Church History 6.27–6.32

That Eunomius held the same views as Aetius one must agree; for Eunomius himself boasts of Aetius as his teacher, and bears witness to this often, speaking openly in his own writings. Gregory, who was bishop of Nazianzus, accusing Apolinarius, writes this somewhere in a letter to Nectarius, who presided over the church in Constantinople: “Eunomius, the evil we nurse in our bosom, is no longer content merely to exist; unless he drags everyone with him into his own ruin, he counts it a loss. And this is bearable. But the most grievous of all the church’s calamities is the boldness of the Apolinarians, whom your holiness, I do not know how, has overlooked, when they have procured for themselves the freedom to hold assemblies on equal terms with us. Of course, you who have been instructed in the divine mysteries through all things by the grace of God know not only the defence of God the Word but also all that has been devised by the heretics against the sound faith. Yet it is perhaps not out of place for your dignity to hear from our littleness that a pamphlet of Apolinarius has come into my hands, in which what he constructs surpasses all heretical wickedness. For he affirms that the flesh which the only-begotten Son of God took by the dispensation for the reshaping of our nature was not acquired, but that this fleshly nature was in the Son from the beginning. And wrongly taking a certain saying of the Gospel, he puts it forward as a witness to such an absurdity, saying: ‘No one has ascended into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man’; as though he were Son of Man even before he came down, and came down bringing with him his own flesh, which he had in heaven, eternal and of the same essence. For he cites again a certain saying of the apostle, that ‘the second man is from heaven.’ Then he constructs the view that that man who came from above has no mind, but that the Godhead of the Only-begotten, filling up the nature of the mind, became the third part of the human compound, the soul and body being in him in human fashion, but the mind not being there, the God Word filling its place. And this is not yet the dreadful thing; but the most grievous of all is that he maintains that the only-begotten God himself, the judge of all, the author of life, the destroyer of death, is passible, and received suffering in his own Godhead, and that in the three days’ deadness of the body the Godhead also died together with the body, and so was raised again from death by the Father. The other things he adds to such absurdities it would take too long to go through.” What and how Apolinarius and Eunomius believe about God, let whoever cares consider from what has been said. If anyone has resolved to labour at an exact knowledge of such matters, let him seek more from what has been written by them or by others about them; since for me it is not easy either to understand such things or to paraphrase them. It seems that, besides the reasons given, the fact that these doctrines did not prevail and spread to many is to be credited chiefly to the monks of that time. For they held fast to the doctrines of Nicaea, those in Syria and Cappadocia and the surrounding regions who lived the philosophic life. For the East from Cilicia to Phoenicia was in danger of becoming of the heresy of Apolinarius, and from Cilicia and the Taurus mountains to the sea at Constantinople of that of Eunomius; for each easily persuaded those among whom he lived, and those nearby, to share his views. Something similar happened in their case as in Arius’s; for the multitude there, admiring the virtue of the monks described in their deeds, believed that they held right views, and turned away from those who thought otherwise as not pure of spurious doctrines. Just as the Egyptians, following their own monks, were opposed to the

It seems to me timely, having mentioned those who then lived the philosophic life in Christianity, to go through as many of them as I can. For at that time a very great crop of God-loving men flourished. Distinguished among those we know of in Egypt was John, to whom God revealed the future and things hidden from others, no less than to the prophets of old; and he gave him the gift of healing those suffering from incurable afflictions and diseases. And Or, who from his youth lived in the deserts, ever singing hymns to the divine; he fed on herbs and certain roots, and drank water wherever he found it. When as an old man he moved by divine command to the Thebaid, he led very many monasteries, and he too had his share of divine deeds; for by prayer alone he drove out diseases and demons. Though he had not learned letters, he needed no books for remembrance, but everything he took into his mind proved stronger than forgetfulness. In this region also Ammon practised the philosophic life, the leader of those called Tabennesiotes, having about three thousand disciples; and Benus and Theonas led bands of monks and were full of divine foreknowledge and prophecy. It is said that Theonas, who was versed in the learning of the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans, practised silence for thirty years; and that Benus was never seen by anyone angry or swearing or lying, or speaking a rash, bold or careless word. About this time there were also Copres, Helles and Elias. They say that Copres was given by God healings of