Practical Chapters to Anatolius (the Praktikos, with its prologue on the monastic habit) 67–71
Greek text: PG 40.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 67
67PG 40
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γίνονται καὶ διαδοχαὶ τῶν δαιμόνων, τοῦ πρώτου κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἀσθενήσαντος, καὶ τὸ προσφιλὲς αὐτῷ πάθος κινῆσαι μὴ δυναμένου, ταύτας παρατηρήσαντες, εὑρίσκομεν οὕτως· Ὅταν πάθους τινὸς ἐν χρόνῳ πολλῷ σπανίσωσι λογισμοί, καὶ γένηται αἰφνίδιος τούτου ζέσις καὶ κίνησις, ἡμῶν μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν δεδωκότων ἐξ ἀμελείας, τότε γινώσκομεν, ὅτι χαλεπώτερος ἡμᾶς τοῦ προτέρου διεδέξατο δαίμων, καὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦ πεφευγότος οὗτος τηρῶν, οἰκείᾳ πονηρίᾳ προσανεπλήρωσεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν πάνυ συνίησι, πολλῷ σφοδρότερον παρὰ τὴν συνήθειαν πολεμούμενος, καὶ τῶν χθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν λογισμῶν ἀθρόως ἐκπεπτωκὼς, μηδεμιᾶς ἔξωθεν παρεμπεσούσης προφάσεως. Φευγέτω τοίνυν ὁ νοῦς ταῦτα θεώμενος πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τὴν σωτηρίου δεξάμενος, καὶ τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐνδυσάμενος, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν σπασάμενος τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ τὸν θυρεόν κουφίσας τῆς πίστεως, λεγέτω εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον μετὰ δακρύων ἀναβλέψας οὐρανόν· Κύριε Χριστὲ, δύναμις τῆς σωτηρίας μου, κλίνον πρός με τὸ οὖς σου, τάχυνον τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι με. Γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν, καὶ εἰς τόπον καταφυγῆς τοῦ σῶσαί με. Μάλιστα δὲ νηστείαις καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις στιλβωσάτω τὴν μάχαιραν. Ἐν ἑπτὰ γὰρ ὅλαις ἡμέραις θλιβήσεται πολεμούμενος, καὶ βαλλόμενος τοῖς πεπυρωμένοις βέλεσι τοῦ Πονηροῦ, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἑβδόμην γνώσεται αὐτὸν ὅμοιον κατ᾿ ὀλίγον τῷ διδαχθέντι γενόμενον, καὶ παραμένοντα· λοιπὸν ἐν ὅλῳ ἐνιαυτῷ, τὰ πολλὰ τιτρωσκόμενον μᾶλλον ἤπερ τιτρώσκοντα, μέχρις ἂν καὶ ὁ τοῦτον διαδεχόμενος παραγένηται· εἴγε χρόνον, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ, πίπτομεν μων. ΞΗ΄.
