{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","title":"De morbo et valetudine","title_source":"De morbo et valetudine","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:35:07Z","cost_usd":0.003113},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/De%20morbo%20et%20valetudine.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1218,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4917,"commentary_units":30,"commentary_kinds":4,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":4,"external_links":1,"timeline":3},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","abstract":"De morbo et valetudine is a short Greek ascetical treatise attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, surviving only in later manuscripts (10th–11th centuries). The work discusses spiritual health and sickness, drawing on biblical imagery and Alexandrian anthropology. Its attribution to Athanasius is based on manuscript headings and thematic parallels with his authentic ascetical writings, but no external patristic testimony confirms the date or occasion of composition. The text was not widely cited in Byzantine florilegia or canonical collections, suggesting limited circulation. The present edition does not collate the full manuscript tradition, and variant readings from known witnesses are not systematically recorded.","historical_context":"The work is attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373), a key figure in Nicene orthodoxy and author of ascetical works such as the Life of Antony. However, De morbo et valetudine survives only in later Greek manuscripts from the 10th–11th centuries, with no early copies or external citations. Its genre is ascetical or moral exhortation, possibly excerpted from a longer discourse. The text reflects Alexandrian exegesis and a twofold anthropology (inner and outer man) common in Origen and Athanasius. The lack of attestation in patristic florilegia or Byzantine canonical collections suggests it had limited circulation in the medieval Greek tradition. The date and place of composition remain uncertain; the attribution to Athanasius is plausible but unconfirmed by external evidence.","significance":"De morbo et valetudine is significant as a potential witness to Athanasian ascetical theology, particularly its use of biblical paraphrase and Alexandrian anthropology. Its limited transmission highlights the challenges of studying works attributed to major patristic authors without early manuscript evidence. The text contributes to understanding the reception of Athanasius in later Byzantine ascetical literature.","timeline":[{"date":"4th c.","event":"Probable composition if authentic to Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373)."},{"date":"10th–11th c.","event":"Earliest surviving Greek manuscripts of the work."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Limited circulation; not cited in major Byzantine florilegia or canonical collections."}],"relations":[{"work":"Life of Antony","relation":"Attributed to the same author, Athanasius, and shares ascetical themes.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Origen's exegetical works","relation":"Similar twofold anthropology (inner and outer man) and allegorical interpretation.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"2 Corinthians 4:16","relation":"Paraphrased in the text, though with slight wording differences.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ephesians 3:14-16","relation":"Loosely cited with interpretive expansion.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John 6:33-35","relation":"Free adaptation of the bread from heaven motif.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Athanasius of Alexandria","label":"Athanasius of Alexandria","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria","reason":"Provides background on the attributed author and his ascetical writings."}],"cautions":["Attribution to Athanasius is based solely on manuscript ascription and thematic parallels; no external testimony confirms authorship.","The work survives only in later manuscripts (10th–11th centuries), with no early copies or citations.","Date and place of composition are unknown; the 4th-century date is conjectural.","The present edition does not collate the full manuscript tradition; variant readings are not systematically recorded."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000388,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:35:07Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/De%20morbo%20et%20valetudine.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-de-morbo-et-valetudine","status":"warn","blocking":[],"warnings":[{"code":"commentary-single-kind","i":"3","kind":"scripture"}],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":30,"english_words":1218,"source_letters":4916,"commentary_kinds":4},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work survives only in later Greek manuscripts; no autograph or early copy is known. The earliest witnesses date from the 10th–11th centuries.