Life of Syncletica 33–67 (Life of Syncletica)

Anonymous

Life of Syncletica 33–67

Anonymous · Life of Syncletica · 5th–6th century · place unknown · 35 passages

Pseudonymous: Transmitted among the works of Athanasius and ascribed to him in the manuscripts, but not by him: it describes a monastic movement of the fifth or sixth century.

Greek text: PG 28 (Greek text: Migne, PG 28 (1857), from library-scan OCR (public domain)).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 33

33PG 28:1508a–1508b

Καλὴ οῦν ἡ ἀκτημοσύνη τοῖς ἐν ἕξει τῶν καλῶν γεγενημένοις· πάντων γὰρ τῶν περιττῶν τὴν ἀποβολὴν ποιησάμενοι, πρὸς τὸν Κύριον φέρουσι τὸ νεῦμα, τὸ Θεῖον ἐκεῖνο ᾄδοντες λόγιον καθαρῶς, τὸ λέγον· Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί ἡμῶν πρὸς σὲ ἐλπίζουσι· καί σὺ δίδως τὴν τροφὴν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι σε ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ.

Kalē oun hē aktēmosynē tois en hexei tōn kalōn gegenēmenois; pantōn gar tōn perittōn tēn apobolēn poiēsamenoi, pros ton Kyrion pherousi to neuma, to Theion ekeino ądontes logion katharōs, to legon; Hoi ophthalmoi hēmōn pros se elpizousi; kai sy didōs tēn trophēn tois agapōsi se en eukairią.

“Poverty, then, is good for those who have become practiced in good things; for having thrown away everything superfluous, they turn their gaze to the Lord, singing purely that divine oracle which says: ‘Our eyes hope in you, and you give food to those who love you in due season.’”

Ps 145:15 (144:15 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Poverty is good for the mature, who, rid of superfluities, look to the Lord for their food.

Ps 145:15 (LXX 144:15) is quoted freely (“our eyes … to those who love you”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR): καρ λῶν → καλῶν; λέγονο. Ol ὀφθαλμοί → λέγον· Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 33 (PG 28:1508a–1508b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/33). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/33

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 34

34PG 28:1508b–1508c

Ἄλλως τε πάλιν μεγάλην ὠφέλειαν εἰσπράττονται· μὴ ἔχοντες γὰρ τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὸν ὲν γῇ θησαυρὸν, τὴν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἀμφιέννυνται· καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ύμνῳδοῦ Δαβὶδ ῥῆμα ἐκτελοῦσι σαφῶς, τὸ λέγον· Κτηνώδης ἐγενήθην παρά σοί. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ὑποζύγια, τὴν ίδίαν ἐργασίαν ποιούμενα, ταῖς πρὸς τὸ ζῇν τροφαῖς μόναις ἀρκοῦνται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης ὲργάται, τὴν μὲν τοῦ ἀργυρίου χρῆσιν ὡς μηδὲν οὖσαν λογίζονται, πρὸς μόνην δὲ τὴν ἐφήμερον τροφὴν τὴν διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἐργασίαν ποιοῦνται. Οὗτοι τῆς πίστεως τὴν κρηπῖδα κατέχουσι · πρὸς αὐτοὺς γὰρ εἴρηται παρά τοῦ Κυρίου τὸ μὴ μεριμνᾲν περὶ τῆς αὔριον ’ καὶ ὅτι, Τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐ σπείρει, οὐδὲ θερίζει, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὑτά. Τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις ἐθάρρησαν (Θεὸς γὰρ ὁ λαλήσας), πεπαρρησιασμένως τὸ γραφικὸν έκεῖνο φθέγγονται ῥῆμα, τὸ λέγον· Ἐπίστευσα, διʼ ὃ ἐλάλησα.

Allōs te palin megalēn ōpheleian eisprattontai; mē echontes gar ton noun pros ton en gę̄ thēsauron, tēn ouranōn basileian amphiennyntai; kai to hypo tou ymnǭdou Dabid rhēma ektelousi saphōs, to legon; Ktēnōdēs egenēthēn para soi. Hōsper gar ta hypozygia, tēn idian ergasian poioumena, tais pros to zę̄n trophais monais arkountai; houtō kai hoi tēs aktēmosynēs ergatai, tēn men tou argyriou chrēsin hōs mēden ousan logizontai, pros monēn de tēn ephēmeron trophēn tēn dia tou sōmatos ergasian poiountai. Houtoi tēs pisteōs tēn krēpida katechousi ; pros autous gar eirētai para tou Kyriou to mē merimnąn peri tēs aurion ’ kai hoti, Ta peteina tou ouranou ou speirei, oude therizei, kai ho Patēr ho ouranios trephei hauta. Toutois tois logois etharrēsan (Theos gar ho lalēsas), peparrēsiasmenōs to graphikon ekeino phthengontai rhēma, to legon; Episteusa, diʼ ho elalēsa.

“Moreover, they gain great profit; for not having their mind on treasure on earth, they put on the kingdom of heaven; and they plainly fulfill the word of David the psalmist which says: ‘I became like a beast before you.’ For as beasts of burden, doing their own work, are content only with the food needed for life, so the workers of poverty count the use of silver as nothing and do bodily work for their daily food alone. These hold the foundation of faith; for to them the Lord said not to be anxious about tomorrow, and: ‘The birds of heaven do not sow or reap, and the heavenly Father feeds them.’ Taking courage from these words (for it is God who spoke), they boldly utter that word of Scripture which says: ‘I believed, therefore I spoke.’”

Matt 6:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 73:22 (72:22 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:34 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 116:10 (115:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The poor, like beasts of burden content with food, work only for daily bread and trust God, who feeds the birds.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); split word): εἰσπράτο τονται ' → εἰσπράττονται·; Θηο σαυρὺν → θησαυρὸν; ἀμφιέννυνται ο καὶ → ἀμφιέννυνται· καὶ; λέγον ο Κτηνὼδης → λέγον· Κτηνώδης; ἀρκοῦνταιθ → ἀρκοῦνται·; καὶ cl τῆς → καὶ οἱ τῆς; ἐφ· ήμερον → ἐφήμερον; τοῦ adparet": → τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; οίιράνιος → οὐράνιος; λέγον ο Ἐπίστευσα → λέγον· Ἐπίστευσα.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 34 (PG 28:1508b–1508c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/34). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/34

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 35

35PG 28:1508c

Καὶ ὁ ἐχθρὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκτημόνων πλέον ἠττᾶται · τί γὰρ βλάψῃ, ούκ ἔχει. Αἱ γὰρ πλεῖσται τῶν λυπῶν καὶ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἒν ταῖς ἀφαιρέσεσι τῶν Χρημάτων γίνονται. Τί γὰρ ἔχει ποιῆσαι τοῖς ἀκτήμοσιν ; οὐκ ἔχει. Χωρία ἐμπρῆσαι ; ού πάρεστιν. Ὑποζύγια φθεῖραι; ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἔχουσι, Φιλτάτοις ἃψασθαι; ἀλλά καὶ τούτοις μακρὰν χαίρειν εἷπον. Οὐκοῦν μεγίστη κατά τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τιμωρία καὶ πολύτιμος τῇ ψυχῇ θησαυρὸς ἡ ἀκτημοσύνη.

Kai ho echthros de epi tōn aktēmonōn pleon ēttatai ; ti gar blapsę̄, ouk echei. Hai gar pleistai tōn lypōn kai tōn peirasmōn en tais aphairesesi tōn Chrēmatōn ginontai. Ti gar echei poiēsai tois aktēmosin ? ouk echei. Chōria emprēsai ? ou parestin. Hypozygia phtheirai? allʼ oude tauta echousi, Philtatois hapsasthai? alla kai toutois makran chairein heipon. Oukoun megistē kata tou echthrou timōria kai polytimos tę̄ psychę̄ thēsauros hē aktēmosynē.

“And the enemy is defeated more in the case of those without possessions; for he has nothing to harm. For most griefs and temptations come with the loss of money. What can he do to those without possessions? Nothing. Burn their fields? They have none. Destroy their beasts of burden? They have none of these either. Touch their dearest ones? They have long said farewell to these too. So poverty is the greatest punishment against the enemy and a very precious treasure for the soul.”

Job 1:16 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The devil cannot harm those who own nothing, since most temptations come through loss of property.

The examples recall the trials of Job (Job 1:13–19).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); split word): Kal. ὁ ἐχθρὸς δὲ ἐπὶτῶν → Καὶ ὁ ἐχθρὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν; Al γάρ πλεῖσται → Αἱ γὰρ πλεῖσται; ’Υπο ζύγια → Ὑποζύγια; πολύ· τιμος → πολύτιμος.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 35 (PG 28:1508c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/35). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/35

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 36

36PG 28:1508c–1509a

Ὅσον μὲν οῦν αὕτη θαυμαστὴ καὶ ὑπέρογκος είς ἀρετὴν, τοσοῦτον είς κακίαν φαύλη καὶ μοχθηρά ἡ φιλαργυρία· καὶ ἀληθῶς ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος περὶ ταύτης εἴρηκεν· ὡς πάντων αὐτὴν τῶν κακῶν αἰτίαν εἶναι. Ἐπιθυμία γὰρ τοῦ πλούτου, ἐπιορκία, κλοπὴ. ἁρπαγὴ, πορνεία, φθόνος, μισαδελφία, πόλεμος, εἰδωλολατρεία, πλεονεξία, καὶ αί παραφυάδες τούτων, ὑπόκρισις, κολακεία, κατάγελως· πάντων οῦν τούτων ’ αἰτία ὡμολόγηται ἡ φιλαργυρία. Ὅθεν δικαίως αὐτὴν πάντων τῶν κακῶν μητέρα ὁ Ἀπόστολος ὠνόμασεν. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ὁ Θεὸς τούτους τιμωρεῖται ἀλλά γε καὶ οἴκοθεν ἑαυτοὺς καταφθείρουσιν · ἀκόρεστον γὰρ φέροντες τὴν κακίαν, οὐκ ἔχουσι τέλος τοῦ σκοποῦ, ὅθεν ἀνίατος αύτοὶς ή πληγή. Ὁ μηδὲν ἔχων ὀλίγων ἐπιθυμεῖ· καὶ τυχὼν τούτων, τῶν πλειόνων ὀρέγεται· Ἑκατὸν χρυσίνους ἔχει, καὶ γλίχεται τῶν χιλίων · καὶ τούτων εὐπορήσας, πρὸς ἄπειρον φέρει τὸ νεῦμα. Καὶ οὕτω, μὴ ἔχοντες ἐαυτῶν στῆναι τὸ τέλος, ἀεὶ πενίαν ὀδύρονται. Φέρει δὲ ή φιλαργυρία μεθʼ ἑαυτῆς ἀεὶ τὸν φθόνον. Φθείρει δὲ καὶ οὗτος πρῶτον τὸν κτησάμενον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἔχιδνα γεννωμένη πρῶτον τὴν ἰδίαν μητέρα φθείρει, πρὶν ἂν ἄλλους ἀδικήσῃ· οὖτω καὶ ὁ φθόνος τὸν κτησάμενον καταμαραίνει, πρὶν ἂν τοὺς ἐκ γειτόνων διανεμηθῇ.

Hoson men oun hautē thaumastē kai hyperonkos eis aretēn, tosouton eis kakian phaulē kai mochthēra hē philargyria; kai alēthōs ho thespesios Paulos peri tautēs eirēken; hōs pantōn autēn tōn kakōn aitian einai. Epithymia gar tou ploutou, epiorkia, klopē. harpagē, porneia, phthonos, misadelphia, polemos, eidōlolatreia, pleonexia, kai ai paraphyades toutōn, hypokrisis, kolakeia, katagelōs; pantōn oun toutōn ’ aitia hōmologētai hē philargyria. Hothen dikaiōs autēn pantōn tōn kakōn mētera ho Apostolos ōnomasen. Ou monon de ho Theos toutous timōreitai alla ge kai oikothen heautous kataphtheirousin ; akoreston gar pherontes tēn kakian, ouk echousi telos tou skopou, hothen aniatos autois ē plēgē. Ho mēden echōn oligōn epithymei; kai tychōn toutōn, tōn pleionōn oregetai; Hekaton chrysinous echei, kai glichetai tōn chiliōn ; kai toutōn euporēsas, pros apeiron pherei to neuma. Kai houtō, mē echontes eautōn stēnai to telos, aei penian odyrontai. Pherei de ē philargyria methʼ heautēs aei ton phthonon. Phtheirei de kai houtos prōton ton ktēsamenon. Hōsper gar hē echidna gennōmenē prōton tēn idian mētera phtheirei, prin an allous adikēsę̄; outō kai ho phthonos ton ktēsamenon katamarainei, prin an tous ek geitonōn dianemēthę̄.

“As wonderful and preeminent as poverty is in virtue, so base and wicked in vice is love of money; and truly the inspired Paul said of it that it is the cause of all evils. For from desire of wealth come perjury, theft, robbery, fornication, envy, hatred of brothers, war, idolatry, greed, and their offshoots, hypocrisy, flattery, mockery: of all these love of money is admitted to be the cause. Hence the apostle rightly named it the mother of all evils. Not only does God punish such people, but they also destroy themselves from within; for, carrying an insatiable vice, they have no end to their aim; hence their wound is incurable. One who has nothing desires a little; and having got it, he reaches for more. He has a hundred gold pieces and longs for a thousand; and having got these, he turns his gaze to the infinite. And so, having no end at which to stop, they always lament their poverty. Love of money always brings envy with it; and this first destroys the one who has it. For as the viper, when it is born, first destroys its own mother before it harms others, so envy withers the one who has it before it is spread to the neighbors.”

1 Tim 6:10 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Love of money is the root of all evils and is never satisfied; it brings envy, which destroys its owner first, like the viper said to kill its mother at birth.

The viper killing its mother at birth is ancient natural lore.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; joined words; split word; stray marks): φιλαργυρίαο → φιλαργυρία·; ‘_ ὑπόκρισις → ὑπόκρισις; κατάγελως ο πάντων → κατάγελως· πάντων; φέ· ροντες → φέροντες; '0 μηδὲν → Ὁ μηδὲν; γάρὴ ἔχιδνα → γὰρ ἡ ἔχιδνα.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 36 (PG 28:1508c–1509a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/36). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/36

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 37

37PG 28:1509b–1509c

Μέγα ἂν χρῆμα, εί τοσούτους ἠδυνάμεθα ὑπομένειν πόνους, ζητοῦντες τὸ δόκιμον ἀργύριον, ὅσοις ἀνηκέστοις περιπίπτουσιν οἱ τοῦ ματαίου κόσμου θηραταί. Ναυάγια ὑπομένουσι, πειρατηρίοις προσομιλοῦσι, λῃσταῖς κατά γῆς περιπίπτουσιν· ἀνέχονται λοιπὸν ζάλης καὶ πνευμάτων βιαίων· καὶ πολλάκις κερδαίνοντες, πένητας ἑαυτοὺς φάσκουσι διὰ τοὺς φθονοῦντας. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδόλως τῶν τοιούτων κινδύνων κατατολμῶμεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ κέρδους. Εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ μικροῦ τινος εὐπορήσωμεν, μεγαλύνομεν ἐαυτάς, ἐπιδεικνύμεναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις · καὶ πολλάκις οὐδὲ τὸ γιγνόμενον προφέρομεν είς διήγησιν · εὐθέως δὲ καὶ ὃν δοκοῦμεν σπινθῆρα καλοῦ ἔχειν, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ κλεπτόμεθα. Κάκεῖνοι δὲ, πολλὰ κερδαίνοντες, τῶν πλειόνων ἐφίενται· καὶ τὰ μὲν παρόντα ὡς οὐδὲν ἡγοῦνται, πρὸς δὲ τὰ μὴ παρόντα ἁποτείνονται. Ἡμείς δὲ, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχουσαι τῶν ζητουμένων, οὐδὲν θέλομεν κτήσασθαι· καὶ πενίαν ἐσχάτην νοσοῦσαι, πλουσίας ἑαυτὰς ἀναγορεύομεν. Καλὸν οῦν τὸν εὖ πράττοντα μηδενὶ ἀναγγέλλειν· μᾶλλον γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι ζημιωθήσονται· καὶ γὰρ ὃ δοκοῦσιν ἔχειν ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτῶν.

