Sayings of the Desert Fathers (alphabetical collection) 21.1–26.17
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 21
21.1PG 65:145–147
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Γελασίου, ὅτι εἶχε βιβλίον ἐν δέρμασιν, ἄξιον δεκαοκτώ νομισμάτων εἶχε δὲ τὴν Παλαιὰν καὶ Καινὴν Διαθήκην γεγραμμένην ὅλην καὶ ἔκειτο ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἵνα ὁ θέλων τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀναγνῷ. Ἑλθὼν δὲ τις ἀδελφῶν ξένος παραβαλεῖν τῷ γέροντι, ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὸ, ἐπεθύμησεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ κλέψας ἐξῆλθεν. Ὁ δὲ γέρων οὐκ ἐδίωξεν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, ὥστε καταλαβεῖν αὐτὸν, καίπερ νοήσας. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἐζήτει πωλῆσαι αὐτό· καὶ εὑρὼν τὸν θέλοντα ἀγοράσαι, ἀπῄτει τὴν τιμὴν νομίσματα δεκαέξ. Ὁ δὲ θέλων ἀγοράσαι, λέγει αὐτῷ· Δός μοι πρῶτον, δοκιμάσω αὐτὸ, καὶ οὕτω τὸ τίμημά σοι παρέχω. Δέδωκεν οὖν αὐτό. Ὁ δὲ λαβὼν, ἤνεγκε τῷ ἀββᾷ Γελασίῳ δοκιμάσαι αὐτὸ, εἰρηκὼς αὐτῷ τὴν ποσότητα ἣν καὶ ὁ πωλῶν εἶπε. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Αγόρασον αὐτὸ, καλὸν γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἄξιον ἧς εἴρηκας τιμῆς. Καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἶπε τῷ πωλοῦντι ἄλλως, καὶ οὐ καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ γέρων, λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἔδειξα αὐτὸ τῷ ἀββ Γελασίῳ, καὶ εἶπέ μοι ὅτι πολλοῦ ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιον ἧς εἴρηκας τιμῆς. Ἐκεῖνος ἀκούσας, λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐδέν σοι ἄλλο εἶπεν ὁ γέρων; Λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐχί. Τότε λέγει· Οὐκέτι θέλω πωλῆσαι αὐτό. Κατανυγεὶς δὲ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν γέροντα μετανοῶν, καὶ παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν δέξασθαι αὐτό. Ὁ δὲ γέρων οὐκ ἤθελε λαβεῖν. Τότε λέγει αὐτῶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ λάβῃς αὐτὸ, οὐκ ἔχω ἀνάπαυσιν Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Εἰ οὐκ ἀναπαύῃ, ἰδοὺ δέχομαι αὐτό. Καὶ ἔμεινεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐκεῖνος ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ, ὠφεληθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐργασίας τοῦ γέροντος.
Elegon peri tou abba Gelasiou, hoti eiche biblion en dermasin, axion dekaoktō nomismatōn eiche de tēn Palaian kai Kainēn Diathēkēn gegrammenēn holēn kai ekeito en tę̄ ekklēsią, hina ho thelōn tōn adelphōn anagnǭ. Helthōn de tis adelphōn xenos parabalein tǭ geronti, hōs eiden auto, epethymēsen autou, kai klepsas exēlthen. Ho de gerōn ouk ediōxen opisō autou, hōste katalabein auton, kaiper noēsas. Apelthōn oun ekeinos eis tēn polin, ezētei pōlēsai auto; kai heurōn ton thelonta agorasai, apę̄tei tēn timēn nomismata dekaex. Ho de thelōn agorasai, legei autǭ; Dos moi prōton, dokimasō auto, kai houtō to timēma soi parechō. Dedōken oun auto. Ho de labōn, ēnenke tǭ abbą Gelasiǭ dokimasai auto, eirēkōs autǭ tēn posotēta hēn kai ho pōlōn eipe. Kai legei ho gerōn; Agorason auto, kalon gar esti kai axion hēs eirēkas timēs. Kai elthōn ho anthrōpos eipe tǭ pōlounti allōs, kai ou kathōs eipen ho gerōn, legōn; Idou edeixa auto tǭ abb Gelasiǭ, kai eipe moi hoti pollou esti, kai ouk estin axion hēs eirēkas timēs. Ekeinos akousas, legei autǭ; Ouden soi allo eipen ho gerōn? Legei autǭ; Ouchi. Tote legei; Ouketi thelō pōlēsai auto. Katanygeis de ēlthe pros ton geronta metanoōn, kai parakalōn auton dexasthai auto. Ho de gerōn ouk ēthele labein. Tote legei autō ho adelphos, hoti Ean mē labę̄s auto, ouk echō anapausin Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Ei ouk anapauę̄, idou dechomai auto. Kai emeinen ho adelphos ekeinos heōs tēs teleutēs autou, ōphelētheis apo tēs ergasias tou gerontos.
They said of abba Gelasius that he had a book on parchment worth eighteen gold coins; it contained the whole Old and New Testament written out, and it lay in the church so that any of the brothers who wished might read it. A visiting brother came to see the old man, and when he saw it, he desired it, stole it, and left. The old man did not run after him to catch him, though he knew. So the man went to the city and sought to sell it; and finding someone who wanted to buy it, he asked sixteen coins as the price. The buyer says to him, “First give it to me so that I may have it examined, and then I will pay you the price.” So he gave it to him. He took it to abba Gelasius to examine it, telling him the price the seller had named. And the old man says, “Buy it, for it is good and worth the price you mention.” And the man went and told the seller something else, not what the old man said: “Look, I showed it to abba Gelasius, and he told me that it is dear and not worth the price you named.” When he heard this, he says to him, “Did the old man say nothing else to you?” He says to him, “No.” Then he says, “I no longer want to sell it.” And pierced to the heart, he came to the old man repenting and begging him to take it back. But the old man did not want to take it. Then the brother says to him, “If you do not take it, I have no rest.” The old man says to him, “If you have no rest, look, I take it.” And that brother stayed until his death, helped by the old man’s conduct.
Notes and citation
Summary: Gelasius silently lets a thief sell his Bible, and the thief, moved by his goodness, returns it and stays.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.1 (PG 65:145–147; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-1) · 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.
21.2PG 65:147
Τούτῳ τῷ ἀββᾷ Γελασίῳ κατελείφθη ποτὲ παρὰ γέροντός τινος, μοναχοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ, περὶ τὴν Νικόπολιν τὴν οἴκησιν ἔχοντος, κελλίον καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὸ χωρίον. Γεωργὸς δὲ τις Βακάτου τοῦ τότε πρωτεύοντος τῆς Νικοπόλεως τῆς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην, συγγενής ὢν τοῦ κοιμηθέντος γέροντος, προσελθὼν τῷ αὐτῷ Βακάτῳ ἠξίου λαβεῖν τὸ αὐτὸ χωρίον, ὡς δῆθεν ἐκ τῶν νόμων εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὀφείλοντος. Ὁ δὲ (δράστης γὰρ ἦν) αὐτοχειρὶ τὸ χωρίον λαβεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο παρὰ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Γελασίου. Μὴ θέλων δὲ κελλίον μοναχικὸν παραδοῦναι κοσμικῷ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Γελάσιος, οὐ παρεχώρει. Παρατηρησάμενος δὲ ὁ Βακάτος τὰ ζῶα τοῦ ἀββᾶ Γελασίου μεταφέροντα τὰς ἐλαίας τοῦ καταλειφθέντος χωρίου αὐτῷ, βιαίως ταῦτα ἀποσπάσας, εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐλαίας λαβῶν, μόλις μετὰ ἀτιμίας ἀπέλυσε τὰ ζῶα μετὰ τῶν κτηνιτῶν αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος γέρων τοῦ μὲν καρποῦ οὐδ᾽ ὅλως ἀντεποιήθη, τῆς δὲ δεσποτείας τοῦ χωρίου οὐ παρεχώρησε, διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην αἰτίαν. Ἐφ' ὂν ἐξαφθεὶς ὁ Βακάτος, χρειῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἑλκουσῶν αὐτὸν (φιλόδικος γὰρ ἦν), ἐπὶ Κωνσταντινούπολιν ὁρμᾷ, πεζῇ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ποιούμενος. Γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν, τότε ὡς μεγάλου φωστῆρος λάμποντος τοῦ ἁγίου Συμεὼν, τὰ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν ἀκούσας (ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον γὰρ ἦν), ἐπεθύμησεν ὡς χριστιανὸς τὸν ἅγιον θεάσασθαι. Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ στύλου ὁ ἅγιος Συμεών, εὐθὺς εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον, ἠρώτα· Πόθεν εἶ, καὶ ποῦ πορεύῃ; Ὁ δέ φησιν· Ἀπὸ Παλαιστίνης εἰμὶ, καὶ εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν ὑπάγω. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Καὶ τίνος χάριν; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Βακάτος Διὰ χρείας πολλάς· καὶ ἐλπίζω διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου ἐπαναλῦσαι, καὶ προσκυνεῖν τὰ ἅγιά σου ἴχνη. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἅγιος Συμεών Οὐ θέλεις, ἀνέλπιστε τῶν ἀνθρώπων, εἰπεῖν ὅτι κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέρχῃ. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ εὔοδά σοι ἔσται, οὐδὲ ὄψει ἔτι τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ἐὰν οὖν πείθῃ τῇ συμβουλίᾳ μου, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἀναλύσας πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρμᾶς, καὶ μετανοεῖς αὐτῷ, εἴγε ἐν τοῖς ζῶσιν ὢν καταλάβῃς τὸν τόπον. Εὐθέως οὖν ληφθεὶς ὑπὸ πυρετοῦ, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων ἐν λεκτικίῳ βληθεὶς, ἠπείγετο κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ ἁγίου Συμεὼν καταλαβεῖν τὴν χώραν, καὶ μετανοῆσαι τῷ ἀββᾷ Γελασίῳ. Ἀλλὰ φθάσας τὴν Βήρυτον, ἐτελεύτησε, μὴ θεασάμενος τὸν οἶκοι αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν τοῦ ἁγίου. Ταῦτα ἐ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, Βακάτος καὶ αὐτὸς λεγόμενος, μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, πολλοῖς καὶ ἀξιοπίστοις ἀνδράσι διηγήσατο.
Toutǭ tǭ abbą Gelasiǭ kateleiphthē pote para gerontos tinos, monachou kai autou, peri tēn Nikopolin tēn oikēsin echontos, kellion kai to peri auto chōrion. Geōrgos de tis Bakatou tou tote prōteuontos tēs Nikopoleōs tēs kata Palaistinēn, syngenēs ōn tou koimēthentos gerontos, proselthōn tǭ autǭ Bakatǭ ēxiou labein to auto chōrion, hōs dēthen ek tōn nomōn eis auton elthein opheilontos. Ho de (drastēs gar ēn) autocheiri to chōrion labein epeirato para tou abba Gelasiou. Mē thelōn de kellion monachikon paradounai kosmikǭ ho autos abbas Gelasios, ou parechōrei. Paratērēsamenos de ho Bakatos ta zōa tou abba Gelasiou metapheronta tas elaias tou kataleiphthentos chōriou autǭ, biaiōs tauta apospasas, eis ton oikon autou tas elaias labōn, molis meta atimias apelyse ta zōa meta tōn ktēnitōn autōn. Ho de makarios gerōn tou men karpou oud᾽ holōs antepoiēthē, tēs de despoteias tou chōriou ou parechōrēse, dia tēn eirēmenēn aitian. Eph' on exaphtheis ho Bakatos, chreiōn kai allōn helkousōn auton (philodikos gar ēn), epi Kōnstantinoupolin hormą, pezę̄ tēn hodoiporian poioumenos. Genomenos de kata tēn Antiocheian, tote hōs megalou phōstēros lampontos tou hagiou Symeōn, ta kat᾿ auton akousas (hyper anthrōpon gar ēn), epethymēsen hōs christianos ton hagion theasasthai. Idōn de auton apo tou stylou ho hagios Symeōn, euthys eiselthonta eis to monastērion, ērōta; Pothen ei, kai pou poreuę̄? Ho de phēsin; Apo Palaistinēs eimi, kai eis Kōnstantinoupolin hypagō. Ho de pros auton; Kai tinos charin? Legei autǭ ho Bakatos Dia chreias pollas; kai elpizō dia tōn euchōn tēs hagiōsynēs sou epanalysai, kai proskynein ta hagia sou ichnē. Kai legei autǭ ho hagios Symeōn Ou theleis, anelpiste tōn anthrōpōn, eipein hoti kata tou anthrōpou tou Theou anerchę̄. All᾿ ouk euoda soi estai, oude opsei eti ton oikon sou. Ean oun peithę̄ tę̄ symboulią mou, enteuthen ēdē analysas pros auton hormas, kai metanoeis autǭ, eige en tois zōsin ōn katalabę̄s ton topon. Eutheōs oun lēphtheis hypo pyretou, kai hypo tōn synontōn en lektikiǭ blētheis, ēpeigeto kata ton logon tou hagiou Symeōn katalabein tēn chōran, kai metanoēsai tǭ abbą Gelasiǭ. Alla phthasas tēn Bēryton, eteleutēse, mē theasamenos ton oikoi autou, kata tēn prophēteian tou hagiou. Tauta e huios autou, Bakatos kai autos legomenos, meta tēn teleutēn tou patros autou, pollois kai axiopistois andrasi diēgēsato.
