The Sayings of the Elders (Verba seniorum, Book VII)
How one must live in the monasteries
Quomodo in cœnobiis vivendum sit.
Cum quidam adolescens frater abbatem Agathonem requireret, dicens: Volo permanere cum fratribus; dic mihi quomodo habitem cum ipsis? Respondit ei senex: Observa præ omnibus hoc, ut qualis primo die ingrederis apud ipsos, talis reliquum peragas tempus, et cum quiete adimplebis peregrinationem tuam. Custodi enim, ne quando fiduciam loquendi assumas, dicente Apostolo: Nemo militans Christo, implicat se negotiis sæcularibus.
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Item dixit Agathon: Si habitas cum proximo, esto sicut columna lapidea, quæ si injuriatur, non irascitur; si glorificatur, non extollitur.
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Abbas Pimenius abbatem Nesteronem sedentem in cœnobio requisivit, dicens: Unde adeptus es hanc virtutem, frater, ut quotiescunque tribulatio contigit in cœnobio, neque loquaris, neque mediator accedas? Et cum nollet dicere, postea compulsus a sene, dixit: Indulge mihi, abba, quia in principio quando ingressus sum, dixi cogitationi meæ: Ecce. tu et hic asinus estis pares. Sicut enim hic asinus vapulat, et non loquitur; injuriatur, et nihil respondet; ita ergo esto et tu, nam sic dicit et psalmus: Ut jumentum factus sum apud te, et ego semper tecum.
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Cum aliquando gens Mazicorum in Scythi superveniens, multos ex Patribus occidisset, abbas Pimenius una cum alio Patre seniore, nomine Anub, et cum aliis quinque Patribus fugiens inde, venit ad locum qui dicitur Terenuthi; et invenerunt ibi templum antiquum desertum, et manserunt in eo hi septem pariter, donec cognoscerent ubi unusquisque in Ægypto mansurus esset. Decreverunt autem inter se, dicentes: Septimana hac unusquisque requiescat apud se, et alter ad alterum non loquatur. Cum autem id facerent, erat in templo illo statua cujusdam idoli. Abbas ergo Anub exsurgens, mane lapidabat eam in facie; et vespere veniens, dicebat ad eam: Peccavi, indulge mihi. Et sic fecit per totam hebdomadam. Die autem Sabbati, cum venissent pariter, dixit ei abbas Pimenius: Quid voluisti hac tota hebdomada facere, ut homo fidelis diceres idolo, Indulge mihi. Dixit ei senex Anub: Hoc ego propter vos feci; dicite mihi, nunquid quando hoc idolum lapidabam, locutum est aut iratum? aut quando indulgentiam petebam, nunquid exaltavit se aut gloriatum est? Cui abbas Pimenius respondit: Non utique. Tunc dixit senex: Fratres ecce septem sumus, si vultis ergo pariter manere, ut lucrum animæ faciamus, sit idolum nobis istud in exemplum, ne quando injuriatur aliquis, irascatur; ne quando ab eo venia petitur, glorietur, aut extollatur; si autem ita non vultis, unusquisque vadat quo vult. At illi projicientes se in terram, spoponderunt se ita facturos: et sic permanserunt per multos annos, cum magna humilitate et abstinentia, unum ex ipsis facientes dispensatorem. Et erat eis perfectio, et unum desiderium; et quidquid positum esset in mensa, reficiebantur, nullo dicente: Affer nobis illud: aut, Istud nolo comedere. Quatuor siquidem horas dormiebant in nocte, et quatuor psallebant, et quatuor operabantur. In die vero per intervalla horarum officiis divinis insistebant, operantes et legentes, et fundentes folia palmarum, usque ad horam nonam. Post hoc vero victum sibi præparabant, colligentes quasdam herbas terræ.
Once a tribe of Mazici burst into the Scetic desert, and killed many of the fathers who dwelt there. Seven of the fathers found safety in flight, among whom were the abbot Pimenius, and another older abbot called Anub. These seven came in their flight to Terenuthi. There they found an ancient temple of some heathen god, now deserted by the worshippers. Into it they entered, meaning to dwell together for a week without speaking to each other, while each sought a place where to build his solitary cell, for in the Scetic desert these seven had lived as hermits. Now, there was in the temple an image of the ancient idol. The abbot Anub guessed the thought of dwelling together which had entered the minds of the brethren. He therefore, when he rose in the morning, used to cast a stone at the face of the idol. In the evening he used to speak to it, and say, “I have done wrong. Pardon me.” On the Sabbath day, when the brethren met together, the abbot Pimenius said to him, “How is it that you, a Christian man, have for a whole week been saying to an idol, Pardon me?” The abbot Anub replied to him, “I did this for your sakes. When I cast stones at the idol, was it angry? Did it speak to rebuke me? When I asked pardon of it, was it pleased? Did it boast?” The abbot Pimenius answered, “Surely no, my brother.” Then said the abbot Anub, “We seven are here together. If we wish to remain thus and yet find profit for our souls, this idol must be our example. When one of us is insulted or vexed by another, he must not get angry. When one of us is asked for pardon by his brother, he must not be puffed up. If we are not willing thus to live together it is better for each of us to depart to whatever place he wishes.” Then all of them fell upon their faces to the earth, and promised that they would do as he advised.
Latin text: Verba seniorum, Book VII of the Vitae Patrum, translated from the Greek by Paschasius of Dumium for Abbot Martin (Martin of Braga), in H. Rosweyde’s edition as reprinted in Migne’s Patrologia Latina, vol. 73 (1879 reprint), cols. 1025–1062, checked against the scans; without the editor’s notes and cross-references, and without the Greek text of chapter XLIV printed in the notes. · English translation by James O. Hannay († 1950), The Wisdom of the Desert, London, Methuen, 1904 — a selection: he translates fourteen sayings of this book; the others, the prologue and the chapter titles are given in Latin only. His captions are not reproduced. One sentence he added (VII.25.4) is not reproduced; his linking sentence in VII.42.4 is kept because the next sentence depends on it. Collated with the 1904 print. Public-domain text in France (art. L123-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code). Transcription and revision: Abbatia Sancti Petri de Curte. Report an error