On Virginity 23–24
Greek text: PG 46.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 5 (1893), "On Virginity".
Chapter 23
23PG 46:405b–409c
Ὀτι ’ὁμοίως ἐναντιοῦται τῇ ψυχῇ πρὸς τὴν τε· ἐεέᾶῗὲν, ἡ τε πολυσαρκίά καὶ ’ἦῦμὲτρος κακοε- Τὰ δὲ καθʼ ἕκαστον, ὅπως τε χρὴ βιοτεύειν τὸν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ταύτῃ ζῇν προελόμενον, καὶ τίνα φυλάττεσθαι, καὶ τίσιν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἀσκεῖν ἐαυτὸν, ἐγκρατείας μέτρα, καὶ διαγωγῆς τρόπον, καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐπιβάλλοντα τῷ τοιούτῳ σκοπῷ βίον, ὅτῳ φίλον διʼ ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν, εἰσὶ μὲν καὶ ἔγγραφοι διδασκαλίαι ταῦτα διδάσκουσαι· ἐνεργεστέρα δὲ τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων διδαχῆς ἠ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐστιν ὑφήγησις· καὶ οὐδεμία πρόσεστι δυσκολία τῷ προστάγματι, ὡς δεῖν ἦ μακρὰν ὁδοιπορίαν,ἢ ναυτιλίαν πολλὴν ὑποστάντας, ἐπιτυχεῖν τοῦ παιδεύοντοςο ἀλλʼ ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμα, φησιν 6 Ἀπόστολος · ἀπὸ τῆς ἐστίας ἡ χάριςʼ ἐνταῦθα τὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργαστήριον, ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἀκρότατον si}; ἀκριβείας ὁ τοιοῦτος βίος προῖὼν ἐκκεκαθαρται καὶ πολλή ἐστιν ἐξουσία καὶ σιωπώντων ἐνταῦθα καὶ φθεγγομένων τὴν οὐράνιον ταύτην πολιτείαν διὰ τῶν ἔργων διδάσκεσθαι ο ἐπεὶ καὶ πᾶς λόγος δίχα τῶν ἔργων θεωρούμενος, κᾶν ὄτι μάλιστα κεκαλλωπισμένος τύχῃ, εικόνι ἔοικεν ἀψύχῳ, ἐν βαφαῖς καὶ χρώμασιν εὐανθῆ τινα χαρακτῆρα προδεικνυούσῃ ο 6 δὲ ποιῶν καὶ διδάσκων, καθώς πού φησι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, οὗτος ἀληθῶς ζῶν ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὡραῖος τῷ κάλλει, καὶ ἐνεργὸς, καὶ κινούμενος. Οὐκοῦν τούτῳ προσφοιτητέον ἐστὶ τὸν μέλλοντα κατὰ τδν ἐροῦντα λόγον τῆς παρθενίας ἀνθέξεσθαι · καθάπερ γάρ 6 φωνὴν ἔθνους τινὸς ἐκμαθεῖν προθυμούμενος, οὐκ ἔστιν αὒτάρκης ἐαυτῷ διδάσκαλος, ἀλλὰ παρά τῶν ἐπισταμένων παιδεύεται, καὶ οὕτω γίνεται τοῖς ἀλλογλώσσοις ὁμόφωνος. Οὕτως οἴμαι καὶ τοῦ βίον τούτου μὴκατὰ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν προϊόντος τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλʼ ἀπεξενωμένου τῇ καινότητι τῆς διαγωγῆς, μὴ ἄλλως τινὰ μαθεῖν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, ἥ παρὰ τοῦ κατωρθωκότος χειραγωγού μενον · καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ πάντα ὅσα κατά τδν βίον ἐπιτηδεύομεν, μᾶλλον κατορθωθείη τῷ μετιόντι, εί παρά διδασκάλοις τις ἐκάστου τῶν σπουδαζομένων ἐκμάθοι τὴν ἐπιστήμην, flet ἀφʼ ἐαυτοῦ κατεπιχειροίη τοῦ πράγματος· οὐ γὰρ ἐναργές ἐστι τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα τοῦτο, ὥστε κατʼ ἀνάγκην ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιτρέπειν τῶν λυσιτελούντων τήν κρίσιν · ὅτε δὴ καὶ τὸ κατατολμᾷν τῆς τῶν ἀγνοουμένων πείρας οὐκ ἔξω κινδύνου καθίσταται. Καθάπερ δὲ τὴν ἰατρικὴν πρότερον ἀγνοουμένην διὰ τῆς πείρας ἐξ· εῦρον οί ἄνθρωποι, παρατηρήμασί τισι κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐκκαλυφθεῖσαν, ὥστε καὶ τὸ ὠφελοῦν καὶ τὺ βλάπτον διά τῆς τῶν πεπειραμένων μαρτυρίας ἐπιγνωσθὲν. οὕτως είς τὸν τῆς τέχνης λόγον παραληφθῆναι, καὶ παράγγελμα πρὸς τὸ μέλλον τὸ παρατηρηθέν τοῖς προλαβοῦσι γίνεσθαι ο νῦν δέ ὁ πρὸς τὴν τέχνην ταύτην ἐσπουδακὼς, οῦκ ἔχει ἀνάγκην τῇ καθʼ ἐαυτὸν πείρα διαγινῴσκειν τῶν φαρμάκων τὴν δύναμιν, είτε δηλητήριον, εἴτε ἀλεξιτήριόν τί ἐστιν υ ἀλλά τὰ. ἐγνωσμένα παρʼ ἐτέρων μαθὼν, αὐτὸς τὴν τέχνην κατώρθωσε τὸν αὑτὸν τρόπον καὶ τῆς τῶν ψυχῶν ἰατρικῆς, τῆς φιλοσοφίας λέγω, διʼ ἦς παντὸς πάθους τοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς ἁπτομένου τὴν θεραπείαν μανθάνομεν, οὐκ ἐστιν ἀνάγκη στοχασμοίς τισι καὶ ὑπονοίαις μετιέναι τὴν ἐπιστήμην, ἀλλʼ ἐξουσία πολλὴ τῆς μαθήσεως παρά τοῦ διὰ μακρᾶς τε καὶ πολλῆς τῆς πείρας κτησαμένου τὴν ἕξιν. Ἐστι μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος σύμβουλος ή νεότης, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις εὖροι ῥαδίως κατωρθωμένον τι τῶν σπουδῆς ἀξίων, ᾧ μὴ πολιὰ συμπαρελήφθη πρὸς κοινωνίαν τοῦ σκέμματος· ὃσῳ δέ μεῖζον τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ό προκείμενος τοῖς μετιοῦσίν ἐστι σκοπὸς, τοσούτῳ καὶ μᾶλλον προνοητέον ἡμῖν τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἐστίν. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν λοιπῶν ἡ νεότης ού κατά λόγον διοικουμένη είς χρήματα πάντως τὴν ζημίαν ἠνεγκεν, ἦ τινος κοσμικῆς περιφανείας, ἢ καὶ ἀξιώματος ἐκπεσεῖν κατηνάγκασεν ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς μεγάλης τε καὶ ὑψηλῆς ταύτης ἐπιθυμίας, οὐ χρήματα τὸ κινδυνευόμενόν ἐστιν, ούδέ δόξα κοσμικὴ καὶ ἐφήμερος, οὐδʼ ἀλλο τι τῶν ἔξωθεν ἡμῖν παρεπομένων, ὧν καὶ κατὰ γνώμην, καὶ ὡς ἑτέρως διοικουμένων ὀλίγος τοῖς σωφρονοῦσιν ὁ λόγος· ἀλλʼ αὐτῆς ἅπτεται τῆς ψυχῆς ή ἀβουλία, καὶ ὁ κίνδυνος τῆς τοιαύτης ζημίας ἐστὶν, οὐ τὸ ἄλλο τι ζημιωθῆναι, οὗ τυχὸν καὶ δυνατὴ φαίνεται ὴ ἐπανάληψις, ἀ)λά τὸ, αὑτὸν ἀπολέσθαι καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἰδίαν. Ὀ μὲν γὰρ τὴν πατρῴαν καταναλώσας οὐσίαν, οὐκ ἀπελπίζει τυχὸν ἐπινοίαις τισὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τήν ἀρχαίαν ἐπανελθεῖν εὐπορίαν, ἕως ἂν ἐν τοῖς ζῶσιν ὁ δὲ τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης ἐκπεσὼν, πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα τῆς πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολῆς συναφῄρηται. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ νέοι ἔτι καὶ ἀτελεῖς τὴν διάνοιαν οί πολλοὶ τῆς παρθενίας ἀντι· λαμβάνονται, τοῦτο πρὸ πάντων αὐτοῖς ἐπιτηδευτέον ἂν εἴη, τὸ ζητῆσαι τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης καθηγούμενόν τε καὶ διδάσκαλον ἀγαθὸν, που διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἀνοδίας τινάς καὶ πλάνας ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς εὐθείας καινοτομήσωσιν. Ἀγαθοὶ γὰρ δύο ὺπέρ τὸν ἕνα, φησὶν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστήςε εὐκαταγώνιστος δέ ὁ εἷς τῷ ἐχθρῷ τῷ κατά τὰς θείας ὁδοὺς ἐνεδρεύοντι καὶ ὅντως ι Οὐαὶ τῷ ἐνὶ ὅταν πέσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει τὸν ἀνορθοῦντα. ι Ἤδη γάρ τινες ὁρμῇ μὲν δεξιᾷ πρὶς τὴν τοῦ σεμνοῦ βίου ἐπιθυμίαν ἐχρῄσαντσ ὡς δὲ ὁμοῦ τῷ προελέσθαι, καὶ τῆς τελειότητφς ἐφʼ ιον αιξρὰμενοι, ἑτέρῳ πτώματι διὰ τοῦ τύφου ύπεσκελίσθησαν, διά τινος φρενοβλαβείας ἑαυτοὺς ἐξαπατήσαντες ἐκεῖνο ἡγεῖσθαι καλὸν, ἐφʼ ὅπερ αὐτῶν η διάνοια paen. Ἐκ τούτων εἰσὶν οἱ παρά τῆς σοφίας ὀνομασθέντες ἀεργοὶ, οί τάς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν ἀκάνθαις στρώσαντες ο οἱ βλάβην ἡγούμενοι τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν περὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἐντολῶν προθυμίαν ο οἱ παραγραψάμενοι τὰς ἀποσωλικάς παραινέσεις, καὶ μὴ τὸν ῐδιον ἄρτον εὐσχημόνως ἐσθίοντες, ἀλλά τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ προστετηκότες, τέχνην βίου τὴν ἀργίαν ποιούμενοι · ἐντεῦθεν οί ὲνυπνιάσταὶ, οί τὰς ὲκ τῶν ὀνείρων ἀπάτας πιστοτέρας τῶν εύαγγελικῶν διδαγμάτων ποιούμενοι, καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις τὰς φαντασίας προσαγορεύοντες (ἀπὸ τούτων εἰσὶν οί ὲνδύνοντες εἰς τάςνοίκίαςγ καὶ πάλιν ἄλλοι οἱ τὸ άμικτόν τε καὶ θηριῶδες ἀρετὴν νομίζοντες, οὐδὲ τῆς μακροθυμίας τε καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸν καρπὸν ἐπιστάμενοι. Καὶ τίς ἂν διεξέλθοι πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα πτώματα, είς ὅσα ἐκφέρεται, τῷ μὴ θέλειν τοῖς κατά Θεὸν εὐδοκιμοῦσι προστίθεσθαι; Ἐκ τούτων γὰρ ἔγνωμεν καὶ τοὺς τῷ λιμῷ μέχρι θανάτου ὲγκαρτεροῦντας, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῖς τοιαύταις εὐαρεστουμένου θυσίαιςʼ καὶ πάλιν ἄλλους ὲκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἀποστατήσαντας ο οἳ μέχρις ὀνόματος τὴν ἀγαμίαν ἐπιτηδεύσαντες, οὐδὲν διαφέρουσι τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου ο οὐ μόνον τῇ η γαστρὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν χαριζόμενοι, ἀλλά γυναιξὶ κατά τὸ φανερὸν συνοικοῦντες, καὶ ἀδελφότητα τὴν τοιαύτην συμβίωσιν ὀνομάζοντες, ὡς δὴ τὴν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ὑπόνοιαν ὀνόματι σεμνοτέρῳ περικαλύπτοντες. Διʼ ὧν καὶ σφόδρα τὸ σεμνὸν τοῦτο καὶ καθαρὸν ἐπιτήδευμα βλασφημεῖται παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν,
Oti ’homoiōs enantioutai tę̄ psychę̄ pros tēn te; eeeaïen, hē te polysarkia kai ’ēumetros kakoe- Ta de kathʼ hekaston, hopōs te chrē bioteuein ton en philosophią tautę̄ zę̄n proelomenon, kai tina phylattesthai, kai tisin epitēdeumasin askein eauton, enkrateias metra, kai diagōgēs tropon, kai panta ton epiballonta tǭ toioutǭ skopǭ bion, hotǭ philon diʼ akribeias mathein, eisi men kai engraphoi didaskaliai tauta didaskousai; energestera de tēs ek tōn logōn didachēs ē dia tōn ergōn estin hyphēgēsis; kai oudemia prosesti dyskolia tǭ prostagmati, hōs dein ē makran hodoiporian,ē nautilian pollēn hypostantas, epitychein tou paideuontoso allʼ engys sou to rhēma, phēsin 6 Apostolos ; apo tēs estias hē charisʼ entautha to tōn agathōn ergastērion, en hǭ to akrotaton si}? akribeias ho toioutos bios proiōn ekkekathartai kai pollē estin exousia kai siōpōntōn entautha kai phthengomenōn tēn ouranion tautēn politeian dia tōn ergōn didaskesthai o epei kai pas logos dicha tōn ergōn theōroumenos, kan oti malista kekallōpismenos tychę̄, eikoni eoiken apsychǭ, en baphais kai chrōmasin euanthē tina charaktēra prodeiknyousę̄ o 6 de poiōn kai didaskōn, kathōs pou phēsi to Euangelion, houtos alēthōs zōn estin anthrōpos, kai hōraios tǭ kallei, kai energos, kai kinoumenos. Oukoun toutǭ prosphoitēteon esti ton mellonta kata tdn erounta logon tēs parthenias anthexesthai ; kathaper gar 6 phōnēn ethnous tinos ekmathein prothymoumenos, ouk estin autarkēs eautǭ didaskalos, alla para tōn epistamenōn paideuetai, kai houtō ginetai tois alloglōssois homophōnos. Houtōs oimai kai tou bion toutou mēkata tēn akolouthian proïontos tēs physeōs, allʼ apexenōmenou tę̄ kainotēti tēs diagōgēs, mē allōs tina mathein tēn akribeian, hē para tou katōrthōkotos cheiragōgou menon ; kai ta alla de panta hosa kata tdn bion epitēdeuomen, mallon katorthōtheiē tǭ metionti, ei para didaskalois tis ekastou tōn spoudazomenōn ekmathoi tēn epistēmēn, flet aphʼ eautou katepicheiroiē tou pragmatos; ou gar enarges esti to epitēdeuma touto, hōste katʼ anankēn heautois epitrepein tōn lysitelountōn tēn krisin ; hote dē kai to katatolmąn tēs tōn agnooumenōn peiras ouk exō kindynou kathistatai. Kathaper de tēn iatrikēn proteron agnooumenēn dia tēs peiras ex; euron oi anthrōpoi, paratērēmasi tisi katʼ oligon ekkalyphtheisan, hōste kai to ōpheloun kai ty blapton dia tēs tōn pepeiramenōn martyrias epignōsthen. houtōs eis ton tēs technēs logon paralēphthēnai, kai parangelma pros to mellon to paratērēthen tois prolabousi ginesthai o nyn de ho pros tēn technēn tautēn espoudakōs, ouk echei anankēn tę̄ kathʼ eauton peira diaginǭskein tōn pharmakōn tēn dynamin, eite dēlētērion, eite alexitērion ti estin y alla ta. egnōsmena parʼ eterōn mathōn, autos tēn technēn katōrthōse ton hauton tropon kai tēs tōn psychōn iatrikēs, tēs philosophias legō, diʼ ēs pantos pathous tou tēs psychēs haptomenou tēn therapeian manthanomen, ouk estin anankē stochasmois tisi kai hyponoiais metienai tēn epistēmēn, allʼ exousia pollē tēs mathēseōs para tou dia makras te kai pollēs tēs peiras ktēsamenou tēn hexin. Esti men gar hōs epi to poly kai epi pantos pragmatos symboulos ē neotēs, kai ouk an tis euroi rhadiōs katōrthōmenon ti tōn spoudēs axiōn, hǭ mē polia symparelēphthē pros koinōnian tou skemmatos; hosǭ de meizon tōn loipōn epitēdeumatōn o prokeimenos tois metiousin esti skopos, tosoutǭ kai mallon pronoēteon hēmin tēs asphaleias estin. Epi men gar tōn loipōn hē neotēs ou kata logon dioikoumenē eis chrēmata pantōs tēn zēmian ēnenken, ē tinos kosmikēs periphaneias, ē kai axiōmatos ekpesein katēnankasen epi de tēs megalēs te kai hypsēlēs tautēs epithymias, ou chrēmata to kindyneuomenon estin, oude doxa kosmikē kai ephēmeros, oudʼ allo ti tōn exōthen hēmin parepomenōn, hōn kai kata gnōmēn, kai hōs heterōs dioikoumenōn oligos tois sōphronousin ho logos; allʼ autēs haptetai tēs psychēs ē aboulia, kai ho kindynos tēs toiautēs zēmias estin, ou to allo ti zēmiōthēnai, hou tychon kai dynatē phainetai ē epanalēpsis, a)la to, hauton apolesthai kai zēmiōthēnai tēn psychēn tēn idian. O men gar tēn patrǭan katanalōsas ousian, ouk apelpizei tychon epinoiais tisi palin epi tēn archaian epanelthein euporian, heōs an en tois zōsin ho de tēs zōēs tautēs ekpesōn, pasan elpida tēs pros to kreitton metabolēs synaphę̄rētai. Oukoun epeidē neoi eti kai ateleis tēn dianoian oi polloi tēs parthenias anti; lambanontai, touto pro pantōn autois epitēdeuteon an eiē, to zētēsai tēs hodou tautēs kathēgoumenon te kai didaskalon agathon, pou dia tēn agnoian tēn ousan en autois, anodias tinas kai planas heautois apo tēs eutheias kainotomēsōsin. Agathoi gar dyo yper ton hena, phēsin ho Ekklēsiastēse eukatagōnistos de ho heis tǭ echthrǭ tǭ kata tas theias hodous enedreuonti kai hontōs i Ouai tǭ eni hotan pesę̄, hoti ouk echei ton anorthounta. i Ēdē gar tines hormę̄ men dexią pris tēn tou semnou biou epithymian echrę̄sants hōs de homou tǭ proelesthai, kai tēs teleiotētphs ephʼ ion aixramenoi, heterǭ ptōmati dia tou typhou ypeskelisthēsan, dia tinos phrenoblabeias heautous exapatēsantes ekeino hēgeisthai kalon, ephʼ hoper autōn ē dianoia paen. Ek toutōn eisin hoi para tēs sophias onomasthentes aergoi, oi tas hodous autōn akanthais strōsantes o hoi blabēn hēgoumenoi tēs psychēs tēn peri ta erga tōn entolōn prothymian o hoi paragrapsamenoi tas aposōlikas paraineseis, kai mē ton idion arton euschēmonōs esthiontes, alla tǭ allotriǭ prostetēkotes, technēn biou tēn argian poioumenoi ; enteuthen oi enypniastai, oi tas ek tōn oneirōn apatas pistoteras tōn euangelikōn didagmatōn poioumenoi, kai apokalypseis tas phantasias prosagoreuontes (apo toutōn eisin oi endynontes eis tasnoikiasg kai palin alloi hoi to amikton te kai thēriōdes aretēn nomizontes, oude tēs makrothymias te kai tapeinophrosynēs ton karpon epistamenoi. Kai tis an diexelthoi panta ta toiauta ptōmata, eis hosa ekpheretai, tǭ mē thelein tois kata Theon eudokimousi prostithesthai? Ek toutōn gar egnōmen kai tous tǭ limǭ mechri thanatou enkarterountas, hōs tou Theou tais toiautais euarestoumenou thysiaisʼ kai palin allous ek diametrou pros to enantion apostatēsantas o hoi mechris onomatos tēn agamian epitēdeusantes, ouden diapherousi tou koinou biou o ou monon tę̄ ē gastri ta pros hēdonēn charizomenoi, alla gynaixi kata to phaneron synoikountes, kai adelphotēta tēn toiautēn symbiōsin onomazontes, hōs dē tēn pros to cheiron hyponoian onomati semnoterǭ perikalyptontes. Diʼ hōn kai sphodra to semnon touto kai katharon epitēdeuma blasphēmeitai para tōn exōthen,
That fleshiness and immoderate hardship alike oppose the soul in its pursuit of perfection. As for the details, how one who has chosen to live in this philosophy must live, what he must guard against, by what practices he must train himself, the measures of self-control, the manner of conduct, and the whole life that belongs to such an aim, for whoever wishes to learn them exactly there are written teachings that teach these things. But guidance by deeds is more effective than teaching by words. And there is no difficulty attached to the precept, as though one had to undertake a long journey or a great voyage to find the teacher; but “the word is near you,” as the Apostle says. The grace is from our own hearth; here is the workshop of good things, in which such a life, advancing to the summit of exactness, has been thoroughly purified; and there is every opportunity here, both for the silent and for the speaking, to be taught this heavenly way of life by deeds. For every word seen apart from deeds, however finely adorned it may be, is like a lifeless picture showing some blooming figure in tints and colours; but he who does and teaches, as the Gospel says somewhere, is truly a living man, beautiful in his comeliness, active and moving. To him, then, one who is going to hold to virginity according to the right rule should resort. For as one eager to learn the language of some nation is not a sufficient teacher for himself, but is taught by those who know it, and so comes to speak the same language as those of another tongue, so, I think, since this life does not proceed according to the sequence of nature but is set apart by the novelty of its conduct, one cannot learn its exactness otherwise than by being led by the hand by one who has achieved it. And all the other things we pursue in life would be better achieved by the one who pursues them if he learned the knowledge of each pursuit from teachers rather than attempting the matter by himself; for this pursuit is not so evident that we must necessarily trust ourselves with the judgment of what