Sayings of the Desert Fathers (alphabetical collection) 27.1–36.1
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 27
27.1PG 65:167
Παιδίον ἦν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἐφραὶμ καὶ εἶδεν ὄναρ εἴτ' οὖν ὁπτασίαν, ὅτι ἀνῆλθεν ἄμπελος ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ηὔξησε, καὶ ἐπλήρωσε πᾶσαν τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν, εὔκαρπος πάνυ· καὶ ἤρχοντο πάντα τὰ πετεινά τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἤσθιον ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τῆς ἀμπέλου· καὶ πρὸς ὅ ἤσθιον, ἐπλεόναζεν ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς.
Paidion ēn ho abbas Ephraim kai eiden onar eit' oun hoptasian, hoti anēlthen ampelos en tę̄ glōssę̄ autou, kai ēuxēse, kai eplērōse pasan tēn hyp᾿ ouranon, eukarpos pany; kai ērchonto panta ta peteina tou ouranou, kai ēsthion ek tou karpou tēs ampelou; kai pros ho ēsthion, epleonazen ho karpos autēs.
When abba Ephraim was a child, he saw a dream or a vision: that a vine grew up on his tongue, increased, and filled everything under heaven, very fruitful; and all the birds of the sky came and ate of the fruit of the vine; and the more they ate, the more its fruit increased.
Notes and citation
Summary: As a child Ephraim dreamed of a fruitful vine growing from his tongue to fill the world.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 27.1 (PG 65:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
27.2PG 65:167
Ἄλλοτε πάλιν εἶδέ τις τῶν ἁγίων ἐν ὁράματι, ἀγγέλων τάγμα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατερχόμενον κατὰ πρόσταξιν Θεοῦ, ἔχον ἐπὶ χεῖρας κεφαλίδα, τουτέστι τόμον γεγραμμένον ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν· καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Τίς ὀφείλει τοῦτο ἐγχειρισθῆναι; Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔλεγον, Ὅσδε· οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον ἕτερον. Απεκρίθησαν δὲ καὶ εἶπον· Ἀληθῶς ἅγιοί εἰσι καὶ δίκαιοι πλὴν τοῦτο οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐγχειρισθῆναι, εἰ μὴ Ἐφραίμ. Καὶ ὁρᾷ ὁ γέρων ὅτι τῷ Ἐφραὶμ ἐπέδωκαν τὴν κεφαλίδα· καὶ ἀναστὰς πρωῖ, ἤκουσε τοῦ Ἐφραὶμ ὥσπερ πηγὴν βρύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ συντάσσοντος, καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐστὶ τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα διὰ χειλέων Ἐφραίμ.
Allote palin eide tis tōn hagiōn en horamati, angelōn tagma ek tou ouranou katerchomenon kata prostaxin Theou, echon epi cheiras kephalida, toutesti tomon gegrammenon esōthen kai exōthen; kai elegon pros allēlous; Tis opheilei touto encheiristhēnai? Kai hoi men elegon, Hosde; hoi de elegon heteron. Apekrithēsan de kai eipon; Alēthōs hagioi eisi kai dikaioi plēn touto oudeis dynatai encheiristhēnai, ei mē Ephraim. Kai horą ho gerōn hoti tǭ Ephraim epedōkan tēn kephalida; kai anastas prōi, ēkouse tou Ephraim hōsper pēgēn bryousan ek tou stomatos autou kai syntassontos, kai egnō hoti ek Pneumatos hagiou esti ta ekporeuomena dia cheileōn Ephraim.
Another time one of the saints saw in a vision a company of angels coming down from heaven by God’s command, holding in their hands a scroll, that is, a book written inside and outside; and they said to one another, “Who should be entrusted with this?” And some said, “So-and-so”; others named another. Then they answered and said, “Truly these are holy and righteous; but no one can be entrusted with this except Ephraim.” And the old man sees that they gave the scroll to Ephraim; and getting up in the morning, he heard Ephraim composing, as if a spring were gushing from his mouth, and he knew that what came forth through Ephraim’s lips was from the Holy Spirit.
Ezek 2:10 (echo, medium confidence) · Rev 5:1 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A saint sees angels entrust a heavenly scroll to Ephraim, and knows his writings come from the Spirit.
- The scroll written inside and outside: Ezek 2:9–10; Rev 5:1.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): Ἐφφαίμ → Ἐφραίμ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 27.2 (PG 65:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
27.3PG 65:167–171
"Αλλοτε πάλιν παριόντος τοῦ Ἐφραὶμ, ἐξ ὑποβολῆς τινος ἔρχεται μία ἑταιρὶς κολακεύειν αὐτὸν εἰς αἰσχρὰν μίξιν, εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἂν εἰς ἀγανάκτησιν κινῆσαι αὐτὸν, ὅτι οὐδέποτέ τις εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὀργιζόμενον Καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτήν· Ἀκολούθει μοι· πλησιάσας δὲ τόπῳ πολυοχλουμένῳ, εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ δεῦρο καθὼς ἠθέλησας. Εκείνη δὲ θεασαμένη τὸν ὄχλον, λέγει αὐτῷ· Πῶς δυνάμεθα τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, τοσούτου ὄχλου ἑστῶτος, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνόμεθα; Ὁ δὲ λέγει πρὸς αὐτήν· Εἰ ἀνθρώπους αἰσχυνόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὀφείλομεν αἰσχύνεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους ἐλέγχοντα. Ἡ δὲ ἐντραπεῖσα ἀπῆλθεν ἄπρακτος. Περὶ Εὐχαρίστου κοσμικοῦ. Δύο τῶν Πατέρων παρεκάλεσαν τὸν Θεὸν, ἵνα πληροφορήσῃ αὐτοὺς, εἰς ποῖον ἔφθασαν μέτρον. Καὶ ἦλθεν αὐτοῖς φωνὴ λέγουσα· Εἰς τήνδε τὴν κώμην τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐστί τις κοσμικὸς Εὐχάριστος ὀνόματι, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καλεῖται Μαρία· οὔπω ἤλθετε ὑμεῖς εἰς τὰ μέτρα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἀναστάντες οἱ δύο γέροντες, ἦλθον εἰς τὴν κώμην· καὶ ἐρωτήσαντες, εὗρον τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ· Ποῦ ἔστι ὁ ἀνήρ σου; Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν· Ποιμήν ἐστι, καὶ βόσκει τὰ πρόβατα. Καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ ἐ. Ὡς δὲ ὀψία ἐγένετο, ἦλθεν ὁ Εὐχάριστος μετὰ τῶν προβάτων· καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς γέροντας, ἡτοίμασεν αὐτοῖς τράπεζαν, καὶ ἤνεγκεν ὕδωρ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν. Καὶ λέγουσὶν αὐτῷ οἱ γέροντες· Οὐ μὴ γευσώμεθά τινος, ἐὰν μὴ ἀναγγείλῃς ἡμῖν τὴν ἐργασίαν σου. Ὁ δὲ Εὐχάριστος μετὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης εἶπεν· Ἐγὼ ποιμήν εἰμι, καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ γυνή μου. Οἱ δὲ γέροντες ἐπέμειναν παρακαλοῦντες αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε εἰπεῖν. εἶπον αὐτῷ· Ὁ Θεὸς ἔπεμψεν ἡμᾶς πρὸς σὲ. Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσε τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, ἐφοβήθη, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἰδοὺ τὰ πρόβατα ταῦτα ἔχομεν ἀπὸ τῶν γονέων ἡμῶν· καὶ εἴ τι δ᾽ ἂν εὐοδώσῃ ὁ Κύριος εἰσοδιάσαι ἐξ αὐτῶν, ποιοῦμεν εἰς τρία μέρη· μέρος ἓν τοῖς πτωχοῖς, καὶ μέρος ἓν εἰς τὴν φιλοξενίαν, καὶ τὸ τρίτον μερος εἰς τὴν χρείαν ἡμῶν. Αφ' οὗ δὲ ἔλαβον τὴν γυναῖκά μου, οὐκ ἐμιάνθην οὔτε ἐγὼ οὔτε αὐτὴ, ἀλλὰ παρθένος ἐστί· καὶ ἕκαστος ἡμῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν καθεύδει· τὴν δὲ νύκτα φοροῦμεν σάκκους, καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τὰ ἱμάτια ἡμῶν. Ἕως ἄρτι ἀνθρώπων οὐδεὶς ταῦτα ἔγνωκεν. Καὶ ἀκούσαντες ἐθαύμασαν, καὶ ἀνεχώρησαν δοξάζοντες τὸν Θεόν. Περὶ Εὐλογίου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου. Εὐλόγιος τις μαθητής γενόμενος τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου πρεσβύτερος καὶ ἀσκητὴς μέγας, νηστεύων δύο δύο, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑβδομάδα ἕλκων, ἄρτον μόνον ἐσθίων καὶ ἄλας, ἐδοξάζετο ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Παρέβαλε δὲ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἰωσὴφ εἰς τὴν Πανεφώ, προσδοκῶν τι πλέον σκληραγωγίαν ἰδεῖν παρ᾿ αὐτῷ. Καὶ δεξάμενος αὐτὸν ὁ γέρων μετὰ χαρᾶς, εἴ τι δ' ἂν εἶχεν ἐποίησε παράκλησιν γενέσθαι. Καὶ λέγουσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ Εὐλογίου· Οὐκ ἐσθίει πρεσβύτερος πλὴν ἄρτου καὶ ἄλατος. Ὁ δὲ ἀββᾶς Ἰωσὴφ σιωπῶν ἔτρωγε. Καὶ ποιήσαντες ἡμέρας τρεῖς, οὐκ ἤκουσαν αὐτῶν ψαλλόντων ἢ εὐχομένων· κρυπτὴ γὰρ ἦν ἡ ἐργασία αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐξῆλθον μὴ ὠφεληθέντες. Κατ' οἰκονομίαν δὲ γίνεται γνόφος, καὶ πλανηθέντες ὑπέστρεψαν πρὸς τὸν γέροντα. Καὶ πρὶν αὐτοὺς κροῦσαι, ἤκουσαν αὐτῶν ψαλλόντων· καὶ μείναντες ἐπὶ πολὺ, ὕστερον ἔκρουσαν. Οἱ δὲ σιωπήσαντες ἀπὸ ψαλμῳδίας, ἐδέξαντο αὐτοὺς χαίροντες. Καὶ διὰ τὸν καύσωνα, ἔβαλον οἱ μαθηταὶ Εὐλογίου εἰς τὸ βαυκάλιον ὕδωρ, καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ· ἦν δὲ μεμιγμένον τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη πιεῖν. Καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ γενόμενος, προσέπεσε τῷ γέροντι μαθεῖν θέλων τὴν διαγωγὴν αὐτοῦ, λέγων· Ἀ̓ββᾶ, τί ἐστι τοῦτο; ὅτι τὸ πρῶτον οὐκ ἐψάλλετε, ἀλλὰ νῦν μετὰ τὸ ἐξελθεῖν ἡμᾶς· καὶ τὸ βαυκάλιον δὲ νῦν λαβὼν, εὗρον τὸ ὕδωρ ἁλμυρόν. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὁ ἀδελφὸς σαλός ἐστι, καὶ κατὰ πλάνην ἔμιξεν αὐτὸ θαλάσσιον. Ὁ δὲ Εὐλόγιος παρεκάλει τὸν γέροντα, θέλων μαθεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ἐκεῖνο τὸ μικρὸν ποτήριον τοῦ οἴνου, τῆς ἀγάπης ἦν· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ, ὁ πίνουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ διαπαντός. Καὶ ἐδίδαξεν αὐτὸν τὴν διάκρισιν τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ ἔκοψεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. Καὶ γέγονεν οἰκονομικός καὶ λοιπὸν ἥσθιε πάντα τὰ παρατιθέμενα, καὶ ἔμαθε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ εἶπε τῷ γέροντι· Ὄντως ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἐργασία ὑμῶν.
