Monastic Exercise (Ascetic Discourse) 72–75
Greek text: PG 79.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 72
72PG 79
οὖν ἢ τοῖς κτήμασιν ἡ βλάβη ἀκολουθεῖ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πάθεσιν ὡς νοσοποιὸς αἰτία παρέχει τὰς ἀφορμὰς, αὐτὴν τὴν αἰτίαν, εἴπερ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν εὐεξίας. μοσύνῃ τὸ τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἰασώμεθα πάθος. Φύγωμεν τοὺς τῶν ἀνωφελῶν ἀνθρώπων θιάσους μόνω ιν ἀσπαζόμενοι ἐπιβλαβὴς γὰρ καὶ τῆς εἰρηνιχῆς καταστάσεως φθοροποιὸς ἡ μετὰ τῶν εἰχαιοτέρων συνδιαίτησις. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ἐν ἀέρι λοιμικῷ γινόμενοι πάν τως νοσοῦσιν, οὕτως οἱ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀδιαφόροις διάγοντες, τῆς ἐκείνων κακίας. γὰρ ἔτι κοινὸν ἔχουσι πρὸς τὸν κόσμον οἱ ἀποταξάμενοι τῷ χόσμῳ ε Οὐδεὶς γὰρ στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέχεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ ἀρέσῃ ἡ γὰρ τὴν πραγματείαν ἀσχολία, τὰς πολεμικὰς κωλύει γυμνασίας ἀγύμναστοι δὲ πρὸς ἐμπειροπολέμους μαχόμενοι, πῶς ὑποστησόμεθα … Μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δεῖ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, οὕτω νωθρῶς καὶ ἐχλύτως μαχόμεθα, ὡς μηδὲ κειμένῳ τῷ πολεμίῳ ἀντέχειν δυνάμεθα, καὶ τοὺς ἑστῶτας ὑπὸ τοῦ πεπτωκότος ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι. Ὅπερ γὰρ πάσχουσιν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις διὰ φιλοχρηματίαν οἱ τοὺς νεκροὺς σκυλεύοντες, μετὰ τὴν νίκην πολλάκις ἀναιρούμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν κειμένων, καὶ κέρδους αἰσχροῦ χάριν μετὰ τὰ τρόπαια ἐλεεινῶς ἀπολλύμενοι, τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς νῦν πάσχομεν, κειμένῳ τῷ ἐχθρῷ, καὶ πλησιάζοντες, Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι πόθῳ τῶν χρημάτων ἐρευνῶντες τοὺς νεχροὺς, πολλάκις τινι προσελθόντες καὶ περιεκδύοντες, λάθρα δεξάμενοι καιρίαν πληγὴν, χατέπεσον, τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ εὔκλειαν ἀλογίστως αἰσχύναντες οὕτως ἡμεῖς, ὅταν διὰ σωφροσύνης καὶ ἐγκρατείας τὸν Βάρἣ δόξωμεν καταβεβληκέναι, τότε τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐρασθέντες ἐνδυμάτων, ἄπερ ἐστὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοκοῦντα τίμια, πλοῦτος, δυναστεία, εὐεξίαι, δόξαι, αὐτῳ, λαθεῖν τι τῶν αὑτοῦ γλιχόμενοι, καὶ οὕτως ἀποθνήσκομεν ἑαυτοὺς σφαγῇ προσάγοντες.
oun ē tois ktēmasin hē blabē akolouthei, kai pasi tois pathesin hōs nosopoios aitia parechei tas aphormas, autēn tēn aitian, eiper tēs kata psychēn euexias. mosynę̄ to tēs philochrēmatias iasōmetha pathos. Phygōmen tous tōn anōphelōn anthrōpōn thiasous monō in aspazomenoi epiblabēs gar kai tēs eirēnichēs katastaseōs phthoropoios hē meta tōn eichaioterōn syndiaitēsis. Hōs gar hoi en aeri loimikǭ ginomenoi pan tōs nosousin, houtōs hoi en anthrōpois adiaphorois diagontes, tēs ekeinōn kakias. gar eti koinon echousi pros ton kosmon hoi apotaxamenoi tǭ chosmǭ e Oudeis gar strateuomenos emplechetai tais tou biou pragmateiais, hina tǭ aresę̄ hē gar tēn pragmateian ascholia, tas polemikas kōlyei gymnasias agymnastoi de pros empeiropolemous machomenoi, pōs hypostēsometha … Mallon de, ei dei talēthes eipein, houtō nōthrōs kai echlytōs machometha, hōs mēde keimenǭ tǭ polemiǭ antechein dynametha, kai tous hestōtas hypo tou peptōkotos epibouleuesthai. Hoper gar paschousin en tois polemois dia philochrēmatian hoi tous nekrous skyleuontes, meta tēn nikēn pollakis anairoumenoi hypo tōn keimenōn, kai kerdous aischrou charin meta ta tropaia eleeinōs apollymenoi, touto kai hēmeis nyn paschomen, keimenǭ tǭ echthrǭ, kai plēsiazontes, Hōsper gar ekeinoi pothǭ tōn chrēmatōn ereunōntes tous nechrous, pollakis tini proselthontes kai periekdyontes, lathra dexamenoi kairian plēgēn, chatepeson, tēn epi tę̄ nikę̄ eukleian alogistōs aischynantes houtōs hēmeis, hotan dia sōphrosynēs kai enkrateias ton Barē doxōmen katabeblēkenai, tote tōn peri auton erasthentes endymatōn, aper esti ta para tois anthrōpois dokounta timia, ploutos, dynasteia, euexiai, doxai, autǭ, lathein ti tōn hautou glichomenoi, kai houtōs apothnēskomen heautous sphagę̄ prosagontes.