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Athanasius rests on manuscript ascription and thematic parallels with his ascetical writings, but no external testimony confirms the date or occasion of composition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is not cited in any known patristic florilegium or Byzantine canonical collection, suggesting limited circulation in the medieval Greek tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The present edition does not collate the full manuscript tradition; variant readings from the few known witnesses are not systematically recorded.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 5 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":5},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου πατριάρχου Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐκ τοῦ περὶ νόσου καὶ ὑγιείας λόγου, οὗ ἡ ἀρχή· Τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας ἡμῖν ἀπεδόθη. Ὁ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων λόγος οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς σημαίνεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ διπλῆ τις ἡ περὶ ταύτης διάνοια τυγχάνει οὖσα. τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἐκ δύο τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἐχόντων καὶ κατὰ τὸν μακαριώτατον ἀπόστολον διπλῆν ἐχόντων ἡμῶν τὴν σημασίαν ἔκ τε τοῦ ἔσω καὶ τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου (λέγει γὰρ ἐν μὲν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους βʹ ἐπιστολῇ· «Εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθεί ρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσω ἀνακαινοῦται», ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους· «Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρ δίαις ὑμῶν»), ἀνάγκη μὴ ἁπλῆν, ἀλλὰ διπλῆν εἶναι καὶ τὴν περὶ τούτων διάνοιαν. καὶ ὁποία περὶ τοῦ ἔξω τὸν σωματικὸν ἄρτον ἔχει πρὸς τροφὴν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὕτω καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἔνδον ἔχει τὸν κατάλληλον τὴν ἰδίαν, περὶ ἧς ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· «Ἐντρεφόμενοι τοῖς λόγοις τῆς ἀληθείας». ἥτις τροφὴ ἀρχὴν ἔχει παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου λέγοντος· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις». πάλιν τε ὥσπερ ἔξωθεν πρὸς τὸ πίνειν ἔχει ποταμοὺς καὶ κρήνας καὶ πηγάς, οὕτως ἔνδοθεν ἔχει τὸ πνεῦμα, ὃ δίδοται τοῖς πιστεύουσιν καὶ «γίνεται πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον».","english":"Of Saint Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria, from the discourse On Sickness and Health, whose beginning is: \"The letters of your reverence were delivered to us.\" The discourse concerning the health of human beings is not simply signified in the divine scriptures, but there is also a certain twofold understanding concerning this matter. For since human beings have their existence from two parts, and according to the most blessed apostle we have a twofold signification from both the inner and the outer man (for he says in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: \"Even if our outer man is being destroyed, yet the inner is renewed,\" and in the Epistle to the Ephesians: \"For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you to be strengthened by the power of his glory through his Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts\"), it is necessary that the understanding concerning these matters be not simple but twofold. And just as the outer man has bodily bread for nourishment, so also the inner man has his own appropriate nourishment, concerning which Paul said: \"Nourished by the words of truth.\" Which nourishment has its beginning from the Lord saying: \"I am the bread that came down from heaven and gives life to men.\" And again, just as outwardly for drinking he has rivers and springs and fountains, so inwardly he has the Spirit, which is given to those who believe and \"becomes a fountain of leaping water into eternal life.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου πατριάρχου Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐκ τοῦ περὶ νόσου καὶ ὑγιείας λόγου","severity":"info","text":"The opening formula identifies the work as an excerpt from a longer discourse, with the incipit given in the title.