Life of Maxime and Domece

The life of the saints of Rome, Maximos and Dometios, the sons of Valentinos, the king of the Romans, who completed their life beautifully, filled with every virtue, having fulfilled all the commandments of the holy Gospels. The first of them, who is Maximos, rested on the 14th of the month of Tobi. Michael, however, who is Dometios, on the 17th of the same month. He was recorded by Abba Pshoi, the monk of Constantinople, and the first deacon who was in the monastery before Abba Makarios, the man of God, and Abba Isidoros, who rested while being a deacon. And they appointed Abba Moses the Black in his place. He who wrote the life of these saints, Abba Pshoi himself, for remembrance, placed it in the church for the benefit of all who wish to live according to God.

All the days, O my holy fathers and the God-bearing ones, I beseech you with a heart of repentance to recount to you the virtues and the wonders and the powers of these saints of Rome, Maximos and Dometios, the sons of Valentinos, the God-loving king. It came to pass in the time of Abba Makarios the holy, the God-bearing man of God, through whom the beginning of repentance took place. For it was he who first planted this vine of the Lord Sabaoth, which is repentance, until he placed within it the fruit of true repentance through God. O the blessed mountain of repentance, the mountain upon which God and his angels dwelt, O the mountain of forgiveness, O the mountain that caused sinners to see God, O this mountain of the anchorites, which caused this whole house to be filled with the fragrance of incense through the prayers of the saints who dwelt within it, O this holy mountain of the desert, which became a desert for the anchorites, driving out the afflictions of the soul. I marvel at the honor that has befallen you, O the honored mountain of the hermits, from which a multitude of hermits of the rational earth sprang forth, according to the testimony of our Savior, these who perfected the souls that had been wounded in the lawless deeds.

O the holy mountain of Sheit, the place of the gathering of the angels and the men who are together, so that I may speak in a brief manner. This mountain caused the synods of the persecutors and those who did evil deeds to be scattered and dispersed. The prophet and the one who speaks with God, the Demiurge, for the interpretation of Sheit is the place of the gathering of those who seek God with their whole heart. These are the ones whom God the Logos gathered together in the four corners of the earth through the holy voice of the Gospel, which says, "He who loves himself, let him strip himself and take up his cross and follow me." For in this he placed in them the pains of his holy cross through his servant Abba Makarios, who is a type for them in all things, so that through the power of the holy cross they might pursue the whole power of the adversary in the desert. So that I may not be lengthy in this manner of speech and set aside the discourse of the hypothesis which I laid down at first, I will return to the subject and speak according to what the Holy Spirit will authorize for me.

Since I heard about Abba Makarios, the man of God, that he used to speak with the elders, he would say to them, "Come, let us go and see the martyrion of the little strangers." The matter and necessity befell me in a time of God to reveal the virtue of these saints and their good way of life. Now it happened that there was a king, a certain Valentinus, the son of the impious king of the idol-worshippers, this one who destroyed all the temples of the foul idols, and he tore down the covering of their shrines. There was a great peace in the churches of God that exist in the world, so that they called him the new Constantine. Then he brought up his children well, Maximos and Domitios, and their little sister, in the worship of God, with all kinds of lessons and good instruction in psalms, fasts, evening prayers, and love, and constant meditations, so that the palace became like a monastery of monks in his days, and he trained them all, from their youth to their adulthood, like chosen monks, so that almost everyone called these saints, from the time they were young, because...

The elders, because of their good works and their manner of worshiping God. Then, in the taking of the habit, these blessed ones, Maximos and Dometios, grew and made progress in the good works according to God. They sought after the life of the angels, which is the monastic life, and they took counsel with one another, saying, "How shall we become monks?" And the younger said to the elder, "Let us find a place for our father and say to him, 'We wish to go to the cells to pray in the place of our holy fathers the bishops.' And if he permits us, we will go to the place that we desire." When they had taken counsel with their father, he made them laborers. Now there was a presbyter who dwelt in the place of the father bishop, whose name was John, and he was a monk. And this one the fathers used to consult many times with the bishops of that place. When these blessed ones had found a suitable day, they put on good garments and girded themselves with their belts, and they went out, for they wished to go to the cells to pray in the place of their holy fathers the bishops. When they had gone to the cells, they found the holy presbyter John, who had first become a monk.

to him, and he received them with joy and honor, and he informed them of the manner in which they wished to become monks. He, through the grace of God, tested their intention, so that he might know precisely their intention, without saying anything to them. But when he saw their purpose directed towards God, he rejoiced greatly and gave them his blessing. They, however, were hesitant before him, so that they might remain under his authority. But he did not refuse them, saying, "I am afraid for the sake of the heart of our father the king. I will not do this thing, but if you wish to become monks, arise and go to Syria. I have heard about an anchorite of that place who dwells in a cave by the sea, and his fame has filled all Syria and Palestine. His name is Agabos, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia. This man imitates Paul in his faith and his works. If the matter pleases you, go to his place." When they heard this, they rejoiced greatly, and in this he prayed over them and sent them forth in peace. They then departed from him with great joy, and

They did not turn back to go to the city to see their parents, but they departed into Syria directly. When they inquired after the holy Agabos, they were informed of his place, and when they met him, he received them with great joy. They told him everything. The old man, who was the God-bearing one there, seeing their love for God within them, gave them the holy habit of the monks of Syria. For the monks of that place do not wear melote or hood, but a black garment is what they wear; this is the habit of the Syrians. Now I will inform you according to what these saints told me: When the holy old man Agabos had rested, we asked him, "Speak a word to us, our holy father, that we may live by it after you." He said to us, "I saw myself in this dream standing on a rock to the south, as if I saw a monk standing before me. He was a man clothed in tattered black garments, with a cap on his head, and there were crosses on it, and he had a staff in his hand and a cross. When I saw him, I was afraid.