Epeidē de ginontai kai diadochai tōn daimonōn, tou prōtou kata ton polemon asthenēsantos, kai to prosphiles autǭ pathos kinēsai mē dynamenou, tautas paratērēsantes, heuriskomen houtōs; Hotan pathous tinos en chronǭ pollǭ spanisōsi logismoi, kai genētai aiphnidios toutou zesis kai kinēsis, hēmōn mēdemian aphormēn dedōkotōn ex ameleias, tote ginōskomen, hoti chalepōteros hēmas tou proterou diedexato daimōn, kai ton topon tou pepheugotos houtos tērōn, oikeią ponērią prosaneplērōsen. Alla kai houtos tēs psychēs hēmōn pany syniēsi, pollǭ sphodroteron para tēn synētheian polemoumenos, kai tōn chthes kai tritēn hēmeran logismōn athroōs ekpeptōkōs, mēdemias exōthen parempesousēs prophaseōs. Pheugetō toinyn ho nous tauta theōmenos pros ton Kyrion, tēn perikephalaian tēn sōtēriou dexamenos, kai ton thōraka tēs dikaiosynēs endysamenos, kai tēn machairan spasamenos tou pneumatos, kai ton thyreon kouphisas tēs pisteōs, legetō eis to oikeion meta dakryōn anablepsas ouranon; Kyrie Christe, dynamis tēs sōtērias mou, klinon pros me to ous sou, tachynon tou exelesthai me. Genou moi eis Theon hyperaspistēn, kai eis topon kataphygēs tou sōsai me. Malista de nēsteiais kai agrypniais stilbōsatō tēn machairan. En hepta gar holais hēmerais thlibēsetai polemoumenos, kai ballomenos tois pepyrōmenois belesi tou Ponērou, kai meta tēn hebdomēn gnōsetai auton homoion kat᾿ oligon tǭ didachthenti genomenon, kai paramenonta; loipon en holǭ eniautǭ, ta polla titrōskomenon mallon ēper titrōskonta, mechris an kai ho touton diadechomenos paragenētai; eige chronon, ta kata ton Iōb, piptomen mōn. XĒ΄.
Since there are also successions among the demons, when the first grows weak in the war and cannot stir up the passion dear to it, we have observed them and find this: when the thoughts of some passion have been rare for a long time, and a sudden boiling and movement of it arises, though we have given no occasion through negligence, then we know that a demon harsher than the first has succeeded it, and, keeping the place of the one that fled, has filled it up with its own wickedness. The soul too perceives this well, being warred upon far more violently than usual and suddenly falling away from the thoughts of yesterday and the day before, though no occasion has befallen from outside. Let the mind, then, seeing these things, flee to the Lord, taking the helmet of salvation, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, drawing the sword of the Spirit and lifting the shield of faith; and looking up with tears to its own heaven, let it say: “Lord Christ, power of my salvation, incline your ear to me, hasten to deliver me. Be to me a protecting God and a place of refuge, to save me.” Above all let it burnish the sword with fasts and vigils. For seven whole days it will be afflicted, warred upon and struck by the fiery darts of the evil one; and after the seventh it will recognize that he is becoming little by little like the one taught, and remaining for a whole year, more often wounded than wounding, until the one who succeeds him also arrives …
Eph 6:14–17 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 31:2–3 (30:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 140:7 (139:8 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Eph 6:16 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: When a passion flares suddenly, a worse demon has taken over; flee to Christ with prayer, fasting and vigils.
- “Like the one taught” is translated as printed (perhaps “driven out” is meant). The last clause (“if indeed … time, the things concerning Job, we fall …”) is garbled and is shown as “…”.
- Eph 6:14–17; Ps 31:2–3 (30:3 LXX); Ps 140:7 (139:8 LXX); Eph 6:16.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; split word): σφοδρότε. ρον → σφοδρότερον; Κύριες → Κύριε.
