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17.4 Seeing this zeal of his, they offer him a more earnest entreaty. And when he promised to do this if they would promise to build a church, they begged him to begin at once and led the blessed man around, pointing out the more suitable places; and one praised this one, and another that one. But choosing the better one and laying the foundations, in a short time he put on the roof, and when the building was completed, he urged them to appoint a priest. But when they said they would not choose another, but begged to have him as both father and shepherd, he then accepted the grace of the priesthood. And having been with them for three years and having guided them well toward divine things, arranging for another of his companions to be appointed in his place, he again took up his monastic dwelling. 17.5 And so that I do not make the narrative long by relating all his deeds, having shone forth in these things, he accepted the presidency of Carrhae; this is a city clothed in the drunkenness of impiety and having given itself over to the frenzy of demons. But having been deemed worthy of his husbandry and having received the fire of his teaching, it remained free of its former thorns, and now it glories in the harvests of the spirit, offering sheaves of ripe ears to God. But not without toil did the divine man work this husbandry; but employing countless labors and imitating the art of those entrusted with healing bodies, soothing some things with a poultice, treating others with harsh, astringent medicines, and in some places even cutting and burning, he worked this cure. And with his teaching and his other care, the splendors of his life also worked in harmony; for being enlightened by these, they both obeyed what was said and gladly accepted what was done. 17.6 For the whole time of his presidency, bread was superfluous for him, and water was superfluous, and a bed was useless, and the need for fire was superfluous; for at night he completed forty antiphonal hymns, doubling the measure of the prayers that took place in between. And for the remainder of the night, he would sit upon a chair, allowing his eyelids a very brief rest. That "man shall not live by bread alone," Moses the lawgiver indeed said, and the Lord recalled this saying when refusing the challenge of the devil; but that it is possible to live even without water, we have nowhere been taught in the divine scripture. For even the great Elijah first filled this need from the brook, and then, having come to the widow of Zarephath, he first ordered that water be brought to him, and then so he promised the bread. But this wondrous man, during the time of his episcopacy, partook neither of bread, nor of pulses or vegetables that had touched fire, nor of water, which was considered the first of the four elements by those who were held to be experts in such matters, on account of its necessity; but lettuce and endives and celery and whatever is of this kind, he made both his food and his drink, rendering the arts of bakers and cooks superfluous. And in the season of autumn fruits, these fulfilled the need; and he would partake of these after the evening service. 17.7 And while wasting his body with such toils, he offered insatiable care to others; for arriving strangers there was a bed ready, and fine and choice loaves were offered, and fragrant wine, and fish and vegetables, and all the other things that go with them. And he himself would sit at midday with those who were feasting, offering to each some portions of the things set before them, and giving the cups to all, and urging them to drink, and imitating that famous namesake, I mean the patriarch, who to the