He turned to me, greeted me, and said to me, "Do you know who I am?" I said to him, "No, my holy father." He said to me, "I am the blessed one, the man of Egypt, who came to take your sons and bring them down to me in Egypt." I said to him, "You will not take them with you, my father." He said to me, "No, but I inform you that after twenty days you will rest, and your prayer will be for God, and the king will send for his sons to bring them to Constantinople. So then, see their hands, so that they may come down to Egypt and be with me, for it is God who has brought them to me as sons. Behold, then, I have told you. And these things that he said to me were revealed to me. Now then, my sons, I inform you that for many days I have heard of the fragrance of that man, Abba Makarios, and in this I say to you: if the king learns of you, he will not leave you in this place. So then, after the completion of my life, go down to Egypt and be with the holy Abba Makarios until God finds your desire. Now these things that the old man Agabos said to them, he rested in peace, for they were three years living.

with him, and his spirit descended upon them like the spirit of Elijah descended upon Elisha in that time. They said, "We will show you the signs and wonders and the gifts of healing that God works through the hands of these saints, so that their fame spreads throughout the whole province and the whole region of Pisidia because of the healings they perform in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. For many among those with whom unclean spirits dwell, if they hear his name alone, they come out of them and they are saved immediately through the grace of God our Savior. Hear this great wonder that happened through them. They brought a man to them from Ascalon who had a spirit of inquiry with him. While he was still far from the dwelling place of these saints, he cried out in a loud voice, saying, 'O blessed one, the man of Egypt, the anchorite, you left the deserts of Egypt for yourself and came to this place, and behold, your prayers are laboring for us in this other place, you give yourself to these Romans.' This that he said came out of the man from the unclean spirit, and all who heard gave glory to God. But there was a hill in the place of walking (sic).

who would enter the iconion, where a great dragon dwelt within it, and this one would destroy many of the people who walked in that place of passage. When the people of the iconion saw the destruction that was occurring, they fled to the saints, informing them of the destruction caused by that evil beast. Then the blessed Maximos wrote a small letter, saying, "In the name of the Lord Sabaoth, God of Abba Makarios and Abba Agabos, our father, the men who bear the Christ, the Word of the Father: If you open this small letter at your mouth, you, O dragon, will come out, your mouth sealed, and you will lie down in the middle of the place of passage, and you will not move from that place until the stars of the sky consume your bones." When they took the letter, they gave it to a man who mounted a horse, fled, and placed the letter at the mouth of the den of the beast, and then fled away. And O the wonder that occurred at that moment! For the evil dragon, in that very hour, immediately came out of its den and lay down in the middle of the place of passage, and all who saw it were watching it, so that even those who were a day's journey away from it would come until they saw it, and it did not move.

not at all from his place, and they cast stones at him, and they were giving glory to God, who works wonders through his saints. But a certain man also came from Lystra, having seen the wonder that had happened. His whole body was full of leprosy, and when he came to the saints at the very moment he saw them, by his great faith he was cleansed immediately from the leprosy, and everyone was giving glory to our Lord Jesus Christ because of the healings that he was performing through the hands of these blessed ones. They brought another one to them from Makedala of Pisidia, whose face was twisted backward by the activity of a demon for three years. And when the saints saw him, they were greatly grieved because of the condition he was in, and having taken a little of themselves, they sealed him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, they commanded him, and immediately his face was straightened. O these great graces that the Son of God gave to these sons of the King! For indeed in truth, those who love God, he works with them in every good work. I am telling you, do not let anyone disbelieve the things I am saying, for I myself, even the least, the least of the least, who am in Constantinople, before I knew the whole matter, I heard

from the merchants because of the healings that these saints perform in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word, and I went to Syria while still being a layman until I saw with my own eyes those things that I had heard with my heart, and I was moved, and I said in my thoughts, "It is better to see with the eyes than to hear with the ears." For from that day when I saw those good deeds, my heart was moved to become a monk, but I was not able until the time when God helped me, and he brought me out from the cares of the world, and I went to Shiet. Therefore, those things that I heard in Syria and those things that I heard in Shiet, these I have written in this book. Now, if only I might succeed in this manner of speech to strengthen the testimony that I have made, to make known the graces that will be done. Therefore, we will return again to the graces of healing that Christ our God granted through these sons of a king, who gave themselves to Christ like Paul and Timothy. Because of this, the power of those ones works in these other places of my monastery. There was also a presbyter in Gaballon, the city of the Gaballians, whose name was Zacharias; this one had a spirit of the archons.

of the truth of God, that demon came upon you to take possession of you, and all will know the confusion that is in you. Then he wrote the name of Abba Makarios outside the letter, gave it to the bishop, and sent him off. O the wonder that happened at the time when the bishop gave him the letter, saying, "The anchorites inquire about you. Glory to you, Christ the Word of God, and the powers that you reveal through those who are your servants and who minister to your holy name." For indeed, that demon, the destroyer of souls, did not cease until he read the letter, but in that hour he fell upon him, threw him down on the ground in the midst of those standing, and took possession of him, crying out loudly, and he became like a wild beast, so that the whole city of Gabala gathered together against him to see him and marvel at what had happened to him in a short time. He remained in this torment for forty days. Then they brought him to the saints, bound in chains. When they saw his affliction, they were greatly grieved, and after taking a little of themselves, they sealed him and dismissed him.

He said this in the name of Christ, and immediately he was delivered from the demon. He then stood beside the saints for five days until they taught him the path of salvation and buried him in peace, while he gave glory to God. Through all these healings that occurred by means of these blessed ones, they did not become proud at all, nor did they boast about themselves, nor did they speak a word of arrogance. Instead, they humbled themselves beneath everyone, as if they were worthless and acted as if they were unworthy, always saying, "The grace is God's alone; we are but sinners and wrongdoers." Now there was a presbyter in Seleucia of Isauria who, if he continued to do unlawful deeds, would go and stand in the place of worship of God; he was corrupt, for he was with a Samaritan woman. As he persisted in such impious acts, God wished to put fear into those for whom that presbyter did such things throughout all Isauria, so that the rest might be afraid. Finally, on the day of the commemoration of the holy Ignatius, he acted likewise, and afterwards he went again to the church to serve. Then, when he had finished reciting the prayer of the Gospel after the petitions, he turned his face toward the place of worship, for he intended to serve without fear.