is profitable, especially since venturing on the experience of what is unknown is not without danger. As people discovered medicine, formerly unknown, by experience, uncovering it little by little by certain observations, so that what is beneficial and what is harmful, recognized by the witness of those who had tried them, was so taken into the account of the art, and what had been observed by those before became a precept for the future; and now one who studies this art does not need to determine by his own experiment the power of drugs, whether something is poisonous or an antidote, but, having learned what was known from others, he masters the art himself: in the same way, in the medicine of souls, I mean philosophy, through which we learn the cure of every passion that touches the soul, there is no need to pursue the knowledge by conjectures and surmises, but there is every opportunity of learning from one who has acquired the habit through long and much experience. For youth is for the most part, and in every matter, a bad counsellor, and one would not easily find anything worthy of zeal achieved in which grey hairs were not taken into partnership in the deliberation. And the greater the aim set before those who pursue it compared with other pursuits, the more must we take care for safety. For in other matters youth, not governed by reason, brings loss only in money, or forces one to fall from some worldly distinction or rank; but in this great and lofty desire it is not money that is at risk, nor worldly and fleeting glory, nor anything else of what accompanies us from outside, about which, whether they go as we wish or otherwise, the sensible care little; rather, the folly touches the soul itself, and the danger of such loss is not losing something else, of which recovery may perhaps be possible, but losing oneself and suffering the loss of one’s own soul. For one who has squandered his father’s property does not perhaps despair of returning by some means to his former prosperity while he is among the living; but one who has fallen from this life has lost together with it every hope of a change for the better. Since, then, most take up virginity while still young and immature in mind, this above all should be practised by them: to seek a good guide and teacher on this road, lest through the ignorance that is in them they invent for themselves trackless ways and wanderings from the straight path. For “two are better than one,” says Ecclesiastes; and the one alone is easily overcome by the enemy who lies in wait on the divine ways; and truly, “woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to raise him up.” For already some have made a good start toward the desire for the holy life, but, as if they had grasped perfection at the moment of choosing, have been tripped up by another fall through pride, deceiving themselves by a kind of derangement into thinking good whatever their mind inclined to. Of these are those whom Wisdom names idle, who strew their ways with thorns; who think zeal for the works of the commandments harmful to the soul; who have set aside the apostolic exhortations and, not eating their own bread decently but clinging to another’s, make idleness their trade of life. From these come the dreamers, who make the illusions of dreams more trustworthy than the teachings of the Gospel and call their fancies revelations. From these are those who creep into houses; and again others who think unsociability and savagery to be virtue, not knowing the fruit of long-suffering and humility. And who could go through all the falls into which people are carried by not being willing to attach themselves to those approved according to God? For from these we have known also those who persevere in fasting to the point of death, as though God were pleased with such sacrifices; and again others who have deserted to the diametrically opposite side, who practise celibacy only in name and differ in nothing from the common life: not only gratifying their belly with what gives pleasure, but openly living with women and calling such cohabitation a brotherhood, as if covering the suspicion of the worse with a more respectable name. Through them this holy and pure pursuit is greatly blasphemed by those outside …
Rom 10:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 30:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Eccl 4:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 4:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 15:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Thess 3:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 3:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 2:24 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The virgin life must be learned from a living, experienced teacher, as languages and medicine are; the young who go alone fall into pride, idleness, false visions, deadly fasting, or sham celibacy that brings scandal.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense; it does not closely match the chapter’s content. The chapter breaks off in the scan (marked …). “The grace is from our own hearth … the workshop of good things” refers to the household of the unnamed teacher (generally taken to be Basil). Gregory criticizes ascetics who lived with women as “brothers” and “sisters” (the practice later called syneisaktism). References: Rom 10:8 (Deut 30:14); Matt 5:19; Matt 16:26; Eccl 4:9–10; Prov 15:19 (Septuagint, the idle strewing their ways with thorns); 2 Thess 3:10–12; 2 Tim 3:6; Rom 2:24.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 23 (PG 46:405b–409c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/23/#p-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 24
