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having freed his soul and nailed his mind to the memory of God, so he practiced the exercise of perfect virtue. Having trained himself excellently and made his soul accustomed to good labors, he dared the greater contests; and taking possession of this mountain, which is thirty stades distant from this city, he made it notable and venerable, though it was formerly obscure and entirely barren. And now it is believed to have received so great a blessing that the very soil upon it is used up, as those who arrive from all quarters carry it away for their benefit. 21.5 Living in this place, he is watched by all who come by, having no cave, as I said, no tent, no hut, no cornice, no enclosing wall, but he is seen both praying and resting, and standing and sitting, and being healthy and being afflicted by some illness, so that he contends perpetually before spectators and repels the necessities of nature. For it is not easy even for other men, who have been brought up with some little freedom, to perform the excretions of waste in the presence of strangers, much less for a man who has practiced the highest philosophy. And I say these things, not having learned this from another, but having been an eyewitness myself. For fourteen years ago a severe illness befell him and affected him as was likely for one having a mortal body. For it was the height of summer, and the flame of the sun's ray burned more intensely, since the winds were lulled and the air remained still. The affliction was an overflowing of bile, carried downwards and biting the intestine and constricting it and forcing it to run outwards. Then I beheld the great endurance of the man. For when very many country-folk had gathered as if to snatch his victorious body, he sat assailed from two directions; for nature compelled him to go to his excretion, but shame before the crowd standing by forced him to remain in his posture. But I, knowing this, brought many exhortations to those who had gathered, and many threats, ordering them to depart; and later I even placed upon them the bonds of the priesthood and with much effort, late in the evening, I sent them away. But the divine man, not even when these had departed, was overcome by nature, but remained enduring until deep night came on and compelled everyone to go home. 21.6 Again on the next day, having come to him, when I saw that the inflammation had become more intense and the fever upon him was being fed and increased by the external fire, feigning a headache I said that I was troubled by the sun's ray and I begged him to rig up some small shade for me beside him; and when he ordered it, we fixed three reeds in the ground and placing two goatskins over these, we contrived the shade. And when he bade me go inside; "It is shameful," I said, "O father, for me, who am both young and strong, to receive this recreation, while you, seized by a raging fever and needing such comfort, sit outside receiving the assault of the sun's ray. If therefore," I said, "you wish me to enjoy the shade, become my partner in this small tent; for I wish to remain with you, but I am prevented by the sun's ray." He yielded therefore, on hearing these words, and preferred my care. 21.7 And when we were enjoying the shade together, I began again another argument and said that I needed to lie down, as my hip could not bear sitting without pain. But again he thought it right for me to lie down, but he heard in reply that it was not bearable for me to recline while seeing him sitting. "If therefore," I said, "you wish me also to enjoy this rest, let us recline together, O father; for I shall not blush lying down alone."

