Sayings of the Desert Fathers (alphabetical collection) 89.178–100.1
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 89
89.178PG 65:365
Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι Δαβὶδ ὅτε μετὰ τοῦ λέοντος συνέβαλε, τοῦ λαρυγγίου αὐτοῦ κατέσχεν αὐτὸν, καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. Ἐὰν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς κατάσχωμεν τοῦ λαρυγγίου καὶ τῆς κοιλίας ἑαυτῶν, νικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἀόρατον λέοντα..
Eipe palin, hoti Dabid hote meta tou leontos synebale, tou laryngiou autou kateschen auton, kai eutheōs apekteinen auton. Ean oun kai hēmeis kataschōmen tou laryngiou kai tēs koilias heautōn, nikōmen dia tou Theou ton aoraton leonta..
He also said, “When David fought with the lion, he seized it by the throat and at once killed it. So if we too control our throat and our belly, we conquer the invisible lion through God.”
1 Sam 17:35 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 5:8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Controlling throat and belly overcomes the devil as David seized the lion’s throat.
- 1 Sam 17:35.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.178 (PG 65:365; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-178). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-178
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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.
89.179PG 65:365
Ἀδελφὸς ἡρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, λέγων· Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι ἔρχεταί μοι θλίψις, καὶ κινοῦμαι; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων, ὅτι ἡ βία ποιεῖ καὶ τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ τοὺς μεγάλους κινηθῆναι. ρτ'. Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ποιμένος, ὅτι ἐκάθητο εἰς Σκῆτιν μετὰ δύο ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὁ μικρότερος ἔθλιβεν αὐτούς. Καὶ λέγει τῷ ἄλλῳ ἀδελφῷ· Παραλύει ἡμᾶς ὁ μικρότερος οὗτος· ἐγείρου, ἄγωμεν ἔνθεν. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἀφῆκαν αὐτόν. Ὡς οὖν εἶδεν ὅτι ἐχρόνισαν, εἶδεν αὐτοὺς μακρὰν ἀπέχοντας, καὶ ἤρξατο τρέχειν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν, κράζων. Λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμήν· Μείνωμεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ὅτι κοπιᾷ. Ὡς οὖν ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἔβαλε μετάνοιαν, λέγων· Ποῦ ὑπάγετε, καὶ ἀφίετέ με μόνον; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὅτι θλίβεις ἡμᾶς, διὰ τοῦτο ἡμεῖς ἀναχωροῦμεν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς Ναὶ, ναὶ, ὅπου θέλετε, ἄγωμεν ὁμοῦ. Καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ γέρων τὴν ἀκακίαν αὐτοῦ, λέγει τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· Ἀναστρέψωμεν, ἀδελφέ· οὐ γὰρ θέλων ταῦτα ποιεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ διάβολός ἐστιν ὁ ταῦτα ποιῶν αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἀναστρέψαντες ἦλθον εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῶν.
Adelphos hērōtēse ton abban Poimena, legōn; Ti poiēsō, hoti erchetai moi thlipsis, kai kinoumai? Kai eipen ho gerōn, hoti hē bia poiei kai tous mikrous kai tous megalous kinēthēnai. rt'. Elegon peri tou abba Poimenos, hoti ekathēto eis Skētin meta dyo adelphōn autou; kai ho mikroteros ethliben autous. Kai legei tǭ allǭ adelphǭ; Paralyei hēmas ho mikroteros houtos; egeirou, agōmen enthen. Kai exelthontes aphēkan auton. Hōs oun eiden hoti echronisan, eiden autous makran apechontas, kai ērxato trechein opisō autōn, krazōn. Legei ho abbas Poimēn; Meinōmen ton adelphon, hoti kopią. Hōs oun ēlthe pros autous, ebale metanoian, legōn; Pou hypagete, kai aphiete me monon? Legei autǭ ho gerōn; Hoti thlibeis hēmas, dia touto hēmeis anachōroumen. Legei autois Nai, nai, hopou thelete, agōmen homou. Kai idōn ho gerōn tēn akakian autou, legei tǭ adelphǭ autou; Anastrepsōmen, adelphe; ou gar thelōn tauta poiei, all᾽ ho diabolos estin ho tauta poiōn autǭ. Kai anastrepsantes ēlthon eis ton topon autōn.
A brother asked abba Poemen, saying, “What shall I do, for affliction comes upon me and I am shaken?” And the old man said, “Force makes both small and great be shaken.” [180] They said of abba Poemen that he lived at Scetis with two of his brothers; and the younger troubled them. And he says to the other brother, “This younger one is wearing us out; get up, let us go from here.” And going out they left him. When he saw that they were long away, he saw them far off, and began to run after them, crying out. Abba Poemen says, “Let us wait for the brother, for he is tiring himself.” When he came to them, he made a prostration, saying, “Where are you going, leaving me alone?” The old man says to him, “Because you afflict us, that is why we are leaving.” He says to them, “Yes, yes, let us go together wherever you want.” And seeing his innocence, the old man says to his brother, “Let us go back, brother; for he does not do these things willingly, but it is the devil who does them to him.” And turning back, they came to their place.
Notes and citation
Summary: Temptation shakes small and great; then (saying 180) Poemen returns to a troublesome younger brother who runs after them.
- The scan runs Poemen 180 (ρπʹ) into this saying; marked [180].
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: word split): ἐκάθητα → ἐκάθητο; θλί βεις → θλίβεις.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.179 (PG 65:365; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-179). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-179
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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.
89.181PG 65:365
Ἠρώτησεν ἡγούμενος κοινοβίου τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, λέγων· Πῶς δύναμαι κτήσασθαι τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμήν· Πῶς δυνάμεθα κτήσασθαι φόβον Θεοῦ, ἔσωθεν ἔχοντες γαστρία τυρίων, καὶ κεράμια ταρίχων; ρπβ': Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, λέγων· Ἀ̓ββᾶ, δύο ἄνθρωποι ἦσαν, εἷς μοναχὸς καὶ εἷς κοσμικός. Ὁ μοναχὸς ἐλογίσατο ὀψὲ ἵνα τὸ πρωΐ ῥίψῃ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ ὁ κοσμικὸς ἐλογίσατο ἵνα γένηται μοναχός· ἀμφότεροι δὲ ἀπέθανον τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ· τί ἄρα λογίζεται αὐτοῖς; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Ὁ μοναχὸς ἀπέθανε μοναχὸς, καὶ ὁ κοσμικὸς ἀπέθανε κοσμικός· ἐν ᾧ γὰρ εὑρέθησαν, ἀπῆλθον.
Ērōtēsen hēgoumenos koinobiou ton abban Poimena, legōn; Pōs dynamai ktēsasthai ton phobon tou Theou? Legei autǭ ho abbas Poimēn; Pōs dynametha ktēsasthai phobon Theou, esōthen echontes gastria tyriōn, kai keramia tarichōn? rpb': Adelphos ērōtēse ton abban Poimena, legōn; Abba, dyo anthrōpoi ēsan, heis monachos kai heis kosmikos. Ho monachos elogisato opse hina to prōï rhipsę̄ to schēma, kai ho kosmikos elogisato hina genētai monachos; amphoteroi de apethanon tę̄ nykti ekeinę̄; ti ara logizetai autois? Kai eipen ho gerōn; Ho monachos apethane monachos, kai ho kosmikos apethane kosmikos; en hǭ gar heurethēsan, apēlthon.
The superior of a community asked abba Poemen, saying, “How can I acquire the fear of God?” Abba Poemen says to him, “How can we acquire the fear of God, having inside jars of cheese and pots of salted fish?” [182] A brother asked abba Poemen, saying, “Abba, there were two men, one a monk and one a layman. The monk decided in the evening to throw off the habit in the morning, and the layman decided to become a monk; and both died that night; how are they reckoned?” And the old man said, “The monk died a monk, and the layman died a layman; for they departed in the state in which they were found.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Poemen says the fear of God cannot coexist with stored delicacies; and (saying 182) that people are judged in the state in which death finds them.
- The scan runs Poemen 182 (ρπβʹ) into this saying; marked [182].
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: breathing lost): ρίψῃ τὸ σχῆμα → ῥίψῃ τὸ σχῆμα.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.181 (PG 65:365; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-181). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-181
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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.
89.183PG 65:365–367
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἰωάννης ὅτι Παρεβάλομέν ποτε ἀπὸ Συρίας τῷ ἀββᾷ Ποιμένι, καὶ ἠθέλομεν αὐτὸν ἐρωτῆσαι περὶ τῆς σκληρότητος τῆς καρδίας. ὁ δὲ γέρων οὐκ ᾔδει Ἑλληνιστὶ, οὐδὲ ὁ ἑρμηνεὺς εὐκαίρησεν Ἰδὼν δὲ ἡμᾶς θλιβομένους ὁ γέρων, ἤρξατο λαλεῖν τῇ Ἑλληνίδι φωνῇ, λέγων· Ἡ φύσις τοῦ ὕδατος ἁπαλή ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ τοῦ λίθου σκληρά· τὸ δὲ βαυκάλιον ἐπάνω κρεμάμενον τοῦ λίθου, στάζον στάζον τιτρᾷ τὸν λίθον. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἁπαλός ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ καρδία ἡμῶν σκληρά· ἀκούων δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος πολλάκις τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνοίγεται ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ τοῦ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεόν.
Elegen ho abbas Iōannēs hoti Parebalomen pote apo Syrias tǭ abbą Poimeni, kai ēthelomen auton erōtēsai peri tēs sklērotētos tēs kardias. ho de gerōn ouk ę̄dei Hellēnisti, oude ho hermēneus eukairēsen Idōn de hēmas thlibomenous ho gerōn, ērxato lalein tę̄ Hellēnidi phōnę̄, legōn; Hē physis tou hydatos hapalē estin, hē de tou lithou sklēra; to de baukalion epanō kremamenon tou lithou, stazon stazon titrą ton lithon. Houtōs kai ho logos tou Theou hapalos estin, hē de kardia hēmōn sklēra; akouōn de ho anthrōpos pollakis ton logon tou Theou, anoigetai hē kardia autou tou phobeisthai ton Theon.
Abba John said, “Once we came from Syria to visit abba Poemen, and we wanted to ask him about hardness of heart. But the old man did not know Greek, nor was the interpreter at hand. Seeing us distressed, the old man began to speak in the Greek language, saying, ‘The nature of water is soft, and that of stone hard; but the jar hanging over the stone, dripping drop by drop, pierces the stone. So too the word of God is soft, and our heart hard; but a man who often hears the word of God has his heart opened to fear God.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: Poemen speaks Greek miraculously to Syrian visitors, comparing God’s word to water wearing away stone.
- Some stray letters and words in the scan are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray words from Migne’s notes merged into the sentence): ἄραμεν ει εὕραμεν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς. Ω, τῷ Θεῷ διαπαντός, → .
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.183 (PG 65:365–367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-183). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-183
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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.
89.184PG 65:367
Παρέβαλεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἰσαὰκ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ποιμένι καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν βάλλοντα μικρὸν ὕδωρ εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ὡς ἔχων πρὸς αὐτὸν παῤῥησίαν, εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πῶς τινες ἐχρήσαντο τῇ ἀποτομίᾳ σκληραγωγήσαντες τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν; Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμήν· Ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐδιδάχθημεν σωματοκτόνοι, ἀλλὰ παθοκτόνοι.
Parebalen ho abbas Isaak tǭ abbą Poimeni kai idōn auton ballonta mikron hydōr eis tous podas autou hōs echōn pros auton parrhēsian, eipen autǭ; Pōs tines echrēsanto tę̄ apotomią sklēragōgēsantes to sōma autōn? Kai legei autǭ ho abbas Poimēn; Hēmeis ouk edidachthēmen sōmatoktonoi, alla pathoktonoi.
Abba Isaac visited abba Poemen and, seeing him pour a little water on his feet, said to him, since he had freedom with him, “How is it that some have practiced severity, treating their bodies harshly?” And abba Poemen says to him, “We were not taught to be killers of the body, but killers of the passions.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Poemen says monks are to kill passions, not bodies.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.184 (PG 65:367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-184). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-184
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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.
89.185PG 65:367
Εἶπεν πάλιν· Τὰ τραύματα οὐ δύναμαι κόψαι, τὴν βρῶσιν, τὸ ἔνδυμα, καὶ τὸν ὕπνον· ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ μέρους δυνάμεθα κόψαι.
Eipen palin; Ta traumata ou dynamai kopsai, tēn brōsin, to endyma, kai ton hypnon; all᾽ ek merous dynametha kopsai.
He also said, “These three we cannot cut off: food, clothing, and sleep; but we can cut them off in part.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Food, clothing, and sleep cannot be cut off, only reduced.
- The scan reads “The wounds I cannot cut off”; translated by sense (“these three”).
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.185 (PG 65:367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-185). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-185
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-89-185) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
89.186PG 65:367
Ἠρώτησεν ἀδελφὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ποιμένα, λέγων, ὅτι Πολλὰ λάχανα ἐσθίω. Ἔφη ὁ γέρων· Οὐ συμφέρει σοι· ἀλλὰ φάγε τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ μικρὰ λάχανα, καὶ μὴ ἀπέλθῃς εἰς τὰ πατρικά σου ἕνεκεν χρειῶν.
Ērōtēsen adelphos ton abban Poimena, legōn, hoti Polla lachana esthiō. Ephē ho gerōn; Ou sympherei soi; alla phage ton arton sou, kai mikra lachana, kai mē apelthę̄s eis ta patrika sou heneken chreiōn.
A brother asked abba Poemen, saying, “I eat many vegetables.” The old man said, “It is not good for you; but eat your bread and a few vegetables, and do not go to your family home for your needs.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Eat bread and few vegetables, and do not seek supplies from family.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.186 (PG 65:367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-186). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-186
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-89-186) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
89.187PG 65:367
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ποιμένος, ὅτι εἰ ἐκάθηντό τινες γέροντες ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλουν περὶ γερόντων, καὶ εἰ ὠνόμαζον τὸν ἀββᾶν Σισόην, ἔλεγεν· Ἄφετε τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Σισόη· οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται εἰς μέτρον διηγήματος τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ.
