Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) 36–52
Greek text: PG 79.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 36
36PG 79
Τὴν δὲ τοῦ διδασχάλου ἕξιν καὶ τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ὑποτίθεται ὁ Θεὸς διδάσκων οἵους ἐξ οἴων δεῖ τοὺς τὰς κατασκευάζειν. φησὶν, ἀνθ ρώπον λάβε σεαυτῷ πλίνθον, καὶ θήσεις αὐτὴν πρὸ προσώπου καὶ διαγράψεις ὑπ᾽ αὐτὴν πόλιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, σημαὶνων ὅτι ἐκ πηλοῦ ναὸν ἅγιον ὁ διδάσκαλος τὸν μαθητὴν ἀπεργάζεται, Καλὸν καὶ δὲ τὸ, Θήσεις αὐτὴν πρὸ προσώπου σον οὕτω γὰρ ταχεῖα βελτίωσις ἔσται τῷ μαθητῇ, ἐὰν ἐν ὄψει τοῦ διδασκάλου ἣ διὰ παντός. Αἱ γὰρ συνεχεῖς τῶν καλῶν παραδειγμάτων παρὰ πλησίας εἰχόνας ταῖς μὴ πάν σκληραῖς, καὶ ἀποχρότοις ψυχαῖς. Διὰ τοῦτο Γιεζῆ καὶ Ἰούδας ἐπέπεσον, ὁ μὲν τῇ κλοπῇ, ὁ δὲ τῇ πρὸ ᾿ δοσίᾳ, ἐπειδὴ ὑπεξήγαγον ἑαυτοὺς τῶν τοῦ διδασκάλου ὀφθαλμῶν ὡς εἰ ἔμεινον παρὰ τοῖς σωφρονισταῖς οὐχ ἂν ἐπλημμέλησαν ἑκάτερος αὑτῶν. Ὅτι δὲ χίνδυνος τῷ διδασκάλῳ ἐκ τῆς ἀμελείας αὐτῶν διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐδήλωσεν ἐπῶν ε Καὶ θήσεις τήγανον ἀναμέσον σοῦ καὶ ἀναμέσον τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἕσται τεῖχος ἀναμέσον σοῦ καὶ ἀναμέσον αὐτῆς. Ὃ γὰρ μὴ θέλων κοινωνεῖν τῷ τῆς κολάσεως μετὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ ἐκ πλίνθου πόλιν τὰς τοῖς παλινδρομοῦσιν ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης καταστάσεως ἐπ λελησμένας τιμωρίας, ἐπιλέγειν ὀφείλει, ἵνα τεῖκο; γενόμεναι τὸν ἀναίτιον ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰτίου. Τοῦτο γὰρ προστά: ὁ Θεὸς τῷ φησιν ἀνθρώπου, σκοπὸν δέδωκά σε τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐὰν ἴδῃς τὴν ῥημφαίαν ἐρχομένην,, καὶ μὴ διαμαρτύρῃ αὑτοῖς, λάβῃ δέ τινα ἐξ αὑτῶν, τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου ἐκζητήσω.
Tēn de tou didaschalou hexin kai tǭ Iezekiēl hypotithetai ho Theos didaskōn hoious ex oiōn dei tous tas kataskeuazein. phēsin, anth rōpon labe seautǭ plinthon, kai thēseis autēn pro prosōpou kai diagrapseis hyp᾽ autēn polin Hierousalēm, sēmainōn hoti ek pēlou naon hagion ho didaskalos ton mathētēn apergazetai, Kalon kai de to, Thēseis autēn pro prosōpou son houtō gar tacheia beltiōsis estai tǭ mathētę̄, ean en opsei tou didaskalou hē dia pantos. Hai gar synecheis tōn kalōn paradeigmatōn para plēsias eichonas tais mē pan sklērais, kai apochrotois psychais. Dia touto Giezē kai Ioudas epepeson, ho men tę̄ klopę̄, ho de tę̄ pro ᾿ dosią, epeidē hypexēgagon heautous tōn tou didaskalou ophthalmōn hōs ei emeinon para tois sōphronistais ouch an eplēmmelēsan hekateros hautōn. Hoti de chindynos tǭ didaskalǭ ek tēs ameleias autōn dia tōn hexēs edēlōsen epōn e Kai thēseis tēganon anameson sou kai anameson tēs poleōs kai hestai teichos anameson sou kai anameson autēs. Ho gar mē thelōn koinōnein tǭ tēs kolaseōs meta to poiēsai autǭ ek plinthou polin tas tois palindromousin apo tēs toiautēs katastaseōs ep lelēsmenas timōrias, epilegein opheilei, hina teiko? genomenai ton anaition apo tou aitiou. Touto gar prosta: ho Theos tǭ phēsin anthrōpou, skopon dedōka se tǭ oikǭ Israēl, kai ean idę̄s tēn rhēmphaian erchomenēn,, kai mē diamartyrę̄ hautois, labę̄ de tina ex hautōn, tēn psychēn autou ek tēs cheiros sou ekzētēsō.
God sets the teacher's state before Ezekiel too, teaching what kind of [people], and from what [material], those who build [cities] must make: “Son of man,” he says, “take for yourself a brick and set it before your face, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem,” signifying that the teacher makes the disciple from clay into a holy temple. And well is it said, “set it before your face”; for improvement will be swift for the disciple if he is always in the teacher's sight. For the continual images of good examples close at hand [imprint themselves] on souls that are not altogether hard and calloused. That is why Gehazi and Judas fell, the one into theft, the other into betrayal: because they withdrew themselves from the eyes of their teacher; had they stayed with those who corrected them, neither of them would have done wrong. And that danger comes to the teacher from their negligence he showed by the words that follow: “And you shall set an iron pan between you and the city, and it shall be a wall between you and it.” For one who does not want to share in the [disciple's] punishment must, after making the city of brick for him, declare the punishments that hang over those who run back from such a state, so that these, becoming a wall, may [separate] the guiltless from the guilty. For this God commands [Ezekiel], saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; and if you see the sword coming and do not warn them, and it takes one of them, I will require his soul from your hand.”
Ezek 4:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 5:20–27 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 26:14–16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ezek 3:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 33:6 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ezekiel's brick shows the teacher forming disciples under his own eyes; he must warn them, or answer for their souls.
- Ezek 4:1 and 4:3 (the brick and the iron pan); the watchman: Ezek 3:17–18 combined with 33:6. Gehazi's theft: 2 Kgs 5:20–27; Judas: Matt 26:14–16. Words lost or damaged in the scan are supplied in brackets by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): Ὁ Τὴν δὲ → Τὴν δὲ; ὑπ τίθεται → ὑποτίθεται; λέδε σεαυτῷ → λάβε σεαυτῷ; τὸν μ΄ θητὴν → τὸν μαθητὴν; διδασγάλου → διδασκάλου; ΔΙ γὰρ δσυνεχεῖς → Αἱ γὰρ συνεχεῖς; διδασκάἃ Ὸ ὁ Π λου → διδασκάλου; σωφρονισιαῖς → σωφρονισταῖς; δέδιυχά → δέδωκά; ἐχξζητήσω → ἐκζητήσω.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 36 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/36
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-36) · 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 37
37PG 79
Τοιοῦτον τεῖχος καὶ Μωῦσῇς ἑαυτῷ, λέγων τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ε Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐχξζητήσῃς ἐπακολουθῆσαι αὐτοῖς μετὰ τὸ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι αὑτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ. Γίνεται γὰρ τοῦτο τοῖς ἀμελέστερον τῇ διανοίᾳ προσέχουσι τῇ ἑαυτῶν μετὰ τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐκκοπὴν, ὥσπερ βλαστοί τινες παραχύπτειν ἄρχονται αἱ εἰχόνες τῶν ὧν φαντασιῶν, αἷς εἴ τις δῷ χώραν συνεχῶς ἐκπίπτειν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ, καὶ μὴ κωλύειν τὴν εἴσοδον αὐταῖς, αὖθις τὰ πάθη ἑαυτῷ ἐναγώνιον μετὰ τὴν νίκην πάλιν ποιοῦν τὴν διαγωγήν. Ἔστι γὰρ τῶν παθῶν ἐξημερωθέντων, καὶ χόρτον ἴσα βουσὶν ἐσθίειν δεδιδαγμένων ἀμελείᾳ τοῦ τιθασσεύοντος πάλιν ἐξαγριωθῆναι, καὶ τὴν τῶν θηρίων ἀναλαβεῖν ὠμότητα. Ὡς ἂν οὖν, φησὶ, μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, μὴ ἐχζητήσῃς ἐπακολουθῆσαι αὐτοῖς, μετὰ τὸ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι αὑτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ ἐχζητεῖν ἕξιν λαβοῦσα ἡ ψυχὴ ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐνήδεσθαι φαντασίαις, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν παλινδρομήσῃ κακίαν. Τοῦτο εἰδὼς ὁ μέγας γινόμενον, ὅτι θεωρούμενα, καὶ συνεχῶς: μελετώμενα τὰ τοιαῦτα μᾶλλον βλάπτει τὴν διάνοιαν, τρανοτάτας καὶ ἀριδῆλους ἐνσφραγιζομένας τὰς τῶν αἰσχρῶν φαντασιῶν εἰχόνας, ἐν Σιχήμοις κρύπτει, τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ὁ γὰρ περὶ τὰ πάθη πόνον κρύπτει καὶ ἀπόλλυσι ταῦτα, οὐ πρὸς τινα χρόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἕως τὴν σήμερον ἡμέραν, ἔστι, τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἐπειδὴ τῷ παντὶ αἰῶνι συμπαρεχτείνεται τὸ σήμερον τὸν ἐνεστῶτα πάντοτε σημαίνων καιρὸν, τὰ Σέχημα δείκνυσιν ὅτι μάχη, ὅπερ δηλοῖ τὸν περὶ τὰ πάθη πόνον, Διὸ καὶ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ δίδωσι τὸ Σίκιμα χτῆμα ἑξαίρετον τὸν πρὸς τὰ πάθη μαχόμενον τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς πόνον.
Toiouton teichos kai Mōysę̄s heautǭ, legōn tois Israēlitais e Proseche seautǭ mē echxzētēsę̄s epakolouthēsai autois meta to exolothreuthēnai hautous apo sou. Ginetai gar touto tois amelesteron tę̄ dianoią prosechousi tę̄ heautōn meta tēn tōn pathōn ekkopēn, hōsper blastoi tines parachyptein archontai hai eichones tōn hōn phantasiōn, hais ei tis dǭ chōran synechōs ekpiptein tǭ hēgemonikǭ, kai mē kōlyein tēn eisodon autais, authis ta pathē heautǭ enagōnion meta tēn nikēn palin poioun tēn diagōgēn. Esti gar tōn pathōn exēmerōthentōn, kai chorton isa bousin esthiein dedidagmenōn ameleią tou tithasseuontos palin exagriōthēnai, kai tēn tōn thēriōn analabein ōmotēta. Hōs an oun, phēsi, mē touto genētai, mē echzētēsę̄s epakolouthēsai autois, meta to exolothreuthēnai hautous apo sou, hina mē en tǭ echzētein hexin labousa hē psychē tais toiautais enēdesthai phantasiais, epi tēn archaian palindromēsę̄ kakian. Touto eidōs ho megas ginomenon, hoti theōroumena, kai synechōs: meletōmena ta toiauta mallon blaptei tēn dianoian, tranotatas kai aridēlous ensphragizomenas tas tōn aischrōn phantasiōn eichonas, en Sichēmois kryptei, tous theous tous allotrious ho gar peri ta pathē ponon kryptei kai apollysi tauta, ou pros tina chronon, all᾽ heōs tēn sēmeron hēmeran, esti, ton hapanta chronon epeidē tǭ panti aiōni symparechteinetai to sēmeron ton enestōta pantote sēmainōn kairon, ta Sechēma deiknysin hoti machē, hoper dēloi ton peri ta pathē ponon, Dio kai tǭ Iōsēph didōsi to Sikima chtēma hexaireton ton pros ta pathē machomenon ton en autois ponon.
Moses too [made] such a wall for himself when he said to the Israelites, “Take heed to yourself that you do not seek to follow after them, after they have been destroyed from before you.” For this happens to those who attend rather carelessly to their own mind after the cutting out of the passions: like shoots, the images of [old] fantasies begin to peep out; and if one gives them room to fall continually upon the ruling faculty and does not block their entry, the passions once more make his life a struggle after the victory. For even when the passions have been tamed and taught to eat grass like oxen, through the negligence of the one taming them they can grow wild again and take back the savagery of wild beasts. So that this may not happen, he says, “do not seek to follow after them, after they have been destroyed from before you,” lest in seeking them the soul acquire a habit of taking pleasure in such fantasies and run back to its old vice. The great [Jacob], knowing that this happens, that such things, when contemplated and continually dwelt on, harm the mind all the more by stamping on it very clear and distinct images of shameful fantasies, hides the foreign gods in Shechem. For the one who labors over the passions hides and destroys them, not for a time but “to this day,” that is, for all time, since “today” extends along with the whole age, always signifying the present moment. Shechem signifies “battle,” which shows the toil over the passions. That is why he gives Joseph Shechem as a special possession: [to] the one who fights the passions, the toil among them.
Deut 12:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 11:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 35:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 48:22 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One must not go back to dwell on conquered passions, as Moses warned and as Jacob buried the foreign gods at Shechem.
- Moses: Deut 12:30. Grass like oxen: Isa 11:7. Jacob hiding the foreign gods at Shechem “to this day”: Gen 35:4 (LXX); his name is not in the printed text. Shechem given to Joseph: Gen 48:22. Nilus's explanation of the name Shechem as “battle” (or toil) is his own reading; the usual ancient etymology is “shoulder,” taken as a figure of toil.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): Ἰσρανλίταις → Ἰσραηλίταις; Πρύσεχε → Πρόσεχε; ἐπαχολουθῦσαι → ἐπακολουθῆσαι; ἀμελέστερὴν → ἀμελέστερον; δεδιδαγμέαὶ γὼν → δεδιδαγμένων; τὴν σήῆμερον → τὴν σήμερον; τὸ Σέωμα → τὸ Σίκιμα; μαχόμεγῸν → μαχόμενον.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 37 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/37). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/37
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-37) · 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 38
38PG 79
Καὶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ ἐν μαχαίρᾳ καὶ τόξῳ λαβεῖν λέγων Σίχημα δείκνυσι, ὅτι μάχῃ, καὶ πόνῳ ἐκεκρατήκει τῶν παθῶν. χαταχρύψας αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ Σιχήμων γῆ. Δοχεῖ δέ πως ἐναντίον φαίνεσθαι τὸ κατακρύπτειν ἐν Σιχήμοις τοὺς θεοὺς, καὶ τὸ τιθέναι εἴδωλον ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἐπαινετὸν … τὸ ἐν Σικήμοις κατακρύπτειν τὸ δὲ ψεκτὸν τὸ τιθέναι εἴδωλον ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ οὕτω γοῦν καὶ μετὰ κατάρας ἔθηκε τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Ἐπικατάρατος ὁ τιθεὶς εἴδωλον ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ. Οὐ ταὐτὸν γάρ ἔστιν ἐν γῇ πρὸ τὸ παντελὲς χαταχρύψαι, καὶ τὸ θεῖναι ἐν ἀποχρύφῳ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐν γῇ καὶ μηχέτι τῇ αἰσθήσει φαινόμενον, τῷ χρόνῳ, καὶ τῆς μνήμης ἀπαλείφεται τὸ δὲ ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τεθὲν τοὺς μὲν ἕξωθεν ἴσως λανθάνει, παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ τεθεικότος ὁρώμενον συνεχῶς τὴν μνήμην ἀγαλματηφορούμενον λαθραίως. Πᾶς γὰρ λογισμὸς αἰσχρὸς μορφούμενος ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, γλυπτόν ἔστιν ἀπόκρυφον. Οὕτως γοῦν αἰσχύνη ἐστὶν εἰς μέσον προθεῖναι τὰς τοιαύτας ἐννοίας, ἐπισφαλὲς γοῦν καὶ τῷ ἐν ἀποχρύφῳ θεῖναι γλυπτὸν, ἐπισφαλέστερον δὲ, τὸ θεῖν, καὶ ἐχζητεῖν τὰς ἤδη ἐξαφανισθείσας μορφὰς, εὐχερῶς τῆς διανοίας πάλιν ῥεπούσας ἐπὶ τὸ ἐχόληθὲν πάθος, καὶ τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων πλάστιγγα θούσας ἕως ἐδάφους. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἕξις τίς ἐστι τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ ἄγαν εὐκόλως, εἰ ἀμελοῖτο ἐπὶ τὰ ἐναντία ταλαντεύουσα.
Kai gar autois ho en machairą kai toxǭ labein legōn Sichēma deiknysi, hoti machę̄, kai ponǭ ekekratēkei tōn pathōn. chatachrypsas auta en tę̄ Sichēmōn gē. Dochei de pōs enantion phainesthai to katakryptein en Sichēmois tous theous, kai to tithenai eidōlon en apokryphǭ to men gar estin epaineton … to en Sikēmois katakryptein to de psekton to tithenai eidōlon en apokryphǭ houtō goun kai meta kataras ethēke touto eipōn, Epikataratos ho titheis eidōlon en apokryphǭ. Ou tauton gar estin en gę̄ pro to panteles chatachrypsai, kai to theinai en apochryphǭ. To men gar en gę̄ kai mēcheti tę̄ aisthēsei phainomenon, tǭ chronǭ, kai tēs mnēmēs apaleiphetai to de en apokryphǭ tethen tous men hexōthen isōs lanthanei, par᾽ autou de tou tetheikotos horōmenon synechōs tēn mnēmēn agalmatēphoroumenon lathraiōs. Pas gar logismos aischros morphoumenos en tę̄ dianoią, glypton estin apokryphon. Houtōs goun aischynē estin eis meson protheinai tas toiautas ennoias, episphales goun kai tǭ en apochryphǭ theinai glypton, episphalesteron de, to thein, kai echzētein tas ēdē exaphanistheisas morphas, eucherōs tēs dianoias palin rhepousas epi to echolēthen pathos, kai tēn tōn eidōlōn plastinga thousas heōs edaphous. Toiautē gar hexis tis esti tēs aretēs kai agan eukolōs, ei ameloito epi ta enantia talanteuousa.
