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Notes to Anthony 19
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The following were some notes that I wrote for Anthony 19, for a friend also translating it.
Παρέβαλον ἀδελφοὶ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀντωνίῳ. In Patristic Greek, παραβάλλω + dat. pers. often means "I visit someone".
κἂν τὴν μίαν ὑπομείνατε. κἄν is used differently in later Greek. I understand it adverbially here, meaning "only" or "just". (I see that the Latin translator appears to have agreed with me, "saltem.") Paraphrasing a bit, this makes sense to me as: μόνον ὑπομείνατε τὸ ῥαπίσαι εἰς τὴν μίαν σιγόνα σου.
μὴ δότε ἀνθ’ οὗ ἐλάβετε. The reference is Romans 12:17. μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντες.
ἀσθενοῦσι γὰρ. For γάρ ending a sentence, see (famously) the end of Mark. But following this there is some text confusion, with some sources reading "καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς" (same with the Latin). I suspect an ellipse, with something like the following having dropped out: "<ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀσθενοῦμεν, οὐδὲ θέλομεν ἐσθίειν.> καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς...". This would motivate the κἀκεῖνο οὐ θέλετε, which seems just a little off to me. On the other hand, maybe Migne's text is fine as is.
Παρέβαλον ἀδελφοὶ τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀντωνίῳ. In Patristic Greek, παραβάλλω + dat. pers. often means "I visit someone".
κἂν τὴν μίαν ὑπομείνατε. κἄν is used differently in later Greek. I understand it adverbially here, meaning "only" or "just". (I see that the Latin translator appears to have agreed with me, "saltem.") Paraphrasing a bit, this makes sense to me as: μόνον ὑπομείνατε τὸ ῥαπίσαι εἰς τὴν μίαν σιγόνα σου.
μὴ δότε ἀνθ’ οὗ ἐλάβετε. The reference is Romans 12:17. μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντες.
ἀσθενοῦσι γὰρ. For γάρ ending a sentence, see (famously) the end of Mark. But following this there is some text confusion, with some sources reading "καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς" (same with the Latin). I suspect an ellipse, with something like the following having dropped out: "<ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀσθενοῦμεν, οὐδὲ θέλομεν ἐσθίειν.> καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς...". This would motivate the κἀκεῖνο οὐ θέλετε, which seems just a little off to me. On the other hand, maybe Migne's text is fine as is.
Notes to Theodora 3
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Some points in Theodora 3 were interesting.
I translated ἡ Σύναξις as "Daily Office" for a Lutheran audience. It is used as object to the verb βαλεῖν. Why this verb instead of ποιεῖν or εἰπεῖν or whatever, I couldn't say.
νήφειν is used there of the same action, meaning "to stand vigil". This parallels the Latin usage, of course, but I don't believe that Lampe lists it for the Greek.
There is something wrong with Theodora 3 at the end, imo, with some manuscripts trying to fix the confusion by changing λογισμόν to πονηρόν. I think that it's easiest to drop "τούτῳ τῷ" instead.
I translated ἡ Σύναξις as "Daily Office" for a Lutheran audience. It is used as object to the verb βαλεῖν. Why this verb instead of ποιεῖν or εἰπεῖν or whatever, I couldn't say.
νήφειν is used there of the same action, meaning "to stand vigil". This parallels the Latin usage, of course, but I don't believe that Lampe lists it for the Greek.
There is something wrong with Theodora 3 at the end, imo, with some manuscripts trying to fix the confusion by changing λογισμόν to πονηρόν. I think that it's easiest to drop "τούτῳ τῷ" instead.
Notes to Theodora 7
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Theodora 7 presents the view, common to these stories, that same-sex attraction is unexceptional, though as a type of carnal desire, something be fought against.
Various other stories criticize those accusing their brothers of sexual impropriety.
