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3.16.5 But I am not unaware that long ago very famous men of this type arose among the Osroenians, both Bardesanes, who established the heresy named after him, and Harmonius, the son of Bardesanes, who, they say, having been educated in Greek learning, was the first to subject his native tongue to meters and musical laws and to give it to choirs, just as even now the Syrians often sing, using not the writings of Harmonius, but his melodies. 3.16.6 For since he was not entirely free from his father’s heresy and of the opinions that the Greek philosophers hold concerning the soul, the generation and corruption of the body, and reincarnation, so, having set to the lyre what he had written, he mixed these very 3.16.7 opinions with his own writings. But Ephrem, seeing the Syrians charmed by the beauty of the words and by the rhythm of the melody, and on this account becoming accustomed to believe similarly to him, although without Greek education, applied himself to the understanding of Harmonius' meters; and to the tunes of his writings he composed other writings that were in harmony with the doctrines of the church, such as he has labored on in divine hymns and in encomia of good men. And from that time the Syrians sing the works of Ephrem according to the style of Harmonius' song. 3.16.8 Of what nature he was, then, one must judge also from this. And he was also distinguished in his life by good works and by a strict way of life, and was exceedingly a lover of tranquility, and reverent, and so very cau3.16. tious of slanders, that he guarded against the very sight of any woman. There is a story, at least, that once a certain woman of careless life, and perhaps shameless in manner, either testing the man herself or doing this for pay for others, purposely met him face to face in a narrow street, looking at him without blinking. And he rebuked her and urged her to look at the ground. "And how," said the woman, "I who was not born from earth, but from you? For it is more just for you to look at the ground, from which you have your origin, and for me to look at you, from whence I am." And Ephrem, marveling at the woman, formed the incident into a written work, which the learned men of the Syrians have placed among his serious discourses. 3.16.10 And it is said that though formerly he was prone to anger, from the time he adopted the monastic life, he was never seen by anyone to be angry. For instance, while his attendant was bringing him his food after he had fasted for many days as was his custom, the one serving him broke the pot; and seeing him overcome with shame and fear, "But be of good cheer," he said, "and let us go to the food, since it did not come to us." And sitting down beside the broken pieces of the pot, he ate his meal. 3.16.11 And how much he mastered vainglory, must be understood from this. Once some people cast a vote for him for the episcopacy and they tried to seize him to lead him to his ordination. But immediately realizing it, he rushed into the marketplace and showed himself as if he were out of his mind, walking disorderly and dragging his clothes and eating in public. But when those who were to seize him, thinking him to be out of his mind, desisted from their attempt against him, he found an opportunity and fled, and he remained hidden until another was ordained. 3.16.12 But I will be content with these things concerning Ephrem. But the greater part the local people know and tell. But what was done by him not long before his death, since it seems to me to be worthy of mention, I will record here. 3.16.13 For when a famine seized the city of the Edessenes, coming forth after a long time from the dwelling in which he practiced his philosophy, he reproached those who had possessions for improperly overlooking their own kind perishing for lack of necessities, and for carefully guarding their own wealth to their own harm and for the punishment of their own soul, which he showed to be more valuable than every kind of wealth and the body itself and the other philosophers; and he convicted them through their works of holding it as nothing. But they, revering the man and his words, said, "But we care nothing for possessions, but we are at a loss as to whom we shall entrust to administer such things,