And to them he who says he took Shechem with sword and bow shows that by battle and toil he had mastered the passions, hiding them away in the land of Shechem. Now it may seem somehow contradictory that hiding the gods in Shechem [is praised], while setting up an idol in secret [is cursed]. For the one is praiseworthy … to hide them in Shechem; the other blameworthy, to set up an idol in secret. Thus he laid it down with a curse, saying, “Cursed is he who sets up an idol in secret.” For it is not the same thing to hide something altogether in the earth and to set it up in secret. What is in the earth and no longer appears to sense is wiped from the memory too by time; but what is set up in secret perhaps escapes the notice of outsiders, yet, being continually seen by the one who set it up, is carried about secretly as an image in the memory. For every shameful thought that takes form in the mind is a secret carved image. Thus it is a disgrace to bring such ideas out into the open; it is dangerous also to set up a carved image in secret; and more dangerous still to [seek] and search out forms that have already been obliterated, since the mind easily inclines again toward the passion that was [rooted out] and tips the balance of the idols down to the ground. For such is a state of virtue: if it is neglected, it sways very easily toward the opposite.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 48:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 27:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Burying the gods at Shechem is praised but a secret idol is cursed: shameful thoughts must be buried, not cherished in the memory.
- Shechem taken with sword and bow: Gen 48:22. “Cursed is he who sets up an idol in secret”: Deut 27:15. Two long stretches of Migne's facing Latin column interrupt the section and have been removed; the Greek runs on across the second (τιθέ|ναι). Words lost in the first gap 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): ἵν, ὅ. ἱ δαὶ γναιῸ π σῖγα πὶ χ πορὶ φοηιῖα, ἴῃ ἀδίῃοορα. ἀδοίαγαν Εἰ Π ἰηίαῦ οἱ Ἰπ Ὁ εἰν οἱ ΠΏ οἱ Γ δ΄: π η Π τα Π ΠΠυπἢ ο οἰν Δία, ἃ δια, Τὴ οδὲ ΒῈ ὰ οἴδοία ᾿ῃποςοηίθῃ ἤ. ἃ τοο Δ ῃ ε ΕἾ οἱ δἱ νι δ βά πὶ πί πη, οὐιδοίαι γ ἀχοὶρίαὶ αι χ δ ἀ πηᾶπὰ δ δ᾿. ΠΝ ὴς πὴ Γυ πὶ οἱ εἰ ἃ ἰ ν π ς Ροϑὶ υἱ, πού πα ἱπεῖρίδη Θ ἱπλαφίη Δι δἰ πηι ἀοὶ,, οομῃίίημπο υἱ Π οἴ πὶ, πος ἰρθὰ βοαὶ αὐ, ἰπιγοθμπςοῖ οογίδηιοιν, ρᾶΔ πὶ Υἱνθηαὶ ἀπ. η Ο ὺ ΠῚ ΓΙ Π ἰίατυπη οἴεγαι οἱ τυ ἀ π υς ἱγφίίαν ἰά π κ ἢ Πα Ὀ οὐ ἱπηασίπαι οι ἢ γοοιγιαὶ ἴῃ π ὅλοο οομίσηρία οἱ δ. Π οἱ ν ἐ οὶ παι ἐφ ἴῃ δ, Ρ οἱ πο δὼ δ ι πη ἴιος ἰδ ργῶη ἀοδίψηδη ὑογὸ ἰά Ὁ Ρυρηᾶ, βδίο Ὁ, Ιάδο οἱ ὅδοοῦ δίεεπια πὶ βραβεῖο οι ἴη ρ ἰπ οἱ ἄγει δίεδηιὰ δὺἅ ἀἴσοι οι οἱ θυ μοί ἦι γγὰ σοι ΓΙ οί ουῃἀγα πὶ Δυβοοηάογα ἀ ἴῃ οἱ ἢ. ο, οἷ π ἰδ ά απο ἴῃ ἔχοι. Προ νὴ, οι. χα, ὅδ. αἰ αν. Ἰδίυ ὦ γὰρ Α → … ; ἰὼ ο. οἱ οδιίοπα ἰὸς ε Μα δ ἰ το πος ἰά πὶ ἣν εἱ Δυθοοηύογο, οἱ ρόπογα ὑοῦ σοι οἱ πυ ἀδἤο α ἰη ἴδῃ αι ἰλιοῖ, Δρυά Δδμβδοίυ Π ΠῚ ἷΠ πῃ πηοηία ογπλλία σου τυ ρ δίς ἰδ πὶ ἢ Δ Ι η ρογίουοἱ ἴῃ Ρ γ οἱ οἱ πὶ Δ Διο α ἰη Π ἀροργίπιοηῖα δι ΠῚ πε ἰδ απ. ΠῚ πη ἢ εἶθ τ οἱ τά δἱ ἴῃ σοηίγαγία ἄδγδη Ἦος νι οῖας Ῥίιγα, υ πὶ ἰπ πη Π ἴῃ πηυιίοπα σόμη ν ἃς υἱ οὲ τι, Τηοῖυ ο ἰ Διὶ οἴ ἶρδα ἃ ΠΙ ορογίοὶ ργαῦογο πὶ διὰ παι δρι δ γι θα τας αἱ ἰη ἰπ δι θη Γ δυάιιοί αν. σα γα οἰ Δ πὶ Π εἰ ἰηνίια γα ἰοῦ ἃ λά Ουλιποῦγοη οἱ Διο ἢ τ, βά οὔβαγναγο οἱ οὐδογναῖ, ΠῚ οραγαῖῖο.,, ποι ἴδο ἰηυπάδτο ΝΟ γογῸ βὶ ἱργο υρία ἢος οοηίγίο, ἀο Ορογαῖῖο. δὲ θη συ ὶ ἰη δἰίθπία, οἱ ἦρθα γᾶν υἱ Δρραγθηίοῦ, βά πο πὶ πῃ Δο οἱ οσομηραγοιίοπα Π ἴῃ τη οἶο ΧΙ,. ὕιτᾳια ἰπ ἢ απο πὶ ρτοοίδιυ οὶ θη τη μίης οἱ ΓΟ ν γα δίορα ἃ Δυήὶς. κν, ἵποθη ἢ → ; ἐχεχρατήχε → ἐκεκρατήκει; τὸ χαὩχρύπτειν → τὸ κατακρύπτειν; μετὰ κα. τάρας → μετὰ κατάρας.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 38 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/38). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/38
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-38) · 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 39
39PG 79
Τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ συμβόλου σημαίνειν ἔοικεν ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅταν φησί ε Ἶ γῆ, ἣν εἰσπορεύεσθε, μετακινουμένη ἐστὶν ἐν λαῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἅμα γὰρ ἐκινήθη πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία ὁ τὴν ἕξιν ἔχων τῇς ἀρετῆς, καὶ συμμετεχινήθῃη καὶ αὕτη μετακινουμένη ἐστί. Διὸ χρὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ διδόναι πάροδον ἐπὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ταῖς τῶν βλάπτειν πεφυκότων λογισμὸν φαντασίαις, μηδὲ συγχωρεῖν αὐτῇ εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ εἰς ᾿Ασσυρίους βίᾳ χατάγεται. Ἐὰν γὰρ εἷς τὸν σκοτασμὸν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων κατελογίσθη λογισμῶν ἢ διάνοια τοῦτο γὰρ Αἴγυπτος μεθερμηνεύεται βίᾳ λοιπὸν καὶ μὴ θέλουσα ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν ἕλκεται. Διὰ τοῦτο συμθολιχῶς καὶ ὁ νομοθέτης ἀποκλείων τῆς ἡδονῆς τὴν παρείσδυσιν, τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ ὄφεως τηρεῖν ἐχέλευ σεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κἀκεῖνος τὴν πτέρναν τηρεῖ, ἐκείνῳ μὲν γὰρ σκοπὸς ἣ ἐνέργεια ἧς εἰ μὴ ἐπιλάβηται, ἐγχεράσαι τῷ τὸν ἰὸν εὐχερῶς δύναται. Ἡμῖν δὲ σπουδὴ αὐτὴν θλάσαι τὴν προσβολὴν τῆς ἡδονῆς, ταύτης γὰρ ς ἀσθενὴς ἢ ἐνέργεια. Τάχα δὲ καὶ Σαμψὼν οὐχί ἂν ἐνέπρησε τὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων θέρη, εἰ μὴ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀντεστραμμένων ἀλωπέκων συνέδησε ταῖς οὐραῖς. γὰρ δυνηθεὶς τῶν πανούργων λογισμῶν ἐκ προοιμίων: χάσασθαι τὴν ἐνέδραν, καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς παριδὰν, αν νὰς γὰρ τῷ δοκεῖν αὐτὰς ποιεῖσθαι μηχανῶνται τῶ ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ τέλους, καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν περάτων προσάλληλα συγκρίσεως ἐλέγξει τὸ ἄτοπον τῶν λογισμῶν, κέρκον συνδήσας χέρχῳ, λαμπάδα θεὶς ἀναμέσον αὑτῶν ὃν ἔλεγχον.
Touto gar dia symbolou sēmainein eoiken hē Graphē, hotan phēsi e I gē, hēn eisporeuesthe, metakinoumenē estin en laōn tōn ethnōn. Hama gar ekinēthē pros ta enantia ho tēn hexin echōn tę̄s aretēs, kai symmetechinēthę̄ē kai hautē metakinoumenē esti. Dio chrē tēn archēn mē didonai parodon epi tēn dianoian tais tōn blaptein pephykotōn logismon phantasiais, mēde synchōrein autę̄ eis Aigypton ekeithen gar eis ᾿Assyrious bią chatagetai. Ean gar heis ton skotasmon tōn akathartōn katelogisthē logismōn ē dianoia touto gar Aigyptos methermēneuetai bią loipon kai mē thelousa hypo tōn pathōn epi tēn ergasian helketai. Dia touto symtholichōs kai ho nomothetēs apokleiōn tēs hēdonēs tēn pareisdysin, tēn kephalēn tou opheōs tērein echeleu sen. Epeidē gar kakeinos tēn pternan tērei, ekeinǭ men gar skopos hē energeia hēs ei mē epilabētai, encherasai tǭ ton ion eucherōs dynatai. Hēmin de spoudē autēn thlasai tēn prosbolēn tēs hēdonēs, tautēs gar s asthenēs ē energeia. Tacha de kai Sampsōn ouchi an eneprēse ta tōn allophylōn therē, ei mē tas kephalas antestrammenōn alōpekōn synedēse tais ourais. gar dynētheis tōn panourgōn logismōn ek prooimiōn: chasasthai tēn enedran, kai tas archas paridan, an nas gar tǭ dokein autas poieisthai mēchanōntai tō epilathesthai tou telous, kai ek tēs tōn peratōn prosallēla synkriseōs elenxei to atopon tōn logismōn, kerkon syndēsas cherchǭ, lampada theis anameson hautōn hon elenchon.
Scripture seems to signify this by a figure when it says, “The land which you are entering is a land moved about among the peoples of the nations.” For as soon as the one who has the state of virtue is moved toward the opposite, that state is moved along with him and becomes unstable. Therefore one must from the beginning give no passage into the mind to the fantasies of thoughts that naturally do harm, and not let it [go down] into Egypt; for from there it is carried off by force to the Assyrians. For if the mind [goes down] into the darkness of unclean thoughts (for that is what “Egypt” means), it is thereafter dragged by force, even against its will, by the passions to the deed. That is why the lawgiver, too, shutting out by a figure the entry of pleasure, commanded that the serpent's head be watched. For since the serpent watches the heel (his aim is the act; and unless he lays hold of that, he cannot easily inject his venom), our zeal is to crush the very first assault of pleasure; for when it [is crushed], the act is weak. Perhaps, too, Samson would not have burned the harvests of the Philistines had he not turned the foxes head to tail and tied them together by their tails. For one who was not able to [detect] from the outset the ambush of crafty thoughts, and overlooked their beginnings (for they contrive to make the beginnings seem [good], so that the end is forgotten), will, by comparing their ends with one another, expose the absurdity of the thoughts, tying tail to tail and putting the torch of exposure between them.
Ezra 9:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 52:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 3:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Judg 15:4–5 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Evil thoughts must be stopped at their first approach; failing that, comparing where two temptations end exposes them, as Samson tied the foxes tail to tail.
- The land moved about among the nations: Ezra 9:11 (LXX 2 Esd 9:11). Egypt and Assyria: cf. Isa 52:4; Hos 11:5. “Egypt” explained as darkness is a traditional etymology. The serpent's head and heel: Gen 3:15. Samson and the foxes: Judg 15:4–5. Several damaged words are translated by sense (in brackets).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): μεταχίνου μένη → μετακινουμένη; κινήθη ποὺς → κινήθη πρὸς; σνγχωρεῖν → συγχωρεῖν; κατἐλογίσθη λογιτμῶν → κατελογίσθη λογισμῶν; προσδολὴν → προσβολὴν; ἀνγειξτρέτῶν ἁλωπέκχων → ἀντεστραμμένων ἀλωπέκων; λογισιῶν → λογισμῶν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 39 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/39). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/39
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-39) · 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 40
40PG 79
Καὶ ἵνα σαφέστερον γένηται τὸ λεγόμενον, ἐπὶ δύο λογισμῶν γυμνώσω τὸ εἰρημένον ἔσται γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πίστις ἀληθής. Πολλάχες ἀπὸ … ξίας ἔρχεται ὁ τῆς πορνείας λογισμὸς, καὶ σεμνὰ … μὲν τὰ προπύλαια τῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ἄδην φερουσῶν ὁδῶν ᾿ κρύπτει δὲ τοὺς ὀλεθροίους τρόπους, δι ὧν εἰς τὰ τοῦ ἄδου ταμεῖα κατάγει τοὺς ἑπομένους ἀλογίστως αὐτῷ ὑποτίθεται γὰρ ὅτε μὲν ἱερωσύνην, ὅτε δὲ βίον μοναχοῦ τέλειον, πολλούς τοὺς ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείᾳ παραγινομένους ποιεῖ πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν εὐδοκίμησιν ἔκ τε λόγου καὶ πράξεως αὐτὸν φαντάζεσθαι παρασκευάζει καὶ ὅτε ἱκανῶς αὑτὸν ταύταις περιβουκολήσας ταῖς ἐννοίαις ἀπαγάγῃ πολὺ τῆς φυσιχῆς νήψεως, τότε εὐτυχίαν δῆθεν σεμνῆς γυνα: ὑπογράψας, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ μιαροῦ πράγματος φέρει ἐνέργειαν τὴν τῆς συνειδήσεως παῤῥησίαν εἰς ἐσχάτην καταφέρων αἰσχύνην. Ὁ τοίνυν τὰς κέρκους συνδῆσαι βουλόμενος, λαμβανέτω τῶν δύο λογισμῶν τὰ τέλη, τῆς μὲν κενοδοξίας τὸ ἐπιτίμιον, τῆς δὲ πορνείας τὸ ἄτιμον, καὶ ὅς τὰς ἐναντιουμένας ἴδῃ σαφῶς ἀλλήλα: ς, τότε νομιζέτω τὸ τοῦ Σαμψὼν πεποι χέναι. Πάλιν ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας λογισμὸς τέλος ἔχει τὸ τῆς πορνείας ὁ δὲ τῆς πορνείας τέλος τὸν τῆς λύπης εὐθέως γὰρ λύπῃ ἀθυμία ἕπεται τῷ ἡττημένῳ τοῖς τοιούτοις λογισμοῖς μετὰ τὴν ἄνεσιν, Λογιζέσθω οὖν ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος μὴ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν βρωμάτων, μηδὲ τὸ λεῖον τῆς ἡδονῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ἑκατέρων τούτων τὰ τέλη, καὶ ὅταν εὕρῃ λύπην ἀκολουθοῦσαν ἀμφοτέροις, ἴστω κέρκον χέρχῳ δεδεκὼς, καὶ τῷ ἐλέγχῳ τὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἀφανίσας θέρη.
Kai hina saphesteron genētai to legomenon, epi dyo logismōn gymnōsō to eirēmenon estai gar touto kai tōn loipōn pistis alēthēs. Pollaches apo … xias erchetai ho tēs porneias logismos, kai semna … men ta propylaia tōn epi ton adēn pherousōn hodōn ᾿ kryptei de tous olethroious tropous, di hōn eis ta tou adou tameia katagei tous hepomenous alogistōs autǭ hypotithetai gar hote men hierōsynēn, hote de bion monachou teleion, pollous tous ep᾽ ōpheleią paraginomenous poiei pros auton, kai tēn eudokimēsin ek te logou kai praxeōs auton phantazesthai paraskeuazei kai hote hikanōs hauton tautais periboukolēsas tais ennoiais apagagę̄ poly tēs physichēs nēpseōs, tote eutychian dēthen semnēs gyna: hypograpsas, epi tēn tou miarou pragmatos pherei energeian tēn tēs syneidēseōs parrhēsian eis eschatēn katapherōn aischynēn. Ho toinyn tas kerkous syndēsai boulomenos, lambanetō tōn dyo logismōn ta telē, tēs men kenodoxias to epitimion, tēs de porneias to atimon, kai hos tas enantioumenas idę̄ saphōs allēla: s, tote nomizetō to tou Sampsōn pepoi chenai. Palin ho tēs gastrimargias logismos telos echei to tēs porneias ho de tēs porneias telos ton tēs lypēs eutheōs gar lypę̄ athymia hepetai tǭ hēttēmenǭ tois toioutois logismois meta tēn anesin, Logizesthō oun ho agōnizomenos mē tēn apolausin tōn brōmatōn, mēde to leion tēs hēdonēs, all᾽ hekaterōn toutōn ta telē, kai hotan heurę̄ lypēn akolouthousan amphoterois, istō kerkon cherchǭ dedekōs, kai tǭ elenchǭ ta tōn allophylōn aphanisas therē.