24PG 46:409c–416a
[ου μαθεῖν Ὀτι χρὴ τὸν τὴν _dxp[_68tar τοᾷ β ,βούῖἷόίιενοη παρὰ τοῦ κατορθώσαντος διδάσκεσθαι. Οὐκοῦν λυσιτελὲς ἂν εἴη μὴ νομοθετεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τοὺς νέους τὴν τοῦ βίου τούτου ὀδόνο ού γὰρ ἐπιλέλοιπε τὴν ζωην ἡμῶν τὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποδείγματα ἀλλά καὶ σφόδρα-νῦν, είπερ ποτὲ, ἡ σεμνότης ἦν· θησε, καὶ ἑπιγξωριάζει τῷ βίῳ ἡμῶν, πρὸς τὸ ἀκρό τατον ταῖς κατʼ ὀλίγον προσθήκαις ἀκριβωθεῖσαʼ ἧς ἔξεστι μετασχεῖν τὸν τοῖς τοιούτοις ῐχνεσι περιπατοῦντα, καὶ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου τούτου κατόπιν ἑπόμενον, τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναπίμπλασθαι. Καθάπερ γὰρ μιᾶς ὲξαφθείσης λαμπάδος, είς πάντας τοὺς προσεγγίζοντας λύχνους ἡ τῆς φλογὸς διάδοσις γίνεται, οὔτε τοῦ πρώτου φωτὸς ἐλαττουμένου, καὶ τοῖς διὰ μεταλήψεως φωτιζομένοις κατά τὸ ἴσον προσγινομένου · οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοῦ βίου τούτου σεμνότης ἀπὸ τοῦ κατωρθωκότος αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τούς προσεγ. γίζοντας διαδίδοται· ἀληθὴς γὰρ ό προφητικὺς λόγος, τὸν μετὰ όσίου καὶ eoeo» καὶ ὲκλεκτοῦ διάγοντα, τοιοῦτον γίνεσθαι. El δὲ ζητεῖς τά γνωρίσματα, διʼ ὧν ούκ ἐστιν ἁμαρτεῖν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ύποδείγματος, εύκολοςή ὑπογραφή. Ἐὰν ῐδῃς βίον ἀνδρὸς ἐν μέσῳ θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἑστῶτα τὸ ἑκατέρωθεν χρήσιμον είς φιλοσοφίαν αἱρούμενον, οὔτε τὸ ἄπρακτον τοῦ θανάτου καταδεχόμενον ὲν τῇ περὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς προθυμίᾳ, οὔτε ὅλῳ τῷ ποδὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ζωῆς βεδηκᾶτα διά τὴν τῶν κοσμικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀλλοτρίωσιν, ὲν οἷς μὲν σαρκὸς ζωὴ δοκιμάζεται, τῶν νεκρῶν ἀπρακτότερον μὲνοντα, πρὸς δὲ τά τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργα, διʼ ὧν οἱ τῷ πνεύματι ζῶντες ὲπιγινώσκονται, ἀληθῶς ἔμψυχον καὶ ἐνεργὸν καὶ ίσχύοντα, πρὸς τοῦτον βλέπε τὸν κα· νόνα τού βίου· οὖτος ἔστω σοι σκοπός τῆς θείας ζωῆς, καθάπερ τοῖς κυβερνήταις οί ἀειφανείς τῶν ἀστέρων, μίμησαι τούτου καὶ πολιὰν, καὶ νεότητα · μᾶλλον δὲ μίμησαι αὐτοῦ τὸ ὲν μειρακίῳ γῆρας, καὶ τὴν ὲν τῷ γήρᾳ νεότητα ° οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ῥωμαλέον αύτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς δραστήριον ήδη πρὸς γῆρας ἐπικλιθείσης τῆς ἡλικίας ό χρόνος ἠμαύρωσεν, οὔτε ή νεό της ἐνεργὴς ἦν ὲν οἷς νεότης ἐνεργὴς γνωρίζεται ἀλλά τις ἦν μίξις θαυμαστὴ τῶν ἐναντίων ὲν ἑκατέρα ἡλικίᾳ, μᾶλλον ὑπαλλαγή τῶν ἰδιωμάτων. Ἐν γήρᾳ μὲν τῆς δυνάμεως πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν νεαζούσης, εν μειρακίῳ δὲ τῆς νεότητος πρὸς τὸκακδν ἀπρακτούσης. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἔρωτας τῆς ἡλικίας ἐκείνης mξητήσεις, μίμησαι τὸ σφοδρὸν καὶ διάπυρον τοῦ θείου τῆς σοφίας ἔρωτος, ᾧ ἐκ νηπίας cuneatim}? μέχρι γήρως διήρκεσεν. El δὲ ἀδυνατεῇς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὀρᾷν, καθάπερ πρὸς τὸν ήλιον oi. τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐμπαθέστεροι· σὺ δὲ ἀπόβλεψον εἰς τὸν ὐπʼ αὐτῷ τεταγμένον τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν, τοὺς πρὸς μίμησιν τῶν καθʼ ἡλικίαν γενομένων τῷ βίῳ λάμποντας. Τοῦτον τέθεικε σκοπὸν ό Θεὸς τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ζωῇ. Ἐν οἷς πολλοὶ ταῖς ἡλικίαις νεάξοντες, ἐν τῷ καθαρῷ τῆς σωφροσύνης ὲπολιῶθησαν. φθάσαντες τῷ λογισμῷ τὸ γῆρας, καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ παρελθόντες τὸν χρόνον οἳ τὸν τῆς σοφίας ἔρωτα μόνον ἐγνώρισαν, οὐχ ὅτι φύσεως ἑτέρως εῐχον (ὲν ἅπασι γάρ ὴ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατά τοῦ πνεύματος), ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ καλῶς fixo-acati τοῦ εἰπόντος, ὅτι ή σωφροσύνη ξύλον ἐστὶ ζωῆς πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς · ἐπὶ τούτου τοῦ gulae}??? τῆς ζωῆς κλύδωνα ῶσπερ ἐπὶ σχεδίας τινὸς διαπλεῖ· σαντες, είς τὸν λιμένα τοῦ θελήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ καθωρμίσθησαν. Καὶ νῦν ἐν εὐδίᾳ καὶ γαλήνῃ τήν ψνς ἀκύμαντον ἔχουσι, μακαριστοὶ τῆς εύπλοϊαςξοξ τὸ, καθʼ ἑαυτοὺς τῆςάγαθῆς ίλπίδος s ὥπερ ὲ,ξεί τινος ἀσφαλοῦς ἀγκύρας βεβαιωσάμενοι, πόῤῥω των κυμάτων τῆς ταραχῆς ᾐτρεμοῦντες, καθάπερ τούς τινας ἀπὸ ύψηλῆς φρυκτωρίας ν Ϋτὴν τῶξ βίων λαμπρότητα τοῖς ἑπομένοις προέθηδαψ ἔχομεν ὃν ἀποβλέποντες ἀσφαλῶς τὸν xliii: τῶν πειρασμῶν διαφυγεῖνᾸΙΤί μοι ποὶυπραγμὲζξῖέἓ τινες τῶνταῦτα διανοηθέντωλθ ἡττήθηέανῗ καὶεέ ςοῦτο ἁπογινώσκεις ὡς ἀμηχάνου τοῦ πράγματκὶ Πρὸς τὸν κατωρθωκότα βλέπε, atati. θαρῥῶν κατατόλμησον τῆς ἀγαθῆς ναυτιλίας τῇ ἐπιπνοίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου ἓνεύματος, ὑπο κυβερνήτῃ τῷ Χριστῷ ὲν τῷ πηδαλίῳ τῆς εὐφροσύνης εὐθυνόμενος. Οὐδὲ γάρ oi καταβαίνοντες εἰς θάλασσαν ἐν πλοίοις, καὶ ποιοῦντες ὲργασίαν ἐν ὕδασι πολλοῖς, τὸ συμβάν τινι ναυάγιον κώλυμα τῶν ἐλπίδων πεποίηνται · ἀλλά τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐλπίδα ἑαυτῶν προβαλλόμενοι, ἐπὶ τὸ πέρας τοῦ κατεορθὼματος σπεύδουσιν. Ἦ οὐχὶ πάντων ἀτοπώτατον ἂν εἴη, τὸ μὲν σφαλῆναι τινα ὲν τῷ ἠκριβωμένῳ πονηρδν τίθεσθαι, ὅλον δὲ τὸν βίον καταγηρῶντας ὲν σφάλμασιν ἄμεινον ἡγεῖσθαι βουλεύεσθαι ; Ei γὰρ δεῖνὸν εστιν απαξ προσεγγίσαι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, καὶ διὰ Ξῖἔῗᾚῗὲίῖῗξὲ, vi} ξηειρεὲ,ξέῖο ὑψηλοτέρῳ σκοπῷ· πόσῳ χαλεπώτερόν ἐστιν ἐπιτήδευμα βίου τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ποιήσασθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀυιέτογον καθόλου τῆς καθαρωτέρας διαμεῖναι Euri: 2 μέτοχον καθόλου τῆς καθαρωτέρας διαμεῖναι ζωῆς; Πῶς ἀκούῃς τοῦ ὲσταυρωμένου, ὁ ζῶν, τοῦ ἀποθανόντος τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ὁ κατʼ αὐτὴν ὑγιαίνων, τοῦ κελεύοντος τὴν ἀκολούθησιν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, ὥσπερ τι τρόπαιον κατὰ τοῦ Ἀντικειμένου τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος φέροντος, ὁ μὴ σταυρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς σαρκὸς μὴ δεχόμενος; Πῶς πείθῃ τῷ παρακαλοῦντι σε Παύλῳ, παραστῆά σαι τὺ σῶμά σου θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, ὁ συσχηματιζόμενος τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, καὶ μὴ μεταμορφούμενος τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός σου, μηδὲ περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ καινότητι τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζωῆς raptet-nov; Πῶς ἱερατεύεις Θεῷ, καίτοι είς αὐτὸ τοῦτο χρισθεὶς, είς τὸ προσφέρειν δῶρον τῷ Θεῷ, δῶρον δὲ οὐκ ἀλλότριόν τι πάντως, οὐδὲ ὑποβολιμαῖον ὲκ τῶν ἔξωθέν σοι παρεπομένων, ἀλλά τὸ ἀληθῶς σὺν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος, τέλειός τε καὶ ἄμωμος εἶναι ὀφείλων, κατά τὸν περὶ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ νόδ μον, πάσης meo; τε καὶ λώβης ἀπηλλαγμένονς Πῶς οὖν ταῦτα προσοίσεις Θεῷ, ὁ μὴ ἀκούων τοῦ κωλύεσθαι ἱερᾶσθαι τὸν ἄναγνον ; Et δὲ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὲπιιρανῆναί σοι ποθείς, τί οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ Μωσέως, καθαρεύειν ἀπὸ γάμου τῷ λαῷ παραγγέλλοντος, ἵνα χωρήσωσι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐμφάνειαν; Et δὲ μικρά σοι ταῦτα δοκεῖ, τὸ συσταυρωθῆναι Χριστῷ, τὸ παραστῆσαι ἐαυτὺν θυσίαν Θεῷ, τὸ ίερέα γενέσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, τὸ τῆς μεγάλης τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲπιφανείας ἀξιωθῆναι · τί σοι τούτων ἐπινοήσωμεν ὕψη· λότερον, εἴπερ σοι μικρά καὶ τά ἀπὸ τούτων δόξει ; Ἐκ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ συσταυρωθῆναι, καὶ συζῆσαι, καὶ συνδοξασθῆναι, καὶ συμβασιλεῢσαι προσγίνεταν ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν παραστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως καὶ ἀξίας, είς τὴν ἀγγελικὴν ἐστι με· τατάξασθαι. Οὕτω γάρ φησι καὶ ὁ Δανιὴλ, ὅτι «Χία λιαι χιλιάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ. ι '0 δὲ τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἱερωσύνης λαβόμενος, καὶ τῷ μεγάλῳ ἀρχιερεῖ ἑαυτὸν συντάξας, μένει πάντως καὶ αὐτὸς ίε ρεὺς είς τὸν αἰῶνα, οὐκέτι θανάτῳ παραμένειν είς τὸ διηνεκὲς κωλυόμενος. ’1ὀῦ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν εἰπεῖν καταξιωθῆναι ἰδεῖν, οὐκ ἄλλος τίς ἐστιν ὁ καρπὸς, ἢ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ καταξιωθῆναι τὸν Θεὸν ἰδεῖν. Πάσης γὰρ ἐλπίδος ἡ κορυφὴ, καὶ πάσης ἐπιθυμίας, εὐλογίας τε Θεοῦ, ἐπαγγελίας πάσης, καὶ τῶν ἀρρήτων ἀγα.θῶν, τῶν ὑπὲρ αἴσθησίν τε καὶ γνῶσιν πεπιστευμένων, τὸ πέρας καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ καὶ ὁ Μωσῆς ἰδεῖν ἐπεπόθησε, καὶ πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ βασιλεῖς ἐπεθύμησαν ο ἀξιοῦνται δὲ μόνοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, οἱ διὰ τοῦτο ὄντως μακάριοι καὶ ὄντες καὶ ὀνομαζόμενοι, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται · ὧν ἕνεκα καὶ σὲ βουλόμεθα γενέσθαι συσταυρωθέντα Χριστῷ, παραστάντα τῷ Θεῷ ἁγνὸν ἱερέα, καὶ καθαρὸν θῦμα. γενόμενον, ἐν πάσῃ καθαρότητι διὰ τῆς ἁγνείας ἑαυτὸν ὲτοιμάσαντα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρουσίᾳ· ἵνα καὶ αὒτὸς ἴδῃς τὸν Θεὸν ὲν καθαρᾷ τῇ καρδίᾳ, κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ήμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αίῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
[ou mathein Oti chrē ton tēn _dxp[_68tar toą b ,bouiioiienoē para tou katorthōsantos didaskesthai. Oukoun lysiteles an eiē mē nomothetein heautois tous neous tēn tou biou toutou odono ou gar epileloipe tēn zōēn hēmōn ta tōn agathōn hypodeigmata alla kai sphodra-nyn, eiper pote, hē semnotēs ēn; thēse, kai hepinxōriazei tǭ biǭ hēmōn, pros to akro taton tais katʼ oligon prosthēkais akribōtheisaʼ hēs exesti metaschein ton tois toioutois ichnesi peripatounta, kai tēs osmēs tou myrou toutou katopin hepomenon, tēs euōdias tou Christou anapimplasthai. Kathaper gar mias exaphtheisēs lampados, eis pantas tous prosengizontas lychnous hē tēs phlogos diadosis ginetai, oute tou prōtou phōtos elattoumenou, kai tois dia metalēpseōs phōtizomenois kata to ison prosginomenou ; houtō kai hē tou biou toutou semnotēs apo tou katōrthōkotos autēn epi tous proseg. gizontas diadidotai; alēthēs gar o prophētikys logos, ton meta osiou kai eoeo» kai eklektou diagonta, toiouton ginesthai. El de zēteis ta gnōrismata, diʼ hōn ouk estin hamartein tou agathou ypodeigmatos, eukolosē hypographē. Ean idę̄s bion andros en mesǭ thanatou kai zōēs hestōta to hekaterōthen chrēsimon eis philosophian hairoumenon, oute to aprakton tou thanatou katadechomenon en tę̄ peri tas entolas prothymią, oute holǭ tǭ podi epi tēs zōēs bedēkata dia tēn tōn kosmikōn epithymiōn allotriōsin, en hois men sarkos zōē dokimazetai, tōn nekrōn apraktoteron menonta, pros de ta tēs aretēs erga, diʼ hōn hoi tǭ pneumati zōntes epiginōskontai, alēthōs empsychon kai energon kai ischyonta, pros touton blepe ton ka; nona tou biou; outos estō soi skopos tēs theias zōēs, kathaper tois kybernētais oi aeiphaneis tōn asterōn, mimēsai toutou kai polian, kai neotēta ; mallon de mimēsai autou to en meirakiǭ gēras, kai tēn en tǭ gērą neotēta ° oute gar to