Letter 373

To Hilarion the Monk, formerly an Advocate. At long last you have consented to imitate the man of old [an allusion to Alcmaeon, who in the myth wandered, driven by madness, until he reached the Echinades], who, after reaching the Echinades [islands at the mouth of the river Achelous], ceased from his wandering. For going around everywhere, and being unsettled, and rushing about here and there without any compelling reason or great necessity, and changing place after place, and exchanging bed after bed in the likeness of hares—how shall any sensible person approve of this? Sit, then, in the monastery, settled and immovable, practicing stillness and keeping death in view, watching for when it will come, so that, having well departed, you may rejoice forever at the feet of Christ.

Μόλις ποτὲ μιμήσασθαι κατεδέξω τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἀρχαῖον, μετὰ [τὸ] τῶν Ἐχινάδων ἐπιτυχεῖν πανσάμενον τῆς ἄλης. Τὸ γὰρ περιέρχεσθαι πανταχοῦ, καὶ ἀστατεῖν, καὶ ὧδε κἀκεῖ περικορύεσθαι δίχα ἀπαραιτήτου τινός, καὶ μεγάλης ἀνάγκης, καὶ τόπον ἐκ τόπου μεταλλάττειν, καὶ κοίτην ἐκ κοίτης ἀμοίβειν κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τῶν λαγωῶν, πῶς τις ἀποδέξεται τῶν εὖ φρονούντων; Κάθου τοίνυν ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ ἑδραῖος, καὶ ἀμετακίνητος, ἡσυχίαν τε ἀσκῶν, καὶ περιβλεπόμενος τὸν θάνατον, πότε ἥξει, ὅπως καλῶς ἀναλύσας παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὐφρανθῇς αἰωνίως.