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wealth and all the other things which we have recounted concerning that sacred head. And they say that he, when he was enrolled with the brothers dwelling in the village, embraced the ascetic and orderly life and drew no harm from mingling with the many. Having therefore distinguished himself in both lives, the civic and the eremitic, he will rightly be deemed worthy of double crowns. 25.2 And many others have emulated his virtue, and not only our own city but also the neighboring cities and villages are full of such philosophy. And one of these is the most divine Jacob, shut up in a certain small house near a village called Nimouza, who, being at the very end of his life—for he is more than ninety years old—, is confined alone, making his responses through a certain small opening dug in a spiral, but not being seen, and neither using fire nor enjoying the light of a lamp. But twice he dug through the door and ordered me to come inside, thus honoring me and showing the affection he has for me. Those, therefore, who are still living do not need my words; for they are able, if they wish, to become eyewitnesses of their philosophy; but for those who will come after and do not partake of the sight of these men, these things are sufficient for their benefit, showing the character of their philosophy. Here, therefore, having concluded the account of these men and having promised the return of their blessing, I shall pass on to another narrative. 26.t SYMEON 26.1 Symeon the famous, the great wonder of the world, all the subjects of the Roman empire know, and Persians and Medes and Ethiopians have known him, and fame, running even to the nomadic Scythians, has taught them of this man's industry and philosophy. But I, though having all men, so to speak, as witnesses of his struggles beyond description, fear lest the narrative seem to those who come after to be a myth completely stripped of the truth. For the things that happened are higher than human nature; and men are accustomed to measure what is said by nature. But if anything is said beyond its limits, the account is considered false by those uninitiated in divine things. But since the earth and sea are full of pious people, and those who have been educated in divine things and taught the grace of the all-holy Spirit will not disbelieve what will be said, but will indeed believe it very much, I shall make the narrative with readiness and courage. I shall begin from that point, whence he was also deemed worthy of the call from above. 26.2 There is a certain village situated on the border of our country and that of the Cilicians; and they call it Sisan. Hailing from this place, he was first taught by his parents to shepherd flocks, so that in this respect also he might resemble the great men, Jacob the patriarch and Joseph the chaste and Moses the lawgiver and David the king and prophet and Micah the prophet and the divine men of that time. And when once a great snowstorm occurred and the sheep were forced to remain indoors, taking advantage of the respite, he went to the divine temple with his parents. And these things I have heard from his own sacred tongue as he recounted them. He said, then, that he had heard the voice of the gospel declaring blessed those who weep and mourn, but calling wretched those who laugh, and naming enviable those who possess a pure soul and all the other things that are joined with these; then he asked one of those present what one might do to acquire each of these things; and the man suggested to him the monastic life and pointed out that supreme philosophy. 26.3 Having therefore received the seeds of the divine word and in the deep [parts] of the

