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when the plot was about to proceed, the Divine sent a certain fearful and saving vision of a dream to him as he slept; for it seemed that he was arrested on some charge 6.30.10 and bound hand and foot with iron. And as he was about to be led to the tribunal and undergo punishment, someone approached and showed him the holy book of the Gospels; and he promised to release him from his bonds if he would leave the city, 6.30.11 and demanded an oath that he would do this. But he, touching the book, solemnly swore that he would do so; and having been released from his bonds, he immediately awoke, and being persuaded by the divine dream, he escaped the danger; and having taken it to mind that he ought to pursue the ascetic life, he went abroad from Constantinople to Jerusalem, and after some time, having come to see those who were practicing philosophy in Scetis, he welcomed the life there. 6.31.1 They call this place Nitria, since there is a neighboring village in which they collect nitre. No small multitude practiced philosophy here, and there were about fifty monasteries adjoining one another, some of them being communities, and some of them 6.31.2 for those living by themselves. From there, toward the inner desert, is another place, about seventy stadia distant, named Cellia; in this place there are many monastic dwellings scattered about, for which reason it also received such an appellation; and they are so far separated from one another that those who dwell there 6.31.3 neither see nor hear each other. They all come together to the same place and assemble for church on the first and the last day of the week. And if someone does not appear, it is clear that he is kept away involuntarily, being hindered by some suffering or sickness; and not everyone goes at once to see and care for him, but at different times each one brings whatever he may have that is suitable for sickness. 6.31.4 Except for such a reason, they do not associate with one another, unless someone comes to learn from one who is able to speak, for the sake of discourses leading to the knowledge of God or the benefit of the soul. Those who have reached the pinnacle of philosophy and are able to guide themselves and to live alone for the sake of tranquility, 6.31.5 separated from the others, live in the Cellia. Let these things be said by us briefly about Scetis and those who practice philosophy there; for if I should attempt to go through every particular of their way of life, someone might perhaps find fault with the writing for its length. For having established a polity of their own, they fittingly allotted works and morals and exercises and 6.31.6 diet and occasion for each age. And Rhinocorura, from that time, was distinguished not by outsiders but by its own good men; and of those whom I learned were practicing philosophy there, I knew the best to be Melas, who at that time was governing the church, and Dionysius, who had his school in the desert to the north of the city, and Solomon, the brother of Melas 6.31.7 and successor to his episcopate. It is said that when it had been ordered that the priests in the city who held views contrary to Arius should be driven out, those who came for Melas found him preparing the lamps of the church, like the lowliest servant, wearing a belt over a garment soiled by 6.31.8 oil and carrying the wicks. And being asked about the bishop, he said, “He is here, and I will point him out”; and immediately he led the men, as they were weary from their journey, into the bishop's lodging, 6.31. and set a table, and feasted them from what he had; and after the feast, having washed his hands (for he was serving those being feasted), he announced who he was; but they, admiring the man, confessed the reason for which they had come, but out of respect for him, gave him leave to escape; but he said, “I would not forsake enduring the same things as the priests who share my faith,” but voluntarily chose to go into exile. And, having practiced philosophy from his youth, 6.31.10 he practiced every monastic virtue. And Solomon, having changed from a merchant to a monk, did not himself derive little benefit therefrom; for under his brother as teacher and by those there