To this abba Gelasius there was once left, by an old man who was also a monk and lived near Nicopolis, a cell and the land around it. A farmer of Bacatus, then the leading man of Nicopolis in Palestine, being a relative of the old man who had died, went to Bacatus and asked to receive the land, as though it ought by law to come to him. Bacatus, a violent man, tried to take the land from abba Gelasius by his own hand. But abba Gelasius, not wanting to hand over a monk’s cell to a layman, would not yield. Bacatus, watching for abba Gelasius’s animals carrying the olives of the land left to him, seized them by force, took the olives to his own house, and only grudgingly, with insult, let the animals go with their drivers. The blessed old man made no claim at all to the fruit, but he did not give up ownership of the land, for the reason stated. Enraged at him, and drawn by other business too (for he was fond of lawsuits), Bacatus set out for Constantinople, making the journey on foot. When he came to Antioch, where holy Symeon was then shining like a great light, he heard about him (for he was beyond human measure) and as a Christian desired to see the saint. When holy Symeon saw him from the pillar as soon as he entered the monastery, he asked, “Where are you from, and where are you going?” He says, “I am from Palestine, and I am going to Constantinople.” He said to him, “And for what reason?” Bacatus says to him, “For many matters; and I hope through the prayers of your holiness to return and to venerate your holy footsteps.” And holy Symeon says to him, “You do not want to say, most hopeless of men, that you are going up against the man of God. But it will not go well for you, nor will you see your house again. If you take my advice, you will go back from here at once to him and repent before him, if indeed you reach the place alive.” At once he was seized by a fever, and was put on a litter by his companions; and he hastened, according to the word of holy Symeon, to reach the country and repent before abba Gelasius. But having reached Berytus, he died without seeing his house, according to the saint’s prophecy. His son, also called Bacatus, related these things after his father’s death to many trustworthy men.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: A local magnate who seized Gelasius’s olives is warned by Symeon the Stylite and dies before he can repent.
- Symeon the Stylite (d. 459) lived near Antioch. Variant notes from Migne’s apparatus are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; leaked variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): Πόθεν ΑΙ. ἀναπαῆναι. Α. ἐκεῖ. ο ΑΙ. ὑφ᾽ ὧν. εἶ → Πόθεν εἶ; ἀξιοπίστοι; → ἀξιοπίστοις.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.2 (PG 65:147; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-2) · 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.
21.3PG 65:147–149
Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ διηγήσαντο· ὅτι Ποτὲ ὀψαρίου ἐνεχθέντος αὐτοῖς, τοῦτο τηγανίσας ὁ μάγειρος, εἰσήνεγκε τῷ κελλαρίτῃ χρείας δὲ ἐπειγούσης τὸν κελλαρίτην, ἐξῆλθε τοῦ κελλαρίου, ἐάσας τὸ ὀψάριον ἐν σκεύει χαμαὶ, παραγγείλας θρεπταρίῳ μικρῷ τοῦ μακαρίου Γελασίου φυλάττειν αὐτὸ πρὸς ὥραν, ἕως οὗ ἀνακάμψῃ· τὸ δὲ παιδίον λιχνισθὲν, ἔβαλεν ἐσθίειν ἀφειδῶς τὸ ὀψάμιον. Εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ κελλαρίτης, καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸ ἐσθίον, ἀγανακτήσας κατὰ τοῦ παιδὸς χαμαὶ καθημένου, ἀπαρατηρήτως τῷ ποδὶ ὤθησεν· ἐξ ἐνεργείας δὲ τινος, κατὰ καιρίου κρουσθεὶς, λειποθυμήσας ἀπέθανεν. Ὁ δὲ κελλαρίτης φόβῳ κατασχεθεὶς, ἀνακλίνας τοῦτον ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ στρώσει, καὶ σκεπάσας, ἀπελθὼν προσέπεσε τοῖς ποσὶ τοῦ ἀ̓ββᾶ. Γελασίου, ἀπαγγέλλων αὐτῷ τὸ γενόμενον. Ὁ δὲ παραγγείλας αὐτῷ μηδενὶ ἄλλῳ εἰπεῖν, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτῷ μετὰ τὸ πάντας ἡσυχάσαι ἑσπέρας, εἰσενέγκαι αὐτὸ εἰς τὸ διακονικὸν, καὶ θεῖναι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ἀναχωρῆσαι. Καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ γέρων εἰς τὸ διακονικὸν, ἔστη εἰς προσευχήν καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς νυκτερινῆς ψαλμῳδίας, συναχθέντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ γέρων ἔχων ἀκολουθοῦν αὐτὸ τὸ μειράκιον· μηδενὸς τὸ γενόμενον εἰδότος, πλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ κελλαρίτου, ἕως τῆς αὐτοῦ τελευτῆς.
Kai touto de polloi tōn mathētōn autou diēgēsanto; hoti Pote opsariou enechthentos autois, touto tēganisas ho mageiros, eisēnenke tǭ kellaritę̄ chreias de epeigousēs ton kellaritēn, exēlthe tou kellariou, easas to opsarion en skeuei chamai, parangeilas threptariǭ mikrǭ tou makariou Gelasiou phylattein auto pros hōran, heōs hou anakampsę̄; to de paidion lichnisthen, ebalen esthiein apheidōs to opsamion. Eiselthōn de ho kellaritēs, kai heurōn auto esthion, aganaktēsas kata tou paidos chamai kathēmenou, aparatērētōs tǭ podi ōthēsen; ex energeias de tinos, kata kairiou kroustheis, leipothymēsas apethanen. Ho de kellaritēs phobǭ kataschetheis, anaklinas touton en tę̄ idią strōsei, kai skepasas, apelthōn prosepese tois posi tou abba. Gelasiou, apangellōn autǭ to genomenon. Ho de parangeilas autǭ mēdeni allǭ eipein, ekeleusen autǭ meta to pantas hēsychasai hesperas, eisenenkai auto eis to diakonikon, kai theinai emprosthen tou thysiastēriou, kai anachōrēsai. Kai elthōn ho gerōn eis to diakonikon, estē eis proseuchēn kai tę̄ hōrą tēs nykterinēs psalmǭdias, synachthentōn tōn adelphōn, exēlthen ho gerōn echōn akolouthoun auto to meirakion; mēdenos to genomenon eidotos, plēn autou, kai tou kellaritou, heōs tēs autou teleutēs.
Many of his disciples also related this: once, when a fish had been brought to them, the cook fried it and took it in to the cellarer. Since urgent business called the cellarer, he went out of the storeroom, leaving the fish in a dish on the ground, and told a little boy whom blessed Gelasius was bringing up to watch it for a while until he returned. But the child, overcome by greed, began eating the fish unsparingly. When the cellarer came in and found him eating it, he was angry with the boy sitting on the ground and kicked him carelessly; and by some working of the devil the blow struck a vital spot, and he fainted and died. The cellarer, seized with fear, laid him on his own bed and covered him, and went and fell at the feet of abba Gelasius, telling him what had happened. He told him to tell no one else, and ordered him, after everyone had gone to rest in the evening, to carry the body into the sacristy, lay it before the altar, and withdraw. And the old man came into the sacristy and stood in prayer; and at the hour of the night psalmody, when the brothers had gathered, the old man came out with the boy following him. No one knew what had happened except himself and the cellarer, until his death.
Notes and citation
Summary: Gelasius secretly raises to life a boy accidentally killed by his cellarer.
- ἐξ ἐνεργείας τινός, “by some working,” is taken as a working of the devil.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.3 (PG 65:147–149; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-3) · 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.
21.4PG 65:149–151
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Γελασίου, οὐχ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν πυκνῶς αὐτῷ παραβαλόντων διηγοῦντο, ὅτι ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς οἰκουμενικῆς συνόδου τῆς ἐν Καλχηδόνι Θεοδόσιος ὁ προκατάρξας ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ τοῦ κατὰ Διόσκορον σχίσματος προλαβὼν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐπανελθεῖν μέλλοντας ἐπὶ τὰς ἰδίας Ἐκκλησίας (παρῆν γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, διωχθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας πατρίδος ὡς ταραχαῖς ἀεὶ χαίρων) ὥρμησε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Γελάσιον εἰς τὸ αὐτοῦ μοναστήριον, λέγων κατὰ τῆς συνόδου, ὡς τὸ Νεστορίου δόγμα κυρωσάσης· Διὰ τούτου νομίζων τὸν ἅγιον ὑφαρπάζειν, πρὸς συνεργίαν τῆς αὐτοῦ ῥᾳδιουργίας καὶ τοῦ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν σχίσματος. Ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καταστάσεως, καὶ ἐκ τῆς προσούσης αὐτῷ θεόθεν συνέσεως, τὸ διεφθαρμένον τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώμης καταλαβών, οὐ συναπήχθη τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀποστασίᾳ, ὡς οἱ τότε σχεδόν πάντες, ἀλλ᾽ ἀξίως αὐτὸν ἀτιμάσας ἀπέπεμψεν. Εἰς μέσον γὰρ ἐνεγκὼν τὸ θρεπτάριον ὅπερ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνέστησεν, ἔλεγεν ἐν ἤθει σεμνῷ οὕτως· Ἐὰν περὶ πίστεως θέλῃς διαλεχθῆναι, ἔχεις τοῦτον παρὰ σοῦ ἀκούοντα καὶ διαλεγόμενόν σοι· ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐ σχολὴ τὰ παρὰ σοῦ ἀκούειν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις διατραπεὶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν πόλιν ὁρμήσας, συναρπάζει μὲν ὅλον τὸ μοναχικὸν, ἐν προσχήματι θείου ζήλου συναρπάζει δὲ καὶ τὴν Αὐγούσταν τότε παροῦσαν· καὶ οὕτως η συνεργὸν λαβών, βίᾳ κατέσχε τὸν θρόνον Ἱεροσολύμων· φόνοις τοῦτον προαρπάσας, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀθέμιτα καὶ ἀκανόνιστα διαπράξας, ἃ μέχρι νῦν πολλοὶ μνημονεύουσι. Τότε δὴ ὡς ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος, καὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ ἐπιτυχὼν, καὶ ἐπισκόπους πλείστους χειροτονήσας, προλαμβάνων τοὺς θρόνους τῶν ἐπισκόπων μηδέπω ἐπανελθόντων, μεταστέλλεται καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Γελάσιον· καὶ προτρέπεται εἰς τὸ ἱερατεῖον, δελεάζων ἅμα καὶ ἐκφοβῶν. Εἰσελθόντι οὖν αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ ἱερατεῖον, ἔλεγεν ὁ Θεοδόσιος· Αναθεμάτισον Ἰουβενάλιον. Ὁ δὲ μηδὲν καταπλαγεὶς, Ἄ̓́λλον οὐκ οἶδα, φησὶν, ἐπίσκοπον Ἱεροσολύμων, εἰ μὴ Ἰουβενάλιον. Εὐλαβηθεὶς δὲ ὁ Θεοδόσιος, μὴ καὶ ἄλλοι τὸν εὐσεβῆ αὐτοῦ ζῆλον μιμήσωνται, κελεύει αὐτὸν εὐφυῶς ἔξω βληθῆναι τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Παραλαβόντες δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ τοῦ αὐτοῦ σχήματος περιέστησαν αὐτῷ ξύλα, καίειν αὐτὸν ἀπειλοῦντες. Ὁρῶντες δὲ αὐτὸν μηδὲ οὕτως ἐνδιδόντα, μηδὲ καταπτήσσοντα, καὶ εὐλαβούμενοι τὴν τοῦ δήμου ἔγερσιν, διὰ τὸ περιβόητον εἶναι τὸν ἄνδρα (τὸ ὅλον ἐκ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἦν Προνοίας), ἀπέλυσαν ἀβλαβῆ τὸν μάρτυρα, τό γε ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ Χριστῷ ὁλοκαυτωθέντα.
Elegon peri tou abba Gelasiou, ouch hoi mathētai autou monon, alla kai polloi tōn pyknōs autǭ parabalontōn diēgounto, hoti en tǭ kairǭ tēs oikoumenikēs synodou tēs en Kalchēdoni Theodosios ho prokatarxas en Palaistinę̄ tou kata Dioskoron schismatos prolabōn tous episkopous epanelthein mellontas epi tas idias Ekklēsias (parēn gar kai autos en Kōnstantinoupolei, diōchtheis apo tēs idias patridos hōs tarachais aei chairōn) hōrmēse pros ton abban Gelasion eis to autou monastērion, legōn kata tēs synodou, hōs to Nestoriou dogma kyrōsasēs; Dia toutou nomizōn ton hagion hypharpazein, pros synergian tēs autou rhądiourgias kai tou kat᾿ auton schismatos. Ho de ek tēs tou andros katastaseōs, kai ek tēs prosousēs autǭ theothen syneseōs, to diephtharmenon tēs autou gnōmēs katalabōn, ou synapēchthē tę̄ autou apostasią, hōs hoi tote schedon pantes, all᾽ axiōs auton atimasas apepempsen. Eis meson gar enenkōn to threptarion hoper ek nekrōn anestēsen, elegen en ēthei semnǭ houtōs; Ean peri pisteōs thelę̄s dialechthēnai, echeis touton para sou akouonta kai dialegomenon soi; emoi gar ou scholē ta para sou akouein. Epi toutois diatrapeis, kai epi tēn hagian polin hormēsas, synarpazei men holon to monachikon, en proschēmati theiou zēlou synarpazei de kai tēn Augoustan tote parousan; kai houtōs ē synergon labōn, bią katesche ton thronon Hierosolymōn; phonois touton proarpasas, kai ta alla athemita kai akanonista diapraxas, ha mechri nyn polloi mnēmoneuousi. Tote dē hōs enkratēs genomenos, kai tou skopou epitychōn, kai episkopous pleistous cheirotonēsas, prolambanōn tous thronous tōn episkopōn mēdepō epanelthontōn, metastelletai kai ton abban Gelasion; kai protrepetai eis to hierateion, deleazōn hama kai ekphobōn. Eiselthonti oun autǭ eis to hierateion, elegen ho Theodosios; Anathematison Ioubenalion. Ho de mēden kataplageis, Allon ouk oida, phēsin, episkopon Hierosolymōn, ei mē Ioubenalion. Eulabētheis de ho Theodosios, mē kai alloi ton eusebē autou zēlon mimēsōntai, keleuei auton euphyōs exō blēthēnai tēs ekklēsias. Paralabontes de auton hoi tou autou schēmatos periestēsan autǭ xyla, kaiein auton apeilountes. Horōntes de auton mēde houtōs endidonta, mēde kataptēssonta, kai eulaboumenoi tēn tou dēmou egersin, dia to periboēton einai ton andra (to holon ek tēs anōthen ēn Pronoias), apelysan ablabē ton martyra, to ge eph᾽ heautǭ Christǭ holokautōthenta.