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσω ἀνακαινοῦται","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 4:16, though the exact wording differs slightly from the standard text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κρατα","severity":"info","text":"This is a loose citation of Ephesians 3:14-16, expanded with interpretive phrasing not found in the canonical text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις","severity":"info","text":"This is a free adaptation of John 6:33-35, where Jesus speaks of the bread from heaven giving life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"γίνεται πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον","severity":"info","text":"This echoes John 4:14, where Jesus promises the Spirit as a fountain of living water, though the wording is adapted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"διπλῆν ... σημασίαν ἔκ τε τοῦ ἔσω καὶ τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου","severity":"info","text":"The twofold anthropology (inner and outer man) is a common theme in Alexandrian exegesis, notably in Origen and Athanasius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The incipit 'Τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας ἡμῖν ἀπεδόθη' is given as the beginning of the original discourse, but the excerpt starts after it; the exact relation to the full work is unclear.","The citations of 2 Corinthians and Ephesians are paraphrastic and may reflect a variant textual tradition or Athanasius' own adaptation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"καὶ εἰς μὲν τὸ περιπατεῖν ἐπὶ γῆς ἔχει τοὺς σωματικοὺς πόδας, τῆς δὲ εἰς οὐρανοὺς χάριν ἀναβάσεως ἔχει τοὺς πόδας, οὓς ὁ Παῦλος εἶχεν λέγων οὕτως· «Τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως», περὶ ὧν καὶ ἡμῖν προσέταττεν, ὥστε «ὑποδεδεμένους ἔχειν» τούτους «τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου». καὶ μὴν καὶ χεῖρας σωματικῆς ἕνεκεν ἁφῆς ἔχει, ἔχει δὲ ἔνδον, ὥστε καὶ τοῦ λόγου ἅπτεσθαι, οἵας εἶχον οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· «Ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς». λόγου δὲ ἀσωμάτου ὄντος, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰς ἁπτομένας αὐτοῦ χεῖρας ἀσωμάτους εἶναι. Ἀμφότεροι δὲ οὗτοι εἷς εἰσιν ὁ ἐκ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὕτω παρὰ θεοῦ γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος. μία δὲ τούτων ἐστὶ κατὰ χάριν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἡ φυσικὴ σύστασις, ὥστε καὶ τῆς ἑκατέρου πράξεως ἓν εἶναι τὸ τέλος καὶ κοινῇ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔπαινον ἢ τὸν ψόγον ἔχειν. καὶ γὰρ κἂν θανάτῳ διαιρεθῶσιν, πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολήψονται, καὶ συναφθέντες πάλιν εἰσὶν εἷς καὶ λοιπὸν ἀδιαιρέτως μένουσιν. ἀναστάντων γὰρ ἡμῶν θάνατος οὐκέτι κυριεύσει. καὶ ὅλως, ἵνα μὴ τὸ καθέκαστον ἐκτιθέμενος ἐν φανεροῖς ἐνδιατρίβω, εἰδέναι χρή, ὡς τὸ μὲν σῶμα ἐκ μελῶν συνέστηκεν, ὁ δὲ ἔνδον ἐκ σωματικῶν μὲν οὐ συνέστηκεν, κατὰ δὲ τὰς πράξεις τῶν μελῶν καὶ τὴν σημασίαν ἔχει. καὶ πόδες μέν εἰσιν ἡ εἰς ἀρετὴν τῆς ψυχῇς προκοπή, χεῖρες δὲ ἡ τῶν ἐπιλογισμῶν ἀκρί βεια, καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς μὲν ὁ διορατικὸς νοῦς, γλῶσσα δὲ αὐτὴ ἡ τῶν νοημάτων διάκρισις.","english":"and for walking upon the earth it has the bodily feet, but for the sake of ascent into the heavens it has the feet which Paul had, speaking thus: \"I run as not obscurely,\" concerning which he also commanded us, so that we \"have these feet shod in readiness for the gospel.\" And indeed it also has hands for the sake of bodily touch, but it has them within, so as to touch even the Word, such as the disciples had, saying: \"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life.\" And since the Word is incorporeal, it is necessary that the hands touching it be incorporeal. Both of these are one, the human being made thus from the beginning by God from body and soul. Their natural constitution is one by the grace of the Creator, so that the end of the action of each is one, and they share the same praise or blame in common. For even if they are separated by death, they will recover themselves again, and having been joined together, they are again one and remain thereafter indivisibly. For when we are resurrected, death will no longer hold sway. And in general, lest I dwell on particulars by setting forth each thing in detail, it is necessary to know that the body is composed of members, while the inner being is not composed of bodily members, but according to the actions of the members it also has their significance. And feet are the soul's progress toward virtue, hands are the precision of reasonings, and the eye is the discerning mind, and the tongue is the discrimination of thoughts itself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τρέχω ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'I run as not obscurely' is not a direct biblical quotation but likely a paraphrase of Paul's language about spiritual striving (cf. Gal 2:2).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑποδεδεμένους ἔχειν τούτους τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου","severity":"info","text":"The command to have feet shod in readiness for the gospel echoes Eph 6:15, where Paul urges readiness for proclamation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς","severity":"info","text":"This extended quotation is not canonical; it resembles Johannine language (John 1:1) but is likely from an apocryphal or liturgical source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔνδον","severity":"info","text":"The Greek 'ἔνδον' (within) is used to denote the inner, spiritual faculties of the soul, contrasting with the outer bodily members.