[Since], then, harm [follows] possessions, and, as a cause of disease, supplies the occasions for all the passions, let us [remove] the cause itself, if indeed [we care] for the good health of the soul, and by [having nothing] let us heal the passion of love of money. Let us flee the gatherings of useless people, embracing solitude; for living with the more frivolous is destructive even of a peaceful state. For as those who are in a pestilential air surely fall sick, so those who live among careless people [share] in their vice. For what do those who have renounced the world still have in common with the world? “For no one serving as a soldier entangles himself in the affairs of life, so that he may please [the one who enlisted him].” Occupation with business prevents training for war; and if we fight untrained against men experienced in war, how shall we hold out? … Or rather, if the truth must be told, we fight so sluggishly and slackly that we cannot hold out even against the enemy when he lies fallen, and we who stand are plotted against by the one who has fallen. For what happens in wars to those who strip the dead out of love of money, who are often killed after the victory by those lying on the ground and perish pitiably after the trophies for the sake of shameful gain, this we too now suffer when we approach the enemy who lies fallen. For as they, searching the dead in their desire for money, often went up to one of them and began to strip him, received a fatal blow unawares and fell, senselessly shaming the glory of the victory, so we, when through chastity and self-control we seem to have thrown down the enemy, fall in love with the garments about him, which are the things thought precious among men, wealth, power, comforts, glories, and [go up to] him eager to take something of his, and so we die, bringing ourselves to the slaughter.
2 Tim 2:4 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Possessions breed every passion; monks who seem to have defeated the devil are killed while stripping his spoils, like greedy soldiers stripping the fallen.
- “No one serving as a soldier entangles himself in the affairs of life”: 2 Tim 2:4. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column has been removed (marked …). Several damaged words at the start of the section 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): Π. οἱ θη πη ΐ θυ ῖ, η δ δι Π π σοί πὶ ργῸ ρδῦπιδηδηιἃ δάθο δΔὺ υἱ ον ᾿ π Δι ναγίοίδια εἶθ ἢ πὶ ΠῚ Π ηΒ ἰη βυρογίηβονἝ, π π Ῥυγὸ Π θυδηάο οἰ δἱ δἤδοι οι ῃ οὶ ΠΊ Π Δ πη εἴπη. Πού ὅπη υ ἘΠ ν ῖΔΗ το νΆ ἀ οὐ ον ἴῃ οι ἐμ ἰδοῦ αἱ τ, με πῇ τη αὐἴῖς δ πημηεέο, εὐ ἢ ε Νέπιο τοὶ ἢ η παροι ἱπιμι οἱ, υἱ ἰδ ἴ Οοδια οἰγεᾶ οι ὑ ὶ ὑὸσὺ θ θ ρου βυ δἰ βίοπιυ ε → … ; οἱ διίίεο βασηίίοι, εἰ → ; τοῖς χτέμασιν ἡ βλάβη λουθεῖ → τοῖς κτήμασιν ἡ βλάβη ἀκολουθεῖ; ἐπιόλαδὴ: → ἐπιβλαβὴς; χαταστάσεως φθοροποιὸ; → καταστάσεως φθοροποιὸς; στρατενόμενος → στρατευόμενος; πγὸς ἐμπειροπολέμους → πρὸς ἐμπειροπολέμους; τἀλγθὲς → τἀληθὲς; ολέμοις → πολέμοις; σχυλεύοντες, μετὰ τὴν νέχην → σκυλεύοντες, μετὰ τὴν νίκην; περι εκ δύοντες → περιεκδύοντες; χαταθεδληχέναι → καταβεβληκέναι; σφαγὴ προσάγοντες → σφαγῇ προσάγοντες.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 72 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/72). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/72
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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 73
73PG 79
