The Lausiac History 29–36
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 29
29Butler 1904 2:84–86
Ἠλίας τις ἀσκητὴς σφόδρα γέγονε φιλοπάρθενος· εἰσὶ γὰρ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ αἷς μαρτυρεῖ τὸ τέλος κατὰ ἀρετήν. ὃς κατοικτειρήσας τὸ τάγμα τῶν ἀσκητριών, ἐν ᾿Αθριβῇ πόλει ἔχων ἀναλώματα ῳκοδόμησε μέγα μοναστήριον, καὶ συνήγαγε πάσας τὰς ἀλωμένας ἐντὸς ἀκολούθως αὐτῶν φροντίζων, ποιήσας αὐταῖς ἀνάπαυσιν πᾶσαν καὶ κήπους καὶ χρηστήρια καὶ ἄλλα ὧν ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ βίος. αὗται ἐκ διαφόρων βίων ἠγμέναι συνεχεῖς ἐποίουν μάχας μετ᾽ ἀλλήλων. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν καὶ διακούειν καὶ εἰρηνεύειν, συνήγαγε γὰρ ὡς τριακοσίας, ἀνάγκην εἶχε μεσιτεύειν ἐπὶ δύο ἔτη. νέαν οὖν ἄγων τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἦν γὰρ ὡς τριάκοντα ἐτῶν ἢ τεσσαράκοντα, οὗτος ἐπειράσθη καθ᾽ ἡδονήν" καὶ ἀναχωρήσας τοῦ μοναστηρίου νῆστις ἐπλανᾶτο ἀνὰ τὴν ἔρημον ἐπὶ ἡμέρας δύο, τοῦτο δεόμενος ὅτι Κύριε, ἢ ἀπόκτεινόν με ἵνα μὴ ἴδω αὐτὰς θλιβομένας, ἢ τὸ πάθος λάβε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἵνα φροντίζω αὐτῶν κατὰ λόγον. ἑσπέρας οὖν γενομένης ὕπνωσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἐλθόντες πρὸς αὐτὸν ἄγγελοι τρεῖς, ὡς αὐτὸς διηγεῖτο, κατέσχον αὐτὸν καὶ λέγουσι: Τί ἐξῆλθες τοῦ μοναστηρίου τῶν γυναικῶν ; οἷς διηγεῖτο τὸ πρᾶγμα" Οτι ἐφοβήθην μήποτε κἀκείνας βλάψω καὶ ἐμαυτόν. λέγουσιν αυτῳ Οὐκοῦν ἐάν σε τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλάξωμεν ἀπέρχῃ καὶ φροντίζεις αὐτῶν ; ἐπὶ τούτοις συνέθετο. εἰσπράττονται αὐτὸν ὅρκον. τὸν δὲ ὅρκον ἔλεγε τοιοῦτον εἶναι' Ὄμοσον ἡμῖν ὅτι τὸ Μὰ τὸν φροντίζοντά με φροντίσω αὐτῶν. καὶ ὦμοσεν αὐτοῖς" καὶ τότε κατέσχον αὐτοῦ εἷς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ εἷς τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ὁ τρίτος λαβὼν ξυρὸν ἐξέτεμεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς διδύμους, οὐ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἀλλὰ κατὰ φαντασίαν. ἔδοξεν οὖν τῇ ἐκστάσει, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, καὶ ἀποτεθεραπεῦσθαι. ἐπερωτῶσιν αὐτόν" ᾿Ηισθήθης ὠφελείας ; λέγει αὐτοῖς. Σφόδρα ἐκουφίσθην καὶ πέπεισμαι ἀπηλλάχθαι τοῦ πάθους. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ" " Απελθε οὖν. καὶ ὑποστρέψας μετὰ πέντε ἡμέρας πενθοῦντος τοῦ μοναστηρίου εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἔμεινεν ἔνδον ἔκτοτε ἐν κελλίῳ πλαγίῳ, ἐξ οὗ ἐγγύτερος ὧν συνεχῶς αὐτὰς διωρθοῦτο τὸ ὅσον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ. ἔζησε δὲ ἄλλα τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη διαβεβαιούμενος τοῖς πατράσιν ὅτι Εἰς τὴν διάνοιάν μου οὐκ ἀναβαίνει πάθος. τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ ἁγίου ἐκείνου ὃς οὕτως ἐφρόντισε τοῦ μοναστηρίου.
Ēlias tis askētēs sphodra gegone philoparthenos; eisi gar toiautai psychai hais martyrei to telos kata aretēn. hos katoikteirēsas to tagma tōn askētriōn, en ᾿Athribę̄ polei echōn analōmata ǭkodomēse mega monastērion, kai synēgage pasas tas alōmenas entos akolouthōs autōn phrontizōn, poiēsas autais anapausin pasan kai kēpous kai chrēstēria kai alla hōn apaitei ho bios. hautai ek diaphorōn biōn ēgmenai synecheis epoioun machas met᾽ allēlōn. epei oun echrēn auton kai diakouein kai eirēneuein, synēgage gar hōs triakosias, anankēn eiche mesiteuein epi dyo etē. nean oun agōn tēn hēlikian, ēn gar hōs triakonta etōn ē tessarakonta, houtos epeirasthē kath᾽ hēdonēn" kai anachōrēsas tou monastēriou nēstis eplanato ana tēn erēmon epi hēmeras dyo, touto deomenos hoti Kyrie, ē apokteinon me hina mē idō autas thlibomenas, ē to pathos labe ap᾽ emou hina phrontizō autōn kata logon. hesperas oun genomenēs hypnōsen en tę̄ erēmǭ kai elthontes pros auton angeloi treis, hōs autos diēgeito, kateschon auton kai legousi: Ti exēlthes tou monastēriou tōn gynaikōn ? hois diēgeito to pragma" Oti ephobēthēn mēpote kakeinas blapsō kai emauton. legousin autǭ Oukoun ean se tou pathous apallaxōmen aperchę̄ kai phrontizeis autōn ? epi toutois synetheto. eisprattontai auton horkon. ton de horkon elege toiouton einai' Omoson hēmin hoti to Ma ton phrontizonta me phrontisō autōn. kai ōmosen autois" kai tote kateschon autou heis tas cheiras kai heis tous podas, kai ho tritos labōn xyron exetemen autou tous didymous, ou kata alētheian alla kata phantasian. edoxen oun tę̄ ekstasei, hōs an eipoi tis, kai apotetherapeusthai. eperōtōsin auton" ᾿Ēisthēthēs ōpheleias ? legei autois. Sphodra ekouphisthēn kai pepeismai apēllachthai tou pathous. legousin autǭ" " Apelthe oun. kai hypostrepsas meta pente hēmeras penthountos tou monastēriou eisēlthe kai emeinen endon ektote en kelliǭ plagiǭ, ex hou engyteros hōn synechōs autas diōrthouto to hoson ep᾽ autǭ. ezēse de alla tessarakonta etē diabebaioumenos tois patrasin hoti Eis tēn dianoian mou ouk anabainei pathos. touto to charisma tou hagiou ekeinou hos houtōs ephrontise tou monastēriou.
A certain Elias, an ascetic, was a great lover of virgins (for there are such souls, to whose virtue their aim bears witness). He took pity on the order of women ascetics, and having means in the city of Athribis he built a great monastery and gathered into it all who were wandering about, caring for them consistently and providing them with every comfort, gardens, utensils, and the other things life requires. These women, coming from different ways of life, were constantly fighting with one another. Since he had to hear them and make peace (for he had gathered about three hundred), he was obliged to act as mediator for two years. Being still young in age (he was about thirty or forty), he was tempted by pleasure. Leaving the monastery, he wandered fasting through the desert for two days, praying, “Lord, either kill me so that I may not see them afflicted, or take the passion from me so that I may care for them as I should.” When evening came he fell asleep in the desert, and three angels came to him, as he himself told it, took hold of him, and said, “Why did you leave the monastery of women?” He told them the matter: “Because I was afraid I might harm both them and myself.” They said to him, “Then if we free you from the passion, will you go back and care for them?” He agreed to these terms. They demanded an oath from him. He said the oath was this: “Swear to us: ‘By the One who cares for me, I will care for them.’” And he swore to them. Then one held his hands, one his feet, and the third took a razor and cut out his testicles, not in reality but in a vision. So in the ecstasy, as one might say, he seemed to have been cured. They asked him, “Have you felt any benefit?” He said to them, “I feel much lighter, and I am convinced that I have been freed from the passion.” They said to him, “Go away, then.” And he returned after five days to the monastery, which was mourning, went in, and from then on stayed inside in a cell at the side, from which, being nearer, he continually corrected them as far as lay in him. He lived another forty years, assuring the fathers, “Passion does not rise into my mind.” This was the gift of that holy man who cared for the monastery in this way.
Notes and citation
Summary: Elias, founder of a monastery for three hundred women at Athribis, is freed from sexual temptation in a vision of angels and governs the community for forty years.
- The vision is translated as written; the text stresses that the operation took place “not in reality but in a vision.” A long piece of Butler's apparatus (an addition of another recension addressed to Lausus, on why the falls of ascetics are recorded) had been taken into the text by the OCR after “wandered fasting”; it is removed by a logged correction and not translated.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR slip; OCR stray letter; OCR ξ for ζ; apparatus (addition of another recension) removed; stray letter; stray line number; stray marker): φιλοπάρθενος" : εἰσὶ → φιλοπάρθενος· εἰσὶ; ἀλχωμένας → ἀλωμένας; ποιήσας ιοαὐταῖς → ποιήσας αὐταῖς; τῆς σωφροσύνης] ΒΒ] δῇά (ἰοχὺ οἵ ΒΙ0): Διὰ δὲ τοῦτο γεγράφαμεν, πιστότατε τῶν ἀνδρῶν Λαῦσε, καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀρετῆς κατωρθωκότων τὸν βίον, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας ἐξ ἄκρας πολιτείας μετὰ πόνους πολλοὺς χειρωθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ταῖς παντοίαις τούτου σαγήνεσι, ἵν᾽ ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πολιτείας τοῦ μισοκάλου καταμανθάνων τὰ κεκρυμμένα δίκτυα φεύγῃ τὰς τούτων παγίδας. πολλῶν τοίνυν ὄντων καὶ μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν τῶν κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς τὴν ἐνάρετον τῆς ἀσκήσεως πολιτείαν κατορθωσάντων, τελευταῖον δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀντιπάλου πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐκριζωθέντων, ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν μνημονεύσας ὀλίγων, ἀποσιωπήσω τοὺς πλείστους, μήτε αὐτοὺς ἀνιστῶν, μήτε ἐμαυτὸν ὠφελῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ τούτοις προσδιατρίβων, καὶ τῶν ἐξόχων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀμελῶν ἀθλητῶν, μὴ διηγούμενόν με μᾶλλον τὰς τούτων ἀρετὰς τῆς ἐνθέου αὐτῶν ἀσκήσεως. → ; εἰσπράττονται αὐτὸν Φ Η δὲ ψ ». ΡΝ , .ν; - ς΄ ῳ ὅρκον → εἰσπράττονται αὐτὸν ὅρκον; "δὍμοσον → Ὄμοσον; ἐν κελλίῳ ,ὕ » ΓΙ ͵ Δ κ ΠῚ ὃ α . ᾧ πλαγίῳ → ἐν κελλίῳ πλαγίῳ; τὸ ὅσον :ο » γ᾽ 3 - ΝΜ ν ΕΣ ΄ ΝΜ ,ὔ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ → τὸ ὅσον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ; ἔξησε δὲ → ἔζησε δὲ; τοῦ μοναστηρίου Γ → τοῦ μοναστηρίου..
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 29 (Butler 1904 2:84–86; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/29
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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 30
30Butler 1904 2:86
Ὃν διαδέχεται Δωρόθεος, ἀνὴρ δοκιμώτατος γηράσας ἐν βίῳ χρηστῷ καὶ ἐμπράκτῳ᾽ μὴ δυνηθεὶς μὲν οὕτως ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ μοναστηρίῳ μεῖναι, ἐν ἀνώγεῳ δὲ ἀποκεκλεισμένος θυρίδα ἐποίησεν ὁρῶσαν ἐπὶ τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ ταύτην ἔκλειε καὶ ἤνοιγεν: ἀδιαλείπτως οὖν παρεκαθέζετο τῇ θυρίδι τὴν ἀμαχίαν αὐταῖς μνηστευόμενος. καὶ οὕτως ἐπεγήρασεν ἄνω εἰς τὸ ἀνώγεων, μήτε τῶν γυναικῶν ἄνω ἀνερχομένων μήτε ἐκείνου δυναμένου κάτω κατελθεῖν" οὐ γὰρ εἱστήκει ἡ κλῖμαξ.
Hon diadechetai Dōrotheos, anēr dokimōtatos gērasas en biǭ chrēstǭ kai empraktǭ᾽ mē dynētheis men houtōs en autǭ tǭ monastēriǭ meinai, en anōgeǭ de apokekleismenos thyrida epoiēsen horōsan epi to monastērion tōn gynaikōn, kai tautēn ekleie kai ēnoigen: adialeiptōs oun parekathezeto tę̄ thyridi tēn amachian autais mnēsteuomenos. kai houtōs epegērasen anō eis to anōgeōn, mēte tōn gynaikōn anō anerchomenōn mēte ekeinou dynamenou katō katelthein" ou gar heistēkei hē klimax.
He was succeeded by Dorotheus, a most well-proven man, grown old in a good and active life. Unable to stay in the monastery itself in the same way, he shut himself up in an upper room and made a window looking onto the women's monastery, which he would shut and open. He sat continually by the window, arranging peace among them. And so he grew old up there in the upper room, the women not coming up and he not able to come down; for there was no ladder.
Notes and citation
Summary: Dorotheus, Elias's successor, governs the women's monastery from an upper room with a window, keeping the peace among them until old age.
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 30 (Butler 1904 2:86; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/30
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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 31
31Butler 1904 2:86–87
Πιαμοῦν γέγονε παρθένος ἥτις τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἔζησε μετὰ τῆς ἰδίας μητρὸς μίαν παρὰ μίαν ἐσθίουσα ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ καὶ νήθουσα λίνον. αὕτη κατηξιώθη χαρίσματος προρρήσεων. ἐν οἷς συνέβη ποτὲ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τῆς ἀναβάσεως οὔσης κώμην κώμῃ ἐπιθέσθαι μάχονται γὰρ εἰς τὰς ὑδρομερισίας, ὡς καὶ φόνους παρακολουθεῖν καὶ κατακοπάς. δυνατωτέρα οὖν κώμη ἐπέθετο τῇ ταύτης κώμῃ, καὶ ἤρχοντο ἄνδρες ἐν πλήθει μετὰ δοράτων καὶ ῥοπάλων κόψαι τὴν κώμην αὐτῆς. παρέστη δὲ αὐτῇ ἄγγελος ἀποκαλύπτων αὐτῇ τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τούτων. καὶ μεταστειλαμένη τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς κώμης λέγει' Ἐξέλθατε καὶ ἀπαντήσατε τοῖς ἐρχομένοις ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς κώμης καθ᾽ ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς συναπόλησθε τῇ κώμῃ, καὶ παρακαλέσατε αὐτοὺς λωφῆσαι τῆς μάχης- φοβηθέντες δὲ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι πίπτουσιν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτῆς παρακαλοῦντες καὶ λέγοντες αὐτῇ ὅτι “Ἡμεῖς οὐ τολμῶμεν συναντῆσαι αὐτοῖς" οἴδαμεν γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν μέθην καὶ τὴν ἀπόνοιαν. ἀλλ᾽ εἰ ποιεῖς ἔλεος καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κώμην. καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τὸν σόν, ἐξελθοῦσα αὐτὴ αὐτοῖς συνάντησον. ἐκείνη τοῦτο μὴ συνθεμένη, ἀνελθοῦσα εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον τὸ ἴδιον ἐν νυκτὶ ἔστη διὰ παντὸς εὐχομένη καὶ μὴ κλίνουσα γόνυ καὶ δεομένη τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι Κύριε ὁ κρίνων τὴν γῆν, ᾧ οὐδὲν τῶν ἀδίκων ἀρέσκει, τῆς προσευχῆς ταύτης ἐλθούσης πρὸς σὲ ἡ δύναμίς σου ἡλωσάτω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἂν αὐτοὺς καταλάβῃ. καὶ περὶ ὥραν πρώτην ἀπὸ τριῶν μιλίων ἡλωθέντες εἰς τὸν τόπον σαλευθῆναι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν: ἀπεκαλύφθη δὲ κἀκείνοις ὅτι πρεσβείαις ταύτης γέγονεν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐμπόδιον' καὶ ἀποστείλαντες εἰς τὴν κώμην ᾐτήσαντο εἰρήνην, δηλώσαντες ὅτι Εὐχαριστήσατε τῷ θεῷ καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς Πιαμοῦν
Piamoun gegone parthenos hētis ta etē tēs zōēs autēs ezēse meta tēs idias mētros mian para mian esthiousa en hesperą kai nēthousa linon. hautē katēxiōthē charismatos prorrēseōn. en hois synebē pote en Aigyptǭ tēs anabaseōs ousēs kōmēn kōmę̄ epithesthai machontai gar eis tas hydromerisias, hōs kai phonous parakolouthein kai katakopas. dynatōtera oun kōmē epetheto tę̄ tautēs kōmę̄, kai ērchonto andres en plēthei meta doratōn kai rhopalōn kopsai tēn kōmēn autēs. parestē de autę̄ angelos apokalyptōn autę̄ tēn epithesin toutōn. kai metasteilamenē tous presbyterous tēs kōmēs legei' Exelthate kai apantēsate tois erchomenois ek tēsde tēs kōmēs kath᾽ hymōn, hina mē kai hymeis synapolēsthe tę̄ kōmę̄, kai parakalesate autous lōphēsai tēs machēs- phobēthentes de hoi presbyteroi piptousin eis tous podas autēs parakalountes kai legontes autę̄ hoti “Hēmeis ou tolmōmen synantēsai autois" oidamen gar autōn tēn methēn kai tēn aponoian. all᾽ ei poieis eleos kai epi pasan tēn kōmēn. kai epi ton oikon ton son, exelthousa autē autois synantēson. ekeinē touto mē synthemenē, anelthousa eis to dōmation to idion en nykti estē dia pantos euchomenē kai mē klinousa gony kai deomenē tou theou hoti Kyrie ho krinōn tēn gēn, hǭ ouden tōn adikōn areskei, tēs proseuchēs tautēs elthousēs pros se hē dynamis sou hēlōsatō autous eis ton topon hopou an autous katalabę̄. kai peri hōran prōtēn apo triōn miliōn hēlōthentes eis ton topon saleuthēnai ouk ēdynēthēsan: apekalyphthē de kakeinois hoti presbeiais tautēs gegonen autois to empodion' kai aposteilantes eis tēn kōmēn ę̄tēsanto eirēnēn, dēlōsantes hoti Eucharistēsate tǭ theǭ kai tais euchais Piamoun
There was a virgin, Piamoun, who spent the years of her life with her own mother, eating every other day in the evening and spinning flax. She was granted the gift of prophecy. Among other things it once happened in Egypt, at the time of the rising of the Nile, that one village attacked another; for they fight over the division of the water, so that murders and woundings follow. A stronger village attacked her village, and men came in a crowd with spears and clubs to destroy her village. But an angel stood by her and revealed their attack to her. She sent for the elders of the village and said, “Go out and meet those who are coming against you from that village, so that you may not perish together with the village, and beg them to stop the fight.” The elders were afraid, fell at her feet, and pleaded with her, saying, “We do not dare to meet them; we know their drunkenness and their madness. But if you have pity on the whole village and on your own house, go out yourself and meet them.” She did not agree to this, but went up to her own little room at night and stood all night praying, without bending her knee, and entreating God: “Lord, who judge the earth, to whom nothing unjust is pleasing, when this prayer comes to you, let your power nail them to the spot wherever it overtakes them.” And about the first hour, three miles away, they were nailed to the spot and could not move. It was revealed to them too that the hindrance had come upon them through her intercession. They sent to the village and asked for peace, declaring, “Give thanks to God and to the prayers of Piamoun
Ps 94:2 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The virgin Piamoun, warned by an angel of an armed attack on her village, stops the attackers in their tracks by a night of prayer.
- The last sentence breaks off with Piamoun's name; its end (“which also held us back”) stands at the head of chapter 32, where the beginning of the next chapter is lost in the OCR. It is translated there, as it stands, with a note. “Lord, who judge the earth” echoes Gen 18:25 and Ps 94:2.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR ξ for ζ; line-break hyphen and stray line number; stray letters; stray line number; stray numeral): ἔξησε μετὰ → ἔζησε μετὰ; ὑδρομερισίας, τι ὡς → ὑδρομερισίας, ὡς; τῆς 32. κώμης → τῆς κώμης; ᾿Βξέλθατε → Ἐξέλθατε; ἡ δύναμίς το σου → ἡ δύναμίς σου; ἠἡτήσαντο → ᾐτήσαντο; Εὖχα- τ5 -ριστήσατε → Εὐχαριστήσατε.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 31 (Butler 1904 2:86–87; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/31
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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 32
32Butler 1904 2:87–96
αἱ καὶ συνεπόδισαν καλούμενος, ἐν ᾧ Παχώμιός τις γέγονεν, ἀνὴρ τῶν εἰς εὐθεῖαν βεβιωκότων ὡς καταξιωθῆναι καὶ προρρήσεων καὶ ὀπτασιῶν ἀγγελικῶν. οὗτος εἰς ἄγαν ἐγένετο φιλάνθρωπός τε καὶ φιλάδελῴος. καθεζομένῳ οὖν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ ὥφθη ἄγγελος καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Τὰ κατὰ σαυτὸν κατώρθωσας' περιττῶς οὖν ; καθέξῃ ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ' δεῦρο καὶ ἐξελθὼν συνάγαγε πάντας τοὺς νέους μοναχοὺς καὶ οἴκησον μετ᾽ αὐτῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν τύπον ὃν δίδωμί σοι οὕτως αὐτοῖς νομοθέτησον. καὶ ἐπέδωκεν αὐτῷ δέλτον χαλκῆν ἐν ἡ ἐγέγραπτο ταῦτα" Συγχωρήσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ δύναμιν φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν" καὶ βαΐδος, ὅθεν Ταβεννησιῶται εἰσέτι νῦν ὀνομάζονται. καὶ πρὸς τὰς δυνάμεις τῶν ἐσθιόντων ἀνάλογα καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῖς ἐγχείρισον" καὶ μήτε νηστεῦσαι κωλύσῃς μήτε φαγεῖν. οὕτω μέντοι τὰ ἰσχυρὰ τοῖς ἰσχυροτέροις καὶ ἐσθίουσι, καὶ τὰ ἄτονα τοῖς ἀτονωτέροις καὶ ἀσκητικωτέροις ἐγχείριζε ἔργα. ποίησον δὲ κέλλας διαφόρους ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ, καὶ τρεῖς κατὰ κέλλαν μενέτωσαν. ἡ δὲ τροφὴ πάντων ὑπὸ ἕνα οἶκον ἐξεταζέσθω. καθευδέτωσαν δὲ μὴ ἀνακείμενοι, ἀλλὰ θρόνους οἰκοδομητοὺς ὑπτιωτέρους πεποιηκότες καὶ θέντες αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ τὰ στρώματα καθευδέτωσαν καθήμενοι. φορείτωσαν δὲ ἐν ταῖς νυξὶ λεβιτῶνας λινοῦς ἐζωσμένοι. ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἐχέτω μηλωτὴν αἰγείαν εἰργασμένην, ἧς ἄνευ μὴ ἐσθιέτωσαν. ἀπιόντες δὲ εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν κατὰ σάββατον καὶ κυριακὴν τὰς ζώνας λυέτωσαν, τὴν μηλωτὴν ἀποτιθέσθωσαν, καὶ μετὰ κουκουλίου μόνου εἰσιέτωσαν. κουκούλια δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐτύπωσεν ἄμαλλα ὡς παιδίοις, ἐν οἷς καὶ καυτῆρα τύπον σταυροῦ διὰ πορφυρίου ἐκέλευσεν ἐντίθεσθαι. ἐκέλευσε δὲ εἰκοσιτέσσαρα τάγματα εἶναι καὶ ἑκάστῳ τάγματι ἐπέθηκε στοιχεῖον ἑλληνικὸν ἀπὸ ἄλφα καὶ βῆτα καὶ γάμμα καὶ δέλτα καὶ τῶν καθ᾽ ἑξῆς. ἐν τῷ οὖν αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾶν καὶ φιλοπραγμονεῖν εἰς τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ἠρώτα τὸν δεύτερον ὁ μειζότερος: Πῶς ἔχει τὸ τάγμα τοῦ ἄλφα; ἤ' Πῶς ἔχει τὸ ζῆτα ; πάλιν" ἴλσπασαι τὸ ῥῶ, ἰδίῳ τινὶ σημείῳ γραμμάτων ἀκολουθοῦντες. καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἁπλουστέροις καὶ ἀκεραιοτέροις ἐπιθήσεις τὸ ἰῶτα, τοῖς δὲ δυσχερεστέροις καὶ σκολιωτέροις προσάξεις τὸ ξῖ καὶ οὕτως κατ᾽ ἀναλογίαν τῆς καταστάσεως τῶν προαιρέσεων καὶ τῶν τρόπων καὶ τῶν βίων, ἑκάστῳ τάγματι τὸ στοιχεῖον ἐφήρμοσε, μόνων τῶν πνευματικῶν εἰδότων τὰ σημαινόμενα. ἐγέγραπτο δὲ ἐν τῇ δέλτῳ ὅτι Ξένος ἄλλου μοναστηρίου ἄλλον ἔχοντος τύπον μὴ συμφάγῃ τούτοις, μὴ συμπίῃ, μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν μονὴν ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐν ὁδῷ εὑρεθῇ. τὸν μέντοι εἰσελθόντα συμμεῖναι αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τριετίαν εἴσω τῶν ἀδύτων οὐ δέχονται" ἀλλ᾽ ἐργατικώτερα ἔργα ποιήσας, οὕτως εἰσβαίνει μετὰ τριετίαν. ἐσθίοντες δὲ τὰς κεφαλὰς καλυπτέτωσαν τοῖς κουκουλίοις ἵνα μὴ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν μασώμενον ἴδῃ. οὐκ ἔστι λαλῆσαι ἐσθίοντα, οὐδὲ ἐκτὸς τοῦ πίνακος ἢ τῆς τραπέζης ἀλλαχοῦ προσέχειν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ. ἐτύπωσε δὲ διὰ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας ποιεῖν αὐτοὺς εὐχὰς δώδεκα, καὶ ἐν τῷ λυχνικῷ δώδεκα, καὶ ἐν ταῖς παννυχίσι δώδεκα, καὶ ἐννάτην ὥραν τρεῖς" ὅτε δὲ μέλλει τὸ πλῆθος ἐσθίειν ἑκάστῃ εὐχῇ ψαλμὸν προάδεσθαι τυπώσας. Προσαντιλέγοντος δὲ τοῦ Παχωμίου τῷ ἀγγέλῳ ὅτι ὀλίγαι εἰσὶν αἱ εὐχαί, λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος: Ταῦτα διετύπωσα ὡς φθάνειν καὶ τοὺς μικροὺς ἐπιτελεῖν τὸν κανόνα καὶ μὴ λὑπεῖσθαι. οἱ δὲ τέλειοι νομοθεσίας χρείαν οὐκ ἔχουσι" καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς γὰρ ἐν ταῖς κέλλαις ὅλον ἑαυτῶν τὸ ζῆν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ θεωρίᾳ παρεχώρησαν. τούτοις δὲ ἐνομοθέτησα ὅσοι οὐκ ἔχουσι νοῦν ἐπιγνώμονα, ἵνα κἂν ὡς οἰκέται τὴν σύνταξιν πληροῦντες τῆς πολιτείας διατεθῶσιν ἐν παρρησίᾳ. Ἔστιν οὖν ταῦτα τὰ μοναστήρια πλείονα κρατήσαντα τοῦτον τὸν τύπον, συντείνοντα εἰς ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας. ἔστι δὲ τὸ πρῶτον καὶ μέγα μοναστήριον ἔνθα αὐτὸς ὁ Παχώμιος ᾧκει, τὸ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀποκυῆσαν μοναστήρια, ἔχον ἄνδρας χιλίους τριακοσίους. ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ καλὸς ᾿Αφθόνιος ὁ φίλος μου γενόμενος γνήσιος, τὸ νῦν δευτερεύων ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ" ὃν ὡς ἀσκανδάλιστον ἀποστέλλουσιν ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ ἐπὶ τὸ διαπωλῆσαι μὲν αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα, συνωνήσασθαι δὲ τὰς χρείας. ἔστι δὲ ἄλλα μοναστήρια ἀπὸ διακοσίων καὶ τριακοσίων" ἐν οἷς καὶ εἰς Πανὸς τὴν πόλιν εἰσελθὼν εὗρον ἄνδρας τριακοσίους. [ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μοναστηρίῳ ἑώρακα ῥάπτας δεκαπέντε, χαλκεῖς ἑπτά, τέκτονας τέσσαρας, καμηλαρίους δώδεκα, κναφεῖς δεκαπέντε. ἐργάζονται δὲ πᾶσαν τέχνην, καὶ ἐκ τῶν περιττευμάτων οἰκονομοῦντες καὶ τὰ τῶν γυναικῶν μοναστήρια καὶ φυλακάς. [τρέφουσι δὲ καὶ χοίρους" ἐμοῦ δὲ ψέγοντος τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἔλεγον ὅτι Ἐν τῇ παραδόσει παρελάβομεν ὅτι τρεφέσθωσαν μὲν διὰ τὰ σινιάσματα, διὰ τὰ ἀποκαθαρίσματα τῶν λαχάνων, διὰ τὰ ῥιπτόμενα περιττώματα, ἵνα μὴ ζημιῶνται. καὶ θυέσθωσαν οἱ χοῖροι, καὶ τὸ κρέας μὲν πιπρασκέσθω, τὰ δὲ ἄκρα τοῖς νοσοῦσι καὶ τοῖς γέρουσιν ἀναλισκέσθωσαν, τῷ μετρίαν εἶναι τὴν χώραν καὶ πολυάνθρωπον' τὸ γὰρ ἔθνος τῶν Βλεμμύων αὐτοῖς παροικεῖ.] ἀναστάντες δὲ οἱ ἐφημερευταὶ ὄρθριοι οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸ μαγειρεῖον οἱ δὲ περὶ τὰς τραπέζας γίνονται. ἵστωσιν οὖν αὐτὰς μέχρι τῆς ὥρας ἀπαρτίσαντες, ἐπιθέντες κατὰ τράπεζαν ἄρτους, λαψάνας, συνθετὰς ἐλαίας, τυροὺς βοῶν, [τὰ τῶν κρεῶν ἄκρα, καὶ λεπτολάχανα. εἰσὶν οὖν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι ἕκτην ὥραν καὶ ἐσθίοντες, ἄλλοι ἑβδόμην, ἄλλοι ὀγδόην, ἄλλοι ἐννάτην, ἄλλοι ἑνδεκάτην, ἄλλοι ἑσπέραν βαθεῖαν, ἄλλοι διὰ δύο, ὡς ἕκαστον στοιχεῖον τὴν ἰδίαν ὥραν γνωρίζειν. οὕτως ἦν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἔργα ὁ μὲν ἐργάζεται γῆν γεωργῶν, ἄλλος κῆπον, ἄλλος χαλκεῖον, ἄλλος ἀρτοκοπεῖον, ἄλλος τεκτονεῖον, ἄλλος γναφεῖον, ἄλλος πλέκων σπυρίδας τὰς μεγάλας, ἄλλος βυρσεῖον, ἄλλος σκυτοτομεῖον, ἄλλος καλλιγραφεῖον, ἄλλος πλέκων τὰ μαλάκια; ἀποστηθίζουσι δὲ πάσας τὰς γραφάς.
