Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) 19–35
Greek text: PG 79.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 19
19PG 79
Ταῦτα δὲ ἔπραττον, ἐπειδὴ μόνῃ ψυχῇ ζῇν ἔχρινον, τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τὰς τοῦ σώματος ἀνάγκας ἀποστρεφόμενοι, καὶ πάντων αὐτοὺς ὑψηλοτέρους ἐποίει μηδενὸς χρείαν ἔχειν μᾶλλον γὰρ καταλιπεῖν τὸ σῶμα ἡροῦντο, καὶ τῆς ἐν σαρχὶ ζωῆς ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἣ χαταπροδοῦναι τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ ἀξίωμα, ἣ χρείας ἕνεχα σωματιχῇς χολαχεῦσαί τινα τῶν εὐπόρων. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὅταν ἐν χρείᾳ τινος, καθάπερ τὰ κυνίδια. ἱλαρωτέρας κινήσεως χέρχου τοῖς ὀστέον ἴσως γυμνὸν, ἣ Ψίχας, προσακοντίζουσιν, οὕτως τοῖς πλουσίοις προστρέχομεν, εὐεργέτας αὐτοὺς, καὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν μόνας ἀποκαλοῦντες, καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς ἁπλῶς μαρτυροῦμεν ἀρετὴν, χἂν ἐν ἐσχάτῃ κακίᾳ τυγχάνωσιν ὄντες, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνῦσαι τὸ σπουδαζόμεγον, οὗ ριεργαζόμενοι τὴν τῶν ἁγίων διαγωγὴν ὧν δῆθεν ζηλοῦν τὴν ἀρετὴν προὐθέμεθα. Ἦλθέ ποτε πρὸς Ἕλισσαις Νεεμὰν ὁ τῆς Συρίας στρατηλάτης. πολλὰ χομίσας δῶρα ἑαυτοῦ. Τί οὖν ὁ προφήτης ὥρᾳ ἄρα προσέδραμεν οὐχὶ δι᾽ ἑνὸς μειρακίου τὴν χρείαν αὐτῷ, ἐφ᾽ ἧ παρῆν, οὐδὲ εἰς ὄψιν αὐτὸν δεξάμενος ἵνα μὴ τῶν των ἕνεχα τὴν θεραπείαν παρέξαι νομισθῇ Ταῦτα δὲ εἴρηται οὐχ ἵνα μάθωμεν ἀλαζονείαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ χρείας ἕνεχα τοὺς ἐκεῖνα περιέποντας, ὧν ἡμεῖς; καταφρονεῖν ἐπηγγέλμεθα. Τί οὖν ἡμεῖς ἀφέντες τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας, γεωργίας, καὶ ἐμπορίας ἐπιτηδεύομεν Τί γὰρ μέγε τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἑαυτῶν φροντίδι ἵνα δὲ ἐχδηλωθῇ κοινὴν εἶναι τὴν τῆς γεωργίας … μέλειαν. η σπουδὴ τὴν γῆν ἀνατέμνεοι, καὶ τὰ σπέρματα καταβάλλει, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὑετοῖς ἐπαλλήλοις ἄρδει τὰ σπαρέντα ἁπαλαῖς ταῖς τῆς γῆς τὰς ῥίζας ἐνδιατείνεσθαι παρασκευάζων, ἥλιον ἀνατέλλει διαθερμαίνοντα τὴν γῆν καὶ τῇ θέρμῃ προσχαλούμενον ἄνω τὰ φυτὰ, αὔρα; ἀνέμων ἐπιπνεῖ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ τῶν τρεφομένων γεννημάτων συμμέτρους, μαλακαῖς μὲν πνοαῖς ἐν ἀρχῇ χλοηφόρον τὴν πεδιάδα, ὡς ἂν μὴ θερμοῖς τοῖς πνεύμασιν ἀλεαινόμενα περιφλέγοιτο τὰ σπαρέντα, σταθεραῖς δὲ ἐμβολαῖς πνευμάτων ταῖς θήκαις τὸ γαλαχτῶδες πεπαίνων τοῦ κόκκου, ἀλοητῷ φλογμὸν παρέχων ἐπιτήδειον, λιχμητῷ δὲ προσφόρους ἀνέμους. Κἂν ἔν τινι τούτων ἐπιλείπῃ. μάταιος ὁ ἀνθρώπινος ἠλέγχθη πόνος, καὶ ἡ ἡμετέρα … σπουδὴ μὴ σφραγισθεῖσα ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεαῖς … γῆ δὲ καὶ τούτων ἐνέλιπε πρὸς τελείωσιν οὐδέν ὑετὸς δὲ λαῦρος παρὰ γενόμενος καὶ πολὺς, ἣ τριδόμενον ἔτι τὸν ἣ κατὰ χαιρὺν σωρευθέντα τὸν σῖτον Ἔστι ὅτε καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀποθήχῃ σκώληξ, καὶ σῆς διέφθειρεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ στόματος, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἑτοίμην ἀποσυλήσας τὴν τράπεζαν
Tauta de epratton, epeidē monę̄ psychę̄ zę̄n echrinon, to sōma, kai tas tou sōmatos anankas apostrephomenoi, kai pantōn autous hypsēloterous epoiei mēdenos chreian echein mallon gar katalipein to sōma hērounto, kai tēs en sarchi zōēs apallagēnai hē chataprodounai tēs aretēs to axiōma, hē chreias henecha sōmatichę̄s cholacheusai tina tōn euporōn. Hēmeis de hotan en chreią tinos, kathaper ta kynidia. hilarōteras kinēseōs cherchou tois osteon isōs gymnon, hē Psichas, prosakontizousin, houtōs tois plousiois prostrechomen, euergetas autous, kai tōn Christianōn monas apokalountes, kai pasan autois haplōs martyroumen aretēn, chan en eschatę̄ kakią tynchanōsin ontes, hyper tou anysai to spoudazomegon, hou riergazomenoi tēn tōn hagiōn diagōgēn hōn dēthen zēloun tēn aretēn prouthemetha. Ēlthe pote pros Helissais Neeman ho tēs Syrias stratēlatēs. polla chomisas dōra heautou. Ti oun ho prophētēs hōrą ara prosedramen ouchi di᾽ henos meirakiou tēn chreian autǭ, eph᾽ hē parēn, oude eis opsin auton dexamenos hina mē tōn tōn henecha tēn therapeian parexai nomisthę̄ Tauta de eirētai ouch hina mathōmen alazoneian, all᾽ hina mē chreias henecha tous ekeina periepontas, hōn hēmeis? kataphronein epēngelmetha. Ti oun hēmeis aphentes ton skopon tēs philosophias, geōrgias, kai emporias epitēdeuomen Ti gar mege tǭ Theǭ epi tę̄ heautōn phrontidi hina de echdēlōthę̄ koinēn einai tēn tēs geōrgias … meleian. ē spoudē tēn gēn anatemneoi, kai ta spermata kataballei, ho de Theos hyetois epallēlois ardei ta sparenta hapalais tais tēs gēs tas rhizas endiateinesthai paraskeuazōn, hēlion anatellei diathermainonta tēn gēn kai tę̄ thermę̄ proschaloumenon anō ta phyta, aura? anemōn epipnei tę̄ hēlikią tōn trephomenōn gennēmatōn symmetrous, malakais men pnoais en archę̄ chloēphoron tēn pediada, hōs an mē thermois tois pneumasin aleainomena periphlegoito ta sparenta, statherais de embolais pneumatōn tais thēkais to galachtōdes pepainōn tou kokkou, aloētǭ phlogmon parechōn epitēdeion, lichmētǭ de prosphorous anemous. Kan en tini toutōn epileipę̄. mataios ho anthrōpinos ēlenchthē ponos, kai hē hēmetera … spoudē mē sphragistheisa tais tou Theou dōreais … gē de kai toutōn enelipe pros teleiōsin ouden hyetos de lauros para genomenos kai polys, hē tridomenon eti ton hē kata chairyn sōreuthenta ton siton Esti hote kai en autę̄ tę̄ apothēchę̄ skōlēx, kai sēs diephtheiren ex autou tou stomatos, hōs eipein, hetoimēn aposylēsas tēn trapezan
They did these things because they had decided to live by the soul alone, turning away from the body and the body's necessities; and what made them higher than all was needing nothing. For they thought it better to leave the body and be released from life in the flesh than to betray the dignity of virtue or, for the sake of bodily need, to flatter any of the rich. But we, when we need something, are like little dogs that wag their tails more cheerfully at those who toss them perhaps a bare bone or some crumbs: so we run up to the rich, calling them benefactors and the only [patrons] of Christians, and simply testify to every virtue in them, even if they happen to be sunk in the depths of vice, in order to get what we are after; we take no trouble to examine the conduct of the saints whose virtue we have supposedly set out to emulate. Naaman, the commander of Syria, once came to Elisha bringing many gifts with him. What then did the prophet do? Did he run out to meet him at once? No: he dealt with the need for which Naaman had come through a single young servant, without even admitting him to his presence, so that he might not be thought to give the healing for the sake of the gifts. This is said not so that we may learn arrogance, but so that we may not, for need's sake, [court] those who cherish the things we have professed to despise. Why then do we abandon the goal of philosophy and practise farming and trade? What great thing [do we add] for God by our own care? To show that the care of farming is a joint work: human effort cuts the earth and casts the seeds, but God waters what has been sown with rain upon rain, preparing the roots to stretch out in the soft [clods] of the earth; he raises the sun to warm the earth and with its warmth to call the plants upward; he sends breezes of wind suited to the age of the growing crops, with gentle breaths at first over the green plain, so that the seed may not be scorched by hot winds, and with steadier blasts ripening the milky part of the grain in its husks; he provides the heat fit for threshing and the winds suitable for winnowing. If any one of these fails, human toil is shown to be vain, and our … effort, not sealed by the gifts of God. … the earth lacked none of these things for bringing the crop to completion, but a violent and heavy rain came and [spoiled] the grain while it was still being threshed, or after it had been heaped up in season. Sometimes, even in the barn itself, worm and moth destroyed it, plundering, so to speak, a table already laid, from the very mouth.
2 Kgs 5:9–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:19 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Unlike the saints, who would rather die than flatter the rich, monks now fawn on the wealthy and farm for gain, though every harvest depends on God.
- Naaman and Elisha: 2 Kgs 5:9–10. Worm and moth: cf. Matt 6:19–20. Several stretches of Migne's Latin column, misread as Greek letters, have been removed; lost Greek is marked “…” or supplied in brackets by sense. The end of the section is lost.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): θαι πυ τοὶ α, υθγὸ ἀοτὸ → ; οἱ ἃ Υἱία Ἵτδὴ Υἱγίυ οἱ ἃιἷ στδίία εἶγοὐ ΝΟ γογὸ τοὶ ρδηυγία, οΔ ποία οδυάφο οτία ἷς βά οἱ θη νυἱγία διἰ οβίδη ἴῃ γι Πα αἱ ρογἢοί Ποη Δ, π ἰπ Ἔσχογοί ρίυτίια ἴθγοης. Ουἱὰ ὰ ἰηδογυῖν οἱ ἢ εἰ ῥ Γ μα υ η Π δ δ Π ἰῇ υἱ πη δ Ὸ ΠῚ Δι ποη υἱ Δε, πὶ πὸ ΘΟγρογοῶ υἱ Π ι Δ ἃς ἐ ἰφίίας πος δοορυῖῃ πη ίπη οἱ Βρα, τιν Υ τ, Αἴ, χιχ, χας ἷ, → ; ΤΥ ν, → … ; Α οομππιογεῖο δ. θ → ; ποι ὃ αἱ πιᾶεἰ ἴογα τ Δη ΟυΓὰ π οἱ θοῦ νόγὸῸ Δ γι ἐπ ἐγγφαῖ, φὰς διὰ υἱ ἀλη ἰΠ ἢ Δ ΟΥ Δο υἱ οοἷαι οἱ δὲ. δ ἰγυοίυυ τη τὶδρυ ἰμίεἰο δι Ρ δι ἴθ, αὐῷ μου δῖ, η Πα ναὶ θυ νοι ἢ υ βὶ ἰ πγὰ ἤδημμαιη → … ; Β οἱ όσα οὐ → … ; ἐγ δοοίά Χ υἱ ρίο → ; ὧρε ἄρα → ὥρᾳ ἄρα; μειρακχίου → μειρακίου; πνολῖς ἐν ἀρκῇ → πνοαῖς ἐν ἀρχῇ; ταθεραῖς δὲ ἐμδολαῖς → σταθεραῖς δὲ ἐμβολαῖς; ἀνΟρώπινος → ἀνθρώπινος; τὴν νράπεζαν → τὴν τράπεζαν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 19 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/19
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 20
20PG 79
Ποῦ τοίνυν ἡμῖν, καὶ εἰς τί χρήσιμος ἣ ἡμετέρα σπουδὴ, θεοῦ τοὺς οἴακας τῶν πραγμάτων κρατοῦντὸς, καὶ πάντα φέροντος καὶ ἄγοντος, ὡς ἂν βούληται; ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἐροῦμεν παραμυθίας χρῄζειν τὸ σῶμα, καὶ πόσῳ βέλτιον τεθνάναι, ἣ πρᾶξαί τι τῶν τῷ μὴ πρεπόντων Πάντως δὲ ἂν ἄρα ἔτι ζῇν ἡμᾶς βούλεται ὁ θεὸς, ἢ ἰσχὺν ἐντίθησι τῷ σώματι τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς πόνον φέρειν, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ δέξασθαι στεφάνους, ἣ πόρος ἐπινοῆσει πρὸς παραμυθίαν τοῦ κάμνοντος, καὶ οὐχ ἐπιλείψει πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐπίνοια τῇ πηγῇ τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς σοφίας. Καλὸν οὖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, καλὸν, πάλιν εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀναβῆναι μακαριότητα, καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν ἐπιδράξασθαι πολιτείας. Ἔστι γὰρ πᾶσιν εὔκολος, ὡς: νομίζω, θελήσασι, χἂν δὲ τις προσῇ πόγο;, ἄκαρπος ἔσται, ἱκανὸν ἔχων παραμύθιον τὴν τῶν προωδευκότων εὔκλειαν, αὶ τῶν ἐψομένων τὴν διόρθωσιν, οὐ μικρὸν γὰρ ἔσται κέρδος οἷς ἀρξαμένοι; τοιαύτης διαγωγῆς καὶ τοῖς μετέπεῖτα καταλιποῦσι πολιτείας ἀρίστης εἰχόνα, ἡ τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων ἀνάληψις. Φύγωμεν τὰς ἐν πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις διαγωγὰς, ἵνα οἱ ἐν πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις πρὸς ἡμᾶς; ἐρημίας ἵνα ἐπισπασώμεθα τοὺς νῦν ἡμᾶς φεύγοντας, εἰ φίλον ὅλως τοῦτό Καὶ γὰρ περί τινων ἐν ἐπαίνῳ γέγρᾶπται, ὅτι κατέλιπον τὰς πόλεις καὶ ᾧχησαν ἐν πέτραις, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς περιστεραὶ μελετητικαί γχαὶ ὁ Βακτιστὴς δὲ ᾿Ιξωάννης ἐν ἐρήμῳ διέτριβε, καὶ πᾶσαι πρὸς αὑτὸν αὔτανδροι παρῆσαν αἱ πόλεις, καὶ … πρὸς θεωρίαν τῆς δερματίνης ζώνης ἠπείγοντο οἱ τὰ … σηριχὰ περιδεθλημένοι ἱμάτια, καὶ τὴν ὕπαιθρον ἡροῦντο ταλαιπωρίαν οἱ τὰς χρυσορόφους ἔχοντες οἰκίας, καὶ τὰς ἐπιλιθοχολλήτων κλινῶν ἀναπαύσεις, ἢ ἐπὶ τῆς ψαμμοῦ γατάχλιτις, καὶ πάντα ἣν αὐτοῖς ἀνεκτὰ, καίτοι παρὰ τὸ ἔθος γινόμενα. Ὑπετέμνετο γὰρ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλγεινοῖς αἴσθησιν ὁ πόθος τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ σχληραγωγίᾳ πόνον ἔχλεπτε τὸ θαῦμα τῆς θεωρίας.
Pou toinyn hēmin, kai eis ti chrēsimos hē hēmetera spoudē, theou tous oiakas tōn pragmatōn kratountos, kai panta pherontos kai agontos, hōs an boulētai? all᾽ en tais astheneiais eroumen paramythias chrę̄zein to sōma, kai posǭ beltion tethnanai, hē praxai ti tōn tǭ mē prepontōn Pantōs de an ara eti zę̄n hēmas bouletai ho theos, ē ischyn entithēsi tǭ sōmati tę̄ astheneią, hōs kai ton ek tēs ponon pherein, kai tous epi dexasthai stephanous, hē poros epinoēsei pros paramythian tou kamnontos, kai ouch epileipsei pros sōtērian epinoia tę̄ pēgę̄ tēs sōtērias kai tēs sophias. Kalon oun, agapētoi, kalon, palin eis tēn archaian anabēnai makariotēta, kai tōn palaiōn epidraxasthai politeias. Esti gar pasin eukolos, hōs: nomizō, thelēsasi, chan de tis prosę̄ pogo?, akarpos estai, hikanon echōn paramythion tēn tōn proōdeukotōn eukleian, ai tōn epsomenōn tēn diorthōsin, ou mikron gar estai kerdos hois arxamenoi? toiautēs diagōgēs kai tois metepeita katalipousi politeias aristēs eichona, hē tōn apoleiphthentōn analēpsis. Phygōmen tas en polesi kai kōmais diagōgas, hina hoi en polesi kai kōmais pros hēmas? erēmias hina epispasōmetha tous nyn hēmas pheugontas, ei philon holōs touto Kai gar peri tinōn en epainǭ gegraptai, hoti katelipon tas poleis kai hǭchēsan en petrais, kai egenonto hōs peristerai meletētikai nchai ho Baktistēs de ᾿Ixōannēs en erēmǭ dietribe, kai pasai pros hauton autandroi parēsan hai poleis, kai … pros theōrian tēs dermatinēs zōnēs ēpeigonto hoi ta … sēricha peridethlēmenoi himatia, kai tēn hypaithron hērounto talaipōrian hoi tas chrysorophous echontes oikias, kai tas epilithochollētōn klinōn anapauseis, ē epi tēs psammou gatachlitis, kai panta hēn autois anekta, kaitoi para to ethos ginomena. Hypetemneto gar tēn epi tois algeinois aisthēsin ho pothos tēs aretēs tou andros, kai ton epi tę̄ schlēragōgią ponon echlepte to thauma tēs theōrias.