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ψυχὴν ἐλευθερώσας καὶ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ μνήμῃ προσηλώσας τὸν νοῦν, οὕτω τὴν τῆς ἐντελοῦς ἀρετῆς ἐποιεῖτο μελέτην. Γυμνασάμενος δὲ ἄριστα καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πόνων ἐθάδα τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποφήνας τῶν μειζόνων κατετόλμησεν ἄθλων· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄρος καταλαβὼν ὃ τοῦδε τοῦ ἄστεως τριάκοντα σταδίους ἀφέστηκεν, ἐπίσημον ἀπέφηνε καὶ σεβάσμιον, ἄσημον ὂν πάλαι καὶ ἄκαρπον παντελῶς. Τοσαύτην δὲ νῦν εὐλογίαν δεδέχθαι πεπίστευται ὡς τὴν ἐπικειμένην δαπανᾶσθαι γῆν, τῶν πάντοθεν ἀφικνουμένων εἰς ὠφέλειαν ταύτην κομιζομένων. 21.5 Ἐν τούτῳ διαιτώμενος ὑπὸ τῶν παραγινομένων ἁπάντων θεωρεῖται, οὐκ ἄντρον ἔχων, ὡς ἔφην, οὐ σκηνήν, οὐ καλύβην, οὐ θριγκίον, οὐχ αἱμασιὰν περιφράττουσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσευχόμενος ὁρᾶται καὶ διαναπαυόμενος καὶ ἑστὼς καὶ καθήμενος καὶ ὑγιαίνων καὶ ἀρρωστίᾳ τινὶ κατεχόμενος ὡς διηνεκῶς ὑπὸ θεαταῖς ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ τὰς ἀνάγκας τῆς φύσεως ἀποκρούεσθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ βραχείᾳ τεθραμμένοις, ξένων παρόντων, εὐπετὲς τὰς τῶν περιττωμάτων ἐκκρίσεις ποιεῖ σθαι μή τί γε ἀνδρὶ τὴν ἄκραν φιλοσοφίαν ἐξησκημένῳ. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐ παρ' ἄλλου τοῦτο μαθών, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτόπτης γεγενημένος. Πρὸ τεττάρων γὰρ καὶ δέκα ἐνιαυτῶν νόσος αὐτῷ χαλεπὴ προσπεσοῦσα διέθηκεν ὡς ἦν εἰκὸς τὸν θνητὸν ἔχοντα σῶμα. Θέρος γὰρ ἦν ἀκμάζον καὶ σφοδρό τερον ἐξήπτετο τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἡ φλὸξ τῶν μὲν ἀνέμων κεκοιμισμένων, ἀκινήτου δὲ μένοντος τοῦ ἀέρος. Τὸ δὲ πάθος ἦν πλημμύρα χολῆς φερομένης ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω καὶ δακνούσης τὸ ἔντερον καὶ συνωθούσης καὶ τρέχειν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω βιαζομένης. Τότε τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καρτερίαν ἐθεασάμην. Παμπόλλων γὰρ χωρίτων συναθροισθέντων ὡς ἁρπασομένων τὸ σῶμα τὸ νικηφόρον, καθῆστο διχόθεν βαλλόμενος· ἡ μὲν γὰρ φύσις ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἔκκρισιν κατηνάγκαζεν, ἡ δὲ τῆς παρεστηκυίας πληθύος αἰδὼς μένειν ἐπὶ σχήματος ἐβιάζετο. Ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο γινώσκων πολλὰς μὲν τοῖς συνελθοῦσι παραινέσεις προσήνεγκα, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ ἀπειλάς, ἀπιέναι κελεύων· ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἱερωσύνης αὐτοῖς δεσμὰ περιτέθηκα καὶ σὺν πόνῳ πολλῷ, δείλης ὀψίας, ἀπεπεμψάμην. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος ἀνήρ, οὐδὲ τούτων ἀπελθόντων, ἡττήθη τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἔμεινε καρτερῶν ἕως νὺξ ἐπιγενομένη βαθεῖα πάντας ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε κατηνάγκασεν. 21.6 Πάλιν δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφικόμενος, ὡς εἶδον τὸν φλογμὸν σφοδρότερον γεγενημένον καὶ τὸν ἐπικείμενον αὐτῷ πυρετὸν τῷ ἔξωθεν πυρὶ τρεφόμενόν τε καὶ αὐξανόμενον, κεφαλαλγίαν σκηψάμενος δυσχεραίνειν ἔλεγον τῆς ἀκτῖνος τὴν προσβολὴν καὶ παρεκάλουν βραχεῖάν μοί τινα παρ' αὐτῷ σχεδιάσαι σκιάν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ προσέταξε, καλάμους τρεῖς προσπήξαντες καὶ δύο τούτοις περιθέντες σισύρας ἐσοφισάμεθα τὴν σκιάν. Κελεύοντος δέ μοι εἴσω ἰέναι· "Αἰσχρόν, ἔφην, ὦ πάτερ, ἐμὲ μὲν καὶ νέον ὄντα καὶ ἐρρωμένον τῆσδε τῆς ψυχαγωγίας τυχεῖν, σὲ δὲ πυρετῷ κατεχόμενον λάβρῳ καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης παραψυχῆς δεόμενον, ἔξω καθῆσθαι δεχόμενον τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος τὴν προσβολήν. Εἰ τοίνυν, ἔφην, ἐθέλεις με τῆς σκιᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι, γενοῦ μοι κοινωνὸς τῆς βραχείας ταύτης σκηνῆς· προσμεῖναι γάρ σοι βούλομαι μέν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀκτῖνος κωλύομαι". Εἶξε τοίνυν τούτων ἀκούσας τῶν λόγων καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν θεραπείαν προείλετο. 21.7 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κοινῇ τῆς σκιᾶς ἀπελαύομεν, ἠρξάμην πάλιν ἑτέρου λόγου καὶ ἔφην ὅτι δεῖ μοι κατακλίσεως, τοῦ ἰσχίου τὴν καθέδραν ἀλύπως οὐ φέροντος. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἠξίου μέν με κατακλίνεσθαι, ἀντήκουε δὲ ὡς οὐ φορητὸν ἐμοὶ καθήμενον αὐτὸν ὁρῶντι προσκλίνεσθαι. "Εἰ τοίνυν, ἔφην, ἐθέλεις με καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ἀναπαύλης, κοινῇ προσκλιθῶμεν, ὦ πάτερ· οὐ γὰρ ἐρυθριάσω μόνος κατα κλινόμενος."