cloth thrown over her head] who is far superior to thee in
" ascetic practices; and this woman is far more excellent than
"thou art, for although she ministereth as a servant to a
" great congregation her whole heart is set upon God, whilst
"as for thee, though thou dwellest here, thy mind wandereth
" about in many countries." And when the man who had never
gone forth from his monastery had heard those things, he went
quickly to the nunnery, and he besought their visitor (or
inspector) that [he might be allowed] to see the nuns; and
when he had gone inside the house they all came that they
might be blessed by the blessed man (Piterius), but the wo
man who had made herself a creature of contempt did not
show herself at all. Then the blessed man Piterius said
unto them, "Have all the sisters come, for there is one lack
ing?" and they said unto him, "Master, we have one more,
"but she is a woman of no account, and she is in the refec-
" tory." And Piterius said unto them, "Bring her that I may
"see her also"; and they went to bring her, but she did not
wish to come, for she felt that the matter of herself would be
certainly revealed unto him. Now since she did not wish to go
to the blessed man they dragged her along and brought her
unto him by force, saying unto her, "Mdr Piterius wisheth to
11 see thee"; and when she had come, the blessed man looked
and saw the roughly cut piece of cloth which was thrown over
her head, according to the sign which the angel had given
concerning her. Then he bowed down before her, and said
unto her, "Bless me, Mother," and she fell down at his feet,
saying unto him, "Bless thou me, master." When the sisters
148
Hn Hfcmonition
saw [this] they were all struck with wonder, and said unto
him, "Let there be no disgrace to thee, master, for she is a
"creature of no account." Then the blessed man Piterius
answered [and] said unto them, "Ye yourselves are creatures
" of contempt, but this woman is your Mother and mine, and
" I entreat God that He will give unto me a portion with her
"in the day of judgement." Now when all the sisters heard
this from the blessed man Piterius, they fell down at her feet,
and offered unto her regret for everything which they had
been accustomed to do unto her; for some of them used to
throw the rinsings of the vessels over her, and others used to
buffet her, and she endured many insults from them all. So
the blessed Piterius prayed over them and went forth from that
place. And a few days afterwards, because the blessed woman
could not endure the honour and the praises of all the sisters,
and the penitence which they showed unto her, she went
forth from that house altogether, but where she went and
where she died no man knoweth.
Gbapter i\>. Hn HpologE, ant> preface, anfc Hfcmo*
nition
NOW therefore, O my brother, it sufficeth for me that
I have called to mind all these things, and that I have
handed them on in writing; for this thing did not
happen without [the Will of] God, because thou wast moved
in thy mind to command me to make this compilation and also
to hand down in writing an account of the lives and a6ls of
the holy fathers. And, according to the command of the love
of God which is in thee, I will write down also the upright
lives of holy women who have prospered in the good works of
patient endurance, and afterwards I will also write down the
account of the stumblings of those who have fallen away from
a straight rule of life through the pride which seized upon
them, and through the wicked and vain opinion that came
upon their souls, and who were tripped up, and stumbled, and
fell through their weakness and the war of the Adversary,
although not of their own will, for after their fall they triumph
ed still more gloriously, and acquired rectitude. And I will
do this for the benefit of those who are about to meet with this
compilation, so that they may set the edifice of their building
upon the firm ground of humility with zeal and care, and may
fly from pride, and may take refuge in humility; and it shall
be my object to write with extreme care concerning the humility
of the holy men, and concerning their long-suffering, and con
cerning their patient endurance, and the questions which they
asked each other, together with their answers, and the sundry
149
ttbe iparabf se ot tbe tools ffatbers
and divers things which I shall be able to call to mind concern
ing the lives of the holy fathers. And, O thou faithful servant of
Christ, having lighted upon this book with pleasure, and having
derived therefrom sufficiently a demonstration of the Resurrec
tion, and of the lives and labours of the holy fathers, and also of
their patient endurance, andbeingabletogrowupinagoodhope,
and to advance easily in virtues, turn thyself round for once,
so that thou mayest see that which is behind thee, and seeing
my feebleness do thou pray for me. And take good heed to
guard thy soul, even as I know thou [hast been able to do]
from [the time when] thou didst hold the consular power of
Titianus unto this day ; and again as I found thee when thou
wast the prefect and officer of the bed-chamber of the God
fearing king. For the man who hath such power as this, and
who is able to enjoy himself with wealth in abundance, must
not forget the fear of God, and he must take the greatest care
possible to emulate Christ, Who heard from the Calumniator
[these words], "All these things will I give unto thee if thou
"wilt fall down and worship me" (St. Matthew iv, 9). There
fore take good heed unto thyself, and be vigilant, so that thou
mayest at all times be exalted over the neck[s] of thy secret and
invisible enemies. Amen.
ZTbe ZTriumpbant Beefcs ant) Exploits anfc HMstories
of 1bolp Women
f tbe Dircjin of Bleranfcria wbo bib Htbanasius
NOW therefore it is necessary for us to remember also
the chosen and mighty women unto whom God also
gave an equal measure of strength of will as unto
men, so that they might have no cause for being feeble in
the performance of the labour of ascetic excellence. I have
seen large numbers of widows who were exceedingly
glorious and excellent in the performance of ascetic vir
tues, and among the chaste virgins whom I saw r in Alexan
dria there was one whom I estimated to be seventy years
old, and all the clergy testified concerning her that when
a young woman, about twenty years old, she possessed ex
ceeding beauty, and she was more looked at than many women,
and because of her beauty she fled lest she should become the
cause of stumbling unto men. Once when the Arians were
plotting against the blessed Athanasius, the Archbishop of
Alexandria, and were acting craftily in respect of him that
they might do him harm through the prefect Eusebius, and
through the wicked men who were his partisans in the days
of the Emperor Constantine the Less (i.e., Constantius), and
were spreading abroad infamous reports about him, and were
IDtrgin of Hlejanbna
accusing 1 him of many things which were unseemly for Chris
tians to do, Athanasius fled that he might not be condemned
in their wicked and corrupt hall of judgement, and he told no
man, neither kinsmen, nor friends, nor ecclesiastics, nor any
other men [where he was going]. And as soon as certain men
from among the magistrates had entered into the episcopal
palace suddenly, and begun to search for him and to enquire
for him, he rose up at midnight, and took his tunic, and fled
to this virgin who, being greatly astonished and struck with
wonder at the matter, was moved exceedingly. And the
blessed Athanasius said unto her, "Because I am sought for
by the Arians, who are making unseemly accusations against
me, and because I do not want to spread about an unseemly
opinion of myself, and I wish not to prepare a great punish-
ment for those who would be condemned for my sake, and
be made guilty for me, I determined to betake myself to
flight, and God gave me a revelation this night, saying,
There is no other person with whom thou canst find deliver-
"ance except this virgin. " Now therefore because of her ex
ceedingly great joy she removed from herself and set aside ail
thoughts [of shame], and she became wholly [the servant] of
our Lord, and she hid that holy man for the whole period of
thirty years, that is to say, until the death of Constantine.
She used to wash his feet, and she prepared everything of
which he had need, and she attended to his bodily wants, and
whatsoever he needed that she provided, and she borrowed
books and brought [them] to him ; and no man in Alexandria
knew during that whole period of thirty years where the
blessed Athanasius was. And when the death of Constantine
(i.e., Constantius) was announced, and Athanasius also heard
thereof, he rose up and came by night and he was suddenly
found to be in the church, and all those who saw him mar
velled as they looked carefully at him, for he was like unto a
man who had risen from the grave. And he made an apology
to those who truly loved him, and spake unto them, saying,
"I did not flee unto you, for the reason that there might not be
4 unto you an occasion for swearing [false] oaths. And moreover,
"because of the search and enquiry which they were sure to
"have made for me I fled unto that woman concerning whom
"no man could suspect of harm, for she is young and beauti-
"ful. And I have gained two things, my own life and hers;
" I have helped her in many things, and I have taken care and
"preserved myself."
parafctse of tbe 1bol ffatbers
Cbapter \>* <W piamon tbe IDirgtn
PIAMON was a virgin who lived all her days with her
mother, and she spent her nights in constant vigil, and
she ate food at the time of evening, and she laboured
at the [weaving of] linen ; and she was held to be worthy of
the gift of knowing what was going to happen before it hap
pened. Now it happened on a time that there was in Upper
Egypt a certain village which was fighting with another vil
lage, for the villages quarrelled with each other concerning
the division of the waters [of the Nile], and they fought so
violently that frequently murders were committed, and men
were beaten to death. And the village which was stronger than
the village of this virgin rose up against it in fierce wrath, and
there came against the inhabitants of her village a crowd of
boastful and violent men carrying staves and spears to kill
them ; and the angel of the Lord appeared unto her, and re
vealed unto her the craft of those who were ready to fall upon
them secretly. Then she sent and called the elders of the church
of her village, and said unto them, "Go ye forth to meet the
4 inhabitants of that village, for behold they are coming
"against you, lest peradventure ye and the village perish ; and
"make entreaty unto them that perhaps they may be turned
"aside from their daring attack, and they may spare the vil
lage."
Now the elders of the village were afraid, and they fell down
at her feet and made supplication unto her, saying, "We do
"not dare to go forth to meet them, for we are well acquaint-
* ed with their miserable nature and their arrogance; but if thou
"wishest to spare the village and thine own house, do thou
"thyself go forth to meet them." And the virgin would not
undertake to go forth, but she went up upon the roof, and
stood up there in prayer the whole night long, without once
kneeling down, and she made bowings and entreaties unto
God, saying, "O Lord, Thou Judge of the earth, Who hast
"no pleasure in whatever is iniquitous, O my Lord, when the
"prayer which Thine handmaiden prayeth and her supplica
tion reach Thee, let Thy power transfix [the enemy] in the
"spot wherein they are"; and straightway, on that very day,
at a distance of three miles from the village they became fet
tered, and stood still, being unable to move [from] the spot.
And it was revealed unto them also that they were hindered
from moving by the supplication of that woman, and thereupon
they sent to the inhabitants of the village, and made peace
with them, and became reconciled unto them, and they also
sent a message unto them, saying, "Give ye grateful thanks
ZTaltfca ant) ZTaor
unto God, for it was the prayers of Piamon which prevented
us [from coming to you]."
Cbapter \>j. f our Blessefc /IDotber ZTalifca, tbe
Woman of Hnttnoe
NOW in the city of Antinoe there were twelve nunneries,
and the women thereof conducted themselves accord
ing to a rule of beautiful spiritual excellence ; here I
saw the aged handmaiden of Christ whose name was "Mother
" TalidaV who had dwelt in the holy house, according to what
she herself and those who were her associates told me, for
eighty years. And there lived with her sixty virgins who fol
lowed the path and rule of the ascetic life in purity, and they
led a life of happiness under the teaching of this good old
woman, whom they loved, and on whom they depended; and
because of the great affection which they poured out upon her,
the key was never taken away from any one of them, as is cus
tomary in other religious houses for women, and through her
divine doctrine she changed them into a state of incorruptibility.
Now this old woman arrived at such a state of impassibility
that when I entered into her presence and sat down by her
side, she stretched out her hands and laid them upon my
shoulders, in the boldness and freedom which she had acquired
in Christ.
Cbapter \>ij f tbe IDirgin TTaor
NOW in this nunnery there was a certain virgin whose
name was Taor, who was the disciple of a certain old
woman of ascetic excellence, and who had lived there
in for thirty years ; and she would consent to receive neither
beautiful apparel, nor a veil, nor sandals, saying, "I do not
" require [them], for I am not compelled to go down into the
"market." Every First Day of the Week the other women
used to go down to the church to partake of the Offering, but
this virgin used to remain by herself in the nunnery dressed
in rags, and she would sit at her work at all hours. And by
these means she acquired such a sagacious, wise, and ready
appearance that every man who was wont to abhor the
sight of women would have been nigh to being snared and
falling at the sight of her, had it not been that shamefacedness,
which is the guardian of chastity, was ever with her, and that
she ordered her gaze in a chaste manner by means of shame
and fear.
153
parafcise of tbe Ibols jfatbers
Gbapter mvifi* f tbe lDir0in ant) tbe
Gollutbus
NOW there was another virgin there who was a neigh
bour of mine, and who dwelt near me, but whose face
I had never seen, for, according to what they said
about her, she had never gone down to the market from the
day whereon she had become a nun, but had completed sixty
years with the head of her nunnery. And finally, when she was
about to depart from the world, the martyr, whose name was
Colluthus, who had lived by the side of the nunnery, appeared
unto her, and said unto her, "This day thou art about to de-
" part from this world unto thy Lord, and thou shalt see all the
" saints; but come and eat a meal with us in the martyrium."
Thereupon she rose up early in the morning and arrayed her
self in her apparel, and taking bread, and olives, and garden
herbs in her basket, she went forth as she had done for many
years; and having gone to the martyrium, she prayed, and
having watched for the space of the whole day for an oppor
tunity when no man would be found therein, she drew nigh
and cried out unto that martyr, and said unto him, "Ask a
" blessing on my food, O Saint Colluthus, and accompany thou
"me on this my journey by thy prayers." And having eaten
her food and prayed, she came back at sunset to her nunnery,
and she gave unto the head thereof the Book of Clement which
is called "Stromata," and [containeth] a commentary (or ex
planation) of Amos the prophet, saying, "Give this book to
"the Bishop who is in Alexandria in exile, and say unto him,
" Pray for me, for I am about to depart." And she died in
the night without suffering either sickness or from pain in her
head, but she rolled herself up in her garments and died.
Cbapter wtii* f tbe tDirgin anfc of jflfoagistrianus wbo
fougbt witb Wilfc Beasts for ber Safee
IN the ancient book which was ascribed to Hippolytus, who
knew the Apostles, I have found the following history
written : There was a certain woman who was of noble
birth and beautiful in her face, and who came from the city of
the Corinthians, and who continued to live in a state of vir
ginity, and certain people laid an accusation against her before
the governor, who was a heathen, at the time of the persecu
tion [of the Christians], and calumniated her, saying, "She
"hath abused the Government and the Emperors, she hath
"uttered blasphemies against the gods (i.e., the idols), she
"hath treated the sacrifices with contempt"; such were the
lying words which the wicked men concocted [about her], be-
154
Ube IDiroin anfc /Ifcacjistrianus
cause they had been led captive by her beauty. Now because
the governor was more addicted than they all to lasciviousness,
he accepted such calumnies as those, and he became mad with
desire like lustful stallions, even as it is written, "He was in-
" flamed by lust" (Jeremiah v, 8).
And having- tried to seduce her by means of cunning schemes
of every kind, and being unable to do so, he became furious
with her and handed her over to be punished, not by means of
stripes and scourgings, but he wanted to make her earn her
living by fornication. And he commanded the man unto whom
he had delivered her to collect daily from the money which
should be paid to her for hire three darics and to bring them
to him; and this man, in order that he might not make use of
the command in any sluggish manner, and that he might not
lose money and also make the governor exceedingly angry, set
her up as a gift before all those who wished [to have her].
Now, therefore, when those who were as keen in their lust for
the maiden as are hawks for a snared sparrow perceived those
things, they thronged into the tavern of destruction (i.e.,
brothel), and having given money unto the man to whom the
virgin had been delivered, they drew nigh unto her and spoke
unto her such things as [they thought] would be helpful to
their intentions. But the virgin, who was wise among women,
urged them on with blandishments in a gladsome manner, and
strengthened her mind in the hope of Him for whom she had
guarded her virginity, and she made petitions unto them,
saying, "I have a hidden sore in a certain place, and the smell
1 of its running is exceedingly strong; and I am afraid that
after ye have embraced me it will bring you to hate me and
that your souls will loathe me. I therefore beseech you to
wait a few days until I am well again, and [then] ye shall
have the power to do whatsoever ye like with me for no
thing."
And having with suchlike words dismissed them, she offered
up unto God during those days with her whole heart prayers,
and supplications, and bowings to the ground that He would
help her, and that she might be saved and delivered from such
hateful destruction as this, and that she might be kept in a
state of unsullied virginity. Then God seeing her chastity sent
a fervent longing [for her] into a certain young man [called]
Magistrianus, who was wholly excellent, both in mind and in
body, and it burned like fire even unto death. And he went as
it were in a lustful passion, and at the time of evening he
entered the house of the man who had been commanded to-
receive the money, and he gave him five darics, and said unto
him, "Let me be with the virgin this night"; and he permitted
155
Ube iparafcise of tbe tools jfatbers
him to be with her. Then having gone into the place which
was her sleeping room, he said unto her, "Rise up and save
" thyself." And having stripped off her apparel, and dressed
her in his own clothes, and covered her with his cloak, and
completed her attire after the manner of that of a man, he said
unto her, " Muffle up thy head in the hood of the cloak, and go
"forth," and having done this she signed herself with the sign
of the Cross, and went forth. And at the turn of the day the
fraud became known, and Magistrianus was delivered up and
was cast to the beasts. Thus was the evil Devil put to shame be
cause that martyr, who is worthy of admiration, was able to
crown himself with the two crowns of a double martyrdom,
one on behalf of himself, and one on behalf of that blessed
woman.
Gbapter jL <W tbe bols Woman /Ifcelania tbe Great
ME LAN I A, the holy woman who is worthy of all bless
ings, was of Spanish origin, and she grew up in
Rome, for she was the daughter of Marcellinus, a
man who had held consular rank. Now her husband was a
man who performed a large number of duties under the Gov
ernment, and she became a widow when she was twenty-two
years old. Now this woman, having been held worthy to be
seized upon by divine love, revealed the matter to no man, for
she would not have been permitted to perform her own will,
because she lived in the time of the rule of Valens (A.D. 364-
378) ; and having arranged that he should be named the procura
tor of her son s affairs, she took everything which she possessed
which could be easily moved and carried off, and placed it in a
ship with tried servants, both men and women, and sailed
hastily to Alexandria, where she sold her property and
changed it into gold. And she went into the mount of Nitria,
and saw the fathers, that is to say, Pambo, and Arsenius, and
Serapion the Great, and Paphnutius of Scete, and Isidore the
Confessor and Bishop of Hermopolis, and Dioscurus; and she
remained with them for half a year, and she went round about
through all that desert, and saw all the holy men and was blessed
by them. And when Augustus, who was in Alexandria, sent into
exile to Palestine andCaesarea, Isidore, andPissimius, and Adel-
phius, and Fisdms, and Paphnutius, and Pambo (now with
these also was Ammonius, that is to say, twelve* holy bishops),
this blessed woman clave to them, and she ministered unto
them of her own possessions. And when the servants whom
she used to send unto them were stopped, this brave woman
(according to what the holy men Pis&ms, and Paphnutius, and
*Some of the names of the twelve are omitted.
156
flDelania tbe Great
Isidore, and Ammonius related unto me, for I used to hold
converse with them) used to clothe herself in the garment of
one of her servants, and carry unto them late in the evening
the food which they needed.
Now when the governor of Palestine learned this thing,
wishing to fill his purse, and hoping and expecting to make
profit by her, he seized her and cast her into prison, being un
aware that she was a woman of noble rank. Then she sent
unto him a message, saying, "I am the daughter of such and
such a man, [and the wife of such and such a man], and I
am the handmaiden of Christ. Do not treat lightly my poor
garb and estate, for I have the power to exalt myself if it
pleaseth me to do so, and thou hast no authority either to
hamper me in this fashion or to carry off any of my property.
Now, in order that thou mayest not dare to do anything in
ignorance, and so fall under condemnation, behold, I send
thee [this] message ; for it is meet that towards senseless and
foolish men we should act in a masterful manner, and with
"pride, even as our noble rank enableth us to do, and should
"treat them as fools and men of no understanding." And when
the governor learned this thing he apologized to Melania, and
entreated her to forgive him, and he fell down and did homage
unto her, and gave orders that she should have the power to
visit holy men without hindrance.
And after the return of these blessed men from exile, this
holy woman built a house in Jerusalem, wherein she dwelt for
twenty-seven years, and wherein she had a congregation of
sisters, who were in number about fifty; and moreover, the
honourable nobleman Rufinus, who came from Italy and be
longed to the city of Aquileia, clave unto her her whole life long,
and he led a life of glorious works, and finally he was held to
be worthy of the office of elder. Now among men one would
not quickly find one who was more understanding, and gra
cious, and pleasant than he. And Rufinus and Melania during
the whole of that period of twenty-seven years received and
relieved at their own expense all those people who came unto
Jerusalem to pray, bishops, and dwellers in monasteries, and
virgins, and they edified and benefited all those who thronged
to them. Now they healed the schism of the Paulinists, who
were in number about four hundred monks, and they all were
heretics who fought against the Holy Spirit ; and having made
entreaty unto them they turned them back unto union with the
Church. And they loaded with their gifts all the clergy who
were in the cities, and they provided with food all those who
were strangers and needy [therein]. In this manner they ended
their lives, and they never became a stumbling-block unto
157
TEbe parafcise of tbe Ifools jfatbers
[any] man. Now as concerning the possessions of which she
stripped herself, and the thing s (i.e., money) which she distri
buted, being- hot as fire with divine zeal, and blazing- like a
flame with the love of Christ, I alone am not able to recount,
for it belongeth also unto those who dwell in the country
of the Persians [to declare it] ; for there was no man who was
deprived of her alms and gifts [whether he came from the]
east, or the west, or the north, or the south. She lived in exile
for thirty-seven years, and her possessions sufficed for her to
give alms to churches, and to religious houses, and to stran
gers, and to those who were in prison. And meanwhile her
relatives and her kinsfolk were sending [money] unto her con
tinually, and her own son, and those who had charge of her
property also sent some of their own money unto her; and she
never lacked anything, and during the whole of the time in
which she was in exile she never consented to the acquisition
of a span of land. And she was never drawn to long for her
son, and the love for her only child neither parted her nor
divided her from the love of Christ, but through her prayers
her son attained unto perfect discipline and unto the ways and
habits of excellence ; and he became the son-in-law of honour
able and noble people, and there also came upon him much
power and divers positions of great honour; now he had two
children, one boy and one girl.
Now after a long period of time had elapsed, when she
heard that the daughter of her son and her husband wished to
be sanctified, and fearing lest they should fall into the hands
of the heretics who would sow in them evil doctrines, and lest
they should grow up in a life of dissolute luxury, that old
woman, who was then sixty years old, embarked once again
in a ship, and sailed from Caesarea, and after twenty days
arrived in Rome. And whilst she was there she converted and
made to become a Christian a man called Apronianus, who
was of exceedingly high rank and was also a pagan; and she
moreover persuaded him by means of most perfect admonition
and exhortation to become sanctified, and also his wife, who
was her own sister and whose name was Avita, to receive the
garb of the followers of the ascetic life, and to become pros
perous in all patience in the labours of the life of abstinence
and self-denial. And she also strengthened by means of her
excellent counsels the daughter of her son, whose name was
Melania, and her husband, whose name was Pinianus, and
she also converted her daughter-in-law, whose name was
Albina; and she persuaded all these to sell everything which
they possessed and to give [the money] to the poor; and
she brought them out from Rome, and led them into the
158
/toelanta tbe Great
quiet and peaceful haven of the life and labours of asce
ticism.
And she contended with all the women of senatorial rank
and with the women of high degree, and strove with them as
with savage wild beasts, for the men tried to restrain her from
making the women do even as she had done, that is to say,
to prevent her from converting them and making them to for
sake their worldly rank and position. And she spake unto them
thus, " My children, four hundred years ago it was written
"that that time was the last time (i St. John ii, 18). Why
u do ye hold fast thus strenuously to the vain love of the
" world? Take ye heed lest the day of Antichrist over-
4 take you,- and keep not fast hold upon your own riches
"and the possessions of your fathers"; and having set free
all these she brought them to the life of the ascetic and
recluse. As for her [grand] son Publicola, who was a child,
she converted [him] and brought [him] to Sicily; and she sold
the whole of the residue of her possessions and taking the
price [thereof] came to Jerusalem, and, having distributed it
in a wise fashion and arranged all her other affairs, after forty
days she died at a good old age, being crowned with an abun
dance of gratification and happiness; and she left in Jerusalem
a house for religious folk and money for the maintenance
thereof.
Now therefore when all those who clave unto her had gone
forth from Rome the great barbarian whirlwind, which had
also been mentioned in ancient prophecies, came upon the city,
and it did not leave behind it even the statues of brass which
were in the market-places, for it destroyed by its barbaric
insolence everything whatsoever; and it so thoroughly com
mitted everything to destruction that the city of Rome, which
had been crowned and adorned for twelve hundred years with
edifices and buildings of beauty, became a waste place. Then
those who without contention had been converted by means
of her admonition, ascribed glory unto God Who, by means of
a change in temporal affairs, had persuaded those who did not
believe her; for whilst the houses of all the latter were plun
dered, the houses of those only who had been persuaded by
her were delivered, and they became perfect burnt-offerings
unto the Lord, through the care and solicitude of the blessed
woman Melania. And it happened by chance that I and they
once travelled together from Aelia to Egypt, and we were ac
companying on our journey the gentle virgin Sylvania, the
sister of Rufinus, a man of consular rank, and Jovinianus was
also with us; now he was at that time a deacon, but subse
quently he became bishop in the Church of God of the city of
159
Ube paraOise ot tbe 1bolp jfatbers
Askelon, and he was a God-fearing man and was exceedingly
well versed in doctrine. And it came to pass that a fierce and
fiery heat overtook us on the way, and we came into Pelusium
that we might rest therein; and Jovinianus, who is worthy of
admiration, came by chance upon a trough for washing, and
he began to wash his hands and his feet in a little water that
by means of the coolness thereof he might refresh himself
after the intensity of the blazing heat. Then having washed
himself he threw on the ground a sheep-skin whereon he might
rest from the labour of the journey. And behold, the mighty
one among women stood up over him like a wise [mother], and
in her simplicity rebuked him by her words, saying, " Seeing
<4 that thou art still in the heat of youth how canst thou have
14 confidence that by means of carefulness [on thy part] thou
44 wilt be able to resist the [natural heat of] the constitution of
11 the body which still burneth in thy memberfs]? And dost
44 thou not perceive the injurious effects which will be produced
44 in thee by [this washing]? Believe me, O my son, for I am
"this day a woman sixty years old, from the time when I
"first took upon myself this garb water hath never touched
44 more of my body than the tips of the fingers of my hands,
11 and I have never washed my feet, or my face, or any one of
4 my members. And although I have fallen into many sick-
44 nesses, and have been urged by the physicians, I have never
" consented nor submitted myself to the habit of applying
44 water to any part of my body; and I have never lain upon a
44 bed, and I have never gone on a journey to any place reclin-
4 ing on a cushioned litter."
Now this wise and blessed woman also loved learning, and
she turned the nights into days in reading all the books of the
famous Fathers, I mean to say the works of the blessed Gregory
and of the holy man Stephen, and of Pierius and of Basil also,
and of other [writers], more than two hundred and fifty thou
sand sayings; and she did not read them in an ordinary fashion
or just as she came to them, and she did not hurry over
them in an easy and pleasant manner, but with great labour
and with understanding she used to read each book seven or
eight times. And because of this she was enabled, being set
free from lying doctrine, to fly by means of the gift of learning
(or doctrine) to great opinions, and she made herself a spiri
tual bird, and in this wise was taken up to Christ her Lord.
And may He in His mercy grant unto us through her prayers
the power to act mightily, even as she did, and may we see
her with all the saints who love Him, and with them may we
lift up praise to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit for ever and ever.
160
flDelania tbe
(Tbapter lj, f tbe Blessefc Woman jflDelania tbe
NOW inasmuch as I have already promised above to
relate the history of Melania the Younger it is meet
that I should pay [my] obligation, for it is not just that
I should consign to oblivion a young woman who, though so
very young in her years, by reason of her indefatigable zeal
and knowledge was very much wiser than the old women, or
that I should omit to make manifest by words the history
of one who, though a girl in stature, was old in the mind of the
fear of God. Now therefore the parents of this maiden drew
her by force into marriage, and they united her unto one of
the nobles of Rome, but she kept in mind continually the words
which had been spoken unto her by her aged relative, and
kept herself as was fitting, and became strengthened especially
in the fear of God. And she had two sons, and as both of them
died she came to be possessed of such a hatred of marriage
that she said unto her husband, whose name was Pinianus,
the son of Severus, a man of consular rank, "If thou wishest
" to live with me a life of purity I will regard thee as the hus-
4 band and lord of my life ; but if, inasmuch as thou art a
"young man, this is too hard for thee, take everything which
" I have and leave only free to me my own body, for in this
" way I shall be able to fulfil my desire which is in God, and
"I shall become the heir of the excellences of that woman
" after whose name I have been called. For if God desired me
"to lead the life of this world He would never have taken
" away the children to whom I gave birth."
And when they had been for a long time debating the matter,
at length God had mercy upon that young man, and He placed
in him the zeal of the fear of God to such a degree that he also
sought to be excused from all the material things of this world,
and thus was fulfilled the word which had been spoken by the
Apostle, saying, "How knowest thou, O woman, whether
" thou shalt give life to thy husband [or not]? Or how knowest
"thou, O man, whether thou shalt give life to thy wife [or
" not]?" (i Corinthians vii, 16.) Now when she was married to
her husband she was about twelve [or thirteen] years old, and
she lived with him for seven years, for she was twenty years
of age when she withdrew from the world. First of all she be
stowed all her raiment of silk upon the holy altars, which also
did Olympias, the handmaiden of Christ, and the remainder of
her apparel of silk she cut up, and made it suitable for the
service of the church in other ways. Her silver and gold she
entrusted to an elder whose name was Paul, who was a monk
161 ii
TTbe paraMse ot tbe ffoolE jfatbers
from Dalmatia, and she sent it by sea to the countries of the
East, I mean to Egypt and to the Thebaid, to the amount of
ten thousand darics ; and she sent in this manner ten thousand
darics to Antioch, and to the countries which were nigh there
unto, but to Palestine she sent fifteen thousand darics. To the
churches which were in the islands, and to the people who
were in exile she sent ten thousand darics, and to those who
were in the West, I mean in the churches, and in the monas
teries there, and the houses for the reception of strangers, and
to all those who were in want she distributed [her gifts] with
her own hands. And I speak as before God [when I say] that
she must have given away four times these [amounts besides],
and that she snatched away [her money] from Alaricus her
confidential servant as from the mouth of a lion. Of those who
wished to be free among her servants she gave freedom to
about eight thousand in number, and on the remainder who
had no wish to have their freedom, and who preferred rather
to remain in the service of her brother, she bestowed three
thousand darics. All the villages which she had in Spain, and
in Aquitania, and in the island of Tarragon, and Gaul she
sold, as well as those which she had in Sicily, and in Cam
pania, and in Africa, and received [the proceeds thereof] in her
own hands, so that she might give them to the monasteries,
and churches, and all those who were in want. Such was the
wisdom of Melania, this lover of Christ, and such was the
mature and divine opinion which she adopted in respect of the
weighty burden of these riches.
And her manner of life was thus. She herself ate once a day,
though at the beginning she ate once in five days, and the
young women whom she had converted and who lived with
her she commanded to partake of food every day. And there
lived with her also the mother of Albina, who observed the
same rule of life, and who distributed her possessions among
the needy after the manner of Melania; and sometimes they
dwelt in the plains of Sicily, and sometimes in the plains of
Campania, and they had with them fifteen men who were
eunuchs, and a proportionate number of virgins who ministered
as servants.
And Pinianus, who had once been her husband, was now
one who helped in the work of ascetic excellence, and was her
associate, and he dwelt with three hundred men who were
monks and read the Holy Scriptures, and he enjoyed himself
in the garden, and conversed with the people. Now these men
who were with him helped and relieved us in no slight degree,
and we were very many in number, when we were going on
our way to Rome on behalf of the blessed man John the Bishop,
162
ZTbe Blessefc
for they received us with the greatest good will and they sup
plied us with provisions for the way in great abundance, and
they sent us on our way in joy and gladness.
And their kinsman, whose name was Pammachius, a man
of consular rank, withdrew from the world as did they, and
he lived a life which was pleasing unto God, and during his
lifetime he distributed his possessions among the needy, and
left them [to them] after his death; and thus he departed unto
our Lord. In like manner the man Macarius, and Constantinus,
who was the assessor to the prefects in Italy (now they were
well known men and men who merit mention), arrived at the
highest pitch of ascetic excellence which I describe even as it
is; and they abide in the body at this present and lead a life of
glorious and divine deeds, and are awaiting the perfect life
which is full of happiness.
Cbapter ltj, f tbe Btessefc Moman l^mpias
NOW the holy and chaste woman Olympias, whilst
journeying in the footsteps of this woman Melania,
was emulating her in the excellence of her divine
life and labours, and she was seized with a fervent desire of
travelling in the path which leadeth to heaven, and in every
respect she made herself cling close to the Divine Books.
This woman was in the flesh the daughter of Count Seleucus,
but, if we say what is true, in the spirit she was the daugh
ter of God. Now she was the daughter of the son of Ablavius,
a man who had held consular rank in Constantinople, and
she was for a few days the daughter-in-law of Nebridius,
the sub-prefect of Constantinople, but in truth she was jjot
the wife of the man, for they say concerning her that she
died in purity and in her virginity, and that she only lived ac
cording to the Divine Word in chastity, wherein was mingled
true humility, and that she made herself a friend of and minis
tered unto all those who were needy. Now her abundant riches
sufficed for this work, and it is impossible to reckon up that
which she used to distribute to every one with a sincere intent;
for there is not a city, or a district, or a desert place, or an island,
or a shore which did not enjoy the gifts of this glorious woman.
And she gave gifts also to the churches for their maintenance,
and to the houses wherein strangers were received, and also to
the prisons and, moreover, to those who were in exile, and, so to
speak, on the whole world this blessed woman scattered heralms
broadcast. And she leaped upon and ascended the uppermost
part of the lofty mountain of humility, wherein nothing whatso
ever was to be seen of the acts and deeds of vainglory or of
deceitful action (or appearance), but the life of simplicity, and
163 na
ZTbe parafcise of tbe tools ffatbers
the common garb, and the emaciated body, and the submissive
mind, and the understanding which is without arrogance, and
the lowly heart, and the watching of vigil, and the spirit which
is without anxious care, and the love which hath no limit, and
friendship without end and the holding in contempt [the oper
ation of the feelings, and the restraint from everything [harm
ful], and the mind which is simple towards God, and the hope
which never faileth, and the lovingkindness which is unspeak
able, and the thoughtful care of all poor folk.
Now this woman suffered many temptations through the
agency of that evil devil, who loveth hateful things and who
hath never had experience of things which are good, and she
endured great contendings for the sake of the name of Christ.
And she gave herself unto tears which were without measure
both by day and by night, and she submitted herself unto all sorts
and conditions of the children of men for the sake of God, and she
bowed down reverently before the holy Bishops, and she paid
homage to the elders, and she entreated in an honourable manner
the clergy, as well as the orders of monks who dwelt in the mon
astic houses, and she received with welcome the virgins, and she
visited the widows, and she reared the orphans, and she streng
thened [those whowere in a state of] old age, and she had care for
the sick and she mourned with the sinners, and she led the erring
into the right path, and she tended every one, and she converted
many women among those who did not believe, and prepared
them for life. She left behind her to the world a beautiful remem
brance, and she changed the slavery into freedom of all the
members of her household, who were about a myriad in number,
and she shewed unto them honour in the same degree as to her
noble family ; and if, as is right, we must tell the truth, she made
them to become of more account than herself.
It was impossible for any man to see apparel worse than hers
on anyone, for the garments of this brave woman were not as
good as those of the people who cover themselves with the oldest
rags; and the food w r hich she offered to her body was of such
an inferior class that on account of its poorness it was rejected
even by her servants. By this woman who was clothed in Christ,
no blame was ever found in anyone, not even in her neighbours,
all through her life which was not a life by reason of the re
pentance and in the vehement tears wherewith she burned; one
may perchance see a fountain which, owing to the violence of
the heat, hath dried up, but no man ever saw the eyes of this wo
man, which were fixed upon Christ, lacking tears. But of what
use is it for us to tell and to devote myself so strenuously to narrate
[things] concerning her? For the contendings of this woman,
who was perfect in excellence, were so exceedingly numerous
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TOe Bles^ CanMfca
that they were more in number than those which were declared
concerning her, and men would only imagine concerning me
that I was narrating from hearsay great things which were not
true about this woman Olympias, who became a vessel of hon
our of the Divine Spirit, and who was above [all] passions.
Nevertheless I was a spectator of her excellence and of her an
gelic acts and deeds, and I was, as it were, a member of her
household, and her kinsman in the Spirit, and she made, by my
counsel, [gifts] unto many from her possessions. And this wo
man who never thought about the things which wereintheflesh,
suffered many vain calumnies for the sake of the truth, and
those who were living in Divine fear in Constantinople rightly
deemed that she should be numbered with the confessors, be
cause even unto the death she persisted in striving for right
eousness sake, and in [performing her works] she received per
fection, and she waited hopefully for the never-withering crown,
which was full of all blessings in the everlasting mansions on
high, with all the saints who were like unto her, and she sought
after the reward of her good deeds with freedom (or boldness)
of speech.
Cbapter liij. <W tbe Btessefc Woman GanMfca
AND after the manner of the blessed woman Candida,
the daughter of the blessed man Trajan, the general,
also laboured, and she arrived at the perfection of as
cetic excellence ; and she offered unto the Bishops, who were the
ministers of the Mysteries of Christ, the homage which was meet
for them, and she provided suitably for the performance of all
the service of the church, and supplied the clergy with gifts,
unto each man according to his grade. She converted her daugh
ter and placed her in the ranks of the virgins, and she offered
unto God this gift of the fruit of her womb, and sent [her] before
her, and finally she herself also became like unto her daughter
in the chastity of her purity, and she distributed her wealth
among the poor and needy. And I know that night after night
this brave woman used to rise up [from her bed] and grind corn,
and heat the oven, and make bread for the Offering, and bake it
with her own hands, and she was wont to say that she did this in
order to reduce the strength of her body, for, she added, " Be-
" cause I am unable to receive any benefit from fasting I have
4< taken upon myself this labour for watching, so that I may do
away with the greedy appetite of Esau." Now she separated her
self from every kind [of meat] where there is blood, fish alone ex-
cepted, and she made use of oil and vegetables, but these only on
festival days ; and on all other days she used to live on dry bread
dipped in vinegar, and it sufficed her. And she awaited with
165
TTbe iparafcise of tbe 1fool ff atbers
hope the Resurrection which was to be full of happiness, in re
turn for these stern labours, and she hoped to enjoy the ever
lasting delights which God hath prepared for those who love
Him.
Cbapter liv* f tbe :JBles0efc Woman Oelasia
AND Gelasia, the daughter of a man of the rank of
tribune, desired earnestly to follow in the fear of God
after this woman whose life and deeds were glorious,
and her excellence consisted in never allowing the sun to go
down upon her wrath against man, neither against her ser
vants nor against [any] other man; and this blessed woman
fled from the path of men of wrath which leadeth unto ever
lasting death.
Cbapter l\>, f tbe Blessefc Woman Juliana
AND again, there was a certain virgin, whose name was
Juliana, in Caesarea of Cappadocia, and it was said
concerning her that she was a believing woman, and
a woman of understanding, and that in the time of the perse
cution when the writer Origen was fleeing from the heathen
she received [him] and hid him [in her house] for two years;
and she fed and kept him at her own expense, and made him
to be satisfied and content with her ministration. Now I have
found these things set down in a certain book which was in
the handwriting of Origen himself, and I found this book in
the possession of the excellent virgin Juliana in Caesarea who
had hidden it, and who used to say that she received it from
Symmachus, the expositor of the Jews. And I have not set
down [in writing] the story of the excellences of these glorious
women for any ordinary purpose, but that we may learn that
by every means whatsoever we may, if we wish, find sundry
and divers occasions for [obtaining spiritual] advantage.
Cbapter l\>j, f Detention anfc bis Wife [Bospboria]
IN Ancyra, a city of Galatia, I met a man whose name was
Heronion, an "Apakomots," and an enlightened man, and
his wife whose name was Bosphoria (or Dosphoria), and
of their mode of living and a<5ls I experienced an example.
Now these folk had such a firm hope in the happiness (or
good things) which were to come, that they neglected even
their children, for they awaited with hope the actual [fulfilment]
of the things to come, and they distributed among the poor
and needy the income which they derived from their villages,
notwithstanding the fact that they had four male and two
female children. To these [children] they never gave anything
whatsoever, except to the daughters who had married husbands.
166
/I&agna
And finally, they used to say, " After we are dead everything
" will be yours, but during our lifetime the income which we
"derive from our villages we shall take for ourselves." Now
they used to divide their moneys among the churches and
monasteries, and houses for the receiving ot strangers (or
hospitals?) and among the poor and needy. And besides these
things they performed the following act of excellence. There
was a great famine, and every man shut up (or restrained) his
mercy, but these folk opened the storehouses which they had
in their villages, and gave [food] to eat to those who were
famished, and through this a&t the heretics who were living in
that country were changed and were turned unto the [true]
knowledge when they saw their unspeakable lovingkindness;
and they gave praise unto God for the simplicity of their faith.
And other examples of their excellence were the following:
The modest garb, common and simple apparel, food eaten but
rarely, and then only in such quantity as was sufficient [to
maintain] life; and they lived meanwhile in a state of chastity
which was acceptable unto God. They dwelt in the fields seve
ral days [at a time], loving a life of silent contemplation, and
they fled from the tumult of cities and from the evils which
are begotten of them, lest when they were living among a
crowd of people something might come upon them to disturb
them, and they might fall from the[ir] divine state of mind.
For this reason these blessed men were doing all these excel
lent things, because that with the eyes of the understanding
they had already looked upon the good things which had been
for ever prepared for them.
Cbapter lv>ij, f tbe Blessefc Woman
IN this city of Ancyra there were also many other virgins
who led lives of ascetic excellence, and they were two
thousand, or more, in number; and they kept themselves
in restraint and served God with great humility. And among
them were also famous women who triumphed with glorious
strenuousness in the contending of the fear of God, and of
those was Magnd, the chaste and proved wife; now I know
not whether I ought to describe her as a virgin or as a widow,
for this woman, owing to the pressure which was put upon
her by her mother, was yoked unto a husband. But she used
to make pretences to her husband in divers ways, and she
avoided his embraces by urging the bodily sickness which she
had on her as an excuse, and thus she was, according to what
the members of her household said, preserved spotless from
him. Now, after a short time the man died, and he left every
thing which he had unto her alone, and she exchanged the
167
ZTbe parafcfse of tbe tools ffatbers
things of time for those which were everlasting-, and she
offered herself wholly to God and devoted herself unto the
things which belonged unto the life which is to come; and thus
she lived a life in the great chastity of the fear of God, and
even the Bishops were put to shame by the sight of her. Now
the rest of the building (i.e., the edifice of her spiritual excel
lences,) she made perfect in the furnace of the love of volun
tary poverty, and whatsoever there remained untoher she gave,
as it is written, gladly unto the churches, and monasteries and
houses for receiving poor strangers, and unto the orphans
and widows; and she abode continually in the church and served
God, and awaited the hope which was to come.
Gbapter l\>iij. f tbe /I&onfe [/HMsericors] wbo U\>e&
in Hncsra
AND moreover, we found in this city a certain monk,
and we met him at the time when he had [just] received
the laying on of hands as an elder; formerly he had
been a husbandman, but he had laboured in the life of a soli
tary recluse (or monk) for twenty years, and he had lived in
close intercourse with the Bishop of the city, who was a holy
man. He was such a benevolent man that even in the night
time he would go roundabout and visit those who were poor and
needy, and he was so indefatigable in his work that he neg
lected neither the prison-house, nor the house of the sick (i.e.,
hospital), nor the houses of the rich and poor, but he helped
every one. He urged the rich with words which were full of
mercy, and exhorted them to fair deeds, and he toiled with
anxious care on behalf of the poor and needy, in respecl; of
those things which were meet for them. Those who were strug
gling in contention he brought nigh unto peace, and those who
were naked he clothed with raiment, and he laboured for the
sick and brought them the bindings up which conduced to
[their] healing. Now there existed in this city of Ancyra that
which existeth rightly in large cities, that is to say, in the
porch of the church thereof there lay a great number of poor
folk, who were in the habit of going about begging for their
daily bread, and among them were certain men who had wives ;
and it fell out on the night of a certain day that one of these
women was about to give birth to a child. And by reason of
the pain which was darting through her, and the severe anguish
of the birth-pangs, she cried out loudly, and the blessed man
heard her outcries from the church as he was praying ; and the
blessed man ceased praying, and went forth to see [what was
happening], although it was winter. And seeing that there was
no man nigh unto her in her necessity, he himself filled the
1 68
5obn of
place of midwife, and he abhorred not the shame which at-
tacheth unto those who give birth to children ; for the great
.a6l of lovingkindness which he was about to perform did not
grant unto him the perception of such things.
Now of this blessed man the garments (or possessions) were
so utterly poor that they were worth nothing at all, for by
reason of the great lovingkindness which dwelt in him he took
no pains at all to acquire any possession whatsoever. For if
anyone gave him a book he straightway went and sold it, and
unto those who enquired of him concerning it, saying, "Why
"didst thou sell [the book]?" he said, "How am I to persuade
"the Master (or Teacher) that I have in truth learned His
"handicraft, unless I make use of His testimony as to the true
"[meaning] of His handicraft?" And this holy man thereupon
persisteth in this course of action until this day, and he hath
left behind him unto all those who dwell in that country a
never-fading remembrance. And he is happy in the expectation
of the good things which are for ever, and he waiteth to re
ceive the reward of the labours of his triumphs in the kingdom
from Him Who said, * I was an hungered and ye gave Me to eat.
"I was naked and ye clothed Me" (St. Matthew xxv, 35, 36).
Cbapter li. f Jobn of OLpcus, a Gits of tbe Ubebaifc
JOHN, who lived in the city of Lycus, and who had learned
in his youth the craft of the carpenter, and whose brother
was a dyer, afterwards, when he was about five and twenty
years old, took upon himself the garb of monkhood ; and hav
ing lived in divers monasteries for five years, he finally de
parted by himself to themountain which is in Lycus, to the lofty
eminence which is on the top of the mountain, and made three
cells for himself there. Now he built and prepared these for
himself in the first year after he went to the mountain and went
up into it. The first cell was for the needs of the body, in the
second he laboured at the work of his hands and took his food,
and in the third he said his prayers, and during the three (or
thirty) years in which he was in seclusion there he was wont to
receive whatsoever was necessary for him through the window
from him that ministered unto him.
Now this blessed man was worthy [to receive] from God the
gift of being able to declare things before they came to pass,
and on several occasions he made known things before they
happened unto the blessed Emperor Theodosius, I mean he
foretold that he would conquer Maximus the rebel and would
return from Gallia, and he also announced to him beforehand
concerning the defeat of Eugenius the rebel, and thus the fame
of this holy man went forth greatly, and he was held to be a
ftbe parafcise of tbe f>ol$ ff atbers
man of spiritual excellence. Now therefore when we were in
the desert of Nitria, I and the members of the following- of the
blessed Origen wished to gain exact information concerning 1
the state of spiritual excellence to which the man [had attain
ed]. Thereupon the blessed Evagrius said, " I am very desirous
"of learning from some one who is skilled in the investigation
"of the mind and understanding what manner of man [John
"of Lycus] is; for although I myself am unable to see him,
"still I can learn from another man [concerning] his qualities
"of excellence if he be able to narrate them, but I cannot go
" so far as [his] mountain. " Now when I had heard these things
I said nothing whatsoever to any man, and I held my peace
for a day, but on the morrow I shut up my cell, and having
confided myself to the hands of God I set out on my journey
to go to the Thebaid, where I arrived after eighteen days, on
some of which I walked on my feet, and on others I sailed on
the river. For it was the period of the year when the river
riseth, and when many folk fall sick, the which also happened
unto me. And when I had gone [to John of Lycus] I found that
he had shut himself up in the place wherein he lived in seclu
sion, and I took up my abode with the brethren in a great
house which contained about one hundred men, and which the
brethren had built a long time ; for though they shut in John
during the other days of the week on Saturday and Sunday
they used to open his window.
When therefore I had learned the rule concerning his seclu
sion, I waited until the Saturday, and at the second hour I
drew nigh and found him sitting in the opening in the wall (or
window), wherein he waited to administer comfort and conso
lation unto those who thronged unto him. And having saluted
me he said unto me through an interpreter, " Whence art thou,
" my son? And why hast thou come? Thou appearest to me to
" belong unto the congregation of Evagrius." And I said unto
him," I am a stranger from [the country of] the Galatians," and
I confessed that I also belonged unto those who were the fol
lowers of Evagrius. Now whilst we were conversing together
behold, Alipius, the governor of the country, came unto him,
and as the governor turned to him John ceased to talk to me
and I left them for a little space and gave them opportunity to
talk, and I rose up [and departed] from the mountain. And
when they had passed much time in their converse I became
impatient and angry, and I murmured against that excellent
old man because it seemed as if he had treated me lightly and
had paid honour to the governor; and being offended in my
mind at this [treatment] I made up my mind to go away be
cause of his disregard of me. Then John called unto his inter-
170
3obn of
preter, whose name was Theodore, and said unto him, "Go and
11 say unto that brother, Be not angry and impatient, for I will
" dismiss the governor immediately, and [then] I will speak
" with thee. " Thus it appeared to me that, like a spiritual
being, he had knowledge of secret things, and I made up my
mind to remain.
