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was forty years old when he was ordained presbyter. 3.14.3 The other became a presbyter later in time, but he had tried almost every kind of asceticism, devising some things himself, and accomplishing in every way things he heard from others, so that from excessive harshness the hair of his beard would not grow. 3.14.4 At this time, in the same region, Pambo, Heraclides, Cronius, Paphnutius, Putubastes, Arsisius, Serapion the Great, and Pityrion, who lived among the Thebans, were practicing philosophy, and 3.14.5 Pachomius, who became the founder of those called Tabennesiotes. Their habit and way of life was in some respects different from that of other monks, yet it looked toward virtue and accustomed the soul to despise earthly things, and to look upward, so that it might easily proceed to heavenly things, whenever it should be released from the body; 3.14.6 and they wore skins, in imitation of Elijah the Tishbite, it seems to me, so that by always recalling the virtue of the prophet from the skin they wore, they might be courageously arrayed against carnal desires, and with zeal for him and in hope of similar rewards, practice self-control more eagerly. 3.14.7 It is also said that the other garments of the monks in Egypt were conceived as a model of a certain philosophy, and did not differ from others by chance. And they wore sleeveless tunics, teaching not to have their hands ready for violence, and the covering on the head, which they call a `cucullus,' so that they might live as innocently and purely as infants fed on milk, on whom such caps are placed, both protecting and warming the head. 3.14.8 A belt and a scapular, the one girding the loins, the other covering the shoulders and arms, urges them to be ready for the service of God and for necessary work. I am not ignorant that others have given different accounts concerning these things; but for me it is sufficient to have said this much. 3.14. They say, however, that Pachomius at first practiced philosophy alone in a cave. But a divine angel appeared to him and exhorted him to gather young monks and live with them; for he had succeeded well in his own philosophy and it was necessary, as a leader of communities, to benefit many, and to guide them by whatever laws 3.14.10 he might give; and he gave him a tablet, which they still preserve. The writing on this tablet commanded to allow each one, as he was able, to eat and drink and work, and to fast or not, but to assign the more strenuous tasks to the stronger ones <and> who ate, and the easier tasks to those who were practicing asceticism. 3.14.11 And to build many small dwellings, and in each dwelling three were to remain; but all were to partake of food under one roof; and they were to eat in silence, and sit at the tables with their faces covered, so as neither to see one another nor anything else except the table and the food set before them. 3.14.12 A stranger was not to eat with them, unless he happened to be a guest passing through; but he who wished to live with them was first for a period of three years to labor at the more difficult 3.14.13 tasks and so to share in their community. And they were to wear skins and cover their heads with woolen caps, and he commanded that these caps be marked with what looked like purple signs. They were to use linen tunics and belts, and to sleep girt with their tunics and skins, sitting in built-up chairs enclosed on either side, 3.14.14 so as to hold in each one's bedding. And on the first and last day of the week, when approaching the altar for communion in the divine mysteries, they were to loosen their belts and lay aside their skins; they were to pray twelve times during the day and likewise towards evening, and as many times also at night, and a third time at the ninth hour. And when they were about to eat, they were to sing a psalm before each 3.14.15 prayer. And he was to divide the whole community into twenty-four orders and to name these after the Greek letters, and in whatever manner of life