Οὕτως ἀπώλοντο αἱ πέντε παρθένοι, διὰ μὲν τῆς ἁγνείας, καὶ ἐγκρατείας ἀνελοῦσαι τὸν πολέμιον διὰ δὲ ἀσπλαγχνίας, ἣν φιλοχρηματία γεννᾷ, ἑαυτὰς ἐπὶ τὸ ξίφος ὠθήσασαι τοῦ διὰ τὸ κεῖσθαι ἀνελεῖν … τοὺς ἐφεστῶτας ἀδυνατοῦντος. Μηδὲν οὖν τῶν ἔχε … ἵνα μὴ ἅμα τοῖς ἐκείνου καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καλεῖ γὰρ καὶ νῦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὰ, καὶ προτρέπεται πάντας, ἐὰν εὕρῃ μάλιστα πειθομένους εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐκάλει τὸν Κύριον λέγων, ταῦτά σοι πάντα δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς με, καὶ ἀπατᾷν ἐπεχείρει διὰ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ δοχούντων λαμπρῶν τὸν τούτων οὐκ ἐπιδεόμενον, πῶς τοὺς εὐαλώτους ἀνθρώπους οὐχ οἰήσεται ἀπατήσειν ἔχοντας πρὸς τὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν πραγμάτων ἀπόλαυσιν Γυμνάσωμεν τὸν νοῦν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, εἴγε ἣ σωματικὴ γυμνασία κατορθοῦται. Ἢ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, παιδικοῖς ἐοιχυῖα μαθήμασιν ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστι, τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κατασκευάζουσα εὐεξίαν τοῖς ἐφιεμένοις τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων παθῶν νίκης
Houtōs apōlonto hai pente parthenoi, dia men tēs hagneias, kai enkrateias anelousai ton polemion dia de asplanchnias, hēn philochrēmatia genną, heautas epi to xiphos ōthēsasai tou dia to keisthai anelein … tous ephestōtas adynatountos. Mēden oun tōn eche … hina mē hama tois ekeinou kai tēn psychēn kalei gar kai nyn ep᾽ auta, kai protrepetai pantas, ean heurę̄ malista peithomenous ei gar auton ekalei ton Kyrion legōn, tauta soi panta dōsō, ean pesōn proskynēsę̄s me, kai apatąn epecheirei dia tōn en tǭ biǭ dochountōn lamprōn ton toutōn ouk epideomenon, pōs tous eualōtous anthrōpous ouch oiēsetai apatēsein echontas pros tēn tōn aisthētōn pragmatōn apolausin Gymnasōmen ton noun pros eusebeian, eige hē sōmatikē gymnasia katorthoutai. Ē gar sōmatikē gymnasia pros oligon estin ōphelimos, paidikois eoichuia mathēmasin hē de eusebeia pros panta ōphelimos esti, tēn en tę̄ psychę̄ kataskeuazousa euexian tois ephiemenois tēs kata tōn antipalōn pathōn nikēs
So the five virgins perished: by purity and self-control they killed the enemy, but by hardness of heart, which love of money begets, they pushed themselves onto the sword of one who, because he lay fallen, [they thought] dead … unable [to overcome] those who stand over him. Let nothing, then, of [his things] … lest together with his things we lose our soul as well. For he calls us to them even now, and urges everyone on, above all if he finds them obedient. For if he called the Lord himself, saying, “All these things I will give you, if you fall down and worship me,” and tried to deceive with the things that seem brilliant in this life the one who had no need of them, how will he not think he can deceive human beings, who are easily caught and have a leaning toward the enjoyment of the things of sense? Let us train the mind for godliness, since bodily training is [so prized]. For bodily training is of use for little, like the lessons of children; but godliness is of use for all things, producing good health in the soul for those who aim at victory over the opposing passions.
Matt 25:1–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 4:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:7–8 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The five foolish virgins conquered lust but fell to avarice; the devil still offers the world as he did to Christ, and only godliness defeats him.
