Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) 53–71 (Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse))

Nilus of Ancyra

Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) 53–71

Nilus of Ancyra · Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) · ca. 390-430 · Ancyra · 19 passages

Greek text: PG 79.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 53

53PG 79

Οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἡγαπηχὼς τὸν κύριον ἑαυτοῦ δοῦλος καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ τὰ παιδία, τὴν ἀληθῆ παραιτούμενος ἐλευθερίαν, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ σωματικὰ συγγένειαν, δοῦλο; αἰώνιος γίνεται, μετατρηθεὶς ὀπητίῳ τὸ οὖς, ἵνα μὴ τῇ φυσικῇ τῆς ἀκοῆς ἀκούων ὁπῇ, δέξηταί ποτε λόγον ἐλευθερίας ἀλλὰ δοῦλος διηνεκῶς τὰ παρόντα ἢγαπηκώς. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τῆς ἐπιλαβομένης τῶν αἰδοίων γυναικὸς, ἐν τῷ μάχεσθαι τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας, ἀποχότεῖν ὁ νόμος ἐκέλευσεν, ὅτ μάχης οὔσης τῶν λογισμῶν περὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν χοσμιχῶν καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων ἀγαθῶν, τούτων ἀφεῖσα τὴν αἵρεσιν, τῶν τῆς γενέσεως ἐδράξατο, καὶ φθορᾶς διὰ γὰρ τῶν γεννητικῶν τὰ γενέσεως ἐδήλωσε πράγματα. Οὐδὲν οὖν ὄφελος τὸ ἀποτάξασθαι τοῖς πράγμασι μὴ ἐπιμένοντας χρίσει, ἀλλ᾽ ὑποσύρεσθαι πάλιν, καὶ ὑπενδοῦναι τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς ἐπὶ τὰ καταλειφθέντα στρέφεσθαι, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνα κηρύσσειν προσπάθειαν, ὡς ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ ὑποστραφεῖσα ἔστηκεν ἕως νῦν, ὑπόδειγμα τοῖς ἀπειθοῦσι μεταβληθεῖσα εἰς στύλην ἁλός. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ συνήθεια, ἧς σύμβολον αὕτη, τοὺς ἀναχωρεῖν ἀμεταστρεπτὶ βουλομένους, πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐπιστρέφουσα. Τί δέ φησι καὶ ὁ κελεύων νόμος τὸν εἰσἐρχόμενον εἰ: τὸν ναὸν μετὰ τὸ τελέσαι τὰ τῆς εὐχῆς Μὴ ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνην ἀναχάμπτειν τὴν πύλην, δι᾽ ἧς εἰσελήλυθεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἄντικρυς ἐκπορεύεσθαι ἀνεπίστροφον τῇ χατ᾽ εὐθὺ πορείαν ποιούμενον, ἣ τὸ μὴ χρῆναι τὴν σύντονον τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν εὐθύτητος ἐκλύειν ἐνδοιασμοῖς. Αἰ συνεχεῖς πρὸς τὰ, ἀφ᾽ ὧν παντελῶς ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ἐπὶ τὰ ὀπίσω ἕλκουσι, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω χαυνώσασαι ὁρμὴν, ὅλην πρὸς τὴν, καὶ ὑπονοστῆσαι ἐπὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα παραδχευάκακά

Houtōs kai ho hēgapēchōs ton kyrion heautou doulos kai tēn gynaika, kai ta paidia, tēn alēthē paraitoumenos eleutherian, dia tēn pros ta sōmatika syngeneian, doulo? aiōnios ginetai, metatrētheis opētiǭ to ous, hina mē tę̄ physikę̄ tēs akoēs akouōn hopę̄, dexētai pote logon eleutherias alla doulos diēnekōs ta paronta ēgapēkōs. Dia touto kai tēn cheira tēs epilabomenēs tōn aidoiōn gynaikos, en tǭ machesthai tous dyo andras, apochotein ho nomos ekeleusen, hot machēs ousēs tōn logismōn peri tēs haireseōs tōn chosmichōn kai tōn ouraniōn agathōn, toutōn apheisa tēn hairesin, tōn tēs geneseōs edraxato, kai phthoras dia gar tōn gennētikōn ta geneseōs edēlōse pragmata. Ouden oun ophelos to apotaxasthai tois pragmasi mē epimenontas chrisei, all᾽ hyposyresthai palin, kai hypendounai tǭ logismǭ, kai dia touto synechōs epi ta kataleiphthenta strephesthai, kai tēn pros ekeina kēryssein prospatheian, hōs hē gynē tou hypostrapheisa estēken heōs nyn, hypodeigma tois apeithousi metablētheisa eis stylēn halos. Toiouton gar hē synētheia, hēs symbolon hautē, tous anachōrein ametastrepti boulomenous, pros heautēn epistrephousa. Ti de phēsi kai ho keleuōn nomos ton eiserchomenon ei: ton naon meta to telesai ta tēs euchēs Mē ep᾽ ekeinēn anachamptein tēn pylēn, di᾽ hēs eiselēlythen, alla dia tēs antikrys ekporeuesthai anepistrophon tę̄ chat᾽ euthy poreian poioumenon, hē to mē chrēnai tēn syntonon tēs epi tēn aretēn euthytētos eklyein endoiasmois. Ai synecheis pros ta, aph᾽ hōn pantelōs apo tēs synētheias epi ta opisō helkousi, kai tēn epi ta prosō chaunōsasai hormēn, holēn pros tēn, kai hyponostēsai epi ta archaia paradcheuakaka

So too the slave who loves his master, and his wife and children, and refuses true freedom because of his kinship with bodily things, becomes a slave for ever, his ear pierced with an awl, so that, hearing through the natural opening of hearing, he may never receive a word of freedom, but remain perpetually a slave, having loved the things that are present. That is why the law commanded that the hand of the woman who seized a man's private parts, when two men were fighting, be cut off: because, when there was a battle of thoughts over the choice between worldly and heavenly goods, she let go the choice of the latter and seized the things of generation and corruption; for by the parts of generation it indicated the affairs of generation. There is no benefit, then, in renouncing worldly affairs if one does not abide by that judgment but is dragged back again and gives in to one's reasoning, and therefore continually turns back to what was left behind and proclaims one's attachment to it, as the wife of [Lot] turned back and stands to this day, changed into a pillar of salt, an example to the disobedient. Such is habit, of which she is a symbol: it turns back to itself those who wish to withdraw without turning round. And what does the law mean that commands the one who enters the temple, when he has finished his prayer, not to go back by the gate through which he came in, but to go out by the one opposite, making his course straight and without turning, except that one must not loosen with hesitations the intense straightness of the way toward virtue? For continual [glances] toward the things from which one has [departed] completely drag one back by habit, and slacken the forward impulse, [turning] it wholly toward …, and prepare a return to the old evils.

Exod 21:5–6 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 25:11–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 19:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 46:9 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The slave who chooses to stay, the woman who seized the wrong thing, and Lot's wife show the danger of turning back to the world after renouncing it.

The slave's pierced ear: Exod 21:5–6. The woman in the fight: Deut 25:11–12. Lot's wife: Gen 19:26; “stands to this day … an example to the disobedient” echoes Wis 10:7. Going out of the temple by the opposite gate: Ezek 46:9. The end of the section is damaged; lost words are marked “…” or supplied by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α ρύρηα σοι → ; ἀλνθῆ → ἀληθῆ; σωμᾶτικὰ → σωματικὰ; μετατρηθεὶς ὀπιτίῳ → μετατρηθεὶς ὀπητίῳ; ἐλενθερίας → ἐλευθερίας; ἐπιλαδομένης → ἐπιλαβομένης; μάχτς οὔσης τῶν λογιτμῶν → μάχης οὔσης τῶν λογισμῶν; γΞνυνητιχῶν → γεννητικῶν; ὑπὸοστραφεῖσα → ὑποστραφεῖσα; εὐθύτῆτος ἔχλύειν → εὐθύτητος ἐκλύειν; ὀὁπίτω → ὀπίσω.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 10:7 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; echo)

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 53 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/53). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/53

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 54

54PG 79

… Δεινὸν γὰρ ἡ συνήθεια κατασχεῖν πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, καὶ μὴ συγχωρῆσαι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην ἕξιν διαναστῆναι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἕξις μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ συνηθείας ἀπὸ δὲ ἕξεως φύσις ἐγγίνεται φύσιν δὲ μετακινῆσαι, καὶ μεταβαλεῖν χαλεπόν χἂν γὰρ χλιθῇ μιχρὴν βίᾳ, ταχέως πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀνατρέχει, σαλευομένη μὲν τῶν οἰκείων ὄρων, οὐ μὴν εἰς τὸ πᾶν μετακινοῦσα, εἰ μὴ πάλιν πολὺς πόνος αὐτῇ διὰ τῆς αὐτῇ: ὁδοῦ παλινδρομῆσαι παρασκευάσει ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν χαταλειφθεῖσαν ἕξιν ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ἐπανελθεῖν. Ὅρα γὰρ τὴν ἐθισμοὶς ἀκολουθοῦσαν ψυχὴν, πῶς εἰδώλοις ἐπικαθέζεται προσηλώσασα ταῖς ἀμόρφοις ὅλαις ἑαυτὴν, καὶ πρὸ; τὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ χειραγωγεῖν ἐθέλοντα λόγον οὐ προσιεμένη τὴν συνανάβασιν, λέγουσα ε Οὐ δύναμαι ἀναστῇ σαι. … ἐνώπιόν ὅτι κατὰ θεσμὸν τῶν γυναικῶν μοί ἐστιν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῖς τοῦ βίου πράγμασιν ἀπὸ πολλῶν χρόνων ὑπαναπαυομένη ψυχὴ εἰδώλοις ἐπικαθέζεται, τοῖς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν μὲν ἀμόρφοι: ς, τέχνῃ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνῃ τὴν μορφὴν δεχομένοις ἣ γὰρ οὐκ ἄμορφον πρᾶγμα πλοῦτος, καὶ δόξα, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ βίου πράγματα, οὐδὲν ἔχοντα τρανὸν, οὐδὲ διηρθρωμένον ὁμοιότητι δὲ εὐπαραγώγῳ ψευδόμενα τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῷ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἄλλας ἐξ ἄλλων δέχεσθαι τὰς μεταβολάς μορφὴν δὲ περ τιθῶμεν αὐτοῖς ἡμεῖς, ὅταν οἷς πρὸς μηδὲν τῶν λυσιτελῶν χρήσιμον φαντασίαν διὰ τῶν ων λογισμῶν. …

… Deinon gar hē synētheia kataschein pros heautēn, kai mē synchōrēsai palin epi tēn prōtēn hexin dianastēnai tēs aretēs hexis men gar apo synētheias apo de hexeōs physis enginetai physin de metakinēsai, kai metabalein chalepon chan gar chlithę̄ michrēn bią, tacheōs pros heautēn anatrechei, saleuomenē men tōn oikeiōn orōn, ou mēn eis to pan metakinousa, ei mē palin polys ponos autę̄ dia tēs autę̄: hodou palindromēsai paraskeuasei hōs epi tēn chataleiphtheisan hexin apo tēs synētheias epanelthein. Hora gar tēn ethismois akolouthousan psychēn, pōs eidōlois epikathezetai prosēlōsasa tais amorphois holais heautēn, kai pro? ton epi ta hypsēla cheiragōgein ethelonta logon ou prosiemenē tēn synanabasin, legousa e Ou dynamai anastę̄ sai. … enōpion hoti kata thesmon tōn gynaikōn moi estin. Hē gar tois tou biou pragmasin apo pollōn chronōn hypanapauomenē psychē eidōlois epikathezetai, tois ex heautōn men amorphoi: s, technę̄ de anthrōpinę̄ tēn morphēn dechomenois hē gar ouk amorphon pragma ploutos, kai doxa, kai ta loipa tou biou pragmata, ouden echonta tranon, oude diērthrōmenon homoiotēti de euparagōgǭ pseudomena tēn alētheian tǭ kath᾽ hekastēn allas ex allōn dechesthai tas metabolas morphēn de per tithōmen autois hēmeis, hotan hois pros mēden tōn lysitelōn chrēsimon phantasian dia tōn ōn logismōn. …

… For habit is terrible at holding one fast to itself and not allowing one to rise again to the first state of virtue. For a settled state comes from habit, and from a settled state comes a nature; and nature is hard to move and change. For even if it is bent a little by force, it quickly runs back to itself, shaken out of its own bounds but not moved altogether, unless much toil prepares it in turn to run back along the same road, so as to return from the habit to the state it had abandoned. See the soul that follows its habits: how it sits upon idols, nailing itself to formless matter, and does not accept going up with the word that wishes to lead it by the hand to the heights, but says, “I cannot rise … before you, because the custom of women is upon me.” For the soul that has for a long time rested in the affairs of life sits upon idols, things formless in themselves but receiving their form from human art. Is not wealth a formless thing, and glory, and the other affairs of life? They have nothing clear or articulated, but falsify the truth by a misleading likeness, taking on day by day different changes from different causes. It is we who put a form on them, when, through our own thoughts, we give them an appearance that is useful for nothing profitable …

Gen 31:34–35 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Habit becomes a second nature; the soul sits on its idols like Rachel, giving form to formless things like wealth and glory.

The section begins and ends in long stretches of Migne's facing Latin column, which have been removed (marked …). Rachel sitting on the household idols and saying she cannot rise because “the custom of women” is upon her: Gen 31:34–35. “Habit becomes a nature” is a proverbial saying (cf. Aristotle, Rhetoric 1.11).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ἢν οἱ πὶ οἰοοῖίο-. οογροῖς αυῷ δίχα ξεπεγαῖίτα, τὸ Ρίυτγα. δργοπαπίίαγα ποη ἰη ο δ υῆαν ΓΑ οία βά δ ἴμοἱ σον γβἃ ὑ ἴη.θυ, ἰ δἰδίυδη δ δὶς εὐ εἰ ἤφυγα, νοβοοδάδγο Ὁ γ, τ γθγὸ η αὶ Ρ αυῷ ογδιὶοΠοΠῚ τοΠοοίο-ΤῈ Γ ΘΑ πη Ρ ποταὶ ἰηΓ ἡ ἃ ογαὶ τορίοπα, πο Οὔ γ ΠῚ Π σοἸογὶς βά ἀἰδβδοίγογο δ θαἤδη σοπηίίπυς δὲ ἐκ σοηῃδυοίυ πα ρμἰδπὲ πὶ δι ρ ιδ α πὶ ἃ, Δη δνογίυη δ υἱ αἱ ἀπι → … ; ῷ ῖ δὲ ς η → ; δυσίυἀο βά δι ἴῃ πὶ υἱγίυ ἃ. ἢ Γ, ἃ γογὸ ἠδίυγα, ΤῈ Θ πο ἰδίθη δ ἃσίίδία ΠΕ ἢ δ ρογίθοι υἱ ἴῃ Π ΠΟ πι πν ἃς οἷν ἈΠ Βοοοὲ ἰηονἶθυς δ. οἱ γα πυάδυδνοτο δι π δ πο έ → … ; Β ε Νοῆ γοδυγρογὸ η → ; τὰ ΠΡ Δ οὶἄϊι πὶ π ἃ ἢ ἰ δὶ, αὐ δι. τότὸ ἀγιἰΠοίο. ἃ Γ ἰη ἀν εἶα, οἱ αἰονία, οἱ Γ νἱῖα δ. πὶ, ἴῃ διγοργὸ δἤαλυγο ἱμάυοία, δίθην τποηιἰοηίος Δι᾽ οη ἰεἰ αυδηάο ᾿ἷς, βά πὲ αἰ ις πο γα Δ Ι Π δ καν, Π, χιχ, ἦ τυ ὅὸς ΠΥ. μδοοδυδτγίθη εἰδὴ ἈΠ πη, να κα δ ἴῃ τ πη, δι: ει Γι οἱ εἴδη, ἀ δἰ. σαι φυδὴ Ὡ ΠΡ οἰ πη. ργώοθγο οἱ ἐΐΠα Πα διιῖπη ἀρυὰ οὐ αν αἱ ἀδίποορα γ θυ ἤθαυ νοὶ οἱ ΡδῪ Π δι ποι γα ν η δὲ πηδηδίγυοτυ πδίυοἰ αι ΒΕ Γ Δ Πὶ οἱ εἰ διὴ δἰ δὲ νοὶ ρίαι δοτίρίυγα, μἰ ει ίδιη οὐαὶ ε ἰη οἱ ἴῃ νἱποῖο οἰ αι οἱ ἔογγο ὃ. οἱ ὁ ἰη ργΕἰ ε ἴη φυδληὰο δοοὈδίηυ οἱ δ πὶ ὕδγα δάρον, οἰἰὰς γνοἱαρίαι πὰ οἱ οδίοσο βυδσοθηάθη ο οὐρά Μδίοι Θ δι γΟ οδὲ βδἰυγία ἰρεὰ αἷπὶ σοὶ θυ Γ οἱ γί α ἢδς. ἃ Γ υ δι οἱ β νου ἢ θυ δ οἱ οἱ οἱ δ; ροουῃίδγυ ἰη οτἱπιὶς ΘΑ οσαγθβοθηίθτω, Ὑ ἰ υ δὶδὶ ροῦγο πδοδββαγὶο ἀοἷοῦ ι ΟὟ βά ἢ οἴυμα; ἴῃ μδοίυ οἱ γ ῃἰγο οὐαὶ οΠΝΙΝ → …; μὴ συγχωρῆσα: πάλιν → μὴ συγχωρῆσαι πάλιν; διαναστῖναι → διαναστῆναι; ἀπὸ ηθείας → ἀπὸ συνηθείας; μεταχινῖτα: → μετακινῆσαι; σαλενομένη → σαλευομένη; πανμεταδχίνουσα → πᾶν μετακινοῦσα; ὑψηλόχειραγωγεῖν → ὑψηλὰ χειραγωγεῖν; προσιξομένη τὴν συνανάδασιν → προσιεμένη τὴν συνανάβασιν; Ψψευδόμενα → ψευδόμενα; μεταθολάς → μεταβολάς; χρήδιμον → χρήσιμον.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 54 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/54). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/54