And when the governor had departed John called unto me
and said unto me, "My son, why wast thou vexed with me?
" What hast thou found which is worthy of [being considered]
f an offence? Thou hast imagined things which are not to be
" found in me, and which are not creditable unto thyself. Dost
" thou not know that it is written, Those that are whole have
" no need of a physician (St. Matthew ix, 12; St. Mark ii, 17;
" St. Luke v, 31); only those who are in very evil case have
" need of him. Thee I can find whensoever I wish, and if I
" myself do not comfort thee the brethren and the other fathers
" will do so. But this governor who hath come to us is tightly
"bound unto the Calumniator by means of the affairs of this
" world, and, having obtained respite for a brief space from
"the vain labour of [his] abominable servitude, he fleeth like a
" slave from his master and cometh to be helped; therefore it
"would not be seemly to leave him, and to be constant in
" attention unto thee, for thou art at all seasons occupied with
" the cultivating of thy life."
And having said these things I entreated him to forgive me,
and I became certain in my mind that he was a spiritual man.
Then with a smile he patted my left cheek with his right hand,
and said unto me, "Many temptations will rise up for thee to
"endure, and moreover, for many years [past] thou hast
"struggled to go forth from the desert, and thou strugglest
" even to this day, but thou hast been afraid; and the causes
" thereof, which were thought [by thee to arise from] the fear
" of God, hath the Evil One himself sowed in thy mind; and
" although thou didst drive away thy thought from thee thou
" hast kept him with thee. For he sowed in thee the thought
" of desire, which was also pleasant unto thee, that is to say,
" thou didst care greatly to bring out of the world thy father
"and also thy sister that they might take upon themselves
"the garb of the monastic life. Now there still remain to thy
" father seven other years of life, therefore continue to abide
" in the desert, and do not on account of these thoughts desire
"to go to thy kinsfolk, for it is written, No man who hath
" put his hand on the ploughshare and looketh back is useful
" to the kingdom of heaven " (St. Luke ix, 62). Now, there
fore, being helped by these words whereby I triumphed I gave
thanks and praise unto God Who had quieted and laid to rest
171
Ube paradise of tbe fbols jf atbers
in me the cause which was urging me to go forth from the
desert.
Then afterwards he said unto me with a smile, "Wishest
" thou to become a bishop?" And I said unto him, "I have
" already been made one"; and he said unto me, "Where?"
Then I answered and said unto him, " I am the bishop of the
" public eating-houses, and of the taverns, and of tables, and
* of wine-pots, for I am a visitor of them. And if the wine
" hath gone sour I know enough to observe it, and that which
41 is fit [to drink] I drink. Similarly I visit the cooking pot and
" if it needeth salt, or any seasoning whatsoever, I season it
44 with sauces and then I eat thereof. For this, that is to say,
" my visiting, is my episcopate, and it is the love of the belly
"and gluttony which hath made me the visitor of these." And
with a smile he said unto me further, "Quit these [words] of
4 jesting, for a bishop thou must needs be, and thou wilt have
4t to labour and to be troubled greatly; now if thou wishest to
"flee from tribulations and temptations go not forth from the
" desert, for in the desert no man will make thee a bishop."
And when I had departed from him I came to the desert,
that is, to my place wherein I dwelt, and having related these
things unto the blessed fathers, who after two months went
and held intercourse with him, I forgot his words. And three
years afterwards I fell sick with a sore sickness which was
caused by my kidneys and stomach, and I was sent to Alexan
dria by the brethren who believed that I was collecting water
(i.e., becoming dropsical), and the physicians counselled me
to leave Alexandria, and for the sake of the air (or climate) to
.go to Palestine, where the air (or climate) was temperate and
light and would be beneficial to my body. From Palestine I
went to Bithynia, where, for what reason I know not, whether
by the care and solicitude of men, or whether by the Will of
God, Who is exalted above all things, I was held to be worthy
of the laying on of hands for the episcopacy, which was far
above my deserts, and I became an associate in the temptation
(or trial) which rose up against the blessed John Chrysostom,
Bishop of Constantinople. And having been secluded for a
period of about eleven months in a dark cell I remembered
that blessed man who had told me of the things which had
happened to me before they came to pass. Now the blessed
man John related the things unto me, according to my opinion,
that by means of the narrative he might incite my mind and
bring me to continue to dwell in the desert; and he said unto
me, "Behold, I have passed eight and forty years in this cell,
"and I have never seen the face of a woman [during the
" whole time], and no man hath either seen me eat or drink."
172
Ube Blessefc
Now the handmaiden of Christ Poemenia came unto the
blessed man and begged that she might see him, but the
blessed man would not allow her to do so; and he sent unto
her other spiritual words to give her consolation, and he com
manded her that when she was going down from the Thebai d
she should not turn aside to Alexandria, saying, that if she
did so, she would certainly fall into temptations. But Poemenia,
forgetting this [advice] and never letting it enter her mind
[again], turned aside to Alexandria that she might see the city,
and on the way, by the side of the city Nicius, she stopped her
ship that she might rest herself. And when her servants had
disembarked, through some untoward circumstance strife broke
out between them and the people of the country, who were
truculent men, and they cut off a finger of one believing man,
and another they killed, and without knowing it they drowned
the holy Bishop Dionysius in the river. And they made the
venerable woman to endure many revilings and threatened to
do much violence unto her; and they beat all her servants with
many severe str pes, and they would hardly &llo\v theTi t^ pro
ceed on their way. rm^ - 4 --
Gbapter l. f tbe Blessed /Ifcan posstoonius
NOW the things which [are narrated] concerning the
holy man Possidonius the Theban are so many that it
is impossible to describe them all; he was so gentle,
and gracious, and patient, and enduring, and his soul had so
much goodness in it that I do not know that I ever met another
man who was like unto him. For I lived with him in Bethlehem
for a year, at the time he was living beyond the Monastery of
the Shepherds, which was close to the town, and I observed
in him many qualities of excellence, of which I will relate [an
example of] one or two. He told me one day when I was living
by the side of Porphyrites, [saying], "I have not spoken to a
4 man for a whole year, and I have not heard the speech of
4 one. I have not eaten bread, but the insides of palm leaves
u soaked in water and, whenever I could find it, wild honey.
" Once, however, the time came when these things failed me,
" and I was in sore tribulation because of it. And I went forth
" from the cave that I might go to the habitations of men, and
" having journeyed on the whole day I was scarcely two miles
" distant from the cave. And I turned [and looked] behind me,
"and I saw, as it were, a horseman whose appearance re-
"sembled that of a knight, and he had upon his head the
" similitude of a helmet, and thinking that he was a Roman I
" turned back to the cave, and I found outside it a basket of
"grapes and new, ripe figs, and I took them and went with
173
TTbe parafcfse of tbe tools jf atbers
41 them into the cave rejoicing; and that food sufficed to be a
41 consolation unto me for a period of two months."
And the blessed man wrought in Bethlehem the following
miracle. A certain woman had conceived, and she was pos
sessed of an unclean spirit, and being near to the bringing
forth of her child she was greatly afflicted by birth pangs and
was violently tortured by that spirit; and as she was writhing
by reason of the workings of that devil, her husband came and
entreated the holy man to go and pray over her, and we went
into [her house] therefore that we might pray together. And
having stood up and prayed, after he had knelt down twice he
cast out that unclean spirit; when he stood up he said unto us,
" Pray ye, for straightway the devil shall go forth." But there
was a certain sign, the fulfilment of which [he wished] to shew
us, and therefore when that devil had gone forth, he over
turned the whole of the courtyard wall unto its very founda
tions; now that woman had not spoken a word for a period of
about six years, but after that devil had gone forth she brought
forth her child and spake.
And, moreover, I also saw [an exklnf>Iirj* of the prophecy of
this blessed man. There was a certain elder, whose name was
Hieronymus, who dwelt in these parts, and he was exceedingly
well versed in the art and practice of grammar and of eloquence,
and he was greatly skilled in the Latin language; but he pos
sessed the vices of envy and evil-eyedness to such a degree
that the excellence of his very great skill and ability was en
tirely hidden. Now the blessed man Possidonius had dwelt
with him for many days, and he told me that the free-woman
Paula, who had taken care of him, departed from this world
before her time in order that she might escape from his envy,
and, according to my opinion, it was on account of this man
that none of the holy men would live in these districts; and
the envy of this man continued to such a degree that it over
took his own brother, which thing took place even as he had
foretold. And he also persecuted the blessed man Oxyperentius,
who came from Italy, and the wonderful men, Peter the Egyp
tian and Simeon, who were seen by me. And Possidonius the
Great himself told me that for the whole period of forty years
he had not tasted food made of bread, and that wrath against
any man did not abide with him as long as the half of the day.
174
Gbronius an& James
Cbapter Ij. f Cbronfns wbo was from tbe Dillaae of
pboeni
THERE was a certain man whose name was Chronius,
who came from the village which was called Tom^rta"
(i.e., Phcenix) which was nigh unto the desert; and
when he had gone away a little distance from human habita
tions, and had departed from his village, having measured out
along the road with his right foot about fifteen thousand paces,
he prayed and dug in that spot a pit, and he found [therein]
good and sweet water. Now the well was about seven fathoms
in depth; and he built there a little habitation wherein to dwell,
and from the day wherein he shut himself up in that place, he
prayed to God that he might never return to a region inhabited
by men. Now when he had dwelt there some few years, he was
esteemed worthy to become a priest unto the brotherhood, for
there were gathered together unto him about two hundred
brethren. And these excellent things are said concerning him:
that during the whole of the period of sixty years, wherein he
was performing the ministrations of the altar, he never once
went out of the desert, and that he never ate bread which he
had not [earned by] the labour of his hands.
Cbapter lij* <W James tbe Xante [anfc of papbnutius
Cepbala]
NOW by the side of this Chronius, who is [mentioned]
above, there used to dwell a certain man who was
called James the Lame, and he was an exceedingly
learned man; now both of these men knew the blessed Anthony.
And it came to pass one day that there happened to be there
also Paphnutius, who is described as a man who watered
gardens by machines, and who possessed the gift of know
ledge to such a degree that he knew how to expound the
Books of the Old and New Testaments without reading from
them ; and he was such a gentle man that his meekness over
came the gift of prophecy which was found with him ; now
the former was voluntary, and the latter was an act of Divine
grace. And of this man it was said that he possessed spiritual
excellence to such a degree that for a period of eighty years
he did not own two tunics. Now when I and the blessed man
Evagrius came to these men we desired to learn the reasons
for the stumblings of the brethren and for their transgressions
against the strict rules of the ascetic life.
And it came to pass in those same days that Chaeremon the
anchorite departed from the world whilst he was sitting on his
seat and holding his work in his hand.
175
TEbe parafcise of tbe fbols jfatbers
And it came to pass that another brother was buried by a
fall of earth when he was digging a well.
And another died of want of water as he was coming from
Scete.
And in addition to these [we wished to learn] concerning
the matter of Stephen, which ought not to be spoken about,
for he fell into foul lasciviousness.
And [we asked] concerning Eucarpius, and those which con
cerned Hero the Alexandrian, and the Palestinian, and Ptolemy
the Egyptian, who were in Scete. And we were asking among
ourselves the question, "What is the reason why men live
"lives of this kind in the desert, whereby some receive in-
"jury mentally, and some are ensnared by lasciviousness ?""
Whereupon Paphnutius, that man of great learning, made
answer unto us in the following words, saying, "All the
" various things which take place in the world must be divided
"into two categories, for some happen through the direct
"Will of God, and the others by His permission only; the
"things which are wrought to the praise of God, especially
"happen by the direct desire of God, but all those which
"appertain to loss (or injury), and danger, and to matters
"which produce tribulation take place by the permission of
" God. Now permission ariseth from a fault on the part of the
" mind. For it is impossible for the man who thinketh rightly
"to fall into foul sins, or into the error which ariseth from the
"devils, for all of these take place through a corrupt intent
"(^disposition), and through the [love of the] approval of
"the children of men, and by the daring of the thoughts,
" [which] hope to make perfect spiritual excellence. Such men
" fall into reprehensible wickedness, and God permitteth them
" so to do, that they may be a help unto others, that when they
" feel the difference which hath come upon them through this
* permission, they may remember themselves and may turn again
"unto spiritual excellence, either that which existeth in the
" mind, or that which existeth in deeds. And sometimes it is
" the mind which sinneth, that is to say, when that sin which
taketh place is committed with evil intent ; and sometimes it
"is the deeds themselves which must be rejected, as, for ex-
" ample, when they are performed in a manner which is quite
" beyond everything which is right and seemly, and this latter
"case happeneth frequently. Thus a man of lust will, with
"corrupt design, give alms unto young women in order that
"he may fulfil his foul desire, even though at the beginning
" he may say, It is a beautiful act for us to offer help to the
" maiden who is an orphan, and alone [in the world] and in
" misery. And again it may happen that a man may begin to
176
Ipapbnutius
41 do alms with a good and acceptable intent to those who are
"sick, or to those who have lost their riches and become
"poor, and that though he giveth his gift in a niggardly
" manner, and may murmur [at the expense] and wax wroth,
" his motive in giving will be found to be a right one. Now the
4 deed is not [to be thought] equal to the motive. For it is
" right for the man who would shew mercy to make his gift
4 gladly and with a good eye."
And they also spoke the following: "There is a difference
4 between the gifts which exist in various souls. Some of
"them possess keenness of mind, and some of them find it
" exceedingly easy and simple to acquire the habits of ascetic
" self-denial, or to do that which is difficult for other souls to
" do; but when a man maketh use of [his] gift of keenness of
" mind without a good object for so doing, or when he exerteth
41 his faculty of performing things because it is easy for him to
" do so, or when men exercise the gifts which they have re-
" ceived, they do not ascribe, as would be right, the correct-
41 ness of their spiritual excellences unto God, but to their own
"desire, and to their own keenness of mind. And those to
" whom it is sufficient to perform fair works are permitted by
"the Divine Providence to be caught in a snare, either by
" filthy deeds or filthy passions, or by the contempt or by the
" disgrace which cometh unto them from the children of men,
" so that through the shame and the contempt which [they re-
" ceive] from the multitude they may little by little and by de-
" grees cast away from them their boasting about the spiritual
" excellence which they imagine they possess.
" For he who is inflated and unduly exalted at the keenness
" of speech [which he possesseth] doth not ascribe to God, as
"is right, such keenness, or the discovery of the knowledge
41 which is from Him, but to his own training, forsooth, or to
"his own naturally keen disposition; [therefore] doth God
" remove from him the Angel of His Divine Providence, and
" the Angel being separated from him, this man is immediately
" vanquished by his Adversary, and he who was [unduly] lifted
" up in his keenness [of mind and speech] falleth into lascivious-
" ness, or into some kind of filthy passion, because he was [un-
" duly] exalted. And because he was lifted up, and because the
"witness of chastity hath separated himself from him, the
"things which are said by him become unworthy of credence,
" and those who fear God flee from the teaching of the mouth
" of the man who is in this condition, even as they would flee
" from a fountain which is full of leeches, so that there may be
" fulfilled that which is written, * Unto the sinner God saith,
" What hast thou to do with the Books of My Command-
177 12
para&ise of the 1bols if atbevs
44 * ments? (Psalm 1, 16.) For thou hast taken My covenant in
" thy mouth.
44 For in very truth the souls of those who are moved by pas-
k4 sions are like unto fountains of divers kinds; the souls of glut-
44 tons and of those who live in impurity and drunkenness arc
"like unto muddy springs; and the souls of those who love
" money and are avaricious are like unto wells which are full
44 of frogs; and the souls of those who live in envy and pride,
" even though there be found in their nature a facility for re-
44 ceiving doctrine, are like unto wells which breed snakes, and
" which, even though their flow be continual, no man is able
44 to drink from because of the bitterness of their manners and
" habits. And because of this the blessed man David asked and
entreated God togive him three things: graciousness(0rsweet-
4 ness), knowledge, and instruction. [For without graciousness
4 knowledge hath no use], and if a man whose manner of life
4 is thus correct shall himself lift from off himself the cause of
4 the permission [from God], which is boasting, and shall take
44 upon himself humility, and shall recognize his true capacity,
41 and shall not, at the same time, exalt himself over any man,
44 and shall confess (or give thanks unto) God, the witness of
44 knowledge will return unto him again."
44 Now this is the behaviour of spiritual excellence. For the
4 spiritual words of a chaste mode of life do not permit to
44 grow up together with them the parched spear-grasses, and
44 ears of corn which have been smitten by the south wind (or
44 drought), and \vhich by reason of their appearance make men
44 think they are full, whilst there is no [flour of] bread in
44 them. Every lapse (or calamity) \vhich taketh place, either
44 through the tongue, or through some feeling, or through
44 some action, or through the whole body, taketh place in pro-
4 portion to the measure of a man s pride, and by the permission
4 of God, Who showeth compassion upon those who commit
4 themselves to His Divine Providence. For if, in addition to
4 their skill in ordering their speech and their keenness of na-
4 ture, the Lord were also to testify to the beauty of their words
4 by never permitting them to fall, the arrogance with which
4 they would exalt themselves in impurity would probably sur-
4 pass that of the devils."
And the following" also did these men of the house of Abba
Paphnutius say unto us: "When thou seest evil deeds and
44 acts, that is to say, the conversation of him who leadeth an
4 evil life [and knowest] that they are fair and exceedingly
44 plausible, remember the Devil who, [as we learn] from the
44 Holy Scriptures, spake with Christ [St. Matthew iv, 3ff.], and
4k also the testimony which saith, 4 Nowthe serpent was the most
178
Ipapbnuttus
" subtle (Genesis iii, i) of all the serpents which were on the
44 * earth, and that it was by reason of his subtlety that des-
" truction came upon him, because he possessed no otherquality
"of excellence which attached itself closely to his cunning.
" For it is meet that the believing" man who feareth God should
44 ponder upon that which God giveth unto him. And let him
"speak that which he meditateth, and let him do that which
44 he speaketh. For if to the asseveration of words there be not
4< attached a brotherhood in acts and deeds, it is bread without
* 4 salt, which cannot be eaten, lest digestion be disturbed, even
44 as the blessed man Job said, 4 Can the thing- which is insipid
44 4 be eaten without salt? Or, is there any taste in the juice of the
44 4 ox-tongue plant? (Job vi, 6.) Even thus polished words
44 possess no savour whatsoever unless they be made complete
44 by works.
44 Now therefore there is one kind of permission which hideth
44 spiritual excellence in order that it may be revealed, as, for
44 example, that of Job concerning 1 which God made known when
<4 He said unto him (Job xl, 8ff.), 4 Blame not My judgement,
" and think not that I have done these things unto thee for any
" other reason than that it might be known that thou art
44 4 righteous. Thou wast known unto Me because I see secret
44 4 things, but thou wast not revealed unto the children of men,
44 4 because they thought that thou didst care exceedingly for
44 4 riches that thou mightest make perfect My pleasure; it was for
4 4 4 this reason that I brought upon thee the trial of stripping thee
44 4 of thy riches so that I might shew them thy gratitude to-
44 4 wards Me, and thy patient endurance.
44 And there is another kind of permission [which God
44 giveth] in order to drive out pride (or arrogance), as in the
44 case of Paul, for the blessed Paul was permitted by means
4 of distractions and a goad, and he fell into divers tribula-
44 tions, and he said, 4 There hath been given to me a goad in
44 4 my flesh, a messenger of Satan, (2 Corinthians xii, 7) to buffet
44 4 me so that I may not be [unduly] exalted, lest through the
44 superfluity of the revelations, and signs, and gratifications
44 [of the spirit], and prosperity and honours which were
44 found with him, he might become lax and fall into arro-
<4 gance. And the paralytic was permitted because of sin, even
according to what our Redeemer said unto him, 4 Behold,
* 4 thou art whole; sin no more (St. John v, 14). And Judas
44 was permitted because he held money (St. Matthew xxvii,
44 5) in greater esteem than life, and because of this he hanged
"himself. And Esau (Genesis xxv, 32) was permitted, and he
"fell into filthy desire because he honoured the dung of the
"bowels more than the divine birthright. Therefore, because
179 I 2t(
Ube parafcfse of tbe 1foot ffatbers
4< the blessed Paul understood all these thing s, did he say con-
" cerning- men, Because they have not decided within them-
* selves that they will know God, He hath delivered them
" * over unto an empty understanding- so that they may work
44 * that which is unseemly (Romans i, 21-28). And concerning 1
" other men who think that the knowledge of God is in them,
" together with the corrupt mind which they possess, he said,
" Because they have known God, and have not praised Him
" as God, and given thanks unto Him, He hath delivered
" them over unto the passions of disgrace. "
Therefore from these things it is meet that we should
know that it is impossible for a man to stumble and fall into
filthy desire without the permission of the Providence of God.
Cbapter Uij. f tbe Blessefc man Solomon
NOW I went about in Antinoe of the Thebai d for a per
iod of four years, and I learned concerning the whole
of the system of the religious houses which were there ;
for there dwelt by the side of the city about twelve hundred men,
who worked with their hands, and who lived the life of spiritual
excellence. Among these there was a number of solitary monks
who shut themselves up in caves, and among them was one who
was called Solomon ; he was a chaste and humble man, andunto
him was given the gift of patient endurance. He used to say
that he had passed fifty years in the cave, during which time he
had fed himself by means of his labour, and he could repeat the
Scriptures by heart.
Cbapter liv. f Dorotbeos tbe priest
AND there was Dorotheos, a priest, who used to live in
a cave, and he possessed more goodness than many
men, and led a spiritual life of high excellence; now he
had been held to be worthy of consecration to the priesthood,
and he performed the offices thereof for the brethren who dwelt
in the caves. Unto this blessed man Melania the Less, the
kinswoman of Melania the Great, concerning whom we are
about to speak later, sent five hundred darics and begged him
to spend them on behalf of the brethren [who were there] ; buthe
only took three of them, and then sent the remainder to the
wandering monk Diocles, a man of knowledge and under
standing, saying, "O our brother Diocles, thou art wiser than
4 I am; I am not equal [to spending these]" ; and having taken
them Diocles was able to spend them wisely on those whom he
knew of a certainty to be in want.
1 80
Biocles anb Ikapiton
Cbapter Ivx Ot Dtocles
THIS man Diocles was originally [one] of those who
were greatly skilled in grammar, but afterwards he
became learned in philosophy. And having- arrived at
the period of the twenty-eighth year of his life, he was called by
the Grace of God, and he departed and removed himself from
the house of instruction, and delivered himself over to the pro
mise of Christ ; and having dwelt in caves for the space of thirty-
five years, he said unto us, "The mind which removeth itself
44 from the meditation of God falleth into lust." Now he used to
say that lust was that of a savage, animal, and bestial character,
for he said unto us, "The mind which falleth away from the
meditation of God becometh either a devil or a beast" ; and we
asked him to explain this saying unto us, and he did so, and said,
44 The mind which maketh itself to be remote from the contem-
44 plation of God must, perforce, be delivered over either to the
44 devil of lust, who leadeth [it] into lasciviousness, or to the evil
44 devil of wrath, wherefrom are produced the animal passions."
And he said, 4 The feeling of lasciviousness is a bestial thing, but
44 the feelingof wrath appertaineth to the devil." Andmakingan-
swerl said untohim, 4 Howisitpossibleforthehumanmindtobe
44 with God continually and uninterruptedly?" And he said,
44 The mind of that soul which liveth in the thought or < <
44 the fear of God, no matter what it may be, is with God."
Cbapter lv>j, f tbe JBlesse& fl&an Ikaptton
NOW by the side of this man there used to dwell Kapiton,
a man who had been formerly a thief, and he had lived in
holes in the rocks for fifty years, [at a place] which was
about four miles from Antinoe ; he never went down from his
cave, not even to the river Nile, for he used to say that he was
unable to meet in the congregation of the children of men him
that still fought with him, namely, his Adversary.
Gbapter Ivij. t tbe /Ibonfc wbo fell
AND by the side of these blessed men I saw a man who
also had made himself remote from the world, and he
dwelt in holes in the rocks even as did they; now this
man was mocked at by the devil of vainglory, and by the visions
which he saw, and he was deluded (or snared) by things which
appeared to approach him and then wandered away. And he
was lacking in mind, even as it is written, 4< Being exalted in
44 his dreams he pastureth spirits and pursueth after a shadow";
now he was chaste in his body, perhaps owing to the length
[of his years], or perhaps through vainglory, yet through the
181
ITbe paradise of tbe t>ol8 fatbers
matters of spiritual excellence he destroyed his understanding,
and he was corrupted by empty and polluted glory, and be
cause of this he departed from the straight road of the ascetic
life.
Cbapter Ivnij. f tbe Blessed /iDan Epbrafm, tbe
Beacon of tbe Gburcb of JEdessa
A CERTAIN man among the holy Fathers saw in a
dream the company of the holy angels who came down
from heaven by the commandment of God, and one of
them held in his hand a roll which was written on the inside
and on the outside; and the angels said unto each other,
44 Who is fit to be entrusted with this thing?" Then some of
them mentioned one man and others another, and others
answered and said, "Verily these [whom ye mention] are holy
"and righteous, but they are not sufficiently [so] to be en
trusted with this thing." And having reckoned up many
names of Saints, they finally said, "No man is fit to be en-
" trusted with this thing except Ephraim"; and then they gave
the roll to him. And when he had stood up in the morning, he
heard that they were saying, "Behold, Ephraim teacheth, and
4 * [his words] flow from his mouth like [water from] a fountain ";
then the old man who had seen the vision knew within him
self that the things which were proceeding from his lips were
of the Holy Spirit.
Now therefore this Ephraim, who was [one] of those who
had been held to be worthy of mention by the saints, travelled
along the spiritual road nobly and straightly, turning neither
to one side nor the other of the straight path; and he was held
to be worthy of the gift of the knowledge which he possessed
naturally, and subsequently he received the knowledge which
enabled him to utter divine things, and perfect blessedness.
Thus he lived throughout the period of a certain number of
years a life of chastity, and stern asceticism, and contempla
tion, and he edified all those who thronged to visit him, each
according to his peculiar needs; and finally he compelled him
self to go forth from his cell for the following reason, namely,
n mighty famine lay over the city of Edessa. For having com
passion on the creatures of the human race which was perish
ing and being destroyed, he spake unto those who were heap
ing up grain in the store houses, for he saw that they were
wholly without compassion, saying, "How long will ye refuse
"to bring into your memories the lovingkindness of God?
" How long will ye allow your wealth, which is corruptible,
"to be the means of the accusation and condemnation of your
" souls?" Then they took counsel, and said unto him, "There
182
jpbratm an& Jnnoccnt
4 is no man whatsoever whom we can trust to relieve the
" wants of those who are dying of hunger; for all the people
" are crafty and they act in a lying fashion concerning affairs"
(of this kind]. Then Ephraim said unto them, "What manner
44 of man do ye imagine that I am?" Now his character was
held in the highest esteem by every man [in the city], and
every man knew that he acled according to the truth and not
falsehood. And the people said unto him, "O man, we know
" that thou art God"; and he said unto them, "Put your trust
"in me, then, and give me [the means of relieving] this dis-
" tress, for behold, for your sakes, I will set myself apart to
" become the keeper of a house for receiving strangers." And
he took money, and he began to fence off in the streets places
which were suitable for his purpose, and he provided with
great care three hundred beds, some of which were intended
for use in the burial of those who were dying, and others were
intended for those who, it was thought, would live; and, in
short, he brought in from the villages which were outside the
city all those whom famine had stricken, and put them to bed,
and every day he performed for them with the greatest pos
sible solicitude the constant service of which they were in need,
[paying for the same] with the money which came to him, and
he rejoiced by means of those who supported him in the matter.
And it came to pass that, when that year of famine had been
fulfilled, and there arrived after it a year of abundance, and
every man departed to his house, inasmuch as he had nothing
else to do he went into his cell; and after a period of one
month he brought his life to a close, God having given him
the opportunity whereby he might be crowned at the end of
his life. Now he left behind him many books, and writings of
various kinds, which were worthy of being preserved with the
greatest care. It is said concerning him that when he was a
youth he saw a dream, that is to say a vision, wherein a vine
grew up out of his tongue, and it increased in size, and filled
the whole of the space which was beneath the heavens, and
was laden with grape clusters in rich abundance; and all the
feathered fowl of the heavens came and ate of the food thereof,
and all the time they were eating the grape-clusters were in
creasing both in numbers and in size.
Cbapter Itj, f Jnnocent tbe priest
CONCERNING the mattersof the blessed priest Innocent,
who [lived] in the Mount of Olives, I think that thou
must have heard from many people, but thou mayest
also learn from us not a few things, for we lived with him for
a period of three years. Now therefore this man was exceed-
-83
ZTbe parafcise of tbe "fools jf atbers
ingly simple, and he was [one] of the nobles of the palace in
the kingdom of the Emperor Constantine; he withdrew him
self from the partnership of marriage, but he had a son whose
name was Paule, who served in the household [of the Emperor];
and this son was caught in a transgression with the daughter
of a certain priest, and Innocent was exceedingly wroth with
him. Then Innocent made entreaty unto God, saying, "O our
" Lord, give thou unto him such a spirit that he will not be
" able to find time to sin in the lust of the body, "for he thought
that it would be better and more excellent in every way for his
son to be delivered over to a devil rather than to fornication.
And this actually came to pass to the youth, and he liveth to
this day in the Mount of Olives loaded with irons, and ad
monished by a devil. Now this man Innocent, the father of
Paule, because he was of a most merciful disposition though
if I were to tell [the whole truth] I should say that he appeared
to me to be lacking in sense on very many occasions stole
[things] and hid them from the brethren, and gave them unto
those who were in want; but he was a simple man and had no
wickedness in him; and he was held to be worthy of the gift
[01 the possession of power] over devils.
For a certain maiden, in whom was a devil, came unto him,
and whilst we were looking at her the devil smote her, and
threw her down upon the ground and made her body to writhe
and twist about; and when I saw [this] I wished to dismiss
that maiden in order that she might go to her mother, because,
on account of the cruelty (or violence) of that devil, I thought
that she could never be healed. And whilst I was pondering
those things the old man Innocent came, and he saw her
mother standing, and weeping, and tearing her face with her
nails, and plucking out her hair, because of the great madness,
and the gnashing of the teeth, and the contortions of her
daughter. When, therefore, that blessed old man saw her, his
mercy revealed itself because he was grieved on account of her
tribulation, and he took the maiden, and went into his marty-
rium, which he himself had built, and wherein was preserved
a blessed [relic] of Saint John the Baptist, and having prayed
there and made supplication unto God from the third unto the
ninth hour, he gave the maiden [back] to her mother, and she
was healed on that day, and he drove away from her the devil
and [his] struggles [with her]. Now the strugglings and con
tortions of the maiden were such that when she spat, she spat
upon her side [instead of away from her]; to this extent was
her body twisted.
And, again, a certain old woman lost a sheep, and she came
to him weeping [about it], and he took her, and said unto her,
184
JBlptWus
" Shew me the place where thou didst lose it"; and they came,
therefore, to a place which was near the grave of Lazarus,
where he stood up and prayed. Now certain boys had stolen
the sheep and had already killed it. And Innocent having
prayed, and the boys being unwilling to confess that the flesh
of the sheep was buried in a vineyard, a raven suddenly ap
peared, though wherefrom no man knoweth, which had taken
a piece of flesh from the carcass, and stood over the place
where it was; and when the old man saw this he perceived
that the sheep was buried there. Then those boys fell down
and did homage to him, and they confessed that they had taken
the sheep, and paid the price thereof to its mistress.
Cbapter l. <s>f tbe :Blessefc Elpifcius
IN those caves which, in ancient times, certain men had
hewn out of the rock in the valley of the river near Jericho,
wherein those who had fled from before Joshua, the son of
Nun, had gone up and hidden themselves, there dwelt Elpidius;
now he was a Cappadocian, who had been converted in the
monastery of Timothy the Chorepiskopos, and he was a won
derful man and was also held to be worthy of consecration to
the priesthood. And he came and dwelt in one of these caves,
and he shewed such patient persistence in his self-abnegation,
that he surpassed and eclipsed many [thereby]; for he followed
for five and twenty years his rule of life, and during that time
he only ate food on the Sabbath day, and on the First Day of
the week, and he dwelt like the chief and the king of the bees-
among the cells of the whole brotherhood. And he used to rise
up continually during the night and pray; and I myself also-
dwelt with him. And he made that mountain to be so peaceful
and to contain so many inhabitants that it resembled a city,
and during the night season a man might see the various
works, and the labours of all kinds which appertain to the as
cetic life, being performed there. One night, when this man
Elpidius was reciting the service, now we were with him, a
scorpion stung him, and he crushed the insect, without either
leaving the place where he was or being in any way moved as
a man usually is when he is suffering from the sting of a scor
pion. And one day as he was holding in his hand a vine branch,
a certain brother took it away from him; and as he was sitting-
by the side of the mountain, he dug a hole and pushed the
vine branch into it, like a man who is planting [vines] ; and
although it was not the time for planting, the vine branch
sprouted, and grew very large, and spread its branches abroad
until it covered the whole church. Now the name of that brother
was ^Enesius, a wonderful man.
ZTbe Iparafcise of tbe 1bol\? jf atbers
Gbapter i lj. f tbe Blessefc /IDan Bustatbius
EUSTATHIUS was a brother of Elpidius whom [we have
mentioned] above, and this man followed so strenuously
after the acquisition of impassibility, and made his body
.so dry (i.e., emaciated) by the labours of vigilant prayer, that
the [light of] the sun could be seen between his ribs. And of him
the following- story is told by the brethren who were continually
with him, that is to say by his disciples : He never turned him
self towards the west, because close by the side of the door of
his cave was a mountain which, because of its mighty bulk, was
very hard [to ascend]; and he never looked at the sun after the
sixth hour of the day, because the door of his cell was hidden by
the shadow of the mountain so long as the sun was declining to
wards its place of setting. And moreover he could never see those
stars which appear in the western part of the sky, and for five
and twenty years from the time when he entered the cave where
in he dwelt he never went down from the mountain.
Cbaptei* lij. f tbe Blessefc /Iftan Sisinnius
NOW this holy man Elpidius had a certain disciple whose
name was Sisinnius, who was a slave by birth, though a
free man in the faith; by race he was a Cappadocian, and
it is necessary that we should make known the fact that he was
so, for the sake of the glorifying of Christ Who hath made us wor
thy to be accounted His kinsmen, and to be exalted to that true
family, whichisfullofhappiness, of the kingdom of heaven. Now
therefore when this man Sisinnius had passed some time with
Elpidius, and had struggled to lead the ascetic life strenuously
foraperiod of seven years, he at length shut himself in a grave for
three years, and he endured such privations therein that neither
by day nor by night did he sit or lie down, and he never went out
herefrom. And this man was held to be worthy of possessing the
gift of authority over devils, and now that he hath come into
his own country he hath been held to be worthy of the gift of the
priesthood ; and he hath made congregations of men and of wo
men, which, according to a sure testimony, lead lives of purity
and chastity. He hath trampled upon the lust which is in men,
and he hath bridled the voluptuousness of the women, so that
there hath been fulfilled that which is written, "In Christ Jesus
there is neither male nor female" (Galatians iii, 28). And he was
also a great lover of strangers and of voluntary poverty, which
was a reproach unto those who were rich and miserly.
1 86
(Bafcfcai, JBlijab, Sabas
Cbaptcr ijiij. f tbc :f6lcsscfc <3afct>ai ((Bafc&anus), tbc
Palestinian
AND I saw a certain old man whose name wasGaddai,
who lived without a shelter all his days in the places
which were by the side of the Jordan. On one occasion
the Jews rose up against him in fierce hatred (or zeal) by the
side of the Dead Sea, and they drew the sword against him,
and one of them took up a weapon to smite him, when the
following great and wonderful thing was wrought upon the
man who dared to lift up a sword against the blessed man : the
hand of the man who had drawn the sword withered imme
diately, and the sword itself fell upon the ground.
Cbapter l$ft>. f tbe Blcsscb /Ban JElijab
AND there was in this place a solitary monk called
Elijah who used to dwell in a cave, and he passed his
life in performing the works of spiritual excellence,
and was worthy of praise. One day, when a great many of the
brethren thronged to him now his [dwelling-place] was a
cave he lacked bread, and he made apologies [to us] because
he was troubled on account of the insufficiency of the bread.
Now therefore, when the brethren went into his cell they found
three loaves of bread, and when twenty men had eaten and
were satisfied, there still remained one loaf which, one said,
satisfied him for five and twenty days.
Cbapter l\>. f Sabas, tbc Xapman of Jericbo
AND there was a certain layman from Jericho whose
name was Sabas, and he had a wife, and this man loved
the monks so much that during the night season he
used to go round about in the desert, and pass by the cells of
the solitary monks therein, and outside the cell and habitation
of each one of them he would set down a bushel of dates and
vegetables, which would be sufficient for his wants, for the
monks who lived by the side of the Jordan did not eat bread,
and thus this man Sabas supplied the wants of the monks.
One day as he was carrying along a load [of food] for the usual
needs of the monks, through the operation of the Evil One,
who is the Adversary of the monks, a lion met him, which
terrified him, and wished to make him to cease from his mini
strations to those holy men, and schemed to prevent him from
performing his benevolent intent for their comfort. And the
lion having overtaken him about a mile from the place where
the monks were, and having seized him by his hand in order
to turn him aside from his business, He Who by the hand of
187
ZTbe parafcise ot tbe 1bol$ jf atbers
Daniel shut the mouthfs] of the lions, shut the mouth of this
lion also (Daniel vi, 22; Hebrews xi, 33), and the beast did
this lover of alms no harm whatsoever; and although the lion
was exceedingly hungry he only took a very little of the things
which Sabas was carrying for the old men, and then he de
parted. And it is manifest that He Who gave this man his life
also satisfied the hunger of the lion.
Cbapter lY>j* f tbe Blessed /Ifcan Serapton of tbe
AND again there was a certain blessed man whose
name was Serapion, who was called "Serapion of the
" girdle," because during his whole life he neither put
on nor was clothed with anything except the girdle wherewith
he was girt about ; and he led a life of the strictest self-denial and
poverty. And though he was a wholly unlearned man he could
repeat all the Scriptures by heart. And by reason of the great
ness of his self-denial and the repetition of the Scriptures he
was unable to live in a cell, because he could not make use of
anything which belonged to [this] world ; but he went round
about at all seasons and taught the multitudes, and he sold
himself voluntarily, and he preached, and taught, and turned
many people unto God. And this form of self-denial was of his
own choosing, and [it was by such means as this that he made]
his preparation [for heaven] ; now there are very many ways
of leading a stern life of self-denial. And many of the venerable
fathers relate concerning him that on one occasion he took a
fellow monk, who sold him to some comic a6lors for twenty
dinars in a city of the heathen, and having received these
dinars he tied them up [in a bag] and sealed them, and kept
them carefully; and then he became subject to and ministered
in all humility to those a<5tors who had bought him until he had
taught them and made them Christians, and had freed them
from following the business of the theatre. And he never ate
anything except dry bread and water, and his mouth never
once ceased from uttering [the words of] the Scriptures.
Now the man [who was the master of the actors] was the
first to become converted and enlightened by the word of God,
and the next was his wife, and finally their whole house was
converted. During the first years after the actors had bought
him, and when they did not know who he was, he used to
wash their feet with his hands, and having taught them and
baptized them he made them to be remote from their occu
pation in the theatre, and they led a God-fearing life in all
righteousness ; and they held him in reverence, and honoured
him, and marvelled at his radiant life. Finally they said unto
188
Serapton
him, "Come, O our brother, we will set thee free from this
" servitude, even as thou hast set us free from the slavery of
4 heathenism. "Then he answered and said unto them, "Since
4 God hath helped [me], and your souls have been set free and
4 they have life, I will tell you my story (or thing) and my con-
4 tending. I undertook this kind of work in order that your
""souls might have life. By race I am an Egyptian, and a free
4 man [but] I am a monk [vowed] to self-denial and poverty,
""and for the sake of our Lord I sold myself to you in order
4 that your souls might be set free from the impurity of this
4 world; since now our Lord hath worked through my meek-
4 ness, and your souls live, take your gold, and I will go to
4 another place, so that I may be able to benefit others also."
And they begged and entreated him, saying, "Remain with
"us, and thou shalt be unto us a father and a master, and a
4 director "; but he would not hearken unto their entreaty. And
again they answered and said unto him, "Give the gold to the
4 poor, and let it be a pledge of life for us ; and we entreat thee
4 to see us if it be only once a year."
Then, this man having gone round about came to Hellas,
and stayed in Athens three days, and no man gave him a
morsel of bread; now he carried nothing with him, neither
purse, nor wallet, nor head-cloak, nor anything whatsoever.
And when the fourth day had come, he waxed exceedingly
hungry, and he went and stood up upon a certain high place
where all the free men of the city were gathered together, and
he began to clap his hands, and to cry out with a loud voice,
saying, "O men of Athens, send [help]." And at [the sound
of] his voice they all marvelled, and the free men and the sol
diers ran to him, and said unto him, "What aileth thee?
"Whence comest thou? What hath happened unto these?"
Then he answered and said unto them, "By race I am an
4 Egyptian, and being a long way from my true country I have
4 fallen into the hands of three creditors; now two of these
"have departed from me, having taken that which was theirs,
4 and now they have no debt against me about which to chide
4 me, but the third will not leave me."
And the philosophers made enquiries of him who these cre
ditors were, and they said unto him, "Shew us who thy
"creditors are, and who it is that is afflicting thee, and we will
"entreat them [to desist]; shew us who they are, so that we
4 may help thee." And he answered and said unto them,
"From my youth up the love of money, and fornication, and
4 the appetite of the belly have oppressed me; from the first
4 two of these, that is, the love of money and fornication, I
"have been freed, and they no longer oppress me, but I am
189
ZTbe paradise of tbe Ibol^ jfatbers
wholly unable to set myself free from the appetite of the
belly. Behold, it is now the fourth day since I have eaten
anything- and the belly constraineth me, for it demandeth
that which is its usual debt, and unless this debt [be paid] J
shall not be able to live." Then certain of the philosophers
thought that he had schemed this crafty device in order that
he might gain some benefit, and one of them took a din&r and
gave it unto him, and having taken it he spent [part of] it in
buying bread in their presence ; and he took one [loaf of] bread,
and straightway departed from the city, and did not come back
to it again. Thus the philosophers knew that he was indeed a
wonderful man, and they paid the price of the loaf of bread
which he had taken, and received back the dinar.
And having departed to another city he heard there concerning-
a certain other man, who was the chief of the whole city, and who
was a Manichaean, with all his house, and who had several
associates [in the city]. Then the monk, according to his former
plan, sold himself to this Manichaean, and in two years he was
able to turn this man and his wife [from their error], and to bring"
them into the Catholic Church ; and after they had learned who
he was, they never again regarded him as a slave, but they hon
oured him as a father, and as a master, and they ascribed praise
unto God.
And on another occasion he determined to go to Rome, and
he embarked in a ship which was going thither that he might go
with them (i.e., with the sailors). Now when the sailors of the
ship saw that he boldly embarked in the ship carrying nothing-
with him, neither bread, nor anything [else], nor provisions for
the journey, they thought that one of their number must have
taken his baggage and placed it in the ship, and because of this
thought they received him unquestioningly. And having em
barked, when the sailors had sailed from Alexandria [a distance
of] about five hundred stadia, each one of those who were sit
ting in the ship began at the time of sunset to eat, andthesailors
also ate in their presence ; and they observed that the monk did
not eat on the first day, and thought that [he did not do so] be
cause of sea-sickness, and thus also was it on the second day,
and on the third day, and on the fourth day. Now on the fifth
day, whilst all those who were on the ship were eating their
meal he sat in his place and was silent, and as they were looking
at him they said, "Why dost thou not eat?" and he replied,
"I have nothing [to eat]." Then they began to make enquiries
and to cry out among themselves, "Who among you has taken
"his things, or his provisions for the way?" And when they saw
that no man had taken anything from him [they began to] dis
pute with him, and to say unto him, "Oman, how is it that thou
190
Serapion
" hast embarked on the ship without provisions and mone\ ?
" Where wilt thou obtain the money to give us for thy pass-
14 age?" And he said unto them, " I have thought nothing what-
44 soever about it, |tbr] an Egyptian has no anxious care about
44 anything; but carry me back whence ye took me and cast me
" out [if you wish]." Now even if he had given them one hundred
dinars they would not have been able to take him back [to Alex
andria], and he therefore remained in the ship, and they fed him
until he arrived in Rome. And having come to Rome he made en
quiries and learned what monk or nun was there, and he found
Rumnin (or Domnin), the disciple of Evagrius, whose bed, after
his death, cured every kind of sickness. And having seen him,
and spoken with him he was greatly edified by him, for he was a
man who was greatly skilled in the labours of the ascetic life,
and in speech, and in knowledge, and he learned from him what
monk, and nuns were in Rome, in order that he might see them.
[Here some editor of Palladius remarks, "In another manu
script the following is written":]
And the venerable fathers relate concerning him that he
once heard that there was in the city of Rome a certain nun
who led a life of the strictest seclusion, who had never seen a
man, and who used to think concerning herself that she was
perfect. Then this blessed man threw himself into a ship and
came to Rome, and having learned where she lived he went and
spake with the old woman who ministered unto her, and said
unto her, "Get thee in and say unto the virgin, I desire to see
" thee most eagerly, because God hath sent me unto thee"; and
he waited two days and then saw her. And when he saw her
he said unto her, " Sit thee down," and she said unto him, 4 1
" will not sit down, but will depart." And he said unto her,
" Whither goest thou?" and she said unto him, " To God."
And he said unto her, "Art thou living or dead?" And slu:
said unto him, " I believe, by God, that I am dead, for who
" that liveth in the body is not able to depart [therefrom]?"
And he said unto her, " If thou art dead, as thou sayest, do
"thou that which I do"; and she said unto him, "Tell me
" what can happen, and I will do it." And again he said unto
her, "To one who is dead unto the world it is easy to do
" everything except commit sin," and he further said unto
her, " Come down, and get thee out of thine house "; then she
said unto him, " I have not gone out of it for five and twenty
years, why should I go out of it now?" And he said unto her,
" If thou art indeed dead unto the world, and the world is dead
" unto thee, it is the same thing unto thee whether thou goest
"forth or dost not go forth; come, get thee out. "And she
went out.
TOe iparafcise of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
And after she had gone forth, she followed him to a certain
-church, and he said unto her in the church, " If thou wishest
" me to believe that thou art dead to the world and art not
4 alive, in order that thou mayest be pleasing unto the
41 children of men, do what I do, and then I will believe thee,
4 and I shall know that thou art a dead woman, even as thou
4 sayest." And she said unto him, " Tell me what it is meet
4t for me to do, and I will do it." Then he said unto her, "Cast
44 off thy garments and put [them] on thy head, and walk
4 through the midst of the city, and I will do likewise, and
44 will go in front of thee in this guise." And the nun said unto
him, 4< I should offend many folk by such a remarkable act as
4 this, and then they would say, This woman hath gone
4 * 4 mad, and hath a devil. " And he said unto her, * What need
4t hast thou to consider [their words] even if they should say,
44 She hath gone mad, and hath a devil? For, according to
4 what thou thyself sayest, thou art a dead woman unto
" them." And the nun said unto him, " If there be any other
4 thing [except this] tell me, for I cannot come to such a mea-
" sure of disgrace as this." Then he said unto her, " Do not
4 imagine in thy mind that thou art more perfect than anyone
41 else, or that thou art dead to the world; for I am far more
" dead to the world than thou art, and I can show thee that
4< I am indeed so, and that I can boldly do this thing without
" [feeling] shame or disgrace." Then having broken her spirit
and humbled her pride, he departed from her. And there were
many things of the same kind which this same Serapion did
in the world, for he despised both worldly shame and the
glory which passeth away; he died at the age of sixty years,
and was buried at a good old age, being adorned with all
virtues.
Cbapter lx>ij. ZTfoe TCriumpb of tbe iBlessefc /Ifcan
logins, wbo ministered unto tbe Brian, wbose
was fcestropefc for tbe safee of Gbrist
THE following story] was related unto me by Cronius,
the priest of Nitria, [who said] : When I was a young
man I abhorred the monastery, and I fled from it, and
from the head of the monastery who was my instructor, and
having lost my way and gone round about, I came unto the
Monastery of Mar Anthony; now he used to dwell between the
mountains of Babylon and Herakleia, in a parched desert
which led to the Red Sea, about thirty miles from the river
[Nile], and I was there in that monastery wherein dwelt those
disciples of his who buried him when he died, now their names
were Macarius and Amatus, in a place which was called Espir.