Elegon peri tou abba Poimenos, hoti ei ekathēnto tines gerontes emprosthen autou, kai elaloun peri gerontōn, kai ei ōnomazon ton abban Sisoēn, elegen; Aphete ta peri tou abba Sisoē; ou gar erchetai eis metron diēgēmatos ta peri autou.
They said of abba Poemen that if some old men were sitting before him talking about old men, and they named abba Sisoes, he would say, “Leave aside what concerns abba Sisoes; for what concerns him is beyond the measure of telling.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Poemen says Sisoes’ greatness cannot be told.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split with stray letter): ἐκάθα ηντό → ἐκάθηντό.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 89.187 (PG 65:367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-187). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/89-187
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-89-187) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 90
90.1PG 65:367
Ἦν τις λεγόμενος ἀββᾶς Παμβὼ, καὶ περὶ τούτου λέγεται, ὅτι τρία ἔτη ἔμεινεν αἰτούμενος τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ λέγων· Μὴ δοξάσῃς με ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὕτως ἐδόξασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαί τινα ἀτενίσαι εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τῆς δόξης ἧς εἶχεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.
Ēn tis legomenos abbas Pambō, kai peri toutou legetai, hoti tria etē emeinen aitoumenos ton Theon, kai legōn; Mē doxasę̄s me epi tēs gēs. Kai houtōs edoxasen auton ho Theos, hōste mē dynasthai tina atenisai eis to prosōpon autou, ek tēs doxēs hēs eichen to prosōpon autou.
There was one called abba Pambo, and it is said of him that he spent three years asking God, saying, “Do not glorify me on earth.” And God so glorified him that no one could look steadily at his face because of the glory his face had.
Exod 34:30 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo prayed not to be glorified, and God made his face too glorious to look at.
- Cf. Exod 34:29–30.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): ὧν τις λεγόμενος → Ἦν τις λεγόμενος.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.1 (PG 65:367; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-1
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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.
90.2PG 65:367–369
Ἦλθόν ποτε ἀδελφοὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Παμβὼ, καὶ ἠρώτησεν αὐτὸν ὁ εἷς, λέγων· Ἀ̓ββᾶ, ἐγὼ δύο δύο νηστεύω, καὶ ζεύγος ψωμίων ἐσθίω· ἆρα σώζω τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἢ πλανῶμαι; Εἶπεν δὲ καὶ ἄλλος Ἀββᾶ, ἐγὼ καταλύω ἐκ τοῦ ἐργοχείρου μου δύο κεράτια καθ' ἡμέραν, καὶ κρατῶ μικρὰ διὰ τὴν τροφὴν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα εἰς ἀγάπην δίδωμι· ἆρα σώζομαι ή ἀπόλωμαι; Πολλὰ δὲ παρακαλούντων αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀπόκρισιν. Μετὰ δὲ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἔχουσιν ἀναχωρῆσαι, καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτοὺς οἱ κληρικοὶ, λέγοντες· Μὴ θλιβῆτε, ἀδελφοί· ὁ Θεὸς παρέχει ὑμῖν τὸν μισθόν· οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ συνήθεια τοῦ γέροντος· οὐ ταχέως λαλεῖ, ἐὰν μὴ πληροφορήσῃ αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός. Εἰσῆλθον οὖν πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Ἀ̓ββᾶ, εἶξαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἀπελθεῖν θέλετε; Λέγουσι· Ναί. Καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, γράφων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἔλεγεν· Παμβὼ δύο δύο νηστεύων, καὶ ζεύγος ἐσθίων ψωμίων· λουσιν. ἆρα ἐν τούτῳ γίνεται μοναχός; Οὐχί. Καὶ Παμβὼ ἐργάζεται δύο κερατίων καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτὸ ἀγάπην ἆρα ἐν τούτῳ γίνεται μοναχός; οὔπω. Εἶπεν δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς· Καλαὶ μὲν αἱ πράξεις· ἐὰν δὲ φυλάξῃς τὴν συνείδησιν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλησίον σου, οὕτως σώζῃ. Καl πληροφορηθέντες ἀπῆλθον μετὰ χαρᾶς.
Ēlthon pote adelphoi pros ton abban Pambō, kai ērōtēsen auton ho heis, legōn; Abba, egō dyo dyo nēsteuō, kai zeugos psōmiōn esthiō; ara sōzō tēn psychēn mou, ē planōmai? Eipen de kai allos Abba, egō katalyō ek tou ergocheirou mou dyo keratia kath' hēmeran, kai kratō mikra dia tēn trophēn, ta de alla eis agapēn didōmi; ara sōzomai ē apolōmai? Polla de parakalountōn autōn, ouk edōken apokrisin. Meta de tessaras hēmeras echousin anachōrēsai, kai parekaloun autous hoi klērikoi, legontes; Mē thlibēte, adelphoi; ho Theos parechei hymin ton misthon; houtōs estin hē synētheia tou gerontos; ou tacheōs lalei, ean mē plērophorēsę̄ auton ho Theos. Eisēlthon oun pros ton geronta, kai eipon autǭ; Abba, eixai hyper hēmōn. Legei autois; Apelthein thelete? Legousi; Nai. Kai analabōn tas praxeis autōn en heautǭ, graphōn epi tēn gēn, elegen; Pambō dyo dyo nēsteuōn, kai zeugos esthiōn psōmiōn; lousin. ara en toutǭ ginetai monachos? Ouchi. Kai Pambō ergazetai dyo keratiōn kai didōsin auto agapēn ara en toutǭ ginetai monachos? oupō. Eipen de kai autois; Kalai men hai praxeis; ean de phylaxę̄s tēn syneidēsin apo tou plēsion sou, houtōs sōzę̄. Kal plērophorēthentes apēlthon meta charas.
Once brothers came to abba Pambo, and one of them asked him, saying, “Abba, I fast two days at a time and eat a pair of loaves; am I saving my soul, or am I in error?” And another said, “Abba, I earn two carats a day from my handiwork, and I keep a little for food and give the rest as alms; am I saved or lost?” Though they begged him much, he gave no answer. After four days they were about to leave, and the clergy comforted them, saying, “Do not be distressed, brothers; God gives you the reward; this is the old man’s custom: he does not speak readily unless God assures him.” So they went in to the old man and said to him, “Abba, pray for us.” He says to them, “Do you want to go?” They say, “Yes.” And taking their practices into himself, writing on the ground, he said, “Pambo fasts two days at a time and eats a pair of loaves; does he become a monk by this? No. And Pambo earns two carats and gives it as alms; does he become a monk by this? Not yet.” And he said to them, “The practices are good; but if you guard your conscience toward your neighbor, so you will be saved.” And assured, they went away with joy.
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo tells two brothers that fasting and almsgiving do not make a monk; a clear conscience toward one’s neighbor saves.
- A stray word is passed over.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): ἔδω κεν → ἔδωκεν.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.2 (PG 65:367–369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-2
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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.
90.3PG 65:369
Παρέβαλόν ποτε τέσσαρες Σκητιῶται τῷ μεγάλῳ Παμβώ, φοροῦντες δέρματα, καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν ἕκαστος τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἑταίρου αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν εἰς ἐνήστευεν πολλά· ὁ δεύτερος ἀκτήμων ἦν· καὶ ὁ τρίτος ἐκτήσατο πολλὴν ἀγάπην· λέγουσι καὶ περὶ τοῦ τετάρτου, ὅτι εἴκοσι δύο ἔτη ἔχει ἐν ὑπακοῇ γέροντος. Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ ἀββᾶς Παμβώ· Λέγω ὑμῖν, ἡ ἀρετὴ τούτου μείζων ἐστίν. Ἕκαστος γὰρ ὑμῶν ἣν ἀρετὴν ἐκτήσατο, θελήματι αὐτοῦ ἐκράτησεν· οὗτος δὲ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ κόψας, ἄλλου ποιεῖ θέλημα. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ ἄνδρες, ὁμολογηταί εἰσιν, ἐὰν εἰς τὸ τέλος φυλάξωσιν.
Parebalon pote tessares Skētiōtai tǭ megalǭ Pambō, phorountes dermata, kai anēngeilen hekastos tēn aretēn tou hetairou autou Ho men eis enēsteuen polla; ho deuteros aktēmōn ēn; kai ho tritos ektēsato pollēn agapēn; legousi kai peri tou tetartou, hoti eikosi dyo etē echei en hypakoę̄ gerontos. Apekrithē autois ho abbas Pambō; Legō hymin, hē aretē toutou meizōn estin. Hekastos gar hymōn hēn aretēn ektēsato, thelēmati autou ekratēsen; houtos de to thelēma autou kopsas, allou poiei thelēma. Toioutoi gar andres, homologētai eisin, ean eis to telos phylaxōsin.
Once four monks of Scetis, wearing skins, visited the great Pambo, and each told the virtue of his companion. One fasted much; the second possessed nothing; and the third had acquired great love; and they say of the fourth that he had been twenty-two years in obedience to an old man. Abba Pambo answered them, “I tell you, this one’s virtue is greater. For each of you has held to the virtue he acquired by his own will; but this one has cut off his will and does another’s. Such men are confessors, if they keep it to the end.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo ranks obedience above fasting, poverty, and charity, since it renounces one’s own will.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.3 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-3
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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.
90.4PG 65:369
Ὁσίας μνήμης Ἀθανάσιος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀλεξανδρείας παρεκάλεσεν τὸν ἀββᾶν Παμβὼ κατελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν. Κατελθὼν δὲ, καὶ ἰδὼν ἐκεῖ γυναῖκα θεατρικὴν, σύνδακρυς ἐγένετο. Τῶν δὲ συνόντων πυθομένων, διατί ἐδάκρυσεν· Δύο με, ἔφη, κεκίνηκεν· ἓν μὲν, ἡ ἐκείνης ἀπώλεια· ἕτερον δὲ, ὅτι οὐ τοιαύτην σπουδὴν ἔχω πρὸς τὸ ἀρέσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ὅσον αὕτη ἵνα ἀρέσῃ ἀνθρώποις αἰσχροῖς.
Hosias mnēmēs Athanasios ho archiepiskopos Alexandreias parekalesen ton abban Pambō katelthein ek tēs erēmou epi tēn Alexandreian. Katelthōn de, kai idōn ekei gynaika theatrikēn, syndakrys egeneto. Tōn de synontōn pythomenōn, diati edakrysen; Dyo me, ephē, kekinēken; hen men, hē ekeinēs apōleia; heteron de, hoti ou toiautēn spoudēn echō pros to aresai tǭ Theǭ, hoson hautē hina aresę̄ anthrōpois aischrois.
Athanasius of holy memory, archbishop of Alexandria, asked abba Pambo to come down from the desert to Alexandria. Coming down, and seeing there an actress, he burst into tears. When those with him asked why he wept, he said, “Two things moved me: one, her perdition; the other, that I do not have such zeal to please God as she has to please shameful men.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo weeps at an actress, both for her soul and for his lesser zeal to please God.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.4 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-4
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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.
90.5PG 65:369
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παμβὼ, ὅτι Διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἀπεταξάμην, οὐ μετεμελήθην ἐπὶ λόγῳ ᾧ ἐλάλησα.
Eipen ho abbas Pambō, hoti Dia ton Theon, aph᾿ hou apetaxamēn, ou metemelēthēn epi logǭ hǭ elalēsa.
Abba Pambo said, “By God, since I renounced the world I have not regretted any word I have spoken.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo never regretted a word he spoke as a monk.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.5 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-5
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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.
90.6PG 65:369
Εἶπεν πάλιν, ὅτι τοιοῦτον ὁ μοναχὸς ὀφείλει φορεῖν ἱμάτιον, ὥστε βάλλειν αὐτὸ ἔξω τοῦ κελλίου αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας, καὶ μηδεὶς λάβῃ αὐτό.
Eipen palin, hoti toiouton ho monachos opheilei phorein himation, hōste ballein auto exō tou kelliou autou epi treis hēmeras, kai mēdeis labę̄ auto.
He also said that a monk ought to wear such a garment that he could throw it outside his cell for three days and no one would take it.
Notes and citation
Summary: A monk’s garment should be too poor for anyone to steal.
- The same saying is quoted under Isaac (47.12).
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.6 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-6
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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.
90.7PG 65:369
Ἐγένετό ποτε τὸν ἀββᾶν Παμβὼ ὁδεύειν μετὰ ἀδελφῶν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Αἰγύπτου· καὶ ἰδὼν κοσμικοὺς καθημένους, λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἀναστάντες ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς μοναχοὺς, ἵνα εὐλογηθῆτε· συνεχῶς γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ λαλοῦσι, καὶ τὰ στόματα αὐτῶν ἅγιὰ ἐστιν.
Egeneto pote ton abban Pambō hodeuein meta adelphōn eis ta merē tēs Aigyptou; kai idōn kosmikous kathēmenous, legei autois; Anastantes aspasasthe tous monachous, hina eulogēthēte; synechōs gar tǭ Theǭ lalousi, kai ta stomata autōn hagia estin.
Once abba Pambo happened to be traveling with brothers in the region of Egypt; and seeing some laymen sitting, he says to them, “Get up and greet the monks, so that you may be blessed; for they speak with God continually, and their mouths are holy.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo tells laymen to greet monks for a blessing, for their mouths are holy.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.7 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-7
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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.
90.8PG 65:369
Διηγήσαντο περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παμβὼ, ὅτι τελευτῶν, κατ᾿ αὐτὴν τὴν ὥραν τοῦ θανάτου, εἶπεν τοῖς παρεστῶσιν αὐτῷ ἁγίοις ἀνδράσιν, ὅτι ἐφ᾽ οὗ ἦλθον εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησά μου τὴν κέλλαν, καὶ οἴκησα ἐν αὐτῇ, ἐκτὸς τῶν χειρῶν μου οὐ μέμνημαι ἄρτον φαγὼν, οὐδὲ˙ μεταμεμέλημαι ἐπὶ λόγῳ ᾧ ἐλάλησα, ἕως τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας. Καὶ οὕτως ἀπέρχομαι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς μηδὲ ἀρξάμενος Θεῷ δουλεύειν.
