Sayings of the Desert Fathers (alphabetical collection) 2.0–2.44
Authorship disputed: Anonymous collection of sayings and stories of the Egyptian desert monks of the 4th and 5th centuries, arranged by the Greek alphabet of the monks' names and compiled in its present form in the late 5th or 6th century. The sayings are attributed to the named monks and were handed down orally and in smaller collections; the compiler is unknown.
Greek text: PG 65.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 2
2.0PG 65:87
τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ σώζῃ.
tous anthrōpous, kai sōzę̄.
… men, and you will be saved.
Notes and citation
Summary: A stray line printed before Arsenius’s first saying; it is the end of that saying.
- These words stand in the scan before the first numbered saying of Arsenius. They are the missing end of Arsenius 1 (“Arsenius, flee men, and you will be saved”).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.0 (PG 65:87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-0). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-0
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.1PG 65:87
Ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος ἔτι ὧν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, εὔξατο τῷ Θεῷ λέγων· Κύριε, ὁδήγησόν με πῶς σωθῶ. Καὶ ἦλθεν αὐτῷ φωνὴ λέγουσα· Ἀρσένιε, φεύγε Ἔκλεπτεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐκεῖνος βουκκία, φοινίκια,
Ho abbas Arsenios eti hōn en tǭ palatiǭ, euxato tǭ Theǭ legōn; Kyrie, hodēgēson me pōs sōthō. Kai ēlthen autǭ phōnē legousa; Arsenie, pheuge Eklepten ho adelphos ekeinos boukkia, phoinikia,
While abba Arsenius was still in the palace, he prayed to God, saying, “Lord, guide me how I may be saved.” And a voice came to him, saying, “Arsenius, flee …” [Stray line from another saying: “That brother was stealing bread rolls, dates, …”]
Notes and citation
Summary: In the palace Arsenius prays to be shown how to be saved and is told to flee.
- The end of the voice’s words (“men, and you will be saved”) is displaced in the scan to the text before the first numeral (2.0). The words that follow “flee” here come from another saying (a brother who stole bread and dates) and are marked as stray.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.1 (PG 65:87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.2PG 65:87
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀναχωρήσας ἐν τῷ μονήρει βίῳ, πάλιν εὔξατο, τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπών. Καὶ ἤκουσε φωνῆς λεγούσης αὐτῷ· Ἀρσένιε, φεῦγε, σιώπα, ἡσύχαζε αὗται γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ῥίζαι τῆς ἀναμαρτησίας.
Ho autos anachōrēsas en tǭ monērei biǭ, palin euxato, ton auton logon eipōn. Kai ēkouse phōnēs legousēs autǭ; Arsenie, pheuge, siōpa, hēsychaze hautai gar eisin hai rhizai tēs anamartēsias.
When he had withdrawn to the solitary life, he prayed again, saying the same words. And he heard a voice saying to him, “Arsenius, flee, be silent, be still; for these are the roots of sinlessness.”
Notes and citation
Summary: As a hermit Arsenius is told to flee, keep silence, and be still.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.2 (PG 65:87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.3PG 65:87
Ἐπέστησάν ποτε τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀρσενίῳ οἱ δαίμονες ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ θλίβοντες αὐτόν. Παραβαλόντες δὲ οἱ διακονοῦντες αὐτῷ, καὶ στάντες ἔξω τῆς κέλλης, ἤκουσαν αὐτοῦ βοῶντος πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ λέγοντος Ὁ Θεὸς, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με οὐδὲν ἐποίησα ἐνώπιόν σου ἀγαθόν· ἀλλὰ δός μοι κατὰ τὴν χρηστότητά σου βαλεῖν ἀρχήν.
Epestēsan pote tǭ abbą Arseniǭ hoi daimones en tǭ kelliǭ thlibontes auton. Parabalontes de hoi diakonountes autǭ, kai stantes exō tēs kellēs, ēkousan autou boōntos pros ton Theon kai legontos Ho Theos, mē enkatalipę̄s me ouden epoiēsa enōpion sou agathon; alla dos moi kata tēn chrēstotēta sou balein archēn.
Once the demons came upon abba Arsenius in his cell, afflicting him. Those who served him came by, and standing outside the cell they heard him crying out to God and saying, “O God, do not forsake me. I have done nothing good before you; but grant me, according to your goodness, to make a beginning.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Assailed by demons, Arsenius prays to God for grace to make a beginning of good.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.3 (PG 65:87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.4PG 65:87
Ἔλεγον περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὥσπερ οὐδεὶς τοῦ παλατίου ἐφόρει βελτίονα αὐτοῦ ἐσθῆτα οὕτως οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εὐτελεστέραν τις αὐτοῦ ἐφόρει.
Elegon peri autou, hoti hōsper oudeis tou palatiou ephorei beltiona autou esthēta houtōs oude eis tēn Ekklēsian eutelesteran tis autou ephorei.
They said of him that just as no one in the palace wore finer clothing than he, so in the church no one wore poorer.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius wore the finest clothes at court and the poorest in the church.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.4 (PG 65:87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.5PG 65:87–89
Εἶπέ τις τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἀρσενίῳ· Πῶς ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοσαύτης παιδεύσεως καὶ σοφίας οὐδὲν ἔχομεν, οὗτοι δὲ οἱ αγροῖκοι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι τοσαύτας ἀρετὰς κέκτηνται; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος· Ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου παιδεύσεως οὐδὲν ἔχομεν· οὗτοι δὲ οἱ ἀγροῖκοι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόνων ἐκτήσαντο τὰς ἀρετάς.
Eipe tis tǭ makariǭ Arseniǭ; Pōs hēmeis apo tosautēs paideuseōs kai sophias ouden echomen, houtoi de hoi agroikoi kai Aigyptioi tosautas aretas kektēntai? Legei autǭ ho abbas Arsenios; Hēmeis apo tēs tou kosmou paideuseōs ouden echomen; houtoi de hoi agroikoi kai Aigyptioi apo tōn idiōn ponōn ektēsanto tas aretas.
Someone said to blessed Arsenius, “How is it that we, with so much education and wisdom, have nothing, while these peasants and Egyptians have acquired so many virtues?” Abba Arsenius says to him, “We have nothing from the world’s education; but these peasants and Egyptians have acquired the virtues by their own labors.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius says the Egyptian peasants won their virtues by labor, not learning.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray line from Migne’s Latin/notes inside the sentence): οὗτοι ὅτε ἦν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ. δὲ → οὗτοι δὲ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.5 (PG 65:87–89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.6PG 65:89
Ἑρωτῶντός ποτε τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου τινὰ γέροντα Αἰγύπτιον περὶ ἰδίων λογισμῶν, ἕτερος ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εἶπεν· Ἀ̓ββᾶ Ἀρσένιε, πῶς τοσαύτην παίδευσιν Ῥωμαϊκὴν καὶ Ἑλληνικὴν ἐπιστάμενος, τοῦτον τὸν ἀγροῖκον περὶ τῶν σῶν λογισμῶν ἐρωτᾷς; Ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Τὴν μὲν Ῥωμαϊκὴν καὶ Ἑλληνικὴν ἐπίσταμαι παίδευσιν· τὸν δὲ ἀλφάβητον τοῦ ἀγροίκου τούτου οὔπω μεμάθηκα.
Herōtōntos pote tou abba Arseniou tina geronta Aigyption peri idiōn logismōn, heteros idōn auton eipen; Abba Arsenie, pōs tosautēn paideusin Rhōmaïkēn kai Hellēnikēn epistamenos, touton ton agroikon peri tōn sōn logismōn erōtąs? Ho de eipe pros auton; Tēn men Rhōmaïkēn kai Hellēnikēn epistamai paideusin; ton de alphabēton tou agroikou toutou oupō memathēka.
Once when abba Arsenius was asking an Egyptian old man about his own thoughts, someone else saw him and said, “Abba Arsenius, how is it that you, who know so much Latin and Greek learning, ask this peasant about your thoughts?” He said to him, “I know the Latin and Greek learning; but I have not yet learned the alphabet of this peasant.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Learned Arsenius says he has not yet learned the alphabet of an Egyptian peasant monk.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.6 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.7PG 65:89
Παρέβαλέ ποτε ὁ μακάριος Θεόφιλος ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀρσενίῳ, μετὰ ἄρχοντός τινος ἠρώτα δὲ τὸν γέροντα, ἀκοῦσαι παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ λόγον. Μικρὸν δὲ σιωπήσας ὁ γέρων, ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς αὐτὸν· Καὶ ἐὰν ὑμῖν εἴπω, φυλάσσετε; Οἱ δὲ συνέθεντο φυλάττειν. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· ὅπου ἐὰν ἀκούσητε Αρσένιον, μὴ πλησιάσητε.
Parebale pote ho makarios Theophilos archiepiskopos tǭ abbą Arseniǭ, meta archontos tinos ērōta de ton geronta, akousai par᾿ autou logon. Mikron de siōpēsas ho gerōn, apekrinato pros auton; Kai ean hymin eipō, phylassete? Hoi de synethento phylattein. Kai eipen autois ho gerōn; hopou ean akousēte Arsenion, mē plēsiasēte.
Once the blessed archbishop Theophilus visited abba Arsenius with a certain official, and asked the old man to hear a word from him. After a short silence the old man answered him, “If I tell you, will you keep it?” They agreed to keep it. And the old man said to them, “Wherever you hear that Arsenius is, do not come near.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius tells archbishop Theophilus to keep away from wherever he is.
- Theophilus was archbishop of Alexandria (385–412).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.7 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.8PG 65:89
"Αλλοτε πάλιν βουληθεὶς ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος παραβαλεῖν αὐτῷ, ἀπέστειλε πρῶτον εἰδέναι εἰ ἀνοίγει ὁ γέρων. Καὶ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἐὰν ἔλθῃς, ἀνοίγω σοι καὶ ἐὰν σοι ἀνοίξω, πᾶσιν ἀνοίγω· καὶ τότε οὐκέτι καθέζομαι ὧδε. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος εἶπεν· Εἰ διῶξαι αὐτὸν ἀπέρχομαι, οὐκ ἔτι ἀπέρχομαι πρὸς αὐτόν.
"Allote palin boulētheis ho archiepiskopos parabalein autǭ, apesteile prōton eidenai ei anoigei ho gerōn. Kai edēlōsen autǭ legōn; Ean elthę̄s, anoigō soi kai ean soi anoixō, pasin anoigō; kai tote ouketi kathezomai hōde. Tauta akousas ho archiepiskopos eipen; Ei diōxai auton aperchomai, ouk eti aperchomai pros auton.
Another time the archbishop, wanting to visit him, first sent to find out whether the old man would open to him. And he let him know, saying, “If you come, I will open to you; and if I open to you, I open to everyone; and then I will no longer live here.” When the archbishop heard this, he said, “If I go to drive him away, I will not go to him anymore.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Theophilus gives up visiting Arsenius rather than drive him from his place.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.8 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-8
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.9PG 65:89
Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τον ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον ἀκοῦσαι παρ' αὐτοῦ λόγον. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὅση δύναμίς σοί ἐστιν, ἀγώνισαι, ἵνα ἡ ἔνδον σου ἐργασία κατὰ Θεὸν ᾖ, καὶ νικήσῃ τὰ ἔξω πάθη.
Adelphos ērōtēse ton abban Arsenion akousai par' autou logon. Kai eipen autǭ ho gerōn; Hosē dynamis soi estin, agōnisai, hina hē endon sou ergasia kata Theon ę̄, kai nikēsę̄ ta exō pathē.
A brother asked abba Arsenius to hear a word from him. And the old man said to him, “With all the strength you have, strive that your inner work may be according to God, and it will overcome the outer passions.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius counsels striving for inner work according to God.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.9 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-9
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.10PG 65:89
Εἶπε πάλιν· Ἐὰν τὸν Θεὸν ζητήσωμεν, φανήσεται ἡμῖν· καὶ ἐὰν αὐτὸν κατάσχωμεν, παραμενεῖ ἡμῖν.
Eipe palin; Ean ton Theon zētēsōmen, phanēsetai hēmin; kai ean auton kataschōmen, paramenei hēmin.
He also said, “If we seek God, he will appear to us; and if we hold him fast, he will stay with us.”
