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being, and intending to preach the kingdom of heaven, not lying in some corner, with his body relaxed, did he need the service of others, but at one time journeying and continually traveling on foot, serving his disciples at the same time, as he himself said: "But I am among you as one who serves;" and, "As the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve;" at another time washing the feet of the disciples; again spending a long time in teaching, and tirelessly moving from place to place, he continued for our salvation. And he is seen to have used a beast of burden once, and this only for a short time, not so that he might rest his body, but so that by his actions he might seal the prophecy. And what of the apostles? Did they not imitate the Master? Did they not associate continually with toils? Consider Paul, working without ceasing, journeying intensely, sailing, facing danger, suffering from storms, being persecuted, scourged, stoned, enduring all temptations with the eagerness of his soul and the strength of his body. But if he had been debilitating the power of his body by lack of measure, he would not have been crowned for these things. It is good, therefore, for one who imitates the life of the Master and of his disciples and apostles, both through the virtues of the soul and the disciplines of the body, to keep the body active in service to the noblest deeds. For it belongs to the soul to choose those good things which are perfected by the cooperation of the body; but it belongs to the body to perform what the soul has chosen. But when the body is weak for the work, the achievement is incomplete, hidden in the will, just like a shoot withering in the bosom of the earth, and not coming to fruition for those for whom it grew. But, one says, the Lord also endured a prolonged fast, and Moses no less, and Elijah the prophet. But consider this also, that our Lord did this only once, and Moses and Elijah likewise; and for all the rest of the time, governing the body with due measure and keeping it active, always associating with labors and toils, thus they made the virtues of the soul shine brightly by the cooperation of the body, having made the active life a seal and perfection of the spiritual way of life. This did Moses, 31.1360 this did Elijah, this also John himself, who by an ineffable dispensation spent a long time in the desert; but after the fulfillment of the dispensation, having come to the inhabited land, preaching and baptizing, which are things of action, and perfecting his contest through his boldness before Herod. This also the whole catalog of the saints, and Jesus himself continuing in action; so that it is clear from every side, both from the laws of nature and the teaching of the divine Scriptures, and from the deeds of all the saints, and from the way of life of our Savior, and from the rule of the life of the pious, that it is good and advantageous to sustain the body rather than to neglect it; and to keep it active in good deeds, rather than to render it idle voluntarily.

CHAPTER V That it is fitting for the ascetic to practice suitable works.

However, it is fitting for the ascetic to practice suitable works, as many as are free from all retail trading,

and longer distractions, and sordid gain; as many as can, for the most part, be accomplished while we remain indoors, so that both the work may be fulfilled and stillness may be preserved. But if, on account of necessary need, one must perform some work outdoors, this too will not hinder the philosophy. For the exact philosopher, having his body as a place of contemplation, and a safe lodging for the soul, whether he happens to be in the marketplace, or at a public festival, or on a mountain, or in a field, or between