Where then, and for what, is our effort useful, since God holds the tillers of affairs and carries and leads everything as he wills? But, we will say, in sicknesses the body needs comfort. And how much better it is to die than to do something unbecoming! Surely, if God still wants us to live, either he puts strength into the body against the sickness, so that it may bear the toil of [the sickness] and receive the crowns for [endurance], or he will devise a means of comfort for the sufferer; contrivance for salvation will not fail the source of salvation and of wisdom. It is good, then, beloved, it is good to go up again to the ancient blessedness and to lay hold of the way of life of those of old. For it is easy, I think, for all who are willing; and even if some toil is involved, it will not be fruitless, since it has as sufficient comfort the renown of those who went before and the correction of those who will follow. For it will be no small gain to those who begin such a manner of life and leave to those after them an image of the best way of life, that those who fell away should be restored. Let us flee life in cities and villages, so that those in cities and villages [may come] to us [in] the desert, so that we may draw to ourselves those who now flee from us, if that is at all dear to us. For it is written in praise of certain people that they left the cities and dwelt in the rocks, and became like meditating doves. John the Baptist, too, lived in the desert, and all the cities came out to him with all their people … they hurried to see the leather belt; those who … clothed in silk garments, and those who had gilt-roofed houses and rested on beds inlaid with stones, [preferred] hardship in the open air, or lying on the sand, and everything was bearable to them, though it went against their custom. For desire for the man's virtue cut away their feeling of pain, and the wonder of the sight stole away the toil of the hard life.
Jer 48:28 (31:28 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 3:1–5 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 3:4 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God provides even in sickness; monks should return to the desert, as the crowds who left the cities to see John the Baptist show.
- “Dwelt in the rocks … like meditating doves”: Jer 48:28 (LXX 31:28), probably combined with Isa 59:11 or Ezek 7:16. John the Baptist and the crowds: Matt 3:1–5; Mark 1:5; his leather belt: Matt 3:4. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column inside the section have been removed; lost Greek is marked “…” or supplied in brackets by sense. In the sentence about “no small gain” the Greek is elliptical and is translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ρ ΜΆ Κ. ορρογίυον; ᾳυορὰ δὶ ἀεβείαι, ἰδθοῦ, Θ Ὁ εἰ πἰπίηια οὐδ γ ἢἷδὰ ρεγίεοι εορίοβυ ἂυοἱ πὴ ἔπη Ὲ ἰμιθιΏ ἢ, πὶ υἱ ἰὰ ρ τοι οἱ ὦ ἸΏ ΧΧ. ὲ ογζοὸ εἰ δὲ αυἱὰ πορδιγυμἢ δι η συ ἰθμθμία, οἱ Οἷς ᾿ηἶὰ ογοηία, ἃς ἰμοθθῖς αὐοὸ να ἀ ἐμ δι οἱ φιυδηῖο Οδὲ ἃ Δ ᾳφυοὼ ἰπ διττὰ ἀφιοοὐδ; δὶ μ νἱνόγα ουΣ, δι. ΤΟ Ιο λοῦ δι φῦ σοι ογᾶί μιῇ γαλι οἱ ὁ αι ὖ νοι να μ ἀο δι ἶ μο οἱ πο η δ. γυτδὺ βά δη βίοι, οἱ δὶ νεῖ. γυ οσηίυμογα. δι ἴαο δ υἱὲ διἰδὶς μος δ ι θη, τ, φἰοτίαιῃ, οἱ δ Ὁ ποι: δυίοιη ἰμεὶΡἰοἶθυ ης νἱιῶὲ γι οἱ ι μοβίθα μι δι δου, τοδὶ νἱὶο ἰη εἰν δι ὺ οἱ αἱ ἰὼ ον βά ο ἀδευῦΓι, υἱ ευ πο υἱ ρίαρσοι, ἰδυάς, υεΡνοὸ, οἱ να αν ἢ οἱ υπἶκῈ ΠΟ απ: οἱ δια ἀορουαὶ ἜΓαΠΟ Οἵ ΠΠὰ οὐ ῖ οἴνη βάἰραμ ὅ δίψας ρε Ἵ υ μάν οἱ Α → … ; πὸ υἱ νἃφυΐ ἴῃ σου Πη ου δη Ὠ η γοῦθαγα ᾽ ἀγοηᾶ, οὐ ἶδαμα οοπδαυοί πὶ ΙΔ ο υἱγίυ ἀο ἀογίαν, δὲ ἴῃ ὀυγὰ Δ γα εὶο ἰδίθη δια ΐ. Τληίο ῬΓὼ Δί οἱ να ἷ ον ΠΠιὖ οἱ ὁ εἰογίαιη δΔοίοε αἱ δἰ ἐδ οὐ ᾿ινοιίχιια δἱ πὴ γα ῦ υ οἱ τηθηιοτὶᾶ ἀσδαιῦ πη δι οἰ ὔγα ΓῚ υἱγίυ ἴογα, ἃδὶ απ ἾΔη ροουάυη παι Ομ δ, υἱ γτοοὶ μι Πὶ υἱ Οὐ εἱ ἰγὶυυυ υἱ ι ουδίθά ρᾶγαῦ οὶ οἰποίαπιαν. οἱ υἱ ρυύοτα οἱ οἱ ἢ ης ργοίδγα μι ρ Ἶ θ ἱπουιῦαγα. δε ἐπ ἃ Δ η ἴῃ ΟΓγΘΟΙΪο τη δγαιίοι α; ἃἰθοίογυ Π ουηγεγβίο, οοηυπῖο. ι οἱ ϑὲ ἴῃ οἱ γί οἱ ἰη δι ὑἱὰ δι οχογοίιδιἰοηὶς οἱ οἱ πού δ διί πῇ ἀοείον φὰς ἤθη οἱ οῦυ Π Υ ΓγῸ ἀσοιγἧ οἰ πὰ ορὶπδίυ αἰεί αἰ ἢ ἴ ΡῈΓφαύώοπα τὰ διίοη.ιἰ απο ι ὲ βά Υἱγίυ ιη τάγοὸ δχεγοὶἢ ἴ ρδοῖο α ρύανὰ ἢ τδἰίοηο δυ δι πὶ οΓοί ἀπ υ ἤρα μεν ἰπίθγη ἰπ σοι συμ, συγ ργὰ νυ πόγο θη. δὲ η Δ νου νυ γα Ι. ἐμμἷς οσοὶ οἱ ρἰαγίπια ἀϊδεὶΡἰὰ οἀ γί ΠῚ δι οἱ την ποι Δι Ἔχογοοῦο, ΔΙ → … ; χοήζειν → χρῄζειν; ὁ θεὺς, ἣ ἐσχὺν → ὁ θεὸς, ἢ ἰσχὺν; στειράνους → στεφάνους; εἰς εἣν. → εἰς τὴν; ἑκανὸν ἔχων παραμήόθιον → ἱκανὸν ἔχων παραμύθιον; θεωφοίας → θεωρίας.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 20 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/20
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 21
21PG 79
Τοσοῦτόν ἔστιν ἀρετὴ πλούτου τιμιωτέρα, καὶ βίος ἡσύχιος χρημάτων πολλῶν περιφανέστερος πόσοι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἦσαν πλούσιοι καὶ μεγαλοφρονοῦντες ἐπὶ δόξῃ, καὶ σεσίγηνται, καὶ λήθῃ παρεδόθησαν, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα τοῦ ἀδόξου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἄδεται, καὶ ἣ μνήμη τοῦ ἐρημοπολέτου ἔστι περισπούδαστος. Ἴδιον γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ ἀοΐδιμον καὶ τὴν φήμην ἐξαποστέλλειν ἄγγελον τῶν οἷχείων καλῶν. Παραιτησώμεθα χτηνοτροφίαν, ἵνα ποιμαντιχὴν ἕξιν ἀναλάβωμεν ἐμπορίαν ἐπονείδιστον, ἵνα τὸν πολύτιμον κτησώμεθα μαργαρίτην φύγωμεν γεωργίαν γῆς ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀνατελλούσης, ἵνα ἐργάται καὶ φύλακες τοῦ παραδείσου γενώμεθα. Πάντα καὶ τὸν ἡσύχιον ἑλώμεθα βίον, ἵνα τοὺς νῦν ἡμῖν ὀνειδίσαντας, τὸ κεκτῆσθαι προσφέροντας. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω δυσωπεῖ τοὺς ἐπεμδαίνοντας, ὡς ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὀνειδιζομένοις μετ᾽ ἐπιεικείας διόρθωσις Ὑίνεται γὰρ ἡ τῶν ὀνειδιζομένων μεταβολὴ τοῖς ὀνειδίζουσι διατροπή αἰσχρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο νομίζω, καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχρὸν ἀληθῶς, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ παρὰ πάντων εἰχότως γελώμεθα. γάρ τῖς προσελθὼν τῷ βίῳ, τὰ ἤθη μόνον μαθὼν τῆς ἀσκήσεως, ὅπως τε προσεύχωνται, καὶ πότε καὶ ποῖά τις ἔστιν ἡ τῆς διαίτης διαγωγὴ, διδάσκαλος εὐθὺς ὧν μὴ μεμάθηκε προσέρχεται ὁρμαθὸν μαθητῶν ἐπισυρόμενος αὐτὸ; δεόμενος διδασχαλίας, καὶ τοσούτῳ πλέον, ὅσῳ καὶ εὔκολον τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι πάντων μᾶλλόν ἐστι χαλεπώτατον ψυχῶν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δεομένων πρότερον μὲν καθάρσεως τῶν παλαιῶν μολυσμάτων, ἔπειτα πολλῆς προσοχῆς εἰς τὸ δέξασθαι εὐπὼν τῶν μαθημάτων τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ὃ δὲ μηδὲν πλέον τῆς σωματικῆς ἀσκήσεως τὼ; διορθώσεται τὰ ἤθη τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων Πῶς δὲ τοὺς τῇ πονηρᾷ συνηθείᾳ μένους Πῶς δὲ τοῖς πολεμουμένοις ὑπὸ θυ θήσει, μηδόλως τὸν κατὰ διάνοιαν εἰδὼς πόλεμοι, ἢ πῶς τὰ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ συμβαίνοντα τὰ τραύματα θεραπεύσει, αὐτὸς ἔτι τραύματι κατακείμενος, καὶ χαταδέσμων δεόμενος.
Tosouton estin aretē ploutou timiōtera, kai bios hēsychios chrēmatōn pollōn periphanesteros posoi kata ton kairon ekeinon ēsan plousioi kai megalophronountes epi doxę̄, kai sesigēntai, kai lēthę̄ paredothēsan, kai to thauma tou adoxou mechri tou nyn adetai, kai hē mnēmē tou erēmopoletou esti perispoudastos. Idion gar tēs aretēs to aoïdimon kai tēn phēmēn exapostellein angelon tōn hoicheiōn kalōn. Paraitēsōmetha chtēnotrophian, hina poimantichēn hexin analabōmen emporian eponeidiston, hina ton polytimon ktēsōmetha margaritēn phygōmen geōrgian gēs akanthas kai tribolous anatellousēs, hina ergatai kai phylakes tou paradeisou genōmetha. Panta kai ton hēsychion helōmetha bion, hina tous nyn hēmin oneidisantas, to kektēsthai prospherontas. Ouden gar houtō dysōpei tous epemdainontas, hōs ē epi tois oneidizomenois met᾽ epieikeias diorthōsis Huinetai gar hē tōn oneidizomenōn metabolē tois oneidizousi diatropē aischron de kai touto nomizō, kai estin aischron alēthōs, eph᾽ hǭ kai para pantōn eichotōs gelōmetha. gar tis proselthōn tǭ biǭ, ta ēthē monon mathōn tēs askēseōs, hopōs te proseuchōntai, kai pote kai poia tis estin hē tēs diaitēs diagōgē, didaskalos euthys hōn mē memathēke proserchetai hormathon mathētōn episyromenos auto? deomenos didaschalias, kai tosoutǭ pleon, hosǭ kai eukolon to pragma ouk eidōs hoti pantōn mallon esti chalepōtaton psychōn epimeleisthai deomenōn proteron men katharseōs tōn palaiōn molysmatōn, epeita pollēs prosochēs eis to dexasthai eupōn tōn mathēmatōn tēs aretēs. Ho de mēden pleon tēs sōmatikēs askēseōs tō? diorthōsetai ta ēthē tōn hypotetagmenōn Pōs de tous tę̄ ponērą synētheią menous Pōs de tois polemoumenois hypo thy thēsei, mēdolōs ton kata dianoian eidōs polemoi, ē pōs ta en tǭ polemǭ symbainonta ta traumata therapeusei, autos eti traumati katakeimenos, kai chatadesmōn deomenos.
So much more precious than wealth is virtue, and a still life more illustrious than great riches. How many in that time were rich and proud of their glory, and they have been silenced and handed over to oblivion; while the wonder of the man without glory is sung to this day, and the memory of the desert-dweller is cherished. For it is the property of virtue to be celebrated and to send out its fame as a messenger of its own goods. Let us renounce cattle-raising, so that we may take up the shepherd's state; shameful trade, so that we may acquire the pearl of great price; let us flee the farming of a land that brings forth thorns and thistles, so that we may become workers and guardians of paradise. Above all let us choose the still life, so that [we may shame] those who now reproach us and bring up our possessions against us. For nothing so shames those who attack as the gentle correction of what is reproached; the change in those reproached becomes confusion to those who reproach them. This too I consider shameful, and it is truly shameful, and for it we are rightly laughed at by all: someone comes to this life, learns only the outward customs of the ascetic discipline, how they pray, and when, and what their manner of diet is, and at once he steps forward as a teacher of what he has not learned, dragging a string of disciples after him, though he himself needs teaching, and all the more because he thinks the thing easy. He does not know that the hardest thing of all is to take care of souls, which need first to be cleansed of their old defilements, and then much attention in order to receive the lessons of virtue well. How will one who has nothing more than bodily discipline correct the characters of those under him? How [will he heal] those [held fast] by evil habit? How will he help those who are warred against by [thoughts], when he does not know at all the war that is waged in the mind? Or how will he heal the wounds received in that war, while he himself still lies wounded and needs bandages?
Matt 13:46 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:15 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Virtue outlasts riches; Nilus attacks men who learn only the outward forms of monastic life and at once set up as teachers.
- The pearl of great price: Matt 13:46; thorns and thistles: Gen 3:18; workers and guardians of paradise: Gen 2:15. Words lost in the printed text are supplied in brackets by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ἀρξτῆς → ἀρετῆς; Παρσιτησώμεθα → Παραιτησώμεθα; χττσώμεθα → κτησώμεθα; βίαν, ἕνα → βίον, ἵνα; ὀνειδιξζομένων → ὀνειδιζομένων; ξεομένων → δεομένων; παλαςῶν → παλαιῶν.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 21 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/21
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 22
22PG 79
Ἡ πᾶσα τέχνη χρόνου δεῖται καὶ διδασκαλίας πολλῆς πρὸς κατόρθωσιν, μόνη δὲ ἡ τέχνη τῶν τεχνῶν ἁμαθητεύτως ἐπιτηδεύεται καὶ γεωργίας μὲ οὐχ ἂν ἄπειρος, οὐδὲ ἀμύητος ἰατρικῆς ἐπιχειρήσειεν ἔργοις ἐλεγχθήσεται γὰρ ὁ μὲν πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν ὀνῆσαι τοὺς κάμνοντας, ἔτι καὶ βαρυτέραν αὐτοῖς χκατασχευάσας τὴν νόσον, ὁ δὲ χέρσον, καὶ ῥυπαρὰν τὴν ἀρίστην γῆν καταστήσας. Μόνης δὲ ἢ: θεοσεβείας ὡς πάντων εὐχολωτέρας χατατολμῶσιν ἀπαιδοτρίβητοι, καὶ τὸ δυσχατόρθωτον πρᾶγμα εὐχερὲς εἶναι νενόμισται τοῖς πολλοῖς, καὶ ὃ μηδέπω Παῦλος κατειληφέναι λέγει, τοῦτο ἀχριθῶς ἐγνὼωχέναι διαδεδαιοῦνται οἱ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εἰδότες ὅτι ἀγνοοῦσι διὰ τοῦτο εὐκαταφρόνητος ὁ βίος ἐγένετο καὶ οἱ μετερχόμενοι αὐτὸν παρὰ πάντων χλευάζονται, Τί: γὰρ μὴ γελάσεται τὸν χθὲς ἐν καπηλείῳ ὑδροφοροῦντα, σήμερον ὁρῶν ὡς διδάσκαλον ἀρετῆς παρὰ μαθητῶν δορυφορούμενον, ἣ τὸν πρώην τῶν πολιτικῶν ἀναχωρήσαντα καχοπραγιῶν, ὀψὲ μετὰ πλήθους μαθητῶν διὰ πάσης σοβοῦντα τῆς ἀγορᾶς. Εἰ δὲ ἧσαν πεπεισμένοι σαφῶς ὅτι πολύς ἔστιν ὁ πόνος ἐνάγειν ινὰς εἰς θεοσέβειαν, καὶ τὸν ἀκολουθοῦντα τῷ πράκίνδυνον ἔδεισαν, ἀχριδῶς πάντως ἂν ὡς ὑπερδαῖνον αὑτοὺς παρῃτήσαντο τὸ πρᾶγμα ἕως ὅτε τοῦτο ἀγνοοῦσι, καὶ δόξαν ἡγοῦνται τὸ προῖστάνᾶι τινῶν, εὐχερῶς κατὰ τοῦ τοιούτου καὶ τὸ ἐνάλλεσθαι χαιομένῃ τῇ καμίνῳ, κοῦφον νομίζουσι, γέλωτα μὲν τοῖς ἐπισταμένοις τὸν χθὲς αὐτῶν βίον Θεῷ δὲ ἀγανᾶἐπὶ τῇ τοσαύτῃ προπετείᾳ.