hai kai synepodisan kaloumenos, en hǭ Pachōmios tis gegonen, anēr tōn eis eutheian bebiōkotōn hōs kataxiōthēnai kai prorrēseōn kai optasiōn angelikōn. houtos eis agan egeneto philanthrōpos te kai philadelǭos. kathezomenǭ oun autǭ en tǭ spēlaiǭ hōphthē angelos kai legei autǭ Ta kata sauton katōrthōsas' perittōs oun ? kathexę̄ en tǭ spēlaiǭ' deuro kai exelthōn synagage pantas tous neous monachous kai oikēson met᾽ autōn, kai kata ton typon hon didōmi soi houtōs autois nomothetēson. kai epedōken autǭ delton chalkēn en hē egegrapto tauta" Synchōrēseis hekastǭ kata dynamin phagein kai piein" kai baïdos, hothen Tabennēsiōtai eiseti nyn onomazontai. kai pros tas dynameis tōn esthiontōn analoga kai ta erga autois encheirison" kai mēte nēsteusai kōlysę̄s mēte phagein. houtō mentoi ta ischyra tois ischyroterois kai esthiousi, kai ta atona tois atonōterois kai askētikōterois encheirize erga. poiēson de kellas diaphorous en tę̄ aulę̄, kai treis kata kellan menetōsan. hē de trophē pantōn hypo hena oikon exetazesthō. katheudetōsan de mē anakeimenoi, alla thronous oikodomētous hyptiōterous pepoiēkotes kai thentes autōn ekei ta strōmata katheudetōsan kathēmenoi. phoreitōsan de en tais nyxi lebitōnas linous ezōsmenoi. hekastos autōn echetō mēlōtēn aigeian eirgasmenēn, hēs aneu mē esthietōsan. apiontes de eis tēn koinōnian kata sabbaton kai kyriakēn tas zōnas lyetōsan, tēn mēlōtēn apotithesthōsan, kai meta koukouliou monou eisietōsan. koukoulia de autois etypōsen amalla hōs paidiois, en hois kai kautēra typon staurou dia porphyriou ekeleusen entithesthai. ekeleuse de eikositessara tagmata einai kai hekastǭ tagmati epethēke stoicheion hellēnikon apo alpha kai bēta kai gamma kai delta kai tōn kath᾽ hexēs. en tǭ oun auton erōtan kai philopragmonein eis tosouton plēthos ērōta ton deuteron ho meizoteros: Pōs echei to tagma tou alpha? ē' Pōs echei to zēta ? palin" ilspasai to rhō, idiǭ tini sēmeiǭ grammatōn akolouthountes. kai tois men haplousterois kai akeraioterois epithēseis to iōta, tois de dyscheresterois kai skoliōterois prosaxeis to xi kai houtōs kat᾽ analogian tēs katastaseōs tōn proaireseōn kai tōn tropōn kai tōn biōn, hekastǭ tagmati to stoicheion ephērmose, monōn tōn pneumatikōn eidotōn ta sēmainomena. egegrapto de en tę̄ deltǭ hoti Xenos allou monastēriou allon echontos typon mē symphagę̄ toutois, mē sympię̄, mē eiselthę̄ eis tēn monēn ektos ei mē en hodǭ heurethę̄. ton mentoi eiselthonta symmeinai autois epi trietian eisō tōn adytōn ou dechontai" all᾽ ergatikōtera erga poiēsas, houtōs eisbainei meta trietian. esthiontes de tas kephalas kalyptetōsan tois koukouliois hina mē adelphos adelphon masōmenon idę̄. ouk esti lalēsai esthionta, oude ektos tou pinakos ē tēs trapezēs allachou prosechein tǭ ophthalmǭ. etypōse de dia pasēs tēs hēmeras poiein autous euchas dōdeka, kai en tǭ lychnikǭ dōdeka, kai en tais pannychisi dōdeka, kai ennatēn hōran treis" hote de mellei to plēthos esthiein hekastę̄ euchę̄ psalmon proadesthai typōsas. Prosantilegontos de tou Pachōmiou tǭ angelǭ hoti oligai eisin hai euchai, legei autǭ ho angelos: Tauta dietypōsa hōs phthanein kai tous mikrous epitelein ton kanona kai mē lypeisthai. hoi de teleioi nomothesias chreian ouk echousi" kath᾽ heautous gar en tais kellais holon heautōn to zēn tę̄ tou theou theōrią parechōrēsan. toutois de enomothetēsa hosoi ouk echousi noun epignōmona, hina kan hōs oiketai tēn syntaxin plērountes tēs politeias diatethōsin en parrēsią. Estin oun tauta ta monastēria pleiona kratēsanta touton ton typon, synteinonta eis heptakischilious andras. esti de to prōton kai mega monastērion entha autos ho Pachōmios hǭkei, to kai ta alla apokyēsan monastēria, echon andras chilious triakosious. en hois kai ho kalos ᾿Aphthonios ho philos mou genomenos gnēsios, to nyn deutereuōn en tǭ monastēriǭ" hon hōs askandaliston apostellousin en ᾿Alexandreią epi to diapōlēsai men autōn ta erga, synōnēsasthai de tas chreias. esti de alla monastēria apo diakosiōn kai triakosiōn" en hois kai eis Panos tēn polin eiselthōn heuron andras triakosious. [en toutǭ tǭ monastēriǭ heōraka rhaptas dekapente, chalkeis hepta, tektonas tessaras, kamēlarious dōdeka, knapheis dekapente. ergazontai de pasan technēn, kai ek tōn peritteumatōn oikonomountes kai ta tōn gynaikōn monastēria kai phylakas. [trephousi de kai choirous" emou de psegontos to pragma, elegon hoti En tę̄ paradosei parelabomen hoti trephesthōsan men dia ta siniasmata, dia ta apokatharismata tōn lachanōn, dia ta rhiptomena perittōmata, hina mē zēmiōntai. kai thyesthōsan hoi choiroi, kai to kreas men pipraskesthō, ta de akra tois nosousi kai tois gerousin analiskesthōsan, tǭ metrian einai tēn chōran kai polyanthrōpon' to gar ethnos tōn Blemmyōn autois paroikei.] anastantes de hoi ephēmereutai orthrioi hoi men peri to mageireion hoi de peri tas trapezas ginontai. histōsin oun autas mechri tēs hōras apartisantes, epithentes kata trapezan artous, lapsanas, synthetas elaias, tyrous boōn, [ta tōn kreōn akra, kai leptolachana. eisin oun hoi eiserchomenoi hektēn hōran kai esthiontes, alloi hebdomēn, alloi ogdoēn, alloi ennatēn, alloi hendekatēn, alloi hesperan batheian, alloi dia dyo, hōs hekaston stoicheion tēn idian hōran gnōrizein. houtōs ēn autōn kai ta erga ho men ergazetai gēn geōrgōn, allos kēpon, allos chalkeion, allos artokopeion, allos tektoneion, allos gnapheion, allos plekōn spyridas tas megalas, allos byrseion, allos skytotomeion, allos kalligrapheion, allos plekōn ta malakia? apostēthizousi de pasas tas graphas.
[… which also held us back.] … called …, in which there was a certain Pachomius, one of those who had lived uprightly, so that he was counted worthy of prophecies and angelic visions. He was exceedingly kind and loving to the brothers. As he was sitting in his cave, an angel appeared to him and said to him, “You have succeeded in what concerns yourself; it is superfluous for you to sit in the cave. Come, go out, gather all the young monks, and live with them; and give them laws according to the pattern I give you.” And he gave him a bronze tablet on which was written: “You shall allow each to eat and drink according to his strength [… and of palm leaf, from which they are still called Tabennesiots to this day]; and assign them work in proportion to the strength of those who eat; and prevent no one from fasting or from eating. In this way assign the heavy tasks to those who are stronger and eat, and the light tasks to those who are weaker and more ascetic. Make separate cells in the courtyard, and let them live three to a cell; but let the food of all be prepared in one house. Let them not sleep lying down, but let them make built seats sloping backward, put their bedding on them, and sleep sitting. At night let them wear linen sleeveless tunics, girded. Let each of them have a worked goatskin, without which they are not to eat. When they go to Communion on Saturday and Sunday, let them loosen their girdles, lay aside the goatskin, and go in with the hood only.” He prescribed for them hoods without nap, as for children, on which he ordered a brand in the form of a cross to be put in purple. He ordered that there be twenty-four classes, and to each class he assigned a Greek letter, from alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and so on. So when the abbot asked and inquired about so great a number, he would ask his second, “How is the class of alpha?” or “How is zeta?” and again, “Greet rho,” following a particular sign of the letters. “To the simpler and more innocent you shall assign iota, and to the more difficult and crooked you shall apply xi.” And so, according to the state of their dispositions, characters, and lives, he fitted a letter to each class, only the spiritual knowing what was signified.
It was written on the tablet: “A stranger from another monastery that has another rule shall not eat or drink with them or enter the monastery, unless he is found on a journey.” But one who comes in to stay with them they do not receive into the inner places for three years; only after doing the harder tasks does he enter after three years. When they eat, let them cover their heads with their hoods, so that one brother may not see another chewing. One may not talk while eating, or let one's eye wander anywhere but to one's plate or the table. He prescribed that they should say twelve prayers in the course of the day, twelve at lamp-lighting, twelve at the night vigils, and three at the ninth hour; and when the community is about to eat, he prescribed that a psalm be sung before each prayer. When Pachomius objected to the angel that the prayers were few, the angel said to him, “I have prescribed these so that even the little ones may manage to fulfil the rule and not be grieved. The perfect have no need of legislation, for by themselves in their cells they have given their whole life to the contemplation of God. I have legislated for those who do not have a discerning mind, so that, fulfilling the order of the life like servants, they may live in freedom.”
There are, then, several of these monasteries that hold to this rule, amounting to seven thousand men. The first and great monastery, where Pachomius himself lived, which gave birth to the other monasteries, has thirteen hundred men. Among them is the good Aphthonius, who became my true friend, now second in charge of the monastery; being unshakable, he is sent to Alexandria to sell their work and buy their necessities. There are other monasteries of two and three hundred; among them, going into the city of Panos, I found three hundred men. [In this monastery I saw fifteen tailors, seven smiths, four carpenters, twelve camel-drivers, fifteen fullers.] They work at every craft, and from their surplus they provide for the women's monasteries and the prisons. [They also rear pigs. When I criticized this, they said, “We have received in the tradition that they should be reared on account of the chaff, the vegetable trimmings, and the scraps that are thrown away, so that these may not be lost; and that the pigs be slaughtered, the meat sold, and the extremities used for the sick and the old, because the country is moderate in resources and populous; for the people of the Blemmyes live near them.”] Those whose turn of duty it is rise early, some to the kitchen, others to the tables. They lay them by the appointed hour, putting on each table loaves, charlock, preserved olives, cow's-milk cheeses, [the extremities of the meat,] and small herbs. Some come in and eat at the sixth hour, others at the seventh, others at the eighth, others at the ninth, others at the eleventh, others late in the evening, others every two days, so that each letter knows its own hour. So too with their work: one works the land as a farmer, another the garden, another the smithy, another the bakery, another the carpenter's shop, another the fullery, another plaits the large baskets, another the tannery, another the shoemaker's shop, another the scriptorium, another plaits the soft baskets. And they learn all the Scriptures by heart.
Notes and citation
Summary: Palladius describes Pachomius's monasteries at Tabennesi: the angel's bronze tablet of rules, the twenty-four lettered classes, prayers, meals, crafts, and numbers.
