Theognostos, Treasury (Corpus Christianorum Series Graeca) 9782503551067, 2503551068

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Theognostos Treasury

CORPVS CHRISTIANORVM IN TRANSLATION

16

CORPVS CHRISTIANORVM Series Graeca 5

THEOGNOSTI THESAVRVS

cvivs editionem principem cvravit Joseph A. MUNITIZ

TURNHOUT

FHG

Theognostos Treasury

Introduction, translation and notes by Joseph A. Munitiz

H

F

Academic Overview Peter Van Deun Institute for Early Christian and Byzantine Studies Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Sociis Campion Hall, Oxford d.d.d.

© 2013, Brepols Publishers n.v., Turnhout, Belgium All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

D/2013/0095/208 ISBN 978–2–503–55106–7 Printed on acid-free paper.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Work The Sources The Author The Date The Problem of the ‘Final’ Edition Conventions

9 10 11 12 14 15 16

Bibliography Abbreviations Manuscripts Biblical Books  Publications Primary Sources Secondary Sources

17 17 17 17 18 20 26

Corrections to the Greek Text

30

Treasury

33

[Biblical] Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV: The First Jewish Kingdom Chapter V: The Reign of David Chapter VI: The Reign of Solomon

35 41 47 49 52 59

[Doctrinal] Chapter VII

66

5

Table of Contents

Chapter VIII: A Demonstration that Christ is the True God, the Son and the Co-eternal Word of God Chapter IX: Reading of the Scriptures Is a Great Good, and a Guide and a Light Towards Salvation Chapter X: a proof that those who deny christ and reject their holy baptism are punished more severely than those with no faith; and on the folly of believing in dreams Chapter XI: On the Christian Faith, as the Only One that is True and Free from Error; and on the Reasons for Prostrating Oneself Towards the East Chapter XII: On the Revered Articles of the Faith Chapter XIII: A Demonstration that the Most Holy Virgin Mary is Truly and in the Most Proper Sense God-bearer, Because Without Insemination, in Some Inexplicable Way, She Gave Birth to Christ, Complete in Both His Natures, Perfect God and Perfect Man Chapter XIV: On the Seven Holy and Ecumenical Councils 1. The First Council 2. The Second Council 3. The Third Council 4. The Fourth Council 5. The Fifth Council 6. The Sixth Council 7. The Seventh Council 8. Canons: a Selection 9. Extract from the Constitutions of the Apostles 10. Extract from St Athanasius 11. A Story 12. Isidore: ‘Christ in the Tomb’ 13. Dorotheos: ‘On Lent’ 14. ‘On Good Conduct’ [Ethical] Chapter XV: that a Christian Should not Fear Death, but Rather Prepare for it by Repentance and Confession Chapter XVI: An Exhortation of our Father, St Amphilochius, Bishop of Ikonion, Concerning

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72 80

87 94 103

115 123 123 124 125 126 128 128 131 132 135 137 138 138 138 140

141

Table of Contents

Virtue; that we Should be Ever Mindful of Death, and Against the Vanity of this World Chapter XVII: Sayings of the Holy Fathers; in Particular Concerning the Holy Eucharist, and the Qualities that Priests and Monks Should Have A.  B. Concerning the Holy Mysteries C. On Priests D. On Monks Chapter XVIII: On Sexual Offences [Porneia] and Confession [Exomologesis] Chapter XIX: An Exhortation to the Emperor Chapter XX: [Some Questions and Answers] Indices Index of Scriptural References Index of non-Biblical Sources General Index

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182 203 203 218 223 228 231 241 248 273 275 285 289

Introduction

When I published the editio princeps of the Thesauros in 1979 I was in the very early stages of my work in the field of Byzantine studies. Ten years earlier, on arriving in Paris in search of a subject for my doctoral thesis, the abbé Marcel Richard, then director of the Greek Section of the IRHT (Institut de Recherche et d’Histoire des Textes), had offered me photos of the Athos manuscript that he had discovered on one of his missions d’ étude in Greece. He suggested the publication of the text, and even supplied references to the other manuscripts that he had identified over the years. Such generosity from a very great scholar can never be forgotten! To assist me in my first steps I had the supervisor of my thesis, Jean Gouillard, then a lecturer at the École Pratique des Hautes Études and an expert on the spirituality of the Byzantine world, who had already published an article on Theognostos,1 and also a good Jesuit friend, Joseph Paramelle, a colleague of Marcel Richard, with an extensive knowledge of Greek manuscripts. However, it is worth recording that this edition was the work of a very young scholar beginning to find his way in this speciality. The conclusions I reached then rested on flimsy evidence and I still feel much remains to be discovered about both the work and the author.

J. Gouillard, Jean, ‘L’acrostiche spirituel de Théognoste (xive siècle?)’, Échos d’Orient 39 (1940), p. 127. 1  

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Introduction

The Work The Treasury itself can be summarized easily enough. It forms a sort of ‘handbook’, a small encyclopaedia consisting of three sections: the first is a Biblical summary in seven chapters, beginning with Genesis and ending with the Birth of Christ; the second is doctrinal, seven chapters giving an outline of the main dogmas of the faith; the third, ethical or pastoral in character, has less unity consisting of six chapters that exhort the reader to Christian living and provide information on both canon law and general knowledge. It would be tempting to class the Thesauros as a ‘catechism’,2 and this would be justified as long as one bears in mind that it is intended for an adult audience. The genre is not unusual in Byzantine writings during many centuries: the encyclopaedic catenae are early examples of a tendency which flourished particularly in the ninth century. Later anthologies are found in the works of Nikon of the Black Mountain and Antonios Melissa (both dated to about the eleventh century). However, the Treasury is unusual in being more compact and specific in purpose. General features of the work are the relatively simple language, the ‘orthodox’ character of the teaching, and the liking for pious stories. The exhortatory texts, drawn from Pseudo-Amphilochius, may seem long-winded and repetitive, but they, like so much else in the book, appear almost archetypal in character: the sort of teaching that would be expected from a pious, reasonably well-educated cleric in the Constantinopolitan world, even if the long diatribe against women is unusually virulent, and can hardly be excused as ironic. The tone is not polemical in character, but simply takes for granted the orthodox position. The author refers to the capture of Constantinople by the Latins (ch. 9. 12), but he prescinds almost completely from references to the Latin Church (e.g. rules for fasting, ch. 14. 9 [5]); the Papacy (apart from St Sylvester) is mentioned only with reference to the Councils. More revealing J. A. Munitiz, ‘Catechetical teaching aids in Byzantium’, in: Kathegetria: Essays presented to Joan Hussey for her 80th birthday, ed. by J. Chrysostomides, London, 1988 [publ. 1989], p. 469–483. 2  

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Introduction

are those elements that bear the name of the author – compiler – of the book (see below) as they inform us about both his identity and possible context.

The Sources Even if the final verses added to the book are not by Theognostos himself (and the manuscript evidence for them is a little doubtful), their message correctly sums up the Thesauros: My friend, abandon the multitude of volumes and books. Enjoy to your heart’s delight an abundant, salvific divine knowledge from this single book, bidding farewell to the rest.

The verses placed at the front of the volume state the same: This is a holy book, carefully assembled from different writings for the benefit of the readers, in order to bring them to the salvific understanding of the science of God.3

Theognostos is assembling texts from varied sources, and he has gone to considerable trouble to find these, drawing on various classes of documents. These can be divided as follows: Biblical: where he supplements the narrative with help from John Damascene, George the Monk, the Patriarch Nikephoros, and a long diatribe against women drawn from various secondary sources like the Ps.-Chrystostom and the Ps.-Ephraem, and with what looks like an Arabic source for the story of the Queen of Sheba (ch. 6. 9); Dogmatic: his favourite author is John Damascene, but with texts indebted to John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil of Caesarea; he has also consulted the Ps.-Athanasius and one version of the erotapokriseis of Anastasios of Sinai. Anecdotal (historical passages, and stories): notable is his use of the Acta S. Silvestri (ch. 9. 4–10) and his strong reliance on the tales of John Moschus and Anastasios of Sinai, but he has also At the end of ch. 17 D2 more verses of similar type repeat the same.

3  

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Introduction

collected stories from lives of the saints (like St Pachomios, ch. 14. 11), and even inserts the long historical account of the death of the Emperor Nikephoros found in Skylitzes (ch. 19. 12); Legal: the synoptic Account of the Seven Councils is a key document in chapter 14, and accords with similar canon law texts that fill out that chapter; Paraenetic: the Ps.-Amphilochian sermons (chs 15 and 16) are the major source here, but in this category may also be included the numerous apophthegmata patrum that make up the later chapters 17 and 18, both the alphabetic collection and the anonymous.

The Author The name first appears on the title page of the Athos manuscript (A) in some roughly constructed verses that play with the etymology of the name: ‘God’s knowledge’ (meaning the human’s knowledge of God, rather than vice versa). The manuscript evidence is poor (mainly A). However, later in the book (at the end of both ch. 18 and ch. 20) one finds a penchant for short verses and I think these are likely to be genuine. More texts bearing his name occur (ch. 8 [first marginal note], ch. 17 C8, and chs 18 20). The first and last of these can be dealt with briefly, as they simply point to editorial activity. However, the second is particularly important as the text given occurs in another work attributed to a ‘Theognostos’, his Kephalaia neptika. There he carries the title hieromonachos (‘priest-monk’). The authenticity of this work has not been called in doubt, though the date (as will be mentioned below) is more problematic. It consists of 75 short ‘sayings’ (though five may have been lost),4 the first letters of which form an acrostic that spells out the names of the author and of the two priests to whom he dedicates his work, Lazaros and Barlaam. The points of resemblance between these sayings and the whole of the

J. A. Munitiz, ‘Théognoste’, in: Dictionnaire de Spiritualité: ascétique et mystique; doctrine et histoire, Paris, 1990, xv, cols 443–445. 4  

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Introduction

Thesauros are very striking, and have been enumerated in detail in the Introduction to the Greek text.5 There are a few other texts attributed to a Theognostos, who may be the author of the Thesauros. Their editor, S. Eustratiades, believed that the author of the Kephalaia neptika was the same person who wrote a series of heirmoi introducing the Odes chanted at the orthros liturgy and also some verses included in the Horologion in honour of Holy Communion. If so, he was also a higoumenos, but otherwise they tell us nothing about him, although his shared interesst in both the bible and the Holy Eucharist would favour the identification.6 Very important as a clue to this elusive ‘author’ is the mention in the key reference in the Benaki manuscript, B, to Theognostos as responsible for chapter 19, the ‘Exhortation to the Emperor’. The structure of this chapter seems to reflect that found in other parts of the Thesauros: opening theoretical and paraenetic paragraphs are followed by a series of pious historical stories. However, mention should be made of a problem raised by a now lost copy of the book, the Athos Kavsokalyvion manuscript, K. The Greek scholar, Mgr E. Kourilas, discovered the ‘Exhortation to the Emperor’ in this manuscript, along with other fragments of the Thesauros,7 There were additional verses in this copy of the book and these seemed to indicate that the author of the ‘Exhortation’ was none other than Manuel Doukas Apokavkos, son of the famous Alexios Apokavkos, the megas doux assassinated in 1345.8 It seems highly likely that K belonged 5   CCSG 5, p. xxx–xxxii; and in particular, p. xxxv–xxxviii. A new edition is being prepared by Prof. Peter Van Deun. 6   For speculations on some other persons who bore the name Theognostos in the thirteenth century, readers may like to consult CCSG 5, p. xxxiv–xxxv. They seem to have no connection with the Thesauros. 7   E. Kourilas, Κατάλογος τῶν ϰωδίϰων τῆς Ἱερᾶς Σϰήτης Καυσοϰαλυβίων ϰαὶ τῶν ϰαλυβῶν αὐτῆς [Katalogos tôn kôdikôn tês Ieras Skêtês Kausokalubiôn kai tôn kalubôn autês], Paris, 1930, p. 20–22. 8   J. A. Munitiz, ‘Dedicating a Volume: Apokaukos and Hippocrates (Paris. Gr. 2144)’, in: PHILHELLEN: Studies in Honour of Robert Browning, ed. by C.  N. Constantinides et al. (Istituto Ellenico di studi Bizantini e Postbizantini di Venezia, Bibliotheke, 17), Venezia, 1996, p. 267–280, for a discussion of his career and portait.

13

Introduction

to the Apokavkos family, but as will be seen the date that can be established for the original Thesauros rules out any question of authorship.9 However, that the work was originally composed for the benefit of some noble, even princely family, seems very likely. The pious Emperor John III Vatatzes could well have encouraged him, though the level of education given to his son, Theodore II Laskaris, belongs to a quite different category from that represented by the Thesauros.

The Date If one had to rely on the dates of the manuscripts alone, the most that one could affirm is that the work dates from the fourteenth or perhaps the end of the thirteenth century: the Benaki manuscript is probably from that period. However, it is not surprising that Jean Gouillard, writing about the kephalaia neptika prudently opted for the later century for this author. Perhaps the lack of any Palamite leanings might have raised suspicions,10 but nothing conclusive was possible. We are fortunate in having internal evidence for fixing the date of composition: the first establishes that it was written after the fall of Constantinople to the Latins in 1204, mentioned at the end of chapter 9. 12. The second is more problematic but in my view is quite decisive: in chapter 11. 7 comes the sentence, ‘ But now you can see that one thousand two hundred years have passed since Christ, and there is no recall by God’. However, in the early Benaki manuscript (B) there is the addition, ‘and sixtyone’, which is missing in the other two manuscripts (A and S). In fact if 1262 years have passed ‘since Christ’ we are in the year 1252 9  

xliii.

For a fuller description of the complicated evidence, cf. CCSG 5, p. xxxix–

10   As I suggest in my panoramic overview of Byzantine spiritual literature, J. A. Munitiz, ‘Writing for the Heart: the Spiritual Literature of Byzantium’, in: The Byzantine World, ed. by P. Stephenson, London-New York, 2010, p. 255. For a fuller overview of Byzantine spiritual writing, see A. Rigo, Mistici Bizantini, Turin, 2008.

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Introduction

or 1253 CE.11 This would provide not only a thirteenth-century date for the Thesauros, but one that fell between 1204 and 1253, a decisive period in Byzantine history as it coincided with the occupation of Constantinople by the Latins and the establishment of the Nicene Empire.12 It was probably added by the original author for his first version of the text. He was writing in the World Year 6761, and calculating from the ‘year of Christ’, traditionally given as the World Year 5500. Thus Theognostos was writing in 1252 or 1253 CE, and the Treasury must have been composed then. One can understand that in the final, later version the precise year was removed, as it was no long correct. Other historical references occur (e.g. to Byzantine Emperors, the last being Alexios  V ‘surnamed Mourtzouphlos’ [= ‘heavy browed’], chapter 9. 12, who was executed in 1204), but they do not help for a more specific dating of the work.

The Problem of the ‘Final’ Edition The discussion of the date has highlighted the importance of the variant readings to be found in the manuscripts of the Thesauros. The temptation for a young editor was to take the most presentable of the three main manuscripts, A, and to regard it as the ‘author’s final text’. The problem that arose concerning differences in the two other main manuscripts, S and B, was resolved by assuming that they were versions that Theognostos ‘corrected’ when penning his final copy. Of crucial importance is the role of the oldest manuscript preserved in the Benaki Museum in Athens which has established the date of the Thesauros. The front part of this is missing, so that none of the Biblical summary (chs 1–7) is available and the text The details of the calculation required to establish this year are somewhat complicated, and are based on principles of Byzantine chronology (e.g. on assumptions about the year of Christ’s birth in 5500 and the ‘year of Christ’ as identified with his year of birth); see CCSG 5, p. xxvi–xxviii. 12   A good overview in Michael Angold, A Byzantine Government in Exile, London, 1975. 11  

15

Introduction

starts with the birth of Christ (ch. 7. 10) relying on the chronicle of George the Monk. However, further details are more difficult to explain: occasionally B gives an expanded text (ch. 9. 11; ch. 15. 2 [15], ch. 20. 30) or adds a note that is also found as a marginal note in another manuscript (ch. 20. 42 and see 45), or he reworks a title (chs 10, 12, 13, 14. [14], 17, 18) or a text (ch. 10. 4; ch. 12. 6 and 12 with specific reference to non-Latin practice, 20; ch. 14. 4 and 5; ch.  16. 3 and 13; ch.  17. A32); at times he misattributes a quotation (ch. 18. 6, 7, 14, 19, and 20). The omission of the first 29 erotapokriseis in chapter 20 is probably due to the loss of a gathering, but other omissions seem deliberate: the whole of section A in chapter 17, the long extract from Dorotheos ‘On Lent’ (ch. 14. 13), and all the verses found in the other manuscripts. Are these alterations to be explained partly as due to careless copying by a scribe? It seems more likely that someone (Theognostos?) was revising his original work, though it seems improbable that he would have intended the B version to be the ‘final’ text. Less significant are the variations to be found in the Jerusalem manuscript (S), which gives an excellent text with only minor additions (e.g. ch. 12. 21; ch. 17. A71; ch. 20. 46), errors (e.g. ch. 15. 7 [1]; ch. 17. A9 and C2) or changes (ch. 17. A71 and B8 [4]; ch. 20. 43). At one point, S has marginal notes found also in A but at a different place (ch. 20. 38). How far I was justified in taking the Iviron (A) version as definitive may be questioned, but so far I have found no compelling reason to change my mind. The Treasury is certainly in origin a thirteenthcentury production, even if it may have been slightly re-edited (perhaps not by the author himself) as the century reached its close.13

Conventions The version of various Biblical names reflects the Greek usage of Theognostos, which differs from that of conventional modern English. My special thanks are due to Loes Diercken, of the Brepols Editorial Staff, who saved me from many mistakes. 13 

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Bibliography

Abbreviations Manuscripts A B E K L O P S V

Athous Iviron 517 (XVIth cent.) ff. 1–158. Benaki (Benaki Museum, Athens), Fonds des Échangeables 72 (XIII–XIVth cent.) ff. 1–57. Scorialensis Y II 13 (XIIIth cent.) ff. 83–95v. Athous Kavsokalyvion 10 (XIVth cent.). Laurentianus S. Marco 684 (1385) ff. 144–241. Oxoniensis Bodleianus E 3 11 (c. 1600) pp. 502–533. Vaticanus Archivio di S. Pietro C 149 (1611) ff. 238–298. Hierosolymitanus S. Sabas 223 (XIVth cent.) ff. 1–162v. Vindobonensis theologicus graecus 205 (XIVth cent. ?) ff. 39v–71.

Biblical Books Am 1 Chr 2 Chr Dan Deut Eccl Esth Ex Ezek

Amos 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Esther Exodus Ezekiel

Ezra Gen Hab Hag Hos Isa Jer Job Joel

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Ezra Genesis Habakkuk Haggai Hosea Isaiah Jeremiah Job Joel

Bibliography

1 Kings 2 Kings 3 Kings 4 Kings Lam Lev Mal Mic Nah Jon Josh Judg Judith

= 1 Samuel = 2 Samuel = 1 Kings = 2 Kings Lamentations Leviticus Malachi Micah Nahum Jonah Joshua Judges

Neh Num Ob Prov Ps Sirach Song Susanna Tobit Wisdom Zech Zeph

Nehemiah Numbers Obadiah Proverbs Psalms

Mt Mk Lk Jn Acts Rom 1 Cor 2 Cor Gal Eph Phil Col 1 Thess 2 Thess

Matthew Mark Luke John Acts of the Apostles Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians

1 Tim 1 Tim 2 Tim Titus Philem Heb Jas 1 Pet 2 Pet 1 Jn 2 Jn 3 Jn Jude Rev

1 Timothy 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation/Apocalypse

Song of Solomon (Daniel)

Zechariah Zephaniah

Publications ACO

Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum.

Agrapha

A. Resch, Agrapha. Aussercanonische Schriftfragmente.

Anal. Boll.

Analecta Bollandiana, Bruxelles, 1882– .

Apoph. Patr.

Apophthegmata Patrum.

BHG

F. Halkin, Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca.

BHG

a

F. Halkin, Auctarium Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca.

18

Bibliography

CCSG

Corpus Christianorum. Series Graeca. Turnhout, 1977– .

CCT

Corpus Christianorum in Translation, Turnhout, 2009– .

CPG

M. Geerard, Clavis Patrum Graecorum.

DAL

Dictionnaire d’Archéologie et de Liturgie, Paris, 1907.

FO

John Damascene, De fide orthodoxa.

IEGM

I. B. Pitra, Iuris ecclesiastici Graecorum historia et monumenta.

Liturgy

F. E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western.

NETS

New English Translation of the Septuagint.

OC

Oriens Christianus.

ODB

A. P. Kazhdan et alii, The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.

ODCC

F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.

Patria of Con- T. Preger, Scriptores Originum Constantinopolitanarum. stantinople PE

Paul of Evergetis, Συναγωγὴ τῶν θεοϕθόγγων ῥημάτων καὶ διδασκαλιῶν τῶν θεοϕόρων και αγιών πατέρων [Synagôgè tôn theophthoggôn rèmatôn kai didaskaliôn tôn theophorôn, kai agiôn paterôn], Venezia, 1783; Athens, 19575; etc.

Philokalia

Nikodemos of Mt Athos, Philokalia.

PG

Patrologia Graeca, ed. J.-P. Migne, Paris, 1857–1866.

PL

Patrologia Latina, ed. J.-P. Migne, Paris, 1844–1855.

Q Q ad Ant.

Ps.-Athanasius, Quaestiones ad Antiochum ducem.

Rahlfs

A. Rahlfs, Septuaginta.

REB

Revue des Études Byzantines, Paris, 1943– .

Regestes

V. Grumel and V. Laurent, Les regestes des actes du patriarcat de Constantinople.

ROC

Revue de l’Orient Chrétien, Paris, 1896–1936.

SC

Sources Chrétiennes, Paris, 1943– .

Synaxarion

Synaxarium Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae.

Letter of Three J. A. Munitiz, Letter of the Three Patriarchs to Emperor Patriarchs Theophilos.

19

Bibliography

Primary Sources Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum – ed. E. Schwartz, Berlin-Leipzig, 1924– 1974. Akropolites, George, cf. Macrides, Ruth. Amphilochius Iconiensis, Opera. Orationes, pluraque alia quae supersunt, nonnulla etiam spuria – ed. C. Datema (CCSG, 3), Turnhout-Leuven, 1978. Ps.-Amphilochius, Amphilochii Iconiensis, Methodii Patarensis et Andreae Cretensis opera omnia – ed. F. Combefis, Paris, 1644. Ps.-Amphilochius, Thesaurus asceticus – ed. P. Possinus [= Poussines], Toulouse, 1683. Anastasios of Antioch, Ad Sergium Grammaticum [CPG 6957 with Nota] – ed. I.  B. Pitra, Iuris ecclesiastici Graecorum historia et monumenta, Roma, 1868, vol. ii, p. 276. Anastasios of Antioch, Ad Sergium Grammaticum [CPG 6957 with Nota] – ed. S. N. Sakkos, Anastasii I Antiocheni Opera omnia genuine quae supersunt, Thessalonika, 1976. Anastasios of Sinai, De sacra synaxi [CPG 7750] – (PG, 89), cols 825–849. Anastasios of Sinai, Disputatio adversus Iudaeos [CPG 7772] – (PG, 89), cols 1204–1281. Anastasios of Sinai, Epitome de haeresibus [CPG 7774] – ed. I.  B. Pitra, Iuris ecclesiastici Graecorum historia et monumenta, Roma, 1868, vol. ii, p. 257–271. Anastasios of Sinai, Hodegos, Anastasii Sinaitae Viae Dux – ed. K.-H. Uthemann (CCSG, 8), Turnhout-Leuven, 1981; (PG, 89), cols 35–310. Anastasios of Sinai, Quaestiones et responsiones – ed. M. Richard and J. A. Munitiz (CCSG, 59), Turnhout-Leuven, 2006. Anastasios of Sinai, Questions and Answers – trans. J. A. Munitiz (CCT, 7), Turnhout, 2011. Anastasios of Sinai, Synopsis de haeresibus et synodis – ed. K.-H. Uthemann, Annuarium historiae conciliorum, 14 (1982), p. 58–94 (cf. Jean Baptiste Pitra [Secondary Sources]).

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Bibliography

Anastasios of Sinai, Narrationes (cf.  André Binggeli, François Nau [Secondary Sources]). Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Compendiaria explicatio – (PG, 89), cols  1390– 1404; ed. S.  N. Sakkos, ΠΕΡΙ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΩΝ ΣΙΝΑÏΤΩΝ [Peri Anastasion Sinaiton], Thessalonika, 1964, p. 223–224. Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Quaestiones et responsiones – (PG, 89), cols 312–824. Andrew of Crete, Canones [CPG 8219] – (PG, 97), cols 1305–1444. Antiochus Monachus, Homiliae (Pandecta scripturae sacrae) [CPG 7843] – (PG, 89), cols 1428ss. Anthologia Palatina – ed. P. Waltz, Paris, 1928. Apophthegmata – ed. F. Nau, ‘Histoires des solitaires Égyptiens (ms. Coislin 126, fol. 158ss)’, Revue de l’Orient Chrétien 12 (1907) ; 13 (1908) ; 14 (1909) ; 17 (1912) ; 18 (1913) [his numbers are used here, but he published the Greek text of only 400 apophthegmata: Nau 3, 27, 82, 87 in ROC 12 (1907), p. 48f, 393f.; Nau 196, 204 in ROC 13 (1908), p. 47f., 266f.; Nau 236, 265, 297 in ROC 14 (1909), p. 357f.; Nau 310, 311, 312, 323 in ROC 17 (1912), p. 294f.; Nau 365, 369, 399, 400 in ROC 18 (1913), p. 137f.; for a complete analysis of the collection, cf. Guy, Recherches]. Apophthegmata Armenorum – Venezia, 1855. Apophthegmata Patrum – (PG, 65), cols 72–440. Athanasius, Vita Antonii [CPG 2101] – ed. G. J. M. Bartelink, Athanase d’Alexandrie, Vie d’Antoine (SC, 400), Paris, 1994; (PG, 26), cols 837– 976; Athanasius, Vita Antonii [English translation] – trad. R. T. Meyer, St Athanasius. The Life of Saint Antony (Ancient Christian Writers, 10), Westminster MA-London, 1950. Ps.-Athanasius, De sabbatis et circumcisione [CPG 2244] – (PG, 28), cols 133–141. Ps.-Athanasius, De virginitate [CPG 2248] – (PG, 28), cols 252–281. Ps.-Athanasius, Quaestiones ad Antiochum ducem [CPG 2257] – (PG, 28), cols 597–700. Basil of Caesarea, De Spiritu sancto [CPG 2839] – ed. P. Pruche, Basile de Césarée, Sur le Saint-Esprit (SC, 17 [17bis]), Paris, 1968 [2002].

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Secondary Sources Allen, Pauline and Bronwen Neil (eds), Maximus the Confessor and his Companions: Documents from Exile (Oxford Early Christian Texts), Oxford, 2002. Allen, Pauline, Sophronius of Jerusalem and Seventh-Century Heresy: The Synodical Letter and Other Documents, Introduction, Texts, Translations, and Commentary, Oxford, 2009. Angold, Michael, A Byzantine Government in Exile: Government and Society under the Laskarids of Nicaea (1204–1261), London, 1975. Angold, Michael, The Fourth Crusade. Event and Context, Harlow, 2003. Barnes, Timothy David, Constantine and Eusebius, Cambridge Mass., 1981. Binggeli, André, ‘Anastase le Sinaïte: Récits sur le Sinaï et Récits utiles à l’âme’ (Ph.D. Thesis, Paris, 2001, 2 vols) [the stories are in vol. i; Binggeli i 1–39, are mostly found in Nau I–XXIX; and Binggeli ii 1–28 are mostly Nau XLII–LIV]. Brightman, Frank Edward, Liturgies Eastern and Western: Being the Texts Original or Translated of the Principal Liturgies of the Church, Oxford, 1896 [reprint 1965]. Cameron, Averil, ‘The Mandylion and Byzantine Iconoclasm’, in: The Holy Face and the Paradox of Representation: Papers from a Colloquium held at the Bibliotheca Hertziana, Rome and the Villa Spelman, Florence, ed. by H. L. Kessler and G. Wolf (Villa Spelman Colloquia, 6), Bologna, 1998, p. 33–54. Chadwick, Henry, The Sentences of Sextus: a Contribution to the History of Early Christian Ethics (Texts and Studies, new series, 5), Cambridge, 1959. Cross, Frank Leslie and Elizabeth A. Livingstone (eds), The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, New York-Oxford, 3rd ed., 1997. Geerard, Maurice, Clavis Patrum Graecorum, vols i–v (Corpus Christianorum), Turnhout, 1974–1987. Geerard, Maurice and Jacques Noret, Clavis Patrum Graecorum. Supplementum (Corpus Christianorum), Turnhout, 1998. Gouillard, Jean, ‘L’acrostiche spirituel de Théognoste (xive siècle?)’, Échos d’Orient, 39 (1940), p. 127.

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Munitiz, Joseph A., ‘A Clavis to the “Florilegia on the Eucharist” of John of Oxeia’, in: ΑΝΤΙΔΩΡΟΝ [Antidōron] : hulde aan Dr. Maurits Geerard bij de voltooiing van de Clavis Patrum Graecorum, ed. by J. Noret, Wetteren, 1984, p. 177–200. Munitiz, Joseph A., ‘Catechetical teaching aids in Byzantium’, in: Kathegetria: Essays presented to Joan Hussey for her 80th birthday, ed. by J. Chrysostomides, London, 1988 [publ. 1989], p. 469–483. Munitiz, Joseph A., ‘Théognoste’, in: Dictionnaire de Spiritualité: ascétique et mystique; doctrine et histoire. Vol. xv Taborin-Tyskiewicz, Paris, 1990, cols 443–445. Munitiz, Joseph A., ‘Dedicating a Volume: Apokaukos and Hippocrates (Paris. Gr. 2144)’, in: PHILHELLEN: Studies in Honour of Robert Browning, ed. by C. N. Constantinides et alii (Istituto Ellenico di studi Bizantini e Postbizantini di Venezia, Bibliotheke, 17), Venezia, 1996, p. 267–280 Munitiz, Joseph A., Julian Chrysostomides, Eirene Harvalia-Crook, and Charalambos Dendrinos, The Letter of the Three Patriarchs to Emperor Theopilos and Related Texts, Camberley, 1997. Munitiz, Joseph A., ‘Writing for the Heart: the Spiritual Literature of Byzantium’, in: The Byzantine World, ed. by P. Stephenson, London-New York, 2010, p. 248–259. Nau, François (ed.), ‘Le texte grec des récits du moine Anastase sur les saints pères du Sinaï’, Oriens Christianus 2 (1902), p. 58–89. Nau, François (ed.), ‘Le texte grec des récits utiles à l’âme d’Anastase (le Sinaïte)’, Oriens Christianus 3 (1903), p. 56–75, 79–79 [French translation; Revue de l’Orient Chrétien 7 (1902), 8 (1903), 10 (1905)]. Nau, François (trans.), ‘Les récits inédits du moine Anastase. Contribution à l’histoire du Sinaï (traduction française)’, Revue de l’Institut catholique de Paris 1–2 (1902), p. 1–26 ; p. 110–151. Nedungatt, George and Michael Featherstone, The Council in Trullo Revisited (Kanonika, 6), Roma, 1995. Ostrogorsky, George, History of the Byzantine State, trans. by J. Hussey and B. Blackwell, Oxford, 1968. Pitra, Jean Baptiste, ‘Anastasius of Sinai, Epitome de haeresibus’, in: Iuris ecclesiastici Graecorum historia et monumenta. Vol. ii. A VI ad IX saeculum, Roma, 1868, p. 257–271.

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29

Corrections to the Greek Text

Pag.

Text. uel App.

Editio

Correctura

7

textus I, 135 app. crit. 135 textus XI, 32 app. ref. 62/70 app. ref. 120 app. ref. 149/150 textus XII, 262–263 app. ref. 262/263 textus XII, 272 app. ref. 157–179

θεογνώστου (A)

θεοσώστου (S)

θεογνώστου] θεοσώστου S ἀλλὰ τὸ

θεοσώστου] θεογνώστου A ἀλλὰ τῷ

7 54 63 65 66 70 70 71 84

85

textus XIV, 193

cf. Mt. 16. 6. Mt. 16, 6.

Marc. 16, 6.

Luc. 20, 38.

Rom. 6, 11; 14, 8; 2 Tim. 7, 12. ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτου … τοῦ αἰῶνος

ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτου … τοῦ αἰῶνος

ἀποκαλυϕθεὶς ὁ ἄνομος

Heb. 1, 2; Mt. 13, 40, 49; 28, 20. ἀποϰαλυφϑεὶς ὁ ἄνομος

cf. Conc. CP (553), Sessio 18 (ed. Mansi XI, 553D–556C). παραδεδώκαμεν

cf. Conc. CP (680–681), Sessio 18 (ed. Tanner I, 127–130). παραδεδώκασιν

30

Corrections to the Greek Text

Pag.

Text. uel App.

85

app. crit. 193 παρδεδώκαμεν] παραδεδώκασιν], παραδεδώκασιν B παρδεδώκαμεν AS app. ref. 238/242 Canon 5: cf. 238/241 Canon 5: cf. 238/242 Syn. Neocaes. Canon 11 Syn. Neocaes. Canon (ed. Joannou I, 2, 11 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 80); Conc. Trull. Canonp. 80).  243/246 Canon 14, 15 (ed. 6: Conc. Trull. Canon Joannou I, 1, 14, 15 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 143–144). p. 143–144). app. ref. cf. Isid. Pel., Epist. I, cf. Isid. Pel., Epist. I, 384/389 114 (PG 78, 260A1–7). 114 (PG 78, 260A1–B3); cf. Greg. Nyss. De tridui spatio. textus Θάνατος Θάνατος XIV, 43 textus ἀνδρὶ ἀνδρὶ XIV, 43 app. ref. Iob 3, 13, 17. Iob 3, 23. 43 app. ref. Quaest. 118 Quaest. 18 160/161 ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ ϰόσμῳ textus XV1, 272 textus κατακριθῶμεν ϰαταϰριϑῶμεν XV1, 272 app. ref. cf. 2 Cor. 3, 12. cf. 2 Cor. 4, 2. 355 app. ref. cf. Ps. 10, 8. cf. Ps. 10, 7. 124 app. ref. Luc. 15, 8, 21. Luc. 15, 18, 21. 156 app. ref. cf. 2 Tim. 4, 6, 8. cf. 2 Tim. 4, 7, 8. 255/256 app. ref. Mt. 26, 34. Mt. 26, 24. 328/329

87

92

95 95 95 99 103 103 106 112 113 116 119

Editio

Correctura

31

Corrections to the Greek Text

Pag.

Text. uel App.

Editio

Correctura

120

app. ref. 360/361 app. ref. 556/557 app. ref. 618/620 app. ref. 675 app. ref. 871/871 app. ref.

cf. Mt. 25, 11.

cf. Mt. 25, 41.

cf. Mt. 25, 20.

cf. Mt. 25, 10.

Ioh. 3, 6.

Ioh. 3, 5.

Iac. 5, 8; Prov. 10, 2.

Iac. 5, 20; Prov. 10, 12.

Rom. 10, 11.

Rom. 8, 6–7.

126 128 130 137 140

148 149 203 203 219 219

220 221

32/33 cf. Gregorius 32/33 cf. Gregorius Naz., Orat. 27 (PG 36, 16 Naz., Orat. 27 (PG 36, B9–10); L. R. Beynen, 16 B9–10); L. R. Collectio Vossiana, Beynen, Collectio Leyden 1837, p. 1, Vossiana, Leyden 1837, N° 2.  34/35 cf. Athana- p. 1, N° 2; et cf. Athasius, Vita Ant., 91 (PG 26, nasius, Vita Ant., 91 969 C10–11). (PG 26, 969 C10–11). Tit. 2, 2. Tit. 2, 12.

app. ref. 268/269 app. ref. cf. Luc. 16, 1 s. 296 textus τοῖς ἑστῶσι XIX, 183 app. crit. 183 textus ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς ἁπαλὸν XX, 478–479 ὄντα app. crit. αὐτὸν post ἁπαλὸν trsp. 478/479 B post ὄντα trsp. S app. ref. 515/516 textus XX 528–529

Gal. 6, 6

cf. Luc. 16, 19 s. τοῖς οὐχ ἑστῶσι οὐχ] om. AK ὥστε εἰς ἁπαλὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα εἰς ἁπαλὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα] αὐτὸν εἰς ἁπαλὸν ὄντα A εἰς ἁπαλὸν ὄντα αὐτὸν S Gal. 6, 7

μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μὴ ἐϰ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγϰης

32

Treasury

Sacred is this book, from many books assembled To benefit the reader carefully blended, Salvation and God’s knowledge together welded.a O Christ! Pour forth your grace upon my labours, those of the humble Theognostos.b

a  The two manuscripts available for the first part of the Treasury, A (= Athous Iviron 517) and S (Hierosolymitanus S. Sabas 223) give these three verses with only minor textual differences. A literal translation would be: ‘This is a holy book, carefully assembled from different writings for the benefit of the readers, in order to bring them to the salvific understanding of the science of God.’ Before the title the Athos manuscript (A) adds Ἀρχὴ σὺν Θεῷ, ‘The beginning with God’s help’. b  S omits the name of Theognostos. This epigram is to be found in the Anthologia Palatina, I, 29 (ed. P. Waltz, Paris, 1928, p. 23); cf. A. D. Komines, p. 39, n. 1.

Chapter I

3

1. ‘A “god” who can be understood is not God’;a there is only one God, because divinity is unique. He is without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, unsearchable, without end, uncircumscribed, surpassing all being, omnipotent, unapproachable, surpassing in goodness, thrice-personed. 2. This God, moved solely by His own goodness, brought into being out of nothing, as only He knows how, first the bodiless powers: of these some are Cherubim, some seraphim, and some thrones; others are virtues, powers and dominations; and others are principalities, angels and archangels – and also any other that remains nameless among the supercosmic powers.b 3. Next He made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that are in them. There was not yet anyone to reign over the beings of the earth. First it was necessary to prepare the imperial domains, and then the Emperor could be introduced. Thus man is created last, honoured by the hand and the image of God: he is incorruptible and immortal, if only he will observe the order given.c 4. But God, foreseeing man’s transgression of His order, and that he would become mortal, formed out of his side woman to

4

Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 1 (PG 28, 597D4–5). cf. John Damascene, FO IV, 13 (ed. Kotter 86, 2s; PG 94, 1136). c   cf. Gen 1: 1, 26; John Damascene, FO II, 11 (ed. Kotter 25, 1–5; PG 94, 909–912). a  

b  

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be his help-mate,a but not his counsellor. Thus man would have comfort in the succession of children born from her and the race would not expire cut off by death. 5. The devil had fallen because of his pride from the glory of heaven, as the Prophet says condemning his folly, he boasted and strutted in defiance of God, his creator (Job 15: 25) with the words, I shall place my throne above the clouds and will become the equal of the Highest (Is 14: 12–14), and now in his craftiness he was set completely against man. He was jealous of man’s honour.b With the same fall that had brought him low, the devil overthrew man in his turn, enticing him with the hope of being equal to God. However, he dared not attack man directly; by means of the woman, who was easier to deceive, he persuaded man also to go astray and partake of the forbidden tree. Then they saw their own nakedness,c and in their shame before God they tried to hide themselves because of their disobedience. 6. Once exiled from the delights of Paradise they are condemned together as criminals to live wretchedly this painful life of ours, the man beset by toil, sweat, and the labours of the earth, the woman by the travail and affliction of child-bearing.d After the fall Adam lived 930 years,e and had 33 sons and 27 daughters.f His sons took to wife their own sisters, for they were alone on the earth, in order to ensure the multiplication of the human race, in accordance with God’s commandg that they should increase and multiply. 7. Notice that the tree of disobedience was not evil, for God made nothing bad; however, the fruit was something that could be tasted, as St Athanasius and St John Chrysostom explain,h even cf. Gen 2: 20–21; John Damascene, FO II, 30 (ed. Kotter 44, 28–31; PG 94, 864). b   cf. John Damascene, FO II, 44 (ed. Kotter 106, 69–74; PG 94, 977–980). c   cf. Gen 3: 7. d   cf. Gen 3: 16–19. e   cf. Gen 5: 5. f   cf. George the Monk, p. 6. g   cf. Gen 1: 28. h   cf. Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 50 (PG 28, 629A–B), quoting Isidore of Pelousion, Epist. I, 51 (PG 78, 213C), perhaps considered a disciple of John Chrysostom. a  

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if Moses is silent on this point. God wanted Adam and Eve to live under his authority and to recognize their creator. He provided them with the enjoyment of everything else, but excluded this alone. They judged the Enemy to be more trustworthy, listened to his, You shall be like gods, knowing good and evil (Gen 3: 5) and partook of this. So it was only just that they be banished from that blessed place and condemned to labour and wretchedness. 8. An objection is raised by certain men who are flesh-bound and pleasure loving: ‘If Adam and Eve had not transgressed the command and as a result brought about coition of man and woman, how would the human race have multiplied?’ What answer do we give them?a God who is almighty, would have been capable of substantiating the continuance of mortals, supposing the command had been observed, in the same way as He produced the myriads of angels without copulation. Neither corruption nor death would have had a place in our human nature. Only disobedience brought in among us this animal form of birth and this death. 9. Next there was Cain, Adam’s first-born, who wandered like a poor wretch over the earth, groaning and trembling for the murder of Abel his brother. However, Seth is included in the genealogyb because he was similar to his father, a lover of virtue. But with the population increasing day by day, the majority turned to evil. There was nobody pleasing to God, but all turned away along false paths leading to the pit. Only one was found just in those generations, Enoch: he was taken up by God, in the same way as Elias later.c They are still alive and wait for the general consummation. Then they will announce to all the coming of the word of God, that dreadful and fearsome parousia, when He will come to repay to each according to their deeds (Rom 2: 6). From Adam to the Flood there are 2242 years.d cf. John Damascene, FO IV, 24 (ed. Kotter 97, 19–20; PG 94, 1208). cf. Gen 4: 25; Seth appears in the (priestly) genealogical table of Gen 5: 3–8, but not Cain and Abel. c   cf. Gen 5: 21–24; 4 Kings 2: 1–18. d   cf. Nikephoros, Chron. comp. (ed. de Boor, p. 102, 2); George the Monk, p. 804. a  

b  

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10. At God’s command the just Noah prepared the Ark.a He, with his wife and children and with his sons’ wives, entered, along with animals and creatures of all species, ready for the setting up later of a second world. Then the flood came over the face of the whole earth. It destroyed all animal life, from man to the brute beasts, all that fly and crawl over the earth. But with God’s help everything was restored once more from those in the Ark, and God in commiseration set up his ‘bow’ in the cloudsb as a testimony and sign that as long as it appeared He would bring no more Flood on the earth before the Final Day. Before the Flood this sign, Iris the rainbow, had not been seen anywhere, just as before the Fall no thorns had appeared.c 11. Once more the population increased over the earth, and along with the number of men, so did wickedness increase; there was no one who feared God. However, their consciences pricked them for their sins, and suspecting another Flood they decided in their folly to build all together a tower reaching to Heaven.d Their work had already begun and had reached a great height when God in his anger confounded the tongues of all there. Their common speech became a babble of tongues and they could not understand one another’s language. Their work was stopped and once more they were scattered abroad. From the Flood to Abraham there are 1130 years.e 12. Next appeared in the land of the Chaldeans the just and pious Abraham,f a beacon of the science of God. Contemporary with him shone forth also Melchizedek,g the priest of God the

cf. Gen 6: 8, 14; 7: 1ff. cf. Gen 9: 13. c   cf. Gen 3: 18; John Damascene, FO II, 10 (ed. Kotter 24, 48–53; PG 94, 909), and see the note below ch. XX § 30. d   cf. Gen 11: 4–8. e   In other chronological tables based on the Septuagint, the total is 1072 years; cf. M. Roueché, ‘Stephanus the Alexandrian philosopher, the kanon and a seventh-century millennium’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 74 (2011), p. 7. f   cf. Gen 11: 27. g   cf. Gen 14: 18. a  

b  

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most high. Abraham had for a son Isaac,a Isaac Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs. 13. However, in those days a nephew of Ahraham, called Lot, was living in the region of Pentapolis, near Sodom and Gomorrah. The men in those parts were exceedingly evil and wicked, males behaving indecently with males (Rom 1: 27), something which is not to be seen happening even among irrational animals.b The Lord was angry with them. Lot himself escaped from among them by an angelic revelation, but fire from heaven consumed all the others, young and old. Their sin had been unpardonable and uninterrupted, so that they were all destroyed along with their land. 14. The twelve tribes of Israel were set up from the twelve sons of Jacob. When they were living in exile as slaves in Egypt, God raised up his own slave and servant, Moses, and brought them out of the slavery of Pharaoh by means of signs and wonders.c Moses divided the Red Sea with his staff and led the whole people – six hundred thousand of them – through the deep: the water formed a wall to right and to left of them. But when Pharaoh came in their pursuit, he and his army were drowned because he foolishly dared in his turn to make trial of the strange path knownd to God. In this way none of them was left. 15. Moses then led the people in the desert for forty years.e God used to speak with him like a real friend.f He also supplied from above heavenly food, the manna, and the quails for the Israelites; the rock brought forth water for them in a stream. When they approached the Moab frontier, the inhabitants saw them and were in great fear: Now this gathering, they said, will lick up all our neighbours, just as a young bull licks up all the grass in the cf. Gen 21: 3; and cf. Gen 25: 26. cf. George the Monk, p. 647, 16–18. c   cf. Ex 1 and Ex 14 for the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. d   One of the two manuscripts available here, S, gives ‘protected by God’ in place of ‘known to God’, and on reflection that is more likely to be correct. e   cf. Ex 16 and 17: reference to the manna, 16: 4ff.; to the quails, 16: 13; to the water from the rock 17: 6. f   cf. Ex 33: 11. a  

b  

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plain (Num 22: 4). The people numbered, without including the women, children or the tribe of the Levites, simply the adult men of twenty years and upwards (all the Israelites who could be marshalled for war [Num 1:45]), 603,550.a The leader of them all was Moses. None among them was a sower or a reaper, and none was ill.b God himself sustained them by means of Moses, keeping in good condition their clothes and foot-gear.c After driving out the Moabites and the other tribes they partitioned out their land by lot. 16. As long as they continued to worship God willingly and were obedient to Moses, God cared for them with generosity; but when they abandoned God and sacrificed to idols, when they began to grumble against Moses, then God turned away from them; their dead bodies fell in great numbers in the desert, fire consumed them, and the earth opened to swallow them.d God is ready to support all man’s frailties, but He does not tolerate without punishment his grumbling. Eventually Moses himself, in obedience to God’s command, went up the mountain, saw from a distance the promised land, and then rested in peace, departing from this earth for the Lord.e

cf. Num 2: 32; 26: 2. cf. Jer 42 (35): 6–7; Ps 104: 37. c   cf. Deut 8: 4; 29: 5. d   cf. Num 11: 1; 14: 29, 32 (Heb 3: 17); 16: 30 (Ex 32 on the worship of the molten calf). e   On the death of Moses, cf. Deut 34: 1–5. a  

b  

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1. Jesus,a the son of Naweh, was invested with the leadership in succession to Moses, the man who saw God. Jesus brought the people across the Jordan, and spent thirty-two years in the Promised Land, fighting and allocating the terrain by lot to the sons of Israel. He died at the age of one hundred and ten. It was he who subdued the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, Amorites, the Hivites,b and all their kings, thirty-two in number. As has been said, he gave all their land to the sons of Israel. As these people were escaping before the Israelites the Lord flung hail-stones on them from heaven and more were killed by the hail than by the Israelites.c Jesus also captured and razed the city of Jericho.d When seven of the priests marched seven times around the city, blowing their trumpets, the walls collapsed by divine force and Jericho fell into the hands of the Israelites. 2. At one moment a certain Achare had stolen from the offerings dedicated to the Lord; the people were then defeated in the a   In the Greek Septagint ‘Joshua’ becomes ‘Jesus’, and his father’s name ‘Nun’ changes to ‘Naweh’; cf. Josh 1: 1 ff. This summary account resembles that given by George the Monk, p. 142, 22–143, 15. b   Similar list Josh 3: 10. c   Josh 10: 11. d   Josh ch. 6. e   A misreading has produced ‘Achar’ in the Greek text instead of ‘Achan’: cf. Josh 7: 1.

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war. Jesus tore his garments and fell face-downwards on the earth before the Lord until evening. He was accompanied by the elders of Israel and all threw dust on their heads. Jesus prayed: I entreat you, Lord! What sense was there in your servant bringing this people across the Jordan only to have us given up to be destroyed by the Amorite? Am I to say that Israel submitted to an enemy? When the Canaanite and all the inhabitants of this land hear of it, surely they will encircle and destroy us? (Josh 7:7–8)a Such was the prayer of Jesus. Once that Achar was detected and condemned to capital punishment, the Lord’s anger abated and Israel was victorious again. 3. On another occasion Jesus saw the commander-in-chief of the Lord come to his aid.b He fell to the ground and made obeisance before him: then Jesus entreated the Lord God saying, ‘May the sun stand still over Gabaon, and the moon over the Ravine of Ailom!’ And so it happened: the sun stood still in mid-heaven until the end of one day. And there was not such a day either before or after so that God obeyed a human being because He was fighting alongside Israel (Josh 10:12–14).c Moses was surpassed by this. It is not the same to order the sea and to order the heavenly bodies. The act of Moses was a great one, but it is not equal to this. 4. If these are the deeds in this world of the saints of God, consider how great must be their splendour and confidence in the next world!d Truly, one person who does the will of God is more powerful than thousands of sinners (Sirach 16: 3).e In the same way, Eliou the Tishbite was worth more than anyone else; he closed the heavens and stopped all rain on the earth during three years and six months.f Jesus himself by his many trials and sufferings came close to the mighty Moses.

cf. George the Monk, p. 144, 18–145, 3 (who may have drawn on John Chrysostom, Ad Stagyrium III, 5 [PG 47, 478]). b   Josh 5: 13–15. c   The Hebrew names are ‘Gibeon’ and ‘Aijalon’. d   This comment seems to come from George the Monk, p. 143, 21–144, 7. e   The text is rejected in critical editions of this work. f   On Elijah/Elias (here called ‘Eliou’) cf. 3 Kings ch. 17 (and James 5: 17). a  

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5. I omit to mention in detail his different wars and preoccupations, the ruse of the Gabaonites,a and the apportioning of the land.b The latter brought him many difficulties, which serve to show that none of the saints passed through this life without trials. 6. In the period following Jesus, God saved his people from the harassment of the remaining Philistines by means of the Judges. The first of these was Judas,c and he was Judge during seven years. He defeated the king of the Philistines and amputated his fingers and toes; then the king lamented, Many were the peers and kings whose fingers and toes I cut off and who had to gather the scraps from under my table! Therefore, as I have done, so God has paid me back! (Judg 1: 7).d 7. The Judge after Judas was Gothoniele for fifty years; then the ‘Left-hander’ f for eighty years, and somebody else for seven years. Next came Barak, who was Judge along with the prophetess Debbora, for forty years;g it was then they slew Jabin, and that Jael killed Sisara with a tent-peg. The Judge after Barak was Gedeon for forty years: he slaughtered the Madianites, along with their chieftains, Oreb and Zeb and Zebee and Salmana (Ps 82:12),h and overthrew the fortress, Penuel, lacerating the rulers among the thorns.i The successor to Gedeon as Judge was his son, Abimelech,j for three years; he was a cruel man who butchered all his brothers on the same stone. Eventually on one of his campaigns, when he approached the gate of a fortress, a fragment of a grindstone flung cf. Josh. 9: 3–27: where an account is given of how the inhabitants of Gabaon tricked the Israelites into a peace treaty at the price of becoming ‘hewers of wood and drawers of water’. b   Josh. 14, 1–5. c   Judas (= ‘Judah’): cf. Judg 1: 2. d   All of this paragraph seems borrowed from George the Monk, p. 146, 1–7. e   ‘Othniel’ in the Hebrew, but the name is found with the preceding gamma in the Septuagint; cf. Judg 3: 9–10. f   Identified in Judg 3: 15 as ‘Aod’. g   Judges 4: 6; and see Judges 4: 21 for the killing of Sisara. h   cf. Judges 6: 11; 7: 25; 8: 21. i   cf. Judges 8: 16. j   The passage on Abimelech seems borrowed from George the Monk, p. 148, 1–149, 16, which is based on Judges 9; see also 2 Kings 11: 21. a  

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by a woman fell on his head and crushed his skull. He called out quickly to his armour-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and kill me! God forbid that they should say of me that a woman killed me! That would be worse than death!’ So the escort stabbed him and killed him. 8. The Judges who followed were: Thola 23 years; Iair 22 years; Iephthae 6 years (it was he who slaughtered the Ammonites and the Philistines); Abaisan 7 years; Ailom 10 years; and Labdon 8 years.a 9. After them came for twenty years the strong giant, Sampson (born as promised).b It was he who slew thousands with the jaw-bone of an ass, and who gripped a lion by the throat and tore him apart. Never before had such valour been seen in a man and never will it be in the future! However, his concubine, Dalidas, belonged by race to the gentiles; with her blandishments she persuaded him to reveal the secret of his strength, namely seven hairs that gleamed like gold on his head. She lulled him to sleep on her knees, clipped those grace-filled locks, the source of his strength and valour, and betrayed him to the gentiles. These captured him and blinded his eyes, mocking and reviling him. But when the hairs grew once more, his strength returned. He waited for a day that happened to be a public holiday, an occasion for reunion; then he said to the man who guided him, ‘Take me to the great hall where they are all gathered.’ Once there he caught hold of the pillars supporting the hall, and cried out, ‘Off with you, Sampson, along with the gentiles!’ As he dragged violently on the pillars, the hall fell in, and all were killed and he with them. 10. Consider now all the harm that has been done by women. It was a woman that exiled Adam from Paradise; another woman blinded the mighty Sampson; a woman, as this book will show,c led the wise Solomon astray, far from God’s glory; a woman caused Judges 10: 1, 3; 11: 1; 12: 8, 11, 13; there are various spellings of these names (e.g. ‘Esebon’ and ‘Ibzan’ in place of ‘Abaisan’). b   The account of Sampson is to be found in Judges cc. 13–16; in particular cf. 16: 17–22 (the cutting of the seven locks of hair, though the colour is not mentioned); and 16: 29–30 (the destruction of the hall). c   ch. VI. a  

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Eliasa to become a fugitive; and a woman had John the Baptist’s head cut off. So much harm can be done by an evil woman? As one of the non-Christian writers says, woman is a ‘necessary evil’ b – ‘necessary’ in order to have children, ‘evil’ without qualification! 11. Consider the nature of womankind. In her the devil finds a hook, a snare and a net with which to deceive and kill us. What is she? Woman is a fount of evils, a shipwreck on land, a store of refuse, a lethal mischance, a slip for the eyes, a lance for the heart, a perdition for the young. What is a woman? The soul’s damnation, Hades’ sceptre, precipitous passion, saints’ defamation, serpent’s lair and the devil’s delight. What is she? Unconsolable agony, incurable harm, a stumbling-block for those on the road to salvation, a daily penalty, a guide into darkness, a teacher of sin, a discloser of secrets. What is a woman? A shameless beast, an unbridled mouth, wicked pleasure, a cause of eternal hell, an earthy mind, laziness for spouses, an insatiable craving. What is she? Winter in the home, a battle self-incurred, a husband’s wreck, incontinence as a bed-fellow, an ever-nagging worry. What is a woman? A poisonous snake, a savage lioness, a venom-spitting asp, a wild leopardess, a weapon of the devil, a passionate frenzy, a world-wide plague, an uncontrollable evil, an untameable dragon. All other evil is petty in comparison with that of a woman. If you would escape from such a monster, listen to the Book of Proverbs: My son, let not the passion for beauty overcome you … Fix not your eye upon her, but turn swiftly away, delay not! (Prov 6: 25; 9: 18a). a   For Jezabel’s threat to Elias, cf. 3 Kings 19: 2; and for the beheading of John the Baptist at the request of Herodias, cf. Matt. 14:1–12. b   Secundus, Sent. 10; this dictum was incorporated into various misogynistic diatribes, where Theognostos could have found it and the content of the following paragraph: e.g. Ps.-Maximus, Loci communes 39 (ed. S. Ihm, Stuttgart, 2001; PG 91, 912C); Ps.-Chrysostom, Frag. In Mt. 5, 28 (cf. Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Q Q 59 flor. [PG 89, 636–637]); Anton. Melis., Loci comm. 2, 34 (PG 136, 1089); Ps.-Ephraem, Adv. improbas mulieres (ed. Assemani III, 70d–74b).

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12. You ought to knowa that a man who has sexual relations with a woman simply for the pleasure of the act and not for the purpose of begetting children, is guilty of a sinful crime, even if he copulates with his own wife. The whole purpose of marriage is that while death reaps, the sowing of marriage should build up the human race.

cf.  Maximus, Cap. de caritate II, 17 (PG 90, 989A–B); Amphilochius of Iconium, Orat. IV: In mulierem peccatricem (CCSG 3, IV 111; PG 39, 72B14). a  

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Chapter III

1. There was anarchy for forty years after the death of the valiant and mighty Sampson;a each would do what was good in their own eyes (Judges 17: 6), and there was mutual slaughter due to civil strife. Such an evil is anarchy! At that time the men of Benjamin’s tribe fornicated with the concubine of that traveller in an excess of licentiousness that killed her. The other eleven tribes then made war against them and they were wiped out.b So it happens: when God sees someone degrading him or herself by utter depravity, He takes away his grace and favour. But a person deprived of that help, becomes a hardened criminal: on the one hand the devil is urging the person on, and on the other God is not within to counsel abstinence from evil. As a result, wrath and destruction take possession.c 2. After the Judges it was Eli the High Priest who judged the people for twenty years.d However, he failed to oppose with holy zeal the intemperate sinfulness of his sons, Hophni and Phinees, and brought about unawares his own destruction with that of his sons. They sinned by fornication and gluttony, sleeping with the George the Monk, p. 153, 13–154, 1. Judges cc. 19–20. c   George the Monk, p. 157, 8–12. d   George the Monk, p. 159, 17–160, 11; 160, 18–161, 10. based on 1 Kings 1: 3; 2: 12–17, 22; 4: 11 (but George may also have been using John Chrysostom, Adv. oppugn. vitae monast. [PG 47, 352]). a  

b  

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women who served at the door of the sanctuary-tent and eating from the meats before the offering of the sacrifice. Eli, their father, heard of their deeds, but because of his excessive affection he did not admonish them as he should have done. In consequence, God’s anger carried them both off, and the Ark was captured by the gentiles with a great loss of life in the battle. Notice how great an evil it is to allow children to grow up without proper care and without training in the fear of the Lord. 3. For the same reason the man who collected wood on the Sabbath was given no clemency.a His crime was great because he disobeyed God’s command just a soon as it was promulgated. But the punishment was also to be a lesson for others after him not to neglect an order. The same happened with Ananias and Sapphira at a later date.b 4. The next to judge Israel was the prophet and priest Samuel, for thirty years.c His sons, Joel and Abia, were both ostracized for receiving gifts and giving corrupt judgements. Eventually the whole people assembled at Harmathem and demanded a king, according to the custom of the pagans. Samuel was aggrieved at this, but God ordered him to anoint Saould as king saying, Listen to the voice of the people, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them (1 Kings 8: 7). So it happened from then onwards, and the rule of kingship was established in Israel.

a   George the Monk, p. 165, 3–8, based on Numbers 15: 32–36 (but perhaps using John Chrysostom, Expos. in Ps. 6 [PG 55, 73]). b   As recounted in Acts 5: 1–11. c   George the Monk, p. 165, 15–166, 4; based on 1 Kings, cc. 7–8. d   Saul is called ‘Saoul’ in the Septuagint.

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Chapter IV The First Jewish Kingdom

1. Saoul was King for forty years.a He was the son of Kis, of the tribe of Benjamin, and was a handsome, tall man. At first he thought to rule well, but later he transgressed the Lord’s command by not executing Agag, the King of the Amalekites. Samuel’s words to him on that occasion were, You have acted foolishly, not complying with the order given by the Lord. Your reign will not stand, but the Lord will seek a man after his own heart to be the ruler over his people (1 Kings 13: 13–14). However, Saoul only continued to anger the Lord even more, and as a result, the spirit of the Lord left him and was replaced by an evil spirit that tormented him (1 Kings 16: 14). Then they brought David to him to assuage his suffering; David would take the kinyra (harp) and sing, and the evil spirit would leave Saoul.b 2. In the following periodc the gentiles campaigned against Israel: Goliath strutted out and asked for a duel. Although David was still a youngster, he presented himself and killed Goliath.d As a reward he married a daughter of King Saoul. But the latter grew jealous of him on the occasion of the women’s festal dance: George the Monk, p. 166, 1–167, 1, basing himself on 1 Kings cc. 9–10, 15 (case of Agag) b   See 1 Kings 16: 23. c   For this and the following paragraph, cf. George the Monk, p. 167, 2–168, 8 (perhaps taken from Theodoretus, In I Reg., Qu. 45 [PG 80, 577A]). d   1 Kings ch. 17. a  

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in praise of David they sang him the words, Saoul has conquered in thousands, but David in tens of thousands! (1 Kings 18: 7; 21: 12; 29: 5). David had to escape from Saoul, and it was then that he ate the loaves of offering, given him by the High Priest.a Saoul was so angry that the High Priest had given hospitality to a man who was an enemy of his on the run, that he slaughteredb along with the High Priest all the priests of the Lord, 350 men, at the hands of Doek the Syrian. He massacred not only the priests, but the whole population of Nomba, the city of the priests; he put to the edge of the sword, any man and woman, any babe at the breast, and calf and donkey and sheep (1 Kings 22: 19). Not a living soul survived, except for one man, Abiathar, the son of the High Priest, who escaped to David.c 3. Consider how unjust and inhuman was Saoul’s anger! By this bloodthirsty massacre he surpassed in ungodliness all his other crimes. When God had ordered him to raze completely the city of Amalek, he saved not only Agag but all his possessions. Yet on this occasion he gave vent to his personal pique and not satisfied with killing the priest, destroyed both the city and all its inhabitants. 4. On two occasions, while pursuing the blessed David, Saoul fell into his hands yet came to no harm. It was then that the gentle David said to him, My King, why do you hunt me down to kill me? May the Lord arbitrate between me and you and acquit me from your hand. But my hand will not be against the Lord’s anointed! (1 Kings 24: 10–16; 26: 18–20).d 5. David’s party advanced and gained in power, but that of Saoul declined and weakened (2 Kings 3: 1).e When the gentiles cf. 1 Kings ch. 21; and also below ch. XVII B8 § 7. 1 Kings 22: 18, where the number of those slaughtered is given as 305 (τε´) in place of 350 (τν´); the two manuscripts of Theognostos available at this point probably stem from an erroneous copy. The Hebrew text (1 Kings 22: 18) gives the number as 85. c   1 Kings 22: 20. d   Phrases taken from the Biblical texts describing the two occasions where David spared Saul’s life. e   All this paragraph is indebted to George the Monk, p. 168, 8–169, 3; 171, 6–11. a  

b  

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invaded once more, Saoul had the first news of his fate from the ventriloquist woman;a later he met his death in battle, killed along with his sons. There is nothing strange about the ventriloquist having told the truth, although some commentators have expressed surprise at this. God obliged the devil himself, when he appeared disguised as Samuel, to speak the truth despite his reluctance (just as Balaamb was persuaded unwillingly to bless the Israelites). Things happened as God wanted, for as he said to Saul, ‘Even though you go to a false prophet, it is I, the Lord, who will give the reply!’c

a   1 Kings. 28: 7 ff. for the ventriloquist; the death of Saul is recounted in 1 Kings 31. b   See Num 23–24. c   These words do not seem to be a Biblical quotation.

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Chapter V The Reign of David

1. After Saoul David was king for forty years.a He came from the tribe of Judah. He ruled with discernment and justice. From Abraham to David there are 1024 years. And David progressed, going steadily stronger and the Lord, the Almighty, was on his side (1 Chr 11: 9). He had a company of 37 strong champions:b the least of them could take on a hundred and the strongest could face thousands.c To this group belonged the three men who broke through the enemy lines, when the gentiles had encircled Bethlehem, and brought water to King David, who had expressed a desire for it. But David refrained from tasting the water and offered it as a libation to the Lord with the words, May God forgive me! Should I drink the blood of men who have made such an expedition at the risk of their lives! (2 Kings 23: 8–17). 2. The King next orderedd Joab, who was general of his army and one of his ministers, ‘Make a survey of all the tribes of Israel; examine and reckon all the people. I want a census of the nation,’ Joab replied, ‘May God multiply your people, but why For much of this paragraph, see George the Monk, p.  172, 13–14; 176, 10–13; 177, 18–178, 3; based on 2 Kings 2: 4; 8: 15. b   2 Kings 23: 24–39. c   1 Chr 12: 15 (the Hebrew text, v. 14, suggests the meaning: ‘These were officers of the army, the lesser over a hundred and the greater over a thousand.’ d   George the Monk p. 178, 14–179, 27; based on 2 Kings 24: 2–8. For the numbers cf. 1 Chr 21: 5 and 2 Kings 24: 9. a  

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does my Lord insist on a census?’ However, the King’s command prevailed over Joab and the other ministers, and Joab made the census of the people. When he had finished he gave the results to David. The total of all Israel was 1,100,000 men capable of military service; Judah had 480,000. Levi and Benjamin were not counted. The taking of the census seemed wicked to the Lord, and he sent the prophet Gad to speak to David. ‘This is the Lord’s message,’ he said, ‘choose for yourself one of three things: three years of famine in your country; three weeks of flight pursued by your enemies; or three days of the plague’,a and David answered, ‘All three choices are difficult for me, but I prefer to fall into the hands of God, who is merciful, than into the hands of men’ (2 Kings 24: 10–17). So David chose the plague. The Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning until midday, and the number of dead among the people was 70,000. When David saw the angel slaughtering the people, he cried out wailing to God, Lord, my God! It is I, the shepherd, who am the sinner! As for the sheep, what wrong have they done? Let your punishment fall on me and on my father’s house, but spare your people! (2 Kings 24: 17). This prayer reached the Lord, and he said to his angel, ‘Hold your hand!’ 3. In that placeb David built a sacrificial altar and offered holocausts for the end of the plague. It was not unreasonable that things happened as they did then: the excuse was found for punishing the people for their own crimes. They had abandoned their pious King, and taken up arms on behalf of his parricidal and tyrannical son, Abessalom. So when God permitted it, they received only what they deserved for their own evil deeds. It is clear from this that we receive at one time the punishment for faults committed at another time, unless we repent.

