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might become a cause of harm to those who tried to emulate things beyond their power. 26.6 So going out and occupying the more desolate parts of the mountain, and finding a certain waterless and not very deep cistern, he let himself down into it and offered his hymnody to God. But when five days had passed, the leaders of that wrestling-school repented and sent out two men, instructing them to seek him out and bring him back. So these men, wandering around the mountain, asked some men pasturing flocks there if they had seen anyone with such a complexion and wearing such a habit. And when the shepherds pointed out the cistern, they immediately cried out many things; but bringing a rope, they drew him up with much effort; for the ascent is not as easy as the descent. 26.7 So after spending a little time with them, he came to the village of Telanisson, which lies at the foot of the peak on which he now stands. Finding a small hut in this place, he remained enclosed for three years; but, striving always to increase the wealth of his virtue, he desired to remain without food for forty days, like the divine men Moses and Elijah. And he persuaded the admirable Bassus, who at that time was visiting many villages supervising the priests in each village, to leave nothing inside, and to smear the door with clay. But when Bassus pointed out the difficulty of the matter and advised him not to consider a violent death to be a virtue—for this is a very great and primary accusation— "But you, father," he said, "set aside for me ten loaves and a jar of water, and if I see that my body needs nourishment, I will partake of these." It was done as he commanded; and the things were set aside, and the door received the clay. And after the end of the days, that admirable man of God, Bassus, came, and having removed the clay and gone inside the door, he found the number of the loaves, and found the jar of water full, but him thrown down breathless and able neither to speak nor to move. So asking for a sponge and with it moistening and washing out his mouth, he brought him the symbols of the divine mysteries. And so being restored by these, he both raised himself up and partook of some moderate food, lettuce and endives and things similar to these, chewing them up little by little and sending them to his stomach. 26.8 Therefore that great Bassus, being greatly amazed, returned to his own flock, recounting this great marvel. For he had more than two hundred disciples, whom he allowed to have neither beast of burden nor mill, nor to receive gold when offered, nor for anyone to go outside the door either to buy any of the necessities or to see any of their acquaintances, but to live within and to receive the food sent from divine grace. The disciples observe this rule even to this day and though having become more numerous they have not transgressed the commandments that were given. 26.9 But I shall turn to the great Symeon. So from that time until today—and twenty-eight years have passed—, he remains without food for the forty days. But time and the practice of the hardship have stripped away the greater part. For he was accustomed for the first days to stand and hymn God, then, as his body was no longer strong enough to bear standing because of the fasting, he would thereafter sit and perform the divine liturgy, and for the last days he would even recline; for as his strength was gradually expended and extinguished, he was forced to lie half-dead. But when he stood on the pillar, he could not bear to come down, and so he devised a way to stand differently. For having tied a certain beam to the pillar and again having fastened himself to the beam with ropes, he thus passed the forty days. But after these things, thereafter of the greater from above