"Allote palin pariontos tou Ephraim, ex hypobolēs tinos erchetai mia hetairis kolakeuein auton eis aischran mixin, ei de mē, kan eis aganaktēsin kinēsai auton, hoti oudepote tis eiden auton orgizomenon Kai legei pros autēn; Akolouthei moi; plēsiasas de topǭ polyochloumenǭ, eipen autę̄; En tǭ topǭ toutǭ deuro kathōs ēthelēsas. Ekeinē de theasamenē ton ochlon, legei autǭ; Pōs dynametha touto poiēsai, tosoutou ochlou hestōtos, kai ouk aischynometha? Ho de legei pros autēn; Ei anthrōpous aischynometha, pollǭ mallon opheilomen aischynesthai ton Theon, ton ta krypta tou skotous elenchonta. Hē de entrapeisa apēlthen apraktos. Peri Eucharistou kosmikou. Dyo tōn Paterōn parekalesan ton Theon, hina plērophorēsę̄ autous, eis poion ephthasan metron. Kai ēlthen autois phōnē legousa; Eis tēnde tēn kōmēn tēs Aigyptou esti tis kosmikos Eucharistos onomati, kai hē gynē autou kaleitai Maria; oupō ēlthete hymeis eis ta metra autōn. Kai anastantes hoi dyo gerontes, ēlthon eis tēn kōmēn; kai erōtēsantes, heuron to kellion autou kai tēn gynaika autou legousin autę̄; Pou esti ho anēr sou? Hē de eipen; Poimēn esti, kai boskei ta probata. Kai eisēgagen autous eis to kellion autou e. Hōs de opsia egeneto, ēlthen ho Eucharistos meta tōn probatōn; kai idōn tous gerontas, hētoimasen autois trapezan, kai ēnenken hydōr nipsai tous podas autōn. Kai legousin autǭ hoi gerontes; Ou mē geusōmetha tinos, ean mē anangeilę̄s hēmin tēn ergasian sou. Ho de Eucharistos meta tapeinophrosynēs eipen; Egō poimēn eimi, kai hautē estin hē gynē mou. Hoi de gerontes epemeinan parakalountes auton, kai ouk ēthelēse eipein. eipon autǭ; Ho Theos epempsen hēmas pros se. Hōs de ēkouse ton logon touton, ephobēthē, kai eipen autois; Idou ta probata tauta echomen apo tōn goneōn hēmōn; kai ei ti d᾽ an euodōsę̄ ho Kyrios eisodiasai ex autōn, poioumen eis tria merē; meros hen tois ptōchois, kai meros hen eis tēn philoxenian, kai to triton meros eis tēn chreian hēmōn. Aph' hou de elabon tēn gynaika mou, ouk emianthēn oute egō oute autē, alla parthenos esti; kai hekastos hēmōn kath' heauton katheudei; tēn de nykta phoroumen sakkous, kai tēn hēmeran ta himatia hēmōn. Heōs arti anthrōpōn oudeis tauta egnōken. Kai akousantes ethaumasan, kai anechōrēsan doxazontes ton Theon. Peri Eulogiou tou presbyterou. Eulogios tis mathētēs genomenos tou makariou Iōannou tou episkopou presbyteros kai askētēs megas, nēsteuōn dyo dyo, pollakis de kai tēn hebdomada helkōn, arton monon esthiōn kai alas, edoxazeto hypo tōn anthrōpōn. Parebale de tǭ abbą Iōsēph eis tēn Panephō, prosdokōn ti pleon sklēragōgian idein par᾿ autǭ. Kai dexamenos auton ho gerōn meta charas, ei ti d' an eichen epoiēse paraklēsin genesthai. Kai legousin hoi mathētai Eulogiou; Ouk esthiei presbyteros plēn artou kai alatos. Ho de abbas Iōsēph siōpōn etrōge. Kai poiēsantes hēmeras treis, ouk ēkousan autōn psallontōn ē euchomenōn; kryptē gar ēn hē ergasia autōn. Kai exēlthon mē ōphelēthentes. Kat' oikonomian de ginetai gnophos, kai planēthentes hypestrepsan pros ton geronta. Kai prin autous krousai, ēkousan autōn psallontōn; kai meinantes epi poly, hysteron ekrousan. Hoi de siōpēsantes apo psalmǭdias, edexanto autous chairontes. Kai dia ton kausōna, ebalon hoi mathētai Eulogiou eis to baukalion hydōr, kai edōkan autǭ; ēn de memigmenon tēs thalassēs kai tou potamou; kai ouk ēdynēthē piein. Kai en heautǭ genomenos, prosepese tǭ geronti mathein thelōn tēn diagōgēn autou, legōn; Abba, ti esti touto? hoti to prōton ouk epsallete, alla nyn meta to exelthein hēmas; kai to baukalion de nyn labōn, heuron to hydōr halmyron. Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Ho adelphos salos esti, kai kata planēn emixen auto thalassion. Ho de Eulogios parekalei ton geronta, thelōn mathein tēn alētheian. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Ekeino to mikron potērion tou oinou, tēs agapēs ēn; touto de to hydōr, ho pinousin hoi adelphoi diapantos. Kai edidaxen auton tēn diakrisin tōn logismōn, kai ekopsen ap᾿ autou panta ta anthrōpina. Kai gegonen oikonomikos kai loipon hēsthie panta ta paratithemena, kai emathe kai autos en tǭ kryptǭ ergazesthai, kai eipe tǭ geronti; Ontōs en alētheią estin hē ergasia hymōn.
Another time, as Ephraim was passing by, a prostitute, at someone’s instigation, came to entice him into shameful intercourse, or failing that, at least to move him to anger, since no one had ever seen him angry. And he says to her, “Follow me.” And coming near a crowded place, he said to her, “Come here in this place, as you wished.” But she, seeing the crowd, says to him, “How can we do this with so great a crowd standing here, and not be ashamed?” He says to her, “If we are ashamed before men, how much more ought we to be ashamed before God, who exposes the hidden things of darkness?” And she, put to shame, went away having achieved nothing. [On Eucharistus the secular] Two of the Fathers asked God to assure them what measure they had reached. And a voice came to them, saying, “In such-and-such a village of Egypt there is a man of the world named Eucharistus, and his wife is called Mary; you have not yet reached their measure.” The two old men got up and came to the village; and inquiring, they found his house and his wife, and they say to her, “Where is your husband?” She said, “He is a shepherd and is pasturing the sheep.” And she brought them into his house. When evening came, Eucharistus came with the sheep; and seeing the old men, he prepared a table for them and brought water to wash their feet. And the old men say to him, “We will not taste anything unless you tell us your way of life.” Eucharistus said with humility, “I am a shepherd, and this is my wife.” The old men kept urging him, and he would not tell. They said to him, “God sent us to you.” When he heard this word, he was afraid, and said to them, “Look, we have these sheep from our parents; and whatever the Lord lets us gain from them, we divide into three parts: one part for the poor, one part for hospitality, and the third part for our own needs. Since I took my wife, neither I nor she has been defiled, but she is a virgin; and each of us sleeps apart; at night we wear sackcloth, and by day our ordinary clothes. Until now no one has known these things.” When they heard this, they marveled, and went away glorifying God. [On Eulogius the presbyter] A certain Eulogius, a disciple of the blessed bishop John, a presbyter and great ascetic, fasting two days at a time and often stretching it to the whole week, eating only bread and salt, was glorified by men. He visited abba Joseph at Panephysis, expecting to see some still greater austerity with him. The old man received him with joy and made whatever comfort he had available. And Eulogius’s disciples say, “The presbyter eats nothing but bread and salt.” But abba Joseph ate in silence. And after spending three days, they did not hear them singing psalms or praying; for their work was hidden. And they left without having been helped. By providence a fog came, and having lost their way they returned to the old man. And before they knocked, they heard them singing psalms; and after waiting a long time, they finally knocked. They stopped their psalmody and received them with joy. Because of the heat, Eulogius’s disciples put water in the flask and gave it to him; it was mixed from the sea and the river, and he could not drink it. Coming to himself, he fell at the old man’s feet, wanting to learn his way of life, saying, “Abba, what is this? At first you did not sing psalms, but now, after we left; and now when I took the flask I found the water salty.” The old man says to him, “The brother is simple, and by mistake he mixed sea water into it.” But Eulogius begged the old man, wanting to learn the truth. And the old man says to him, “That little cup of wine was for love’s sake; but this water is what the brothers always drink.” And he taught him the discernment of thoughts, and cut away from him everything merely human. And he became accommodating, and from then on ate everything set before him, and he too learned to work in secret; and he said to the old man, “Truly your work is in truth.”
1 Cor 4:5 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ephraim shames a prostitute; then a married couple living in continence and the hidden austerity of abba Joseph are described.
- The scan runs into this saying the sections headed “On Eucharistus the secular” and “On Eulogius the presbyter,” which are separate entries of the collection; they are translated here under their printed headings. Stray words from Migne’s notes are removed. The hidden things of darkness: 1 Cor 4:5. Eucharistus and Mary live together in continence; this is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray words from Migne’s notes inside the sentence): ἁγίων εἰπόντες, ὕστερον εἶπον, ὅτι. → ; ἵνα πόσῳ μᾶλλον. πληροφορήσῃ → ἵνα πληροφορήσῃ.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 27.3 (PG 65:167–171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/27-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 28
28.1PG 65:171
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐπρέπιος· Ἔχων, φησὶν, ἐν ἑαυτῷ, εἶναι πιστὸν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ δυνατὸν, πίστευε εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ μεθέξεις τῶν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ὀλιγωρεῖς, οὐ πιστεύεις. Καὶ ὅτι πάντες πιστεύομεν δυνατὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ πιστεύομεν ὅτι πάντα αὐτῷ ἐστι δυνατά. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σοῖς πίστευε ἐν αὐτῷ πράγμασιν, ὅτι καὶ ἐν σοὶ ποιεῖ σημεῖα.
Eipen ho abbas Euprepios; Echōn, phēsin, en heautǭ, einai piston ton Theon kai dynaton, pisteue eis auton, kai methexeis tōn autou. Ei de oligōreis, ou pisteueis. Kai hoti pantes pisteuomen dynaton auton einai, kai pisteuomen hoti panta autǭ esti dynata. Alla kai en tois sois pisteue en autǭ pragmasin, hoti kai en soi poiei sēmeia.
Abba Euprepius said, “Holding within yourself that God is faithful and powerful, believe in him, and you will share in what is his. But if you are careless, you do not believe. And all of us believe that he is powerful, and we believe that all things are possible to him. But believe in him also in your own affairs, that he works wonders in you too.”
Mark 9:23 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 19:26 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Euprepius urges faith that God’s power works in one’s own life.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.1 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.2PG 65:171
Ὁ αὐτὸς συλούμενος συνεπῆρεν αὐτοῖς. Μετά δὲ τὸ ἀποβαστάξαι αὐτοὺς τὰ ἔνδον κείμενα, καταλειψάντων αὐτῶν τὴν ῥάβδον ἑαυτοῦ, ὡς ταύτην ἐθεάσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐπρέπιος, ἠχθέσθη· καὶ λαβὼν ἐπέτρεχε, βουλόμενος ἀποδοῦναι. Τῶν δὲ μὴ θελόντων δέξασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεδιότων μὴ ἄρα τι γέγονεν, περιτυχών τισι, ἠξίου ἀποδοθῆναι δι᾿ αὐτῶν ῥάβδον, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδευόντων ὁδόν.
Ho autos syloumenos synepēren autois. Meta de to apobastaxai autous ta endon keimena, kataleipsantōn autōn tēn rhabdon heautou, hōs tautēn etheasato ho abbas Euprepios, ēchthesthē; kai labōn epetreche, boulomenos apodounai. Tōn de mē thelontōn dexasthai, alla dediotōn mē ara ti gegonen, peritychōn tisi, ēxiou apodothēnai di᾿ autōn rhabdon, tēn autēn hodeuontōn hodon.
The same, when he was being robbed, helped them carry things off. After they had carried away what was inside, they left his staff behind; when abba Euprepius saw it, he was distressed, and taking it he ran after them, wanting to give it back. But they did not want to accept it, fearing that something might have happened; so meeting some people traveling the same road, he asked them to give the staff back through them.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Euprepius helps robbers plunder his cell and tries to give them the staff they left.
- The first sentence is compressed in the scan; translated by sense. A variant note is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; variant note (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus inside a word): καταλει ψάντων → καταλειψάντων; τὴν αὐΑΙ. συγκαταβατικός. τὴν → τὴν αὐτὴν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.2 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.3PG 65:171
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐπρέπιος, ὅτι τὰ σωματικὰ ὕλη εἰσίν. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν κόσμον ἀγαπᾷ προσκόμματα. Εἴπερ οὖν συμβῇ τί ποτε ἀπολέσθαι, τοῦτο μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως δέχεσθαι δεῖ, ὡς φροντίδων ἀπαλλαγέντας.
