The Lausiac History 21–28
Greek text: Butler 1904.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: W. K. Lowther Clarke, The Lausiac History of Palladius (London: SPCK, 1918).
Chapter 21
21Butler 1904 2:63–69
Κρόνιός μοι διηγήσατο ὁ πρεσβύτερος τῆς Νιτρίας ὅτι Νεώτερος ὧν καὶ ἀκηδίας χάριν φυγὼν ἐκ τῆς μονῆς τοῦ ἀρχιμανδρίτου μου, ἀλώμενος ἔφθασα ἕως τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ἁγίου ᾿Αντωνίου. ἐκάθητο δὲ μεταξὺ Βαβυλῶνος καὶ Ἡρακλέους εἰς τὴν πανέρημον τὴν φέρουσαν κατὰ θάλασσαν τὴν ἐρυθρὰν ὡς ἀπὸ τριάκοντα σημείων τοῦ ποταμοῦ. ἐλθὼν οὖν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τὸ παρὰ τὸν ποταμόν, ἔνθα οἱ τούτου μαθηταὶ ἐκαθέζοντο εἰς τὸ λεγόμενον Πίσπιρ Μακάριος καὶ ᾿Αμάτας οἱ καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν κοιμηθέντα, ἐξεδεξάμην ἡμέρας πέντε ἵνα συντύχω τῷ ἁγίῳ ᾿Αντωνίῳ. ἐλέγετο γὰρ παραβάλλειν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ τούτῳ, ποτὲ μὲν διὰ δέκα, ποτὲ δὲ διὰ εἴκοσι, ποτὲ δὲ διὰ πέντε ἡμερῶν, καθὼς ἂν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἦγεν ἐπ᾽ εὐεργεσίᾳ τῶν παρατυγχανόντων ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ. διάφοροι οὖν συνήχθησαν ἀδελφοί, διαφόρους ἔχοντες χρείας" ἐν οἷς καὶ Εὐλόγιός τις ᾿Αλεξανδρεὺς μονάζων καὶ ἄλλος λελωβημένος, οὗ παρεγένοντο δι’ αἰτίαν τοιάνδε" Οὗτος ὁ Εὐλόγιος σχολαστικὸς ὑπῆρχεν ἐκ τῶν ἐγκυκλίων παιδευμάτων, ὃς ἔρωτι πληγεὶς ἀθανασίας ἀπετάξατο τοῖς θορύβοις, καὶ πάντα διασκορπίσας τὰ ὑπάρχοντα κατέλιπεν ἑαυτῷ βραχέα νομίσματα, ἐργάσασθαι μὴ δυνάμενος. ἀκηδιῶν οὖν καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν καὶ μήτε εἰς συνοδίαν βουλόμενος εἰσελθεῖν μήτε μόνος πληροφορούμενος, εὗρέ τινα κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐρριμμένον λελωβημένον ὃς οὔτε χεῖρας εἶχεν οὔτε πόδας. τούτῳ μόνη ἡ γλῶττα ἀκατάτριπτος ὑπῆρχε πρὸς συμφορὰν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων. ὁ οὖν Εὐλόγιος στὰς ἐνατενίζει αὐτῷ καὶ προσεύχεται τῷ θεῷ, καὶ διατίθεται διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι Κύριε, ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου λαμβάνω τοῦτον τὸν λελωβημένον καὶ διαναπαύω αὐτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, ἵνα διὰ τούτον κἀγὼ σωθῶ. χάρισαί μοι ὑπομονὴν τῆς τούτου ὑπηρεσίας. καὶ προσελθὼν τῷ λελωβημένῳ λέγει αὐτῷ" Θέλεις, ὁ μέγας, λαμβάνω σε εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ διαναπαύω σε; λέγει αὐτῷ" Καὶ πάνυ. Οὐκοῦν, φησί, φέρω ὄνον καὶ λαμβάνω σε; συνέθετο. ἐνέγκας οὖν ὄνον ἦρεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπήνεγκεν εἰς τὸ ἴδιον ξένιον, καὶ ἦν αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελούμενος. διακαρτερήσας οὖν ὁ λελωβημένος ἐπὶ ἔτη δεκαπέντε ἐνοσοκομεῖτο παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ, λουόμενος καὶ θεραπευόμενος ταῖς χερσὶ τοῦ Εὐλογίου καὶ ἀξίως τρεφόμενος τῆς νόσου. μετὰ δὲ τὰ δεκαπέντε ἔτη δαίμων ἐνέσκηψεν εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστασιάζει πρὸς τὸν Εὐλόγιον᾽ καὶ ἤρξατο τοσαύταις δυσφημίαις καὶ λοιδορίαις πλύνειν τὸν ἄνδρα, ἐπιλέγων. Σχάστα, φυγοκύρι, ἀλλότρια χρήματα ἔκλεψας, καὶ δι’ ἐμοῦ θέλεις σωθῆναι. ῥῖψόν με εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν" κρέα θέλω. ἤνεγκεν αὐτῷ κρέα. πάλιν οὖν ἀνέκραξεν: Οὐ πληροφοροῦμαι" ὄχλους θέλω" εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν θέλω. ὦ βία" ῥῖψόν με ὅπου με εὗρες. ὡς εἰ εἶχε χεῖρας τάχα ἂν καὶ ἀπήγξατο, τοῦ δαίμονος αὐτὸν οὕτως ἀγριώσαντος. ἀπέρχεται τοίνυν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ γειτόνων ἀσκητὰς ὁ Εὐλόγιος καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς" Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι εἰς ἀπελπισμόν με ἤγαγεν ὁ λελωβημένος οὗτος ; ῥίψω αὐτόν; θεῷ δεξιὰς ἔδωκα καὶ φοβοῦμαι. ἀλλὰ μὴ ῥίψω αὐτόν ; κακάς μοι ἡμέρας καὶ νύκτας δίδωσι. τί οὖν αὐτῷ ποιήσω οὐκ οἶδα. οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ" Ὡς ἔτι ζῇ ὁ μέγας, οὕτω γὰρ ἐκάλουν τὸν ᾿Αντώνιον, ἄνελθε πρὸς αὐτὸν βαλὼν τὸν λελωβημένον εἰς πλοῖον, καὶ ἀνένεγκε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον καὶ ἔκδεξαι ἕως ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἀνένεγκε αὐτῷ τὸ κρῖμα' καὶ ὃ ἐάν σοι εἴπῃ, στοίχησον αὐτοῦ τῇ ἐπικρίσει, ὁ θεὸς γάρ σοι λαλεῖ δι’ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἠνέσχετο αὐτῶν, καὶ βαλὼν τὸν λελωβημένον εἰς σκαφίδιον βουκολικόν, ἐξῆλθεν ἐν νυκτὶ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ ἁγίου ᾿Αντωνίου. συνέβη δὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἡμέραν ἐλθεῖν τὸν μέγαν ἑσπέραν βαθεῖαν, ὡς διηγήσατο ὁ Κρόνιος, ἐμπεφιβχωμένος χλανίδα δερματίνην. ἐρχόμενος οὖν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον αὐτῶν ταύτην εἶχε τὴν συνήθειαν καλεῖν τὸν Μακάριον καὶ ἐρωτᾶν αὐτόν" ᾿Αδελφὲ Μακάριε, ἦλθόν τινες ἀδελφοὶ ὧδε; ἀπεκρίνατο" Ναί. Αἰγύπτιοί εἰσιν ἡ Ἱεροσολυμῖται ; σημεῖον δὲ αὐτῷ δεδώκει ὡς ᾿Εὰν ἀπραγοτέρους ἴδῃς, λέγε ὅτι Αὐγύπτιοί εἰσιν" ὅταν δὲ εὐλαβεστέρους καὶ λογιωτέρους, λέγε “ἹἹεροσολυμῖται. ἠρώτησεν οὖν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθός" Αἰγύπτιοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀδελφοί, ἢ ἹἹεροσολυμῖται ; ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Μακάριος καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ: Μίγμα εἰσίν. ὅτε μὲν ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ" Αἰγύπτιοί εἰσιν, ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἅγιος ᾿Αντώνιος᾽ Ποίησον φακὸν καὶ δὸς αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν" καὶ ἐποίει αὐτοῖς εὐχὴν μίαν, καὶ ἀπέλυεν αὐτούς. ὅτε δὲ ἔλεγεν ὅτι “ἹἹεροσολυμῖταί εἰσιν, ἐκάθητο διὰ πάσης νυκτός, λαλῶν αὐτοῖς τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν. ἐν ἐκείνῃ οὖν τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ καθεσθείς, φησί, προσκαλεῖται πάντας, καὶ μηδενὸς μηδὲν αὐτᾷ εἰρηκότος ὁποῖον ὄνομα ἔχει, σκοτίας οὔσης φωνεῖ καὶ λέγει" Εὐλόγιε, Εὐλόγιε, Εὐλόγιε, ἐκ τρίτον. ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ σχολαστικός, οἰόμενος ἄλλον Εὐλόγιον καλεῖσθαι. λέγει αὐτῷ ἔπειτα πάλιν" Σοὶ λέγω, Εὐλόγιε, τῷ ἀπὸ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐλθόντι. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Εὐλόγιος" Τί κελεύεις, δέομαί σου; Τί ἧκες; ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Εὐλόγιος καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Ὃ ἀποκαλύψας σοι τὸ ὄνομά μου, "αὶ ἐπϑ πρᾶγμά (ΟΣ ἀπεκάλυψε. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος" Οἶδα διὸ ἦλθες- ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἰπέ, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀκούσωσι. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Εὐλόγιος" Τοῦτον τὸν λελωβημένον εὕρον ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ᾽ καὶ δεξιὰς ἔδωκα τῷ θεῷ ἵνα αὐτὸν νοσοκομήσω, κἀγὼ σωθῶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς δι’ ἐμοῦ. ἐπεὶ οὖν μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἔτη εἰς ἄκρον με χειμάζει καὶ ἐνεθυμήθην αὐτὸν ῥῖψαι, τούτου χάριν ἦλθον πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἁγιωσύνην, ἵνα μοι συμβουλεύσῃς τί ὀφείλω ποιῆσαι, καὶ προσεύξῃ περὶ ἐμοῦ" δεινῶς γὰρ χειμάζομαι. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος ἐμβριθεῖ καὶ αὐστηρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ" 'Ῥίπτεις αὐτόν ; ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν οὐ ῥίπτει αὐτόν. ῥίπτεις αὐτὸν σύ; ἐγείρει ὁ θεὸς τὸν καλλίονά σου καὶ συνάγει αὐτόν. ἐφησυχάσας οὖν ὁ Εὐλόγιος κατέπτηξε. καὶ καταλείψας πάλιν τὸν Εὐλόγιον ἄρχεται τῇ γλώττῃ μαστίζειν τὸν λελωβημένον καὶ ἀποβοᾶν- Λελωβημένε πεπηρωμένε, ἀνάξιε τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐ παύῃ θεομαχῶν ; οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ὁ ὑπηρετῶν σοι; πῶς τολμᾶς κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοιαῦτα φθέγγεσθαι ; οὐ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐδούλωσεν εἰς τὴν σὴν ὑπηρεσίαν; στύψας οὖν καὶ τοῦτον ἀφῆκε. καὶ διαλεχθεὶς τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσι τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἀπολαμβάνεται τὸν Εὐλόγιον καὶ τὸν λελωβημένον καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς" Μὴ περιστραφῆτε μηδαμοῦ, ἀπέλθετε. μὴ χωρισθῆτε ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ εἰς τὴν κέλλαν ὑμῶν εἰς ἣν ἐχρονίσατε. ἤδη γὰρ ἀποστέλλει ὁ θεὸς ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς. ὁ πειρασμὸς γὰρ οὗτος συνέβη ὑμῖν ἐπειδὴ ἀμφότεροι περὶ τὸ τέλος ἔχετε καὶ στεφάνων μέλλετε ἀξιοῦσθαι. μὴ οὖν ἄλλο τι ποιήσητε, καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ ἄγγελος μὴ εὕρῃ ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. θᾶττον οὖν ὁδεύσαντες ἦλθον εἰς τὴν κέλλαν ἑαυτῶν. καὶ ἐντὸς τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν τελευτᾷ ὁ Εὐλόγιος· ἐντὸς δὲ ἄλλων τριῶν ἡμερῶν τελευτᾷ ὁ λελωβημένος. Χρονοτριβήσας δὲ ὁ Κρόνιος ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὴν Θηβαΐδα τόποις κατῆλθεν εἰς τὰ μοναστήρια ᾿Αλεξανδρείας. καὶ συνέβη τοῦ μὲν τὰ τεσσαρακοστὰ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, τοῦ δὲ τὰ τρίτα παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος. ἔμαθεν οὖν ὁ Κρόνιος καὶ ἐξέστη" καὶ λαβὼν εὐαγγέλιον καὶ θεὶς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἀδελφότητος διωμόσατο ἀφηγούμενος τὸ συμβὰν ὅτι Τῶν λόγων τούτων ὅλων ἑρμηνεὺς γέγονα τοῦ μακαρίου ᾿Αντωνίου, ἑλληνιστὶ μὴ εἰδότος" ἐγὼ γὰρ ἠπιστάμην ἀμφοτέρας τὰς γλώσσας, καὶ ἡρμήνευσα αὐτοῖς, τοῖς μὲν ἑλληνιστί, ἐκείνῳ δὲ αἰγυπτιστί. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ διηγήσατο ὁ Κρόνιος, ὅτι Ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ διηγήσατο ἡμῖν ὃ μακάριος ᾿Αντώνιος ὅτι ᾿Ενιαυτὸν ὁλόκληρον ηὐξάμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναί μοι τὸν τόπον τῶν δικαίων καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. καὶ ἐθεασάμην μακρόν τινα γίγαντα μέχρι τῶν νεφελῶν, μέλανα, τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεταμένας ἔχοντα ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ λίμνην ἔχουσαν μέτρον θαλάσσης" καὶ ἑώρων ψυχὰς ἀνιπταμένας ὡς ὄρνεα. καὶ ὅσαι μὲν ὑπερίπταντο αὐτοῦ τῶν χειρῶν καὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς διεσώζοντο" ὅσαι δὲ παρὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκοσσίζοντο ἐνέπιπτον εἰς τὴν λίμνην. ἦλθεν οὖν μοι φωνὴ λέγουσα᾽ Ταύτας ἃς βλέπεις ὑπεριπταμένας ψυχὰς τῶν δικαίων αἱ ψυχαί εἰσιν αἱ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον σώζονται: αἱ δὲ ἄλλαι εἰσὶν αἱ εἰς τὸν ἅδην ὑποσυρόμεναι, τοῖς θελήμασι τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῇ μνησικακίᾳ ἐξακολουθήσασαι.