Diēgēsanto peri tou abba Pambō, hoti teleutōn, kat᾿ autēn tēn hōran tou thanatou, eipen tois parestōsin autǭ hagiois andrasin, hoti eph᾽ hou ēlthon eis ton topon touton tēs erēmou, kai ǭkodomēsa mou tēn kellan, kai oikēsa en autę̄, ektos tōn cheirōn mou ou memnēmai arton phagōn, oude˙ metamemelēmai epi logǭ hǭ elalēsa, heōs tēs arti hōras. Kai houtōs aperchomai pros ton Theon, hōs mēde arxamenos Theǭ douleuein.
They related of abba Pambo that when he was dying, at the very hour of his death, he said to the holy men standing by him, “Since I came to this place in the desert, built my cell, and lived in it, I do not remember eating bread that was not from my own hands, nor have I regretted any word I spoke, up to this hour. And so I go to God as one who has not yet begun to serve God.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Dying, Pambo says he lived by his own labor and regretted no word, yet goes to God as one who has not begun.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split): τελευ τῶν → τελευτῶν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.8 (PG 65:369; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-8
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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.
90.9PG 65:369–371
Τοῦτο δὲ εἶχεν ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς, ὅτι εἰ ἠρωτήθη λόγον γραφικὸν ἢ πνευματικὸν, οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο εὐθὺς, ἀλλ᾽ ἔλεγεν μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν λόγον· καὶ ἐπ[ερωτηθεὶς] πλεῖον, οὐκ ἐδίδου ἀπόκρισιν.
Touto de eichen hyper pollous, hoti ei ērōtēthē logon graphikon ē pneumatikon, ouk apekrinato euthys, all᾽ elegen mē eidenai ton logon; kai ep[erōtētheis] pleion, ouk edidou apokrisin.
This he had beyond many: that if he was asked about a passage of Scripture or a spiritual matter, he did not answer at once, but said he did not know the saying; and if [asked] further, he gave no answer.
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo would not readily explain Scripture, professing ignorance.
- The bracketed word is supplied by the editor in square brackets in the print.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.9 (PG 65:369–371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-9
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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.
90.10PG 65:371
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παμβώ· Εἰ ἔχεις καρδίαν δύνασαι σωθῆναι.
Eipen ho abbas Pambō; Ei echeis kardian dynasai sōthēnai.
Abba Pambo said, “If you have a heart, you can be saved.”
Notes and citation
Summary: One with a heart can be saved.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.10 (PG 65:371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-10
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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.
90.11PG 65:371
Ἠρώτησεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος τῆς Νιτρείας, ὅπως ὀφείλουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ διάγειν. Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Ἐν μεγάλῃ ἀσκήσει, καὶ τηροῦντες τὴν συνείδησιν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλησίον.
Ērōtēsen ho presbyteros tēs Nitreias, hopōs opheilousin hoi adelphoi diagein. Hoi de eipan; En megalę̄ askēsei, kai tērountes tēn syneidēsin apo tou plēsion.
The presbyter of Nitria asked how the brothers ought to live. They said, “In great asceticism, and keeping their conscience clear toward their neighbor.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Monks should live in great asceticism with a clear conscience toward their neighbor.
- The question appears to be put to Pambo; the plural answer is as printed.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.11 (PG 65:371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-11
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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.
90.12PG 65:371
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παμβὼ, ὅτι ὡς ἔλαβε Μωϋσῆς τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς δόξης Ἀδάμ, ὅτε ἐδοξάσθη τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· οὕτως καὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παμβὼ ὡς ἀστραπὴ ἔλαμπε τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ἦν ὡς βασιλεὺς καθήμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ. Τῆς αὐτῆς ἐργασίας ἦν καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Σιλουανὸς, καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Σισόης.
Elegon peri tou abba Pambō, hoti hōs elabe Mōÿsēs tēn eikona tēs doxēs Adam, hote edoxasthē to prosōpon autou; houtōs kai tou abba Pambō hōs astrapē elampe to prosōpon, kai ēn hōs basileus kathēmenos epi tou thronou autou. Tēs autēs ergasias ēn kai ho abbas Silouanos, kai ho abbas Sisoēs.
They said of abba Pambo that as Moses received the image of Adam’s glory when his face was glorified, so too abba Pambo’s face shone like lightning, and he was like a king sitting on his throne. Of the same working were abba Silvanus and abba Sisoes.
Exod 34:29 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo’s face shone like Moses’ with Adam’s lost glory.
- Exod 34:29–35.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.12 (PG 65:371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
90.13PG 65:371
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παμβὼ, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἐμειδία τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. Μιᾶς οὖν τῶν ἡμερῶν θέλοντες οἱ δαίμονες ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν γελάσαι, ἔδησαν εἰς ξύλον πτερὸν, καὶ ἐβάσταζον, θόρυβον ποιοῦντες, καὶ λέγοντες· Ἀλλὴ, ἀλλή Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ ἀββᾶς Παμβὼ ἐγέλασεν. Οἱ δὲ δαίμονες ἤρξαντο χορεύειν, λέγοντες· Οὐὰ, οὐὰ, Παμβὼ γεγέλακεν· ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ ἐγέλασα, ἀλλὰ κατεγέλασα τὴν ἀδυναμίαν ὑμῶν, ὅτι τοσοῦτοι τὸ πτερὸν βαστάζετε.
Elegon peri tou abba Pambō, hoti oudepote emeidia to prosōpon autou. Mias oun tōn hēmerōn thelontes hoi daimones poiēsai auton gelasai, edēsan eis xylon pteron, kai ebastazon, thorybon poiountes, kai legontes; Allē, allē Idōn de autous ho abbas Pambō egelasen. Hoi de daimones ērxanto choreuein, legontes; Oua, oua, Pambō gegelaken; ho de apokritheis eipen autois; Ouk egelasa, alla kategelasa tēn adynamian hymōn, hoti tosoutoi to pteron bastazete.
They said of abba Pambo that his face never smiled. So one day the demons, wanting to make him laugh, tied a feather to a beam and carried it, making a commotion and shouting, “Heave, heave!” Seeing them, abba Pambo laughed. And the demons began to dance, saying, “Wa, wa, Pambo has laughed!” But he answered them, “I did not laugh, but I laughed at your weakness, that so many of you carry a feather.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo laughs at demons straining to carry a feather, mocking their weakness.
- The demons’ cry (Ἀλλή, ἀλλή) is a work-chant, translated “Heave, heave.”
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.13 (PG 65:371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
90.14PG 65:371
Ἠρώτησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Θεόδωρος ὁ τῆς Φερμης τὸν ἀββᾶν Παμβώ· Εἰπέ μοι ῥῆμα. Καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ κόπου εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Θεόδωρε, ὕπαγε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἔχε ἐπὶ πάντας· τὸ γὰρ ἔλεος εὗρεν παῤῥησίαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Ērōtēsen ho abbas Theodōros ho tēs Phermēs ton abban Pambō; Eipe moi rhēma. Kai meta pollou kopou eipen autǭ; Theodōre, hypage, to eleos sou eche epi pantas; to gar eleos heuren parrhēsian enōpion tou Theou.
Abba Theodore of Pherme asked abba Pambo, “Tell me a word.” And with great difficulty he said to him, “Theodore, go, have mercy on everyone; for mercy has found freedom of speech before God.”
Jas 2:13 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Pambo tells Theodore that mercy gives boldness before God.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 90.14 (PG 65:371; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/90-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 91
91.1PG 65:371–373
Διηγήσατο ὁ ἀββᾶς Πιστὸς, λέγων, ὅτι Ἀπήλθομεν ἑπτὰ ἀναχωρηταὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Σισόην οἰκοῦντα ἐν τῷ Κλύσματι παρακαλοῦντες αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν λόγον. Καὶ εἶπε· Συγχωρήσατέ μοι, ἰδιώτης ἄνθρωπός εἰμι· ἀλλὰ παρέβαλον πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ὥρ, καὶ τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀθρέ· ἦν δὲ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ὢρ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη· καὶ ἔβαλον αὐτοῖς μετάνοιαν, εἰπεῖν μοι λόγον. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ὥρ· Τί ἔχω εἰπεῖν σοι; ἄπελθε, καὶ ὃ βλέπεις ποίησον. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐκείνου ἐστὶ, τοῦ πλεονεκτοῦντος, ἤτοι βιαζομένου- ἑαυτὸν εἰς πάντα. Οὐκ ἦσαν δὲ ἀπὸ μιᾶς ἐνορίας ὁ ἀββᾶς Ὥρ, καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀθρέ· ἐγένετο δὲ μεγάλη εἰρήνη μεταξὺ αὐτῶν, ἕως ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος. Ἦν γὰρ μεγάλη ἡ ὑπακοὴ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀθρὲ, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ὥρ. Ἐποίησα δὲ μικρὰς ἡμέρας πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἀνιχνεύων αὐτούς· καὶ εἶδον μέγα θαῦμα ὁ ἐποίησεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀθρέ. Ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῖς τις μικρὸν ὀψάριον, καὶ ἡβουλήθη αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀθρὲ τῷ γέροντι· εἶχε δὲ τὴν μάχαιραν κόπτων τὸ ὀψάριον· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ωρ· Ἀθρὲ, Ἀθρέ· καὶ ἀφῆκε τὴν μάχαιραν μέσον τοῦ ὀψαρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἔκοψε τὸ ἐπίλοιπον. Καὶ ἐθαύμασα τὴν μεγάλην ὑπακοὴν αὐτοῦ, διότι οὐκ εἶπε· Μακροθύμησον ἕως κόψω τὸ ὀψάριον. Εἶπον δὲ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀθρέ· Ποῦ εὗρες τὴν ὑπακοὴν ταύτην; Καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ γέροντός ἐστι. Καὶ ἔλαβέ με λέγων· Δεῦρο, βλέπε τὴν ὑπακοὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἥψησε τὸ τὸ ὀψάριον, καὶ ἡφάνισεν αὐτὸ θέλων, καὶ παρέθηκε τῷ γέροντι. Καὶ ἔφαγε μηδὲν λαλήσας. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Καλόν ἐστι, γέρον; Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· Καλόν ἐστι πάνυ. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἤνεγκεν αὐτῷ μικρὸν καλὸν σφόδρα, καὶ εἶπεν· Ἠφάνισα αὐτὸ, γέρον. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη, λέγων· Ναὶ, ἡφάνισας αὐτὸ μικρόν. Καὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀθρέ· Εἶδες ὅτι ἡ ὑπακοὴ τοῦ γέροντός ἐστι; Καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, καὶ εἴ τι εἶδον, ἐποίησα τὴν δύναμίν μου φυλάξαι Ταῦτα εἶπε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁ ἀββᾶς Σισόης. Εἷς δὲ ἐξ ἡμῶν παρεκάλεσεν αὐτὸν, λέγων· Ποίησον ἀγάπην, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἕνα λόγον. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ὁ κατέχων τὸ ἀψήφιστον ἐν γνώσει, ἐπιτελεῖ πᾶσαν τὴν Γραφήν. Πάλιν ἕτερος ἐξ ἡμῶν εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τί ἐστι ξενιτεία Πάτερ; Καὶ εἶπε· Σιώπα, καὶ εἰπέ· Οὐκ ἔχω πρᾶγμα, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ὅπου ἐὰν ἀπέρχῃ· καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ξενιτεία.
Diēgēsato ho abbas Pistos, legōn, hoti Apēlthomen hepta anachōrētai pros ton abban Sisoēn oikounta en tǭ Klysmati parakalountes auton eipein hēmin logon. Kai eipe; Synchōrēsate moi, idiōtēs anthrōpos eimi; alla parebalon pros ton abban Hōr, kai ton abban Athre; ēn de en astheneią ho abbas Ōr deka kai oktō etē; kai ebalon autois metanoian, eipein moi logon. Kai eipen ho abbas Hōr; Ti echō eipein soi? apelthe, kai ho blepeis poiēson. Ho Theos ekeinou esti, tou pleonektountos, ētoi biazomenou- heauton eis panta. Ouk ēsan de apo mias enorias ho abbas Hōr, kai ho abbas Athre; egeneto de megalē eirēnē metaxy autōn, heōs exēlthon apo tou sōmatos. Ēn gar megalē hē hypakoē tou abba Athre, kai pollē hē tapeinophrosynē tou abba Hōr. Epoiēsa de mikras hēmeras pros autous, anichneuōn autous; kai eidon mega thauma ho epoiēsen ho abbas Athre. Ēnenken autois tis mikron opsarion, kai hēboulēthē auto poiēsai ho abbas Athre tǭ geronti; eiche de tēn machairan koptōn to opsarion; kai ekalesen auton ho abbas Ōr; Athre, Athre; kai aphēke tēn machairan meson tou opsariou, kai ouk ekopse to epiloipon. Kai ethaumasa tēn megalēn hypakoēn autou, dioti ouk eipe; Makrothymēson heōs kopsō to opsarion. Eipon de tǭ abbą Athre; Pou heures tēn hypakoēn tautēn? Kai eipe moi; Ouk estin emē, alla tou gerontos esti. Kai elabe me legōn; Deuro, blepe tēn hypakoēn autou. Kai hēpsēse to to opsarion, kai hēphanisen auto thelōn, kai parethēke tǭ geronti. Kai ephage mēden lalēsas. Kai eipen autǭ; Kalon esti, geron? Kai apekrithē; Kalon esti pany. Meta tauta ēnenken autǭ mikron kalon sphodra, kai eipen; Ēphanisa auto, geron. Kai apekrithē, legōn; Nai, hēphanisas auto mikron. Kai eipe moi ho abbas Athre; Eides hoti hē hypakoē tou gerontos esti? Kai exēlthon ap᾿ autōn, kai ei ti eidon, epoiēsa tēn dynamin mou phylaxai Tauta eipe tois adelphois ho abbas Sisoēs. Heis de ex hēmōn parekalesen auton, legōn; Poiēson agapēn, eipe hēmin kai autos hena logon. Kai eipen; Ho katechōn to apsēphiston en gnōsei, epitelei pasan tēn Graphēn. Palin heteros ex hēmōn eipen autǭ; Ti esti xeniteia Pater? Kai eipe; Siōpa, kai eipe; Ouk echō pragma, en panti topǭ hopou ean aperchę̄; kai hautē estin hē xeniteia.