Immediately an angel of the Lord descended upon him in great wrath, gnashing his teeth greatly, so that the bonds of his body were broken like an ascetic, and immediately he fell to the ground, becoming like a dead man, and they carried him and took him to his house in great misery. After some days, his entire body became full of wounds, so that they drew out pus from him, and his bones were broken apart, and they gave forth a sound in a loud voice day and night because of the beasts that devoured him. He wept, however, confessing before everyone all the impious deeds he had done. So they lifted him onto a bed, carried him by some men, and brought him to the feet of the holy ones, the blessed ones of the Most High God. When they placed him before them, they were grieved in heart at the sight of his suffering, and they said to him, "What is it that you have done until this has happened to you?" He said to them, "Forgive me, holy fathers. Christ has already begun to teach me about my evil deeds." They said to him, "Surely you have known Christ well and have understood that he sees your deeds which you do." He said, "Indeed, my lords, the fathers have taught me well.

Then the blessed athletes of Christ Jesus, knowing that God does not wish that any should perish in their sins, but rather desires that they all turn to him in true repentance, took a little of the water, made the sign of the cross over him with the sign of the cross, and sprinkled it upon him, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, the true physician of our souls and our bodies, who does not wish that any should perish among those who have gone astray, but desires that they all be gathered into your rational flock through repentance, and that the salvation of your soul may be accomplished, you will be merciful to us all through the prayers of our father Agabos and your servant, the blessed Maxime." Then they sprinkled the water upon him, and his body was healed, his wounds were healed, and he recovered. The saints then received him in peace, saying, "Behold, you have been saved; do not sin again, lest the wrath of God overtake you and you die an evil death." Then he went to his own place, healthy and glorifying God at all times because of the salvation that had come to him through the prayers of the saints.

Then some philosophers in Athens, who were Greeks, for they had heard about the healings that took place through these saints by the power of Christ Jesus, began to mock them, saying, "Who are these who are said to drive out demons from people if they pray over them in the name of Christ? Are these not the gods of the Athenians?" Then the idol-worshippers there rose up in wicked deceit, wishing to tempt the holy ones. They bound their hands behind them and tied them with ropes like wild colts, and they blindfolded them like blind men, saying thus, "If they are prophets and they drive out demons, they will know our deed." And they took one of them with them as if he were leading the way before them on the road. And when they came to the place where the holy ones dwelt, the man who was leading the way before them knocked at the door. Then the holy Domitius answered them, saying, "What do you want in this place?" And they said to him, "Bring us to the saints of God, that we may bow before you, so that your mercy may reach us through your prayer over us.

...that healing might overtake us, for truly we are lame and blind. Behold, you see this man, that he himself has shown us the way and brought us to this place." The holy Dometius said to them with simplicity, "The Lord Jesus Christ will heal you, and it will happen to you just as you have requested." Immediately they became lame and blind; their hands were stretched out to them, and they became crippled. At once they cried out with a great voice, saying, "Man of God, have mercy on us, for we came to this place to test you." And immediately they fell on their faces at the feet of the holy ones with great faith, saying, "We have sinned against you. Have mercy on us, help us, and we will become Christians from this day forward, and we will be servants of Christ." And the holy Maximus said to them, "Do you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God?" They said, "Yes, we believe with all our heart, O holy ones, that Jesus is the Son of God, and there is no other besides him." When the servants of Christ heard these things from those people, they prayed over a little oil and gave it to them, saying, "Go to the shrine of the holy Leontius and immerse yourselves in his pool.

and that you might be healed in this small moment, and we believe that healing will overtake you. And they did according to the way the saints had said to them, and they were healed by the power of Christ. After that, they received the seal of the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and they became Christians in that place. And they marveled at the miracle that had happened to them in Athens, the city of the Athenians. From that day a multitude became Christians, for among them they were giving glory to God the Word who took flesh. For if I wished to recount the abundance of the graces of healing that God worked through the hands of these saints, the time would fail me for speaking. For a certain businessman of the city of Antioch was journeying to these blessed ones little by little, receiving a blessing from them, taking their handiwork from them. For it was his work, or rather his leisure, because of his faith toward the saints. He wrote their names on the sails, and he made them into a cross in the middle of the sail of his ship on the sea. It happened that the ship was in Constantinople and his business

they left that place. For the harbor of the city was located in the middle, inside the walls. Then the king learned that the ships were in danger. He commanded that the ships be brought inside because of the danger of the ships of the sea, for there were some pirates who were sailing to that place. So they brought the ships inside to moor in the harbor. Still, the magisterian of the king and his soldiers were rejoicing with the ships that were moored inside. When he gave his attention, he saw the sail of the ship that had been first, a wonder to him, spread out upon the ground, with the sailors gathered around it according to their custom. He saw the names of the saints Maximos and Dometios written on the sail. When he read the names, he commanded that they call the sailors to him, and he said to them, "What are these names written on the sail?" They said to him, "They are holy men of God who dwell in our region." The magisterian said to them, "Is this ship yours?" They said to him, "No, but we wrote a name on our sail because of a holy prayer, so that we might obtain help for our ship in our sailing." He said to them, "You do well.

they were there. They said to him, "They are in Syria." Then the magisterianus gave an order to bind them and bring them to the king. He himself, the magisterianus, went before them and informed the king, and he said that they should appear before him. The name of that king was Theodosius. For Theodosius was of Egyptian origin. He had been a stauletes first under the emperor Valentinus. The king spoke to the father of the saints. For when Theodosius saw that he was a strong man, he appointed him archon over all the places of refuge of the harbors that were in the territory of his kingdom. Then the saints renounced this world while Valentinus was still alive. The father of the king, Valentinus, after he had rested according to the true laws without deceit of God and the entire consent of the senate, they appointed Theodosius the stauletes as king of the eighth year of Valentinus, the father of the blessed Maximus and Domitius, according to what is written in the histories of the church. When the pious king Theodosius saw his ships bound, he had them released.