Hē pasa technē chronou deitai kai didaskalias pollēs pros katorthōsin, monē de hē technē tōn technōn hamathēteutōs epitēdeuetai kai geōrgias me ouch an apeiros, oude amyētos iatrikēs epicheirēseien ergois elenchthēsetai gar ho men pros to mēden onēsai tous kamnontas, eti kai baryteran autois chkatascheuasas tēn noson, ho de cherson, kai rhyparan tēn aristēn gēn katastēsas. Monēs de ē: theosebeias hōs pantōn eucholōteras chatatolmōsin apaidotribētoi, kai to dyschatorthōton pragma eucheres einai nenomistai tois pollois, kai ho mēdepō Paulos kateilēphenai legei, touto achrithōs egnōōchenai diadedaiountai hoi auto touto eidotes hoti agnoousi dia touto eukataphronētos ho bios egeneto kai hoi meterchomenoi auton para pantōn chleuazontai, Ti: gar mē gelasetai ton chthes en kapēleiǭ hydrophorounta, sēmeron horōn hōs didaskalon aretēs para mathētōn doryphoroumenon, hē ton prōēn tōn politikōn anachōrēsanta kachopragiōn, opse meta plēthous mathētōn dia pasēs sobounta tēs agoras. Ei de hēsan pepeismenoi saphōs hoti polys estin ho ponos enagein inas eis theosebeian, kai ton akolouthounta tǭ prakindynon edeisan, achridōs pantōs an hōs hyperdainon hautous parę̄tēsanto to pragma heōs hote touto agnoousi, kai doxan hēgountai to proistanai tinōn, eucherōs kata tou toioutou kai to enallesthai chaiomenę̄ tę̄ kaminǭ, kouphon nomizousi, gelōta men tois epistamenois ton chthes autōn bion Theǭ de aganaepi tę̄ tosautę̄ propeteią.
Every craft needs time and much teaching to succeed; only the art of arts is practised without being learned. No one inexperienced in farming would [take it up], nor would anyone uninitiated in medicine attempt its works; for the one will be shown up by doing the sick no good and even making their disease worse, the other by turning the best land into barren and dirty ground. Godliness alone, as the easiest of all, is ventured on by the untrained; the thing that is hard to accomplish is thought easy by the many, and what Paul says he has not yet attained, this, those who know only that they do not know it confidently claim to know exactly. That is why the life has become contemptible and those who pursue it are mocked by all. For who will not laugh to see the man who yesterday carried water in a tavern escorted today by disciples as a teacher of virtue, or the man who lately withdrew from civic misdeeds strutting about late in the day through the whole market with a crowd of disciples? If they were clearly convinced that the toil of leading others to godliness is great, and feared the danger that goes with the work, they would surely have declined the thing as beyond them. But so long as they do not know this, and think presiding over others a glory, they [rush] lightly into such a task, and think it a slight thing to leap into a burning furnace, becoming a laughingstock to those who know their life of yesterday, and to God [a cause of] indignation at such rashness …
Phil 3:12–13 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Every craft must be learned except, it seems, godliness; untrained men rush to lead others and make the monastic life contemptible.
- “The art of arts” (τέχνη τεχνῶν) is the classic description of the care of souls (Gregory of Nazianzus, Or. 2.16), which Nilus applies to the ascetic life. What Paul has not yet attained: Phil 3:12–13. A few words are lost where Latin debris interrupts the Greek; the debris at the end of the section has been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Ῥγθοηήἤδίαν πη Π Φρτγοίδηιθυ οροῦΣ μ εἰ ἃρΨ ἢ οἱ πὶ θεῖ οπιπίθυ ροηἰίυ ἰγθοίαγο, οἱ Αἰ πο ποροῖ ἃ τη εἶα ἀἰοῖς πα ἡ ΒΕ δ αυἱ πος ἴιος ἰάθο δ ἴῃ δοηιοπιρίθῃ νυἱίᾶ δ ποη τἰάοὶ αὶ ἴῃ δία υἱγίυ α ἀἰδοίρυ ῦ γοοδάσδηίθαι Π τη εἶα δἱ γε δ ῃ οβὲ ἱπάυσογο, Ὁ νογὸ Ππὼ οἱ ργώδο οἱ ἴῃ σης πη γ ἴον ορὶπαπίιν, τίδαιη του μ θολὰ ἰδῆς → ; ἩΙ πᾶσα → Ἡ πᾶσα; διδασχαλίς → διδασκαλίας; πρὸς Δ Το τὸ → πρὸς τὸ; ἀμύητος ἰατρικῆς Ἰδ ἐπιχειρήσειεν → ἀμύητος ἰατρικῆς ἐπιχειρήσειεν; ἀπαιδοτρίθττοι → ἀπαιδοτρίβητοι; μνδέπω → μηδέπω; καπηλεέῳ → καπηλείῳ; σοδοῦντα → σοβοῦντα.
Extrabiblical texts: Gregory of Nazianzus, Or. 2.16 (Orations (other than the Theological Orations); echo)
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 22 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/22
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-22) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 23
23PG 79
Ἐ γὰρ τὸν οὐδὲν παρῃτήσατο τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ γῆρας σεμνὸν, οὐ παλαιὰ οὐχ ἱερατικὴ τιμὴ, ἀμελήσαντα τῆς τῶν τέχνων διορθώσεως πῶς ἐξελεῖται νῦν τῆς τοιαύτης ἀγαναχτήσεως, τοὺς οὔτε ἐκ παλαιῶν ἀξιοπιστίαν ἔχοντας ἔργων παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, οὔτε εἰδότας ἢ τὸν τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος τρόπον, ἢ τῆς διορθώσεως τὴν μέθοδον ἀλλ᾽ ἀπείρως δι᾽ ἔρωτα δόξης ἐγχειροῦντας δεινῷ πράγματι. Διὰ τοῦτο τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν Φαρισαίους λων ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγεν ε Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν Γραμματεῖς, καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν εὕρητε, ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑμῶν … τῷ ἀληθεῖ διὰ τῆς χατ᾽ ἐκείνων ἐπιπλήξεως, νουθετῶν τοὺς ὕστερον τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἁλίσκεσθαι μέλλοντας παραπτώμασιν, ἵνα τῷ οὐαὶ προσέχοντες εἴρξωσιν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς ἀκαίρου ἐπιθυμίας, τῆς παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δόξης, φοβερώτερον κρίναντες τὸν ταλανιαμόν. Δυσωπείτω ὃὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ αὐτοὺς ὁμοίως κήδεσθαι τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων, ἣ παραιτήσασθαι τὴν τοιαύτην προστασίαν, μὴ εἰδότας τὰ αὑτὰ ἐκείνῳ ποιεῖν, μηδὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν προνοουμένων εἰσφέρειν βουλενομένους σπουδήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ διάνοιαν ῥύπων τοὺς υἱοὺς καθαροὺς εἶναι θέλων, θυσίας καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑπὲρ αὖτῶν προσέφερε, λέγων Μήποτε οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ καρδία αὐτῶν κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν πῶς οὗτοι καὶ τῶν φανερῶν ἀμαρτημάτων ἀγνοοῦν… τες τὴν διάκρισιν, διὰ τὸ ἔτι τὸν ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὰ πάθη μάχης κονιορτὸν ἐπισχοτεῖν αὑτῶν τῷ λογιστικῷ ἐπιπηδῶσιν εἰς τὴν ἑτέρων προστασίαν, καὶ θεραπείαν ἄλλων ἀναδέχονται, οὕπω τὰ ἑαυτῶν πάθη θεραπεύσαντες, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν νίκης ἑτέρους ἐπὶ τὸ νικᾶν ὁμοίως ὁδηγεῖν δυνάμενοι,
E gar ton ouden parę̄tēsato tēs orgēs tou Theou, ou gēras semnon, ou palaia ouch hieratikē timē, amelēsanta tēs tōn technōn diorthōseōs pōs exeleitai nyn tēs toiautēs aganachtēseōs, tous oute ek palaiōn axiopistian echontas ergōn para tǭ Theǭ, oute eidotas ē ton tou hamartēmatos tropon, ē tēs diorthōseōs tēn methodon all᾽ apeirōs di᾽ erōta doxēs encheirountas deinǭ pragmati. Dia touto tǭ men dokein Pharisaious lōn ho Kyrios elegen e Ouai hymin Grammateis, kai Pharisaioi hypokritai hoti periagete tēn thalassan, kai tēn xēran tou poiēsai hena prosēlyton, kai hotan heurēte, poieite auton huion geennēs diploteron hymōn … tǭ alēthei dia tēs chat᾽ ekeinōn epiplēxeōs, nouthetōn tous hysteron tois autois haliskesthai mellontas paraptōmasin, hina tǭ ouai prosechontes eirxōsin heautous tēs akairou epithymias, tēs para tois anthrōpois doxēs, phoberōteron krinantes ton talaniamon. Dysōpeitō hoe kai ho Iōb autous homoiōs kēdesthai tōn hypotetagmenōn, hē paraitēsasthai tēn toiautēn prostasian, mē eidotas ta hauta ekeinǭ poiein, mēde tēn autēn hyper tōn pronooumenōn eispherein boulenomenous spoudēn. Ei gar ekeinos kai apo tōn kata dianoian rhypōn tous huious katharous einai thelōn, thysias kath᾽ hekastēn hēmeran hyper autōn prosephere, legōn Mēpote hoi huioi mou en tę̄ kardia autōn kaka enenoēsan pros ton Theon pōs houtoi kai tōn phanerōn amartēmatōn agnooun… tes tēn diakrisin, dia to eti ton ek tēs pros ta pathē machēs koniorton epischotein hautōn tǭ logistikǭ epipēdōsin eis tēn heterōn prostasian, kai therapeian allōn anadechontai, houpō ta heautōn pathē therapeusantes, oude ek tēs heautōn nikēs heterous epi to nikan homoiōs hodēgein dynamenoi,
For if nothing excused [Eli] from the wrath of God, not venerable old age, not long [service], not priestly honor, because he neglected to correct his sons, how will [God] now spare from such indignation those who have no credit with God from works of old, who know neither the manner of the sin nor the method of correction, but who out of love of glory inexpertly take in hand a dreadful task? That is why the Lord, seeming to [rebuke] the Pharisees, said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you go round sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when you find him you make him a son of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves” … but in truth, through his rebuke of them, he was admonishing those who would later be caught in the same faults, so that, heeding the “woe,” they might restrain themselves from the untimely desire for glory among men, judging the lament more fearful. Let Job, too, shame them, either into caring in the same way for those under them, or into declining such leadership, if they do not know how to do what he did, and are not willing to bring the same zeal on behalf of those in their charge. For if he, wishing his sons to be pure even of the stains of thought, offered sacrifices for them every day, saying, “Perhaps my sons have thought evil in their heart against God,” how can these men, who are ignorant even of open sins … lacking discernment, because the dust of the battle with the passions still darkens their reasoning, leap into the leadership of others and take on the healing of others, though they have not yet healed their own passions and cannot, from their own victory, lead others to victory in the same way?
1 Sam 2:22–25 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 3:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 23:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 1:5 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Eli's fate and Job's care for his sons warn untrained superiors who take charge of others before healing their own passions.
- Eli's name is lost at the start of the section (it begins Ἐ γὰρ τὸν …); the reference to neglecting his sons' correction is to 1 Sam 2:12–4:18. The quotation is Matt 23:15; Job: Job 1:5. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed; the words lost with them are marked “…” or supplied in brackets by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): δὲ πος ᾿ἰθογῖδε, θαυ δοτείχαῦο πὰς αυἱ Παυοίαιν ἀρ πρη ας δῖ σογγδοιίοη θοὰ πηρόγῖια οἰρίαἰαίς Ῥογίου ρ Ρηατίβδδο βου ἰώ εἶα γος, βου ῖυθα, οἱ Ρ ιαγίβαὶ Ὠγροογίια δὲ δι δὴν, υἱ πὶ οἱ οὐ ἰδ τόμος εἰ οἰ Πα πὶ σε ο → … ; ῃγ μᾶς Ομ φαιίοηα δύ πιο → ; δ Περι. δ υἱ ἴῃ δἰ μη Πα ρδοολίᾶ, Ὁ ἐσ ἐο Ὁ ὈΘδιἶνο εἰδδίἀδτῖο, γ ἃ πα ἰ ογιίἀλπία. νοῦὸ δο ν δἊὸ ᾿ διά δύο ἰΠ πὶ πο ρίθῷ δὶ ν ο θ ἃ οἰ π δον οἷα ἰ ογῖς ἢ πηοὶ πη ἀγίης οογάς δοπίγα λοιπὴ φυοπιούυ οἱ πὶ ἢ Π π ὁ ρμυζῆὰ δ Δία χα, Ἰ ὅ, π οὐ νἱοιοτία δ. ἀσάσρφογο. ρε εἰ υἷα ργυάομιία, αὐὰ ἰη εῖ ΓΟ, ΟΥ ἰγαίίογα οἱ δίς ἐκ ἰν Βα Δ ται ριορόπεγο, Δ Π υ Ρ ρΡᾶ συ ἀδρογίίδια οἰοτίαΣ πιούμῃ αἱ ἴῃ ρου ποοίυγηα Ποη Γ Αἰ ἴῃ συοηιοίο πὶ οὐ ἴδοῖ Νάνο δὴ μὲ εἶτη ρον γδηβοιηίο ποία, τη πη ἀνία, οὐ ἴῃ οχίτα ἤυπιοη, οἰ ρου δ δἰ Γτοδὶ ργοίυῃ ΟὉνοὶαΐ ἰπ Ῥγοροηοῦο, ποι ἰδ ην, αυἱ ργαίογη, πιάσαι θοὰ οὐ ἴδοογα δἰ χα Δ τ ἀοοινῖπα. ἰὸς που νἱάσης ἢ, π οἰθηῖο νου οπιΡεἰ ν πῃ δἱ θ γ οἱἰδῖὴ πὸ πθγὰ ἰη Ῥιοθοδείθυ Πν ΓΙ πὶ ΘΑ ΠῚ ΤηδεἷΣ φυδλτὰ πιδρὶβίγογυιῃ δίδίυη ἐκ θυληάο ΟἿ Ὸ στανία Υ πο δα θη ὶ ποη Δα ἐ δια πίο ρον ἢΖ, δι γὶ οἵα Α → … ; ἁμαρτὴνματος → ἁμαρτήματος; πράὙματι → πράγματι; προτήλυτον → προσήλυτον; παρακτώμασιν → παραπτώμασιν; ἀνθρώσοις → ἀνθρώποις; λογιτικῷ → λογιστικῷ.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 23 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/23
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 24
24PG 79
Δεῖ γὰρ πρότερον μαχέσασθαι τοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς νήψεως τὰ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τῇ μνήμῇ παραδοῦναι, καὶ οὕτως ἐκ τῶν καθ᾽ αὑτοὺς ἑτέροις ὑποθέσθαι τὰ τῆς μάχης, καὶ τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς εὐχερεστέραν ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸ προλέγειν τὰς ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ μεθόδους. Εἰσὶ γάρ τινες οὗ κεκρατηκότες τῶν παθῶν, διὰ πολλὴν ἴσως σχληραγωγίαν, καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἀγνοοῦντες τῆς νίκης, διὰ τὸ ὡς ἐν σκοτίᾳ μὴ παρηκολουθηκέναι ταῖς μηδὲ ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπιβουλαῖς ἀχριδῶς ἐπιστῆσαι τὸν νοῦν. Τοῦτο συμθολιχῶς καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῇ ἐποίει ἐν νυκτὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην διαβαινούσης τῆς στρατιᾶς, προστάξας ἐκ μέσου τοῦ ποταμοῦ λίθους ἀνιμή σασθαι, καὶ ἔξω τοῦ ποταμοῦ στηλώσαντας κονιᾶσαι, καὶ ἐπιγράψαι τὸ ὅπως παρῆλθον τὸν Ἰορδάνην σημαίνων ὅτι δεῖ τὰ βύθια τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς διαγωγῆς νοήματα εἰς φανερὸν ἄγειν, καὶ σαφῶς στηλιτεύειν, καὶ μὴ φθονεῖν ἑτέροις τῇς γνώσεως, ἵνα μὴ μόνον ὁ παρελθὼν γινώσκῃ τὸν τρόπον τῆς διαδάσεω;, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖν προαιρούμενοι εὐχερῇ τὴν διάθασιν ἐκ τῆς μαθήσεως ποιήσωνται, καὶ ἣ ἑτέρων πεῖρα γένηται ἑτέροις διδασκαλίᾳ. ταῦτα μὲν Ο ὁρῶσιν ἐκεῖνοι, ἑτέρων λεγόντων ἀχούουσιν, εἰς μόνην δὲ ἑαυτῶν ἀφορῶντες πληροφορίαν, καθάπερ ἀργυρωνήτοις δουλιχὰς ἐπιτάσσουσιν ὑπηρεσίας τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν τούτῳ τὸ πᾶν τῆς δόξης τιθέμενοι, ἐν τῷ προεστάναι πλειόνων. Καὶ ἔστιν ἅμιλλα μὴ ἥττονα τῶν λοιπῶν ἐν ταῖς προόδοις ἐπισύρεσθαι ἀνδράποδα, καπήλων μᾶλλον ἣ διδασκάλων κατάστασιν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι.