Mega an chrēma, ei tosoutous ēdynametha hypomenein ponous, zētountes to dokimon argyrion, hosois anēkestois peripiptousin hoi tou mataiou kosmou thēratai. Nauagia hypomenousi, peiratēriois prosomilousi, lę̄stais kata gēs peripiptousin; anechontai loipon zalēs kai pneumatōn biaiōn; kai pollakis kerdainontes, penētas heautous phaskousi dia tous phthonountas. Hēmeis de oudolōs tōn toioutōn kindynōn katatolmōmen hyper tou alēthinou kerdous. Ei de pote kai mikrou tinos euporēsōmen, megalynomen eautas, epideiknymenai tois anthrōpois ; kai pollakis oude to gignomenon propheromen eis diēgēsin ; eutheōs de kai hon dokoumen spinthēra kalou echein, hypo tou echthrou kleptometha. Kakeinoi de, polla kerdainontes, tōn pleionōn ephientai; kai ta men paronta hōs ouden hēgountai, pros de ta mē paronta hapoteinontai. Hēmeis de, kai mēden echousai tōn zētoumenōn, ouden thelomen ktēsasthai; kai penian eschatēn nosousai, plousias heautas anagoreuomen. Kalon oun ton eu prattonta mēdeni anangellein; mallon gar hoi toioutoi zēmiōthēsontai; kai gar ho dokousin echein arthēsetai apʼ autōn.

“It would be a great thing if, seeking the tested silver, we could endure as many labors as the hunters of the vain world fall into incurable troubles. They endure shipwrecks, meet pirates, fall among robbers on land; they put up with storms and violent winds; and often, though they make gains, they call themselves poor because of those who envy them. But we dare none of such dangers for the true gain. And if ever we gain some small thing, we magnify ourselves, showing it off to people; and often we do not even keep what happens from being told; and at once even the spark of good we think we have is stolen from us by the enemy. They, though gaining much, aim at more, and count what they have as nothing, stretching toward what they do not have. But we, though having nothing of what is sought, want to acquire nothing, and sick with the utmost poverty, proclaim ourselves rich. It is good, then, for one who does well to tell no one; for such people will rather suffer loss; for even what they seem to have will be taken from them.”

Rev 3:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 8:18 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Merchants endure great dangers for worldly gain, while ascetics, gaining a little virtue, boast of it and lose it; good deeds should be kept secret.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters)): Μέγα ην χρῆμα → Μέγα ἂν χρῆμα; περιπίπτουσιν oi τοῦ → περιπίπτουσιν οἱ τοῦ; μᾶλλον γὰρ oi τοιοῦτοι → μᾶλλον γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 37 (PG 28:1509b–1509c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/37). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/37

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 38

38PG 28:1509c–1509d

Πᾶσαν οὖν σπουδὴν δέον θέσθαι ὑπὲρ τὸ λανθάνειν τὺ κέρδος. Οἱ δὲ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατορθώματα διηγούμενοι πειράσθωσαν καὶ τὰ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἐλαττώματα λέγειν · εἰ δὲ ταῦτα κρύπτουσιν, ἕνεκεν τοῦ μὴ παρά τῶν ἀκουόντων ψεχθῆναι, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνα φυλακτέον, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλλοτριοῦντα. Καὶ γοῦν οἱ κατʼ ἀρετὴν βιοῦντες τὸ ἀνάπαλιν ποιοῦσι, καὶ τὰ σμικρά ἑαυτῶν πταίσματα μετά καὶ προσθήκης ὧν οὐκ ἔπραξαν, ἐκδιηγοῦνται, τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀποβάλλοντες · τὰ μέντοι ἀγαθά κρύπτοντες, πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ψυχῆς. Ὠσπερ γὰρ θησαυρὸς φανερωθεὶς σπανίζεται, οὕτω καὶ ἀρετὴ γνωριζομένη καὶ δημοσιευομένη ἀφανίζεται· ὥσπερ γὰρ κηρὸς λύεται ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ἀπὸ ἐπαίνων διαχεῖται καὶ ἀποβάλλει τὸν τόνον.

Pasan oun spoudēn deon thesthai hyper to lanthanein ty kerdos. Hoi de ta heautōn katorthōmata diēgoumenoi peirasthōsan kai ta syn autois elattōmata legein ; ei de tauta kryptousin, heneken tou mē para tōn akouontōn psechthēnai, poly mallon ekeina phylakteon, hōs ek tou Theou allotriounta. Kai goun hoi katʼ aretēn biountes to anapalin poiousi, kai ta smikra heautōn ptaismata meta kai prosthēkēs hōn ouk epraxan, ekdiēgountai, tēn doxan tōn anthrōpōn apoballontes ; ta mentoi agatha kryptontes, pros asphaleian tēs psychēs. Ōsper gar thēsauros phanerōtheis spanizetai, houtō kai aretē gnōrizomenē kai dēmosieuomenē aphanizetai; hōsper gar kēros lyetai apo prosōpou pyros, houtō kai psychē apo epainōn diacheitai kai apoballei ton tonon.

“Every effort, then, must be made to keep one’s gain hidden. Those who tell of their own good deeds should try to tell also the faults that go with them; and if they hide these so as not to be blamed by the hearers, much more should they guard those, as estranging them from God. Indeed those who live by virtue do the opposite: they tell their small faults, even with additions of what they did not do, throwing away the glory of men, while hiding their good deeds for the safety of the soul. For as a treasure, once revealed, grows scarce, so virtue, made known and published, vanishes; for as wax melts before the fire, so the soul is dissolved by praise and loses its firmness.”

Matt 13:44 (allusion, low confidence) · Ps 68:2 (67:3 LXX) (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Virtue should be hidden like treasure, while faults are confessed; praise melts the soul like wax before fire.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (joined words; missing space; split word): διηγού μενοι → διηγούμενοι; είδὲ ταῦτα → εἰ δὲ ταῦτα; φυλακτέον,ὡς → φυλακτέον, ὡς.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 38 (PG 28:1509c–1509d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/38). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/38

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 39

39PG 28:1509d–1512a

Καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον δὲ τούτων πάλιν ἔσται· εί γὰρ ἡ θερμότης ἔλυσε τὸν κηρὸν, ή ψύξις ἄρα τὴν πῆξιν αὐτοῦ ποιήσεται ’ καὶ εί ἔπαινος ἀφαιρεῖται τοῦ τόνου τὴν ψυχὴν, πάντως ὀνειδισμὸς καὶ ὕβρις είς μέγεθος αὐτὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄγει· Χαίρετε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτʼ ἂν πᾶν ψεῦδος εἴπωσι καθʼ ὑμῶν οἱ ἅνθρωποι. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν · Ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνὰς με. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὀνειδισμὸν προσεδόκησεν ’ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν. Καὶ ἄλλα δὲ μυρία ἀγαθά τοιαῦτα ὲκ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν ἔστι τῇ ψυχῇ προσοδευόμενα θεάσασθαι.

Kai to enantion de toutōn palin estai; ei gar hē thermotēs elyse ton kēron, ē psyxis ara tēn pēxin autou poiēsetai ’ kai ei epainos aphaireitai tou tonou tēn psychēn, pantōs oneidismos kai hybris eis megethos autēn tēs aretēs agei; Chairete gar, phēsi, kai agalliasthe, hotʼ an pan pseudos eipōsi kathʼ hymōn hoi hanthrōpoi. Kai allachou phēsin ; En thlipsei eplatynas me. Kai palin; Oneidismon prosedokēsen ’hē psychē mou kai talaipōrian. Kai alla de myria agatha toiauta ek tōn hagiōn Graphōn esti tę̄ psychę̄ prosodeuomena theasasthai.

“And the opposite of these will hold too: if heat melted the wax, cold will set it; and if praise takes away the soul’s firmness, reproach and insult certainly bring it to greatness of virtue. For ‘Rejoice,’ it says, ‘and be glad, when men say all kinds of falsehood against you.’ And elsewhere it says: ‘In affliction you enlarged me.’ And again: ‘My soul awaited reproach and misery.’ And countless other such good things can be seen in the holy Scriptures accruing to the soul.”

Matt 5:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 4:1 (4:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 69:20 (68:21 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As praise weakens the soul, reproach and insult strengthen it, as the Beatitudes and Psalms show.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR): Καὶ τδ ἐναντίον → Καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον; ἄγει ο Χαίρετε → ἄγει· Χαίρετε; καθʼὐμῶγ οί → καθʼ ὑμῶν οἱ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 39 (PG 28:1509d–1512a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/39). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/39

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 40

40PG 28:1512a–1512b

Ἔστι λύπη ὲπωφελὴς, καὶ ἐστι λύπη φθοροποιός. Τῆς μὲν οὖν χρησίμης λύπης τὸ μέν ἐστι περὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτιῶν στένειν · τὸ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν πλησίον ἀγνωσίας· τὸ δὲ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς προθέσεως · τὸ δὲ καὶ ἀφικνεῖσθαι τοῦ τέλους τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῆς γνησίας καὶ ἀγαθῆς λύπης τὰ εἴδη. Καὶ ἄλλη δέ τις λύπη, τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ὑποτιθεμένου, ἥτις ταύταις προσφύεσθαι οἶδεν. Ἐμβάλλει γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς λύπην ἀλογίας μεστήν· ἥπερ καὶ ἀκηδία πρός τινων ὠνόμασται. Δεῖ οὖν τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα εὐχῇ μάλιστα ἀποσοβεῖν καὶ ψαλμῳδίᾳ.

Esti lypē epōphelēs, kai esti lypē phthoropoios. Tēs men oun chrēsimēs lypēs to men esti peri tōn oikeiōn hamartiōn stenein ; to de kai peri tēs tōn plēsion agnōsias; to de pros to mē ekpesein tēs protheseōs ; to de kai aphikneisthai tou telous tēs agathōsynēs. Tauta men oun tēs gnēsias kai agathēs lypēs ta eidē. Kai allē de tis lypē, tou echthrou hypotithemenou, hētis tautais prosphyesthai oiden. Emballei gar kai autos lypēn alogias mestēn; hēper kai akēdia pros tinōn ōnomastai. Dei oun touto to pneuma euchę̄ malista aposobein kai psalmǭdią.

“There is a profitable grief, and there is a destructive grief. Of useful grief, one kind is to groan over one’s own sins; another, over the ignorance of one’s neighbors; another, so as not to fall from one’s purpose; and another, to reach the end of goodness. These, then, are the kinds of true and good grief. But there is another grief, suggested by the enemy, which knows how to attach itself to these. For he too casts in a grief full of unreason, which some have also named acedia. This spirit must be driven away above all by prayer and psalmody.”

2 Cor 7:10 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: There is godly grief over sin and for others’ salvation, and a destructive grief from the devil, acedia, which must be driven away by prayer and psalmody.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR, hyphenation): Ἐμ- 6ἀλλει → Ἐμβάλλει; μεστήν ο ἤπερ → μεστήν· ἥπερ; ψαλμιιῆίᾳ → ψαλμῳδίᾳ.

Topics: Prayer, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 40 (PG 28:1512a–1512b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/40). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/40

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 41

41PG 28:1512b–1512c

Τῶν οὗν ἀγαθῶν μεριμνῶν ἐχομένας ἡμᾶς, οὐ χρὴ οἴεσθαί τινα ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἀφρόντιδα εἶναι. Φησὶ γὰρ ἡ Γραφή· Πᾶσα κεφαλὴ εὶς πόνον, καὶ πᾶσα καρδιά είς λύπην. Ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα συνέγραψε τόν τε μονήρη βίον καὶ τὸν κοσμικόν. Διά μὲν γὰρ τοῦ πόνου τῆς κεφαλῆς, τὸν μονήρη αἰνίττεται τρόπον ’ κεφαλὴ γὰρ τό ἡγεμονεῦον· Τοῦ γὰρ σοφοῦ, φησὶν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ αὑτοῦ. Τὸ οὖν διορατικὸν, ῶς οἶμαι, ὲν αὐτῇ τυγχάνει. Τὸν δὲ πόνον εἷπε, διότι πᾶσα ἀρετῆς βλάστη ἐκ πόνων κατορθοῦται. Διά δὲ τῆς ἐν τῇ καρδία λύπης, τὸ ἄστατον καὶ μοχθηρὸν ἐδήλωσεν ἦθος. Θυμοῦ γὰρ καὶ λύπης οἰκητήριον, τὴν καρδίαν τινὲς ἔφασαν · μὴ δοξαζόμενοι, λυποῦνταιʼ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ὀρεγόμενοι, τήκονται· πενόμενοι, δυσφοροῦσι· πλουτοῦντες, ἐκμαίνονται, διὰ τὴν τῶν παρόντων φυλακὴν μηδὲ iam τυγχάνοντες.

Tōn houn agathōn merimnōn echomenas hēmas, ou chrē oiesthai tina en tǭ biǭ aphrontida einai. Phēsi gar hē Graphē; Pasa kephalē eis ponon, kai pasa kardia eis lypēn. En heni logǭ to hagion Pneuma synegrapse ton te monērē bion kai ton kosmikon. Dia men gar tou ponou tēs kephalēs, ton monērē ainittetai tropon ’ kephalē gar to hēgemoneuon; Tou gar sophou, phēsin, hoi ophthalmoi en tę̄ kephalę̄ hautou. To oun dioratikon, ōs oimai, en autę̄ tynchanei. Ton de ponon heipe, dioti pasa aretēs blastē ek ponōn katorthoutai. Dia de tēs en tę̄ kardia lypēs, to astaton kai mochthēron edēlōsen ēthos. Thymou gar kai lypēs oikētērion, tēn kardian tines ephasan ; mē doxazomenoi, lypountaiʼ tōn allotriōn oregomenoi, tēkontai; penomenoi, dysphorousi; ploutountes, ekmainontai, dia tēn tōn parontōn phylakēn mēde iam tynchanontes.

“Since we are held by good cares, we must not think that anyone in this life is free from concern. For Scripture says: ‘Every head is in pain, and every heart in grief.’ In one word the Holy Spirit described both the solitary and the worldly life. By the pain of the head it hints at the solitary way of life; for the head is the ruling part: ‘For the wise man’s eyes,’ it says, ‘are in his head.’ The faculty of discernment, then, I think, lies in it. And it spoke of pain, because every shoot of virtue is achieved through labors. By the grief in the heart it showed the unstable and wretched character [of the worldly]. For some have said that the heart is the dwelling of anger and grief: when they are not honored, they grieve; desiring others’ things, they pine; when poor, they are vexed; when rich, they go mad, not even [sleeping] because of guarding what they have.”

Isa 1:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 2:14 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: No life is free of care: the head’s toil stands for the ascetic life, the heart’s grief for the restless worldly life.

Isa 1:5 is quoted from the Greek. The last words are garbled (“μηδὲ iam τυγχάνοντες”); “sleeping” is supplied by sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (probable); joined words): Φηεῖγὰρ → Φησὶ γὰρ; καὶτὸν κοσμικόν → καὶ τὸν κοσμικόν; οὶ ὀρθαὶμοὶ → οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ; Τδν δὲ πόνον → Τὸν δὲ πόνον; ὲκ ﬁdum → ἐκ πόνων; τὺ ἄστατον → τὸ ἄστατον; δυσφοροῦσυ πλουτοῦντες, ὲκ· μαίνονται → δυσφοροῦσι· πλουτοῦντες, ἐκμαίνονται.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 41 (PG 28:1512b–1512c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/41). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/41

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 42

42PG 28:1512c–1512d

Μὴ οὖν ἡμεῖς ὑποσυρῶμεν τῷ φρονήματι, λέγουσαι τοὺς έν τῷ κόσμῳ ἀμερίμνους τυγχάνειν. Τάχα γὰρ ῶς πρὸς σύγκρισιν μᾶλλον ἡμῶν κοπιῶσι. Ταῖς δὲ γυναιξὶν ῶς ἐπίπαν μεγάλη ὲν τῷ κόσμῳ ἡ ἀπέχθεια· τίκτουσι γὰρ χαλεπῶς καὶ ἐπικινδύνως, καὶ τληπαθοῦσι πρὸς τὴν γαλακτοτροφίαν, καὶ νοσοῦσι τοῖς παιδίοις συννοσοῦσι· καὶ ταῦτα ὑπομένουσι, τέλος τοῦ κόπου μὴ ἔχουσαι. Ἢ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα πηροῦται τά κυηθέντα, ἢ κακοφροσύνη ἀναχθέντα δολοφονεῖ τοὺς γεννήσαντας. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδυῖαι, μὴ δελεασθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ὡς ἀνέτου καὶ ἀμερίμνου τυγχάνοντος τοῦ βίου. Γεννῶσαι μὲν γὰρ, διὰ τῶν πόνων φθείρονται · μὴ τίκτουσαι δὲ, ὼς στεῖραι καὶ ἄγονοι ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνειδισμῶν τήκονται.