- The beginning of this chapter (naming Tabennesi) is lost in the OCR; its first words, “which also held us back,” complete the last sentence of chapter 31 and are translated here in brackets, where they stand. The clause “and of palm leaf, from which they are still called Tabennesiots” appears to be a displaced line from the lost opening; it is translated in brackets where it stands. Long blocks of Butler's apparatus (the parallel account of Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 3.14, other recensions, and Butler's English notes) were interleaved line by line with the text by the OCR; they are removed by logged corrections. The passages in square brackets (crafts, pigs, meat) stand in square brackets in the edition, marking text not found in all witnesses; they are translated in brackets. “Greet rho” is a doubtful reading (ἴλσπασαι). Panos is Panopolis (Akhmim). The Blemmyes were a desert people south of Egypt.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR debris and slips; OCR slip; OCR slip and stray line number; OCR slips; OCR ξ for ζ; apparatus (Sozomen and Butler's English note) removed; apparatus (Sozomen and Butler's English notes) removed; apparatus (Sozomen, other recensions, English notes) removed; apparatus (Sozomen, variants, English notes) removed; apparatus (parallel text of Sozomen) removed and word rejoined; stray bracket; stray line number; stray mark): 1--4 5οΖ. (16) Κατὰ τούτους τοὺς νόμους, τοὺς ἰδίους μαθητὰς ἦγεν ὁ Παχώμιος, ἀνὴρ τὰ μάλιστα φιλάνθρωπος, καὶ θεοφιλὴς εἰς ἄγαν ὡς προειδέναι τὰ ἐσόμενα, καὶ θείοις ἀγγέλοις ὁμιλεῖν πολλάκις. 4-9 (9) Τόν γε μὴν Παχώμιόν φασι μόνον ἐν σπηλαίῳ τὰ πρῶτα φιλοσοφῆσαι: προφανέντα δὲ αὐτῷ θεῖον ἄγγελον παρακελεύσασθαι νέους ἀθροῖσαι μοναχοὺς καὶ συνεῖναι αὐτοῖς: εὖ γὰρ τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ κατωρθωκέναι καὶ χρῆναι καὶ συνοικιῶν ἡγούμενον ὠφελεῖν πολλούς" ἄγειν δὲ αὐτοὺς νόμοις οἷς ἂν δοίη" δεδωκέναι δὲ αὐτῷ δέλτον ἣν ἔτι φυλάττουσιν. Οπ Ῥϑοβοιηΐυβ 886 Νοίθ 49. Ἴ οἴκησον μετ᾽ αὐτῶν] Αὐ {ῃ15 ροϊηὺ Ῥ ἀορατὺβ ἔγοτα {86 βύσιιούασο οὗ 811 ὑπ6 οὗμου' δύο θϊθβ, ἱποιαάϊηρ ὅοζ.: 10 οταϊύβ καὶ κατὰ...νομοθέτησον (Ἷ, 8), ἀπ 8065 οἢ (οἵ, Ἱ, Ρ. 93): ὃς συναγαγὼν ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας κατέταξεν ἐν διαφόροις μοναστηρίοις δοὺς αὐτοῖς καὶ κανόνα κατὰ τὴν διάταξιν τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ ὀφθέντος αὐτῷ. ἔστι δὲ τὸ πρῶτον κιτ.λ. (9, Ρ. 93) ὕο ..«συνωνήσασθαι δὲ τὰς χρείας (4, ν. 94). περιεῖχε δὲ ἡ διάταξις τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἣν ἐπέδωκε τῷ Π. εἰς δέλτον χαλκοῦν, ἐν ἧ ἐγέγραπτο ταῦτα: Συγχωρήσεις κιτιλ. (10 ΔΌονο). 10-- (Ὁ. 89) 80. (10) ᾿Ενοῦσα δὲ ταύτῃ γραφὴ προσέταττε συγχωρεῖν ἑκάστῳ → καὶ ; κατὰ κέλλαν ΄ ς δὲ Ν πα . ᾽ , μένετωσαν. ω) ε τροφὴ πάντων νπὸ εναὰ οἶκον → κατὰ κέλλαν μενέτωσαν. ἡ δὲ τροφὴ πάντων ὑπὸ ἕνα οἶκον; τὰ ἐσχυρὰ τοῖς ἐἰσχυροτέροις → τὰ ἰσχυρὰ τοῖς ἰσχυροτέροις; ἐγχείριξε → ἐγχείριζε; αὐγείαν το εἰργασμένην → αἰγείαν εἰργασμένην; εἰς τὴν 7ὔ ἈΝ 7 Ν Α Α ΄ , κοινωνίαν → εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν; εἰσιέὡς ἂν οἷός τε ἦν φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι, νηστεύειν τε καὶ μή" τοῖς μέντοι ῥωμαλεωτέρως ἐσθίουσι τὰ ἐπιπονώτερα τῶν ἔργων ἐπιτρέπειν, τὰ δὲ εὐχαρῆ τοῖς ἀσκουμένοις. 4--ὃ ὅοζ. (11) Οἰκήματα δὲ μικρὰ κατασκευάσαι πολλά, καὶ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον οἴκημα τρεῖς καταμένειν: ὑπὸ ἔνα δὲ οἶκον πάντας τροφῆς μεταλαμβάνειν. 1--10 (18) Χιτῶσι δὲ λινοῖς καὶ ζώναις, κεχρῆσθαι, καὶ ἐζωσμένους σὺν τοῖς χιτωνίοις καὶ ταῖς διφθέραις καθεύδειν καθημένους ἐν οἰκοδομητοῖς θρόνοις ἑκατέρωθεν περιπεφραγμένοις ὥστε τὴν ἑκάστου συνέχειν στρωμνήν. 10 Διφθέρας δὲ ἀμφιέννυσθαι. 11---18 (14) Τῇ δὲ πρώτῃ καὶ τελευταίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσιόντας, τὰς ζώνας λύειν καὶ τὰς διφθέρας ἀποτίθεσθαι. τώσαν. → εἰσιέτωσαν.; ἐτύπωσεν [ ἄμαλλα → ἐτύπωσεν ἄμαλλα; αὐτὸν . ἐρωτᾶν → αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾶν; μειξότερος → μειζότερος; Πῶς ἔχει τὸ ξῆτα → Πῶς ἔχει τὸ ζῆτα; σημείῳ 1-.8 Ξοζ. (13) Καὶ τιάραις ἐρίναις τὰς κεφαλὰς σκέπεσθαι: κατασημαίνεσθαι δὲ ταύτας τὰς τιάρας οἱονεὶ κέντροις πορφυροῖς προσέταξε. 8-. δ (Ρ. 91) (16) Πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν συνοικίαν εἰς εἰκοσιτέσσαρα τάγματα διελεῖν, καὶ ἐπονομάσαι ταῦτα τοῖς ἑλλήνων στοιχείοις: καὶ ὅπως ἔχοι βίον καὶ ἤθους ἑκάστῳ τάγματι τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐφαρμόσαι" οἷον, ἁπλουστέρους μὲν ἰῶτα ἀποκαλοῦντας, σκολιοὺς δὲ ζ ἢ ξ, καὶ ἄλλους ἄλλως καθὼς ἐκλαμβάνειν εὐστόχως ἐστὶ πρὸς τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ γράμματος τὴν προαίρεσιν τοῦ τάγματος. 8---ῇαὶ (Ρ. 91) 866 Νοίϑ δ]. καὶ φιλοπραγμονεῖν] Ο ρο65 οῃ : τί θέλῃ εἶναι τὰ στοιχεῖα, καὶ διὰ τί ἑκάστῳ τάγματι στοιχεῖον ἐνεκέλευσεν ἐπιγραφῆναι, τὸ μὲν τὸ ἄλφα, τὸ δὲ τὸ βῆτα, τὸ μὲν τὸ γάμα, τὸ δὲ τὸ δέλτα καὶ καθεξῆς: ἔφη ὅτι ἑκάστῳ τάγματι κατ᾽ ἀναλογίαν κ-τ.λ. “Ἴ Δεύτερος 18 ὑπ6 ποτ ον {86 Βθοοηα ἵπ Θοτωτηϑηα ἴῃ ὑπ6 Κέζα αοῆ. 8,50, καὶ κουκ. δὲ Ῥ τύπωσον δᾶ (8) κέλευσον οἰ ἢ ἄμαλλαι ὥς (516) Τ' γοη : (οπϑ ἃ ΡΟ 88.47 Βὴ 2 καυτῆρα τύπον στ.) ῬΤΑΒ; καυτῆρά τινα (-ράς τινας Βἢ στ. → σημείῳ ; ὅτε Ξένος → ὅτι Ξένος; οὕτως το εἰσβαίνει → οὕτως εἰσβαίνει; καλυ- 6--11 8.οζΖ. (19) Ξένον δὲ μὴ συνεσθίειν αὐτοῖς μόνον εἰ μὴ παροδεύων ἐπιξενωθείη- τὸν δὲ συνοικεῖν αὐτοῖς βουλόμενον πρότερον ἐπὶ τριετίαν τὰ χαλεπώτερα τῶν ἔργων πονεῖν, καὶ οὕτω μετέχειν τῆς αὐτῶν συνοικίας. 11. - . 99) (11) Σιγῇ τε ἐσθίειν, καὶ καθῆσθαι παρὰ τὰς τραπέζας ἐπικεκαλυμμένους τὰ πρόσωπα, ὡς μήτε ἀλλήλους ὁρᾶν μήτε ἄλλο τι πλὴν τῆς τραπέζης καὶ τῶν πτέτωσαν → καλυπτέτωσαν; ἐννάτην . ὥραν → ἐννάτην ὥραν; 8--ἴ 502, (14) Δωδέκατον δὲ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας εὔχεσθαι, καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ὁμοίως, τοσαυτάκις δὲ νύκτωρ, ἐννάτῃ δὲ ὥρᾳ τρίτον: ἡνίκα δὲ μέλλοιεν ἐσθίειν, ἑκάστης εὐχῆς προάδειν ψαλμόν. 8--ῸῬἸϑἴ 866 Νοία δ8. 4-- καὶ ἐν τῷ λυχνικῷ..«τυπώσας] [πῃ Ρ {Π18 Ῥᾶβδαρθ βύοοα οὐἱρίηδγ ἐμπδ: καὶ ἐν ταῖς παννυχίσι, δώδεκα" καὶ τὴν ἐννάτην ὥραν, τρεῖς" καὶ ἐν τῷ λυχνικῷ, δώδεκα ὅτε [] ἐσθίειν μέλλει τὸ πλῆθος ἐν ἑκάστῃ εὐχῇ ψαλμοὺς προσάγεσθαι τυπώσας. κιτ.λ. ΤῊΘ βθοοπά 11π6 δὰ [Π8 ψοτὰά μέλλει Βανα Ὀθθη βοογβὰ ἐπγουρΉ, δηα ὅτε ῬΑΡΟΙΔΠΥ ἀπά ὕνο Ἰθύξθσβ (ἀου Ὀ0]888 δὲ) ΘοπρΙΘύθ] Υ δγαβθα ; δη8 ἴῃ ἐμϑὶν ΡΙδοθ ὑμ0 ΜΟΡάΒ καὶ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν τρεῖς ὅτε ἐδόκει ᾶνο ὈΘ6η δαἀάθᾶ ἰη ἐῃ6 ΤηΔΥΡΊη ὈΥ ἃ Ιαῦϑ βᾶπα, ΤῊΘ ῥγϑβθηῦ ραπούαδίϊοη (ἃ 11] ϑύορ δἵ8ι' πλῆθος) οδηποῦ Ὀ6 οτἱρίμδὶ ; ἱπάθϑα ὑμθῦθ βθϑῖῃ ἕο Ὀ6 ὑγϑοθθϑ οὗ ἃ βύορ ὑϑύψθϑιι δώδεκα δπὰ ὅτε. → ; τὸ ξῆν τῇ → τὸ ζῆν τῇ; ἔχον ἄνδρας το. 1---1 (Ρ. 94) 502. (17) Ὑπὸ δὲ τούτους τοὺς νόμους πολιτευόμενοι ὀνομαστότατοι ἐγένοντο καὶ εἰς πλῆθος τῷ χρόνῳ ἐπέδοσαν, ὡς εἰς ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας συντελεῖν. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐν Ταβεννήσῳ (νυ]ρ. Ταβέννῃ νήσῳ) συνοικία, μεθ᾽ ὧν αὐτὸς Παχώμιος διέτριβεν, ἀμφὶ τοὺς χιλίους καὶ τριακοσίους εἶχεν" οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Θηβαΐδα καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Αἴγυπτον οἰκοῦσι. μία δὲ καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀγωγὴ πᾶσι, καὶ κοινὰ πάντων τὰ πάντα: καθάπερ δὲ μητέρα τὴν ἐν Ταβεννήσῳ συνοικίαν ἡγοῦντο, πατέρας δὲ καὶ ἄρχοντας τοὺς ἐνθάδε ἡγουμένους. 1--. (Ὁ. 94) ὅ66 Νοίθ ὅ4. Ῥδῃορυϊβ 15 ὑπ6 τηοάθγη ΑΚὨτηῖτη, Ἴ, 8 Ῥ γτοδάβ: Ἔστιν μὲν οὖν... τοῦτον τὸν τύπον ἀπὸ διακοσίων κιτ.λ. (δ, Ῥ. 94), οταϊυἱηρ συντείνοντα κιτιλ. (8) ἴο .. ἄλλα μοναστήρια (δ, Ῥ. 94): Ὀαὺ 686 Ραββᾶρθ: ἔστι δὲ τὸ πρῶτον (8 δὈον6) ἴο ...συνωνήσασθαι δὲ τὰς χρείας (4, → ἔχον ἄνδρας ; ἔλεγον ὅτε Ἔν τῇ → ἔλεγον ὅτι Ἐν τῇ; ξημιῶνται → ζημιῶνται; τὰς τραπέξας → τὰς τραπέζας; ὥραν καὶ το ἐσθίοντες → ὥραν καὶ ἐσθίοντες; τὰς γραφάς. . → τὰς γραφάς..
Topics: Prayer, Eucharist, Fasting
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 32 (Butler 1904 2:87–96; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/32
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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 33
33Butler 1904 2:96–98
Τούτοις ἔστι καὶ μοναστήριον γυναικῶν ὡς τετρακοσίων, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχον διατύπωσιν, τὴν αὐτὴν πολιτείαν, ἐκτὸς τῆς μηλωτῆς" καὶ αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες ἀντιπέρα. ὅταν οὖν τελευτήσῃ παρθένος, ἐνταφιάσασαι αὐτὴν αἱ παρθένοι φέρουσι καὶ τιθέασι παρὰ τὴν ὄχθην τοῦ ποταμοῦ' περάσαντες δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ μετὰ πορθμείου, μετὰ βαΐων καὶ κλάδων ἐλαιῶν, μετὰ ψαλμῳδίας φέρουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸ πέραν, θάπτοντες εἰς τὰ ἴδια μνήματα. παρεκτὸς μέντοι τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου καὶ τοῦ διακόνου οὐδεὶς περᾷ εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ τοῦτο κατὰ κυριακήν. Ἔν τούτῳ τῷ μοναστηρίῳ τῶν γυναικῶν συνέβη πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτον' ῥάπτης κοσμικὸς περάσας κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἐζήτει ἔργον" καὶ ἐξελθοῦσα νεωτέρα μία, ἔρημος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τόπος, συνέτυχεν αὐτῷ ἀκουσίως καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτῷ ἀπόκρισιν ὅτι “Ἡμεῖς ἔχομεν ἡμετέρους ῥάπτας. ἄλλη ἑωρακυῖα τὴν συντυχίαν, χρόνου παρελθόντος καὶ γενομένης μάχης, ἐξ ὑπονοίας διαβολικῆς ἀπὸ πολλῆς πονηρίας καὶ ζέσεως θυμοῦ, ἐσυκοφάντησε ταύτην ἐπὶ τῆς ἀδελφότητος" ἧ συνέδραμον καὶ ἄλλαι ὀλίγαι τῇ κακίᾳ. ἀπολυπηθεῖσα οὖν ἐκείνη ὡς ὑποστᾶσα τοιαύτην συκοφαντίαν τὴν μήτε εἰς ἔννοιαν αὐτῆς ἐλθοῦσαν, καὶ μὴ ἐνεγκοῦσα ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὴν εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν λάθρα καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν. οὕτως ἡ συκοφαντήσασα, γνοῦσα ὅτι ἐσυκοφάντησεν ἀπὸ πονηρίας καὶ εἰργάσατο τὸ ἄγος τοῦτο, λαβοῦσα ἀπήγξατο καὶ αὐτὴ μὴ στέξασα τὸ πρᾶγμα. ἐλθόντι οὖν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ ἀνήγγειλαν τὸ πρᾶγμα αἱ λοιπαὶ ἀδελφαί" καὶ ἐκέλευσε τούτων μὲν μηδὲ μιᾶς προσφορὰν ἐπιτελεσθῆναι" τὰς δὲ μὴ εἰρηνευσάσας αὐτάς, ὡς συνειδυίας τῇ συκοφαντησάσῃ καὶ πιστευσάσας τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἑπταετίαν ἀφώρισεν ἀκοινωνήτους ποιήσας.
Toutois esti kai monastērion gynaikōn hōs tetrakosiōn, tēn autēn echon diatypōsin, tēn autēn politeian, ektos tēs mēlōtēs" kai hai men gynaikes peran tou potamou, hoi de andres antipera. hotan oun teleutēsę̄ parthenos, entaphiasasai autēn hai parthenoi pherousi kai titheasi para tēn ochthēn tou potamou' perasantes de hoi adelphoi meta porthmeiou, meta baïōn kai kladōn elaiōn, meta psalmǭdias pherousin autēn eis to peran, thaptontes eis ta idia mnēmata. parektos mentoi tou presbyterou kai tou diakonou oudeis perą eis to monastērion tōn gynaikōn, kai touto kata kyriakēn. En toutǭ tǭ monastēriǭ tōn gynaikōn synebē pragma toiouton' rhaptēs kosmikos perasas kata agnoian ezētei ergon" kai exelthousa neōtera mia, erēmos gar estin ho topos, synetychen autǭ akousiōs kai dedōken autǭ apokrisin hoti “Hēmeis echomen hēmeterous rhaptas. allē heōrakuia tēn syntychian, chronou parelthontos kai genomenēs machēs, ex hyponoias diabolikēs apo pollēs ponērias kai zeseōs thymou, esykophantēse tautēn epi tēs adelphotētos" hē synedramon kai allai oligai tę̄ kakią. apolypētheisa oun ekeinē hōs hypostasa toiautēn sykophantian tēn mēte eis ennoian autēs elthousan, kai mē enenkousa ebalen heautēn eis ton potamon lathra kai eteleutēsen. houtōs hē sykophantēsasa, gnousa hoti esykophantēsen apo ponērias kai eirgasato to agos touto, labousa apēnxato kai autē mē stexasa to pragma. elthonti oun tǭ presbyterǭ anēngeilan to pragma hai loipai adelphai" kai ekeleuse toutōn men mēde mias prosphoran epitelesthēnai" tas de mē eirēneusasas autas, hōs syneiduias tę̄ sykophantēsasę̄ kai pisteusasas tois eirēmenois, heptaetian aphōrisen akoinōnētous poiēsas.