afflictions and various diseases and power over demons; and that Helles, trained from youth in the monastic discipline, worked many wonders, so that he carried fire in his bosom without burning his clothing, and by this urged those who lived the monastic life with him to purify their minds beforehand and to be conscious of nothing wrong, since the display of wonders follows upon good conduct. Elias then lived the philosophic life not far from the city of Antinous, being about a hundred and ten years old; and he said that before this he had lived alone in the deserts for seventy years; and though so old, he continued to fast and to live with fortitude. Besides these, Apelles was then distinguished at Acoris, in the monasteries of Egypt, working many wonders. Once when he was working as a smith — for this was his trade — the phantom of a demon, in the likeness of a comely woman, tempted his chastity by night. But he drew from the fire the iron he was working and burned the demon’s face; and it ran away shrieking and wailing. The most celebrated fathers of monks at that time were Isidore, Serapion and Dioscorus. Isidore fenced in his monastery on every side and took care that none of those within should go out of doors, and that they should have everything they needed within. Serapion lived about the Arsinoite district, with about ten thousand under him. He led them all to provide what they needed by their own toil and to supply others in need; in the summer season they reaped for wages, laid up enough grain for themselves, and shared with other monks. To Dioscorus not more than a hundred came. Being a presbyter, he proceeded with all strictness in his priestly ministry, testing and carefully examining those who came to the mysteries, lest anyone have done something dreadful. At that time Eulogius the presbyter too was very strict about giving the divine mysteries. They say that when he served as priest he had such foreknowledge of the minds of those who came forward that he plainly exposed their sins and saw what each hid in his mind. Those who had done wrong, or had planned something base, he kept from the altar for a time, making the sin plain; and when they had been cleansed by repentance he admitted them again.

In their time Apollo too lived in the Thebaid, who began to live the philosophic life when just coming of age. After living in the desert for forty years, at God’s bidding he settled in a cave under the mountain near the inhabited country. Through the multitude of his wonders he soon became famous and the leader of very many monks; for he was also persuasive in his teaching to their profit. What discipline he followed, and how great were the divine and marvellous deeds he did, is recorded by Timothy, who governed the church of the Alexandrians, who went through very well the lives of him and of many of those I have mentioned and of other approved monks. At that time many good men zealously practised the philosophic life around Alexandria, about two thousand in number, some living in the places called the Hermitages, others around the Mareotis and the neighbouring Libyans. Exceptionally distinguished among them was Dorotheus, a Theban by birth, whose life was this: by day he gathered stones from the sea nearby and each year built a small dwelling and gave it to those unable to build for themselves; by night he plaited cords from palm leaves for his own sustenance and made baskets. His food was six ounces of bread and a bundle of thin vegetables, and water to drink. Having trained himself so from youth, he did not leave off even in old age. He was never seen sleeping on a mat or a bed, or stretching out his feet for rest, or giving himself willingly to sleep, except that while working or eating he closed his eyes under compulsion of nature; so that often, as he dozed while eating, the food fell from his mouth. Once, overcome utterly by sleep, he fell on the mat without noticing; and being grieved at this, he said quietly: “If you persuade the angels to sleep, you will persuade the zealous man too” — hinting, perhaps, at himself, and addressing sleep, or the demon who hinders zealous deeds. When someone came to him while he was toiling so and said, “Why do you kill your body so much?” he answered, “Because it kills me.” Piammon and John at that time presided over most celebrated monasteries about Diolcus in Egypt. Being presbyters, they performed their priestly ministry with the greatest care and great reverence. It is said that once when Piammon was serving as priest he saw a divine angel standing by the holy table and writing in a book the monks who were present and erasing those who were absent. To John God gave such power over afflictions and diseases that he healed many who had gout and whose joints were loosened. At this time Benjamin too, very old, lived the philosophic life most splendidly in Scetis, having a gift from God to free the sick from every disease without medicines, by the touch of his hand alone or with oil over which he had prayed. Such a man, the story goes, fell into dropsy, and his body swelled so much that he could not be carried out through the doors of the cell in which he lived unless they took down the door-posts together with the doors. During his illness, being unable to lie in bed, he sat for about eight months on a very broad chair, healing the sick as usual, and himself not at all distressed