He was saying, "What a wonder! They are members; they did not leave them bound, so that Christ might not be angry with me." And the magisterianus said to the king, "They are in a state of joy. Who are the men of God that you know?" They said, "Our lord Maximos is one, and Dometios is the other." Again he said to them, "What kind of appearance do they have?" They answered him, "One is a tall man, having begun to grow gray; the other is a short man, having begun to grow gray." Then the king gave an order to give each of them a small loaf of bread and to release them in peace. After these things, the king summoned a courier of the palace, whose name was Markellos, a man strong in his deeds like a lion. He gave him a horse strong in its power and sent him to Syria so that he might learn the certainty of the matter before informing the king. And after a few days, the courier returned to the king, saying, "Your sons, the brothers of the king, greet you greatly." King Theodosios rejoiced greatly and informed the king and all his own, and there was great joy in the palace.

all that day. And after a few days, the king sent their mother and their sister the Syrian, so that they might see them and their hearts might be comforted. And the saints gave a blessing to their mother and their sister, and they departed in peace. From that day, the people of Constantinople made the journey to the saints at the place of their walking, by day and by night, bringing to them every one who was sick, a multitude of various kinds, and those with whom unclean spirits were. And when they came to these blessed ones, they would pray over them, and they were healed through the grace of God our Savior. After these things, King Theodosius also went to them, until he received their blessing and their counsel, and they taught him good works that would be beneficial for his kingdom and for the Church of God. And in these things he was firmly established in every steadfastness, to keep the faith of the councils and to make the children of the Church honored by him in every honor. Then these blessed ones became known, giving guidance throughout all Syria; the pious King Theodosius himself would go to them, taking counsel with them and enjoying their teaching and their blessing as

He knew that the kingdom was theirs, for truly his taking of the turn happened to him anew, along with a teaching that was great, and in order to say it in a clear manner, he who had striven for the great love of God and the honor in this way entered into the churches of God through the teachings of life of these blessed ones, not only for himself alone, but also for his other children, Arcadius and Honorius, whom he raised up likewise in this piety in this way through the teaching and the good manner of these blessed ones. In this way also the little one, Theodosius. After these things, the archbishop of Constantinople rested himself, and certainly through this persecution which God had sent to the saints, like Jacob the patriarch who came down to Egypt at the time of the persecution of the famine until his people became numerous and filled the face of the earth, in this way also these saints, Maximus and Domitius, the sons of the king. We are not weary of calling them sons of the king until everyone knows their worth and their angelic life and their conduct, since they loved Christ more than all of this world and they followed him with their whole heart. Because of this, he himself, Christ Jesus, gave glory.

Truly they were to be administered by him so that they might go up the holy mountain to complete their work there and build a church there in their name. The foundation was established upon the rock, immovable, Christ, which became a harbor of salvation for all who would turn to God because of the forgiveness of their sins. Truly indeed the paradise rejoiced, as God, because of the salvation that had come to the soul of the sinners in that place. And moreover, it will not cease to be a harbor of salvation forever and ever. But let us hasten to the beginning of the taking of the blessed ones. Then, therefore, they sought after one to ordain as archbishop of the city of the kingdom. They came to Theodosius, the entire populace and all together, entreating him to appoint Maximus as archbishop of the see of the one who had fallen asleep. Then Theodosius the king rejoiced greatly at this matter, and immediately he sent a magistrate after him, along with other soldiers, having written to the eparch of Syria so that he might bring the saints under his protection until the bishops of the eparchy were assembled. When the magistrate and the soldiers reached the eparch and gave him the king's letters, he rejoiced and said to them, "Let us dine today, for you have labored on the road, and tomorrow we will go in the will of God.

By divine economy, then, the wife of the eparchos, who had been appointed to this, reflected, saying, "The king will take these saints to Constantinople." She became very grieved because she had a great house of faith there with them. And immediately she sent her sons, the stewards, and her other servants at evening. They informed the saints, saying, "Behold, the king has sent to take you to Constantinople. Therefore, if you wish, go into seclusion for yourselves." When the saints heard these words, they immediately girded themselves and came out of the monastery, saying, "This is the time that God wishes to take us to the place of our father Abba Makarios, the man of God in truth." As the saints were walking, they found an old shepherd sitting in a cave in a desert place. They bowed down at his feet. But at his appearance, the magistrianos and those with him went to the monastery seeking the blessed ones, and they did not find them. Then

The eparchos commanded that they be sought with firmness throughout all the places of Syria and Palestine. Because of this, these saints were hidden for many days and did not reveal themselves at all, since they would be recognized by anyone in Syria and those who were in the region. After these things, these blessed ones arose by a counsel of God; they removed the monastic garments, put them into some sacks, and wore some worldly garments, and they bound some headbands on their heads so that they would not be recognized. Then they came out, therefore, with a small sack hung upon them, each one wearing the worldly garments according to the Syrians, and they walked praying to God, saying, "God of our father Abba Makarios, may you lead the way before us and bring us to him in peace." When they had walked for two days upon the shores of the sea, the younger one said to the elder with great boldness of heart, "Find courage, my lord brother, for in the will of our Lord Jesus Christ our God, the truth and the prayers of the holy Abba Makarios, he who saw him in the vision—our blessed father Agavos who said to him, 'Be strong.'