Dei gar proteron machesasthai tois pathesi, kai meta pollēs nēpseōs ta en tǭ polemǭ tę̄ mnēmę̄ paradounai, kai houtōs ek tōn kath᾽ hautous heterois hypothesthai ta tēs machēs, kai tēn nikēn autois eucheresteran poiēsai dia to prolegein tas en tǭ polemǭ methodous. Eisi gar tines hou kekratēkotes tōn pathōn, dia pollēn isōs schlēragōgian, kai ton tropon agnoountes tēs nikēs, dia to hōs en skotią mē parēkolouthēkenai tais mēde tais tōn echthrōn epiboulais achridōs epistēsai ton noun. Touto symtholichōs kai ho Iēsous ho tou Nauę̄ epoiei en nykti ton Iordanēn diabainousēs tēs stratias, prostaxas ek mesou tou potamou lithous animē sasthai, kai exō tou potamou stēlōsantas koniasai, kai epigrapsai to hopōs parēlthon ton Iordanēn sēmainōn hoti dei ta bythia tēs empathous diagōgēs noēmata eis phaneron agein, kai saphōs stēliteuein, kai mē phthonein heterois tę̄s gnōseōs, hina mē monon ho parelthōn ginōskę̄ ton tropon tēs diadaseō?, alla kai hoi to auto poiein proairoumenoi eucherę̄ tēn diathasin ek tēs mathēseōs poiēsōntai, kai hē heterōn peira genētai heterois didaskalią. tauta men O horōsin ekeinoi, heterōn legontōn achouousin, eis monēn de heautōn aphorōntes plērophorian, kathaper argyrōnētois doulichas epitassousin hypēresias tois adelphois en toutǭ to pan tēs doxēs tithemenoi, en tǭ proestanai pleionōn. Kai estin hamilla mē hēttona tōn loipōn en tais proodois episyresthai andrapoda, kapēlōn mallon hē didaskalōn katastasin epideiknymenoi.
For one must first fight the passions, and with much watchfulness commit to memory what happens in the war, and so, from one's own experience, set before others the matters of the battle and make victory easier for them by telling beforehand the methods used in the war. For there are some who have mastered the passions, perhaps through much hardship, yet do not know the manner of their victory, because, as though in darkness, they did not follow [the movements of the passions] nor fix their mind exactly on the plots of the enemies. Joshua the son of Nun did this symbolically when the army was crossing the Jordan by night: he ordered stones to be drawn up from the middle of the river, set up as pillars outside the river, plastered, and inscribed with how they had crossed the Jordan. He signified that the hidden thoughts of the life of passion must be brought into the open and clearly published, and that others must not be grudged the knowledge, so that not only the one who has crossed may know the manner of the crossing, but also those who choose to do the same may make the crossing easy by learning, and the experience of some may become teaching for others. These things those men do not see, nor do they listen when others speak of them; looking only to their own self-assurance, they lay slavish services on the brothers as though on slaves bought with silver, putting the whole of their glory in this, in presiding over more people. And there is rivalry among them not to drag along fewer slaves than the rest in their processions, displaying the state of hucksters rather than of teachers.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Josh 4:3–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 27:2–3 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A guide must know the war with the passions from experience and pass it on, as Joshua set up inscribed stones at the Jordan; many superiors treat the brothers as slaves.
- The stones from the Jordan: Josh 4:3–9, 20–22; plastering and inscribing stones: Deut 27:2–3 (Josh 8:32). Nilus combines the two and places the crossing at night, which is not in the biblical text. “Not see” supplies a negative lost in the scan (ταῦτα μὲν Ο ὁρῶσιν); “movements of the passions” supplies lost words.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): εὐχερεατέραν → εὐχερεστέραν; χεχρατηχότες → κεκρατηκότες; ἐν χίᾳ μὴ → ἐν σκοτίᾳ μὴ; ταῖς μνδὲ ταῖς → ταῖς μηδὲ ταῖς; διαδαινούδης → διαβαινούσης; χονιάται → κονιᾶσαι; Ἰορξάνην → Ἰορδάνην; ἐμκαθοῦς → ἐμπαθοῦς; ποιΞῖν → ποιεῖν; ὑπηρεσίος → ὑπηρεσίας; χαπέλων → καπήλων; κατάτασιν → κατάστασιν.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 24 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/24
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-24) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 25
25PG 79
Ὅταν γὰρ λόγῳ μὲν εὐχερὲς εἶναι τὸ ἐπιτάττειν ἡγοῦνται, χἂν βαρέα ἧ τὰ ἐπιτασσόμενα, ἔργῳ δὲ διδάσκειν οὐδὲ ἀνέχονται, πρόδηλον πᾶσι τὸν ἑαυτῶν ποιοῦσι σκοπὸν, ὅτι οὐχ ὠφελῆσαι τοὺς μένους, ἀλλ᾽ ἰδίαν ἡδονὴν ἀνύσαι σπουδάζοντες, ἡγεμονίαν ὑποδύονται ταύτην, Μαθέτωσαν, εἰ βού… παρὰ τοῦ καὶ τοῦ Γεδεὼν, ὅτι οὐ λόγος, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον τοὺς ἀρχομένους ἐνάγει πρὸς τὴν μίμησιν τοῦ μὲν ποιήσαντος φορτίον ξύλων, καὶ μετὰ τὸ βαστάσαι λέγοντος Ὃν τρόπον εἴδετέ ποιοῦντα, ποιήσατε καὶ ὑμεῖς. Τοῦ δὲ ἔργον ἐξηγουμένου κοινὸν καὶ ἑαυτὸν προτάσσοντος τῆς ἐργασίας, καὶ λέγοντος ἐμοῦ καὶ οὕτως ποιήσατε. Καὶ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος δὲ λέγων ε Ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου, καὶ τοῖς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. Καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ποιῶν, καὶ τότε διδάσκων, τίνα οὐ πείθουσιν ἀξιοπιστοτέραν τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις διδασκαλίαν τῆς διὰ λόγων ἡγεῖσθαι; Οἱ δὲ πρὺς μὲν τὰς τοιχύτας εἰχόνας χαμμύουσιν ἀλαζονιχῶς δὲ τὰ πρακτέα προστάστουσιν Ὅταν δὲ καὶ εἰδέναι τι τούτων δόξωσιν ἐξ ἀκοῆς, κατὰ τοὺς ἐπὶ ἀπειρίᾳ διαδθαλλομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ προφῆτου ποιμένας, μάχαιραν ἐπὶ τοῦ βραχίονος φοροῦντες διὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονα ὃ δεξιὸς ὀφθαλμὸς αὐτῶν ἐχτυφλοῦται ἀμελουμένη γὰρ δι᾽ ἀπόνοιαν δεξιὰ πρᾶξις συγχατασδέννυσιν ἑαυτῇ, καὶ τὴν λαμπηδόνα τῆς θεωρίας. Τοῦτο δὲ οἱ ὡμῶς καὶ ἀπανθρωπίνως παιδεύοντες πάσχουσιν, ὅταν πρόχειρον τὴν τιμωρητιχὴν ἔχωσι δύναμιν, εὐθέως τὰ θεωρητιχὰ μὲν ὰ ἐκ δεξιῶν σβέννυνται πάλιν δὲ αἱ πράξεις στερηθεῖσαι τῆς θεωρίας μαραίνονται, οὔτε τι εἰδέναι δυναμένων τῶν μὴ τῷ μηρῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ βραχίονι συζευξάντων τὴν μάχαιραν. Ἐπὶ τῷ μηρῷ τὴν μάχαιραν, οἱ κατὰ τῶν ἰδίων ποθῶν κεχρημένοι τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ, ἐπὶ τοῦ βραχίονος δὲ οἱ τὴν τιμωρίαν πρόχειρον ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἔχοντε; ἁμαρτημάτων. ᾿
Hotan gar logǭ men eucheres einai to epitattein hēgountai, chan barea hē ta epitassomena, ergǭ de didaskein oude anechontai, prodēlon pasi ton heautōn poiousi skopon, hoti ouch ōphelēsai tous menous, all᾽ idian hēdonēn anysai spoudazontes, hēgemonian hypodyontai tautēn, Mathetōsan, ei bou… para tou kai tou Gedeōn, hoti ou logos, all᾽ ergon tous archomenous enagei pros tēn mimēsin tou men poiēsantos phortion xylōn, kai meta to bastasai legontos Hon tropon eidete poiounta, poiēsate kai hymeis. Tou de ergon exēgoumenou koinon kai heauton protassontos tēs ergasias, kai legontos emou kai houtōs poiēsate. Kai ho ᾿Apostolos de legōn e Hoti tais chreiais mou, kai tois met᾽ emou hypēretēsan hai cheires hautai. Kai autos ho Kyrios poiōn, kai tote didaskōn, tina ou peithousin axiopistoteran tēn en tois ergois didaskalian tēs dia logōn hēgeisthai? Hoi de prys men tas toichytas eichonas chammyousin alazonichōs de ta praktea prostastousin Hotan de kai eidenai ti toutōn doxōsin ex akoēs, kata tous epi apeirią diadthallomenous hypo tou prophētou poimenas, machairan epi tou brachionos phorountes dio kai epi ton brachiona ho dexios ophthalmos autōn echtyphloutai ameloumenē gar di᾽ aponoian dexia praxis synchatasdennysin heautę̄, kai tēn lampēdona tēs theōrias. Touto de hoi hōmōs kai apanthrōpinōs paideuontes paschousin, hotan procheiron tēn timōrētichēn echōsi dynamin, eutheōs ta theōrēticha men a ek dexiōn sbennyntai palin de hai praxeis sterētheisai tēs theōrias marainontai, oute ti eidenai dynamenōn tōn mē tǭ mērǭ, alla tǭ brachioni syzeuxantōn tēn machairan. Epi tǭ mērǭ tēn machairan, hoi kata tōn idiōn pothōn kechrēmenoi tǭ theiǭ logǭ, epi tou brachionos de hoi tēn timōrian procheiron epi tōn allotriōn echonte? hamartēmatōn. ᾿
For when they think it easy to command in word, however heavy the commands may be, but will not even bear to teach by deed, they make their aim plain to everyone: that they are eager not to benefit those under their rule but to gain their own pleasure, and for that reason they slip into this leadership. Let them learn, if they will … from [Abimelech] and from Gideon, that not word but deed leads those under rule to imitation: the one made a load of wood, and after carrying it said, “As you saw me do, do the same yourselves”; the other led the way in a common work and put himself in front of the labor, saying, “Look at me and do the same.” So too the Apostle, saying, “These hands served my needs and those of the people with me”; and the Lord himself, who first did and then taught. Whom do these examples not persuade to think teaching by deeds more trustworthy than teaching by words? But these men shut their eyes to such images and arrogantly order what is to be done. And when they seem to know something of these things by hearsay, they are like the shepherds whom the prophet charged with inexperience, who wear the sword on the arm, so that their right eye is blinded on account of the arm. For right action, neglected through folly, extinguishes along with itself the brightness of contemplation as well. This is what happens to those who discipline cruelly and inhumanly: when they have the power to punish ready to hand, at once their contemplative powers on the right are put out; and again their actions, robbed of contemplation, wither away, since those who have strapped the sword not to the thigh but to the arm cannot know anything. Those who use the divine word against their own passions wear the sword on the thigh; those who keep punishment ready for the sins of others wear it on the arm.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Judg 9:48 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 7:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 20:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 1:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Zech 11:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 45:3 (44:4 LXX) (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: True leaders teach by example, like Gideon, Paul and Christ; those who rule by command and punishment blind their own contemplation.
- The names of the first example are lost in the scan (παρὰ τοῦ … καὶ τοῦ Γεδεών); the load of wood and the words quoted are Abimelech's in Judg 9:48; Gideon's words are Judg 7:17. Paul: Acts 20:34. “Did and then taught”: Acts 1:1. The shepherd with the sword on his arm and the blinded right eye: Zech 11:17 (LXX). The sword on the thigh: Ps 45:3 (LXX 44:4). Stretches of Latin debris have been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): τὶν ἰρβᾶ δι Ὁ → ; ἱ Ιι ἃ ΑἸ ηοίοοῦ, οἷα Οεάδοῃ, φυοῦ ἢ, υ ἐς δι οἱ Θυοπιοίο τῃ ἰἰἃ οἱ ος δοιῃπιυπὸ ἃ. ἰπ ργοροποηία, οἱ π βίοχυα Εἰ οδγία τηοῖ οἱ ν πιθοῦ πὶ η η Εἰ ρ ΔΟί ποῦ οἰ ἐδοίογοιη ἴῃ ορογίθυ → … ; β ιχ, ὶ, δε Δεῖ, χα, δ. → ; Α αὖ ἰπ ὁ ΐ Ὁ Π → ; εἶνα: τὸ → εἶναι τὸ; εἴδετὲ → εἴδετέ; εἶδἡγουμένου → ἐξηγουμένου; προτάσασοντος τῆς ἐβγασίας → προτάσσοντος τῆς ἐργασίας; ξόξωσιν ἐξ ἀχοῖς → δόξωσιν ἐξ ἀκοῆς; ἀμελουμένη τὰρ → ἀμελουμένη γὰρ; σόέννυνται → σβέννυνται; Ἐπὶ τῷ Β μηρῷ → Ἐπὶ τῷ μηρῷ; πρόχΞξιρον → πρόχειρον.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 25 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/25
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 26
26PG 79
Οὕτως γὰρ καὶ Ναᾶὁ Σωμανίτης, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται ὅφις, ν τῷ διορατιχῷ ἐξορύξαι πάντα δεξιὸν αὐτοῦ ὀφθαλμὸν, ἵνα μηδὲν νόημα δεξιὸν ἐνυπάρχον ἐπὶ δεξιὰν πρᾶξιν ὁδηγήσῃ τὸν εἰδὼς αἴτιον τοῦτο μεγάλης προκοπῆς τοῖς ἀπὸ θεωρίας ἐπὶ τὴν πρακτικὴν ἐρχομένοις. Γίνεται γὰρ τοῖς οιούτοις ἀνυκαίτιον τὸ πραχθὲν τοῖς ἧς γνώσεως ὀξυδερχεστάτοι: ὀφθαλμοῖς. Ὅτι δὲ … εὐχερῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μηδεμίαν οἴκοθεν ἐχόντων ὠφέλειαν, ἐστὶ δὲ τὴν ἑτέρων ἀναδέχεσθαι προστασίαν, δῆλον μὲν καὶ ἐκ τῆς πείρας οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔλοιτό τις ἡσυχίας γευσάμενος, καὶ θεωρίᾳ ποσῶς σχολάζειν ἀρξάμενος, ταῖς περὶ τῶν σωματικῶν φροντίσιν ἐνδῆσαι τὸν νοῦν, ἀποστήσας αὐτὸν τῆς γνώσεως, καὶ μετάρσιον τὰ πολλὰ φερόμενον ἐπὶ τὰ κατασύρεσθαι πράγματα. Εὐδηλότερον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς πολυθρυλλῆτου παραβολῆς ἐκείνης ἣν ὁ Ἰωνάθαν τοῖς Σιχημίταις προεβάλετο λέγων Πορευόμενα ἐπορεύθησαν τὰ ξύλα τοῦ δρυμοῦ τοῦ χρίσαι ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον τῇ ἀμπέλῳ Δεῦρο βασίλευσον ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς. Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ ἄμπελος ᾿Αφείσω τὸν καρπόν μου τὸν ἀγαθὸν, ὃν ἐδόξασεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, πορευθῶ ἄρχειν ξύλων; Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ … συκῆς διὰ τὴν γλυκύτητα, καὶ τῆς ἐλαίας, δι᾽ ἂν ἔχει πιότητα παραιτησαμένων. Ῥάμνος ξύλον ἄχαρπον, ἀκανθῶδες τὴν τούτων ἀρχὴν κατεδέξατο, οὔτε οἰκείαν ἔχουσα πιότητα, οὔτε τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ξύλων. Οὐ γὰρ παραδείσου ξύλα, ἀλλὰ δρυμοῦ τὰ δεόμενα τῆς ἐπιστασίας εἶπεν παραβολή ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἄμπελος, καὶ ἡ συκῇ, καὶ ἡ ἐλαία παρῃτήσαντο ἄρχειν τῶν ξύλων τοῦ δρυμοῦ, μᾶλλον τῷ ἑαυτῶν εὐφραινόμενα καρπῷ, ἣ τῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀξιώματι, οὕτως οἱ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τινα βλέποντες καρπὸν ἀρετῆς, καὶ τὺς ἐκ τούτου ὠφελείας αἰσθόμενοι, χἂν πολλοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν βιάζωνται, τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν τιμωρίας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὠφέλειαν προκρίνοντες:. …
Houtōs gar kai Naao Sōmanitēs, hos hermēneuetai hophis, n tǭ dioratichǭ exoryxai panta dexion autou ophthalmon, hina mēden noēma dexion enyparchon epi dexian praxin hodēgēsę̄ ton eidōs aition touto megalēs prokopēs tois apo theōrias epi tēn praktikēn erchomenois. Ginetai gar tois oioutois anykaition to prachthen tois hēs gnōseōs oxyderchestatoi: ophthalmois. Hoti de … eucherōn anthrōpōn, kai mēdemian oikothen echontōn ōpheleian, esti de tēn heterōn anadechesthai prostasian, dēlon men kai ek tēs peiras ou gar an eloito tis hēsychias geusamenos, kai theōrią posōs scholazein arxamenos, tais peri tōn sōmatikōn phrontisin endēsai ton noun, apostēsas auton tēs gnōseōs, kai metarsion ta polla pheromenon epi ta katasyresthai pragmata. Eudēloteron de kai ek tēs polythryllētou parabolēs ekeinēs hēn ho Iōnathan tois Sichēmitais proebaleto legōn Poreuomena eporeuthēsan ta xyla tou drymou tou chrisai eph᾽ heautōn basilea kai eipon tę̄ ampelǭ Deuro basileuson eph᾽ hēmas. Kai eipen hē ampelos ᾿Apheisō ton karpon mou ton agathon, hon edoxasen ho Theos, kai hoi anthrōpoi, poreuthō archein xylōn? Homoiōs de kai … sykēs dia tēn glykytēta, kai tēs elaias, di᾽ an echei piotēta paraitēsamenōn. Rhamnos xylon acharpon, akanthōdes tēn toutōn archēn katedexato, oute oikeian echousa piotēta, oute tōn hypotetagmenōn xylōn. Ou gar paradeisou xyla, alla drymou ta deomena tēs epistasias eipen parabolē hōsper gar hē ampelos, kai hē sykę̄, kai hē elaia parę̄tēsanto archein tōn xylōn tou drymou, mallon tǭ heautōn euphrainomena karpǭ, hē tǭ tēs archēs axiōmati, houtōs hoi en heautois tina blepontes karpon aretēs, kai tys ek toutou ōpheleias aisthomenoi, chan polloi pros tēn archēn biazōntai, tēs para tōn pollōn timōrias tēn heautōn ōpheleian prokrinontes:. …
So too Nahash the Ammonite, whose name means “serpent,” [sought] to dig out every right eye in the seeing faculty, so that no right thought within might lead [the mind] to right action; for he knew this to be the cause of great progress for those who come from contemplation to the practical life. For to such people what is done becomes [easy] through the most sharp-sighted eyes of knowledge. That it is [the mark] … of careless people, who have no benefit within themselves, to take on the leadership of others is clear from experience as well. For no one who has tasted stillness and has begun in some measure to give himself to contemplation would choose to bind his mind to cares about bodily things, drawing it away from knowledge, and to drag down to worldly affairs a mind that is mostly borne aloft. It is clearer still from that famous parable which Jonathan put to the men of Shechem, saying, “The trees went out to anoint a king over themselves, and they said to the vine, ‘Come, reign over us.’ And the vine said, ‘Shall I give up my good fruit, which God and men have glorified, and go to rule over trees?’” So likewise … the fig, because of its sweetness, and the olive, because of the richness it has, declined. The bramble, a fruitless and thorny wood, accepted rule over them, though it had no richness of its own nor any from the trees under it. For the parable said that it was not the trees of paradise but those of the thicket that needed oversight. For as the vine, the fig and the olive declined to rule the trees of the thicket, delighting more in their own fruit than in the dignity of rule, so those who see some fruit of virtue in themselves and feel the benefit that comes from it, even if many press them to take up rule, prefer their own benefit to the honor that comes from the many …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Sam 11:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Judg 9:8–13 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 9:14–15 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As in Jotham's parable the fruitful trees refused to reign and only the bramble accepted, so those who have the fruit of virtue decline to rule others.