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 55

55PG 79

Ὅταν γὰρ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν τοῦ σώματος χρείαν εἷς ἀμήχανον πολυτέλειαν, τὴν μὲν τροφὴν μυρίοις παραρτύοντες, τὰ δὲ ἐνδύματα πρὸς χλιδὴν καὶ θρύψιν φιλοτίμως ποικίλλοντες εἶτα ἐγκαλούμενοι περὶ τῆς ματαιότητος ταύτης, ὡς εἰκῇ, καὶ μάτην τὴν δι᾽ ὀλίγων πληροῦσθαι δυναμένην χρείαν ἁβροῖς στολοῦντες ἀπολογίας, ὡς περὶ καθηκόντων τί ἕτερον ἣ ταῖς ἀμόρφο: ς ὕλαις μορφὴν περιτιθέναι φιλονεικοῦμεν; Καλῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπικαθεζομένην τούτοις εἴπομεν τὴν τοιαύτην Ψυχήν. Ἢ γὰρ περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων τὰς τοιαύτας παρ᾽ ἑαυτῇ κρίσεις βεβαιώσασα ψυχὴ, προσήλωται τοῖς τῇδε πράγμασιν εἰδώλοις λοιπὸν, καὶ οὐχ ἀληθείᾳ δουλεύουσα, καὶ ταύτῃ οὐ διαναστῆναι δυναμένη, καὶ τοῖς ἐθισμοῖς ὥσπερ ἐμμήνῳ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ τὴν τούτων φύσιν μολύνουσα τὸ δὲ καθέζεσθαι ἀργίαν τῶν καλῶν καὶ φιληδονίαν ἡ Γραφὴ ἐνταῦθα λέγει. ᾿Αργίαν μὲν ὅταν λέγει Καθημένους ἕν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, πεπεδημένους ἐν πτωχείᾳ καὶ σιδήρῳ. Καὶ τὸ σκότος γὰρ, καὶ ἡ πέδη κώλυμα ἐργασίας εἰσί Φιληδονίαν δὲ ὅταν εἴπῃ περὶ τῶν στραφέντων τῇ καρδίᾳ εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους λεγόντων ὅταν ἐχαθήμεθα ἐπὶ τῶν λεβήτων τῶν χρεῶν, καὶ ἠσθίομεν χρέα εἰς πλησμονήν. Ὄντως γὰρ ἐπὶ λεβήτων καθέζονται οἱ ὑγρᾷ καὶ ἀπαύστῳ θέρμῃ τὰς ὀρέξεις ἀναχαιόμενοι Φιληδονίας δὲ ἡ γαστριμαργία μήτηρ. Αὕτη γὰρ τίκτει φιληδονίαν, τάχα δὲ καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν. ᾿Απὸ γὰρ ταύτης, ὡς ῥίζη;, βλαστήματα τὰ λοιπὰ πάθη, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν τῇ τεχούσῃ προσαναδενδρούμενα οὐρανομήχεις κακίας. Φιλοχρηματία γὰρ, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ λύπη, γαστριμαργίας εἰσὶν ἔγγονα, καὶ βλαστοί χρεία γὰρ πρῶτον χρημάτων τῷ γαστριμάργῳ πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀεὶ φλεγμαίνουσαν εἰ καὶ αὐτὴ μηδέποτε πληροῦται. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐμποδίζοντας τῇ τούτων κτήσει, ἀνάγχη κινεῖσθαι τὸ θυμικὸν, λύπη δὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἕπεται τῷ μὴ εἰς ἔργον δι ἀσθένειαν θυμῷ καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἐπὶ τῳ στήθει καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορευόμενος, ὅταν μὲν ἔχει τὰς ποιητικὰς τῶν ἡδονῶν ὕλας ἐπὶ γαστέρα τοὅταν δὲ τούτων ἀπορῇ, ῥέπει ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος, ὅπου ὁ θυμός: οἱ γὰρ φιλήδονοι στερούμενοι τῶν ἡδονῶν ὀργίζονται καὶ πικραίνονται.

Hotan gar tēn anankaian tou sōmatos chreian heis amēchanon polyteleian, tēn men trophēn myriois parartyontes, ta de endymata pros chlidēn kai thrypsin philotimōs poikillontes eita enkaloumenoi peri tēs mataiotētos tautēs, hōs eikę̄, kai matēn tēn di᾽ oligōn plērousthai dynamenēn chreian habrois stolountes apologias, hōs peri kathēkontōn ti heteron hē tais amorpho: s hylais morphēn peritithenai philoneikoumen? Kalōs de kai epikathezomenēn toutois eipomen tēn toiautēn Psychēn. Ē gar peri tōn eirēmenōn tas toiautas par᾽ heautę̄ kriseis bebaiōsasa psychē, prosēlōtai tois tę̄de pragmasin eidōlois loipon, kai ouch alētheią douleuousa, kai tautę̄ ou dianastēnai dynamenē, kai tois ethismois hōsper emmēnǭ akatharsią tēn toutōn physin molynousa to de kathezesthai argian tōn kalōn kai philēdonian hē Graphē entautha legei. ᾿Argian men hotan legei Kathēmenous hen skotei kai skią thanatou, pepedēmenous en ptōcheią kai sidērǭ. Kai to skotos gar, kai hē pedē kōlyma ergasias eisi Philēdonian de hotan eipę̄ peri tōn straphentōn tę̄ kardią eis Aigypton kai pros allēlous legontōn hotan echathēmetha epi tōn lebētōn tōn chreōn, kai ēsthiomen chrea eis plēsmonēn. Ontōs gar epi lebētōn kathezontai hoi hygrą kai apaustǭ thermę̄ tas orexeis anachaiomenoi Philēdonias de hē gastrimargia mētēr. Hautē gar tiktei philēdonian, tacha de kai polla tōn allōn pathōn. ᾿Apo gar tautēs, hōs rhizē?, blastēmata ta loipa pathē, kai kata mikron tę̄ techousę̄ prosanadendroumena ouranomēcheis kakias. Philochrēmatia gar, kai thymos, kai lypē, gastrimargias eisin engona, kai blastoi chreia gar prōton chrēmatōn tǭ gastrimargǭ pros to tēn epithymian aei phlegmainousan ei kai autē mēdepote plēroutai. Pros de tous empodizontas tę̄ toutōn ktēsei, ananchē kineisthai to thymikon, lypē de ex anankēs hepetai tǭ mē eis ergon di astheneian thymǭ kai gar ho epi tǭ stēthei kai tę̄ koilią poreuomenos, hotan men echei tas poiētikas tōn hēdonōn hylas epi gastera tootan de toutōn aporę̄, rhepei epi to stēthos, hopou ho thymos: hoi gar philēdonoi steroumenoi tōn hēdonōn orgizontai kai pikrainontai.

For when we [turn] the body's necessary need into a limitless extravagance, seasoning our food in ten thousand ways and ambitiously embroidering our clothes for luxury and softness, and then, when we are accused of this vanity, on the ground that the need that could be met with little is being met idly and in vain, we dress it up with elegant defenses as though it were a matter of duty, what else are we doing but striving to put a form on formless matter? And we rightly said that such a soul “sits” upon these things. For the soul that has confirmed within itself such judgments about the things mentioned is thereafter nailed to the affairs of this world as to idols; it serves them and not the truth, it cannot rise up from them, and by its habits it defiles their nature as with a menstrual uncleanness. Here Scripture calls “sitting” both idleness in good things and love of pleasure. Idleness, when it says, “Sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in poverty and iron”; for both darkness and fetters hinder work. Love of pleasure, when it speaks of those who turned in their heart to Egypt and said to one another, “When we sat by the pots of meat and ate meat to the full.” For truly those sit by the pots whose appetites are kindled by a moist and ceaseless heat. Gluttony is the mother of love of pleasure: it gives birth to love of pleasure, and perhaps to many of the other passions as well. From it, as from a root, the other passions sprout, and little by little they grow up along with their mother into vices as high as heaven. Love of money, anger, and sadness are the offspring and shoots of gluttony. For the glutton first needs money for his desire, which is always inflamed, even if it is never filled. Against those who hinder him from acquiring it, his anger must be stirred; and sadness necessarily follows anger that does not come to action through weakness. For the one that goes on its breast and belly, when it has the materials that produce pleasures, [goes] on its belly; but when it lacks them it leans on its breast, where anger is. For lovers of pleasure who are deprived of their pleasures become angry and embittered.

Ps 107:10 (106:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 16:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 7:39 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 3:14 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Extravagance gives form to formless things; gluttony is the root from which love of money, anger and sadness grow.

“Sitting in darkness and the shadow of death”: Ps 107:10 (LXX 106:10). The pots of meat: Exod 16:3 (with Acts 7:39, “turned in their heart to Egypt”). Going on the breast and belly: Gen 3:14, of the serpent (cf. Lev 11:42). The sequence gluttony – sexual immorality – love of money – anger – sadness follows the scheme of the eight thoughts familiar from Evagrius. Latin debris at the end of the section has been removed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ἐβΔο γογὸ ἴῃ μοσία υἱὲ οἱ υἷα Ἀπιδηίε νυ ρίας οἱ πιῦξηυ οἷο ἐμ ροι ροὺ δ, ἰγΆ ἴτοπο γα ἢ πὶ ο, δὶ οἱ δί ρειίδοίυ βδὰ ὅ, δ Ἄ. → ; φιλοτέμως → φιλοτίμως; ταύτῆς, ὡς εἰχῇῆ → ταύτης, ὡς εἰκῇ; ὀλέγων → ὀλίγων; τετί ἕτερον → τί ἕτερον; βεθαιώσασα → βεβαιώσασα; τοῖς Β τῇδε → τοῖς τῇδε; διαναστῖῆναι δυνάμένη → διαναστῆναι δυναμένη; ἀχαθαροίᾳ → ἀκαθαρσίᾳ; κχαθέζονται → καθέζονται; Αὕτη γὰρ Ο τίκτει → Αὕτη γὰρ τίκτει; ἄλλων καθῶν → ἄλλων παθῶν; χαχίάς → κακίας; ποητιχὰς → ποιητικὰς; πιχραίνονται → πικραίνονται.

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 55 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/55). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/55

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 56

56PG 79

ὁ μέγας Μωῦσῇῆς λόγιον ἐπιτίθησι τῷ στήθει τοῦ ἱερέως διὰ συμβόλων παραδηλῶν, ὅτι δεῖ κεκριμένως τὰς ὁρμὰς τοῦ θυμικοῦ πάθους ἡνιοχεῖν τῷ λογισμῷ τὸ γὰρ λόγιον χρίσεως λόγιόν ἐστι καὶ οὗτος μὲν λόγῳ κρατεῖ τοῦ πάθους, ἀτελής ὁ δὲ τέλειος Μωῦσῆς ὅλον τὸ θυμικόν οὗ γὰρ τὸ λόγιον φέρει ἀλλ᾽ αὑτὸ τὸ στηθύνιον ἀφαιρεῖ. Λαβὼν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ στηθύνιον ἀφεῖλεν αὐτὸ ἐπίθεμα ἐναντίον Κυρίου. Ἕτεροι δέ εἶσιν οὐ μήτε ὅλον ἐκτεμόντες τὸν θυμὸν, μήτε λόγῳ κρατοῦντες τοῦ πάθους, ἀλλὰ πόνῳ περιγενόμενοι οὗτοι δέ εἶσιν οἱ τὸ στηθύνιον σὺν τῷ βραχίονι ἀφαιροῦντες. Βραχίων γὰρ πόνου καὶ ἐργασίας σημεῖόν ἐστιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ κοιλίας πορεύεσθαι τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀληθέστατον ἔχει· σχεδὸν γὰρ τῶν ἡδονῶν αἰτία ἐστὶν αὕτη πληρωθείσης γὰρ γαστρὸς, ὀρέξεις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἡδονῶν γίνονται σύντονοι ἐνδεῶς δὲ ἐχούσης ἣρεμαῖαι, καὶ σταθερώτεραι μένουσι. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δέ ἔστι διαφορὰ προκόπτοντος καὶ τελείου Μωῦσῆς μὲν γὰρ τελείως τὴν τῶν βρωμάτων ἡδονὴν ἀποῤῥιπτόμενος, τὴν κοιλίαν καὶ τοὺς πόδας … ὕδατι κοιλίαν μὲν τὴν ἡδονὴν, πόδας δὲ τὰς ἐπιβάσεις καὶ προκοπὰς αἰνιττόμενος. Ὁ δὲ προκόπτων τὰ ἐν κοιλίᾳ οὐ τὴν ὅλην κοιλίαν. Καὶ τὸ, δὲ, καὶ τὸ, πλυνοῦσι, πολλὴν ἔχουσι τὴν διαφοράν τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστι ἀκούσιον, τὸ δὲ ἐκ προστάξεως περιγενόμενον.

ho megas Mōysę̄ēs logion epitithēsi tǭ stēthei tou hiereōs dia symbolōn paradēlōn, hoti dei kekrimenōs tas hormas tou thymikou pathous hēniochein tǭ logismǭ to gar logion chriseōs logion esti kai houtos men logǭ kratei tou pathous, atelēs ho de teleios Mōysēs holon to thymikon hou gar to logion pherei all᾽ hauto to stēthynion aphairei. Labōn gar, phēsi, to stēthynion apheilen auto epithema enantion Kyriou. Heteroi de eisin ou mēte holon ektemontes ton thymon, mēte logǭ kratountes tou pathous, alla ponǭ perigenomenoi houtoi de eisin hoi to stēthynion syn tǭ brachioni aphairountes. Brachiōn gar ponou kai ergasias sēmeion estin. Homoiōs de kai to epi koilias poreuesthai tēn hēdonēn alēthestaton echei; schedon gar tōn hēdonōn aitia estin hautē plērōtheisēs gar gastros, orexeis kai tōn allōn hēdonōn ginontai syntonoi endeōs de echousēs hēremaiai, kai statherōterai menousi. Kai entautha de esti diaphora prokoptontos kai teleiou Mōysēs men gar teleiōs tēn tōn brōmatōn hēdonēn aporrhiptomenos, tēn koilian kai tous podas … hydati koilian men tēn hēdonēn, podas de tas epibaseis kai prokopas ainittomenos. Ho de prokoptōn ta en koilią ou tēn holēn koilian. Kai to, de, kai to, plynousi, pollēn echousi tēn diaphoran to men gar esti akousion, to de ek prostaxeōs perigenomenon.

[That is why] the great Moses puts the oracle on the breast of the priest, showing by symbols that one must rein in the impulses of the passion of anger with reasoning, with judgment; for the oracle is the oracle of judgment. And the priest masters the passion by reason, being imperfect; but Moses, the perfect, [removes] the whole of the angry part: for he does not wear the oracle, but takes away the breast itself. “Taking the breast,” it says, “he took it away as a heave offering before the Lord.” Others neither cut out anger altogether nor master the passion by reason, but overcome it by toil; these are the ones who take away the breast together with the arm. For the arm is a sign of toil and work. In the same way, going on the belly most truly belongs to pleasure; for the belly is almost the cause of pleasures: when the stomach is filled, the appetites for the other pleasures too become intense, but when it is in want, they stay quiet and more steady. Here too there is a difference between one who is making progress and one who is perfect. Moses, casting away the pleasure of food perfectly, [washed] the belly and the feet … in water, hinting by the belly at pleasure, and by the feet at steps and advances. But the one making progress [washes] the things in the belly, not the whole belly. And “he washed” and “they shall wash” have a great difference: the one is voluntary, the other is done by command.

Exod 28:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 8:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 7:34 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 8:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 1:9 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Following Philo's allegory of the priestly rites, Nilus distinguishes the perfect, who removes anger and pleasure entirely, from those who master or wash them.

The oracle (λόγιον, the breastpiece) of judgment: Exod 28:15, 30. Moses removing the breast: Lev 8:29. The breast with the arm (shoulder): Lev 7:34; 10:15. Moses washing the belly and feet: Lev 8:21; the priests washing the entrails and feet “by command”: Lev 1:9. This whole allegory closely follows Philo, Allegorical Interpretation 3.118–159. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed in the middle of the Moses sentence (marked …).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): δ ἰ ε δη κία ἰά Π Ω δ. Α Π π π ταιίθης, θγδοιίο πο ρ οἱ οὶ. δ πὶ δὺδἱ ἴῃ ἰδιίθγο νο δαί θυ πὶ. ἴρβα παπΊηια ἴδγα π Ρἰοίο υδπίγα οἱ γοργὸ Εἰ. Αἰ ι δα οἱ ρογίδοι ραγίδοί νὸΔ εἴδη εἶν ἰπ → … ; Β εἴ ρεὰς αἱ ἀιιὰ υοπέγθη → ; ἀτήθει → στήθει; Κεχριμένως → κεκριμένως; λόγιπόν → λόγιόν; φέρε ἀλλ᾽ → φέρει ἀλλ᾽; ΛαΑ πος θὼν → Λαβὼν; μὴτε ὅλον → μήτε ὅλον; μὴτε λύγῳ → μήτε λόγῳ; ἀληθέστατον ἔχε σχεδὸν → ἀληθέστατον ἔχει· σχεδὸν; προχόπτῶων → προκόπτων; πιλυγοῦσε → πλυνοῦσι.