The Septuagint text refers to three ‘months’ of flight and not three ‘weeks’. George the Monk, p. 180, 1–4 (explicitly based on Theodoretus, In II Reg., Qu. 45 [PG 80, 660A]), and p. 182, 10–11; cf. 2 Kings. cc. 15–18. a  

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4. Now later it happeneda that once towards evening David had risen from his couch and glancing out saw a woman bathing, who was exceptionally beautiful. He was struck with a sudden passion for her. Although he was not a man of evil or corrupt life, he was caught off his guard by the circumstances and committed adultery. The war had been hard and long, followed by relaxation and comfort; he had the kingship and great power; and physically he was at his prime. The moment, moreover, just after a comfortable nap, was one in which the spark is most easily kindled even against one’s will. He may also have fallen because of his presumption (God’s grace forsaking him). However there can be no doubt that by physical constitution David was particularly susceptible to sexual passion; otherwise this man of God would not have had so many wives. On this occasion, in addition to his adultery, which he slipped into carelessly, David committed the crime of doing away with the man he had injured. At once the prophet Nathan came and using an enigma he made David understand his transgression. He humbled himself before God and was soon forgiven. However, although he himself had heard the word, And the Lord has pardoned your sin,(2 Kings 12: 13).b he was not satisfied with the penance done. He continued in his sorrow and distress, showing himself a truly obedient servant. One of his own sons came to rebel against him, but the son he had adulterously begotten was struck down by God. 5. A word here for those who say that we come to no harm indulging our curiosity for beautiful women: what credit is to be given to their bragging of their invulnerable apatheia in that respect, when even David, God’s chosen friend, a man outstanding for his virtue and publicly recognized by God could not escape the destruction brought by the eyes?c So fly from the sight of a woman’s face, as if from a snake (Sirach 21: 2). We are usually free from appetite as long as the fruit is not there. It is true that some men a  

11–12.

George the Monk, p.  183, 1–11; 184, 10–12; 185, 10–12; and 2 Kings cc.

cf. 2 Kings 12: 11, 14, 18; 16: 11. cf. John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 15 (PG 88, 893C13–15).

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are physically more liable to the heat of lust; also those countries that have warmer climates or better foods incite the human body to uncontrollable sexual passion, for example Egypt, Ethiopia, Jericho and Persia. Similarly there are races that are by nature licentious, like the Persians and the Assyrians.a 6. A story is told of Alexander,b the King of Macedonia. After defeating Darius, the King of the Persians, he had among his prisoners the daughters of the King, young virgins of a beauty reported to have been exceptional and irresistible. Alexander’s companions, especially his closest friends, urged him to sleep with the girls, but he refused saying, ‘Surely it would be shameful, gentlemen, for us, who have conquered men to be defeated by women!’ And he left the girls alone. 7. Consider the wisdom of this Hellene (= pagan): he was practising the highest temperance even before the advent of grace. He is not surpassed by Joseph,c the famous virtuous man of the Old Testament, who in his fear of the Lord would not consent to the folly of his master’s wife – although she was madly in love with him and he only a youth, with nobody to witness what was happening. Reader, if you really seek to please God, you who have put on Christ (Gal 3: 27) and have been found worthy of such great mysteries, what degree of self-control and of virtue should you show? 8. Moreover men who are lecherous and licentious are usually cowards; they waste their force in love and sexual intercourse with women. For example, that famous Tauros, invincible in valour

a   cf.  George the Monk p.  183, 16 sq., based probably on a version of the Quaestiones of Anastasios of Sinai: cf. Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 35 (CCSG 59, p. 87; CCT 7, p. 137) with Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 8 (PG 89, 393C11–D2) and Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 97 (PG 28, 656C); on the effect of climate, cf. Ps.-Athanasius, loc. cit. 123 (PG 28, 676C). b   George the Monk, p. 35, 1–5 (= Basil of Caesarea, De leg. libr. ant. 5 [PG 31, 577A]), and see below ch. XIX § 10. c   cf. Gen 39: 7.

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and strength before copulating with a woman, lost most of his power after he had had intercourse with his maddened mistress.a 9. It should be noted that if polygamy were not reprehensible God would have created several, and not only one wife, when he formed the single husband at the beginning. But now there is one husband and one wife. Therefore, marriage is honourable (Heb 13: 4), and widowhood is praiseworthy. Second marriages may be allowed when the persons widowed are still young, especially if they have no children; nature has its vigour and the beauty of widowhood must be protected from the corruption of illicit love. Consecrated virginity is something above human nature and angelic; it cannot be regulated by law, and receives a crown like that reserved for athletes. 10. We must also be convinced that, just as men in exile and in prison cannot rejoice and be glad, so a Christian’s lot in this world is weariness and sorrow. Due to the Fall we are exiles from our old native land in Paradise, condemned to inhabit the painful enclosure of this life. The Lord says, You will have sorrow in the world, but rejoice for I have overcome the world (John 16: 33). So, in the next life, if we have suffered along with Christ, we shall all be crowned and share in his glory (Rom 8: 17). For the wicked, vice versa. Here, for the time being, deceived by the ruler of this world, they have ease and plenty, riches, glory and a care-free life; but when the Lord is revealed at his Second Coming in judgement, then they will receive endless damnation, and because of their ungodliness (and because they have received their compensation in this life) there will probably not be a single good work to come to their assistance.

A reference to the myth of Pasiphae, wife of Minos, whose passion for the wild bull (tauros) led to the birth of the Minotaur; Clement of Alexandria has a passing reference to the legend, which must have been well known, in his Protrepticus (4, 57, 6). Theognostos may have interpreted the bestial terminology as a camouflaged reference to a male character (‘Tauros’), but a definite article could have been omitted by the copyists and one should read ‘that famous bull’. a  

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11. You can see what a blessing are afflictions,a and how much harm can be done by a care-free life! Consider the example of the blessed David: as long as Saoul was persecuting him, he practised the highest wisdom, but when there came a period of ease, without anxieties, he fell into sins as serious as murder and adultery. God himself had to upbraid him through his prophet: I anointed you to be King over Israel; I rescued you from the hand of Saoul, and I gave you your master’s house and the house of Israel and of Judah. And if these things are little, I am prepared to give even more! But why did you not observe my command? From now on a sword will never be far removed from your house! (2 Kings 12: 7–10). David was right when he said, Chastising, the Lord did indeed chastise me, but to death he did not surrender me (Ps 117: 18). If ever you see a sinful man who is rich, enjoying life, healthy and free from misfortune, groan and lament on his behalf. All the suffering has been stored up for him in the next world. 12. Before his deathb the blessed David summoned his son, Solomon, born from the wife of Uriah,c Solomon my son! I had intended to build a house in honour of the Lord God, but his message came to me, ‘David, you have shed blood in abundance and waged great wars, and you will not build a house in my honour. Behold a son is born to you, and I will give him repose from all the enemies on every side, Solomon is his name, and he will build a house in my honour.’ And now be strong and resolute! Poor as I am, I have prepared for the house of the Lord one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver and bronze and iron without measure. You must add to all these in order to build the house of the Lord. But now, Solomon my son, acknowledge the God of your fathers, and serve him with complete heart, for the Lord searches all hearts and discerns every intention … May the Lord God be with you! (1 Chr. 22).d Most of this paragraph comes from George the Monk, p. 182, 19–21 (indebted to Theodoretus, In II Reg., Qu. 24 [PG 80, 624A]), and p. 186, 6–11; 185, 18–186, 2. b   George the Monk, p. 186, 15–187, 4; 187, 16–188, 2. c   cf. 2 Kings, 12: 24 for the name, Bathsheba, of Uriah’s wife. d   Extracts from 1 Chr 22: 7–10, 13–14; 28: 9; 22: 16. a  

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13. David died when he was old and full of days, aged seventy; he had ruled for thirty years, but had spent forty years in the kingship.a He was buried by Solomonb in the tomb that Solomon had built for him near Siloam. According to Josephus,c Solomon buried along with his father many tens of thousands of gold talents. Later, when the city was besieged by Antiochus, the tomb was opened by Hyrcanus, the High Priest, who removed three thousand talents. At a later period still, Herod, knowing what Hyrcanus had done, also opened the tomb. He found no money but he removed the gold ornaments and a great variety of vessels. When he tried to penetrate further, where the bodies of David and Solomon had been placed, fire came out and killed two of his bodyguard.

cf. 1 Chr 23: 1 and 3 Kings 2: 10, 11. Theognostos consistently uses the spelling ‘Solomon’ and not ‘Salomon’ (adopted in NETS). c   George the Monk, p. 188, 3–4, 9–11; 188, 13–189, 4 (Josephus, Antiq. VII, 393–394; XVI, 179–187). a  

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Chapter VI The Reign of Solomon

1. After Davida his son, Solomon, was King for forty years; he began at the age of thirty-three. It was he who collected workers (80,000) and masons (70,000), appointed the overseers (,600)b in charge, and set in place the foundations, stone blocks of exceptional strength and size (each ten cubits thick). And thus he set about building the Temple: 60 cubits in length; 20 cubits in breadth, and 120 cubits in height (as Josephus notes, it had two stories). It was all plated with gold, even the floor and the walls, so that from the inside hardly any other material was to be seen. The leading sons of Israel contributed to the construction with gold, silver and precious stones. The front part, which was called the ‘Holy’, was reserved for the priests; but the ‘Holy of Holies’ was closed to all except the High Priest, and he could enter only once a year. All the furnishings of the Temple were of gold and silver, as the quantity of gold was never lacking. 2. When all the work was complete, the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord into the Holy of Holies and

The next three paragraphs (§§ 1–3) are drawn from George the Monk, p. 189–190 (cf. Theodoretus, In III Reg., Qu. 23 [PG 80, 685B] and Josephus, Antiq. VIII, 64), and p. 193, 11–194, 7. b   A gamma (the Greek sign for 3000) is missing from the two manuscripts available here, and has probably dropped out by accident: cf. 3 Kings 2: 35a–k (in particular 35h) and 2 Chr 2: 1, 17. a  

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placed it under the wings of the Cherubim.a They began to praise the Lord on trumpet and cymbal and other musical instruments. Then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud and a great glory, and the priests could no longer continue the service in the same place. King Solomon mounted the bronze pedestal and prostrated himself before God. Then he stretched out his hands to heaven in prayer: as he finished, fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocausts and the sacrifices; the glory of the Lord filled the house (2 Chr 7: 1). All the sons of Israel who were watching, fell on their faces and praised God. Solomon completed the dedication of the house with the sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep; he made a great feast. All Israel joined him in the Temple, feasting and drinking and enjoying themselves before the Lord during seven days.b 3. Then, the Lord himself appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘I have heard the sound of your prayer and I have sanctified this house; my eyes will be upon it day and night. As for you, if you conduct yourself in my sight like David your father with piety of heart and rectitude, observing my commands, I shall establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel for all eternity, just as I said I would to your father. However, if you and your children turn away and abandon me in order to follow other gods, I shall destroy Israel from this land. Israel will disappear, and your house for all its grandeur will be swept from my sight’ (3 Kings 9: 1–9; cf. 2 Chr 7: 11–22). 4. So it happened. That splendid and famous Templec really deserved to win the admiration of all, a magnificent proclamation of the wisdom of Solomon. More correctly it displayed the wisdom of the God, creator of all, who had commanded it and collaborated in its construction. There had never been a temple like it in the whole world. The Jews indeed were so proud of its magnificence and richness that whey would repeat admiringly, The Temple of the Lord! The Temple of the Lord! The Temple of the Lord! (Jer 7; 4). The Lord ordered that it should be built with 3 Kings 8: 6; 2 Chr 5. 2 Chr 7: 2–10. c   A passage borrowed from George the Monk, p. 195, 16–196, 15. a  

b  

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great ostentation because the Jews also are more easily attracted by what is corporeal. But the Temple was worthy of respect for another reason: it was unique in the world. Men came there from the four quarters of the globe, as St Luke testifies.a The fame of the Temple reached far and wide to everyone. 5. History says of the Emperor Justinian that when he also, at a later date, built a great and famous temple, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the church dedicated to the Wisdom of God, he exclaimed triumphantly, ‘Solomon, I have surpassed you!’ b 6. Now Solomonc had an ivory throne constructed, plated with the best quality gold. No other kingdom had ever had anything similar. He would take his seat there dressed in splendid rich robes, and this amazing man, gifted with such exceptional wisdom, would expatiate on the graces of the divine Spirit. Our Lord himself was heard to say, Not even Solomon in all his glory (Mt 6: 29; Lk 12: 27), as if to imply that Solomon was the supreme and most famous of kings for his wealth and glory. He lived without fear and in great ease. He fought no wars during the forty years of his reign. All the furnishings of his house, even the baths, were of gold, all his arms and shields and spears. Silver was looked down upon while Solomon lived. Every three years one of his ships would sail to Tarshish and return loaded with great quantities of gold, silver, half-cut precious stones, elephant tusks and monkeys. Every day for the main meal there were 30 kor of fine flour, 60 kor of sifted meal,d 10 picked oxen, 20 oxen from the pastures, and 100 sheep, in addition to stags, gazelles and choice fattened fowl. 7. Regarding the great judgement and wisdom given to Solomon by Gode listen to the words God spoke to him: Behold, I have given you a prudent and wise heart; like you there has not been before Acts 2: 5–11. A well-known passage to be found in the Patria of Constantinople: Anon., Story of the Construction of Hagia Sophia § 27 (ed. T. Preger, I, p. 105), but also mentioned by Michael Glykas, Annales (PG 158, 501D). c   For this paragraph, cf. George the Monk p. 196, 20–197, 12, 18–21; based on 3 Kings 10: 18–22; and 2: 46; 5: 2. d   The Hebrew measure, kor, was the equivalent of ten bat; according to the NETS this came to 220 litres. e   Another paragraph indebted to George the Monk, p. 198, 1–11, 199, 3–200, 3. a  

b  

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you, and after you there shall not arise similar to you! (3 Kings 3: 12). And the Lord gave Solomon discernment and very great wisdom, and largeness of heart like the sand by the sea-shore. His discernment was multiplied above all the discernment of all ancient peoples, and he was wise beyond all humans (3 Kings 5: 9–11). His spoken ‘Proverbs’ numbered three thousand, and his ‘Songs’ five thousand. The books written by Solomon contained his works (proverbs and songs) in which he discoursed on botany, zoology (on every kind of terrestrial creature, winged and footed), and medicine (the remedies for all kinds of diseases). The Hellene [pagan] medical writers used these works when they began to write (as the erudite historian Eusebiusa remarks), but King Hezekiahb removed them all from circulation because the people were neglecting to ask God to be cured, and instead consulting these works for the remedies of their illnesses. The numerous works written by Solomon are mentioned also by Josephus.c He adds that the King invented spells and exorcisms against demons and notes, ‘I know that these formulae were used by Eleazar the Jew to chase away demons.’ 8. And Solomon outdid all the kings of the earth, and all other kings were seeking to see his face and to hear his voice. And they each would bring their gifts year by year, vessels of gold, garments and perfumes, horses and mules (3 Kings 10: 23–25). Solomon was the acknowledged head of all the rulers from the River Euphrates to the land of the gentiles, and as far as the frontiers of Egypt.d 9. And the Queen of Sabah [Sheba], who was counted as a sibyl, heard of his reputation: she came to Jerusalem to test him with her riddles (as a sibyl she was famous for her shrewdness, wisdom and experience), and along with her came camels laden with spices, An extract attributed to Eusebius appears in the florilegium that accompanies the Pseudo-Anastasian Qu. 41 (taken from Theodoretus, In III Reg., Qu. 18 [PG 89, 592–593], dealing with the writings of Solomon); it is not to be found in the published works of Eusebius; George the Monk probably took the information from the florilegium found in Ps.-Anastasios. b   cf. 2 Chr 29–30 for the reforms of Hezekiah, though this particular measure is not mentioned. c   Josephus, Antiq. VIII, 46. d   For this paragraph and the following, cf.  George the Monk, p.  200, 4–201, 23; 202, 2–10; 204, 9–12. a  

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gold in great quantity and precious stones, and also a powerfully armed bodyguard. She obtained audience with Solomon and spoke with him to her heart’s content (3 Kings 10: 1–2; cf. 2 Chr 9). For his part he solved each of her problems with exact rigour in his arguments and a most pleasing expression. Among other tests the Queen set him the following:a she had prepared a group of fine-looking young people, male and female, and arrayed them all with exactly the same clothes and hairstyle. She presented these to Solomon and asked him to distinguish their sex. The King gave them the order to wash their faces, and was able to distinguish by their nature the boys, who washed themselves in a manly fashion, from the girls, who dabbed their faces lightly. The Queen was in admiration at his wisdom, and quite astonished with his intelligence, with the house he had built, with his throne, the apparel of himself and his household, and with all the appointments of his house. She pronounced all his works worthy of the highest praise, and then returned to her own land. This is the queen referred to by the Lord, The Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon (Mt 12: 42; Lk 11: 31). 10. With reference to Solomon there is the passage of Sirach: How wise you were in your youth! Your intelligence was like a brimming river, your wisdom spread throughout the world, which you filled with your sayings and riddles. Your fame reached to far-off islands. You were beloved for your peaceful reign, and admired in all your actions. You amassed gold and silver as if they were sand. Yet in spite of all this you abandoned your loins to women, you were brought into subjection through your body, you stained your glorious name and tainted your line (Sirach 47: 14–20).b 11. King Solomon was indeed very fond of women. He took wives and concubines from the gentiles, with whom the Lord had forbidden the Israelites to intermarry – women from the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Syrians, and the Idumeans [= Edomites], from the a   The only other references for this ‘test’ seem to be found in the Islamic tradition: cf. W. M. Watt, ‘The Queen of Sheba in Islamic Tradition’, Solomon and Sheba, ed. by J. B. Pritchard, London, 1974, p. 97. b   cf. George the Monk, p. 201, 24–202, 3.

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Hittites and the Amorites (3 Kings 11: 1). Every pleasure and enjoyment was dear to him, as he himself bears witness when he says, Whatever my eyes coveted, I refused them nothing; nor did I deny myself any pleasure (Eccl 2: 10). But note what he said later: Afterwards I turned back and reflected, and behold all was vanity of vanities, a whim of the spirit! I hated all my past life and all my toil, for all was vanity! (Eccl 2: 11, 17). Passion for a woman is more bitter than death, it pursues and traps the heart (Eccl 7: 26): sin began with a woman and because of her we must all die. Thus, when Solomon grew old, he did not remain wholly loyal to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. His foreign wives turned his heart to follow their own gods. So he built a shrine to Chamos [= Kemosh], the idol of Moab, and another to Astarte [= Ashtoreth], the abomination of the Sidonians. And thus he did for all his foreign wives, who were offering incense and sacrifices to their idols… (3 Kings 11: 4–8), and Solomon himself accompanied them in their worship.a 12. Consider such a tragedy that should make us weep! So great and so gifted a person, admired for his brilliance and wisdom, reduced by his passion for women to become a stranger alienated from God and led like a prisoner! 13. Solomon did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord was angry with Solomon, and said to him, ‘Because you have not kept my precepts nor observed the statutes as I commanded you, I shall rend completely this kingdom from your power and hand it over to one of your servants and not to your son. If it were not for my servant David, your father, I would have annihilated you with all your lineage!’ The Lord then raised up a ‘satan’ [=  adversary] for Solomon, Hader [= Hadad] the Idumean [= Edomite], and Hadrazar [= Hadadezer], king of Souba; they were adversaries for Israel as long as Solomon lived (3 Kings 11: 8–11, 14). 14. At his death Solomon was seventy-three years old. He was buried along with his father.b It is quite plain that he did worship idols and abandon the real God, because the prophet Achias For all this paragraph, see George the Monk, p. 204, 9–20. 3 Kings 11: 42–43; George the Monk, p. 205, 7–8.

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[=  Ahijah] said to Jeroboam, the King who followed Solomon, This is the Lord’s message: behold I shall tear the kingdom from the power of Solomon. I shall give ten of the sceptres to you and two to him, for the sake of David, my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, my city. This shall be his requital for having abandoned me (3 Kings 11: 29–33), who raised him to so great a glory and gave him such wisdom, and for having enslaved himself to idols. And so events proved. The kingdom was split in two and Jeroboam, a servant of Solomon, ruled over ten of the tribes, while Roboam, Solomon’s son, ruled over two, Judah and Benjamin.a

3 Kings 12: 20.

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1. The next king to rule was Ozias [Uzziaha], and he was followed by his son, Joatham; then came Achaz, the son of Joatham, and it was during his reign that the glory of the prophet Isaias was first seen.b After him Hezekias, the chosen of the Lord, succeeded to the throne. During his reign Sennacherim, King of the Assyrians, was besieging Jerusalem.c He had a numerous and very powerful army with him made up of countless thousands. King Hezekias put on sackcloth and ashes, and prayed to the Lord with a contrite heart.d Then God’s word came to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, and he spoke in prophecy, This is the message of the Lord of hosts: ‘I will shield this city to deliver it, for my own sake and for the sake of my child, David’ (4 Kings 19: 34–35). God’s angel went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. Those who rose in the morning found all the dead bodies; one would nudge the man next to him, and there was no breath in his nostrils. All the corpses lay there without any trace of how they died. So King Sennacherib retreated empty-handed, and went to live in Nineveh. There his sons stabbed him to death and fled for refuge to Armenia (4 Kings 19: 36–37).

Usually known as ‘Azariah’. cf. 4 Kings 15 and 16; 2 Chr 26; Isaiah 6: 1. c   cf. 4 Kings 16: 20; 18: 13. d   cf. 4 Kings 19: 1. a  

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2. At this time Hezekias fell ill unto death, and Isaias came to him and said, This is the message of the Lord: ‘Set your house in order for you are a dying man and will not live’. However Hezekias turned his face to the wall and cried out weeping bitterly. He offered this prayer to the Lord: ‘Remember, Lord, how I walked in your sight, with truthfulness and upright heart. Remember all that I did to please you!’ (4 Kings 20: 1–3). (Notice the bold frankness of this just man! Although he was king, he had not forgotten God’s commands while he had the health and the strength, despite all the anxieties that beset him. God in return did not forget him in the moment of crisis, but listened at once to his prayer.) Then the word of the Lord came to Isaias, Go and tell Hezekias that this is the message of the Lord, the God of David your father: ‘I have heard the cry of your prayer and seen your tears. I tell you that I am adding fifteen years to your life, and shall deliver you and this city from the power of your enemies. I shall act as a shield for Jerusalem’ (4 Kings 20: 4–6). (You can see from this how good it is to serve with good deeds the Lord, who created us. In that way one can address him with frankness in a moment of trial and receive in return salvation. On the contrary, one who is ashamed because of evil or impure deeds cannot speak frankly.) Thus the pious Hezekias, faithful servant of God, had his life extended in reply to his prayers to the Lord. 3. In the case of another ruler, impiety and acts that angered the Lord brought about a shortening of his life and of his reign: it was the Emperor Anastasios,a many years later. In reaction to the Council of Chalcedon (and also that of Constantinople) he had removed many faithful bishops. Then he had a dream in which he saw a man dressed in white standing opposite him; the man held a codex and he was reading out the titles of the Emperors with the years of each of their reigns. Really it was an angel of the Lord. When he came to the name of Anastasios, he looked hard at him and said, ‘God had appointed that you should rule for a   Anastasios I (491–518); for the story of his shortened reign, cf. John Moschus, Prat. sp. 38 (PG 87 [3], 2888–2889), who also recounts his death, Prat. sp. 35 (loc. cit. 2884B–C); a brief account of the death is found in George the Monk, p. 619, 11–15.

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another fourteen years. Learn, however, that your lack of faith and your wickedness have been such that by God’s command I am to erase them.’ And with his own finger, he joined action to word and rubbed them out from the codex. Two days later there was a lightning flash, like a great thunderbolt within the palace. Anastasios began running from one corner to another, then expired in the greatest anguish in requital for his irreverence towards the holy Church and for having sent into exile her shepherds. At once the patriarchs, who had been banished by him (Elias of Jerusalem and Flavian of Antioch, exiled to Elam and Petra respectively) informed one another: ‘Today the Emperor Anastasios has died; let us also go and be judged along with him before the heavenly Emperor!’ Two days later they also departed to the Lord. 4. After Hezekias, Manasses, his son, succeeded him and ruled for fifty-two years.a He was a lawless and ungodly man. He forced the Israelites to accompany him in sacrificing to idols during so many years. However, later in life he repented and God forgave him. All the evil he had done earlier did not impede the loving kindness of God once he had reformed and improved his life. When this same King went to Babylon as a prisoner he was flung into a bronze cage for punishment. But he began to remember God, and with tears he beseeched Him from the depths of his distress, praying with the words he himself composed, O Lord almighty, God of our fathers, etc. (Odes 12, p. 180).b At once God ordered the bronze cage to be broken open and the King came out unharmed, and was found in Jerusalem, pleasing God with his contrition and praise, until his death.

cf. 4 Kings 21: 1–17 and 2 Chr 33: 1–20, where the number of years of the reign of Manasses is said more correctly to have been fifty-five; however, the story of the repentance of Manasses is told in very similar words by Anastasios of Sinai, In Ps. VI, rec. 1 (PG 89, 1104–1105), and rec. 2 (1133C2–1136A9). where again the reign of Manasses is said to have lasted fifty-two years. b   The Prayer of Manasses (ed.  A. Rhalfs; cf.  NETS, p.  620); it is one of the prayers added to the Psalms in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church. a  

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5. What better occasion to admire the mercies and the immense ocean of God’s pity and goodness! How many died and were lost during the fifty-two years of King Manasses’ reign! The responsibility for their damnation was his; he had forced them into sacrilege. And yet God’s kindness was not barred by so great an evil. God, so forbearing and so ready to forget evil, did not despise the repentance of Manasses. So join with me and be of good courage, all sinners. Despair not! If Manasses can be saved, will anyone be damned, provided there is repentance and confession? So I would dare to asserta that not even the devil would have missed salvation, if he had repented! Another surprising pardon was that granted to the Ninevites.b However, the two cases are so different that no comparison is valid. In the case of Manasses his godlessness and wickedness knew no limits and surpassed those of all other men. Among other crimes he had the prophet Isaias sawn in two with a wooden saw.c The prophet continued to upbraid him for his crimes even in the midst of such an agonizing death. Yet the humility of Manasses’ contrition was able to cure such a desperate case. As one of the saints has said: ‘Humility is the heavenly siphon which can draw the soul up into heaven from the lowest abyss of sins.’ d 6. In this example it is humility which brings pardon; on other occasions it is generosity and kindness with the poor. What did Daniel say to Nebuchadnezzar? ‘Be advised by me, Sire! Atone for your sins with alms, and for your iniquities with compassion to the needy!’ (Dan 4: 24 [27]). For, Sins are washed away by alms and concessions of credit (Prov 15: 27a); and Personal wealth serves to ransom the soul (Prov 13: 8).

This assertion is found in Anastasios of Sinai, In Ps. VI, rec. 2 (PG 1133 C14–D1). b   Jon 3: 10. c   cf. ’Martyrium Is.’ (ed. R. H. Charles, Apocrypha II, p. 155sq.); George the Monk, p. 235, 14, gives a brief mention. d   John Climacus is the saint in question; cf. his Scala Paradisi, gr. 25, § 68 (PG 88, 1001 A3–5). a  

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7. There is storya about the Emperor Zeno: he had carried off and seduced a girl, committing a grave injustice against her mother. The latter came constantly to the Blachernaib church of the Mother of God, weeping and lamenting. ‘My Lady,’ she would say, ‘avenge me in justice against the Emperor Zeno!’ After many days of prayer accusing the Emperor, she finally had a vision of the Theotokos, who said to her, ‘Why continue to worry me like this in vain? Rest assured that I have often wanted to avenge you, but his right hand always prevents me!’ The explanation is that Zeno was extremely generous with the poor. You can see the power of almsgiving, how it impeded Zeno from suffering any serious harm. The Lord was right when he said, How blest are those who show mercy [= give alms]; mercy shall be shown to them! (Mt 5: 7).c In truth, Alms-giving delivers one even from death! (Tobit 12: 9). 8. Amon,d the son of Manasses, took control of the kingdom, and two years later God killed him because he had planned to imitate his father’s life in its wickedness and then to repent later. Therefore God stepped in and destroyed him. Anyone who commits a crime, hoping to repent later, acts cunningly before God, sinning without scruple and brashly presuming on divine kindness. Death catches such a person unawares, and the opportunity hoped for is lost. God is not to be fooled (Gal 6: 7), and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10: 31). 9. The next to reign was Josias, and it was his successor, Joachim, who was carried off as a prisoner with his people to Babylon.e

a   cf. John Moschus, Prat. sp. 175 (PG 87 [3], 3044; BHG 1322z). Zeno (474– 491) succeeded Emperors Leo I and II. b   Built c. 450 the church became under Leo I the depository of the maphorion of the Virgin Mary and the most famous Marian shrine of Constantinople. c   Theognostos plays on the double meaning of ἐλεήμων, the ‘merciful’ and the ‘almsgiver’. d   4 Kings 21: 19; 2 Chr 33: 21; cf. George the Monk, p. 240, 15–241, 6. e   cf. 4 Kings cc. 22–24; 2 Chr cc. 34–35; 36: 9–10.

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10. It wasa many years after this exile that Christ our God was born of the Holy Spirit and the ever-Virgin Mary. The birth according to the flesh took place in the forty-second year of the reign of Augustus Caesar (as sole ruler). There are 5,500 years from the creation of the world to the birth of Christ;b from David to Christ there are 1104 years, by an accurate reckoning.’c

The mutilated version of the The Treasury preserved in the oldest manuscript (Benaki Museum, Fonds échangeables 72 [B]) begins with a passage (beginning ‘… among the Medes and Persians’) that seems to be a summary of the account in George the Monk, p. 271, 4–6; 272, 1–2, 17–18; 273–277 (summarized); 284– 285 (summarized); 286, 3–6; 293, 9. The text in B then reads, ‘… His successor was the Emperor Augustus Caesar, his nephew, who was sole ruler of the whole earth. In the forty-second year of his reign, our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh from the Holy Spirit and the ever-Virgin, truly Mother of God, Mary (of the lineage of David), in Bethlehem of Judea, where Herod was king, the Herod called Antipater, son of Askalonites the Idumean.’ cf. George the Monk, p. 293, 20–21. b   This interval of time was commonly accepted: cf.  George the Monk, p. 804, 15; and Nikephoros, Chron. comp. (ed. de Boor, p. 92, 3–5; 102, 19). c   This chronological interval does not figure in George the Monk (cf. p. 804) nor in Nikephoros, Chron. comp. (ed. de Boor). a  

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Chapter VIII A Demonstration that Christ is the True God, the Son and the Co-eternal Word of Goda

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1. All the written testimony – the Old and the New Testament, the writings of the Prophets, of the Apostles and of the Teachersb – bears witness that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is true God out of true God.c There is the Father testifying from heaven and crying, ‘This is my Son, my beloved, on whom my favour rests’ (Mt 3: 17; 17: 5). There are the angels shouting in exultation when Christ was born for the salvation of all, Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth his peace, his favour towards all! (Lk 2: 14). There is the star heralding the sun of justice.d There is John the great Forerunner stirring in the womb.e There are the demons confessing when they are expelled by him and saying, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come before the time to torment us?’ (Mt 8: 29). There is the astonishing series of countless miracles, which Christ performed not by prayers of supplication, but with authority and a   This chapter is attributed by the Athos manuscript to Theognostos. This probably means that he edited the information given here, but also may mark the start of the new dogmatic section that follows the biblical summary. b   The term ‘teachers’ (διδάσκαλοι) includes the Church Fathers, apart from writers in the strict Canon of Scripture. c   Part of the formula of the Nicene Creed. d   cf. Mt 2: 9, with Mal 3: 20 (4: 2). e   cf. Lk 1: 41, 44.

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power as befits a god and ruler: ‘Indeed I want it,’ he said, ‘be clean of your leprosy!’ (Mt 8: 3), and ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ (Jn 11: 43), and to the sea, ‘Hush! Be still!’ (Mk 4: 39), and to the sinner, ‘Your sins are forgiven you!’ (Lk 5: 20, 23), and so on, examples where the divinity in all its power is made plain to see. 2. Suppose that Christ was not God, co-essential [homoousios] with the Father as he himself claimed (‘I and the Father, we are one,’ [Jn 10: 30], and ‘I am in the Father and the Father is in me,’ [Jn 14: 10], and ‘I came forth from the Father and am going back to the Father’ [Jn 8: 42; 13: 3]); surely he would have brought on himself the anger of the Almighty by snatching at the dignity of the Godhead,a and he would not have been able to perform all those miracles, signs of God. In fact, Christ both professed himself to be the Son of God (‘Have you faith in the Son of God?’ [Jn 9: 35], he asked), and far from reproving Peter for saying, ‘You are the Christ, the son of the living God’ (Mt 16: 16), he pronounced him ‘blessed’ and he accepted this true confession.b Also at the moment of his saving passion, with what words did he speak to his God and father? ‘This is eternal life: to believe in you, the one true God, and in Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’ (Jn 17: 3). John the Theologian says of him, ‘He is the true God and eternal life’ (1 Jn 5 20). John the Baptist for his part says, ‘I saw it myself, and I have borne witness: this is the Son of God’ (Jn 1: 34). There are also the Samaritans: ‘We have known him ourselves and we have believed that this is in truth the Saviour of the world’ (Jn 4: 42), just as the angels had said earlier to the shepherds, ‘Today in the city of David a saviour has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord’ (Lk 2: 11). And after the resurrection Thomas calls out, ‘My Lord and my God!’ (Jn 20: 28), and returning once more to the great John, it is he who exclaims as he reflects about God, ‘In the beginning, the Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was; … through him all things came to be; no single thing that came into being did so without him … And the Word became flesh; he came to dwell among us’ (Jn 1: 1–2, 14). He has come indeed to seek and save cf. Phil 2: 6. cf. Mt 16: 17.

a  

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what is lost (Lk 19: 10) … ‘He did not change what he was (for he is changeless), but he added to himself that which he was not (for he is merciful in his love for man’.a Indeed, if one denies honour to the Son one denies it to the Father who sent him (Jn 5: 23b), for the Father cannot be pleased at a dishonour paid to his Son. So it is said, ‘It is his will that all should pay the same honour to the Son as to the Father’ (Jn 5: 23a), because, ‘the Father does not judge anyone, but has given full jurisdiction to the Son’ (Jn 5: 22a), and, ‘The time is coming when all who are in the tomb shall hear his voice and come out, those who have done right will rise to life, those who have done wrong will rise to hear their doom’ (Jn 5: 28–29). 3. You see from this passage that both the resurrection and the judgement of all those who have ever existed will come through Christ. His recent presence among us – the parousia – was for the salvation of the human race; truly, it was not to judge the world that God sent his Son into the world, but that through him the world might be saved (Jn 3: 17), and so he came with such lowliness and humility, teaching us by his own example the path to salvation. But on that occasion he will come with power in terrifying splendour, to repay one and all according to their deeds (Rom 2: 5–6; 2 Tim 4: 14). At present we enjoy his loving kindness, but then we shall experience his just judgement. What does the Prophet Daniel say of this second coming? ‘I kept watching until thrones were set in place, and one ancient of days took his seat;… thousands upon thousands attended him and myriads upon myriads served him’ (Dan 7: 9–10). These words refer to the Father, but see what he adds a little later, ‘I kept watching, and behold, as it were a Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven; and he approached the Ancient of days and took his place near Him. And to him were given honour, glory and power, and all peoples and nations of every language made him obeisance’ (Dan 7: 13–14). 4. Do you see that the Son is equal to the Father in honour? But their being co-essential follows from the fact that one being cannot engender another being essentially different from and foreign to its own nature, and from the Son’s coming-forth as a conGregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 39, 13 (PG 36, 349A3–4).

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cept from the mind or like, as Paul says, ‘the glow from the glory and the imprint of the Father’s being … through whom the Father created all the aeons [orders of existence]’ (Heb 1: 2–3). And so we also have a proof there that the Son is equal in power and shares in creation. David says of him, ‘By the word of the Lord the heavens were set firm’ (Ps 32: 6), and ‘He sent out his word and healed them’ (Ps 106: 20). A word that is pronounced cannot be sent and heal unless it is the personified Word coming from God. 5. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but the unbeliever has already been condemned, as not believing in the name of the only Son of God…(Jn 3: 18). Anyone who fails to believe in Him will not see the life; God’s wrath will resta upon such a one…(Jn 3: 36). For this He came into the world (Jn 18: 37) (becoming human) and coming down from heaven (Jn 3: 13) (without losing his place near the Father’s heart). He came to grant us knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2: 4; Heb 10: 26), through which one finds salvation. 6. And yet the Jews in their blindness and senselessness neither recognized Christ nor grasped the meaning of the prophets’ words. At first they mocked and persecuted him, although he did good and cured all their illnesses; later, with the excuse that he broke the Sabbath by healing the sick during it, and because he called God his own father – thus equating himself with God (Jn 5: 18) – they did away with him hanging him on a true … the supreme guide to life (Acts 3: 15; 5: 30; 10: 39). As a result, not only, when he came to what was his own, his own would not receive him (Jn 1: 11), but in addition they handed him over to a painful death, which he accepted willingly for the sake of our salvation (as he said, ‘I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it up again’ [Jn 10: 18]). 7. But please consider the power of his divinity. As he underwent unjustly his physical pain,b the sun grew dark, the rocks and the curtain of the Temple were broken apart, the earth quaked, a   Theognostos seems to use the future tense (μενεῖ) here rather than the present (μένει) found in the best New Testament manuscripts; but one scribe (B) did ‘correct’ his text. b   cf. 1 Pet 4: 1.

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tombs opened and the dead were raised from sleep,a the thief entered Paradise,b the guards at the grave became like dead men (Mt 28: 4), shining angels at the door of the tomb gave to the women the glad tidings of Christ’s life-giving resurrection.c Those who had killed him were scattered far and wide, and were destroyed; Christ, whom they killed, lives still and saves all who believe in him, all those baptised in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28: 19), the one God in three Persons. 8. It was after his passion and resurrection that the divinity and the kingship of Christ appeared more distinctly; then the saving teaching was implanted all over the world, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that accompanied it (Mk 16: 20). 9. If Christ did not rise again, how were even greater miraculous signs and wonders performed after that? How could Peter’s shadow and Paul’s clothesd cure the sick? ‘In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,’ he said, ‘arise and walk!’ (Acts 3: 6), and, ‘Tabitha, get up!’ (Acts 9: 40), and so on. The word became reality, in all these cases, and at once proclaimed Christ to be the true God. In the period following Christ’s resurrection, his ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, incredible wonders were performed, charisms were granted, an angelic way of lifee established, the hope enkindled for the kingdom of heaven, for eternal life, for adoption as children in grace and for the inheritance of God. Then also shone forth angelic virginity, the ranks of the martyrs so tyrannically treated for Christ’s sake, cut to pieces, but not abandoning the true faith. If Christ was not God, how did these things happen? What purpose was served by the struggles and achievements of the saints if they are not to expect some gain as the result? Are we to dismiss as vain the toils of all those athletes of Christ who suffered for the truth? God forbid! It was hope of the reward and of the crowns that they could foresee existing that cf. Mt 27: 45–53; Lk 23: 44–46. cf. Lk 23: 43. c   cf. Lk 24: 23; Jn 20: 12. d   cf. Acts 5: 15; 19: 12. e   A reference to monasticism: cf. Lampe, s.v. ἀγγελικός B7. a  

b  

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made them forget nature itself. If Christ was not true God, how is it that the Church has always been victorious despite opposition? How many tyrants and kings have campaigned against her and achieved nothing? She stands firm as a rock and prevails without splintering against the gates of Hades! (Mt 16: 18). 10. But what do the enemies of the truth say? The enemy has blinded their minds to prevent the illumination of Christ from dawning upon them (2 Cor; 4: 4). Was it not possible for God to save humanity in some other way without becoming man? My reply is: what other way? How could he have done better and with more loving kindness? What harm was done to God when he became man for the well-being of his own creature? You would not criticize nor give orders to the doctor who practises his own science, as he knows best, for the cure of an invalid, and yet you presume, with the fantasies of a mind possessed, to question the workmanship of God, asking why he brought about our salvation in one way and not in another. Are you capable perhaps of inventing a better and wiser method than this? What ignorance and stupidity, not to say blindness! Has God the power to do everything or not? I am well aware that despite reluctance you will concede that he has. Now if he is omnipotent and can do whatever he wants, there can be no difficulty about his wanting to become and his having become, man. But who are you, you wretch, you dust and mire (Ps 17: 43), to contradict God, telling him that he should have saved you otherwise and not in the way he judged appropriate? Be off with you! Our duty is to be grateful for such great condescension on the Lord’s part, to give thanks for the inexplicable self-abasement and the dread dispensation conceived by his unutterable goodness, that we be not led astray and at once destroyed. Instead of thanking him, however, are we to meddle inquisitively about a truth which is clear as day, and claim that it is impossible for God to become man? For what reason, please? Is to be human something shameful and despicable? Then how is the human being the most honourable of all God’s handiworks? Can any harm come to the pottera from the things he has made, or to cf. Rom 9: 21.

a  

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the shepherd from putting one of his fleeces round his shoulders?a Perhaps you think that the dwelling of the God-man within the womb of the Virgin (she who never experienced the marital act) was not befitting for God as incompatible with his spotlessness. My reply is, consider the sun whose rays dart among the mud and the stench; the sun comes to no harm as a result, no foulness is rubbed off to become a part of the sun. From this parallel you can be sure that no harm comes to God wherever he is present by his activity.b 11. However, it will be better if we take the argument back a step and call to mind the testimony of certain passages of Scripture, which will clarify the truth of the matter. Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind according to our image and according to our likeness’ (Gen 1: 26) … Who are these persons with whom God takes counsel concerning the creation of mankind? Are they the angels? But why should a master ask for the opinion of servants? Moreover, how can there be one image for both God and the angels? You can see that even before he became man, there was a secretc revelation of the Son, and he was equal in honour with the Father. ‘Let us make,’ God said: one can see two persons or individuals; ‘according to our image,’ behold a single image, the unvarying nature of the Godhead. 12. There is also a passage of the Prophet: Around him stood the seraphim, who called out in awe and reverence, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Sabaoth, the heaven and the earth are full of his glory!’ (Isa 6: 2–3). Here also we must see a reference to the three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are revealed in the one Lord by the triple cry of ‘Holy’ (for God is one even though there is a division of personal characteristics). It is important to realize that the whole of the divine nature was united with the humanity, but it was the whole divine nature as found in one of its personifications. The Father is not a part of God, nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit. When we speak of each Person individually, there is cf. John Damascene, Laud. S. Barb. (ed. Kotter 5, § 4; PG 96, 787–788). cf. Basil of Caesarea, Hom. de fide (PG 31, 469B8–12); and In sanctam Christi generationem (PG 31, 1473). c   The word translated ‘secret’ is ‘μυστικῶς’. a  

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God in all his fullness; and on the other hand when we sum up all three once more as ‘one’, it is one God in three Persons who is recognized. The Father and the Holy Spirit, however, did not share in the sole-begotten Son’s becoming man, except by their consent and collaboration (as tradition teaches us). For the Father is without flesh, and the Holy Spirit is without flesh.a It was the Son and Word of God, Jesus Christ our Lord and God, who took our nature (complete and indistinguishable from our own) upon him and became incarnate, as he knows how, from the holy Virgin and God-bearer, Mary. 13. In another passage Isaiah exclaims, ‘Behold the Virgin shall be with child and will bear a son, and they will call him by name, Emmanuel (which is interpreted, “God is with us”)’ (Isa 7: 14 [Mt 1:23]), and also, ‘A child was born for us, a son also given to us … and he is named Messenger of Great Counsel, Strong and Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Father of the Future Age’ (Isa 9: 6).b Amen! Jeremiah also cries out about him, ‘This is our God! No other will be reckoned with him … After these things he was seen on earth and associated among humans’ (Baruch 3: 36, 38).c But earlier, what does the patriarch Jacob say? ‘A ruler shall not be wanting from Judah and a leader from his thighs, until what is stored up comes, and he is the expectation of the nations’ (Gen 49: 10), which is to say, of us, the Christians: we are those out of ‘the nations’, whom the Lord has called to the knowledge of the truth (Heb 10: 26), to believe with true faith in the one God in three Persons. From that time onwards there exists no kingdom of the Jews, and no ruler or leader from among them. But after the Christ-killing their house is desolate (Tobit 14: 4), their assembly dispersed, all their people ravaged and scattered because of their ancestral crime. For what did their fathers say to Pilate? ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ (Mt 27: 25). Indeed that is exactly what is being enacted right up to the present day. a   cf. John Damascene, FO I 2; I 10 (ed. Kotter 2, 19–21; 10, 17–20; PG 94, 792, 837). b   Theognostos is using a Byzantine version of the LXX. c   The book of Baruch was added to the works of Jeremiah.

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Chapter IX Reading of the Scriptures Is a Great Good, and a Guide and a Light Towards Salvation

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1. Ignorance of Holy Scripture draws us to the edge of the great abyss that falls away to perdition. Innumerable evils are born from such ignorance: corruptive heresies, heedless lives, wasted efforts, conduct proper to brute beasts, spiritual blindness and deception from the devil. ‘Just as blind men and those who turn their eyes away from the sun’s light are constantly stumbling against objects,’a so it happens to those who ignore the Bible. They often fall into sin and are walking, as it were, in darkness. Many have fallen into heresy and godlessness, they have ended completely lost. ‘The true paradise of holy scripture’ b gives light and life to the soul and the enjoyment of eternal blessings; it is full of all good things, with the contemplation of God and of his creatures. There one finds no serpent ready to deceive with its cunning and to carry off the unwary, but on the contrary God’s grace which saves the obedient. It is impossible to till the soil when it lacks moisture, and it can bear no harvest even though you sow all sorts of seed. In the same way, the soul which has not been watered by sacred scripture can produce no fruit, even though you pour in all sorts cf. Scholion 39 added to John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 27, § 68 (PG 88, 1128A). b   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 17 (ed. Kotter 90, 22–23; PG 94, 1176). a  

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of sermons. Therefore Christ said, ‘Study the scriptures diligently’ (Jn 5: 39),a and the Apostle urges Timothy, ‘Devote your attention to the public reading, etc’ (1 Tim 4: 13). According to Sirach, ‘The Lord created wisdom, and will give her in plenty to those who love him’ (Sirach 1: 9–10)… ‘Wisdom is more precious than gold and precious stones’ (Prov 3: 15)… ‘If there is a wise man, stay close to him … and if you discover such a man, rise early to visit him; let your feet wear out his doorstep’ (Sirach 6: 34, 36). (As for the rich, just the contrary, for those who are rich but lack culture are fools who go astray.) In another passage, ‘If you possess knowledge and understanding, share with your neighbour…’ (Sirach 5: 12). (And if you lack them, enquire and learn!) ‘Do not argue against the truth, rather have a proper sense of your ignorance…’ (Sirach 4: 25). ‘The foolish have no interest in seeking to understand’ (Prov 18: 2). ‘Happy those who reach the end in wisdom’ (Sirach 14: 20), the wisdom referred to being that according to the Lord, for the wisdom of this world is folly in God’s sight (1 Cor 3: 19). 2. However, it is time to resume the line of thought we had been following earlier and to demonstrate, as before, that Christ is shown to be true God by acts that are clear as day. 3. Afterb the Ascension of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, there were 318 years,c during which godlessness multiplied once more over the earth and the enemy of truth was able to exult. Many Roman emperors succeeded one another in power and many tyrants persecuted the true faith. Then Constantine the Great, the famous emperor, began to rule the Roman Empire. 4. But God, who searches the heart (Rom 8: 27), could foresee what nobility of soul would be his, and from heavend with a cross made of stars He called him to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2: a   The Greek is usually translated, ‘You search the scriptures’, understanding the verb as a present indicative, but Theognostos is playing on the other possible meaning when ἐρευνᾶτε is taken as an imperative. b   The St Sabas manuscript (S) marks the start of a new chapter (10) at this point. c   For the chronological reference, cf. Nikephoros, Chron. comp. (ed. de Boor, p. 102, 20–21). d   On the heavenly sign to Constantine, most accounts seem to go back to Lactantius and Eusebius, cf. T. D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius, Cambridge (Mass.), 1981, p. 43 (see note 146) and following.

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4), and gave the signal, ‘By this conquer your foes!’ – as has happened. But at that time the Jews, enemies of the truth and full of jealousy, approached the mother of Constantine, the blessed Helena, as the snake had once done with Eve, and tried to trick her by persuasive talk. ‘Empress,’ they said, ‘your son has fallen into a grave error by believing in the Crucified, a man whom our fathers put to death as a malefactor hanging him on a tree (Acts 5: 30; 10: 39). Should he not have believed rather in the Almighty God, who worked such wonders, prodigies and astonishing signs in Israel?’ When Constantine heard what was being said, he could not let it pass. At once twelve of the leading Jewish teachers and rabbis were picked to discuss the Christian faith with the then Bishop of Rome, Sylvester.a In this way the truth would come to light and the Emperor Constantine himself would become a member. 5. The discussion on both sides was heated and protracted. The Jews contended that Christ was simply a man and not God. Blessed Sylvester refuted them and showed clearly, with great skill and force of argument, that both the Law and the Prophets declared Christ to be truly God, the Word existing before time, who became man in these last days (Heb 1: 2) for the salvation of mankind. He asserted emphatically that Christ was the God who had brought their fathers out of Egypt, who had made them traverse the sea as if it was dry land, and had poured the manna upon them. The Jews argued from the evidence of Christ’s passion and cross; they refused to accept that one could confess as ‘God’ someone who suffered. Sylvester replied with a persuasive comparison to show that Christ did not suffer in his divinity, but bodily, in the same way as a tree is illuminated by the sun while it is being felled and yet the sun is not chopped along with the tree… ‘A long way back,’ continued Sylvester, ‘the Prophets foretold that the Lord of glory would have to suffer (Lk 24: 26)b of his own free will physical pain for the salvation of the human race. Otherwise a   The discussion of Pope Sylvester with the Jews is to be found in the Acta Sancti Silvestri (ed. Combefis, Paris, 1659-1660), p. 293–335, especially p. 326–335 (also published in Roma e l’Oriente, 6, 1913, p.  340–367); and in George the Monk, p. 491–499. b   cf. 1 Cor 2: 8.

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it was impossible for knowledge of God to come into the world. The Prophets sent by God were not able to achieve anything further because human nature was incurably diseased. So the Creator himself of that nature became like us, except for sin, and by his own death and blood redeemed and regained the world.’ 6. Much was said by both sides in the presence of the saintly Emperor Constantine, and the meeting was on the point of adjourning, with holy Sylvester carrying off the palm of victory. Suddenly one of the Jews, a man called Zambres, who was shown subsequently to have been a consummate magician and sorcerer, jumped forward and said, ‘Your Highness, what should have more influence, deeds or words?’ – ‘Deeds are certainly more important than words,’ said Constantine. – ‘Well said, your Highness,’ replied Zambres, ‘now I assure you that by deeds I can show Sylvester up as weak and ineffective, although none of us has been able to defeat him verbally.’ – ‘How? In what way?’ asked the Emperor. – ‘Let your Majesty order some large animal to be brought in. I shall pronounce in its ear the name of the Almighty, and immediately it will collapse and die. So great is his name that anyone who hears it must die.’ – ‘How, then,’ asked the Emperor, ‘were you able to hear the name and still live?’ – ‘I learned it,’ replied Zambres, ‘but did not hear it.’ – ‘How were you taught it?’ said Constantine. – ‘Water was poured into a basin and I learned the name as it was traced in the water.’ 7. Then by order of the Emperor Constantine a savage bull, fettered by three hundred men, was brought in, and Zambres addressed Sylvester, ‘All your speeches, objections and beguilements are now to be proved false. Either pronounce the name of your Christ in the ear of the bull; if he does not tolerate it, but collapses and dies, then we shall put our faith in Christ. Or, let me pronounce the name of the Almighty. This will take place in the sight of all those present, including the Emperor.’ Constantine gave the order and Zambres approached close to the bull, uttering in his ear the satanic incantation. At once the whole animal began to quiver and shake; it gave a dreadful bellow, then fell to the ground and expired, after its eyes had started from their sockets.

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8. A great uproar broke out in the assembly. The Jews were delighted at what had happened, supposing that they had been proved victorious. The Emperor Constantine turned to Sylvester and asked him, ‘What explanation can you give of this wonder that has taken place before our eyes? My mind reels at what has happened and I begin to doubt the Christian faith.’ – ‘Do not be disturbed, Sire,’ replied Sylvester, ‘nor astonished at this occurrence. The devil has been a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8: 44). It is his custom to impart death and not life. It is he now who has killed the bull through the enchantments of Zambres. But let Zambres restore the bull to life if, as he claims, it is with the name of the Almighty that he has killed it, and we shall all believe in him – for, as Scripture says, The Lord puts to death and brings to life (1 Kings 2: 6) and I will kill and I will make alive (Deut 32: 39),a and it is clearly more befitting to God to do good than to do harm. Otherwise I shall restore the bull to life, using the name of the Crucified, and I shall present it living before your eyes. In that way the true God will be made plain, the God who is master of life and death.’ 9. This speech was well received. But Zambres, as if he had suffered a grave injustice, began to make a great disturbance. ‘Did I not tell your Highness,’ he said to Constantine, ‘that nobody can get the better of Sylvester in words? Your divine Majestyb should give the order prohibiting such bold talk!’ – The Emperor then asked him, ‘Are you able to bring to life again the bull you have made to die?’ – ‘No!’, said Zambres, ‘neither I nor anyone else will be able to do that.’ – ‘But Sylvester,’ said Constantine, ‘has undertaken to do just that in the name of Jesus Christ.’ – ‘Quite impossible, your Highness,’ replied Zambres, ‘he will never do such a thing.’ – ‘I am astonished, Zambres,’ said Constantine, ‘at your reckless assertion denying that Sylvester can do what he has agreed to do. If that were to happen, what would be the explanation? Is it by the name of the Crucified that the bull will be restored to life?’ – Then all the Jews shouted out at once as with one voice, ‘If cf. 4 Kings 5: 7. Literally, ‘your divinity’ (θειότης).

a  

b  

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this were to happen, most divine Emperor, and if the man whom our forefathers crucified can do such a thing, then we shall believe and pay him homage!’ 10. At this point Sylvester stood up and turning towards the East began to pray with these words: ‘This is the opportunity, my Lord and Ruler, Jesus Christ, to exhibit the power of your divinity. Let error be refuted and faith in the truth strengthened! Bring shame instead of boasting on the enemies of truth! Let your wondrous and most holy name be glorified! Oh King of Kings, keep such weeds (Mt 13: 25) out of the land you acquired with your own precious blood!’ (Acts 20: 29; 1 Pet 1: 19). After praying in this way Saint Sylvester approached the bull and cried in a loud voice, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, the giver of life to all, awake and stand up on your feet! Do not be savage, as you were before, but mild, ready to approach only those of your own kind!’ Hardly were the words spoken when the animal rose up alive, completely restored by the power of Christ. It walked in orderly fashion with great mildness, quite different from before. At this, all gave a great shout, ‘Great, indeed, is the God of the Christians! Christ is a God who does not deceive! There is only one true faith, that of the Christians!’ The Emperor Constantine exulted, strengthened in the faith along with his mother, Helena. The crowds of the faithful rejoiced. The Jews were put to shame, and the pagans were mocked. 11. Blessed Helena spent time travelling around the Holy Places in search of the honourable Cross of Christ; she founded churches and consolidated the Christian faith. As for Constantine the Great, he ruled for thirty two years, then departed to the Lord. He left as his successors to the Empire, Constans, Constantius, and Constantine, his three sons, and he divided the whole Empire in three parts.a But they did not keep to the terms of their father’s will, and after their mutual destruction in the civil war, the power of the whole Empire came into the hands of Constantius alone.

The Benaki manuscript (B) adds here: ‘Constans in Rome, Constantius in the capital city that had been constructed and named after him [i.e. Constantine the Great], Constantine in Alexandria, his own sons.’ a  

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12. There are 894a years from the pious Emperor, Constantine the Great, to the capture by the Latins of the capital that the same Emperor had constructed and named after himself. The capture of Constantinople occurred in the World Year 6712 [= 1204 CE], on April 12th.b The Emperor at the time was Alexios V, surnamed Mourtzouphlos, who was ruling after the overthrow of the Angelos dynasty.

This chronological interval (394 years) to Constantine points to the year 310 CE, which makes little sense; Constantine became Emperor in the West in 306 CE, and only in 324 did he become sole Emperor. It is much more likely that an error in transmission has occurred, the sign for 70 [omicron ο´] being confused with that for 90 [koppa ϙ´]; originally the interval was of 874 years; this would then point to the year 330 CE, the official date for the inauguration of the city of Constantinople. b   The same manuscript B adds that the 12th of April that year was the Monday after Palm Sunday (so Monday of Holy Week); some historians, relying on the account of the French crusader, Geoffrrey Villehardouin, La conquête de Constantinople, give the 13th of April as the date for the fall of Constantinople to the Latins (cf. Ostrogorsky, p. 417), however Akropolites (§ 4; cf. Macrides, p. 113) and Choniates (617: 26–28) mention the 12th of April, even if Akropolites mistakenly gives 6711 as the World Year. cf. M. Angold, The Fourth Crusade: Event and Context, Harlow, 2003, p. 100. a  

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Chapter Xa a proof that those who deny christ and reject their holy baptism are punished more severely than those with no faith;b and on the folly of believing in dreams

1. After these things [civil wars and rule of Constantius], there acceded to the imperial throne that enemy of God and of the faith, Julian the Apostate.c He had been born a Christian and had exercised the office of lector, reading the Scriptures to the congregation, but he began his reign by denying God. Later, completely subservient to the devils deceiving him, he launched a campaign of persecution, unequalled in severity up to that time, against the Christians. He began to revive the insensate worship of idols, which had been abolished by the pious Emperor Constantine the Great. This impious fellow showed his contempt for Christ, lifting his heel against him (Jn 13: 18; Ps 40: 10), making mockery of the divine plan to save the whole world and disparaging the a   The St Sabas manuscript (S) gives the number 11 for this chapter due to the division it has introduced in the previous chapter (see § 3, note b). b   The Benaki manuscript replaces this sentence of the title with the words: ‘On Julian the Apostate’. c   Julian (332–363), a cousin of Constantius II, became Emperor in 361.

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Sacred Scriptures. However, Justice which usually moves slowly and refrains by kindness from treading on the heels of the wicked, caught up with him rapidly and removed him from his throne and from this world. 2. Duringa the second year of his reign he came to the great city of Antioch for his expedition against the Persians. He offered sacrifice to Apollo at the shrine of Daphne and consulted the oracle concerning his fate. It was on that occasion that he entered the great church of the Christians and urinated over the sacred altar. The bishop of the time tried to stop him, but Julian gave him a hard slap across the cheek saying, ‘Don’t you understand, you fool, that it is no longer the son of the carpenter and Mary, but I who now rule the world!’ Then he happened to notice the sacred chalice and paten which Constantine had had made out of pure gold. ‘Just look,’ he said with astonishment clapping his hands, ‘what vessels are now used in the service of the carpenter’s son! Surely they are more appropriate for me, the servant of the great gods!’ and he ordered them to be taken at once for his own table.b 3. Duringc this scene two teachers were present, the one a Christian by religion, the other a pagan [Hellene]. The latter said jokingly and with some impertinence to the former, ‘My friend, where is this god of yours, Jesus Christ of the Galileans, the carpenter’s son? If he has any power, why doesn’t he repay the Emperor who makes such war against him?’ – The Christian replied ominously, prophetically understanding the future, ‘Comrade, my God, whom you call the carpenter’s son, is working on the chest into which this lawless Emperor with his presumptuous deeds will be thrown before very long …’ – Not many days later the dead Julian, killed in the Persian slaughter, was brought back to Antioch carried in a wooden coffin, as it was customary for Roman Emperors to be laid out in Constantinople. The Christian cf. Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 3, 8, 12 (ed. Parmentier, GCS p. 189, 7–12; PG 82, 1100). b   Someone had added in the margin of the manuscript S: ‘A curse and eternal damnation be upon him!’ c   cf.  Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 3, 8, 23 (ed.  Parmentier, GCS p.  202, 13–24; PG 82, 1116–17). a  

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went up proudly to the man who taught in favour of the pagan gods and said to him, ‘Did I not tell you that our God was making a chest? You must admit the evidence of the facts: he did not delay in giving just retribution, executing that impious Julian and throwing him into a chest, when least expected. That man was quite unworthy of a grave!’ 4. Anda as it happened, it was perfectly true that the earth refused to accept that wretched and guilty body when buried in a grave: it vomited it out and for many days the soil was seething.b This event showed visibly what were the invisible sufferings of Julian’s arch-evil soul. 5. There is a proof-text in Scripture which obliges us to believe that Julian has an everlasting damnation which is worse than that reserved for the tyrannical Emperors who persecuted the Church before him. It shows that those who come of believing parents but apostatize, receive a more severe punishment than those who had no faith to start with: the Lord himself said, ‘Whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in Heaven’ (Mt 10: 33). 6. Oncec when the holy father Macarius was walking in the desert, he found a dead man’s skull abandoned on the ground. He nudged it with his palm-wood staff and said, ‘Who may you be? Answer me, in the name of God!’ – The skull spoke to him and said, ‘I was once the priest of the pagan people [Hellenes] who lived here. As for you, you are Father Macarius, a man full of the Spirit of God. Whenever you commiserate those in hell and pray for them, they receive some small consolation.’ – ‘What consolation can that be?’ asked the monk. – The skull replied, ‘The fire beneath us is as deep as the heavens are high above the earth. We stand in the middle of this fire and cannot see one another’s face, because each is stuck to the other, back to back. But when you pray cf. George the Monk, p. 545, 18–546, 3 (= Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 21, 33 [PG 35, 1121A]). b   The manuscript B adds ‘with worms’. c   cf.  Apophthegmata s. Macarii 38 (CPG 2417; PG 34, 257C–260; PG 65, 280A–B; PL 73, 797D, 813A); Ps.-John Damascene, De his qui in fide dormierunt 10 (PG 95, 256A–B); and in general on the punishment of pagans, BHGa 999kb. a  

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on our behalf, O man of God, each can partly see the face of his neighbour, and this is our consolation.’ – As the monk heard these words, he wept and said, ‘Alack the day when one is born, at least for a sinful person!’ – Then he spoke again with the skull: ‘Is there another torment worse than this?’ – ‘Yes,’ replied the skull, ‘it is below us.’ – ‘Who is there?’ asked the monk. – ‘For us,’ said the skull, ‘who never knew the true God but followed the same error as our fathers, there is some mercy, although slight. But for those who saw him with their eyes and failed to believe, and for those who were born into the faith and baptised with his baptism, but later denied him, the punishment is merciless.’ – The monk then picked up the skull and buried it in the ground, and weeping he went on his way. 7. Can you see how severely punished are those who disown Christ? But Julian the Apostate not only disowned him, but did all that he could to make war against him, as if Christ were an enemy with whom peace was impossible. He punished and executed ruthlessly those who put their faith in Christ. His own punishments therefore will be pitiless for all eternity. There are other rulers before Julian who persecuted the true religion: Herod,a the murderer of the children, and the other Herod,b the one responsible for the death of the Forerunner (of whom the world was not worthy [Heb 11: 38]). They both finished their days with an agonizing death, eaten up by worms (Acts 12: 23) and destroyed by God’s angels. The same happened to Neroc and his successors, all those cruel and ruthless despots who came after the Herods: Decius,d Diocletiane and Maximian,f Maxentius, Maximinus and Licini-

cf. Mt 2: 1–19. cf. Mt 14: 3–11; Mark 6: 17–28. c   Nero, Emperor 54–68 CE; both St Peter and St Paul are said to have been executed in his time. d   Decius, Emperor 249–251 CE, held responsible for the first persecution of the Christians on an imperial scale. e   Diocletian, Emperor 284–305 CE; the persecution of Christians began in 303. f   Maximian, Emperor 286–305, along with Diocletian. a  

b  

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us.a They came to an evil end in accordance with their evil lives, and dispatched to the hell prepared for them. But Julian learned nothing from their fate, and it is difficult to imagine the punishments with which he is being tortured for all eternity. 8. However, we must leave that subject in order to treat briefly the question of dreams.b A person who distrusts all dreams is sensible and truly wise, for ‘Anyone who believes in dreams is like someone chasing after his own shadow and trying to grasp it.’c As the saying goes: Interpreters of dreams are often sleepy, Instead of facts revealing visions creepy.d

It is not to be wondered at if some dreams are proved true, as long as the majority are figments of the imagination or diabolically inspired. During sleep the body’s composition somehow causes it to become still and the senses cease to function. Then the demons are free to imprint their fantasies on the mind as they please. Many saints are known to have received dreams in sleep from God, and others were shown things by their guardian angels. Very often too the soul has been able to foretell the future, because in sleep it is more subtle. But once the habit is acquired of believing in dreams, it grows stronger and becomes a devilish vice. For this reason Holy Scripture teaches us to distrust all manner of dreams. And if, by chance, we should happen to distrust when God sends a dream, it will not be held against us: God will know that we rejected the dream in order to guard against falling into an illusion. This disaster has occurred to some.

Maxentius, Emperor 307–312, Maximinus, Emperor 309/310–313, and Licinius, Emperor 308–324; the persecution by all these contemporaries of Constantine came to an end with his final victory in 324 CE. b   cf. Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 72 (CCSG 59, p. 124–125; CCT 7, p. 188–189 [Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 120 (PG 89, 772)]); also Gregory the Great, Dialogi IV, 48 (PL 77, 410–411 Greek text). c   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 3 (PG 88, 669C10–12). d   cf. E. Leutsch, Corpus paroemiographorum II, 287: a literal translation of the two twelve-syllable verses would be, ‘The man who explains dreams is somebody asleep, because a dream can reveal only fantasies and not realities.’ a  

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9. (1) There was once a monka on Mount Sinai well proven for his self-control and asceticism. For many years he lived secluded in his cell, but later, deluded by revelations and dreams from the devil, he turned to Judaism. The Enemy had often made him see true things in his dreams and in that way beguiled the poor wretch. Afterwards he showed him the Apostles, the martyrs and saints, in a word the Christian people, all sullen, gloomy, and thoroughly ashamed of themselves; opposite them were Moses, the Prophets and the accursed Jewish people, illuminated with a brilliant light and living in joy and gladness. (2) The foolish man’s mind was darkened when he saw this vision. Incapable of recognizing the deceptive nature of what he had seen, he fell completely deluded into the devil’s trap. He rose at once and leaving the Holy Mountain hurried to Palestine and came to the Jewish synagogue. There he recounted his devilinspired visions under the impression that they came from God himself, and at once was circumcised and married a wife. This madman then began to teach as doctrine that the Christians were all in error, and he argued strongly in favour of the Jewish religion. The Jews in their lawlessness proclaimed him blessed and called him the second Abraham. (3) It was a pitiful sight, fit to move one to tears: a man grown completely grey and aged by his ascetical rigours, sporting himself improperly with women, eating defiled meats, blaspheming (alas!) in shameless fashion against the Christ he used earlier to adore as God, and making fun of holy baptism. ‘When we saw him acting like this,’ notes the writer, ‘caught by the enemy in such delusion and shamelessness, I and other devout monks made great lament…’ However, before long he was overtaken by a calamity sent by God: his flesh began to putrefy and rot away with an evil stench, worms crawled from him, and finally he expired in violent agony. 10. The Lord was right to say, ‘Keep awake!’ (Mt 24: 42), and equally right was the one who said, ‘Call nobody happy before death!’ (Sirach 11: 28) – because there is always the uncertainty of This story of the monk who becomes a Jew is listed in the BHG 1448s; cf. Antiochus (?), Homilia 84 (PG 89, 1689D8–1692C1). a  

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one’s departure; we never know what the next day will bring. (Prov 3: 28). Therefore, Let us be sober and keep awake! (1 Thess 5: 6). Let us beware of wasting half our lives in somnolence, in a sleep which causes only dullness and sloth! Really, ‘sleep is an image of death’.a 11. For example, ask any passer-by about a person snoring in sleep, ‘Is that one alive or dead?’ If the answer is, ‘Alive’, ask why the sleeper is senseless; if the answer is ‘Dead’, ask why the person is breathing, for a corpse lacks breath. Therefore the sleeper is neither dead nor alive! 12. In conclusion, let us shake off deep sleep, the next-door neighbour to death, and let us keep awake that we fall not into temptation (Lk 22 40). The impious are prowling all around (Ps 11: 9) – us! We make our way in the midst of many snares… (Sirach 9: 13). And we do not know what the outcome will be, for nature is fickle and slips easily into sin.

cf. John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 19 (PG 88, 937A); Secundus, Sent. 19.