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3.16.5 Οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δὲ ὡς καὶ πάλαι ἐλλογιμώτατοι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον παρὰ ᾿Οσροηνοῖς ἐγένοντο Βαρδησάνης τε, ὃς τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καλουμένην αἵρεσιν συνεστήσατο, καὶ ῾Αρμόνιος ὁ Βαρδησάνου παῖς, ὅν φασι διὰ τῶν παρ' ῞Ελλησι λόγων ἀχθέντα πρῶτον μέτροις καὶ νόμοις μουσικοῖς τὴν πάτριον φωνὴν ὑπαγαγεῖν καὶ χοροῖς παραδοῦναι, καθάπερ καὶ νῦν πολλάκις οἱ Σύροι ψάλλουσιν, οὐ τοῖς ῾Αρμονίου συγγράμμασιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς μέλεσι χρώμενοι. 3.16.6 ἐπεὶ γὰρ οὐ παντάπασιν ἐκτὸς ἦν τῆς πατρῴας αἱρέσεως καὶ ὧν περὶ ψυχῆς, γενέσεώς τε καὶ φθορᾶς σώματος καὶ παλιγγενεσίας οἱ παρ' ῞Ελλησι φιλοσοφοῦντες δοξάζουσιν, οἷά γε ὑπὸ λύραν ἃ συνεγράψατο συνθεὶς ταυτασὶ 3.16.7 τὰς δόξας τοῖς οἰκείοις προσέμιξε συγγράμμασιν. ἰδὼν δὲ ᾿Εφραὶμ κηλουμένους τοὺς Σύρους τῷ κάλλει τῶν ὀνομάτων καὶ τῷ ῥυθμῷ τῆς μελῳδίας, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο προσεθιζομένους ὁμοίως αὐτῷ δοξάζειν, καίπερ ῾Ελληνικῆς παιδείας ἄμοιρος, ἐπέστη τῇ καταλήψει τῶν ῾Αρμονίου μέτρων· καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλη τῶν ἐκείνου γραμμάτων ἑτέρας γραφὰς συνᾳδούσας τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς δόγμασι συνέθηκεν, ὁποῖα αὐτῷ πεπόνηται ἐν θείοις ὕμνοις καὶ ἐγκωμίοις ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν. ἐξ ἐκείνου τε Σύροι κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῆς ῾Αρμονίου ᾠδῆς τὰ τοῦ ᾿Εφραὶμ ψάλλουσιν. 3.16.8 ῾Ηλίκος μὲν οὖν τὴν φύσιν ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἐκ τούτου τεκμαίρεσθαι χρεών· ἦν δὲ καὶ τὸν βίον ἐξ ἀγαθῶν ἔργων καὶ ἀκριβοῦς πολιτείας ἐπιφανὴς καὶ ἡσυχίας εἰσάγαν ἐραστής, σεμνὸς δὲ καὶ τὰς διαβολὰς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εὐλα3.16. βούμενος, ὡς πάσης γυναικὸς καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν θέαν φυλάττεσθαι. λόγος γοῦν ποτε γυναῖκά τινα ἀμελῆ τὸν βίον, ἀναιδῆ δὲ ἴσως τὸν τρόπον, ἢ αὐτὴν τὸν ἄνδρα πειρῶσαν ἢ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τοῦτο ἄλλοις σπουδάζουσαν, ἐπίτηδες ἐν στενωπῷ ἀντιπρόσωπον ὑπαντῆσαι ἀσκαρδαμυκτὶ ἐς αὐτὸν βλέπουσαν· τὸν δὲ ἐπιτιμῆσαι αὐτῇ καὶ εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν παρακελεύσασθαι· «καὶ πῶς», ἔφη ἡ γυνή, «ἥτις οὐκ ἀπὸ γῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ σοῦ ἐγενόμην; δικαιότερον γὰρ εἶναι σὲ μὲν εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν, ἀφ' ἧς ἔχεις τὴν γένεσιν, ἐμὲ δὲ εἰς σέ, ὅθεν εἰμί.» θαυμάσας δὲ τὸ γύναιον ᾿Εφραὶμ εἰς σύγγραμμα τὸ συμβὰν ἐσχημάτισεν, ὅπερ Σύρων λόγιοι ἐν τοῖς σπουδαίοις τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων τετάχασι. 3.16.10 Λέγεται δὲ τὸ πρὶν ἀκρατῶς ὀργῆς ἔχων, ἀφ' οὗ τὴν μοναστικὴν ἀγωγὴν μετῆλθε, μηδεπώποτε θεαθῆναι παρά τινος ὀργιζόμενος. οὕτω γοῦν ἐπὶ πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ὥσπερ εἰώθει νηστεύοντι προσφέρων αὐτῷ τὸ ὄψον ὁ διακονούμενος τὴν χύτραν ἔκλασεν· αἰδοῖ δὲ καὶ δέει κεκρατημένον ἰδών «ἀλλὰ θάρρει, καὶ ἡμεῖς», ἔφη, «πρὸς τὸ ὄψον ἴωμεν, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἦλθε.» καὶ καθεσθεὶς παρὰ τὰ κλάσματα τῆς χύτρας ἐδείπνησεν. 3.16.11 ῞Οσον δὲ κενῆς ἐκράτει δόξης, ἐντεῦθεν ἰστέον. ποτὲ ψῆφον ἐπισκοπῆς ἐνηνόχασιν ἐπ' αὐτόν τινες καὶ συλλαβεῖν ἐπειρῶντο ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν χειροτονίαν ἄξοντες· αὐτίκα δὲ αἰσθόμενος εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐνέβαλε καὶ οἷα παραπαίων ἐδείκνυ ἑαυτόν, ἀτάκτως βαδίζων καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἐπισύρων καὶ δημοσίᾳ ἐσθίων· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔξω φρενῶν εἶναι νομίσαντες οἱ συλληψόμενοι τῆς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁρμῆς ἀνεκόπησαν, καιρὸν εὑρὼν ἀπέδρασε, καὶ μέχρι ἕτερος ἐχειροτονήθη διέλαθεν. 3.16.12 ᾿Αλλὰ τούτοις μὲν ἐγὼ περὶ τοῦ ᾿Εφραὶμ ἀρκεσθήσομαι. τὰ δὲ πλείω ἴσασι καὶ λέγουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι. οἷον δὲ αὐτῷ εἴργασται οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ τῆς τελευτῆς, ἐπεὶ ἀξιομνημόνευτον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ, ἐνθάδε ἀναγράψομαι. 3.16.13 λιμοῦ γὰρ καταλαβόντος τὴν ᾿Εδεσσηνῶν πόλιν, διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου προελθὼν τοῦ οἰκήματος, ἐν ᾧ ἐφιλοσόφει, κατεμέμφετο τοὺς τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντας ὡς οὐ δέον ὑπερορῶντας τὸ ὁμόφυλον ἀπορίᾳ ἐπιτηδείων φθειρόμενον, τὸν δὲ οἰκεῖον πλοῦτον ἐπιμελῶς φυλάττοντας ἐπὶ βλάβῃ σφῶν καὶ τιμωρίᾳ τῆς ἰδίας ψυχῆς, ἣν τιμιωτέραν παντοδαποῦ πλούτου καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φιλοσοφῶν ἐδείκνυ· παρ' οὐδὲν δὲ ταύτην ποιουμένους διὰ 3.16.14 τῶν ἔργων ἀπήλεγχεν. οἱ δὲ αἰδεσθέντες τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ λόγους «ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἡμῖν μέλει οὐσίας», ἔφασαν, «ᾧ δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιτρέψομεν διακονῆσαι ἀποροῦμεν,