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having wronged no one, but lay thus like a sheep at the entrance of the just man, and all went in and went out, being harmed in no way by him.

20 Hear another incredible miracle. There was a robber-chief in Syria, named Antiochus, and his nickname was said to be Gonatas, whose deeds were spoken of throughout 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 down because of the great power of his strength. Therefore bears and other wild beasts were prepared in Antioch, as he was due to fight them, and the whole city of Antioch was stirred up on his account. 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 he, learning this, began to sing tragically, and a river lay beside the village, and that robber-chief had a mare and he commanded her as if she were a human, and getting up, he throws his garments on the mare and says to her: Go to the river and wait for me there, and the mare goes out of the inn biting and kicking, and having gone to the river she waited for him. And the robber-chief also comes out of the inn, having drawn his sword, crying out and saying to the crowd of soldiers: Flee lest someone die, and none of the soldiers overcame him. And having escaped the notice of all who guarded him and having crossed the river with the mare, he mounted her and reached the enclosure of Saint Symeon. And entering he threw himself down before his pillar, and indeed the soldiers, having gathered in the enclosure of the saint, the saint says to them: With our Lord Jesus Christ two robbers were crucified, the one received according to his works, but the other inherited the kingdom of heaven. If anyone can resist the one who sent him, let him come and drag him away himself, for I neither brought him nor can I release him. For the one who sent him here, he himself also claims him, therefore let no one revile me, the humble one, who has toiled much on account of my many sins. And having said these things to them, he dismissed them. And as they were departing, the robber-chief says: My lord, I am departing. And the saint says to him: Are you departing again into the same evils? But the robber-chief says: No, master, the Lord is calling me. And stretching 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 the just man also weep along with those present. Therefore, placing himself before the pillar of the just man, he immediately gave up the spirit, and the crowds prepared him for burial and buried him near the enclosure of the just man. Therefore, on the next day, more than a hundred men come from Antioch with swords to seize him and began to cry out against the just man: Release to us the one you have. But the holy man said to them: Brothers, the one who sent him here is stronger than you, and having need of him as he was useful, having sent to him two fearful soldiers in arms, who could have struck your city with lightning along with those who dwell in it, he took him, and I, the sinner, seeing their fearful appearance, was afraid and did not dare to speak against them, lest they also kill me, the humble one, as one resisting God. And those men, having heard these things from the saint and having learned with what glory the robber-chief gave up the spirit, glorifying God and trembling, departed again for Antioch.

21 Hear another fearful and glorious miracle. In the place where the saint was, no water appeared. And the multitude of animals and people who came to the place of Saint Symeon were perishing. And having made a prayer, the saint for seven days spoke to no one, but was kneeling and praying, so as to think

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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