- Nahash the Ammonite and the right eyes: 1 Sam 11:2 (the scan reads Ναᾶ ὁ Σωμανίτης; the explanation of the name as “serpent” is Nilus's). The parable of the trees: Judg 9:8–15, spoken by Jotham; the printed text names Jonathan (Ἰωνάθαν), either Nilus's slip or a scribal one; translated as printed. The sentence “for to such people what is done becomes [easy]” translates a damaged word (ἀνυκαίτιον) by sense. Several stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed, including one at the end of the section, where the Greek is lost.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): γ ΤῸ ᾽ τ ι εἰ δυγοσδηίοῦ; οἱ βεῖγα ἈΠ τὶ θην βου η ἃ ργορἰοία ἴῃ ἰπ ὑγὰεπί, ἀστὸν ἀσχίογα οχοί συ ρ κὶ αυἱ ἀοσοὴς στὰ εἰ ον οἱ αιληάο δ ἤρθη το δίδιῖη δι η ιν, αι δι ἃ συγ, δοιίοηο δῖδΣ οι Δ η πὸ βῷογα, πόα νἱάσγα η, η ἴῃ ἴῃ οἰ αὐ τη. ἴ Γι ὑογὸ απ η αν ἐῶ αυ ἃ ῃ ἴη Ι. δῖα οἱ οδοὶ Γι πὶ οἴη πὶ πὶ πὸ ἢ ἀοκίοτγα δι ἰπ ι ἐοιεαἱ οἱ οδιιβαίη ἤδης ι δὴν ἐπ Π ιν, ὁ Π → … ; αἷς Πιοπιίνυτῃ, οἱ → ; δ δπιίη απο ἀδι δι οῖρογα, οἱ ὀχρὺΐα, Π Ο τη Δ οῖ, οἱ ς θυ αἶγα Β οηἂο ἃ οορπίιοπα οἱ οἱ ἰογγοηῶ ἀδίγαεγα πόσο. Ἐν ἀθη οἱ σοἰοῦγαια αύδην δοηδλίῃδη αἱ τόροη οἱ τορηἃ πο οἱ Υἱ πὶ θὸυ οἱ οἱ ἱ ἥςα, → … ; Ὁ εἰ ργορίοῦ ρἰησυούίηθην, → ; οἱ Ποη δ π ς ἰᾳπᾶὲ πα οἱ Οἰἶν μγ ᾿ οοΙ ας, δἷς ἴῃ ρ υἱγίαι οἱ Π ἰδ ταῦ σοφαὶ π ἈΠ χι, ὅ β η ΠΙ χι, κοι. ᾽ τα, δὶ δῦ Η. ἢος ἴῃ πῃ ργθοδῖΆ δὶ Δη Πυ ἰὰ δἰ πὶ Ὁ εἶ θ δοιίοι ρδοῖο οραγοιίἑδίυῦ ἰπ ι ἃ τβάπημο,, οἱ ὁ οἱ ἀδνογοῖ ἐπ ἰη βυ Ρογίοι πὶ, ἢ Εἶ ἰδ ι Ὑ υἱ ἢ οὐ πὶ η μεν ὶροθουπμίαί ἀἰδοίρυ ο οἱ πα ξομῖα πηλρίδῖτο, πηαχὶπις διυστὶ νοὶ, πος ἰαίογα φυ αι πο ποι ἀδερίςαγα ἴση οἱ Ο πὶ ὶ ΜΙ; θαυ δ οἱ ἢ Σ τ ΠῈ ᾿ ὲ Δ Π ἱ οἱ Δ αἰ ἱ οἱ ἰ δὲ δοῖ Π οι θυ οἱ γρ εὐ οἱ υἱ Διὶ πι μα σα υἱ οἱ ἢ εἰ, φι. ὰ ΟὟ πη ἃ ἰου δ Γ. ΠΙ. οὐ ι: ἰη ὺ θα τη δ πὶ το πὶ οἱ ρυραγαίυμῃ σα άουγο ἰ υἱ Δο ἰΠ υτἰηοῖ, ἀ ρᾶγίο ἢ απ Δ ΌοΓα θοὰ οη πα υηάυχιυδαια οχοθἀῤπιία ἤθη ι πιΐαοπηῖυυ νόῦο, ὦ ἰδία δακοὶρῖς,, ΠῚ φυὰ δἰ ἰη αυολύυδαιις δ π ραγίοι ο γα Π υ οἱ Γι Πὶ δυβοίρογα, ᾳυληοἱ πὶ δοοὶρὶς οἱ Π π παι Εἰ πὶ η ἐς ΐ,., οἱ σα τη οῦ δ, ποη Ἰἰοοὶ ἴρβα πιοιηοτῖα σοφίαι δ ἢ θη πη Δ πη υἱ ρ ετὶνα ἰδίποη τη ῃ δἰοηίθυ Οὐ θ Ορογίοι ὁ ΝΙ → …; τὰρ καὶ → γὰρ καὶ; ἐομηνξύεται → ἑρμηνεύεται; ξξορύξα → ἐξορύξαι; ποοχοπῇς → προκοπῆς; θεωφίας → θεωρίας; ὅτιλον → δῆλον; προεδάλετο → προεβάλετο; παραδολή → παραβολή; εὐφραινέμενο: → εὐφραινόμενα; ἀρχῖς → ἀρχῆς.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 26 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/26
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-26) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 27
27PG 79
Ὅπερ δὲ κατηράσατο τοῖς ἐν τῇ παραδολῇ ξύλοις ῥάμνος, τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίως ἐκείνοις πραξαμένοις ἀνθρώποις συμδαίνεται. Ἤ γὰρ ἐξέλθοι, φησὶ, πῦρ ἐκ τῆς ῥάμνου καὶ χαταφάγοι τὰ ξύλα τοῦ δρυμοῦ, ἧ ἐκ τῶν ξύλων ἐξέλθοι, καὶ χαταφάγοι τὴν ῥάμνον τῶν γὰρ συνθηκῶν ἀνωφελῶν γινομένων, ἀνάγχη κίνδυνον ἀκολουθεῖν, τοῖς τε ὑποτάσσου σιν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπείρῳ διδασκάλῳ, αὐτοῖς τε τοῖς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναδεξαμένοις ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν μαθητενομένων ἀπροσεξίᾳ. Καὶ γὰρ ἣ τοῦ διδασχάλου ἀπειρία ἀπόλλυσι τοὺς μαθητευομένους. Καὶ ἡ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀμέλεια κίνδυνον φέρει τῷ διδασκάλῳ, καὶ μάλιστα ταν ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀνεπιστημοσύνῃ ῥᾳθυμῶσιν ἐκεῖνοι οὔτε γὰρ τὸν διδάσκαλον λανθάνειν τι ὀφείλει τῶν εἰς διόρθωσιν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἠχόντων, οὔτε οἱ μαθητενόμενοι παρορᾷν τι τῶν τοῦ διδασχάλου παραγγελμάτων ὀφείλουσι. Καὶ γὰρ τούτοις τὸ παρακοῦσαι, κἀκείνῳ τὸ παριδεῖν πλημμελοῦντας, βαρὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον. Μὴ δὲ νομιζέτωσαν ἀνέσεως καὶ ἀπολαύσεως εἶναι πρόφασιν τὸ πρᾶγμα πάντων γάρ ἔστιν ἐπιπονώτερον τὸ ἄρχειν ψυχῶν. Οἱ μὲν ἀλόγων ἄρχοντες καὶ κτηνῶν, πρὸς οὐδὲν ἀντιτασσομένας ἔχουσι τὰς ἀγέλας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὑτοῖς τὰ τῆς ἀρχῇς εὐοδοῦται πολλάκις τοῖς δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιστατοῦσιν ἡ ποικιλία τῶν ἠθῶν, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ λογισμοῦ πανοῦργον, δυσχερεστέραν ποιεῖ τὴν ἔπιστασίαν, καὶ δεῖ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐρχομένους ἀλείψασθαι ὡς πρὸς ἀγῶνα ἐπίπονον, ἵνα καὶ τὰ πάντων ἐλαττώματα, μετὰ πολλῆς φέρωσι τῆς ἀνεξικακίας, καὶ τὰ λανθάνοντα διὰ τὴν ἀγνωσίαν αὑτοὺς μακροθύμως.
Hoper de katērasato tois en tę̄ paradolę̄ xylois rhamnos, touto kai tois homoiōs ekeinois praxamenois anthrōpois symdainetai. Ē gar exelthoi, phēsi, pyr ek tēs rhamnou kai chataphagoi ta xyla tou drymou, hē ek tōn xylōn exelthoi, kai chataphagoi tēn rhamnon tōn gar synthēkōn anōphelōn ginomenōn, ananchē kindynon akolouthein, tois te hypotassou sin heautous apeirǭ didaskalǭ, autois te tois tēn archēn anadexamenois epi tę̄ tōn mathētenomenōn aprosexią. Kai gar hē tou didaschalou apeiria apollysi tous mathēteuomenous. Kai hē tōn mathētōn ameleia kindynon pherei tǭ didaskalǭ, kai malista tan epi tę̄ autou anepistēmosynę̄ rhąthymōsin ekeinoi oute gar ton didaskalon lanthanein ti opheilei tōn eis diorthōsin tōn hypotetagmenōn ēchontōn, oute hoi mathētenomenoi parorąn ti tōn tou didaschalou parangelmatōn opheilousi. Kai gar toutois to parakousai, kakeinǭ to paridein plēmmelountas, bary gar kai epikindynon. Mē de nomizetōsan aneseōs kai apolauseōs einai prophasin to pragma pantōn gar estin epiponōteron to archein psychōn. Hoi men alogōn archontes kai ktēnōn, pros ouden antitassomenas echousi tas agelas, kai dia touto hautois ta tēs archę̄s euodoutai pollakis tois de anthrōpōn epistatousin hē poikilia tōn ēthōn, kai to ek tou logismou panourgon, dyscheresteran poiei tēn epistasian, kai dei tous epi touto erchomenous aleipsasthai hōs pros agōna epiponon, hina kai ta pantōn elattōmata, meta pollēs pherōsi tēs anexikakias, kai ta lanthanonta dia tēn agnōsian hautous makrothymōs.
What the bramble in the parable called down as a curse on the trees happens also to people who [act] like them: “Either let fire come out of the bramble,” it says, “and devour the trees of the thicket, or let it come out of the trees and devour the bramble.” For when such compacts prove useless, danger necessarily follows, both for those who subject themselves to an inexperienced teacher and for those who have taken on the rule, because of the heedlessness of those they teach. For the inexperience of the teacher destroys the disciples, and the negligence of the disciples brings danger on the teacher, especially when they grow slack because of his lack of knowledge. Nothing that bears on the correction of those under him ought to escape the teacher, and the disciples ought not to overlook any of the teacher's commands. For it is heavy and dangerous for them to disobey, and for him to overlook their faults. Let them not think the thing a pretext for ease and enjoyment: of all things the most laborious is to rule souls. Those who rule irrational beasts and cattle have herds that oppose them in nothing, and so their rule often prospers; but for those set over human beings the variety of characters and the cunning that comes from reasoning make oversight harder, and those who come to it must anoint themselves as for a toilsome contest, so that they may bear the shortcomings of all with much forbearance and patiently [show] those who [err] through ignorance what escapes them.
Judg 9:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 9:20 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ruling souls is the hardest of tasks, dangerous for an inexperienced teacher and his disciples alike.
- The bramble's curse: Judg 9:15, 20. The last clause is incomplete in the printed text; the bracketed words are supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): σαμένοις → πραξαμένοις; ἀπεέρῳ → ἀπείρῳ; ἀπὄλλυσι → ἀπόλλυσι; ἔλα-τώματα → ἐλαττώματα; καὶ πὰ λανθάνοντα → καὶ τὰ λανθάνοντα.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 27 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/27
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 28
28PG 79
Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ τὸν μὲν νιπτῆρα βόες ἕν τῷ ναῷ βαστάζουσιν, ἣ δὲ λυχνία ὅλη στερεὰ καὶ τορνευτὴ κατεσκευάσθη δηλούσης τῆς μὲν λυχνίας, ὅτι ὁ φωτίζειν ἑτέρους προθέμενος ὀφείλει δι᾽ ὅλων ἑστερεῶσθαι τῶν μερῶν, καὶ μηδὲν κοῦφον ἔχειν ἣ ὑπόκενον, καὶ πάντα περιτετορνεῦσθαι τὰ περιττὰ, ὅσα μὴ χρησιμεύειν εἷς παράδειγμα πολιτείας ἀνεπιλήπτου τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἔμελλε. Τῶν δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ βοῶν μηδὲν παραιτεῖσθαι τῶν ἐπερχομένων τὸν ὑπελθόντα ὸ τοιοῦτον ἔργον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ βάρη, καὶ τὸν ῥύπον φέρειν τῶν ἐλαττόνων, ἕως ὅτε ἀκίνδυνον τὸ φέρειν ἐστί. Πάντως γὰρ εἰ μέλλοι καθαρῶς ἐργάζεσθαι τὰς πράξεις τῶν προσιόντων, ἀνάγχη τινὸς, καὶ αὐτὸν παραπολαῦσαι ῥύπου ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ τὰς τοῦ νιπτομένου χεῖρας, αὑτὸς δέχεται τὸν ἐκεῖνο ῥύπον. Τὸν γὰρ περὶ παθῶν διαλεγόμενον, καὶ ἑτέρους τῶν τοιούτων ἀποσμήχοντα χηλίδων, οὐχ ἔστιν ἀμόλυντον παρελθεῖν αὑτὴ γὰρ ἡ μνήμη ῥυποῦν τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ λέγοντος πέφυχε. Κἂν γὰρ μὴ φυρωτέραις βαφαῖς τῶν αἱσχρῶν ἐνσφραγίσηται οὺς τύπους, ὅμως τὴν ἐπιπολὴν μιαίνει τοῦ νοῦ, ταῖς τοῦ λόγου διεξόδοις χρώμασιν οὐ καθαροῖς ἐπιθολοῦσα. Δεῖ δὲ καὶ ἐπιστήμονα τὸν ἡγούμενον οὕτως εἶναι, ὡς μηδὲν ἀγνοεῖν τῶν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐνθυμημάτων, ἵνα τὰ λανθάνοντα τοῖς ἐγχεχειρισμένο ς αὐτῷ … τῶν παλαισμάτων ἀπογυμνῶν ἐπιδειχνύῃ, καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς προλέγων τοῦ ἀντιπάλου τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς βραδεύσῃ, καὶ στεφανίτας ἐξαγάγη τοῦ ἀγῶνος αὑτούς σπάνιος δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος, καὶ οὐ ῥᾳδίως εὑρισκόμενος.
Dia touto gar ton men niptēra boes hen tǭ naǭ bastazousin, hē de lychnia holē sterea kai torneutē kateskeuasthē dēlousēs tēs men lychnias, hoti ho phōtizein heterous prothemenos opheilei di᾽ holōn hestereōsthai tōn merōn, kai mēden kouphon echein hē hypokenon, kai panta peritetorneusthai ta peritta, hosa mē chrēsimeuein heis paradeigma politeias anepilēptou tois horōsin emelle. Tōn de hypo tǭ boōn mēden paraiteisthai tōn eperchomenōn ton hypelthonta o toiouton ergon, alla kai ta barē, kai ton rhypon pherein tōn elattonōn, heōs hote akindynon to pherein esti. Pantōs gar ei melloi katharōs ergazesthai tas praxeis tōn prosiontōn, ananchē tinos, kai auton parapolausai rhypou epei kai ho tas tou niptomenou cheiras, hautos dechetai ton ekeino rhypon. Ton gar peri pathōn dialegomenon, kai heterous tōn toioutōn aposmēchonta chēlidōn, ouch estin amolynton parelthein hautē gar hē mnēmē rhypoun tēn dianoian tou legontos pephyche. Kan gar mē phyrōterais baphais tōn haischrōn ensphragisētai ous typous, homōs tēn epipolēn miainei tou nou, tais tou logou diexodois chrōmasin ou katharois epitholousa. Dei de kai epistēmona ton hēgoumenon houtōs einai, hōs mēden agnoein tōn tou echthrou enthymēmatōn, hina ta lanthanonta tois enchecheirismeno s autǭ … tōn palaismatōn apogymnōn epideichnyę̄, kai tas epiboulas prolegōn tou antipalou tēn nikēn autois bradeusę̄, kai stephanitas exagagē tou agōnos hautous spanios de ho toioutos, kai ou rhądiōs heuriskomenos.
