5

And towards the end. Beginning the forty days of the fast, that is, the eight weeks, and fasting with self-control for the destruction of the eight thoughts that rise up against the soul, from the twenty-seventh of the month of Mecheir according to the Egyptians, until the twentieth of the month of Pharmouthi. Of the same, in the thirty-first false festal letter, of which the beginning is thus: ‘And now I seem to hear.’ And towards the end. Beginning the eight weeks of the fast, that is, of the holy Forty Days, because Saturday and Sunday are not counted with the holy fasts, from the nineteenth of the month of Mecheir according to the Egyptians, but according to the Romans, the Ides of February, which is the thirteenth of February; and of the holy week of the saving Pascha, from the eighth of the month of Pharmouthi according to the Egyptians; but according to the Romans, three days before the Nones of April, which is the third of April; and thereafter, having completed the holy days of Pascha, in the late evening of the holy Saturday we shall cease the fast.

5

Καὶ πρὸς τὰ τέλη. Ἀρχόμενοι τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν τῆς νηστείας, ἤγουν τῶν ὀκτὼ ἑβδομάδων, καὶ νηστεύοντες σωφρόνως ἐπὶ καθαιρέσει τῶν ἐπανισταμένων κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ὀκτὼ λογισμῶν, ἀπὸ εἰκάδος ἑβδόμης τοῦ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους Μεχὴρ μηνὸς, μέχρι εἰκάδος μηνὸς Φαρμουθί. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ, ψευδεορταστικῇ τριακοστῇ πρώτῃ, ἧς ἡ ἀρχὴ οὕτως ἐστίν· «Καὶ νῦν ἀκούειν δοκῶ.» Καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει. Ἀρχόμενοι τῶν ὀκτὼ ἑβδομάδων τῆς νηστείας, τουτέστι τῆς ἁγίας Τεσσαρακοστῆς, διὰ τὸ μὴ συναριθμεῖσθαι τὸ Σάββατον καὶ τὴν Κυριακὴν ταῖς ἁγίαις νηστείαις, ἀπὸ ἐννεακαιδεκάτης τοῦ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους Μεχὴρ μηνὸς, κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους εἰδοῖς Φεβρουαρίου, ἥτις ἐστὶ Φεβρουαρίου τρισκαιδεκάτη· τῆς δὲ ἁγίας ἑβδομάδος τοῦ σωτηριώδους Πάσχα, ἀπὸ ὀγδόης τοῦ κατὰ Αἰγυπτίους Φαρμουθὶ μηνός· κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους πρὸ τριῶν νόννων Ἀπριλλίων, ἥ τις ἐστὶν Ἀπριλλίου τρίτη· καὶ ἐφεξῆς, τελέσαντες τὰς ἁγίας τοῦ Πάσχα ἡμέρας, ἑσπέρᾳ βαθείᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Σαββάτου καταπαύσομεν τὴν νηστείαν.