They also have a monastery of about four hundred women, with the same constitution and the same way of life, except for the goatskin. The women are across the river, and the men opposite. When a virgin dies, the virgins prepare her for burial, carry her out, and lay her on the bank of the river; the brothers cross over by ferry with palm branches and olive boughs and with psalmody carry her across and bury her in their own tombs. Apart from the presbyter and the deacon, no one crosses to the women's monastery, and that only on Sunday.
In this women's monastery the following happened. A tailor from the world crossed over in ignorance looking for work. A younger sister came out (for the place is deserted), met him unintentionally, and gave him the answer, “We have our own tailors.” Another, who had seen the meeting, some time later, when a quarrel arose, out of devilish suspicion, from great wickedness and the heat of anger, slandered her before the sisterhood; and a few others joined her in the malice. The first, grieved at having suffered such slander about something that had not even entered her mind, could not bear it and secretly threw herself into the river and died. Then the slanderer, realizing that she had slandered out of wickedness and had done this abomination, could not bear the thing either and hanged herself. When the presbyter came, the other sisters reported the matter, and he ordered that the offering should be made for neither of them; and those who had not made peace, as being accomplices of the slanderer and as having believed what was said, he excommunicated for seven years, barring them from Communion.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Palladius describes the Pachomian women's monastery and tells how a slander drove one nun to drown herself and the slanderer to hang herself, with the presbyter's penalties.
- “The offering” (προσφορά) is the Eucharist offered for the dead. The suicides and the penalties are reported as written. A piece of Butler's apparatus (variants and an English note) inside the sentence about the presbyter was removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR slip; OCR ξ for ζ; apparatus (variants and English notes) removed; running chapter numeral removed; stray bracket; stray line number): ἐνταφιάσᾶσαι → ἐνταφιάσασαι; 1-δ 866 Νοίο δγ. δ 800 Νοίο ὅ8. 8 ὅθ Νοίο ὅ9. 9---18 Οομιρατο Ρύία Ῥαοσλοηεῖὶ ὃ 29, οἰνοα ῥηοῖ. 169. Δ μὲν] Ἐ γὰρ Ῥ γῆν] τὴν γῆν 88-47; οἵη Τ' γεωργῶν» οτὰ 388-47: (οἱ μὲν γεωργικὴν γεωργοῦσι Ο) ἄλλος] ὁ δὲ τὸν 88-47: (ἄλλοι δὲ κῆπον ἐργάζονται 0) κῆπον] " ἄλλος ἐστὶν εἰς τὸ γναφεῖον Ῥ (ἔτοτι 3) ἄλλος3] ἄλλοι εἰς Ο (εο μτουρῃοαἱ); ἄλλος ἐστὶν εἰς τὸ Ρ; ὁ δὲ τὸ 88-47 ἄλλος χαλκ.] οἵα εἴἢ (ϑαθβεϊ αὐθβ “βποίμοσ → ; ξέσεως θυμοῦ → ζέσεως θυμοῦ; κακίᾳ. το ἀπολυπηθεῖσα → κακίᾳ. ἀπολυπηθεῖσα; συκοφαντίαν ΑἹ ᾿ ᾽ ΕΖ » δ. .“ Α ΠῚ ἊᾺ τὴν → συκοφαντίαν τὴν; στέξασα ιτ5 τὸ → στέξασα τὸ; αἱ λουπαὶ → αἱ λοιπαὶ; ἐκέλευσε [ τούτων → ἐκέλευσε τούτων; ποιήσας. (ΧΧΧΙΝῚ ᾿ → ποιήσας..
Topics: Eucharist, Church office
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 33 (Butler 1904 2:96–98; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/33
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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 34
34Butler 1904 2:98–100
Εν τούτῳ τῷ μοναστηρίῳ ἄλλη γέγονε παρθένος ὑποκρινομένη μωρίαν καὶ δαίμονα' καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὴν ἐβδελύξαντο ὡς μηδὲ συνεσθίειν αὐτῇ, τοῦτο ἐκείνης αἱρησαμένης. ἀλωμένη οὖν ἀνὰ τὸ μαγειρεῖον πᾶσαν ἐποίει ὑπηρεσίαν, καὶ ἦν, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, σπόγγος τῆς μονῆς, ἔργῳ πληροῦσα τὸ γεγραμμένον· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός. αὐτὴ ῥάκος ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς δήσασα --καὶ γὰρ ἄλλαι πᾶσαί εἰσι κεκαρμέναι, ἔχουσαι κουκούλια;--οὕτως ἦν ὑπηρετοῦσα. ταύτην μασωμένην οὐκ εἶδεν οὐδεμία τῶν τετρακοσίων τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς" ἐπὶ τραπέζης οὐκ ἐκαθέσθη, οὐ κλάσματος μετέλαβεν ἄρτου, ἀλλὰ τὰς ψῖχας σπογγίζουσα τῶν τραπεζῶν καὶ τὰς χύτρας περιπλύνουσα τούτοις ἠρκεῖτο" μὴ ὑβρίσασά ποτέ τινα, μὴ γογγύσασα, μὴ λαλήσασα μικρὸν ἣ μέγα, καίπερ κονδυλιζομένη καὶ ὑβριζομένη καὶ καταρωμένη καὶ μυσαττομένη. Παρέστη οὖν ἄγγελος τῷ ἁγίῳ Πιτηροῦμ ἐν τῷ Πορφυρίτῃ καθεζομένῳ ἀναχωρητῇ ἀνδρὶ δοκιμωτάτῳ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ" Διὰ τί μέγα φρονεῖς ἐπὶ σεαυτῷ ὡς εὐλαβής, καὶ ἐν τοιούτῳ καθεζόμενος τόπῳ; θέλεις ἰδεῖν εὐλαβεστέραν σου γυναῖκα; ἄπελθε εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν Ταβεννησιωτῶν, καὶ ἐκεῖ εὑρήσεις μίαν διάδημα ἔχουσαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς" αὕτη σου ἀμείνων ἐστί. τοσούτῳ γὰρ ὄχλῳ πυκτεύονσα, τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς οὐδέποτε ἀπέστησε τοῦ θεοῦ" σὺ δὲ καθεζόμενος ὧδε, ἀνὰ τὰς πόλεις πλανᾶσαι τῇ διανοίᾳ. καὶ ὁ μηδέποτε ἐξελθὼν ἀπἤλθεν ἕως τοῦ μοναστηρίου ἐκείνου, καὶ παρακαλεῖ τοὺς διδασκάλους εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν. ἐκεῖνοι ὡς ἐπίδοξον καὶ γεγηρακότα ἐθάρρησαν αὐτὸν εἰσαγαγεῖν. καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἐπεζήτησε πάσας ἰδεῖν. ἐκείνη οὐ παρεφαίνετο. τέλος λέγει αὐταῖς: Φέρετέ μοι πάσας" λείπει γὰρ καὶ ἄλλη. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ: Μίαν ἔχομεν σαλὴν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ μαγειρείῳ’---οὕτω γὰρ καλοῦσι τὰς πασχούσας. λέγει αὐταῖς": ᾿Αγάγετέ μοι κἀκείνην" ἄφετε αὐτὴν ἴδω. ἀπῆλθον αὐτῇ φωνῆσαι: αὐτὴ οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν, ἴσως αἰσθομένη τοῦ πράγματος, ἡ καὶ ἀποκαλυφθεῖσα. σύρουσι βίᾳ καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ· Ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηροῦμ σε θέλει ἰδεῖν. ἦν γάρ ὀνομαστός. ἐλθούσης οὖν αὐτῆς ἐθεάσατο τὸ ῥάκος τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου αὐτῆς, καὶ πεσὼν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτῆς λέγει αὐτῇ᾽ Εὐλόγησόν με. ὁμοίως κἀκείνη ἔπεσεν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ λέγουσα" Σύ με εὐλόγησον, κύριε. ἐξέστησαν πᾶσαι καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ᾿Αββᾶ, μὴ πάσχε ὕβριν. σαλή ἐστι. λέγει αὐταῖς πάσαις ὁ Πιτηροῦμ· Ὑμεῖς ἐστὲ σαλαί᾽ αὕτη γὰρ καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν ἀμμᾶς ἐστίν" - οὕτως γὰρ καλοῦσι τὰς πνευματικάς"-καὶ εὔχομαι ἄξιος αὐτῆς εὑρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. ἀκούσασαι ταῦτα ἔπεσον αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας, ἐξομολογούμεναι πᾶσαι διαφόρως ἡ μὲν ὡς τὸ ἀπόπλυμα τοῦ πίνακος ἐπιχέασα αὐτῇ· ἄλλη ὡς κονδύλοις ἐπιτριψαμένη" ἄλλη ὡς τὴν ῥῖνα αὐτῆς σιναπίσασα᾽ καὶ ἁπλῶς πᾶσαι διαφόρους ὕβρεις ἀπήγγειλαν. εὐξάμενος οὖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀπῆλθε. καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ὀλίγας μὴ ἐνεγκοῦσα ἐκείνη τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ταῖς ἀπολογίαις βαρυνθεῖσα, ἐξῆλθε τοῦ μοναστηρίου'" καὶ ποῦ ἀπῆλθεν, ἢ ποῦ κατέδυ, ἡ πῶς ἐτελεύτησεν, ἔγνω οὐδείς.
En toutǭ tǭ monastēriǭ allē gegone parthenos hypokrinomenē mōrian kai daimona' kai epi tosouton autēn ebdelyxanto hōs mēde synesthiein autę̄, touto ekeinēs hairēsamenēs. alōmenē oun ana to mageireion pasan epoiei hypēresian, kai ēn, to dē legomenon, spongos tēs monēs, ergǭ plērousa to gegrammenon; Ei tis dokei sophos einai en hymin en tǭ aiōni toutǭ, mōros genesthō, hina genētai sophos. autē rhakos epi tēs kephalēs dēsasa --kai gar allai pasai eisi kekarmenai, echousai koukoulia?--houtōs ēn hypēretousa. tautēn masōmenēn ouk eiden oudemia tōn tetrakosiōn ta etē tēs zōēs autēs" epi trapezēs ouk ekathesthē, ou klasmatos metelaben artou, alla tas psichas spongizousa tōn trapezōn kai tas chytras periplynousa toutois ērkeito" mē hybrisasa pote tina, mē gongysasa, mē lalēsasa mikron hē mega, kaiper kondylizomenē kai hybrizomenē kai katarōmenē kai mysattomenē. Parestē oun angelos tǭ hagiǭ Pitēroum en tǭ Porphyritę̄ kathezomenǭ anachōrētę̄ andri dokimōtatǭ, kai legei autǭ" Dia ti mega phroneis epi seautǭ hōs eulabēs, kai en toioutǭ kathezomenos topǭ? theleis idein eulabesteran sou gynaika? apelthe eis to monastērion tōn gynaikōn tōn Tabennēsiōtōn, kai ekei heurēseis mian diadēma echousan epi tēs kephalēs" hautē sou ameinōn esti. tosoutǭ gar ochlǭ pykteuonsa, tēn kardian autēs oudepote apestēse tou theou" sy de kathezomenos hōde, ana tas poleis planasai tę̄ dianoią. kai ho mēdepote exelthōn apēlthen heōs tou monastēriou ekeinou, kai parakalei tous didaskalous eiselthein eis to monastērion tōn gynaikōn. ekeinoi hōs epidoxon kai gegērakota etharrēsan auton eisagagein. kai eiselthōn epezētēse pasas idein. ekeinē ou parephaineto. telos legei autais: Pherete moi pasas" leipei gar kai allē. legousin autǭ: Mian echomen salēn endon en tǭ mageireiǭ’---houtō gar kalousi tas paschousas. legei autais": ᾿Agagete moi kakeinēn" aphete autēn idō. apēlthon autę̄ phōnēsai: autē ouch hypēkousen, isōs aisthomenē tou pragmatos, hē kai apokalyphtheisa. syrousi bią kai legousin autę̄; Ho hagios Pitēroum se thelei idein. ēn gar onomastos. elthousēs oun autēs etheasato to rhakos to epi tou metōpou autēs, kai pesōn eis tous podas autēs legei autę̄᾽ Eulogēson me. homoiōs kakeinē epesen eis tous podas autou legousa" Sy me eulogēson, kyrie. exestēsan pasai kai legousin autǭ ᾿Abba, mē pasche hybrin. salē esti. legei autais pasais ho Pitēroum; Hymeis este salai᾽ hautē gar kai emou kai hymōn ammas estin" - houtōs gar kalousi tas pneumatikas"-kai euchomai axios autēs heurethēnai en tę̄ hēmerą tēs kriseōs. akousasai tauta epeson autou eis tous podas, exomologoumenai pasai diaphorōs hē men hōs to apoplyma tou pinakos epicheasa autę̄; allē hōs kondylois epitripsamenē" allē hōs tēn rhina autēs sinapisasa᾽ kai haplōs pasai diaphorous hybreis apēngeilan. euxamenos oun hyper autōn apēlthe. kai meth᾽ hēmeras oligas mē enenkousa ekeinē tēn doxan kai tēn timēn tōn adelphōn, kai tais apologiais baryntheisa, exēlthe tou monastēriou'" kai pou apēlthen, ē pou katedy, hē pōs eteleutēsen, egnō oudeis.
In this monastery there was another virgin who feigned madness and possession by a demon. The others came to loathe her so much that they would not even eat with her, which was what she had chosen. She went about the kitchen doing every kind of service, and was, as the saying goes, the sponge of the monastery, fulfilling in deed what is written: “If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool, so that he may become wise.” She tied a rag on her head (all the others are shorn and wear hoods), and in this way she served. None of the four hundred ever saw her chewing in all the years of her life. She never sat at table, never took a piece of bread, but wiping up the crumbs from the tables and washing out the pots, she was content with these. She never insulted anyone, never grumbled, never spoke little or much, though she was beaten, insulted, cursed, and loathed.
Now an angel stood by the holy Piteroum, a most well-proven anchorite who lived at Porphyrites, and said to him, “Why do you think highly of yourself as being devout and living in such a place? Do you want to see a woman more devout than you? Go to the women's monastery of the Tabennesiots, and there you will find one with a diadem on her head. She is better than you. For while she wrestles with so great a crowd, she has never turned her heart away from God; but you, sitting here, wander in your mind through the cities.” And he who had never gone out went off to that monastery and asked the teachers to let him enter the women's monastery. Since he was famous and old, they were bold to bring him in. Once inside he asked to see all of them. She did not appear. At last he said to them, “Bring me all of them; one is still missing.” They said to him, “We have one simple one inside in the kitchen” (for so they call those who are afflicted). He said to them, “Bring me her too; let me see her.” They went to call her; she would not obey, perhaps sensing the matter, or because it had been revealed to her. They dragged her by force and said to her, “The holy Piteroum wants to see you” (for he was famous). When she came, he saw the rag on her forehead, fell at her feet, and said to her, “Bless me.” Likewise she too fell at his feet, saying, “You bless me, lord.” They were all astonished and said to him, “Abba, do not take this insult; she is simple.” Piteroum said to them all, “You are the simple ones; for she is amma to me and to you” (for so they call spiritual women), “and I pray that I may be found worthy of her on the day of judgment.” Hearing this, they fell at his feet, all confessing various things: one that she had poured the dishwater over her; another that she had battered her with her fists; another that she had put mustard on her nose; in short, they all reported various insults. Having prayed for them, he went away. A few days later, unable to bear the glory and honour from the sisters, and weighed down by their apologies, she left the monastery; and where she went, or where she hid, or how she died, no one knew.