Abba Pistus related: “Seven of us anchorites went to abba Sisoes, who lived at Clysma, begging him to tell us a word. And he said, ‘Forgive me, I am an unlearned man; but I visited abba Hor and abba Athre (abba Hor had been ill for eighteen years), and I made a prostration to them, asking them to tell me a word. And abba Hor said, “What have I to tell you? Go, and do what you see. God belongs to the one who outdoes himself, that is, who forces himself in everything.” Abba Hor and abba Athre were not from the same district, but there was great peace between them until they left the body. For great was abba Athre’s obedience, and much was abba Hor’s humility. I spent a few days with them, observing them; and I saw a great wonder that abba Athre did. Someone brought them a small fish, and abba Athre wanted to cook it for the old man; he had the knife and was cutting the fish; and abba Hor called him, “Athre, Athre”; and he left the knife in the middle of the fish and did not cut the rest. And I marveled at his great obedience, because he did not say, “Wait until I cut the fish.” I said to abba Athre, “Where did you find this obedience?” And he said to me, “It is not mine, but the old man’s.” And he took me, saying, “Come, see his obedience.” And he cooked the fish and spoiled it on purpose, and set it before the old man. And he ate, saying nothing. And he said to him, “Is it good, old man?” And he answered, “It is very good.” Afterward he brought him a little that was very good, and said, “I spoiled it, old man.” And he answered, “Yes, you spoiled it a little.” And abba Athre said to me, “Do you see that obedience belongs to the old man?” And I left them, and whatever I saw I did my best to keep.’ Abba Sisoes told the brothers these things. One of us begged him, saying, ‘Do us a kindness and tell us a word yourself too.’ And he said, ‘Whoever holds to taking no account of himself, with knowledge, fulfills the whole Scripture.’ Again another of us said to him, ‘What is exile, father?’ And he said, ‘Keep silent, and say, “It is not my affair,” in every place you go; and this is exile.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: Sisoes tells of the obedience of Athre and the humility of Hor, and defines exile as silence and detachment.
- Abba Hor’s call (“Athre, Athre”), displaced in the scan into the next sentence along with a running head, is put back in its place. τὸ ἀψήφιστον (“taking no account of oneself”) is uncertain.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: word split; OCR: word split with stray mark; displaced words (restored above) and the running head of the scan removed; displaced words restored to their place (same words as in the scan)): Ἀπήλθο μεν → Ἀπήλθομεν; οἰκοῦν τα → οἰκοῦντα; ἄν θρωπός → ἄνθρωπός; ποιῆς. σαι → ποιῆσαι; ὁ ἀββᾶς Ωρ καὶ ἀφῆκε → ὁ ἀββᾶς Ωρ· Ἀθρὲ, Ἀθρέ· καὶ ἀφῆκε; κόψω Ἀθρὲ, Ἀθρέ. ΑΡΟΡΗΤΗΕGΜΑΤΑ τὸ ὀψάριον. → κόψω τὸ ὀψάριον.; φυλά ξαι → φυλάξαι.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 91.1 (PG 65:371–373; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/91-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/91-1
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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 92
92.1PG 65:373
Ὁ μακάριος Πίωρ ἐργασάμενος εἰς τὸ θέρος παρά τινι, ὑπεμίμνησκε λαβεῖν τὸν μισθόν· τοῦ δὲ ὑπερθεμένου, εἰς τὴν μονὴν ἐπανῆλθε. Πάλιν τοῦ καιροῦ καλέσαντος, θερίσας παρ᾿ αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ προθυμίας ἐργασάμενος, οὐδὲν ἐκείνου παρασχόντος, ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν μονὴν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ δὲ τρίτου συμπληρωθέντος ἔτους, τὴν συνήθη ἐργασίαν τελέσας ὁ γέρων, ἀνεχώρησε μηδὲν εἰληφώς. Καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐτάσαντος τὸν ἐκείνου οἶκον, ἐπιφερόμενος τὸν μισθὸν, εἰς τὰ μοναστήρια περιῆγε ζητῶν τὸν ἅγιον. Καὶ μόλις εὑρὼν αὐτὸν, προσέπεσε τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀποδιδοὺς ἔφασκεν, ὅτι Ἐμοὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀπέδωκεν. Ὁ δὲ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ.
Ho makarios Piōr ergasamenos eis to theros para tini, hypemimnēske labein ton misthon; tou de hyperthemenou, eis tēn monēn epanēlthe. Palin tou kairou kalesantos, therisas par᾿ autǭ, kai meta prothymias ergasamenos, ouden ekeinou paraschontos, epanēlthen eis tēn monēn autou. Tou de tritou symplērōthentos etous, tēn synēthē ergasian telesas ho gerōn, anechōrēse mēden eilēphōs. Kai tou Kyriou etasantos ton ekeinou oikon, epipheromenos ton misthon, eis ta monastēria periēge zētōn ton hagion. Kai molis heurōn auton, prosepese tois posin autou; kai apodidous ephasken, hoti Emoi ho Kyrios apedōken. Ho de epetrepsen autǭ paraschein auta eis tēn ekklēsian tǭ presbyterǭ.
Blessed Pior, having worked in the harvest for someone, reminded him to pay his wages; but when he put it off, he returned to the monastery. Again, when the season came, he reaped for him and worked eagerly, and when the man gave him nothing, he returned to his monastery. When the third year was completed, the old man did his usual work and went away having received nothing. And when the Lord visited that man’s house, he went around the monasteries bringing the wages and looking for the saint. And having found him with difficulty, he fell at his feet; and giving it back he said, “The Lord has repaid me.” But he told him to give it to the presbyter for the church.
Notes and citation
Summary: Pior works three harvests unpaid; when the employer is struck by God and repays him, Pior gives the money to the church.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: word split with stray mark): εὑμὼν → εὑρὼν; ἀπ• ἐδωκεν → ἀπέδωκεν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 92.1 (PG 65:373; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-1
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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.
92.2PG 65:373
Ὁ ἀββᾶς Πίωρ περιπατῶν ἤσθιε. Πυθομένου δὲ τινος, Διατί οὕτως ἐσθίεις; Οὐ βούλομαι, ἔφη, ὡς ἔργῳ τῷ βρώματι χρήσασθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς παρέργῳ. Πρὸς ἕτερον δὲ περὶ τούτου ἐρωτήσαντα ἀπεκρίνατο· μηδὲ ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν, φησὶν, ἡδονῆς σωματικῆς αἰσθάνηται ἡ ψυχή μου.
Ho abbas Piōr peripatōn ēsthie. Pythomenou de tinos, Diati houtōs esthieis? Ou boulomai, ephē, hōs ergǭ tǭ brōmati chrēsasthai, all᾽ hōs parergǭ. Pros heteron de peri toutou erōtēsanta apekrinato; mēde en tǭ esthiein, phēsin, hēdonēs sōmatikēs aisthanētai hē psychē mou.
Abba Pior ate while walking. When someone asked, “Why do you eat like this?”, he said, “I do not want to treat food as a work, but as a side matter.” To another who asked about this he answered, “So that my soul may not perceive bodily pleasure even in eating.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pior ate walking so as to treat food as incidental and feel no pleasure in it.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 92.2 (PG 65:373; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-2
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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.
92.3PG 65:373–375
Ἐγένετό ποτε συνέδριον ἐν Σκήτει περὶ σφαλέντος ἀδελφοῦ· καὶ ἐλάλουν οἱ Πατέρες ὁ δὲ ἀββᾶς Πίωρ ἐσιώπα ὕστερον δὲ ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθε, καὶ λαβὼν σάκκον, ἐπλήρωσε ψάμμου, καὶ ἐβάστασεν εἰς τὸν ὦμον αὐτοῦ· καὶ λαβὼν εἰς μαλάκιν μικρὸν τῆς ψάμμου, ἐβάστασεν ἔμπροσθεν. Ἐπερωτηθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Πατέρων, τί ἂν εἴη τοῦτο, λέγει· Οὗτος ὁ σάκκος ὁ ἔχων τὴν πολλὴν ψάμμον τὰ ἐμὰ ἐστι πλημμελήματα, ὅτι πολλά ἐστι· καὶ ἀφῆκα αὐτὰ ὀπίσω μου. τοῦ μὴ πονῆσαι περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ κλαῦσαι· καὶ ἰδοὺ ταῦτα τὰ μικρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου ἔμπροσθέν μού εἰσι, καὶ εἰς αὐτὰ ἀδολεσχῶ κρίνων αὐτόν. Οὐ χρὴ δὲ οὕτως ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὰ ἐμὰ ἔμπροσθέν μου ἐνεγκεῖν, καὶ αὐτῶν φροντίσαι, καὶ παρακαλεῖν τὸν Θεὸν συγχωρῆσαί μοι. Καὶ ἀναστάντες οἱ Πατέρες εἶπον· Ὄντως αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς σωτηρίας.
Egeneto pote synedrion en Skētei peri sphalentos adelphou; kai elaloun hoi Pateres ho de abbas Piōr esiōpa hysteron de anastas exēlthe, kai labōn sakkon, eplērōse psammou, kai ebastasen eis ton ōmon autou; kai labōn eis malakin mikron tēs psammou, ebastasen emprosthen. Eperōtētheis de hypo tōn Paterōn, ti an eiē touto, legei; Houtos ho sakkos ho echōn tēn pollēn psammon ta ema esti plēmmelēmata, hoti polla esti; kai aphēka auta opisō mou. tou mē ponēsai peri autōn kai klausai; kai idou tauta ta mikra tou adelphou mou emprosthen mou eisi, kai eis auta adoleschō krinōn auton. Ou chrē de houtōs poiein, alla mallon ta ema emprosthen mou enenkein, kai autōn phrontisai, kai parakalein ton Theon synchōrēsai moi. Kai anastantes hoi Pateres eipon; Ontōs hautē estin hē hodos tēs sōtērias.
Once a council was held at Scetis about a brother who had sinned; and the Fathers spoke, but abba Pior kept silent. Afterward he got up and went out, and taking a sack he filled it with sand and carried it on his shoulder; and taking a little sand in a small basket, he carried it in front. When the Fathers asked him what this might be, he says, “This sack with much sand is my sins, for they are many; and I have left them behind me, so as not to grieve and weep over them; and look, these little sins of my brother are in front of me, and I spend my words on them, judging him. One ought not to do so, but rather to bring my own in front of me, and take care of them, and beg God to forgive me.” And the Fathers got up and said, “Truly this is the way of salvation.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 7:3 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Pior carries his own sins behind him in a sack and his brother’s few in front to rebuke a council for judging.
- A displaced fragment of the end of the Sisoes passage (91.1, on exile) and a variant note are removed. Cf. Matt 7:3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced fragment of another saying and a variant note (“Al.”) inside the sentence): Οὐ χρὴ δὲ τεία; καὶ εἶπεν· Σιώπα κ̔αὶ εἰπἐ· Οὐκ ἔχω πρᾶγμα· καὶ τοῦτο ποίει ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ καὶ τόπῳ καὶ πράΑΙ. μαλάκιον. γματι· καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀληθὴς ξενιτεία. → Οὐ χρὴ δὲ .
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 92.3 (PG 65:373–375; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/92-3
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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 93
93.1PG 65:375
Ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Πιτυρίων ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ ἀββᾶ Αντωνίου, ὅτι ὁ βουλόμενος ἀπελαύνειν δαίμονας πρότερον τὰ πάθη δουλώσεται· οἴου γὰρ ἂν πάθους περιγένηταί τις, τούτου καὶ τὸν δαίμονα ἀπελαύνει. Ἔπεται, φησὶ, δαίμων τῇ ὀργῇ ἐὰν τῆς ὀργῆς κρατήσῃς, ἀπελήλαται ταύτης ὁ δαίμων. Ὁμοίως καὶ περὶ ἑκάστου πάθους.
Elegen ho abbas Pityriōn ho mathētēs tou abba Antōniou, hoti ho boulomenos apelaunein daimonas proteron ta pathē doulōsetai; oiou gar an pathous perigenētai tis, toutou kai ton daimona apelaunei. Epetai, phēsi, daimōn tę̄ orgę̄ ean tēs orgēs kratēsę̄s, apelēlatai tautēs ho daimōn. Homoiōs kai peri hekastou pathous.
Abba Pityrion, the disciple of abba Antony, said that one who wants to drive out demons must first enslave the passions; for whatever passion someone masters, he drives out its demon too. “A demon,” he says, “follows anger; if you master anger, its demon is driven out.” And likewise with each passion.
Notes and citation
Summary: Mastering a passion drives out the demon that accompanies it.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 93.1 (PG 65:375; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/93-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/93-1
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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 94
94.1PG 65:375
Ἠρώτησέ τις ἀδελφὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Πιστάμωνα, λέγων· Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι θλίβομαι εἰς τὸ πωλῆσαι τὸ ἐργόχειρόν μου; Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ γέρων, εἶπεν, ὅτι Καὶ ὁ ἀββᾶς Σισόης καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐπώλουν τὸ ἐργόχειρον αὐτῶν· τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι βλάβος· ἀλλ᾿ ὅταν πωλῆς, εἰπὲ ἅπαξ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σκεύους· λοιπὸν ἐὰν θέλῃς μικρὸν ἀφῆσαι τῆς τιμῆς, ἐν σοί ἐστιν. Οὕτω ἂν εὑρήσεις ἀνάπαυσιν. Πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ ἀδελφός· Ἐὰν ἔχω τὴν χρείαν μου ὅθεν δήποτε, θέλεις ἵνα φροντίσω ἐργόχειρον Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ γέρων εἶπεν· Ἐὰν ἔχῃς ὅσον δήποτε, μὴ καταλείψῃς τὸ ἐργόχειρόν σου· ὅσον δύνασαι ποίησον, μόνον μὴ μετὰ ταραχῆς.
