Lausiac History (recension G)

 having written down the lives of the fathers, Abraham and those who followed, Moses and Elijah and John, they did not relate them in order to glorify

 goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control, is acknowledged. Pref.14 For Paul himself said: For the fruit of the spirit is such and such things.

 being virgins but he entrusted them to Christ, saying: He who created you will provide for your life, as also for me. And there was with his sister

 a judge who orders one to be submitted to debauchery. 3.4 So that one, having gone mad, orders her, having been stripped, to be thrown into the cauld

 but haughty in disposition, exceedingly rich in money, giving † not † to a stranger, not to a virgin, not to the church, not an obol to a poor person.

 So having met and spent three years with the monasteries around Alexandria, with about two thousand most excellent and very zealous men, departing fro

 Lord and what do you command now? I command, he said, that each of us from now on remain by himself. But she did not agree, saying Let us rema

 without a fever, not having been sick, but sewing up the basket, being seventy years old who, having sent for me, and while the last stitch was on it

 at the martyrium called Roufinianais. Whose tomb is said to heal all who suffer from fever.] 12 .tConcerning Benjamin 12.1 In this mountain of Nitria

 were perfected. And some were pleased by this one, others by that one. When a dispute therefore arose among the brotherhood over the praises, they go

 therefore also to banish you from this. 16.3 Therefore, knowing that he had been mocked, he returned again to his first cell. And having completed th

 the tax-collectors are upon you, whose disease you also suffer. And it happened that he disobeyed after the death of Macarius, after another fifteen

 the saint, taking him, prayed over him, beseeching God. And after one or two days, when the affliction subsided, the holy Macarius says to her: 17.13

 ravens before my sight, and saying: What do you want, Macarius? What do you want, monk? Why have you come to our place? You cannot remain here. So I

 he did nothing with his hands. Therefore, when all the ascetics saw this, they rose up against the abbot, saying: From where have you brought us this

 you shall be shaken, I shall not hear you. 18.24 So after falling for a long time, he rose. And when night came, they attacked him again and filling

 fifty miles he went away to where he had his company. This so great man, at long last being pricked with compunction by some circumstance, gave himsel

 so that we should fear these flies more than he feared the demons. This was the way of life of Moses the Ethiopian, who was himself also numbered amon

 of Eulogius and worthily nourished by the disease. But after fifteen years a demon dwelt in him and he rebelled against Eulogius and he began to assa

 Do not turn aside anywhere, depart do not be separated from one another, but go to your cell where you have spent your time. For God is already sendi

 to them a way of life such as never in youth. 22.5 And having moistened palm leaves he says to him: “Take these, weave a rope as I do.” The old man we

 And standing by the rocks on the mountain he prays and says thus: You see, Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that I will not come

 wisdom no longer approached me. 24 .tConcerning Stephen the Libyan 24.1 A certain Stephen, a Libyan by race, from the region of Marmarica and Mareoti

 to place in the little book for the security of the readers, just as among the holy plants of paradise was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

 he fell into a fall of pride. And opening the window, she received the one serving her and was mixed with him, because she had not maintained her asce

 saying to her, We do not dare to meet them for we know their drunkenness and their recklessness. 31.3 But if you will have mercy both on the whole v

 to the angel that the prayers are few, the angel says to him: I have prescribed these things so that even the lesser ones may be able to complete the

 matter. So when the elder came, the other sisters reported the matter and he ordered that not a single one of their offerings be accepted and as for

 having been enclosed for years and receiving his needs through a window from the one who served him, he was deemed worthy of the gift of prophecy. Amo

 sufficiently, I thanked God when I learned that the pretexts driving me had been accomplished. 35.10 Then again he says to me, joking: Do you want to

 about to give birth, she was having a difficult labor, the spirit crushing her. So while the woman was demon-possessed, her husband came and begged th

 All ran up to him, both those wearing the tribon and those wearing the birrus, saying to him: What is the matter with you? And where are you from? An

 and why should I go out? He says to her: If you have died to the world and the world to you, it is the same to you to go out and not to go out ther

 suggests. 38.6 He says to him: If you listen to your friend, it is not expedient for you to live in this city. Evagrius says to him: If God delive

 he died among them, having partaken of communion on Epiphany in the church. He told us then about death that, It is the third year I have not been tr

