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to look down on other things, but to cling to him whom they love and cherish and to dream of him by night and imagine him by day. For this reason he seems to me to be vexed, being in the desired contemplation, but hindered from being filled with the lovely beauty. 21.35 We have written these things narratively, not encomiastically, being very careful of brevity, so that we might not weary our readers by the length. If he should survive this narrative for some time, he will surely add countless other achievements to the former ones, and others will write of those too. For we have a great longing for our departure from here. May the arbiter of the athletes of piety grant to him an end of his contests worthy of them, and furnish the remainder of his race in accord with what went before, so that he may victoriously reach the goal; and may he support our weakness by his prayers, so that recovering we may wrestle again after our many defeats and depart this life with victory. 22.t THALASSIUS OR LIMNAEUS 22.1 There is a certain village in our parts, Tillima, which long ago received the seeds of Marcion's impiety, but now enjoys evangelical cultivation. To the south of this is a certain hill, neither too rugged nor very steep. On this the admirable Thalassius built his ascetic retreat, a man adorned with many other good things, but surpassing the men of his time in simplicity of character, gentleness, and modesty of mind. And I say this not being persuaded by hearing alone but also from experience; for I met the man and often enjoyed his sweet company. 22.2 Into his company was initiated Limnaeus, now celebrated by all; and when quite young, on entering that school of asceticism, he was well instructed in this highest philosophy. And first, knowing the slipperiness of the tongue, while still a boy he legislated silence for it, and continued for a very long time speaking nothing to anyone. But when he had partaken sufficiently of the teaching of the divine elder and had shown himself an impression of his virtue, he came to the great Maron, whom we have also mentioned before. He arrived at the same time as the divine Jacobus; and reaping great benefit from there again and emulating the open-air life, he occupied another summit overlooking a certain village which they call Targalla. 22.3 In this place he has continued up to the present day, having no small house, no tent, no hut, but enclosed by a bare wall built of stones not even joined with mortar. He has a certain small door, perpetually sealed with mud, which he never opens when others arrive, but he allows this to be done only when I come. For this reason very many people gather from all sides, having heard of my arrival, desiring to share in the entrance with me. But to those who at other times visit him, he speaks through a certain small window, and imparts his blessing, bestowing health on very many through it; for using the name of our Savior, he both stops diseases and drives out demons and imitates apostolic wonder-working. 22.4 And not only for those who come to him does healing spring forth, but he has also often applied it to his own body. For long ago the affliction of the colon attacked him. The pains and aches resulting from this are known precisely