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Chapter XI On the Christian Faith, as the Only One that is True and Free from Error; and on the Reasons for Prostrating Oneself Towards the East

1. In former times, only the Jews had knowledge of God, as pagan peoples were languishing, lost in the dark night of idolatry. Then the great (indeed!) mystery (Eph 5: 32), that of our salvation, began to become effective; the Son of God became man, incarnated without change to his godhead, in order to save us and, the earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas (Isa 11: 9). Everywhere praise arises for Christ, the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2: 8), along with the Father and the Spirit, for there is only the one true God, the Trinity, from before time, knowing no extinction, having neither beginning nor end (Heb 7: 3), through whom all things came into being (Jn 1: 3). 2. All the pagan peoples who heard the announcement of the faith began to believe in Christ and are called ‘Christians.a They were strengthened in the truth by signs and wonders.b Admittedly

cf. Acts 11: 26. cf. Mark 16: 17.

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Satana in his jealousy sowed many heresies, like weeds,b along with the seed of the faith, but all men now have the title of Christians and confess Christ to be the true God. The only exceptions are the Jews and the Ismaelites,c along with the descendants of Hagar;d these persist in the darkness of error. The Jews continue to lurk under the shadow of the Law, although the light of grace has dawned. The others, their minds darkened by the deceptive teaching of Mahomet,e refuse to turn their eyes towards the shining rays that can save them and are to be found in all divine writings – the prophetical books,f the works of the Apostles,g and the didactic writings.h We need not concern ourselves with the Cumans,i who live like brute beasts, because they have no belief in any God and are the least human of men. 3. The fact that in our own day pious men suffer under the rule of the impious, is not due to the falsehood of their faith, but they are oppressed because of the failure on their part to produce fruit worthy (Mt 3: 8) of that faith. The levy they pay for their sins is the unmitigated tyranny of men alien to them.j If we had condemned ourselves for our sins and corrected ourselves by repentance, we would not have been condemned (1 Cor 11: 31) by the just verdict of God and handed over to brutal foreigners to learn virtue by being cf. Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 70 (CCSG 59, p. 122–123; CCT 7, p. 186– 187; PG 89, 769C–772A); Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 43 (PG 28, 625A). b   cf. Mt 13: 25. c   Literally, ‘descendants of Ismael’, the latter being a son of Abraham and Hagar (Genesis 16: 15–16), but here meaning ‘Arabs’. d   The term ‘Hagarene’ (literally ‘descendant of Hagar’, mentioned in the previous note) came to signify a Muslim; the Benaki manuscript (B) omits the phrase ‘along – Hagar’. e   The 16th cent. manuscript Iviron 517 (A) replaces the name ‘Mahomet’ with ‘Satan’. f   The Old Testament. g   The New Testament. h   Probably a reference to authoritative writings of the Fathers and Councils. i   A nomadic or semi-nomadic tribe partly expelled by the Mongols (13th cent.) into Byzantine territory and used by the Emperors of Nicaea as soldiers: cf. ODB, s.v. Cumans. j   Probably a reference here to the occupation of Constantinople by the Latins (from 1204), but other parts of the Byzantine territories were now occupied by the Arabs. a  

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forsaken by God. We ourselves are responsible for the chastisement inflicted on us; we rested on the laurels of bare faith alone, bereft of good deeds, but a faith without deeds is lifeless (2 Jas 2: 26), as of course are deeds without faith. The retribution we have received is what we deserved for our neglect of the Commandments. Indeed the Christian faith can be compared, when it lacks faith, to a face with only one eye, but that of the impious is like a face with no eyes! The strength of these unholy men does not come from the truth of their religion, but from the inadequacy with which we practise our own. So it comes about that God raises them against us like whips, although they in their turn will certainly receive the due penalty for their error (Rom 1: 27), viz. eternal damnation. Some people are greatly disturbed by what has happened and fall into doubts about the orthodox faith. But these are foolish, senseless men, who previously were unstable about the real values, and continue so now that they belong to the faith. It is not God who is responsible for their damnation, but their own wicked minds. Otherwise, how could it be that other men are found to be the better (rather like gold in the crucible [Wisdom 3: 6]) for the trials and tribulations they undergo? They have the spirit of those young men who once sang, For we have sinned, we broke your law and committed injustice in your sight, Lord! Truly you are just to hand us over to our enemies because we neither obeyed nor heeded your commandments, and we have not done as you have commanded us! (Dan 3: 29–30). 4. However, now it has to be demonstrated why we faithful should make our prayers and prostrations towards the East,a following the tradition of the sacred Apostlesb and imitating what we see to be the custom of all the saints. It is not because God is restricted to the East: God is present everywhere and fills all things. However in this way we look towards Paradise and are reminded of our former native land, from which the Murdererc has a   cf. Basil of Caesarea, De Spir s. XXVII (ed. P. Pruche, p. 478–482; PG 32, 188–189 [= Canon 92]); John Damascene, FO IV 12 (ed. Kotter, p. 85; PG 94, 1136–1137); Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 37 (PG 28, 617D–620B). b   cf. Const. Apost. II, 56, 3, 14; VII, 45, 2 (ed. Funk I, p. 159–160, 165, 450). c   cf. John 8: 44.

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exiled us by our disobedience. Thus we fall down adoring the Lord and imploring Him that we may return to live there once more. Moreover, turning to the quarter from where the visible sun rises, the eye of the mind is illuminated by the sun of justice (Mal 3: 20), and we bend our knees to Him as we look eastwards. It was there, in Jerusalem, that the mystery of the Lord was enacted, that saving dispensation that surpasses all our words. At this point it is necessary to relate a story which serves to confirm what has been explained. 5. (1) There was once a ship owner,a who had in the shipyards a vessel of some four thousand [modiib]. He wanted to drag the boat into the sea, but he continued to struggle for a whole week, and despite the help of about three hundred workmen and others they could not make it budge. It had been bewitched through the spells of some scoundrels. (2) The owner of the ship was very downcast, and quite at a loss as to what he should do. But by God’s good pleasure Abba John happened to pass by those parts. The ship owner saw him and as he already knew of his sanctity, he went up and urged him to say a prayer on behalf of his ship, that it might enter the water. The holy monk said to him, ‘Come now, firstly, please make arrangements for me to eat something, and as for the boat, if anything, God will give his assistance.’ The man of God spoke in this way because he wanted to work the miracle while the ship owner was absent. (3) So when the latter went off, Abba John approached the ship, stood facing East, made a triple prostration to God, and then he traced three times on the ship the sign of the revered Cross in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. At once the ship, impelled by some invisible force, slipped into the sea. When the ship owner accompanied by his friends arrived and cf. John Moschus, Prat. sp. 83 (PG 87 [3], 2940C–D). The Greek text does not name the unit of measurement, but the modios was the standard unit for grain (the ‘sea-[thalassios]-modios’ was the equivalent of 40 litrai and 3 litrai were the equivalent of 6–7 kilos); it seems likely that the ship in question was not dissimilar to the excavated seventh-century cargo ship (with a cargo capacity of 60 tons) mentioned by Eric McGeer in the article, ‘Ship’ in the ODB. a  

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saw that a miracle that had taken place, they gave praise to God. But the holy monk had departed to avoid being praised. The saints usually run from human praise, considering it spiritually pernicious and dangerous for the unwary. 6. Do you see how the saint’s prayer was directed to the East, like that of Sylvester which we have mentioned earlier in the story of the bull raised to life?a In that case the miracle was worked in the name of Jesus Christ, whereas here in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The two stories show us that it makes no difference in prayer if the first formula or the second is used for the supplication, since both are pleasing to God. 7. Now let the Jews be asked why no wonder has taken place among them since the killing of Christ, and no prophets appeared as before; ‘Why have you disappeared so completely, if it was just a man you put to death? In earlier times you used to put the prophets to death, and yet God never rejected you so totally; He sent you swift passing trials. But now you can see that one thousand two hundredb years have passed since Christ, and there is no recall by God. His abandonment of you is complete! You should realize who it was, on whom you presumed so boldly to lay your hands. He was the sole-begotten, genuine Son of God.’ 8. And let the followers of Mahometc also be asked, ‘What wonder did you see him work, what miracles did you watch him perform, that now you should accept him as God’s prophet and even revere him? Do you not see that by his teachings he is guiding you along the wide and easy road that leads to destruction (Mt 7: 13)? What sea has he, like Moses, divided? What manna has he brought down from heaven? What God-engraved tablets have been placed in his hands, that have made you obey him rather See ch. IX §§ 6–10. An important variant in the early Benaki manuscript (B) adds ‘and sixtyone’, which is missing in the other two manuscripts (A and S); it was probably added by the original author for his first version of the text. He was writing in the World Year 6761, and calculating from the ‘year of Christ’, traditionally given as the World Year 5500. Thus Theognostos was writing in 1252 or 1253 CE, and the Treasury must have been composed then. One can understand that in the final, later version the precise year was removed, as it was no long correct. c   ‘Môámeth’ in the Greek. a  

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than anyone else? Why have you accepted from him, along with all the other silly nonsense, the custom of prostrating ourselves towards the South? Alas! What a net of errors the Deceiver has cast around you! Your life and customs have been warped, leaving you far from the saints and the Scriptures. You have been alienated from the true and saving knowledge of God.’ 9. Very different from all that is the orthodox faith of the Christians: we have tens of thousands of saints and miracles and the whole of divinely inspired Scripture, which proclaim the truth more loudly than any trumpet. Indeed, when the occasion required, many of the saints raised dead men to life in order to make the truth appear. I refer not only to the Apostles, but to those who came after them, like the great martyr, St George,a St Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain,b St Theodore of Sykeon,c St Spyridon,d more guileless than the dove, and St Macarius of Egypt.e All of these acted solely to lead people to the light of faith. Probably it will be appropriate to recount, as corroboration, some resurrections that were performed in the name of Christ. 10. (1) When St Martinf abandoned all he had in the world and cut himself off from the ordinary means of life, he went to an island called Gallaria, which is wild and uninhabited, situated close to the Tyrrhenian Sea.g There he survived with only the roots of plants. Later by divine indication he was appointed bishop of a  

835).

One of the most popular of the Byzantine ‘warrior saints’ (cf. ODB, p. 834–

Also known as St Symeon the Stylite the Younger (sixth century) (cf. ODB, p. 1986). c   Early seventh century; his life is described in an important vita published by A.-J. Festugière (cf. ODB, p. 2045–46). d   This fourth-century bishop became very popular in Byzantine literature (cf. ODB, 1940). e   This famous hermit monk (fourth century) became the subject of many anecdotes, and a whole collection of homilies are known as Pseudo-Macarian (cf. ODB, p. 1271). f   The fourth-century Western saint and bishop of Tours, his miracle is recounted in terms similar to those of Theognostos in the Synaxarion (November 10), ed. H. Delehaye, p. 211–212; and cf. BHG 1181e. g   The Tyrrhenian Sea stretches between Italy and Sardinia/Corsica; ‘Gallaria’ is the island Gallinara, located in the Gulf of Genoa. b  

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Tarakine.a There his virtue and love of the poor were so outstanding that he owned nothing at all of the things of this world except for the himationb he used to wear round him. But one day he met a poor man and taking off his robe gave even this away: ‘It is not just’, he remarked, ‘that I should be dressed while Christ is shivering.’ (2) This St Martin happened to see a man carried in a funeral procession when a certain swindler who was following, called out and stopped the man from being buried. He claimed that he was owed three hundred gold coins by the dead man. St Martin ordered the corpse to be put down on the ground, then he himself knelt facing the East and prayed for quite a long time. Eventually he approached the one lying down and shouted in a loud voice, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead (2 Tim 4: 1), stand up!’ At once the dead man woke up and refuted the swindler’s stupid slander. (3) The saint was moved by holy wrath. ‘The Lord is just, and has loved just deeds (Ps 10: 7). Therefore, in the name of Him, who brought this man back to life, may you, the swindler, die as an unjust man, and may this man live for as many years more as otherwise you would have lived!’ A sudden violent trembling seized the swindler’s whole body, and falling to the ground in convulsion, like Ananiasc before Peter the chief of the Apostles, he breathed his last. The man who had been raised to life continued to live for a long time giving thanks to God. 11. The holy Palladiosd had built himself a humble little house on a certain hill near to a lake. He enclosed himself there and practised rigorous asceticism in the pursuit of virtue. A marketfair had been organized at the lake I mentioned and it attracted merchants from all parts. One such merchant, who was returning Perhaps an attempt to write ‘Touronike’, the Greek name for the city of Tours. b   Described as ‘the dark cotton mantle worn by monks’ (ODB, p. 932). c   cf. Acts 5: 1–5. d   The miracle of Palladios (BHG 1404) appears in the Synaxarion (January 28), ed. H. Delehaye, p. 429–430; in addition, cf. Theodoret, Hist. Rel. 7 (PG 82, 1364–1365); Apoph. Patr., Milesios 1 (PG 65, 297A–B). a  

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home carrying a large quantity of gold, was murdered in the neighbourhood by some cut-throat and his body was flung by the assassin at the door of the holy man’s cell. When day dawned and the deed was discovered, all those who had come to the fair accused the godly Palladios of having murdered the merchant. The saint found himself trapped by a great crowd. He turned towards the East and began imploring the Lord with tears. Then he said to the murdered man, ‘Brother, in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up that you may bear witness to the truth!’ At once the dead man woke up alive, pointed out the real murderer who was present, and set the saint free from the dreadful calumny. All spoke well of Palladios after that because of the miracle. 12. These accounts should suffice, as a sort of appetizer, for those well-disposed, proving the existence of the life-giving and all-powerful reign of Christ our God. If anyone were to try and write them all down, he would soon be exhausted and have to give up. But who would be so stupid and foolish as not to proclaim true God the one who was himself raised from the dead, and who now restores to life in his own name those who are have died! This must be the personified Word of God,a the Wisdom and Power (1 Cor 1: 24) of the Father, through whom all things came to be (Jn 1: 3). 13. Therefore, the God in whom we believe is not something mindless and irrational, deprived of reason and spirit. We profess the existence of one God, the begetter of the Son and the Projector of the Spirit. We believe in this mystery of the godhead as we have been taught, in a spirit of adoration not of meddlesome inquisitiveness. In the words of St Basil the Great:b If you wish to express or conceive anything of God, you must traverse all created things – heaven, earth, sea, air, sun, moon, stars, all the visible universe and all the powers in heaven. When you have surpassed even immaterial being, I would have you raise you mind further still and reach out to the concept of the divine nature, which stands immoveable, unchangeable, undisturbed by passions, simple, cf. John 1: 1. Basil of Caesarea, Hom. de fide (PG 31, 465A12–13, B13–D1).

a  

b  

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without composition or division, unapproachable light (1 Tim 6: 16), inexpressible power, limitless greatness, all-illuminating glory, dearly desired goodness, irresistible beauty that attaches the wounded soul intimately to itself yet defies adequate explication. There is Father, there is Son, there is Holy Spirit: the uncreated nature, the supreme majesty, the natural goodness. The Father is the origin of all things, the cause that makes things be, the root of all that lives. From Him came forth the fountain of life (Ps 35: 10), the Wisdom and the Power (1 Cor 1: 24), the Image (completely similar) of the invisible God (Col 1: 15), the coessential Son generated from the Father, the living Word who both is God and is with God (Jn 1: 1–2).

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From the same source, from the Father, comes also the Holy Spirit, not in the manner of a Son, but by procession,a resting within the sole-begotten Son as having the same honour and essence. 14. This is the orthodox faith which errs not. The Church has received it from above. We adore the one God in three Persons, in accordance with our baptism and our salvation, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28: 19). Anyone who has different opinions and beliefs is an enemy of God and separated from Him.

cf. John Damascene, FO I 8 (ed. Kotter 8, 278, 191; PG 94, 832, 824).

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1. Heb who is the Son and Word of God became man in order to grant to man once more the condition for which He had created man. Now God created man in His own image, with a mind and free will: in other words, man was perfect in all virtue (in so far as is compatible with human nature). He was good, wise, just and upright; free from guile, anxieties, distractions and all evil. However, since by sin we smudged this resemblance with Him, God in His loving kindness took a share of our lowliness (I mean, of our nature) so that in and through Himself, He might renew that image and likeness (Gen 1: 26). He taught us also how to lead a life of virtue and made that life easily accessible for us in Him. 2. Christ,c who was free from sin, took away the sin of the world (Jn 1: 29). He died a death which He accepted on our behalf, and offered Himself as an expiatory sacrifice to the Father against whom we had sinned. In so far as He was man, He died, and His holy soul was separated from his immaculate body. But the divinity remained indivisibly united with both the soul and the body. The title in B is longer: ‘On the becoming-man of the Son of God, and on the holy mysteries and holy icons, and the revered cross’. b   For this paragraph, cf. John Damascene, FO IV 4 (ed. Kotter 77, 9–24; PG 94, 1108). c   cf. John Damascene, FO III 27 (ed. Kotter 71, 4–5, 7–10, 18–21; PG 94, 1096–1097). a  

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Nevertheless the one Person of the Word was not divided into two persons: the soul, though locally separated from the body, remained united with it by relation to the Person of the Word. 3. Whena after three days He rose as God from the dead, He became the first fruits (1 Cor 15: 20) of the resurrection and of incorruptibility. Even if after the resurrection He partook of food, He did this to inspire faith in His resurrection and to demonstrate that it was really the same body that had suffered and resurrected, and not to satisfy a physical need. In this fashion then, as God incarnate, He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the father (Mk 16: 19) until His second coming. Whenb we say ‘right hand’ we do not intend to indicate a place, but only the glory and honour of the godhead. It is there that the Son of God has existed from before time, as coessential with the Father. It is there that He takes His place in these last days (Heb 1: 2), incarnate and corporeally, His body co-glorified with Him. Now one and the same adoration is offered to Him, and along with Him to His body, by all creation. 4. Whenc Christ was taken up from among us, as mentioned, He left us a second birth through water and the Spirit (Jn 3: 5), that of holy baptism. Just as we became similar to Adam by being begotten from him, and received the heritage of the curse and corruption, so we have become similar to Christ by being begotten from Him, and have received now as our inheritance His blessing and incorruptibility. Baptism is a symbold of Christ’s death: by the triple immersion, for Father, Son and Holy Spirit, baptism suggests the three days of Christ’s sepulture. Baptism should be conferred oncee because Christ’s death took place once. (Note that just as it is impossible to see without eyes, so one who is not baptised cannot benefit from the light and be saved: ‘Very truly I tell you,’ said Christ, ‘no one can enter the heavenly kingdom without being born from water and Spirit’ [Jn 3: 5].) cf. John Damascene, FO IV 1 (ed. Kotter 74; PG 94, 1101–1104). cf. John Damascene, FO IV 2 (ed. Kotter 75, 2–3, 5–9; PG 94, 1104). c   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 13 (ed. Kotter 86, 35–39; PG 94, 1137). d   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 9 (ed. Kotter 82, 17–19; PG 94, 1120). e   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 9 (ed. Kotter 82, 5–6; PG 94, 1117). a  

b  

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5. Christa has also given us spiritual food: this is the bread of life (Jn 6: 35), our Lord Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven (Jn 6: 41). When about to undergo the death He freely accepted on our behalf, on the night when He was giving Himself up (1 Cor 11: 23),b He established a new covenant with His holy disciples and Apostles, and through them with all who put their faith in Him. Accompanied by His disciples Christ ate the ancient Paschal meal in the upper room of the house in Sion, and fulfilled the old covenant. Then He, who was the Lord of all, proceeded to wash the disciples’ feet, in the guise of a slave. Afterwards, He broke bread and gave it to them saying, ‘Take, eat; this is my body which is broken on your behalf for the remission of sins’ (1 Cor 11: 23–24).c Similarly, he mixed wine in the cup and gave it to them saying, ‘Let all drink of it: this is my blood, etc… Do this,’ He said, ‘as a memorial of me. For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord (and confess his resurrection!) until He comes again’ (1 Cor 11: 25–26).d 6. Do you seee this strange food, one that can divinize and save those who receive it with faith? Without it we cannot live in the Lord. Cast off all doubts! Do not meddle inquisitively into how the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. ‘How will this happen to me?’ said the holy Virgin to Gabriel, ‘I have not had sexual relations with anyone.’ – ‘The Holy Spirit,’ he replied, ‘will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you’ (Lk 1: 34–35). Where God is acting,f one should not demand a conformity to natural cause and effect, but simply accept what cf. John Damascene, FO IV 13 (ed. Kotter 86, 40–59; PG 94, 1137–1140). The Pauline text has, ‘when he was betrayed’. c   cf. Mt 26: 26. d   cf. Mt 26: 26–28. e   The Benaki manuscript (B) presents a number of variants for this paragraph, which is largely a paraphrase of John Damascene (FO IV 13 [ed. Kotter 86, 60–83, 95–96, 114–115, 108–110, 143–146, 181–182; PG 94, 1144, 1148, 1145, 1152, 1153]); for example, the parallel between the eucharist and Christ’s conception is introduced not by Mary’s question, but with the words: ‘Just as Gabriel said to the God-bearer, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, etc.”, so it is here; where God so wills, the sequences of nature are reversed, and where God is acting …’ f   In B, ‘So also here, for where God so wills, the orderings on nature are overcome and where God is acting…’ a  

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happens with faith. But if you insist on asking how the body and blood are present, listen to how : there is a visitation of the Holy Spirit, and He brings into effect these things that surpass reason and understanding. Not that the body which was taken up into heaven comes down! It is this bread and wine that are changed into the body and blood of God. So the bread and wine are not a symbol for Christ’s body (God forbid!), but that very same divinized body of Christ. For those who receive it fittingly, their communion brings a remission of sins, eternal life and a defence of soul and body, but for those who receive improperly, damnation and punishment.a The body of Christ is not destroyed or wasted. It does not pass through into the lavatory (God forbid!). Rather, it becomes united with us essentially and helps to preserve us.b It sanctifies and sustains both soul and body, cleansing from all impurity (and is a surety for all goodc). At present, we share in the divinity of Christ through His body and blood. At the last day, it will be mentally by sheer contemplation. 7. Everythingd that Christ did and every wonder that He performed was of surpassing greatness and worthy of admiration. Most admirable of all, however, is His revered Cross. It is by Christ’s Cross alone that death has been destroyed, the sin of our first parent has been wiped out, Hades has been plundered, the gates of Paradise opened, and our own nature has taken its seat at the right hand of God. We have become children and heirs of God! (Rom 8: 17). This is the sign that we have been given on our foreheads,e just as circumcision was given to Israel. By this sign the faithful are recognized and separated from those without faith. This is the trophy that has been given us over the devil (allowing us to belittle all the pleasures of the flesh and even death itself), a B changes the order, putting sinful communion first. In B this phrase is lengthened: ‘and helps for psychic and corporeal preservation and purification.’ c   The words in this parenthesis are missing in the Damascene text. d   cf.  John Damascene, FO IV 11 (ed.  Kotter 84, 21–29, 40–48; PG 94, 1128–1129). e   cf. Rev 7: 3: ‘Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.’ a  

b  

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lifting-up for those who have fallen, a support for those on their feet, a crutch for the disabled, a shepherd’s crook for those of the flock, a guiding hand for those who return, an ideal of perfection for those who make progress, a salvation for soul and body, a repulse of all evil, an invitation to all blessings, an absolution of sins, an implanting of the resurrection, the tree of eternal life. May all who adore this Cross with faith attain to Christ the crucified! 8. Alonga with the Cross we adore the nails, the lance, the salvific Golgotha and the vivifying tomb. We render homage to the pattern of the revered Cross, irrespective of the material used, because the honour we give is not for the material (God forbid!), but for the pattern of the Cross as a symbol of Christ. (Remember the words of the angel to the women. ‘You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified’ [Mk 16: 6], and of the Apostle, ‘We proclaim Christ crucified’ [1 Cor 1: 23]). We pay homage to the pattern of the cross; once the pattern is lost, we no longer pay homage, even though the material be gold or precious stones. 9. Web do the same for our holy church buildings and honoured icons. Our altars are fixed to face East, because when Our Lord was on the Cross, He was looking West, so we turn our gaze towards Him as we adore. Moreover, when Christ was taken up at the Ascension, He was carried towards the East; and the tabernacle of Moses always had the veil and the altar of propitiation facing East; and in the renowned Temple of Solomon the gate of the Lord was oriented to the East. 10. Wec kiss and make obeisance to the revered icon-images because of the prototypes of whom they are images: ‘The honour we pay to these passes through to them.’ d Our respect is not paid to the material object, although this is what some foolish people think, since how could we burn them once they were rotten? The first in importance are the icons of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the cf. John Damascene, FO IV 11 (ed. Kotter 84, 51–72; PG 94, 1132). cf. John Damascene, FO IV 12 (ed. Kotter 85; PG 94, 1133–1136). c   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 16 (ed. Kotter 89, 6–9, 40–43; PG 94, 1169, 1172). d   Basil of Caesarea, De Spir. s. XVIII (ed. P. Pruche 45, 19–20; PG 32, 149C). a  

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icon without blemish, and of the Mother of God. Next we pay homage to those of all the saints, just as to their most holy relics. From both of these pour fourth remedies for us who have faith. Divine grace visits the holy pictures and sacred relics of the saints, and works wonderful and incredible miracles, as is only just, because the saints are servants of the Lord of all, and precious before the Lord is their death (Ps 115: 6). 11. Ina earlier times anyone who touched a dead person was classified as impure according to the Law. But today anyone who touches the saints becomes holy. Of course the saints are not just dead: they are alive in the Lord (Rom 6: 11).b Once He, who is Life itself, the cause of life, was countedc among the dead, we no longer use the term ‘dead’ for those who have gone to their rest in the hope of the resurrection and with faith in Christ. How could bodies that were dead work wonders? How is it that because of them devils are exorcized, diseases expelled, sick people cured, trials and dangers averted? Many of the saints’ relics distil a wonder-working unguent that never runs dry: for example, St Demetrius,d the famous martyr of Thessalonika, and St Andronicuse in Attaleia. In the case of the sacred martyr St Anthimos,f in Nicomedeia, the hair of his blessed head is cut each year and grows once more. A similar thing happens with the nails of some other saint. Many of the saints are intact and complete up to our own day. They were freed from the natural corruption and dissolution caused by death in order to make clear their eternal life, their incorruptibility and their privileged position before God. It is a sign that they a   For the first half of this paragraph (as far as the words ‘never runs dry’), cf. John Damascene, FO IV 15 (ed. Kotter 88, 42–48, 36–41; PG 94, 1165, 1164). b   cf. Rom 14: 8; 2 Tim 3: 12. c   cf. Ps 87: 5. d   The ‘Great Martyr’ and myroblytos (myrrh-giver), for whom written sources appear much later than his supposed death under Maximian; cf. ODB, p. 604– 606. e   For St Andronikos, cf. BHG 123 h, i, and H. Delehaye, ‘Saints de Chypre’, Anal.  Boll. 26, 1907, p.  179–180, 284–285; on Attaleia, cf.  ‘Attaleia’, ODB, p. 228–229. f   cf. ‘Anthimos of Nikomedeia’, ODB, p. 110, without a reference to his hair; also R. Janin, Les églises et les monastères des grands centres Byzantins, Paris, 1975, p. 83.

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are asleep rather than have died. All these things that happen in relation with the bodies of the saints are so many pledges of the eternal blessings awaiting them. However, the rewards and prizes for their struggles on the last day, quite surpass all word, mind and thought. Surely we faithful have the duty to celebrate and rejoice at the memory of the saints, given that we have such valiant defenders, who mediate before God and are our patrons. 12. But if it is fittinga that we should exult as God wills at the commemoration of the Lord’s servants and chosen ones, how much more proper is this on the feasts of Christ Himself! On those days anyone who is sullen-faced and fails to rejoice in God, is committing a sin. This is especially true on the holy feast of Easter Sunday, when we have co-resurrected with Christ from the dead, and on the honoured feast of Whit Sunday, when neitherb fasting nor genuflections are practised; similarly for the feast of the Epiphany. Only the heretics have the custom of fasting on those days or on a Saturday (except for Holy Saturday alone, in Holy Week, when lamentations are more appropriate than celebrations). 13. As our theme has advanced on its route,c it has brought us to inquire about the Sabbath: why was it granted from above and consecrated? Clearly, befored the existence of the Law and of Scripture inspired by God (2 Tim 3: 16), the Sabbath was not consecrated to God; later both Scriptures and the Sabbath were given by Moses. He gave the latter in order that the slave and the draft animal may rest (Ex 23: 12). And that at least on this day the Jews, having worked through the whole week, might take their rest

a   For this paragraph, cf.  Const. Apost. V, 13 (ed.  Funk, I, p.  269); however, cf. ch. XIV § 9 and also the extract from Ps.-Athanasius, ch. XIV § 10 below. b   In place of the words ‘neither – Epiphany’ the manuscript B gives: ‘when fasting is not practised, but we bend the knee of the soul along with that of the body, as on the feast of the sacred Epiphany, being cleansed in the Holy Spirit and sanctified in the water.’ c   The B manuscript adds ‘on its twisting and divine route’. d   For most of this paragraph, cf. John Damascene, FO IV 23 (ed. Kotter 96, 17–25; PG 94, 1201–1204).

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(not for the just is the law laid down [1 Tim 1: 9]a) therefore for the transgressors of the Sabbath punishments and penalties accompanied it, in order that fear of suffering might instil prudence, and lead everyone to dedicate themselves to God during the whole day with leisure and freedom from other preoccupations. The Sabbath was not a summons to abstain from good works, but from all evil. The Jews in their folly blamed Christ because He worked miracles on the Sabbath; they failed to understand His signs as being proper to God alone. They were like the blind: those, who gulped down the camel, tried to strain out the gnat (Mt 23: 24).b They had no concern for the infringement of the more serious parts of the Law,c but went to great pains about the observance of the Sabbath, as if it were something useful and necessary. 14. But Mosesd himself, the very first to hand down the Sabbath, can be seen to have infringed it. The Law laid down that no one should mortify himself on the Sabbath, but Moses fasted for forty days, and then for another forty,e in order to attend solely to God, and during the Sabbaths of those eighty days he was mortifying himself by fasting. And Eliou the Tishbite,f made a journey of forty days with only one meal; he broke the Sabbath by mortifying himself on the Sabbaths that fell during those days, and also by travelling. But the lawgiver, far from being angry, revealed Himself on Mount Horeb in reward for his virtue.g What is written about Daniel? Did he not spend three weeks without food?h This quotation fits more easily into the text of John Damascene that Theognostos is summarizing here: the Jews toiled and served God as unwilling slaves, so the ‘law’ of the Sabbath had to be forced upon them, but was not needed for Christians. b   Theognostos has slightly altered the text of Matthew: You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! c   cf. Mt 23: 23. d   For most of the paragraph, cf. John Damascene, FO IV 23 (ed. Kotter 96, 25–36, 39–40; PG 94, 1204); but also cf. Ps.-Athanasius, De sabbatis 2–4 (PG 28, 133, 136, 141); Anastasios of Sinai, Disp. Iud. (PG 89, 1280B). e   cf. Exod 24: 18; 34: 28. f   cf. 3 Kings 19: 8–12 (and above ch. II § 4 with note, for the variations of the name ‘Elias’). g   cf. Exod 3: 1. h   cf. Dan 10: 2–3 a  

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And what about Israel in general? Is circumcision not practised on a Sabbath,a should this happen to be the eighth day after the child’s birth? The stipulation about circumcision annuls the law of the Sabbath. Again, if a beast falls into a ditch on that day, the man who pulls it out is considered innocent, but the man who neglects it, guilty.b If there was a duty to attend to beasts on the Sabbath, how much more of a duty in relation to men, rational creatures, whom Christ with His divine power curedc on several Sabbaths? And yet because of these cures the Jews in their error, or rather in the blindness of their mad jealousy, accused Christ as a breaker of the Law. Christ, however, did not come to abolish the Law, but (in the first place) to fulfil it (Mt 5: 17). 15. So we have the reasond for Christ’s circumcision. All those circumcised are bound to observe the Law.e Only later, when He had put an end to the Law and its shadows, did He cause the truth of grace to shine forth. The Law, with its wretchedness and imperfection, could bring nobody to full perfection (Heb 7: 19). For what is circumcision? It is a sign, which served to separate Israel from the pagans by whom they were surrounded. At first it was given to Abraamf to set him and his family apart from their neighbours. Later, when Israel was alone for forty years in the desert after the crossing of the Red Sea, circumcision fell into disuse and none of those born in the desert was circumcised.g 16. Do you see how circumcision was not something necessary, but was given to function as a sign? It was a model for holy baptism. Just as circumcision does not cut off a limb from the body, but only a useless superfluity, so also by sacred baptism we are circumcised of sin, which is clearly a superfluity of desire and not cf. John 7: 22–23; with Gen. 17: 12; Lev. 12: 3. cf. Mt 12: 11; Luke 14: 4; this saying of Jesus reflects accepted village good sense rather than legal casuistry. c   cf. Mt 12: 13; Mark 3: 5; John 9: 13. d   cf.  for this and the following paragraph, John Damascene, FO IV 25 (ed. Kotter 98, 21–22, 4–21, 23–26, 33–35; PG 94, 1213); also Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. 38 (PG 28, 620–621); Michael Glykas, Qu. 16 (ed. Eustratiades I, 202). e   cf. Gal 5: 3. f   cf. Gen 17: 10–12. g   cf. Joshua 5: 6–7. a  

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a necessary want. Now for us circumcision of the flesh is superfluous and contrary to holy baptism. It has nothing to do with Christ, even if once upon a time He was Himself circumcised. 17. The lawa of circumcision was renewed once more by God in the case of Joshua, the son of Naue, after the crossing of the Jordan.b However, it was not imposed by God as something necessary in itself, but only because they were about to mingle once more with pagan nations and most of the Israelites were uncircumcised. When Christ had been circumcisedc and had fulfilled the Law in every detail (acting because of His humanity and not because it befitted Him as God) circumcision could obviously fall into abeyance. From the moment that Christ Himself had been baptised, and the Holy Spirit had appeared in the form of a dove,d there began a spiritual worship and way of life, and the kingdom of heaven has been proclaimed. Even today the lawless Jews continue to practise circumcision thinking that they are fulfilling the Law. They fail to realize that they have been rejected by God and are to be utterly destroyed, because they had the temerity to lay hands on the Anointed One of the Lord. 18. In the last days, at the end of time (Heb 1: 2),e for their lack of faith in the truth, God will send among them a force to deceive them and lead them to trust in falsehood (2 Thess 2: 10–11). So will their condemnation and destruction be even greater. The Jews refused to receive the Son of God, who had been declared to them by the Law and the Prophets. In contrast, the son of destruction (2 Thess 2: 3), the Antichrist, will be warmly welcomed by them. They will fall prostrate before him, and greet him with cries of welcome as their king. He will take his seat in the temple of God (2 Thess 2: 4), as it is written. This temple is not ours, but that ancient Temple of the Jews, for it is not to us that he will come, but to the Jews. His a  

1216).

cf. John Damascene, FO IV 25 (ed. Kotter 98, 9–11, 35–40; PG 94, 1213–

cf. Joshua 5: 2. cf. Luke 2: 21. d   cf. Luke 3: 21–22, e   cf. Mt 13: 40, 49; 28: 20; for this paragraph, cf. John Damascene, FO IV 26 (ed. Kotter 99, 10–15; PG 94, 1216). b   c  

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coming will not be on behalf of Christ, but against Christ, and against those who belong to Christ. Therefore, he will be called ‘Antichrist’. This lawless one will reveal himself in signs and false wonders (2 Thess 2: 8–9), He will call himself ‘God’. 19. It is importanta to notice that the devil will not become man, after the fashion of the Lord’s becoming man (God forbid!). Instead, a human being, the offspring of an act of fornication, will be born, who will receive all the force of Satan (2 Thess 2: 9). God will foresee what utter evil of mind and will are to be his, and permit the devil to possess him. 20. At first the Antichrist will prowl stealthily practising every crime and wickedness. Then he will rise up suddenly in rebellion and revolt, and win the crown. At the start of his reign – or rather, tyranny! – he will make a pretence of goodness, but later he will begin to persecute the Church of God and, by deceptive sham miracles, to entice unsteady souls (2 Pet 2: 14). The scoundrel will cause many to apostatize from God, so that even the elect, if such a thing were possible (Mt 24: 24), will be made to stumble. At that moment the Lord will send Enoch and Elias, the Tishbite,b to condemn the Antichrist for his wickedness and falsehood, and to strengthen the faithful. By God’s permission he will put to death all the faithful. No one will remain without having experienced death. 21. After all this, the sign (of the Cross of Christ) will appear – flashing and shining – in heaven (Mt 24: 30), and to the farthest ends of the earth. Then alsoc will appear Our Lord, Jesus Christ, coming upon the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory (Mt 24: 30).d He will destroye the son of lawlessness (2 Thess 2: 8 [3]), the Antichrist. At once the resurrection of the dead will follow. All

For this and the following paragraph, cf.  John Damascene, FO IV 26 (ed. Kotter 99, 31–47; PG 94, 1217). b   The manuscript B adds here: ‘and also the evangelist John’. c   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 26 (ed. Kotter 99, 47–50; PG 94, 1217). d   cf. Mt 26: 64; Dan 7: 13. e   In B one finds the additional phrase (not in the Pauline text): ‘by the word of His power’. a  

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will arise, from the firsta Adam, to the very last person ever to be born. That will be the time of fear, of great and indescribable terror. The angels will race here and there, the archangels will sound their trumpets, all nations will be assembled for the Judgement, and then Christ Himself will take His seat upon a throne of glory (Mt 25: 31), awesome in the power of His divinity, to repay everyone according to each one’s deeds (Rom 2: 6). To Christ then be the glory, the power, the honour and the adoration; and to the Father, who has no beginning; and to the Holy Spirit, for all ages, Amen.

The 14th cent. St Sabas manuscript (S) reads ‘the first man, Adam’ and there is a marginal note: ‘Blessed the one who before death manages to perform deeds worthy of the Lord’s mercy and salvation’ (f. 47v). a  

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Chapter XIII A Demonstration that the Most Holy Virgin Mary is Truly and in the Most Proper Sense God-bearer, Because Without Insemination, in Some Inexplicable Way, She Gave Birth to Christ, Complete in Both His Natures, Perfect God and Perfect Mana

1. St Gregory the Theologian writes: ‘Any one who refuses to confess that the holy Virgin is truly the God-bearer, is cut off fromb the divinity.’c How could she fail to be truly and in the most proper sense God-bearer, if she truly, and not in any imaginary way, gave birth to the sole-begotten Word of God when He became Man? In His loving kindness and with supreme goodness he had resolved to share our human lot for our salvation. He sent the archangel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth, as the divinely-inspired A second title in B is: ‘On the incarnate dispensation’. The B manuscript replaces ‘is cut off from’ by ‘has no share in’, which is less close to Gregory’s text. c   Gregory of Nazianzus, Epist. 101 (SC 208, p. 42; PG 37, 177C). a  

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Luke writes, to cry out his, ‘Greetings, most favoured one!’ and to give the good news of Christ’s conception: ‘The Lord,’ he said, ‘is with you’ (Lk 1: 28). 2. Surely,a the angel’s voice itself was not what caused the conception in the Virgin. That came after her question and her consent. ‘Here I am,’ she said, ‘the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word’ (Lk 1: 38). It was at the angel’s departure that the Holy Spirit came upon her, purifying her and providing the power to receive the divinity of the Word, and to give Him birth. Then the personified Wisdom and Power of the highest God overshadowed her (Lk 1: 35),b the Son of God coessential with the Father, acting as divine sperm. He compacted for Himself from the Virgin’s holy and immaculate blood a body vivified by a soul endowed with reason and mind: these were the first-fruits (Jas 1: 18) of our human mass. All this took place not by insemination, but by God’s creative power through the Holy Spirit. The child was not formed slowly by minute additions; it was perfect all at once. The divine Word Himself functioned as the ‘person’ in this body. He did not unite Himself to a body that had belonged previously to some other person. So it is at one and the same time a human flesh, the flesh of the divine Word, and a flesh vivified by a soul endowed with reason and mind. Consequently, we do not speak of ‘the man who became God’, but of ‘the God who became man’. He was by nature perfect God. He became by nature perfect man, remaining unchanged in Himself. 3. The birth of Christc did not take place from out of the side of the blessed Virgin, as some strange stories would have us believe, but following the natural channel in the female body. It was not impossible for the One who is all powerful to guard intact, despite such a birth, the locks and gates of virginity, just as He could emerge from a sealed tomb and, on another occasion, enter to the disciples despite locked doors (Jn 20: 19, 26). cf. John Damascene, FO III 2 (ed. Kotter 46, 16–35; PG 94, 985–986). cf. 1 Cor 1: 24. c   For the next few lines, cf. John Damascene, FO IV 14 (ed. Kotter 87, 93– 99; PG 94, 1161A–B). a  

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The adorationa we offer to Christ acknowledges His twofold nature, in so far as He is active in some ways as man and in others as God, and varies accordingly. We also acknowledge the mother who bore Him, and confess her to be the most immaculate Godbearer and also the Mediatrix, who cannot be put to shame, and the Protector of all Christians. 4. As for the images that we revere because of the prototypes they represent, we count not only the shape of the God-man sent by Christ to Abgar,b the ruler of Edessa, or that of the most holy Mother of God painted by St Luke the Evangelist,c but all the honoured icons of them that are to found everywhere. Similarlyd we worship and kiss with reverence the icons of all the saints, in so far as they are of friends and servants of God. Thus we demonstrate our faith and affection in their regard. For surely, if we make obeisance to one another as images of God, although we are sinners, it is even more appropriate that we should pay reverence to sacred and holy icons because of the honour and truth of their prototypes. Are godless men scandalized? It is no wonder that people heading for destruction should be ignorant of the great mystery of our salvation (1 Tim 3: 16). As the Apostle says, ‘The wisdom of God is sheer folly for them’ (1 Cor 1: 18). Stupid and senseless people! Are we trying to portray the divine nature? Away with such nonsense! The divine nature cannot be seen, described or drawn; it has no mass or visible form. It cannot be grasped, classified or tracked down. What we represent is Someone who to save us put Again, cf. John Damascene, FO III 3 (ed. Kotter 47; PG 94, 988–996), but in a very summarized form. b   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 16 (ed. Kotter 89, 51–56; PG 94, 1173); Letter of the Three Patriarchs, § 7. 1–2, p. lii–liii, 32–37; the cloth, known as the ‘Mandylion’, imprinted with Christ’s face has an extensive history: cf. A. Cameron, ‘The Mandylion and Byzantine Iconoclasm’, in The Holy Face and the Paradox of Representation. Papers from a Colloquium held at the Bibliotheca Hertziana, Rome and the Villa Spelman, Florence, ed. by H. L. Kessler and G. Wolf, Bologna, 1998; N. P. Ševčenko, s.v. ‘Mandylion’, ODB, p. 1282–1283. c   The icon of Mary attributed to St Luke is mentioned in Ps.-John Damascene, Adv. Const. Cabal.  (PG 94, 321C); Letter of the Three Patriarchs, §  7. 6, p. lv–lvi, 38–41. d   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 15–16 (ed. Kotter 88, 18–20, 89, 1–48; PG 94, 1164, 1168–1172). a  

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on our nature: the whole of God’s ineffable dispensation. Thus we present our reverence with good will. On many occasions, when our thoughts were busy with other things, we saw an image of Christ on the Cross and were reminded of His saving passion, so we fell and offered obeisance. We have been accustomed to do the same with the glorious Virgin, Mother of God, and with every honoured icon and picture. But perhaps it will not be inappropriate to recount some miracles, which will help to clarify the truth. 5. (1) The devil of fornication had been furiously tempting one of the holy, ascetical stylites.a Night and day he excited him to monstrous passions. The recluse used to cry out against his tempter as if he were in agony, resisting him with the words, ‘Foul demon! How much longer will you tyrannize within me? How much longer before your temptations cease, you monstrous villain? Leave me, now you have grown old with me! Be satisfied with all the trouble you have already given! Let me rest for a while from this war of the flesh!’ (2) The saint had been repeating these words on many occasions when suddenly one day the devil appeared before his eyes and said, ‘If you want me to stop making war on you and harassing you, swear to me that you will tell no one what I am to tell you, but keep it as a complete secret.’ – And the monk agreed (wrongly!) and swore to him, ‘By the One who dwells in the heavens above, I shall keep what you tell me a secret and never declare it to anyone!’ – The devil replied, ‘From now onwards, never pay homage to that icon over there, and you will be left in peace.’ – The icon in question was that of the most holy God-bearer, embracing in her arms the Babe who is from before time began. (3) The war of the flesh then abated for the saint. However, some days later one of the most experienced of the monks chanced to come that way. The stylite informed him fully of the truth and was told, ‘You have done well to tell me about this business. You For the story of the tempted stylite, cf. BHG 1449t; it is recounted in John Moschus, Prat. sp. 45 (PG 87 [3], 2900B–D), also in John Damascene, Contra imag. III 13 (ed. Kotter, p. 124; PG 94, 1336B–C). a  

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should realize that you have been made a fool of, and you were at fault in swearing to the devil that you would keep what he said a closed secret. Never mind! My advice to you is, do not pass bya any brothel in the town, provided you reverence and glorify the worldsaving God-bearer, Our Lady.’ (4) The monk encouraged his brother with these words and went on his way. At once the devil presented himself again, and said in a rage, ‘What’s this, you anti-monk! Didn’t you swear to me that you would tell no one? How did you inform that other monk? Take it from me that you will have to answer before God for perjury!’ – The monk replied, ‘I know that I went astray. It wasn’t right of me to swear to you. Nevertheless there is one advantage: better that you should be vexed like the dirty dog you are than that I should stop giving reverence to the hope of my salvation! As for the sin of my oath, the good God is capable of forgiving me.’ 6. (1) There was another man,b an actor called Gaïanos, who used to blaspheme shamelessly in the theatre against the holy God-bearer. Then she appeared to him and said, ‘What harm have I done to you, sir, that you should slander me before so many people?’ However, when he woke up, instead of mending his ways, he blasphemed even more. Once again the holy Mother, whose name is famed in hymns, appeared to him, reproving him and saying, ‘I implore you not to harm your soul because of me!’ And once more he blasphemed more than before. Then she appeared to him a third time and rebuked him saying, ‘Have I done you any injustice, sir, that would explain why you continue to blaspheme and to utter insults against me so wilfully? Believe me, if you fail to come to your senses, you will get what you deserve for your discourtesy!’ (2) But as Gaïanos did not correct himself, and again his scurrilities continued or if anything increased for the worse, one day the God-bearer stood by him once more as he was having his The Moschus text adds, ‘without entering’. Another story from John Moschus, Prat. sp. 47 (PG 87 [3], 2901C–D); cf.  BHG 1076c; a very similar story, but with an unnamed official (a hyparchos) taking the place of Gaïanos, appears in the Letter of the Three Patriarchs, § 7. 9, p. lviii, 44–45. a  

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afternoon nap. She said nothing, but traced with her finger on his hands and feet. When he woke up, he found that both hands and feet had been lopped off and he was left with just the trunk of his body. On this the poor wretch confessed to all around, making clear what he had done, and what retribution he had received for his blasphemy. (3) You can see from this example that not only those who blaspheme against Christ are punished, but also those who blaspheme against His immaculate Mother. Even if some, through the patience of Justice, do not receive their due in this life, they will certainly not escape in the future. Then the Jews will look on the one whom they have pierced (Jn 19: 37),a and those who dishonourably removed and spat upon the sacred pictures and frescoes at the prototypes. 7. (1) There was a business man in Alexandria,b who was devoted to Christ and a friend to monks. He was about to travel to Constantinople on matters of business, so he left his wife, a careful, prudent woman, and their little daughter, just six-years old, at his own house. He also left one slave to work for them. As he was going to the ship, his wife asked him, ‘Husband, to whose care are you leaving us?’ – ‘To that of Our Lady, the God-bearer,’ he replied, ‘she will take care of you and guard you.’ (2) One day the lady was sitting at her work with the child near her. The slave was suddenly possessed by the devil and wanted to kill them, steal whatever had most value in the house, and escape. He seized a sharp knife from the kitchen and came towards the bedroom area off the triclinium where his mistress was. As he reached the door, he lost his sight and was incapable of moving either into the triclinium or back to the kitchen. Time went by as he struggled to enter, but being incapable, he began to call his mistress, saying, ‘Madam, come here!’ – She was astonished to see him standing at the door and shouting out instead of coming to her. ‘It will be better for you to come here,’ she said to him, not cf. Zech 12: 10. Again a story from John Moschus, Prat. sp. 75 (PG 87 [3], 2928A–C); cf. BHG 1076r. a  

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knowing that he had become blind. The servant began to urge her with oaths to approach him, but she said firmly that she would not move. ‘Send me the child at least, I implore you!’ he cried, but his mistress refused to do even that. (3) Then the wicked slave, knowing that he could not accomplish his plot, drove the knife into his own body and gave himself such a wound in the belly that his intestines poured out. His mistress saw what he had done and cried out, calling the neighbours. Many hurried up, found the servant still alive, and learned the whole story from him. Then all gave praise thanking God because He had saved both mother and child at the intercession of the God-bearer. 8. (1) In the areaa called Arselaos, there used to live a blessed saint, famous for his wonders and miracles: his name was George.b At one time, when the road through Palestine had been overrun by the barbarians,c there was an acute shortage of oil on the Holy Mountain of Sinai. The higoumenos went down to Arselaos and invited the man of God, George, to accompany him up to the Holy Mountain. The saint could not neglect a request from his higoumenos, so he accompanied him. The latter led him into the oil-store and asked him to say a prayer over the oil-jars; they were all completely empty. (2) ‘Shall we pray over one, or over all of the jars?’ asked Father George jokingly. – ‘Over them all, if you would!’ said the higoumenos, – ‘But if that happens,’ said George, ‘we shall find ourselves swimming in oil!’ – ‘Then do it just over one,’ said the other. So George knelt down and began to pray over one of the jars, and at once the oil began to pour out as if from a spring. The monk then About thirty kms. from the Monastery of Sinai, ‘Arselaou’ was a valley full of caves and hermitages set in the mountain range. This story is included among those attributed to Anastasios of Sinai, first published in 1902 with the number IX by F. Nau, [BHGa 1076rc], and due to be republished by André Binggeli as I 17 with French translation and commentary. b   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 27 (PG 88, 1112B6), mentions a George of Arselaos as his spiritual father, active early in the seventh century. c   The word ‘barbarian’ is regularly used by Anastasios to indicate the Saracens; their raids in 613–614 as well as the definitive Arab conquest in 633–634 disrupted the trade routes in Palestine, so that there is uncertainty about the exact date here. a  

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told the workers, ‘Draw off the oil and transfer it into the remaining jars.’ They did so, and all were filled. Indeed the oil was overflowing in the store-room, until George prayed once more and the abundant, constantly flowing source was stemmed. (3) The higoumenos wanted to name that particular oil-jar after Father George. However the monk said to him, ‘No, not after me, but after her, whose name is constantly sung, our holy Lady, the God-bearer! It was at her supplication that Christ, who became incarnate from her, worked the miracle.’ So the higoumenos named the jar after her, and the said jar has been preserved up to our own day. There is always a lamp burning hung above it in the name of the holy God-bearer. 9. The God-bearer appears as truly the Mother of God by many other miracles that she has performed. But let these suffice for men of right mind as a demonstration both of her own power and of that of Christ our God, who truly became man for our sake, being born from her without sin.a

The manuscript A adds here the traditional ending: ‘For to him all glory is due for ever and ever, Amen.’ a  

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Chapter XIV On the Seven Holy and Ecumenical Councilsa

‘Ón | the | sé-ven | Coún-cils || as | píl-lars | raíse | your | faíth.’ b

1.  The First Council (1) The first of the seven Councils is that assembled in Nicaea, with 318 holy fathers, during the reignc of the Emperor, Saint Constantine, against Arius, a priest from Alexandria, who said that only the Father is truly God, that the Son is a creature and something made, and that there was a time when He did not exist. (2) The Presidentsd of the Council were Metrophanes of Constantinople, Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch and Macarius of Jerusalem. They were joined by the legates of

a   For the often complicated history of the different ecumenical councils, cf. J. A. Munitiz, ‘Synoptic Byzantine Chronologies of the Councils’, REB 36, 1978, p. 193–218; notes here will be kept to the minimum. b   A Byzantine dodecasyllable verse is placed at the head of this chapter in both A and S, but not in B; cf. Prov 9: 1. c   In 325; Constantine, sole Emperor 324–337. d   The three manuscripts vary in the names given of those presiding: only B gives all three; A omits Metrophanes; S names Alexander as patriarch of Constantinople, but omits Alexander of Alexandria.

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Sylvester, the most holy Pope of Rome; another person present was Athanasius, Archdeacon of the Alexandrian Church. (3) These anathematized as enemies of the truth Arius and all those who sided with him, and, having drawn up the Creed, they correctly proclaimed as dogma of faith that the Son is co-essential with the Father. (4) At this Council there was also a discussion about the date of holy Easter: some said that it should be celebrated on that day of the first montha which happened to be the fourteenth day of the moon, because that was the date when the Jews were accustomed to celebrate the Pasch; but there was unanimity for the Council vote that the Resurrection feast should take place on the holy Sunday.

2.  The Second Council (1) The second Council is that assembled in Constantinople, with 150 holy fathers, during the reignb of the famous Emperor, Theodosius the Great. (2) The Presidents of the Council were Timothy of Alexandria, Meletius of Antioch and Cyril of Jerusalem. There were no Roman legates present. The Council fathers ordained one of the senators, Nectarius, as Patriarch of Constantinople. (3) This Council was brought together against Macedonius, the ‘war-on-the Spirit’ heretic, who had become Patriarch of Constantinople. He followed Arius in his blasphemies about the Son, and taught that the Spirit also is not God, but a creature and something made. (4) After the fathers had anathematized him and his unholy teachings, they confirmed the holy Creed, which is sung in all the churches, having added the final ending: ‘And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, and is adored and glorified along with the Father and the Son.’ All these In the calendar then being observed the year started in March. In 381; Theososius, Emperor 379–395.

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phrases make clear that the Holy Spirit is truly God and co-essential with the Father and the Son. (5) So it is that the holy Church of God, following the teachings of these two holy Councils, adores the co-essential [homoousion] Trinity, one God, one in being and nature, a unity in trinity and a trinity in unity, one kingship and power and godhead. (6) They also anathematized Sabellius: it was his belief that there is only one person, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Similarly they anathematized Apollinarius and those who agreed with him: these differ from the Arians in so far as the Arians believe the Lord’s body is completely without a soul, and teach that the divinity serves the purpose of a soul in Christ, whereas the Apollinarians teach that the Lord did adopt a soul, but one that had no mind. The holy Church of God disagrees: for her the Word, who is God and one Person of the Trinity, was joined to flesh, having a soul endowed with reason and mind. (7) At this Council precedence was given to the Pope of Rome, as has been customary from the beginning; but they allotted second place in rank to the Patriarch of Constantinople, so that the Patriarch of Alexandria came third, the Patriarch of Antioch fourth, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem fifth.

3.  The Third Council (1) The third Council is the first assembled in Ephesus, with 200 holy fathers, during the reigna of the Emperor Theodosius the Small, the son of Arcadius,b against Nestorius, the ‘man-adoring’ heretic and Patriarch of Constantinople; he said that holy Mary was not the God-bearer, because she did not give birth to a real God. a   In 431; Theodosius II, Emperor 408–450; described as the ‘first’ to be held in Ephesus to distinguish it from the ‘second’ or ‘Robber’ council of 449 presided over by Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria in an attempt to revalidate Eutyches and his monophysite teaching. b   Arcadius, Emperor 395–408.

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(2) The Presidents of the Council were Cyril of Alexandria, who also acted as representative for Celestine, the most holy Pope of Rome, and Juvenal of Jerusalem. As for John of Antioch, Cyril had him suspended from office by the bishops who were then present, on the pleas that his beliefs were not reliable. (3) It was this famous Cyril who in his letters advised Nestorius to confess Christ to be true God and man, and holy Mary to be the God-bearer, and not to think that the Word of God and the man born from Mary are two, the latter being called ‘Christ’ only because of his relation with the former. When he failed to convince him, he caused him to be suspended. (4) However,a it was after this sentence of suspension that John, the most holy Patriarch of Antioch, arrived. He found that the Council had taken place in his absence and was annoyed that while he, John, was not present, Nestorius had been suspended. So he collected the bishops who had come with him and published a sentence of suspension against St Cyril and also against Memnon of Ephesus, on the charge that they had held the Council illegally and contrary to the law of the Church. (5) Under these conditions the two groups, the bishops of the Eastern Provinces and those who supported the blessed Cyril, departed from the city of Ephesus; the rift between them was very wide. However, after this, thanks to the Emperor’s great efforts in favour of unity, they were reconciled with one another.

4.  The Fourth Council (1) The Fourth Council is that assembled in Chalcedon, with 630 holy fathers, during the reignb of Marcian of blessed memory.c

For this and the following paragraph, cf. George the Monk, p. 607, 8–22; In 451; Marcian Emperor 450–457. c   The Benaki manuscript (B) adds, ‘the most devout emperor, and of his wife, Pulcheria.’ a  

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(2) The Presidents of the Council were Anatolius of Constantinople, Maximus of Antioch and Juvenal of Jerusalem. Legates from Rome were also present. (3) The Council was against Eutyches, the ‘demented’ heretic, who raved about a single nature in Christ and a single will, and also against Dioscorus of Alexandria. The fathers ratified the suspension of Nestorius and accepted the ‘Letter’ of St Leo, the Pope of Rome, as a ‘monument’a of orthodoxy. (4) The fathers themselves promulgated a statement of faithb in which they confess their belief in ‘the one enfleshed nature of God the Word’,c using the phrase of the most holy Cyril. This was in reply to Eutyches’ ravings about two natures of Christ before the union and one after the union. The fathers believe in a single Person, who is both God and man, co-essential with the Father in virtue of His divinity, and co-essential with ourselves in virtue of His humanity. They also proclaimed as God-bearer the holy Virgin Mary, insisting that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is one and the same Person: He has two natures and wills, without confusion, without change, without division. (5) This holy Council accepted in its turn, and ratified the teachings of the three holy Councils that had preceded it.

This word (στήλη in the Greek) is to be found in the Council’s ‘Definition of faith’ (Tanner, vol. 1, p. 85, 42); the ‘Letter’, known as the ‘Tome’ of Leo, was sent to Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople. b   cf. the Definition of Faith (Tanner, vol. 1, p. 86, 10–43); however, the claim that this included Cyril’s famous phrase is incorrect, and at the next Council of 553 Canon 8 recommended caution in its interpretation (Tanner, vol. 1, p. 117, 36–118, 20); see further J. A. McGuckin, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy, Leiden-New York, 1994, p. 207–212. c   cf. Lampe, s.v. ϕύσις IV C; Cyril of Alexandria, Epist. 45 (ACO 1, 1, 6, p. 153, 24). a  

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5. The Fifth Council (1) After these four Councils,a the fifth holy Council assembled during the reignb of Justinian of blessed memory.c (2) The Presidents of the Council were Eutychios of Constantinople, Apollinarius of Alexandria, Domnus of Antioch and Eustochius of Jerusalem. The most holy Pope of Rome, Vigilius, was not present at the Council, nor did he have any legates at it, but he agreed with all that happened there. (3) This holy Council anathematized Origen with his ‘Chapters’, and similarly Didymus and Evagrius, Theodore of Mopsuestia, the writings of Theodoret against St Cyril, and the ‘Letter’ of Ibas.

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(1) Many years later the sixth holy and ecumenical Council assembled at Constantinople during the reignd of the devout Emperor, the new Constantine.e (2) The Presidents of the Council were George of Constantinople and Theophanes of Antioch, who was ordained by the Council itself. The sees of Alexandria and Jerusalem were vacant at the time because the Muslimsf held those provinces. However, there were legates and representativesg from both places at the Council. Also the most holy Pope of Rome sent personal representatives and legates for it. From this point to the end of § 6 in the account of the next Council, cf. Anastasios of Sinai, Epitome (ed. Pitra, IEGM II, p. 264, 265, 270). b   In 553; Justinian I, Emperor 527–565. c   There is an addition in B: ‘who was also the builder of Hagia Sophia’. d   In 680–681; Constantine IV, Emperor 668–685. e   An additional phrase in B notes that this was ‘the father of Justinian’, viz. Justinian II, Emperor 685–690 and 705–711. f   Called the ‘Hagarenes’ in the Greek. g   The term apokrisiarios (from the Latin responsalis) denotes an ecclesiastical representative. a  

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(3) Once it had assembled this Council anathematized Honorius, the Pope of Rome, Sergios, Pyrrhus, Paul and Peter, heads of the church of Constantinople, Cyrus of Alexandria and Theodore of Pharas. Along with them they anathematized Makarius of Antioch, Stephen (his disciple) and Polychronius: these were inventors of vain doctrines and during many years they were committed partisans of the impious monothelete teaching. It was during this period that Martin, the most holy Pope of Rome summoned a local synod and anathematized the monotheletes; he had to battle for the immortal crown. After him there was also Maximus, the saintly confessor, who because of his struggles on behalf of the holy dogmas of faith had his tongue and right hand amputated; Maximus and two of his disciples were exiled to Lazica.a (4) Present at the Council were 168 holy fathers, and in addition those sent by Agathon, the most holy Pope of Rome, 124 in number. (5) All of these, together with the most devout Emperor Constantine, confirmed dogmatically and canonically the Definition and statement of the true faith:b there are two natures of the single person of he Holy Trinity who became incarnate, Christ, our God. One nature is from before time, eternal, co-essential with the Father; the other nature is that assumed in the last timesc from the holy Virgin out of His ineffable loving kindness and goodness. Undergoing no mingling, combination, split or division, rather He is One, remaining what He always was, the sole begotten Son, the Word from before time: incarnated, not changed. In the same way there are two energies, I mean the divine and the human. Thus everything can be explained correctly, because each form is active in communion with the other. And there are two wills, not opposing and obstructing each other, but the human will agreeing with the divine, almighty will. Had the divine Word not assumed a manhood which lacks nothing at His descent, sala   Modern-day Abkhazia, on the East coast of the Black Sea; cf. P. Allen and B. Neil (eds), Maximus the Confessor: Documents from Exile, Oxford (NY), 2002. b   cf. Tanner, vol. 1, p. 127, 18–130, 2, for the Definition; Theognostos gives only a brief summary. c   cf. Heb 1: 2.

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vation would have been illusory. But the Lord did indeed assume a manhood endowed with will and perfect in all things, as we have said, one not enslaved in any way by sin, but equipped with all that by nature is innocent, as is made clear by saying that He is ‘innocent’. God, incarnate as man, came forth perfect. He possesses in Himself the two natures, each with its own natural properties. In consequence, it is completely acceptable to believe and teach that there are two wills and energies in this Saviour of ours, just as there are two natures. (6) Such is the Definition of the holy Sixth Council. It also declared that it agreed with the preceding five sacred Councils, that it rejected and anathematized what they rejected, and it adopted what they had accepted. The Council added to its Acts the Synodical Letter of Sophronius,a the most holy Patriarch of Jerusalem. (7) The same holy fathers also published their Canon 82b concerning the sacred symbols of the present dispensation of our salvation. The text reads as follows: In some pictures shown on revered icons a lamb is represented, being pointed to by the Forerunner,c which has been taken to be an exemplar of grace, because it suggests to usd the true Lamb, Christ our God. So theye have handed down to the Church the ancient exemplars and shadows to serve as symbols and preliminary sketches of the truth. While we welcome them, we prefer the grace and the truth, which is the fulfilment of the Law (Rom 13: 10). In order, therefore, that what is perfect be represented before the eyes of all also in painted works, we stipulate that the human aspect of Christ our a   cf. P. Allen, Sophronius of Jerusalem, Oxford (NY), 2009, p. 66–156; the Letter was written in 634 and initially rejected by both Sergios, Patriarch of Constantinople, and by Pope Honorius in Rome (loc. cit. p. 50). b   This famous Canon was promulgated by the Quinisext Council (or Council in Trullo), held in 692 to provide the practical norms lacking in the previous two Councils; cf. G. Nedungatt and M. Featherstone, The Council in Trullo Revisited, Roma, 1995; the text of Canon 82 (with Latin and English translations), p. 162–164. c   John the Baptist. d   The text of the Canon adds ‘through the Law’ (διὰ νόμου). e   The reading of B must be accepted here as correct, even if both A and S give the first person plural, ‘we have handed down’; the text of the Canon reads ‘handed down by [? for] the Church]’ (τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ παραδεδομένους).

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God should be delineateda as that of the One who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1: 29), instead of the lamb of old. In this way all will be led to meditate on the sublimity of the humiliation of the Word of God and reminded of His life in the flesh, of His passion and salvific death, and of the redemption which came from there for the world.