rhōmaleon autou tēs psychēs drastērion ēdē pros gēras epiklitheisēs tēs hēlikias o chronos ēmaurōsen, oute ē neo tēs energēs ēn en hois neotēs energēs gnōrizetai alla tis ēn mixis thaumastē tōn enantiōn en hekatera hēlikią, mallon hypallagē tōn idiōmatōn. En gērą men tēs dynameōs pros to agathon neazousēs, en meirakiǭ de tēs neotētos pros tokakdn apraktousēs. Ei de kai tous erōtas tēs hēlikias ekeinēs mxētēseis, mimēsai to sphodron kai diapyron tou theiou tēs sophias erōtos, hǭ ek nēpias cuneatim}? mechri gērōs diērkesen. El de adynateę̄s pros auton orąn, kathaper pros ton ēlion oi. tous ophthalmous empathesteroi; sy de apoblepson eis ton ypʼ autǭ tetagmenon tōn hagiōn choron, tous pros mimēsin tōn kathʼ hēlikian genomenōn tǭ biǭ lampontas. Touton tetheike skopon o Theos tę̄ hēmeterą zōę̄. En hois polloi tais hēlikiais neaxontes, en tǭ katharǭ tēs sōphrosynēs epoliōthēsan. phthasantes tǭ logismǭ to gēras, kai tǭ tropǭ parelthontes ton chronon hoi ton tēs sophias erōta monon egnōrisan, ouch hoti physeōs heterōs eichon (en hapasi gar ē sarx epithymei kata tou pneumatos), allʼ epeidē kalōs fixo-acati tou eipontos, hoti ē sōphrosynē xylon esti zōēs pasi tois antechomenois autēs ; epi toutou tou gulae}??? tēs zōēs klydōna ōsper epi schedias tinos diaplei; santes, eis ton limena tou thelēmatos tou Theou kathōrmisthēsan. Kai nyn en eudią kai galēnę̄ tēn psns akymanton echousi, makaristoi tēs euploïasxox to, kathʼ heautous tēsagathēs ilpidos s hōper e,xei tinos asphalous ankyras bebaiōsamenoi, porrhō tōn kymatōn tēs tarachēs ę̄tremountes, kathaper tous tinas apo ypsēlēs phryktōrias n Ÿtēn tōx biōn lamprotēta tois hepomenois proethēdaps echomen hon apoblepontes asphalōs ton xliii: tōn peirasmōn diaphygeinAITi moi poiypragmezxiee tines tōntauta dianoēthentōlth hēttēthēeanï kaiee souto hapoginōskeis hōs amēchanou tou pragmatki Pros ton katōrthōkota blepe, atati. tharrhōn katatolmēson tēs agathēs nautilias tę̄ epipnoią tou hagiou heneumatos, hypo kybernētę̄ tǭ Christǭ en tǭ pēdaliǭ tēs euphrosynēs euthynomenos. Oude gar oi katabainontes eis thalassan en ploiois, kai poiountes ergasian en hydasi pollois, to symban tini nauagion kōlyma tōn elpidōn pepoiēntai ; alla tēn agathēn elpida heautōn proballomenoi, epi to peras tou kateorthōmatos speudousin. Ē ouchi pantōn atopōtaton an eiē, to men sphalēnai tina en tǭ ēkribōmenǭ ponērdn tithesthai, holon de ton bion katagērōntas en sphalmasin ameinon hēgeisthai bouleuesthai ? Ei gar deinon estin apax prosengisai tę̄ hamartią, kai dia XieïĘ̄ïeiiïxe, vi} xēeiree,xeio hypsēloterǭ skopǭ; posǭ chalepōteron estin epitēdeuma biou tēn hamartian poiēsasthai, kai dia touto auietogon katholou tēs katharōteras diameinai Euri: 2 metochon katholou tēs katharōteras diameinai zōēs? Pōs akouę̄s tou estaurōmenou, ho zōn, tou apothanontos tę̄ hamartią, ho katʼ autēn hygiainōn, tou keleuontos tēn akolouthēsin opisō autou, hōsper ti tropaion kata tou Antikeimenou ton stauron epi tou sōmatos pherontos, ho mē stauroumenos tǭ kosmǭ, kai tēn nekrōsin tēs sarkos mē dechomenos? Pōs peithę̄ tǭ parakalounti se Paulǭ, parastēa sai ty sōma sou thysian zōsan, hagian, euareston tǭ Theǭ, ho syschēmatizomenos tǭ aiōni toutǭ, kai mē metamorphoumenos tę̄ anakainōsei tou noos sou, mēde peripatōn en tę̄ kainotēti tēs zōēs tautēs, allʼ eti tēn akolouthian tēs tou palaiou anthrōpou zōēs raptet-nov? Pōs hierateueis Theǭ, kaitoi eis auto touto christheis, eis to prospherein dōron tǭ Theǭ, dōron de ouk allotrion ti pantōs, oude hypobolimaion ek tōn exōthen soi parepomenōn, alla to alēthōs syn, hoper estin ho esō anthrōpos, teleios te kai amōmos einai opheilōn, kata ton peri tou amnou nod mon, pasēs meo? te kai lōbēs apēllagmenons Pōs oun tauta prosoiseis Theǭ, ho mē akouōn tou kōlyesthai hierasthai ton anagnon ? Et de kai ton Theon epiiranēnai soi potheis, ti ouk akoueis tou Mōseōs, kathareuein apo gamou tǭ laǭ parangellontos, hina chōrēsōsi tou Theou tēn emphaneian? Et de mikra soi tauta dokei, to systaurōthēnai Christǭ, to parastēsai eautyn thysian Theǭ, to ierea genesthai tou Theou tou hypsistou, to tēs megalēs tou Theou epiphaneias axiōthēnai ; ti soi toutōn epinoēsōmen hypsē; loteron, eiper soi mikra kai ta apo toutōn doxei ? Ek men gar tou systaurōthēnai, kai syzēsai, kai syndoxasthēnai, kai symbasileÿsai prosginetan ek de tou heauton parastēsai tǭ Theǭ, apo tēs anthrōpinēs physeōs kai axias, eis tēn angelikēn esti me; tataxasthai. Houtō gar phēsi kai ho Daniēl, hoti «Chia liai chiliades pareistēkeisan autǭ. i '0 de tēs alēthinēs hierōsynēs labomenos, kai tǭ megalǭ archierei heauton syntaxas, menei pantōs kai autos ie reus eis ton aiōna, ouketi thanatǭ paramenein eis to diēnekes kōlyomenos. ’1ou de ton Theon eipein kataxiōthēnai idein, ouk allos tis estin ho karpos, ē auto touto to kataxiōthēnai ton Theon idein. Pasēs gar elpidos hē koryphē, kai pasēs epithymias, eulogias te Theou, epangelias pasēs, kai tōn arrētōn aga.thōn, tōn hyper aisthēsin te kai gnōsin pepisteumenōn, to peras kai to kephalaion touto estin, ho kai ho Mōsēs idein epepothēse, kai polloi prophētai kai basileis epethymēsan o axiountai de monoi hoi katharoi tę̄ kardią, hoi dia touto ontōs makarioi kai ontes kai onomazomenoi, hoti autoi ton Theon opsontai ; hōn heneka kai se boulometha genesthai systaurōthenta Christǭ, parastanta tǭ Theǭ hagnon hierea, kai katharon thyma. genomenon, en pasę̄ katharotēti dia tēs hagneias heauton etoimasanta tę̄ tou Theou parousią; hina kai autos idę̄s ton Theon en katharą tę̄ kardią, kata tēn epangelian tou Theou kai Sōtēros ēmōn Iēsou Christou, hǭ hē doxa eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn.