Mē oun hēmeis hyposyrōmen tǭ phronēmati, legousai tous en tǭ kosmǭ amerimnous tynchanein. Tacha gar ōs pros synkrisin mallon hēmōn kopiōsi. Tais de gynaixin ōs epipan megalē en tǭ kosmǭ hē apechtheia; tiktousi gar chalepōs kai epikindynōs, kai tlēpathousi pros tēn galaktotrophian, kai nosousi tois paidiois synnosousi; kai tauta hypomenousi, telos tou kopou mē echousai. Ē gar to sōma pēroutai ta kyēthenta, ē kakophrosynē anachthenta dolophonei tous gennēsantas. Tauta oun eiduiai, mē deleasthōmen hypo tou echthrou, hōs anetou kai amerimnou tynchanontos tou biou. Gennōsai men gar, dia tōn ponōn phtheirontai ; mē tiktousai de, ōs steirai kai agonoi hypo tōn oneidismōn tēkontai.

“Let us not, then, be drawn down in mind, saying that those in the world are free from care. For perhaps, by comparison, they toil more than we do. For women in the world, generally, the hardship is great: they give birth with difficulty and danger, they suffer through nursing, and they fall sick with their sick children; and they endure these things without an end to their toil. For either the children they bore are maimed in body, or, brought up in wickedness, they plot against their parents. Knowing these things, then, let us not be lured by the enemy as though that life were easy and carefree. For those who give birth are worn out by labors, and those who do not give birth are wasted by reproaches as barren and childless.”

Gen 3:16 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The life of married women is not carefree: childbirth, nursing and children’s illnesses and failings bring toil, and childlessness brings reproach.

The passage contrasts married life unfavorably with virginity, as the work does throughout; given as written.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; joined words): Μὴόὖν → Μὴ οὖν; ὴ γ ἀπέχθειαο → ἡ ἀπέχθεια·; γαλακτοτροιρίαν → γαλακτοτροφίαν; συννοσοῦσιο καὶταῦτα → συννοσοῦσι· καὶ ταῦτα.

Topics: Marriage

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 42 (PG 28:1512c–1512d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/42). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/42

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 43

43PG 28:1512d–1513b

Ταῦτα δὲ ύμῖν λέγω πρὸς τὸ ἀσφαλίζεσθαι ἀπὸ ἐναντίου. Ού πᾶσι δὲ πέφυκεν ἁρμόδια τὰ λεγόμενα· ἀλλά μόνοις τοῖς τὸν μονήρη βίον ἐθέλουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς ζώοις οὐ μία τροφὴ, οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος συμφέρει· Οὐ δεῖ γὰρ οἶνον νέον βαλεῖν, φησὶν, εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς. Ἄλλως γὰρ ἑστιῶνται οἰ Θεωρίας καὶ γνώσεως ἐμφορούμενοι, ἐτέρως δὲ οἱ ἁσκητικῆς·καὶ πρακτικῆς ἀπογενόμενοι, καὶ πρὸς δύναμιν οἰ κατᾶ τὸν κόσμον δικαιοπραγοῦντες. Ὠσπερ γὰρ τῶν ζώων τινὰ μὲν ἐστι χερσαῖα, τινὰ δὲ ἔνυδρα, τινὰ δὲ πτηνά· οὕτως καὶ οἰ ἄνθρωποι οἰ μὲν τὸν μέσον βίον κατέχουσιν, ὡς τὰ χερσαῖα · οἱ δὲ πρὸς τά ῦψη ὲνατενίζουσιν, ὡς τὰ πετεινά· οἱ δὲ τοῖς ὕδασι τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν εἰσι κεκαλυμμένοι, ὡς οἰ ἰχθύες· Ἦλθον γὰρ, φησὶν, εις τὰ βάθη τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ καταιγὶς κατεπόντισέ με. Καὶ τοιαύτη μὲν ἡ τῶν ζώων φύσις· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὡς ἀετοὶ πτεροφυήσασαι, ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότερα επιεῶμεν, καὶ καταπατησωμεν λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα· καὶ τοῦ ποτε ἄρχοντος νῦν ἄρξωμεν. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιήσομεν, ἐὰν ὅλην ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν τῷ Σωτῆρι προσενέγκωμεν.

Tauta de ymin legō pros to asphalizesthai apo enantiou. Ou pasi de pephyken harmodia ta legomena; alla monois tois ton monērē bion ethelousin. Hōsper gar tois zōois ou mia trophē, houtōs oude tois anthrōpois ho autos logos sympherei; Ou dei gar oinon neon balein, phēsin, eis askous palaious. Allōs gar hestiōntai oi Theōrias kai gnōseōs emphoroumenoi, eterōs de hoi haskētikēs;kai praktikēs apogenomenoi, kai pros dynamin oi kata ton kosmon dikaiopragountes. Ōsper gar tōn zōōn tina men esti chersaia, tina de enydra, tina de ptēna; houtōs kai oi anthrōpoi oi men ton meson bion katechousin, hōs ta chersaia ; hoi de pros ta ypsē enatenizousin, hōs ta peteina; hoi de tois hydasi tōn hamartiōn eisi kekalymmenoi, hōs oi ichthyes; Ēlthon gar, phēsin, eis ta bathē tēs thalassēs, kai kataigis katepontise me. Kai toiautē men hē tōn zōōn physis; hēmeis de, hōs aetoi pterophyēsasai, epi ta hypsēlotera epieōmen, kai katapatēsōmen leonta kai drakonta; kai tou pote archontos nyn arxōmen. Touto de poiēsomen, ean holēn heautōn tēn dianoian tǭ Sōtēri prosenenkōmen.

“I say these things to you so that you may be on guard against the adversary. But what is said is not fitting for all, only for those who wish to live the solitary life. For as living things do not have one food, so the same word does not profit all people: ‘For one must not put new wine,’ it says, ‘into old wineskins.’ For those filled with contemplation and knowledge feast in one way, those given to the ascetic and practical life in another, and those who act justly in the world as far as they can in another. For as some living things live on land, some in water, and some fly, so among people some keep to the middle life, like land animals; some gaze at the heights, like birds; and some are covered by the waters of sins, like fish: ‘For I came,’ it says, ‘into the depths of the sea, and a storm overwhelmed me.’ Such is the nature of living things; but let us, growing wings like eagles, fly to the heights, and trample the lion and the dragon, and become rulers over the one who was once ruler. And we shall do this if we offer our whole mind to the Savior.”

Matt 9:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 69:2 (68:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:31 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 91:13 (90:13 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:31 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Teaching must suit the hearer: some live like land animals, some soar like birds, some are sunk in sin like fish; virgins should rise like eagles and master the devil by giving their whole mind to Christ.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); leaked chapter numeral; split word; stray hyphen): ἀπὺ ἐναντίου → ἀπὸ ἐναντίου; ’τὰ-λεγόμεναι → τὰ λεγόμενα·; βίον- ἐθέλουσιν → βίον ἐθέλουσιν; ’ἧσπερ {ap τοῖς ζώοις οὗ μία → Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς ζώοις οὐ μία; ἀνθρώίτοις → ἀνθρώποις; συμφέρειʼ Οὺ δεῖ → συμφέρει· Οὐ δεῖ; πτηνάο → πτηνά·; oi δὲ τοῖς ὕδασι → οἱ δὲ τοῖς ὕδασι; τῆς audam“ χαί καταιγίς → τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ καταιγὶς; μὲνὴ τῶν ζώων φύσις ο ἡμεῖς → μὲν ἡ τῶν ζώων φύσις· ἡμεῖς; δράκοντα ο καὶ → δράκοντα· καὶ; νῦν ἄρα· ξωμεν → νῦν ἄρξωμεν; προσενέγκωμεν. ιι. → προσενέγκωμεν..

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 43 (PG 28:1512d–1513b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/43). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/43

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 44

44PG 28:1513b

Ἀλλὰ ὅσον ἡμεῖς κορυφούμεθα πρὸς τὰ {id/1;, κάκεῖνος ἐμποδίζειν πειρᾶται διὰ τῶν ἰδίων παγίδων. Καὶ τί μέγα ἔχειν ἡμᾶς ἀντιπάλους πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁρμώσας, ὅπου γε καὶ πρὸς τά εὐτελῆ φθονοῦσι ; καὶ γοῦν τοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν τεθαμμένους θησαυροὺς ού συγχωροῦσι λαμβάνειν ἀνθρώπους. Εἰ οῦν καὶ πρὸς τὴν γηΐνην φαντασίαν ἀντίκεινται, πόσῳ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν φθονήσουσιν;

Alla hoson hēmeis koryphoumetha pros ta {id/1?, kakeinos empodizein peiratai dia tōn idiōn pagidōn. Kai ti mega echein hēmas antipalous pros to agathon hormōsas, hopou ge kai pros ta eutelē phthonousi ? kai goun tous hypo tēn gēn tethammenous thēsaurous ou synchōrousi lambanein anthrōpous. Ei oun kai pros tēn gēïnēn phantasian antikeintai, posǭ mallon pros tēn tōn ouranōn basileian phthonēsousin?

“But the more we rise toward the heights, the more he tries to hinder us by his own snares. And what great thing is it that we have adversaries when we press toward the good, since they are envious even over cheap things? Indeed they do not allow people to take treasures buried under the earth. If, then, they oppose even an earthly fancy, how much more will they envy the kingdom of heaven?”

Notes and citation

Summary: The higher one rises, the more the demons oppose, since they begrudge even earthly treasure, let alone heaven.

“The heights” renders a garbled word (“{id/1;”). The belief that demons guard buried treasure is popular lore.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR): ὸρμώσας → ὁρμώσας; τηῒνην → γηΐνην.

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 44 (PG 28:1513b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/44). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/44

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 45

45PG 28:1513b–1513c

Δεῖ οὖν κατʼ αὐτῶν παντοίως ὁπλίζεσθαι καὶ γάρ καὶ ἔξωθεν εἰσελαύνουσι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦττον ἐκ τῶν ἑξωθεν κινοῦνται. Καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, καθάπερ ναῦς, ποτε μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν τρικυμιῶν καταποντίζεται, ποτὲ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἔνδοθεν ἀντλίας ὑποβρύχιος γίνεται. Καὶ γοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς ποτὲ μὲν διὰ τῶν ἐκτὸς πρακτικῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπολλύμεθα, ποτὲ δὲ διὰ τῶν ἔνδον λογισμῶν ἀφανιζόμεθα. Δεῖ οῦν καὶ τὰς ἔξωθεν τῶν πνευμάτων ἐπιτηρεῖν προσβολὰς, καὶ τὰς ἔνδον τῶν λογισμῶν ἐξαντλεῖν ἀκαθαρσίας, πάντοτε δὲ γρηγορεῖν πρὸς τοὺς λογισμούς συνεχῶς γὰρ ἐφίστανται. Ἐπὶ μὲν ταῖς ἔξωθεν τρικυμίαις, βοώντων τῶν ναυτῶν, πολλάκις ἡ σωτηρία διὰ τῶν ὲγγυτάτων πλοίων γίνεται· αἱ δὲ ἁντλίαι, καὶ κοιμωμένων πολλάκις τῶν πλωτήρων, καὶ ἡσυχαζούσης τῆς θαλάσσης, ἐπισυμβαἰνουσι, καὶ πολλάκις αὐτοὺς θανατοῦσιν.

Dei oun katʼ autōn pantoiōs hoplizesthai kai gar kai exōthen eiselaunousi, kai ouden ētton ek tōn hexōthen kinountai. Kai hē psychē, kathaper naus, pote men hypo tōn exōthen trikymiōn katapontizetai, pote de hypo tēs endothen antlias hypobrychios ginetai. Kai goun kai hēmeis pote men dia tōn ektos praktikōn hamartēmatōn apollymetha, pote de dia tōn endon logismōn aphanizometha. Dei oun kai tas exōthen tōn pneumatōn epitērein prosbolas, kai tas endon tōn logismōn exantlein akatharsias, pantote de grēgorein pros tous logismous synechōs gar ephistantai. Epi men tais exōthen trikymiais, boōntōn tōn nautōn, pollakis hē sōtēria dia tōn engytatōn ploiōn ginetai; hai de hantliai, kai koimōmenōn pollakis tōn plōtērōn, kai hēsychazousēs tēs thalassēs, episymbainousi, kai pollakis autous thanatousin.

“We must, then, arm ourselves against them in every way; for they both invade from outside and are no less stirred up from within. And the soul, like a ship, is sometimes sunk by the waves outside and sometimes swamped by the bilge water within. So we too are sometimes lost through outward sins of action and sometimes destroyed through inward thoughts. We must, then, both watch for the assaults of the spirits from outside and bail out the uncleanness of thoughts within, and always keep watch against the thoughts; for they come upon us constantly. In storms outside, when the sailors shout, salvation often comes through the nearest ships; but the bilge water rises often while the sailors sleep and the sea is calm, and often kills them.”

Notes and citation

Summary: The soul, like a ship, is threatened both by outward storms and by bilge water within; inner thoughts, which rise unnoticed, are the more dangerous.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; leaked chapter numeral): τρικνμιῶν → τρικυμιῶν; προσόολὰς → προσβολὰς; θανατοῦσιν. ιβ. → θανατοῦσιν..

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 45 (PG 28:1513b–1513c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/45). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/45

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 46

46PG 28:1513c

Δεῖ οὖν ὲπιπονωτέραν ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς τοὺς λογισμοὺς τῂν διάνοιαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐχθρὸς, καθάπερ οἷκον τὴν ψυχὴν καθελεῖν βουλόμενος, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν θεμελίων ποιεῖται αὐτῆς τὴν πτῶσιν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀροφῆς ἀρχόμενος, πᾶσαν αὐτὴν καταφέρει, ἢ καὶ διὰ τῶν θυρίδων εἰσελθὼν, πρῶτον τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην δεσμεῖ, καὶ οῦτως χειροῦται τὰ πάντα. Θεμέλιος μὲν οῦν ἔστι τὰ καλά ἔργα, ὀροφὴ δὲ ἡ πίστις, θυρίδες δὲ αἱ αἰσθήσεις. Διὰ πάντων δὲ πολεμεῖ ὁ ἐχθρός. Ὅθεν πολυόφθαλμον δεῖ εῖναι τὸν σωθῆναι βουλόμενον. Οὐκ ἕχομεν ενταῦθα τὸ ἀμέριμνον φησὶ γὰρ ἡ Γραφή· Βλεπέτω ὁ ἑστηκὼς μὴ πέσῃ.

Dei oun epiponōteran poieisthai pros tous logismous tę̄n dianoian. Ho gar echthros, kathaper hoikon tēn psychēn kathelein boulomenos, ē apo tōn themeliōn poieitai autēs tēn ptōsin, ē apo tēs orophēs archomenos, pasan autēn katapherei, ē kai dia tōn thyridōn eiselthōn, prōton ton oikodespotēn desmei, kai outōs cheiroutai ta panta. Themelios men oun esti ta kala erga, orophē de hē pistis, thyrides de hai aisthēseis. Dia pantōn de polemei ho echthros. Hothen polyophthalmon dei einai ton sōthēnai boulomenon. Ouk hechomen entautha to amerimnon phēsi gar hē Graphē; Blepetō ho hestēkōs mē pesę̄.

“We must, then, make our mind more laborious against the thoughts. For the enemy, wishing to pull down the soul like a house, either brings about its fall from the foundations, or, beginning from the roof, brings the whole down, or, coming in through the windows, first binds the master of the house, and so subdues everything. The foundation is good works, the roof is faith, the windows are the senses. Through all of them the enemy makes war. Hence the one who wishes to be saved must be many-eyed. We have no freedom from care here; for Scripture says: ‘Let him who stands take heed lest he fall.’”

1 Cor 10:12 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The devil attacks the soul like a house, through its foundation of good works, its roof of faith or its windows of the senses, so one must be watchful everywhere.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters)): '0 γὰρὶχθρὸς → Ὁ γὰρ ἐχθρὸς; καταφέρει,ᾕ καὶ → καταφέρει, ἢ καὶ; θυρίam → θυρίδων; πολεμεῖ δ ἐχθρός → πολεμεῖ ὁ ἐχθρός; ’ὢν σωθῆναι → τὸν σωθῆναι; φησί γὰρὴ Γξαφήο Βλεπέτω ό → φησὶ γὰρ ἡ Γραφή· Βλεπέτω ὁ.