To make what has been said clearer, I will lay it bare with two thoughts; this will also be a true proof of the rest. Often the thought of sexual immorality comes from …[vain]glory, and, … solemn …, [opens] the front gates of the roads that lead to Hades, but hides the deadly ways by which it brings down to the chambers of Hades those who follow it without reflection. For it suggests to him now the priesthood, now the perfect life of a monk; it makes many come to him for their benefit, and prepares him to imagine renown from his word and deed; and when it has sufficiently beguiled him with these ideas and led him far from his natural watchfulness, then, sketching for him a supposed good fortune with a respectable woman, it carries him on to the act of the foul deed, bringing the boldness of his conscience down to the utmost shame. So let one who wants to tie the tails together take the ends of the two thoughts: of vainglory, the reproach; of sexual immorality, the dishonor. And when he sees clearly that they oppose one another, then let him think he has done what Samson did. Again, the thought of gluttony has as its end that of sexual immorality, and that of sexual immorality ends in the thought of sadness; for sadness and despondency at once follow the one defeated by such thoughts after his relief. Let the one who struggles, then, consider not the enjoyment of foods nor the smoothness of pleasure, but the ends of both; and when he finds sadness following both, let him know that he has tied tail to tail and, by exposing them, destroyed the harvests of the Philistines.
Prov 7:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Judg 15:4–5 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Examples: vainglory that leads to sexual sin, and gluttony that ends in sadness, are exposed by looking at where they end.
- The chain of thoughts (gluttony, sexual immorality, sadness; vainglory) is the scheme of the eight thoughts familiar from Evagrius. The roads and chambers of Hades: Prov 7:27. Samson: Judg 15:4–5. Two stretches of Latin-column debris early in the section have been removed; the word before “glory” (probably κενοδοξίας, “vainglory”) is damaged, and the verb “opens” is supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): χιὼν Τ ΠΕ Τ → … ; Α βἰοτία ἀ οἱ σγανῖὰ απ → … ; ἐπὶ δο λογισμῶν → ἐπὶ δύο λογισμῶν; ἔρχετα ὁ → ἔρχεται ὁ; ἀλογέστως → ἀλογίστως; πΞεριθουχολήσας → περιβουκολήσας; ἐσχάτιν → ἐσχάτην; πὰ τέλη → τὰ τέλη; ἐπιτέμιον → ἐπιτίμιον; τῇ; δὲ Β πορνείας → τῆς δὲ πορνείας; πέλος ἔχει → τέλος ἔχει; ἀνάτιν → ἄνεσιν; δεδεχὼς → δεδεκὼς.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 40 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/40). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/40
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-40) · 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 41
41PG 79
Εἰ τοίνυν τοσαύτης ἐπιστήμης καὶ ἐμπειρίας δεῖται ὁ πρὸς τὰ πάθη πολεμῶν, γινωσκέτωσαν οἱ τῶν ἑτέρων ἀναδεδειμένοι προστασίαν πόσης αὑτοῖς χρεία τῆς γνώσεως ἵνα καὶ τοὺς; ὑποτεταγμένους ἐμφρόνως ὁδηγήσωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, καὶ πάντα σαφῶς; τὰ τῆς ἀπάτης διδάξωσιν, ὡς μὴ χειρονομοῦντας μόνον ἐν ἀέρι τὰ τῆς νίκης σχηματίζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον μάχῃ, καιρίας ἐπιφέρειν τὰς πληγὰς, ἵνα μὴ διὰ κενῆς ἐν ἀέρι τὰς χεῖρας, ἀλλ᾽ αὖτὸν τὸν ἀντίπαλον. Τοῦ γὰρ γυμνιχοῦ ἀγῶνος οὗτος ὁ ἀγὼν δυσχερέστερος ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἀθλητῶν σώματα χλίνεται ῥᾳδίως ἀνορθοῦσθαι δυνάμενα ἐνταῦθα δὲ ψυχαὶ καταπίπτουσιν, ἃς ἅπαξ ἀνατραπείσας, μόλις ἔστιν ἀνεγεῖραι. Εἰ δέ τις ἔτι τὸν ἐμπαθῆ βίον διαπυκτεύων, καὶ πεφυρμένος ἐν αἴματι ναὸν Θεοῦ ἐκ λογιχῶν οἰκοδομεῖν ψυχῶν, πάντως ἀκούσεται ὁ τοιοῦτος Ὅτι οὐ σὺ οἰκοδομήσεις μοι ὅτι ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων εἶ σύ. γὰρ ἔστι καταστάσεως οἰκοδομεῖν ναὸν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ Μωῦσῃς μὲν λαβὼν τὴν σκηνὴν, καὶ ἕξω ἧς παρεμβολῆς πηξάμενος, δηλοῖ τοῦ πολεμικοῦ θορύβου δεῖν εἶναι τὸν διδάσκαλον καὶ μακρὰν τοῦ πεφυρμένου ἀποικεῖσθαι στρατοπέδου πρὸς εἰρηνικὸν, καὶ ἀπόλεμον χαταστάντα βίον. Ὅταν εὑρεθῶσι τοιοῦτοι διδάσκαλοι μαθητῶν οὕτως ἀρνησαμένων ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τὰ … τῶν θελήματα, ὡς ἁψύχου σώματος ἑαυτοὺς … διαφέρειν, ἣ ὕλης ὑποθεδλημένης τεχνίτῃ, ὥσπερ Ψυχὴ ἐν σύ ἐνεργεῖ ὃ βούλεται, οὐδὲν τοῦ σώματὸς ἀντιπράττοντος καὶ ὥσπερ τεχνίτης ἐν ὕλῃ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδείκνυται τέχνην, οὐδὲν παρ᾽ αὑτῆς πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον σκοπὸν ἐ μποδιζόμενος οὕτως ὁ διδάσκαλος ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιστήμην ἐργάζεται ἔχων πειθηνίους, καὶ πρὸς μηδὲν ἀντιλέγοντας.
Ei toinyn tosautēs epistēmēs kai empeirias deitai ho pros ta pathē polemōn, ginōsketōsan hoi tōn heterōn anadedeimenoi prostasian posēs hautois chreia tēs gnōseōs hina kai tous? hypotetagmenous emphronōs hodēgēsōsin epi to brabeion tēs anō klēseōs, kai panta saphōs? ta tēs apatēs didaxōsin, hōs mē cheironomountas monon en aeri ta tēs nikēs schēmatizein, alla kai en autę̄ tę̄ pros ton antipalon machę̄, kairias epipherein tas plēgas, hina mē dia kenēs en aeri tas cheiras, all᾽ auton ton antipalon. Tou gar gymnichou agōnos houtos ho agōn dyscheresteros ekei men gar athlētōn sōmata chlinetai rhądiōs anorthousthai dynamena entautha de psychai katapiptousin, has hapax anatrapeisas, molis estin anegeirai. Ei de tis eti ton empathē bion diapykteuōn, kai pephyrmenos en aimati naon Theou ek logichōn oikodomein psychōn, pantōs akousetai ho toioutos Hoti ou sy oikodomēseis moi hoti anēr haimatōn ei sy. gar esti katastaseōs oikodomein naon tǭ Theǭ. Kai Mōysę̄s men labōn tēn skēnēn, kai hexō hēs parembolēs pēxamenos, dēloi tou polemikou thorybou dein einai ton didaskalon kai makran tou pephyrmenou apoikeisthai stratopedou pros eirēnikon, kai apolemon chatastanta bion. Hotan heurethōsi toioutoi didaskaloi mathētōn houtōs arnēsamenōn heautous, kai ta … tōn thelēmata, hōs hapsychou sōmatos heautous … diapherein, hē hylēs hypothedlēmenēs technitę̄, hōsper Psychē en sy energei ho bouletai, ouden tou sōmatos antiprattontos kai hōsper technitēs en hylę̄ tēn oikeian epideiknytai technēn, ouden par᾽ hautēs pros ton idion skopon e mpodizomenos houtōs ho didaskalos en tois mathētais tēn tēs aretēs epistēmēn ergazetai echōn peithēnious, kai pros mēden antilegontas.
If, then, the one who fights against the passions needs so much knowledge and experience, let those who have taken on the leadership of others know how much knowledge they need, so that they may guide those under them wisely to the prize of the upward call and teach them plainly all the tricks of deceit; so that they do not merely shape the gestures of victory in the air, like shadow-boxers, but in the very battle with the adversary deal blows that land, so as not to strike the air in vain with their hands, but the adversary himself. For this contest is harder than the contest of the gymnasium: there the bodies of athletes are thrown and can easily be set upright again; here it is souls that fall, and once overturned they can hardly be raised up. If someone still boxing his way through the life of passion, and stained with blood, [undertakes] to build a temple of God out of rational souls, such a man will surely hear, “You shall not build [a house] for me, for you are a man of blood.” For it belongs to a [peaceful] state to build a temple to God. And Moses, by taking the tent and pitching it outside the camp, shows that the teacher must be [outside] the tumult of war and must live far from the bloodstained camp, settled in a peaceful life free from war. When such teachers are found, with disciples who have so denied themselves and their own wills … as to differ in nothing from a body without a soul, or from material laid before a craftsman, [then], just as the soul does what it wills in the body, with the body in no way resisting, and as a craftsman displays his own art in his material, hindered by it in nothing from his purpose, so the teacher works the knowledge of virtue in his disciples, since he has them obedient and contradicting him in nothing.
Phil 3:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 9:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Chr 28:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 22:8 (quotation, medium confidence) · Exod 33:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:24 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One who leads others must know the war against the passions and live at peace himself; then obedient disciples can be shaped like material by a craftsman.
- The prize of the upward call: Phil 3:14. Not beating the air: 1 Cor 9:26. “You shall not build a house for me, for you are a man of blood”: 1 Chr 22:8; 28:3 (to David). The tent outside the camp: Exod 33:7. Denying oneself: Matt 16:24. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed (marked …); the Greek runs on across the second.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ἐχυν, ὃ; ὅ, να α νά διὰ ΓΗ Ὸ νο Ὸ οι δα ε δὲ ἴῃ Ομ οίγΑ Π ἐπ δάσο υἱ δ ης αι: Γδι πᾶς τ γ αὐ δοοοίδγο η οἱ ὁ οἱ Ορόγὰ Ομ Π οἱ Εἰ ΓΟ γι ἃ υ οίαια, σοι δὲ πι ον δ ρ ἢ ρ εἰ Πα δὶ ὀχίγαπιδη ἀο Ὁθαι ἰρίίαν ἙΟἢ ρᾶγο δ η ὲ Ομ πὶ φυ θην ΠΟ γογῸ ἀσύδσοι οἱ αοἴαγα δὶ βὲ ἰηνίοθιη, ἴσης ρμεοὶ ἰάδιν, ὴ δ ἤπθη οὶ οὐ αἰ οηἶς ο ι οἱ η δυ δου οὐ πὶ, ἴδε ν η ᾧ,. αι π ς εἶᾶ δἰ υ απ, οἷν ι αἱ φιᾶπο σοι ἢ οἱ δΓδυμιδηῖο ΤΙ ΚΕ. Ο ἰδηία βοίθιἶα., οἱ οἷ, πὶ αυδηίᾳ ἱμνοὶ μοι υἱ οἱ βά. υγανίυ τι οἱ Εἰ υἱ ποη ἰδία ἴῃ Γ ᾿δοίδη ΠῚ ι αἱ ἴῃ ᾿ ρ Ρυφηᾶ ἰμἴδγαι ἱ Π π ΠΙ Π Δη ι τη Δ πο αἰ οἰ δῖ ρυσπᾶ Δ ιι Δ ὶ ἐν ἰδία δπίηλα πε ὶ Δ Π ε σι Ἰἰσοῖ Γοδύγξογα νθγῸ υ ἴῃ ουμὶἈὉ εἰ ὺ πὶ εἰδοογία οἱ αι δὶ θυ φὐπίσαγα ε πο πλ νἷν ἡ πὶ ὁ δύ βίδίυ πὶ ρᾷς: ἤσιη οἰ ὕσαγο Εἰ δοείρίοι ἱ Οχίγὰ πο δι πη Ομ ἃ ι ΙΔ φ δι γα οἱ Ζ, ἃ Ρογιυγθδίίοια τοῖοι εἱἷεἰ ιια οἱ, ο ὦ οὐ πὶ ἢ ιΓ ρ Εἴ Ὑ υ ἯΙ γι ὧν ο Α → … ; δ ἃ πιδίογία Δ υἱ σοι ταῦ οἱ ἴῃ τ ογῖα ἶ ρ ργῷροἴἰἃ βίο Ὁ δι ἀἰδεῖρυ υἱγρίη δ δ ἤάθδιις μ δὲ ἰῇ ἢ ἃ γα Δ ΚΗ. ΝίΩ ας συγίοδα ἴῃ διγατη τη τὶ, οἱ ἃ γ απ τη ἰά πὸς Π Π η δὶ ἴος οἱ νόγὸ Χ, οἱ ἐπιροιίτυς ὁ, αυῶ δι δ Πὸ ἰδίας πα, δι πὶ δ νου ΝΟ Π ἀ τη δθογτγαί ἃ π αι ἀδοοριίοηα υ η Δί ῖ. ῥγίπηο ἀβρθοίαυ αν οὐ γα θυ η ἃ ἴῃ πανὶ ταἴῃ απ ἐδ πὶ, Δα πὶ ἴση υἱ ρίοη α, ἀ δι δοδληῖηο, οἰ πη ρ δῖ ι βυ θνογίαι πιᾶρνφσιαναῖς ζ. υ οἱ ἅδε γ υἱ ΓΌ συραΥἷυ ἢ δι οη υ α ἰὰ ραν βορά ὑπὰ ρδηίο ᾳυδὴ δυδίοι δου ν γ ἱ δα υ οι οἰ πο ἰὰ ἧι. τιν πὶ πα πὶ αἰ η τ οἰ μα ἴ ΓΙ Φ οὐ π η:, ῃ ἢ δὲ αὐ Ὠ αχῖγα πὶ. εἰ γαῖ, ἴατίο ἈΠ οη πὴ βοἶρο υἷα ἰΔ σον πη δ ηἰοτη θη ἱ πὶ βὲ ἃ ροβίγοι ὁ οἱ δὐγυμροὶ ρογίοδδηοίοδποίυ Π υἱ ἢ φαθσιηρίαιῃ νἵνθηἐΐ βιι σομβοοί τὰ ι Ὸ θιι Οὔ τπαρίβιγο αν πιυπηύο. ε δὶ ἢ Ὀοῦθυ οἱ ἀπ Ἰυφξαυοῦιη οἱ ἴῃ ἰά οἰ οὶ ουν πος οι πὶ οἱ, ται Ὅ ἰ Τ ΠῚ χιχ, → … ; πΞοδαύτης → τοσαύτης; χρεία τῖςς γνώσεως → χρεία τῆς γνώσεως; τὰ τῆς νέχῃης → τὰ τῆς νίκης; ἀνχατραπείσας → ἀνατραπείσας; ἐμπαδῆ → ἐμπαθῆ; διαπυχτεύων → διαπυκτεύων; οἰκοδομήσει: μοι → οἰκοδομήσεις μοι; Θιῷ → Θεῷ; μὲνλαδὼν → μὲν λαβὼν; ἀποιχεῖσθα → ἀποικεῖσθαι; μαθττῶν → μαθητῶν; ἐργάστται → ἐργάζεται.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 41 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/41). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/41
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-41) · 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 42
42PG 79
Τὸ γὰρ περιεργάζεσθαι τὰ; τοῦ διδασχάλου οἶχονομίας, καὶ δοκιμάζειν ἐθέλειν τὰ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ προστασσόμενα, ἐμποδίσαι τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐστὶ προκοπῇ οὐδὲ γὰρ πάντως, ὅπερ εὔλογον καὶ πιθανὸν φαίνεται τῷ ἀπείρῳ, τοῦτο καὶ ἀληθῶς εὔλογόν ἐστιν. γὰρ ὁ τεχνίτης, καὶ ἄλλως ὁ ἄτεχνος κρίνει τὰ τῆς τέχνης κανόνι γὰρ ὃ τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ κέχρηται, ὁ δὲ τῷ εἰκότι τὸ δὲ εἰχὸς, ὀλιγάκις μὲν στοχάζεται τῆς ἀληθείας, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ μᾶλλον τῆς ὁρθότητος πρὸς τὴν ἀπάτην ἔχων τὴν συγγένειαν. Τί γὰρ κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον ἀλογώτερον δοχεῖ τοῦ τὸν χυδερνήτην πλαγίας φερομένης τῆς νηὸς κατὰ τὸν πρὸς ὄρθιον ὑπὸ τῶν ναυτιχῶν καλούμενον πλοῦν ἐπὶ τὸν βαπτιζόμενον τοῖχον προστάσσειν καθῆσθαι, ἀφέντας τὸν ὑπερανεστῶτα, καὶ τοῦ ἀνέμου πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μᾶλλον ὠθοῦντος, καὶ ἀνατρέποντος; ἐφ᾽ ᾧ βαρεῖν ἐκέλευσε, καὶ μὴν τὸ εἰχὸς ἐπὶ τὸν ἐπανιστάμενον βαρεῖν τοῖχον συμβουλεύειν οὐχὶ διατρέχειν ἐπὶ τὸν κινδυνεύοντα ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως τῷ χυδερνήτῃ πείθονται μᾶλλον οἱ ἐμπλέοντες, ἣ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπινοίαις πείθει γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἀνάγχη δουλεύειν τῇ τέχνῃ τοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐγχεχειρισμένου, χἂν τὸ πιθανὸν ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων μὴ ἔχῃ τὸ γινόμενον. Οὐχ οὖν οἱ ἐπιστρέψαντες ἑτέρους τὴν οἰκείαν σωτηρίαν, ἀφἐντες τὰ εἰκότα, τῇ τέχνῃ τοῦ εἰδότος παραχωρείτωσαν τῶν ἰδίων λογισμῶν, ἀξιοπιστοτέραν τὴν ἐχείνου κρίνοντες ἐπιστήμην; Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀποτασσόμενοι, μηδὲν ἔξω χαταλιμπανέτωσαν, μηδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον, δεδοικότες τὸ τοῦ ᾿Ανανίου ὑπόδειγμα, ὃς ἀνθρώπους νοσφίζεσθαι νομίσας, θεόθεν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ κλοπῇ ἐδέξατο καταδίκην.
