85

shun the company of the many, while others, using no such cover, are set before all who wish to see them. 27.2 I have been compelled to go through each of these points at present, wishing to write the life of the admirable Baradatus; for he too devised new practices of endurance. For first, having confined himself in a small house for a long time, he enjoyed only divine spiritual refreshment. From there he occupied the ridge above, and having constructed from wood a certain small box not even proportioned to his body, he lived in it, being forced to stoop continually; for it did not have a height equal to the length of his body. This was not fitted together with planks, but was open very much like latticework and resembled light-openings that have wider entrances for the light; for which reason he was neither rid of the assault of the rains nor free from the flame of the sun, but received both similarly to others in the open air; he surpassed them only in the labor of his confinement. 27.3 And having continued in this manner for a long time, he later came out, yielding to the exhortations of the divine Theodotus, who had obtained the archiepiscopal presidency of the Antiochenes. However, he stands continuously, stretching his hands to heaven and praising in hymns the God of all, covering his whole body with a leather tunic; around his nose and mouth alone he has left a small opening for breath to enter, so that he might breathe, receiving the common air, since otherwise the nature of men is not able to live. And he endures all this labor, not having a robust body, but one that is assailed by very many afflictions. But his fervent zeal, set on fire by divine love, compels him who is unable to toil, to toil. 27.4 And with his mind most excellently adorned with understanding, he makes both his inquiries and his replies; and he reasons at times better and more powerfully than those who have read the Aristotelian labyrinths. But being at the very height of virtue, he does not allow his pride to ascend with it, but commands it to creep below around the very fringes of the mountain. For he knows how much harm a mind inflamed with pride incurs. Such in summary is the philosophy of this man; may it, as it grows, reach the goal of the race. For the good repute of these victors is a common joy for the pious. And may it be for me, supported by their prayers, not to be far from this mountain, but to ascend little by little and to delight in their contemplation. 28.t THALELAEUS 28.1 Nor shall I pass over in silence the story of Thalelaeus; for the sight is full of wonder. I have not only heard it from the accounts of others, but I myself was also an eyewitness of the extraordinary spectacle. For about twenty stades from Gabala—this is a small and charming city—he occupied a certain hill on which was a precinct dedicated to demons and honored with many sacrifices by the impious of old, and set up a small hut. They were always serving those wicked ones, trying, as they said, to appease their great cruelty with worship. For they harmed many, both passersby and neighbors, not only human beings, but also donkeys and mules and oxen and sheep, not making war on the irrational animals, but through them plotting against men. Then, therefore, when they saw him arrive, they tried to terrify him, but were unable, as faith fenced him in and grace championed him. Therefore, filled with rage and madness, they went against the trees that had been planted there. And many