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 46 (PG 28:1513c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/46). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/46

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 47

47PG 28:1513c–1516a

Ἐν ἀδήλῳ πλέομεν· θάλασσα γὰρ ὁ βίος ἡμῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ψάλτου Δαβὶδ εἴρηται. Ἀλλά τῆς θαλάσσης τὰ μέν εἰσι πετρώδη, τά δὲ καὶ θηρίων πλήρη, τινὰ δὲ καὶ γαληνὰ. Ἡμεῖς ἐν τῷ γαληνῷ μέρει τῆς Θαλάσσης δοκοῦμεν πλέειν, οἱ δὲ κοσμικοὶ ὲν κινδυνώδεσι· καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἡμέρας πλέομεν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὁδηγούμενοι, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐν νυκτὶ, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγνωσίας φερόμενοι. Ἀλλʼ ἐνδέχεται πολλάκις τὸν κοσμικὸν ὲν χειμῶνι καὶ ἐν σκότει τυγχάνοντα, βοήσαντα καὶ ἀγρυπνήσαντα, σῶσαι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκάφος ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐν γαλήνῃ, ὑπὸ ἀμελείας βυθισθῆναι, τὸ πηδάλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀφέντας.

En adēlǭ pleomen; thalassa gar ho bios hēmōn hypo tou hierou psaltou Dabid eirētai. Alla tēs thalassēs ta men eisi petrōdē, ta de kai thēriōn plērē, tina de kai galēna. Hēmeis en tǭ galēnǭ merei tēs Thalassēs dokoumen pleein, hoi de kosmikoi en kindynōdesi; kai hēmeis men hēmeras pleomen hypo tou hēliou tēs dikaiosynēs hodēgoumenoi, ekeinoi de en nykti, hypo tēs agnōsias pheromenoi. Allʼ endechetai pollakis ton kosmikon en cheimōni kai en skotei tynchanonta, boēsanta kai agrypnēsanta, sōsai to heautou skaphos hēmas de en galēnę̄, hypo ameleias bythisthēnai, to pēdalion tēs dikaiosynēs aphentas.

“We sail in uncertainty; for our life has been called a sea by the holy psalmist David. But parts of the sea are rocky, others full of beasts, and some calm. We seem to sail in the calm part of the sea, people in the world in dangerous parts; and we sail by day, guided by the sun of righteousness, they at night, carried along by ignorance. But it can often happen that a person in the world, being in storm and darkness, by crying out and keeping watch, saves his own boat, while we in calm sink through negligence, letting go of the rudder of righteousness.”

Ps 104:25 (103:25 LXX) (allusion, low confidence) · Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX) (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Life is a sea: ascetics sail in calm daylight and worldly people in storm and darkness, yet the worldly may be saved by vigilance and the ascetic sink through carelessness.

The reference to David calling life a sea may be to Ps 104:25–26 (LXX 103:25–26).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; split word; stray period): κινδυνὼδεσι ° → κινδυνώδεσι·; ὁδηγοῦ μενοι → ὁδηγούμενοι; τυγχάνοντα. βοήσαντα → τυγχάνοντα, βοήσαντα.

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 47 (PG 28:1513c–1516a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/47). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/47

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 48

48PG 28:1516a–1516c

Βλεπέτω οὖν στήκων μὴ πέσῃ. Ὁ μὲν γάρ πεσὼν μίαν ἔχει φροντίδα, τοῦ ἀναστῆναι· ὁ δὲ στήκων φυλαττέσθω τοῦ μὴ πεσεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ τά παραπτώματα διάφοραʼ οί μὲν γάρ πεσόντες τοῦ μὲν στήκειν ἐστέρηνται· κείμενοι δὲ, οὐ πάνυ τι ἐβλάβησαν. Ὀ δὲ ἑστὼς μὴ εὐτελιζέτω τὸν πεπτωκότα, ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν φοβείσθω, μὴ πεσὼν διαφθαρῇ, καὶ εἰς κατώτερον ἀπέλθῃ βόθρον. Εἰκὸς γὰρ, καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς ἡττηθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ βάθους τοῦ φρέατος, μὴ βοήθειαν αἰτῆσαι. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος Μὴ καταπιέτω με βυθὸς, μηδέ συσχέτω ἐπʼ ἐμὲ φρέαρ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Ὁ πρῶτος πεσὼν ἔμεινεν. Ὅρα σεαυτὸν, μὴ καταπεσὼν καὶ σὺ θοίνη θηρίων γένῃ. Ὁ πεσὼν οὐκ ἁσφαλίζεται τὴν θύραν· σὺ δὲ μηδόλως νυστάξῃς· ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐκεῖνο μελῴδει ῥητὸν, τὸ φάσκον· Φὼτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μή ποτε ὑπνώσω είς θάνατον. Ἀγρύπνει δὲ διηνεκῶς διὰ τὸν ὠρυόμενον λέοντα.

Blepetō oun stēkōn mē pesę̄. Ho men gar pesōn mian echei phrontida, tou anastēnai; ho de stēkōn phylattesthō tou mē pesein. Kai gar ta paraptōmata diaphoraʼ oi men gar pesontes tou men stēkein esterēntai; keimenoi de, ou pany ti eblabēsan. O de hestōs mē eutelizetō ton peptōkota, allʼ heauton phobeisthō, mē pesōn diaphtharę̄, kai eis katōteron apelthę̄ bothron. Eikos gar, kai tēs kraugēs hēttētheisēs hypo tou bathous tou phreatos, mē boētheian aitēsai. Phēsi gar ho dikaios Mē katapietō me bythos, mēde syschetō epʼ eme phrear to stoma autou. Ho prōtos pesōn emeinen. Hora seauton, mē katapesōn kai sy thoinē thēriōn genę̄. Ho pesōn ouk hasphalizetai tēn thyran; sy de mēdolōs nystaxę̄s; allʼ aei to theion ekeino melǭdei rhēton, to phaskon; Phōtison tous ophthalmous mou, mē pote hypnōsō eis thanaton. Agrypnei de diēnekōs dia ton ōryomenon leonta.

“Let the one who stands, then, take heed lest he fall. For the one who has fallen has one concern, to rise; but let the one who stands guard against falling. For falls differ: those who have fallen are deprived of standing, but lying down they have not been harmed much. But let the one who stands not despise the fallen, but fear for himself, lest he fall and be destroyed and go down into a lower pit. For it is likely that, his cry being overcome by the depth of the well, he cannot ask for help. For the righteous man says: ‘Let not the deep swallow me up, nor the pit shut its mouth over me.’ The first who fell stayed down. Look to yourself, lest you too fall and become a feast for beasts. The one who has fallen does not secure the door; but you, do not doze at all, but always sing that divine saying: ‘Enlighten my eyes, lest I ever sleep in death.’ Keep watch continually because of the roaring lion.”

1 Cor 10:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 69:15 (68:16 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 13:3 (12:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 5:8 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Those who stand must not despise the fallen but fear falling deeper themselves, and keep constant watch against the devil.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR: 6 for ὁ): 6 δὲ στήκων → ὁ δὲ στήκων; 6 δίκαιος → ὁ δίκαιος; με,βικθὸς → με βυθὸς; αὺτοῦ. '0 πρῶτος → αὐτοῦ. Ὁ πρῶτος; '0 πεσὼν οὐκ → Ὁ πεσὼν οὐκ; νυστάξῃςο → νυστάξῃς·; μελῴδιι → μελῴδει; ὐπνὼσω → ὑπνώσω.

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 48 (PG 28:1516a–1516c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/48). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/48

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 49

49PG 28:1516c–1517b

Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα συντελεί πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθαι. Ὁ πεσὼν ὲν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ στενάξαι σωθήσεται. Ὅρα σὺ σαυτὴν ἡ στήκουσα. Διπλοῦς γάρ σοι ὁ φόβος ἐπίκειται, ἢ τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς τὰ ἀρχαῖα, διʼ ὀλιγωρίας σοι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ προσπεσόντος, ἢ τοῦ μὴ τρέχουσαν σκελισθῆναι. Ὀ γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἡμῶν διάβολος ἢ ὄπισθεν ἕλκει πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, ὁπηνίκα βραδείαν καὶ νωθράν τὴν ψυχὴν θεάσηται· ἢ δοκοῦσαν αὐτὴν σπουδαίαν εἶναι καὶ ἐπίπονον πρὸς ἄσκησιν, ἐπεισέρχεται λεπτῶς καὶ κεκρυμμένως διὰ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας· καὶ οὕτως αὔτανδρον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπόλλυσι. Τοῦτο τὸ ὅπλον ἔσχατον καὶ κορυφαιότατον πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν κακῶν. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὁ διάβολος καταβέβληται, καὶ διʼ αὑτοῦ τοὺς δυνατωτέρους τῶν ἀνθρώπων πειρᾶται καθαιρεῖν. Ὠσπερ γὰρ οἱ δεινότατοι τῶν πολεμιστῶν, μετά τὸ δαπανῆσαι τὰ λεπτότερα βέλη, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἔτι ἐπικρατούντων τῶν μαχητῶν, προβάλλονται τὴν ἰσχυροτέραν πάντων μάχαιραν· οὕτως καὶ ὁ διάβολος, μετά τὸ πρῶτα αὐτοῦ ἀποδαπανῆσαι ἄγκιστρα, τότε τῷ τελευταίῳ χρᾶται ξίφει, τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ. Τίνες δὲ ἦσαν αὑτοῦ αἱ πρῶται παγίδες; Δῆλον, ὡς γαστριμαργία, φιληδονία, πορνεία. Ταῦτα γὰρ μάλιστα τά πνεύματα ἐπὶ τῶν νεωτερικῶν ἡλικιῶν συμβαίνουσιν. Ἐπακολουθεί δὲ τούτοις φιλαργυρία, πλεονεξία, καὶ τά τούτοις ὅμοια. Ἡ οὖν ἀθλία ψυχὴ, ὅταν τούτων τῶν παθῶν περιγένηται, ὁπηνίκα γαστρὸς κρατῆσῃ, ὅτε καὶ τὰς ὑπογαστρίους ἡδονὰς ὑπερπηδήσῃ τῇ σεμνότητι, ὅτε ἀργυρίου καταφρονήσῃ· τότε πανταχόθεν ὁ κακόφρων, ἀπορηθεὶς, ὑποβάλλει τῇ ψυχῇ ἄτακτον κίνησιν· μεγεθύνει γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀπρεπῶς κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπαίρεσθαι. Βαρὺ καὶ ὀλέθριον τοῦτο τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τὸ δηλητήριον. Πολλοὺς ἀθρόως ὲν τούτῳ σκοτίσας κατέβαλεν. ’Υποβάλλει γάρ τῇ ψυχῇ ἔννοιαν νόθον καὶ θανατηφόρον. Κατειληφέναι γὰρ αὐτὸν φαντάζει τὰ παρά τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀγνοούμενα, καὶ ὅτι ὲν νηστείαις ὑπερβάλλει· καὶ πλῆθος αὐτῷ ἀνδραγαθημάτων προστίθησι· πάντων δὲ ὧν ἥμαρτεν είς λήθην αὑτὸν φέρει, πρὸς τὸ κατὰ τῶν συνόντων ἐπαίρεσθαι. ’Υποκλέπτει γάρ αὐτοῦ ὲκ τοῦ νοῦ τά πλημμελήματα· ού πρὸς ὠφέλειαν δὲ αὑτοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μὴ δυνηθῆναι αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τὴν ἰατρικὴν ἐκείνην φωνὴν, τὸ, Σοὶ μόνῳ ἥμαρτον, ἐλέησόν με. Οὔτε μὴν συγχωρήσει αὐτῷ λέγειν· Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου. Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς κατὰ διάνοιαν εἷπε τό· Ἀναβήσομαι, καί θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου“ οὕτως καὶ τοῦτον φαντάζει είς ἀρχάς τε καὶ πρωτοκαθεδρίας, ἔτι δὲ διδασκαλίας, καὶ ἰαμάτων ἐκδόσεις. Ἡ οὖν οὕτως ἀπατωμένη ψυχὴ φθείρεται καὶ ἀπόλλυται, δυσιάτῳ ἕλκει πληγεῖσα.

Tauta ta rhēmata syntelei pros to mē epairesthai. Ho pesōn en tǭ epistrepsai kai stenaxai sōthēsetai. Hora sy sautēn hē stēkousa. Diplous gar soi ho phobos epikeitai, ē tou mē epistrepsai pros ta archaia, diʼ oligōrias soi tou echthrou prospesontos, ē tou mē trechousan skelisthēnai. O gar echthros hēmōn diabolos ē opisthen helkei pros heauton, hopēnika bradeian kai nōthran tēn psychēn theasētai; ē dokousan autēn spoudaian einai kai epiponon pros askēsin, epeiserchetai leptōs kai kekrymmenōs dia tēs hyperēphanias; kai houtōs autandron tēn psychēn apollysi. Touto to hoplon eschaton kai koryphaiotaton pantōn esti tōn kakōn. Ex autou ho diabolos katabeblētai, kai diʼ hautou tous dynatōterous tōn anthrōpōn peiratai kathairein. Ōsper gar hoi deinotatoi tōn polemistōn, meta to dapanēsai ta leptotera belē, to tēnikauta eti epikratountōn tōn machētōn, proballontai tēn ischyroteran pantōn machairan; houtōs kai ho diabolos, meta to prōta autou apodapanēsai ankistra, tote tǭ teleutaiǭ chratai xiphei, tę̄ hyperēphanią. Tines de ēsan hautou hai prōtai pagides? Dēlon, hōs gastrimargia, philēdonia, porneia. Tauta gar malista ta pneumata epi tōn neōterikōn hēlikiōn symbainousin. Epakolouthei de toutois philargyria, pleonexia, kai ta toutois homoia. Hē oun athlia psychē, hotan toutōn tōn pathōn perigenētai, hopēnika gastros kratēsę̄, hote kai tas hypogastrious hēdonas hyperpēdēsę̄ tę̄ semnotēti, hote argyriou kataphronēsę̄; tote pantachothen ho kakophrōn, aporētheis, hypoballei tę̄ psychę̄ atakton kinēsin; megethynei gar autēn aprepōs kata tōn adelphōn epairesthai. Bary kai olethrion touto tou echthrou to dēlētērion. Pollous athroōs en toutǭ skotisas katebalen. ’Ypoballei gar tę̄ psychę̄ ennoian nothon kai thanatēphoron. Kateilēphenai gar auton phantazei ta para tois pollois agnooumena, kai hoti en nēsteiais hyperballei; kai plēthos autǭ andragathēmatōn prostithēsi; pantōn de hōn hēmarten eis lēthēn hauton pherei, pros to kata tōn synontōn epairesthai. ’Ypokleptei gar autou ek tou nou ta plēmmelēmata; ou pros ōpheleian de hautou touto poiei, alla pros to mē dynēthēnai auton eipein tēn iatrikēn ekeinēn phōnēn, to, Soi monǭ hēmarton, eleēson me. Oute mēn synchōrēsei autǭ legein; Exomologēsomai soi, Kyrie, en holę̄ kardią mou. Allʼ hōsper autos kata dianoian heipe to; Anabēsomai, kai thēsomai ton thronon mou“ houtōs kai touton phantazei eis archas te kai prōtokathedrias, eti de didaskalias, kai iamatōn ekdoseis. Hē oun houtōs apatōmenē psychē phtheiretai kai apollytai, dysiatǭ helkei plēgeisa.

