Medieval Literature in Translation

By Dover Publications

Comprehensive anthology contains exquisite cross-section of Western medieval literature, from Boethius and Augustine to Dante, Abelard, Marco Polo, and Villon, masterfully translated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Charles Eliot Norton, C. K. Scott Moncrieff, Lord Tennyson, Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Carlyle, Matthew Arnold, Lord Byron, others. "No better anthology exists." — Commonweal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Jan 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9780486149042

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I. THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION

The Christian literary tradition began in Hellenic Asia Minor in the days of persecution before the Edict of Constantine (A.D. 311). After the period of writings eventually included in the canon of the New Testament came a period of apocryphal writings and works of the Fathers of the Church, that is, of clergy who wrote books of instruction, theological tracts, Christian biographies either factual or idealized, histories of the Church, hymns and antiphons, and the like. The primary languages were Greek, Coptic (Egyptian), and Syrian. Not until the third century did Christianity become firmly enough established in the West to develop a notable literature in Latin, and only after the Church became a ward of the Empire early in the fourth century did Latin literature become really Christianized. The four great Latin Fathers, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory, all wrote after A.D. 350.

The selections that follow have been chosen, not to give a proportioned view of Christian teaching, but to acquaint the reader with cardinal passages and works on which medieval literature depends. Those who use this book are advised to read, in addition to the selections given here, the following passages in the New Testament: Luke 1, 26–39 (Annunciation); 11, 1–34 (Nativity); Matthew V–VII (Sermon on the Mount); Mark XIV, 10–16, 20 (Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension); John 1, 1–18 (Divinity of Christ); Acts 11, I Thess. IV, 14–v, 3 (Holy Ghost, Second Advent, Formation of the Church); Acts VII, 54–VIII, 4, IX, 1–31 (Stephen, Paul); Romans VIII, 28–30 (Predestination, Election); I Cor. XIII (Faith, Hope, Charity); xv, 12–50 (Eternal Life); Gal. IV, 1–6, 22–31, v, 13–23 (New Law and New Jerusalem); Eph. 11, 18–22 (Communion and Intercession of the Saints); VI, 10–20 (Arming of the Christian Warrior); Col. 11, 8, I Tim. 1, 3–11, II Tim. 11, 16–17 (Secular Literature); II Tim. 111 (Christian Ministry); Hebrews XI, I–XII, 2 (Faith and the Patriarchs); I Peter 11, 13–18 (Right of Kings); II Peter 11, 4, Jude 1, 6 (Fall of the Angels); II Peter 111, 7–18, Revelation, esp. XII (Millennium and Last Judgment).

Until the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), called by the Emperor Constantine, Christians lived under fear of persecution as opponents of the religion of the state. In consequence, the literature of this ante-Nicene period is characterized by anonymity, an enigmatical form of writing, and a considerable amount of prophecy and apocalypse in anticipation of better days. Moreover, since the Gospels were not theological but a record of Christian experience, dogma and doctrine had to be established, and much of the literature was created to support and disseminate some particular theological view. At the time of the Nicene Council, the Church was torn between Arianism and Orthodoxy; largely through the efforts of Bishop Athanasius and his supporters the orthodox view prevailed.

Almost immediately began a period of historical writing, for the clergy, now freed from its illegal position, felt the need to explain its status to the world. The increase in number of converts and the new problems arising from its official position forced increased organization. The bishops’ sees had been small; but now emerged the metropolitan, eventually an archdiocese. Four apostolic sees came to be viewed as arbiters in dogma and canon law: Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. For the first three, Greek was the ecclesiastical language; for Rome, Latin.

Through the fourth century, most Christian literature was at least inspired by the East; but as literacy declined with the decline of state power in the West, fewer ideas were imported from the Greek and Hebrew world, and fewer works were translated. In the fifth and sixth centuries, communication between Latin and Greek churches came to be limited to envoys and ambassadors. The Latin-speaking people of the West no longer depended upon eastern churches for their knowledge of Christianity and for literature acceptable to Christians; but already a vast mass of liturgy, Christian history, doctrine, story, and legend from the Orient had come into the West. It is a vital element in medieval literature.

APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT

A group of writings composed during the first five centuries of the Christian Era, generally called the Apocryphal New Testament, is made up of spurious gospels, acts, epistles, or visions of St. Mary, the disciples, apostles, or other figures of the New Testament. Their authors’ purpose in writing under the assumed names of New Testament personages was to enlist respect; usually the pretence was that a work, hidden in apostolic days, had just been brought to light. A modern editor and translator, Montague Rhodes James says: As religious books they were meant to reinforce the existing stock of Christian beliefs: either by revealing new doctrines — usually differing from those which held the field; or by interpreting old ones — again, usually in a fresh sense; or by extolling some special virtue, as chastity or temperance; or by enforcing belief in certain doctrines or events, e.g. the virgin birth, the resurrection of Christ, the second coming, the future state — by the production of evidence which, if true, should be irrefragable. . . . Not a few of the stories are notable and imaginative, and have been consecrated and made familiar to us by the genius of mediaeval artists. But the authors do not speak with the voices of Paul or of John, or with the quiet simplicity of the three first Gospels. It is not unfair to say that when they attempt the former tone, they are theatrical, and when they essay the latter, they are jejune. The works varied in popularity in antiquity as well as during the Middle Ages and recent times.

One of the most popular, though consistently condemned or cited with disapproval by Church writers from St. Augustine on, is the Apocalypse or Vision of Paul, which stimulated western writers to create visions of the afterlife and specifically influenced Dante in the composition of his Comedy (cf. Inferno ii, 28). It was subjected to numerous revisions, adaptations, and paraphrases in verse and prose, as homilies or romances; versions exist in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, and Slavic.

The work opens with a prologue describing the alleged discovery of the text, and then narrates the vision of Paul of Tarsus who while I was in the body, was caught up into the third heaven. The vision falls into six parts: (1) an appeal of creation to God against man; (2) a report of the angels to God about men; (3) a description of the deaths and judgments of the righteous and of the wicked; (4) a vision of Paradise; (5) a vision of Hell and Paul’s intercession; (6) a second vision of Paradise. The selections that follow are translated from what is generally regarded as the oldest Latin version.

THE VISION OF PAUL

Anonymous (3rd cent.?)

[From The Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Additional

Volume, edited by Allan Menzies; T. & T. Clark,

Edinburgh, 1896.]

In the consulship of Theodosius Augustus the Younger and Cynegius, a certain nobleman then living in Tharsus, in the house which was that of Saint Paul, an angel appearing in the night revealed to him, saying that he should open the foundations of the house and should publish what he found, but he thought that these things were dreams.

But the angel coming for the third time beat him and forced him to open the foundation. And digging he found a marble box, inscribed on the sides; there was the revelation of Saint Paul, and his shoes in which he walked teaching the word of God. But he feared to open that box and brought it to the judge; when he had received it, the judge, because it was sealed with lead, sent it to the Emperor Theodosius, fearing lest it might be something else; which when he had received the emperor opened it, and found the revelation of Saint Paul; a copy of it he sent to Jerusalem, and retained the original himself.

While I was in the body in which I was snatched up to the third heaven, the word of the Lord came to me saying: "Speak to the people: Until when will ye transgress, and heap sin upon sin, and tempt the Lord who made you? Ye are the sons of God, doing the works of the devil in the faith of Christ, on account of the impediments of the world. Remember therefore and know that while every creature serves God, the human race alone sins. But it reigns over every creature and sins more than all nature.