Jer 29:13 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God appears to those who seek him and stays with those who hold him.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.10 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.11PG 65:89
Εἶπέ τις τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀρσενίῳ· Οἱ λογισμοί μου θλίβουσί με λέγοντες· Οὐ δύνασαι νηστεύειν οὐδὲ ἐργάσασθαι· κἂν ἐπισκέπτου τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἀγάπη ἐστίν. Ὁ δὲ γέρων εἰδὼς τὰς σπορὰς τῶν δαιμόνων, λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὕπαγε, φάγε, πίε, κοιμῶ, καὶ μὴ ἐργάσῃ· μόνον τοῦ κελλίου μὴ ἀποστῇς. Ἤδει γὰρ ὅτι ἡ ὑπομονὴ τοῦ κελλίου φέρει τὸν μοναχὸν εἰς τὴν τάξιν αὐτοῦ
Eipe tis tǭ abbą Arseniǭ; Hoi logismoi mou thlibousi me legontes; Ou dynasai nēsteuein oude ergasasthai; kan episkeptou tous asthenountas kai touto gar agapē estin. Ho de gerōn eidōs tas sporas tōn daimonōn, legei autǭ; Hypage, phage, pie, koimō, kai mē ergasę̄; monon tou kelliou mē apostę̄s. Ēdei gar hoti hē hypomonē tou kelliou pherei ton monachon eis tēn taxin autou
Someone said to abba Arsenius, “My thoughts afflict me, saying, ‘You cannot fast or work; at least visit the sick, for that too is love.’” But the old man, knowing the seeds sown by the demons, says to him, “Go, eat, drink, sleep, and do not work; only do not leave your cell.” For he knew that perseverance in the cell brings the monk to his proper order.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius tells a tempted brother that he may do anything except leave his cell.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): Ελίβουσί → θλίβουσί.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.11 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.12PG 65:89
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, ὅτι ξένος μοναχὸς εἰς ἀλλοτρίαν χώραν μηδὲν μεσαζέτω. καὶ ἀναπαύεται. καὶ εὑρὼν μικρὰ θαλλία, ἔσχισεν αὐτά· καὶ πάλιν τῇ ἑξῆς ἤρξατο πλέκειν αὐτά· καὶ πεινάσας, εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἄλλα μικρὰ θαλλία εἰσὶν, καὶ ἐσθίω. Καὶ ὡς ἐποίησεν τὰ θαλλία, εἶπεν πάλιν· Ἀναγινώσκω μικρὸν, καὶ οὕ κρὸν, καὶ οὕτως ἐσθίω. Καὶ ὡς ἀνέγνω, λέγει· Ποι μου τοὺς μικροὺς ψαλμοὺς, καὶ μετὰ ἀμεριμνίας ἐσθίω. Καὶ οὕτως κατὰ μικρὸν προέκοπτεν, τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντος, ἕως οὗ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν τάξιν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ θάρσος λαβὼν κατὰ τῶν λογισμῶν, ἐνίκα αὐτούς.
Elegen ho abbas Arsenios, hoti xenos monachos eis allotrian chōran mēden mesazetō. kai anapauetai. kai heurōn mikra thallia, eschisen auta; kai palin tę̄ hexēs ērxato plekein auta; kai peinasas, eipen Idou alla mikra thallia eisin, kai esthiō. Kai hōs epoiēsen ta thallia, eipen palin; Anaginōskō mikron, kai hou kron, kai houtōs esthiō. Kai hōs anegnō, legei; Poi mou tous mikrous psalmous, kai meta amerimnias esthiō. Kai houtōs kata mikron proekopten, tou Theou synergountos, heōs hou ēlthen eis tēn taxin autou. Kai tharsos labōn kata tōn logismōn, enika autous.
Abba Arsenius used to say, “A foreign monk in a strange land should not meddle in anything, and he is at rest.” … And finding a few palm leaves, he split them; and again the next day he began to plait them; and when he grew hungry he said, “Look, there are a few more palm leaves, and then I will eat.” And when he had finished the palm leaves, he said again, “I will read a little, and then I will eat.” And when he had read, he says, “I will say my little psalms, and then I will eat without care.” And so, little by little, with God’s help, he made progress until he came to his proper order. And taking courage against his thoughts, he overcame them.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius forbids a stranger to meddle; a story follows of a monk who mastered his thoughts little by little.
- The scan joins Arsenius’s short saying to the end of a story about a monk who overcame his thoughts step by step, whose beginning is lost (“…”). The repeated words “οὕ κρὸν, καὶ” and the garbled “Ποι μου” (probably “I will do”, i.e. say) are translated by sense.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.12 (PG 65:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.13PG 65:91
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μάρκος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀρσενίῳ Διατί φεύγεις ἡμᾶς; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι εἶναι μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Αἱ ἄνω χιλιάδες καὶ μυριάδες ἓν θέλημα ἔχουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι πολλὰ θελήματα ἔχουσιν. Οὐ δύναμαι οὖν ἀφεῖναι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
Eipen ho abbas Markos tǭ abbą Arseniǭ Diati pheugeis hēmas? Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Ho Theos oiden, hoti agapō hymas; all' ou dynamai einai meta tou Theou kai meta tōn anthrōpōn. Hai anō chiliades kai myriades hen thelēma echousin, hoi de anthrōpoi polla thelēmata echousin. Ou dynamai oun apheinai ton Theon, kai elthein meta tōn anthrōpōn.
Abba Mark said to abba Arsenius, “Why do you flee from us?” The old man says to him, “God knows that I love you; but I cannot be with God and with men. The thousands and tens of thousands above have one will, but men have many wills. So I cannot leave God and come to be with men.”
Dan 7:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius explains he flees people because he cannot be with God and men at once.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.13 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.14PG 65:91
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι ὅλην τὴν νύκτα διετέλει ἀγρυπνῶν· καὶ ὅτε ἦλθε περὶ τὸ πρωὶ διὰ τὴν φύσιν καθευδῆσαι, ἔλεγε τῷ ὕπνῳ· Δεῦρο, κακὲ δοῦλε· καὶ ἥρπαζε μικρὸν καθεζόμενος, καὶ εὐθέως ἠγείρετο.
Elegen ho abbas Daniēl peri tou abba Arseniou, hoti holēn tēn nykta dietelei agrypnōn; kai hote ēlthe peri to prōi dia tēn physin katheudēsai, elege tǭ hypnǭ; Deuro, kake doule; kai hērpaze mikron kathezomenos, kai eutheōs ēgeireto.
Abba Daniel said of abba Arsenius that he spent the whole night keeping vigil; and when toward morning nature required him to sleep, he would say to sleep, “Come, wicked servant”; and he would snatch a little sleep sitting, and at once get up.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius kept vigil all night and slept only briefly sitting at dawn.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): καθεζό μενος → καθεζόμενος.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.14 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.15PG 65:91
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, ὅτι ἀρκετὸν τῷ μοναχῷ, ἵνα κοιμᾶται μίαν ὥραν, ἐὰν ἡ ἀγωνιστής
Elegen ho abbas Arsenios, hoti arketon tǭ monachǭ, hina koimatai mian hōran, ean hē agōnistēs
Abba Arsenius used to say that one hour of sleep is enough for a monk, if he is a fighter.
Notes and citation
Summary: One hour of sleep suffices for a monk who is a true fighter.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.15 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-15
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.16PG 65:91
Ἔλεγον οἱ γέροντες, ὅτι ἐδόθη ποτὲ εἰς Σκῆτιν πρὸς ὀλίγα ἰσχάδια, καὶ ὡς μηδὲν ὄντα, οὐκ ἀπέστειλαν τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀρσενίῳ, ὡς ἵνα μὴ ὕβριν πάθῃ. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἀκούσας οὐκ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν σύναξιν, λέγων· Ἀφορίσατέ με τοῦ μὴ δοῦναί μοι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἄξιος λαβεῖν. Καὶ ἤκουσαν πάντες καὶ ὠφελήθησαν εἰς τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ γέροντος. Καὶ ἀπελθὼν ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἀπήνεγκεν αὐτῷ τὰ ἰσχάδια, καὶ ἤνεγκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν σύναξιν μετὰ χαρᾶς.
Elegon hoi gerontes, hoti edothē pote eis Skētin pros oliga ischadia, kai hōs mēden onta, ouk apesteilan tǭ abbą Arseniǭ, hōs hina mē hybrin pathę̄. Ho de gerōn akousas ouk ēlthen eis tēn synaxin, legōn; Aphorisate me tou mē dounai moi tēn eulogian axios labein. Kai ēkousan pantes kai ōphelēthēsan eis tēn tapeinōsin tou gerontos. Kai apelthōn ho presbyteros apēnenken autǭ ta ischadia, kai ēnenken auton eis tēn synaxin meta charas.
The old men said that once a few dried figs were given at Scetis, and because they were of no account, they did not send any to abba Arsenius, so that he would not be insulted. When the old man heard of it, he did not come to the synaxis, saying, “You have excommunicated me by not giving me the blessing … worthy to receive.” And everyone heard it and was helped by the old man’s humility. And the presbyter went and took him the dried figs, and brought him to the synaxis with joy.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius stays away from the assembly because he was left out of a gift of figs, and the brothers learn humility.
- Words are lost in the scan before “worthy to receive” (in other copies: “the blessing that God sent to the brothers, which I was not worthy to receive”); not supplied. The synaxis is the community’s gathering for worship.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; OCR: word split with stray mark): ἀπέστει λαν → ἀπέστειλαν; λέ· γων → λέγων.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.16 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-16
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.17PG 65:91
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιήλ, ὅτι Τοσαῦτα ἔτη ἔμεινε μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, καὶ μόνον θαλλὶν σίτου ἐποιοῦμεν αὐτῷ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ· καὶ ὅτε παρεβάλομεν αὐτῷ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἡσθίομεν.
Elegen ho abbas Daniēl, hoti Tosauta etē emeine meth᾽ hēmōn, kai monon thallin sitou epoioumen autǭ tou eniautou; kai hote parebalomen autǭ, ex autou hēsthiomen.
Abba Daniel said, “He stayed with us so many years, and we made him only a basket of grain for the year; and when we visited him, we ate from it.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius lived a year on one basket of grain and still shared it with visitors.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.17 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-17
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.18PG 65:91
Ἔλεγε πάλιν περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ οὐκ ἤλλασσε τὸ ὕδωρ τῶν βαΐων, ἀλλὰ μόνον προσετίθει· ἔπλεκε γὰρ σειρὰν καὶ ἔῤῥαπτεν ἕως ὥρας ἕκτης. Καὶ παρεκάλεσαν αὐτὸν οἱ γέροντες λέγοντες· Διατί οὐκ ἀλλάσσεις τὸ ὕδωρ τῶν βαΐων, ὅτι ὅζει; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ὅτι ἀντὶ τῶν θυμιαμάτων καὶ τῶν ἀρωμάτων ὧν ἀπἐλαυσα ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, χρὴ ἀπολαβεῖν με τὴν ὀσμὴν ταύτην
Elege palin peri tou autou abba Arseniou, hoti ei mē hapax tou eniautou ouk ēllasse to hydōr tōn baïōn, alla monon prosetithei; epleke gar seiran kai errhapten heōs hōras hektēs. Kai parekalesan auton hoi gerontes legontes; Diati ouk allasseis to hydōr tōn baïōn, hoti hozei? Kai eipen autois Hoti anti tōn thymiamatōn kai tōn arōmatōn hōn apelausa en tǭ kosmǭ, chrē apolabein me tēn osmēn tautēn
He also said of the same abba Arsenius that he did not change the water for his palm leaves except once a year, but only added to it; for he plaited rope and sewed until the sixth hour. And the old men urged him, saying, “Why do you not change the water for the palm leaves, since it stinks?” And he said to them, “In place of the incense and perfumes I enjoyed in the world, I must take this smell.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius endured the stench of his rotting palm-leaf water in exchange for the perfumes of his former life.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.18 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-18
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.19PG 65:91
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι ὡς ἤκουεν ὅτι ἐτελέσθη πᾶν γένος ὀπώρας, ἔλεγεν ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ· Φέρετέ μοι. Καὶ ἐγεύετο ἅπαξ μόνον ἀπὸ πάντων μικρὸν, εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ.
Eipe palin, hoti hōs ēkouen hoti etelesthē pan genos opōras, elegen aph᾿ heautou; Pherete moi. Kai egeueto hapax monon apo pantōn mikron, eucharistōn tǭ Theǭ.
He also said that when he heard that every kind of fruit had ripened, he would say of his own accord, “Bring me some.” And he would taste a little of each, once only, giving thanks to God.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius tasted each fruit once a year, giving thanks.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.19 (PG 65:91; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-19
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.20PG 65:91–93
Ἠσθένησε ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος εἰς Σκῆτιν, ἔχων ὅθεν ἀγοράσαι, ἔλαβε παρά τινος ἀγάπην, καὶ ἓν σίτου εἶπεν· Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, Κύριε, ὅτι ἡξίωσάς με λαβεῖν ἀγάπην διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου.
Ēsthenēse pote ho abbas Arsenios eis Skētin, echōn hothen agorasai, elabe para tinos agapēn, kai hen sitou eipen; Eucharistō soi, Kyrie, hoti hēxiōsas me labein agapēn dia to onoma sou.
Once abba Arsenius fell ill at Scetis, … having nothing with which to buy, he received something as alms from someone, and one … and said, “I thank you, Lord, that you have counted me worthy to receive alms for your name’s sake.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Sick and poor, Arsenius thanks God for being counted worthy to receive alms.
