Lausiac History (recension G)

 having written down the lives of the fathers, Abraham and those who followed, Moses and Elijah and John, they did not relate them in order to glorify

 goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control, is acknowledged. Pref.14 For Paul himself said: For the fruit of the spirit is such and such things.

 being virgins but he entrusted them to Christ, saying: He who created you will provide for your life, as also for me. And there was with his sister

 a judge who orders one to be submitted to debauchery. 3.4 So that one, having gone mad, orders her, having been stripped, to be thrown into the cauld

 but haughty in disposition, exceedingly rich in money, giving † not † to a stranger, not to a virgin, not to the church, not an obol to a poor person.

 So having met and spent three years with the monasteries around Alexandria, with about two thousand most excellent and very zealous men, departing fro

 Lord and what do you command now? I command, he said, that each of us from now on remain by himself. But she did not agree, saying Let us rema

 without a fever, not having been sick, but sewing up the basket, being seventy years old who, having sent for me, and while the last stitch was on it

 at the martyrium called Roufinianais. Whose tomb is said to heal all who suffer from fever.] 12 .tConcerning Benjamin 12.1 In this mountain of Nitria

 were perfected. And some were pleased by this one, others by that one. When a dispute therefore arose among the brotherhood over the praises, they go

 therefore also to banish you from this. 16.3 Therefore, knowing that he had been mocked, he returned again to his first cell. And having completed th

 the tax-collectors are upon you, whose disease you also suffer. And it happened that he disobeyed after the death of Macarius, after another fifteen

 the saint, taking him, prayed over him, beseeching God. And after one or two days, when the affliction subsided, the holy Macarius says to her: 17.13

 ravens before my sight, and saying: What do you want, Macarius? What do you want, monk? Why have you come to our place? You cannot remain here. So I

 he did nothing with his hands. Therefore, when all the ascetics saw this, they rose up against the abbot, saying: From where have you brought us this

 you shall be shaken, I shall not hear you. 18.24 So after falling for a long time, he rose. And when night came, they attacked him again and filling

 fifty miles he went away to where he had his company. This so great man, at long last being pricked with compunction by some circumstance, gave himsel

 so that we should fear these flies more than he feared the demons. This was the way of life of Moses the Ethiopian, who was himself also numbered amon

 of Eulogius and worthily nourished by the disease. But after fifteen years a demon dwelt in him and he rebelled against Eulogius and he began to assa

 Do not turn aside anywhere, depart do not be separated from one another, but go to your cell where you have spent your time. For God is already sendi

 to them a way of life such as never in youth. 22.5 And having moistened palm leaves he says to him: “Take these, weave a rope as I do.” The old man we

 And standing by the rocks on the mountain he prays and says thus: You see, Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that I will not come

 wisdom no longer approached me. 24 .tConcerning Stephen the Libyan 24.1 A certain Stephen, a Libyan by race, from the region of Marmarica and Mareoti

 to place in the little book for the security of the readers, just as among the holy plants of paradise was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

 he fell into a fall of pride. And opening the window, she received the one serving her and was mixed with him, because she had not maintained her asce

 saying to her, We do not dare to meet them for we know their drunkenness and their recklessness. 31.3 But if you will have mercy both on the whole v

 to the angel that the prayers are few, the angel says to him: I have prescribed these things so that even the lesser ones may be able to complete the

 matter. So when the elder came, the other sisters reported the matter and he ordered that not a single one of their offerings be accepted and as for

 having been enclosed for years and receiving his needs through a window from the one who served him, he was deemed worthy of the gift of prophecy. Amo

 sufficiently, I thanked God when I learned that the pretexts driving me had been accomplished. 35.10 Then again he says to me, joking: Do you want to

 about to give birth, she was having a difficult labor, the spirit crushing her. So while the woman was demon-possessed, her husband came and begged th

 All ran up to him, both those wearing the tribon and those wearing the birrus, saying to him: What is the matter with you? And where are you from? An

 and why should I go out? He says to her: If you have died to the world and the world to you, it is the same to you to go out and not to go out ther

 suggests. 38.6 He says to him: If you listen to your friend, it is not expedient for you to live in this city. Evagrius says to him: If God delive

 he died among them, having partaken of communion on Epiphany in the church. He told us then about death that, It is the third year I have not been tr