Kronios moi diēgēsato ho presbyteros tēs Nitrias hoti Neōteros hōn kai akēdias charin phygōn ek tēs monēs tou archimandritou mou, alōmenos ephthasa heōs tou orous tou hagiou ᾿Antōniou. ekathēto de metaxy Babylōnos kai Hērakleous eis tēn panerēmon tēn pherousan kata thalassan tēn erythran hōs apo triakonta sēmeiōn tou potamou. elthōn oun autou eis to monastērion to para ton potamon, entha hoi toutou mathētai ekathezonto eis to legomenon Pispir Makarios kai ᾿Amatas hoi kai ethapsan auton koimēthenta, exedexamēn hēmeras pente hina syntychō tǭ hagiǭ ᾿Antōniǭ. elegeto gar paraballein tǭ monastēriǭ toutǭ, pote men dia deka, pote de dia eikosi, pote de dia pente hēmerōn, kathōs an auton ho theos ēgen ep᾽ euergesią tōn paratynchanontōn en tǭ monastēriǭ. diaphoroi oun synēchthēsan adelphoi, diaphorous echontes chreias" en hois kai Eulogios tis ᾿Alexandreus monazōn kai allos lelōbēmenos, hou paregenonto di’ aitian toiande" Houtos ho Eulogios scholastikos hypērchen ek tōn enkykliōn paideumatōn, hos erōti plēgeis athanasias apetaxato tois thorybois, kai panta diaskorpisas ta hyparchonta katelipen heautǭ brachea nomismata, ergasasthai mē dynamenos. akēdiōn oun kath᾽ heauton kai mēte eis synodian boulomenos eiselthein mēte monos plērophoroumenos, heure tina kata tēn agoran errimmenon lelōbēmenon hos oute cheiras eichen oute podas. toutǭ monē hē glōtta akatatriptos hypērche pros symphoran tōn entynchanontōn. ho oun Eulogios stas enatenizei autǭ kai proseuchetai tǭ theǭ, kai diatithetai diathēkēn meta tou theou hoti Kyrie, epi tǭ onomati sou lambanō touton ton lelōbēmenon kai dianapauō auton mechri thanatou, hina dia touton kagō sōthō. charisai moi hypomonēn tēs toutou hypēresias. kai proselthōn tǭ lelōbēmenǭ legei autǭ" Theleis, ho megas, lambanō se eis tēn oikian kai dianapauō se? legei autǭ" Kai pany. Oukoun, phēsi, pherō onon kai lambanō se? synetheto. enenkas oun onon ēren auton, kai apēnenken eis to idion xenion, kai ēn autou epimeloumenos. diakarterēsas oun ho lelōbēmenos epi etē dekapente enosokomeito par᾽ autou, louomenos kai therapeuomenos tais chersi tou Eulogiou kai axiōs trephomenos tēs nosou. meta de ta dekapente etē daimōn eneskēpsen eis auton kai apostasiazei pros ton Eulogion᾽ kai ērxato tosautais dysphēmiais kai loidoriais plynein ton andra, epilegōn. Schasta, phygokyri, allotria chrēmata eklepsas, kai di’ emou theleis sōthēnai. rhipson me eis tēn agoran" krea thelō. ēnenken autǭ krea. palin oun anekraxen: Ou plērophoroumai" ochlous thelō" eis tēn agoran thelō. ō bia" rhipson me hopou me heures. hōs ei eiche cheiras tacha an kai apēnxato, tou daimonos auton houtōs agriōsantos. aperchetai toinyn pros tous ek geitonōn askētas ho Eulogios kai legei autois" Ti poiēsō, hoti eis apelpismon me ēgagen ho lelōbēmenos houtos ? rhipsō auton? theǭ dexias edōka kai phoboumai. alla mē rhipsō auton ? kakas moi hēmeras kai nyktas didōsi. ti oun autǭ poiēsō ouk oida. hoi de legousin autǭ" Hōs eti zę̄ ho megas, houtō gar ekaloun ton ᾿Antōnion, anelthe pros auton balōn ton lelōbēmenon eis ploion, kai anenenke auton eis to monastērion kai ekdexai heōs exelthę̄ ek tēs erēmou, kai anenenke autǭ to krima' kai ho ean soi eipę̄, stoichēson autou tę̄ epikrisei, ho theos gar soi lalei di’ autou. kai ēnescheto autōn, kai balōn ton lelōbēmenon eis skaphidion boukolikon, exēlthen en nykti tēs poleōs, kai anēnenken auton eis to monastērion tōn mathētōn tou hagiou ᾿Antōniou. synebē de tēn allēn hēmeran elthein ton megan hesperan batheian, hōs diēgēsato ho Kronios, empephibchōmenos chlanida dermatinēn. erchomenos oun eis to monastērion autōn tautēn eiche tēn synētheian kalein ton Makarion kai erōtan auton" ᾿Adelphe Makarie, ēlthon tines adelphoi hōde? apekrinato" Nai. Aigyptioi eisin hē Hierosolymitai ? sēmeion de autǭ dedōkei hōs ᾿Ean apragoterous idę̄s, lege hoti Augyptioi eisin" hotan de eulabesterous kai logiōterous, lege “HiIerosolymitai. ērōtēsen oun auton kata to eiōthos" Aigyptioi eisin hoi adelphoi, ē HiIerosolymitai ? apekrinato ho Makarios kai legei autǭ: Migma eisin. hote men elegen autǭ" Aigyptioi eisin, elege pros auton ho hagios ᾿Antōnios᾽ Poiēson phakon kai dos autois phagein" kai epoiei autois euchēn mian, kai apelyen autous. hote de elegen hoti “HiIerosolymitai eisin, ekathēto dia pasēs nyktos, lalōn autois ta pros sōtērian. en ekeinę̄ oun tę̄ hesperą kathestheis, phēsi, proskaleitai pantas, kai mēdenos mēden autą eirēkotos hopoion onoma echei, skotias ousēs phōnei kai legei" Eulogie, Eulogie, Eulogie, ek triton. ekeinos ouk apekrinato ho scholastikos, oiomenos allon Eulogion kaleisthai. legei autǭ epeita palin" Soi legō, Eulogie, tǭ apo ᾿Alexandreias elthonti. legei autǭ ho Eulogios" Ti keleueis, deomai sou? Ti hēkes? apokrinetai ho Eulogios kai legei autǭ Ho apokalypsas soi to onoma mou, "ai epϑ pragma (OS apekalypse. legei autǭ ho ᾿Antōnios" Oida dio ēlthes- all᾽ epi pantōn tōn adelphōn eipe, hina kai autoi akousōsi. legei autǭ ho Eulogios" Touton ton lelōbēmenon heuron en tę̄ agorą᾽ kai dexias edōka tǭ theǭ hina auton nosokomēsō, kagō sōthō di᾽ autou, kai autos di’ emou. epei oun meta tosauta etē eis akron me cheimazei kai enethymēthēn auton rhipsai, toutou charin ēlthon pros tēn sēn hagiōsynēn, hina moi symbouleusę̄s ti opheilō poiēsai, kai proseuxę̄ peri emou" deinōs gar cheimazomai. legei autǭ ho ᾿Antōnios embrithei kai austērą tę̄ phōnę̄" 'Rhipteis auton ? all᾽ ho poiēsas auton ou rhiptei auton. rhipteis auton sy? egeirei ho theos ton kalliona sou kai synagei auton. ephēsychasas oun ho Eulogios kateptēxe. kai kataleipsas palin ton Eulogion archetai tę̄ glōttę̄ mastizein ton lelōbēmenon kai apoboan- Lelōbēmene pepērōmene, anaxie tēs gēs kai tou ouranou, ou pauę̄ theomachōn ? ouk oidas hoti ho Christos estin ho hypēretōn soi? pōs tolmas kata tou Christou toiauta phthengesthai ? ou dia ton Christon heauton edoulōsen eis tēn sēn hypēresian? stypsas oun kai touton aphēke. kai dialechtheis tois loipois pasi ta pros tēn chreian apolambanetai ton Eulogion kai ton lelōbēmenon kai legei autois" Mē peristraphēte mēdamou, apelthete. mē chōristhēte ap᾽ allēlōn, all᾽ ē eis tēn kellan hymōn eis hēn echronisate. ēdē gar apostellei ho theos eph᾽ hymas. ho peirasmos gar houtos synebē hymin epeidē amphoteroi peri to telos echete kai stephanōn mellete axiousthai. mē oun allo ti poiēsēte, kai elthōn ho angelos mē heurę̄ hymas en tǭ topǭ. thatton oun hodeusantes ēlthon eis tēn kellan heautōn. kai entos tessarakonta hēmerōn teleutą ho Eulogios; entos de allōn triōn hēmerōn teleutą ho lelōbēmenos. Chronotribēsas de ho Kronios en tois peri tēn Thēbaïda topois katēlthen eis ta monastēria ᾿Alexandreias. kai synebē tou men ta tessarakosta epiteleisthai, tou de ta trita para tēs adelphotētos. emathen oun ho Kronios kai exestē" kai labōn euangelion kai theis en mesǭ tēs adelphotētos diōmosato aphēgoumenos to symban hoti Tōn logōn toutōn holōn hermēneus gegona tou makariou ᾿Antōniou, hellēnisti mē eidotos" egō gar ēpistamēn amphoteras tas glōssas, kai hērmēneusa autois, tois men hellēnisti, ekeinǭ de aigyptisti. Kai touto de diēgēsato ho Kronios, hoti En tę̄ nykti ekeinę̄ diēgēsato hēmin ho makarios ᾿Antōnios hoti ᾿Eniauton holoklēron ēuxamēn apokalyphthēnai moi ton topon tōn dikaiōn kai tōn hamartōlōn. kai etheasamēn makron tina giganta mechri tōn nephelōn, melana, tas cheiras ektetamenas echonta epi ton ouranon, kai hypokatō autou limnēn echousan metron thalassēs" kai heōrōn psychas aniptamenas hōs ornea. kai hosai men hyperiptanto autou tōn cheirōn kai tēs kephalēs diesōzonto" hosai de para tōn cheirōn autou ekossizonto enepipton eis tēn limnēn. ēlthen oun moi phōnē legousa᾽ Tautas has blepeis hyperiptamenas psychas tōn dikaiōn hai psychai eisin hai eis ton paradeison sōzontai: hai de allai eisin hai eis ton hadēn hyposyromenai, tois thelēmasi tēs sarkos kai tę̄ mnēsikakią exakolouthēsasai.
Cronius, the presbyter of Nitria, told me: “When I was young, I ran away out of listlessness from the monastery of my archimandrite, and wandering about I reached the mountain of the holy Antony. He lived between Babylon and Heracleopolis, in the great desert that leads toward the Red Sea, about thirty miles from the river. So I came to his monastery by the river, at the place called Pispir, where his disciples Macarius and Amatas lived, who also buried him when he fell asleep, and I waited five days to meet the holy Antony. For he was said to visit this monastery sometimes every ten days, sometimes every twenty, sometimes every five, as God led him, for the benefit of those who happened to be in the monastery. Various brothers had gathered with various needs, among them Eulogius, an Alexandrian monk, and another man who was crippled. They had come for the following reason.
“This Eulogius was a scholar, trained in the general education. Smitten with love of immortality, he renounced the tumult of the world, distributed all his property, and kept for himself a few coins, since he could not work. Being listless on his own, and neither wishing to enter a community nor satisfied to live alone, he found in the market-place a cripple lying abandoned, who had neither hands nor feet; only his tongue was unimpaired, to the misfortune of those he met. Eulogius stood and gazed at him, prayed to God, and made a covenant with God: ‘Lord, in your name I take this cripple and will care for him until death, so that through him I too may be saved. Grant me patience in serving him.’ And going up to the cripple he said to him, ‘Would you like me, great one, to take you into my house and look after you?’ He said to him, ‘Very much.’ ‘Then,’ he said, ‘shall I bring a donkey and take you?’ He agreed. So he brought a donkey, lifted him onto it, took him to his own lodging, and looked after him. The cripple held out for fifteen years being nursed by him, washed and tended by Eulogius's hands and fed as his illness required. But after the fifteen years a demon entered into him, and he rebelled against Eulogius and began to lash the man with such abuse and insults, saying, ‘Villain, runaway from your master! You stole other people's money, and you want to be saved through me! Throw me into the market-place. I want meat.’ He brought him meat. Again he shouted, ‘I am not satisfied; I want crowds; I want the market-place. Violence! Throw me where you found me!’ Had he had hands, he might have hanged himself, so savage had the demon made him.
“So Eulogius went to the ascetics nearby and said to them, ‘What shall I do? This cripple has driven me to despair. Shall I throw him out? I gave my pledge to God and I am afraid. But if I do not throw him out, he gives me bad days and nights. What to do with him I do not know.’ They said to him, ‘Since the Great One is still alive (for so they called Antony), go up to him, putting the cripple in a boat; take him to the monastery and wait until Antony comes out of the desert, and refer the case to him. Whatever he tells you, abide by his judgment, for God speaks to you through him.’ He agreed with them, put the cripple in a herdsman's skiff, left the city by night, and brought him up to the monastery of the disciples of the holy Antony.
“It happened that the Great One came the next day, late in the evening,” as Cronius told it, “wrapped in a leather cloak. When he came to their monastery, his custom was to call Macarius and ask him, ‘Brother Macarius, have some brothers come here?’ He would answer, ‘Yes.’ ‘Are they Egyptians or Jerusalemites?’ He had given him a sign: ‘If you see that they are rather simple, say “Egyptians”; but when they are more devout and learned, say “Jerusalemites.”’ So he asked him as usual, ‘Are the brothers Egyptians or Jerusalemites?’ Macarius answered and said to him, ‘They are a mixture.’ When he told him, ‘They are Egyptians,’ the holy Antony would say to him, ‘Make some lentils and give them to eat,’ and he would say one prayer with them and send them away. But when he said, ‘They are Jerusalemites,’ he would sit up all night speaking to them about salvation. That evening, then,” he said, “he sat down and called everyone, and though no one had told him what his name was, in the dark he called out, ‘Eulogius! Eulogius! Eulogius!’ three times. The scholar did not answer, thinking that another Eulogius was being called. Then he said to him again, ‘I am speaking to you, Eulogius, who have come from Alexandria.’ Eulogius said to him, ‘What do you command, I pray you?’ ‘Why have you come?’ Eulogius answered and said to him, ‘He who revealed my name to you has revealed my business too.’ Antony said to him, ‘I know why you have come; but say it before all the brothers, so that they too may hear.’ Eulogius said to him, ‘I found this cripple in the market-place, and I gave my pledge to God to nurse him, so that I might be saved through him and he through me. Since after so many years he torments me to the utmost, and I have thought of throwing him out, I have come to your holiness so that you may advise me what I ought to do, and pray for me; for I am terribly tormented.’ Antony said to him in a grave and stern voice, ‘You would throw him out? But he who made him does not throw him out. You would throw him out? God will raise up someone better than you and take him in.’ Eulogius fell silent and cowered. Then, leaving Eulogius, Antony began to lash the cripple with his tongue and to shout at him: ‘Crippled, maimed, unworthy of earth and of heaven, will you not stop fighting against God? Do you not know that it is Christ who serves you? How dare you say such things against Christ? Was it not for Christ's sake that he made himself your slave?’ Having rebuked him too, he left him. And after talking with all the others about their needs, he took Eulogius and the cripple aside and said to them, ‘Do not wander off anywhere; go away. Do not be separated from each other, but go to the cell in which you have lived so long. For God is already sending for you. This temptation has come upon you because you are both near the end and are about to be counted worthy of crowns. So do nothing else, lest the angel come and not find you in your place.’ They travelled quickly and came to their own cell; and within forty days Eulogius died, and within three more days the cripple died.”