To gar periergazesthai ta? tou didaschalou oichonomias, kai dokimazein ethelein ta par᾽ autou prostassomena, empodisai tę̄ idią esti prokopę̄ oude gar pantōs, hoper eulogon kai pithanon phainetai tǭ apeirǭ, touto kai alēthōs eulogon estin. gar ho technitēs, kai allōs ho atechnos krinei ta tēs technēs kanoni gar ho tę̄ epistēmę̄ kechrētai, ho de tǭ eikoti to de eichos, oligakis men stochazetai tēs alētheias, ta de polla mallon tēs horthotētos pros tēn apatēn echōn tēn syngeneian. Ti gar kata to phainomenon alogōteron dochei tou ton chydernētēn plagias pheromenēs tēs nēos kata ton pros orthion hypo tōn nautichōn kaloumenon ploun epi ton baptizomenon toichon prostassein kathēsthai, aphentas ton hyperanestōta, kai tou anemou pros ekeinon mallon ōthountos, kai anatrepontos? eph᾽ hǭ barein ekeleuse, kai mēn to eichos epi ton epanistamenon barein toichon symbouleuein ouchi diatrechein epi ton kindyneuonta all᾽ homōs tǭ chydernētę̄ peithontai mallon hoi empleontes, hē tais heautōn epinoiais peithei gar autous hē ananchē douleuein tę̄ technę̄ tou tēn sōtērian enchecheirismenou, chan to pithanon ek tōn horōmenōn mē echę̄ to ginomenon. Ouch oun hoi epistrepsantes heterous tēn oikeian sōtērian, aphentes ta eikota, tę̄ technę̄ tou eidotos parachōreitōsan tōn idiōn logismōn, axiopistoteran tēn echeinou krinontes epistēmēn? Kai prōton men apotassomenoi, mēden exō chatalimpanetōsan, mēde to brachytaton, dedoikotes to tou ᾿Ananiou hypodeigma, hos anthrōpous nosphizesthai nomisas, theothen tēn epi tę̄ klopę̄ edexato katadikēn.
For to meddle with the teacher's arrangements, and to want to test what he orders, is to hinder one's own progress; for not everything that seems reasonable and plausible to the inexperienced is truly reasonable. The craftsman judges the matters of his craft one way, the unskilled another: the one uses knowledge as his rule, the other likelihood; and likelihood only rarely hits the truth, but for the most part has more kinship with deceit than with correctness. What seems more unreasonable, by appearances, than the helmsman who, when the ship is carried sideways on what sailors call the beat to windward, orders the passengers to sit on the side that is going under, leaving the side that is raised up, though the wind is pushing and overturning the ship toward the very side he told them to weigh down? Likelihood would advise weighing down the side that is rising, not running across to the side in danger. Yet those on board obey the helmsman rather than their own ideas; for necessity persuades them to serve the art of the one entrusted with their safety, even if what is done is not plausible from what they see. Should not those, then, who have entrusted their own salvation to others leave likelihood aside and yield their own reasonings to the art of the one who knows, judging his knowledge more trustworthy? And first, when they renounce the world, let them leave nothing outside, not even the smallest thing, fearing the example of Ananias, who, thinking he was keeping back something from men, received from God the sentence for his theft.
Acts 5:1–5 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Disciples should trust their teacher as passengers trust a helmsman, and renounce everything without holding back, remembering Ananias.
- Ananias: Acts 5:1–5. The sailing example is translated as printed; the manoeuvre described is Nilus's illustration of an order that seems unreasonable to the unskilled.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): προυτασσόμενα → προστασσόμενα; γὰρ Β ὁ τεχνέτης → γὰρ ὁ τεχνίτης; ἀρφἐντας → ἀφέντας; ἐπιΟ νοίαις → ἐπινοίαις; βραχύπάτον → βραχύτατον; ᾿Ανανίον → ᾿Ανανίου; χαταδίχῃν → καταδίκην.
Topics: Ethics, Church office
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 42 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/42). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/42
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-42) · 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 43
43PG 79
ὡς ἑαυτοὺς, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἑαυτῶν πάντα ἐπιδιδότωσαν, εὖ εἰδότες, ὅτι τὸ συνεχῶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀνέλχον, ἐπὶ πολὺ μὲν περισπάσει τῶν κρειττόνων, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τέλεον ἀποῤῥῆξει τῆς ἀδελφότητος. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ τοὺς βίους τῶν ἁγίων ἀνέγραψε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἵνα ἕκαστος τῶν ἥντινα οὖν ἐπιτηδευόντων ἀγωγὴν ἐξ ὁμοίων ὑποδειγμάτων προσαγάγηται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, Πῶς οὖν ὁ συντασσόμενος τῷ διδασκάλῳ ἀπετάξατο τῷ Ἠροτρία, φησὶ, ἐν καὶ δώδεκα ζεύγη βοῶν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσφαξε τὰς βοὺς, καὶ αὐτὰς ἐν τοῖς σκεύεσι τῶν βοῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ θερμὸν τῆς προθυμίας αἰνίσσεται οὐ γὰρ εἶπε Πωλήσω τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν, καὶ καθηκόντως οἶχονομήσω, ὅτ πραθέντα ταῦτα, πλείονα χρείαν ἀνοίσειν ἔμελλεν ἐλογίσατο ὅλος δὲ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας γενόμενος τῆς ἑλκούσης αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ἐπιουσίαν, κατεφρόνησε τῶν ὁρωμένων, καὶ μᾶλλον ὡς περισπώντων ἀπὸ τῆς προθέσεως ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐσπούδασεν, εἰδὼς τὴν ἀναβολὴν καὶ μεταμελείας αἰτίαν γενομένην πολλάκις, Πῶς δὲ ὁ Κύριος τῷ πλουσίῳ τὴν τελειότητα τοῦ κατὰ Θεὸν ὑποτιθέμενος βίον, πωλῆσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δοῦναι πτωπροσέταττε, καὶ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ καταλείπειν, εἰ μὴ τὸ χαταλιμπανόμενον ἔδει ὁμοίω:; τῷ παντὶ περισπασμοῦ αἴτιον γινόμενον; Νομίζω δὲ καὶ τὸν Μωσέα τοὺς ἀφαγνίζειν ἑαυτοὺς ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ βουλομένους εὐχῇ διὰ τοῦ προστάσσειν ἅπαν ξυρᾶσθαι τὸ σῶμα, τὴν παντελῆ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐπ τάσσειν ἀπόθεσιν, ᾽δεύτερον δὲ συγγενείας, καὶ οἰκειότητος οὕτως ἐπιλανθανέσθωσαν, ὡς; μηδόλως ταῖς τούτων μνήμαις Ἐνοχλεῖσθαί ποτε.
hōs heautous, houtō kai ta heautōn panta epididotōsan, eu eidotes, hoti to synechōs pros heauto tēn dianoian anelchon, epi poly men perispasei tōn kreittonōn, hysteron de kai teleon aporrhēxei tēs adelphotētos. Dia touto gar tous bious tōn hagiōn anegrapse to Pneuma to hagion, hina hekastos tōn hēntina oun epitēdeuontōn agōgēn ex homoiōn hypodeigmatōn prosagagētai tę̄ alētheią, Pōs oun ho syntassomenos tǭ didaskalǭ apetaxato tǭ Ērotria, phēsi, en kai dōdeka zeugē boōn enōpion autou, kai esphaxe tas bous, kai autas en tois skeuesi tōn boōn. Touto de to thermon tēs prothymias ainissetai ou gar eipe Pōlēsō ta zeugē tōn boōn, kai kathēkontōs oichonomēsō, hot prathenta tauta, pleiona chreian anoisein emellen elogisato holos de tēs epithymias genomenos tēs helkousēs auton pros tēn tou didaskalou epiousian, katephronēse tōn horōmenōn, kai mallon hōs perispōntōn apo tēs protheseōs apallagēnai espoudasen, eidōs tēn anabolēn kai metameleias aitian genomenēn pollakis, Pōs de ho Kyrios tǭ plousiǭ tēn teleiotēta tou kata Theon hypotithemenos bion, pōlēsai ta hyparchonta, kai dounai ptōprosetatte, kai mēden heautǭ kataleipein, ei mē to chatalimpanomenon edei homoiō:? tǭ panti perispasmou aition ginomenon? Nomizō de kai ton Mōsea tous aphagnizein heautous en tę̄ megalę̄ boulomenous euchę̄ dia tou prostassein hapan xyrasthai to sōma, tēn pantelē tōn hyparchontōn ep tassein apothesin, ᾽deuteron de syngeneias, kai oikeiotētos houtōs epilanthanesthōsan, hōs? mēdolōs tais toutōn mnēmais Enochleisthai pote.
[And] as they hand over themselves, so let them hand over all that is theirs, knowing well that what continually draws the mind back to itself will distract it greatly from better things and later tear it away completely from the brotherhood. That is why the Holy Spirit recorded the lives of the saints: so that each of those who practise any manner of life whatever may be brought to the truth by examples like his own. How then did the one who joined himself to his teacher renounce the world? “He was ploughing,” it says, “with twelve yoke of oxen before him; and he slaughtered the oxen and [boiled] them with the oxen's gear.” This hints at the warmth of his eagerness. For he did not say, “I will sell the yokes of oxen and manage the matter properly,” reckoning that once sold they would meet more needs; but, having become wholly given to the desire that drew him to his teacher's company, he despised visible things and was eager rather to be rid of them as distracting him from his purpose, knowing that delay has often become a cause of regret. And why did the Lord, setting before the rich man the perfection of the godly life, command him to sell his possessions and give to the poor and leave nothing for himself, unless whatever was left would equally become a cause of distraction? I think Moses too, in commanding those who wish to purify themselves in the great vow to shave the whole body, commands the complete renunciation of possessions. Second, let them so forget kin and family that they are never troubled at all by memories of them.
1 Kgs 19:19–21 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 19:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 6:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Num 8:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Renunciation must be total, like Elisha slaughtering his oxen and Christ's command to the rich man; then kin and family must be forgotten.
- Elisha: 1 Kgs 19:19–21. The rich man: Matt 19:21. The “great vow” is the Nazirite vow (Num 6:2, LXX “great vow”), which shaves the head (Num 6:9, 18); shaving the whole body is prescribed for the Levites (Num 8:7). Nilus appears to combine the two.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α ῖ ᾿ιὶΒα γί → ; ἐπ:διδότωσαν → ἐπιδιδότωσαν; συγεχῶς → συνεχῶς; οὧν ἁγίων → τῶν ἁγίων; ἕνα ἔναδτος → ἵνα ἕκαστος; Ἥροτῃα → Ἠροτρία; δώδεχε → δώδεκα; ὑποτιθέξνος → ὑποτιθέμενος; ἀφαγνίξειν → ἀφαγνίζειν; ἀπόθεδιν → ἀπόθεσιν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 43 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/43). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/43
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-43) · 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 44
44PG 79
γὰρ τὰς βοῦς τὰς ἐν τῇ ἁμάξῃ τῆς χιδωτοῦ ὑποἐπιλαθέσθαι τῆς φύσεως ἡ χιδωτὸς ἐποἔγχος, καὶ τῶν μόσχων αὐταῖς ἀποχλεισθέντων οἴκοι, καὶ οὐδενὸς τοῦ βιαζομένου, ἀμέμπτως ἤνυσαν τὴν ὁδὸν, οὐχ ἐκκλίνασαι δεξιὰ ἣ ἀριστερὰ, οὐδὲ τῇ περίστροφῇ τοῦ αὐχένος τὴν πρὸς τὰ τέκνα στοργὴν ἐπιδειξάμεναι, οὐδὲ μυχηθμῷ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ διαζεύξε: τῶν ἐγγόνων ὀδύνην ἐμφανίσασαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ βάρει τῆς κιβωτοῦ θλιβόμεναι, καὶ τῇ τῇς φύσεως τυραννίδι τραχηλιζόμεναι, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ κανόνι βαδίζουσαι, οὐδαμοῦ τῆς εὐθείας παρετράπησαν, τῆς περὶ τὴν φύσι συμπαθείας ἡττηθεῖσαι τῷ τῆς ἐπικειμένης χιθωτοῦ σεβασμίῳ διατί μὴ καὶ τοῖς τὴν νοητὴν αἴρειν μέλλουσι χιδωτὸν τὸ αὐτὸ πρακτέον Ἔδει μὲν οὖν καὶ πλέον, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ τῆς ἀλόγου φύσεως ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἔργοις ἡ λογικὴ παρασκευὴ μετρουμένη ἐλέγχηται τὸ μὴ πράττειν ἐκεῖνα λογισμῷ, ἅπερ ἀνάγκῃ πράττει τὰ ἄλογα. Ἴσως δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶται κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τῶν τῆς συγγενείας ὀνομάτων ἐζήτει: τὸν τῆς τελειότητος ὅρον. καὶ ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἄνθρωπος πυνθανόμενος παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς πλάνης, καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι ἣ τῶν οἰκείων ἐστὶ προσπάθεια οὐ γὰρ ἂν βότχειν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ ποιμαίνειν εἶπεν, εἰ μὴ μένην εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῆς τέχνης τὴν χρίσιν φησὶ γὰρ πρὸς αὖτόν ᾿Απῆλθον ἐντεῦθεν, ἤκουσα γὰρ αὐτῶν λεγόντων Πορευθῶμεν εἰς δὲ ἐρμηνεύεται, ε ἔκλειψις ἰχανή διδάσκων τὸν ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὸ σῶμα φίλον ἔτι πλανώμενον, ὅτι οὐχ ἔστιν ἄλλως ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς τελειότητος, μὴ ἱκανῶς ἐκλείποντα τὴν περὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τῆς σαρχὸς προσπάθε: αν.
gar tas bous tas en tę̄ hamaxę̄ tēs chidōtou hypoepilathesthai tēs physeōs hē chidōtos epoenchos, kai tōn moschōn autais apochleisthentōn oikoi, kai oudenos tou biazomenou, amemptōs ēnysan tēn hodon, ouch ekklinasai dexia hē aristera, oude tę̄ peristrophę̄ tou auchenos tēn pros ta tekna storgēn epideixamenai, oude mychēthmǭ tēn epi tę̄ diazeuxe: tōn engonōn odynēn emphanisasai alla kai tǭ barei tēs kibōtou thlibomenai, kai tę̄ tę̄s physeōs tyrannidi trachēlizomenai, hōsper epi kanoni badizousai, oudamou tēs eutheias paretrapēsan, tēs peri tēn physi sympatheias hēttētheisai tǭ tēs epikeimenēs chithōtou sebasmiǭ diati mē kai tois tēn noētēn airein mellousi chidōton to auto prakteon Edei men oun kai pleon, hina mē para tēs alogou physeōs en tois anankaiois ergois hē logikē paraskeuē metroumenē elenchētai to mē prattein ekeina logismǭ, haper anankę̄ prattei ta aloga. Isōs de kai Iōsēph dia touto planatai kata tēn erēmon, epeidē ek tōn tēs syngeneias onomatōn ezētei: ton tēs teleiotētos horon. kai ho pros tēn alētheian anthrōpos pynthanomenos par᾽ autou tēn aitian tēs planēs, kai mathōn hoti hē tōn oikeiōn esti prospatheia ou gar an botchein autous, alla poimainein eipen, ei mē menēn eichen epi tēs technēs tēn chrisin phēsi gar pros auton ᾿Apēlthon enteuthen, ēkousa gar autōn legontōn Poreuthōmen eis de ermēneuetai, e ekleipsis ichanē didaskōn ton en tois peri to sōma philon eti planōmenon, hoti ouch estin allōs epitychein tēs teleiotētos, mē hikanōs ekleiponta tēn peri ta oikeia tēs sarchos prospathe: an.
For [if] the cows yoked to the wagon of the ark [were made] to forget nature, with the ark [driving] them, and, though their calves had been shut up at home and no one forced them, they finished the road blamelessly, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left, not showing their love for their young by turning their necks, nor showing by lowing their pain at being parted from their offspring, but, pressed by the weight of the ark and throttled by the tyranny of nature, walking as if along a ruler, they nowhere turned from the straight way, their natural affection having been overcome by reverence for the ark laid upon them, why should not those who are to carry the spiritual ark do the same? They ought indeed to do more, lest the rational make-up, measured in necessary works against irrational nature, be convicted of not doing by reason what irrational animals do by necessity. Perhaps Joseph, too, wanders in the desert for this reason, since he was seeking the limit of perfection among names of kinship. And the man who [directs] toward the truth asks him the cause of his wandering, and learns that it is attachment to his own family (for he would not have said “feeding” them but “shepherding” them unless … judgment about the craft); and he says to him, “They have gone away from here; for I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to [Dothan],’” which is interpreted “a sufficient leaving,” teaching the one still wandering among the dear things of the body that there is no other way to attain perfection than by sufficiently leaving behind attachment to one's kin in the flesh.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Sam 6:7–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 37:15–17 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The cows that drew the ark without turning back to their calves, and Joseph sent on to Dothan, teach detachment from family.
