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practicing to need few things throughout her whole life and, as far as is possible for human nature, becoming very near to God. 1.12.6 Using the present life as if in passing, she is neither troubled by being occupied with the acquisition of things nor does she provide for present things beyond what is urgently necessary, always praising the simple and unencumbered condition of things here, she eagerly awaits the blessedness from there and is always ordered towards the 1.12.7 happy end. Breathing always reverence for the divine, she turns away from the unpleasantness of foul language, not even enduring to hear of those things, the actions of which she has separated from her own conduct. Restraining for a short time the need of nature and compelling the body to need moderate things, with self-control she overcomes licentiousness, with justice she punishes injustice and with truth, falsehood, and by good order she partakes of measure in all things. 1.12.8 She establishes her way of life in concord and fellowship with her neighbors; she is provident for friends and strangers and makes her own things common for those in need and helps each one with what is suitable, neither troubling those who are rejoicing and consoling those who are grieving, and in general, being zealous and extending her care toward that which is truly good, she educates with temperate words and wise thoughts, devoid of embellishment and slander, and as with certain medicines, she heals those who hear, holding her conversations with honor and respect, and free from strife and mockery and anger. For being rational, she rejects every irrational motion and completely controls the passions of the body and of the soul. 1.12. Of this best philosophy, the originators were, as some say, Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist. But Philo the Pythagorean records that in his time the best of the Hebrews from all parts philosophized in a certain place lying upon a hill above Lake Mareotis. He presents their dwelling and diet and conduct as being such as we now see practiced among the monks of the Egyptians. 1.12.10 For he writes that when they begin to philosophize they cede their property to their relatives and renouncing business and social interactions they spend their time outside the walls in hermitages and gardens, and that their dwellings are sacred, which are called monasteries, and in these, being alone, they perform solemn mysteries, and they diligently worship the divine with psalms and hymns; and that they do not taste food before sunset, and some after three or more days; and furthermore that on specified days they sleep on the ground, and they abstain completely from wine and meat, and their relish is bread and salt and hyssop and their drink, water; and that women are with them, aged virgins practicing celibacy by their own choice because of a love for philosophy. 1.12.11 And Philo, in recording these things in this way, seems to suggest that those of the Hebrews in his time who had become Christians were still living in a rather Jewish manner and observing their customs. For it is not possible to find this way of life among others. Therefore I infer that from that time this philosophy flourished among the Egyptians. But others say that the cause for this was provided by the persecutions that occurred from time to time against the religion. For since, while fleeing, they made their dwelling-places in mountains and glens and deserts, they became accustomed to this life. 1.13.1 But whether Egyptians or certain others were the first leaders of this philosophy from the beginning, this at least is agreed upon by all, that Antony the great monk practiced this way of life to the highest point of exactness and perfection by fitting morals and exercises; whom, when at that time he was distinguished in the deserts of Egypt, the emperor Constantine, because of the fame of the man's virtue, made his friend and honored him with letters and urged him to write about those things which he needed. 1.13.2 This man was an Egyptian by birth, of noble family from Coma; and this is a village of the nome of Heracleia in the Egyptian Arcadia. But having been left an orphan while still a big boy, he gave his paternal fields to the villagers, and the