κθʹ. Ἐσυκοφαντήθη ἀδελφὸς εἰς κοινόβιον περὶ πορνείας, καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀντώνιον· καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοβίου θεραπεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ λαβεῖν· καὶ ἤρξαντο ἐλέγχειν ὅτι Οὕτως ἐποίησας. Ὁ δὲ ἀπελογεῖτο ὅτι Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐποίησα. Εὐκαίρησε δὲ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος ὁ Κεφαλᾶς, καὶ εἶπε παραβολὴν τοιαύτην· Εἶδον εἰς τὴν ὄχθαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἄνθρωπον βληθέντα εἰς βόρβορον ἕως τῶν γονάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλθόντες τινὲς δοῦναι αὐτῷ χεῖρα κατεπόντισαν αὐτὸν ἕως τοῦ τραχήλου. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἀληθινὸς, δυνάμενος θεραπεῦσαι καὶ σῶσαι ψυχάς. Κατανυγέντες οὖν τῷ λόγῳ τῶν γερόντων, ἔβαλον μετάνοιαν τῷ ἀδελφῷ. Καὶ παρακληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Πατέρων ἔλαβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον.
The personal standard demanded, however, is very high. Notice Anthony 14, where the unstated sin is, as it appears to me at least, onanism.
ιδʹ. Ἤκουσεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος περί τινος νεωτέρου μοναχοῦ, ποιήσαντος σημεῖον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· ὡς τούτου ἑωρακότος γέροντάς τινας ὁδεύοντας καὶ κάμνοντας ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ ὀνάγρους ἐπιτάξαντος ἐλθεῖν καὶ βαστάσαι τοὺς γέροντας, ἕως οὗ φθάσωσι πρὸς Ἀντώνιον. Οἱ οὖν γέροντες ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀντωνίῳ ταῦτα. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἔοικέ μοι ὁ μοναχὸς οὗτος πλοῖον εἶναι μεστὸν ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ ἥξει εἰς τὸν λιμένα. Καὶ μετὰ χρόνον ἄρχεται ἐξαίφνης ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος κλαίειν καὶ τίλλειν τὰς τρίχας αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· Τί κλαίεις, ἀββᾶ; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Μέγας στύλος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄρτι ἔπεσεν (ἔλεγε δὲ περὶ τοῦ νεωτέρου μοναχοῦ)· ἀλλὰ ἀπέλθετε, φησὶν, ἕως αὐτοῦ, καὶ βλέπετε τὸ γεγονός. Ἀπέρχονται οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ εὑρίσκουσι τὸν μοναχὸν ἐπὶ ψιαθίου καθήμενον, καὶ κλαίοντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν εἰργάσατο. Ἑωρακὼς δὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ γέροντος, λέγει· Εἴπατε τῷ γέροντι ἵνα παρακαλέσῃ τὸν Θεὸν, δέκα μόνας ἡμέρας ἐνδοῦναί μοι, καὶ ἐλπίζω ἀπολογήσασθαι. Καὶ ἐντὸς ἡμερῶν πέντε ἐτελεύτησεν.
Various other stories criticize those accusing their brothers of sexual impropriety.
κθʹ. Ἐσυκοφαντήθη ἀδελφὸς εἰς κοινόβιον περὶ πορνείας, καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀντώνιον· καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοβίου θεραπεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ λαβεῖν· καὶ ἤρξαντο ἐλέγχειν ὅτι Οὕτως ἐποίησας. Ὁ δὲ ἀπελογεῖτο ὅτι Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐποίησα. Εὐκαίρησε δὲ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος ὁ Κεφαλᾶς, καὶ εἶπε παραβολὴν τοιαύτην· Εἶδον εἰς τὴν ὄχθαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἄνθρωπον βληθέντα εἰς βόρβορον ἕως τῶν γονάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλθόντες τινὲς δοῦναι αὐτῷ χεῖρα κατεπόντισαν αὐτὸν ἕως τοῦ τραχήλου. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἀληθινὸς, δυνάμενος θεραπεῦσαι καὶ σῶσαι ψυχάς. Κατανυγέντες οὖν τῷ λόγῳ τῶν γερόντων, ἔβαλον μετάνοιαν τῷ ἀδελφῷ. Καὶ παρακληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Πατέρων ἔλαβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον.
The personal standard demanded, however, is very high. Notice Anthony 14, where the unstated sin is, as it appears to me at least, onanism.
