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Ἀρχὴ τοῦ Ρ στοιχείου.

First [Saying] of Section R

Περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ τοῦ Ῥωμαίου.

Concerning the Appa from Rome.

αʹ. Ἦλθέ ποτε μοναχός τις Ῥωμαῖος, καὶ ᾤκη-
σεν ἐν Σκήτει ἐγγύτερον τῆς ἐκκλησίας· εἶχε δὲ καὶ
ἕνα δοῦλον ὑπηρετοῦντα αὐτῷ. Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτε-
ρος τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μαθὼν ἐκ ποίας ἀνα-
παύσεώς ἐστιν, εἴ τι ᾠκονόμει καὶ ἤρχετο εἰς τὴν
ἐκκλησίαν, ἔπεμπεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ ποιήσας εἰκοσιπέντε
ἔτη ἐν Σκήτει, γέγονε διορατικὸς καὶ ὀνομαστός.

There was once a monastic who was from Rome and he lived in Sketis near the church; he even had a servant looking after him. The Elder, seeing his sickness and learning the sort of restfulness it is [that it was caused by illness], used to send whatever was given to the stewardship of the church to him. When he had been in Sketis twenty-five years, he became a man of discernment and [made a] name [for himself].

Ἀκούσας δέ τις τῶν μεγάλων Αἰγυπτίων περὶ αὐτοῦ,
ἦλθεν ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν, προσδοκῶν σωματικήν τινα πολι-
τείαν περισσοτέραν εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῷ. Εἰσελθὼν δὲ
ἠσπάσατο αὐτόν· καὶ ποιήσαντες εὐχὴν ἐκάθισαν.
Βλέπει δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Αἰγύπτιος φοροῦντα ἱμάτια τρυ-
φερὰ, καὶ χαράδριον καὶ δέρμα ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ,
καὶ προσκεφάλαιον μικρόν· ἔχοντα δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόδας
καθαρούς μετὰ σανδαλίων· καὶ ταῦτα ἰδὼν ἐσκανδα-
λίσθη, ὅτι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὐχ ὑπῆρχε τοιαύτη διαγωγὴ,
ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον σκληραγωγία.

A certain Egyptian, hearing of his great [achievements], came to see him, expecting to find some kind of extraordinary acetic lifestyle (conduct of the body). [The Egyptian] came in and he greeted him and they prayed and sat down. Then, however, the Egyptian saw the comfortable clothing on him, and the reeds and [animal] skin under him and [his] small pillow, and also that he had clean feet and was wearing sandals. When he had seen these things, he was scandalized, because such a way of life had not [yet] come to that place but it was [a] very severe [way of life].

Καὶ διορατικὸς ὢν ὁ γέ-
ρων ἐνόησεν ὅτι ἐσκανδαλίσθη, καὶ λέγει τῷ ὑπηρε-
τοῦντι αὐτόν· Ποίησον ἡμῖν ἑορτὴν διὰ τὸν ἀββᾶν
σήμερον. Εὐκαίρησε δὲ μικρὸν λάχανον, καὶ ἥψησε·
καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀναστάντες ἔφαγον. Εἶχε δὲ καὶ μικρὸν
οἶνον διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτοῦ ὁ γέρων· καὶ ἔπιον.
Καὶ ὡς ἐγένετο ὀψὲ, ἔβαλον τοὺς δώδεκα ψαλμοὺς,
καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν νύκτα. Ἀναστὰς
δὲ τὸ πρωῒ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος, λέγει αὐτῷ· Εὖξαι ὑπὲρ
ἐμοῦ. Καὶ ἐξῆλθε μὴ ὠφεληθείς.

The old man, though, because he was discerning, knew that [the Egyptian] was scandalized and he said to his servant, “Make a feast for us today [in honor of] the Appa.” At the right time, he took up a few dried vegetables and boiled them and when the time (hour) [came] they got up and ate. The old man had a little wine, because of his sickness so they drank [it]. Since it was late, they said the Twelve Psalms and were lulled (to sleep) and passed the (whole) night in that way. Early the [next] day, the Egyptian got up [and] said, “pray for me,” but he went away without learning anything (being helped).

