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they show themselves to be something to men, bold in these matters and courageous, and very experienced in the explanation of such a struggle and battle-array, and indeed wise and knowledgeable and instructive concerning the very defeat and victory over the wicked ones. Whence also, as certain single-combatants and victors over their enemies through empty talk and the deceit of syllogisms, they hasten to be known to all; who, even when reproved and condemned by their own conscience as inactive and inexperienced in such warfare, are unable to agree and to confess their own weakness and inexperience, being overcome by love of glory and the desire to please men; for they greatly fear to fall from the good opinion of men.

For since they are not seen in soul by their neighbors for what they are, nor are they perceived by men to be naked of the weapons of the Spirit, nor that they are still weak and infants, they hide themselves in the fleece of hypocrisy and the skin of a sheep; and they wish to appear to all through their smooth talk to be that which those who have acquired stature in Christ through labors are, although they have not perhaps even laid the foundations of faith and hope (200) upon the rock, nor raised the edifice of virtues upon Christ the foundation. For this reason, being still doubtful and unapproved, pushed by the assault of temptations and the storm of thoughts, they are fettered and, being tripped up, they fall wretchedly. For if they were seen by all for what they are, those who are clothed only in the form of godliness as in a tent, they would not have been able to stand at all before the face of a man, nor to be seen, I think, by anyone; and especially those who seem to excel others in knowledge and word and who think they bear the royal character in themselves, who, though honored and revered by the many as wise and pious and prudent, are no different, in the unseen movements of the soul, from those who make a luxury of wickedness.

But come now, you who wish to be taught, be willing to learn the glory of the truly holy and dispassionate men, that is, you who long for it and fervently desire to acquire it; for I will tell you an image that represents their full armor and their splendor, and you will know, each one comparing himself to those saints, in what state you are and how far we all fall short of their courage and worth and power.

But come now, you who wish to be taught, be willing to learn the glory of the truly holy and dispassionate men, that is, you who long for it and fervently desire to acquire it; for I will tell you an image that represents their full armor and their splendor, and you will know, each one comparing himself to those saints, in what state you are and how far we all fall short of their courage and worth and power.

Therefore, consider for me the heaven as it is on a clear and cloudless night and see for me in it the disk of the moon all filled with the pure and most clean light, and around it the circle that is often formed about it; and having considered these things well, pass with your mind to what I am about to say next. Each of the saints, while still in the body, is like heaven, and their heart is like the disk of the moon. And holy love is the all-creating and all-powerful light, (201) much more and incomparably brighter than this light of the sun, which, touching their hearts, is like the light of the moon, but is always preserved full of light through the zeal and good works of the saints. And holy dispassion, like a circular crown and like a tent enclosing and surrounding them in the midst, shelters and guards on all sides and keeps them unwounded from every evil thought, not to mention sin, and unharmed and free from all

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εἶναί τι ἑαυτούς ἐπιδείκνυνται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τολμηρούς περί ταῦτα καί ἀνδρείους καί περί τήν ἐξήγησιν τῆς τοιαύτης πάλης καί τῆς ἀντιπαρατάξεως λίαν ἐμπείρους, ἀλλά μήν καί αὐτῆς τῆς ἥττης καί νίκης τῶν πονηρῶν σοφούς καί ἐπιστήμονας καί διδακτικούς. Ὅθεν καί ὡς μονομάχοι τινές καί νικηταί τῶν ἐχθρῶν διά τῆς κενολογίας καί ἀπάτης τῶν συλλογισμῶν τοῖς πᾶσι γνωρίζεσθαι σπεύδουσιν· οἵ, καί ἐλεγχόμενοι καί ὑπό τοῦ οἰκείου συνειδότος κατακρινόμενοι ὡς ἄπρακτοι καί τοῦ τοιούτου πολέμου ἄπειροι, οὐ δύνανται συγκαταθέσθαι καί τήν ἑαυτῶν ἀσθένειαν καί ἀπειρίαν καθομολογῆσαι ὑπό φιλοδοξίας καί ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας κατακρατούμενοι· λίαν γάρ τῆς δόξης ἐκπεσεῖν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φοβοῦνται.