192
anb (tbroniud
And I remained there for five days, so that I might be able to
see the blessed Anthony, for they used to say that he was in
the habit of coming to this monastery from the Inner Desert
once every five, or ten, or twenty days, according as God
directed and brought him, to give help unto the souls who
thronged into his monastery, and who awaited him there, in
order that they might be relieved by him. And the brethren
also were assembled there and waited for him also, each one
of them having his own individual matter [to lay before him].
Now among them was a certain man from Alexandria, whose
name was Eulogius, and with him was another man, an Arian,
whose body was destroyed (i.e., he was a leper), and they had
come because of this matter. And this man Eulogius was a
scholastic, and he was the most educated of all the learned men
[of this time], but the love of the living God had suddenly
come into his mind, and he made himself to be remote from
the world, and he distributed all the money which he had
among the poor, and he left himself only a small sum which
was just sufficient for his bodily needs, for he was unable to
work or to enter into a monastery with many monks in it, and
besides this lassitude was contending with him, and he sought
a little companionship.
Now [he went forth] seeking to buy something which he
wanted in the city, and he found in the market a certain
man who was an Arian, and whose whole body was destroyed;
he had neither hands nor feet, but his tongue was sharp, and
he employed it unsparingly upon every man whom he met. And
when Eulogius had seen him, and looked at him, he lifted up
his eyes and his mind towards God, and he prayed and made
this covenant between himself and God, saying, "O our Lord
"Jesus Christ, in Thy Name, O my Lord, I will take this man,
" who is sick in his body, and I will relieve [his wants] all the
" days of my life, so that through him my soul may live before
" Thee; but I beseech Thee to give me power to endure in my
** ministrations to him." And having prayed, he drew nigh unto
the man, and said unto him, "I beseech thee, O man, to let
" me take thee unto my house and to relieve thy wants." And
the sick man said unto him, " Why not?" Then Eulogius said
unto him, "I will therefore bring an ass, and carry thee off,"
and he promised him [saying], "I "; and he went and
brought an ass and carried him to the place where he lived,
and he took care of him with the greatest diligence. And for a
period of fifteen years Eulogius relieved his wants with the
greatest and most careful attention, and he even washed him
with his own hands, and he did everything he could to alleviate
the affliction of his sickness.
193 X 3
tTbe iparabise of tbe 1bol ffatbers
Now after fifteen years a devil began to stir in that Arian,
and he began to revile Eulogius, and to offer resistance to him,
and he cursed him and hurled after him insults and abuse,
saying, 44 O thou runaway [slave], who hast eaten thy lord,
"thou hast stolen the riches of other folk and art spending
44 them upon me, and thou thinkest to have life through me !
4 Cast me out into the street, for I wish to eat flesh." And
Eulogius brought him flesh, and again he cried out, and said,
44 Thou wilt not persuade me [to remain here] by these means;
44 I wish to go forth into the street, and I desire to see the
"world. By Jupiter, carry me out and cast me where thou
44 didst find me. If I only had hands I would strangle myself."
Now [he spake] thus through the madness of the devil which
was with him. Then Eulogius rose up and went to the neigh
bouring monks and said unto them, 44 What shall I do? for
44 this deformed man hath brought me to despair. I would set
44 him free, only I have given [my] right hand in covenant to
44 God, and I am afraid [to do so]; but on the other hand, if I
44 do not cast him out he \vill bring upon me bad nights and
44 bitter days. What to do with him I know not." And they said
unto him, 44 [Anthony] the Great is still alive, go to him; take
44 the man with thee in a ship, and go thou up to him, and
44 carry the man to his monastery, and wait there until he
44 cometh from the desert and then tell him thy business. And
44 whatsoever word he shall say unto thee thou shalt perform,
44 for God shall speak unto thee through him." Then Eulogius
was persuaded by them, and he placed the man in a small boat,
and he carried him to the monastery wherein were the disciples
of Anthony.
And it came to pass that on the very day after Eulogius had
arrived there that great man came from the inner desert to his
disciples in the late evening, and he was clothed in [his] skin
cloak. Now whensoever he came to his monastery he was in
the habit of calling out to his disciple Macarius, and saying
unto him, 44 O brother Macarius, have any brethren come this
44 day from anywhere?" And Macarius would say, 44 Yea."
Then Anthony would say, 44 Are they Egyptians or Jerusalem-
44 ites?" Now he had given Macarius this sign: 44 When thou
44 seest brethren who are simple and innocent say they are
44 Egyptians; but when thou seest brethren who are venerable
4 * and are skilled in speaking, say they are Jerusalemites. " There
fore according to his custom Anthony asked Macarius, 44 Are
44 they Egyptian brethren or Jerusalemites?" and Macarius said,
44 They are neither Egyptians nor Jerusalemites." Now when
Macarius would answer, 4( They are Egyptians," Anthony
would say unto him, 44 Cook them a mess of lentils that they
194
i&ulogius anfc Cbrontus
" may eat, and then dismiss them, and let them go in peace";
and he would say a prayer on their behalf, and would straight
way send them away. And when Macarius would answer,
44 They are Jerusalemites," Anthony \vould sit down the whole
night, and would converse with them to the benefit of their
lives.
And on that night he sat down, and calledunto them all, and he
discoursed without any man having told him the name of one of
them, and it was dark and the night had come; and suddenly he
cried out three times, thus, "Eulogius, Eulogius, Eulogius. "And
Eulogius the scholastic answered him never a word, because he
thought that Anthony was calling some other person, and again
Anthony cried out to him, "Unto thee I speak, O Eulogius,
" who hast come from Alexandria." Then Eulogius said unto
him, " Master, what commandest thou [me to do? Tell me], I
beseech thee." And Anthony said unto him, "Wherefore hast
" thou come? "And Eulogius answered and said unto him, "Let
" Him that hath revealed unto thee my name declare unto thee
" for what purpose I have come." Then Anthony said unto him,
" I know why thou hast come, nevertheless declare [it] before
" the brethren in order that they may hear." And Eulogius an-
" swered and said unto him, "I found this Arian in the street (or
" market), and IgavetherighthandtoGod(i.e. ,madeacovenant
" with God), that I would minister unto him, [that] I mightlive
"because of him, and he because of me. And behold I have
" ministered unto him for the last fifteen years, and now, after
" all these years he stirreth [himself] up against me, and caus-
" eth me tribulation, and I have had it in my mind to cast him
"out; therefore I have come unto thy holiness so that thou
" mayest advise me what I should do, and that thou mayest
" pray on my behalf, for I am greatly oppressed and am in sore
" straits." Then Anthony said unto him angrily and in a hard
voice, " If thousendest him away, He who created him will not
" send him away; if thou dost cast him out, God, Who is better
" and more excellentthan thou, willgatherhim[toHimself];"and
when Eulogius heard these words he set a bridle on his mouth
and was silent.
And having left Eulogius [Anthony]cametochastisetheArian
with his tongue, and he cried out and said unto him, "O thou
" deformed Arian, thou art worthy neither of heaven norof earth.
* Wilt thou not cease to contend against God? Kno\vest thou not
" that he who ministereth unto thee is Christ? How canst thou
" dare to utter these words against our Lord? Was it not for
"Christ s sake that Eulogius gave himself to thy service?" Then
having made the man sorrowful, he ceased from Eulogius and
the Arian, and spake unto all the brethren who were there, unto
195 J 3
ZTbe parafctee of tbe 1bols jf atbers
every man according to his business. And he called unto Eulogius
and the Arian and said unto them, Turn ye not unto any [other]
" place, but depart and separate notyourselves from one another,
" and return ye to the cell wherein ye have lived so long a time,
4 for behold God will send upon you [your] end. And behold, this
" trial hath come upon you because the end of both of you is nigh,
" and because ye are esteemed worthy of crowns. Therefore do
not ye act in a contrary manner, and let not the angel come after
"you and not find you in your place[s], [lest ye be deprived of
* your crowns] ; " so the two of them departed and came to their
cell. And in less than forty days Eulogius died, and in less than
three days afterwards the Arian died. Now this Chronius, who
related unto us the narrative of this matter, tarried for a time in
the monasteries which were in the Thebai d, and he came down to
the monasteries which were in Alexandria; and it happened that
the brethren were gathered together commemorating the death
of Eulogius after forty days, and thedeath of the Arian after three
days. And when Chronius heard he marvelled, and he took down
a Book of the Gospels, and set [itjdownamongthebrotherhood,
and then related what had happened; and he took an oath and
said, " In all this affair I was the interpreter for M&r Anthony be-
41 cause he did not know Greek; but I know both languages, [and
" I acted interpreter for both sides, turningGreek into Egyptian
" for Eulogius, and Egyptian into Greek for Anthony.]"
1bere enfcetb tbe ffirst Boofe of tbe 1bi8tories of tbe
ffatbers wbicb were compiles bs pallabius
196
1bere be0fnnetb tbe Seconfc Boofe ot tbe [HMstortes ot]
tbe jfatbers [an5] flfconfes wbicb were also compiled
b2 pallaMus
Cbapter j. Ube ZTriumpb of tbe ffilessefc /Ifcan /l&arfe tbe
/IDourner
MACARIUS the priest told us the following story:
" At the time when I was administering the HolyOffer-
" ing I took good heed unto Mark the mourner, and I
" never gave it to him, but an angel did so from the altar ; I saw,
" however, the palm of the hand of the angel who gave it unto
" him." Now this Mark was a young man, and he could repeat
by heart the New and the Old Testaments; he was meek beyond
measure, and both in body and in thought he was purer than
many.
Cbapter ij, ZTbe Ifotstor^ of /Ifcar ipaulus (paule) tbe
prince of /l&onfes anb Hncbortte
CONCERNING Abbd Paulus there were questions among
the monks and anchorites who were living in the land of
Egypt, and they asked who were the first monks who lived
in the desert. And some of them remembered the saints of olden
time, and said, ( It hath been proved that the first to dwell in the
" desert were Saint Elijah the Prophet, and John the Baptist,
and it is manifest that Elijah was immeasurably superior in
ascetic excellence to the [other] monks, and , moreover, John was
" proclaimed in the womb to be a prophet before he was born."
Now there were many who contradicted this opinion and who as
serted with firmness that Mar Anthony was thefirstandtheprince
of them all, and also of the order [of monks] ; but if we wish to
learn the whole truth we shall discover that it was not Ma"r
Anthony who was the first [monk] that dwelt in the desert,
but the blessed man Mr Paulus. For I myself have seen the
disciples of Mar Anthony who buried him, and they it was who
related unto us the history of the man Paulus the anchorite, the
Theban, who was indeed the first [monk to live] in the desert;
therefore we believe that it was not the blessed man [Anthony]
who was the first to do this, as some men say, but Paulus, and
for this reason I wish to narrate briefly the history of Paulus the
anchorite, and how he began and how he ended his [career] in
the days of Decius and Valerianus the persecutors, and [how]
Cornelius made an end of the strife of his testimony for the sake
of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in Rome.
Now this blessed man Paulus dwelt with his sister, who
was the wife of a certain man; and their parents died and left
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them great riches when the blessed man Paulus was sixteen
years of age. And he had been educated in the learning of the
Greeks and the Egyptians, and he was meek of soul, and he
loved God thoroughly. And when the persecution of the Chris
tians waxed strong, he remained continually in one place, and
he took care of himself at all seasons (or continually). Now the
avarice which constraineth the race of the children of men to
commit evil deeds did not cease from him, for his sister s hus
band, instead of hiding him, endeavoured most strenuously to
give him up [to the persecutors], and he neither had pity upon
the tears of his wife nor did he fear the judgement of God; and
he desisted not from this iniquitous conduct, but continued in
his envy and sought always to give him up because he was a
Christian. And the wise young man, having comprehended his
guile and knowing that he was lying in wait for him, took to
flight secretly, and he went to a certain high mountain which
he found to be not what he desired, and he changed his place
[of abode] on account of the violence (or necessity) of the per
secution; but as he was living there, little by little he found
out in the mountain a rock, wherein was a large cave, which
was shut in with a stone, and having lifted up the stone he
found within great repose, and he looked inside with great
desire. And he discovered that the cave was clean, and that
the dust of the ground also was fair, and he loved the place
and dwelt there, and he gave thanks unto God Who had given
it unto him for a dwelling-place; and he lived in that moun
tain all the days of his life, and his food and his raiment were
made of the palm trees which were in the mountain. Now in
order that no man may say, How is this possible?" I take God
and His holy angels to witness that we have seen many monks
[living] in this fashion, and that they have brought their lives
to an end in this way, and have not been afraid of Satan.
I must not, however, neglect the history of the blessed man
Paulus. This holy man lived a heavenly life upon the earth in
love to our Lord for one hundred and thirteen years; and Mar
Anthony, who was ninety years old at the time, was living in
another desert. And Mar Anthony on one occasion told me the
following: "I once thought within myself that there was no
" man living beyond me in the desert, and on the night where-
" in I pondered upon these things in my mind, it w r as revealed
k< unto me from God [by one] who said unto me, Beyond
" thee [in the desert] there is a man who is more excellent
11 than thou art, and it is meet that thou shouldst [go and]
" see him with all diligence, and with great joy. " And when
the morning had come, the blessed old man Mdr Anthony took
the palm branch whereon he leaned his weight, and he began
198
/Ifcar panic
to walk in the desert as his mind directed, because he did not
know the way; and when it was noon, although the heat of
the sun was fierce and burning, the blessed old man did not
turn aside from the way, but he said, "I believe that God will
"not withdraw [His] hands from me, but will shew me His
" servant concerning whom He hath sent me a revelation."
And as he was thinking thus about him he suddenly saw a
man who possessed two natures, one half of him being that of
a man, and the other half being that of a horse; now the poets
call this being a "centaur." Then the blessed Anthony called
unto him and said, "I, a man of God, say unto thee, Where
11 dost thou dwell here? " And the creature returned him an
answer in a barbarous language with words of impurity, and
his mouth was full of fear; so the old man went on his journey
seeking out the way. And as Anthony was marvelling [at this
thing] the animal passed in front of him as if [it were going]
to a broad field, and [Anthony knew that] it was Satan who
had taken the form of the creature in order that he might ter
rify the blessed man, and he wondered at the similitude of the
form which he had seen in the animal. And having passed on
a little way further he saw another animal, which was smaller
in stature than the first one, and he was standing on a rock,
and he had horns upon his head and on his forehead; and
when the blessed Anthony saw him he put on the helmet ot
faith and [took the] shield of righteousness, and he asked him,
" Who art thou whom I see here?" And the creature answered
and said unto him, "I am a mortal man and one of these who
" are in the desert, whom the heathen call satyrs, and whom
4 because of their error concerning them they worship as a
" god"; and the beast having spoken these words the old man
Anthony went on his way, and his tears were flowing and they
ran down upon the ground, but he rejoiced because of the
glory of Christ, and because of the destruction of Satan, and
he wondered within himself how he had been able to under
stand the words of the animal. Then he smote the ground
with his staff and said, "Woe be to Alexandria! Woe be to
" the city of the heathen, wherein are gathered together all
" the devils of all creation!"
And Anthony went on his journey thinking anxiously [how]
he could attain to the end thereof, and he wished to find the
servant of God; and whilst he was meditating what he should
do and where he should go, he observed on the flat surface of
the desert the footprints of an animal which had passed over
the spot that very day. Then he meditated within himself, say
ing, "It is impossible for our Lord to forsake me"; and he
journeyed on his way during the night with his prayers in his
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ZTbe iparafcise of tbe 1boi$ ffatbets
mouth continually. And when the morning had come he saw
a huge hyena, running with all its might up to the top of a
mountain, and he followed in its footsteps, and having as
cended the mountain he came nigh unto a cave, and saw the
hyena going into it; and he looked into the cave and saw per
fect love, that is to say, Mar Paule, the old man. Then he cast
away from him all fear and doubtful thoughts, and looking
into the cave he saw that there was much light therein, and
he approached the door of the cave, and knocked thereat with
a small stone, but as soon as the blessed man Paule heard the
sound of the knocking he rolled the stone [down] quickly and
closed the entrance of the cave. Then Anthony fell upon his
face before the door of the cave and besought him to let him
come in, and said, " I am alone"; [and the blessed man Paule
answered and said, "Why hast thou come?"] And Anthony
said, "I know that I am not worthy to see thee, but since thou
" receivest wild beasts why dost thou hold the children of men
" in abhorrence? I have sought and have found [thee], and I
" knocked with confidence; open thou then the door unto me.
" And if this may not be I shall die here, and when thou seest
" my dead body do thou bury it. " And when with these words
Anthony had taken up his position there the blessed man Paule
answered from within and said unto him, No man who is angry
" cometh [in here], and no man entreateth [for admission] and
"maketh accusations"; then he spake unto him words of glad
ness, and he opened unto him the door, and they met and em
braced each other and kissed each other with holy kisses, and
each man told his fellow his name.
Then after these things the blessed man Paule made Mar
Anthony sit by his side, and he said unto him, " Why didst
"thou cast upon thyself all this tribulation, and the great
labour of seeking to see an old man whose body is altogether
"withered and emaciated? After a short time thou wilt see
"that I have become dust; but love overcometh all things.
" Tell me now what is the present condition of the race of the
"children of men, and whether they are still building houses
" in the ancient cities, and whether there are still kings in the
"world, and whether the governors of the world are still in
" subjection to the error of devils." And having said these
things unto Anthony the two of them looked and they saw a
raven sitting on the branch of a tree, and straightway it
stood up with great quietness upon the branch, and it had in
its beak a whole loaf of bread which it came and laid down
between them, whilst both men were looking on; and when
the bird had departed they both marvelled. And the blessed
Paule said unto Mdr Anthony, " Truly our Lord is merciful
200
paule
11 and pitiful in that He sendeth us a meal [in this way]. For
" behold, for fully sixty years I have been in the habit of re-
" ceiving from this bird half a loaf of bread [daily], but at thy
"coming, behold, our Lord hath sent unto us a double por-
" tion of food because we are His servants." Then having
given thanks unto God, both men sat down at the table, and
they disputed with each other who should first break the
bread, and whilst they were thus disputing the night came
on; thereupon the two men took the bread and spread out their
hands, and brake the loaf in the Name of our Lord, and ate
it, and having eaten they stood up the whole night in prayer.
Now when the morning had come Paule said unto Anthony,
* Thou must know, O my brother Anthony, that I have been
" living in the desert for a long time past, and that it was our
" Lord Himself who revealed unto me what manner of man
"thou art; but, because the time of my rest hath come, and
" because that which I have been seeking, that is to say, that
" I should depart and be with our Lord, is about to overtake
" me [I could not go to seethee]. And now that my time hath
" come to an end, and, as I believe, a crown of righteousness
" hath been laid up for me, thou hast been sent by our Lord
* that thou mayest bury my body in the ground." Now whilst
the blessed man Paule was saying these things Mar Anthony
was weeping with many tears and heaving sighs, and he made
supplication unto him, and said, "O my beloved one, leave
" thou me not here, but take me with thee whither thou goest."
And the blessed Paule answered and said unto him, " It is not
4 meet that thou shouldst seek thine own [advantage], but
" that of thy neighbours, and therefore, O my beloved, I
" beseech thee, if it be not a thing which is too hard for thee,
" to go quickly to thy monastery, and to bring hither to me
** the cloak which Mar Athanasius the Bishop gave thee."
Now he did not speak thus because he had need of any ap
parel, but because he wished to depart from his body whilst
Mar Anthony was absent.
And when Anthony heard concerning the Bishop and con
cerning his cloak, he marvelled within himself, and having
looked upon the blessed Paule in our Lord Jesus, and bowed
down before him, he prayed and set forth to go on his
journey, and he approached and kissed him on his eyes and
on his hands, and he made haste and went forth to depart to
his monastery. And having made the journey and arrived at
this monastery, his two disciples, who had been seeking
him for a long time, met him, and they said unto him, "O
" father, where hast thou been these days?" And he answered
and said unto them, "Woe be unto me! woe be unto me a
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ZTbe iparafctse of tbe 1bol$ ff atbers
" sinner! For the name of Christian which I bear is only a
" borrowed thing. This day have I seen Elijah and John in the
"desert, for verily I have seen Paule in Paradise, and he was
" holding" converse with them "; and Mar Anthony smote with
his hand upon his breast, and he took the cloak and went
from his disciples, who besought him to reveal unto them the
whole matter. And he said unto them, " There is a time to be
" silent, and a time to speak"; so he departed and went forth
on his way without taking any provision whatsoever with
him. And he made haste to come to the place where the
blessed man Paule was, for he desired earnestly to see him
[again], and he was afraid lest whilst he was yet afar off Paule
might deliver himself up unto our Lord. And he journeyed on
his way the first day, but on the second day, at the time of
the ninth hour, he saw along the road, in the air, a company
of angels, and a multitude of the Prophets and of the Apostles,
and Abbd Paule, who was shining with light like the sun, was
in their midst, and he went up with them into heaven. And
immediately he saw them he fell upon his face on the ground,
and he sighed and wept, and cried out, and said, "O fearer
" of God, why hast thou left me thus? And why didst thou not
" receive my salutation together with all [the toil of] this
" journey which I have made as swiftly as a bird?"
And Mar Anthony went on his way and arrived at the cave,
and he saw Abba Paule kneeling upon his knees, with his face
gazing into heaven and his hands spread out; and seeing him
thus Mdr Anthony thought within himself, and said, " Perhaps
"he is alive" ; and he prayed fervently, and the blessed Paule
also stood up and prayed with him. And when some time had
elapsed, and he heard neither the sound[s] nor the sighs which
are customary in prayer, he knew that it was only the body of
Abb Paule which prayed; and he bowed down before God, in
Whom everything liveth, and he placed the body in the middle
of the cloak, and wrapped it in it, and he took it upon his
shoulders ; and though he sang Psalms, according to the cus
tom of the monks, the blessed Anthony was greatly grieved
because he had not remembered to bring with him a spade or
some other instrument wherewith to dig a grave for the
body. Then he meditated within himself and said, "What shall
" I do? If I go to my monastery and bring a spade I cannot pos-
" sibly return here in less than four days"; and he said, " O
"Jesus Christ, let me also die with Thy beloved servant Paule."
Now as he w r as saying these things, behold, two lions came
running along together, and when he saw them his whole body
smoked with fear; and when he had lifted up his mind to God
and had looked at them again, they appeared to be doves fly-
202
ing through the air. And the lions drew nigh and stood near
the body of the blessed Paule, and they wagged their tails at
the blessed Anthony, and they crouched down before him in
perfect tameness, and they rubbed their teeth together and
purred so loudly that the blessed man knew that they wished
to be blessed, and to be helped, and that they desired [to know]
concerning the departure of the blessed Paule. And after they
had acted thus, the lions began to dig [a grave], and they
threw up the earth with their paws, and they made the hole in
the ground deep enough, and wide enough, and long enough,
according to the measure of the body; and they lowered their
ears and their tails, and bowed down their heads before Abba"
Anthony, and they licked his hands and his feet, and he knew
that they wished to be blessed. Then he gave thanks for the
glory of God because that even the wild and savage beasts
knew how to [help] the good and chosen men of God, and he
spake thus: "O Lord God, without Whose command not one
leaf falleth to the ground, and against Whose Will not one
" bird droppeth into the snare, do Thou bless all of us." And
he brought his hand nigh unto the lions, and commanded them
to depart; and when the two lions had gone away Anthony
took the body and buried it in the customary way. Then, after
one day, he took the tunic of Abb& Paule, which was made of
palm leaves sewn together, like a true inheritance and a thing
which brought privilege, and departed to his monastery. And
when he had arrived there he related unto the monks the whole
matter in due order; and on the feast of unleavened bread and
at Pentecost Saint Anthony used to put on the tunic of the
blessed and holy man Paule, and he would pray with it upon
him.
And I, Hieronymus the sinner, entreat all those \vho read
this book to pray for me. [In the text here comes the following-
note by some editor of Palladius:]
Concerning these histories of Paule, and of the company of
Mark (?), and of Macarius, there are some who say that they
were compiled by Hieronymus because his name occurs at the
end of them.
1bere enfcetb tbe Ibiston? of /Ifear panic, tbe bol$ /Ifcan,
tbe ff irstborn of all tbe Desert /Iftonfes
Cbapter iij. ZTbe ZTriumpb of a Eonno /ifcan wbo was
an Hlejanbttan
THERE was a certain young man in Alexandria, who,
immediately the law of nature began to work in him,
and to make him to possess the knowledge which dis-
tinguisheth good from evil, endeavoured by every means in
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Ube paradise of tbe tools jf atbers
his power to make himself wholly a stranger unto things which
are evil, and to cleave unto those which are good. And having
been trained for a long time, and having made himself profi
cient in the things which befit monks, even though he still
lived and went about in the city, he at a certain time thought
within himself, and said, " Since there is no good reason what-
4 soever which compelleth me forcibly to remain in the city
"any longer it is not right that I should do so," and he was
at all times reminding himself of the word which was spoken
by our Lord to the rich man, " If thou wishest to be perfect,
"go and sell all that thou hast and give [it] to the poor, and
" take thy cross and come after Me" (St. Matthew xix, 21).
And the young man said, "The word of our Lord is true, but
44 it is impossible for a man to acquire that perfection of which
" He spake whilst he is living among men."
When then he had made himself ready to perform in very deed
this great thought, he began to journey along the road which
leadeth to one of the deserts of Alexandria, where large num
bers of monks used to dwell, and he offered up prayer unto
God that He would prepare a way for him, and would direct
him unto a man who would be able to help him [to attain] his
object, and would lead him to the end which he desired. And
he decided within himself, and said, "This shall be unto me a
"sign that the Lord hath prepared His way before me: The
41 door whereat I shall knock, and wherefrom shall go forth
4 one who liveth there, and shall receive me in peace, and
44 shall urge me to go in to him, and shall receive me in the
4< love which monks have for strangers, that shall be the place,
44 and that shall be the man whom the Lord hath prepared for
"the fulfilment of my thoughts concerning spiritual excellence. "
And he said, "Unto the man who hath been prepared by the
" Lord it is meet for me to be in subjection as unto Christ, and
4< I must hearken unto his command willingly and unhesita-
41 tingly as unto that of Christ." Now as he was praying with
these words, and with others which were like unto them, and
was thinking deeply, he arrived in the desert into which he
had set his face to go. And having gone in among the monas
teries, he found himself by the dispensation of God before the
door of a habitation wherein a certain old man dwelt; and
when, according to his expectation, he had drawn nigh, and
had knocked at the door which was in front of him, there came
forth therefrom straightway the old man who dwelt inside, and
opened the door to him; and when he saw the young man who
was standing there he saluted him gladly, when as yet he had
asked him nothing whatsoever, and entreated him urgently to
come inside. And this actually took place.
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Hlejanfcrtan
Now after he had gone in and had, according to custom,
prayed, and sat down, the young man compared the things
which had taken place with those which he had written down
in his mind, and he waited for a right issue to all [the rest].
Then, being full of gladness, the old man urged him repeatedly
to partake of food, but the young man answered and said unto
him, "My lord, I beseech thy holiness to permit me first of all
" to speak openly, and to make known to thy fatherly nature
" the reason of my coming, and if through the working of God
" thou wilt make thyself the perfecter of my desire, and of
"my thoughts, whatsoever thy holiness and thy meekness
" shall command me [to do] I will perform strenuously." Now
when the old man had heard these things, he answered and
said unto him, "Thou hast full power to say everything which
" thou wishest, joyfully and fearlessly, as unto thy father who,
" according to his power, in great love, is ready to fulfil thy
"desire by the help of God." Then, after these words, which
the old man spake in simplicity (now none of the thoughts of
the young man had entered into his mind), the young man
made clearly manifest before the old man the matters which
he had marked out and decided upon in his mind from the be
ginning of his actions in the city even until that very hour.
And when the old man had heard all these things he was
greatly moved and disturbed, because he remembered his own
former acts and life, and because he was held in contempt by
his conscience by reason of the conditions and circumstances
under which he was then living, and because that by reason
of these he was unable to promise to fulfil the works of which
he had [then] no knowledge whatsoever, [and he was afraid]
and excused himself from the task. And when he considered
his own feebleness, and the greatness of the matter concerned,
and the strenuousness and readiness of the young man, and
the many other reasons which he called to mind, he was
ashamed to reveal to the young man the true reason for his
refusal, yet nevertheless, because of it, he said that he was
unable to act [for him]; but the young man dismissed his ob
jections and made an end of them, and he shewed [him] that
they all were insufficient to drive him away from the old man,
and to do away the fervent desire and aim which were in his
mind. Then the old man felt compelled to make plainly manifest
before him the true reason for his refusal and to shew him
that it was not a mere matter of a report of words, but one
which could be seen by the actual sight of the eyes. And wish
ing to fulfil his intention [of shewing] that the true reason was
not a mere excuse, or one which was fabricated like those
which he had previously given, and that it was indeed a true
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ZTbe paradise of tbe 1bols jf atbets
one, and one which would proclaim concerning itself openly,
he took the young man by the hand, and led him into a certain
chamber wherein dwelt the wife of that old man with her two
children, and he said unto him, "God hath sent thee hither
"for my shame, and for the condemnation of mine old age.
" Behold, this is my wife whom Satan and not God hath given
" unto me, and behold, these are the children of shame whom
" I have had by her, and they are the fruits of a contemptible
" and damnable union."
Now when the young mansawandheardthesethings, because
the foundation of his building was laid upon the rock of truth, he
was neither moved nor disturbed, and he was not offended with
the old man, and he did not hold him in any contempt whatsoever.
And after these things the young man answered and said unto
the old man, "My lord, I entreat thy holiness to confirm that
" which I am about to say unto thee. Let me have with thee, even
" as with a real father, a wholly perfect understanding, such as
" it is right for children to have with their fathers and with their
"brethren, which shall be free, by the help of God, from all
" stumbling-blocks; and let me have the same understanding
" with this woman, as with a real mother, and with thy children
" as with beloved brethren." Thus the old man was overcome by
means of all these words by a gracious defeat, and though he
wished by the urging of his own mind to give the young man
permission to live with him as a disciple, and to fulfil his desire
according to the bent of his mind, he was driven thereto far more
by the power of the excellence of the young man himself. And
when these things had taken place they gave thanks to God, and
then they occupied themselves, each one with the service and
work which were requisite for their habitation, day by day with
the help of God, and the young man excelled in works towards
the old man, according to his promise, in humility, and in great
obedience, and the spiritual excellence of his mind was greatly
revealed.
One day theoldmansaiduntotheyoungman,"Myson,know-
" est thou that thou and I are building this house with weariness
* and abundant toil, and that we have not sufficient reeds [to
make] the roof, and that the winter hath drawn nigh? Now,
( in order that our labour may not be in vain, behold, I see that
* there are reeds in the habitation of the monk who is ourneigh-
* bour, and since he is not there that we may borrow from him,
" and supply our need, do thou go down and take up from there
" a bundle, and bring [it hither], so that we may finish the roof,
" and may rejoice through his forethought." And when the bro
ther heard this, he made ready quickly to fulfil the command of
the old man, and having gone down and brought that which was
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TTbe IPouno Hleganbrian
necessary for them, they completed their work. Then the old
man said unto that brother, "Tell me truly, O brother, what didst
" thou think in thy mind about that which I said unto thee, that
"is to say, that thou shouldst go down, and shouldst bring
" reeds as it were by theft, and without the knowledge and dur-
** ing the absence of their owner? " And that brother said [unto
him], "As I have already told thee, everything that thou shalt
" say unto me I shall receive as if it came from the mouth of
" Christ, and shall perform it in faith unhesitatingly. I said within
" myself, Christ said unto me, Thou shalt not steal, but now it
" is He Who hath just said unto me, Steal; I have nothing to
1 do with the matter, and it is Christ unto Whom I must render
" obedience. " And when the old man had heard these words
he marvelled at the wisdom and at the integrity of hisobedience ;
andwishingtomakehim to rejoice in his hope, he said unto him,
" My son, thou must know that I had made up my mind that we
" must tell the owner of the reeds [what I had done], and must
" give him whatever price he might require, [when] I sent thee
" down to bring up that which belonged to him, and I did not
" do so with the abominable intention of stealing [from him]. "
And after a certain time, during which the two men had lived
together a correct life which was full of peace and profit, the old
man thought within himself, saying, "It isagreat iniquity on my
" part, and itmeritethaseverepenalty, thatlwhohavegrownold
" in sins, and who am still in the mire of fornication, shoulddwell
" with this brother who is perfect in spiritual excellence ; for it is
not seemly that darkness should live with light. But I will leave
" this abode in his hands, and I will take away this stumbling-
" block which Satan hath set in my way, and these fruits of
" shame which have come to me from her, and I will go to the
" world and unto those whom I resemble, whose works are like
" unto mine own."
And when he had meditated with these and suchlike thoughts,
and had made them known unto the woman whodweltwithhim,
he sent to the village which was nigh unto them, and brought
from thence an animal to take away that which he needed from the
monastery, so that he might lead away his wife and his children,
and he might go and live in one of the villages round about them.
And when the animal had come, and the old man had loaded him
with whatsoever they needed, and he, and his wife, and his chil
dren began to go forth, he said unto that brother, "My son, we
"are not able to dwell in a monastery because our sins are
" many, and because we are not worthy so to do ; for it is great
" wickedness for us to dwell under the cloak of falsehood among
" monks, whilst our deeds are more evil than those of the folk
" who are in the world. But do thou remain in this dwelling, O
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Ube ipavafcise of tbe 1bol$ tfatbers
" my son, and the God Whom thou hast loved, and Whom thou
" hast made plans to please in everything, shall be unto thee a
" father, and a fellow monk ; and do thou pray on my behalf that
" the Lord may visit me." And when that brother had heard
these words, he answered and said unto the old man with love
and great humility, " O my father, I have made a covenant with
* the Lord that I will not be separated from thee except by
" death, and inasmuch as my dwelling with thee hath been unto
" me source of great benefit, there is nothing which can remove
" me and take me away from thee ; but wheresoever thou goest
" I willgojandwheresoeverthou dwellest I will dwell with thee."
Then after all these things the old man came to himself, and he
sighed greatly, saying, " Verily, this is a matter which can only
" have come from God, the Merciful, Who desireth not the death
" of a sinner, but that he may turn to Him and live, and He it is
" Who hath remembered my former works, and hath not left me
* * to perish utterly, but hath sent this young man unto me that
" He might again turn me unto Him." Then the old man found
himself able by means of words, which were full of strong en
treaty, to persuade the woman to take her daughter with her,
and to go and dwell in one of the abodes of women which existed
in the villages round about them. And this actually came to pass.
And after the old man had remained there with his son, and with
that excellent disciple, he began to remember his former life,
and to renew the habits thereof, and he excelled greatly in the
cultivation of all kinds of spiritual excellences, and hegave thanks
unto God unceasingly, that by means of the young man He had
held him worthy of the end of peace. And he was always saying,
" Truly obedience for the sake of God not only greatly helpeth
" those who possess it, but it greatly gratifieth God also, and it
" is found by others to be the cause of life, and it tormenteth
" Satan sorely; on the other hand, disobedience worketh that
" which is contrary to all these things." Soaftera longtimethat
old man died in peace, being worthy of the great measure [of
reward] of his fathers, and he departed from the world, and
left behind him as upright heirs of his spiritual excellences and
of his monastery his spiritual son, and the son who was his ac
cording to the body and the spirit ; may our Lord through their
prayers make us worthy of their spiritual excellence and their
inheritance! Amen and Amen.
208
H Sage of Scete
Gfoapter ix>. TOe Zlrtumpb ot a certain <S>lfc flDan wbo
was in Scete
THERE was a certain old man who used to live in the
desert which is called Scete, and he had a disciple who
lived with him ; now this [latter] brother was adorned
with the spiritual excellences of every kind which befit those
who are in subjection to old men, and he was exceedingly con
spicuous for his obedience, which was the greatest of all his
virtues. And he was sent to the village continually by the old
man to sell their work, and to bring back whatsoever was
needed for their habitation and that brother, without any
compulsion whatsoever, performed every command which the
old man gave him with zeal and diligence. Now when the
enemy of righteousness, the Foe of the human race, and espe
cially of the orders of the monks, that is to say, Satan, the
opponent of all virtues and the hater of the upright life of the
children of men, saw that this brother was overcoming and
bringing to naught all his crafty designs by the might of his
simple obedience, which was full of discretion, he made a plan
to lay two snares for him in the path of his spiritual excellence,
even as it is said concerning him in the Psalm, as it were
by the mouth of those who cultivate spiritual excellence,
and who walk in the way of righteousness, "In the way of my
"steps have they hidden snares for me" (Psalm cxlii, 3). Now
the two snares were these : The first consisted in making that
brother to pursue fornication, and the second was in making
him to fall into disobedience ; and the Enemy, in his cunning,
expected that the brother would not only be caught by one of
these, and so become involved in both, but also that deliver
ance from the one would be found to be the occasion for his
falling into the other, for he saw that he was being sent con
tinually to Egypt by his master [on the business] of the work
of their hands and of the matter of their need.
And one day, when that brother was carrying on his shoulders
something which he wished to sell, and was going about in the
market of the village according to his wont, it happened that
owing to the sight of a woman, who was a virgin, and who
was continually coming in his way, and who bought from him
some of the wares which he carried, the war of fornication
rose up against him suddenly by the operation of the Evil One.
Now when this thing had thus come to pass the evil cunning
of the Devil did not depart from that discreet brother, but he
meditated within himself and said, "Both matters are exceed
ingly difficult for me. Peradventure, if through some reason
"such as this which the Enemy hath prepared for me, I reject
209 14
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bolp f atbers
"the command of the old man, and do not go up [to him], I
shall always be in the habit [of thinking] that I have treated
"the command of the old man with contempt; and if I do go
"up [to him] I shall be oppressed for a very long time with
"the war of fornication."
And when that brother had passed much time in tribulation,
and in such thoughts as these, and in doubts of mind, and
still did not know which course of action to choose and which
to reject, he drew nigh unto a certain old man who dwelt close
by them, and who was great and skilled in all [such matters], and
made known his business unto him, and spake unto him thus :
"Father, what shall I do, for the war of fornication hath
"risen up against me? My father sendeth me always to the
"village for that which we need, and every time I go to the
"village I am vexed with thoughts about fornication, through
which I am thrown into a strife, and I know not what to do ;
"if I obey my father, and go to the village, the war which is
"stirred up against me will become fiercer, and if I remain
"here and do not go I shall be a disobedient [disciple]. I be-
" seech thee to give me the advice which shall be beneficial for
"me, and pray thou on my behalf, for I am greatly vexed."
And when the old man had heard these words, he answered
and said unto him, "My son, if I were thou, I should, with
"God s help, obey my father, [and should overcome the war
" of fornication]." Then that brother said unto him, "I beseech
"thee, O my lord, to perform an act of grace, and teach
"thou me the object of this conquest, and help me with thy
"prayers." Then the old man said unto him, "Know, O my
"brother, that Satan is not so anxious to cast thee into forni-
" cation as he is to dismiss thee from obedience, and to make
"thee disobedient and rebellious, and he plotteth always with
"exceedingly great care to make thee thus; for Satan himself
"hath been acquainted with disobedience from the beginning,
"and he knoweth that it is the cause of every kind of condem-
" nation and of wickedness to those who possess it. And, O
"my son, let it be certain to thee that, if he vanquish thee by
"means of it, thou wilt be, as it were, stripped henceforth of
" the help of the power of obedience, and of thy father s pray-
"ers, whensoever he casteth thee into the passion of fornica-
"tion, and he will be able to drag thee down into passions of
"all kinds easily. But if thou dost vanquish him first of all in
"the matter of obedience, and dost thyself abide therein un-
"doubtingly, and dost believe in the prayers of thy father, God
"will make thee to prosper in every strife with a crown of
"righteousness, and He will give thee victory in every war
"with the Calumniator. For he, who for the sake of God acteth
210
H Sage of Scete
"in obedience to his father, also acteth obediently unto God ;
"now obedience unto God is the victory over all passions. Go
"therefore, O my son, and obey thy father faithfully and un-
u hesitatingly, and when the war cometh upon thee say thus:
" O God of my father, help me! "
Now when the Adversary saw that that brother was armed
with the wise and powerful words of the old man as with an
impregnable coat of mail, and had prepared himself strenuously
for the contest, he changed the method of attack which he had
formerly employed, and instead of vexing that brother with
thoughts about the woman as he had done at first, he left him,
since he was prepared and was sufficiently strong to stand up
against him, and went to the feeble woman who lacked both
discernment and help for it hath been his custom always to
run to the weak and sluggish side of disciples, and to over
come the strenuous by means of it and as he overcame Adam
by means of Eve, and as he overcame other [saints] by means
of other things, even so did he act towards this marvellous
brother who, through this cunning, gained condemnation and
shame, even as did Job, and Joseph, and others.
Now therefore when this brother according to custom had
taken his work, and had readily gone up to Egypt, and had
arrived at the village wherein he was wont to sell it, Satan
stirred up that woman to go forth to meet him as it were by
chance, and having seen that brother and being inflamed
through the operation of Satan with the fire of love for him,
she drew nigh unto him by means of some crafty device, and
took him and brought him into her house, with the excuse that
she was going to buy something from him; and after they had
gone in, and she had shut the door upon them, she began to
throw herself upon him. Then that brother, with faith wherein
there was no doubt, cried out with a loud voice and said, "O
"God of my father, help me!" And immediately, by the
agency of God, he found himself upon the road to Scete, and
by the Divine help the Calumniator was put to shame, and the
war of fornication ceased from that brother. And when he had
come to the old man with whom he lived, and he had narrated
to him the whole matter and what had happened, they gave
thanks to God and glorified Him Who had hearkened unto
the voice of His servants and had redeemed them out of the
hand of their enemies, and had saved them from the snares of
the Calumniator. May our Lord hide us beneath the wings of
His mercifulness and [save] us from all the evil workings of
the Calumniator! Amen.
211 144:
ZTbe paradise of tbe 1fool2 3f atbers
Cbapter \>, ZTbe TTrtumpb of tbe Disciple of anotber
It) /iDan wbo fcwelt alone in a Cell
ONE of the aged men said: I have heard from certain
holy men that there have been youths who have led
and guided old men to life, and they told me the fol
lowing story : There was a certain old man who used to plait
mats of palm leaves by day and sell them in the village [in the
night], and get drunk on the money which he received for the
same. At length there came a certain brother who took up his
abode with him, and he also worked at the plaiting of mats by
day, and the old man took his work also and sold it, and got
drunk with the money which he received for the work of both,
and he would bring home at eventide a little bread for that
brother; and though the old man did thus for a period of three
years the brother said nothing to him about it. And after these
things the brother said within himself, Behold, I am naked,
" and I only eat my bread by forcing myself to do so; I will
"therefore arise and depart from this place." But again he
thought within himself, saying, " Whither have I to go? I will
11 stay here a little longer, for I can live unto God just as well
"as if I were in a monastery where many monks are." And
straightway the angel of the Lord appeared and said unto him,
" Depart thou not unto any [other] place, for to-morrow we
" are coming unto thee." Then that brother made supplication
unto the old man and entreated him, saying, U I beseech thee,
" O my father, not to go forth this day to any place whatso-
" ever, for the angels are coming to receive my soul." When
now the hour had arrived for the old man to go out and sell
[the work] according to his wont, he said unto the brother,
" My son, they will not come to-day, for they have delayed
" too long"; but the brother said, "Yea, my father, indeed
" they will come"; and whilst he was talking to the old man he
died. And when the old man saw what had happened he wept
and sighed deeply, and said, "Woe is me! Woe is me, O my
"son! I have lived in faith for many years, but thou hast
" gained life for thyself through a short period of patient en-
" durance!" and from that day forward the old man led a life
of sobriety and became a chosen monk.
Cbapter \>j. Ube Uriumpb of tbe Disciple of an l&
/Ifean in tbe Desert
THERE was a certain desert monk who was very anxious
to find a quiet place which would be suitable for him to
dwell in; and there was there a certain old man who
had a cell nigh unto him, and he entreated him, saying,
212
U Disciple in tbe Desert
Come, take up thine abode here until thou canst find a cell
" [suitable for thee,]" and he went [there]. Now the brethren
used to come unto him as unto a stranger, and they brought
him food in order that they might be helped [by so doing], and
he rejoiced in them and gave them relief. Then the old man
began to envy him, and to heap abuse on him, saying, "Be-
" hold, how many are the years wherein I have lived here in
" the strictest abstinence, and yet no man came unto me; yet
"unto this deceiver who hath only passed a few days here
" many come!" And this old man said unto his disciple, "Go
" and say unto him, Depart from that place, for I have need
" both of the place and of the cell. " And his disciple went
and said unto him, "My father, speak some words and pray
"thou for me because I am greatly vexed by my stomach";
then he came to his master and said unto him, "He said
" unto me, I see a cell and I am going forth.
And after two days the old man sent his disciple unto him
again, and he said unto him, "If thou hast not departed I will
" come myself and drive thee out with a stick." And the dis
ciple came to the monk and said unto him, "My father hath
" heard that thou art sick and he is greatly grieved, and he
"hath sent me to visit thee"; and the monk said unto him,
"Through thy prayers [all is] well." And the disciple came
and said to his master, "I have spoken to him, and he said
" unto me, Wait until the first day of the week, and I will, by
" the Will of God, go forth. " And when the first day of the
week had come the monk had not departed, and the old man
took a stick and was going forth to beat him, and to drive
him out; but his disciple said unto him, " Let me go first, lest
" there be there some stranger who will be offended at thine
" acl:." And having gone before his master the disciple said
unto the monk, "Behold, my father hath come to entreat thee
" [to leave] and to take thee to his cell"; and when the monk
heard of the old man s love he made haste to go out to meet
him, and he expressed his sorrow afar off, and said, " Be not
" vexed, O my lord and father, for I was coming to thy holi-
"ness; forgive me for the sake of Jesus." And God saw the
work of that disciple, and He opened the mind of the old man,
and he threw away his stick and ran to salute the monk; and
having drawn nigh unto him he gave him the salutation of
peace, and took him into his cell. Now the stranger had heard
nothing whatsoever of the words which had been said by the
old man. Then the old man said unto his disciple, "Peradven-
" ture thou didst say unto the monk that which I said unto
" thee?" And the disciple said unto him, "Nay, father, I did
" not"; and the old man rejoiced greatly, and he brought him
tlbe Iftarabise of tbe 1bolp ff atbers
in to the stranger and treated him kindly. And the old man
knew that what had taken place in him had been caused by
the working- of Satan, and he fell down before his disciple and
said, "Henceforward thou shalt be my father, and I will be thy
" disciple, for through thy good works, after God, thou hast
" helped the souls of two [men]."
Cbapter \nj, Ube ZTriumpb of peter, tbe Disciple of
one of tbe R> /ifcen
THERE was a certain old man who had an excellent
disciple, and on a certain occasion the old man by rea
son of his hasty temper drove him away, and turned
him outside the door, and his apparel with him; and the bro
ther sat down outside the door and w r aited patiently, and
when the old man opened the door he found him sitting out
side. Then the old man repented, saying, "O Peter, the meek-
" ness of thy longsuffering nature hath vanquished my hasty
" temper; henceforward thou shalt be my old man and father,
"and I will be thy servant and disciple. By thy good work
" thou hast made (or fashioned) mine old age."
Gbapter v>iij, Ube Tfriumpb of a Disciple of one of tbe
ON a certain occasion the disciple of a great sage (i.e.,
old man) had a war of fornication, and when the old
man saw that his brother was vexed and oppressed in
his mind, he said to him, "Dost thou wish me to entreat God
to make the war less fierce ? " And the brother said, * ( Father,
" I perceive that, although I toil and am afflicted, I am yet
" able to see the fruit which I possess within my soul through
"this strife, [therefore pray not for this thing]; but entreat
" God especially in thy prayer to give me strength to endure."
His father said unto him, "This day 1 know that thou hast
" surpassed me therein."
Cbapter is. f Hurelius [H&olius?]