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from specific analogies (feet, hands) to a general principle: the soul's faculties correspond to bodily members, culminating in a list of spiritual equivalents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius here adapts Platonic and Pauline anthropology, asserting the unity of body and soul even after death, with resurrection ensuring their permanent reunion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the scriptural-sounding quotations is uncertain; they may be paraphrases or from non-canonical texts.","The phrase 'ἀναστάντων γὰρ ἡμῶν θάνατος οὐκέτι κυριεύσει' could be read as a general eschatological statement or a specific reference to the resurrection of believers."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"καὶ μὴν καὶ γαστέρα λέγεται ἔχειν, ἵνα τὸ γεννη τικὸν τῆς διανοίας αὐτῆς δηλωθῇ, καθάπερ γέγραπται· «Ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας, ὃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς». οὕτως καὶ κοιμᾶσθαι λέγεται καὶ τότε καθεύδειν, ὅτε μηδὲν ἐνεργεῖ. πρὸς ὃ γὰρ ἡσυχάζει, καὶ τὴν σχολὴν ἔχει. πρὸς τοῦτο καὶ τὸν ὕπνον αὐτὴν ἔχειν φασί. ὅτε γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν φαύλων ἠρεμεῖ, τότε λέγεται αὐτῇ· «Ἐὰν καθεύδῃς, ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπερχομένην». τοῦ δὲ σωτῆρος ἡ χάρις αὕτη λέγοντος· «Καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπόν», μηκέτι φοβεῖσθε. ἡ\n\nδὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτῆς ἀεργία καὶ ἀμέλεια τοιοῦτος ὕπνος ἐστίν, οἷον αἰτιᾶται τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λέγον· «Ἐνύσταξαν πάντες οἱ ἐπιβεβηκότες ἵπ ποις», καὶ πάλιν· «Ὕπνωσαν ὕπνον αὐτῶν καὶ οὐχ εὗρον οὐδέν». ὅθεν καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ θέλων τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν μὴ ἀμελεῖν περὶ τὴν ἀρετήν, παρήγγειλεν· «Γρηγορεῖτε» καὶ «ἀγρυπνεῖτε», καθὰ καὶ ἐν παροιμίαις συμβουλεύει· «Μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασιν μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις, ἵνα σώζῃ ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος», εἰ καὶ ταῦτα μὴ νοήσαντές τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων ὡς ἀληθῶς νοῦν οὐκ ἔχοντες παρεκδέχον ται τὰ πνευματικῶς γραφέντα καὶ περὶ μὲν τὸν σωματικὸν ὕπνον ὑποκρινόμενοι μὴ καθεύδειν καὶ ὑποκλέπτοντες τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τὴν χρῆσιν, οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι πρὸς ὀλίγον γρηγοροῦντες καθεύδουσι τὸ ὅλον τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ φοβούμενοι τὸν ὕπνον τὸν σωματικὸν ἐκπίπτουσι τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν γρηγορήσεως. ἣν ὁ ἅγιος καίπερ κοιμώμενος τῷ σώματι εἶχεν λέγων·","english":"And it is also said to have a belly, so that the generative power of its mind may be indicated, just as it is written: \"From your fear we conceived in the belly and travailed and gave birth to a spirit of salvation, which we made upon the earth.\" Thus it is also said to sleep and to be asleep at that time when it does nothing. For that toward which it is at rest, it has leisure for. Toward this they also say it has sleep. For when it rests from base things, then it is said to it: \"If you sleep, you will sleep sweetly, and you will not fear a terror coming upon you.\" And this is the grace of the Savior saying: \"Sleep the rest of the time,\" fear no more. But inactivity and negligence with respect to its virtue is such a sleep as the Holy Spirit censures, saying: \"All who have mounted horses have dozed,\" and again: \"They slept their sleep and found nothing.\" Hence also our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing our mind not to be negligent about virtue, commanded: \"Watch\" and \"be vigilant,\" just as also in Proverbs he advises: \"Do not give sleep to your eyes nor doze with your eyelids, so that you may be saved like a gazelle from snares and like a bird from a trap,\" even if some of those from the heresies, truly having no mind, misunderstand these things written spiritually and, concerning bodily sleep, pretend not to sleep and stealthily take away its use by necessity, not knowing that, while watching a little, they sleep entirely in their mind and, fearing bodily sleep, fall away from vigilance of soul. Which the saint had, even while sleeping in body, saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας, ὃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς","severity":"info","text":"This quotation is not from the canonical Bible but likely from a lost apocryphon or liturgical text; it echoes prophetic language of spiritual birth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐὰν καθεύδῃς, ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπερχομένην","severity":"info","text":"Unidentified source; possibly from a wisdom or apocalyptic writing. The phrase 'terror coming upon you' suggests a context of eschatological reassurance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπόν","severity":"info","text":"Unidentified saying of the Savior; not found in the canonical Gospels. May derive from a Gnostic or apocryphal dialogue where Christ grants peace to the disciples.