Their hands were upon their children after you, and they brought me down to Egypt, and they remained under the hand of our faith, saying, "His prayer will find a way for us until we reach Rakote, to his place. Let us walk, then, my brother, upon the shore of the sea, in a straight line until we reach Rakote. Did you not hear the pragmateutes who said to us at that time, 'We will go along the shore of the sea until we reach Rakote'?" And the elder said, "And we will find water there, and we will drink." The younger said to him with joy and steadfast hope, "O my lord brother, do you not believe that there is power in our Lord Jesus Christ to turn this water and these stones into lakes of water?" The elder said to him, "Yes, my lord, I believe that there is power in him in all things, but forgive me, my brother, for I have sinned as a man." After these words, they walked with joy and confidence of heart, rejoicing and blessing God, and they gave strength to each other in a straight line. But God, who had led the way for the saint at that time in the desert and on the sea, it was he who also led the way for these other saints. And if they became thirsty, they would go to the sea and drink from it, for it was sweet, and they did not ask each other about this, because it was sweet.

And they rejoiced. When they had walked, they came out upon a rock of stone which was very sharp, so that they walked upon their hands and their knees many times. For the sufferings which these blessed ones endured upon those high rocks are indescribable. For they did not know where they were going, but the love of Christ and the hope which was in their heart lightened the suffering which came upon them. And according to what was told to me, these blessed ones walked until the ninth day, and they suffered greatly because of the numbness of their knees, for they were men who were weak in their body and not accustomed to such sufferings. Therefore, they said, "Let us go up upon a high rock, more than our strength, and then walk, for we are weary upon the high rock exceedingly. Have you not seen the strength of these athletes and combatants of Christ, who became martyrs without shedding blood, through these many sufferings which they endured? Then they spent several days sitting upon that rock, without eating and without drinking, being withered like dead men. But God, who saves those who hope in him at all times, delivers them from all their tribulation, who made

The memory of Daniel from the time of the lion saved him from the mouths of the lions, and he saved Jonah from the belly of the great fish, and he rescued Susanna from the false judgment of death. Likewise, he saved his Roman soldiers from the mouths of the wild beasts of that place and from the flesh-eating beasts that were upon the shores of the sea. God of the powers, he who separated Enoch from seeing death, and who sent chariots of fire to carry Elijah up to heaven. He who sent his angel, and he carried Abba Koum from the air without suffering until he brought him to Babylon upon the lake of the lions, and he gave the portion to Daniel, and again he prepared him to go to Judea, to conquer Babylon and to go to Judea for five months of travel. Likewise, the Lord sent his angel, and he raised up these saints in the air without suffering until he brought them to Shiet, and he placed them upon the great rock, which is the place of their asceticism, Saris by name. For this was a sign of God that happened in it, manifesting that the servant of God, Abba Makarios, called it the rock of Koun, which receives into the day.

Listen to me with your ears, that you may hear this miracle which happened to these blessed ones, according to what they told me. For it happened in the evening, when God brought these blessed ones to the desert; they saw in the evening a man of light standing in their midst, holding their hands, and drawing them through the air until he brought them down upon the rock which we had first seen. Then they arose upon their feet with all the strength which Christ had given us; we found ourselves upon the rock in the desert, and when we looked out upon the mountain, we saw their cell and a few small wild olive trees, and the view of the mountain; we marveled, and we were as if our heart was inscribed; we pondered concerning what had happened to us, that by night we would sleep in a place of work upon the shore of the sea, hearing the roaring of the waves, but by day we would stand in a desert, finding rest and seeing small wild olive trees and their tombs and other things of this kind of marvelous work. Then after a little while, as we conversed with them, and when the time of the birth drew near, we saw a man

He was drawing over them some camels in the old woman who is on the south of the mountain. We rejoiced greatly, we found strength in our heart and our soul. And we came down from upon the rock, and we built ourselves a dwelling, saying, "Let us ask, 'This place, whose is it?'" But when he saw us, the linen garments being upon us and the leather girdles bound upon our loins, he feared greatly and began to flee, leaving the beasts behind, because we had given repentance until he stood still. When we had built the dwelling, we spoke with the man, asking him; but he did not understand our speech, nor did we understand his. Then the desert dweller said to us, crying out, "Come, I will lead you to the place of Abba Makarios." We rejoiced and found great strength, and thus we followed the man, receiving grace from God and giving glory to him because he had taken the lead for us to the place of his going. But when we had arrived at the prophet of God, he received us with joy and asked us, "Why have you come to this place?" And we answered, saying, "We have heard of your virtues and your labors, and we have come to be under your discipline and your guidance.

of the monk. He himself, however, stood giving his blessing to us well, and he said to us, "You will not be able to stand in this place, for it is a desert and it is high." We, however, gave repentance to him, saying, "If we are not able to sit in this place, we will go to another place, only because of God. Do not abandon us, our good father." He answered, "Well, if it is so, come, let me show you the place where you will be." And he took us and brought us onto a rock, and he showed us the manner of building the cave and the handiwork according to plan. All these things the blessed ones had prepared for me, for they had come to be for them, since I am a man of that same city with them, Constantinople. And in all these things they would test me many times, forbidding me, saying, "Do not reveal anything of what I have shown you to anyone while we are alive." For even if I had not known them first, they would not have revealed anything of these things to me, but I knew them and they also knew me. For the prophet of God, Abba Makarios, had drawn over them his sons the prophet, rather the prophet had brought them to the rock. He showed them the place of the stones and gave them the tools of weaving and taught them the beginning of the weaving and the manner of the warp, and he gave into their hands all the remaining commandments, having established his place of dwelling in peace.