- The scan is damaged: a negative (“not having”) and the object (in other copies a linen cloth) are lost; not supplied. A line from Migne’s notes is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line from Migne’s notes merged into the Greek): δεῖ γὰρ τοῖς πατρικοῖς τούτοις ὀνόμασι χρήεἶπεν → εἶπεν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.20 (PG 65:91–93; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-20
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.21PG 65:93
Ἔλεγον περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι εἶχε τὸ διάστημα τοῦ κελλίου αὐτοῦ μίλια τριακονταδύο· οὐκ ἐξήρχετο δὲ ταχέως· ἄλλοι γὰρ ἐποίουν αὐτῷ τὸ διακόνημα. Ὅτε δὲ ἠρημώθη ἡ Σκῆτις, ἐξῆλθε κλαίων, καὶ ἔλεγεν. Ἀπώλεσεν ὁ κόσμος τὴν Ῥώμην, καὶ οἱ μοναχοὶ τὴν Σκῆτιν.
Elegon peri autou, hoti eiche to diastēma tou kelliou autou milia triakontadyo; ouk exērcheto de tacheōs; alloi gar epoioun autǭ to diakonēma. Hote de ērēmōthē hē Skētis, exēlthe klaiōn, kai elegen. Apōlesen ho kosmos tēn Rhōmēn, kai hoi monachoi tēn Skētin.
They said of him that the distance to his cell was thirty-two miles, and he did not readily go out, for others did his errands for him. When Scetis was laid waste, he went out weeping and said, “The world has lost Rome, and the monks Scetis.”
Notes and citation
Summary: When Scetis was sacked, Arsenius mourned it as the world mourned Rome.
- Scetis was raided by barbarians in 407–408; Rome fell to Alaric in 410.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.21 (PG 65:93; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-21
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.22PG 65:93
Ἠρώτησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μάρκος τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον λέγων: Καλὸν τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τινὰ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ αὐτοῦ παράκλησιν εἶδον γὰρ ἀδελφόν τινα ἔχοντα μικρὰ λάχανα, καὶ ἐκριζοῦντα αὐτά. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος: Καλὸν μὲν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἕξιν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃ ἰσχὺν ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ, πάλιν φυτεύει ἄλλα.
Ērōtēsen ho abbas Markos ton abban Arsenion legōn: Kalon to mē echein tina en tǭ kelliǭ autou paraklēsin eidon gar adelphon tina echonta mikra lachana, kai ekrizounta auta. Kai eipen ho abbas Arsenios: Kalon men estin, alla pros tēn hexin tou anthrōpou; ean gar mē echę̄ ischyn en tǭ toioutǭ tropǭ, palin phyteuei alla.
Abba Mark asked abba Arsenius, “Is it good for someone to have nothing in his cell for his comfort? For I saw a brother who had a few vegetables and was pulling them up.” And abba Arsenius said, “It is good, but according to the person’s state; for if he does not have the strength for such a way of life, he will plant others again.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius says renouncing every comfort is good only according to one’s strength.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): Ἀρσέ νιον → Ἀρσένιον.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.22 (PG 65:93; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-22
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.23PG 65:93
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου λέγων, ὅτι Εὑρέθην ποτὲ ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀλεξάνδρου· καὶ ἐκράτησεν αὐτὸν πόνος, καὶ ἤπλωσεν αὐτὸν ἄνω βλέπων διὰ τὸν πόνον. Συνέβη δὲ τὸν μακάριον Ἀρσένιον ἐλθεῖν τοῦ λαλῆσαι αὐτῷ· καὶ εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἡπλωμένον. Ὡς οὖν ἐλάλησε, λέγει αὐτῷ· Καὶ τίς ἦν κοσμικὸς ὃν εἶδον ὧδε; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀβᾶς Ἀλέξανδρος· Ποῦ ἑώρακας αὐτόν; Καὶ εἶπεν· Ὡς κατηρχόμην ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους, προσέσχον ὧδε ἐπὶ τὸ σπήλαιον, καὶ εἶδόν τινα ἡπλωμένον ἄνω βλέποντα. Καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτῷ μετάνοιαν λέγων· Συγχώρησόν μοι ἐγὼ ἤμην· πόνος γάρ με κατέσχε. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Οὐκοῦν σὺ ἧς; καλῶς. Ἐγὼ ὑπενόησα ὅτι κοσμικός ἐστι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἠρώτησα.
Diēgēsato ho abbas Daniēl ho mathētēs tou abba Arseniou legōn, hoti Heurethēn pote engys tou abba Alexandrou; kai ekratēsen auton ponos, kai ēplōsen auton anō blepōn dia ton ponon. Synebē de ton makarion Arsenion elthein tou lalēsai autǭ; kai eiden auton hēplōmenon. Hōs oun elalēse, legei autǭ; Kai tis ēn kosmikos hon eidon hōde? Legei autǭ ho abas Alexandros; Pou heōrakas auton? Kai eipen; Hōs katērchomēn apo tou orous, proseschon hōde epi to spēlaion, kai eidon tina hēplōmenon anō bleponta. Kai ebalen autǭ metanoian legōn; Synchōrēson moi egō ēmēn; ponos gar me katesche. legei autǭ ho gerōn; Oukoun sy hēs? kalōs. Egō hypenoēsa hoti kosmikos esti, kai dia touto ērōtēsa.
Abba Daniel, the disciple of abba Arsenius, related: “Once I was near abba Alexander, and pain took hold of him, and because of the pain he stretched himself out, looking upward. It happened that blessed Arsenius came to speak with him and saw him stretched out. When he had spoken, he says to him, ‘And who was the layman I saw here?’ Abba Alexander says to him, ‘Where did you see him?’ And he said, ‘As I was coming down from the mountain, I looked here toward the cave, and I saw someone stretched out, looking up.’ And he made a prostration to him, saying, ‘Forgive me, it was I; for pain had seized me.’ The old man says to him, ‘So it was you? Good. I supposed it was a layman, and that is why I asked.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius mistakes a monk lying at ease in pain for a layman.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.23 (PG 65:93; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-23
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.24PG 65:93–95
"Αλλοτε εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ, ὅτι "Αν ἀποσχίσῃς τὰ θαλλία σου, ἐλθὲ γεῦσαι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐὰν δὲ ἔλθωσι ξένοι, φάγε μετ' αὐτῶν. Ὁ οὖν ἀββᾶς Ἀλέξανδρος ὁμαλῶς εἰργάζετο καὶ ἐπιεικῶς. Καὶ ὡς γέγονεν ἡ ὥρα, ἀκμὴν εἶχε θαλλία καὶ θέλων τηρῆσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ γέροντος, ἀνέμεινε πληρῶσαι τὰ θαλλία Ὁ οὖν ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, ὡς εἶδεν ὅτι ἐχρόνισεν, ἐγεύσατο, λογισάμενος μήποτε ξένους ἔσχεν. Ὁ δὲ ἀββᾶς Ἀλέξανδρος ὡς ἐτέλεσεν ὀψὲ, ἀπῆλθε. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ξένους ἔσχες; Λέγει· Οὐχί. Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἦλθες; Ὁ δὲ λέγει· Ὅτι εἶπές μοι, ὅταν ἀποσχίσῃς” τὰ θαλλία σου, ἐλθέ· καὶ τηρῶν τὸν λόγον σου, οὐκ ἦλθον, ὅτι ἄρτι ἐπλήρωσα. Καὶ ἐθαύμασεν ὁ γέρων τὴν ἀκρίβειαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ταχύτερον κατάλυε ἵνα καὶ τὴν σύναξίν σου βάλῃς καὶ τοῦ ὕδατός σου μεταλάβῃς· εἰ δὲ μήγε, ταχέως ἔχει τὸ σῶμά σου ἀσθενῆσαι.
"Allote eipen ho abbas Arsenios tǭ abbą Alexandrǭ, hoti "An aposchisę̄s ta thallia sou, elthe geusai met᾿ emou ean de elthōsi xenoi, phage met' autōn. Ho oun abbas Alexandros homalōs eirgazeto kai epieikōs. Kai hōs gegonen hē hōra, akmēn eiche thallia kai thelōn tērēsai ton logon tou gerontos, anemeine plērōsai ta thallia Ho oun abbas Arsenios, hōs eiden hoti echronisen, egeusato, logisamenos mēpote xenous eschen. Ho de abbas Alexandros hōs etelesen opse, apēlthe. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Xenous esches? Legei; Ouchi. Eipe de autǭ; Pōs oun ouk ēlthes? Ho de legei; Hoti eipes moi, hotan aposchisę̄s” ta thallia sou, elthe; kai tērōn ton logon sou, ouk ēlthon, hoti arti eplērōsa. Kai ethaumasen ho gerōn tēn akribeian autou, kai legei autǭ; Tachyteron katalye hina kai tēn synaxin sou balę̄s kai tou hydatos sou metalabę̄s; ei de mēge, tacheōs echei to sōma sou asthenēsai.
Another time abba Arsenius said to abba Alexander, “When you have finished cutting your palm leaves, come and eat with me; but if visitors come, eat with them.” So abba Alexander worked steadily and gently. And when the hour came, he still had palm leaves, and wanting to keep the old man’s word he waited to finish the palm leaves. When abba Arsenius saw that he was late, he ate, thinking that perhaps he had visitors. Abba Alexander, when he finished late, went to him. And the old man says to him, “Did you have visitors?” He says, “No.” He said to him, “Then why did you not come?” He says, “Because you told me, ‘When you have finished cutting your palm leaves, come’; and keeping your word I did not come, because I have only just finished.” And the old man marveled at his exactness and says to him, “Break your fast sooner, so that you may both say your office and take your water; otherwise your body will soon fall ill.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Alexander keeps Arsenius’s word so exactly that he misses their meal, and Arsenius tells him to eat sooner.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked variant notes (“Al.”) and a line from another column merged into the Greek): ΑΙ. ἀπόσχῃ. ΑΙ. βαΐα. ζαν διελθὼν θείας χορείας συνισταμένης, τοῦ ἤχου τῶν ἑορταζόντων καὶ πανηγυριζόντων ἀδομένου, καὶ Ὁ δὲ → Ὁ δὲ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.24 (PG 65:93–95; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-24
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.25PG 65:95
Παρέβαλέ ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος εἰς τόπον, καὶ ἦσαν ἐκεῖ κάλαμοι, καὶ ἐκινήθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνέμου. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· Τἱ ἐστιν ὁ σεισμός οὗτος; Καὶ λέγουσι· Κάλαμοί εἰσι. Λέγει οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· Φύσει ἐὰν κάθηταί τις ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ, ἀκούσει δὲ φωνὴν στρουθίου, οὐκ ἔχει ἡ καρδία τὴν αὐτὴν ἡσυχίαν· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς ἔχοντες τὸν σεισμὸν τῶν καλάμων τούτων
Parebale pote ho abbas Arsenios eis topon, kai ēsan ekei kalamoi, kai ekinēthēsan hypo tou anemou. Kai legei ho gerōn tois adelphois; Ti estin ho seismos houtos? Kai legousi; Kalamoi eisi. Legei oun autois ho gerōn; Physei ean kathētai tis en hēsychią, akousei de phōnēn strouthiou, ouk echei hē kardia tēn autēn hēsychian; posǭ mallon hymeis echontes ton seismon tōn kalamōn toutōn
Once abba Arsenius came to a place where there were reeds, and they were shaken by the wind. And the old man says to the brothers, “What is this rustling?” And they say, “It is reeds.” So the old man says to them, “Truly, if someone sits in stillness and hears the voice of a sparrow, his heart does not have the same stillness; how much more you, who have the rustling of these reeds.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius warns that even a sparrow’s voice disturbs stillness, let alone rustling reeds.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.25 (PG 65:95; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-25
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.26PG 65:95
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιήλ, ὅτι τινὲς ἀδελφοὶ μέλλοντες ὑπάγειν εἰς Θηβαΐδα διὰ λινάρια, λέγουσι Δι' ἀφορμῆς ἴδωμεν καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον. Καὶ εἰσἦλθεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ εἶπε τῷ γέροντι Ἀδελφοὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Ἀλεξανδρείας θέλουσί σε ἰδεῖν. Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Μάθε παρ' αὐτῶν δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν παραγεγόνασι. Καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι εἰς Θηβαΐδα διὰ λινάρια ὑπάγουσιν, ἀπήγγειλε τῷ γέροντι. Λέγει καὶ αὐτός Φύσει οὐ βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι δι' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἦλθον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν. Ἀνάπαυσον αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀπόλυσον ἐν εἰρήνῃ, εἰπὼν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι Ὁ γέρων οὐ δύναται ἀπαντῆσαι.
Elegen ho abbas Daniēl, hoti tines adelphoi mellontes hypagein eis Thēbaïda dia linaria, legousi Di' aphormēs idōmen kai ton abban Arsenion. Kai eisēlthen ho abbas Alexandros, kai eipe tǭ geronti Adelphoi elthontes apo Alexandreias thelousi se idein. Legei ho gerōn; Mathe par' autōn di᾽ hēn aitian paragegonasi. Kai mathōn hoti eis Thēbaïda dia linaria hypagousin, apēngeile tǭ geronti. Legei kai autos Physei ou blepousi to prosōpon Arseniou, hoti di' eme ouk ēlthon, alla dia to ergon autōn. Anapauson autous, kai apolyson en eirēnę̄, eipōn autois, hoti Ho gerōn ou dynatai apantēsai.