 I appoint myself as a host for you. And taking money and partitioning the porticoes and setting up about three hundred beds, he nursed the starving,

 the hill of the ascension from where Jesus was taken up, he continued standing and singing psalms and praying and whether it snowed or it rained or i

 of those boiled by fire. Having persevered in these for eighteen years, he sang the hymn of victory to Christ. This man, having been warred against in

 in Jerusalem for the sake of a vow, bishops and monks and virgins, at their own expense they edified all whom they met, and they healed the schism of

 to many souls, in some there is an excellence of intellect, in others a fitness for discipline. But when neither the action nor the excellence is for

 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure 47.16 lest ever with the won

 having drawn [their swords], they attacked. And such a thing happened: when he raised the sword and was about to draw it against Gaddana, the hand of

 she led to the solitary life. And having catechized her younger son Publicola, she led him to Sicily and having sold all her remaining property and r

 to her own daughter. 57.2 I knew this woman, who labored through every night, grinding with her hands for the subduing of the body, explaining that,

 of this one, named Taor, who, having been thirty years in the monastery, never wished to receive a new garment or veil or sandal, saying, I have no n

 of her own. And she freed the eight thousand slaves who wished it, for the rest did not wish it but chose to serve her brother to whom she conceded t

 was said to be most learned and most faithful who received Origen the writer, as he was fleeing the insurrection of the Greeks, for two years at her

 they may stir up some of the civil disturbances, falling away from their purpose. 67 .tConcerning Magna 67.1 In this city of Ancyra many other virgins

 to slander a certain lector of the city. And when she was already pregnant, being questioned by her father, she accused the lector. But the presbyter,

 warm loaves in his sheepskin at another time again wine and loaves. At another time again, when he was speaking, I knew that You are in need go the

a judge who orders one to be submitted to debauchery". 3.4 So that one, having gone mad, orders her, having been stripped, to be thrown into the cauldron. But she let out a cry, saying: "By the head of your king whom you fear, if it has been decided by you to punish me thus, order me to be lowered little by little into the cauldron, so that you may know how much endurance is granted to me by the Christ whom you do not know." And being lowered little by little for a length of time, she expired, when the pitch had reached her neck. 4 .tConcerning Didymus 4.1 So very many men and women were perfected in the church of the Alexandrians, worthy of the land of the meek. Among whom was also Didymus the writer, who was without eyes; with whom I also had four meetings at intervals, going to him over ten years. For he died at eighty-five years of age. This man was without eyes, as he himself related to me, having lost his sight at four years of age, having neither learned letters nor attended teachers; 4.2 for he had a strong teacher according to nature, his own conscience; who was adorned with so much grace of knowledge that in his case the scripture was literally fulfilled: "The Lord makes the blind wise." For he interpreted the Old and New Testament word for word; and he so attended to the dogmas, setting forth the argument concerning them with subtlety and strength, as to surpass all the ancients in knowledge. 4.3 Once when he was compelling me to say a prayer in his cell, and I was unwilling, he spoke, relating that, "Into this cell for a third time entered the blessed Antony to visit me; and having been asked by me to say a prayer, he immediately bent his knee in the cell, and did not make me repeat the request, teaching me by deed in obedience. So if you walk in the footsteps of his way of life, as one who is a monk and a sojourner for the sake of virtue, put away contentiousness." 4.4 And he also related this to me, that "While I was troubled about the life of Julian the wretched emperor as a persecutor, and was distressed one day and had not tasted bread until late evening on account of my trouble, it happened that as I was sitting on the chair I was overcome by sleep, and in a trance I saw white horses running through with their riders and proclaiming: "Tell Didymus, today at the seventh hour Julian died; so arise and eat, and send, they say, to Bishop Athanasius, so that he too may know." And I noted, he says, both the hour and the month and the week and the day, and it was found to be so." 5 .tConcerning Alexandra 5.1 And he also related to me about a certain maiden named Alexandra, who, having left the city and confined herself in a tomb, received her necessities through an opening, meeting neither women nor men face to face for ten years. But in the tenth year she fell asleep, having composed herself, so that the one who went as usual and did not receive an answer reported it to us. So unblocking the door and entering, we found her fallen asleep. 5.2 And the thrice-blessed Melania, about whom I will speak later, also said about her, that "Face to face I did not see her, but standing by the opening I asked her to tell the reason for which she had shut herself in the tomb. But she spoke to me through the opening, saying that "Someone's mind was harmed on my account; and so that I might not seem to grieve him or slander him, I chose to bring myself alive into the tomb, rather than to scandalize a soul made in the image of God." 5.3 But when I said, she says: "How then do you endure, meeting with no one, but fighting with listlessness?"; she said that "From morning until the ninth hour I pray every hour, spinning the flax; and for the remaining hours I go through in my mind the holy patriarchs and prophets and apostles and martyrs; and having eaten my bit of bread, for the other hours I wait, persevering and awaiting the end with good hope."" 6 .tConcerning the rich virgin 6.1 But I will not leave out in the narrative also those who have lived in contempt, for the praise of those who have succeeded and the security of those who read. There was a certain virgin in Alexandria, humble in appearance, in the