Eipen ho abbas Euprepios, hoti ta sōmatika hylē eisin. Ho agapōn ton kosmon agapą proskommata. Eiper oun symbę̄ ti pote apolesthai, touto meta charas kai exomologēseōs dechesthai dei, hōs phrontidōn apallagentas.
Abba Euprepius said, “Bodily things are matter. One who loves the world loves stumbling blocks. So if we happen to lose something, we must accept it with joy and thanksgiving, as being freed from cares.”
1 John 2:15 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Losses should be accepted gladly as release from care.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): προσκόμ ματα → προσκόμματα.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.3 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.4PG 65:171
Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Εὐπρέπιον περὶ ζωῆς. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Χόρτον φάγε, χόρτον φόρεσον, εἰς χόρτον κοιμοῦ, τουτέστι, πάντων καταφρόνει, τὴν δὲ καρδίαν κέκτησο σιδηρᾶν.
Adelphos ērōtēse ton abban Euprepion peri zōēs. Kai eipen ho gerōn; Chorton phage, chorton phoreson, eis chorton koimou, toutesti, pantōn kataphronei, tēn de kardian kektēso sidēran.
A brother asked abba Euprepius about life. And the old man said, “Eat grass, wear grass, sleep on grass; that is, despise everything, and acquire a heart of iron.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Euprepius counsels utter simplicity and a heart of iron.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.4 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.5PG 65:171
Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν αὐτὸν γέροντα, λέγων· Πῶς ἔρχεται ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὴν ψυχήν; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Ἐὰν ἔχῃ ἄνθρωπος τὴν ταπείνωσιν, καὶ τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην, καὶ τὸ μὴ κρίνειν, ἔρχεται αὐτῷ ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Adelphos ērōtēse ton auton geronta, legōn; Pōs erchetai ho phobos tou Theou eis tēn psychēn? Kai eipen ho gerōn; Ean echę̄ anthrōpos tēn tapeinōsin, kai tēn aktēmosynēn, kai to mē krinein, erchetai autǭ ho phobos tou Theou.
A brother asked the same old man, saying, “How does the fear of God come into the soul?” And the old man said, “If a man has humility, poverty, and not judging, the fear of God comes to him.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Humility, poverty, and not judging bring the fear of God.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.5 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.6PG 65:171
Ὁ αὐτὸς εἶπε· Φόβος και ταπείνωσις, καὶ ἔνδεια τροφῶν, καὶ πένθος διαμενέτω σοι.
Ho autos eipe; Phobos kai tapeinōsis, kai endeia trophōn, kai penthos diamenetō soi.
The same said, “Let fear, humility, lack of food, and mourning remain with you.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Euprepius commends fear, humility, scant food, and mourning.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.6 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
28.7PG 65:171
Παρέβαλεν ἐν ἀρχῇ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐπρέπιός τινι γέροντι, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀββᾶ, εἰπέ μοι λόγον πῶς σωθῶ. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἐὰν θέλῃς σωθῆναι, ὅταν παραβάλῃς τινὶ, μὴ προλάβῃς λαλῆσαι πρὶν ἐξετάσει σε. Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ κατανυγεὶς ἔβαλε μετάνοιαν, λέγων· Ὄντως πολλὰ βιβλία ἀνέγνων, καὶ τοιαύτην παιδείαν οὐδέπω ἔγνων. Καὶ πολλὰ ὠφεληθεὶς ἐξῆλθεν.;
Parebalen en archę̄ autou ho abbas Euprepios tini geronti, kai legei autǭ; Abba, eipe moi logon pōs sōthō. Ho de eipen autǭ; Ean thelę̄s sōthēnai, hotan parabalę̄s tini, mē prolabę̄s lalēsai prin exetasei se. Ho de epi tǭ logǭ katanygeis ebale metanoian, legōn; Ontōs polla biblia anegnōn, kai toiautēn paideian oudepō egnōn. Kai polla ōphelētheis exēlthen.?
At his beginning, abba Euprepius visited an old man and says to him, “Abba, tell me a word: how may I be saved?” He said to him, “If you want to be saved, when you visit someone, do not speak first before he questions you.” Pierced to the heart by the word, he made a prostration, saying, “Truly I have read many books, and I had never known such instruction.” And he went away greatly helped.
Notes and citation
Summary: Euprepius learns from an old man not to speak first when visiting.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 28.7 (PG 65:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/28-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 29
29.1PG 65:173
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἐλαδίου ὅτι ἐποίησεν εἴκοσι ἔτη εἰς τὰ Κελλία, καὶ οὐκ ἦρέ ποτε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἄνω, ἰδεῖν τὴν στέγην τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
Elegon peri tou abba Eladiou hoti epoiēsen eikosi etē eis ta Kellia, kai ouk ēre pote tous ophthalmous anō, idein tēn stegēn tēs ekklēsias.
They said of abba Eladius that he spent twenty years in the Cells and never raised his eyes to look at the roof of the church.
Notes and citation
Summary: Eladius never raised his eyes to the church roof in twenty years.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 29.1 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/29-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/29-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
29.2PG 65:173
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἐλαδίου, ὅτι ἄρτον καὶ ἅλας ἤσθιεν. Ὅτε οὖν ἦλθε τὸ Πάσχα, ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἄρτον καὶ ἅλας ἐσθίουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ ὤφειλον μικρὸν κόπον ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸ Πάσχα. Ἐπειδὴ τὰς ἄλλας ἡμέρας καθήμενος ἐσθίω· νῦν ὅτι Πάσχα ἐστὶ, ποιήσω τὸν κόπον, ἱστάμενος ἐσθίων.
Elegon peri tou autou abba Eladiou, hoti arton kai halas ēsthien. Hote oun ēlthe to Pascha, elegen, hoti Hoi adelphoi arton kai halas esthiousin; egō de ōpheilon mikron kopon poiēsai dia to Pascha. Epeidē tas allas hēmeras kathēmenos esthiō; nyn hoti Pascha esti, poiēsō ton kopon, histamenos esthiōn.
They said of the same abba Eladius that he ate bread and salt. So when Easter came, he said, “The brothers eat bread and salt; but I ought to make a little effort because of Easter. Since on the other days I eat sitting down, now that it is Easter I will make the effort and eat standing.”
Notes and citation
Summary: For Easter Eladius made the extra effort of eating his bread and salt standing.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 29.2 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/29-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/29-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 30
30.1PG 65:173
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐάγριος Καθεζόμενος ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ, συνάγαγέ σου τὸν λογισμόν· μνήσθητι ἡμέρας θανάτου· ἴδε τότε τοῦ σώματος τὴν νέκρωσιν· ἐννόει τὴν συμφοράν· λαβέ τὸν πόνον· κατάγνωθι τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ματαιότητος· ὅπως δυνηθῇς διαπαντὸς μένειν ἐν τῇ προθέσει τῆς ἡσυχίας, καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσῃς. Μνήσθητι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ νῦν καταστάσεως· λογίζου τὸ πῶς εἰσιν ἐκεῖ αἱ ψυχαὶ, ἐν ποίᾳ δεινοτάτῃ σιωπῇ, ἐν ποίῳ πικροτάτῳ στεναγμῷ, καὶ πηλίκῳ φόβῳ καὶ ἀγῶνι καὶ προσδοκίᾳ· τὴν ἄπαυστον ὀδύνην, τὸ ψυχικὸν καὶ ἀπέραντον δάκρυον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμέρας ἀναστάσεως μνήσθητι, καὶ παραστάσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· φαντάζου τὸ φρικῶδες καὶ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο κρίμα. Ἄγε εἰς μέσον τὰ ἀποκείμενα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, αἰσχύνην τὴν κατενώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, τουτέστι κολαστήρια, πῦρ αἰώνιον, σκώληκα τὸν ἀκοίμητον, τὸν τάρταρον, τὸ σκότος, τὸν τῶν ὀδόντων βρυγμὸν, τοὺς φόβους καὶ τὰς βασάνους. Ἄγε δὴ καὶ τὰ τοῖς δικαίοις ἀποκείμενα ἀγαθὰ, παῤῥησίαν τὴν μετὰ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων, καὶ παντὸς δήμου τῶν ἁγίων, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τὰ ταύτης δωρήματα τὴν χαρὰν καὶ τὴν ταύτης ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἑκατέρων τούτων τὴν μνήμην ἄγε σεαυτῷ· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κρίσει δάκρυσον, πένθησον, φοβούμενος μὴ καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ἐν τούτοις γένῃ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀποκειμένοις τοῖς δικαίοις, χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου. Καὶ τούτων μὲν σπούδασον ἐν ἀπολαύσει γενέσθαι, καὶ ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι ἐκείνων. Ὅρα μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ποτὲ, κἂν ἔνδον τοῦ κελλίου σου τυγχάνῃς, κἂν ἔξω που, τῆς ἐκ τούτων μνήμης, ὅπως κἂν διὰ τούτων, τοὺς ῥυπαροὺς καὶ βλαβεροὺς διαφεύξῃ λογισμούς.
Eipen ho abbas Euagrios Kathezomenos en tǭ kelliǭ, synagage sou ton logismon; mnēsthēti hēmeras thanatou; ide tote tou sōmatos tēn nekrōsin; ennoei tēn symphoran; labe ton ponon; katagnōthi tēs en tǭ kosmǭ mataiotētos; hopōs dynēthę̄s diapantos menein en tę̄ prothesei tēs hēsychias, kai mē asthenēsę̄s. Mnēsthēti de kai tēs en tǭ hądę̄ nyn katastaseōs; logizou to pōs eisin ekei hai psychai, en poią deinotatę̄ siōpę̄, en poiǭ pikrotatǭ stenagmǭ, kai pēlikǭ phobǭ kai agōni kai prosdokią; tēn apauston odynēn, to psychikon kai aperanton dakryon. Alla kai hēmeras anastaseōs mnēsthēti, kai parastaseōs tēs pros ton Theon; phantazou to phrikōdes kai phoberon ekeino krima. Age eis meson ta apokeimena tois hamartanousin, aischynēn tēn katenōpion tou Theou kai angelōn kai archangelōn kai pantōn anthrōpōn, toutesti kolastēria, pyr aiōnion, skōlēka ton akoimēton, ton tartaron, to skotos, ton tōn odontōn brygmon, tous phobous kai tas basanous. Age dē kai ta tois dikaiois apokeimena agatha, parrhēsian tēn meta Theou Patros kai Christou autou, angelōn kai archangelōn, kai pantos dēmou tōn hagiōn, basileian ouranōn, kai ta tautēs dōrēmata tēn charan kai tēn tautēs apolausin. Hekaterōn toutōn tēn mnēmēn age seautǭ; kai epi men tę̄ tōn hamartōlōn krisei dakryson, penthēson, phoboumenos mē kai sy autos en toutois genę̄; epi de tois apokeimenois tois dikaiois, chaire kai euphrainou. Kai toutōn men spoudason en apolausei genesthai, kai allotriousthai ekeinōn. Hora mē epilathę̄ pote, kan endon tou kelliou sou tynchanę̄s, kan exō pou, tēs ek toutōn mnēmēs, hopōs kan dia toutōn, tous rhyparous kai blaberous diapheuxę̄ logismous.
Abba Evagrius said, “Sitting in your cell, gather your thought; remember the day of death; see then the death of the body; consider the calamity; take on the pain; condemn the vanity of the world, so that you may always be able to remain in the purpose of stillness and not grow weak. Remember also the present state of those in Hades; consider how the souls are there, in what most dreadful silence, in what most bitter groaning, in how great fear and struggle and expectation; the unceasing pain, the endless tears of the soul. But remember also the day of resurrection and of standing before God; picture that awesome and fearful judgment. Bring into view what is laid up for sinners: shame before the face of God and of angels and archangels and of all men, that is, punishments, eternal fire, the sleepless worm, Tartarus, the darkness, the gnashing of teeth, the terrors and the torments. Bring also the good things laid up for the righteous: freedom of speech with God the Father and his Christ, with angels and archangels and all the people of the saints; the kingdom of heaven and its gifts, its joy and its enjoyment. Bring the memory of both to yourself; and at the judgment of sinners weep and mourn, fearing lest you too be among them; but at what is laid up for the righteous, rejoice and be glad. And be eager to come to the enjoyment of these, and to be estranged from those. See that you never forget the memory of these things, whether you are inside your cell or somewhere outside, so that at least by means of them you may escape filthy and harmful thoughts.”