Cronius, after spending time in the region of the Thebaid, came down to the monasteries of Alexandria. And it happened that the fortieth-day memorial of the one was being celebrated by the brotherhood, and the third-day memorial of the other. Cronius learned of it and was astounded; and taking a Gospel book and placing it in the middle of the brotherhood, he swore, telling what had happened: “I was the interpreter of all these words for the blessed Antony, who did not know Greek; for I knew both languages, and I interpreted for them in Greek and for him in Egyptian.”
Cronius also told this: “That night the blessed Antony told us, ‘For a whole year I prayed that the place of the righteous and of sinners might be revealed to me. And I saw a tall giant reaching to the clouds, black, with his hands stretched out to heaven, and beneath him a lake the size of a sea. And I saw souls flying up like birds. Those that flew above his hands and his head were saved; but those that were struck by his hands fell into the lake. Then a voice came to me, saying, “These souls that you see flying over are the souls of the righteous, which are saved into paradise; the others are those dragged down into Hades, who followed the desires of the flesh and the remembrance of wrongs.”’”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Cronius tells how Antony judged the case of Eulogius, who had nursed an abusive cripple for fifteen years, and recounts Antony's vision of souls rising past a giant.
- Pispir (the “outer mountain”) is Antony's monastery near the Nile. “Egyptians” and “Jerusalemites” were Antony's code for simpler and more spiritual visitors. The fortieth-day and third-day commemorations are customary memorials of the dead. A piece of Butler's apparatus (an English rendering of a variant) inside the sentence about interpreting is removed by a logged correction. “He who revealed my name to you has revealed my business too” translates a garbled phrase by sense. Antony's vision is translated as written; the giant is evidently the devil.
- “Villain” renders σχάστα, a word of uncertain meaning.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR doubled letter; OCR lost letters; OCR repeated a line with debris; OCR slip; OCR slip and stray line number; OCR slip and stray marker; OCR slip, line-break hyphen and debris; OCR slips; OCR stray word; OCR ξ for ζ; OCR ξ for ζ and debris; apparatus (English rendering of a variant) removed; line-break hyphen and stray line number; line-break hyphen rejoined; stray letter; stray line number; stray mark; stray numeral): τοῦ 2:0 ἀρχιμανδρίτου → τοῦ ἀρχιμανδρίτου; ἩΗρακλέους → Ἡρακλέους; ἦγεν 5. ἐπ᾽ → ἦγεν ἐπ᾽; διά- ; φοροι → διάφοροι; Ἑλόγιός τις → Εὐλόγιός τις; καὶ ἄχλος λελωβημένος → καὶ ἄλλος λελωβημένος; ἐρριμ-. μένον → ἐρριμμένον; ἀποστασιάξει Η Η γᾳ ἡ . νον ΄ , ν πρὸς → ἀποστασιάζει πρὸς; σωθῆναι. ἰ ῥῖψόν → σωθῆναι. ῥῖψόν; πάλιν οὖν το ἀνέκραξεν → πάλιν οὖν ἀνέκραξεν; ῥῇῖψόν με ὕπου → ῥῖψόν με ὅπου; ὃ τ5 λελωβημένος → ὁ λελωβημένος; θεᾷ δεξιὰς ἔδωκα καὶ φο- »“ , Α ν τη ῥ εημον ΄ .ς 2 ὲ [4 βοῦμαι → θεῷ δεξιὰς ἔδωκα καὶ φοβοῦμαι; ἀνένεγκε “0 αὐτὸν → ἀνένεγκε αὐτὸν; εἰς τὸ . μοναστήριον → εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον; ἠρώτησεν οὖν αὐτᾷ ογιωτέρους, λέγε “ἹἹεροσολυμῖται. ἠρώτη ν ΩΝ» ᾿ς ᾽ , τ κατὰ → ἠρώτησεν οὖν αὐτὸν κατὰ; Μίημα εἰσίν → Μίγμα εἰσίν; ἀπέλνεν → ἀπέλυεν; ὁ τ με Εὐλόγιος → ὁ Εὐλόγιος; νοσο- το κομήσω → νοσοκομήσω; χειμάξομαι → χειμάζομαι; τ5 φωνῇ → φωνῇ; τῆς :ο γῆς → τῆς γῆς; Ἑυὐλόγιον → Εὐλόγιον; Ἐὐλόγιος" → Εὐλόγιος·; συνέβη τ5 τοῦ → συνέβη τοῦ; ἸΚρόνιος → Κρόνιος; 4, δ 5 (αὐά. 17177): “Ὅο ποῦ ὑυση ΘΏσΒοσο, θα σρο; δηὰ ἀἄο ποὲ Βθρδιαὺθ ἔγομα ὁη6 ἃπούμοσ, Ὀυῦ τϑύαση ἤο γουγ 66]] ἴῃ τ ΪΙΟὮ γου Ἰἱνθὰ Ἰοηρ.᾽ → ; αἰγνπτιστί. : Καὶ → αἰγυπτιστί. Καὶ; ὁ ρόνιος, ὅτι ᾽ν τῇ → ὁ Κρόνιος, ὅτι Ἐν τῇ; ὑπερί- το ᾿πταντο → ὑπερίπταντο; τοῖς τᾷ θελήμασι → τοῖς θελήμασι.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 21 (Butler 1904 2:63–69; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/21
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 22
22Butler 1904 2:69–74
Διηγεῖτο δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Κρόνιος καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Ἱέραξ καὶ πλείονες ἄλλοι περὶ ὧν μέλλω λέγειν, ὅτι Παῦλός τις ἄγροικος γεωργός, καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἄκακος καὶ ἁπλοῦς, ὡραιοτάτῃ ἐζεύχθη γυναικὶ κακοτρόπῳ τῇ γνώμῃ, ἥτις διελάνθανεν ἁμαρτάνουσα ἐπὶ μήκιστον χρόνον. εἰσελθὼν οὖν ἐξ ἀγροῦ αἰφνίδιον ὁ Παῦλος εὗρεν αὐτοὺς αἰσχροπραγοῦντας, τῆς προνοίας εἰς τὸ συμφέρον ὁδηγούσης τὸν Παῦλον. καὶ γελάσας σεμνὸν ἐπιφωνεῖ αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγει" Καλῶς, καλῶς" ἀληθῶς οὐ μέλει μοι. μὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐγὼ αὐτὴν οὐκέτι αἴρω. ὕπαγε, ἔχε αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτῆς" ἐγὼ γὰρ ὑπάγω γίνομαι μοναχός. καὶ μηδενὶ μηδὲν εἰρηκὼς ἀνατρέχει τὰς ὀκτὼ μονὰς καὶ ἀπέρχεται πρὸς τὸν μακάριον ᾿Αντώνιον καὶ κρούει τὴν θύραν. ἐξελθὼν οὖν ἐρωτᾷ αὐτόν' Τί θέλεις ; λέγει αὐτῷ' Μοναχὸς θέλω γενέσθαι. ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Ἀντώνιος καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ" ᾿Ετῶν ἑξήκοντα γέρων ἄνθρωπος ὧδε μοναχὸς οὐ δύνασαι γενέσθαι" ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἄπελθε εἰς κώμην καὶ ἐργάζου, καὶ ζῆθι ἐργατικὸν βίον εὐχαριστῶν τῷ θεῷ" ὑπομεῖναι γὰρ τὰς θλίψεις τῆς ἐρήμου οὐ δύνασαι. ἀποκρίνεται ὁ γέρων πάλιν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ" Εἴ τι ἄν με διδάξῃς ἐκεῖνο ποιῶ. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἀντώνιος" Εἴρηκά σοι ὅτι γέρων εἶ καὶ οὐ δύνασαι" ἄπελθε εἰ ἄρα θέλεις μοναχὸς γενέσθαι εἰς κοινόβιον πλειόνων ἀδελφῶν, οἵτινες δύνανταί σου τῆς ἀσθενείας ἀνέχεσθαι. ἐγὼ γὰρ μόνος κάθημαι ὧδε διὰ πέντε ἐσθίων καὶ τοῦτο λιμῷ. τούτοις καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ῥήμασιν ἀπεσόβει τὸν Παῦλον" καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἠνείχετο αὐτοῦ κλείσας τὴν θύραν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος οὐκ ἐξῆλθεν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τρεῖς δι᾿ αὐτόν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀνεχώρησε. τῇ δὲ τετάρτῃ ἡμέρᾳ χρείας αὐτὸν ἀναγκαζούσης ἀνοίξας ἐξῆλθε καὶ πάλιν λέγει αὐτῷ" Ἄπελθε ἐντεῦθεν, γέρων" τί με ὑποπιάζεις ; οὐ δύνασαι ὧδε μεῖναι. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος: ᾿Αμήχανόν μοί ἐστιν ἀλλαχοῦ τελευτῆσαι ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ὧδε. περιβλεψάμενος οὖν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι τὰ πρὸς τροφὴν οὐ βαστάζει, οὐκ ἄρτον, οὐχ ὕδωρ, καὶ τετάρτην ἔχει καρτερήσας νῆστις, Μήποτε καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, φησί, καὶ κηλιδώσῃ μου τὴν ψυχήν, εἰσδέχεται αὐτόν. καὶ τοιαύτην ἀνέλαβεν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις πολιτείαν οἵαν οὐδέποτε ἐν νεότητι. καὶ βρέξας θαλλοὺς λέγει αὐτῷ" Δέξαι, πλέξον σειρὰν ὡς κἀγώ. πλέκει ὁ γέρων ἕως ἐννάτης ὀργυίας δεκαπέντε μοχθήσας. θεασάμενος οὖν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος δυσηρεστήθη καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ' Κακῶς ἔπλεξας" ἀπόπλεξον καὶ ἄνωθεν πλέξον" νήστει αὐτῷ ὄντι καὶ ἡλικιώτῃ ταύτην ἐπαγαγὼν τὴν σῆψιν, ἵνα δυσφορήσας ὁ γέρων φύγῃ τὸν Αντώνιον. ὁ δὲ καὶ ἀπέπλεξε καὶ πάλιν ἔπλεξε τοὺς αὐτοὺς θαλλούς, εἰ καὶ δυσχερέστερον διὰ τὸ ἐρρυτιδῶσθαι. θεασάμενος δὲ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος ὅτι οὔτε ἐγόγγυσεν οὔτε ἐμικροψύχησεν οὔτε ἠγανάκτησε, κατενύγη. καὶ δύναντος τοῦ ἡλίου λέγει αὐτῷ· Θέλεις φάγωμεν ἄρτου κλάσμα; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος" Ὡς δοκεῖ σοι, ἀββᾶ. καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἔκαμψε τὸν ᾿Αντώνιον, τὸ μὴ προσδραμεῖν προθύμως τῇ τῆς τροφῆς ἀγγελίᾳ ἀλλ᾽ αὐτῷ ἐπιρρῖψαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν. θεὶς οὖν τὴν τράπεζαν φέρει ἄρτους. καὶ θεὶς ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος τοὺς παξαμάδας ἔχοντας ἀνὰ ἕξ οὐγγιῶν, ἑαυτῷ μὲν ἔβρεξεν ἕνα, ξηροὶ γὰρ ἦσαν, ἐκείνῳ δὲ τρεῖς. καὶ βάλλει ψαλμὸν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος ὃν ἤδει, καὶ δωδέκατον αὐτὸν ψάλας δωδέκατον ηὔξατο, ἵνα δοκιμάσῃ τὸν Παῦλον. ὁ δὲ πάλιν προθύμως συνηύχετο᾽ ἡρεῖτο γὰρ ὡς οἶμαι σκορπίους ποιμᾶναι ἢ μοιχαλίδι γυναικὶ συζῆσαι. μετὰ δὲ τὰς δώδεκα προσευχὰς ἐκαθέσθησαν φαγεῖν ἑσπέρας βαθείας. φαγὼν οὖν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος τὸν ἕνα παξαμᾶν ἄλλου οὐχ ἥψατο. ὁ δὲ γέρων σχολαιότερον ἐσθίων ἔτι εἶχε τοῦ παξαμαδίου' ἐξεδέχετο ὁ Ἀντώνιος ἕως οὗ τελέσῃ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Φάγε, παπία, καὶ ἄλλον παξαμᾶν. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος" ᾿Εὰν σὺ ἐσθίῃς, κἀγώ" σοῦ δὲ μὴ ἐσθίοντος οὐκ ἐσθίω. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἀντώνιος· Ἐμοὶ ἐπαρκεῖ· μοναχὸς γάρ εἰμι. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος" ᾿Αρκεῖ καμοί" κἀγὼ γὰρ θέλω μοναχὸς γενέσθαι. ἐγείρεται πάλιν καὶ ποιεῖ δεκαδύο εὐχὰς καὶ δεκαδύο ψαλμοὺς ψάλλει. καθεύδει μικρὸν τοῦ πρωτουπνίου, καὶ πάλιν ἐγείρεται ψάλλειν μεσονυκτίῳ ἕως ἡμέρας. ὡς οὖν εἶδε τὸν γέροντα προθύμως ἐπακολουθήσαντα αὐτοῦ τῇ πολιτείᾳ λέγει αὐτῷ" ᾿Εὰν δύνασαι καθ᾽ ἡμέραν οὕτως, μένε μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος" ᾿Εὰν μέν τί ποτε πλέον, οὐκ οἷδα᾽ ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἃ εἶδον ποιῶ εὐχερῶς. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος τῇ ἑξῆς" ᾿Ιδοὺ γέγονας μοναχός. Πληροφορηθεὶς οὖν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος μετὰ μῆνας ῥητοὺς ὅτι τελείας ἐστὶ ψυχῆς, λίαν ὧν ἁπλοῦς, τῆς χάριτος αὐτῷ συνεργούσης, ποιεῖ αὐτῷ κέλλαν ὡς ἀπὸ σημείων τριῶν ἢ τεσσάρων, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ᾽ ᾿Ιδοὺ γέγονας μοναχός" μένε κατ᾽ ἰδίαν ἵνα καὶ πεῖραν δαιμόνων λάβῃς. οἰκήσας οὖν ἔτος ἓν ὁ Παῦλος χάριτος ἠξιώθη κατὰ δαιμόνων καὶ νοσημάτων. ἐν οἷς ποτὲ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν δεινότατος ἤχθη τῷ ᾿Αντωνίῳ δαιμονιῶν ἀρχοντικὸν ἔχων πνεῦμα, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐδυσφήμει. προσχὼν οὖν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος λέγει τοῖς ἀγαγοῦσιν᾽ Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον᾽ κατὰ γὰρ τούτου τοῦ τάγματος τοῦ ἀρχοντικοῦ οὔπω ἠξιώθην χαρίσματος, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο Παύλου ἐστίν. ἀπελθὼν οὖν Αντώνιος πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἀπάγει αὐτοὺς καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀββᾶ Παῦλε, ἔκβαλε τὸ δαιμόνιον τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἵνα ὑγιαίνων ἀπέλθῃ εἰς τὰ ἴδια. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Παῦλος" Σὺ γὰρ τί; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος", Οὐ σχολάζω ἐγώ, ἄλλο ἔχω ἔργον. καὶ καταλείψας αὐτὸν ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος πάλιν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν κέλλαν. ἀναστὰς οὖν ὁ γέρων καὶ προσευξάμενος ἐνεργῆ προσευχὴν προσλαλεῖ τῷ δαιμονιώντι᾽ Εἴρηκεν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾿Αντώνιος ὅτι Ἔξελθε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. ὁ δὲ δαίμων μετὰ δυσφημίας ἔκραξε λέγων᾽ Οὐκ ἐξέρχομαι, κακόγηρε. λαβὼν οὖν τὴν μηλωτὴν αὐτοῦ κατὰ νώτου ἔτυπτεν αὐτὸν λέγων "Εξελθε εἴρηκεν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾿Αντώνιος. λοιδορεῖ καὶ τὸν ᾿Αντώνιον καὶ αὐτὸν πάλιν ὁ δαίμων σφοδρότερον. τέλος λέγει αὐτῷ" ᾿Εκβαίνεις, ἢ ὑπάγω λέγω τῷ Χριστῷ. μὰ τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν, ἐὰν οὐκ ἐκβαίνῃς ἤδη ἄρτι ὑπάγω λέγω τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ οὐαί σοι ἔχει ποιῆσαι. προσεδυσφήμει πάλιν ὁ δαίμων κράζων" Οὐκ ἐξέρχομαι. χολέσας οὖν ὁ Παῦλος κατὰ τοῦ δαίμονος ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς ξενίας κατ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν σταθερὰν μεσημβρίαν τῶν δὲ Αἰγυπτίων τὸ καῦμα συγγενές ἐστι τῆς καμίνου τῆς Βαβυλωνίας. καὶ στὰς κατὰ πέτρας ἐν τῷ ὄρει προσεύχεται καὶ λέγει οὕτως" Σὺ βλέπεις, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ὁ σταυρωθεὶς ἐπὶ Ποντίον Πιλάτου, ὅτι οὐ μὴ κατέλθω ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας, οὐ φάγω οὐ πίω ἕως οὗ ἀποθάνω, ἐὰν μὴ ἐκβάλῃς τὸ πνεῦμα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἐλευθερώσῃς τὸν ἄνθρωπον. πρὸ τοῦ δὲ τελεσθῆναι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀνέκραξεν ὁ δαίμων λέγων" Ὦ βία, ἐλαύνομαι' ἡ ἁπλότης με τοῦ Παύλου ἐλαύνει, καὶ ποῦ ἀπέλθω; καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐξῆλθε τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ εἰς δράκοντα μέγαν ἑβδομήκοντὰ πήχεων μετεβλήθη συρόμενος ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν ἐρυθράν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθέν" Ἐπιδεικνυμένην πίστιν ἀπαγγελεῖ δίκαιος. τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ θαῦμα Παύλου ὃς ἐπεκλήθη ἁπλοῦς παρὰ πάσης τῆς ἀδελφότητος.
