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the wealth of angels, needing division, when it is necessary for it to be distributed among many; but the possession is immaterial, and the wealth is of the mind. And for this reason, the good things remaining whole with each one make all equally rich, providing them their own possession, undisputed and unassailable. For the contemplation of the highest good, and the clearest comprehension of virtues, is the treasure of the angels, which all are permitted to behold, each one receiving their knowledge and possession whole. Such are the true ascetics, not laying claim to earthly things, but to heavenly things, and by indivisible distributions all treasure up the same things, each one possessing them whole in themselves. For possession is of virtue, and wealth is of right actions, and a praiseworthy covetousness, and a tearless seizing, and a crowned insatiability, and he who does not use force is liable. All are seizing, and no one is wronged, and for this reason peace is the prize for wealth. These seize beforehand the good things of the promised kingdom, presenting their own virtuous way of life and community as an exact imitation of the conduct 31.1385 and state of affairs there. These have perfectly achieved the state of having no possessions, having nothing of their own, but all things of one another. How great are the good things for us of which the incarnation of the Savior has been the cause, these men have clearly shown by their life to men, gathering again to itself and to God the fractured nature of men, which had been cut into myriad pieces, at least as far as it depended on them. For this is the main point of the Savior’s economy in the flesh, that he might gather human nature to itself and to himself, and having removed the evil division, might recall the ancient union; just as some excellent physician reconnects with saving medicines a body that has been divided into many parts. And I have recounted these things, not that I might gain some honor, and by my words exalt the achievements of the cenobites (for the power of my words is not so great as to dignify great things, but rather the opposite, even to obscure them by weakness in narration), but that, as far as possible, I might go through and show the height and greatness of the achievement. For what could come to be equal to this good thing by comparison? For where there is one father imitating the Father above, and many children striving to surpass one another in goodwill towards their leader, children harmonious with themselves, and welcoming their father with virtuous deeds, not ascribing nature as the cause of their connection, but having made reason, surer than nature, the author and guardian of their union, and being held by the bond of the Holy Spirit. What image of things on earth could they have for a representation of the virtue of this achievement? But of things on earth, none; only the one above remains. The Father above is without passion; this one too is without passion, leading all by reason. The children of the Father above are incorruptible; incorruptibility has adopted these too. Love binds the things above; love has also joined these to one another. Truly the devil himself gives up against such a phalanx, not being sufficient against so many combatants, who campaign against him so orderly and compactly, and are so drawn together with one another by love and fortified by the Spirit, as not to allow even the slightest entry for his missiles. Consider for me the harmonious struggle of the seven Maccabees, and you will find among these a warmer harmony. Concerning these, David the prophet cried out in songs, saying: Behold now, what is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell together in unity? by "good" representing the approved quality of life, and by "pleasant" the joy from harmony and union. 31.1388 Those who pursue this life with exactness have, it seems to me, emulated the highest virtue.