 I appoint myself as a host for you. And taking money and partitioning the porticoes and setting up about three hundred beds, he nursed the starving,

 the hill of the ascension from where Jesus was taken up, he continued standing and singing psalms and praying and whether it snowed or it rained or i

 of those boiled by fire. Having persevered in these for eighteen years, he sang the hymn of victory to Christ. This man, having been warred against in

 in Jerusalem for the sake of a vow, bishops and monks and virgins, at their own expense they edified all whom they met, and they healed the schism of

 to many souls, in some there is an excellence of intellect, in others a fitness for discipline. But when neither the action nor the excellence is for

 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure 47.16 lest ever with the won

 having drawn [their swords], they attacked. And such a thing happened: when he raised the sword and was about to draw it against Gaddana, the hand of

 she led to the solitary life. And having catechized her younger son Publicola, she led him to Sicily and having sold all her remaining property and r

 to her own daughter. 57.2 I knew this woman, who labored through every night, grinding with her hands for the subduing of the body, explaining that,

 of this one, named Taor, who, having been thirty years in the monastery, never wished to receive a new garment or veil or sandal, saying, I have no n

 of her own. And she freed the eight thousand slaves who wished it, for the rest did not wish it but chose to serve her brother to whom she conceded t

 was said to be most learned and most faithful who received Origen the writer, as he was fleeing the insurrection of the Greeks, for two years at her

 they may stir up some of the civil disturbances, falling away from their purpose. 67 .tConcerning Magna 67.1 In this city of Ancyra many other virgins

 to slander a certain lector of the city. And when she was already pregnant, being questioned by her father, she accused the lector. But the presbyter,

 warm loaves in his sheepskin at another time again wine and loaves. At another time again, when he was speaking, I knew that You are in need go the

he did nothing with his hands. Therefore, when all the ascetics saw this, they rose up against the abbot, saying: "From where have you brought us this incorporeal one, for our condemnation? Either cast him out, or know that we will all depart." Therefore, having heard about his way of life, he prayed to God that it might be revealed to him who he was. 18.16 It was therefore revealed to him; and taking him by the hand, he led him out to the prayer house, where the altar was, and said to him: "Come, good old man; you are Macarius, and you have hidden yourself from me. For many years I have longed to see you. I thank you that you have disciplined my children, so that they may not be proud of their own ascetic practices. Go, therefore, to your own place; for you have sufficiently edified us; and pray for us." Then, having been deemed worthy, he departed. 18.17 Another time he related that, "Having accomplished every way of life that I desired, I then came to another desire, whence I once wished for just five days to keep my mind undistracted from God. And having decided this, I shut my cell and the courtyard, so as not to give an answer to anyone, and I stood, beginning from the second day of the week. I therefore commanded my mind, saying: "Do not descend from the heavens; you have there angels, archangels, the powers above, the God of all; do not descend below heaven." 18.18 And having persevered for two days and two nights, I so provoked the demon that he became a flame of fire and burned up everything in my cell, so that even the little mat on which I was standing was consumed by fire, and I thought that I was being completely burned. Finally, struck with fear, I gave up on the third day, not being able to keep my mind undistracted, but I descended to the contemplation of the world, lest pride be imputed to me." 18.19 I once visited this holy Macarius, and I found lying outside his cell a presbyter of a village, whose whole head was eaten away by the disease called cancer, and the very bone was visible from the top. He had come, therefore, to be healed, and he would not receive him for an interview. I therefore begged him, "I beseech you, have pity on him, and give him your answer." 18.20 And he said to me: "He is unworthy to be healed; for a chastisement has been sent to him. But if you wish him to be healed, persuade him to cease from the liturgy; for he was celebrating it while fornicating, and for this reason he is being chastised; and God will heal him." So when I spoke to the afflicted man, he agreed, swearing never to serve as a priest again. Then he received him and said to him: "Do you believe that God exists?" He said to him: "Yes." 18.21 "Were you able to mock God?" He answered, "No." He said to him: "If you recognize your sin and God's chastisement for which you have suffered this, amend yourself for the future." He therefore confessed the cause, and gave his word to sin no more nor to celebrate the liturgy, but to embrace the lot of the laity. And so he laid a hand upon him, and in a few days he was healed and his hair grew back, and he departed healthy. 18.22 In my own sight a young boy possessed by an evil spirit was brought to him. Placing, therefore, one hand on his head and the other on his heart, he prayed for so long until he made him hang suspended in the air. The boy then, swelling up like a wineskin, became so inflamed as to become entirely erysipelatous. And suddenly crying out, he brought forth water through all his senses, and abating, he became again the size he had been. He then delivered him to his father, having anointed him with holy oil and poured water on him, he commanded him for forty days not to touch meat, nor wine. And thus he healed him. 18.23 Thoughts of vainglory once troubled him, driving him from his cell, and suggesting that for the sake of stewardship he should go to Rome to heal the sick; for grace worked powerfully in him against spirits. And though for a long time he did not obey, he was driven forcefully, falling upon the doorpost of the cell he put his feet outside and said: "Pull, demons, and drag me; for I will not go with my own feet; if you can carry me away like this, I will depart"; swearing solemnly to them that "I will lie here until evening; unless you