- The five (foolish) virgins: Matt 25:1–12, read, as by other ancient writers, of chaste persons lacking mercy (the oil). The temptation: Matt 4:9. Bodily training and godliness: 1 Tim 4:7–8. Two long stretches of Migne's Latin column have been removed; Greek lost with them is marked “…” and 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): ᾿Τίη. τ᾿. ταν, ἀἰδοοίυ θ υἱ να Γοδίδιογα, οἱ ἰδία ἃρεοι δε ἢ ἰη Π Ο πιογίυο ἰῃιογίοοι Ἀ δὲ ἐμ ρὲε ργαῖία ἰγορθθᾶ ῈΡ οἱ πο Ὁ ε θεῖο πη νυ θοῦ ἰοπιροβίίνο ὀχοορὶο Υἱοίοτγίἃ δ βα θη ἰἰἃ Π π οἱ Υἱ δ πη ν Ὁ Οἴγεμην οὐ δου θη ον δε θαυ μι εἰ ἰροῖ, φυἱὰ ἐλ ρ η δ εἰ δὶς ΠΡ, Ὧ δὶ βά σ μ ᾿ δὶς ἢ, Ρ Γ οἱ ἀναγ υ προ ἰη οὖ οι ΝΠ ὴ μναῖ δι ἐπιονέπιογο, ἰξΑ → … ; εν απ δὶ πὶ νου, υἱ διὸ οἱ οἱ πὸ ι δἰ πιαχίηνο ὶ ῃ πο οιηηία εἰ πιὸ οἱ ἀ εἴρετο δῖ νἱία ΙΓ ἰ ι αῦοποὸη ἀδεορίυτγιαι οἷ δα δἰ δ απ ἢ βά μοι δί πὶ οογρογεᾶ υἱ δου θυ πη δία διὶ δα υἱ Θχογοροῖ, δδὲ οἱ δου Ὑ ἰη π η π ργοσαγᾶγα εἰ ΓᾺ ἐΓεἰς σαί, δὶ γα Ομ δὶ θυ φεῖγο ἃ ἱμπυιῖε οἱ δὲ χ ἰανἷο δ Αἱ ἴῃ ἰδ τυ οὔἶνῷ,, οἱ ἀοῖ Βεοιάὑτὰ η ΠῚ Β νου → … ; ἀσπλαγχνία: → ἀσπλαγχνίας; τοῖς; ἐκείνου → τοῖς ἐκείνου; προτρέπετα πάντας → προτρέπεται πάντας; προσχυνὴ σῃῇς → προσκυνήσῃς; εὐαλώτονς → εὐαλώτους; χατορθῶται → κατορθοῦται; εὐσέὄεια → εὐσέβεια; ψυχῇ Ὦ χατασχευάζουσα → ψυχῇ κατασκευάζουσα.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 73 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/73). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/73
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione-73) · 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 74
74PG 79
Ὡς γὰρ τοῖ; ἐπὶ τὰ παιδικὰ γυμναζομένοις τὸ σῶμα ἀσκεῖν εὐπρεπὲς, καὶ τὰ μέλη κινεῖν συνεχῶς, ἀνδράσι δὲ ἀθλητιχοῖς, ἰσχύος ἐπιμελεῖσθαι ἀγωνιστικῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀλείφεσθαι ἀγῶνας, οὕτω τοῖς ἀρχομένοις τῆς θεοσεβείας ἐπιμελὲς τὰς ἐνεργείας κωλύειν ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ, εἰ κρατήσειεν τῶν παθῶν ἐξοιστρούμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν συντρόφων ἦδονῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς συνηθείας ἀπροαιρέτως σχεδὸν ἐλαυνόμενοι κακά. Τοῖς δὲ ἐν ἕξει γεγενημένοις τῆς πρακτικῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ τῶν κατὰ διάνοιαν λοιπὸν φροντίζουσι, πάσῃ σπουδῇ φυλάσσειν τὸν λογισμὸν ὀφείλουσιν, ὡς μὴ κινηθέντα ἀτάκτως ἐπί τι κατενεχθῆναι τῶν ἀτελῶν καὶ ἁπλῶς. Τοῖς μέν ἔστι σπουδὴ τὰς σωματικὰς παιδαγωγῆσαι κινήσεις, τοῖς δὲ τὰς ὁρμὰ; παιδεῦσαι τοῦ λογισμοῦ πρὸς μόνην τὴν ἐμφιλόσοφον εὐρύθμως κινεῖσθαι διαγωγὴν, μηδεμιᾶς κοσμιχῇς φαντασίας περισπώσης ἀπὸ τῶν θειοτέρων νοημάτων τὸν λογισμόν. Δεῖ γὰρ τετάσθαι τὴν τοῦ θεοσεβοῦντος ἐπιθυμίαν ὅλην πρὸς τὸ ποθούμενον, ὦ: μηδόλως εὑρίσκειν καιρὸν πρὸ; μισἀνθρώπους λογισμοὺς ἐνεργεῖν τὰ πάθη. Εἰ γὰρ ἕχαστον πάθος, ὅταν ἐν τῷ χεχρατημένῳ χινηθῇ, κατέχει τὸν λογισμὸν πεπεδημένον, μὴ καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀρετῆς ζῆλος σχολάζουσαν ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν παθῶν καθέξει τὴν ἔννοιαν Ποίαν γὰρ αἴσθησιν τῶν ἔξωθεν ὁ θυμούμενος πρὸς τὸ τοῦ λελυπηχότος εἴδωλον κατὰ διάνοιαν μαχόμενος ποίαν δὲ ὁ τῶν χρημάτων ἐφιέμενος, ὅταν σθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς φαντασίας ταῖς ὕλαις ἐνατενίζῃ; Ὃ δὲ ἀκόλαστος πολλάκις, καὶ συν᾿ εδρεύων τισὶ κατέμυσε τὰ αἰσθητήρια, καὶ τὴν πὸθουμένην ὄψιν λαβὼν, ἐκείνῃ προσομιλεῖ τῶν παρόντων ἐπιλανθανόμενος, καὶ στήλη καθέζεται ἄφωνος, εἰδὼς μὲν τῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς γινομένων, ἣ λαλουμένων οὐδὲν, νενευκὼς δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔνδον, ὅλος ἐστὶ τῆς φαντασίας, Τὴν τοιαύτην ψυχὴν τάχα μένην ὀνομάζει ὁ λόγος, ὅταν μακρὰν τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἀποχαθημένη συστείλῃ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν, μηδενὸς ὅλως τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀντιλαμβανομένη διὰ τὴν χατέχουσαν αὑτὴν αἰσχρὰν φαντασίαν.