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προβήσεσθαι μελλούσης τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, καθεύδοντι αὐτῷ φοβεράν τινα καὶ σωτήριον ὀνείρατος ὄψιν ἐπιπέμπει τὸ θεῖον· ἔδοξε γὰρ ὡς ἐπὶ ἐγκλήματι 6.30.10 συλληφθεὶς σιδήρῳ δεδέσθαι πόδας καὶ χεῖρας. μέλλοντί τε αὐτῷ εἰς δικαστήριον ἄγεσθαι καὶ τιμωρίαν ὑπέχειν προσελθών τις ἐπέδειξε τὴν ἱερὰν τῶν εὐαγγελίων βίβλον· καὶ ὑπισχνεῖτο, εἰ τῆς πόλεως ἐξέλθοι, τῶν δεσμῶν 6.30.11 αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξαι, καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο ποιήσει, ὅρκον ἀπῄτει. ὁ δὲ τῆς βίβλου ἐφαψάμενος ἦ μὴν ὧδε πράξειν ἐπωμόσατο· διαφεθείς τε τῶν δεσμῶν αὐτίκα ἐξηγέρθη, καὶ τῷ θείῳ ὀνείρῳ πεισθεὶς διέφυγε τὸν κίνδυνον· εἰς νοῦν τε λαβὼν χρῆναι μετιέναι τὸν ἀσκητικὸν βίον, ἐξεδήμησεν ἐκ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα, καὶ μετὰ χρόνον τινὰ παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ θέαν τῶν ἐν Σκήτει φιλοσοφούντων, ἠσμένισε τὴν ἐνθάδε διατριβήν. 6.31.1 Καλοῦσι δὲ τὸν χῶρον τοῦτον Νιτρίαν, καθότι κώμη τίς ἐστιν ὅμορος ἐν ᾗ τὸ νίτρον συλλέγουσιν. οὐ τὸ τυχὸν δὲ πλῆθος ἐνταῦθα ἐφιλοσόφει, καὶ μοναστήρια ἦν ἀμφὶ πεντήκοντα ἀλλήλοις ἐχόμενα, τὰ μὲν συνοικιῶν, τὰ 6.31.2 δὲ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκούντων. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν ἔνδον ἔρημον ἕτερός ἐστι τόπος σχεδὸν ἑβδομήκοντα σταδίοις διεστώς, ὄνομα Κελλία· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ σποράδην ἐστὶ μοναχικὰ οἰκήματα πολλά, καθὸ καὶ τοιαύτης ἔλαχε προσηγορίας· κεχώρισται δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀλλήλων, ὡς τοὺς αὐτόθι κατοικοῦντας 6.31.3 σφᾶς αὐτοὺς μὴ καθορᾶν ἢ ἐπαΐειν. συνίασι δὲ πάντες εἰς ταὐτὸν καὶ ἅμα ἐκκλησιάζουσι τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ τῇ τελευταίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἑβδομάδος. ἢν δέ τις μὴ παραγένηται, δῆλός ἐστιν ἄκων ἀπολειφθεὶς ἢ πάθει τινὶ ἢ νόσῳ πεπεδημένος· καὶ ἐπὶ θέαν αὐτοῦ καὶ θεραπείαν οὐκ εὐθὺς πάντες ἀπίασιν, ἀλλ' ἐν διαφόροις καιροῖς ἕκαστος ἐπιφερόμενος ὅπερ ἂν ἔχῃ πρὸς νόσον 6.31.4 ἁρμόδιον. ἐκτὸς δὲ τοιαύτης αἰτίας οὐχ ὁμιλοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις, εἰ μὴ λόγων ἕνεκεν εἰς γνῶσιν θεοῦ τεινόντων ἢ ὠφέλειαν ψυχῆς ἔλθοι τις μαθησόμενος παρὰ τὸν φράσαι δυνάμενον. οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἐν τοῖς Κελλίοις ὅσοι τῆς φιλοσοφίας εἰς ἄκρον ἐληλύθασι καὶ σφᾶς ἄγειν δύνανται καὶ μόνοι διατρίβειν δι' 6.31.5 ἡσυχίαν χωρισθέντες τῶν ἄλλων. τάδε μὲν ἡμῖν ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ περὶ Σκήτεως εἰρήσθω καὶ τῶν ἐνθάδε φιλοσοφούντων· εἰ γὰρ τὸ καθέκαστον τῆς αὐτῶν ἀγωγῆς διεξελθεῖν πειραθείην, μηκυνομένην ἴσως τὴν γραφὴν μωμήσαιτό τις. ἰδίαν γὰρ συστησάμενοι πολιτείαν, ἔργα καὶ ἤθη καὶ γυμνάσια καὶ 6.31.6 δίαιταν καὶ καιρὸν ἑκάστῃ ἡλικίᾳ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς διένειμαν. καὶ ῾Ρινοκόρουρα δὲ οὐκ ἐπεισάκτοις ἀλλ' οἴκοθεν ἀνδράσιν ἀγαθοῖς ἐξ ἐκείνου διέπρεπεν· ὧν δὲ ἐνθάδε φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπυθόμην, ἀρίστους ἔγνων τόν τε Μέλανα τὸν κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐπιτροπεύοντα, καὶ ∆ιονύσιον ὃς πρὸς βορέαν τῆς πόλεως ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τὸ φροντιστήριον εἶχε, καὶ Σολομῶνα τὸν 6.31.7 Μέλανος ἀδελφὸν καὶ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς διάδοχον. λέγεται δέ, ἡνίκα προστέτακτο τοὺς κατὰ πόλιν ἱερέας ἐναντίως ᾿Αρείῳ φρονοῦντας ἀπελαύνεσθαι, καταλαβεῖν Μέλανα τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐλθόντας τοὺς λύχνους τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρασκευαζόμενον, οἷά γε ὑπηρέτην ἔσχατον, ἐπὶ ῥυπῶντι ἱματίῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ 6.31.8 ἐλαίου τὴν ζώνην ἔχοντα καὶ τὰς θρυαλλίδας ἐπιφερόμενον. ἐρωτηθέντα δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου εἰπεῖν ὡς «ἐνθάδε ἐστί, καὶ μηνύσω τοῦτον»· αὐτίκα δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας οἷά γε ἐξ ὁδοῦ κεκμηκότας εἰς τὸ ἐπισκοπικὸν καταγώγιον 6.31. ὁδηγῆσαι, καὶ τράπεζαν παραθεῖναι, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὄντων ἑστιᾶσαι· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἑστίασιν νιψάμενον τὰς χεῖρας (διηκονεῖτο γὰρ τοῖς ἑστιωμένοις) ἑαυτὸν προσαγγεῖλαι· τοὺς δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα θαυμάσαντας ὁμολογῆσαι μὲν ἐφ' ᾧ ἐληλύθεισαν, αἰδοῖ δὲ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξουσίαν δοῦναι φυγῆς· τὸν δὲ φάναι ὡς «οὐκ ἂν προοίμην ταὐτὰ τοῖς ὁμοδόξοις ἱερεῦσιν μὴ ὑπομεῖναι», ἀλλ' ἑκοντὶ ἑλέσθαι εἰς τὴν ὑπερορίαν ἐλθεῖν. πᾶσαν δέ, οἷά γε ἐκ νέου 6.31.10 φιλοσοφήσας, μοναχικὴν ἀρετὴν ἐξησκεῖτο. ὁ δὲ Σολομὼν ἀπὸ ἐμπόρου εἰς μοναχὸν μεταβαλών, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὀλίγον ἀπώνατο τῆς ἔνθεν ὠφελείας· ὑπὸ διδασκάλῳ γὰρ τῷ ἀδελφῷ καὶ τοῖς τῇδε