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God of love, they kindled the torch from all sides. As they departed, so they returned, without food, so much did the divine love-potion madden them, so much did divine love for the bridegroom drive them to frenzy. These women, therefore, having thus adorned the female sex with such a way of life and having become archetypes for the others, will be crowned with wreaths of victory by the Master. But I, having set forth the benefit from this and having reaped the blessing, will proceed to another narrative. 30.t DOMNINA 30.1 The admirable Domnina, emulating the life of the divine Maron, of whom we made mention before, set up a certain small hut in the garden of her mother’s house; the stalks of millet make the hut for her; and spending her days in it, with ceaseless tears she wets not only her cheeks but also her garments of hair; for with such clothes she covers her body. About cock-crow, going into the divine temple which was not far off, with the other women and men she offers hymnody to the Master of all. This she does not only at the beginning of the day, but also at its end, both supposing and teaching others that the place consecrated to God is more venerable than any other place. For this reason she also deemed it worthy of great care, persuading her mother and brothers to spend their substance on it. 30.2 For food she has lentils soaked in water. And she endures all this toil with an emaciated and half-dead body. For her skin is very thin and membranous, covering her slender bones, her fat and flesh having been consumed by her toils. She is available to all who wish to see her, both men and women, neither seeing anyone’s face nor showing her face to another, but accurately covered by her cloak, and bent down to her knees, and speaking very faintly and indistinctly, and always uttering these things with tears. For often, taking my right hand and putting it to her eyes, she has released it so drenched that the tear has dripped from my hand itself. Who, then, could worthily praise in words one who, in such a wealth of philosophy, weeps and laments and groans like those who live in extreme poverty? For it is fervent love for God that begets that tear, firing the mind for divine contemplation and pricking it with its goads and urging its transition from here. 30.3 And while spending her days and nights in these things, she does not neglect the other forms of virtue, but serves to the best of her ability the best athletes whom we have mentioned and whom we have omitted. She serves also those who come to her, bidding them lodge with the pastor of the village, while she herself sends out all their necessities. For the property of her mother and brothers is at her disposal for expenditure, reaping its blessing through her. And to me, when I arrive at that part—it is the southern part of our country—she sends bread and fruit and the soaked lentils. 30.4 But how long am I to prolong this, striving to relate all her virtue, when it is necessary also to bring into the midst the life of the others who have imitated both her and those whom we mentioned before? For there are many others, some of whom have embraced the solitary life, while others have loved the common life, so that fifty and two hundred and more and fewer live together in the same way, subsisting on one kind of food, choosing to sleep only on mats, and allotting their hands to wool-work, with hymns

