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superior to all. And though bound to his body, he has a winged soul and passes through both the air and the aether, and becomes higher than the heavens and continually imagines the divine vision. And he never endures to draw his mind down from there, but even while conversing with visitors, he roams the things above. 24.4 I learned of his all-night vigil and standing from this: seeing him wrestling with both old age and infirmity at the same time, and enjoying no care, I often beseeched and persuaded him to take two companions and enjoy their comfort. Since he asked for men shining with virtue, who lived by themselves in another monastery, I persuaded those admirable men to choose the care of the divine man above all else. These men, after living with him for a short time, tried to flee, unable to bear the all-night standing. When they begged the divine man to measure the labor by the weakness of the body; "Not only," he said, "do I not compel them to share continuously in my standing, but I even often urge them to lie down." But they said: "And how could we, being men both healthy and in the middle of our time, lie down while one who has grown old in labors is standing and despising the weakness of his body." But in this way I learned of the nocturnal labors of that venerable head. 24.5 These men, in time, acquired so much virtue as to pursue the same philosophy as this great man. And Moses—for that was his name—remained until the present, offering every care as to a father and master and accurately taking an impression of the virtue that shone from that sacred soul. But Damianus—for that was the name of the other—having taken over a certain village situated not far off—Niara is its name—and having found a little hut by the threshing-floors, lives in it, pursuing the same way of life, so that those who know both him and that man precisely, upon seeing him, suppose they are seeing the soul of the great Polychronius in another body. For there is the same simplicity and gentleness and moderation and mildness of speech and sweetness of company, wakefulness of soul and contemplation of God and standing and labor and vigilance and nourishment and the poverty according to the divine law; for except for a small basket holding soaked lentils, the lodging has nothing. Such benefit did he gain from the company of the great Polychronius. 24.6 But leaving the disciple, I shall return to the teacher. For from the spring the stream pours forth its waters. This man, then, having driven out from his soul ambition along with the other passions and having trampled on the tyranny of vainglory, was always diligent to conceal his labors. And he did not endure to wear iron, fearing lest he might draw some harm from it, his soul receiving an inflammation of pride. But having ordered someone to bring him a very heavy oak root, as if needing it for some other purpose, this he would place on his shoulders at night and pray with it upon them and, during the day, when he had leisure. But when someone arrived and knocked at the door, he would hide it in a certain place. Someone who had seen it pointed it out to me; and wishing to know how great the burden was, I could barely lift it with both hands. But he, seeing me, ordered me to let it go; but I pleaded in return to take it so that I might steal the pretext for his labor. But when I saw he was vexed, I yielded to his desire for victory. 24.7 From these labors, God-given grace also blooms for him, and many wonders are worked by his prayers. For when that harsh drought, wearing men out, stirred them to supplication, a multitude of priests came to him;

