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destroying the audacity of the Jews, at other times scattering the factions of the heretics, and sometimes writing to the emperor about these things, sometimes arousing the rulers to divine zeal, and at other times urging the very shepherds of the churches to take greater care of their flocks. 26.28 But I have recounted these things, having tried to show the downpour from a single drop and with my index finger giving those who encounter this writing a taste of the sweetness of the honey. The things celebrated by all are many times more than these, but I have not undertaken to write of them all, but through a few things to show the character of each one's way of life. Others, as is likely, will write much more of these things; and if he should live on, they will perhaps add even greater wonders. But I both desire and beseech God that he, aided by his own prayers, may persist in these good labors, being a common ornament and the glory of piety, and that my own life may be regulated and directed toward the evangelical way of life. Having survived many wonders and labors, the sun's flame and winter frosts and the violent blasts of winds and the weakness of human nature, alone of all men ever remaining unconquered, since it was then necessary for him to be with Christ and to receive the crowns of his measureless contests, he confirmed to unbelievers by his death that he was a man, but he remained unbending even after his end, and while his soul had taken possession of heaven, his body did not endure to fall even so, but stood upright in the place of his contests, just as an undefeated athlete striving not to touch the earth with any part of his limbs. Thus victory remains present with the combatants for Christ even when they have died. For healings of all kinds of sufferings and wonders and the power of divine workings, just as when he was alive, are performed even now not only at the tombs of the holy relics, but also at the memorial of his valor and long-lasting asceticism, I mean the great and famous pillar of this just and much-praised Symeon, through whose holy intercessions we pray that we ourselves may be saved and be supported in the right faith, and that every city and country over which the name of our Lord Jesus Christ has been invoked may be kept safe from every kind of insolence and harm from heaven and from enemies; to him be the glory for ever and ever. 27.t BARADATUS 27.1 And while the common destroyer of men found many ways of wickedness, striving to deliver the entire nature of men to utter destruction, so too the nurslings of piety devised many and various ladders for the ascent to heaven. For some, struggling in companies—and there are myriad such communities, beyond counting—enjoy the ageless crowns and obtain the desired ascent. But others, embracing the solitary life and practicing to speak with God alone and partaking of no human comfort, thus enjoy the ascent. Still others, living in tents and some in huts, praise God. And some embrace the life in grottoes and caves. But many, of whom we have mentioned some, were not persuaded to have a grotto, or a cave, or a tent, or a hut, but having given their own bodies to the bare air they endure the opposite qualities, at one time being frozen by the intense cold, at another being burned by the fire of the sun's ray. And the life of these, in turn, is various; for some stand continuously, while others divide the day into sitting and standing. And some, confined in some enclosures