The saints then took off the garments of the Xenite of Syria and put on the habit of the monks of that place, and they said to one another, "See that no one knows our name, nor that we are monks at first... because this place is in the kingdom... of Syria." Therefore they made every effort not to speak with any person, nor to turn toward anyone at all, except for their dwelling place and the church. Their food was bread and salt at all times; from the time they entered the monastic life, they never tasted any oil at all, nor wine, nor milk. And they performed two hundred prostrations at all times, and they made supplications. They would recite their psalms in two hundred phrases, with an alleluia, according to the custom of the Syrians. They lived in silence, not seeing the face of any person at all, except for an old man of the mountain who watched over the cells, who brought

The work of their hands was not enough to bring them even a small piece of bread, for this one also used to serve as a deacon to the other abba Makarios, because he knew him from the beginning, when he used to go to him many times to receive his blessing. But when the saints entered the church, they did not raise their eyes upward at all to see anyone's face, but their faces were cast downward, and they remained thus until they entered the cave, with humility and fear of God. For indeed, if you had seen them in this state, you would have said, "Truly, God dwells in these men." For indeed, he dwells in them like Elijah and John. In this way, the saints had the fire of the Holy Spirit within them, burning up the evil energies of the spirit of the wicked one, which fights against our salvation at all times, without shame. For it is not I who say this, but Abba Makarios the Spirit-bearer. Once, he said to me, turning to them after three years, so that I might know their manner of sitting. And when evening came, he said, "They said to me, 'You will go.' But I said to them, 'No, but I will sleep in this place.' And they left me inside, on one side of the cave, and...

They lay down in one place and took their work before him, and they put them down. And they were silent, for they had done this. For what reason? Because the schema of the Syrians is not a goatskin, but black garments which they wear. Then, when these blessed ones saw the father of the spirit, the bearer, Abba Makarios, wearing the goatskin and the goatskin, they also wished to walk according to their father, that they might be bound according to his manner. For this reason, they brought their goatskin before him, and they put it down. And while they were doing this, that he might pray over them, so that they might rise and be bound. Immediately, he knew this through the prophetic spirit which was in him, the holy Abba Makarios, and he prayed over them. "I beseech God," he said, "that he might reveal to me their taking up the work." The answer opened, said the one who sat with me, and there came a light like the day. But they did not see the light, for they thought they were sleeping. The great one moved to the small one. They rose, they were bound. I, for my part, used to see them, but they did not see me. They stretched out their hands upward to the sky. And I saw the demons coming upon the small one like flies.

Some were coming over his eyes and his mouth, and I saw an angel of the Lord, having a sword of fire in his hand, turning a wheel toward him, striking at the demons. They did not dare to approach the great one at all. But first they placed them down again, as if they would sleep. I also did likewise, for I hid them in the same way. And the great one spoke this same word to me: "Do you wish us to recite the Psalm of the Ib?" I said, "Yes." And the small one recited the Psalm of the 66th, verse by verse, each one with an alleluia, and according to the verse, a flame of fire came forth from his mouth and went up to the sky. Likewise, the great one also, when he opened his mouth to sing, a flame of fire came forth from his mouth like a river of fire and went up to the sky. I also recited a small apostrophe. When I saw their condition and their good work, and the great zeal that was in them toward God, I greatly admired them, and as I was coming out, I said, "Pray for me." But they refused me, that I should put the schema on them, and thus I strengthened their heart, I gave it to them, and I departed from them in peace.

Behold then, we heard the great Abba Makarios teaching us explicitly that these blessed ones were worthy of the grace of the Spirit, the Paraclete, like a fire. For indeed, in truth, if I were to lay my hand upon those whom that great one had cut off for me concerning them, and those whom I also saw with my own eyes, the account would be too long. Therefore, I have left aside the majority concerning those who are small in the faith, so that they might not think that the truth is a lie. I will relate a few things out of many, to which I have limited the discourse. For the old man, who first marveled at him, saying that he serves as a deacon to these saints, is a lover of God, especially, and he had a great faith in them. Now this one, a soldier once loaded his camels with loads, and the soldier, having made peace with the old man, straightened up and gave a loaf from his right hand into his mouth. But the old man, the lover of God, immediately turned the other cheek to him, fulfilling the commandment of the Gospel. Then the tyrannical soldier submitted himself, straightened up in the vessel that was in his hand, into the face of the old man.

He opened his eyes wide. The old man then received grace from God, for he was worthy. His eye was healed because of the commandment of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It also happened to him once that he took the small handiwork of these blessed ones in Egypt, so that he might make a small loaf of bread for them according to his custom. This man was a man of the district of Arbat, dwelling in the village called Pinooub. After he made the small loaf of bread for the saints, he loaded the camel and went to Shiet. When he arrived at the place, he went down to the cell, and as he walked with the camel, he arrived at a place that was a salt marsh. And by a chance encounter with the evil enemy, the camel slipped, fell, and its two legs broke. He alone was left in the desert. When this happened, the old man wept with great lamentation and great grief, so that he tore his clothes and put dust on his head, because the camel was not his. For this reason he was grieved and wept. Then he received grace from God, saying, "I receive grace from you, my Lord Jesus Christ.

God of the saints. And when he had placed the camel, now lying down, on the ground, he entered the cave of these blessed ones and told them what had happened to him with the camel. For they did not know the certainty of the matter, but when they saw him suffering, they walked with him. When they arrived at the place, still a little distance from the camel, the old man wept upon seeing it. And they, the holy ones, when they saw the camel fallen down on the ground, stood and prayed to God. And when they approached it, it became afraid and cried out to them, and it shut its mouth to the ground as if worshiping the saints. They said to the camel, “Do not be afraid, but arise and stand in the power of him who raised himself from the dead, Jesus Christ, the God of the Christians.” And when they said this, they lifted their eyes to heaven, saying, “God of our father Abba Macarius, hear us as we pray to you, O lover of mankind.” And suddenly the camel sprang up and stood on its feet, whole as if it had never been ill at all. And the old man worshiped the saints, saying, “Blessed is Jesus Christ, who dwells in you.” And still