Hōs gar toi? epi ta paidika gymnazomenois to sōma askein euprepes, kai ta melē kinein synechōs, andrasi de athlētichois, ischyos epimeleisthai agōnistikēs, kai epi tous hierous aleiphesthai agōnas, houtō tois archomenois tēs theosebeias epimeles tas energeias kōlyein agapēton gar, ei kratēseien tōn pathōn exoistroumenoi hypo tōn syntrophōn ēdonōn, kai epi ta tēs synētheias aproairetōs schedon elaunomenoi kaka. Tois de en hexei gegenēmenois tēs praktikēs aretēs, kai tōn kata dianoian loipon phrontizousi, pasę̄ spoudę̄ phylassein ton logismon opheilousin, hōs mē kinēthenta ataktōs epi ti katenechthēnai tōn atelōn kai haplōs. Tois men esti spoudē tas sōmatikas paidagōgēsai kinēseis, tois de tas horma? paideusai tou logismou pros monēn tēn emphilosophon eurythmōs kineisthai diagōgēn, mēdemias kosmichę̄s phantasias perispōsēs apo tōn theioterōn noēmatōn ton logismon. Dei gar tetasthai tēn tou theosebountos epithymian holēn pros to pothoumenon, ō: mēdolōs heuriskein kairon pro? misanthrōpous logismous energein ta pathē. Ei gar hechaston pathos, hotan en tǭ chechratēmenǭ chinēthę̄, katechei ton logismon pepedēmenon, mē kai ho tēs aretēs zēlos scholazousan hypo tōn loipōn pathōn kathexei tēn ennoian Poian gar aisthēsin tōn exōthen ho thymoumenos pros to tou lelypēchotos eidōlon kata dianoian machomenos poian de ho tōn chrēmatōn ephiemenos, hotan stheis hypo tēs phantasias tais hylais enatenizę̄? Ho de akolastos pollakis, kai syn᾿ edreuōn tisi katemyse ta aisthētēria, kai tēn pothoumenēn opsin labōn, ekeinę̄ prosomilei tōn parontōn epilanthanomenos, kai stēlē kathezetai aphōnos, eidōs men tōn en ophthalmois ginomenōn, hē laloumenōn ouden, neneukōs de epi ta endon, holos esti tēs phantasias, Tēn toiautēn psychēn tacha menēn onomazei ho logos, hotan makran tōn aisthēseōn apochathēmenē systeilę̄ tēn idian energeian, mēdenos holōs tōn exōthen antilambanomenē dia tēn chatechousan hautēn aischran phantasian.
For just as for those who exercise in the exercises of boys the aim is to train the body to be graceful and to move the limbs continually, while for grown athletes it is to look after competitive strength and to anoint themselves for the sacred games, so for those who are beginning in godliness the care is to check the activities [of the passions]; for it is enough if they master the passions, goaded on as they are by the pleasures they grew up with, and driven almost involuntarily toward the evils of habit. But those who have come into a settled state of practical virtue, and now take care of what pertains to the mind, ought to guard their reasoning with all zeal, so that it is not moved in a disorderly way and carried down to something belonging to the imperfect. In short, for the one group the zeal is to train the movements of the body; for the other, to train the impulses of the reasoning to move in good rhythm toward the philosophic manner of life alone, with no worldly fantasy drawing the reasoning away from more divine thoughts. For the desire of the one who worships God must be stretched wholly toward what it longs for, so that the passions find no opportunity at all to act toward hostile thoughts. For if each passion, when it is stirred in one it has mastered, holds his reasoning fettered, will not zeal for virtue also hold the mind fast, keeping it free from the other passions? For what perception of external things has the angry man, who in his mind is fighting the image of the one who grieved him? What perception has the man who desires money, when, [carried away] by fantasy, he gazes at material goods? And the licentious man often, even while sitting with others, has shut his senses, and taking hold of the sight he longs for, converses with it, forgetting those who are present; he sits like a voiceless pillar, knowing nothing of what happens before his eyes or is said, but turned inward, wholly given over to the fantasy. Such a soul the word perhaps calls [“sitting”], when it sits apart far from the senses and draws in its own activity, perceiving nothing at all of what is outside, because of the shameful fantasy that holds it.
Notes and citation
Summary: Beginners must check the passions' actions, the advanced must guard their thoughts; as a passion absorbs the mind, so should zeal for virtue.