1 Cor 3:18 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A Tabennesiot nun who feigns madness and serves in the kitchen, despised by all, is revealed by an angel to the anchorite Piteroum as holier than himself, and then disappears.
- The quotation is 1 Cor 3:18, restored from a garbled form by a logged correction. “The diadem” is the rag on her head. “Simple one” renders σαλή, a word for the mentally afflicted (the later “holy fool”). “Amma” (mother) is the title for a spiritual woman.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR garble; OCR slip; OCR slips; line-break hyphen and OCR garble of Scripture type restored (1 Cor 3:18); stray bracket; stray letters; stray line number; stray mark): γεγραμ- Ι μένον" Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφός εἶνδι ἐν ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ δἰῶνι τοήτῳ μωρὸς γενέοθω ἵνὰ γένητδι οοφόο. → γεγραμμένον· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός.; --οαὶ γὰρ → --καὶ γὰρ; καὶ τ5 μυσαττομένη → καὶ μυσαττομένη; ἴδω. ] ἀπῆλθον → ἴδω. ἀπῆλθον; σύρουσι το βίᾳ → σύρουσι βίᾳ; αὐτῇ [9] ὄγεος Πιτηροῦμ → αὐτῇ· Ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηροῦμ; ἦν ΡῚ 3 μμ 3 ΄ Δ γάρ → ἦν γάρ; λέγουσιν τς αὐτῷ → λέγουσιν αὐτῷ; λέγεε αὐταῖς . πάσαις ὁ ΠΠιτηροῦμ- → λέγει αὐταῖς πάσαις ὁ Πιτηροῦμ·; ἐξομολογούμεναι :ο πᾶσαι → ἐξομολογούμεναι πᾶσαι; ἐπιχέασα . “᾿ς σιν αὐτῇ ἄλλη → ἐπιχέασα αὐτῇ· ἄλλη; ἀπήνγγείλαν → ἀπήγγειλαν; οὐδείς. ᾿ → οὐδείς..
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 34 (Butler 1904 2:98–100; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/34). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/34
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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 35
35Butler 1904 2:100–106
Γέγονέ τις Ἰωάννης ἐν Λυκῷ τῇ πόλει, ὃς ἐν παιδίῳ μὲν ἔμαθε τὴν τεκτονικήν᾽ ᾧ ἀδελφὸς ὑπῆρχε βαφεύς. ἐς ὕστερον δὲ γενόμενος ὡς ἐτῶν εἰκοσιπέντε ἀπετάξατο" καὶ διατρίψας ἐν διαφόροις μοναστηρίοις πέντε ἔτη ἀνεχώρησε μόνος εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῆς Λυκῶ, εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκρώρειαν ποιήσας ἑαυτῷ τρεῖς θόλους καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἀνῳκοδόμησεν ἑαυτόν. ἦν οὖν ὁ εἷς θόλος εἰς τὰς χρείας τῆς σαρκός, καὶ ὁ εἷς ἔνθα εἰργάζετο καὶ ἤσθιε, καὶ ὁ ἄλλος ἔνθα προσηύχετο. οὗτος τριάκοντα πληρώσας ἔτη ἐγκεκλεισμένος καὶ διὰ θυρίδος λαμβάνων παρὰ τοῦ διακονοῦντος αὐτῷ τὰς χρείας κατηξιώθη χαρίσματος προρρήσέων. ἐν οἷς καὶ τῷ μακαρίῳ Θεοδοσίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ διαφόρους ἀπέστειλε προρρήσεις, περί τε Μαξίμου τοῦ τυράννου, ὅτι νικήσας αὐτὸν ὑποστρέψει, τῶν Γαλλίων᾽ ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ Εὐγενίον τοῦ τυράννου εὐηγγελίσατο. τούτου ἐξῆλθε φήμη πολλὴ ὡς ἐναρέτου. Ὄντες οὖν ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Νιτρίας, ἐγώ τε καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν μακάριον Εὐάγριον, ἐζητοῦμεν μαθεῖν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, τίς ἡ ἀρετὴ τοῦ ἀνδρός. λέγει οὖν ὁ μακάριος Εὐάγριος" ᾿Ηδέως ἐμάνθανον παρὰ τοῦ εἰδότος δοκιμάζειν νοῦν καὶ λόγον, ποταπὸς εἴη ὁ ἀνήρ' ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ δυνηθῶ, τὰ δὲ τῆς πολιτείας αὐτοῦ ἀκοῦσαι ἀκριβῶς δυνηθῶ ἄλλου διηγουμένου, οὐκ ἀπέρχομαι ἕως τοῦ ὄρους. ἀκούσας ἐγὼ καὶ μηδενὶ μηδὲν εἰρηκὼς ἡσύχασα μίαν ἡμέραν" τὴν δὲ ἄλλην ἀποκλείσας μου τὸ κέλλιον καὶ θεῷ παραθέμενος ἑαυτὸν καὶ αὐτὸ ἐσκύλην ἕως Θηβαΐδος. καὶ ἔφθασα δι’ ἡμερῶν δεκαοκτώ, τὰ μὲν πεζεύσας, τὰ δὲ καὶ πλεύσας ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ. ὁ καιρὸς δὲ ἦν τῆς ἀναβάσεως, ἐν ᾧ νοσοῦσι πολλοί" ὃ δὴ καὶ ὑπέστην. ἀπελθὼν οὖν εὗρον αὐτοῦ κεκλεισμένον τὸ προεισοδικόν' ὕστερον γὰρ προσῳκοδόμησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ προεισοδικὸν μέγιστον, ἐν ᾧ χωροῦσιν ἄνδρες ὡς ἑκατόν᾽ καὶ κλειδίῳ ἀποκλείοντες κατὰ σάββατον καὶ κυριακὴν ἤνοιγον. μαθὼν οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν δι’ ἣν ἐγκέκλειστο, ἡσύχασα ἕως τοῦ σαββάτου. καὶ παραγενόμενος ὥραν δευτέραν ' ἐν τῇ συντυχίᾳ εὗρον αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ θυρίδι παρακαθεζόμενον, δι᾽ ἧς ἐδόκει παρακαλεῖν τοὺς παρατυγχάνοντας. ἀσπασάμενος οὖν μὲ ἔλεγε δι’ ἑρμηνέως" Πόθεν εἶ, καὶ τί παραγέγονας ; στοχάζομαι γάρ σε τῆς συνοδίας εἶναι τῆς Εὐαγρίου. εἶπον ὅτι Ξένος ἐκ Γαλατίας ὡρμημένος" ὡμολόγησα δὲ ὅτι καὶ τῆς ἑταιρείας Εὐαγρίου. ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ λαλούντων ἡμῶν ἐπεισῆλθεν ὁ ἡγεμὼν τῆς χώρας, ᾿Αλύπιος ὀνόματι" ᾧ προσδραμὼν ἀφῆκε τὴν ἐμὴν ὁμιλίαν. ἀναχωρήσας οὖν ὀλίγον δέδωκα αὐτοῖς τόπον ἑστὼς πόρρωθεν. ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ συνομιλούντων αὐτῶν ἠκηδίασα, καὶ ἀκηδιάσας κατεγόγγυσα τοῦ καλογήρου, ὡς ἐμοῦ μὲν καταφρονήσαντος τιμήσαντος δὲ ἐκεῖνον. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦτο σιανθεὶς τὴν διάνοιαν ἐσκεπτόμην ἀναχωρῆσαι καταφρονήσας αὐτοῦ. προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ τὸν ἑρμηνέα, Θεόδωρον ὀνόματι, λέγει αὐτῷ" Ἄπελθε, εἰπὲ τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἐκείνῳ Μὴ μικροψύχει" ἄρτι ἀπολύω τὸν ἡγεμόνα καὶ λαλῶ σοι. ἔδοξα οὖν ὡς πνευματικῷ αὐτῷ προσχὼν προσκαρτερεῖν. καὶ ἐξελθόντος τοῦ ἡγεμόνος προσκαλεῖταί με καὶ λέγει μοι᾿ Διὰ τί ἐβλάβης κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ; τί ἄξιον βλάβης εὗρες, ὅτι ἐκεῖνα ἐλογίσω ἅπερ οὔτε ἐμοὶ πρόσεστιν οὔτε σοι ἔπρεπεν; ἢ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι γέγραπται" Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾽ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες ; σὲ ὅτε θέλω εὑρίσκω, καὶ σὺ ἐμέ. καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἐγώ σε παρακαλέσω, ἄλλοι σε ἀδελφοὶ παρακαλοῦσι καὶ ἄλλοι πατέρες. οὗτος δέ ἐστιν ἐκδεδομένος τῷ διαβόλῳ διὰ τῶν κοσμικῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ βραχεῖαν ἀναπνεύσας ὥραν, ὡς δραπετεύσας οἰκέτης δεσπότην, παρεγένετο ὠφεληθῆναι" ἄτοπον οὖν ἦν καταλείψαντας αὐτὸν σοὶ προσδιατρίψαι, σοῦ ἀδιαλείπτως τῇ σωτηρίᾳ σχολάζοντος. παρακαλέσας οὖν αὐτὸν εὔξασθαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἐπληροφορήθην ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἦν πνευματικός. τότε χαριεντιζόμενος τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρὶ εἰς τὴν ἀριστεράν μου σιαγόνα ἠρέμα κοσσίσας, λέγει μοι Πολλαί σε μένουσι θλίψεις, καὶ πολλὰ ἐπολεμήθης ἐξελθεῖν τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἐδειλάνθης καὶ ὑπερέθου· εὐλαβεῖς δέ σοι προφάσεις καὶ εὐλόγους φέρων ὁ δαίμων ἀναρριπίζει. ὑπέθετο γάρ σοι καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρός σου ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ τὴν κατήχησιν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου καὶ τῆς ἀδελφῆς εἰς τὸν μονήρη βίον. ἰδὲ οὖν σοι εὐαγγελίζομαι" ᾿Αμφότεροι ἐσώθησαν" ἀπετάξαντο γάρ. καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ζῆσαι ἔχει ἀκμὴν ἄλλα ἔτη. ἐγκαρτέρει οὖν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ μὴ τούτων χάριν θελήσῃς ἀπελθεῖν ἐν τῇ πατρίδι σου· γέγραπται γάρ' Οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπ᾽ ἄροτρον καὶ στραφεὶς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ὠφεληθεὶς οὖν ἐκ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων καὶ στυφθεὶς ἱκανῶς, ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ θεῷ τὰς ἐλαυνούσας με προφάσεις ἠνυσμένας μαθών. Εἶτα πάλιν λέγει μοι χαριεντιζόμενος" Θέλεις ἐπίσκοπος γενέσθαι; εἶπον αὐτῷ ὅτι Εἰμί. καὶ λέγει μοι’ Ποῦ; εἶπον ὅτι Εἰς τὰ μαγειρεῖα, εἰς τὰ καπηλεῖα, εἰς τὰς τραπέζας, εἰς τὰ κεράμια" ἐπισκοπῶ αὐτά, καὶ ἐὰν ἡ οἰνάριον ὄξινον ἀφορίζω αὐτό, τὸ δὲ χρηστὸν πίνω" ὁμοίως ἐπισκοπῶ καὶ τὴν χύτραν, καὶ ἐὰν λείπῃ ἅλας ἤ τι τῶν ἀρτυμάτων βάλλω καὶ ἀρτύω, καὶ οὕτως αὐτὴν ἐσθίω. αὕτη μού ἐστιν ἡ ἐπισκοπή" ἐχειροτόνησε γάρ με ἡ γαστριμαργία. λέγει μοι οὗτος μειδιάσας" Ἄφες τὰ παίγνια" ἐπίσκοπος ἔχεις χειροτονηθῆναι καὶ πολλὰ καμεῖν καὶ θλιβῆναι" εἰ τοίνυν φεύγεις τὰς θλίψεις, μὴ ἐξέλθῃς τῆς ἐρήμου᾽ ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐπίσκοπόν σε οὐδεὶς ἔχει χειροτονῆσαι. ᾿Αναχωρήσας οὖν αὐτοῦ ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον εἰς τὸν τόπον μου τὸν συνήθη, αὐτὰ ταῦτα διηγησάμενος τοῖς μακαρίοις πατράσιν: οἴτινες μετὰ δύο μῆνας πλεύσαντες ἦλθον καὶ συνέτυχον ταὐτῷ: ἐγὼ δὲ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ ἐπελαθόμην. μετὰ γὰρ τρία ἔτη ἠρρώστησα ἀρρωστίαν τὴν ἀπὸ σπληνὸς καὶ στομάχου" ἐκεῖθεν ἀπεστάλην ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν παρὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὕδρωπα μελετήσας. ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας συμβουλεύσαντες οἱ ἰατροί, τῶν ἀέρων ἕνεκεν, καταλαμβάνειν με τὴν Παλαιστίνην᾽ ἔχει γὰρ λεπτοὺς ἀέρας, ὡς πρὸς τὴν κρᾶσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπὸ τῆς Παλαιστίνης κατέλαβον τὴν Βιθυνίαν" καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ---οὐκ οἶδα πῶς, εἴτε ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνης σπουδῆς, εἴτε ἐξ εὐδοκίας τοῦ κρείττονος" θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη---κατηξιώθην τῆς ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ χειροτονίας, κοινωνήσας τῇ περιστάσει τῇ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον ᾿Ιωάννην᾽" καὶ ἐπὶ ἕνδεκα μῆνας ἐν ζοφερῷ κελλίῳ κρυπτόμενος ἐμνήσθην τοῦ μακαρίου ἐκείνου, ὅτι ταῦτά μοι προειρήκει ἅπερ ὑπέστην. καὶ τοῦτο δέ μοι διηγεῖτο ὡς ὀφείλων με διὰ τοῦ διηγήματος ἀγαγεῖν εἰς ὑπομονὴν τῆς ἐρήμου, ὅτι Τεσσαρακονταοκτὼ ἔτη ἔχω ἐν τῇ κέλλῃ ταύτῃ" οὐ γυναικὸς πρόσωπον εἶδον, οὐ νομίσματος ἰδέαν" οὐ μασώμενόν τινα εἶδον" οὐκ ἐσθίοντα, οὐ πίνοντά με εἶδέ τις. Οὗτος καὶ τῇ δούλῃ τοῦ θεοῦ Ποιμενίῃ παραβαλούσῃ ἱστορίας χάριν οὐ συντετύχηκε μέν, ἐδήλωσε δὲ αὐτῇ τινὰ καὶ τῶν ἀπορρήτων. παρήγγειλε δὲ αὐτῇ κατερχομένῃ ἀπὸ Θηβαΐδος μὴ ἐκνεῦσαι εἰς τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν, ᾿Επεὶ πειρασμοῖς ἔχεις περιπεσεῖν. ἡ δὲ παραλογισαμένη ἢ ἐπιλαθομένη ἐξένευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν ἱστορῆσαι τὴν πόλιν. κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν πλησίον Νικίους τῆς πόλεως παρέβαλεν αὐτῆς τὰ πλοῖα ἀναπαύσεως χάριν. ἐξελθόντες οὖν οἱ παῖδες ἐξ ἀταξίας τινὸς συνέβαλον μάχην μετὰ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων, ἀνδρῶν ἀπονενοημένων᾽ οἵτινες ἑνὸς μὲν εὐνούχου δάκτυλον ἦραν, ἄλλον δὲ ἐφόνευσαν, Διονύσιον δὲ τὸν ἁγιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον καὶ εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ἔβαψαν ἀγνοήσαντες, κἀκείνην αὐτὴν λοιδορίαις καὶ ἀπειλαῖς συνέτριψαν, τοὺς λοιποὺς πάντας τραυματίσαντες παῖδας.