Mark 9:48 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 8:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 25:41 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Evagrius teaches meditation on death, Hades, judgment, punishment, and the joys of the righteous.
- The sleepless worm and the eternal fire: Mark 9:48; Isa 66:24; gnashing of teeth: Matt 8:12.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): κατ' ἐνὡπιον → κατενώπιον.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.1 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.2PG 65:173
Εἶπε πάλιν Κόπτε τῶν πολλῶν τὰς σχέσεις μή σου ὁ νοῦς περιστατικὸς γένηται, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἡσυχίας ταράξῃ τρόπον.
Eipe palin Kopte tōn pollōn tas scheseis mē sou ho nous peristatikos genētai, kai ton tēs hēsychias taraxę̄ tropon.
He also said, “Cut off your ties with the many, lest your mind become overwhelmed and disturb the way of stillness.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Cut ties with many to keep stillness.
- The same saying is given under Doulas (25.2).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.2 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.3PG 65:173
Εἶπε πάλιν μέγα μὲν τὸ ἀπερισπάστως προσεύχεσθαι· μείζον δὲ καὶ τὸ ψάλλειν ἀπερισπάστως.
Eipe palin mega men to aperispastōs proseuchesthai; meizon de kai to psallein aperispastōs.
He also said, “It is a great thing to pray without distraction; but greater still to sing psalms without distraction.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Undistracted psalmody is greater even than undistracted prayer.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.3 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.4PG 65:173
Εἶπε πάλιν· Μέμνησο διαπαντὸς τῆς ἐξόδου σου, καὶ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ κρίσεως αἰωνίου· καὶ οὐκ ἔσται πλημμέλεια ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου.
Eipe palin; Memnēso diapantos tēs exodou sou, kai mē epilathę̄ kriseōs aiōniou; kai ouk estai plēmmeleia en tę̄ psychę̄ sou.
He also said, “Always remember your departure, and do not forget the eternal judgment; and there will be no fault in your soul.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Remembering death and judgment keeps the soul from sin.
- A variant note is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (variant note (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): ΑΙ. Ἑλλαδίου. → .
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 7:36 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; echo)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.4 (PG 65:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.5PG 65:175
Εἶπε πάλιν· Ἔπαρον τοὺς πειρασμούς, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ σωζόμενος
Eipe palin; Eparon tous peirasmous, kai oudeis ho sōzomenos
He also said, “Take away temptations, and no one is saved.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Without temptations no one would be saved.
- The same saying is given under Antony (1.5).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.5 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.6PG 65:175
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι Ἔλεγέ τις τῶν Πατέρων· Ή ξηροτέρα καὶ τ' ἀνώμαλος δίαιτα, ἀγάπῃ συζευχθεῖσα, θᾶττον εἰσάγει τὸν μοναχὸν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀπαθείας λιμένα.
Eipe palin, hoti Elege tis tōn Paterōn; Ē xērotera kai t' anōmalos diaita, agapę̄ syzeuchtheisa, thatton eisagei ton monachon eis ton tēs apatheias limena.
He also said, “One of the Fathers used to say, ‘A drier and steady diet, joined to love, quickly brings the monk into the harbor of passionlessness.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: A spare, regular diet joined to love leads to freedom from passion.
- The scan reads καὶ τ’ ἀνώμαλος; translated as “steady” (καὶ μὴ ἀνώμαλος, as in Evagrius, Praktikos 91).
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.6 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
30.7PG 65:175
Ἐγένετό ποτε συνέδριον εἰς τὰ Κελλία περὶ πράγματος, καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐάγριος. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ πρεσβύτερος· Οἴδαμεν, ἀββᾶ, ὅτι εἰ ἧς ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ σου, καὶ ἐπίσκοπος πολλάκις καὶ κεφαλὴ πολλῶν εἶχες εἶναι· νῦν δὲ ὡς ξένος καθέζῃ ὧδε. Ὁ δὲ κατανυγεὶς οὐκ ἐταράχθη, ἀλλὰ κινήσας τὴν κεφαλὴν, λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀληθῶς ἐστι, Πάτερ Πλὴν ἅπαξ ἐλάλησα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ προσθήσω.
Egeneto pote synedrion eis ta Kellia peri pragmatos, kai elalēsen ho abbas Euagrios. Legei autǭ ho presbyteros; Oidamen, abba, hoti ei hēs en tę̄ chōrą sou, kai episkopos pollakis kai kephalē pollōn eiches einai; nyn de hōs xenos kathezę̄ hōde. Ho de katanygeis ouk etarachthē, alla kinēsas tēn kephalēn, legei autǭ; Alēthōs esti, Pater Plēn hapax elalēsa, epi de tǭ deuterǭ ou prosthēsō.
Once a council was held at the Cells about some matter, and abba Evagrius spoke. The presbyter says to him, “We know, abba, that if you were in your own country, you would probably be a bishop and the head of many; but now you sit here as a foreigner.” Pierced to the heart, he was not troubled, but nodding his head he says to him, “It is true, father. But I have spoken once; a second time I will not add.”
Job 40:5 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Rebuked as a foreigner, Evagrius accepts it and resolves not to speak again.
- Quotation of Job 40:5 in Evagrius’s own form.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 30.7 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/30-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 31
31.1PG 65:175
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Εὐδαίμων περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου τοῦ Πατρὸς τῆς Σκήτεως, ὅτι Κατῆλθον ἐκεῖ νεώτερος, καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκε με μεῖναι ἐκεῖ, λέγων ἐπὶ ἐμοῦ, Ὄψιν γυναικὸς οὐκ ἀφιῶ μεῖναι εἰς Σκῆτιν, διὰ τὸν πόλεμον τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Ἀρχὴ τοῦ στοιχείου Ζ.
Eipen ho abbas Eudaimōn peri tou abba Paphnoutiou tou Patros tēs Skēteōs, hoti Katēlthon ekei neōteros, kai ouk aphēke me meinai ekei, legōn epi emou, Opsin gynaikos ouk aphiō meinai eis Skētin, dia ton polemon tou echthrou. Archē tou stoicheiou Z.
Abba Eudaimon said of abba Paphnutius, the Father of Scetis, “I went down there when I was young, and he would not let me stay there, saying in my presence, ‘I do not allow the face of a woman to stay in Scetis, because of the enemy’s war.’” [Beginning of the letter Z.]
Notes and citation
Summary: Paphnutius would not let the beardless young Eudaimon stay at Scetis.
- Paphnutius compares the beardless youth to a woman as an occasion of temptation. The last words are a heading of the printed collection.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 31.1 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/31-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/31-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 32
32.1PG 65:175
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ζήνων ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ μακαρίου Σιλουανοῦ· Μὴ οἰκήσῃς ἐν τόπῳ ὀνομαστῷ, μηδὲ καθίσῃς μετὰ ἀνθρώπου ἔχοντος μέγα ὄνομα, μηδὲ βάλης θεμέλιον τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ἑαυτῷ κελλίον πώποτε.
Eipen ho abbas Zēnōn ho mathētēs tou makariou Silouanou; Mē oikēsę̄s en topǭ onomastǭ, mēde kathisę̄s meta anthrōpou echontos mega onoma, mēde balēs themelion tou oikodomēsai heautǭ kellion pōpote.
Abba Zeno, the disciple of blessed Silvanus, said, “Do not live in a famous place, do not stay with a man who has a great name, and never lay a foundation to build yourself a cell.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno counsels avoiding famous places and men and never building one’s own cell.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.1 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
32.2PG 65:175
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ζήνωνος, ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἤθελε λαβεῖν παρά τινός τί ποτε. Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν οἱ φέροντες ἀπήρχοντο λυπούμενοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐλάμβανε. Καὶ ἄλλοι ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν, λαβεῖν θέλοντες ὡς παρὰ μεγάλου γέροντος, καὶ οὐκ εἶχέ τι δοῦναι αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπῆγον λυπούμενοι. Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι καὶ οἱ φέροντες λυποῦνται, καὶ οἱ λαβεῖν θέλοντες; Τοῦτο μᾶλλον συμφέρει· εἴ τις φέρει, λαμβάνω, καὶ εἴ τις αἰτεῖ παρέχω αὐτῷ. Καὶ οὕτως ποιήσας ἀνεπαύετο, καὶ πάντας ἐπληροφόρει.
Elegon peri tou abba Zēnōnos, hoti ap᾿ archēs ouk ēthele labein para tinos ti pote. Kai enteuthen hoi pherontes apērchonto lypoumenoi, hoti ouk elambane. Kai alloi ērchonto pros auton, labein thelontes hōs para megalou gerontos, kai ouk eiche ti dounai autois, kai autoi hypēgon lypoumenoi. Legei ho gerōn; Ti poiēsō, hoti kai hoi pherontes lypountai, kai hoi labein thelontes? Touto mallon sympherei; ei tis pherei, lambanō, kai ei tis aitei parechō autǭ. Kai houtōs poiēsas anepaueto, kai pantas eplērophorei.
They said of abba Zeno that from the beginning he would not accept anything from anyone. And so those who brought things went away grieved because he did not accept. And others came to him wanting to receive something as from a great old man, and he had nothing to give them, and they too went away grieved. The old man says, “What shall I do, since both those who bring and those who want to receive are grieved? This is better: if someone brings, I will accept, and if someone asks, I will give to him.” And doing so he was at rest, and satisfied everyone.
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno learns to accept gifts and give them away, satisfying both givers and askers.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.2 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
32.3PG 65:175
Παρέβαλεν ἀδελφὸς Αἰγύπτιος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ζήνωνι εἰς Συρίαν, καὶ κατηγόρει τῶν λογισμῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ γέροντος. Ὁ δὲ θαυμάσας εἶπεν· Οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἂς μὲν ἔχουσιν ἀρετὰς, κρύπτουσιν, ἃ δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐλαττώματα, τούτων ἀεὶ κατηγοροῦσιν· οἱ δὲ Σύροι καὶ οἱ Ἑλληνικοὶ, ἃς μὲν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀρετὰς, λέγουσιν ἔχειν, ἃ δὲ ἔχουσιν ἐλαττώματα, κρύπτουσιν.
Parebalen adelphos Aigyptios tǭ abbą Zēnōni eis Syrian, kai katēgorei tōn logismōn heautou epi tou gerontos. Ho de thaumasas eipen; Hoi Aigyptioi, as men echousin aretas, kryptousin, ha de ouk echousin elattōmata, toutōn aei katēgorousin; hoi de Syroi kai hoi Hellēnikoi, has men ouk echousin aretas, legousin echein, ha de echousin elattōmata, kryptousin.
An Egyptian brother visited abba Zeno in Syria and accused his own thoughts before the old man. He marveled and said, “The Egyptians hide the virtues they have, and always accuse themselves of faults they do not have; but the Syrians and Greeks claim to have virtues they do not have, and hide the faults they have.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno contrasts Egyptian monks who hide their virtues with Syrians and Greeks who hide their faults.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.3 (PG 65:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
32.4PG 65:175–177
Ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν, λέγοντες Τί ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰὼβ γεγραμμένον Οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ; Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ γέρων εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀφῆκαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν, καὶ περὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐρευνῶσιν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ λόγου· Ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς μόνος ἐστὶ καθαρὸς, διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν· Οὐρανὸς δὲ οὐ καθαρός ἐστιν. σ΄. Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ζήνωνος, ὅτι καθήμενος ἐν τῇ Σκήτει, ἐξῆλθε νυκτὸς ἐκ τῆς κέλλης αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ ἕλος· καὶ πλανηθεὶς ἐποίησε τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας περιπατῶν· καὶ κοπιάσας, ἐκλιπὼν ἔπεσεν εἰς τὸ ἀποθανεῖν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ παιδάριον ἔστη. ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἔχον ἄρτον καὶ βαυκάλιον ὕδατος· καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ· Ἀνάστα, φάγε. Ὁ δὲ ἀναστὰς, προσηύξατο, νομίζων ὅτι φαντασία το ἐστίν. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Καλῶς ἐποίησας. Καὶ πάλιν ηὔξατο δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Καλῶς ἐποίησας. Ἀναστὰς οὖν ὁ γέρων, ἔλαβε καὶ ἔφαγε. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὅσον περιεπάτησας, τοσοῦτον εἶ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς κέλλης σου· ἀλλ᾽ ἀνάστα, ἀκολούθει μοι. Καὶ εὐθέως εὑρέθη εἰς τὸ κελλίον αὐτοῦ. Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Εἴσελθε, ποίησον ἡμῖν εὐχήν. Καὶ εἰσελθόντος τοῦ γέροντος, ἐκεῖνος ἀφανὴς ἐγένετο. ς'. Ἄλλοτε ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Ζήνων περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιστίνῃ, καὶ κοπιάσας, ἐγγὺς σικυηλάτου ἐκάθισε φαγεῖν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ λογισμός· Ἆρον ἑαυτῷ ἓν σικύδιν, καὶ φάγε. Τί γάρ ἐστιν; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπε τῷ λογισμῷ· Οἱ κλέπται εἰς κόλασιν ὑπἁγουσι. Δοκίμασον οὖν ἑαυτὸν ἐντεῦθεν, εἰ δύνασαι τὴν κόλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἔστη εἰς τὸ καῦμα πέντε ἡμέρας, καὶ τηγανίσας ἑαυτὸν, εἶπεν· Οὐ δύνασαι το τὴν κόλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ λέγει τῷ λογισμῷ· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι, μὴ κλέπτε καὶ τρῶγε.