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐνύσταξαν πάντες οἱ ἐπιβεβηκότες ἵπποις","severity":"info","text":"Unidentified scriptural citation; the image of riders dozing may be allegorical for spiritual lethargy. Not found in the Septuagint or New Testament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὕπνωσαν ὕπνον αὐτῶν καὶ οὐχ εὗρον οὐδέν","severity":"info","text":"Unidentified; possibly from a prophetic or wisdom book. The phrase 'slept their sleep and found nothing' suggests a critique of empty or unproductive rest.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασιν μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις, ἵνα σώζῃ ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος","severity":"info","text":"Attributed to Proverbs but not found in the Septuagint; likely from a lost or expanded version of the wisdom tradition, possibly from the Apocrypha or a patristic florilegium.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text attributes several scriptural quotations to unspecified sources; their origin is uncertain, possibly from apocryphal or liturgical texts. The phrase 'πνεῦμα σωτηρίας' (spirit of salvation) is ambiguous: it may refer to the Holy Spirit or a spiritual gift. The identity of 'the saint' in the final clause is unclear; it may refer to Paul or another ascetic figure."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"«Ἐγὼ καθεύδω καὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἀγρυπνεῖ. «τῶν γὰρ ἁγίων ὁ ὕπνος πρὸς τὰ κρείττονα τὴν θεωρίαν ἔχει, καὶ τοῦ σώματος τούτων ἐπὶ γῆς ἡσυχάζοντος ὁ νοῦς τὰ ἔξω τῶν τόπων διέρχεται καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνίπταται. Ἐλισαῖος γὰρ ὁ μέγας προφήτης ἐν τῷ ὄρει σωματικῶς καθήμενος ἠκολούθει τῷ Γιεζὶ κατὰ τὸν νοῦν, καὶ Δανιὴλ ὁ ἅγιος τῷ σώματι κοιμώμενος ἐγρηγόρει τῷ νῷ βλέπων τὰς μεγάλας καὶ θείας ὁράσεις ἐκείνας. Οὕτω δὴ οὖν διπλοῦ δειχθέντος τοῦ περὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων λόγου διπλῆν ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν περὶ τῆς ὑγείας αὐτῶν διάνοιαν εἶναι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ψυχῆς ἐστιν ὑγεία, καὶ σώματός ἐστιν ὑγεία. καὶ οἱ μὲν μόνον τὴν ψυχὴν νοσοῦσι καὶ ὑγιαίνουσι τῷ σώματι, οἱ δὲ ἔμπαλιν τὸ μὲν σῶμα νοσοῦσι, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ὑγιαίνουσιν, τινὲς δὲ κατ' ἀμφότερα τὴν νόσον ἔχουσιν καὶ οὔτε τῷ σώματι οὔτε τῇ ψυχῇ ἔρρωνται. συμπάσχουσι δὲ πάλιν ἀλλήλοις οἱ δύο εἷς ἄνθρωπος ὄντες, ἐπεὶ καὶ μίαν ἔχουσι τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὑγιείας ἀλυπίαν ἢ τὴν ἐκ τῆς νόσου βάσανον. }Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν·} Ὥσπερ ἡ τοῦ σώματος κατασκευὴ ἁρμοζούσας ἑαυτῇ τὰς πέντε αἰσθήσεις ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ κέκτηται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ νοερὰ τῆς ψυχῆς οὐσία ἐν ταῖς πέντε αἰσθήσεσιν πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασίαν δια πορεύεται. καὶ τῆς μὲν ὁράσεως αὐτῆς σύμβολον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί, ὡς ὁ ἅγιος ἔφη Δαβίδ· «Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διαπαντὸς πρὸς τὸν κύριον». τῆς δὲ ἀκοῆς· «Προσέθηκέν μοι ὠτίον ἀκούειν», καὶ ὁ κύριος· «Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω». τῆς δὲ ὀσφρήσεως· «Εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων σου δραμούμεθα». τῆς δὲ γεύσεως· «Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος». καί·","english":"I sleep, and my heart is awake. For the sleep of the saints has its contemplation directed toward better things, and while their body rests on the earth, their mind traverses regions beyond places and flies up from earth to the heavens. For the great prophet Elisha, while sitting bodily on the mountain, followed Gehazi in his mind, and the holy Daniel, while sleeping in body, was awake in mind, beholding those great and divine visions. Thus, then, since the account concerning human beings has been shown to be twofold, the understanding concerning their health must also necessarily be twofold. For there is health of the soul, and there is health of the body. And some are sick only in soul and healthy in body, while others, conversely, are sick in body but healthy in soul, and some have sickness in both respects and are strong neither in body nor in soul. But the two, being one human being, again suffer together with each other, since they have a single freedom from pain from health or a single torment from sickness. And again concerning the same matters: Just as the construction of the body possesses the five senses, suited to itself, from the creator, so also the intellectual substance of the soul traverses all the work of the commandments through the five senses. And the symbol of its sight is the eyes, as the holy David said: \"My eyes are always toward the Lord.\" And of its hearing: \"He gave me an ear to hear,\" and the Lord: \"He who has ears to hear, let him hear.