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Capitula xxxiii

Evagrius Ponticus · khazarzar

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machine-draft · no human review 3 passages · 597 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The Capitula xxxiii is a collection of 33 short chapters by Evagrius Ponticus, offering compact spiritual principles on ascetic and contemplative life. Written in a gnomic, often paradoxical style, the work reflects Evagrius’s technical terminology (e.g., nous, apatheia) and his tripartite psychology. The Greek text survives in a single manuscript tradition, with some chapters preserved in Syriac. Excerpted in the Greek Philokalia and translated by John Cassian, the work influenced Western monastic spirituality. It was cited in the condemnations of Evagrius at the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553). The khazarzar edition, based on Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, lacks a critical apparatus; readers should consult Paul Géhin’s critical edition (SC 438) for manuscript evidence.

The Capitula xxxiii is a key text for understanding Evagrius’s ascetic theology and its influence on both Eastern and Western monastic traditions. Its technical terminology and paradoxical phrasing shaped later spiritual literature, while its condemnation at the Fifth Ecumenical Council highlights the controversies surrounding Origenist thought.

Historical context

Evagrius Ponticus (c. 345–399) wrote these chapters during his monastic sojourn in the Egyptian desert (c. 383–399). The dating rests on internal references to Origenist controversies and the absence of later Christological developments. The work belongs to the genre of ascetic and contemplative literature, typical of Evagrius’s gnomic style. The Greek text survives in a single manuscript tradition, with some chapters also preserved in Syriac translation. The edition by khazarzar is based on the Greek text from Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, collated with other witnesses. These chapters were excerpted in the Greek Philokalia and in Latin translations by John Cassian, influencing Western monastic spirituality. They were also cited in the condemnations of Evagrius at the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553).

