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he continued to live the rest of his life in hardship, covered in a leather garment, and feeding on chickpeas and beans soaked in water. And sometimes he would partake of dried figs, thus trying to support the weakness of his body. And having reached a deep old age, so as even to lose most of his teeth, he changed neither his food nor his dwelling; but both freezing in winter and burning in summer he bravely bore the contrary qualities of the air, having his face shriveled, and all the members of his body mummified. He so wore down his body with many labors that not even his belt would stay on his loins, but would slip downwards; for there was nothing to stop it; for both buttocks and hips were wasted away and offered the belt an easy downward path; therefore he sewed the belt to his tunic, thus contriving its position. 18.2 Conversation with the many utterly wore him out; for, continually envisioning the divine contemplation, he did not wish to draw his mind away from it. But nevertheless, having so fervent a love, he allowed a few of his acquaintances to unbar the door and enter within. And offering them nourishment from the divine oracles, he would again order them as they left to put mud on the door. And judging it better to flee even meeting with the few, he walled up the entrance completely, fitting a very large stone to that door. And through a certain opening he would converse with a few of his intimates, but was not seen; for he had contrived it so; and from there he would also receive that little food. Then again, forbidding conversation with everyone, he deemed me alone worthy of that sweet voice, dear to God; and when I wished to leave he detained me for a very long time, discoursing on heavenly matters. 18.3 And when many came to him and demanded the gift of his blessing, being greatly vexed by their uproar, taking neither his old age into account nor considering his pressing weakness, he climbed over the enclosure, which was not easy to mount even for the very vigorous, and having reached the neighboring company of ascetics, using again a small enclosure by the corner of the wall, he struggled with his accustomed labors. 18.4 The man who presided over this flock, a man 18.4 full of all virtue, said that he passed the seven weeks of the holy fast using fifteen dried figs; and he contended in this contest having lived more than ninety years, and being worn out by an indescribable weakness. But his zeal was stronger than his weakness, and his divine longing showed all things to be easy and light. Drenched in these sweats, he too reached the goal of the race, seeing the judge and desiring the crowns. And I ask to obtain that intercession which I enjoyed while he was still alive; for I believe that he is alive and has a purer confidence before God. 19.t SALAMANES 19.1 Thinking I would be wronging virtue if I did not make known to posterity the life of the marvelous Salamanes, but were to allow it to be buried by oblivion, I shall make the narrative in summary. There is a certain village of the Euphrates river situated on its western bank, called Capersana. Hailing from this place and embracing the quiet life, he found a small hut in the village on the opposite bank and shut himself in, leaving neither door nor window; but once a year, digging a hole near the ground, he would receive his food for the whole year, never speaking to any man; and in this way he continued not for a short, but for the longest possible time.