ιδʹ. Ἤκουσεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος περί τινος νεωτέρου μοναχοῦ, ποιήσαντος σημεῖον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· ὡς τούτου ἑωρακότος γέροντάς τινας ὁδεύοντας καὶ κάμνοντας ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ ὀνάγρους ἐπιτάξαντος ἐλθεῖν καὶ βαστάσαι τοὺς γέροντας, ἕως οὗ φθάσωσι πρὸς Ἀντώνιον. Οἱ οὖν γέροντες ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ ἀββᾷ Ἀντωνίῳ ταῦτα. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἔοικέ μοι ὁ μοναχὸς οὗτος πλοῖον εἶναι μεστὸν ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ ἥξει εἰς τὸν λιμένα. Καὶ μετὰ χρόνον ἄρχεται ἐξαίφνης ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος κλαίειν καὶ τίλλειν τὰς τρίχας αὐτοῦ καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· Τί κλαίεις, ἀββᾶ; Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Μέγας στύλος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄρτι ἔπεσεν (ἔλεγε δὲ περὶ τοῦ νεωτέρου μοναχοῦ)· ἀλλὰ ἀπέλθετε, φησὶν, ἕως αὐτοῦ, καὶ βλέπετε τὸ γεγονός. Ἀπέρχονται οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ εὑρίσκουσι τὸν μοναχὸν ἐπὶ ψιαθίου καθήμενον, καὶ κλαίοντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν εἰργάσατο. Ἑωρακὼς δὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ γέροντος, λέγει· Εἴπατε τῷ γέροντι ἵνα παρακαλέσῃ τὸν Θεὸν, δέκα μόνας ἡμέρας ἐνδοῦναί μοι, καὶ ἐλπίζω ἀπολογήσασθαι. Καὶ ἐντὸς ἡμερῶν πέντε ἐτελεύτησεν.
Source: https://archive.org/details/patrologiae ... ew=theater
Anthony (1). The holy father Anthony once was sitting alone in the desert having fallen into depression and a great darkness of thought, and so he prayed to God: "Lord, I wish to be saved, but my thoughts won't permit me. What can I do in my distress? How can I be saved?" And in a moment he had risen above his surroundings and he saw an Anthony like himself, sitting and working, then getting up from his work and praying, and again sitting and weaving his rope, then again rising for prayer. And the angel of the Lord was there, sent for the correction and protection of Anthony. And he listened to the angel, who told him: "Act like this and be saved." Anthony heard this and received a great joy and courage, and so doing he was saved.
Anthony (4). Father Anthony said to Father Poemen, "This is the great work of man: to cast his own faults up above himself before God, and to expect temptation until his last breath."
Anthony (7). Father Anthony said, "I saw all of the snares of the enemy scattered about the earth, and I groaned and said, 'Who indeed can avoid these?' And I heard a voice telling me: 'The humble in spirit.'"
Anthony (8). And he spoke again, "There are those who have beaten down their own bodies in asceticism, and because of not having discernment, they became farther away from God."
Anthony (12). Some brothers visited Father Anthony to communicate to him some visions that they had seen, and to learn from him whether they were true or from demons. And they had a donkey that died on the road. Then, as they were coming in to the old man, he broke in and said to them: "How could the little donkey die in the road?" They said to him: "How did you know about that, Father?" He said to them: "The demons told me." And they said to him, "We came here to ask you that, since we had seen visions, and they had often come true, lest we be deceived." And the old man satisfied them from the example of the donkey, that they were from demons.
Anthony (19). Some brothers visited Father Anthony and said to him, "Tell us a saying, how are we to be saved?" The elder says to them, "Have you heard the scripture? You do well." But they said, "And we would like to hear it from you, Father." The elder said to them, "The Gospel says, should someone strike you on the right cheek, turn to him the other." They say to him, "We are not able to do that." The elder says to them, "If you cannot turn the other, just endure the one." They say to him, "We cannot even do that." The elder says, "If you cannot even do this, do not return evil for the evil you have received." And they said, "We cannot even do that." So the elder says to his disciple, "Make them a little porridge, for they are sick." <But we are not sick, nor do we want to eat.> And he says to them, if you are not able to do this, and do not wish to do that, what shall I do for you? There is a need for prayers.