Ērōtēse tis adelphos ton abban Pistamōna, legōn; Ti poiēsō, hoti thlibomai eis to pōlēsai to ergocheiron mou? Kai apokritheis ho gerōn, eipen, hoti Kai ho abbas Sisoēs kai hoi loipoi epōloun to ergocheiron autōn; touto ouk esti blabos; all᾿ hotan pōlēs, eipe hapax tēn timēn tou skeuous; loipon ean thelę̄s mikron aphēsai tēs timēs, en soi estin. Houtō an heurēseis anapausin. Palin eipen autǭ ho adelphos; Ean echō tēn chreian mou hothen dēpote, theleis hina phrontisō ergocheiron Kai apokritheis ho gerōn eipen; Ean echę̄s hoson dēpote, mē kataleipsę̄s to ergocheiron sou; hoson dynasai poiēson, monon mē meta tarachēs.
A brother asked abba Pistamon, saying, “What shall I do, for I am troubled about selling my handiwork?” And the old man answered, “Abba Sisoes and the others sold their handiwork too; this is no harm; but when you sell, state the price of the article once; then if you want to take a little off the price, that is up to you. In this way you will find rest.” Again the brother said to him, “If I have my needs supplied from somewhere, do you want me to bother with handiwork?” And the old man answered, “However much you have, do not abandon your handiwork; do as much as you can, only not with agitation.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Pistamon counsels selling without haggling and keeping up handiwork calmly even if not needed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: wrong diacritic): ἐν σοἱ ἐστιν → ἐν σοί ἐστιν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 94.1 (PG 65:375; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/94-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/94-1
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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 95
95.1PG 65:375
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Πέτρου τοῦ Πιονίτου σεν, ἐποίουν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ μικρὸν συγκεραστὸν, καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ δέξασθαι. Καὶ ἔλεγε· Θαρσεῖτέ μοι, ὅτι ὡς κονδίτον αὐτὸ ἔχων. Καὶ·ἔκρινεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ συγκεραστόν.
Elegon peri tou abba Petrou tou Pionitou sen, epoioun hoi adelphoi mikron synkeraston, kai parekaloun auton hoi adelphoi dexasthai. Kai elege; Tharseite moi, hoti hōs konditon auto echōn. Kai;ekrinen heauton eis to synkeraston.
They said of abba Peter the Pionite … the brothers made a little mixed wine, and the brothers begged him to accept it. And he said, “Believe me, I take it as spiced wine.” And he condemned himself for the mixed wine.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Peter the Pionite accepts a little watered wine but judges himself for it as a luxury.
- The beginning is lost in the scan (in other copies: that he did not drink wine, and when he grew old …); not supplied.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 95.1 (PG 65:375; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-1
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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.
95.2PG 65:375–377
Ἀδελφὸς εἶπε τῷ ἀββᾷ Πέτρῳ τῷ τοῦ ἀββα Λὼτ, ὅτι Ὅταν εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ μου, ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχή μου· ἐὰν δὲ ἀδελφὸς παραβάλῃ μοι, καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν ἔξω εἴπῃ μοι, ταράσσεται ἡ ψυχή μου. Λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Πέτρος, ὅτι ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Λώτ· Τὸ κλειδίον σου ἀνοίγει τὴν θύραν μου. Λέγει ὁ ἀδελφὸς τῷ γέροντι Τί ἐστι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο; Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ἐάν τίς σοι παραβάλῃ, λέγεις αὐτῷ· Πῶς ἔχεις; Πόθεν ἦλθες; Πῶς ἔχουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοί; Προσελάβοντό σε, ἢ οὔ; Καὶ τότε ἀνοίγεις τὴν θύραν τοῦ τως ἔχει. Τί οὖν ποιήσει ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν ἔλθῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀδελφός; Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Τὸ πένθος ὅλον διδαχή ἐστιν ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστι πένθος, οὐ δυνατὸν φυλάξασθαι. Λέγει ὁ ἀδελφός Ὅταν ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ ὦ, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστι τὸ πένθος· ἐὰν δὲ ἔλθῃ τις πρὸς μὲ, ἢ ἐξέλθω ἐκ τοῦ κελλίου, οὐχ εὑρίσκω αὐτό. Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Οὐδέπω σοι ὑπετάγη, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἐν χρήσει ἐστί. Γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, ὅτι "Ὅταν κτήσῃ παῖδα Ἑβραῖον, ἓξ ἔτη δουλεύσει σοι· τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει ἐξαποστελεῖς αὐτὸν ἐλεύθερον. Ἐὰν δὲ δῷς αὐτῷ γυναῖκα, καὶ γεννήσῃ παιδία ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου, καὶ μὴ θελήσῃ ἀποδιδράσκειν διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία, προσάξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ οἴκου, καὶ τρυπήσεις αὐτοῦ τὸ ὡτίον τῷ ὀπητίῳ, καὶ ἔσται σοι δοῦλος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Λέγει ὁ ἀδελφός· Τί ἐστι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο; Λέγει ὁ γέρων· Ἐὰν κάμῃ ἄνθρωπος εἰς πρᾶγμα κατὰ δύναμιν, οἴαν ὥραν ζητήσει αὐτὸ εἰς χρείαν εὑρήσει αὐτό. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ποίησον ἀγάπην· εἰπέ μοι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο. Λέγει ὁ γέρων Οὐδὲ νόθος υἱὸς παραμένει τινὶ δουλεύων, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ γεννώμενος υἱὸς οὐκ ἐᾷ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ.
Adelphos eipe tǭ abbą Petrǭ tǭ tou abba Lōt, hoti Hotan eimi en tǭ kelliǭ mou, en eirēnę̄ estin hē psychē mou; ean de adelphos parabalę̄ moi, kai tous logous tōn exō eipę̄ moi, tarassetai hē psychē mou. Legei ho abbas Petros, hoti elegen ho abbas Lōt; To kleidion sou anoigei tēn thyran mou. Legei ho adelphos tǭ geronti Ti esti to rhēma touto? Legei ho gerōn; Ean tis soi parabalę̄, legeis autǭ; Pōs echeis? Pothen ēlthes? Pōs echousin hoi adelphoi? Proselabonto se, ē ou? Kai tote anoigeis tēn thyran tou tōs echei. Ti oun poiēsei anthrōpos, ean elthę̄ pros auton adelphos? Legei ho gerōn; To penthos holon didachē estin hopou de ouk esti penthos, ou dynaton phylaxasthai. Legei ho adelphos Hotan en tǭ kelliǭ ō, met᾿ emou esti to penthos; ean de elthę̄ tis pros me, ē exelthō ek tou kelliou, ouch heuriskō auto. Legei ho gerōn; Oudepō soi hypetagē, all᾿ hōs en chrēsei esti. Gegraptai gar en tǭ nomǭ, hoti "Hotan ktēsę̄ paida Hebraion, hex etē douleusei soi; tǭ de hebdomǭ etei exaposteleis auton eleutheron. Ean de dǭs autǭ gynaika, kai gennēsę̄ paidia en tę̄ oikią sou, kai mē thelēsę̄ apodidraskein dia tēn gynaika kai ta paidia, prosaxeis auton pros tēn thyran tou oikou, kai trypēseis autou to hōtion tǭ opētiǭ, kai estai soi doulos eis ton aiōna. Legei ho adelphos; Ti esti to rhēma touto? Legei ho gerōn; Ean kamę̄ anthrōpos eis pragma kata dynamin, oian hōran zētēsei auto eis chreian heurēsei auto. Legei autǭ; Poiēson agapēn; eipe moi to rhēma touto. Legei ho gerōn Oude nothos huios paramenei tini douleuōn, all᾽ ho gennōmenos huios ouk eą ton patera autou.
A brother said to abba Peter, the disciple of abba Lot, “When I am in my cell, my soul is at peace; but if a brother visits me and tells me the talk of the outside world, my soul is troubled.” Abba Peter says that abba Lot used to say, “Your key opens my door.” The brother says to the old man, “What does this word mean?” The old man says, “If someone visits you, you say to him, ‘How are you? Where have you come from? How are the brothers? Did they receive you or not?’ And then you open the brother’s door … it is so.” “What then shall a man do if a brother comes to him?” The old man says, “Mourning is the whole teaching; where there is no mourning, it is not possible to keep watch.” The brother says, “When I am in my cell, mourning is with me; but if someone comes to me, or I go out of my cell, I do not find it.” The old man says, “It is not yet subject to you, but is like something on loan. For it is written in the law, ‘When you acquire a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you six years; and in the seventh year you shall send him away free. But if you give him a wife, and he has children in your house, and he does not want to run away because of the wife and the children, you shall bring him to the door of the house and pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall be your slave forever.’” The brother says, “What does this word mean?” The old man says, “If a man labors at something as hard as he can, whenever he seeks it in need, he will find it.” He says to him, “Do me a kindness; tell me this word.” The old man says, “Not even a bastard son stays with someone in service; but the true-born son does not leave his father.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Exod 21:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 21:6 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:35 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Peter teaches that a visitor’s talk is let in by one’s own questions, and that mourning must be made one’s own by long labor, like the slave who chooses lifelong service.
- Words are lost in the scan in the middle (“…”; in other copies the brother hears what he does not want); not supplied. A stray word from 95.1 is removed. Quotation of Exod 21:2–6 in free form; cf. John 8:35.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray words from another saying inside a word): παῖτὸν συγκερασμόν. δα → παῖδα.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 95.2 (PG 65:375–377; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-2
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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.
95.3PG 65:377
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Πέτρου καὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἐπιμάχου, ὅτι συμφωνηταὶ ἦσαν εἰς Ῥαϊθοῦ. Ἐσθιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἐβιάσαντο αὐτοὺς ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν τράπεζαν τῶν γερόντων. Καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ κόπου ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Πέτρος μόνος. Καὶ ὡς ἀνέστησαν, λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἐπίμαχος Πῶς ἐτόλμησας ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν τράπεζαν τῶν γερόντων; Ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη· Εἰ ἐκάθισα μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν, ὡς γέροντα οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἤμελλον προτρέπεσθαί με εὐλογεῖν πρῶτον, καὶ ὡς μείζων ὑμῶν εἶχον εἶναι· νῦν οὖν ἀπελθὼν ἐγγὺς τῶν Πατέρων, μικρότερος πάντων ἤμην, καὶ ταπεινότερος τῷ λογισμῷ.
Elegon peri tou abba Petrou kai tou abba Epimachou, hoti symphōnētai ēsan eis Rhaïthou. Esthiontōn de autōn en tę̄ ekklēsią, ebiasanto autous elthein eis tēn trapezan tōn gerontōn. Kai meta pollou kopou apēlthen ho abbas Petros monos. Kai hōs anestēsan, legei autǭ ho abbas Epimachos Pōs etolmēsas apelthein eis tēn trapezan tōn gerontōn? Ho de apekrithē; Ei ekathisa meth᾽ hymōn, hōs geronta hoi adelphoi ēmellon protrepesthai me eulogein prōton, kai hōs meizōn hymōn eichon einai; nyn oun apelthōn engys tōn Paterōn, mikroteros pantōn ēmēn, kai tapeinoteros tǭ logismǭ.
They said of abba Peter and abba Epimachus that they were companions at Raithou. When they were eating in the church, they were pressed to come to the table of the old men. And with great difficulty abba Peter alone went. And when they got up, abba Epimachus says to him, “How did you dare to go to the old men’s table?” He answered, “If I had sat with you, the brothers would have urged me as an old man to say the blessing first, and I would have been greater than you; but now, having gone near the Fathers, I was the least of all, and humbler in my thought.”
Luke 14:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Peter sits among the elders so as to be the least, rather than be honored among the younger.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 95.3 (PG 65:377; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-3
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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.
95.4PG 65:377
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Πέτρος, ὅτι Οὐ δεῖ ἐπαίρεσθαι ὅταν ὁ Κύριος ποιήσῃ τι δι' ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστεῖν ὅτι κατηξιώθημεν προσκληθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐπὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς ἔλεγε συμφέρειν λογίζεσθαι.
Eipen ho abbas Petros, hoti Ou dei epairesthai hotan ho Kyrios poiēsę̄ ti di' hēmōn, alla mallon eucharistein hoti katēxiōthēmen prosklēthēnai hyp' autou. Touto d᾽ epi pasēs aretēs elege sympherein logizesthai.
Abba Peter said, “We must not be puffed up when the Lord does something through us, but rather give thanks that we have been counted worthy to be called by him.” And he said it was good to think this way about every virtue.
Luke 17:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Give thanks, not boast, when God works through us.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 95.4 (PG 65:377; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/95-4
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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.
Chapter 96
96.1PG 65:377
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος, ὅτι Διοδεύων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, γέγονέ με ἀποπλανηθῆναι ἀπὸ δρόσου, καὶ εὐρεθῆναι πλησίον κώμης. Καὶ εἶδόν τινας ὁμιλοῦντας ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἐστάθην δεόμενος περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν ἔχων ῥομφαίαν, καὶ λέγει μοι· Παφνούτιε, πάντες οἱ κρίνοντες τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ ἀπολοῦνται σὺ δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἔκρινας, ἀλλ' ἐταπείνωσας ἑαυτὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς σὺ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ποιήσας, διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐγγέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ ζώντων.