I USED to know a man in Jerusalem whose name was
Aurelius [Adolius?], and by race (or origin) he came from
the city of Tarsus, and when this man arrived in Jerusa
lem, he walked wholly in the path wherein are no stumblings
and wherein not many have walked. Now he laid down for
himself ascetic rules of life of new kinds, and [these were so
severe] that the devils were afraid of him, and they were un
able to stand up before him, and by reason of the greatness
of his toil he might have been thought to be a shadow, for he
would pass the whole weeks of the Forty Days in fasting, and
he would spend the other days in constant vigils. Now the
214
Hbba /Iftoses tbc Jnbian
greatest of all his a6ts of asceticism was this. Whilst the bre
thren were gathered together each evening in the house of
prayer, he would go up to the highest peak of the Mount
of Olives, to the place where our Lord was lifted up, and as
he stood there upon his feet he would recite the whole Office,
and whether rain, or snow, or sleet fell he would never leave
his place ; and when he had finished the Office according to
[his] custom, he would take a hammer and beat [a board], and
rouse up those that slept, and having gone round to the doors
of all [the monks] he would gather them together to the places
for prayer, and in each place he would recite the Office with
them ; and he would also stand up in the midst of companies
[of monks], and would recite the Office. In the daytime he
would go to his cell, and in very truth on several occasions
his brethren had to strip off [his clothes] from him because
they were wet through, and to put others on him; and he
would rest until the third hour of the day, and then he would
come to the service [in the church and stay] until the evening.
Such was the manner in which Aurelius lived, and in this way
he brought his life to an end ; and he was buried at Jeru
salem.
Cbapter * f Hbba /IDoses tfoe Jnfcian, [a Captain] of
ZTbiews
NOW there was a certain man whose name was Moses,
who was by race an Indian (i.e., an Ethiopian), and his
flesh (i.e., skin) was black, and he was the slave of a
man in high authority, and because of his evil deeds and thefts
his master drove him out of his house; now it is said that he
even went so far as [to commit] murder. Now I am compelled
to mention his wickedness in order that I may shew forth the
beauty of his repentance, and people say concerning him that
he was even the captain of a band of seventy thieves. And the
following thing used to be related about him, and he is said to
have committed it during the period wherein he passed his
time in stealing.
He had as an enemy a certain shepherd, against whom he
remembered certain evil things, and he went to steal [sheep]
from his flock. And the shepherd was told by a certain man
[who said], "Moses hath crossed the Nile by swimming, and
"he holdeth a sword in his hand, and his clothes are placed
"on his head; and he hath crossed the river by swimming";
and the shepherd covered himself over with sand, and hid from
him. And when Moses had come and did not find the shepherd,
he chose out two fine rams from among the sheep and slew
them, and he tied them [together] with a rope, and swam
Ube iparabise of tbe 1bol^ jf atbers
across the river again [with them]; and having come to a small
village he skinned the rams and ate the best portions of them,
and he sold the remainder for wine, and drank, and after these
things he went back to his companions. One day, whilst he
was associated with them in doing hateful things, his senses
came back to him in the morning season, and he repented of
his evil acts, and he rose up and fled to a monastery, and
from that time he drew nigh unto works of repentance so
closely that the devil who had made him sin from his youth
up, and [who would have continued] to make him sin, would
stand before him in visible form and would look upon him.
Thus he came to the knowledge of our Lord Christ.
And about him they tell the story that thieves once came
unto him and went into his cell, because they did not know
who he was, and he tied them all together with cords and lifted
them up on his shoulders like a bag of chopped straw, and
brought them to the church to the brethren, and said unto
them, "Since I have not the power to do evil unto any man,
" what do ye command me to do to those who rose up against
" me to slay me?" Now at that time Moses had been fasting
for seven days, and he had eaten nothing. And after he had
done this he informed the thieves, saying, " I indeed am Moses
" who was formerly the captain of [a band of] thieves" ; and
having heard [this] they praised and glorified God, and when
they saw [the sincerity of] his repentance they also removed them
selves from their evil deeds, and said within themselves, "Let
" us also draw nigh unto repentance, so that we may become
" worthy of the forgiveness of sins, even as he also is worthy."
And whilst fasting often, and during the time of prayer and
silent contemplation, that devil of error, who bringeth back to
the remembrance of the mind the wickedness of former habits,
would come to him, and tempt him to such a degree that, even
as he himself hath told us, it wanted exceedingly little to make
him fall from his covenant. And having come to the old man
Isidore the great, who had arrived from Scete, Moses told him
concerning the war of his body; and the old man said unto
him, "Be not distressed, for these are the beginning of the
"birth pangs, and they come upon thee seeking what they are
" accustomed [to receive], even as a dog which [cometh] con-
" tinually to the cook, and if a man give him nothing he will
" not go there again. And thus also it is with thee, for if thou
" wilt continue in fasting, and in prayer, and in silent contem-
" plation, the devil will straightway fall into despair and will
"flee from thee."
And from that time he was exceedingly constant in his work
of spiritual excellence. He ate nothing whatsoever except ten
216
Hbba flfcoses tbe Jnfcian
ounces of dry bread [daily] when he was doing work, and he
would recite from beginning to end fifty prayers during the
day; but the more he dried up his body, the more he was vexed
and consumed by dreams. And again he went to one of the old
men, and said unto him, "What shall I do? For thoughts of
" lust which arise from [my] former habits attack me;" and
the old man said unto him, "These lead thee into error be-
" cause thou hast not turned away thy heart from the simili
tudes of them, but give thy heart to watching and careful
" prayer, and thou wilt be free from them." Now when he had
heard this direction he went to his cell, and made a covenant
with God that he would neither sleep during the whole night
nor bend his knees, and he dwelt in his cell for seven years,
and remained standing the whole of each night with his eyes
open, and he never closed his eyelids. And after this he set
himself other ascetic labours, for he would go out during the
nights and visit the cells of the old men, and take their water-
skins and fill them with water, because they lived a long way
from the water, that is to say, some two miles, some four
miles, and others five miles. One night he went to fill the [water
skins with] water, according to his wont, and as soon as he
had bent down over the spring, a devil smote him a blow
across his loins as with a stick, and then departed leaving him
half dead, and Moses understood who had done this thing to
him. And on the following day one of the brethren came to fill
[the water skins with] water, and he saw the blessed man lying
there, and he drew nigh to him and asked him, "What hath
"happened unto thee?" And when Moses had told him the
story, the brother went and informed Rabbd Isidore, the priest
of the church of Scete, who sent brethren immediately and
they took him up and brought him to the church; and he was
ill for a long time, and he never thoroughly recovered from his
illness, and he never again enjoyed the health of body which
he had possessed formerly.
And Abb Isidore said unto him, "Rest thyself, O Moses,
" and fret not thyself against the devils, and seek not to make
" attacks upon them; there is moderation in everything, even
" in the works of ascetic life." Then Moses said unto him, " I
" believe in God, in Whom I have placed my hope, that being
" armed against the devils I must not cease [to wage war with
" them] until they depart from me." And Abba Isidore said
unto him, " In the Name of Jesus Christ, from this time for-
" ward the devils shall cease from thee. Draw nigh then, and
"participate in the Holy Mysteries, and thou shalt be free
" from all impurity both of the flesh and of the spirit, for thou
" must not boast within thyself, and say, I have overcome the
217
ITbe paradise of tbe 1bol f atbers
" devils, for it was for thy benefit that they have waxed
" strong against thee." So Moses went back again to his cell.
And after two months Abba Isidore came to him, and asked
him [concerning himself], and Moses said unto him, "I never
" see now anything which is hateful to me." Now he was also
held to be worthy of the gift of Divine Grace, and he could
chase away the devils from many folk who were vexed there
with, and as flies take to flight before us so did the devils de
part from before him. Such were the ascetic labours of the
blessed man Moses, who was himself vexed with great matters.
And he also became a priest, and he left behind him seventy
disciples who were men of worth. When he was a thief he had
[as followers] seventy men who were thieves, and these now
became his disciples, and they were perfect in the fear of God.
Gbapter jj. <s>f Hbba (Mor
AND there was an Egyptian youth whose name was
Pior, and he was a holy man; and when he departed
from the house of his parents he made a covenant with
God with the zeal of excellence that he would never see again
any of his kinsfolk. And after fifty years had passed, the
sister of this blessed man, who was very old and grey, heard
that he was alive, and she greatly desired to see him; now
she was unable to come to him to the desert, and she besought
the Bishop, who was in that country, to write to the fathers
who lived in the desert [telling] them to urge him, and to send
him to see his sister. Then when the blessed man saw the
pressure which came from them to make him go, he took with
him certain of the brethren, and set out to go on the journey,
and [having arrived] he sent and informed his sister s house
hold, saying, "Behold, Pior thy brother hath come, and he
" standeth outside." Now when his sister heard his voice, she
went forth in great haste, and when Pior heard the sound of
the door, and knew that the aged woman his sister was com
ing forth to see him, he shut his eyes tightly, and said, * So and
" so, I am thy brother; look at me as far as thou canst do so";
and having seen him she was relieved (or gratified) in her mind,
and gave thanks unto God, but she was unable to persuade him
to enter into her house. And he made a prayer by the side of the
door with his eyes closed tightly, and departed to the desert.
And he also wrought the following wonderful thing: In the
place where he lived he dug a hole in the ground, and found
water which was bitter [in taste], but until the day wherein
he died he endured the bitter taste of the water, in order that
he might make known that which he suffered patiently for the
sake of God. Now after his death many of the monks wished
218
Hbba /l&oses tbe
to abide in that place, but they were not able to do so, even
for one year, chiefly because of the terrible nature of the
country and the barrenness thereof.
Cbapter ij. f Hbba /IDoses tbe 3Liban
THERE was also another old man whose name was
Moses, who came from the country of the Libyans; he
was exceedingly meek and compassionate, and through
this was held to be worthy of the gift of healing. And this old
man himself related unto us the following story, and said:
When I was a young man and dwelt in the monastery, we dug
out a large cistern which was twenty cubits wide, and eighty
men were digging it out, and we set seventy men to build
[walls round itj; and they dug down according to their know
ledge, and they passed the place where they expected [to find
water], and went down even one cubit more, but they did not
find water, and being greatly distressed at this we wished to
abandon the well and go away. But when Abba Pior came
from the desert at the season of noon, now he was an old man
and was covered in his head-cloak, he saluted us, and said
unto us, "Why hath your spirit lessened, O ye of little faith?
"For I observe that your spirit hath diminished since yesterday
" because ye have not found water." Then he went down by
a ladder to the bottom of the well, and made a prayer with
the men, and having prayed he took up an iron tool and drove
it into the earth three times, saying, "O Lord God of the
"holy Fathers, make not the weariness [of these men] to be
" in vain, but send them water in abundance"; and straightway
the waters sprang up in such quantity that they all were
wetted, and having prayed a second time he went forth and
departed. And when they urged him to remain with them and
eat he would not be persuaded to do so, but said unto them,
" The matter concerning which I was sent hath come to pass,
" and to eat I was not sent."
Cbapter iij, <S>f a certain Msttnautsbeb Wan&erino
The copyist adds the note: "We have found [the story of]
" this wandering monk and recluse following [that of] the
" recluse John of Lycus."
THERE was a certain distinguished wandering monk
who (as have heard from the famous monks who dwelt
by the side of the country of Antinoe) lived a life of
great sanctity in the mountains, and many folks were helped
by him both by word and deed. And the Enemy had envy of
him, even as he hath of every [good] man, and he cast into
his mind thoughts which appeared to be humble, saying, " It
219
tTbe ifrarabise of tbe 1bol^ tf atbers
4 is not seemly for thee to be ministered unto and treated
4 with honour by others, for thou shouldst minister unto thy-
* self. Go therefore to the city and sell thy plaited baskets thy-
self, and buy whatsoever thou hast need of, and lay no
4 burden upon any man." Now the crafty one counselled him
in this wise because he was envious of the assistance which
[he obtained from the silent contemplation and constant
[prayer], and because he kept God in his mind, and he was
laying nets for him, and was trying to snare him by every
means in his power. And the monk, being convinced as it
were by [a counsellor of] good, for he was not greatly skilled
[in the knowledge] of the cunning and of the abundant wicked
ness of him that was lurking in ambush, went down from the
mountain, and the brethren marvelled, because he was a
wandering monk, who was well known and famous; and thus
in a short time, through want of care and also through con
verse with women, he was caught in the toils and fell.
And he came to the river [Nile] in a desolate place (now
there was with him the Enemy who had cast him down and
who rejoiced because of his fall, and because many folk would
be made to offend through hearing thereof); and because he
had greatly grieved the Spirit of God, and the Angels, and the
holy Fathers of the same class as himself, having become un
like any of those who in the cities and everywhere else had
overcome [Satan]; and because he had forgotten that great
might was nigh unto him [that fighteth] against the Enemy,
and who truly hath his hope in the Lord, because, I say, he for
got that this help existed, he fell into error, and knew not
how he was to be healed, and wished to throw himself into
the river flood and die. And moreover, although his body was
brought exceedingly low, through the suffering of his soul, it
would have been in vain had not at length the mercy of God
helped him not to die (which would have afforded perfect joy to
the Enemy), [and it urged him] to depart again with weeping and
bitter suffering of heart, and, as was meet, to make supplica
tion to the compassion of God. And thus, having returned to
his place and blocked up the window of his cell, he wept, as
was right, after the manner of one who weepeth in a suitable
manner over a dead person, and he reduced his body to
emaciation by means of his fasting, and vigil, and grief, for the
expectation of his repentance had not as yet come to him.
And on several occasions, when the brethren came to com
fort him, and knocked at his door, because he had no excuse
to make he would say, "Pray ye for me, O my brethren, for
44 I have made a covenant to live a life of silent contemplation
44 all my days, having everything of which I have need." Then
220
H Manfcertncj /IDonfe
they would go away having no hope whatsoever for him; now
he was a monk who was very precious in their sight. And
from Pentecost, when the brethren were in the habit of relax
ing their severe rules of life, and when they ate freely now
because of his fall that monk did not a<5t thus onwards,
throughout the whole year until the feast of unleavened bread,
he prayed with tears, and he vexed sorely the life of his flesh,
and was crucified with Christ. But on the eve of the [day of]
the Resurrection, at the rejoicing of the holy First Day of the
week, he took a new lamp, and trimmed it ready for lighting,
and he set it in a new vessel likewise, and covered it over, and
being unable to stand up in prayer, he said, 4< O Thou Merci-
44 ful One, Who desirest that the Barbarians and all the people
44 who are without God should have knowledge of Thee, and
44 should turn to Thee, and Who alone art the true Physician
44 of souls, have mercy upon me, for I know that I have made
4 Thee wroth not a little. I have obeyed the Enemy even to
4 my death and, behold, I am a dead man. O Thou Who didst
4 teach the children of men who were not merciful to shew
mercy to each other, O have mercy upon me! For unto Thee
4 nothing is impossible, even though I be brought down as
4 as low as the dust in Sheol. But Thou art the Lord of Thy
hosts, and Thou art He Who is good unto those whom
4 Thou hast fashioned, and Thou art He who shall raise up
4 the dead bodies [of those who] have no being, and Who
4 shall make them to have being in the Day of Resurrection;
4 answer Thou me because my heart and my body are sick, for
4 1 am overcome by the fear of Thee and am ready to perish,
4 and I cannot live any longer. And, because as yet I have no
4 confidence in [my] repentance, a twofold destruction have
4 I in my despair. Show compassion upon me, O Merciful
4 One, and kindle this lamp by Thy light, so that I by means
4 thereof may receive the encouragement of Thy mercy, and
4 may pass the remainder of my life which Thou wilt bestow
4 upon me in the way which shall please Thee, and may never
4 again as long as I live be unmindful of the fear of Thy
4 Commandments."
And he said these things with tears on his face, and he rose
up to see if the lamp had been lighted, and he uncovered it,
and saw that there was no light in it. Then he fell upon his
face as he had done before, and he besought the Lord frequent
ly, saying, 44 O Lord, Thou knowest that the strife hath taken
"place and that it is ended, and Thou wilt not require especi-
4 ally that I should be disgraced by crying out with the wick-
44 ed, and that I should suffer torture for ever. Have mercy
4 then upon me, and I will confess Thy goodness; I have been
221
ZTbe parafcise ot tbe 1bols ffatbers
"ashamed before the righteous angels, and if it were not that
"it would cause scandal, I would make my confession to the
"children of men. Therefore have compassion upon me, for
"from this time forward I will teach others that their hearts
"must not be outside Thy fear, even for a moment; and now
"I make supplication unto Thy goodness, O make me to live,
"and I entreat Thee [so to do], for I am about to die." And
the monk prayed in this manner three times, and then he was
heard by God, for when he went back the fourth time [to see
if the lamp had been lighted] he found it burning brightly ; and
he was strengthened with hope, and rejoiced, and wept abun
dantly, and he marvelled at Divine Grace, and he made prayer
to the Lord about this also, saying, "Thou didst shew com-
4 * passion upon the life of this world of him that is unworthy, and
"especially by the great and new sign [which Thou hast given];
"yea, Lord, Thou dost always shew Thy compassion upon the
"miserable soul, and dost spare it." And the monk continued
[to give] simple thanks [until] the day dawned, and he rejoiced
in the Lord, and forgot the food of the body; and he tended
the light of the lamp every day, and poured oil therein, and he
trimmed it from above, and kept it covered so that it should
not be extinguished. And thus that man became like one who
had risen in the resurrection of the righteous, and like the
chaste man, and like the humble man in the Spirit of God [who
obeyeth] readily, and [who giveth] gladly unto the Lord gra
titude and thanks. And when he was about to yield up unto
the Lord the soul which had been graciously given to him, he
related the story gladly unto the brethren who happened to be
there, that it might cause them fear, and he said, "Let that
"lamp be placed in [my] grave in commemoration of [my] re-
"pentance." And we, who heard concerning the grace of God,
have written down these things in order that men may be
watchful in the Lord.
Cbapter f x>, Ube Distort of tbe Blessefc 3va0rf us, tbe
Solitary anfc Strenuous /IDonfe
IT is not meet that we should veil the history of this holy
man in silence, for we must set it down plainly in writing,
both for the help and edification of those who shall come
across it, and for the glory of that God Whose wont is to
change bitterness to sweetness; we shall, therefore, make
clear the history of the blessed man from the beginning, and
tell how he journeyed step by step to the goal of spiritual ex
cellence, and how he was carried onwards to the ascetic life,
and how he arrived at purity of heart, and how he departed
from this world at the age of fifty-four years.
222
ZTbe Blessefc
Now this blessed man came from Pontus, where his family
lived, and where his father held the office of visitor; and the
blessed man Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, appointed him to be a
reader. And after the death of the blessed man Basil, Gregory,
Bishop of Nazianzus, seeing- his perspicacity, and his great
skill in the Divine Books, and that he was free from passions,
and was adorned with virtues, brought him nigh to the grade
of the priesthood, and he went up to the synod which was held
at Constantinople with the blessed man Gregory, who loved
him greatly. And when the blessed man Nectarius, Bishop of
of Constantinople, met him, he was drawn to love him, be
cause he saw that he was a man of strong character, and he
attached him to himself. Now Evagrius was beloved by all
men, and he was held in honour by all men, and for this reason
Satan was envious of him, and he disturbed his understand
ing through the vision of his mind, which he set in a blaze
through the love of a certain woman; and this woman was
the wife of one of the noblemen of the city, according to what
he himself related unto us. And when, by the will of God, he
was set free from these thoughts, the woman herself began to
love Evagrius ; now she was a great lady of high degree.
Then Evagrius, setting before his eyes the reproach of for
nication, prayed unto God with labour that, in His Grace, He
might bring this matter to naught, and that he might extin
guish the mad lust of that woman ; to chide her himself the
blessed man was not able, because he was bridled by the large
numbers of gifts [which he had received] from her. And his
prayer having been heard, when as yet he had not had union
with her sinfully, an angel appeared unto him in the form of a
soldier of the prefect, who seized him, and cast him into prison,
and who loaded his neck and his hands with chains, but who
did not inform Evagrius for what reason he had to bear this
ill-treatment; and the thought sprang up in his mind which
said, "Perhaps that woman s husband has laid an accusation
"against me before the judge." Then Evagrius found himself
in great agony of mind, because he saw that other men, who
had been committed to prison for offences similar to his own,
were condemned to judgement before his eyes, and the angel
changed his form, and appeared unto him in the guise of one
of his friends, and he began to say unto him, when he saw
that he was loaded with chains and had been placed with the
malefactors, "What is this which hath happened unto thee, O
"brother?"
And Evagrius made answer unto him, saying, "My brother,
"in truth I know not. I think that perhaps some prince of the
"city hath laid [an accusation] against me before the judge,
223
paraMse of tbe 1bol jfatbers
"because of some vain jealousy (or envy) which hath burst into
"flame in him, and I am afraid lest, through a gift of much
"money, the judge may issue a decree of death against me."
And the angel said unto him, "If thou wilt receive the words
"of thy friend I counsel thee not to remain in this city"; and
the blessed Evagrius said unto him, "Thinkest thou that thou
"wilt see me in this city if God will deliver me from this trial?
"Thou mightest as well think that I am enduring these evils
"righteously!" Then the angel said unto him, "Swear unto
"me that thou wilt depart [from the city], and wilt have a care
"for thy soul, and I will deliver thee from these trials"; and
Evagrius took an oath unto him by the Book of the Gospel,
[saying], " I will not tarry here more than the one day which
"will be necessary for me to put my things in the ship."
And when Evagrius woke up from his sleep, he thought
within himself and said, "Although the words of the oaths
" have been uttered in a dream, it is right that I should fulfil
" that which I have promised"; so he put his things in a ship
and departed to Jerusalem, where the blessed woman Melania
received him gladly; now Melania had come from the city of
Rome. And, because Satan had made the heart of Evagrius
as hard as that of Pharaoh, he failed to call to mind that which
he had promised to do, and he went back to his former habits
and returned to his pride, and was arrayed in filthy garments.
But God, because He is in the habit of bringing to naught on
our behalf things of evil, kindled the fire of a great fever in
Evagrius, and He cast him into a sickness which lasted for
six months, and none of the physicians was able to bring heal
ing unto him. Then the blessed woman Melania said unto him,
" My son, thy long illness pleaseth me not; tell me, then, con-
" cerning it, for peradventure there is something hidden in thy
" mind; thy illness is not like unto that of every [other] man."
Then Evagrius confessed unto her the whole matter. And
Melania said unto him, "Promise me truthfully that from
this time onward thou wilt take care of thyself in a habita-
" tion of monks, and that thou wilt work unto God; and how-
" ever great a sinner I may be, I will pray for thee, and relief
"shall be given unto thy tribulation." Then he promised [to
do] that which she required at his hands, and before a few
days had passed by the blessed man was healed, and he rose
up [from his bed], and from that day his whole mind was
changed.
And he departed and went to the mountain which is in
Egypt and which is called Nethrd (i.e., Nitria), and dwelt
there for two years, and in the third year he departed into the
inner desert, and dwelt there fourteen years in the place which
224
Blessefc
is called "The Cells"; and he lived upon one pound [of bread]
a day, and a box of oil [every] three months. He had been a
man great in pomp and he had made great his body, and had
been ministered unto by slaves, yet he laid down a rule that he
should pray in the course of [each] day one hundred prayers.
He lived by the labour of his hands, and he only accepted the
bare price of his daily food [for] all the work he did; and his
work was to write books. Before, however, the fifteen years
had passed by, he had cleansed his heart, and was held to be
worthy of the grace of God, and wisdom and understanding
were given to him, and he knew the power of spirits. He com
posed three volumes, and taught us [therein] the cunning of
devils and the snares [laid by the] thoughts.
And the blessed man Evagrius himself related unto us that
the devil of fornication [once] made an attack upon him, and
that he stood up naked the whole night long in the desert (now
it was the season of winter), until his flesh was quite shrivelled
and dried up. And the devil of blasphemy [on another occa
sion] made an attack upon him, and according to what he
told us, he passed forty days under the open sky in winter
until his flesh became like that of the beasts of the desert. And
he also told us that once three devils came to him in the day
time, in the form of three members of a religious body, and
they began to discuss the faith with him; one of these declared
himself to be an Arian, the second said that he was a Euno-
mian (i.e., a follower of Eunomius, Bishop of Cyzicus, A.D.
360-364), and the third confessed himself to be of the seel; of
Apollinarius (Bishop of Laodicea; he died about A.D. 390); but
by the Divine Grace which was with him he drove them away,
having put them to shame.
And again he told [us] that one day he lost the key of his
cell, but he made the sign of the Cross over the door and then
put in his hand and opened it, having called Christ to his help.
He was beaten with innumerable stripes by the devils, and he
learned by experience very much concerning their cunning. He
made known unto one of his disciples by prophecy that which
should happen unto him after [a period of] eighteen years, and
what he said actually came to pass. And he said, "From the
" time when I entered the desert I have never washed, and I
" have never eaten any vegetable, or any fruit, or any grapes."
At the end of his life, however, that is to say, in the sixteenth
year wherein he departed from the world, he ate compulsorily
food which was cooked by fire, and he was obliged to do this
because of a weakness of the stomach which had overtaken
him, and he was compelled to take food which had been cooked
because of this.
225 15
TOe iparabise of tbe 1bol$ jf atbers
Gbaptev jt>. ITbe ibistorg of /iDalcbus tbe Solitary
fl&onfc
ABOUT three miles from Antioch in Syria there is a
certain village which is called Maronia, and in this
village was an old monk whose name was Malchus,
and he was a wonderful and a holy man. Now at that time I
had travelled far away from the house of my fathers, and I
went to Evagrius the priest, where I heard concerning the
holy man Malchus, and I desired greatly to see him and to be
blessed by him; so I went to him, and he received me gladly,
and began to tell me about the habits of life and the works ot
the monks, and how r it is right to fear the Lord, and having
rejoiced greatly in the pious words of his doctrine, I besought
him to confirm me especially in such things. Then he said unto
me, "My son, I will relate unto you concerning the temptations
" which, in proportion to my presumption and thoughtlessness,
" have come upon me, in order that they may help you, and
" also concerning the compassionate grace of the Lord God
" Who took me out of and redeemed me from them, and Who
" permitted them to come upon me for the correction of many
" who should learn of me, and should not become disobedient
" to the exhortation of their spiritual fathers, because disobe-
" dience is the cause of death."
Then having said these things he began to narrate to me his
history, and he said: I was born in the village which is called
Nisibis, and I was the only child of my parents, who, because I
was the only child they ever expected to have, were proud of me;
and when I had arrived at manhood s estate they were anxious
to marry me to a wife, but when I spake against their [wish],
saying, " It is right for me to become a monk and to serve the
" Lord," and they heard of it, they were exceedingly wroth with
me. Now my father urged me to marry and threatened me with
penalties if I did not, and my mother was always inciting and
counselling me to do so. And seeing that their minds were most
firmly set upon this, which would become unto me an impedi
ment to my confession of the faith before God, I forsook them,
and treated with contempt all the riches of this world, and took
with me only a very small sum of money, which was just suffi
cient for the expenses of my journey ; now I wished to go to the
monasteries of the East. And because at that time the Greeks
had determined to make war upon the Persians, I changed my
intention, and made up my mind to go to the west ; and whilst I
was pondering this matter I learned that between Keneshrin
and Aleppo there was a monastery which was situated in a peace
ful spot, so I gave up my former intention, and went thither, and
226
Aalcbus tbeAonh
I asked them [to receive me], and I remained with them, and I
wrestled with all their ascetic habits and rules of chastity ac
cording- to their godly ways of life, and I made good progress
therein in the Lord.
And having remained in that monastery for a certain number
of years, and having lived blamelessly the life of spiritual ex
cellence, all the brethren rejoiced at thegrowth of my asceticism;
but because the Calumniator, that jealous and envious being,
could not endure [this], he cast into my mind thoughts [which
were apparently] correct ones, saying," Since thy father is dead,
II return to thy house, and comfort thy mother so long as she is
"alive, and after her death sell thy possessions, and give some of
" theprice thereof to thepoor; and theremainderkeep, and withit
" build a monastery, and thou thyself shalt become a father and
" governor of monks. And to tell the truth to thee, my son, the
Calumniatorcast within me thepassion of avarice, saying, " Keep
some of the money for thine old age." And when the war which
was caused by these thoughts had been [waged] against me daily
for some time, I felt obliged to reveal this sickness of my soul to
the spiritual father, who, when theholyfatherhad heard thereof,
said unto me, "My son, hearken not to thy feelings, for this is a
"snare of Satan who, by means of this cunning device, hath put
" many monks backward in their course, even as a dog goeth
" back to his vomit, and hath cast them down and hath made
" them lose their inheritance, and who, though continually set-
* ting before them the hope of that which isgood, hath neverthe-
" less brought them down into Sheol. For having raised Adam
" to a heightof error which resembled this, hebroughthimdown
" to the bottom of Sheol; and our Lord commandeth him that
" hath laid his hand upon the plough not to turn back."
Now when by means of such testimonies which he brought
from the Holy Scriptures hewasnotabletopersuademe[tostay],
he thereupon fell down before me and wished to swear by the Lord
that I would not forsake him. And whilst that merciful and pious
father was saying these things for my deliverance, the Enemy
was placing in my heart the words, k The father acteth not thus
" because he would shew compassion on thee, but he wisheth
" that the whole community of the brethren may be glorified [by
* 4 thy staying here] ; and by saying words of this kind to me, that
evil adviser made me to gain a victory of wickedness, and he
made me to come forth out of the monastery. And still clinging
unto me, as unto one who was lost, the father said unto me, "My
" son, I see that thou art consumed by love of money ; the sheep
" which goeth forth from his flock without his shepherd straight-
" way becometh a prey unto wolves"; and when he had spoken
these words unto me I left him.
227 150
paraMse of tfoe 1fool ffatfeers
Then I went from Aleppo to Edessa by the king s highway,
and being afraid of the soldiers (i.e., bands of marauding rob
bers), who had already taken up their abode in the countries
round about, I remained in Edessa, hoping to find company for
the journey, for so great as this was my watchful fear. And when
we had gathered together a company of men and women, [whose]
names were seventy in number, and had therefore set out on the
road, suddenly a band of Arab soldiers swooped down upon us,
and carried us all away; then I called to mind the exhortation
of the holy father, and I said to myself, "O my soul, such are
* the great riches which I went forth to inherit ! O wretched
4 man that I am, such are the promises of the Enemy, the
" deceiver and destroyer of souls! Inherit [thy wealth] then,
" O wretched one, and make thyself happy therewith." And as I
was saying these things to myself, one of the Arabs took me and
a certain woman, and set the two of us on one camel, and hav
ing travelled a short distance in the desert, because we were
afraid lest we should fall from the camel, we were com
pelled to hold tightly to each other; and not only did this
shame come upon mine unconvinceable mind, but I was also
obliged to eat with her. And the Arab gave us milk and camel s
flesh, and he carried us to his tent, and he commanded me to do
homage to his wife and to bow down before her, and he said,
" This is thy mistress." Now through these things I, the chaste
man and monk, was becoming acquainted with the form of the
nakedness of these people, according to the reward which my
passion of avarice merited ; and the Arab ordered me to gird my
self about with woollen garments and to shepherd the sheep and
this[occupation] became unto me a source of consolation for the
tribulations which surrounded me, because after a few days I
was released from the evil faces of my masters and companions.
But this alone did not bring me consolation, for I remembered
that Abel, and the Patriarch Jacob and his sons, and the holy
man Moses, and king David were shepherds of sheep, and I re
joiced in the desert, and I pastured the sheep, and prayed, and
sang the Psalms which I learned in the monastery. And I used
to eat cheese made of goats milk, and I drank milk, and I gave
praise to God, that I had obtained such a [light] penalty for my
disobedience; and remembering that the Apostle said, "Ser-
* vants, be submissive to your masters, not only to the good, but
"also to the wicked " (Colossians iii, 22; Ephesians vi, 5), I
took care of my master s sheep with the utmost diligence. Now
in all these things I kept in mind always the envy of the Calum
niator, which hateth that which is good.
And when my master saw that I was acting rightly towards
him, he wished to reward me well therefore, and he wanted to
228
/IDalcbus tbe /IDonfe
marry me to that woman who had been taken captive with me; and
when I spake against his proposal, saying, " I am a monk, and I
" cannot do this, besides this woman hath a husband who was
44 taken captive with us, and who hath passed into other owner
ship," his wrath went up, and he drew his sword, and he set his
gaze upon me, and would have killed me, had it not been that I ran
and took hold of his wife s hand. And having married me to the
woman, he brought me into a cave with her. When, therefore,
I knew that this was indeed the captor of my soul, I cried aloud,
and wept, and said, "Woe unto me the sinner ! What hath hap-
" pened unto me? For having grown old in the life of virginity,
" a terrible evil now cometh upon me, and I must, forsooth, be-
" come the husband of a wife ! Where now is my mother? And
" where are the possessions and riches of my fathers? For be-
" cause I was not persuaded to [perform] the obedience of the
" servants of God, and because I separated myself [therefrom],
" and because I forsook the Lord I must endure things of this
44 kind! Now what wilt thou do, O my wretched soul? For if
44 thou dost conquer by patient endurance, by the Grace of God
4 4 thou wilt be held worthy of help, but if thou art lax severe punish-
44 mentis laidupforthee. Fightthen mightily againstsin, and turn
4 4 the sword against thyself, that there may be kept for thee the tes-
44 timony of chastity; hold in contempt the fire of time, that thou
44 mayest flee from the fire of eternity, and conquer thou sin in the
4 4 desert, that thou mayest be a persecuted and chosen witness. "
Then I took the sword in my hands, and saluted that woman,
saying, 44 Mayest thou remain in peace, O wretched woman,
44 and acquire for thyself rather a martyr than a husband, for
4 4 because I would not marry a wife I fled from and forsook
44 my parents." Now when the woman saw the sword which
was shining in the darkness, she fell down before my feet and
said unto me, 44 I will make thee swear by Jesus Christ, the
44 Lord of praise, that thou wilt not kill thyself for my sake;
44 and if thou wishest to do this turn the sword against me.
44 Why shouldst thou wish to kill thyself so that thou mayest
44 not take me to wife? Knowest thou that I am far more anxious
44 than thou art to preserve my chastity unto Christ, and must
44 guard it not only against thee, but also against my lawful
44 husband, for even if he were to come I would keep myself
44 chaste. This is what this captivity wherein I am teacheth me,
44 for this affliction should teach us to take refuge in the Lord.
44 Take me then to thyself as a companion of thy chastity, and
44 let us love each other in spiritual love, so that when our
44 masters see us they may think that our intercourse is carnal.
4 4 NowGod, Whoknoweth hearts, recognizeth spiritual brother-
44 hood, and we can easily persuade these people when they see
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ZTbe iparaMse of tbe 1bol ffatbers
"us together in this wise that we love each other." Then
whilst marvelling- at the understanding- of the woman, I re
ceived her good advice gladly in Christ, and henceforward I
loved her as a spiritual helpmeet, and as a pure and chaste
helper. I never saw her body naked, and I never approached
her couch, for I was afraid lest, having been victorious in the
time of war, I might receive a severe wound through the ar
rows of the Enemy in the time of peace. In this wise then our
masters left us for a long time, and they were not afraid that
we were preparing to run away from them, for it happened on
several occasions, sometimes for a whole month together, that
I was alone [with the woman] in the desert. And my master
used to come, and when he saw that I was taking good care
of his sheep, he would go back [to his place] rejoicing.
And it came to pass one day when, according to my custom,
I was sitting in the desert, that I began to meditate upon the
peaceful life of the brethren who were in the monastery, and
I saw also the face of our holy father as if it had been an image;
and I thought of his perfect and abundant love for me, and
how anxious he was in every way that I should not be separ
ated from him, and how I would not be persuaded [to stay
with him] by the Divine revelation, and how he bore witness
beforehand concerning the things which would happen to me
Whilst, then, I say, I was pondering upon these things in my
mind, and was greatly afflicted thereby, I saw an ants nest,
and I saw multitudes of these insects working with the greatest
diligence and care in their various ways, and I saw how they
were all making their way into the nest through a narrow
entrance, without impeding each other. Some of them were
bringing seeds for their winter food; and others were bringing
loads w r hich were larger than their bodies; and others were
carrying on their backs those which had been wounded; and
others were expelling from the nest those which had settled
themselves inside, and they were cutting them up into small
pieces, lest being drenched in the winter they should have to
return to the grass, and should die of hunger and be destroyed;
and others were carrying dust, so that when the winter rains
fell with violence they might be able to block up the entrance
to their nest firmly. Now this sight was in my opinion worthy
to wonder at, because everything which these small creatures
did was done in perfect order, and I spent the whole of the day
in watching them, and so enjoyed some relaxation from my
afflictions, and I said, "Well did Solomon counsel us to be like
" these creatures, for he [washed to] stir up our lazy and slug-
" gish understandings in this wise [to perform] with a ready
" mind the things which befit our redemption."
230
/Balcbus tbe
Whilst then, I say, I was pondering upon these things in
my mind, and was greatly afflicted thereby, I began to have
sorrow concerning myself, because my lazy and sluggish mind
lacked the great sense of order and arrangement which the
ants possessed, and also the faculty of not being disturbed by
thoughts of laziness, which the brethren possessed in common
with the ants, and also because the Calumniator had hunted me
down like a child, and had set me in captivity, and had hurled
me into such [great] temptations. And I thought of those who
were offering their souls with all their hearts to Christ, and
who were being guided on their way in all the monasteries by
submission and spiritual grace, through the righteous redemp
tion of our Redeemer, and who were anxious to preserve their
souls blameless, and who were labouring diligently and with
out any hindrance and with all their strength to do their work,
and to minister unto one another; and who were not saying
about any possession which was theirs, "It is mine," and who
had everything in common; and who carried out perfectly the
manner of life, which is described in the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts iv, 32), according to which no man said about any pos
session that it was his, and everything was in common; and
who, though possessing nothing, yet possessed everything; and
who enjoyed sufficiently that which they had for their [daily]
needs, with all fear or with all praise, and glorified Him Who
richly provided them with everything.
And having made my heart sad and low with such thoughts
for many days, I went to that woman, who seeing how greatly
my countenance was changed, entreated to be allowed to learn
the cause thereof; and having confessed to her that it was be
cause I had remembered the regular life of the brethren, and
that I wished to escape and return to the monastery out of
which the Enemy had made me to come, she advised me and
besought me to take her [with me] and to place her also in a
nunnery. And having together decided upon this plan, we wept
and entreated our Lord to help us to carry out what we had
determined and to deliver us from that wicked people. Now
therefore, having firm hope in God s assistance, we took
thought for our return, and I slew two large goats which I
had with me, and made their skins into water bottles; and
having loaded their flesh upon our shoulders, I took the woman,
and we departed. And we travelled the whole night long, and
came to an exceedingly great and wide river, and I blew up
the water bottles, and I gave one to the woman and kept the
other myself, and we laid hold upon them with our hands,
and sitting astride of the skins we paddled with our feet,
and crossed over the river. Then, seeing that we should
231
Ube paradise of tbe 1bol ffatbers
have to cross a desert wherein there was no water, we drank
abundantly of the water of the river, and rose up from that
place and went on our way quickly; and we were turning round
continually [to look] behind us because of our horrible expecta
tion that there would be men pursuing 1 us, and that even if we
could escape from them we should fall [into the hands of]
wicked men like unto them.
Now because of our fear lest this should happen, and be
cause of the heat of the sun, we were obliged to travel by night,
and urged by this great fear, and also by our great anxiety,
we were looking behind us ceaselessly. And after [travelling
for] five days, we turned round suddenly, and saw our master
and one of his companions, riding upon camels, and holding
drawn swords in their hands, and pursuing after us; and by
reason of our fear the sun appeared to us to become dark. And
whilst we were in this terrible state of fright, and did not know
where to escape, through the Providence of Christ, the Hope
of the hopeless, and the Help of the helpless, we peered about
in that place and found a frightful cave in the ground, where
in had gathered all the numerous kinds of snakes which are
found in the desert, serpents, and asps, and vipers, and scor
pions, which had gone therein because of the burning heat of
the sun. Into this cave we tottered, and we hid ourselves in a
corner, on the left hand side thereof, and we said, "If our
4 Lord help us this cave shall be unto us a house of deliverance ;
but if He leave us to the sinners it will be our grave."
Now when our master and his companion following in our
footprints had pursued us to the cave, they alighted from their
camels, and stood by the mouth thereof, and when we saw our
master, such great fear laid hold upon us that we were unable
to move our tongue to utter a word; for owing to the great
ness of our fear we were already [as] dead men, before the
sword-stroke fell upon us. And when our master stood outside
the cave and called to us, we were unable to speak to him be
cause of our fear. And he took hold of the camels, and com
manded his companion to go in and bring us out, whilst he
stood [outside] waiting for us with his sword drawn, so that
he might by means thereof quell his brutal madness. Now
when the young man had gone into the cave for a distance of
five paces he stood [still], and because he had come in from
the outside, his eyes had become dazzled by the light of the
sun, and he could not see. Now we being quite near him could
see him standing [there], but because he was unable to see us
he began to terrify us with [his] voice, saying, "Come out, O
* ye wicked slaves who deserve death, wherefore do ye delay?
** Behold, your master is outside expecting you." And as he
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flfoalcbus tbe
was saying these words, we saw a lioness rise up on the right
hand side of the cave, and she sprang upon him, and whilst
he was yet speaking, she seized him by the throat and strangled
him forthwith, and then dragged him in and laid him on her
lair, for she had a male cub; and when we saw our enemy ly
ing [there] before our eyes, we glorified God with great joy.
Now his master, not knowing what had happened, and think
ing that the young man had been overcome by us, and being
unable to contain himself for rage, ran forward, holding his
drawn sword in his hand, and, standing at the mouth of the
cave, cried out in his wrath to the young man, saying, "Quick,
"quick, bring forth these [slaves] to me that they may die an
" evil death." And whilst he was speaking, the lioness sprang
upon him suddenly, and ripped him up, and threw him head
long on the ground.
And we marvelled at all these unspeakable and inexplicable
wonders of the Lord, and we gave thanks to Him, and we re
joiced in the glory of Him Who in this tribulation had risen
up, and by Whose command the wild beast had destroyed our
enemies. Now when the lioness turned back and passed from
one side to the other of the cave where we were, we thought
that she would destroy us, but, because of the wonderful thing
which had been wrought, we [continued] to praise the Lord,
and we said, "Since the Lord hath delivered us from those
" wicked men He can, if He willeth, hand us over to the lions;
" but nevertheless let us praise Him and give thanksunto Him."
Now whilst we were thus thinking in our minds, the lioness
took up the cub in her mouth, and departed from the cave,
and left the place to us; but after she had gone, because of the
state of fear in which we were, we remained the whole of that
day in the cave.
And in the morning we went forth and found the camels that
were still laden with provisions which our master had brought
for himself and his slave; and we ate and drank therefrom,
and for all these things we gave thanks unto the Lord, Who
had delivered us from our enemies. And we rode upon the
camels, and having crossed that desert in ten days, we arrived
at a Greek camp, and we drew nigh to the Tribune who was
in command of it, and related unto him everything which had
happened unto us; then he sent us on to Sabinus, who was at
that time Duke of Mesopotamia, and he likewise learned all
our affairs and took the camels and gave us their price, and
he dismissed us to depart to our country in peace. Now before
our return it happened that my spiritual father fell asleep. And
the woman who had been [my] helper, and who had given [me]
excellent advice, and had counselled good actions, I placed in
2 33
TTbe jparaMse of tbe 1bol ff atbers
an abode of virgins, and I returned to my own monastery
and to my spiritual brethren, where at the beginning- the Lord
directed me. And I related unto that blessed brotherhood
the story of all the things which had happened to me, and
I confessed that it was because I had not hearkened unto the
admonition of that holy father that the Lord left me so that all
these trials might come upon me; and He did this for the
correction of many.
Now therefere, O my son, all these trials, which came upon
me because of my disobedience, and which I have narrated
before thee, are [intended] for the edification and the protection
of thy soul; get thou possession of them, because, by the help
of God, patient endurance and implicit obedience will deliver
a man from all temptations. Obedience to the commandments
of God is everlasting life, and the patient endurance which is
perfect produceth everlasting life in us; for "he who endureth
4 unto the end shall live " (St. Matthew x, 22). These things did
the old man Mark [Malchus] himself relate unto me whilst I
was a young man, and on account of the law r of brotherly love
I have written them down because they befit the chaste life of
holy old men, and tend to [their] edification and admonition;
do ye then relate them unto those who are young, so that they
may learn that those who have drawn nigh to the venerable
estate of pure chastity, and who have preserved the same for
Christ s sake even unto the end, and who are protected by His
power, shall overcome all the temptations of the Enemy. And
neither captivity, nor the sword, nor any temptation, shall be
able to overthrow those who have preserved in all purity and
holiness the temple of Christ without spot and blemish, even
unto death, and they shall become holy temples, and the Spirit
of God shall dwell in them, and notwithstanding all the words
of the Calumniator, He shall bestow victory upon them, for
ever and ever. Amen.
Cbapter spj, f two of tbe jfatbers wbo went nafceb
ABBA Macarius, the Egyptian, once came from Scete
to the mountain of Nitria to the Offering of Abba
Pambo, and the fathers said unto him, "Speak with the
brethren, O father." And he said, "I am not yet a monk, but
I have seen monks. For once when I was sitting in my cell
at Scete my thoughts said unto me, Go forth, get thee gone
into the desert, and consider intently what thou wilt see
there ; and I remained five years in struggling with my
thought, and trying it, lest it might be from Satan. And
since the thought continued with me, I rose up and jour
neyed into the inner desert, and I found there a fountain of
2 34
IRaftefc
" water with an island in the middle of it, and the beasts of
" the desert used to drink therefrom, and I saw in the midst
" of the beasts two naked men; then fear took up its abode in
" my limbs, and I thought that they were perhaps spirits. Now
" when they saw that I was afraid they spoke unto me and
" said, Fear not, we also are men. And I said unto them,
" Whence are ye? And how have ye come to this desert?
" And they said unto me, We were once in a large monastery,
" and the desire of both of us was the same, and we went forth
" and came here, where we have been for forty years. One of
" us is an Egyptian and the other is a Libyan. And they also
"questioned me, saying-, What news is there in the world?
" Do the waters of the river come as usual? And is the world
" flourishing? And I said unto them, Yes, and I also asked
" them, How can I become a monk? And they said, Except
" a man make himself to be remote from everything- which is
" in this world he cannot be a monk. And I said unto them,
" I am feeble and I am not able to do as ye do ; and they said
" unto me, If thou canst not [do as we do] sit in thy cell, and
" weep for thy sins. And I asked them, When it is winter
" are ye not frozen? And in the season of the heat are not
" your bodies consumed? And they answered me, saying-,
" God in His Providence hath made us to be so that in the
" winter we do not freeze and in the summer we are not
" burnt up. And it was because of this that I said, I am not
" yeta monk, but I have seen monks. Permitmeftobe silent]."
Gbaptev \>j a . f a certain to /ifcan wfoo went nafocfc
AND they used to speak of a certain solitary monk who
went out unto the desert carrying his apparel on his
shoulder, and having gone a journey of three days, he
climbed a rock, and saw below r him an old man who was graz
ing like the beasts, and he came down secretly and gave chase
to him. And the old man was naked, and his soul had dimi
nished to such a degree that he could not bear the smell of
men, and he was able to remove himself from them and to
make his escape by flight. And having taken to flight that
brother pursued him, and he cried out to him and said, "I am
" following after thee; for God s sake wait for me." Then the
old man answered and said unto him, " And I, for God s sake
" also, am fleeing from thee"; and finally, casting away from
him the garment which was on his shoulder, he pursued him
with all his might. Now as soon as the old man saw that he
had cast away his garments he waited for him, and when the
brother came up with him the old man said,. "As thou didst
"cast away from thee the things of the world I waited for
2 35
Ube paraMse of tbe 1fool tfatbers
" thee." Then that brother entreated him, saying, "Speak to
" me a word [of advice] that I may be redeemed thereby";
and the old man said unto him, "Flee from the children of
" men, and keep silence, and thou shalt live."
Gbapter \>ij, f a certain IRafeefc 16 /IDan wbo fe6
vvttb tbe Beasts
AND a certain brother came to the monks who lived in
that spot wherein there were twelve wells of water, and
seventy palm trees, where Moses and the people [of
Israel] encamped when they went forth from Egypt, and that
brother told them the following- story, saying: I once had it in my
mind to go into the inner desert and see if there was any man
living therein, and I went a journey of four days and four nights,
and found a certain cave; and having approached it I looked in
side it and saw a man sitting therein, and I knocked at the door
according to the custom of the monks, so that he might come
out to me, and I might salute him, buthe nevermoved, forhe was
dead. Now I did not hesitate or draw back, but I went inandlaid
my hand upon his shoulders, and he crumbled into dust and be
came nothing at all; and in wonderment I came out of that place
and journeyed on again in the desert.