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Ἰουδαίων κατα λύων θρασύτητα, ἄλλοτε δὲ τὰς τῶν αἱρετικῶν συμμορίας σκεδαννύς, καί ποτε μὲν βασιλεῖ περὶ τούτων ἐπιστέλλων, ποτὲ δὲ τοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰς τὸν θεῖον ζῆλον ἐγείρων, ἄλλοτε δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῖς ποιμέσι πλείονα ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ποιμνίων παρεγγυῶν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν. 26.28 Ταῦτα δὲ διεξῆλθον ἀπὸ ψεκάδος δεῖξαι τὸν ὑετὸν πειραθεὶς καὶ τῷ λιχανῷ δακτύλῳ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῷ συγγράμματι τῆς γλυκύτητος ἀπογεύων τοῦ μέλιτος. Τὰ δὲ παρὰ πάντων ᾀδόμενα τούτων ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσια, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντα ἔγωγε συγγράφειν ἐπήγγελμαι, ἀλλὰ δι' ὀλίγων τῆς ἑκάστου πολιτείας ἐπιδεῖξαι τὸν χαρακτῆρα. Συγγράψουσι δὲ ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ ἄλλοι τουτωνὶ πολλῷ πλείονα· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιβιῴη, καὶ μείζονα τυχὸν προσθήσουσι θαύματα. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ταῖς οἰκείαις προσευχαῖς βοηθούμενον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τούτοις πόνοις ἐπιμεῖναι καὶ ποθῶ καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύω, κόσμον ὄντα κοινὸν καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγλάϊσμα καὶ τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ ῥυθμισθῆναι βίον καὶ πρὸς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν πολιτείαν κατευθυνθῆναι. Πολλοῖς δὲ καὶ ἐπιβιοὺς θαύμασί τε καὶ πόνοις ἡλίου τε φλοξὶ καὶ χειμερίοις κρυμοῖς καὶ ἀνέμων σφοδραῖς ἐμβολαῖς καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀσθενείᾳ μόνος τῶν πώποτε μείνας ἀκαταγώ νιστος, ἐπειδὴ λοιπὸν αὐτὸν ἔδει συνεῖναι Χριστῷ καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀμετρήτων ἀγώνων στεφάνους κομίσασθαι, τὸ μὲν ἄνθρωπος εἶναι τῷ θανάτῳ τοῖς οὐ πιστεύουσιν ἐβεβαίωσεν, ἔμεινε δὲ καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν ἀκλινής, καὶ τὸν μὲν οὐρανὸν ἡ ψυχὴ κατειλήφει, τὸ δὲ σῶμα πεσεῖν οὐδ' οὕτως ἠνείχετο, ἀλλ' ὄρθιον ἐν τῷ τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων εἱστήκει τόπῳ, ὥσπερ ἀήττητος ἀθλητὴς μηδενὶ τῶν μελῶν μέρει τῇ γῇ προσψαῦσαι φιλονεικῶν. Οὕτως τοῖς κατὰ Χριστὸν ἀγωνισταῖς μένει συνοῦσα καὶ ἀποθανοῦσιν ἡ νίκη. Ἰάσεις γοῦν παντοίων παθῶν καὶ θαύματα καὶ θείων δύναμις ἐνεργείων, ὥσπερ ἡνίκα περιῆν, ἐπιτελοῦνται καὶ νῦν οὐ παρὰ τὰς θήκας τῶν ἁγίων λειψάνων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τὸ τῆς ἀριστείας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀθλήσεως τῆς πολυχρονίου μνημόσυνον, τὸν μέγαν λέγω καὶ ἀοίδιμον κίονα τούτου δὴ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ πολυϋμνήτου Συμεών, οὗ ταῖς ἁγίαις πρεσβείαις εὐχόμεθα αὐτοί τε ἡμεῖς διασῴζεσθαι καὶ τῇ ὀρθῇ ἐπιστηρίζεσθαι πίστει καὶ πᾶσαν πόλιν τε καὶ χώραν ἐφ' ἣν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπικέκληται παντοίας ἐπηρείας τε καὶ βλάβης ἀπείραστον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ πολεμίων φυλάττεσθαι· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. 27.t ΒΑΡΑ∆ΑΤΟΣ 27.1 Καὶ ὁ κοινὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλάστωρ πολλὰς τῆς κακίας ἐξεῦρεν ὁδοὺς πανωλεθρίᾳ φιλονεικῶν παραδοῦναι πᾶσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας οἱ τρόφιμοι τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνόδου πολλὰς καὶ διαφόρους ἐμηχανήσαντο κλίμακας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ συμμορίας ἀγωνιζόμενοι-μυρία δὲ τοιαῦτα συστήματα καὶ ἀριθμὸν νικῶντα-, τῶν ἀγηράτων στεφάνων ἀπολαύουσι καὶ τῆς ποθουμένης ἀνόδου τυγχάνουσιν. Οἱ δὲ τὸν μοναδικὸν ἀσπαζόμενοι βίον καὶ μόνῳ προσλαλεῖν τῷ θεῷ μελετῶντες καὶ παραψυχῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐδεμιᾶς μεταλαγχάνοντες οὕτω τῆς ἀναρρήσεως ἀπολαύουσιν. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἐν σκηναῖς καὶ ἕτεροι ἐν καλύβαις διάγοντες τὸν θεὸν ἀνυμνοῦσιν. Οἱ δὲ τὸν ἐν ἄντροις καὶ σπηλαίοις ἀσπάζονται βίον. Πολλοὶ δέ, ὧν ἐνίων ἐμνήσθημεν, οὐκ ἄντρον ἔχειν, οὐ σπήλαιον, οὐ σκηνήν, οὐ καλύβην ἐπείσθησαν, ἀλλὰ γυμνῷ τῷ ἀέρι τὰ σφέτερα σώματα δεδωκότες τῶν ἐναντίων ποιοτήτων ἀνέχονται, ποτὲ μὲν τῷ κρυμῷ τῷ ἀκράτῳ πηγνύμενοι, ποτὲ δὲ τῷ πυρὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος φλεγόμενοι. Καὶ τούτων δὲ αὖ πάλιν ὁ βίος διάφορος· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἑστᾶσι διηνεκῶς, οἱ δὲ εἰς καθέδραν καὶ στάσιν τὴν ἡμέραν μερίζουσι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν θριγκίοις τισὶ καθειργμένοι