\" And of its smell: \"We shall run to the scent of your ointments.\" And of its taste: \"Taste and see that the Lord is good.\" And:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγὼ καθεύδω καὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἀγρυπνεῖ","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase is a scriptural allusion, likely to Song of Songs 5:2 (LXX: 'I sleep, and my heart is awake'), though not verbatim; Athanasius adapts it to introduce the theme of spiritual vigilance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐλισαῖος ... Δανιὴλ","severity":"info","text":"Athanasius cites Elisha and Daniel as exemplars of spiritual wakefulness during bodily rest; Elisha's mental following of Gehazi is not a direct biblical narrative but a hagiographic tradition, while Daniel's visions (Daniel 7–12) are canonical.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν·","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a structural transition, introducing a new analogy (the five senses) that parallels the earlier twofold health scheme, reinforcing the treatise's systematic pairing of body and soul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διαπαντὸς πρὸς τὸν κύριον","severity":"info","text":"Attributed to David, this phrase is not a direct Psalm quotation but a paraphrase of Psalm 24:15 LXX ('My eyes are always toward the Lord'), adapted to illustrate the soul's sight.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Προσέθηκέν μοι ὠτίον ἀκούειν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Psalm 39:7 LXX ('He gave me an ear to hear'), though the wording is slightly altered; Athanasius uses it to symbolize the soul's hearing.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος","severity":"info","text":"This is a free adaptation of Psalm 33:9 LXX ('Taste and see that the Lord is good'), applied here to the sense of taste as a metaphor for spiritual discernment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text breaks off mid-sentence after 'καί·', leaving the final sense (likely smell) incomplete; the English draft supplies a phrase for smell ('We shall run to the scent of your ointments') from an unknown source, possibly a liturgical or patristic echo, but the Greek does not include it here."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"«Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα». καί· «Κύριε, τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξεις». τῆς ἁφῆς· «Ὁ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς». Ἔστι τις μετὰ ταύτας καὶ ἑτέρα ἕκτη αἴσθησις, καθ' ἣν τῶν ἀναφῶν ἐφαπτόμεθα οἱ ἐφάπτεσθαι δυνάμενοι, περὶ ἧς εἶπεν Σολομῶν. καὶ θείαν αἴσθησιν εὑρήσεις, ἥτις καὶ ἐν κατανύξει καρδίας πολλάκις πέφυκεν γίνεσθαι.","english":"My mouth I opened and drew in breath.\" And: \"Lord, you will open my lips.\" Of touch: \"What we beheld and our hands handled concerning the word of life.\" There is, after these, also a sixth sense, according to which we who are able to touch touch the intangible, concerning which Solomon spoke. And you will find a divine sense, which often naturally occurs also in the compunction of the heart.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase echoes Psalm 118:131 LXX (ἐγὼ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα), though the wording is adapted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κύριε, τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξεις","severity":"info","text":"This phrase likely alludes to Psalm 50:17 LXX (Κύριε, τὰ χείλη μου ἀνοίξεις), a prayer for divine inspiration.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς","severity":"info","text":"This may echo John 1:1 (λόγος) and the tactile language of handling the divine, but no exact scriptural parallel is known; it may be a patristic formulation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἕκτη αἴσθησις","severity":"info","text":"The concept of a 'sixth sense' beyond the five physical senses appears in Greek philosophical and patristic thought, often denoting spiritual perception; Athanasius here adapts it for mystical cognition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σολομῶν","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Solomon likely points to the Song of Songs or Proverbs, where spiritual senses are implied; Athanasius may allude to Song 1:2 or Prov 2:2.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"κατανύξει καρδίας","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'compunction of the heart' (κατάνυξις καρδίας) is a technical term in ascetic literature for a piercing spiritual sorrow or awakening, often linked to repentance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is fragmentary; the opening quotation marks are unclear in context, and the phrase 'τῆς ἁφῆς' may be a heading or a genitive dependent on a missing word. The identity of the 'sixth sense' and its relation to the preceding quotations is not fully explicit."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}