And I saw another cave by the side of which were traces of
men, and I plucked up courage, and drew nigh to it, and though
I knocked no man answered me; then I went inside and found
no man, and I rose up [and came] outside, and said within my
self, The holy man will soon come here. " Now when it was the
season of evening, I saw a number of beasts, which are called
"buffaloes," and the servant of God was in their midst, naked;
and his hair had been made into a covering for his shame. And
when he saw me he stood up in prayer, for he thought that I was a
spirit, and he was greatly vexed by an evil spirit, as he subse
quently told me; and I understood this matter, and said unto
him, "I am a man, O holy one. Look at my footprints, and
" touch me, for I am flesh and blood." And after he had prayed,
and I had answered "Amen," he looked at me and took heart,
and brought me into his cave, and asked me, * Why didst thou
" come here?" Then I said unto him, "That I might be blessed
" by the servants of God have I come into this desert, and He
"hath not deprived me of my desire"; and I also asked him,
" How didst thou come here? and how dost thou live?" And he
began to speak unto me thus : I was once in a monastery,
where my work was [to weave] linen, and the thought came to
me that I would leave it and dwell by myself, and [my mind said],
" Thou wiltbe able to live in seclusion, and to entertain strangers
" with the results of thy labour, and thy wages will be more than
236
/Ifeonfe anfc tbe Beasts
* enough for thee" ; and I agreed with my thoughts, and I car
ried them into effe6l. So I built me an habitation, and took up my
abode therein, and men used to come to me and carry away my
work. Now whilst I was doing thus, and was giving my work
for the benefit of strangers and the poor, Satan, the Enemy, with
his wonted envy cast his arrows at me, and instead of the reward
of my labours wherewith I expected to be rewarded, he flattered
me by causing a certain virgin to come to me, with the excuse
that she wished to buy the labour of my hands, and I gave her
that which she wanted. And he stirred her up, moreover, and
with one excuse or the other she was always coming to me; and
when she had been accustomed to come, and had acquired free
dom of speech with me, she began to come near me, and she
would take hold of my hands, and laugh, and she was so bold as
to eat with me; and subsequently we conceived and brought
forth iniquity. And having lived with her in this fallen condition
for six months I thought in my mind that whether it was to-day,
or to-morrow, or at some future time, however far off that time
might be, I should be delivered over to everlasting torment. The
man who taketh out [of her house] the wife of another man, and
seduceth her, is delivered over to the punishment of the Law;
how much greater then will be the punishment of the man who
hath seduced a woman who hath been betrothed to Christ? Then
straightway I determined to come to this desert, and leaving
everything I had behind me I went forth secretly, and I came and
found this cave, and this fountain, and this palm which is in front
of it, which produceth twelve clusters of dates each year, and
thus yieldeth each month that which is sufficient for me for the
whole month. Now after some time the hair of my body grew long,
and my clothes wore out, and my hair covered my bodily shame;
I have now been here for thirty years, and the air (or climate)
always supplieth me in moderation with what is necessary.
And I questioned him further, saying, "Was thy mind dis
turbed about anything during the first years of thy life here?"
And he said unto me, "I was greatly afflicted at first, and I used
to throw myself upon the ground by reason of pain in my liver,
* and I could not stand up to say my prayers, but was obliged to
* make my supplications unto God lying on the ground. Now
* whilst I was in this tribulation I saw a man who came, and
* stood by my side, and said unto me, * What is thy pain ? And at
these words I gained a little strength, and I said unto him,
4 * My liver troubleth me and causeth me pain ; and he said to
* me, Shew me where the place is. And having shewn him,
4( he spread out his fingers and his hands, and slit up my body
" as with a sword and he took my liver and shewed me the sore on
" it; thenhe removed the pain, and having made the place whole
237
ZTbe parafcise of tbe Ibols jf atbers
" again, he said unto me, Behold, thou art healed. Serve thou
" Christ, thy Lord, as is meet for Him ; and I havebeen healed
" since that, and have lived here without any pain. Then I en-
4 treated him to permit me to live in the first cave, wherein I had
" seen the dead monk, and he said unto me, Thou art not able to
" endure the attack of the devils ; and knowing- that what he had
" said unto me was right, I entreated him to pray for me and
"to dismiss me." I have narrated this story unto you, O my
brethren, so that we may be zealous in the spiritual life and its
works of excellence, and may attain to everlasting life; may our
Lord in His grace and goodness make us worthy to receive it !
Gbapter piij* f anotber Ibolp /Ifoan
A CERTAIN old man, who was held worthy to be the
Bishop of a city in Egypt, told the following story
(which he tried to make one think he had heard from
another man, but he himself had actually done the things which
he described), and he said: Once there came to me the
thought that I would go into the inner desert which is over
against Usa (Ovov;), that I might see if I could find therein
[any] holy men who worshipped Christ, and taking with me
food and water for four days I set out on my journey; and after
four days my food came to an end, and I wondered what I
should do [for more], and I plucked up courage and committed
myself to God. Then I went on for another four days, when I
became so weak that I could not stand up any longer, because
through hunger and exhaustion I had no strength in me; and
I became sick in spirit and threw myself on the ground. And
a certain man came and drew his finger across my lips, and
forthwith I became so strong that I thought that neither
fatigue nor hunger had ever drawn nigh me; and as soon as I
perceived the strength which had come to me I rose up again
and continued my journey for four days more. Then once more
I became weary, and stretched out my hands to heaven, and
behold, that man who had given me strength before, drew
nigh to my lips and made me strong, and I continued my
journey in the desert after this for seven days more, when I
found a booth, with a palm tree and water by the side of it;
and there was standing [there] a man, the hair of whose head
was quite white, and he had made clothing for himself, and
his face was awesome [to look upon]. Now on seeing me he
stood up in prayer, and when he had prayed and I had answered
"Amen, "he knew that I was a man. Then he took hold of my
hands and questioned me, and said, " How didst thou come
"hither? Doth everything in the world still exist? Are the
" Christians being persecuted?" And I said unto him, "By the
238
c 0rass*eattn0
" help of your prayers, for in truth ye serve God, I have tra-
" veiled and come into this desert; and, by the power of Christ,
" the persecution of the Christians is at an end." And in turn I
said unto him, Father, tell me how thou didst come hither."
And with sighs and tears he began to say unto me: "I was a
" bishop, and during the period of the persecution many suf-
" ferings came upon me, but finally, because I could bear the
"tribulations no longer, I sacrificed [unto idols]. And having
" come to my senses I recognized the wickedness which I had
" committed, and I made myself come to this desert that I
" might die here. And I have passed forty-nine years here in
" making supplication to God for my folly, and in entreating
" Him to forgive me the sin which I sinned; now God gave me
" life from this palm tree, but I did not receive any encourage-
" ment to hope for the forgiveness of my sins until the comple-
" tion of forty-eight years."
And after he had said these things to me, he rose up sud
denly and went outside the booth and stood up for many hours
in prayer; and when he had finished his prayer he came to me,
and as I looked upon his face fear and wonder fell upon me,
for it was a face as of fire. And seeing that I was afraid he
said unto me, "Fear not, for the Lord hath sent thee to me
"that thou mayest bury my body," and as soon as he had
finished speaking, he stretched out his hands and his feet and
died. Then I took the garment which I had on me [and tore it
in two], and in one half of it I rolled him up and laid him in it
in the earth, and the other half formed my apparel. Now as
soon as I had buried him the palm tree dried up, and the booth
fell down. Then I made many entreaties unto God, and I
prayed unto Him to leave me the palm tree, so that I might
pass the rest of my life there, but as this did not take place, I
perceived that it was not the will of God that I should remain
here; so I prayed, and returned to the habitation of the children
of men. And behold, that man who had given me strength be
fore came again to me and gave me courage, and thus I ar
rived and came to the brethren; and having related unto them
these things I encouraged them not to be in despair about
their souls, but [to feel] that in patient endurance they would
find our Lord.
Cbapter i. f a certain solitary flftoufe wbo usefc to
feet) on (Brass by tbe Jordan
A CERTAIN monk was feeding on grass by the Jordan,
and at noontide he went into a cave to rest, and he
found there a lion which began to roar; and he said to
the lion, "What vexeth thee? There is room enough here both
239
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bol$ tf atbers
" for thee and for me, and if thou dost not wish [for a com-
" panion], get up and go out;" and because the lion could not
bear [him], he rose up, and went out.
Cbapter . <W a certain 1bol ItHrgin
ONCE certain of the great sages of Scete were travelling
along a road in the desert when they heard a sound,
like the groan of asick person, [rise up] from the ground;
and they searched, and found a path which led into a cave,
and when they had descended into it they discovered [there] a
certain holy virgin. Then they said unto her, "O mother, when
" didst thou come here? And who ministereth unto thee?" For
they saw nothing in the cave except the holy woman herselr
who was lying on the earth. And she said unto them, "Behold,
" I have passed eight and thirty years in this cave, and I have
" satisfied my w r ants with grass, for I labour for Christ. And
" I have never seen a man except this day, and God hath sent
"you to me this day to bury my body" ; and having said these
words, she died. And when the fathers saw [this], they glorified
God, and they buried her body, and prayed, and departed from
the place.
Cbapter j. f tbe two Jj?oun0 /Ifcen wbo were witb
ABB BYTINIUSsaid: The disciple of Macarius once
told me the following story, and said: Abba Macarius
oncesaid tome whilst I was living in Scete: Twoyoung
men, who are strangers, have gone down there, and one of
them hath a few hairs as a beard, and the other hath the be
ginning of a beard. And these young men came and said unto
me, "Where is the cell of Abba Macarius?" And I said unto
them, "What seek ye with him?" And they said, "We have
" heard of his life and deeds, and we have come to see him."
And I said unto them, "I am he "; and they offered me repen
tance, and said unto me, "We wish to abide here." Now, see
ing that they were proud because of [their] riches, I said unto
them, "Ye will not be able to dwell here"; and the elder of
them said unto me, "If we are unable to dwell here, we will
"go to another place." Then I said to myself, "Why should
"I be an occasion of stumbling to them, for the labour itself
" will make them flee?" And I said unto them, " Come, make
"ye a cell for yourselves if ye can"; and they replied to me,
"Only shew us how to do it, and we will do it." So I gave
them an axe, and a tool for digging up the ground, and a sack
of bread and salt, and I shewed them a rock wherefrom they
might [hew] stone, and I said to them, "Hew your stone from
" here, and then bring wood from the forest and roof over [the
240
Disciples of flfcacarius
" place], and then take up your abode." Now I thought that
they would straightway take to flight, but they said unto me,
"What is your work here?" And I said unto them, "The
" weaving of palm leaves," and I plucked some leaves from the
palms in the grove, and shewed them how to begin to work to
plait baskets, and I said unto them, "Give them to the guar-
" dians, and they will give you bread." And from that hour I
left them, and everything which I had said unto them they
performed with great persistence and diligence, and they re
mained there for three years and never came to me; and I con
tinued to debate in my thoughts, saying, "What kind of work
"* is theirs that they never come in to me to ask me for any-
thing? The people that are afar off come to me, but these
who are close by do not come to me, and they have gone no-
where else, except to the church to receive the Offering when
4 they have leisure."
Then I prayed to God and fasted for a whole week that He
might shew me their work, and straightway I rose up and went
to them that I might see how they were; and when I had
knocked, they opened the door to me, and they saluted me,
and then held their peace; and I prayed, and sat down. Then
the elder of the men motioned to the younger, who went out
side, and sat down, and he plaited ropes, and said nothing;
and at the season of the ninth hour he knocked at the door, and
the younger man came and made a sign to him, and he went
forth and cooked a little food. And he made another sign to
him, and he prepared a table with three bread cakes upon it,
and then stood by in silence. Then I said, "Arise, let us eat";
and they drew nigh and we ate, and one of them brought an
earthenware pitcher of water, and we drank. And when the
evening had come, they spake to me, and said, "Art thougo-
"ing away?" and I said, "No, I am going to pass the night
" here." Then they laid down a palm-leaf mat for me on one
side [of their cell], and they threw themselves down upon the
bare earth on the other side of the cell by themselves. And
when I had prayed to God to inform me concerning their toil,
the roof was opened, and the place became as light as it was
in the daytime, but they did not see that light. Then, think
ing that I was asleep, the elder man smote the younger, and
they rose up, and girded up their loins, and spread out their
hands to heaven; and I saw them, but they did not know that
I could see them. And I saw the devils hovering about over
the young man like flies, and some of them wished to settle on
his eyes, and some on his mouth, and behold, the angel of the
Lord was going round him, and was driving away from him
the devils with a sword of fire; now the devils did not dare to
241 16
Iftarabise of tbe 1bol$ ff atbers
approach the elder man. And about the time of morning the
two men threw themselves on the ground and I made myself
to appear like one who had just woke up from sleep, and they
likewise feigned to have only then become awake. And the elder
man spake unto me these words only: "Dost thou wish us to
" recite twelve Psalms only?" And I said unto him, "Yes,"
and the younger man recited five Psalms out of [each of the]
six Pethgdmd, and one Huldld; and at every Pethgdmd a lamp
of fire came forth from his mouth, and went up into heaven;
and similarly, when the elder man stood up and recited the
Psalms there went forth from his mouth as it were a rope of
fire, which ascended into heaven. Now I could only recite the
Psalms littleby little. And I came forth and said unto them, "Pray
ye for me"; but they excused themselves, and were silent. And
I learned that the elder man was perfect, but that the Enemy
still waged war against the younger man. And after a few days
the elder man died, and three days later the other man died
also; and whensoever the fathers came to Abba Macarius he
used to take them to the cell of those brethren, and say unto
them, "Behold ye the martyrium of these little strangers."
Cbapter n\\. f Hbba Bessarion
THE disciples of Abba Bessarion used to relate the
story of his life and deeds in the following words :
The mode of life of the old man was that of the bird
of the heavens, and of the things which are in the
waters, and of the creeping things of the earth, and he passed
the whole period of his life in peace, and in tranquillity ; for
no anxiety [as to the condition] of his cell was ever present
with him ; and his soul was never occupied with the desire to
live in certain places ; and he never ministered during the
whole course of his career to the satisfying of himself with
food ; and he never gathered together or laid up for himself
possessions in clothes or books ; but he was free from care
about everything which concerned the body, and he rejoiced
in the hope of the good things which were to come ; and he
was firm and immovable in the foundation of his faith; and he
followed the ascetic life strenuously. He wandered hither and
thither like one possessed, in the season of frost [he went]
naked, and he was consumed with heat under the fierce rays
of the sun, and at one time he lived among the rocks and at
another in the desert. And if it fell out and happened that he
came to districts which were settled, or to a place where a
congregation of monks passed their whole lives together in the
fulfilment of the rules of monasticism, he would take his seat
contentedly outside the door of the monastery.
242
Hbba Bessarfon
Now on one occasion, having arrived at a certain monastery,
he sat down outside the door, and he wept and wailed aloud
after the manner of one who had been saved from a storm [at
sea] ; and when one of the brethren had gone forth, he found
him [sitting there] like any ordinary poor man or beggar, and
having drawn nigh unto him compassionately he said unto
him, Wherefore weepest thou, O man? If thou hast need of
" any of the necessaries of life, so far as in my power Heth, I
" will give it unto thee. Rise up, then, and get thee inside the
" monastery, and comfort thyself with the blessed companion-
" ship of the table with us." Then the blessed Bessarion made
answer unto him, and said, "Until I find the possessions of
" my house which I have lost, and the numerous goods of
"the house of my fathers which I have lost in sundry and
"divers ways, I cannot live under a roof. For pirates fell
" upon me at sea, and a storm rose up against me, and I have
"been shorn of my riches, and from being a man of high
"degree I have become the object of contempt." Now that
brother was astonished at these words, and was grieved
thereat, and he went in and brought out some bread, and gave
it unto him, saying, "Father, take this, and the other things
"which thou hast mentioned, that is to say, country, and
"family, and riches, God shall restore unto thee." But Abba
Bessarion cried out the more, and with louder cries, and lifted
up his voice and said, "I know not if I shall be able to find
that which I have lost, and that which I seek, for as far as
I can see they will be removed from me still farther. And I
am afflicted daily, and am brought nigh unto death by
reason of the violent storm of wickednesses innumerable
which surround me, and I endure them and [rest] upon hope
that, peradventure, I may be worthy of mercy in the day of
judgement."
Cbapter sstij. f tbe wonderful tbinss wbicb Hbba
Bessarion wro A UObt
ABBASHA6L(^Dulas),thediscipleof Abba Bessarion,
used to say : We came once to the bank of a lake
and I was athirst, and I said unto Abba Bessarion,
"I am thirsty." And the old man prayed, and said
unto me, " Take water from the lake, and drink," and I
went, and drank, and I found the water to be sweet ; and I
drew therefrom and filled all the water vessels which I had
with me, for I thought that peradventure I should be thirsty
again when I continued my journey. Then the old man seeing
me do this, said, "Why fillest thou [these vessels with] water? "
And I said unto him, " Forgive me, father, but I did so lest,
243 i6a
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bols jf atbers
" peradventure, as we continue our journey, I may become
" thirsty again"; and he said to me, " May God forgive thee,
" for here, and there, and everywhere, God directeth us."
And on another occasion he was travelling along a road,
and he came to the river Chrysoroan, and there was nothing
wherewith it might be crossed, and he stretched out his hands,
and prayed, and crossed over to the other side. Now I was
astonished, and I offered unto him repentance, and said,
" Father, when thou wast passing over the river how far up
44 thy legs didst thou feel the water?" And he said unto me,
" As far as my ankles I felt the water, but all the rest of it
was solid beneath my feet."
And on another occasion we were journeying to a certain
great sage, and the sun was nigh to set, and the old man
prayed, and said, " I beseech Thee, O Lord, to let the sun
4< abide in his place until I come to Thy servant"; and it was so.
And on another occasion I came to him in his cell that 1
might speak with him, and I found him standing up in prayer,
with his hands stretched out to heaven, and he remained
standing up in this position for four days and four nights ;
and afterwards he called me, and said unto me, " Come, my
son," and we went forth and set out on the road. And being
athirst I said unto him, " My Father, I am athirst." Then he
removed himself from me about the distance of a stone s throw,
and prayed and came to me, and he brought with him his
garment filled with water from the air, and I drank, and we
travelled on our road until we came to Lycus, to Abba John.
And after each had saluted the other, he prayed, and sat down,
and he discoursed concerning the vision which he had seen,
and Abba Bessarion said, " A decree of judgement hath gone
44 forth from the Lord, that all the temples of the idols be
44 blotted out" ; and this actually came to pass, for at that time
they were all uprooted.
And there was in Egypt a certain man who had a son that
was a paralytic, and he took him on his shoulders, and brought
him to Abba Bessarion and left him by the door of his cell weep
ing, and he departed and went to a place some distance off. Now
the old man heard the sound of the weeping of the young man,
andhelookedout,andseeinghim,saidunto him, " Who artthou
44 that art here?" And the young man said, " My father brought
44 me here and then went away, and I weep." Then the old man
said unto him, " Rise up, hasten after him, and overtake
him"; and straightway the young man was made whole, and
he went to his father, who took him and departed.
And on another occasion there came to the church a man
who had a devil, and prayer was made on his behalf in the
244
Ube /l&onfc wftb IRinc Dfrtues
church, but the devil did not go forth, for he was difficult [to
cast out]; and the clergy said, "What shall we do about this
4 devil, for no man can cast him out except Abb Bessarion?
14 Let us entreat him concerning the man, and even though he
4 cometh not to the church, let us act thus. Behold, the old
"man cometh to the church early in the morning before every -
4 one else. Let us make the sick man to occupy the seat
"wherein the old man sitteth usually, and when he cometh in,
"let us stand up in prayer, and say unto him, O father, make
" 4 to rise up this man also "; and they did so. And when the
old man came [into the church] in the morning, they rose up
in prayer, and said unto him, " Father, make to rise up that
brother"; and Abbi Bessarion went and struck him with his
fist, and said, "Rise up and get thee forth"; and straightway
that devil went forth from the man, and he was made whole
immediately.
Cbapter tv>. ZTbe HMstors of a Ifools /l&an wbo [pos*
sessefc] IRtne IDtrtues
THE fathers used to say concerning a certain brother
who lived in a large monastery that, having contended
mightily, and having been helped by God, he had made
himself master of nine virtues, and that he was exceedingly
desirous of making them ten, but that in spite of many con-
tendings he was unable [to do so]. Then the Enemy, according
to his custom, cast his arrows at him, and both by day and by
night he vexed him and troubled him in order that he might
depart from the monastery wherein he was, and he advised
him, saying, " In another monastery thou wilt be able to com
plete the ten [virtues]." Now the brother, not understanding
the cunning of the Evil One, was led by his thoughts, which
seemed to incite him to [further] spiritual excellence, and he
departed and went to another monastery with the expectation
that he would find that which he sought. And having been
received into the monastery to which he had gone, after a very
short time, through the contending of the Calumniator, he lost
one virtue. And once again the Calumniator cast into his mind
the thought that he would depart from that monastery, al
though he remembered his promise, and said, "Thou hast not
4 only not found that which thou didst seek, but thou hast also
"lost that which thou hadst." Then the brother, being sad and
sorry about that which had happened unto him, departed and
went to another monastery, with the expectation that he would
be able to acquire the virtue which he had lost, and also
that he would be able to add another thereto. And whilst
the brother was working and contending to acquire that virtue
2 45
ZTbe paraMse of tbe 1bol2 3f atbers
which he had lost and that which he had coveted, the Calum
niator, through his wicked craftiness, made him lose another,
and he did the same thing- to him on several occasions ; and he
made him to go out from one monastery, and brought him into
another so often that the brother at length lost four virtues.
And the brother wandered about hither and thither in a
state of great agitation, and coming to a certain monastery he
rested himself, and leaned against the door thereof, in dejec
tion of spirit, and he cried over himself, and wept because of
what had happened unto him. Then, having rested a little, he
determined to go into that monastery in order to be received
into it. And he told himself of all the things which had hap
pened unto him, and all the trials which had attacked him in
the monasteries wherein he had been ; and he passed judgement
upon his soul and said, " Art thou able to bear all the [trials]
"which are in this monastery?" And his soul made answer,
saying, "I place my trust in the mercy of our Lord that He
"will give strength to my weakness, and that I shall endure
"[them]." Then, having decided these things in his thoughts,
the brother wrote them all down on a piece of paper, and
placed them in his girdle, and he strengthened his thoughts
to go into the monastery that he might be received therein.
Now after he had been received, and had lived in the monas
tery for a short time, he began to have freedom of speech with
the brethren, and with the archimandrite, and temptations also
began to assail him ; then he took out the written paper which
was placed in his girdle, and read it, and felt relieved, and
this he continued to do whensoever temptation assailed him.
And the brethren marvelled because he was not perturbed
when they were, for on several occasions, when the brethren
of that monastery were in a state of excitement, he had not
permitted himself to be agitated with them in the smallest de
gree, and they wished to know the reason of this. And one day
when the monks were agitated and disturbed by a quarrel
which was so serious that the matter nearly came to murder,
that brother took the paper, and looked at it, and as he was
reading it one of the brethren watched him. And when the
tumult was over, and the brethren saw that he was not agi
tated, they marvelled, and said, "What is the meaning of this
"thing? And why is not that brother as excited as we are?"
Then the brother who had watched the monk [read his paper]
revealed to them the matter, saying, "He hath something in
"his girdle, and on account of it he remaineth undisturbed";
and the brethren enquired into the matter, and they found that
it was even as the brother had said.
Then they approached the archimandrite, and said unto him,
246
/IDonfc witb IRtne Virtues
"If thou dost not expel this brother, we will not remain here,
and we will go forth, because he is a sorcerer, and behold, his
" sorceries are in his girdle"; and the archimandrite promised
to expel him. Now the archimandrite delayed the expulsion of
that brother, and one night, whilst he was asleep, the archi
mandrite went to him and took the paper from his girdle, and
he read it and rejoiced with a great joy ; and having read the
paper he put it [back] into the girdle of the brother, who knew
not what had been done, and no other man knew. And after a
short time the brethren, through the agency of Satan, were
greatly disturbed by a very serious quarrel, and that brother
was in no wise agitated; and when they saw that he was not
disturbed at all and that he was wholly tranquil, they rose up
against the archimandrite, saying, "If thou dost not expel
"this brother we will all depart forthwith." Then the archi
mandrite called the brother and said unto him, "What is this
" that thy brethren are saying against thee? They are bring-
" ing an accusation against thee." And the brother expressed
regret, saying, "Yes, father, all [their words] are true; but
" permit me to repent." And the archimandrite said unto him,
" But they say that thou art a sorcerer"; and the brother said,
" Yes, I am even as they say, but I beseech thy piety, O father,
" that thou wilt allow me to repent here." Then the archiman
drite said unto him, "But they say that thy sorceries are in
" thy girdle." And the brother, being unwilling that his spiri
tual excellence should be revealed, fell upon his face before
the archimandrite and took hold of his feet, and made suppli
cation to him, and wept with groans and sighs, saying, "Ex-
" pose me not, O father, but forgive me for this once only,
" and I will repent with all my soul." Then the archimandrite,
who knew that great advantage would accrue to the whole
brotherhood, would not be persuaded by him, but he com
manded that his girdle should be loosened, and he himself took
it and brought out therefrom the paper; and he then ordered
that all the brethren should be gathered together, and that the
paper should be read in a prominent place, so that all of them
might hear. And after the paper had been read the brethren
repented, and fell upon their faces before that brother, and
they entreated him, saying, "Forgive us, father, for we have
" sinned against thee." Thus that brother benefited the whole
brotherhood, and they regarded him as a father.
247
parafcise of tbe 1fool2 ffatbers
Gbapter \>, t tbe Blessefc Woman /Ifoaria
THERE was a certain worldly man who wished to be
come a monk, and he had a little daughter who be
sought him to take her with him to the monastery;
now she was a maiden, and he entreated her, saying, "If thou
" wishest to become a nun let me take thee to a house for
" virgins," but she said to him, "I cannot be separated from
" thee." And her father, being much distressed about her be
cause she wept by night and by day and begged that she might
not be separated from him, made up his mind to take her with
him, and he changed her name that it might not be known that
she was a maiden. Now her name had been "Mdrid," but her
father gave her the name of "Maryana "as if she had been a
boy; then he committed the matter to God, and took her and
went into a monastery without anyone perceiving that Marydn&
was a girl, and after several years Marydna s father died per
forming the excellent works of the monastic life. Now the
archimandrite saw that Maryand was working [hard], and was
excelling in spiritual excellence, and he rejoiced in him, not
knowing that he was not a boy, and he commanded that he
should not be sent out on the highways [to beg] because he
was a child; and the brethren were envious against Maryana
because he did not go out on the highways with them.
And when the archimandrite saw that the brethren were
envious against Maryana because he did not go out on the
highways as they did, he called to Maryana and said unto him,
" Since the brethren are envious against thee because thou
" dost not perform the work on the high roads as do they, I
" command thee to do so"; then Maryana fell down before the
archimandrite and said unto him, " Whatsoever thou com-
" mandest me to do I will do gladly, O father." Now the
brethren of the monastery wherein lived Marydna, whensoever
they went out on the high roads, visited a certain believer, in
order to rest a little and to refresh themselves, and since
Maryana was sent out, even according to what had been or
dered by the archimandrite, the believing man whom the
brethen visited saw him, (for he knew all the brethren of the
monastery because he used to go to their monastery continu
ally); and the believing man saw Maryana at the season of
evening, and he took him and brought him to his house, so
that he might rest there for the night. And the believing man
had a daughter, and on the night wherein Maryand stayed
with him a certain man seduced her, and he who had
fallen upon her and seduced her commanded her, saying, "If
" thy father saith unto thee, Who is he that hath seduced
248
ZTbe Blessefc /l&aria
" thee? say thou unto him, It was Maryand the monk." And
as soon as Marydna had departed from them, the father of the
maiden knew that his daughter had been seduced, and he
asked her, saying, "Who hath seduced thee?" And she said
unto him, "Maryn, the monk, is he who hath seduced me."
Then the father of the maiden rose up straightway, and went
to the monastery, and with tears he spake before the archi
mandrite and the whole brotherhood, and said, "What offence
"have I committed against you that ye should seduce my
" daughter?" Now when the archimandrite heard this he was
greatly moved, and he said to him, "What sayest thou ? Who
"hath seduced thy daughter? Tell me who he is that I may
" expel him from the monastery forthwith"; and the man said
unto him, "It is Maryand who hath seduced my daughter."
Then the archimandrite commanded that Maryana should be
called so that he might go forth from the monastery, but hav
ing been sought for throughout all the building MaryAnS. could
not be found, and then they knew that he was out on a journey
for the monastery; and the archimandrite said unto the father
of the maiden, "There is nothing further which I can do ex-
" cept this: when Marydnd returneth from the highway I will
" not allow him to enter the monastery," and he gave orders
to all the brethren of the monastery, saying, "When Mary^nA
" returns he is not to be allowed to enter the monastery."
And when MaryanA came back from the road they would
not allow him to enter the monastery, and he wept at the door
thereof and said, "What is my offence that I am not per-
" mitted to enter the monastery?" Then the doorkeeper said
to him, "[Thou art not permitted to enter] because thou hast
" seduced the daughter of the believing man whom the monks
"visit"; and Maryana entreated the doorkeeper, saying, "For
"the Lord s sake go in and persuade the archimandrite to
" permit me to enter the monastery, and whatsoever he order-
" eth me to do because of my fall I will do." So the door
keeper went in and told the archimandrite everything which
Maryan& had said, and the archimandrite said to him, Go and
"tell MaryAnA, [saying], Because thou hast done this thing
" thou shalt never see my face again; get thee gone to what-
" soever place thou pleasest. " When Maryana" heard these
things he was greatly afflicted, and he sat by the door of the
monastery night and day, and wept because of what had hap
pened to him; and he besought those who went in and those
who came out to entreat the archimandrite on his behalf, and
although very many folk did so, and begged him to let MaryanA
come into the monastery, the archimandrite would not be per
suaded [to do so].
249
paraMse of tbe Ibols ffatbers
And after that maiden, through whom Maryana had been
trodden in the dust, had given birth to her child, her father
took the boy to whom his daughter had given birth, and
brought it to Maryni, and said unto him, "Behold, here is
"thy son, take him and rear him"; and Maryana took the
child, saying, "Glory be to God Who can endure and bear
"with sinners like myself." And each day he took the child
and went up the mountain to the goats of the monastery, and
suckled him with goats milk, and when the child was suckled
Maryan4 returned to the door of the monastery; now he never
left the door of the monastery except when he went to give
the child milk, and he besought those who went in and those
who came out, with tears, to unite with him in making sup
plication to God to forgive him his sin. And he sat by the door
of the monastery for four years, and tears were never absent
from his eyes, neither by night nor by day, and every one who
heard the sound of his weeping was grieved for his sake. Now
after Maryana had suffered affliction by the door of the monas
tery for four years and had shewn the child to every man, say
ing, "Pray ye for me, for I fell into fornication, and this child
" is the result thereof," God moved the mind of the archiman
drite to bring Maryana into the monastery, for His mercy was
revealed upon him, and He commanded the archimandrite to
bring Maryand in.
And as soon as Maryand heard that they were going to
bring him into the monastery from the man who told him
about it beforehand, he rose up straightway, and fell down
before the Lord, and said, "Glory be to Thee, O Lord, Who
"hath not been unmindful of such a [great] sinner as I am!
"I give thanks unto Thee for all the goodness which thou hast
"shewn unto me. What have I to give unto Thee in return
"therefor? For Thou hast brought me into the monastery, by
"the door of which I had decided in my mind that I must die."
And as soon as those who had been sent to bring Maryana
into the monastery had done so, Maryana fell down before the
archimandrite, and before the whole brotherhood of the mo
nastery, now he was carrying the child and was weeping, and
sighing, and groaning, and he said unto them, "Forgive ye
"me, O masters and fathers, for I have angered God with
"[my] evil works, and you I have afflicted greatly; but pray
"for me, that God may forgive me the fall wherewith I fell."
And after many years Maryana, having prevailed mightily
in the great labours of spiritual excellence, delivered his soul
to our Lord, and none of the brethren had ever seen him
laugh or smile ; on the contrary, he mourned all the days of his
life. And when he was dead, the brethren drew nigh to anoint
250
n tbe uar&ing of tbe
him with oil, according to the custom, and then they saw
that Marydna" was a woman. Then the brethren ran quickly
and called the man who had made the accusation against
Marydnd, and when he had come and seen her, great wonder
laid hold upon him, and he besought God to forgive him the
great sin and wrong which he had done to Marydnd; and all
those who heard and saw this glorified God that His saints
fight so bravely for His Name s sake.
Cbapter \>f * ZTbe tbistorg of a certain Sa^e anfc of tbe
watcbtnQ of tbe flMnfc
THERE was a certain old man who lived in his cell
and performed mighty ascetic works, and who, when
soever the brethren of the Cells were gathered together
for the vigil of the First Day of the week, would come to the
general assembly, and would act in such a way as to make
the brethren despise him, and indeed they regarded him as a
man who had gone out of his senses, although he did every
thing with discretion. Now God, the Good and Compassionate,
did not wish the labours of the old man to be hidden, but He
revealed and made known some of them for the benefit of the
community, and He sent angels, who were in the forms of
rich and honourable men, to the priest of the Cells, and they
came and saluted him ; and when the priest saw them, he ran
forward to meet them, for he thought that they who appeared
to him were great and wealthy men, and he rose up immediately
and saluted them. And after they had sat down and had held
some converse with the old man, they besought him, saying,
"O father, we beg of thee to allow us to go round the Cells
"that we may be blessed by the Fathers"; and he accepted
their petition, and permitted them to do whatsoever they
wished, and they asked him to send to them one of the
brethren. Then the priest called one of the brethren, and
commanded him to go with them, and beckoning him aside he
said unto him secretly, "Take heed lest thou take them to the
"cell of that [mad] old man, for when they see that he hath
"lost his reason they will be sorry they have met him." And
when they had come out to go to the Cells, the honourable
men fell down before the priest of the Cells, and said unto him,
"O Father, give our brother orders to take us to see all the
"fathers," and the priest said unto them, "I have commanded
"him to take you to them all." And having gone to the
fathers of the Cells, and visited them, they returned to the
priest in his cell, and he said unto them, "Are ye gratified
"now that ye have seen the fathers?" And they said unto him,
"O father, we are gratified, but we are sorry about one thing,
TTbe parafcise of tbe Ifools ffatbers
4 that is to say, because thou didst command the brother
"who went with us that we should not see all the fathers."
Then the priest called the brother who had gone with them,
and said in their presence, "Did I not tell thee to take the
"brethren to all the cells?" And the brother said, "Yea,
"father, thou didst tell me to do so, and I took them to all the
"cells, and they have seen all the brethren." Then the honour
able men said to the priest, "Forgive us, father, but there are
"some of the fathers whom we have not seen, and we are
* greatly grieved thereat ; but say a prayer on our behalf
"so that we may depart."
And after the priest had prayed over them, and they had
departed from him, he called the brother who had gone with
them, and said unto him, "How did these men know what I
"ordered thee [to do]? Didst thou, perchance, reveal it unto
them ? " And the brother made repentance, and said, * Forgive
"me, father, but I did not reveal [thy orders] unto them."
Then the priest knew that the matter was from God, and he
rose up straightway and went to that old man whom he
thought to be out of his mind, and he fell down on his face
before him, and laid hold upon his feet, and besought him to
reveal unto him his ascetic works and labours ; and he swore
to the old man that he would not rise up from the ground,
and would not let go his hold upon him until he had done so,
saying to the old man likewise, "That I should come to thee
"and that thou shouldst reveal thy labours unto me, are
"matters from God." Now the old man was unwilling to
reveal his works, because he did not wish to be held in honour
because of them, nevertheless he was compelled to do so
because the priest had told him that the matter was from God,
and he promised the priest to reveal unto him one thing ; and
when the priest heard the promise of the old man, he rose up
from the ground, and seeing the old man in a gentle and
tranquil frame of mind, he marvelled, because he had never
before seen him as he was at that moment. Then the old man
said unto the priest, "Depart, O father, I did not know that
"I did even one good thing, but of such things which I have
"the following is one : I have by my side two baskets, one on
"my right hand, and one on my left; for every good thought
"which springeth up in my mind I take a pebble and throw it
"into the basket which is on my right hand; and for every
"hateful thought which riseth in me, I also take a pebble and
"throw it into the basket which is on my left hand, and this I
"do every day. And when the time for the evening meal hath
"arrived, I take out the pebbles, and count them, and if the
"number of those which are in the basket of good thoughts
252
ZTvvo Persian flfconfes
on my right hand do not exceed those in the basket of evil
thoughts on my left hand, I do not take any supper that
evening; and if they do exceed, then I eat, and rejoice, for
sometimes it happeneth that several days pass without my
eating at all, because the pebbles of the good deeds do not
exceed in number the pebbles of the bad ones. And when-
soeveran abominablethoughtcometh tome, I pass judgement
"on myself, and say, Take heed, for thou wilt not eat to-
day ! "And having heard these things the priest praised God,
the Lord of the universe, and he marvelled how the old man
could perform such works of righteousness and yet keep them
hidden from every man.
Cbapter \?ij. f two Brotbers wbo fcwelt in a J>et>
sian Monastery
A CERTAIN history, which is full of pain and profit, Omy
beloved, came to me by chance, that is to say, through
conversation and speech with the brethren, and I have
thought much about it, and have determined that it is right for
me to narrate it, and to set it down in writing, so that many
from the reading of the same may acquire spiritual profit, and
may watch against enmity, and may not have bitter hatred of one
another for any reason whatsoever, and that each [of us] may
be at peace with the other, and so that each [of us] may forgive
the other any cause for murmuring or anger, and may remem
ber the words of our Lord, and God, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
There were two brethren who dwelt in one abode in a certain
Persian monastery, and it happened that one of them had cause
for dispute with the other, and they separated, each from the
other, the one leaving the monastery altogether, and the other
remaining in the abode wherein they had lived hitherto. And it
came to pass that he who remained behind was seized, and
bound, and shut up in prison, for [giving] testimony con
cerning our Lord, and he was brought before the judge, and
was questioned by him once, twice, and a third time, and
he bore severe stripes and did not deny Christ, and he was
again fast bound in the prison house. Now when his companion
heard [this] he repented in his soul, and he thought, " It is right
" that I should go and be reconciled with my brother, for per-
" haps through this testimony which he persisteth in giving, he
" may depart from the world and go away, each of us keeping
* wrath against the other, and through this we both shall suffer no
" small loss, and probably I more than he." And when the bro
ther had meditated thus, he came to the prison and enquired for
his companion who was imprisoned there, and he went into his
presence and fell down at his feet, and besought and entreated
253
Ube ifraraMse of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
him to be reconciled to him ; but the brother who was in fetters
would not be persuaded to do this, and continued in his wrathful
condition, and when the brother saw this he left him and departed
in sorrow.
And on the following day the judge commanded and they
brought in before him the man who was bound and in prison, and
he asked him if he would be persuaded to deny his God and to
worship the sun, and he would not agree to do either; and the
judge gave orders that he was to be laid out and beaten, and to
be smitten with rods, and when they had laid him out, and the
strokes were being laid on by two [men] at a time, he denied
Christ. Now when the judge saw this, he commanded the
men to stop beating him, and he called him to him, and
asked him, saying, "What aileth thee? I caused thee to bear
"severe stripes on three previous occasions, and thou wast
"neither overcome nor didst play the coward s part, and
"yet now, whilst they are coming near thee, thou dost deny
" [thy God]." And the brother said, "I have acted thus because
"I have sinned and treated with contempt the command-
" ments of the Lord my God, Who commanded us to forgive
" each his offences. I had once a brother in our Lord, and we lived
" together in one monastery, and it happened that some cause
" for anger rose up between us, and we separated from each
" other in enmity. Yesterday he came to me in prison, and fell
" down before me and begged for peace from me, and I would
" not consent to be reconciled unto him, and therefore the good-
* ness of God was cut off from me, and He did not help me this
" day as He hath always done before, and I denied [Him]. Dur-
* ing the stripes which I received formerly I usedto seeHim spread
" out about a hand s breadth above me, and He did not permit
* * me to suffer, but to-day He forsook me, and at a small amount
"of pain I was terrified and I denied [Him]." Now when the
judge had heard these things from him, he commanded that his
fetters should be loosed from off him, and that he should be
dismissed ; and the brother, feeling disgrace and shame at the
fall which had come upon him, went forth from the presence of
the judge, and directed his way straight to his companion, and
he fell down on his face at his feet, and wept and cried out bitterly,
and entreated for mercy and peace ; and when his companion
looked upon him, he also suffered great grief, and he received
him, and they were reconciled, andheprayed for him, and though
the thing was bitter to him, they separated one from the other.
Then the brother who had denied his God straightway re
turned to the door of the judge, and he began to cry out and
to curse the king, so that they might again bring him before
the judge for examination ; but the judge did not wish to say
2 54
TOe HMstotE of a Dirgin
anything- to him. And when the brother saw this, he departed
from thence, and through penitence and grief for what had hap
pened to him, and also through the pain and anguish of his
soul, he threw himself, body and soul, into a fire temple; and
he began to cast dust and everything else which came to
his hands on the fire ; and he cursed the king mightily, saying,
God will receive those who have been tripped up and have
" fallen, if they repent and turn unto Him." And he departed
from thence also, and he wandered about and went hither and
thither, and he threw stones at every magian or pagan whom
he met, and he never ceased from reviling the king; and he
never ceased or kept silent concerning the compassion of our
Lord, which is laid out for those who repent, and he cried out,
saying, "Verily, there is no god except our Lord Jesus Christ,
" although I, through my sins, and my negligence of His mercy,
" have denied Him." Now when the judge heard these things,
he feared lest he would suffer a penalty and be condemned to
death as one who had heard the king reviled, and had been
neglectful ; and straightway he sent forth a decree concerning
him, and ordered that his head should be cut off quickly with
the sword. And when they had seized the monk, and had taken
him outside the city, he cried out with a loud voice, and said,
" Blessed art Thou, O our Lord Jesus Christ, for ten thousand
" times ten thousand sins are too few for Thy mercy to forgive
* in one hour" ; and having said this they made him kneel down,
and he was smitten by the sword and received mercy. Glory be
to the Power Who maketh strong His saints to do His Will,
and may we have mercy shewn unto us through their prayers,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Cbapter \nij, ZTbe fbtstors of a certain IDirain wbo
grew olfc in tbe worfes of tbe jfear of <3ofc
IT was related by a certain old man who said : There was
a virgin who was far advanced in years, and who had grown
old in the fear of God, and having been asked by me to tell
me the reason why she left the world, she began, with sighs, to
speak to me as follows: Great and marvellous things have
happened unto me. When I was a young girl I had a father,
who was a pleasant man, and who was modest in his dis
position; now he was a delicate man in health, and he was al
ways suffering from some kind of sickness, and he lived entirely
to himself, and never interfered in the affairs of other people,
and it was with the greatest difficulty that he could be induced
to see the people of his village. When he was in good health
he devoted his attention unceasingly to the care of his estate,
and he occupied himself at all seasons with the cultivation of
2 55
ITbe paradise of tbe 1bol$ jfatbers
his fields ; but finally he was obliged to pass many long days of
his life laid out on a bed of sickness, and he was so quiet that
those who were not acquainted with him would have thought
that he was deaf. And I had a mother, who, in all her ways and
manners, was the opposite of my father, and she used to do
things which were beyond her capacity; her words to every one
were many, and she poured out her speech uselessly to every
one, and she talked so much that every one imagined that her
body was composed wholly of tongues. Moreover, she had
quarrels with her neighbours continually, and she was always
in a state of drunkenness, and she drank shamelessly at all times
with wanton folk, and she managed the affairs of her house
badly, after the manner of a harlot; and at length, though the
house was well furnished with goods of every kind, it was with
the greatest difficulty that the people could find enough to
supply our wants. She was very lax in the care for the things
which my father required in his illness, but she displayed the
utmost attention in providing for her own body in a disgrace
ful manner, and the people of the village atlength fled before her
shameless appearance. Noillnessevercameuponher, andshehad
never been ill in the whole course of her life, from the day she
was born, and she was healthy in body until her death.
When therefore, I, a wretched girl, had lived for some
time in such circumstances as these, it happened that, after
struggling against a long illness, that is to say, my father was
obliged to pass every day of his life in the infirmity of sickness,
at length he departed from the world. Now at the very moment
of his death the weather changed, and the rain poured down
in torrents, and lightnings and thunders were tearing through
the air, and disturbing it violently, and it was impossible to
tell whether it was day or whether it was night; for this reason
my father lay dead on his bier for three days, for the weather
did not permit him to be buried. And, moreover, it made the
people of the village to shake their heads, and they wondered,
and said, * Perhaps great wickednesses were committed by this
" man secretly, and he may have been found to be such an
" enemy of God that even the earth will not permit his burial";
but, in order that his body might not go wholly to corruption,
even though the weather was gloomy and threatening, and
the rain had not ceased, by some means or other we carried
him [to the grave], and laid him therein. Now my mother, as
one who had found great relief, forthwith fulfilled unreproved
her wanton lusts to the utmost, and she straightway turned
my father s house into an abode of harlots, and she lived there
in such a state of luxury and lascivious pleasure that soon ofi
all the goods in it only a mere remnant was left, and that!
356
1bt0tor$ of a Dtrgin
remnant she left to me when I was very young. Then with
difficulty came death to my mother, and in my opinion, he was
afraid to approach her, for great worms grew in her, and with
much trouble she was buried, the weather by its serenity, and
the sun by his splendour helping [in the work].
Now after the death of my mother, and whilst I was still a
little girl, I left the world. During the period when I was a
young woman the lusts of the body were stirred up within me,
and they goaded me severely, and I used to rise up in the
evening (or night) that I might lie down again and find a
little relief from the disturbance of my mind. And a struggle
went on in my thoughts, for I wondered what manner of life
I should choose for myself, and how I should end the days of
my life, and whether they would be passed in quietness and
happiness, and fair chastity, even as they were during my
father s lifetime. Then my thoughts spake unto me thus :
44 Behold, in this world thy father did not enjoy any happiness
44 whatsoever, but he passed all his life in sickness and wretch-
"edness, and he departed from this world of trouble under
"the same circumstances, and even the earth was unwilling
44 to receive his body; are [men] to receive such a life as this
44 from (?) God, and why did my father deserve such treat -
44 ment ? On the other hand, supposing I chose to lead a life
44 like that of my mother, will that be any better to deliver my
44 body over to fornication, and lasciviousness, and the gratifi-
44 cation of [my] lusts? For, behold, my mother left no kind of
44 abominable wickedness which she did not commit, and she
44 destroyed her whole life with her depravity, and yet she de-
44 parted from this world having enjoyed health and prosperity
<4 every day [of her life]! What then? Is it not then right for
44 me to live even as she lived? For it is better that I should
44 believe with mine own eyes, and that they should see for
44 themselves the variety and the ending of such matters, for
44 there is nothing better than to understand thoroughly what-
44 soever we see openly before our eyes."
And I, the wretched girl, vainly imagined that such
thoughts were the thoughts of truth, and for this reason I de
termined to prepare myself to live even as my mother had
lived. Now when the night had overtaken me, and immediately
sleep had fallen upon me after thinking thoughts of this kind,
a certain man, of huge stature, stood up above me; and his
appearance was frightful, and his form made me tremble and
terrified me, and his face was hard, and in a stern voice he
asked me, saying, 44 Tell me, so and so, what are these
44 thoughts which are in thy heart?" And, because I was terri
fied by his appearance and form, I scarcely dared to look upon
257 *7
Ube paraMse of tbe 1bol jfatbers
him, and in a voice which was sterner than before, he com
manded me to reveal to him the things which I had settled in
my own mind to do. And being stupefied with fear I forgot all my
thoughts and I said unto him, " My lord, I know not what
"thou sayest," and having thus denied that I knew, he re
minded me of everything which I had thought out in my mind,
one after the other. Therefore, having rebuked myself, I turned
and begged and entreated him that I might be held worthy
of forgiveness, and I related unto him the reason for such
thoughts. Then he straightway said unto me, " I am about to
tl shew thee both thy father and thy mother, and the [different]
" manner of life which they lead, and the things which each
" doeth, and thou shalt choose which life thou wilt lead." And
he took me by my hands, and drew me away, and carried me
to an exceedingly great plain, wherein there were many
paradises, and thick trees heavily laden with fruits, which for
appearance and beauty surpassed description. Now when I
had entered into that plain, my father met me, and embraced
me, and kissed me, and he held converse with me and called
me "my daughter," and whilst I was in his embrace I be
sought him that I might remain with him, but he said unto
me, " At present it is impossible, but if thou desirest to walk
"chastely in my footsteps thou shalt come hither after no
" great time."