- The word by which “the word” (Scripture) names such a soul is damaged in the scan (…μένην); “sitting” (καθημένη) fits the earlier argument about the soul that “sits” on idols, but is uncertain. A long stretch of Migne's Latin column in the middle and debris at the end have been removed; the Greek runs on across the first (κατε|νεχθῆναι).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): πο ςοπιπιοῖα ρεγίοὦ → ; οεἴοπδαιν, ι Εἰ μ Π ιυ ἐ ΠῚ βιοίὰ οἱ πὶ ΟΒορἢ πὶ Ομ νο δι ἢ εἰ δὼ ὺ οὐ Θμοτοὶ θοὶ αἰγίᾳ ἰά, ἃ αἴ δὔθφοιυ πο ἢ οὐ η διϊοδὶ φιδηάο Εἰ ΠΟη οἱ αἰνίυ ἃ γο ᾽ δι Π πηι ὲ ν Ὸ δὖὺ αἰ ἀ δχίε οου οἱ ἃ ν δ δ ἦ Αἱ δέδρίη δἱ οἰ άδιη δε εἰ οἶδ ἀρρεὸΟἰΝ ργαδεμείην, οἱ υἱ ᾿ φο ἢ Οὗ οἱ σον γ διὶ δί ἰη ΔΗ οἷν ἀδηίομη υ Π Ὁ δι Μαί. ὃ. δ κν, → ; δι: Β ΠῚ π πο πη, Ὁ πὶ Οὐ δι η αὶ παι ΟὐΟυμαί. → ; ταῖ;; σῶμα → τὸ σῶμα; ἀγωνιστιχῆῇς → ἀγωνιστικῆς; ἑξοιστρούμενοι → ἐξοιστρούμενοι; πραχτιχὴς → πρακτικῆς; ὀφείλουτιν → ὀφείλουσιν; σπονδὴ τὰς σωματικὰ; → σπουδὴ τὰς σωματικὰς; τετά.σθαι → τετάσθαι; θεοσεδοῦντος → θεοσεβοῦντος; λοι. πῶν παθῶν → λοιπῶν παθῶν; Χατέμυσε τὰ αἰσθττέρια → κατέμυσε τὰ αἰσθητήρια; τῶν παρόν. πων → τῶν παρόντων; ἀντιλαμδανομένη → ἀντιλαμβανομένη.
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 74 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/74). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/74
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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 75
75PG 79
Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὕτω κρατεῖ τοῦ λογισμοῦ διὰ τὴν προσπάθειαν, καὶ ἀργεῖν τὰς αἰσθήσεις παρασκευάζει, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἔρως ἀποτάξασθαι καὶ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖ;, καὶ ταῖς ποιήσει τὸν νοῦν μετάρσιον ἁρπάζων αὐτὸν, καὶ τῇ τῶν νοητῶν προσασχολῶν θεωρίᾳ Ὡς γὰρ τὸν τεμνόμενον, ἣ καιόμενον οὐχ ἂν εἰσέλθοι λογισμὸς ἔξω οὔ κατέχοντος πάθους, διὰ τὴν κρατοῦσαν ν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸν ὁτιοῦν ἐμπαθῶς λογιζόμενον, παρενθυμεῖσθαι δυνατὸν τοῦ κατέχοντος τὴν διάνοιαν πάὅλον τῇ οἰκείᾳ ποιότητι τὸν λογισμὸν ποιώδονὴ γὰρ οὐ παραδέχεται πόνον, οὐδὲ λύπην χαρὰ, οὐδὲ χατήφειαν εὐφροσύνη. αὖ πάλιν πόνος δυναστεύων προσίεται ἡδονὴν οὐδὲ κρατοῦσα λύπη ἔχει χαρὰν παρεζευγμένην, οὐδὲ κατήφεια ἐγκέκραται εὐφροσύνην. ᾿Ανεπιπλόχως γὰρ ἔχει πρὸς ἄλληλα τὰ ἐναντία πάθη, καὶ οὐχ ἂν εἰς ταυτὸ συνέλθῃ ποτὲ, ὁμήρευσε πρὸς φιλικὴν κοινωνίαν, διὰ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως ἄσπονδον ἔχθραν, καὶ ἀλλοτρίωσιν. Μὴ τοίνυν τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς καθαρὸν ταῖς τῶν χοσμιχῶν πραγμάτων ἐννοίαις ἐπιθολούσθω, μηδὲ τὸ τῆς θεωρίας εἰλικρινὲς σωματικαῖς ἐπιταραττέσθω φροντίσι, ἵνα καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀληθοὺς φιλοσοφίας εἰκὼν τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀπολάμπουσα κάλλος μηκέτι ψέγηται παρὰ τῶν θρασυστόμων, μηδὲ χλεύης ὑπόθεσις διὰ τὴν τῶν γραφόντων ἀπειρίαν γίνηται ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαινῆται, μὴ παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων, ἣ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ, παρ᾽ οὗ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι ἐζήτουν τὸν ἔπαινον, ὡς ὁ μέγας ὁ πατήσας τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην δόξαν, καὶ παρὰ θεοῦ τὴν εὐφημίαν αἰτῶν φησι, Παρὰ σοῦ ὁ ἔπαινός μου ν καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἢ ψυχή μου. μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ τὰ καλὰ, τὸ δὲ ἄνωθεν θέατρον ἀδεκάστως κρίνει τὰ πράγματα, καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τῶν γινομένων τὴν ψῆφον βραβεύει. Τοῦτο οὖν, ὃ καὶ ἀνάγχη τέρψαι τῇ τῶν ἔργων τερτερπέσθω τὸ θέατρον. Περὶ δὲ τῶν οὐδὲ ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδοῦναι τῶν εὖ βεβιωμένων, οὔτε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων ἐχόντων τιμωρήσασθαι δυναμένων ἀνθρώπων, οὐ πολὺς ὁ λόγο;, ἐὰν ἢ φθόνῳ ἣ προσπαθείᾳ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργα κακίας ὀνόμασι συσκιάζοντες τὸν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐγνωσμένον βίον πεπλασμέναις διαβάλλουσι βλασφημίαις. Ἕψεται γὰρ πάντων κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως τοῖς εὖ χόσιν οὐχ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπολήψεως, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτῆς τῶν βεδιωμένων τῆς ἀληθείας, ἡ ἀμοιβὴ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι, καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἀγίῳ Πνεύματι νῦν, καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀπεράντους καὶ ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.
