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How, tell me, is it able to be inflamed by the body or in any way to fulfill its own desires? In no way.

But the changes that naturally follow and occur in the same body are manifest; for they happen and occur in all the saints. For at one time it is said to enjoy health, when the humors are not in conflict with each other, at another time it is forced to fall into sickness, whenever one of the four elements either increases or becomes less than it should be, evidently rising up against the others or rather being overpowered and tyrannized by them, from which arise fluxes, mutilations, and perhaps the destruction of the whole living being, with our soul being in no way harmed by these things, since most of these things arise from intemperance in food and drink, and others from the change of the winds and the air. For when it is cold, bodies which have received a cold nature (324) are harmed and become weaker, being chilled for the most part, while those of a hot constitution become more temperate and stronger. But when the air becomes hot again, the cold things are somehow warmed and revived, just as flies and the other small creatures, when shone upon by the rays of the sun, become stronger and more mobile, while those partaking of hotter matter are altogether inflamed and exhausted and likewise become weak and inactive for every action and movement. And simply, each thing undergoes change in proportion to its own constitution in the change of the air and the winds. But indeed, apart from these things, there is likewise in particular the change from excess of food and drink and that from extreme fasting, and not only this, but also a certain change occurs in us from too much sleep or wakefulness and from physical labor or idleness. And again there is another smoky fire that is given off from the matter inherent in the body and from the natural heat that moves within us, as from a fire of coals quenched by water, and at times it is diffused only towards the head, and at other times throughout the whole body.

In addition to all these, there is again another temptation brought upon us by the demons through the permission of our good God and Master for our providential discipline toward humility. What then is this? The very weight of the body, for which, even without any other cause, for vainglory alone or pride or for judging another to be negligent or for many other reasons, we are delivered to this demon for the destruction of the flesh and the contrition of the soul, (325) and for its greater trial and exercise, and so that, having come to know the compassion and mercy of God for us, we might transfer all our love to Him from our disposition and acquire all our longing for Him.

Therefore, not all understand these things, but as for the alterations of the soul and the changes of the body, those who are moderately disposed toward virtue, each of them understands something in part, whenever something of this sort happens to occur in him—for we have no word for those who are completely darkened; but the changes and turnings that occur in the mind, as we have said, only the dispassionate and perfect, those who are pure and free in soul, and likewise in mind, know. And not even they; for not of themselves, but from Him to whom they belong, are they taught about these things. For at one time, from the irregularities occurring in the mind, the soul is constrained and becomes sullen, with some of its inherent joy taken away, yet nevertheless taking courage it also rouses the mind; at another time the mind, from what the soul suffers, suffers along with it and is forced to be under the night, but does not accept it, but struggles to remain in the light and perhaps illuminates the soul as well. At another time again, from the irregularity of the

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πῶς, εἰπέ, δύναται τῷ σώματι πυροῦσθαι ἤ ὅλως ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἀποπληροῦν; Οὐδαμῶς.

Αἱ δέ φυσικῶς ἑπόμεναι καί γινόμεναι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ σώματι μεταβολαί πρόδηλοι· συμβαίνουσι γάρ καί εἰς πάντας γίνονται τούς ἁγίους. Ποτέ μέν γάρ ὑγείαν ἄγειν λέγεται, ὅταν πρός ἑαυτάς αἱ ὗλαι μή στασιάζωσι, ποτέ δέ νόσῳ περιπίπτειν καταναγκάζεται, ὁπόταν ἕν ἀπό τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων ἤ πλεονάσῃ ἤ ἔλαττον ἑαυτοῦ γένηται, κατεξανιστάμενον δηλονότι τῶν ἄλλων ἤ ὑπ᾿ ἐκείνων μᾶλλον ἐπικρατούμενον καί αὐτοτυραννούμενον, ἐξ ὧν γίνονται ῥεύματα, ἀκρωτηριασμοί καί ὅλου ἴσως τοῦ ζῴου διαφθορά, μηδέν ἐκ τούτων παραβλαπτομένην ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐπειδή τά μέν πλεῖστα τούτων ἀπό ἀκρασίας βρωμάτων καί πομάτων ἐγγίνονται, τά δέ καί ἀπό τῆς τῶν ἀνέμων καί τοῦ ἀέρος ἐναλλαγῆς. Ψυχροῦ γάρ ὄντος αὐτοῦ, τά ψυχρᾶς εἶναι φύσεως (324) λαχόντα σώματα βλάπτονται καί ἀσθενέστερα γίνονται, ὡς ἐπί πολύ ψυχραινόμενα, τά δέ θερμῆς ὄντα κράσεως εὐκρατότερα μᾶλλον καί ἰσχυρότερα γίνονται. Ὅταν δέ θερμός πάλιν γένηται ὁ ἀήρ, τά μέν ψυχρά θάλπονται οἱοενί καί ἀναζωοῦνται, ὡς ὑπό τοῦ ἡλίου αἱ μυῖαι καί τά λοιπά ζῳύφια λαμπόμενα ὑπό τῶν ἀκτίνων αὐτοῦ καί δυνατώτερα καί εἰκινητότερα γίνονται, τά δέ θερμοτέρας ὕλης μετέχοντα ὅλως ὑπερεμπίπρανται καί ἐκλύονται καί πρός πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν καί κίνησιν ὡσαύτως ἀσθενῆ καί ἀδρανῆ γίνονται. Καί ἁπλῶς ἕκαστον κατά ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συγκράσεως ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀέρος ἐναλλαγῇ καί τῶν ἀνέμων ἀναλόγως καί τήν μεταβολήν ἐπιδέχεται. Ἀλλά γάρ καί δίχα τούτων ὡσαύτως ἰδιαιτέρως ἐστίν ἡ ἐκ βρώσεως καί πόσεως περιττῆς καί ἡ ἐξ ἄκρας νηστείας μεταβολή, οὐ μόνον δέ ἀλλά καί ἐκ πολυυπνίας ἤ ἀγρυπνίας καί ἐκ κόπου ἤ ἀργίας σωματικῆς μεταβολή τις γίνεται ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἄλλη δέ πάλιν ἐστίν ἡ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐνυπαρχούσης ὕλης τῷ σώματι καί τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν κινουμένου φυσικοῦ θερμοῦ ἀναδιδομένη καπνώδης πυρά, ὡς ὑπό ὕδατος σβεσθείσης ἀνθρακιᾶς, καί ποτέ μέν πρός μόνην τήν κεφαλήν, ποτέ δέ ἐν ὅλῳ διαχεομένη τῷ σώματι.