Extrabiblical texts: Philo, Leg. 3.118–159 (Philo of Alexandria (works); allusion)

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 56 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/56). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/56

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 57

57PG 79

γὰρ τὸν μὲν τέλειον αὐτοκελεύστῳ προθυμίᾳ πρὸς τὰς χατ᾽ ἀρετὴν κινεῖσθαι πράξεις, τὸν δὲ προκόπτοντα τοῦ ὑφηγουμένου μενον. Σφόδρα δὲ μένως τὸ μὲν στηθύνιον ὅλον ἀφαιρεῖν, τὴν δὲ κοιλίαν οὐχ ἀφαιρεῖν, πλύνειν δέ ὁ γὰρ σοφὸς ὅλον μὲν τὸν θυμὸν ἰσχύει παραιτήσασθαι ἀποκόψαι, τὴν δὲ κοιλίαν ἐκτεμεῖν ἀδυνατεῖ, Τοῖς γὰρ ἀναγκαίοις σιτίοις ἡ φύσις βιάζεται χρῆσθαι καὶ τὸν ἐγκρατέστατον. Τῆς δὲ μὴ στοιχησάσης τῷ ὀρθῷ καὶ μονίμῳ λόγῳ ψυχῆ, ἀλλὰ Φυχικαῖς ᾿δοναῖς, διὰ τοῦτο πίμπραται ἧ ἐπειδή περ, κἂν αἱ τοῦ σώματος πεῖναι, μένει διψαλέος ἡ ἐπιθυμία, ἀκολουθεῖ δὲ τὸ πρησθῆναι τὴν κοιλίαν διὰ τὸ πεσεῖν τὸν μηρόν γὰρ ἡ διάνοια πρὸς τὴν καλῶν γένεσιν φλεγμαινούσης γὰρ τῆς γαστρὸς ἐκ τῆς τῶν βρωμάτῶν πολυτελείας, καὶ τοὺς πνευματικοὺς ται τόνους τούτου: γὰρ διὰ τοῦ μηροῦ ὁ νομικὸς ἧνίξατο λόγος. Οὐχοῦν ὁ μὲν φιλήδονος ἐπὶ κοιλίαν πορεύεται ὅλος ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπολαυστικὰς ἧδονάς ὁ δὲ ἀρχόμενος τοῦ κατ ἀρετὴν βίου, τὸ στέαρ τῆς κοιλίας περιαιρεῖ, τὰς πιαινούσας τὸ σῶμὰ παραιτούμενος τροφάς. Καὶ ὁ μὲν προκόπτων, τὰ. ἂν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ὁ δὲ τέλειος ὅλην τὴν κοιλίαν, τὰ περιττὰ τῆς ἀναγκαίας χρείας παντελῶς ῥιπτόμενος.,

gar ton men teleion autokeleustǭ prothymią pros tas chat᾽ aretēn kineisthai praxeis, ton de prokoptonta tou hyphēgoumenou menon. Sphodra de menōs to men stēthynion holon aphairein, tēn de koilian ouch aphairein, plynein de ho gar sophos holon men ton thymon ischyei paraitēsasthai apokopsai, tēn de koilian ektemein adynatei, Tois gar anankaiois sitiois hē physis biazetai chrēsthai kai ton enkratestaton. Tēs de mē stoichēsasēs tǭ orthǭ kai monimǭ logǭ psychē, alla Phychikais ᾿donais, dia touto pimpratai hē epeidē per, kan hai tou sōmatos peinai, menei dipsaleos hē epithymia, akolouthei de to prēsthēnai tēn koilian dia to pesein ton mēron gar hē dianoia pros tēn kalōn genesin phlegmainousēs gar tēs gastros ek tēs tōn brōmatōn polyteleias, kai tous pneumatikous tai tonous toutou: gar dia tou mērou ho nomikos hēnixato logos. Ouchoun ho men philēdonos epi koilian poreuetai holos epi tas apolaustikas hēdonas ho de archomenos tou kat aretēn biou, to stear tēs koilias periairei, tas piainousas to sōma paraitoumenos trophas. Kai ho men prokoptōn, ta. an tę̄ koilią ho de teleios holēn tēn koilian, ta peritta tēs anankaias chreias pantelōs rhiptomenos.,

For [it belongs to] the perfect to be moved to virtuous actions by an eagerness that needs no command, but to the one making progress to [need] the [command] of his guide. And very [fittingly] he takes away the whole breast but does not take away the belly, but washes it: for the wise man can decline and cut off anger altogether, but he cannot cut out the belly, since nature compels even the most self-controlled to use necessary food. And in the soul that has not kept to right and steady reason but to [bodily] pleasures, for this reason [the belly] swells; since, even if the body's hungers [are satisfied], desire remains thirsty. And the swelling of the belly is followed by the falling of the thigh; for [the thigh is] the mind's [power] for the begetting of good things. For when the stomach is inflamed by extravagance in food, it [slackens] the spiritual sinews as well; it is these that the word of the law hinted at by the thigh. So the lover of pleasure goes on his belly, wholly [given] to the pleasures of enjoyment; but one who is beginning the life of virtue removes the fat of the belly, declining the foods that fatten the body. The one making progress [removes] the things in the belly; but the perfect, the whole belly, casting away altogether whatever exceeds necessary need.

Num 5:21–22 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 5:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 3:3 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The belly cannot be cut out as anger can; beginners remove its fat, the advanced its contents, and the perfect cast off all beyond need.

The swelling belly and falling thigh are from the ordeal of the woman suspected of adultery, Num 5:21–27, read figuratively of the soul (as Philo, Allegorical Interpretation 3.148–150). The fat of the belly: Lev 3:3–4. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed (the Greek runs on across it).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): γ εἰ οὔδειγο ἀδβίρηδη τοτῸ ἐμ ΓΟ, ΠΟ ἰ γι η οἱ ᾳυυὰ ἰ μαθοὶ Ἰ Π ἰδία ἀ γόγο Ὁ. ὼ Οροτγίοῖ παπιαυύ, Ξροπίδποο τηοῖυ Υἱγία πὶ ἀχοί τ γοὸ δάποῦ ἰδίου υαγοὸ αἰ Ρ πηι Ἰ γα, τορυθίαγο, δίᾳυ ἀδίογο οορῖς οἱ δἰ πει ἈΠ πιὰ Ὑ ἢοὴ παδηίς δὲ σοτΓυρία ιι δηΐτη θυ τ Β δι ποῖ δ ἰδυπάυ ἀρροίίε ὉΓ γ σοποίάογα ολ Γ ἰογροὶ οηθή νοπίγο ἀρρδγαίυη Εἰ οἱ ος, ΓΟ δἰ κη τη διη → ; ῃ Ῥνοοδάι οἰ → ; χὐτοχελεύστῳ → αὐτοκελεύστῳ; ποοχόπτοντα → προκόπτοντα; ἀποχόψα: → ἀποκόψαι; ἐγχρατέπτατον → ἐγκρατέστατον; ἐπειδή πε. χἂν αἱ τοῦ σώματος πεναὶ, μένε; διψαλέος → ἐπειδή περ, κἂν αἱ τοῦ σώματος πεῖναι, μένει διψαλέος; πρησῦτναι → πρησθῆναι; φλεγμαιδούσης → φλεγμαινούσης; φιλέδονος → φιλήδονος; παγτελῶς ιπτόμενος → παντελῶς ῥιπτόμενος.

Extrabiblical texts: Philo, Leg. 3.148–150 (Philo of Alexandria (works); echo)

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 57 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/57). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/57

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 58

58PG 79

Πάνυ δὲ προσφυῶς τῷ, ε Ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει, καὶ τῇ πρόσκειται τὸ, ε πορεύσῃ. ν Ἡ γὰρ ἡδονὴ οὐ τῶν ἱσταμένων καὶ ἠρεμούντων, ἀλλὰ τῶν κινουμένων, καὶ ταραχῆς γεμόντων ἐστί, Μᾶλλον δὲ … τούτων γαστριμαργία συγγενέστερον ἡ τῶν … σίων παρ᾽ ὧν καὶ ἡ φύσις τὴν οἰκειότητα τούτων δεῖξαι βουλομένη τῶν παθῶν, ὑπογάστρια τὰ συνουσιαστιχὰ χέχληχεν ὄργανα, ἐκ τῆς ἐγγύτητος τὴν ἀγχιστείαν σημαίνουσα. Ἂν τε γὰρ ἀσθενῇ τοῦτο τὸ πάθος, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὑπερχειμένου ἐνδείας ἀσθενεῖ, ἄν τε σφριγᾷ, καὶ διαχεχίνηται, ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιχορηγουμένην ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν. Οὐ μόνον δὲ τούτων ἡ γαστριμαργία ἐστὶ τροφὸς καὶ τιθηνὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων καθαιρετικὴ τῶν καλῶν. Κρατούσης γὰρ ταύτης, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνημμένης, πίπτειν καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι τὰ καλὰ πέφυκεν, ἐγκράτεια, σωφροσύνη, ἀνδρία, καρτερία, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ πᾶσαι ἀρεταί. Τοῦτο γὰρ αἰνιγματωδῶς Ἱερεμίας ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι καθεῖλε κύκλῳ τὸ τεῖχος Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ ὑὸς τῶν Βαβυλωνίων, τὸ τῆς γαστριμαργίας πάθος ἀρχιμάγειρον προσειπών. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ ἀρχιμάγειρος πᾶσαν ἔχων σπουδὴν γαστέρα θεραπεῦσαι, καὶ τέχνας ἐπινοεῖ μυρίας, ἡδονὰς δημιουργῶν οὕτως ἡ γαστριμαργία πᾶσαν κινεῖ μηχανὴν ὑπηρετοῦσα τῇ κατὰ τὸν λιμὸν ἡδονῇ, καθαιρεῖ δὲ, καὶ ἐδαφίζει τὴν ὀχυρότητα τῶν ἀρετῶν ἡ τῶν βρωμάτων ποικιλία

Pany de prosphyōs tǭ, e Epi tǭ stēthei, kai tę̄ proskeitai to, e poreusę̄. n Hē gar hēdonē ou tōn histamenōn kai ēremountōn, alla tōn kinoumenōn, kai tarachēs gemontōn esti, Mallon de … toutōn gastrimargia syngenesteron hē tōn … siōn par᾽ hōn kai hē physis tēn oikeiotēta toutōn deixai boulomenē tōn pathōn, hypogastria ta synousiasticha chechlēchen organa, ek tēs engytētos tēn anchisteian sēmainousa. An te gar asthenę̄ touto to pathos, ek tēs tou hypercheimenou endeias asthenei, an te sphrigą, kai diachechinētai, ekeithen epichorēgoumenēn echei tēn dynamin. Ou monon de toutōn hē gastrimargia esti trophos kai tithēnos, alla kai pantōn kathairetikē tōn kalōn. Kratousēs gar tautēs, kai tēn archēn anēmmenēs, piptein kai kathaireisthai ta kala pephyken, enkrateia, sōphrosynē, andria, karteria, kai hai loipai pasai aretai. Touto gar ainigmatōdōs Hieremias edēlōsen eipōn, hoti katheile kyklǭ to teichos Hierousalēm ho hyos tōn Babylōniōn, to tēs gastrimargias pathos archimageiron proseipōn. Hōs gar ho archimageiros pasan echōn spoudēn gastera therapeusai, kai technas epinoei myrias, hēdonas dēmiourgōn houtōs hē gastrimargia pasan kinei mēchanēn hypēretousa tę̄ kata ton limon hēdonę̄, kathairei de, kai edaphizei tēn ochyrotēta tōn aretōn hē tōn brōmatōn poikilia

Very fittingly “you shall go” is added to “on your breast and [belly]”; for pleasure belongs not to those who stand still and are at rest, but to those who are in motion and full of disturbance. Rather, … nothing is more akin to gluttony than … [the pleasures of sex]; and nature too, wishing to show the kinship of these passions, has called the organs of intercourse “parts below the belly,” signifying their close kinship by their nearness. For if this passion is weak, it is weak from the want of the part above it; and if it swells and is excited, it has its power supplied from there. Gluttony is not only the nurse and nurturer of these passions, but also the destroyer of all good things. When it rules and has taken power, the goods naturally fall and are pulled down: self-control, temperance, courage, endurance, and all the other virtues. This Jeremiah showed in a riddle when he said that the chief cook of the Babylonians pulled down the wall of Jerusalem round about, calling the passion of gluttony “chief cook.” For just as the chief cook, putting all his zeal into serving the belly, devises countless arts and crafts pleasures, so gluttony sets every device in motion in the service of the pleasure of the throat, and the variety of foods pulls down and levels the strength of the virtues.

Gen 3:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 52:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 25:10 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Gluttony feeds sexual passion and, like Nebuchadnezzar's 'chief cook' who razed Jerusalem's walls, pulls down every virtue.

“On your breast and belly you shall go”: Gen 3:14. The “chief cook” (ἀρχιμάγειρος, the Greek Bible's title for Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard) pulling down the walls of Jerusalem: Jer 52:14; 2 Kgs 25:10 (LXX). The same reading is in Philo and Origen. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed (marked …); the bracketed words are supplied by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ποὸ Ἰυτυνγίοἑδοῖ γόγὸ ἀξιοῦν νην ἀδβ γ πη, ιτ ΔΙ οοῦρυ Ετ ἰπ γθῆιγα ἰαψαί, ΡογίοοΙ δυίθιη ὑπ ἰνό ναπίγοιη, δὺ᾿ ας δρροδὶίς ε μεείιία, ἃίᾳυ ον ἢ. ν Υο Π οἱ οὶ επιίδαιο οἴδτίσγαι δεῖ. ἴῃ δ μονας νὴν, ιχ, ἔχοι, η. ᾽ δη. κε, πιοιίο. Α → … ; ποίυγα οδίοπάδγα βοοίοἰία νοζᾶνὶς ἰπβίγυδι δι Δη ἰ δ ν δυ υίδη ἰπ ἃ, πη δι Ρ εἷο οί υ ἐκ οφοβίαία οἱ υἱῶ δυρογίηγθοίδη. ὑγῸ οοί, δίαιὸ οἱ Γεγυῦ Ποποδίδγυ εκ. οἱ ο το σοηξίποηιἰα, δ, οὔ ὐὰο, οἱ α ἰά Οὐβοῦγο ἀδοίαγαν Γ Ἰ ὃρρε ραδοίοποι εἶ πὶ δου π βά ἶδοὶ, υἱ οἱ τα ἢ Δ Ὀγὶἰ Δ οἱ οποῦ δι βυ βογνῖίς ΠῚ αἰίᾳυς δοῖο νι Δ η: τ. ἰδ ίηδε, οἱ ἃ ὲ Ἰραῖυ δι Δὲ εἰ διηνδίδίο ἀπε απ ἰδ ἀἰββοίνογα βοδὲ Π ω οἷ Γα οι ἡ βά ἢ Ώ δἷο οἱ ἰιογάθδοὶ ᾿βγδοὶ ηἀΐ ᾽ ἰδθοτηδουὶὰ Υ Υἱοία οἱ υἱ δήδοίυ οἱ ἰη δγδοὶ, το οἰ δ δετγιξδίοη δἱἧσε α υ. ἐροοίο Ὦ εἰ αὖ Ἰν ο οἱ πὶ ρ β οσὶεἰαίοῖ ποι πὶ οοηνίοίυ πη ἀεἶγοο ἢ δεδυπιθείο μοββοββίοπόδ συ Ἐπ Οὗ τοῦ ἥβης ἰηοοίευαι πὶ ἀδδογίη οἱ Ὑ γαίθγιυη εἰ Ρ δὲ δη ἢ Πα η Πογδῖῃ, γι, → … ; προσφνῶς τῳ → προσφυῶς τῷ; ιἱένον, καὶ ταρυχὴς → κινουμένων, καὶ ταραχῆς; τοῦτὸ τὸ πάθος → τοῦτο τὸ πάθος; ἑυδείας → ἐνδείας; ἐπιχορἡγουμένην → ἐπιχορηγουμένην; χαθαιρετιχὴ τῶν καλῶν. Κρατούτης → καθαιρετικὴ τῶν καλῶν. Κρατούσης; Βαθδυλωνίων → Βαβυλωνίων; γαστριμαργίας κάθος → γαστριμαργίας πάθος; ποιχιλία → ποικιλία.

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 58 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/58). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/58

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 59

59PG 79

Τὰ γὰρ ἡδύσματα, καὶ παραρτύματα τῆς ἤδη καλῶς ἐστηριγμένης ἀρετῆς ἑλεπόλεις γίνεται καὶ μηχανήματα, τὸ πάγιον αὐτῆς, καὶ βέβαιον διασείοντα καὶ καταβάλλοντα. Ὡς δὲ ἡ πολυτέλεια χαθαιρετιχὴ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐστι, οὕτως πάλιν ἡ εὐτέλεια τὰ τῆς κακίας καταλύειν ὀχυρώματα πέφυκεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ τεῖχος Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῆς εἰρηνικῆς ψυχῆς ὁ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ἀρχιμάγειρος πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς τῆς σαρχὸς τῇ ὀψαρτυτικῇ τέχνῃ οὕτω καὶ μαγὶς ἄρτου κριθίνου τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν κυλιομένη τὰς σκηνὰς κατέβαλε τῶν Μαδιανιτῶν. Ἡ γὰρ εὐτελὴς δίαιτα χυλιομένη, καὶ προκόπτουσα ἐπὶ πολὺ καταλύει τὰ τῆς πορνείας παθήματα. νῖται γὰρ τῶν τῆς πορνείας παθῶν φέρουσι σύμβολον. Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσι οἱ τὰς πορνείας ἐπαγαγόντες τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος ἀπατήσαντες τῶν νέων. Πάνυ δὲ προσφνῶς σκηνὰς εἶπε μὲν ἡ Γραφὴ τοὺς Μαδιανίτας ἔχειν, τεῖχος δὲ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ πάντα γὰρ τὰ περιέχοντα τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐρηρεισμένα ἐστὶ, καὶ βέβαια τὰ δὲ τὴν κακίαν συνέχοντα, μά καὶ σκηνὴ, φαντασίας οὐδὲν διαφέροντα.

Ta gar hēdysmata, kai parartymata tēs ēdē kalōs estērigmenēs aretēs helepoleis ginetai kai mēchanēmata, to pagion autēs, kai bebaion diaseionta kai kataballonta. Hōs de hē polyteleia chathairetichē tōn aretōn esti, houtōs palin hē euteleia ta tēs kakias katalyein ochyrōmata pephyken. Hōsper gar to teichos Hierousalēm tēs eirēnikēs psychēs ho tōn Babylōniōn archimageiros pros tas hēdonas tēs sarchos tę̄ opsartytikę̄ technę̄ houtō kai magis artou krithinou tōn Israēlitōn kyliomenē tas skēnas katebale tōn Madianitōn. Hē gar eutelēs diaita chyliomenē, kai prokoptousa epi poly katalyei ta tēs porneias pathēmata. nitai gar tōn tēs porneias pathōn pherousi symbolon. Houtoi gar eisi hoi tas porneias epagagontes tǭ Israēl, kai poly plēthos apatēsantes tōn neōn. Pany de prosphnōs skēnas eipe men hē Graphē tous Madianitas echein, teichos de tēn Hierousalēm panta gar ta periechonta tēn aretēn erēreismena esti, kai bebaia ta de tēn kakian synechonta, ma kai skēnē, phantasias ouden diapheronta.