Ēlthon pros auton adelphoi, kai ērōtēsan auton, legontes Ti esti to en tǭ Iōb gegrammenon Ouranos de ou katharos enōpion autou? Apokritheis de ho gerōn eipen autois; Aphēkan hoi adelphoi tas hamartias autōn, kai peri tōn ouranōn ereunōsin. Hautē de estin hē hermēneia tou logou; Epeidē autos monos esti katharos, dia touto eipen; Ouranos de ou katharos estin. s΄. Elegon peri tou abba Zēnōnos, hoti kathēmenos en tę̄ Skētei, exēlthe nyktos ek tēs kellēs autou hōs epi to helos; kai planētheis epoiēse treis hēmeras kai treis nyktas peripatōn; kai kopiasas, eklipōn epesen eis to apothanein. Kai idou paidarion estē. enōpion autou, echon arton kai baukalion hydatos; kai elegen autǭ; Anasta, phage. Ho de anastas, prosēuxato, nomizōn hoti phantasia to estin. Ho de eipen autǭ; Kalōs epoiēsas. Kai palin ēuxato deuteron kai triton. Kai legei autǭ; Kalōs epoiēsas. Anastas oun ho gerōn, elabe kai ephage. Kai meta tauta legei autǭ; Hoson periepatēsas, tosouton ei makran apo tēs kellēs sou; all᾽ anasta, akolouthei moi. Kai eutheōs heurethē eis to kellion autou. Eipen oun autǭ ho gerōn; Eiselthe, poiēson hēmin euchēn. Kai eiselthontos tou gerontos, ekeinos aphanēs egeneto. s'. Allote ho autos abbas Zēnōn peripatōn en tę̄ Palaistinę̄, kai kopiasas, engys sikyēlatou ekathise phagein, kai legei autǭ ho logismos; Aron heautǭ hen sikydin, kai phage. Ti gar estin? Ho de apokritheis eipe tǭ logismǭ; Hoi kleptai eis kolasin hypagousi. Dokimason oun heauton enteuthen, ei dynasai tēn kolasin hypenenkein. Kai anastas estē eis to kauma pente hēmeras, kai tēganisas heauton, eipen; Ou dynasai to tēn kolasin hypenenkein. Kai legei tǭ logismǭ; Ei ou dynasai, mē klepte kai trōge.
Brothers came to him and asked him, saying, “What is the meaning of what is written in Job, ‘Heaven is not pure before him’?” The old man answered, “The brothers have left their sins and are investigating the heavens. But this is the interpretation of the word: since he alone is pure, that is why he said, ‘Heaven is not pure.’” [5] They said of abba Zeno that while he was living at Scetis, he went out of his cell at night as if toward the marsh; and losing his way, he spent three days and three nights walking; and growing weary, he fell exhausted, about to die. And look, a boy stood before him holding bread and a flask of water, and said to him, “Get up, eat.” He got up and prayed, thinking it was an illusion. The boy said to him, “You did well.” And he prayed again a second and a third time. And he says to him, “You did well.” So the old man got up, took it, and ate. And after this he says to him, “As far as you have walked, so far are you from your cell; but get up, follow me.” And at once he found himself at his cell. So the old man said to him, “Come in and say a prayer for us.” And when the old man went in, the other vanished. [6] Another time the same abba Zeno, walking in Palestine and growing tired, sat down to eat near a cucumber field, and his thought says to him, “Take a cucumber for yourself and eat. What does it matter?” He answered his thought, “Thieves go to punishment. So test yourself from this, whether you can bear the punishment.” And he got up and stood in the heat for five days, and having roasted himself, he said, “You cannot bear the punishment.” And he says to his thought, “If you cannot, do not steal and eat.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Job 15:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno explains Job 15:15; then he is guided home by an angelic boy, and tests himself in the heat rather than steal a cucumber.
- Quotation of Job 15:15. The scan runs Zeno 5 and 6 (numbered in the print) into this saying; marked [5] and [6]. Variant notes and a few stray letters are removed or passed over.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letters; variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): το ΑΙ. καὶ μή. ΑΙ. οὐρανίων. → ; ἐκεῖνος Εt, ἀφανὴς → ἐκεῖνος ἀφανὴς.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.4 (PG 65:175–177; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
32.7PG 65:177
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ζήνων· Ὁ θέλων ταχὺ ἵνα εἰσακούσῃ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς εὐχῆς αὐτοῦ, ἡνίκα ἀναστῇ ἐκτείνει τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν, πρὸ πάντων καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας ψυχῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς εὔξηται· καὶ διὰ τούτου κατορθώματος, εἴ τι ἂν παρακαλέσῃ τῷ Θεῷ, ὑπακούει αὐτῷ.
Eipen ho abbas Zēnōn; Ho thelōn tachy hina eisakousę̄ ho Theos tēs euchēs autou, hēnika anastę̄ ekteinei tas cheiras autou pros Theon, pro pantōn kai pro tēs idias psychēs hyper tōn echthrōn autou apo psychēs euxētai; kai dia toutou katorthōmatos, ei ti an parakalesę̄ tǭ Theǭ, hypakouei autǭ.
Abba Zeno said, “Whoever wants God to hear his prayer quickly, when he stands up and stretches out his hands to God, before everything, even before his own soul, let him pray from the heart for his enemies; and through this good deed, whatever he asks of God, God hears him.”
Matt 5:44 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno teaches that prayer for one’s enemies first makes all prayer heard.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.7 (PG 65:177; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
32.8PG 65:177
Ἔλεγον ὅτι ἦν τις ἐν κώμῃ, καὶ πολλὰ ἐνήστευεν, ὥστε καλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὁ Νηστευτής. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ζήνων περὶ αὐτοῦ, μετεστείλατο αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἀπῆλθε μετὰ χαρᾶς. Καὶ εὐξάμενοι ἐκάθισαν. "Ηρξατο οὖν ὁ γέρων ἐργάζεσθαι σιωπῶν. Μὴ εὑρίσκων δὲ λαλῆσαι μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὁ Νηστευτὴς ἤρξατο ὀχλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκηδίας. Καὶ λέγει τῷ γέροντι· Εὖξαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἀββᾶ, ὅτι ἀπελθεῖν θέλω. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Διατί; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· ὅτι ἡ καρδία μου ὡς καιομένη ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα τί ἔχει. Ὅτε γὰρ ἤμην εἰς τὴν κώμην, ἕως ὀψὲ ἐνήστευον, καὶ οὐδέποτε οὕτως μοι ἐγένετο. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Εἰς τὴν κώμην, ἐκ τῶν ὠτίων σου ἐτρέφου· ἀλλ᾽ ἄπελθε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, καὶ ἔσθιε τὴν ἐννάτην· καὶ εἴ τι ποιεῖς, ἐν κρυπτῷ ποίει. ὡς ἤρξατο ποιεῖν, μετὰ θλίψεως ἔμενε τὴν ἐννάτην. Καὶ ἔλεγον οἱ γνωρίζοντες αὐτὸν, ὅτι Ὁ Νηστευτής ἐδαιμονίσθη. Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ γέροντι πάντα. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς κατὰ Θεόν ἐστιν.
Elegon hoti ēn tis en kōmę̄, kai polla enēsteuen, hōste kaleisthai to onoma autou ho Nēsteutēs. Akousas de ho abbas Zēnōn peri autou, metesteilato auton. Ho de apēlthe meta charas. Kai euxamenoi ekathisan. "Ērxato oun ho gerōn ergazesthai siōpōn. Mē heuriskōn de lalēsai met᾿ autou ho Nēsteutēs ērxato ochleisthai hypo tēs akēdias. Kai legei tǭ geronti; Euxai hyper emou, abba, hoti apelthein thelō. Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Diati? Ho de apokritheis eipen; hoti hē kardia mou hōs kaiomenē esti, kai ouk oida ti echei. Hote gar ēmēn eis tēn kōmēn, heōs opse enēsteuon, kai oudepote houtōs moi egeneto. Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Eis tēn kōmēn, ek tōn ōtiōn sou etrephou; all᾽ apelthe apo tou nyn, kai esthie tēn ennatēn; kai ei ti poieis, en kryptǭ poiei. hōs ērxato poiein, meta thlipseōs emene tēn ennatēn. Kai elegon hoi gnōrizontes auton, hoti Ho Nēsteutēs edaimonisthē. Elthōn de apēngeile tǭ geronti panta. Ho de eipen autǭ; Hautē hē hodos kata Theon estin.
They said that there was a man in a village who fasted a great deal, so that he was called “the Faster.” Abba Zeno heard about him and sent for him. He came with joy. And after praying they sat down. The old man began to work in silence. Finding no chance to talk with him, the Faster began to be troubled by listlessness. And he says to the old man, “Pray for me, abba, because I want to leave.” The old man says to him, “Why?” He answered, “Because my heart is as if burning, and I do not know what is wrong with it. For when I was in the village, I fasted until evening, and this never happened to me.” The old man says to him, “In the village you were fed through your ears; but go now, and from now on eat at the ninth hour; and whatever you do, do it in secret.” When he began to do so, he waited for the ninth hour with difficulty. And those who knew him said, “The Faster has become possessed.” He came and told the old man everything. And he said to him, “This is the way according to God.”
Matt 6:18 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeno shows a famous faster that his fasting was fed by praise and teaches him to fast in secret.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 32.8 (PG 65:177; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/32-8
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 33
33.1PG 65:177–179
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μακάριος τῷ ἀββᾷ Ζαχαρίᾳ· Εἰπέ μοι τὸ ἔργον τοῦ μοναχοῦ. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐμὲ ἐρωτᾷς, Πάτερ; Καὶ λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Μακάριος· Πληροφοροῦμαι εἰς σὲ, τέκνον Ζαχαρία. Ἔστι γὰρ ὁ νύσσων με τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαί σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ζαχαρίας· Τὸ κατ΄ ἐμὲ, Πάτερ, τὸ ἑαυτὸν βιάζεσθαι εἰς πάντα, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μοναχός.
Eipen ho abbas Makarios tǭ abbą Zacharią; Eipe moi to ergon tou monachou. Legei autǭ; Eme erōtąs, Pater? Kai legei ho abbas Makarios; Plērophoroumai eis se, teknon Zacharia. Esti gar ho nyssōn me tou erōtēsai se. Legei autǭ ho Zacharias; To kat΄ eme, Pater, to heauton biazesthai eis panta, houtos estin ho monachos.
Abba Macarius said to abba Zacharias, “Tell me the work of the monk.” He says to him, “Are you asking me, father?” And abba Macarius says, “I am convinced about you, my child Zacharias. For there is one who prompts me to ask you.” Zacharias says to him, “As far as I am concerned, father, to force oneself in everything: that is the monk.”
Matt 11:12 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Zacharias tells Macarius that a monk is one who forces himself in everything.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split with stray mark; variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): ο ΑΙ.. φάντασμα. ΑΙ. δύναμαι. → ; ἐρω· τᾷς → ἐρωτᾷς.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 33.1 (PG 65:177–179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
33.2PG 65:179
Ἦλθέ ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Μωσῆς ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ, καὶ εὖρε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ζαχαρίαν εὐχόμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ λάκκου, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καθήμενον ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.