Diēgeito de kai touto ho Kronios kai ho hagios Hierax kai pleiones alloi peri hōn mellō legein, hoti Paulos tis agroikos geōrgos, kath᾽ hyperbolēn akakos kai haplous, hōraiotatę̄ ezeuchthē gynaiki kakotropǭ tę̄ gnōmę̄, hētis dielanthanen hamartanousa epi mēkiston chronon. eiselthōn oun ex agrou aiphnidion ho Paulos heuren autous aischropragountas, tēs pronoias eis to sympheron hodēgousēs ton Paulon. kai gelasas semnon epiphōnei autois kai legei" Kalōs, kalōs" alēthōs ou melei moi. ma ton Iēsoun egō autēn ouketi airō. hypage, eche autēn kai ta paidia autēs" egō gar hypagō ginomai monachos. kai mēdeni mēden eirēkōs anatrechei tas oktō monas kai aperchetai pros ton makarion ᾿Antōnion kai krouei tēn thyran. exelthōn oun erōtą auton' Ti theleis ? legei autǭ' Monachos thelō genesthai. apokrinetai ho Antōnios kai legei autǭ" ᾿Etōn hexēkonta gerōn anthrōpos hōde monachos ou dynasai genesthai" alla mallon apelthe eis kōmēn kai ergazou, kai zēthi ergatikon bion eucharistōn tǭ theǭ" hypomeinai gar tas thlipseis tēs erēmou ou dynasai. apokrinetai ho gerōn palin kai legei autǭ" Ei ti an me didaxę̄s ekeino poiō. legei autǭ ho Antōnios" Eirēka soi hoti gerōn ei kai ou dynasai" apelthe ei ara theleis monachos genesthai eis koinobion pleionōn adelphōn, hoitines dynantai sou tēs astheneias anechesthai. egō gar monos kathēmai hōde dia pente esthiōn kai touto limǭ. toutois kai tois toioutois rhēmasin apesobei ton Paulon" kai hōs ouk ēneicheto autou kleisas tēn thyran ho ᾿Antōnios ouk exēlthen epi hēmeras treis di᾿ auton, oude pros tēn chreian. ho de ouk anechōrēse. tę̄ de tetartę̄ hēmerą chreias auton anankazousēs anoixas exēlthe kai palin legei autǭ" Apelthe enteuthen, gerōn" ti me hypopiazeis ? ou dynasai hōde meinai. legei autǭ ho Paulos: ᾿Amēchanon moi estin allachou teleutēsai all᾽ ē hōde. periblepsamenos oun ho ᾿Antōnios kai theasamenos hoti ta pros trophēn ou bastazei, ouk arton, ouch hydōr, kai tetartēn echei karterēsas nēstis, Mēpote kai apothanę̄, phēsi, kai kēlidōsę̄ mou tēn psychēn, eisdechetai auton. kai toiautēn anelaben ho ᾿Antōnios en tais hēmerais ekeinais politeian hoian oudepote en neotēti. kai brexas thallous legei autǭ" Dexai, plexon seiran hōs kagō. plekei ho gerōn heōs ennatēs orguias dekapente mochthēsas. theasamenos oun ho ᾿Antōnios dysērestēthē kai legei autǭ' Kakōs eplexas" apoplexon kai anōthen plexon" nēstei autǭ onti kai hēlikiōtę̄ tautēn epagagōn tēn sēpsin, hina dysphorēsas ho gerōn phygę̄ ton Antōnion. ho de kai apeplexe kai palin eplexe tous autous thallous, ei kai dyscheresteron dia to errytidōsthai. theasamenos de ho ᾿Antōnios hoti oute egongysen oute emikropsychēsen oute ēganaktēse, katenygē. kai dynantos tou hēliou legei autǭ; Theleis phagōmen artou klasma? legei autǭ ho Paulos" Hōs dokei soi, abba. kai touto palin ekampse ton ᾿Antōnion, to mē prosdramein prothymōs tę̄ tēs trophēs angelią all᾽ autǭ epirripsai tēn exousian. theis oun tēn trapezan pherei artous. kai theis ho ᾿Antōnios tous paxamadas echontas ana hex oungiōn, heautǭ men ebrexen hena, xēroi gar ēsan, ekeinǭ de treis. kai ballei psalmon ho ᾿Antōnios hon ēdei, kai dōdekaton auton psalas dōdekaton ēuxato, hina dokimasę̄ ton Paulon. ho de palin prothymōs synēucheto᾽ hēreito gar hōs oimai skorpious poimanai ē moichalidi gynaiki syzēsai. meta de tas dōdeka proseuchas ekathesthēsan phagein hesperas batheias. phagōn oun ho ᾿Antōnios ton hena paxaman allou ouch hēpsato. ho de gerōn scholaioteron esthiōn eti eiche tou paxamadiou' exedecheto ho Antōnios heōs hou telesę̄ kai legei autǭ Phage, papia, kai allon paxaman. legei autǭ ho Paulos" ᾿Ean sy esthię̄s, kagō" sou de mē esthiontos ouk esthiō. legei autǭ ho Antōnios; Emoi eparkei; monachos gar eimi. legei autǭ ho Paulos" ᾿Arkei kamoi" kagō gar thelō monachos genesthai. egeiretai palin kai poiei dekadyo euchas kai dekadyo psalmous psallei. katheudei mikron tou prōtoupniou, kai palin egeiretai psallein mesonyktiǭ heōs hēmeras. hōs oun eide ton geronta prothymōs epakolouthēsanta autou tę̄ politeią legei autǭ" ᾿Ean dynasai kath᾽ hēmeran houtōs, mene met᾽ emou. legei autǭ ho Paulos" ᾿Ean men ti pote pleon, ouk hoida᾽ epei tauta ha eidon poiō eucherōs. legei autǭ ho ᾿Antōnios tę̄ hexēs" ᾿Idou gegonas monachos. Plērophorētheis oun ho ᾿Antōnios meta mēnas rhētous hoti teleias esti psychēs, lian hōn haplous, tēs charitos autǭ synergousēs, poiei autǭ kellan hōs apo sēmeiōn triōn ē tessarōn, kai legei autǭ᾽ ᾿Idou gegonas monachos" mene kat᾽ idian hina kai peiran daimonōn labę̄s. oikēsas oun etos hen ho Paulos charitos ēxiōthē kata daimonōn kai nosēmatōn. en hois pote kath' hyperbolēn deinotatos ēchthē tǭ ᾿Antōniǭ daimoniōn archontikon echōn pneuma, hos kai auton ton ouranon edysphēmei. proschōn oun ho ᾿Antōnios legei tois agagousin᾽ Ouk estin emon touto to ergon᾽ kata gar toutou tou tagmatos tou archontikou oupō ēxiōthēn charismatos, alla touto Paulou estin. apelthōn oun Antōnios pros ton Paulon apagei autous kai legei autǭ; Abba Paule, ekbale to daimonion touto apo tou anthrōpou hina hygiainōn apelthę̄ eis ta idia. legei autǭ ho Paulos" Sy gar ti? legei autǭ ho ᾿Antōnios", Ou scholazō egō, allo echō ergon. kai kataleipsas auton ho ᾿Antōnios palin ēlthen eis tēn idian kellan. anastas oun ho gerōn kai proseuxamenos energē proseuchēn proslalei tǭ daimoniōnti᾽ Eirēken ho abbas ᾿Antōnios hoti Exelthe apo tou anthrōpou. ho de daimōn meta dysphēmias ekraxe legōn᾽ Ouk exerchomai, kakogēre. labōn oun tēn mēlōtēn autou kata nōtou etypten auton legōn "Exelthe eirēken ho abbas ᾿Antōnios. loidorei kai ton ᾿Antōnion kai auton palin ho daimōn sphodroteron. telos legei autǭ" ᾿Ekbaineis, ē hypagō legō tǭ Christǭ. ma ton ᾿Iēsoun, ean ouk ekbainę̄s ēdē arti hypagō legō tǭ Christǭ, kai ouai soi echei poiēsai. prosedysphēmei palin ho daimōn krazōn" Ouk exerchomai. cholesas oun ho Paulos kata tou daimonos exēlthen exō tēs xenias kat᾽ autēn tēn statheran mesēmbrian tōn de Aigyptiōn to kauma syngenes esti tēs kaminou tēs Babylōnias. kai stas kata petras en tǭ orei proseuchetai kai legei houtōs" Sy blepeis, Iēsou Christe, ho staurōtheis epi Pontion Pilatou, hoti ou mē katelthō apo tēs petras, ou phagō ou piō heōs hou apothanō, ean mē ekbalę̄s to pneuma apo tou anthrōpou kai eleutherōsę̄s ton anthrōpon. pro tou de telesthēnai tous logous tou stomatos autou anekraxen ho daimōn legōn" Ō bia, elaunomai' hē haplotēs me tou Paulou elaunei, kai pou apelthō? kai parachrēma exēlthe to pneuma kai eis drakonta megan hebdomēkonta pēcheōn meteblēthē syromenos epi tēn thalassan tēn erythran, hina plērōthę̄ to rhēthen" Epideiknymenēn pistin apangelei dikaios. touto esti to thauma Paulou hos epeklēthē haplous para pasēs tēs adelphotētos.
Cronius, the holy Hierax, and several others, about whom I am going to speak, told this also. A certain Paul, a rustic farmer, exceedingly innocent and simple, was married to a very beautiful woman of wicked disposition, who sinned undetected for a very long time. Coming in suddenly from the field, Paul found them doing the shameful thing, Providence leading Paul to what was for his good. He laughed gravely and called out to them, “Fine, fine! Truly it does not matter to me. By Jesus, I will not take her back. Go, have her and her children; for I am going away to become a monk.” Saying nothing to anyone, he ran off across the eight stages and went to the blessed Antony and knocked at the door. Antony came out and asked him, “What do you want?” He said to him, “I want to become a monk.” Antony answered and said to him, “An old man of sixty cannot become a monk here. Rather go to a village and work, and live a working life, giving thanks to God; for you cannot endure the afflictions of the desert.” The old man answered again and said to him, “Whatever you teach me, I will do.” Antony said to him, “I have told you that you are old and cannot do it. If you really want to become a monk, go to a community of many brothers, who can bear with your weakness. I sit here alone, eating every five days, and that in hunger.” With these and similar words he tried to drive Paul away; and since Paul would not give in, Antony shut the door and did not come out for three days because of him, not even for his needs. But Paul did not go away. On the fourth day, compelled by need, Antony opened and came out and said to him again, “Go away from here, old man. Why do you oppress me? You cannot stay here.” Paul said to him, “It is impossible for me to die anywhere but here.” Antony looked round and saw that he carried nothing for food, neither bread nor water, and that he had held out fasting for four days. “Lest he die,” he said, “and stain my soul,” he received him.
In those days Antony took up a way of life such as he had never practised even in his youth. He soaked palm leaves and said to him, “Take them and plait a rope as I do.” The old man plaited until the ninth hour, toiling at fifteen fathoms. When Antony saw it he was displeased and said to him, “You have plaited it badly. Unplait it and plait it again from the beginning.” He imposed this vexation on him while he was fasting and at his age, so that the old man would lose patience and flee from Antony. But Paul unplaited and plaited the same leaves again, though it was harder because they were creased. When Antony saw that he neither grumbled nor lost heart nor became indignant, he was moved to compunction. At sunset he said to him, “Would you like us to eat a piece of bread?” Paul said to him, “As you think best, abba.” This too bent Antony, that he did not run eagerly at the mention of food but left the decision to him. So he set the table and brought bread. Antony set out the biscuits, each of six ounces; for himself he soaked one, since they were dry, and for Paul three. Antony then began a psalm he knew, and having sung it twelve times, he prayed twelve times, to test Paul. But Paul again prayed with him eagerly; for he would rather, I think, have herded scorpions than live with an adulterous wife. After the twelve prayers they sat down to eat, late in the evening. Antony ate his one biscuit and touched no other. The old man, eating more slowly, still had some of his biscuit; Antony waited until he finished and said to him, “Eat another biscuit, little father.” Paul said to him, “If you eat, so will I; but if you do not eat, I will not.” Antony said to him, “It is enough for me; for I am a monk.” Paul said to him, “It is enough for me too; for I too want to become a monk.” Antony got up again, said twelve prayers, and sang twelve psalms. He slept a little in the first sleep, and got up again at midnight to sing psalms until day. When he saw the old man eagerly following his way of life, he said to him, “If you can do this every day, stay with me.” Paul said to him, “If there is anything more, I do not know; but what I have seen I do easily.” The next day Antony said to him, “Look, you have become a monk.”