7.  The Seventh Councilb (1) The seventh Council took place in Nicaeac in Bithynia, with 350 holy fathers assembled during the reignd of Constantine and his mother Irene. (2) The Presidents of the Council were Peter,e priest and higoumenos of the Monastery of St Sabas,f who represented Hadrian, the Pope of Rome, Tarasius of Constantinople, John and Thomas, priests and legates for the Apostolic Sees of the Eastern diocese,g namely for Politian of Alexandria, Theodoret of Antioch, and Elias of Jerusalem. (3) It was called against the impiously named ‘Seventh council’,h which had been illegally summoned earlier by Constantine,i Emperor at that time,j to insult and reject the venerated icons, and The Canon adds ‘from now onwards’ (ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν). cf. J. A. Munitiz, ‘Synoptic Greek Accounts of the Seventh Council’, REB 32, 1974, p. 147–186, in particular p. 162–166; George the Monk, p. 769–770. c   The place name has dropped out of A and S, but appears in B. d   In 787; Irene, Empress 780–802, shared the throne at times with her son Constantine VI (born 771; Emperor 780–797). e   Only one Peter is mentioned here though two (one a priest, the other the higoumenos) were present as papal legates. f   The Roman monastery of St Sabas on the Aventine, as distinct from that near Jerusalem; the spelling with one ‘b’ is more common though B has added an extra ‘b’, which is also found in A. g   The word ‘diocese’ here indicates an area of political administration rather than ecclesiastical. h   Council of Hieria, 754; no patriarchs were present and the bishops simply endorsed the Emperor’s theology against the veneration of icons. i   The derogatory epithet ‘Copronymus’ (‘Dung-named’) is added in B. j   Constantine V, Emperor 740–775; no patriarchs were present. a  

b  

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which had slanderously affirmed that Christians prostrate before these as if they were gods. (4) The Council anathematized the leaders of that council, Theodosius of Ephesus, Sisinius of Perge, nick-named ‘Pastillas’,a and Basil of Antioch in Pisidia, called ‘Trikakkabos’.b It restored the cult of the revered icons, which has been traditional in the Church from the beginning, by decreeing that obeisance should be made to them similar to that made to the Cross.

8.  Canons: a Selection

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(1) If any bishop is ordainedc or ordains others through bribery, let him and those ordained by him be suspended from office. He has had the effrontery to degrade as commerce a grace that cannot be bought and sold. Those who defend him should be excommunicated and anathematized. (2) If any bishop acquires his rankd through bribery, and similarly any priest or deacon, let the person ordaining and the person ordained be suspended from office, and let each be separated completely from the community, as was Simon Magus, by me, Peter (Acts 8: 20–24).e (3) If any bishop acquires controlf over a church by his influence with the civil authorities, let him be suspended and excommunicated; similarly all who are in communion with him.

The exact meaning of this nickname is not known: perhaps ‘Lozenge’, from late Latin. b   Meaning again uncertain: perhaps ‘Three-legged cauldron’, making fun of his figure. c   Canon 1: cf. Conc. Chalc., Canon 2 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 70–71). d   Canon 2: cf. SS. Apost. Canon 29, Const. Apost. VIII, 47, 29 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 21; ed. Funk I, p. 572). e   The reference to Acts is clear, even if these exact words are not to be found there. f   Canon 3: cf. SS. Apost. Canon 30, Const. Apost. VIII, 47, 30 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 21; ed. Funk I, p. 572). a  

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(4) For the ordination or suspension of a bishop,a three bishops are required. (5) We decree that deacons [Levites]b should be at least twentyfive years old, and priests at least thirty. If they are discovered to be under the stipulated age, those so ordained should be suspended from office. The person who ordained shall be liable to penance of the same class. (6) Anyone ordainedc should enjoy a good reputation among outsiders. We have been commanded by the Apostle, ‘Do not ordain anyone hastily,’ that is without careful examination, and thus ‘participate in the sins of others’ (1 Tim 5: 22). (7) Any layman who commits physical injuryd to a priest should be anathematized; if he is a cleric, let him be excommunicated. The story is tolde of St Leo, the Pope of Rome, that while earnestly entreating God to be informed in this life concerning the forgiveness of his own personal sins, Peter, the leader of the Apostles, came to him saying, ‘God has forgiven you all your other sins, but on the last day you will be called to account for the priests you have ordained.’ (8) No church or monasteryf should be founded against the wishes of the local bishop. Moreover, the founder of a monastery does not have authority over it, nor the right to become its higoumenos or to appoint whom he pleases. Once the monastery has been consecrated to God, it is free. The higoumenos there will be appointed by the local bishop. (9) A person who wishes to approach God via the monastic g life should neither be requested for a donation to the monastery, nor himself give one, but let him be trained in Christ-like obedi-

a   Canon 4: cf. SS. Apost. Canon 1, Const. Apost. VII, 47, 1 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 8; ed. Funk I, p. 564). b   Canon 5: cf. Syn. Neocaes., Canon 11 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 80). c   Canon 6: cf. Conc. Trull., Canon 14, 15 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 143–144. d   Canon 7: cf. SS. Apost. Poenae pro lapsis 3, 4 (ed. Funk II, p. 154–155). e   This story comes from John Moschus, Prat. sp. 149 (PG 87 [3], 3013B–C); although placed after Canon 7 it refers to Canon 6. f   Canon 8: cf. Syn. CP (861), Canon 1 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 447–449). g   Canon 9: cf. Syn. Nic. II, Canon 19 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 277–279).

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ence. Otherwise both are to be excommunicated, the giver and the receiver. (10) The holy Council decreed that no one should be admitteda to monastic clothing except in the presence of the spiritual man who is to accept him under his obedience. If anyone is detected conferring the tonsure on a person who is not subject to any authority, the ruling is that he be suspended from office for his disobedience against the sacred canons, and that the person tonsured be entrusted by the local bishop to submission and a monastery. (11) Anybody in charge of a monastery who fails to show great diligence in seeking out and bringing backb those monks under his jurisdiction who have run away, or who does not take care of them by applying a remedy appropriate to the misdemeanour, is to be excommunicated, according to the holy Council’s decree, as heartless and devoid of brotherly love. (12) If anyone is found to have a womanc (slave or free) in the bishop’s residence or in a monastery, supposedly for domestic service, let him be censured; if he persists, let him be suspended from office. (13) No monkd should sleep in a nuns’ convent, nor any nun in a male religious community. Let the offender be excommunicated. (14) No bishop has authority and permission to alienatee anything belonging to the bishop’s residence, nor the higoumenos for the property of a monastery. Moreover they may not dispose of them as if they were private possessions, sending them to their relatives. Should any attempt be made to do so, the transaction will be null and void, the property alienated will be returned, and the persons responsible for the donation are to be punished for damages. If anyone pleads the poverty of his relatives in justification, let him put them on a par with the common poor.

Canon 10: cf. Syn. CP (861), Canon 2 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 450–451). Canon 11: cf. Syn. CP (861), Canon 3 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 452–453). c   Canon 12: cf. Syn. Nic. II, Canon 18 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 276–277). d   Canon 13: cf. Conc. Trull., Canon 47 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 195–186). e   Canon 14: cf. Syn. Nic. II, Canon 12 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 266–268). a  

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(15) If someone is dyinga and has not completed the term appointed by the canons for his excommunication, the Council fathers decree in their benevolence that he be given the sacred species, and not be sent forth on the final great journey deprived of such a viaticum. If he returns again to life, after partaking of the divine mysteries, let him continue to the end of the appointed period of censure in which he was before. (16) Any cleric found fastingb on a Sunday or a Saturday, except for the Great Saturday of Holy Week, is to be suspended from office, and any layman is to be excommunicated. (17) Any bishop, priest, deacon, lector or cantor, who fails to fastc during the holy period of Lent, and on both Wednesdays and Fridays, is to be suspended from office, and any layman is to be excommunicated; but those impeded by physical illness are exempt.d (18) Any member of a religious communitye who (without being physically obliged) is arrogant and infringes the fastingrules traditionally handed down in common and observed by the Church, is to be anathematized.

9. Extract from the Constitutions of the Apostlesf (1) The feasts of the Lord are to be observed: first, the Nativity; second, the Epiphany. Next come the forty days of fasting, when you are to remember Our Lord’s life and lawgiving. After that, having fasted until the raising of Lazarus (raised to life by the a   Canon 15: cf. Gregory of Nyssa, Canon 5, Epist. ad Letoion (ed. Joannou II, p. 220). b   Canon 16: cf. SS. Apost. Canon 64, Const. Apost. VIII, 47, 64 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 41; ed. Funk I, p. 582–584). c   Canon 17: cf. SS. Apost. Canon 69, Const. Apost. VIII, 47, 69 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 43; ed. Funk I, p. 585). d   The leading manuscript, A, omits this canon. e   Canon 18: cf. Syn. Gang., Canon 19 (ed. Joannou I, 2, p. 97). f   cf. Const. Apost. Frag. Anast. 9 (ed. Funk II, p. 58–61); Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 64 flor. (PG 89, 664–665), which has no relation with the authentic Anastasian question-and-answer dealing with fasting, Qu. 51 (CCSG 59, p. 104– 105; CCT 7, p. 165).

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Lord after four days in the grave), start the Holy Week of the Pasch, fasting because of the crime of the Jews. The Lord commanded us to grieve over them at their destruction, just as He himself wept over them.a (2) While you fast, partake of bread and vegetables during those days, and drink water (they are really days of sorrow and not of gladnessb), keeping vigil and singing psalms and praying. Each may eat in the evening to keep up one’s strength. (3) Then with the Lord’s Resurrection let your joy begin at cock-crow of holy Easter Sunday: Jesus Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, has risen from the dead! This will be our eternal precept until the end of the world.c (4) After a festal period of fifty days and the week of Pentecost begin to fast once more. It is right to rejoice at the liberality of God, and then to fast after a period of relaxation. Both Moses and Elias fasted for forty days, and Daniel had not eaten food of desire during three weeks, and no meat or wine had entered his mouth (Dan 10: 2–3). (5) After this fast, we stipulate that you fast every Wednesday and Friday, and distribute to the poor whatever surplus you may have as a result of your fasting. Wednesday is to be observed because it was on a Wednesday that the plot to betray the Lord was hatched by the Jews. As for Friday, it was on that day that the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2: 8) was nailed to the Cross.d (6) Every Saturday and Sunday, rejoice as you meet together in celebration. Anyone who fasts on a Sunday or a Saturday (except for the Great Saturday of Holy Week), or at Pentecost, or in general on any of the Lord’s feasts is committing a sin, because on those days it is our duty to rejoice.

cf. Luke 19: 41 cf. Mt 9: 15; c   cf. Exod 12: 24. d   cf. John 19: 14; Mark 15: 42; Luke 23: 54. a  

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10. Extract from St Athanasiusa (1) Never neglect the Lord’s fast (that is, Wednesday and Friday), unless you are under the burden of some illness, except for the days of Pentecost and the Epiphany. (2) The fast of Wednesdays and Fridays should last until the ninthb hour; (3) if you extend it further, it is a free choice. (4) If you have a visit from any of the brethren on those days, set a meal for him alone. Do not urge him if he declines it, (5) even though on other days it is a good thing to urge a guest to eat, just as Lot did when he urged the angels.c (6) Obeisance should also be given to any of the brethren, the obeisance being offered not to him but to God; as it is written, ‘You have seen your brother, you have seen your God.’ d (7) Never disdain to humbly wash the feet of anyone who visits you. Those who contravene this law will be called to account, even though they be civil rulers or bishops. He who is Lord of all washed the feet of His disciples and instructed them to do the same.e The instructions He gave them apply to all who believe in Him. (8) By no means whatsoever let any one deceive you into fasting on a Sunday, nor into kneeling on a Sunday or during Pentecost. This is not the custom of the Church. (If anyone fasts on Sunday or Saturday – except for the Great Saturday – he is a murderer of Christ. Christ was betrayed on a Wednesday and was crucified on a Friday; anyone who breaks with the custom for these days is joining in the betrayal of the Lord and in His crucifixion.)f

a   cf.  Ps.-Athanasius, Syntagma doct. ad monachos [CPG 2264] (PG 28, 837C8–840; ed. P. Batiffol, Studia Patristica, p. 123–124). b   In a twelve hour ‘day’ beginning at sunrise, the ‘ninth’ hour would be midafternoon, cf. B. Croke, ‘Hour’, ODB, p. 952. c   cf. Gen 19: 1–3. d   cf. Mt 25: 39–40. e   cf. John 13: 5, 14, f   The final lines in brackets have been added from the Hist. Monachorum [CPG 5620] VIII, 58 (ed. E. Preuschen p. 48, 21–24; ed. Festugière, p. 69).

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11. A Storya

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Once the great Pachomios happened to meet a funeral coming along the street, and he saw that two angels were following the dead man behind the hearse. He went up to them and asked them, ‘Who are you?’ – ‘We are angels of God,’ they replied, ‘one for Wednesday and the other for Friday. The man here fasted without fail every Wednesday and Friday until the day of his death. That is why we also have accompanied his funeral; by his fasting he came to a good end and his soul has been glorified in the Lord.’

12.  Isidore: ‘Christ in the Tomb’ b How should one envisage the three-day stay of the Lord in the tomb? He was crucified at the sixth hour on Friday; from then until the ninth hour, there was darkness. I would like you to think of this period as a ‘night’. After the ninth hour there was light: this again is a ‘day’. The night of Friday; the day of Saturday. The night of Great Saturday; the dawn of Sunday. Behold, there are three full days!

13.  Dorotheos: ‘On Lent’c (1) God instructed the Israelites by the Law to pay tithesd each year on all they possessed. When they did so, they were blessed in their labours. The holy Apostles were aware of this rule, so for the help BHG 1401 n, nb; cf. S. Pachomii Vita tertia, cf. 158 (ed. F. Halkin, p. 364–365). cf. Isidore of Pelousion, Epist. I, 114 [CPG 5557] (PG 78, 260A1–B3); Gregory of Nyssa, De tridui spatio [CPG 3175] (PG 46, 612–613; ed. Gebhardt, Opera IX, p. 288–289). For the ‘hours’ (the ‘sixth’ hour being noon, and the ‘ninth’ mid-afternoon), cf. note on the previous extract. c   cf.  Dorotheos, Doctr. XV (PG 88, 1788–1789; SC 92, p.  447–478); the Benaki manuscript (B) omits the whole of this passage; on Lent, cf. R. F. Taft, ‘Lent’, ODB 1205–1206. d   cf. Deut 14: 22–29. a  

b  

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and advantage of our souls they arranged that we should continue the tradition, but in a better and more profound way. We were to pay tithes on the days themselves of our lives. These were to be consecrated in a way to God, and so we would be blessed in our labours and receive mercy each year for the sins of the whole year. (2) After careful examination they declared holy for our benefit these seven weeks of fasting out of the 365 days in the year. However, later the Fathers agreed to add before this period one other week, the ‘Cheese-fare Week’, for two reasons: those about to start the trial of fasting would be in training for it; and at the same time they would honour by the number the Forty-days when Our Lord fasted, because eight weeks, if you subtract the Saturdays and Sundays, give forty days. The fast of the great Saturday in Holy Week is honoured apart, as it is the most sacred of fasts and the only one of all the Saturdays of the year. (3) But the seven weeks, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, give thirty five days. Now if you add the fast of the Holy Saturday and the half day made up by the glorious, illuminating,a night, the total comes to thirty-six-and-a-half days. This is most exactly one tenth of the 365 days of the year: the tenth of 300 is 30, of 60 is 6, and of 5 is one half: there you have the thirty-six-and-a-half that we mentioned. This is the ‘tithe’, so to speak, of the days in the year, which the holy Apostles declared to be sanctified for us for the purpose of repentance, a period of purification from the sins of the whole year. (4) Blessed is anyone who behaves properly and as one should in the observance of these holy days given us by God to meditate on the salvation of our souls! By zeal and self-purification and humility it is possible to become free from the burden of personal sins, and with a blend of awe and joy to approach in purity the holy mysteries and receive them without fear of condemnation, praising the risen Lord in thanksgiving. The joyful rejoicing of spirit continues as one celebrates before God all the holy period of The sense is probably baptismal as baptism is frequently termed ‘illumination’ (ϕωτισμός) and the conferring of the sacrament originally occurred during the night service. a  

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Pentecost. Pentecost is truly the soul’s resurrection, and in sign of this we do not bend the kneea at the church services during that time.

14.  ‘On Good Conduct’ b

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Fear of the Lord is the summary and source of all goodness. Faith is the foundation on which the building of good works can be based; the construction rises by means of humility, which provides security and solidity, and by means of love. Self-control, alms-giving, and tearful prayer complete the transformation of a human being into an angel. The process is helped if one lives at peace with all, and if one prays for, and accepts, the good and advantage of one and all.

cf. Syn. Nic. I, Canon 20 (ed. Joannou I, 1, p. 41). This extract may be based on an exhortation drawing indirectly on Evagrius Ponticus, Traité pratique 81 (SC 171, p.  670–671) or Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 1, p. 1. In the Benaki manuscript it is headed ‘On faith and truth’, and placed very appropriately at the start of the next chapter when a new section of the Treasury begins. a  

b  

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Chapter XV that a Christian Should not Fear Death, but Rather Prepare for it by Repentance and Confession

1. (1) ‘There is only one death, namely sin, for sin spells disaster for the soul.’a This so-called ‘death’, which affects the body, is dreadful by repute, but not in reality. But we all run the risk of doing something silly: without any qualms we offend God by sin, but we are terrified of this physical dying. The truth is, nothing that affects human beings is to be feared except sin alone: no poverty, no illness, no insult, no dishonour, no abuse, not death itself for those who know how to think straight. The real catastrophe is to arouse God’s anger, the One who made us, preserves us, and blesses us. (2) Why are you afraid of death? Tell me! Can it be because death swiftly removes you from the troubles and alarms of life and transports you to the existence that is trouble-free? Why do you lament for the person who emerges from the squalls of this world into the peaceful harbour, where you also will journey before long? Was the person a sinner? Be glad that his or her sinning has been cut short and that death has halted the evil-doing. Glorify the One who snatched them away before they could sink down into the Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 18 (PG 35, 1041A14–15); cf. Matt. 10: 28.

a  

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abyss of great evils. On the other hand, were they just? All the more should you give thanks to the Lord, because He has taken them in trust into eternal rest. It is only for sin that you should lament and weep. That is the death of the eternal soul, a death that darkens and befouls a beauty made in God’s image. For sin, all tears should flow and you should never stop groaning from the depths of your heart! But in the case of one who goes to sleep in the Lord, we would recommend only a sigh and a brief tear out of physical compassion. These should suffice to prevent giving his relatives the impression that we are heartless. There should be no paroxysm of bitter lamentation, like those who have no hope (1 Thess 4: 13) of a resurrection. (3) Do you not see how gently Christ weepsa over Lazarus? Here also, as in all His acts, He is teaching us by His own example. We are to be moderate in our tears for the dead. We are not to exceed propriety in our signs of grief. One of the saintsb says, ‘The reason why Christ weeps over Lazarus is that He was about to raise him up, and not because he had died.’ He is almost saying to the sisters of Lazarus, ‘It is because you are in such grief that I am forced to bring Lazarus back from his peaceful harbour, resuscitating him once more to this laborious, tempestuous life, bringing him from his rest to trials, labours and temptations.’ As Job says, Death is a rest for a man (Job 3: 23). Rather, Christ weeps over the corruption which has come upon nature by sin, and because disobedience has endowed us with death in place of immortality, a death we foolishly chose by our carelessness. (4) So it is our duty to act as we have been taught. What does the Wise man say?

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Weep over a corpse, for that person has left the light; weep over a fool, for understandingc has left the fool. Weep little for the corpse, because that person has gone to rest, but the life of a foolish person is a sorry plight beyond death. (Sirach 22: 11) cf. John 11: 35. This saint remains unidentified so far. c   Perhaps here the nominative σύνεσις is a scribal error as the Biblical text reads, ‘for the fool has left understanding (σύνεσιν) behind.’ a  

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My brother, never cease to regret your faults as much a you can, in order to restore the purity of your holy baptism. In the course of our lives we have sullied by our sins that which we received as babes. And if, through God’s mercy and grace you have abundant tears to shed, then weep for all those in suffering, join with genuine love in the sorrows of your neighbours and encourage them. This is the injunction given us by the Apostle, Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Rom 12: 15). In this way we make our own the feelings of our neighbours. (5) However, death is an inescapable necessity for all. You should not fear nor sorrow for that, indulging in useless great lamentations. Rather prepare yourself constantly for the great journey. Sow that you may reap, relaxing no effort while you have the opportunity (no one knows when the end will come). Bargain energetically for your own salvation, ‘as long as the market is under way’,a and dedicate yourself to holy works pleasing to God. Prepare yourself like a wise person for the departure, and strive to win God’s good pleasure and to make your peace with Him on this earth before the end comes. Do not be sad because at God’s command you will surely taste death after a short while. Show a long face only over the sins you have committed. So you will be set free from them here below and will be clean when you depart for the next life. (6) Surely you know that those who live without faith and in the midst of sins are dead before death comes to them? On the contrary, those who keep the faith and live in piety and virtue are alive even though they die. This is not just one of my thoughts: it belongs to Christ when He says to Mary, ‘Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live’ (Jn 11: 25).b Ever since Christ was among the dead, death for the faithful is only a falling asleep that transports them to the other life. Can what we believe be a myth? If you are a Christian and you believe in Christ, show me your faith (Jas 2: 18) by your deeds! How will you show it? By your cf. Πανήγυριν νόμιζε τόνδε τὸν βίον. / Ἢν πραγματεύσῃ, κέρδος, Gregory of Nazianzus, Carm. moralia I, 2, 33 (PG 37, 930); cf. ch. XVII A2. b   In John’s text the words are addressed not to Mary, but to her sister, Martha! a  

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contempt for death. If you fear death, you are no different from those who do not believe. These unbelievers fear and quake as though on the point of being dispatched to hell, because they are ignorant. But in your case, that of someone who journeys along a better road, holding fast to the hope of the resurrection, of the kingdom of heaven and of eternal life, what excuse can there be for you, when you are confident of the resurrection, to fear death like the unbelievers? (7) Would you like me, my friend, to explain to you why we are afraid of death? The reason is that we fail to live properly as befits Christians. We do not long for the kingdom of heaven, and are not afraid of hell, otherwise we would despise all things without effort, even death itself. As it is, we have this childish fear and terror of death, and we have no thought for the sin gnawing at our consciences. Such a state of affairs is due not to the nature of things, but to our own folly. If we were to reflect on the nature of death, we would never feel fear of it. (8) So what, then, is death? Death is the same as stripping off a garment.a The body enfolds the soul just like a garment. We doff it for a short time, when the end comes; then we shall don a brighter garment once more at the generalb resurrection of the dead. What else is death? A temporary exile, a sleep that lasts longer than usual. So if you are afraid of death, you should fear sleep too. Moreover, if you feel sorrow at people dying, you should feel sorrow at people being born. The one is as much a thing of nature as the other. It follows as a natural consequence. Being yourself subject to corruption, then of course the son you engender is subject to corruption. What is surprising if the corruptible has died, drinking from the

This ‘Platonic’ notion of the body as a garment recurs later, ch. XV 2, § 12, where some patristic references are given in the notes. b   The main manuscript A (Iviron 517, XVI c.) omits the rest of this paragraph and a large portion of the next; perhaps the scribe mistakenly turned two pages instead of one from the manuscript he was copying; fortunately there are several other witnesses available for this section (B, L, S, and V). a  

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common cup?a Do not be sad at what is natural, but at the results of evil choice. Mourn not over the one who dies, but over that other who lives in sin. As somebodyb said, ‘What we especially lament, and the reason why we fear death, is the chance that in the next life we shall be impeded by the mass of our sins and fail to win a place in the heavenly kingdom, consigned instead to eternal punishment in hell.’ (9) So cease to lament over death, and lament over your sins, in order to do away with them and abandon them. That is the purpose for which sorrow exists. It is not there to allow us to feel pain over some financial loss, or over a death, or any other of the apparent disasters, but that we may use it to eradicate our sins. To demonstrate the truth of what I say let me propose a parallel: medicines are to be used as cures only for those ailments they can remedy, but never for other ailments that are not cured by them. So for example, a medicine that can cure eye ailments, but no other sickness, may justly be said to exist simply and solely as a cure for the eyes – it is not for the stomach, or for the hands, or for any other limb. The same holds for other cures and ailments. We can apply this line of reasoning to sorrow: we find that it is beneficial simply and solely for the correction of sin, and not for anything else that may happen to us. Sorrow then, as I have said, exists just for the eradication of sin. Has somebody been fined? The financial loss will not be remedied by anguish. Somebody has lost a son? No help will be brought by aching, nor will the dead son be brought back to life by the father’s sorrow. Has somebodyc been flogged or insulted or beaten? The insult will not be made good by feeling sorry. Has somebody contracted some dreadful sickness? The ailment will not be cured by being downcast. It will only get worse! But suppose someone has sinned, and then felt sorrow: the sin is On the ‘cup of death’, cf. R. Stichel, Studien zum Verhältnis von Text und Bild spät- und nachbyzantinischer Vergänglichkeitsdarstellungen: die Anfangsminiaturen von Psalterhandschriften des 14. Jahrhunderts, ihre Herkunft, Bedeutung und ihr Weiterleben in der griechischen und russischen Kunst und Literatur, Vienna, 1971, p. 42ff. b   Not identified so far. c   The manuscript A resumes at this point. a  

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wiped out: there has been sorrow for the transgression. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation that brings no regret (2 Cor 7: 10). We ought therefore never feel pain over any pecuniary loss, but only over our sins. Then the profit from our sorrow will be great and the judge will be placated by our tears. Have you been fined? Do not lose heart, since that will do you no good! Have you committed a sin? Feel sorrow and continue in sadness, so you may win God’s mercy! (10) Now consider God’s wisdom. Sin brought forth a double progeny for us, sorrow and death, and thanks to these, sin is abolished once more. Just as worms born from the wood of a tree devour it, or moths gobble up the wool from which they have their origin, so sorrow and death are born through sin and eats it up. The fact that along with sorrow, death also can obliterate sin, is clear from the martyrs. It is clear also from Paul’s words to sinners, ‘For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died’ (1 Cor 11: 30). ‘Because you sin,’ he says, ‘that is why you also die.’ Death is the eraser of sin, especially, indeed, if it is painful and violent.a That is the way many are purified, and as if they received at this moment of death temporary punishment, they proceed to the other life pure from their sins. On the other hand, many illnesses in our lives are an offspring, of our sins. As Christ said to the paralytic, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you’ (Jn 5: 14). But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged (1 Cor 11: 31). This means that if we were to correct our failings by our repentance, we would not undergo the illnesses and deaths that we so dislike. Admittedly many of our ailments also come from luxurious living and an unwholesome diet: gout and paralysis of the limbs can be brought on by gargantuan eating, iced drinks, and an excess of sexual intercourse. But most illnesses have their origin partly in our sins. However, it is not only our bodily ailments that are bred, like a viper’s brood, from sin. Many other trials come because we refuse a   This reflection on painful deaths may be indebted to the erotapokriseis of Anastasios of Sinai: cf. Q Q 29 and 30 (CCSG 59, p. 77–82; CCT 7, p. 128–132), but perhaps using the version elaborated by Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 18 (PG 89, 500B–504B); cf. also Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 71 (PG 28, 637D–640B).

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to be moderate and to convert ourselves humbly under the mighty hand of God (1 Pet 5: 6). (11) God disciplines, however, not all sinners, but rather those He loves (Heb 12: 6).a and wishes to advance. So in one case he brings about an improvement of conduct, in another a rejection of sinfulness, so that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Cor 11: 32) in the next life. There is a great variety in the types of scourges that His providence brings upon us. One person is allocated a sickness, another extreme hunger, one may suffer outrage or fines. Some are mocked publicly, or may suffer calumny for things of which they innocent and have to go far away because of the bitter tongue of false witnesses. Others may have to watch one after the other the deaths of those they love. (12) In all such trials, the right thing to do is simply to turn to God for refuge, and implore Him for the remedy to our ills. We are not to blame the evil on others, but only on our own faults. We are to bear such trials gratefully and cry out, ‘I will endure the wrath of the Lord, because I sinned against him’ (Mic 7: 9). So we should await the passing of the trial with patience. Just as the goldsmith, who puts gold into a furnace know up to what point it should be exposed to the heat and then removed, so also God is accustomed to deal with those He disciplines for their good in this life. However, those who fall into sin and are not punished ought to feel much greater fear and trembling. If they are not converted and repudiate their evil ways, they are to be allocated to eternal punishment. The patience and forbearance of God have become for them in their wickedness an invitation to hell. (13) Good men also have to suffer the infliction of the trials we have mentioned. Sometimes, as in the case of Job, this is to test them, at others it is for them to increase their rewards by their patience, and to make their crowns even more glorious. These trials do not come upon us as they do upon sinners. God sends them out of His kindness and bounty. They are for our self-control and improvement. God does not hate or reject (for how could the supremely Good feel disgust for His own creature?). He chastises cf. Prov 3: 12.

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out of love for us, and because He is opposed to all wickedness. He is like the doctor who pits himself completely against the sickness, not against the patient, as he works for a cure in the most appropriate manner. In this way, even the faults of good men often occur for their good, according to the divine plan. God sometimes permits them to stumble as a remedy for an upsurge of pride. An example is the fall of Peter. With the withdrawal of grace, one is punished in a moderate way. (14) Very often the deaths of young children born to believers are for the moral betterment of their parents. As God says by the prophet Jeremiah, referring to the stubbornness of Israel, ‘In vain I have struck your children; you would not accept discipline’ (Jer 2: 30). By these deaths God is striving to bring about a double benefit: first, that the children may depart in purity and find their salvation in the next world (because it is possible that they were going to lead bad lives and so God, in His providence, acted kindly by snatching them away); secondly, that in this way the parents might grow in virtue, when they see their innocent children suffering premature deaths, and distribute among the poor for their own salvation, the money that otherwise was to be bequeathed to the children. So the latter suffered no harm by their deaths, as they departed straight to the bosom of Abraham, and the parents, if they so wanted, could draw great benefits from the loss, advancing in virtue. In this way God, who is good by nature, wishes and arranges in His providence what is to the advantage of each. He is equally kind not only when He blesses, but also when He punishes. He provides for us in His goodness, whatever is most for salvation. (15) When you find yourself in a moment of crisis, my friend, never think ill of God, becoming ungrateful to the benefactor. Rather, show great patience under the strokes, as befits a beloved son, who unlike the bastard is disciplined by his father,a and call out with a glad heart, ‘It was good for me, Lord, that you humbled me’ (Ps 118: 71). The saints of old were also taught thus by many trials to have trust in God: so it was with that chaste and just cf. Heb 12: 6–8.

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Joseph; so it was with David and the patient innocent Job; and before them all the greatest of the patriarchs, Abraham. Perhaps you will say, ‘But they were saints and friends of God, whereas I suffer because of my sins!’ All the more reason for you to rejoice and give thanks! You are paying the just penalty for your sins and will be free to depart pure to Heaven. It is impossible for us to pass through this present life without trials and hardships. You ought not to feel panic when trials come your way, but rather accept gratefully any disasters as if they were medicinal. So you will have God in your favour and He will consider you worthy of consolation. ‘Those whom God loves, He disciplines’ (Heb 12: 6),a and cures anew. Praise God, because it is He who has visited you. Do not envy or rate highly those who live in ease and luxury. You might have seen the same thing happening in earlier generations; the good men were afflicted, the evil living at their ease in wealth and plenty. The Babylonians, who had no vision of God, enjoyed wealth and power, while God’s people lived in captivity suffering the worst of evils. Also Lazarus,b who was to be worthy of a place in heaven, was flung out covered with sores, while the rich man enjoyed luxury and complete ease. Take yet another example: Herod, the sacrilegious malefactor, was reigning as king, while the Baptist of Christ was bound in prison as a common criminal, he of whom the world was not worthy (Heb 11: 38). Because of all this the Apostle says, ‘All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, but wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived’ (2 Tim 3: 12). He knew that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one (1 Jn 5: 19). (16) We really ought to come to our senses, thanking God continually because He disciplines us in this life with temporary corrections, so that we may not be condemned along with the world (1 Cor 11. 32) eternally in the next. Let no affliction separate us from the Lord our God,c not even the affliction which is considered the worst of all evils, death. In the words of Christ, ‘Whoever does not cf. Prov 3: 12. cf. Luke 16: 19–21. c   cf. Rom 8: 38–39. a  

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take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me’ (Mt 10: 38). He said this not that we might load wood upon our shoulders, but to have us keep the thought of death ever before our eyes. This was how St Paul died daily (1 Cor 15: 31), and made mockery of his last day. He despised this present life and so cried out saying, ‘Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ!’ (1 Cor 11. 1). As a soldier of the heavenly king, you have always stood in the battle-line. But a soldier who fears death will never be able to perform noble deeds. In the same way a Christian who becomes alarmed at dangers will never be distinguished for a brave and glorious act. When the crisis comes, one will be at ease, not rash or arrogant, but remaining invincible and unassailable. Just as the three young mena felt no fear for the fire and escaped from it unharmed, so we also, if we reserve our fears for sin alone and not for death, we shall escape death and the fires of hell. (17) Fear of death is not in accordance with nature.b If it were, nobody would ever be able to risk death. But in fact death is something which is despised by all who practise virtue. Fear of death is brought about by a guilty conscience. Paul, for example, having run the great race, kept the faith, and finished the race (2 Tim 4: 7). He had a longing to depart and be with Christ (Phil 1 23). Similarly, after him, Ignatius, the God-carrier, thirsted to die,c and the same is true of the assembly of the martyrs. Indeed this was the attitude of all the saints regarding their departure from this life. For them the death that is feared by most people, was regarded as a benefactor, who would escort their passage to the blessings ready for them in the next world. They thought of life in the body as an imprisonmentd and as an exile. That is why one of them complained against the long drawn-out passage of time: ‘Woe is me, cf. Daniel 3. A similar passage in John of Karpathos, Cap. Hort. 42 (PG 85, 817–818 only Latin translation); for information on this writer, cf. CPG 7855–7859; ODB p. 1065. c   cf. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 5 (ed. M. W. Holmes, p. 230–231). d   The idea of the body as a prison is listed by Epiphanius as a heretical opinion held by Origenist sympathisers, Panarion II, 1, 64 (PG 41, 1140C, 1144D), but it is not uncommon in monastic spiritual writings. a  

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that my place of sojourn has been extended!’ (Ps 119: 5),a and ‘When shall I come and appear to the face of God?’ (Ps 41: 2), and, ‘Bring my soul out of prison!’ (Ps 141: 8), imploring the Lord. Or, as another said, ‘Now you are dismissing your servant, Master’ (Lk 2: 29). They considered their further existence here below as a penalty, because it separated them from what they longed for, because ‘Better one day in the courts of the Lord beyond thousands’ (Ps 83: 11) of this transient life. (18) Somebody may question the case of Christ himself. ‘Why does he seem to be afraid at the moment of his passion and to ward off the cup (Mk 14 36) of death?’ Here Christ makes a display of fear as part of his providential plan; he would have us believe that he is truly a man, subject to the same passions as ourselves (Jas 5: 17) (with the exception of sin [Heb 4: 15]), since how could he ask to be released from what he wanted, as if it were abhorrent to him, when he himself terms his death on the cross his ‘glory’ (Jn 17: 5, cf. 12: 16)? If at this moment Christ is seen to be fearing death, it is to show that he has not assumed manhood in some imaginary fashion, but complete with the irreprehensible passions that accompany it. And despite that, he undergoes death fearlessly and willingly, because this is to be the salvation of the world. It is a great calamity if a person trembles to dies; it is a sign that there are sins which have not been repented for, and confessed. (19) My friends, you who trust me, we are all preoccupied about saving our souls. We must turn to the Lord in repentance and confession, before the door of this present life is shut upon us. How many have been deceived by this most miserable existence! How many were overthrown by its mocking vanity! They thought they had long to live, and for the most part their hopes were spoiled. They were snatched away, before they could repent, and dispatched to the heavenly tribunal bearing the full load of their sins. That is why we should anticipate his face by confession (Ps 94: 2) and repentance, while there is still time. These are the two wings with which to fly away and be at rest (Ps 54: 7) in the beloved tents of the Lord of Hosts. No stronger means for salvation exists Note that the NETS has understood the verb to mean ‘was put at a distance’.

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for the benefit of the right-minded. All things here below are vain and deceitful. They are like smoke or dreams or shadows that pass. Surely we must fight constantly with all the means at our disposal, as soon as we are ten years of age. Eventually we shall be called to account for all the faults we have committed from then onwards, and as witness we have the boys mauled by bears for their mockery of Elisha.a (20) I would urge you, therefore, not to delay in becoming good. Do so at once, you lover of Christ, by choosing to repent and gladly welcoming confession! We do not know what the next day will bring (Prov 3: 28). If there will be joy in heaven at your repentance (Lk 15: 7, 10), why do you delay in turning to the Lord? Why do you fly from the hands of God when it is impossible to escape from them? Why do you shut against yourself the wideopen heart of hisb mercy and goodness? Does God lack the power to kill you in your sin? Has he not the strength to burn you up with a thunderbolt as you are in the act of performing your concealed sin of shame (2 Cor 4: 2)? He is the forbearing God who waits for your conversion, for He does not wish the death of the impious, but rather that the impious turn back from that way and live (Ezek 33: 11). However, if the sickle of death, which comes to all, forestalls and gathers you to the harvest, so that you depart unrepentant, then nothing whatsoever remains for you except the fire of hell. (21) The reason why God has left the date of each one’s death a mysteryc is that in this way we should be constantly sober and orderly. We cannot put off our repentance and our reform of life until our last gasp. Had we known the extent of our lives, and when they were to end, we would not have been baptized as children, and we would be in no hurry to repent. We would spend all our time sinning and then embrace baptism and repentance at the moment of death, trusting in the words of the Lord through his cf. 4 Kings 2: 23–24. cf. Phil 2: 1. c   This question (re. mystery of time of death) occurs in the Quaestiones of Anastasios of Sinai (Qu. 17, CCSG 59, p. 27–28; CCT 7, p. 87; PG 89, 532C3–D2), and in the Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 36 (PG 28, 617C11–D6). a  

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Prophet, As I find you, so shall I judge you! (Ez 18: 30).a But then, or course, any merit would be due to death and not to us for our reforming at such a moment. I do not mean to say that the gates of repentance, the mother of us all, are closed at that time, but it is uncertain how suddenly we will be snatched away, relinquishing life in one of death’s different forms (as has happened to so many others), and then all our hopes will come to nothing through our own folly and stupidity. However, surely it is the extreme of ingratitude not to make every effort to serve God in a spirit of holy fear and with all our attention now, while we have the chance, rather than to wait for the moment of departure! (22) So, brothers,b Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of deliverance (2 Cor 6: 2). But perhaps you are afraid that you will go astray on some other occasion, and for that reason you put off your repentance, delaying one day after the other … Be attentive and on your guard against any fall, bearing in mind that such would be a disgrace for a strong athlete. But if something happens, do not be surprised. Get up once more and take your stance for the noble fight of repentance! Even though through negligence there be a thousand falls, let there be a thousand recoveries and reforms. The one illness you must avoid is that of incurable despair, that would push you down into the pit of damnation. To ensure that at the final moment, that comes to all, you will be found on your feet, striving for the repentance that brings salvation, you must keep an eye on all deliberate faults. Also you must fear any evil habit worse than all other enemies. Otherwise it will send down roots within you, become difficult to eradicate, and acquire with time the strength of nature itself. (23) As long as you can breath, and even on the very last day of your life, as you lie on your bed in your death agony, about to Perhaps a reminiscence of Ezekiel 18: 30 (I will judge you, each one, according to his way) or Ecclesiast 11: 3 (In the place where the tree will fall, there it will be); but a similar saying can be found in the Agrapha 76, p. 102, and in the Apoph. Patr., Sisoes 38 (PG 65, 404 with note 56); it recurs below ch. XV 2 § 6 and 6 § 2; XVII § A49; XX § 44. b   Some of the manuscripts give the singular here in place of the plural (and in the next paragraph the exhortation is addressed to a single person). a  

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depart from this life’s stage, even then you should repent! The anguish of the moment does not exclude God’s loving kindness, and there is no need to say to me, ‘How can such a thing be possible? I have sores and wounds all over me. How can I make a confession at the last moment?’ – Of course you can, my friend! You are able to pray and to give alms in charity. Make bequests in your will to the poor. You are about to depart for the next life, but what you do here, remains (1 Cor 3: 12–15). You should not be asking, ‘How am I to be saved?’ When God is at work, it is not your business to ask ‘how?’ All that God asks of you is a first beginning and a grateful heart prepared to recognize all that you owe to the Lord. He does not delay in seeking your salvation. There is no sin that can outweigh his kindness, but the one condition is that we avoid engulfing ourselves in despair. We must be ready to rise speedily. He who formed our human nature appreciates our frailty and weakness. (24) However to lead us to repentance with some examples as well, I must recall a story which will be beneficial spiritually and help us to salvation. 2. (1) One of the brethrena had fallen a victim to the devil of sexual impurity and was sinning daily. However, on each occasion he had recourse to prayers and tears, and would implore the mercy of his own Master. Then after his repentance, his habit would overpower him and he would sin once more. But no sooner was this sin committed, than he would hurry back to the church, gaze up at the revered and holy image of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and fling himself down before it, weeping most bitterly, and saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord! I am a lustful, impure creature. Save me from this trial which is crushing me! It has become too much for me, Master, and I am reduced to the state of a wretched slave. I can do nothing to help myself. I can never be freed from it without your help. Good Lord, I no longer dare to gaze up with confidence at your holy icon and to find pleasure there. I have been blinded by the bitter force of sinful pleasures. I am utterly ashamed… This tale ‘De non desperando’ is listed by F. Halkin in the BHG (1450w), and was published as part of a sermon wrongly attributed to Amphilochius of Iconium (ed. Combefis, p. 100–106; ed. Possinus, p. 255–260 [cf. CPG 3250, 1–4]). a  

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But hurry, Lord, you who are so swift to forget injuries, hurry to snatch me away once and for all, I implore you, and to save me! It is to you that I fly for refuge!’ He would pray like this, then when he left the church he would fall once more into the same mire, but yet again, instead of despairing, return to the church and repeat similar prayers to the kind Lord. (2) For several years he had been acting like this: he continued both with his sinning and with the confessing of the fault. Indeed on many occasions he had the temerity to promise formally under oath. He would say to the merciful God, ‘I take you, Lord, as witness that from now on I shall cut short this foul habit and never again fall into such a sin. All I ask from you, kindest of Lords, is your forgiveness for all the sins I have committed from the start until this day.’ Then, when he had made such solemn conditions, he would go back again to his evil practices. So the poor wretch, not satisfied with the sin of impurity which he was committing, fell also into the sin of perjury. How can one help admiring the unimaginable goodness and loving kindness of God, who was willing to support, with such forbearance, the innumerable sins of this brother and was seeking in his boundless mercy the man’s repentance! God was waiting to see when he would truly break with his foul habit. And it was not just for one, or two. or even three years, but for ten or more that the practice had been going on. (3) Surely the wealth of God’s mercy should make us shudder in amazement! He is constantly patient and kind, supporting the wicked faults of us poor wretches and waiting for us to be converted. You need only consider this particular case: there was this man, indulging constantly in sexual impurity and swearing the most fearful oaths, all of them lies! He would undertake in the Lord’s presence never to commit this sin, and no sooner had he left the church before he was at his sin once more. Abandoning all his promises, he would rush to his evil-doing. And yet God supported it and was patient. So great was his kindness that he was ready to overlook the prophet’s statement. ‘You will destroy all those who speak the lie.’ (Ps 5: 7). (4) Now one day the same thing happened as before. The brother had committed the same sin. (Note that whoever spoke of our

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habits as ‘our debts’ was surely right; once someone has acquired a habit, it has to be followed willy-nilly, and the habit drags one along forcefully like a creditor.)a Afterwards he came running into the church and flung himself down on the floor. Sobbing and lamenting he implored God to have mercy on him and to help drag him out of the morass of his sin. The devil, for his part, saw that he was making no headway: all that he put together by his sinful machinations, the brother undid by his repentance. So throwing all propriety to the wind, the devil appeared visibly to the brother. He entered the church just behind him, and stood before the doors, from where he could see the brother prostrate and lamenting. Then twisting his head round back to front the devil cried out to the revered icon of the Lord, Jesus Christ, ‘What have you to do with me, O Christ? (Mk 5: 7). The compassion of Jesus is boundless. You defeat and crush me by the wealth of your mercy and by your immeasurable goodness. Why do you accept this filthy pervert, this benighted profligate, completely uninstructed in the truth, who lies daily and makes a mockery of your power and a laughing-stock of your force? Why do you not burn him up with your fearful thunderbolt? Why are you so forbearing and patient? We have been told that you are to pass judgement on all who practise impurity and adultery, and that you will destroy all sinners. But in fact you are not a just judge! You give false judgements according to your whims; justice is not done. In my case, because of a small fault of pride you had me thrown down from heaven and forgave nothing at all. But in the case of this sexual pervert, this liar and profligate: are you willing to accept him kindly and to listen to his pleas with such patience? How can it be compatible with justice that you show compassion for him whenever he tearfully turns to you from his impurity, and instead of rejecting him you are eager to have mercy on him? Why do they call you a just judge, when you show preferences for some and twist your judgements?’ (5) The devil spoke these words in great fury. He was so exasperated that jets of fire started from his nostrils. Then a voice In Greek there is a word-play: ἔθος ethos/habit and χρέος hreos/debt, which gave rise to the proverb ἔϑος ὡς χρέος (pronounced: éthos hose hréos). a  

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like thunder seemed to come from the altar with the words, ‘You wicked and malevolent dragon! Have you not satisfied your evil passion? You crafty one! You have gobbled up the whole world and yet you strive to snatch away and devour someone who clings to my ineffable mercy and kindness? You foolish one! Have you amassed a sufficient number of his sins as to outbalance the sacred blood that I poured out on his behalf as I hung on the cross? Look at the way I was killed, my death and my blood. These had compassion for his faults. Am I unjust in my verdicts, you cursed one? You make no attempt to divert him from falling into sin. On the contrary, you are glad to welcome him because you hope to win him over. Far from rejecting him, you expect to enrol him. Do you dare to accuse me because I receive hospitably the creature I myself formed? On his behalf I became a man in my immense kindness, and I underwent death by crucifixion. Did I not command Peter, the spokesman of the Apostles, to forgive seventy-times-sevena on the same day anyone who offended? Will I myself not show him even greater compassion and mercy, I who am good and merciful by nature? I tell you most solemnly: in so far as he turns to me for refuge, he will never be turned away, nor will I stop until I have made him my own! It was on behalf of the profligate, the lawbreakers and the sinners that I had myself crucified and stretched out my hands,b undefiled by sin, upon the cross. It was to allow anyone who wanted to be saved, to escape to me and find safety. I turn nobody away. I reject nobody who takes refuge in my goodness. Even though someone comes to me ten thousand times a day, abandons me, then returns once more… in truth, I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners, to repentance’ (Lk 5: 32).c (6) While this voice was speaking the devil trembled, incapable of running away. Once again the voice sounded and this second time it said, ‘Listen, you rogue, to the answer I give to your accusations. I am righteous and have loved righteous deeds (Ps 10: 7), and As I find anyone, so shall I judge them (Ezek 18: 30).d Well now, I cf. Mt 18: 22. cf. Rom 10: 21. c   cf. Mt 9: 13; Mark 2: 17. d   See above ch. XV 1 § 21. a  

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have found this man lying at my feet repentant and confessing sin, giving every indication of having overcome you. So I shall take his spirit and crown his soul among the saints. For so many years he supported his trial, never despairing of his salvation, showing clearly that his hope was fixed on my goodness. Look at the honour given to his soul, you wretch, and may you burst with jealous envy!’ (7) As the brother was lying there face downwards, weeping and lamenting, he breathed his last. At once the anger of the Lord fell upon Satan like a burning fire and devoured him because of his shamelessness. (8) The lesson we are to learna from this is that we should never despair of our salvation; we should never hesitate to seek the mercy of our Master. No matter how great our sins may be, they are all subject to measurement, but the mercy of God is beyond measure Our sins may be like burning coals, but the mercy of the Lord is limitless as the sea. How many coals will be quenched by the great ocean of his mercy! The sins of all mankind falling into the depths of his compassion will disappear like a handful of sand that is flung into the waves. The goodness of the Creator is not surpassed by the wickedness of his creatures. For this reason one of the saintsb remarked, ‘Do not describe God as just.’ It is not his justice that appears in response to our deeds. If he were just, is there anyone at all who would be saved? But in our present state, his justice takes second place after his kindness, and God refrains from repaying us as we deserve. Consider the case of the prodigal son: after he had wasted all his father’s estate, it was enough for him to say, ‘I have sinned’ (Lk 15: 18, 21), for him to occupy once more his former privileged position as a son. In the same way, the man who came at the eleventh hour was counted on a par with those who had toiled from early dawn, thanks to the mercy of the landowner.c And the thief was able with one word to inherit Paradise.d So also, many who have been guilty of all sorts of wickedness, have found a   This and the following paragraphs (§§ 8–21) are part of an unpublished sermon of Ps.-Amphilochius of Iconium (CPG 3250, 2). b   So far unidentified. c   cf. Mt 20: 1–16. d   cf. Luke 23: 39–43.

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their salvation simply because they turned to the Lord. It is characteristic of the divinity to be forgetful of offence and abounding in goodness. All that God seeks is the reform of one’s life and an end to evil-doing. When these are present he pours out in loving kindness and in superabundance the torrent of his mercy. (9) I implore you, therefore, let us do ourselves violence to confess our sins, for the kingdom of heaven is subject to violence, and the violent take it by force (Mt 11: 12). ‘As often as you fall, rise up! As often you sin, repent!’a Run to the church, groan, weep, strike your breast, condemn yourself, humble yourself before the Lord your God, repenting and confessing your sin with toil and strain – and you will be pardoned. No one will drive you from the church, no one will give you up as hopeless, no one will thrust you away, except the devil alone. He is the one who will try to drive into you the nail of despair, he is the jealous one who hates mankind. His advice to you will be, ‘You have frequently committed sins and faults. Despite all your resolutions, you have failed to observe the virtuous norm. You can no longer keep out of sin. Your tried to get a grip on yourself, but you sinned once more. You took all the necessary precautions, and yet you committed another offence. Why do you of all people continue to be deceived? Seeing that your efforts are wasted, stop once and for all, and at least take our fill of sin! As you are not able to reach the heights of heaven, at least do not deprive yourself of what this world offers, and do not miss the pleasures and delights of earth – sexual licence, wantonness, drunkenness, mocking laughter and songs – in a word, all the pleasures of the flesh!’ Such is the enemy’s advice. (10) But you, my friend, stop up the ears of your soul and pay no attention to the one thirsting for our destruction. Beware lest this scheming impostor uplifts you with his foolish reasoning. Say to him boldly, ‘May God bring you and all your clever arguments to nought, you devil! I shall never be parted from the Lord my God. As long as I draw breath I shall never abandon the hope of my salvation, because I know very well the abundance The words in quotation marks are to be found in ch. XVI § 41.

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of his mercy and kindness. As for you, even though you prevail on another occasion, you will be defeated once more. Whatever stratagem you may have devised against me, the Lord will wreck it.’ (11) Is there anything else that provokes God’s anger except that when we have committed some fault, we do not run to him? His words are, ‘Right, you have sinned, but why do you not approach me in my goodness? Then I could set upright the one cast down (Ps 144: 14; 145: 8). Why do you not continue to talk with me by prayer and the confession of your sins? Are you afraid that I will reject and repulse you? Do you expect me to loath you and to refuse to accept you? Approach me, you beautiful and beloved creature of mine, without fear and trembling! Will I revile you? Am I to close my heart to you? Do I not cry out urging you to approach me, “Come to me, all you that are weary and who are carrying heavy burdens (of sin), and I will give you rest” (Mt 11: 28)? Am I not waiting for you like a father? Am I not aflame with the desire to witness your salvation and repentance? Why, then, do you not run to me in my goodness whenever you sin? Why do you not come to me, the all-merciful, whenever you are at fault? Have not I the power to forgive you? Would I be afraid of someone? This is what causes my anger, this is the reason why despite my sorrow I chastise and punish in hope of correction. All of you who sin and could repent and be saved, you refuse! You fall, like the frail mortals that you are, but then instead of correcting yourselves by the practice of virtue, you are foolish enough to add evil to evil, and you join pride and stubbornness to your sin. What patience I showed with those former giants,a who existed at the time of Noah, while he was preparing the ark! How many times I urged them to reform and repent! But did they not refuse to listen to me, until the flood came and destroyed them all (Lk 17: 27)?b Was I at fault? Certainly not! They were to blame because their disease had become incurable and they were unworthy of kindness. Again

cf. Gen 6: 4–14; 1 Peter 3: 20. cf. Mt 24: 39; Gen 7: 23.

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at the time of the Sodomites,a what forbearance I showed for their impurity, for their unnatural lust and licentiousness! But not even ten out of so many families and such a multitude of people could be found, who practised self-restraint. That is why I burned them to ashes. I could no longer bear the stench of their unlawful practice. My tolerance surpasses nature, but when I have to see that the evil is incapable of cure, I resort, although unwillingly, to amputation. In the same way there are many occasions when a doctor, though he may not want to, uses the scalpel on a limb, once it has become gangrenous.’ (12) Have you committed a sin? Then do some good deed to win the judge’s sympathy. Have you wronged somebody? Put your fault right by almsgiving. Of course, do not wrong one man and give charity to someone else! Let the aggrieved person be the recipient, otherwise what good would it do to strip one man and to clothe another? That would be to leave the man you have deprived lamenting to the Lord against you. Have you often indulged in mocking laughter, my brother? To counter that, lament and weep, and pray to the saints that they may intercede for your salvation. Never despair, since that would bring joy to the deadly enemy of our salvation. Is Satan soiling your ‘tunic’?b Hurry to rise and clean it. Has he precipitated you today into some sin? In your turn fling him down tomorrow by your act of justice. Does the crafty one push you daily into sin? Then each day you should not cease to repent. What else will he gain for himself from all this but surely filth? Listen to the words, ‘Nothing is equal to, or greater than, the mercies of God!’ Whoever despairs, has committed suicide. Stand fast in your hope of salvation and always plead to God! (13) From the moment that you received holy baptism and were given the name of ‘Christian’, you were enlisted in the army of the heavenly king. You have been counted in his company. So, fight the good fight (2 Tim 4: 7–8), that you may be granted the cf. Gen 18: 20–33. The notion of the body as the ‘tunic’ for the soul is commonplace, e.g. Amphilochius of Iconium, Orat. IV: In mulierem peccatricem (CCSG 3, IV 101– 104; PG 39, 72C4–6); Andrew of Crete, Can. Mag., 2, 16 (PG 97, 1337B5), but see above ch. XV 1 § 8, and below ch. XVIII § 8 (5). a  

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crown! A soldier sometimes wounds others, sometimes is himself wounded.a The Emperor does not order the wounded to be dismissed from his military rank, but on the contrary that he be promoted. Reflect on what is being said, and if at any time you are yourself through human frailty the victim of carelessness – for those who plot against our life never rest and ever cease to attack – then make a great effort in reply and try to wound the one, who wounded you, more grievously. In that way you will please God, the universal Emperor, by your victory. Be careful, my friend, never to become depressed in a cowardly way, and never to retreat through despair; that would bring spiritual destruction on yourself! Work hard to repent, confess your sins with great warmth of devotion, and fall before God weeping, groaning, and never ceasing to pray. Thus you will win the heart of your sweet Master to have pity on you. (14) If you act and conduct yourself as I have counselled you, servant of the Lord, then rejoice, because you have received even now the pledge of your salvation. You have been forgiven your faults. You have used to the full the present opportunity (Eph 5: 16; Col 4: 5), like an intelligent merchant who bargains cleverly before the arrival of the common end, death. No matter if you are as great a sinner as the devil himself, or even if you surpass him! Never hesitate, never doubt about your salvation, cling fast to the Lord despite all circumstances with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. Although your sins are great, when compared with the immense mercy of God they are like a seed of millet compared with the breadth and magnitude of heaven and earth. Have no anxiety because of them. The mercy of God excels all speech and conjecture, whereas your sins can be measured and weighed. All our sins are as nothing, if only we repent and turn to God’s inexplicable kindness and goodness. So let make an effort while the opportunity is propitious, while there is still light, and before the darkness (of death) draws over us, when no one can work (Jn 9: 4). As the Psalmist says, ‘In Hades, who will acknowledge you?’ (Ps 6: 5). cf. John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 26 supplem. (PG 88, 1092A); also ch. XX § 43 (indebted to Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai). a  

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(15) There is nothing to stop us, even now, if we have the intention of struggling and of being saved. Nor shall we experience God’s anger if we repent. For God becomes enraged with those who luxuriate wantonly in the good things of this [agea], and who give pleasure by their evil actions to the devil. ‘It is I who formed them,’ God says, ‘I who keep them alive and bless them. Will someone else receive their service?b This is something evil and exceeding the limits of evil, that I, who could save and bless them, am despised, while the cause of their damnation is served!’ (16) These are the people who excite the Lord’s anger, those who never have a thought for God, never worry about death, have no anxiety for the defence they will present on the other side, and carry on as if they were immortal. They eat insatiably and drink themselves drunk. Their guffaws obey neither propriety nor good manners. They indulge in mockery and foul language. They carp and scoff. They defile themselves with every kind of sexual licence and impurity. They snatch up avariciously all that they can, stupidly amassing treasures for the benefit of others. They make no account whatsoever of prayer. Instead, like pigs being prepared for the slaughter, they stuff themselves to satiety and then fall asleep. (17) These are the people who excite the anger of the kind God. Their evil lives are an insult to him. Not even on feasts or on Easter Day itself do they practise some restraint by attending a service in God’s holy church. They never recite the thanksgiving verse when they come to table. Even when eating and banqueting, they fail to have a thought for the things created by God, and occupy themselves instead with mocking laughs and jests. (18) It is quite right that God should be furious with such people. They are ignorant of morning prayer, and even more so of vespers. The liturgy is completely foreign to them. They live like the brute beasts, bridled and guided unconsciously by the all-evil devil. They have one sole preoccupation, ‘Eat, drink, enjoy sex, then go and sleep!’ They are unaware that disaster is speeding upon Although only the Benaki manuscript (B) adds the word ‘aeon’ (αἰῶνος) here, the sense is clear. b   A very similar expression occurs below ch. XVI § 39 end. a  

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them, and that there is an anger so terrible that it can appal and shake the whole universe. Man or woman, is this why God created you? Was it that you might take the rank of a pig or donkey? Why do you live at all, you poor wretch, if you do not conduct yourself as a living creature made by God for the glory of the One who fashioned you and breathed a soul into you? Certainly, it would have been better – for you also – not to have been born (Mt 26: 24), if after living your life in this fashion, you are to pass into eternal fire. (19) However, all that has been said is directed to those who have no care for their souls and their salvations, those who live an animal life, those who do not believe that they will be called to account in the next life. For you, things are very different. You constantly attend in the house of the Lord, you are always repentant before God and confessing your sins. You show great zeal and interest for your salvation. God is not unjust, and he will not overlook your efforts. The one thing you must do now is to keep your good resolution and conduct, trusting in the eternal blessings. Do not let the arch-fiend have any part in you! Simply never separate from the Church! Simply pay attention on every occasion to the reading of Scripture! Be confident and steadfast concerning your soul’s salvation! (20) Do not let Satan deceive you, craftily suggesting foolish thoughts – as if there was nothing to be gained by attending morning prayer in God’s church, in singing with others and praying, and soberly interpreting the divine Scriptures. ‘If you do that,’ he says, ‘what will you gain here below with your wasted efforts?’ But see what a thief (Jn 10: 1) he is, and think of his deceiving designs (2 Cor 2: 11). ‘If there is nothing to be gained, you devil, why do you bother about it and feel so annoyed and constrained? If no one profits, why are you so pained and increase the sleepiness of those who rise for the morning service? If no one benefits, why is it that when the gonga sounds for the service, you choose that moment to inspire sweet sleep in men and do not allow them to rise energetically to take part in God’s praise? Given that there is The wooden gong in a Greek monastery is called the semantron.

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no profit, O evil dragon, why are you hurt and try to impede it by every machination, most filthy one? May all your subterfuges be in vain, you wretch! God has given us the understanding to cope with your designs. Your certainly have nothing to do with us, because God is with us! The fire of hell, O devil, has been prepared for you and your angels – the evil devils! (Mt 25: 41). But for us who fear the Lord there is the kingdom of heaven!’ (21) This is the reply that has to be made to the Enemy, and with these words his wiles have to be overcome.a As for you, my friends, hurry confidently into God’s church. Encourage one another and urge one another for the overthrow of Satan and for your own good! This is the reason why God has given us the Church: that we who live on this earth may have it as our heaven, just as the angels have the one above; that we may enter and be reconciled with our loving master, despite our sins and prodigality; and that we may repent of our sins. He who is all-merciful turns no one away. He welcomes all with loving understanding. He longs for the conversion and salvation of all, even though some have come right to the brink of despair, and have turned themselves into the equal of devils. The sole requirement is that they should not have rejected all repentance. However, it is appropriate once again to recount at this point a story that will be very helpful. 3. (1) One of the holy monksb was so greatly advanced in the discernment of spirits that he had passed beyond being tempted by demons, and no longer worried about them. He had the power to see visibly the angels and devils busy about human lives, each active in his own sphere. He had reached such a high degree of perfection that he would remain unperturbed despite impure spirits, and very often he would mock them and revile them, reminding them of their fall from heaven and of the eternal burning hell awaiting them. As a result, the devils spread the word about concerning this cf. Eph 6: 11. The story of a devil’s repentance (BHG 1445m) is found in Ps.-Amphilochius of Iconium (ed. Combefis, p. 107–113; ed. Possinus, p. 261–264 [cf. CPG 3250, 1–4]); also in Callinicus, Vita Hypatii 15 (ed. Bartelink, p. 124–127), and John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 23 (PG 88, 968A8–11). a  

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great father, that in future none should dare to come near him in case he be thrashed. Eventually the father reached an awesome stage of apatheia, made godlike by the Holy Spirit. (2) At this point one of the demons said to another, ‘Brother Zerefer,’ (that was the demon’s name) ‘if one of us were to repent, would God accept his contrition, yes or no? Who knows the answer?’ Zerefer replied, ‘If you like, I shall go along to the great monk, the one who does not fear us, and I shall tempt him and test him about this point.’ – ‘Go, by all means,’ the other demon said, ‘but take care because that monk can discern spirits and will recognize the trick. He will not be persuaded to ask God about it. However, off you go and perhaps you will be lucky. If not, you play your part and return again.’ (3) So Zerefer set off to the monk. He disguised himself as a man and began to wail and lament before him. Now God wanted to make clear that he turns nobody away who repents, but that he welcomes all who take refuge in him. So he did not disclose to the monk the plot of what was happening, and to the monk’s eyes the devil appeared as a man and nothing else. ‘Sir,’ the monk said to him, ‘why are you lamenting and weeping so from the heart? With your tears you are breaking my heart.’a – ‘No, holy father,’ replied the devil, ‘I am no man, but an evil demon to judge by the multitude of my sins.’ – ‘What do you want me to do for you, my brother?’ said the father, who thought the other was calling himself a demon out of an excess of humility (God had not yet disclosed to him what was going on). – ‘The only thing I would ask you to do, man of God,’ said the devil, ‘is that you should pray insistently to your God to reveal to you if he accepts the devil’s repentance. If God is willing to accept him, then he will welcome me also, who am no whit different from him.’ – ‘I shall do as you want,’ said the monk, ‘for today go back home, but tomorrow come here and I shall tell you what is God’s decision.’ (4) As a result of this, when evening came the monk spread out his holy hands and implored the loving God to disclose to him, if He would accept the devil, should the latter be converted cf. Acts 21: 13.

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to repentance. At once an angel of the Lord came to him like a flash of lightning and said, ‘The message of your Lord God is as follows: why are you imploring the help of my power on behalf of the demon? He has cunningly approached you in order to tempt you.’ – ‘And how has it come about,’ asked the monk, ‘that God did not disclose to me what was being done, but shut my eyes to prevent me understanding?’ ‘Do not be upset by this business,’ said the angel, ‘this is part of God’s wonderful providence on behalf of sinners to prevent them falling into despair. In his infinite kindness God turns no one away who comes to him, not even the devil, Satan himself, should he approach him. However, this is also a way of disclosing the stubbornness and despair of the demons. So when the tempter returns to you, do not offend him at first. Instead say to him, “You are to be shown that the loving God never turns away anyone who turns to him, even though he be a demon and a devil. The message for you is that you will be received by him if you observe the instructions he lays down for you.” When you come to this point and he asks you, “What on earth are these instructions?” you are to say to him: “The Lord God has this to say: I know who you are and from where you come with your temptations. You are the ancient evil: the ancient evil does not turn into the youthful good! You have grown accustomed to your pride, and how can you humble yourself in true repentance and receive mercy? But to prevent you having as a pretence of a defence on the Day of Judgement the argument, I wanted to repent, but God would not have me, pay careful attention to what is being said. The Lord has stipulated how you should start to gain your salvation: During three years you are to stand still in one place, turned night and day towards the East, and you are to cry out in a loud voice, May God have mercy on me, the ancient evil! (Rev 12: 9) (one hundred times), May God have mercy on me, the abomination of desolation! (Mt 24: 15 [Dan 9: 27]) (also one hundred times), and, May God save me, the darkness of deceit! (again the same number). You are to shout out these words continually to the Lord. As you have no bodily organ there is no chance of your becoming tired or exhausted. When you have

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humbly completed all this, you will come back to your original rank and be counted among the angels of God.” Should the devil agree to do this, receive him as a penitent. However, I know that the ancient evil does not turn into the youthful good. Afterwards write down all that has happened, so that those wishing to repent will not despair. Such an account will greatly convince all not to slip lightly into despair about their own salvation.’ (5) When the angel had said these words, he went back up into heaven. At dawn the next day the demon approached once more. From a long way off, he began the charade of lamentation and to greet the monk. The latter did not unmask the demon’s plot straight away, but inside himself he was saying, ‘Cursed greetings to you, you thief, you devil, and scorpion! You ancient evil (Rev 12: 9), venomous snake and most evil one!’ Then openly he addressed the other, ‘I want you to know that I have prayed to the Lord God, as I agreed with you, and that he will accept you as a penitent provided you perform all that he, the powerful and almighty, instructs you through me.’ – ‘And what is it,’ asked the devil, ‘that God has ordered me to do?’ – ‘God has ordered you,’ replied the monk, ‘to practise the penance of standing still in one spot for three years, turned East and crying out night and day, May God have mercy on me, the ancient evil! (one hundred times), May God have mercy on me, the abomination of desolation! (Mt 24: 15 [Dan 9: 27]) (also one hundred times), and May God save me, the darkness of deceit! (again the same number). When all this has been done, you will be numbered among his angels as of old.’ (6) At this point Zerefer threw off his artificial façade of repentance and at once gave a roar of laughter. ‘You rotten monk!’ he said, ‘were I willing to call myself the ancient evil, the abomination and the darkness, I would have done so and been saved from the beginning and in the first instance. But at this stage, am I the ancient evil? Far from it! Who says such a thing? On the contrary I am surely the ancient beauty of old. Both earlier and now I am a thing of wonder, and all fear me and are subject to me. Am I to call

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myself the abomination and the darkness of deceit? No, old man,a again and again, no! Am I, who still hold sway over sinners, to become a useless slave, humble and worthless through penance? No, old man, again and again, no! May I never descend to such a grade of dishonour!’ Having said all this, the impure spirit gave a great roar and disappeared, while the monk rose to pray, thanking God and saying, ‘How right you were, Lord, to say that, “The ancient evil does not turn into the youthful good!”’ (7) My friends, I have had to bring this story in here not for some superficial reason, but in order that you may learn the Master’s goodness. If he is ready to receive even the devil as a penitent, how much more willing is he to welcome the men and women on whose behalf he shed his own blood! Are you a sinner? Then repent! You do not want to? Then you will be roasted in the next world in the fires of hell even worse than the devils! The reason will be not that you have sinned (because all have sinned and no one is free from sin except God alone [Rom 3: 23]b), but that you were unwilling to repent and to conciliate the judge before the end. Death escorts a person to the other world in the state in which he finds that person.c If you die unrepentant, a slave to the devil by all sorts of sins, you will certainly be condemned with him to the eternal fire prepared for him (Mt 25: 41). But if you escape from sin before you die, and if you win the Lord’s favour by repentance and confession, how great will be the joy and bliss of which you will be judged worthy after your death! Angels of light will accompany you to the place of indescribable pleasure and eternal happiness. But this is a good moment to recount another important story. 4. (1) Onced when Saint Macarius was travelling with his disciple, he saw an angel of the Lord accompanying them. They came a   The traditional term for a monk is γέρων (pronounced yeron, literally ‘old man’), and here Zerefer is making fun of the etymology. b   cf. Mark 10:18; Luke 18: 19. c   The Western teaching on purgatory developed largely from the twelfth century and found no place in popular Byzantine belief; for a brief account, cf. ODCC s.v. ‘Purgatory’. In its place, one finds in Byzantium the sort of teaching found in the following paragraphs. d   This story of the state of souls in the afterlife (de sorte animarum) is found in a sermon attributed to Macarius (CPG 2400), cf. PG 34, 385–392; cf. BHG 999w.