And as I remained and was making my supplication unto
him, he who had brought me to this place drew me on, and I
was lifted up in his hands, and he said unto me, " Come and
" see thy mother also in the fire which is blazing fiercely, so
" that thou mayest know how to choose what is good, and
" towards which manner of life it will be useful and beneficial
" for thee to incline." Then he showed me a fiery furnace
which was burning fiercely, and every kind of thing of cruel
wrath surrounded the furnace, and I heard proceeding there
from the sound of weeping and of gnashing of teeth. And
having looked down into the furnace I saw my mother sunk
in fire up to her neck, and she was weeping and gnashing her
teeth, and she was being consumed in the fire, and she was
being gnawed by a multitude of worms ; and when she saw
me she cried out with tears in a loud voice and, addressing
me with the words, " My daughter," she said, " woe is me,
" O my daughter, for these things have come upon me be-
4 cause of my evil deeds, and because I held to be madness
"the things which were said unto me concerning chastity,
" and the punishments which were declared to fall upon those
"who committed fornication and adultery. And, behold, in
" return for my lascivious pleasure I have to suffer torture,
Ibteton? of a
" because I did not think that vengeance was laid up there-
4 for! And, behold, in return for a little pleasure and the
"momentary gratification of my desire, what everlasting
44 punishment I have to endure, and what penalty is there
44 which I am not compelled to pay? And consider, moreover,
44 that in return for the short-lived happiness which I, O
44 wretched woman, enjoyed, I have to pay a prolonged
44 penalty. And because I despised God what evil wages I have
44 to receive! All these things have overtaken me because I be-
44 haved rebelliously, but, behold, now is the time for helping
44 me, O my daughter. Remember now with what anxious care
44 and attention thy bringing up was carried out, and the
44 helpful things which I brought thee, and to speak briefly,
44 all the good things which I did for thee. Have mercy upon
44 the woman who burneth in the fire. Have mercy upon the
44 woman who hath been cast into such tortures as these.
44 Havepityuponme,Omy daughter, and stretch out thy hand,
44 and lift me up out of this place." Now I excused myself from
doing this on account of him that stood by my side, and again
she wept and cried out to me, saying, 44 O my daughter, help
44 me. O my daughter, have pity upon me, and come to me.
44 Neglect not thy mother who gnasheth her teeth [in pain], and
44 treat not with indifference her who suffereth torment in
4 Gehenna."
Now as, after the nature of a human being, I felt pain be
cause of her tears and her mournful voice, I began to cry out
loudly, and to sigh and moan bitterly, and then all those who
were sleeping in our house awoke, and when they had risen
up, they questioned me and I told them the reason of the out
cry and disturbance, and I narrated unto them everything which
had appeared unto me. These are the things through which,
by the rich mercy of God, I chose to follow the life and works
of my father, and I was persuaded to be governed, and through
Divine Providence I am confirmed in my belief that such punish
ments are laid up for those who desire to live an evil life.
Such are the things which we heard from the virgin who is
worthy of blessing, and from them we may know what delights,
according to the things which appeared unto her in the revela
tion, are laid up for those who wish to live in a state of spiri
tual excellence, and what punishments are prepared for those
who choose to live a wicked and wanton life. And because of
these things it is meet that we should strive to the utmost to
live a life of virtue, and to excel therein, so that, by the help
of God, we may through our life and deeds merit the happiness
[of heaven]. Amen.
259 170
Ube paradise of tbe fbols jfatbers
Gbapter i. f Stepbana, a jflfcan wbo fell
Wantonness
THERE was a certain man in Scete whose name was
Stephdna", who had dwelt in the desert for twenty-nine
years; his apparel was made of palm leaves, and he lived
in such a strict state of self-denial, and persisted to such a de
gree in ascetic abstinence that he never had the least inclina
tion for the meats which are usually desired, and which are
pleasant to the taste; and he greatly condemned those who,
because of sickness, either ate cooked food or drank cream.
Now the gift of healing had been given to him to such a de
gree that he could cast out devils by a word. And it came to
pass that on one occasion a man in whom was an unclean
spirit came to Scete, and he wished to be healed, and when the
monk saw that he was vexed sorely by the devil he made a
prayer and healed him. But at length this monk was rejected
by Divine Providence because of his immeasurable arrogance
and haughtiness, for he imagined himself to be more excellent
in his life and works than the other fathers; first of all he separ
ated himself from the brotherhood, and then he went and be
came archimandrite in one of the Alexandrian monasteries,
" For," he said in his pride, "am I to be in subjection to Ma-
" carius? And are not my life and works better than his?" And
this man arrived at such a state of madness that he went to
Alexandria, and gave himself up to gluttony, and drunkenness,
and to the eating of more flesh than rational beings are wont
to eat, and finally he fell and settled down into the pit of the
lust for women; and he was always going about in the houses
of harlots, and in the taverns of ill-fame, and he hung closely
to the whores, and gratified his lusts in a filthy manner with
out shame, and he became a laughing-stock to all who knew
him. But the spirit went forth to those who knew him, say
ing, "The law was not made for the perfect," and he himself
said, "I do not act [thus] because of passion and fornication,
" neither do I do anything which is abominable, for it is not
" a sin to go with women, for male and female were created
"by God."
And it fell out that one day I and the blessed man Evagrius
went to Alexandria on some business which called us thither.
And we had with us four brethren; and as we were passing
through the city market that monk met us accidentally, and
he was talking with a harlot about his filthy lust; and when
the blessed Evagrius saw him, he wept, and fell down at his
feet and made obeisance unto him, but the man did not incline
his head in the smallest degree, and with infinite arrogance and
260
Stcpbana
haughtiness he made answer to him, saying, "What do hypo-
" crites and deceivers seek here?" Then the blessed Evagrius
entreated him to go with us to the place where we were lodg
ing, but he did not by any means wish to go; and when, with
the greatest difficulty, he had been persuaded to go with us,
so soon as we had entered in and prayed, the blessed Evagrius
fell upon his neck and kissed him, and with tears said unto
him, "Verily, O my beloved, from all that divine service of
angels thou hast been brought down to this depth of wicked-
ness; and thou hast turned thyself from converse with God
1 to converse with harlots; and instead of the life and service
* of angels thou hast chosen the life of devils ! But I beseech
and entreat thee not to cut off the hope of thy redemption,
* but arise, and come with us to the desert, for by my hands
" God the Merciful is able to restore thee to thy former grade. "
Now his understanding had been so blinded by Satan that he
did not know how to listen to what was said unto him, nor
did he know what he answered. And he said unto Evagrius,
" Up to the present I have certainly been wandering about,
" but now I have found the path of truth," and he began to
make a mock of the fathers, and to say, "Ye certainly wander
"about [i.e., err], and ye dwell in the desert under a false
" character, for the sake of men, and not for the sake of God,
"and ye are to the spectators as idols whom men decorate,
" and to whom they pay worship"; and thus, being full of the.
pride and boasting of Satan, he spurned the fathers and went
forth and departed, and the blessed Evagrius and the brethren
wept and groaned over him greatly.
Then that man carried off a certain virgin, who was an or
phan and a nun living by herself, with a foul design to his
monastery, and though he did this with the excuse that he was
going to help her by means of alms of which she was in need,
it was in reality that he might fulfil his wanton desire. And
having lived with her in this degraded state for about two
years, at length there came to him thieves by night, who first
tied him with cords, and then smote him with hard and cruel
blows, until he brought out whatsoever he had in his dwelling
and laid it before them ; and last of all they shut him up with
the woman with whom he used to work out his wantonness in
a house wherein there was straw, and, both of them being
bound with cords, the thieves set fire to the house, and thus
the two were consumed, and they died a bitter death. And
in them was fulfilled that which was spoken by the teacher of
the Gentiles, who said, "Because they did not decide with-
" in themselves to know God, God delivered them over to the
" knowledge of vanity, that they might disgrace their bodies
261
trbe fcarabise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
" therewith, and they received the reward which befitted their
"error in their own persons (Romans i, 28); that is to say,
" the burning of the fire which is here is a pledge of that fire
"which tormenteth all the wicked." Now the things which
happened to Stephana took place because he separated him
self from the brotherhood, and because he was [unduly] exalted
in his mind, and because he imagined that he was perfect.
Cbapter m** f JEucarpus
AND there was also in the desert a certain man whose
name was Eucarpus, who had passed eighteen years
shut up in his cell; and the food which was necessary
for his wants was brought by others. He had lived in seclu
sion for fifteen years, and he never spoke to any man [during
that period] except when he was in need of something. He
used to write upon paper [what he wished to say], and would
give it to those who ministered unto him, and he also did thus
when any man asked him a question or spoke to him; his food
consisted of vegetables soaked in water, and pounded garden
herbs, and he carried out his rule of life with infinite labour.
Finally, however, the devils made him a laughing-stock also,
because of the vain opinion which he had concerning himself.
First of all he separated himself from mingling with the bre
thren and conversing with them, and next he ceased to medi
tate on the Holy Scriptures, and he did nothing except pray
continually; for he was proud and haughty in his mind, and
he thought that he was perfect, and that on account of the
purity of his heart, forsooth, he was always seeing God in his
mind, for he that tempteth tempted him also, even as he had
tempted the blessed man Job. And one night Satan appeared
unto him in the form of an angel of light, and said unto him,
"I am Christ"; and when Eucarpus saw him, he thought that
the appearance was a real person, and he fell down, and wor
shipped him, and said unto him, "Master, what commandest
" thou thy servant [to do]?" And he who had appeared unto
him said unto him, "Since thou hast excelled many in thy
" works, and hast kept all my commandments, I desire greatly
"to make my abode with thee; but since thou art perfect, it
" is not necessary for thee to shut thyself up, and it is no
"longer right that thou shouldst live in seclusion, but thou
" must teach all the brethren not to destroy their souls with
" the reading of the Scriptures and the reciting of the Psalms.
" And they must not labour in the toil of the body, and they
"must not vex their souls with fasting, and hunger, and
" thirst, but they must labour with the labour of the soul, for
" by these means they shall be able speedily to be lifted up to
262
f lEucarpus
"the highest grade, and they must always look at me with
" their minds, and I will shew them my glory. And as for thee,
"since thou hast raised thyself above all the monks by thy
" works, behold, I make thee this day a chief and a governor
" over all the monks who dwell in Scete. For Macarius is not
" of as much use as a governor as thou art." Then Eucarpus
was more lifted up in his mind than before, and he was far
more proud, and he believed truly the error of the Crafty One,
and his understanding was taken away from him, and he was
smitten in his mind immediately he had worshipped the Ca
lumniator.
Now on another day there was a congregation in the church,
and Satan appeared unto Eucarpus a second time, and said
unto him, "Go thou this day, for all the brethren are gathered
"together, and teach them everything which I commanded
" thee yesterday in the night season." Then Eucarpus opened
the door of the house wherein he secluded himself, and de
parted to go to the church; and it happened that Abba John
was sitting by the side of the church, and the brethren were
round about him, and were asking him about their thoughts.
And when Eucarpus came, and saw John with the brethren
surrounding him, he was filled with envy of him, and he an
swered and said unto John with haughtiness and wicked wrath,
" Why dost thou adorn thyself and dost sit down, like a whore,
"who wisheth to multiply her friends? Or, who commanded
" thee to be a corrector of others, seeing that it is I who am
"the governor of the monastery?" Now when the brethren
heard [these words], they were greatly moved, and said unto
him, " And who made thee a governor in Scete?" And Eucar
pus said unto them, "Yesterday in the night I was made
* governor by Christ, therefore turn ye to me, and I will teach
4 you the way, whereby ye shall easily ascend to the high grade
1 of the vision of glory; and moreover, go not ye astray after
* the writings of Evagrius, neither hearken ye unto the words
4 of John, for ye have wandered far enough into error already."
Then he began to revile the fathers, and he called Macarius
a "painted idol" whom those who err worship, for he knoweth
not how to lead the brethren on the path towards heavenly
things; and Evagrius he called "a hewer of words" who hath
led the brethren into error by following his writings, and hath
made them to cease from spiritual service. And the devils made
a mock of Eucarpus until they were able to lift him up and to
dash him down upon the earth, but all these things which fell
upon him took place because he condemned the brethren, and
because through his pride and arrogance he held them in con
tempt, and because he did not desire to meditate upon the
263
ttbe Hbarabise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
Holy Scriptures, and on the doclrine of the fathers. And
finally, when the fathers saw that he was smitten in mind, they
threw iron fetters on him and bound him therewith, and he
lived with them upon him; and the holy fathers offered up
prayer on his behalf for eleven whole months, and then his
mind returned to him, and he was so thoroughly cured of his
pride that he perceived his weakness, and recognized his disease
whereby he had been made a mock of by the devils. And in him
was fulfilled that which was said, "Old blains (or wounds) are
"cured by burnings," and,t"Thou who didst exalt thyself to
" heaven shalt be brought down even unto Sheol" (Isaiah xiv,
13-15). Now Eucarpus lived after he had been cured of his ar
rogance one year and one month; and the fathers commanded
that he should minister unto the sick, and that he should wash
the feet of strangers, and thus he died.
Gbapter xxsJ* f a certain famous Deacon wbo fcwelt
In a Coenobium In Bg^pt
A CERTAIN brother asked an old man and said unto
him, "If it should happen that a man fell into tempta-
"tion, by the permission of God, for the benefit of his
"soul, what is it right for those to do who are made to stum-
"ble by the same temptation?" The old man answered and
said unto him, "If he repent in very truth, and with all his
"heart, and make confession unto God in his repentance, [say-
"ing,] I have been rightly humbled, and shall say unto God,
" It is good for me that I have been humbled, so that I might
" learn Thy commandments, God is able to heal the con-
" sciences of those who have already offended Him." And the
old man spake and narrated the following:
There was a certain deacon in a coenobium in Egypt, and
a rich man, who had been driven out and had departed from
the presence of a governor who had dominion over him, came
with his household to that coenobium ; and the deacon stum
bled and fell into adultery with the wife of one of those who
were with him, and he became a laughing-stock unto every
man. And he went to a certain man who was his friend,
and revealed unto him the matter, and he said unto him,
"Let no man know where I am "; for he hid himself in a
secret part of the cell of him that loved him, and he said
unto him, "Here bury thou me during my lifetime"; and
having gone down into the darkness of that hidden place
he repented unto God in very truth. And after a certain
time, the river, which was nigh unto the place in the region
wherein the deacon had hidden himself, did not rise accord
ing to its wont, and the people of the country having prayed
264
Hbba ipoemen s IRetgbbonr
and made supplication it was revealed unto one of the saints
that, "Unless that deacon who is hidden among us come
"forth, the waters will not rise." So they went and brought
him out from the place where he was hidden, and when he had
come, and had made a prayer, straightway the river rose, and
those who had been formerly offended by him were now edified
the more, and they profited through him greatly and glorified
God.
Cbapter jij. f a certain excellent Bisbop wbo fell
into fornication- anb tbe people baling walfeefc npon
bim be was foroiven
THERE was a certain bishop in one of the cities, who
through the working of the Calumniator fell into fornica
tion ; and one day when the congregation was in the
church, although no one knew of the Bishop ssin, he voluntarily
confessed it before all the assembly, and said, "I have fallen into
" fornication." Then he took off the vestments which were on
him, and laid them upon the altar, and said, "I cannot, hence-
" forward, be your Bishop." And all the people cried out with
tears, saying, " Let this sin be upon us; only remain thou in
" thine episcopate." And he answered and said unto them, "If
* ye wish me to remain in my episcopate, do ye that which I
" shall say unto you"; and he commanded, and all the doors
of the church were shut with the exception of one, and he
threw himself down upon his face, and said, "The man who
" goeth out from the church without walking upon me shall
" have no portion with God"; and they did according to his
word, and when the last man had gone out, a voice was heard
which said, "Because of his great humility I have forgiven
" him his sin."
Cbapter xjJtf J. <S>f a certain Brotber wbo was a IReiob*
bour ot Hbba poemen
WHEN Abba Poemen came into the countries of Egypt
to dwell there, it happened that he took up his abode
by the side of a brother who had a wife, and though
the old man knew of this he did not rebuke him. And when
the time had come for the woman to bring forth, and this was
known to the old man, he cried out to a younger brother, and
said unto him, "Arise, take this jar of wine and carry [it] to
" our neighbour, for he will have need thereof this day." Now
the matter was not known to that brother, but he did as the
old man commanded him. And the brother [who had a wife]
groaned and repented in his mind, and after a few days he dis
missed the woman, and gave her whatsoever he happened to
265
Ube parabise of tbe 1bols 3f atbers
have by him ; then he came to Abbi Poemen, and said unto
him, "Behold from this day onwards I repent, O father, but I
" entreat thee to pray to God on my behalf so that He may re-
" ceive my repentance." And Abb& Poeman said unto him, "If
* thou repentest with all thy heart, I believe that God will bestow
" forgiveness upon thee ; and do not despair of thy redemption."
And the brother went and built for himself a place of retreat,
and he made therein an entrance through which he used to
come to visit the old man ; and he would go to Abbd Poemen
thereby, and the old man would reveal unto him the way of
God, and thus he profited spiritually. And the brother laboured
in fasting, and in prayer, and he wept and sighed, and grieved
sorely for his sin ; and [at length] it was revealed unto the old
man on behalf of the brother that God had accepted his re
pentance.
Cbaptet xjjfv* fa certain ^Stotber wbo fceniefc
[Cbrist] because of tbe Daugbter of a fbeatben priest
ONCE a certain brother was engaged in a war against
fornication, and he happened to pass through a village
in Egypt where he saw the daughter of a heathen priest,
and he loved her, and he said to her father, " Give her to me
"to wife." And the priest answered and said unto him, " I
"cannot give her to thee before learning from the god [his
" will in the matter]"; and he went to his devil, and said unto
him, " Behold, a certain monk wisheth to take my daughter
" to wife; shall I give her to him or not?" And the devil made
him answer, saying, "Seek out and enquire if he will deny his
" God, and his baptism, and the vows which he made before
" entering the monastic life." And having gone to the brother
the priest told him that he would accept him [as his daughter s
husband] if he would deny both these things (sic), and the
priest also said unto him, "Wilt thou deny the baptism where-
"with thou wast baptized?" And the brother answered and
said, " Yea, I will "; and straightway he saw the Spirit of God
go forth from his mouth in the form of a dove, and ascend in
to heaven. Then the priest went to the devil and told him what
the brother had said, " Behold, he hath promised to deny all
"three things"; and the devil answered and said unto him,
" Thou shalt not give [him] thy daughter, for his God hath not
"departed from him, for He is still helping him, and will
" accept him if he repenteth." And the priest came and said to
that brother, " I cannot give her to thee, for thy God is with
1 * thee, and He will not leave thee, but will help thee. " Now when
the brother heard this he said within himself, "So God keepeth
" such great grace as this for thee, and will still help thee!"
266
H Sa0e of Scete
Then that brother, having come back to his senses, made
strong his mind, and fortified his will, and went forth to a
certain old man in the desert, and related the matter unto him.
And the old man answered and said unto him, " Sit thou down
"here with me in [this] cave, and fast for three weeks, only
1 eating once every two days, and I will make supplication
"on thy behalf unto God." And the old man laboured with
the brother, and he made entreaty and supplication unto God,
saying, " I beseech Thee, O Lord God, to grant me the soul
"of this brother, and to accept his repentance." And when
the first week was fulfilled, the old man came to the brother,
and asked him, saying, "Hast thou seen anything?" and
the brother answered and said, "Yes, I have seen a dove fly-
" ing about in the heights of heaven, and standing before my
" head," and the old man said unto him, " Take heed to thy
self, and pray unto God with groans and sighs"; and the fol
lowing week he came again to the brother, and asked him the
same question, saying, "Hast thou seen anything?" And the
brother made answer, saying, "I saw a dove which came and
" drew near to my head," and the old man admonished him,
saying, "Rouse up and pray unto God with abundant suppli-
" cation." And when the third week was fulfilled the old man
came to the brother and said unto him, "What hast thou
" seen?" And he answered and said unto him, "I saw a dove
" which came and stood upon my head, and I stretched out my
" hand and took hold of it, but it fled away and entered into
" my mouth." Then the old man gave thanks unto God, and
said unto the brother, "God hath accepted thy repentance;
" henceforward watch thyself and take heed to thyself." And
the brother answered and said, "Behold, from this day on-
" wards I shall live with thee, O father, even to the day of
" my death."
Gbapter \>* f a certain Ifc /Ifoan in Scete
THERE was a certain old man in Scete who, having
become very sick indeed, was ministered to by the
brethren, and he thought in his mind that they were
tired of him, and he said, "I will go to Egypt, so that the
" brethren may not have to labour on my account." And Abbd
Moses said unto him, "Thou shalt not go, for if thou goest,
"thou wilt fall into fornication"; and the old man was grieved
and said, " My body hath long been dead, and sayest thou
" these things unto me?" So he went up to Egypt, and men
heard about him, and they brought many offerings unto him,
and a certain believing virgin came in faith to minister unto
him. And after a time, when the old man had been healed, the
267
TOe parafcise of tbe 1bol jfatbers
young woman lay with him, and she conceived, and folk
asked her, saying, " Whence hadst thou that which thou hast
" conceived?" And she said unto them, " From the old man,"
and they believed her not. Now when the old man heard that
they would not believe her, he said, "Yea, I have done this
" thing; but protect ye for me the child which shall be born."
And when the child had been born and was weaned, there was
a congregation in Scete, and the old man went down carrying
the child on his shoulder, and he went into the church before
all the people; and when they saw him they all wept. Then the
old man said unto the brethren, " Observe ye, O my brethren,
" this is the child of disobedience; take heed, then, unto your-
" selves, for I have committed this act in my old age, and pray
" ye for me"; and the old man went to his cell, and dismissed
the things wherewith he hath lived, and returned to his former
deeds, and after a time he arrived [once more] at his old mea
sure of ascetic excellence.
Cbapter j\>j. f tbe f>arlot wbom Setapion cower*
ABBA SERAPION once came and passed through a
certain village in Egypt, and he saw a harlot standing
in his cell, and the old man said unto her, " Remain
" here until the evening, for I wish to come with thee, and to
" pass this night with thee "; and the harlot said, " It is well,
" O father." Then she made ready, and prepared her bed,
and she awaited the old man with that which he required.
Now when it was evening, Abba Serapion came, but he brought
nothing with him, and he went into her cell, and said unto
her, "Is thy bed ready?" And she said unto him, "Yea,
"father"; and they shut themselves in. Then the old man
answered and said unto her, "Wait a little, because I must
"perform a certain thing which is a law unto us." And he
began to recite the Book of the Psalms of David from the
beginning, and with every Psalm he offered up a prayer on
her behalf, and he made supplication before God that she might
repent and live, and God hearkened unto him. Arid the harlot
stood up in fear by the side of the old man and prayed also,
and when Abba Serapion had finished all the Psalms she fell
down upon the ground, and he began to repeat many verses
from the [books of the] Apostles. When he had finished his
service, God having opened the heart of that woman, she
knew that Abba Serapion had not come unto her for the pur
poses of sin, but that he might redeem her, and she fell on her
face before him, and said unto him, "Perform an act of grace
" for me, O father, and take me to anyplace whatsoever wherein
268
f a certain Ibarlot
* I can please God." And he took her to an abode ot nuns and
placed her therein and he said to the mistress of the convent,
"Take this sister, O mother, and lay not upon her the rules
" and the yoke like the [other] sisters, but whatsoever she
" requireth that give her; and in proportion as she findeth
" rest let her submit to be led." And when the woman had
dwelt in the nunnery for a few days, she said, "I am a sinful
" woman, and I wish to eat only in the evening"; and after a
few days more she said, "Many sins lie to my charge, and I
" therefore beg that I may eat once every four days," and she
did so; and after a few days more she besought the mistress
of the nunnery, saying, "Do an act of grace for me. Since I
" have made God exceedingly angry, take me into a cell and
"wall it up, and through a small opening therein give me a
" little bread and work for my hands [to do]." And the abbess
of the nunnery hearkened unto her, and did thus, and in this
wise that woman pleased God all the days of her life.
Cbapter m\>ij. f tbe fbarlot wbom a Subfceacon
fcro\>e out of tbe Cburcb
A CERTAIN old man said: There was a harlot who was
so beautiful and so rich that all princes flocked unto
her. One day she went into the church and desired to
pass inside the gates, but a subdeacon who was standing at
the door would not allow her to do so, and he said, "Thou art
" not allowed to enter into the house of God, because thou art
" an unclean woman." Now whilst they were striving together,
the Bishop heard the sound of the noise, and he went out to
see [what was the matter]. And the harlot said unto him, "He
"would not permit me to go into the church," and the Bishop
said to her, "Thou art not permitted [to do so] because thou
" art unclean." Then having repented within herself, she said,
" I will never play the whore again." And the Bishop said
unto her, "If thou wilt strip thyself of all thy possessions, I
"shall know of a certainty that thou dost repent"; then she
brought her possessions, and the Bishop took them, and
divided them in the fear of God among the needy. And the
woman went into the church, and wept and said, "If it hath
" happened to me thus in this world, what would have hap-
" pened to me in the next?" And she repented, and became
a chosen vessel.
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ZTbe jparafcise of tbe 1fool ff atbers
Cbapter \?iij. <W Hbba Hpollo wbo was in Scete
THEY say concerning- Abb Apollo, who lived in Scete,
that he was originally a rude and brutish herdsman,
and that he [once] saw in the fields a woman who was
with child, and that, through the operation of the devil, he
said, "I wish to know the condition of the child which is in
"the womb of this woman," and that he ripped her open and
saw the child in her belly; then straightway he repented, and
he purged his heart, and having repented he went to Scete,
and revealed unto the fathers what he had done. And when he
heard them singing the Psalms, and saying, "The days of
"our years are threescore years and ten, and with difficulty
"[we come] to fourscore years" (Psalm xc, 10), he said to the
old men, "I am forty years old this day, and I have never yet
"made a prayer; and now, if I live for forty years more, I will
"never rest, nor cease, nor refrain from praying to God continu-
"ally that He may forgive me my sins." And from that time
onwards he did even as he had said, for he never toiled with the
work of his hands, but he was always supplicating God, and
saying, " I, O my Lord, like a man, have sinned, and do Thou,
"like God, forgive me"; and he prayed this prayer both by
night and by day instead of reciting Psalms. And a certain
brother who used to dwell with him once heard him say in his
prayer, now as he spake he wept, and groaned from the bottom
of his heart, and sighed in grief of heart, "O my Lord, I have
"vexed Thee, have pity upon me, and forgive me so that I may
"enjoy a little rest." Then a voice came to him, which said,
"Thy sins have been forgiven thee, and also the murder of the
"woman; but the murder of the child is not yet forgiven thee."
And one of the old men said, "The murder of the child also
"was forgiven to him, but God left him to work because this
"would prove beneficial to his soul."
Cbapter n&& f Cosmas wbo was in /IDount Sinai
A CERTAIN brother asked an old man, and said unto
him, "How is it that Satan bringeth temptations
"upon holy men?" And the old man said, "I have
" heard that there was a holy man whose name was Cosmas,
who used to dwell in Mount Sinai. And behold, a certain man
went to the tabernacle (or tent) of a husbandman, and finding
his daughter by herself, he lay with her, and then said to her,
When thy father cometh say unto him, "Abbi Cosmas, the
monk, hath lain with me"; and when her father came, she told
him [thus]. Then he took his sword, and came against the old
man, and when he had knocked at the door, and the old man
270
Hbba /toacarins
had gone forth, he lifted up his sword to slay him, but his hand
withered straightway; and he went to the church and told the
people there what the old man had done. And the fathers sent
after him and brought him there, and having upbraided him,
and beaten him with many stripes they wished to drive him
out of the monastery ; but he entreated them, saying, "Allow
" me [to stay] here that I may repent, for God s sake," and they
separated him [from the brotherhood] for three years, and they
laid down the command that no man was to go to him. And
he passed three years in coming [to the church] Sunday by
Sunday, and in repenting, and he besought [the fathers]
always to pray for him, and at length the devil entered into
him that had committed the act of which the old man had
been accused, and, being urged by him, he said, " I committed
"the act." Then all the people were gathered together, and
they went to the old man and expressed their penitence, and
said unto him, " Forgive us, O father" ; and he said unto them,
" I have indeed forgiven you, but it is impossible for me to re-
11 main with you henceforth, because I have not found in any
" one of you discretion sufficient to make him to sympathize
"with me." And so he departed from them. Behold, how
temptations come upon holy men!
Cbapter jt. f Hbba /Iftacarius wbo was accused of
committing fornication
ABBA MACARIUS used to [tell a story about himself,
and to say that when he was a boy he dwelt in a
certain cell in Egypt, and that the people came and
made him the priest in the village, and that as he did not wish
to receive [the office of priest] he fled to another place, and
took up his abode in a cell which was not very far from the
habitations of man. And a certain young man who feared God
used to come and take away the work of the hands of the
blessed man, and to minister unto him. And it came to pass
that, as a result of temptation, a certain virgin in the village
fell into iniquity (?), and conceived a child, and the folk said
unto her, "By whom art thou with child?" And she said,
"By that monk who liveth in the desert"; and they went out,
and brought him into their village, and smote him sorely, and
they hung round his neck black pots, and the ears (handles)
of empty pans, and they made him to go round about through
the markets of their village, and they mocked athim and buffeted
him, and said, "This is the monk who hath seduced our
"daughter! Let him be hanged! Let him be hanged!" And
they beat him [nearly] to death.
Then came one of the old men of the village and said [unto
271
ZTbe parafcise of tbe Ifools 3f atbers
them], "How long will ye go on beating this monk who is a
" stranger?" and the man who ministered unto him came after
him, and he was ashamed and pained because of his disgrace ;
and the people fastened their gaze upon him, and said,
" Behold the monk concerning whom thou didst bear witness
11 and say that he was a holy man. " " Consider what he hath
"done," said the parents of the young woman, "and unless
" he giveth us a surety who will provide for her food we will
" not release him." Then he said unto the man who ministered
unto him, "Give a pledge on my behalf, saying, I will pro-
" vide for that "; and he gave a pledge for him, and then the
monk went to his cell and gave him all the palm-leaf mats
thereof, and said to him, "Sell these and give [the money] to
" my wife that she may eat." For Macarius said in his mind,
" Behold, thou hast found for thyself a wife, and it is necessary
" for thee to work little or much that thou mayest feed her";
so he worked by night and by day, and sent [the proceeds of
his toil] to her.
And it came to pass that, when the time for the woman to
bring forth her child arrived, she suffered very severely for
many days, and [although] she was in great tribulation she
did not give birth to the child ; and when her parents saw this
they said unto her, "What is this which hath happened unto
" thee?" Then the woman, by reason of her pains and suffer
ings, said, "This has happened because I told a lie and falsely
"accused a monk who never touched me"; now it was such
and such a youth who had done this thing to her. And when
the man who ministered unto Macarius learned this, he came
to him with gladness, and he rejoiced and said unto him,
The virgin was not able to bring forth until she confessed
and said, The monk never touched me, and what I have said
about him is a falsehood, and behold, all the village is
preparing to come to thee with repentance so that thou
mayest forgive them." And Macarius, in order that he might
not be troubled by them, rose up straightway, and fled, and
departed to the place wherein he had his abode at that time,
and this is the reason why he came to Scete; and he said,
" I hate the love of praise of young men who toil, and who
"have no reward, because they expect the adulation of the
"children of men." Then another well-known old man said
unto him, "And it is not greatly acceptable unto me, but it is
better that they should work for praise rather than they
" should despise [it], for it always constraineth those who
" love praise to lead lives of abstinence, and to keep vigil, and
" to live in nakedness for the sake of vainglory, and to bear
"afflictions for the sake of praise." Then after these things the
272
dfoacartus tbe
Grace of God came to them and spake, saying, "Wherefore
14 do ye not toil for My sake? And why do ye toil for the sake
"of children of men?" And they were convinced that they
must not expect the praise of men but that of God, and when
the brethren heard [this] they said, "Verily the matter is
"indeed thus."
Cbapter lj. <s>f a certain l& /I&an wbo in bfs stmpli*
cft$ satfc tbat /Ifcelcbisefcefe was tbe Son ot (Bob
AND Abba Daniel told a story of another old man who
used to live in the lower countries of Egypt, and who
said in his simplicity that Melchisedek was the Son of
God. Now, when this became known unto the blessed manTheo-
philus, the Archbishop of Alexandria, he sent a message that
[the monks] should bring the old man to him, and when he saw
him, he perceived that he was a seer of visions, and that every
thing which he had asked God for He gave him, and that he
spake these words in his simplicity. And the Archbishop dealt
with him wisely in the following manner, saying, "Father, en-
" treat thou God [for me], because my thoughts tell me that
" Melchisedek was the Son of God." And he said to him like
wise, "It cannot be thus, for the high priest of God was a
" man. And now, because I had doubts in my mind concerning
"this, I sent for thee that thou mightest make supplication
" unto God that He may reveal to thee the matter." Then, be
cause the old man had confidence in his labours, he spake unto
him boldly, saying, "Wait three days, and I will enquire of
" God, and then I shall be able to inform thee who Melchise-
" dek was." So the old man departed, and came [again] after
three days, and said unto the blessed Archbishop Theophilus,
" Melchisedek was a man"; and the Archbishop said unto him,
"How knowest thou, father?" And the old man said, "God
" showed me all the Patriarchs, one by one, and they passed
"before me one after the other, from Adam to Melchisedek,
" and an angel said to me, This is Melchisedek ; know then
" that of a truth the matter is as it hath appeared unto me."
And the old man departed, and he himself proclaimed that
Melchisedek was a man, and the blessed Theophilus rejoiced
greatly.
Cbapter jlij. t Hbba /Ifcacarfus tbe JE^pttan, tbe
H>isciple ot /Ifcar Hntbonp
ABBA Macarius used to dwell by himself in the desert,
and there was below him another desert wherein many
dwelt; and the old man was himself watching the road
one day, and saw Satan travelling on it in the form of a man,
273 18
ZTbe ipataMse of tbe 1bols tfatbers
and he came along with the intention of passing- him; and he
was arrayed in a garment, which was full of holes, and various
fruits were hanging about him. And the old man Macarius said
unto him, " Whither goest thou?" And he said, "I am going to
visit the brethren, and to make them mindful [of their work]. "
And the old man said to him, "For what purpose are the vari-
" ous fruits which are on thee required?" And Satan answered
and said, "I am carrying them to the brethren for food." And
the old man said, "All these?" And Satan said, "Yea. For it
" one pleaseth not a brother, I hand him over another; and if
" that pleaseth him not, I give him another, and one or other
"of these must certainly please him." And having said these
things Satan went on his way.
Then the old man continued to watch the road until Satan
came along to return, and when he saw him, he said unto him,
"Hast thou been successful?" And Satan said, "Whence am I
to obtain help?" And the old man said, " For what purpose?"
Then Satan said, "They have all forsaken me, and have re-
" belled against me, and not one of them will allow himself to
* be overpersuaded by me. " And the old man said, * Hast thou
4 not then one friend left there? " And Satan said to him, ( Yea,
" I have one brother, but one only who will be persuaded by me,
" although whensoever he s eeth me he turneth away his face
"as from that of an adversary." The old man saith to him,
"What is the name of this brother?" And Satan saith, "Theo-
"pemptus"; and having said these things he departed and
went on his way.
Then Abba Macarius rose up and went down to the lower
desert, and the brethren heard [of his coming], and they brought
palm leaves, and went out to meet him, and every monk pre
pared and made ready his abode, thinking that he would come
and dwell there; but the old man [only] asked for the brother
whose name was Theopemptus, and he received him joyfully.
Now when the brethren began to speak among themselves, the
old man said unto him, "What hast thou to say, O my brother,
" and how are thine own affairs?" And Theopemptus said to
him, "At the present moment matters are well with me," for
he was ashamed to speak. The old man said unto him, "Be-
" hold, I have now lived a life of stern asceticism for many
"years, and I am held in honour by every man, nevertheless,
"even though I am an old man, the spirit of fornication dis-
" turbeth me." And Theopemptus answered and said, "Believe
" me, father, [it disturbeth] me also"; and the old man, like one
who was vexed by many thoughts, made a reason for talking,
and at length he led the brother to confess the matter. And
afterwards he said unto him, "How long dost thou fast?" And
274
/iDacanus tbe
the brother said unto Macarius, "Until the ninth hour." And
the old man saith, "Fast until the evening, and continue to do
"so, and thou shalt repeat passages from the Book of the
"Gospels, and from the other Scriptures. If a thought riseth
"in thy mind let not thy mind look downwards, but always
" upwards, and the Lord shall help thee." Thus having made
the brother reveal his thoughts, and having given him encou
ragement, he departed to go to his own desert, and he travelled
along the road and watched according to his custom.
And he saw the devil again, and said unto him, "Whither
" goest thou?" And he answered and said unto him, "I go to
" remind the brethren [of their work]." And having departed
and come back again, the holy man said unto him, "How are
"the brethren?" and the devil said, "They are in evil case."
And the old man said, "Why?" and the devil said, "Because
"they are all [like] savage animals, and they are rebellious.
" But the worst thing of all is that even the one brother who
" used to be obedient to me hath turned, through what cause
" I know not, and he will not be in any way persuaded by me,
" and he is the most savage of them all against me; I have on
" this account taken an oath that I will never again go to that
" place, at least, only after a very long time."
Now this Abba Macarius was marvellous in his life and
deeds. Once as he was travelling along in the inner desert,
he looked, and, behold, there was an old man coming towards
him, and he was arrayed in apparel which was very old, and
over his whole body there were hung very many things which
were like unto pots, each one being provided with rings, and
he was covering them over as it were with a covering. And he
drove his staff into the ground, and though he was as timid
and as terrified as a fugitive slave, he pretended to be bold,
and stood up like a brave man, and spake to the blessed Ma
carius, face to face, saying, "What dost thou in this wilder-
" ness, and why art thou wandering hither and thither herein?"
And the blessed Macarius answered and said unto him, "I wish
" to find God, for I am fleeing from error. But who art thou,
" O old man? Tell me, for I observe that thy raiment is very
"different from that of the children of men. Tell me, now,
"what are these things which thou hast upon thee? "Then
the old man, though unwilling, confessed and said, "I am he
" whom thou callest by the name of Calumniator, and these
" things which thou seest upon me are those wherew r ith I draw
1 towards myself the children of men, and with each one of these,
" according as it befitteth and is suitable for a man, I take care
* * to fulfil the work of error; and by means of their lusts, as with
" wings, I make to turn backwards those who are obedient unto
275 iSa
Hbe ipara&ise of tbe 1bolp 3f atbers
"me, and I have great happiness in those who, through my
44 crafts and wiles, stumble and fall."
And when the blessed Macarius had heard these things, he
plucked up courage, and said unto Satan, "By Christ, Who
" caused thee to make a mockery of the holy angels, explain
44 to me, one by one, each and all of the things which thou
4 earnest, for by this thou shalt be revealed, so that a man
44 may see the insidiousness of thy arts and wiles, and may
4 learn thy hidden snares, and may recognize the multitude
" of the burning arrows of thine error, and may flee from the
4 4 performance of thy will." Then the Calumniator answered
and said, "I must reveal unto thee my craftiness, even though
44 1 be unwilling so to do, for it is impossible for me to hide
44 from thee any of the things which thou seest; learn thou the
44 use (or reason) of each pot. If I find a man who meditateth
"continually on the Law of God, I pour out upon him from
44 the pot which is on my head dizziness and headache, and
44 1 restrain him [from this work] thereby. On the man who
4 hath chosen to watch by means of [the recital of] prayers
44 and psalms I pour out from the pot which is on my eyelids
" a disposition to sleep, and I lead and drive him along by
44 main force into slumber. These which thou seest that I have
4 4 on my ears are prepared for disobedience and the transgres-
44 sion of the Commandments, and by their means I trap those
44 who wish to lead a good life to disobey the word of truth.
4 From those which hang from my nose I sprinkle on the
44 young the sweet smell of happiness, and lead them into for-
4 nication. From those which are on my mouth I throw out
4 flowers (?), and I incite the ascetic by means of blandish-
44 ments, and I make to sin those who live a life of abstinence
44 and self-denial by means of such dainty meats and foods ac-
" cording to my desire; and by means of those which are on
44 my mouth I also draw many into the utterance of calumnies,
44 and into filthy talk, and to speak briefly, in each one of these
44 pots is the seed which is most useful for increasing the fruits
44 which are worthy of me, and which may be gathered from
" the labours of the husbandmen who labour in my vineyard.
44 And from the pots which are hung about my neck I pour out
44 pride, and I enclose with my nets those who are haughty in
44 their minds; and so by means of all these I possess in the
44 world multitudes of subjects who love the things which are
44 mine, that is to say, worldly praise and wealth, which are
44 the things that, by those who are remote from God, are be-
44 lieved to be good things in the world.
"And the pots which thou seest hanging from my breasts
"are full of my imaginings, and with some of these I water
276
/Ifcacarius tbc
44 the hearts of the children of men, and by means of the drunk-
** enness of the passions I dissipate and destroy the mind which
44 feareth God; and through my error I confound the memory
4 of those men who wish to meditate upon and to think about
4 the things which concern the world to come. And those which
hang upon my body are full of want of feeling and percep-
4 tion, and by their means I prepare those who are without
4 understanding to live in a savage and animal manner a life
4 which is characterized by various kinds of brutish habits.
4 And in the pots which I carry below my body will be found
4 all things which are useful and suitable for union with women
44 in fornication, and for filthy wantonness. Those which are on
44 my hands are useful in the committal of murders, and by their
44 means, as by hands, is carried out and performed the work
44 of those who are subject unto me voluntarily. And the pots
44 which thou seest hanging from my neck and back have in
4 them the thick darkness of my temptations, wherewith I am
4 able to vanquish those who are so bold as to contend against
4 me; and I lay ambushes behind me, and I rush out to over-
4 throw those who depend upon and who boast in their own
4 strength. And the pots which thou seest hanging on my
44 loins and thighs, and which are arranged downwards to my
44 feet, are full of the snares and nets which I pour out, and
44 with which I make crooked and confound the ways of those
44 who wish to journey in the narrow path of the fear of God ;
44 and I impede thereby the goings of those who cultivate asce-
4 tic excellence, and I make them to journey on my way which
4 is easy to travel. For I take my seat between the two ways
4 of life and death, and whilst I confound and lead astray
4 those who wish to journey in the way of life, I lead and
4 help on their way those who are travelling on the road of
4 death, and I strengthen them also, and I make them valiant
4 so that they may go forward easily in my paths. And when
4 they are bowed down and labour under my yoke I sow evil
4 and abominable vices among them like thorns and brambles,
4 and having gathered in from seed of this kind the fruit of
44 such crops which they believe to be pleasant, they deny the
44 way of truth, because evil men are taken in the snares of the
44 filthiness of abominable things. But thou, O Macarius, hast
44 never once inclined thyself to obey me, so that by thine obedi-
44 ence I might be able to find even a little consolation; but thou
44 burnest me up wholly by means of the mighty armour of
44 the humility which thou bearest, and for this reason I haste
44 to depart to mine own subjects. For thou possessest a good
44 Lord, and thou hast mighty companions, who tranquilly and
44 happily serve God, and who protect thee as a beloved son."
277
tlbe parafcise of tbe ibols jfatbers
And when the chosen athlete had heard these things, he
made the sign of the Cross over himself, and said, " Blessed
" be God, Who hath made those who have put their hopes in
" Him to make thee a mockery and a laughing-stock, and Who
" hath preserved me wholly and completely from thy error, so
" that whilst turning aside from the same I was able to advance
" in the good fight; and having fought and conquered I shall
" receive a crown from the good Lord Whom I possess. Flee
" then, and get thee afar off, O thou who art envious of the
" things which are good, for Christ will make an end of thee,
4 * so that thou mayest not dare to attack any of those who
"worship Him. For sufficient for thee are those whom thou
"hast drawn unto thyself by flattery, through thy evil wiles
" and their own sluggish will, and made to travel on the flat,
" wide road of destruction. Thou shalt not then dare to draw
11 nigh unto those who of their own will have elected to travel
41 in the narrow, and straight, and troubled, and vexatious way
" of life, but have fear, and depart from those who dwell in
"waste places and in deserts." Now when the blessed man
had said these things, straightway the Calumniator disap
peared, and the holy man Macarius bowed the knee, and
prayed, saying, "Glory be unto Thee, O Christ, Thou Who
" art the Refuge of those who are overtaken by storms, Thou
* Who art the straight way of those who err, Thou who art
" the Redeemer of those who flee unto Thee for refuge, now,
" always, and for ever and ever! Amen."
Gbapter rliij, <W Hbba /Ifoarfe tbe OLess, tbe Disciple
of Hbba S^lvanus
THEY used to say concerning Abba Sylvanus that he
wished to depart to Syria, and his disciple Mark said
unto him, " Not only do I not wish thee to depart from
" this place, O father, but I will not permit thee to go [now];
" wait then here for three days more"; and on the third day
Mark died in peace.
Cbapter li\>. f Hbba paule tbe Simple, tbe Disciple
of /IDar Hntbong
THE blessed man, Paule the Simple, the disciple of the
holy man Anthony, used to relate to the fathers the fol
lowing matter: I once went to a certain monastery
that I might visit the brethren for profit spiritually, and after
some conversation on the matter, and the customary talk, they
went into the holy church that they might form a congregation
as usual, and perform the service of the Holy Mysteries. And
the blessed Paule looked at and scrutinized carefully each one
278
Hbba paule
of them, so that he might see in what frame of mind he was
going, for he had the gift, which had been given unto him
by God, of looking into the soul of every man, and of knowing
what his soul was like, even as we have the power of looking
upon the faces of each other. And he saw that every man
was going in with a glorious aspect of soul, and with face full
of light, and that the angel of each man was rejoicing in him,
with the exception of one whose face was sick and afflicted,
and whose whole body was in darkness, and devils had hold
upon each of his hands, and they were lifting him up and
dragging him towards them, and they had put a ring in his
nose ; and he saw also that the holy angel of this man was a
long way from him, and that he followed after him sadly and
sorrowfully.
And when the blessed Paule saw these things he wept,
and smote himself upon the breast many times, and he sat
down before the church, and he cried unceasingly for the man
who had appeared unto him in this state. Now those who saw
the old man became greatly astonished suddenly, and especi
ally at his swift change [from happiness] to weeping and tears,
and they asked him, and entreated him, and begged him to
tell them what he had seen, for they thought that, though
blaming them, he would do so, and they besought him also,
with one voice, to go into the congregation with them. But
Paule drove them away from him, and he would not let him
self be persuaded to do this, so he sat down outside the church
and held his peace, and he cried aloud and groaned loudly
concerning that which had appeared to him.
And after a short time, when the service was ended, and all
the fathers were coming out, Paule scrutinized carefully each
one ot them, so that he might see in what manner would come
out those whom he had seen go in, and whether it would be
with the same countenance as that wherewith they had gone
in, or otherwise. And he saw again that man whom he had
seen go in, and whose body before he had entered into the
church was in darkness, and behold, he came forth from the
church with his face full of light, and his body was white, and
the devils followed him at a great distance, and his guardian
angel was quite close to him, and walked with him; and he
was glad and rejoiced greatly over that man. Then the holy
man Paule leaped up, and stood there glad and rejoicing, and
he cried out and blessed God, saying, " Hail to the overflowing
41 mercy of God! Hail to the immeasurable goodness! Hail to
" His rich treasuries! Hail to His pleasure, which is beyond
" measure!" And he ran up and stood upon a lofty platform,
and cried out with a loud voice, saying, " Come ye, and see
279
ITbe paraMse of tbe f>ol2 tf atbers
" how awful are the works of God, and how greatly they are
" worthy of admiration ! Come ye, and see Him Who wisheth
" that all the children of men should live, and should turn to
" the knowledge of the truth ! Come, let us kneel and worship
" Him, and say, Thou art He Who alone is able to forgive
" sins. " Therefore all the fathers ran diligently so that they
might hear what he was saying. And when they had all gath
ered together, the holy man Paule related unto them the things
which he had seen both when they went into the church, and
when each one of them came out; and they entreated that
brother [to tell them] what was the reason of that complete
change, and of the gladness which God bestowed upon him
[so] quickly.
And the man, being afraid lest he might be rebuked by the
blessed Paule, related the following things concerning himself
before them all, and without any concealment whatsoever, and
said, " I am a sinful man, and for a long time past, even unto
"the present day, I lived in fornication. When I went into
"the church, I heard the [Book of] the Prophet Isaiah read,
" that is to say, I heard God speaking through him, and say-
" ing, Wash, and be clean, and remove your evil deeds from
"before Mine eyes. Hate the things which are evil, and learn
"to do good, seek out judgement, and pass [righteous] sen-
" tences upon those who are afflicted. And if your sins be red
" like crimson, they shall become white as snow. And if ye are
" willing to hearken unto Me, ye shall eat of the good things
"of the earth."