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17.4 Ταύτην αὐτοῦ τὴν σπουδὴν θεασάμενοι, σπουδαιοτέραν αὐτῷ προσφέρουσι τὴν παράκλησιν. Τοῦ δὲ τοῦτο δρᾶν ὑποσχομένου εἰ ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖν ἐπαγγέλλοιντο, εὐθὺς ἐπιχειρεῖν ἱκέτευον καὶ περιῆγον τὸν μακάριον ἄνδρα τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτέρους τόπους ὑποδεικνύντες· καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῦτον, ὁ δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐπῄνει· προελόμενος δὲ τὸν ἀμείνω καὶ τὰ θεμέλια καταπήξας, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ τὸν ὄροφον ἐπιτέθηκεν καὶ τῆς οἰκοδομίας δεξαμένης τὸ πέρας ἱερέα δείξασθαι παρηγγύα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔλεγον ὡς ἕτερον οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο, αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ πατέρα καὶ ποιμένα λαβεῖν ἱκέτευον, δέχεται δὴ τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὴν χάριν. Καὶ τρία συγγενόμενος αὐτοῖς ἔτη καὶ πρὸς τὰ θεῖα ποδηγήσας καλῶς ἕτερον τῶν συνόντων ἀντ' αὐτοῦ προβληθῆναι παρασκευάσας πάλιν τὸ μοναχικὸν κατέλαβε καταγώγιον. 17.5 Καὶ ἵνα μὴ πάντα τὰ ἐκείνου διηγούμενος μακρὸν ἐργάσωμαι τὸ διήγημα, ἐν τούτοις διαλάμψας τὴν Καρρῶν ὑποδέχεται προεδρίαν· πόλις δὲ αὕτη τῆς δυσσεβείας περικειμένη τὴν μέθην καὶ τῇ τῶν δαιμόνων ἑαυτὴν ἐκδεδω κυῖα βακχείᾳ. Ἀλλὰ τῆς τούτου γεωργίας ἀξιωθεῖσα καὶ τῆς τούτου διδασκαλίας δεξαμένη τὸ πῦρ, τῶν μὲν προτέρων ἀκανθῶν ἐλευθέρα διέμεινε, κομᾷ δὲ νῦν τοῖς ληίοις τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀσταχύων ὡρίμων τῷ θεῷ προσφέρουσα δράγ ματα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπόνως ὁ θεῖος ἀνὴρ τὴν γεωργίαν ταύτην εἰργάσατο· πόνοις δὲ μυρίοις χρησάμενος καὶ τῶν τὰ σώματα θεραπεύειν πεπιστευμένων τὴν τέχνην μιμούμενος, τὰ μὲν καταιονήσει γλυκαίνων, τὰ δὲ τοῖς αὐστηροῖς ἐπι στύφων φαρμάκοις, ἔστι δὲ ὅπου καὶ τέμνων καὶ καίων τὴν ὑγίειαν ταύτην εἰργάσατο. Τῇ δὲ διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ ἐπιμελείᾳ καὶ αἱ τοῦ βίου λαμπηδόνες συνηγόρουν· ἐκείναις γὰρ φωτιζόμενοι καὶ τῶν λεγομένων ὑπήκουον καὶ ἄσμενοι τὰ δρώμενα κατεδέχοντο. 17.6 Πάντα γὰρ τῆς προεδρίας τὸν χρόνον περιττὸς μὲν ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ ἄρτος, περιττὸν δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ, ἄχρηστος δὲ ἡ κλίνη, περιττὴ δὲ ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς χρεία· τεσσαράκοντα μὲν γὰρ νύκτωρ τὰς ἀντιφθεγγομένας ὑμνῳδίας ἐπλήρου τῶν διὰ μέσου γιγνομένων προσευχῶν διπλασιάζων τὸ μέτρον· τὸ δὲ λειπόμενον τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ θρόνου καθῆστο βραχύ τι διαναπαύεσθαι παραχωρῶν τοῖς βλεφάροις. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν "οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος", ἔφη μὲν Μωϋσῆς ὁ νομοθέτης, ἀπεμνημόνευσε δὲ ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς ὁ δεσπότης τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν πρόκλησιν παραιτούμενος· ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἄνευ ὕδατος διαβιῶναι τῶν δυνατῶν, οὐδαμοῦ τῆς θείας γραφῆς ἐπαιδεύθημεν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τοσοῦτος Ἠλίας πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμάρρου τὴν χρείαν ταύτην ἐπλήρου, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν Σαραφθίαν χήραν παραγενόμενος ὕδωρ αὐτῷ πρῶτον κομισθῆναι προσέταξεν, εἶθ' οὕτω τὸν ἄρτον ἐπήγγειλεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ θαυμάσιος οὗτος ἀνὴρ οὔτε ἄρτου κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης μετέλαβε χρόνον οὔτε ὀσπρίων οὔτε λαχάνων ὁμιλησάντων πυρί, οὐχ ὕδατος ὃ τῶν τεττάρων στοιχείων πρῶτον παρὰ τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα δεινοῖς εἶναι δόξασιν ἐνομίσθη διὰ τὴν χρείαν· ἀλλὰ θριδακίνας καὶ σέρεις καὶ σέλινα καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα καὶ τροφὴν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ πόμα, ἀρτοποιῶν καὶ ὀψοποιῶν περιττὰς ἀποφαίνων τὰς τέχνας. Ἐν δὲ τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς ὀπώρας, ἐκείνη τὴν χρείαν ἐπλήρου· καὶ τούτων δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἑσπερίνην μετελάγχανε λειτουργίαν. 17.7 Τοιούτοις δὲ πόνοις κατατήκων τὸ σῶμα ἄπληστον τοῖς ἄλλοις προσέφερεν ἐπιμέλειαν· τοῖς γὰρ ἀφικνουμένοις ξένοις καὶ στιβὰς ἦν εὐτρεπὴς καὶ ἄρτοι λαμπροί τε καὶ ἔκκριτοι προσεφέροντο καὶ οἶνος ἀνθοσμίας καὶ ἰχθύες καὶ λάχανα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τούτοις συνέζευκται. Παρε κάθητο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς μεσημβρίας τοῖς ἑστιωμένοις, μοίρας ἑκάστῳ τινὰς τῶν παρακειμένων προσφέρων καὶ τὰς κύλικας πᾶσι διδοὺς καὶ πίνειν παρεγγυῶν καὶ τὸν ὁμώνυ μον ἐκεῖνον μιμούμενος, τὸν πατριάρχην φημί, ὃς τοῖς