After some months Antony was convinced that he had a perfect soul, being very simple, with grace working with him; so he made him a cell about three or four miles away and said to him, “Look, you have become a monk; stay by yourself, so that you may also have experience of demons.” Paul lived there a year and was granted a gift against demons and diseases. Among other cases, once a man was brought to Antony who was exceedingly violently possessed, with a ruling spirit, who blasphemed even heaven itself. Antony considered him and said to those who had brought him, “This is not my work; against this ruling order I have not yet been granted a gift. But this is for Paul.” So Antony went off to Paul, took them to him, and said to him, “Abba Paul, cast this demon out of the man, so that he may go home healthy.” Paul said to him, “And what about you?” Antony said to him, “I have no time; I have other work.” And Antony left him and went back to his own cell. The old man stood up, prayed an effective prayer, and spoke to the possessed man: “Abba Antony has said, ‘Come out of the man.’” But the demon shouted with blasphemy, “I am not coming out, you bad old man.” So Paul took his sheepskin and beat him on the back with it, saying, “Come out! Abba Antony has said so.” The demon abused both Antony and him again more violently. At last he said to him, “Will you come out, or shall I go and tell Christ? By Jesus, if you do not come out right now, I am going to tell Christ, and woe to you, what he will do!” The demon blasphemed again, crying, “I am not coming out.” Paul, angry with the demon, went out of the lodging at the height of noon (the heat of the Egyptians is akin to the furnace of Babylon), and standing on a rock on the mountain he prayed thus: “You see, Jesus Christ, who were crucified under Pontius Pilate, that I will not come down from the rock, nor eat nor drink until I die, unless you cast the spirit out of the man and set the man free.” Before the words had left his mouth, the demon cried out, saying, “Violence! I am being driven out! The simplicity of Paul drives me out, and where shall I go?” And at once the spirit came out and was changed into a great serpent seventy cubits long, which crawled away to the Red Sea, so that the saying might be fulfilled: “A righteous man declares faith made manifest.” This is the wonder of Paul, who was called the Simple by the whole brotherhood.
Prov 12:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 3:19–23 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul the Simple, finding his wife in adultery, leaves her to become Antony's disciple, endures Antony's severe tests, and later casts out a demon Antony would not attempt.
- The quotation at the end is Prov 12:17 in the LXX wording (“A righteous man declares faith made manifest”; the Hebrew differs); its garbled form is restored by a logged correction. “The furnace of Babylon” recalls Dan 3. “Crucified under Pontius Pilate” echoes the creeds. “The eight stages” (τὰς ὀκτὼ μονάς) are the stations of the journey. A piece of Butler's apparatus (Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 1.13) is removed by a logged correction. The adultery, Paul's departure, and the exorcism are translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Prov 12:17 LXX); OCR slip; OCR slip and stray bracket; OCR slip and stray line number; OCR slips; OCR ξ for ζ; apparatus (parallel text of Sozomen) removed; capitalization of a name lost in OCR; line-break hyphen and stray line number; line-break hyphen rejoined; stray bracket; stray letter; stray letters; stray line number): ἱέραξ → Ἱέραξ; ἁμαρτά- .:ο νουσα → ἁμαρτάνουσα; αἰφνίδιον 7ὔ Ὶ ὁ Παῦλος → αἰφνίδιον ὁ Παῦλος; μοι. Ν ἐμὰ τὸν → μοι. μὰ τὸν; αὐτὴν καὶ Ά Ν : τὰ παιδία → αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ παιδία; μηδενὶ Ὶ μηδὲν → μηδενὶ μηδὲν; ἀποκρίνεται [ δ᾽ Ἀντώνιος → ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Ἀντώνιος; ὁ ᾿Αντώιιος → ὁ Ἀντώνιος; δύνανταί σου ΠῚ Ε θ ,ὔ , Χ θ 5 Ν ΑῚ Η {θ δὸ δ ν τῆς → δύνανταί σου τῆς; ῥήμασιν ,ο ἀπεσόβει → ῥήμασιν ἀπεσόβει; οὐδὲ ἡμ πρὸς → οὐδὲ πρὸς; Λπελθε ἐντεῦθεν → Ἄπελθε ἐντεῦθεν; ἐκείναις το πολιτείαν → ἐκείναις πολιτείαν; αὐτῷ" το Θέλεις → αὐτῷ· Θέλεις; Ὡς πο διυσσεια δοκεῖ σοι → Ὡς δοκεῖ σοι; ἄρτους. Ν ᾿ εν , .Ὶ , ν »"κ ἁ 3 ΠῚ καὶ θεὶς → ἄρτους. καὶ θεὶς; ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος- μοὶ ἐπαρκεῖ! → ὁ Ἀντώνιος· Ἐμοὶ ἐπαρκεῖ·; μεσο- "ονυκτίῳ → μεσονυκτίῳ; εὐχερῶς. , », "»ι-ὰν , ας ρδι» νι, ῃ λέγει → εὐχερῶς. λέγει; ψυχῆς, ] λίαν → ψυχῆς, λίαν; ἔτος ὃν ὁ Παῦλος → ἔτος ἓν ὁ Παῦλος; ἀρχοντικὸν το ἔχων → ἀρχοντικὸν ἔχων; λέγειν αὐτῷ" τ5 ᾿Αββᾶ → λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀββᾶ; ὁ ἸΙΠαῦλος → ὁ Παῦλος; Οὐ σχολάξω → Οὐ σχολάζω; ἐδίαν κέλλαν → ἰδίαν κέλλαν; ἐνεργῆ το “προσευχὴν → ἐνεργῆ προσευχὴν; 4. 13 802. (14) τελείαν δὲ αὐτῷ φιλοσοφίαν ἐπιμαρτυρήσας καθ᾽ ἑαντὸν διάγειν ἐπέτρεπεν, ὡς μηδὲν διδασκάλου δεόμενον. ἐπεψηφίζετο δὲ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῇ ᾿Αντωνίου μαρτυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἐπεδείκνυε τὸν ἄνδρα ἐνδοξότατον" κρείττονα δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διδασκάλου εἰς τὸ κακοῦν καὶ ἀπελαύνειν τοὺς δαίμονας. → ; ἤδη ἄρτε → ἤδη ἄρτι; ἐλαύνει, [ καὶ → ἐλαύνει, καὶ; ᾿Ἐπιλεικνγμένην πίοτιν ἀπαγγελεῖ λίκδιοο → Ἐπιδεικνυμένην πίστιν ἀπαγγελεῖ δίκαιος; τοῦτό ἐστε τὸ → τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 22 (Butler 1904 2:69–74; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/22
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 23
23Butler 1904 2:74–77
Πάχων τις ὀνόματι ἀμφὶ τὸ ἑβδομηκοστὸν ἔτος ἐλάσας ἐκάθητο ἐν τῇ Σκήτει. συνέβη δὲ ὀχληθέντα με ἐπιϑυμίᾳ γυναικὸς δυσφορεῖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ πρὸς τὰς φαντασίας τὰς νυκτερινάς" καὶ ἐγγὺς γενόμενος τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν τῆς ἐρήμου, ἐλαύνοντός με τοῦ πάθους, τοῖς μὲν γείτοσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς οὐκ ἀνεθέμην τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὔτε τῷ διδασκάλῳ μου Εὐαγρίῳ" λεληθότως δὲ παραβαλὼν εἰς τὴν πανέρημον, συνετύγχανον ἐπὶ ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Σκῆτιν γηράσασι πατράσιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ᾽ ἐν οἷς περιέτυχον καὶ τῷ Πάχωνι. εὑρὼν οὖν αὐτὸν ἀκεραιότερον καὶ ἀσκητικώτερον, ἐθάρρησα ἀναθέσθαι μου αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς διανοίας. καὶ λέγει μοι οὗτος Μὴ ξενίσῃ σε τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸ πάσχεις ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας" μαρτυρεῖ γάρ σοι καὶ ὁ τόπος καὶ ἡ σπάνις τῶν χρειῶν, καὶ τὸ μὴ εἶναι συντυχίας θηλειῶν ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἀπὸ σπουδῆς. τριπλοῦς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πόλεμος ὁ πορνικός. ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἡ σὰρξ ἡμῖν ἐπιτίθεται εὐρωστοῦσα᾽ ποτὲ δὲ τὰ πάθη διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν· ποτὲ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὃ δαίμων τῇ βασκανίᾳ. ἐγὼ γὰρ πολλὰ παρατηρήσας εὕρηκα τοῦτο. ἰδοὺ ὡς ὁρᾷς με γέροντα ἄνθρωπον' τεσσαρακοστὸν ἔτος ἔχω ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ κέλλῃ φροντίζων τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ σωτηρίας" καὶ ταύτην ἄγων τὴν ἡλικίαν μέχρι τούτου πειράζομαι. ᾿καὶ ὡς διώμνυτο ὅτι Ἐπὶ δώδεκα ἔτη μετὰ τὸ πεντηκοστὸν ἔτος οὐ νύκτα μοι συνεχώρησεν, οὐχ ἡμέραν, ἐπιτιθέμενος. ὑπονοήσας οὖν ὅτι ἀπέστη μου ὁ θεός, διὸ καὶ καταδυναστεύομαι, ἡρετισάμην ἀποθανεῖν ἀλόγως ἢ πάθει σώματος ἀσχημονῆσαι αἰσχρῶς. καὶ ἐξελθὼν καὶ περιελθὼν τὴν ἔρημον εὗρον σπήλαιον ὑαίνης" εἰς ὃ σπήλαιον ἔθηκα ἐμαυτὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γυμνόν, ἵνα ἐξελθόντα φάγῃ με τὰ θηρία. ὡς οὖν ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον Ἔθου σκότος καὶ ἐγένετο νύξ· ἐν αὐτῇ διελεύσονται πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ, ἐξελθόντες οἱ θῆρες, ὅ τε ἄρσην καὶ ἡ θήλεια, ὠσφράνθησάν μου ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς ἕως ποδῶν περιλείξαντες" καὶ ὡς προσεδόκων βρωθῆναι ἀνεχώρησαν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ. πεσὼν οὖν διὰ πάσης νυκτὸς οὐκ ἐβρώθην' λογισάμενος δὲ ὅτι ἐφείσατό μου ὁ θεός, αὖθις ὑποστρέφω εἰς τὴν κέλλαν. καρτερήσας οὖν ὁ δαίμων ἡμέρας ὀλίγας πάλιν ἐπέθετό μοι σφοδρότερον τοῦ πρώτου, ὡς παρὰ μικρόν με καὶ βλασφημῆσαι. μετασχηματισθεὶς οὖν εἰς αἰθιόπίσσαν κόρην, ἣν ἑωράκειν ποτὲ ἐν νεότητί μου εἰς τὸ θέρος καλαμωμένην, ἐπικάθηταί μου τοῖς γόνασι, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτόν με κεκίνηκεν ὡς νομίσαι με συγγενέσθαι αὐτῇ. ἀπομανεὶς οὖν ἔδωκα αὐτῇ κόσσον καὶ γέγονεν ἄφαντος. ἐπὶ διετίαν οὖν τῆς δυσωδίας τῆς χειρός μου ἀνασχέσθαι οὐκ ἠδυνήθην. μικροψυχήσας οὖν καὶ ἀπευδοκήσας ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὴν πανέρημον ἀλώμενος" καὶ εὑρὼν ἀσπίδα μικρὰν καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν προσφέρω τοῖς γεννητικοῖς μου μορίοις, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω δηχθεὶς ἀποθάνω. καὶ προστρίψας τοῦ θηρίου τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῖς μορίοις, ὧς αἰτίοις μοι τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐδήχθην. ἤκουσα οὖν φωνῆς ἐλθούσης ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ μου, ὅτι "Απελθε, Πάχων, ἀγωνίζου" διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀφῆκά σε καταδυναστευθῆναι, ἵνα μὴ μέγα φρονήσῃς ὡς δυνάμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιγνούς σου τὴν ἀσθένειαν μὴ θαρρήσῃς τῇ σῇ πολιτείᾳ, ἀλλὰ προσδράμῃς τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ. οὕτω πληροφορηθεὶς ἀνέκαμψα, καὶ μετὰ θάρρους καθίσας καὶ μηκέτι φροντίσας τοῦ πολέμου εἰρήνευσα τὰς ἐπιλοίπους ἡμέρας. ὁ δὲ γνούς μου τὴν καταφρόνησιν οὐκέτι μοι ἤγγισεν.
