# On the Excellence of Monks - Author: [Nilus of Ancyra](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/nilus-of-ancyra/) - Latin title: *De monachorum praestantia* - Date: ca. 390-430 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca 79 (Paris, 1865); text from the archive.org OCR of the printed volume (Google Books scan) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/ - Passages: 27 ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-1 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: People who judge city ascetics superior to desert monks are like the unskilled judging an art: they count only sins of act and ignore the hidden victories and defeats of thought. ### Greek text Τέχνης μὲν ἀπάσης τὰ τεχνητὰ κρίνοντες ἄπειρα, σφόδρα σφάλλονται περὶ τὴν χρίσιν εἰκότως λόγοις δὲ διχάξοντες, οἱτούτων ἀμύητοι, πλημμελῆ κατ᾽ αὐτῶν τὴν χρίσιν ἐκφέρουσιν, οὐχ εἰδότες ἐκάστου τὴν ἀχριδῇ παρατήρησιν ὅτι μὴ ταῖς κατὰ μέρος αὐτοῖς γυμνασίαις εἰς ἕξιν ἡ ἐπιστήμη προΟὐ τοίνυν θαυμάζειν ἄξιον, εἰ τῶν ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ σπτλαίοις ἡσυχαζόντων μοναχῶν χαταγινώσχουσῖν οἱ πῶς ἀρετῇ κατορθοῦται μὴ μαθόντες τῇ πείρᾳ, τοὺς ἐν μέσῳ στρεφομένους ἀνθρώπων, καὶ διάγοντας ἐν πόλεσι λέγοντες, τῶν ἀναχεχωρημένων μᾶλλον εἶναι δοκιμωτέρους, καὶ τοσούτῳ πλέον, ὅσῳ καὶ τῶν ἀθλητῶν, οἱ κατὰ χεῖρα τοῖς ἀντιπάλοις συμπλεκόμενοι εἰσὶ γενναιότεροι οὐχ ἐπιτάμενοι γὰρ τὰς εἰς πτῶμα λαβὰς, ὅσα τῶν ἁμμάτων ἧτταν ποιεῖ, τὰς χατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτίας μόνας, πτώματα κρίνουσι τὰς κατ᾿ ἔννοιαν ἧττας καὶ νίκας οὗ λογιζόμενοι. Ἐπεὶ ὄψις αὐτὰς πέὁρᾶν, ἀποῤῥήτους. οὔσας, καὶ μόνῳ τῷ ἀγωγοθέτῃ Θεῷ καὶ τῇ συνειδήσει τοῦ ἀγωνιζομένου γινωσκομένας οἷς Καὶ χρησίμη μάλιστα ἡ γνῶσίς ἐστι, τῷ μὲν ὡς βραβείων καὶ στεφάνων ἔνεκεν τῷ δὲ ὡς ἀθλοθέτῃ καὶ διανέμειν μέλλοντι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῶν πόνων ἀξίας. Ἐμοὶ δοκοῦσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι κριταὶ ψυχὴν μὲν τοῖς λανθάνουσι ζομένην καλοῖς ἐπαινεῖν ἥκιστα σῶμα δὲ θαυμάζειν λάμπον τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς ὄψεως καὶ ποικίλην εὐφημεῖν ἐσθῆτα, πρὸ τῆς εὐξίας τοῦ ταύτην περιχειμένου ὅτι τοῖς ὁρωμένοις ἀπατῶνται τὴν αἴσθησιν, τῇ φύσε τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιστῆσαι τὸν νοῦν οὐ βουλόμξεὴοι. ᾿ ### English translation (Claude) Those inexperienced in any art judge its works with great error, as one would expect; and those uninitiated in letters, when they judge speeches, pass a faulty judgment on them, not knowing the exact observation each requires, since knowledge does not advance to a settled habit except by detailed exercises. It is no wonder, then, if those who have not learned by experience how virtue is achieved condemn the monks who live in quiet in mountains and caves, saying that those who move among people and live in cities are more approved than those who have withdrawn, and by as much as, among athletes, those who grapple hand to hand with their opponents are the nobler. For not knowing the holds that lead to a fall, how many of the grips bring defeat, they judge only sins in act to be falls, and take no account of defeats and victories in thought. For the eye cannot see these, since they are secret and known only to God, who presides over the contest, and to the conscience of the contestant; to these two the knowledge of them is most useful, to the contestant for the sake of prizes and crowns, to God as the judge of the games who is to distribute rewards worthy of the labors. Such judges seem to me hardly to praise a soul adorned with hidden goods, but to admire a body shining with the bloom of its looks, and to praise fine clothing before the good health of the one who wears it, because their senses are deceived by what is seen and they will not fix their mind on the nature of things. ### Translation notes - This treatise argues that monks living in quiet in the desert surpass ascetics living in cities. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 1 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-2 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Inner purity matters more than outward; even a virtuous city ascetic is as far behind the desert monk as a mere hand-healer is behind a physician who knows the causes of disease. ### Greek text Ὡς: τὰρ τὸ ἔσω τοῦ ποτηρίου πρὸς τέρψιν τοῦ πίνοντος δεῖ πάντως χαθαῤὸν εἶναι, οὕτω τὴν καρδίαν … πρὸ τοῦ σώματος ἔχειν ἀμόλυντον χρὴ πρὸς τὸ ἀρέσκειν τῷ τοιαύτην ὁρᾷν αὐτὴν βουλομένῳ Θεῷ. Ὅ-: ι τῇ ταύτης ἀκολουθεῖ καθαρότητι καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος καθαρότης, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀναγ. καίως συνδιάχειται τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ διάθεσις. Ἔστι γὰρ, ὥς φησιν ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ τάφον τινα κεχονιαμένον μεστὸν ὀστέων νεχρῶν καὶ πάπης σίας, τῷ φαινομένῳ συνάδουσαν οὐχ ἔχοντα τὴν ἕνδον ἀλέθεταυ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τοῦτον εἰς σύγκρισιν ὁ λόγος τῶν εἰρηλένων καλεῖ τὸν δὲ κατὰ τὴν πρακτικὴν ἴτον καὶ τὰς ᾿θιχὰς ἀρετὰς ἤσχτη μένον ὁμοίως αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦτον γὰρ εὑρήσομεν ἀπολιμπανόαὐτῷ πολλῷ διαστήματι, καὶ τῦς μον:χὴς ἀφεστῶτα ἀγωγῆς τοσοῦτον, ὅσον τῆς εὐμεθίδιν ἰατοιχῆς ἢ κατὰ χεῖρα μόνον ἐνεργουμένη οὔτε νοσυμάτων αἰτίας ἐπισταμένη, οὔτε παθῶν, ὅπως ἢ ὅθεν τίχτονται, διαφορὰς περ μόνον ὃὲ πρὸς τὸ χάμνον ἱσταμένη, καὶ τοῦτο θερ:πεύουσα, ὃ πάλιν ὑποστρέφειν οἷδεν ὀξέως, τῆςς ὅθεν Ἦρξατο αἰτίας οὐχ ἀνῃρημένης ὡς διατάτε: καὶ φλεγμοναὶ σπλάγχνων, καὶ δυσχρασίαι χυμῶν, τοὺς μυρίους, καὶ τοῖς καὶ ταῖς; διαθέσεσι: πυρετοὺ;, ἐφημερινοὺς, ξξδοματιχοὺς καὶ δισεθδόμους, ἣ χρονίου;, ἐκτιχοὺς, καὶ ἐφημέρους, τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ ξανθῇ, τοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ μελαίνῃ χολῇ, ἄλλους ἐπὶ καὶ ᾶλλους ἐφ᾽ αἴματος πλεονασμῷ συνισταμένους, τοὺς μὲν ἡσυχῇ καὶ προσιόντας, ποὺς δὲ πρὸ πολλοῦ κεκραγότας τὴν παρουσίαν μαλαχιτμῶ, καὶ … ἢ καὶ ὕπνῳ συνεχῶς διαχοπτομένῳ τὴν νότον ἰδεῖς, οἵ σημαίνοντας. ### English translation (Claude) For just as the inside of the cup must surely be clean for the drinker's pleasure, so one must keep the heart … undefiled before the body, to please God, who wants to see it so. For the purity of the body follows on the purity of the heart, but the disposition of the soul does not necessarily match the tent of the body. For there is, as the Lord Jesus says, also a whitewashed tomb full of dead men's bones and all impurity, which has within no truth agreeing with its appearance. But our discourse does not call such a one into the comparison. Rather, the one who has practised the active life and the ethical virtues equally with the desert monks, this one too we shall find left far behind them, and as far removed from the monastic way of life as handwork alone is from methodical medicine. Handwork knows neither the causes of diseases nor of afflictions, how or whence they arise, nor their differences; it simply stands by the suffering part and treats it, and the disease knows how to return quickly, since the cause from which it began has not been removed: distensions and inflammations of the viscera, imbalances of the humors, the countless fevers in their various conditions, daily, seven-day and fourteen-day, or chronic, hectic and short-lived, some arising from yellow bile, others from black bile, others from phlegm, and others from an excess of blood; some coming on quietly, others announcing their arrival long in advance by languor, restlessness, or sleep constantly broken, signs of the disease. ### Scripture references - Matt 23:25–26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 23:27: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions: Matt 23:25–27 (the inside of the cup; whitewashed tombs). The medical comparison distinguishes healing by hand alone (perhaps surgery or empirical treatment) from “methodical” medicine that knows causes; the list of fevers and humors follows ancient medical theory (“phlegm” and “restlessness” supply damaged words). Two long passages of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column, with some Greek lost (marked …), and the end of the chapter have been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 2 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/2). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-3 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Sin grows from sight to thought, desire, pleasure, consent and act, and must be stopped at the start by guarding the senses under a sober mind. ### Greek text Ούὐτως αἱσθήσεω: ὁρμὴ ποιεῖν εἴωθε γισμὸν ἐμπαθῇ, ἐπιθυμίαν αἰσχρὰν, αὕτη τέρψυ, καὶ πάλιν συναίνεσιν, ἧς ὁπαδὸς ἡ χατ᾽ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν, ἣν προοιμιαζομένην πρώτης δεῖ παύειν αἰτίας, τὴν ὄψιν ἀποστρεφομένους, τῆν χ νοῦσαν εἱρμῷ τὰ εἰρημένα, πρὶν αὐτὴν πα ραγενέσδα:, καὶ τριῆσαι δυσχερὴ τὴν ἀνάδυσιν, τὸ γὰρ μὴ τυπωθὲν διὰ τῆς ὁράσεως, ἴσως οὐ δίδωσιν ἕρτον, καὶ μελέτην τῇ διανοίᾳ κακὴν, τὸ ὃὲ μὴ εἰ; ἔργον οὐ πρόεισιν, οὐδὲ ἔχει χώραν ἐξωθῇῆνναι ρίῳ τιν οὐ προφέρεταιλοιδορίας γλῶσσα, ἔνδον πεῖ ευνασθέντος θυμοῦ οὐχ δρᾷ πορνικὸς ὀφθοξέ,. λογισμοῦ τοῦτον ἡνιοχοῦντος, καὶ τῆς μὴ σης εἴργοντος θέας οὐ δέχεται λόγον αν σχρὸν ἀξ: κοῦ νοῦ ταύτην φρουροῦντος τὴν αἴσθησιν, οὐδὲν τὸν μελῶν πλημμελῶς ἐνεργεῖ, νήφοντος ἔσω τῷ τ΄ δερνῶντος τὰ ἐνθύμια, καὶ τὴν βαλδέδα χατέχοντο, αὐτὴν τοῦ ὁρμητηρίου τῶν παθῶν ἰσχυρῶς δὲ καὶ καὶ ἐγρήγορεν οὗτος ἀποταξάλενος τοῖς ἐπ πὺς, καὶ ὡς ἐν αἰθρία, οὐζενὸς θοῦντος, τὰ βουλεύματα. ### English translation (Claude) In the same way, the impulse of sense usually produces a passionate thought; the thought, shameful desire; desire, pleasure; and pleasure again, consent, whose follower is sin in act. This must be stopped as it begins, at its first cause, by turning away the sight, which moves the things mentioned in sequence, before it comes in and makes escape difficult. For what has not been imprinted through seeing perhaps gives the mind no occupation or evil study; and what does not come into act has no room to be driven out … The tongue does not bring forth abuse when anger is lulled to sleep within; the eye does not look like a fornicator when reason holds the reins and keeps it from the unfitting sight; [the ear] does not take in a shameful word when the [chaste] mind guards that sense; none of the members acts amiss while the mind within is sober, steering the thoughts and holding the rod firmly against the starting point of the passions. And this mind is awake, having renounced [the things outside], and, as in a clear sky, with nothing troubling it, [orders] its counsels. ### Translation notes - The chain of sin (impulse of sense, passionate thought, desire, pleasure, consent, act) is a standard analysis in the ascetic writers. Some words are damaged and translated by sense. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 3 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/3). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-4 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The desert monk fights the memory of passions directly and so can conquer them, while the city ascetic's mind is flooded with ever-changing images and never cleansed. ### Greek text Πῶς οὖν ὁ κατὰ πρᾶξιν μὴ ἥταιων τοῦ κατ᾽ ἔννόιαν μὴ σφαλλομένου ἐστὶ προτιμότερος Ἐπειδὴ, φησὶν, αὐτὸς ἐρεθιζόμενος οὐ χάμπτεται τοῖς πράγμασι, καὶ δοχιμώτερός ἔστι τοῦ μὴ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν χνιξομένου πρὸς ἔφεσιν εἰ μὲν μηδὲν οὗτος ἔγνω τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πραγμάτων, οὖχ ἔχει πρὸς αὑτὰ εἰ δὲ τῇ τούτων ἐν γνώσε: γεγένηται, ἔχει τὴν μνήμην κινοῦσαν τὰς ὕλας, ὡς κινεῖ τὰ ὁρώμενα, καὶ ἡ πάλη συνέστηκεν αὐτῷ ἀδιάστατος, τῶν παθῶν ἄδειαν ἐχόντων ἐν τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ πλέον ὄψεως ὀχλεῖν τῷ περὶ μηδὲν τῶν ἔξω περισπωμένῳ τὴν ἔννοιαν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν συντυχίαις ὧν καὶ καὶ τὴν ὄψιν ἀργοτέραν ἔχει πρὸς τὰ σχανδαλίζοντα, πολλοῖς ἐπιμεριζομένην προσώποις, καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν μόλις φθάνοντα νύκτωρ τὰς ημερινὰς διεξέρχεςθαι συντυχίας ὁ δὲ μιᾷ μάχεται διόλου μορφῇ εἴτε ὄψεως ἀρεσάσης ποτὲ, εἴτε λυπήσαντος εἰδώλου, τῆς μὲν ἔτ: γαργαλιζούσης τὴν ἔπιθυμίαν, τοῦ δὲ τὸν θυμὸν ἀναφλέγοντος καὶ πᾶσαν ἔχει σπουδὴν τοῦ διενοχλοῦντος ἐξῶσαι τὴν ἔννοιαν, καὶ τὴν ὑπόμνησιν ἀφανίσαι τῶν κινούντων τὰ πάθη. Περιέσται δὲ πάντως τῷ χρόνῳ οὗτος καθ᾽ ἐκάστην ἐλαττῶν τοῦ μαχομένου τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν αὔξων τῇ γυμνασίᾳ προχόπτουσαν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀχμαιότεφὸν ὁσημέραι, καὶ ἐθιζομένην τῶν ἀντιπάλων κραεἶν οὕτω καὶ ἣ συνήθεια, εἰς ἕξιν μετέρχεται, καὶ ἡ ἕξις εἰς φύσιν, καὶ τὸ χτῆμα τῷ κτησαμένῳ τηρεῖ ἀμετάππωτον. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῖς ἀπείροις γὰρ οὐχ ἔστι ῥείθρου τρέχοντος τὴν κάτω κειμένην ψάμμον ἰδεῖν, ἀναστέλλοντος δὲ τοῦ ἀνάγχη γυμνὴν ταύτην θεάσασθαι οὕτω τῆς ὄψεως ἐπιχλυξζούσης ἄλλαις μορφαῖς τὴν διάνοιαν, οὔτε μάχὴν ἐστὶ πρὸς ὡρισμένον ἀναδέξασθαι πρότωπον, ἢ πάθος, οὔτΞς τὸν λογισμὸν καθαρθῆναί ποτε, τῶν ἐπεισερχομένων ἀφανιζόντων τοὺ; προλαόντας χαραχτήρας, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους πρὸς ὀλέγον ἐνσημαινομένων τύπους. Καὶ τούτονς γὰρ ἐπιλεαίουσιν ὑπεισιόντες ἕτεροι, καὶ τῇ ἐφεδρείᾳ ταύτῃ θόξἐυῦος ἀΐδιος κατέχει τὰ ἕνδον, οὔτε γνωσθῆναι τὰ ὀχλοῦντα συγχωρῶν τῇ ἐπαλληλίᾳ τῶν ἀμειδομένων φαντασιῶν. Ἄρτι γὰρ τὰ πρὸ μικροῦ ἐμπεσόντα, κατέχει τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον τὰ νῦν καὶ τοῖς αὖθις παραχωρεῖ τὰ φθάπαντα τοῦτον σχολάζοντα, ἐχανὴν μὲν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ματαίων ἐνθυμίων ὑπομένοντα βλάβην ἵνα καὶ δοκῇ μηδὲν πάσχειν αὐτὸν, ὧν διατίθησιν ἐκεῖνα, ἐμπαθεῖς τὰς φαντασίας τῶν πραγμάτων ποιούμενα, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτέρων, καὶ ὠφελίμων ἀποκλείοντα, λογικῶν. ### English translation (Claude) How, then, is the one who is not defeated in action to be preferred to the one who does not stumble in thought? “Because,” he says, “when the city ascetic is provoked he is not bent by circumstances, and so he is more approved than the one whose desiring part is not stirred to longing by what he sees.” But if the desert monk knew nothing of the affairs of the world, he has no struggle with them; and if he did come to know them, he has memory stirring the material of the passions, as things seen stir it, and his wrestling goes on without a break, since in quiet the passions have more license than sight to trouble the one whose thought is distracted by nothing outside. For the one who lives among encounters has his sight duller toward what causes stumbling, since it is divided among many faces, and his reasoning scarcely manages at night to go through the day's encounters; but the other fights continually with a single form, whether of a sight that once pleased or of an image that grieved, the one still tickling desire, the other inflaming anger; and he devotes all his zeal to driving out the thought of what troubles him and blotting out the memory of what stirs the passions. And he will surely prevail in time, lessening every day the strength of his opponent and increasing his own by exercise, as it advances daily to greater vigor and grows used to mastering its adversaries. So custom passes into habit, and habit into nature, and it keeps the acquisition unchangeable for the one who acquired it. For those without experience, it is not possible to see the sand lying at the bottom of a running stream, but when the stream stops one necessarily sees it bare. In the same way, when sight floods the mind with other forms, it is not possible to take up a battle against a definite face or passion, nor for the reasoning ever to be cleansed, since those that come in blot out the impressions that came before and stamp their own types for a little while. These in turn are smoothed away by others coming in, and by this succession an everlasting tumult holds the interior, not allowing what troubles it to be recognized, because of the succession of changing images. For just now what has recently fallen in holds the reasoning, and after a little the present images too give way to the next, keeping it occupied, while it suffers harm enough even from vain thoughts, so that it even seems to suffer nothing from what they do to it, as they make the images of things passionate and shut out the more necessary and useful thoughts of reason. ### Translation notes - The words in quotation marks give the opponents' argument. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed; it includes a stray Greek phrase (“by art very impossible things appear possible”) that belongs elsewhere. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 4 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/4). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-5 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The city ascetic's senses are battered all day by sights and sounds; in quiet the passions, left unstirred, grow weaker until only bare memories remain. ### Greek text ΕἸ δέ τις ἴδοι, καὶ τὰς ἔξωθεν … ὀφθαλμῶν, ἃ μὴ θέμις ὁρώντων, ἀκοῆς αἰσχραῖς πάντοῦς περιχτυπουμένης φωναῖς, θυμοῦ πρὸς τούτοις τερασσομένου, ἐπιθυμίας δελεαζομένης, ἧδδονῆς ἐρεθιζομένης, δόξης ῥιπιζομένῃης, λύπης σης, εὕροι πάντως αὑτὸν ὡς ἐκ πυγμῆς δυλισμένον, καὶ τραυμάτων καταγέμοντα καὶ τό: μακαρίζοντα τοὺς μηδὲν τούτων ἐν τῷ ἡσυχάζειν ὁρῶντας, ἣ πάσχοντας. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος αὐτῇ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων κινεῖν πρὸς μάχην τὰ πάθη, τὶ γυμνασίᾳ παρέχειν ἄδειαν αὑτοῖς ἐπιτρέδεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ χαλεπώτερον, ἐξ ὧν ἡσυχία πρὸς κατάστασιν ἀτάραχον ἄγειν αὐτὰ ἐπειδήπως πέφυκεν, καὶ. ἐκάστου τὴν δύναμιν κατὰ μικρὸν ἢ ἀργία, ὡ; ἡ γυμνασία ταύτην ἐγείρει ἐπὶ τὸ Καὶ θυμὸς γὰρ ἑρεμῶν ἐπιειχέστερος γένεται, καὶ ἐπιθυμία ἡσυχάζουσα πραότερον δρμᾷν κατ᾽ ὀλέγοι ἐθίζξεται, καὶ πᾶν πάθος ἁπλῶς ἐπὶ τὸ μετριώτερον ὁσημέραι μὴ κινούμενον πρόεισι, καὶ παύεται πεντελῶς ὕστερον τῆς οἰκείας ἐνεργείας τῷ χρόνῳ λέποιούμενον, καὶ μένουσιν αἱ μνῆμαι λοι πὸν τῶν πραγμάτων φιλαὶ τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς ὑποχεορηδάσης διὰ θέσεως. ### English translation (Claude) If someone were to look at the senses that face outward, … the eyes seeing what is not lawful, the hearing beaten on every side by shameful words, anger meanwhile stirred up, desire enticed, pleasure provoked, glory fanned, grief …, he would surely find himself bruised as from a boxing match and covered with wounds, and would call blessed those who in quiet see or suffer none of these things. For what use is it to stir up the passions to battle by the very presence of things, and by exercising them to give them license to turn for the worse, when quiet naturally leads them to an untroubled state, and idleness [quenches] the strength of each little by little, as exercise rouses it to greater force? For anger, when at rest, becomes gentler, and desire, kept quiet, grows used little by little to stirring more mildly, and every passion simply, when it is not moved, advances day by day to greater moderation and later ceases altogether from its own activity, weakened by time; and only bare memories of things remain, once the passionate disposition has withdrawn. ### Translation notes - OCR of Migne's facing Latin column has been removed at three places; words lost with it are marked …. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 5 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/5). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-6 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: In quiet the passions are unlearned as a sated man loses appetite; the methodical desert ascetic is like a general who wins by strategy rather than by reckless frontal attack. ### Greek text Καὶ ὥσπερ καὶ τῶν ἄγαν ἡδέων ὄψων, καὶ ποτῶν, οὔτε ἡ ὕψις οὔτε ἡ μνήμη κινεῖ τοῦ μὴ ἐφιεμένου τὴν ὄρεξιν. Οὕτως οὐδὲν τῶν αἰσθητῶν, οὔτε ὁρωμένων, οὔτε ἀκουόμενον, οὔτε τὴν ἐνθύμγτρσιν … ἐρχόμενον τῷ ἡρεμεῖν τὸ δεπρὸς πάθος τῆς ἕξεως οὐχ ἔτι κινεῖσθαι συγχωρούσης τὸν ἀπομαθόντα τῇ πολλῇ ἡσυχίᾳ τὴν χίνησιν πῶς οὖν τὸν ἀπείρως, καὶ ἐπικινδύνως τὴν ἄσκησιν μετερχόμενον, τοῦ ἐμμεθόδως, καὶ ἄσφαλῶς τὴν ἄσκησιν μετιόντος δοχιμώτερόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν. Τίς μᾶλλον πόλεμον ἑ, καὶ πολεμίους εὐχόλως χειροῦται, ὁ μανιχῶς κατὰ τῶν ἀντι τε ταγμένων χωρῶν, καὶ ἀντιπρόσωπος τῇ τῶν ἐχθρὼν προσπίπτων, ἣ στρατηγιχώτερον ὁ τούτοις ἐ κιτιθέμενος, καὶ λόχοις, καὶ ἐνέδραις αὐτοὺς δὐχερῶς κατεβάλλων, καὶ φρονήσει τρόπαιον ἐγείρων, ἣ ὁ μετὰ πολλοῦ πόνου καὶ φόνου τοῖς συστάδην μαχομένοις ἀνθιστάμενος Τίς σωφροσύνην καὶ Ὁ κατὰ τὸν νοῦν ἀληθῶς, ὁ θηρίων θυμοῖς, καὶ μένη καμίνῳ καὶ μαινομένη θαλάσσῃ, μενος, ἣ ὁ τὴν βλάβην αὐτῶν φυλασσόμενος, καὶ τῶν κινδύνων ἑστώς ### English translation (Claude) And just as neither the sight nor the memory of very sweet dishes and drinks moves the appetite of one who has no desire for them, so none of the objects of sense, whether seen or heard, [stirs] the thought … coming to rest, since the settled habit no longer allows the one who has unlearned movement through long quiet to be moved toward passion. How, then, can one call the one who pursues ascetic practice without experience and at risk more approved than the one who pursues it methodically and safely? Who [wages] war better and subdues the enemy more easily: the one who rushes madly against those drawn up opposite him and throws himself face to face on the enemy's ranks, or the one who attacks them with more generalship, overthrows them easily by ambushes and snares, and raises a trophy by prudence, rather than the one who, with great toil and slaughter, withstands those who fight at close quarters? Who [shows] self-control and [courage] truly according to reason: the one who [exposes himself] to the rage of wild beasts, a fiery furnace and a raging sea, or the one who guards against their harm and stands clear of the dangers? ### Translation notes - A long passage of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column has been removed in the first sentence, with Greek lost (marked …); some words in the last sentence are damaged and supplied in brackets. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 6 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/6). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-7 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Our nature already has the fire of desire; the senses supply the kindling, as in the law about fire spreading through thorns, so small sins must be avoided because they lead to great ones. ### Greek text Ὡς γὰρ σῶμα γενόμενον ἐν τούτοις πάσχει τὰ τῷ σώματος ἀναγκαίως, οὕτως αἴσθησις τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὕλας κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῖς πάθεσι ὅδωσι πρὸς τὸ βλάψαι ταύτην τῶν εἰρημένων οὖ ἔλαττον. ᾿Αρχεῖ πρὸς μάχην ἡ φύσις, μηδὲν ἕξω θεν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν αὑτῶν συμμαχίαν ἔχει γὰρ ἴδιον ἡ ἐπιθυμία πῦρ, μὴ ἐχέτω φρύγανα, καὶ οὐχ αὔξει τὴν φλόγα. Τοῦτο δι αἰνίγματος τὸ νομικὸν ὑπαινίττεται λόγιον Ἐὰν ἐξελθὸν, φησὶ, εὑρὴ ἀκάνθας καὶ προσἐμπρήσῃ ἅλωνα ἀποτίσε ὁ τὸ πῦρ ἐχχαύσας, ἅλωνα λέγων τὰ πάθη, πῦρ τὰς τῆς φύσξως ὁρμὰς, ἀκάνθας τὰ αἰσθητὰ, μὴ μεσιτευέτωσαν αὗται, καὶ τῆς ἅλωνος ἅψασθαι πῦρ χώραν οὐχ ἔχει μὴ εὑρίσκον ὕλην, δι᾽ ἧς αὐτὴν φλεγόμενον πάνξως γὰρ ἣ σβεσθήσεται παντελῶς ἀπορίᾳ Ἐροφῆς, Χκαὶ τελευτήσει εἰς τέφραν τὴν δημαίνουσαν τῆς ποτὲ τυραννίδος, καὶ πάθου; ἐσχάτην ἀσθένειαν, ἢ σμυχόμενον ἐν διαμενεῖ, μηδὲν βλάπτον, τῇ δὲ ὄψει διδάσκον, ὡς δύναται βλάψαι ποτὲ λάμψαν εἰς φλόγα, ἐὰν ὕλης εὐπορήσῃ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν δύναμιν ἐπιτηδείας οὐ γὰρ εὐθὺς ξύλων περιδράττεκαι οὐδὲ σχίδαχας παρατεθείσα: ἀχύρων δὲ καὶ καλάμης, αὶ χόρτου πρὸς τὸ καὶ τῆς ἀδροτέρας ὕλης περιγενέσθαι. Ἵνα ἡμεῖς μάθωμεν ἀχριδῶς, ὅτι τὰ μικρὰ, καὶ εὐτελῆ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμᾶς τοῖς; μείζοσι, καὶ ἡ ἐν ἐἔχείνοις ἀδιαφορία ὁδὸς ἐπὶ τὰ χαλεπώτερα γίνεται. ### English translation (Claude) For as a body that finds itself among these things necessarily suffers what belongs to a body, so the senses, through the objects of sense, supply the passions with material against the soul, to harm it no less than the things mentioned. Nature is enough for the battle; it needs nothing from outside as an ally against ourselves. For desire has its own fire: let it not have brushwood, and it does not increase the flame. This is what the saying of the law hints at in a riddle: “If a fire goes out and finds thorns and sets a threshing floor alight, the one who kindled the fire shall make it good.” By the threshing floor it means the passions, by the fire the impulses of nature, by the thorns the objects of sense. Let these not come between, and the fire has no room to reach the threshing floor, finding no material through which to burn its way to it. For it will surely either be quenched altogether for lack of fuel and end in ashes, showing the utter weakness of what was once a tyranny and a passion, or it will remain smouldering in the ash, harming nothing, but teaching by its appearance that it could do harm if it ever flared into flame, should it obtain material suited to its present strength. For it does not at once seize on logs or split wood laid beside it; it needs chaff, straw and grass in order to master the coarser material as well. So we may learn exactly that small and trivial sins lead us on to greater ones, and that indifference toward them becomes a road to graver sins. ### Scripture references - Exod 22:6 (22:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Exod 22:6 (LXX 22:5), read allegorically. Small pieces of OCR debris and the end of the chapter (OCR of Migne's facing Latin column) have been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 7 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/7). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-8 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Passions must be crushed at their first appearance, like the serpent's head or Babylon's infants dashed against the rock; once grown they are hard to defeat, and only then comes the peace of contemplation. ### Greek text Καὶ δεῖ μὴ ἔθους αὐτοῖς παρέχειν ἀγωγὴν, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέπειν παραχύπτειν ἀναιδῶς, ἐπιτιμᾷν δὲ προοιΔιαζομένοις μέλλουσαν παῤῥησίαν μὲν τὴν κεφαδὴν ἔτι πρὶν τῆς πτέρνης ἐπιλάδητα θλίβειν τοῦ ὄφεως, καὶ σπέρμα Ὁλοθρεύειν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ τὰ νήπια ταύτης ἐδαφίζειν πρὸς τὴν κέτρᾶν, ἣν ἡ τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκη, μίαν οὖσαν σγμαίνει καὶ γὰρ τῇ κεφαλῇ παραδυείσῃ ἅπας ὁ ὁλχὸς συνεισέρχεται, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τῶν ζιζανίων ῥιζωθὲν ἐμποδίζειν τῇ βλάστῃ τῶν ἡμέρων πέφυχε φυτῶν, καὶ ἀδρυνθέντα τὰ νήπια οὐχ ἀνεκτὴν, ἀμφἥριστον δὲ, καὶ ἐναγώνιον εἴωθε τὴν μάχην ποιεῖν καὶ σημαίνεται διὰ τούτων τὰ πάθη ὡς ἐν ἀρχῇ μέν ἔστιν εὐάλωτα, ἔθεε δὲ χρατυνθέντα εἰς ἀκμὴν πρόεἰσι, καὶ δυσχαταγώνιστα γίνεται, μετὰ τὸ κάματον παρέχειν ἐν τῇ πάλῃ πολύν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ εὐχέρειαν ἡ μῶν καὶ ἄνοιαν κατηγοροῦντα δεινὴν, καθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν πολεμίους οὗς καθελεῖν ἀσθενεῖς ὄντας ἣν ἐν ἡμῖν εὐπετῶς, Οὕτως γὰρ καιρὸν εἶχεν ἂν ἡ μετὰ τὴν. τῶν ἀντιπάλων φθορὰν εἰρήνην … ἄγουσα πρὸς θεωρίαν τραπῆναι, καὶ τὰς οἰκείας Ὁ γεωργῇσαι δυνάμεις. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ μέν τις τῶν πρὸφητῶν φησι ε Συγκόψουσι τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα, καὶ τὰς ζιβύνας εἰς δρέπανα, παρελθοῦσαν τὰ πολεμικὰ, καὶ τοῖς τῆς εἰρήνης εὐχαιροῦσαν ἔρ. γοῖς σημαίνων κατάστασιν. ### English translation (Claude) And we must not give these things the guidance of habit, nor let them peep in shamelessly, but rebuke them as they begin, [cutting off] their future boldness: crushing the serpent's head before it seizes the heel, destroying the seed from Babylon, and dashing its infants against the rock, which, as the article added to it shows, is one rock. For when the head slips in, the whole length of the body comes in with it; the seed of tares, once rooted, naturally hinders the growth of cultivated plants; and infants, once grown, usually make the battle not bearable but hard-fought and strenuous. By these the passions are signified: in the beginning they are easily caught, but strengthened by habit they advance to their prime and become hard to defeat, after giving much toil in the wrestling. Moreover, they accuse our carelessness and terrible folly, since we raised up enemies against ourselves whom it was in our power to destroy easily while they were weak. For in this way the peace after the destruction of our adversaries would have had time … leading us to turn to contemplation and cultivate our own powers. For this is what one of the prophets says: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles,” signifying the state that has passed beyond the things of war and has leisure for the works of peace. ### Scripture references - Gen 3:15: allusion, high confidence - Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX): allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:4: echo, low confidence - Matt 13:25: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 2:4: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions and quotations: Gen 3:15; Ps 137:8–9 (LXX 136:8–9), where “the rock” with the article is commonly read as Christ (1 Cor 10:4); Matt 13:25 (the tares); Isa 2:4 (Mic 4:3). A long passage of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column has been removed, with Greek lost (marked …), and the end of the chapter is debris, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 8 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/8). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-9 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Only after the battle is over can the enemy's tricks be seen and the victories remembered; the city ascetic busy helping others neglects his own soul, though every tradesman minds his own affairs first. ### Greek text Ὃ δὲ, ε Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὄψονται τοὺς πλανῶντάς σε, καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἀκούσονται τῶν ὀπίσω σε πλάνησάντων. Μετὰ τὸ παύσασθαι τὴν τῆς μάχης σύγχυσιν ὀρᾶτθαι λέγων, καὶ γινώσκεσθαι σαφῶς τοὺς τῶν ἐχθρῶν δόλου;, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, οὶ Μωυῦσῆς δὲ ὁ μέγας τὰ συμβάντα κατὰ τὴν ἀπ᾽ Αἰγύπτου ἔξοδον τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις; ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν δευτέρε βίβλῳ σπουδαίως ὑπομιμνήσκει, τὰς παρελθούσας μάχας, καὶ συμπλοκὰς, γυμνάζειν τῷ μνήμῃ παραινῶν καὶ τὰς παραδόξους νέχας ποιεῖσθαε στης εὐχαριστίας ὑπόθεσιν. Οὐκ οἷδε ταῦτα οὐξὲ σχολὴν ἔχει ποτὲ καὶ γνῶναι ὁ ἐν πολέμοις διατρίβων, καὶ ὁ προστασίαν ἄλλοις νέμειν δοκῶν καλὸν μὲν γὰρ, καὶ πολλοῖς χρήσιμον μέτεισιν ἔργον, τοῦ δὲ τῆς οἰκεία: ἐπιμελουμένου, καὶ διορθουμένου τὰ ἔνδον, μόλις τὰ δευτερεῖα φέρει, σωματικὴν παρέχων τοῖς δεομένοις βοήθειαν, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐῶν τὴν ἑχυτοῦ διὰ παντὸς ἀτημέλητον. Οἷδα καὶ γεωργοὺς ἐγὼ παντὶ καιρῷ τῷ ἰδίῳ σχολάζοντας, καὶ πλωτῆρας ἀεὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπισχευάζοντας ναῦν, καὶ ἐδίτας, καὶ ἐμπόρους, καὶ τεχνίτας, καὶ μισθωτοὺ; τοῦτο σπουδάζοντας, ὃ συντελεῖν αὖ τοῖς, εἰς ὠφέλειαν νομίζουσι, καὶ οὐδεὶς τὰ ἑτέρου προτιμότερα, ἣ καὶ ἰσότιμα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κρίνειν ἀνέχεται. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ ὁ ναυτιχὸς θαλαττεύων, πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον πλοῦν ἰθύνει τὸ σκάφος, καὶ ὁ γηπόνο; τὴν κατάλληλον ταῖς ὥρα: ἐπιμέλειαν τῷ οἰκείῳ γεωργίῳ προσάγει, καὶ ὁ μετερχόμενος, τοῦ ἰδίου γένεται χέρδου;, καὶ ἕχαστο: ἁπλῶς καὶ μάταιον μεριμνᾷν τὰ τῶν ὁμοτέχνων ἡγούμενος, φροντίδα πολλὴν ἔχει χοὶ μέριμναν, ὅπως εὖ τὰ οἰκεῖα ### English translation (Claude) And another says, “Your eyes will see those who lead you astray, and your ears will hear the words of those who led you astray behind you,” meaning that, after the confusion of battle has stopped, the enemies are seen and their deceits and practices clearly recognized. And the great Moses, in the second book of the law, earnestly reminds the Israelites of what happened in the desert during the exodus from Egypt, exhorting them to go over the past battles and engagements in memory and to make their unexpected victories an occasion for thanksgiving. The one who spends his time in wars, and who thinks he is giving protection to others, does not know these things, nor ever has leisure to learn them. He pursues a work that is good and useful to many, but compared with the one who takes care of his own soul and sets right what is within, he scarcely carries off the second prize, giving bodily help to the needy while leaving his own soul always uncared for. I know of farmers who spend every season on their own land, sailors who are always repairing their own ship, and travellers, merchants, craftsmen and hired laborers who are eager for what they think contributes to their own benefit; and none of them will consent to judge another's affairs more valuable than his own, or even equal to them. The sailor at sea steers his boat toward his own voyage; the farmer gives his own farm the care suited to the seasons; the trader gives himself to his own gain; and each, in short, thinking it vain to worry about the affairs of his fellow craftsmen, takes great thought and care that his own affairs go well. ### Scripture references - Isa 30:20–21: quotation, high confidence - Deut 8:2: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Isa 30:20–21 (LXX wording). “The second book” is Deuteronomy, where Moses recalls the desert journey (e.g. Deut 8:2). Two long passages of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column, and the end of the chapter, have been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 9 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/9). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-10 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Praising the city ascetic who helps others is like praising a man who leaves his house burning to help friends; the senses feed the fire of passion, as Jeremiah's image of gathering wood shows. ### Greek text Και. τὸν ἑαυτοῖς ἐν τῇ ἀρετῇ χρησιμεύοντα ἀποδοχῆς οὗτοι μᾶλλόν τινες χρένουσιν ἄξιον ἐπαινεῖν πάντως, καὶ τὸν αὐτῷ τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ τῆς ἔνδον ὑπάρξεως φλετγομένης ἁπάσης, φίλοις ἐπὶ μνηστείαν, ἢ πρεσβείαν συνελθεῖν προτρεπομένοις πειθόμενον, ὅτι τοῦ παῦ: τοῦ οἴκου τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν, τὴν τῶν φίλων χρείαν τριτιμοτέραν ἡγήσατο τούτῳ σεμνύνοντες αὐκὸν,, ὃν χρίνηντὲς ὀρθῶς ὡς φρενοδλαδῇ, καὶ παραπλῆτγα διθάλλειν ὥφειλον ἐμπρηπμοῦ δὲ χεῖρον τὰ τῆς βάνοίας, ἑχάστῳ διάκειται τῶν αἰσθήσεων, εἰ το τὲ; προόδους παραιτοῖτο. τροφίμοὺυς ὕλας εἰσγρεμούσες τῷ χαιομένῳ πυρὶ, καὶ ταύτας ἐπισωρευούσας ὦ; Ὁ φρύγανα τῇ τῆς φύσεως ἀναπτομένας ὁ; μνήμης ὥσπερ φωστῆρι τῇ μελέτῃ ῥιπεζούσης καὶ ποιούσης λαδροτέραν τοῦ πυρπολουμέναο πὲ δύσδεστον. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔοικε περί τένων ὁ Θεὸς ἃ προφήτῃ δυσχεραίνων προσφωνεῖν, ἐν ἀγαναχῶ φησιν Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἃ αὑτοὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς Ἰούδα, καὶ ἔξωθεν Οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ευλέγουσι ξύλα, καὶ οἱ πατέρες αὑτῶν καίουσι καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν τοῦ ποτἢσαι χαυνῶν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ν τὴν μὲν ὄρασιν δέχῃ φρυγάνων τὰς ἐρεθιστικὰς λέγων συνάγειν μορφάς. τὴν δὲ ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν ταύταις σφοδρὸν ἀνάπτειν καὶ τὴν μνήμην τρίθειν, καὶ μαλάττειν ταῦτα διηνεκῶς οὕτω γὰρ ἡ ὄψις διὰ τῶν μέσων ὁδεύσασα πρόειτιν εἷς τὴν χατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτίαν τῶν εἰρημένων τελειουμένη μορίων καὶ τὸ συνἀτειν δὲ καλάμην εἰ; ἄχυρα, τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ πλινθεία; τῶν ῥεμβομένων, καὶ οὐ τῶν ἡσυχαζόντων ἐσί, ### English translation (Claude) And some of these people judge the one who is useful to himself in virtue less worthy of approval; they would surely praise a man who, while his house and all the property inside it were burning, obeyed friends urging him to come along to a betrothal or on an embassy, because he thought his friends' need more valuable than [putting out] the fire in his house. They honor him for this, whom, if they judged rightly, they ought to censure as deranged and out of his mind. Worse than a fire is the state of the mind to which each of the senses brings its material, if one does not refuse to go out: the senses carry nourishing fuel into the burning fire and heap it up like brushwood kindled by nature, while memory fans it with meditation as with a bellows and makes the blaze fiercer and harder to put out. And this, it seems, is what God, displeased with some people, says to the prophet; in his indignation he says, “Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and outside? Their sons gather wood, and their fathers kindle the fire, and their wives [knead dough] to make cakes for the host of heaven.” He means that sight gathers the provoking forms like brushwood, desire kindles a fierce fire in them, and memory kneads and softens them continually. For so sight, passing through the intermediate stages, advances into sin in act, completed by the parts named. And gathering straw for chaff, as in the brick-making in Egypt, belongs to those who wander about, not to those who live in quiet. ### Scripture references - Jer 7:17–18: quotation, high confidence - Exod 5:12: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Jer 7:17–18; Exod 5:7–12 (gathering straw in Egypt). Small pieces of OCR debris inside words have been removed; “bellows” translates a damaged word (the OCR has φωστῆρι, “luminary”; probably φυσητῆρι). ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 10 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/10). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-11 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The senses give shape and fuel to formless passions; quiet keeps them from being seen, remembered and stirred, which is why Moses pitched his tent outside the camp. ### Greek text Συνάγει γὰρ καὶ ἄκων ὁ πλήθεσι συλφυρόμενος ἀδιαφόρως, τὰς πκοιητιχὰς ὅλας τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τὧν ἀργὸν τοῦ πάθους εἰς χύδον σχηματίζει πηλὸν, ἄμορφον ὄντα καθ᾽ ἑπυτὸν, καὶ τρανὸν τύπον τῇ μελέτῃ τῶν δι᾽ αἰσθήσεως μένων δεχόεγον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πάθος τὴν φυσικὴν ὁρμὴν κινεῖν υἱὸς μόνον, καὶ ταύτην ἀσθενέστερον μὴ συνεργουμένὴν ταῖς ἕξωθεν ὕλαις ὅταν δὲ μορφάς λίχνους, καὶ ἁπατηλὰς προσλάβῃ ὡρισμένοις τῶν αἰσθητῶν χαρακτῆραι κατέχει τὸν λογισμὸν πεπεδημένον, οἷον θυμὸς, καὶ ἐπιθυμία, ἡδονῆ τε καὶ λύπη. δυνάμεις εἰσὶν ἢρξεμοῦσαι, καὶ εἶδος οὐχ ἔχουσαι πρὶν εὐπορὲὕλης διεγειρούσης πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβάλλουσαν ἐνέργειαν ἐὰν δὲ λυπήσαντος μὲν τῷ θυμῷ, τέρψαντος δὲ τῇ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑκάστη ἡ αἴσθηαις τὴν κατάλληλον εἰσενέγχῃ μορφὴν ἔργον δίδωσιν αὐταῖς, καὶ μελέτην ἀΐδιον, ὁρώσαις τύπους τῶν ἐρεθιζόντων καὶ τὴν ὑπόμνητιν ἐμπαθῆ ποιούντων, καὶ λίαν ἀργαλέον. Διὰ τοῦτο καλὸν ἡ ἡσυχία, ὅτι τὸ βλάπτον οὐχ ὁρᾶται, τὸ δὲ οὐχ οὐ δέχεται αὶ διάνοια τὸ δὲ μὴ γενόμενον ἐν ταύτῃ, οὐ κινεῖ τῇ φαντασίᾳ τὴν μνήμην, τὸ δὲ μὴ κινοῦν τὴν μνήμην οὐχ τὸ πάθος πάθους οὐ κινουμένου, γαλήνην ἔχει βαθεῖαν, καὶ εἰρήνην τὰ ἔνδον. Διὰ τοῦτο Μωῦσῆς ὁ πάνσοφος, χαΐτοι φροντίδα τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν, ἔχων, ἔξωθεν τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ ἄποθεν τὰ πολλὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σκηνὴν ἐπήγνυτο, φεύγων ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν τὴν οὐ καθήκουσαν καὶ διδοὺς ἢρεμίαν τῷ λογισμῷ πρὸς τὸ σκέψασθαι, καὶ γνῶναι τῶν τῇ Ψυχῇ χρησίμων. ### English translation (Claude) For one who mixes indiscriminately with crowds gathers, even against his will, the materials that produce sin, and shapes the idle clay of passion into a pot; the clay is shapeless in itself and takes a distinct form through meditation on things [received] through the senses. For passion only moves the natural impulse, and does so more weakly when it is not helped by materials from outside; but when it takes on alluring and deceptive forms, it holds the reasoning fettered by the definite features of objects of sense. Anger and desire, for example, and pleasure and grief, are powers at rest and without form until they obtain material that rouses them to their proper activity. But if sense brings in the suitable form, of someone who has caused grief for anger, of someone who has given delight for desire, and so for each of the others, it gives them work and endless occupation, as they look at the images of what provokes them and makes the memory passionate and very troublesome. That is why quiet is good: what harms is not seen; what is not seen the mind does not receive; what has not entered the mind does not stir the memory by imagination; what does not stir the memory does not [stir] the passion; and when passion is not stirred, the interior has deep calm and peace. For this reason Moses, the all-wise, though he had the care and charge of the people of the Jews, pitched his own tent outside the camp and mostly at a distance, fleeing as far as possible the unfitting [noise] and giving his reasoning quiet to consider and know what is useful for the soul. ### Scripture references - Exod 33:7: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Allusion: Exod 33:7. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 11 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/11). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-12 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Joshua, Elijah, John, Jeremiah and Christ himself sought solitude; city ascetics grow callous to the harm they suffer, like bare feet that no longer feel thorns. ### Greek text Διὰ τοῦτο Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυὴ οὐχ ἐξεπορεύετο ἕξω τῆς σκηνῆς, τὰς ἀχαίρους τῆς ὄψεως ἐχτρεπόμενος ἐπηρείας. Διὰ τοῦτο Ἠλίας μὲν, καὶ καταλιπόντες τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, τὸν Κάρμηλον. Ἰωάννης δὲ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα φυγὼν ἐνδιῃτᾶτο τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἰορδάνον. Ἱερεμίας δὲ κατεχόμενος ἀνάγκῃ τῆς προφητείας, καὶ τὴν μετὰ τοῦ παρανόμου πλήθοὺς οὐ φέρων διαγωγὴν ἔλεγεν ὀδυρόμενος ε Τίς διῦσιε μὴ: σταθμὸν ἔσχατον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ καταλξίψιο τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἀπ αὐτῶν: θ΄ ρίοις συνηιχεῖν τοῖς οὐχ ἀδικοῦσι Ψυχὴν αἱρούμενος μᾶλλον, ἣ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἕρπουσαν … βλάβην. Καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον ἁπάντων, διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ὁ βλάβης πάσης ἀνώτερος, τοῦ πλήθους ὑποχιυρῶν, εἴποτε καιροῦ ἀδείας ἐπιλάδοιτο, ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἐνδιέτριβε, τὸ χρήσιμον τῆς ἡσυχίας τοῖς ὁρᾷν δυναμένοις ἔργῳ παραδηλῶν, ὅπως δῆλον. καὶ γένηται πάντοθεν, ὅτι τῶν τὸν ἀγελαῖον καὶ μιγάδα ἐπανῃρημένων βίον, κᾶν σεδιαφέροντες, οἱ τὸν μοναστιχὸν καὶ μένον ἐπανῃρημένοι βίον εἰσὶ προτιμότερο χατεὺνάζοντες ἡσυχίᾳ τὰ πάθη, ἅπερ τῇ θέᾳ ἐπιτρίόουσιν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς τὸ χαλεπώτερον, οὖχ ἔτι τῇς βλάβης αἱαθανόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ χρόνος αὑτὴν ἔθεμον αὐτοῖς χατ᾽ ὀλίγον ἐποίησε, χαθάπερ πυρετὸ οὐχ ἁνιόντα λοιπὸν, χκαὶ τὴν δύναμιν δε εθότως ὑπαναλίσχοντα. Οὕτω τις ἁξκαλὸς πρῶτον γυμνὸς ἐπιβαίνων τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀλύπως φέρει τραχύτητα τυλωθεὶς δὲ οὐχ οἶδεν ὀδύνην, γᾶν ἄχανθαι, καὶ σκόλοπες. καὶ ἦλοι ἐμπαρῶσιν ὀξεῖς, οὐδενὸ; ἕω; τῆς ζώσης φθάνοντος σαρχὸς, ὅτ: τῆς: γεχρᾶς οὐχ ἔλαττον, ἣ σχληρυνθεῖσα τὴν ἀπέθετο. ### English translation (Claude) For this reason Joshua the son of Nun did not go out of the tent, avoiding the untimely injuries of sight. For this reason Elijah [and Elisha] left Judaea for Carmel, and John fled Jerusalem and lived in the desert of the Jordan. And Jeremiah, held by the necessity of prophecy and unable to bear life with the lawless multitude, said in lament, “Who will give me a lodging, the farthest one, in the desert, and I will leave this people and go away from them?”, choosing rather to live with beasts that do no wrong to the soul than the harm that creeps in from one's own kind … And, greatest of all, for this reason the Lord Jesus, who was above all harm, withdrew from the crowd whenever he found free time and spent it in desert places, showing by his deed the usefulness of quiet to those able to see it, so that it might be plain on every side that, compared with those who have chosen the gregarious and mixed life, even if they excel, those who have chosen the monastic and solitary life are to be preferred. They lull to sleep in quiet the passions which the others, by what they see, sharpen to greater severity, no longer perceiving the harm, because time has gradually made it habitual to them, like a fever that no longer abates and secretly consumes the strength. So someone who at first goes barefoot cannot bear even ordinary roughness without pain when he treads on the ground; but once his feet are calloused he feels no pain, even if thorns, stakes and sharp nails stick into them, since none reaches the living flesh, for the hardened skin has lost its feeling no less than a dead one. ### Scripture references - Exod 33:11: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 18:19: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 3:1: allusion, high confidence - Jer 9:2 (9:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Luke 5:16: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions and quotations: Exod 33:11 (Joshua not leaving the tent); 1 Kgs 18:19–42 and 2 Kgs 2:25 (Carmel); Matt 3:1 (John); Jer 9:2 (LXX 9:1); Luke 5:16. A sentence on Elijah is damaged in the scan (“and Elisha” supplied); several passages of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column have been removed, with some Greek lost (marked …). ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 12 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/12). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-13 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Those who live among distractions do not notice the harm they suffer until night or solitude, when the images they took in rise up against them. ### Greek text Τί οὖν οὐχ ἀδικεῖσθαι νομίζουσι τοὺς τῇ πολλῇ τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι συνηθείᾳ οὐκέτι τῆς τῶν ἀδικούντων βλάθης αἰσθανομένους Ποῦ γὰρ καιρὸν ἔχε: ἢ διάνοια οἧς ὄψεως διόλου περισπώτης αὐτὴν περὶ τὰ ὁρώμενα, γνῶνα: τὸ ἀδείας χρήζουσα πολλῇς πρὸς τὸ λογίσασθαι τοῦτο Ἄρτι ταύτας δέχεται τὰς μορφὰς, καὶ μετ ὀλέγον ἄλλας, καὶ αὖθις ἑτέρας καὶ ἑξῆς τὰς παρατυχούσας, καὶ πάσαις ἣ ταὶς πλείοσι τερπομένη ποίας τὴν τέρψιν βλάβην ἡγήσεται, καὶ σχολάσε ταύτης ἀποτρίψασθαι τὸν μολυσμὸν, ὅτ μεμόλυται ἰδεῖν δυναμένη ποτέ; οὐχὶ καὶ τῆς ὁ λυπούμενος, καὶ ὁ νοσῶν τῆς ἀνίακαὶ ἧς ὀδύνης ὁ σπώμενος ὃν ταῖς συντυχίαις δι᾽ ἡμέρας ἐπιλανθάνεται, μονωθεὶς δὲ νύκτωρ ἕκαστος ἐν σει τοῦ οἰκείου γίνεται πάθους τῆς ἢσυχίας σχολὴν παρεχούσης αὐτοῖς κινεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ τότε μὴ παρασχευαζούσης ἐχλεῖν, καὶ ὡς τῷ ἀδδηφάγῳ διῶου ἐσθίοντι οὐχ ἔχει κόρον ἡ ὄρεξις ἀεὶ κινεῖσθαι πρὸς ἔφεσιν διαχορὴς οὖσα, καὶ πλήδμιος, οὕτως ἀργά πως τὰ πάθη τῇ τῶν αἰσθήσεων πρὸς τὰ αἱσθητὰ ἀσχολίᾳ, τῆς οἰκείας ὁρμῆς χωλυόμενα. Ἔκ: τω ὃς τῆς ἔξωθεν ὀχλήσεως; ἄδειαν, καὶ ὡς πεῖναν, ἔνδεια μετὰ κόρον ποιεῖ οὕτω τὰ πάθη ἀνεθεισῶν τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἑἐπανίστανταε τῷ ἣρεμήσαντι λίαν ἀκμάζοντα, καὶ πολὺν αὐτῷ κινοῦντα τῶν ἐν ἔθει γενομένων τὸν θόρυθον, ἐκείνας εἷς μάχην αὐτῷ τὰς μορφὰς ἐφοπλίζοντα, τῇ θέᾳ παρατρέχειν ἐνόμιζεν ἀβλαβῶς οὐχ ἔχων καιρὸν ὑπομνησθῆναι τῆς βλάβης αὑτῶν καὶ τότε ταύτης αἰσθανόμενος ὅτε σχολὴν ἄγει γνῶναι, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὴν δυναστείαν αὐτῆς αἰχμαλῳτιξζόμενος πρὸς ἐυθυμήσεις ἀτόπους, λοΥίζεσθαι βιαζόμενος λογισμοὺς αἰσχύνης πε πληρωμένους καὶ τότε πλάνην ὁμολογῶν ἀναφανδὸν, τὴν παρεἰηηύταν καὶ μαχαρίζων τοὺς μὴ γνόντας τῇ ὄψει, ὥσπερ ἔγνω αὐτὸς, καὶ οἰχτιζόμενος εἰχότως ἑαυτὸν ὅτι καθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τοῖς ἐχθραῖς αὐτὸς δέδωκεν ὅπλα, καὶ πολεμεῖται δικαίως, ἀνοίᾳ πολλῇ παρασχὼν ἰσχὺν τοῖς πολεμίοις. ### English translation (Claude) Why, then, do they think that those are not wronged who, through long habit of being wronged, no longer perceive the harm done by those who wrong them? For where does the mind find time to know [this harm], when sight constantly distracts it with what it sees, since it needs much leisure to reckon it up? Just now it receives these forms, after a little others, and then others again, and after them whatever happens to come along; and since it delights in all or most of them, which delight will it consider harm, and when will it have leisure to wipe off the defilement, never able to see that it has been defiled? Does not the grieving man forget his grief, the sick man his distress, and the one in pain his pain, while he is distracted by encounters during the day, and yet each, left alone at night, becomes aware of his own suffering, since quiet gives it leisure to stir and does not then let him forget it? And just as the appetite of a glutton who eats continually has no satiety, but is always moved to longing, unsated and insatiable, so the passions are somehow idle while the senses are occupied with their objects, hindered from their own impulse. But when the senses gain release from outside disturbance, then, as want after satiety produces hunger, the passions rise up very vigorously against the one at rest, stirring up a great tumult of what has become habitual and arming against him for battle the very forms he thought he passed by harmlessly when he saw them, since he had no time to recall their harm. He perceives this harm only when he has leisure to know it and sees its power, when he is taken captive to absurd thoughts and forced to think thoughts full of shame. Then he openly admits the deception that crept in, calls blessed those who did not come to know these things by sight as he did, and rightly pities himself, because he himself gave his enemies weapons against himself and is justly warred upon, having in great folly given strength to his foes. ### Translation notes - The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 13 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/13). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-14 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Impressions taken in through the senses grow like thorns or the hydra's heads; even charity toward a needy woman can kindle desire, so one must not help others at the cost of one's own soul. ### Greek text Τότε γὰρ τὰ διὰ τῆς ὁράσεως, τὰ διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς, τὰ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθήσεων ἐμπεσόντα σπερματικῶς, ἀκανθῶν δίκην ὑποδλαστάνειν ἄρχεται καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀδρυνόμενα ἐπιπόνως τοῖς μασι, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς μυθευομένης παρὰ τοῖς ῥαψῳδοῖς ὕδρας ἕν ἴσῳ ἄλλας ἐπ᾽ ἄλλαις κεφαἢ λᾶς, μυρίοις ὀδυνῶντα τὸν ἄθλιον. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ὄψις ἡ ὀραθεῖσα φαιδρὰ παρίσταται, καὶ κόσμος πολυτελῇ;, καὶ γέλως κεχυμένος, καὶ σχῆμα πεπλασμένον, καὶ βλαχεία, καὶ θρύψις ἐπιτετηδευμέναι πρὸς ἅλωσιν, καὶ νεῦμα πλαζόμενον, καὶ βλέμμα χαχόηθες, καὶ κίνημα δεσοδημένον, καὶ φωνῆς ἐμμέλεια, καὶ φθέγμα θηλύτερον, οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ὧθος ἄπλαστον, καὶ σεμνότης ἀπλῶ;, καὶ ἀτέλεια, καὶ ῥῆμα καὶ οἰμωγὴ συμπαθὴς, καὶ βάὀδυνωμένης Ψψυχῖς, τελευταῖον χ ινοῦσιν ἀγῶνα πολὺν, καὶ αὐτῆς ἴσως τῆς οἰχτειρηδείσης, καὶ ἀπολαυσάσης κηδεμονίας, ἣ μνήμη νεῖ κίνδυνον, ἐν ἀνάγκῃ γενομένης, καὶ πολεμούσης ὕστερον οἶκτον χινησάτης ἐν τῇ χρείᾳ, καὶ ἔλεον, καὶ ποιούσὴς οἴστρηγυς ἐρωτιχούς, Τί οὖν βέλτιον, ἐλεεῖν, καὶ περιίστασθα τὰ σκάνδαλα,, ἢ τὸ ἄλλους ἐλεεῖν, βρόχοις δυσεχλύτοις ἐμπλέχεσθαι τῷ βοηθεῖν ἐθέλειν ἑτέροις, τῷ ζομένῳ χεῖρα διδόναι, εἰ ἔστι μὴ συναπολέσθαι αὑτῷ Εἰ δὲ τῷ δοκεῖν συμπάσχειν, τὸ πάσχειν τὸ οἰκεῖον σνμφέραν σπουδασπτέον, ὅτι μὴ οὕτως ἄλλας ἄλλῳ πλησίον ὡς ἔχαατος ἑαυτῷ. ### English translation (Claude) For then the things that fell in like seeds through sight, through hearing and through the other senses begin to sprout like thorns, and as they grow little by little they cause great labor; or rather, like the hydra of the poets' myths, they raise head after head, tormenting the wretch with countless pains. For the face that was seen appears radiant before him, and costly adornment, loose laughter, an affected posture, softness and luxury contrived to capture, a wandering nod, a mischievous glance, a studied movement, a melodious voice and a more feminine way of speaking; and not only these, but also an artless character, simple dignity, need, a word, a sympathetic lament and the cry of a grieving soul: in the end these stir up a great struggle. Even the woman who was pitied and enjoyed his care, her memory [brings] danger: she was in need, and later she wars on him, having moved his pity and mercy in her need, and produces the stings of erotic desire. Which, then, is better: to show mercy and avoid the stumbling blocks, or, while showing mercy to others, to become entangled in nooses hard to escape through wanting to help them? [It is good] to give a hand to one who is [drowning], if one can do it without perishing with him; but if, by seeming to suffer with him, one will suffer oneself, one must be zealous for one's own good, since no one is as near to another as each is to himself. ### Translation notes - The hydra is the many-headed monster of Greek myth. Nilus's warning about the memory of women one has helped is translated as written. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 14 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/14). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-15 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The angel told Lot to save his own life and not look back; caring for others at the cost of one's own salvation is wrong, and the monk who tends his soul in quiet pleases God more. ### Greek text Διὰ τοῦτο, τῷ χεραυνείῳ πυρὶ τῆς Πενταπόλεως φλεγομένης, ὁ ἄγγελος ἔλεγε τῷ δικαίῳ, καὶ φιλοξενίας ἐπιμελουμένῳ Λώτ ε Σώζων σῶζε τὴν σεαυτοῦ Ψυχὴν, εἰς τὸ ὄρος σώζου μήποτε συμπαραληφθῇς, πρὸ τῶν ἀπολλυμένων τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φρόντιζε σωτηρίας. Τὸ γὰρ, Μὴ περιβλέψῃ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μηδένα λόγον τῶν ἀπολλυμένων ἐδίδασκεν ἔχειν, ἐπεὶ μὴ πάντως ὅσιον ἦν συναπολέσθαι θελῆσαι τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, μηδὲ ἐν ἴσῳ θέσθαι θελῆσαι τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κηδεμονίαν, ἐν οἷς τὸ συμπαθὲς, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦν τοὺς τιμωρουμένους, ἀδικεῖ τοὺς συ μπάσχοντας τὰ μέγιστα εἰς αὐτὴν βλάπτον τὴν πᾶτιν ἀνθρώποις ὁμοῦ ποθουμένην σωτηρίαν τὸ μὲν γὰρ φιλάνθρωπον, καὶ Θεῷ φίλον, καὶ πρέπον ἡμῖν, καὶ δεῖ τὰ χρηστὰ, καὶ συμδουλεύτιν, καὶ σπουδάξειν, καὶ ἐπεύχεσθαι ἔκαστον ἐκάστῳ ἐπαιδε … γὰρ ὄντως ἡ τοιαύτη διάθεσις ἔλαττον δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐν τοῖς ἀναγχιίοις σπουδάζειν ἔαυτῷ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπόδεχταν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείστης καταγνώσεως ἄξιον. Πῶς οὖν ὁ πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιούμενος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καταστάσεως, καὶ τὸ ἦθος ἐν ἡντυχίᾳ παιδαγωγῶν πρὺς τὸ εὔτακτον, καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἀδείας τὰ πολλὰ προσομιλῶν τῷ Θεῷ, τοῦ μηδέποτε χαιρὶν ἔχοντος, τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐπισημήνασθαι λογισμοῖς, ἢ τὸς καὶ διὰ τὴν ἔξωθεν ἀσχολέαν οὗ γινωσχομένοις πάθεσιν, οὐκ ἔστι μᾶλλον ὡς νηφαλιώτερον διάγων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ εὑᾳρέστησιν ἐπιτηδειότερος ### English translation (Claude) For this reason, when the Pentapolis was being burned by fire from heaven, the angel said to righteous Lot, who was devoted to hospitality, “Save your own life; escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away with them”; that is, care for your own salvation before those who are perishing. For “Do not look behind you” taught him to take no account of those perishing, since it was surely not holy to wish to perish together with the perishing, nor to wish to put care for oneself on the same footing as care for others in cases where sympathy, which profits those being punished nothing, does the greatest wrong to those who share their suffering, harming the very salvation that all people alike desire. For it is humane, dear to God and fitting for us, and indeed necessary, that each should counsel, strive for and pray for good things for each … For such a disposition is truly [unreasonable], and to strive for oneself less than for others in necessary things is not only unacceptable but deserves the greatest condemnation. How, then, is the one who takes great care of his own state, trains his character to good order in quiet, and for the most part converses with God at leisure, not better fitted for pleasing God, as one who lives more soberly, than the one who never has time to take note of his own thoughts, or of passions he does not even recognize because of his occupation outside? ### Scripture references - Gen 19:17: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Gen 19:17. The “Pentapolis” is the five cities of the plain (Gen 14:2; Wis 10:6). OCR of Migne's facing Latin column has been removed at four places, with some Greek lost (marked …). ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 15 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/15). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-16 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Christ preferred Mary, who sat undistracted at his word, to Martha busy with serving, gently rebuking Martha's zeal for hospitality. ### Greek text Ἥ κχαὶ τὴν Μαρίαν οὖκ ἐροῦμεν τῆς ἀμείνονα ἣν προτιμῶν διὰ τὸ ἀπερίσπαστον τἴς περὶ τὴν σωματικὴν λειτουγίαν περισπωμένης, καὶ φροντιζούτης διαχονίᾳς, σαρχὸς ἐχούσης φητὶν ὁ Κύριος, οὐχ αὐτῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ νομιζούσῃ μέγε ποιεῖν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χρῃζούσῃ παρλινέσεως, διορθούμενος τὴν ἐσφαλιμένην ὑπόνοιαν λέγων ε Μάρθα, Μάρθα, μεριμνᾷς καὶ τυρβάζη περὶ πολλὰ, ἑνὺς δέ ἐστι χρείαΜαρία δὲ τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἧτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἀπ᾽ αὺτῆς. Καίτοι ὁ θόρυβος αὐτῆς εἶχε σπουξῖν, τς θεραπείας αὑτοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐπῃνέθη τῆς προῦυμίας ἐκείνης ἐμέμφθη δὲ, ὅτε, καταλιποῦσα τὸ προ:εδρεύειν, καθάπερ ἡ Μαρία, τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῇ τῇ ψυχῆς ὠφελείᾳ μεριμνᾷ, πῶς μηδὲν μὲν τῆς χρείας λείψῃ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἐστιάσξως φιλότιμον, λαμπρὰ ἃ τῆς συνήθους. καὶ πολυτελοῦς παραπτεθῇ τῆςς φιλοῖενίας ἣ τράπε τὸ γὰρ διπλασιάσαι τὴν τοῦ ὀνόμ:τὸς κλῆσιν μέλλοντα τὴν σπουδὴν διαβάλλειν ὡς ὦ καθήκουσαν, καὶ εἰπεῖν, Μάρθα, Μάρθα, σχετὰΣ ζοντος ἦν τάχα, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπισείοντος ἡ πεπλανημένῳ ὡς ἀναγκαίῳ θορύδῳ εἰδὼς εἰς κατόρθωσιν εὐσεβείας τοῦ σπουδαζομένα τὸ ἀμελούμενον. ### English translation (Claude) Or shall we not say that Mary, whom the Lord preferred because she was free of distraction, was better than the one who was distracted by bodily service and anxious about serving the flesh? The Lord speaks, not to Mary but to the one who thought she was doing something great and therefore needed exhortation, correcting her mistaken notion: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful; Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken from her.” And yet her bustle came from zeal for serving him; but she was not praised for that eagerness. She was blamed because she left off sitting, like Mary, beside the word and the benefit of the soul, and was anxious that nothing needed should be lacking for the munificence of the meal and that the table of hospitality should be set out splendidly, beyond the usual and costly. For in doubling the name when about to censure her zeal as unfitting, and saying, “Martha, Martha,” he was perhaps showing displeasure and shaking his head at the bustle she mistakenly thought necessary, knowing that what she neglected mattered more for the achievement of godliness than what she was busy with. ### Scripture references - Luke 10:41–42: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:38–40: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Luke 10:41–42; allusion to Luke 10:38–40. The Mary–Martha story is a standard text for the superiority of contemplation. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 16 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/16). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-17 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The Levites and Nazirites served God apart; Abel and Dinah came to harm by going out; and Scripture repeatedly praises staying within, which keeps the soul safe. ### Greek text Οὕτω καὶ Λευῖται παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ προεχρᾶν σαν, ἐλεύθεροι πάσης ὄντες βιωτικῇς ἀσχολία, ξ καθαρῷ τῷ λογισμῷ τὸ θεῖον διὰ τὸ θεραπεύοντες, καὶ οἱ τὴν μεγάλην εὐχὴν κατὰ ἡ εὐξάμενοι ὥστε ἀφαγνίσαι προσοχῇ, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ τὰς ἕξωθεν ὀχλήσεις σάμενοι, περιθδόλων ἐντὸς τοῦ τότε ἁγίου ναοῦ, τὸ τῆς σπουδαζομένης ἁγνείας ἐσχοῦντο τὴν ἡσυχίαν, πεπεισμένοι ποιεῖν αὑτοῖς τὴν ἁγνείαν Καὶ μάρτυρες τῆς ἔξω βλάβης, Αβελ ὁ τῶ τὸν τοπλάστου υἱὸς, καὶ Δίνα ἡ τοῦ πατριάρχου ὁ μὲν εἰς τὸ πεδίον θεὶς παρὰ τ: Καῖν, ἡ δὲ φθαρεῖσα παρὰ τοῦ Ἐμὼρ ἀκχαίρως ἐξ θεωρίαν τῶν ἐγχωρίων γυναικῶν, οὐχ τοῦτο παθόντες εἰ χατέμενον ἠρεμοῦντες οἴκοι … τὴν πᾶσιν ἀκίνδυνον, καὶ τελείοις, δὲ μάλιστα ἡσυχίαν ἑλόμενοι, ὅτι τοῖς μὲν φυλάττει τὴν ἡσχημένην ἕξιν ἀσάλευτον, τοὺς δὲ τῇ ἀσκήσει ταύτῃ προσάγει προκόπτοντας. Καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας δὲ παρεγγνῶν μὴ ἐκπορεύεσθαι εἰς ἀγρὸν ὅτι ῥομφαία τῶν ἐχθρῶν κυκλόθεν, καὶ ὁ Πέτρος Ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἡμῶν διάβολος περιέρχεται καὶ ἐμπεριπατεῖ, τὴν σύμπασαν τὴν ἔξω βλάβην μαρτύρονται ὁ ὃὲ τὸν ὀλοθρευμτὴν ἀποχρύπτεσθαι παραινῶν, καὶ ὁ λέγων ᾿Απόχλεισον τὴν θύραν σον, μικρὸν ὅσον ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ἡ ὀργὴ Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ οἰκῶν οἰκίαν καὶ ὁ προστάσσων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ φονευτοῦ παραγινόμδενην ἀποθλίδειν εἰς τὴν θύραν, τὴν ἔνδον κηρύττουσιν ἀσφάλειαν, δεικνύντες διαῤῥήδην, ὅτι τοῖς; μὲν εὐεπηρέαστος ὁμολογουμέἢ νως, τοῖς δὲ ἀναμφιβόλως ἀχίνδυνός ἔστιν ἡ διαγωγή. ### English translation (Claude) So too the Levites were set above all the people, being free from every worldly occupation and serving God continually with pure reasoning; and those who vowed the great vow, to consecrate themselves to God with attention, renouncing outside disturbances, kept within the precincts of the then holy temple the quiet that belongs to the purity they sought, persuaded that this was what made them pure. Witnesses to the harm that lies outside are Abel, the son of the first-formed man, and Dinah, the patriarch's daughter: the one went out into the plain and was killed by Cain; the other was defiled by [the son of] Hamor, having gone out untimely to see the women of the land. They would not have suffered this had they stayed quietly at home. … choosing quiet, which is safe for all and especially for the perfect, because for the perfect it keeps the settled habit unshaken, and it brings forward those who are advancing in this discipline. And Jeremiah, warning not to go out into the field because the enemies' sword is all around, and Peter, saying, “Our enemy the devil goes about and prowls,” testify to all the harm outside. And the one who exhorts us to hide from the destroyer, and the one who says, “Shut your door for a little while, until the wrath of the Lord passes,” and the one who stays in the house, and the one who commands to hold the door against the son of the murderer when he comes: all proclaim the safety within, showing expressly that the one way of life is admittedly easily harmed and the other is without doubt safe. ### Scripture references - Num 6:2: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 4:8: allusion, high confidence - Gen 34:1–2: allusion, high confidence - Jer 6:25: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 5:8: quotation, high confidence - Exod 12:22–23: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 26:20: quotation, high confidence - 2 Kgs 6:32: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions and quotations: Num 3 and 8 (the Levites); Num 6:2 (the Nazirite's “great vow,” LXX); Gen 4:8; Gen 34:1–2; Jer 6:25; 1 Pet 5:8; Exod 12:22–23 (staying inside on Passover night); Isa 26:20; 2 Kgs 6:32 (Elisha bids the elders hold the door against the murderer's son). “The one who stays in the house” is unidentified (perhaps Josh 2:19). OCR debris has been removed at three places; the words lost with it are marked …. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 17 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/17). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-18 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The solitary fights an unarmed enemy, the city ascetic an army; it is folly to choose a road full of robbers over a safe one. ### Greek text Καὶ οὕτω, καὶ οὐχ ἄλλως ἔχειν φιλεῖ ἡ ἀλήθεια οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸν μένον βιοῦντες βίον, καὶ καὶ ἀνόπλῳ συμπλέχονται τῷ πολεμίῳ ὅπλα γὰρ παθῶν ἐστι τὰ πράγματα, οἱ δὲ πλήθεσιν ἐν πόλει συναναμιγνύμενοι, καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχουσι πολλαχόθεν τοὺς ἐπιτιθεμένους διόλον, καὶ πάντας πεφραγμένους παντευχίᾳ πολεμικῇ, καὶ χαιρίας, ὅταν φ ρῶσαι δυνηθῶσιν, ἐπιφέροντας τὰς πληγάς. Καὶ ἔστιν ἀνόητον κομιδῇ περιδεῆ, καὶ ἐναγώνιον κατασκευάζειν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ζωὴν, ἐξουσίας παρούσης, ἀδεῇ ταύτην ἔχειν, καὶ ἄφοβον, καὶ πριεῖν τὴν ἐνδεχομέγὴν ἀσφάλειαν τὴν ἀναγκαίαν. Τίς γὰρ ἀποστὰς ἐπιδούλων καὶ χωρίσα:; ἑαυτὸν μακρὰν τῆς τούτων ἐπιμιξίας οὐ λρφιπὸν, καὶ ἔστιν ἀμέριμνος, οὐδὲ οὐδαμόθεν ὑφορώμενος βλάβην ἔτι; Τίς δὲ τούτοις συνδιαιτώμενος οὐχ ἔστιν ἐν φόβῳ πάντοτε προσδοκῶν πάντοθεν ἐπιόουλὴν τῷ πάντας ταύτην διὰ σπουδῆς ἔχειν ἀεὶ, ὡς κατὰ δυσμενοῦς δυυμενεῖς; Πῶς οὖν τῆς εἰρηνιχῆῇῆς καὶ ἀταράχου διαγωγῆς ἡ μετὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων ἐστὶν ἀμείνων Καὶ πῶς ἡ λῃστὰς ἔχουσα καὶ βαρβάρους ὁδὸς τῆς ἀδεῶς ὀδευομένης ἔδοξεν, ἣ δοχεῖ τισιν αἱρετώτερος; Ἢ μὲν καὶ μιαιφόνους ἔχε:, καὶ λωποδύτας, καὶ πάντως ἔστιν ἣ φονευθῆναι, ἣ χἂν τὸ ἐμάτιον ἡ δὲ πάσης ὑπονοίας ἀπηλλαγμένη τοιαύτης ἀζήμιον τοῖς ὁδίταις, καὶ ἄλυπον τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν διασώζουσιν ἀσύλητον, καὶ φαιδρῶς τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ γεγηθότως διανύουσιν. ### English translation (Claude) And so it is, and not otherwise, that the truth usually stands. Those who live the solitary life grapple with an enemy who is also unarmed, for things are the weapons of the passions; but those who mix with crowds in the city have many attackers on every side all the time, all fenced with full armor, who inflict mortal blows whenever they can wound. And it is utter folly to make one's life fearful and full of struggle when it is in one's power to have it free of dread and fear, and to neglect the safety that is possible and necessary. For who that has withdrawn from those who plot against him and set himself far from mixing with them is not afterwards free of care, no longer suspecting harm from any quarter? And who that lives among them is not always in fear, expecting plots from all sides, since all of them are always busy plotting, like enemies against an enemy? How, then, is life with wrongdoers better than a peaceful and untroubled way of life? And how has the road that has robbers and barbarians on it seemed, or how does it seem to some, more desirable than one travelled without fear? The one has murderers and clothes-stealers, and a traveller must surely either be killed or lose his cloak; the other, free from all such suspicion, makes the journey free of loss and pain for those who travel it, and they keep their goods unplundered and finish the road cheerfully and gladly. ### Translation notes - The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 18 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/18). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/1/#p-19 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: No one sensible prefers a dangerous road; the city ascetic's passions are fanned daily into habit, while the solitary has only bare natural reminders to fight, which fade with time. ### Greek text τὰς τραχείας, καὶ δυσξάτους ἐκκλίνοντες ἀτραποὺς, κᾶν ὥσιν ἐπίτομοι, τὰς ὁμαλὰς καὶ λεωφόρους πλεῖον ἐχούσας τὸ λὔχος: … δεομένας πρὸς τὸ ἀνυσθῆναι πλείονος χρόνου. Καὶ … πῶς ἡ προσάντης, καὶ δυσπόρευτος, ἣ μακρὰ καὶ ἐπιχίνδυνο:, ἡ θηροδόλουμένη, καὶ λῃστοτρόφος, καὶ βρόχους ἔχουσα, καὶ σκάνδαλα, καὶ ἐνέδρας, καὶ ἐπτρείας πολλὰς τῆς ἀνεκτῆς, καὶ συντόμου καὶ πεδινῆς, κρίνεται προτιμοτέρα Ὄφις γυναικὸς πλοῦτος, καὶ δυναστεία, καὶ δόξα κινεῖ τὸ ζηλόευ πον, ἄλλα τὸν θυμὸν ἄλλα τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀν. καὶ ἕτερα διάχυσιν, καὶ ἕτερα ποιεῖ ταπεινότητα, ἄλλα χατήφειαν, καὶ σύγχυσιν, ἄλλα χαρὰν καὶ εὐπάθειαν ἐργάζεται τέρψιν, καὶ ἕτερα δυ:ἀρέστησιν, καὶ καθ᾽ ἐκάστην ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις καὶ ἀχουομένοις οὕτω τυφόμενα, κχαὶ ῥιπιζόμενα τὰ πάθη, πῶς εἰς λαμπρὰν οὐχ ἀναστήσεται δτεδήποτε φλόγα, καὶ τῇ συνεχεῖ γυμνασίᾳ πρὸς … χατάλυτον ἕξιν, καὶ τὴν μεταδολὴῆν, ἢ ἐπίπονον, ἣ τάχα ποιήσει καὶ ἀδύνατον Δεσμοῦ γὰρ οὖχ ἔλα:τὸν χατέχουπα ἣ συνήθεια, τὴν ἀναχώρησιν οὐχ ἑἐφίγσιν, ὀλίγον ἐνδιδοῦσα τῇ ὁρμῇ, καὶ αὖθις πρὸς ἑαυτὴν τὸν ἀποφοιτῇσαι πειρώμενον, Ὃ δὲ τῶν βιωτικῶν κεχωρισμένος πραγμάτων, καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἀποστήσας τῶν αἰσθητῶν, καὶ καθ τὸν ἡρεμῶν, ἂν μὲν ἔχῃ μνήμας ταχέως ταύτας, τοῦ πάντα καλαιοῦντο; χρόνου, λήθην καὶ τούτων κατὰ μικρὸν ἐργαζομένου ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲν ἐδέξατο τῶν ποιούντων μάχην εἰδώλων, πρὸς τὰς φυσικὰς ὑπομνήσεις Ψιλὰς ἔχει τὴν πάλην εὑχαταγωνίστους οὔσας εὐπαραγώγους, τῆς διανοίας εὐκόλως μετατιθεμένης αὐτὰς, καὶ ἀποστρεφομένης εὐχερῶς, ὅταν μηδενὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν λέχνων δελεάζειν δύνηται ὁ ἐχθρός ### English translation (Claude) … avoiding the rough and hard paths, even if they are short cuts, [and choosing] the level highways, which are longer … and need more time to complete. And … how is the steep and hard road, long and dangerous, haunted by beasts and home to robbers, full of nooses, stumbling blocks, ambushes and many injuries, judged preferable to the bearable, short and level one? The sight of a woman, wealth, power and glory stir the emulous part; some things rouse anger, others desire; some produce dissipation, others humiliation; some produce dejection and confusion, others joy, good feeling and delight, and others displeasure. When the passions are smouldering and fanned like this every day by what is seen and heard, how will they not one day rise up into a bright flame, and by continual exercise [come] to a habit that cannot be broken, and make change either laborious or perhaps even impossible? For custom, which holds no less than a fetter, does not permit withdrawal: it yields a little to the impulse and then draws back to itself the one who tries to get away. But the one who is separated from worldly affairs, who has withdrawn his senses from their objects and lives quietly by himself, if he has memories, is soon [rid of] them, since time, which makes all things old, gradually works forgetfulness of these too; and if he has received none of the images that make war, he has to wrestle only with the bare natural reminders, which are easy to defeat and easily led away, since the mind readily moves them and turns them aside, when the enemy cannot entice it with any allurement from outside. ### Translation notes - The chapter begins in mid-sentence. Several passages of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column have been removed; Greek words lost with them are marked …. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 19 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/19). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-20 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Passions are strong when their objects are present and weak without them; memories can be overcome by prayer and Scripture, but one who lives in the world cannot escape its stains. ### Greek text Τούτοις γὰρ ἀλείφειν πέφυχε τὰ. πάθη, καὶ ποιεῖν τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ἐργώδη, καὶ ἐπίπονα τὰ παλαίσματα οὐχ οὕτω γὰρ ἰσχύει ἄνευ ὕλης ἐπιθυμία, ὡς ἰσχύει τῶν ἐπιθυμητῶν παρακειμένων, οὔτε ὦ λιν θυμὸς, μὴ παρόντος τοῦ τος. Ἡδονή τε τότε διανίσταται, ὅτε τὸ ἕδος τῇ ὄψει τὴν ἔφεσιν. ᾿Ασθενεῖς δὲ τούτων σεις, καὶ ἄτονοι μὴ παρενοχλούσης φαντασίας εἴς διυπνιτούσης ὥσπερ χαθεύδουσαν τὴν ἐνθύμησιν καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν πρὸς ἑαυτὴν κατεχούσης ρότα καὶ παραμένοντα. Ὥς ὅταν ὀφθαλμοῦ οι σωμάτου κατέχει ὄψις ἀρέσκουσα τῷ ἐπαγωγῷ ἀτενὲς, οὐδαμοῦ περιάγειν ἐπιτρέπουσα, οὐδὲ πρὸς ἕτερόν τι μετενεγκεῖν τὴν βουλὴν συγχωροῦσα, χᾷν ἄγχειν τις ἐθέλοι, νιχῶσα τῇ τοῦ ἀποστῆσαι τὸ ὅμμα βιαζομένου τὸ φιλόνεικον, ᾿Αλλ ἔστι τῷ μὲν ταῖς μνήμαις ἐνοχλουμένῳ εὔκολος ἣ ἀ παλλαγὴ, καὶ λίαν εὑμχρὴς ἀπανάστασις μελέτῃ γὰρ καὶ γυμνασίᾳ λόγων πνευματικῶν, καὶ προσευχῇ συντεταμένῃ ἀφίσταται τῶν μὴ ἀρεσκόντων τῷ Θεῷ ὁ νοῦς, καὶ μεθίσταται πρὸς τὰ σπουδαζόμενα κατὰ Θεὸν, τούτοις ἐνευχαιρῶν, καχείνων λήθην ποιούμενος. Καμμῦσαι δὲ πρὸς τὰ ὁρώμενα τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν διόλου ἀδύνατον, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰς φωνὰς θῦσαι τὴν ἀκοὴν. οὐδὲ τὴν βλάβην αὑτῶν ἐκκλῖναι διὰ παντὸς τῷ λογισμῷ πολλαὶ γὰρ πάντοθεν ἐπήρειαι, καὶ ξυσφύλαχτοι, καὶ οὐχ ἔστι τὸν εἷς πηλὸν δ αθαίνοντα μὴ μολῦναι τὸ ἴχνος, καὶ διάγοντα ἐν λοιμικῷ καταστήματι, μὴ παθεῖν, ὃ διατίθησι τὸ περιέχον οὕτως ἀδύνατον μὴ ἀναμίξασθαί τι τῶν βιωτικῶν χηλίδων τὸν τούτοις ἐνδιατρίβοντα, χἂν μὴ αἰσθάνηται τῆς βλάβης, λοιπὸν ἐνεθισθεὶς τῷ χρόνῳ τοῖς βλάπτουσιν. ### English translation (Claude) For by these things the passions are naturally anointed, and they make the wrestling laborious and toilsome for those who contend. For desire is not so strong without material as it is when the objects of desire lie close by, nor anger when the one who provokes it is not present; and pleasure rises up when the form [kindles] longing through sight. Their [movements] are weak and slack when imagination does not trouble them, [the mind] as it were keeping thought asleep and holding the reasoning to itself … and remaining. It is as when a pleasing sight holds the eye fixed by its allure, not letting it turn anywhere or allowing the will to shift to anything else, even if someone tried to drag it away, overcoming the efforts of one who strives to turn the eye aside. But for one troubled only by memories, release is easy and rising up very easy: by meditation and exercise in spiritual words and by intense prayer the mind withdraws from what does not please God and passes over to what is pursued according to God, delighting in these and forgetting the others. But to shut the eye completely to what is seen is impossible, as it is to close the hearing to voices, or to avoid their harm always by reasoning; for the injuries from every side are many and hard to guard against. One who walks into mud cannot help soiling his foot, and one who lives in a pestilential climate cannot help suffering what the surroundings inflict; so it is impossible for one who spends his time among worldly things not to take on some of the stains of the world, even if he does not perceive the harm, having grown used in time to what harms him. ### Translation notes - Several words in the first half of the chapter are damaged and translated by sense. OCR debris has been removed at three places, including the end of the chapter. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 20 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-21 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Harm absorbed gradually goes unnoticed, like poison taken in small doses; even David, after a life of virtue, let his eye wander and fell into adultery and murder, so one must flee bad company. ### Greek text ἙἘπειδὴ καὶ δηλητηρίου τενὲς ἀπογευόμενοι βραχέως, πρῶτον μὲν οὐχ ἀδικοῦνται τῷ μὴ τὴν ποσότητα τῇ ποιότητι ἀναλογεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἀναίρεσιν, τῇ κατ᾽ ἐλίγον δὲ προσθήκῃ προσεθιζομένης τῆς χράπεως, ὕστερον καὶ τροφὴν ποιοῦνται τὴν φθοροποιὸν τοῦ ἐδέσματος δύναμιν, τῆς φύσεως χατ᾽ ὀλίγον οἰκειοῦσθαι τὸ βλάπτον μανθανούσης τῷ χρόνῳ. Τίς τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς οὐχ ἔμαθε τὴν ἐν πᾶσιν ἀχρίδειαν Τίς οὐχ οἷδεν ἐκ τῆς ἀχοῦς τὰ τούτου κατορθώματα Πῶς. πιζόμενος, οὐ διὰ τὸ φιλόχομψον, διὰ δὲ τὸ φιλάλληλον, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλοι ποιεῖν ἅπερ αὐτὸς πεποίηκε, τὰ οἰκεῖα διηγεῖται καλά; ποτὲ μὲν λέε Ἐν ἀχαχίᾳ μου ἐπορεύθην ποτὲ δέ Εἰ ἀνταπέδωκα τοῖς ἀνταποδιδοῦσί μοι κακά ποτὲ δέ ΓΑνεὺ ἀνομίας ἔδραμον, καὶ χατεύθυνα ἄλλοτε Οὐχ ἔστι δόλος ἐν γλώσσῃ μου ἄλλοτε ε ΕὐἸρέστησα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου καὶ τούτων πλείονα διέξεισιν ὁ ἅγιος, καὶ τέλος φησί ε Κύριε, οὐχ ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία μου, οὐδὲ ἐμετεωρίσθησαν οἱ δ: θαλμοί μου. ν Οὕτως τῇ ἕξει τῶν ἧσχη μένων ἀρετῶν. μικρὸν ἠμέλησε τῆς προσευχῆς, ἄφετον ἄρδην ἑάσας ἐχνέμεσθαι τὸν ὀρθαλμόν. Τούτῳ μὲν εἰλχύσθη πρὸς κάλλος γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ βέλος ἐδέξατο τὴν ὄψιν πεπυρωμένον, καὶ τοῦτον πρὸς τὴν μοιχείαν οἰστρηλατούμενον ἤγαγεν ἡ δὲ μοιχεία φόνον τολμῆσαι, καὶ ἀνδροχτασίαν ἄδικὸν ἑδιάσατο, καὶ ἀπὸ θέας ἀρξάμενον τὸ κακὸν, διὰ τοσούτων ὥδευσε κακῶν, καὶ τέλος εἰς τοσοῦτον συνήλασεν ὄλεθρον. Οὕτως ἐκ μικρᾷ: αἰτίας ἡ ἀμαρτία προχύπτουσα, εἰς αὐτὸν οἷδε τὸν ἔσχατον ὄρον καταφέρειν τῆς ἀπωλείας. Εἰ γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν σοφὸν Παροιμιαστὴν, ε Οὐ δεῖ ἑταῖρον εἶναι ἀνδρὶ ἵνα μὴ πάντως κοινωνήσῃ διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ πάθους, ἀπὸ τῶν κεκρατημένων ἐπὶ τοὺς ὄοντας ἀνεπαισθήτως ἕρπειν εἰωθότος, πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον φεύγειν τοὺς τὰ μείζω, καὶ χαλεπώτερα νοσοῦντας, ἀναγχαῖον, καὶ χρήσιμον τοῖς φυλάττεσθαι βουλομένοις τὴν μίμῃσιν; ### English translation (Claude) For some, too, who taste poison a little at a time, are not harmed at first, because the quantity is not proportioned to the strength of the poison so as to kill; but as the constitution grows used to it by small additions, they later even make the destructive power of the food into nourishment, nature learning little by little over time to appropriate what harms. Who has not learned from divine Scripture the exactness of blessed David in all things? Who does not know by hearsay his achievements? How, boasting not from love of display but from love of others, so that others too might do what