85

τῶν πολλῶν τὰς συνουσίας ἐκκλίνουσιν, οἱ δὲ οὐδενὶ τοιούτῳ καλύμματι χρώμενοι πρόκεινται πᾶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις εἰς θεωρίαν. 27.2 Τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος διεξελθεῖν ἠναγκάσθην, τοῦ θαυμασίου Βαραδάτου τὸν βίον ἐθελήσας συγγράψαι· καινὰ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ἐπενόησε καρτερίας ἐπιτηδεύματα. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐν οἰκίσκῳ χρόνον πολὺν ἑαυτὸν καθείρξας τῆς θείας μόνης ψυχαγωγίας ἀπέλαυεν. Ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ὑπερκειμένην καταλαβὼν ῥαχίαν καὶ κιβωτόν τινα βραχεῖαν οὐδὲ τῷ σώματι σύμμετρον ἐκ ξύλων κατα σκευάσας ἐν αὐτῇ διῆγε, κατακύπτειν διηνεκῶς ἠναγκασμένος· οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν ὕψος ἰσόμετρον τῷ μήκει τοῦ σώματος. Οὐ σανίσι δέ γε αὕτη συνήρμοστο, ἀλλὰ ταῖς κιγκλίσι παρα πλησίως διήνοικτο καὶ ταῖς φωταγωγοῖς ἐῴκει ταῖς εὐρυτέρας ἐχούσαις τοῦ φωτὸς τὰς εἰσόδους· οὗ χάριν οὔτε τῆς τῶν ὑετῶν ἀπηλλάττετο προσβολῆς οὔτε τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἠλευθεροῦτο φλογός, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπαιθρίοις παραπλησίως ἐδέχετο· ἐπλεονέκτει δὲ μόνῳ τῷ τῆς καθείρξεως πόνῳ. 27.3 Πολὺν δὲ χρόνον τοῦτον διατελέσας τὸν τρόπον, ὕστερον ἐξελήλυθε, ταῖς τοῦ θεσπεσίου Θεοδότου, ὃς τὴν ἀρχιερατικὴν τῆς Ἀντιοχέων ἔλαχε προεδρίαν, παραινέσεσιν εἴξας. Ἕστηκε μέντοι διηνεκῶς εἰς οὐρανὸν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνων καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἀνυμνῶν, ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα τῷ δερματίνῳ συγκαλύπτων χιτῶνι· περὶ τὴν ῥῖνα δὲ μόνον καὶ τὸ στόμα βραχεῖαν τῷ πνεύματι παρείσδυσιν κατα λέλοιπεν ἵνα ἀναπνέῃ τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα δεχόμενος, ἐπειδήπερ ἄλλως ζῆν οὐχ οἵα τε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις. Καὶ τοῦτον ἅπαντα ὑπομένει τὸν πόνον, οὐκ εὔρωστον σῶμα λαχών, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν πολλοῖς βαλλόμενον πάθεσι. Ζέουσα δὲ ἡ προθυμία καὶ τῷ θείῳ ἔρωτι πυρπολουμένη βιάζεται πονεῖν τὸν πονεῖν οὐ δυνάμενον. 27.4 Καὶ τὰς φρένας δὲ συνέσει κεκοσμημένος ἄριστα καὶ τὰς πεύσεις καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ποιεῖται· καὶ συλλο γίζεται ἔστιν ὅτε τῶν τοὺς ἀριστοτελικοὺς λαβυρίνθους ἀνεγνωκότων ἄμεινόν τε καὶ δυνατώτερον. Ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ ὢν τῷ ὕψει τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἐᾷ συναναβῆναι τὸ φρόνημα, ἀλλὰ κάτω ἕρπειν κελεύει περὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ ὄρους τὰ κράσπεδα. Οἶδε γὰρ ὅσην ἕλκει βλάβην φλεγμαίνουσα τῷ τύφῳ διάνοια. Τοιαύτη ἐν κεφαλαίῳ καὶ ἡ τοῦδε φιλοσοφία, ἣν αὐξομένην γένοιτο τοῦ δρόμου τὴν νύσσαν καταλαβεῖν· κοινὴ γὰρ εὐφροσύνη τῶν εὐσεβῶν τῶν νικηφόρων τούτων ἡ εὔκλεια. Ἐμὲ δὲ εἴη ταῖς τούτων ὑπερειδόμενον προσευχαῖς μὴ πόρρω τοῦδε γένεσθαι τοῦ ὄρους, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀναβῆναι καὶ ταῖς τούτων ἐντρυφᾶν θεωρίαις. 28.t ΘΑΛΕΛΑΙΟΣ 28.1 Οὐδὲ τὸ Θαλελαίου σιγήσω διήγημα· μεστὸν γὰρ τὸ θέαμα θαύματος. Οὐκ ἄλλων δὲ μόνον διηγησαμένων ἀκήκοα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτόπτης ἐγενόμην τοῦ παραδόξου θεάματος. Ἀπὸ σταδίων γὰρ εἴκοσι Γαβάλων-πόλις δὲ αὕτη σμικρὰ καὶ χαρίεσσα- γήλοφόν τινα καταλαβὼν ἐν ᾧ τέμενος ἦν δαίμοσιν ἀνακείμενον καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πάλαι δυσσεβῶν πολλαῖς θυσίαις τιμώμενον, σμικράν τινα καλύβην ἐπήξατο. Ἐθεράπευον δὲ ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀλιτηρίους ἐκείνους, ὡς ἔφασαν, τὴν πολλὴν αὐτῶν ὠμότητα θεραπείᾳ πραΰνειν πειρώμενοι. Πολλοῖς γὰρ ἐλυμαίνοντο καὶ παριοῦσι καὶ γειτονεύουσιν, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄνοις καὶ ἡμιόνοις καὶ βουσὶ καὶ προβάτοις, οὐ τοῖς ἀλόγοις πολεμοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τούτων τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιβουλεύοντες. Τότε τοίνυν ἀφικόμενον τοῦτον ἰδόντες, καταπλήττειν ἐπειρῶντο μέν, οὐκ ἠδύναντο δὲ καὶ τῆς πίστεως περιφραττούσης καὶ ὑπερμαχούσης τῆς χάριτος. Τοιγάρτοι λύττης καὶ μανίας ἀναπλησθέντες, κατὰ τῶν ἐκεῖ πεφυτευμένων ἐχώρησαν δένδρων. Πολλαὶ δὲ