Abba Daniel said that some brothers who were about to go to the Thebaid for linen said, “Let us take the occasion to see abba Arsenius too.” And abba Alexander went in and said to the old man, “Brothers who have come from Alexandria want to see you.” The old man says, “Find out from them for what reason they have come.” And learning that they were going to the Thebaid for linen, he told the old man. He says, “Truly they will not see Arsenius’s face, because they did not come for me but for their business. Give them rest and send them away in peace, telling them, ‘The old man cannot meet you.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius refuses to see brothers who visit him only in passing on business.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.26 (PG 65:95; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-26
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.27PG 65:95
Ἀδελφός τις ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸ κελλίον τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου ἐν Σκήτει, καὶ προσέσχε διὰ τῆς θυρίδος, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν γέροντα ὅλον ὡς πῦρ· ἦν δὲ ἄξιος ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἰδεῖν. Καὶ ὡς ἔκρουσεν, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ γέρων, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὡς ἔκθαμβον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἔχεις πολλὴν ὥραν κρούων; μή τί ποτε εἶδες ὧδε; Καὶ εἶπε· Οὐχί. Καὶ λαλήσας αὐτὸν ἀπέλυσεν.
Adelphos tis apēlthen eis to kellion tou abba Arseniou en Skētei, kai prosesche dia tēs thyridos, kai theōrei ton geronta holon hōs pyr; ēn de axios ho adelphos tou idein. Kai hōs ekrousen, exēlthen ho gerōn, kai theōrei ton adelphon hōs ekthambon. Kai legei autǭ; Echeis pollēn hōran krouōn? mē ti pote eides hōde? Kai eipe; Ouchi. Kai lalēsas auton apelysen.
A brother went to the cell of abba Arsenius at Scetis and looked through the window, and he sees the old man entirely like fire; and the brother was worthy to see it. When he knocked, the old man came out and sees the brother as if astounded. And he says to him, “Have you been knocking a long time? Did you see anything here?” And he said, “No.” And he talked with him and sent him away.
Notes and citation
Summary: A brother sees Arsenius at prayer as wholly like fire.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.27 (PG 65:95; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-27
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.28PG 65:95–97
Καθημένου ποτε τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου εἰς τὸν Κάνωπον, ἦλθε μία συγκλητική παρθένος πλουσία σφόδρα καὶ φοβουμένη τὸν Θεὸν, ἀπὸ Ῥώμης ἰδεῖν αὐτόν· καὶ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὴν Θεόφιλος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος· καὶ παρεκάλεσεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα πείσῃ τὸν γέροντα δέξασθαι αὐτήν. Καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν παρεκάλεσε λέγων· Ἡ δεῖνα ἡ συγκλητικὴ ἦλθεν ἀπὸ Ῥώμης, καὶ θέλει σε ἰδεῖν. Ὁ δὲ γέρων οὐ κατεδέξατο ἀπαντῆσαι αὐτῇ. Ὡς οὖν ἀνηγγέλη αὐτῇ ταῦτα, κελεύει στρωθῆναι κτήνη, λέγουσα· Πιστεύω τῷ Θεῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄνθρωπον ἦλθον ἰδεῖν· εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῇ πόλει ἡμῶν πολλοὶ ἄνθρωποι· ἀλλὰ προφήτην ἦλθον ἰδεῖν. Καὶ ὡς ἔφθασε περὶ τὴν κέλλαν τοῦ γέροντος, κατ' οίκονομίαν Θεοῦ εὐκαίρησεν ὁ γέρων ἔξω τῆς κέλλης· καὶ ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν προσέπεσε τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν μετ᾿ ὀργῆς καὶ προσέσχεν αὐτῇ λέγων· Εἰ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου θέλεις ἰδεῖν, ἰδοὺ βλέπε. Ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ αἰσχύνης οὐ κατενόησε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ γέρων· Οὐκ ἤκουσας τὰ ἔργα μου; ταῦτα βλέπειν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι. Πῶς δὲ ἐτόλμησας τοσοῦτον ποιῆσαι πλοῦν; οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι γυνὴ εἶ; οὐκ ὀφείλεις ἐξέρχεσθαί πού ποτε; Η ἵνα ἀπέλθῃς εἰς Ῥώμην, καὶ εἴπῃς ταῖς ἄλλαις γυναιξὶν, ὅτι Εώρακα Ἀρσένιον, καὶ ποιήσωσι τὴν θάλασσαν ὁδὸν γυναικῶν ἐρχομένων πρὸς μέ; Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἐὰν θέλῃ ὁ Κύριος, οὐκ ἀφῶ τινα ἐλθεῖν ὧδε· ἀλλ' εὔχου ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, καὶ μνημόνευέ μου διαπαντός. Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῇ Εὔχομαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα ἐξαλείψῃ τὸ μνημόσυνόν σου ἐκ τῆς καρδίας μου. Καὶ ταῦτα ἀκούσασα, ἐξῆλθε τεταραγμένη. Καὶ ὡς ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης ἔβαλε πυρέσσειν· καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ μακαρίῳ Θεοφίλῳ τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ ὅτι ἀσθενεῖ. Καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν, παρεκάλει μαθεῖν τὸ ἐστιν ὁ ἔχει. Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εἴθε μὴ ἀπήντησα ὧδε· εἶπον γὰρ τῷ γέροντι· Μνημόνευε μου· καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Εὔχομαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα ἐξαλειφθῇ τὸ μνημόσυνόν σου ἐκ τῆς καρδίας μου. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποθνήσκω ἐκ τῆς λύπης. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος· Οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι γυνὴ εἶ, καὶ διὰ τῶν γυναικῶν ὁ ἐχθρὸς πολεμεῖ τοὺς ἁγίους; διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· περὶ γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς σου εὔχεται διαπαντός. Καὶ οὕτως ἐθεραπεύθη ὁ λογισμὸς αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπῆλθε μετὰ χαρᾶς εἰς τὰ ἴδια.
Kathēmenou pote tou abba Arseniou eis ton Kanōpon, ēlthe mia synklētikē parthenos plousia sphodra kai phoboumenē ton Theon, apo Rhōmēs idein auton; kai hypedexato autēn Theophilos ho archiepiskopos; kai parekalesen auton, hina peisę̄ ton geronta dexasthai autēn. Kai elthōn pros auton parekalese legōn; Hē deina hē synklētikē ēlthen apo Rhōmēs, kai thelei se idein. Ho de gerōn ou katedexato apantēsai autę̄. Hōs oun anēngelē autę̄ tauta, keleuei strōthēnai ktēnē, legousa; Pisteuō tǭ Theǭ idein auton. Ou gar anthrōpon ēlthon idein; eisi gar kai en tę̄ polei hēmōn polloi anthrōpoi; alla prophētēn ēlthon idein. Kai hōs ephthase peri tēn kellan tou gerontos, kat' oikonomian Theou eukairēsen ho gerōn exō tēs kellēs; kai idousa auton prosepese tois posin autou. Ho de ēgeiren autēn met᾿ orgēs kai proseschen autę̄ legōn; Ei to prosōpon mou theleis idein, idou blepe. Hē de apo aischynēs ou katenoēse to prosōpon autou. Kai legei autę̄ ho gerōn; Ouk ēkousas ta erga mou? tauta blepein anankaion esti. Pōs de etolmēsas tosouton poiēsai ploun? ouk oidas hoti gynē ei? ouk opheileis exerchesthai pou pote? Ē hina apelthę̄s eis Rhōmēn, kai eipę̄s tais allais gynaixin, hoti Eōraka Arsenion, kai poiēsōsi tēn thalassan hodon gynaikōn erchomenōn pros me? Hē de eipen; Ean thelę̄ ho Kyrios, ouk aphō tina elthein hōde; all' euchou hyper emou, kai mnēmoneue mou diapantos. Ho de apokritheis eipen autę̄ Euchomai tǭ Theǭ, hina exaleipsę̄ to mnēmosynon sou ek tēs kardias mou. Kai tauta akousasa, exēlthe tetaragmenē. Kai hōs ēlthen eis tēn polin, apo tēs lypēs ebale pyressein; kai anēngelē tǭ makariǭ Theophilǭ tǭ archiepiskopǭ hoti asthenei. Kai elthōn pros autēn, parekalei mathein to estin ho echei. Hē de eipen autǭ; Eithe mē apēntēsa hōde; eipon gar tǭ geronti; Mnēmoneue mou; kai eipe moi; Euchomai tǭ Theǭ, hina exaleiphthę̄ to mnēmosynon sou ek tēs kardias mou. Kai idou egō apothnēskō ek tēs lypēs. Kai legei autę̄ ho archiepiskopos; Ouk oidas hoti gynē ei, kai dia tōn gynaikōn ho echthros polemei tous hagious? dia touto eipen ho gerōn; peri gar tēs psychēs sou euchetai diapantos. Kai houtōs etherapeuthē ho logismos autēs, kai apēlthe meta charas eis ta idia.
Once when abba Arsenius was living at Canopus, a virgin of senatorial rank, very rich and God-fearing, came from Rome to see him. Theophilus the archbishop received her, and she asked him to persuade the old man to receive her. And he went to him and urged him, saying, “A certain lady of senatorial rank has come from Rome and wants to see you.” But the old man would not consent to meet her. When this was reported to her, she ordered the animals to be saddled, saying, “I trust in God that I shall see him. For I did not come to see a man; there are many men in our own city; I came to see a prophet.” And when she arrived near the old man’s cell, by God’s arrangement the old man happened to be outside the cell. Seeing him, she fell at his feet. But he raised her up angrily, and looking at her said, “If you want to see my face, here it is: look.” But from shame she did not look at his face. And the old man says to her, “Have you not heard of my works? Those are what one needs to see. How did you dare to make such a voyage? Do you not know that you are a woman and ought not to go out anywhere? Or is it so that you may go to Rome and tell the other women, ‘I have seen Arsenius,’ and they will make the sea a road of women coming to me?” She said, “If the Lord wills, I will not let anyone come here; but pray for me and remember me always.” He answered her, “I pray to God that he will wipe the memory of you from my heart.” When she heard this, she went away troubled. And when she came to the city, from grief she fell into a fever; and it was reported to the blessed archbishop Theophilus that she was ill. He went to her and urged her to tell him what was wrong. She said to him, “If only I had not come here! For I said to the old man, ‘Remember me,’ and he said to me, ‘I pray to God that the memory of you may be wiped from my heart.’ And look, I am dying of grief.” And the archbishop says to her, “Do you not know that you are a woman, and that through women the enemy wars against the saints? That is why the old man said it; but for your soul he prays always.” And so her thought was healed, and she went home with joy.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius rebukes a Roman noblewoman who traveled to see him, and Theophilus explains his harsh words.
- The saying expresses the monastic suspicion of women as an occasion of temptation; it is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): ἀποΟνήσκω → ἀποθνήσκω.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.28 (PG 65:95–97; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-28
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.29PG 65:97
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιήλ περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι ἦλθέ ποτε μαγιστριανὸς, φέρων αὐτῷ διαθήκην τινὸς συγκλητικοῦ συγγενοῦς αὐτοῦ, ὃς κατἐλιπεν αὐτῷ κληρονομίαν πολλὴν σφόδρα· καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν, ἤθελε σχίσαι. Καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ μαγιστριανὸς εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, λέγων· Δέομαί σου, μὴ σχίσῃς αὐτὴν, ἐπεὶ αἴρεταί μου ἡ κεφαλή. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος· Ἐγὼ πρὸ ἐκείνου ἀπέθανον· αὐτὸς δὲ ἄρτι ἀπέθανε. Καὶ ἀντέπεμψεν αὐτὴν, μηδὲν δεξάμενος.
Diēgēsato ho abbas Daniēl peri tou abba Arseniou, hoti ēlthe pote magistrianos, pherōn autǭ diathēkēn tinos synklētikou syngenous autou, hos katelipen autǭ klēronomian pollēn sphodra; kai labōn autēn, ēthele schisai. Kai epesen ho magistrianos eis tous podas autou, legōn; Deomai sou, mē schisę̄s autēn, epei airetai mou hē kephalē. Kai legei autǭ ho abbas Arsenios; Egō pro ekeinou apethanon; autos de arti apethane. Kai antepempsen autēn, mēden dexamenos.
