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a strange thing, now standing for a long time, and now frequently bending down and offering reverence to God. And many of those standing by count these acts of reverence. And once one of those with me counted one thousand two hundred and forty-four, then, growing weary, he gave up the count. And always bending down he brings his forehead near to the toes of his feet; for his stomach, receiving food only once a week, and that a small amount, easily allows his back to be bent. 26.23 And they say that from his standing a malignant ulcer has also formed on one of his feet and a great deal of discharge is continuously secreted from it. But nevertheless none of these sufferings has refuted his philosophy, but he bears nobly both the voluntary and the involuntary, overcoming both these and those with his zeal. And he was once forced to show this ulcer to someone. And I will also relate the reason. Someone came from Rabba, a worthy man and honored with the ministry of Christ. This man, having reached that summit; "Tell me," he said, "by truth itself which turned the human race to itself, are you a man or an incorporeal nature?". And when those present became annoyed at the question, he commanded them all to be silent, and said to him: "Why ever did you ask this question?". And when he said that, "I hear everyone rumoring that you neither eat nor sleep, and each is characteristic of men; for no one having this nature could live without food and sleep", he ordered a ladder to be placed against the pillar, and he commanded that man to go up and first to observe his hands, then to put his hand inside the leather covering and to see not only the feet, but also the most grievous ulcer. And the man, having seen and marveled at the extremity of the ulcer and having learned from him that he partakes of food, came down from there, and coming to me he related everything. 26.24 And at the public festivals he also displays another endurance. For after sunset until it is again on the eastern horizon, raising his hands to heaven he stands all night long, neither charmed by sleep nor overcome by toil. 26.25 And amidst so many labors and a mass of achievements and a multitude of wonders his spirit is so humble, as if he were the last of all men in worth. And in addition to his humble spirit, he is also very approachable and sweet and gracious, responding to each of those who converse with him, whether he be an artisan or a beggar or a rustic. And he has also received the gift of teaching from the bountiful Lord; and twice each day, delivering his exhortations, he floods the ears of his listeners, speaking very gracefully, offering the teachings of the divine spirit and urging them to look up to heaven and take flight, to be released from the earth and to imagine the expected kingdom, to fear the threat of Gehenna, to despise earthly things and to await the things to come. 26.26 It is also possible to see him judging and delivering verdicts both right and just. And he carries out these and such things after the ninth hour; for he continues in prayer the whole night and the day until the ninth hour. And after the ninth hour, first he offers the divine teaching to those present, then having received the request of each and having worked some healings, he resolves the quarrels of those in dispute. And around sunset he finally begins his conversation with God. 26.27 But while being in these circumstances and doing all these things, he does not neglect the care of the holy churches, now fighting against Hellenic impiety, and now the