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μενος, καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν κηρύσσειν διανοούμε νος, οὐκ ἐπὶ μιᾶς γωνίας κείμενος, ἐκλυόμενός τε τὸ σῶμα, τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων ἐδεῖτο διακονίας, ἀλλὰ ἄρτι μὲν ὁδοιπορῶν, καὶ πεζεύων διηνεκῶς, τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἅμα διακονούμενος, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφησεν· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν ὡς ὁ διακονῶν· καὶ, Καθὼς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθε διακονηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ δια κονῆσαι· ἄρτι δὲ νίπτων τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν· αὖθις δὲ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ προσδιατρίβων ἐπὶ μακρὸν, τόπον τε ἐκ τόπου μεταμείβων ἀόκνως, διὰ τὴν σω τηρίαν ἡμῶν διετέλει. Ἅπαξ δὲ ὑποζυγίῳ, καὶ τούτῳ μόνον ἐπὶ ὀλίγον χρησάμενος φαίνεται, οὐχ ἵνα τὸ σῶμα διαναπαύσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν προφη τείαν σφραγίσηται. Τί δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι; Οὐχὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην μεμίμηνται; οὐχὶ πόνοις ὡμίλουν διηνε κῶς; Σκόπησον Παῦλον ἐργαζόμενον ἀπαύστως, ὁδοιποροῦντα συντόνως, πλέοντα, κινδυνεύοντα, χει μαζόμενον, ἐλαυνόμενον, μαστιζόμενον, λιθαζόμενον, πᾶσιν ἀρκοῦντα τοῖς πειρασμοῖς τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τῷ σθένει τοῦ σώματος. Εἰ δὲ ἦν τῇ ἀμετρίᾳ παραλύων τὴν τοῦ σώματος δύναμιν, οὐκ ἂν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐστεφανώθη. Καλὸν οὖν, τὸν τοῦ ∆εσπότου βίον καὶ τῶν τούτου μαθητῶν καὶ ἀποστό λων διά τε τῶν ψυχικῶν ἀρετῶν διά τε τῶν σωμα τικῶν ἀσκημάτων μιμούμενον, ἐνεργὸν παρέχειν τὸ σῶμα ταῖς ἀρίσταις ὑπηρετούμενον πράξεσι. Ψυχῆς μὲν γὰρ τὸ προελέσθαι τῶν καλῶν ὅσα καὶ τῇ συνερ γίᾳ τοῦ σώματος τελειοῦνται· σώματος δὲ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ἅπερ ἡ ψυχὴ προείλετο. Ἀτονοῦντος δὲ τούτου πρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἡμιτελὲς τὸ κατόρθωμα ἐν προαιρέσει κρυπτόμενον, καθάπερ τι βλάστημα τοῖς τῆς γῆς κόλποις ἐμμαραινόμενον, καὶ οὐ προ βαῖνον εἰς χρῆσιν τούτων, δι' οὓς καὶ ἔφυ. Ἀλλὰ, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀσιτίαν ἐπιτεταμένην διήνεγκε, καὶ Μωϋσῆς δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον, καὶ Ἠλίας ὁ προφήτης. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο σκόπησον, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἅπαξ τοῦτο μόνον ἐποίησε, καὶ Μωϋσῆς δὲ καὶ Ἠλίας ὁμοίως· τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν χρόνον ἅπαντα ἐν τάξει τῇ προσηκούσῃ διακυβερνῶντες τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἐνεργὸν τοῦτο παρέχοντες, κόποις τε καὶ πόνοις προσομιλοῦντες ἀεὶ, οὕτω τὰς ἀρετὰς τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ συνεργίᾳ τοῦ σώματος ἀπελάμπρυναν, τὸν πρα κτικὸν βίον σφραγῖδα καὶ τελείωσιν τῆς πνευματι κῆς πολιτείας πεποιημένοι. Τοῦτο μὲν Μωϋσῆς, 31.1360 τοῦτο δὲ Ἠλίας, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης αὐτὸς, οἰκονομίᾳ μὲν ἀποῤῥήτῳ τὴν χρονίαν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ δια τριβὴν ποιησάμενος· μετὰ δὲ τὴν πλήρωσιν τῆς οἰκονομίας, ἐπὶ τὴν κεκοσμημένην χώραν ἐλθὼν, κη ρύσσων τε καὶ βαπτίζων, ἃ τοῦ πράττειν ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἡρώδην παῤῥησίας τὴν ἄθλησιν τελειούμενος. Τοῦτο καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν ἁγίων κατάλογος, καὶ Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ πράττειν διατελῶν· ὡς εἶ ναι πάντοθεν δῆλον ἔκ τε τῶν νόμων τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ἔκ τε τῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἅπασι πεπραγμένων, ἔκ τε τῆς πολι τείας τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, καὶ τοῦ κανόνος τῆς τῶν εὐσεβούντων ζωῆς, ὅτι καλὸν καὶ συμφέρον συν εστάναι μᾶλλον, ἢ παρεῖσθαι τῷ σώματι· καὶ ἐνερ γὸν τοῦτο παρέχειν ταῖς ἀγαθαῖς πράξεσιν, ἢ ἀργὸν ἑκουσίως ἀποτελεῖν.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Εʹ Ὅτι προσήκει τὸν ἀσκητὴν ἔργα ἐπιτηδεύειν τὰ πρέποντα.

Ἐργάζεσθαι μέντοι τὸν ἀσκητὴν προσήκει ἔργα τὰ πρέποντα, ὅσα καπηλείας

ἁπάσης, καὶ μακρο τέρων περισπασμῶν, καὶ αἰσχροκερδείας ἀπήλλα κται· ὅσα ὑπωροφίων μενόντων ἡμῶν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, ἐπιτελεῖσθαι δύναται, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἔργον πλη ρῶται, καὶ ἡσυχία φυλάττηται. Εἰ δέ τι δέοι διὰ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν χρείαν καὶ ὕπαιθρον ἔργον ἐπιτελεῖν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὴν φιλοσοφίαν κωλύσει. Ὁ γὰρ ἀκρι βὴς φιλόσοφος, φροντιστήριον ἔχων τὸ σῶμα, καὶ καταγωγὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσφαλῆ, κἂν ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς ὢν τύχῃ, κἂν ἐν πανηγύρει, κἂν ἐν ὄρει, κἂν ἐν ἀγρῷ, κἂν μεταξὺ