δικαστὴς ὃς κελεύει ἀσωτίᾳ ὑποτάσσεσθαι". 3.4 Ἀπομανεὶς οὖν ἐκεῖ νος κελεύει ἐκδυθεῖσαν αὐτὴν βληθῆναι ἐν τῷ λέβητι. Ἡ δὲ φωνὴν ἀφίησιν εἰποῦσα· "Τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ βασιλέως σου ὃν σὺ φοβῇ, εἰ κέκριταί σοι τιμωρήσασθαί με οὕτω, κατὰ μικρὸν κέλευσον χαλασθῆναί με ἐν τῷ λέβητι, ἵνα εἰδῇς πόσην μοι χαρίζεται ὑπομονὴν ὁ Χριστὸς ὃν σὺ ἀγνοεῖς". Καὶ χαλωμένη κατὰ μικρὸν ἐπὶ παράτασιν ὥρας ἐξέψυξε, φθασάσης τῆς πίσσης περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῆς. 4 .tΠερὶ ∆ιδύμου 4.1 Πλεῖστοι μὲν οὖν ὅσοι καὶ ὅσαι ἐτελειώθησαν ἐν τῇ Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἄξιοι τῆς γῆς τῶν πραέων. Ἐν οἷς καὶ ∆ίδυμος ὁ συγγραφεύς, ὁ ἀπὸ ὀμμάτων γενόμενος· οὗ καὶ συντυχίας ἔσχηκα τέσσαρας ἐκ διαλειμμάτων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπερχόμενος ἐπὶ δέκα ἔτη. Τελευτᾷ γὰρ ἐτῶν ὀγδοή κοντα πέντε. Οὗτος ἀπὸ ὀμμάτων ὑπῆρχεν, ὡς αὐτός μοι διηγήσατο, τετραέτης τὰς ὄψεις ἀποβαλών, μήτε γράμματα μεμαθηκὼς μήτε διδασκάλοις φοιτήσας· 4.2 εἶχε γὰρ τὸν κατὰ φύσιν διδάσκαλον ἐρρωμένον, τὸ ἴδιον συνειδός· ὃς τοσαύτῃ χάριτι ἐκεκόσμητο γνώσεως ὡς καθ' ἱστορίαν πληροῦσθαι ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὸ γεγραμμένον· "Κύριος σοφοῖ τυφλούς". Παλαιὰν γὰρ καὶ καινὴν διαθήκην ἡρμήνευσε κατὰ λέξιν· τῶν δὲ δογμάτων οὕτως ἐπεμελήθη, λεπτῶς καὶ ὀχυρῶς ἐκθέμενος τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν λόγον, ὡς πάντας ὑπερβάλλειν τοὺς ἀρχαίους ἐν γνώσει. 4.3 Ἀναγκάζοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ποτε ποιῆσαί με ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ αὐτοῦ εὐχήν, καὶ μὴ βουλομένου μου, ἔλεγε διηγούμενος ὅτι "Εἰς τὴν κέλλαν ταύτην τρίτον εἰσῆλθεν ὁ μακάριος Ἀντώνιος ἐπισκεψά μενός με· καὶ παρακληθεὶς παρ' ἐμοῦ ποιῆσαι εὐχὴν εὐθὺς ἔκλινε γόνυ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ, καὶ οὐ παρεσκεύασέ με δευτε ρῶσαι τὸν λόγον, ἔργῳ με παιδεύσας ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ. Ὥστε εἰ κατ' ἴχνος βαίνεις τῆς αὐτοῦ πολιτείας, ὡς ἅτε μονάζων καὶ δι' ἀρετὴν ξενιτεύων, ἀπόθου τὴν φιλονεικίαν". 