30

and each using their own tongue, and sending up the song in succession. 5.6 And this form of the way of life has remained even to this day; and not even time, which strives to change these and such things, nor those who succeeded to his leadership were persuaded to overturn any of the rules set by him, and this although not two or three but even more have obtained this leadership. For immediately, when he had completed the contest and departed this life and passed over to that life free from pain, Theoteknos for the Greek tongue, and Aphthonios for the Syriac, succeeded to the leadership, both of them becoming like living pillars and images of his virtue. For they allowed neither those who were with them nor those who arrived from outside to have any perception of his death, showing themselves to be impressions of his way of life. But the divine Theoteknos, having lived on not for a long time, handed over the leadership to Theodotos. But Aphthonios remained for a very long time, caring for the flock and guiding it according to the established laws. 5.7 This Theodotos, hailing from Armenia, having beheld that ascetic company, at first was ranked among the subjects, obeying the great Theoteknos as he governed. But when, as I said, the one departed, and he himself received the leadership, he was adorned with so many good things as to all but hide his predecessors in reputation; for so had divine longing wrought upon him and with so many and such arrows it wounded him that night and day he poured forth the tears of compunction. And he was full of so much spiritual grace that while he was praying all those present were silent, and only listened to those sacred words, considering the listening to be an earnest prayer. For who was so adamantine that when those words were offered so genuinely, his soul was not charmed and its hardness and disobedience softened and led to the divine worship? Thus each day increasing the wealth and showing the inviolable treasures to be full of such good things, having shepherded the flock for twenty-five years, he was gathered to his fathers, according to the divine scripture, having been nourished in a good old age, having handed over the reins to Theoteknos, who was his nephew by birth, but a brother in manner. 5.8 And that divine Aphthonios, having presided over the choir for more than forty years, received the presidency of the high priesthood, changing neither his ascetic goat's-hair cloak, nor the tunic made of goat's hair. And he partook of food of the same kind as he partook of before his presidency. And having undertaken this care, he cared for that flock no less, spending most of his days there, and now resolving the disputes of those quarreling, now making provision for those wronged by anyone, and at other times offering divine exhortation to the members of the community. And he did each of these things, while in between mending the rags of his companions, or cleaning the lentils, or washing the grain, or handling some other such task. Thus both adorning his presidency and increasing his virtue with its burdens, he reached the divine harbor. 5.9 And what need is there to speak about Theoteknos and Gregory after him, the one in his youth having attained every form of philosophy and departed with ancestral glory, and the other even to this day in deep old age toiling as if in a vigorous body. For he has remained completely refusing the fruit of the vine and partaking neither of vinegar nor of raisins, not of milk freshly taken, nor curdled. For thus the great Publius had legislated them to live. But of oil during the season of Pentecost the

