73

he planted an almond tree beside his pallet, then when in time it became a tree and offered him shade and feasted his sight, he ordered it to be cut down, so that he might enjoy no recreation from it. 23.2 This life Moses also embraced, practicing asceticism on a certain high peak of Ramas overlooking the village, and Antiochus, an old man who built his enclosure on a most desolate mountain, and Antoninus, practicing asceticism in an aged body similarly to the young. And they have the same clothing and food and posture and prayer and all-night and all-day labors; and neither length of time, nor old age, nor weakness of nature puts their endurance to the test, but they have within themselves a flourishing love of labor. And God the arbiter of virtue has many other athletes in our mountains and plains whom it is not easy even just to number, let alone to write the life of each. Having therefore set forth from these men too sufficient benefit for those wishing to profit, I shall turn to another kind of narrative, deeming it worthy to share in their blessing. 24.t ZEBINAS OR POLYCHRONIUS 24.1 Those who were deemed worthy of the sight of him sing of Zebinas even to this day. They say that he, having reached a deep old age and having used the same labors right up to his very end, changed nothing of the practices of his youth, though constrained by most heavy old age. He surpassed, as they said, all the men of his time in his devotion to prayer. For spending the day and passing the night in this, not only did he not have his fill, but he even made his desire more ardent. And when he conversed a little with those who came to him, he could not bear to bring his mind down from the heavens, but immediately on getting rid of them, as if not separated even for a moment from the God of all, he again offered up his supplication. When old age did not allow him to bear continuous standing without pain, he used his staff as a support for this, and leaning on it, he both hymned the Master and prayed. 24.2 Being adorned with hospitality in addition to his other goods, he used to bid many of those who came to him to remain for the evening. But they, fearing his all-night standing, making excuses of some business, withdrew themselves from those labors. That great Maron also greatly loved this man, and he exhorted all who visited him to run and reap the blessing of the old man, naming him father and teacher and calling him the archetype of all virtue. And he asked to share a burial with him; but those who seized that sacred body and carried it off to the aforementioned place did not allow it. But the divine Zebinas, having died beforehand, received the customary rites in the village neighboring him—it is called Kittika; and they built a very great shrine for his coffin. For it pours forth all kinds of healing for those who approach with faith. And now it has martyrs under the same roof, who contended among the Persians, but are honored by us with annual festivals. 24.3 The great Polychronius enjoyed his teaching. And the most divine James said that this man first gave him a hair shirt. And I, never having seen that man—for he had reached the end of his life before my arrival—, in this very Polychronius I see the philosophy of the divine Zebinas. For wax does not so take the impressions of rings as this man bears his characteristics. And I know this clearly, by comparing the accounts about that man with the things done by this one. For he is similarly set on fire with divine desire and is of earthly things