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ἀγγέλων πλοῦτος, δεομένη τομῆς, ἡνίκα ἂν αὐτὴν πλείοσιν ἐπινέμεσθαι δέῃ· ἀλλ' ἄϋλος ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ διανοίας ὁ πλοῦτος. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παρ' ἑκάστοις ὁλόκληρα τὰ καλὰ μένοντα πάντας ἰσοτίμως πλουσίους ἐργάζεται, ἀναμφισβήτητον αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄμαχον τὴν οἰκείαν κτῆ σιν παρέχοντα. Θεωρία γὰρ τοῦ ἀνωτάτου καλοῦ, καὶ ἀρετῶν σαφεστάτη κατάληψις, τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐστὶ θησαύρισμα, πρὸς ἃ βλέπειν ἅπασιν ἔξεστιν, ὁλόκληρον αὐτῶν τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν ἑκάστου λαμβάνοντος. Τοιοῦτοι οἱ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἀσκηταὶ, οὐ τῶν γηίνων μεταποιούμενοι, ἀλλὰ τῶν οὐρανίων ἀμ φισβητοῦντες, καὶ ἀμερίστοις διανομαῖς τὰ αὐτὰ οἱ πάντες παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ἕκαστος ὁλόκληρα θησαυρίζον τες. Ἀρετῆς γὰρ ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ κατορθωμάτων ὁ πλοῦτος, καὶ πλεονεξία ἐπαινετὴ, καὶ ἀδάκρυτος ἁρπαγὴ, καὶ ἀπληστία στεφανουμένη, καὶ ὁ μὴ βια ζόμενος ἔνοχος. Πάντες ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀδι κούμενος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰρήνη τῷ πλούτῳ βρα βεύουσα. Οὗτοι τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης βασιλείας τὰ ἀγαθὰ προαρπάζουσι, τὴν ἐνάρετον ἑαυτῶν πολιτείαν καὶ κοινωνίαν ἀκριβὲς μίμημα τῆς ἐκεῖσε διαγωγῆς 31.1385 καὶ καταστάσεως παριστῶντες. Οὗτοι τὴν ἀκτησίαν τελείως κατώρθωσαν, οὐδὲν ἴδιον ἔχοντες, ἀλλήλων δὲ τὰ πάντα. Ἡλίκων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐνανθρώπησις πρόξενος γέγονε, σαφῶς οὗτοι τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπέδειξαν, τὴν διεῤῥωγυῖαν τῶν ἀν θρώπων φύσιν, καὶ εἰς μυρία κατατμηθεῖσαν, τό γε ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, πάλιν συνάγοντες πρὸς ἑαυτήν τε καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίας, ἵνα τὴν ἀνθρωπί νην φύσιν πρὸς ἑαυτήν τε καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν συναγάγῃ, καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν κατατομὴν ἐξελὼν, τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀνακαλέσηται ἕνωσιν· καθάπερ τις ἄριστος ἰατρὸς σῶμα κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη διαιρεθὲν φαρμάκοις σωτη ρίοις ἀνασυνδέων. Καὶ ταῦτα διῆλθον, οὐχ ἵνα φιλοτιμήσωμαί τι, καὶ τοῖς λόγοις ἐπάρω τὰ τῶν κοινοβιακῶν κατ ορθώματα (οὐ γὰρ τοσαύτη δύναμις τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων, ὥστε τὰ μεγάλα σεμνύνειν, τοὐναντίον δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἀμαυροῦν τῇ περὶ τὴν διήγησιν ἀσθενείᾳ), ἀλλ' ἵνα, ὡς οἷόν τε, διέλθω καὶ ἐπιδείξω τὸ τοῦ κατ ορθώματος ὕψος καὶ μέγεθος. Τί γὰρ ἂν εἰς ἴσον ἔλθοι τῷ καλῷ τούτῳ διὰ συγκρίσεως; Ὅπου γὰρ πατὴρ μὲν εἷς μιμούμενος τὸν ἄνω Πατέρα, παῖδες δὲ πολλοὶ νικᾷν ἐσπουδακότες ἀλλήλους ταῖς περὶ τὸν προστάτην εὐνοίαις, παῖδες πρὸς ἑαυτούς τε ὁμονοοῦντες, καὶ τὸν πατέρα ταῖς ἐναρέτοις πράξεσι δεξιούμενοι, οὐ φύσιν τῆς συναφείας αἰτίαν ἐπιγρα φόμενοι, λόγον δὲ φύσεως βεβαιότερον τῆς ἑνώσεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ φύλακα ποιησάμενοι, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου δεσμῷ κρατούμενοι. Τίνα ἂν εἰκόνα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰς παράστασιν ἔχοιεν τῆς τοῦ κατορ θώματος ἀρετῆς; Ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐδε μίαν· μόνη δὲ ἡ ἄνω λείπεται. Ἀπαθὴς ὁ ἄνω Πατήρ· δίχα πάθους καὶ οὗτος, λόγῳ τοὺς ἅπαντας προσαγόμενος. Ἄφθοροι οἱ παῖδες τοῦ ἄνω Πατρός· ἀφθορία καὶ τούτους εἰσεποιήσατο. Ἀγάπη συνδεῖ τὰ ἄνω· ἀγάπη καὶ τούτους πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνήρ μοσεν. Ὄντως ἀπαγορεύει πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην φάλαγγα καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος, οὐκ ἀρκῶν πρὸς το σούτους ἀγωνιστὰς, οὕτως εὐσταλῶς καὶ συγκεκρο τημένως κατ' ἐκείνου στρατεύοντας, καὶ τοσοῦτον τῇ ἀγάπῃ συνησπικότας ἀλλήλοις καὶ φραττομένους τῷ Πνεύματι, ὥστε μήτε βραχυτάτην τινὰ παρείσδυσιν ταῖς ἐκείνου βολαῖς παρασχεῖν. Σκόπει μοι τὴν τῶν ἑπτὰ Μακκαβαίων σύμφωνον ἄθλησιν, καὶ εὑρήσεις παρὰ τούτοις θερμοτέραν τὴν συμφωνίαν. Περὶ τού των ∆αβὶδ ὁ προφήτης ἐν ᾠδαῖς ἀνεβόησε λέγων· Ἰδοὺ δὴ, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί τερπνὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; τῷ μὲν καλῷ τὸ τοῦ βίου δόκιμον παριστὰς, τῷ δὲ τερπνῷ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὁμονοίας καὶ τῆς ἑνώσεως εὐφροσύνην. Τοῦ 31.1388 τον οἱ μετιόντες τὸν βίον μετὰ ἀκριβείας, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, τὴν ἀνωτάτω ἐζηλωκέναι ἀρετήν.