Eipen ho abbas Paphnoutios, hoti Diodeuōn en tę̄ hodǭ, gegone me apoplanēthēnai apo drosou, kai eurethēnai plēsion kōmēs. Kai eidon tinas homilountas allēlois kai estathēn deomenos peri tōn hamartiōn mou. Kai idou angelos ēlthen echōn rhomphaian, kai legei moi; Paphnoutie, pantes hoi krinontes tous adelphous autōn, en tautę̄ tę̄ rhomphaią apolountai sy de hoti ouk ekrinas, all' etapeinōsas heauton enōpion tou Theou, hōs sy tēn hamartian poiēsas, dia touto to onoma sou engegraptai en biblǭ zōntōn.
Abba Paphnutius said, “As I was traveling on the road, I happened to lose my way in the mist and found myself near a village. And I saw some people talking with one another, and I stood praying about my sins. And look, an angel came holding a sword, and says to me, ‘Paphnutius, all who judge their brothers will perish by this sword; but because you did not judge, but humbled yourself before God as though you had committed the sin, your name is written in the book of the living.’”
Phil 4:3 (echo, medium confidence) · Rev 3:5 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 7:1 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: An angel tells Paphnutius that because he judged no one, his name is in the book of life.
- The book of the living: Ps 69:28; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: breathing lost; OCR: wrong diacritic): ρομφαίαν → ῥομφαίαν; ἐνὡπιον → ἐνώπιον.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 96.1 (PG 65:377; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-1
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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.
96.2PG 65:377–379
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου, ὅτι οὐ ταχέως ἔπινεν οἶνον. Ὁδεύων δὲ ποτε εὑρέθη ἐπάνω κοληγίου λῃστῶν, καὶ εὖρεν αὐτοὺς πίνοντας οἶνον Ἐγνώριζε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ ἀρχιλῃστὴς, καὶ ᾔδει ὅτι οὐ πίνει οἶνον. Καὶ θεωρῶν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ μεγάλου κόπου, ἐγέμισε ποτήριον οἴνου, καὶ δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ λέγει τῷ γέροντι· Ἐὰν μὴ πίῃς, φονεύω σε. Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ γέρων ὅτι ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ θέλει ποιῆσαι, βουλόμενος αὐτὸν κερδῆσαι, ἔλαβε καὶ ἔπιεν. Ὁ δὲ ἀρχιλῃστὴς μετενόησεν αὐτῷ, λέγων· Συγχώρησόν μοι, ἀββᾶ, ὅτι ἔθλιψά σε. Καὶ λέγει ὁ γέρων· Πιστεύω τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι διὰ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ποιεῖ μετὰ σοῦ ἔλεος καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. Λέγει ὁ ἀρχιληστής· Πιστεύω τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐ μὴ κακοποιήσω τινά. Καὶ ἐκέρδησεν ὁ γέρων ὅλον τὸν κολήγιον ἀφεὶς τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ δια τὸν Κύριον
Elegon peri tou abba Paphnoutiou, hoti ou tacheōs epinen oinon. Hodeuōn de pote heurethē epanō kolēgiou lę̄stōn, kai euren autous pinontas oinon Egnōrize de auton ho archilę̄stēs, kai ę̄dei hoti ou pinei oinon. Kai theōrōn auton apo megalou kopou, egemise potērion oinou, kai de to xiphos en tę̄ cheiri autou, kai legei tǭ geronti; Ean mē pię̄s, phoneuō se. Gnous de ho gerōn hoti entolēn Theou thelei poiēsai, boulomenos auton kerdēsai, elabe kai epien. Ho de archilę̄stēs metenoēsen autǭ, legōn; Synchōrēson moi, abba, hoti ethlipsa se. Kai legei ho gerōn; Pisteuō tǭ Theǭ, hoti dia to potērion touto poiei meta sou eleos kai en tǭ nyn kai en tǭ mellonti aiōni. Legei ho archilēstēs; Pisteuō tǭ Theǭ, hoti apo tou nyn ou mē kakopoiēsō tina. Kai ekerdēsen ho gerōn holon ton kolēgion apheis to thelēma autou dia ton Kyrion
They said of abba Paphnutius that he did not readily drink wine. Once while traveling he came upon a band of robbers, and found them drinking wine. The robber chief knew him, and knew that he did not drink wine. Seeing him worn out from great labor, he filled a cup with wine, and holding the sword in his hand he says to the old man, “If you do not drink, I will kill you.” The old man, knowing that he wanted to do God’s commandment, and wanting to win him, took it and drank. And the robber chief made a prostration of repentance to him, saying, “Forgive me, abba, for I afflicted you.” And the old man says, “I trust in God that because of this cup he will show you mercy both now and in the age to come.” The robber chief says, “I trust in God that from now on I will harm no one.” And the old man won the whole band by giving up his own will for the Lord’s sake.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Paphnutius drinks wine at a robber’s sword-point and so wins the whole band to repentance.
- Variant notes are removed. The words “holding the sword” render a damaged phrase (καὶ δὲ τὸ ξίφος).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: repeated letters; variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus): κοληγίου γίου → κοληγίου; Αl. ΑΙ. κολληγίου. → .
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 96.2 (PG 65:377–379; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-2
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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.
96.3PG 65:379
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμὴν, ὅτι ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος· Εἰς πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς τῶν γερόντων, δις τὸν μῆνα παρέβαλον αὐτοῖς, ἔχων ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν τὸ διάστημα μίλια δώδεκα, καὶ πάντα λογισμὸν ἔλεγον αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐδὲν μοι ἕτερον ἔλεγον, ἢ τοῦτο, ὅτι Εἰς ὃν ἂν τόπον ἀπέλθῃς, μὴ μετρεῖς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀναπαυόμενος.
Eipen ho abbas Poimēn, hoti elegen ho abbas Paphnoutios; Eis pasas tas hēmeras tēs zōēs tōn gerontōn, dis ton mēna parebalon autois, echōn ap᾿ autōn to diastēma milia dōdeka, kai panta logismon elegon autois, kai ouden moi heteron elegon, ē touto, hoti Eis hon an topon apelthę̄s, mē metreis heauton, kai esę̄ anapauomenos.
Abba Poemen said that abba Paphnutius used to say, “All the days of the old men’s lives I visited them twice a month, though they were twelve miles away from me, and I told them every thought, and they said nothing else to me but this: ‘Wherever you go, do not measure yourself, and you will be at rest.’”
Notes and citation
Summary: The elders’ only counsel to Paphnutius was not to measure himself.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 96.3 (PG 65:379; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-3
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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.
96.4PG 65:379
Ἦν τις ἀδελφὸς εἰς Σκῆτιν μετὰ τοῦ ἀββα Παφνουτίου, καὶ ἐπολεμεῖτο εἰς πορνείαν, καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἐὰν λάβω δέκα γυναῖκας, οὐ πληρῶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν μου. Ὁ δὲ γέρων παρεκάλει λέγων· Μὴ, τέκνον· πόλεμός ἐστι τῶν δαιμόνων. Καὶ οὐκ ἐπείσθη· ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἔλαβε γυναῖκα. Μετὰ δὲ χρόνον ἐγένετο ἀναβῆναι τὸν γέροντα εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἀπαντῆσαι αὐτὸν βαστάζοντα σπυρίδια ὀστράκων· ὁ δὲ γέρων οὐκ ἐγνώρισεν αὐτόν· ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ δεῖνα ὁ μαθητής σου. Καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ὁ γέρων ἐν τῇ ἀτιμίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ἔκλαυσε, καὶ εἶπε· Πῶς ἀφῆκας τὴν τιμὴν ἐκείνην, καὶ ἦλθες εἰς τὴν ἀτιμίαν ταύτην; πλὴν ἔλαβες τὰς δέκα γυναῖκας; Καὶ στενάξας εἶπε· Φύσει μίαν ἔλαβον, καὶ ταλαιπωρῶ πῶς αὐτὴν χορτάσω ἄρτον. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Δεῦρο πάλιν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἔνι μετάνοια, ἀββᾶ; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἔνι. Καὶ καταλείψας πάντα, ἠκολούθησεν αὐτόν· καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς Σκῆτιν, ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας γέγονε δόκιμος μοναχός.
Ēn tis adelphos eis Skētin meta tou abba Paphnoutiou, kai epolemeito eis porneian, kai elegen; Ean labō deka gynaikas, ou plērō tēn epithymian mou. Ho de gerōn parekalei legōn; Mē, teknon; polemos esti tōn daimonōn. Kai ouk epeisthē; alla apēlthen eis Aigypton, kai elabe gynaika. Meta de chronon egeneto anabēnai ton geronta eis Aigypton, kai apantēsai auton bastazonta spyridia ostrakōn; ho de gerōn ouk egnōrisen auton; all᾿ autos legei autǭ; Egō eimi ho deina ho mathētēs sou. Kai idōn auton ho gerōn en tę̄ atimią ekeinę̄, eklause, kai eipe; Pōs aphēkas tēn timēn ekeinēn, kai ēlthes eis tēn atimian tautēn? plēn elabes tas deka gynaikas? Kai stenaxas eipe; Physei mian elabon, kai talaipōrō pōs autēn chortasō arton. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Deuro palin meth᾽ hēmōn. Kai eipen; Eni metanoia, abba? Ho de eipen; Eni. Kai kataleipsas panta, ēkolouthēsen auton; kai eiselthōn eis Skētin, apo tēs peiras gegone dokimos monachos.
There was a brother at Scetis with abba Paphnutius, and he was attacked by sexual temptation, and said, “If I take ten wives, I will not satisfy my desire.” The old man urged him, saying, “No, child; it is a war of the demons.” But he was not persuaded, and went off to Egypt and took a wife. After a time the old man happened to go up to Egypt, and he met him carrying baskets of potsherds; the old man did not recognize him; but he says to him, “I am so-and-so, your disciple.” And seeing him in that degradation, the old man wept and said, “How did you leave that honor and come to this dishonor? But did you take the ten wives?” And groaning he said, “Truly, I took one, and I toil wretchedly to fill her with bread.” And the old man says to him, “Come back with us.” And he said, “Is there repentance, abba?” He said, “There is.” And leaving everything, he followed him; and coming to Scetis, from experience he became a proven monk.
Notes and citation
Summary: A monk who left to marry finds one wife a burden and returns to Paphnutius to become a proven monk.
- The saying presents marriage as the outcome of a monk’s yielding to temptation; translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: word split with letter slip): ὀστρά χων → ὀστράκων; Ἔνε μετάνοια → Ἔνι μετάνοια.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 96.4 (PG 65:379; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-96-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
96.5PG 65:379
Ἀδελφῷ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καθημένῳ τῆς Θηβαΐδος, ἦλθεν αὐτῷ λογισμὸς, λέγων· Τί κάθῃ ἄκαρπος; ἀνάστα, ὕπαγε εἰς κοινόβιον, καὶ ἐκεῖ ποιεῖς καρπόν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Παφνούτιον, καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῷ τὸν λογισμόν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε, κάθου εἰς τὸ κελλίον σου· καὶ ποίει μίαν εὐχὴν πρωϊ, καὶ μίαν ἑσπέρας, καὶ μίαν τὴν νύκτα· καὶ ὅταν πεινᾷς, φάγε, καὶ ὅταν διψᾶς, πίε, καὶ ὅταν νυστάζῃς, κοιμῶ· καὶ μένε εἰς γῆνδα ἔρημον· καὶ μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτῷ. Ἦλθε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἰωάννην, καὶ ἀνήγγειλε τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου. Καὶ λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἰωάννης· Μὴ ποιήσῃς ὅλως εὐχὴν, μόνον κάθου εἰς τὸ κελλίον σου. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀρσένιον, καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῷ πάντα. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Κράτει ὡς οἱ Πατέρες σοι εἶπαν· πλεῖον γὰρ τούτων, οὐκ ἔχω σοί τι εἰπεῖν. Καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν.
Adelphǭ en tę̄ erēmǭ kathēmenǭ tēs Thēbaïdos, ēlthen autǭ logismos, legōn; Ti kathę̄ akarpos? anasta, hypage eis koinobion, kai ekei poieis karpon. Kai anastas ēlthe pros ton abban Paphnoution, kai anēngeilen autǭ ton logismon. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Hypage, kathou eis to kellion sou; kai poiei mian euchēn prōï, kai mian hesperas, kai mian tēn nykta; kai hotan peinąs, phage, kai hotan dipsas, pie, kai hotan nystazę̄s, koimō; kai mene eis gēnda erēmon; kai mē peisthę̄s autǭ. Ēlthe de kai pros ton abban Iōannēn, kai anēngeile ta rhēmata tou abba Paphnoutiou. Kai legei ho abbas Iōannēs; Mē poiēsę̄s holōs euchēn, monon kathou eis to kellion sou. Kai anastas ēlthe pros ton abban Arsenion, kai anēngeilen autǭ panta. Kai legei autǭ ho gerōn; Kratei hōs hoi Pateres soi eipan; pleion gar toutōn, ouk echō soi ti eipein. Kai plērophorētheis apēlthen.
A brother living in the desert of the Thebaid had a thought come to him, saying, “Why do you sit here fruitless? Get up, go to a community, and there you will bear fruit.” And getting up he came to abba Paphnutius and told him the thought. And the old man says to him, “Go, sit in your cell; and say one prayer in the morning, one in the evening, and one in the night; and when you are hungry, eat; when you are thirsty, drink; when you are sleepy, sleep; and stay in the desert; and do not be persuaded by it.” He came also to abba John and told him abba Paphnutius’s words. And abba John says, “Do not pray at all; only sit in your cell.” And getting up he came to abba Arsenius and told him everything. And the old man says to him, “Keep to what the Fathers told you; I have nothing more than these to tell you.” And assured, he went away.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Three elders tell a restless hermit, in increasingly simple terms, to stay in his cell.
