1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

6

having wronged no one, but thus he lay like a sheep at the porch of the righteous one, and all were going in and going out, being wronged in nothing by him.

20 Hear another wondrous marvel. There was a chief-robber in Syria, his name Antiochus, and his nickname was said to be Gonatas, of whom things concerning him were spoken in the whole world. And soldiers were sent from here and there to hunt him and bring him to Antioch, and no one was able to hunt him because of the great power of his strength. Therefore bears and other wild beasts were prepared in Antioch, as he was obliged to fight the wild beasts, and the whole city of Antioch was stirred because of him. And they go out to hunt him and find him drinking in a certain village in an inn, and the soldiers surrounded the inn. And when he learned this, he began to sing dramatically, and a river lay beside the village, and that chief-robber had a mare and he commanded her as if she were a human, and getting up he throws his clothes upon the mare and says to her: Go to the river and await me there. And the mare goes out from the inn, biting and striking, and going to the river, she awaited him. And the chief-robber also comes out of the inn, having drawn his sword, shouting and saying to the crowd of soldiers: Flee, lest someone die. And none of the soldiers overpowered him. And having escaped the notice of all those guarding him and having crossed the river together with the mare, and having mounted her, he reached the enclosure of Saint Symeon. And having entered, he threw himself down before his pillar, and when the soldiers had gathered in the enclosure of the saint, the saint says to them: Two robbers were crucified with our Lord Jesus Christ; the one received according to his works, but the other inherited the kingdom of heaven. And if anyone is able to resist the one who sent him, let him come and drag him away himself, for I neither brought him nor am I able to release him. For he who sent him here also lays claim to him, therefore let no one revile me, the humble one, who have toiled much because of my many sins. And having said these things to them, he dismissed them. And as they were departing, the chief-robber says: My lord, I am departing. And the saint says to him: Are you departing again into the same evils? And the chief-robber says: No, master, the Lord calls me. And having stretched out his hands to heaven, he said nothing more, except only: Son of God, receive my spirit in peace. And he wept for two hours, so that he made even the righteous one weep along with those standing by. Therefore placing himself before the pillar of the righteous one, he immediately gave up his spirit, and the crowds prepared him for burial and buried him near the enclosure of the righteous one. Therefore on the next day more than a hundred men come from Antioch with swords to seize him, and they began to cry out against the righteous one: Release to us the one you have. And the holy one said to them: Brothers, he who sent him here is stronger than you, and having need of him as he was useful, having sent to him two fearsome soldiers in arms who were able to strike your city with lightning along with those dwelling in it, took him. And I, a sinner, seeing their fearsome appearance, became afraid and did not dare to speak against them, lest they should also kill me, the humble one, as one who opposes God. And those men, having heard these things from the saint and having learned with what glory the chief-robber gave up his spirit, glorifying God and trembling, departed again to Antioch.

21 Hear another fearsome and glorious marvel. In the place where the saint was, water did not appear. And the multitude of animals and of men of those coming to the place of Saint Symeon was perishing. And the saint, having made a prayer for seven days, spoke to no one, but was with knees bent and praying, so that one would think

6

μηδένα ἀδι κήσας, ἀλλ' ὡς πρόβατον οὕτως ἔκειτο εἰς τὸ πρόθυρον τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ πάντες ἐσῄεσαν καὶ ἐξῄεσαν μηδὲν ἀδικούμενοι παρ' αὐτοῦ.