“These words serve to keep us from being lifted up. The one who has fallen will be saved by turning back and groaning. Look to yourself, you who stand. For a double fear lies on you: either of turning back to old ways, when the enemy falls upon you through carelessness, or of being tripped while you run. For our enemy the devil either drags the soul back to himself when he sees it slow and sluggish, or, if it seems zealous and laborious in asceticism, comes in subtly and hiddenly through pride, and so destroys the soul with all hands. This weapon is the last and chief of all evils. By it the devil was cast down, and by it he tries to bring down the strongest of people. For as the most formidable warriors, after spending their lighter arrows, then, while the fighters still prevail, bring out the strongest sword of all, so the devil, after spending his first hooks, then uses his last sword, pride. What were his first snares? Clearly gluttony, love of pleasure, fornication. For these spirits come especially on the younger ages. After these follow love of money, greed, and the like. When the wretched soul, then, has overcome these passions, when it has mastered the belly, when by dignity it has leapt over the pleasures below the belly, when it has despised silver, then the evil-minded one, at a loss on every side, suggests to the soul a disorderly motion: he magnifies it so that it is unbecomingly lifted up against the brothers and sisters. Grievous and deadly is this poison of the enemy. Many he has darkened by it and cast down all at once. For he suggests to the soul a false and deadly thought: he makes it imagine that it has grasped what is unknown to most, and that it excels in fasting; he adds a multitude of good deeds to it, and brings into forgetfulness all its sins, so that it may be lifted up against its companions. For he steals its offenses out of its mind; not for its benefit, but so that it cannot say that healing word, ‘Against you alone have I sinned; have mercy on me.’ Nor will he let it say, ‘I will confess to you, Lord, with my whole heart.’ But as he himself said in his mind, ‘I will go up, and I will set my throne,’ so he makes this one imagine rule and first seats, and besides teaching and the giving of cures. The soul so deceived is corrupted and destroyed, struck by a hardly curable wound.”

Ps 51:4 (50:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 51:1 (50:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 9:1 (9:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 14:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 14:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:6 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: After gluttony, lust and greed are overcome, the devil attacks with pride, making the ascetic forget her sins and dream of honors, as he himself fell by pride.

Isa 14:13–14 is read of the devil’s fall.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); OCR (Latin letters; probable); OCR: 6 for ὁ; joined words; split word; stray mark): iampαίρεσθαι → ἐπαίρεσθαι; ’0 πεσὼν → Ὁ πεσὼν; ὴ στήκουσα → ἡ στήκουσα; σοι 6 φόβος → σοι ὁ φόβος; διάβολοςῆ → διάβολος ἢ; θεάσηταν → θεάσηται·; αὑτοῦ 6 διάβολος → αὐτοῦ ὁ διάβολος; oi δεινότατοι → οἱ δεινότατοι; δαπανῆσαιτά → δαπανῆσαι τὰ; μάχιιραν → μάχαιραν; καὶ 6 διάβολος, μετά → καὶ ὁ διάβολος, μετά; 'H οὖν ἀθλία → Ἡ οὖν ἀθλία; ύπογαστρίους saeva → ὑπογαστρίους ἡδονὰς; αὐ·τὴν → αὐτὴν; δηλητή ριον → δηλητήριον; κα) θανατηφόρον → καὶ θανατηφόρον; λέγεινʼ Ἐξομολογήσομαί → λέγειν· Ἐξομολογήσομαί; Ἀναβήcaput, καί → Ἀναβήσομαι, καί; ἔτι δὲʼδιδασκαλίας → ἔτι δὲ διδασκαλίας.

Topics: Fasting, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 49 (PG 28:1516c–1517b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/49). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/49

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 50

50PG 28:1517b–1517c

Τί οὗν δεῖ ποιεῖν, τῶν τοιούτων λογισμῶν παρόντων; Ἀδιαλείπτως μελετᾷν τὸ θεῖον ἐκεῖνο λόγιον, ὅπερ ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ ἐβόα, λέγων τό· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι σκώληξ, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ ὲν ἑτέρῳ φησίν· Ἐγὼ δέ ειμι γῆ καί σποδός. Ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου ἀκουέτω ῥῆμα τὸ λέγον, ὡς Πᾶσα δικαιοσύνη ἀνθρώπου ὡς ῥάκος ἀποκαθημένης. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀναχωρούσῃ καθʼ ἑαυτὴν οἱ λογισμοὶ οὗτοι παρεισέλθωσιν, ὲν κοινοβίῳ είσερχέσθω ἀναγκαζέσθω δὲ καὶ δεύτερον ἐσθίειν τῆς ἡμέρας, εί γε διʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἀσκήσεως τούτῳ ἑάλω τῷ πάθει· καὶ παρὰ τῶν συνηλίκων δὲ ἐπιτιμάσθω, καὶ όνειδιζέσθω, καὶ ὲπιτιμάσθω σφοδρῶς, ὡς μηδὲν μέγα πράττουσα· πᾶσαν δὲ ὑπηρεσίαν ποιείσθω. Προσαγέσθωσαν δὲ καὶ βίοι ἀγίων ἐξοχώτατοι είς ἐξήγησιν πειράσθωσαν δὲ αἱ συνελθοῦσαι ἐπιτείνειν ἑαυτῶν τοὺς πόνους πρὸς ἄσκησιν τὰς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας, πρὸς τὸ ἐκείνην, θεασαμένην τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἀρετῶν, ἐλάττονα καὶ ἑαυτὴν ἡγεῖσθαι.

Ti houn dei poiein, tōn toioutōn logismōn parontōn? Adialeiptōs meletąn to theion ekeino logion, hoper ho makarios Dabid eboa, legōn to; Egō de eimi skōlēx, kai ouk anthrōpos. Kai en heterǭ phēsin; Egō de eimi gē kai spodos. Eti ge mēn kai to tou Hēsaïou akouetō rhēma to legon, hōs Pasa dikaiosynē anthrōpou hōs rhakos apokathēmenēs. Kai ei men anachōrousę̄ kathʼ heautēn hoi logismoi houtoi pareiselthōsin, en koinobiǭ eiserchesthō anankazesthō de kai deuteron esthiein tēs hēmeras, ei ge diʼ hyperbolēn askēseōs toutǭ healō tǭ pathei; kai para tōn synēlikōn de epitimasthō, kai oneidizesthō, kai epitimasthō sphodrōs, hōs mēden mega prattousa; pasan de hypēresian poieisthō. Prosagesthōsan de kai bioi agiōn exochōtatoi eis exēgēsin peirasthōsan de hai synelthousai epiteinein heautōn tous ponous pros askēsin tas oligas hēmeras, pros to ekeinēn, theasamenēn to megethos tōn aretōn, elattona kai heautēn hēgeisthai.

“What, then, must one do when such thoughts are present? Meditate ceaselessly on that divine saying which blessed David cried out, saying: ‘But I am a worm, and not a man.’ And elsewhere he says: ‘But I am earth and ashes.’ Let her also hear the word of Isaiah which says: ‘All the righteousness of man is like a menstrual rag.’ And if these thoughts come upon her while she lives alone in retirement, let her enter a community; and let her be compelled to eat twice a day, if it was through excessive asceticism that she was caught by this passion; and let her be rebuked by her companions and reproached, and rebuked severely, as doing nothing great; and let her do every kind of service. Let the most outstanding lives of the saints be brought out to be told; and let those gathered try to increase their labors in asceticism for a few days, so that she, seeing the greatness of the virtues, may consider herself less.”

Ps 22:6 (21:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 18:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 64:6 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Against pride one should meditate on texts of human lowliness; a proud solitary should be put in a community, made to eat more, rebuked, set to serve, and shown the lives of greater saints.

“Earth and ashes” is Abraham’s word (Gen 18:27), here attributed to David.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); joined words; leaked chapter numeral): Ti οὗν → Τί οὗν; παρόντωνς → παρόντων;; λέγων τόο Ἐγὼ δέ eiut → λέγων τό· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι; καὶτὸ τοῦ → καὶ τὸ τοῦ; ἀνθρώπουώςρἁος → ἀνθρώπου ὡς ῥάκος; Καὶεὶ μὲν → Καὶ εἰ μὲν; oi λογισμοὶ → οἱ λογισμοὶ; τῷ πάθειο → τῷ πάθει·; πράττουσαο → πράττουσα·; ἡγεῖσθαι. 5i. → ἡγεῖσθαι..

Topics: Fasting, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 50 (PG 28:1517b–1517c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/50). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/50

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 51

51PG 28:1517c

Προηγεῖται δὲ τῆς νόσου ταύτης ἕτερον κακὸν, ἡ παρακοὴ · ὅθεν διὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου τῆς ὑπακοῆς, δυνατὸν τὴν σηπεδονώδη νομὴν τῆς ψυχῆς περικαθᾶραι· ’Υπακοὴ γάρ, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ θυσίαν.

Proēgeitai de tēs nosou tautēs heteron kakon, hē parakoē ; hothen dia tou enantiou tēs hypakoēs, dynaton tēn sēpedonōdē nomēn tēs psychēs perikatharai; ’Ypakoē gar, phēsin, hyper thysian.

“Another evil goes before this disease: disobedience; hence through its opposite, obedience, the putrid spreading sore of the soul can be cleansed. ‘For obedience,’ it says, ‘is better than sacrifice.’”

1 Sam 15:22 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Pride is preceded by disobedience and cured by obedience.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR): περικαθάραιο → περικαθᾶραι·.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 51 (PG 28:1517c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/51). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/51

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 52

52PG 28:1517c–1520a

Δεῖ οὖν καθαιρεῖν ὄγκον δόξης ὲν καιρῷ, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν δὲ πάλιν καὶ θαυμάζειν ὲν καιρῷ. Εἰ γὰρ ἀμελὴς καὶ νωθρὰ εὑρεθῇ ἡ ψυχὴ, ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ ὐποναρκοῦσα είς τὴν τοῦ καλοῦ προκοπὴν, ἐπαινεῖν ταύτην προσήκει· καὶ εί μικρὸν ποιήσει τι χρηστὸν, θαυμάζειν καί μεγεθοποιεῖν δέον αὐτήν. Καὶ τά σφοδρά καὶ ἀπάνθρωπα πλημμελήματα ὡς ἐλάχιστα καὶ οὐδαμινά λεκτέον· ὁ γὰρ διάβολος, βουλόμενος πάντα διαστρέφειν, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν σπουδαίων καί ἁσκητικῶν κρύπτειν πειρᾶται τὰ προγεγονότα ἀμαρτήματα · τὴν γὰρ ὑπερηφανίαν αὐξῆσαι βούλεται · ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν νεηλύδων καὶ άκροπαγῶν ψυχῶν, πάντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τίθησιν. Ἐμβάλλει γὰρ αὐτῇ ὅτι, Σοὶ πορνευσάσῃ ποία ἔσται συγγνώμη; Καὶ τῇ άλλη φησίν · Οῦτω σου πλεονεκτησάσης, ἀδύνατόν σε σωτηρίας τυχεῖν. Τάς οὖν οὕτω σαλευομένας ψυχὰς παραμυθητέον οὕτως· δεῖ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτὰς οὕτω λέγειν· Ῥαὰβ πόρνη ἦν, ἀλλʼ ἐσώθη διὰ πίστεως· Παῦλος διώκτης ἦν, ἀλλὰ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς γέγονε· Ματθαῖος τελώνης ἦν, ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς τὴν χάριν τούτου ἀγνοεῖ· καὶ ὁ λῃστὴς ἐσύλα καὶ ἐφόνευεν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτος τὴν θύραν ἀνέῳξε τοῦ παραδείσου. Τούτοις οὖν ὲνατενίζουσα, μὴ ἀπογνῷς τῆς σεαυτῆς ψυχῆς·

Dei oun kathairein onkon doxēs en kairǭ, kai epainein de palin kai thaumazein en kairǭ. Ei gar amelēs kai nōthra heurethę̄ hē psychē, eti ge mēn kai yponarkousa eis tēn tou kalou prokopēn, epainein tautēn prosēkei; kai ei mikron poiēsei ti chrēston, thaumazein kai megethopoiein deon autēn. Kai ta sphodra kai apanthrōpa plēmmelēmata hōs elachista kai oudamina lekteon; ho gar diabolos, boulomenos panta diastrephein, epi men tōn spoudaiōn kai haskētikōn kryptein peiratai ta progegonota amartēmata ; tēn gar hyperēphanian auxēsai bouletai ; epi de tōn neēlydōn kai akropagōn psychōn, panta ta hamartēmata autōn pro ophthalmōn tithēsin. Emballei gar autę̄ hoti, Soi porneusasę̄ poia estai syngnōmē? Kai tę̄ allē phēsin ; Outō sou pleonektēsasēs, adynaton se sōtērias tychein. Tas oun houtō saleuomenas psychas paramythēteon houtōs; dei gar pros autas houtō legein; Rhaab pornē ēn, allʼ esōthē dia pisteōs; Paulos diōktēs ēn, alla skeuos eklogēs gegone; Matthaios telōnēs ēn, allʼ oudeis tēn charin toutou agnoei; kai ho lę̄stēs esyla kai ephoneuen, alla prōtos tēn thyran aneǭxe tou paradeisou. Toutois oun enatenizousa, mē apognǭs tēs seautēs psychēs;

“One must, then, pull down the swelling of glory at the right time, and again praise and admire at the right time. For if the soul is found careless and sluggish, and moreover numb toward progress in good, it is fitting to praise it; and if it does some small good thing, one must admire it and make much of it. And its grave and inhuman offenses must be called very small and of no account. For the devil, wishing to pervert everything, tries to hide former sins in the case of the zealous and ascetic, for he wants to increase their pride; but in the case of newcomers and those still unsure, he sets all their sins before their eyes. For he casts into one: ‘You have committed fornication; what pardon will there be for you?’ And to another he says: ‘You have been so greedy that you cannot obtain salvation.’ Souls so shaken must be comforted thus; for one must speak to them thus: ‘Rahab was a harlot, but she was saved through faith; Paul was a persecutor, but he became a chosen vessel; Matthew was a tax collector, but no one is ignorant of his grace; and the robber stole and murdered, but he was the first to open the door of paradise. Looking at these, do not despair of your own soul.’”

Josh 2:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 11:31 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 9:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 1:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 9:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 23:43 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Discouraged souls should be encouraged and their sins made light of, since the devil makes beginners despair; Rahab, Paul, Matthew and the penitent thief show that none should despair.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); OCR, hyphenation; stray mark): Ei γὰρ ἀμελὴς → Εἰ γὰρ ἀμελὴς; δ γὰρ διάβολος → ὁ γὰρ διάβολος; Ἐμ- 6άλλει → Ἐμβάλλει; οὕτως* δεῖ → οὕτως· δεῖ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 52 (PG 28:1517c–1520a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/52). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/52

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 53

53PG 28:1520a–1520c

Ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα ταύταις εὑρήσεις ἁρμόδια, δεῖ καὶ τῶν τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ ἁλισκομένων ποιεῖσθαι αὖτὴν τὴν θεραπείαν. Φάσκειν γὰρ δεῖ πρὸς αὐτήν· Τί φρονεῖς; Ὠς κρέα μὴ ὲσθίουσα; ἄλλοι οὐδὲ ἰχθῦν ὁρῶσι. Καὶ εί οἶνον ού πίνεις, σκόπησον ὡς ἄλλοι οὔτε ἔλαιον ἐσθίουσιν. Ἕως ὀψὲ νηστεύεις; ἄλλαι δὲ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας συνάπτουσιν ἄσιτοι. Ἀλλʼ ὅτι ού λούῃ μέγα φρονεῐς; πολλοὶ καὶ διὰ πάθος σωματικὸν οὐδʼ ὅλως τούτῳ ἐχρήσαντο. Ἀλλά θαυμάζεις σεαυτὴν, ὅτι ὲν χαραδρίῳ καθεύδεις, καὶ ὲν τριχίνῃ στρωμνῇ; ἄλλαι δὲ χαμευνοῦσι διηνεκῶς. Ἀλλʼ εί καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσειας, οὐδὲν μέγα· τινὲς γὰρ καὶ λίθους ἑαυταῖς ὑπέβαλον, πρὸς τὸ μὴ καθʼ ἡδονὴν τῶν cpias:κῶν τυχεῖν· ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ ἐκρέμασαν ἑαυτοὺς διʼ ὅλης τῆς νυκτός. Ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ποιήσειας, καὶ τὴν ἀκροτάτην ἄσκησιν ὲπιτελέσειας, μὴ μέγα φρονήσῃς · καὶ γὰρ τὰ δαιμόνια πλείω τῶν σῶν πεποιήκασι καὶ ποιοῦσιν· οὔτε γὰρ ἐσθίουσιν, οὔτε πίνουσιν, οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὒτε ὑπνοῦσιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲν ἐρήμῳ διάγουσιν, εἴγε καὶ ὲν σπηλαίῳ οἰκοῦσα δοκεῖς μέγα τι ποιειν.

