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not only in physical exercise are the contests held, but also in the wrestling with thoughts the prize of the crown is sought.

CHAPTER 12. Judge the thoughts at the tribunal of the heart, so that of the

robbers being slain, the chief robber may be afraid; for indeed he who is a precise examiner of thoughts, is also a true lover of the commandments. Whenever, therefore, a thought hard to discover comes upon your heart, then kindle more intense labors against it; for either, not bearing the heat as something hostile, it flees, or it endures it as belonging to the straight path. And there are times when the demons, suggesting a supposedly good thought to the heart, and immediately transforming themselves, pretend to oppose it, so that from the opposition, you might think they also know the thoughts of your heart; and not only this, but so that they may be judged 79.1109 to judge your conscience, as if through the opposition of evil being overcome by good; and again there are times when they hint at their own machinations to you, so that you might seem wise to yourself. When thoughts move you to a place they have suggested we love, then they make us repent again, so that they might make us unstable from every side, and fruitless. Therefore let us not flit about from place to place, but rather let us be bent towards stillness and labors, because it is from our own sloth that the thoughts receive their power against us. But he who knows the trial of a thought in the place where he was called, let him remain in this with God; but he who does not know, still walks in struggle. Let the change of places be to more spiritual things, and not to more restful things; for endurance, and long-suffering, and love, give thanks in afflictions; but listlessness, and fickleness, and self-love, rejoice in times of rest. The restless man is warred against in his soul through the senses of sight, but the lover of stillness, guarding his senses, wars against the thoughts.

CHAPTER 13. Therefore by the decree of the law of the senses the order the leader

of yours bring together, so that not by sight and hearing, you stir up scourges of evils for your soul; existing in two substances, take care to assign the order to each, so that the one may excel, and the other may not resist, and do not give the commands to the tyrant, because when this is given to the fire, you will also pay the last farthing. When you turn to flight the causes of the passions by fighting against them, let not a wicked thought exalt you, lest somehow, believing in a spirit of error, you also be driven out of your mind; but seek to reckon the excesses for which you labor, so that you are not robbed of the ends of your achievements from within. Some, being praised for their achievements, in time grew listless in their labors, and the praise passed away, and the labors were undone. Some, enduring hardships because of the pride of good works, were thought great, and the conscience of the soul was wounded, and the disease of praise was widened, and the thoughts, leading the soul astray from its wounds, carried away the labors in praises. Whenever the most laborious shall grow rich in honors from men, at that very time the demons, having contrived dishonors, bring them on, so that, accustomed to honors, they may not bear the dishonors, and may not endure the insults. When for sins you give great repentance, then the thoughts, magnifying the struggles of the labors, belittle the sins, and often cover them with forgetfulness, or even signify that these have been forgiven, so that, giving in to the labors, you may not consider the laments for your failings that should be wailed for them more greatly.

CHAPTER 14. But he who fighting to cut off the assailing passions, 79.1112 more

hoplites of passions he will lead against in the battle. Do not be unmindful having stumbled, even if you repent,

6

γυμνασίᾳ μόνον οἱ ἀγῶνες συγκροτοῦνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν λογισμῶν πάλῃ τὸ περὶ στεφάνου ζητεῖται.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΒʹ. ∆ίκαζε τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἐν τῷ βήματι τῆς καρδίας, ἵνα τῶν

λῃστῶν ἀναιρουμένων, ὁ ἀρχιλῃστὴς φοβηθῇ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὢν ἀκριβὴς τῶν λογισμῶν ἐξεταστὴς, ἔστι καὶ ἀληθὴς τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐραστής. Ἐπὰν οὖν λογισμὸς ἐπιστῇ σου τῇ καρδίᾳ δυσεύρετος, τότε ἐπὶ πλεῖον συντόνους πόνους ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐκπύρωσον· ἢ γὰρ τὴν θέρμην ὡς ἐναντίαν οὐ φέρων ἀποδρᾷ, ἢ ταύτην ὑπομένει ὡς οἰκεῖος ὢν τῆς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ. Ἔστι δ' ὅταν οἱ δαίμονες λογισμὸν δῆθεν καλὸν ὑποβάλλοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ παρευθὺ μεταμορφούμενοι ἐναντιοῦσθαι τούτῳ προσποιοῦνται, ἵνα ἐκ τῆς ἐναντιώσεως, νομίσῃς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις τῆς καρδίας σου εἰδέναι· οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλ' ἴνα δικάζωνται 79.1109 τὴν συνείδησίν σου κρίνειν, ὡς τῇ ἐναντιώσει τοῦ κακοῦ ἡττηθέντος τῷ καλῷ· ἔστι δὲ πάλιν ὅτε τὴν οἰκείαν σκευωρίαν ὑπεμφαίνουσί σοι ἵνα παρὰ σεαυτῷ δόξῃς φρόνιμος εἶναι. Ὅταν λογισμοὶ μεταστήσωσί σε εἰς ὃν ὑπέβαλον ἐρᾷν ἡμᾶς τόπον, τότε μεταμελεῖσθαι πάλιν ποιοῦσιν ἵνα ἀστάτους ἡμᾶς ποιήσωσι πανταχόθεν, καὶ ἀκάρπους. ∆ιὸ μὴ πετάζωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τόπων εἰς τόπους, ἀλλὰ καμπτώμεθα μᾶλλον εἰς ἡσυχίαν, καὶ κόπους, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας ῥᾳθυμίας λαμβάνουσιν καθ' ἡμῶν οἱ λογισμοὶ τὴν δύναμιν. Ὁ δὲ εἰδὼς λογισμοῦ πεῖραν ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ἐκλήθη, ἐν τούτῳ μενέτω παρὰ Θεῷ, ὁ δὲ μὴ εἰδὼς, ἐν ἀγῶνι ἔτι βαδίζει. Ἡ τῶν τόπων μετάθεσις, ἤτω εἰς τὰ πνευματικώτερα, καὶ μὴ εἰς τὰ ἀναπαυστικώτερα· ὑπομονὴ γὰρ, καὶ μακροθυμία, καὶ ἀγάπη, ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν εὐχαριστεῖ· ἀκηδία δὲ, καὶ ἐλαφρία, καὶ φιλαυτία, ἐν ταῖς ἀναπαύσεσι χαίρει. Ἀνήσυχος διὰ τῶν περὶ τὰς ὄψεις αἰσθήσεων τὴν ψυχὴν πολεμεῖται, ὁ δὲ φιλήσυχος, τὰς αἰσθήσεις φυλάσσων, τοὺς λογισμοὺς πολεμεῖ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΓʹ Τῷ οὖν διατάγματι τοῦ νόμου τῶν αἰσθήσεων τὴν τάξιν ὁ ἡγεμών