The creature is subject to God, but the human race alone sins. For this cause, therefore, ye sons of men, bless the Lord God unceasingly, every hour and every day: but more especially when the sun has set: for at that hour all the angels proceed to the Lord to worship him and to present the works of men, which every man has wrought from the morning till the evening, whether good or evil. And there is a certain angel who proceeds rejoicing concerning the man in whom he dwells. When therefore the sun has set in the first hour of night, in the same hour the angel of every people and every man and woman, who protect and preserve them, because man is the image of God: similarly also in the matin hour which is the twelfth of the night, all the angels of men and women go up to God to worship God and present every work which each man has wrought, whether good or evil. Moreover every day and night the angels show to God an account of all the acts of the human race. To you, therefore, I say, ye sons of men, bless the Lord God without fail all the days of your life."

Therefore at the appointed hour all the angels whatever, rejoicing at once together, proceed before God that they may meet to worship at the hour determined. And behold suddenly it became the hour of meeting, and the angels came to worship in the presence of God, and the spirit proceeded to meet them: and there came a voice and said: Whence come ye, our angels, bearing the burdens of tidings?

They answered and said: We come from those who have renounced this world for the sake of thy holy name, wandering as pilgrims, and in caves of the rocks, and weeping every hour in which they inhabited the earth, and hungering and thirsting because of thy name, with their loins girded, having in their hands the incense of their hearts, and praying and blessing every hour, and restraining and overcoming themselves, weeping and wailing above the rest that inhabit the earth. And we indeed, their angels, mourn along with them: whither therefore it shall please thee, command us to go and minister, lest others also do it, but the destitute above the rest who are on earth.

And there came the voice of God to them saying: Know ye that now henceforward my grace is appointed unto you, and my help, who is my well-beloved Son, shall be present with them, guiding them every hour; ministering also to them, never deserting them, since their place is his habitation.

When therefore these angels had retired, behold other angels came to adore in the presence of honour, in the assembly, who wept; and the spirit of God proceeded to meet them, and there came the voice of God and said: Whence come ye, our angels, bearing the burdens of the ministry of the tidings of the wold?

They answered and said in the presence of God: We have arrived from those who called upon thy name, and the impediments of the world made them wretched, devising many occasions every hour, not even making one pure prayer, nor out of their whole heart, in all the time of their life; what need, therefore, is there to be present with men who are sinners?

And there came the voice of God to them: It is necessary that ye should minister to them, until they be converted and repent: but if they do not return to me I will judge them.

Know therefore, sons of men, that whatever things are wrought by you, these angels relate to God, whether good or evil.

And I said to the angel: I wished to see the souls of the just and of sinners going out of the world.

And the angel answered and said unto me: Look down upon the earth.

And I looked down from heaven upon the earth, and saw the whole world, and it was nothing in my sight and I saw the sons of men as though they were naught, and a-wanting, and I wondered and said to the angel: Is this the greatness of men?

And the angel answered and said unto me: It is, and these are they who do evil from morning till evening.

And I looked and saw a great cloud of fire spread over the whole world, and I said to the angel: What is this, my Lord?

And he said to me: This is injustice stirred up by the princes of sinners.

I indeed when I had heard this sighed and wept, and said to the angel: I wished to see the souls of the just and of sinners, and to see in what manner they go out of the body.

And the angel answered and said unto me: Look again upon the earth.

And I looked and saw all the world, and men were as naught and a-wanting; and I looked carefully and saw a certain man about to die. And the angel said to me: This one whom thou seest is a just man.

And I looked again and saw all his works, whatever he had done for the sake of God’s name, and all his desires, both what he remembered, and what he did not remember; they all stood in his sight in the hour of need. And I saw the just man advance and find refreshment and confidence, and before he went out of the world the holy and the impious angels both attended; but the impious found no place of habitation in him. The holy took possession of his soul, guiding it till it went out of the body. And they roused the soul saying: Soul, know thy body whence thou goest out, for it is necessary that thou shouldst return to the same body on the day of the resurrection, that thou mayest receive the things promised to all the just.

Receiving therefore the soul from the body, they immediately kissed it as familiarly known to them, saying to it: Do manfully, for thou hast done the will of God while placed in the earth.

And they led him along till he should worship in the sight of God. And when they had ceased, immediately Michael and all the army of angels, with one voice, adored the footstool of his feet, and his doors, saying at the same time to the soul: This is your God of all things, who made you in his own image and likeness.