Cite (SBL): Evagrius, Cap. prac. 67 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/67). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/67
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 40 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 68
68PG 40
Ἀκάθαρτοι λογισμοί, πολλάκις εἰς αὔξησιν ὕλας προσδέχονται, καὶ πολλοῖς συμπαρεκτείνονται πράγμασι. Καὶ γὰρ πελάγη κατὰ διάνοιαν περῶσι μεγάλα, καὶ μακρὰς ὁδοὺς ὁδεύειν οὐ παραιτοῦνται, διὰ πολλὴν τοῦ πάθους θερμότητα. Οἱ δὲ ὁπωσοῦν κεκαθαρμένοι, στενώτεροι τούτων μᾶλλόν εἰσι, πολλοῖς συμπαρεκτείνεσθαι πράγμασι μὴ δυνάμενοι, διὰ τὴν τοῦ πάθους ἀσθένειαν· ὅθεν καὶ παρὰ φύσιν μᾶλλον κινοῦνται, καὶ κατὰ τὸν σοφὸν Σολομῶντα, χρόνον τινὰ ἔξω ῥέμβονται, καὶ καλάμην συνάγουσιν εἰς τὴν παράνομον πλινθουργίαν, μηκέτι λαμβάνοντες ἄχυρα. Δεῖ οὖν πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρεῖν τὴν καρδίαν, ἵνα σώζηται ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων, καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος. Ῥᾷον γὰρ ἀκάθαρτον καθᾶραι ψυχὴν, ἢ καθαρθεῖσαν καὶ πάλιν τραυματισθεῖσαν, εἰς ὑγίειαν αὖθις ἀνακαλέσασθαι, τοῦ δαίμονος τῆς λύπης μὴ συγχωροῦντος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀεὶ ταῖς κόραις τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμπηδῶντος, καὶ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας προφέροντος εἴδωλον. ΞΘ Φύσιν μὲν λογικὴν ὑπὸ κακίας θανατωθεῖσαν ἐγείρει Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς θεωρίας πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· ὑπ᾿ αὐτοὺς, καὶ οἱ οἶκοι ἡμῶν ἐκπορθοῦνται ὑπὸ ἀνόὁ δὲ τούτου Πατὴρ τὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν ψυχὴν τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐγείρει διὰ τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου λεγόμενον, τὸ, Εἰ συναπεθάνομεν τῷ Χριστῷ, πιστεύομεν, ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ. Ο΄.
Akathartoi logismoi, pollakis eis auxēsin hylas prosdechontai, kai pollois symparekteinontai pragmasi. Kai gar pelagē kata dianoian perōsi megala, kai makras hodous hodeuein ou paraitountai, dia pollēn tou pathous thermotēta. Hoi de hopōsoun kekatharmenoi, stenōteroi toutōn mallon eisi, pollois symparekteinesthai pragmasi mē dynamenoi, dia tēn tou pathous astheneian; hothen kai para physin mallon kinountai, kai kata ton sophon Solomōnta, chronon tina exō rhembontai, kai kalamēn synagousin eis tēn paranomon plinthourgian, mēketi lambanontes achyra. Dei oun pasę̄ phylakę̄ tērein tēn kardian, hina sōzētai hōsper dorkas ek brochōn, kai hōsper orneon ek pagidos. Rhąon gar akatharton katharai psychēn, ē kathartheisan kai palin traumatistheisan, eis hygieian authis anakalesasthai, tou daimonos tēs lypēs mē synchōrountos, all᾽ aei tais korais tōn ophthalmōn empēdōntos, kai kata ton kairon tēs proseuchēs, to tēs hamartias propherontos eidōlon. XTh Physin men logikēn hypo kakias thanatōtheisan egeirei Christos dia tēs theōrias pantōn tōn aiōnōn; hyp᾿ autous, kai hoi oikoi hēmōn ekporthountai hypo anoo de toutou Patēr tēn apothanousan psychēn ton thanaton tou Christou, egeirei dia tēs gnōseōs tēs heautou. Kai touto esti to hypo tou ᾿Apostolou legomenon, to, Ei synapethanomen tǭ Christǭ, pisteuomen, hoti kai syzēsomen autǭ. O΄.
Unclean thoughts often take on material for growth and extend over many things. For in the understanding they cross great seas and do not refuse to travel long roads, through the great heat of the passion. But those that are in some measure purified are narrower than these, unable to extend over many things because of the weakness of the passion; hence they move rather against nature, and, as the wise Solomon says, “for a time they wander outside,” and gather stubble for the lawless brickmaking, no longer receiving straw. One must therefore guard the heart with all vigilance, so that it may be saved like a gazelle from the noose and like a bird from the snare. For it is easier to purify an impure soul than to call back to health one that has been purified and wounded again, since the demon of sadness does not allow it, but always leaps at the pupils of the eyes and, at the time of prayer, brings forward the image of the sin. [69] Christ raises the rational nature, put to death by vice, through the contemplation of all the ages …; and his Father raises the soul that has died the death of Christ through the knowledge of himself. And this is what is said by the apostle: “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.”