Abba Daniel related of abba Arsenius that once an official came bringing him the will of a senator, a relative of his, who had left him a very large inheritance; and taking it, Arsenius wanted to tear it up. And the official fell at his feet, saying, “I beg you, do not tear it up, or my head will be taken off.” And abba Arsenius says to him, “I died before he did; he has only just died.” And he sent it back, accepting nothing.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius refuses an inheritance, saying he died to the world before the testator.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.29 (PG 65:97; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-29
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.30PG 65:97
Ἔλεγον πάλιν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὀψὲ σαββάτων ἐπιφωσκούσης Κυριακῆς, ἤφιε τὸν ἥλιον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔτεινε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐχόμενος, ἕως πάλιν ἔλαμψεν ὁ ἥλιος εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὕτως ἐκαθέζετο
Elegon palin peri autou, hoti opse sabbatōn epiphōskousēs Kyriakēs, ēphie ton hēlion opisō autou, kai eteine tas cheiras autou eis ton ouranon euchomenos, heōs palin elampsen ho hēlios eis to prosōpon autou kai houtōs ekathezeto
They also said of him that on Saturday evening, as Sunday was dawning, he would put the sun behind him and stretch out his hands to heaven, praying, until the sun shone again on his face; and then he would sit down.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius prayed with outstretched hands from Saturday sunset until Sunday’s sunrise.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.30 (PG 65:97; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-30
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.31PG 65:97
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου καὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Θεοδώρου τοῦ τῆς Φέρμης, ὅτι ὑπὲρ πάντας ἐμισουν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν. μὲν οὖν ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος οὐχ ὑπήντα ταχέως τινί· ὁ δὲ ἀββᾶς Θεόδωρος ὑπήντα μὲν, ἀλλὰ ὡς ῥομφαία ἦν.
Elegon peri tou abba Arseniou kai tou abba Theodōrou tou tēs Phermēs, hoti hyper pantas emisoun tēn tōn anthrōpōn doxan. men oun abbas Arsenios ouch hypēnta tacheōs tini; ho de abbas Theodōros hypēnta men, alla hōs rhomphaia ēn.
They said of abba Arsenius and abba Theodore of Pherme that more than anyone they hated the glory of men. Abba Arsenius did not readily meet anyone; abba Theodore did meet people, but he was like a sword.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius and Theodore of Pherme both shunned human praise in different ways.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.31 (PG 65:97; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-31
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-2-31) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.32PG 65:97–99
Καθεζομένου ποτὲ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου ἐν τοῖς κάτω μέρεσι, καὶ ὀχλουμένου ἐκεῖσε, ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ καταλιπεῖν τὸ κελλίον. Μηδὲν δὲ ἐξ αὐτοῦ λαβὼν, οὗτως ἐπορεύθη μαθητὰς τοὺς Φαρανίτας Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Ζώϊλον. Εἶπεν οὖν τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ· Ἀναστὰς ἀνάπλευσον. Καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως. Καὶ τῷ Ζωΐλῳ εἶπε· Δεῦρο μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ζήτησόν μοι πλοῖον ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν καταπλέον, καὶ οὔτως ἀνάπλευσον καὶ σὺ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου. Ὁ δὲ Ζώϊλος, ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ταραχθεὶς, ἐσιώπησε. Καὶ οὕτως ἐχωρίσθησαν ἀπ᾿ ἀλλήλων. Κατῆλθεν οὖν ὁ γέρων ἐπὶ τὰ μέρη Ἀλεξανδρείας, καὶ ἠσθένησεν ἀῤῥωστίαν μεγάλην. Οἱ δὲ τούτου διακονηταὶ εἶπον πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Μὴ ἄρα τις ἡμῶν ἐλύπησε τὸν γέροντα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν; Καὶ οὐχ εὖρον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς οὐδὲν, οὔτε ὅτι παρήκουσαν αὐτοῦ ποτε. Ὑγιάνας δὲ -ὁ γέρων εἶπε· Πορεύσομαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐμοὺς Πατέρας. Καὶ οὕτως ἀναπλεύσας ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν Πέτραν ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ διακονηταὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὄντος δὲ αὐτοῦ πλησίον τοῦ ποταμοῦ, παιδίσκη τις Αἰθιόπισσα ἐλθοῦσα, ἥψατο τῆς μηλωτῆς αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῇ. Ἡ οὖν παιδίσκη εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εἰ μοναχὸς εἶ, πορεύου εἰς τὸ ὄρος. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ κατανυγεὶς ἔλεγεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Ἀρσένιε, εἰ μοναχὸς εἶ, πορεύου εἰς τὸ ὄρος. Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ ὅ τε Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ Ζώϊλος· καὶ ἐπιπεσόντων αὐτῶν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ, ἔῤῥιψεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ὁ γέρων· καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἀμφότεροι. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ γέρων· Οὐκ ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἡσθένησα; Καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Ναί. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Καὶ διατί οὐκ ἤλθετε ἰδεῖν με; Καὶ λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀλέξανδρος ὅτι Ὁ χωρισμός σου ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν οὐ γέγονε πιθανὸς. καὶ πολλοὶ οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν, λέγοντες, ὅτι Εἰ μὴ παρἠκουσαν τοῦ γέροντος, οὐκ ἂν ἐχωρίσθη ἐξ αὐτῶν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς· Πάλιν οὖν μέλλουσι λέγειν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅτι Οὐχ εὗρεν ἡ περιστερὰ ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν Νῶε, εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν. Καὶ οὕτως ἐθεραπεύθησαν· καὶ ἔμεινε μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ.
Kathezomenou pote tou abba Arseniou en tois katō meresi, kai ochloumenou ekeise, edoxen autǭ katalipein to kellion. Mēden de ex autou labōn, houtōs eporeuthē mathētas tous Pharanitas Alexandron kai Zōïlon. Eipen oun tǭ Alexandrǭ; Anastas anapleuson. Kai epoiēsen houtōs. Kai tǭ Zōïlǭ eipe; Deuro met᾿ emou heōs tou potamou, kai zētēson moi ploion epi tēn Alexandreian katapleon, kai outōs anapleuson kai sy pros ton adelphon sou. Ho de Zōïlos, epi tǭ logǭ tarachtheis, esiōpēse. Kai houtōs echōristhēsan ap᾿ allēlōn. Katēlthen oun ho gerōn epi ta merē Alexandreias, kai ēsthenēsen arrhōstian megalēn. Hoi de toutou diakonētai eipon pros allēlous; Mē ara tis hēmōn elypēse ton geronta, kai dia touto echōristhē aph᾿ hēmōn? Kai ouch euron en heautois ouden, oute hoti parēkousan autou pote. Hygianas de -ho gerōn eipe; Poreusomai pros tous emous Pateras. Kai houtōs anapleusas ēlthen eis tēn Petran hopou ēsan hoi diakonētai autou. Ontos de autou plēsion tou potamou, paidiskē tis Aithiopissa elthousa, hēpsato tēs mēlōtēs autou. Ho de gerōn epetimēsen autę̄. Hē oun paidiskē eipen autǭ; Ei monachos ei, poreuou eis to oros. Ho de gerōn epi tǭ logǭ katanygeis elegen en heautǭ; Arsenie, ei monachos ei, poreuou eis to oros. Kai epi toutǭ apēntēsan autǭ ho te Alexandros kai Zōïlos; kai epipesontōn autōn tois posin autou, errhipsen heauton kai ho gerōn; kai eklausan amphoteroi. Eipe de ho gerōn; Ouk ēkousate hoti hēsthenēsa? Kai eipon autǭ; Nai. Kai legei ho gerōn; Kai diati ouk ēlthete idein me? Kai legei ho abbas Alexandros hoti Ho chōrismos sou aph᾿ hēmōn ou gegone pithanos. kai polloi ouk ōphelēthēsan, legontes, hoti Ei mē parēkousan tou gerontos, ouk an echōristhē ex autōn. Legei autois; Palin oun mellousi legein hoi anthrōpoi, hoti Ouch heuren hē peristera anapausin tois posin autēs, kai anestrepse pros ton Nōe, eis tēn kibōton. Kai houtōs etherapeuthēsan; kai emeine met᾿ autōn heōs tēs teleutēs autou.
Once when abba Arsenius was living in the lower regions and was being troubled there, it seemed good to him to leave the cell. Taking nothing from it, he went to his disciples, the Pharanites Alexander and Zoilus. He said to Alexander, “Get up and sail upriver.” And he did so. And to Zoilus he said, “Come with me as far as the river, and find me a boat going down to Alexandria; and then you too sail up to your brother.” Zoilus was troubled at the word and kept silent. And so they parted from one another. So the old man went down to the region of Alexandria and fell gravely ill. His servants said to one another, “Did one of us grieve the old man, and is that why he parted from us?” And they found nothing in themselves, nor that they had ever disobeyed him. When the old man recovered, he said, “I will go to my Fathers.” And so, sailing up, he came to Petra, where his servants were. When he was near the river, an Ethiopian slave girl came and touched his sheepskin. The old man rebuked her. The girl said to him, “If you are a monk, go to the mountain.” The old man, pierced to the heart at the word, said to himself, “Arsenius, if you are a monk, go to the mountain.” And at that moment Alexander and Zoilus met him; and as they fell at his feet, the old man also threw himself down, and they both wept. The old man said, “Did you not hear that I was ill?” And they said to him, “Yes.” And the old man says, “Then why did you not come to see me?” And abba Alexander says, “Your parting from us did not seem reasonable, and many were not helped by it, saying, ‘If they had not disobeyed the old man, he would not have parted from them.’” He says to them, “Now people will say again, ‘The dove found no rest for her feet and returned to Noah in the ark.’” And so they were healed, and he stayed with them until his death.
Gen 8:9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius leaves his disciples, is rebuked by a slave girl, and returns to them like the dove to the ark.
- A displaced line from another saying (on how no one could grasp Arsenius’s way of life) and a stray word were removed. The dove: Gen 8:9.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; displaced line from another saying and a stray word inside the sentence): ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ στρατηλατιανόν. Ἐλέγετο δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθη τις καταλαβεῖν τὴν τὴν διαγωγὴν τῆς πολιτείας αὐτοῦ. καταλιπεῖν → ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ καταλιπεῖν; Ἀλέξαν δρος → Ἀλέξανδρος.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.32 (PG 65:97–99; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-32
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.33PG 65:99–101
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ, ὅτι Διηγήσατο ἡμῖν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος ὡς περὶ ἄλλου τινός· τάχα δὲ αὐτὸς ἦν· ὅτι καθημένου τινὸς γέροντος εἰς τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ, ἦλθεν αὐτῷ φωνὴ λέγουσα· Δεῦρο, καὶ δείξω σοι τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθε· καὶ ἀπήνεγκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τόπον τινὰ, καὶ ἔδειξεν Αἰθίοπα κόπτοντα ξύλα, καὶ ποιήσαντα φορτίον μέγα· ἐπειρᾶτο δὲ αὐτὸ βαστάσαι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο· καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἆραι ἐξ αὐτοῦ, πάλιν ἔκοπτε ξύλα, καὶ προσετίθει τῷ φορτίῳ. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐποίει. Καὶ προβὰς ὀλίγον πάλιν ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπον ἱστάμενον ἐπὶ λάκκου, καὶ ἀντλοῦντα ὕδωρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μεταβάλλοντα εἰς δεξαμενὴν τετρημμένην, καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕδωρ ἐκχέουσαν εἰς τὸν λάκκον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν· Δεῦρο, δείξω σοι ἄλλο. Καὶ θεωρεῖ ἱερὸν, καὶ δύο ἄνδρας καθημένους ἵπποις, καὶ βαστάζοντας ξύλον πλαγίως, ἕνα κατέναντι τοῦ ἑνός· ἤθελον δὲ διὰ τῆς πύλης εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο, διὰ τὸ εἶναι τὸ ξύλον πλάγιον Οὐκ ἐταπείνωσε δὲ ὁ εἷς ἑαυτὸν ὀπίσω τοῦ ἑτέρου ἐνέγκαι τὸ ξύλον ἐπ᾿ εὐθείας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἔμειναν ἔξω τῆς πύλης. Οὗτοί εἰσι, φησὶν, οἱ βαστάζοντες ὡς δικαιοσύνης ζυγὸν μετὰ ὑπερηφανίας, καὶ οὐκ ἐταπεινώθησαν τοῦ διορθώσασθαι ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ πορευθῆναι τῇ ταπεινῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· διὸ καὶ μένουσιν ἔξω τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ δὲ κόπτων τὰ ξύλα ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις πολλαῖς· καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ μετανοῆσαι, ἄλλας ἀνομίας προστιθεῖ ἐπάνω τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀντλῶν ἄνθρωπός ἐστι καλὰ μὲν ἔργα ποιῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ εἶχεν ἐν αὐτοῖς πονηρὰν συμμιγὴν, ἐν τούτῳ ἀπώλεσε καὶ τὰ καλὰ αὐτοῦ ἔργα. Χρὴ οὖν νήφειν πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ εἰς κενὸν κοπιάσῃ.