that he was not freed from the disease that held him. Rather, he comforted those who saw him and besought them to pray to God for his soul. As for his body, he said he did not care: “For when it was healthy it did me no good, and when it suffers badly it has done me no harm.” At that time there lived in Scetis Mark the celebrated, Macarius the younger, Apollonius and Moses the Ethiopian. They say that Mark, even in his youth, was exceedingly gentle and chaste and mindful of the sacred Scriptures; and so dear to God that Macarius, who was presbyter of the Cells, maintained that he never received from him what it is lawful for priests to give to the initiated at the holy table, but an angel gave it to him, whose hand only as far as the wrist he said he saw. To Macarius God gave grace to despise the demons. The occasion of his philosophic life at the beginning was an involuntary killing. For while still a young boy he was herding sheep by Lake Mareotis, and in play killed one of his companions; and fearing punishment, he fled into the desert. Living in the open air for three years after this, he built himself a small dwelling there, in which he spent twenty-five years. Those who had heard him said that he confessed great gratitude for the calamity and called the involuntary killing saving, since it had become for him the cause of the philosophic and blessed life. Apollonius, who had spent the rest of his time in trade, came to Scetis when already approaching old age. Reckoning that because of his age he could learn neither to write nor any other craft, he bought with his own money medicines of every kind and food suitable for the sick, and went round to every monastic door until the ninth hour, visiting the sick. Finding this discipline suitable for him, he lived so; and when about to die, he handed over what he had to another and charged him to do the same. Moses was a slave, and for his wickedness was driven out of his owner’s house; turning to robbery, he led a band of robbers. After doing much evil and daring many murders, through some reversal of fortune he took up the monastic life and suddenly advanced to the virtue of philosophy. Since from his former way of life he was seething with bodily vigour and was stirred by imaginations of pleasures, he wasted his body with countless austerities: now content with a little bread without relish, now completing a very great amount of work and praying fifty prayers, now for six years standing every whole night in prayer, neither bending the knee nor closing his eyes in sleep. At other times he went round the dwellings of the monks by night and secretly filled each one’s water jar. This was very laborious; for the place from which they drew water was ten stadia distant for some, twenty for others, thirty and more for others. He long kept his former strength, though eager to break it by his many austerities and pressing his body with hardships. It is said, at any rate, that once robbers fell upon the place where he lived the philosophic life alone; he seized them all and bound them, and, there being four of them, put them on his shoulders, brought them to the church, and handed them over to his fellow monks to deal with, as it was no longer lawful for him to harm anyone. They say that no one ever made so great a change from vice to virtue; so that he reached the summit of monastic philosophy, struck an extraordinary fear into the demons, and became presbyter of the monks in Scetis. Being such a man, he died at about seventy-five years old, leaving many excellent disciples. In this reign there were also Paul and Pachon, Stephen and Moses, both Libyans, and Pior the Egyptian. Paul lived at Pherme — this is a mountain in Scetis — with not fewer than five hundred ascetics. He did no work, nor did he receive anything from anyone except what he ate. He only prayed, rendering to God, like a tribute, three hundred prayers each day. And so as not to miss the number unawares, he put three hundred pebbles in his bosom and threw out a pebble at each prayer; when the stones were used up, it was plain that prayers equal in number to the stones had been completed. Pachon too was then distinguished in Scetis; from his youth to old age, neither a healthy body, nor passion of soul, nor demon detected him unmanly in self-control over the things a philosopher must master. Stephen had his dwelling about the Mareotis, not far from Marmarica. Having gone through a strict and most perfect discipline for sixty years, he became a most renowned monk and was known to Antony the great. He was gentle, very wise, and in conversation pleasant and helpful, able to charm the souls of the grieving and turn them to cheerfulness, if they were seized by unavoidable griefs. Such he was also in his own calamities. For when a severe and incurable affliction struck him, he gave the diseased limbs to the physicians to cut, and meanwhile worked with his hands, plaiting palm leaves; and he advised those present not to be distressed at his sufferings nor to think anything else than that what God does turns out altogether to a good end; and that it would profit him to experience such sufferings, perhaps for sins, for which it is better to pay the penalty here than after this life. Moses has been handed down as exceptionally renowned for gentleness and love, and for healings of afflictions accomplished by prayer. Pior, having resolved