Epei de tauta tautais heurēseis harmodia, dei kai tōn tę̄ hyperēphanią haliskomenōn poieisthai autēn tēn therapeian. Phaskein gar dei pros autēn; Ti phroneis? Ōs krea mē esthiousa? alloi oude ichthyn horōsi. Kai ei oinon ou pineis, skopēson hōs alloi oute elaion esthiousin. Heōs opse nēsteueis? allai de dyo kai treis hēmeras synaptousin asitoi. Allʼ hoti ou louę̄ mega phroneis? polloi kai dia pathos sōmatikon oudʼ holōs toutǭ echrēsanto. Alla thaumazeis seautēn, hoti en charadriǭ katheudeis, kai en trichinę̄ strōmnę̄? allai de chameunousi diēnekōs. Allʼ ei kai touto poiēseias, ouden mega; tines gar kai lithous heautais hypebalon, pros to mē kathʼ hēdonēn tōn cpias:kōn tychein; alloi de kai ekremasan heautous diʼ holēs tēs nyktos. Allʼ ei kai tauta panta poiēseias, kai tēn akrotatēn askēsin epiteleseias, mē mega phronēsę̄s ; kai gar ta daimonia pleiō tōn sōn pepoiēkasi kai poiousin; oute gar esthiousin, oute pinousin, oute gamousin, oute hypnousin; alla kai en erēmǭ diagousin, eige kai en spēlaiǭ oikousa dokeis mega ti poiein.

“Since you will find these remedies fitting for them, one must also give the treatment for those caught by pride. For one must say to her: ‘Why are you proud? Because you do not eat meat? Others do not even see fish. And if you do not drink wine, consider that others do not even eat oil. You fast until evening? Others go two and three days together without food. But are you proud that you do not bathe? Many, even because of bodily illness, have not used it at all. Do you admire yourself because you sleep on a rough mat and a hair blanket? Others sleep on the ground continually. But even if you do this, it is nothing great; for some have put stones under themselves so as not to get bodily rest with pleasure, and others have hung themselves up all night. But even if you do all these things and accomplish the highest asceticism, do not be proud; for the demons have done and do more than you: they neither eat nor drink, nor marry, nor sleep; they even live in the desert, if you think you do something great by living in a cave.’”

Notes and citation

Summary: To humble the proud ascetic, point to others whose fasting and hardship exceed hers, and to the demons, who neither eat, drink, marry nor sleep.

“Why are you proud?” renders a garbled phrase (“Τί (pectebant;”), probably Τί φρονεῖς; “bodily rest” renders a garbled word (“cpias:κῶν”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters; probable); missing space): Τί (pectebant; → Τί φρονεῖς;; σκόπεησον → σκόπησον; νηστεύειςς → νηστεύεις;; διηνεκῶς.Ἀλλʼ → διηνεκῶς. Ἀλλʼ; οὐδὲν μέγαο → οὐδὲν μέγα·; τυχεῖν ο ἄλλοι → τυχεῖν· ἄλλοι; πίνουσιν,οῦτε → πίνουσιν, οὔτε.

Topics: Fasting, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 53 (PG 28:1520a–1520c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/53). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/53

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 54

54PG 28:1520c–1520d

Οὕτω μὲν οὖν, καὶ ὲκ τοιούτων λογισμῶν, δυνατὸν ἰάσασθαι τὰ ἐναντία πάθη · τήν τε ἀπόγνωσιν λέγω καὶ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν. Ὠσπερ γάρ σφοδρῶς ἐκφυσώμενον πῦρ, διασκορπιζὸμενον ἀπόλλυται, καὶ μὴ τυχὸν δὲ πνεύματος πάλιν φθείρεται· οὕτω καὶ η ἁρετὴ ἁφίπταται διʼ ὑπεροψίαν, κᾶν πολλὴν σφοδρότητα ἀσκήσεως λάβῃ· καὶ φθείρεται δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ἀμελείας τὸ καλὸν, ὅταν μηδʼ ὅλως κινήσωμεν taurea; πρὸς ριπισμὸν τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος. Μάχαιρα ἐπακμος ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ λίθου κατάγνυται · καὶ ἄσκησις ἐπιτεταμένη συντόμως ἐκ τοῦ ὑπερηφανεύεσθαι ἀπόλλυται. Ὅθεν προσήκει πανταχόθεν άσφαλίζεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὴν ἀκροτάτην ἄσκησιν ὲκ τοῦ καύσωνος τῆς ὑπερηφανίας περικαιομένην ὑποκάμπτειν πρὸς τοὺς σκιώδεις τόπους, ἔσθʼ ὅτε καὶ περιτέμνειν τὰ περιττὰ, πρὸς τὸ τὴν ῥίζαν εὐθαλεστέραν γενέσθαι.

Houtō men oun, kai ek toioutōn logismōn, dynaton iasasthai ta enantia pathē ; tēn te apognōsin legō kai tēn hyperēphanian. Ōsper gar sphodrōs ekphysōmenon pyr, diaskorpizomenon apollytai, kai mē tychon de pneumatos palin phtheiretai; houtō kai ē haretē haphiptatai diʼ hyperopsian, kan pollēn sphodrotēta askēseōs labę̄; kai phtheiretai de palin ex ameleias to kalon, hotan mēdʼ holōs kinēsōmen taurea? pros ripismon tou theiou Pneumatos. Machaira epakmos rhądiōs hypo lithou katagnytai ; kai askēsis epitetamenē syntomōs ek tou hyperēphaneuesthai apollytai. Hothen prosēkei pantachothen asphalizesthai tēn psychēn, kai tēn akrotatēn askēsin ek tou kausōnos tēs hyperēphanias perikaiomenēn hypokamptein pros tous skiōdeis topous, esthʼ hote kai peritemnein ta peritta, pros to tēn rhizan euthalesteran genesthai.

“So, then, by such thoughts it is possible to heal the opposite passions, I mean despair and pride. For as a fire blown on violently is scattered and goes out, and, if it gets no wind, dies again, so virtue flies off through arrogance, even if it has great vehemence of asceticism; and the good dies again through negligence, when we do not stir ourselves at all to be fanned by the divine Spirit. A sword at its keenest is easily broken by a stone; and intense asceticism is quickly lost through pride. Hence one must secure the soul on every side, and bend the highest asceticism, scorched by the heat of pride, toward shady places, and sometimes cut away what is superfluous, so that the root may flourish more.”

Notes and citation

Summary: Despair and pride are opposite dangers: virtue is lost by arrogance as a fire is scattered by too much wind, or by negligence as it dies without wind; asceticism must be moderated to keep it humble.

“Stir ourselves” renders a garbled word (“taurea;”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR (Latin letters); OCR, split word; stray letter): δυο νατὺν → δυνατὸν; Exφυσώμενον → ἐκφυσώμενον; ιΠνεύματος → Πνεύματος; ἀπόλλυε ται → ἀπόλλυται.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 54 (PG 28:1520c–1520d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/54). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/54

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 55

55PG 28:1520d–1521a

Τὸν δὲ τῇ ἀπογνώσει ἁλισκόμενον ἀνωφερῆ βιάζεσθαι ποιεῖν τοῖς προειρημένοις λογισμοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ἡ ψυχὴ χαμαιπετὴς τυγχάνει. Καὶ γοῦν τῶν γεηπόνων οἱ ἄριστοι, ἐπειδὰν φυτὸν βραχὺ καὶ ἀσθενὲς θεάσωνται, ποτίζουσι δαψιλῶς, καί ἐπιμελείας πολλῆς ἀξιοῦσι πρὸς τὸ αὐξηθῆναι. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐν φυτῷ πρόωρον βλάστην θεάσωνται, περιτέμνουσιν αὐτοῦ τά περιττά· φιλεῖ γὰρ ταῦτα ἑτοίμως ξηραίνεσθαι. Καὶ ἰατρῶν δὲ παῖδες τινάς μὲν τῶν ἀρρώστων τρέφουσι δαψιλῶς, καὶ πρὸς περίπατον προτρέπονται· ἐτέρους δὲ δεσμεύοντες, ἀσίτους ἐπὶ πολὺ φυλάττουσιν.

Ton de tę̄ apognōsei haliskomenon anōpherē biazesthai poiein tois proeirēmenois logismois. Kai gar sphodra hē psychē chamaipetēs tynchanei. Kai goun tōn geēponōn hoi aristoi, epeidan phyton brachy kai asthenes theasōntai, potizousi dapsilōs, kai epimeleias pollēs axiousi pros to auxēthēnai. Epeidan de en phytǭ proōron blastēn theasōntai, peritemnousin autou ta peritta; philei gar tauta hetoimōs xērainesthai. Kai iatrōn de paides tinas men tōn arrōstōn trephousi dapsilōs, kai pros peripaton protrepontai; eterous de desmeuontes, asitous epi poly phylattousin.

“The one caught by despair must be forced upward by the aforesaid thoughts. For the soul is very much downcast. Indeed the best farmers, when they see a small and weak plant, water it abundantly and give it much care so that it may grow. But when they see an early shoot on a plant, they cut away its superfluous growth; for these tend to dry up quickly. And doctors too feed some of the sick abundantly and urge them to walk, while others they bind and keep without food for a long time.”

Notes and citation

Summary: The despairing must be encouraged like a weak plant watered by a farmer, while the overeager are pruned, as doctors treat different patients differently.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR, split word; missing space): ἁνωρεπῆ → ἀνωφερῆ; λογισμοῖς,Καὶ → λογισμοῖς. Καὶ; ἐπιμεο λείας → ἐπιμελείας; περιτέμνουσιι αὐτο“ι → περιτέμνουσιν αὐτοῦ; προτρέπονταιο → προτρέπονται·.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 55 (PG 28:1520d–1521a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/55). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/55

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 56

56PG 28:1521a–1521b

Φανερὸν οὖν ἐστιν, ὡς μέγιστον ἐν κακοῖς ἡ ὑπερηφανία τυγχάνει · καὶ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν αὑτῆς τὸ ἐναντίον, ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη. Δυσχερές ἐστι κτήσασθαί τινα τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Εἰ μὴ γάρ τις πάσης δόξης ἐκτὸς γένηται, τούτου τοῦ θησαυροῦ τυχεῖν οὑ δυνήσεται. Οὑτω δέ ἐστι μεγάλη ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη, ὼς πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς μιμεῖσθαι δοκεῖν τὸν διάβολον, ταύτην δὲ μηδὲ εἰδέναι τί ὅλως ἐστίν. Εἰδὼς δὲ αὑτῆς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς καὶ ἑδραῖον ὁ ἀπόστολος, προστάττει ἡμῖν ταύτην ἐγκομβώσασθαι, καὶ πάντας ποιοῦντας τά ὲπωφελῆ, ταύτην περιβάλλεσθαι. Κάν τε γάρ νηστεύῃς, κᾶν τε ὲλεῇς, κάν τε διδάσκῃς· εί δὲ καὶ σώφρων τυγχάνῃς καὶ συνετὸς, πάλιν ταύτην ἀντὶ τοιχίου ἀρραγοῦς σεαυτῷ παράστησον. Σφιγγέτω σου καὶ συνεχέτω σου τάς ἀρετὰς αὕτη ἡ καλλίστη τῶν ἀπασῶν ἀρετῶν, ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη. Ὁρᾷς καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀγίων τριῶν παίδων ὑμνολογίαν, ὅπως τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῶν οὑ πάνυ τι μνημονεύσαντες, τοὺς ταπεινοὺς σὺν τοῖς ὑμνοῦσι συγκατηριθμήσαντο, μὴ είρηκότες σώφρονας ἦ ἀκτήμονας. Ὥσπερ γάρ ἀδύνατον ναῦν χωρὶς ἥλων κατασκευασθῆναι, οῦτως ἀδύνατον σωθῆναι χωρὶς ταπεινοφροσύνης.

Phaneron oun estin, hōs megiston en kakois hē hyperēphania tynchanei ; kai touto deiknysin hautēs to enantion, hē tapeinophrosynē. Dyscheres esti ktēsasthai tina tēn tapeinophrosynēn. Ei mē gar tis pasēs doxēs ektos genētai, toutou tou thēsaurou tychein hou dynēsetai. Houtō de esti megalē hē tapeinophrosynē, ōs pasas tas aretas mimeisthai dokein ton diabolon, tautēn de mēde eidenai ti holōs estin. Eidōs de hautēs to asphales kai hedraion ho apostolos, prostattei hēmin tautēn enkombōsasthai, kai pantas poiountas ta epōphelē, tautēn periballesthai. Kan te gar nēsteuę̄s, kan te eleę̄s, kan te didaskę̄s; ei de kai sōphrōn tynchanę̄s kai synetos, palin tautēn anti toichiou arragous seautǭ parastēson. Sphingetō sou kai synechetō sou tas aretas hautē hē kallistē tōn apasōn aretōn, hē tapeinophrosynē. Horąs kai tēn tōn agiōn triōn paidōn hymnologian, hopōs tōn allōn aretōn hou pany ti mnēmoneusantes, tous tapeinous syn tois hymnousi synkatērithmēsanto, mē eirēkotes sōphronas ē aktēmonas. Hōsper gar adynaton naun chōris hēlōn kataskeuasthēnai, outōs adynaton sōthēnai chōris tapeinophrosynēs.

“It is clear, then, that pride is the greatest among evils; and its opposite, humility, shows this. It is hard for anyone to acquire humility. For unless one is outside all glory, he will not be able to obtain this treasure. So great is humility that the devil seems to imitate all the virtues, but does not even know what this one is. The apostle, knowing its security and firmness, commands us to put it on like an apron, and that all who do what is profitable should clothe themselves with it. Whether you fast, or give alms, or teach, or are chaste and prudent, again set this before yourself as an unbreakable wall. Let this most beautiful of all virtues, humility, bind and hold together your virtues. You see also the hymn of the three holy children, how, hardly mentioning the other virtues, they counted the humble among those who sing praise, not saying the chaste or those without possessions. For as a ship cannot be built without nails, so it is impossible to be saved without humility.”

1 Pet 5:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 3:12 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Humility, the one virtue the devil cannot counterfeit, binds all the others together; the three youths counted the humble among those who praise God.

The “hymn of the three children” is the Song of the Three Young Men (Dan 3:87 LXX, “holy and humble of heart”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); leaked chapter numeral; missing space; stray hyphen): ὲν-κακοῖς → ἐν κακοῖς; El μὴ γάρ → Εἰ μὴ γάρ; ὲκτδς → ἐκτὸς; 6 ἀπόστολρς, προσ· τάττει → ὁ ἀπόστολος, προστάττει; ὲγκομὸώσασθαι, καλ → ἐγκομβώσασθαι, καὶ; διδάσκῃςσ → διδάσκῃς·; παράστησον.Σφιγγέτω → παράστησον. Σφιγγέτω; ταπεινοφροσύνης. 5'7. → ταπεινοφροσύνης..

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 65 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 56 (PG 28:1521a–1521b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/56). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/56

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 57

57PG 28:1521b

Ὀτι δὲ ἀγαθὴ καὶ σωτήριος πέφυκεν, ὁ Κύριος, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομίαν πληρῶν, αὐτὴν ἠμφιάσατο. Φησὶ γάρ· Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ὅρα τίς ὁ λέγων, τελείως μαθήτευσον· ἀρχή σοι καὶ τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη γινέσθω. Φρόνησιν λέγω [λέγει] ταπεινὴν, οὐ σχῆμα μόνον, τὸν ἐντὸς ἄνθρωπον αἰνίττεται ἀκολουθήσει γὰρ τούτῳ καὶ ὁ ἐκτός. Πάσας τὰς ὲντολάς πεποίηκας; Οἶδεν ὁ Κύριος · ἀλλʼ αὑτός σοι ἐντέλλεται πάλιν ἀρχὴν δουλείας λαμβάνειν· φησὶ γάρ· Ὅταν πάντα ποιήσητε, εἴπατε· Δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοι ἐσμεν.

Oti de agathē kai sōtērios pephyken, ho Kyrios, pros anthrōpous oikonomian plērōn, autēn ēmphiasato. Phēsi gar; Mathete apʼ emou, hoti praos eimi kai tapeinos tę̄ kardią. Hora tis ho legōn, teleiōs mathēteuson; archē soi kai telos tōn agathōn hē tapeinophrosynē ginesthō. Phronēsin legō [legei] tapeinēn, ou schēma monon, ton entos anthrōpon ainittetai akolouthēsei gar toutǭ kai ho ektos. Pasas tas entolas pepoiēkas? Oiden ho Kyrios ; allʼ hautos soi entelletai palin archēn douleias lambanein; phēsi gar; Hotan panta poiēsēte, eipate; Douloi achreioi esmen.