For seasonings and relishes become siege-towers and engines against a virtue already well established, shaking and throwing down its firmness and stability. And as extravagance destroys the virtues, so in turn frugality naturally pulls down the strongholds of vice. For just as the chief cook of the Babylonians [pulled down] the wall of Jerusalem, the peaceful soul, for the sake of the pleasures of the flesh, by the art of fine cooking, so too a cake of the Israelites' barley bread, rolling along, overturned the tents of the Midianites. For a frugal diet, rolling along and advancing far, destroys the passions of sexual immorality. The Midianites bear the symbol of the passions of sexual immorality, for they were the ones who brought sexual immorality upon Israel and deceived a great crowd of the young. And very fittingly Scripture said that the Midianites have tents but Jerusalem a wall; for everything that encloses virtue is firmly grounded and stable, but what holds vice together is … and a tent, differing in nothing from a fantasy.

Judg 7:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 25:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Num 31:16 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As the barley cake overturned Midian's tents, a frugal diet overthrows sexual passion; virtue is a wall, vice a flimsy tent.

The barley cake and the Midianite tent: Judg 7:13. The Midianites and Israel's sexual sin: Num 25:6–18; 31:16. A word describing vice's dwelling is lost (marked …).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR slip): χαταδάλλοντα → καταβάλλοντα; τὰ τῆς Ὁ κακίας → τὰ τῆς κακίας; πρὸ; τὰς ἡδονὰς → πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς; ὑψαρτυτιχῇ → ὀψαρτυτικῇ; μαγὶς ἄρτον χριθένου → μαγὶς ἄρτου κριθίνου; χατέδαλε → κατέβαλε; φέρουοι → φέρουσι; ἀπατήδαντες → ἀπατήσαντες; πάντ γὰρ → πάντα γὰρ.

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 59 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/59). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/59

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-59) · 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 60

60PG 79

Διὰ τοῦτο τὰς πόλεις ἔφυγον οἱ ἅγιοι, καὶ τὰς συντυχίας ἐξετρέποντο τῶν πολλῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ λοιμικῆς νόσου φθοροποιὸν εἰδότες τὴν τῶν διεφθαρμένων ἀνθρώπων συνδιαίτησιν. Διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲν λαβόντες, μηλοβότους τὰς κτήσεις ἠφίεσαν, τὸν ἐκ τούτων περισπασμὸν παραιτούμενοι. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Ἡλίας πὼν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν τὸ Καρμήλιον ὄρος ἔρημον, καὶ θηρίων πεπληρωμένον, καὶ πλὴν δένδρων εἷς παραμύθιον τροφῆς ἔχων οὐδέν ἠρκεῖτο γὰρ τοῖς ἀκροδρύοις, τούτοις τὴν ἀνάγχην τῆς χρείας πληρο… φορῶν. Ὁ δὲ Ἐλισσαῖος ὁμοίως τὴν αὐτὴν εἶχε διαγωγὴν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καλῶν καὶ τὸ ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν παρὰ τοῦ διδασχάλου διαδεξάμενος. Καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης μὲν τὴν ἔρημον οἰκῶν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ἀκρίδας ἤσθιε, καὶ μέλι ἄγριον, δεικνὺς τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ τῆς πρὸς ζωὴν χρείας τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ὀνειδίζων αὐτοῖ; τὴν πεφορτισμένην ἀπόλαυσιν. Τάχα δὲ καὶ χαθολιχὼς τοιοῦτον ὁ Μωῦσῆς τίθησι νόμον περὶ τοῦ μάννα τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις παραγγέλλων τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας εἰς ἡμέραν ἄγειν, μόνον ἐφήμερον κεκριμένως κελεύων εἶναι τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον, οὐχ ἐμπαράσχευον, πρέπειν ἡγούμενος τοῦτο λογικῇ φύσει, τὸ ἀρκεσθέντα τοῖς παρατυχοῦσι, τῶν λοιπῶν ταμίαν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, ἣ πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος τῶν ἔμπροσθεν, τῷ δὲ δοκεῖν ἀπιστεῖν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι, ὡς μὴ πάντοτε ὀμβρούσῃ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰς ἀεννάους δωρεάς.

Dia touto tas poleis ephygon hoi hagioi, kai tas syntychias exetreponto tōn pollōn, mallon de loimikēs nosou phthoropoion eidotes tēn tōn diephtharmenōn anthrōpōn syndiaitēsin. Dia touto mēden labontes, mēlobotous tas ktēseis ēphiesan, ton ek toutōn perispasmon paraitoumenoi. Dia touto ho Hēlias pōn tēn Ioudaian to Karmēlion oros erēmon, kai thēriōn peplērōmenon, kai plēn dendrōn heis paramythion trophēs echōn ouden ērkeito gar tois akrodryois, toutois tēn ananchēn tēs chreias plēro… phorōn. Ho de Elissaios homoiōs tēn autēn eiche diagōgēn meta tōn allōn kalōn kai to tais erēmois emphilochōrein para tou didaschalou diadexamenos. Kai ho Iōannēs men tēn erēmon oikōn tou Iordanou, akridas ēsthie, kai meli agrion, deiknys tois pollois to tēs pros zōēn chreias tou sōmatos, kai oneidizōn autoi? tēn pephortismenēn apolausin. Tacha de kai chatholichōs toiouton ho Mōysēs tithēsi nomon peri tou manna tois Israēlitais parangellōn to tēs hēmeras eis hēmeran agein, monon ephēmeron kekrimenōs keleuōn einai ton anthrōpinon bion, ouch emparascheuon, prepein hēgoumenos touto logikę̄ physei, to arkesthenta tois paratychousi, tōn loipōn tamian einai ton Christon, hē pronoian poioumenos tōn emprosthen, tǭ de dokein apistein tę̄ tou Theou chariti, hōs mē pantote ombrousę̄ tois anthrōpois tas aennaous dōreas.

That is why the saints fled the cities and avoided encounters with the many, knowing that living with corrupted people is more destructive than a pestilence. That is why, taking nothing, they left their possessions to be grazed by sheep, declining the distraction that comes from them. That is why Elijah [left] Judea for Mount Carmel, a desert full of wild beasts, having nothing for sustenance but trees; for he was content with the fruits of trees, filling with these the necessity of his need …, wearing [a sheepskin]. Elisha likewise had the same manner of life, having received from his teacher, along with his other good things, the love of living in the desert. And John, dwelling in the desert of the Jordan, ate locusts and wild honey, showing the many what the body needs for life and reproaching them for their burdensome enjoyment. And perhaps Moses too lays down such a law in general concerning the manna, when he commands the Israelites to gather each day's portion for that day, deliberately ordering human life to be lived only for the day and not stocked with provisions. He thought it fitting for a rational nature to be content with what comes to hand and to have Christ as the steward of the rest, rather than to take forethought for the future and so seem to distrust the grace of God, as though it did not always rain its everflowing gifts upon human beings.

1 Kgs 18:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 2:8 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 3:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 16:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 16:19 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The saints fled the cities and lived simply, like Elijah, Elisha and John the Baptist; the manna teaches living one day at a time.

Elijah on Carmel: 1 Kgs 18:19–42 (the detail of living on the fruits of trees is not in Scripture); his sheepskin: 2 Kgs 2:8. John: Matt 3:4. The manna gathered day by day: Exod 16:4, 19. A few letters of Latin debris have been removed; the word for Elijah's garment is lost (supplied in brackets).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α αι ι ἢ ποδεερδίιδίθοι → … ; ἔφνγον → ἔφυγον; λοιμιχῆςς → λοιμικῆς; μηλοδότους → μηλοβότους; Καριλήλιον → Καρμήλιον; ᾿ρκχεῖτο → ἠρκεῖτο; Ὁ δὲ λισσαῖος → Ὁ δὲ Ἐλισσαῖος; ἐφἦμερὸν → ἐφήμερον; ἀρχεσθέντα → ἀρκεσθέντα; ὁμδρούσῃ → ὀμβρούσῃ.

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 60 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/60). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/60

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 61

61PG 79

Καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, διὰ τοῦτο πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι ὧν οὐχ ἣν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, κατέλιπον τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι, καὶ ὄρεσι, καὶ σπηλαίοις, καὶ ταῖς ὁπαῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ περιῆλθον, ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, τὰς μὲν χειροήθεις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀποδιδράσκοντες κακίας, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς πόλεις πλημμυρούντων ἀλλοχότων πραγμάτων, ὡς ἂν μὴ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς φορᾶς, καθάπερ ὑπὸ βίας εἰς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν παρενεχθῶσιν ἀδιάφορον ἀνάχυσιν χαίροντες δὲ τῇ μετὰ τῶν θηρίων διαγωγῇ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τούτων βλάβην ἐλάττονα τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κρίνοντες, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀνθρώπους μὲν ὡς; ἐπιβούλους φεύγοντες, θαῤῥοῦντες δὲ τοῖς θηρίοις ὡς φίλοις οὔτε γὰρ διδάσκει κακίαν ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν τέθηπε, καὶ τιμᾷ. Οὕτω γοῦν. τὸν Δανιὴλ ἀπώλεσαν μὲν ὡς; ἐδόκουν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, περιέσωσαν δὲ λέοντες, τὸν ἐκ βασκανίας ἀδίκως χαταχριθέντα αὐτοὶ φυλάξαντες, καὶ δικαιοσύνην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παραόδραθευθεῖφεαν, τὴν ὀρθὴν περὶ τοῦ ἀδίκως χαταχριθέντος κρίσιν ἀναχηρύξαντες καὶ γέγονεν ἡ ἀρετὴ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῖς μὲν ἀνθρώποις φθόνου καὶ ἔριδος ὑπόθεσι;, τοῖς δὲ θηρίοις αἰδοῦς καὶ τιμῆς ἀφορμὴ, ὅσοι; οὖν ὁ τῆς βελτιώσεως ἔρως ἐνέσπαρται

Kai syllēbdēn eipein, dia touto pantes hoi hagioi hōn ouch hēn axios ho kosmos, katelipon tēn oikoumenēn en erēmiais planōmenoi, kai oresi, kai spēlaiois, kai tais hopais tēs gēs, kai periēlthon, en mēlōtais, en aigeiois dermasin hysteroumenoi, thlibomenoi, tas men cheiroētheis tōn anthrōpōn apodidraskontes kakias, kai tōn kata tas poleis plēmmyrountōn allochotōn pragmatōn, hōs an mē tę̄ rhymę̄ tēs phoras, kathaper hypo bias eis tēn tōn pollōn parenechthōsin adiaphoron anachysin chairontes de tę̄ meta tōn thēriōn diagōgę̄, kai tēn ek toutōn blabēn elattona tēs ek tōn anthrōpōn krinontes, mallon de anthrōpous men hōs? epiboulous pheugontes, tharrhountes de tois thēriois hōs philois oute gar didaskei kakian ekeina, kai tēn aretēn tethēpe, kai timą. Houtō goun. ton Daniēl apōlesan men hōs? edokoun hoi anthrōpoi, periesōsan de leontes, ton ek baskanias adikōs chatachrithenta autoi phylaxantes, kai dikaiosynēn tois anthrōpois paraodratheutheiphean, tēn orthēn peri tou adikōs chatachrithentos krisin anachēryxantes kai gegonen hē aretē tou andros tois men anthrōpois phthonou kai eridos hypothesi?, tois de thēriois aidous kai timēs aphormē, hosoi? oun ho tēs beltiōseōs erōs enespartai

In a word, this is why all the saints, of whom the world was not worthy, left the inhabited world, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes of the earth, and went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted: fleeing the tame vices of human beings and the strange affairs that flood the cities, so that they might not be swept away by the rush of the current, as if by force, into the indifferent dissipation of the many; and rejoicing in life among the wild beasts, judging the harm from them less than the harm from human beings; or rather, fleeing human beings as plotters, and trusting the beasts as friends. For the beasts do not teach vice, and they marvel at virtue and honor it. So it was with Daniel: men destroyed him, as they thought, but lions saved him. They guarded the man unjustly condemned out of envy, and [taught] justice to human beings, proclaiming the right judgment about the one unjustly condemned. And the man's virtue became for men an occasion of envy and strife, but for the beasts a ground for reverence and honor. So all in whom the love of improvement has been sown …

Heb 11:37–38 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 6:16–24 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The saints fled to the desert because beasts, unlike men, do not teach vice; the lions honored Daniel's virtue.

The saints “of whom the world was not worthy”: Heb 11:37–38. Daniel and the lions: Dan 6:16–24. The sentence continues in chapter 62.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR slip): συλλέδδην → συλλήβδην; οἱ ἅγιο ὧν → οἱ ἅγιοι ὧν; κακία;, καὶ → κακίας, καὶ; τιλημμυρούντων → πλημμυρούντων; τῇ ῥύμῇ → τῇ ῥύμῃ; χέσντες → λέοντες; φυλάξανες → φυλάξαντες.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 61 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/61). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/61

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 62

62PG 79

Ζηλώσωμεν τὰς τῶν ἁγίων ἀρετὰς, καὶ τῆς δουλείας τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἐπιταγμάτων ἀποστάντες, ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ ἀφεθέντα ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἄγριον ὄνον, καὶ μέμψιν φορολόγου οὐχ ἀκούοντα, καὶ χαταγελῶντα πολυοχλίας πόλεως. Κἂν τοῦ ἀχθοφορεῖν προσπαθείᾳ αὑτὸν κακίας ὑποζεύξαντες, ἀλλὰ γοῦν τῶν δεσμῶν, χἂν ἀντιλέγωσιν οἱ μὴ φύσει κύριοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ συνηθείας τὴν δεσποτείαν ἐπικτησάμενοι, πάντως ἀκούοντες, εἰ ἀκούσειεν, μὴ γλώττῃ μόνον, καὶ Ψιλῇ φωνῇ, ἀλλὰ διαθέσει λεγόν… των ἡμῶν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος αὑτοῦ α ἔχει. Εὐθέως ἀποστελοῦσιν αὑτὸν, ἵνα κατακοσμηθεὶς τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς ἱματίοις, ὄχημα τοῦ Λόγου γένηται, ἣ εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν τοῦ Λόγου ἀπολυθεὶς νομὴν, ὀπίσω παντὸς χλωροῦ ζητῇ, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τοῖ; τεθηλόσι τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἑπόμενος ῥητοῖς, ὁδηγεῖσθαι εἰς ἀνεπίληπτον βίον, καὶ τροφὴν ὁμοῦ, καὶ τέρψιν καρπούμενος πολλήν. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ζητητέον, πῶς ὀπίσω παντὸς χλωροῦ ζητεῖ ὁ ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἀφεθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄγριος ὄνο:, τὴν δίαιταν ἔχων ἔρημον, καὶ τὸ σκήνωμα τῆς ἁλμυρίδος, καὶ τῆ΄ς ἐρήμου, ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον, οὐ πάνυ πρὸς πόας γένεσιν οὔσης ἐπιτηδείου. Εἰ μὴ ἄρα τις εἴποι, τὸν ἔρημον παθῶν ἱκανὸν εἶναι τὴν ἐν τοῖς θείοις λόγοις θεωρίαν, μετὰ τὸ ναἸλωθῆναι τὴν τῶν παθῶν ὑγολσίαυς

Zēlōsōmen tas tōn hagiōn aretas, kai tēs douleias tōn tou sōmatos epitagmatōn apostantes, eleutherian kai ton hypo tou Dēmiourgou aphethenta en erēmǭ agrion onon, kai mempsin phorologou ouch akouonta, kai chatagelōnta polyochlias poleōs. Kan tou achthophorein prospatheią hauton kakias hypozeuxantes, alla goun tōn desmōn, chan antilegōsin hoi mē physei kyrioi, all᾽ ek synētheias tēn despoteian epiktēsamenoi, pantōs akouontes, ei akouseien, mē glōttę̄ monon, kai Psilę̄ phōnę̄, alla diathesei legon… tōn hēmōn, hoti ho Kyrios hautou a echei. Eutheōs apostelousin hauton, hina katakosmētheis tois apostolikois himatiois, ochēma tou Logou genētai, hē eis tēn archaian tou Logou apolytheis nomēn, opisō pantos chlōrou zētę̄, hoper esti toi? tethēlosi tēs theias Graphēs hepomenos rhētois, hodēgeisthai eis anepilēpton bion, kai trophēn homou, kai terpsin karpoumenos pollēn. Hama de kai zētēteon, pōs opisō pantos chlōrou zētei ho en erēmǭ aphetheis para tou Theou agrios ono:, tēn diaitan echōn erēmon, kai to skēnōma tēs halmyridos, kai tē΄s erēmou, hōs epi to pleiston, ou pany pros poas genesin ousēs epitēdeiou. Ei mē ara tis eipoi, ton erēmon pathōn hikanon einai tēn en tois theiois logois theōrian, meta to naIlōthēnai tēn tōn pathōn hygolsiaus

… let us emulate the virtues of the saints, and, withdrawing from slavery to the commands of the body, [emulate] the freedom of the wild ass that the Creator let loose in the desert, which does not hear the reproach of the tax-collector and laughs at the crowds of the city. Even if we have yoked ourselves by attachment to the burden-bearing of vice, let us [loose ourselves] from the bonds, even if those who are lords not by nature but have acquired their lordship by habit object; for they will surely hear, if they are willing to listen, those who say, not with the tongue only and the bare voice but with their whole disposition, … that “the Lord has [need] of it.” Then they will send it, so that, covered with the apostolic garments, it may become a vehicle of the Word; or, released into the ancient pasture of the Word, it may seek after every green thing, that is, following the flourishing sayings of divine Scripture, may be guided to a blameless life, reaping food and much delight together. At the same time we must ask how the wild ass let loose in the desert by God seeks after every green thing, though it has the desert for its dwelling and the salt land for its tent, and the desert is for the most part not at all fit for the growth of grass. Unless one were to say that, for one who has become a desert to the passions, contemplation of the divine words is enough, after the … of the passions has been …

Job 39:5–8 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 19:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:3 (quotation, medium confidence) · Luke 19:35 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Monks should be like Job's wild ass, free of the city's taxes, or like the ass loosed for the Lord's use, grazing on the words of Scripture.