Moreover the angel returns and points him out saying: God, remember his labours; for this is the soul whose works I related to thee, doing according to thy judgment.

And the spirit said likewise: I am the spirit of vivification inspiring him; for I had refreshment in him, in the time when I dwelt in him, doing according to thy judgment.

And there came the voice of God and said: In as much as this man did not vex me, neither will I vex him; for according as he had pity, I also will have pity. Let him therefore be handed over to Michael, the angel of the Covenant, and let him lead him into the Paradise of joy, that he himself may become co-heir with all the saints.

And after these things I heard the voices of a thousand thousand angels, and archangels, and cherubim, and twenty-four elders saying hymns, and glorifying the Lord and crying: Thou art just, O Lord, and just are thy judgments, and there is no acceptance of persons with thee, but thou rewardest unto every man according to thy judgment.

And the angel said unto me: Hast thou believed and known, that whatever each man of you has done, he sees in the hour of need?

And I said: Yes, sir.

And he saith to me: Look again down on the earth, and watch the soul of an impious man going out of the body, which vexed the Lord day and night, saying: ‘I know nothing else in this world, I eat and drink, and enjoy what is in the world; for who is there who has descended into hell, and ascending has declared to us that there is judgment there!’

And again I looked carefully, and saw all the scorn of the sinner, and all that he did, and they stood together before him in the hour of need; and it was done to him in that hour, in which he was threatened about his body at the judgment, and I said: It were better for him if he had not been born.

And after these things, there came at the same time the holy angels and the malign and the soul of the sinner, and the holy angels did not find a place in it. Moreover the malign angels cursed it; and when they had drawn it out of the body, the angels admonished it a third time, saying: O wretched soul, look upon thy flesh, whence thou camest out; for it is necessary that thou shouldst return to thy flesh in the day of resurrection, that thou mayest receive the due for thy sins and thy impieties.

And after these things it was presented, that it might worship in the sight of God, and an angel of God showed him God who made him after his own image and likeness. Moreover his angel ran before him saying: Lord God Almighty, I am the angel of this soul, whose works I presented to thee day and night, not doing according to thy judgment.

And the spirit likewise said: I am the spirit who dwelt in it from the time it was made, in itself moreover I know it, and it has not followed my will: judge it, Lord, according to thy judgment.

And there came the voice of God to it and said: Where is thy fruit which thou hast made worthy of the goods which thou hast received? Have I put a distance of one day between thee and the just man? a Did I not make the sun to arise upon thee as upon the just?

But the soul was silent, having nothing to answer. And again there came a voice saying: Just is the judgment of God, and there is no acceptance of persons with God, for whoever shall have done mercy, on them shall he have mercy, and whoever shall not have pitied neither shall God pity him. Let him therefore be handed over to the angel Tartaruch, who is set over the punishments, and let him place him in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, and let him be there till the great day of judgment.

And after these things I heard the voice of angels and archangels saying: Thou art just, Lord, and thy judgment is just.

And he took me down from the third heaven, and led me into the second heaven, and again he led me on to the firmament and from the firmament he led me over the doors of heaven: the beginning of its foundation was on the river which waters all the earth. And I asked the angel and said, Lord, what is this river of water? And he said to me, This is Oceanus! And suddenly I went out of heaven, and I understood that it is the light of heaven which lightens all the earth. For the land there is seven times brighter than silver.

And I said, Lord, what is this place?

And he said to me, This is the land of promise. Hast thou never heard what is written: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth? The souls therefore of the just, when they have gone out of the body, are meanwhile dismissed to this place.

And I said to the angel, Then this land will be manifested before the time?

The angel answered and said to me, When Christ, whom thou preachest, shall come to reign, then, by the sentence of God, the first earth will be dissolved and this land of promise will then be revealed, and it will be like dew or cloud, and then the Lord Jesus Christ, the King Eternal, will be manifested and will come with all his saints to dwell in it, and he will reign over them a thousand years, and they will eat of the good things which I shall now show unto thee.