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ζηλοῦν τὰ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν πειρωμένοις βλάβης αἴτιος γένοιτο. 26.6 Ἐξελθὼν τοίνυν καὶ τὰ ἐρημότερα τοῦ ὄρους κατα λαβὼν καὶ λάκκον τινὰ εὑρὼν ἄνυδρον καὶ οὐ λίαν βαθὺν καθῆκεν εἰς τοῦτον ἑαυτὸν καὶ τῷ θεῷ τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν προσέφερε. Πέντε δὲ διαγενομένων ἡμερῶν μεταμεληθέντες οἱ τῆς παλαίστρας ἐκείνης ἡγεμόνες δύο τινὰς ἐξέπεμψαν ἐπιζητῆσαί τε αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγαγεῖν ἐπιτρέψαντες. Τοιγάρτοι τὸ ὄρος οὗτοι περινοστήσαντες ἤροντό τινας ἐκεῖ θρέμματα νέμοντας, εἴ τινα ἐθεάσαντο τοιόνδε χρῶμα ἔχοντα καὶ σχῆμα περικείμενον. Ὡς δὲ τὸν λάκκον οἱ ποιμένες ὑπέδειξαν, πολλὰ μὲν εὐθὺς κατεβόησαν· σχοινίον δὲ κομίσαντες σὺν πολλῷ αὐτὸν ἀνιμήσαντο πόνῳ· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῇ καθόδῳ παραπλησίως ἡ ἄνοδός ἐστιν εὐπετής. 26.7 Ὀλίγον τοίνυν παρ' ἐκείνοις διατρίψας χρόνον εἰς Τελάνισσον ἀφίκετο κώμην, τῇ κορυφῇ ἐφ' ἧς νῦν ἕστηκεν ὑποκειμένην. Ἐν ταύτῃ μικρὸν οἰκίσκον εὑρὼν τρία καθειργμένος διετέλεσεν ἔτη· αὔξειν δὲ ἀεὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸν πλοῦτον φιλονεικῶν ἐπεθύμησε Μωϋσῇ καὶ Ἠλίᾳ τοῖς θείοις ἀνθρώποις παραπλησίως τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἄσιτος διαμεῖναι. Καὶ πείθει τὸν θαυμάσιον Βάσσον, ὃς τηνικαῦτα πολλὰς περιώδευε κώμας τοῖς κατὰ κώμην ἱερεῦσιν ἐπιστατῶν, μηδὲν μὲν ἔνδον καταλιπεῖν, πηλῷ δὲ καταχρῖσαι τὴν θύραν. Τοῦ δὲ καὶ τὴν δυσκολίαν τοῦ πράγματος ὑπαγορεύοντος καὶ παραινοῦντος μὴ νομίζειν ἀρετὴν εἶναι τὸν βίαιον θάνατον-κατηγορία γὰρ αὕτη καὶ μεγίστη καὶ πρώτη· "Ἀλλὰ σύ γε, ἔφη, ὦ πάτερ, δέκα μοι ἄρτους καὶ στάμνον ὕδατος ἀπόθου, κἂν ἴδω τὸ σῶμα τροφῆς δεόμενον, μεταλήψομαι τούτων". Ἐγένετο ὡς ἐκέλευσε· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀπετίθετο, ἡ δὲ θύρα τὸν πηλὸν ὑπεδέχετο. Μετὰ δὲ τὸ τέλος τῶν ἡμερῶν ἧκε μὲν ὁ θαυμάσιος ἐκεῖνος καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος Βάσσος, τὸν δὲ πηλὸν ἀφελὼν καὶ τῆς θύρας εἴσω γενόμενος ηὗρε μὲν τῶν ἄρτων τὸν ἀριθμόν, ηὗρε δὲ πλῆρες τὸ σταμνίον τοῦ ὕδατος, αὐτὸν δὲ ἄπνουν ἐρριμμένον καὶ οὔτε φθέγγεσθαι οὔτε κινεῖσθαι δυνάμενον. Σπογγιὰν τοίνυν αἰτήσας καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ στόμα διαβρέξας καὶ ἀποκλύσας προσήνεγκεν αὐτῷ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων τὰ σύμβολα. Καὶ οὕτω διὰ τούτων ἀναρρωσθεὶς ἀνέστησέ τε ἑαυτὸν καὶ τροφῆς τινος μετρίας μετέλαβε, θριδακίνας καὶ σέρεις καὶ τὰ τούτοις παραπλήσια κατὰ βραχὺ διαμασώμενος καὶ τῇ γαστρὶ παραπέμπων. 26.8 Ὑπεραγασθεὶς τοίνυν ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος Βάσσος τὴν οἰκείαν ἀγέλην κατέλαβε τὸ μέγα τοῦτο διηγούμενος θαῦμα. Πλείοσι γὰρ ἢ διακοσίοις θιασώταις ἐχρῆτο μήτε κτῆνος ἔχειν μήτε μύλην ἐπιτρέψας, μήτε χρυσίον προσφερόμενον ὑποδέχεσθαι μήτε τινὰ ἔξω τῆς θύρας ἰέναι ἤ τι τῶν ἀναγ καίων ὠνησόμενον ἤ τινα τῶν γνωρίμων ὀψόμενον, ἀλλ' ἔνδον διάγειν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς θείας χάριτος πεμπομένην τροφὴν ὑποδέχεσθαι. Τοῦτον μέχρι καὶ τήμερον τὸν νόμον οἱ θιασῶται φυλάττουσι καὶ πλείους γενόμενοι τὰς δοθείσας οὐ παρέβησαν ἐντολάς. 26.9 Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν μέγαν μεταβήσομαι Συμεώνην. Ἐξ ἐκείνου τοίνυν μέχρις καὶ τήμερον-ὀκτὼ δὲ καὶ εἴκοσι διελήλυθεν ἔτη-, τὰς τετταράκοντα ἄσιτος διαμένει ἡμέρας. Ὁ δὲ χρόνος καὶ ἡ μελέτη τοῦ πόνου τὸ πλέον ἐσύλησεν. Εἰώθει μὲν γὰρ τὰς πρώτας ἡμέρας ἑστάναι καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν, εἶτα τοῦ σώματος διὰ τὴν ἀπαστίαν φέρειν οὐκ ἔτι τὴν στάσιν ἰσχύοντος καθῆσθαι λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν θείαν λειτουργίαν ἐπιτελεῖν, τὰς δὲ τελευταίας ἡμέρας καὶ προσκλίνεσθαι· δαπανωμένης γὰρ κατὰ βραχὺ τῆς ἰσχύος καὶ ἀποσβεννυμένης, κεῖσθαι ἡμιθανὴς ἠναγκάζετο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ κίονος ἔστη, κατιέναι μὲν οὐκ ἠνείχετο, ἐμηχανήσατο δὲ τὴν στάσιν ἑτέρως. ∆οκὸν γάρ τινα προσδήσας τῷ κίονι καὶ σχοινίοις πάλιν ἑαυτὸν τῇ δοκῷ προσαρμόσας τὰς τετταράκοντα οὕτω διετέλεσεν ἡμέρας. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πλείονος λοιπὸν τῆς ἄνωθεν