30

καὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἕκαστοι κεχρημένοι φωνῇ, ἐκ διαδοχῆς δὲ τὴν ᾠδὴν ἀναπέμποντες. 5.6 ∆ιέμεινε δὲ μέχρι καὶ τήμερον τόδε τῆς πολιτείας τὸ εἶδος· καὶ οὐδὲ ὁ χρόνος ὁ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀμείβειν φιλονεικῶν, οὐχ οἱ τὴν ἐκείνου κηδεμονίαν διαδεξάμενοι ἀνατρέψαι τι τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνου τεθέντων ἀνεπείσθησαν ὅρων, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ δύο καὶ τριῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ πλειόνων ταύτην τὴν ἡγεμονίαν λαχόντων. Εὐθὺς μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνου τὸν ἀγῶνα πεπληρωκότος καὶ τόνδε τὸν βίον ὑπεξελθόντος καὶ εἰς τὴν ἄλυπον ἐκείνην μεταβάντος ζωήν, Θεότεκνος μὲν τῆς ἑλλάδος φωνῆς, Ἀφθόνιος δὲ τῆς σύρας τὴν ἡγεμονίαν διεδέξαντο, ἀμφότεροι στῆλαί τινες ἔμψυχοι καὶ εἰκόνες τῆς ἀρετῆς τῆς ἐκείνου γενόμενοι. Οὐδεμίαν γὰρ οὔτε τοῖς συνοῦσιν οὔτε τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἀφικνουμένοις αἴσθησιν λαβεῖν τῆς ἐκείνου τελευτῆς συνεχώρησαν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκμαγεῖα τῆς ἐκείνου πολιτείας δεικνύντες. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν θεῖος Θεότεκνος οὐ πολὺν ἐπιβιώσας χρόνον Θεοδότῳ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν παρέ δωκεν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀφθόνιος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διέμεινε τῆς ἀγέλης ἐπιμελούμενος καὶ κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους νόμους ἰθύνων. 5.7 Ὁ δὲ Θεόδοτος οὗτος, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ὁρμώμενος, τὴν ἀσκητικὴν ἐκείνην συμμορίαν θεασάμενος, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα μετὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐτέτακτο, τῷ μεγάλῳ Θεοτέκνῳ κυβερνῶντι πειθόμενος. Ἐπειδὴ δέ, ὡς ἔφην, ὁ μὲν ἐξεδή μησεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν προστασίαν παρέλαβεν, τοσούτοις ἐκόμησεν ἀγαθοῖς ὡς ἀποκρύψαι μικροῦ δεῖν τοὺς προτέρους τῇ φήμῃ· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ θεῖος κατειργάσατο πόθος καὶ τοσούτοις αὐτὸν καὶ τοιούτοις κατέτρωσε βέλεσιν ὡς νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τῆς κατανύξεως προχέειν τὰ δάκρυα. Τοσαύτης δὲ πνευματικῆς χάριτος ἀνάπλεως ἦν ὡς προσευχομένου σιγᾶν μὲν ἅπαντας τοὺς παρόντας, ἐπαΐειν δὲ μόνον τῶν ἱερῶν ἐκείνων ῥημάτων, προσευχὴν σπουδαίαν τὴν ἀκρόασιν ἡγουμένους. Τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἀδαμάν τινος ἦν ὡς ἐκείνων οὕτω γνησίως προσφερομένων τῶν λόγων μὴ καταθελχθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ σκληρὸν ταύτης καὶ ἀπειθὲς καταμαλάξαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν θείαν θεραπείαν μεταγαγεῖν; Οὕτω καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὸν πλοῦτον αὔξων καὶ τοὺς ἀσύλους θησαυροὺς πλήρεις τῶν τοιούτων ἀγαθῶν ἀποφαίνων, πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι ἔτη ποιμάνας τὸ ποίμνιον, προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν θείαν γραφήν, τραφεὶς ἐν γήρᾳ καλῷ, Θεοτέκνῳ δὲ ἀδελφιδῷ μὲν ὄντι τὸ γένος, ἀδελφῷ δὲ τὸν τρόπον τὰς ἡνίας παραδούς. 5.8 Καὶ ὁ θεῖος δὲ ἐκεῖνος Ἀφθόνιος πλείονα ἢ τεττα ράκοντα ἔτη τοῦ χοροῦ προστατεύσας τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης τὴν προεδρίαν ἐδέξατο οὔτε τὴν ἀσκητικὴν ἐναλλάξας σισύραν, οὔτε τὸν ἐξ αἰγείων τριχῶν κατεσκευασμένον χιτῶνα. Καὶ σιτίων δὲ ἀπέλαυεν οἵων πρὸ τῆς προεδρίας ἀπέλαυε. Καὶ ταύτην δὲ τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἀναδεξάμενος οὐδὲν ἧττον τῆς ἀγέλης ἐκείνης ἐπεμελεῖτο, ἐκεῖ τὰς πλείους διατρίβων ἡμέρας, καὶ νῦν μὲν τῶν ζυγομαχούντων τὰς ἔριδας διαλύων, νῦν δὲ ὑφ' ὁτουοῦν ἀδικουμένων ποιούμε νος πρόνοιαν, ἄλλοτε δὲ τοῖς θιασώταις τὴν θείαν προσφέρων παραίνεσιν. Καὶ τούτων ἕκαστον ἔδρα, τὰ τῶν ὁμοσκήνων μεταξὺ περιρράπτων ῥάκια ἢ τὸν φακὸν ἐκκαθαίρων ἢ τὸν σῖτον ἐκπλύνων ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων μεταχειρίζων. Οὕτω καὶ τὴν προεδρίαν κοσμήσας καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπαυξήσας μετὰ τῶν ταύτης φορτίων τὸν θεῖον λιμένα κατέλαβεν. 5.9 Καὶ τί δεῖ λέγειν περὶ Θεοτέκνου καὶ τοῦ μετ' ἐκεῖνον Γρηγορίου, τοῦ μὲν ἐν νεότητι πᾶν εἶδος φιλοσοφίας συνειληχότος καὶ μετὰ τῆς προγονικῆς εὐκλείας ἀποδεδημη κότος, τοῦ δὲ ἔτι καὶ τήμερον ἐν γήρᾳ βαθεῖ ὡς ἐν ἀκμάζοντι πονοῦντος τῷ σώματι. ∆ιέμεινε γὰρ παντελῶς τῆς ἀμπέλου τὸν καρπὸν παραιτούμενος καὶ οὐδὲ ὄξους ἢ σταφίδων μεταλαμβάνων, οὐ γάλακτος οὐκ ἄρτι ληφθέντος, οὐ πεπη γότος. Οὕτω γὰρ βιοῦν ὁ μέγας ἐνομοθέτησε Πούπλιος. Ἐλαίου δὲ κατὰ τὸν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς καιρὸν τὴν