Ēlthe pote ho abbas Mōsēs antlēsai hydōr, kai eure ton abban Zacharian euchomenon epi tou lakkou, kai to Pneuma tou Theou kathēmenon epanō autou.
Once abba Moses came to draw water, and he found abba Zacharias praying at the cistern, and the Spirit of God resting upon him.
Notes and citation
Summary: Moses sees the Spirit of God resting on Zacharias at prayer.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 33.2 (PG 65:179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
33.3PG 65:179
Εἶπέ ποτε ὁ ἀββᾶς Μωσῆς τῷ ἀδελφῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ· Εἰπέ μοι τί ποιήσω; Ακούσας δὲ ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν χαμαὶ εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, λέγων· Σύ με ἐρωτᾷς, Πάτερ; Λέγει αὐτῷ γέρων· Πίστευσόν μοι, τέκνον μου Ζαχαρία· εἶδον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατελθὸν ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ ἐκ τούτου ἀναγκάζομαι ἐρωτῆσαί σε. Τότε λαβὼν ὁ Ζαχαρίας τὸ κουκούλιον αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, ἔθηκεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας, καὶ καταπατήσας αὐτὸ εἶπεν· Ἐὰν μὴ συντριβῇ οὕτως ἄνθρωπος, οὐ δύναται εἶναι μοναχός.
Eipe pote ho abbas Mōsēs tǭ adelphǭ Zacharią; Eipe moi ti poiēsō? Akousas de erripsen heauton chamai eis tous podas autou, legōn; Sy me erōtąs, Pater? Legei autǭ gerōn; Pisteuson moi, teknon mou Zacharia; eidon to Pneuma to hagion katelthon epi se, kai ek toutou anankazomai erōtēsai se. Tote labōn ho Zacharias to koukoulion autou ek tēs kephalēs autou, ethēken hypo tous podas, kai katapatēsas auto eipen; Ean mē syntribę̄ houtōs anthrōpos, ou dynatai einai monachos.
Once abba Moses said to brother Zacharias, “Tell me what I should do.” Hearing this, he threw himself on the ground at his feet, saying, “You are asking me, father?” The old man says to him, “Believe me, my child Zacharias, I saw the Holy Spirit come down upon you, and because of this I am compelled to ask you.” Then Zacharias took his hood from his head, put it under his feet, and trampling on it said, “Unless a man is crushed like this, he cannot be a monk.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Zacharias tramples his hood to show that a monk must be crushed in humility.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): Ζαχα ρίᾳ → Ζαχαρίᾳ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 33.3 (PG 65:179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
33.4PG 65:179
Καθημένου ποτὲ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ζαχαρίου εἰς Σκῆτιν, ἦλθε θεωρία εἰς αὐτόν· καὶ ἀναστὰς ἀνήγγειλε τῷ ἀββᾷ αὐτοῦ Καρίωνι. Ὁ δὲ γέρων, πρακτικὸς ὢν, οὐχ ὑπῆρχεν ἀκριβὴς περὶ ταῦτα. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἔδειρεν αὐτὸν, λέγων, ὅτι ἀπὸ δαιμόνων ἐστί. Παρέμεινε δὲ ὁ λογισμός. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἀπῆλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, νυκτὸς, καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ πῶς καίεται τὰ ἐντὸς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ γέρων –ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐστι, λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὕπαγε πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα τὸν γέροντα, καὶ εἴ τι δ᾽ ἄν σοι εἴπῃ, ποίησον. Καὶ ἀπελθὼν πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, πρὶν ἐξετάσαι αὐτόν τι, προλαβὼν ὁ γέρων εἶπεν αὐτῷ πάντα, καὶ ὅτι ἡ θεωρία ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐστιν. Ἀλλ᾽ ὕπαγε, ὑποτάγηθι τῷ Πατρί σου.
Kathēmenou pote tou abba Zachariou eis Skētin, ēlthe theōria eis auton; kai anastas anēngeile tǭ abbą autou Kariōni. Ho de gerōn, praktikos ōn, ouch hypērchen akribēs peri tauta. Kai anastas edeiren auton, legōn, hoti apo daimonōn esti. Paremeine de ho logismos. Kai anastas apēlthe pros ton abban Poimena, nyktos, kai anēngeilen autǭ to pragma, kai pōs kaietai ta entos autou. Kai idōn ho gerōn –hoti apo Theou esti, legei autǭ; Hypage pros ton deina ton geronta, kai ei ti d᾽ an soi eipę̄, poiēson. Kai apelthōn pros ton geronta, prin exetasai auton ti, prolabōn ho gerōn eipen autǭ panta, kai hoti hē theōria apo Theou estin. All᾽ hypage, hypotagēthi tǭ Patri sou.
Once when abba Zacharias was living at Scetis, a vision came to him; and he got up and told his abba Carion. The old man, being a man of practice, was not exact about these things. And he got up and beat him, saying that it was from the demons. But the thought remained. And he got up and went to abba Poemen at night and told him the matter, and how his inner parts were burning. And the old man, seeing that it was from God, says to him, “Go to such-and-such an old man, and whatever he tells you, do it.” And going to the old man, before he could question him, the old man spoke first and told him everything, and that the vision was from God. “But go, submit to your father.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Beaten by his father for a vision, Zacharias learns from another elder that it was from God but that he must still obey.
- Variant notes and a variant form of saying 2 (Moses sees the Spirit like a dove on Zacharias) printed in the notes are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (variant notes (“Al.”) and a variant form of another saying from Migne’s notes): ΑΙ. ἀδελφόν. λέγων. ὁ ἀββᾶς Μωϋσῆς εἰς τὸν λάκκον ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ, καὶ ἴδεν τὸν ἀββᾶν Ζαχαρίαν εὐχόμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ λάκκου, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς περιστερὰν καθήμενον ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν. → .
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 33.4 (PG 65:179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
33.5PG 65:179
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμὴν, ὅτι ἡρώτησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Μωϋσῆς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ζαχαρίαν μέλλοντα τελευτᾶν Τί ὁρᾷς; καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐ βέλτιον τὸ σιωπᾶν, Πάτερ; καὶ εἶπε· Ναὶ, τέκνον, σιώπα. Καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, καθεζόμενος ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἰσίδωρος, ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν· Εὐφραίνου, τέκνον μου Ζαχαρία, ὅτι ἀνεῴχθησάν σοι αἱ πύλαι τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας. Ἀρχὴ τοῦ Ἡ στοιχείου.
Eipen ho abbas Poimēn, hoti hērōtēsen ho abbas Mōÿsēs ton abban Zacharian mellonta teleutan Ti horąs? kai legei autǭ; Ou beltion to siōpan, Pater? kai eipe; Nai, teknon, siōpa. Kai tę̄ hōrą tou thanatou autou, kathezomenos ho abbas Isidōros, anablepsas eis ton ouranon eipen; Euphrainou, teknon mou Zacharia, hoti aneǭchthēsan soi hai pylai tēs tōn ouranōn basileias. Archē tou Hē stoicheiou.
Abba Poemen said that abba Moses asked abba Zacharias when he was about to die, “What do you see?” And he says to him, “Is it not better to keep silent, father?” And he said, “Yes, child, keep silent.” And at the hour of his death, abba Isidore, who was sitting there, looked up to heaven and said, “Rejoice, my child Zacharias, for the gates of the kingdom of heaven have been opened to you.” [Beginning of the letter Ē.]
Notes and citation
Summary: Dying, Zacharias keeps silent about what he sees, and Isidore sees heaven opened to him.
- The last words are a heading of the printed collection.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 33.5 (PG 65:179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/33-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 34
34.1PG 65:179–181
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἠσαΐας, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτως λυσιτελεῖ τῷ ἀρχαρίῳ ὡς ἡ ὕβρις. "Ωσπερ γὰρ δένδρον καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ποτιζόμενον, οὕτως ἀρχάριος ὑβριζόμενος καὶ ὑπομένων.
Eipen ho abbas Ēsaïas, hoti ouden houtōs lysitelei tǭ archariǭ hōs hē hybris. "Ōsper gar dendron kath᾽ hekastēn potizomenon, houtōs archarios hybrizomenos kai hypomenōn.
Abba Isaiah said, “Nothing profits a beginner so much as insult. For like a tree watered every day, so is a beginner who is insulted and endures.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Insult patiently borne is the best nourishment for a beginner.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.1 (PG 65:179–181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.2PG 65:181
Ἔλεγε πάλιν πρὸς τοὺς καλῶς ἀρχομένους καὶ ὑποτασσομένους Πατράσιν ἁγίοις, ὅτι Ἡ πρώτη βαφὴ οὐκ ἀποβάλλει, ὡς ἐπὶ πορφύρας. Και· ὅτι Ὥσπερ οἱ κλάδοι οἱ ἁπαλοὶ εὐχερῶς μεταστρέφονται καὶ κάμπτονται, οὕτως καὶ οἱ ἀρχάριοι ὄντες ἐν ὑποταγῇ.
Elege palin pros tous kalōs archomenous kai hypotassomenous Patrasin hagiois, hoti Hē prōtē baphē ouk apoballei, hōs epi porphyras. Kai; hoti Hōsper hoi kladoi hoi hapaloi eucherōs metastrephontai kai kamptontai, houtōs kai hoi archarioi ontes en hypotagę̄.
He also said to those who begin well and submit to holy Fathers, “The first dye does not come out, as with purple.” And: “As tender branches are easily turned and bent, so too are beginners who live in obedience.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah likens beginners in obedience to purple dye and tender branches.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.2 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.3PG 65:181
Ἔλεγε πάλιν, ὅτι ἀρχάριος μεταβαίνων ἀπὸ μοναστηρίου εἰς μοναστήριον, ἔοικε ζώῳ ὑπὸ φορβαίας ἐνταῦθα κἀκεῖσε ἐλαυνομένῳ.
Elege palin, hoti archarios metabainōn apo monastēriou eis monastērion, eoike zōǭ hypo phorbaias entautha kakeise elaunomenǭ.
He also said, “A beginner who moves from monastery to monastery is like an animal driven here and there by its halter.”
Notes and citation
Summary: A beginner who keeps changing monasteries is like a haltered beast.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.3 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.4PG 65:181
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι ὁ πρεσβύτερος τοῦ Πηλουσίου, γενομένης ἀγάπης, καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐσθιόντων, καὶ συλλαλούντων ἀλλήλοις, ἐπιτιμήσας αὐτοῖς εἶπε· Σιωπᾶτε, ἀδελφοί· εἶδον ἐγὼ ἀδελφὸν ἐσθίοντα μεθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ πίνοντα ποτήρια ὅσα ὑμεῖς καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτοῦ ἀναβαίνει ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς πῦρ.
Eipe palin, hoti ho presbyteros tou Pēlousiou, genomenēs agapēs, kai tōn adelphōn en tę̄ ekklēsią esthiontōn, kai syllalountōn allēlois, epitimēsas autois eipe; Siōpate, adelphoi; eidon egō adelphon esthionta meth' hymōn, kai pinonta potēria hosa hymeis kai hē euchē autou anabainei enōpion tou Theou hōs pyr.
He also said that the presbyter of Pelusium, when there was a love-feast and the brothers were eating in the church and talking with one another, rebuked them and said, “Be silent, brothers. I have seen a brother eating with you and drinking as many cups as you, and his prayer goes up before God like fire.”
Notes and citation
Summary: The presbyter of Pelusium rebukes chattering brothers at a love-feast by pointing to one whose prayer rises like fire.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.4 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.5PG 65:181
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἠσαΐου, ὅτι ποτὲ ἔλαβε θαλλίον, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ἄλωνα, καὶ λέγει τῷ γεούχῳ· Δός μοι σἴτον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Καὶ σὺ ἐθέρισας, ἀββᾶ; Λέγει· Οὐχί. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γεοῦχος· Πῶς οὖν θέλεις σἴτον λαβεῖν, μὴ θερίσας; Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Οὐκοῦν ἐὰν μὴ τις θερίσῃ, οὐ λαμβάνει μισθόν; Λέγει ὁ γεοῦχος· Οὐχί. Καὶ οὕτως ἀνεχώρησεν ὁ γέρων. Οἱ δὲ ἀδελφοὶ, ἰδόντες τί ἐποίησεν, ἔβαλον αὐτῷ μετάνοιαν, παρακαλοῦντες μαθεῖν τί τοῦτο ἐποίησε. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· Ὑπόδειγμα αὐτὸ ἐποίησα, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ τις ἐργάσηται, οὐ λαμβάνει μισθὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Elegon peri tou abba Ēsaïou, hoti pote elabe thallion, kai apēlthen eis tēn alōna, kai legei tǭ geouchǭ; Dos moi siton. Kai legei autǭ; Kai sy etherisas, abba? Legei; Ouchi. Kai legei autǭ ho geouchos; Pōs oun theleis siton labein, mē therisas? Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Oukoun ean mē tis therisę̄, ou lambanei misthon? Legei ho geouchos; Ouchi. Kai houtōs anechōrēsen ho gerōn. Hoi de adelphoi, idontes ti epoiēsen, ebalon autǭ metanoian, parakalountes mathein ti touto epoiēse. Legei autois ho gerōn; Hypodeigma auto epoiēsa, hoti ean mē tis ergasētai, ou lambanei misthon para tou Theou.