They said of abba Gelasius (not only his disciples, but many of those who visited him often related it) that at the time of the ecumenical council at Chalcedon, Theodosius, who began the schism of Dioscorus’s party in Palestine, got ahead of the bishops who were about to return to their own churches (for he too was present in Constantinople, having been driven from his own homeland as one who always delighted in disturbances) and rushed to abba Gelasius at his monastery, speaking against the council as having confirmed the doctrine of Nestorius, thinking by this to snatch the saint over into cooperating with his mischief and his schism. But Gelasius, perceiving the corruption of his mind from the man’s bearing and from the understanding given him by God, was not carried away with his apostasy, as nearly everyone then was, but sent him away with the dishonor he deserved. For bringing out into the middle the boy he had raised from the dead, he said with a grave manner, “If you want to discuss the faith, you have this boy to hear you and to discuss with you; I have no leisure to hear what you say.” Abashed at this, he rushed to the holy city, and carried away the whole body of monks under a pretext of divine zeal; he carried away also the Augusta, who was then present; and having taken her as his ally, he seized the throne of Jerusalem by force, grabbing it by murders and doing other lawless and uncanonical things, which many remember to this day. Then, having gained power and achieved his aim, and having ordained a great many bishops, seizing the sees of bishops who had not yet returned, he sent for abba Gelasius too, and urged him into the sanctuary, enticing and frightening him at once. When he came into the sanctuary, Theodosius said, “Anathematize Juvenal.” But he, not at all dismayed, says, “I know no other bishop of Jerusalem but Juvenal.” Theodosius, fearing that others too might imitate his pious zeal, ordered him to be cleverly thrown out of the church. Those of his party took him and piled wood around him, threatening to burn him. But seeing that even so he did not yield or cower, and fearing a rising of the people, because the man was famous (the whole thing came from providence above), they let the martyr go unharmed, who for his part had offered himself to Christ as a whole burnt offering.
Notes and citation
Summary: Gelasius refuses to join the anti-Chalcedonian usurper Theodosius of Jerusalem, even under threat of burning.
- The saying is told from the Chalcedonian side. Theodosius led the monks of Palestine against the Council of Chalcedon (451) and held the see of Jerusalem in 451–453 while its bishop Juvenal was absent; the Augusta is the empress Eudocia, then living in Jerusalem. Their opponents called the council Nestorian; the saying’s charges against Theodosius are translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letter inside a name; OCR: word split): εἰ μὴ ἸουΑ.βενάλιον → εἰ μὴ Ἰουβενάλιον; ἐπισκό πων → ἐπισκόπων.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.4 (PG 65:149–151; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-4) · 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.
21.5PG 65:151
Ἔλεγον περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐν νεότητι τὸν ἀκτήμονα βίον καὶ ἀναχωρητικὸν μετήρχετο· ἦσαν δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν καὶ ἄλλοι πλεῖστοι κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς τόπους, τὸν αὐτὸν βίον αὐτῷ συνασπαζόμενοι· ἐν οἷς καὶ γέρων τις ἦν εἰς ἄκρον ἁπλούστατος καὶ ἀκτήμων, ἐν μονοκελλίῳ οἰκήσας ἄχρι τελευτῆς, καίπερ μαθητὰς ἐσχηκὼς ἐν τῷ γήρα αὐτοῦ. Οὗτος ἤσκησε φυλάξαι τὸ μὴ κτήσασθαι δύο χιτῶνας, μηδὲ μεριμνῆσαι περὶ τῆς αὔριον μετὰ τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ μέχρι θανάτου. Ὅτε οὖν συνέβη τὸν ἀββᾶν Γελάσιον, ἐκ θείας συνεργίας συστήσασθαι τὸ κοινόβιον, προσεφέροντο αὐτῷ καὶ χωρία πολλά ἐκτήσατο δὲ καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὰς χρείας τοῦ κοινοβίου κτήνη ἀχθοφόρα καὶ βόας. Ὁ γάρ χρηματίσας τῷ θείῳ Παχωμίῳ ἐν πρώτοις κοινόβιον συστήσασθαι, καὶ τούτῳ συνήργει εἰς τὴν πᾶσαν τοῦ μοναστηρίου σύστασιν. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν βλέπων αὐτὸν ὁ προειρημένος γέρων, καὶ γνησίαν σώζων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην, ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ· Φοβοῦμαι, ἀββᾶ Γελάσιε, μὴ δεθῇ ὁ λογισμός σου εἰς τὰ χωρία καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν κτῆσιν τοῦ κοινοβίου. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Δέδεται μᾶλλον ὁ λογισμός σου εἰς τὸ κεντητῆριν ἐν ᾧ ἐργάζῃ, ἢ ὁ λογισμὸς Γελασίου εἰς τὰ κτήματα.
Elegon peri autou, hoti en neotēti ton aktēmona bion kai anachōrētikon metērcheto; ēsan de kat᾿ auton ton kairon kai alloi pleistoi kata tous autous topous, ton auton bion autǭ synaspazomenoi; en hois kai gerōn tis ēn eis akron haploustatos kai aktēmōn, en monokelliǭ oikēsas achri teleutēs, kaiper mathētas eschēkōs en tǭ gēra autou. Houtos ēskēse phylaxai to mē ktēsasthai dyo chitōnas, mēde merimnēsai peri tēs aurion meta tōn synontōn autǭ mechri thanatou. Hote oun synebē ton abban Gelasion, ek theias synergias systēsasthai to koinobion, prosepheronto autǭ kai chōria polla ektēsato de kai ta pros tas chreias tou koinobiou ktēnē achthophora kai boas. Ho gar chrēmatisas tǭ theiǭ Pachōmiǭ en prōtois koinobion systēsasthai, kai toutǭ synērgei eis tēn pasan tou monastēriou systasin. En toutois oun blepōn auton ho proeirēmenos gerōn, kai gnēsian sōzōn pros auton agapēn, elegen autǭ; Phoboumai, abba Gelasie, mē dethę̄ ho logismos sou eis ta chōria kai tēn loipēn ktēsin tou koinobiou. Ho de pros auton; Dedetai mallon ho logismos sou eis to kentētērin en hǭ ergazę̄, ē ho logismos Gelasiou eis ta ktēmata.
They said of him that in his youth he pursued the life of poverty and solitude; and at that time there were also very many others in the same places who embraced the same life with him. Among them was an old man of the utmost simplicity and poverty, who lived in a solitary cell until his death, though in his old age he had disciples. He practiced not owning two tunics, and not taking thought for the morrow, together with those with him, until death. So when it came about that abba Gelasius, with divine help, founded the community, many lands were offered to him; and he also acquired pack animals and oxen for the needs of the community. For the one who had directed the divine Pachomius at the first to found a community worked with this man too in the whole establishment of the monastery. Seeing him occupied in these things, the old man mentioned above, keeping a genuine love for him, said to him, “I fear, abba Gelasius, that your thought may be bound to the lands and the rest of the community’s property.” But he said to him, “Your thought is more bound to the awl you work with than Gelasius’s thought is to the possessions.”
Matt 6:34 (echo, low confidence) · Luke 3:11 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gelasius answers a poor hermit that the hermit’s awl binds him more than the monastery’s lands bind Gelasius.
- The scan moves the saying’s ending (from “property … possessions”) into the middle, inside a passage from Migne’s notes; the notes are removed and the ending is put back in its place.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced ending of the saying restored to its place (same words as in the scan); the end of the saying displaced into a passage of Migne’s notes; notes removed (the ending is restored below)): ἄχρι κτῆσιν τοῦ κοινοβίου. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Δέδεται μᾶλλον ὁ λογισμός σου εἰς τὸ κεντητῆριν ἐν ᾧ ἐργάζῃ, ἢ ὁ λογισμὸς Γελασίου εἰς τὰ κτήματα. πρεσβυτέρου καὶ ἀναχωρητοῦ, περὶ καταστάσεως ἀρχαρίων, καὶ περὶ τῶν μονοκελλιτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔδοξε τῷ καιρῷ καὶ τοῖς ἐφεστῶσι πράγμασι, τὸ περιλειφθὲν τέως, ὅσον ἐν προνοίαις ἐτάττετο, μοναῖς τε καὶ ἐκκλησίαις, καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῖ παρασπίζουσιν, ἀφεικότας τῶν δεσποτῶν, τάττειν εἰς τελευτῆς → ἄχρι τελευτῆς; καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν → καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν κτῆσιν τοῦ κοινοβίου. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Δέδεται μᾶλλον ὁ λογισμός σου εἰς τὸ κεντητῆριν ἐν ᾧ ἐργάζῃ, ἢ ὁ λογισμὸς Γελασίου εἰς τὰ κτήματα..
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.5 (PG 65:151; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-5) · 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.
21.6PG 65:151–153
Ἕλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Γελασίου, ὅτι πολλάκις ἐνοχληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν λέγει τῷ μαθητῇ αὐτοῦ· Ποίησον ἀγάπην, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ εἴ τι δ᾽ ἂν ποιήσω, βάσταξον, καὶ μηδὲν λαλήσῃς μοι τὴν ἑβδομάδα ταύτην. Καὶ λαβὼν βαΐνην ῥάβδον, ἤρξατο περιπατεῖν εἰς τὸ αὐλύδριον αὐτοῦ καὶ κοπιάσας ἐκάθισε μικρὸν, καὶ πάλιν ἀναστὰς περιεπάτει. Γενομένης δὲ ἐσπέρας, λέγει τῷ λογισμῷ· Ὁ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον περιπατῶν ἄρτον οὐκ ἐσθίει, ἀλλὰ βοτάνας· σὺ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειὰν σου φάγε λεπτολάχανον. Καὶ ποιήσας οὕτως, πάλιν λέγει τῷ λογισμῷ· Ὁ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ὑπὸ στέγην οὐ κοιμᾶται, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ τὸν ἀέρα· καὶ οὖν ποίησον οὕτως· καὶ κλίνας ἑαυτὸν, κοιμᾶται εἰς τὸ αὐλύδριον. Ποιήσας οὖν τρεῖς ἡμέρας περιπατῶν ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ, καθ' ἑσπέραν ἐσθίων μικρὰς σέρεις, τὰς δὲ νύκτας κοιμώμενος ὑπὸ τὸν ἀέρα, ἐκοπίασε· καὶ ἐπιτιμήσας τῷ λογισμῷ τῷ ὀχλοῦντι αὐτῷ, ἤλεγχεν αὐτὸν, λέγων· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι ποιῆσαι τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἐρήμου, κάθου εἰς τὸ κελλίον σου μεθ' ὑπομονῆς, κλαίων τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, καὶ μὴ πλάζου· πανταχοῦ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ. ὀφθαλμὸς βλέπει τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λανθάνει, καὶ συνιεῖ τοὺς ἀγαθὸν ἐργαζομένους.
Helegon peri tou abba Gelasiou, hoti pollakis enochlētheis hypo tōn logismōn apelthein eis tēn erēmon, mią tōn hēmerōn legei tǭ mathētę̄ autou; Poiēson agapēn, adelphe, kai ei ti d᾽ an poiēsō, bastaxon, kai mēden lalēsę̄s moi tēn hebdomada tautēn. Kai labōn baïnēn rhabdon, ērxato peripatein eis to aulydrion autou kai kopiasas ekathise mikron, kai palin anastas periepatei. Genomenēs de esperas, legei tǭ logismǭ; Ho eis tēn erēmon peripatōn arton ouk esthiei, alla botanas; sy de dia tēn astheneian sou phage leptolachanon. Kai poiēsas houtōs, palin legei tǭ logismǭ; Ho eis tēn erēmon hypo stegēn ou koimatai, alla hypo ton aera; kai oun poiēson houtōs; kai klinas heauton, koimatai eis to aulydrion. Poiēsas oun treis hēmeras peripatōn en tǭ monastēriǭ, kath' hesperan esthiōn mikras sereis, tas de nyktas koimōmenos hypo ton aera, ekopiase; kai epitimēsas tǭ logismǭ tǭ ochlounti autǭ, ēlenchen auton, legōn; Ei ou dynasai poiēsai ta erga tēs erēmou, kathou eis to kellion sou meth' hypomonēs, klaiōn tas hamartias sou, kai mē plazou; pantachou gar ho tou Theou. ophthalmos blepei ta erga tōn anthrōpōn, kai ouden autǭ lanthanei, kai syniei tous agathon ergazomenous.