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across a dead body on the road, and Abba Macarius stopped his nose because of the stench, until they had passed. The angel noticed and did the same. As they continued, the saint questioned the angel, ‘Do you also smell the stench of this world?’ – The angel relied, ‘No, but we can smell the stench of sinful souls.’ – Then Macarius asked, ‘Why did you also stop your nose just as I did?’ – ‘As I have changed my appearance to human form,’ the angel said, ‘I did what I saw you doing.’ (2) God’s servant, Macarius, then asked him, ‘Please tell me, in the Lord’s name, why has the catholica church adopted the custom of celebrating a service for the deceased on the third, the ninth, and the fortieth day after death?’ – ‘Listen, Macarius, you servant of God,’ replied the angel, ‘God has not allowed anything superfluous or useless to become established in his holy Church. Whenever one of us is sent by God to take away a person’s soul, on seeing the angel that person at once feels panic and cowers down, not wanting to be parted from the body. This is especially true if the person is a hedonist in love with this world.’ He begins to groan in great anguish, partly because he has made no effort to strive for the good of his soul, partly because he does not know where he is going, and partly because of the distress of his family, his wife, children, friends and relatives. So he begins to implore that he may be left a little longer to live, so that he can repent and perhaps put his affairs in order. But nobody will listen to him. Instead the angel says to him, ‘You should have considered all that before the door closed (Mt 25: 10), and before the sun set.b At this moment the Lord’s command is that you should be separated from your body and that you drink from the common cup of death,c as all have done from ages past.’ (3) Despite his reluctance the man is unyoked from his body and sets off with the angel. From then onwards his only preoccupation is the defence that he will present for himself. As David a   The word ‘catholic’ can be misleading; it is regularly used by several Churches to indicate that they claim catholicity and is best distinguished from ‘Catholic’, often used to mean Roman Catholic b   cf. Eccles 12: 2. c   On ‘the cup of death’, see note to ch. XV 1 § 8.

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says, ‘On that very day all their designs will perish’ (Ps 145: 4). Of course the soul clutches tightly at the body and wraps herself round it like the proverbial ‘ivy round the tree’. She does not obey readily when the angel tells her to emerge from the body. The poor wretch seems to think she will be helped in her little game. Because of this, many are carried off violently. The angel of the Lord, with a strength that exceeds that of the soul like a grown man’s exceeds that of a babe, lifts her up at once in compliance with the divine command, and sets off. (4) Now God in his love for humanity has ordained that during three days the soul should be permitted to wander wherever she may wish in the company of the angel that has taken her away, in order to console her for the separation from the flesh. On the third day every Christian soul is to be raised up and brought to do homage to the Lord God, in imitation of Christ our God, who rose from the dead on the third day.a So when the service of the third day (ta trita) is performed for the deceased and the holy and bloodless sacrifice is offered on his or her behalf, the angel reminds the soul, ‘Today the divine sacrifice has been offered to the Lord on your behalf.’ (5) The decree is then published that, from then on, the soul should be shown by the angel the blessings of the just during three days, and the tortures of the wicked during another three days. As the soul sees all this, she has a clear awareness of the guilt of her own actions, and is in agony because the Lord’s decision is not yet clear. She does not know where she will be taken. (6) After these six days the angel takes the soul once more before the Lord. As the service of the ninth day (ta ennata) is performed, the soul is informed by the angel and receives some consolation because of the prayers and offerings made in the church on her behalf. From then until the fortieth day the soul considers what her future is to be. On that day she is given the final decision and sets off, once and for all, to the place that she has prepared for A single manuscript from the early seventeenth century, P, adds at this point a long account of the soul’s passage through the celestial custom-houses; similar texts are attributed elsewhere to Macarius of Egypt (PG 34, 221–229). a  

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herself by her own deeds. On that day, the service for the fortieth day after death (ta tessarakosta) is performed for the deceased. (7) All that has been said applies in the case of true believing souls. For the irreligious, things are quite different. The angel snatches out the soul and carries her off pitilessly saying, ‘Come, you wretched soul, to the place of never-ending punishment prepared for you, because you did not recognize the God who created you!’ The soul is then consigned to the tortures of Hades until the day of the universal resurrection, when each will receive what they have merited by their lives. So much for what the angel had to say to the great Macarius. (8) You must not be surprised if you find examples of unholy and wicked persons who breathe their last easily and peacefully.a Very often they are those who have performed some good deed and are recompensed for it in this life by a painless death, so that they can be punished eternally in the next. Similarly, one may see examples of just persons, many of whom expiate by a painful death the faults they have committed through human frailty, and then depart for their eternal rest. (9) As for those who die without baptism, the divine words cannot be false. Christ has said, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of heaven without being born of water and spirit (Jn 3: 5). Therefore the irreligious will be consigned from darkness into darkness when they die (just like abortive children out of the womb), and in the annihilation of Hades they will receive the punishment that awaits them. The words of David apply to them, ‘Sinners were estranged from the womb (this means that they have been alienated from God), they erred from the belly (choosing a false impiety) (Ps 57: 4), or, since the font of holy baptism is a ‘womb’ for all those born to God, it is ‘from’ this that the sinners were estranged, by deliberately deserting to their own damnation. It is impossible for those who do not bear the seal of rebirth given by baptism to be recognised as belonging to Christ, and to achieve a   Questions concerning painless and painful deaths appear in the Quaestiones of Anastasios of Sinai, with similar teaching to that given here: cf. Q Q 29 and 30 (CCSG 59, p. 77–82; CCT 7, p. 128–132) (adapted in Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 18 [PG 89, 500–504]); cf. also Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 71 (PG 28, 637D–640B).

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salvation. For the same reason, unbaptized infants are worthy neither of the kingdom nor of punishment. How great, then, is the penalty brought upon their children by parents, if through the latter’s carelessness the former are deprived of baptism and, in consequence, of the kingdom of heaven!’ This again a suitable moment to recount a story. 5. (1) There was once a priest in the town of Laodicea. He was a devout man, leading a pure and upright life. One night the protocomesa came to him in great haste, urging him to get up and baptize his son, an infant in danger of death. The priest jumped up at once and ran to the church. However, while he was preparing the water and the holy oil, the child died before it was baptized. The priest picked him up and placed him in front of the baptistery, then prayed to the angel, ‘I pray you, angel of God, my fellow-servant! By the power that Christ has given us to loose and to bind, in heaven and on earth (Mt 18: 18), restore the soul of this child to the body until I have baptized him. Do not let him depart unenlightened to the other world! He who is the Master of both me and you knows full well that I have been guilty of no carelessness. When I was called, I came running.’ No sooner had the priest prayed in this way to the angel than the child returned to life. The priest baptized him and then bade him farewell, ‘Go forth, my child, to the kingdom of heaven!’ At once the child returned to sleep in the Lord.b (2) Notice that the kingdom of heaven follows on baptism, but is unattainable without baptism. However there is no punishment either, because there have not been actions that merit it. (3) In another case we know, somebody who was a devoted Christian failed to attain to the happiness of Paradise, because of his negligence. He had become worthy of a place there by the abundance of his alms-giving, but the tyranny of sexual licence kept him at a distance.

The leading local official. cf. Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 55 (ed. Nau [i], OC 3, 1903, p. 82–83; ed. Binggeli, Appendix 3, vol. 1, p. 275). a  

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6. (1) In the city of Constantinea there used to live a man called ‘Philentolos’ (with the surname ‘Olympos’ b). He used to pour out money on orphans and the poor, and on every sort of good work. In fact he distributed to those in need absolutely all that he earned by land and sea. But owing to the devil’s activity – for the devil hates all that is good – Philentolos also had an insatiable passion for sex. Eventually he died in his old age, as constant in his almsgiving as in the practice of his vice. (2) A great question and controversy then arose concerning him: some said that he had been saved (because according to Scripture, ‘A man’s alms-giving covers a multitude of sins’ [1 Pet 4: 8]c), while others affirmed the contrary (for the text of the prophet Ezekiel says, ‘God said, As I find you, so shall I judge you!’ (Ezek 18: 30),d and ‘How can someone be saved who continues to sin up to the time of death?’e). After a long discussion, the Archbishop ordered a fast and prayer.f The announcement was also sent to the monasteries, to the stylites and to the recluses: they were to ask God to reveal to one of them the situation of the dead man. (3) When this happened, God granted a revelation to his servant, Abba Maïoumas, a man of virtue who had led the life of a recluse for many years. He sent for the Archbishop and his staff, and he explained to them as follows, ‘Last night I saw in a sort of ecstasy a certain place, to the right of which was Paradise, with a beauty, pleasure and fragrance that defy description, and to the left The ‘city of Constantine’ can only be Constantinople, and some of the manuscripts (B and P) add the word polis; however, the original seventh-century version of this story names the city as Constantia (viz. ancient Salamina not far from modern Famagusta in Cyprus); cf. F. Halkin, ‘La Vision de Kaioumas’, Anal. Boll. 63, 1945, p. 62–64; however, cf. Regestes, I/II, p. 6, no. 335 (where the city is Constantinople). b   The correct form of this name, as is clear from the article mentioned in the previous note, is ‘Olympios’; here also the error seems to go back to Theognostos as all the MSS available give ‘Olympos’. c   In the text of Peter the word agape (‘love’) appears in place of eleimosyni (‘alms-giving’); cf. James 5: 20; Prov 10: 12. d   See the note to ch. XV 1 § 21 above. e   cf. Ezekiel 33: 9. f   The word lite used here can mean prayer (in general), or more formal prayer (‘litanies’ and ‘processions’). a  

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a furnace was burning, whose flame reached to high heaven. The late Philentolos stood there in the middle of them both, stretching out his hands towards Paradise and weeping and groaning. Even as he groaned, I saw a shining angel come to his side saying, “Your groans and tears are in vain, poor wretch! The market-days have passed!a By your alms-giving you have bought yourself out of the punishment of hell, but by continuing to sin until your death, you have lost yourself the joy of Paradise.”’ (4) Consider,b also from this example, the effect of persisting until one’s death in the indulgence of a vice and of not repenting. I would urge everyone: let us repent for the misdemeanours of the past now behind us, and let us give up our sin. There is nothing else that God asks of us. God is not like a human being; he does not keep a list of past offences like rancorous people. If you renounce your lust, he will tear up at once the affidavit (Col 2: 14) of your sins. Simply leave your sin behind, and God will look at you with a kindly eye. ‘Look,’ he says, ‘this person has turned from sin because of me and out of respect for me.’ Blessed are those whom God regards with a kindly eye! We consider that the pleased glance of a mortal, earthly Emperor is something of which to be proud. How much more then should the regard of the heavenly Master and Emperor be esteemed worth of all our efforts! 7. (1) But what is this repentance that reconciles us to God? Repentance is to feel sorrow and weep for our personal faults. Repentance is to avoid excess and profligacy, and to embrace selfrestraint. Repentance is to suffer harm patiently and humbly, following the words in Scripture, ‘See my humiliation and my trouble, and forgive all my sins!’ (Ps 24: 18). Pardon for sins can be won by alms-giving and by confession. As Scripture says, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy’ (Mt 5: 7). And if we confess our sins, God is powerful enough to have pity on them and erase them (Col 2: 14). State your crimes first so that you may be a   The phrase comes from a poem of Gregory of Nazianzus, Carm. moralia I, 2, 33 (PG 37, 930); cf. ch. XVII A2. b   This and the following paragraphs (6§4 – 7§§1–10) are part of the unpublished sermon of Ps.-Amphilochius of Iconium (CPG 3250, 2) mentioned above (ch. XV 2 § 8).

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justified (Is 43: 26). Make your confession personally to the Lord, as though in secret,a but confess also to a spiritual man qualified by the sacred priesthood. Speak out your hidden shameful deeds (2 Cor 4: 2), without shyness, as if you were talking to God and not to a man, in order to receive your absolution. Without a timely share of shame, it is not possible to escape the eternal shame. Speak out, my brother, and do not be ashamed as you say, ‘I am responsible for this wound, and for this injury. The crime is mine! There is no one at fault except my own laziness and negligence, my pleasure loving soul, my contempt for the reverence due to God!’ (2) On account of this, God, in his love for us, is ready to forbear and show patience. He does not give us what we deserve for our sins. He acts in this way so that we may have every chance to be converted to him by repentance and confession. When someone is indulging in adultery, sexual sins or any other form of licence, could not God kill such people or burn them up with a thunderbolt? When someone is robbing or unjustly depriving another, could not God cause their hands to wither? When they repeatedly blaspheme and swear and lie, could not God muzzle their crafty lipsb and strike them dumb with a single gesture? But God’s goodness does not act thus. His patience allows him to arrange for our salvation, if only we will repent. Should we do otherwise, the dreadful hour is coming when accounts are to be settled, when no defence is possible and every mouth is stopped. Then each one’s deeds, all the things we have done, will bear witness. Just as a shadow follows the body, so sins are attached to the soul and accompany her to the next aeon. Then there will be fear and an indescribable horror as the wretched soul is carried off to the endless agony of her punishment. (3) Therefore, blessed are those who are intelligent and quickwitted enough to anticipate the future, to become temperate, to repent before the moment of death comes, and to propitiate God. What is there to be gained from this life, with its deceptions and The Jerusalem manuscript (S) replaces the words ‘as though in secret’ by ‘as though in a monastery’, a mistake easily made as the Greek for ‘secret’ is ‘mystery’. b   cf. Rom 3: 19. a  

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miseries? At the moment of death, you must certainly leave behind here any possessions and wealth you may have gained. ‘Naked’, Scripture says, ‘I came from my mother’s womb; naked also shall I return there’ (Job 1: 21). Where are the pleasures of the flesh when the body itself disintegrates and rots away in the grave, or when the gullet is dried up? Is it not the gullet that receives the pleasures of food and drink? Is not that the thankless and insatiable duct that serves in this life as a slave to the idle paunch? I would have you consider the bones and skulls stripped of flesh. There you learn the outcome of human nature! Do not idle like a fish to be caught unprepared on the hook of death and consigned to eternal fire. While you are still in this life, escape from the hook of sin, that sting of death (1 Cor 15: 55–56), and take refuge in the deep ocean of God’s mercies, where you can be saved by repentance. (4) Repentance may be defined as ‘an evocation and restoration of holy baptism’.a It is a sword forged in heaven, which can cut off all the heads of the devil. Repentance is an ambassadress empowered to mediate between sinners and God. When we repent, we pray repeatedly, we wear ourselves out with genuflexions, we advance in sorrow for sin, we condemn ourselves alone and think of ourselves as contemptible. Repentance consists of devoting ourselves passionately to holy Scripture, of complete forbearance, of mildness in place of anger, and of humility in place of pride. We do not speak foully, do not mock our neighbour, nor defame anyone. This is true repentance: to implore God on every occasion (Acts 10: 2), to make music with understanding (Ps 46: 8), to make our prayers contritely. True repentance means flying from the works of the devil – lust, adultery, masturbation, and sodomy.b It means avoiding the unseemly guffaw, and separating ourselves from those who have no fear of God. It also means not being cold-hearted and cruel, not being a braggart and a boaster. Those who repent are not obsessed with money or pleasure, not cf. John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 5 (PG 88, 764B); a similar passage comes below in ch. XVI § 35. b   cf. 1 Cor 6: 9. a  

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devoted to dances and songs of the devil, curbing their eyes from harmful spectacles. To repent is to meditate constantly on death, to fear and tremble for the moment of judgement, and never to sin with full deliberation. (5) If on some occasion you are carried away into committing a sin – through carelessness, or drink, or on a sudden whim, or even out of bad habit – be careful not to become slack and not to slip back completely. Our master is kindly. He is acquainted with the weakness of human nature.a Run to him in haste! Show no negligence! Say contritely to the all-merciful, ‘Lord, you instructed us to forgive seventy-times-seven (Mt 18: 22). In your goodness, forgive me in your turn, for I am a wretched lover of sin. Let not my wickedness surpass your goodness. Have mercy on me, a sinner caught in the mire, and save me in the wisdom of your judgements!’ (6) If you act in this way, you can be confident and fearless, no matter how often you may fall. God’s mercy will find you, and he will turn a blind eye on your failings. Provided that you make an effort to act justly, simply refrain from hurrying back deliberately at every hour of every day to one’s own vomit (Prov 26: 11), to the mire of impurity. It is one thing to be snapped up by the Evil One and so fall into sin, and quite another matter to commit a fault by deliberate choice. In the first case, God forgives if one turns to him with tears and contrition. But how can God show mercy to someone who sins and fails to recognize God or to implore his goodness? When you sin and pay no attention to your fault, when you are not worried about it, but remain unpreoccupied, as if you had not done anything at all wrong, how can God have pity on you? (7) You must repent for your sins, and then mercy will be shown you. Call on the Lord and he will direct your steps! (Prov 15: 29b). You can wipe out all your sins by the intensity of your devotion to God. Above all, never give way to despair! Many people, including the saints, have had failings – not merely David and Peter, the spokesman of the Apostles, but very many others. They cf. Heb 4: 15; 5: 2.

a  

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were purified by contrition and shone even more brilliantly. In the same way we should repent and hurry for forgiveness before death can catch us. Refuse to do evil, and act justly! Then the loving Lord will have mercy on you. Remember that nobody who has had a body of flesh and blood, has remained without sin. If the Lord had removed his mercy from the saints, who then would have been saved? The blessed Paul was explaining this when he said, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified by his grace as a gift’ (Rom 3: 23–24), in so far as God had mercy on his own creature, because as a gift Christ suffered death for our sins (1 Cor 15: 3).a The inspired David also cried out to God, ‘If you keep account of sins, O Lord, Lord, who shall stand?’ (Ps 129: 3). No one, in truth, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified as a gift (Rom 3: 23–24) – and not by their works (Gal 2: 16). The saints themselves, even though God calls them ‘saints’, are aware of what they did in their youth. In their case also, it is by grace (Rom 3: 24) that they are saved and receive their crown. (8) So, my friend, begin to repent! This is our most powerful means for finding mercy. Avert your eyes to prevent them gazing on vanity, stop coveting beauty that belongs to another (Sirach 9: 8). The eye is a traitor to the heart, and the Enemy is wont to draw us by the eyes to make us fall headlong into the pit.b Stop up your ears against all Satanic murmurings. Open them to listen to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Never cease to stretch out your hands, and to turn your gaze, towards your Master who dwells in heaven. Keep our feet straight along the path of peace. Avoid surfeit, satiety and wanton excess, especially in drink, the mother of all evils and of all impurity. Drink is the most common cause of the blood’s seething, of sexual licence, adultery and sodomy. cf. Gal 2: 21. The Viennese manuscript of this sermon (V) adds here: ‘May we all be freed from that Enemy by the protection and help of Our super-blessed Lady, the Bearer of God, to whom is due all glory… etc., Amen.’ (f. 71). A copy was made around 1600 A.D. for Sir Henry Savile, then preparing his monumental edition of St John Chrysostom, and the copyist added a note in the margin: ‘The true Chrysostom never ends like this.’ (Oxon. Bodl. Auct. E.3.11, p. 533). a  

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Refrain from sleeping to excess; too much sleep also arouses the sexual impulse, because repose gives it excessive strength. (9) We must stamp downa the flesh when it plots against the soul and makes war on us. Let us use prayer, fasting, penances, vigils and spiritual exercises. We must subordinate the flesh to the spirit in accordance with God’s will. We should restrain the turbulent movements of the flesh and all its impure desires. As soon as we act in this way, we shall experience the richness of the Master’s grace in our souls. By these means all the saints shone so brilliantly and could draw the grace of the Spirit upon themselves, and achieved such greatness, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law (Rom 8: 6–7). However, when our Master shows pity for our failings, we should not show equal pity for ourselves. We must constantly consider ourselves as condemned and prodigal sinners. By descending ever deeper into the depths of humility, we shall be able to rise speedily to the heavenly heights, ‘For those who humble themselves will be exalted’ (Lk 14: 11; 18: 14), as the Lord said. (10) Let us struggle then, my brothers, while there is time, to pass from toil to rest. All those who toil on God’s behalf here below, making progress in his commandments, will enjoy a long rest in the other world. On the contrary, those who fritter away their energies on the luxuries and relaxations of this world, never giving a thought for their souls, are be visited with eternal punishment. That is why, ‘It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Mt 19: 23), as the Lord has said. The rich have plenty of rest here below, but the human body, when it is rested, naturally longs and yearns all the more for worse things that lead to perdition.b Repose in this world entails crushing toil on the day of judgement for those who now indulge in it. So my plea to you is: let us hurry to our spiritual exercises, enslaving the body (1 Cor 9: 27) and taming it, as if it were an unbroken colt, to be obedient to the soul. It is the soul that is immortal and eternal; the flesh This and the following paragraph are part of the unpublished sermon of Ps.Amphilochius of Iconium (CPG 3250, 2) mentioned above, ch. XV 2 § 8; 6 § 4. b   cf. Mt 7: 13. a  

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is corruptible and disintegrates. By our diligence in leading pure lives pleasing to God, by our exercise of good and helpful acts, let us advance into that other life that will never fail in Christ Jesus Our Lord. To him be all glory, honour and adoration, as also to his Father, who is without beginning, and to the all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever, world without end, Amen.

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Chapter XVI An Exhortationa of our Father, St Amphilochius, Bishop of Ikonion, Concerning Virtue; that we Should be Ever Mindful of Death, and Against the Vanity of this World

1. Those who lose no opportunity to read the divine Scriptures, that are both helpful to the soul and divinely inspired,b are vivified in the Spirit, for it is the Spirit of God that is contained therein, a Spirit of life, a Spirit of might, of wisdom and counsel and understanding (Is 11:2). When men are preoccupied with the devil’s foul suggestions, they suffocate and die spiritually. Similarly, when they reflect on the words of the Spirit, they constantly gain life, and little by little they are brought nearer to the Master. So I would implore you, my dear friend, to choose what is best for you, and never to direct your attention away from the phrases of the Spirit. On the other hand, you should constantly avoid all foolish talk. It consists of the devil’s utterances that defile both body and soul. Foul talk has a stench stronger that that of sulphur, and The first paragraphs, §§ 1–28, are similar to those in an unpublished sermon falsely attributed to Amphilochius of Iconium; cf. CPG 3250, 4 (ff. 35–45). b   cf. 2 Tim 3: 16 a  

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it makes the soul stink even worse. Just as foul smells taint with their fumes material clothes, in the same way filthy thoughts and words that rise from the heart and issue from the moutha befoul the wretched soul’s substance. It is the natural work of smoke to blacken the place into which its fumes are introduced. Let us fly, then, from all dirty language! Our thoughts should be intent on holy Scripture. The latter beings light, the former only darkness. The one illuminates and sweetens the reader’s heart, the other plunges the reader into dark night and bitter pain. No one who has good sense and reads with devotion, can fail to be instructed to some extent by God and led by grace to salvation. Let nothing be held in higher esteem by you than the utterances of God and the remembrance of him, seeing that from there comes salvation. 2. In this connection, a wise man cries out saying, ‘Fill your lungs with God rather than with air!’ b Similarly another said, ‘Remember God on every possible occasion, and he will remember you when you fall into trouble.’c ‘The study of holy Scripture provides us with the science of God and with eternal life. In a word, from it comes the sum of every blessing.’ d 3. We are dying, my brothers, we are dying! We should have a thought, while we can, for the travelling expenses to the next life. Are we mindful about the immortal things? This world is of no help to us; it takes advantage of our obtuseness and makes fun of us. Here there is great toil and labour, we are sleepless and always anxious, lest we be reduced to bodily need. We swear and lie to make some profit, and we also mock and speak ill of others. ‘It is a necessary part of business,’ some say. But death is approaching, and then woe betide this dreadful, deadly business! Why are you led astray, O mortal one! Why do you grow dull, toiling over this life and never giving a single thought for your soul? What good will all this anxiety do you, if indeed you will have to give an account for every careless word (Mt 12: 36)? Consider how the days of cf. Mt 15: 18–19. cf.  Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 27 [= Theol. 1] (PG 36, 16B9–10); cf. Athanasius, Vita Antonii 91 (PG 26, 969 C2; English translation, p. 95). c   Author unidentified. d   Author unidentified. a  

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your life are slipping past. Consider what you are doing, thinking that you escape the notice of others; you cannot hide from God! I beg you to fly from the devil’s side Nobody will help you at the moment of your death, nobody will protect you or assist you then – no father, no mother, no brother or friend, no relative.a You will have only your deeds to back you. Do not deceive yourself into trying to find salvation in any other way except through good works. Hurry, while you still have the chance, to find a justification for yourself at the moment of the soul’s separation. Struggle to avoid falling into the hands of blood-thirsty demons, and instead, may you be carried by the hands of shining angels to the resting-place of the just! 4. Consider those who were once kings. Where are they now? Think of those who ruled for such long periods. What became of them? Call to mind where those, who laboured in this life to amass great quantities of gold and silver, are to be found now. Make clear in your own mind, and announce where they have gone! Alas! How many lechers, how many adulterers and sodomites, how many guilty of incest and rape, how many thieves and liars and drunkards, how many bribe-takers, usurers and misers, how many perjurers, mockers and boasters, all now lie stinking in their graves, while their souls have long been receiving eternal punishment in the bonds of Hades. What benefit did they get from their lives of luxury, from all they plundered and heaped up? Truly, nothing! What good to them were their gold-spun robes, their estates and suburban villas, their magnificent great palaces, their countless slaves and flatterers and all the deceitful abundance and comfort of their lives? All this brought them no profit whatsoever. Their bodies, as I have said, are now in the grave and give off a stench worse than that of sulphur, and their wretched souls are deep in the darkness of Hades, like condemned prisoners. All the wealth they had here is of no use to them, apart for what they put to God’s service through the poor. Only that provides them some consolation and help.

The Benaki manuscript (B) adds: ‘no wife, no children’.

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5. But consider, on the other hand, the saints, those who served God. They lie in their graves and exude a fragrant perfume, they distil balm and drive away fevers, shivering fits and devils. Even after death their lives become more brilliant. How great a glory is theirs, both in this world and in the next! 6. I implore you to weigh up my words. Are they untrue? Are things different from what I have suggested? Of course not! This is not just rhetoric. Therefore, my brothers, let us fly from sin, because it separates us from our Lord God. Let us fly from the works of the devil, because he has invented them for our damnation. The devil brings bitter pain, and so also does sin. But are you troubled by sexual passion? Then think of honourable matrimony (Heb 13:4). As Scripture says, The wife is fitted to the husband by the Lord (Prov 19: 14 [LXX]). Everything else brings one down to the bowels of Hades. Therefore, my friends, let us practise restraint and continence. Otherwise, when we go to the next life, we shall find ourselves damned as loathsome by the King of Ages. Let us beware of going astray because of this world – it is a mere shadow. Just as a man who is asleep will have a dream, but lose it on waking, that is how all life’s span will appear to us in the next world. 7. Are you an Emperor holding sway over many people? Do you possess thousands of measures of gold? Are you enjoying immense glory, pleasure, joy and luxury? What will be the sequel to all that? A single night, a single attack of fever, or pleurisy, or pneumonia, and you are snatched away from among the living. In death you depart like the poorest of mortals along the common path that knows no return with no one to help you. What good was all that wealth and glory and splendour? Once there, your angels will be asked, ‘Whom are you bringing?’ – ‘The man who was the Emperor on earth,’ they will say. – ‘Certainly not!’ comes the reply, ‘this is a dog corrupted by sin, a donkey, a mule, a slave of sin, one of the devil’s minions, a swine wallowing in mire and dung. Take him away with the pigs and the foul spirits! He made the most of swinish pleasure, so let him make the most of Hell’s smart! That was what the wretch deliberately chose and elected.’ 8. This is what to the kings who refuse to repent, and who fail to understand that they should serve the one

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who has given them their glory, the King before all Ages, the Lord of all. However, if kings are to be treated in the next world with so little regard for their persons, how much less regard will be had for those of inferior rank? 9. Fly then, poor wretch, from the devil’s pleasure before death’s night comes upon you and you lack the strength to do anything. Your heart must be made of stone, believe me, if this divine sermon will not set it alight. I do not know how to entreat you or in what way I can cure you, making you restrain yourself (seeing that you have no fear of hell) or making you correct yourself (as you have no desire for the Kingdom). From where can a remedy be found for your soul? What am I to say to you? What words can I utter? May our God come to the aid of this wretchedness and sluggishness! 10. Tell me, my friend, are you a Christian? If so, why do you go to another woman, bringing disgrace on your wife’s bed and damnation on your wretched soul? Are you not aware that adulterers, lechers and sodomites are to be led to the eternal fire? How great will be your bitter pain, poor wretch, in place of this loathsome passing pleasure, when you are roasted eternally in hell! Flee at once, flee with all speed! The dread and bitter devil of sexual licence has taken his stand, inflaming everyone at the present time. He maddens everyone to wild intemperance, that brings in its train eternal fire for those who obey him. He wants to have them with him, burning without end. Believe me! I counsel you for your good, intent on your salvation. Run as far as you can from the putrefaction of that wily dragon! Surely you can see that this destructive dragon of sexual passion has swallowed up all the living! He compels even eunuchs, although impotent, to feel the urge for profligate lusts. You know that all those inflamed by this frenzy burn with a hidden fire for the pleasure of shameful enjoyment, so that they imagine unnatural impure sexual copulations. 11. If you have any sense, then learn from what has been said, and escape the tyranny of the one who was a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8: 44). Submit yourself to the Lord, who formed and shaped you. Devote yourself to His service by continence, O lover of Christ! Long with all the energy of your soul for His holiness,

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so that, if your love is God-centred, you will come to see His face and rejoice for endless ages, called blessed by the holy angels, in the light of the Lord’s glory. 12. My friend, consider what is being said. Think how great is the heaven, the earth the sea, the sun, the moon and the stars – yet the Lord decided not take His pleasure among them, but only with men and women. The human being is the living being formed by God to be the most honoured of all his creatures. It is on their account that all things came to be, and it is because of them that the divine voice said, Let us make humankind according to our image and according to [our] likeness (Gen 1: 26). The Evil One is aware of all this; he never ceases to covet and envy such glory and salvation. God allows him to attack everyone, in order to test them, although of course the devil may not constrain our independent self-determination. In this way all those who love God, and who subordinate the promptings of the flesh out of fear of Him will be made plain; they are those who give pre-eminence to their souls above the body, and to God above the whole world and its pleasures. 13. At that final time, when the consummation of this age is approaching and as lawlessness increases (Mt 24: 12) even more upon the earth, the son of lawlessness (Ps 88: 23)a will arise and enforce by law the committing of incest and every form of foul act. Woe betide that time and those who obey him! Be careful, therefore, about how you behave (Eph 5: 15)! Beware of submitting even now to his strange lusts! I entreat you, I, the voice of the Lord, crying out loud and clear. Be prudent ‘bankers’ of the talent b of learning that I entrust to your love. You will be required to return it with interest by Christ our God, when he comes to judge living and dead in the terrifying glory of his godhead: For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God (Acts 20: 27). Therefore, I, for my part, am not guilty of the blood of any of you (Acts 20: 26)!

The Benaki manuscript (B) gives the reading ‘son of destruction’ found in 2 Thess 2: 3. b   cf. Mt 25: 14–30; Agrapha 87, p. 112–128. a  

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14. So let us prepare ourselves, from now on, my brothers, for the Lord’s coming. We must not put off the occasion day by day with foolish delays. Otherwise we shall lose the present opportunity by our indolence, and we shall regret it stupidly for ever when we are being punished. If we have true repentance as we fall asleep in this life, we shall enjoy a sweet awakening as we rise in the future life, fragrant like lilies and roses at the second holy coming of Christ our God. But if we come to die in sin and in the devil’s despair, alas, from what an accursed nightmare shall we wake up! Then the angels will drag us mercilessly by the hair and hurl us into the unquenchable flame that burning hell of fire where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth (Mt 8: 12). 15. With tears, I implore and beseech you all, my brothers, let us take thought for our salvation, and let us make haste before the door is closed.a Our days have drifted past like smoke,b and death is approaching. What will become of us, if death finds us unprepared? Consider where all the years of your life have gone and what became of them. Do you still think that they were there for pleasure and self-indulgence? Just the contrary, you poor wretch! They passed and were lost, that is to say, the years went by but the deeds we performed during them lie stocked up waiting for the moment of death. How can you know if an angel is not to be sent early in the morning to take your soul from you, or if you are not to die in the evening? Perhaps you will be snatched away suddenly, or while you are asleep, not even having spoken to anyone. 16. Reflecting on these considerations, therefore, and out of sheer prudence, I implore you to fly from the devil’s blandishments. As long as you are in this world, you are the master of your will; you can opt to serve God or the lusts of the flesh and the devil. Once you are dead, you lose all power. Then the soul separated from the body is helpless, while the body rots and disintegrates according to the universal sequel of nature. From then on, you are no longer the master of your will, but a condemned criminal guarded in the prison of Hades. When the king examines you and cf. Mt 25: 10. cf. Ps 101: 4.

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learns what there is against you, then you will receive the sentence you deserve. 17. Fly with all speed from the works of Satan! You have nothing to do with what is below. Look upwards for you were created upright! Recognize the judge who is coming from heaven, the king of all. In a short while, it is he who will send his angel to take you, although against your will, away from this earth. This common necessity imposes equally on all, be they just or sinful, rich or poor. The cup cannot be refused. However, what comes after death will be very different; then each will receive according to their deeds. 18. So why do you live like someone who will never undergo death or judgement? Why do you pamper that flesh, due to feed the worms, that rival of the soul? Why do you dilly-dally, as if expecting never to be called to account for each moment of your life? Let your deeds shine out,a while you still have the chance to become a child of the light (Jn 12: 36) and an heir. Neither the past years of our lives, nor the years we hope to live in the future, are visible now. When night approaches, it covers over the day, just as the arrival of the day sends night into hiding. What else can we see in this life except winter and summer, spring and autumn? Some are born and others die, some are joyful and others sad. There are those who increase in wealth and health, and others who sink in poverty and sickness. Some fall among dangers and shipwreck others in captivity or slaughter. All human things are such – unstable and insecure, vain and deceptive. Let our thoughts turn, therefore, to the future life. Nothing will be the same there, but all will be steady and strong and true. There will be one age and a single everlasting day for those worthy of it, just as there will be one never-ending night for those whose deeds have been works of darkness (Rom 13: 12). 19. Escape by all means from the vanity of this world! Beware of becoming entangled by the enticements of the devils in futile preoccupations. Beware of being dragged down by earthly thoughts and becoming completely brutish, forgetting the Lord cf. Rom 13: 12.

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your God (Deut 8: 14). There is nothing of ours here. Why do we erroneously waste our energies on trifles? We have brought nothing into this world (1 Tim 6: 7), and this means there is nothing material that we can take out, but only the deeds we have performed. The present life is worse than the murk of a furnace. How many has it deceived and destroyed and consigned to the eternal fire, all because they were not willing to live out in it lives that are self-controlled, upright and godly (Titus 2: 12)! How many have had their plans and intentions deprived of their long-term hopes! They have been dispatched, stripped of good works and bereft of repentance, into the other life. 20. As for us, my brothers let us not be caught out by life’s fantasy. Let us not allow ourselves to be blinded by its haze, nor deceived by its pleasures and enjoyments, harmful to the soul. See the tombs, have a look inside the graves and observe how the dead can be seen piled one on top of the other. Tomorrow you will certainly be among them, laid willy-nilly on top. As for human beings, Scripture says, their days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so will they bloom, because a spirit passed through them and they will be gone, and will no longer recognize the place (Ps 102: 15–16).a Indeed, what is that place? I say it is the dark and gloomy region in Hades where all sinners are held fast. It was there that all the souls were enclosed before Christ’s coming, in a land, dark and gloomy, as Job says, where there is no light and no mortal life (Job 10: 20–22). They certainly could not recognize the aspect of the place: it lies shrouded in deep night, clouds cover its surface, so that no one can distinguish the shape of one’s own hand nor perceive any other of the world’s details. As a result, souls in this life, attached to their bodies, have no knowledge of that place and when they come there, they cannot learn what the place looks like, because everything is hidden in darkness. 21. However, souls who are there can remember clearly things of this world, as is shown by the parable that describes the rich man in the flames:b while he was being roasted there, he was anxious for The preacher is interpreting the LXX version of the Psalm verse. cf. Luke 16: 19–31.

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his brothers in this life. The soul is cognitive by nature; if, while in the body, it can remember places where it once walked and the place from which it came to where it now is dwelling, all the more vividly does the memory function after the journey to the next life, when the soul has abandoned both the weight of the flesh, and the misty distraction of this present vanity. It recalls where it used to be earlier in life, what were its deeds and interests and how it spent its leisure. Things cannot be otherwise: the soul has been created cognitive – that means it always possesses a mind and is never bereft of memory and cognition (God forbid!). 22. While we still have the chance, my friends, we must truly make an effort not to be condemned to live in Hades with that rich man. Once we have arrived naked, with only our souls, in the next life, experience will show us how we remember things of this life. Let us strive to free ourselves from the exterior darkness (Mt 8: 12; 22: 13; 25: 30), while we are still immigrants in our mortal bodies. We have wasted the years of our lives in sinning. What have we achieved? My brothers, we have lived on behalf of the world, let us live on our own behalf. We have lived on the devil’s behalf, let us live on behalf of our God. We have lived for the sake of waste, let us live for the sake of salvation. How long are we to live for the devil? How long for the world? How long for the body? My listener, turn your eyes towards the death that comes suddenly leaping upon you. I beg you to call a halt to all the evil you have done. Turn your course towards the Lord, and do away with all the evils you have been heaping up for yourself since your youth. 23. Consider what I am saying to you. You will hear nobody else speak to you as I am doing. All that I say is for your delight and will appear beautiful to your spirit. Have no fear for that thief (Jn 10: 1), the devil,a who is always drawing you towards despair. Do not be afraid of that destroyer, the cruel bandit. You have nothing to do with him. God is good and abounding in mercy. He is compassionate and without rancour. ‘All sins,’ he says, ‘will be forgiven those’ who repent, ‘only when someone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit’ – and against the invisible nature of the Godhead – ‘will cf. § 35 below for the same expression.

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forgiveness not be granted, neither in this age nor in the next’ (Mk 3: 28–29). In the name of Jesus Christ, we have not blasphemed against the Godhead! Our only sins have been weaknesses due to the body, and perhaps also to the soul. What are these as far as God is concerned? 24. Listen, you wicked demon, to what I have to say to you when you try to make me despair: ‘All sins will be forgiven to men’; the one who spoke those words is the one who has trampled on your neck. He spoke them to prevent your saying that men had concocted them to suit themselves. It was his adorable and neverlying mouth that revealed this truth. You foul dog, how dare you wander round and drive the human race to despair! ‘It is for my own sake,’ says the devil, ‘that I struggle and fight. I am cut to the quick when I see human beings rising to those heights from which I fell.’ – Indeed, how well do I know that such is the case, you deceiver! You sow the seed of sin among us in order to drag the human race to share your own destruction, and to make us despair, you thief (Jn 10: 1), you liar (Jn 8: 44), you devil (Mt 13: 39)! But now listen, you wretched dragon, to the words of the Son of God, who is himself God: ‘All sins will be forgiven those who truly repent.’ What is your answer to that? Don’t you accept it? Can you make some reply? Is a denial possible from you? What are you waiting for? Why are you scowling? You have been worsted! Kick out, but against the goad (Acts 26: 14)! 25. However, what else does the cursed one say: ‘If only there were no repentance, if only no conversion were possible for sinners, I would have gobbled them all up by now! Nobody would have escaped from my grasp! I would have them all fast inside the one net!’ – Yes, you enemy of the truth, but God’s goodness and his loving kindness for humankind are unsurpassable. There is no sin that can overcome his love. For you in your envy, evil is becoming, the evil that caused you to fall from Heaven and be cast into the eternal fire that has been made ready for you and your angels (Mt 25: 41), to requite your wicked and absolutely irreformable choice. God, on the other hand, is patient by nature. He is ready to show compassion and mercy. He gladly welcomes all sinners, who

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are converted to him. He understands the frailty of human nature and its proclivity to sin. 26. So repent completely for your sins, confidently and fearlessly. No matter how often you fall into sin, be dauntless in rising once more and repenting! Should Satan say to you, ‘From now on you are lost and have no possibility of salvation,’ let him babble on. Or rather, answer him: ‘Certainly not! The sole-begotten Son of God, he who is the Word, has said that, All sins will be forgiven to those who repent, only when someone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will forgiveness not be granted (Mk 3: 28–29). You already have in your power Arius and Macedonius, Origen, Eusebius, Pyrrhus, and those other arch-heretics who thought like them. Off with you! Go and lament and scowl with them!’ 27. My friend, use these expressions against the enemy of our salvation. Then the mire of despair will dry out and the devil himself, utterly ashamed, will leave you. Fear the Lord in a spirit of truth, and love him with all your soul. Refuse to do evil, and fly from sin as one would fly from a snake. Advance along the royal road, so that you may be able to please God and be counted among his friends. Then, when death comes to you in your turn, you will be able to rest content, and on the last day the Lord will raise you up in glory and immortality. At that moment you will bloom like the rose, the lily, the palm tree and the cypress (Ps 91: 13), you will flash like the sun (Mt 13: 43), you will fly on the wings of the winds (Ps 17: 11), borne over the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4: 17) with those who come to recline with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Mt 8: 11), from east and west and north and sea (Ps 106: 3). 28. I beg and implore you, indeed, let us be converted to the Lord wholeheartedly, let us strike an opportune blow at the devil by our fine repentance. No hesitancy! No laziness! No delay! What good will we do ourselves if by our niggardliness over a few years we ruin our souls and condemn them to eternal punishment with no one to show us mercy? Energy then, while the ‘market’a is still open! Hands to the labour, while we still have the chance! How many will be searching for these days and will not find them! See ch. XV 1 § 5, for the reference to Gregory of Nazianzus.

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At present we waste them profligately on the devil, but when the limit of our lives is reached, how suddenly the end comes upon us! Even as you are breathing your last, the eyes of your mind will be opened and you will begin to see what you have never seen before, fearful and dreadful spectacle! All your past actions will present themselves at that moment: sexual licence, adulteries, insults, perjury, foul language, wicked acts and acts of injustice, lies, and all the rest. There will be no one to help you. What panic at that moment! What terrible straits! Then all will begin to look frantically for the days they wasted so badly in this life, and no help will it do them! Why not? Because the door of life has been closed (Mt. 25: 10) on them, their persecutors are at their heels, and those ready to condemn them are fierce. And so, yet again, I make my plea: let us turn nobly to virtue, let us hurry without loss of time. We must make all our preparations to prevent our being dominated by sin, and held up as a spectacle for the devil’s gloating. 29. Supposinga he whispers foul thoughts to you: reject them and you will not be held guilty. He is a restless beast, an implacable foe to all Christians. For his part he sows his suggestions with an eye to the harvest he will reap. You, then, lover of God, suffocate the wicked seed of his foul and noisome inspirations by your study of Holy Scriptures, your care for the spirit, your fear of death and your dread of judgement. Then his harvest will be a swirl of dust and straw. Remember that just as someone is not a saint by hearing Holy Scripture – and failing to put the recommendations it contains into practiceb – so also someone is not a sinner simply by receiving the inspirations and suggestions of the devil, but by receiving them and acting on them. Do not of course examine his wicked thoughts, and if it happens that on some occasion you do succumb, then wail and lament because you have erred by your action and given joy to the enemy of our salvation, but rise once more like a noble warrior and stand on your feet again by your repentance. In that way you will bring joy to the holy angels who a   From this point to the end, extracts seem to be taken from other PseudoAmphilochian sermons, CPG 3250, 1, 3 and 4, partly published by Combefis, p. 92–100, 113–115. b   See Jas 1: 22–23.

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cooperate with us in our salvation. Feel no sorrow for those foolish thoughts, and do not be gloomy. The Lord knows that such suggestions are not our own, but belong to the devil who sends them in his jealousy to deceive us into accepting them. We must shake off such thoughts and busy ourselves with those of God. 30. Perhaps Satan will try to cajole you with pleasure, and stimulate you to sin by saying, ‘Come, indulge in sexual pleasure!’ – Repel him, like one come to destroy you, and say, ‘My past life has been enough for me, devil! … I implore you, Lord my God, to prevent me falling once more into the mire of impurity and spoiling your temple, this unfortunate wretched body of mind!’ – Oppose him like an athlete of the Lord and a soldier of the heavenly Emperor, and you will receive no less a reward and crown than that granted to the holy victorious martyrs who died for their religion. 31. Suppose Satan says to you ‘Come and steal?’ or ‘Slander soand-so and hate him!’ – Your reply should be, ‘May this not happen, O Lord my God!’ – Suppose that he incites you to envy or moves you to anger, be quick to drive him away. Should he trouble you, make no reply and you will have won. I was troubled, says the Psalmist, but I did not speak (Ps 76: 5). If he draws you to empty vanity, make fun of him, as the sinner and wretch that you are, and curb your own opinion of yourself. The devil has often been clever enough to inflate with self-esteem even those who were doing no good. Should he tempt you to pride, bear in mind what rank he held, and from where he fell. And what is man? Surely some dust and dirt rotting in a grave, even though during his short life he ignores what he is and brags with his great pretensions! 32. But supposing the fool incites you to masturbate, keep your hand away. There are many men, whom the deceiver could not draw into fornication, but whom he tripped up even more terribly by this practice. Suppose that he brings pressure on you to sleep with a male, beware of the inescapable judgement of God and fly from it. Many are those who have been struck dead by God’s lightning while they secretly committed this sin in their homes. The devil knows no shame, and he tests man from every possible angle. When he discovers a man’s inclination, he binds him and destroys him by that same passion.

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33. Therefore, if he attempts to tyrannize you by avarice, give all your surplus to the poor, and then you have God as the one who will care for your life, he who through the poor has received what was yours. Keep clear of soothsayers, magicians and augurers. What share do you have with the demons. People who do such thing are not Christians, even though they may think that they are. What sort of Christian can someone be who runs for protection to the devil? Be careful during the whole of your life not to nurse a grudge against anyone, otherwise you will give joy to the Enemy. Instead you should force yourself, despite your feelings, to be Christ-like in praying for those who do you harm. In that way you will yourself receive mercy from God. 34. But perhaps you will say to me, ‘The seeds of all the passions have been cunningly planted in my heart. What am I to do when I am weighed down by such a mass of transgressions?’ – Repent, my brother! Turn your efforts to spiritual things, and you will win back your former state. ‘But I am afraid,’ you say, ‘that I have even befouled and stained and soiled my holy baptism. There can be no hope of salvation for me.’ – Here am I, ready to answer for all your former sins. All that you have to do is to repent! It does not matter who you are: even though you are someone who denies God himself, or are a magician, a murderer or a thief. I shall go surety for you, I shall act as mediator, no matter how unworthy I may be. All that is required of you is that you cut short your evil conduct and undertake a way of life pleasing to God. You need have no distress or worry about all that you have done in the past. We, the bishops,a no matter how sinful we may be, have heard the Saviour say, If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven (Jn 20: 23), and Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 18: 18). Just repent and give signs of your reform of life, and I shall guarantee your salvation, since God asks for nothing more. 35. Beware of eating to excess, and of giving way to drunkenness and the debauchery that goes with it (Eph 5: 18). Practise temperance, prayer, tears, confession. So will you slaughter that thief (Jn 10: 1), the devil, by your repentance, for this change was cf. Const. Apost. II, 25, 7 (ed. Funk I, p. 97).

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of the right hand of the Most High (Ps 76: 11), a sharpened sword against the demon, a millstone tied around his neck to drown him in a spiritual sea,a dread thunderbolts for the dragon. Truly, repentance is a heavenly rope by which the Primal Evil is tied up with his hands behind his back, and a fearsome net cast round him to entangle and throttle him. He may invent and set in position many engines of war, but there is nothing he can do against repentance. This is the nail that God has hammered into his heart. The devil may struggle violently, but he is incapable of pulling it out. However, when you do escape from sin by your repentance, beware of becoming negligent. The Enemy loses no time in preparing new forays. Show yourself a brave defender by your contrition, your fasting, and your forbearance. 36. But perhaps you will, say, ‘I am a weak and wretched creature. Fasting is beyond me.’ – Then at least avoid eating to excess, keep clear of greediness, cut short superfluous sleep, avoid constant chatter. You should not presume over anyone, nor indulge your quick temper. Refrain from mockery, from foul talk, from backbiting. Beware of gazing on beauty belonging to another (Sirach 9: 8). All these are things hateful to God, and will suffice for your salvation. Race to the church like a flash of lightning, praise your master, ‘thanking him and confessing his name’,b make a resolute effort with your spiritual reading, your psalmody and your prayer. Approach God’s embrace, for the doors of the temple may be compared to the embrace of our God and Father: it is in the church that God himself dwells. This Church never expels anyone, she receives all, embraces all, she would want to gain them all. Even though you have indulged in sexual vice, you need fear nothing Simply renounce that mire and stench, and you will be saved. By your tears of repentance and the mercy of God, you will become whiter than snow (Ps 50: 9). Even though an adulterer, the same holds true. Even though you are a blasphemer, turn to God and he will forgive. See Mt 18: 6 (the millstone) and Mk 5: 13 (the unclean spirits drowned with the swine). A similar eulogy of metanoia (repentance) is given above: ch. XV 7 § 4. b   cf. Const. Apost. VII, 30, 1 (ed. Funk I, p. 418). a  

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37. Genuine repentance consists in this: to stop sinning and from now on to put into practice the just commands of God, with fear, effort and longing. By these means the devil is pierced through and through. This is the repentance that ruins and destroys him, for he himself says,a ‘If only there were no repentance, I would have gobbled up everyone by now! I would have them all fast inside one and the same net!’ But it is worth recording the case of one of those who most distinguished himself by his repentance. 38. (1) Saint Jacobb had spent forty years in God’s service and had received from God the power to cure every sort of illness, to drive out demons, and to raise the dead to life. Many people used to visit him because of the wonders that God worked through him. So one day one of the more distinguished citizens came to the saint bringing his young daughter, who was troubled by demonic possession. No sooner had the man made his request than Jacob drove out the demon from the girl. However, her parents were afraid tht the possession might recur and trouble her, so they begged the holy man to allow the girl to stay there for a few days. To keep her company they also left behind her younger brother. (2) But since nobody can escape the ambushes set by the Evil One, the holy man was wounded by the arrow of passion for the girl and he raped her. Then, afraid lest the event become known and he be disgraced, he first killed the girl and her brother; then he threw their bodies into a near-by river. By now, as he had lost all hope of ever being saved, he set off to return to the world. On his journey he met one of the more select and experienced of the spiritual fathers. The latter convinced him by his exhortations that he should repent before God. Indeed, the saint flung himself weeping and lamenting into a grave, and began to practise every sort of penance: only at night would he emerge from the grave, eat some herbs and grasses, drink a little water, and then return to persevere with renewed groans and lamentations inside the grave. See earlier in this chapter § 25. This story is found in the Pseudo-Amphilochian sermons (CPG 3250, 3; cf. Combefis, p. 113–115); but occurs elsewhere, cf. BHG 770c; Synaxarion, Jan. 28, p. 430, lines 33–53. a  

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(3) However, it was God’s wish that Jacob should be presented as an example to sinners to prevent them succumbing easily to despair. There came a great drought in that area with no rain whatsoever, and even though all the inhabitants celebrated processions and rogations, not a drop fell. Then the following message was revealed to the local bishop: ‘Unless Jacob, the man who is a recluse in a tomb, prays on your behalf, I shall send no rain upon the earth.’ Despite all the numerous fasts, vigils and prayers being offered with tears by all, God refused to listen to any of them. Instead a voice like thunder was heard to come from heaven above saying, ‘All your efforts are in vain! Unless my servant, Jacob, begs and implores on your behalf, the drought will not be ended.’ – How strange are the ways of repentance! Oh the reconciliation (2 Cor 5: 18) revealed by God! God preferred the man who repented: ‘Let him implore me,’ God said, ‘and I will grant rain.’ (4) One day all the populace, along with the bishop, came to beg the saint with tears that he might beseech God. But Jacob, in his great humility, would not hear of it. He said that he was not fit to ask God for anything, as he was the most despicable of all men. Once again they all hurriedly returned to God, and once more it was to no avail. Instead they heard the message from heaven, ‘Unless my servant, Jacob, prays on your behalf, I shall pay no attention to anyone.’ – At this they began to implore Jacob, weeping most bitterly, and very reluctantly and only under great constraint, the holy man stretched out his arms towards heaven and, bending his knees, begged God to grant abundant rain upon the earth. Even as he was still praying, a violent cloud-burst broke suddenly from heaven and the earth was flooded with such abundant rain that streams rushed down dried-up watercourses, and the flow of water only gradually abated. 39. Do you seea the glory of repentance, and appreciate how God glorifies those who repent? Truly, the power of repentance is enormous and its effectiveness to be admired! So, my brothers, let us welcome it as a means of reconciling us with God, and let The final paragraphs of exhortation are found in the Pseudo-Amphilochian sermons (CPG 3250, 4; cf. Combefis, p. 115). a  

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us become meek, peaceful and poor in spirit (Mt 5: 3), holy, merciful and self-controlled, noble in our virtue and pleasing to God. What can we gain from sinning? What can we gain by doing evil? What good will it do us to bow our heads to the devil? It is God who has given you bread and given you water and wine. More important, it is God who has given you a rational soul, all the fruit of the earth, animals, and a thousand species of birds, the autumn harvests, and all sorts of advantages for your honour and enjoyment. While you benefit from all this, you are to recognize your benefactor, the one who fills your soul with good things. He asks for nothing irksome in return, but simply for thanksgiving and the acknowledgement of him in our actions. For your part, you waste the blessings of your Creator and God, enjoying these good things to satiety, while serving the enemy of God. You do those things that your kind provider hates and abominates. God nurtures you, and you, the nurtured, serve his enemy, fulfilling all the devil’s whims. Such conduct is surely monstrous and pernicious! Because of this God becomes vexed and angry. ‘It was I who created,’ he says, ‘I who formed and raised in honour. It is I who continues to bless. And now, is another to receive the service?’ 40. So I implore you once more, let us turn to the Lord before the moment comes for our departure, and let us serve him with fear and with trembling (Ps 2:11). Let us recognize the good father, let us minister to the one who provides for us, caring for our needs each day. Let us walk in the paths of our God with ardent love, constantly alert and docile to his commands. Be poor in spirit (Mt 5: 3),a without presumption and in peace, and you will be able to inherit the unshakeable kingdom (Heb 12: 28). Never cease to mourn, as you are a mortal being, and keep a sad face in a spirit of sorrow (Ps 34: 14), lamenting and weeping. Thus you will find God-given comfort in the next life. Develop great compassion, and purify your heart as far as you are able. Strive to live in peace with all, and to possess the holiness which is indispensable if one is to see God (Heb 12: 14).

Words from the Beatitudes are woven into the following lines: see Mt 5:1–12.

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41. Bear insults nobly, with love in your heart for all. Keep a distance from all, lest by frequenting the company of some person the devil stirs you to temptation. Fly from intercourse with the boorish and foul-mouthed. As you grow in virtue be more ready to depreciate yourself. Avoid all swearing and lying, as otherwise you will rejoice our common foe and enemy. As often as you commit a fault, return to holiness. As often as you become stained, wash yourself once more. As often as you are beguiled by pleasures, multiply the voluntary hardships and mortifications of your body. As often as you fall, rise up; as often as you sin, repent;a confessing all the secrets of your heart (1 Cor. 14: 25) to some understanding man who is truly spiritual. Fly from sexual licence, fly from denigrating others, pass no judgements, and avoid mockery: the Lord hates all that. 42. Walk within the church as if it were heaven, and say nothing while you are there, with no thought for earthly things. Rejoice when you practise virtue, but avoid conceit, or there will be shipwreck on coming into harbour. Control your glances, that they may be always straight and pure. Speak out if your words will be more valuable than silence, but be glad to keep silence when silence is better than words. Always be temperate, blessing the Lord in every place and time. So, even on a journey, praise the Lord. If you sit or if you stand, praise the Lord. At your rising and at your eating, at your work and at your sleep, praise the Lord. He called you into being out of non-being and granted you such innumerable good things. Never cease to think him, for the mouth that speaks its thanks constantly, receives blessings from God. Thanksgiving acts as an ambassador before God on behalf of our weakness and incapacity. 43. Honour those in authority, but perhaps also treat the poor like them. Honour the wise, taking their virtue as your model. Have reverence for the saints, and you will gain their support in your favour. Persist in the practice of prayer, and so, by holding out to the bitter end, you will be saved (Mt 10: 22; Mk 13: 13). Honour the priests as if each were the Lord himself. They have much The same words occur in ch. XV 2 § 9.

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to support in their entreaties on your behalf, acting as mediators between God and us.a Never allow the excrement of foul language to pour from your mouth. Speak of spiritual things even though you may not yourself be a very spiritual person. In that way your heart will be gradually cleansed, and flower and bloom with faith, hope and charity, along with all the works of justice – in the name of that Trinity that surpasses all language, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 44. Blessedb the soul that hears these sermons and puts them into practice! I can assure all who listen carefully and act in accordance, that their share will be among the elect in the kingdom of heaven – to the glory of the single Divinity in Trinity, the supreme Being, supreme Good, supreme God. To him be all glory, honour and reverence, for ever and ever, Amen! May every stony-hearted mortal tender grow, Whenever these two sermons sweetly o’er them flow – That tears of penance may start and rise towards heaven Before the scythe of death lays you and all men low.c

Const. Apost. II, 25, 7 (ed. Funk I, p. 97); see § 34 above. Clearly these final words are a comment from the compilier of The Treasury. c   These four twelve-syllable verses are found only in two (A and S) of the six manuscripts that contain this chapter. The Florentine manuscript, L (Laurentianus S. Marco 684) adds the following note: ‘The present book was completed by my hand by me, Barlaam, hieromonachos (= priest and monk), the thrice-wretched, in the one-hundred-and-tenth year of my present life and in the current World year, 893 [= 1385 A.D.]. May the readers pardon me through Christ’ (f. 152v). a  

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Chapter XVII Sayings of the Holy Fathers; in Particular Concerning the Holy Eucharist, and the Qualities that Priests and Monks Should Havea

A1. Gregory the Theologian: ‘God requires three things of all those clothed by holy baptism: the true faith in their souls, the truth on their tongues, selfcontrol for their bodies.’ b A2. Verses: (a) ‘Consider this passing life a market to be, Where, if you barter, all profit is free. For little, you gain. But beware to remember, A life can be yours, or the chance lost for thee.’c

a   The title in the Benaki manuscript (B) is simply: ‘Wise texts taken from the Gerontikon [‘Book of Sayings of the Fathers’] concerning the Holy Eucharist’. After this title comes the saying A69, then section B. b   Apoph. Patr., Gregory of Nazianzus 1 (PG 65, 145). c   Gregory of Nazianzus, Carm. moralia I, 2, 33 (33–36) (PG 37, 930): a more literal translation – ‘Consider this life to be a market-fair; if you do business, you will gain, because the exchange is of little things for great, and of what is transitory for what is eternal. But if the market passes you by, you will not have another chance.’