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ἁπάντων ὑπέρτερος. Καὶ τῷ σώματι προσδε δεμένος ὑπόπτερον ἔχει ψυχὴν καὶ διαπερᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀέρα καὶ τὸν αἰθέρα, καὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὑψηλότερος γίνεται καὶ τὴν θείαν διηνεκῶς θεωρίαν φαντάζεται. Καὶ οὔποτε καθέλκειν ἐκεῖθεν ἀνέχεται τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσ διαλεγόμενος τοῖς ἀφικνουμένοις τὰ ἄνω περιπολεῖ. 24.4 Τὴν δὲ παννύχιον αὐτοῦ ἀγρυπνίαν καὶ στάσιν ἐντεῦθεν μεμάθηκα· ὁρῶν αὐτὸν καὶ γήρᾳ κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ ἀσθενείᾳ παλαίοντα καὶ θεραπείας οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπολαύοντα, ἔπεισα λιπαρήσας πολλάκις δύο συνοίκους λαβεῖν καὶ τῆς παρὰ τούτων παραψυχῆς ἀπολαύειν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἄνδρας ἀρετῇ λάμποντας ᾔτησε καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἰδιάζοντας φροντιστηρίῳ, ἔπεισα καὶ τοὺς θαυμασίους ἐκείνους πάντων προελέσθαι τοῦ θείου ἀνθρώπου τὴν θεραπείαν. Οὗτοι βραχὺν αὐτῷ συγγενόμενοι χρόνον φυγεῖν ἐπειράθησαν, τὴν παννύχιον στάσιν οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν θεῖον ἄνδρα ἱκέτευον τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενείᾳ μετρῆσαι τὸν πόνον· "Οὐ μόνον, ἔφη, αὐτοὺς οὐ βιάζομαι διηνεκῶς κοινωνεῖν μοι τῆς στάσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατακλίνεσθαι πολλάκις παρεγ γυῶ". Οἱ δέ· "Καὶ πῶς ἂν δυναίμεθα, ἔλεγον, τοῦ ἐν πόνοις γεγηρακότος ἑστῶτος καὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενείας καταφρονοῦντος, κατακλίνεσθαι ἄνδρες καὶ ὑγιαίνοντες καὶ μεσοῦντες τῷ χρόνῳ." Ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν σεβασμίας ἐμοὶ κεφαλῆς οὕτω τοὺς νυκτερινοὺς κατέμαθον πόνους. 24.5 Οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οὗτοι τοσαύτην τῷ χρόνῳ προσέλαβον ἀρετὴν ὡς τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ μεγάλῳ τούτῳ μετιέναι φιλοσοφίαν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Μωϋσῆς-τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ ὄνομα- μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος διέμεινε, πᾶσαν ὡς πατρὶ καὶ δεσπότῃ θεραπείαν προσφέρων καὶ τὴν ἀστράπτουσαν ἐκ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἐκείνης ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν ἀκριβῶς ἐκματτόμενος. Ὁ δὲ ∆αμιανός- τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα τῷ ἑτέρῳ-κώμην τινὰ καταλαβὼν οὐ πόρρω διακειμένην- Νιαρὰ δὲ ὄνομα ταύτῃ-καὶ παρὰ τὰς ἅλως μικρόν τινα οἰκίσκον εὑρὼν ἐν ἐκείνῳ διάγει, τὴν αὐτὴν μετιὼν πολιτείαν, ὡς τοὺς ἀκριβῶς τοῦτον κἀκεῖνον ἐπισταμένους, θεωμένους αὐτόν, τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου Πολυχρονίου ψυχὴν ὑπολαμβάνειν ἐν ἑτέρῳ σώματι θεωρεῖν. Ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ καὶ ἁπλότης καὶ πρᾳότης καὶ μετριότης καὶ τοῦ φθέγματος ἡμερότης καὶ συνουσίας γλυκύτης, ἐγρήγορσίς τε ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κατανόησις καὶ στάσις καὶ πόνος καὶ ἀγρυπνία καὶ τροφὴ καὶ ἡ κατὰ τὴν θείαν νομοθεσίαν ἀκτημοσύνη· πλὴν γὰρ σπυρίδος μικρᾶς τὸν βρεκτὸν ἐχούσης φακὸν οὐδὲν ἔχει τὸ καταγώγιον. Τοσαύτην ὠφέλειαν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου Πολυχρονίου συνουσίας ἀπώνατο. 24.6 Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν μαθητὴν καταλιπὼν ἐπὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον ἐπανήξω. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς πηγῆς ὁ κρουνὸς ἐκχέει τὰ νάματα. Οὗτος τοίνυν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων παθῶν καὶ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπελάσας καὶ τῆς κενῆς δόξης τὴν τυραννίδα πατήσας κατακρύπτειν ἀεὶ τοὺς πόνους ἐσπούδασε. Καὶ σίδηρον μὲν οὐκ ἠνέσχετο φορεῖν, δείσας μή τινα βλάβην ἐντεῦθεν ἀρύσηται, τύφου φλεγμονὴν τῆς ψυχῆς δεξαμένης. ∆ρυὸς δὲ ῥίζαν βαρυτάτην κομίσαι αὐτῷ τινα κελεύσας, ὡς εἰς ἑτέραν δῆθεν χρείαν δεόμενος, ταύτην καὶ νύκτωρ ἐπετίθει τοῖς ὤμοις καὶ ἐπικειμένης προσηύχετο καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἀπολαύων σχολῆς. Ἀφικνουμένου δέ τινος καὶ τὴν θύραν πατάσσοντος ἔν τινι χωρίῳ ταύτην κατέ κρυπτε. Ταύτην μοί τις ὑπέδειξε θεασάμενος· καὶ γνῶναι βουληθεὶς τὸ φορτίον ὁπόσον, μόγις ἀμφοτέραις ᾐώρησα ταῖς χερσίν. Ὁ δέ με θεασάμενος ἀφεῖναι ἐκέλευεν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἀντελιπάρουν λαβεῖν ἵνα κλέψω τοῦ πόνου τὴν πρόφασιν. Ὡς δὲ ἀνιώμενον εἶδον, παρεχώρησα τῷ πόθῳ τῆς νίκης. 24.7 Ἐκ τούτων αὐτῷ τῶν πόνων ἐπανθεῖ καὶ θεόσδοτος χάρις καὶ πόλλα θαύματα ταῖς ἐκείνου προσευχαῖς ἐνεργεῖται. Καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκα ὁ χαλεπὸς ἐκεῖνος αὐχμὸς τρύχων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἱκετείαν διήγειρεν, ἀφίκετο πρὸς αὐτὸν ἱερέων πλῆθος·