“That it is good and saving, the Lord showed: fulfilling his dispensation toward men, he clothed himself with it. For he says: ‘Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.’ See who it is who speaks; be his disciple perfectly; let humility be for you the beginning and end of good things. He means a humble mind, not only an outward form; he hints at the inner man, for the outer will follow it. Have you done all the commandments? The Lord knows; but he himself commands you to take again the beginning of servitude; for he says: ‘When you have done all things, say: We are unprofitable servants.’”

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Matt 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 17:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:7 (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ himself put on humility and told us to learn it from him; even after keeping every commandment we must call ourselves unprofitable servants.

In the scan the lines of this passage are interleaved; they are restored to their evident order by a logged correction. Migne prints “λέγω [λέγει]”; “He means” follows the bracketed reading.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR: 6 for ὁ; OCR: lines interleaved and garbled; restored to their evident order): ὁΚύριος, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οίκονομίαννπληρῶν, αὑτὴν ἠμφιά· μα-Ίήτευσοννῗὲρχή σοι καὶ τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ταπεισατο. Φησὶ γάρ · Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός ειμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ὅρα τίς 6 λέγων, τελείως νοφροσύνη γινέσθω. → ὁ Κύριος, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομίαν πληρῶν, αὐτὴν ἠμφιάσατο. Φησὶ γάρ· Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ὅρα τίς ὁ λέγων, τελείως μαθήτευσον· ἀρχή σοι καὶ τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη γινέσθω.; ἀκολουθήσει γὰρ τούτῳ καὶ 6 ἐκτός → ἀκολουθήσει γὰρ τούτῳ καὶ ὁ ἐκτός; Οἶδεν 6 Κύριος → Οἶδεν ὁ Κύριος; λαμβάνεινο φησὶ γάρʼ ’Ὀταν → λαμβάνειν· φησὶ γάρ· Ὅταν.

Topics: Christology, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 57 (PG 28:1521b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/57). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/57

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 58

58PG 28:1521b

Ἦ οὖν ταπεινοφροσύνη κατορθοῦται διʼ ὀνειδισμῶν, διʼ ὕβρεων, διὰ πληγῶν· ἵνα ἀκούσῃς ἄφρων καὶ μωρὸς, πένης καὶ πτωχὸς, ἀσθενὴς καὶ εὐτελὴς, ἀπρόκοπος έν ἔργοις, ἄλογος ἐν προφορᾷ, ἄτιμος ὲν εἴδει, ἀσθενὴς εν δυνάμει. Ταῦτα τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τά νεῦρα. Ταῦτα ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἤκουσε καὶ πέπονθε. Σαμαρείτην γὰρ αὑτὸν εἶπαν καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχοντα. Δούλου μορφὴν ἀνείληφεν, ὲραπίσθη, πληγαῖς ᾐκίσθη.

Ē oun tapeinophrosynē katorthoutai diʼ oneidismōn, diʼ hybreōn, dia plēgōn; hina akousę̄s aphrōn kai mōros, penēs kai ptōchos, asthenēs kai eutelēs, aprokopos en ergois, alogos en prophorą, atimos en eidei, asthenēs en dynamei. Tauta tēs tapeinophrosynēs ta neura. Tauta ho Kyrios hēmōn ēkouse kai peponthe. Samareitēn gar hauton eipan kai daimonion echonta. Doulou morphēn aneilēphen, erapisthē, plēgais ę̄kisthē.

“Humility, then, is achieved through reproaches, insults and blows: that you hear yourself called senseless and foolish, poor and beggarly, weak and cheap, unsuccessful in works, inarticulate in speech, without honor in appearance, weak in strength. These are the sinews of humility. These things our Lord heard and suffered. For they called him a Samaritan and one who had a demon. He took the form of a servant, he was struck, he was tormented with blows.”

John 8:48 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 26:67 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Humility grows through insults and blows, which Christ himself endured.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (stray bracket; stray mark): τα·πεινοφροσύνης → ταπεινοφροσύνης; μορφὴν] → μορφὴν.

Topics: Christology, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 58 (PG 28:1521b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/58). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/58

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 59

59PG 28:1521b–1524a

Δεῖ οὖν καὶ ἡμᾶς μιμεῖσθαι τὴν ἔμπρακτον ταύτην ταπεινοφροσύνην. Εἰσὶ μὲν οὖν τινες καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκτὸς σχημάτων ὑποκρινόμενοι, καὶ ταπεινοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς, αὑτῷ τούτῳ δόξαν θηρώμενοι· ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν ἐπιγινώσκονται· καὶ γὰρ ἐπιπολαίως ὑβρισθέντες, οὐκ ἤνεγκαν· ἀλλά παραυτά ὥσπερ ὄφεις τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἱὸν ὲξέμεσαν.

Dei oun kai hēmas mimeisthai tēn emprakton tautēn tapeinophrosynēn. Eisi men oun tines kai dia tōn ektos schēmatōn hypokrinomenoi, kai tapeinountes heautous, hautǭ toutǭ doxan thērōmenoi; allʼ ek tōn karpōn epiginōskontai; kai gar epipolaiōs hybristhentes, ouk ēnenkan; alla parauta hōsper opheis ton heautōn hion exemesan.

“We too, then, must imitate this humility in deed. There are some who act a part even through outward forms, humbling themselves and hunting glory by this very thing; but they are known by their fruits; for when insulted even lightly they did not bear it, but at once spewed out their venom like snakes.”

Matt 7:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 140:3 (139:4 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Feigned humility is exposed when the slightest insult provokes venom.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR and hyphenation debris): ὲπιγινώσκονταιο καὶγὰρ ἐπιπολαίως ὑβρι- I εει σθέντες, οὐκ ἦνεγκαν* → ἐπιγινώσκονται· καὶ γὰρ ἐπιπολαίως ὑβρισθέντες, οὐκ ἤνεγκαν·; ὥσπερ ὄψεις → ὥσπερ ὄφεις.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 59 (PG 28:1521b–1524a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/59). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/59

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 60

60PG 28:1524a–1524b

Ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις δὲ τούτοις ἡγαλλιῶντο αἱ συνελθοῦσαι σφόδρα, και πάλιν προσεκαρτέρουν, κόρον τῶν ἀγαθῶν μὴ λαμβάνουσαι. Καὶ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὰς ἔλεγεν ἡ μακαρία· Ἀγών ἐστι πολὺς τοῖς προσερχομένοις Θεῷ καὶ κόπος τὰ πρῶτα, ἔπειτα δὲ χαρά ἀνεκδιήγητος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πῦρ ἐξάψαι βουλόμενος πρῶτον καπνίζονται καὶ δακρύουσι, καὶ οὕτως τοῦ ζητουμένου τυγχάνουσι· καὶ γάρ φησιν · Ὀ Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον· οὕτω δεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς τὸ θεῖον πῦρ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐξάψαι μετὰ δακρύων καὶ κόπου. Αὐτὸς γάρ φησιν ὁ Κύριος· Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Καί τινες διʼ ὀλιγωρίαν τοῦ μὲν καπνοῦ ἠνέσχοντο, τὸ δὲ πῦρ οὐκ ἐξῆψαν, διὰ τὸ μακροθυμίας αὐτοὺς ἐκτὸς εἶναι, καῖ μᾶλλον αὐτῶν τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον σχέσιν ἀσθενῆ καὶ ἀμυδρὰν τυγχάνειν.

Epi tois logois de toutois hēgalliōnto hai synelthousai sphodra, kai palin prosekarteroun, koron tōn agathōn mē lambanousai. Kai palin pros autas elegen hē makaria; Agōn esti polys tois proserchomenois Theǭ kai kopos ta prōta, epeita de chara anekdiēgētos. Hōsper gar hoi pyr exapsai boulomenos prōton kapnizontai kai dakryousi, kai houtōs tou zētoumenou tynchanousi; kai gar phēsin ; O Theos hēmōn pyr katanaliskon; houtō dei kai hēmas to theion pyr eis heautous exapsai meta dakryōn kai kopou. Autos gar phēsin ho Kyrios; Pyr ēlthon balein epi tēn gēn. Kai tines diʼ oligōrian tou men kapnou ēneschonto, to de pyr ouk exēpsan, dia to makrothymias autous ektos einai, kai mallon autōn tēn peri to theion schesin asthenē kai amydran tynchanein.

At these words those gathered rejoiced greatly, and they persevered again, never having their fill of good things. And again the blessed one said to them: “There is great struggle and toil at first for those who come to God, and afterwards joy unspeakable. For as those who wish to kindle a fire are first smoked and weep, and so obtain what they seek (for it says, ‘Our God is a consuming fire’), so we too must kindle the divine fire in ourselves with tears and toil. For the Lord himself says: ‘I came to cast fire upon the earth.’ And some, through carelessness, put up with the smoke but did not kindle the fire, because they lacked patience, and still more because their attachment to God was weak and dim.”

1 Pet 1:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 12:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 12:49 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Coming to God means struggle at first and then unspeakable joy, as lighting a fire means smoke and tears before the flame; some give up through impatience.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters); leaked chapter numeral; split word): κὲρον → κόρον; οε πῦρ → οἱ πῦρ; τυγχάνουσιο → τυγχάνουσι·; xal. ἡμᾶς → καὶ ἡμᾶς; μεεά δακρύων καὶ ιώπου → μετὰ δακρύων καὶ κόπου; καθ πνοῦ → καπνοῦ; μακροθυ μίας → μακροθυμίας; τυγχάνειν. 6|. → τυγχάνειν..

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 60 (PG 28:1524a–1524b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/60). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/60

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 61

61PG 28:1524b–1524c

Ὀθεν μέγα κειμήλιον ἡ ἀγάπη· καὶ περὶ ταύτης δὲ διαβεβαιούμενος ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν, ὡς Ἐάν πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα διανείμῃς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα 13mπιάσῃς, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχῃς, γέγονας χαλκὸς ἠχῶν καὶ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. Μέγα οὖν ὲν ἀγαθοῖς ἡ ἀγάπη, ὡς καὶ δεινὸν ὲν κακοῖς ὁ θυμός · πᾶσαν γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν σκοτίσας καὶ ἀποθηριώσας, εἰς ἀλογίαν φέρει, Ὁ δὲ Κύριος, πανταχόσε τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν κηδόμενος, οὐδʼ ὅλως συνεχώρησε βραχύ τι ἀσκεπὲς τῆς ψυχῆς. Λαγνείαν κινεῖ ὁ ὲχθρός; σωφροσύνῃ ἡμᾶς ό Κύριος ὥπλισεν. ’Υπερηφανίαν γεννᾷ; ἀλλʼ ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη οῦ μακρὰν τυγχάνει. Μῖσος ἐνεφύσησεν; ἀλλʼ ἡ ἀγάπη ὲν μέσῳ παρίσταται. Ὅσα οὖν ὁ ἐχθρὸς καθʼ ἡμῶν κινεῖ βέλη, πλείοσιν ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος ὅπλοις ἠσφαλίσατο, πρός τε τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου κατάπτωσιν.

Othen mega keimēlion hē agapē; kai peri tautēs de diabebaioumenos ho Apostolos elegen, hōs Ean panta ta hyparchonta dianeimę̄s, kai to sōma 13mpiasę̄s, agapēn de mē echę̄s, gegonas chalkos ēchōn kai kymbalon alalazon. Mega oun en agathois hē agapē, hōs kai deinon en kakois ho thymos ; pasan gar tēn psychēn skotisas kai apothēriōsas, eis alogian pherei, Ho de Kyrios, pantachose tēs sōtērias hēmōn kēdomenos, oudʼ holōs synechōrēse brachy ti askepes tēs psychēs. Lagneian kinei ho echthros? sōphrosynę̄ hēmas o Kyrios hōplisen. ’Yperēphanian genną? allʼ hē tapeinophrosynē ou makran tynchanei. Misos enephysēsen? allʼ hē agapē en mesǭ paristatai. Hosa oun ho echthros kathʼ hēmōn kinei belē, pleiosin hēmas ho Kyrios hoplois ēsphalisato, pros te tēn hēmōn sōtērian kai pros tēn ekeinou kataptōsin.

“Hence love is a great treasure; and the apostle, affirming this, said: ‘If you distribute all your possessions and give your body to be burned, but do not have love, you have become sounding brass and a clanging cymbal.’ Great, then, among good things is love, as anger is terrible among evils; for, darkening and brutalizing the whole soul, it carries it into unreason. But the Lord, caring for our salvation on every side, did not leave any part of the soul uncovered at all. Does the enemy stir up lust? The Lord has armed us with chastity. Does he beget pride? Humility is not far away. Has he breathed in hatred? Love stands in the midst. However many darts, then, the enemy moves against us, the Lord has secured us with more weapons, both for our salvation and for his downfall.”

1 Cor 13:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 6:16 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Love is the greatest good and anger a great evil; for every weapon of the devil the Lord provides a stronger virtue.

“Give your body to be burned” renders a garbled word (“13mπιάσῃς”); 1 Cor 13:3 is quoted loosely.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; OCR (Latin letters)): '0 δὲ Κύριος → Ὁ δὲ Κύριος; Δαγνείαν → Λαγνείαν; ἐνεφύσησενς → ἐνεφύσησεν;; πρὸς vi“: ἐκείνου κατάπτωσινη. → πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου κατάπτωσιν..

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 61 (PG 28:1524b–1524c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/61). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/61

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 62

62PG 28:1524c–1524d

Κακὸν μὲν ὲν κακοῖς ὁ θυμός· Ὀργὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην Θεοῦ οὐ κατεργάζεται. Δεῖ οὖν αὐτὸν ἡνιοχεῖν· ὅτι ὲν καιρῷ χρήσιμος ὤφθη θυμοῦσθαι γὰρ καὶ κινεῖσθαι κατά τῶν δαιμόνων συμφέρει. Πρὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπον σφοδρῶς κινεῖσθαι οὔ προσήκει, κᾶν ἁμαρτήσας τυγχάνῃ · ἐπιστρέφειν αὑτὸν δεῖ μετά τὸ παύσασθαι τὸ τῆς ὀργῆς πάθος.

Kakon men en kakois ho thymos; Orgē gar, phēsin, andros dikaiosynēn Theou ou katergazetai. Dei oun auton hēniochein; hoti en kairǭ chrēsimos ōphthē thymousthai gar kai kineisthai kata tōn daimonōn sympherei. Pros de anthrōpon sphodrōs kineisthai ou prosēkei, kan hamartēsas tynchanę̄ ; epistrephein hauton dei meta to pausasthai to tēs orgēs pathos.

“Anger is an evil among evils; ‘for the anger of man,’ it says, ‘does not work the righteousness of God.’ One must, then, rein it in, because at the right time it has proved useful: for it is profitable to be angry and stirred against the demons. But it is not fitting to be stirred violently against a person, even if he has sinned; one must turn him back after the passion of anger has stopped.”

Jas 1:20 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Anger should be directed against the demons, not against people, whom one should correct only after anger has passed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; joined words; stray letter): Κακδν → Κακὸν; ’ορτή γὰρ. φησὶν → Ὀργὴ γὰρ, φησὶν; καιρῷχρήσιμος → καιρῷ χρήσιμος; ἐπιστρέφεινᾶ → ἐπιστρέφειν.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 62 (PG 28:1524c–1524d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/62). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/62

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 63

63PG 28:1524d–1525a

Καὶ τὸ μὲν ὀργίζεσθαι ὡς ὲν κακοῖς ἔλαττον· ἡ δὲ μνησικακία πάντων ἐστὶ βαρυτέρα. '0 γὰρ θυμὸς ὥσπερ καπνὸς πρὸς ὀλίγον θολώσας τὴν ψυχὴν διαλύεται· ἡ δὲ μνησικακία, ὥσπερ ὲναποπαγεῖσα τῇ ψυχῇ, θηρίου, αὐτὴν δεινοτέραν ποιεῖ· καὶ, κύων μὲν, κατά τινος ἐκμανεὶς, ὑπὸ τῆς τροφῆς θωπευθεὶς, μεταβάλλεται τῆς ὀργῆς· καὶ τάλλα δὲ θηρία ὑπὸ τῆς συνηθείας μειλίσσεται· ὁ δέ γε τῇ μνησικακίᾳ κρατούμενος οὐ παρακλήσει πείθεται, οὐ τροφῇ πραΰνεται, οὔτε μὴν ὁ πάντα μεταβάλλων χρόνος τὸ πάθος τούτου ἰάσατο. Οὗτοι οὖν ἀσεβέστατοι πάντων εἰσὶ καὶ ἀνομώτατοι. Οὐ γὰρ ὑπακούουσι τοῦ Σωτῆρος λέγοντος, ὡς Ὕπαγε, πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου· καὶ οὕτω πρόσαγε τὸ δῶρόν σου· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Μὴ ἐπιδυέτω, φησὶν, ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν.

