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we will not come again if we should be forced to do this now.” Having been bent at last with difficulty by many supplications, he offered the embassy to God; and he delivered a long defense concerning the embassy, saying he had done this for the sake of love and obedience; for as we approached, we heard him praying. 12.5 But for an old man—for he had happened to have spent forty years in ascetic practice—to have such modesty of mind at such a height of philosophy, who could admire it worthily? Or what praise could one make appropriate to its greatness? And possessing such a great wealth of virtue, while living with the most extreme poverty, he would frequent the divine church with the multitude on the Lord's day, both hearing the divine oracles and submitting his ears to the teachers and partaking of the mystic table; <then> he would return to that strange lodging, having no small key, no bolt, leaving no guard—for it was inaccessible to evildoers and completely inviolable—having only that portable mat. And taking one book from his acquaintances, he would read it all, and giving this one back first, so he would take another. 12.6 But nevertheless, though he had no bolts nor used bars, he was guarded by grace from above. And we learned this clearly through experience itself. For when the band of Isaurians captured the acropolis by night, then after dawn they ran down as far as the very foot of the mountain, they mercilessly struck down with javelins many men and many women pursuing the ascetic life. Then, therefore, this divine man, watching the slaughter of the others, by prayer dimmed their eyes, and though going through the door they did not see the entrance. And as he said, calling truth as his witness, he also clearly saw three young men driving out that entire band, with God clearly displaying his own grace. Therefore, what sort of life this divine man lived and what sort of grace he enjoyed from God, these things are sufficient to teach. 12.7 But it is necessary to add this as well to these things. It greatly annoyed and vexed him that his property remained and had not been sold and distributed according to the law of the gospel. The reason for this was the immaturity of his brothers' age. For since both the money and the properties were common, he himself did not wish to go to his homeland for the sake of the division, and he was afraid to sell his part of the substance to another, lest the buyers, dealing avariciously with his nephews, should surround him with blasphemies. Turning these reasonings over in himself, he put off the sale for a long time, but later, having sold everything to one of his acquaintances for ten thousand, he distributed most of it; but in the meantime an illness occurred which forced him to deliberate about the remaining things. Therefore, having sent for the bishop of the city—it was the great Alexander, the ornament of piety, the archetype of virtue, the exact image of philosophy—“Come,” he said, “O my divine head, become the best steward of this money also, distributing it according to the divine purpose, as one who will render account to that judge; for of the other things I myself became the agent and distributed them as I thought best; and I wished to manage the remaining things similarly; but since I am commanded to depart from this life, I appoint you steward of these things, being a high priest and living worthily of the high priesthood.” He therefore handed over the money as to a divine treasurer; and he himself, not surviving for a long time, departed from the wrestling-ground like some Olympic victor, having received praise not only from men but also from angels. And I, having entreated this man also to intercede on my behalf with the Master, will turn to another narrative.