Καὶ ὡς ἀπῆλθε
μικρὸν, θέλων ὁ γέρων ὠφελῆσαι αὐτὸν πέμψας μετ-
εκαλέσατο αὐτόν· καὶ ὡς ἦλθε, μετὰ χαρᾶς πάλιν
ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν, λέγων·
Ποίας χώρας εἶ; Καὶ λέγει· Αἰγύπτιος. Ποίας
δὲ πόλεως; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Ἐγὼ ὅλως οὐκ εἰμὶ πολίτης.
Καὶ λέγει· Τί ἦν τὸ ἔργον σου εἰς τὴν κώμην σου;
Καὶ λέγει· Τηρητής. Καὶ λέγει· Ποῦ ἐκοιμῶ; Ὁ δὲ
εἶπεν· Εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν. Εἶχες, φησὶ, στρωμνὴν ὑπο-
κάτω σου; Καὶ λέγει· Ναὶ, εἰς ἀγρὸν εἶχον θεῖναι
στρῶμα ὑποκάτω μου; Ἀλλὰ πῶς· Εἶπε δέ· Χαμαί.
Λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν· Καὶ τί εἶχες βρῶμα εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν;
ἢ ποῖον οἶνον ἔπινες; Ἀπεκρίθη πάλιν· Ἔνι βρῶμα
ἢ πόμα εἰς ἀγρόν; Ἀλλὰ πῶς ἔζης; φησί. Λέγει·
Ἤσθιον ξηρὸν ἄρτον, καὶ εἰ εὕρισκον μικρὸν ταρί-
χιν, καὶ ὕδωρ. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ γέρων εἶπε· Μέγας
κόπος. Ἔνι δὲ καὶ βαλανεῖον εἰς τὴν κώμην, ἵνα
λούησθε; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Οὐχί· ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν
ὅτε θέλομεν.

When [the Egyptian] had gone a short distance away, the old man, wanting to help him, sent [his servant] to call him back (that he might be called back). He received him again with joy, and he begged him, saying, “Where are you from?” He answered, “Egypt.” “From what city?” He answered, though, “In my whole life I [have] not [been] a citizen [of any city].” So he asked, “What did you do for work in your country?” He answered, “I watched [sheep?] (was a keeper).” How did you sleep?” Then he said, “In the field.” “Did you have a blanket [to sleep on]? he asked. He [answered], “Yes, in the field I had a blanket I slept on (under me). “But how,” he asked. “On the ground. He asked him again, “So, did you have meat in the field? And (or) what sort of wine did you drink?” Again he asked, “ [Was there] food or drink in the field?” “But how did you live?” He said. “I ate dry bread and a little salted [fish] if I found it, and [I drank] water. So the old man asked, “[Was it] hard work? Was there a bath-house in the country, so that you could was yourself?” He said, “No, I bathed in the river if I wanted to.

Ὡς οὖν ἐξέλαβεν αὐτὸν ὁ γέρων εἰς
ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ ἔμαθε τοῦ προτέρου βίου αὐτοῦ
τὴν θλῖψιν, θέλων αὐτὸν ὠφελῆσαι, διηγήσατο αὐτῷ
τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ διαγωγὴν τὴν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ,
λέγων· Ἐμὲ τὸν ταπεινὸν ὃν βλέπεις, ἐκ τῆς μεγά-
λης πόλεως Ῥώμης εἰμὶ, καὶ μέγας γέγονα εἰς τὸ
παλάτιον τοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ ὡς ἤκουσε ὁ Αἰγύπτιος
τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ λόγου, κατενύγη, καὶ ἤκουεν ἀκριβῶς
τὰ λεγόμενα παρ’ αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν δὲ λέγει αὐτῷ·
Κατέλιπον οὖν τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον
ταύτην· καὶ πάλιν ἐμὲ ὃν βλέπεις, οἴκους μεγάλους
εἶχον καὶ χρήματα πολλά· καὶ καταφρονήσας αὐ-
τῶν, ἦλθον εἰς τὸ μικρὸν κελλίον τοῦτο· καὶ πάλιν ἐμὲ
ὃν βλέπεις, κραββάτους εἶχον ὁλοχρύσους, ἔχοντας
πολυτίμους στρωμνάς· καὶ ἀντ’ αὐτῶν, δέδωκέ μοι ὁ
Θεὸς τὸ χαράδριον τοῦτο καὶ τὸ δέρμα· πάλιν τὰ ἐν-
δύματά μου πολλῆς τιμῆς ἄξια ἦν· καὶ ἀντὶ ἐκείνων,
φορῶ τὰ εὐτελῆ ταῦτα ἱμάτια· πάλιν εἰς τὸ ἄριστόν
μου πολὺ χρυσίον ἀνηλίσκετο· καὶ ἀντὶ ἐκείνου,
ἔδωκέ μοι ὁ Θεὸς τὸ μικρὸν λάχανον τοῦτο, καὶ τὸ
μικρὸν ποτήριον τοῦ οἴνου. Ἦσαν δὲ οἱ ὑπηρετοῦντές
μοι παῖδες πολλοί· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀντ’ ἐκείνων, κατένυξεν
ὁ Θεὸς τὸν γέροντα τοῦτον ὑπηρετῆσαί μοι· ἀντὶ δὲ
βαλανείου, βάλλω τὸ μικρὸν ὕδωρ εἰς τοὺς πόδας
μου, καὶ τὰ σανδάλια διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειάν μου· πάλιν
ἀντὶ μουσικῶν καὶ κιθαρῶν, λέγω τοὺς δώδεκα ψαλ-
μούς· ὁμοίως καὶ τὴν νύκτα, ἀντὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν
ὦν ἐποίουν, ἄρτι μετὰ ἀναπαύσεως ποιῶ μικράν μου
λειτουργίαν. Παρακαλῶ οὖν σε, ἀββᾶ, μὴ σκανδαλι-
σθῇς εἰς τὴν ἀσθένειάν μου.