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πλοῦτος καὶ τἄλλα πάντα ὅσα περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἐκείνης διεξήλθομεν κεφαλῆς. Φασὶ δὲ αὐτόν, ἡνίκα τοῖς τὴν κώμην οἰκοῦσιν ἀδελφοῖς συγκατείλεκτο, τὸν ἀσκητικὸν καὶ κόσμιον ἀσπάσασθαι βίον καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐκ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ἐπιμιξίας λώβην ἑλκῦσαι. Ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τοίνυν διαπρέψας βίῳ, τῷ τε πολιτικῷ καὶ ἀναχωρητικῷ, διπλῶν εἰκότως καὶ τῶν στεφάνων ἀξιωθήσεται. 25.2 Πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι τὴν τούτου ἐζήλωσαν ἀρετήν, καὶ πλήρης οὐχ ἡ ἡμετέρα μόνη, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ γειτονεύουσαι πόλεις καὶ κῶμαι τῆς τοιᾶσδε φιλοσοφίας. Εἷς δὲ τούτων ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ θειότατος Ἰάκωβος ἐν οἰκίσκῳ τινὶ καθειργμένος παρὰ κώμῃ Νιμουζᾶν καλουμένῃ, ὃς καὶ παρ' αὐτὸ ὢν τοῦ βίου τὸ τέρμα- ἐτῶν γάρ ἐστι πλειόνων ἢ ἐνενήκοντα-, μόνος καθεῖρκται, διά τινος βραχέος ὀρύγματος ἑλικοειδῶς ὀρωρυγμένου τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ποιούμενος μέν, οὐχ ὁρώμενος δὲ καὶ οὔτε πυρὶ χρώμενος οὔτε λυχνιαίου φωτὸς ἀπολαύων. Ἐμὲ δὲ δὶς τὴν θύραν διορύξας εἴσω γενέσθαι προσέταξε, ταύτῃ με τιμήσας καὶ ἣν ἔχει περὶ ἐμὲ στοργὴν ἐπιδείξας. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἔτι περιόντες τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ λόγων οὐ δέονται· δύνανται γάρ, ἢν ἐθελήσωσιν, αὐτόπται τῆς τούτων γενέσθαι φιλοσοφίας· τοῖς δ' ἐσομένοις καὶ τῆς τούτων οὐ μεταλαγχάνουσι θέας ἀρκεῖ καὶ ταῦτα εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῆς τούτων φιλοσοφίας τὸν χαρακτῆρα δεικνύντα. Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν καὶ τὸν περὶ τούτων συμπεράνας λόγον καὶ τῆς εὐλογίας τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἐπαγγείλας ἐφ' ἕτερον διήγημα μεταβήσομαι. 26.t ΣΥΜΕΩΝΗΣ 26.1 Συμεώνην τὸν πάνυ, τὸ μέγα θαῦμα τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἴσασι μὲν ἅπαντες οἱ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ὑπήκοοι, ἔγνωσαν δὲ καὶ Πέρσαι καὶ Μῆδοι καὶ Αἰθίοπες, καὶ πρὸς Σκύθας δὲ τοὺς νομάδας ἡ φήμη δραμοῦσα τὴν τοῦδε φιλοπονίαν καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἐδίδαξεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ πάντας, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἀνθρώπους μάρτυρας ἔχων τῶν ὑπὲρ λόγον ἀγώνων δέδοικα τὸ διήγημα μὴ τοῖς ἐσομένοις μῦθος εἶναι δόξῃ πάμπαν τῆς ἀληθείας γεγυμνωμένος. Ὑψηλότερα γὰρ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως τὰ γιγνόμενα· φιλοῦσι δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι τῇ φύσει μετρεῖν τὰ λεγόμενα. Εἰ δέ τι τῶν ταύτης ὅρων ἐπέκεινα λέγοιτο, ψευδὴς τοῖς τῶν θείων ἀμυήτοις ὁ λόγος νομίζεται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν εὐσεβούντων γῆ καὶ θάλαττα πλήρης, οἵ τε τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένοι καὶ τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος τὴν χάριν δεδιδαγμένοι τοῖς λεχθησομένοις οὐκ ἀπιστήσουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάλα πιστεύ σουσι, προθύμως καὶ θαρσαλέως ποιήσομαι τὴν διήγησιν. Ἄρξομαι δὲ ἐκεῖθεν, ὅθεν καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν κλήσεως ἠξιώθη. 26.2 Κώμη τίς ἐστιν ἐν μεθορίῳ τῆς ἡμετέρας καὶ τῆς Κιλίκων χώρας διακειμένη· Σισὰν δὲ αὐτὴν ὀνομάζουσιν. Ἐκ ταύτης ὁρμώμενος ποιμαίνειν τὸ πρῶτον ὑπὸ τῶν γεγεννηκότων ἐδιδάσκετο θρέμματα ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τοῖς μεγάλοις ἀνδράσι συμφέρηται, Ἰακὼβ τῷ πατριάρχῃ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ σώφρονι καὶ Μωϋσῇ τῷ νομοθέτῃ καὶ ∆αβὶδ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ προφήτῃ καὶ Μιχαίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ καὶ τοῖς κατ' ἐκείνους θεσπεσίοις ἀνδράσι. Νιφετοῦ δέ ποτε πολλοῦ γενομένου καὶ τῶν προβάτων ἔνδον μένειν ἠναγκασμένων, ἀνακωχῆς ἀπολαύσας εἰς τὸν θεῖον νεὼν μετὰ τῶν φυσάντων ἀφίκετο. Ταῦτα δὲ τῆς ἱερᾶς αὐτοῦ διηγουμένης ἀκήκοα γλώττης. Ἔφη τοίνυν τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ἀκηκοέναι φωνῆς μακαριζούσης μὲν τοὺς κλαίοντας καὶ πενθοῦντας, ἀθλίους δὲ τοὺς γελῶντας ἀποκαλούσης καὶ ζηλωτοὺς ὀνομαζούσης τοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν καθαρὰν κεκτημένους καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τούτοις συνέζευκται· εἶτα ἐρέσθαι τινὰ τῶν παρόντων τί ἄν τις ποιήσας τούτων ἕκαστον κτήσαιτο· τὸν δὲ τὸν μοναδικὸν αὐτῷ βίον ὑπαγορεῦσαι καὶ τὴν ἄκραν ἐκείνην ὑποδεῖξαι φιλοσοφίαν. 26.3 ∆εξάμενος τοίνυν τοῦ θείου λόγου τὰ σπέρματα καὶ ταῖς βαθείαις τῆς