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forced by nature, he closed his eyes, so that often while dozing off during eating 6.2.6 the food would fall from his mouth. Once at least, being excessively overcome by sleep, he fell unnoticed on the mat; and having become very grieved at this, he said quietly: "If you persuade the angels to sleep, you will also persuade the zealous man"; he was indicating himself, perhaps addressing sleep or the demon who became an obstacle to zealous deeds. And while he was toiling thus, someone approached him and said, "Why do you kill your body so much?" "Because it kills me," he replied. 6.2.7 And Piammon and John at that time presided over very notable monasteries near Diolcos of Egypt, and being presbyters, they discharged their priestly duties very diligently and very reverently. And it is said that once Piammon, while officiating, saw a divine angel standing beside the holy table and writing in a certain book those of the monks who were present, but erasing 6.2.8 those who were absent; and to John God bestowed such power against passions and diseases, that he healed many suffering from gout and those with paralyzed limbs. 6.2. At this time also Benjamin, an aged man, very brilliantly practiced philosophy throughout Scetis, having a gift from God to deliver the sick from every disease without medicines, by the mere touch of his hand or with oil over which he had prayed. The story is that this very man fell ill with dropsy and his body swelled so much that it was not possible for him to be carried out through the doors of the dwelling where he lived, unless they took down the doorposts along with the doors. 6.2.10 And while he was sick, being unable to lie on a bed, for about eight months he sat on a very wide chair, healing the sick as usual, himself not being distressed at all that he was not delivered from the disease that held him; but rather he even comforted those who saw him and implored them to beseech God for his soul; for he had no care for his body. "Since 6.2.11 when it was well," he said, "it profited me nothing, and suffering ill it has not harmed me." At that time there lived in Scetis Mark the renowned, and Macarius the younger, and Apollonius, and Moses the Ethiopian. They say that Mark, even in his youth, was exceedingly gentle and sober and mindful of the holy scriptures, and so beloved of God, that Macarius the citizen, who was presbyter of the Cells, asserted that this man had never received from him what it is customary for priests to give to the initiated at the holy table; but an angel would give it to him, whose hand he said he saw 6.2.12 only as far as the wrist. But to Macarius it was given by God to scorn the demons. And for him the occasion for philosophy at the beginning was an involuntary homicide; for while still a young boy he was tending sheep by the lake Maria, and while playing he killed one of his companions, and fearing to pay the penalty he fled into the desert. 6.2.13 And living there under the open sky for three years, after this he built a small cell for himself, in which he lived for twenty-five years. And those who had heard him said that he confessed great thanks for the misfortune and called the involuntary homicide salutary, as it had become for him the cause of philosophy and a blessed life. 6.2.14 But Apollonius, having previously been engaged in trade, when now approaching old age came to Scetis. And reasoning that because of his age he was able neither to write nor to learn any other skill, he bought various kinds of medicines and foods suitable for the sick with his own money, and went around to each monastic door from morning until the ninth hour, looking after the sick. And having found this discipline suitable for him, he lived in this way. And when he was about to die, having handed over what he had to another, 6.2.15 he commanded him to do the same things. But Moses, being a slave, was driven from the house of his master because of his wickedness, and turning to robbery he became the leader of a band of robbers. And after committing many evil deeds and daring many murders, through some sudden change of fortune he took up the monastic life and suddenly gave himself to the virtue of philosophy. 6.2.16 For still from his former way of life boiling with vigor

