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Concerning the supervision of thoughts, and the bridling of the passions of the body, and the spaciousness and calm of the inner man, and the contemplation and zeal for his duties, we have spoken sufficiently beforehand, as was possible. But it is necessary not only to supervise thoughts, but also to be separated, as much as possible, from conversation about these things, especially whatever approaches us and leads us to the remembrance of the passions, disturbing and confusing the thought, and creating wars and struggles in the soul. For to accept the war that falls upon us involuntarily would be necessary; but to create one for ourselves voluntarily is most irrational. For in the former case, defeat might perhaps obtain forgiveness—though may it be far from the athletes of Christ; but in the latter, to be captured, besides being ridiculous, is also deprived of forgiveness. It is necessary, therefore, to flee as much as possible from conversations and encounters with women, unless some unavoidable necessity should compel the encounter. And when necessity has overtaken you, it is proper to guard oneself as from a fire, and to make the sharpest and quickest departures. Consider what Wisdom says about this: Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 31.1345 But if someone says that from meeting with women, and living with them for an extended time, he is not harmed, this man either has not partaken of the male nature, and is a most paradoxical possession, standing in the borderland of each nature (such as they say of those who are eunuchs from birth, if indeed we were to grant to them passionlessness and immovability toward the female; for, *The desire of a eunuch is to deflower a virgin*, says the Wise Man); or, if he has partaken, being overwhelmed by the passions, he does not perceive it, imitating those who are drunk or frenzied, who, though having suffered the most terrible things, think they are without passion. But let us grant to the argument what is beyond argument, that there is someone who is not pricked by the male passion. But even if he himself does not suffer, he would not easily persuade others that he does not suffer. But to scandalize the many, when no good deed is set before him, I think is not without danger for the one who does it. Then there is another thing to see, that even if the man receives no harm to his thoughts, yet he will not now dispute with us about the woman, that she too is beyond the passions of the body; but often she, being weak in thought and having a passion prone to rush, has suffered something on account of the one who unguardedly made the encounters. And he himself has not been wounded, but he has often wounded, in a way he does not know. And under the pretense, forsooth, of spiritual love, the little woman, continually visiting the ascetic, begins to be filled with sin through her eyes, and with licentious glances to feast upon the form of her neighbor, and to corrupt the inner virgin, whom the bridegroom especially loves, with impure thoughts. Therefore, so that none of the things mentioned may happen, it is proper to be on guard, if possible, completely, but if not, at least against frequent and prolonged conversations and encounters with women, not as hating the sex, far from it! nor as denying kinship with them, but even as assisting and helping as much as possible, every woman who shares in human nature, and especially those who have taken up the struggles for purity, as our sisters who strive together with us; but guarding against the encounter, so that it may not become a reminder of the passion which we have renounced and forbidden. CHAPTER 4. That one must measure self-control by the strength of the body; and that the work of the body is good and lawful. It follows, however, also to control the belly. 31.1348 For the discipline of the belly is the chastisement of the passions; and the chastisement of the passions is imperturbability and calm of soul; and calm of soul is a most fertile spring of virtues. The best self-control of the belly is that which is measured for each one according to the strength of the body. For to some, even intense hardship has appeared painless, and seemed more a relaxation than a toil because of