Therefore, when the old man took all of these things in and he learned of the suffering of his former life, he wanted to help him and he described his [own] former way of life in the world [to the Egyptian] saying, “The humble me which you see, [I am] from the greatest city, I am a Roman. Indeed, I became the greatest [of those] in the palace of the king.” When the Egyptian heard the beginning of the story (word), he was moved and he listened intently to the things that he said for his benefit. He began to speak to him again, “So then, I left the city behind, and I came into this desert, once again, me, [the very same person] whom you are watching, I had a mansion and many things to meet my needs, and I despised them. I came to this small room (cell), once again, me, [the very same person] whom you are watching, I had beds of solid gold, I had the highest quality of blankets, and in place of these God has given me this reed [mat] and [animal] skin [on which I lie]. Again, my vestments were worth a great price and in their place I am wearing these shriveling, cheap garments. Again, I used to spend a great deal of gold on breakfast, and, in its place, God gave me this small [amount of] dried vegetables and this small cup of wine. There were many servants who cared for me and, behold, in place of all of these, God moved this old man to take care of me. In place of the bath-house, I splash a small amount of water onto my feet, and [I wear] sandals because of my sickness. Again, in place of musicians and singers (phps. Harp players), I tell you he has given the Twelve Psalms in the same way at night. In place of the sins which I have committed, until I shall find (make) refreshment, [he has given me] this short service. Therefore, I encourage you, Appa, not to be scandalized by my weakness.

Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Αἰ-
γύπτιος, εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐλθὼν, εἶπεν· Οὐαί μοι, ὅτι ἀπὸ
πολλῆς θλίψεως τοῦ κόσμου εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν ἦλθον,
καὶ ἃ οὐκ εἶχον τότε, νῦν ἔχω· σὺ δὲ ἀπὸ πολλῆς
ἀναπαύσεως εἰς θλῖψιν ἦλθες, καὶ ἀπὸ πολλῆς δόξης
καὶ πλούτου ἦλθες εἰς ταπείνωσιν καὶ πτωχείαν.

Hearing these things, the Egyptian, examined himself and said, “Woe is me, because I came from great worldly suffering to this refreshment but what I did not have then, I do have now. But you came from great refreshment to this suffering, and you came from great glory and wealth to humility and poverty.

Πολλὰ δὲ ὠφεληθεὶς ἀπῆλθε, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ
φίλος, καὶ παρέβαλλεν αὐτῷ συχνῶς δι’ ὠφέλειαν·
ἦν γὰρ ἀνὴρ διακριτικὸς, καὶ πλήρης εὐωδίας τοῦ
ἁγίου Πνεύματος.

Then he went away, greatly encouraged, and he became his friend, and he stayed with him for a long time for help. For he was an discerning man and filled with the aroma of the Holy Spirit.