Eipen ho abbas Daniēl, hoti Diēgēsato hēmin ho abbas Arsenios hōs peri allou tinos; tacha de autos ēn; hoti kathēmenou tinos gerontos eis to kellion autou, ēlthen autǭ phōnē legousa; Deuro, kai deixō soi ta erga tōn anthrōpōn. Kai anastas exēlthe; kai apēnenken auton eis topon tina, kai edeixen Aithiopa koptonta xyla, kai poiēsanta phortion mega; epeirato de auto bastasai, kai ouk ēdynato; kai anti tou arai ex autou, palin ekopte xyla, kai prosetithei tǭ phortiǭ. Touto de epi poly epoiei. Kai probas oligon palin edeixen autǭ anthrōpon histamenon epi lakkou, kai antlounta hydōr ex autou, kai metaballonta eis dexamenēn tetrēmmenēn, kai to auto hydōr ekcheousan eis ton lakkon. Kai legei autǭ palin; Deuro, deixō soi allo. Kai theōrei hieron, kai dyo andras kathēmenous hippois, kai bastazontas xylon plagiōs, hena katenanti tou henos; ēthelon de dia tēs pylēs eiselthein, kai ouk ēdynanto, dia to einai to xylon plagion Ouk etapeinōse de ho heis heauton opisō tou heterou enenkai to xylon ep᾿ eutheias; kai dia touto emeinan exō tēs pylēs. Houtoi eisi, phēsin, hoi bastazontes hōs dikaiosynēs zygon meta hyperēphanias, kai ouk etapeinōthēsan tou diorthōsasthai heautous, kai poreuthēnai tę̄ tapeinę̄ hodǭ tou Christou; dio kai menousin exō tēs basileias tou Theou. Ho de koptōn ta xyla anthrōpos estin en hamartiais pollais; kai anti tou metanoēsai, allas anomias prostithei epanō tōn hamartiōn autou. Kai ho to hydōr antlōn anthrōpos esti kala men erga poiōn, all᾽ epeidē eichen en autois ponēran symmigēn, en toutǭ apōlese kai ta kala autou erga. Chrē oun nēphein panta anthrōpon eis ta erga autou, hina mē eis kenon kopiasę̄.
Abba Daniel said, “Abba Arsenius told us, as if about someone else (but perhaps it was himself), that while an old man was sitting in his cell, a voice came to him, saying, ‘Come, and I will show you the works of men.’ And he got up and went out; and it took him to a certain place and showed him an Ethiopian cutting wood and making a large bundle. He tried to carry it and could not; and instead of taking some off it, he cut more wood and added it to the bundle. He kept doing this for a long time. And going on a little, it showed him again a man standing by a cistern, drawing water from it and pouring it into a cistern with holes, which poured the same water back into the cistern. And it says to him again, ‘Come, I will show you something else.’ And he sees a temple, and two men sitting on horses, carrying a beam crosswise, one opposite the other. They wanted to go in through the gate and could not, because the beam was crosswise. Neither humbled himself to go behind the other and carry the beam straight; and so they stayed outside the gate. ‘These,’ he says, ‘are those who carry the yoke of righteousness, as it were, with pride, and were not humbled to correct themselves and walk in the humble way of Christ; and that is why they remain outside the kingdom of God. The one cutting the wood is a man in many sins; and instead of repenting, he adds other iniquities on top of his sins. And the one drawing the water is a man who does good works, but because he had wickedness mixed with them, by this he has lost his good works as well. So every man must be watchful in his works, so that he may not labor in vain.’”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius tells a vision of three futile labors that picture unrepented sin, mixed motives, and pride.
- Two lines of variant notes from Migne’s apparatus are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; leaked variant note (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus; stray words from Migne’s notes merged into the Greek): τοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ. πλαγίως. ἆραι → τοῦ ἆραι; καθημένου; ἵπποις → καθημένους ἵπποις; ὀπίσω τοῦ ΑΙ. ἔμειναν μετ' αὐτοῦ. ἑτέρου → ὀπίσω τοῦ ἑτέρου.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.33 (PG 65:99–101; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-33
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.34PG 65:101
Ὁ αὐτὸς διηγήσατο, ὅτι ποτὲ ἦλθόν τινες τῶν Πατέρων ἀπὸ Ἀλεξανδρείας, ἰδεῖν τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον· καὶ ἦν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν θεῖος τοῦ παλαιοῦ Τιμοθέου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας τοῦ λεγομένου ἀκτήμονος, καὶ εἶχεν ἕνα ἐκ τῶν τεκναδέλφων αὐτοῦ. Εἶχε δὲ τότε ὁ γέρων ἀσθένειαν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἀπαντῆσαι αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἄλλοι ἔλθωσι καὶ παρενοχλήσωσιν αὐτόν. Ἦν δὲ τότε εἰς τὴν Πέτραν τῆς Τρώης. Καὶ ἀνέκαμψαν λυπούμενοι. Συνέβη δὲ ἐπίστασιν βαρβάρων γενέσθαι, καὶ θέλων ἔμεινεν ἐν τοῖς κάτω μέρεσι. Καὶ ἀκούσαντες πάλιν ἦλθον ἰδεῖν αὐτόν. Καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς προσελάβετο αὐτούς. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὃς ἦν μετ' αὐτῶν· Οὐκ οἶδας, ἀββᾶ, ὅτι ἤλθομεν παραβαλεῖν σοι εἰς Τρώην, καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξω ἡμᾶς; Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὑμεῖς ἐγεύσασθε ἄρτου καὶ ἐπίετε ὕδωρ· φύσει δὲ ἐγὼ, τέκνον, οὔτε ἄρτου οὔτε ὕδατος ἐγευσάμην, οὔτε μὴν ἐκάθισα, κολάζων ἐμαυτὸν, ἕως οὗ ἐδοκίμασα ὅτι ἐφθάσατε εἰς τὸν τόπον ὑμῶν, ὅτι δι'" ἐμὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐσκύλητε· ἀλλὰ συγχωρήσατέ μοι, ἀδελφοί. Καὶ παρακληθέντες ἀνεχώρησαν.
Ho autos diēgēsato, hoti pote ēlthon tines tōn Paterōn apo Alexandreias, idein ton abban Arsenion; kai ēn heis ex autōn theios tou palaiou Timotheou archiepiskopou Alexandreias tou legomenou aktēmonos, kai eichen hena ek tōn teknadelphōn autou. Eiche de tote ho gerōn astheneian, kai ouk ēthelēsen apantēsai autois, hina mē kai alloi elthōsi kai parenochlēsōsin auton. Ēn de tote eis tēn Petran tēs Trōēs. Kai anekampsan lypoumenoi. Synebē de epistasin barbarōn genesthai, kai thelōn emeinen en tois katō meresi. Kai akousantes palin ēlthon idein auton. Kai meta charas proselabeto autous. Kai legei autǭ ho adelphos hos ēn met' autōn; Ouk oidas, abba, hoti ēlthomen parabalein soi eis Trōēn, kai ouk edexō hēmas? Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Hymeis egeusasthe artou kai epiete hydōr; physei de egō, teknon, oute artou oute hydatos egeusamēn, oute mēn ekathisa, kolazōn emauton, heōs hou edokimasa hoti ephthasate eis ton topon hymōn, hoti di'" eme kai hymeis eskylēte; alla synchōrēsate moi, adelphoi. Kai paraklēthentes anechōrēsan.
The same related that once some of the Fathers came from Alexandria to see abba Arsenius; one of them was the uncle of the elder Timothy, archbishop of Alexandria, called “the Poor”, and he had one of his nephews with him. At that time the old man was ill, and he did not want to meet them, lest others also come and trouble him. He was then at the Rock of Troë. And they went back grieved. It happened that there was an attack of barbarians, and he came to stay in the lower regions. And hearing of it, they came again to see him, and he received them with joy. And the brother who was with them says to him, “Do you not know, abba, that we came to visit you at Troë and you did not receive us?” And the old man says to him, “You ate bread and drank water; but truly, my child, I neither tasted bread nor water, nor did I sit down, punishing myself, until I judged that you had reached your place, because you too were troubled on my account. But forgive me, brothers.” And comforted, they went away.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius punished himself with fasting for having turned away visitors.
- Timothy “the Poor” (ἀκτήμων) was archbishop of Alexandria 381–385. θέλων ἔμεινεν is taken as “he came to stay” (perhaps ἐλθὼν).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.34 (PG 65:101; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-34). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-34
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-2-34) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.35PG 65:101
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐκάλεσέ με μίαν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, καὶ λέγει μοι· Ἀνάπαυσον τὸν πατέρα σου, ἶνα ὅταν ἀπέλθῃ πρὸς Κύριον, παρακαλέσῃ ὑπὲρ σοῦ, καὶ εῦ σοι γένηται.
Ho autos elegen, hoti Ekalese me mian ho abbas Arsenios, kai legei moi; Anapauson ton patera sou, ina hotan apelthę̄ pros Kyrion, parakalesę̄ hyper sou, kai eu soi genētai.
The same said, “Once abba Arsenius called me and says to me, ‘Give rest to your father, so that when he goes to the Lord he may intercede for you, and it may go well with you.’”
Eph 6:3 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius tells Daniel to care for his spiritual father, who will intercede for him.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.35 (PG 65:101; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-35
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-2-35) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.36PG 65:101–103
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι, ἀσθενήσαντος αὐτοῦ ποτε εἰς Σκῆτιν, ἀπῆλθεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος, καὶ ἤνεγκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἔθηκεν αὐτὸν εἰς χαλάδριον, μικρὸν προσκεφάλαιον πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἷς τῶν γερόντων ἐλθὼν ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ χαλάδριον καὶ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλίσθη, λέγων· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος; καὶ εἰς ταῦτα ἀνάκειται; Λαβὼν δὲ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτερος κατ' ἰδίαν, λέγει αὐτῷ· Τί ἦν τὸ ἔργον σου ἐν τῇ κώμῃ σου; Ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Ποιμὴν ἤμην. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, διῆγες τὸν βίον σου; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Ἐν πολλῷ κόπῳ διῆγον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Νῦν οὖν πῶς διάγεις ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Μᾶλλον ἀναπαύομαι. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Βλέπεις τοῦτον τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον; πατὴρ βασιλέων ὑπῆρχεν ὧν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ χίλιοι δοῦλοι χρυσόζωνοι καὶ ὅλοι μανιάκια καὶ ὀλοσήρικα φοροῦντες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ· πολύτιμα δὲ στρώματα ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ ἦν· σὺ δὲ ποιμὴν ῶν, οὐκ εἶχες ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἣν νῦν ἔχεις ἀνάπαυσιν· καὶ οὗτος τὴν τρυφὴν ἣν εἶχεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ὧδε οὐκ ἔχει. Ἰδοὺ οὖν σὺ ἀναπαύῃ, κἀκεῖνος θλίβεται. Ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα, κατενύγη, καὶ ἔβαλε μετάνοιαν, λέγων· Συγχώρησόν μοι, ἀββᾶ, ἡμάρτηκα· ἀληθῶς γὰρ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀληθινὴ ὁδὸς, ὅτι οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς ταπείνωσιν, ἐγὼ δὲ εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν. Καὶ ὠφεληθεὶς ὁ γέρων ἀνεχώρησεν.
Elegon peri tou abba Arseniou, hoti, asthenēsantos autou pote eis Skētin, apēlthen ho presbyteros, kai ēnenken auton eis tēn ekklēsian, kai ethēken auton eis chaladrion, mikron proskephalaion pros tę̄ kephalę̄ autou. Kai idou heis tōn gerontōn elthōn episkepsasthai auton, kai idōn auton eis to chaladrion kai to proskephalaion hypokatō autou, eskandalisthē, legōn; Houtos estin ho abbas Arsenios? kai eis tauta anakeitai? Labōn de auton presbyteros kat' idian, legei autǭ; Ti ēn to ergon sou en tę̄ kōmę̄ sou? Ho de eipe; Poimēn ēmēn. Pōs oun, phēsi, diēges ton bion sou? Ho de ephē; En pollǭ kopǭ diēgon. Kai legei autǭ; Nyn oun pōs diageis en tǭ kelliǭ? Ho de ephē; Mallon anapauomai. Kai legei autǭ; Blepeis touton ton abban Arsenion? patēr basileōn hypērchen hōn en tǭ kosmǭ, kai chilioi douloi chrysozōnoi kai holoi maniakia kai olosērika phorountes pareistēkeisan autǭ; polytima de strōmata hypokatō autou ēn; sy de poimēn ōn, ouk eiches en tǭ kosmǭ hēn nyn echeis anapausin; kai houtos tēn tryphēn hēn eichen en tǭ kosmǭ, hōde ouk echei. Idou oun sy anapauę̄, kakeinos thlibetai. Ho de akousas tauta, katenygē, kai ebale metanoian, legōn; Synchōrēson moi, abba, hēmartēka; alēthōs gar hautē estin hē alēthinē hodos, hoti houtos ēlthen eis tapeinōsin, egō de eis anapausin. Kai ōphelētheis ho gerōn anechōrēsen.