- The cows and the ark: 1 Sam 6:7–12 (where the cows are said to low as they go; Nilus says the opposite, apparently from memory). Joseph's wandering and the man's words: Gen 37:15–17 (LXX Δωθαΐμ, whose name is lost in the scan; Nilus explains it as “sufficient leaving,” ἔκλειψις ἱκανή). The parenthesis about “feeding” and “shepherding” is damaged and obscure; translated as far as the text allows.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ἐχχλίνασαι → ἐκκλίνασαι; ἐμφανίσασα: → ἐμφανίσασαι; θλιδόμεναι → θλιβόμεναι; οὐ δαμοῦ → οὐδαμοῦ; σεδαπμίῳ → σεβασμίῳ; ἀναγχκαίοις → ἀναγκαίοις; ἀλέθειαν → ἀλήθειαν; λεὙόντων → λεγόντων; ἔχλΞιψις → ἔκλειψις.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 44 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/44). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/44
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-44) · 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 45
45PG 79
Κἂν γὰρ ἀπολίπῃ τις τὴν Χαρὰν, ὅπερ σημαίνει τὰς αἰσθήσεις τρῶγλαι γὰρ ἑρμηνεύονται, καὶ ἐκ τῇ: κοιλάδος Χεβρὼν ἐξέλθοι, τῶν ταπεινῶν ἔργων, χα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καθ᾽ ἣν ἡ πλάνη γίνεται τῷ ζητοῦντι τὴν τελείωσιν εἰς ὃὲ τὴν ἔκλειψιν μὴ … μετοιχή σγ,, οὐδὲν ὄφελος αὐτῷ τῆς μακρᾶς ταλαιπωρίας, διὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν συγγένειαν φίλτρον λισλένῳ τῆς τελείοτητος. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐπιτιμῶν τῇ Θεοτόχῳ Μαρίᾳ ἐν τοῖς συγγενέσιν ἀναζητούσῃ αὑτὸν καὶ τὸν φιλοῦντα τὸν πατέρα ὃ μητέρα ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν ἀνάξιον ἑαυτοῦ κρίνων, πρεπόντως ἔκλειψιν τῶν συγγενικῶν ὑποτίθεται δεσμῶν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων κατόρθωσιν συμβουλευτέον αὐτοῖς, εἴ τινες εἶεν ἔτε νεωστὶ τῶν θορύδων ἀπηλλαγμένοις ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν, καὶ μήτε συνεχέσι προόδοις τὰ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐγγινόμενα τραύματα τῇ διανοίᾳ ἀναξαίνειν, μηδὲ τοῖς παλαιοῖς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εἰδώλοις ἐπιφέρειν ἑτέρας μορφὰς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκκλίνειν μὲν τὴν νεαρῶν προσβολὴν, ἔχειν δὲ πᾶσαν τὴν σπουδὴν πρὸς τὸ ἐξαλεῖψαι τὰς παλαιὰς φαντασίας. Ἑπίπονος μὲν γὰρ τοῖς νεωστὶ ἀποτασσομένοις ἡ ἡσυχία τότε γὰρ καιρὸν λαβοῦσα ἡ μνήμη, πᾶσαν ἀνακινεῖ τὴν ἐγκειμένην ἀκαθαρσίαν, οὐ σχολάζουσα πρότερον τουτὸ ποιεῖν διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν περισσευόντων πραγμάτων. Ἔχει γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ ἐπιπόνου καὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον ἀπαλλάττουσα τὸν νοῦν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς τῶν μιαρῶν ὀχλήσεως λογισμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐκνίψασθαι πρόκειται τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ θεραπεῦσαι πάντων τῶν μολυνόντων, ἀναχωρεῖν πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων ὀφείλουσι, δι᾽ ὧν ὁ ῥύπος αὔξεται, καὶ πολλὴν τῷ λογιστικῷ παρέχειν τὴν γαλήνην, καὶ μακρὰν τῶν ἐρεθιζόντων γενέσθαι, καὶ τὰς τῶν οἰχειοτέρων φεύγειν συνδιαιτήσεις, μόνωσιν ἀσπαζομένου; τὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας μητέρα.
Kan gar apolipę̄ tis tēn Charan, hoper sēmainei tas aisthēseis trōglai gar hermēneuontai, kai ek tę̄: koilados Chebrōn exelthoi, tōn tapeinōn ergōn, cha ek tēs erēmou, kath᾽ hēn hē planē ginetai tǭ zētounti tēn teleiōsin eis hoe tēn ekleipsin mē … metoichē sg,, ouden ophelos autǭ tēs makras talaipōrias, dia to peri tēn syngeneian philtron lislenǭ tēs teleiotētos. Ou mēn alla kai ho Kyrios epitimōn tę̄ Theotochǭ Marią en tois syngenesin anazētousę̄ hauton kai ton philounta ton patera ho mētera hyper auton anaxion heautou krinōn, prepontōs ekleipsin tōn syngenikōn hypotithetai desmōn. Meta de tēn toutōn katorthōsin symbouleuteon autois, ei tines eien ete neōsti tōn thorydōn apēllagmenois hēsychian agein, kai mēte synechesi proodois ta dia tōn aisthēseōn enginomena traumata tę̄ dianoią anaxainein, mēde tois palaiois tōn hamartēmatōn eidōlois epipherein heteras morphas, all᾽ ekklinein men tēn nearōn prosbolēn, echein de pasan tēn spoudēn pros to exaleipsai tas palaias phantasias. Hepiponos men gar tois neōsti apotassomenois hē hēsychia tote gar kairon labousa hē mnēmē, pasan anakinei tēn enkeimenēn akatharsian, ou scholazousa proteron touto poiein dia to plēthos tōn perisseuontōn pragmatōn. Echei gar meta tou epiponou kai to ōphelimon apallattousa ton noun tǭ chronǭ tēs tōn miarōn ochlēseōs logismōn. Ei gar autous eknipsasthai prokeitai tēn psychēn kai therapeusai pantōn tōn molynontōn, anachōrein pantōn tōn pragmatōn opheilousi, di᾽ hōn ho rhypos auxetai, kai pollēn tǭ logistikǭ parechein tēn galēnēn, kai makran tōn erethizontōn genesthai, kai tas tōn oicheioterōn pheugein syndiaitēseis, monōsin aspazomenou? tēn tēs philosophias mētera.
For even if someone leaves Haran, which signifies the senses (for it is interpreted “holes”), and comes out of the valley of Hebron, that is, of humble works, and out of the desert in which the wandering befalls the one seeking perfection, yet does not move on to the “leaving” …, there is no benefit for him in his long hardship, since because of his love for his kin he has fallen short of perfection. Moreover the Lord, rebuking Mary the Theotokos when she sought him among the relatives, and judging one who loves father or mother above him unworthy of himself, fittingly teaches the leaving behind of the bonds of kinship. After success in these things, one should advise those who are still newly freed from tumults to keep stillness, and neither by continual outings to reopen the wounds that come into the mind through the senses, nor to add other forms to the old idols of their sins, but to turn aside from the attack of new ones and to give all their zeal to wiping out the old fantasies. Stillness is indeed laborious for those who have newly renounced the world; for then memory, finding its opportunity, stirs up all the impurity lying within, which it had no leisure to do before because of the multitude of affairs surrounding it. But along with the toil it has its benefit too, freeing the mind in time from the harassment of foul thoughts. For if their aim is to wash the soul clean and heal it of all that defiles, they ought to withdraw from all the affairs by which the dirt increases, to give the reasoning faculty much calm, to be far from what provokes, and to flee living together with their own family, embracing solitude, the mother of philosophy.
Gen 11:31 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 37:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 2:44–49 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 10:37 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Leaving kin is necessary for perfection; newly renounced monks should keep stillness, which is hard at first but heals the mind.
- Haran, Hebron and the leaving (Dothan) continue the figurative reading of Gen 11:31 and 37:14–17; the explanation of Haran as “holes” is a traditional etymology. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed (marked …); the Greek runs on across a second one (ταλαιπω|ρίας). “Theotokos” (“Mother of God”) is Nilus's title for Mary; the rebuke he refers to is Luke 2:44–49 (cf. Matt 12:46–50). Loving father or mother above Christ: Matt 10:37.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): υς. κγ ΟἽ Γὰ θ η μενεῖ. δ; Ναυὴ, ίοιν, ἰοῖ ργοΙημίο ἰγΓαοί Π φυ νου οἱ Ιη δ ἀι νοῖας Δ Π ἃ γος ρΡοβῖῖο, ἀ Δι Π Φ σ η ρᾷοῖο ριῸνὴ απ ἐν δ Δ η οἱ ἀδι υ πἰΠᾳὺς ίηαυογα ὃ Π Γ ἂς ἴ γ υἱοὶ αἱ νοοῖ ἴῃ αἱ ρει ἐεἴδη βομόγυ σι πὶ Δ οι ἤθη με οοφπαίίοι αἱ ἃΒ δἷς οὐ ἐν αἱ ἢ τοςοῦθυ ΚΗ. οηἶμη ἢ οΓῶπὲ ἄγος Ἶυρο Οὐ νοὶ οἱ υἱἰυ ον ἢ ἃ ὶ πβόγυ πὶ θα δῖη γο α πος δὲ πος δι τοὶ Ογβὰ δηϊὨ Γ ἀφοίαγδηιο οἱ οἱ ἡδίιγα νο ομίοτγίο ἀεάυσία ἢ ἃ δδείυ, αι ἃ πδία᾿δἰδίσηἷα δρῶ, ΟἿ τὶ ἤθη Κα ἢ ἰάεπῃ οἰ πὶ οἱ ἷ ΔΙ ΟἸ Πόγὸ οί πὶ ἢ Οροιἰεγοὶ οἵ Δι ρ ὰ αἱ ορογίθυ υἱἱἷ᾿θὺ τούδγρυδίυῦ ἃ πδίαγα ἰγγδίίοηδῖα Γι ποη οἴοίαι γα ἰὺΟΠ ἃ αἱ, Ῥαγίιον οἱ ἰάδο με ᾳυᾶο ρογίθοι ἰά αἱ Ἰιύπιο, δἰ γον δι ἐ ογαὶ οῦσὰ Π Ὸ συθογηᾶγα πὶ δΓι ε ρ ἰη θοεἴπη ν οἷο βαβῆοίδη ἀοΟ Π αἱ ογγαὶ Π ΠΟη Π Πι, δι ἀοβογαὶ ὦ οὐδ δ. Ώ υ δἰ Π οἱ ουῆνα νοι ἀκοαὶ, οἱ ἀῤδβογίο, ἃ θην, οἱ ἰὼ Δ δι Ὼ κ ὶ Τ. ΥἹ, ἃ πλ ὰ Δ Π ἃ → … ; α Π ῶ ἃ γα εἰ θοιπίυ Βείράγαιη Γ Οορηλίο τὸςοἱ δ πὶ Εἴ Δ ν᾽ φησι ἠυθίεδη Τῇ, οορηδίογα ἐἰ πὰ ἡ δὶ υἱ ἃ ἀπ Ὁ Π υἱ ἰδ οἴῃ Ώ ἃ βοηδίθυ να μθῦα ρυσοδίογῃ δ. ἀσοί μοι διυἶο σοι μὰ θον η ῖ τύσθιια ἴθ δΐ αν οὑρίαίο πηοιηοτία πὶ ἐπ ραν Διο πιονοὶ οὐ ποι γδοῦθαὶ Ἄδο οὐ πι πο. δ η οἱ Π ἰδ ἃ δη ἂς οχρυῦραγα δὖὺ οὐ ἃ πόροι᾽ μοῦ οἱ λίθιῃ Ρ᾽υγίπιδην ἃ Ὸτἰ δι οἱ σοι δο δι ρ χά πίο ἑ Ι. ἧι ἃ ι δἰ π ἡ ονὸ ἰ ς δ ι β ί σαυάοια ἃ το τ ἀπ ἰΔ μα μα δία αι ἴγμίθω οἱ ρον υ. ἢ ἢ Ἰ ἃ τη λ ἰὰ ἃ μὰ οἰ αυὰ οςεδοῖο, ἐν ΟΥ Θ βιι ποσί ἂς. οἱ ἰδίογλαι. εἰ μου υἱ ἴογα μ σε η μαι υἱ τυ υπίομα ει ἰδίαν λυ. πιθοῦ ἰμίγα αἱ ι: ε Νου υ ἰδ γ οἱ ᾿πδηύδγα ψιλά αἷ ε στιν, πὸς απ ποδία. ἰδ ΟοποΙοβούυ δὶ οούοι Ιο οὐνίδῃιν τὰ οἱ γοίυ οί Ποχᾶ δὶ χ ποι ἀδούτίανο ΜΆ χ, ἔχοι, χει, → ; πὰς αἰσθήσεις → τὰς αἰσθήσεις; ἐρμηνεύοντα: → ἑρμηνεύονται; ἀ αζητούσῃ → ἀναζητούσῃ; ττύτων → τούτων; συμδουλευτέον → συμβουλευτέον; ἀπιηλλαγμένο: → ἀπηλλαγμένοις; λαθδοῦσα → λαβοῦσα; ἀκαθαςσίαν → ἀκαθαρσίαν; περισσευὄντων → περισσευόντων; τὸν γοῦν τῷ → τὸν νοῦν τῷ; ἐχνίψασθαι → ἐκνίψασθαι; συνδιαιτῆσεις → συνδιαιτήσεις.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 45 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/45). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/45
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-45) · 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 46
46PG 79
δὲ εὐχερὲς τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάλιν δικτύοις, ὧν ἀπηλλάχθαι ἐνόμισαν, ὅταν ἀδεῶς τοὺς πεφυρμένους ὄχλους συνδιαιτᾶσθαι σπουδάζωσιν. ᾿Αλυσιτελὲς γὰρ τῷ μετοιχησαμένῳ πρὸς ἀρετὴν τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς χαίρειν πράγμασιν, ὧν καταγνοὺς ἀπέδρα ὁλκὸν γὰρ ἡ συνήθεια ὡς δέος εἶναι, μὴ τὴν ἐκ πολλῆς σπουδῆς ἐγγινομένην ἡσυχίαν τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων πάλιν καὶ μνήμας τῶν ἐπιλελησμένων κακῶν ἐργάσωνται. Ἐοικε γὰρ ὁ νοῦς τῶν ἔναγχος τῆς κακίας ἀναχωρησάντων σώματι ἐκ μακρᾶς ἀναλαμβάνειν ἀρξαμένῳ, ῳ καὶ ἡ τυχοῦσα πρόφασις τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν νόσον ἀναλύσεως αἰτία γίνεται μήπω πρὸς ἰσχὺν παγέτω κραταιοτέραν. γὰρ καὶ τούτων οἱ γοερὰ πόνοι, καὶ χραδαίνονται ὡς δέος εἶναι, μὴ παλινδρομήσῃ τὸ πάθος. Πεφυκὸς ἐκ τῆς ἐν τος; ὄχλα; ἀναχύσεως διερεθίζεσθαι. Διὰ τοῦτο μένειν ἐντὸς τῶν κλισιάδων τοὺς μηδὲν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ βουλομένους ὁ Μωῦσῆς ἐκέλευσε λέγων ε ἐξελεύσεσθε ἕκαστος τὴν θύραν τοῦ οἴκου ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ὁλοθρευτὴς ἅψηται ὑμῶν. Καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας ὃς τοῦτο προστάσσειν ἔοικεν, ὅταν λέγει Μὴ ἐκπορεύεσθε εἰς ἀγρὸν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μὴ βαδίζετε, ὅτι ῥομφαία τῶν ἐχθρῶν κυκλόθεν. γενναίων γὰρ ἀγωνιστῶν τὸ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ τὴν τούτων ἐπιβουλὴν διαφεύγειν ὼς. Εἰ δέ τις εἴη τῶν οὐδέπω μάχεσθαι δυναμένων τὸ ἀνεπτρεάστω; οἶχο: μενίτω, ἀκίνδυνον … ἐκ τῆς ἡσυχία; ᾿ἑξαυτῷ ποριζόμενος. Τοιοῦτος ἣν Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται Ὁ δὲ θεράπων Ἰησοῦς νέος ὧν οὐχ ἐξεπορεύετο ἔξω τῆς σκηνῆς Ἔδει γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον μένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῇ σαρχὶ φίλων διὰ τὴν πρόωρον ἅμιλλαν ἀναιρουμένους ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὸν πεπαιδευμένο: ἱστορίας.
de eucheres tois autois palin diktyois, hōn apēllachthai enomisan, hotan adeōs tous pephyrmenous ochlous syndiaitasthai spoudazōsin. ᾿Alysiteles gar tǭ metoichēsamenǭ pros aretēn to tois autois chairein pragmasin, hōn katagnous apedra holkon gar hē synētheia hōs deos einai, mē tēn ek pollēs spoudēs enginomenēn hēsychian tōn aischrōn epitēdeumatōn palin kai mnēmas tōn epilelēsmenōn kakōn ergasōntai. Eoike gar ho nous tōn enanchos tēs kakias anachōrēsantōn sōmati ek makras analambanein arxamenǭ, ǭ kai hē tychousa prophasis tēs epi tēn noson analyseōs aitia ginetai mēpō pros ischyn pagetō krataioteran. gar kai toutōn hoi goera ponoi, kai chradainontai hōs deos einai, mē palindromēsę̄ to pathos. Pephykos ek tēs en tos? ochla? anachyseōs dierethizesthai. Dia touto menein entos tōn klisiadōn tous mēden pathein hyper tou olothreutou boulomenous ho Mōysēs ekeleuse legōn e exeleusesthe hekastos tēn thyran tou oikou hymōn, hina mē holothreutēs hapsētai hymōn. Kai ho Hieremias hos touto prostassein eoiken, hotan legei Mē ekporeuesthe eis agron, kai en tais hodois mē badizete, hoti rhomphaia tōn echthrōn kyklothen. gennaiōn gar agōnistōn to homose chōrein tois polemiois, kai tēn toutōn epiboulēn diapheugein ōs. Ei de tis eiē tōn oudepō machesthai dynamenōn to aneptreastō? oicho: menitō, akindynon … ek tēs hēsychia? ᾿hexautǭ porizomenos. Toioutos hēn Iēsous ho tou Nauē, peri hou gegraptai Ho de therapōn Iēsous neos hōn ouch exeporeueto exō tēs skēnēs Edei gar tous epi to pedion menous hypo tōn adelphōn tou sōmatos kai tę̄ sarchi philōn dia tēn proōron hamillan anairoumenous ek tēs kata ton pepaideumeno: historias.
… it is easy [to be caught] again in the same nets from which they thought they had been freed, when they are careless and eager to live among the confused crowds. For it is unprofitable for one who has migrated to virtue to take pleasure in the same affairs that he condemned and fled; for habit drags one along, so that there is reason to fear that [such company] may undo the stillness won with much zeal from shameful practices, and work up again the memories of evils forgotten. For the mind of those who have recently withdrawn from vice is like a body beginning to recover from a long [illness], for which any chance pretext becomes a cause of relapse into sickness, since it is not yet set firm in stronger health. Their labors too are still fresh and they waver, so that there is reason to fear that the passion may run back, since it is apt to be provoked by the dissipation that comes in crowds. That is why Moses commanded those who wanted to suffer nothing from the destroyer to stay inside their doors, saying, “You shall not go out, each of you, from the door of your house, so that the destroyer may not touch you.” And Jeremiah seems to command this when he says, “Do not go out into the field, and do not walk in the roads, for the sword of the enemies is round about.” For it belongs to noble champions to close with the enemy and to escape his plots; but if someone is one of those not yet able to fight, let him stay in his house that none may enter, providing for himself, out of stillness, a life free from danger. Such was Joshua the son of Nun, of whom it is written, “But the attendant Joshua, being young, did not go out of the tent.” For those who [went out] to the plain had to be killed by the brothers of the body and the friends of the flesh, because of their premature contest, as … the story [shows].
