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"Wonderful, O man," he said, "how it seemed to you alone that the storeroom was lacking provisions. Consider then within yourself, lest having taken things before you did not return them; for if this is not so, you will by no means fail to get what you need, and again go with confidence that you will find it." And he, thus exposed, confessed his sin. 1.11.8 And it is worthy to admire the gravity of this divine man and the precision of his ecclesiastical discipline. It is said, at any rate, that sometime later, on account of some need, the bishops of Cyprus came together in the same place, and among them were this Spyridon and Triphyllius, the bishop of Ledra, a man otherwise eloquent and who had spent a long time in the city of Berytus in the practice of law. 1.11. When an assembly was being held, Triphyllius, having been permitted to teach the multitude, when it was necessary to bring forth that saying, "Take up your pallet and walk," said "couch" instead of "pallet," changing the word. And Spyridon, indignant, said, "Are you not better than the one who said 'pallet,' that you are ashamed to use his words?," and saying this, he leaped down from the episcopal throne while the people were watching, in this way teaching the one who was haughty in his words to be moderate. For he was able to inspire shame, being both venerable and most renowned for his deeds, and at the same time being older both in age and in the priesthood. 1.11.10 How he was disposed concerning the reception of strangers must be learned from this. When the forty days' fast had already begun, someone came to him from a journey, during which days he was accustomed to continue the fast with his household and to eat only on a set day, remaining without food on the days in between; but seeing the stranger was very weary, he said to his daughter, "Come now, wash the man's feet and set food before him." And when the maiden said there was neither bread nor meal (for the preparation of these was superfluous on account of the fast), having first prayed and asked for forgiveness, he ordered his daughter to boil some swine's flesh, which happened 1.11.11 to be salted in the house. And when it was boiled, he sat the stranger down with him, and when the meat was set before them, he ate and urged the man to imitate him. But when he declined, saying he was a Christian, "For this reason the more," he said, "you should not decline. For the divine word has declared that all things are pure to the pure." So much concerning Spyridon. 1.12.1 And not least did those who then pursued the monastic way of life show the church to be most distinguished and uphold the doctrine by the virtues of their life. For such a philosophy, having come from God to men as a most useful thing, neglects many studies and the art of dialectic as superfluous and as taking away leisure for better things and contributing nothing to living 1.12.2 rightly. But with a natural and simple wisdom alone it teaches those things that completely destroy vice or make it less. And it places in no rank of goods those things that are between vice and virtue, but rejoices only in what is noble. And it considers base the one who refrains from evil, but does not do good; for it does not show off virtue, but practices it, considering 1.12.3 the opinion of men as nothing. And standing very courageously against the passions of the soul, it neither yields to the necessities of nature nor submits to the weaknesses of the body. And possessing the power of a divine mind, it looks always to the creator of all things and worships him by night and by day 1.12.4 and propitiates him with prayers and supplications. And coming to worship piously with purity of soul and a life of good deeds, it scorns purifications and sprinklings and such things; for it considers sins alone to be defilements. 1.12.5 And being superior to external circumstances and, so to speak, mastering all things, it is not turned from its purpose by the disorder or necessity that possesses life, nor is it grieved when insulted, nor does it retaliate when suffering evil, nor does it collapse when oppressed by disease or lack of necessities. Rather, it prides itself on these things, on endurance and meekness and the