They said of abba Isaiah that once he took a branch and went to the threshing floor and says to the landowner, “Give me wheat.” And he says to him, “Did you reap too, abba?” He says, “No.” And the landowner says to him, “Then how do you want to receive wheat without having reaped?” And the old man says to him, “So if someone does not reap, he does not receive wages?” The landowner says, “No.” And so the old man went away. The brothers, seeing what he had done, made a prostration to him, begging to learn why he had done this. The old man says to them, “I did it as an example: if someone does not work, he does not receive wages from God.”
2 Thess 3:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah acts out a parable: no reaping, no wages from God.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.5 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.6PG 65:181
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Ἠσαΐας ἐκάλεσέ τινα τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ἔνιψεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ἔβαλε δράκα φακοῦ εἰς χύτραν, καὶ ὡς ἔβρασε, κατήνεγκεν αὐτήν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀδελφός· Οὔπω ἐψήθη, ἀββᾶ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ σοι ὅτι ὅλως εἶδες λαμπρόν; καὶ αὕτη μεγάλη παράκλησις.
Ho autos abbas Ēsaïas ekalese tina tōn adelphōn, kai enipsen autou tous podas, kai ebale draka phakou eis chytran, kai hōs ebrase, katēnenken autēn. Kai legei autǭ ho adelphos; Oupō epsēthē, abba. Kai legei autǭ; Ouk arkei soi hoti holōs eides lampron? kai hautē megalē paraklēsis.
The same abba Isaiah invited one of the brothers, washed his feet, put a handful of lentils into a pot, and as soon as it boiled, took it off. And the brother says to him, “It is not cooked yet, abba.” And he says to him, “Is it not enough for you that you have seen the fire at all? That too is great comfort.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah serves barely boiled lentils, saying that seeing the fire at all is comfort enough.
- λαμπρόν is taken as the fire (“flame”).
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.6 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.7PG 65:181
Ἔλεγε πάλιν, ὅτι Ἐὰν θέλῃ ὁ Θεὸς ψυχὴν ἐλεῆσαι, αὐτὴ δὲ ἀφηνιάζει καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχεται, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτῆς ποιεῖ, συγχωρεῖ αὐτὴν παθεῖν ἅπερ οὐ θέλει, ἵνα οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐπιζητήσῃ.
Elege palin, hoti Ean thelę̄ ho Theos psychēn eleēsai, autē de aphēniazei kai ouk anechetai, alla to thelēma autēs poiei, synchōrei autēn pathein haper ou thelei, hina houtōs auton epizētēsę̄.
He also said, “If God wants to have mercy on a soul, and it rebels and will not bear it, but does its own will, he allows it to suffer what it does not want, so that in this way it may seek him.”
Notes and citation
Summary: God lets a rebellious soul suffer so that it will seek him.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letter and wrong breathing): ἱὅτι Ἑὰν → ὅτι Ἐὰν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.7 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.8PG 65:181
Ἔλεγε πάλιν, ὅτι Ἡνίκα τις βούλεται κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδοῦναι, δύναται καὶ διὰ νεύματος μόνου βλάψαι τὴν συνείδησιν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ.
Elege palin, hoti Hēnika tis bouletai kakon anti kakou apodounai, dynatai kai dia neumatos monou blapsai tēn syneidēsin tou adelphou.
He also said, “When someone wants to repay evil for evil, he can injure his brother’s conscience even by a mere nod.”
Rom 12:17 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Even a nod can wound a brother when one seeks revenge.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.8 (PG 65:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-8
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.9PG 65:181–183
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Ἠσαΐας ἡρωτήθη, τί ἐστι φιλαργυρία, καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· Τὸ μὴ πιστεῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ποιεῖταί σου φροντίδα, καὶ τὸ ἀπελπίσαι τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ φιλοπλατύνεσθαι.
Ho autos abbas Ēsaïas hērōtēthē, ti esti philargyria, kai apekrithē; To mē pisteusai tǭ Theǭ, hoti poieitai sou phrontida, kai to apelpisai tōn epangeliōn tou Theou kai philoplatynesthai.
The same abba Isaiah was asked what avarice is, and he answered, “Not to believe God, that he takes care of you; to despair of God’s promises; and to love to expand.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Pet 5:7 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Avarice is distrust of God’s care and promises and the love of enlarging one’s holdings.
- Variant notes and a stray line (on a tree watered daily) merged into the Greek are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; variant notes (“Al.”) and a stray line from another saying): τῷ ΑΙ. ἶσα ὑμῶν. ΑΙ. εἶδε. ἀββᾶ Ἠσαΐου. Δένδρον ποτιζόμενον καθ' ἡμέραν, πότε ξηραίνεται αὐτοῦ, ἡ ῥίζα εἰς τὸ μὴ καρποφο Θεῷ → τῷ Θεῷ; ἀπελπί σαι → ἀπελπίσαι; φιλοπλατύ νεσθαι → φιλοπλατύνεσθαι.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.9 (PG 65:181–183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-9
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.10PG 65:183
Ἠρωτήθη πάλιν, τί ἐστι καταλαλιά, καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· Τὸ μὴ γνῶναι δὲ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Φθόνος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον.
Ērōtēthē palin, ti esti katalalia, kai apekrithē; To mē gnōnai de tēn doxan tou Theou kai Phthonos pros ton plēsion.
He was asked again what slander is, and he answered, “Not to know the glory of God, and envy toward one’s neighbor.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Slander comes from ignorance of God’s glory and envy of one’s neighbor.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split with stray marks): ἀπ-· εκρίθη → ἀπεκρίθη.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.10 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
34.11PG 65:183
Ἠρωτήθη πάλιν, τί ἐστιν ὀργὴ, καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· Ἔρις καὶ ψεῦδος, καὶ ἀγνωσία.
Ērōtēthē palin, ti estin orgē, kai apekrithē; Eris kai pseudos, kai agnōsia.
He was asked again what anger is, and he answered, “Strife, lying, and ignorance.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Anger is strife, lying, and ignorance.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): ἀπεκρί θη → ἀπεκρίθη.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 34.11 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/34-11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 35
35.1PG 65:183
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἠλίας· Ἐγὼ τρία πράγματα φοβοῦμαι· ὅταν μέλλῃ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ὅταν μέλλω τῷ Θεῷ ἀπαντῆσαι, καὶ ὅταν μέλλῃ ἡ ἀπόφασις ἐξελθεῖν κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ
Eipen ho abbas Ēlias; Egō tria pragmata phoboumai; hotan mellę̄ hē psychē mou exelthein apo tou sōmatos, kai hotan mellō tǭ Theǭ apantēsai, kai hotan mellę̄ hē apophasis exelthein kat᾿ emou
Abba Elijah said, “I fear three things: when my soul is about to leave the body, when I am about to meet God, and when the sentence is about to go out against me.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Elijah fears death, meeting God, and God’s sentence.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.1 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.2PG 65:183
Ἔλεγον οἱ γέροντες τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἠλίᾳ εἰς Αἴγυπτον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀγάθωνος, ὅτι Καλὸς ἀβᾶς ἐστιν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ γέρων· Κατὰ τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ καλός ἐστι. Καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἀρχαίους τί; Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει· Εἶπον ὑμῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ καλός ἐστι· κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἀρχαίους, ἑώρακα ἄνθρωπον ἐν Σκήτει, ὅτι ἠδύνατο τὸν ἥλιον στῆσαι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καθάπερ Ἰησους ὁ τοῦ Ναυΐ Καὶ τοῦτο ἀκούσαντες, έθαμβήθησαν, καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν Θεόν
Elegon hoi gerontes tǭ abbą Ēlią eis Aigypton peri tou abba Agathōnos, hoti Kalos abas estin. Kai legei autois ho gerōn; Kata tēn genean autou kalos esti. Kai legousin autǭ; Kata de tous archaious ti? Kai apokritheis legei; Eipon hymin, hoti kata tēn genean autou kalos esti; kata de tous archaious, heōraka anthrōpon en Skētei, hoti ēdynato ton hēlion stēsai en tǭ ouranǭ, kathaper Iēsous ho tou Nauï Kai touto akousantes, ethambēthēsan, kai edoxasan ton Theon
The old men in Egypt said to abba Elijah about abba Agathon, “He is a good abba.” And the old man says to them, “For his generation he is good.” And they say to him, “And compared with the ancients?” And he answered, “I told you that for his generation he is good; but as for the ancients, I have seen a man at Scetis who could make the sun stand still in the sky, like Joshua the son of Nun.” Hearing this, they were astonished and glorified God.
Josh 10:13 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Elijah says Agathon is good for his generation, but the ancients could stop the sun like Joshua.
- Joshua stopping the sun: Josh 10:12–13.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.2 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.3PG 65:183
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἠλίας ὁ τῆς διακονίας Τί ἰσχύει ἁμαρτία, ὅπου ἐστὶ μετάνοια; καὶ τί ὠφελεῖ ἀγάπη, ἔνθα ἐστὶν ὑπερηφανία;
Eipen ho abbas Ēlias ho tēs diakonias Ti ischyei hamartia, hopou esti metanoia? kai ti ōphelei agapē, entha estin hyperēphania?
Abba Elijah of the diaconate said, “What power has sin where there is repentance? And what profit is love where there is pride?”
Notes and citation
Summary: Repentance disarms sin, and pride empties love.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.3 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.4PG 65:183
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἠλίας, ὅτι Εἶδον ἐγώ τινα λαβόντα κολοκύντιον οἶνου εἰς τὴν μάλην αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἵνα αἰσχύνω τοὺς δαίμονας ὅτι φαντασία ἦν, εἶπον τῷ ἀδελφῷ· Ποίησον ἀγάπην, καὶ ἄρόν μου τοῦτο· καὶ ἄρας τὸ πάλλιον αὐτοῦ, εὑρέθη μηδὲν ἔχων. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπον, ὅτι κἂν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἴδητέ τι, ἢ ἀκούσητε, μὴ καταδέξησθε. Πόσῳ μᾶλλον τηρεῖτε τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς καὶ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις καὶ τὰς ἐννοίας, εἰδότες ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐμβάλλουσιν αὐτὰ, ἵνα μιάνωσι τὴν ψυχὴν λογίζεσθαι τὰ μὴ συμφέροντα, καὶ ἵνα ἀπασχολήσωσι τὸν νοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Eipen ho abbas Ēlias, hoti Eidon egō tina labonta kolokyntion oinou eis tēn malēn autou; kai hina aischynō tous daimonas hoti phantasia ēn, eipon tǭ adelphǭ; Poiēson agapēn, kai aron mou touto; kai aras to pallion autou, heurethē mēden echōn. Touto de eipon, hoti kan tois ophthalmois idēte ti, ē akousēte, mē katadexēsthe. Posǭ mallon tēreite tous dialogismous kai tas enthymēseis kai tas ennoias, eidotes hoti autoi emballousin auta, hina mianōsi tēn psychēn logizesthai ta mē sympheronta, kai hina apascholēsōsi ton noun apo tōn hamartiōn autou, kai tou Theou.
Abba Elijah said, “I saw someone who had taken a gourd of wine under his arm; and to put the demons to shame, because it was an illusion, I said to the brother, ‘Do me a kindness and take this off for me’; and when he lifted his cloak, he was found to have nothing. I said this so that even if you see or hear something with your eyes, you do not accept it. How much more should you watch your reasonings and reflections and thoughts, knowing that they put them in, in order to defile the soul by thinking what is not profitable, and to distract the mind from its sins and from God.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Elijah exposes a demonic illusion of a brother carrying wine, warning that thoughts too are demonic suggestions.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.4 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.5PG 65:183
Εἶπε πάλιν· Οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν νοῦν ἔχουσιν, ἢ εἰς τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἢ πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἢ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.