They said of abba Arsenius that once when he fell ill at Scetis, the presbyter went and brought him to the church and laid him on a cot, with a small pillow at his head. And look, one of the old men came to visit him, and seeing him on the cot with the pillow under him, he was offended, saying, “Is this abba Arsenius? And does he lie on such things?” The presbyter took him aside and says to him, “What was your work in your village?” He said, “I was a shepherd.” “And how,” he says, “did you live?” He said, “I lived in great hardship.” And he says to him, “And now how do you live in your cell?” He said, “I have more rest.” And he says to him, “Do you see this abba Arsenius? When he was in the world he was the father of emperors, and a thousand slaves with golden girdles, all wearing collars and garments of pure silk, stood around him; and costly coverings were spread beneath him. But you, who were a shepherd, did not have in the world the rest you now have; and this man does not have here the luxury he had in the world. So look: you are at rest, and he is afflicted.” When he heard this, he was pierced to the heart and made a prostration, saying, “Forgive me, abba, I have sinned. Truly this is the true way, for this man came to humility and I to rest.” And the old man went away helped.
Notes and citation
Summary: A former shepherd, offended at Arsenius’s pillow, learns how much Arsenius had given up.
- “Father of emperors”: Arsenius was said to have been tutor of Arcadius and Honorius. A line of Migne’s notes is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; leaked variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus inside a word): >όπῳ → κόπῳ; παΛΙ. ἐλθών. Μέμφετο Ἀρσένιόν τις ἰδὼν ἐπὶ κώεσιν ὄντα. τὴρ → πατὴρ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.36 (PG 65:101–103; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-36
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.37PG 65:103
Ηλθέ τις τῶν Πατέρων πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον· καὶ ὡς ἔκρουσε τὴν θύραν, ἀνέωξεν ὁ γέρων, νομίζων ὅτι διακονητὴς αὐτοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἄλλον, ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον. Ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀνάστα, ἀββᾶ, ἵνα σε ἀσπάσωμαι. Καὶ ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Οὐκ ἐγείρομαι ἐὰν μὴ ἀναχωρήσῃς. Καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ παρακληθεὶς οὐκ ἀνέστη ἕως οὗ ἀνεχώρησεν.
Ēlthe tis tōn Paterōn pros ton abban Arsenion; kai hōs ekrouse tēn thyran, aneōxen ho gerōn, nomizōn hoti diakonētēs autou esti. Kai hōs eiden auton allon, epesen epi prosōpon. Ho de legei autǭ; Anasta, abba, hina se aspasōmai. Kai ephē autǭ ho gerōn; Ouk egeiromai ean mē anachōrēsę̄s. Kai epi poly paraklētheis ouk anestē heōs hou anechōrēsen.
One of the Fathers came to abba Arsenius, and when he knocked on the door, the old man opened, thinking it was his servant. And when he saw it was someone else, he fell on his face. And he says to him, “Get up, abba, so that I may greet you.” And the old man said to him, “I will not get up unless you go away.” And though urged for a long time, he did not get up until he had gone.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius lies prostrate until an unexpected visitor leaves.
- A line of Migne’s notes (on the emperors Arcadius and Honorius) is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line from Migne’s notes merged into the Greek): Ἀνάστα, γενόμενος τῶν θειοτάτων Αρκαδίου καὶ Ὁνορίου. ἀββᾶ → Ἀνάστα, ἀββᾶ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.37 (PG 65:103; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-37). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-37
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.38PG 65:103–105
Ἔλεγον περί τινος ἀδελφοῦ ἐλθόντος ἰδεῖν εἰς Σκῆτιν τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον, ὅτι ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, παρεκάλει τοὺς κληρικοὺς συντυχεῖν τῷ ἀββῇ Ἀρσενίῳ. Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ· Ἀναπαύου μικρὸν, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ βλέπεις αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Οὐ γεύομαί τινος, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτῷ ἀπαντήσω. Ἔπεμψαν οὖν ἀδελφὸν καταστῆσαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι μακρὰν ἦν ἡ κέλλα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ κρούσαντες τὴν θύραν εἰσῆλθον, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι τὸν γέροντα ἐκάθισαν σιωπῶντες. Εἶπεν οὖν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· Ἐγὼ ὑπάγω, εὔξασθε ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ξένος, μὴ εὑρὼν παῤῥησίαν πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, εἶπε τῷ ἀδελφῷ· Ἔρχομαι κἀγὼ μετὰ σοῦ. Καὶ ἐξῆλθον ὁμοῦ. Παρεκάλεσεν οὖν αὐτὸν, λέγων· Λαβε με καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Μωσῆν τὸν ἀπὸ λῃστῶν. Καὶ ἐλθόντων αὐτῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐδέξατο αὐτοὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς, καὶ φιλοφρονήσας αὐτοὺς ἀπέλυσε. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ἐνεγκὼν αὐτόν· Ἰδοὺ ἀπένεγκά σε πρὸς τὸν ξενικὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον. Τίς ἐκ τῶν δύο ἤρεσέ σοι; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Ἐμοὶ τέως ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ἤρεσεν. Ακούσας δὲ τις τῶν Πατέρων ταῦτα, εὔξατο τῷ Θεῷ, λέγων· Κύριε, δεῖξόν μοι τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο· ὅτι ὅς μὲν φεύγει διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου· ὃς δὲ ἐναγκαλίζεται διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐδείχθη αὐτῷ δύο πλοῖα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ πλέον ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ εἰς ἕνα καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Μωσῆς καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ πλέοντες εἰς ἕναι, καὶ ἐψώμιζον αὐτὸν μελικηρίδας.
Elegon peri tinos adelphou elthontos idein eis Skētin ton abban Arsenion, hoti elthōn eis tēn ekklēsian, parekalei tous klērikous syntychein tǭ abbę̄ Arseniǭ. Elegon oun autǭ; Anapauou mikron, adelphe, kai blepeis auton. Ho de ephē; Ou geuomai tinos, ean mē autǭ apantēsō. Epempsan oun adelphon katastēsai auton, hoti makran ēn hē kella autou. Kai krousantes tēn thyran eisēlthon, kai aspasamenoi ton geronta ekathisan siōpōntes. Eipen oun ho adelphos ho tēs Ekklēsias; Egō hypagō, euxasthe hyper emou. Ho de adelphos ho xenos, mē heurōn parrhēsian pros ton geronta, eipe tǭ adelphǭ; Erchomai kagō meta sou. Kai exēlthon homou. Parekalesen oun auton, legōn; Labe me kai pros ton abban Mōsēn ton apo lę̄stōn. Kai elthontōn autōn pros auton, edexato autous meta charas, kai philophronēsas autous apelyse. Kai legei autǭ ho adelphos ho enenkōn auton; Idou apenenka se pros ton xenikon kai pros ton Aigyption. Tis ek tōn dyo ērese soi? Ho de apokritheis eipen; Emoi teōs ho Aigyptios ēresen. Akousas de tis tōn Paterōn tauta, euxato tǭ Theǭ, legōn; Kyrie, deixon moi to pragma touto; hoti hos men pheugei dia to onoma sou; hos de enankalizetai dia to onoma sou. Kai idou edeichthē autǭ dyo ploia megala en tǭ potamǭ, kai theōrei ton abban Arsenion kai to Pneuma tou Theou pleon en hēsychią eis hena kai ho abbas Mōsēs kai hoi angeloi tou Theou pleontes eis henai, kai epsōmizon auton melikēridas.
They told of a brother who came to Scetis to see abba Arsenius: coming to the church, he asked the clergy to let him meet abba Arsenius. They said to him, “Rest a little, brother, and you will see him.” But he said, “I will not taste anything until I meet him.” So they sent a brother to take him, because his cell was far away. They knocked at the door and went in, and having greeted the old man they sat down in silence. Then the brother from the church said, “I am leaving; pray for me.” The visiting brother, finding no freedom to speak with the old man, said to the brother, “I am coming with you too.” And they went out together. Then he asked him, saying, “Take me also to abba Moses, the former robber.” When they came to him, he received them with joy, and after showing them kindness sent them off. And the brother who had brought him says to him, “Look, I have taken you to the foreigner and to the Egyptian. Which of the two pleased you?” He answered, “For my part, the Egyptian pleased me.” One of the Fathers, hearing this, prayed to God, saying, “Lord, show me this matter: for one flees for your name’s sake, and the other embraces for your name’s sake.” And look, two large boats on the river were shown to him, and he sees abba Arsenius and the Spirit of God sailing in stillness in one, and abba Moses and the angels of God sailing in the other, and they were feeding him honeycombs.
Notes and citation
Summary: A vision shows that Arsenius’s solitude and Moses’ hospitality are both pleasing to God.
- A long passage from Migne’s notes on Arsenius as tutor of Arcadius and Honorius, merged into the Greek, is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split with stray mark; passage from Migne’s notes merged into the Greek): ἐκκλη· σίαν → ἐκκλησίαν; ἀδελφὸν ἤπερ ἐγὼ, ὅσῳ δὴ τοῦ ἁπλῶς εἶναι τὸ εὖ εἶναι κυριώΠαρέδωκεν αὐτῷ ὡς τέκνα καὶ μαθητὰς, οὐ μὴν ὡς ζηλωτὴν αὐτὸν Ἀρσενίου γεγενῆσθαι· Αρσενίου φημὶ, τοῦ τρόπον τινὰ πατρικὸν, Ἀρκάδιον καὶ Ὠνόριον τοὺς βασιλεῖς, θρεψαμένου τε καὶ παιδευσαμένου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς, πατρὸς, ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων Σαμουὴλ ὁ τῶν βασιλέων πατήρ. καταστῆσαι → ἀδελφὸν καταστῆσαι.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.38 (PG 65:103–105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-38). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-38
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.39PG 65:105
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ, ὅτι μέλλων τελευτᾷν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, παρήγγειλεν ἡμῖν λέγων· Μὴ φροντίσητε ποιεῖν ἀγάπας ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ· ἐγὼ γαρ εἰ ἐποίησα ἐμαυτῷ ἀγάπην, ταύτην ἔχω εὑρεῖν.
Elegen ho abbas Daniēl, hoti mellōn teleutąn ho abbas Arsenios, parēngeilen hēmin legōn; Mē phrontisēte poiein agapas hyper emou; egō gar ei epoiēsa emautǭ agapēn, tautēn echō heurein.
Abba Daniel said that when abba Arsenius was about to die, he charged us, saying, “Do not trouble to hold love-feasts for me; for if I have made a love-feast for myself, I shall find it.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Dying, Arsenius forbids memorial meals, trusting only the charity he himself has done.
- ἀγάπη here is a charitable meal or alms offered for the dead.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.39 (PG 65:105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-39). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-39
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-2-39) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.40PG 65:105
Μέλλοντος τελευτᾷν τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ἐταράχθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ούπω ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα· ὅτε δὲ ἔλθῃ ὥρα, λέγω ὑμῖν. Κριθῆναι δὲ ἔχω μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ φοβεροῦ ἐὰν δῶτε τὸ λείψανόν μού τινι. Οἱ δὲ εἶπον· Τί οὖν ποιήσομεν, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδαμεν ἐνταφιάσαι; Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· Οὐκ οἴδατε βαλεῖν σχοινίον εἰς τὸν πόδα μου, καὶ ἆραί με εἰς τὸ ὄρος; Οὗτος δὲ ὁ λόγος τοῦ γέροντος ἦν· Ἀρσένιε, διὸ ἐξῆλθες; λαλήσας, πολλάκις μετεμελήθην, σιωπήσας δὲ οὐδέποτε. Ὡς δὲ ἐγγὺς ἦν τοῦ τελευτᾷν εἶδον αὐτὸν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ κλαίοντα· καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ σὺ φοβῇ, Πάτερ; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, ὁ φόβος ὁ νῦν μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ταύτῃ, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἐγενόμην μοναχός. Καὶ οὕτως ἐκοιμήθη.
Mellontos teleutąn tou abba Arseniou, etarachthēsan hoi mathētai autou. Kai legei autois; Oupō ēlthen hē hōra; hote de elthę̄ hōra, legō hymin. Krithēnai de echō meth᾽ hymōn epi tou bēmatos tou phoberou ean dōte to leipsanon mou tini. Hoi de eipon; Ti oun poiēsomen, hoti ouk oidamen entaphiasai? Kai legei autois ho gerōn; Ouk oidate balein schoinion eis ton poda mou, kai arai me eis to oros? Houtos de ho logos tou gerontos ēn; Arsenie, dio exēlthes? lalēsas, pollakis metemelēthēn, siōpēsas de oudepote. Hōs de engys ēn tou teleutąn eidon auton hoi adelphoi klaionta; kai legousin autǭ; En alētheią kai sy phobę̄, Pater? Kai eipen autois; En alētheią, ho phobos ho nyn met᾿ emou en tę̄ hōrą tautę̄, met᾿ emou estin aph᾿ hou egenomēn monachos. Kai houtōs ekoimēthē.
When abba Arsenius was about to die, his disciples were troubled. And he says to them, “The hour has not yet come; when the hour comes, I will tell you. But I will be judged with you before the dreadful judgment seat if you give my body to anyone.” They said, “Then what shall we do, since we do not know how to bury?” And the old man says to them, “Do you not know how to tie a rope to my foot and drag me up the mountain?” This was the old man’s saying: “Arsenius, why did you come out?” And: “Having spoken, I have often regretted it; having kept silent, never.” As he was near death the brothers saw him weeping, and they say to him, “Truly, father, are you also afraid?” And he said to them, “Truly, the fear that is with me now at this hour has been with me since I became a monk.” And so he fell asleep.