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Περὶ μὲν τῆς ἐπιστάσεως τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ τῆς ἡνιοχήσεως τῶν τοῦ σώματος παθημάτων, καὶ τῆς εὐρυχωρίας καὶ γαλήνης τοῦ ἔνδον ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τῆς τῶν καθηκόντων αὐτῷ θεωρίας τε καὶ σπου δῆς, ἀρκούντως, ὡς ἐνῆν, προειρήκαμεν. Χρὴ δὲ μὴ μόνον τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐπιστατεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων τῆς ὁμιλίας, ὡς οἷόν τε, χωρίζεσθαι, μάλιστα ὅσα πλησιάζοντα ἡμῖν εἰς ὑπόμνησίν τε τῶν παθῶν ἡμᾶς ἄγοντα, ταράττει καὶ συγχέει τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ πολέμους καὶ ἀγῶνας ἐμποιεῖ τῇ ψυχῇ. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀκουσίως ἡμῖν προσπίπτοντα καταδέχεσθαι πό λεμον ἀναγκαῖον ἂν εἴη ἑκούσιον δὲ δημιουργεῖν ἑαυτοῖς ἀλογώτατον. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ προτέρῳ καὶ ἡ ἧττα τυχὸν συγγνώμης τεύξεται, ἀπείη δὲ τῶν κατὰ Χριστὸν ἀθλητῶν· ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τὸ ἁλῶναι, πρὸς τὸ καταγέλαστον εἶναι, καὶ συγγνώμης ἐστέ ρηται. Χρὴ τοίνυν καὶ τὰς τῶν γυναικῶν ὁμιλίας καὶ συντυχίας ὡς τὰ μάλιστα φεύγειν, εἰ μή τις ἀπαραίτητος ἀνάγκη τὴν συντυχίαν βιάζοιτο. Καὶ ἀνάγκης δὲ καταλαβούσης, ὡς ἀπὸ πυρὸς προσήκει φυλάττεσθαι, καὶ ὀξυτάτας καὶ ταχίστας ἀπαλλα γὰς ποιουμένους. Σκόπησον δὲ τί περὶ τούτου φησὶν ἡ Σοφία· Ἀποδέσει τις πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ, τὰ δὲ ἱμά τια οὐ κατακαύσει; ἢ περιπατήσει τις ἐπ' ἀνθράκων πυρὸς, τοὺς δὲ πόδας οὐ κατακαύ σει; 31.1345 Εἰ δέ τις λέγει, ἐκ τοῦ γυναιξὶ συντυγχάνειν, συνδιαιτᾶσθαί τε ἐπὶ πλέον, μὴ παραβλάπτεσθαι, οὗτος ἢ οὐ μετέσχηκε τῆς τοῦ ἄῤῥενος φύσεως, καὶ ἔστι τι κτῆμα παραδοξότατον, ἐν μεταιχμίῳ τῆς φύσεως ἑκατέρας ἑστὼς (οἷον τοὺς ἀπὸ γεννήσεως εὐνούχους φασὶν, εἴγε κἀκείνοις δοίημεν τὸ πρὸς τὴν θήλειαν ἀπαθὲς καὶ ἀκίνητον· Ἐπιθυμία γὰρ εὐ νούχου ἀποπαρθενῶσαι νεᾶνιν, φησὶν ὁ Σο φός)· ἢ, εἰ μετέσχε, βαπτιζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν, οὐκ αἰσθάνεται, τοὺς μεθύοντας ἢ φρενιτιῶντας μι μούμενος, οἳ, τὰ δεινότατα πεπονθότες, ἔξω πάθους εἶναι νομίζουσι. Συγχωρήσωμεν δὲ τῷ λόγῳ τὸ ἔξω λόγου, τὸ εἶναί τινα μὴ νυττόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄῤῥενος πάθους. Ἀλλὰ κἂν αὐτὸς μὴ πάσχῃ, οὐκ ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους εὐκόλως πείσειεν, ὡς οὐ πάσχοι. Τὸ δὲ, μηδενὸς προκειμένου κατορθώματος, τοὺς πολλοὺς σκανδαλίζειν, οἶμαι οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον τῷ ποιοῦντι. Ἔπειτα δὲ ἕτερον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὅτι κἂν ὁ ἀνὴρ μὴ δέχεται λύμην τοῖς λογισμοῖς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤδη καὶ περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἡμῖν ἀμφισβητήσει, ὡς καὶ αὐτὴ ἔξω τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὑπάρχει παθῶν· ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἐκείνη, ἀσθενὴς οὖσα τὸν λογισμὸν, καὶ τὸ πάθος ὀξύῤῥοπον ἔχουσα, ἔπαθέ τι ἐπὶ τῷ ἀφυλάκτως ποιησαμένῳ τὰς συντυχίας. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐ τέτρωται, ἔτρωσε δὲ πολλάκις, ὡς οὐκ ἐπίσταται. Καὶ ἐν προσποιήσει δῆθεν πνευματικῆς ἀγάπης τὸ γύναιον συνεχῶς πρὸς τὸν ἀσκητὴν ἀφικνούμενον, ἄρχεται δι' ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐμφορηθῆναι, καὶ ἀκολάστοις ὄμμασι τὴν τοῦ πλησίον ἰδέαν ἐπι βόσκεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἔνδον παρθένον, ἧς μάλιστα ὁ νυμφίος ἐρᾷ, τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις λογισμοῖς διαφθεί ρειν. Ὡς ἂν τοίνυν μηδὲν τῶν εἰρημένων συμ βαίη, φυλάττεσθαι προσήκει, εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε, καὶ παντελῶς, εἰ δὲ μὴ, τὰς γοῦν συχνὰς καὶ ἐπιτετα μένας ὁμιλίας τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ συντυχίας, οὐχ ὡς μισοῦντας τὸ γένος. ἄπαγε! οὐδὲ ὡς ἀπαρνουμένους τὴν ἐκείνων συγγένειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσισταμένους καὶ ὠφελοῦντας τὰ δυνατὰ, πᾶσαν μὲν κοινω νοῦσαν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὰς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγνείας ἀγῶνας ἀνελομένας, ὡς τὰ ἀδελφὰ ἡμῖν συναθλούσας· τὴν δὲ συντυχίαν φυ λαττομένους, ἵνα μὴ πάθους, οὗ παρῃτήμεθα καὶ ᾧ ἀπηγορεύσαμεν, ὑπόμνημα γένηται. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ∆ʹ. Ὅτι δεῖ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σώματος μετρεῖν τὴν ἐγκράτειαν· καὶ ὅτι καλὸν καὶ ἔννομον ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἐργασία. Ἀκόλουθον μέντοι καὶ γαστρὸς ἐπικρατεῖν. 31.1348 Γαστρὸς γὰρ παιδαγωγία παθῶν ἐστι κόλασις· παθῶν δὲ κόλασις ἀταραξία καὶ γαλήνη ψυχῆς· γαλήνη δὲ ψυχῆς ἀρετῶν γονιμωτάτη πηγή. Ἐγκράτεια δὲ γαστρὸς ἀρίστη ἡ ἑκάστῳ μετρουμένη πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος δύναμιν. Ἐνίοις μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐπιτεταμένη κακοπάθεια ἄλυπος ὤφθη, καὶ ἄνεσις μᾶλλον ἢ πόνος ἔδοξε διὰ