Ei de tauta houtō kratei tou logismou dia tēn prospatheian, kai argein tas aisthēseis paraskeuazei, posǭ mallon ho tēs philosophias erōs apotaxasthai kai tois aisthētoi?, kai tais poiēsei ton noun metarsion harpazōn auton, kai tę̄ tōn noētōn prosascholōn theōrią Hōs gar ton temnomenon, hē kaiomenon ouch an eiselthoi logismos exō ou katechontos pathous, dia tēn kratousan n, houtōs oude ton hotioun empathōs logizomenon, parenthymeisthai dynaton tou katechontos tēn dianoian paolon tę̄ oikeią poiotēti ton logismon poiōdonē gar ou paradechetai ponon, oude lypēn chara, oude chatēpheian euphrosynē. au palin ponos dynasteuōn prosietai hēdonēn oude kratousa lypē echei charan parezeugmenēn, oude katēpheia enkekratai euphrosynēn. ᾿Anepiplochōs gar echei pros allēla ta enantia pathē, kai ouch an eis tauto synelthę̄ pote, homēreuse pros philikēn koinōnian, dia tēn ek physeōs aspondon echthran, kai allotriōsin. Mē toinyn to tēs aretēs katharon tais tōn chosmichōn pragmatōn ennoiais epitholousthō, mēde to tēs theōrias eilikrines sōmatikais epitarattesthō phrontisi, hina kai hē tēs alēthous philosophias eikōn to oikeion apolampousa kallos mēketi psegētai para tōn thrasystomōn, mēde chleuēs hypothesis dia tēn tōn graphontōn apeirian ginētai all᾽ epainētai, mē para tōn anthrōpōn, alla para tōn anō dynameōn, hē par᾽ autou tou Despotou Christou, par᾽ hou kai hoi hagioi ezētoun ton epainon, hōs ho megas ho patēsas tēn anthrōpinēn doxan, kai para theou tēn euphēmian aitōn phēsi, Para sou ho epainos mou n kai palin, En tǭ Kyriǭ epainethēsetai ē psychē mou. men gar pollakis kai ta kala, to de anōthen theatron adekastōs krinei ta pragmata, kai tę̄ alētheią tōn ginomenōn tēn psēphon brabeuei. Touto oun, ho kai ananchē terpsai tę̄ tōn ergōn terterpesthō to theatron. Peri de tōn oude amoibas apodounai tōn eu bebiōmenōn, oute hyper tōn allōn echontōn timōrēsasthai dynamenōn anthrōpōn, ou polys ho logo?, ean ē phthonǭ hē prospatheią tēs aretēs erga kakias onomasi syskiazontes ton tǭ Theǭ kai tois anthrōpois egnōsmenon bion peplasmenais diaballousi blasphēmiais. Hepsetai gar pantōn kata ton kairon tēs antapodoseōs tois eu chosin ouch apo tēs tōn anthrōpōn hypolēpseōs, all᾽ autēs tōn bediōmenōn tēs alētheias, hē amoibē tōn aiōniōn agathōn, hōn genoito pantas hēmas epitychein chariti, kai philanthrōpią tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, hou tǭ Patri doxa hama tǭ agiǭ Pneumati nyn, kai aei, kai eis tous aperantous kai ateleutētous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēn.
