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he wished to partake of food, and this while it was dawn, he who often nourished his body once every seven days. Having been overcome, therefore, by the arguments, with his eyes closed he dispatched a single cup of the broth, which we are accustomed to do with bitter drinks. And since we also persuaded him to wet with water his feet that had lost the ability to walk from weakness, I think it worthwhile to lay bare this philosophy of his soul as well. For the bowl lay nearby; and one of the attendants tried to cover it with a mat so that it would not be visible to those who came to him. But he said, "Why are you covering the bowl?" When the other said, "So that it may not be exposed to the view of those who arrive"— "Away with you, boy," he said, "do not hide from men what has been revealed to the God of all; for wishing to live for Him alone, I have not cared for human glory. For what is the benefit if these men should credit me with more asceticism, but God with less? For the givers of the reward for my labors are not these men, but God is the provider." Who then would not greatly admire both the words and the mind that produced the words, having become so superior to human glory? 21.12 I have learned that something of this kind also happened at another time. It was evening, and late evening, and the time for food. Taking, therefore, the potsherd that lay beside him, he was partaking of soaked lentils. For this was the food he had. And someone came from the city, having been entrusted with a certain military tax collection. And he, seeing him from afar, did not put aside the lentils, but as was his custom, continued with his food. And supposing it to be an apparition of a demon, he drove it away with words, as an enemy; and showing that he was not afraid, in the meantime he brought the lentils to his mouth. But the one being pelted with insults pleaded and said that he was a man and that, being bound by some oath to depart from the city towards evening, he had arrived at this time. But he said: "Take heart and do not be afraid, but after praying, depart. And be my table-companion, and share my food." And saying these things at the same time, he filled his right hand and shared the lentils. Thus did he drive away the passion of vainglory along with the other passions of the mind. 21.13 But concerning endurance, it is superfluous even to speak, as sight itself bears witness. For often when snow had fallen for three days and as many nights, he was so buried while lying prostrate and supplicating God that not even a small part of the rags around him could be seen. And often the neighbors, using shovels and mattocks and in this way clearing away the surrounding snow, would pull him up and raise him as he lay there. 21.14 From these labors he reaped the gifts of divine grace, of which all who wish partake. For by his blessing many fevers were and are extinguished; many chills abated and completely subsided; many demons were forced to flee; and the water blessed by his right hand becomes a remedy against evil. Who is ignorant of the resurrection of the dead child that occurred through his prayer? For in the suburbs of the city were his parents who had become the parents of many children, but had sent all of them prematurely to the grave. When, therefore, this last child was born, the father ran to the man of God, begging that it might share in a long life and promising to dedicate it to God if it lived. Having lived for four years, therefore, it met the end of its life. But the father was away; and arriving suddenly, he sees it finally being carried out for burial and snatching it from the bier, he said, "It is fitting for me to fulfill my promise and to give it back to the man of God, even though dead." He therefore carried it away as he had said and