The wild ass: Job 39:5–8. “The Lord has need of it”: Matt 21:3; Luke 19:31–34; the apostles' garments on the colt: Luke 19:35. A very long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed (marked …); the end of the section is damaged and is translated only as far as the words allow.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Βοα. ὕδη. τιν, δ ν ἢ δὺυ Ὁ ἢυι, οἱ ἐκ οινὰος ἴῃ τηδμίδίτο δυὸ Εἰ ΒαθίιΔη δογάδη β ἰοσιιίλα οἱ πιοὶ δἰ αἰ πὶ ἀ ν᾽ απ οἱ ρ ῖ οἱ πηΔηηᾶ, ἰδ ῃ ἴῃ όφογα, ἢ θ ἢ οὐ Δη ὃ: ἄδοογα ἃγυ ἢ. ἀπ, παι γη τῶι οβδίοι ὁ ηογα Αἱ θη δηίθᾶ ί ἰὼν βοὴ ρ Γἴῃ ΚῚ. ι θυ ΠΟ εγαὶ η. ἰοῦ. δ ἰη οἱ ΠπΠιοὶ οἱ εἶ οἱ ογαπηὶη ἰ οἱ μρθὲἰῃ πη οἰ οἱ σα αἰεὶ ἰ, τηδῖο δὶ, ἃ γτοίαβ οἱ δχιπηάβη δ εἶγεᾶ υἱ πὸ ἃ δ πε ἰοῦ ἢ οἱ αὐ φυ π πο Γπξίοπάο ἐπ, ΒΕ οἱ ον βάδηάο; π δὴ τη δἰ οἱ γαῖα οἱ οοἴυη ἐγξοὸ αυΐυδ Γ αἱ πιὸ σοπάόπηηδίο μι οἷα πὶ δὲ εἰ ι ἰπδίιυ τ Γ ᾿ Χ τυ οἱ ἀοθβοίβοδη ἃ πὶ δ, οἱ ἃ οΥγὶν δ ἷ η οτὶς ἀδηίοη Εἰ δὶ υἱ οποΡἃ δί ἤυης δον Γᾶποη ἐκ υδίυγα, ΟΣ δυδὶ πο βοίυη, αν, πὶ, ὁ η. Ὁ ᾳ. Πεδὺ. χι, Ἰ υἱ Δροδίο ἰοἷ πη η Ια ΓΟ ᾿ ος ῖ αυἱ π ἴῃ δ η.δ π οἱ πη πὶ οἰ. π πὶ πὶ νργὸ οἱ απ ᾿Πδίο πὶ ἴῃ εἰν πὸ ἃ θθῸ ἀἷπ γα νο οἱ γο ἰδηίοτίο δίδυχο, δ δή ἴ φοησγδίίοπὶ. πηι, Ὑ βίη δ ἰη βου θυ απ πὶ, ΠΝ ΠῚ μ. Π. Π. Χ Π, οἱ ἰδὲ υονά που. Οιδηδίυ δε ας ι,ἢ ἀο π νυ π δ ἢ φιδίθιῃ, διὸ οἱ ἴδο φυδῖη μα ὦ ῖ οἱ Εἰ ἰοῦ τηδίογία, βαὺ μοι ἐοίδλιὴ ργαράγαγο. ἢ ὑθγῸ οναύαι φ οἷ Π οἱ ἐπουηῖε ΝΟ γὰγὺ ρογδηβίη ἃ δἰ ἢ Δ, υῷὦ α, οἱ ἀϊΐδηᾶ τη γα δι οἱ οἰ ἀδοθαὶ πὶ ἴῃ ἰ Γἰυύιπυ ἀ Π φυδοὶ ργῷφυὶ το ἔπγρα δεῖ νίμοτγο ἰδ δ ρ Γἔδει ἰπ οἱ ἴθ ΕἾ ἀδρίηφοπίοπη Οὐ εοίαπηοι ἃ εἷς ἴωγρα, οι ᾳ υ δι δι ΝΠ οἱ ΝΟ ΠΝ ΟΣ ο ε Α → … ; πολυὀχλίας πόλεω: → πολυοχλίας πόλεως; παρπάθεσιν → προσπαθείᾳ; δεσποτεία ἐπιχτησάμενοι → δεσποτείαν ἐπικτησάμενοι; Εὺως ἀποστελοῦσιν → Εὐθέως ἀποστελοῦσιν; καταχουμηθεὶς → κατακοσμηθεὶς; τοῦ Αόγου → τοῦ Λόγου; ἀνἐπίληπτον → ἀνεπίληπτον; ὀπέδω → ὀπίσω; ἔην δίχιταν → τὴν δίαιταν; γένετιν οὖστς → γένεσιν οὔσης.

Topics: Ethics, Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 62 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/62). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/62

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 63

63PG 79

Καταλίπωμεν τὰ βιωτικὰ πράγματα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ψυχῆς ἀγαθά. Ἕως πότε τοῖς παιδικοῖς ἀνδρεῖον οὐδέποτε ἀναλαμβάνοντες φρόνημα; Ἕως πότε τῶν κομιδῇ νηπίων ἀσθενέστερον πράττομεν, οὐδὲ ἐκείνων εἰς προκοπὴν τῶν μειζόνων χειραγωγούμενοι; Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἡλικίας ἀμείβοντες, καὶ τὰς πρὸ; τὰ παίγνια καταστάσεις ἀμείβουσι, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὰς ὅ ας εὐχερῶς ἀφιᾶσι προσπάθειαν. Κάρυα γὰρ αὐτοῖς τυχὸν, καὶ ἀστράγαλοι, καὶ σφαῖραι τῆς παιδιᾶς ἔστιν ὕλη, καὶ τούτοις μέχρις ἂν τὸ τῆς φρονήσεως ἔχωσι, τίμια νομίζουσι ταῦτα παρασκευάζειν. Ἐὰν δὲ προκόψας τις γένηται ἀνὴρ, ἔῤἐκεῖνα, τῶν πραγμάτων μετὰ πολλῆς ἀντἐχεται σπουδῆς. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ νηπιότητι, τὰ παιδιᾶς, καὶ χλεύης ἄξια εθαυμαχότες, καὶ τὸ τῆς τῶν κρειττόνων ἅψασθαι φροντίδος θέλομεν, καὶ ἀναλαβεῖν λογισμὸν ἀνδράσι πρέποντα ἀλλὰ τοῦτον καταλιπόντες, ἐν ταῖς γηῖναις πράξεσι, γέλωτα παρέχοντες τοῖς ἀκολουθίᾳ φύσεως τὰ πράγματα κρίνουσιν, Ὧ; γὰρ αἰσχρὸν ἄνδρα τέλειον ἰδεῖν ἐν τέφρᾳ καθεζόμενον, καὶ ἐν τῇ χονίᾳ παιδιχὰς τέρψεις διαγράφοντα οὕτως αἰσχρὸν, καὶ πολλῷ αἰσχρότερον, τοὺς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν πραγματευομένους ἐν τῇ τῶν γηΐνων τέφρᾳ χυλινδομένους ὁρᾷν, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἐπιτηαἰσχύνειν τοῦ ἐπαγγέλματο; τὴν τελειότητα. Τούτου δὲ ἑαἷν αἴτιον, ὡς ἔοικε, ὦ μηδὲν τῶν ὁρωμένων ἐννοῆσαι μεῖζον, μηδὲ ἐκ παρᾶν θέσεως τῆς τῶν παρόντων εὐτελείας, τὴν ὑπεροχὴν γνωρίσαι τῶν ἐκεῖ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ περιαυγασθέντας ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐνθάδε δοχούντων ἀγαθῶν τιμίων λαμπρότητος κατασχεθῆναι, καὶ τούτοις προσδῆσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. γὰρ τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ τῶν κρειττόνων τιμᾶτα: τὰ χείρονα, τὴν ἐκείνων κληρονομοῦντα τάξιν Ὥς εἴ γ: Ὧμεν ἔχοντες π: ρὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὑψηΡῈ λοτέραν ἔννοιαν, οὐχ ἂν τούτοι; πρησχεχηνότες …

Katalipōmen ta biōtika pragmata, kai pros ta psychēs agatha. Heōs pote tois paidikois andreion oudepote analambanontes phronēma? Heōs pote tōn komidę̄ nēpiōn asthenesteron prattomen, oude ekeinōn eis prokopēn tōn meizonōn cheiragōgoumenoi? Ekeinoi gar hēlikias ameibontes, kai tas pro? ta paignia katastaseis ameibousi, kai tēn pros tas ho as eucherōs aphiasi prospatheian. Karya gar autois tychon, kai astragaloi, kai sphairai tēs paidias estin hylē, kai toutois mechris an to tēs phronēseōs echōsi, timia nomizousi tauta paraskeuazein. Ean de prokopsas tis genētai anēr, erekeina, tōn pragmatōn meta pollēs antechetai spoudēs. Hēmeis de tę̄ nēpiotēti, ta paidias, kai chleuēs axia ethaumachotes, kai to tēs tōn kreittonōn hapsasthai phrontidos thelomen, kai analabein logismon andrasi preponta alla touton katalipontes, en tais gēinais praxesi, gelōta parechontes tois akolouthią physeōs ta pragmata krinousin, Hō? gar aischron andra teleion idein en tephrą kathezomenon, kai en tę̄ chonią paidichas terpseis diagraphonta houtōs aischron, kai pollǭ aischroteron, tous tēn apolausin tōn aiōniōn agathōn pragmateuomenous en tę̄ tōn gēïnōn tephrą chylindomenous horąn, kai tę̄ tōn epitēaischynein tou epangelmato? tēn teleiotēta. Toutou de heain aition, hōs eoike, ō mēden tōn horōmenōn ennoēsai meizon, mēde ek paran theseōs tēs tōn parontōn euteleias, tēn hyperochēn gnōrisai tōn ekei agathōn, kai periaugasthentas hypo tēs tōn enthade dochountōn agathōn timiōn lamprotētos kataschethēnai, kai toutois prosdēsai tēn epithymian. gar tę̄ apousią tōn kreittonōn timata: ta cheirona, tēn ekeinōn klēronomounta taxin Hōs ei g: Hōmen echontes p: ri tōn mellontōn hypsēRE loteran ennoian, ouch an toutoi? prēschechēnotes …

Let us leave the affairs of this life and [turn] to the goods of the soul. How long [shall we busy ourselves] with childish things, never taking up a manly mind? How long shall we act more weakly than mere infants, not even being led, as they are, to progress to greater things? For they, as they change their age, change their attitude to their toys and easily give up their attachment to [them]. Nuts perhaps, and knucklebones, and balls are the material of their play, and while they have [a child's] understanding they think it a precious thing to procure these. But when one has advanced and become a man, he [lays] those things [aside] and holds to [serious] affairs with great zeal. We, however, in our infancy, admire things worthy of play and mockery, and do not wish to take up care for better things and a reasoning fitting for men; but having abandoned it, we [busy ourselves] with earthly doings, providing laughter for those who judge things according to the order of nature. For as it is shameful to see a grown man sitting in ashes and drawing childish amusements in the dust, so it is shameful, and much more shameful, to see those who trade in the enjoyment of eternal goods rolling in the ash of earthly things, and shaming the perfection of their profession by their pursuits. The cause of this, it seems, is that we think nothing greater than what is seen, and do not recognize, by comparison with the cheapness of present things, the superiority of the goods there; but, dazzled by the brilliance of the things here that are thought to be precious goods, we are held fast by them and bind our desire to them. For in the absence of the better, the worse are honored, inheriting their rank. So if we had a loftier idea of the things to come, we would not be gaping at these things …

1 Cor 13:11 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Monks cling to worldly things like children to toys because they do not grasp how much greater the eternal goods are.

Putting away childish things: 1 Cor 13:11. A stretch of Latin debris in the middle and at the end of the section has been removed; the Greek runs on across the first (γηΐ|νων).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): αἷηογρα Ὦ → ; υΐ ροῦδεῖ, τοῦ πη. Ας Γαὶ ΠΟ η πη σοποὶρίπιυ πιδπία Π Ὸ ἃ Υἱ γα δι οἱ νἱὈοηᾶ, ᾿ιδθαμίιν, οἱ αυρίἀ πη ἰπ Δρβοηιία, Μ λιἢ. χχι, ὅ, → ; διΑ ἀοίογίογα, γείως → …; τὰ Ψυχῖς ἀγαθά → τὰ ψυχῆς ἀγαθά; χειραγωγούμενο: → χειραγωγούμενοι;; ἀμείθουτες → ἀμείβοντες; τὰ παίἽνια → τὰ παίγνια; Κάρνα γὰρ αὐτοῖ; τυχὺν → Κάρυα γὰρ αὐτοῖς τυχὸν; παρασχευάξειν → παρασκευάζειν; νηπιότὴῖι → νηπιότητι; χρειττένων → κρειττόνων; αἰσχρὼν ἄνδρα → αἰσχρὸν ἄνδρα; ἑννοῖσαι → ἐννοῆσαι; ὑπὺ τῆς → ὑπὸ τῆς; αμπρότυτος → λαμπρότητος; χληρηνομοῦντα → κληρονομοῦντα.

Topics: Ethics, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 63 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/63). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/63

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 64

64PG 79

᾿Αρξώμεθα τοιγαροῦν ἀναχωρεῖν τῶν παρόντων κτημάτων, καὶ χρημάτων, καὶ πάντων τῶν βαπτιζόντων τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ ὑποδρύχιον καταφερόντων ἀποῤῥίψωμεν τὸ φορτίον, ἵνα μικρὸν ἀνανεύσῃ τὸ πλοῖον χειμαζόμενοι καὶ τῶν σκευῶν τὰ πολλὰ, ἵνα ὁ χυδερνήτης νοῦς μετὰ τῶν ἐμπλεόντων διασωθῆναι δυνηθῇ λογισμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐν θαλάσσῃ πλέοντες χειμαζόμενοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐμπορίας καὶ τὸν φόρτον αὐτόχειρες ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν δευτέραν τῆς ζωῆς τὴν ὕπαρξιν προχρίνοντες, ἵνα μὴ ὑπέραντλον ὃ. τὸ πλοῖον κινδυνεύσῃ τῷ βάρει τοῦ φόρτου καταδυόμενον, τοῦτο τὰ τίμια τῶν κειμηλίων, ἴσως κατὰ τοῦ βυθοῦ ἀκοντίζοντες διατί μὴ καὶ ἡ εἴς διὰ τὴν κρείττονα ζωὴν καταφρονοῦμεν τῶν καθελκόντων εἰς βυθὸν τὴν ψυχήν Διὰ τί μὴ δύναταὶ φόβος ὅσον θαλάσσης δύναται φόβος Ἐκεῖνοι τῆς προσκαίρου ζωῆς ἐπιθυμοῦντες, τὴν τῶν ἀγωγίμων ζημίαν οὐ μέγα κρίνουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς ἀϊδίου ζωῆς ἀντιποιεῖσθαι λέγοντες, οὐδὲ τοῦ τυχόν τος καταφρονοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾽ αἱρούμεθα μᾶλλον τῷ φόρτῳ συναπολέσθαι, ἣ σωθῆναι ἐκείνων ἀποστερούμενοι. ᾿Αποδυσώμεθα οὖν, παρακαλῶ, πάντα γυμνὸς γὰρ ἔστηκεν δ ἀντίπαλος. μὴ γὰρ οἱ ἀθλοῦντες ἐν δεδυμένοι γυμνοὺς αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ στάδιον ὁ ὶ ἀθλητιχὸς εἰσάγει νόμος. ἂν θάλπος ἧ, κἂν χρυμὸς, οὕτω: εἰσέρχονται, τὰς ἐσθῆτας ἔξω χαταλιπόντες. Εἰ δέ τις αὐτῶν παραιτήσεται τὴν γύμνωσιν, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα παρῃτήσατο. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀθλεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, καὶ πρὸς ἀντιπάλους πολὺ τῶν αἰσθητῶς ἀγωνιζομένων ἐντρεχεστέρους ἔχοντες μάχην, οὐ μόνον οὐχ ἀποδυόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρία κατὰ τῶν ὥμων φορτία φέροντες ἀθλεῖν, πολλὰς τοῖς ἀντιπάλοις καθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν παρέχοντες λαβάς.

᾿Arxōmetha toigaroun anachōrein tōn parontōn ktēmatōn, kai chrēmatōn, kai pantōn tōn baptizontōn ton logismon, kai hypodrychion katapherontōn aporrhipsōmen to phortion, hina mikron ananeusę̄ to ploion cheimazomenoi kai tōn skeuōn ta polla, hina ho chydernētēs nous meta tōn empleontōn diasōthēnai dynēthę̄ logismōn. Ei gar hoi en thalassę̄ pleontes cheimazomenoi tēs heautōn emporias kai ton phorton autocheires es tēn thalassan deuteran tēs zōēs tēn hyparxin prochrinontes, hina mē hyperantlon ho. to ploion kindyneusę̄ tǭ barei tou phortou katadyomenon, touto ta timia tōn keimēliōn, isōs kata tou bythou akontizontes diati mē kai hē eis dia tēn kreittona zōēn kataphronoumen tōn kathelkontōn eis bython tēn psychēn Dia ti mē dynatai phobos hoson thalassēs dynatai phobos Ekeinoi tēs proskairou zōēs epithymountes, tēn tōn agōgimōn zēmian ou mega krinousin, hēmeis de tēs aïdiou zōēs antipoieisthai legontes, oude tou tychon tos kataphronoumen, all᾽ hairoumetha mallon tǭ phortǭ synapolesthai, hē sōthēnai ekeinōn aposteroumenoi. ᾿Apodysōmetha oun, parakalō, panta gymnos gar estēken d antipalos. mē gar hoi athlountes en dedymenoi gymnous autous eis to stadion ho i athlētichos eisagei nomos. an thalpos hē, kan chrymos, houtō: eiserchontai, tas esthētas exō chatalipontes. Ei de tis autōn paraitēsetai tēn gymnōsin, kai ton agōna parę̄tēsato. Hēmeis de athlein epangellomenoi, kai pros antipalous poly tōn aisthētōs agōnizomenōn entrechesterous echontes machēn, ou monon ouch apodyometha, alla kai myria kata tōn hōmōn phortia pherontes athlein, pollas tois antipalois kath᾽ heautōn parechontes labas.