- εἰς γῆνδα ἔρημον is corrupt in the scan (probably “in the desert”).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: wrong diacritic): ἔχω σοἱ τι → ἔχω σοί τι.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 96.5 (PG 65:379; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/96-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-96-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 97
97.1PG 65:379–381
Διηγήσατό τις τῶν Πατέρων περί τινος ἀββᾶ Παύλου, ὅτι ἦν ἐκ τῶν κάτω μερῶν τῆς Αἰγύπτου, οἰκῶν δὲ ἐν Θηβαΐδι· ὅτι οὗτος ἐκράτει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τοὺς κεράστας καὶ τοὺς ὄφεις καὶ τοὺς σκορπίους, καὶ ἔσχιζεν αὐτοὺς μέσους. Καὶ ἔβαλον αὐτῷ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ μετάνοιαν, λέγοντες· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν ποίαν ἐργασίαν ἐποίησας, ἵνα λάβης τὴν χάριν ταύτην. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Συγχωρήσατέ μοι, Πατέρες· ἐὰν τις κτήσηται καθαρότητα, πάντα ὑποτάσσεται αὐτῷ, ὡς τῷ Ἀ̓δὰμ ὅτε ἦν ἐν παραδείσῳ, πρὶν ἢ παραβῆναι τὴν ἐντολήν.
Diēgēsato tis tōn Paterōn peri tinos abba Paulou, hoti ēn ek tōn katō merōn tēs Aigyptou, oikōn de en Thēbaïdi; hoti houtos ekratei tais chersin autou tous kerastas kai tous opheis kai tous skorpious, kai eschizen autous mesous. Kai ebalon autǭ hoi adelphoi metanoian, legontes; Eipe hēmin poian ergasian epoiēsas, hina labēs tēn charin tautēn. Ho de ephē; Synchōrēsate moi, Pateres; ean tis ktēsētai katharotēta, panta hypotassetai autǭ, hōs tǭ Adam hote ēn en paradeisǭ, prin ē parabēnai tēn entolēn.
One of the Fathers related of a certain abba Paul, who was from the lower parts of Egypt but lived in the Thebaid, that he would take horned vipers and snakes and scorpions in his hands and tear them in two. And the brothers made a prostration to him, saying, “Tell us what work you did to receive this grace.” He said, “Forgive me, Fathers; if someone acquires purity, everything is subject to him, as to Adam when he was in paradise, before he transgressed the commandment.”
Gen 1:28 (echo, low confidence) · Gen 2:19 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul handles snakes and scorpions, explaining that purity restores Adam’s rule over creation.
- The words “and scorpions,” displaced in the scan, are put back in the list. Gen 1:28; 2:19–20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: stray letter; OCR: words run together; displaced words restored to their place (same words as in the scan); words displaced by the OCR (restored above)): τῶν κάτω μερῶν σ' τῆς → τῶν κάτω μερῶν τῆς; τοὺς κεράστας καὶ τοὺς ὄφεις, καὶ → τοὺς κεράστας καὶ τοὺς ὄφεις καὶ τοὺς σκορπίους, καὶ; μετάνοιαν, τοὺς σκορπίους. λέγοντες → μετάνοιαν, λέγοντες; ἦνὲν → ἦν ἐν.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 97.1 (PG 65:379–381; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/97-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/97-1
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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 98
98.1PG 65:381
Ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος ὁ κοσμίτης καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐκαθέζοντο ἐν τῇ Σκήτει καὶ πολλαχῶς ἐγίνετο μεταξὺ αὐτῶν ἀντιλογία. Λέγει ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος Ἕως πότε μένομεν οὕτως; Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Τιμόθεος· Ποίησον ἀγάπην· ὅταν ἔρχωμαι ἐπάνω σου, βάσταξόν με· καὶ ὅταν ἔρχῃ καὶ σὺ ἐπάνω μου, βαστάζω σε κἀγώ. Καὶ ποιήσαντες οὕτως ἀνεπάησαν τὰς ἐπιλοίπους αὐτῶν ἡμέρας.
Ho abbas Paulos ho kosmitēs kai Timotheos ho adelphos autou ekathezonto en tę̄ Skētei kai pollachōs egineto metaxy autōn antilogia. Legei ho abbas Paulos Heōs pote menomen houtōs? Legei autǭ ho abbas Timotheos; Poiēson agapēn; hotan erchōmai epanō sou, bastaxon me; kai hotan erchę̄ kai sy epanō mou, bastazō se kagō. Kai poiēsantes houtōs anepaēsan tas epiloipous autōn hēmeras.
Abba Paul the cosmetes and Timothy his brother lived at Scetis, and there was often contention between them. Abba Paul says, “How long shall we stay like this?” Abba Timothy says to him, “Do me a kindness: when I come against you, bear with me; and when you come against me, I too will bear with you.” And doing so they were at rest for the rest of their days.
Gal 6:2 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Two quarrelsome brothers agree to bear with each other and live in peace.
- κοσμήτης (“cosmetes”) is probably a former occupation (perhaps a barber or dresser); uncertain.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: breathing lost): κάγώ → κἀγώ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 98.1 (PG 65:381; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/98-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/98-1
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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.
98.2PG 65:381
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος κοσμῖται ἦσαν ἐν τῇ Σκήτει, καὶ ὠχλοῦντο ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Καὶ λέγει ὁ Τιμόθεος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Τί θέλομεν τὴν τέχνην ταύτην; οὐκ ἀφιόμεθα ἡσυχάσαι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν ἡ ἡσυχία τῆς νυκτὸς, ἐὰν νήφῃ ἡμῶν ἡ διάνοια.
Ho autos abbas Paulos kai Timotheos kosmitai ēsan en tę̄ Skētei, kai ōchlounto hypo tōn adelphōn. Kai legei ho Timotheos tǭ adelphǭ autou Ti thelomen tēn technēn tautēn? ouk aphiometha hēsychasai holēn tēn hēmeran. Kai apokritheis ho abbas Paulos eipen autǭ; Arkei hēmin hē hēsychia tēs nyktos, ean nēphę̄ hēmōn hē dianoia.
The same abba Paul and Timothy were cosmetes at Scetis, and they were troubled by the brothers. And Timothy says to his brother, “What do we want with this trade? We are not left in stillness all day.” And abba Paul answered him, “The stillness of the night is enough for us, if our mind is watchful.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul says night’s stillness suffices if the mind is watchful.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip): νήσῃ → νήφῃ.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 98.2 (PG 65:381; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/98-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/98-2
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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 99
99.1PG 65:381
Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος ὁ μέγας ὁ Γαλάτης, ὅτι Μοναχὸς ἔχων μικρὰς χρείας ἐν τῇ κέλλῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξερχόμενος φροντίσαι, ἀπὸ δαιμόνων χλευάζεται: καὶ γὰρ κἀγὼ αὐτὸ ἔπαθον. μ'. Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Παῦλος Εἰς βόρβορόν εἰμι καταποντιζόμενος ἕως τραχήλου, καὶ κλαίω ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγων· Ἐλέησόν με.
Eipen ho abbas Paulos ho megas ho Galatēs, hoti Monachos echōn mikras chreias en tę̄ kellę̄ autou, kai exerchomenos phrontisai, apo daimonōn chleuazetai: kai gar kagō auto epathon. m'. Eipen ho abbas Paulos Eis borboron eimi katapontizomenos heōs trachēlou, kai klaiō emprosthen tou Theou, legōn; Eleēson me.
Abba Paul the Great, the Galatian, said, “A monk who has a few needs in his cell and goes out to see to them is mocked by the demons; for I too suffered this.” [2] Abba Paul said, “I am sunk in mud up to my neck, and I weep before God, saying, ‘Have mercy on me.’”
Ps 69:2 (68:3 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul warns that going out for small needs exposes a monk to demons; and he describes himself as sunk in mud, crying for mercy.
- The scan runs Paul 2 (its numeral misread) into this saying; marked [2].
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 99.1 (PG 65:381; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/99-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/99-1
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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.
99.3PG 65:381
Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παύλου, ὅτι ἐποίησε τὴν Τεσσαρακοστὴν εἰς ματὶν φακοῦ καὶ λαγύνιον ὕδατος· καὶ εἰς ἓν μαλάκιον, αὐτὸ πλέκων καὶ ἀναλύων, ἕως τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐγκεκλεισμένος.
Elegon peri tou abba Paulou, hoti epoiēse tēn Tessarakostēn eis matin phakou kai lagynion hydatos; kai eis hen malakion, auto plekōn kai analyōn, heōs tēs heortēs enkekleismenos.
They said of abba Paul that he spent Lent on a measure of lentils and a jar of water; and with one basket, plaiting it and unraveling it, shut in until the feast.
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul spent Lent shut in with a little lentils and water, weaving and unweaving one basket.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 99.3 (PG 65:381; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/99-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/99-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-apophthegmata-alphabetica-99-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Cotelier's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 65 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 100
100.1PG 65:381–385
Ὁ μακάριος ἀββᾶς Παῦλος ὁ ἁπλοῦς ὁ τοῦ ἁγίου, Αντωνίου μαθητὴς, διηγήσατο τοῖς Πατράσι πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτον· ὅτι ποτὲ παραγενόμενος ἐν μοναστηρίῳ· ἐπισκέψεως ἕνεκεν καὶ ὠφελείας χάριν ἀδελφῶν, μετὰ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτῶν συνήθη διάλεκτον, εἴσεισιν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ τὴν συνήθη σύναξιν ἐπιτελέσαι. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Παῦλος, φησὶ, ὁποίᾳ ἄρα ψυχῇ εἰσίασιν εἰς τὴν σύναξιν εἶχε γὰρ καὶ ταύτην τὴν χάριν παρὰ Κυρίου δοθεῖσαν αὐτῷ, ὥστε ὁρᾶν ἕκαστον ὁποῖος ἐστι τῇ ψυχῇ, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς βλέπομεν ἀλλήλων τὰ πρόσωπα. Πάντων δὲ εἰσιόντων λαμπρᾷ τῇ ὄψει καὶ φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ, τόν τε ἑκάστου ἄγγελον χαίροντα ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἕνα, φησὶν, ὁρᾷ μέλανα καὶ ζοφώδη ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, δαίμονας δὲ παρ' ἑκατέρᾳ σὲ τοῦτον συνέχοντας καὶ ἕλκοντας αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς, φορβειὰν ἐπὶ τὴν ῥῖνα αὐτοῦ βάλλοντας· τὸν τε ἅγιον ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἀκολουθοῦντα σκυθρωπὸν καὶ κατηφῆ. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος δακρύσας, καὶ τῇ χειρὶ τὸ στῆθος πλήξας ἐκαθέζετο πρὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἀποκλαιόμενος σφόδρα τὸν οὕτως ὀφθέντα αὐτῷ. Οἱ δὲ θεασάμενοι τὸ παράδοξον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τήν τε ὀξεῖαν αὐτοῦ μεταβολὴν, πρὸς δάκρυα καὶ πένθος κινήσαντα, ἠρώτων αὐτὸν παρακαλοῦντες τὸ διατί κλαίει εἰπεῖν, νομίζοντες μήτι καταγνοὺς ἁπάντων τοῦτο ποιεῖ· παρεκάλουν τε αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν σύναξιν σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰσιέναι. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἀποσεισάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐκαθέζετο ἔξω, ἀποδυρόμενος πάνυ τὸν οὕτως ὀφθέντα αὐτῷ. Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ δὲ τῆς συνάξεως ἀπολυθείσης, καὶ πάντων ἐξιόντων, πάλιν κατεμάνθανεν ὁ Παῦλος ἕκαστον, βουλόμενος γνῶναι οἷοι ἐξέρχονται· καὶ ὁρᾷ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον, τὸν μέλαν καὶ ζοφῶδες ἔχοντα τὸ πρὶν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, ἐξερχόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας λαμπρὸν τῷ προσώπῳ, λευκὸν τῷ σώματι, καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας μακράν που ἀκολουθοῦντας, τόν τε ἅγιον ἄγγελον ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ παρεπόμενον καὶ χαίροντα ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ σφόδρα. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἀναπηδήσας μετὰ χαρᾶς, ἐβόα εὐλογῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ λέγων· Ὣ τῆς ἀφάτου τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἀγαθότητος Δραμὼν δὲ καὶ ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ βαθμοῦ ὑψηλοῦ, μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἔλεγε Δεῦτε καὶ ἴδετε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς φοβερὰ καὶ πάσης ἐκπλήξεως ἄξια. Δεῦτε καὶ ἴδετε τὸν θέλοντα πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἴπωμεν· Σὺ μόνος δύνασαι ἀφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας. Συνέτρεχον δὲ πάντες μετὰ σπουδῆς, τῶν λεγομένων ἀκοῦσαι βουλόμενοι. Καὶ συνελθόντων πάντων, διηγεῖτο ὁ Παῦλος τὰ ὁραθέντα αὐτῷ πρὸ τῆς εἰσόδου τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν, καὶ ἠξίου τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον λέγειν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι᾽ ἣν αὐτῷ τὴν τοσαύτην μεταβολὴν αἰφνιδίως ὁ Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο. Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐλεγχθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου, ἐνώπιον πάντων ἀνυποστόλως διηγεῖτο τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, λέγων· Ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ἁμαρτωλὸς, φησὶ, καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου πορνείαις συνέζων μέχρι τοῦ νῦν· εἰσελθὼν δὲ νῦν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἤκουσα τοῦ ἁγίου προφήτου Ἠσαΐου ἀναγινωσκομένου, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλοῦντος δι' αὐτοῦ· Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν· ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν. Καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ. Καὶ ἐὰν θέλητε καὶ εἰσακούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε. Ἐγὼ δὲ, φησὶν, ὁ πόρνος, ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ προφήτου κατανυγεὶς τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ στενάξας ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ μου, εἶπον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι Σὺ ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ἃ νῦν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου σου ἐπηγγείλω, ταῦτα καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ πλήρωσον τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν καὶ ἀνάξιον. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν δίδωμί σοι λόγον, συντάσσομαι δὲ, καὶ ἐκ καρδίας ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, ὅτι οὐ μὴ πράξω ἔτι τι τῶν κακῶν ἀλλὰ ἀποτάσσομαι πᾶσαν παρανομίαν καὶ δουλεύσω σοι ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει. Σήμερον, ὦ Δέσποτα, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ὥρας ταύτης, δέξαι με μετανοοῦντα, καὶ προσπίπτοντά σοι, καὶ ἀπεχόμενον τοῦ λοιποῦ πάσης ἁμαρτίας. Ἐπὶ ταύταις, φησὶ, ταῖς συνθήκαις ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, κρίνας ἐν τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχῇ, μηκέτι μηδὲν φαῦλον πρᾶξαι ἀπέναντι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ πάντες ἀνεβόων μιᾷ φωνῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Ὡ̔ς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε! πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Γινώσκοντες τοίνυν, ὦ Χριστιανοὶ, ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποκαλύψεων, ὅσην ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς ἀγαθότητα περὶ τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν γνησίως καταφεύγοντας, καὶ διὰ μετανοίας τὰ πρότερον αὐτοῖς ἐπταισμένα διορθουμένους καὶ ὅτι ἀποδίδωσι πάλιν τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα ἀγαθὰ, οὐκ εἰσπραττόμενος δίκας ὑπὲρ τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτιῶν, μὴ ἀπελπίσωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας. Ωσπερ γὰρ διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου ἐπηγγείλατο, τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτίαις βεβορβορωμένους πλύνειν, καὶ ὡς ἔριον καὶ ὡς χιόνα λευκαίνειν, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς ἐπουρανίου Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀξιοῦν· οὕτως αὖθις διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου προφήτου Ἰεζεκιήλ, μεθ᾽ ὅρκου ἡμᾶς πληροφορεῖ μὴ ἀπολλύειν Ζῶ γὰρ, φησὶ, λέγει Κύριος, ὅτι οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν.