2 Cor 5:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Dying, Arsenius forbids relics to be made of his body and confesses the fear he has had since becoming a monk.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: doubled letter): ἄἆραί → ἆραί.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.40 (PG 65:105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-40). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-40
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.41PG 65:105
Ἔλεγον δὲ ὅτι ὅλον τὸν χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, καθεζόμενος εἰς τὸ ἐργόχειρον αὐτοῦ, ῥάκκος εἶχεν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, χάριν τῶν δακρύων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμὴν ὅτι ἐκοιμήθη, δακρύσας εἶπε· Μακάριος εἶ, ἀββᾶ Ἀρσένιε, ὅτι ἔκλαυσας ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ὧδε κόσμον. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ κλαίων ἑαυτὸν ὧδε, αἰωνίως ἐκεῖ κλαύσεται. Εἴτε οὖν ὧδε ἑκὼν, εἴτε ἐκεῖ ἀπὸ βασάνων, ἀδύνατον μὴ κλαῦσαι.
Elegon de hoti holon ton chronon tēs zōēs autou, kathezomenos eis to ergocheiron autou, rhakkos eichen en tǭ kolpǭ, charin tōn dakryōn tōn piptontōn apo tōn ophthalmōn autou. Akousas de ho abbas Poimēn hoti ekoimēthē, dakrysas eipe; Makarios ei, abba Arsenie, hoti eklausas heauton eis ton hōde kosmon. Ho gar mē klaiōn heauton hōde, aiōniōs ekei klausetai. Eite oun hōde hekōn, eite ekei apo basanōn, adynaton mē klausai.
They said that throughout his life, sitting at his handiwork, he had a cloth in his lap because of the tears that fell from his eyes. When abba Poemen heard that he had fallen asleep, he wept and said, “You are blessed, abba Arsenius, because you wept for yourself in this world. For whoever does not weep for himself here will weep eternally there. So, whether here willingly or there from torments, it is impossible not to weep.”
Luke 6:21 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Poemen blesses Arsenius, who wept all his life, since one must weep either here or in torment hereafter.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.41 (PG 65:105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-41). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-41
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.42PG 65:105–107
Διηγήσατο δὲ ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἤθελε λαλεῖν τι ζήτημα ἐκ τῆς Γραφῆς, καίπερ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι εἰ ἤθελεν· ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἐπιστολὴν ταχέως ἔγραφεν. Ὅτε δὲ ἤρχετο εἰς τὴν εκκλησίαν διὰ χρόνου, ὀπίσω τοῦ στύλου ἐκαθέζετο, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἰδῇ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ αὐτὸς ἄλλῳ πρόσχῃ. Ἦν δὲ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ, ἀγγελικὸν, ὥσπερ τοῦ Ἰακώβ· ὁλοπόλιος, ἀστεῖος τῷ σώματι· ξηρὸς δὲ ὑπῆρχεν· εἶχε δὲ τὸν πώγωνα μέγαν φθάνοντα ἕως τῆς κοιλίας· αἱ δὲ τρίχες τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ἔπεσον ἀπὸ τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ· μακρὸς δὲ ἦν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκυρτώθη ἀπὸ τοῦ γήρως. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐτῶν ἐνενήκοντα πέντε. Ἐποίησε δὲ εἰς τὸ παλάτιον τοῦ τῆς θείας μνήμης Θεοδοσίου τοῦ μεγάλου ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα, πατὴρ γενόμενος τῶν θειοτάτων Ἀρκαδίου καὶ Ονωρίου· καὶ ἐν τῇ Σκήτει ἐποίησεν ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα· καὶ δέκα εἰς Τρώην τῆς ἄνω Βαβυλῶνος κατέναντι Μέμφεως· καὶ τρία ἔτη εἰς τὸν Κάνωπον Ἀλεξανδρείας· καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δύο ἔτη, ἦλθε πάλιν εἰς Τρώην, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκοιμήθη, τελέσας ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ τὸν δρόμον αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ πλήρης Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ πίστεως. Κατέλιπε δέ μοι τὸν χιτῶνα αὐτοῦ τὸν δερμάτινον, καὶ τρίχινον καμάσιν λευκὸν, καὶ σανδάλια σεβένινα Καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνάξιος ἐφόρεσα αὐτὰ, ἵνα εὐλογηθῶ.
Diēgēsato de ho abbas Daniēl peri autou, hoti oudepote ēthele lalein ti zētēma ek tēs Graphēs, kaiper dynamenos lalēsai ei ēthelen; all᾽ oude epistolēn tacheōs egraphen. Hote de ērcheto eis tēn ekklēsian dia chronou, opisō tou stylou ekathezeto, hina mēdeis idę̄ to prosōpon autou, mēde autos allǭ proschę̄. Ēn de to eidos autou, angelikon, hōsper tou Iakōb; holopolios, asteios tǭ sōmati; xēros de hypērchen; eiche de ton pōgōna megan phthanonta heōs tēs koilias; hai de triches tōn ophthalmōn autou epeson apo tou klauthmou; makros de ēn, all᾽ ekyrtōthē apo tou gērōs. Egeneto de etōn enenēkonta pente. Epoiēse de eis to palation tou tēs theias mnēmēs Theodosiou tou megalou etē tessarakonta, patēr genomenos tōn theiotatōn Arkadiou kai Onōriou; kai en tę̄ Skētei epoiēsen etē tessarakonta; kai deka eis Trōēn tēs anō Babylōnos katenanti Mempheōs; kai tria etē eis ton Kanōpon Alexandreias; kai ta alla dyo etē, ēlthe palin eis Trōēn, kai ekei ekoimēthē, telesas en eirēnę̄ kai en phobǭ Theou ton dromon autou; hoti ēn anēr agathos kai plērēs Pneumatos hagiou kai pisteōs. Katelipe de moi ton chitōna autou ton dermatinon, kai trichinon kamasin leukon, kai sandalia sebenina Kai egō anaxios ephoresa auta, hina eulogēthō.
Abba Daniel related of him that he never wanted to speak about a question from Scripture, though he could have spoken if he had wished; nor did he readily write a letter. When he came to church at intervals, he would sit behind a pillar, so that no one might see his face and he himself might not look at another. His appearance was angelic, like Jacob’s; he was entirely white-haired, graceful in body, but lean; he had a long beard reaching to his belly; his eyelashes had fallen out from weeping; he was tall, but bent with age. He lived to ninety-five. He spent forty years in the palace of Theodosius the Great, of divine memory, becoming the father of the most divine Arcadius and Honorius; and he spent forty years at Scetis; and ten at Troë, of Babylon above, opposite Memphis; and three years at Canopus of Alexandria; and for the other two years he came back to Troë, and there he fell asleep, having finished his course in peace and in the fear of God; for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He left me his leather tunic, a white hair shirt, and palm-fiber sandals. And I, unworthy, have worn them, to receive a blessing.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Acts 11:24 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 4:7 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Daniel describes Arsenius’s appearance, habits, and life, and the garments he inherited from him.
- Leaked variant notes from Migne’s apparatus are removed. “Babylon” is the fortress near Old Cairo. Echo of Acts 11:24 (Barnabas).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; leaked variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): ἵνα ΑΙ. φιλοξενίσας. ΑΙ. ἕν. Α. ἕν. ΑΙ. ἀγάπην. ΑΙ. Χριστοῦ. ΑΙ. ἥμελλεν παραδιδόνας τὸ πνεῦμα. μηδεὶς → ἵνα μηδεὶς; ὑπῆρ χεν → ὑπῆρχεν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.42 (PG 65:105–107; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-42). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-42
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.43PG 65:107
Διηγήσατο πάλιν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀρσενίου, ὅτι ποτὲ ἐκάλεσε τοὺς Πατέρας μου, τόν τε ἀββᾶν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ Ζώϊλον· καὶ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἐπειδὴ οἱ δαίμονες πολεμοῦσί με, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα εἰ κλέπτουσί με ἐν ὕπνῳ, ἀλλὰ τὴν νύκτα ταύτην κοπιάσατε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ τηρήσατέ με εἰ νυστάζω ἐν τῇ ἀγρυπνίᾳ· Καὶ ἐκάθισεν εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων, ἀπὸ ὀψὲ σιωπῶντες. Καὶ εἶπον οἱ Πατέρες μου, ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἐκοιμήθημεν καὶ ἀνέστημεν, καὶ οὐκ ἠσθάνθημεν αὐτὸν νυστάξαντα. Καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρωΐ (ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν εἰ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐποίησεν, ἵνα νοήσωμεν ὅτι ἐνύσταξεν, ἢ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἡ φύσις τοῦ ὕπνου ἦλθεν) ἐφύσησε τρεῖς πνοὰς, καὶ εὐθέως ἀνέστη λέγων· Ἐνύσταξα, ναί. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθημεν ἡμεῖς, λέγοντες Οὐκ οἶδαμεν.
Diēgēsato palin ho abbas Daniēl peri tou abba Arseniou, hoti pote ekalese tous Pateras mou, ton te abban Alexandron kai Zōïlon; kai tapeinōn heauton eipen autois Epeidē hoi daimones polemousi me, kai ouk oida ei kleptousi me en hypnǭ, alla tēn nykta tautēn kopiasate met᾿ emou, kai tērēsate me ei nystazō en tę̄ agrypnią; Kai ekathisen heis ek dexiōn autou, kai heis ex euōnymōn, apo opse siōpōntes. Kai eipon hoi Pateres mou, hoti Hēmeis ekoimēthēmen kai anestēmen, kai ouk ēsthanthēmen auton nystaxanta. Kai epi to prōï (ho Theos oiden ei aph' heautou epoiēsen, hina noēsōmen hoti enystaxen, ē kata alētheian hē physis tou hypnou ēlthen) ephysēse treis pnoas, kai eutheōs anestē legōn; Enystaxa, nai. Kai apekrithēmen hēmeis, legontes Ouk oidamen.
Abba Daniel also related of abba Arsenius that once he called my Fathers, abba Alexander and Zoilus, and humbling himself he said to them, “Since the demons are fighting me, and I do not know whether they rob me in sleep, labor with me this night and watch whether I doze in the vigil.” And one sat at his right and one at his left, in silence, from evening on. And my Fathers said, “We slept and got up, and did not notice him dozing.” And toward morning (God knows whether he did it of himself, so that we would think he had dozed, or whether the nature of sleep truly came upon him) he breathed three breaths, and at once got up, saying, “I dozed, did I not?” And we answered, saying, “We do not know.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius asks two disciples to watch him through a night’s vigil; they never see him sleep.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.43 (PG 65:107; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-43). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-43
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.44PG 65:107
Ἦλθόν ποτε γέροντες πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον, καὶ πολλὰ παρεκάλεσαν ἵνα συντύχωσιν αὐτῷ. Ὁ δὲ ἤνοιξεν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ παρεκάλεσαν αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν αὐτοῖς λόγον περὶ τῶν ἡσυχαζόντων καὶ μηδενὶ ἀπαντώντων. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· Ὅταν ἡ παρθένος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς ᾖ, πολλοὶ θέλουσιν αὐτῇ μνηστευθῆναι· ἐπὰν δὲ λάβῃ ἄνδρα, οὐ πᾶσιν ἀρέσκει· οἱ μὲν ἐξουθενοῦσιν, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐπαινοῦσι· καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει τιμὴν ὡς τὸ πρῶτον, ὅτε ἦν κεκρυμμένη. Οὕτως καὶ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς· ἀφ᾿ ὅτε δημοσιεύεται, οὐ πάντας δύναται πληροφορῆσαι.
Ēlthon pote gerontes pros ton abban Arsenion, kai polla parekalesan hina syntychōsin autǭ. Ho de ēnoixen autois. Kai parekalesan auton eipein autois logon peri tōn hēsychazontōn kai mēdeni apantōntōn. Legei autois ho gerōn; Hotan hē parthenos en tǭ oikǭ tou patros autēs ę̄, polloi thelousin autę̄ mnēsteuthēnai; epan de labę̄ andra, ou pasin areskei; hoi men exouthenousin, alloi de epainousi; kai ouch houtōs echei timēn hōs to prōton, hote ēn kekrymmenē. Houtōs kai ta tēs psychēs; aph᾿ hote dēmosieuetai, ou pantas dynatai plērophorēsai.
Once some old men came to abba Arsenius and begged him earnestly to meet with them. And he opened to them. And they asked him to tell them a word about those who live in stillness and meet no one. The old man says to them, “While a virgin is in her father’s house, many want to be betrothed to her; but when she takes a husband, she does not please everyone; some despise her, others praise her; and she does not have the same honor as at first, when she was hidden. So it is with the things of the soul: from the time they are made public, they cannot satisfy everyone.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Arsenius compares a hidden soul to a virgin in her father’s house, honored while hidden.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 2.44 (PG 65:107; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-44). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/2-44
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-2-44) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.