Ἐπί δέ πᾶσι τούτοις ἄλλος πάλιν ἐστί παραχωρήσει τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἡμῶν Θεοῦ καί ∆εσπότου ἐπιφερόμενος ἡμῖν ὑπό τῶν δαιμόνων κατ᾿ οἰκονομικήν παίδευσιν πρός ταπείνωσιν πειρασμός. Ποῖος δή οὗτός ἐστιν; Αὐτό τό βάρος τοῦ σώματος, ὅ καί δίχα τινός ἑτέρας αἰτίας διά κενοδοξίαν μόνην ἤ ἔπαρσιν ἤ διά τό κατακρῖναι ἄλλον ἀμελῆ ἤ καί δι᾿ ἑτέρας πλείστας αἰτίας τῷ δαίμονι τούτῳ παραδιδόμεθα εἰς ὄλεθρον μέν τῆς σαρκός καί συντριμμόν τῆς ψυχῆς, (325) πεῖραν δέ καί γυμνασίαν περισσοτέραν αὐτῆς καί ἵνα τό περί ἡμᾶς συμπαθές τοῦ Θεοῦ καί εὔσπλαγχνον ἐπιγνόντες, ὅλην πρός αὐτόν μεταθῶμεν ἐκ διαθέσεως τήν ἀγάπην καί πρός ἐκεῖνον ὅλον τόν πόθον κτησώμεθα.

Τοιγαροῦν καί ταῦτα οὐ πάντες ἐπίστανται, ἀλλά τάς μέν ψυχικάς ἀλλοιώσεις καί τάς μεταβολάς τάς τοῦ σώματος, οἱ μέσως πως πρός τήν ἀρετήν ἔχοντες, ἕκαστος τούτων μερικῶς τι νοεῖ, ὅτε δ᾿ ἄν καί συμβῇ ἐν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τι τοιοῦτον, περί γάρ τῶν τελείως ἐσκοτισμένων οὐδείς ἡμῖν λόγος· τάς δέ γε γινομένας ἐν τῷ νοΐ μεταβολάς, ὡς εἴπομεν, καί στροφάς μόνοι οἱ ἀπαθεῖς καί τέλειοι, οἱ καθαροί τε καί ἐλεύθεροι τῇ ψυχῇ, ὡσαύτως καί τῷ νοΐ, γινώσκουσι. Καί οὐδ᾿ αὐτοί· οὐ γάρ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ᾿ οὗτινός εἰσιν, ἐξ ἐκείνου καί περί τούτων διδάσκονται. Ποτέ μέν γάρ, ἐκ τῶν ἀνωμαλιῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ νοΐ συμβαινουσῶν, ἡ ψυχή στενοῦται καί στυγνή γίνεται, ὑφελομένη τι τῆς προσούσης χαρᾶς, πλήν ὅμως ἀνδρισαμένη καί τόν νοῦν διανίστησι· ποτέ δέ ὁ νοῦς, ἐξ ὧν ἡ ψυχή πάσχει, συμπάσχει καί οὗτος καί ὑπό τήν νύκτα γενέσθαι καταναγκάζεται μέν, οὐ καταδέχεται δέ, βιάζεται δέ μένειν ἐν τῷ φωτί καί ἴσως διαυγάζει καί τήν ψυχήν. Ἄλλοτε ὑπό τῆς ἀνωμαλίας πάλιν τοῦ