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dedicating their tongue. 30.5 But there are innumerable such schools of philosophy, surpassing all counting, not only in our land, but also throughout the entire East. And full of these are Palestine and Egypt and Asia and Pontus and all of Europe. For since the Lord Christ honored virginity, being born of a virgin, nature has made the meadows of virginity blossom and offers these fragrant and unfading flowers to the Creator, not distinguishing virtue into male and female, nor dividing philosophy into two differences; for the difference is of bodies, but not of souls. "For in Christ Jesus, according to the divine Apostle, there is neither male nor female"; but one faith has been granted to both men and women; "For there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all." And the one who presides over the contest has set forth one kingdom of heaven for the victors, having ordained this as a common prize for their struggles. 30.6 Therefore, as I said, there are many training grounds of piety for both men and women not only among us, but also in all Syria and Palestine and Cilicia and in Mesopotamia. In Egypt, they say that some schools have up to five thousand men who are working and in the meantime are singing hymns to the Lord, and not only procuring their necessary food from their works, but also assisting visiting strangers and the poor. 30.7 But to relate all things is impossible not only for me, but also for all writers. And even if it were possible, I consider it to be superfluous and an ambition that has no profit. For to those who wish to reap some benefit, what has been said is sufficient to provide what is desired. For this reason we have also mentioned different lives and have added the narratives of women to those of men, so that both the old and the young and women may have archetypes of philosophy, and each one, molding the life according to their heart's desire, may have a certain rule and standard of their own in what is laid down in the narrative. And just as painters, looking at the archetype, imitate the eyes and nose and mouth and cheeks and ears and forehead and the very hairs of the head and of the beard and, in addition to these, the posture and stance and indeed the very expressions of the eyes, whether joyful or stern, so it is fitting for each of those who encounter this writing, choosing to imitate a certain life, to regulate their own according to that which they choose. And just as carpenters, straightening boards with a line, remove what is superfluous until, placing the rule alongside, they see the board has become equal, so it is necessary for one who wishes to emulate a certain life to set this for himself as a rule and to cut off the excesses of vice and to fill up the deficiencies of virtue. For it was for this reason that we undertook the labor of this writing, setting forth a source of benefit for those who wish it. And I ask those who will read this, who delight without toil in the labors of others, to repay these labors with prayer. 30.8 And I beseech also those whose life I have written not to overlook me as I pass my time far from their spiritual choir, but to draw me up as I lie below and lead me to the height of virtue and join me to their own choir, so that I may not only praise the wealth of others, but may also myself have some grounds for praise, glorifying the savior of all in deed and word and thought, with whom to the Father be the glory, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 31.t CONCERNING DIVINE LOVE