Let us begin, then, to withdraw from our present possessions and money and from everything that sinks the reasoning and carries it under water. Let us throw off the cargo, so that the storm-tossed ship may lift a little, and [throw overboard] most of the gear, so that the helmsman, the mind, may be able to come safely through along with the thoughts on board. For if those who sail the sea, when caught in a storm, [throw] their own merchandise and cargo into the sea with their own hands, ranking their property second to life, so that the ship may not become waterlogged and be in danger of sinking under the weight of the cargo, hurling even the most precious of their treasures into the deep, why do we not, for the sake of the better life, despise what drags the soul down to the deep? Why can the fear [of God] not do as much as the fear of the sea can? They, desiring this temporary life, do not count the loss of their goods a great thing; but we, who say that we lay claim to eternal life, do not despise even a trifle, but choose rather to perish along with our cargo than to be saved deprived of it. Let us strip off everything, then, I beg you; for the adversary stands naked. The law of the games does not bring athletes into the stadium clothed, but naked. Whether it is hot or cold, they go in so, leaving their clothes outside; and if one of them refuses to strip, he has refused the contest as well. But we, who profess to be athletes, and who are at war with adversaries far more agile than those who contest in the visible arena, not only do not strip, but [try] to compete carrying countless burdens on our shoulders, giving our adversaries many holds against us.

Jonah 1:5 (echo, low confidence) · Acts 27:18–19 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As sailors throw cargo overboard in a storm and athletes strip to compete, monks must cast off possessions to fight their naked spiritual enemies.

The jettisoned cargo recalls Jonah 1:5 and Acts 27:18–19.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ἀναγιυρεῖν → ἀναχωρεῖν; λογιμῶν → λογισμῶν; ἘΠ γὰρ οἱ ἐν θαλάτσῃ πλέοντε: χειματόμενοι τὴς → Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐν θαλάσσῃ πλέοντες χειμαζόμενοι τῆς; ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν δευτέραν ἧς ζωῆς τὰν ὕπαρξιν → ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν δευτέραν τῆς ζωῆς τὴν ὕπαρξιν; κατὰδυόμξνον → καταδυόμενον; ἵτως κατὰ → ἴσως κατὰ; ἀχοντίζοντες → ἀκοντίζοντες; προυχαίρου → προσκαίρου; φόρτῷ → φόρτῳ; ἀντιπάλονς → ἀντιπάλους; παρέχοντες λαλς → παρέχοντες λαβάς.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 64 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/64). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/64

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 65

65PG 79

Πῶς γὰρ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ὁ κτημάτων ἀντιποιούμενος, πάντοθεν εὐχερῶς κονδυλιζόμενος Πῶς δὲ τῷ τῆς φιλαργυρίας παλαΐσει πνεύματι ὁ περιχεχωσμένος τοῖς Πῶς δὲ δραμεῖται πρὸς τοὺς πάσης μερίμνης γυμνοὺς δαίμονας ὁ μυρίοις φροντίσιν ἐνδεδυμένος τῆς θείας Γραφῆς λεγούσης: Ὃ γυμνὸς διώξεται ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ν ὁ γυμνὸς, οὐχ ὁ κέντρωνας τῆς τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων φροντίδος ἐνδεδυμένο; ὁ γυμνὸς, οὐχ ὁ χρημάτων καὶ κτημάτων πολυὅλοις πρὸς τὸν δρόμον ἐμποδιζόμενον λογισμοῖς δυσάλωτος γὰρ, ἣ καὶ ἀνάλωτος τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν ὁ γυμνός. Ὡς εἴγε ἣν ὁ μέγας Ἰωσὴφ γυμνὸς, οὐχ ἂν εὗρεν ὧν ἐπιλάβηται ἡ Αἰγυπτία. Φησὶ γὰρ τὸ θεῖον λόγιον, ὅτι ἐπελάθετο τῶν ἱματίων αὑτοῦ λέγουσα, … μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ. Ἱμάτια δέ ἐστι τὰ πράγματα τὰ σωματικὰ, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἕλκει χρατοῦσα ἡ ἡδονὴ, καὶ τὸν ἀντιποιούμενον τούτων ἀνάγχη περισύρεσθαι μαχόμενον τοῖς ἀφαιρουμένοις. Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ τἧς σωφροσύνης ἀθλητὴς ὡς εἶδε, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀναγχαίας χρείας ἑλκόμενον τοῦ σώματος ἑαυτὸν βίᾳ πρὸς τὴν τῆς κοινωνίας ἡδονὴν καὶ ἕνωσιν, μαθὼν, ὅτι γυμνὸν ἔδει συνδιαιτᾶσθαι τῇ κατέχειν βιάζεσθαι δυναμένῃ δεσποίνῃ, καταλιπὼν τὰ ἱμάτια ἔφυγε, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω, χαθάπερ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῇ ἀρετῇ γυμνὸς ἐμπεριπατῶν κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου, ὃ; ἐξαίρετον γέρας παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν γύμνωσιν λαβὼν ἔσχεν, ἕως διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς εἷς χρείαν ἐνδυμάτων κατέστη. Μέχρι μὲν γὰρ ἠγωνίζετο πρὸς τοὺς λύειν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συμβουλεύοντας ἀντιπάλους, γυμνὸς ὡς ἀθλητὴς ἐπὶ τοῦ σχάμματος εἰστήκει, ἡττηθεὶς δὲ, καὶ ἐξαγώνιος γενόμενος εἰχότως ἐνεδύσατο, τὴν γύμνωσιν μετὰ τῆς ἀθλητικῆς ἕξεως ἀποθέμενος.

Pōs gar pros ta pneumatika tēs ponērias ho ktēmatōn antipoioumenos, pantothen eucherōs kondylizomenos Pōs de tǭ tēs philargyrias palaïsei pneumati ho perichechōsmenos tois Pōs de drameitai pros tous pasēs merimnēs gymnous daimonas ho myriois phrontisin endedymenos tēs theias Graphēs legousēs: Ho gymnos diōxetai en ekeinę̄ tę̄ hēmerą n ho gymnos, ouch ho kentrōnas tēs tōn biōtikōn pragmatōn phrontidos endedymeno? ho gymnos, ouch ho chrēmatōn kai ktēmatōn polyolois pros ton dromon empodizomenon logismois dysalōtos gar, hē kai analōtos tois epibouleuousin ho gymnos. Hōs eige hēn ho megas Iōsēph gymnos, ouch an heuren hōn epilabētai hē Aigyptia. Phēsi gar to theion logion, hoti epelatheto tōn himatiōn hautou legousa, … met᾽ emou. Himatia de esti ta pragmata ta sōmatika, aph᾽ hōn helkei chratousa hē hēdonē, kai ton antipoioumenon toutōn ananchē perisyresthai machomenon tois aphairoumenois. Houtō goun ho tēs sōphrosynēs athlētēs hōs eide, kai ek tēs ananchaias chreias helkomenon tou sōmatos heauton bią pros tēn tēs koinōnias hēdonēn kai henōsin, mathōn, hoti gymnon edei syndiaitasthai tę̄ katechein biazesthai dynamenę̄ despoinę̄, katalipōn ta himatia ephyge, kai exēlthen exō, chathaper en tǭ paradeisǭ tę̄ aretę̄ gymnos emperipatōn kata mimēsin tou prōtoplastou, ho? exaireton geras para tou Theou tēn gymnōsin labōn eschen, heōs dia tēs parakoēs heis chreian endymatōn katestē. Mechri men gar ēgōnizeto pros tous lyein tēn entolēn tou Theou symbouleuontas antipalous, gymnos hōs athlētēs epi tou schammatos eistēkei, hēttētheis de, kai exagōnios genomenos eichotōs enedysato, tēn gymnōsin meta tēs athlētikēs hexeōs apothemenos.

For how will one who lays claim to possessions [wrestle] against the spiritual forces of wickedness, when he is easily cuffed from every side? How will one buried in [riches] wrestle with the spirit of love of money? How will one clothed in countless cares run against the demons, who are naked of every care, when divine Scripture says, “The naked shall flee in that day”? The naked, not one who wears the patchwork cloaks of care for the affairs of this life; the naked, not one hindered in the race by many thoughts of money and possessions. For the naked man is hard, or even impossible, for his plotters to catch. So if the great Joseph had been naked, the Egyptian woman would not have found anything to seize. For the divine oracle says that she seized his garments, saying, … “with me.” Garments are bodily things, by which pleasure, when it prevails, drags a man along; and one who lays claim to them must be dragged about, fighting with those who take them away. So the athlete of chastity, when he saw himself being dragged by force, also by way of the body's necessary need, toward the pleasure and union of intercourse, learned that he must live naked with a mistress able to hold him by force; and leaving his garments he fled and went outside, walking about naked in virtue as in paradise, in imitation of the first-formed man, who received nakedness from God as a special prize and had it until, through disobedience, he came to need clothing. For as long as he contended against the adversaries who advised him to break God's commandment, he stood naked like an athlete in the wrestling-ground; but when he was defeated and put out of the contest, he rightly clothed himself, laying aside his nakedness along with his athletic state.

Eph 6:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Amos 2:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 39:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:21 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The monk must be naked of cares to fight the demons: Joseph escaped by leaving his garment, and Adam was naked until he was defeated.

The spiritual forces of wickedness: Eph 6:12. “The naked shall flee in that day”: Amos 2:16. Joseph and Potiphar's wife: Gen 39:12; her words (“Lie with me”) are lost with a long stretch of Migne's Latin column, which has been removed. Adam's nakedness: Gen 2:25; 3:7, 21.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): νι, Αἴμὸ ἰαγῖο βογιῖᾶ. ὶ ἀ δσοθοὶδι ᾿πἰνεἴηυ μου εἰ ἃ ἀ Δ ο Ρ οἱ υ δι πο πὶ οης υἱ πὴ οἱ οι ρ δίδία τυ υἱ δι χ ἸΠ δ΄ ἴῃ πατὶ ργοοοὶ δ εἴα ΔΙ οἰ τηᾶγα απ. Υἱία δ π η ἱρὰ Γ ἰογθηάο μευ ἢ ἰ Γ ΟὟ βαπ, πὶ Ῥ ὺ π ΔῈ οἰ δ Π Δ ἰ ἢ πο Ρ πιοίυ θεῖ, ἢ ΠῚ ρογᾶπμοδο τᾶ ἀ ἰδίην γ Π συηίδηάθγο, υἱ μι νοὶ πὶ ρ ι ΟἿ δνυβάδγα το ὶ. ἰρίίυς πιά ἤρη Γἰδι συ δίδυμα οἷ, ΠῚ δἰ οι Εἰδὶ δι πε δὲ πὶ ἀείγοοιοῖ οἱ ΝῸὺ τοὺ ἰυ ὶ οἱ οοηίγα δνογδαγίο τ θ Π Ρ ΠΟ δου ποη πὶ ὰΠΟ βαβίδη τυ Γ ρὶυΓἰηλῷ ῥγθθθά μι δηὄ Ουοιποίο πη σομῖγα Π απἰίως αυἱ αἴδεοίαὶ δε μη η ἘΠ γεγο ἀνᾶγἰ εἶα α υἱ Ἕν θυὰ δ ἱυΐ τη ὃ αἰνὶπα ε Νυάιῃ ἰη ἰπ Νυύυπς αυἱ ο εἰ οἶος ἰησυίυ ἢἰϊποη υἱ δὲ τ. οἰ πνδίογα: αἰ ς τυ τὰ εἰ ἡ ἰῃΎρο, εἾ ῖ, Ἀρργοιιδηιογοί. νίαν ἴδε ἔων εν ο υ Α → … ; Υ δι Γ Π Π Δ ἢ οἱ πος δὲ οὐαὶ δυ ἢ. δ΄. δἰ εία, δἰ ἐσ ἰΡδοίυ πὶ Ρ Ρ δέ ρον δὲ οἱ δὶ δὶ δ πὶ Π Π ὅοτα Υἱ οἱ ὁχἵνί ὉΓ ᾳυθπιδάιηο τ Ἶ νἱγίυ Δη δι. απ πιυηὺ ργροίρυμη ἃ θ λοι, μοῦ θη δι πὶ νοι οοιίγα εἱ Ὠοὶ ι σον οι:Ὁ ς, πιιάυ αυλοὶ ἴῃ βίοι, Υἱοί οἱ ΓΑ δἰ ποι πυΠαῖ η οὐ γι ΤΣ υπ τοῖν ε Αὐ οΓαὶ οχίγα βία Ὀ Π υἱ οἱ πο ον υάδποίηψυο πὐσπηοπίογυ η η δυίοιη ξορίδηιρη, δ ἰρδῖυ ορογίοι ἀδοογίαγα ἰη ροί Ποίυ δο → ; γαρ ποὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονὴρίας ὁ γτημάτων → γὰρ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ὁ κτημάτων; χονδυλιζόμενος → κονδυλιζόμενος; χεντῶνας → κέντρωνας; δυσἄλωτος → δυσάλωτος; ἐπιδουλεύουσίν → ἐπιβουλεύουσιν; ἡ αδὼν → λαβὼν; παραχοῖς → παρακοῆς; ἐγωνίζξετο → ἠγωνίζετο; συμθουλεύοντας → συμβουλεύοντας; ἐνεδύ σᾶτο → ἐνεδύσατο; ἕξειος → ἕξεως.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 65 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/65). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/65

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 66

66PG 79

Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παροιμιαστὴς πρὸς τὸν ἀλείπτην λέγων φησίν ε ᾿Αφελοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ, παρῆλθε γάρ. ν Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἔξω τοῦ σταδίου, καλῶς τοῖς τῶν οὐχ ἀθλούντων ἐνδύμασιν ἐκέχρητο, τὴν στιχὴν ἀνδρείαν τοῖς τῶν ἐνδυμάτων ἐσθήμασιν ἐγκρύπτων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα παρῆλθεν ἀφελοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ. Γυμνὸν γὰρ ἀγωνίζεσθαι δεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ γυμνὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡλειμμένον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ γυμνοῦσθαι, ἀνάλωτον … ποιεῖ τῷ ἀντιπάλῳ τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν τὸ ἐλαίῳ ἡλεῖφθαι, εἰ καὶ ληφθείη ποτὲ, διολισθαίνειν τὸ ἔλαιον ἐκ τῆς λαβῆς παρασκευάζει. Διὰ τοῦτο οἱ ἀνγῆν προσπάσσειν τοῖς ἀντιπάλοις, ἵνα τῇ κόνει τὴν τοῦ ἐλαίου ἐπιτραχύνοντες λειότητα, εὐλήπτους αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὰς λαβὰς ἀπεργάσωνται. Ὅπερ δέ ἐστιν ἡ χόνις ἐκεῖ, τοῦτο ἐν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ἀγῶνι τὰ γήϊνα πράγματα, καὶ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἔκεῖ τὸ ἔλαιον, τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἀμέριμνον. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἡλειμμένος εὐχερῶς λύει τὰ λεγόμενα παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἄμματα εἰ δὲ δέξοιτο κόνιν, δυσκόλως ἐκ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ προσπαλαίοντος οὕτως ἐν ταῦθα ὁ μηδὲν μεριμνῶν, δύσληπτός ἔστι τῷ διαβόλῳ, φροντίζων δὲ καὶ ταῖς μερίμναις χαθάπερ κόνει τινὶ τραχύνων τὸ λεῖον τῆς ἀμεριμνίας τοῦ νοῦ, δυσχερῶ; ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνου χειρός.

Dia touto ho Paroimiastēs pros ton aleiptēn legōn phēsin e ᾿Aphelou to himation autou, parēlthe gar. n Heōs men gar ēn exō tou stadiou, kalōs tois tōn ouch athlountōn endymasin ekechrēto, tēn stichēn andreian tois tōn endymatōn esthēmasin enkryptōn. Epeidē de eis ton agōna parēlthen aphelou to himation autou. Gymnon gar agōnizesthai dei, mallon de oude gymnon monon, alla kai hēleimmenon. To men gar gymnousthai, analōton … poiei tǭ antipalǭ ton antagōnistēn to elaiǭ hēleiphthai, ei kai lēphtheiē pote, diolisthainein to elaion ek tēs labēs paraskeuazei. Dia touto hoi angēn prospassein tois antipalois, hina tę̄ konei tēn tou elaiou epitrachynontes leiotēta, eulēptous autous pros tas labas apergasōntai. Hoper de estin hē chonis ekei, touto en tǭ hēmeterǭ agōni ta gēïna pragmata, kai hoper estin ekei to elaion, touto entautha to amerimnon. Kai hōsper ekei ho hēleimmenos eucherōs lyei ta legomena par᾽ autois ammata ei de dexoito konin, dyskolōs ek tēn cheira tou prospalaiontos houtōs en tautha ho mēden merimnōn, dyslēptos esti tǭ diabolǭ, phrontizōn de kai tais merimnais chathaper konei tini trachynōn to leion tēs amerimnias tou nou, dyscherō? ek tēs ekeinou cheiros.

That is why the author of the Proverbs says to the trainer, “Take away his garment, for he has come forward.” For while he was outside the stadium he rightly wore the clothes of those who are not athletes, hiding his athletic manliness under the folds of his garments; but since he has come forward into the contest, “take away his garment.” For one must contend naked; or rather, not only naked, but also anointed. Being stripped makes one hard to catch …, and being anointed with oil makes the competitor [hard to hold] for his opponent: even if he is caught, the oil makes him slip out of the grip. That is why [wrestlers contrive] to sprinkle dust on their opponents, so that by roughening the smoothness of the oil with dust they may make them easy to take hold of. What the dust is there, earthly affairs are in our contest; what the oil is there, freedom from care is here. And just as there the anointed wrestler easily breaks what they call holds, but if he takes on dust [he escapes] the hand of his opponent with difficulty, so here the man who has no cares is hard for the devil to catch; but the one who has worries, and roughens the smoothness of his mind's freedom from care with cares as with dust, [escapes] his hand only with difficulty.