That is why in the temple oxen carry the laver, while the lampstand was made entirely solid and turned. The lampstand shows that one who sets out to give light to others must be solid in all his parts, with nothing light or hollow in him, and must have turned away every superfluity that would not serve those who see him as an example of a blameless life. The oxen beneath [the laver] show that one who has undertaken such a work must refuse nothing that comes upon him, but must bear both the burdens and the dirt of the lesser, so long as bearing it is without danger. For if he is to cleanse the actions of those who come to him, he must necessarily get some share of the dirt himself, since the one who [washes] the hands of another receives that person's dirt. One who talks about passions and scrubs others clean of such stains cannot come away unsoiled; for the very memory naturally soils the speaker's mind. Even if it does not stamp the impressions of shameful things on it in deeper dyes, it still stains the surface of the mind, muddying it with the unclean colors of the discourse. The superior must also be so expert as to be ignorant of none of the enemy's designs, so that he may strip bare and show those entrusted to him the [tricks] of the wrestling that are hidden from them, and, by telling them the adversary's plots in advance, may award them the victory and bring them out of the contest crowned. But such a man is rare and not easily found.
1 Kgs 7:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 25:31 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 2:11 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The temple's solid lampstand and laver-bearing oxen show that a guide must be blameless, bear the burdens of others, and know the enemy's designs.
- The laver on the oxen: 1 Kgs 7:23–25; the solid, turned lampstand: Exod 25:31, 36. “None of the enemy's designs”: 2 Cor 2:11. A few words are lost where Latin debris interrupts the Greek (removed and marked).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α νοτὺ οἱ ἀοσίυχῃ ἰ δ υἱ → … ; δηλούσῃης → δηλούσης; ὑπόχενὸν → ὑπόκενον; ἀνεπιλήκπκτου → ἀνεπιλήπτου; ἐτὲρους → ἑτέρους; ἐνθυμημάὈῈ των → ἐνθυμημάτων; ἐπιξουλὰς → ἐπιβουλὰς; τὰν ν χὴν → τὴν νίκην; εὑρισχόμανος → εὑρισκόμενος.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 28 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/28
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 29
29PG 79
Ὃ μὲν γὰρ μέγας Παῦλος τοῦτο αὑτὸ μαρτυρεῖ λέγων Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα Ὁ δὲ θαυμαστὸς Ἰὼβ ἀπορῶν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων, φησί Τίς ἀποκαλύψει πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ εἰς δὲ πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ τίς ἂν εἰσέλθοι; πύλας δὲ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τίς Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. Οὐχ ἔστι, φησὶ, τὸ φαινόμενον πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πολλοῖς γὰρ ἐνδύμασι καλύπτει τὴν πονηρίαν, δελεάζων μὲν. τῷ φαινομένῳ. ἀπατηλῶς, ἐνεδρευτικῶς δὲ τῷ κεκρυμμένῳ τεχταίνων τὸν ὅλεθρον, καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἑαυτὸν συναριθμήσῃ τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσι κὰ χατ᾽ αὐτὸν, λέγει τὰ τεχμήρια αὑτοῦ, σαφῶς εἰδὼς πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ αὑτὸν τερατείαν. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὑτοῦ, λέγων, εἶδος ἑωσφόρου, τὰ ἔγκατα αὑτοῦ ἀσπίδες Καὶ ταῦτά φησιν ἐλέγχων τὴν ἐκείνου κακουργίαν ὡς διὰ μὲν τοῦ ἐπιμορφάζεσθαι τὴν τοῦ ἑωσφόρου ἰδέαν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ὁρῶντας μηχανωμένον, διὰ δὲ τῶν ἐντὸς ἀσπίδων, θάνατον τοῖς πραγματευομένοις. Καὶ ἡ παροιμία δὲ τὸ ἐπικίνδυνον τοῦ πράγματα; αἰνίττεται λέγουσα ε Σχίζω ξύλα ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐὰν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ σιδήριον. Ὃ γὰρ διαιρῶν τῷ λόγῳ τὰ πράγματα, καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα ἡνῶσθαι χωρίζων ἧ; καὶ ξένα πάντη ἀλλήλων δείκνυται βουλόμενος τὰ ὄντω: ἀγαθὰ τῶν νομιζομένων τοιούτων, ἐὰν μὴ πάντοθεν ἔχῃ ἡσφαλισμένον τὸν λόγον, κινδυνεύει ἐν τοῖς ἀχούουσι τοῦ ἐκπεσόντος τῆς ἀσφαλείας λόγου σκανδάλου ἀφορμὴν τοῖς μένοις παρέχοντος.
Ho men gar megas Paulos touto hauto martyrei legōn Ou gar autou ta noēmata Ho de thaumastos Iōb aporōn peri tōn toioutōn, phēsi Tis apokalypsei prosōpon endyseōs autou eis de ptyxin thōrakos autou tis an eiselthoi? pylas de prosōpou autou tis Ho de legei toiouton estin. Ouch esti, phēsi, to phainomenon prosōpon autou pollois gar endymasi kalyptei tēn ponērian, deleazōn men. tǭ phainomenǭ. apatēlōs, enedreutikōs de tǭ kekrymmenǭ techtainōn ton holethron, kai hina mē heauton synarithmēsę̄ tois agnoousi ka chat᾽ auton, legei ta techmēria hautou, saphōs eidōs pasan tēn peri hauton terateian. Hoi ophthalmoi hautou, legōn, eidos heōsphorou, ta enkata hautou aspides Kai tauta phēsin elenchōn tēn ekeinou kakourgian hōs dia men tou epimorphazesthai tēn tou heōsphorou idean pros heauton tous horōntas mēchanōmenon, dia de tōn entos aspidōn, thanaton tois pragmateuomenois. Kai hē paroimia de to epikindynon tou pragmata? ainittetai legousa e Schizō xyla en autois, ean ekpesę̄ to sidērion. Ho gar diairōn tǭ logǭ ta pragmata, kai ta nomizomena hēnōsthai chōrizōn hē? kai xena pantē allēlōn deiknytai boulomenos ta ontō: agatha tōn nomizomenōn toioutōn, ean mē pantothen echę̄ hēsphalismenon ton logon, kindyneuei en tois achouousi tou ekpesontos tēs asphaleias logou skandalou aphormēn tois menois parechontos.
The great Paul testifies to this very thing when he says, “For we are not [ignorant] of his designs.” And the wonderful Job, at a loss about such things, says, “Who will uncover the face of his garment? Who could enter the fold of his breastplate? Who [will open] the gates of his face?” What he means is this: “The face he shows,” he says, “is not [his own]; for he covers his wickedness with many garments, enticing deceitfully by what appears, and craftily contriving destruction by what is hidden.” And so as not to count himself among those who are ignorant of what concerns the enemy, he states his marks, since he clearly knows all his trickery: “His eyes,” he says, “are the appearance of the morning star; his entrails are asps.” He says this to expose the enemy's villainy: by putting on the form of the morning star he schemes to draw those who see him to himself, and by the asps within he [brings] death to those who have dealings with him. The proverb, too, hints at the danger of this matter when it says, “I split wood in them, if the iron should fall out.” For one who divides things by reasoning, and separates what are thought to be united, wishing to show the truly good things to be wholly foreign to those thought to be such, unless he has his reasoning secured on every side, runs the danger among his hearers of a word that has fallen from its security giving an occasion of stumbling to those [who listen].
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
2 Cor 2:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 41:13–14 (41:5-Job LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Job 41:18 (41:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Job 20:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Eccl 10:9–10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The devil hides behind disguises, as Paul and Job show; one who teaches spiritual discernment without secure knowledge endangers his hearers.
- Paul: 2 Cor 2:11 (the verb is lost in the scan). Job: Job 41:13–14 (LXX 41:5–6), on the sea-monster, read of the devil; “his eyes … the morning star”: Job 41:18 (LXX 41:10); “his entrails are asps” combines this with Job 20:14. “I split wood in them, if the iron should fall out”: Eccl 10:9–10 (LXX), which Nilus calls “the proverb.”
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): πρόσὠπὸν → πρόσωπον; ἐνεδρευτιχῶ: → ἐνεδρευτικῶς; ἀππίδες → ἀσπίδες; ξωσφόρου → ἑωσφόρου; πραγματενομέναυ → πραγματευομένοις; αἰνίττεαι → αἰνίττεται; χινδυνεύεε → κινδυνεύει.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 29 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/29
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-29) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 30
30PG 79
Οὕτω τις τῶν Ἐλισσαίῳ φοιτησάντων κόπτων ξύλον ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ, καὶ τοῦ σιδηρίου εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκπεσόντος, τὸν κίνδυνον ὑφορώμενος, πρὸς τὸν διδάἐβόα λέγων Οἴμοι, καὶ αὐτὸ κεχρημέγαν, Τοῦτο ὃὲ πάσχουσιν οἱ ἐκ παραχουσμά… τῶν διδάσκειν ἐπιχειροῦντες, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἐλθεῖν ἀδυνατοῦντες, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀπὸ οἰκείας ἕξεως λέγειν ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ἐναντίον τι τῷ προκειμένῳ λέγοντες, τότε τὴν ἄγνοιαν ὁμολογοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῷ χεχρημένῳ λόγῳ κινδυνεύοντες. Διὸ καὶ ὁ μέγας Ἐλισσαῖος ξύλον εἰς τὸν βυθὸν ἐμβαλὼν, ἐπιπολάσαι τὸ σιδήριον, τὸ παρὰ τοῦ μαθητοῦ, καὶ ἐν βυθῷ κεκαλύφθαι νομισθὲν νόημα σαφηνίσας καὶ ὑπ᾽ ὄψιν ἀγαγὼν τῶν ἀκουόντων, ἰδοὺ ὁ Ἱορδάνης τὸν τῇς μετανοίας σημαίνει λόγον ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐτελεῖτο παρὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου τὸ βάπτισμα τῆς μετανοίας. Ὁ δὲ περὶ μετανοίας μὴ ἠχριδωμένως εἰρηκὼς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ γυμνῶσαι τὴν κεκρυμμένην … χρηστότητα εἰς καταφρόνησιν ἐλθεῖν παρασχευάσα: … τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ἀνέβαλε τὸ σιδήριον. Εὔδηλον καὶ τὸ φανὲν ξύλον ἀναφέρειν ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ τὸ σιδήριον, καὶ ἐπιπολᾷν ἐμποιεῖ. Πρὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐκέκρυπτο ὁ περὶ μετανοίας λόγος. Διὸ καὶ ὁ περὶ αὐτῆς εἰπεῖν τι ἠλέγχθη προχείρως τολμήσας μετὰ δὲ τὸν σταυρὸν φανερὸς πᾶσι γέγονεν ἐν τῷ οἰκείῳ καιρῷ διὰ τοῦ ξύλου ἀναδειχθείς,
Houtō tis tōn Elissaiǭ phoitēsantōn koptōn xylon en tǭ Iordanę̄, kai tou sidēriou eis ton potamon ekpesontos, ton kindynon hyphorōmenos, pros ton didaeboa legōn Oimoi, kai auto kechrēmegan, Touto hoe paschousin hoi ek parachousma… tōn didaskein epicheirountes, kai pros to telos elthein adynatountes, dia to mē apo oikeias hexeōs legein hotan gar en tǭ metaxy enantion ti tǭ prokeimenǭ legontes, tote tēn agnoian homologousin epi tǭ chechrēmenǭ logǭ kindyneuontes. Dio kai ho megas Elissaios xylon eis ton bython embalōn, epipolasai to sidērion, to para tou mathētou, kai en bythǭ kekalyphthai nomisthen noēma saphēnisas kai hyp᾽ opsin agagōn tōn akouontōn, idou ho Hiordanēs ton tę̄s metanoias sēmainei logon ekei gar eteleito para tou Iōannou to baptisma tēs metanoias. Ho de peri metanoias mē ēchridōmenōs eirēkōs, alla dia tou gymnōsai tēn kekrymmenēn … chrēstotēta eis kataphronēsin elthein parascheuasa: … tous akroatas en tǭ Iordanę̄ anebale to sidērion. Eudēlon kai to phanen xylon anapherein ek tou bythou to sidērion, kai epipoląn empoiei. Pro men gar tou staurou ekekrypto ho peri metanoias logos. Dio kai ho peri autēs eipein ti ēlenchthē procheirōs tolmēsas meta de ton stauron phaneros pasi gegonen en tǭ oikeiǭ kairǭ dia tou xylou anadeichtheis,
So one of those who studied under Elisha, cutting wood at the Jordan, when the iron fell into the river, foresaw the danger and cried out to his teacher, saying, “Alas! And it was borrowed!” This is what happens to those who from things half heard … undertake to teach and cannot come through to the end, because they do not speak from their own settled state; for when in the middle they say something contrary to their subject, then they confess their ignorance, endangered by the borrowed word. That is why the great Elisha threw wood into the depths and made the iron float, making plain the thought from the disciple which was thought to be hidden in the depths, and bringing it before the eyes of the hearers. Look: the Jordan signifies the word of repentance, for there John performed the baptism of repentance. One who has not spoken exactly about repentance, but by baring the hidden … has caused [God's] kindness to come into contempt … brought up the iron for the hearers in the Jordan. It is plain too that the wood that appeared brings up the iron from the depths and makes it float. For before the cross the word about repentance was hidden; that is why the one who rashly dared to say something about it was put to shame. But after the cross it became plain to all in its own time, shown forth through the wood.
2 Kgs 6:5–7 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 2:4 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The lost axe-head of Elisha's disciple figures teaching borrowed from others; repentance, hidden before the cross, was revealed through its wood.