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μεταλαμβάνειν ἤθελε τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ ταῦτα ὄρθρου ὄντος, ὃς δι' ἑπτὰ πολλάκις ἡμερῶν τὸ σῶμα διέτρεφεν. Ἡττηθεὶς τοίνυν τῶν λόγων, μίαν τοῦ χυλοῦ μεμυκόσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς παρεπέμψατο κύλικα, ὅπερ ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν πικρῶν πομάτων εἰώθαμεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας τὸ βαδίζειν ἐξ ἀτονίας ἀπολέσαντας ὕδατι βρέξαι πεπείκαμεν, προὔργου νομίζω καὶ ταύτην αὐτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν γυμνῶσαι. Παρέκειτο μὲν γὰρ πλησίον ὁ σκύφος· ἐπειράθη δέ τις τῶν διακονούντων φορμῷ τινι τοῦτον συγκαλύψαι ὡς μὴ δῆλος εἴη τοῖς παρ' αὐτὸν ἀφικνουμένοις. Ὁ δὲ· "Τί καλύπτεις, ἔφη, τὸν σκύφον;" Τοῦ δὲ εἰρηκότος· "Ὡς μὴ προκέοιτο τοῖς ἀφικνουμένοις εἰς θεωρίαν"- "Ἄπαγε, ἔφη, ὦ παῖ, μὴ κρύπτε ἀνθρώπους τὰ τῷ θεῷ τῶν ὅλων δεδηλωμένα· ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ζῆν μόνῳ βουλόμενος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐ πεφρόντικα δόξης. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος εἰ οὗτοι μὲν πλείονά μοι συγγνοῖεν ἄσκησιν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς μείονα; Τοῦ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν πόνων μισθοῦ οὐχ οὗτοι δοτῆρες, ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς χορηγός". Τίς τοίνυν οὐκ ἂν ὑπεραγασθείη καὶ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὸν τοὺς λόγους γεννήσαντα νοῦν οὕτω δόξης ἀνθρωπίνης γεγενημένον ὑπέρτερον; 21.12 Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ἄλλοτέ ποτε γεγενημένον μεμάθηκα. Ἑσπέρα ἦν καὶ ἑσπέρα βαθεῖα καὶ τῆς τροφῆς ὁ καιρός. Λαβὼν τοίνυν τὸ παρακείμενον ὄστρακον τοῦ βραχέντος φακοῦ μετελάμβανε. Ταύτην γὰρ εἶχε τὴν τροφήν. Ἧκε δέ τις ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄστεως εἴσπραξίν τινα στρατιωτικὴν ἐμπεπιστευμένος. Ὁ δὲ καὶ πόρρωθεν αὐτὸν θεασάμενος οὐκ ἀπέθετο τὸν φακόν, ἀλλὰ συνήθως παρεπέμπετο τὴν τροφήν. ∆αίμονος δὲ φαντασίαν ὑπολαβών, λόγοις βάλλων ἀπήλαυνεν ὡς πολέμιον· καὶ δεικνὺς ὡς οὐ δέδιε, μεταξὺ τῷ στόματι προσέφερε τὸν φακόν. Ἱκέτευε δέ γε ὁ ταῖς λοιδορίαις βαλλόμενος καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἔφασκεν εἶναι καὶ ὡς ὅρκῳ τινὶ προσληφθεὶς πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἀπαίρειν τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τοῦτον ἀφίκοιτο τὸν καιρόν. Ὁ δὲ· "Θάρσει, ἔφη, καὶ μὴ δείσῃς, ἀλλὰ προσευξάμενος ἄπιθι. Γενοῦ δέ μοι καὶ σύσσιτος, καὶ τῆς τροφῆς μοι κοινώνησον." Καὶ ἅμα ταῦτα λέγων ἐπλήρου τὴν δεξιὰν καὶ τοῦ φακοῦ μετεδίδου. Οὕτω τῆς κενῆς δόξης τὸ πάθος μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων τῆς διανοίας ἀπήλασεν. 21.13 Περὶ δέ γε καρτερίας περιττὸν καὶ λέγειν, μαρτυρούσης τῆς ὄψεως. Τρεῖς γὰρ πολλάκις ἡμέρας καὶ τοσαύτας νύκτας χιόνος κατενεχθείσης, οὕτω κατεχώσθη πρηνὴς κείμενος καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύων ὡς μηδὲ βραχύ τι τῶν περικειμένων αὐτῷ ῥακίων ὁρᾶσθαι. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἄμαις χρώμενοι καὶ δικέλλαις οἱ γειτονεύοντες καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τὴν περικειμένην ἀποσύροντες χιόνα, ἀνασπῶσί τε καὶ ἐγείρουσι κείμενον. 21.14 Ἐκ τούτων τῶν πόνων τὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος ἐδρέψατο δῶρα ὧν πάντες μεταλαγχάνουσιν οἱ βουλόμενοι. Τῇ γὰρ ἐκείνου εὐλογίᾳ πολλοὶ μὲν ἐσβέσθησάν τε καὶ σβέννυνται πυρετοί· πολλοὶ δὲ ἠπίαλοι ἐλώφησάν τε καὶ παντελῶς ὑπεχώρησαν· πολλοὶ δὲ φεύγειν ἠναγκάσθησαν δαίμονες· καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου δεξιᾶς εὐλογούμενον ἀλεξίκακον φάρμακον γίγνεται. Τίς ἀγνοεῖ τοῦ τεθνηκότος παιδίου διὰ τῆς τούτου προσευχῆς τὴν γενομένην ἀνάστασιν; Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς τῆς πόλεως προαστείοις οἱ τούτου ἤστην γεννήτορες οἳ πολλῶν μὲν παίδων ἐγενέσθην πατέρες, πάντας δὲ ἀώρους τῷ τάφῳ παρεπεμψάτην. Ὅτε τοίνυν τοῦτο τὸ τελευταῖον ἐγεννήθη παιδίον, ἔδραμεν ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον, μακρᾶς αὐτῷ ζωῆς μεταλαχεῖν ἱκετεύων καὶ ὑπισχνούμενος τῷ θεῷ ἀναθήσειν εἰ ζήσειεν. Τέτταρα τοίνυν ἔτη διαβιῶσαν ἐδέξατο τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος. Ἀπῆν δὲ ὁ πατήρ· ἀφικόμενος δὲ ἐξαίφνης ὁρᾷ τοῦτο λοιπὸν ἐκφερόμενον καὶ ἁρπάσας ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης· "Προσήκει, ἔφη, πληρῶσαί με τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν καὶ τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ τεθνεὸς ἀποδοῦναι". Ἀπεκόμισεν οὖν ὡς προείρηκε καὶ