The Anonymous Sayings of the Desert Fathers: A Select Edition and Complete English Translation

The Tales and Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) are a key source of evidence for the practice and theory respectively of eremitic monasticism, a significant phenomenon within the early history of Christianity. The publication of this book finally ensures the availability of all three major collections which constitute the work, edited and translated into English. Richer in Tales than the 'Alphabetic' collection to which this is an appendix (both to be dated c.AD 500), the 'Anonymous' collection presented in this volume furnishes almost as much material for the study of the late antique world from which the monk sought to escape as it does for the monastic endeavour itself. More material continued to be added well into the seventh century, and so the spread and gradual evolution of monasticism are illustrated here over a period of about two and a half centuries. Cover 1 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 8 Note on the translation 9 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 11 Ἀποφθέγματα τῶν ἁγίων γερόντων 18 Sayings of the holy elders 19 CONCERNING IMPERIAL OFFICIALS 41 CONCERNING THE HOLY HABIT OF MONKS 61 CONCERNING ANCHORITES 93 THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE HÊSYCHIAAND GRIEF FOR SIN 103 CONCERNING TEMPERANCE [EGKRATEIA] 109 ON THE BATTLE THAT RISES AGAINST US FROM PORNEIA 119 ON DISCRETION 165 THAT ONE MUST BE ON HIS GUARD AGAINSTJUDGING ANYBODY 183 THAT NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE FOR OSTENTATIONAND THAT AVARICE SHOULD BE REPUDIATED 185 ON THE NECESSITY OF BEING JOYFULLYCOMPASSIONATE AND HOSPITABLE 197 ON HUMBLE-MINDEDNESS 211 CONCERNING CHARITY 235 ON THOSE WHO HAVE THE GIFT OF SECOND SIGHT 245 CONCERNING PORNEIA 303 Select bibliography 654 Index 656