Ho makarios abbas Paulos ho haplous ho tou hagiou, Antōniou mathētēs, diēgēsato tois Patrasi pragma toiouton; hoti pote paragenomenos en monastēriǭ; episkepseōs heneken kai ōpheleias charin adelphōn, meta tēn pros allēlous autōn synēthē dialekton, eiseisin en tę̄ hagią tou Theou ekklēsią tēn synēthē synaxin epitelesai. Ho de makarios Paulos, phēsi, hopoią ara psychę̄ eisiasin eis tēn synaxin eiche gar kai tautēn tēn charin para Kyriou dotheisan autǭ, hōste horan hekaston hopoios esti tę̄ psychę̄, hōsper hēmeis blepomen allēlōn ta prosōpa. Pantōn de eisiontōn lamprą tę̄ opsei kai phaidrǭ tǭ prosōpǭ, ton te hekastou angelon chaironta ep' autǭ hena, phēsin, horą melana kai zophōdē holon to sōma, daimonas de par' hekaterą se touton synechontas kai helkontas auton pros heautous, phorbeian epi tēn rhina autou ballontas; ton te hagion angelon autou apo makrothen akolouthounta skythrōpon kai katēphē. Ho de Paulos dakrysas, kai tę̄ cheiri to stēthos plēxas ekathezeto pro tēs ekklēsias, apoklaiomenos sphodra ton houtōs ophthenta autǭ. Hoi de theasamenoi to paradoxon tou andros, tēn te oxeian autou metabolēn, pros dakrya kai penthos kinēsanta, ērōtōn auton parakalountes to diati klaiei eipein, nomizontes mēti katagnous hapantōn touto poiei; parekaloun te auton kai eis tēn synaxin syn autois eisienai. Ho de Paulos aposeisamenos autous ekathezeto exō, apodyromenos pany ton houtōs ophthenta autǭ. Met᾿ ou poly de tēs synaxeōs apolytheisēs, kai pantōn exiontōn, palin katemanthanen ho Paulos hekaston, boulomenos gnōnai hoioi exerchontai; kai horą ton andra ekeinon, ton melan kai zophōdes echonta to prin holon to sōma, exerchomenon apo tēs ekklēsias lampron tǭ prosōpǭ, leukon tǭ sōmati, kai tous daimonas makran pou akolouthountas, ton te hagion angelon engys autou parepomenon kai chaironta ep᾿ autǭ sphodra. Ho de Paulos anapēdēsas meta charas, eboa eulogōn ton Theon, kai legōn; Hō tēs aphatou tou Theou philanthrōpias kai agathotētos Dramōn de kai anabas epi bathmou hypsēlou, megalę̄ tę̄ phōnę̄ elege Deute kai idete ta erga tou Theou, hōs phobera kai pasēs ekplēxeōs axia. Deute kai idete ton thelonta pantas anthrōpous sōthēnai, kai eis epignōsin alētheias elthein. Deute proskynēsōmen kai prospesōmen autǭ, kai eipōmen; Sy monos dynasai aphairein hamartias. Synetrechon de pantes meta spoudēs, tōn legomenōn akousai boulomenoi. Kai synelthontōn pantōn, diēgeito ho Paulos ta horathenta autǭ pro tēs eisodou tēs ekklēsias, kai meta tauta palin, kai ēxiou ton andra ekeinon legein tēn aitian, di᾽ hēn autǭ tēn tosautēn metabolēn aiphnidiōs ho Theos echarisato. Ho de anthrōpos elenchtheis hypo tou Paulou, enōpion pantōn anypostolōs diēgeito ta kath' heauton, legōn; Egō anthrōpos eimi hamartōlos, phēsi, kai ek pollou tou chronou porneiais synezōn mechri tou nyn; eiselthōn de nyn en tę̄ hagią tou Theou ekklēsią, ēkousa tou hagiou prophētou Ēsaïou anaginōskomenou, mallon de tou Theou lalountos di' autou; Lousasthe, katharoi genesthe, aphelete tas ponērias hymōn apo tōn kardiōn hymōn; apenanti tōn ophthalmōn mou, mathete kalon poiein. Kai ean ōsin hai hamartiai hymōn hōs phoinikoun, hōs chiona leukanō. Kai ean thelēte kai eisakousēte mou, ta agatha tēs gēs phagesthe. Egō de, phēsin, ho pornos, epi tǭ logǭ tou prophētou katanygeis tēn psychēn, kai stenaxas en tę̄ dianoią mou, eipon pros ton Theon, hoti Sy ho Theos, ho elthōn eis ton kosmon hamartōlous sōsai, ha nyn dia tou prophētou sou epēngeilō, tauta kai eis eme plērōson ton hamartōlon kai anaxion. Idou gar apo tou nyn didōmi soi logon, syntassomai de, kai ek kardias exomologoumai soi, hoti ou mē praxō eti ti tōn kakōn alla apotassomai pasan paranomian kai douleusō soi apo tou nyn en katharą syneidēsei. Sēmeron, ō Despota, kai ek tēs hōras tautēs, dexai me metanoounta, kai prospiptonta soi, kai apechomenon tou loipou pasēs hamartias. Epi tautais, phēsi, tais synthēkais exēlthon apo tēs ekklēsias, krinas en tę̄ emautou psychę̄, mēketi mēden phaulon praxai apenanti tou Theou. Akousantes de pantes aneboōn mią phōnę̄ pros ton Theon; Hōs emegalynthē ta erga sou, Kyrie! panta en sophią epoiēsas. Ginōskontes toinyn, ō Christianoi, ek tōn theiōn Graphōn, kai ek tōn hagiōn apokalypseōn, hosēn echei ho Theos agathotēta peri tous eis auton gnēsiōs katapheugontas, kai dia metanoias ta proteron autois eptaismena diorthoumenous kai hoti apodidōsi palin ta epēngelmena agatha, ouk eisprattomenos dikas hyper tōn proterōn hamartiōn, mē apelpisōmen tēs heautōn sōtērias. Ōsper gar dia Hēsaïou tou prophētou epēngeilato, tous en hamartiais beborborōmenous plynein, kai hōs erion kai hōs chiona leukainein, kai tōn agathōn tēs epouraniou Hierousalēm axioun; houtōs authis dia tou hagiou prophētou Iezekiēl, meth᾽ horkou hēmas plērophorei mē apollyein Zō gar, phēsi, legei Kyrios, hoti ou boulomai ton thanaton tou hamartōlou, hōs to epistrepsai kai zę̄n auton.
Blessed abba Paul the Simple, the disciple of holy Antony, told the Fathers this thing: that once he came to a monastery to visit and to help the brothers, and after their usual conversation with one another, they went into the holy church of God to perform the usual synaxis. “And blessed Paul,” he says, “[watched] with what kind of soul each went in to the synaxis.” For he had this grace given him by the Lord, to see each one as he is in soul, as we see one another’s faces. All went in with bright looks and shining faces, and the angel of each rejoicing over him; but one, he says, he sees black and dark in his whole body, with demons on each side holding him and dragging him toward themselves, putting a halter on his nose; and his holy angel following far behind, gloomy and downcast. Paul wept, and beating his breast with his hand, sat in front of the church, weeping bitterly for the one who had appeared to him so. Those who saw the strange behavior of the man, and his sudden change to tears and mourning, asked and begged him to tell why he was weeping, thinking that he did this because he condemned them all; and they urged him to come into the synaxis with them. But Paul shook them off and sat outside, lamenting greatly for the one who had appeared to him so. Not long after, when the synaxis was dismissed and all were coming out, Paul again watched each one, wanting to know how they came out; and he sees that man, who before had his whole body black and dark, coming out of the church bright in face, white in body, and the demons following far off, and the holy angel accompanying him closely and rejoicing over him greatly. And Paul leapt up with joy and cried out, blessing God and saying, “O the ineffable love for man and goodness of God!” Running and climbing onto a high step, he said with a loud voice, “Come and see the works of God, how fearful and worthy of all amazement! Come and see him who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth! Come, let us worship and fall down before him and say, ‘You alone can take away sins.’” All ran together eagerly, wanting to hear what was said. And when all had gathered, Paul told what he had seen before entering the church and afterward, and asked that man to tell the reason why God had granted him so great a change so suddenly. The man, exposed by Paul, told before everyone without reserve about himself, saying, “I am a sinful man, and for a long time I lived in fornication until now; but coming now into the holy church of God, I heard the holy prophet Isaiah being read, or rather God speaking through him: ‘Wash yourselves, become clean, take away the evils from your hearts before my eyes, learn to do good. And if your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow. And if you are willing and listen to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.’ And I, the fornicator,” he says, “pierced in soul at the word of the prophet and groaning in my mind, said to God, ‘You, God, who came into the world to save sinners, what you have now promised through your prophet, fulfill also in me, a sinner and unworthy. For look, from now on I give you my word, I pledge myself and confess to you from my heart that I will no longer do any evil, but I renounce all lawlessness and will serve you from now on with a pure conscience. Today, O Master, and from this hour, receive me repenting and falling down before you and abstaining from now on from all sin.’ On these terms,” he says, “I came out of the church, having resolved in my soul never again to do anything base before God.” Hearing this, all cried out with one voice to God, “How great are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all.” Knowing then, O Christians, from the divine Scriptures and from holy revelations, how great is God’s goodness toward those who take refuge in him sincerely and correct by repentance their former falls, and that he gives back again the promised good things, not exacting penalties for former sins, let us not despair of our salvation. For as through Isaiah the prophet he promised to wash those defiled in sins and make them white as wool and as snow, and count them worthy of the good things of the heavenly Jerusalem, so again through the holy prophet Ezekiel he assures us with an oath that he will not destroy us: “For as I live,” he says, “says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turn and live.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Ps 66:5 (65:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 95:6 (94:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 1:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 33:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul the Simple sees a fornicator enter church dark with demons and leave shining, converted by the reading of Isaiah.
- Variant notes and stray letters are removed; words of the Isaiah quotation displaced into Paul’s cry are put back in the quotation. Quotations: Ps 66:5 (LXX 65:5); 1 Tim 2:4; Ps 95:6 (LXX 94:6); Isa 1:16–19; 1 Tim 1:15; Ps 104:24 (LXX 103:24); Ezek 33:11. The closing exhortation is the compiler’s.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: letter slip; OCR: stray letter; OCR: stray letters; OCR: stray mark; OCR: wrong diacritic; displaced words of the quotation restored (same words as in the scan); variant notes (“Al.”) from Migne’s apparatus; words of the Isaiah quotation displaced by the OCR (restored below) and a stray letter): εἶχε γάρ' καὶ → εἶχε γὰρ καὶ; παρὰ Κυρίου οι δοθεῖσαν → παρὰ Κυρίου δοθεῖσαν; ἕλκοντας αὐτὸν ΑΙ. διαφόρως. ΑΙ. κοσμῆται. ΑΙ. τοῦ Θεοῦ. ΑΙ. ἐν αὐτοῖς. ΑΙ. ἑκατέρου εἰ ἑκάτερα μέρη. πρὸς → ἕλκοντας αὐτὸν πρὸς; σὐτοῦ → αὐτοῦ; ἀφαιρεῖν το ρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν· ἀπέναντι ἁμαρτίας → ἀφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας; τὰς πονητῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου → τὰς πονηρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν· ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου; δι' αὐτοῦ τ Λούσασθε → δι' αὐτοῦ· Λούσασθε; τῶν· λεγομένων → τῶν λεγομένων; τὸν ΑΙ. τύψας πολλά. ΑΙ. εἰπεῖν τὸ ὁραθέν· δεδιότες μή. το σιωπῶν καί. τα ΑΙ. εἰδὼς μὲν οἷοι εἰσῆλθον, βουλ. δέ· Αι πολύ. ἱλαρόν τε καὶ πρόθυμον. ὦ τῶν θείων αὐτοῦ οἰκτιρμῶν, καὶ τῆς ἀμέτρου αὐτοῦ χρηστότητος. το. ΑΙ. ἀφιέναι. ΑΙ. ἐν αὐτῷ. ΑΙ. ἀπέναντι. Το ΑΙ. ψυχῶν. ἔργοις οἱ ἔργῳ. ἁμαρτωλὸν → τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν; δἱδωμί → δίδωμί.
Cite (SBL): Apophthegmata Patrum, Apoph. Patr. (alph.) 100.1 (PG 65:381–385; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/100-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apophthegmata-alphabetica/100-1
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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.