Ἐπειδή γάρ οὐ βλέπονται κατά ψυχήν τοῖς πλησίον ὁποῖοί ποτ᾿ ἄν εἰσιν, οὐδέ παρά τῶν ἀνθρώπων καταλαμβάνονται ὅτι γυμνοί τυγχάνουσι τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος ὅπλων, οὐδέ ὅτι ἀσθενεῖς ἔτι καί νήπιοί εἰσι, κρύπτουσιν ἑαυτούς τῷ κωδίῳ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως καί τῇ δορᾷ τοῦ προβάτου· καί τοῦτο τοῖς πᾶσι διά τῆς χρηστολογίας φαίνεσθαι βούλονται ὅπερ οἱ τήν κατά Χριστόν ἡλικίαν διά πόνων κτησάμενοι αὐτοί, μηδέ τάς βάσεις ἴσως τῆς πίστεως καί ἐλπίδος (200) ἐπί τήν πέτραν ἐρείσαντες, μηδέ τήν οἰκοδομήν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπί τόν θεμέλιον Χριστόν ἀνυψώσαντες. ∆ιά δή τοῦτο ἀμφίβολοι ἔτι καί ἀδόκιμοι ὄντες, τῇ ἐπιφορᾷ τῶν πειρασμῶν καί τῇ καταιγίδι τῶν λογισμῶν ὠθούμενοι, συμποδίζονται καί σκελιζόμενοι ἐλεεινῶς καταπίπτουσιν. Εἰ γάρ ἐβλέποντο τοῖς πᾶσιν οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ τήν μόρφωσιν τῆς εὐσεβείας μόνην οἷα δή σκηνήν περικείμενοι, οὐδέ στῆναι εἰς πρόσωπον ὅλως ἀνθρώπου ἠδυνήθησαν ἄν, οὐδέ ὀφθῆναι, ὡς οἶμαι, τινί· καί μάλιστα οἱ προὔχειν δοκοῦντες τῶν ἄλλων ἐν γνώσει καί λόγῳ καί τόν βασιλικόν οἰόμενοι χαρακτῆρα ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιφέρεσθαι, οἵ καί ὡς σοφοί καί εὐλαβεῖς καί σώφρονες παρά τῶν πολλῶν τιμώμενοι καί σεβόμενοι οὐδέν ἧττον κατά τάς ἀφανεῖς κινήσεις τῆς ψυχῆς τῶν τήν κακίαν πολυτελῶν διαφέρουσιν.

Ἀλλ᾿ ἄγε δή καί τήν δόξαν τῶν ὄντως ἁγίων καί ἀπαθῶν ἀνδρῶν οἱ βουλόμενοι διδαχθῆναι θελήσατε, οἱ ταύτης ἐφιέμενοι δηλαδή καί ταύτην ἐπικτήσασθαι ἐπιποθοῦντες θερμῶς· εἰκόνα γάρ ὑμῖν φράσω παριστῶσαν αὐτῶν τήν τῶν ὅπλων περιβολήν καί τήν ἐκείνων λαμπρότητα καί γνώσεσθε, ἕκαστος ἑαυτόν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐκείνοις συγκρίνων, ἐν οἵοις ἐστέ καί ὅσον τῆς ἐκείνων ἀνδρείας ὁμοῦ καί ἀξίας καί δυνάμεως πάντες ἀπολειπόμεθα.

Ἀλλ᾿ ἄγε δή καί τήν δόξαν τῶν ὄντων ἁγίων καί ἀπαθῶν ἀνδρῶν οἱ βουλόμενοι διδαχθῆναι θελήσατε, οἱ ταύτης ἐφιέμενοι δηλαδή καί ταύτην ἐπικτήσασθαι ἐπιποθοῦντες θερμῶς· εἰκόνα γάρ ὑμῖν φράσω παριστῶσαν αὐτῶν τήν τῶν ὅπλων περιβολήν καί τήν ἐκείνων λαμπρότητα καί γνώσεσθε, ἕκαστος ἑαυτόν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐκείνοις συγκρίνων, ἐν οἵοις ἐστέ καί ὅσον τῆς ἐκείνων ἀνδρείας ὁμοῦ καί ἀξίας καί δυνάμεως πάντες ἀπολειπόμεθα.

Τοιγαροῦν ἐννόησόν μοι τόν οὐρανόν οἷος ὑπάρχει ἐν αἰθρίᾳ καί ἀνεφέλῳ νυκτί καί βλέπε μοι ἐν αὐτῷ τόν τῆς σελήνης δίσκον ὅλον πεπληρωμένον τό εἰλικρινές καί καθαρώτατον φῶς, κύκλῳ δέ ταύτης τόν πολλάκις γινόμενον κύκλον περί αὐτήν· καί σκοπήσας ταῦτα καλῶς, μετάβηθι τῷ νῷ καί πρός ὅ μέλλω πάλιν εἰπεῖν. Τῶν ἁγίων ἐοίκασιν ἕκαστος, ἔτι ἐν σώματι ὄντες, οὐρανῷ, ἡ δέ καρδία αὐτῶν τῷ δίσκῳ ἔοικε τῆς σελήνης. Ἡ δέ ἁγία ἀγάπη τό παντουργόν ὑπάρχει καί παντοδύναμον φῶς, (201) πολύ τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ τούτου φωτός καί ἀσυγκρίτως λαμπρότερον ἥτις ἁπτομένη τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν καί καθάπερ τό τῆς σελήνης φῶς, ἀλλ᾿ ὁλόφωτος ἀεί διά σπουδῆς καί ἀγαθοεργίας τῶν ἁγίων συντηρουμένη. Ἡ δέ ἁγία ἀπάθεια, ὥσπερ κυκλοειδής στέφανος καί ὡς σκηνή μέσον αὐτούς περιφέρουσα καί περιέπουσα, σκέπει πάντοθεν καί περιφρουρεῖ καί ἀτρώτους ἀπό πάσης ἐννοίας πονηρᾶς, μή ὅτι γε ἁμαρτίας, διατηρεῖ, καί ἀβλαβεῖς καί ἐλευθέρους ἐκ πάντων