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(b) ‘Alas, that I fear the judgement though hailing The chance to be gone from where I suffer to be. You call me to come, but my courage is failing. O Christ, I am yours! With your help come and save me!’a

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A3. Abba Anthony: ‘Wherever you may journey, keep God before your eyes. Whatever you may do or say, have a text of scripture to justify you. Become the master of your tongue and of your belly. Observe these three precepts and you will be saved.’ b A4. Abba Elias: ‘There are three occasions of which I am afraid: the moment when my soul is to leave my body, the moment when I am to meet God, the moment when judgement is to be passed on me.’c A5. Abba Longinus: ‘Fasting humbles the body, night vigils purify the mind, hesychia (stillness)d brings compunction. It is the compunction that washes clean and keeps one free from sin.’e A6. Anonymous: ‘The reason why we make no progress and never discover our own capacities, is that we have no perseverance in the work we begin, but want to acquire virtue without any effort. For the same reason we are so fickle and unstable, moving from place to place with the idea that we shall find a place where the devil is not present.’ f A7. Abba Anthony: ‘I have known monks who came to grief and went out of their minds, even after supporting many trials, because they trusted in Gregory of Nazianzus, ibid. II, 1, 70 (4–7) (PG 37, 1418): ‘Woe is me! I am afraid of the judgement, and yet I long for death. I am persecuted in this life and possess nothing stable. You are calling me from there, yet I lack confidence, O Christ! I belong to you, save me according to your will!’ b   Apoph. Patr., Antonius 3 and 6 (PG 65, 76C, 77A). c   Apoph. Patr., Elias 1 (PG 65, 184A). d   The complex notion of hesychia is sometimes conveyed with the word ‘contemplation’. e   Nau [ii] 560; cf.  J.-C. Guy, Recherches sur la tradition grecque des Apophthegmata Patrum, Bruxelles, 1962, p. 69. f   Nau [ii] 400 (ROC 1913); cf. Nau [ii] 297 (ROC 1909). a  

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their own efforts and neglected the precept, Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you (Deut 32: 7).’a A8. Anonymous: ‘Imitate the camel: bear the load of your sins, and, tied by a rope, follow the guide who knows God’s way.’ b A9. Abba Joseph of the Thebaid: ‘There are three actions that God holds in high esteem: when someone receives gratefully sickness and trials; secondly, when a person does everything with a pure intention before God, excludingc all that is human; third, and most important, when one practises complete obedience to the spiritual father, putting aside all one’s personal wishes.’ d A10. Anonymous: ‘Anyone living in obedience to a spiritual father gains a greater reward than by retiring to the desert on one’s own.’e A11. Anonymous: ‘Let no one think that by a change of place you will find the strength to accomplish the good you know should be done, but lack the strength to do it.’f A12. Anonymous: ‘A monk does not believe God exists if he fails to move to a place where he knows that he will make spiritual progress, because he fears that he will lack there what he needs for his bodily sustenance.’g A13. Anonymous: ‘Just as a tree that is uprooted and replanted cannot bear fruit, so a monk who moves from place to place cannot bring virtue to perfection.’ h Apoph. Patr., Antonius 37 (PG 65, 88B). Nau [ii] 399 (ROC 1913). c   The words ‘excluding all that is human’ are missing in one manuscript (S), probably deliberately as this scribe tends to prune the original text; cf. the Latin translation, PL 73, 987C–D, note 6. d   Apoph. Patr., Joseph of the Thebaid 1 (PG 65, 241B–C). e   Apoph. Patr., Rufus 2 (PG 65, 389C). f   Nau [ii] 446. g   Nau [ii] 236 (ROC 1909). h   Nau [ii] 204 (ROC 1908). a  

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A14. Abba Zosimas: ‘God’s grace is always ready to support our intentions and thanks to that grace we are capable of performing any good act.’ – ‘So, provide the will, and you will be given the power.’ – ‘Offer your blood, and receive the Spirit.’a A15. Anonymous: ‘A person who sins should accept to be cut off from all human relationships, and be occupied with God until convinced that God is reconciled.’ b A16. Anonymous: ‘At the start of a monk’s religious life the devils are not permitted to tempt him very forcefully, lest he take fright and return quickly to the world. But when he has made some progress by his perseverance and achievements, then war is declared with a view to humbling him.’c A17. Anonymous: ‘What we need more than anything else is humility. No matter what is said to us, we should be ready to ask to be forgiven. It is humility that brings to naught all the efforts of our adversary, the devil.’d A18. Abba Poimen: ‘Just as a dead person is not roused to anger, so the truly humble person, although the victim of injustice, or of an affront, or of calumny, is not troubled, but asks to be forgiven.’e A19. Anonymous: ‘The truly humble person can never condemn another, even if the latter has been seen to be worshipping idols.’f A20. Anonymous: ‘It is better to live with only three who fear the Lord than with thousands who do not; at the Final Judgement, only a small For the first two sentences, cf. PE I, 28 and 29; for the third, Apoph. Patr., Longinus 5 (PG 65, 257B). b   PE I, 22 c   PE I, 29. d   Isaias, Sermons, p. 42. e   Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 46, p. 224, lines 4–7. f   PE I, 45. a  

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percentage of those who have lived in monasteries will be found among the saved, as the great majority are lost because of their affection for gluttony, ambition and avarice.’a A21. Abba John Kolobos: ‘Humility and fear of God are higher than all the other virtues.’ b A22. Abba Sarmatas: ‘I prefer someone who has sinned and repented rather than someone who has never sinned and likes to be thought a saint.’c A23. Abba Isaias: ‘There are three things that are difficult to acquire, but contain all the virtues: compunction, silence, and the constant consideration of death.’d A24. Anonymous: ‘If gold or silver are lost, they can be replaced; but the years of one’s life that are carelessly wasted cannot be replaced.’e A25. Abba Poimen: ‘A person who can accept blame is steadfast anywhere.’ f A26. Abba Poimen: ‘The closer you come to God, the more you see yourself a sinner.’g A27. Abba Poimen: ‘The path of a humility which brings salvation is made up of bodily suffering wisely accepted, of turning a blind eye to other person’s faults, of considering oneself as so much earth and dust inferior to all, of restraint in eating and speaking, and of continuous prayer to God.’ h

PE I, 25. Apoph. Patr., John Kolobos 22 (PG 65, 212D). c   Apoph. Patr., Sarmatas 1 (PG 65, 413B). d   Isaias, Sermons, p. 71. e   Nau [ii] 265 (ROC 1909). f   Apoph. Patr., Poimen 95 (PG 65, 345A). g   Apoph. Patr., Mateos 2 (PG 65, 289C). h   Nau [ii] 323 (ROC 1912). a  

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A28. Abba Agathon: ‘A person subject to fits of anger may raise the dead to life, but is not pleasing to God.’a A29. Abbas Sisoes: ‘On one occasion Abraham, a disciple of Abba Sisoes, had been tempted by the devil and the father saw that Abraham had given way. He rose and stretched out his hands to heaven saying, “O God, my God, whether you want to or not, I shall not leave you in peace unless you cure him!” The latter was cured at once.’ b A30. Abba Bessarion: ‘Abba Doulas, the disciple of Abba Bessarion, said that they were on their way to visit one of the famous monks when the sun was on the point of setting. The father then prayed as follows, “I implore you, O Lord my God, let the sun stand still, until I reach your servant!”, and so it turned out.’c A31. Abba Bessarion: ‘On another occasion, we were making a journey by the seashore and I was thirsty. So I said to Abba Bessarion, “Father, I am very thirsty.” The father prayed, then said to me, “Drink from the sea.” The sea was turned into fresh water and I drank from it. I also drew some out and filled a small flask. But the father noticed and said to me, “What are you doing?” – I answered, “I may be thirsty further on.” – But he replied, “The God, who is present here, is also present further on and everywhere.”’ d A32. Abba Bessarion: ‘At another time, when we came to the River of the Golden Streams [= River Nile] on one of our journeys, the father traced the sign of the cross on the river and crossed on foot, walking as if on dry land upon the waters without wetting his feet.’e

Apoph. Patr., Agathon 19 (PG 65, 113C). Apoph. Patr., Sisoes 12 (PG 65, 396A). c   Apoph. Patr., Bessarion 3 (PG 65, 140A). d   Apoph. Patr., Bessarion 1 (PG 65, 137C). e   Apoph. Patr., Bessarion 2 (PG 65, 140A); the manuscript P indicates, with a first-person plural, that both Bessarion and his disciple crossed over. a  

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XVII, A28–A37

A33. Anonymous: ‘A brother asked one of the older monks, “What shall I do, Father, to acquire the fear of God?” – And the Abba replied. “Well now! Stay close to somebody who has the fear of God, and from his fear of God he will teach you in your turn how one ought to fear God.”’a A34. Anonymous: ‘One of the fathers sent his disciple to draw water. The well was far away from their cell, and the disciple forgot to take a rope with him. As he came to the well, he realized that he had not brought the rope, and he cried out to the Lord saying, “O God of my father, in virtue of his prayers, grant your assistance and let the water rise up so that I may fill the jar I have brought here.” The water then rose to the mouth of the well, and when the brother had taken his fill, it sank down again to its normal level.’ b A35. Anonymous: ‘The disciple of one of the great fathers was beset by sexual temptations and, unable to endure any longer, he returned to the world and married a wife. The father was sorry at this and prayed to God saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, do not permit your servant to be sullied, but make a present of him to me.” So when the brother was getting into bed with his wife, he suddenly breathed his last.’c A36. Abba Karion: ‘I endured more hardships than my son, Zacharias, but I did not come up to his standards because of his humility and silence.’ d A37. Anonymous: ‘One of the great fathers reached the stage of those who enjoy second sight. He used to say with great conviction, “The power which I have seen present at the ceremony of holy baptism, I have also witnessed at the ceremony of a monk’s clothing, when he receives the habit.” He would also say, “At that point in the liturgy Apoph. Patr., Poimen 65 (PG 65, 337B). Nau [ii] 27 (ROC 1907). c   Nau [ii] 82 (ROC 1907). d   Apoph. Patr., Karion 1 (PG 65, 249C–D). a  

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when the deacon says, ‘Let us greet one another with a kiss,’a I have seen the Holy Spirit upon the mouths of the brethren as they give one another the kiss of peace.”’ b A38. Anonymous: ‘It was recounted of one of the fathers that he asked God to be allowed to see the devils. He was told in revelation, “You have no need to see them,” but he insisted in his request saying, “Lord, you are powerful enough to protect me with your hand.” His eyes were then opened, and he saw the devils swarming like bees around each person and gnashing their teeth at the person, but God’s angels were rebuking them.’c A39. Anonymous: ‘Any carnal enjoyment is an abomination in God’s sight.’d ‘Anyone loving one’s own body will not receive the grace of God.’e A40. Abba Isaac: ‘God cares for anyone who suffers bodily hardship for God’s sake, just as a father cares for his child, staying near to help in every way.’f A41. Abba Dorotheos: ‘Just as the winds set rain in motion, so do adversities bring God’s mercy to the soul.’g A42. Abba Dorotheos: ‘There is nothing more pitiful than someone with a bad passionate habit. The person may perform ten virtuous acts for every one of the vice, but the single act outweighs the other ten, because through that passion the Enemy can overthrow such a person whenever he pleases.’ h

Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (ed. Brightman, p. 320, 382). Nau [ii] 365 (ROC 1913); Nau [ii] 87 (ROC 1907). c   Nau [ii] 369 (ROC 1913). d   Apoph. Patr., Poimen 38 (PG 65, 332B). e   Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 46, p. 223, lines 5–6. f   Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 46, p. 223, lines 9–11. g   Dorotheos, Doctr. XIII, 9 (PG 88, 1772B–C; SC p. 148, § 148, lines 6–7). h   Dorotheos, Doctr. XI, 10 (PG 88, 1748B–C; SC p. 376, § 123, lines 9–21). a  

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A43. Anonymous: ‘A father was asked by one of the brethren, “Why is it, Father, that I become so bored when I stay in my cell?” – The father replied, “The reason is that you have not yet seen what perfection is, nor the hell that awaits sinners, nor the enjoyment that is the hope of the saints. If you had a clear idea of those, your cell might be filled with worms, and you standing up to your neck in them, but you would endure without feeling bored.”’a A44. Anonymous: ‘Julian the Stylite had sent his greetings to one of the great fathers, and at the same time three live coals wrapped in a linen cloth. The other returned the greeting by sending him water, also wrapped in a linen cloth. So they both learned that they had attained the same degree, and were worthy of the same grace.’ b A45. Anonymous: ‘Shortly before dying, one of the fathers pushed his staff, made of dry wood, into the earth and said to his disciples, “My sons, if this takes root and bears fruit, you may be sure that God has granted me to enter his kingdom.” The following year, it burgeoned and bore fruit, so that those who saw it praised God.’c A46. Anonymous: ‘One of the great fathers, who belonged to the lavra [monastic community] of Abba Peter, was reputed to have spent fifty years in his cave, neither drinking wine, nor eating bread. His only food was bran, and he took that only three times a week.’d

a   Nau [ii] 196 (ROC 1908); John Moschus, Prat. sp. 142 (PG 87 [3], 3004C); ‘accidie’ is the key-word in this saying, here translated – somewhat inadequately – as ‘boredom’. b   John Moschus, Prat. sp. 27 (PG 87 [3], 2873C–D). c   Exact source not known, but cf.  F. Nau and L. Clugnet, ‘Vies et récits d’anachorètes (ive-viie  s.)’, ROC 8, 1903, p.  93 (also found in a Latin version in Rufinus, Vitae Patrum III, 24 [PL 73, 753C–D]). d   John Moschus, Prat. sp. 17 (PG 87 [3], 2864D–2865A).

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A47. Anonymous: ‘Do not live in a place where you have sinned against God and the person is near; if you do, you will never make any progress.’a A48. Anonymous: ‘Hurry to advance of your own free will along the path that is narrow and worn (Mt 7: 14), before you have to tread unwillingly this other which is even narrower.b Consider all things in the world, including any bodily enjoyment, as hateful, and so at the last day you will not have to repent. All those things separate you from God.’c A49. Anonymous: ‘One of the brethren put the following question to Abba Poimen, “Father, what am I to do? I have fallen into sin.” – “Rise up, my son,” replied the father. – “I have risen, but I have fallen again.” – “Then rise once more,” he said. – “I have done that, and once again I have fallen.” – “Then get up again,” came the reply – “For how long?” he asked. – “Until you are taken away,” replied the father, “either while you are in a good state or while you have fallen. According to the state in which one is found at the final moment so will the passing be.”’d A50. Archbishop Athanasius: ‘Those who enjoy themselves in this world should not hope to find eternal joy. The kingdom of heaven is not for those who enjoy themselves in this life, but for those who pass their lives amid great tribulations and sorrows.’e A51. Abba Anthony: ‘Only someone who has been tried can enter the kingdom of God.’ f a   See PE II, 28, where it is made clear that the ‘sin’ committed is of a sexual nature. b   Presumably, a reference to death. c   Ephraem the Syrian, as reported in PE II, 13, 6, but not found elsewhere among his works. d   Apoph. Patr., Sisoes 38 (PG 65, 404C); see ch. XV 1 § 21. e   Athanasius, De virginitate 18 (PG 28, 273C). f   Apoph. Patr., Antonius 5a (PG 65, 77A).

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A52. Anonymous: ‘Abba Julian, who lived in the region of Cilicia, spent seventy years in a small cave and had nothing in the way of earthly possessions except a hair shirt, a sleeping mat and a gourd. He never once had to light a lamp, because at night a glow from heaven provided enough illumination for him to see how the letters followed one another.’a A53. Anonymous: ‘On one occasion a lion appeared in the region of Cilicia and killed many of those travelling or living there. Then day Julian the Stylite called his disciple, Pancratius and said to him, “Go to meet this lion; you will find it lying down about two miles to the South. Say to it, ‘The unworthy Julian has a message for you: In the name of Jesus Christ, the giver of life to all things, you are to leave this land and never harm anyone again!’” The brother went and, on finding the lion, delivered the father’s message. At once the lion escaped from those parts as if it had been chased by fire.’ b A54. Anonymous: ‘While Abba Sergios, the anchorite, was staying at Mount Sinai, the bursar [oikonomos] appointed him to look after the mules. One day they were on a journey and, look, a lion happened to be lying on the path! The mules stopped dead when they saw it. Then Abba Sergios took a piece of blessed bread from his walletc and going up to the lion, said to it, “Take the blessed bread of the fathers and get off the path so that we can pass.” The lion took the blessed bread in his mouth and off he went.’d A55. Anonymous: ‘While the Whit Sunday liturgy was being celebrated on the summit of the holy Mount Sinai, as the priest intoned the words

John Moschus, Prat. sp. 51 (PG 87 [3], 2905D–2908A). John Moschus, Prat. sp. 58 (PG 87 [3], 2912B–C). This story is misplaced in A and in P (which often coincides with A) just after A45. c   The Greek word is margounion, which perhaps should be spelt: margonion, cf. A. J. Festugière, Moines d’Orient, IV (2), p. 54–55. d   John Moschus, Prat. sp. 125 (PG 87 [3], 2988A–B). a  

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“the victorious hymn”,a the mountains gave the reply in a terrifying shout, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! Full are heaven and earth of his glory! (Isa 6: 3). The call and its echo continued to resound for about half an hour.’ b A56. St John Chrysostom: ‘On going to deliver the reading, first ask God to illuminate the eyes of your heart, so that you may not only read what is written, but understand it and put it into practice, as far as is possible. Otherwise you will be like someone who distributes loaves and is dying of hunger, or who has a raging thirst and stands by a fountain without drinking.’c A57. Anonymous: ‘Once Satan presented himself to one of the saints in an apparition [phantasia] saying, “I am Christ.” The saint shut his eyes tight saying, “As for me, I have no desire to see Christ in this world.”’ d A58. Anonymous: ‘The devil disguised himself as an angel of light and appeared to one of the fathers saying, “God has sent me to you, Abba.” The other replied, “Look and see if you have not been sent to somebody else, because I am not worthy,” and he refused to receive him.’e A59. Several Anonymous: ‘Even if an angel should really happen to appear to you, refuse it all welcome; turn away saying, “I am not worthy of an angelic vision.”’ f a   In the Eucharistic liturgy of St John Chrysostom the priest ends the Preface, shortly before the consecration, by recalling ‘the victorious hymn’ (τόν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον) of the angels, the three-fold ‘Holy’ (Trisagion); these words are followed by the choir singing the angelic hymn; cf. Brightman, p. 313; F. van de Paverd, Zur Geschichte des Messliturgie in Antiocheia und Konstantinopel gegen Ende des vierten Jahrhunderts: Analyse der Quellen bei Johannes Chrysostomos, Roma, 1970, p. 286–287. b   Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 3 (ed.  Nau [i], OC 2, 1902, p.  61–62; ed. Binggeli, I 6, vol. 1, p. 177). c   Nau [ii] 670; cf. J.-C. Guy, Recherches, p. 74. d   Nau [ii] 312 (ROC 1912). e   Nau [ii] 310 (ROC 1912). f   Nau [ii] 311 (ROC 1912).

214

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A60. Marcellus the Scythiote: ‘One night, as Abba Marcellus the Scythiote got up to pray, he heard a bugle call. He wondered to himself, “Where can the sound of that bugle come from? There is no war nor military camp in this area.” In the midst of his thoughts an Ethiopiana devil suddenly appeared standing near him and said, “Yes, indeed, there is a war and a full battle array just here, Abba! So if you have no wish to attack or to be attacked, go back to bed, fall asleep, and take your rest.”’ b A61. Maximus: ‘During sleep the demons are able to control the members of the body and set in motion sexual passion. They evoke mental images through the senses, and rouse a man even to the emission of seed. They find the same pleasure in polluting the body and with the stench of sin that pigs do wallowing in the mire. “So as for you,” he said, “have no fear of the dead, but of the living.”’c A62. Maximus: ‘Somebody who loves God and his neighbour is an angel and not just a human being, for the life of the angels in heaven consists in loving God and one another.’d A63. Anonymous: ‘Many of the holy martyrs are said to have tasted no food on the day of their execution, when they were to receive the martyrs’ crowns. From the evening before until dawn, they were on their feet, singing hymns and praying, as they waited with joy for the moment of their death.’e A64. Abba Sisoes: ‘When Abba Sisoes was on the point of dying his face shone like the sun. The bystanders were terrified, and said him, “What are you seeing, Abba?” – His reply was, “The Lord Jesus Christ has come, and he is telling his angels, ‘Bring me up here my instrument The epithet ‘Ethiopian’ is used in this literature as a synonym for ‘evil’. John Moschus, Prat. sp. 152 (PG 87 [3], 3017B–C). c   Maximus, Cap. de caritate II, 85 (PG 90, 1012B); this saying and also A65 are placed at the end of section C in the Benaki manuscript (B). d  Maximus, Cap. de caritate I, 42 (PG 90, 968D). e   cf. Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 85, p. 336, lines 3f. a  

b  

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[skevos] from the desert!’” So he joyfully died; they saw him led away like someone who goes to greet friends.’a A65. Abba Makarios: ‘Anyone who strives after the glory of God will despise the glory that humans have to offer, but if one goes after the latter, then there will be a loss of the former.’ b A66. Abba Zacharias: ‘Father Makarios once asked Abba Zacharias, “Tell me, my son, what is a monk supposed to do?” – Zacharias replied, “Why do you ask me, Abba?” – Makarios said to him, “I have been given a certainty about you, my son Zacharias. I feel that I am being urged to put this question to you.” – Then Zacharias said, “In my opinion, the path God would have a monk follow is that of constant violence to himself.”’c A67. Abba Zacharias: ‘Abba Moses once said to Abba Zacharias, “Tell me, my son, what should I do to be saved?” – The other threw himself at his feet saying, “Can you ask me that, Father?” – The elder said to him “Trust me, my son, I have seen the Holy Spirit upon you and I am convinced that I should ask you.” – Then Abba Zacharias pulled off his camelafchiond and throwing it on the ground, he trampled on it: “Unless one is crushed like that,” he said, “one can never become a monk.”’e A68. Abba Zacharias: ‘When Abba Zacharias was dying, Abba Isidore sat next to him and looking up to heaven he said, “Rejoice in the Lord, my son Zacharias! The gates of the kingdom of heaven have been opened for you.”’ f

Apoph. Patr., Sisoes 14 (PG 65, 396B). Apoph. Armenorum II, 279 (Venezia, 1855); cf. L. Regnault, Les sentences des pères du désert. Nouveau recueil, apophtegmes inédits ou peu connus, Solesmes, 1970, p. 266; as noted above, this saying and also A61 are placed at the end of section C in the Benaki manuscript (B). c   Apoph. Patr., Zacharias 1 (PG 65, 177D–180). d   A sort of bonnet popular among monks. e   Apoph. Patr., Zacharias 3 (PG 65, 180A–B). f   Apoph. Patr., Zacharias 5 (PG 65, 180C). a  

b  

216

XVII, A64–A72

A69. Abba Isaac: ‘The world is a whore, and when a man is dominated by desire for it, he finds it difficult to escape from its clutch, unless he implores God’s aid (like Jonas in the whale); but at the moment of death, he recognizes the world for its trickery and deception.’a A70. Verses: ‘Now the bitter-sweet honey of life you may drink And never at all of sharp-toothed death care to think, But change, I implore, reform all your past life: This treacherous world for your poor soul is a knife! All the oceans and lands though you traverse to hold Building coffers containing fine jewels and gold, Willy-nilly a tomb will receive you … to rot.’ b

A71. Abba Poimen: ‘One of the brethren asked Abba Poimen, “Is it a good thing for me to cover up a brother’s fault, when I discover it?” – The abba replied, “If we cover up one another’s fault, God will also cover up our own faults.”’c A72. Abba Ephraim: ‘Mocking laughter and arrogance are the starting point for the downfall of a monk’s soul. When you find yourself involved in these, my brother, you may be sure that you are head-over-heels in vice. Do not cease to implore God to save you from such a mortal danger!’d

cf. Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 85, p. 329, lines 9–14. Epigrammatum Anthologia Palatina, III, 4, 100 (ed. E. Cougny, Paris, 1890, p. 417): a literal translation might be, ‘Gulping down the bitter-sweet honey of this life, you fail to notice the sharp tang of death; even if it is late, reform and recognize your error; escape from a life that can destroy your soul. Even if you journey everywhere on land and by sea, and enrich yourself with the wealth of all the world, a grave will make you rot, whether you want it or not.’ c   Apoph. Patr., Poimen 64–65 (PG 65, 337A–B). In the important St Sabas manuscript (S), a couple of verses are added here: ‘Gaze, spectator, on this image of life, / And keep far from this bitter vice’, probably because of the danger of back-biting. d   Ephraem the Syrian, Quod non oporteat ridere (ed. Assemani, I, 254). a  

b  

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A73. Abba Isidore: ‘One of the brethren asked Abba Isidore, “Why are the devils so frightened of you, Abba?” – The latter replied, “Because ever since I became a monk, no food that might give pleasure to my palate has ever passed down my throat.”’a A74. Abba Longinus: ‘On one occasion Abba Longinus was ill and said to himself, “Suffer and die! But if you ask me for food out of the accustomed time, I shall not let you have even your daily ration!”’ b A75. Abba Sisoes: ‘Abba Sisoes was asked by one of the brethren, “Supposing I am invited to a meal [agape] and I drink three glasses wine is it a lot?” – “Provided Satan is not present, it is not a lot,” replied the Abba.’c A76. Anonymous: ‘I want no prayers said on my behalf by a monk who drinks more than three glasses of wine.’d A77. John Kolobos: ‘The lion is a very strong animal and yet he falls into the snare because of his belly; in the same way, a monk can be ruined by gluttony.’e

B.  Concerning the Holy Mysteries

176

B1. Abba Nilus: ‘It is impossible for a believer to be saved and have sins forgiven unless one receives with reverence, longing and faith, the divine and life-giving mysteries of Christ.’f B2. Anonymous: ‘Many people participate in this sacrifice only once a year, others two or three times, and others frequently. Which practice do Apoph. Patr., Isidorus 2 (PG 65, 220C). Apoph. Patr., Longinus 2 (PG 65, 256D). c   Apoph. Patr., Sisoes 2 (PG 65, 392C). d   Nau [ii] 465; cf. J.-C. Guy, Recherches, p. 66. e   Apoph. Patr., John Kolobos 28 (PG 65, 213B). f   Nilus, Epist. III 280 (PG 79, 521D). a  

b  

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we recommend, that of the single, the frequent, or the rare reception of the sacrament? Neither that of the of the single, nor that of the frequent, nor that of the rare reception, but the practice of those who communicate worthily and with a pure conscience. The latter may always approach: those who lack these qualities, not even once! Why is that so? Because they communicate to their own condemnation. “The holy for the holy,” the liturgya says. So if someone is holy, let that person approach; and it does not say simply “pure from sin”, but “holy”.’ b B3. Anonymous: ‘If those about to die happen to receive the immaculate mysteries with a clear conscience at the moment of death, the angels transport them from this life, because of the communion they have received, as if forming part of the offertory processionc in the liturgy.’d B4. Anonymous: ‘A Jewish sorcerer [ farmakós] called Daniel, who was about to be burned alive, cried out, “Ah, what terrible force! Behold an angel of the Lord is torturing me to make me say to Christians what I would not want to say. I swear, by the hour of this my extreme necessity that my poisons never had any force against any Christian who had received communion frequently” – clearly on condition that they received it worthily and with a clear conscience.’e B5. Anonymous: ‘Those who sin and do not dare to approach the sacred Mysteries, are well-disposed and if they make up their minds, they Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (ed. Brightman, p. 341). John Chrysostom, Hom. in Hebr. 17, 4 (PG 63, 131–133); Theognostos may have found this quotation in the florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 7 (PG 89, 388D–389B). c   The original text of John Chrysostom reads δορυϕοροῦντες, ‘as if forming a bodyguard [i.e. carrying spears]’, but Theognostos alters the word to δωροϕοροῦντες in a liturgical sense, so that it refers to the gifts brought up at the offertory d   John Chrysostom, De sacerdotio VI, 4 (PG 48, 681C). e   Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 50 (ed.  F. Nau [i], OC 3, 1903, p.  70; ed. Binggeli, II 16, vol. 1, p. 238; cf. CCSG 59, p. 180–183 § 7; CCT 7, p. 148–151); and cf.  Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Quaestio de eucharistia (ed.  G. Hofmann, p. 708; ed. Binggeli, p. 287 [see B8]); the final words (‘clearly … conscience’) have probably been added by Theognostos. a  

b  

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can soon be put right, because of their longing for the dread mystery. But sinners who partake of the divine food with no sense of shame, despising the sacrament, are mortally sick and incurable. The devil leaps upon them having clear proof of their callousness.’a B6. Anonymous [Theognostos]: ‘Every sin and vice is an impediment to the reception of the Holy Mysteries, but this is especially true of sexual sin and of personal hatred. The person who has sinned in these ways and presumes to receive communion at the risk of damnation, is running more than a common risk. Indeed anybody who has committed a sin by dwelling on an impure imagination should refrain from communion during that day, unless he happens to be a man of virtue, really striving for perfection who falls into an emission of seed through the devil’s jealousy. Even in this case, we should approach the sacrament as if we had been wounded, and not irreverently. Then Christ, who once cured the woman with a haemorrhage, will cure us also.’ b B7. Anonymous: ‘There was once a saint who was able to converse with the devils. He put them the question, “What is the prayer that you fear more than all others?” They said, “The prayer that is most effective in destroying our power is the beginningc of Psalm 67.” – The saint then asked, “Of the objects that have been entrusted to Christians by Christ, which is the one what you fear most?” – They replied, “In reality you possessd three things that are powerful against us: the first you eat in church, with the second you wash yourselves, and the third hangs from your necks.” – The wicked ones were referring to holy communion, holy baptism, and the revered cross. The saint then asked them, “Of the three, which is the one you Isidore of Pelousion, Epist. III, 364 (PG 78, 1017A). This ‘saying’ is to be found in the Kephalaia (§ 17) attributed elsewhere to Theognostos and included in the Philokalia, Venezia, 1782, p. 501 (ed. Athens, 1975, II, p. 258). c   Let God rise up and let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee from before him! Ps 67: 1 (NETS). d   All the manuscripts available at this point give ἔχεται (meaningless here) which is a misspelling for the ἔχετε (‘you possess’) found in the source. a  

b  

220

XVII, B5–B8

fear the most?” – The reply was, “If you were to pay due reverence to that which you eat, it would be quite impossible for us ever to approach or harm a Christian.”’a B8. the Sinaite:b ‘(1) Every sacrifice offered to God has been appointed for the sake of human beings for the remission of sins by God. Most especially is this true of the bloodless sacrifice of Christ, during which the very angels tremble with fear. (2) So for the reception of communion we have need of great vigilance and self-examination, and as the blessed Paul warns us, All who eat and drink unworthily the body and blood of Christ eat and drink judgement against themselves (1 Cor. 11: 27–29). (3) There are some who receive communion once a year, and who abandon themselves to sin.c Others, however, receive communion more frequently and they are often more on their guard against frequent sin, because of their fear of the condemnation their communion may entail. (4) It is quite obvious that very few receive communion worthily. However, there is a sin that is mortal (1 John 5: 16),d and there is the sin that admits repentance. In the same way there is the wound that can be bandaged, a   Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 53 (ed. Nau [i], OC 3, 1903, p. 78–79; ed. Binggeli II 20, p. 250–251; cf. CCSG 59, p. 182, § 8; CCT 7, p. 151); but it is more likely that Theognostos lifted this story from the version found in the Ps.-Anastasian work on the Eucharist (ed. G. Hofmann, p. 708; ed. Binggeli, p. 287–288 [see B8]). b   Although parts of B8 derive from the genuine writings of Anastasios, this particular text is a rewritten quaestio to be found in the Vaticanus graecus 1600 (12th cent.), first published by G. Hofmann, S.J., ‘Textus byzantini de ss. Eucharistia’, XXXV Congreso Eucarístico Internacional 1952, La Eucaristía y la Paz, Sesiones de estudio, vol. II, Barcelona, 1953, p. 705–708; sections of this are to be found in Appendix 10a of CCSG 59 (Qu. 41, Comment 3 [Collection b], p. 181–183; CCT 7, p. 148–151). The full Greek text was included by Dr Binggeli in his doctoral thesis (Appendix 4, p. 285–288). Although one manuscript of Theognostos (S) omits the attribution to Anastasios, the three others available here (BP and S) all mention it, B adding that the extract comes from his work ‘on various subjects’ and the late P stating that it is from a work ‘on holy communion’. c   In the version published by G. Hofmann there is the additional remark: ‘we know that the Armenians are like this’ (G. Hofmann, p.  706; Binggeli, p.  285), which derives from the original Qu. 41, § 1). d   The Jerusalem manuscript S adds a note of explanation: ‘the sin that is “mortal” is the unconfessed and blasphemous sin.’

221

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and the other that has no remedy. (5) Also there is the disgust that the Emperor feels when a leper’s hand touches his body or his feet, and the different sensation when it is the hand of someone suffering from lichen. Again, there is the example of the slightly damp jar into which you throw a lighted coal, in order to dry it out, by absorbing the moisture and purifying the jar, and there is that of the jar full of water, in which a falling coal is extinguished and the jar cannot be of any assistance.a (6) We should think along these lines as regards receiving the Holy Mysteries. If we have had some petty failings, that are human and easily forgiven, like sins of the tongue, or of the ear, or like being caught off our guard by some look, or by vanity, or a sadness, or anger, or something similar, then we take the blame and confess our faults to God and so receive the Holy Mysteries, trusting that the communion will serve to purify us from such sins. (7) But if we have committed some serious sin, like a sexual offence against purity, or a spiteful act against our neighbour, then we should keep away to avoid drawing upon ourselves the weight of condemnation. Scripture itself also teaches us thisb when David with his men ate the loaves of offering at Bethlehem; the High Priest, Abiathar,c would not let them partake of the bread, until he had asked if they were pure from women. (8) As we are weak beings, made of flesh and blood, and beset with many sins (because we do not guard ourselves from sins of the flesh), God has given us different sacrifices for the remission of sin. If we offer these to him, they will purify us beforehand, so that we may approach the Holy Mysteries. (9) One such sacrifice that cleanses from sin is the giving of alms,d another is the shedding of tears and a deep repentance.e By offering these sacrifices, we shall be able to approach, with fear and contrition and a   Theognostos (or his scribes) seems to have misunderstood his source at this point; he should have written, ‘and the coal cannot be of any assistance to the jar’, as is correctly written in Vaticanus 1600. b   By a curious conjunctive error two manuscripts, A and the later P, insert the passage C8 (1) at this point. c   The original Anastasios (Qu. 67. 6) confused the name of the High Priest and that of his son: cf. 1 Kings 21: 2–7. d   cf. Prov 15: 27a; Tob 4: 11. e   cf. Ps 50: 19.

222

XVII, B8–C1

confession of our sins, even though we may have committed faults through human frailty. We can imitate the woman suffering from haemorrhages, who approached Christ weeping and trembling because she was conscious of the impurity caused by her flow of blood.a (10) The pardon that someone receives on coming forward with fear and the confession of faults is very different from the punishment of someone who shows disdain. An example of the latter is Judas who partook of the sacred bread, although he was in a state of sin: that is why, after he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him (Jn 13: 27). We are taught by this example that when we receive communion with contempt, not only do we not receive the remission of our sins, but the devil, taking advantage of our contempt, can assault us all the more On the contrary, those who approach the sacraments with a holy awe are not only sanctified, but they put the devil to flight far from them.’ B9. Anonymous: ‘No harm whatsoever comes to a person who receives communion from a priest who leads an impure life, even though the latter may appear to surpass everyone by his sinfulness.b The reason is that a sinful priest is like a man with leprous hands, who is giving out gold: those receiving the gold are not harmed, and the leprosy stays with him.’c

C.  On Priests C1. Anonymous: ‘If we are worthy to receive the divine Mysteries, no harm can come to us from the unworthy life of the priest, and they will be for our salvation and the remission of our sins. But if we are cf. Mt 9: 20. This opening sentence is from Isidore of Pelousion, Epist. III, 340 (PG 78, 1000C9–13). c   This part of the ‘saying’ is found in many sources: e.g. Anastasios of Antioch, Ad Sergium (de sacerdotio) (ed. Pitra, IEGM II, p. 276 line 27; ed. S. N. Sakkos, p. 138–139), but also in the ‘Florilegia on the eucharist’ of John of Oxeia: cf. J. A. Munitiz, ‘A Clavis…’, nr. 3041; and in PE IV 28. a  

b  

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unworthy of so great a gift, no good will come to us, even if an angel from heaven distributes the sacred Mysteries. The proof is that Judas was not helped although he received communion from the immaculate hands of Christ.’a C2. Anonymous: in connection with this, let us listen to a story profitable to our souls. ‘At the time of Arcadius,b there was a priest who was so led astray by the devil’s wiles that he became a sorcerer. His impiety reached such limits that he would eat and drink in the company of prostitutes and courtesans, using the holy church plate for table-ware. After some years his case became known, and he was denounced, arrested and interrogated. During the interrogation the archon [Governor] put him the following question, “Tell me, you utter wretch, deserving no kindness but rather every sort of pain and punishment! Even if you despise the dread judgment that is to come and our own tribunal, how is it that when you reflected on the awesome bloodless sacrifice, you were not afraid that fire would descend from heaven and burn you up?” – His reply was, “I swear by the God who is now punishing me at your hands, ever since I abandoned God and became a sorcerer, it was not I who offered the holy oblation, nor I who distributed the communion to the people. At the moment of the liturgy an angel of the Lord used to come and bind me to the pillar in the inner sanctuary; then the angel would offer the liturgy and himself give out communion to the people. After the ceremony [synaxis] he would untie me and I would come out. I was the only one of the congregation who witnessed this wonder and everybody else thought that I was the celebrant who distributed the communion to them.”’c Anastasios of Sinai, Hom. de sacra synaxi (PG 89, 848B). Two manuscripts (S and P) add the title ‘Emperor’, but the story concerns Bishop Arcadius, a seventh-century bishop of Cyprus, not the Emperor Arcadius (395–408). c   Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 49 (ed.  F. Nau [i], OC 3, 1903, p.  69; Binggeli, II 15, p.  236–237); cf.  Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Narrationes (ed. ­Binggeli, Appendix 3, vol. 1, p. 276–277). a  

b  

224

XVII, C1–C4

C3. Anonymous: ‘Blessed Isidore the Scholasticosa told me that that while he was still a layman in Alexandria, his brother-in-law developed a tumour on his forehead as large as a full grown apple. “When this man,” Isidore said, “took communion, he had the habit of rubbing a sign of the cross onto the inflammation of the tumour.” b One day he went to receive communion at Our Lady of Theonas.c By some inspiration of the devil he happened to peep through the hole of the door and saw that the priest, inside the store-room of the sacristy, was fornicating with a woman. But the brother-in-law then drew back a little, and when he saw that the woman had left, without passing any judgement on the priest or refusing to deal with him, he commented sensibly to himself, “Even though this cleric has sinned I m sure he will repent tomorrow and be saved; it is not our business to judge anyone until Christ, the universal judge of saints and sinners comes. In any case my belief is that the holy Mysteries are not given to us by human hands, but by the hands of the holy angels.” These were his thoughts when he approached to receive communion. As soon as he opened his mouth and said the “‘Amen’, at once the tumour on his forehead disappeared.” The reason why this man was cured was that that he had not passed adverse judgement on the priest.’ d C4. Anonymous: The following story exists concerning the blessed Emperor Constantine at the First Council,e that of the 318 divinely inspired Fathers: ‘After the accursed Arius had been excommunicated and the orthodox Creed defined, the devil, finding the peace between the The title means ‘lawyer/barrister’. cf. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catch. Myst. V, 22 (PG 33, 1125B1–9); the practice was not so unusual. c   The Marian shrine of St Theonas was built in the fourth century but named in honour of the third-century Patriarch of Alexandria: cf. H. Leclercq, ‘Alexandrie archéologie’, DAL I (1), Paris, 1907, p. 1100–1101. d   Anastasios the Monk, Narratio 56 (ed. F. Nau [i], OC 3, 1903, p. 83– 84; cf. Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Narrationes [ed. Binggeli, Appendix 3, vol. 1, p. 277]). e   Nicaea I (325 A.D.). a  

b  

225

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holy churches intolerable to bear, egged on some of the bishops to attack one another. They delivered to the august emperor defamatory libelli, one against the other, referring to impure sins of the flesh and other wicked complaints. On hearing these things, Constantine the Great, a man devoted to Christ, was distressed and annoyed. He tore up the sheet of paper and had it burned, while giving utterance to a dictum that does honour to God: “If I had seen, with my very own eyes, one of Christ’s priests committing some sin, I would have spread out my chlamys [mantle] and covered him up, so that Christ may cover up my own sins. The man who makes fun publicly of one of Christ’s priests is making fun of the faith of the Christians and of the Church, to the delight of our enemies.”’a C5. Anonymous: ‘Anyone who loves Christ will honour and love the priest, no matter what sort of person he may be, because it is by means of him that we can communicate at the awesome mysteries.’ b C6. Anonymous: ‘When honour and respect are paid to a man who appears worthy of the priesthood, they are paid to him; but when they are paid to somebody who does not seem worthy, the honour is for the priesthood. Consider which is more praiseworthy: perhaps it is the second.’c C7. Anonymous ‘The energy which is at work in the sacraments entrusted to priests is not that of an angel, or of an archangel, or of some other a   BHG 369n, and see F. Halkin, ‘“Constantin se voilant la face”?’, Anal. Boll. 85, 1967, p. 440 who traces the key phrase back to Theodoret; Theognostos probably found the story in Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Narrationes (ed. Binggeli, Appendix 3, vol. 1, p. 277–278). b   John Chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Thes. 10, 1 (PG 62, 456B). c   Anastasios of Antioch, Ad Sergium (de sacerdotio) (ed. Pitra, IEGM II, p. 276 line 27; ed. S. N. Sakkos, p. 138–139); this extract, along with the following C7, is also to be found in the ‘Florilegia on the Eucharist’ compiled by John of Oxeia; cf. J. A. Munitiz, ‘A Clavis…’, p. 195. It was quoted with approval at the Second Council of Nicaea (787 A.D.): cf. PG 89, 1405–1408 with the reference to the Council in Mansi. Parts come from John Chrysostom, Hom. in Ioh. 86 (4) (PG 59, 472–473); De sacerdotio III 4 (PG 48, 642A).

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super-cosmic power, but it is the Paraclete himself who is doing all. The priest for his part only supplies his hands and lends his tongue. Therefore the priest should be as pure as someone who stands within the heavenly courts, without blemish, chaste, holy, sober, temperate; gentle and restrained; not quarrelsome nor a lover of money (1 Tim 3:2–3),a a man able to instruct; one who is humble, self-controlled and peaceful; he should be striving for every virtue and holiness, given to constant hymns and prayers. If he is not all this, the priest will be handling divine thing to his own damnation, and will be storing up eternal hell for himself instead of salvation. For the glowing coal he touches is that which the Seraphim dared not touch without the pair of tongs, of which Isaiah (Isa 6:6) speaks, and he gazes constantly on the deliverance (Lk 2: 30) which Simeon,b he who welcomed God, saw only once. How great a holiness and a confidence before God must the man have who acts as mediator between God and human beings in the revered sacred rite! Otherwise, by his unworthy ministry, he will reap a curse instead of a blessing, darkness instead of light, being condemned to everlasting hell.’c C8. Theognostosd (1) I have witnessed the case of many priests who were unworthy of their sacred ministry and met untimely deaths. They were unwilling to step down voluntarily from the divine priesthood, so they were dispatched involuntarily by death to the tribunals of the next world. There was one highly respected man; he had built up for himself a façade of holiness and was held in high esteem by many because of his external display. As he was celebrating the sacred liturgy and came to the moment of the Cherubic hymn,e he bent On the qualities of the episkopos cf. also Titus 1: 8–9. cf. Lk 2: 30; Is 40: 5; 52: 10. c   cf. note on C6, and ‘Florilegia on the Eucharist’ of John of Oxeia: cf. J. A. Munitiz, ‘A Clavis…’, p. 191. d   The story in §  1 is found in the Kephalaia neptika of Theognostos, §  21 (Philokalia, Venezia, 1782, p. 502 [ed. Athens 1975, II, p. 259]). And some of the manuscripts of the Thesauros give his name here or before § 2. e   Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (ed. Brightman, p. 318, 377. a  

b  

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down before the altar, as is customary, and read aloud the words, ‘Nobody is worthy…’ Then all of a sudden he was found to be dead: his soul had departed as he performed so momentous a gesture. (2) On one occasion,a in one of the most holy of the monasteries that surround the Empress of cities [Constantinople], the dawn office was drawing to its close with the chant of the final doxology. The two choirs were singing, one on each side of the sacred interior and more than forty monks were present. Suddenly, as dawn was breaking, there came a violent and terrifying crash, the air was shaken by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and a thunderbolt shot with lightning speed past all the other monks and reduced just two of the priests to ashes. (3) I have witnessed many other examples of painful sudden deaths, priests snatched away because of their sexual offences or their indifference. But even though most escape their just punishment in this life, the requital they will have to pay in the next life, when their unworthiness will receive a worthy penalty, will be all the more frightful because it will be endless. Our holy fathers, inspired by God, had great awe and reverence for the priesthood; they considered it something lofty, divine and hardly suitable even for the saints. So if you are not a saint, keep well away, lest you will burn for it!

D.  On Monks D1. What is a monk? (1) ‘A monk is a man who has his place outside the world and who is constantly asking God that he may attain the eternal blessings.’ b (2) ‘A monk is a body that is chaste, a mouth full of truth, a heart free from impurity, and a mind full of light.’c (3) ‘A a   Although the name of Theognostos appears at this point in two manuscripts (A and P), this paragraph and the following do not appear in the Kephalaia neptika. b   Isaac the Syrian, Opera, ch. 46, p. 223, lines 15–17. c   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 1 (PG 88, 633C2–4).

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monk is a man devoted solely to the things of God at every moment, in every place, and during every occupation.’a (4) ‘A monk is constant violence to nature and unceasing guard of the senses.’ b (5) ‘A monk is someone as dependent on virtue as epicures are on pleasure.’c (6) ‘A monk is an abyss of humility, in which every evil spirit is flung and drowned.’ d (7) ‘A monk is a terrestrial pattern of an angel: by his divine longing and effort, he frees his hymns and prayers from laziness and neglect.’e (8) ‘A monk is a ceaseless remembrance of death and a constant mourning: this is shown by his dress, because all those who lament their dead wear black.’ f (9) ‘Not everyone who has been baptized will be saved, but only the person who lives worthily; similarly, not everyone who has received the tonsure, but the monk who observes the monastic regulations, as is befitting and feasible, never preoccupying himself about the things of this life, but with his cross on his shoulder following the Lord out of this world by complete rejection of everything and of himself.’g D2. Anonymous: ‘A Christian is the imitation of Christ in all that is humanly possible by acts and words; as for his mind, he believes with true faith in the holy Trinity, the one God, to whom all glory, honour, and adoration is due for ever and ever, Amen.’ h

John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 1 (PG 88, 633B13–15). John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 1 (PG 88, 633B15–C2). c   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 23 (PG 88, 969A13). d   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 23 (PG 88, 969A15). e   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 27 (PG 88, 1100A2). f   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 7 (PG 88, 805C1–2). g   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 1, no. 15 (PG 88, 648D1–3). h   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 1 (PG 88, 633B4). a  

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Beautiful Versesa For you a humble bee, that ever toils anew I gather from the mystic Paradise, the true, The honey-sweet nutrition, culled to save the few; I pray you, add the grace-enlightened heaven’s dew Of good intentions, friend, that I along with you Sweet honey of good works distil, and raise on high The blazing waxen candle of an upright life.

Only three manuscripts (ALS) give these verses (not BPV); the title, omitted by S appears as ‘Edifying [helpful to the soul] Verses’ in L: a literal translation would read, ‘As if I were a bee, I cull for you, my friend, from the mental paradise of what is written, an anthology of honey-filled sayings that may save you. By joining, please, your good intentions, blessed by divine grace as a heavenly dew, produce the honey of beautiful good works and a life which gives light like a candle.’ a  

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Chapter XVIII On Sexual Offences [Porneia] and Confession [Exomologesis]a

1. Anastasios of Sinai: ‘The sinful upsurge of a man’s sexual urge may be caused by a preponderance of heat in his constitution, or by an excess of rich foods, or of sleep, or of relaxation; again it may be caused by Satan, or may be the result of passing adverse judgements on others; it may come in reaction to pride, when a man has a high opinion of his own chastity, because such a person is permitted to fall into sin so that he will abandon his conceit, once he has committed a sexual offence, and so be led to find his salvation in humility (given a choice between the two evils of pride and lust, a natural sexual offence is less grave than a sin of pride).’ b 2. From the same: ‘Some claim that bodily sins are more easily forgiven than all others because the physical urge is natural to human beings. The important Benaki manuscript (B) gives the title, ‘Account [logos] of our father St Anastasios, Monk of Sinai, about the constitution of theb ody’s sexual urges’, but this title refers only to the first extracts and is probably a misplaced sub-title. b   Textually this extract is closest to the version found in Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 107 (PG 28, 664B); however, this text probably derives from the authentic Quaestiones, Qu. 25 (cf. CCSG 59, p. 51; CCT 7, p. 106) though perhaps through the intermediary of the Ps.-Anastasian Quaestiones, Qu. 8 (see in particular PG 89, 389–392). The same problem recurs with §§ 2, 3 and 8 below. Incidentally the translation at this point is deliberately non-inclusive as the text is so clearly male-oriented. a  

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However, the Apostle teaches the contrary : he comes to describe them as the worst of sins when he says, “Every sin is outside the body, but a sexual offender sins against his own body” (1Cor 6: 18a).a Indeed, such a sinner takes from his own flesh and provides his own seed to serve as a sort of substance for Satan. In any case, it is also natural for human beings to eat and yet we see that God condemned Adam because he disobeyed by his eating.’ b 3. St Anastasios: ‘Some remain chaste because they are protected by God, others because they are of a cold physical constitution, others because they force themselves through ascetical practices, others because they never judge adversely, and, finally, others because they have the vices of pride or avarice, and so Satan despises them as their conceit is more effective than all other vices to qualify them for eternal damnation.’c 4. St Maximus: ‘A person can sin in four ways: by sudden passion, by being deceived, by ignorance, and by deliberate design. In the first three cases it is easy to arrive at self-knowledge and repentance. But in the case of deliberate intention, when it is not because of temptation and neither with the passage of time does one come to repentance, the illness is incurable.’d

This quotation reappears below in § 8 (4). cf. Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 96 (PG 28, 656C–D); here there is no exact precedent in the authentic Quaestiones (but cf. Qu. 38 where the same quotation from Paul is mentioned), nor in the Ps.-Anastasian collections. c   Although there are similarities between the teaching here and that in the authentic Qu. 25 (CCSG 59, p. 51; CCT 7, p. 106), this extract is to be found only in the Florilegium attached to Qu. 8 in the Ps.-Anastasian collection (PG 89, 401A) under the name of Athanasius; it is taken from the Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 107 (PG 28, 664B–C) and is the second half of the answer; the first half being § 1 above. d   Maximus, Qu. Dub. I, 5 (CCSG 10, p. 140; PG 90, 789A–B); this extract can also be found, embedded in a longer quotation (entitled Ex Capitulis [ἐκ τῶν Κεϕαλαίων]) in the same Florilegium that contains the previous extract (cf.  PG 89, 400B10–16); for a masterly account of the textual tradition, both for the Ps.Anastasian Florilegium and for the Theognostos text, cf. José Declerck, CCSG 10, p. ccxiv–xxcvi, ccxvii, who demonstrates how Theognostos was indebted to the Ps.-Anastasian tradition. a  

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5. Chrysostom: ‘Spiritual squalls do not break on the soul by some unforeseeable circumstance, as if they were storms at sea blown along by sudden gusts of wind. They come because of our own negligence. It is in our power to decide whether they will come or not. So when sexual concupiscence begins to glow, if you do not blow it into flame, the furnace will not be lit. There will be no blaze burning, the beast will not turn savage, nor will the pure clarity of thought be darkened, if you, for your part, refrain from heaping fuel on the fire, if you restrict the curiosity of your eyes for comely faces, if you curb your agitation after alien beauties, if you diet the dainties you stuff into yourself, and cut the supply of wine that may befuddle your mind. “Is that enough?” somebody may say. No, it is not enough! There are other measures to be taken: continual prayers, conversations with holy men, an appropriate practice of fasting, a frugal diet, the necessary occupation, and above all the fear of God, thought for the future judgement, for the unbearable pains of hell, and for the promise of bliss. By using all these means, you can bridle the rage of sexual concupiscence and calm the foaming sea.’a 6. Basil the Great: (1) ‘Just as bees are put to flight by smoke, and doves by a foul smell, so the angel who guards each person’s life is chased away by the loathsome stench of sin.’ b (2) ‘What we should pray for most is to have nothing at all to do with sin. However, the second best is to take to our heels at once when an occasion of sin presents itself, as if it were the attack of some venomous snake. These are the tactics recommended by Solomon for a wicked woman, “Do not fix your eye on her, but run away, do not linger! (Prov 9: 18a).”c The greatest blessing is that of never falling into sin but if through some sudden attack of the devil you have incurred guilt, do not allow it to take root. When someone is actively John Chrysostom, Expos. in Ps. 6 (PG 55, 75 lines 25–48); once again, an extract from a longer quotation included in the Florilegium added to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 8 (PG 89, 404B–C). b   Basil of Caesarea, In Ps. 33 (PG 29, 364B2–6); but B attributes this text to Maximus. c   The order of the lines has been changed. a  

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engaged in a succession of sins, a habit of mind is developed that is difficult to remove. The vice that has acquired age and strength by a dedication to sin is hard to cure or even completely incurable.’a 7. Isidore: ‘With regard to each crime, one may examine not only the type of sin, but also the intention of the sinner, and the time, place and motivation, whether there was delectation, regret, perseverance or remorse after its committal, whether it was the result of circumstances, or due to being decieved, or deliberately committed, or through habit and custom. Many other factors contribute to the nature of a sin. Also seasonal differences and political influences are to be considered, as not all those in a state are equally culpable.’ b 8. Anastasios:c (1) ‘There are many different types of condemnation and sins of fornication [porneia]. Thus the married man who commits fornication is more at fault than a bachelor, an old man more than a young man, a constant habitué more than the man who sins once a year, the man of frigid physical constitution, who eats foods that provoke heat and incites himself to sexual pleasure.’ (2) ‘Much more can be said about fornication and its varying gravity in God’s sight: it is not equally condemnable to sin with one woman and with several, dragging down their souls along with one’s own; nor to sin with diffidence, and to sin unashamedly, abandoning oneself to sin. It is not the same guilt if a man is married and commits his sin with a married woman; in that case a double adultery is reckoned to have been incurred by the perpetrator of the crime. The guilt is more dreadful again if he sins with a woman dedicated to the religious life; or if he gives assistance to

a   Basil of Caesarea, In Ps. 1 (PG 29, 224C10–D5, 225A6–10); this extract from Basil, unlike the previous one, also occurs in the same Florilegium mentioned above (PG 89, 396B–D). b   John Chrysostom, Expos. in Ps. 6 (PG 55, 72D); however, the attribution to Isidore (Epistolae) is also found in the quotation included in the Florilegium added to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 8 (PG 89, 396D–397A), although the extract does not seem to appear in the letters of Isidore (TLG search); B attributes the extract to John Climacus. c   See the notes on the different paragraphs of this extract for the Anastiasian link.

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a woman suffering from some injustice, but claims in recompense the right to copulate with her.’ (3) ‘In addition the circumstance of place can also affect the gravity of the condemnation of a sin: many men commit their offence in churches or monasteries, and incur a double culpability. There are also some who defile the wives of their friends or relatives, aping Jewish sexual habits and polluting themselves by incest. The just eye of God weighs up and examines all these differences according to his ineffable judgement, with no respect for persons but true to his exact law which is never to be despised.’a (4) ‘The Fathersb teach that there are four causes of nocturnal pollution and other sexual offences [porneia]: the physical urge becoming inflamed (through a surplus of food, drink, sleep, or idleness); self-conceit; judging others as sinners; and the spite of demons, when they see that we are making progress as God wants. Nocturnal pollution can also come about through our slackness or weakness, and we can become accustomed to pollution and sexual licence [porneia] by allowing the body to fall into evil habit. There are indeed two liquids secreted by the body, one of which pollutes and the other sanctifies, viz. sperm and tears. And just as every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but a sexual offender (1 Cor 6: 18)c takes from his own flesh and offers up, as a sacrifice, his own seed to the Evil One, so all other good works that a man performs are outside the body, but tears are taken from our own substance and offered up to God, as also the blood of the martyrs.’ (5) ‘Therefore, once we have repented and wept, we should take precautions not to sin again. We ought not to incur new impurities of soul and body, hoping that later we shall repent! It is a difficult thing to become accustomed to washing and defiling the a   §§ 1–3 reproduce Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 97 (PG 28, 656–657), which probably derive from the authentic Anastasian Qu. 35 (CCSG 59, p. 87–88; CCT 7, p. 137–138). b   §§  4–7 come more directly from the Ps.-Anastasian Qu.  8 (PG 89, 389D– 393C7), which is itself indebted to an amalgamation of the authentic QQ 25, 33, 35, 38 (CCSG 59, p. 51, 85–86, 87–88, 90; CCT 7, p. 106, 135, 137–138, 142); as for the ‘Fathers’, Anastasios may have in mind John Climacus, cf. Scala Paradisi, gr. 15 (PG 88, 889A7–B1). c   cf. § 2 above.

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same garment over and over again.a Something which is repeatedly washed and defiled, becomes useless and rots through use; it grows old and aged, and cannot be washed.’ (6) ‘For my part, I have seen men who were one hundred years old, weak and shaking all over, but because of their habit over the years they were incapable of abstaining from this sin. An evil habit is surely the worst of all evils, and that is why the Apostle exhorts us with the words, Let us lay aside the works of darkness (Rom 13: 12), etc.’ (7) ‘However, we must recognize that in the sight of the just Judge there are many different types of condemnation, each with its appropriate penalty, for those who have committed sins against the body. The judgement to be passed on one of the faithful differs from that on an unbeliever; that on a man who fornicates in his youth from that on a man in his old age; that on a bachelor and that on a husband; that on a man who sleeps with a prostitute, and that on one who sleeps with a respectable woman, and againb that on one who pollutes himself with many women. The judgement to be passed on as priest or teacher differs from that on a layman, also that on a sin of habit and confirmed vice from that on a sin of sudden passion. The man who falls, but is sorry and regrets, will have a different pardon from the man who sins and remains unconcerned. The punishment for somebody sinning by natural impulse and in a natural way will be different from the most painful penalty reserved for any sin, that of people who sin against nature, resorting to the damning vice of the Sodomites a practice which is not to be seen even among brute animals. How great a chastisement must await men who frequently read the book of the Bible, with its Law, Prophets and Apostles, and who nevertheless commit the same offences for which the Sodomites, who had not been instructed in the Law nor given the book of the Prophets, were consumed by divine fire because of their foul actions! A similar conflagration does not take place at the present time, because another more dreadful fire, never to be extinguished, has been prepared for those who do such things.’ However, cf. ch. XV 2 § 12 with footnote b. The source text adds: ‘that on one who sins with only one woman and’, words omitted perhaps by an oversight of Theognostos himself as they appear in none of the manuscripts. a  

b  

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9. John Climacus: ‘Somebody who perceives that a particular passion is dominating, should arm with great energy to combat that alone, and most especially if the war is against the devil who longs for sins of the flesh. Until the devil has been expelled, we shall gain nothing from being victorious over all the others. However, if we succeed in killing the Egyptian (Exod 2: 12) then we shall be able to gaze on God in the bush (Exod. 3: 2) of humility.’a 10. The same: ‘If someone wishes to set before God a chaste body and a pure heart, one should carefully control one’s temper and one’s appetite. All our efforts will be in vain if these two forces are at large.’b 11. The same: ‘The soul that has confession in mind is reined back, like a horse by a bit, from committing sin, whereas we perform recklessly the actions that are never to be confessed, as if they were done in the dark.’c 12. The Theologian:d ‘You know that John baptized, so do not consider the confession of your own sin as worthless. The embarrassment you will feel in this life will allow you to escape that in the next, for part of the penalty of hell is the shame of confession. Give proof that you really hate your sin by showing it in public and holding it up for ridicule.’e 13. The Saintly Apostles: ‘It is necessary to separate from the community, for periods that vary with the gravity of the misdemeanour, those who say

John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 15 (PG 88, 888D1–7). John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 26 (PG 88, 1065A1–4); related to this passage is a Chapter of Diadochos of Photike, ch. 99 (ed. J. E. Rutherford, p. 150). c   John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, gr. 4 (PG 88, 705C12–15); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 385A8–11). d   Gregory of Nazianzus. e   Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 40 § 27 (PG 36, 397A); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 380C1–6). a  

b  

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that they repent for a sin; but afterwards they are to be received back as penitents, like sons welcomed by their fathers.’a 14. Basil the Great: ‘The same principle holds in the confession of sins that is valid for medical examinations, when we show what physical diseases beset us. Just as the latter are not to be shown to everybody, nor to the first stranger, but to those who have experience in their care and cure, so also a confession of sins should be made to those who have the power to cure them, in accordance with the Scripture saying, You who are strong ought to put up with the frailties of the weak’ (Rom 15: 1).b 15. Chrysostom: ‘Let us also imitate the Samaritan woman and not be ashamed of our sins before others. Those who risk salvation through being ashamed of disclosing their sins to others, will be held up for mockery at the last day, not before one or two, but in the sight of the whole world.’c 16. The same: ‘If you have not abandoned evil ways, do not cross the lintels reserved for the priests. Sheep that are mangy and full of disease should not be herded with those that are healthy, but driven out of the flock, until they have recovered from their sickness. We are members of Christ; let us not become members of a prostitute (I Cor 6: 15). This place is not a brothel, but a church. If your members are those of a prostitute, keep out of a church, lest you desecrate it.’d 17. The same: ‘It is not right for somebody who is impure and unhallowed to enter the precincts of the priests; only the person who is worthy Const. Apost. II, 16, 4 (ed. Funk I, p. 63, 7–10; and cf. vol. II, p. 52); also found (under the same title of the Const. Apost.) in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 384C13–D3). b   cf. Basil of Caesarea, Reg. brev. tr. 229 (PG 31, 1236A), also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 376C1–9); B attributes it to John Chrysostom. c   John Chrysostom, Hom. in Ioh. 34 (33) (PG 59, 196, 35–48); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 380C); a very similar passage occurs in the Ps.-Chrysostomic Homilia de samaritana (PG 59, 542, lines 21–33). d   John Chrysostom, Hom. in Ioh. 63 (4) (PG 59, 354, 11–20); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 381D). a  

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may enter. The reason is that the temple of God resembles Heaven: just as none of the inimical powers are allowed inside there, so neither are they allowed into God’s house. In the Jewish temple, not all sections were free of access to all, but there were many different divisions. One was allotted to the High Priest alone, and even for him, only once a year (Heb 9: 7); another was for the priests; another for the Jews; and another for the proselytes. But think how great a holiness is required of you, who will receive things far greater than anything received then by the Holy of Holies! Instead of the Cherubim, you will have the Lord of the Cherubim dwelling within you; instead of the jar, the tablets, the manna and Aaron’s rod, the body and blood of the Lord; instead of the letter, the Spirit. So much the greater will be the punishment you will merit, in so far as you have been honoured with greater and more awe-inspiring mysteries, that replace the symbols, if you fail to observe the orders given you.’a (Similarly, an increase and greatness of honour to those who choose to live lives worthy of the dignity conferred, but for the unworthy, an increase of punishment.)b 18. St Maximus: ‘I know that the prayer of the righteous is powerful (Jas 5: 16) when someone asking for the prayer of that person imbues it with power by reforming his or her former life and rendering it effective by a conversion to virtue. However, the saint’s prayer will be of no avail if the one asking continues in the practice of sin.’c 19. Theognostos based on John Climacus:d ‘Do not hesitate to pray for someone, if you are asked, no matter how negligent and sinful the person may be, not for them to receive mercy – as that is impossible as long as they fail to cooperate – but that they may be roused by God to make an effort and repent.’e a   John Chrysostom, Expos. in Ps. 133 (PG 55, 386A–C); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 384A–B). b   This final remark seems to have been added by Theognostos to the quotation from Chrysostom. c   Maximus, Qu. ad Thal.  57 (CCSG 22, p.  23; PG 90, 589D–592A); also found in the Florilegium attached to the Ps.-Anastasian Qu. 6 (PG 89, 380A). d   The manuscripts give different titles, one (B) attributing this passage simply to Theognostos but A seems to give the longer title. e   John Climacus, Liber ad Pastorem 11 (PG 88, 1192A5–7).

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20. Theognostos:a ‘When you are asked to pray also for sinners, do not implore the Lord God that they may attain mercy and salvation (for how can they, if they repudiate as bad what is to their good, a life of holiness?), but that they may come to the knowledge of truth, and so be led along to the true faith. In that way, they will not fail to be saved. When St Gregory, the Pope of Rome, was praying for the pagan Emperor Trajan, an angel of the Lord came to stand by him and prevented him, as God did not approve.’ b 21. Cyril:c ‘Anyone who consumes the blood of an animal consumes its life force, and becomes guilty of committing a crime, because the life of any living thing is its blood (Lev 17: 11–14),d and Moses legislated, at God’s behest, that one should refrain from that. But anyone who makes public and noises abroad a neighbour’s misdeed, is consuming that person’s blood and life in the same way. Our duty is rather to have pity for one another, as we are all guilty of some sin: only God is sinless.’e

The manuscript B, which erroneously attributed the previous quotation to Theognostos here mentions John Climacus; another manuscript (S) omits any name, but the important Iviron manuscript (A) attributes the quotation to Theognostos. The passage looks like an editorial reworking. b   This story is found in Ps.-John Damascene, De his qui in fide dormierunt 16 (PG 95, 261D–264A). c   Omitted by B and S, but present in A. d   The Septuagint text refers to ‘flesh’ (sarx) instead of ‘animal’ (zôon). e   Although several Ps.-Anastasian witnesses to the Florilegium attached to Qu. 6 (e.g. Coislin 115, ff. 40–41; Coislin 120, f. 49v; Coislin 259, ff. 75–76; and cf.  Sieswerda, Pseudo-Anastasius, p.  106) agree in attributing a longer version of this quotation to Cyril, (Κυρίλλου ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸ Ψυχὴ πάσης σαρκὸς), the whole quotation has been omitted from the Migne edition, and does not seem to figure in Cyril’s extant works (TLG search). a  

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Chapter XIXa An Exhortation to the Emperor

1. ‘Although by God’s providence you are the ruler of those on earth, you are ruled yourself from above by the God who reigns on high and who has given you your empire’,b for your heart is in His hand (Prov 21: 1). You should recognize the supreme Emperor, who has given you your honour, and render Him gladly due homage and praise, accepting with complete obedience all His commands, if indeed it is your wish to avoid exclusion from the heavenly kingdom. God forbid that while ruling over your fellow human beings you should allow yourself to be tyrannized by disgraceful passions! 2. As Sirach says, ‘May your friends be many, but let your advisors be one in a thousand’ (Sirach 6: 6). Make an effort to be loved, and not just feared, by those under you. Very great fear causes one to be hated, but a lack of the fear that is due would cause your rule to be despised. The characteristic most proper to God and to an emperor is kindness and the distribution of alms to those in need. In defence of justice you should not only act yourself, but Of the three manuscripts that give this chapter complete (K has only the opening lines) the oldest, B, adds that the author was Theognostos and that it consists of ‘spiritual counselling’. b   The quotation unites sayings attributed to Sextus, Sent. 459 and 182 (cf. H. Chadwick, The Sentences of Sextus: a Contribution of the History of Early Christian Ethics, Cambridge, 1959, p. 64 and 32). a  

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insist with severity that all those in charge of tribunals should do the same. Present yourself as a perfect exemplar of a passionate upholder of justice, for a king’s honour loves justice (Ps 98: 4). You should not refuse to advance those of the upper class with honours and greetings in the form of gifts. But neither, on the other hand, should you treat contemptuously those of lower class and those in want; and at times out of a sense of fairness you should condescend to have dealings with those of modest means. Wealth, if it flows, do not set not your heart on it (Ps 61: 11). Do not be mean when expense is required. Build up for yourself treasures that are not to be seen. In my experience, no emperor who was avaricious, was successful. As regards concupiscence, establish a firm control. Otherwise your free will becomes enslaved in its power of choice by the monstrous beguilement of pleasures to the disgrace of the imperial soul. Remember that despotic anger grows more savage in proportion to the power of which a man disposes, and ceases to pardon: ‘The anger of a king’, as Scripture says, ‘resembles the rage of a lion’ (Prov 20: 2). Do not exact punishment for trifling faults, and where small matters are at stake, do not be a rigorous inquisitor, as if you were exempt from human passions and weakness. Otherwise you will not be modelling yourself on God. 3. When you have won victories against your enemies, give thanks to the Lord God, who is the cause of victory, but do not despair if sometimes you are defeated; you should recognize that an enemy’s strength and mastery over us is a requital for our sins. Where treaties and peace agreements are possible, show yourself prompt, and undertake readily negotiations for concord in a spirit of charity. Avoid human slaughter and the dreadful bloodshed that are the offspring of war. You should constantly bear in mind the common lot, that you will surely die before too long like any other man (even though you are raised up ‘to the clouds’a), and that there is no other way! 4. You should fear the true Emperor of us all, who is great and will never have a successor. Hold in dread His terrifying tribunal, where you will stand to be judged, naked and with throat laid cf. Ezeq 31: 3.