Prov 20:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 27:13 (quotation, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The monk must enter the contest stripped and oiled; cares are the dust that lets the devil take hold.

“Take away his garment, for he has come forward”: Prov 20:16; 27:13 (LXX), applied to the athlete. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed (marked …); the bracketed words are supplied by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ᾿χιρὰο δεὰ εἰ αυἱ → ; φογίαίον, δ νογβαῦὶο οἰ οἴ Ὁ ἢ ΟΪ δὶ Θη τι, ας α; οἴθυη ἃ Θ ἢ ὀσχροῦ ἰῃηδροῖβέγο υἱ οἱ οἱ πὶ γ Γὰ χἀ ρ Δοἷ ά δεὶ ἰδὲ ν ἢ ς πῃ ἐεγγὲπᾶ οἱ ἰδιὶς νδοιιῖο ἃ οἰ ΕΠ βίοι ἴδοῖ α ἃ ρ νος δι, ἷ φῦτο οὔυρσίὶε ι ἰδεῖς, π Ὁ ουν αἰ ΠΟ αἱ υἱ δῖ, εἰ Δο ἀἰΠῆου Π η ογΓὰ, ᾿πρὶα ἀ ρογίδοία ὶ ἴῃ οι Πη δ. ἀ ἀσπηιοηείγαί. π οἱ ἰπ ο οἰ θη ποῖ, οἱ πι ογὰ δου ἐι, τυ ου ΓᾺ η. Ί χα, χύυνη, ν᾽ → … ; παρῖιλθε → παρῆλθε; ἐσθήμαπσιν ἐγχρύπτων → ἐσθήμασιν ἐγκρύπτων; ἀνάπκαφον → ἀνάλωτον; ἐκ τῆς λαδῆς → ἐκ τῆς λαβῆς; διαδόδῳ → διαβόλῳ; ὀχείνου → ἐκείνου.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 66 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/66). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/66

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 67

67PG 79

Τελείας ψυχῆς ἔστι τὸ ἀμέριμνον, ἀσεβοῦς δὲ τὸ ταῖς φροντίσι κατατρίβεσθαι Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τελείας ψυχῆς εἴρηται, ὅτι κρίνον ἐστὶν ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ τὴν μετὰ τῶν πολυφροντίδων ἀμερίμνως διάγουσαν δηλοῖ, Τὸ γὰρ κρίνον καὶ ἐν τῷ λίῳ τὴν ἀμέριμνον σημαίνει ψυχήν οὐ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐδὲ νήθει, καὶ μείζω τοῦ Σολομῶντος περιβέβληται δόξαν. Περὶ δὲ τῶν φροντίδα πολλὴν ἐχόντων εἰς τὰ σωματικὰ, φησί ε Πᾶς ὁ βίος ἀσεβοῦς ἐν φροντίδι. Καὶ γὰρ ὄντως ἐστὶ ἀσεβὲς παντὶ τῷ βίῳ συμπερεχτείνειν τὴν τῶν σωματικῶν φροντίδα, καὶ μηδεμίαν περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιδείκνυσθαι σπουδὴν καὶ τῷ μὲν σώματι, καίτοι μὴ πολλῆς δεομένῳ σπουδῆς, πάντα προσαναλίσχειν τὸν χρόνον, τῇ δὲ Ψυχὴ τοσοῦτον ἐχούσῃ προκοπῆς μῆκος, ὡς μὴ φῳθάνεῖν πάντα τὸν βίον πρὸ; τὴν ταύτης τελείωσιν, ἣ μηδὲ τὸν τυχόντα καιρὸν ἀπονέμειν, εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴ τινα δόξομεν ἀπονέμειν, ἐκλελυμένως, καὶ αὐτῇ τοῦτο παρέχομεν, ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ὁρωμένων περι: αγείας δελεαζόμενοι, καὶ ταὐτὸν πάσχοντες τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν εἰδεχθεστάτων ἑταιρίδων ἀγκιστρευομένοις ᾿ αἵ γνησίου κάλλους ἀπορίᾳ, νόθον ἐνέδρᾳ τῶν θεωμένων ἐπινοοῦσι, ταῖς ἐπινοίαις τῶν ἐπιτριμμάτων τὴν δυσμορφίαν ἐπιδιορθούμεναι. Ἅπαξ γὰρ τῇ ματαιότητι τῶν παρόντων ἡττηθέντες, τὸ αἶσχος τῆς ὕλης ἰδεῖν ἀδυνατοῦμεν ὑπὸ τῆς προσπαθείας φενακιζόμενοι.

Teleias psychēs esti to amerimnon, asebous de to tais phrontisi katatribesthai Peri men gar teleias psychēs eirētai, hoti krinon estin en mesǭ akanthōn. Touto de tēn meta tōn polyphrontidōn amerimnōs diagousan dēloi, To gar krinon kai en tǭ liǭ tēn amerimnon sēmainei psychēn ou gar, phēsin, oude nēthei, kai meizō tou Solomōntos peribeblētai doxan. Peri de tōn phrontida pollēn echontōn eis ta sōmatika, phēsi e Pas ho bios asebous en phrontidi. Kai gar ontōs esti asebes panti tǭ biǭ symperechteinein tēn tōn sōmatikōn phrontida, kai mēdemian peri tōn mellontōn epideiknysthai spoudēn kai tǭ men sōmati, kaitoi mē pollēs deomenǭ spoudēs, panta prosanalischein ton chronon, tę̄ de Psychē tosouton echousę̄ prokopēs mēkos, hōs mē phǭthanein panta ton bion pro? tēn tautēs teleiōsin, hē mēde ton tychonta kairon aponemein, ei de kai ei tina doxomen aponemein, eklelymenōs, kai autę̄ touto parechomen, hypo tēs tōn horōmenōn peri: ageias deleazomenoi, kai tauton paschontes tois hypo tōn eidechthestatōn hetairidōn ankistreuomenois ᾿ hai gnēsiou kallous aporią, nothon enedrą tōn theōmenōn epinoousi, tais epinoiais tōn epitrimmatōn tēn dysmorphian epidiorthoumenai. Hapax gar tę̄ mataiotēti tōn parontōn hēttēthentes, to aischos tēs hylēs idein adynatoumen hypo tēs prospatheias phenakizomenoi.

Freedom from care belongs to the perfect soul; being worn down by cares, to the ungodly. Of the perfect soul it is said that it is “a lily among thorns,” which shows the soul that lives free of care among those who are burdened with many cares. For the lily in the [Gospel] too signifies the soul free from care: “it does not toil,” it says, “nor does it spin,” and it is clothed with greater glory than Solomon. But of those who have much care for bodily things it says, “All the life of the ungodly is in care.” And truly it is ungodly to stretch care for bodily things through the whole of life and to show no zeal at all for the things to come; to spend all one's time on the body, though it does not need much zeal, while to the soul, whose road of progress is so long that a whole lifetime is not enough for its perfection, we do not allot even a little time; and if we seem to allot it some, we give it slackly, enticed by the dazzle of visible things. We suffer the same as men hooked by the ugliest courtesans, who for lack of genuine beauty devise a counterfeit to ensnare those who look at them, correcting their ugliness with the inventions of cosmetics. For once we have been defeated by the vanity of present things, we are unable to see the ugliness of matter, deceived by our attachment to it.

Song 2:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:28–29 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 15:20 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The perfect soul is carefree like the lily among thorns; the ungodly spend all their life caring for the body and none for the soul.

“A lily among thorns”: Song 2:2. The lilies that neither toil nor spin: Matt 6:28–29 (the word “Gospel” is supplied for a damaged word, ἐν τῷ λίῳ). “All the life of the ungodly is in care”: Job 15:20 (LXX). Three stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed; the Greek runs on across them.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Α νἱίᾶ οδὲ ἐπ οι εἰ τυ ἴῃς → ; ἱ Γ οἸ δι πὶ Ἔκ πἰυγὰ. Εἰ δἰ δὶ πο προ αὐ ρ οἱ δὶ ἴδεν τ, υἱ πὸι νι ἰοἱᾶ ρει Βοη ναὶ γον δὶ νὸγὸ οἱ δ φυδιίυ βίξηδγα, δίφαο πορὶ ἰχεπίον ἰά Εἱ νἱάδπιυ πὶ ἂρρᾶγοηιία ι: πὶ ἃς υἱ ἃ ἐεπηογοί του νου θῶ πυγῖα δι οἰ πἶα,, βά ηδ πὶ ἰηἰη ῖ, ἀδίογη δι π οὶ οι → ; δ τηδίοτία νἰάορο → ; Τ: λ: ίας Ψυχῆς → Τελείας ψυχῆς; διάγυυσαν δτλοῖ → διάγουσαν δηλοῖ; ποῦ Σολομῶντος περί δέθληται → τοῦ Σολομῶντος περιβέβληται; ἐν Δ, ΜΔ δ δ φροντίδι → ἐν φροντίδι; ἀτεθὲς → ἀσεβὲς; μηδεμκίαν → μηδεμίαν; τοτοῦτον → τοσοῦτον; ἐχλελυμένως → ἐκλελυμένως; καυτὸν πάσχοντες → ταὐτὸν πάσχοντες; ἀδυνατοῦμε. ὑπὸ → ἀδυνατοῦμεν ὑπὸ.

Topics: Ethics, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 67 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/67). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/67

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 68

68PG 79

Καὶ τούτου χάριν ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἀναγκαίας οὐχ ἰστάμεθα χρείας. Κόρον δὲ ὑβριστὴν τοῦ βίου ἐνστησάμενοι, παντοίαις κτήσεσιν ἑπαποδυόμεθα, οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι μέτρον κτήσεως ἐστὶν ἡ χρεία τοῦ σώματος, τὸ δὲ ἀκοσμία λοιπὸν, καὶ οὐκέτι χρεία ἐστίν. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ συμ με μένος τῷ σώματι χιτὼν, καὶ χρεία, καὶ κόσμος ἐστὶν, ὁ δὲ πάντοθεν καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν ἐμπλεχόμενος, καὶ περισυρόμενος τῇ γῇ μετὰ τοῦ ἀπρεποῦς, καὶ ἐμπόδιον πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐργασίαν γίνεται οὕτως ἡ ὑπερθαίνουσα τὶν τοῦ σώματος χρείαν κτῆσις, καὶ πρὸ; ἀρετὴν ὁ οἱ ἐστιν ἐμπόδιον καὶ πολλὴν ἔχει κατάγνωσιν παρὰ οἷς τὴν φύσιν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐρευνᾷν δυναμένοις, Οὔτε οὖν τοῖ; μένοις ὑπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν προσεκτέον, οὐδὲ τοῖς, τὸ μὴ προσεσχηκέναι τοῖς νοητοῖς, τοῖ; ἀκολουθητέον ἀκρίτως ταυτὸν γάρ ἐστι χρωμάτων κριταῖς χρῆσθαι τυφλοῖς, ἣ κωφοῖς τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν φθόγγων, μένοις τῶν πρὸς τὰ διχαζόμενα κριτηρίων, καὶ τούτοις πιστεύειν, ὡς κατὰ λόγον ἑλομένοις τὴν τῶν παρόντων ἀπόλαυσιν. Τυφλοὶ γάρ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων τῶν κριτηρίων τὸν λογισμὸν πεπηρωμένοι, ᾧ κρίνεσθαι τὰ σπουδαῖα, καὶ τὰ ἀδιάφορα πέφυχε

Kai toutou charin epi men tēs anankaias ouch istametha chreias. Koron de hybristēn tou biou enstēsamenoi, pantoiais ktēsesin hepapodyometha, ouch horōntes, hoti metron ktēseōs estin hē chreia tou sōmatos, to de akosmia loipon, kai ouketi chreia estin. Hōs gar ho sym me menos tǭ sōmati chitōn, kai chreia, kai kosmos estin, ho de pantothen kai tois posin emplechomenos, kai perisyromenos tę̄ gę̄ meta tou aprepous, kai empodion pros pasan ergasian ginetai houtōs hē hyperthainousa tin tou sōmatos chreian ktēsis, kai pro? aretēn ho hoi estin empodion kai pollēn echei katagnōsin para hois tēn physin tōn pragmatōn ereunąn dynamenois, Oute oun toi? menois hypo tōn aisthētōn prosekteon, oude tois, to mē proseschēkenai tois noētois, toi? akolouthēteon akritōs tauton gar esti chrōmatōn kritais chrēsthai typhlois, hē kōphois tōn kata mousikēn phthongōn, menois tōn pros ta dichazomena kritēriōn, kai toutois pisteuein, hōs kata logon helomenois tēn tōn parontōn apolausin. Typhloi gar tōn anankaiotatōn tōn kritēriōn ton logismon pepērōmenoi, hǭ krinesthai ta spoudaia, kai ta adiaphora pephyche

And for this reason we do not stop at necessary need; but, setting up an insolent satiety in our life, we strip for every kind of acquisition, not seeing that the measure of acquisition is the body's need, and that what goes beyond it is disorder and no longer need. For just as a tunic that fits the body is both a need and an ornament, but one that tangles about the feet on every side and drags on the ground is both unseemly and an obstacle to every kind of work, so acquisition that goes beyond the body's need is an obstacle to virtue as well, and stands heavily condemned by those who are able to search into the nature of things. We must not, then, heed those who are [enslaved] by the objects of sense, nor uncritically follow those who [think it good] not to attend to the intelligible things. For it is the same as using the blind as judges of colors, or the deaf of musical sounds, people [deprived] of the faculties for judging the matters in question, and trusting them as though they had chosen the enjoyment of present things by reason. For they are blind, having maimed the reasoning, the most necessary of the faculties of judgment, by which serious things and indifferent things are naturally judged.

Notes and citation

Summary: The body's need is the measure of possessions; those who judge otherwise are like the blind judging colors.

A stretch of Migne's Latin column inside the tunic comparison has been removed; the Greek runs on across it. Words lost in the printed text are 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): ἀο ἃ ΤῚ, τοὶ ρεδίίῷ δἰ δι ἰὼ υ Ο γ ΓΟ, δὶ πη ο η αὐλὴ δι δ ιο ν πὶ ὲ. οἱ υἱ πη δι βυΓαία, οἱ δ οἱ δι γεγὸὺ εἰγευπιῆ ει, εἰ Ρ οἱ μὲ εἰσοιπίγαοιὰ ἰδ ἃ. τ βά ρ → ; ὁρῶνἜς → ὁρῶντες; χτέσεως → κτήσεως; ἀπρεποὺς → ἀπρεποῦς; προσεχτέην, οὐδῇὲ → προσεκτέον, οὐδὲ; ἀχρέτως → ἀκρίτως; χρῆήτυφλοῖς → χρῆσθαι τυφλοῖς; τὼν πρὸς → τῶν πρὸς; ἀνα: χαιοτάτων → ἀναγκαιοτάτων.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 68 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/68). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/68

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 69

69PG 79

Εἷς τούτων ἣν ὁ τοῦ ὁμολογῶν τῷ σοῦ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ βίου κεκρυφέναι ὑπὸ γῆν τὰ κεκλεμμένα, καὶ ὑποκάτω τούτων τὸ ἀργύριον κατορωρυχέναι. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ ποικίλα, καὶ λαμπρὰ τῆς ὕλης ἀνώτερα κρίνας, τὸν δὲ λόγον ὑποκάτω τούτων κατορύξας, εἰκότως ἀπατᾶται ἀλόγου δίκην εἴκων, καὶ ἐνδιδοὺ; ἑαυτὸν τῇ φαντασίᾳ τοῦ ἀρέσαντος, διὰ τὸ καταβεβιβάσθαι τῶν ἀρχοντικῶν θρόνων τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ὑπηκόων, μᾶλλον δὲ καταδίκων τετάχθαι τάξει. Εἰ γὰρ ἣν οὗτος ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἱδρυμένος ἀξίας, καὶ τὴν χρίσιν πεπιστευμένος τῶν φαινομένων, δικαίαν, καὶ ὀρθὴν ἄν ἐξήνεγκε τὴ Ψῆφον, … κολάσας τὴν τοῖ; ἀπατηλοῖς ἐπιδραμοῦταν ὁρμήν. Καλὴν οὖν τοῖς ὅροι; τῆς χρείας ἐμμένειν καὶ νεικεῖν πάσῃ δυνάμει τούτους μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν. Ἔν γὰ ὀλίγον τις ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐπὶ τὰ ἡδέα τοῦ βίου, οὐδεὶς λοιπὸν λόγος τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω φοράν. Τοῦ γὰρ τὴν χρείαν ὄρος οὐδεὶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνήνυτος ἢ σπουδὴ καὶ ἀτέλεστος ἡ ματαιότης, τὸν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα πόνον αὔξει διὰ παντὸς, χαθάπερ φλόγα τῇ τῆς ὕλης προσθήκῃ τρέφουσα τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν.

Heis toutōn hēn ho tou homologōn tǭ sou en tę̄ skēnę̄ tou biou kekryphenai hypo gēn ta keklemmena, kai hypokatō toutōn to argyrion katorōrychenai. Ho gar ta poikila, kai lampra tēs hylēs anōtera krinas, ton de logon hypokatō toutōn katoryxas, eikotōs apatatai alogou dikēn eikōn, kai endidou? heauton tę̄ phantasią tou aresantos, dia to katabebibasthai tōn archontikōn thronōn ton logismon, kai en tę̄ tōn hypēkoōn, mallon de katadikōn tetachthai taxei. Ei gar hēn houtos epi tēs idias hidrymenos axias, kai tēn chrisin pepisteumenos tōn phainomenōn, dikaian, kai orthēn an exēnenke tē Psēphon, … kolasas tēn toi? apatēlois epidramoutan hormēn. Kalēn oun tois horoi? tēs chreias emmenein kai neikein pasę̄ dynamei toutous mē hyperbainein. En ga oligon tis hypo tēs epithymias epi ta hēdea tou biou, oudeis loipon logos tēn epi ta prosō phoran. Tou gar tēn chreian oros oudeis, all᾽ anēnytos ē spoudē kai atelestos hē mataiotēs, ton peri ta toiauta ponon auxei dia pantos, chathaper phloga tę̄ tēs hylēs prosthēkę̄ trephousa tēn epithymian.