in his youth to live the philosophic life, when he left his father’s house for this, covenanted with God from then on to see none of his family. After fifty years his sister learned that he was alive. Overwhelmed with boundless joy at the unexpected news, she could not rest unless she saw her brother. The bishop there, pitying her as she lamented and entreated in her old age, wrote to the leaders of the monks in the desert to send Pior out. Ordered to go, and unable to refuse — for it is not lawful for Egyptian monks, nor, I think, for others, to disobey what is commanded — he took someone with him and came to his home town; and standing before his father’s house he sent word that he had come. When he heard the door creak, he shut his eyes, and calling his sister by name, said: “I am Pior your brother; look at me as much as you wish.” She, delighted, gave thanks to God; and he, having prayed at the door, returned to the place where he lived. There he dug a well and found the water bitter; and until his death he endured using it. The time afterwards showed how extraordinary his self-control was; for after he died, though many were eager to live the philosophic life in the same place, no one could endure it. I am convinced that, had he not resolved to live the philosophic life in this way too, it would not have been hard for him by prayer to change the water to a sweet taste, since he made water gush up where there was none at all. Indeed it is said that once, when Moses and his companions were digging a well and the water did not come up, neither from the expected vein nor at any depth, they were about to give up the work. Pior came upon them at midday, greeted them first, reproached them with unbelief and faint-heartedness, went down into the trench, prayed, and struck the earth three times with a pick; and at once the water gushed up and filled the trench. When, having prayed, he was going away, and Moses and his companions begged him to eat with them, he would not, saying that he had not been sent for this, but that what he came for had been accomplished.

At this time there were still distinguished in the monasteries of Scetis Origen, now old, the survivor of the disciples of Antony the great; and Didymus, and Cronion, who was about a hundred and ten years old; and the great Arsisius, and Putubastes, Arsion and Serapion, who were also contemporaries of Antony the great. Having grown old in the philosophic life, they then presided over the monasteries there. Of those in youth and middle age, many fine and good men were known along with them, among them Ammonius, Eusebius and Dioscorus, brothers to one another, whom they called the Tall Brothers from their stature. It is said that this Ammonius reached the summit of philosophy, bravely mastered pleasure and ease, and became so fond of learning that he went through the works of Origen and Didymus and the other church writers; and that from youth to death he tasted nothing cooked by fire except bread. Once when he was about to be seized for ordination to the episcopate, since his entreaties did not persuade those who had come for him to go away, he cut off his ear and said: “Go away; for now the priestly law does not allow me to be ordained even if I wished, since a priest must be appointed whole in body.” They withdrew; but when they learned that this was to be observed by the Jews, while the church cares nothing about the body, provided only that the priest is sound in character, they came back again to seize the man. But he swore that he would cut out his tongue if they tried to use force. Fearing the threat, they went away. From this he was called Ammonius Parotes. Not long after, in the following reign, Evagrius was associated with him, a wise man and of note, able to think and to express himself, skilled at discerning the thoughts that lead to virtue and to vice, and able to advise which to pursue and which to guard against. What he was as a writer the writings he left will show. He was said to be moderate in character, and so master of pride and arrogance that he was neither puffed up by applause when justly praised nor angered by the insults when unjustly reviled. By birth he was a citizen of Ibora near the sea called Euxine. He studied philosophy and was instructed in the sacred words by Gregory, bishop of Nazianzus; and when Gregory governed the church in Constantinople, he had him as his archdeacon. Since he was elegant in appearance and fond of fine clothing, one of the men in power, jealous because he learned that Evagrius was acquainted with his wife, was plotting his death. When the plot was about to be carried into effect, the Divine sent him in his sleep a fearful but saving vision in a dream. For he seemed to have been arrested on a charge and bound hand and foot in iron. When he was about to be brought to court to suffer punishment, someone came up to him, showed him the holy book of the Gospels, and promised to free him from his bonds if he would leave the city, and demanded an oath that he would do so. He, touching the book, swore that he would indeed do so; and being freed from his bonds he at once awoke; and persuaded by the divine dream, he escaped the danger. Resolving that he must take up the ascetic life, he left Constantinople for Jerusalem; and some time later, coming to see those who lived the philosophic life in Scetis, he was glad to stay there.