They walked to the place of dwelling at once. The holy Domitius saw the face of the old man, filled with tears, because of the time he had placed earth upon his head in the moment when the camel fell from him. The holy Domitius took hold of the lock of the cloak that was upon him, as if he were seeking the face of the old man. He himself, however, because of his great faith in them and the miracle he had seen that had happened through the holy saints, he took hold of the hand of the blessed one and placed it upon his painful eye, as if he would receive his blessing. And when the hand of the holy one touched his eye, immediately he saw clearly. The old man, the camel driver, that is, marveled at what had happened, not only that the camel was saved, but that he saw clearly immediately, in the moment when the hand of the saint touched his eye. And he gave great glory to God because of the gift that had befallen him. And the holy ones rejoiced with him, saying, "See, do not tell anyone about this." And they also said to him, "Do not think that the healing came to you because of us, for we are sinful men, but this happened through the power of Christ." He, however, having taken the few loaves of bread from them, returned to his place of work in the desert. And when

His companions saw him when his eye opened, and they marveled greatly and asked him, "How did you see outside?" He then told them, "The disciples of Abba Makarios are those who healed me, and all who heard gave glory to God. For I myself, after hearing this word, after they rested, I asked the great Abba Makarios so that I might know the confirmation, saying to him thus: 'Holy father, I heard concerning these blessed ones that they opened the eye of a blind man. Is that true?' He said to me, 'Yes, it is true.' I then said to him, as if marveling, 'Truly, this deed is great.' He answered and said to me, 'No, my son, this is not a great deed according to the measure of the great grace that they received from God. For they were worthy of the power that is with Elijah and John; Christ gave them his sign in the manner of his apostles, because they did not seek all the glory of this world that will perish, for the sake of the glory of him in whom they hoped, Christ. For they were like a flame of fire giving light greatly, as it were, reaching to the final breath that comes from their mouth, a fire that is full, so that if they opened their mouths to pray.

The flame was coming out of their mouths like a lamp that gives light up to the sky. Therefore, my son, do not disbelieve all those things that you have heard concerning them. As for me, I kissed his holy hands, giving glory to Christ, who works wonders among those who do his will. Then after these things, the love of God for humanity took hold, which gives rest to his servants and removes them from this world, from its pleasures and its disturbances, at the proper times, and brings them into the places of rest of the heavenly kingdom, which is filled with joy and delight, a place from which sorrow, grief, and sighing have fled. On the holy day of the feast of the Epiphany, which is the feast of the Baptism, the blessed Maximos prepared himself, and then he fell ill; a severe fever afflicted him. When the illness became severe, he said, "Do me the kindness, call for me our father Abba Makarios." As for me, I went and called him. Then after the sun had set, he said to us, "What time is this?" We told him, "It is the end of the day." He then said to us, "Still a little while, and I will go to my place of rest." When the dawn came, our father Abba Makarios said to us, "Extinguish the lamp," and we extinguished it.

Then the blessed Maximus raised his mind up to the sky and said, "Send forth your light and your truth, O my God, to take the way before me on the path, for truly I believe that you will straighten my way and save me from the hands of the powers of the darkness of the air of the spirits. Prepare my vessels on your ways, my God, so that I may reach you without hindrance. Let there be for me a hope of strength, Jesus my God, for you are my light and my savior. I was afraid, I, for the sake of the heart of the waters." After these things he was silent for a little while, and again he said, "Now then, let us go out, for behold, here are the apostles and the prophets who have come out to me." Then he was silent. After a little while, the holy Abba Macarius saw the choir of the saints who had come after him, following him. Abba Macarius arose and stood, being silent. When I saw also the lamp, he—the old man Abba Macarius—found my heart, saying, "Do you wish that I make the lamp well?" He said, "No, but leave it as it is. I, however, gave heed to him, saying, 'Do a kindness.'

My father, rest yourself upon my weakness a little. He, however, answered, saying, "Be quiet, my son, for this is not a time for speech, but rather a time for silence." And the blessed Maximus would speak with one of the saints, asking him about the names of the saints that were around him. But we did not know whom he was speaking of. However, the spirit-bearing Abba Makarios informed us that he was being told the names of the saints that were around him. And when his soul took delight in the presence of the saints, immediately it separated itself from the body with joy. This is the manner in which this blessed one came to completion in peace, having rested himself with all the saints of the desert of Scetis, the mountain of Tabennesi. Then, after the burial of his holy relic, and after his departure to his rest, his blessed brother Dometius fell ill. A great fever came upon him. And when the great Abba Makarios saw that he had fallen ill, he said to me, "Sit, my son, and serve your brother until you receive his blessing." I, however, placed my hands upon him, saying to him, "Pray for me, my holy father." But at his rest, the holy Dometius grew worse in his illness, and he passed away on the third hour of the night.

I saw him weeping, and I said to him, "Do you wish me to call our father Abba Macarius?" He said, "Yes." So I went and called him, and I was still walking with him on the road when he stopped for a long time, gazing toward the side of the cave, and then he turned toward the east. I thought, "Perhaps he is praying." He bowed toward the chorus of the saints, drawing the blessed soul of the holy Domitius upward. He bowed toward the sky, raised his hands, and wept, lamenting in his grief, saying, "Woe is me, for I have not become a monk at all! For these are the true monks, who in a short time of turmoil found the path of perfection. But I, when I saw him weeping in this manner, I was amazed and said to him, 'What is the matter, O holy father?' He said to me, 'Come, my son, for the holy Domitius has reposed.' When we entered the cave, we found him seated, leaning inward, with his right hand stretched upward to the sky. After he had completed seventeen days of prayer, we took his holy body and wrapped it in a cloth. The holy Abba Macarius testified to Abba Isidore that the ranks that followed the soul of the great one were the same as those that followed the soul of his brother who was with them.