They said of abba Gelasius that, being often troubled by thoughts urging him to go away into the desert, one day he says to his disciple, “Do me a kindness, brother: whatever I do, bear with it, and say nothing to me this week.” And taking a palm stick, he began walking about in his little courtyard; and when he was tired he sat a little, and then got up again and walked. When evening came, he says to his thought, “One who walks in the desert does not eat bread, but herbs; but you, because of your weakness, eat a few greens.” And having done so, he again says to his thought, “One in the desert does not sleep under a roof, but in the open air; so do the same.” And lying down, he sleeps in the courtyard. So after walking about the monastery for three days, eating a few chicory leaves each evening and sleeping in the open at night, he grew weary; and rebuking the thought that troubled him, he reproved it, saying, “If you cannot do the works of the desert, sit in your cell with patience, weeping for your sins, and do not wander; for the eye of God sees the works of men everywhere, and nothing escapes him, and he understands those who do good.”
Prov 15:3 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gelasius cures his urge to go to the desert by trying its hardships in his courtyard for three days.
- A passage of Migne’s notes merged into the Greek is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letter; passage of Migne’s notes and variant notes merged into the Greek): Ποιήσας ἐνεργείας. ΑΙ. κεντητήριον. ὑπὲρ τῶν στρατιωτικὸν, πλὴν καὶ μονοκελλικὸν ξύμπαντας ὡς ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς ἐκείνοις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων προσμένονοὖν → Ποιήσας οὖν; πάλιν Ο λέγει → πάλιν λέγει.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 21.6 (PG 65:151–153; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/21-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-21-6) · 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.
Chapter 22
22.1PG 65:153
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Γερόντιος ὁ τῆς Πέτρας, ὅτι πολλοὶ πειραζόμενοι ἐκ σωματικῶν ἡδονῶν, μὴ πλησιάσαντες σώμασι, κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐξεπόρνευσαν· καὶ τῶν σωμάτων παρθένων φυλαττομένων, κατὰ ψυχὴν ἐκπορνεύουσι. Καλὸν οὖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ποιεῖν τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καρδίαν ἕκαστον.
Eipen ho abbas Gerontios ho tēs Petras, hoti polloi peirazomenoi ek sōmatikōn hēdonōn, mē plēsiasantes sōmasi, kata dianoian exeporneusan; kai tōn sōmatōn parthenōn phylattomenōn, kata psychēn ekporneuousi. Kalon oun, agapētoi, poiein to gegrammenon, kai pasę̄ phylakę̄ tērein tēn heautou kardian hekaston.
Abba Gerontius of Petra said, “Many who are tempted by bodily pleasures, without coming near bodies, have committed sexual immorality in their mind; and while their bodies are kept virgin, they commit sexual immorality in soul. So it is good, beloved, to do what is written, and for each to guard his own heart with all watchfulness.”
Prov 4:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:28 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gerontius warns that one can commit sexual sin in the mind while the body remains virgin.
- Quotation of Prov 4:23.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: word split): πολλο! → πολλοὶ; πλησιάσαν τες → πλησιάσαντες.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 22.1 (PG 65:153; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/22-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/22-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-22-1) · 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.
Chapter 23
23.1PG 65:153
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Δανιήλ, ὅτι ὅτε ἦλθον οἱ βάρβαροι εἰς Σκῆτιν, ἔφυγον οἱ Πατέρες· καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Εἰ μὴ φροντίζει μου ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα τί καὶ ζῶ; καὶ παρῆλθε διὰ τῶν βαρβάρων, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον αὐτόν. Λέγει τότε πρὸς ἑαυτόν· Ἰδοὺ ἐφρόντισέ μου ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέθανον, ποίησον οὖν καὶ σὺ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ φύγε ὡς οἱ Πατέρες
Elegon peri tou abba Daniēl, hoti hote ēlthon hoi barbaroi eis Skētin, ephygon hoi Pateres; kai legei ho gerōn; Ei mē phrontizei mou ho Theos, hina ti kai zō? kai parēlthe dia tōn barbarōn, kai ouk eidon auton. Legei tote pros heauton; Idou ephrontise mou ho Theos, kai ouk apethanon, poiēson oun kai sy to anthrōpinon, kai phyge hōs hoi Pateres
They said of abba Daniel that when the barbarians came to Scetis, the Fathers fled; and the old man says, “If God does not care for me, why do I even live?” And he passed through the middle of the barbarians, and they did not see him. Then he says to himself, “Look, God has cared for me, and I did not die; now you too do what is human, and flee like the Fathers.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Daniel passes unseen through barbarian raiders, then flees like the others.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.1 (PG 65:153; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-1) · 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.
23.2PG 65:153
Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Δανιήλ, λέγων· Δός μοι μίαν ἐντολὴν, καὶ φυλάξω αὐτήν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Μηδέποτε χαλάσῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου μετὰ γυναικὸς εἰς πινάκιν, καὶ φάγῃς μετ' αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ φεύξῃ ἐκ τοῦ δαίμονος τῆς πορνείας μικρόν
Adelphos ērōtēse ton abban Daniēl, legōn; Dos moi mian entolēn, kai phylaxō autēn. Kai legei autǭ; Mēdepote chalasę̄s tēn cheira sou meta gynaikos eis pinakin, kai phagę̄s met' autēs; kai en toutǭ pheuxę̄ ek tou daimonos tēs porneias mikron
A brother asked abba Daniel, saying, “Give me one commandment, and I will keep it.” And he says to him, “Never put your hand into a dish with a woman and eat with her; and in this you will escape the demon of sexual immorality a little.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Daniel tells a brother never to eat from one dish with a woman.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.2 (PG 65:153; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-2) · 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.
23.3PG 65:153–155
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ, ὅτι ὧν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι θυγάτηρ πρωτεύοντος δαιμόνιον ἔχουσα εἶχε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς ἀγαπητὸν μοναχόν τινα· καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐδεὶς δύναται θεραπεῦσαι τὴν θυγατέρα σου, εἰ μὴ οὓς οἶδα ἀναχωρητάς· καὶ ἐὰν αὐτοὺς παρακαλέσῃς, οὐκ ἀνέχονται τοῦτο ποιῆσαι διὰ ταπεινοφροσύνην. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ποιήσωμεν· ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἔλθωσιν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν, ποιήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θέλοντες ἀγοράσαι σκεύη· καὶ ὅταν ἔλθωσι λαβεῖν τὴν τιμὴν αὐτῶν, λέγομεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ποιήσωσιν εὐχὴν, καὶ πιστεύω ὅτι θεραπεύεται. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ, εὗρον ἕνα μαθητὴν τῶν γερόντων καθήμενον ἵνα πωλήσῃ τὰ σκεύη αὐτῶν καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν σπυρίδων, ὡς ἵνα λάβῃ τὸ τίμημα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ μοναχὸς εἰς τὸν οἶχον, ἦλθεν ἡ δαιμονιζομένη, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ῥάπισμα Ὁ δὲ ἔστρεψε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην σιαγόνα, κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ βασανισθεὶς ὁ δαίμων, ἔκραξε λέγων· Ὢ βία! ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκβάλλει με. Καὶ εὐθέως ἐκαθαρίσθη ἡ γυνή Καὶ ὡς ἦλθον οἱ γέροντες, ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτοῖς τὸ γενόμενον. Καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἶπον· Ἔθος ἐστὶ τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ τοῦ διαβόλου, πίπτειν ἀπὸ τῆς ταπεινώσεως τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Eipen ho abbas Daniēl, hoti hōn en Babylōni thygatēr prōteuontos daimonion echousa eiche de ho patēr autēs agapēton monachon tina; kai legei autǭ; Oudeis dynatai therapeusai tēn thygatera sou, ei mē hous oida anachōrētas; kai ean autous parakalesę̄s, ouk anechontai touto poiēsai dia tapeinophrosynēn. Alla touto poiēsōmen; hot᾽ an elthōsin eis tēn agoran, poiēsate heautous hōs thelontes agorasai skeuē; kai hotan elthōsi labein tēn timēn autōn, legomen autois hina poiēsōsin euchēn, kai pisteuō hoti therapeuetai. Kai exelthontes en tę̄ agorą, heuron hena mathētēn tōn gerontōn kathēmenon hina pōlēsę̄ ta skeuē autōn kai elabon auton meta tōn spyridōn, hōs hina labę̄ to timēma autōn. Kai hote ēlthen ho monachos eis ton oichon, ēlthen hē daimonizomenē, kai edōken autǭ rhapisma Ho de estrepse kai tēn allēn siagona, kata tēn entolēn tou Kyriou. Kai basanistheis ho daimōn, ekraxe legōn; Ō bia! hē entolē tou Iēsou ekballei me. Kai eutheōs ekatharisthē hē gynē Kai hōs ēlthon hoi gerontes, anēngeilan autois to genomenon. Kai edoxasan ton Theon, kai eipon; Ethos esti tę̄ hyperēphanią tou diabolou, piptein apo tēs tapeinōseōs tēs entolēs tou Christou,
Abba Daniel said that in Babylon the daughter of a leading man had a demon; and her father had a monk dear to him, who says to him, “No one can heal your daughter except some anchorites I know; and if you ask them, they will not consent to do it, out of humility. But let us do this: when they come to the market, make as if you want to buy their wares; and when they come to receive their price, let us tell them to say a prayer, and I believe she will be healed.” And going out into the market, they found one of the old men’s disciples sitting to sell their wares, and they took him with the baskets, as though he were to receive the price for them. And when the monk came into the house, the possessed girl came and struck him on the cheek. But he turned the other cheek also, according to the Lord’s commandment. And the demon, tormented, cried out, saying, “O violence! The commandment of Jesus drives me out.” And at once the woman was cleansed. And when the old men came, they told them what had happened. And they glorified God and said, “It is the way of the devil’s pride to fall before the humility of Christ’s commandment.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 5:39 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A possessed girl is freed when a monk she strikes turns the other cheek.
- The scan interleaves with this saying a long passage from another work (a story of the spirit of fornication and an image, from Migne’s notes) and variant notes; they are removed, and the saying’s own words are kept in order. “Babylon” is the fortress near Old Cairo. The last sentence breaks off in the scan. Matt 5:39.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; passage from another work and variant notes interleaved by the OCR; removed, and the saying’s displaced clause put back in order (same words as in the scan)): σκεύη καὶ ποιήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θέλοντες ἀγοράσαι σκεύη· καὶ ἡπάτησα γαργαλίζων ἐγώ; ἐγώ εἰμι δι' ὂν καὶ ὁ προφήτης μέμφεται τοὺς φεται τοὺς πεσόντας, λέγων· τας, λέγων· Πνεύματι περὶ εἰκόνος· ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τινὶ τῶν ἀσκητῶν περὶ ἰκόνος. Φασὶ γὰρ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ τινες ἀξιόπ ἀξιόπι-νους στοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις ὑπάρχοντες, ὅτιπέρ τέρ τινι τῶν ἀσκητῶν χαλεπῶς ἐπετίθετο καὶ διηνόχλει ὁ εἰς ταύτης γαργαλισμοὺς κατὰ τῶν νέων ἀνεδεξάμην, καὶ πνεῦμα πορνείας κέκλημαι. Πόσου θέλοντας σωφρονεῖν ἡπάτησα; πόσους ὑποκρινόμενος, κατέπεισα γαργαλίζων; ἐγώ εἰμι δι' ὃν καὶ ὁ προφήτης μέμφεται τοὺς πεσόντας, λέγων Πνεύματι πορνείας ὅταν ἔλθωσι λαβεῖν τὴν τιμὴν αὐτῶν, λέγομεν αὐτοῖς ΑΙ. αὐτῷ. ΑΙ. κόρη. ὁ Φαρανίτης. μονιζόμενος καὶ δεινῶς ἀφρίζων ἔτυψε κατὰ τῆς σιαγόνος. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἐναλλάξας, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ὑπέθηκεν. Ὁ δὲ δαίμων μὴ φέρων τὴν πύρωσιν τῆς ἵνα → σκεύη· καὶ ὅταν ἔλθωσι λαβεῖν τὴν τιμὴν αὐτῶν, λέγομεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα; γενόμε νον → γενόμενον; ταπει νώσεως → ταπεινώσεως.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.3 (PG 65:153–155; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-3) · 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.
23.4PG 65:155
Ἔλεγε πάλιν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ, ὅτι ὅσον τὸ σῶμα θάλλει, τοσοῦτον ἡ ψυχὴ λεπτύνεται· καὶ ὅσον τὸ σῶμα λεπτύνεται, τοσοῦτον ἡ ψυχὴ θάλλει.
Elege palin ho abbas Daniēl, hoti hoson to sōma thallei, tosouton hē psychē leptynetai; kai hoson to sōma leptynetai, tosouton hē psychē thallei.
Abba Daniel also said, “As much as the body flourishes, so much the soul grows thin; and as much as the body grows thin, so much the soul flourishes.”
2 Cor 4:16 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The soul thrives as the body is made lean.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.4 (PG 65:155; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-4) · 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.
23.5PG 65:155
Ωδευόν ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀμμώης. Καὶ λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Αμμώης Πότε καθεζόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς τὸ κελλίον, Πάτερ; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιήλ· Τίς γὰρ ἀφαιρεῖ ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν τὸν Θεὸν ἄρτι ὁ Θεός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ, καὶ πάλιν ἔξω ὁ Θεός ἐστιν.