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βιασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ἔμυσε τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, ὡς πολλάκις νυστάζοντος ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν 6.2.6 ἐκπεσεῖν τοῦ στόματος τὴν τροφήν. ποτὲ γοῦν εἰσάγαν κρατηθεὶς τῷ ὕπνῳ, ἔλαθεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥιπὸς πεσών· καὶ περίλυπος ἐπὶ τούτῳ γεγονὼς ἠρέμα ἔφη· «εἰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους πείσεις καθεύδειν, πείσεις καὶ τὸν σπουδαῖον»· ὑπεδήλου δὲ ἑαυτόν, πρὸς τὸν ὕπνον ἴσως ἀποτεινόμενος ἢ τὸν δαίμονα τὸν ἐμποδὼν γενόμενον ταῖς σπουδαίαις πράξεσιν. ὧδε δὲ αὐτῷ μοχθοῦντι προσελθών τις ἔφη· «τί τὸ σῶμα τὸ σὸν ἀποκτείνεις τοσοῦτον;» «ὅτι με ἀποκτείνει» ἀπεκρίνατο. 6.2.7 Καὶ Πιάμμων δὲ καὶ ᾿Ιωάννης τηνικαῦτα περὶ ∆ίολκον τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπισημοτάτων προΐσταντο μοναστηρίων, ἐπιμελέστατά τε καὶ μάλα σεμνῶς πρεσβύτεροι ὄντες τὴν ἱερατείαν μετῄεσαν. λέγεται δέ ποτε τὸν Πιάμμωνα ἱερώμενον θεάσασθαι παρὰ τὴν ἱερὰν τράπεζαν θεῖον ἄγγελον ἑστῶτα καὶ τῶν μοναχῶν τοὺς παρόντας ἐγγράφειν βίβλῳ τινί, τοὺς δὲ ἀπόντας 6.2.8 ἀπαλείφειν· ᾿Ιωάννῃ δὲ τοσαύτην ὁ θεὸς ἐδωρήσατο δύναμιν κατὰ παθῶν καὶ νοσημάτων, ὡς πολλοὺς ἰάσασθαι ποδαλγοὺς καὶ τὰ ἄρθρα διαλελυμένους. 6.2. ᾿Εν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Βενιαμὶμ γηραλέος εὖ μάλα λαμπρῶς ἀνὰ τὴν Σκῆτιν ἐφιλοσόφει, δῶρον ἔχων παρὰ θεοῦ δίχα φαρμάκων ἐπαφῇ μόνῃ χειρὸς ἢ ἐλαίῳ, ᾧ ἐπηύχετο, πάσης ἀπαλλάσσειν νόσου τοὺς κάμνοντας. τὸν δὴ τοιοῦτον λόγος ὑδέρῳ περιπεσόντα τοσοῦτον οἰδῆσαι τὸ σῶμα, ὡς μὴ δυνηθῆναι διὰ τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ οἰκήματος ἐν ᾧ διῆγεν ἐκκομισθῆναι, εἰ μὴ σὺν ταῖς θύραις καὶ 6.2.10 τὰς παραστάδας καθεῖλον. ἐν δὲ τῷ νοσεῖν, ἐν κλίνῃ κεῖσθαι μὴ δυνάμενος, ἀμφὶ τοὺς ὀκτὼ μῆνας ἐπὶ δίφρου πλατυτάτου ἐκαθέζετο, συνήθως τοὺς κάμνοντας ἰώμενος, αὐτὸς μηδὲν δυσφορῶν ὅτι μὴ τῆς ἐχούσης αὐτὸν νόσου ἀπήλλαττε· μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν καὶ τοὺς ὁρῶντας παρεμυθεῖτο καὶ ἐλιπάρει τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύειν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ ψυχῆς· σώματος δὲ αὐτῷ μηδὲν μέλειν· «ἐπεὶ 6.2.11 καὶ εὐεκτοῦν», ἔφη, «οὐδέν με ὤνησε, καὶ κακῶς πάσχον οὐκ ἔβλαψε.» κατ' ἐκεῖνο δὲ καιροῦ ἐν Σκήτει διέτριβε Μᾶρκός τε ὁ ἀοίδιμος καὶ Μακάριος ὁ νέος καὶ ᾿Απολλώνιος καὶ Μωσῆς ὁ Αἰθίοψ. φασὶ δὲ Μᾶρκον μὲν καὶ ἐν τῷ νέῳ τῆς ἡλικίας εἰσάγαν πρᾶον καὶ σώφρονα καὶ μνήμονα τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν γενέσθαι, θεοφιλῆ δὲ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς ἰσχυρίζεσθαι Μακάριον τὸν ἀστόν, πρεσβύτερον ὄντα τῶν Κελλίων, μηδεπώποτε παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τοῦτον ἃ θέμις ἱερεῦσι διδόναι τοῖς μεμυημένοις παρὰ τὴν ἱερὰν τράπεζαν· ἄγγελος δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπεδίδου, οὗ τὴν χεῖρα μέχρι τοῦ καρποῦ μόνου ἔλεγε 6.2.12 θεωρεῖν. Μακαρίῳ δὲ δέδοται παρὰ θεοῦ ὑπερφρονεῖν τῶν δαιμόνων. ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν πρόφασις τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἀκούσιος φόνος· ἔτι γὰρ βούπαις ὢν πρόβατα ἔνεμε παρὰ τὴν Μαρίαν λίμνην, καὶ παίζων τινὰ τῶν ὁμηλίκων ἀνεῖλε, δείσας τε δοῦναι δίκην ἔφυγεν εἰς τὴν ἐρημίαν. 6.2.13 αἴθριος δὲ ἐπὶ τρία ἔτη αὐτόθι διάγων, μετὰ ταῦτα οἰκίδιον μικρὸν ἑαυτῷ κατεσκεύασεν, ἐν ᾧ εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ἔτη διέτριψεν. ἔλεγον δὲ οἵ γε αὐτοῦ ἀκηκόασιν ὡς πολλὴν ὡμολόγει χάριν τῇ συμφορᾷ καὶ σωτήριον ἀπεκάλει τὸν ἀκούσιον φόνον, φιλοσοφίας καὶ μακαρίου βίου αἴτιον αὐτῷ γεγενη6.2.14 μένον. ᾿Απολλώνιος δὲ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἐμπορίαν μετιών, ἤδη πρὸς γῆρας ἐλαύνων ἐπὶ τὴν Σκῆτιν ἦλθε. λογισάμενος δὲ ὡς οὔτε γράφειν οὔτε ἄλλην τινὰ τέχνην μαθεῖν οἷός τέ ἐστι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, παντοδαπῶν φαρμάκων εἴδη καὶ ἐδεσμάτων ἐπιτηδείων τοῖς κάμνουσιν ἐξ οἰκείων χρημάτων ὠνούμενος, ἀνὰ ἑκάστην θύραν μοναστικὴν ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ περιῄει μέχρις ἐννάτης ὥρας, ἐφορῶν τοὺς νοσοῦντας. ἐπιτηδείαν δὲ ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν ἄσκησιν εὑρὼν ὧδε ἐπολιτεύσατο. μέλλων δὲ τελευτᾶν, ἄλλῳ παραδοὺς ἃ εἶχεν, 6.2.15 ἐνετείλατο τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖν. Μωσῆς δὲ δοῦλος ὢν διὰ μοχθηρίας ἐξηλάθη τῆς οἰκίας τοῦ κεκτημένου, καὶ εἰς λῃστείαν τραπεὶς λῃστρικοῦ τάγματος ἡγεῖτο. πολλοὺς δὲ κακουργήσας καὶ πολλοὺς φόνους τολμήσας, ἐκ περιπετείας τινὸς τὸν μοναστικὸν μετῆλθε βίον καὶ ἀθρόον εἰς ἀρετὴν φιλοσο6.2.16 φίας ἐπέδωκεν. ἔτι γοῦν ἐκ τῆς προτέρας διαίτης εὐεξίᾳ ζέων