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If someone were to call the place a city of God, he would not fail in his contemplation; you see,

for, looking around it in a circle, shining temples, exceedingly beautiful, houses upon houses, very well-constructed, gardens, plantings, adorned like Eden, everything, if anything, delightfully fitting to these things; for which, O beholder, glorify God piously, remembering Leo worthily, the builder with God of the things here.

107 On the guesthouse of the same monastery

Of the admirable monastery, the one called Nea, I am the guesthouse and a strange forecourt,

hosting many for a favorable exchange for the good Leo, the master of the things here.

108 On the same

Having been hosted here with right providence, may I, the guest, bring a return gift, of which

I may have in abundance the very best; together with prayers, these four verses.

109 On tombs

Knowing the pleasant and shadowy nature of life, I, Leo, the founder of the monastery,

have built a beautiful roof for those who love the sun, this house here bearing the memory of the end; for every good man, mindful of death, would receive light and passes by darkness.

110 Another

O bitter tomb of the sweetnesses of life, dragging everyone down, you are not satisfied to have your fill;

the small, the greatest, the wealthy, the homeless, the wise, the uninitiated, the ugly, the well-formed, you hold all ground to ash equally, bringing nothing but only their deeds, which will be present at God's judgment seat; if they are the best, glory to the one who possesses them; but if again the worst, alas for the evildoer. Mankind, therefore, pay attention, to what awaits you.

111 Epigram on Stephen

Here Stephen enclosed his body, having lived in life for a twenty-fifth year;

a straight shoot, beautiful on both sides, distinguished by noble blood, and having taken the scepter from the palaces of glory, desired by all for the goodness of his ways, not knowing a woman, but remaining a virgin, whom providently, as a rose from thorns, Christ, having quickly taken from this world, holds with others, crowning with his right hand.

112 On a house

I have been shown to be a very delightful house of a most excellent and all-renowned man,

who also rebuilt the entire monastery with longing, offering it to God as a ransom for his sins.

113 On one who has fallen asleep

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Θεοῦ πόλιν τις εἰ καλοίη τὸν τόπον, οὐκ ἂν διαπταίσειε τῆς θεωρίας· ὁρᾷς

γάρ, αὐτὸν κυκλικῶς διαβλέπων, ναοὺς φαεινούς, ὡραϊσμένους ἄγαν, οἴκους ἐπ' οἴκους, καλλισυνθέτους λίαν, κήπους, φυτείας, ὡς Ἐδὲμ κεκασμένους, πᾶν, εἴ τι, τούτοις τερπνοειδῶς ἐμπρέπον· ἀνθ' ὧν, θεωρέ, δόξασον Θεοφρόνως μεμνημένος Λέοντος ἀξιοχρέως, τοῦ κτισματουργοῦ σὺν Θεῷ τῶν ἐνθάδε.

107 Εἰς τὸ δοχεῖον τῆς αὐτῆς μονῆσ

Μονῆς ἀγαστῆς, τῆς καλουμένης Νέας, δοχεῖόν εἰμι καὶ προαύλιον ξένον,

πολλοὺς ξενίζον εἰς ἄμειψιν αἰσίαν Λέοντος ἐσθλοῦ, δεσπότου τῶν ἐνθάδε.

108 Εἰς τὸ αὐτό Ὧδε ξενισθεὶς δεξιᾷ προμηθείᾳ ἀντίξενον φέροιμι δῶρον ὁ ξένος, ὧν

εὐποροίην τὸ κράτιστον εὖ μάλα· ὁμοῦ σὺν εὐχαῖς τούσδε τέτταρας στίχους.

109 Εἰς τάφουσ Τὸ τερπνὸν εἰδὼς καὶ σκιῶδες τοῦ βίου Λέων ἔγωγε, τῆς μονῆς ὁ συστάτης,

καλὸν τέτευχα τοῖς φιληλίοις τέγος, τὸ τῇδε δῶμα τέρματος μνήμην φέρον· ἅπας γὰρ ἐσθλὸς θανάτου μεμνημένος φῶς εἰσδέχοιτο καὶ παρέρχεται σκότους.

110 Ἄλλο

Ὦ τύμβε πικρὲ τῶν βίου γλυκυσμάτων, πάντας κατασπῶν οὐκ ἐπαρκεῖ

χορτάσαι· μικρούς, μεγίστους, ὀλβίους, ἀνεστίους, σοφούς, ἀμύστους, δυσπροσώπους, εὐθέτους, ὅλους ἀλήθων τέφραν ἴσχεις ἐξ ἴσου, μηδὲν φέροντας ἢ μόνον τὰ πρακτέα, ἅπερ παραστῇ τῷ Θεοῦ κριτηρίῳ· εἰ μὲν κράτιστα, δόξα τῷ κεκτημένῳ· εἰ δ' αὗ κάκιστα, φεῦ τε τῷ φαυλοπράτῃ. Ἄνθρωπε, λοιπὸν πρόσσχες, οἷόν σοι μένει.

111 Ἐπίγραμμα εἰς Στέφανον

Ὧδε Στέφανος ἐγκατέκλεισεν δέμας εἰκοστόπεμπτον ἐν βίῳ ζήσας χρόνον·

ῥάδαμνος εὐθὺς ἀμφικαλλὴς διττόθεν, ἐξ εὐγενοῦς μὲν αἵματος διαπρέπων, ἑλὼν δὲ ῥάβδον ἐξ ἀνακτόρων κλέους, πᾶσι ποθητὸς χρηστότητι τῶν τρόπων, γυναῖκα μὴ γνούς, ἀλλὰ παρθένος μένων, ὅνπερ προμηθῶς, ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ὡς ῥόδον, τοῦ τῇδε κόσμου Χριστὸς ἐξάρας τάχει ἔχει σὺν ἄλλοις δεξιᾷ χειρὶ στέφων.

112 Εἰς οἰκίαν

Οἶκος δέδειγμαι τερπνοειδὴς εὖ μάλα ἀνδρὸς κρατίστου καὶ πανευφήμου

λίαν, ὃς καὶ νεουργεῖ τὴν ὅλην μονὴν πόθῳ Θεῷ προσοίσας λύτρον ἀνθ' ἁμαρτάδων.

113 Εἰς κοιμηθέντα