Kai to men orgizesthai hōs en kakois elatton; hē de mnēsikakia pantōn esti barytera. '0 gar thymos hōsper kapnos pros oligon tholōsas tēn psychēn dialyetai; hē de mnēsikakia, hōsper enapopageisa tę̄ psychę̄, thēriou, autēn deinoteran poiei; kai, kyōn men, kata tinos ekmaneis, hypo tēs trophēs thōpeutheis, metaballetai tēs orgēs; kai talla de thēria hypo tēs synētheias meilissetai; ho de ge tę̄ mnēsikakią kratoumenos ou paraklēsei peithetai, ou trophę̄ praÿnetai, oute mēn ho panta metaballōn chronos to pathos toutou iasato. Houtoi oun asebestatoi pantōn eisi kai anomōtatoi. Ou gar hypakouousi tou Sōtēros legontos, hōs Hypage, prōton diallagēthi tǭ adelphǭ sou; kai houtō prosage to dōron sou; kai allachou; Mē epidyetō, phēsin, ho hēlios epi parorgismǭ hymōn.

“To be angry is lesser among evils; but the remembrance of wrongs is heavier than all. For anger, like smoke, troubles the soul for a little and is dissolved; but the remembrance of wrongs, as if congealed in the soul, makes it more terrible than a beast. A dog that has raged against someone, when coaxed with food, changes from its anger, and other beasts are soothed by familiarity; but one ruled by the remembrance of wrongs is not persuaded by entreaty, not softened by food, nor has time, which changes everything, healed his passion. These, then, are the most impious and lawless of all. For they do not obey the Savior who says: ‘Go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then offer your gift’; and elsewhere: ‘Let not the sun go down,’ it says, ‘on your anger.’”

Matt 5:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:26 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Bearing grudges is worse than anger, for anger passes like smoke but a grudge hardens the soul beyond any beast; it disobeys Christ’s command to be reconciled.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; stray comma; stray period): διαλύεταιο → διαλύεται·; τῇ, ψυχῇ, θηρίου → τῇ ψυχῇ, θηρίου; κύων μιν, → κύων μὲν,; πείθεται. οὐ τροφῇ → πείθεται, οὐ τροφῇ; Ὕπαγε. πρῶτον → Ὕπαγε, πρῶτον; ἀδελςσῷ → ἀδελφῷ; o' ἣλιος → ὁ ἥλιος.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 63 (PG 28:1524d–1525a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/63). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/63

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 64

64PG 28:1525a–1525b

Καλὸν μὲν οὗν τὸ μὴ ὀργισθῆναι· εί δὲ καὶ γένηται, οὐδὲ μέτρον σοι ἡμέρας πρὸς τὸ πάθος συνεχώρησεν, εἷπε γὰρ μὴ έπιδῠναι τὸν ἥλιον. Σὺ δὲ ἐκδέχῃ, ἕως ἂν ὁ πᾶς σου χρόνος δύῃ. Οὐκ οἶδας είπείν· Ἀρκεῖ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἢ κακία αὐτῆς. Τί μισεῖς τὸν λυπήσαντα ἄνθρωπον ; Οὐκ αὐτὸς ἦν ό ἀδικήσας, ἀλλʼ ὁ διάβολος. Μίσησον τὴν νόσον, καὶ μὴ τὸν νοσοῦντα· Τί ἐγκαυχᾷ ἐν κακίᾳ, ὁ δυνατός; Περὶ ὑμῶν τοῦτο ὁ ψαλμὸς ἐβόησεν· Ἀνομίαν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν· τουτέστι, πάντα τὸν τῆς ζωῆς σου χρόνον παρακούεις τοῦ νομοθέτου τοῦ λέγοντος· Μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Φησὶ δὲ, ὡς Ἀδικίαν ἐλογίσατο ἡ γλῶσσά σου· οὐ παύῃ γὰρ βλασφημῶν τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, Ὅθεν δικαία σοι ή τιμωρία παρʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ ’Υμνῳδοϋ ὲκ τοῦ Πνεύματος προσφέρεται· Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶν, ό Θεὸς καθελεῖ σε είς τέλος, ἐκτίλαι σε καί μεταναστεῦσαί σε ἀπὸ σκηνώματός σου, καὶ τὸ ῥίζωμὰ σου ἐκ γῆς ζώντων. Ταῦτα τῷ μνησικάκῳ τὰ δῶρα· ταῦτα τῆς κακίας τὰ ἔπαθλα.

Kalon men houn to mē orgisthēnai; ei de kai genētai, oude metron soi hēmeras pros to pathos synechōrēsen, heipe gar mē epidynai ton hēlion. Sy de ekdechę̄, heōs an ho pas sou chronos dyę̄. Ouk oidas eipein; Arkei tę̄ hēmerą ē kakia autēs. Ti miseis ton lypēsanta anthrōpon ? Ouk autos ēn o adikēsas, allʼ ho diabolos. Misēson tēn noson, kai mē ton nosounta; Ti enkauchą en kakią, ho dynatos? Peri hymōn touto ho psalmos eboēsen; Anomian gar, phēsin, holēn tēn hēmeran; toutesti, panta ton tēs zōēs sou chronon parakoueis tou nomothetou tou legontos; Mē epidyetō ho hēlios epi tǭ parorgismǭ hymōn. Phēsi de, hōs Adikian elogisato hē glōssa sou; ou pauę̄ gar blasphēmōn ton adelphon sou, Hothen dikaia soi ē timōria parʼ hautou tou ’Ymnǭdoÿ ek tou Pneumatos prospheretai; Dia touto gar, phēsin, o Theos kathelei se eis telos, ektilai se kai metanasteusai se apo skēnōmatos sou, kai to rhizōma sou ek gēs zōntōn. Tauta tǭ mnēsikakǭ ta dōra; tauta tēs kakias ta epathla.

“It is good, then, not to be angry; but if it happens, he did not allow you even the measure of a day for the passion, for he said that the sun should not go down. But you wait until all your time goes down. You do not know how to say: ‘Sufficient for the day is its evil.’ Why do you hate the person who grieved you? It was not he who wronged you but the devil. Hate the disease and not the sick person. ‘Why do you boast in wickedness, O mighty one?’ The psalm cried this out about you: ‘For lawlessness,’ it says, ‘all the day’; that is, all the time of your life you disobey the Lawgiver who says: ‘Let not the sun go down on your anger.’ And it says: ‘Your tongue devised injustice’; for you do not stop slandering your brother. Hence a just punishment is brought on you by the psalmist himself from the Spirit: ‘Therefore,’ it says, ‘God will destroy you forever, pluck you out and remove you from your dwelling, and your root from the land of the living.’ These are the gifts for the one who bears grudges; these are the prizes of wickedness.”

Eph 4:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 52:1 (51:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 52:5 (51:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Anger must not outlast the day; one should hate the devil who causes the wrong, not the person; Ps 52 threatens the grudge-bearer with destruction.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR (Latin letters); stray mark; stray period): voσοῦντα → νοσοῦντα; ἐγσκαυχᾷ ἐν κακίᾳ, durare; → ἐγκαυχᾷ ἐν κακίᾳ, ὁ δυνατός;; προσφέρεται* → προσφέρεται·; ταῦτα. τῆς → ταῦτα τῆς.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 64 (PG 28:1525a–1525b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/64). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/64

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 65

65PG 28:1525b–1525c

Φυλάττεσθαι οὖν δέον ἀπὸ μνησικακίας· πολλά γὰρ αὐτῇ ἀκολουθοῦσι δεινὰ, φθόνος, λύπη, καταλαλιά. Θανατηφόρος ἡ τούτων κακία, κάν μικρά δοκῇ τυγχάνειν. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ὥσπερ βέλη λεπτά τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τυγχάνουσι. Καὶ πολλάκις τὰ ἀπὸ διστόμου μαχαίρας καὶ μείζονος ξίφους τραύματα, οἶά ἐστι πορνεία καὶ πλεονεξία, καὶ φόνος, ἰάθησαν πολλάκις διὰ τοῦ σωτηρίου φαρμάκου τῆς μετανοίας· ὑπερηφανία δὲ ἢ μνησικακία, ἢ καταλαλιὰ, ὥσπερ μικρά δοκοῦντα εἶναι· βέλη, λανθανόντως ἀνεῖλαν, κατὰ τῶν καιριωτέρων τῆς ψυχῆς μορίων παγέντα. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ τῷ μεγέθει ἀναιρεῖ τῆς πληγῆς, ἀλλά τῇ ἀμελείᾳ τῶν· τρωθέντων· ὼς μηδενὸς γὰρ ὄντων καταφρονήσαντες τῆς τε καταλαλιᾶς καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, κατὰ μικρὸν ὕπʼ αὐτῶν διεφθάρησαν.

Phylattesthai oun deon apo mnēsikakias; polla gar autę̄ akolouthousi deina, phthonos, lypē, katalalia. Thanatēphoros hē toutōn kakia, kan mikra dokę̄ tynchanein. Tauta men gar hōsper belē lepta tou echthrou tynchanousi. Kai pollakis ta apo distomou machairas kai meizonos xiphous traumata, oia esti porneia kai pleonexia, kai phonos, iathēsan pollakis dia tou sōtēriou pharmakou tēs metanoias; hyperēphania de ē mnēsikakia, ē katalalia, hōsper mikra dokounta einai; belē, lanthanontōs aneilan, kata tōn kairiōterōn tēs psychēs moriōn pagenta. Tauta de ou tǭ megethei anairei tēs plēgēs, alla tę̄ ameleią tōn; trōthentōn; ōs mēdenos gar ontōn kataphronēsantes tēs te katalalias kai tōn loipōn, kata mikron hypʼ autōn diephtharēsan.

“We must, then, guard against the remembrance of wrongs; for many terrible things follow it: envy, grief, slander. The wickedness of these is deadly, even if it seems small. For these are like the light arrows of the enemy. Often the wounds from the two-edged blade and the greater sword, such as fornication, greed and murder, have been healed by the saving medicine of repentance; but pride, or the remembrance of wrongs, or slander, like arrows that seem small, have killed unnoticed, lodged in the more vital parts of the soul. They kill not by the size of the wound but by the negligence of the wounded; for, despising slander and the rest as nothing, people have been destroyed by them little by little.”

Notes and citation

Summary: Grudges, envy and slander seem small but kill the soul unnoticed, while great sins are often healed by repentance.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR): τοδ ἐχθροῦ → τοῦ ἐχθροῦ; δὲιῆ μνησικακία → δὲ ἢ μνησικακία; κατὰ μιον κρὺν → κατὰ μικρὸν.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 65 (PG 28:1525b–1525c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/65). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/65

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 66

66PG 28:1525c–1525d

Βαρὺ οὖν καὶ μοχθηρὸν ἠ καταλαλιά. τροφὴ γὰρ καὶ ἀνάπαυλά τινων ἀνθρώπων τυγχάνει. Σὺ δὲ μὴ παραδέξῃ ἀκοὴν ματαίαν, μὴ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κακῶν δοχεῖον γένῃ. Ἀπέριττον σεαυτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν παρασκεύαζε. Ὑποδεξαμένη γάρ τὴν δυσώδη τῶν λόγων ἀκαθαρσίαν, κηλίδας τῇ εὐχῇ σου προσάξεις διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ ἀναιτίως μισήσεις τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας. Καταβαφείσης γάρ σου τῆς ἀκοῆς ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν κακολογούντων ἀπανθρωπίας, ἀγεννῶς πᾶσιν ὲνατενίσεις· καθάπερ ό ὀφθαλμὸς, χρώματι ἀκρατέστερον προληφθεὶς, ἀδιάκριτον ἔχει περὶ τὰ ὁρώμενα τὴν φαντασιαν.

Bary oun kai mochthēron ē katalalia. trophē gar kai anapaula tinōn anthrōpōn tynchanei. Sy de mē paradexę̄ akoēn mataian, mē tōn allotriōn kakōn docheion genę̄. Aperitton seautou tēn psychēn paraskeuaze. Hypodexamenē gar tēn dysōdē tōn logōn akatharsian, kēlidas tę̄ euchę̄ sou prosaxeis dia tōn logismōn, kai anaitiōs misēseis tous entynchanontas. Katabapheisēs gar sou tēs akoēs hypo tēs tōn kakologountōn apanthrōpias, agennōs pasin enateniseis; kathaper o ophthalmos, chrōmati akratesteron prolēphtheis, adiakriton echei peri ta horōmena tēn phantasian.

“Slander, then, is grievous and wicked; for it is food and recreation for some people. But do not receive a vain report; do not become a receptacle for others’ evils. Keep your soul free of superfluities. For if you receive the foul uncleanness of words, you will bring stains on your prayer through your thoughts, and you will hate without cause those you meet. For when your hearing has been dyed by the inhumanity of those who speak evil, you will look on all ignobly; as the eye, overcome by too strong a color, has an indistinct impression of what it sees.”

Exod 23:1 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Listening to slander stains prayer and colors one’s view of everyone, so one should refuse to hear it.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; joined words): δοχεῖονγένῃ → δοχεῖον γένῃ; Καταόαφείσης → Καταβαφείσης; κακοο λογούντων → κακολογούντων.

Topics: Ethics, Prayer

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 66 (PG 28:1525c–1525d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/66). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/66

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 67

67PG 28:1525d–1528a

Δεῖ οὖν φυλάττεσθαι τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν, πρὸς τὸ μήτε λέγειν τι τοιοῦτον, μήτε ἀκούειν ἐμπαθῶς. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὡς Μὴ ἀκοὴν ματαίαν παραδέξασθαι· καὶ, Τ ὧν malrum",th λάᾴα τῷ πλησίον αὑτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξεδίωκον. Ἐν at“; Ψαλμῳδῷ φησινʼ Ὅπως ἂν μὴ λαλήσῃ τὸ στόμα μου τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ τὰ μὴ ἔργα λαλοῦμεν. Δέον οὖν μὴ πιστεύειν τοῖς λεγομένοις, μήτε μὴν κατακρίνειν τοὺς λέγοντας· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν Θείαν Γραφὴν ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεί κωφὸς οὐκ ἢκουον, καὶ ὡσεὶ ἅλαλος οὐκ ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα μου.

Dei oun phylattesthai tēn glōttan kai tēn akoēn, pros to mēte legein ti toiouton, mēte akouein empathōs. Gegraptai gar, hōs Mē akoēn mataian paradexasthai; kai, T hōn malrum",th laąa tǭ plēsion hautou, touton exediōkon. En at“? Psalmǭdǭ phēsinʼ Hopōs an mē lalēsę̄ to stoma mou ta erga tōn anthrōpōn. Hēmeis de kai ta mē erga laloumen. Deon oun mē pisteuein tois legomenois, mēte mēn katakrinein tous legontas; alla kata tēn Theian Graphēn poiein kai legein; Egō de hōsei kōphos ouk ēkouon, kai hōsei halalos ouk anoigōn to stoma mou.

“One must, then, guard the tongue and the hearing, so as neither to say anything of this kind nor to hear it with passion. For it is written: ‘Do not receive a vain report’; and: ‘Whoever slandered his neighbor in secret, him I drove out.’ And the psalmist says: ‘That my mouth may not speak of the works of men.’ But we speak even of things that are not works. One must, then, neither believe what is said nor condemn those who say it, but act and speak according to divine Scripture: ‘But I, like a deaf man, did not hear, and like a mute who does not open his mouth.’”

Exod 23:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 101:5 (100:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 17:4 (16:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 38:13 (37:14 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: One must neither speak nor listen to slander, but be like the deaf and mute of the psalm.

The second quotation (Ps 101:5) is garbled in the scan (“Τ ὧν malrum",th λάᾴα”) and is translated from the psalm.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR; split word): λεγομέ» νοις → λεγομένοις; κατὸ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Pseudo-Athanasius, Vit. Sync. 67 (PG 28:1525d–1528a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/67). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/ps-athanasius-vita-syncleticae/67

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text in Migne PG 28 (archive.org OCR, corrected where noted). No public-domain English translation exists; each batch was re-read against the Greek.