Pachōn tis onomati amphi to hebdomēkoston etos elasas ekathēto en tę̄ Skētei. synebē de ochlēthenta me epiϑymią gynaikos dysphorein kai pros tous logismous kai pros tas phantasias tas nykterinas" kai engys genomenos tou exelthein tēs erēmou, elaunontos me tou pathous, tois men geitosi tois emois ouk anethemēn to pragma, oute tǭ didaskalǭ mou Euagriǭ" lelēthotōs de parabalōn eis tēn panerēmon, synetynchanon epi hēmeras dekapente tois kata tēn Skētin gērasasi patrasin en tę̄ erēmǭ᾽ en hois perietychon kai tǭ Pachōni. heurōn oun auton akeraioteron kai askētikōteron, etharrēsa anathesthai mou autǭ ta tēs dianoias. kai legei moi houtos Mē xenisę̄ se to pragma ou gar auto pascheis apo rhąthymias" martyrei gar soi kai ho topos kai hē spanis tōn chreiōn, kai to mē einai syntychias thēleiōn alla mallon apo spoudēs. triplous gar estin ho polemos ho pornikos. pote men gar hē sarx hēmin epitithetai eurōstousa᾽ pote de ta pathē dia tōn logismōn; pote de kai autos ho daimōn tę̄ baskanią. egō gar polla paratērēsas heurēka touto. idou hōs horąs me geronta anthrōpon' tessarakoston etos echō en tautę̄ tę̄ kellę̄ phrontizōn tēs emautou sōtērias" kai tautēn agōn tēn hēlikian mechri toutou peirazomai. ᾿kai hōs diōmnyto hoti Epi dōdeka etē meta to pentēkoston etos ou nykta moi synechōrēsen, ouch hēmeran, epitithemenos. hyponoēsas oun hoti apestē mou ho theos, dio kai katadynasteuomai, hēretisamēn apothanein alogōs ē pathei sōmatos aschēmonēsai aischrōs. kai exelthōn kai perielthōn tēn erēmon heuron spēlaion hyainēs" eis ho spēlaion ethēka emauton en hēmerą gymnon, hina exelthonta phagę̄ me ta thēria. hōs oun egeneto hespera, kata to gegrammenon Ethou skotos kai egeneto nyx; en autę̄ dieleusontai panta ta thēria tou drymou, exelthontes hoi thēres, ho te arsēn kai hē thēleia, ōsphranthēsan mou apo kephalēs heōs podōn perileixantes" kai hōs prosedokōn brōthēnai anechōrēsan ap᾽ emou. pesōn oun dia pasēs nyktos ouk ebrōthēn' logisamenos de hoti epheisato mou ho theos, authis hypostrephō eis tēn kellan. karterēsas oun ho daimōn hēmeras oligas palin epetheto moi sphodroteron tou prōtou, hōs para mikron me kai blasphēmēsai. metaschēmatistheis oun eis aithiopissan korēn, hēn heōrakein pote en neotēti mou eis to theros kalamōmenēn, epikathētai mou tois gonasi, kai epi tosouton me kekinēken hōs nomisai me syngenesthai autę̄. apomaneis oun edōka autę̄ kosson kai gegonen aphantos. epi dietian oun tēs dysōdias tēs cheiros mou anaschesthai ouk ēdynēthēn. mikropsychēsas oun kai apeudokēsas exēlthon eis tēn panerēmon alōmenos" kai heurōn aspida mikran kai labōn autēn prospherō tois gennētikois mou moriois, hina kan houtō dēchtheis apothanō. kai prostripsas tou thēriou tēn kephalēn tois moriois, hōs aitiois moi tou peirasmou, oude houtōs edēchthēn. ēkousa oun phōnēs elthousēs en tę̄ dianoią mou, hoti "Apelthe, Pachōn, agōnizou" dia gar touto aphēka se katadynasteuthēnai, hina mē mega phronēsę̄s hōs dynamenos, all᾽ epignous sou tēn astheneian mē tharrēsę̄s tę̄ sę̄ politeią, alla prosdramę̄s tę̄ tou theou boētheią. houtō plērophorētheis anekampsa, kai meta tharrous kathisas kai mēketi phrontisas tou polemou eirēneusa tas epiloipous hēmeras. ho de gnous mou tēn kataphronēsin ouketi moi ēngisen.
A man named Pachon, about seventy years old, lived in Scetis. It happened that I was troubled by desire for a woman and was oppressed both by thoughts and by night fantasies; and being near to leaving the desert, driven by the passion, I did not refer the matter to my neighbours or to my teacher Evagrius, but went secretly into the great desert and for fifteen days met with the fathers who had grown old in the desert of Scetis; among them I also came upon Pachon. Finding him purer and more ascetic, I ventured to lay open my mind to him. He said to me, “Do not be surprised at this thing; you do not suffer it from slackness. The place bears witness for you, and the scarcity of necessities, and the absence of meetings with women; rather it comes from zeal. For the war of sexual immorality is threefold. Sometimes the flesh attacks us when it is in good health; sometimes the passions, through the thoughts; and sometimes the demon himself, out of envy. I have observed much and found this. Look, as you see, I am an old man. I have been forty years in this cell caring for my own salvation, and at this age I am still tempted up to now.” And he swore: “For twelve years after my fiftieth year it did not leave me a night or a day, attacking me. Suspecting that God had left me, and that this was why I was overpowered, I chose to die irrationally rather than to disgrace myself shamefully through a passion of the body. So I went out, wandered about the desert, and found a hyena's den. I put myself into the den in the daytime, naked, so that the beasts might come out and eat me. When evening came, as it is written, ‘You made darkness and it was night; in it all the beasts of the forest will go about,’ the beasts came out, the male and the female, sniffed me from head to foot and licked me all over; and when I expected to be eaten, they went away from me. I lay there all night and was not eaten; and reckoning that God had spared me, I went back again to my cell.
“The demon held off a few days and attacked me again more fiercely than before, so that I nearly blasphemed. Transforming himself into an Ethiopian girl whom I had once seen in my youth gleaning in summer, he sat on my knees and so aroused me that I thought I had had intercourse with her. In a rage I gave her a slap, and she vanished. For two years I could not bear the stench of my hand. Disheartened and in despair, I went out wandering into the great desert, and finding a small asp, I took it and put it to my genitals, so that being bitten even in that way I might die. I rubbed the head of the beast against the parts, as being the cause of my temptation, and even so I was not bitten. Then I heard a voice come into my mind: ‘Go away, Pachon, and fight. This is why I let you be overpowered, so that you might not think highly of yourself as being strong, but, recognizing your weakness, might not trust in your own way of life but run to the help of God.’ Thus assured, I returned, and sitting down with confidence and no longer concerned about the war, I have had peace for the rest of my days. And the demon, knowing my contempt, came near me no more.”
Ps 104:20 (103:20 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Palladius, tempted by lust, consults the old monk Pachon, who tells how he endured twelve years of temptation, tried to die, and learned to rely on God's help.
- The quotation is Ps 104:20 (103:20 LXX), restored from a garbled form by a logged correction. The account of temptation, the attempt at death, and the self-exposure to the asp is translated as written; it is told to show reliance on God rather than as an example to follow.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Ps 103:20 LXX); OCR slip; OCR slip and stray mark; OCR stray letters; OCR ξ for ζ; stray bracket; stray letter; stray line number): ὀνόμωτι → ὀνόματι; Εϊαγρίῳ → Εὐαγρίῳ; λογισμῶν" τ5 ποτὲ → λογισμῶν· ποτὲ; πειράξομαι → πειράζομαι; μετὰ 1:0 τὸ → μετὰ τὸ; περιελθὼν 5τὴν → περιελθὼν τὴν; Ἔθογ οκότος καὶ ἐγένετο νΥξ᾽ ἐν δὐτῆῖ διελεύήοοντδι πάντὰ τὰ θηρίὰ ΤτοΥ͂ Δρυμοῦῦ → Ἔθου σκότος καὶ ἐγένετο νύξ· ἐν αὐτῇ διελεύσονται πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ; ὠσφράνθησάν ιομου → ὠσφράνθησάν μου; βρωθῆναι [ ἀνεχώρησαν → βρωθῆναι ἀνεχώρησαν; ἡμέρα. ὀλίγας → ἡμέρας ὀλίγας; παρὲ τ μικρόν → παρὰ μικρόν; Ξοτῆς δυσωδίας → τῆς δυσωδίας; καταδυναστευθῆναι, ε ἵνα → καταδυναστευθῆναι, ἵνα; καταφρόνησιν το οὐκέτι → καταφρόνησιν οὐκέτι.
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 23 (Butler 1904 2:74–77; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/23
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 24
24Butler 1904 2:77–79
Στέφανός τις Λίβυς τῷ γένει ἐκ πλαγίου τῆς Μαρμαρικῆς καὶ τοῦ Μαρεώτου ἐκαθέσθη ἐπὶ ἑξήκοντα ἔτη. οὗτος εἰς ἄκρον γενόμενος ἀσκητὴς καὶ διακριτικὸς κατηξιώθη χαρίσματος ὥστε πάντα τὸν λυπούμενον οἱανδήποτε λύπην συντυχόντα αὐτῷ ἄλυπον ἀναχωρεῖν. γνώριμος δὲ ἦν καὶ τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἀντωνίῳ· ἔφθασε δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἡμετέρων ἡμερῶν. ᾧ ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ συνέτυχον διὰ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ τόπον οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν ἅγιον ᾿Αμμώνιον καὶ Εὐάγριον συντυχόντες μοι διηγήσαντο ὅτι Κατελάβομεν αὐτὸν ἀρρωστίᾳ τοιαύτῃ περιπεσόντα κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς τοὺς τόπους τῶν διδύμων καὶ τῆς βαλάνου ἕλκος ποιήσαντα τὸ λεγόμενον φαγέδαιναν. ὃν εὕρομεν τημελούμενον ὑπὸ ἰατροῦ τινός, καὶ ταῖς μὲν χερσὶν ἐργαζόμενον καὶ πλέκοντα θαλλοὺς καὶ λαλοῦντα ἡμῖν, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν σῶμα χειριζόμενον' ὃς οὕτως ἦν διακείμενος ὡς ἄλλου τεμνομένου. ἀποκοπέντων οὖν τῶν μελῶν καθάπερ τριχῶν, ἀναίσθητος ἦν ὑπερβολῇ παρασκευῆς θεϊκῆς. ἡμῶν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν ὑπολυπουμένων, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ σιαινομένων ὅτι τοιοῦτος βίος τοιούτῳ περιπέπτωκε πάθει καὶ χειρουργίαις τοιαύταις, λέγει ἡμῖν᾽ Τεκνία, μηδὲν βλαβῆτε ἀπὸ τοῦ πράγματος" οὐδὲν γὰρ ὧν ποιεῖ ὁ θεὸς κακίᾳ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ τέλει χρηστῷ. ἴσως γὰρ καὶ ὑπεύθυνα ἦσαν τὰ μέλη κολάσεως, καὶ συμφέρον ἐστὶν αὐτὰ ὧδε δοῦναι τὴν δίκην ἢ μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον τοῦ σταδίου. οὕτως οὖν ἡμᾶς παρακαλέσας καὶ ὑποστηρίξας ὠκοδόμησε. ταῦτα δὲ διηγησάμην ἵνα μὴ ξενιζώμεθα ὅταν ἁγίους τινὰς ἴδωμεν τοιούτοις περιπεσόντας πάθεσιν.
Stephanos tis Libys tǭ genei ek plagiou tēs Marmarikēs kai tou Mareōtou ekathesthē epi hexēkonta etē. houtos eis akron genomenos askētēs kai diakritikos katēxiōthē charismatos hōste panta ton lypoumenon hoiandēpote lypēn syntychonta autǭ alypon anachōrein. gnōrimos de ēn kai tǭ makariǭ Antōniǭ; ephthase de kai mechri tōn hēmeterōn hēmerōn. hǭ egō men ou synetychon dia to mēkos tou topon hoi de peri ton hagion ᾿Ammōnion kai Euagrion syntychontes moi diēgēsanto hoti Katelabomen auton arrōstią toiautę̄ peripesonta kat᾽ autous tous topous tōn didymōn kai tēs balanou helkos poiēsanta to legomenon phagedainan. hon heuromen tēmeloumenon hypo iatrou tinos, kai tais men chersin ergazomenon kai plekonta thallous kai lalounta hēmin, to de loipon sōma cheirizomenon' hos houtōs ēn diakeimenos hōs allou temnomenou. apokopentōn oun tōn melōn kathaper trichōn, anaisthētos ēn hyperbolę̄ paraskeuēs theïkēs. hēmōn de touto men hypolypoumenōn, touto de kai siainomenōn hoti toioutos bios toioutǭ peripeptōke pathei kai cheirourgiais toiautais, legei hēmin᾽ Teknia, mēden blabēte apo tou pragmatos" ouden gar hōn poiei ho theos kakią poiei, alla telei chrēstǭ. isōs gar kai hypeuthyna ēsan ta melē kolaseōs, kai sympheron estin auta hōde dounai tēn dikēn ē meta tēn exodon tou stadiou. houtōs oun hēmas parakalesas kai hypostērixas ōkodomēse. tauta de diēgēsamēn hina mē xenizōmetha hotan hagious tinas idōmen toioutois peripesontas pathesin.
A man named Stephen, a Libyan by birth, lived for sixty years on the border of Marmarica and Mareotis. Having become an ascetic of the highest order and a man of discernment, he was granted the gift that anyone who met him, grieved by any grief whatever, went away free of grief. He was known also to the blessed Antony, and lived on into our own days. I did not meet him because of the distance of the place; but Ammonius and Evagrius and their companions met me and told me: “We found him fallen into an illness of this kind: an ulcer called a cancer had formed on the testicles and the glans. We found him being treated by a doctor; with his hands he was working, plaiting palm leaves and talking with us, while the rest of his body was being operated on. He was disposed as though someone else were being cut. When the members were cut off like hair, he was without feeling, through the abundance of divine preparation. While we were grieved and also offended that such a life had fallen into such an affliction and such surgery, he said to us, ‘Little children, do not be harmed by this thing. Nothing God does, he does out of malice, but for a good end. Perhaps the members were liable to punishment, and it is better for them to pay the penalty here than after the departure from the stadium.’ So, comforting and strengthening us, he edified us.” I have told this so that we may not be surprised when we see some saints fallen into such afflictions.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Libyan ascetic Stephen, a consoler of the grieving, undergoes surgery for a genital cancer calmly, teaching that God does nothing out of malice.
- The disease (φαγέδαινα, a spreading ulcer) and the surgery are described as in the text.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR stray letter; OCR ξ for ζ; stray bracket; stray letter; stray line number): λύπην τ5 συντυχόντα → λύπην συντυχόντα; ᾿Αντωνίῳφ: → Ἀντωνίῳ·; Ἐὐάγριον → Εὐάγριον; τημελούμενον δ ὑπὸ → τημελούμενον ὑπὸ; χειριξόμενον → χειριζόμενον; ἴσως ] γὰρ → ἴσως γὰρ.
