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 those who had not made peace, as they were accessories to the slanderer and had believed what was said, he excommunicated them for seven years, making them unable to receive communion. 34 .tOn the one who feigned madness 34.1 In this monastery there was another virgin who feigned madness and possession by a demon; and they loathed her to such an extent that they would not even eat with her, something which she herself chose. So wandering about the kitchen, she performed every service, and was, as the saying goes, the sponge of the monastery, fulfilling in deed what is written: "If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise". She, having tied a rag on her head—for all the others were shorn, wearing hoods—served in this way. 34.2 Not one of the four hundred ever saw her chewing during the years of her life; she did not sit at table, nor did she partake of a piece of bread, but wiping up the crumbs from the tables and washing around the pots, she was content with these; never insulting anyone, never grumbling, never speaking little or much, although she was struck with fists and insulted and cursed and detested. 34.3 So an angel appeared to the holy Pityroun, a most proven anchorite dwelling in Porphyrites, and said to him: "Why are you so proud of yourself as being devout, dwelling in such a place? Do you wish to see a woman more devout than you? Go to the monastery of the Tabennesiote women, and there you will find one having a diadem on her head; she is better than you. 34.4 For though she spars with such a crowd, she has never turned her heart from God; but you, sitting here, wander through the cities in your mind". And he who had never gone out went to that monastery and asked the masters to enter the women's monastery. They, since he was renowned and aged, ventured to bring him in. 34.5 And having entered, he sought to see them all. She did not appear. Finally he says to them: "Bring all of them to me, for another is missing." They say to him: "We have one possessed woman inside in the kitchen"; -for this is what they call those who are afflicted. He says to them: "Bring her to me also; let me see her." They went to call her; she did not obey, perhaps sensing the matter, or it having even been revealed to her. They drag her by force and say to her: "The holy Pityroun wants to see you." For he was famous. 34.6 So when she came, he saw the rag on her forehead, and falling at her feet he says to her: "Bless me." Likewise she also fell at his feet, saying: "You bless me, lord." They were all astounded and say to him: "Abba, do not suffer this insult; she is a possessed woman." Pityroun says to all of them: "You are the possessed women; for she is both my Amma and yours—for this is what they call the spiritual ones; —and I pray to be found worthy of her on the day of judgment." 34.7 Having heard these things, they fell at his feet, all confessing in various ways: one how she had poured the dishwater on her; another how she had struck her with her fists; another how she had mustard-plastered her nose; and simply, all reported various insults. So having prayed for them, he departed. And after a few days, unable to bear the glory and honor from the sisters, and being weighed down by their apologies, she left the monastery; and where she went, or where she disappeared, or how she died, no one knows. 35 .tOn John of the city of Lycus 35.1 There was a certain John in the city of Lycus, who in his boyhood learned the trade of a carpenter; whose brother was a dyer. But later, when he was about twenty-five years old, he renounced the world; and after spending five years in various monasteries, he withdrew alone to the mountain of Lycus, to its very summit, having made for himself three vaulted rooms, and having entered, he walled himself in. So one vaulted room was for the needs of the flesh, and one where he worked and ate, and the other where he prayed. 35.2 This man, having completed thirty