he had done, he recounts his own good deeds: sometimes he says, “I walked in my innocence”; sometimes, “If I repaid those who repaid me with evil”; sometimes, “Without lawlessness I ran and kept my course straight”; at other times, “There is no deceit in my tongue”; at other times, “I was well-pleasing in your truth.” The saint recounts more than these, and at last says, “Lord, my heart was not exalted, nor were my eyes lifted up.” Yet, because of the settled habit of the virtues he had practised, he neglected prayer a little and let his eye roam quite freely. By it he was drawn to the beauty of another man's wife, and he received the sight into his heart as a fiery arrow; it drove him, goaded, to adultery, and adultery forced him to dare murder and the unjust killing of a man. And the evil that began from a sight travelled through so many evils and finally drove him into such ruin. So sin, peeping out from a small cause, knows how to carry one down to the very last limit of perdition. For if, according to the wise author of Proverbs, “one must not be a companion of a [wrathful] man,” lest one surely share in his passion through the fellowship (since passion usually creeps unnoticed from those in its grip to the healthy), how is it not still more necessary and useful for those who wish to guard against imitating them to flee those who suffer from greater and more grievous diseases? ### Scripture references - Ps 26:1 (25:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 7:4 (7:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 59:4 (58:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 26:3 (25:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 131:1 (130:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 2 Sam 11:2–17: allusion, high confidence - Prov 22:24: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Ps 26:1 (LXX 25:1); Ps 7:4 (LXX 7:5); Ps 59:4 (LXX 58:5); “There is no deceit in my tongue” is not found in this form (compare Ps 17:1; 32:2); Ps 26:3 (LXX 25:3); Ps 131:1 (LXX 130:1); Prov 22:24 (“wrathful” is lost in the scan). David's sin: 2 Sam 11:2–17. A long passage of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column has been removed in the middle of the chapter, and another at the end. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 21 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/21). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-22 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Life among the wicked makes one like them; Holofernes was undone by the sight of Judith's sandal, and the senses are constantly ensnared by beauty, wealth, scents and food. ### Greek text Ποιεῖ γὰρ ταύτην, καὶ ὡς οὐχ οἷδ: τίς ἡ μετὰ τῶν τοιούτων διαγωγὴ ἑξομοιοῦσα τοῖς κακχοῖς, καὶ τοὺς οὗ θέλοντας τέως εἶναι, τοιούτους κατ᾽ δλίγον τοῦτο γινομένους, ὅπερ μὴ γενέσθαι σπουδάζουσι. Καὶ τὸν Ὁλοφέρνην πολεμικὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ πορθοῦντα τὴν Ἶουδαίαν σανδάλιον περι ι ούσης ἡγχεστρεύσατο γυναιχὺς ποὸς ἔρωτα μανιχὸν, καὶ αἐχμάλευτοι. Ἰοῦτο γὰρ ἣ ἱστορία φησὶν, ὅτι τὸ σανδάλιον τῆς Ἰουδὶθ ἥρπασε τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ Ὃ οφέρνου, σὲ ἡ συναρπαγὴ τοῦ ὄμματος εἰς θάνατον σεν λαδοῦπα γὰρ αὑτὸν χεχειρωμένον τῷ πάθει, διαφόροις ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀπατῶσα ἀπαιτοῦντα τὴν γαμήλιον ὁμιλίαν ἕως ἐπ: τήδειον εὗρε χαρατομῆσαι τὸν ἄθλιον, οὔτε τῆς ἔτι θυμουμένης ἐπιτευξάμενον, πολόμενον καὶ οἰκτίστῳ θανάτῳ. Πάσχουσι γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι, … μὴ ἴσασι, τοιαῦτα πολλά καὶ τέρψις γὰρ αὐτοὺς … εὐφυὴς τέρπει πολλάκις, καὶ ὕλη πλούτου διατίθησιν ὁμοίως, καὶ τιμὴ καὶ λυπεῖ, καὶ ἁτμὸς εὐώδης τὴν ὄσφρησιν, κε ὄψων καρυχεῖαι, τῆς ποιότητος ἴσως τὴν γεῦσιν πρὸς ἔφεσιν Καὶ ποῦ τὸ, ἀνοήτοις ἡ τοιαύτη μάχη χρήσιμος, χωρεῖν τοῖς κινδύνοις ἀνεχομένοις προπετῶς, καὶ ἡσυχάζειν δυνάμενα τὰ πάθῃ, πρὸς τὸ μήποτε ἦρε: μεῖν, καὶ παρασχεῖν ἄδειαν αὐτοῖς; πρὸς ὠφέλειαν γυμνάσαι τὴν διάνοιαν. ### English translation (Claude) For company with such people produces this, and one does not know how life with them makes one like the wicked, and how those who do not wish to be such for the present become little by little the very thing they strive not to become. A woman's sandal ensnared Holofernes, a warlike man who was ravaging Judaea, in a mad love, and took him captive. For the history says that the sandal of Judith ravished the eye of Holofernes, and the seizure of his eye [led him] to death. For she, finding him subdued by passion, deceived him for a long time in various ways when he demanded the intercourse of marriage, until she found a suitable moment to behead the wretch, who neither obtained the woman he still desired and perished by a most pitiable death. These people too suffer many such things … which they do not know. For delight [deceives] them … a comely [body] often delights them, the material of wealth affects them likewise, and honor and grief; a fragrant vapor [stirs] the sense of smell, and the seasoning of dishes the taste, to longing by their quality. And where is such a battle useful for the foolish, who rashly consent to walk into dangers, and do not allow passions that could be quiet ever to rest, nor give them leave to rest while they exercise the mind for its profit? ### Extrabiblical texts - Jdt 16:9 (Judith): quotation, high confidence - Jdt 13:8 (Judith): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Judith 10:4; 12:16–13:10; 16:9 (“her sandal ravished his eye”). Several passages of OCR from Migne's facing Latin column have been removed; words lost with them are marked …. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 22 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/22). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-23 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: A mind freed from vain cares turns to prayer, reading and contemplation of creation, and can watch its passions decline; the busy ascetic has no leisure to know his own state. ### Greek text ᾿Αειχένητος γὰρ ὧν τὴν φύσιν ὁ νοῦς, ὅταν τῖς τῶν ματαίων σχολάσῃ φροντίδος, περὶ τὰ λυσιτελῇ τὴν μέριμναν, τὰ καθήκοντα λογιζόμενες καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἐπιμελείας ὅλως γινόμενος, θιὼ προσομιλῶν διὰ τῆς προξευχῆῇς,, λόγοις μενος κατὰ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν θείοις, τὰ τῆς χείσεις ἐννοῶν, καὶ δοξάζων ἐπὶ τῷ ποιχέίλῳ τῆς δημίου γίας τὸν κτίσαντα, τὰ πάθη συνεσταλμένα ὁρῶν. ἤθη βλέπων χατεσταλμένα, τῇ χκαθημερινῇ βέλτιον προκοπῇ ἐπισημαινόμενος, καὶ ὅλην ὁ σταθμουμένην, καὶ ἀτάραχον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σιν θεωρῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐχαριστῶν διὰ ἐνὸς τῷ ταύτην τὴν χάριν, καὶ ξωὴν σύνης γέμουσαν, καὶ θυμηδίας. Κζ αἱ οὐχ ἔστιν μος τούτῳ, ὁ μηδὲ εἰδὼς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἥτις ἐστί: μηδὲ καιρὸν ἐπισχέψεωως διδοὺς τῶν γισμῷ πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι πῶς κινεῖται τὰ πάλ αὶ χθὲς μᾶλλον, ἢ σήμερον ἄμεινον διάκειται, ἣ χὴν πολλῆς δεόμενα σχολῆς εἰς κατανόησιν τῆς ποιαῖς τούτων χινήσεως, καὶ τῆς ὁσημέραι γινομένη; φορᾶς, πῶς προσέρπουσιν ἐλαττούμενα,, κατὰ μὲ ρος, ἣ πάλιν αὐξούμενα, σπουδῇ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ, τως, ἣ οὕτως διατιθέμενα ἐπιτεινόμενα,, καὶ ἀπὲ: μενα ἠρεμοῦντα, καὶ διανιστάμεγα. Χόρτον ἵ βουσὶν ἐσθίοντα, σαρκῶν ὀρεγόμενα τὸ μὲν ἡμερῶσθαι αὑτὰ, τὸ δὲ τεθηριῶσθαι, καὶ μαίνε ### English translation (Claude) For the mind, being by nature always in motion, when it is free of care for vain things, turns its care to profitable ones: it reckons up what is fitting and gives itself wholly to its own care, converses with God through prayer, [is nourished] with divine words in reading, considers the things of creation and glorifies the Creator for the variety of his workmanship; it sees the passions shrinking and its character set in order, marks its daily progress for the better, beholds its whole state steady and untroubled, and gives thanks for these continually to him who [gave] this grace and a life full of [joy] and gladness. And the one is not like him who does not even know what his own [state] is, and gives his reasoning no time for examining it, so as to know how the passions are moving and whether he is better disposed today than yesterday. These things need much leisure for understanding their movement and their daily course: how they creep in, lessening part by part, or again increasing, through zeal and through laziness, … intensified and relaxed, at rest and rising up; eating grass like oxen, or craving flesh; some tamed, others made wild and raging. ### Translation notes - The text of this chapter is badly damaged (the right-hand ends of many lines are lost in the scan), and the second half is translated by sense; the last sentence breaks off. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 23 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/23). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-24 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Passions dulled by distraction are like snakes torpid in winter, not dead; a desert monk counted his good and bad thoughts each day with pebbles, which no busy person could do. ### Greek text Ἐπειδὴ χαθάπερ τῶν ἑρπετῶν τὰ ἰοβόλα τὰς ειμερινὰς ὥρας ᾿ρεμοῦντα μένει ἀκίνητα, καὶ τὴν βλάβην οὐχ ἐπιδειχνύμενα διὰ τὸ πεπαχῶσθαι τῷ χρυμῷ, οὕτω τοῖς περισπασμοῖς ἀργοῦντα πάθη, οὐ πέπαυται μὲν, δὲ τέως, τότε διαχινούμενα ὅτε ἄδειαν εὕρῃ, καὶ σχολὴν ἐν τοῖς ἐνθυμίοις δεῖξαι πρὸ; ἃ πεποίηται, ὡς ἐκ χηραμῶν ἡλιαχῇ θέρμῃ ἐχφωλεύοντα, καὶ προερχόμενα θηρία. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγεταί τίνα τῶν παρακχολουθούντων τοῖς λογισμοῖς πολὺν ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἦσυχάσαντα χρόνον, καὶ πείρᾳ βουλόμενον τὴν χαθημερινὴν μαθεῖν προκοπὴν, Ψήφους τῆς ἐρημίας ἀναλεξάμενον ψάμμον, ταύτας ἔχειν ἐγχολπίους, καὶ πρὸς μὲν ἀστεῖον ἐνθύμιον κινηθέντος τοῦ λογισμοῦ, τῷ δεξιῷ μέρει παρατιθέ-ναι μίαν τοῦ κύματος, πρὸ; αἰσχρὸν δὲ τῷ ἀριστερῷ, καὶ τοῦτο ἕωθεν μέχρι δείλης ποιεῖν κατὰ μίαν προστιθέντα Ψῆφον ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν, ὡς τὰ βουλεύμᾶτα θεῖναι παρεσκεύαζεν εἶτα τῇς ἑσπέρας καταλαβούσης, ἀριθμεῖν ταύτας κἀκείνας, καὶ τούτῳ μανθάνειν τῷ τρόπῳ πόση, εἴτις αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐγίνετο ἡ ἐπίδοσις, καὶ τούτῳ μὲν ἡ εὐχαιρία πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν τοῦτο παρεῖχε σχολήν. Τῷ ὃὲ μὴ ταῖς καθημεριναῖς ὀχλήεσι, τῷ πλείονας εἶναι ταύτας τοῦ ἡμερονσίου διαστήματος, καὶ νικᾷν τῷ πλῆθε: τὸν χρόνον, ποῦ ποτε γηωσθήσεταί τι τῶν οὕτω σπουδαζομένων τῆς διανοίας οὗ θελούσης ἔχειν ἄλλην φροντίδα, ὅταν τι τῶν ἀναγχαίων εἰς σκέψιν προχέηται, οὔτε πεφυκυίας, χἂν βούληται παρενθυμεῖσθαι ἕτερον παρὰ τὸ μεριμνώμενον, ὀφθαλμοῦ δίκην πρὸς ἕν ὁρῶντο;, καὶ πλείοσι ἐπιμερίζειν τὴν ὀρατιχὴν δύναμιν οὐχ ἔχοντος φύσεως. ### English translation (Claude) For just as venomous reptiles, resting through the winter season, stay motionless and do not show their harm because they are numbed by the cold, so the passions that lie idle because of distractions have not ceased but are [numbed] for the time being, and stir when they find license and leisure to show in the thoughts what they are made for, like wild beasts coming out of their holes in the warmth of the sun. For this reason it is told that one of those who watch their thoughts, who had lived in quiet for a long time in the desert and wanted to learn his daily progress by experience, picked up pebbles from the desert sand and kept them in his bosom. When his reasoning was moved to a good thought, he set one of the pebbles on his right; when to a shameful one, on his left; and he did this from dawn to evening, adding one pebble on this side or that as his thoughts prompted him. Then, when evening came, he counted the one heap and the other, and in this way learned how much progress toward the good, if any, he made each day; and the convenience of his leisure gave him time to do this. But for one [beset] by daily disturbances, which are more than the hours of the day and overcome the time by their number, when will any of the things so pursued ever be known? For the mind does not wish to have another care when something necessary is set before it for consideration, nor is it naturally able to, even if it wishes, to think of something else besides what it is anxious about, just as the eye looks at one thing and has no natural power to divide its sight among several. ### Translation notes - The story of the monk who counted his thoughts with pebbles is not identified in other sources here. OCR of Migne's facing Latin column has been removed at three places. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 24 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/24). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-25 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The solitary walks virtue's road in daylight, the city ascetic in the dark, buffeted by praise, contempt and pride; alone with God the monk escapes these, though he must guard against praising himself. ### Greek text Πῶς οὖν ἀμείνων, κἂν ὁ αὐτὸς ὁ διάγων ἐπισφαλῶς τῷ ἀκινδύνως χἂν γὰρ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς δοκῶσιν ὀδεύειν ὁδὸν, ἀλλ οὐχ ὁμοίως ταύτην. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἐν τῇ ἡσυχίᾳ μετὰ τοῦ περιαθρεῖν ἅπαντα, καὶ εἰδέναι τὰ χατ᾽ αὐτὴν δυσχερῇ, γαὶ εὔχολα, ἀπροτχόπως αὐτὴν διασχοπέλους ἐκκλίνων, καὶ κρημνοὺς ἐχτρεπόμενος ὁ δὲ χαθάπερ ἐν νυκτὶ τῷ ζόφῳ τῶν περισπασμῶν εἰς βόθρους ἐμπίπτει, καὶ περιθραύεται πέτραις, καὶ παντὶ τυφλοῦ δίκην τῷ … ἐμποδίῳ καὶ ἔπαινον γὰρ τῶν δρώντων αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον, ἐκλύει αὐτὸν, καὶ δόξα τῶν χατωρθωμένων φυσᾷ πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν, καὶ τῶν μὴ τέθη πότων τὴν ἀρετὴν ὡς ἀναισθησία λυπεῖ ἧ χαταφρόνησις, καὶ ὃ δοκεῖν τῶν ἄλλων ἐν τῷ καλῷ τι πλέον ἔχειν, ἐπαἱρει πρὸς ἀλαζονείαν. Καὶ ἀνάγχη, ποτὲ μὲν αὐτὸν διακεῖσθαι χαυνούμενον, ποτὲ δὲ χατηφεῖν ἀθυμοῦντὰ καὶ συστελλόμενον. Ὃ ὃὲ μένος, ταύκας οὐχ τὰς διαθέσεις, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας, ἣ λέγοντα: οἷδε, μόνος μετὰ Θεοῦ μόνου ἐστὶ τοῦ ἵντος τὸν πόνον, ἐπ στάμιγο; τὸ ἴδιον ἔργον, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ὃὲ τὰ πολλὰ σπουδάζων … ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸν ἔστι τινὰ ἐπαινέτην ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι ποτὲ, χουφισθέντα νηπιώδει φρονήματι, καὶ εἰχαίῳ, καὶ τοῦτο βλαδῆναι παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ὃ σθαι παρ᾽ ἑτέρων θαυμαζόμενος ἔμελλεν. ### English translation (Claude) How, then, is the one who lives perilously better than the one who lives safely, even if he is the same in other respects? For even if they seem to travel the same road of virtue, they do not travel it in the same way. The one, as in quiet, looks around at everything and knows its hard and easy places, and travels it without stumbling, avoiding rocks and turning away from cliffs; the other, as at night, in the darkness of distractions, falls into pits and is shattered on rocks, and, like a blind man, [stumbles] on every obstacle. For the praise of those who see his work weakens him; the glory of his achievements puffs him up to madness; the contempt of those who did not admire his virtue grieves him as though it were insensibility; and seeming to have something more than others in the good lifts him up to boasting. And he is necessarily sometimes puffed up and sometimes dejected, despondent and shrunk. But the solitary does not know these states, nor those who praise or [blame] him; he is alone with God alone, who [sees] his labor, knowing his own work, and [examining] himself for the most part … since it is possible for someone to become his own praiser at times, made light by childish and rash thinking, and to be harmed by himself in the very way he would have been harmed by others when admired. ### Translation notes - OCR of Migne's facing Latin column has been removed at five places; words lost with it are marked … or supplied in brackets. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 25 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/25). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-26 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Virtue done before others is spoiled by praise; city ascetics are like doves whose chicks are taken for slaughter, desert monks like turtle-doves that send their young safely to God. ### Greek text Οἱ μακαρίζοντες ὑμᾶς, πλανῶσιν ὑμᾶς, ν τοῖς ἐν ὄψει τινῶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐργαζομένοι:, εἴρηται καλῶς παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς. Τίς δὲ τὸν οὐχ ὁρώμενον καὶ τῷ μακαρισμῷ ἀπατήσει πρὶς οἴησιν, γνώμῃ φυγόντα τούτους ἕνα μὴ τινων ἐπαίνοις τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλαττώσῃ μισθόν καὶ χρύ τὴν ἀριστερὰν Χατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου παραΐνεσιν πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν τῆς δεξιᾶς, ὅ πως τὸ μὲν ἔργον ἴδῃ ὅτι γέγονε, τὸ δὲ ἐπιδεικτικὸν ἀγνοῦ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν τῷ ἡμίσει μέρει λανθάνων ᾧ τὸ χομπάζειν Οὕτω γὰρ ἀριστερὰ τὸ ἔργον γινώσκει τὸ δεξιᾶς διάδοτις οὖσα φιλόδοξος, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῆς δεξιᾶς ἐπιχαλυπτόμενον δημοσιεύειν πρὸς δόξης θήραν διὰ τοῦτο τῶν παλδιῶν οἱ θετιχκοὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων εὐθυβόλως περιστερὰς μὲν τοὺς ἐν πόλεσιν ἀσκοῦντας ὠνόμασαν, τρνγόνας δὲ τοὺς ἐν ἐρημίαις, καὶ ἀδάτοις ἐμδιωτεύοντας,, ὅτι οὗ μὲν ὑπὸ θεαταῖς; τὴν ἀρετὴν μετέρχονται, καὶ μολύνουσι ταύτην ἑκόντες, ἣ ἄκοντες Ὦ κλεπτόμενοι τοῖς τῶν πολλῶν ἐπαίνοις, ἢ καὶ τὸ ναι πολλάκις προτιθέμενοι πρὸς τὸ δῆθεν ὠφελῆσαι τοὺς θεωμένους, ὅπερ χἂν μή ἔστιν ἀνθρωπαρέἀλλὰ πάντως μεμόλυται ταύτην, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν χενοῖ τοῦ πόνου τὸ ἔμμιθον, χαθάπερ ὄντως περιστερὰ χύουσα καὶ τοὺς νεοττοὺς εἰς σφαγὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρέχουσα οὗ δὲ πᾶν τὸ γινόμενον ἀσινὲς, καὶ ὁλόχληρον τῷ Θεῷ παρα πέμπουσιν, οὐδὲν ζημιούμενοι κατὰ τὰς τρυγόνας, ζῶντα τῖς καλιᾶς, ἀπολυούσας πρὸς ἀέρα τὰ ἔγγονα. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ πρὸς ἀρέσκειαν Θεοῦ λανθανόντεως γινόμενον, ζῇ καὶ καὶ χτῆμα τοῦ πονήσαντός ἐστιν ἀδιάπτωτον, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ τὴν ὄψιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔχειν μάρτυρα θέλον ἱματίου δίκην, καὶ τέἔχτον τὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας σῆτα, καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ μενον. ### English translation (Claude) “Those who call you blessed lead you astray” has been well said by divine Scripture of those who do good in the sight of others. But who will deceive by blessing into conceit the one who is not seen, who has deliberately fled such people, so that he may not lessen the wage from God by the praises of men; who, according to the Lord's exhortation, hides from the left hand every action of the right, so that it may see that the work has been done but know nothing of the display, he himself escaping his own notice with the half of himself that boasts? For this is how the left hand knows the work of the right: it is a vainglorious transmitter, publishing what the right hand hides, in the hunt for glory. For this reason the name-givers of old aptly named those who practise asceticism in cities doves, and those who live in deserts and trackless places turtle-doves: the former pursue virtue before spectators and defile it, willingly or unwillingly, robbed by the praises of the many, or often putting their virtue on show supposedly to benefit those who watch, which, even if it is not man-pleasing, has surely defiled it and proportionally empties the labor of its reward, like a real dove that broods and gives its chicks to people for slaughter; while the latter send on to God whole and unharmed all that they do, suffering no loss, like turtle-doves that release their young alive from the nest into the air. For such is what is done secretly to please God: it lives and is the unfailing possession of the one who labored for it; but what wants the eyes of people as witness is like a garment that both breeds the moth of vainglory and is eaten by it. ### Scripture references - Isa 3:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 6:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 6:19–20: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation and allusions: Isa 3:12 (LXX); Matt 6:3; Matt 6:19–20 (the moth). The names “doves” and “turtle-doves” for city and desert ascetics are ascribed to “the name-givers of old”; source unidentified. The end of the chapter is OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 26 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/26). ## Excellence of Monks, chapter 27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/20/#p-27 - Source: PG 79 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Even a blameless city ascetic suffers from witnessing injustice and may even blame God, as Habakkuk did; the desert monk's virtues are seen by God alone, who rewards them with eternal life. ### Greek text Ἵνα δὲ καὶ μηδὲν, διόλου τοὺς ἀνθρώπους γων, μᾶλλον δὲ συναναστρεφόμενος αὐτοῖς πάθη ὧν πάσχειν ἀνάγχη, μηδὲ βλάβην ὑπομείνῃ τινὰ παρὰ τῶν βλάπτειν εἰωθότων, ὡς εἴρηται δεδόσθω γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ ὃ μὴ δίδωσιν ἡ ἀλήθεια τὰ παρανόμως ὑτὸ ὑπερεχόντων εἰς τοὺς εὐτελεστέρους γινόμενα ἀδιχούντων καὶ ἀδικουμένων, τυραννούντων καὶ τυραννουμένων, ἀποστερούντων καὶ ἀποσεερουμένων, πάντως καὶ ὁρᾷ, καὶ συμπάσχει τοῖς πάσχουσι τῇ διαθέσει πρὸς τούτους, κἀκείνους μεριζόμενος, ἀγανακτῶν πρὸς τοὺς χαταπονοῦντας καὶ τοὺς χατάπονουμένους οἰχτιξόμενος;, θυμοῦ πληρούμενος καὶ πρὸς ἔλεον χαμπτόμενος, παροξυνόμενος καὶ σπλάγχνα τιτρωσχόμενος, καὶ τῷ τούτοις Θεῷ τῆς μακροθυμίας ὅτε μεμφόμενος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ προφήτης ποτὲ παθὼν δείκνυσι, καὶ τοῖ; πάσχουσιν ὅπερ ἔπαθεν, ε ἵνα τί μοι, λέγων, ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους; ὅτι ὁ ἀσεβὴς κατατὸν δέχαιον, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐποίησας ὡς ἰχθύας τῆς θαλάσσης χαταπινομένους αὐτοὺς, τὴν ἀνοχὴν ταύτην, καὶ συγχώρησιν, ὡς ἀναρχίαν ζήλῳ μὲν πεπυρωμένῳ,, ἀλλὰ θρασέως ἐγκαλῶν τῷ θεῷ. Καὶ τίς ἀνάγχη βιάζεται παρεῖναι τοῖς ἄλλων κακοῖς μηδὲν δυνάμενον, καὶ προσαμαρτάνοντα; Κἂν μηδὲν μέγα τὸ γοῦν ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἄλλοι πράττουσι κακῶς ταράττεσθαι, εἰρηνεύειν τῆς διανοίας ὀφειλούσης, οὕτω πλημμελοῦσιν ἐν τῷ πλήθει μὴ πλημμελοῦντες οἱ κεχωρισμένοι τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ ζημιοῦνται οἱ ἐν τῷ πλήθει μισθοὺ;; πόνων, δόξης ἕνεχεν ἀνθρωπίνης. Κἂν γὰρ μυριάκις οὗ πλέον τούτους τῶν ἡσυχαζόντων θαυμάζοντες λέγωσιν ἐκ τοῦ συνεῖναι τῷ πλήθει, δῆλοι διαῤῥήδην εἰσὶ τούτῳ τῷ δεσμῷ κατεχόμενοι, αὑτῷ τῷ αἱρεῖσθαι τοὺς ζημιοῦντας τόπους οἰκεῖν τούτοις καθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν, καὶ ἄνευ χατηγόρου διατερυσίῳ κεκραγότας φωνῇ ὡς αὖ πάλιν οἱ κεχωρισμένοι τῶν ἐπαινούντων, τῷ ἔργῳ σαφῶς μαρτυροῦσι καὶ αὐτοὶ, ὅτι τὴν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς θαυμαζομένην δόξαν ἐπάοὐ νηστεία τούτοις διαπίπτει, οὐχ ἀγρυπνία ἀπόλλυται, οὐ προσευχὴ οὐ συλᾶται καρτεοία, οὐχ ἣ ἄλλη πᾶσα λῃστεύεται ἀρετή οὗ γὰρ πάρεστιν εὐφημία λωποδυτῆσαι δυναμένη τοὺς πόνους. Θεὸς ὁρᾷ μόνος, ὁ τούτοις παρὼν, καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν ἀλείφων πρὸς μείζονας ἄθλους, καὶ μισθοὺς, καὶ νῦν παρέχων τὴν συνεργείαν, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀποδίωσιν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον διὰ τοῦ Κυρίον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν. ### English translation (Claude) And suppose that one who [lives] wholly among people, or rather associates with them, does nothing [amiss], suffers none of the passions he must suffer, and endures no harm from those who are used to harming, as has been said (let the argument grant what the truth does not grant): still he surely sees the things done unlawfully by the powerful to the humbler, by wrongdoers to the wronged, by tyrants to their victims, by robbers to the robbed, and suffers with the sufferers. He is divided in his disposition between the one side and the other: indignant at the oppressors and pitying the oppressed, filled with anger and bent to mercy, provoked and wounded in his heart, and sometimes even blaming God for his long-suffering toward them. The prophet shows that he once suffered this, and shows those who suffer what he suffered, saying, “Why did you show me toils and troubles? For the ungodly overpowers the righteous, and you have made people like the fish of the sea,” as they swallow one another; he accuses God, with a fiery zeal but boldly, of treating this forbearance and permission as anarchy. And what necessity forces one who can do nothing, and sins besides, to be present at the evils of others? Even if it is nothing great, at least to be troubled by what others do wrong, when the mind ought to be at peace: in this way those in the crowd sin through others' sins, while those separated from the crowd do not; and those in the crowd lose the wages of their labors for the sake of human glory. For even if they say ten thousand times that they admire these no more than those who live in quiet because they are among the crowd, they plainly show that they are held by this bond, by the very fact that they choose to live in places that harm them, crying out against themselves with a piercing voice without any accuser. So too those separated from the people who would praise them testify clearly by their deeds that they [despise] the glory the many admire. For them fasting does not fall away, vigil is not lost, prayer and endurance are not plundered, nor is any other virtue robbed; for there is no praise present that can strip them of their labors. God alone sees them, who is present with them, anointing their eagerness for greater contests and rewards, giving them his help now, and after their departure from this life, eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. ### Scripture references - Hab 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Hab 1:13–14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Hab 1:3–4, 13–14. Nilus's remark that the prophet accused God “boldly” is translated as written. Small pieces of OCR debris and the end of the chapter (OCR of Migne's facing Latin column, ending with a Latin doxology) have been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Nilus, Mon. praest. 27 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monachorum-praestantia/27).