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οὐχ ἥξομεν αὖθις εἰ τοῦτο δρᾶσαι νῦν βιασθείημεν, μόλις ὀψέ ποτε ταῖς πολλαῖς ἱκετείαις ἐπι καμφθείς, προσήνεγκε μὲν τῷ θεῷ τὴν πρεσβείαν· μακρὰν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς πρεσβείας ἀπολογίαν ἐξέτεινεν, ἀγάπης εἵνεκα καὶ εὐπειθείας τοῦτο πεποιηκέναι λέγων· καὶ γὰρ ἠκούομεν εὐχομένου πελάζοντες. 12.5 Τὸ δὲ ἐν τοσούτῳ φιλοσοφίας ὕψει τοσαύτην ἔχειν φρονήματος μετριότητα πρεσβύτην ἄνδρα-τεσσαράκοντα γὰρ ἐν ἀσκήσει διηνυκὼς ἐτύγχανεν ἔτη-, τίς ἂν ἀξίως θαυμάσειεν; Ποίαν δὲ ἄν τις τῷ μεγέθει πρόσφορον εὐφημίαν ποιήσαιτο; Τοσοῦτον δὲ ἀρετῆς κεκτημένος πλοῦτον, ὡς πενίᾳ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ συζῶν, εἰς τὴν θείαν ἐκκλησίαν μετὰ τῶν πολλῶν κατὰ κυριακὴν ἡμέραν ἐφοίτα καὶ τῶν θείων ἐπαίων λογίων καὶ τοῖς διδασκάλοις ὑποτιθεὶς τὰ ὦτα καὶ τῆς μυστικῆς μεταλαμβάνων τραπέζης· <εἶτ'> εἰς τὸ καινὸν ἐκεῖνο καταγώγιον ἐπανῄει, οὐ κλειδίον ἔχων, οὐ κλεῖθρον, οὐ φύλακα καταλιμπάνων-ἄβατον γὰρ ἦν τοῖς κακούργοις καὶ παντελῶς ἄσυλον-, μόνον ἔχων ἐκεῖνον τὸν φορυτόν. Βίβλον δὲ μίαν παρὰ τῶν συνήθων λαμβάνων, ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἅπασαν καὶ ταύτην ἀποδιδοὺς πρότερον, οὕτως ἑτέραν ἐλάμβανεν. 12.6 Ἀλλ' ὅμως κλεῖθρα οὐκ ἔχων οὐδὲ μοχλοῖς χρώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος ἐφρουρεῖτο. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς δι' αὐτῆς τῆς πείρας ἐμάθομεν. Ὅτε γὰρ τῶν Ἰσαύρων ὁ λόχος νύκτωρ κατέλαβε τὴν ἀκρόπολιν, εἶτα μετὰ τὴν ἕω μέχρις αὐτῆς τῆς ὑπωρείας κατέδραμον, πολλοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας, πολλὰς δὲ γυναῖκας τὸν ἀσκητικὸν μετιούσας βίον ἀπηνῶς κατηκόντισαν. Τότε τοίνυν ὁ θεῖος οὗτος ἀνὴρ τῶν ἄλλων θεώμενος τὰς σφαγὰς εὐχῇ τὰς ἐκείνων κατη μαύρωσεν ὄψεις καὶ διὰ τῆς θύρας ἰόντες οὐκ ἐθεώρουν τὴν εἴσοδον. Ὡς δὲ ἔφασκε, μάρτυρα καλῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τρία μειράκια ἐναργῶς ἐθεάσατο, ἅπαν ἐκείνων ἐξελαύνοντα τὸ στῖφος, σαφῶς τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν οἰκείαν χάριν ὑποδεικνύντος. Ὁποῖον μὲν οὖν ἔζη βίον ὁ θεῖος οὗτος ἀνὴρ καὶ οἵας θεόθεν ἀπέλαυσε χάριτος, ἀπόχρη καὶ ταῦτα διδάξαι. 12.7 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον κἀκεῖνο τούτοις προσθεῖναι. Λίαν αὐτὸν ἠνία καὶ ἔδακνε τὸ διαμεῖναι τὴν περιουσίαν καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν διαπραθῆναί τε καὶ διανεμηθῆναι νόμον. Αἴτιον δὲ τούτου ἦν τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡλικίας τὸ ἄωρον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κοινὰ ἦν τά τε χρήματα καὶ τὰ κτήματα, αὐτὸς μὲν καταλαβεῖν τῆς διανομῆς ἕνεκεν τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν οὐκ ἠθέλησεν, ἑτέρῳ δὲ τῆς οὐσίας ἀποδόσθαι τὸ μέρος ἐδεδίει μὴ πλεονεξίᾳ οἱ ὠνούμενοι κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφιδῶν χρησάμενοι, βλασφημίαις αὐτὸν περιβάλωσι, τούτους ἐν ἑαυτῷ στρέφων τοὺς λογισμοὺς πολὺν τὴν ἀπόδοσιν ἀνεβάλετο χρόνον, ὕστερον δέ τινι τῶν γνωρίμων μυρίων ἀποδόμενος ἅπαντα, τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα διένειμε· μεταξὺ δὲ ἀρρωστία συμβᾶσα περὶ τῶν λειπομένων βουλεύσασθαι κατηνάγκασεν. Μεταπεμ ψάμενος τοίνυν τὸν τῆς πόλεως πρόεδρον-ἦν δὲ ὁ μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος, τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγλάϊσμα, τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, ἡ ἀκριβὴς τῆς φιλοσοφίας εἰκών· "∆εῦρο, ἔφη, ὦ θεία μοι κεφαλή, γενοῦ καὶ τῶνδε τῶν χρημάτων ἄριστος οἰκονόμος, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον αὐτὰ διανέμων σκοπὸν ὡς ἐκείνῳ τῷ κριτῇ τὰς εὐθύνας ὑφέξων· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων αὐτουργὸς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ καὶ διέδωκα ᾗ ἐνόμιζον ἄριστα· καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα δὲ παραπλησίως οἰκονομεῖν ἐβουλόμην· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ βίου μεταβῆναι κελεύομαι, σὲ τούτων οἰκόνομον καθίστημι, ἀρχιερέα τε ὄντα καὶ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἀξίως πολιτευόμενον". Τὰ μὲν οὖν χρήματα ὡς θείῳ ταμίᾳ παραδέδωκεν· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ πολὺν ἐπιβιώσας χρόνον, οἷά τις ὀλυμπιονίκης ἀπὸ τῶν σκαμμάτων ἀπῆρεν, οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ ἀγγέλων τὴν εὐφημίαν δεξάμενος. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τοῦτον πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρεσβεύειν ἀντιβολήσας, εἰς ἑτέραν διήγησιν τρέψομαι.