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each one, not less than the teacher with whom he stayed, lived his life and conducted himself and educated many and led them to the same virtue and 1.13.12 philosophy, so that it was a task for one going through cities and countries to diligently seek the companions of Antony or their successors. For how could the discovery of these men be easy, for whom it was a matter of concern in their life to remain hidden more diligently than many men of today, being blinded by ambition, 1.13.13 parade themselves and make themselves conspicuous. However, there were very renowned among the disciples of Antony of whom we have received tradition many others, whom I will record at the proper time, and Paul surnamed the Simple. Whom they say, being a countryman, married a woman beautiful in appearance; and having caught her in the very act of adultery he smiled gently and added an oath that he would no longer cohabit with her; "Take her," he said to the adulterer, and immediately 1.13.14 went up to the desert to Antony. And this man is said to have been exceedingly meek and patient; indeed, although he was elderly and unaccustomed to monastic endurance (for he was still a newcomer), Antony, having assailed him with all kinds of trials, found him ignoble in nothing; and having testified to his perfect philosophy, he permitted him to live by himself as one in need of no teacher. And God also approved of Antony's testimony, and by his deeds showed the man to be most glorious, and even superior to his teacher himself in afflicting and driving out demons. 1.14.1 And about this time Amoun the Egyptian was also practicing philosophy. of whom the story goes that when his relatives compelled him to take a wife, he did not have experience of her in the way that is customary for men. For when their wedding began and, as a bridegroom having taken her as a bride into the chamber, he was alone with her, "This our marriage," he said, "O woman, is consummated thus far"; and he instructed from the sacred scriptures how great a good it is to be able to remain a virgin, and he tried 1.14.2 to live by himself. But since the wife praised the discourses on virginity, but bore it ill to be separated from him, he was with her for eighteen years, sleeping separately, not even so neglecting monastic discipline. And in this time, the wife, having emulated the virtue of her husband, reasoned that it was not right for such a great man to be hidden at home on her account, and that it was necessary 1.14.3 for each to practice philosophy, living separately. And about this she besought her husband. And he, having given thanks to God for what his wife had determined, said, "You, then, have this house; and I will make another for myself." And having found a deserted place to the south of Lake Mareotis, around Scetis and what is called the Nitrian mountain, he practiced philosophy there for twenty-two years, seeing his wife twice each year. 1.14.4 And for this divine man who became the founder of the monasteries there, there were many and notable disciples, as the successions will show. And many divine things happened to him, which are known in detail especially to the monks in Egypt, who make it of great importance to diligently remember by succession of unwritten tradition the virtues of the more ancient ascetics. But for me, 1.14.5 of those things that have come to us, those things must be said. It was necessary for him and Theodore his disciple, while going somewhere, to cross a canal, which they call the Lycus. And so that they might not see each other naked, Amoun ordered Theodore to withdraw. And as he was ashamed to see himself naked, suddenly having been lifted up high by a divine power, he was transported to the opposite bank. And Theodore, having crossed the water and seeing his garment and feet unwet, begged the elder to tell him the reason. And since the one declined to speak, but the other insisted he would not let up otherwise unless he learned, with Theodore agreeing 1.14.6 not to tell anyone while he was alive, he confessed what had happened. And this is also a marvel similar to what has been said. Wretched fathers brought their own child to him, who had been bitten by a rabid dog and was expected to perish at any moment, and wailing they begged