Ōdeuon pote ho abbas Daniēl kai ho abbas Ammōēs. Kai legei ho abbas Ammōēs Pote kathezometha kai hēmeis eis to kellion, Pater? Legei autǭ ho abbas Daniēl; Tis gar aphairei aph᾿ hēmōn ton Theon arti ho Theos estin en tǭ kelliǭ, kai palin exō ho Theos estin.
Once abba Daniel and abba Ammoes were traveling. And abba Ammoes says, “When shall we too settle in a cell, father?” Abba Daniel says to him, “Who takes God away from us now? God is in the cell, and again God is outside.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Daniel reminds Ammoes that God is with them outside the cell as well as in it.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): καθεζό μεθα → καθεζόμεθα.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.5 (PG 65:155; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-5) · 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.
23.6PG 65:155
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιήλ, ὅτι Ὅτε ἦν ἐν Σκήτει ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος, ἦν τις ἐκεῖ μοναχὸς κλέπτων τὰ σκεύη τῶν γερόντων. Καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὸν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος εἰς τὴν κέλλαν αὐτοῦ, θέλων αὐτὸν κερδῆσαι, καὶ τοὺς γέροντας ἀναπαῦσαι, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Εἴ τι ἂν θέλῃς, ἐγώ σοι παρέχω· μόνον μὴ κλέψῃς καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ χρυσίον καὶ κέρμα καὶ ἱματισμὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν χρείαν αὐτοῦ Ἀπελθὼν δὲ πάλιν ἔκλεπτεν. Οἱ οὖν γέροντες, ἰδόντες ὅτι οὐκ ἐπαύσατο, ἐδίωξαν αὐτὸν, λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ ἀδελφὸς ἔχων ἀσθένειαν ἐλαττώματος, χρὴ βαστάζειν αὐτόν· ἐὰν δὲ κλέπτῃ, διώξατε αὐτόν· ὅτι καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιοῖ, καὶ ὅλους τοὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ταράττει.
Diēgēsato ho abbas Daniēl, hoti Hote ēn en Skētei ho abbas Arsenios, ēn tis ekei monachos kleptōn ta skeuē tōn gerontōn. Kai elaben auton ho abbas Arsenios eis tēn kellan autou, thelōn auton kerdēsai, kai tous gerontas anapausai, kai legei autǭ; Ei ti an thelę̄s, egō soi parechō; monon mē klepsę̄s kai edōken autǭ chrysion kai kerma kai himatismon, kai pasan tēn chreian autou Apelthōn de palin eklepten. Hoi oun gerontes, idontes hoti ouk epausato, ediōxan auton, legontes, hoti Ean heurethę̄ adelphos echōn astheneian elattōmatos, chrē bastazein auton; ean de kleptę̄, diōxate auton; hoti kai tēn psychēn autou zēmioi, kai holous tous en tǭ topǭ tarattei.
Abba Daniel related: “When abba Arsenius was at Scetis, there was a monk there who stole the old men’s belongings. Abba Arsenius took him into his cell, wanting to win him and to give the old men rest, and says to him, ‘Whatever you want, I will provide for you; only do not steal.’ And he gave him gold and coins and clothing and all he needed. But he went away and stole again. So the old men, seeing that he did not stop, drove him out, saying, ‘If a brother is found who has the weakness of some fault, one must bear with him; but if he steals, drive him out, because he harms his own soul and troubles everyone in the place.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: A thief whom Arsenius tried to win over keeps stealing and is expelled.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: doubled letter; OCR: word split): ἀδελ φὸς → ἀδελφὸς; αὐτ τόν → αὐτόν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.6 (PG 65:155; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-6) · 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.
23.7PG 65:155–159
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ ὁ Φαρανίτης ὅτι Εἶπεν ὁ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἀββᾶς Ἀρσένιος περί τινος Σκητιώτου, ὅτι ἦν πρακτικὸς μέγας ἀφελὴς δὲ εἰς τὴν πίστιν καὶ ἐσφάλλετο διὰ ἰδιωτείαν καὶ ἔλεγεν Οὐκ ἔστι φύσει ὁ ἄρτος ὃν λαμβάνομεν σῶμα Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀντίτυπον. Καὶ ἤκουσαν δύο γέροντες ὅτι λέγει τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, καὶ γινώσκοντες μέγαν αὐτὸν ὄντα τῷ βίῳ, ἐλογίσαντο ὅτι ἐν ἀκακίᾳ καὶ ἀφελότητι λέγει, καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ἀ̓ββᾶ, λόγον ἠκούσαμεν περὶ τινὸς ἄπιστον ὅτι λέγει ὅτι ὁ ἄρτος ὃν μεταλαμβάνομεν, οὐκ ἔστι φύσει σῶμα Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ ἀντίτυπόν ἐστι. Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τοῦτο λέγων. Οἱ δὲ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Μὴ οὕτως κρατήσῃς, ἀββᾶ, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς παρέδωκεν ἡ καθολικὴ Ἐκκλησία. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ πιστεύομεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ ἄρτος σῶμά ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὸ ποτήριον αὐτό ἐστι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, καὶ οὐ κατ' ἀντίτυπον. Αλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν ἀρχῇ χοῦν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἔπλασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν εἰκὼν Θεοῦ, εἰ καὶ ἀκατάληπτος· οὕτως ὁ ἄρτος ὃν εἶπεν ὅτι Σῶμά μού ἐστιν, οὕτως πιστεύομεν ὅτι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν σῶμά ἐστι Χριστοῦ. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἔφη· Ἐὰν μὴ πεισθῶ ἀπὸ πράγματος, οὐ πληροφοροῦμαι. Οἱ δὲ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν· Δεηθῶμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἑβδομάδα ταύτην περὶ τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου, καὶ πιστεύομεν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀποκαλύπτει ἡμῖν. Ὁ δὲ γέρων μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐδέξατο τὸν λόγον· καὶ ἐδέετο τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγων· Κύριε, σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι οὐ κατὰ κακίαν ἀπιστῶ· ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως μὴ ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ πλανηθῶ, ἀποκάλυψόν μοι, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ. Ἀπελθόντες δὲ οἱ γέροντες εἰς τὰ κελλία ἑαυτῶν, παρεκάλουν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ αὐτοὶ, λέγοντες· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ, ἀποκάλυψον τῷ γέροντι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο, ἵνα πιστεύσῃ, καὶ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν κόπον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἰσήκουσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀμφοτέρων. Καὶ πληρωθείσης τῆς ἑβδομάδος, ἦλθον τῇ Κυριακῇ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οἱ τρεῖς μόνοι εἰς ἓν ἐμβρίμιν μέσος δὲ ἦν ὁ γέρων. Ἀνεώχθησαν δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί καὶ ὅτε ἐτέθη ὁ ἄρτος εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τράπεζαν, ἐφαίνετο τοῖς τρισὶ μόνοις ὡς παιδίον. Καὶ ὡς ἐξέτεινεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος τὴν χεῖρα κλάσαι τὸν ἄρτον, ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατῆλθεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἔχων μάχαιραν, καὶ ἔθυσε τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐκένωσε τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ποτήριον. Ὡς δὲ ἔκλασεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος εἰς μικρὰ μέρη τὸν ἄρτον, καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ἔκοπτεν ἐκ τοῦ παιδίου μικρὰ μέρη. Καὶ ὡς προσῆλθον λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων, ἐδόθη τῷ γέροντι μόνῳ κρέας ἡματωμένον· καὶ ἰδὼν ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἔκραξε λέγων· Πιστεύω, Κύριε, ὅτι ὁ ἄρτος σῶμά σοὐ ἐστι, καὶ τὸ ποτήριον αἷμά σου ἐστι. Καὶ εὐθέως ἐγένετο τὸ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ κρέας, ἄρτος κατὰ τὸ μυστήριον· καὶ μετέλαβεν εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ γέροντες Ὁ Θεὸς οἶδε τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, ὅτι οὐ δύναται φαγεῖν κρέα ὠμὰ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μετεποίησε τὸ σῶμα εἰς ἄρτον, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ εἰς οἶνον, τοῖς πίστει δεχομένοις. Καὶ ηὐχαρίστησαν τῷ Θεῷ περὶ τοῦ γέροντος, ὅτι οὐκ ἀφῆκεν ἀπολέσθαι τοὺς κόπους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπῆλθον οἱ τρεῖς μετὰ χαρᾶς εἰς τὰ κελλία αὐτῶν.
Diēgēsato ho abbas Daniēl ho Pharanitēs hoti Eipen ho Patēr hēmōn abbas Arsenios peri tinos Skētiōtou, hoti ēn praktikos megas aphelēs de eis tēn pistin kai esphalleto dia idiōteian kai elegen Ouk esti physei ho artos hon lambanomen sōma Christou, all᾽ antitypon. Kai ēkousan dyo gerontes hoti legei ton logon touton, kai ginōskontes megan auton onta tǭ biǭ, elogisanto hoti en akakią kai aphelotēti legei, kai ēlthon pros auton, kai legousin autǭ; Abba, logon ēkousamen peri tinos apiston hoti legei hoti ho artos hon metalambanomen, ouk esti physei sōma Christou, all᾿ antitypon esti. Legei ho gerōn; Egō eimi ho touto legōn. Hoi de parekaloun auton legontes; Mē houtōs kratēsę̄s, abba, all᾿ hōs paredōken hē katholikē Ekklēsia. Hēmeis gar pisteuomen, hoti autos ho artos sōma esti tou Christou, kai to potērion auto esti to haima tou Christou, kata alētheian, kai ou kat' antitypon. All' hōsper en archę̄ choun labōn apo tēs gēs eplase ton anthrōpon kat' eikona autou, kai oudeis dynatai eipein hoti ouk estin eikōn Theou, ei kai akatalēptos; houtōs ho artos hon eipen hoti Sōma mou estin, houtōs pisteuomen hoti kata alētheian sōma esti Christou. Ho de gerōn ephē; Ean mē peisthō apo pragmatos, ou plērophoroumai. Hoi de eipon pros auton; Deēthōmen tou Theou tēn hebdomada tautēn peri tou mystēriou toutou, kai pisteuomen hoti ho Theos apokalyptei hēmin. Ho de gerōn meta charas edexato ton logon; kai edeeto tou Theou, legōn; Kyrie, sy ginōskeis hoti ou kata kakian apistō; all᾽ hopōs mē en agnōsią planēthō, apokalypson moi, Kyrie Iēsou Christe. Apelthontes de hoi gerontes eis ta kellia heautōn, parekaloun ton Theon kai autoi, legontes; Kyrie Iēsou Christe, apokalypson tǭ geronti to mystērion touto, hina pisteusę̄, kai mē apolesę̄ ton kopon autou. Kai eisēkousen ho Theos amphoterōn. Kai plērōtheisēs tēs hebdomados, ēlthon tę̄ Kyriakę̄ eis tēn ekklēsian, kai estēsan epi to auto hoi treis monoi eis hen embrimin mesos de ēn ho gerōn. Aneōchthēsan de autōn hoi ophthalmoi kai hote etethē ho artos eis tēn hagian trapezan, ephaineto tois trisi monois hōs paidion. Kai hōs exeteinen ho presbyteros tēn cheira klasai ton arton, idou angelos Kyriou katēlthen ex ouranou echōn machairan, kai ethyse to paidion, kai ekenōse to haima autou eis to potērion. Hōs de eklasen ho presbyteros eis mikra merē ton arton, kai ho angelos ekopten ek tou paidiou mikra merē. Kai hōs prosēlthon labein ek tōn hagiōn, edothē tǭ geronti monǭ kreas hēmatōmenon; kai idōn ephobēthē, kai ekraxe legōn; Pisteuō, Kyrie, hoti ho artos sōma sou esti, kai to potērion haima sou esti. Kai eutheōs egeneto to en tę̄ cheiri autou kreas, artos kata to mystērion; kai metelaben eucharistōn tǭ Theǭ. Kai legousin autǭ hoi gerontes Ho Theos oide tēn anthrōpinēn physin, hoti ou dynatai phagein krea ōma, kai dia touto metepoiēse to sōma eis arton, kai to haima autou eis oinon, tois pistei dechomenois. Kai ēucharistēsan tǭ Theǭ peri tou gerontos, hoti ouk aphēken apolesthai tous kopous autou, kai apēlthon hoi treis meta charas eis ta kellia autōn.