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 24 (Butler 1904 2:77–79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/24
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 25
25Butler 1904 2:79–81
Οὐάλης τις γέγονε τῷ μὲν γένει Παλαιστῖνος, τῇ δὲ γνώμῃ Κορίνθιος" Κορινθίοις γὰρ προσῆψε τὸ πάθος τῆς φυσιώσεως ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος. οὗτος τὴν ἔρημον καταλαβὼν ῴκησε μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ πλείονα ἔτη" ὃς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἤλασεν ὑπερηφανίας ὡς ὑπὸ δαιμόνων ἀπατηθῆναι. ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπατᾶσθαι αὐτὸν παρεσκεύασαν αὐτὸν μέγα φρονῆσαι, ὡς ἀγγέλων αὐτῷ συντυγχανόντων. μιᾶς γοῦν τῶν ἡμερῶν, ὡς διηγοῦντο, ὅτι ἐργαζόμενος ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ τὴν βελόνην ἀφῆκεν ἐν ἡ κατέρραπτε τὴν σπυρίδα" καὶ μὴ εὑρόντος αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ, λαμπάδα ἐποίησεν ὁ δαίμων καὶ εὗρε τὴν βελόνην. πάλιν φυσιωθεὶς ἐπὶ τούτῳ μέγα ἐφρόνει, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐφυσιώθη ὡς καὶ τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν μυστηρίων αὐτὸν καταφρονῆσαι. συνέβη δὲ ἐλθόντας τινὰς ξένους τραγήματα ἐνεγκεῖν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφότητι. λαβὼν οὖν ὁ ἅγιος Μακάριος ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἡμῶν, ἀπέστειλεν ἡμῖν ἑκάστῳ εἰς τὴν κέλλαν πρὸς δράκα, ἐν οἷς καὶ τῷ Οὐάλεντι. λαβὼν οὖν ὁ Οὐάλης τὸν ἀπενεγκόντα ὕβρισε καὶ ἐτύπτησε, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ "Απελθε καὶ εἰπὲ Μακαρίῳ Οὐκ εἰμί σον χείρων, ἵνα σὺ ἐμοὶ εὐλογίαν πέμψῃς. γνοὺς οὖν ὁ Μακάριος ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ἀπῆλθεν αὐτὸν παρακαλέσαι μετὰ μίαν ἡμέραν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Οὐάλη, ἐνεπαίχθης" παῦσαι. καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ τῶν παραινέσεων ἀνεχώρησε. πληροφορηθεὶς οὖν ὁ δαίμων ὅτι εἰς ἄκρον αὐτοῦ ἐπείσθη τῇ πλάνῃ, ἀπέρχεται καὶ σχηματίζει ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν σωτῆρα, καὶ παραγίνεται ἐν νυκτὶ ἐν φαντασίᾳ ἀγγέλων χιλίων λαμπάδας ἐχόντων καὶ τροχὸν πύρινον, ἐν ᾧ ἔδοξε τὸν σωτῆρα σχηματίζειν, καὶ ἕνα προλαμβάνοντα καὶ λέγοντα' ᾿Ηράσθη σου ὁ Χριστὸς τῇ πολιτείᾳ καὶ τῇ παρρησίᾳ τοῦ βίου, καὶ ἦλθεν ἰδεῖν σε. ἔξελθε οὖν τῆς κέλλης, καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο ποιήσῃς ἀλλ᾽ ἡ πόρρωθεν αὐτὸν ἰδὼν κύψας προσκύνησον, καὶ εἴσελθέ σου εἰς τὴν κέλλαν. ἐξελθὼν οὖν καὶ θεασάμενος τὴν παράταξιν τῶν λαμπαδηφόρων, ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίου δὲ τὸν ἀντίχριστον, πεσὼν προσεκύνησεν. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον οὖν πάλιν τὴν ἄλλην ἡμέραν ἐφρενοβλάβησεν, ὡς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ συνηγμένης τῆς ἀδελφότητος εἰπεῖν: Ἐγὼ κοινωνίας χρείαν οὐκ ἔχω" τὸν γὰρ Χριστὸν ἑώρακα σήμερον. τότε δήσαντες αὐτὸν οἱ πατέρες καὶ σιδηρώσαντες ἐπὶ ἔτος ἓν ἀπεθεράπευσαν, εὐχαῖς καὶ ἀδιαφορίᾳ καὶ ἀπραγοτέρῳ βίῳ τὸ οἴημα αὐτοῦ καθελόντες, καὶ ὡς λέγεται Τὰ ἐναντία τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἰάματα. Ἀναγκαῖον δέ ἐστι καὶ τοὺς τῶν τοιούτων βίους ἐνθεῖναι τῷ βιβλιδαρίῳ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων, καθάπερ καὶ ἁγίοις φυτοῖς τοῦ παραδείσου τὸ ξύλον τὸ γνωστὸν καλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ" ἵνα εἴ ποτε αὐτοῖς συμβαίη κατόρθωμά τι, μὴ μέγα φρονήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρετῇ. πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ ἀρετὴ ὑπόθεσις γίνεται πτώσεως, ὅταν μὴ σκοπῷ ὀρθῷ ἐπιτελεσθῇ" γέγραπται γάρ· Εἶδον δίκαιον ἀπολλύμενον ἐν δικαιώματι αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
Oualēs tis gegone tǭ men genei Palaistinos, tę̄ de gnōmę̄ Korinthios" Korinthiois gar prosēpse to pathos tēs physiōseōs ho hagios Paulos. houtos tēn erēmon katalabōn ǭkēse meth᾽ hēmōn epi pleiona etē" hos epi tosouton ēlasen hyperēphanias hōs hypo daimonōn apatēthēnai. ek gar tou kata mikron apatasthai auton pareskeuasan auton mega phronēsai, hōs angelōn autǭ syntynchanontōn. mias goun tōn hēmerōn, hōs diēgounto, hoti ergazomenos en tę̄ skotią tēn belonēn aphēken en hē katerrapte tēn spyrida" kai mē heurontos autēn autou, lampada epoiēsen ho daimōn kai heure tēn belonēn. palin physiōtheis epi toutǭ mega ephronei, kai epi tosouton ephysiōthē hōs kai tēs koinōnias tōn mystēriōn auton kataphronēsai. synebē de elthontas tinas xenous tragēmata enenkein en tę̄ ekklēsią tę̄ adelphotēti. labōn oun ho hagios Makarios ho presbyteros hēmōn, apesteilen hēmin hekastǭ eis tēn kellan pros draka, en hois kai tǭ Oualenti. labōn oun ho Oualēs ton apenenkonta hybrise kai etyptēse, kai legei autǭ "Apelthe kai eipe Makariǭ Ouk eimi son cheirōn, hina sy emoi eulogian pempsę̄s. gnous oun ho Makarios hoti enepaichthē apēlthen auton parakalesai meta mian hēmeran, kai legei autǭ Oualē, enepaichthēs" pausai. kai hōs ouk ēkousen autou tōn paraineseōn anechōrēse. plērophorētheis oun ho daimōn hoti eis akron autou epeisthē tę̄ planę̄, aperchetai kai schēmatizei heauton eis ton sōtēra, kai paraginetai en nykti en phantasią angelōn chiliōn lampadas echontōn kai trochon pyrinon, en hǭ edoxe ton sōtēra schēmatizein, kai hena prolambanonta kai legonta' ᾿Ērasthē sou ho Christos tę̄ politeią kai tę̄ parrēsią tou biou, kai ēlthen idein se. exelthe oun tēs kellēs, kai mēden allo poiēsę̄s all᾽ hē porrōthen auton idōn kypsas proskynēson, kai eiselthe sou eis tēn kellan. exelthōn oun kai theasamenos tēn parataxin tōn lampadēphorōn, hōs apo stadiou de ton antichriston, pesōn prosekynēsen. epi tosouton oun palin tēn allēn hēmeran ephrenoblabēsen, hōs eiselthein eis tēn ekklēsian, kai synēgmenēs tēs adelphotētos eipein: Egō koinōnias chreian ouk echō" ton gar Christon heōraka sēmeron. tote dēsantes auton hoi pateres kai sidērōsantes epi etos hen apetherapeusan, euchais kai adiaphorią kai apragoterǭ biǭ to oiēma autou kathelontes, kai hōs legetai Ta enantia tois enantiois iamata. Anankaion de esti kai tous tōn toioutōn bious entheinai tǭ biblidariǭ pros asphaleian tōn entynchanontōn, kathaper kai hagiois phytois tou paradeisou to xylon to gnōston kalou kai ponērou" hina ei pote autois symbaiē katorthōma ti, mē mega phronēsōsin epi tę̄ aretę̄. pollakis gar kai aretē hypothesis ginetai ptōseōs, hotan mē skopǭ orthǭ epitelesthę̄" gegraptai gar; Eidon dikaion apollymenon en dikaiōmati autou; kai ge touto mataiotēs.
There was a man named Valens, a Palestinian by birth but a Corinthian in disposition; for the holy Paul attributed the vice of being puffed up to the Corinthians. He came to the desert and lived with us for several years. He went so far in pride that he was deceived by demons. For by deceiving him little by little they brought him to think great things of himself, as though angels were meeting him. One day, as they told it, while he was working in the dark he dropped the needle with which he was sewing up his basket, and when he could not find it, the demon made a torch, and he found the needle. Puffed up again by this, he thought great things of himself, and became so puffed up that he despised even the communion of the mysteries.
It happened that some strangers came and brought sweetmeats to the brotherhood in the church. The holy Macarius, our presbyter, took them and sent each of us a handful in our cells, Valens among the rest. Valens seized the one who brought it, insulted him, beat him, and said to him, “Go and tell Macarius: I am not worse than you, that you should send me a blessing.” Macarius, realizing that he had been deluded, went a day later to plead with him and said to him, “Valens, you have been deceived; stop.” And when he would not listen to his counsels, he went away.
The demon, convinced that he had been completely persuaded by the delusion, went and disguised himself as the Saviour, and came by night in an apparition of a thousand angels holding torches, and a fiery wheel in which he seemed to represent the Saviour; and one went ahead and said, “Christ has fallen in love with your way of life and the boldness of your life, and has come to see you. So go out of your cell, and do nothing else but, seeing him from afar, bow down and worship him, and go back into your cell.” So he went out, and seeing the array of torch-bearers, and the Antichrist about a stade away, he fell down and worshipped. The next day he was so deranged that he went into the church, and when the brotherhood was assembled he said, “I have no need of Communion; for I have seen Christ today.” Then the fathers bound him and kept him in irons for a year and cured him, pulling down his conceit by prayers, by indifference, and by a life of less activity; as the saying goes, “Opposites are cured by opposites.”
It is necessary to put the lives of such men too into this little book, for the safety of those who read, just as among the holy plants of paradise there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so that if ever readers achieve some success they may not think great things of themselves because of their virtue. For often even virtue becomes an occasion of falling, when it is not carried out with a right aim. For it is written, “I saw a righteous man perishing in his righteousness; this too is vanity.”
1 Cor 4:18–19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 5:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 2:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Eccl 7:15 (7:16 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 8:14 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The proud monk Valens, deceived by demons, worships a false Christ and refuses Communion until the fathers chain and cure him; Palladius explains why such falls are recorded.
- Paul's charge of being “puffed up” is 1 Cor 4:18–19 and 5:2. The closing quotation combines Eccl 7:15 (7:16 LXX) with the refrain “this too is vanity” (e.g. Eccl 8:14); the garbled wording is restored by a logged correction. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil: Gen 2:9. “Opposites are cured by opposites” is a medical proverb (Hippocratic).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Eccl 7:16 LXX); OCR lost letter; OCR slip; stray bracket; stray line number; stray numeral): πάλιν το φυσιωθεὶς → πάλιν φυσιωθεὶς; κέλλαν ιτ5 πρὸς δράκα → κέλλαν πρὸς δράκα; εὐλογίαν . Α 3 « 7] μὴ 2 ΄ θ ΕΣ ηᾺλθ. Ε Ν πέμψῃς → εὐλογίαν πέμψῃς; Οὐάλη, το ἐνεπαίχθης → Οὐάλη, ἐνεπαίχθης; μηδὲν 5. ἄλλο → μηδὲν ἄλλο; πεσὰν προσεκύνησεν → πεσὼν προσεκύνησεν; εἰς τὴν] ἐκκλησίαν → εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν; ᾿γὼ κοινωνίας → Ἐγὼ κοινωνίας; ἔτος ὃν ἀπεθεράπευσαν → ἔτος ἓν ἀπεθεράπευσαν; βίῳ τὸ " » α , ν ες , ᾿ ν ῃ “οΣ οἴημα → βίῳ τὸ οἴημα; ἰάματα. ἮἾἌ .»" δέ 3 Ν ν - ΄ὔ ,ὔ ΕῚ »“ ναγκαῖον → ἰάματα. Ἀναγκαῖον; μέγα 1ο φρονήσωσιν → μέγα φρονήσωσιν; γέγραπται ἄρ" Εἶλον δίκδιον ἀπολλύμενον ἐν δικδιώμδτι τοῦ" κὰί γε τοῦτο Ύ Μμὰτδιότης. → γέγραπται γάρ· Εἶδον δίκαιον ἀπολλύμενον ἐν δικαιώματι αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης..
Topics: Eucharist
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 25 (Butler 1904 2:79–81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/25
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 26
26Butler 1904 2:81–82
Ἥρων τις γέγονε γειτνιῶν μοι, ᾿Αλεξανδρεὺς τῷ γένει ἀστεῖος νεώτερος, εὐφυὴς τὴν διάνοιαν, καθαρὸς τὸν βίον" ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ πόνους πολλοὺς τύφῳ βληθεὶς ἐξετραχηλιάσθη καὶ κατὰ τῶν πατέρων ἐφρόνησε μέγα, ὑβρίσας καὶ τὸν μακάριον Εὐάγριον, λέγων ὅτι Οἱ πειθόμενοι τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ σου ἀπατῶνται οὐ χρὴ γὰρ διδασκάλοις ἑτέροις προσέχειν παρεκτὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ἀπεχρήσατο δὲ καὶ τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μωρίας, καὶ ἔλεγεν ὅτι Αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ εἶπε. Μὴ καλέσητε διδάσκαλον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ὃς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς ἐσκοτώθη ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν ὕστερον σιδηρωθῆναι, μὴ θέλοντα μηδὲ τοῖς μυστηρίοις προσέρχεσθαι. φίλη δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια. καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἦν λεπτὸς τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ὡς πολλοὺς διηγεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐν συνηθείᾳ ὅτι πολλάκις διὰ τριῶν μηνῶν ἤσθιεν, ἀρκούμενος τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν μυστηρίων καὶ εἴ που ἂν φανῇ ἀγριολάχανον. πεῖραν δὲ αὐτοῦ εἴληφα κἀγὼ μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου ᾿Αλβανίου ἀπιὼν ἐπὶ τὴν Σκῆτιν. ἀπεῖχε δὲ ἡμῶν ἡ Σκῆτις τεσσαράκοντα σημεῖα' ἐν τούτοις τοῖς τεσσαράκοντα σημείοις ἡμεῖς δεύτερον βεβρώκαμεν καὶ τρίτον ἐπίομεν ὕδωρ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ μηδενὸς γευσάμενος πεζὸς βαδίζων ἀπεστήθισε πεντεκαίδεκα ψαλμούς, ἔπειτα τὸν μέγαν, εἶτα τὴν πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολήν, εἶτα τὸν Ἤσαϊαν καὶ μέρος τι τοῦ Ἱερεμίου, εἶτα Λουκᾶν τὸν εὐαγγελιστήν, εἶτα τὰς παροιμίας. καὶ τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων καταλαμβάνειν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἠδυνάμεθα βαδίζοντα. οὗτος τελευταῖον ὡς ὑπὸ πυρὸς ἐλαυνόμενος ἐν τῇ κέλλῃ μὲν αὐτοῦ καθεσθῆναι οὐκ ἠδυνήθη: ἀπελθὼν δὲ εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν κατ᾽ οἰκονομίαν, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, ἥλῳ τὸν ἦλον ἐξέκρουσε. περιέπεσε γὰρ ἑκουσίως τῇ ἀδιαφορίᾳ, ἐς ὕστερον ἀκούσιον εὑράμενος σωτηρίαν. παρέβαλε γὰρ θεάτρῳ καὶ ἱπποδρομίοις καὶ τὰς διατριβὰς εἶχεν ἐν καπηλείοις" οὕτως δὲ γαστριμαργῶν καὶ οἰνοφλυγῶν ἐνέπεσεν εἰς τὸν βόρβορον τῆς γυναικείας ἐπιθυμίας. καὶ ὡς ἐσκέπτετο ἁμαρτῆσαι, μιμάδι τινὶ συντυχὼν τὰ πρὸς τὸ ἕλκος αὐτοῦ διελέγετο. τούτων οὕτως διαπραττομένων γέγονεν αὐτῷ ἄνθραξ κατ᾽ αὐτῆς τῆς βαλάνου, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐνόσησεν ἑξαμηνιαῖον χρόνον ὡς κατασαπῆναι αὐτοῦ τὰ μόρια καὶ ἀποπεσεῖν. ὕστερον δὲ ὑγιάνας ἄνευ τῶν μελῶν ἐκείνων καὶ ἐπανελθὼν εἰς φρόνημα θεϊκόν, ἦλθεν ἐξομολογούμενος ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς πατράσιν' ἐνεργῆσαι δὲ μὴ φθάσας ἐκοιμήθη μετ᾽ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας.