Eipe palin; Hoi anthrōpoi ton noun echousin, ē eis tas hamartias, ē pros ton Iēsoun, ē pros tous anthrōpous.
He also said, “People have their minds either on their sins, or on Jesus, or on men.”
Notes and citation
Summary: The mind is fixed on sins, on Jesus, or on people.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.5 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.6PG 65:183
Εἶπε πάλιν· Ἐὰν μὴ ὁ νοῦς ψάλλῃ μετὰ τοῦ σώματος, εἰς μάτην ὁ κόπος. Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἀγαπᾷ τὴν θλίψιν, ὕστερον γίνεται αὐτῷ εἰς χαρὰν καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν.
Eipe palin; Ean mē ho nous psallę̄ meta tou sōmatos, eis matēn ho kopos. Ean gar tis agapą tēn thlipsin, hysteron ginetai autǭ eis charan kai anapausin.
He also said, “If the mind does not sing psalms with the body, the labor is in vain. For if someone loves affliction, afterward it turns for him into joy and rest.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Psalmody without the mind is vain; affliction loved turns to joy.
- Variant notes are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): δι ΑΙ. τὸ φιλεῖν τὰς βλαβερὰς ἡδονάς. ἀδελφός. ΑΙ. Ναυῆ. ἀνάπαυσιν → ἀνάπαυσιν.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.6 (PG 65:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
35.7PG 65:183–185
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι Τὶς γέρων ἔμεινεν εἰς ἱερόν· καὶ ἦλθον οἱ δαίμονες λέγοντες αὐτῷ· Ἄπελθε ἐν τοῦ τόπου ἡμῶν. Καὶ ὁ γέρων ἔφη· Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἔχετε τόπον. Καὶ ἤρξαντο σκορπίζειν αὐτοῦ τὰ βαΐα καθ' ἅπαξ. Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἐπέμενεν αὐτὰ συλλέγων. Ὕστερον ὁ δαίμων κρατήσας αὐτοῦ τὴν χεῖρα, ἔσυρεν αὐτὸν ἔξω. Ὡς δὲ ἔφθασε τὴν θύραν ὁ γέρων, τῇ ἄλλῃ χειρὶ κατέσχε τὴν θύραν, κράζων· Ἰησοῦ, βοήθει μοι. Καὶ εὐθὺς ὁ δαίμων ἔφυγε. Καὶ ὁ γέρων ἤρξατο κλαίειν. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τί κλαίεις; καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ὅτι τολμῶσι κρατῆσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ οὕτως ποιῆσαι. Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· Σὺ ἡμέλησας. Ὅτε γὰρ ἐζήτησάς με, εἶδες πῶς εὑρέθην σοι. Ταῦτα λέγω, ὅτι κόπου πολλοῦ χρεία, καὶ εἰ μὴ κόπος γένηται, οὐ δύναταί τις ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ Αὐτὸς γὰρ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐσταυρώθη. Ἀδελφὸς παρέβαλε τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἠλίᾳ τῷ ἡσυχαστῇ Ζάββα καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀββᾶ, εἶπόν μοι ῥῆμα. Ὁ δὲ γέρων λέγει τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ὅτι Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἡγαπῶντο αἱ τρεῖς ἀρεταὶ αὖται, ἡ ἀκτημοσύνη, καὶ ἡ πραότης, καὶ ἡ ἐγκράτεια· νῦν δὲ κρατεῖ εἰς τοὺς μοναχοὺς ἡ πλεονεξία, καὶ κράτησον.
Eipe palin, hoti Tis gerōn emeinen eis hieron; kai ēlthon hoi daimones legontes autǭ; Apelthe en tou topou hēmōn. Kai ho gerōn ephē; Hymeis ouk echete topon. Kai ērxanto skorpizein autou ta baïa kath' hapax. Ho de gerōn epemenen auta syllegōn. Hysteron ho daimōn kratēsas autou tēn cheira, esyren auton exō. Hōs de ephthase tēn thyran ho gerōn, tę̄ allę̄ cheiri katesche tēn thyran, krazōn; Iēsou, boēthei moi. Kai euthys ho daimōn ephyge. Kai ho gerōn ērxato klaiein. Ho de Kyrios eipen autǭ; Ti klaieis? kai legei ho gerōn; Hoti tolmōsi kratēsai ton anthrōpon, kai houtōs poiēsai. Eipe de autǭ; Sy hēmelēsas. Hote gar ezētēsas me, eides pōs heurethēn soi. Tauta legō, hoti kopou pollou chreia, kai ei mē kopos genētai, ou dynatai tis echein ton Theon autou Autos gar di᾽ hēmas estaurōthē. Adelphos parebale tǭ abbą Ēlią tǭ hēsychastę̄ Zabba kai legei autǭ; Abba, eipon moi rhēma. Ho de gerōn legei tǭ adelphǭ, hoti En tais hēmerais tōn paterōn hēmōn, hēgapōnto hai treis aretai autai, hē aktēmosynē, kai hē praotēs, kai hē enkrateia; nyn de kratei eis tous monachous hē pleonexia, kai kratēson.
He also said, “An old man was living in a temple; and the demons came and said to him, ‘Get out of our place.’ And the old man said, ‘You have no place.’ And they began to scatter his palm leaves one by one; but the old man kept gathering them up. Finally the demon seized his hand and dragged him outside. When the old man reached the door, he grabbed the door with his other hand, crying, ‘Jesus, help me!’ And at once the demon fled. And the old man began to weep. And the Lord said to him, ‘Why are you weeping?’ And the old man says, ‘Because they dare to seize a man and treat him like this.’ He said to him, ‘You were careless. For when you sought me, you saw how I was found by you.’ I say this because much labor is needed, and unless there is labor, no one can have his God; for he was crucified for us.” [8] A brother visited abba Elijah the solitary at Zabba and says to him, “Abba, tell me a word.” The old man says to the brother, “In the days of our fathers these three virtues were loved: poverty, meekness, and self-control; but now greed holds sway among the monks, … and hold fast.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: A hermit attacked by demons calls on Jesus and is told that God is found by labor; another saying laments the loss of old monastic virtues.
- Variant notes inside the sentence are removed. The scan runs a further saying of Elijah (at Zabba) into this one; it is marked [8]. Its end is lost in the scan (“…”).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split with stray mark; stray words and variant notes (“Al.”) inside the sentence): τὸν Θεὸν ἥ. ΑΙ. αὐτοῦ. ΑΙ. αίρεσις. χειρὶ → χειρὶ; Ὕστε· ρον → Ὕστερον.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 35.7 (PG 65:183–185; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/35-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 36
36.1PG 65:185
Ἀδελφὸς πολεμηθεὶς, ἀπήγγειλε τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἡρακλείῳ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ἐκεῖνος στηρίζων αὐτὸν, ὅτι Τὶς γέρων ἔσχε μαθητὴν ὑπήκοον πάνυ ἐπὶ πολλὰ ἔτη. Μιᾷ οὖν πολεμηθεὶς ἔβαλε μετάνοιαν τῷ γέροντι, λέγων· Ποίησόν με γενέσθαι μοναχόν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Βλέπε τόπον, καὶ ποιοῦμέν σοι κελλίον Καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἀπὸ σημείου ἑνὸς εὖρε. Καὶ ἀπελθόντες ἐποίησαν κελλίον. Καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀδελφῷ· Εἰ τί σοι λέγω, τοῦτο ποίησον. Ὅταν πεινᾷς, φάγε, πίε, κοιμῶ· μόνον τοῦ κελλίου σου μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἕως φὸς ἐποίησε τὰς δύο ἡμέρας κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν· καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀκηδιάσας, λέγει· Τί τοῦτο ἐποίησε μοι ὁ γέρων; καὶ ἀναστὰς, ἔψαλλε πλείστους ψαλμούς· καὶ μετὰ τὸ δῦναι τὸν ἥλιον ἔφαγε· καὶ ἀναθεωρεῖ Αἰθίοπα κείμενον τρίζοντα τοὺς ὀδόντας κατ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ δρομαῖος φόβῳ πολλῷ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν γέροντα· καὶ κρούσας τὴν θύραν, εἶπεν· Ἀββᾶ, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ ἄνοιξον Ὁ δὲ γέρων, γνοὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἐφύλαξε τὸ ῥῆμα αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἤνοιξεν αὐτῷ ἕως πρωί, καὶ ἀνοίξας τῷ πρωΐ, εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἔξω παρακαλοῦντα· καὶ οἰκτηρήσας εἰσήνεγκεν αὐτόν. Τότε λέγει· Δέομαί σου, Πάτερ· Αἰθίοπα μέλανα εἶδον ἐπὶ τὸ ψιάθιόν μου, ὡς ἀπῆλθον κοιμηθῆναι. Ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Τοῦτο σας αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν, τὸ ἀκόλουθον τοῦ μονήρους βίου κατὰ μικρὸν γέγονε μοναχὸς καλός.
Adelphos polemētheis, apēngeile tǭ abbą Hērakleiǭ. Kai legei autǭ ekeinos stērizōn auton, hoti Tis gerōn esche mathētēn hypēkoon pany epi polla etē. Mią oun polemētheis ebale metanoian tǭ geronti, legōn; Poiēson me genesthai monachon. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Blepe topon, kai poioumen soi kellion Kai apelthōn apo sēmeiou henos eure. Kai apelthontes epoiēsan kellion. Kai legei tǭ adelphǭ; Ei ti soi legō, touto poiēson. Hotan peinąs, phage, pie, koimō; monon tou kelliou sou mē exelthę̄s heōs phos epoiēse tas dyo hēmeras kata tēn entolēn; kai tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą akēdiasas, legei; Ti touto epoiēse moi ho gerōn? kai anastas, epsalle pleistous psalmous; kai meta to dynai ton hēlion ephage; kai anatheōrei Aithiopa keimenon trizonta tous odontas kat' autou. Kai dromaios phobǭ pollǭ ēlthe pros ton geronta; kai krousas tēn thyran, eipen; Abba, eleēson me, kai anoixon Ho de gerōn, gnous hoti ouk ephylaxe to rhēma autou, ouk ēnoixen autǭ heōs prōi, kai anoixas tǭ prōï, heuren auton exō parakalounta; kai oiktērēsas eisēnenken auton. Tote legei; Deomai sou, Pater; Aithiopa melana eidon epi to psiathion mou, hōs apēlthon koimēthēnai. Ho de eipe; Touto sas autǭ pros tēn dynamin, to akolouthon tou monērous biou kata mikron gegone monachos kalos.
A brother who was under attack told abba Heracleius. And he, strengthening him, says to him, “An old man had a very obedient disciple for many years. One day, under attack, the disciple made a prostration to the old man, saying, ‘Make me become a monk on my own.’ And the old man says to him, ‘Look for a place, and we will make you a cell.’ And he went off and found one a mile away. And they went and made a cell. And he says to the brother, ‘Whatever I tell you, do it. When you are hungry, eat, drink, sleep; only do not go out of your cell until … ’ The brother did this for two days according to the command; and on the third day, overcome by listlessness, he says, ‘Why did the old man do this to me?’ And getting up, he sang a great many psalms; and after sunset he ate; and he sees an Ethiopian lying there gnashing his teeth at him. And running in great fear, he came to the old man; and knocking at the door he said, ‘Abba, have mercy on me and open!’ The old man, knowing that he had not kept his word, did not open to him until morning; and opening in the morning, he found him outside begging; and taking pity on him, he brought him in. Then he says, ‘I beg you, father: I saw a black Ethiopian on my mat when I went to sleep.’ And he said, ‘This …’” … according to his strength, the order of the solitary life, little by little he became a good monk.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: A disciple who disobeyed his elder’s simple rule in his new cell is frightened by a demon and returns.
- The scan loses words twice (marked “…”): the limit of the command (in other copies “until the end of the week”) and the old man’s explanation near the end. A variant note is removed. The demon appears as a black “Ethiopian,” a common figure in the sayings.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (variant note (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): ΑΙ. μετ' αὐτοῦ. → .
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 36.1 (PG 65:185; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/36-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/36-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.