Anthony (25). Father Anthony said, "A time is coming when all mankind will go mad, and whenever they see one who is not mad, they will stand against him and say: 'You are mad, since you are not like us.'"
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Source: https://archive.org/details/patrologiae ... ew=theater
Agathon (5). They said regarding Father Agathon, that some people went out to him, having heard that he had great discernment. And wanting to test if he would get upset, they say to him: "You are Agathon? We hear regarding you that you are wicked and prideful." And he said, "Yes, that's how it is." And they say to him, "You are Agathon the rubbish-speaker and the slanderer?" And he said, "That is me." They say again, "You are Agathon the heretic?" And he answered, "I am no heretic." And they made request of him, saying "Tell us why, when we said such terrible things about you, you accepted it, but this particular word you did not endure?" He tells them, "I accuse my own self of the first things. It's good for my soul. But to be a heretic is to be apart from God. And I do not want to be made apart from God." The ones hearing this were amazed at his discernment, and they went away built up.
Agathon (19). The same [father Agathon] said: "If a man were to raise the dead in anger, it would not be a gift acceptable to God."
Agathon (30). Once, Father Agathon went into the city to sell a small belonging. And he found a man suffering from leprosy by the road. The leper said to him: "Where are you going?" Agathon said to him: "To the city to sell a belonging." He said: "Do me charity (agape), and carry me there." And lifting him, he carried him into the city. He said: "wherever you sell the belonging, set me down there." And he did so. And when he had sold the belonging, the leper said to him: "How much did you sell it for?" And he said that it was so much. And the leper said, "Buy me a cake." And he bought it and again sold another belonging. "And this was how much?" "It was about so much." And he said: "Buy me such and such." And he bought it. After he had sold all of his belongings and wished to leave, the leper asked, "Are you going?" "Yes." "Do me another charity and carry me to where you found me." And he lifted him and carried him to the place. And the leper said to him: "You are blessed, Agathon, by the Lord, both in heaven and upon earth." And raising his eyes, Agathon saw no one. For it was an angel of the Lord come to test him.
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Source: https://archive.org/details/patrologiae ... ew=theater
Arsenius (6). One time Father Arsenius was asking a certain old Egyptian about his private ruminations, when another person saw him and said: "Father Arsenius, how is it, that with mastery of so great a Greek and Latin education, you ask this farmer about your thoughts?" Arsenius said to him, "I have mastered the learning of Greek and of Latin, but I have never come to know even the alphabet of this farmer."
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Source: https://archive.org/details/patrologiae ... ew=theater
Theodora (2). Mother Theodora said: "Strive to enter in through the narrow gate. For it is the nature of trees, that if they do not receive the storms of rain, they are not able to bear fruit. And so too for us, this current age is a storm. And if we do not go through many struggles and temptations, we will not be able to become heirs of the kingdom of the heavens.
Theodora (3). Again she said: "Tranquility [silence, contemplation] is a good thing. A wise man leads a tranquil life. And truly this tranquility is something major for a monk or a nun, especially for the young. Yet do understand, that when someone intends to be tranquil, immediately the evil one comes and weighs down the soul in depression, in lack of energy, and in harmful reasonings. And he weighs down the body in sickness, in weakness, in arthritis of the knees and of all the limbs, and he saps the power of the soul and the body. And it makes me say that, 'I am sick and am not strong enough to do the Daily Office.' But if we do our vigil, all of this goes away. For there was a certain monastic who, as soon as he began to go about the Office, was taken by chills and fever, and his head began to pound. And he said to himself: 'See, I am sick. And sooner or later I will die. So I will get up before I die and do the Office. And with this reasoning he controlled himself and he did the Office. And as soon as the Office finished, the fever went away. And another time, the brother resisted an evil thought, and did the Office, and conquered the thought.
Theodora (7). At another time Mother Theodora said that: "There was a certain monastic, and out of the overflow of temptation he said, 'I am going out from here.' And as he put on his sandals, he saw another man putting on his sandals, and this man said to him, 'Aren't you leaving because of me? See, I am going ahead of you to wherever you are going.'"
Statistics: Posted by jeidsath — Wed Nov 22, 2023 10:16 pm