73

ἀμυγδάλην παρ' αὐτὴν ἐφύτευσε τὴν στιβάδα, εἶτα τῷ χρόνῳ δένδρον γενομένη σκιάν τε αὐτῷ παρεῖχε καὶ τὴν ὄψιν εἱστία, ἀποτμηθῆναι ἐκέλευσεν, ἵνα μηδεμιᾶς ἐκεῖθεν ἀπολαύοι ψυχαγωγίας. 23.2 Τοῦτον ἠσπάσατο τὸν βίον καὶ Μωϋσῆς, ἐν ὑψηλῇ τινι κορυφῇ Ῥαμᾶς ὑπερκειμένῃ τῆς κώμης ἀγωνιζόμενος, καὶ Ἀντίοχος, ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτης ἐν ἐρημοτάτῳ ὄρει τὸ θριγκίον δειμάμενος, καὶ Ἀντωνῖνος ἐν γεγηρακότι σώματι τοῖς νέοις παραπλησίως ἀγωνιζόμενος. Καί ἐστιν αὐτοῖς ἐσθὴς ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ τροφὴ καὶ στάσις καὶ προσευχὴ καὶ παννύχιοι πόνοι καὶ πανημέριοι· καὶ οὔτε χρόνου μῆκος, οὐ γῆρας, οὐκ ἀσθένεια φύσεως ἐλέγχει τὴν καρτερίαν, ἀλλ' ἀκμάζοντα ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἔχουσι τὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ πονεῖν. Καὶ ἄλλους δὲ πλείστους ἀγωνιστὰς ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ὄρεσι καὶ πεδίοις ὁ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνοθέτης ἔχει θεὸς οὓς καὶ ἀριθμῆσαι μόνον οὐκ εὐπετές, μή τί γε δὴ τὸν ἑκάστου βίον συγγράψαι. Ἀρκοῦσαν τοίνυν καὶ ἐκ τούτων ὠφέλειαν τοῖς κερδαίνειν βουλομένοις προτεθηκότες, ἐφ' ἕτερον εἶδος διηγήσεως τρέψομαι καὶ τῆς τούτων εὐλογίας μεταλαχεῖν ἀξιῶν. 24.t ΖΕΒΙΝΑΣ Η ΠΟΛΥΧΡΟΝΙΟΣ 24.1 Ζεβινᾶν ᾄδουσι μέχρι καὶ τήμερον οἱ τῆς ἐκείνου θέας ἠξιωμένοι. Φασὶ δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς γῆρας ἐλάσαντα βαθὺ καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πόνοις μέχρις αὐτῆς χρησάμενον τῆς τελευτῆς μηδὲν τῶν τῆς νεότητος ἀμεῖψαι τῷ βαρυτάτῳ βιαζόμενον γήρᾳ. Ἐπλεονέκτει δέ, ὡς ἔφασαν, τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτοῦ πάντας ἀνθρώπους τῇ τῆς προσευχῆς προσεδρείᾳ. Ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ διημερεύων τε καὶ διανυκτερεύων οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλάμβανε κόρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θερμότερον τὸν πόθον εἰργά ζετο. Καὶ τοῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν δέ γε ἀφικνουμένοις ὀλίγα ἄττα διαλεγόμενος κατάγειν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν οὐκ ἠνείχετο τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἐκείνων ἀπαλλαττόμενος, ὡς μηδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ χωρισθεὶς τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ, πάλιν τὴν ἱκετείαν προσέφερεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν διηνεκῆ στάσιν τὸ γῆρας ἀλύπως φέρειν οὐκ εἴα, ἔρεισμα τούτῳ τὴν βακτηρίαν προσέφερε καὶ ταύτῃ προσκλινόμενος καὶ ὕμνει τὸν δεσπότην καὶ ηὔχετο. 24.2 Φιλοξενίᾳ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις κοσμούμενος ἀγαθοῖς μένειν τὴν ἑσπέραν πολλοὺς τῶν ὡς αὐτὸν ἀφικνουμένων ἐκέλευεν. Οἱ δὲ τὴν παννύχιον αὐτοῦ δειμαίνοντες στάσιν, ἀσχολίας τινὰς σκηπτόμενοι, τῶν πόνων ἐκείνων σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὑπεξῆγον. Τοῦτον καὶ ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος ὑπερηγάσθη Μάρων καὶ τοῖς φοιτῶσι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἅπασι παρηγγύα τρέχειν καὶ τοῦ πρεσβύτου τὴν εὐλογίαν τρυγᾶν, πατέρα καὶ διδάσκαλον ὀνομάζων καὶ πάσης ἀρχέτυπον ἀποκαλῶν ἀρετῆς. Καὶ τούτῳ κοινωνῆσαι καὶ ταφῆς παρεκάλεσεν· ἀλλ' οὐκ εἴασαν οἱ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο σῶμα διαρπάσαντες καὶ εἰς τὸ προειρημένον χωρίον ἀποκομίσαντες. Ὁ δὲ θεσπέσιος Ζεβινᾶς προτελευτήσας εἰς τὴν πελά ζουσαν αὐτῷ κώμην-Κίττικα δὲ αὕτη καλεῖται-τῶν νομιζομένων ἀπέλαυσε· καὶ σηκὸν δὲ τῇ θήκῃ μέγιστον ᾠκοδόμησαν. Ἴασιν γὰρ ἀναβλύζει τοῖς μετὰ πίστεως προσιοῦσι παντοδαπήν. Ἔχει δὲ νῦν καὶ μάρτυρας ὁμορόφους παρὰ Πέρσαις μὲν ἠγωνισμένους, ἐτησίοις δὲ πανηγύρεσι παρ' ἡμῖν τιμωμένους. 24.3 Τῆς τούτου διδασκαλίας ὁ μέγας ἀπέλαυσε Πολυχρό νιος. Καὶ ὁ θειότατος Ἰάκωβος τοῦτον ἔφη πρῶτον τρίχινον αὐτῷ δεδωκέναι χιτῶνα. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκεῖνον μὴ θεασάμενος πώποτε-πρὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀφίξεως τοῦ βίου κατειλήφει τὸ τέρμα-, ἐν Πολυχρονίῳ τούτῳ τῷ πάνυ τὴν τοῦ θείου Ζεβινᾶ φιλοσοφίαν ὁρῶ. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ὁ κηρὸς τῶν δακτυλίων τοὺς τύπους ἐκμάττεται ὡς οὗτος ἐκείνου περιφέρει τοὺς χαρακτῆρας. Καὶ τοῦτο οἶδα σαφῶς, τὰ περὶ ἐκείνου διηγήματα τοῖς ὑπὸ τούτου γιγνομένοις παρα τιθείς. Ὁμοίως γὰρ τῷ θείῳ πυρπολεῖται πόθῳ καὶ τῶν γηΐνων ἐστὶν