πρᾶγμα. Ἐλ θόντι οὖν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ ἀνήγγειλαν τὸ πρᾶγμα αἱ λοιπαὶ ἀδελφαί· καὶ ἐκέλευσε τούτων μὲν μηδὲ μιᾶς προσφορὰν ἐπιτελεσθῆναι· τὰς δὲ μὴ εἰρηνευσάσας αὐτάς, ὡς συνει δυίας τῇ συκοφαντησάσῃ καὶ πιστευσάσας τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἑπταετίαν ἀφώρισεν ἀκοινωνήτους ποιήσας. 34 .tΠερὶ τῆς ὑποκρινομένης μωρίαν 34.1 Ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μοναστηρίῳ ἄλλη γέγονε παρθένος ὑποκρινομένη μωρίαν καὶ δαίμονα· καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὴν ἐβδελύξαντο ὡς μηδὲ συνεσθίειν αὐτῇ, τοῦτο ἐκείνης αἱρη σαμένης. Ἀλωμένη οὖν ἀνὰ τὸ μαγειρεῖον πᾶσαν ἐποίει ὑπηρεσίαν, καὶ ἦν, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, σπόγγος τῆς μονῆς, ἔργῳ πληροῦσα τὸ γεγραμμένον· "Εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μωρὸς γενέσθω ἵνα γένηται σοφός". Αὕτη ῥάκος ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς δήσασα-αἱ γὰρ ἄλλαι πᾶσαί εἰσι κεκαρμέναι, ἔχουσαι κουκούλια-οὕτως ἦν ὑπηρετοῦσα. 34.2 Ταύτην μασωμένην οὐκ εἶδεν οὐδεμία τῶν τετρακοσίων τὰ ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς· ἐπὶ τραπέζης οὐκ ἐκαθέσθη, οὐ κλάσματος μετέλαβεν ἄρτου, ἀλλὰ τὰς ψῖχας σπογγίζουσα τῶν τραπεζῶν καὶ τὰς χύτρας περι πλύνουσα τούτοις ἠρκεῖτο· μὴ ὑβρίσασά ποτέ τινα, μὴ γογγύσασα, μὴ λαλήσασα μικρὸν ἢ μέγα, καίπερ κονδυλι ζομένη καὶ ὑβριζομένη καὶ καταρωμένη καὶ μυσαττομένη. 34.3 Παρέστη οὖν ἄγγελος τῷ ἁγίῳ Πιτηροῦμ ἐν τῷ Πορφυρίτῃ καθεζομένῳ ἀναχωρητῇ ἀνδρὶ δοκιμωτάτῳ, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· "∆ιὰ τί μέγα φρονεῖς ἐπὶ σεαυτῷ ὡς εὐλαβής, καὶ ἐν τοιούτῳ καθεζόμενος τόπῳ; Θέλεις ἰδεῖν εὐλαβεστέραν σου γυναῖκα; Ἄπελθε εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν Ταβεννησιωτῶν, καὶ ἐκεῖ εὑρήσεις μίαν διάδημα ἔχουσαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς· αὕτη σου ἀμείνων ἐστί. 34.4 Τοσούτῳ γὰρ ὄχλῳ πυκτεύουσα, τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς οὐδέποτε ἀπέστησε τοῦ θεοῦ· σὺ δὲ καθεζόμενος ὧδε, ἀνὰ τὰς πόλεις πλανᾶσαι τῇ διανοίᾳ". Καὶ ὁ μηδέποτε ἐξελθὼν ἀπῆλθεν ἕως τοῦ μοναστηρίου ἐκείνου, καὶ παρακαλεῖ τοὺς διδασκάλους εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον τῶν γυναικῶν. Ἐκεῖνοι ὡς ἐπίδοξον καὶ γεγηρακότα ἐθάρρησαν αὐτὸν εἰσαγαγεῖν. 34.5 Καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἐπεζήτησε πάσας ἰδεῖν. Ἐκείνη οὐ παρε φαίνετο. Τέλος λέγει αὐταῖς· "Φέρετέ μοι πάσας· λείπει γὰρ καὶ ἄλλη". Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· "Μίαν ἔχομεν σαλὴν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ μαγειρείῳ"· -οὕτω γὰρ καλοῦσι τὰς πα σχούσας. Λέγει αὐταῖς· "Ἀγάγετέ μοι κἀκείνην· ἄφετε αὐτὴν ἴδω". Ἀπῆλθον αὐτῇ φωνῆσαι· αὕτη οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν, ἴσως αἰσθομένη τοῦ πράγματος, ἢ καὶ ἀποκαλυφθεῖσα. Σύρουσι βίᾳ καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ· "Ὁ ἅγιος Πιτηροῦμ σε θέλει ἰδεῖν". Ἦν γὰρ ὀνομαστός. 34.6 Ἐλθούσης οὖν αὐτῆς ἐθεάσατο τὸ ῥάκος τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου αὐτῆς, καὶ πεσὼν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτῆς λέγει αὐτῇ· "Εὐλόγησόν με". Ὁμοίως κἀκείνη ἔπεσεν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ λέγουσα· "Σύ με εὐλόγησον, κύριε". Ἐξέστησαν πᾶσαι καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· "Ἀββᾶ, μὴ πάσχε ὕβριν· σαλή ἐστι". Λέγει αὐταῖς πάσαις ὁ Πιτηροῦμ· "Ὑμεῖς ἐστὲ σαλαί· αὕτη γὰρ καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν ἀμμᾶς ἐστίν-οὕτως γὰρ καλοῦσι τὰς πνευματικάς· -καὶ εὔχομαι ἄξιος αὐτῆς εὑρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως". 34.7 Ἀκούσασαι ταῦτα ἔπεσον αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας, ἐξομολογούμεναι πᾶσαι διαφόρως· ἡ μὲν ὡς τὸ ἀπόπλυμα τοῦ πίνακος ἐπιχέασα αὐτῇ· ἄλλη ὡς κονδύλοις ἐπιτριψαμένη· ἄλλη ὡς τὴν ῥῖνα αὐτῆς σινα πίσασα· καὶ ἁπλῶς πᾶσαι διαφόρους ὕβρεις ἀπήγγειλαν. Εὐξάμενος οὖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀπῆλθε. Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας ὀλίγας μὴ ἐνεγκοῦσα ἐκείνη τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ταῖς ἀπολογίαις βαρυνθεῖσα, ἐξῆλθε τοῦ μοναστηρίου· καὶ ποῦ ἀπῆλθεν, ἢ ποῦ κατέδυ, ἢ πῶς ἐτε λεύτησεν, ἔγνω οὐδείς. 35 .tΠερὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἐν Λυκῷ τῇ πόλει 35.1 Γέγονέ τις Ἰωάννης ἐν Λυκῷ τῇ πόλει, ὃς ἐν παιδίῳ μὲν ἔμαθε τὴν τεκτονικήν· ᾧ ἀδελφὸς ὑπῆρχε βαφεύς. Ἐς ὕστερον δὲ γενόμενος ὡς ἐτῶν εἰκοσιπέντε ἀπετάξατο· καὶ διατρίψας ἐν διαφόροις μοναστηρίοις πέντε ἔτη ἀνεχώ ρησε μόνος εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῆς Λυκώ, εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκρώ ρειαν ποιήσας ἑαυτῷ τρεῖς θόλους καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἀνῳκο δόμησεν ἑαυτόν. Ἦν οὖν ὁ εἷς θόλος εἰς τὰς χρείας τῆς σαρκός, καὶ ὁ εἷς ἔνθα εἰργάζετο καὶ ἤσθιε, καὶ ὁ ἄλλος ἔνθα προσηύχετο. 35.2 Οὗτος τριάκοντα πληρώσας