Abba Daniel of Pharan related: “Our father abba Arsenius said about a certain monk of Scetis that he was great in practice but simple in faith, and he erred through lack of learning and used to say, ‘The bread we receive is not by nature the body of Christ, but a figure.’ Two old men heard that he said this, and knowing him to be great in his life, they reckoned that he spoke in innocence and simplicity; and they came to him and say to him, ‘Abba, we have heard a faithless word about someone, that he says that the bread we partake of is not by nature the body of Christ, but is a figure.’ The old man says, ‘I am the one who says this.’ But they begged him, saying, ‘Do not hold it so, abba, but as the catholic church has handed it down. For we believe that the bread itself is the body of Christ, and the cup itself is the blood of Christ, in truth and not in figure. But just as in the beginning he took dust from the earth and formed man according to his image, and no one can say that he is not the image of God, even though incomprehensible; so the bread of which he said, “This is my body,” we believe is truly the body of Christ.’ The old man said, ‘Unless I am persuaded by the thing itself, I am not convinced.’ They said to him, ‘Let us pray to God this week about this mystery, and we believe that God will reveal it to us.’ The old man accepted the word with joy, and he prayed to God, saying, ‘Lord, you know that I do not disbelieve out of malice; but so that I may not go astray in ignorance, reveal it to me, Lord Jesus Christ.’ The old men went away to their cells and themselves also besought God, saying, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, reveal this mystery to the old man, so that he may believe and not lose his labor.’ And God heard them both. When the week was completed, they came to church on the Lord’s day, and the three stood together alone on one mat, with the old man in the middle. Their eyes were opened; and when the bread was placed on the holy table, it appeared to the three alone as a child. And when the presbyter stretched out his hand to break the bread, look, an angel of the Lord came down from heaven holding a knife, and he sacrificed the child and poured its blood into the cup. And as the presbyter broke the bread into small pieces, the angel also cut small pieces from the child. And when they came forward to receive the holy things, to the old man alone was given bloody flesh. Seeing it, he was afraid and cried out, saying, ‘I believe, Lord, that the bread is your body and the cup is your blood.’ And at once the flesh in his hand became bread, according to the mystery; and he partook, giving thanks to God. And the old men say to him, ‘God knows human nature, that it cannot eat raw flesh, and for this reason he changed the body into bread and his blood into wine for those who receive it in faith.’ And they gave thanks to God for the old man, that he had not let his labors be lost, and the three went back with joy to their cells.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 26:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 1:27 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A monk who held the Eucharistic bread to be only a figure is convinced by a vision of the sacrificed Christ child.
- The saying sets the view that the bread is a “figure” (ἀντίτυπον) against the church’s teaching that it is truly Christ’s body, and settles the question by a vision; it is translated as written. Variant notes are removed. Quotation of Christ’s words (Matt 26:26); the formation of man: Gen 1:27; 2:7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letters; variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus inside a word): εὐΑΙ. οὐκ. νοεροί. ΑΙ. ἀπῆλθε. χαριστῶν → εὐχαριστῶν; οἱ γέροντες Ει Ὁ Θεὸς → οἱ γέροντες Ὁ Θεὸς.
Topics: Eucharist
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.7 (PG 65:155–159; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-7) · 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.
23.8PG 65:159
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Δανιὴλ διηγήσατο περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς γέροντος μεγάλου, καθημένου εἰς τὰ κάτω μέρη τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι ἔλεγεν ἐν ἀφελότητι, ὅτι ὁ Μελχισεδέκ υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ μακαρίῳ Κυρίλλῳ τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας περὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔπεμψεν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Εἰδὼς δὲ ὅτι σημειοφόρος ἐστὶν ὁ γέρων, καὶ εἴ τι αἰτεῖ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀποκαλύπτει αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅτι ἐν ἀφελότητι λέγει τὸν λόγον, ἐχρήσατο τοιαύτῃ σοφίᾳ, λέγων· Ἀββᾶ, παρακαλῶ σε, ἐπειδὴ ὁ λογισμός μου λέγει, ὅτι ὁ Μελχισεδέκ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ ἄλλος λογισμὸς λέγει, ὅτι οῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐπεὶ οὖν διστάζω περὶ τούτου, ἀπέστειλα πρὸς σὲ, ἵνα δεηθῇς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅπως σοι ἀποκαλύψῃ περὶ τούτου Ὁ δὲ γέρων τῇ αὐτοῦ πολιτείᾳ θαῤῥῶν, εἶπε μετὰ παῤῥησίας· Ενδος μοι τρεῖς ἡμέρας, κἀγὼ ἐρωτῶ τὸν Θεὸν περὶ τούτου, καὶ ἀναγγέλλω σοι τίς ἐστιν. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν ἐδέετο τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου. Καὶ ἐλθὼν μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας, λέγει τῷ μακαρίῳ Κυρίλλῳ, ὅτι ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Μελχισεδέκ. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος· Πῶς οἶδας, ἀββᾶ; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψέ μοι ὅλους τοὺς πατριάρχας, οὕτω; ἕνα ἕκαστον παρερχόμενον ἐνώπιόν μοῦ, ἀπὸ Ἀδάμ μέχρι Μελχισεδέκ καὶ θάρσει ὅτι οὕτως ἐστίν. Ἀπελθὼν οὖν, δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκήρυσσεν ὅτι ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Μελχισεδέκ. Καὶ ἐχάρη μεγάλως ὁ μακάριος Κύριλλος.
Ho autos abbas Daniēl diēgēsato peri allou tinos gerontos megalou, kathēmenou eis ta katō merē tēs Aigyptou, hoti elegen en aphelotēti, hoti ho Melchisedek huios esti tou Theou. Kai anēngelē tǭ makariǭ Kyrillǭ tǭ archiepiskopǭ Alexandreias peri autou; kai epempsen ep' auton. Eidōs de hoti sēmeiophoros estin ho gerōn, kai ei ti aitei tǭ Theǭ, apokalyptei autǭ, kai hoti en aphelotēti legei ton logon, echrēsato toiautę̄ sophią, legōn; Abba, parakalō se, epeidē ho logismos mou legei, hoti ho Melchisedek huios tou Theou esti, kai allos logismos legei, hoti ou, all᾽ anthrōpos estin archiereus tou Theou; epei oun distazō peri toutou, apesteila pros se, hina deēthę̄s tou Theou, hopōs soi apokalypsę̄ peri toutou Ho de gerōn tę̄ autou politeią tharrhōn, eipe meta parrhēsias; Endos moi treis hēmeras, kagō erōtō ton Theon peri toutou, kai anangellō soi tis estin. Apelthōn oun edeeto tou Theou peri tou rhēmatos toutou. Kai elthōn meta treis hēmeras, legei tǭ makariǭ Kyrillǭ, hoti anthrōpos estin ho Melchisedek. Kai eipen autǭ ho archiepiskopos; Pōs oidas, abba? Ho de eipen; Ho Theos apekalypse moi holous tous patriarchas, houtō? hena hekaston parerchomenon enōpion mou, apo Adam mechri Melchisedek kai tharsei hoti houtōs estin. Apelthōn oun, di᾽ heautou ekēryssen hoti anthrōpos estin ho Melchisedek. Kai echarē megalōs ho makarios Kyrillos.
The same abba Daniel related about another great old man living in the lower parts of Egypt, that he said in simplicity that Melchizedek is the Son of God. And this was reported about him to blessed Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria, and he sent for him. Knowing that the old man was a wonder-worker and that whatever he asked of God was revealed to him, and that he said the word in simplicity, he used this wisdom, saying, “Abba, I beg you: since my thought says that Melchizedek is the Son of God, and another thought says, no, but he is a man, a high priest of God, since I am in doubt about this, I have sent for you so that you may pray to God that he reveal this to you.” The old man, confident in his way of life, said boldly, “Give me three days, and I will ask God about this and tell you who he is.” So he went away and prayed to God about this question. And coming after three days, he says to blessed Cyril that Melchizedek is a man. And the archbishop said to him, “How do you know, abba?” He said, “God showed me all the patriarchs, each one passing before me, from Adam to Melchizedek; so be sure that this is so.” So he went away and of his own accord proclaimed that Melchizedek is a man. And blessed Cyril rejoiced greatly.
Gen 14:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 7:3 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril of Alexandria leads a simple monk to discover by prayer that Melchizedek was a man, not the Son of God.
- Cyril was archbishop of Alexandria 412–444. The view that Melchizedek was the Son of God or a heavenly power (cf. Heb 7:3) was held by some groups and rejected.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 23.8 (PG 65:159; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/23-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-23-8) · 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.
Chapter 24
24.1PG 65:159
Διηγήσαντο περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Διοσκόρου τῆς Ναχιάστεως ὅτι ὁ ἄρτος αὐτοῦ κρίθινος ἦν καὶ ἀπὸ φακοῦ. Καὶ κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν ἔβαλεν ἀρχὴν μιᾶς πολιτείας, λέγων· Οὐκ ἀπαντῶ τινι τὸ ἔτος τοῦτο, ἢ οὐ λαλῶ, ἢ οὐ τρώγω ἔψημα, ἢ οὐ τρώγω ὀπώραν ἢ λάχανον. Καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν ἐργασίαν οὕτως ἐποίει· καὶ τελειῶν τὸ ἓν, ἐλάμβανε τὸ ἄλλο. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐποίει κατὰ ἐνιαυτόν.
Diēgēsanto peri tou abba Dioskorou tēs Nachiasteōs hoti ho artos autou krithinos ēn kai apo phakou. Kai kat᾿ eniauton ebalen archēn mias politeias, legōn; Ouk apantō tini to etos touto, ē ou lalō, ē ou trōgō epsēma, ē ou trōgō opōran ē lachanon. Kai eis pasan ergasian houtōs epoiei; kai teleiōn to hen, elambane to allo. Kai touto epoiei kata eniauton.
They related of abba Dioscorus of Namisias that his bread was of barley and lentils. And every year he made a beginning of one discipline, saying, “This year I will not meet anyone,” or “I will not speak,” or “I will not eat cooked food,” or “I will not eat fruit or vegetables.” And he did this in every work; and finishing one, he would take up another. And this he did every year.
Notes and citation
Summary: Dioscorus took up a new discipline every year.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 24.1 (PG 65:159; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-24-1) · 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.
24.2PG 65:159–161
Ἀδελφὸς ἡρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, ὅτι ταράσσουσί με οἱ λογισμοί μου, τοῦ ἀφεῖναί με τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου, καὶ ποιοῦσί με προσέχειν εἰς τὰ ὑστερήματα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Διοσκόρου, ὅτι ἦν ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ κλαίων ἑαυτόν· ὁ δὲ μαθητὴς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἄλλῳ κελλίῳ ἐκάθητο. Ὅτε οὖν παρέβαλε τῷ γέροντι, εὕρισκεν αὐτὸν κλαίοντα, καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ· Πάτερ, τί κλαίεις; Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἔλεγεν Τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου κλαίω. Λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ μαθητὴς αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔχεις ἁμαρτίας, Πάτερ. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ γέρων· Φύσει, τέκνον, ἐὰν ἀφεθῶ ἰδεῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου, οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν ἄλλοι τρεῖς ἢ τέσσαρες κλαῦσαι αὐτάς.
Adelphos hērōtēse ton abban Poimena, hoti tarassousi me hoi logismoi mou, tou apheinai me tas hamartias mou, kai poiousi me prosechein eis ta hysterēmata tou adelphou mou. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn peri tou abba Dioskorou, hoti ēn en tǭ kelliǭ klaiōn heauton; ho de mathētēs autou en allǭ kelliǭ ekathēto. Hote oun parebale tǭ geronti, heurisken auton klaionta, kai elegen autǭ; Pater, ti klaieis? Ho de gerōn elegen Tas hamartias mou klaiō. Legei oun autǭ ho mathētēs autou; Ouk echeis hamartias, Pater. Kai apekrithē ho gerōn; Physei, teknon, ean aphethō idein tas hamartias mou, ouk arkousin alloi treis ē tessares klausai autas.
A brother asked abba Poemen, “My thoughts trouble me, making me neglect my sins and attend to the faults of my brother.” And the old man told him about abba Dioscorus, that he was in his cell weeping for himself, while his disciple lived in another cell. When the disciple visited the old man, he found him weeping, and said to him, “Father, why are you weeping?” The old man said, “I am weeping for my sins.” So his disciple says to him, “You have no sins, father.” And the old man answered, “Truly, child, if I were allowed to see my sins, three or four others would not be enough to weep for them.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 7:3 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Dioscorus says that if he saw his sins, several men could not weep enough for them.
- A line from another saying (about an angel and Melchizedek) and a variant note are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; stray line from another saying and a variant note (“Al.”)): εἰς τὰ καὶ ὁ ἄγγε λος εἶπέ μοι ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Μελχ. ΑΙ. καὶ οὐκ ἀφῶσι με φροντίσαι τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. ὑστερήματα → εἰς τὰ ὑστερήματα; Γαράσσουσί → ταράσσουσί.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 24.2 (PG 65:159–161; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-24-2) · 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.
24.3PG 65:161
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Διόσκορος, ὅτι Ἐὰν φορέσωμεν ἡμῶν τὸ οὐράνιον ἔνδυμα, οὐκ ἂν εὑρεθῶμεν γυμνοί· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρεθῶμεν φοροῦντες τὸ ἔνδυμα ἐκεῖνο, τί ποιήσομεν, ἀδελφοί; ἔχομεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην τὴν λέγουσαν· Ἔκβαλε τοῦτον εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς, καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Νυνὶ δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, μεγάλη αἰσχύνη ἡμῖν, μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον φοροῦντας ἡμᾶς τὸ σχῆμα εὑρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς ἀνάγκης, μὴ ἔχοντας τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου. Ὦ τῆς μετανοίας τῆς μελλούσης ἡμῖν προσγίνεσθαι! Ὢ τοῦ σκότους τοῦ μέλλοντος ἡμῖν ἐπιπίπτειν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν Πατέρων καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, βλεπόντων ἡμᾶς τιμωρουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῆς τιμωρίας
Eipen ho abbas Dioskoros, hoti Ean phoresōmen hēmōn to ouranion endyma, ouk an heurethōmen gymnoi; ean de mē heurethōmen phorountes to endyma ekeino, ti poiēsomen, adelphoi? echomen gar kai hēmeis akousai tēn phōnēn ekeinēn tēn legousan; Ekbale touton eis to skotos to exōteron; ekei estai ho klauthmos, kai ho brygmos tōn odontōn. Nyni de, adelphoi, megalē aischynē hēmin, meta tosouton chronon phorountas hēmas to schēma heurethēnai en tę̄ hōrą tēs anankēs, mē echontas to endyma tou gamou. Ō tēs metanoias tēs mellousēs hēmin prosginesthai! Ō tou skotous tou mellontos hēmin epipiptein emprosthen tōn Paterōn kai tōn adelphōn hēmōn, blepontōn hēmas timōroumenous hypo tōn angelōn tēs timōrias
Abba Dioscorus said, “If we wear our heavenly garment, we shall not be found naked; but if we are not found wearing that garment, what shall we do, brothers? For we too shall hear that voice that says, ‘Throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And now, brothers, it is a great shame for us, after wearing the habit so long, to be found in the hour of need without the wedding garment. Oh, the repentance that will come upon us! Oh, the darkness that will fall upon us before our Fathers and our brothers, as they see us punished by the angels of punishment!”