- The axe-head: 2 Kgs 6:5–7. John's baptism of repentance at the Jordan: Mark 1:4; Matt 3:6. Kindness coming into contempt echoes Rom 2:4. Long stretches of Migne's Latin column interrupt the section and have been removed; Greek lost with them is marked “…”, and the argument in the middle is incomplete.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): γα π Π γι οἷα α ἀλη, πὶ δ οὲ ᾿ηβίπο οἱ φογίδηςΠΟ; με Πο Νεὲς Μἰ ὅοῦ ἀυδίδη ε τονὸοἷ ι Ὁ οἱ ἴῃ υ β γογὸ αἷς δ δ ᾽., ΝΟ ἴῃ ἦρεβο, Β ορογὶς πη Ἐπ, ον Δαυοά δίῃ, ὁ α᾿είςδη οἱ Ω τηογοῦ αυ ἐμά οἷα φιοῦ ΠΟ Βι ΓΟ Πὶ Οου π Π Ο ἰ ΓΙ ογἃ αἱαὶ. ἱραὶα τη η ἴοι υἱ, γηὯ πη δἰ δὶ βοηάο ἀο; Ὡρργορίηἱπίσγοηαο. Εἰ τοὶ Οὔδουγα ε ἐπα, ρον οἰ τα μ δ ΓῈ οἱ ἃ Π ἐΘηδοπίης πὰ ἃ Π Π ἐρ γεγο θη δι ι αι υδηπιοῦ ἰδὲ πὶ Γ ἰυ αι, οἰ δρυὰ γαῖ ἀρ ῃ ἃ δ βοαὶ δι υὶδου. δ ς υἱ νη ΕἸ δογάδηοιῃ, οἱ ἴῃ ρου οι δυδρίο εἰδιηαδναί ε Ηοὶ πὶ ΐ, ἀοπιῖηα οἱ Πλ δΔερσορία οΓγαὶ δ ἃ → … ; Ὁ ἐκ δἰ πὲ εἰ δὶ → ; ποὴ ἰυφυπηίυῦ Σ γοργὸ φυδπάο αυ͵ἱὰ γον Ὡς σοηίὶε δοοῦροῦα δὲ Εἰ ᾿ίσπυατα ἰη π ργοίαπαυ πὶ ἰπμαιᾶγα δ τὶ διδοῖ πι ἃ ἱπφυὰ ῥιοίυπάο. ἀςοοσί πὶ οἱ Θ δοτάδη μεγβοίοἃ πι ἰ δοουγαῖς ἀ ροηἰίοηίἷα βορὰ γι. τ΄, κε δ Ἐρεῖς. χ, Υ ὅ, ΝΠ βηπάο θη Δα δἰ λα Α → … ; εἰεξρεοῖσαι ἴῃ δογίαπο Ἢ οἱ ἱπηδίατγο πη αι. ἵρεα, νου ἰπ Υ λοῖυ ρ Γ ἰδ. υὸγὸ ἰδοὺ πο ἃ Γοζοπὰο Δ ν Βόυ η οἰ δυίπιμῃ, υἱ Πα ὈΓπὸ σοι ἀπ Π τοῖ, υἱ ΒΟη δυῦ ᾽ ἴ ὁ εῖα ἴογα, ἐ δὶ ρ οἶδα οἰ οἵ Π Δη δρτίοο αδρραγαί ἢ μο δ ἷ αἱ ροβίοδαι δ: η Ββογευγῦδη ποη διιηὰ δὶ Ὡρία ΔΙ βόηθα ΥογῸ οἱ υἱοὶ οοποί ἐοηιτίδαι, Ὁ τη ΠΏ υἱ ἰοπρογὰ ΠΟῸσΔρίδη Π σου δι᾽ ρυθοὶλγα ὉγῸ οἱ μι πὴ ἰ που Π Υἱοῖ δι ῃογίδησο βογπῖο. ἰ οἰδ ἢ ἱ ἢλε Ὑ Γ Υἱοί γιιβίγα οἰ Ρ βά μ τ Π ἃ. Θχοοίθηἰῃ τη ἰη. δηία αἶγα ἱποχροῦθη ἰ πὶ., δἷγα τοσοῦ πὶ, ἀρῷγασυργὰ β εἰ οποία γοπιογοὺ ἰῇ η οἱ ἀρτίου τὰ Ὀ οἱ πὶ ἢ ρ δίφυς ἶ πη ὅ ᾿δγδοὶ ἰη οἰ η ΠΟ ομ δὲ Π Το π Ἔχργο δι οἷα νογὸ Μὴ ἢοΒβίο Ουδηάο ΓΟ Γ ῃἰδηίδίς ἴῃ ρ ι οπῆς δ΄; ποη ἢυς οἱ Ὡριοδῦ ςα. δ χιχ, → … ; θύτω τις → Οὕτω τις; σιδηρίον → σιδηρίου; ἐχκεσόντος → ἐκπεσόντος; ὀγαγὼν → ἀγαγὼν; μετανηίας → μετανοίας; ἀνέδαλε → ἀνέβαλε; ἄναδειχθείς → ἀναδειχθείς.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 30 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/30
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 31
31PG 79
Ταῦτα δὲ φημι οὐχ ἀποτρέπων ἡγεῖσθαί τινων οὐδὲ κωλύων ὁδηγεῖν τινας τῶν νέων ἐπὶ τὴν θεοσέβειαν. ἀλλὰ παρακαλῶν πρότερον ἀναλαβεῖν ἕξιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναλογοῦσαν τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ πράγματος καὶ Ὠ μὴ προχείρως ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδιδόναι τῷ σκοπῷ, τὰ μὲν ἐδέα λογιζομένους, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν θεραπείαν, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν εὐφημίαν. τὸν δὲ ἀκολουθοῦντα κίνδυνον παραλογιζομένους, καὶ μὴ πρὸ τῆς εἰρηνικῆς καταστάσεως τὰ πολεμικὰ ὄργανα σκεύη ποιεῖν γεωργικά. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ πάντα ὑποτάξαι τὰ πάθη, καὶ μηδαμόθεν ἔτι πολέμους ὀχλεῖν, μηδὲ εἰς ἀνάγχην χρήσεως ἀμυντηρίων ἕλκεσθαι ὁργάνων, καλὸν τὸ γεωργεῖν ἑτέρους ἕως ὅτε τυραννεῖ τὰ πάθη, καὶ συνέστηκεν ὁ πρὸς τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρχὸς πόλεμος, ἀπέχειν τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ὅπλων οὐ δεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἀδιαλείπτως ἔχειν τὰς χεῖρας, ἵνα μὴ καιρὸν ἐπιθέσεως οἱ ἑπίδουλοι τὴν ἧμε-. τέραν ἄνεσιν λαβόντες, χειρώσωνται ἡμῶν. Ὡς γὰρ τοῖς καλῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνισαμένοις, καὶ διὰ πολλὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην οὐδέπω νενικηκέναι νομίζουσι, φησὶ προτρεπτικῶς ὁ λόγος Συγχόψατε τὰς μαχαίρας ὑμῶν εἰς ἄροτρα, καὶ τὰς ζιβύνας ὑμῶν εἰς δρέπανα ν παραινῶν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἡττημένοις ἐχθροῖς μάτην λοιπὸν προβάλλειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείᾳ τῶν πολλῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πολεμικῆς ἕξεως μετασχευάσαι τὰς δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπὶ τὸ γεωργεῖν ἐκείνους, ὅσοι ἔτι ἐν τοῖς τῆς κακίας ὑλομανοῦσιν ἔργοις οὕτω τοῖς πρὸ τῆς τοιαύτης καταστάσεως, εἴτε δι᾽ ἀπειρίαν, εἴτε δι᾽ ἀπόνοιαν ἐγχειρίσασιν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἑαυτῶν δύναμιν, συμβουλεύει τὸ ἐνἀντίον λέγων: Συγχόψατε τὰ ἄροτρα ὑμῶν εἰς ῥομφαίας, καὶ τὰ δρέπανα ὑμῶν εἰς σειρομάστας.
Tauta de phēmi ouch apotrepōn hēgeisthai tinōn oude kōlyōn hodēgein tinas tōn neōn epi tēn theosebeian. alla parakalōn proteron analabein hexin tēs aretēs analogousan tǭ megethei tou pragmatos kai Ō mē procheirōs heautous epididonai tǭ skopǭ, ta men edea logizomenous, kai tēn ek tōn mathētōn therapeian, kai tēn para tōn exōthen euphēmian. ton de akolouthounta kindynon paralogizomenous, kai mē pro tēs eirēnikēs katastaseōs ta polemika organa skeuē poiein geōrgika. Meta gar to panta hypotaxai ta pathē, kai mēdamothen eti polemous ochlein, mēde eis ananchēn chrēseōs amyntēriōn helkesthai horganōn, kalon to geōrgein heterous heōs hote tyrannei ta pathē, kai synestēken ho pros to phronēma tēs sarchos polemos, apechein tas cheiras tōn hoplōn ou dei, all᾽ ep᾽ autois adialeiptōs echein tas cheiras, hina mē kairon epitheseōs hoi hepidouloi tēn hēme-. teran anesin labontes, cheirōsōntai hēmōn. Hōs gar tois kalōs hyper tēs aretēs agōnisamenois, kai dia pollēn tapeinophrosynēn oudepō nenikēkenai nomizousi, phēsi protreptikōs ho logos Synchopsate tas machairas hymōn eis arotra, kai tas zibynas hymōn eis drepana n parainōn autois tois hēttēmenois echthrois matēn loipon proballein, all᾽ ep᾽ ōpheleią tōn pollōn apo tēs polemikēs hexeōs metascheuasai tas dynameis tēs psychēs epi to geōrgein ekeinous, hosoi eti en tois tēs kakias hylomanousin ergois houtō tois pro tēs toiautēs katastaseōs, eite di᾽ apeirian, eite di᾽ aponoian encheirisasin hyper tēn heautōn dynamin, symbouleuei to enantion legōn: Synchopsate ta arotra hymōn eis rhomphaias, kai ta drepana hymōn eis seiromastas.
I say this not to deter anyone from leading others, nor to prevent anyone from guiding some of the young to godliness, but to urge them first to acquire a settled state of virtue proportionate to the greatness of the task, and not to give themselves rashly to this aim, counting up its pleasures, the service of disciples and the praise of outsiders, while miscounting the danger that follows; and not to make the instruments of war into farming tools before the state of peace. For after one has subdued all the passions, when wars no longer trouble him from any side, and he is no longer dragged into the need of using weapons of defense, it is good to cultivate others. But while the passions tyrannize and the war against the mind of the flesh still stands, one must not take one's hands off the weapons, but keep them on the weapons unceasingly, so that the plotters may not take our relaxation as the moment for attack and overpower us. For just as to those who have fought well for virtue and, through great humility, do not yet think they have won, the word says by way of encouragement, “Beat your swords into ploughs and your spears into sickles,” urging them not to brandish them any longer in vain at defeated enemies, but for the benefit of the many to convert the powers of the soul from the habit of war to the cultivation of those who still run wild in the works of vice; so to those who, before reaching such a state, through inexperience or folly have taken on what is beyond their power, it counsels the opposite, saying, “Beat your ploughs into swords and your sickles into spears.”
Isa 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Mic 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Joel 3:10 (4:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Only one who has subdued his passions should turn from warfare to cultivating others; to the rest Scripture says to beat ploughs into swords.
- “Beat your swords into ploughs”: Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3. “Beat your ploughs into swords”: Joel 3:10 (LXX 4:10). The mind of the flesh: Rom 8:6–7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): θεοσέἔειαν → θεοσέβειαν; ἀνὰλαδεῖν → ἀναλαβεῖν; ὁὀρετῆς → ἀρετῆς; σχοκῷ → σκοπῷ; θεραΞίαν → θεραπείαν; ἀμνντηρίων → ἀμυντηρίων; τοραννεῖ → τυραννεῖ; ἀνέχειν τὰς χεῖρας → ἀπέχειν τὰς χεῖρας; χειρώδωνται → χειρώσωνται; νένινομίζουσι → νενικηκέναι νομίζουσι; προδδαλεῖν → προβάλλειν; ἀπόνοταν → ἀπόνοιαν.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 31 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/31
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-31) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 32
32PG 79
Τί γὰρ καὶ ὄφελος ἡμῖν τῆς γεωργίας πολέμου τὴν τἣν κατέχοντος, καὶ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν των κωλύοντος, καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῖς τὴν ἀφθονίαν παρέχοντος Διὰ τοῦτο τάχα καὶ τοῖς ἔτι κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς διάφορα μαχομένοις ἔθνη Ἰσραηλίταις, οὐχ ἐπιτρέπει τὴν τῆς γεωργίας ἐπιμέλειαν, ἵνα μὴ ταῖς πολεμικαῖς ἐμποδίσῃ γυμνασίαις. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ρίαν, ταύτῃ χρήσασθαι συμβουλεύει λέγων ε΄Ὅταν εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, φυτεύσατε ἐν αὐτῇ πᾶν ξύλον κάρπιμον. Πρὶν δὲ εἰσέλθητε, οὗ φυτεύσετε προσυπακούεται γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τοῦτο, καὶ εἰχότως. γὰρ τῆς τελειότητος τὰ φυτευόμενα οὐ γίνεται βέβαια, μάλιστα περιφερομένων ἔτι ἐν ἀστάτῷ ἔθει τῶν φυτεύειν ἐθελόντων. Τάξις γὰρ, καὶ ἀκολουθία, εἴπερ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεοσεβείας ἔργοις ἐστὶ, καὶ δεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν προάγεσθαι τῇ πολιτείᾳ. Οἱ γὰρ παρειδότες τὰ τῆς εἰ:καὶ τοῖς λιχνοτέροις δ: ιλεασθέντες, καὶ χατ᾽ στοιχεῖν τῇ τῆς τάξεως ἀκολουθία πείθονται καὶ χαθάπερ τῷ κάλλει τῇς ἐλχυσθεὶς ὑπερεῖδε τὸ ἀσθενὲς τῶν τῆς Λείας ὀφθαλμῶν, οὐ μὴν ἔφυγε τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ κτήσει τῇς τοιαύτης τῆς πόνον ἀνεπλήρωσε γὰρ καὶ τὰ ταύτης ἕβδομα. Δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐννόμως τῇ πολιτείᾳ στοιχεῖν ἐθέλοντα, μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς κατἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς προσκόπτειν ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα,
Ti gar kai ophelos hēmin tēs geōrgias polemou tēn tēn katechontos, kai tēn apolausin tōn tōn kōlyontos, kai tois polemiois mallon, ē tois tēn aphthonian parechontos Dia touto tacha kai tois eti kata tēn erēmon pros diaphora machomenois ethnē Israēlitais, ouch epitrepei tēn tēs geōrgias epimeleian, hina mē tais polemikais empodisę̄ gymnasiais. Meta de tēn tōn polemiōn rian, tautę̄ chrēsasthai symbouleuei legōn e΄Hotan eiselthēte eis tēn gēn tēs epangelias, phyteusate en autę̄ pan xylon karpimon. Prin de eiselthēte, hou phyteusete prosypakouetai gar ekeinǭ touto, kai eichotōs. gar tēs teleiotētos ta phyteuomena ou ginetai bebaia, malista peripheromenōn eti en astatǭ ethei tōn phyteuein ethelontōn. Taxis gar, kai akolouthia, eiper en allǭ tini, kai en tois tēs theosebeias ergois esti, kai dei apo tōn archōn proagesthai tę̄ politeią. Hoi gar pareidotes ta tēs ei:kai tois lichnoterois d: ileasthentes, kai chat᾽ stoichein tę̄ tēs taxeōs akolouthia peithontai kai chathaper tǭ kallei tę̄s elchystheis hypereide to asthenes tōn tēs Leias ophthalmōn, ou mēn ephyge ton epi tę̄ ktēsei tę̄s toiautēs tēs ponon aneplērōse gar kai ta tautēs hebdoma. Dei oun ton ennomōs tę̄ politeią stoichein ethelonta, mē apo tou telous epi tas archas katall᾽ apo tēs archēs proskoptein epi tēn teleiotēta,
What use is farming to us when war holds the land and prevents us from enjoying the [fruits], providing abundance to the enemy rather than to [the farmers]? Perhaps that is why he does not permit the care of farming to the Israelites while they were still in the desert fighting various nations, so that it might not hinder their training for war. But after the [destruction] of the enemy he advises them to take it up, saying, “When you enter the land of promise, plant in it every fruit-bearing tree.” And “Before you enter, you shall not plant” is understood with it, and rightly; for [before] perfection what is planted does not become firm, especially while the habits of those who want to plant are still carried about in instability. For if there is order and sequence in anything, there is in the works of godliness, and one must advance in the way of life from its beginnings. Those who overlook the things of [order], enticed by what is more dainty, are persuaded [not] to keep to the sequence of order. And just as [Jacob], drawn by the beauty of [Rachel], overlooked the weakness of Leah's eyes, yet did not escape the toil for the acquisition of [Leah], since he fulfilled her week as well, so one who wishes to keep lawfully to the way of life must not [go down] from the end to the beginnings, but advance from the beginning toward perfection.
Lev 19:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 29:17–28 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Israel did not farm until its enemies were destroyed; so the spiritual life must follow its order from the beginnings to perfection, as Jacob had to serve for Leah before Rachel.
- “Plant every fruit-bearing tree”: Lev 19:23 (Nilus's wording, with “land of promise”). Jacob, Rachel and Leah: Gen 29:17–28. Several words are lost in the printed text (marked or supplied in brackets by sense); a little Latin debris has been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α ΙΓ Ῥαγίο οη πὶ ἐς τῷ → ; γέὡργίας → γεωργίας; οὗ χ ΠΕ Ὑίνεται → οὐ γίνεται; περιφψερομένων → περιφερομένων; προτἄγεαθαι → προάγεσθαι; γαὶ τὰ ταύτης ξόδομα → καὶ τὰ ταύτης ἕβδομα; πελειότητὰ → τελειότητα.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 32 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/32
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 33
33PG 79
Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐπιτεύξεται τοῦ σπουδαζομένου, καὶ τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους ἀμέμπτως ὁδηγήσει πρὸς τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ πολλοὶ μηδένα πόνον προσενέγχαντες, μηδὲ μικρὸν ἢ μέγα χατορθώπαντες ἔργον θεοσεβείας, ὦ; ἔτυχεν τῷ ὀνόματι, μανίαν δεινὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι μὴ κίνδυνον τοῦτο ἡγούμενοι καὶ οὗ μόνον οὗ παραιτοῦνται προτρεπομένων αὑτούς τινων ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον, καὶ περιερχόμενοι τοὺς στενωποὺς ἄκοντας ἕλκουσι τοὺς περιτυγχάνοντας, πᾶσαν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι θεραπείαν, καθάπερ οἱ πρὸς μισθωτοὺς συνθήκας περὶ τροφῆς, καὶ τιθέμενοι. ᾿λνάγχη δὲ τοὺς οὕτως ἐρῶντας τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ βουλομένους μετὰ πλήθους ἐν ταῖς προόδοις φαίνεσθα καὶ χειραγωγοῖς ἐπαναπαύεσθαι, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν σκηνὴν σώζειν τῶν καθηγουμένων, ὦ; δράματο; ὑπόκρισιν ὑπελθόντας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ καταλειφθῆναι παρὰ τῶν ταύτην αὑτοῖς ἐχτελούντων τὴν ὑπουργίαν, χαρίζεσθαι τὰ πολλὰ αἷς αὐτῶν, καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ἐᾷν, καθάπερ ἡνιόχου ἀφέντος τὰς ἡνίας, καὶ αὐτεξούσιον αὖτοῖς τὸν δρόμον ἐπιτρέψαντος, ὡς ἐκ τούτου κατὰ κρημνῶν φέρεσθαι, καὶ κατὰ βαράθρων, καὶ παντὶ προσπταίειν τῷ ἐν ποσὶν, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ ἀνακόπτοντος, καὶ ταῖς ἀτάκτοις ὁρμαῖς ἐμποδίζοντος.
Houtō gar autos epiteuxetai tou spoudazomenou, kai tous hypotetagmenous amemptōs hodēgēsei pros to telos tēs aretēs, all᾽ hoi polloi mēdena ponon prosenenchantes, mēde mikron ē mega chatorthōpantes ergon theosebeias, ō? etychen tǭ onomati, manian deinēn epideiknymenoi mē kindynon touto hēgoumenoi kai hou monon hou paraitountai protrepomenōn hautous tinōn epi to ergon, kai perierchomenoi tous stenōpous akontas helkousi tous peritynchanontas, pasan epangellomenoi therapeian, kathaper hoi pros misthōtous synthēkas peri trophēs, kai tithemenoi. ᾿lnanchē de tous houtōs erōntas tou pragmatos, kai boulomenous meta plēthous en tais proodois phainestha kai cheiragōgois epanapauesthai, kai pasan tēn skēnēn sōzein tōn kathēgoumenōn, ō? dramato? hypokrisin hypelthontas hyper tou mē kataleiphthēnai para tōn tautēn hautois echtelountōn tēn hypourgian, charizesthai ta polla hais autōn, kai tais epithymiais eąn, kathaper hēniochou aphentos tas hēnias, kai autexousion autois ton dromon epitrepsantos, hōs ek toutou kata krēmnōn pheresthai, kai kata barathrōn, kai panti prosptaiein tǭ en posin, oudenos ontos tou anakoptontos, kai tais ataktois hormais empodizontos.
For in this way he will himself attain what he strives for, and will guide those under him blamelessly to the goal of virtue. But the many, who have contributed no toil and have accomplished no work of godliness, small or great, [take hold of] the name as chance has it, displaying a terrible madness and not thinking this a danger. Not only do they not decline when others urge them to the work; they even go round the alleys dragging along, against their will, whomever they meet, promising every kind of care, like people who make contracts about food with hired workers. And those who are so in love with the thing, and want to appear in their processions with a crowd, to lean on those who lead them by the hand, and to keep up all the pageantry of leaders, having taken on, as it were, the acting of a play, must, so as not to be abandoned by those who perform this service for them, indulge them in many things and leave them to their desires, like a charioteer who has dropped the reins and given his horses a free run, so that they are carried over cliffs and into pits and stumble over everything at their feet, with no one to check them or to hinder their disorderly impulses.