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θεὸν ἀγάπης πανταχόθεν ἐξάψωσι τὸν πυρσὸν ὡς ἀπῆλθον, οὕτως ἐπανῆλθον ἄσιτοι, τοσοῦτον αὐτὰς τὸ θεῖον ἐξεβάκχευσε φίλτρον, οὕτως αὐτὰς ὁ θεῖος ἔρως περὶ τὸν νυμφίον ἐξέμηνεν. Αὗται μὲν οὖν τοιαύτῃ πολιτείᾳ τὸ θῆλυ κατακοσμήσασαι γένος ὡς ἀρχέτυπα καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις γενόμεναι, τοῖς ἐπινι κίοις στεφάνοις ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου ταινιωθήσονται. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὠφέλειαν προθεὶς καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν δρεψά μενος ἐφ' ἕτερον βαδιοῦμαι διήγημα. 30.t ∆ΟΜΝΙΝΑ 30.1 Τοῦ θεσπεσίου Μάρωνος, οὗ καὶ πρώην ἐμνήσθημεν, ἡ θαυμασία ∆ομνίνα τὸν βίον ζηλώσασα ἐν τῷ κήπῳ τῆς μητρῴας οἰκίας σμικράν τινα καλύβην ἐπήξατο· ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτῇ τὴν καλύβην τῶν μελίνων ἡ καλάμη· καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ διημερεύουσα δάκρυσι διηνεκέσιν οὐ μόνας καταβρέχει τὰς παρειάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκ τριχῶν περιβόλαια· τοιοῖσδε γὰρ ἐσθήμασι συγκαλύπτει τὸ σῶμα. Περὶ δὲ ἀλεκτρυόνων ᾠδὰς εἰς τὸν θεῖον νεὼν οὐ πόρρω ὄντα ἰοῦσα, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων προσφέρει τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἀρχομένης μόνον ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελευτώσης ποιεῖ, παντὸς ἑτέρου χωρίου τὸν ἀφιερωμένον τῷ θεῷ χῶρον σεβασμιώτερον εἶναι καὶ ὑπολαμβάνουσα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διδάσκουσα. Τούτου εἵνεκα καὶ πολλῆς αὐτὸν ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσε, τὴν μητέρα πείσασα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς τοῦτον δαπανῆσαι τὰ ὄντα. 30.2 Τροφὴν δὲ ἔχει τὸν φακὸν ἀποβεβρεγμένον ὕδατι. Καὶ τοῦτον ἅπαντα ὑπομένει τὸν πόνον σώματι κατε σκελετευμένῳ καὶ ἡμιθνῆτι χρωμένη. Λεπτότατον γὰρ τὸ δέρμα καὶ ὑμενῶδες λεπτοῖς τοῖς ὀστέοις περίκειται καὶ πιμελῆς καὶ σαρκῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πόνων δαπανηθεισῶν. Πρόκειται δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρᾶν αὐτὴν βουλομένοις, καὶ ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξίν, οὔτε ὁρῶσα πρόσωπον οὔτε ἑτέρῳ προτιθεῖσα τὸ πρόσωπον, ἀλλ' ἀκριβῶς μὲν τῷ περιβολαίῳ κατακαλυ πτομένη, μέχρι δὲ τῶν γονάτων κατακαμπτομένη, λεπτὰ δὲ λίαν καὶ ἄσημα φθεγγομένη, μετὰ δακρύων δὲ ἀεὶ καὶ ταῦτα προφέρουσα. Πολλάκις γάρ μου λαβοῦσα τὴν δεξιὰν καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐπιθεῖσα οὕτω διάβροχον γενομένην ἀφῆκεν ὡς αὐτὴν ἀποστάξαι τὴν χεῖρα τὸ δάκρυον. Τὴν οὖν ἐν τοσούτῳ πλούτῳ φιλοσοφίας τοῖς ἐν ἐσχάτῃ ζῶσι πενίᾳ παραπλησίως δακρύουσαν καὶ ὀλοφυρομένην καὶ στενάζουσαν, ποῖος ἂν ἀξίως ἐπαινέσειε λόγος; Ὁ γὰρ θερμὸς περὶ τὸν θεὸν ἔρως ἐκεῖνο τίκτει τὸ δάκρυον, εἰς τὴν θείαν θεωρίαν πυρσεύων τὸν νοῦν καὶ ταῖς ἀκίσι νύττων καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐντεῦθεν κατεπείγων μετάβασιν. 30.3 Καὶ ἐν τούτοις δὲ διημερεύουσά τε καὶ διανυκτερεύουσα, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰδῶν ἀμελεῖ, ἀλλὰ θεραπεύει μὲν εἰς δύναμιν τοὺς ἀρίστους ἀγωνιστὰς ὧν ἐμνήσθημεν καὶ οὓς παρελίπομεν. Θεραπεύει δὲ καὶ τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀφικνουμένους, κατάγεσθαι μὲν παρὰ τῷ τῆς κώμης ποιμένι κελεύουσα, αὐτὴ δὲ τὰς χρείας ἁπάσας ἐκπέμπουσα. Πρόκειται γὰρ αὐτῇ τὰ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἰς δαπάνην, τὴν δι' αὐτῆς εὐλογίαν καρπούμενα. Κἀμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος ἀφικνουμένῳ-τὸ νότιον δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας χώρας ἐστί-καὶ ἄρτους καὶ ὀπώρας καὶ τὸν διάβροχον πέμπει φακόν. 30.4 Ἀλλὰ μέχρι πότε μηκύνω καὶ ταύτης τὴν ἀρετὴν ἅπασαν διηγεῖσθαι φιλονεικῶν, δέον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰς μέσον προτιθέναι τὸν βίον αἳ καὶ ταύτην κἀκείνας, ὧν πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν, ἐμιμήσαντο; Πολλαὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλαι, αἳ μὲν τὸν μοναδικὸν ἠσπάσαντο βίον, αἳ δὲ τὴν μετὰ πλειόνων ἠγάπησαν πολιτείαν ὡς καὶ πεντήκοντα καὶ διακοσίας καὶ πλείους καὶ ἐλάττους κατὰ ταὐτὸν βιοτεύειν, μιᾶς ἀνεχομένας τροφῆς, ἐπὶ ψιάθων μόνον καθεύδειν αἱρουμένας καὶ τὰς μὲν χεῖρας ἀπονεμούσας ἐρίῳ, ὕμνοις