Matt 22:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:3 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Dioscorus warns monks to be found clothed in the heavenly wedding garment at the judgment.
- Quotation of Matt 22:13; the wedding garment: Matt 22:11–12; cf. 2 Cor 5:3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: word split; OCR: word split with letter slip): χρό νον → χρόνον; ἔμα προσθεν → ἔμπροσθεν; ἀνγέλων → ἀγγέλων.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 24.3 (PG 65:161; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/24-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-24-3) · 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.
Chapter 25
25.1PG 65:161
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Δουλᾶς· Ἐὰν ὁ ἐχθρὸς βιάζηται ἡμᾶς καταλιπεῖν τὴν ἡσυχίαν, μὴ ἀκούσωμεν αὐτοῦ· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὅμοιον αὐτῆς, καὶ τῆς ἀσιτίας. Συγκρίνεται εἰς συμμαχίαν κατ' αὐτοῦ· ἐξυδορκίαν γὰρ παρέχουσι τοῖς ἔνδον ὄμμασιν.
Eipen ho abbas Doulas; Ean ho echthros biazētai hēmas katalipein tēn hēsychian, mē akousōmen autou; ouden gar homoion autēs, kai tēs asitias. Synkrinetai eis symmachian kat' autou; exydorkian gar parechousi tois endon ommasin.
Abba Doulas said, “If the enemy presses us to leave stillness, let us not listen to him; for nothing is like it and fasting. They are joined as allies against him; for they give sharp sight to the inner eyes.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Stillness and fasting together sharpen the inner eyes against the enemy.
- Συγκρίνεται (“they are joined”) is probably corrupt in the scan; translated by sense.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 25.1 (PG 65:161; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/25-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/25-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-25-1) · 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.
25.2PG 65:161
Εἶπε πάλιν· Κόπτε τῶν πολλῶν τὰς σχέσεις, μή σου ὁ πόλεμος πρὸς τὸν νοῦν περιστατικὸς γένηται, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἡσυχίας ταράξῃ τρόπον.
Eipe palin; Kopte tōn pollōn tas scheseis, mē sou ho polemos pros ton noun peristatikos genētai, kai ton tēs hēsychias taraxę̄ tropon.
He also said, “Cut off your ties with the many, lest the war against your mind become overwhelming and disturb the way of stillness.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Cut ties with many people to protect stillness.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 25.2 (PG 65:161; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/25-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/25-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-25-2) · 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.
Chapter 26
26.1PG 65:161–163
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἄἅγιος Ἐπιφάνιος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἀθανασίου τοῦ μεγάλου, κορῶναι περιϊπτάμεναι τὸ τοῦ Σεράπιδος ἱερὸν, ἔκραζον ἀπαύστως, Κρᾶς, Κρᾶς. Καὶ προστάντες ἐπὶ τὸν μακάριον Ἀθανάσιον οἱ Ἕλληνες, ἔκραξαν· Κακόγηρε, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν τί κράζουσιν αἱ κορῶναι. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Αἱ κορῶναι κράζουσι, Κρᾶς, Κρᾶς· τὸ δὲ Κρᾶς τῇ Αὐσωνίων φωνῇ αὔριόν ἐστι· καὶ προσετίθει, ὅτι Αὔριον ὄψεσθε τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἑξῆς ἡγγέλθη ὁ θάνατος τοῦ Ἰουλιανοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ τούτου γενομένου, συνδραμόντες κατέκραζον τοῦ Σεράπιδος, λέγοντες· Ἐὰν οὐκ ἤθελες αὐτὸν, τἱ ἐλάμβανες τὰ αὐτοῦ;
Diēgēsato ho haagios Epiphanios ho episkopos hoti epi tou makariou Athanasiou tou megalou, korōnai periïptamenai to tou Serapidos hieron, ekrazon apaustōs, Kras, Kras. Kai prostantes epi ton makarion Athanasion hoi Hellēnes, ekraxan; Kakogēre, eipe hēmin ti krazousin hai korōnai. Kai apokritheis eipen; Hai korōnai krazousi, Kras, Kras; to de Kras tę̄ Ausōniōn phōnę̄ aurion esti; kai prosetithei, hoti Aurion opsesthe tēn doxan tou Theou. Kai hexēs hēngelthē ho thanatos tou Ioulianou basileōs. Kai toutou genomenou, syndramontes katekrazon tou Serapidos, legontes; Ean ouk ētheles auton, ti elambanes ta autou?
Holy Epiphanius the bishop related that in the time of the blessed Athanasius the Great, crows flying around the temple of Serapis cried unceasingly, “Cras, cras.” And the pagans stood before blessed Athanasius and cried out, “Evil old man, tell us what the crows are crying.” And he answered, “The crows are crying ‘Cras, cras’; and ‘cras’ in the language of the Ausonians means ‘tomorrow’”; and he added, “Tomorrow you will see the glory of God.” And next day the death of the emperor Julian was announced. When this happened, they ran together and cried out against Serapis, saying, “If you did not want him, why did you accept his offerings?”
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius interprets the crows’ “cras” as foretelling Julian’s death the next day.
- The Ausonians are the Latins; cras is Latin for “tomorrow.” Julian died in 363. A passage from another saying (a list of Fathers taken into the kingdom) and a line of Migne’s notes are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; line of Migne’s notes and a passage from another saying inside a word): ἀπαύἀκολουθίαν τοῦ μικροῦ καὶ μεγάλου σχήματος. τώνιον, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀ̓μοῦν τὸν τῆς Νιτρίας, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Παῦλον τῆς Φώκης, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀμοῦν τὸν τῆς Θηβαΐδος, καὶ τὸν Μακάριον τὸν τῆς Σκήτεως, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Μακάριον τὸν Ἀλεξανδρέα, καὶ τὸν Παφνούτιον τὸν Σινδονᾶν, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Οὐρσήρην τῆς Θηγούης, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀμμώνιον τὸν Χενευρίτην, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς πάντας τοὺς δικαίους, λαμβανομένων μὲν αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐκβαλλομένων δὲ ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ στως → ἀπαύστως; προσ ετίθει → προσετίθει.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.1 (PG 65:161–163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-1) · 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.
26.2PG 65:163
Ὁ αὐτὸς διηγήσατο, ὅτι ἦν τις ἡνίοχος κατὰ τὴν Ἀλεξανδρέων, ὃς ἦν μητρὸς Μαρίας υἱός. Οὗτος ἱππικοῦ ἐπιτελουμένου κατέπεσεν· εἶτα ἀναστὰς παρἤλθε τὸν καταβεβληκότα, καὶ ἐνίκησε. Καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἀνεβόησεν· Ὁ Υἱὸς Μαρίας πέπτωκε καὶ ἐγήγερται καὶ ἐνίκησε. Ταύτης ἔτι τῆς φωνῆς λεγομένης ἐνέπεσεν ἡ περὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ Σεράπιδος φήμη τῷ πλήθει, ὅτι ὁ μέγας Θεόφιλος ἀνελθὼν, τὸ τοῦ Σεράπιδος κατέστρεψεν εἴδωλον, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ γέγονεν ἐγκρατής.
Ho autos diēgēsato, hoti ēn tis hēniochos kata tēn Alexandreōn, hos ēn mētros Marias huios. Houtos hippikou epiteloumenou katepesen; eita anastas parēlthe ton katabeblēkota, kai enikēse. Kai to plēthos aneboēsen; Ho Huios Marias peptōke kai egēgertai kai enikēse. Tautēs eti tēs phōnēs legomenēs enepesen hē peri tou hierou tou Serapidos phēmē tǭ plēthei, hoti ho megas Theophilos anelthōn, to tou Serapidos katestrepsen eidōlon, kai tou naou gegonen enkratēs.
The same related that there was a charioteer in Alexandria whose mother was named Mary. During a race he fell; then he got up, overtook the one who had thrown him, and won. And the crowd cried out, “The son of Mary has fallen, and has risen, and has conquered!” While this cry was still being raised, the report about the temple of Serapis reached the crowd: that the great Theophilus had gone up and overthrown the idol of Serapis and taken possession of the temple.
Notes and citation
Summary: A crowd’s cry for a charioteer, “Mary’s son has fallen and risen,” coincides with news of Serapis’s fall.
- The Serapeum of Alexandria was destroyed under archbishop Theophilus in 391.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.2 (PG 65:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-2) · 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.
26.3PG 65:163
Ἐδηλώθη τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἐπιφανίῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Κύπρου παρὰ τοῦ ἀββᾶ τῆς μονῆς ἧς εἶχεν ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ, ὅτι Εὐχαῖς σου οὐκ ἠμελήσαμεν τοῦ κανόνος ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ σπουδῆς καὶ τὴν τρίτην καὶ τὴν ἕκτην καὶ τὴν ἐννάτην ἐπιτελοῦμεν. Ὁ δὲ καταγνοὺς αὐτῶν, ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς λέγων, ὅτι Φανεροί ἐστε ἀμελοῦντες τὰς ἄλλας ὥρας τῆς ἡμέρας ἀργοῦντες ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς. Δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἀληθινὸν μοναχὸν ἀδιαλείπτως ἔχειν τὴν εὐχὴν καὶ τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
Edēlōthē tǭ makariǭ Epiphaniǭ tǭ episkopǭ Kyprou para tou abba tēs monēs hēs eichen en Palaistinę̄, hoti Euchais sou ouk ēmelēsamen tou kanonos hēmōn, alla meta spoudēs kai tēn tritēn kai tēn hektēn kai tēn ennatēn epiteloumen. Ho de katagnous autōn, edēlōsen autois legōn, hoti Phaneroi este amelountes tas allas hōras tēs hēmeras argountes apo tēs euchēs. Dei gar ton alēthinon monachon adialeiptōs echein tēn euchēn kai tēn psalmǭdian en tę̄ kardią autou.
The abbot of the monastery that blessed Epiphanius, bishop of Cyprus, had in Palestine sent him word: “By your prayers we have not neglected our rule, but we carefully perform the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours.” But he rebuked them and sent them word, saying, “It is clear that you neglect the other hours of the day, being idle from prayer. For the true monk must have prayer and psalmody in his heart unceasingly.”
1 Thess 5:17 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Epiphanius tells monks that keeping the set hours is not enough; a monk must pray unceasingly.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letters): ἐπισκόπῳ κα Κύπρου → ἐπισκόπῳ Κύπρου.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.3 (PG 65:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-3) · 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.
26.4PG 65:163
Ἔπεμψέ ποτε ὁ ἅγιος Ἐπιφάνιος πρὸς τὸν ἀβᾶν Ἰλαρίωνα, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγων· Δεῦρο, ἴδωμεν ἑαυτοὺς πρὸ τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος καὶ παραγενομένου αὐτοῦ, ἐχάρησαν μετ' ἀλλήλων. Ἐσθιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν, ἡνέχθη πετεινόν. Καὶ λαβὼν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἔδωκε τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἰλαρίωνι. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Συγχώρησόν μοι, ὅτι ἐξ οὗ ἕλαβον τὸ σχῆμα, οὔκ ἔφαγον θῦμα. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐξ οὗ ἕλαβον τὸ σχῆμα, οὐκ ἀφῆκά τινα κοιμηθῆναι ἔχοντα κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ἐκοιμήθην ἔχων κατὰ τινός. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Συγχώρησόν μοι, ὅτι ἡ σὴ πολιτεία μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς ἐμῆς.
Epempse pote ho hagios Epiphanios pros ton aban Ilariōna, parakalōn auton, kai legōn; Deuro, idōmen heautous pro tou exelthein hēmas apo tou sōmatos kai paragenomenou autou, echarēsan met' allēlōn. Esthiontōn de autōn, hēnechthē peteinon. Kai labōn ho episkopos edōke tǭ abbą Ilariōni. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Synchōrēson moi, hoti ex hou helabon to schēma, ouk ephagon thyma. Kai legei autǭ ho episkopos; Egō de ex hou helabon to schēma, ouk aphēka tina koimēthēnai echonta kat᾿ emou, oude egō ekoimēthēn echōn kata tinos. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Synchōrēson moi, hoti hē sē politeia meizōn esti tēs emēs.
Once holy Epiphanius sent to abba Hilarion, inviting him and saying, “Come, let us see each other before we depart from the body.” And when he came, they rejoiced together. As they were eating, a fowl was brought. The bishop took it and gave it to abba Hilarion. And the old man says to him, “Forgive me, but since I received the habit I have not eaten anything killed.” And the bishop says to him, “And I, since I received the habit, have not let anyone go to sleep holding something against me, nor have I gone to sleep holding something against anyone.” And the old man says to him, “Forgive me, your way of life is greater than mine.”
Eph 4:26 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Hilarion admits that Epiphanius’s practice of never sleeping at enmity surpasses his own abstinence from meat.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.4 (PG 65:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-4) · 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.