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ὀλίγων δεῖσθαι δι' ὅλου τοῦ βίου ἀσκοῦσα καί, ὡς οἷόν τε ἀνθρώπου φύσει, ἐγγυτάτω θεῷ 1.12.6 γινομένη. ὡς ἐν παρόδῳ δὲ τῇ παρούσῃ βιοτῇ κεχρημένη οὔτε περὶ κτῆσιν πραγμάτων ἀσχολουμένη ἄγχεται οὔτε πέρα τῆς κατεπειγούσης χρείας τῶν παρόντων προνοεῖ, ἀεὶ δὲ τὸ λιτὸν καὶ εὔζωνον τῆς ἐνταῦθα κατασκευῆς ἐπαινοῦσα καραδοκεῖ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν μακαριότητα καὶ συντέταται ἀεὶ πρὸς τὴν 1.12.7 εὐδαίμονα λῆξιν. ἀναπνέουσα δὲ διὰ παντὸς τὴν εἰς τὸ θεῖον εὐλάβειαν αἰσχρορρημοσύνης ἀηδίαν ἀποστρέφεται, μηδὲ μέχρι φωνῆς ἀνεχομένη τούτων, ὧν τὰς πράξεις τῆς οἰκείας ἀγωγῆς ἀφώρισεν. ἐπὶ βραχύ τε συστέλλουσα τὴν χρείαν τῆς φύσεως καὶ τὸ σῶμα συναναγκάζουσα τῶν μετρίων δεῖσθαι, σωφροσύνῃ μὲν τῆς ἀκολασίας κρατεῖ, δικαιοσύνῃ δὲ τὴν ἀδικίαν κολάζει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ τὸ ψεῦδος, καὶ εὐταξίᾳ τῶν ἐπὶ πᾶσι μέτρων μεταλαγχάνει. 1.12.8 ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ τε καὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πέλας τὴν πολιτείαν καθίστησι· προνοητικὴ φίλων καὶ ξένων ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα κοινὰ ποιεῖται τῶν δεομένων καὶ τὰ πρόσφορα ἑκάστῳ συλλαμβάνεται, μήτε χαίροντας ἐνοχλοῦσα καὶ λυπουμένους παραμυθουμένη, καθόλου δὲ σπουδάζουσα καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὄντως ἀγαθὸν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τείνουσα λόγοις σώφροσι καὶ σοφοῖς ἐννοήμασι καλλωπισμοῦ καὶ κακηγορίας ἀμοίροις παιδεύει καὶ ὥσπερ φαρμάκοις τισὶν ἰᾶται τοὺς ἀκούοντας, μετὰ τιμῆς καὶ αἰδοῦς τὰς διαλέξεις ποιουμένη, καὶ ἔριδος καὶ τωθασμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἐλευθέρα. λογικὴ γὰρ οὖσα παραιτεῖται πᾶσαν ἀλόγιστον κίνησιν καὶ καθάπαξ κρατεῖ τῶν παθῶν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς. 1.12. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἀρίστης φιλοσοφίας ἤρξατο μέν, ὥς τινες λέγουσιν, ᾿Ηλίας ὁ προφήτης καὶ ᾿Ιωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής. Φίλων δὲ ὁ Πυθαγόριος ἐν τοῖς κατ' αὐτὸν χρόνοις ἱστορεῖ τοὺς πανταχόθεν ῾Εβραίων ἀρίστους εἴς τι χωρίον ὑπὲρ τὴν Μαρίαν λίμνην ἐπὶ γεωλόφου κείμενον φιλοσοφεῖν. οἴκησιν δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ δίαιταν καὶ ἀγωγὴν τοιαύτην παρίστησιν, οἵαν καὶ 1.12.10 ἡμεῖς νῦν παρὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίων μοναχοῖς πολιτευομένην ὁρῶμεν. γράφει γὰρ ἀρχομένους αὐτοὺς τοῦ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐξίστασθαι τῶν ὄντων τοῖς προσήκουσι καὶ πράγμασι καὶ ἐπιμιξίαις ἀπαγορεύοντας ἔξω τειχῶν ἐν μοναγρίοις καὶ κήποις διατρίβειν, οἰκήματα δὲ αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἱερά, ἃ καλεῖται μοναστήρια, ἐν τούτοις δὲ μεμονωμένους σεμνὰ μυστήρια ἐπιτελεῖν, ἐπιμελῶς δὲ ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις τὸ θεῖον θεραπεύειν· καὶ πρὸ ἡλίου δύσεως μὴ ἀπογεύεσθαι τροφῆς, τοὺς δὲ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ πλειόνων· καὶ λοιπὸν ῥηταῖς ἡμέραις χαμευνεῖν, καὶ οἴνου πάμπαν καὶ ἐναίμων ἀπέχεσθαι, ὄψον δὲ αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἄρτον καὶ ἅλας καὶ ὕσσωπον καὶ ποτὸν ὕδωρ· γυναῖκας δὲ αὐτοῖς συνεῖναι γηραλέας παρθένους δι' ἔρωτα φιλοσοφίας ἑκουσίῳ γνώμῃ τὴν ἀγαμίαν 1.12.11 ἀσκούσας. καὶ ὁ μὲν Φίλων ὧδέ πῃ ἱστορῶν ἔοικεν ὑποφαίνειν τοὺς κατ' αὐτὸν ἐξ ῾Εβραίων χριστιανίσαντας ἔτι ᾿Ιουδαϊκώτερον βιοῦντας καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων ἔθη φυλάττοντας. παρ' ἄλλοις γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ταύτην τοῦ βίου τὴν διαγωγήν. ὅθεν συμβάλλω ἐξ ἐκείνου παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ἀκμάσαι ταυτηνὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. ἄλλοι δέ φασιν αἰτίαν ταύτῃ παρασχεῖν τοὺς κατὰ καιρὸν τῇ θρησκείᾳ συμβάντας διωγμούς. ἐπεὶ γὰρ φεύγοντες ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ νάπαις καὶ ἐρημίαις τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιοῦντο, ἐθάδες τοῦ βίου τούτου ἐγένοντο. 1.13.1 ᾿Αλλ' εἴτε Αἰγύπτιοι εἴτε ἄλλοι τινὲς ταύτης προὔστησαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τῆς φιλοσοφίας, ἐκεῖνο γοῦν παρὰ πᾶσι συνωμολόγηται, ὡς εἰς ἄκρον ἀκριβείας καὶ τελειότητος ἤθεσι καὶ γυμνασίοις τοῖς πρέπουσιν ἐξήσκησε ταυτηνὶ τοῦ βίου τὴν διαγωγὴν ᾿Αντώνιος ὁ μέγας μοναχός· ὃν τηνικαῦτα διαπρέποντα ἐν ταῖς κατ' Αἴγυπτον ἐρημίαις κατὰ κλέος τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετῆς φίλον ἐποιήσατο Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ γράμμασιν ἐτίμα καὶ περὶ ὧν ἐδεῖτο 1.13.2 γράφειν προὐτρέπετο. ἐγένετο δὲ οὗτος Αἰγύπτιος τῷ γένει τῶν εὐπατριδῶν ἀπὸ Κομᾶ· κώμη δὲ αὕτη νομοῦ ῾Ηρακλείας τῆς παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ᾿Αρκάσι. βούπαις δὲ καταλειφθεὶς ὀρφανὸς τοὺς μὲν πατρῴους ἀγροὺς ἐδωρήσατο τοῖς κωμήταις, τὴν δὲ