Hērōn tis gegone geitniōn moi, ᾿Alexandreus tǭ genei asteios neōteros, euphyēs tēn dianoian, katharos ton bion" hos kai autos meta ponous pollous typhǭ blētheis exetrachēliasthē kai kata tōn paterōn ephronēse mega, hybrisas kai ton makarion Euagrion, legōn hoti Hoi peithomenoi tę̄ didaskalią sou apatōntai ou chrē gar didaskalois heterois prosechein parektos tou Christou. apechrēsato de kai tę̄ martyrią pros ton skopon tēs heautou mōrias, kai elegen hoti Autos ho sōtēr eipe. Mē kalesēte didaskalon epi tēs gēs. hos epi tosouton kai autos eskotōthē hōs kai auton hysteron sidērōthēnai, mē thelonta mēde tois mystēriois proserchesthai. philē de hē alētheia. kath᾽ hyperbolēn ēn leptos tę̄ politeią, hōs pollous diēgeisthai tous en synētheią hoti pollakis dia triōn mēnōn ēsthien, arkoumenos tę̄ koinōnią tōn mystēriōn kai ei pou an phanę̄ agriolachanon. peiran de autou eilēpha kagō meta tou makariou ᾿Albaniou apiōn epi tēn Skētin. apeiche de hēmōn hē Skētis tessarakonta sēmeia' en toutois tois tessarakonta sēmeiois hēmeis deuteron bebrōkamen kai triton epiomen hydōr, ekeinos de mēdenos geusamenos pezos badizōn apestēthise pentekaideka psalmous, epeita ton megan, eita tēn pros Hebraious epistolēn, eita ton Ēsaïan kai meros ti tou Hieremiou, eita Loukan ton euangelistēn, eita tas paroimias. kai toutōn houtōs echontōn katalambanein auton ouk ēdynametha badizonta. houtos teleutaion hōs hypo pyros elaunomenos en tę̄ kellę̄ men autou kathesthēnai ouk ēdynēthē: apelthōn de eis ᾿Alexandreian kat᾽ oikonomian, to dē legomenon, hēlǭ ton ēlon exekrouse. periepese gar hekousiōs tę̄ adiaphorią, es hysteron akousion heuramenos sōtērian. parebale gar theatrǭ kai hippodromiois kai tas diatribas eichen en kapēleiois" houtōs de gastrimargōn kai oinophlygōn enepesen eis ton borboron tēs gynaikeias epithymias. kai hōs eskepteto hamartēsai, mimadi tini syntychōn ta pros to helkos autou dielegeto. toutōn houtōs diaprattomenōn gegonen autǭ anthrax kat᾽ autēs tēs balanou, kai epi tosouton enosēsen hexamēniaion chronon hōs katasapēnai autou ta moria kai apopesein. hysteron de hygianas aneu tōn melōn ekeinōn kai epanelthōn eis phronēma theïkon, ēlthen exomologoumenos tauta panta tois patrasin' energēsai de mē phthasas ekoimēthē met᾽ oligas hēmeras.
There was a man named Heron, a neighbour of mine, an Alexandrian by birth, a refined young man, gifted in mind and pure in life. He too, after many labours, was struck by pride, threw off restraint, and thought great things of himself against the fathers, insulting even the blessed Evagrius, saying, “Those who obey your teaching are deceived; for one should not attend to other teachers except Christ.” He also misused Scripture for the purpose of his folly, saying, “The Saviour himself said, ‘Do not call anyone teacher on earth.’” He too was so darkened that afterwards he was put in irons, since he was unwilling even to approach the mysteries. But truth is dear: he was exceedingly austere in his way of life, so that many who knew him well said that he often ate only once in three months, content with the communion of the mysteries and any wild herb that might appear. I myself had experience of him when I went with the blessed Albanius to Scetis. Scetis was forty miles from us; in those forty miles we ate twice and drank water three times, but he, tasting nothing and going on foot, recited by heart fifteen psalms, then the great psalm, then the Epistle to the Hebrews, then Isaiah and part of Jeremiah, then Luke the Evangelist, then Proverbs. And though this was so, we could not keep up with him as he walked.
At last, as if driven by fire, he could not stay in his cell, but went off to Alexandria by providential arrangement and, as the saying goes, knocked out one nail with another. For he fell of his own will into indifference, and later found salvation against his will. He frequented the theatre and the races and spent his time in taverns; and so, being gluttonous and given to wine, he fell into the mire of desire for women. And as he was planning to sin, he met an actress and talked with her about what concerned his wound. While these things were going on, a carbuncle formed on the glans itself, and he was so ill for six months that his private parts rotted and fell off. Later, healed without those members and returning to a godly mind, he came and confessed all these things to the fathers; but before he could take up his work again he fell asleep a few days later.
Matt 23:8–10 (quotation, medium confidence) · Ps 119:1–176 (118:1-Ps LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The gifted ascetic Heron, puffed up with pride against Evagrius and the fathers, falls into dissipation in Alexandria, is struck with disease, and returns repentant before his death.
- “Do not call anyone teacher on earth” paraphrases Matt 23:8–10 (garbled wording restored by a logged correction). “The great psalm” is Ps 119 (118 LXX). “What concerned his wound”: the phrase (τὰ πρὸς τὸ ἕλκος αὐτοῦ) apparently refers to his lust; it is translated literally. A line of Butler's running head and marginal debris was removed by a logged correction. The disease and its result are reported as written. Heron's chapter was read in Lowther Clarke's English (printed together with chapter 25) before it was translated; the editor may wish to spot-check it.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Matt 23:8–10); OCR slip; line-break hyphen and OCR debris; running head and marginal debris removed; stray bracket; stray line number; stray numeral): Ἐάγριον → Εὐάγριον; ὅτε Αὐτὸς → ὅτι Αὐτὸς; ΛΛῊ κἀλέοητε διδάσκαλον → Μὴ καλέσητε διδάσκαλον; μὴ το θέλοντα → μὴ θέλοντα; μακα- τ5 Η ᾽ , ᾽ Ν »Ν ν -» ΕΣ . Ν « κα ρίον → μακαρίου; “Ἑβραίους ":ο ΧΧΥ͂ (ΤΤερὶ “Ηρωνοο): ῬΤΑΥΟΙΒα, ἰλτυσ ἐπιστολήν → Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολήν; μὲν 5. αὐτοῦ → μὲν αὐτοῦ; γαστριμαργῶν ] καὶ → γαστριμαργῶν καὶ; κατασαπῆναι τι αὐτοῦ → κατασαπῆναι αὐτοῦ.
Topics: Eucharist
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 26 (Butler 1904 2:81–82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/26
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 27
27Butler 1904 2:82–83
Ἄλλος πάλιν Πτολεμαῖος ὀνόματι δυσδιήγητον ἢ ἀνεκδιήγητον ζήσας βίον" ᾧκησε γὰρ ἐπέκεινα τῆς Σκήτεως εἰς τὴν λεγομένην Κλίμακα᾽ τόπος δέ ἐστιν οὕτω καλούμενος εἰς ὃν οἰκῆσαι οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ δεκαοκτὼ σημείων εἶναι τὸ φρέαρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν. βαστάσας οὖν ἐκεῖνος κεράμια κιλικίσια πολλὰ ἀπήνεγκε, καὶ τῷ δεκεμβρίω καὶ ἰαννοναρίῳ μηνὶ συνάγων τὴν δρόσον---δροσίζει γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς μέρεσι τότε πολλά---σπόγγῳ ἐκ τῶν λίθων, διήρκεσεν ἐπὶ ἔτη δεκαπέντε οἰκήσας ἐκεῖ. ὃς ἀποξενωθεὶς διδασκαλίας καὶ συντυχίας ἀνδρῶν ὁσίων καὶ ὠφελείας, καὶ συνεχοῦς κοινωνίας τῶν μυστηρίων, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐξέστη τῆς εὐθείας ὡς λέγειν μηδὲν εἶναι τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ φέρεσθαι μετέωρος ἄχρι τῆς δεῦρο ἀλώμενος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἔκδοτον ἑαυτὸν δεδωκὼς γαστριμαργίᾳ καὶ οἰνοφλυγίᾳ, μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὁμιλῶν. καὶ αὕτη δὲ ἡ συμφορὰ συνέβη Πτολεμαίῳ ἐκ τῆς ἀλόγου οἰήσεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Οἷς μὴ ὑπάρχει κυβέρνησις πίπτουσιν ὥσπερ φύλλα.
Allos palin Ptolemaios onomati dysdiēgēton ē anekdiēgēton zēsas bion" hǭkēse gar epekeina tēs Skēteōs eis tēn legomenēn Klimaka᾽ topos de estin houtō kaloumenos eis hon oikēsai oudeis dynatai en tǭ apo dekaoktō sēmeiōn einai to phrear tōn adelphōn. bastasas oun ekeinos keramia kilikisia polla apēnenke, kai tǭ dekembriō kai iannonariǭ mēni synagōn tēn droson---drosizei gar en ekeinois tois meresi tote polla---spongǭ ek tōn lithōn, diērkesen epi etē dekapente oikēsas ekei. hos apoxenōtheis didaskalias kai syntychias andrōn hosiōn kai ōpheleias, kai synechous koinōnias tōn mystēriōn, epi tosouton exestē tēs eutheias hōs legein mēden einai ta pragmata, all᾽ ē pheresthai meteōros achri tēs deuro alōmenos en Aigyptǭ kai ekdoton heauton dedōkōs gastrimargią kai oinophlygią, mēdeni mēden homilōn. kai hautē de hē symphora synebē Ptolemaiǭ ek tēs alogou oiēseōs, kata to gegrammenon; Hois mē hyparchei kybernēsis piptousin hōsper phylla.
Another man again, named Ptolemy, lived a life hard to describe, or rather indescribable. He lived beyond Scetis at the place called the Ladder, a place so named, where no one can live because the brothers' well is eighteen miles away. He carried off many Cilician jars, and in December and January he collected the dew with a sponge from the rocks (for there is heavy dew in those parts at that time), and so he held out, living there fifteen years. But, estranged from the teaching, company, and help of holy men and from continual communion of the mysteries, he so far left the straight road that he said that things are nothing, but are carried along at random. To this day he wanders about Egypt, having given himself up to gluttony and drunkenness, talking with no one about anything. This disaster befell Ptolemy from irrational conceit, as it is written: “Those who have no guidance fall like leaves.”
Prov 11:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The hermit Ptolemy, living fifteen years alone on dew, cut off from teaching and the sacraments, loses his faith and ends a wandering drunkard.
- The quotation is Prov 11:14 in the LXX wording (“Those who have no guidance fall like leaves”; the Hebrew differs), restored from a garbled form. “Things are nothing, but are carried along at random” describes a denial of providence; the Greek (ἀλλ᾽ ἢ φέρεσθαι μετέωρος) may instead mean that he himself goes about puffed up.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble; OCR slip; OCR slips; OCR ξ for ζ; marginal debris and OCR slips; stray bracket, line-break hyphen, line number, and OCR garble of Scripture type (Prov 11:14 LXX)): λλλος πάλιν → Ἄλλος πάλιν; ξήσας βίον → ζήσας βίον; κεράμια ῬΤΑΥ͂ΟΙΕΕ, ΤΎν Ττωὲ κιλικίσια πολλὰ ἀπηνεγκέ, «αὶ → κεράμια κιλικίσια πολλὰ ἀπήνεγκε, καὶ; δροσίξει γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοῦς. τοῖς → δροσίζει γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς; ἐπὶ ε, ἡ. δεκαπέντε → ἐπὶ ἔτη δεκαπέντε; οἰήσεως, [ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμ- το μένον" Οἷς ΜῊ ὑπάρχει κγβέρνηςις πίπτογοιν ὥσπερ φύλλὰ. → οἰήσεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Οἷς μὴ ὑπάρχει κυβέρνησις πίπτουσιν ὥσπερ φύλλα..
Topics: Eucharist
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 27 (Butler 1904 2:82–83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/27
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).
Chapter 28
28Butler 1904 2:83–84
Παρθένον πάλιν ἔγνων ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις σακκοφοροῦσαν ἐπὶ ἑξαετίαν καὶ ἐγκεκλεισμένην, μηδενὸς τῶν εἰς ἡδονὴν συντεινόντων λαμβάνουσαν" ἥτις ἐς ὕστερον ἐγκαταλειφθεῖσα ὑπερβολῇ ὑπερηφανίας περιέπεσε πτώσει. καὶ ἀνοίξασα τὴν θυρίδα εἰσεδέξατο τὸν ὑπηρετούμενον καὶ αὐτῷ συνεφύρη ἐν τῷ μὴ κατὰ θεϊκὴν πρόθεσιν καὶ ἀγάπην θεοῦ ἐσχηκέναι τὴν ἄσκησιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ σκηνὴν ἀνθρωπίνην, ὅ ἐστι κενοδοξίας καὶ σαθρᾶς προαιρέσεως. τῶν γὰρ λογισμῶν αὐτῆς ἀπασχοληθέντων εἰς τὸ καταγινώσκειν τῶν ἄλλων, οὐκ ἦν ὁ φύλαξ τῆς σωφροσύνης.
Parthenon palin egnōn en Hierosolymois sakkophorousan epi hexaetian kai enkekleismenēn, mēdenos tōn eis hēdonēn synteinontōn lambanousan" hētis es hysteron enkataleiphtheisa hyperbolę̄ hyperēphanias periepese ptōsei. kai anoixasa tēn thyrida eisedexato ton hypēretoumenon kai autǭ synephyrē en tǭ mē kata theïkēn prothesin kai agapēn theou eschēkenai tēn askēsin, alla kata skēnēn anthrōpinēn, ho esti kenodoxias kai sathras proaireseōs. tōn gar logismōn autēs apascholēthentōn eis to kataginōskein tōn allōn, ouk ēn ho phylax tēs sōphrosynēs.
I knew a virgin in Jerusalem who wore sackcloth for six years and was shut up in a cell, taking nothing that leads to pleasure. Later she was abandoned because of her excessive pride and fell. She opened the window, received the man who served her, and was defiled with him, because she had practised her asceticism not with a godly purpose and for love of God, but for human show, that is, from vainglory and a rotten choice. For since her thoughts were taken up with condemning others, the guardian of her chastity was absent.
Notes and citation
Summary: A Jerusalem virgin, enclosed and austere for six years, falls into sin with her servant because her asceticism was for show and she judged others.
- The fall is reported as written; Palladius gives it as a warning against pride.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line-break hyphen and stray line number): ἱἱεροσολύμοις → Ἱεροσολύμοις; ἀνοί- τ5 ξἕασα → ἀνοίξασα.
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 28 (Butler 1904 2:83–84; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/28
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Butler's Greek text (Texts and Studies 6.2, 1904; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Lowther Clarke's English (1918).