26.5PG 65:163
Ο αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μελχισεδέκ, τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν Ἰουδαίων εὐλόγησε τὸν Ἀβραάμ· πολλῷ πλέον αὐτὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια ὁ Χριστὸς, εὐλογεῖ καὶ ἀγιάζει πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτόν.
O autos elegen, hoti hē eikōn tou Christou Melchisedek, tēn rhizan tōn Ioudaiōn eulogēse ton Abraam; pollǭ pleon autē hē alētheia ho Christos, eulogei kai agiazei pantas tous pisteuontas eis auton.
The same said: “[If] Melchizedek, the image of Christ, blessed Abraham, the root of the Jews, much more does Christ himself, the truth, bless and sanctify all who believe in him.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 14:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 7:7 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: If Melchizedek, Christ’s image, blessed Abraham, Christ himself blesses all believers much more.
- The scan garbles the opening and adds variant notes and part of Migne’s note on the crows of 26.1; these are removed. The conditional (“If”) is supplied by sense (it is given in the variant note). Melchizedek blesses Abraham: Gen 14:19; Heb 7:1–7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letter and variant notes (“Al.”) inside the sentence; variant note and part of Migne’s note (on the crows of saying 1) after the end of the saying): ἡ δ εἰκὼν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ΑΙ. γενομένης. καὶ τὸ λυχνικόν. Μελχισεδέκ → ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μελχισεδέκ; ΑΙ. εἰ ἡ. κορῶναι ἔκραζον· καὶ ἐρωτηθεὶς παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, τι βκῶσιν αὗται, κακόγηρε, εἶπε· τὸ Κρᾶ τῇ Σύρων φωνῇ αὔριον δηλοῖ· αὔριον καὶ γὰρ ὄψεσθε τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν· ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ ἠγγέλθη τοῦ ἀλιτηρίου ὁ → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.5 (PG 65:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-5) · 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.
26.6PG 65:165
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἡ Χαναναία βοᾷ καὶ ἀκούεται· καὶ ἡ αἰμόῤῥους σιωπᾷ καὶ μακαρίζεται· ὁ δὲ Φαρισαῖος κράζει καὶ κατακρίνεται· ὁ τελώνης οὐδὲ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα καὶ ἀκούεται.
Ho autos elegen; Hē Chananaia boą kai akouetai; kai hē aimorrhous siōpą kai makarizetai; ho de Pharisaios krazei kai katakrinetai; ho telōnēs oude anoigei to stoma kai akouetai.
The same said, “The Canaanite woman cries out and is heard; the woman with the flow of blood is silent and is called blessed; the Pharisee shouts and is condemned; the tax collector does not even open his mouth and is heard.”
Matt 15:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 5:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 18:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Epiphanius contrasts biblical figures heard or condemned regardless of loud or silent prayer.
- The Canaanite woman: Matt 15:22–28; the woman with the flow of blood: Mark 5:25–34; the Pharisee and the tax collector: Luke 18:10–14.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.6 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-6) · 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.
26.7PG 65:165
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Δαβὶδ ὁ προφήτης, ἐν ἀωρίᾳ ηὔχετο, μεσονύκτιον ἐξηγείρετο, πρὸ τοῦ ὄρθρου παρεκάλει, ὄρθρου παρίστατο, πρωΐας ἐδέετο, ἑσπέρας καὶ μεσημβρίας ἱκέτευε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν Ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἤνεσά σε.
Ho autos elegen, hoti Dabid ho prophētēs, en aōrią ēucheto, mesonyktion exēgeireto, pro tou orthrou parekalei, orthrou paristato, prōïas edeeto, hesperas kai mesēmbrias hiketeue, kai dia touto elegen Heptakis tēs hēmeras ēnesa se.
The same said, “David the prophet prayed late at night; he rose at midnight; he besought God before dawn; at dawn he stood before him; in the early morning he made petition; at evening and at noon he made supplication; and therefore he said, ‘Seven times a day I have praised you.’”
Ps 119:164 (118:164 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 119:62 (118:62 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 55:17 (54:18 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David prayed at every hour, as his ‘seven times a day’ shows.
- Quotation of Ps 119:164 (LXX 118:164); cf. Ps 119:62, 147; 55:17.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.7 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-7) · 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.
26.8PG 65:165
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι ἀναγκαία τῶν Χριστιανῶν δι βιβλίων ἡ κτῆσις δε τοῖς ἔχουσι. Καὶ αὐτὴ γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτὴν τῶν βιβλίων ἡ ὄψις, ὀκνηροτέρους ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεται, καὶ πρὸς δικαιοσύνην μᾶλλον διανίστασθαι προτρέπεται.
Eipe palin, hoti anankaia tōn Christianōn di bibliōn hē ktēsis de tois echousi. Kai autē gar kath' heautēn tōn bibliōn hē opsis, oknēroterous hēmas pros tēn hamartian ergazetai, kai pros dikaiosynēn mallon dianistasthai protrepetai.
He also said, “Acquiring Christian books is necessary for those who can. For the mere sight of the books makes us more reluctant to sin and urges us to rise up rather toward righteousness.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Epiphanius commends owning Christian books, whose very sight discourages sin.
- The scan has stray letters (“δι”, “δε”) in the sentence; translated by sense.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.8 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-8) · 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.
26.9PG 65:165
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη ἀσφάλεια πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἀνάγνωσις.
Eipe palin, hoti megalē asphaleia pros to mē hamartanein, tōn Graphōn hē anagnōsis.
He also said, “Reading the Scriptures is a great safeguard against sinning.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Reading Scripture guards against sin.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.9 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-9) · 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.
26.10PG 65:165
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μέγας κρημνὸς καὶ βαθὺ βάραθρον, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἄγνοια.
Eipe palin, hoti megas krēmnos kai bathy barathron, tōn Graphōn hē agnoia.
He also said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is a great precipice and a deep abyss.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Ignorance of Scripture is a precipice.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.10 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-10
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-10) · 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.
26.11PG 65:165
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη προδοσία σωτηρίας, τὸ μηδένα τῶν θείων νόμων εἰδέναι.
Eipe palin, hoti megalē prodosia sōtērias, to mēdena tōn theiōn nomōn eidenai.
He also said, “To know nothing of the divine laws is a great betrayal of salvation.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Ignorance of God’s laws betrays salvation.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.11 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-11
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-11) · 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.
26.12PG 65:165
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὰ τῶν δικαίων ἁμαρτήματα περὶ τὰ χείλη ἐστὶ, τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ἐξ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος. Ὅθεν ψάλλει Δαβίδ· Θοῦ, Κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου, καὶ θύραν περιοχῆς περὶ τὰ χείλη μου· Καί Εἶπα, Φυλάξω τὰς ὁδοὺς μου, τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν με ἐν γλώσσῃ μου ιγ. Ει: νομικαὶ ἐντολαὶ, ἐννέα δὲ οἱ μακαρισμοί καὶ ἔφη· Ἰσάριθμος τῶν Αἰγυπτιακῶν μαστίγων ἡ Δεκάλογος· τριπλῆς δὲ Τριάδος εἰκὼν, ἡ τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἀρίθμησις.
Ho autos elegen, hoti ta tōn dikaiōn hamartēmata peri ta cheilē esti, ta de tōn asebōn, ex holou tou sōmatos. Hothen psallei Dabid; Thou, Kyrie, phylakēn tǭ stomati mou, kai thyran periochēs peri ta cheilē mou; Kai Eipa, Phylaxō tas hodous mou, tou mē hamartanein me en glōssę̄ mou ig. Ei: nomikai entolai, ennea de hoi makarismoi kai ephē; Isarithmos tōn Aigyptiakōn mastigōn hē Dekalogos; triplēs de Triados eikōn, hē tōn makarismōn arithmēsis.
The same said, “The sins of the righteous are on the lips, but those of the ungodly come from the whole body. That is why David sings, ‘Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth, and a door of enclosure about my lips’; and, ‘I said, I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue.’” [13] … the commandments of the law, and nine the beatitudes; and he said, “The Decalogue is equal in number to the plagues of Egypt; the count of the beatitudes is an image of the threefold Trinity.”
Ps 141:3 (140:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 39:1 (38:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 20:1 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 5:3 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The sins of the righteous are of the lips; a fragment of saying 13 compares the Decalogue and the beatitudes.
- Quotations of Ps 141:3 (LXX 140:3) and Ps 39:1 (LXX 38:2). The scan runs the end of Epiphanius 13 (ιγʹ) into this saying, its opening lost (“…”; probably “Ten are the commandments …”); not supplied.
Topics: Trinity
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.12 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-12
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-12) · 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.
26.14PG 65:165
Ἠρωτήθη ὁ αὐτὸς, εἰ ἀρκεῖ εἷς δίκαιος δυσωπῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔφη· Ναὶ, αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν· Ερευνήσατε ἕνα ποιοῦντα κρῆμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἴλεως ἔσομαι παντὶ τῷ λαῷ.
Ērōtēthē ho autos, ei arkei heis dikaios dysōpēsai ton Theon, kai ephē; Nai, autos gar eipen; Ereunēsate hena poiounta krēma kai dikaiosynēn, kai ileōs esomai panti tǭ laǭ.
The same was asked whether one righteous man suffices to appease God, and he said, “Yes, for he himself said, ‘Search out one who does judgment and righteousness, and I will be merciful to all the people.’”
Jer 5:1 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One righteous man can turn God to mercy for a whole people.
- Quotation of Jer 5:1 in a free form.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): δικαιοσύτην → δικαιοσύνην.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.14 (PG 65:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-14
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-14) · 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.
26.15PG 65:165–167
Ὁ αὐτὸς εἶπεν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς μὲν ἁμαρτωλοῖς καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον παραχωρεῖ μετανοοῦσιν, ὡς τῇ πόρνῃ καὶ τῷ τελώνῃ τοὺς δὲ δικαίους ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ τόκους. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν, πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.
Ho autos eipen, hoti ho Theos tois men hamartōlois kai to kephalaion parachōrei metanoousin, hōs tę̄ pornę̄ kai tǭ telōnę̄ tous de dikaious apaitei kai tokous. Kai touto estin ho tois apostolois elegen, hoti Ean mē perisseusę̄ hē dikaiosynē hymōn, pleon tōn grammateōn kai Pharisaiōn, ou mē eiselthēte eis tēn basileian tōn ouranōn.
The same said that God forgives sinners even the principal when they repent, as he did the prostitute and the tax collector; but from the righteous he demands interest as well. And this is what he said to the apostles: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 5:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 7:37 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 18:13 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God forgives repentant sinners their whole debt but asks interest of the righteous.
- A passage on the beatitudes that belongs to Epiphanius 13 and variant notes are removed from the middle of a word. Quotation of Matt 5:20; the sinful woman: Luke 7:37–50.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (variant notes (“Al.”) and a displaced passage of saying 13 inside a word): ἀπαιΑΙ. Χριστιανικῶν. ΑΙ. χρῆσις. ὅτε λέγει· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, οἱ πενθοῦντες, οἱ πραεῖς, οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, οἱ ἐλεήμονες, οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, οἱ καὶ ῥητὰ καὶ ἄῤῥητα δι' δι' αὐτὸν π παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀκούοντες κακά· οὔτε βιωτικοῦ οὔτε μονάζοντος ὄνομα τεῖ → ἀπαιτεῖ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.15 (PG 65:165–167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-15
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-15) · 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.
26.16PG 65:167
Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὀλίγον πάνυ τὰς δικαιοσύνας ὁ Θεὸς πωλεῖ τοῖς ἀγοράζειν σπουδάζουσι μικροῦ κλάσματος ἄρτου, εὐτελοῦς ἱματίου, ψυχροῦ ποτηρίου, ἑνὸς ὀβολοῦ.
Elege de kai touto, hoti oligon pany tas dikaiosynas ho Theos pōlei tois agorazein spoudazousi mikrou klasmatos artou, eutelous himatiou, psychrou potēriou, henos obolou.
He also said this: that God sells righteousness very cheaply to those eager to buy it: for a small piece of bread, a cheap garment, a cup of cold water, one obol.
Matt 10:42 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God sells righteousness cheaply for small acts of charity.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.16 (PG 65:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-16
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-16) · 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.
26.17PG 65:167
Προσετίθει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι παρ' ἀνθρώπῳ δανειζόμενος ἄνθρωπος διὰ πενίαν, ἢ χρείαν εὐπορίας, καὶ ἀποδιδοὺς χάριτας μὲν ὁμολογεῖ, κρύφα δὲ ἀποδίδωσιν αἰσχυνόμενος. Ὁ δὲ δεσπότης Θεὸς τὸ ἀνάπαλιν· κρυφῆ δανειζόμενος ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ δικαίων ἀποδίδωσιν.
Prosetithei de kai touto, hoti par' anthrōpǭ daneizomenos anthrōpos dia penian, ē chreian euporias, kai apodidous charitas men homologei, krypha de apodidōsin aischynomenos. Ho de despotēs Theos to anapalin; kryphē daneizomenos enōpion angelōn kai archangelōn kai dikaiōn apodidōsin.
He added this too: that a man who borrows from a man because of poverty or need of means, when he repays, acknowledges his gratitude but repays in secret, ashamed. But the Lord God does the opposite: he borrows in secret and repays before angels and archangels and the righteous.
Prov 19:17 (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 6:4 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God borrows in secret and repays openly before the angels.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 26.17 (PG 65:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/26-17
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-26-17) · 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.