Gegone tis Iōannēs en Lykǭ tę̄ polei, hos en paidiǭ men emathe tēn tektonikēn᾽ hǭ adelphos hypērche bapheus. es hysteron de genomenos hōs etōn eikosipente apetaxato" kai diatripsas en diaphorois monastēriois pente etē anechōrēse monos eis to oros tēs Lykō, eis autēn tēn akrōreian poiēsas heautǭ treis tholous kai eiselthōn anǭkodomēsen heauton. ēn oun ho heis tholos eis tas chreias tēs sarkos, kai ho heis entha eirgazeto kai ēsthie, kai ho allos entha prosēucheto. houtos triakonta plērōsas etē enkekleismenos kai dia thyridos lambanōn para tou diakonountos autǭ tas chreias katēxiōthē charismatos prorrēseōn. en hois kai tǭ makariǭ Theodosiǭ tǭ basilei diaphorous apesteile prorrēseis, peri te Maximou tou tyrannou, hoti nikēsas auton hypostrepsei, tōn Galliōn᾽ homoiōs de kai peri Eugenion tou tyrannou euēngelisato. toutou exēlthe phēmē pollē hōs enaretou. Ontes oun hēmeis en tę̄ erēmǭ tēs Nitrias, egō te kai hoi peri ton makarion Euagrion, ezētoumen mathein tēn akribeian, tis hē aretē tou andros. legei oun ho makarios Euagrios" ᾿Ēdeōs emanthanon para tou eidotos dokimazein noun kai logon, potapos eiē ho anēr' ean gar egō autos idein auton mē dynēthō, ta de tēs politeias autou akousai akribōs dynēthō allou diēgoumenou, ouk aperchomai heōs tou orous. akousas egō kai mēdeni mēden eirēkōs hēsychasa mian hēmeran" tēn de allēn apokleisas mou to kellion kai theǭ parathemenos heauton kai auto eskylēn heōs Thēbaïdos. kai ephthasa di’ hēmerōn dekaoktō, ta men pezeusas, ta de kai pleusas en tǭ potamǭ. ho kairos de ēn tēs anabaseōs, en hǭ nosousi polloi" ho dē kai hypestēn. apelthōn oun heuron autou kekleismenon to proeisodikon' hysteron gar prosǭkodomēsan hoi adelphoi proeisodikon megiston, en hǭ chōrousin andres hōs hekaton᾽ kai kleidiǭ apokleiontes kata sabbaton kai kyriakēn ēnoigon. mathōn oun tēn aitian di’ hēn enkekleisto, hēsychasa heōs tou sabbatou. kai paragenomenos hōran deuteran ' en tę̄ syntychią heuron auton en tę̄ thyridi parakathezomenon, di᾽ hēs edokei parakalein tous paratynchanontas. aspasamenos oun me elege di’ hermēneōs" Pothen ei, kai ti paragegonas ? stochazomai gar se tēs synodias einai tēs Euagriou. eipon hoti Xenos ek Galatias hōrmēmenos" hōmologēsa de hoti kai tēs hetaireias Euagriou. en tǭ metaxy lalountōn hēmōn epeisēlthen ho hēgemōn tēs chōras, ᾿Alypios onomati" hǭ prosdramōn aphēke tēn emēn homilian. anachōrēsas oun oligon dedōka autois topon hestōs porrōthen. epi poly de synomilountōn autōn ēkēdiasa, kai akēdiasas kategongysa tou kalogērou, hōs emou men kataphronēsantos timēsantos de ekeinon. kai epi touto siantheis tēn dianoian eskeptomēn anachōrēsai kataphronēsas autou. proskalesamenos de ton hermēnea, Theodōron onomati, legei autǭ" Apelthe, eipe tǭ adelphǭ ekeinǭ Mē mikropsychei" arti apolyō ton hēgemona kai lalō soi. edoxa oun hōs pneumatikǭ autǭ proschōn proskarterein. kai exelthontos tou hēgemonos proskaleitai me kai legei moi᾿ Dia ti eblabēs kat᾽ emou? ti axion blabēs heures, hoti ekeina elogisō haper oute emoi prosestin oute soi eprepen? ē ouk oidas hoti gegraptai" Ou chreian echousin hoi hygiainontes iatrou all᾽ hoi kakōs echontes ? se hote thelō heuriskō, kai sy eme. kai ean mē egō se parakalesō, alloi se adelphoi parakalousi kai alloi pateres. houtos de estin ekdedomenos tǭ diabolǭ dia tōn kosmikōn pragmatōn, kai bracheian anapneusas hōran, hōs drapeteusas oiketēs despotēn, paregeneto ōphelēthēnai" atopon oun ēn kataleipsantas auton soi prosdiatripsai, sou adialeiptōs tę̄ sōtērią scholazontos. parakalesas oun auton euxasthai hyper emou eplērophorēthēn hoti anēr ēn pneumatikos. tote charientizomenos tę̄ dexią cheiri eis tēn aristeran mou siagona ērema kossisas, legei moi Pollai se menousi thlipseis, kai polla epolemēthēs exelthein tēs erēmou kai edeilanthēs kai hyperethou; eulabeis de soi prophaseis kai eulogous pherōn ho daimōn anarripizei. hypetheto gar soi kai tēn tou patros sou epithymian, kai tēn katēchēsin tou adelphou sou kai tēs adelphēs eis ton monērē bion. ide oun soi euangelizomai" ᾿Amphoteroi esōthēsan" apetaxanto gar. kai ho patēr sou zēsai echei akmēn alla etē. enkarterei oun en tę̄ erēmǭ, kai mē toutōn charin thelēsę̄s apelthein en tę̄ patridi sou; gegraptai gar' Oudeis epibalōn tēn cheira ep᾽ arotron kai strapheis eis ta opisō euthetos estin eis tēn basileian tōn ouranōn. ōphelētheis oun ek tōn rhēmatōn toutōn kai styphtheis hikanōs, ēucharistēsa tǭ theǭ tas elaunousas me prophaseis ēnysmenas mathōn. Eita palin legei moi charientizomenos" Theleis episkopos genesthai? eipon autǭ hoti Eimi. kai legei moi’ Pou? eipon hoti Eis ta mageireia, eis ta kapēleia, eis tas trapezas, eis ta keramia" episkopō auta, kai ean hē oinarion oxinon aphorizō auto, to de chrēston pinō" homoiōs episkopō kai tēn chytran, kai ean leipę̄ halas ē ti tōn artymatōn ballō kai artyō, kai houtōs autēn esthiō. hautē mou estin hē episkopē" echeirotonēse gar me hē gastrimargia. legei moi houtos meidiasas" Aphes ta paignia" episkopos echeis cheirotonēthēnai kai polla kamein kai thlibēnai" ei toinyn pheugeis tas thlipseis, mē exelthę̄s tēs erēmou᾽ en gar tę̄ erēmǭ episkopon se oudeis echei cheirotonēsai. ᾿Anachōrēsas oun autou ēlthon epi tēn erēmon eis ton topon mou ton synēthē, auta tauta diēgēsamenos tois makariois patrasin: oitines meta dyo mēnas pleusantes ēlthon kai synetychon tautǭ: egō de tōn rhēmatōn autou epelathomēn. meta gar tria etē ērrōstēsa arrōstian tēn apo splēnos kai stomachou" ekeithen apestalēn epi tēn ᾿Alexandreian para tōn adelphōn, hydrōpa meletēsas. apo tēs ᾿Alexandreias symbouleusantes hoi iatroi, tōn aerōn heneken, katalambanein me tēn Palaistinēn᾽ echei gar leptous aeras, hōs pros tēn krasin tēn hēmeteran apo tēs Palaistinēs katelabon tēn Bithynian" kai en tautę̄---ouk oida pōs, eite ex anthrōpinēs spoudēs, eite ex eudokias tou kreittonos" theos an eideiē---katēxiōthēn tēs hyper eme cheirotonias, koinōnēsas tę̄ peristasei tę̄ kata ton makarion ᾿Iōannēn᾽" kai epi hendeka mēnas en zopherǭ kelliǭ kryptomenos emnēsthēn tou makariou ekeinou, hoti tauta moi proeirēkei haper hypestēn. kai touto de moi diēgeito hōs opheilōn me dia tou diēgēmatos agagein eis hypomonēn tēs erēmou, hoti Tessarakontaoktō etē echō en tę̄ kellę̄ tautę̄" ou gynaikos prosōpon eidon, ou nomismatos idean" ou masōmenon tina eidon" ouk esthionta, ou pinonta me eide tis. Houtos kai tę̄ doulę̄ tou theou Poimenię̄ parabalousę̄ historias charin ou syntetychēke men, edēlōse de autę̄ tina kai tōn aporrētōn. parēngeile de autę̄ katerchomenę̄ apo Thēbaïdos mē ekneusai eis tēn ᾿Alexandreian, ᾿Epei peirasmois echeis peripesein. hē de paralogisamenē ē epilathomenē exeneusen epi tēn ᾿Alexandreian historēsai tēn polin. kata de tēn hodon plēsion Nikious tēs poleōs parebalen autēs ta ploia anapauseōs charin. exelthontes oun hoi paides ex ataxias tinos synebalon machēn meta tōn epichōriōn, andrōn aponenoēmenōn᾽ hoitines henos men eunouchou daktylon ēran, allon de ephoneusan, Dionysion de ton hagiōtaton episkopon kai eis ton potamon ebapsan agnoēsantes, kakeinēn autēn loidoriais kai apeilais synetripsan, tous loipous pantas traumatisantes paidas.
There was a John in the city of Lycopolis who as a boy learned carpentry; his brother was a dyer. Later, at about twenty-five, he renounced the world, and after spending five years in various monasteries he withdrew alone to the mountain of Lycopolis. On the very summit he made himself three domed cells, went in, and walled himself up. One dome was for the needs of the flesh, one where he worked and ate, and the other where he prayed. Having completed thirty years enclosed, receiving his necessities through a window from the one who served him, he was granted the gift of prophecy. Among other things he sent various prophecies to the blessed emperor Theodosius, about Maximus the usurper, that he would defeat him and return from Gaul; and likewise he brought him good news about Eugenius the usurper. A great report of his virtue went out.
While we were in the desert of Nitria, I and the companions of the blessed Evagrius, we sought to learn exactly what the man's virtue was. The blessed Evagrius said, “I would gladly learn from someone able to test mind and speech what sort of man he is. For if I cannot see him myself, but can hear exactly about his way of life from someone else's account, I will not go to the mountain.” Hearing this, and saying nothing to anyone, I kept quiet for one day; on the next I shut my cell, committed myself and it to God, and took the trouble to go to the Thebaid. I arrived in eighteen days, partly on foot and partly sailing on the river. It was the season of the flood, when many fall ill, as indeed I did. When I arrived I found his porch shut; for later the brothers built on a very large porch, holding about a hundred men, and locking it with a key they opened it on Saturday and Sunday. Learning the reason why it was shut, I waited quietly until Saturday. Coming at the second hour for an audience, I found him sitting at the window through which he used to encourage those who came. He greeted me and said through an interpreter, “Where are you from, and why have you come? I guess that you belong to the company of Evagrius.” I said, “I am a stranger who has come from Galatia,” and I admitted that I belonged to the circle of Evagrius. While we were talking, the governor of the region, named Alypius, came in; John hurried to him and broke off his conversation with me. I withdrew a little and gave them room, standing at a distance. As they talked a long time, I grew weary, and in my weariness I grumbled against the old man, as despising me and honouring the other. Offended at this in my mind, I was thinking of leaving in contempt of him. But he called his interpreter, named Theodore, and said to him, “Go and tell that brother, ‘Do not be impatient; I am just sending the governor away, and I will speak with you.’” So I thought it right, regarding him as a spiritual man, to wait patiently. When the governor had gone out, he called me and said to me, “Why were you offended against me? What did you find worth taking offence at, that you thought what is neither true of me nor fitting for you? Or do you not know that it is written, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick’? I find you when I wish, and you find me. And if I do not encourage you, other brothers and other fathers encourage you. But this man has been handed over to the devil through worldly affairs, and having found a brief hour's breathing space, like a runaway slave from his master, he came to be helped. It would have been wrong to leave him and spend the time with you, who are continually occupied with your salvation.” I asked him to pray for me and was convinced that he was a spiritual man.
Then, jesting, he gently tapped my left cheek with his right hand and said to me, “Many afflictions await you. You have been much assailed to leave the desert, and you were afraid and put it off; the demon fans the flame, bringing you devout and plausible pretexts. For he has suggested to you your longing for your father, and the instruction of your brother and sister in the solitary life. Look, I bring you good news: both have been saved, for they have renounced the world; and your father has yet more years to live. So persevere in the desert, and do not for these reasons wish to go to your homeland; for it is written, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and turns back is fit for the kingdom of heaven.’” Helped by these words and sufficiently rebuked, I gave thanks to God, learning that the pretexts driving me had been disposed of. Then again he said to me, jesting, “Do you want to become a bishop?” I said to him, “I am one.” He said to me, “Where?” I said, “In the kitchens, the taverns, the tables, the jars. I oversee them, and if the wine is sour I excommunicate it, and the good I drink. Likewise I oversee the pot, and if it lacks salt or some seasoning I put it in and season it, and so eat it. This is my bishopric; for gluttony ordained me.” He smiled and said to me, “Leave off your jokes. You are going to be ordained bishop and to toil much and suffer affliction. If you flee the afflictions, do not leave the desert; for in the desert no one will ordain you bishop.”
Leaving him, I came to my usual place in the desert and told all this to the blessed fathers; and two months later they sailed and went to meet him. But I forgot his words. Three years later I fell ill with a disease of the spleen and stomach, and from there I was sent by the brothers to Alexandria, with dropsy threatening. From Alexandria the doctors advised me, for the sake of the air, to go to Palestine, for its air is light, suited to our constitution. From Palestine I went to Bithynia, and there (I do not know how, whether by human effort or by the good pleasure of the One who is greater; God would know) I was counted worthy of an ordination beyond me, and I shared in the troubles that befell the blessed John. And hiding for eleven months in a dark cell, I remembered that blessed man, that he had foretold to me what I suffered. He told me this too, as if to lead me by the story to endurance in the desert: “I have been forty-eight years in this cell. I have not seen a woman's face, nor the look of a coin; I have not seen anyone chewing, nor has anyone seen me eating or drinking.”
He also did not meet the servant of God Poemenia, who came to visit him, but revealed to her some secret things. He charged her, when she came down from the Thebaid, not to turn aside to Alexandria: “For you will fall into temptations.” But she, misjudging or forgetting, turned aside to Alexandria to see the city. On the way, near the city of Nikiou, her boats put in to rest. Her servants went ashore and, through some disorder, got into a fight with the local people, desperate men. These cut off one eunuch's finger, killed another, and even ducked the most holy bishop Dionysius in the river, not knowing who he was; and they crushed her with insults and threats and wounded all the rest of the servants.
Matt 9:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 9:62 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Palladius visits the enclosed prophet John of Lycopolis, who reads his thoughts, encourages him to stay in the desert, foretells his episcopate and sufferings, and warns Poemenia in vain.