Prov 7:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 5:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 4:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 6:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Guard the heart, for a soul wounded after purification is hard to heal; Christ and the Father raise the dead soul through contemplation and knowledge.
- Chapter 69 begins at [69]; its numeral (ΞΘ) stands in the text. A displaced line (“and our houses are plundered by lawless …”) stands after “all the ages” and is shown as “…”.
- Prov 7:12; Exod 5:7, 12; Prov 4:23; Prov 6:5; Rom 6:8.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; split word): ἄχ ρα → ἄχυρα; ὄρνε ἐκ → ὄρνεον ἐκ; πιστεύο μεν → πιστεύομεν.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Evagrius, Cap. prac. 68 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/68). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/68
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 40 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 70
70PG 40
Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποδυσάμενος, τὸν ἐκ χάριτος ἐπενδύσηται, τότε καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατάστασιν ὄψεται κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, σαπφείρῳ ἢ οὐρανίῳ χρώματι παρεμφερῆ, ἥντινα καὶ τόπον Θεοῦ ἡ Γραφὴ ὀνομάζει ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ὀφθέντα ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους Σινά. ΟΑ΄.
Hotan ho nous ton palaion anthrōpon apodysamenos, ton ek charitos ependysētai, tote kai tēn heautou katastasin opsetai kata ton kairon tēs proseuchēs, sappheirǭ ē ouraniǭ chrōmati parempherē, hēntina kai topon Theou hē Graphē onomazei hypo tōn presbyterōn ophthenta epi tou orous Sina. OA΄.
When the mind has put off the old man and put on the one that comes from grace, then at the time of prayer it will see its own state like sapphire or the colour of heaven; Scripture also calls this the place of God, seen by the elders on Mount Sinai.
Col 3:9–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 24:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The renewed mind sees its own state in prayer as the sapphire place of God.
- Col 3:9–10; Exod 24:10.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Evagrius, Cap. prac. 70 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/70). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/70
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 40 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 71
71PG 40
Οὐκ ἂν ἴδῃ ὁ νοῦς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τόπον ἐν ἑαυτῷ, μὴ πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν ὑψηλότερος γεγονώς· οὐ γενήσεται δὲ ὑψηλότερος, μὴ τὰ πάθη ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰ συνδεσμοῦντα αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν νοημάτων τοῖς πράγμασι τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς· καὶ τὰ μὲν πάθη ἀποθήσεται διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν, τοὺς δὲ ψιλοὺς λογισμοὺς διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς θεωρίας· καὶ ταύτην πάλιν, ἐπιφανέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου τοῦ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς ἐκτυποῦντος τὸν τόπον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Ouk an idę̄ ho nous ton tou Theou topon en heautǭ, mē pantōn tōn en tois pragmasin hypsēloteros gegonōs; ou genēsetai de hypsēloteros, mē ta pathē apekdysamenos ta syndesmounta auton dia tōn noēmatōn tois pragmasi tois aisthētois; kai ta men pathē apothēsetai dia tōn aretōn, tous de psilous logismous dia tēs pneumatikēs theōrias; kai tautēn palin, epiphanentos autǭ tou phōtos ekeinou tou kata ton kairon tēs proseuchēs ektypountos ton topon tou Theou.
The mind will not see the place of God in itself unless it has become higher than everything to do with things; and it will not become higher unless it has put off the passions that bind it, through thoughts, to sensible things. It will put off the passions through the virtues, and the bare thoughts through spiritual contemplation; and this in turn when that light shines upon it which at the time of prayer marks out the place of God.
Notes and citation
Summary: Through virtue and contemplation the mind sees the light of God's place in prayer.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Evagrius, Cap. prac. 71 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/71). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/evagrius-capita-practica/71
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-evagrius-capita-practica-71) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 40 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.