If these passions so master the reasoning through attachment, and make the senses idle, how much more will love of philosophy make the mind renounce both the objects of sense and [the senses], snatching it up aloft and occupying it with the contemplation of intelligible things! For just as no reasoning outside the passion that holds him could enter the mind of a man who is being cut or burned, because of the [pain] that prevails, so neither can one who thinks about anything with passion think of something besides what holds his mind, since it colors his whole reasoning with its own quality. For pleasure does not admit pain, nor joy sadness, nor gladness dejection; and again, pain, when it rules, does not admit pleasure, nor does sadness, when it prevails, have joy yoked to it, nor is dejection mixed with gladness. For opposite passions do not intertwine with one another, and would never come together or be bound in friendly fellowship, because of their natural, truceless enmity and estrangement. So let not the purity of virtue be muddied by thoughts of worldly affairs, nor the sincerity of contemplation be disturbed by bodily cares, so that the image of true philosophy, shining with its own beauty, may no longer be blamed by bold talkers, nor become an object of mockery through the inexperience of those who paint it, but may be praised, not by human beings, but by the powers above, or rather by the Master Christ himself, from whom the saints too sought praise; as the great [David], who trampled on human glory and asked for commendation from God, says, “From you is my praise,” and again, “In the Lord my soul shall be praised.” For [human judgment] often [slanders] even good things, but the theater above judges things impartially and awards its verdict according to the truth of what is done. Let this theater, then, which must be pleased, be delighted by the [beauty] of our works. Of human beings, who can neither return rewards for lives well lived nor punish others for theirs, there is little account, if out of envy or attachment they overshadow the works of virtue with the names of vice and slander with fabricated blasphemies a life known to God and to men. For at the time of recompense there will follow for all who have lived well, not according to human opinion but according to the very truth of their lives, the reward of the eternal goods. May we all attain them by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the endless and unending ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Ps 22:25 (21:26 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 34:2 (33:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As a strong passion absorbs the mind, so love of philosophy should absorb it in contemplation; the monk seeks praise from God, not from men.
- “From you is my praise”: Ps 22:25 (LXX 21:26); “In the Lord my soul shall be praised”: Ps 34:2 (LXX 33:3); the speaker's name (David) is lost in the scan. The closing doxology is Nilus's. Migne's facing Latin translation of the closing sentences, misread by the OCR as Greek letters, has been removed from the end of the section.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Migne's facing Latin column, marginal letters, notes) removed; OCR slip): Ὅ. Ῥκαὶ. ὅ. ΡΆτποι,. ν ἰδία οὐ οἱ; ργορθηβίσμδιν, ἀπὸ Οἷα τὶ η ιδιῖυ ἃ δἰ ἃ η πὶ ἴῃ κα υ Γρίοη οἱ βά Π Ὲ ΠῚ ἱ δου οὐρί ἡ οὶὀχῖγα ἴῃ ὁ, π οἷ οι υἱ Αβδείυ ἀειίποιῖς πιδπίοι οοουραὶ, φυλ αἰ ἰηιο το εἰ Β ΠΟ ἰαθοῦ ιι: πά΄υ ἀοίον ἴ ΠΟ υ δὶ ἐμ ποῦ σαὶ πυηηύυλη ἴῃ πος ΔΙ η πη ΠΟ οὔ ἐπ᾽ πη οἰ ἐπ πὶ, οἱ δνορβὶοι Π Να πιυηἀἾ πὶ ἰἀοί Ρ, εἰκ θ Π Γυἱ οἱ ᾿ἰΠᾶ πὶ Του Π ἢ υ δυύδοίον οὐ δ υ οὔδηυα ργαίεδοι που ΟὟ ἐ δὶ πο Δ δυρεγίοῦ θα η θοιωίῃο, ἃ εἰ θανιά, ψ οἱ ἃ Α ἰδὰ ηθὰ οἴ εἴ α ὅδ. πα, οἱ ἰν Γ σαὶ ἱποογγιρίο, οἱ ζ συ πη δι ὁ ἰφὶοἱ οἰ οἰ ἐπ δὲ θη α αι π γοψθοηὰέ, δι Ν οι, δυὰ τυ οδὲ δἱ Ὁ ἰδ, αἰεοιίονα ποιοὶ θα: το Δ θεο, ἶνας π Υἱίδιη εἰ Δ. τ ὅ Οἴηπο ἢος, οι πο Ομὶπαιἰυηο, δοι δὲ αυἱ Ὀ η θυ ε Π οἰπψαὶ ρογίγυ εἱ ον δ πὶ πῶδοβὺ γι οὐ δἰ πλε εἰν ι δρίγια δπεῖο οἱ βοπιροῦ, οἱ ἱπῆν οἱ οι γι. Ψ..οἱ. ὦ Ὁ. θ. → ; αἱοθήσεις. παρασχευάζει, πότῳ → αἰσθήσεις παρασκευάζει, πόσῳ; μετάρτιον → μετάρσιον; τεμνόμένον → τεμνόμενον; χατέχοντο; → κατέχοντος; ἐγχέχρατα: → ἐγκέκραται; δωματιχαῖς → σωματικαῖς; φιλοσοφέας εἰχὼν → φιλοσοφίας εἰκὼν; θρασυστόκλων, μτδὲ → θρασυστόμων, μηδὲ; γίνττα → γίνηται; Δεσπότον → Δεσπότου; ἁμοιδὰς ἀποδοῦνα: → ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδοῦναι; βεδιωμένων, οὔτε → βεβιωμένων, οὔτε; τιμωρήτα΄θαι δυνὰ μένων ἀνδρώπών → τιμωρήσασθαι δυναμένων ἀνθρώπων; συτχιάζοντες → συσκιάζοντες; ἀπὺ τῆς → ἀπὸ τῆς; Χριττοῦ → Χριστοῦ.
Topics: Ethics, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Nilus, Mon. exerc. 75 (PG 79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/75). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nilus-de-monastica-exercitatione/75
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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.