That one who wishes to learn the exactness of this life must be taught by one who has achieved it. It would be profitable, then, for the young not to make laws for themselves on the road of this life; for examples of good things have not failed our life; rather, now more than ever, holiness has flourished and dwells in our life, made exact to the summit by gradual additions; and one who walks in such footsteps and follows behind the scent of this ointment can share in it and be filled with the fragrance of Christ. For as, when one torch is lit, the flame is passed on to all the lamps that come near it, the first light not being diminished and coming equally to those lit by sharing in it, so the holiness of this life is passed on from one who has achieved it to those who come near. For the prophetic saying is true, that one who lives with the holy, the innocent, and the elect becomes such himself. And if you seek the marks by which one cannot miss the good example, the description is easy. If you see the life of a man standing between death and life, choosing for philosophy what is useful from each: not accepting the inactivity of death in his zeal for the commandments, nor standing with his whole foot in life because of his estrangement from worldly desires; more inactive than the dead in the things by which the life of the flesh is tested, but truly alive, active, and strong for the works of virtue by which those who live by the Spirit are known: look to this rule of life. Let this be for you the mark of the divine life, as the ever-visible stars are for pilots. Imitate both his grey hairs and his youth; or rather, imitate his old age in youth and his youth in old age. For time has not dimmed the vigorous activity of his soul now that his age has inclined toward old age; nor was his youth active in the things in which youth is known to be active; but there was a wonderful mixture of opposites in each age, or rather an exchange of properties: in old age his power was young for the good; in youth his youthfulness was inactive for evil. And if you seek the loves of that age too, imitate the vehemence and fire of the divine love of wisdom, which lasted with him from infancy to old age. But if you cannot look at him, as those whose eyes are weak cannot look at the sun, look at the choir of the saints ranked under him, who shine in their life as models for imitation by those of their own age. God has set this mark for our life. Among them many, young in years, have grown grey in the purity of self-control, outrunning old age by their reasoning and passing beyond time by their character; they knew only the love of wisdom, not because they had a different nature (for in all the flesh desires against the spirit), but because they listened well to him who said that self-control is a tree of life to all who hold to it. Having sailed across the surge of life on this tree as on a raft, they have come to anchor in the harbour of the will of God. And now in fair weather and calm they keep their soul untroubled by waves, blessed for their good voyage, having made themselves fast on the good hope as on a sure anchor, resting far from the waves of turmoil; and like men on a high beacon tower they have set out the brightness of their lives for those who follow; and we have them to look to, so as to escape safely the surge of temptations. Why do you busy yourself about whether some of those who intended these things have been overcome, and on that account despair of the matter as impossible? Look to the one who has achieved it, and boldly venture on the good voyage with the breath of the Holy Spirit, steered by Christ as pilot at the helm of gladness. For neither do those who go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters make a shipwreck that befell someone a hindrance to their hopes; but, holding out their good hope before them, they hasten to the end of their achievement. Or would it not be the most absurd thing of all to think it bad that someone has stumbled in the life of exactness, while thinking it better to grow old for a whole lifetime in stumbles? For if it is a terrible thing to draw near to sin once, and through … a higher aim, how much harder it is to make sin the practice of one’s life and for that reason to remain wholly without share in the purer life? How do you hear the Crucified, you who are living; him who died to sin, you who are healthy in it; him who commands us to follow behind him, bearing the cross on his body like a trophy against the Adversary, you who are not crucified to the world and do not accept the deadening of the flesh? How do you obey Paul when he urges you to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, you who are conformed to this age and not transformed by the renewal of your mind, nor walking in the newness of this life, but still … the course of the life of the old man? How do you act as a priest to God, though you were anointed for this very thing, to offer a gift to God? And the gift is certainly not something foreign or counterfeit from things that accompany you from outside, but what is truly yours, that is, the inner man, who ought to be perfect and blameless, according to the law about the lamb, free from every spot and blemish. How, then, will you offer these to God, if you do not listen to the law forbidding the impure to act as priest? And if you long for God to appear to you, why do you not listen to Moses, who commanded the people to keep pure from marriage so that they might receive the manifestation of God? But if these things seem small to you, to be crucified with Christ, to present yourself as a sacrifice to God, to become a priest of God most high, to be counted worthy of the great manifestation of God, what higher thing can we devise for you, if even the results of these seem small to you? For from being crucified with him comes living with him, being glorified with him, and reigning with him; and from presenting oneself to God comes being transferred from human nature and rank to that of the angels. For so Daniel says: “Thousands of thousands stood before him.” And one who has taken hold of the true priesthood and ranked himself with the great High Priest remains himself also a priest forever, no longer prevented by death from continuing forever. And the fruit of being counted worthy to see God is nothing else than this very thing, being counted worthy to see God. For this is the summit of every hope and every desire, of God’s blessing and every promise, and the end and sum of the ineffable goods believed to be beyond sense and knowledge; which Moses too longed to see, and many prophets and kings desired; but only the pure in heart are counted worthy of it, who for this reason truly are and are called blessed, because they will see God. For their sake we want you too to be crucified with Christ, to stand before God as a holy priest, to become a pure sacrifice, having prepared yourself in all purity through chastity for the coming of God, so that you too may see God with a pure heart, according to the promise of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to the ages of ages.
Song 1:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 2:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 18:25 (17:26 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 3:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 6:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 107:23 (106:23 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 12:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 6:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 4:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Pet 2:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 12:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 21:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 19:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 2:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 8:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 7:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 7:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 33:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Titus 2:13 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The young should learn the virgin life from a living master (the unnamed bishop, old in youth and young in age) and his disciples, not despairing at others’ failures; crucified with Christ, offering themselves as priests and sacrifices, the pure in heart will see God.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. The unnamed master described here is generally taken to be Basil of Caesarea (see the preface). Several passages are badly garbled in the scan and are marked … where they cannot be read; others are translated by sense (“on this tree as on a raft”). Gregory adapts Prov 3:18 to say “self-control is a tree of life.” His appeal to Exod 19:15 (abstaining from marriage before God’s appearing) and to the law barring the impure from priestly service (Lev 21–22) is translated exactly as written; “anointed … to act as priest” refers to the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6). References also: Song 1:3–4; 2 Cor 2:15; Ps 18:25–26 (17:26–27 LXX); Gal 5:17; Heb 6:19; Ps 107:23 (106:23 LXX); Rom 6:10; Matt 16:24; Gal 6:14; Rom 12:1–2; Rom 6:4; Eph 4:22; Exod 12:5; Gen 14:18; Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 2:11–12; Dan 7:10; Heb 7:23–24; Exod 33:18; Matt 13:17; Matt 5:8; Titus 2:13.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 24 (PG 46:409c–416a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/23/#p-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.