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παράδοξον, νῦν μὲν ἑστὼς μέχρι πολλοῦ, νῦν δὲ θαμὰ κατακαμπτόμενος καὶ τῷ θεῷ προσφέρων προσ κύνησιν. Πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἀριθμοῦσι τῶν ἑστώτων ταυτασὶ τὰς προσκυνήσεις. Ἅπαξ δέ τις τῶν σὺν ἐμοὶ χιλίας καὶ διακοσίας πρὸς τέτταρσι καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἀριθμήσας, εἶτα ὀκλάσας ἀφῆκε τὴν ψῆφον. Κατακύπτων δὲ ἀεὶ τοῖς τῶν ποδῶν δακτύλοις προσπελάζει τὸ μέτωπον· ἅπαξ γὰρ τῆς ἑβδομάδος τροφὴν ἡ γαστὴρ ὑποδεχομένη καὶ ταύτην βραχεῖαν εὐπετῶς ἐπικάμπτεσθαι τῷ νώτῳ παραχωρεῖ. 26.23 Φασὶ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς στάσεως καὶ χειρώνειον ἕλκος ἐν θατέρῳ γενέσθαι ποδὶ καὶ διηνεκῶς πλεῖστον ἐκεῖθεν ἰχῶρα ἐκκρίνεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τουτωνὶ τῶν παθῶν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐξήλεγξεν, ἀλλὰ φέρει γενναίως καὶ τὰ ἑκούσια καὶ τὰ ἀκούσια, καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων τῇ προθυμίᾳ περι γινόμενος. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἕλκος καὶ ὑποδεῖξαί τινι ἠναγκάσθη ποτέ. ∆ιηγήσομαι δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν. Ἀφίκετό τις ἀπὸ Ῥαβαίνης, ἀνὴρ σπουδαῖος καὶ τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διακονίᾳ τετιμημένος. Οὗτος τὴν κορυφὴν ἐκείνην καταλαβών· "Εἰπέ μοι, ἔφη, πρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς τῆς τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐπιστρεψάσης γένος, ἄνθρωπος εἶ ἢ ἀσώματος φύσις;". ∆υσχερανάντων δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν τῶν παρόντων σιγὴν μὲν ἄγειν ἐκέλευσεν ἅπαντας, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἔφη· "Τί δήποτε ταύτην τὴν πεῦσιν προσήνεγκας;". Τοῦ δὲ εἰρηκότος ὡς "πάντων θρυλούντων ἀκούω ὡς οὔτε ἐσθίεις οὔτε καθεύδεις, ἀνθρώπων δὲ ἑκάτερον ἴδιον· οὐ γὰρ ἄν τις ταύτην ἔχων τὴν φύσιν τροφῆς δίχα καὶ ὕπνου διαβιώσειεν", ἐπιτεθῆναι μὲν τῷ κίονι κλίμακα προσέταξεν, ἀναβῆναι δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐκέλευσε καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὰς χεῖρας καταμαθεῖν, εἶτα εἴσω τοῦ δερματίνου περιβολαίου τὴν χεῖρα βαλεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν μὴ τοὺς πόδας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ χαλεπώτατον ἕλκος. Ἰδὼν δὲ καὶ θαυμάσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὴν τοῦ ἕλκους ὑπερβολὴν καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ μαθὼν ὡς ἀπολαύει τροφῆς, κατελήλυθεν μὲν ἐκεῖθεν, πρὸς ἐμὲ δὲ ἀφικόμενος διηγήσατο ἅπαντα. 26.24 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς δημοτελέσι πανηγύρεσι καὶ ἄλλην ἐπι δείκνυται καρτερίαν. Μετὰ γὰρ ἡλίου δυσμὰς ἕως ἂν οὗτος πάλιν εἰς τὸν ἑῷον ὁρίζοντα γένηται, τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείνων εἰς οὐρανὸν παννύχιον ἕστηκεν οὔτε ὑπὸ ὕπνου θελγόμενος οὔτε ὑπὸ πόνου νικώμενος. 26.25 Ἐν τοσούτοις δὲ πόνοις καὶ κατορθωμάτων ὄγκῳ καὶ πλήθει θαυμάτων οὕτως ἐστὶ τὸ φρόνημα μέτριος ὡς πάντων ἀνθρώπων κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ὕστατος. Πρὸς δὲ τῷ μετρίῳ φρονήματι καὶ εὐπρόσοδος λίαν ἐστὶ καὶ γλυκὺς καὶ ἐπίχαρις καὶ πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν διαλεγομένων ἀποκρι νόμενος, εἴτε χειροτέχνης εἴτε προσαίτης εἴτε ἄγροικος εἴη. Ἔλαβε δὲ καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας παρὰ τοῦ μεγαλοδώρου δεσπότου τὸ δῶρον· καὶ δὶς ἑκάστης ἡμέρας τὰς παραι νέσεις ποιούμενος ἐπικλύζει τῶν ἀκουόντων τὰς ἀκοὰς ἐπιχαρίτως μάλα διαλεγόμενος, καὶ τὰ τοῦ θείου πνεύματος προσφέρων παιδεύματα καὶ ἀνανεύειν εἰς οὐρανὸν καὶ πέτεσθαι παρεγγυῶν καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι καὶ τὴν προσδοκωμένην φαντάζεσθαι βασιλείαν καὶ τῆς γεέννης δεδιέναι τὴν ἀπειλὴν καὶ καταφρονεῖν τῶν γηΐνων καὶ προσμένειν τὰ μέλλοντα. 26.26 Ἔστι δὲ αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ δικάζοντα καὶ ὀρθὰς καὶ δικαίας τὰς ψήφους ἐκφέροντα. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μετὰ τὴν ἐνάτην διαπράττεται ὥραν· τὴν γὰρ νύκτα ἅπασαν καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν μέχρις ἐνάτης διατελεῖ προσευ χόμενος. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐνάτην πρῶτον μὲν τὴν θείαν διδα σκαλίαν τοῖς παροῦσι προσφέρει, εἶτα τὴν ἑκάστου δεξάμενος αἴτησιν καί τινας ἰάσεις ἐργασάμενος τῶν ἀμφισβητούντων διαλύει τὰς ἔριδας. Περὶ δὲ ἡλίου δυσμὰς τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν λοιπὸν διαλέξεως ἄρχεται. 26.27 Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις ὢν καὶ ταῦτα ἅπαντα δρῶν οὐδὲ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκκλησιῶν ἀμελεῖ προμηθείας, νῦν μὲν ἑλληνικῇ δυσσεβείᾳ μαχόμενος, νῦν δὲ τὴν