- John of Lycopolis's prophecies to Theodosius concerned the usurpers Maximus (388) and Eugenius (394). “I am one” (Εἰμί) is Palladius's jest on ἐπίσκοπος, “overseer.” His ordination was as bishop of Helenopolis in Bithynia; “the troubles that befell the blessed John” are those of John Chrysostom, whose supporter he was. Scripture: Matt 9:12 and Luke 9:62, restored from garbled forms by logged corrections. Nikiou is a town in the Delta.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; OCR doubled letter; OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Luke 9:62); OCR garble of Scripture type restored (Matt 9:12); OCR slip; OCR stray letter; OCR ξ for ζ; stray bracket; stray letters; stray line number; stray line number and OCR slip; stray mark; stray marker): τῆς Ν ἐτρίας → τῆς Νιτρίας; Εἰ άγριον → Εὐάγριον; δοκιμάξειν → δοκιμάζειν; ἐᾶν γὰρ → ἐὰν γὰρ; μηδενὶ το μηδὲν → μηδενὶ μηδὲν; ἀπελθὼν οὖν τε εὗρον → ἀπελθὼν οὖν εὗρον; παρακαθεξόμενον → παρακαθεζόμενον; ὅτε Ξένος → ὅτι Ξένος; Ἐαγρίου → Εὐαγρίου; ἤΑπελθε → Ἄπελθε; αὐτῷ! προσχὼν → αὐτῷ προσχὼν; ΟΥ̓ χρείδν ἔχογειν οἱ ὑγιδίνοντες ἰδτροῦ → Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ; σοῦ το ἀδιαλείπτως → σοῦ ἀδιαλείπτως; καὶ κι5 ὑπερέθον' → καὶ ὑπερέθου·; πατρίδι σιν᾽ γέγραπται → πατρίδι σου· γέγραπται; Ογλεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρὰ ἐπ᾿ ἄροτρον καὶ οτραφεὶς εἰς τὰ ὅ ὀπίοω εθετόο ἐςτιν εἰς τὴν Βδοιλείδαν τῶν οὐρανῶν → Οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπ᾽ ἄροτρον καὶ στραφεὶς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν; ὠφεληθεὶς οὖν : ἐκ → ὠφεληθεὶς οὖν ἐκ; Εἰἰς τὰ μαγειρεῖα → Εἰς τὰ μαγειρεῖα; ἀφορίξω → ἀφορίζω; ἐχειροτόνησε ιδ γάρ → ἐχειροτόνησε γάρ; ἔἜΑφες → Ἄφες; τόπον βομου τὸν → τόπον μου τὸν; Ἰ]Παλαιστίνην → Παλαιστίνην; τῆς το ὑπὲρ → τῆς ὑπὲρ; ξζοφερῷ → ζοφερῷ; ὅτι τ5 Τεσσαρακονταοκτὼ → ὅτι Τεσσαρακονταοκτὼ; ἊὮἜΠ Οὗτος → Οὗτος; Ἰϊοιμενίῃ → Ποιμενίῃ; ἐξένευσεν ; ἐπὶ → ἐξένευσεν ἐπὶ; ἀπειλαῖς ΝΥ Ν " συνέτριψαν → ἀπειλαῖς συνέτριψαν; παῖδας. ] → παῖδας..
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 35 (Butler 1904 2:100–106; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/35
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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 36
36Butler 1904 2:106–109
Τὰ κατὰ Ποσειδώνιον τὸν Θηβαῖον πολλὰ μὲν καὶ δυσδιήγητα, πῶς τε ἦν πραὺς καὶ ὅπως ἀσκητικώτατος, καὶ πόσην τινὰ εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἀκακίαν, οὐκ οἶδα εἰ συντετύχηκά τινι. συνέζησα γὰρ τούτῳ ἐπὶ ἔτος ἐν ἐν Βηθλεὲμ ὁπηνίκα ἐκαθέσθη ἐπέκεινα τοῦ Ποιμενίου, καὶ πολλὰς αὐτοῦ κατεῖδον ἀρετάς" ἐν οἷς μοι αὐτὸς διηγεῖτο μιᾶς τῶν ἡμερῶν ὅτιπερ Εἰς τὸν Πορφυρίτην τόπον οἰκήσας ἔτος ἕν ἀνθρώπῳ οὐ συντετύχηκα ὅλῳ τῷ ἔτει, οὐχ ὁμιλίας ἀκήκοα, οὐκ ἄρτου ἡψάμην. ἀλλ᾽’ ἢ βραχέσι φοινικίοις διεγενόμην καὶ εἴ που βοτάνας εὗρον ἀγρίας. ἐν οἷς ποτὲ ἐκλειπόντων μου τῶν βρωμάτων, ἐξῆλθον τοῦ σπηλαίου ἐπὶ τὸ ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην. καὶ περιπατήσας διὰ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας μόλις ἀπέσχον τοῦ σπηλαίου σημεῖα δύο. περιβλεψάμενος οὖν ὁρῶ ἱππέα στρατιώτου ἔχοντα σχῆμα, τιαρηφόρον κράνος ἔχοντα ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς" καὶ προσδοκήσας αὐτὸν εἶναι στρατιώτην ὥρμησα ἕως τοῦ σπηλαίου, καὶ εὗρον κάρταλον σταφυλῶν καὶ συκῶν νεαροτμήτων᾽ ὃν λαβὼν καὶ περιχαρὴς γενόμενος εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον, ἐπὶ μῆνας δύο ἔχων ἐκεῖνα τὰ βρώματα παραμυθίαν. τοῦτο δὲ πεποίηκε τὸ θαῦμα ἐν Βηθλεέμ' γυνή τις ἐγκύμων πνεῦμα εἶχεν ἀκάθαρτον, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ μέλλειν γεννᾶν ἐδυστόκει, τοῦ πνεύματος συντρίβοντος αὐτήν. τῆς γυναικὸς οὖν δαιμονιζομένης ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἐπέστη καὶ παρεκάλει τὸν ἅγιον ἐκεῖνον παραγενέσθαι. εἰσελθόντων οὖν ἡμῶν ἅμα εὔξασθαι, στὰς καὶ προσευξάμενος μετὰ δευτέραν γονυκλισίαν ἐξέβαλε τὸ πνεῦμα. ἀναστὰς οὖν λέγει ἡμῖν" Εὔξασθε, ἄρτι γὰρ ἐξελαύνει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον᾽ σημεῖον δέ τι ἔχει ὑπάρξαι ἵνα πληροφορηθῶμεν. ἐξερχόμενος οὖν ὁ δαίμων ἀπὸ θεμελίου τὸν τοῖχον τῆς αὐλῆς ὅλον ἔβαλε κάτω. ἦν δὲ τὸ γύναιον ἑξαετίαν μὴ λαλῆσαν᾽ μετὰ οὖν τὸ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν δαίμονα ἔτεκε καὶ ἐλάλησεν. Τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου καὶ προφητείαν ἔγνων ταύτην᾽ ᾿Ἱερώνυμός τὶς πρεσβύτερος ᾧκει εἰς τοὺς τόπους ἐκείνους, ἀρετῇ λόγων ῥωμαϊκῶν κεκοσμημένος καὶ εὐφυίᾳ' τοσαύτην δὲ εἶχε βασκανίαν ὡς ὑπὸ ταύτης καλύπτεσθαι τῶν λόγων τὴν ἀρετήν. συγχρονίσας οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Ποσειδώνιος ἡμέρας πλείους λέγει μοι πρὸς τὸ οὖς ὅτι Ἡ μὲν ἐλευθέρα Παῦλα, ἡ φροντίζουσα αὐτοῦ, προτελευτήσει, ἀπαλλαγεῖσα αὐτοῦ τῆς βασκανίας, ὡς οἶμαι. χάριν δὲ τούτου τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐ μὴ οἰκήσει ἅγιος ἀνὴρ εἰς τοὺς τόπους τούτους, ἀλλὰ φθάσει αὐτοῦ ὁ φθόνος καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἰδίου ἀδελφοῦ. ἐν οἷς καὶ συνέβη τὸ πρᾶγμα. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ᾿Οξυπερέντιον τὸν μακάριον ἤλασε τὸν ᾿Ιταλόν, καὶ Πέτρον ἄλλον τινὰ Αἰγύπτιον, καὶ Συμεῶνα, θαυμασίους ἄνδρας, οὺς τέως ἐγὼ ἐπεσημηνάμην. οὗτός μοι διηγεῖτο ὁ Ποσειδώνιος ὡς ἄρτου πεῖραν μὴ ἔχων ἀπὸ ἔτους τεσσαρακοστοῦ, μήτε μὴν μνησικακήσας τινὶ μέχρι ἡμισείας ἡμέρας.
Ta kata Poseidōnion ton Thēbaion polla men kai dysdiēgēta, pōs te ēn praus kai hopōs askētikōtatos, kai posēn tina eichen en heautǭ tēn akakian, ouk oida ei syntetychēka tini. synezēsa gar toutǭ epi etos en en Bēthleem hopēnika ekathesthē epekeina tou Poimeniou, kai pollas autou kateidon aretas" en hois moi autos diēgeito mias tōn hēmerōn hotiper Eis ton Porphyritēn topon oikēsas etos hen anthrōpǭ ou syntetychēka holǭ tǭ etei, ouch homilias akēkoa, ouk artou hēpsamēn. all᾽’ ē brachesi phoinikiois diegenomēn kai ei pou botanas heuron agrias. en hois pote ekleipontōn mou tōn brōmatōn, exēlthon tou spēlaiou epi to elthein eis tēn oikoumenēn. kai peripatēsas dia pasēs tēs hēmeras molis apeschon tou spēlaiou sēmeia dyo. periblepsamenos oun horō hippea stratiōtou echonta schēma, tiarēphoron kranos echonta epi tēs kephalēs" kai prosdokēsas auton einai stratiōtēn hōrmēsa heōs tou spēlaiou, kai heuron kartalon staphylōn kai sykōn nearotmētōn᾽ hon labōn kai pericharēs genomenos eisēlthon eis to spēlaion, epi mēnas dyo echōn ekeina ta brōmata paramythian. touto de pepoiēke to thauma en Bēthleem' gynē tis enkymōn pneuma eichen akatharton, kai en autǭ tǭ mellein gennan edystokei, tou pneumatos syntribontos autēn. tēs gynaikos oun daimonizomenēs ho anēr autēs epestē kai parekalei ton hagion ekeinon paragenesthai. eiselthontōn oun hēmōn hama euxasthai, stas kai proseuxamenos meta deuteran gonyklisian exebale to pneuma. anastas oun legei hēmin" Euxasthe, arti gar exelaunei to pneuma to akatharton᾽ sēmeion de ti echei hyparxai hina plērophorēthōmen. exerchomenos oun ho daimōn apo themeliou ton toichon tēs aulēs holon ebale katō. ēn de to gynaion hexaetian mē lalēsan᾽ meta oun to exelthein ton daimona eteke kai elalēsen. Tou andros toutou kai prophēteian egnōn tautēn᾽ ᾿Hierōnymos tis presbyteros hǭkei eis tous topous ekeinous, aretę̄ logōn rhōmaïkōn kekosmēmenos kai euphuią' tosautēn de eiche baskanian hōs hypo tautēs kalyptesthai tōn logōn tēn aretēn. synchronisas oun autǭ ho Poseidōnios hēmeras pleious legei moi pros to ous hoti Hē men eleuthera Paula, hē phrontizousa autou, proteleutēsei, apallageisa autou tēs baskanias, hōs oimai. charin de toutou tou andros ou mē oikēsei hagios anēr eis tous topous toutous, alla phthasei autou ho phthonos kai mechri tou idiou adelphou. en hois kai synebē to pragma. kai gar kai ᾿Oxyperention ton makarion ēlase ton ᾿Italon, kai Petron allon tina Aigyption, kai Symeōna, thaumasious andras, ous teōs egō epesēmēnamēn. houtos moi diēgeito ho Poseidōnios hōs artou peiran mē echōn apo etous tessarakostou, mēte mēn mnēsikakēsas tini mechri hēmiseias hēmeras.
The deeds of Posidonius the Theban are many and hard to describe: how gentle he was and how very ascetic, and how great an innocence he had in himself; I do not know whether I have met anyone like him. I lived with him for a year in Bethlehem, when he was living beyond Poemenium, and I observed many of his virtues. Among other things he told me one day, “When I lived at the place called Porphyrites for a year, I met no human being the whole year, heard no conversation, touched no bread, but lived on a few dates and whatever wild plants I found. Once, when my food ran out, I left the cave to go to the inhabited world. After walking the whole day I was barely two miles from the cave. Looking round I saw a horseman in the dress of a soldier, with a helmet like a tiara on his head; and thinking he was a soldier, I rushed back to the cave, and found a basket of grapes and freshly cut figs. I took it with great joy and went into the cave, having that food as my comfort for two months.”
He did this wonder in Bethlehem. A pregnant woman had an unclean spirit, and when she was about to give birth she was in hard labour, the spirit tearing her. Since the woman was possessed, her husband came and begged that holy man to come. We went in together to pray; he stood and prayed, and after the second kneeling he cast out the spirit. Standing up, he said to us, “Pray, for the unclean spirit is now being driven out; and there must be some sign, so that we may be assured.” As the demon came out it threw down the whole wall of the courtyard from its foundation. The woman had not spoken for six years; after the demon came out she gave birth and spoke.
I also knew this prophecy of the man. A certain presbyter Jerome lived in those parts, adorned with excellence in Latin letters and with natural gifts; but he had such envy that the excellence of his learning was overshadowed by it. Posidonius, having spent many days with him, said to me in my ear, “The noble Paula, who looks after him, will die first, set free from his envy, I think. And because of this man no holy man will live in these parts, but his envy will reach even his own brother.” And so it happened. For he drove out the blessed Oxyperentius the Italian, and another, Peter, an Egyptian, and Simeon, wonderful men, whom I myself have noted. This Posidonius told me that he had not tasted bread since his fortieth year, and had not borne a grudge against anyone for so much as half a day.
Notes and citation
Summary: Posidonius the Theban, ascetic and gentle, is fed miraculously in the desert, casts a demon out of a woman in labour at Bethlehem, and foretells the effects of Jerome's envy.
- The passage on Jerome reflects Palladius's own hostility to Jerome (they were on opposite sides of the Origenist controversy); it is translated exactly as written. “His own brother” is Paulinian, Jerome's brother. Poemenium is apparently a place near Bethlehem; the identification is uncertain.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR doubled letter; OCR slip; OCR slips; OCR stray letter; line-break hyphen and OCR debris; line-break hyphen and stray line number; stray bracket; stray line number; stray mark): πολλὰ μὲν 1: καὶ → πολλὰ μὲν καὶ; συντε- ΔΙΌ Δ, » ΖΦ τύχηκά → συντετύχηκά; ἸΠοιμενίου → Ποιμενίου; ἙἘϊΐς → Εἰς; τοῦ. σπηλαίου → τοῦ σπηλαίου; στρατιώ- το του → στρατιώτου; τιαρηφύόρον → τιαρηφόρον; τ5 τοῦτο δὲ → τοῦτο δὲ; ἐδυστόκει, ] τοῦ → ἐδυστόκει, τοῦ; εὔξασθαι, :ο στὰς → εὔξασθαι, στὰς; Χέγει → λέγει; ἐξελαύνει ! τὸ → ἐξελαύνει τὸ; ἐλάλησεν. ! Τοῦ → ἐλάλησεν. Τοῦ; Ἰ]οσειδώνιος → Ποσειδώνιος; ὅτε Ἣ μὲν → ὅτι Ἡ μὲν; καὶ γὲρ → καὶ γὰρ.
Cite (SBL): Palladius, Hist. Laus. 36 (Butler 1904 2:106–109; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/palladius-historia-lausiaca/36
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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).