Exod 12:22–23 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 6:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 33:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:14–16 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Beginners should stay in stillness and avoid crowds, as Israel stayed indoors from the destroyer and the young Joshua kept to the tent.
- The destroyer and the doors: Exod 12:22–23. Jeremiah: Jer 6:25. Joshua in the tent: Exod 33:11. The premature contest on the plain is perhaps the young men of Abner and Joab who killed one another (2 Sam 2:12–16); the end of the section is damaged and the identification is uncertain. 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): Ζότοιν, νι, → ; Α δ η π ἀθόηυς μὸ → … ; χάρειν πράγμασιν → χαίρειν πράγμασιν; οώματι → σώματι; ἀγ:λύσεως → ἀναλύσεως; παιῖνδρομήσῃ → παλινδρομήσῃ; Περυχὸς → Πεφυκὸς; διερεθίξεσθαι → διερεθίζεσθαι; ὁλοῦρευ τοῦ → ὀλοθρευτοῦ; ενναίων → γενναίων; ὁμόσε γωρεῖν → ὁμόσε χωρεῖν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 46 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/46). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/46
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-46) · 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 47
47PG 79
Οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν Δίναν ἔστιν ἀκριβῶς καταμαθεῖν, ὅτι χοριχῆς ὄντως: καὶ χδοὺς ἐστὶ διχνοίας, τὸ τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὴν οἰχΞίαν ἐγχειρεῖν, καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτῶν ὡς ἱκανῶν ὑπολήψεως ἀπατᾶσθαι. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ αὕτη προχείρως ἐπα πεδύσατο τὴν τῶν ἐγχωρίων πραγμάτων θεωρίαν, ὡς δυνατὴ δὲ … δῆθεν, καὶ μηδόλως ἐκ τῆς τούτων θελχθῆναι τέρ… οὐχ ἂν ἀώρως τὸ κριτικὸν διεφθάρη τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν αἰσθητῶν φαντασίας, οὕπω νομίμως ἀνδρείῳ ὁμιλήσασα λόγῳ. Τοῦτο τὸ κάθος εἰδὼς ἐμπολιτευόμενον ὁ Θεὸς τοὶς ἀνθρώποις τὸ τῆς οἰήσεως: λέγω, καὶ βουλόμενος αὐτὸ τῆς ἕξεως ἀνασκᾶσαι τῆς ἡμετέρας, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν νομοθέτην Μωϋσέα ε Εὐλαβεῖς ποιήσατε τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς τό γε προχείρως τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὴν δύναμιν ἄθλοις ἑπαποδύεσθαι, ἀλλότριον εὐλαβείας εἰδώ; οὐχοῦν οὐ κτέον ἑαντοὺς πρὸ ἧς ἔξιως τελείας θορύδοις ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω φευκτέον, μακρὰν τῶν περιηχούντων ψόφων ἱστῶντας τὴν διάνοιαν οὔτε γὰρ μέγα ὄφελο; τῶν αγμάτων ἀναχωρήσαντας ταὶς περὶ αὐτῶν φήμαις περικτυπεῖσθαι, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐχλιπόντας τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τῇ πύλῃ καθάπερ παραχαθέζεσθαι τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἀναπιμπλαμένους ταραχῆς, ἔξω δὲ κατὰ τὸν μέγαν Μωῦσὴν ἀναχωρητέον, ἵνα μὴ μόνον τὰ ἔργα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ φωναὶ τούτων παύσωνται ὥς φησιν Ὅταν ἐξέλθω τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἐκπετάσω τὰς χεῖρας μου, αἱ φωναὶ παύσωνται.
Ouch hēkista de kai ek tēs kata tēn Dinan estin akribōs katamathein, hoti chorichēs ontōs: kai chdous esti dichnoias, to tois hyper tēn oichXian encheirein, kai tēs peri autōn hōs hikanōn hypolēpseōs apatasthai. Ei mē gar hautē procheirōs epa pedysato tēn tōn enchōriōn pragmatōn theōrian, hōs dynatē de … dēthen, kai mēdolōs ek tēs toutōn thelchthēnai ter… ouch an aōrōs to kritikon diephtharē tēs psychēs hypo tēs tōn aisthētōn phantasias, houpō nomimōs andreiǭ homilēsasa logǭ. Touto to kathos eidōs empoliteuomenon ho Theos tois anthrōpois to tēs oiēseōs: legō, kai boulomenos auto tēs hexeōs anaskasai tēs hēmeteras, phēsi pros ton nomothetēn Mōÿsea e Eulabeis poiēsate tous huious Israēl, hōs to ge procheirōs tois hyper tēn dynamin athlois hepapodyesthai, allotrion eulabeias eidō? ouchoun ou kteon heantous pro hēs exiōs teleias thorydois all᾽ hōs porrhōtatō pheukteon, makran tōn periēchountōn psophōn histōntas tēn dianoian oute gar mega ophelo? tōn agmatōn anachōrēsantas tais peri autōn phēmais periktypeisthai, kai tēn polin echlipontas tōn energeiōn tę̄ pylę̄ kathaper parachathezesthai tēs ekeithen anapimplamenous tarachēs, exō de kata ton megan Mōysēn anachōrēteon, hina mē monon ta erga, alla kai hai phōnai toutōn pausōntai hōs phēsin Hotan exelthō tēn polin, kai ekpetasō tas cheiras mou, hai phōnai pausōntai.
Not least from the story of Dinah one can learn exactly that it belongs to a girlish and childish mind to undertake things beyond one's [power], and to be deceived by thinking oneself capable of them. For had she not rashly ventured on the sight of the affairs of the region, as though she were able … supposedly, and in no way to be charmed by their delight …, the judging faculty of her soul would not have been corrupted before its time by the fantasy of things of sense, since she had not yet lawfully consorted with manly reason. God, knowing that this passion dwells in human beings (I mean conceit), and wishing to dig it out of our state, says to the lawgiver Moses, “Make the sons of Israel cautious,” knowing that to strip rashly for contests beyond one's strength is foreign to caution. So we must not [throw] ourselves into tumults before reaching a perfect state, but must flee them as far as possible, setting the mind far from the noises that sound around it. For it is no great benefit, having withdrawn from affairs, to be battered by reports about them, and, having left the city of activities, to sit as it were beside its gate, filled with the tumult that comes from there. Rather one must withdraw outside, as the great Moses did, so that not only the works but even their sounds may cease, as he says, “When I go out of the city and spread out my hands, the sounds will cease.”
Gen 34:1–2 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 15:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 9:29 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Dinah's curiosity warns against undertaking what is beyond one's strength; one must withdraw so far that even the noise of the world ceases.
- Dinah: Gen 34:1–2. “Make the sons of Israel cautious”: Lev 15:31 (LXX). Moses: Exod 9:29 (LXX “the sounds will cease”). Two stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ογαὶ δόδυ Νάνο, η ε δἀοί ἢ Ἔκ οχίγα ΠῚ ΠΟ δ, ἴῃ οι ἃ οἱ οἶδ Ο εὐοοίυ Ἀροῖε ὰ, ΧΙ νον Ὸ ὁ, αὐυδὸ αἰ Θοὶ δίᾳι πλ Ὁ μη δὲ δίοῃα ἰρδὰ οἷο πὶ → … ; Β ροίοη δᾶπο, δὲ ποὸ οδηοχὶα → … ; ἀχριδῶ; καταμαθεῖν → ἀκριβῶς καταμαθεῖν; ἐμπκολιτενόμενον → ἐμπολιτευόμενον; φησὶ πρὸς τὸν νομοθέτην ωῦσέα → φησὶ πρὸς τὸν νομοθέτην Μωϋσέα; Ἐὐλαδεῖς → Εὐλαβεῖς; ποῤῥωἀτὼ → ποῤῥωτάτω; πεοιχτυπεῖσθαι → περικτυπεῖσθαι; ἀναχωργτέον → ἀναχωρητέον; χεῖρας μον → χεῖρας μου.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 47 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/47). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/47
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-47) · 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 48
48PG 79
Τότε γὰρ ἡ ἀληθὴς γίνεται γαλήνη, ὅταν μὴ μόνον αἱ ἐνέργειαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ περὶ αὑτῶν μνῆμαι σχολάζουσαι καιρὸν τῇ ψυχῇ δυνηθῆναι τοὺς ἐνεσφραγισμένους τύπους ἰδεῖν, καὶ πρὸς ἔκαστον αὐτῶν ἀγωνίσασθαι, καὶ ἐκκόψαι τῆς διανοίας. μένων ἑτέρων, καὶ ἑτέρων μορφῶν, οὔτε τοὺς προγεγενημένους τύπους ἀπαλεῖψαι δυνατόν τοῦ λογιστικοῦ τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις προσασχολουμένου καὶ τὸν πόνον αὐτοῖ; τὸν πρὸ; τὸ ἐκκόψαι τὰ πάθη, ἀνάγκη γενέσθαι χαλεπώτερον, ἰσχὺν χτησαμένων ἐκ τῆς κατ᾽ ὀλίγον αὐξήσεω;, καὶ δίκην ποταμῶν ἀδιαστάτῳ φορᾷ ταῖς ἐπεισρεούσαις φαντασίαις τὸ διορατικὸν ἐπιχλυζόντων τῆς ψυχῆς. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ποταμοῦ ῥεῖθρον ἐθέλοντες ἰδεῖν ξηρὸν ἴσως τινῶν ἱστορίας ἀξίων ἐναποκειμένων, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦσιν ἑξαντλοῦντες τὸ κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον τὸν τόπον ἐν ᾧ τὸ ζητούμενον ἀποκεῖσθαι νομίζουσι. Τοῦ χενουμένου … τὴν χώραν εὐθὺ; ἀναπληροῦντος τοῦ ἐπεισρέοντος, Ὅταν δὲ τὴν ἄνωθεν φορὰν ἀναστείλωσιν, ἀκαμάτως αὐτοῖς τὸ ἔδαφος ἀναφαίνεται τοῦ καταλειφθέντος ὕδατος αὐτομάτως ὑποχωροῦντος, καὶ ξηρὰν αὑτοῖς παραχωροῦντος τὴν γῆν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ποθουμένων ἱστορίαν, οὕτως καὶ τὸ κενωθῆναι τὰς ποιητικὰς τῶν παθῶν μορφὰς εὔκολον γίνεται, μηχέτι τῶν αἰσθήσεων τὰ ἔξωθεν ἐπιχορηγουσῶν. Τούτων ὃὲ ἐπιπεμπουσῶν δίκην ῥεύματος τὰ αἰσθητὰ, οὐ μόνον δυσχερὲς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδύνατον καθαρεῦσαι πάντη τὸν νοῦν τῆς τοιαύτης πλημμύρας. Κἂν γὰρ μὴ τὰ πάθη διὰ τὰ; συνεχεῖς συντυχίας καιρὸν χινήσεως οὐχ εὑρίσκοντα, ἀλλὰ γοῦν λεληθότως ὑποστρεφόμενα πλέον ἀδρύνεται τὴν ἐκ τοῦ χρόνου ἰσχὺν λαμβάνοντα.
Tote gar hē alēthēs ginetai galēnē, hotan mē monon hai energeiai, alla kai hai peri hautōn mnēmai scholazousai kairon tę̄ psychę̄ dynēthēnai tous enesphragismenous typous idein, kai pros ekaston autōn agōnisasthai, kai ekkopsai tēs dianoias. menōn heterōn, kai heterōn morphōn, oute tous progegenēmenous typous apaleipsai dynaton tou logistikou tois epiginomenois prosascholoumenou kai ton ponon autoi? ton pro? to ekkopsai ta pathē, anankē genesthai chalepōteron, ischyn chtēsamenōn ek tēs kat᾽ oligon auxēseō?, kai dikēn potamōn adiastatǭ phorą tais epeisreousais phantasiais to dioratikon epichlyzontōn tēs psychēs. Hōs gar hoi potamou rheithron ethelontes idein xēron isōs tinōn historias axiōn enapokeimenōn, ouden ōphelousin hexantlountes to kat᾽ ekeinon ton topon en hǭ to zētoumenon apokeisthai nomizousi. Tou chenoumenou … tēn chōran euthy? anaplērountos tou epeisreontos, Hotan de tēn anōthen phoran anasteilōsin, akamatōs autois to edaphos anaphainetai tou kataleiphthentos hydatos automatōs hypochōrountos, kai xēran hautois parachōrountos tēn gēn pros tēn tōn pothoumenōn historian, houtōs kai to kenōthēnai tas poiētikas tōn pathōn morphas eukolon ginetai, mēcheti tōn aisthēseōn ta exōthen epichorēgousōn. Toutōn hoe epipempousōn dikēn rheumatos ta aisthēta, ou monon dyscheres, alla kai adynaton kathareusai pantē ton noun tēs toiautēs plēmmyras. Kan gar mē ta pathē dia ta? synecheis syntychias kairon chinēseōs ouch heuriskonta, alla goun lelēthotōs hypostrephomena pleon adrynetai tēn ek tou chronou ischyn lambanonta.
For true calm comes about when not only the activities but also the memories of them cease, giving the soul the opportunity to see the marks stamped on it, to wrestle with each of them, and to cut them out of the mind. But while other and yet other forms [are being stamped] on it, it is not possible to wipe out the marks made earlier, since the reasoning faculty is kept busy with those that keep arriving; and the toil of cutting out the passions must become harder, since they gain strength by growing little by little and, like rivers, flood the seeing faculty of the soul with the unbroken stream of fantasies flowing in. For just as those who want to see a riverbed dry, because perhaps some things worth seeing lie at the bottom, gain nothing by bailing out the spot where they think what they seek is lying …, since the inflow at once fills the space again; but when they check the current from above, the bottom appears to them without labor, as the water left behind withdraws of itself and yields them the dry ground for viewing what they desire: so also the emptying out of the forms that produce the passions becomes easy when the senses no longer supply things from outside. But while the senses send in the objects of sense like a stream, it is not only difficult but impossible to cleanse the mind altogether of such a flood. For even if the passions, because of continual encounters, find no opportunity to stir, they nevertheless return secretly and grow coarser, gaining strength from time.
Notes and citation
Summary: As a riverbed can be seen only when the stream is checked upstream, the mind can be cleansed of passions only when the senses stop feeding it.
- Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column inside the river comparison have been removed; the Greek runs on across the first, and a few words are lost at the second (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): δ Ο π. Ὁ ἔχοι. χιχ, Χ δε τιν, οὐ γηδίυγα Δου δε πι οοΙἃ ἱπιδαίηδιίοια ἔρις δἰ δα, ἤδλης βοίειις ἰπ ι π οἰ δἤοοιῃ, Ἰεχιἰδιογεῖο Μογδδῦ ε οἰ ο νου ἃ δι ὲγα δεῖ ἃ αὐδὲ νἶγος ἐχουάδη οη ἀ οἰν οἶδ ροιίοοίυ θυ δυίαςίούπαι ἃ θυ πδηίθιη ἀο, υἱ δ δι ἃ ἤδζοι δ, οἱ ὶ ορογᾶυ οἱ οοιδίάστο ἰυτῦυ Ἰοπεῖα, βι, γ ῦ πιᾶρηυη ἐδ υἱ πὸ αἱ τοῦδα ογώ ὕ᾽Ἡ ἰαε Θυδηάο οχὶο γα, οἱ πιὰ δ νοῦ αν ἘΠ ηυδηύο Π Ὼ οἱ δ αυὸ Γὁ. ἱπίμοι οἱ ᾿ Ὁ ἐδεεγίδγε, πιεπία ταῖο βυρογγοπίθε θυ, δἰ δια παῖδα ἀδίογὰ φυῶ ἱμδίδίαι δἱ βά οχιὸοδηάδε οἰ ἀυτίογοιη, οὐτὰ ἐ π ἐσ οἱ ἰ εἰ ἱπιῶδοὶπιδὲ υἱδὴ ἐδιποίαν δαρεῦἱπυπάδηλιαιν ἰεαὶ Υἱύογα βοῖα π ἱρὺο ΤΈρο ἢ ἀχυοῖ, δι πὶ, ἴωεὐπὴ δι, λυ γί θη ἰ αυσὰ κν, δῖ ζο.. Ὁ ἊΣ γι, τι ομ ὶ Α → ; βίαι τορίοηία Υ πὶ δι ρ γί βίη τ Δρραγοὶ δι, δηυᾶ Γὸδὰ οἱ ἐ πι, βά δοῦυη, υ: πη ρεγίδο θ πη δίγα ἰδοῦ, ὉΓ δ υἱ ἰδ ἤθη ἰδηῖυα οἰ οἷ δὲ Ὁ ἃ ἰηυηἀδλιίοπο μυ δἰ θη ἰδ ἃ ργορίον σοι δι Τοῦ ἐκ Βι δ βοὴ ΟΣ ρυομὶθοὶ πὸ φνηοίυπάδα ρσίοπο οἱ ἰλοίαί φύδπάο Οὗ πε ταϊἷἐδηίαν. δίο ῥτγοὶ δὲ ἐ Ρ Π ἴῃ οἱ πη Ἔκ αι δία, πλ ἐδ ἰοίογυ αυἱ δοθῇ ἃ → … ; γαλήνῃ, ὅτα μὴ μόνον πὶ ἐνέργειαι → γαλήνη, ὅταν μὴ μόνον αἱ ἐνέργειαι; ἐνἐσφραγιαμένους → ἐνεσφραγισμένους; οὔτς τοὺς προγεννημένους τύτου: → οὔτε τοὺς προγεγενημένους τύπους; λοὙιπτιχοῦ → λογιστικοῦ; ἀλίγον → ὀλίγον; ποφαμοῦ → ποταμοῦ; ἑνακοχειμένων → ἐναποκειμένων; καραχωροῦντος → παραχωροῦντος; ποιγτιχὰς → ποιητικὰς; ἐπιπεμκουσῶν δίχῃν → ἐπιπεμπουσῶν δίκην; κάντη τὸν νοῦν → πάντη τὸν νοῦν; ὑποστρεφόμῆνα → ὑποστρεφόμενα.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 48 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/48). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/48
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-48) · 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 49
49PG 79
Καὶ ὥσπερ ἢ συνεχῶς πατουμένη γῆ, χἂν ἔχῃ ἀκάνθας, οὐκ ἀναδίδωσι μὲν αὐτάς κωλύει γὰρ τὴν φυὴν ἡ τριβὴ τῶν ποδῶν, βαθείας δὲ ἐν τοῖς ταύτης κόλποις τὰς ῥίζας ἐνδιατείνουσα εὐερνεῖς, καὶ πάνυ τεθηλυίας, ὅταν καιροῦ τοῦ συγχωροῦντος τὴν ἀνατολὴν λάβηται, εὐθὺς οὕτω τὰ πάθη ταῖς συνεχέσι συντυχίαις παραχύπτειν εἰς φανερὸν χωλυόμενα, ἀλκιμώτερα γίνεται, καὶ ἡσυχίας εὐπορήσαντα, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ῥώμης ἐπιτίθεται, βαρὺν, καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον τοῖς ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς πρὸς αὑτὰ μάχης ποιοῦντα τὸν πόλεμον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐξολοθρεῦσαι σπέρμα ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος … ὡς ἔτι ἐν ταῖς τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἀποθήκαις εἰσὶν … αἱ μορφαὶ ἀφανίσαι συμβουλεύων αὐτὰς, ἵνα μὴ τῇ τῆς διανοίας ἐμπεσοῦσαι γῇ καὶ τοῖς λαύροις, καὶ ἀνωφελέσιν ὑετοῖς τῆς ἑπαλλήλου μελέτης ποτισθεῖσαι πολύχουν τὸν τῆς κακίας καρπόν. Ἕτερος δὲ προφήτης καὶ μακαρίζει τοὺς μηδὲ τὴν ἀκμὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐκδεχομένους, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτῇ προσπεφυχότας τῇ θηλῇ ε Μακάριος, λέγων, ὃς κρατήσει, καὶ ἐδαφιεῖ τὰ νήπιά σου πρὸς τὴν πέτραν. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ὁ μέγας καθ᾿ ἑαυτὸν φιλοσοφῶν, τοιοῦτόν τινα αἰνίσσεται ἐν ὕδατι μὲν θάλλειν πάπυρον, καὶ βούτου μον λέγων, στερωθεῖσαν δὲ τοῦ ποταμοῦ πᾶσαν βοτάνην ξηραίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ μυρμηχόλεων δὲ ὥλετο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βοράν. Τοιοῦτόν τι σημαίνειν ἔοικε τὸ γὰρ ἐνεδρευτικὸν τοῦ πάθους δεῖξαι θελήσας ὁ μέγας Ἰὼβ,, σύνθετον ἐξεῦρεν αὐτῷ τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἐκ τοῦ θρασυτάτου λέοντος, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πάντων εὐτελεστάτου μύρμηκος συνθεὶς τὸ ὄνομα. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ προσβολαὶ τῶν παθῶν εὐτελῶν ἄρχονται φαντασιῶν, χοὸς δίκην λανθανόντως προσέρπουσαι τὰ τελευταῖα ἐπὶ μέγαν ἐξαίρεται ὄγκον, ὡς οὐχ ἔλαττον λέοντος ἐπιδρομῆς τῷ παρέχειν τὸν κίν Διὸ χρὴ τὸν ἀγωνιστὴν τότε παλαίειν πρὸς τὰ πάθη, ὅταν, ὡς μύρμηξ, προσέρχωνται τὴν εὐτέλειαν προελόμενα ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ λέοντος φθάσωσιν ἰσχὺν προελθεῖν, γ ΚΑ γίνεται, καὶ ἐκθλίβουσιν ἰσχυρῶς, δεῖ βορὰν αὐτοῖς μὴ παρέχειν. Βορὰ δὲ τούτων, ἤδη πολλάκις εἴρηται, αἱ διὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶν εἰχόνες ἐρχόμεναι τῶν εἰν όνεςαὗται γὰρ τρέφουσι τὰ πάθη, ἔκαστον εἰδωλον ἐκ διαδοχῆς ὁπλίζουσαι κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς.
Kai hōsper ē synechōs patoumenē gē, chan echę̄ akanthas, ouk anadidōsi men autas kōlyei gar tēn phyēn hē tribē tōn podōn, batheias de en tois tautēs kolpois tas rhizas endiateinousa euerneis, kai pany tethēluias, hotan kairou tou synchōrountos tēn anatolēn labētai, euthys houtō ta pathē tais synechesi syntychiais parachyptein eis phaneron chōlyomena, alkimōtera ginetai, kai hēsychias euporēsanta, meta pollēs tēs rhōmēs epitithetai, baryn, kai epikindynon tois en archę̄ tēs pros hauta machēs poiounta ton polemon. Dia touto kai ho prophētēs exolothreusai sperma ek Babylōnos … hōs eti en tais tōn aisthēseōn apothēkais eisin … hai morphai aphanisai symbouleuōn autas, hina mē tę̄ tēs dianoias empesousai gę̄ kai tois laurois, kai anōphelesin hyetois tēs hepallēlou meletēs potistheisai polychoun ton tēs kakias karpon. Heteros de prophētēs kai makarizei tous mēde tēn akmēn tōn pathōn ekdechomenous, all᾽ autę̄ prospephychotas tę̄ thēlę̄ e Makarios, legōn, hos kratēsei, kai edaphiei ta nēpia sou pros tēn petran. Tacha de kai ho megas kath᾿ heauton philosophōn, toiouton tina ainissetai en hydati men thallein papyron, kai boutou mon legōn, sterōtheisan de tou potamou pasan botanēn xērainesthai, kai to myrmēcholeōn de hōleto para to mē echein boran. Toiouton ti sēmainein eoike to gar enedreutikon tou pathous deixai thelēsas ho megas Iōb,, syntheton exeuren autǭ tēn prosēgorian, ek tou thrasytatou leontos, kai ek tou pantōn eutelestatou myrmēkos syntheis to onoma. Hai men gar prosbolai tōn pathōn eutelōn archontai phantasiōn, choos dikēn lanthanontōs proserpousai ta teleutaia epi megan exairetai onkon, hōs ouch elatton leontos epidromēs tǭ parechein ton kin Dio chrē ton agōnistēn tote palaiein pros ta pathē, hotan, hōs myrmēx, proserchōntai tēn euteleian proelomena ean gar epi tōn tou leontos phthasōsin ischyn proelthein, g KA ginetai, kai ekthlibousin ischyrōs, dei boran autois mē parechein. Bora de toutōn, ēdē pollakis eirētai, hai dia tōn aisthētōn eichones erchomenai tōn ein onesautai gar trephousi ta pathē, ekaston eidōlon ek diadochēs hoplizousai kata tēs psychēs.
And just as ground that is constantly trodden, even if it has thorns, does not send them up (for the trampling of feet prevents their growth), but stretches their roots deep within its bosom, thriving and in full vigor, so that as soon as it gets an opportunity that allows them to sprout they come up at once: so the passions, prevented by continual encounters from peeping out into the open, become stronger, and when they find stillness they attack with great force, making the war heavy and dangerous for those who are at the beginning of the battle against them. That is why the prophet [advises] destroying the seed from Babylon … while the forms are still in the storehouses of the senses, advising us to obliterate them, so that they may not fall upon the soil of the mind, and, watered by the violent and useless rains of repeated dwelling on them, [yield] an abundant fruit of vice. Another prophet even blesses those who do not wait for the passions to come to their prime, but [strike them] while they still cling to the breast: “Blessed,” he says, “is he who will seize your little ones and dash them against the rock.” Perhaps the great [Job], too, philosophizing on his own, hints at something of this kind when he says that the papyrus and the reed flourish in water, but that every plant deprived of the river withers; and that “the ant-lion perished for lack of food.” He seems to signify something of this kind. For the great Job, wishing to show the ambushing nature of passion, invented a compound name for it, composing the name from the boldest of creatures, the lion, and the cheapest of all, the ant. For the assaults of the passions begin from cheap fantasies, creeping in unnoticed like dust, and at the last swell to a great bulk, so as to bring danger no less than the onrush of a lion. Therefore the contestant must wrestle with the passions while they approach like an ant, having chosen to look cheap; for if they get ahead and advance to the strength of the lion, they become … and press hard. One must not provide them with food. Their food, as has often been said, is the images that come through the objects of sense; these feed the passions, arming each idol in turn against the soul.
Jer 50:16 (27:16 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Job 8:11–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Job 4:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Passions must be destroyed while small, like Babylon's seed or the infants of Ps 137, before the 'ant' becomes a 'lion.'
- “Destroy the seed from Babylon”: Jer 50:16 (LXX 27:16); two long stretches of Migne's Latin column follow and have been removed (marked …). “Blessed is he who will seize your little ones”: Ps 137:9 (LXX 136:9). Papyrus and reed: Job 8:11–12. “The ant-lion (μυρμηκολέων) perished for lack of food”: Job 4:11 (LXX). The reading of the Babylonian infants as the first stirrings of passion is traditional (e.g. Origen, Against Celsus 7.22).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): κεΒαυγίοης υἱοὶ αὐ ἰη ὁ → … ; Ι Π ἰ οἱ δὲ ξδδιῷ τη το ἐγυοίυη ΑἸνοῦ μοδίο υ Ρ ἱραὶ ΔΙ Π ε οἱ ΕΠ δἐ ἠὲ Ἐογδιίδη Υ οἱ ἢ ἢ ἴῃ βόγγο οἱ μον ἤυοΥγρδίδη οἱ οΥ ἰ ποη λεθαὶ β οδίοηὥδτο Υἱῖὰ πιδρπῦς ἱροὶ ἐσ δὲ Υἱ πὰ ΟΣ Ὁ. ἃ να, ἱπδίαν ογεθέοῶ ργόδογροηίθο, ἴῃ ἰιαἱ αὐ πὶ ἰ εἰ, ἀθεοτγίδιοτοι ἰθπὸ ορουοὶ ηἀρ υἱ τμίοιε δ γΓοῦυ ρογνοθίγο ᾿ ἐν νι → … ; ἡ τριδὴ → ἡ τριβὴ; ταύτις κόλποις → ταύτης κόλποις; τεθηλνίας → τεθηλυίας; ἀλχιμώτερα → ἀλκιμώτερα; μελέτῆς → μελέτης; σημαένειν → σημαίνειν; ἐνεδρεντιδὴν τοῦ ἢ πάθους → ἐνεδρευτικὸν τοῦ πάθους; θρασυτάνο → θρασυτάτου; εὗρμηχος → μύρμηκος; προσδολαὶ τὴν παθῶν → προσβολαὶ τῶν παθῶν; τελεὺυταῖα → τελευταῖα; προέελόμενα → προελόμενα; ἐχθλίδουσιν → ἐκθλίβουσιν; αὐτοῖς Α δ βὲ εἰ γι Ὁ μὴ → αὐτοῖς μὴ; τῆς φυχῆς → τῆς ψυχῆς.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 49 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/49). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/49
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-49) · 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 50
50PG 79
Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ ναῷ τὰς θυρίδας διχτυωτὰς ὁ νομοθέτης κατεσκεύασε σημαίνων, ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ὡς ναὸν, καθαρὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν διάνοιαν φυλάττειν βουλομένους, χαθάπερ ἐκεῖ διχτυωταῖς πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν εἰσέρπειν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων χατεσχευάσθῃ. Οὕτως ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι χωλύματα λογισμῶν ἐνδιαπλέκειν, τὰ δυσχερῆ τῆς μελλούσης χρίσεως, ταῖς εἰσερπούσαις μορφαῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ἐπιγινομέναις τὴν εἴσοδον. Καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτο Ὀχοζίας ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ δικτυωτοῦ ἔπεσε τὸ γὰρ τοὺς τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως λόγους ἐν καιρῷ τῶν πειρασμῶν παραλογίσασθαι κατενεχθέντα ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς, ἀπὸ τοῦ διχτυωτοῦ πεσεῖν ἐστι. Τί δὲ ταύτῆς τῆς ἐστὶ χαλεπώτερον Σώματος μὲν γάρ ἔστιν τὸ παρὰ φύσιν ἔχειν, τῆς τῶν στοιχείων ἰσονομίας, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἐπικρατείας εἰς τὸ παρὰ φύσιν, ἐπιτραπείσης ᾿ ψυχῆς δὲ τὸ ἐκκλῖναι τοῦ ὀρθοῦ λογισμοῦ τοῖς νοσοποιοῖς ἡττηθείσης Τοιαῦτα δίκτυα τῇ ὁράσει τοῦ ἀκούειν δυναμένου ὁ Σολομὼν λέγων Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλῆσαι σκολιά σκολιά λέγων τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν … ἀπαντᾷν μέλλοντα ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως … γὰρ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης χαταστάσεως ἀπείργει πᾶσαν ἐπικίνδυνον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν θεωρίαν. Εἶπε καὶ τὴν κατάστασιν τοῦ λογισμοῦ ὁποίαν εἶναι δεῖ κατὰ τὸν χαιρὺὸν ἐκεῖνον ε Κατάκεισαι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, καὶ ὡς χυδερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι.
Dia touto kai tǭ naǭ tas thyridas dichtyōtas ho nomothetēs kateskeuase sēmainōn, hoti dei tous hōs naon, katharan tēn heautōn dianoian phylattein boulomenous, chathaper ekei dichtyōtais pros to mēden eiserpein tōn akathartōn chatescheuasthę̄. Houtōs tais aisthēsesi chōlymata logismōn endiaplekein, ta dyscherē tēs mellousēs chriseōs, tais eiserpousais morphais akathartois epiginomenais tēn eisodon. Kai tacha dia touto Ochozias epeidē apo tou diktyōtou epese to gar tous tēs antapodoseōs logous en kairǭ tōn peirasmōn paralogisasthai katenechthenta epi tas hēdonas, apo tou dichtyōtou pesein esti. Ti de tautēs tēs esti chalepōteron Sōmatos men gar estin to para physin echein, tēs tōn stoicheiōn isonomias, ek tēs tou henos epikrateias eis to para physin, epitrapeisēs ᾿ psychēs de to ekklinai tou orthou logismou tois nosopoiois hēttētheisēs Toiauta diktya tę̄ horasei tou akouein dynamenou ho Solomōn legōn Hoi ophthalmoi sou, hotan idōsin allotrian, to stoma sou tote lalēsai skolia skolia legōn ta meta tēn hamartian … apantąn mellonta en tǭ kairǭ tēs antapodoseōs … gar meta tēs prosēkousēs chatastaseōs apeirgei pasan epikindynon tōn ophthalmōn theōrian. Eipe kai tēn katastasin tou logismou hopoian einai dei kata ton chairyon ekeinon e Katakeisai gar, phēsin, hōsper en kardią thalassēs, kai hōs chydernētēs en pollǭ klydōni.
That is why the lawgiver made the windows of the temple latticed, signifying that those who wish to keep their mind pure like a temple must, just as there the windows were made latticed so that nothing unclean might creep in, in the same way weave into the senses the hindrances of thoughts, the terrors of the judgment to come, [blocking] the entry of unclean forms as they creep in. And perhaps for this reason Ahaziah fell from the lattice: for to miscount the words of recompense at the time of temptations, being carried down to pleasures, is to fall from the lattice. And what is harder than this [illness]? For the body, being contrary to nature means the balance of the elements turned to what is against nature by the dominance of one of them; for the soul, it means turning aside from right reason, overcome by what causes disease. Such nets for the sight [Solomon sets out] for one who is able to listen, saying, “When your eyes see a strange woman, then your mouth will speak crooked things,” calling “crooked” the things that follow sin, … that will meet him at the time of recompense. For with the proper state he keeps away every dangerous gazing of the eyes. He also said what the state of the reasoning must be at that time: “For you will lie down,” he says, “as in the heart of the sea, and as a helmsman in a great storm.”
1 Kgs 6:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 23:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 23:34 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The latticed temple windows teach guarding the senses with the thought of judgment; Ahaziah's fall through the lattice shows what happens otherwise.
- The latticed windows: 1 Kgs 6:4 (cf. Ezek 41:16); Nilus ascribes them to “the lawgiver.” Ahaziah's fall through the lattice: 2 Kgs 1:2. Solomon: Prov 23:33–34 (LXX). A long stretch of Migne's Latin column 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): Οροτγίοί ποὴ ρογγίσογα δυίοιη πὶ, υἱ δθρὺ ἀἰοίυ η πὶ ΄Εἶπ Π πᾶσί ποΝ δηυγίυ πᾶ πι ι Γ Διί ΓκῈ Ί,. ᾿ Οὗ ἰοφἰδίαῖου ἰοπλρῖο ἴογε ν᾽, μ τα, δϊ ρ ῦ ἢ υἱ ἰγγεροτοί δία. Γορᾶσυ δ οἰ δε ἀπά, οἰ τὶ οἰν, Β Δι π ἃ. Ἐπ ον ἰάθο φρτοιδνὶς ΟοδοΣξίας νοι ἤδίο. ο ὲ ἰά ὁ Ι αι δυιὶοι ἢ Δ ἤ ἀφο να συ ἰδ ἀυτίυ οί ἢ αἰ λ α ον Διο π ἴῃ ἰά, ὲ υΔΗ αν το πὶ οὐδὲ ἀσνίοῖα πον νοῦὸ τοῖα νἰβοὶ χιὴ ἀπ Υἱέ τ Αἰ ἰδῆ η π πὶ ἔυπὸ οἰ Π Ά, πὶ ἴῃ → … ; ὁ Γοῖ θυ Ης ὄχροινκα → … ; ὁ ομοθέτης χατεσχεύλσε → ὁ νομοθέτης κατεσκεύασε; εἰσερπούοχις → εἰσερπούσαις; ἀ πὸ τοῦ διχτυωτοῦ ἔπεσε → ἀπὸ τοῦ δικτυωτοῦ ἔπεσε; Τοιχῦτα → Τοιαῦτα; δυναμένυυ → δυναμένου; λάλῆσαι → λαλῆσαι; ὁποέαν → ὁποίαν; θαλάτσης → θαλάσσης.