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ἕκαστος οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ὁ διδάσκαλος, παρ' οἷς διέτριβε, διεβίω τε καὶ ἐπολιτεύσατο καὶ πολλοὺς ἐπαίδευσε καὶ εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν ἀρετὴν καὶ 1.13.12 φιλοσοφίαν ἤγαγεν, ὥστε ἔργον εἶναι κατὰ πόλεις καὶ χώρας περιιόντα ἐπιμελῶς ζητεῖν τοὺς ᾿Αντωνίου ἑταίρους ἢ τοὺς τούτων διαδόχους. πῶς γὰρ καὶ ῥᾳδία γένοιτο τούτων ἡ εὕρεσις, οἷς ἐν τῷ βίῳ λανθάνειν ἐσπουδάζετο ἐπιμελέστερον ἢ πολλοὶ τῶν νῦν ἀνθρώπων ὑπὸ φιλοτιμίας τυφού1.13.13 μενοι πομπεύουσιν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ καταδήλους ποιοῦσιν. ἐγένοντό γε μὴν εὐδοκιμώτατοι ὧν παρειλήφαμεν ᾿Αντωνίου μαθητῶν ἄλλοι τε πολλοί, οὓς κατὰ τὸν οἰκεῖον καιρὸν ἀναγράψομαι, καὶ Παῦλος ὁ ἐπίκλην ἁπλοῦς. ὅν φασιν ἄγροικον ὄντα καλῇ τὸ εἶδος γυναικὶ συνοικῆσαι· ἐπ' αὐτοφώρῳ δὲ αὐτὴν καταλαβόντα μοιχευομένην ἠρέμα ἐπιγελάσαι καὶ ὅρκον προσθεῖναι ὡς οὐκέτι αὐτῇ συνοικήσει· «ἔχε» δὲ «αὐτήν» πρὸς τὸν μοιχὸν εἰπὼν εὐθὺς 1.13.14 ἐπὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν ἀνῆλθε πρὸς ᾿Αντώνιον. πραότατον δὲ καὶ καρτερικὸν εἰσάγαν λέγεται τόνδε γενέσθαι τὸν ἄνδρα· ἀμέλει τοι καὶ γηραλέῳ ὄντι καὶ μοναστικῆς τληπαθείας ἀήθει (ἔτι γὰρ νέηλυς ἦν) παντοδαπαῖς πείραις προσβαλὼν ᾿Αντώνιος ἐν οὐδενὶ ἀγεννῆ ἐφώρασε· τελείαν δὲ αὐτῷ φιλοσοφίαν ἐπιμαρτυρήσας καθ' ἑαυτὸν διάγειν ἐπέτρεπεν ὡς μηδὲν διδασκάλου δεόμενον. ἐπεψηφίζετο δὲ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῇ ᾿Αντωνίου μαρτυρίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἐπεδείκνυ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐνδοξότατον, κρείττονα δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διδασκάλου εἰς τὸ κακοῦν καὶ ἀπελαύνειν τοὺς δαίμονας. 1.14.1 Περὶ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ ᾿Αμοῦν ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ἐφιλοσόφει. ὃν δὴ λόγος βιασαμένων τῶν οἰκείων γυναῖκα ἀγαγέσθαι, μὴ πειραθῆναι δὲ αὐτῆς ᾗ θέμις ἀνδράσιν. ὡς γὰρ ἀρχὴν εἶχεν αὐτοῖς ὁ γάμος καὶ νύμφην οὖσαν οἷα νυμφίος εἰς τὸν θάλαμον λαβὼν ἐμονώθη, «ὁ μὲν δὴ γάμος ἡμῖν οὗτος», ἔφη, «ὦ γύναι, μέχρι τούτων τετέλεσται»· ἡλίκον δὲ ἀγαθόν ἐστι δυνηθῆναι παρθένον διαμεῖναι, ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν ὑφηγεῖτο, καὶ ἐπει1.14.2 ρᾶτο καθ' ἑαυτὸν οἰκεῖν. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοὺς περὶ παρθενίας λόγους ἐπῄνει ἡ γυνή, χωρισθῆναι δὲ αὐτοῦ χαλεπῶς ἔφερεν, ἰδίᾳ καθεύδων ἐπὶ δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτεσι συνῆν αὐτῇ μηδὲ οὕτω μοναχικῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀμελῶν. ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ χρόνῳ ζηλώσασα τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετὴν ἡ γυνὴ ἐλογίσατο μὴ δίκαιον εἶναι τηλικοῦτον ὄντα οἴκοι κρύπτεσθαι δι' αὐτήν, καὶ χρῆναι 1.14.3 ἑκάτερον κεχωρισμένως οἰκοῦντα φιλοσοφεῖν. καὶ περὶ τούτου ἐδεήθη τοῦ ἀνδρός. ὁ δὲ χάριν ὁμολογήσας τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ τῶν βεβουλευμένων τῇ γυναικί «σὺ μὲν δή», ἔφη, «τοῦτον τὸν οἶκον ἔχε· ἐγὼ δὲ ἕτερον ἐμαυτῷ ποιήσω.» καὶ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν τῆς Μαρίας λίμνης καταλαβὼν ἔρημον τόπον ἀμφὶ τὴν Σκῆτιν καὶ τὸ καλούμενον τῆς Νιτρίας ὄρος δύο καὶ εἴκοσι ἔτη ἐνθάδε ἐφιλοσόφησε, δὶς ἑκάστου ἔτους τὴν γυναῖκα θεώμενος. 1.14.4 Τούτῳ δὲ τῷ θεσπεσίῳ ἀρχηγῷ γενομένῳ τῶν τῇδε μοναστηρίων πολλοὶ καὶ ἀξιόλογοι ἐγένοντο μαθηταί, ὡς αἱ διαδοχαὶ ἐπιδείξουσι. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ θεσπέσια ἐπ' αὐτῷ συμβέβηκεν, ἃ μάλιστα τοῖς κατ' Αἴγυπτον μοναχοῖς ἠκρίβωται, περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένοις διαδοχῇ παραδόσεως ἀγράφου ἐπιμελῶς ἀπομνημονεύειν τὰς τῶν παλαιοτέρων ἀσκητῶν ἀρετάς. ἐμοὶ δὲ 1.14.5 τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐλθόντων ἐκεῖνα ῥητέον. ἐδέησεν αὐτῷ καὶ Θεοδώρῳ τῷ αὐτοῦ μαθητῇ ἀπιοῦσί που διαβῆναι διώρυγα, ἣν Λύκον καλοῦσιν. ἵνα δὲ μὴ γυμνοὺς ἀλλήλους θεάσωνται, ἐκέλευσεν ᾿Αμοῦν ὑπαναχωρῆσαι Θεόδωρον. ὡς δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ᾐσχύνετο γυμνὸν ἰδεῖν, ἐξαπίνης ὑπὸ θείας δυνάμεως μετάρσιος ἀρθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀντικρὺ ὄχθην μετετέθη. διαβὰς δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ Θεόδωρος καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἀβρόχους ἐλιπάρει τὸν πρεσβύτην φράζειν αὐτῷ τὴν αἰτίαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ μὲν παρῃτεῖτο λέγειν, ὁ δὲ μὴ ἄλλως ἀνήσειν ἰσχυρίζετο, εἰ μὴ μάθοι, συνθεμένου Θεοδώρου 1.14.6 ζῶντος αὐτοῦ μηδενὶ λέξειν, ὡμολόγησε τὸ συμβάν. παραπλήσιον δὲ τῷ εἰρημένῳ εἰς θαῦμα καὶ τοῦτο. ἄδικοι πατέρες ὑπὸ κυνὸς λυσσῶντος ἴδιον παῖδα δηχθέντα καὶ ὅσον οὔπω ἀπολεῖσθαι προσδοκώμενον ἤγαγον ὡς αὐτόν, καὶ ὀλοφυρόμενοι ἐδέοντο