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

18 commentary units 10 term2 structure2 background2 scripture1 parallel1 caution 0 derived notes 4 open questions 3 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • coverageNo 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.
  • limitThe 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.
  • registerRegister: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 3 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
khazarzar-evagrius-ponticus-capitula-xxxiii:1 · narrativehigh
Source
ΕΥΑΓΡΙΟΥ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΑ ΛΓʹ ΚΑΤ' ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΑΝ. Αʹ. Ἴκτερος, ἔστιν ἕξις χειρίστη ψυχῆς λογικῆς, καθ' ἣν ἐσφαλμένως Θεόν τε καὶ τὴν τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίαν ὁρᾷ. Βʹ. Ὀπισθότονος, ἔστι κακία φύσεως λογικῆς, καθ' ἣν δυσκαμπὴς γίνεται πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Γʹ. Σφακελλισμὸς, ἔστι ζέσις καὶ κίνησις θυμοῦ τὸ λογιστικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκταράττουσα. Δʹ. Τυφλότης, ἔστιν ἄγνοια τοῦ νοῦ, ταῖς πρακτικαῖς ἀρεταῖς καὶ τῇ τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίᾳ μὴ ἐπιβάλλουσα. Εʹ. Παράλυσις, ἔστι δυσκινησία λογιστικῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετάς. ϛʹ. Γονόῤῥοια, ἔστι ῥᾳθυμία λογικῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν ἀποβάλλειν τοὺς τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας εἴωθε λόγους. Ζʹ. Ἀποκάθισις, ἔστιν ἀδυναμία λογικῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν τὰς συντελούσας ἀρετὰς πρὸς τὴν μόρφωσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἴωθεν ἀποβάλλειν. Ηʹ. Λέπρα ἀπιστία ἐστὶν λογικῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν οὐ πληροφορεῖται ψηλαφῶσα τοὺς λόγους. Θʹ. Ἔκστασις, ἔστι νεῦσις πάλιν πρὸς κακίαν λογικῆς ψυχῆς μετὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ιʹ. Θλάσις, ἔστιν ἕξις χειρίστη λογικῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἢν μετέρχεται τὰς ἀρετὰς οὐ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ καλόν. ΙΑʹ. Κολόβωσις ῥινὸς, ἔστι στέρησις ἀρετῆς ἀντιλαμβανομένης εὐωδίας τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
English
Capitula of Evagrius the Monk, Thirty-Three in Sequence. 1. Jaundice is a most evil state of the rational soul, according to which it sees God and the contemplation of beings in a distorted manner. 2. Opisthotonos is a vice of the rational nature, according to which it becomes inflexible towards virtue and the knowledge of God. 3. Sphacelismus is a boiling and movement of the spirited part that disturbs the rational part of the soul. 4. Blindness is an ignorance of the mind, which does not apply itself to the practical virtues and the contemplation of beings. 5. Paralysis is a difficulty of movement of the rational soul towards the practical virtues. 6. Gonorrhea is a laziness of the rational soul, according to which it is accustomed to cast off the words of spiritual teaching. 7. Apocathisis is an incapacity of the rational soul, according to which it is accustomed to cast off the virtues that contribute to the formation of Christ. 8. Leprosy is unbelief of the rational soul, according to which it is not fully convinced even when it handles the words. 9. Ecstasy is a bending back towards evil of the rational soul after virtue and the knowledge of God. 10. Thlasis is a most evil state of the rational soul, according to which it practices the virtues not for the sake of the good itself. 11. Colobosis of the nose is a deprivation of the virtue that perceives the fragrance of Christ.
khazarzar-evagrius-ponticus-capitula-xxxiii:2 · narrativehigh
Source
ΙΒʹ. Ὠτότμησις. ἔστι σκληρία λογικῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὴν πνευματικὴν διδασκαλίαν ἀνθέλκουσα. ΙΓʹ. Ἐφηλὶς, ἔστι πνευματικῆς θεωρίας ἔκπτωσις, ἢ τῆς τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίας οὐκ ἀληθὴς κατανόησις. ΙΔʹ. Μογιλαλία, ἔστι πάθος τοῦ λογιστικοῦ μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ὃ σκανδαλιζόμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ἀδυνατεῖ τῷ Θεῷ. ΙΕʹ. Χωλότης, ἔστιν ἀδυναμία φύσεως λογικῆς πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργασίαν. Ιϛʹ. Ὕδρωψ, ἔστιν ἔκκλισις ἄλογος ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν σβεσθεισῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπικρατεῖ κακία καὶ ἀγνωσία. ΙΖʹ. Μύρμηξ, ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος πρακτικὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τροφὴν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ παρασκευάζων. ΙΗʹ. Χοιρογρύλλιοι, εἰσὶν ἔθνη ἀκάθαρτα τὰς ἐντολὰς δεξάμενα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ. ΙΘʹ. Ἀβασίλευτοι ἀκρίδες, ψυχαὶ λογικαὶ μὴ σαλευόμεναι ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων διατρεφόμεναι. Κʹ. Ἀσκαλαβότης, ἔστι νοῦς πρακτικὸς, ἐπερειδόμενος ἀρεταῖς καὶ κατοικῶν ἐν ταῖς γνώσεσι τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων. ΚΑʹ. Σκύμνος λέοντος, ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος ἀπαθὴς τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ γενομένων βασιλεύσας θηρίων. ΚΒʹ. Ἀλεκτρυὼν, ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος πνευματικὸς πληρούμενος γνώσεως καὶ ἑτέραις εὐαγγελιζόμενος ψυχαῖς τὴν παρὰ τοῦ νοητοῦ ἡλίου γενομένην ἡμέραν. ΚΓʹ. Τράγος, ἔστιν ἀνὴρ πρακτικὸς τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ἀτάκτων λογισμῶν ὀρθῶς καθηγούμενος.
English
12. Ototmesis is a hardness of the rational soul that draws it away from spiritual teaching. 13. Ephelis is a falling away from spiritual contemplation, or an untrue understanding of the contemplation of beings. 14. Mogilalia is a passion of the rational part of the soul, according to which, being scandalized at what happens, it is unable to give thanks to God in everything. 15. Cholotes is an inability of the rational nature for the practice of virtue. 16. Hydrops is an irrational deviation of the soul, according to which, when the virtues have been extinguished, vice and ignorance prevail. 17. Myrmex is a practical man preparing his own food in this world. 18. Choerogryllioi are unclean nations that have received the commandments of our Savior Christ. 19. Unruled locusts are rational souls not shaken by death and nourished by seeds. 20. Asakalabotes is a practical intellect, resting upon virtues and dwelling in the knowledge of the heavenly powers. 21. Skymnos of a lion is a dispassionate man who has reigned over the beasts that have arisen within him. 22. Alektryon is a spiritual man filled with knowledge and evangelizing to other souls the day that has come from the intelligible sun. 23. Tragos is a practical man rightly leading the disordered thoughts within him.
khazarzar-evagrius-ponticus-capitula-xxxiii:3 · narrativehigh
Source
ΚΔʹ. Βδέλλα, ἔστι φύσις ἀκάθαρτος τὸ δίκαιον αἶμα ἐκ τῶν λογικῶν ψυχῶν ἐκμυζῶσα. ΚΕʹ. Ἅδης, ἔστιν ἄγνοια φύσεως λογικῆς κατὰ στέρησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ θεωρίας ἐπισυμβαίνουσα. Κϛʹ. Γυνὴ, ἔστιν ἀφροσύνη λογικὰς ψυχὰς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίαν προσκαλουμένη. ΚΖʹ. Γῆ, ἔστιν ἕξις χειρίστη ἐξ ἀσεβείας καὶ παρανομίας συλλεγομένη. ΚΗʹ. Πῦρ, ἔστι κακία φύσεως λογικῆς φθαρτικὴ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀρετῶν. ΚΘʹ. Ὕδωρ, ἔστι γνῶσις ψευδὴς σβεστικὴ γνώσεως ἀληθοῦς. Λʹ. Ὀφθαλμὸς καταγελῶν, ἔστι φύσις ἀκάθαρτος τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καταγελῶσα γνώσεως καὶ ἀτιμάζουσα τὴν ἐν τοῖς γεγονόσι σοφίαν. ΛΑʹ. Κόρακες, εἰσὶ δυνάμεις ἅγιαι, φθαρτικαὶ τῶν κακιῶν. ΛΒʹ. Φάραγγες, εἰσὶ ψυχαὶ λογικαὶ κοιλανθεῖσαι ἀπὸ κακίας καὶ ἀγνωσίας. ΛΓʹ. Νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν, εἰσὶ δυνάμεις ἅγιαι τοὺς ἀκαθάρτους καταβάλλειν πεπιστευμέναι.
English
24. Bdella is an unclean nature that sucks the righteous blood out of rational souls. 25. Hades is an ignorance of rational nature that supervenes through a deprivation of the contemplation of God. 26. Woman is a folly that summons rational souls to uncleanness. 27. Earth is a most base condition gathered from impiety and lawlessness. 28. Fire is a vice of rational nature that destroys the virtues of God. 29. Water is a false knowledge that extinguishes true knowledge. 30. A laughing eye is an unclean nature that laughs at the knowledge of God and dishonors the wisdom in things that have come to be. 31. Crows are holy powers that destroy vices. 32. Ravines are rational souls hollowed out by vice and ignorance. 33. Eaglets are holy powers entrusted with casting down the unclean.
Citation. Tergwame, “Capitula xxxiii”, khazarzar-evagrius-ponticus-capitula-xxxiii:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/khazarzar-evagrius-ponticus-capitula-xxxiii#s1
Colophon. Source: khazarzar · licence: Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0022 · generated 2026-11-15.