" Now when I had heard read [these] words from the
" Prophet, that is to say, had heard God Who was speaking
" by him, I forthwith repented in my soul sincerely, and sighing
" in my heart I said unto God, Thou art the God Who didst
"come into the world to make sinners to live, do Thou then
" make manifest in me the things which Thou hast promised
"in Thy Prophet, and fulfil them in me, even though I be
"unworthy of the same, for I am a sinner. For behold, I
"promise, and I enter into a covenant with Thee, and I
" will thrust this promise down into my soul, and will acknow-
" ledge [it], that from now and henceforth I will never commit
" such wickedness as this, but I will keep myself remote from
" all iniquity, and I will serve Thee from this day onwards with
" a clean conscience. Therefore, O Master, from this day,
" and from this hour, accept me, for I am penitent; and I will
" make supplication unto Thee, and will remove myself forth-
1 with from all sin. Therefore with such promises and cove-
" nants as these I came forth from the church, and I determined
" in my soul that I would never again do anything which
280
Bbba panic
" would injure [my] fear of Him"; and when all the fathers
heard [this], they all cried out with a loud voice, and said
unto God, "O Lord, how great are Thy works! Thou hast
" created all of them in wisdom."
Now therefore, O Christians, since we know from the Holy
Scriptures and from divine revelations how great is the grace
which God dispenseth to those who truly run to Him for refuge,
and who blot out their former sins by means of repentance, and
also how, according to His promise, He rewardeth with good
things, and doth neither take vengeance according to what is
just, nor bring upon men a punishment for their former sins,
let us not be in despair of our lives. For, even as He promised
by the hand of Isaiah the Prophet, He will make clean those
who have toiled in sin, and will make them bright and white
like clean wool and snow, and will make them to be happy
with the blessings of heaven. And moreover, God asserteth
with oaths by the hand of the Prophet Ezekiel that He doth
not desire their destruction, for He saith, "As I live, saith the
44 Lord, I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he
"should turn from his evil way and live" (Ezekiel xxxiii, n).
281
Gbe IRule of ipacbomlus at Sabenna
Gbapter j. Bs tbe mtgbt of our Xorfc Jesus Cbrist we
beotn to write tbe " Hsfeetifeon," tbat is to sa& tbe
HMstors of tbe flfcoufes of Uabenna, wbo were followers
of Hbba pacbomf us
IN my opinion, the things which I am now about to write
are able to assist [us] greatly if we indeed follow after them,
and they will, moreover, make the hearer more vigilant in
respect of the contemplation of the things which have been
said. And if we were to excuse ourselves through negligence
from writing them down this act would bring danger upon
him that made such an excuse, and therefore, although we
can only advance from the beginning but a very little way with
the living word, we will declare a few of the earlier things.
It was a custom with the God-loving brother, the holy man
Abbd Pachomius, to gather together the brethren every even
ing in a duly appointed place in the monastery that they might
hear his doctrine, and once when they were all assembled ac
cording to their wont in order to hear Rabbd, he commanded
Theodore, a man who had lived in the monastery for twenty
years, to speak to the brethren, and straightway he spake
unto them concerning the things which were to be employed
as helpers, but made no mention of not stumbling. And some
of the aged sages who saw what had taken place did not wish
to listen to him, and they said within themselves, "What he is
"teaching us is for novices, and we [need not] listen unto
" him," and they left the congregation of the brethren and de
parting from that place went to their cells.
And when the brethren had been dismissed from the hearing
[of the sermon] Rabba" sent and called those who had departed
and who did not wish to hear Theodore, and when they had
come into the presence of the holy man he asked them, "Why
1 did ye leave us and depart to your cells?" And they said,
4 Because thou hast made a young man our teacher, and al-
4 though all the old men were standing [there], and other
4 brethren who were much older [than he], thou didst com-
mand a young man to speak unto us." Now when Rabb
had heard these things he groaned, and said, "Do ye know
"by what means wickedness first began to take hold in the
" world?" And they said unto him, " What were they?" And
he answered and said unto them, "By pride, and it began
"when that bright star which used to shine (or rise) in the
" morning fell [from heaven] (Isaiah xiv, 12), and was dashed
" in pieces on the earth. Or, have ye never heard that which
283
iparafcise of tbc Ibols jfatbers
44 is written, The man who is haughty in heart is an abomin-
44 able thing before the Lord? (Proverbs xvi, 5.) For whoso-
" ever exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that abaseth
44 himself shall be exalted (St. Matthew, xxiii, 12). Therefore de-
44 liver ye yourselves from your false superiority, for do ye not
* know that the mother of the beginning of wickednesses is
" pride? Ye did not only leave Theodore and depart from him,
44 but ye fled and departed from the Word of God, [and] ye fell
away from the Holy Spirit. O ye truly wretched men, who
" deserve sorrow of every kind, how is it that ye cannot under-
44 stand that it was Satan who was working in you, and that,
44 because of this, ye made yourselves to be remote from God?
44 Oh, what a great and wonderful thing it is that God humbled
44 Himself, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and
44 put on his body and dwelt in him, and became obedient even
44 unto death for our sakes! And yet we who are by nature low
44 puff ourselves up with pride! He Who is high above all
4i things, and exceeding great, turned from the ordinary course
44 [of His greatness] and in humility fashioned the world, al-
44 though He was able to destroy everything which existeth by
44 a glance! And yet we who are nothing make ourselves proud,
44 being ignorant that in thus doing we are sinking ourselves
44 into the depths of the earth! Do ye not observe that I stand
44 and incline my ear to the teaching [of Theodore]? Verily I
44 say unto you, that I have been greatly helped by him. For I
44 did not ask him to address you because I thought lightly of
44 him, but because I expected to be helped myself by his words;
44 how very much more, then, is it right that ye should hearken
44 unto his words with a ready mind and absolute humility?
44 Verily I, who am your father in the Lord, am as one who
44 knoweth not his right hand from his left, and therefore I
4 4 listen unto him with all my soul. Therefore before God I say
44 unto you that, if ye shew great repentance for this folly which
44 ye have committed, and if ye weep and mourn for yourselves
44 because thereof in such wise that ye be edified thereby, that
44 which hath happened shall be forgiven you, and if not, then
44 ye will go to perdition."
Gbapter ij. f S^lvanus tbe Hctor
ONCE there was a man among the brethren whose name
was Sylvanus, who for a period of twenty years had
worn the garb of a monk ; now he was originally an
actor, and at the beginning of his life as a monk he was ex
ceedingly anxious about his soul, but after a short time had
elapsed he began to be so negligent about his redemption, that
he wanted to make merry and to enjoy himself, and besides
284
Sgfranus tbc Hctor
this he used to sing fearlessly among the brethren snatches or
the lewd and ribald songs which he used to hear in the theatre.
Then Abba Pachomius, the holy man, called this brother be
fore the brethren, and commanded him to strip off the garb of
a monk, and having received such apparel as was worn in the
world, to go forth from among the brethren and from the
monastery. And that brother fell down at the feet of Pacho
mius and entreated him, saying, "O father, if thou wilt for-
"give me this once, and wilt not cast me forth, thou hast it
"from me that from this time forward I will repent of those
" things wherein I have hitherto shown negligence, in such a
"manner that thou shalt be able to see the change which
* hath taken place in my soul."
And the holy man answered and said unto him, "Dost thou
4 know how much I have borne from thee, and how many
* times I have admonished thee, and how many times I have
" beaten thee? I am a man who hath no wish to stretch out
" my hands in a matter of this kind, because when, of neces-
** sity, I was obliged to act thus in respect of thee, [my] soul
" suffered far more by the mention of association with passion
" than thou didst, although the stripes were laid upon thee. I
" beat thee for the sake of thy salvation in God, so that by that
" means I might be able to correct thee of thy folly; but since,
" even though I admonished thee, thou didst not change [thy
" course of life], and didst not follow after spiritual excellence,
" even though I entreated thee so to do, and since even when
" beaten thou wast not afraid, how is it possible for me to for-
" give thee any more?"
But when Sylvanus multiplied his entreaties, and begged for
his forgiveness long and earnestly, and promised that he would
amend his life henceforward, Rabba demanded a surety from
him that after he was forgiven he would no more continue his
evil behaviour; and when the venerable man Petronius had
made himself a surety for him concerning the things which
Sylvanus had promised the blessed man forgave him. Then
Sylvanus, having been held worthy of forgiveness, contended
with all his soul, and to such good purpose, that he became
the pattern of all excellence of the fear of God, both among all
the younger and all the elder brethren. Now the virtue which
surpassed all the other virtues which he possessed was that of
absolute humility, and tears flowed from his eyes so unceas
ingly that even when he was eating with the brethren he was
not able to restrain his weeping, and his tears were mingled
with his food. And when the brethren told him that he should
not behave thus before the face of strangers (i.e., visitors), or
before any people, he took an oath, saying, "I have sought
285
paraMse of tbe 1bol2 3f atbers
" many times to restrain [my] tears for this reason, but I have
" never been able [to do so]." Then the brethren said, " Is it not
"possible for him that repenteth to seek to be alone? And
" would it not be better for him to act thus when he was pray-
" ing with the brethren than when he was eating at the table
" with them? And is it not possible for the soul to weep con-
" tinually with tears other than those which are visible?" [Then
turning to him, they said,] "We wish to know what thou hast
" to say on the matter. For thou art so overwhelmed with [thy]
" tears that many of us who see thee in this state are ashamed
" to eat and take our fill."
Then Sylvanus said unto those who had asked him [those
questions], "Do ye not wish me to weep when I see holy men
" waiting upon me, men, the dust of whose feet I am unworthy
" [to sweep away]? Is it not proper that I should weep over
" myself? I weep then, O my brethren, because a man from the
" theatre is ministered unto by such holy men as these, and I
" am afraid lest I be smitten even as were Dathan and Abiram.
"And I weep especially because, being in ignorance, I cared
" so little at the beginning about the redemption (or salvation)
" of my soul, that I came in danger of being expelled by the
"brethren from the monastery, and I was obliged to give
" surety [for my better behaviour], and to take awful oaths that
" I would never again treat my life with contempt. For this
" reason I am not ashamed [to weep], and I have turned away
" from such things; for I know my sins and that if I was ob-
" liged to deliver up my soul I should find no happiness [in
" heaven]."
And as this man strove nobly in this manner Rabba himself
bore testimony before all the brethren, and spake thus: "Be-
* hold, I bear testimony before God that, from the time when
this monastery came into existence, among all the brethren
who have lived with me therein, there hath been none who
hath resembled completely the example [which I have con-
* ceived in my mind] with the exception of one." Now when
the brethren heard these things some of them thought that the
one man of whom he spake was Theodore, and others thought
he was Petronius, and others thought he was Arsenius, and at
length Theodore asked the holy man of which monk he had
spoken w r hen he said this thing; but Rabba did not wish to say.
But because Theodore and the other great fathers continued
to entreat him [to tell them], for they wished to learn who he
was, Rabba answered and said, "If I knew that vainglory
" would come to him of whom I am about to speak, and that
" he would be greatly praised, I would not shew [you] who he
"is; but, because I know that the more he is praised, the
286
tbe Hctor
"more humble he will become, and the more he will think
"scorn of himself, and because [I wish] you to emulate his
" example, I will, before you all, fearlessly ascribe blessing to
" him. Thou, O Theodore, and all those, who like thee, strive
" in the fight, have bound the Calumniator with fetters like a
" kid of the goats, and have placed him under your feet, and
"daily ye trample upon him as ye trample upon dust; but if
" ye are the least unmindful of yourselves, the Calumniator,
" who hath been cast under your feet, will rise up again, and
" will set himself against you like an armed man. But this
" young man Sylvanus, who but a short time since was about
"to be expelled from the monastery, hath, by his strenuous-
" ness, so completely subjugated the Calumniator, and slain
" him, that he will never again be able to approach him, for he
" hath vanquished him utterly by his exceedingly great humility.
"Ye have humbled yourselves as if ye possessed works of
"righteousness, and the addition which ye would make to
"your spiritual excellence is reduced, for ye rely upon the
" things which have already been performed by you; but this
"young man, however much he striveth, never sheweth him-
" self to the gaze [of his fellows], and he thinketh with all his
" mind and soul that he is a useless and contemptible being.
" And tears are always nigh unto him because he is always be-
" Httling himself, and because he saith that he is unworthy of
" the things which are visible. Ye, in your knowledge, and in
"your patient endurance, and in your strivings against the
" Calumniator, which cannot be measured, are better than he
" is, but he hath surpassed you in humility, because he, in this
" manner, cutteth off for the Calumniator nothing but humi-
" lity, and the power of action which ariseth from the whole
"soul." Now therefore when Sylvanus had striven in this
manner for eight years, he completed his fight, and laid down
his life in such wise that his servant, a mighty man of God,
testified concerning his departure, and said that an endless
throng of holy angels, with great rejoicing and singing, re
ceived his soul as a choice sacrifice, and that they offered it up
unto God like the marvellous incense which is found among
the children of men.
Cbapter iij* f a certain Sinner wbo
AND it came to pass once that Abba Pachomius went
to another monastery to visit the brethren who were
there, and as he was on his journey he met the funeral
of a certain brother of the monastery who was dead, and [the
monks] were going to the funeral and were singing as they
went ; and there were also among them the parents of the man
287
parafctse of tbe 1bol2 ffatbers
who had died. Now the brethren saw from a distance the holy
man coming towards them, and they set down the bier upon
the ground so that he might come and pray over him. And
when the blessed man had come, and had said a prayer, he
commanded the brethren not to sing any more psalms and
hymns over him; and he also commanded them to bring the
garments of him that had died, and they brought them, and
in the presence of them all he ordered the men to burn them;
then, when they had been burned he commanded that the dead
body should be taken and buried without any further singing.
Then the brethren, and the parents, and kinsfolk of him that
was dead threw themselves down at his feet and entreated him
to permit them to sing over him, but he remained unmoved;
and the parents of the dead man said unto Abba Pachomius,
"What hast thou done, O father? This is a new thing, and
" thou art sending away our son in an unlawful fashion. It be-
" fitteth not thy holiness to display such a want of compassion
"unto this dead man, and moreover, this savage cruelty is
"like to bring about sorrow. Even an enemy who seeth the
" dead body of his adversary knoweth how to shew pity many
"times over, although his disposition be unutterable and im-
" movable. We have seen a new sight with you, O Christians,
" the like of which hath never been seen, even among the bar-
" barians. Through this want of compassion [on thy part]
"thou hast made to cling to the family [of the dead man]
" a disgrace which shall never be blotted out. Would that we
"had never seen thee this day! For then our house, which
"hath ever possessed an untarnished name, would not have
" inherited disgrace. Would that our poor son had never come
" into thy savage hands ! For then he would not have bequeath-
" ed unto us this everlasting sorrow. We beseech thee now,
" since thou hast caused even his clothes to be burned, to allow
" a Psalm to be said over him."
Then Abba Pachomius answered and said unto them, "O
" my brethren, in very truth I have more compassion upon him
" that lieth here than ye have, and because, like a father, I am
" shewing exceedingly great care on his behalf, I have com-
" manded these things to be done. Ye would take care of the
"body which is visible, but I strive for his soul [which is in-
" visible]; for if ye sing Psalms over him he will receive the
"greater torments, and a reckoning will be demanded from
"him because of the Psalms which have been sung, for he
" departeth not with the power of the Psalms upon him. If
"then ye wish to make an addition to his everlasting suffer-
" ings, sing Psalms; but I tell you, of a truth, that if ye do
"indeed sing Psalms over him, he will certainly suffer more
288
Ipacbomius anfc tbe Sinner
" pain because of them, and he will curse you. And because I
" know what will benefit his soul I take no care for his dead
"body whatsoever; for if I permit ye to sing Psalms, I shall
" be found to be in the sight of God as one who [striveth to]
" please the children of men, because for the sake of gratify -
" ing men I have treated with contempt that which will benefit
" the soul which is about to be punished in judgement. For be-
4 cause God is a fountain of grace He seeketh excuses upon
4 which He can lay hold in order to pour out upon us the
" abundant streams of His grace; if then, we, who have been
" held to be worthy by God to become acquainted with the art
" of divine healing, do not apply the binding up which is suit-
" able to the wound, we shall, like those who despise [God],
" hear that which is written, Those who despised [God] saw,
" and marvelled at the wonderful thing, and were destroyed.
" For this reason then, that is to say, that we may lighten his
" punishment, I entreat you to bury the dead man without any
" singing of Psalms; for the good God knoweth that in return
" for this slight which hath come upon him, we are giving him
" rest and are calling him to life. Had he listened unto me on
the several occasions on which I admonished him, he would
" never have come to this pass."
And when the blessed man had said these things they car
ried him to the mountain without the singing of Psalms, and
he was buried. And the holy man passed several days in that
monastery in admonishing and teaching each one of the breth
ren the fear of God, and the way to strive rightly against the
Calumniator, and against his arts, and wiles, and guile, and
how in a short time, by the might of the Lord, we shall be
able to bring to naught beforehand the things which are cared
for by him.
Cbapter i\>, <W tbe ff uneral of a certain tools /IDan
wbo fcie&
NOW whilst Abb& Pachomius was still there he heard
that a certain brother from the monastery of Beth RA-
ya" was sick, [and it was said to him], " He wisheth to
"see thee and to be blessed by thee before he dieth." And
when the man of God heard these things he rose up, and de
parted on the journey, but when he was about two miles from
the monastery, the holy man heard a holy voice in the air, and
he lifted up his eyes and saw the soul of the sick brother with
the holy angels, singing hymns, and being borne aloft to a
blessed and divine life; now the brethren who were accom
panying him neither heard nor saw anything. And when the
holy man had stood there and gazed for a long time towards
289 19
Ube paratose of tbe 1bolp tf atbers
the East, they said unto him, "Why standest thou [here], O
" father? Let us hurry on so that we may reach him whilst he
" is still alive." And he said unto them, " We shall not reach
" him there, for I have just seen him ascending- to everlasting
" life; depart ye then, O my children, to your monastery." And
when those brethren entreated him [to tell them] in what [form]
he had seen the soul of the brother who had died, he said unto
them, " In a certain form" ; and when they had heard this they
departed to their monastery. And they [enquired], and ascer
tained exactly from the brethren who were in the monastery,
concerning the hour whereof Rabba had spoken to them, and
then they recognized that the things which had been said unto
them about the brother who had died were true.
Gbapter\>. f tbe tbmgs wbicb Hbba pacbomins
bearfc saifc in tbe Htr b tbe Devils as be was tour*
negfng in tbe Desert to bis Aonasterg
NOW when the holy old man was journeying to his
monastery, and was by the side of the desert which is
called " Ammon," certain legions of devils rose up
against him, and thronged him, both on his right hand and on
his left, and others ran in front of him, saying, " Behold the
blessed man of God"; and they acted in this wise because they
were plotting to sow the seeds of vainglory in him. Now he
knew the evil character of their cunning, and as they cried
out these things he cried out to God, and made confession of
his sins; then, having brought to naught the evil cunning of
these wicked devils, he answered and said unto them, "Ye
" are not able to persuade me to [indulge in] vainglory. Oye
" wicked ones, well do I know mine iniquities, and well do I
" know that it is right for me to weep concerning them con-
" tinually, and concerning the punishment which is for ever. I
" have no need of fluent words and cunning error from you,
" for your work is the destruction of souls. I am not to be
"carried away therefore by your praisings, for I know well
" your cunning minds, O evil ones." And though the holy man
Pachomius spake these words unto them, their audacious acts
did not cease, for they clung round and about the blessed man
until he drew nigh unto his monastery.
Cbapter x>j. f tbe tbings wbicb Hbba pacbomius fcifc
wben be arrived at bis /I&onasten?
AND when the brethren went forth to meet the holy man
and to salute him, a certain young man also went out
with them to salute Abba Pachomius, and he began to
make a complaint to him, saying, " Verily, O father, from the
"time when thou didst depart to visit the brethren until this
290
pacbomtus an& tbe Coofe
11 present they have not cooked either vegetables or crushed
" peas"; and the old man answered and said unto him readily
and pleasantly, " My son, grievenot, for from this time forward
" I will make them to cook these things for thee." And having
gone round about through the monastery AbbA Pachomius
went to the place where the food was [kept], and he found him
that did the cooking plaiting a mat of palm leaves, and he said
unto him, " How long is it since thou hast cooked vegetables
"for the brethren?" and he answered, "Two months." And
Rabbd said unto him, " Hast thou acted thus in spite of the
" command and ordinances of the holy fathers which enjoin
"that vegetables shall be cooked for the brethren every
" Saturday and every Sunday?" And the cook answered and
said unto him, "Truly, O father, I wanted to cook some
" vegetables on each of these days, but because I saw that
"when they were cooked they were not eaten (for all the
" brethren, so to speak, were restraining themselves, and
" were not eating cooked food), except by the young men who
"usually ate them, and when I saw that when they were
" not eaten they were thrown away, [I cooked] no more so
" that all the expense and all the trouble might be avoided.
" Now we pour into the cooked food of the brethren forty boxes
" of oil daily. And when I saw that the food was not eaten I
" did not cook it, for I did not consider it to be right that we
" should throw away and waste such costly things. And more-
" over, because I could not sit idle I began to plait a mat
" with the brethren, for I thought that one man would be suffi-
" cient in the kitchen to prepare the less important meals for
" brethren, that is to say, chopped garlic, and mountain herbs
" [mixed with] vinegarandolivebil,andherbs from the garden."
And when the holy man had heard these things he said
unto the cook, "How many mats have ye made? Ye who
"belong to the kitchen must have been continually at this
"work"; and the cook said, "Five hundred." And Abb3
Pachomius said unto him, * Bring them here, for I wish to count
" them"; and having brought the mats he ordered them to be
thrown into the fire. Then, when they had all been consumed,
Abba Pachomius said unto them, " Why have ye forsaken the
" ordinance which hath been given unto you for the govern-
" ment of the brethren through [your] Satanic minds? I have
"destroyed pitilessly the labour of your hands, and have
" burned it in the fire, so that ye may learn what it is for a man
"to treat lightly the laws of the fathers, which have been
" given for the benefit of souls. How great is the help which
" ye have removed from the brethren through your not having
"cooked food for them! Have ye forgotten that a man hath
291 i$a
Ube paraWse of tbe tools tf atbers
" power over a desire for food, and that he who restraineth
"himself from such and such a food, for God s sake, shall
44 obtain from God wages which are not small? while he who
"hath not received authority, and who denieth himself by
"force or necessity will seek for wages in return for this in
"vain? And do ye not know that, if cooked meat be placed
" upon the table, and the brethren eat it not because they re-
" strain themselves therefrom for God s sake, they shall receive
"abundant wages? But if cooked meats be not given unto
" them, because they have not seen them abstinence and self-
" denial can never be reckoned unto them. For the sake of
" eighty boxes of oil, for such is the excuse [which ye have
" made], ye have cut off all the preparation of all the brethren;
" I would rather that all the world should be wasted than that
" one small spiritual virtue should be cut off from [their] soul[s].
" I therefore truly wish to have food in abundance cooked
"daily and set before the brethren, so that in practising ab-
" stinence every day, and in restraining themselves from
" partaking of what hath been given to them, they may make
" an addition daily to their spiritual excellence. For if a man
4 should happen to fall sick, and did not desire to go to the
4 hospital, if he should come to the common table in order to
* partake of the vegetables which are usually given to the
4 brethren, and should not find any there, what would happen
to me? Would not a brother be offended in not finding at
4 the common table that of which he was in need? And do ye
4 not know that young men especially [cannot] continue in
4 spiritual excellence unless they enjoy some small gratifica-
4 tion or a little consolation from their food?"
Gbapter \>i j.f tbe 1Rex>elation wbicb Hbbapacbomius
receivefc from (3ofc concerning certain Iberetics wbo
bappenefc to visit bint
AND it came to pass that when the old man had said
these things to the brethren, the doorkeeper came to
him, and said, "Certain travellers, who are men of
44 importance, have come hither, and they wish to meet thee";
and he said, " Call them hither," and when they had entered
into the monastery he saluted them with the brethren. And
after they had seen all the brotherhood, and had gone round
about among all the cells of the brethren they wanted to hold
converse with him by themselves. Now when they had taken
their seats in a secluded chamber, there came unto the old
man a strong smell of uncleanness, but he knew not whence
came such uncleanness, though he thought that it must arise
from them because he was speaking with them face to face ;
292
Cacbomius anb tbe JSretbten
and he was not able to learn the cause of the same by the
supplication which [he made] to God, for he perceived that
their speech was fruitful [of thought], and that their minds
were familiar with the Scriptures, but he was not acquainted
with their intellectual uncleanness. Then, after he had spoken
unto them many things out of the Divine Books, and the
season of the ninth hour had drawn nigh meanwhile, they rose
up that they might come to their own place, and Rabb en
treated them to partake of some food there, but they did not
accept [his petition, saying,] that they were in duty bound to
arrive home before sunset ; so they prayed, and they saluted
us, and then they departed
And Rabb, in order to learn the cause of the uncleanness
of those men, went into his cell, and prayed to God, and he
knew straightway that it was the doctrine of wickedness which
arose from their souls that sent forth such an unclean smell.
Thereupon he went forth from his cell immediately and pur
sued those men, and having overtaken them, he said unto them,
" I beg of you to allow me to ask you one question" ; and they
said unto him, "Speak." And he said unto them, " Do ye call
" that which is written in the works of Origen heresy?" And
when they had heard this question they denied and said that
they did not. Then the holy man said unto them, " Behold, I
" take you to witness before God, that every man who readeth
"and accepteth the work of Origen, shall certainly arrive in
"the fire of Sheol, and his inheritance shall be everlasting
" darkness. That which I know from God I have made you to
" be witnesses of, and I am therefore not to be condemned by
"God on this account, and ye yourselves know about it.
" Behold, I have made you to hear the truth. And if ye believe
"me, and if ye wish truly to gratify God, take all the
"writings of Origen and cast them into the fire; and never
"seek to read them again." And when Abbd Pachomius had
said these things he left them.
Cbapter \>fij. f tbe iRevelation wbicb be receives
about tbe settlement of tbe Bretbren
AND when Abbd Pachomius had gone into the mon
astery, he found the brethren gathered together for
prayer, and he drew nigh unto them, and said all the
prayers ; but when the brethren went forth to eat he remained
in that chamber by himself, in order that he might recite to the
end therein the prayers of the congregation according to cus
tom. And he shut the door and prayed unto God that he
might have information about the settlements which were to
come subsequently to the brethren. Then having prolonged
293
tTbe ftarabise of tbe fbols tf atbers
[his] prayer from the tenth hour until the time when the
brethren beat [the boards to summon the brethren] to the ser
vice of the night, for he was praying until midnight, there
suddenly appeared unto him a vision which made known to
him concerning the settlements of the brethren subsequently,
and shewed him that they would live rightly in Christ, and the
increase which was about to take place in the religious houses.
And he saw a congregation of brethren which was endless, and
the men were making their way along a deep and gloomy
valley, and many of them came with the intention of going up
out of that valley, but were unable to do so, and many of them
met each other face to face, but because of the great density
of the darkness, they did not recognize each other; and many
fell down through exhaustion, and others were crying out
with the doleful voice of lamentation. Now a very few of them,
with the greatest difficulty, and with much toil, were able to
go up out of that valley, and immediately they had done so the
light met them ; and when they had come to the light, they
gave thanks unto God mightily. Then did the blessed man
know the things which were going to happen to the brethren
in later times, and the absolute supineness which was to exist
in those times, and the blindness of error, and the removal ot
the shepherds which was about to happen to them, and he knew
that the wicked were to have dominion over the good, whom
they were to vanquish through their great numbers, and that
those who were to come afterwards would be mere imitations ot
monks. Now we set down in writing the memorial of these
things lest the wicked shall be governors over the brethren,
and those who are without knowledge shall have authority over
the monasteries, and shall strive for the mastery, and the good
shall be persecuted by the wicked, and they shall not have
freedom of speech in the monasteries, and the divine things
which have been said shall be turned to the things of men.
Now therefore, when the blessed man knew these things, he
cried out to God with tears, and said, "O Lord God, Who
dost maintain the universe, if it is indeed to be thus why
didst Thou permit these monasteries to come into being?
And if in those times those who are to be governors over the
brethren be wicked men, what is to become of those who are
to be governed by them ? For when the blind leadeth the
blind both fall into the ditch. I have toiled absolutely in vain !
Remember, O Lord, my works, and those of these brethren,
who submit to be governed with alltheirsouls. Remember that
Thou didst promise me, saying, Until the end of the world I
4 will allow this spiritual seed to exist. Thou knowest, O my
Lord, that from the time when I put on the garb of the
294
ftacbomius anb tbe IDision
"monks, I have never satisfied myself with whatsoever
" groweth upon the earth, not even with water."
Cbapter i. Hnotber IRevelation on tbis matter wbicb
Ibrou^bt] Consolation
AND it came to pass that when he had said these
things, Abba Pachomius heard a voice saying, "Thou
" boastest thyself, O Pachomius. Thou art a man.
" Ask mercy for thyself, because everything standeth by com-
" passion." Now when the blessed man heard these things, he
straightway threw himself on his face upon the ground, and
he asked God for mercy, saying, "O Lord, Who dost sustain
" the universe, send Thy mercies to me, and take Thou them
"never away from me, for I know that without Thy mercy
"nothing can possibly exist." And having said these words
straightway there stood by his side two angels of God, and
there was with them a Young Man, Who had a face which is
unspeakable, and an appearance which cannot be described,
and on His head was a crown of thorns. Then the angels
made Pachomius to stand up, and they said unto him,
" Because thou hast asked God to send thee His mercy, be-
" hold, this is His mercy, the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, the
Only One, His Son, Whom He sent into the world, and
" Whom ye crucified; and ye set a crown of thorns upon His
kk head." And Pachomius said unto the Young Man, "I entreat
" Thee, O my Lord, and Thy holy nature, [to remember] that
" I did not crucify Thee." Then the Young Man relaxed His
face a little in a smile, and said unto him, * 4 I know that thou
"didst not crucify Me, but thy fathers did; be of good
courage, however, for the root of thy seed shall never come
"to an end, and thy seed shall be preserved upon the earth
" even unto the end of the world. And the seeds which shall
"burst into life in those times, through the abundance of
"darkness shall be found to be more excellent than those of
" this present time, and they shall be more completely subject
" to rule; for at this present, because thou art unto them as a
" light which is before the eyes, they lead lives of great excel-
" lence and according to rule, and they lean upon thy light.
" But those who shall come after them, and who shall live in
"a region of darkness, if with a good intent and from the
" mind voluntarily they run towards the truth, even though no
" man direcleth them, they shall from out of the darkness draw
" nigh unto the truth; verily, I say unto thee, that they shall
" be free and shall be with those who now lead a blameless
"life of the highest character, and they shall be held to be
" worthy of forgiveness."
2 95
tTbe jbarabise of tbe 1bol$ tfatbets
Then having said these things straightway the Young Man
went [up into] the heavens, and the heavens were opened, and
the air shone so brightly that it is impossible for us to describe
with human words the splendour of that light. And when Rabba
had marvelled at the things which he had heard, straightway
they beat [the board to summon] the brethren to the service of
the night.
Cbapter & t tbe Worfcs of Doctrine wbicb Hbba
pacbomius spafee to tbe Bretbren wben tbes were
gatberet) togetber
NOW when the brethren had come to the congregation
of the night, and the service for the night also was
ended, they sat down to hearken unto his words; and
he opened his mouth, and said unto them, " O my brethren, so
" long as ye have breath in your bodies strive for your redemp-
" tion; and before there cometh the hour wherein we shall have
" to weep for our souls let us cultivate spiritual excellence with
" a ready mind. And I say unto you that, if ye knew what good
" things were in heaven, and the glory which is laid up for the
" saints, and how those who have fallen are punished by God,
" and the tortures which are laid up for those who have been
" neglectful, and especially for those who having known the
" truth have not, as was right, guided themselves thereby, in-
" stead of inheriting the blessedness which is reserved for the
" saints, [ye would do so]. Flee ye then from the punishments
" which are in [these] tortures! And consider the graves, and
"consider the resurrection of the children of men, who are
"nothing! Why then doth man, who is dust, vaunt himself
"with vainglory? Why then doth he, who is altogether
" stinkingness, exalt himself? Let us weep for ourselves whilst
"we still have the time, so that when our departure cometh
" nigh we may not be found asking God for more time wherein
" to repent. A wretched thing is that soul, and greatly to be
" blamed, which hath left the world, but which had not dedi-
" cated itself to God, and which had not lived worthily of its
" promise. Let us not then, O my brethren, allow this world,
" which is a small and a contemptible thing, and which resem-
" bleth a fleeting shadow, to steal away from us blessed and
" immortal life.
" Verily I fear lest your fathers in the flesh, who lived in the
" world, and who were carried away by the anxious cares and
" afflictions of the world, and who imagined about you that ye
" were nigh unto the Lord, whereby ye received a pledge that
"ye would enter into a life of blessedness, will be more worthy
" than ye are of assistance in the world which is to come. And
296
Doctrine of pacbomius
14 at that time they will be found condemning you, and saying
44 that which is written, * How hath he disgraced you, and put
44 you greatly to shame: the fire hath blazed out upon you, and
44 your branches have been destroyed, and therefore have ye
44 4 become a thing of spoil (or prey), over which the lions roar
44 4 and send out their voices. Therefore, O my beloved, be ye
44 like unto those who are good, and let the crown of your head
44 be exalted. The cities which are towards the south, how are
44 they to be taken? There is none who will open unto you.
44 For the sinner shall be carried off because he seeth not the
44 glory of the Lord. Behold, ye have heard. Therefore, O my
44 brethren, let us strive with all our souls, and let us set death
4 before our eyes, and fasten our gaze upon the terrible tor-
44 tures [of Sheol], so that by means of them the mind may ar-
44 rive at the understanding, which beareth away the soul from
44 care; and when it weepeth [the mind] maketh it to be a spec-
44 tator, and with earthly things it enricheth it without wan-
44 dering to God. And not this only, for when it doeth these
44 things in humility, it persuadeth it to action which is free
44 from every kind of worldly mind, and to contempt instead of
4 vainglory.
44 Let the soul then, O my brethren, practise philosophy each
44 day in respect of this solid body [of ours], and when we come
44 to our beds in the evening let it say unto each one of the
44 members of the body, 4 O legs, how much power have ye to
44 4 stand up, and to move yourselves before ye die and become
44 things without motion? Will ye not stand up with good will
4 * for your Lord? And let it say unto the other members, 4 O
" 4 hands, there cometh an hour when ye shall be dissolved and
44 4 motionless, and when ye shall never be clasped in each other
44 4 again, and when ye shall not have any movement whatso-
44 4 ever; why then before ye fall into that hour and are cut off
44 4 do ye not stretch yourselves out to the Lord? And unto the
44 whole body shall the soul speak thus : 4 O body, before we are
44 4 separated and are removed far away from each other, and
44 before I descend into Sheol, and receive everlasting fetters
44 under darkness, and before thou art changed into the primal
44 4 matter of which thou art made, and art cast out upon the
44 4 earth to become filthiness and corruption, and to decay,
44 4 rise up boldly to worship the Lord without dislike, and take
4 my intelligence, by means of tears, and make known to thy
4 lordship thy free will servitude; and bear me on that with a
4 good will I may give thanks unto God before thou art
4 crushed under the weight of other things, and dost seek to
lie down, and to take thy rest, and dost condemn me to
4 everlasting torment. For there are times when that heavy
297
tTbe iparafcise of tbe 1bol^ ff atbere
" sleep is about to confuse thee. And if thou wilt hearken
" unto me, we shall enjoy happiness together in the inheri-
" tance of blessing, but if thou wilt not hearken unto me,
" then woe is me that I have ever been fettered by thee, for
" on thy account I, the wretched thing, shall be condemned.
" Now, if ye a6t thus daily, and if ye consecrate yourselves,
"verily ye shall become real temples of God, and since God
" dwelleth in you the cunning and wiles of Satan shall not be
"able to do you injury; for instead of having a myriad of
"teachers, the word of God shall dwell in you, and it shall
"teach you more [than they], and it shall make you exceed-
" ingly wise by its own knowledge; and it is unable to speak
" all the things which belong to human speech, but these the
" Spirit, holy, and divine, and pure, and spotless shall teach
"you, even as the Apostle saith (Romans viii, 26), For we
" know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the
" Spirit itself prayeth for us with groanings which cannot be
" uttered, etc. And there are many other helpful things which
" it would be possible for us to say unto you by God s grace,
" yet because our mind doth not urge us to these same things
" we must dire6l our discourse to other matters."
Gbapter jj. f bow, not even in tbe ttnte ot famine,
was Hbba pacbomius infcucefc to tafee Wbeat tor no*
tbina tor tbe use of bis /!Donaster$
WHEN a famine took place in the days of Pachomius,
and the brethren had no wheat, that is to say, when,
so to speak, no wheat could be found in all Egypt,
the holy old man sent to call one of the brethren that he might
go round about in the cities and villages and seek for wheat to
buy; and he gave him a sum of money for the purchase of the
wheat, that is to say, one hundred dinars. And having gone
round about in very many places, the man who had been en
trusted with this work came to a city which is called Armutin,
and by the Providence of God he found there a certain gov
ernor of the state, who was an exceedingly reverent man and
a fearer of God, and who had heard of the rule of the holy man
Pachomius and of the brethren; now this governor was in
charge of the wheat which belonged to the community, and
the brother approached him, and entreated him to sell him
wheat to the value of one hundred dinars. Then the governor
said unto him, "Of a truth, O my brother, if I had wheat of
"my own, or even some [belonging to] my own children, I
" would take it and give it to you, for I have heard concern
ing your godly and spiritual rule of life; but hearken unto
what I am going to say unto thee. The wheat which hath
298
of pacbomfus
"been placed under my charge belongeth to the community,
" and as it will not be required this year by the prefect, if thou
" wishest to take it I have the power over the wheat of the
" community, and I will keep it back until the time cometh for
"it to be laid up in the granary; and if thou knowest that thou
" wilt be able to return it by that time, take as much of it as
" thou wishest."
Then the brother said unto him, "I do not wish thee to ac~l
" thus for me, for I am unable to return so large a quantity as
" that which I wish to take; but if thou wilt sell me wheat to
"the value of one hundred dinars, at the price which thou
" wishest [good and well], but if thou art not in any way able
"to keep back the wheat which belongeth to the community
"until the time [for storing it] in the granary, thou adlest
" rightly [in refusing me]." And the governor said unto him,
"Yea, I have power to keep back the wheat, and not only
" wheat to the value of one hundred dinars but, if thou wishest,
" another like quantity. If thou wilt take the wheat thou wilt
" do me an a6l of grace, only pray for me." And when the
brother said, "We have only this amount of money," the go
vernor hearkened, and said, "Have no care about this matter,
"for whensoever ye are able to bring me the price of the
" wheat do so, at the rate of [thirteen] ardebs a dinar , and in
1 no other place in Egypt wilt thou obtain more than five ardebs
" a dinar." And the brother journeyed by water to the monas
tery with great joy [bringing the wheat with him].
And when Rabba heard that a boat full of wheat was about
to arrive, and the manner in which it had been bought, he sent
immediately to the boat and said, "Ye shall not bring one grain
of the wheat into the monastery, neither shall he who hath
bought the wheat come into my presence until he hath re-
turned it to its place; he who hath acted thus hath committed
great wickedness. And not only this hath he done, but he
4 hath also taken wheat to the value of one hundred darics
more than [the hundred dinars which I gave him], and I
never ordered him to do this; but in carrying out his own
* desires he wished to have a superabundance, and having be-
come inflamed by love of gain he hath brought us into sub-
jeclion and laid us under condemnation. And moreover, he
did not approach the generosity of the seller of the wheat
satisfactorily, for he acted in a greedy manner, and he hath
brought more wheat than he needed, and on his own respon-
sibility he undertook to pay back that which we could never
return. And not this only, for supposing that from some human
cause an accident had happened, and the boat had sunk in
* the river, what could we have done [to make good the loss]?
TTbe iparafcise of tbe 1bol$ jf atbers
" Should we not all have become slaves? Therefore let him sell
" all the wheat which he hath brought to the laity who are in
" this district at the rate at which he hath taken it from him
" that entrusted it to him, that is to say, at thirteen ardebs a
" dinar, and after he hath sold them, let him take the gold and
carry it to him that gave him credit. And with the one hun-
" dred dinars which are mine, let him buy wheat at the rate at
" which it is sold everywhere and bring it [to me]." And the
brother did even as Rabba said unto him, and he brought the
wheat which he bought at a rate of five and a half ardebs a
dinar. And from that time Rabba did not allow that brother to
go outside the monastery on business for the brethren, and
having made him to remain inside he appointed other brethren
to render service of the kind.
Cbapter ij . f bow wben tbe Mot?? of tbe JBretbren
was solfc IRabba was unwilling even tbat tbe$sbonlt>
accept tbe fnll price of tbe same
AND that same brother [who hath been mentioned
above] took away from the shoemaker to sell a large
number of shoes (or sandals) and other kinds of ob
jects, and having received as their price a larger sum of money
than the shoemaker had mentioned brought to him the oboli;
and when the shoemaker had received the oboli, he reckoned
up the price of the leather and of the labour of his hands, and
the value of the work of the days wherein he had made the
various kinds of [leather] objects, and found that it amounted
to fifty oboli, whilst the money [which he had received] was
three times that amount. Then straightway the shoemaker
went to Rabba, and said unto him, "Verily, O father, this
" brother will never prosper by such acts as these, for he still
" hath in him a worldly mind." And when Rabba said, "What
"is this matter in which he hath behaved so badly?" the shoe
maker answered and said, "I gave him sandals and other
" kinds of [leather] things to sell, and I said unto him, Their
" prices are so much, but he hath sold them for a great deal
" more, and he hath brought unto me a price which is three
"times as large as that which I mentioned to him." When
Rabba had heard these things, he called the brother and said
unto him, "Why hast thou done thus?" And the brother said
unto him, "Father, I told to the people who bought the san-
" dais and the other things the price which this shoemaker
" told me to take, but they said to me, * Brother, if these things
" had been stolen they would be worth a far higher price than
" what thou askest ; and I, feeling ashamed, said to them,
" They have not been stolen, and I have been commanded to
300
ZTbe Hpostate /Ifconfe
44 sell them at the price which I have named; but whatsoever
44 ye wish to give [me] for them, that give ; and they gave me
44 what it pleased them to give me, and I never counted the
4 4 oboli which were given unto me by them." When Rabba" had
heard [these things] he said, "Thou hast sinned greatly in
44 loving excess, but run quickly, and give back the excess in
44 price to those who gave it to thee, and come and repent be-
44 cause of this offence, and sit in the monastery and perform
44 the work of thy hands, for it is not good that thou, O my
44 son, shouldst do again work of this kind"; and the brother
did even as the old man had said unto him. Then Rabba" ap
pointed the holy man Zakkai, a good man, who overcame all
the praises of the children of men by the manifestation of good
deeds, and he administered all the affairs of the monastery.
Gbapter iij. f a certain ascetic Brotber wbo was in
tbe /lDonaster& anfc wbo fcesirefc a crown ot /IDart^r-
fcom unseasonably
AND there was also [there] among those who were
very famous a certain brother who cultivated the
ascetic life by himself, and when he heard of the
divine rule of our holy Father Pachomius he entreated him to
receive him in the monastery; and when Rabba had received
him, and he had passed a little [time] with the brethren, he
desired greatly to bear witness (i.e., to become a martyr), al
though the world was in a state of peace, and the Church was
flourishing and was, by the grace of God, at peace, and the
blessed Constantine, who had put on Christ, was at that time
reigning. And this brother was continually entrea ing the
blessed man Pachomius, and saying, 44 Pray forme, O c ather,
44 that I may become a martyr"; but Rabba admonished him
that he should not permit this thought to enter his mind again,
and said unto him, 44 Brother, endure the strife of the monks
44 mightily and blamelessly, and make straight thy life in the
4 way which will please Christ, and thou shalt have com-
4 panionship with the martyrs in heaven."
As, however, the brother made his desire for this thing
stronger each day, and he was wearying the holy man there
with, Rabba", wishing to drive away this kind of desire from
him, said unto him, 4 I will pray [for thee], but if thou seekest
4 for this thing thou wilt be vanquished. And put armour on
thy soul, lest, when the hour cometh wherein thou hast to
4 bear witness, thou shalt deny Christ. Verily thou wilt cer-
4 tainly commit sin, because of thine own will thou drawest
4 nigh unto temptation, although our Lord Jesus commanded
4 us, saying, 4 Pray that ye fall not into temptation " (St. Mat-
301
ZTbe parafctee of tbe fbols jf atbers
thew xxvi, 41; St. Mark xiv, 38; St. Luke xxii, 40, 46). And
having said these things unto him, he admonished him to take
good heed unto himself, and not to meditate upon martyrdom.
And it came to pass that two years later certain of the
brethren were sent by Rabba to a village which was further
to the south to collect wreaths [to make] mats for the monas
tery; now this village was nigh unto the barbarians who are
called "Blemmyes." And whilst the brethren w r ere there, and
were on an island where there were large numbers of reeds,
the blessed man Pachomius sent the brother who was wishing
to suffer martyrdom to carry a little money to them for their
expenses, and he commanded him to take good heed to him
self. And he said unto him, "The words which are written,
44 Behold, now is the acceptable time (2 Corinthians vi, 2)
44 4 behold, now is the day of redemption, have a mystical sig-
14 nification [for thee], and ye shall not commit an offence
44 against any man, so that there may be no blemish in our
44 ministration "; so the brother took an ass to carry the money
and departed to the brethren.
Now when he had arrived at the place which is opposite the
desert, the barbarians came down [to the river] to draw
water, and they came upon the brother, and made him to
come down from off the ass, and they bound his hands, and
took the ass and that which was thereon, and they led him up
to a neighbouring mountain where there were other barba
rians. Now when the barbarians saw that they came with an
ass, they began to make a mock of him, and to say, 44 O monk,
4 4 come and worship our gods, " and they slew some beasts, and
poured out libations to their gods, and they brought the monk
and urged the monk to pour out libations with them. And when
he did not want to do this they rose up in wrath and came
towards him with their drawn swords in their hands in a
threatening manner, and said, 44 If he be unwilling to sacrifice
44 to our gods and to pour out libations to them, we will kill
44 him." Then seeing the drawn swords and the savage dis
position of the people, straightway the brother took wine and
poured out a libation to their gods, and because he was afraid
of dying the death of the body he slew his immortal soul by
denying God, the Lord of all; now when he had done these
things the Blemmyes sent him away.
Then having descended from the mountain, when he had
come to himself he knew his iniquity, that is to say, the
wickedness which he had committed, and he rent his garments,
and having beaten himself upon his face severely he came
to the monastery; and the blessed man knew what had hap
pened to him, and he went forth to meet him in sore affliction.
302
Ube Hpostate /Iftonfe
And when the brother saw that he was coming to him, he
threw himself on his face upon the ground, and shedding tears
cried out and said, "I have sinned against God and against
44 thee, O father, and I would neither listen to thy promise nor
" to thine admonition, and had I but hearkened unto thee,
4< I should not have had to bear what I have suffered." And
having said these words, Rabba said unto him, " Rise up, O
"wretched man, thou hast snatched thyself away from the
"good things which were awaiting thee, for in very truth
" there was laid up for thee a crown which thou hast cast
"away from thee; thou wast ready to be reckoned with the
" holy martyrs, but thou hast cut thyself off from their blessed
" companionship. Our Lord Jesus Christ was near with His
" holy angels, and He wished to lay the crown upon thy head.
" Through thy momentary turning back thou hast refused (or
"denied) this, and in being afraid of that death which thou
"wast about to endure, a death which thou didst not seek,
"thou hast fallen away from God and destroyed thine ever-
" lasting life. Where are the words which [thou didst speak]
* * before this [happened]? Where is thy desire for martyrdom ? "
And the brother said, "I have sinned in all these [respecls],
O father, and I am no longer able to lift up my face to hea-
" ven. I am lost, O father, I have no position wherefrom I may
" contemplate what I shall do, O father, I never expected that
" the matter would happen thus."
Then having said these words with tears, Rabbd spake unto
him, saying, "Thou, O wretched man, hast made thyself al-
4 together an alien to the Lord, but the Lord is good, and He
4 never keepeth His anger for a testimony, for He is a lover
4 of mercy, and He is able to sink our sins in the depths of
4 the sea. As far as are the heavens from the earth so far hath
4 He put away our iniquity and sins. For He desireth not the
4 death of the sinner, but his repentance, and He wisheth not
4 that a man who hath fallen should remain in his fallen con-
4 dition, but that he should rise up; and He desireth not that he
4 who hath turned back should keep afar off from Him, but that
4 he should return quickly to Him. Therefore despair not, for
4 there is still a hope of [thy] redemption. For it is said, 4 If
4 4 thou cuttest down a tree it shall renew itself (Job xiv, 7). If
4 then thou wishest to obey me in everything which I shall say
4 unto thee, thou shalt obtain forgiveness from God." And with
tears the brother said, "From this time forward I will obey
" thee in everything, O father. "Then Rabba commanded him
to seclude himself in a cell alone, and never to hold con
verse with any man until death, and to eat one meal daily, of
bread and salt only, and to drink water only for the whole
parafcfse of tbe 1bols ffatbers
period of his life, and to plait two palm-leaf mats daily, and to
keep vigil as long- as possible, and never to cease from crying-.
