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Doctrina ad Antiochum ducem

Of our father among the saints, Athanasius, archbishop of Alexandria, Teachings to Antiochus the ruler.

1.1 A certain duke named Antiochus, being seized by a terrible illness, came to the most holy bishop Athanasius and beseeched him to pray to the Lord on his behalf, repenting of his sins. And when the bishop had called upon the philanthropic God, he became well. And indeed, he comes bringing his possessions with him and places them at the bishop's feet, asking him for them to be given to the poor, and for him, having received the holy habit from a holy man, to live a virtuous and solitary life; which the bishop did by the grace of God. Then the duke Antiochus says to the bishop, "I should have, since I was baptized, kept the faith and not defiled the baptism; but since folly has worked great iniquities in me, I ask your holiness to teach and instruct me from which things and deeds and thoughts I shall now abstain." Then the bishop, having made a prayer and sat down, taught him in the Holy Spirit to fulfill each one of the commandments of Christ's teachings. So he begins to say to him, "It is necessary for one who is coming to spotless virtue and living a venerable life and repenting of his former sins to believe above all in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, through whom all things were made, and the rest. One God alone contains all things, but he alone is uncontained, and he can do all things, and nothing is impossible for him. If, therefore, you believe with your whole heart and with your whole soul, and fearing him you abstain from what I tell you, your prayer will be heard, and believing you will receive from him help and a victory of salvation for ever."

1.2 And rising up they prayed, and after the prayer he says to him, "Have simplicity and be without malice, and you will be like infants who do not know the wickedness that destroys the race of men. And first, speak ill of no one, nor listen gladly to those who speak ill; otherwise, you too who listen will be guilty of the sin of the one who speaks ill. For slander is an evil spirit and a restless demon, never at peace, but always dwelling in dissensions. Abstain, therefore, from it, and you will always have peace with all. But put on simplicity and reverence, in which there is no evil stumbling block, but all things are smooth and cheerful, and you shall live for ever."

1.3 And rising up he prayed, and after the prayer he says to him, "Hear also this third commandment: love truth, and let all truth proceed from your mouth, so that the Spirit of God may dwell in you. For those who lie reject the Lord. For they have received a spirit of truth and have become strangers to the true Spirit. But flee an oath, whether just or unjust, and the truth will lead you into eternal life."

1.4 And rising up they prayed, and after they had prayed, the bishop, having sat down, says to him, "Hear also the fourth commandment: guard chastity, and let it not ascend into your heart concerning another's wife or concerning fornication. For if anyone does this evil deed, he works death for himself. See, therefore, abstain from this thought. For where reverence and chastity dwell, there

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Doctrina ad Antiochum ducem

Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀθανασίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας ∆ιδασκαλίαι πρὸς Ἀντίοχον τὸν ἄρχοντα.

1.1 Ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν ἁγιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἀθανάσιον δούξ τις ὀνόματι