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μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερορᾶν, ἐκείνῳ δὲ προστετηκέναι ὃν φιλοῦσι καὶ στέργουσι καὶ τοῦτον καὶ νύκτωρ ὀνειροπολεῖν καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν φαντάζεσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό μοι δυσχεραίνειν δοκεῖ, ἐν τῇ ποθουμένῃ μὲν θεωρίᾳ γιγνόμενος, ἐμπλησθῆναι δὲ τοῦ ἐπεράστου κωλυόμενος κάλλους. 21.35 Ταῦτα διηγηματικῶς οὐκ ἐγκωμιαστικῶς συνεγρά ψαμεν, κομιδῇ τῆς συντομίας φροντίσαντες ἵνα μὴ τῷ μήκει τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἀποκναίσωμεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιβιῴη τῷδε τῷ διηγήματι χρόνον, καὶ ἄλλα μυρία δήπουθεν κατορθώματα τοῖς προτέροις προσθήσει καὶ συγγράψουσι κἀκεῖνα ἕτεροι. Ἡμῖν γὰρ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημίας πόθος πολύς. Ὁ δὲ τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀθλητῶν ἀγωνοθέτης καὶ τούτῳ δοίη τέλος τῶν ἀγώνων ἐπάξιον καὶ τοῦ δρόμου τὸ λειπόμενον παράσχοι τῷ προτέρῳ συμβαῖνον ἵνα νικηφόρος καταλάβῃ τὴν νύσσαν· καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν ταῖς τούτου προσευχαῖς ὑπερείσειεν ὅπως ἀναρρωσθέντες τὰς πολλὰς ἡμῶν ἀναπαλαίσωμεν ἥττας καὶ μετὰ νίκης τὸν βίον ἐξέλθωμεν. 22.t ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟΣ Η ΛΙΜΝΑΙΟΣ 22.1 Τιλλίμα κώμη τίς ἐστι παρ' ἡμῖν, πάλαι μὲν τῆς Μαρκίωνος ἀσεβείας δεξαμένη τὰ σπέρματα, νῦν δὲ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ἀπολαύουσα γεωργίας. Ταύτης πρὸς μεσημβρίαν λόφος τίς ἐστιν οὔτε λίαν τραχὺς οὔτε μάλα προσάντης. Ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ἀσκητικὸν ἐδείματο καταγώγιον Θαλάσσιος ὁ θαυμάσιος, ἀνὴρ πολλοῖς μὲν καὶ ἄλλοις κατακοσμηθεὶς ἀγαθοῖς, ἁπλότητι δὲ ἤθους καὶ πρᾳότητι καὶ φρονήματος μετριότητι τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γε ἀνθρώπους ὑπερβαλλόμενος. Καὶ τοῦτο λέγω οὐκ ἀκοῇ μόνῃ πειθόμενος ἀλλὰ καὶ πείρᾳ χρησάμενος· κατέλαβον γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ πολλάκις αὐτοῦ τῆς γλυκείας ἀπήλαυσα συνουσίας. 22.2 Εἰς τοῦδε χορὸν ἐτέλεσεν ὁ νῦν παρὰ πάντων ᾀδόμενος Λιμναῖος· καὶ κομιδῇ νέος τὴν παλαίστραν ἐκείνην κατα λαβὼν τὴν ἄκραν ταύτην ἐπαιδεύετο φιλοσοφίαν καλῶς. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τῆς γλώττης εἰδὼς τὸ εὐόλισθον, μειράκιον ὢν ἔτι σιγὴν ἐνομοθέτησε ταύτῃ καὶ πλεῖστον ὅτι μάλιστα διετέλεσε χρόνον μηδὲν πρὸς μηδένα φθεγγόμενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀποχρώντως τῆς τοῦ θείου πρεσβύτου διδασκαλίας μετέ λαχε καὶ ἐκμαγεῖον ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἐκείνου γε ἀπέφηνεν ἀρετῆς, παρὰ τὸν μέγαν ἀφίκετο Μάρωνα οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν. Ἀφίκετο δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον καθ' ὃν καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἰάκωβος· πολλὴν δὲ κἀντεῦθεν πάλιν ὠφέλειαν τρυγήσας καὶ τὸν ὕπαιθρον βίον ζηλώσας κορυφὴν ἑτέραν κατέλαβε κώμης τινὸς ὑπερκειμένην ἣν ὀνομάζουσι Τάργαλλαν. 22.3 Ἐν ταύτῃ μέχρι καὶ τήμερον διετέλεσεν, οὐκ οἰκίσκον ἔχων, οὐ σκηνήν, οὐ καλύβην, ἀλλὰ γυμνῷ θριγκίῳ περι ειργόμενος ἐκ λίθων ᾠκοδομημένῳ οὐδὲ πηλῷ συνηρμοσμένῳ. Θύραν δὲ σμικράν τινα ἔχει πηλῷ διηνεκῶς κεχρισμένην ἣν οὔ ποτε μὲν ἀνοίγνυσι τῶν ἄλλων ἀφικνουμένων, ἐμοὶ δὲ μόνῳ παραγινομένῳ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐπιτρέπει. Τούτου χάριν συναγείρονται πάμπολλοι πάντοθεν, τῆς ἐμῆς ἀφίξεως αἰσθόμενοι, κοινωνῆσαί μοι τῆς εἰσόδου ποθοῦντες. Τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοτέ ποτε πρὸς αὐτὸν φοιτῶσι διὰ σμικρᾶς τινος θυρίδος διαλεγόμενος, μεταδίδωσι τῆς εὐλογίας πλείστοις διὰ ταύτης ὑγίειαν δωρούμενος· τῷ γὰρ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὀνόματι κεχρημένος, καὶ νόσους παύει καὶ δαίμονας ἐξελαύνει καὶ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν μιμεῖται θαυματουργίαν. 22.4 Οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῖς ὡς αὐτὸν ἀφικνουμένοις ἀναβλύζει τὴν ἴασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ οἰκείῳ ταύτην πολλάκις προσενήνοχε σώματι. Ἐπανέστη γὰρ αὐτῷ πάλαι ποτὲ τοῦ κόλου τὸ πάθος. Τὰς δὲ ἐντεῦθεν γιγνομένας ὀδύνας καὶ ἀλγηδόνας ἴσασι μὲν ἀκριβῶς