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τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη γεγονότα χειροτονηθῆναι πρεσβύτερον. 3.14.3 ὁ δὲ ἕτερος χρόνῳ μὲν ὕστερον πρεσβύτερος ἐγένετο, παντοδαπῆς δὲ σχεδὸν ἀσκήσεως ἐπειράθη, τὰ μὲν αὐτὸς περινοῶν, ἃ δὲ παρ' ἄλλοις ἤκουεν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου κατορθῶν, ὡς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν κατεσκληκέναι μὴ φύειν τοῦ γενείου τὰς τρίχας. 3.14.4 ᾿Εν τούτῳ δὲ περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν χῶρον ἐφιλοσόφουν Παμβώ τε καὶ ῾Ηρα-κλείδης καὶ Κρόνιος καὶ Παφνούτιος καὶ Πουτουβάστης καὶ ᾿Αρσίσιος καὶ Σεραπίων ὁ μέγας καὶ Πιτυρίων, ὃς παρὰ Θηβαίοις τὴν διατριβὴν εἶχε, καὶ 3.14.5 Παχώμιος, ὃς ἀρχηγὸς ἐγένετο τῶν καλουμένων Ταβεννησιωτῶν. σχῆμα δὲ τούτοις ἦν καὶ πολιτεία ἔν τισι παρηλλαγμένη τῆς ἄλλης μοναχικῆς, πρὸς ἀρετὴν μέντοι ὁρῶσα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν προσεθίζουσα τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καταφρονεῖν, ἄνω δὲ ὁρᾶν, ἵν' εὐμαρῶς ἐπὶ τὰ οὐράνια χωροίη, ἡνίκα τοῦ σώματος ἀπαλ3.14.6 λαγείη· διφθέρας δὲ ἀμφιέννυσθαι κατὰ μίμησιν ᾿Ηλίου τοῦ Θεσβίτου, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ὥστε ἐκ τοῦ περικειμένου δέρματος εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἀεὶ λαμβάνοντας τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ προφήτου, ἀνδρείως πρὸς τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἀφροδισίων συντετάχθαι καὶ ζήλῳ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐλπίδι ὁμοίων ἀμοιβῶν προθυ3.14.7 μότερον σωφρονεῖν. λόγος δὲ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐνδύματα τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μοναχῶν συλλαμβάνεσθαι εἰς ὑπόδειγμα φιλοσοφίας τινός, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε παραλλάσσειν τῶν ἄλλων. καὶ τοὺς μὲν χιτῶνας ἀχειριδώτους ἐνδιδύσκεσθαι, παιδεύοντας μὴ ἑτοίμους ἔχειν τὰς χεῖρας εἰς ὕβριν, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς σκέπασμα, ὃ κουκούλλιον καλοῦσιν, ὥστε ἐπίσης ἀκεραίως καὶ καθαρῶς βιοῦν τοῖς γάλακτι τρεφομένοις παισίν, οἷς αἱ τοιαῦται τιᾶραι ἐπίκεινται τὸ 3.14.8 ἡγεμονικὸν σκέπουσαί τε καὶ περιθάλπουσαι. ζώνη δὲ καὶ ἀναβολεύς, ἡ μὲν τὴν ὀσφὺν περισφίγγουσα, ὁ δὲ τοὺς ὤμους καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας ἀνέχων, ἑτοίμους εἶναι εἰς διακονίαν θεοῦ καὶ ἐργασίαν ὧν δεῖ παρακελεύεται. οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δὲ ὡς περὶ τούτων ἄλλοι ἀλλοίους ἀποδεδώκασι λόγους· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀπόχρη τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν. 3.14. Τόν γε μὴν Παχώμιόν φασι μόνον ἐν σπηλαίῳ τὰ πρῶτα φιλοσοφῆσαι. προφανέντα δὲ αὐτῷ θεῖον ἄγγελον παρακελεύσασθαι νέους ἀθροῖσαι μοναχοὺς καὶ συνεῖναι αὐτοῖς· εὖ γὰρ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ κατωρθωκέναι καὶ χρῆναι συνοικιῶν ἡγούμενον ὠφελεῖν πολλούς, ἄγειν δὲ αὐτοὺς νόμοις 3.14.10 οἷς ἂν δοίη· δεδωκέναι δὲ αὐτῷ δέλτον, ἣν ἔτι φυλάττουσιν. ἡ ἐνοῦσα δὲ ταύτῃ γραφὴ προσέταττε συγχωρεῖν ἑκάστῳ, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ᾖ, φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι, νηστεύειν τε καὶ μή, τοῖς μέντοι ῥωμαλεωτέροις <καὶ> ἐσθίουσι τὰ ἐπιπονώτερα τῶν ἔργων ἐπιτρέπειν, τὰ δὲ εὐχερῆ τοῖς ἀσκου3.14.11 μένοις. οἰκήματα δὲ μικρὰ κατασκευάσαι πολλά, καὶ καθ' ἕκαστον οἴκημα τρεῖς καταμένειν· ὑπὸ ἕνα δὲ οἶκον πάντας τροφῆς μεταλαμβάνειν· σιγῇ τε ἐσθίειν, καὶ καθῆσθαι παρὰ τὰς τραπέζας ἐπικεκαλυμμένους τὰ πρόσωπα, ὡς μήτε ἀλλήλους ὁρᾶν μήτε ἄλλο τι πλὴν τῆς τραπέζης καὶ τῶν προκει3.14.12 μένων. ξένον δὲ μὴ συνεσθίειν αὐτοῖς, μόνον εἰ μὴ παροδεύων ἐπιξενωθείη· τὸν δὲ συνοικεῖν αὐτοῖς βουλόμενον πρότερον ἐπὶ τριετίαν τὰ χαλεπώ3.14.13 τερα τῶν ἔργων πονεῖν καὶ οὕτως μετέχειν τῆς αὐτῶν συνοικίας. διφθέρας δὲ ἀμφιέννυσθαι καὶ τιάραις ἐρίναις τὰς κεφαλὰς σκέπεσθαι, κατασημαίνεσθαι δὲ ταύτας τὰς τιάρας οἱονεὶ κέντροις πορφυροῖς προσέταξε. χιτῶσι δὲ λινοῖς καὶ ζώναις κεχρῆσθαι καὶ ἐζωσμένους σὺν τοῖς χιτωνίοις καὶ ταῖς διφθέραις καθεύδειν, καθημένους ἐν οἰκοδομητοῖς θρόνοις ἑκατέρωθεν περι3.14.14 πεφραγμένοις, ὥστε τὴν ἑκάστου συνέχειν στρωμνήν. τῇ δὲ πρώτῃ καὶ τελευταίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσιόντας τὰς ζώνας λύειν καὶ τὰς διφθέρας ἀποτίθεσθαι· δωδέκατον δὲ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας εὔχεσθαι καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ὁμοίως, τοσαυτάκις δὲ καὶ νύκτωρ, ἐννάτῃ δὲ ὥρᾳ τρίτον. ἡνίκα δὲ μέλλοιεν ἐσθίειν, ἑκάστης 3.14.15 εὐχῆς προᾴδειν ψαλμόν. πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν συνοικίαν εἰς εἰκοσιτέσσαρα τάγματα διελεῖν καὶ ἐπονομάσαι ταῦτα τοῖς ῾Ελλήνων στοιχείοις, καὶ ὅπως ἔχοι βίου