Ἀντίοχος ἐν δεινῇ ἀρρωστίᾳ κατ εχόμενος παρεκάλει εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν κύ ριον, μετανοῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ παρα καλέσαντος τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τὸν φιλάνθρωπον θεὸν ὑγιὴς γέγονεν. καὶ δὴ ἔρχεται φέρων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ὑπάρ χοντα αὐτοῦ καὶ τίθησιν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ἐπισκόπου, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν δοθῆναι αὐτὰ τοῖς πτωχοῖς, αὐτὸν δὲ λαβόντα τὸ ἅγιον σχῆμα παρὰ ἁγίου ἀν δρὸς τὸν ἐνάρετον καὶ μονήρη βίον πολιτεύσασθαι· ὅπερ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ χάριτι ἐποίησεν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. τότε λέγει τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὁ δοὺξ Ἀντίοχος "Ἔδει με ἀφ' οὗ ἐβαπτίσθην φυλάξαι τὴν πίστιν καὶ μὴ μολῦναι τὸ βά πτισμα· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἡ ἀφροσύνη μεγάλα ἐν ἐμοὶ εἰρ γάσατο ἀνομήματα, παρακαλῶ τὴν σὴν ἁγιωσύνην δι δάξαι με καὶ κατηχῆσαι τίνων ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν πραγμάτων καὶ ἔργων καὶ λογισμῶν ἐγκρατεύσομαι". Τότε ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ποιήσας εὐχὴν καὶ καθίσας ἐδίδασκεν αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ μίαν ἑκάστην ἐντο λὴν τῶν διδαγμάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ πληρῶσαι. ἄρχεται οὖν λέγειν αὐτῷ "Χρὴ τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκηλίδωτον ἀρετὴν ἐρχόμενον καὶ σεμνὸν βίον πολιτευόμενον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἁμαρτήμασιν μετανοοῦντα πρὸ πάντων πι στεῦσαι εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων, καὶ εἰς ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν μονεγενῆ, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. εἷς θεὸς μόνος πάντα χωρῶν, μόνος δὲ ἀχώρητος ὢν καὶ ὃς πάντα δύναται, ἀδυνατεῖ δὲ παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐδέν. ἐὰν οὖν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου πιστεύσῃς καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ φοβηθεὶς αὐτὸν ἐγκρατεύσῃ ὧν λέγω σοι, καὶ εἰσακουσθήσεταί σου ἡ δέησις καὶ πιστεύσας λήψῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν βοήθειαν καὶ νίκην σωτηρίας εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας".

1.2 Καὶ ἀναστάντες ηὔξαντο, καὶ μετὰ τὴν εὐχὴν λέγει αὐτῷ "Ἁπλότητα ἔχε καὶ ἄκακος γίνου, καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς τὰ νήπια μὴ γινώσκοντα πονηρίαν τὴν ἀπόλλουσαν τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν μηδενὸς καταλάλει μηδὲ ἡδέως ἄκουε καταλαλούντων· εἰ δὲ μὴ, καὶ σὺ ἀκούων ἔνοχος ἔσῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ καταλα λοῦντος. πονηρὸν γὰρ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ καταλαλιὰ καὶ ἀκατάστατον δαιμόνιον μήποτε εἰρηνεῦον, ἀλλὰ πάντοτε ἐν διχοστασίαις κατοικοῦν. ἄπεχε οὖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰρήνην πάντοτε ἕξεις μετὰ πάντων, ἔνδυσαι δὲ τὴν ἁπλότητα καὶ τὴν σεμνότητα, ἐν οἷς οὐδὲν πρόσκομμά ἐστιν πονηρὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὁμαλὰ καὶ ἱλαρὰ, καὶ ζήσῃ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας".

1.3 Καὶ ἀναστὰς ηὔξατο, καὶ μετὰ τὴν εὐχὴν λέγει αὐτῷ "Ἄκουε καὶ ταύτην τὴν τρίτην ἐντολήν· ἀλήθειαν ἀγάπα καὶ πᾶσα ἀλήθεια ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἐκ πορευέσθω, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ κατοικῇ ἐν σοί. οἱ γὰρ ψευδόμενοι ἀθετοῦσιν τὸν κύριον. ἔλαβον γὰρ πνεῦμα ἀληθείας καὶ ἐγένοντο ἀλλότριοι τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ πνεύματος. ὅρκον δὲ δικαίως ἀδίκως φεῦγε, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια εἰσάξει σε εἰς τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον".

1.4 Καὶ ἀναστάντες ηὔξαντο, καὶ εὐξαμένων αὐτῶν καθεσθεὶς ὁ ἐπίσκοπος λέγει αὐτῷ "Ἄκουε καὶ τῆς τετάρτης ἐντολῆς· φύλασσε τὴν ἁγνείαν καὶ μὴ ἀνα βαινέτω εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου περὶ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἢ περὶ πορνείας. εἰ δέ τις ἐργάζεται τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο τὸ πονηρὸν, θάνατον ἑαυτῷ κατεργάζεται. βλέπε οὖν, ἀπέχου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνθυμήσεως ταύτης. ὅπου γὰρ σεμνό της καὶ ἁγνεία κατοικεῖ, ἐκεῖ