τῶν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν οὐδὲν ἐποίει. Θεασάμενοι οὖν πάντες οἱ ἀσκηταὶ ἐστασίασαν κατὰ τοῦ ἡγουμένου λέγοντες· "Τοῦτον ἡμῖν πόθεν ἤγαγες τὸν ἄσαρκον, εἰς κατάκρισιν ἡμῶν; ἢ ἔκβαλε αὐτόν, ἢ ἵνα εἰδῇς ὅτι πάντες ἡμεῖς ἀναχωροῦμεν". Ἀκούσας οὖν αὐτοῦ τὰ τῆς πολιτείας, προσηύξατο τῷ θεῷ, ἵνα αὐτῷ ἀποκαλυφθῇ τίς ἐστίν. 18.16 Ἀπεκαλύφθη οὖν αὐτῷ· καὶ κρατήσας αὐτοῦ τῆς χειρὸς ἐξάγει αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον, ἔνθα τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἦν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· "∆εῦρο, καλόγηρε· σὺ εἶ Μακάριος, καὶ ἀπέκρυψας ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. ∆ιὰ πολλῶν σε ἐτῶν ἐπεπόθουν ἰδεῖν. Χάριν σοι ἔχω ὅτι ἐκονδύλισας τὰ παιδία μου, ἵνα μὴ μέγα φρονῶσιν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀσκήσε σιν. Ἄπελθε οὖν εἰς τὸν τόπον σου· αὐτάρκως γὰρ ᾠκοδό μησας ἡμᾶς· καὶ εὔχου ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν". Τότε ἀξιωθεὶς ἀνε χώρησεν. 18.17 Ἄλλοτε πάλιν διηγήσατο ὅτι "Πᾶσαν πολιτείαν ἣν ἐπεθύμησα κατορθώσας, τότε εἰς ἄλλην ἦλθον ἐπιθυμίαν ὅθεν ἠθέλησά ποτε πέντε ἡμέρας μόνον τὸν νοῦν μου ἀπε ρίσπαστον ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ποιῆσαι. Καὶ κρίνας τοῦτο ἀπέκλεισα τὴν κέλλαν καὶ τὴν αὐλήν, ὥστε μὴ δοῦναι ἀνθρώπῳ ἀπό κρισιν, καὶ ἔστην ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς δευτέρας. Παραγγέλλω οὖν μου τῷ νῷ εἰπών· "Μὴ κατέλθῃς τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἔχεις ἐκεῖ ἀγγέλους, ἀρχαγγέλους, τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις, τὸν θεὸν τῶν ὅλων· μὴ κατέλθῃς ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ". 18.18 Καὶ διαρκέσας ἡμέρας δύο καὶ νύκτας δύο, οὕτω παρώξυνα τὸν δαίμονα ὡς φλόγα πυρὸς γενέσθαι καὶ κατακαῦσαί μου πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ, ὡς καὶ τὸ ψιάθιον ἐν ᾧ εἱστήκειν πυρὶ καταφλεχθῆναι καὶ νομίσαι με ὅτι ὅλως ἐμπίμπραμαι. Τέλος πληγεὶς φόβῳ ἀπέστην τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀπερίσπαστόν μου τὸν νοῦν ποιῆσαι, ἀλλὰ κατῆλθον εἰς θεω ρίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα μή μοι λογισθῇ τῦφος". 18.19 Τούτῳ ποτὲ τῷ ἁγίῳ Μακαρίῳ παρέβαλον ἐγώ, καὶ εὗρον ἔξω τῆς κέλλης αὐτοῦ πρεσβύτερον κώμης κατακεί μενον, οὗ ἡ κεφαλὴ πᾶσα ἐβέβρωτο ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους τοῦ καλουμένου καρκίνου, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ὀστέον ἀπὸ τῆς κορυφῆς ἐφαίνετο. Παρεγένετο οὖν ἰαθῆναι, καὶ οὐκ ἐδέχετο αὐτὸν ἐν συντυχίᾳ. Παρεκάλεσα οὖν αὐτὸν ὅτι "∆έομαί σου, κατ οίκτειρον αὐτόν, καὶ δὸς αὐτῷ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν". 