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bare (Heb 4: 13), a man bereft of help and confidence, when all the imaginary world of here-below will have been swept away. Strive with all the power you have to do His good pleasure. Are you not aware that the mighty will be mightily tested (Wisdom 6: 6)? Do you not hear that, ‘The rich will find it hard to enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Mt 19: 23)? You should live like the good steward (Lk 12: 35–38)a in dread of misfortune, lest you be eternally punished for your temporary management of what has been entrusted to you in this world. If it is difficult for a rich man to enter heaven, how much more difficult for an emperor, unless he conducts himself as God wills! You have been appointed as a ruler by God not for the satisfaction of your own whims (as Scripture says, ‘during your lifetime receiving your good things’ [Lk 16: 25]), nor to busy yourself about your own profit and desires, but to provide good leadership for the people of God, with fair judgements and the defence of justice,b following the example of earlier famous kings, David, for example, and Hezekiah, or in later times the devout Constantine and Theodosius, the great and pious rulers. 5. Perhaps it will not be inappropriate at this point to recount certain royal deeds that are praiseworthy and will serve as models for pious imitation. 6. Alexander, King of Macedonia, is said to have been scrupulously exact in his devotion to justice. And when a case was brought before him in which an accusation was levelled by the prosecutor alone, without the presence of the defendant, he stopped up one ear with his finger and listened to him in that way. On the accuser asking him to listen with both ears open, Alexander said, ‘It is not right to do that, but the proper thing is to reserve one ear for the defendant and listen to him also. In that way, after weighing up the evidence and an appraisal of the truth, the vote can be cast and the judgement given justly, without any personal considerations.’ 7. That example shows how to attain the fairness of legal judgement that befits an emperor. But as regards forbearance I want you to consider David, who was the mildest of men. When one of the cf. 1 Pet 4: 10. cf. Ps 96:2; 98: 4

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soldiers was insulting him in public, he did not lose his temper but bore it patiently. He was more annoyed with those who were urging his to go and retaliate. ‘Let him curse David’, he said, ‘so that the Lord may see and grant me blessings in place of this man’s curse’ (2 Kings 16: 11).a 8. For another exampleb of the same kind, consider the most holy of emperors, the God-crowned Constantine, who made a remark which is full of wisdom concerning forbearance. Once some uneducated louts had stoned his statue and there were those who incited him to show anger. ‘Your face has been so disfigured by the stones, your Majesty, that it has been left quite unrecognizable.’ Constantine passed his hand over his face, and with a noble smile excused the affair saying, ‘My face is complete and unharmed! It has not suffered anything at all!’ 9. Again there is the famous emperor Theodosius;c St Ambrose gave him such a good lesson about forbearance that he even made a law forbidding, in all cases requiring the infliction of a penalty, the execution of a sentence before the lapse of a sufficient number of days; there was to be a patient wait during the stipulated period. 10. For the virtue of continence (sophrosyne) Alexander once again provides an example, as we explained in another chapter.d After defeating Darius, the king of the Persians, he had among his prisoners the daughters of the king, young virgins of a beauty reported to have been wonderful. Although many encouraged him to sleep with the girls, he refused, making that famous remark, worthy of an imperial greatness of mind, ‘Surely it would be shameful, my friends, for us, who have conquered men, to be The person who cursed David was Semei, a kinsman of Saul. The same story is told in a sermon of John Chrysostom, Homiliae ad populum Antiochiae 21 (PG 49, 216, 33). c   This incident, when St Ambrose of Milan insisted that Theodosius I (379– 395) should perform penance for the massacre in Thessalonika in 390, is recounted in various historical sources: Sozomenus, Historia ecclesiastica 7, 25 (ed. Bidez and Hansen, p. 339–340; PG 67, 1493–1497); Cedrenus, Chronicon (ed. Bekker, II, p. 558, 571; PG 121, 608B, 620D–621A); George the Monk, p. 577–580; Zonaras, Epitome historiarum XIII, 18, 14 (Bonn III, p. 86, 12–13). d   ch. V § 6: as noted there, this story probably comes from George the Monk, although other sources (e.g. Basil of Caesarea) cannot be excluded. a  

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defeated by women!’ The most surprising thing here is that this man was able to attain such wisdom before Christ’s appearance and before the advent of grace. 11. We also find that the emperor Basil the Bulgar-Slayer (Bulgaroktonos), who ruled the Empire for fifty years,a had no sexual relations with women. 12. The emperor Isaac Komnenosb is also said to have been continent to the highest degree. Once when he was in charge of a military expedition, he was struck down by so severe an attack of nephritis that he despaired for his life; he was completely paralyzed and unable to move. After the doctors had tried every other means without success, they advised him to copulate with a woman. He would not hear of it. They then said to him, that unless he tried that, whey would have no option but to use cauterization, and the result would be sterility and sexual impotence. He replied with a defence of the virtue of continence: ‘Manuel and Maria, the children that have already been born to me by Christ’s grace are enough! Without children it is possible to reach the kingdom of God, but without continence nobody will see the Lord’ (Heb 12: 14).c 13. (1) That was how the emperor Isaac practised continence. But not so the empress Theophano!d When the emperor Nikephoros Basil II, 958–1025; crowned in 960, he succeeded John I Tzimiskes in 976, but historians claim that he ruled effectively only from 985. He never married. b   Crowned emperor in 1057 after a military uprising Isaac I Komnenos ruled for only two years before appointing Constantine X Doukas and retiring to a monastery; the incident mentioned here is to be found in Skylitzes continuatus (ed. E. Tsolakes, p. 109, 6–15; PG 122, 377A11–B9) and also in Michael Glykas, Annales (ed. Bekker, p. 603). c   The full quotation reads, ‘Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.’ d   The account that follows is to be found in Skylitzes, Synopsis historiarum, Nicephoros Phocas. 22 (ed. J. Thurn, p. 279–280); cf. Cedrenus, Chronicon (ed. Bekker, II, p. 375–378; PG 122, 108–112); one of the most notorious Byzantine empresses, Theophano (born c. 936), famed for her beauty, became the wife of Romanos II (emperor 959–963) and thus mother of Basil the Bulgar-Slayer mentioned above; on the death of Romanos she married Nikephoros II Phokas (emperor 963– 969); her plans to marry John I Tzimiskes (emperor 969–976) came to nothing, but after a period of exile she returned to Constantinople, where she died some time during the reign of her son, Basil. a  

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Phokas refrained, for the sake of continence, from having marital relations with her, this adulterous woman turned against him and sought every opportunity and means by which to kill him, her own husband, the cursed slut! (2) Using one of John Tzimiskes’ men as a messenger, she had him brought from the quiet of his own home and disclosed the plot to him. Once the plan had been prepared, she sent and had him brought at night to the artificial port built below the imperial Palace, then hoisted him up in a basket, along with his companions:a these were Michael Bourtzes, a patrikios, Leo Abalantes, a taxiarchos, Atzypotheodoros, the most faithful of Tzimiskes’ men, and two others. (3) They climbed up into the palace and, sword in hand, entered the imperial bedchamber. But Phokas was not to be found in the customary bed, so they supposed they had been betrayed and were on the point of throwing themselves down. However they happened to find a eunuch from the women’s quarters and he led them to where Phokas was sleeping. (4) They discovered him lying on the floor with a crimson-dyed rug for a mattress and a bearskin as coverlet. He had gone to sleep shortly before with no idea of what was about to happen, and had no preoccupations to hinder his slumbers. Tzimiskes shook him awake with a kick. He opened his eyes on a sight which he had never expected, six men, sword in hand, standing above him like angels from on high, with murder in their eyes and ready for the slaughter. The only words Phokas spoke were, ‘Lord, have mercy!’ and ‘Mother of God, help me!’ He rested his right elbow on the floor and raised his head preparatory to rising; with the upward jerk the head-cover he was wearing fell off, leaving the top of his head unprotected. Abalantes was the first to strike him a violent blow with his drawn sword and split the skull open down the middle even as the words, ‘Lord, have mercy!’ were being cried out. Next, as they had been detected by the palace guards and crowds of defenders were converging on them, they cut Phokas’ throat and hacking off the head, threw it out to those were racing to help. (5) After John Tzimiskes had been proclaimed emperor, Only the first of the conspirators, Michael Bourtzes, merits an entry (by Alexander Kazhdan) in ODB; there he appears as holding high position under Phokas. a  

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succeeding in this fashion, he at once exiled the empress Theophano to Prokonnesos,a because she had plotted against and betrayed her own husband. Although he himself had not touched Phokas, Tzimiskes organized all sorts of charitable works and alms-giving in expiation of the assassination, giving generous funds and always lamenting the crime. He spared the lives of many of those who plotted against his own rule (apparently following the principle, ‘Forgive and you shall be forgiven’ [Mt. 6: 14]), and sent them into exile. He became in his turn a devout and famous emperor. 14. My dearest wish, God-crowned ruler, is that you also should enjoy great good fortune and long life by your exemplary obedience to God’s teachings, that counsel you for your own good. By your use of what is unstableb and what is transitory in this world, win for yourself the eternal blessings. At the moment of your passing, there is nothing but your deeds that you will be able to transport with you. Every mortal is born naked, and naked does one set off for the beyond.c 15. Steadfast and permanent God’s gift alone can be!d Is there among us a sage with a noble mind, Ready to search high and low ceaselessly to find The formula of happiness, from pain set free, Lasting for life eternal, as time ceases to flee?

This island in the Sea of Marmara served as a place of exile, as did the group of smaller islands, Princes’ Islands, in the same sea; some sources claim that Theophano was exiled to one of the latter, Prote, in 970. b   When the Greek text was published Prof. Igor Ševčenko kindly pointed out that a negative seemed to be missing here (‘unstable’ rather than ‘stable’); in effect, such a negative is to be found in B but added between the lines. c   ‘I came naked from my mother’s womb; naked also shall I return there’, Job 1: 21. d   The five twelve-syllable verses in Greek say literally: ‘The sole lasting legacy is that of God.| Oh, who will be sensible and wise and lofty minded | to hurry and gain this happiness, | to escape from endless groaning, | and to live long years that will never pass!’ a  

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Chapter XX [Some Questions and Answers]a

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1. Question What is God? Answer Uncaused substance, all-powerful cause,b surpassing all cause and naturec 2. Question What should one believe? Answer In Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a consubstantial Trinity, one divinity, three hypostases [literally, ‘under-lying’ beings] or persons [prosopa]; when we apply the term ‘person’ [prosopon] to God, there is no reference to body or shape. One should confess the incarnation of the Son of God and all the personal characteristics proper to his human flesh. One should accept the seven holy ecumenical Councils and their creeds and definitions. 3. Question What is a substance [ousia]? Answer A self-existent thing, that does not require something else for its constitution. Or ‘thing’ in general, in a comprehensive Originally there seems to have been no title, but later scribes added one, e.g. ‘Different questions and answers taken from the wisdom of John Damascene’ in B; ‘Questions and Answers dealing with different problems in theology and natural science’ in K. The first nine Questions and Answers resemble those found in the Compendiaria explicatio [Ἔκθεσις σύντομος] attributed to Anastasios of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria (PG 89, 1390–1404), but there are also parallels, noted below, with the works of John Damascene. b   In B there is a gap after these first words, and all the questions to the end of Question 29 are omitted; probably some folios were lost. c   See Anastasios of Sinai, Hodegos (CCSG 8, Viae Dux, II, 2, p. 26–27; PG 89, 53B). a  

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sense. The holy Fathers also use the terms ‘nature’ [physis], ‘genus’ [genos] and ‘form’ [morphe] to designate this.a 4. Question What is proper to each of the three Persons of the divinity and what is common? Answer Proper to the Father is that he has not been engendered, to the Son that he is engendered, and to the Holy Spirit that he proceeds. In common they have the divinity and the kingship. 5. Question How many natures should one confess in relation to the incarnation [economy], that is in relation to Christ? Answer Two, the divinity and the humanity so that Christ is perfect God and perfect man. 6. Question How many natural wills and energies? Answer Two, one divine and the other human. Examples of divine willing are the curing of lepers by a word, the resurrection of the dead, and similar acts; the divine energy is active for the salvation of everyone, and to bring them to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim 2: 4), as in the phrase, My Father is still working and I also am working (Jn 5: 17). It is human willing to ask that the cup, referring to the cross, should pass by;b and it is human energy that is active in the journeying, the becoming weary, and so on. 7. Question How many hypostases should one confess in relation to the Incarnation [economy]? Answer One. 8. Question In what respect did the Father and the Holy Spirit share in the Son’s becoming man? Answer By their approval and desire and by their cooperation in the miraculous signs given by the Son. 9. Question In what respect does Christ share with God the Father?

See John Damascene, Dialectica 42 (8–10) (ed.  Kotter, p.  107; PG 96, 605B–C). b   cf. Mt 26: 39. a  

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Answer By the nature of his divinity, in so far as he is perfect God. But he shares with us by the nature of his humanity, in so far as he is perfect man.a 10. Question What is there in common and what is proper to each in the Trinity? Answer In common there are the substance, the divinity and goodness, the kingship, the power, the authority, the creative force, and the foreknowledge of the whole of creation. As for the proper to each of the three Persons: it is proper to the Father to be ‘father’, as the Father is not ‘son’; it is proper to the Son to be ‘son’, as the Son is not ‘father’; it is proper to the Holy Spirit to be ‘holy spirit’, and neither ‘father’ nor ‘son’. In addition, the characteristics proper to the Wordb are that he should have become human like us yet without sin (Heb 4: 15), his suffering in the flesh (1 Pet 4: 1), his death, his resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, his sitting at the right hand of the Father and his future coming to judge living and dead at his Second Coming among us, which will have for its purpose the termination of all, the renewal of the universe, and the repayment to each according to one’s deeds (Rom 2: 6). 11. Question How many hypostases must one confess in theology? Answer Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 12. Question What sort of a notion of God should one have? Answer One should think of God as invisible and without shape, eternal and immortal, incomprehensible, inconceivable and incorporeal, changeless, inexpressible, timeless and not to be grasped, the creator of all, foreknowing all, and governing all. He alone is uncreated and without a beginning. He contains all, but is contained by nothing. He fills all, and lacks nothing. He enriches and nurtures all, and wants nothing. He has no visible appearence, no quantity, no measurable size. He is all-powerful, all-seeing. He reads the human heart. God is Father, Son and a   Questions 8 and 9 may come from John Damascene, FO III, 6 (ed. Kotter, 50, 29–31; PG 94, 1005). b   The lines that follow seem based on the Constantinopolitan Creed: cf. ACO 2/1/II, 80, perhaps via the Const. Apost. VII, 41, 5–6 (ed. Funk I, p. 446).

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Holy Spirit, one divinity, one lordship, one power, one unanimity of mind, one worship, one holiness and force, the provider of holiness and force.a 13. Question What is an aeon? Answer The word ‘aeon’ is ambiguous, because it has a variety of meanings. The life of each human being is called an ‘aeon’; a period of a thousand years is also called an ‘aeon’; again, the span of present life is called the ‘aeon’, and also the future endless life, which is to come after the resurrection, is the ‘aeon’. It is customary to speak of ‘the seven aeons’ of the world, from the creation of heaven and earth to the universal consummation and resurrection of all human beings. Each person’s death is a partial consummation, but at that moment there will be a universal and complete consummation when, after the resurrection, the eighth aeon will take over, not measured by nights and days, but made up of one day without evening, ever stretching onwards concomitantly, when the sun of justice [Mal 3: 30 (4: 2)] will shine brilliantly over the just, and deep limitless night will be the sinners’ lot. There is one maker of all the aeons, the God who exists from before them.b 14. Question What is an angel? Answer A substance that is intellectual, constantly active, self-determining, incorporeal, serving God, and equipped by grace with a natural immortality What is an angel? A living being made for singing, that constantly praises the Lord. The terms ‘incorporeal’ and ‘immaterial’ are applied from a human point of view, because only God is completely immaterial and incorporeal. Even angels are circumscribed (only the divinity not being circumscribed), in so far as they are not on earth when they are in heaven, and when they are sent to earth by God, they do not remain present in heaven. However, angels are not hemmed in by walls, doors, bolts and seals. On the occasions that God wishes them to appear, they do not show their real appearance to the saints, but are seen transformed. The angels are said to a   An answer based on John Damascene, FO I, 2 (ed. Kotter 2, 10–18; PG 94, 792). b   Once again, an answer based on John Damascene, FO II, 1 (ed. Kotter 15, 5–38; PG 94, 861–864).

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be ‘minds’ in that they do not require tongues and ears, but are capable of knowing intellectually and of carrying out the divine command. Neither angels nor demons have knowledge of the future: this is reserved to God alone. However the angels foretell future events when God reveals them to them, and so all that the angels say does take place; the demons do so by guess-work, based on their perception of distant events, and so they generally lie.a 15. Question How many orders of angels are there? Answer Nine, according to Dionysius, who is so rich in knowledge of divine things: he separates them into three triple ranks – first the six-winged Seraphim, who encircle God, the manyeyed Cherubim and the most-holy Thrones; second he ranks the Dominations, the Virtues,b and the Powers; third and last, the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. Some of these orders cry without a moment’s silence, Holy, holy, holy is the lord of Hosts; full are heaven and earth of his glory! (Isa 6: 3). Others, ‘Holy is God, holy and strong, holy and immortal!’c And yet others melodiously chant, ‘Alleluia!’d 16. Question What is the difference in substance between angels, demons, and our own soul? Answer There is no substantial difference between angels and demons, only one of intention, as there is between a saint and a sinner, or between a white man and an Ethiopian. In comparison with our soul, there is as much difference as there is between the sun and the stars.e a   This answer is constructed with elements taken from John Damascene, FO II, 3–4 (ed. Kotter 17, 5–14, 31–36; 18, 24–28; PG 94, 865–869, 877). b   The word ‘virtue’ mirrors the Latin ‘virtus’, which indicates not only a moral quality but also a ‘power’; it is chosen to distinguish it from the almost synonymous ‘exousia’ used for the next rank of angels. c   The liturgical Trisagion hymn: cf. Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (ed. Brightman, p. 535). d   cf. John Damascene, FO II, 3 (ed.  Kotter 17, 66–74; PG 94, 877–883); whose source text was Ps.-Dionysius, Coel. Hier. 6, 2 (SC 58bis, p. 104–105; PG 3, 200D–205A). e   cf. 1 Cor 15: 41; In this case, the answer resembles Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 7 (PG 28, 604A)

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17. Question How many heavens are there? Answer According to Scripture there is, strictly speaking, one heaven: thus Moses says, ‘In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth’ (Gen 1: 1). However, as Moses himself says a little lower down that ‘God called the firmament “ heaven”’(Gen 1: 8), behold, you have a second heaven, to which David refers when he says, ‘The heaven of heaven belongs to the Lord’ (Ps 113: 24). David, however, also calls the birds of the air the birds of heaven (Ps 8: 9). Perhaps these are the heavens referred to by the blessed Paul when he says that he was caught up as far as the third heaven (2 Cor 12: 2), as if it was the air, once more, that was being termed ‘heaven’. The Lord himself when he was teaching us how to pray referred in the first place to the heavens when he said, ‘Our Father, you in the heavens’ (Mt 6: 9), but in the middle of the prayer he mentions one heaven, your will be done also on earth as in heaven (Mt 6: 10). So there is both one heaven – called ‘starless’ by pagana scientists – and there are several different heavens.b 18. Question Is the heaven immoveable, or is it in motion? Answer The heaven is in constant motion, circling the whole earth like a sphere. By the great speed of its motion, it sweeps round with it the sun and the moon and the other stars. In dimensions, heaven is infinitely larger than the earth. As for its substance, it is unknown to us and we ought not to investigate that. However, both the heaven and the lights of heaven lack soul and senses. Even if David says of the heavens, ‘They will perish, but you will endure,’ nevertheless they will not disappear completely, but ‘they will become old and will be changed’ (Ps 101: 27), and there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21: 1). In addition there are reputed to be seven spheres in the heaven, each higher than the other (and called by some ‘heavens’). In each zone is one of the planets: the sun, the moon, Zeus, Hermes, Ares, Aphrodite

Literally, those ‘outside’ (ἔξω), with reference to the Church. Although this answer seems drawn from John Damascene, FO  II, 6 (ed.  Kotter 20, 7–11, 61–73; PG 94, 880, 884), it is worth consulting once more Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 8 (PG 28, 604A–B), which also follows on the previous question of Theognostos. a  

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and Kronos.a ‘Aphrodite’ is the name given to the planet which appears at one time as the Dawn Star and at another time becomes the Evening Star.b 19. Question How many elements are there? Answer Four: ‘fire’ which burns and gives light; ‘air’, which enables us to breathe and speak, and by means of which we see, hear and smell, itself colourless and lightless, although it become illuminated by burning lights and fire; ‘water’, which can cleanse from all bodily impurity, and especially from the soul’s impurities as well, if it has received the grace of the Holy Spirit; and ‘earth’, which rests upon the waters (Ps 135: 6), or rather is founded upon nothing (Job 26: 7). by God’s ordering. Our bodies are also composed of these four elements. At death, each of the elements dissolves into what is proper to it until the General Resurrection: the blood being warm and dry, into the fire; the bile, cold and dry, into the earth; the phlegm, damp and cold, into the water; and the humour, damp and warm, into the air. It is worth noting that blood is the link in human beings between body and soul. So when a person is dying, the blood is the first to make its hasty exit.c 20. Question What are the sun, the moon, and the stars? Answer (1) They are light receptacles. The Creatord placed in them the light created initially, not because He lacked more light, but to prevent that light being wasted. As for the sun, it is a sort of eye for the day,e lighting up everything, while the moon and the stars have been appointed to give light during the night. Both came into being on the fourth day, more recently than all the greenery and the plants of the earth, so that we can recognize that

a   The Latin/English equivalent names for the planets are Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Venus and Saturn, while in Greek, Aphrodite (Venus) is called ‘Heosphoros’ (the Dawn-bearer) and ‘Hesperos’. b   Again this answer is constructed with elements taken from John Damascene, FO II, 6 (ed. Kotter 20, 46–48, 81–82, 33–37; PG 94, 884, 885, 881). c   cf. John Damascene, FO II, 7–10 (ed. Kotter 21–24; PG 94, 885–909); for the last few lines, cf. Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 134 (PG 28, 681B–C). d   cf. Gen 1: 14–19. e   This thought is found in Secundus, Sent. 5.

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it is not the sun that is the cause of their constitution and growth, but the Creator of the sun. (2) The sun is said by the Fathers to equal the earth in size, because at its rising and setting it preserves its own magnitude The moon, however, is smaller in bulk; at the moment of its creation the Creator made it of full size, i.e. as it looks on the fifteenth day. It is lit up by the sun; God did not lack light which He could have given to the moon for itself, but he wanted a rhythm and order – of ruler and ruled – to be established in his creation. (3) The sun is eclipsed when the moon’s body intervenes like a screen and casts it into shadow, not allowing the light to be given us (the same happens when a cloud hides the sun’s light); the eclipse lasts as long as the moon’s body is hiding the sun, The moon is eclipsed when the earth casts it into shadow; this happens when the moon is full and comes into a position exactly opposite the dead centre (the sun under the earth and the moon above), because then the earth casts a shadow, the sun’s light not being able to illumine the moon and being ‘eclipsed’ there. (4) The solar year contains three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter days, so that every four years, the quarters being added up, one spare day is formed and the year is called a ‘double-six’, bissextile, year, as the number of days in that years is three hundred and sixty-six. The lunar year on the other hand consists of three hundred and fifty-four days: from its birth, or renewal, the moon waxes until fourteen and three-quarters days have passed, and then begins to wane until twenty nine and a half days have gone by. When it has completely lost all light, it is reborn and renewed, being set alight by the sun, and brings us a reminder of our own resurrection. Referring to the moon, Basil the Great says, ‘If the moon losing its light makes you sad, how much sadder should you be at the soul that has made some progress in acts pleasing to God, and through inattention and carelessness causes her goodness to wane!’a 21. Question Is there any truth in astrology? a   Once more, an answer constructed with elements taken from John Damascene, FO II, 7 (ed. Kotter 22, 34–36, 21–33, 148–154 171, 155–183; PG 94, 888, 896, 897). The final quotation comes from Basil of Caesarea, Hom. in Hexaem. 6, 10 (SC 26bis, p. 378; PG 29, 141D2–6).

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Answer None at all, in so far as any influence upon us is concerned. Such would be contrary to God’s foreknowledge and to our own free will. The stars therefore have no causal influence on anything that happens, neither on the genesis of those engendered, nor on the death of those that perish. Rather, they are signs of storms or of atmospheric changes, and they often accompany wars. In the same way comets are often signs, at God’s command, of the death of kings. Once they have been seen, they dissolve. They are a different sort of star from those that have existed from the beginning, and appear only momentarily. So the star that was seen by the Magi at Christ’s birth has never been seen again after that single momentary apparition.a 22. Question Why are there waters in the heaven? Answer Because of the intense burning heat of the sun and of the ether. The latter has been spread out immediately next to the vault, in which are the sun, the moon and the stars. If the water were not adjacent, the vault would have been burned up by the heat of these. Fire, according to one theory, is invisible when it is outside matter, and so it disappears when extinguished. According to another theory, when extinguished, it changes into air. It is worth noting that the stars appear in heaven also during the day-time, but the sun’s brilliance hides them. It is worth noting that God can do all that he wants, but he does not want to do all that he can; for example, he can destroy the universe, but he does not want to do so.b 23. Question How many regular seasons are there in the year? Answer Four. Spring is the first, because that was when God made everything (and the proof of this is that even now it is in Spring-time that the flowers bloom); Spring increases the blood, is temperate, warm and damp, and intervenes between Winter and Summer; it extends from March 21st to June 24th. Summer is the season that succeeds Spring, as the sun’s rising moves up into the See John Damascene, FO II, 7 (ed. Kotter 21, 117–147; PG 94, 892–896). Most of this answer, but not the final lines, is based on John Damascene, FO II, 9, 7 (ed. Kotter 23, 13–16; 21, 189–191, 31–33; PG 94, 901, 897, 888). a  

b  

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Northern regions; it intervenes between Spring and Autumn, increases the yellow bile, and extends until September 25th. Next follows the Autumn season, striking a mean between cold and heat, dryness and dampness; it intervenes between Summer and Winter, increases the black bile, and extends until December 25th. As the sun descends to its lowest rising, towards the South, the Winter season takes over, cold and damp by nature; it intervenes between Autumn and Spring, increases the phlegm, and extends to March 21st. All these things were wisely foreseen by the Creator to prevent us passing from the extreme of one quality (cold, damp, hot and dry) to its opposite, lest we fall into grave illness. Sudden changes are known by reason to be dangerous.a 24. Question Concerning the sun, moon and stars, what do we say about their being still or in motion? Answer (1) For the sun there are the words of David, ‘his starting at an extremity of heaven, his goal as far as an extremity of heaven’ (Ps 18: 7). He speaks about the moon and the stars in the same way: ‘The moon and stars that you have founded’ (Ps 8: 4). We have said that they also are carried along by the earth’s movement;b I refer to the stars and the moon, but the same applies to the sun, There is a theory that these also move from East to West, with the exception of the seven planets, which have a movement in the opposite direction to that of heaven. The planets move from West to East, and so are called the ‘planets’c They race constantly as the Creator has ordered them There is also the theory that the planets are fixed in the seven spheres [zones] of heaven: in the first, which is the highest, is Kronos; in the second, Zeus; in the third, Ares; in the fourth, the sun; in the fifth, Aphrodite; in the sixth, Hermes and in the seventh, and lowest, the moon.d (2) The circle of the zodiac moves at a slant. It is divided into twelve sections, called zodiacal signs. The theory is that twelve such signs are formed by the stars in heaven, and that they move See John Damascene, FO II, 7 (ed. Kotter 21, 57–89; PG 94, 889–892). See the opening words of the Answer to Qu. 18. c   The Greek word ‘planet’ means a ‘wanderer’. d   The English names for these planets, based on the Latin equivalents, are Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury. a  

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in the opposite direction to the sun, moon and other planets. The namesa and months corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac are as follows: Aries, from March 21st (when the sun enters) Taurus, from April 23rd Gemini, from May 23rd Cancer, from June 24th Leo, from July 25th Virgo, from August 25th Libra, from September 25th Scorpio, from October 25th Sagittarius, from November 25th Capricorn, from December 25th Aquarius, from January 20th Pisces, from February 20th.

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The sun completes one month traversing each part of the zodiac, but the moon traverses all twelve signs each month. The path of the moon is lower, and so it can move across them more quickly: the principle is that if you draw an orbit within another orbit, the inner one will be found to be small, and so, as the path of the moon is lower down, it is shorter and can be completed more quickly.b 25. Question Is there only one sea, or are there various? Answer (1) God’s order to the waters to gather in one gathering (Gen 1: 9) is not a proof that they gathered in one place (as is clear from the words that follow: And the systems of the waters he called ‘seas’ (Gen 1: 10), but the quotation shows that together the waters became separated from the land. That was the origin of the two seas that surround Egypt (also of the two that meet at Constantinoplec); similarly of the southern sea, called the Indian,

The English/Latin names are given here; they are translations of the Greek. See John Damascene, FO II, 7 (ed. Kotter 21, 37–54, 192–193, 94–116; PG 94, 888–889, 897, 892). c   This reference to Constantinople and its two seas is missing in the source text of John Damascene. a  

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of the northern, called the Caspian, and of several others, which it would be wearisome to enumerate. (2) The Ocean encircles all the land, like a river. It brings water to the seas, where it stagnates for a long time without moving and becomes bitter. The sun is constantly drawing up the lighter drops (the same happens with water spouts). And so clouds are formed and rain storms, the water turning fresh because it has been percolated.a 26. Question How are lightning, thunder, and thunderbolts formed? Answer (1) When the clouds, at God’s command, collide with one another, lightning flashes out: the thunder is formed first and then the flash, but as the latter is swifter, it overtakes the sound of the thunder. Thunderbolts, like earthquakes, indicate God’s anger and correction. However, there is some consolation for those struck by lightning from the following.b (2) For there happens to be a story in this connection.c The evil spirit is said to take possession of its former instrument, the snake, and changes into a venomous dragon. At the moment that it is plotting against someone, at once it becomes the target for God’s wrath. The snake is aware of the turmoil and trepidation preparatory to the thunderbolt, and foreseeing its coming destruction plans to escape and hide. Should one of God’s servants, or a church, be at hand, it hastily tries to take cover there, hoping to be spared because of their presence But the move is of no help for its purpose: God’s angel, who is in charge of the lightning, hunts down the snake there also, and destroys it on the spot, even though – at God’s command – he burns up the person at the same time.

See John Damascene, FO II, 9 (ed. Kotter 23, 17–36; PG 94, 901–904). There is a note added in the manuscript S here, which is also found as a marginal note on one of the preceding pages of the manuscript A; it is unconnected with the matter in hand, but may have been a marginal note of the original compiler. It reads: ‘It is worth nothing that there are twelve winds; a wind is nothing but a movement of air.’ This text comes from John Damascene, FO II, 8 (ed. Kotter 22, 13; PG 94, 900). c   John Damascene (?), De draconibus (PG 94, 1601A–D) recounts this story but rejects it. a  

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Such a person is no worse off for this: if a saint, he or she becomes worthy of an even greater reward, and if a sinner, of forgiveness. 27. Question How are snow and hail formed? Answer Snow: water comes out of the clouds and changes into snow because of the coldness of the air, as it come down to the earth. Hail: hailstones are like the tawse of God’s chastisement, beating down the fruits because of our sins. A drought also: it is a requital for sins.a 28. Question How are springs and thermal sources formed? Answer The whole earth is pierced through with underground channels that resemble veins. Through these it takes in the sea water and then ejects it in springs. The water of each spring has the qualities of the soil: the sea water is sieved and percolated through the earth and so changes into fresh water, but if the place at which the spring emerges happens to be bitter or salty, the water resembles the earth there. Very often the water is compressed and has to break its way through by force, so it becomes hot and the springs that emerge are thermal by nature.b 29. Question What is the cause of the sudden extinction or shifting of the stars? Answer This phenomenon is imaginary and not the extinction of a star. How could a star or the moon ever shift from their proper place, according to the myths concocted by certain people, when God the creator has founded (Ps 8: 4) them? However, there are exhalations from the earth and the smoke of fires which are carried upwards; these collect as they rise and condense. When they approach a star, it is like hay coming near a fire: at once they are set ablaze and reduced to ashes, wherever they happen to be. Some people see this and think it is a star that is racing and moving along. 30. Question What sort of a placec is Paradise?

John Damascene, Dialectica 68 (ed. Kotter 142, 50–52; PG 94, 676). See John Damascene, FO II, 9 (ed. Kotter 23, 42–49; PG 94, 904). c   The manuscript B continues at this point (having broken off above at Question 1), but with the question, ‘Is Paradise sensual or spiritual?’ a  

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Answer Somea have imagined Paradise to have some sensible properties, others only intellectual, but all agree that it is located towards the East (Gen 2: 8). My own theory is that Paradise, the place of enjoyment, must appeal to both the mind and the senses, because human beings have been created with both qualities. Paradise is the most blessed feast, free from all sorrow, that the first-created shut for himself by his disobedience, but that Christ reopened for the thief and for all the just. Nevertheless, it should be recognized that the Kingdom of Heaven is far higher and more worth-while.b The just lodge in Paradise, and enjoy their bliss according to the measure of their virtue. But in the Kingdom of God are the perfect saints, those who have reached angelic standards. The text, ‘where the corpse is, there also are the vultures’ (Mt 24: 28), means that where Christ is, there also are the saints.c 31. Question How are bodies made up? Answer Each body is constituted of the four elements. The bodies of living things are made up of the four humours, but these come from the plants and the plants consist of the four elements. Therefore, when the dissolution of living bodies takes place, they return once more to the elements from which they have been put together. The four elements are earth, dry and cold, water, cold and damp, air, damp and warm, and fire, warm and dry. The body’s elements resemble these: the black bile is like the earth, dry and cold; phlegm, is like water, cold and damp; blood is like air, For all this answer, see John Damascene, FO II, 11 (ed. Kotter 25, 40–87; PG 94, 916–917); also Niketas Stethatos, De paradiso 4 (SC 81, p. 158 and 47). b   In the manuscript B, the previous two sentences, ‘My own theory… more worth-while’, are replaced by, ‘The proof that Paradise is spiritual is given by Paul’s saying that he heard there “words not to be spoken” (2 Cor 12: 4), and by the adorable divinity of God’s Word (we believe that He entered there in company with the Just Thief). The proof that Paradise is sensual is given by the Mosaic book’s true account of Adam, Eve, and the fruits and stream that exist there.’ These lines may be a rewriting of the text in A and S. The remainder of the answer is identical, except that B specifies that the Paradise of the just is the ‘sensual Paradise’ and he replaces the term ‘Kingdom of God’ by ‘the intellectual Paradise’. c   At this point B omits the quotation and adds the note: ‘It is worth noting that thorns were coupled to the rose at a later stage, after the fall, in order to remind us of the disobedience.’ This note is found as a marginal note on a previous page in A and as an addition to the text of S for question 45 (see the note ad locum). a  

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being damp and warm; the yellow bile is like fire, warm and dry. At the moment of death the soul, like a dove flying from a fourcornered house, withdraws from the body’s four elements and these are dissolved, each into what is proper to it, until the general resurrection.a 32. Question? What is a human being? Answer ‘A rational, mortal animal, capable of intellect and knowledge.’ b Because of reason, there is a link to natures that are incorporeal and intelligent: a human can reason, forming concepts and passing judgement on anything, and can pursue all the virtues, embracing even the sum of all virtues, religion. Thus such a being is ‘a universe in miniature’,c sharing in the life of animals not possessing reason: in common with them having what concerns the body – a capacity to nourish oneself, to grow, to produce seed or engender, and possessing to an added degree an appetitive power (that is, desire and the sexual urge), the sensitive faculties and instinctive impulses. The senses are five in number: sight, hearing smell, touch and taste. 33. Question What is a soul? Answer A simple, incorporeal, living substance, invisible to bodily eyes, immortal, rational, intelligent and devoid of shape; it makes use of a body equipped with organs, and supplies this body with the power to live, grow, sense and reproduce; it is selfdetermining, with the power to will and act; its intellect is not something separate from itself, but is the most pure portion of itself (the intellect being to the soul what the eye is to the body); the soul is changeable in that it can want different things, because it is created. All the powers acquired by the soul have come to it through the grace of the God who created it. The soul does not exist prior to the body (contrary to the fables that some have invented), nor is the existence that has been breathed into it by God See John Damascene, FO II, 12 (ed. Kotter 26, 59–70; PG 94, 925); also Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 18 (PG 28, 608C–D). b   For the quotation, see Anastasios of Sinai, Hodegos (CCSG 8, Viae Dux, II, 1, p. 24, 35–36, with a long list of possible sources); however, the whole answer is based on John Damascene, FO II, 12 (ed. Kotter 26, 71–85; PG 94, 925–928). c   Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 28 (ed. J. Barbel, § 22; PG 36, 57A). a  

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a part of the divine substance. However, the soul comes into being in the image of God, and it is superlatively beautiful, even though it obscures the beauty proper to it by the gravity of its sins.a 34. Question Do pleasures belong to the soul or to the body? Answer Some to the soul and some to the body: those of the soul are those that the soul has by itself, for example in learning and speculation; those of the body occur with the combination of soul and body, and hence are called ‘bodily’ (the pleasures of eating, of copulating, and so on). It is impossible to find pleasures that are enjoyed by the body alone. Another point concerning pleasures is that some are natural and necessary, such that it is impossible to live without them, like the foods that satisfy one’s needs or the clothes that are indispensable, while others are natural but not necessary, such as the sexual relations that occur naturally and legally. The latter have a function to play for the continuance of the human, race, but it is possible to live without them in virginity.b 35. Question What is the tripartite division of the soul? Answer The rational, the emotional and the appetitive: the rational in the brain, the emotional in the heart, and the appetitive in the kidneys. When these are wisely controlled, according to nature, all virtues may be acquired. On the contrary, if they function unnaturally, all vices result. 36. Question What are the lungs and the brain? Answer According to medical opinion, the lungs, as they are softish, have been spread out under the heart, so that the latter can jerk against them, as though against a sponge, in comfort and not be harmed by the force of its beating, without coming in contact with the hard barrier of the breastbone: this part was specially constructed by God, who used the bones to form a sort of stone-work. It is in the heart that the emotions are placed, while the rational is in the brain. As the brain is soft by nature, it also is covered over on top by the skull, as if by a shell. The brain becomes a   John Damascene, FO II, 12 (ed. Kotter 26, 44–52, 16–36; PG 94, 924– 925, 920–924), who may have been drawing on Anastasios of Sinai, Hodegos (CCSG 8, Viae Dux, II, 5, p. 53–54). b   John Damascene, FO II, 13 (ed. Kotter 27, 1–13; PG 94, 929–932).

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the cause of all that is good or bad for us, according to whether it knows what it should or what it should not.a 37. Question Is each person’s death fixed by limit [oros]? Answer The limit set for one’s death is the wish of God: it is God who is the Lord of life and death. For some people, he wishes the duration of their lives to be extended; for others he cuts short the temporary sojourn of this life. In each case, He acts either for the good or for the reward of the person But if someone carelessly courts an obvious death, let him blame himself and not God. God knew that somebody going off to war, or recklessly flinging himself into the sea when he should not, or indulging some other caprice, was going to die. But God did not foreordain nor explicitly will that the person should die in such a fashion. God permitted them to die of their own free will before the appropriate term.b 38. Question Is a man saved if he dons the monastic habit at the moment of death? Answer In the case of someone who, while able to do so during life, looked forward with all his heart to the imposition of the holy habit and constantly prayed God that he might be judged worthy of it, but owing to some lifelong engagement was impeded and never attained his wish, then there can be no doubt that he will be received and saved at the moment of his death if he dons the habit, especially as he toiled beforehand, as best as he could, with the talentc entrusted to him. However, in the case of someone who formerly never preoccupied himself about The answer is based on John Chrysostom, Hom. in Hebr. 5, 5 (PG 63, 53B–54B), but with important variations on the Migne text. b   The source for this answer seems to be the Anastasian Questions and Answers (known in Greek as the erotapokriseis), though Theognostos reworked a longer text: cf. Anastasios of Sinai, Questions and Answers, Qu. 16 (CCT 7, p. 78–87). The scribe of manuscript A has added two marginal notes opposite this question: one is a comment on the word πειρασμοί (= ‘temptations’ or ‘trials’): ‘Peirasmoi are temptations for those being tempted; but for those not under temptation, they [as ‘trials’] are a source of crowns and rewards.’ The other reads: ‘One should note that very often because of the sin of one man a city or town may receive a whipping; also that in accordance with what we deserve, such are the requitals that we receive.’ Both these notes also appear in S but added (less appropriately) to Qu. 45; also the text there has the word ‘rulers’ in place of ‘requitals’. c   cf. Mt 25: 15–28. a  

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his soul, and lived prodigally and negligently, or of a person who had no love for the revered habit and on his deathbed did not hasten with affection to don it, or even more in the case of someone who spent his life in evil practices and used to sin without remorse, because he hoped to escape by means of the habit, then I fail to see what good it can do such a person to receive the monastic clothing at that moment: ‘God is not to be fooled’ (Gal 6: 7). However, because of His goodness and love for human beings He seeks any excuse and opportunity serving to their salvation, and so we believe that He will welcome and save, even at the moment of death, someone who with faith and yearning adopts whole-heartedly a change of role and contritely accepts the holy habit. However, should such a person be restored to health and go back upon his acceptance of the habit, or if he conducts himself unworthily of his calling, devoting his thoughts once more simply to worldly things of this earth, then such a renunciation is worthless. Better the vow not made, than the vow professed and not observed! (Eccl 5: 4).a 39. Question If someone gives alms not willingly but forcing oneself, does one have any reward or not? Answer The perfect sacrifice is to offer without any sorrow or compulsion, for ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Cor 9: 7 quoting Prov 22: 8a). However, since we hear the Lord saying, ‘The violent are those to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens, and the violent snatch it away’ (Mt 11: 12),b we trust in his goodness that even in those things where we force ourselves, we shall receive a reward. Indeed, those who practise virginity bring force to bear on their nature; similarly those who undertake ascetic practices for a time, abstaining from wine and meat and other things, and those who shut themselves up and practise solitude, and sleep on the ground, and accept obedience, these force themselves. Surely, all of them

The source for this erotapokrisis has not been identified so far. Clearly, the Lord’s affirmation (The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, Mt 11:12) is paraphrased. a  

b  

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will receive their due reward from the Lord in recompense for the use of violence!a 40. Question What proportion of one’s belongings should one offer to God? Answer (1) The pagans and those without the Law used to offer their own sons and daughters in sacrifice to their gods. What excuses can there be for us, when Christ died on our behalf without claiming any recompense?b Even if we were to offer to God the flesh from our own bodies, we would have done nothing in comparison with the gifts He has bestowed on us. God does not examine what a person gives, but what one keeps stored up: that is why He judges rightly and rewards duly. ‘A sacrifice derived from ill-gotten gains is impure and contaminated’ and ‘To offer a sacrifice from the possessions of the poor is like killing a son before his father’s eyes’ (Sir 34: 18, 20).c (2) Some people wrongly interpret the mammon, by means of which Christ saidd that we should make our friends of the poor, to be wealth acquired by malpractices and extortions. In fact, it is the surplus wealth which remains once our needs have been covered. Someone who neglects to nourish and save a man dying from hunger, want or imprisonment, when he possesses abundant resources to do so, will most surely be justly condemned as a criminal and murderer.e 41. Question What reward will there be for alms given at the moment of death?

See the Ps.-Anastasian erotapokrisis preserved in Collectio b (cf.  CCT 7, p. 21–22); Greek text CCSG 59, p. 191; English translation CCT 7, p. 172. b   A combination (adaptation) of two Pauline texts: 1 Cor 15: 3 and Gal 2 21. c   Sir 34: 21 and 24 in the NETS numbering. This paragraph has been knit together from various sources: (i) Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 55 (CCSG 59, p. 107; CCT 7, p. 169), which found its way into Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 13 (PG 89, 460–461); (ii) Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 90 (PG 28, 653A–B). d   cf. Lk 16: 9–13. e   This second paragraph is taken from Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 83 (CCSG 59, p. 137; CCT 7, p. 200), which found its way into Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Qu. 129 (PG 89, 781) and much expanded in Qu. 12 (PG 89, 445–448). a  

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Answer The inspired Basil uses the term ‘dead sacrifice’ for such alms,a because they are granted by force and against one’s will under the urgent necessity of death. However, the saint adds, ‘If it is the case of someone who during his or her lifetime has been an alms-giver, then even after death the alms will be acceptable to God.’ b Our own opinion is that alms given at that moment have half the value of those made during one’s lifetime, especially if the funds used are from honest sources. Even though they may be made by constraint, under the urgency of death and may not be very praiseworthy, still the person who receives them is greatly helped and prays for the donor. As for the donor, although the person who gives at that moment may have neglected to give anything earlier, perhaps he or she has the chance of dying contritely and of confessing their sins, in a way pleasing to the kind God. 42. Question For the salvation of one’s soul, is it better to spend money on alms to the poor, on a liturgy, or on holy oil?c Answer (1) All three are helpful and aids to salvation. Someone who sows alms should do so, of course, on good soil and not in stony ground full of thorns.d Scripture says, ‘How blest are those who show mercy!’ (Mt 5: 7) and ‘He who is generous to the poor, lends to God’ (Prov 19: 17) and ‘Come, you who have my father’s blessing’ (Mt 25: 34) etc. As Basil the Great expresses it, the person who gives alms to anyone at all resembles a man throwing his own bread to a dog,e whereas someone who gives it to persons really deprived and in need, is like one who gave food to Christf by means of the poor, as befits, I think, any sensible person. Nobody would wish to contradict Christ’s own remark, ‘Give to each and everyone who asks you’ (Mt 5: 42). Nevertheless, cf. Basil of Caesarea, Hom. in div. 9 (PG 31, 304A4–5) but not verbally similar. For this answer, cf. Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant., Qu. 92 (PG 28, 653B– C), a much shorter version with no reference to Basil; this erotapokrisis is unusual in that it does not seem to have an Anastasian parallel. b   This addition is not found in Basil but comes from Ps.-Athanasius, loc. cit. c   The sources for this erotapokrisis have not been identified so far. d   cf. Mt 13: 4–7. e   Basil of Caesarea, Reg. brev. tr. 100–101 (PG 31, 1152–1153); Epist. 150, 3 (PG 32, 605B). f   cf. Mt 25: 37. a  

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those who are devout and virtuous are to be preferred to those who are interested only in the world and in pleasure; similarly, those who are really in want, and perhaps are ashamed to beg, are to be preferred to those who use poverty as a façade for their shameless and continual begging, which has become habitual to them. In this way our money will be spent profitably and not in vain. (2) So far the remarks we have made, basing ourselves on the Scriptures, concerned alms-giving. But the same principle should guide us concerning the sacred liturgy: priests who blamelessly perform the sacred ceremony are to be recognized by their fruits (Mt 7: 16) and used as mediators in the act of reconciliation with the divinity. Suppose that a priest, because of the filthy life he leads, is not strong enough to propitiate God on his own behalf, and is incapable of rendering assistance even to himself, how can such a man act as a mediator and assistant on behalf of the salvation of others? And yet it is true that even in such a case, the sacrifice offered is the revered and all-sacred one, serving for the expiation also of the man who offers it. (3) As for the holy oil, it has been given us from above by James, Apostle of the Lord and brother to God (it was he who distributed by lot among the Apostles all the cities and lands). We have known many persons who were set free, at least as far as external appearances were concerned, from their bodily ailments by the holy oil. Only God, who discerns the hidden things that do not appear externally, can know if the remission of their sins was another consequence (according to the passage which reads, ‘any sins one may have committed,’ referring clearly to the person doing this, ‘will be forgiven that person’ [Jas 5: 14–15]). In these circumstances, as in all others, it is faith which is at work: ‘As you have believed, so let this be done to you’ (Mt 8: 13).a 43. Question There are some who give up sin, often for a long time, and who repent, but later trip up once more and fall. Then a   There is a note added here in B, which is also found in the margin of A: ‘It is this divine James who laid down that the pagans converted to Christ should refrain from blood, from anything that has been strangled, and from fornication’ (Acts 15:29).

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they despair of their salvation, because they think that they have wasted all the effort they put into their repentance.a Answer The effort that someone puts into repentance is not wasted with God, so no one should despair as long as one is still alive, but lift oneself up again by good works and repentance. For just as in the imperial armyb a soldier who stands firm and fights the enemy, both wounding and being wounded, is welcomed by the Emperor rather than the one who flees and throws away his arms, in the same way, God has more affection for the soul who stands firm and does not give in but fights against the demons, than for the one who does not fight, begins to despair of her salvation, and then commits sin without any qualms. Someone who sins rarely has a different condemnation from the person who sins daily; in the same way, the reward of someone who gives alms daily is different from that of a person who does so once a year. Have you fallen into ten-thousand sins? Repent ten-thousand times, so that when death comes, it will find you engaged in repentance.c 44. Question If a hardened sinner repents and solemnly promises God never to sin again, what are we to think of such a person if he or she dies a few days later? Answer The good intention was welcome to God. According to the state in which death found that person, so was the rank later,d viz. among those who were saved by their repentance. To repent and give up sin is humanly possible; to continue in that state is due to God. A person made the undertaking expecting to persevere in the repentance; but God, who foresees how corrupt and unstable we are, and how prone to fall into sin, often acted in this way. When he saw someone converted and repenting, He at once plucked that person out of this life and saved her. God scrutinizes

The ‘question’ is couched as a statement; S scrupulously omits the headings, ‘Question’ and ‘Answer’. b   cf. ch. XV 2 § 13. c   The whole question is lifted from Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, Collectio b (CCSG 59, p. 175; CCT 7, p. 73–74). d   cf. Eccl 11: 3, and ch. XV 1 § 21 above. a  

269

225

Treasury

226

the heart and He foresaw that if the person lived longer in the world, she would soon return once more to her sin.a 45. Question Shall we recognize one another in the future life? Answer It is absolutely certainb that both the sinners and the just will recognize one another, and all of Scripture bears witness to this fact. In addition, St John Chrysostom writes from exile to Bishop Cyriacus as follows: ‘Although in this life it may not be possible to meet’ (and see) ‘one another, in the next life there will be nobody to stop us coming together. Then we shall recognize the persons who have unjustly exiled us, and we shall reproach them, like Abraham with the rich man and the martyrs with their tyrants.’c Not only will it be possible for us to see and recognize our acquaintances there, but we shall be able to search out those whom we have never seen, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the rest. Somebody may say, ‘Although there will be this knowledge, it will be restricted to the just.’ Such an ignoramus should learn that part of the punishment for sinners in the future life will be precisely that they see and are seen, they recognize and are recognized: hence their shame, sorrow and disgrace! St Anastasiosd of Sinai is the only saint who is not willing to admit this knowledge in the future life. All the others are quite agreed that we shall both see and recognize one another. If the proof were not likely to be so long drawn out, we would establish it as a incontestable fact from the evidence of Holy Scriptures. However, in general the opinion

a   Although indebted to the Anastasian tradition (cf. Qu. 11 [CCSG 59, p. 19; CCT 7, p. 73–74]), the text of this erotapokrisis is not found as such in either Anastasios or Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant. (where cf. Q Q 79, 84 and 133 [PG 28, 648A, 649A–B, 681A–B]. b   For this answer, cf. Gregory the Great, Dialogi (PL 77, 374–375 Greek text); Ps.-John Damascene, De his qui in fide dormierunt 29 (PG 95, 276A– 277B). c   John Chrysostom, Epist. 125 (PG 52, 684). d   Although Anastasios of Sinai assumes a lack of knowledge when discussing the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16: 23–28), Qu. 21 (CCSG 59, 38–41; CCT 7, 95– 98), the denial of knowledge in the after-life is stated more clearly in Ps.-Athanasius, Q Q ad Ant, Qu. 22. Unfortunately the debt of the latter to some (lost?) work of Anastasios is not clear.

270

XX, 44–46

and considered decision of the majority is to be preferred as more reliable and convincing than that of a single man.a 46. Question What is the exegesis of the word ‘Alleluia’, and of ‘God, the Lord’ (Ps 117: 27)? Answer (1) ‘Alleluia’ comes from the Hebrew ‘al-el-uia’, which when translated means, ‘The Lord has come and praise him!’ b As for ‘God, the Lord’, it refers to the two comings of Christ: ‘he has appeared among us’, these words refer to the first coming in flesh and blood; ‘blessed is he who comes’, there you have the second, future coming, that of the Judgement, when his arrival will be glorious and awe-inspiring; ‘in the name of the Lord’ (Ps 117: 26–27), in other words, of the God and Father. (2) Please note that there are twenty-two books of the Old Testament each with a letter of the Hebrew language. Now, in the Hebrew alphabet, there are twenty-two letters but five of these are doubled, so that in all there are twenty-seven: the letters used twice are the Kaph, the Mem, the Nun, the Pe and the Sade. As a result of this one may count twenty-two books, but twenty-seven exist because five of them are doubled.c (3) It should be noted that all hymn-singing and all prayer arouse fear and panic among the evil demons, but most especially the Psalter. One of the saints remarked about the Psalter: ‘Better that the sun should be extinguished and fail to appear in the universe, than that the singing of the Psalter should cease.’

a   The manuscript S adds here the note found earlier in both A and B (see Qu. 30 above, note 1), and has another addition found in the margin of an earlier page in A: ‘It is worth noting that very often a city or country comes under the lash because of the sin of one man; also that we receive our rulers [or: ‘our requital’ in A] in accordance with what we have deserved.’ b   In the margin of S appears the note: ‘Alleluia is to be translated “Praise of God”: the “alelu” means “praise” and “ia” means “God”.’ c   cf. John Damascene, FO IV 17 (ed. Kotter, 90, 46–51; PG 94, 1177–1180).

271

227

Treasury

Versesa Abandon all other books, turn your heart here! Draw from this single volume all for your cheer: God-given knowledge, my friend, salvation imparts. On riches that pass in a flood fix not your heart! Look here is the treasury, heaven-filled vision, Wherein your desires will find their fruition, Not sated by worldly and soul-harming pleasures, But nourished in spirit and safe beyond measure. Have you a share in a world swiftly dissolving, In life with its clashing, a turmoil recalling? A book is before you, a treasure disclosing. Take! Open! And search in the light of its shining Revealing our God, the sure goal of our pining, Celestial kingdom all happiness granting, Which few are judged worthy to win by their acting.

a   Fifteen twelve-syllable verses: literally: ‘My friend, abandon the multitude of volumes and books. Enjoy to your heart’s delight an abundant, salvific divine knowledge from this single book, bidding farewell to the rest. Do not set your heart on riches that pass (Ps 61: 11). Look here is a treasury rich with heavenly wealth? If you keep your heart busy here, instead of gaining the whole world (Mk 8: 36) to your soul’s detriment, you will gain your soul’s salvation, free from all penalties. Beloved, what have you in common with a world that passes or with the great confusion and disorder of life? Look! Here is a book that can give you heavenly wealth. Use it to find, by means of the knowledge of God, the salvation that so many long for, the happiness of the heavenly kingdom, which so few become worthy to enter by the order of their lives.’ Three manuscripts (A K and S), but not B, give these verses; however, the manuscript A indicates a division into two sets of verses, with a break after verse 4.

272

Indices

Index of Scriptural References

Genesis 1: 1 1: 8 1: 9 1: 10 1: 14–19 1: 26 1: 28 2: 8 2: 20–21 3: 5 3: 7 3: 16–19 3: 18 4: 25 5: 5 5: 3–8 5: 21–24 6: 4–14 6: 8 7: 23 9: 13 11: 4–8 11: 27 14: 7 14: 18 16: 15–16 17: 10–12

17: 12 18: 20–33 19: 1–3 21: 3 25: 26 39: 7 49: 10

35, 253 253 258 258 254 35, 78, 103, 187 36 261 36 37 36 36 38 37 36 37 37 160 38 160 38 38 38 38 38 95 111

Exodus 1 2: 12 3: 1 3: 2 12: 24 14 16 16: 4 16: 13 17 17: 6 23: 12 24: 18 32 33: 11 34: 28

275

111 161 137 39 39 55 79

39 237 110 237 136 39 39 39 39 39 39 109 110 40 39 110

Index of Scriptural References

Leviticus 12. 3 17: 11–14

111 240

Numbers 1: 45 2: 32 11: 1 14: 29 14: 32 15: 32–36 16: 30 22: 4 23–24 26: 2

40 40 44 40 40 48 40 40 51 40

Deuteronomy 8: 4 8: 14 14: 22–29 29: 5 32: 7 32: 39 34: 1–5

40 190 138 40 205 84 40

Joshua 1: 1 1: 2 3: 10 5: 2 5: 6–7 5: 13–15 6 7: 1 7: 7–8 9: 3–27 10: 11 10: 12–14 14: 1–5

41 43 41 112 111 42 41 41 42 43 41 42 43

Judges 1: 2 1: 7

43 43

276

3: 9–10 3: 15 4: 6 4: 21 6: 11 7: 25 8: 16 8: 21 9 10: 1 11: 1 12; 8 12: 11 12: 13 13–16 16: 17–22 16: 29–30 17: 6 19–20

43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 47 47

1 Kings 1: 3 2: 1–18 2: 6 2: 12–17 2: 22 4: 11 7–8 8: 7 9–10 13: 13–14 15 16: 14 16: 23 17 18: 7 19: 2 21 21: 2–7 21: 12 22: 18 22: 18–20 22: 20

47 37 84 47 47 47 48 48 49 49 49 49 49 49 50 45 50 222 50 50 50 50

Index of Scriptural References

24: 10–16 26: 18–20 28: 7 29: 5

50 50 51 50

2 Kings 2: 4 3: 1 8: 15 11–12 11: 21 12: 7–10 12: 11 12: 13 12: 14 12: 18 12: 24 15–18 16: 11 23: 8–17 23: 24–39 24: 2–8 24: 9 24: 10–17 24: 17

52 50 52 54 43 57 54 54 54 54 57 53 54, 244 52 52 52 52 53 53

3 Kings 2: 10 2: 11 2: 35a–k 2: 46 3: 12 5: 2 5: 9–11 8: 6 9: 1–9 10: 1–2 10: 18–22 10: 23–25 11: 1 11: 4–8 11: 8–11 11: 14

58 58 59 61 62 61 62 60 60 63 61 62 64 64 64 64

277

11: 29–33 11: 42–43 12: 20 17 19: 2 19: 8–12

65 64 65 42 45 110

4 Kings 2: 1–18 2: 23–24 5: 7 15 16 16: 20 18: 13 19: 1 19: 34–35 19: 36–37 20: 1–3 20: 4–6 21: 1–17 21: 19 22–24

37 152 84 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 67 67 68 70 70

1 Chronicles 11: 9 12: 15 21: 5 22 22: 7–10 22: 13–14 22: 16 23: 1 28: 9

52 52 52 57 57 57 57 58 57

2 Chronicles 2: 1 2: 17 5 7: 1 7: 2–10 7: 11–22 9

59 59 60 60 60 60 63

Index of Scriptural References

26 29–30 33: 1–20 33: 21 34–35 36: 9–10 Tobit 4: 11 12: 9 14: 4

76: 5 76: 11 82: 12 83: 11 87: 5 88: 23 91: 13 94: 2 96: 2 98: 4 101: 4 101: 27 102: 15–16 104: 37 106: 3 106: 20 113: 24 115: 6 117: 18 117: 26–27 117: 27 118: 71 119: 5 129: 3 141: 8 144: 14 145: 4 145: 8

66 62 68 70 70 70

222 70 79

Job 1: 21 3: 23 10: 20–22 15: 25 26: 7 Psalms 2: 11 5: 7 6: 5 8: 4 8: 9 10: 7 11: 9 17: 11 17: 43 18: 7 24: 18 32: 6 34: 14 35: 10 40: 10 41: 2 46: 8 50: 9 50: 19 54: 7 57: 4 61: 11 67: 1

177, 247 142 190 36 254

200 155 162 257, 260 253 100, 157 93 193 77 257 175 75 200 102 87 151 177 197 222 151 172 242, 272 220

Odes: Prayer of Manasses Proverbs 3: 12 3: 15 3: 28 6: 25 9: 1 9: 18a 10: 12 13: 8 15: 27a 15: 29b 18: 2

278

195 197 43 151 108 187 193 151 243 242, 243 188 253 190 40 193 75 253 108 57 271 271 148 151 179 151 160 171 160 68

147, 149 81 93, 152 45 123 45, 233 174 69 69, 222 178 81

Index of Scriptural References

19: 14 19: 17 20: 2 21: 1 22: 8a 26: 11 Ecclesiastes 2: 10 2: 11 2: 17 5: 4 7: 26 11: 3 Wisdom 3: 6 6: 6 Sirach 1: 9–10 4: 25 5: 12 6: 6 6: 34 6: 36 9: 8 9: 13 11: 28 14: 20 16: 3 21: 2 22: 11 34: 18 34: 20 47: 14–20 Isaiah 6: 1 6: 2–3 6: 3 6: 6 7: 14

9: 6 11: 2 11: 9 14: 12–14 40: 5 43: 26 52: 10

185 267 242 241 265 178

Jeremiah 2: 30 7: 4 42 (35): 6–7

64 64 64 265 64 269

Baruch 3: 36, 38

96 243

81 81 81 241 81 81 179, 197 93 92 81 42 54 142 266 266 63

279

148 60 40

79

Ezekiel 18: 30 31: 3 33: 9 33: 11

157, 174 242 174 152

Daniel 3 3: 29–30 4: 24 [27] 7: 9–10 7: 13 7: 13–14 9: 27 10: 2–3

150 96 69 74 113 74 167, 168 110, 136

Jonah 3: 10

69

Micah 7: 9

147

Malachi 3: 20 (4: 2)

66 78 214, 252 227 79

79 182 84 36 227 176 227

72, 97, 251

Index of Scriptural References

Matthew 1: 23 2: 1–19 2: 9 3: 8 3: 17 5: 1–12 5: 3 5: 7 5: 13 5: 17 5: 42 6: 9 6: 10 6: 14 6: 29 7: 13 7: 14 7: 16 8: 3 8: 11 8: 12 8: 13 8: 29 9: 13 9: 15 9: 20 10: 22 10: 28 10: 33 10: 38 11: 12 11: 28 12: 11 12: 13 12: 36 12: 42 13: 4–7 13: 25 13: 29 13: 40 13: 43 13: 49

14: 1–12 14: 3–11 15: 18–19 16: 16 16: 17 16: 18 17: 5 18: 6 18: 18 18: 22 19: 23 20: 1–16 22: 13 23: 23 23: 24 24: 12 24: 15 24: 24 24: 28 24: 30 24: 39 24: 42 25: 10 25: 14–30 25: 15–28 25: 30 25: 31 25: 34 25: 37 25: 39–40 25: 41 26 26: 24 26: 26 26: 26–28 26: 39 26: 64 27: 25 27: 45–53 28: 4 28: 19 28: 20

79 90 72 95 72 200 200 70, 175, 267 197 111 267 253 253 247 61 98, 180 212 268 73 193 188, 191 268 72 157 136 223 201 141 89 150 159, 265 160 111 111 183 63 267 85, 95 192 112 191 112

280

45 90 183 73 73 77 72 197 173, 196 157, 178 180, 243 158 191 110 110, 113 187 167, 168 113 261 113 160 92 170, 188, 194 187 264 191 114 267 267 137 165, 169, 192 249 164 105 105 249 113 79 76 76 76, 102 112

Index of Scriptural References

Mark 2: 17 3: 5 3: 28–29 4: 39 5: 7 5: 13 6: 17–28 8: 36 10: 18 13: 13 14: 36 15: 42 16: 6 16: 17 16: 19 16: 20 Luke 1: 28 1: 34–35 1: 35 1: 38 1: 41 1: 44 2: 11 2: 14 2: 21 2: 29 2: 30 3: 21–22 5: 20 5: 23 5: 32 11: 31 12: 27 12: 35–38 14: 4 14: 11 15: 7 15: 10 15: 18 15: 21

16: 9–13 16: 19–21 16: 19–31 16: 23–28 16: 25 17: 27 18: 14 18: 19 19: 10 19: 41 22: 40 23: 39–43 23: 43 23: 44–46 23: 54 24: 23 24: 26

157 111 192, 193 73 156 197 90 272 169 201 151 136 107 94 104 76

John 1: 1–2 1: 3 1: 11 1: 14 1: 29 1: 34 3: 5 3: 13 3: 17 3: 18 3: 36 4: 42 5: 14 5: 17 5: 18 5: 22a 5: 23a 5: 23b 5: 28–29 5: 39 6: 35 6: 41 8: 42 8: 44

116 105 116 116 72 72 73 72 112 151 227 112 73 73 157 63 61 243 111 180 152 152 158 158

281

266 149 190 270 243 160 180 169 74 136 93 158 76 76 136 76 82

73, 102 94, 101 75 73 103, 131 73 104, 172 75 74 75 75 73 146 249 75 74 74 74 74 81 105 105 73 84, 186, 192

Index of Scriptural References

9: 4 9: 13 9: 35 10: 1 10: 18 10: 28 10: 30 11: 25 11: 43 12: 16 12: 36 13: 3 13: 18 13: 27 14: 10 16: 33 17: 3 17: 5 18: 37 19: 37 20: 12 20: 19 20: 23 20: 26 20: 28

20: 27 20: 29 21: 13 26: 14

162 111 73 164, 191, 192, 196 75 75 73 143 73 151 189 73 87 223 73 56 73 151 75 120 76 116 196 116 73

Acts of the Apostles 2: 5–11 3: 6 3: 15 5: 1–5 5: 1–11 5: 15 5: 30 8: 20–24 9: 40 10: 2 10: 39 11: 26 12: 23 15: 29 19: 12 20: 26

61 76 75 100 48 76 75, 82 132 76 177 75, 82 94 90 268 76 187

282

187 85 166 192

Romans 1: 26 1: 27 2: 5–6 2: 6 3: 19 3: 23 3: 23–24 3: 24 6: 11 8: 6–7 8: 17 8: 27 8: 38–39 9: 21 10: 21 12: 15 13: 10 13: 12 14: 8 15: 1

37 39, 96 74 37, 114, 250 176 169 179 179 108 180 56, 106 81 149 77 157 143 130 189, 236 108 238

1 Corinthians 1: 18 1: 23 1: 24 2: 8 3: 12–15 3: 19 6: 9 6: 18 9: 27 11: 1 11: 23 11: 23–24 11: 25–26 11: 27–29 11: 30

117 107 101, 102, 116 82, 94, 136 154 81 177 235 180 150 105 105 105 221 146

Index of Scriptural References

11: 31 11: 32 11: 43 14: 25 15: 3 15: 20 15: 31 15: 41 15: 55–56 2 Corinthians 2: 11 4: 2 4: 4 5: 18 6: 2 7: 10 9: 7 12: 2 12: 4

164 152, 176 77 199 153 146 265 253 261

Galatians 2: 16 2: 21 3: 27 5: 3 6: 7

179 179, 266 55 111 70, 265

Ephesians 5: 15 5: 16 5: 18 5: 32 6: 11 Philippians 1: 23 2: 1 2: 6 Colossians 1: 15

2: 14 4: 5

95, 146 147, 149 73 201 179, 266 104 150 252 177

187 162 196 94 165

150 152 73

102

283

175 162

1 Thessalonians 4: 13 4: 17 5: 6

142 193 93

2 Thessalonians 2: 3 2: 4 2: 8 [3] 2: 8–9 2: 9 2: 10–11

112 112 113 113 113 112

1 Timothy 1: 9 2: 4 3: 2–3 3: 16 4: 13 5: 22 6: 7 6: 16

110 75, 81, 249 227 117 81 133 190 102

2 Timothy 3: 12 3: 16 4: 1 4: 7 4: 7–8 4: 14

108, 149 109, 182 100 150 161 74

Titus 1: 8–9 2: 12

227 190

Hebrews 1: 2 1: 2–3 3: 17 4: 13

82, 104, 112, 129 75 40 243

Index of Scriptural References

4: 15 5: 2 7: 3 7: 19 9: 7 10: 26 10: 31 11: 38 12. 6 12: 6–8 12: 14 12: 28 13: 4 James 1: 18 1: 22–23 2: 18 2: 26 5: 17 5: 20 5: 14–15 5: 16 5: 17

151, 178, 250 178 94 111 239 75 70 90, 149 147, 149 148 200, 245 200 56, 185

116 194 143 96 42 174 268 239 42

1 Peter 1: 19 3: 20 4: 1 4: 8 4: 10 5: 6

85 160 75, 250 174 243 147

2 Peter 2: 14

113

1 John 5: 16 5: 19 5: 20

221 149 73

Revelation/Apocalypse 7: 3 12: 9 21: 1

284

106 167, 168 253

Index of non-Biblical Sources

Agrapha

Andrew of Crete Canon magnus

153, 187

Amphilochius of Iconium Opera 46, 154, 158, 161 Ps.-Amphilochius of Iconium Opera 158, 165, 175, 180,  182, 194, 198–199 Anastasios of Antioch Ad Sergium 223, 226 Compendiaria explicatio 248–249

161

Antiochus the Monk Homilies

92

Antonios Melissa Loci communes

45

Apocrypha Martyrium Isaiae

69

Apophthegmata Patrum Agathon 208 Anthony 204, 205, 212 Bessarion 208 Elias 204 Gregory of Nazianzus 203 Isidore 218 John Kolobos 207, 218 Joseph of the Thebaid 205 Karion 209 Longinus 206, 218 Macarius (Makarios) 89, 216 Mateos 207 Milesios 100 Poimen 207, 209, 210, 217 Rufus 205 Sarmatas 207 Sisoes 150, 208, 212, 216, 218 Zacharias 216 Collectio anonyma cf. Nau

Anastasios of Sinai Disputatio adversus Iudaeos 110 Epitome 128 Hodegos 248, 262, 263 Homilia de sacra synaxi 224 Narrationes 173, 214, 219, 221,  224, 225, 226 Quaestiones 55. 91, 95, 135, 146,  172, 231, 235, 264, 266, 270 Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai Homilia in Psalmum VI 68, 69 Narrationes 224, 225 Quaestiones 45, 55, 62, 91, 135, 146,  162, 172, 233, 234, 235,  237, 238, 240, 266, 269 Quaestio de eucharistia 219, 221,

285

Index of non-Biblical Sources

Nicaea II: Canons 12, 18, 19, 20  Synod of Gangra: Canon 19 Synod of Neocaesarea: Canon 11