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δὲ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀφιερούσας. 30.5 Μυρία δὲ τοιαῦτα καὶ ἀριθμὸν νικῶντα φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶ φροντιστήρια οὐκ ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἕω. Πλήρης δὲ τούτων καὶ Παλαιστίνη καὶ Αἴγυπτος καὶ Ἀσία καὶ Πόντος καὶ Εὐρώπη πᾶσα. Ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς τὴν παρθενίαν ἐτίμησεν ὑπὸ παρθένου τεχθείς, τοὺς τῆς παρθενίας λειμῶνας ἡ φύσις ἐβλάστησε καὶ τὰ εὐώδη ταῦτα καὶ ἀμάραντα ἄνθη προσφέρει τῷ ποιητῇ, οὐκ εἰς ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ τὴν ἀρετὴν διακρίνουσα, οὐδὲ εἰς δύο διαφορὰς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν μερί ζουσα· σωμάτων γάρ, ἀλλ' οὐ ψυχῶν τὸ διάφορον. "Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ"· μία δὲ καὶ ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξὶ κεχο ρήγηται πίστις· "Εἷς γὰρ κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα, εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡμῖν". Μίαν δὲ καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης τοῖς νικηφόροις προτέθηκεν, ἆθλον τοῦτο κοινὸν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὁρίσας. 30.6 Πολλαὶ τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ ἀνδρῶν εἰσι καὶ γυναικῶν εὐσεβείας παλαίστραι οὐ παρ' ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν Συρίᾳ πάσῃ καὶ Παλαιστίνῃ καὶ Κιλικίᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ μέσῃ τῶν ποταμῶν. Ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δέ φασι καὶ ἀνὰ πέντε χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἔχειν ἔνια φροντιστήρια ἐργαζομένων καὶ μεταξὺ τὸν δεσπότην ἀνυμνούντων, καὶ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ποριζομένων τροφήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξένοις ἀφικνου μένοις καὶ πενομένοις ἐπικουρούντων. 30.7 Ἀλλὰ πάντα διηγεῖσθαι οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι συγγραφεῦσιν ἀδύνατον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν ἦν, παρέλκον εἶναι νομίζω καὶ φιλοτιμίαν οὐδὲν ἔχουσαν κέρδος. Τοῖς γὰρ ὄνησίν τινα δρέπεσθαι βουλομένοις ἀπόχρη καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα παρασχεῖν τὸ ποθούμενον. Τούτου γὰρ εἵνεκα καὶ διαφόρων ἐμνημονεύσαμεν βίων καὶ γυναικῶν διηγήματα τοῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν προστεθήκαμεν ἵν' ἔχωσι καὶ πρεσβύται καὶ νέοι καὶ γυναῖκες φιλοσοφίας ἀρχέτυπα, καὶ τὸν καταθύμιον ἕκαστος ἐκματτόμενος βίον ἔχῃ κανόνα τινὰ καὶ γνώμονα τοῦ οἰκείου τὸν ἐν τῷ διηγήματι κείμενον. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ζωγράφοι εἰς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἀφορῶντες καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπομιμοῦνται καὶ ῥῖνα καὶ στόμα καὶ παρειὰς καὶ ὦτα καὶ μέτωπα καὶ αὐτὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τοῦ γενείου τὰς τρίχας καὶ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ καθέδραν καὶ στάσιν καὶ αὐτὰ μέντοι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ ἤθη, εἴτε χαροποιὰ εἴτε βλοσυρὰ εἴη, οὕτω προσήκει καὶ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἕκαστον τῇδε τῇ συγγραφῇ βίον τινὰ μιμεῖσθαι προαιρού μενον πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὃν προαιρεῖται τὸν οἰκεῖον ῥυθμίζειν. Καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ τέκτονες τῇ σπάρτῃ τὰς σανίδας ἀπευθύνοντες, μέχρι τοσούτου τὸ περιττὸν ἀφαιροῦσιν, ἕως ἂν τὸν κανόνα παραθέντες ἴσην γενομένην τὴν σανίδα θεάσωνται, οὕτω δεῖ τὸν ζηλοῦν τινα βίον βουλόμενον ἑαυτῷ τοῦτον ἀντὶ κανόνος παρατιθέναι καὶ τῆς τε κακίας ἀποκόπτειν τὰ περιττὰ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναπληροῦν τὰ ἐλλείποντα. Τούτου γὰρ εἵνεκα καὶ τὸν τῆς συγγραφῆς ἀναδεξάμεθα πόνον, ὠφελείας ἀφορμὴν προτιθέντες τοῖς βουλομένοις. Ἀξιῶ δὲ τοὺς ἐντευξομένους τοῖς ἑτέρων πόνοις ἀπόνως ἐντρυ φῶντας προσευχῇ τοὺς πόνους ἀμείψασθαι. 30.8 Ἱκετεύω δὲ καὶ τούτους ὧν τὸν βίον συνέγραψα μὴ περιϊδεῖν με πόρρω τῆς πνευματικῆς αὐτῶν χορείας διάγοντα, ἀλλ' ἀνελκῦσαι κάτω κείμενον καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναγαγεῖν καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ χορῷ συνάψαι ὡς ἂν μὴ μόνον εὐφημοίην τὸν ἀλλότριον πλοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς σχοίην τινὰς ἀφορμὰς εὐφημίας, ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ καὶ διανοίᾳ δοξάζων τὸν σωτῆρα τῶν ὅλων, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν. 31.t ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΙΑΣ ΑΓΑΠΗΣ