Behold, I have informed you of the manner in which these blessed ones completed their course in an angelic life, having loved the labors of the disciplines and the struggles of the times; they persevered in patience, having contended well, running in the stadium of virtue, preparing themselves according to the word of the holy apostle Paul, until they reached the goal of the divine calling which is worthy, and they became with the one who receives the reward, Christ, a true athlete, having despised the honor of this world for a time and all the pleasures that pass away, which they cast aside like a garment, and they became haters of this world as if it were a shadow. It happened once, as I was going up with them, that I said to them, "Are you in Constantinople, my father? Often I will find you, for you are now a king." But they turned their face away from me and said to me with a smile, "Is your mind still there, O brother? You have spoken this word as if it were in the place you marvel at.

We are not weary of telling you many times, O brother, the elder, whether you sit with us or whether you are in your dwelling place, hold fast to the name of salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ in steadfastness. For truly, the holy name is in your heart; it is not a word that you have spoken now. Therefore, pay attention to yourself in firmness; do not be negligent concerning the name of salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, but hold fast to it in your whole heart, with perseverance, with endurance, for truly, if we are negligent in this, we will die in our transgressions. Therefore, let us not love boldness and laughter and idle words, for these destroy the whole discipline of the monk, according to the manner we know of this, while we are still in Syria. For when humanity was led astray by laughter, they did not cease to remember our sins. But sojourning and silence in humility and groaning are the garments of our mourning; groaning gives birth to prayer in purity; prayer gives birth to the fear of God and love; and these give birth to the human being. For truly, there is no rank, nor wealth, nor power, nor honor before God, but a holy soul is what He seeks, and His sacrifice and His incense.

our salvation. I received their word to me with a steadfast heart, and I gave repentance, saying, "Forgive me, my fathers, intercede for me." Then after a year of days from the departure of these blessed ones, the desert spread out beautifully, whether of the mountain of Pernouj or of the monasteries that are scattered throughout Egypt, once and for all the desert spread out. They built for themselves great churches, and they appointed Abba Isidore the presbyter. But I, even I, the unworthy one, was made a deacon. After these things, the great Abba Macarius called out from the church, crying out and saying, "Call this place 'The Romans'." Three of the great elders of the mountain of Pernouj, who were with us, namely Apa Pamo, Apa Pihor, and Apa Athre, answered the holy Abba Macarius, saying, "Do you not know our name, our blessed father?" He said to them, "Yes, but it is not fitting that we call the name of one of them upon the place, and leave the other aside, since they completed their course in one patience together with each other. And also, because they are brothers, therefore we will name them together with each other, and we will call their place 'The Romans' after their completion." In this manner also, he caused them to write a name upon the diptych: "Our Roman fathers, until this day, according to the manner that God commanded him.

He also bore witness to us of this, namely Abba Papnoute, the disciple of Abba Makarios, who became a spiritual father after him, saying, "When I was building this church, God commanded our father through a shining cherub, 'Call this place so that the Romans may inhabit it, and you also,' he said, 'follow me so that I may show you the place where your name will be invoked.' Then the cherub drew him, brought him to the bay of the river of the Hellespont, to the place of the shrine, and stood upon the rock to the south, crying out to him, saying, 'This is the place where your name will be invoked, the place which you built.' The Romans beheld it forever, because they are the first to have placed their bodies in this holy mountain, having become the first beginning of your labors in this vineyard of the Lord Sabaoth, this which they assigned to you as a time and as a beginning, namely this precious crown of the monks, the people who do the will of God and who draw their counsels down upon the race of men concerning their polity and their prayer and their vigils which they send forth by day and by night in unceasing supplication for sinners, so that they may be reconciled to God in their whole heart, and that he may forgive them according to his counsels within his creation.

Behold, these are my holy fathers, those whom I have seen and those whom I have heard; I have informed you about them with certainty. So then, see that no one disbelieves all that I have said concerning these saints, but rather, take heed with fear of those things I have said about them, so that you may not receive judgment. Especially those things spoken by our great spiritual father, Abba Makarios, the man who bore God, and whom God loved because of his purity. For it is written, "When the old men gathered around Abba Makarios, he would take them to his cave, saying, 'Come, let you see the martyrion of the little strangers, so that you also may make progress in the virtues of those blessed saints, and may be worthy of the portion and inheritance with them in the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.'" Behold, the great Abba Makarios considered them as martyrs in the...

let him cling to the spiritual and the elders in their prayer with faith. For they became martyrs by their own choice, without the shedding of blood, through the contempt they showed for the kingdom of their father, which was about to destroy them because of the kingdom of the heavens and its blessings, and the memory of the palace whose linen they wore, and the taking of meals that were meager in many ways, and the sufferings they endured in the high places of the sea and the danger of the wild beasts of that place, until God took them by his help that drew them, until he brought them to the mountain of Shiet, to the holy place of Abba Makarios, where they completed their course. Therefore I said that they became martyrs without a sword.

For if we let the remembrance of the holy fathers' conversion slip from us, we will fall away from the worldly habits, and we will receive light in the footsteps of our blessed fathers, having left behind the things of the past, preparing ourselves for the things of the heart in true humility and love, walking on a path of teaching without error, fulfilling the laws of Christ Jesus and the angelic commandments of the monastic life, which guide us to God in a straight path and the attainment of the good in paradise. For indeed, our fathers left the small place of dwelling of these saints, as if it were a church, praying there little by little in faith, and many of those who were sick in body and soul, whether in the plains or the mountains, whether in the deserts or the marshes, when they reached their martyrion, if they pray, they receive healing immediately through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives healing to the sick, whether of the body or of the soul, through the intercessions of our holy fathers the Romans, Maximus and Domitius, who is the savior of all, our Lord and our God and our Savior Jesus Christ, from whom all glory and all honor and all worship are due to the Father with him and the Holy Spirit, the life-giver and consubstantial with him, now and always and forever and ever, amen.