20 Ἄλλο παράδοξον θαῦμα ἀκούσατε. Ἀρχιλῃστὴς γέ-γονεν ἐν τῇ Συρίᾳ, τοὔνομα Ἀντίοχος, τὸ δὲ παρώνυμον αὐ τοῦ Γονατᾶς ἐλέγετο, ὃς ἐλαλήθη ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. ἔνθεν δὲ κἀκεῖθεν ἐπέμφθησαν στρατιῶται τοῦ θηρεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγαγεῖν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδυνήθη θηρεῦσαι αὐτὸν διὰ τὴν πολλὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ. ἡτοιμάσθησαν οὖν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἄρκοι καὶ λοιπὰ θηρία, ὡς ὀφείλοντος αὐτοῦ θηριομαχῆσαι, καὶ ἐκινήθη πᾶσα ἡ πόλις Ἀντιόχεια δι' αὐτόν. καὶ ἐξέρχονται τοῦ θηρεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτὸν πίνοντα, ἐν κώμῃ τινὶ ἐν πανδοχείῳ, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὸ πανδοχεῖον οἱ στρατιῶται. κἀκεῖνος μαθὼν ἤρξατο τραγῳδεῖν, ποταμὸς δὲ παρέκειτο τῇ κώμῃ, καὶ εἶχεν φοράδαν ὁ ἀρχιληστὴς ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ αὐτὴν ἐκέ λευεν καὶ ἀναστὰς ῥίπτει τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν φοράδαν καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ· Ἄπελθε εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν κἀκεῖ με ἔκδεξαι, καὶ ἐξέρχεται ἡ φορὰς ἐκ τοῦ πανδοχείου δάκνουσα καὶ κολαφί ζουσα, καὶ ἀπελθοῦσα ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ ἐξεδέχετο αὐτόν. ἐξέρ χεται δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀρχιλῃστὴς ἐκ τοῦ πανδοχείου τὴν σπάθην αὐτοῦ γυμνώσας, κράζων καὶ λέγων πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στρατιω τῶν· Φεύγετε μή τις ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ οὐδεὶς τῶν στρατιωτῶν κατεκυρίευσεν αὐτοῦ. καὶ λαθὼν πάντας τοὺς φρουροῦντας αὐτὸν καὶ περάσας τὸν ποταμὸν ἅμα τῇ φοράδι, ἐπικαθίσας τε αὐτῇ, κατέλαβεν τὴν μάνδραν τοῦ ἁγίου Συμεών. καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἔρριψεν ἑαυτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ στύλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ δὴ συναχθέντες οἱ στρατιῶται ἐν τῇ μάνδρᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ ἅγιος· Μετὰ τοῦ δεσπότου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ συνεσταυρώθησαν δύο λῃσταί, ὁ εἷς μὲν κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀπέλαβεν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἐκληρονόμησεν. εἰ δέ τις δύναται ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πέμψαντι αὐτόν, ἔλθῃ καὶ αὐ τὸς ἀποσπάσῃ αὐτόν, ἐγὼ γὰρ οὔτε ἤγαγον αὐτὸν οὔτε ἀπο λῦσαι αὐτὸν δύναμαι. ὁ γὰρ πέμψας αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀντιποιεῖται, μηδεὶς οὖν λοιδωρείτω ἐμὲ τὸν τα πεινόν, τὸν πολλὰ καμόντα διὰ τὰς πολλάς μου ἁμαρτίας. καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν αὐτοῖς ἀπέλυσεν αὐτούς. τούτων δὲ ἀπερ χομένων ὁ ἀρχιλῃστὴς λέγει· Κύριέ μου, ἐγὼ ἀπέρχομαι. ὁ δὲ ἅγιος λέγει αὐτῷ· Πάλιν ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς κακοῖς ἀπέρχῃ; ὁ δὲ ἀρχιλῃστὴς λέγει· Οὐχὶ δέσποτα, ὁ κύριός με καλεῖ. καὶ ἐκτείνας τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, οὐδὲν πλέον εἶπεν, εἰ μὴ μόνον· Υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν εἰρήνῃ. καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο, ὥστε ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν δί καιον δακρῦσαι σὺν τοῖς παρεστῶσιν. τιθεὶς οὖν ἑαυτὸν ἔμ προσθεν τοῦ στύλου τοῦ δικαίου, εὐθέως παρέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ συνέστειλαν αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν πλησίον τῆς μάνδρας τοῦ δικαίου. τῇ οὖν ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ ἔρχον ται ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας πλεῖον ἑκατὸν ἄνδρες μετὰ ξιφῶν ἁρπάσαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἤρξαντο κατακράζειν τοῦ δικαίου· Ἀπόλυσον ἡμῖν ὃν ἔχεις. ὁ δὲ ὅσιος εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀδελφοί, ὁ ὧδε αὐτὸν ἀποστείλας ἰσχυρότερος ὑμῶν ἐστιν, καὶ χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἐσχηκὼς ὡς χρησίμου αὐτοῦ ὄντος, ἀποστείλας πρὸς αὐτὸν δύο στρα τιώτας φοβεροὺς ἐν ὅπλοις, οἳ ἠδύναντο τὴν πόλιν ὑμῶν κε ραυνῶσαι μετὰ τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν αὐτῇ, ἔλαβεν αὐτόν, κἀγὼ ἰδὼν ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸ φοβερὸν αὐτῶν σχῆμα, φοβηθεὶς οὐκ ἐτόλμησα ἀντειπεῖν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ κἀμὲ τὸν ταπεινὸν ἀποκτείνωσιν ὡς ἀντιβαίνοντα θεῷ. οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες ἐκεῖνοι ἀκούσαντες ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ μαθόντες μετὰ ποίας δόξης ἀπέδωκεν ὁ ἀρχιλῃστὴς τὸ πνεῦμα, δοξάζοντες τὸν θεὸν καὶ τρέμοντες πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἀπῆλθον.

21 Ἄλλο θαῦμα φοβερὸν καὶ ἔνδοξον ἀκούσατε. Ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἦν ὁ ἅγιος, ὕδωρ οὐκ ἐφαίνετο. καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ζῴων καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠπώλετο τῶν ἐρχομένων ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Συμεών. καὶ ποιήσας εὐχὴν ὁ ἅγιος ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ οὐκ ἐλάλησέν τινι, ἀλλ' ἦν κεκλικὼς τὰ γόνατα καὶ εὐχόμενος, ὡς νομίζειν