So that his brother departed, even as the blessed man had com
manded him, and he carried out everything which he had told
him to do. And he held converse with no man except Rabb&
and Theodore, and with a few of the other great sages; and
he passed ten years in striving in this manner, and died in the
grace of the Lord, and Rabbd bore witness nobly concerning
his tranquil state.
Cbapter i\\ f tbe pbantom wbicb tbes saw
IKUobt wben tbes were goina tbrou^b tbe
AND it came to pass once when Rabba, and Theodore
whom he loved, were walking through the monastery
by night, that they saw suddenly a great phantom,
which was full of the deepest deceit; now that which appeared
was in the form of a woman, and its beauty was of so inde
scribable a character that no man was able to tell the beauty,
or the form, or the appearance, which belonged to that phan
tom, and even Theodore, who looked at that phantom, was
exceedingly perturbed, and his face changed colour. And when
the blessed man saw that he was afraid, he said unto him,
" Be of good cheer in the Lord, O Theodore, and fear not,"
and the holy man, having said these things unto him, com
manded him to pray with him, that the phantom which was
striking wonder into them might be driven away. And as they
were praying the phantom came nearer and nearer and took a
solid form, and when it, and the company of devils which ran
before it, drew nigh, for their prayer did not drive it back, it
came forward and said unto them, "Why do ye labour in
44 vain? Ye are unable at this present to do anything whatso-
" ever against me, for I have received power from God, Who
" sustaineth the universe, to tempt whomsoever I please; and
" I have abundance of time in which to do this, for this I have
" asked from God."
Then Pachomius asked her, saying, "Whence comest thou?
"And whom dost thou wish to tempt?" And the phantom
answered and said, "I am the daughter of the Calumniator,
"whose great power cannot be described, and unto me the
" whole company of the devils is subject. It was I who brought
" down the holy stars to the earth, and it was I who snatched
"Judas from the Apostolic power. I have received authority
" [or power] to make war against thee, O Pachomius, for I am
" not able to endure the reproach of the devils, and no man
" hath made me as weak as thou. Thou hast made me to be
"trampled under foot by youths, and by old men, and by
304
pacbomius ant) tbe pbantom
"young men, and thou hast gathered together against me a
congregation such as thou hast, and hast set for them [as] a
4 wall which shall never fall the fear of God, so that my mini-
* sters are not able to approach with boldness and freedom
* unto anyone of you. Now all these things have happened
* unto me because of the Word of God Who was made man,
for it is He Who hath given you power to trample upon all
* our might, and to hold us in derision."
And when the holy man Pachomius asked her, "Hast thou
"come to tempt me alone according- to what thou sayest?"
she said unto him, "I have come to tempt thee, and all those
" who are like thee." Pachomius said unto her, "So then thou
" wilt tempt Theodore also?" And she said, "I have received
" power over thee, and over Theodore, but I am never able
"to come nigh unto thee." And when Pachomius had said
unto her, "Why?" she said unto them, " If I were to make
"war with you [two], you would have an occasion for help
" and not for injury, and especially would it be so in thy case,
" O Pachomius, who with the eyes of thy body art worthy to
" be a spectator of the glory of God; but ye will not live for
" ever for those for whom at present ye make yourselves a wall*
" through your prayers, and whom ye help; and the time will
"come after your death when I shall have dominion over
"those whom thou now protedlest against me, for ye have
"made me to be trodden under foot by this multitude of
"monks."
Then Rabbd said unto her, "How knowest thou that those
" who shall come after us will not serve the Lord more truly
" than do we, and that they will not be able to confirm and
" strengthen those who come after us in the fear of God more
" than do we?" And the phantom said unto him, "I do know
" this." And Rabba said unto her, "Thou liest by thy wicked
"head, because thou hast no knowledge whatsoever before-
" hand of the things which are going to take place, for unto
" God alone belongeth fore-knowledge; thou art then the chief
" of falsehood." And the phantom answered and said unto him,
"True, 1 have no knowledge whatsoever of anything by [the
"faculty] of fore-knowledge, even as thou sayest, for it be-
longeth to God alone to know what is going to happen before-
" hand, but I told thee that I had knowledge because [I judged]
" by analogy." And the blessed man said unto her, "How canst
" thou judge by analogy?" And she said unto him, "By the
" things which have already taken place I am able to judge of
* what will take place in the future." Then Rabbd said unto her,
" How?" And she said unto him, "I know that the beginning
" of every matter is in love and knowledge, and it receiveth
305 20
ipatabise of tbe 1bols jf atbers
41 confirmation from the things which are provided, and espe-
" cially through the divine care and the calling of heaven, and
"by the Will of God it becometh confirmed by wonderful
" things and signs, and it is confirmed also by various powers
" which are exercised therein; but when that beginning waxeth
"old and becometh grey, it falleth away from growth, and
"when growth hath fallen away [i.e., ceased], it perisheth
" of old age, or languisheth through sickness, or decayeth
"through neglecV
And afterwards Rabba asked her, saying, "Why hast thou
" come, according as thou sayest, to tempt these great [saints]
" and not all the brethren? If it be as thou sayest, the des-
" tru6tion of souls resteth with thee to work, and thou sur-
" passest in power all the devils, and thou must have all this
" power so that thou mightest be able to strive against men
" like these." And the phantom answered and said unto him,
" I have already told thee that when the strength of the Sus-
"tainer of creation, the Redeemer Christ, appeared upon the
" earth, we were brought so low that, like a sparrow, we were
" mocked and laughed at by men such as these who are clothed
"with the Spirit, and who seek to learn the Lord; but al
though we have become feeble through Him, we do not
" cease to work as much as we possibly can [against you], and
"we never cease from opposing you by every means in our
" power. And we sow the seed of our wickedness near the soul
" of him that striveth with us, and this we do especially when
"we see that he receiveth [it], and if we see that he really
" permitteth us to embrace him, then do we inflame him with
"fierce lusts, and we encompass him like mighty ones and
"cruel devils, whom it is exceedingly difficult to defeat. But
" if he is not willing to receive our seed, and will not, through
"his faith in God, and the watchfulness of his mind, accept
" with pleasure the things which are offered unto him by us,
"we dissolve away even as smoke is dissipated in the air.
4 This is the reason why I am not permitted to wage war
"with all the monks, and I do not do so because all possess
" not perfection. For if it were permitted to me to wage war
"against them all, I should be enabled to lead astray many
" of those who lean upon thee."
And the blessed man said unto her, " Fie upon your wicked-
" ness which never sleepeth! Ye will never cease to stir your-
" selves up against the race of the children of men until the
" divine and unpolluted grace of God descendeth from heaven
" and destroyeth you." Then, having said these things, Rabbd
commanded the phantom to depart unto the place whither it
had been commanded to go, and never again to approach with
306
Ube (51ft of
her feet his monastery. And when the morning was come, he
cried out unto all the great brethren, and related unto them
all the things which he had seen and heard from the destroying
devils, and unto the other brethren who were living in the
other great monasteries he sent letters, and informed them,
in the fear of God, by means of these concerning the vision
[which he had seen].
Gbapter \>. <w tbe Gift of TCongues wbicb pacbomtus
received
AND it came to pass that, when the blessed Pachomius
was visiting the brethren in their cells, and was correct
ing the thoughts of each of them, he was obliged to
visit a certain Roman, who was a nobleman of high rank, and
who knew the Greek language very well. Now therefore, having
come to this great man, so that he might exhort him with
words which would be beneficial to him, and might learn the
motions of his heart, the blessed man spake unto him in the
Egyptian tongue, but the brother did not know what the blessed
man said. And because the blessed man did not know how to
speak Greek, Rabbd was obliged to call some brother who
would be able to interpret to each of them the things which
were said by the other. Now when the brother came to inter
pret, the Greek did not wish to declare to Rabbd through others
the defects of his heart, and he spoke unto him thus, "After
44 God, I wish thee, and thee alone, to know the wickednesses
44 of my heart, and I do not desire to declare them unto thee
44 through others, for I do not wish that any man except thee
44 should hear them." And when Rabbd heard these words he
commanded the brother who had come to interpret to depart,
and because Rabbd was unable to speak to the Greek brother
the words which he wished to say to him about help and re
demption, for he knew nothing whatsoever of the Greek lan
guage, he made a sign to him with his hand to remain until he
came [back] to him. Then Rabbd left him, and went to pray
by himself, and he stretched out his hands towards heaven,
and prayed to God, saying, 4< O Lord, Thou Mighty One, Who
44 sustainest the universe, if I am not able to benefit the child-
44 ren of men whom Thou dost send unto me from the ends
4 of the earth, because I am not acquainted with their lan
guages, what need is there for them to come? But if Thou
44 wishest them to be saved here through me, give me, O Lord,
44 Thou Star of all creation, the power to know their languages
44 so that I may be able to set their souls in the straight way."
And when he had prayed for more than three hours and had
entreated God to grant him this knowledge, suddenly there
307
ttbe iparafcise of tbe fbols ffatbers
was sent from heaven into his right hand something which
was like unto a letter written on paper, and when he had read
it, he learned immediately how to speak all tongues, and he
sent up praise to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost. And he came with great joy to that brother, and began
to talk to him both Greek and Latin with such fluency that
when the brother heard him, he saith that Rabba s skill in
speaking [Greek | surpassed that of all the learned men [of the
day]. Then Rabba corrected him, as was right, and appointed
to him the penance which was suitable to his defects, and he
committed him to the Lord, and went forth from him.
Cbapter \>. f a certain 1bolp /iDan wbose name was
fitewnan (t.e. Jonab), wbo was tbe <$arfcener of one of
tbe /l&onasteries, ant) of tbe wonderful tbing wbicb
IRabba pacbomius wrougbt in bis /Ifconasters
AND it came to pass on the morrow that the blessed man
departed to visit the other monasteries, and he arrived
at the monastery which is called " Demeskenyanos,"
and entered therein; now there was in that monastery a fine,
large fig-tree, which one of the youths was in the habit of
climbing up secretly, and he plucked the fruit thereof, and ate
it. And when Rabba had gone in, and had drawn near that
fig-tree, he saw an unclean spirit sitting in it, and he knew
straightway that it was the devil of the love of the belly ; and
the holy man, knowing that it was he who led astray the
youths, called to the gardener, and said unto him, " Brother,
4 cut down this fig-tree, for it is a stumbling-block to those
"who possess not a well-established mind, and it is not a
seemly thingfor this tree to be in the middle of the monastery."
Now when the gardener, who was called Yawna~n, heard these
words, he was sorely grieved, for he had passed eighty-five
years in the monastery, and he had lived therein a pure and
honourable life, and by himself he had cared for all the fruit [trees]
therein, and he had planted all the trees that were in the mo
nastery [garden]. Now, until the day of his death he never tasted
any of the fruit whatsoever, though all the brethren, and the
strangers, and those who dwelt round about them used to eat
their fill in the fruit season. And this brother dressed in this
fashion : he joined three skins [of goats] together to form a cover
ing for his body, and these were sufficient [clothing] for him ; he
didnot lay down forhimself one kindof bed in thewinterseason,
and another in the time of summer. What rest of the body was
he knew not, because of the press of his labours, for, with a ready
mind, he toiled always ; he never ate any cooked food whatso
ever, neither did he partake of lentiles, or of any other food [of
308
Jonab the (tocbenet
the same kind], but he lived all the years of his life on plan
tains only, which he ate with vinegar. And the brethren used
to declare positively about him, and say, that he did not even
know where the hospital was, and that still less did he know
what the sick folk ate.
And besides all these things, he never, so far as we have
heard concerning him, lay upon his back until the day of his
death, but he worked all day long in the garden, and towards
sunset he used to take his food and go into his cell, and sitting
upon a chair which he had in the midst thereof, he would plait
ropes until [the time for the recital of] the service of the night,
and in this way it might happen that he was able to snatch a
little sleep through the absolute need of his corporeal nature,
and that he slept whilst he was plaiting the ropes which were
in his hands. Now he did not plait these ropes by the light of a
lamp, but whilst he was sitting in darkness and reciting the
Scriptures. And he had only one garment of linen, which he
used to put on when he was about to partake of the Holy and
Divine Mysteries of Christ, and immediately [he had done this]
he would take it off and lay it aside, so that he might keep it
clean, and it lasted him for eighty-five years. And that blessed
old man performed very many other works which deserve
praise, but we have not set them down in the book of this his
tory, lest our discourse might become either too long or too
full for those faithful ones who believe, and we should cause
those who read it to become weary.
Now we found out concerning this man of whom we have
written these things when he was dead, and he died in an un
usual manner, that is to say, he was sitting upon a chair and
plaiting ropes, according to his custom, and the ropes were
found in his hands when he was dead. And this blessed man
did not die suddenly, and so lose any portion of the happiness
which was due to his health, but he fell ill, like all other men,
and he would not be persuaded to go into the hospital, because
he did not wish to be ministered to by any man, as are other
sick folk ; and he did not want to eat any of the meat which the
brethren who were sick were wont to eat. And he would not
lie upon his back even when he was sick, and he would not
permit anyone to place a cushion for him when he was sitting
up, or anything whatsoever w r hich was a little soft, and was
able to afford him relief. And no man was standing by him
when he died, and he went to his rest grasping his rope-work
[in his hands]. It was, moreover, a wonderful thing to hear
how they buried him ; for it was impossible to stretch out his
legs, because they had become [stiff] like logs of wood, and it
was impossible to make one hand lie by the side of his body.
39
ttbe iftarabfse of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
It was impossible to strip off him the skin garment wherewith
he was clothed, and we were therefore obliged to roll him up
in cloth like a bundle and to bury him in that state.
To this man came the blessed Pachomius, and told him to
cut down this fig-tree, and when Ydwndn heard this, he said
unto Rabbd, "Nay, O father, for we are accustomed to gather
" a large crop of fruit from this fig-tree for the brethren"; now
although Rabba was greatly grieved because of this matter he
did not wish to urge the old gardener any further, and he was the
more grieved because he knew that Yawnan lived a great and
marvellous life, and that he was held to be wonderful by many,
and by great and small alike. And it came to pass on the day
following that the fig-tree was found to have become withered
so completely that not one soft leaf or fruit was found upon it.
Now when the blessed man saw these things, he was greatly
grieved, not for the sake of the fig-tree, but because of his own
disobedience, when Rabba told him to cut down the fig-tree,
and he did not acl: according to his word.
Gbapter \>j. t bow Hbba pacbomius woulfc not feeep
beautiful Building*
THE blessed man Pachomius built an oratory in his
monastery, and he made pillars [for it], and covered the
faces thereof with tiles, and he furnished it beautifully,
and he was exceedingly pleased with the work because he had
built it well; and when he had come to himself he declared,
through the agency of Satan, that the beauty of the oratory
was a thing which would compel a man to admire it, and that
the building thereof would be praised. Then suddenly he rose
up, and took ropes, and fastened them round the pillars, and
he made a prayer within himself, and commanded the brethren
to help him, and they bowed their bodies, and the pillars and
the whole construction fell [to the ground] ; and he said to the
brethren, "Take heed lest ye strive to ornament the work of
" your hands overmuch, and take ye the greatest possible care
" that the grace of God and His gift may be in the work of each
" one of you, so that the mind may not stumble towards the
" praises of cunning wickedness, and the Calumniator may not
" obtain [his] prey."
310
Ipacbomins anb tbe Iberetics
Gbapter \>ij. <W bow wben on a certain occasion tbe
Ifoeretics came to bim be &ifc not $ielt> to tbem, anfc ot
bow be let tbem receive an experience ot bim b$ tbe
Sign wbicb tbes asfeefc at bis 1bant>
AND it came to pass on a certain occasion that certain
heretical monks, who were in the habit of wearing gar
ments made of hair, and who had heard concerning the
blessed Pachomius, rose up and came to his monastery; and
they said unto certain monks of Rabba, "Our father hath sent
"us to your Rabba with a message, saying, If thou art in
" truth a man of God, and if thou art confident that God will
" hearken unto you, come hither, and let us walk together
" across the river on our feet, so that every man may know
" which of us hath more freedom of speech before God than
" the other. " And when the brethren informed Rabba con
cerning these things, he was exceedingly angry with them, and
said unto them, "Why did ye undertake to listen to those who
"have said these things? Know ye not that requests of this
"kind are things which are foreign to God, and are wholly
" alien to our rule? And besides this, they are not even things
" which are thought well of by men who live in the world. For
" what law of God teacheth us to do these things? And more-
" over, our Redeemer commandeth us to the contrary in the
" Holy Gospel, saying, Let not thy left hand know what thy
" right hand doeth (St. Matthew vi, 3). For thou [thinkestjof
"something which is more wretched than the want of mind
" [i.e., foolishness] in imagining that I should give up mourn-
" ing for my sins, [or cease to think] how I may flee from ever-
" lasting punishment, or that, even if I were a boy in my
" thoughts I could ever come to [make] such a demand as that."
And the brethren answered and said unto him, "How is it
" then that this man, who is a heretic and alien to God, should
"be so bold as to call upon thee to do this [thing]?" And
Rabba answered and said unto them, "He is able to pass over
"the river as one who travelleth over dry land through the
" neglect of God, and the Calumniator helpeth him, so that
"his wicked heresy may not be brought to naught, and so
" that the faith of those who have gone astray may be more
"finally established by means of works of audacity which
"he performeth through him. Get ye out then, and say unto
" those who have brought such a message as this: Thus saith
" the man of God, Pachomius, I devote all my strivings, and
" all my anxious care, not that I may pass over the river by
" walking on the waters thereof, but in trying to flee from the
" judgement of God, and to escape, by the might of the Lord,
3"
Ube Bbarabise of tbe 1bols fathers
" from such Satanic wiles as these. " Then having said these
things to the brethren he strictly forbade them to think greatly
of their integrity, and to lust after the sight [of him walking
across the river on the water], and to go with those who pry
into such matters as these ; [and he said] "We must not volun
tarily follow after such matters as these, and we must not
"put God to the test by such questions, for concerning the
" knowledge of events before they happen He hath commanded
"us by His Holy Scriptures, saying, Thou shalt not tempt
" the Lord thy God, saith the Lord " (Deuteronomy vi, 16).
Cbapter jviij, f tbe (Question wbicb a certain JSrotber
brougbt to bim, anb its Hnswer
RABBA was on one occasion asked by a certain brother,
who said, "Why is it that, before the coming of that
"devil who vexeth us, we possess the understanding
" of the mind in a healthy state, and are able to make use of
" philosophy for the sake of self-denial, and humility, and the
" other virtues, but that when it cometh to us to make mani-
" fest in very deed the virtues of philosophy, that is to say,
" longsuffering in the hour of wrath, and the keeping of the
"temper in the season of anger, and a frame of mind from
which vainglory is absent, and when there are praises
"[ascribed to us], and many other things which are akin
"thereto, the mind (or understanding) languisheth and
" becometh destroyed? "
And Rabba answered and said unto him, "It is because we
" are not perfectly skilled in the performance [of these things],
"and because we are not so thoroughly acquainted with all
" the mind and vague thoughts of the devils that we are able,
"through the power of the sight of the soul, to recognize in
"quiet contemplation the advent of him who causeth us
"vexation, and who watcheth that he may be able to gather
"together the outpouring of suchlike thoughts. Therefore,
"every day and every hour it is the portion of the soul to
"watch, and we must pour out upon it, like oil, the fear of
" God, that is to say, the efficacious performance of work, and
"the lamp which will enable us to see the things which are
" falling upon us in the healing of the mind. Whosoever then
" will not be strenuous [will come] to anger, and wrath, and
" ill- temper, and to each of the passions which lead us on to
"wickedness. And the soul will see, and will depart to that
"incorporeal country, and it will make the mind to hold in
"contempt the things which are wrought by the devils, and
" will compel it to trample under foot serpents and scorpions,
" and all the power of the Enemy."
312
Cbapter i. t bow unclean ant) contemptible in tbe
sigbt ot IRabba was tbe man wbo toilefc witb tbe Xa=
bour ot bis bands tor tbe safee ot Dainglors
ON one occasion when Rabba was sitting- with a number
of the other brethren in a certain place in the monastery,
[he was told that] one of the monks in the monastery
used to make two mats of plaited palm leaves daily and that
day he placed them in front of his cell, opposite the place
where Rabba was then sitting with the brethren. Now he did
this because he was [unduly] exalted with the thought of vain
glory, and he believed that he would be praised for such
assiduity, because the rule [of the fathers] was that each monk
should make one mat daily. And Rabba perceived that the
monk did this for the purpose of making a display, and he
understood the intention which was stirring in the man and
moving him ; and he sighed heavily and said unto the brethren
who were sitting with him, "See ye this man who toileth from
"morning to evening? He hath endowed Satan with all his
" labour, and hath left nothing whatsoever of his work for the
"comfort of his own soul. He hath toiled overmuch for the
" praise of the children of men, and he hath not worn out his
" body with all this work for the sake of God, and his soul is
" empty of work through the pleasure of him that doeth it, for
" he hath loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
Then he called that brother, and rebuked him, and charged
him to stand up behind the brethren when they were praying,
and to hold the two mats, and to say to them, "O my brethren,
" I beseech you to pray for my degraded soul, in order that
" through your prayers God may shew abundant mercy to it,
" for I have held these mats in greater honour than His king-
"dom." And he also commanded that the man should
stand up with the mats among the brethren when they were
sitting at meat until they rose up from the table ; and he com
manded likewise that after this he should be confined to his
cell for a period of five months, and should make two mats
daily, and should eat bread and salt only, and that no man
should visit him.
Gbapter $& t a certain fl&onft wbo belonged to tbe
jflfconasters
NOW before we bring this history to a close we are
obliged to mention, in addition to those of whom we
have already spoken, another holy monk who was
thoroughly trained in the spiritual excellence of the brethren,
so that we may narrate a few of the things which were
3 3
Ube parafcise of tbe 1bol ff atbers
wrought by him for edification. This brother, of blessed
memory, because he was afflicted in his body had a cell
separate from the brethren ; he lived upon bread and salt only,
and he used to make one mat of plaited palm leaves each day,
and it would happen often, when he was plaiting the ropes
which were being used in making the mats, that his hands
would become covered with blood, and they were so full of
wounds caused by the reeds, that the very mats which he was
making were wetted with blood. But although he suffered
from such a weakness as this, he never turned away from the
congregation of the brethren, and he never lay down to sleep
in the daytime until the end of his life. And it was his habit
every night before he lay down to sleep to repeat some portion
of the Scriptures, and then he would go to sleep until they beat
the board to summon the congregation to the service of the
night.
Now on one occasion a certain brother went to him, and see
ing that his hands were covered with blood through plaiting
mats, he said unto him, " Why dost thou work and toil in this
" manner, seeing that thou art so seriously ill? Thinkest thou
" that thou wouldst not obtain permission not to work and to
" be idle from God? God knoweth that thou art sick, and no
" man who hath thy complaint hath ever worked. We feed and
" take care of strangers and poor folk, and are we not in duty
" bound to minister unto thy wants, thou who art one of us,
" and art so holy a man, with all our soul and with the greatest
"joy and gladness?" And the monk said unto him, "It is im-
" possible for me not to work," and the brother replied, "If it
" pleaseth thee to a6l thus, at least anoint thy hands with oil
" at eventide, for thou wilt not become as weary as thou art
"now, and thou wilt not become covered with blood." And
the monk hearkened unto that brother, and anointed his hands
with oil, even as he had told him to do, yet because they were
tender they were grievously chafed, and cut, and torn by the
sharp reeds (or palm-grass). Then Rabba himself went to visit
him in his cell, and he said unto him, "Thinkest thou, O Theo-
" dore, that the oil had any beneficial effect upon thee? Who
" forced thee to work? Didst thou not place thy hope of being
" healed rather upon the operation of the oil than upon God?
" Peradventure was not thy God able to heal thee? Yet when
" He saw that thou wast ordering help for thyself He left thee
" [to fall into] this pain." Then the monk answered and said
unto Rabba, "O father, I have sinned against God, and I give
" thanks (or confess), and I entreat thee that God may forgive
" me this sin."
And, according to what those fathers who were with him
3 4
Iftemarfes ot pallabius
said, he passed a full year in mourning for this a6l of folly;
and he ate once every two days. And at the beginning of the
period wherein this man began to gain strength considerably,
Rabba was in the habit of sending him to every monastery that
he might be both the foundation and the type of all the brethren,
because he endured the cruel weakness of that disease with such
patience.
Ifoere enfcetb tbe fbistors ot tbe followers of pacbo*
mius, wbicb is called in <3reefe tbe Hsfeetifeon of tbe
followers of jpacbomius
jf urtber remarks b tbe writer pallafcius
NOW therefore, though I must here add a few remarks
about my beloved brother, who hath lived with me from
my youth up until this day, I will make an end to my
discourse in the haven of silence. It is indeed a very long time
since I first knew this man, who is worthy of blessings; and I
never knew him either to eat or to fast with desire; and, in my
opinion, he overcame also the lust for possessions, and espe
cially the passion for empty praise, and that which was his
own was sufficient for him. He never arrayed himself in fine
and costly apparel, but being made contemptible he received
[acts of] grace, and in return for God s true mercy he con
tinued thus even unto death. And this man accepted the temp
tation of devils a thousand times when they rose up against
him, and at length one day a certain devil pressed him, and
said unto him, "Agree thou with me for one day only, and
" commit sin only once, and any woman that thou shalt men-
" tion in this world I will bring unto thee."
And on another occasion that devil strove with him for four
teen nights, even as he himself told me, and he used to kick
him with his feet in the night-season, and say unto him, "Do
" not worship Christ, and I will never come near thee again."
And he answered and said unto him, "It is for this very rea-
" son that I worship Him, and I confess Him and glorify Him
" ten thousand times because thou art vexed thereby, and thou
" reelest away and dost tremble before Him." In his coming in
and going out he walked through one hundred and six cities
(or provinces) several times, and in the greater number of them
he tarried for some time. By the grace and mercy of Christ he
never knew the temptation of a woman, not even in a dream,
except in [his] warfare [against fornication]. I know that he re
ceived food from an angel thrice: One day he was in a parched
desert, and had not upon him a morsel of bread, and he found
three cakes of bread in his cloak. Another time, when he lacked
3*5
iparafcise of tbe 1boi^ ff atbers
[food], an angel appeared unto him in a vision and said unto
him, "Go and take wheat and oil from such and such a man";
and thereupon there came to him the man from whom the angel
had commanded him to take [wheat and oil], and said unto him,
" Art thou such and such a man?" and he said unto him, "Yea,
" I am"; and the man said, "A certain One hath told thee to
"take thirty bushels of wheat from me, and twelve boxes of
"oil."
Now over a matter of this kind, for such was his nature, he
would boast. And I know that on very many occasions he used
to weep over people who were in straits and difficulties, and who
were living in poverty, and he would give them whatsoever he
possessed, with the exception of his body only, which he was
unable to give. Now I have seen him very many times weeping
over a man who had been caught in a snare, and had fallen into
sin, but through his tears he made him to become penitent, and
to repent of his sin. This brother swore unto me once, saying,
" I made supplication unto God that I would never make my-
" self pleasing unto any man, especially the rich folk of the
"world, and the liars, lest they might give me whatsoever
"I had need of."
Now it is sufficient for me that I have been held worthy to
set down completely in writing, and to make mention of the
man who, by the grace of God, was able to make perfect all
these things. Behold the summary [of the contents] of the book
hath been written above.
1bere enfcetb tbe Second part of tbe IFMstories of tbe
fbolp f atbers, wbicb were compiled b$ tbe biessefc
Btsbop pallafctus, [ant) fceWcateo] to Xausus tbe pre=
feet. (Blorp be to tbe ffatber, ant> to tbe Son, anfc to
tbe 1bolp (Sbost, for ever! Hmen.
3 i6
7T1be Ibietortee of tbc flfconfcs wbo liveb in
^tbe Besert of JEg^pt, wbicb were compiled)
b\> Saint 1bieron?mn0
Hnfc moreover, In tbe migbt of anfc witb continence
in Gbrist, we begin to write tbe HMstories ot tbe
solitary /Ifconfes wbo livefc in tbe Desert of JE32pt,
wbicb were composed b tbe blessed Ibferonsmus
[Diefc H,B, 420]
Gbapter j. Ube HpolOG$, anfc tbe reason for [writing]
tbe Boofe, [wbicb are afcfcressefc] to tbose wbo
requires* [tbem] front bint
BLESSED be God Who desireth the welfare of all the
children of men, Who wisheth that they may live and
come to the knowledge of the truth, Who hath led us
also into Egypt, and hath shewed us the great and marvellous
things which are worthy to be remembered at all times, and
to be written down in a book, Who hath given us the Cause
of our salvation and of every one who wisheth to be helped
further, and Who hath given unto us a demonstration of the
good life and the doctrine which is able to rouse up the soul
to the excellent rule of the ascetic life. Now therefore, I am
not worthy to begin this history, for inferior men are not
capable of approaching the histories of great men, since they
are unable to narrate them as they really are, and still less are
they able to set them down in writing in a book, and they
ought not to be so bold as to attempt to explain matters which
are difficult in mean and halting words; and it must appear
to be great presumption which will bring danger in its train,
for incapable men to undertake such things, and to be so bold
as to write in a book sublime histories. But inasmuch as I
have been requested, earnestly and frequently, on several occa
sions, by the brotherhood of blessed men who had their habi
tation in the Mount of Olives, to write an account of the lives
and deeds of the blessed men, and of the solitary dwellers who
were in Egypt, according to what I myself have seen of their
abundant love, and their patient endurance, and their vexa
tious toil for God s sake, I have then put my trust in their
prayers, and have been so bold as to narrate the following
history, and to set it down in writing, so that I myself may
gain a fair and abundant reward, and so that those who
hearken unto the same may be benefited [thereby], and may
emulate such beautiful deeds, and may depart from the world
in a state of perfection, and may enjoy peace and rest through
3*7
ttbe paraMse of tbe Ibols ffatbers
the excellent long-suffering of their toil. For in very truth I
have observed and seen the treasure of Christ which is hidden
under human garments, and I have not buried it for the advan
tage of many, but have brought it forward that it may be for
the good of every one. And I am sure that for me to give this
benefit to the blessed brethren will be noble merchandise for
me, for they will pray for the redemption of my soul.
At the beginning of this book then I make [mention] first of
all of the coming of our Redeemer Jesus Christ, by Whose
doctrine the blessed and holy brethren who are in Egypt are
led, for I have seen many fathers there who were living the
lives of angels, and were fashioning their lives into the simili
tude of that of the Redeemer. And I have also seen others,
who were young men, and who were like unto the Prophets;
and they did work which was divine and marvellous, and they
were men who were indeed servants of Christ, and they had
no care of this earth and nothing belonging to time vexed their
minds. Verily these men, although they appeared to be living
upon earth, had their habitation in heaven; for some of them
were not even conscious that it was the world [wherein they
lived], and did not even know that there were wickednesses
committed in the world. And verily [it was with them] even as
it is written in the Psalm, " Great is the peace of those who
" love Thy Law" (Psalm cxix, 165); and again it is written,
" I will be to them a Father, and they shall be unto Me sons
"and daughters, saith the Lord" (2 Corinthians vi, 18), the
Stay of all creation.
And, moreover, many of them when they heard of what was
spoken in the world [found it] to be strange unto them, and all
the good things and all the cares of this world were forgotten
by them; for a man saw them sown in the desert, and they
were, like true sons, expecting their father Christ, and like
husbandmen of the truth and honourable servants they waited
for Christ their companion. They had care neither for houses,
nor meats, nor raiment, for the coming of Christ their hope
was the one thing for which their thoughts waited. Therefore,
whensoever any of them lacked the things which were neces
sary, they sought neither city, nor village, nor brother, nor
friend, nor parents, nor children, nor servants that the things
which they lacked might be supplied by them, but their desire
and their faith were sufficient for them, [and they only needed]
to spread out their hand in supplication, and to offer up the
confession of their lips to God, and immediately their prayers
were ended everything [they needed] was found before them.
Why is it necessary to speak at length concerning their faith
in Christ, which was able to remove mountains? And, more-
Saint Jerome s
over, many of them restrained fountains and streams of run
ning water, and walked upon the floods of the river Nile, and
destroyed serpents, and worked cures, and wonders, and
mighty deeds, even like unto those of the holy Prophets, and
the blessed Apostles, by the might of their Lord. And it is a
well-known and evident thing to every inhabitant of that
country that the world standeth through their prayers, and
that through them the life of the children of men is held to be
precious by God.
And I have also seen [in Egypt] a numerous nation of monks
who could neither be denned nor counted, and among them
were men of every sort and condition, and they lived both in
the desert and in the villages, and no earthly king hath ever
been able to gather together so great a number of men into
his service; for there is neither village nor city in Egypt or in
the Thebaid which is not surrounded by monasteries as by
walls, and many multitudes of people rest upon their prayers
as they do upon God. Some of the monks live quite close [to
the towns and villages] in caves and on the waste land, and
many of them afar off, and they all in every place make mani
fest their labour in a marvellous manner as if they were envious
of each other. The object of the zeal of those who [live] afar off
is that none of their fellows shall surpass them in the labours
of the fear of God, and the greatest anxiety of those who [live]
near is to vanquish by their life and deeds those who lived
at a distance and are famous, even though the things of evil
(or wickednesses) vex them from every place. Therefore, as
one who hath obtained great benefit from them, and as one
who hath examined carefully the labours of the life and deeds,
whereby I have also obtained benefit, I now approach this his
tory with the view of making the successful monks [more]
zealous by the memorials which I hand on [to them], and for
the edification and profit of those who are beginning to emu
late strenuously their rules of life. First of all then, by the
grace of God, I will write at the beginning of this history the
narratives of the lives and deeds of the great and holy fathers,
by whose hands our Lord hath wrought at this present time
the same kind of things as he wrought by the hands of His
Prophets and Apostles; for it is our Lord Himself, Who then,
as now, worked, as He still worketh, everything in every man.
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Ube paradise of tbe 1bol jfatbera
Cbapter ij, Ube tTrtumpbs of /I&ar $obn tbe IRecluse,
tbe jpropbet of tbe Ubebaifc wbo ii\>efc in %^cus
I SAW then on the borders of the city of Lycus, in the
Thebai d, the great and blessed man John, a man who was
truly holy and excellent, and by his works it was known
unto every man that he possessed the gift of prophecy. And
he made known unto the believing Emperor Theodosius, be
fore they took place, the things which God was about to do
unto the children of men, and he revealed [to him] what man
ner of ending they would take, and the arrogance of the kings
who would rise up against him, and how they would speedily
be destroyed, and how the nations which would gather together
to make war upon him would perish, [and his ability to read
the future was] so [great] that even a general came to enquire
of him, if he should be able to conquer the Kushaye peoples
(i.e., the Nubians), who at that time had boldly invaded Syene,
which is the beginning of the Thebai d, and who had overrun
the city and laid it waste. And the blessed John said unto
him, "Thou shalt go up against them, and shalt overtake
" them, and thou shalt conquer them, and shalt be victorious
" [or triumphant] before the Emperor"; and these thing s were
actually done. Now this blessed man possessed the power of
prophecy to an^extraordinary degree, according to what I have
heard from the fathers who were constantly with him, and as
the lives of these men were well known to the inhabitants of
that country, and were carefully scrutinized by them, it is im
possible to think that their stories about him were in any way
hypocritical; on the contrary, their language was incapable of
describing his honourable life and deeds.
There was a certain tribune who came to him, and who
begged and entreated him to allow his wife to come to him,
for she was exceedingly anxious to see him; she was about to
go up [the river] to the district of Syene, and before she went
up she wished to see him, that he might offer up prayer on her
behalf, and bless her, and then send her away [on her journey].
And because the blessed man had taken a vow not to see
women, and because he was ninety years of age, now he had
been in a cave for forty years, and he had lived therein the
whole time, and had never departed from it, and because he
never allowed any man to come into his abode, he excused
himself from seeing the noble lady; and he was in the habit of
saluting folk through his window only, and of blessing those
who came to him therefrom, and he spake with every man
only concerning the care which it was necessary to take in the
matter of the life and works of ascetic excellence. And, although
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3obn of Xpcus
the tribune multiplied greatly his supplications and entreated
him to allow his wife to come to him, now the dwelling of the
blessed man was situated in the mountainous desert about
five miles distant from the city, the holy man would not be
persuaded to do so, but said, "This thing is impossible"; and
he dismissed the tribune in grief and in sorrow. And the
woman tormented her husband by day and by night, and she
took an oath, saying, " I cannot go to any other place until I
"have seen the holy prophet." And when the oaths of the
woman were revealed to the blessed man by her husband, he
discerned the faith of the woman, and said unto her husband,
" I will appear unto her in a dream this night, but she must
" never [try] in addition to see my face in the body"; and the
tribune made known to his wife the words of the blessed man.
And as she was lying in her bed at night she saw the prophet
himself come to her, and he said unto her, " What have I to
"do with thee, O woman? Why dost thou so eagerly desire
" to see my face? Am I a prophet or a righteous man? I am
" a sinner and a man of passions even as ye are, but behold,
" I have prayed for thee and for thy husband, and for thy
" dwelling, that even as ye have believed, so may it be unto
" you. Therefore get ye gone in peace;" and having said these
words he departed from her. And when the woman woke up
she related to her husband the words of the prophet and
described his form and appearance, and she offered her thanks
to the prophet through her husband. Now when the holy man
John saw that her husband had come, before he could speak
he said unto him, "Behold, thy request is completed, for I have
" seen thy wife, and I have fulfilled her petition, and thou must
" never see my face again; but depart ye in peace."
Now the wife of another prefect was with child, and she
was nigh unto [her time] for bringing forth; and her husband
was away at a distance, and on the day in which the blessed man
John met her husband she was afflicted, even unto death, with
the pains of her bringing forth. And the holy man John gave
the news to her husband, and said unto him, " If thou didst
"only know the grace of God, for behold, a son hath been
"born unto thee this day, thou wouldst praise God, for his
4 mother hath suffered in no small degree. Behold, thou shalt
4 go and shalt find the boy to be seven days old on thine arrival,
and thou shalt give him the name of John, and when he hath
* grown up, and hath been instructed, and is seven years of age,
thou shalt send him to the solitary monks in the desert."
And the blessed John also made manifest wonderful things
like these to stranger folk who used to come to him, and he
very frequently made known to the people of the city who used
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to come to him beforehand concerning their affairs, and showed
them the things which were about to happen. And he told
each one of them that which was done by him in secret, and
he foretold concerning the rise of the river Nile, and the good
crop which there would be as the result thereof, and described
it unto them; and he declared and pointed out the time when
the anger of God was about to come upon them, and rebuked
those who were the cause of the same. Now the blessed man
John did not himself work his cures openly, but he used to
consecrate the oil and give [it] to those who were afflicted, and
they were healed. Thus the wife of a certain nobleman had
the light of her eyes taken away through the cataract which
obstructed the light thereof, and she begged and entreated
her husband to take her to him, and when he said unto her,
"The blessed man hath never met a woman," she besought
him to have a message sent to the holy man asking him to
offer up a prayer on her behalf; and this the blessed man did,
and he also sent her some oil over which he had said a bless
ing and made the sign of the Cross, and when she had smeared
her eyes therewith three times, after three days she was able
to see. Then she praised God the Lord of all, and openly gave
thanks unto Him always.
And what shall we say about his other deeds? [Nothing].
We can only tell of the things which we saw with our own
eyes. Now there were of us seven brethren who were stran
gers, and who went to him all together, and having given us
the salutation of peace with his glorious face, and shown his
gladness [at seeing us] to each one of us, we asked him before
anything else to offer up a prayer on our behalf, for it is the
custom with all our fathers in Egypt to do this. Then he asked
me if there was, perchance, a man among us who was a priest
or deacon, and although we said there was none such among
us all, he well knew that there was one among us who was
hiding his honourable rank. Now there was among us one
who had received the hand of deaconship, but only one of the
brethren, and he was with us, knew of this, and the deacon,
by reason of his humility, prohibited him from making this
known to anyone, "For," said he, "in comparison with these
" holy men I am not worthy to be called even Christian; per-
" mit me then not to make use of the honour of deaconship."
Then the blessed man pointed out to us all with his hand the
deacon, and said, "This brother is a deacon"; whereupon the
deacon denied this repeatedly, thinking to lead us astray, but
the blessed man grasped the hand of the deacon through the
window, and kissed it, and begged him, rebuking him at
the same time, saying, "Wrong not the grace of God, O my
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3obn of Xgcus
son, and lie not concerning the gift of Christ with the denial
of an alien; for falsehood, whether it be uttered concerning
a small matter or a great one, or something which is con
venient, is still falsehood, and is not to be praised. For our
Redeemer said, All falsehood is of the Evil One " (St. Mat
thew v, 33, 37; St. John viii, 44). And the deacon being thus
rebuked accepted the reproof of the old man pleasantly.
And when we had prayed and made an end of our supplica
tions, one of us became afflicted with shiverings and strong
fever, and he begged the blessed John that he might be healed.
Then the blessed man said unto him, This sickness is for
"thy benefit, because a diminution of faith hath come upon
" thee," but he gave him some oil, and let him anoint himself
therewith, and when the man had rubbed the oil upon his
body, every evil thing which was inside him he cast forth
through his mouth, and he was completely cured of his sick
ness, and departed on his own feet with us to the place where
travellers rested.
Now the blessed man appears to have been about ninety
years old, and his whole body was emaciated and frail as if
by the severity of his rule of life, and no hair whatsoever
remained upon his cheeks; and he ate nothing whatsover
except dried vegetables (or fruits), and in the period of his old
age he did this at sunset. In the early part of his career he
suffered severely, because he would neither eat bread, nor
anything which had been cooked by fire. And he commanded
us, and we sat down with him, and we gave thanks unto God
that we were esteemed worthy to see him ; and he rejoiced [in
us] as if we had been beloved children of his who were meeting
their father after a long absence, and with a joyful countenance
he held converse with us, saying, "Where do ye come from, my
" sons, and from what country? Ye have come to a miserable
" and wretched man." And when we told him [the name of] the
country, and that we had come to him from Jerusalem for the
benefit of our souls, and that that which we had received with
our ears we might see with our own eyes, for the hearing of
the ears is less trustworthy than the sight of the eyes, and
frequently error maketh its way into what is heard by the ears,
whilst the remembrance of what a man hath seen can never be
blotted out from the heart, and the description of the same
will be permanently fixed in the mind, the blessed man John
anwered and said unto us, " What great thing did ye think
" ye would see, O beloved sons, that ye have come all this
" way, and have toiled all this great toil? Did ye desire to come
"and see miserable and wretched men? We possess nothing
"whatsoever which is worth looking or wondering at. There
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" are, however, in every place men who are wonderful and who
" are worthy of admiration, that is to say, men who are called
"in the church the Prophets and Apostles of God, and of
" these it is meet that we should emulate their example.
" But I marvel greatly at the indefatigable zeal which made
" you treat the tribulations of the journey with contempt in
" order that ye might come hither, for your welfare, to those
" men who, because of their sluggishness, are unwilling to go
out of their caves. And I say that, although that which ye
" have now done meriteth praise, ye must not allow th
" thought to come into your minds that ye have fulfilled com-
<( pletely every duty, but ye must make yourselves to be like
" unto your fathers in respect of the glorious rules of life by
" which they were guided and the works which they did. For
" although ye possess all the virtues, which is a difficult matter
"to accomplish, ye must not even so be [over-] confident in
"yourselves, for the men who have become puffed up with
" pride, and who thought they had arrived at the stage of
" [being worthy of] praise, have subsequently fallen from their
" high estate. But examine yourselves carefully and see
"whether your consciences are pure, so that purity may not
" be driven out from your minds; and let not your thoughts
"wander about at the season when ye stand up in prayer
" before God, and let not any other thought enter into your
" mind and turn it away from that glorious sight of God which
" riseth upon the pure heart at the season of prayer, and which
" enlighteneth and maketh the understanding to shine; and
" let not the remembrance of evil thoughts disturb your minds.
" And examine yourselves and see whether ye have truly made
" a covenant with God, and whether ye have not, after the
"manner of men, entered in that ye may attain the freedom
" which is in Christ, and whether ye do not desire to possess
" the vainglory of ascetic deeds, and whether ye do not, after
" the manner of men who boast themselves before men, [pos-
" sess only] the similitude of our ascetic deeds. And take heed
"lest any passion whatsoever vex you, or any longing for
" honour or glory from the children of men, or any deceitful
"desire of priesthood, or of self-love. And do not think that
"ye are righteous men only, but be ye diligent and zealous
"in very truth that ye may neither be boastful nor unduly
" exalted by applause.
" And let there not be any anxiety about family in the mind
" of him that prayeth unto God in very truth, neither shall
" there be to him any remembrance of the fair things which
"have been done by him, nor love for other folk, nor any
" memory whatsoever of the world, for if the man who holdeth
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5obn of Xvcus
44 converse with his Lord be reduced, or drawn aside, or led
44 away by any other mind [than this] his labour is emptiness.
44 Now this falling away happeneth to the mind of man after
44 man who doth not deny the world absolutely, and who
44 hunteth after the approbation of the children of men; for he
44 devoteth himself unto everything in multitudes of ways,
44 and his mind is divided among many kinds of thoughts,
44 both of the body and of the earth, and thereupon he is
44 obliged to strive against his own passions and is not able to
44 see God. It is therefore not seemly for a man to think that
44 he hath found knowledge with absolute certainty, [lest per-
44 ad venture being unworthy of knowledge], and having only
44 acquired a small portion thereof, he imagine that he hath
44 found the whole of it, and so he devote himself wholly to
44 destruction. But it is right that we should always draw
44 nigh unto God with moderate ideas and in faith, so far
44 as it is possible to approach Him in the mind, and so far
44 as the children of men are able to attain unto Him. It is
44 right therefore that the mind of every man who loveth God
44 should be remote from all these things, for he who in truth
44 seeketh after God with all his heart will remove his mind far
44 away from every earthly thing, and he will direct the gaze
44 of his understanding towards God, for it is written, 4 Turn
44 ye and know that I, even I, am God (Psalm xlvi, 108). He
44 therefore who is worthy of a little of the knowledge of God,
44 for man is not able to receive the whole of it, is able to
44 acquire the knowledge of many things, and to see those
44 mysteries which the knowledge of God will shew him. And
44 he will see the things which are about to happen beforehand,
44 and glorious revelations will be made known to him as [unto]
44 the saints, and he will do mighty works, and everything
44 which he asketh from God he shall receive."
And having said these things unto us, and many others
which also concerned the rules of the life of ascetic excellence,
he added the following: 44 It is right that every one who is a
44 man of discernment should wait for his departure from this
44 world as if he were going to approach a life of happiness,
44 and that he should not set before his eyes the humiliation of
44 the body, and should not fill his belly with that which he
4 hath; for the thoughts of him that filleth himself full of
44 meats resemble those of men who are fed upon delicate meats.
44 But strive ye in your life and deeds to acquire the power of
44 enduring lusts and appetites patiently, and let no man seek
44 after the things which are fine, and those which are gratify-
44 ing to the body, but let him restrain himself in the short
44 time [which we have] here so that he may inherit rest and
3 2 5
iparaMse of tbe 1bols ffatbers
relaxation in the kingdom of God, for it is said, Through
* abundant tribulation it is meet for us to enter into the king-
* 4 dom of God (Acts xiv, 22). And in this manner also Paul
4 the Apostle admonished us, and he spake that which he had
learned from our Redeemer, Who said, * How strait and nar-
* row is the way which leadeth to life, and few there be who
find it (St. Matthew vii, 14) ; and how broad is the gate, and
* wide the way which leadeth to destruction, and many there
be who travel upon it. And let us not be in despair in this
country, for in a very little while we shall depart unto the
world of rest ; and let not any man be [unduly] exalted
4 through the fair deeds which he performeth, but let him be
always in a state of penitence. And let him betake himself
away far into the desert whensoever he feeleth within himself
that he is becoming [unduly] exalted, for on several occasions
the monastic dwelling which is nigh unto villages hath harm-
* ed those who were perfect. And he must do as did one unto
4 whom this happened, who said in his Psalm (Psalm Iv,
6, 7), Behold, I fled away to a remote place, and I took up
" mine abode in the whirlwind, and I waited for God to de-
" liver me from littleness of soul, and from the spirit of the
" world. And this very thing hath happened unto many of our
" own brethren, and because of their pride they fell away from
" the mark which they had set for themselves.
" Now there was a certain brother who dwelt in a cave which
" was in the desert nigh unto Shaind, and he followed the as-
44 cetic life with the utmost strenuousness, and he used to pro-
vide himself with bread day by day by the labour of his hands;
" and because he was constantly in prayer, and excelled greatly
" in praiseworthy actions, and had confidence in himself, and
" was proud of his fair life and deeds, the Tempter, having
" asked God for him as he 