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ταλαιπωρῶν τὸν λοιπὸν διετέλεσε βίον, ἐσθῆτι μὲν δερματίνῃ καλυπτόμενος, ἐρεβίνθοις δὲ καὶ κυάμοις ὕδατι δευομένοις τρεφόμενος. Καὶ ἰσχάδων δὲ ἔστιν ὅτε μετελάμβανεν ὑπερείδειν τοῦ σώματος τὴν ἀσθένειαν οὕτω πως πειρώμενος. Καὶ εἰς γῆρας δὲ ἐλάσας βαθὺ ὡς καὶ τῶν ὀδόντων τοὺς πλείστους ἀποβαλεῖν οὔτε τὴν τροφὴν οὔτε τὴν οἴκησιν ἤμειψεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν χειμῶνι πηγνύμενος καὶ ἐν θέρει φλεγόμενος ἔφερε καρτερῶς τὰς ἐναντίας τοῦ ἀέρος ποιότητας, ἐρρικνωμένον μὲν ἔχων τὸ πρόσωπον, τεταριχευμένα δὲ ἅπαντα τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος. Οὕτω δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς πόνοις τὸ σῶμα κατεδαπάνησεν ὡς μηδὲ τὴν ζώνην ἐπὶ τῆς ἰξύος μένειν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω χωρεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅ τι κωλύσειε· κατηνάλωντο γὰρ καὶ γλουτοὶ καὶ ἰσχία καὶ παρεῖχον τῇ ζώνῃ ῥᾳδίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω φοράν· τοιγάρτοι τῷ χιτῶνι τὴν ζώνην προσέρρα ψεν, οὕτω τὴν στάσιν αὐτῆς σοφισάμενος. 18.2 Κομιδῇ δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπέκναιεν ἡ πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς ὁμιλία· τὴν θείαν γὰρ διηνεκῶς φανταζόμενος θεωρίαν ἕλκειν ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἐβούλετο τὴν διάνοιαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ θερμὸν ἔχων οὕτω τὸν ἔρωτα, ὀλίγοις τῶν γνωρίμων ἀποφράττειν τὴν θύραν καὶ εἴσω διαβαίνειν ἐπέτρεπε. Καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων λογίων τροφὴν προσφέρων, πάλιν ἀπιόντας ἐκέλευε τῇ θύρᾳ τὸν πηλὸν ἐπιθεῖναι. Καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ὀλίγους συντυχίαν φυγεῖν ἄμεινον ἡγησάμενος ἀπετείχισε τὴν εἴσοδον παντελῶς, τῇ θύρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λίθον μέγιστον προσαρμόσας. ∆ιά τινος δὲ ὀρύγματος ὀλίγοις τῶν συνήθων διελέγετο μέν, οὐχ ἑωρᾶτο δέ· οὕτω γὰρ ἐμεμηχάνητο· ἐκεῖθεν δὲ εἰσεδέχετο καὶ τὴν ὀλίγην ἐκείνην τροφήν. Πάλιν δὲ τὴν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀπαγορεύσας διάλεξιν ἐμὲ μόνον τῆς γλυκείας ἐκείνης καὶ τῷ θεῷ φίλης ἠξίου φωνῆς· καὶ ἀπιέναι βουλόμενον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον κατεῖχε περὶ τῶν οὐρανίων πραγμάτων διαλεγόμενος. 18.3 Πολλῶν δὲ ὡς αὐτὸν ἀφικνουμένων καὶ τῆς εὐλογίας ἀπαιτούντων τὸ δῶρον, σφόδρα τούτων δυσχεράνας τὸν θόρυβον οὔτε τὸ γῆρας εἰς νοῦν λαβὼν οὔτε τὴν ἐπικειμένην ἀσθένειαν λογισάμενος ὑπερβαίνει τὸ θριγκίον οὐκ εὐεπί βατον ὂν οὐδὲ τοῖς μάλα σφριγῶσιν, καὶ τὴν πελάζουσαν τῶν ἀσκητῶν καταλαβὼν συμμορίαν, θριγκίῳ πάλιν σμικρῷ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ τοίχου γωνίαν χρησάμενος μετὰ τῶν συνήθων ἠγωνίζετο πόνων. 18.4 Ὁ ταύτης δὲ προστατεύων τῆς ποίμνης, ἀνὴρ 18.4 πάσης μεστὸς ἀρετῆς, ἰσχάσιν αὐτὸν ἔφη πέντε καὶ δέκα χρησάμενον τὰς ἑπτὰ τῆς ἁγίας νηστείας διελθεῖν ἑβδομάδας· καὶ τοῦτον ἠγωνίσατο τὸν ἀγῶνα πλειόνα μὲν ἢ ἐνενήκοντα ἔτη βεβιωκώς, ἀσθενείᾳ δὲ δυσδιηγήτῳ τετρυχωμένος. Ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἦν κρείττων ἡ προθυμία καὶ ὁ θεῖος πόθος εὐμαρῆ πάντα ἐδείκνυ καὶ ῥᾴδια. Τούτοις καὶ οὗτος τοῖς ἱδρῶσι περιρρεόμενος κατέλαβε τοῦ δρόμου τὴν νύσσαν καὶ τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην ὁρῶν καὶ τοὺς στεφάνους ποθῶν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς πρεσβείας ἐκείνης τυχεῖν ἀξιῶ ἧς ἔτι περιόντος ἀπέλαυον· ζῆν γὰρ αὐτὸν πιστεύω καὶ καθαρω τέραν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν παρρησίαν. 19.t ΣΑΛΑΜΑΝΗΣ 19.1 Ἀδικεῖν νομίσας τὴν ἀρετὴν εἰ καὶ Σαλαμάνου τοῦ θαυμασίου τὸν βίον τοῖς ἐσομένοις μὴ γνωρίσαιμι, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς λήθης χωννυμένην περιΐδοιμι, ἐν κεφαλαίῳ ποιήσομαι τὴν διήγησιν. Κώμη τίς ἐστι τοῦ Εὐφράτου ποταμοῦ πρὸς ἑσπέραν αὐτῇ ἐπικειμένη τῇ ὄχθῃ, Καπερσανᾶ καλουμένη. Ἐκ ταύτης οὗτος ὁρμώμενος καὶ τὸν ἡσύχιον ἀσπαζόμενος βίον, ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέραν κώμῃ σμικρὸν οἰκίσκον εὑρὼν καθεῖρξεν ἑαυτὸν οὔτε θύραν οὔτε θυρίδα καταλιπών· ἅπαξ δὲ τοῦ ἔτους παρὰ τὴν γῆν ὀρύττων παντὸς τοῦ ἔτους ὑπεδέχετο τὴν τροφὴν οὐδενί ποτε ἀνθρώπων διαλεγό μενος· καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον οὐκ ὀλίγον ἀλλ' ὅτι μάλιστα πλεῖστον διετέλεσε χρόνον.