4.4 ∆ιη γήσατο δέ μοι καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι "Φροντίζοντός μου περὶ τῆς ζωῆς Ἰουλιανοῦ τοῦ ἀθλίου βασιλέως ὡς διώκτου, καὶ ἀδη μονοῦντος μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ μέχρις ἑσπέρας βαθείας μὴ γευσαμένου ἄρτον ἕνεκεν τῆς φροντίδος ἔτυχεν ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ καθήμενόν με κατενεχθῆναι ὕπνῳ, καὶ ἰδεῖν ἔκστασιν ἵππους λευκοὺς διατρέχοντας μετὰ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν καὶ κηρύττοντας· "Εἴπατε ∆ιδύμῳ, σήμερον ἑβδόμην ὥραν ἐτελεύτησεν Ἰουλια νός· ἀναστὰς οὖν φάγε, καὶ ἀπόστειλον, φασί, τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀθανασίῳ, ἵνα κἀκεῖνος γνῷ". Καὶ ἐσημειωσάμην, φησί, καὶ τὴν ὥραν καὶ τὸν μῆνα καὶ τὴν ἑβδομάδα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ εὑρέθη οὕτως". 5 .tΠερὶ Ἀλεξάνδρασ 5.1 ∆ιηγήσατο δέ μοι καὶ περὶ παιδίσκης τινὸς ὀνό ματι Ἀλεξάνδρας, ἥτις καταλείψασα τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἐν μνήματι ἑαυτὴν καθείρξασα δι' ὀπῆς ἐλάμβανε τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν, μήτε γυναιξὶ μήτε ἀνδράσι συντυγχάνουσα κατ' ὄψιν ἐπὶ ἔτη δέκα. Τῷ δὲ δεκάτῳ ἔτει ἐκοιμήθη σχηματίσασα ἑαυτήν, ὡς τὴν ἐν συνηθείᾳ ἀπελθοῦσαν καὶ μὴ τυχοῦσαν ἀποκρίσεως ἀπαγγεῖλαι ἡμῖν. Ἀποχρίσαντες οὖν τὴν θύραν καὶ εἰσελθόν τες εὕραμεν αὐτὴν κοιμηθεῖσαν. 5.2 Ἔλεγε δὲ περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ τρισμακαρία Μελάνιον περὶ ἧς εἰς ὕστερον λέξω, ὅτι "Κατ' ὄψιν μὲν αὐτὴν οὐκ εἶδον, περὶ δὲ τὴν ὀπὴν στᾶσα παρεκάλεσα εἰπεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ἔκλεισεν ἑαυτὴν εἰς τὸ μνῆμα. Ἡ δὲ διὰ τῆς ὀπῆς ἐφθέγξατό μοι λέγουσα ὅτι " ̓Εβλάβη τις τὸν νοῦν εἰς ἐμέ· καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξω λυπεῖν αὐτὸν ἢ διαβάλλειν, ᾑρησάμην ζῶσαν ἐμαυτὴν εἰς τὸ μνῆμα εἰσαγαγεῖν, ἢ σκανδαλίσαι ψυχὴν κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ ποιηθεῖ σαν". 5.3 Ἐμοῦ δέ, φησίν, εἰπούσης· "Πῶς οὖν καρτερεῖς μὴ συντυγχάνουσα μηδενί, ἀλλὰ πυκτεύουσα τῇ ἀκηδίᾳ"; εἶπεν ὅτι "Ἀπὸ πρωῒ μέχρις ἐννάτης ὥρας εὔχομαι καθ' ὥραν, νήθουσα τὸ λίνον· τὰς δὲ διαλοίπους ὥρας περιέρχομαι τῷ νῷ τοὺς ἁγίους πατριάρχας καὶ προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους καὶ μάρτυρας· καὶ φαγοῦσά μου τὸν ψωμὸν τὰς ἄλλας ὥρας περιμένω προσκαρτεροῦσα καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐκδεχομένη μετ' ἐλπίδος χρηστῆς"". 6 .tΠερὶ τῆς πλουσίας παρθένου 6.1 Οὐ παραλείψω δὲ ἐν τῷ διηγήματι καὶ τοὺς ἐν καταφρονήσει βεβιωκότας, εἰς ἔπαινον τῶν κατωρθωκότων ἀσφάλειαν δὲ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων. Παρθένος τις γέγονεν ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ τῷ μὲν σχήματι ταπεινὴ τῇ