Apophthegmata Armenorum216 Athanasius De virginitate

212

Ps.-Athanasius Quaestiones ad Antiochum 35, 36,  55. 95, 96, 110, 111, 146,  172, 231, 232, 235, 252,  253, 254, 262, 266, 267, 270 Syntagma ad monachos 137 Basil of Caesarea De legendis libris  55 De Spiritu sancto 96, 107 Homilia de fide 78, 101 Homilia in divites 267 Holmilia in Hexaemeron 255 Homiliae in Psalmos 233, 234 Homilia in sanctam Christi gen. 78 Regulae 238, 267 Callinicus Vita Hypatii Cedrenus Chronicon

Clement of Alexandria Protrepticus

Constitutiones Apostolorum  96, 109, 132, 133, 135,  136, 196, 197, 202, 238, 250 Councils: Canons Chalcedon: Canon 2 Constantinople I (381) Constantinople (861): Canons 1, 2, 3 Holy Apostles: Canons 1, 3, 4, 10, 29, 64, 69 In Trullo: Canons 14, 47 Canon 82

Cyril of Jerusalem Mystical Catechetics

225

Diadochos of Photike Chapters

237

Ps.-Dionysius Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

252

Ps.-Ephraem Adversus improbas mulieres

56

132 250

133 127 240

Ephraem the Syrian lost work? Quod non oporteat ridere

244, 245

135

Cyril of Alexandria Epistulae lost work

Dorotheos Doctrinae

165

133, 134, 140

138, 210 212 217 45

Epigrammata Anthologia Palatina

217

Epiphanius Panarion

150

Evagrius Ponticus Capita practica

140

George the Monk Chronicon 36, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43,  47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55,  57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64,  67, 69, 70, 71, 82, 89, 131, 244

133, 134 132–135 133, 134 130–131

286

Index of non-Biblical Sources

Gerontikon Gregory I the Great Dialogues

John Climacus Scala Paradisi 54, 69, 70, 80, 91,  93, 121, 162, 165, 177,  228–229, 234, 235, 237, 239

203 91, 270

John of Damascus Contra imag. Calumniators 118 De draconibus 259 De fide orthodoxa [FO]  35, 36,  38, 79, 80, 96, 102, 103,  104, 105, 106, 107, 108,  109, 110, 111, 112, 113,  116, 117, 249, 250–263 Laudatio S. Barbarae 78

Gregory of Nazianzus cf. Apophthegmata Patrum Epistula 101 115 Carmina moralia 141, 175, 193, 203–204 Sermons (Orationes) 74, 89, 141,  183, 237, 262 Gregory of Nyssa De tridui spatio Epistula ad Letoium: Canon 5

138 135

Historia monachorum

137

Ignatius of Antioch Epistula ad Romanos

150

Ps.-John of Damascus De his qui in fide dormierunt 89, 240 John of Karpathos Capita hortatoria

150

Isaac the Syrian Opera 140, 206, 210, 215, 217, 228

John Moschus Spiritual Meadow 67, 97, 118, 119,  120, 133, 211, 213, 215

Isaias, Abbas Sermons

John of Oxeia Florilegia on the Eucharist

206, 207

226

Isidore of Pelousion Epistularium 36, 138, 220, 223, 234

Josephus Antiquitates Iudaicae

John Chrysostom Ad Stagyrium 42 Adv. oppugnatores 47 De sacerdotio 219, 226 Epistulae 270 Expos. in Psalmos 48, 233, 234, 239 Homiliae ad populum 244 Homiliae in Hebraeos 219, 264 Homiliae in Ioannem 226, 238 Homiliae in 1 Thes. 226 Liturgy 210, 214, 219, 227, 252

Letter of the Three Patriarchs 117, 119

Ps.-John Chrysostom Fragmenta

58, 59, 62

Lives cf. Anthimos, Demetrius, Sylvester Vita S. Pachomii 138 Macarius of Egypt De sorte animarum

169, 171

Maximus Capita de caritate 46, 215 Quaestiones et dubia 232 Quaestiones ad Thalassium 239

45

287

Index of non-Biblical Sources

Ps.-Maximus Loci communes

Secundus Sententiae

45

Michael Glykas Annales Quaestiones

61, 245 111

Narrationes De non desperando

154

Nikephoros of Constantinople Chronographicum syntomon 37, 71, 81 Niketas Stethatos De paradiso

261

Nilus of Ancyra Letters

218

Patria

174

Rufinus Vitae Patrum

211

241

Skylitzes Synopsis historiarum

245

Skylitzes continuatus

245

Sozomenus Ecclesiastical History

244

Theodoretus Ecclesiastical History In I Reg. In II Reg. In III Reg. Theognostos Kephalaia neptika

Paul of Evergetis Synagoge 206, 207, 212, 223 Regestes Patr. Const. (cf. Grumel)

Sextus Sentences

Synaxarion

61

45, 93, 254

99, 100, 198 88, 100 49 53, 57 59, 62 220, 227

Vitae, cf. Lives Zonaras Epitome

288

244

General Index

aeon, 163, 176, 251 after-life, 56, 73, 75, 76, 106, 107, 108, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 154, 164, 169–172, 181, 183, 185, 188, 189, 190, 191, 200, 228, 251, 270–271; cf. heaven; hell; Judgement; next world Agag, 49, 50 agape, 174, 218 Agathon, Abba, 208 Agathon, Pope, 129 Ailom, 44 air, 101, 183, 193, 228, 253, 254, 256, 259, 260, 261 Akropolites, 86 Alexander III, King of Macedonia, 55, 243 Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria, 123 Alexandria, 85, 120, 123, 125, 128, 225; cf. Alexander; Apollinarius; Clement; Cyril; Cyrus; Dioscorus; Politian; Timothy Alexios V, 15, 86 Alleluia, 252, 271 Allen, P., 129, 130 Almighty, 52, 73, 82–84

Aaron, 239 Abaisan, 43 Abalantes, cf. Leo Abel, 37 Abessalom, 53 Abgar, 117 Abia, 48 Abiathar, 50, 222 Abimelech, 43 Abkhazia (Lazica), 129 Abraam, 111 Abraham, 38, 39, 52, 95, 148, 149, 193, 270, 234 Abraham (‘second’), 92 Abraham (monk), 208 accidie, 211 Achan, cf. Achar Achar, 41, 42 Achaz, 66 Achias (Ahijah), 64 Actor, punished, 119–120 Acta S. Silvestri, 11; cf. Saint Sylvester Acts of the Apostles, cf. Apostles, writings; Index of Scriptural References Adam, 36, 37, 44, 104, 114, 232, 261 adoration, 101, 104, 114, 117, 181, 229 adultery, 54, 57, 156, 176, 177, 179

289

General Index

Angelos dynasty, 86 angels, 35, 37, 39, 53, 56, 66, 67, 72, 73, 76, 78, 90, 91, 107, 114, 116, 137, 138, 140, 165, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 175, 184, 185, 187, 188, 189, 192, 194, 210, 214, 215, 219, 221, 224, 225, 229, 240, 246, 251–252, 259, 261; cf. Archangels; Cherubim; Cherubic hymn; Dominations; guardian angels; Powers; Principalities; Seraphim; Thrones; Virtues anger, 50, 177, 195, 206, 208, 222, 242, 244; of God, 38, 42, 48, 49, 67,73, 158, 160, 163, 164, 259 Angold, Michael, 15, 86 animals, 38, 39, 45, 50, 200, 236, 262; cf. bees; birds; bull; camel; dog; donkey; dragon, fish; gazelles; horse; lion; mule; pig; scorpion; sheep; snake; stags Anthimos, St, 108 Anthologia Palatina, 33, 217 Anthony, Abba, 204, 212 Antichrist, 112–113 Antioch, 88, 125, 244; cf. Anastasios; Basil; Domnus; Eustathius; Flavian; John; Makarius; Maximus; Meletius; Theodoret; Theophanes Antioch in Pisidia, cf. Basil Antiochus, King, 58 Antiochus, monk, 92 Antonios Melissa, 10 Aod (LXX: Ehud Hebrew) 43 apatheia, 54, 166 Aphrodite, 253, 254, 257 apokrisiarios, 128 Apokavkos, Alexios, 13–14 Apokavkos, Manuel Doukas, 13–14 Apollinarians, 125 Apollinarius (heretic), 125

alms, 69, 70, 140, 154, 173, 174, 175, 222, 241, 247, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269; cf. eleimosyne Amalek, 50 Amalekites, 49 Ambrose, St, 244 Ammonites, 44, 63 Amon, 70 Amorites, 41, 64 Amoz, 66 Amphilochius of Ikonion, 46, 161; sermons, 12, 154, 158, 175, 179, 180, 182, 194, 198, 199 Ps.-Amphilochius, 10, 12, 20, 158, 165, 175, 180 Ananias, 48, 100 Anastasios I, Emperor, 67–68 Anastasios of Antioch, 223, 226, 248 Anastasios of Sinai, St (Anastasios the Monk), 11, 55, 68, 69, 91, 95, 110, 121, 128, 146, 152, 172, 173, 214, 219, 221, 222, 224, 225, 231, 232, 234, 235, 248, 262, 263, 264, 266, 269, 270; cf. Index of NonBiblical Sources Ps.-Anastasios of Sinai, 45, 55, 62, 91, 135, 146, 162, 172, 219, 224, 225, 226, 266, 270 anathemas, 124, 125, 128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135; cf. Apollinarios; Arius; Basil; Cyrus; Didymus; Evagrius; Eutyches; Honorius; Ibas; Makarius of Antioch; Macedonius; Nestorius; Origen; Paul and Peter of Constantinople; Polychronius; Pyrrhus; Sabellios; Sergius; Sisinius; Stephen; Theodosius of Ephesus; Theodoretus; Theodore of Mopsuestia; Theodore of Pharas Anatolius of Constantinople, 127 Andrew of Crete, 161 Andronicus, St, 108

290

General Index

Athens, 15 Athos, 9, 12, 13, 19, 24, 33, 72; cf. Iviron; Kavsokalyvion Attaleia, 108 Atzypotheodoros, 246 August, 258 Augustus Caesar, 71 avarice, 196, 207, 232 Azariah, cf. Ozias

Apollinarius, Patriarch of Alexandria, 128 Apollo, 88 apophthegmata patrum, 12, 100, 153, 203–210, 212, 216–218 Apostle, cf. Paul Apostles, 92, 96, 99, 100, 105, 133, 138, 139, 157, 178, 268; writings, 72, 95, 236, 237; cf. Constitutions apparition, 214; cf. visions April, 86, 258 Aquarius, 258 Arabs, 11, 95, 121; cf. Hagarenes Arcadius, bishop of Cyprus, 224 Arcadius, Emperor, 125, 224 Archangels, 35, 114, 115, 226, 252 Archdeacon, cf. Athanasius Archivio di S. Pietro C 149, manuscript (P), 171, 174, 208, 222, 224, 228, 230, 239 archon, 224 Ares, 253, 257 Arians, 125 Aries, 258 Arius, 123–124, 193, 225 Ark (Noah’s), 38, 160 Ark (of the Covenant) 48, 59 Armenia, 66, 221 army, 39, 52, 66, 161, 269 Arselaos, 121; cf. George Ascension, 76, 81, 107, 250 asceticism, 92, 100, 118, 218, 232, 265; cf. fasting; food; vigils Assyrians, 55, 66 Astarte (Ashtoreth), 64 astrology, 255 Athanasius, St, 36, 124, 137, 183, 212, 232 Ps.-Athanasius (Q Q. Ad Ant.) 11, 35, 36, 55, 95, 96, 109, 110, 111, 146, 152, 172, 231, 232, 235, 252, 253, 254, 262, 266, 267, 270

Babylon, 68, 70, 149 Balaam, 51 bankers, 187 baptism, 90, 92, 102, 104, 109, 111, 112, 139, 143, 152, 161, 172, 173, 177, 196, 203, 209 Baptist, cf. John Barak, 43 barbarians, 121 Barlaam (friend of Theognostos) 12 Barlaam hieromonachos scribe, 202 Barnes, T.D., 81 Baruch, 79 Basil II, Bulgaroktonos, 245 Basil of Antioch in Pisidia, 132 Basil of Caesarea, St, 11, 55, 78, 96, 101, 107, 233, 234, 238, 244, 255, 267 Bathsheba, 57 Batiffol, P., 137 bees, 210, 230, 233 Bekker, I., 244, 245 Benaki manuscript (B), 13, 14, 15, 16, 71, 75, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95, 98, 105, 109, 113, 115, 123, 126, 138, 140, 163, 179, 184, 187, 203, 215, 216, 230, 231, 239, 240, 241, 260, 261, 271, 272 Benjamin, 47, 49, 53, 65 Bessarion, 208 Bethlehem, 52, 71, 222

291

General Index

Bulgaroktonos, 245 bull, wonder of the, 83–85, 98

Bible, 13, 80, 236; cf. Apostles; Law; Prophets; Psalms; Psalterion; Scriptures Biblical names, 16 Biblical summary, 10, 11, 15, 72 Biblical texts, 50, 51, 142 Binggeli, André, 121, 173, 214, 219, 221, 224, 225, 226 birds, 61, 200, 253 birth of Christ, 10, 15, 16, 71, 115–116, 125, 256 bishops, 88, 132–135, 199; cf. Arcadius; Cyriacus; Ikonion; Rome; Tours bissextile (leap-year), cf. year Bithynia, 131 Blachernai church, 70 Black Sea, 129 blasphemy, 119, 120, 176, 191, 193, 197 blood, 50, 52, 57, 79, 83, 85, 105, 106, 116, 157, 169, 171, 179, 184, 187, 206, 221, 222, 223, 224, 235, 239, 240, 242, 254, 256, 261, 271 body, 55, 63, 89, 91, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 111, 116, 120, 121, 125, 141, 170, 171, 173, 176, 177, 179, 180, 182, 187, 188, 191, 192, 195, 201, 204, 210, 215, 221, 222, 228, 232, 235, 236, 237, 239, 248, 254, 255, 261–262, 263; as garment (tunic) 144, 161; as prison, 150; cf. incorruptibility; pleasure brain, 263 bread, 136, 200, 211, 222, 267; blessed, 213; eucharist, 105–106, 223 brethren, 119, 134, 137, 143, 153, 154, 155–158, 161, 166, 176, 180, 183, 185, 188, 190, 191, 196, 199, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 217, 218 Brightman, E., 210, 214, 219, 227, 252 bugle, 215

Cain, 37 Calendar, 124, 255 camel, 110, 205 camelafchion, 216 Cameron, Averil, 117 Canaanites, 41, 42 Cancer, 258 Canons, 132–135 canon law, 10, 12, 126; cf. Canons cantor(s), 135 Capricorn, 258 Caspian sea, 259 Catholic/catholic, 170 Celestine, Pope of Rome, 126 Chadwick, H., 241 Chalcedon, Council, 67, 126–127 Chaldeans, 38 Chamos (Kemosh), 64 Charles, R.H., 69 chastity, 148, 227, 228, 231, 232, 237, 262; cf. continence Cheese-fare Week, 139 Cherubic hymn, 227 Cherubim, 35, 60, 239, 252; cf. angels children, 36, 38, 40, 45, 46, 48, 56, 60, 76, 79, 90, 106, 152, 170, 173, 184, 210, 238, 245, 266; death of children, 148, 172 Choniates, 86 Christ, cf. Jesus Christ Christian(s), 10, 45, 56, 79, 82, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90, 92, 94, 95, 96, 99, 110, 117, 132, 141, 143, 144, 150, 161, 171, 173, 186, 194, 196, 219, 220, 221, 226, 229 chronology, 14–15, 38, 71, 81, 86, 88, 98, 139, 202; cf. calendar; days in tomb; hours; year Chrysostom, cf. John Chrysostom

292

General Index

Metrophanes; Nectarius; Nestorius; Nikephoros; Patria; Paul; Peter; Pyrrhus; Sergios; Tarasius Constantius II, 85, 87 Constitutions of the Apostles: cf. Index of Non-Biblical Sources, s.v. Constitutiones contrition, 68, 69, 166, 178, 179, 197, 222 continence, 185, 186, 244, 245, 246 conversion, 147, 152, 155, 165, 166, 176, 192, 193, 239, 268, 269 “Copronymus”, cf. Constantine V corruption of body, cf. incorruptibility Corsica, 99 Councils, 10, 12, 95, 123–132, 248; cf. Chalcedon; Constantinople; Ephesus; Hieria; Nicaea; ‘Robber’; Trullo Covenant, 59, 105 creation/Creator, 36, 37, 60, 63, 71, 72, 78, 103, 104, 158, 200, 250, 251, 254, 255, 257, 260 Creed, 72, 124, 225, 248, 250 Crete, cf. Andrew crime, 46, 48, 50, 53, 54, 69, 70, 79, 113, 136, 175, 176, 234, 240, 247 Croke, B., 137 Cross/cross/crucifixion, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 103, 106–107, 113, 118, 132, 136, 137, 138, 150, 151, 157, 208, 220, 225, 229, 249 Cumans, 95 cup, of communion, 105; of death, 145; 151; 170; 189; 249; custom(s), 48, 84, 88, 96, 99, 109, 118, 124, 125, 137, 147, 167, 170, 228, 234, 235, 246, 251; cf. services custom-houses, 171; cf after-life Cyriacus, bishop, 270

Ps.-Chrysostom, 45, 238; cf. John Chrysostom Church, 10, 68, 72, 77, 89, 102, 113, 124, 125, 126, 130, 132, 135, 164, 165, 170, 197, 226, 253 church (building), 85, 88, 107, 124, 132, 133, 140, 154, 155, 156, 159, 163, 164, 165, 171, 197, 201, 220, 224, 226, 235, 238, 259; cf. Blachernai; Hagia Sophia Cilicia, 213 circumcision, 106, 111–112 Clement of Alexandria, 56 Climacus, cf. John Climacus clouds, 36, 38, 60, 113, 190, 193, 199, 242, 255, 259–260 Clugnet, L., 211 coals, 158, 222, 227; story of, 211 Combefis, F., 82, 154, 165, 194, 198, 199 comets, 256 communion, 13, 106, 218–223, 224, 225; cf. cup; Eucharist compunction, 204, 207 confession (sacramental) 69, 151, 152, 154, 160, 169, 175, 176, 196, 223, 238; non-sacramental, 237; cf. exomologesis Constans I, 85 Constantia, 174 Constantine the Great, St, 81, 82, 83–85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 123, 128, 174, 225, 226, 243, 244 Constantine II, 85 Constantine IV, 128–129 Constantine V “Copronymus” 131 Constantine VI, 131 Constantine X Doukas, 245 Constantinople, 10, 14, 15, 61, 67, 70, 86, 88, 95, 120, 124, 125, 128, 129, 174, 228, 245, 250, 258; cf. Alexander; Anatolius; Eutychius; Flavian; George; Macedonius;

293

General Index

devil, 36, 45, 47, 51, 69, 80, 84, 87, 91, 92, 99, 106, 108, 113, 118, 119, 120, 154, 156, 157, 159, 162, 163, 164, 174, 177, 178, 182, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 200, 201, 204, 206, 208, 210, 214, 215, 218, 220, 223, 224, 225, 233, 237; devil’s repentance, 165–169; cf. demon; dragon; Enemy; Evil One; Murderer; Primal Evil; Satan diatribe against women, cf. women Didymus, 128 Diocletian, 90 Dionysius, 252 Dioscorus, Patriarch of Alexandria, 125, 127 discernment, 52, 57, 62, 165, 166, 268 disobedience, 36, 97, 134, 142, 261; cf obedience divinity, 35, 73, 75, 76, 82, 84–85, 103, 206, 114, 115, 116, 125, 127, 159, 202, 248, 249, 250, 251, 261, 268 doctor, 77, 148, 161, 238, 245; cf. illness; medicine Doek the Syrian, 50 dog, 119, 185, 192, 267 Dominations, 35, 252 Domnus of Antioch, 128 donkey, 50, 164, 185 Dorotheos of Gaza, Abba, 16, 138–140, 210 Doukas, cf. Apokavkos Doulas (monk), 208 dragon, 45, 157, 165, 186, 192, 259 dreams, 87, 91–92, 152 drink/drunkenness, 60, 146, 159,184, 163, 177, 178, 179, 184, 196, 211, 218, 224, 235 drought, 199, 260 drunkenness, cf. drink

Cyril of Alexandria, St, 126, 127, 128, 240, 248 Cyril of Jerusalem, 124, 225 Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria, 129 Dalidas, 44 Damascus, cf. John damnation, 45, 56, 59, 89, 96, 106, 153, 163, 172, 185, 186, 220, 227, 232; cf. after-life; Hades; hell Daniel, prophet, 69, 74, 110, 136 Daniel, sorcerer, 219 Daphne, 88 Darius, 55, 244 dates, cf. chronology David, 49, 50, 52–58, 60, 64, 65, 67, 71, 73, 75, 149, 170, 172, 178, 179, 222, 243, 244, 253, 257 days in tomb, 137 deacon(s), 132–135, 210; cf. Archdeacon death, attitude to, 36, 37, 44, 46, 57, 64, 70, 84, 90, 92, 93, 106, 108, 113, 114, 141–181, 182–202, 204, 207, 212, 215, 217, 219, 227, 229, 251, 254, 256, 262, 264, 265, 266, 267, 269; cf. after-life; children; cup; oros; services for deceased death of Christ, 75, 82, 83, 98, 103, 104, 105, 131, 151, 157, 250 Debbora, 43 December, 257, 258 Decius, 90 Declerck, J., 232 Delehaye, H., 99, 100, 108 Demetrius, St, 108 demon, 62, 72, 91, 118, 165–168, 184, 192, 196, 197, 198, 215, 235, 252, 269, 271; cf. devil desert, 39, 40, 89, 111, 205, 216 despair, 69, 153, 154, 158, 159, 161, 162, 165, 167, 168, 178, 188, 191, 192, 193, 199, 242, 269

294

General Index

nus; Nero; Nicaea; Nikephoros Phokas; Theodosius I, II; Trajan; Zeno; Empress Emperor, exhortation to, 13, 241–247 Empress, cf. Helen; Irene; Theophano Enemy (Devil), 37, 92, 161, 165, 179, 192, 193, 194, 196, 197, 200, 201, 210 energies (in Christ), 129, 130, 249 ennata, cf. services for deceased Enoch, 37, 113 Ephesus, 125–126; cf. Memnon; Theodosius Ephraem the Syrian, 212, 217 Ps.-Ephraem, 11 Epiphany, 109, 135, 137 Escorial, cf. Scorialensis ethics, cf. good conduct; homosexuality; marriage; murder; sex; sin; sodomy; vice; virtue Ethiopia (Ethiopian) 55, 215, 252 Eucharist, 13, 105, 106, 203, 213, 226, 227; cf. communion; cup; Holy Mysteries eunuchs, 186; 246 Euphrates, 62 Eusebius of Caesarea, 62, 81 Eusebius (heretic), 193 Eustathius of Antioch, 123 Eustochius of Jerusalem, 128 Eustratiades, S., 13, 111 Eutyches, 125, 127 Eutychios of Constantinople, 128 Evagrius, 128, 140 Eve, 37, 82, 261 Evening Star, 254 Evil One, 149, 168, 178, 187, 198, 235 excommunication, 132–135, 225; cf. anathema; suspension exomologesis, 231; cf. confession

earth: soil/ground, 36, 40, 42, 75, 89, 106, 199, 207, 211, 254, 260, 261; world, 35–38, 40, 42, 62, 63, 71, 72, 78, 79, 81, 89, 94, 101, 113, 143, 159, 162, 165, 167, 173, 185, 187, 189, 196, 200, 214, 251, 252, 253–255, 260, 265; cf. elements earthquakes, 259 East(ern), 85, 94, 96–101, 107, 126,129, 131,167–168, 193, 257, 261 Easter (Pasch) 105, 109, 124, 136, 163 eating, cf. food eclipse, 255 economy, cf. incarnation Edessa, 117 Edomites, cf. Idumeans Egypt, 39, 55, 62, 82, 99, 171, 258 Ehud, cf. Aod Elam, 68 Eleazar, 62 eleimosyne, 174; cf. alms elements, 254, 261–262 Eli, 47, 48 Elias, 37, 42, 45, 110, 113, 136; cf. Eliou Elias, Abba, 204 Elias I, Patriarch of Jerusalem, 68 Elias II, Patriarch of Jerusalem, 131 Elijah, cf. Elias/Eliou Eliou the Tishbite, 42, 110 Elisha, 152 Emmanuel, 79 Emperors, 15, 35, 67, 68, 81, 88, 89, 95, 162, 175, 185, 195, 222, 224, 241–247, 269; cf., Alexios; Anastasios; Angelos dynasty; Arcadius; Augustus; Basil; Constans; Constantine I, II, IV, V, VI, X; Constantius; Decius; Diocletian; Isaac; John I, III; Julian; Justinian I, II; Leo I, II; Licinius; Manuel; Marcian; Maxentius; Maximian; Maximi-

295

General Index

ἔξω, 253 Ezekiel, 153, 174

233, 248, 235, 263, 265, 267; cf. Cheese-fare; fasting form (morphe), 249 fornication, 47, 113, 118, 234, 236, 268; cf. porneia free will, 82, 103, 212, 242, 256, 264 Fridays, 135–138 funerals, 100, 138, Funk, F. X. 96, 109, 132, 133, 135, 136, 196, 197, 202, 238, 250 future life, cf. after-life

faith, 10, 68, 73, 76, 79, 81, 82–85, 87, 89, 90, 94–96, 99, 102, 104–108, 112, 117, 123, 124, 127, 129, 140, 143, 150, 202, 203, 218, 226, 229, 240, 265, 268 farmakos, 219 fast (fasting), 10, 109, 110, 135–139, 174, 180, 197, 199, 204, 233 Father, cf. God the Father fathers/spiritual/monastic, 198, 203, 209, 210, 211, 213,214, 228 fathers: Councils, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 135, 131, 139 Fathers of the Church, 95, 203, 235, 249, 255; cf. Teachers fear of God, 177, 207, 209, 233 feasts, 109, 135–136, 163; cf. Cheesefare; Easter; Epiphany; Holy Week; Lent; Nativity; Pentecost; Sundays; Whit Featherstone, M., 130 February, 258 Festugière, A.-J., 99, 137, 213 fire, 39, 58, 60, 156, 158, 186, 213, 224, 233, 236, 254, 256, 260, 261, 262; of hell, 89, 150, 152, 164, 165, 169, 177, 186, 188, 190, 192, 236 firmament, 253 fish, 177 Flavian of Antioch, 68 Flavian of Constantinople, 127 flesh, 37, 71, 73, 79, 92, 106, 112, 116, 118, 125, 131, 159, 171, 177, 179, 180, 187, 188, 189, 191, 222, 226, 232, 235, 237, 248, 250, 266, 271 Florence, 202 Flood, 37, 38, 160 food/eating, 39, 88, 92, 104, 105, 110, 136, 146, 163, 177, 196, 197, 201, 207, 211, 215, 218, 220, 224, 232,

Gabaon, 42, 43 Gabaonites, 43 Gabriel, 105, 115 Gad, 53 Gaïanos, 119–120 Galileans, 88 Gallinaria/Gallaria, 99 gazelles, 61 Gedeon, 43 Gemini, 258 Genoa, 99 genuflexion, 97, 109, 137, 140, 177, 199 genus/genos, 249 George, St, 99 George, St (Arselaou) 121–122 George of Constantinople, 128 George the Monk, 11, 16, 36, 39, 41–43, 47–50, 52–55, 57–64, 67, 69–71, 82, 89, 126, 131, 244; cf. Index of Non-Biblical Sources Gerontikon, 203 giants, 160 Girgashites, 41 glory, 36, 56, 61, 65, 66, 185, 186,187, 193, 199, 216; of God, 44, 56, 60, 72, 74, 75, 78, 82, 94, 102, 104, 113, 114, 122, 136, 151, 164, 179, 181, 187, 202, 214, 216, 229, 252 gluttony, 47, 207, 218

296

General Index

parousia; patrikios; peirasmoi; phantasia; porneia; prosopa; protocomes; sarx; semantron; skevos; sophrosyne; taxiarchos; tessarakosta; triclinium; Trisagion; trita; zoon Gregory the Great, St, 91, 240, 270 Gregory of Nazianzus (the Theologian) 11, 74, 89, 115, 141, 143, 175, 183, 193, 203, 204, 237, 262 Gregory of Nyssa, 135, 138 guardian angels, 91, 233 guilt, 46, 89, 111, 150, 158, 171, 173, 184, 187, 233, 234, 240 Guy, J-C., 204, 214, 218

God, passim: 248–251; the Father, 72–76, 78, 79, 89, 94, 97, 98, 101–103, 104, 114, 116, 123, 124, 125, 127, 129, 160, 181, 197, 200, 202, 248, 249, 250, 253, 271; the Son, 72–79, 88, 94, 97, 98, 101–104, 112, 113, 116, 123–125, 129, 192, 193, 202, 248–250; cf. Almighty; anger; creation/Creator; divinity; glory; godhead; Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ; kindness; ocean; will godhead, 73, 78, 94, 101, 125, 187, 191, 192 gold, 44, 57–63, 81, 88, 96, 100, 101, 107, 147, 184, 185, 207, 217, 223 ‘Golden Streams’ cf., Nile Golgotha, 107 Goliath, 49 Gomorrah, 39 gong (wooden), 164 good conduct, 140 Gothoniel, 43 Gouillard, Jean, 9, 14 gout, 146 Governor, 224 grace, 33, 44, 47, 54, 55, 61, 76, 80, 95, 108, 111, 130, 132, 143, 148, 179, 180, 183, 206, 210, 211, 230, 245, 251, 254, 262 Great Saturday, cf. Holy Saturday Greek language, 219; cf. accidie; agape; apatheia; apokrisiarios; archon; camelafchion; economy; eleimosyne; ennata; ἔξω; exomologesis; farmakos; genos; Gerontikon; heirmoi; hesychia; hypostases; hieromonachos; higoumenos; himation; hypostases; kathairesis; lite; maphorion; margounion; metanoia; modios; morphe; myroblytos; oikonomos; oros; orthros; ousia; Pantokrator;

habit, 91, 153, 154–156, 178, 210, 225, 234, 235, 236; monastic habit, 209, 264–265 Hader (Hadad), 64 Hades, 45, 77, 106, 162, 172, 184, 185 , 188, 190, 191 Hadrazar (Hadadezer), 64 Hadrian, Pope, 131 Hagar, 95 Hagarenes, 95, 128 Hagia Sophia, 61, 128 hail, 41, 260 hair, 44, 63, 108, 188, 213; cf. Anthimos Halkin, F., 138, 154, 174, 226 Harmathem, 48 heaven, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 60, 68, 69, 72, 74, 75, 78, 81, 89, 98, 101, 104, 105, 106, 113, 118, 150, 151, 152, 156, 161, 162, 165, 168, 175, 177, 179, 180, 187, 189, 192, 195, 196, 197, 199, 201, 202, 208, 213, 214, 215, 216, 224, 227, 230, 239, 250, 251, 252, 253, 256, 257, 265, 272; cf. kingdom of, 76, 104, 112, 144, 145, 149, 159, 165, 172, 173,

297

General Index

193, 202, 210, 216, 248, 249, 250, 251, 254 Holy Week, 86, 109, 135, 136, 139 homosexuality, 195; cf. sex; Sodom; sodomy Honorius, Pope, 129, 130 Hophni, 47 Horeb, 110 horse, 62, 237 hours (time) 137, 138, 158, 176, 178, 214, 219 human being, 42, 77, 113, 140, 175, 187, 215, 251, 262 humility, 69, 74, 139, 140, 166, 177, 180, 199, 206, 207, 209, 229, 231, 237 hymns, 119, 214, 215, 227, 229, 252, 271 hypostases, 248, 249, 250 Hyrcanus, 58

180, 186, 202, 211, 212, 216, 241, 243, 245, 261, 265, 272 Hebrew, 42, 43, 50, 52, 61, 271; cf. Kaph; Mem; Nun; Pe; Sade heirmoi, 13 Helen, 82, 85 Helena, 82, 85 hell, 45, 89–91, 144, 145, 147, 150, 152, 165, 169, 175, 186, 188, 211, 227, 233, 237; cf. damnation; fire Hellene(s), 55, 62, 88, 89; cf. pagans heresy, 80, 95, 102. 109, 124, 150, 193; cf. anathemas Hermes, 253, 257 hermit, 99; 121; 265 Herod, the Great, 58, 71, 90 Herod Antipas, 90, 149 Herodias, 45 hesychia, 204 Hezekiah/Hezekias, King, 62, 66, 67, 68, 243 Hieria, Council, 131 hieromonachos, 12, 202 Hierosolymitanus S. Sabas 223, manuscript (S), 14, 15, 16, 33, 39, 50, 59, 81, 87, 88, 98, 114, 123, 176, 202, 205, 217, 221, 224, 230, 240, 259, 271, 272 High Priest, 47, 50, 58, 59, 222, 239 higoumenos, 13, 121–122, 131, 133, 134 himation, 100 Hittites, 41, 64 Hivites, 41 Hofmann, G., 219, 221 holiness, 108, 139, 200, 201, 227, 233, 239, 240, 245, 251; cf. Trisagion Holy of Holies, 59, 239 Holy Mountain, cf. Sinai Holy Places, 85 Holy Saturday, 109, 135–139 Holy Spirit, 71, 76, 78, 79, 94, 97, 98, 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 109, 112, 114, 116, 124, 125, 166, 179, 191,

Iair, 44 Ibas, 128 Iconium, cf. Ikonion iconoclasts, 131–132 icons, 107–108, 117–118,154, 156; cf. iconoclasts idols, 40, 64, 65, 68, 87, 206 Idumeans (Edomites), 63 Iephthae, 44 Ignatius of Antioch, 150 Ikonion, cf. Amphilochius illness, 62, 75, 135, 137, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148, 153, 185, 189, 198, 205, 207, 218, 232, 238, 245, 257; cf. gout; leper; pleurisy; pneumonia; tumour imitation of Christ, 171, 229 immortality, 35, 129, 142, 163, 180, 183, 193, 250, 251, 252, 262 impurity, 106, 154–156, 161, 163, 178, 179, 195, 223, 228, 254

298

General Index

Jericho, 41, 55 Jeroboam, 65 Jerusalem, 16, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68, 97, 125, 128, 131; cf. Cyril, Elias, Eustochius, Hierosolyitanus, Juvenal, Macarius, Sophronius Jesus/Joshua, 41–43 Jesus Christ, 10, 14, 15, 16, 33, 55, 58, 71, 72–79, 81–82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90, 92, 94, 95, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 122, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 133, 136, 137, 138, 142, 143, 146, 149, 150, 151, 152, 154, 156, 171, 172, 173, 179, 181, 186, 187, 188, 190, 192, 196, 202, 204, 209, 213, 214, 215, 218, 220, 221, 223, 224, 225, 226, 229, 238, 245, 249, 256, 261, 266, 267, 268, 271; cf. death of Christ; energies; God, the Son; incarnation; Master; Saviour; will; Word Jews, 60, 61, 75, 79, 82–85, 92, 94, 95, 98, 109, 110, 111, 112, 120, 124, 136, 219, 235, 239 Jezabel, 45 Joab, 52, 53 Joachim, 70 Joatham, 66 Job, 142, 147, 149; cf. Index of Scriptural References Joel (son of Samuel), 48 John, Abba, 97 John I Tzimiskes, 245 John III Vatatzes, 14 John of Antioch, 126 John the Baptist (Forerunner) 45, 72, 73, 90, 130, 149, 237 John Chrysostom, 11, 36, 42, 47, 48, 179, 210, 214, 219, 226, 227, 233, 234, 238, 239, 244, 252, 264, 270; cf. Ps.-Chrysostom

incarnation/dispensation [economy] 77, 79, 94, 97, 104, 115, 118, 122, 129, 130, 248, 249 incest, 184, 187, 235 incorruptibility, 35, 37, 104, 108, 142, 144, 180–181 Indian sea, 258 intention, 57, 163, 205, 232, 234, 252, 269 Irene, Empress, 131 Iris, 38 Ismaelites, 95 Isaac, 39, 193, 270 Isaac I Komnenos, 245 Isaac the Syrian, Abba, 140, 206, 210, 215, 217, 228 Isaias, 66, 67, 69; cf. Index of Scriptural References Isaias, Abbot (sermons) 206, 207 Isidore of Pelousion, Abba, 36, 138, 216, 218, 220, 223, 234 Isidore the Scholasticos, 225 Islam, 63 Ismael, 95 Ismaelites, 95 Israel, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 49, 52, 53, 57, 59, 60, 64, 82, 106, 111, 148 Israelites, 39, 40, 41, 43, 51, 63, 68, 112, 138 Iviron 517, manuscript (A), 9, 12, 15, 16, 33, 50, 59, 72, 95, 98, 240, 122, 123, 135, 144, 145, 202, 222, 228, 230, 240, 259, 264, 271, 272 Jabin, 43 Jacob, 39, 79, 193, 270 Jacob, St (monk), 198–199 Jael, 43 James, brother of God, 268 Janin, R., 108 January, 100, 258 Jebusites, 41 Jeremiah, 79, 148; cf. Baruch

299

General Index

Justinian I, 61, 128 Justinian II, 128 Juvenal of Jerusalem, 126, 127

John Climacus, 234, 237, 239, 240; cf. Index of Non-Biblical Sources John of Damascus, 11, 35–38, 78–80, 89, 96, 102–113, 116–118, 240, 248–255, 256–263, 270–271 John, Evangelist/Theologian, 73, 113; cf. Index of Scriptural References John Kolobos, 207, 218 John Moschus, 11, 67, 70, 97, 118, 119, 120, 133, 211, 213, 215; cf. Index of Non-Biblical Sources John of Oxeia, 223, 226, 227 John, Roman legate, 131 Jonas, 217 Jordan, 41, 42, 112 Joseph (Old Testament), 55, 149 Joseph the Thebite, Abba, 205 Josephus, 58, 59, 62 Joshua, 112; cf. Jesus Josias, 70 Judah, cf. Judas Judah (tribe), 52, 53, 57, 65, 79 Judaism, 92; cf. Jews Judas, (Judge), 43 Judas Iscariot, 223, 224 Judgement (Day of), 74, 100, 114, 156, 167, 178, 180, 189, 194, 195, 204, 206, 233, 235, 271; cf. Second Coming judgement(s), 48, 56, 61, 74, 146, 153, 156, 157, 161, 174, 178, 221, 236, 243, 262 judging others, 201, 225, 231, 232, 235 Judges, 43, 44, 47 Julian I, the Apostate, 87–89, 90, 91 Julian the Stylite, Abba, 211, 213 July, 258 June, 256, 258 justice, 52, 70, 88, 120, 156, 158, 161, 202, 241–243; sun of justice (Malachy) 72, 97, 252

Kaioumas, cf. Maïoumas Kaph, 271 Karion, Abba, 209 kathairesis, cf. suspension Kavsokalyvion 10, manuscript (K), 13, 241, 272 Kazhdan, A.P., 246 kindness, 69, 224, 241; of God, 68, 70, 74, 77, 88, 103, 115, 129, 147, 154, 155, 157, 158, 159, 160, 162, 167, 192 king(s), 43, 85, 112, 150, 161, 185, 186, 188, 189, 242; cf. Agag; Alexander; Darius; David; Emperors; Hadrazar; Herod; Hezekiah; Jeroboam; Manasses; Ozias; Saoul; Sennacherim; Solomon; Kis, 49 kiss of peace, 210 Kolobos, cf. John Komnenos, cf. Isaac; Manuel; Maria kor, cf. Hebrew Kotter, B. cf. John of Damascus Kourilas, E., 13 Kronos, 254, 257 Labdon, 44 Laodicea, 173 lamb/Lamb of God, 139–131 lamp, 122, 213 Lampe, G.W.H., 76, 127 Last Day, 82, 104, 106,109, 112, 133, 193, 212, 238; cf. Judgement Latin, 16, 128, 130, 132, 150, 205, 211, 252, 254, 257, 258 Latins, 10, 14, 15, 16, 86, 95 laughter, 159, 161, 168, 217 Laurentianus S. Marco 684, manuscript (L), 202, 230

300

General Index

liturgy, 13, 68, 163, 209, 210, 213, 214, 219, 224, 227, 252, 267, 268; cf. Eucharist; reading; services; vespers Longinus, Abba, 204, 206, 218 Lot, 39, 137 love, 55, 56, 74, 81, 100, 134, 140, 143, 147, 148, 170, 171, 174, 176, 187, 192, 193, 200, 201, 226, 265, Luke, St, 61, 116; as painter, 117; cf. Index of Scriptural References lungs, 183, 263

law, 56, 96, 110, 137, 180, 187, 235, 244; cf. canon law Law (Old Testament), 82, 95, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 130, 138, 236, 266 laymen, 133–135, 225, 236 Lazaros (friend of Theognostos), 12 Lazarus, (Luke 16), 149, 270 Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary), 73, 135, 142 Lazica, 129 Leclercq, H, 225 lector, 87, 135 Lent, 16, 135, 138; cf. Dorotheos Leo I, St, Pope, 127, 133 Leo I Emperor, 70 Leo II Emperor, 70 Leo Abalantes, 246 Leo (sign of zodiac), 258 leper/leprosy, 73, 222, 223, 249 Leutsch, E., 91 Levi, 5 Levites, 40, 133 Libra, 258 Licinius, 90, 91 life, 38, 48, 50, 56, 57, 64, 67, 68, 70, 75, 76, 80, 99, 101, 102, 103, 108, 112, 120, 124, 131, 133, 135, 141, 142, 147, 149–153, 159, 162, 164, 164, 172, 173, 174, 177, 181, 182, 183, 184, 188, 189, 191, 194, 195, 196, 202, 203, 204, 206, 207, 212, 213, 215, 217, 218, 219, 223, 228, 229, 230, 233, 234, 237, 239, 240, 245, 247, 251, 262, 264, 265, 268, 269, 270; as suffering, 36, 43, 56, 142, 149, 176, 183, 190, 272; bread of life, 105; cf. bull; death; raising lightning, 68, 167, 195, 197, 228, 259 lion, 44, 45, 213, 218, 242 lite, 174

Macarius, St, 89, 99, 169–172; cf. Makarios Macarius of Jerusalem, 123 Macedonius of Constantinople, 124, 193 Macrides, 86 Madianites, 43 Magi, 256 magic, 62, 83, 96, 97, 196; cf. sorcerer Magus, cf. Simon Mahomet, 95, 98 Maïoumas, Abba, 174 Makarios, Abba, 216; cf. Macarius, St Makarius of Antioch, 129 mammon, 266 Manasses, 68–69, 70 Mandylion, 117 Manuel Komnenos, 245 manuscripts, 17; cf. Benaki (B), Iviron (A), Hierosolymitanus (S), Kavsokalyvion (K), Laurentianus (L), Vatican (P), Vindobonensis (V) maphorion, 70 Marcellus the Scythiote, Abba, 215 March, 124, 256, 257, 258 Marcian, Emperor, 126 margounion, 213 Maria Komnenos, 245

301

General Index

miracle(s), 42, 97–98, 99, 100–101, 102, 249 Moab, 39, 64 Moabites, 40, 63 modios, 97 monasteries, 133–134, 164, 176, 245; cf. nuns; Sabas; Sinai money, 58, 148, 174, 177, 227, 267–268; cf. alms; gold; rich(es); wealth Mongols, 95 monk(s) 12, 76, 89–90, 92, 97–98, 99, 118–119, 121–122, 134–135, 150, 166–169, 169, 202, 203–219, 228–229, 264–265; cf. Anastasios; George; monasteries monoenergism, 129 monophysitism, 125, 127, 129–130 monotheletism, 129–130 moon, 42, 101, 124, 187, 253–258, 260 Mopsuestia, 128 morphe, 249 Moschus, cf. John Moses, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 92, 98, 107, 109, 110, 136, 240, 253 Moses, Abba, 216 Mother of God, 70, 71, 108, 117, 118, 122, 246 Mountains: cf. Athos; Sinai; Wondrous Mourtzouphlos, cf. Alexios V mule, 62, 185, 213 Munitiz, Joseph A., 10, 12, 14, 123, 131, 223, 226, 227 murder, 37, 57, 84, 90, 96, 101, 137, 196, 198, 246, 266; Jacob, St Murderer (= devil), 96, 186 Muslim, 95, 128 myroblytos, 108; cf. 185 mystery, 55, 94, 97, 101, 103, 117, 152, 176, 220, 239; cf. Mysteries Mysteries, Holy (= Eucharist) 103, 135, 139, 218–223, 224, 225, 226

market (image of), 100, 143, 175, 193, 203 Marmara, Sea of, 247 marriage, 36, 38, 46, 55, 56, 57, 92, 120, 126, 170, 184, 185, 209, 245 Martha, 143 Martin I, Pope, 129 Martin of Tours, St, 99, 100 ‘Martyrium Isaias’, 69 martyrs, 76, 92, 146, 150, 195, 215, 235, 270; cf. Anthimos, St; Demetrius, St; George, St Mary, Virgin, 70, 71, 78, 79, 88, 105, 115–122, 125, 126, 127, 129; cf. Mother of God Mary of Bethany, 143 Master [= Jesus Christ], 154, 158, 162, 165, 169, 173, 175, 178, 179, 180, 182, 197 Mateos, Abba, 207 Maxentius, 90, 91 Maximian, 90, 108 Maximinus, 90, 91 Maximus, St, 45, 129, 215, 232, 233, 239 Maximus of Antioch, 127 May, 258 McGeer, E., 97 McGuckin, J.A., 127 Medes, 71 medicine, 62, 145 Mediatrix, 117 Melchizedek, 38 Meletius of Antioch, 124 Mem, 271 Memnon of Ephesus, 126 merchants, 100–101, 162; cf. market; ships metanoia, 197 Metrophanes of Constantinople, 123 Michael Bourtzes, 246 Minos, 56 Minotaur, 56

302

General Index

Nun (letter), 271 Nun, cf. Naweh nuns, 134, 234, 265

Nathan, 54 Nativity, 135 nature [physis], 37, 45, 55, 56, 63, 74, 77, 78, 79, 83, 93, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 115–118, 125, 127, 129, 130, 142, 144, 148, 153, 154, 157, 161, 177, 178, 191, 192, 193, 229, 249, 250, 262; against nature, 229, 236, 265 Nau, F., 121, 173, 204, 205, 207, 209, 210, 211, 214, 218, 219, 221, 224, 225 Naue/Naweh, 41, 112 Nazareth, 107, 115 Nebuchadnezzar, 69 Nectarius of Constantinople, 124 Nedungatt, G., 130 Neil, B., 129 Nero, 90 Nestorius of Constantinople, 125–126, 127 NETS, cf. Septuagint next world, 42, 57, 148, 150, 169, 173, 180, 185, 186, 227 Nicaea, Councils, 123, 131, 225, 226; cf. Nicene Empire Nicene Creed, 72 Nicene Empire, 15, 95 Nicomedeia, 108 night, 60, 94, 105, 118, 138, 139 Nikephoros II Phokas, Emperor, 12, 245–247 Nikephoros of Constantinople, 11, 24, 37, 71, 81 Nikon of the Black Mountain, 10 Nile, 208 Nilus, Abba, 218 Nineveh, 66 Ninevites, 69 Noah, 38, 160 Nomba, 50 November, 99, 259 novices, 133–134, 206

obedience, 40, 134, 205, 241, 247, 265; cf. disobedience Ocean, 259; ocean of God’s mercy, 69, 158, 177 October, 258 ODB (Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium), 95, 97, 99, 100, 108, 117, 137, 138, 150, 246 Odes, 13, 68 oikonomos, 213 oil, 173, 267–268; story of the oilstore, 121–122 Olympios/Olympos, 174 ordination, 124, 128, 132–133 Oreb, 43 Origen, 128, 150, 193 oros, 264 orthros, 13 Othniel, cf. Gothoniel ousia, 248 Oxeia, cf. John of Oxeia Oxford/Oxoniensis, 17 Ozias (Uzziah/Azariah), 66 Pachomios, St, 12, 138 pagan(s), 48, 85, 89, 94, 111, 112, 240, 253, 266, 268; cf. Hellenes pain, cf. life as suffering Palamite, 14 Palestine, 92, 121 Palladios, St, 100–101 Palm Sunday, 86 Pancratius, monk, 213 Pantokrator, cf. Almighty Papacy, 10 Paraclete, 227; cf. Holy Spirit Paradise, 36, 44, 56, 76, 80, 96, 106, 158, 173, 174, 175, 230, 260–261 Paramelle, Joseph, 9

303

General Index

parousia, 37, 74 Pasch, 105, 124, 136; cf. Easter Pasiphae, 56 passion, 45, 54, 55, 56, 64, 157, 174, 185, 186, 195, 198, 210, 215, 232, 236, 237 passion of Christ, 73, 76, 82, 118, 131, 151 ‘Pastillas’, 132 patriarchs (Old Testament), 39, 149 Patriarchs (of churches), 68, 117, 119, 131; cf. Alexandria; Antioch; Constantinople; Jerusalem; Rome patrikios, 246 Paul, St, 75, 76, 81, 90, 105, 107, 113, 117, 133, 143, 146, 149, 150, 179, 221, 232, 236, 253, 261, 262, 268; cf. Index of Scriptural sources Paul of Evergetis, cf. Index of NonBiblical Sources Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, 129 Paverd, F. van de, 214 Pe, 271 peace, 40, 43, 72, 79, 118, 140, 143, 179, 200, 208, 225, 242, 245; cf. kiss peirasmoi, 264 penalties, cf. anathema; penance; suspension penance, 54, 133, 168, 169, 180, 202, 244 Pentapolis, 39 Pentecost, 136, 137, 140 Penuel, 43 Perge, 132 Perizzites, 41 persecution, 68, 69, 81, 87, 90, 91, 95–96 perseverance, 204, 206, 234 Persia (Persians), 55, 71, 88, 244

Persons, 76, 78, 79, 102, 249–250; cf. God Peter, St, 73, 76, 90, 100, 132, 133, 148, 157, 174, 178 Peter, Abba, 211 Peter, Patriarch of Constantinople, 129 Peter, Roman legate, 131 Petra, 68 phantasia, 214 Pharas, 129 Philokalia, 220, 227 Pharaoh, 39 Philentolos, 174 Philistines, 43, 44 Phinees, 47 Phokas, cf. Nikephoros II pigs, 163, 164, 185, 197, 215 Pilate, 79 Pisces, 258 Pisidia, cf. Antioch Pitra, J.B., 128, 223, 226 planets, 253–254, 257–258 Plato, 144 pleasure, 37, 45, 46, 64, 106, 154, 159, 163, 169, 174, 176, 177, 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 195, 201, 215, 218, 229, 234, 242, 243, 268, 272; of soul/body, 263 pleurisy, 185 pneumonia, 185 Poimen, 206, 207, 209, 210, 212, 217 Politian, Patriarch of Alexandria, 131 Polychronius, 129 poor, cf. poverty Pope, 82, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 240; cf. Agathon; Celestine; Gregory; Hadrian; Honorius; Leo; Martin, Sylvester, Vigilius porneia, 231–240 Possinus (Poussines), 154, 165

304

General Index

Pulcheria, 126 Pyrrhus, Patriarch of Constantinople, 129

poverty (the poor), 69, 70, 100, 134, 136, 141, 148, 154, 174, 184, 189, 196, 200, 201, 266–268 prayer(s), 42, 53, 60, 67, 68, 70, 72, 96, 97, 98, 121, 140, 154, 155, 160, 163, 164, 171, 174, 177, 180, 196, 197, 199, 201, 207, 209, 218, 220, 227, 229, 233, 239, 253, 271; cf. Psalm 67 Prayer of Manasses, 68 preaching, cf. sermons pride, 36, 148, 156, 160, 167, 177, 195, 231, 232 priest(s), 50, 59, 60, 89, 131, 132–133, 135, 173, 176, 201, 202, 203, 213, 214, 223–228, 236, 238, 239, 268; cf Arius; hieromonachos; High Priest; John (legate); Peter (legate); Thomas (legate); priestsorcerer, 224 Poimen, Abba, 206, 207, 209, 210, 212, 217 powers, 101, 239, 262 Powers (angels), 35, 252 Preuschen, E., 137 Primal Evil, 197 Principalities, 35, 252 processions, 100, 199, 219; cf. lite prodigal son, 158 Prokonnessos, 247 Prophets (prophets), 72, 75, 82, 83, 92, 98, 112, 236 prosopa, 248 prostitutes, 224, 236, 238 prostration, 60, 94, 96, 97, 112, 132, 156 protocomes, 173 Proverbs (Book of), 45; cf. Solomon; Index of Scriptural References providence, 147, 148, 167, 241 Psalms (67), 220; (117) 272 Psalter, 271

Quinisext Council: cf. Trullo rain, 42, 199, 210, 259 rainbow, 38 raising to life, 99, 135, 142, 145, 146, 173, 198, 208; cf. resuscitated child reading in the liturgy, 81, 87, 164, 214 Red Sea, 39, 111 redemption, 83, 131 relics, 108; cf. myroblytos religion, 88, 90, 92, 96, 195, 262 repentance, 68, 69, 95, 139, 141–181, 188, 190, 192–194, 196–199, 221, 222, 232, 268–269; cf. devil’s repentance Resurrection of Christ, 73, 76, 104, 105, 124, 136, 250; cf. days in tomb resurrection, final, 74, 107, 108, 113, 116, 136, 140, 142, 144, 172, 249, 251, 254, 255, 262; cf. raising to life resuscitated child, 173 rich(es), 57, 61, 81, 149, 180, 189, 190, 191, 231, 243, 252, 270, 272; cf. money Richard, Marcel, 9 Rigo, A., 14 ‘Robber’ council, 125 Roboam, 65 Rome (Roman), 81, 82, 85, 88, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 170, 240; cf. Pope Rouché, M., 38 Rufus, Abba, 205 rulers, 62, 67, 71, 73, 79, 85, 90, 117, 137, 241, 243, 247, 255, 264,

305

General Index

Samaritans, 73 Samaritan woman (John 4: 9) 238 Sampson, 44, 47 Samuel, 48, 51 Saoul, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 57 Sapphira, 48 Saracens, 121 Sardinia, 99 Sarmatas, Abba, 207 sarx, 240; cf. flesh Satan, 83, 95, 96, 113, 158, 161, 164, 165, 167, 179, 189, 193, 195, 214, 218, 223, 231, 232; cf. devil; Hader; ruler of the world Saturdays, 109, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139; cf. Holy Saturday; Holy Week Saul, 51, 244; cf. Saoul Savile, Sir Henry, 179 Saviour, 73, 130, 196 Scorialensis (E) 17 Scorpio, 258 scorpion, 168 Scriptures, 80–81, 87, 88, 99, 109, 164, 182, 194, 268, 270 Scythiote, cf. Marcellus sea, 35, 42, 62, 73, 82, 94, 97, 98, 101, 158, 174, 187, 193, 208, 217, 233, 258–259, 260, 264; cf. Black; Caspian; Indian; Marmara; Red; Tyrrhenian seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), 256–257 sea water miracle, 208 Second Coming, 56, 74, 104, 250 second sight, 209 seed, 80, 95, 162, 192, 194, 196, 235; cf. sperm self-control, 55, 92, 140, 147, 190, 200, 203, 227 semantron, cf. gong Sennacherim, 66 senses, 91, 119, 149, 215, 229, 253, 261, 262

271; ruler of the world, 56; cf. Governor Sabah, cf. Sheba Sabaoth, 78 Sabas, St, cf. Hierosolymitanus Sabas, St (monastery in Rome), 131 Sabbath, 48, 75, 109–111 Sabellius, 125 sacrament(s), cf. Baptism; Eucharist sacrifice, 40, 48, 60, 64, 88, 103, 171, 218, 221, 222, 224, 235, 265, 266, 267, 268 Sade, 227 Sagittarius, 258 saints, 12, 42, 43, 45, 69, 76, 91, 92, 96, 98, 99, 108, 109, 117, 148, 149, 150, 158, 161, 169–170, 178, 179, 180, 185, 194, 201, 207, 211, 214, 220, 225, 228, 239, 251, 252, 260, 261; cf. Ambrose; Anastasios of Sinai; Andronicus; Anthimos; Apostles; Basil; Constantine; Cyril of Alexandria; Demetrius; George; George of Arselaos; Gregory; Jacob; Leo; Macarius; Martin I; Martin of Tours; Maximus; Pachomios; Palladios; Paul; Peter; Spyridon; Sylvester; Symeon Stylites; Theodore of Sykeon; unidentified saints, 142, 158, 271 Sakkos, N., 223, 226 Salamon, 58; cf. Solomon Salmana, 43 salvation, 33, 45, 67, 69, 72, 74, 75, 77, 82, 94, 102, 107, 114, 115, 117, 119, 130, 139, 143, 146, 148, 151, 153, 154, 158–162, 164, 165, 167, 168, 173, 176, 183, 184, 186–188, 191, 193–197, 207, 216, 223, 227, 231, 238, 240, 249, 265, 267–269, 272

306

General Index

Sisinius, 132; cf. ‘Pastillas’ Sisoes, Abba, 153, 208, 212, 215, 216, 218 skevos, 216 skull, 44, 246, 263; story of the skull, 89–90 Skylitzes, 12, 245 slave(s), 39, 65, 105, 109, 110, 120–121, 130, 134, 154, 169, 177, 184, 185, 242 sleep, 44, 55, 76, 91, 93, 109, 134, 142, 143, 144, 163, 164, 173, 180, 183, 185, 188, 195, 197, 201, 215, 231, 235, 236, 244, 246, 265, 267, 269, 272 snake, 45, 54, 82, 168, 193, 233, 259 snow, 197, 260 sobriety, 93, 152, 164, 227 Sodom/sodomites, 39, 161, 184, 186, 236 sodomy, 161, 177, 179 soldier(s), 150, 162, 194, 195, 269 Solomon, 44, 57, 59–65, 107, 233 Sophronius of Jerusalem, 130 sophrosyne, 244 sorcerer, 83; cf. farmakos; priest Souba, 64 soul, 45, 50, 69, 80, 81, 89, 91, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 109, 113, 116, 119, 125, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 144, 151, 158, 159, 161, 164, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 176, 180, 182, 183, 184, 186–193, 200, 202, 203, 204, 210, 217, 224, 228, 230, 233, 234, 235, 237, 242 (imperial), 252, 253, 254, 255, 262, 263, 265 South, 63, 99, 213, 257 sperm, 116, 215, 220, 232, 235, 262 springs, 260 Spyridon, St, 99 staff, 39, 89; story of, 211 stags, 61 stars, 72, 81, 101, 187, 252–257, 260

September, 257, 258 Septuagint, 38, 43, 48, 53, 58, 61, 68, 79, 151, 185, 190, 220, 240, 266 Seraphim, 35, 78, 227, 252 Sergios, Abba, 213 Sergios, Patriarch of Constantinople, 129, 130 sermons, 12, 81, 169, 186, 202, 244; cf. Amphilochius; Isaias; services for deceased (3rd, 9th, 40th day) 170–172 Seth, 37 Ševčenko, Igor, 247 Ševčenko, N.P., 117 sex, 46, 54, 55, 63, 105, 118, 146, 154–156, 159, 163, 173, 174, 176, 177, 179, 180, 184–187, 194, 195, 197, 201, 209, 212, 215, 220, 222, 225, 228, 245, 262, 263; cf. adultery; fornication; incest; passion; porneia; sodomy Sheba, Queen of, 11, 62, 63 sheep, 50, 53, 60, 61, 238 ships, 45, 61, 120, 189, 201; story, 97 sibyl, 62 Sidonians, 64 Sieswerda, D., 240 silence, 201, 207, 209, 252 Siloam, 58 Simeon (Luke 2: 25) 227 Simon Magus, 132 sin, 39, 45, 54, 64, 80, 83, 93, 103, 106, 109, 111, 119, 122, 130, 131, 136, 141, 142, 144, 145–147, 150–152, 154–161, 169, 174, 175, 177–179, 185, 188, 192–195, 197, 201, 204, 212, 215, 219–223, 226, 231–240, 250, 264, 265, 268–271 Sinai, 92, 121, 213; cf. Anastasios Sion, 105 Sirach, 63, 81, 241; cf. Index of Scriptural References Sisara, 43

307

General Index

temperance, 55, 176, 196, 201, 227, 256 Temple (Jerusalem) 59–61, 75, 107, 112, 239 temple, 112, 195, 197, 239 temptation, 93, 118, 142, 165, 167, 195, 201, 206, 208, 209, 232, 264; cf. peirasmoi tempted stylite, 118–119 tessarakosta, cf. services for deceased Theodore II Laskaris, 14 Theodore of Mopsuestia, 128 Theodore of Pharas, 129 Theodore of Sykeon, St, 99 Theodoret of Antioch, 131 Theodoret/Theodoretus, 128; cf. Index of Non-Biblical Sources Theodosius I the Great, 124, 243, 244 Theodosius II, 125 Theodosius of Ephesus, 132 Theognostos, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 33, 45, 50, 56, 58, 70, 72, 75, 79, 81, 98, 99, 110, 174, 219, 220, 221, 222, 226, 227, 228, 232, 236, 239, 240, 241, 253, 264 Theologian, cf. Gregory of Nazianzus Theonas, 225 Theophanes of Antioch, 128 Theophano, 245–246 Theotokos, 70; cf. Mother of God thermal sources, 260 Thessalonika, 108, 244 Thola, 44 Thomas, Apostle, 73 Thomas, Roman legate, 131 thorns, 38, 43, 261, 267 Thrones, 35, 252 thunder, 157, 199, 228, 259 thunderbolt, 68, 152, 156, 176, 197, 228, 259

Stephen (heretic), 129 Stichel, R., 145 stories: cf. Anastasios the Monk; John Moschus; actor punished; afterlife; bull; coals; devil’s repentance; Jacob, St; lions; Macarius; oil-store; Philentolos; priest-sorcerer; resuscitated child; sea water; ship; staff; tempted stylite; tumour; water; well storms, 233, 256, 259 stylites, 174; cf. Julian; Symeon; tempted stylite substance, 183, 232, 235, 248, 250, 251, 252, 253, 262, 263; cf. ousia sun, 42, 75, 78, 80, 82, 97, 101, 170, 187, 193, 208, 215, 252, 253, 254–259, 271; sun of justice, 72, 97, 251 Sundays, 124, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139; cf. Easter; Palm; Whit suspension (kathairesis) 126, 127, 133 Sylvester, St, Pope, 10, 82–85, 98,124 Symeon Stylites (of the Wondrous Mountain), St, 99 synagogue, 92 synod (local: Lateran 649), 129 Syrians, 63; cf. Doek Taft, R.F., 138 Tanner, N., 127, 129 Tarakine, cf. Tours Tarasius of Constantinople, 131 Tarshish, 61 Tauros, 55–56 Taurus, 258 taxiarchos, 246 Teachers, 72 tears, 67, 68, 92, 101, 142, 143, 146, 154, 166, 175, 178, 188, 196, 197, 199, 202, 222, 235

308

General Index

vice, 91, 174, 175, 197, 210, 217, 220, 234, 236; cf. gluttony; pride Vienna, 179; cf. Vindobonensis Vigilius, Pope, 128 vigils, 180, 199, 204 Villehardouin, Geoffrey, 86 Vindobonensis theologicus graecus 205, manuscript (V), 179, 230 Virgin, cf. Mary virginity, 56, 76, 116, 263, 265 Virgo, 258 virtue, 143, 148, 150, 160, 174, 182, 194, 200, 201, 204, 205, 220, 227, 229, 239, 245, 252, 261, 262; cf. alms; chastity; continence; faith; good conduct; humility; love; prayer; self-control; sobriety; virginity Virtues (angels), 35, 252 visions, 67, 70, 91, 92, 118, 119, 119–120, 138, 149, 156, 167–169, 169–170, 174–175, 209, 210, 214, 215, 224, 272; hearing a voice, 116, 156, 157. 199

Timothy, 81; cf. Index of Scriptural References Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria, 124 Tishbite, cf. Elias tithes, 138–139; 266 tomb, 58, 74, 76, 107, 116, 190, 199, 217; cf. days in tomb ‘Tome’ of Leo, 127 tonsure, 134, 229 Touronike (Tours), 100 Trajan, 240 trees, 82, 106, 153, 193, 205; tree of disobedience, 36; cf. cross trials, 42, 43, 96, 98, 108, 142, 146–149, 204, 205, 264 triclinium, 120 Trikakkabos, 132 Trinity, 94, 125, 129, 202, 229, 248, 250; cf. God Trisagion, 214, 252 trita, cf. services for deceased Trullo, Council, 130 truth, 51, 67, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 85, 94, 96, 99, 101, 111, 112, 117, 118, 124, 130, 140, 145, 156, 192, 193, 203, 228, 240, 243, 249, 255 Tsolakes, E., 245 tumour (cure of), 225 tunic, 161 Tyrrhenian Sea, 99 Tzimiskes, cf. John

war, 40, 42, 47, 54, 85, 88, 90, 118, 124, 180, 197, 206, 215, 237, 242, 264 water, 39, 43, 52, 83, 94, 97, 104, 109, 136, 172, 173, 198, 199, 200, 208, 209, 222, 254, 256, 259, 260, 261; water stories, 209, 211 Watt, W.M., 63 wealth, 61, 69, 149, 155, 156, 177, 184, 185, 189, 217, 242, 266, 272; cf. money weather, cf. lightning, rain, snow; storms, thunder Wednesdays, 135–138 well (story of), 209 West, 86, 107, 193, 257 Whit Sunday, 109, 213

Uriah, 57 Vatican Archivio si S. Pietro (P) 171, 208 Van Deun, Peter, 13 vanity, 64, 151, 179, 182, 189, 191, 195, 222 verses, 11, 12, 13, 16, 33, 91, 202, 203, 217, 230, 247, 272 vespers, 163

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180, 182–202, 206, 209, 212, 217, 228, 229, 243, 247, 265, 268, 270, 272; cf. next world World year, 15, 71, 86, 98, 202 worms, 89, 90, 92, 146, 189, 211

will:, free will, 82, 103, 212, 242, 256, 264; last will, 267; two wills in Christ, 127, 129, 130, 249; will of God, 256 wind, 193, 210, 233, 259 wine, 136, 200, 211, 218, 233, 265; eucharistic, 105–106 woman/women, 35, 36, 37, 44, 54, 55, 56, 63, 64, 92, 120, 164, 186, 220, 223, 222, 225, 233, 234–238, 236, 244–245, 246 women (diatribe), 10, 11, 36, 44–46, 63, 64 Wondrous Mountain, 99 Word (of God), 72–79, 83, 101–104, 109, 115, 116, 125–127, 129, 131, 193, 261 world, 9, 10, 38, 42, 45, 56, 60, 61, 63, 73, 74, 75, 76, 83, 87, 88, 90, 99, 100, 103, 119, 131, 136, 141, 149, 151, 190, 214, 238, 243, 251, 272; as evil, 81, 147, 149, 157, 159, 170,

year, 59, 62, 108, 138, 139, 211, 218, 221, 234, 239, 269; leap year, 255–256; year of Christ, 15, 98; cf. calendar; chronology Zacharias (monk), 209, 216 Zambres, 83–84 Zeb, 43 Zebee, 43 Zeno, 70 Zerefer, 166–169 Zeus, 253, 257 zodiac, 257–258 zoon, 240; cf. animal Zosimas, Abba, 206

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