Notes and citation
Summary: Untrained men eagerly gather disciples and, to keep them, indulge their desires like a charioteer who drops the reins.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ἀμέμπτω: → ἀμέμπτως; κχίνδυνον → κίνδυνον; πεοιτυγχάνοντας → περιτυγχάνοντας; μετὰ πλήΟ θους → μετὰ πλήθους; χαῦηγουμένων → καθηγουμένων; χρτιμνῶν → κρημνῶν; ἐν ποῖὶν → ἐν ποσὶν; ἁνακόπτοντος → ἀνακόπτοντος.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 33 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/33
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-33) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 34
34PG 79
᾿Αλλ᾽ ἀποσέτωσαν οἷ τοιοῦτοι τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰεζεκιὴλ ταλανίζοντος τοὺς ταῖς ἑτέρων ἡδοναῖς ὕλας ἐκπορίζοντας, καὶ διὰ τὸ συμφέρεσθαι τοῖς ἑχάστον θελήμασιν, ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ε οὐαὶ θησαυρίζοντας. Φησὶ γάρ Οὐαὶ ταῖς προσχεφάλαια ὑπὸ πάντα ἀγκῶνα χειρὸς, καὶ ποιούσαις ἐπιδόλαια ἐπὶ πᾶσαν κεφαλὴν πάσης ἡλικίας τοῦ ἀπολέσαι Ψυχὰς, ἕνεχα δραχὸς κριθῶν καὶ ἕνεχα κλάσματος ἄρτου. Οὕτως δὴ καὶ οὗτοι τὰς χρείας ἑαυτοῖς τοῦ σώματο; ἐξ ἐράνου συλλέγοντες, καὶ ταῖς ὡς ἐκ ῥαχῶν παρασχεναῖς ἐπαναπαύοντες τοὺς γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ προσεύχεσθαι, ἣ καὶ προφητεύειν ὀφείλοντας τῶν ἐπιδολαίων τὴν ἀνδρείαν κατάστασιν ταῖς τῶν σχεπασμάτων ἐπιβολαῖς λύνοντες, καὶ ψυχὰς ἀπολοῦντες, ἃς οὖχ ἔδει ἀποθανεῖν. … Καὶ μάλιστα μὲν ἔδει πειθομένους τῷ ὄντως διδασχάλῳ Χριστῷ παραιτήσασθαι, ὅση δύναμι:, τὴν ἑτέρων κηδεμονίαν φησὶ γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς ξαυτοῦ μαθητάς ε Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ χληθῆτε ῥαββί. Εἰ δὲ καὶ Πέτρῳ, καὶ Ἰωάννῃ, καὶ παντὶ τῷ χορῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων μακρὰν ἑστάνα: τοῦ τοιούτου ἔργου, καὶ μικροὺς ἡγεῖσθαι ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τοιαύτης ἀξίας. Τίς ἔσται λοιπὸν ὁ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνους ἑαυτὴν φαντάζων καὶ ἐγκρίνων ἀξιώματι οὗπερ ἐχωλύθησαν ἐκεῖνοι, ἥ τάχα λέγων μὴ κληθῆναι ῥαββὶ, οὐ τὸ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ καλεῖσθαι κωλύει;
᾿All᾽ aposetōsan hoi toioutoi tou makariou Iezekiēl talanizontos tous tais heterōn hēdonais hylas ekporizontas, kai dia to sympheresthai tois hechaston thelēmasin, heautois to e ouai thēsaurizontas. Phēsi gar Ouai tais proschephalaia hypo panta ankōna cheiros, kai poiousais epidolaia epi pasan kephalēn pasēs hēlikias tou apolesai Psychas, henecha drachos krithōn kai henecha klasmatos artou. Houtōs dē kai houtoi tas chreias heautois tou sōmato? ex eranou syllegontes, kai tais hōs ek rhachōn paraschenais epanapauontes tous gymnę̄ tę̄ kephalę̄ proseuchesthai, hē kai prophēteuein opheilontas tōn epidolaiōn tēn andreian katastasin tais tōn schepasmatōn epibolais lynontes, kai psychas apolountes, has ouch edei apothanein. … Kai malista men edei peithomenous tǭ ontōs didaschalǭ Christǭ paraitēsasthai, hosē dynami:, tēn heterōn kēdemonian phēsi gar pros tous xautou mathētas e Hymeis de mē chlēthēte rhabbi. Ei de kai Petrǭ, kai Iōannę̄, kai panti tǭ chorǭ tōn apostolōn makran hestana: tou toioutou ergou, kai mikrous hēgeisthai heautous tēs toiautēs axias. Tis estai loipon ho hyper ekeinous heautēn phantazōn kai enkrinōn axiōmati houper echōlythēsan ekeinoi, hē tacha legōn mē klēthēnai rhabbi, ou to einai, alla to kaleisthai kōlyei?
But let such men hear the blessed Ezekiel lamenting those who supply material for the pleasures of others, and who by going along with each one's wishes treasure up the “woe” for themselves. For he says, “Woe to the women who sew pillows under every elbow of the arm, and make veils for every head of every age, to destroy souls, for a handful of barley and for a morsel of bread.” So too these men, collecting the needs of the body for themselves by contributions, and lulling to rest, with comforts stitched together as it were from rags, those who ought to pray and prophesy with bare head, loosen the manly state by putting coverings over them … killing souls that ought not to die. … Above all, obeying Christ, the true teacher, they ought to decline the care of others as far as they can; for he says to his disciples, “But you, do not be called Rabbi.” If even Peter and John and the whole choir of the apostles [were told] to stand far from such a work and to count themselves too small for such a dignity, who will there be who imagines himself above them and admits himself to a dignity from which they were held back? Or will he perhaps say that in saying “do not be called Rabbi” he forbids not being one, but only being called one?
Ezek 13:18–19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 11:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 23:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Like the women of Ezekiel who sewed pillows for every elbow, indulgent superiors destroy souls; Christ forbade even the apostles to be called Rabbi.
- The quotation is Ezek 13:18–19 (LXX); “killing souls that ought not to die” is also Ezek 13:19. Praying and prophesying with bare head: 1 Cor 11:4. “Do not be called Rabbi”: Matt 23:8. Two long stretches of Migne's facing Latin column have been removed; the Greek lost with them is marked “…”. The verb at the start (ἀποσέτωσαν) is damaged; “hear” is the evident sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ΕἾ κη, δ, ραπίατα νοΐ, ἰη πὶ ἢ Ογάο αἱ ἰ πὶ ἴῃ ν οἱ αι δαὶ οὐ οραγίυυ οἱ ἃ δὲ γορίηθη ρὶκη οἱ ἀ σαι Ταῦ ἢ ἐδ ργοσοιίίδη ογά οἱ η ὅδου Ποῖ ον Ομ ἢ ἢ γι Δι πὶ ἀδδροτὶς,, ποὴ ἀπι η οι αὶ Δι π ρίαν Ομ ΟἹ Ν πὶ ὅΤ ἰσίταιν ΤΙ ΓΟ πα. ἃ πὸ δή ργίπεὶρία μγοιοπάοτσα Β ΠΥ ΓΟ δὶς οἱ ρ βιυάοί, οἱ αυογοῖα ἀοράπεοι δ αϊ βά δρίοοην. μἰοτίσια πα ροριἰοσῖς Π Π Ρᾶγνιὴ, πὶ οὐ ηπὴη ὶ Οτἱὸ ἐμσηγεῖν ἴῃ ἃ ΔπΊθῃ ἰδ δ νογίοπίο ἤ η π πι ΠΟ ἢ αἱ δε εἰ πη πὴ οπιπία οὐβοψηία οί απ Ἰνὴ., απ ρδοί θη οἱ ποσοῦ εἰ π οἱ πηδημά Δ ΠΝ η π πὶ.,. ἈΠ δἰ πε πὶ ος δα ΕΠ φίαιίοβα τὶ, οὐ ρὶ ἡ αι δυνίρο π Π οἱ συγό π π Διὶ δε γί Π πίῃς Διὶ ργατιρία οἱ δὶ θαγωίῃγα, ποῦδὸδι πὶ δὲ οἱ ἴῃ οπιπὸ, δἰ οἷν ργοσίδογα, δ αἱ οἱ νύ δυο ὕσαιαιν. ἢν ὁ οἱ οἰγευπιίογαπίιν δου τα δι οἱ ει αι: η ν σα οἷ Ν, οἱ δ σαρὶίς Εἰς Δ πηὰ πὶ νοὶ ργὸ υδίο δ, οἱ μι ςοπιπιοίία δἰ ποι ροἷ τ οἱ ἴῃ δ σοι δι ἶ σοι πη Εἰ δογίρια δ διη βίγαρυ ο ΠΝ Οἱ πὴ ἤθη πὶ Εἰ ὁρογίεθαὶ οὐοΑ → ; ΟἸνγῖδιο υθγὰ πολι ροσι Γ Πα Ομ λ΄ ἴηαὐἱὸ ἀἰδοῖρυ Βαὺνὴὶ ν,. δὶ νεγοὸ οἱ οἱ οἰ πὶ δ αδὶδίεν βίο Θχὶβιἰππᾶγο δυροῦ οἰγουπιβρίοἶαὶ, θίηυα πὶ, εἰ ογία ποη ΓΑ, ι δ Υ δαὶ πὶ πὶ σοσαῖυ οἱ ρ᾽ατὶθυ πὶ Θ΄; Π δα πὶ αἰ Γ νει, δἰ δῖ, ρῦγα νοῦ ὅ ἐφδαῖ, Ομ Π υἱ πα τ ἵπ ἀοίογιη δῖ αὐ σοι δ ποῦ ροςίθα ἱπηρογαὶ, ΓΟ βεῖρεο ἀδοθγίαγα ἀθυοὶ. τ οἱ ΡιῸ οἱ ργῸ σα δοπηοὶ δ γος ΠῚ πὶ δ ποη ο νἱγίια ἰδ ο ε α ἃ ργίπιο Γ Π ᾿ ἄεσιη Ρδυὶυ πη ἃ ἶνο δ γνοὸ οἷ → … ; Ἶεζεταλανίζοντος → Ἰεζεκιὴλ ταλανίζοντος; ἐκπορίφοντας → ἐκπορίζοντας; θελήμαπτιν → θελήμασιν; θησαυρίξζοντας → θησαυρίζοντας; πᾶντα ἀγκῶνα → πάντα ἀγκῶνα; πάτης ἡλικίας → πάσης ἡλικίας; χλάσματος ἄρτον → κλάσματος ἄρτου; κατάτασὶν → κατάστασιν; φαντάξζων → φαντάζων.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 34 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/34). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/34
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 35
35PG 79
Εἰ δὲ τις ἀπροαιρέτως, ἐκ τοῦ ἕνα καὶ δεύτερον καταδέξασθαι, βιασθείη καὶ πλειόνων ἡγεῖσθαι, πρῶτον μὲν ἀχριδῶς ἑαυτὸν δοκιμαζέτω, εἰ οἷός τέ ἐστιν ἔργῳ μᾶλλον, ἣ λόγῳ διδάσκειν τὰ πρακτέα, εἰχόνα ἀρετῆς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον τοῖς μανθάνουσιν, ὡς μὴ τοὺς μεταγράφοντας ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ σφάλματος ἀμβλῦναι τὸ κάλλος τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ἔπειτα γινωσκέτω, ὅτι οὐχ ἔλαττον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁρχομένων ἣ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγωνιᾷν Ὡς γὰρ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ὑφέξει: λόγον ἅπαξ καταδεξάμενος τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις σπουδῇ γέγονε μὴ ἐλαττουμένους τῇς ἑαυτῶν ἀρετῆς καταλιπεῖν τοὺς ἑαυτῶν μαθητὰς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς πρώτης καταστάσεως μεταρυθμίσαι εἰς βελτίονα κατάστασιν. Οὕτως ὁ μὲν ἀπόστολος Παὺλος τὸν Ὁνήσιμον ἐκ δραπέτου μάρτυρα πεποίηκεν ὁ Ἡλίας ἐξ ἀροτῆρος προφήτην τὸν Ἑλισσαῖον κατετοι … ὁ δὲ Μωυσῆς Ἰησοῦν πάντων ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ὁ δὲ Ἠλεὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ καὶ μεὶζονα ἑαυτοῦ ἔδειξεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἣ τούτων αὑτῶν σπουδὴ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὴν κτῆσιν τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῆς προκοπῆς αἴτιον αὑτοῖς γεγένηται τὸ τυχεῖν διδασκάλων τοῦ καλοῦ δυνηθέντων τὸν τετυφωμένον σπινθῆρα τῆς προθυμίας ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖξον τῆς προτροπῆς ἀναῤῥιπίσαι, καὶ ψαι ἐποίησε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο στόμα Θεοῦ γεγόνασιν, τὰ αὐτοῦ βουλήματα τοῖ; ἀνθρώποις διαχονήσαντες ἤκουσαν γὰρ τοῦ λέγοντος ε Ἐὰν ἐξαγάγῃς τίμιον ἐξ ἀναξίου, ὡς στόμα μου ἔσῃ.
Ei de tis aproairetōs, ek tou hena kai deuteron katadexasthai, biastheiē kai pleionōn hēgeisthai, prōton men achridōs heauton dokimazetō, ei hoios te estin ergǭ mallon, hē logǭ didaskein ta praktea, eichona aretēs ton heautou bion tois manthanousin, hōs mē tous metagraphontas ekeithen tou sphalmatos amblynai to kallos tēs aretēs. Epeita ginōsketō, hoti ouch elatton hyper tōn harchomenōn hē hyper heautou agōniąn Hōs gar kai hyper hautou, houtō kai hyper ekeinōn hyphexei: logon hapax katadexamenos tēn sōtērian autōn kai tois hagiois spoudę̄ gegone mē elattoumenous tę̄s heautōn aretēs katalipein tous heautōn mathētas, all᾽ ek tēs prōtēs katastaseōs metarythmisai eis beltiona katastasin. Houtōs ho men apostolos Paulos ton Honēsimon ek drapetou martyra pepoiēken ho Hēlias ex arotēros prophētēn ton Helissaion katetoi … ho de Mōysēs Iēsoun pantōn epi to beltion ho de Ēlei ton Samouēl kai meizona heautou edeixen. Ei gar kai hē toutōn hautōn spoudē autois pros tēn ktēsin tēs aretēs, alla kai to pan tēs prokopēs aition hautois gegenētai to tychein didaskalōn tou kalou dynēthentōn ton tetyphōmenon spinthēra tēs prothymias epi to meixon tēs protropēs anarrhipisai, kai psai epoiēse, kai dia touto stoma Theou gegonasin, ta autou boulēmata toi? anthrōpois diachonēsantes ēkousan gar tou legontos e Ean exagagę̄s timion ex anaxiou, hōs stoma mou esę̄.
If someone, without choosing it, after accepting one or two [disciples], should be compelled to lead more, let him first examine himself exactly, whether he is able to teach what must be done by deed rather than by word, [offering] his own life to the learners as an image of virtue, so that those who copy from it may not, by some slip, dull the beauty of virtue. Then let him know that he must struggle no less for those he rules than for himself; for, having once taken on their salvation, he will give an account for them as for himself. The saints too were zealous to leave their disciples not inferior to their own virtue, but to reshape them from their first state into a better one. So the apostle Paul made Onesimus, from a runaway, a martyr; Elijah made Elisha, from a ploughman, a prophet; … Moses [made] Joshua [better] in all things; and Eli showed Samuel to be even greater than himself. For even if their own zeal [contributed] to their acquisition of virtue, yet the whole cause of their progress was that they found teachers of the good who were able to fan the smoldering spark of their eagerness into the greater [flame] of exhortation, and made it [blaze]; and for this reason they became the mouth of God, ministering his will to human beings. For they had heard him who says, “If you bring out the precious from the worthless, you shall be as my mouth.”
Heb 13:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phlm 1:10–16 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 19:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 3:19–20 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 15:19 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One compelled to lead others must teach by his life and answer for them; the saints formed disciples better than themselves.
- Giving account for others: Heb 13:17. Onesimus: Phlm 10–16; Nilus follows the tradition that he died a martyr. Elisha called from the plough: 1 Kgs 19:19–21. Joshua: Num 27:18–23; Samuel: 1 Sam 3. The quotation is Jer 15:19. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column inside the list of examples has been removed (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ἰγγοῖῃ ΕΠ ᾧ → ; ΠΙ τ πη ρ ΧΡ ὲ πὶ οἱ πὶ τ δίυ πι σοηία δὶ νἱγίυ ο οἱ υ Π αυοὶ δου εἰ π σα δοίη εἰ πὶ ἰη Ὁ χαἰιοί Ὁ οἱ οὔ τόιη θεοὶ οὁ υἱ νοίυ ἀ υ η ἰ πὶ Ὠοπογδηάιμη ΠΟυ πὶ δυίοι δου π ὶ Που οφίοηἀΐι η η ἰηδίξίυο γα, ΕἸ, η δοοὶρο οἱ ληῖο οἱ ἴῃ οἰν ίδίοιη οι ν υἱὸ πὶ ῦ οἱ ᾿ δῃία Π ἴῃ τη οἰ δῖ πη η εἷς ἴη πα Θχοιηρίογυτη ᾿πιΠΟῚ να ἀπ ἐξ Δ εἶγοο οἱ Συ γί, Π ἔεσο, ιν, → … ; καὶ δεύτερον: Β καταδέξασθαι → καὶ δεύτερον καταδέξασθαι; ποῦ σφάλματος ἀμθλῦναι → τοῦ σφάλματος ἀμβλῦναι; ἀροτῇοος → ἀροτῆρος; ἤχηυσαν → ἤκουσαν.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 35 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/35
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.