σου συναγαγέτω, ἵνα μὴ βλέμματι, καὶ ἀκοῇ, μάστιγας κακῶν τῇ ψυχῇ σου ταράξῃς· ἐν δυσὶν οὐσίαις ὑπάρχων, ἑκάστῃ διανέμειν τὴν τάξιν φυλάττου, ἵνα ἡ μὲν ἀριστεύῃ, ἡ δὲ μὴ ἀντερῇ, καὶ τῷ τυράννῳ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα μὴ δίδου, ὅτι τῷ πυρὶ τούτου δοθέντος, καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράτην ἀποδώσεις. Ὅταν τὰ αἴτια τῶν παθῶ ἀντιπολεμῶν τροποῦσαι, μή σε λογισμὸς μεγαλυνέτω πονηρὸς, μή πως πνεύματι πλάνης πιστεύσας, καὶ τῶν φρενῶν ἐκπλαγῇς· ἐπιζήτει δὲ λογιστεύειν τὰς ἐφ' οἷς πονεῖς ὑπερβολὰς, ὅπως τὰ τέλη τῶν κατορθωμάτων διὰ τῶν ἔνδον μὴ κλαπῇς. Τινὲς ἐπὶ κατορθώμασιν εὐφημισθέντες, τῷ χρόνῳ τοὺς πόνους ἠκηδίασαν, καὶ ἡ μὲν εὐφημία διώδευσεν, οἱ δὲ πόνοι ἐλύθησαν. Τινὲς δι' ὄγκον καλῶν σκληρουχούμενοι, μεγάλοι ἐνομίσθησαν καὶ τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς τὸ συνειδὸς ἡλκοῦτο, τῆς δὲ εὐφημίας ἡ νόσος ἐνευρύνετο, οἱ δὲ λογισμοὶ τῶν τραυμάτων τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποπλανῶντες ἐν ταῖς εὐφημίαις τοὺς πόνους ἀπέφερον. Ὁπηνίκα ταῖς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων τιμαῖς οἱ πονικώτατοι πλουτήσουσι, τὸ τηνικαῦτα καὶ τὰς ἀτιμίας οἱ δαίμονες σκευάσαντες ἐπάγουσιν, ἵνα, ἀπὸ τῶν τιμῶν ὄντες, τὰς ἀτιμίας μὴ φέρωσι, καὶ τὰς ὕβρεις μὴ βαστάσωσιν. Ὅταν ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις μεγάλην μετάνοιαν διδῷς, τότε οἱ λογισμοὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας τῶν πόνων μεγαλύνοντες ἁμαρτίας σμικρύνουσιν, καὶ πολλάκις τῇ λήθῃ καλύπτουσιν, ἢ καὶ συγκεχωρῆσθαι ταύτας σημαίνουσιν, ἵνα ὑπενδοὺς τοῖς πόνοις, μὴ ἀναλογίζῃ τῶν πταισμάτων τοὺς θρήνους τοὺς κατ' αὐτῶν ὠρύεσθαι πλειόνως.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ι∆ʹ. Ὁ δὲ τὰ προσπεσόντα πάθη πυκτεύων ἐκκόψαι, 79.1112 πλείονας

παθῶν ὁπλίτας ἐπιστρατηγήσει τῇ μάχῃ. Μὴ ἀμνημόνει πταίσας, κἂν μετανοήσῃς,