… if anyone should come to learn from one able to explain. They call this place Nitria, because there is a neighbouring village in which they collect nitre. No ordinary multitude lived the philosophic life here; there were about fifty monasteries close to one another, some of men living in community, others of men living by themselves. From here, as one goes into the inner desert, there is another place, about seventy stadia away, called the Cells. In it are many monastic dwellings scattered about, which is why it got this name. They are so far separated from one another that those who live there neither see nor hear each other. They all meet together and hold assemblies on the first and last day of the week. If anyone is not present, it is clear that he has been kept away against his will, held back by some affliction or illness; and they do not all go at once to see and care for him, but each at different times, bringing whatever he has suitable for the illness. Apart from such a reason they do not converse with one another, except for words tending to the knowledge of God or the profit of the soul. Those live in the Cells who have reached the summit of philosophy and are able to guide themselves and to live alone, separated from the others for the sake of quiet. Let this much be said briefly by us about Scetis and those who live the philosophic life there. For if I tried to go through every detail of their discipline, someone might perhaps blame my writing for its length. For having established a way of life of their own, they assigned works, manners, exercises, diet and times to each age, as was fitting. Rhinocorura too, from that time, was distinguished by good men, not brought in from outside but native. Of those I learned had lived the philosophic life there, I know as the best Melas, who at that time governed the church; Dionysius, who had his monastery to the north of the city; and Solon, the brother of Melas and his successor in the episcopate. It is said that when it had been ordered that the priests in the cities who held views opposed to Arius should be driven out, those who came for Melas found him preparing the lamps of the church, like the lowest servant, with his girdle on his tunic soiled with oil and carrying the wicks; and when asked about the bishop, he said, “He is here, and I will tell him.” At once he led the men, as tired from the journey, to the bishop’s lodging, set a table before them and entertained them from what there was. After the meal he washed his hands — for he had been serving those at table — and announced himself. They, admiring the man, confessed what they had come for, but out of respect for him gave him leave to flee. But he said, “I would not choose to avoid suffering the same as the priests who share my belief, but will willingly go into exile.” Having lived the philosophic life from youth, he practised every monastic virtue. Solon, changing from a merchant into a monk, himself gained no little benefit from this. For, carefully trained under his brother as teacher and under those who lived the philosophic life there, he was most eagerly zealous about divine things and was good to his neighbours. The church of Rhinocorura, having had such leaders from the beginning, has not ceased from that time to our own, still using their rules and bringing forth good men. The clergy there have a common dwelling and table and all else in common.

Palestine, too, flourished with the dwellings of monks. Most of those I enumerated in the reign of Constantius were still adorning this way of life; and others, through association with them, advanced to the summit of virtue and were added to the greater renown of the monasteries there. Among them were Hesychas, the companion of Hilarion, and Epiphanius, who later became bishop of Salamis in Cyprus. Hesychas lived the philosophic life where his teacher had; Epiphanius about the village of Besanduce, his home, in the district of Eleutheropolis. Trained from his youth by the best monks, and for this reason having spent a very long time in Egypt, he became most celebrated in monastic philosophy among the Egyptians and the Palestinians, and afterwards among the Cypriots too, by whom he was chosen to oversee the metropolis of the island. Hence, I think, he is the most famous, so to speak, in the whole world under the sun. For serving as priest in a populous, great and coastal city, and engaging in civic affairs with all the virtue he had, he soon became known to citizens and strangers of every kind: to some who saw him and had experience of his conduct, to others who were persuaded by them. Before his stay in Cyprus he was still living in Palestine under the present reign. At that time there were very distinguished in the monasteries Salamanes, Phuscon, Malachion and Crispion, brothers, who lived the philosophic life about Bethelia, a village of the district of Gaza; for they were of noble family there, and had Hilarion as teacher of this philosophy. It is said that once, as they were going home together, Malachion was somehow snatched from their midst and disappeared; then suddenly he reappeared, walking the same road with his brothers; and not long after he died, still young, but not behind those who had grown old in philosophy in virtue of life and love of God. Ammonius too, about ten stadia away, lived about Kapharchobra, a village of Gaza, from which he came, a man who passed his life in ascetic discipline with the greatest strictness and courage. Silvanus, who for his exceeding virtue is said to have been seen served by an angel, a Palestinian, was then, I think, still living the philosophic life in Egypt; then, after spending some time on Mount Sinai, he later founded at Gerara by the torrent a very great and celebrated community of very many good men, which after him was led by the divine Zacharias.