Topics: Ethics, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 50 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/50). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/50
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-50) · 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 51
51PG 79
Ἐὰν γὰρ δυνηθῇ τις ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς πρὸς τὴν ἐρεθίζουσαν ὄψιν μάχης, οὕτω: ἑαυτὸν ἐναγώνιον ποιῆσαι ταῖς ἠπειλημέναις τιμωρίαις, ὡς ὁ ἐν θαλάσσῃ χειμαζόμενο; ἀπόνως περίεστι τῶν προσπαλαιόντων, μὴ αἰσθόμενος τῶν προσφερομένων πληγῶν, ὥς εἰπεῖν ε Ἔτυπτόν με, καὶ οὐχ ἐπόνεσα, καὶ ἐνέπαιζόν με, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ἤδειν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ἔτυπτον, φησὶ, ἐμπαίζειν ἐνόμιζον. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν πληγῶν ἡσθόμην βέλη γὰρ νηπίων ἧσαν, οὔτε πρὸς τὰ; ἀπάτας αὐτῶν ἐπεστράφην, τὸ δεὶ προσποιούμενος. Οὕτως γὰρ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ καταφρονῶν τῶν τοιούτων ἀντιπάλων ἔλεγεν ε ᾿Εχχλίνοντος ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τοῦ πονηροῦ οὐχ ἐγίνωσκον, ὅτε προσῆλθον, φησὶν, ὅτε ἀνεχώαἴσθησιν ἐλάμβανον. Ὁ δὲ μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εἰδὼς ὅτι ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι πρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ κοινωνία μὲν ἔστι πολλὴ, ἀπάτη δὲ ἐκ τῆς κοινωνία; εὐχερῶς γίνεται. Ὁ δὲ μὴ τὴν ἐκ τούτων βλάβην ὑφορὼμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀφυλάκτως αὐτῶν ἐμφορούμενος, πῶς … τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀπάτης γνώσεται τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, μὴ προπαιδευθεὶς τὴν τούτων διάκρισιν Ὅτι γὰρ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι μάχη γίνεται πρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ, καὶ φόρους ἐπιτάσσουσι ταῖς ἡττημέναις αἰσθήσεσι τὰ αἰσθητὰ, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς Σοδομίτας τῶν ρίων πολέμου. Ἱστορικῶς γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τῶν τεσσάρων βασιλέων τοῦ ᾿Ασσυρίων ἔθνους εἰσάγει πρὸς τοὺς πέντε βασιλεῖς τῶν περὶ Σόδομα, πρῶτον μὲν συμφωνίαν, καὶ σπονδὰς, καὶ θυσίας εἰρηνικὰς ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλυχὴν θάλασσαν εἶτα δουλείαν τῶν πέντε ἐπὶ δώδεκα ἔτη εἶτα τῷ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ ἀποστασίαν ἐν δὲ τῷ δεκάτῳ πόλεμον ἐπιθεμένων τῶν τεσσάρων τοῖς πέντε καὶ αἰχμαλώ τους λαβόντων αὑτούς.
Ean gar dynēthę̄ tis en tǭ kairǭ tēs pros tēn erethizousan opsin machēs, houtō: heauton enagōnion poiēsai tais ēpeilēmenais timōriais, hōs ho en thalassę̄ cheimazomeno? aponōs periesti tōn prospalaiontōn, mē aisthomenos tōn prospheromenōn plēgōn, hōs eipein e Etypton me, kai ouch eponesa, kai enepaizon me, egō de ouch ēdein. Ekeinoi men gar etypton, phēsi, empaizein enomizon. Egō de oude tōn plēgōn hēsthomēn belē gar nēpiōn hēsan, oute pros ta? apatas autōn epestraphēn, to dei prospoioumenos. Houtōs gar kai ho Dabid kataphronōn tōn toioutōn antipalōn elegen e ᾿Echchlinontos ap᾿ emou tou ponērou ouch eginōskon, hote prosēlthon, phēsin, hote anechōaisthēsin elambanon. Ho de mēde auto touto eidōs hoti tais aisthēsesi pros ta aisthēta koinōnia men esti pollē, apatē de ek tēs koinōnia? eucherōs ginetai. Ho de mē tēn ek toutōn blabēn hyphorōmenos, all᾽ aphylaktōs autōn emphoroumenos, pōs … tǭ kairǭ tēs apatēs gnōsetai tēn epiboulēn, mē propaideutheis tēn toutōn diakrisin Hoti gar tais aisthēsesi machē ginetai pros ta aisthēta, kai phorous epitassousi tais hēttēmenais aisthēsesi ta aisthēta, dēlon ek tou pros Sodomitas tōn riōn polemou. Historikōs gar hē Graphē tēn hypothesin tōn tessarōn basileōn tou ᾿Assyriōn ethnous eisagei pros tous pente basileis tōn peri Sodoma, prōton men symphōnian, kai spondas, kai thysias eirēnikas epi tēn ᾿Alychēn thalassan eita douleian tōn pente epi dōdeka etē eita tǭ triskaidekatǭ apostasian en de tǭ dekatǭ polemon epithemenōn tōn tessarōn tois pente kai aichmalō tous labontōn hautous.
For if someone, at the time of battle against the sight that provokes him, is able so to make himself contend with the punishments that have been threatened that, like a man storm-tossed at sea, he comes through without pain from those who wrestle against him, not feeling the blows they deal, he will say, “They struck me and I felt no pain; they mocked me, and I did not know it.” “They struck me,” he says, “and thought they were mocking me; but I did not even perceive the blows, for they were the arrows of children; nor did I turn to their deceits, pretending not to know.” So also David, despising such adversaries, said, “When the evil one turned away from me, I did not know it”: “I did not perceive,” he says, “when they came near, nor when they withdrew.” But one who does not even know this, that the senses have much communion with the objects of sense, and that deception easily arises from that communion; one who does not suspect the harm that comes from them … but fills himself with them unguardedly, how will he recognize the plot at the time of deception, not having been trained beforehand to discern these things? For that the senses wage war against the objects of sense, and that the objects of sense impose tribute on the senses they have defeated, is clear from the war of the [kings] against the Sodomites. For Scripture introduces as history the matter of the four kings of the Assyrian nation against the five kings around Sodom: first agreement and treaties and peace offerings at the Salt Sea; then the servitude of the five for twelve years; then, in the thirteenth year, rebellion; and in the [fourteenth], war, the four attacking the five and taking them captive.
Prov 23:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 64:7 (63:8 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 101:4 (100:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 14:1–12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The trained mind does not feel the blows of temptation; the war of the four kings against the five of Sodom figures the war of the objects of sense against the senses.
- “They struck me and I felt no pain …”: Prov 23:35 (LXX). Children's arrows: Ps 64:7 (LXX 63:8). David: Ps 101:4 (LXX 100:4). The war of the kings: Gen 14:1–12; the printed text says the war came “in the tenth” year, where Genesis has the fourteenth (Gen 14:5); probably a lost syllable. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed; the Greek runs on across the first (ὑφορώ|μενος) and a few words are lost at the second (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ώοὐ Π π οππὶαπη ἢ ΘΕ εἰ υλίοτη ΟροΓίαὶ Ἶ ι Ὡ δου π αι τ φυοτηδάπιο πη ἴῃ π οἱ τῆ το δῖα ἰη β Γἰδιῖθη οἷς δα θα ῃ ἰπίθη δι δίσυ ἰλοί υ πῃ τὶ, δ η ἰαῦογο αἷἐμίολοί Π δαι ο ΡΪῶξ υἱ ἰδ ε ὁ Π η ἀοὉ οἱ εἰμ, ὙεγῸ πο δ. ΠῚ νογθογανόγυπὲ οἱ Αι εζοὸ ᾿πλπίυ τη, ἴγαυ Ὸ δυ δι η δι ἀγογοδγὶος ἀἰδδρίοἰδη Ἀ πιὰ τη ποι δ Ό η Γ πα δ λυῖοῖ ἡΠυὰ οἰ πὶ ΙΝ Διὰ η ἰδςεριίο γοῖο τόγο πα Π ΟΣ ἔχοι. ἰ ς ΙΥ ὐς. ι. Ριον. ὅ ἰμἰά. δι. ελ, ς, ΝΙ, ΄ δὶ α ἴμνοΑ → ; ἴῃ ο η ποιὰ οἰ ο πὶ η ὃ η δῖ Γὰ οἱ απο Βα πὶ ἃ δύγοῦἱπάποὶ ἢ αυλίυυῦ πὶ οἱ οἱ οἷα ἤσα ροβίθα βοῦν ἴῃ ἀδοίπλο ΓᾺ ἀ ᾿ ἰη αυλῦίο απ ἀυδίιοῦ ᾿ρθοβῆθα ν δοοὶρίοη πη Π Εἰ ᾿νἰδίογῖα υδμοὐὲ μα οὐἀοθοδηλυῦ, δι Π Ρ ροΓιίη οἱ Β Ώ ΔΤ Π οὐ βοίπηυ τ Νοβίγαιν ἢ ὑπ ἃ ᾿ ραία, ιδ. βά ι αὐυἰάδιῃ συδίυμη ἢ Ὁ δἰ υ υ γο ἀἰβοθγΏογα, γ δου γα βά ρογίβοίδηη τηδίυτὶδίο μόγνο → … ; ἠἡπηλημέναις τιλωρίαις → ἠπειλημέναις τιμωρίαις; περιέτιαι τῶν προσπαλᾳιάγτων → περίεστι τῶν προσπαλαιόντων; πλῃςγῶν → πληγῶν; Δᾶδιὸ → Δαβὶδ; γῦμται → γίνεται; ἑπιτάσσουσε → ἐπιτάσσουσι; εἰρτνιχὰς → εἰρηνικὰς; δουλείαν πῶν πέντε → δουλείαν τῶν πέντε.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 51 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/51). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/51
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-51) · 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 52
52PG 79
Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἱστορία ὧδε τὸ τέλος ἔχει ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας ταύτης παιδευόμεθα τὰ καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τὸν τῶν αἰσθήσεων πρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ διδασκόμεθα πόλεμον. Ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν ἀπὸ γενέσεως ἄχρι τῶν δώδεκα ἐτῶν, οὕπω τὴν διάκρισιν κεκαθαρμένος ὑποτίθεται εἰς δουλείαν ἀνεξετάστως, τὰς αἰσθήσεις τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς χαθάπερ δεσπόταις ὑπουργούσας πρὸς τὰ κελευόμενα, ὅρασιν μὲν ὁρατοῖς, ἀκοὴν δὲ φωναῖς, γεῦσιν δὲ χυμοῖς, ἀτμοῖς δὲ ὄσφρησιν, ἁφὴν δὲ τοῖς αὑτὴν κινεῖ τὴν αἴσθησιν πεφυχόσιν αἰσθητοῖς, οὐδὲ μίαν τῶν ἀντιλήψεων διακρῖναι, καὶ λῦσαι δυνάμενος διὰ τὴν νηπιότητα. Ὅταν δὲ ὁ λογισμὸς ὑφαδρύνεσθαι μέλλῃ, καὶ τῆς βλάβης ἄρξηται αἰσθάνεσθαι, ἀποστασίαν εὐθὺς ἐννοεῖ καὶ … φυγὴν τῆς τοιαύτης δουλείας, χἂν μὲν ἰσχυρὸς γενόμενος τῷ λογισμῷ ταύτην βεβαιώσῃ τὴν κρίσιν, ἐλεύθερος εἰς ἅπαν διαμένει, πικροὺς ἀποδράσας δεσπότας. Εἰ δὲ ἀσθενεστέραν τοῦ ἐγχειρήματος ἔχει τὴν χρίσιν, πάλιν αἰχμαλώτους τὰς αἰσθήσεις προδίδωσιν ἡττημένας τῇ τῶν αἰσθητῶν δυναστείᾳ, καὶ τὴν δουλείαν λοιπὸν τυραννικὴν ὑπομενούσας χωρίς τινος χρηστῆῇς ἐλπίδο;. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ πέντε βασιλεῖς ἡττηθέντες παρὰ τῶν τεσσάρων συνελαύνονται εἰς φρέατα ἀσφάλτου, ἵνα ἡμεῖς μάθωμεν, ὅτι οὐ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἧττη μένοι, ὥσπερ βαράθροις ἣ φρέασιν ἐκάστῃ αἰσθήσει, τὸ αὑτὴν ἐγκαταστρέφουσιν, αἰσθητὸν, πλέον τῶν ὁρωμένων ἐννοοῦντες λοιπόν διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἐν Ὁ δῆσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν ἐν ταῦθα πραγμάτων ἠγαπηκέναι μᾶλλον τῶν νοητῶν
Kai hē men historia hōde to telos echei hēmeis de ek tēs historias tautēs paideuometha ta kath᾽ heautous, kai ton tōn aisthēseōn pros ta aisthēta didaskometha polemon. Hekastos gar hēmōn apo geneseōs achri tōn dōdeka etōn, houpō tēn diakrisin kekatharmenos hypotithetai eis douleian anexetastōs, tas aisthēseis tois aisthētois chathaper despotais hypourgousas pros ta keleuomena, horasin men horatois, akoēn de phōnais, geusin de chymois, atmois de osphrēsin, haphēn de tois hautēn kinei tēn aisthēsin pephychosin aisthētois, oude mian tōn antilēpseōn diakrinai, kai lysai dynamenos dia tēn nēpiotēta. Hotan de ho logismos hyphadrynesthai mellę̄, kai tēs blabēs arxētai aisthanesthai, apostasian euthys ennoei kai … phygēn tēs toiautēs douleias, chan men ischyros genomenos tǭ logismǭ tautēn bebaiōsę̄ tēn krisin, eleutheros eis hapan diamenei, pikrous apodrasas despotas. Ei de asthenesteran tou encheirēmatos echei tēn chrisin, palin aichmalōtous tas aisthēseis prodidōsin hēttēmenas tę̄ tōn aisthētōn dynasteią, kai tēn douleian loipon tyrannikēn hypomenousas chōris tinos chrēstēę̄s elpido?. Dia touto gar kai hoi en tę̄ historią pente basileis hēttēthentes para tōn tessarōn synelaunontai eis phreata asphaltou, hina hēmeis mathōmen, hoti ou tois aisthētois hēttē menoi, hōsper barathrois hē phreasin ekastę̄ aisthēsei, to hautēn enkatastrephousin, aisthēton, pleon tōn horōmenōn ennoountes loipon dia to tois en Ho dēsai tēn epithymian, kai tēn apolausin tōn en tautha pragmatōn ēgapēkenai mallon tōn noētōn
Such is the end of the story. But from this story we are taught about ourselves, and we learn the war of the senses against the objects of sense. For each of us, from birth until twelve years of age, not yet having a cleansed discernment, is placed in an unexamined servitude, the senses serving the objects of sense as masters in whatever they command: sight serving visible things, hearing sounds, taste flavors, smell odors, and touch the objects of sense that naturally move it; and through infancy he is unable to discern or resolve any of these perceptions. But when the reasoning is about to mature and begins to perceive the harm, it at once thinks of rebellion and … of flight from such servitude. And if, having become strong in its reasoning, it confirms this judgment, it remains free for ever, having escaped bitter masters. But if its judgment is too weak for the undertaking, it again betrays the senses as captives, defeated by the power of the objects of sense, and enduring thenceforth a tyrannical servitude without any good hope. That is why the five kings in the story, defeated by the four, are driven together into the bitumen pits, so that we may learn that those defeated by the objects of sense are [cast], as into pits or wells, into the object of sense that overturns each sense, thinking of nothing beyond what is seen, because they have bound their desire to the things here and have loved the enjoyment of present affairs more than spiritual things.
Gen 14:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 14:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: From childhood the senses serve their objects; reason must rebel and stay firm, or the soul falls like the kings of Sodom into the bitumen pits.
- The bitumen pits: Gen 14:10. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column after “rebellion” 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): οἱ το ο ι πὶ Ω → ; οἱ ἰΝ εἰ ο οἤροια ἰογιίοῦ τι μαι η οπιηἶἷπο Εἴ ρίοι δίῃ νοῦ ἰιαῦθαι ἀυδιὴ τη οἰ η νἱοίο πη οἱ πὶ ὠδίΟ ἢ Ο Π Βυ δι, ΠΟη ο᾽ὰ ρ ιᾳυὶ ᾿ Ἰιἰδιογία οι υ ἃ δ ΡυὈϊ η νἱαἰἱ ἃ η ὺ ἰη ο ᾿ δύ η φοι πο δι φυδίη Δηῖο πΠΙ καῖον γε ὰ Οἱ τυ ἰπ ἷ δἰληηδία ο ἰηἢ πὶ. ΠΗ Ι. δὶς οἱ υτοἱ Π Υ πὶ Οὐ οὐδὲ ΓΟ. βοῦν δ ξ ΟΓδίυ κυθυῖα, οἱ ᾿ υ εκ παίυγα βυδοὶμίαι υἱ δίεπυ μι οδρῖυ Ἰάοίγο δἱ πη ὑδρίαι χ ἢ θη. σιν, ὁ η ᾳ. Εχοῦ. χχι, θ. → … ; ἡμ: ἴς δὲ → ἡμεῖς δὲ; ἀνεξετάστω; → ἀνεξετάστως; ἀντιλέψεων → ἀντιλήψεων; νηπιότττα → νηπιότητα; γεγόμενος → γενόμενος; βεδαιώσῃ → βεβαιώσῃ; πιχροὺς → πικροὺς; φοέασιν → φρέασιν; ἐγχαταστρέφονσιν → ἐγκαταστρέφουσιν; μᾶλλον τῶν γοητῶν → μᾶλλον τῶν νοητῶν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 52 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/52). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/52
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-52) · 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.