18.20 Καὶ λέγει μοι· "Ἀνάξιός ἐστι τοῦ ἰαθῆναι· παιδεία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀπεστάλη. Εἰ δὲ θέλεις αὐτὸν ἰαθῆναι, πεῖσον αὐτὸν ἀπο στῆναι τῆς λειτουργίας· πορνεύων γὰρ ἐλειτούργει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παιδεύεται· καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ἰᾶται". Ὡς οὖν εἶπον τῷ κακουμένῳ συνέθετο, ὀμόσας μηκέτι ἱερατεύειν. Τότε ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· "Πιστεύεις ὅτι ἔστι θεός;" Λέγει αὐτῷ· "Ναί". 18.21 "Μὴ ἠδυνήθης διαπαῖξαι τὸν θεόν;" Ἀπεκρίνατο ὅτι "Οὔ". Λέγει αὐτῷ· "Εἰ γνω ρίζεις σου τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ παιδείαν δι' ἣν τοῦτο ὑπέστης, διορθώθητι εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς". Ἐξωμολογήσατο οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν, καὶ ἔδωκε λόγον μηκέτι ἁμαρτῆσαι μήτε λειτουργῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν λαικὸν ἀσπάσασθαι κλῆρον. Καὶ οὕτως ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῷ χεῖρα, καὶ ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ἰάθη καὶ ἐτρίχωσε καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ὑγιής. 18.22 Ἐπ' ὄψεσιν ἐμαῖς προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ παιδαρίσκος ἐνερ γούμενος ὑπὸ πονηροῦ πνεύματος. Ἐπιθεὶς οὖν αὐτῷ χεῖρα ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας, ἐπὶ τοσοῦ τον ηὔξατο ἕως οὗ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ἀέρος ἐποίησε κρεμασθῆναι. Οἰδήσας οὖν ὡς ἀσκὸς ὁ παῖς τοσοῦτον ἐφλέγμανεν ὡς γενέσθαι πᾶς ἐρυσιπέλατος. Καὶ αἰφνίδιον ἀνακράξας, διὰ πασῶν τῶν αἰσθήσεων ὕδωρ ἐνήνοχε, καὶ λωφήσας πάλιν γέγονεν εἰς τὸ μέτρον ὃ ἦν. Παραδίδωσιν οὖν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτόν, ἀλείψας ἐλαίῳ ἁγίῳ, καὶ ἐπιχέας ὕδωρ, παρήγγειλεν ἐπὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας μὴ κρεῶν ἅψασθαι, μὴ οἴνου. Καὶ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἰάσατο. 18.23 Ὤχλησαν τούτῳ ποτὲ λογισμοὶ κενοδοξίας ἐκβάλ λοντες αὐτὸν τῆς κέλλης, καὶ ὑποτιθέμενοι οἰκονομίας χάριν καταλαμβάνειν τὴν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς θεραπείαν τῶν ἀρ ρωστούντων· μεγάλως γὰρ ἐνήργει ἡ χάρις εἰς αὐτὸν κατὰ πνευμάτων. Καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ οὐχ ὑπήκουσε, σφοδρῶς δὲ ἠλαύνετο, πεσὼν ἐπὶ τῆς φλιᾶς τῆς κέλλης τοὺς πόδας ἀφῆκεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω καὶ λέγει· "Ἕλκετε, δαίμονες, καὶ σύρετε· ἐγὼ γὰρ τοῖς ποσὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς οὐκ ἀπέρχομαι· εἰ δύ νασθέ με οὕτως ἀπενεγκεῖν ἀπελεύσομαι"· διομνὺς αὐτοῖς ὅτι "Κεῖμαι ἕως ἑσπέρας· ἐὰν μή με