One of these was [Achan] …, who confessed to [Joshua] that he had hidden the stolen things under the ground in the tent of his life, and had buried the silver beneath them. For one who judged the varied and bright things of matter to be higher, and buried reason beneath them, is rightly deceived like an irrational animal, and gives himself up to the appearance of what pleased him, because his reasoning has been brought down from its ruling thrones and set in the rank of the subjects, or rather of the condemned. For if his reasoning had been seated in its own dignity, and entrusted with judging appearances, it would have delivered a just and right verdict … and punished the impulse that ran after deceptive things. It is good, then, to remain within the bounds of need and to strive with all one's strength not to go beyond them. For once someone [slips] even a little, through desire, toward the pleasures of life, no reasoning thereafter [checks] his rush forward. For of [going beyond] need there is no limit; zeal is endless and vanity never finished, and it always increases the toil over such things, feeding desire as a flame is fed by adding fuel.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Josh 7:20–21 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Achan buried the silver under the stolen goods as the greedy bury reason beneath matter; beyond need, desire has no limit.

Achan (Ἄχαρ in the Greek Bible) and his confession to Joshua: Josh 7:20–21. Both names are lost in the scan and are restored by sense; Nilus reads “tent” figuratively (“the tent of his life”). Two long 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): χι, ες. νι, δ δα οἱ Ὁ δ ΐ ἡδίυγδιη ἱπναβιίραγα. Νοὴ βάι δι ἃ δ Ώ ὺ ἷηα υςὶο ἀδοοὶ Πος ὶ ςοἰογὸν, Γ βά η, αυἱ τοι εἶἰν ᾳυὰ εἰ δίᾳυς Δι θη υριδίοιῃ δδοὶ εὶ τη δ ἰῃδίγυ θη αἰ τυ Ἰαυύ αι οἱ ετοηιίᾶ. οθᾶν δὲ, ἰπ ἰοηιονὶο υἱέ ΔΥγῶ, υγῖο οἱ ἀείο Ναι αυἱ ναγίδο, οὶ δη Γ ταλιοτία, ε υίεο ν οι δ τοὶ οἱ πῃ δυνά ἔῃ ας π Π ᾿ ΝΠ δ ὶ Α → … ; ἢ η ἰπιροίυπη ε Δ ἀδουγγαοῦαῖ. γῆ ο τυ ἰπίγΓᾶ Π οἱ πόίο, δίᾳυο οομίοπάσγο ο ἰ ν᾽ υ πα η δὶ ον ἃ συρίἀ Γ ἐν Υἱῖα οἶδ Ν η ναι δι πιοίυη δ δε. πε ἦ βδυμὸν Δ πὶ Π ἱ ἐἢη Δ πὶ φρο Π Παπιπιάτη,, δα ππἰγῖοη υδηάὸ ἰδ, δοιοὶ Γ → ; χεχρυφέναι ὑπὸ γὴν τὰ χιχλεμμένα → κεκρυφέναι ὑπὸ γῆν τὰ κεκλεμμένα; κατφρυρυχέναι → κατορωρυχέναι; ποιγίλα → ποικίλα; εἰχότω; ἀπατᾶται ἀλόγου δίκην εἴχων → εἰκότως ἀπατᾶται ἀλόγου δίκην εἴκων; χαταδεδιδάσθαι → καταβεβιβάσθαι; ἱδρυμένο; → ἱδρυμένος; νειχεῖν πάτῃ → νεικεῖν πάσῃ; ὑπερῦαίνειν → ὑπερβαίνειν; μιταιότης → ματαιότης; τρέτουσα → τρέφουσα.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 69 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/69). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/69

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 70

70PG 79

Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ ἅπαξ τοὺς ὅρους παρελθόντες τῇς δι ἰ νἱδὰ ἢ φυσικῆς ἀνάγχης, ἐπὶ τὴν ἕνυλον ἄρχονται προχό… ζωὴν, τῷ μὲν ἄρτῳ προστιθέναι τὸ ἡδὺ προσόψημα θέλουσι, τῷ δὲ ὕδατι τέως χρειώδη οἶνον, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τὸν πολυτελέστερον ἐνδύμασι δὲ τοῖστοιχεῖν οὐχ ἀνέχονται, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρῶτον μὲν τῶν ἐρίων, καὶ τὰ λαμπρότερα συνωνοῦνται, αὑτὸ τῆς ἐρέας συλλεγόμενοι τὸ ἄνθος, εἶτα μεταβαίνουσιν ἀπὸ τούτων ἐπὶ τὰ μικτὰ ἐκ λίνου, καὶ ἐρέας ἔχοντα τὴν κατασκευὴν, εἶτα σηρικὰ περιεργάζονται, καὶ ταῦτα λιτὰ πρότερον, αὖθις δὲ πεποικιλμένα πολέμοις. καὶ θηρσὶ, καὶ ἱστορίαις παντοδαπαῖς σκεύη τε ἀργυρᾶ, καὶ χρυσόπαστα κατασκευάζουσιν, οὐ μόνον ταῖς λειτουργοῦντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζώοις, καὶ κλινιδίοις περιττῶς περιχείμενα. Καὶ τί δεῖ τὴν ἄκαιρον αὑτῶν ἐπὶ πλεῖον προτιθέναι φιλοτιμίαν ὁπότε καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἀτιμοτοτάτων χρειῶν ταύτην ἐπεκτείνουσιν, οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν ἀποπατημάτων σκεύη χαταξιοῦντες ἐξ ἑτέρας ὕλης δημιουργεῖν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ὑπηρεσίᾳ διαχονήσοι ὁ ἄργυρος. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἣ ἡδονὴ ἕως τῶν ἐσχάτων ἑαυτὴν παρεχτείνουσα, καὶ τὰ ἄτιμα τῶν ἔργων τῇ τῆς ὕλης τιμῶσα πολυτελείᾳ. Τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ἔχειν λοιπόν

Hotan gar hoi hapax tous horous parelthontes tę̄s di i nida ē physikēs ananchēs, epi tēn henylon archontai procho… zōēn, tǭ men artǭ prostithenai to hēdy prosopsēma thelousi, tǭ de hydati teōs chreiōdē oinon, kai apo toutou ton polytelesteron endymasi de toistoichein ouch anechontai, alla to prōton men tōn eriōn, kai ta lamprotera synōnountai, hauto tēs ereas syllegomenoi to anthos, eita metabainousin apo toutōn epi ta mikta ek linou, kai ereas echonta tēn kataskeuēn, eita sērika periergazontai, kai tauta lita proteron, authis de pepoikilmena polemois. kai thērsi, kai historiais pantodapais skeuē te argyra, kai chrysopasta kataskeuazousin, ou monon tais leitourgounta, alla kai zōois, kai klinidiois perittōs pericheimena. Kai ti dei tēn akairon hautōn epi pleion protithenai philotimian hopote kai mechri tōn atimototatōn chreiōn tautēn epekteinousin, oude ta tōn apopatēmatōn skeuē chataxiountes ex heteras hylēs dēmiourgein, ei mē kai tautę̄ tę̄ hypēresią diachonēsoi ho argyros. Toiouton gar hē hēdonē heōs tōn eschatōn heautēn parechteinousa, kai ta atima tōn ergōn tę̄ tēs hylēs timōsa polyteleią. Touto de para physin estin echein loipon

For when those who have once passed the bounds of natural necessity begin to advance into a material … life, they want to add a sweet relish to their bread, and to their water, at first, wine as a need, and after that the more expensive kind. In clothing they will not put up with simple garments, but first buy the finest woollens and the brighter ones, gathering the very flower of the wool; then they pass on from these to mixed garments made of linen and wool; then they fuss over silks, plain ones at first, and later ones embroidered with battles and wild beasts and stories of every kind. They make vessels of silver and of gold-sprinkled work, not only to serve [their tables], but also hung superfluously on their animals and couches. And why must I set out at greater length their untimely ambition, when they extend it even to the most dishonorable needs, not deigning to make even the vessels for excrement from any other material, unless silver serves them in this service too? Such is pleasure: it stretches itself out to the very last things, and honors even the dishonorable works with costly material. And this, from then on, is to be against nature.

Notes and citation

Summary: Once past natural need, desire moves step by step to wine, fine wool, embroidered silk, and even silver chamber-pots.

Several stretches of Migne's facing Latin column have been removed; the Greek runs on across them (προ|τιθέναι; ἀτιμο|τάτων), and a few words are lost at the first (marked …).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): ΥἾΔ πὶ δυᾶνα ἃρροΘΙ, Δι πὶ νη τη οἱ ἀοίη ἴῃ νοός θ υ ΐ ᾿ποδίοια ομ, πη Δ η οἱ ρου ἰδὲ ἤογμη ἃ δι α ἤπο, οἱ δ ἀοί πα οἱ ἷ εἶα, ἀοίη εἰς οἱ οἱ Ομ ἢ ΒιοΥ Ὑὰδᾶ ῦ διρθιηίθοο, οἱ ἀυγὸ ὰ ποῦ οἱ δη, π υ εἰ ἰδεῖυ δι Αἱ ναὶ γυτὰ η ΠΟ π πὶ μ υγίθυς ο οἰ πιεῖν → … ; υδι ἐομῇλγα νᾶδὰ δίογὰ ὶ → ; δίογία βά αὐὸὸ οἱ δυο ἃγΑὐ πὴ ΓΟ ἰρβδίη ρογγίίἐ, οἱ ἱπῃοηογαδαία ὀρογὰ πιλιθγίαΣ Ἁ οΓγδὲ δι ρίυ πηᾶρη θη ν δὲ Ναὶ αι βοουπάσεπιν δὶ τίνα ταιὶο, ἐδ οἱ Δ μγερβοσίὶρία ἃ ε Εἔσοο νου ἰη Βδὺ πὶ πὶ γα τὶ οἱ ἴῃ ᾽ Ὑ. ν ἰφᾳίίαν οὔ οἱ ἰη Ἰαυχυτγίοοίογοί αὖο γοοίς δ ἢ ἰπίγἃ μ ἃ Β δυο ἃ ἢδο Ἰορίδἰδιίοης δρυὰ Ὀχυία ἀρρᾶΨδῖυ Τ λυονὸ οἱ δι ἰοἶα, το ΝΘ οὐιαίμΩ, Ποῦθα: δ, οἱ υἱοπεῖα ἰα εἰ ι Ὁ ᾿, → ; ἔρους παρελθόντες → ὅρους παρελθόντες; ᾿δὺ προσὄψημα → ἡδὺ προσόψημα; ἐρέα: συλλεγόμενοι → ἐρέας συλλεγόμενοι; μιχτὰ → μικτὰ; σηριχὰ → σηρικὰ; πεποιχιλμένα → πεποικιλμένα; παν τοδαπαῖς → παντοδαπαῖς; ὀργυρᾶ → ἀργυρᾶ; κατασχενάζουσιν → κατασκευάζουσιν; ἐπεχτείνουσιν → ἐπεκτείνουσιν; ἐσχάτῶν → ἐσχάτων; τιιλῶσα → τιμῶσα.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 70 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/70). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/70

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 71

71PG 79

Ἧ γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν διαγωγὴ ἡμῖν τε, καὶ τοῖς ζώοις ἡ αὐτὴ ὥρισται παρὰ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ. ε Ἶδοὺ γὰρ δέδωκα ὑμῖν, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, πάντα τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ, ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς θηρίοις ἔσται εἰς βρῶσιν. Κοινὴν οὖν λαβόντες μετὰ τῶν ἀλόγων τὴν δίαιταν, καὶ ταύτην ταῖς ἐπινοίαις ἐπὶ τὸ ἀσωτότερον διαστρέψαντες, πῶς οὐχ ἀλογώτεροι κριθείημεν εὐλόγως ἐκείνων Εἴ γε τὰ μὲν θηρία μένει ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς φύσεως οὐδὲν παραβάντα τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τεταγμένων, οἱ δὲ λογισμῷ τιμηθέντες ἄνθρωποι πάντη τῆς ἀρχαίας ἐκδεδιώγμεθα νομοθεσίας Ποῖαι γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ὀψοφαγίαι Ποῖαι δὶ σιτοποιῶν, καὶ μαγείρων τέχναι μυρίαι τῇ γαστρὶ δημιουργοῦσιν ἡδονάς Οὐχὶ δὲ τὴν ἀρχαίαν εὐτέλειαν ἀγαπῶσι, ποηφαγοῦντα, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσιν ἀρκούμενα, καὶ ναματικῷ κεχρημένα ποτῷ, καὶ τούτῳ τυχὸν σπανίως Διὸ καὶ ὑπογαστρίους ἡδονὰς μεμείωνται, οὐδεμιᾷ τροφῇ τὰς ὀρέξεις λέγοντα, οὐδὲ πάντοτε τὴν ἄῤῥενος καὶ … εἰδότα διαφορά γὰρ αὐτοῖς καιρὸς τοῦ ἔτους ταύτην παρέχει τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἡνίκα ὁ τῆς φύσεως νόμος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ὁμοίου σπορὰν τὴν σύνοδον αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ διαμονῇ τοῦ γένους ἐξεῦρε τὸν δὲ ἄλλον χρόνον οὕτως ἀλλοτριοῦνται, ὡς λήθην λαθεῖν πάντη τῆς τοιαύτη; ὀρέξεως. ᾿Ανθρώποις δὲ ἐκ τῇς περὶ τὰ βρώματα πολυτελείας ἣ τῶν ἀφροδισίων ἀχόρεστος ἐπιθυμία παραβλαστάνουσα μανιώδεις ὀρέξεις, οὐδένα καιρὸν ἣρεμεῖν συγχωροῦσα τὸ πάθος:

Hē gar kata physin diagōgē hēmin te, kai tois zōois hē autē hōristai para tou Dēmiourgou. e Idou gar dedōka hymin, phēsin ho Theos tǭ anthrōpǭ, panta ton chorton tou agrou, hymin kai tois thēriois estai eis brōsin. Koinēn oun labontes meta tōn alogōn tēn diaitan, kai tautēn tais epinoiais epi to asōtoteron diastrepsantes, pōs ouch alogōteroi kritheiēmen eulogōs ekeinōn Ei ge ta men thēria menei epi tōn horōn tēs physeōs ouden parabanta tōn para tou Theou tetagmenōn, hoi de logismǭ timēthentes anthrōpoi pantē tēs archaias ekdediōgmetha nomothesias Poiai gar para tois alogois opsophagiai Poiai di sitopoiōn, kai mageirōn technai myriai tę̄ gastri dēmiourgousin hēdonas Ouchi de tēn archaian euteleian agapōsi, poēphagounta, kai tois epitychousin arkoumena, kai namatikǭ kechrēmena potǭ, kai toutǭ tychon spaniōs Dio kai hypogastrious hēdonas memeiōntai, oudemią trophę̄ tas orexeis legonta, oude pantote tēn arrhenos kai … eidota diaphora gar autois kairos tou etous tautēn parechei tēn aisthēsin, hēnika ho tēs physeōs nomos pros tēn tou homoiou sporan tēn synodon autois epi diamonę̄ tou genous exeure ton de allon chronon houtōs allotriountai, hōs lēthēn lathein pantē tēs toiautē? orexeōs. ᾿Anthrōpois de ek tę̄s peri ta brōmata polyteleias hē tōn aphrodisiōn achorestos epithymia parablastanousa maniōdeis orexeis, oudena kairon hēremein synchōrousa to pathos:

For the natural manner of life was fixed by the Creator as the same for us and for the animals. “Behold, I have given you,” God says to man, “all the grass of the field; it shall be for food for you and for the beasts.” Having received a diet in common with the irrational animals, and having twisted it by our inventions toward greater prodigality, how should we not rightly be judged more irrational than they? For the beasts remain within the bounds of nature, transgressing none of the things ordained by God, while we human beings, who have been honored with reason, have been driven out altogether from the ancient legislation. What gourmandizing is there among the irrational animals? What countless arts of bakers and cooks craft pleasures for their belly? Do they not love the ancient frugality, feeding on grass, content with what comes their way, using the water of springs for drink, and that perhaps rarely? That is why the pleasures below the belly have been diminished in them: they [inflame] their appetites with no food, and do not always know the difference of male and … female; a season of the year gives them this perception, when the law of nature devised their union for begetting their like, for the continuance of the race; the rest of the time they are so estranged from it that they altogether forget such appetite. But in human beings, from extravagance in food, the insatiable desire for sex sprouts maddened appetites and lets the passion rest at no season.

Gen 1:29–30 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 9:3 (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Animals keep to the diet God gave and mate only in season; human extravagance in food breeds unceasing sexual desire.

The quotation combines Gen 1:29–30 and 9:3 (Nilus's wording). 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): θῃδ ὃ δ ὅ → … ; α πος υ ὁ Αἰ η οἰ Λα → ; διχγωγὴ → διαγωγὴ; ἔαξαι εἰς → ἔσται εἰς; δια σ τρέψαντες → διαστρέψαντες; μένει ἐπεὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς φύσεως οὐδὲν σαντα → μένει ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς φύσεως οὐδὲν παραβάντα; ἐχδεδιώγμεθα → ἐκδεδιώγμεθα; ναματιχῷ χεχρημένα → ναματικῷ κεχρημένα; ὑπογαστρίου; ἡδονὰς → ὑπογαστρίους ἡδονὰς; τρόνον οὕτω; ἀλλοτριυῦνται → χρόνον οὕτως ἀλλοτριοῦνται; ᾿Ανδρώποις → ᾿Ανθρώποις; παραθλαστάνουσα → παραβλαστάνουσα.

Topics: Ethics, Fasting

Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 71 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/71). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/71

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 79 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.