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«θαυμαστόν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε», ἔφη, «πῶς σοὶ μόνῳ ἔδοξε τὸ ταμιεῖον ἐπιλείπειν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια. σκόπει οὖν κατὰ σαυτόν, μὴ χρησάμενος ἄλλοτε τὰ πρῶτα οὐκ ἀπέδωκας· εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτό ἐστι, πάντως οὐκ ἀποτεύξῃ ὧν δέῃ, καὶ πάλιν ἴθι θαρρῶν ὡς εὑρήσων.» καὶ ὁ μὲν οὕτω φωραθεὶς κατεμήνυσε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. 1.11.8 ῎Αξιον δὲ τούτου τοῦ θείου ἀνδρὸς θαυμάσαι τὸ ἐμβριθὲς καὶ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς τάξεως. λέγεται γοῦν χρόνῳ ὕστερον κατά τινα χρείαν εἰς ταὐτὸν συνελθεῖν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους τῆς Κύπρου, εἶναι δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς Σπυρίδωνα τοῦτον καὶ Τριφύλλιον τὸν Λεδρῶν ἐπίσκοπον, ἄνδρα ἄλλως τε ἐλλόγιμον καὶ διὰ νόμων ἄσκησιν πολὺν χρόνον ἐν τῇ Βηρυτίων πόλει 1.11. διατρίψαντα. συνάξεως δὲ ἐπιτελουμένης ἐπιτραπεὶς Τριφύλλιος διδάξαι τὸ πλῆθος, ἐπεὶ τὸ ῥητὸν ἐκεῖνο παράγειν εἰς μέσον ἐδέησε τὸ «ἆρόν σου τὸν κράββατον καὶ περιπάτει», σκίμποδα ἀντὶ τοῦ κραββάτου μεταβαλὼν τὸ ὄνομα εἶπε. καὶ ὁ Σπυρίδων ἀγανακτήσας «οὐ σύ γε», ἔφη, «ἀμείνων τοῦ κράββατον εἰρηκότος, ὅτι ταῖς αὐτοῦ λέξεσιν ἐπαισχύνῃ κεχρῆσθαι;», καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἀπεπήδησε τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ θρόνου τοῦ δήμου ὁρῶντος, ταύτῃ γε μετριάζειν παιδεύων τὸν τοῖς λόγοις ὠφρυωμένον. ἱκανὸς γὰρ ἦν ἐντρέπειν, αἰδέσιμός τε ὢν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἐνδοξότατος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρεσβύτερος τῇ ἡλικίᾳ τε καὶ ἱερωσύνῃ τυγχάνων. 1.11.10 ῞Οπως δὲ διέκειτο περὶ τὰς δεξιώσεις τῶν ξένων, ἐντεῦθεν ἰστέον. ἤδη τῆς τεσσαρακοστῆς ἐνστάσης ἧκέ τις πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξ ὁδοιπορίας, ἐν αἷς εἰώθει μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπισυνάπτειν τὴν νηστείαν καὶ εἰς ῥητὴν ἡμέραν γεύεσθαι ἄσιτος τὰς ἐν μέσῳ διαμένων· ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν ξένον μάλα κεκμηκότα «ἄγε δή», πρὸς τὴν θυγατέρα ἔφη, «ὅπως τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοὺς πόδας νίψῃς καὶ φαγεῖν αὐτῷ παραθῇς.» εἰπούσης δὲ τῆς παρθένου μήτε ἄρτον εἶναι μήτε ἄλφιτα (περιττὴ γὰρ ἦν ἡ τούτων παρασκευὴ διὰ τὴν νηστείαν) εὐξάμενος πρότερον καὶ συγγνώμην αἰτήσας ἐκέλευσε τῇ θυγατρὶ κρέα ὕεια, ἅπερ ἔτυχεν 1.11.11 ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τεταριχευμένα, ἑψεῖν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἥψητο, καθίσας ἅμα αὐτῷ τὸν ξένον, παρατεθέντων τῶν κρεῶν ἤσθιε καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα παρεκάλει αὐτὸν μιμεῖσθαι. παραιτούμενον δὲ καὶ Χριστιανὸν λέγοντα ἑαυτόν «ταύτῃ μᾶλλον», ἔφη, «οὐ παραιτητέον. πάντα γὰρ καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς ὁ θεῖος ἀπεφήνατο λόγος.» τάδε μὲν περὶ Σπυρίδωνος. 1.12.1 Οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐπισημοτάτην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἔδειξαν καὶ τὸ δόγμα ἀνέσχον ταῖς ἀρεταῖς τοῦ βίου οἱ τότε μετιόντες τὴν μοναστικὴν πολιτείαν. ὠφελιμώτατον γάρ τι χρῆμα εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐλθοῦσα παρὰ θεοῦ ἡ τοιαύτη φιλοσοφία μαθημάτων μὲν πολλῶν καὶ διαλεκτικῆς τεχνολογίας ἀμελεῖ ὡς περιέργου καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀμείνοσι σχολὴν ἀφαιρουμένης καὶ πρὸς τὸ βιοῦν 1.12.2 ὀρθῶς οὐδὲν συλλαμβανομένης. μόνῃ δὲ φυσικῇ καὶ ἀπεριέργῳ φρονήσει παιδεύει τὰ παντελῶς κακίαν ἀναιροῦντα ἢ μείονα ἐργαζόμενα. ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ δὲ τάξει ἀγαθῶν τίθεται τὰ μεταξὺ κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς ὄντα, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς καλοῖς χαίρει. καὶ τὸν ἀπεχόμενον τοῦ κακοῦ, μὴ δρῶντα δὲ τὸ ἀγαθὸν φαῦλον νομίζει· οὐ γὰρ ἐπιδείκνυται ἀρετήν, ἀλλ' ἀσκεῖ παρ' οὐδὲν ποιου1.12.3 μένη τὴν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους δόξαν. ἀνδρείως δὲ μάλα ἀνθισταμένη τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς ψυχῆς οὔτε ταῖς ἀνάγκαις τῆς φύσεως ὑπείκει οὔτε ταῖς τοῦ σώματος ὑποκατακλίνεται ἀσθενείαις. θείου δὲ νοῦ δύναμιν κεκτημένη πρὸς τὸν δημιουργὸν τῶν ὅλων ἀποβλέπει ἀεὶ καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν αὐτὸν σέβει 1.12.4 καὶ εὐχαῖς καὶ λιταῖς ἐξιλεοῦται. καθαρότητι δὲ ψυχῆς καὶ πολιτείᾳ πράξεων ἀγαθῶν εἰς τὸ θρησκεύειν εὐαγῶς ἐρχομένη καθαρμῶν καὶ περιρραντηρίων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὑπερορᾷ· μόνα γὰρ μιάσματα ἡγεῖται τὰ ἁμαρ1.12.5 τήματα. κρείττων δὲ οὖσα τῶν ἔξωθεν συμπιπτόντων καί, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἁπάντων δεσπόζουσα οὔτε ὑπὸ τῆς κατεχούσης τὸν βίον ἀταξίας ἢ ἀνάγκης τῆς προαιρέσεως μεθίσταται οὔτε ὑβριζομένη ἀνιᾶται οὔτε κακῶς πάσχουσα ἀμύνεται οὔτε νόσῳ ἢ ἐνδείᾳ ἐπιτηδείων πιεζομένη καταπίπτει. μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις σεμνύνεται, τὸ καρτερικὸν καὶ πρᾶον καὶ τὸ