Life of Hilarion

Contents

Translation in progress.

Reading pages: 1–27 · 28–47

1. 1Jerome invokes the Holy Spirit, mentions Epiphanius's short letter on Hilarion, and dismisses his critics.
2. 2Hilarion, born of pagan parents near Gaza, studied at Alexandria, became a believer, and shunned the games and theatre for the church.
3. 3After two months with Antony, Hilarion returned home, gave away his inheritance, and at fifteen settled in the desert near Gaza.
4. 4The frail young Hilarion lived on fifteen figs a day in the wilderness, defeating the devil.
5. 5Tempted by lust, Hilarion tamed his body, his 'little donkey', by fasting and manual labour.
6. 6Demonic noises and a phantom chariot assail Hilarion, but vanish when he calls on Jesus.
7. 7Hilarion endured many visions sent by demons: naked women, feasts, beasts and gladiators.
8. 8A demon rides Hilarion like a donkey when his mind wanders in prayer.
9. 9Hilarion lived first in a reed hut, then in a tiny cell like a tomb.
10. 10Hilarion's austerities: a yearly haircut, the bare ground for a bed, an unwashed hair shirt, and the Scriptures known by heart.
11. 11Jerome summarizes Hilarion's diet at each stage of life, always fasting until sunset.
12. 12Robbers who could not find Hilarion by night are converted by his readiness to die.
13. 13A barren woman of Eleutheropolis begs Hilarion's prayers and bears a son within a year.
14. 14Hilarion heals the three dying children of Aristaenete at Gaza, and many come to him and become monks, the first in Palestine.
15. 15Hilarion heals a blind woman by spitting on her eyes, after Christ's example.
16. 16A paralysed charioteer is healed when he believes and gives up racing.
17. 17Hilarion tames and delivers the violent possessed giant Marsitas.
18. 18Hilarion delivers Orion of Aila from a legion of demons and refuses his gifts.
19. 19A paralysed stonecutter of Majuma is healed and returns to work.
20. 20Hilarion's blessed water helps the Christian Italicus win a chariot race at Gaza against a pagan rival's sorcery.
21. 21A young man uses magic to make a consecrated virgin mad with love; Hilarion casts out the demon and rebukes her for giving it an opening.
22. 22A Frankish officer of the emperor's guard, possessed since infancy, travels to Gaza and is delivered by Hilarion, who refuses his gold.
23. 23Hilarion calms a raging camel and teaches that the devil attacks animals out of hatred for men.
24. 24Even Antony honoured Hilarion; monasteries multiplied in Palestine and Hilarion urged the monks on.
25. 25On his rounds Hilarion passes Elusa during the festival of Venus, and the Saracens receive his blessing and ask for a church.
26. 26A stingy monk sets guards on his vineyard, and Hilarion's company leave without a grape.
27. 27The generous Sabas's vineyard, blessed by Hilarion after prayer, yields three times its estimate, while the stingy monk's wine turns sour.
28. 28Hilarion smells avarice in the chickpeas of a covetous monk, and even the oxen refuse them.
29. 29Grieved by his fame and the crowds, Hilarion longs for solitude, and he tells Aristaenete of Antony's death two days after it happened.
30. 30Fleeing his fame and foreseeing persecution, Hilarion leaves Palestine, visits exiled bishops, and travels to Antony's mountain for the anniversary of his death.
31. 31Antony's disciples show Hilarion the places where Antony lived, prayed, and worked, but keep his grave hidden.
32. 32Near Aphroditon Hilarion's prayer ends a three-year drought, and blessed oil heals those bitten by the snakes that follow.
33. 33Hilarion leaves Bruchium just before officials from Gaza arrive to arrest him under Julian.
34. 34After Julian's death Hilarion refuses to return to Palestine; his disciple Hadrian robs and deserts him, and dies miserably.
35. 35On the voyage to Sicily Hilarion delivers the captain's possessed son and asks for silence about his name.
36. 36Landing in Sicily, Hilarion offers his Gospel book as fare, which the captain refuses.
37. 37Hiding inland in Sicily, Hilarion is betrayed by a demon in a guardsman at Rome, and cures many who then come to him.
38. 38After three years' search Hesychius finds Hilarion in Sicily, who now wants to move on to unknown lands.
39. 39At Epidaurus in Dalmatia Hilarion destroys a huge serpent and, now famous again, plans another flight.
40. 40In the great earthquake and tidal wave after Julian's death, Hilarion holds back the sea at Epidaurus with the sign of the cross.
41. 41Sailing for Cyprus, Hilarion turns back attacking pirate ships with a word.
42. 42In Cyprus the possessed of the whole island cry out Hilarion's arrival, and he heals some two hundred of them within a week.
43. 43Hilarion spends his last five years in a remote, demon-haunted spot in Cyprus, where he heals a paralysed steward.
44. 44At eighty Hilarion leaves his few possessions to Hesychius and asks to be buried at once in his garden.
45. 45Hilarion dies urging his soul not to fear, and is buried at once.
46. 46Hesychius secretly takes Hilarion's incorrupt body from Cyprus to his old monastery at Majuma.
47. 47Constantia dies on hearing that Hilarion's body has been taken, and both Palestine and Cyprus honour him with miracles.