And I looked around upon that land and I saw a river flowing of milk and honey, and there were trees planted by the bank of that river, full of fruit: moreover each single tree bore twelve fruits in the year, having various and diverse fruits: and I saw the created things which are in that place and all the work of God, and I saw there palms of twenty cubits, but others of ten cubits: and that land was seven times brighter than silver. And there were trees full of fruits from the roots to the highest branches, of ten thousand fruits of palms upon ten thousand fruits. The grape-vines moreover had ten thousand plants. Moreover in the single vines there were ten thousand thousand bunches and in each of these a thousand single grapes: moreover these single trees bore a thousand fruits. And I said to the angel, Why does each tree bear a thousand fruits?

The angel answered and said unto me, Because the Lord God gives an abounding flood of gifts to the worthy, because they also of their own will afflicted themselves when they were placed in the world doing all things on account of his holy name.

And again I said to the angel, Sir, are these the only promises which the Most Holy God makes?

And he answered and said to me: No! there are seven times greater than these. But I say unto thee that when the just go out of the body they shall see the promises and the good things which God has prepared for them. Till then, they shall sigh, and lament saying: Have we emitted any word from our mouth to vex our neighbour even on one day?

I asked and said again: Are these alone the promises of God?

And the angel answered and said unto me: These whom you now see are the souls of the married and those who kept the chastity of their nuptials, containing themselves. But to the virgins and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness and those who afflicted themselves for the sake of the name of God, God will give seven times greater than these, which I shall now show thee. Follow me and I will lead thee into the City of Christ.

And he was standing on the Acherousian Lake and he put me into a golden ship and angels as it were three thousand were saying hymns before me till I arrived at the City of Christ. Moreover those who inhabited the City of Christ greatly rejoiced over me as I went to them, and I entered and saw the City of Christ, and it was all of gold, and twelve walls encircled it, and twelve interior towers. And there were twelve gates in the circuit of the city, of great beauty, and four rivers which encircled it. There was, moreover, a river of honey and a river of milk, and a river of wine and a river of oil.

And I said to the angel: What are these rivers surrounding that city? And he saith to me: These are the four rivers which flow sufficiently for those who are in this land of promise. The river of honey is called Fison, and the river of milk Euphrates, and the river of oil Gion, and the river of wine Tigris. Such therefore they are for those who when placed in the world did not use the power of these things, but they hungered for these things and afflicted themselves for the sake of the Lord God, so that when these enter into this city the Lord will assign them these things on high above all measure.

I indeed entering the gates saw trees great and very high before the doors of the city, having no fruit but leaves only, and I saw a few men scattered in the midst of the trees, and they lamented greatly when they saw anyone enter the city. And those trees were sorry for them and humbled themselves and bowed down and again erected themselves. And I saw and wept with them and I asked the angel and said: Sir, who are these who are not admitted to enter into the City of Christ?

And he said to me: These are they who zealously abstained day and night in fasts, but they had a proud heart above other men, glorifying and praising themselves and doing nothing for their neighbours. For they gave some friendly greeting, but to others they did not even say hail! and indeed they shewed hospitality to those only whom they wished, and if they did anything whatever for their neighbour they were immoderately puffed up.

And I said: What then, sir? Did their pride prevent them from entering into the City of Christ?

And the angel answered and said unto me: Pride is the root of all evils. Are they better than the Son of God who came to the Jews with much humility?

But I went on while the angel instructed me, and he carried me to the river of honey, and I saw there Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Amos, and Micah and Zechariah, the minor and major prophets, and they saluted me in the city. Moreover he led me outside the city through the midst of the trees and far from the places of the land of the good, and put me across the river of milk and honey; and after that he led me over the ocean which supports the foundations of heaven. The angel said unto me: Dost thou understand why thou goest hence? And I said: Yes, sir.

And he said to me, Come and follow me, and I will show thee the souls of the impious and sinners, that thou mayest know what manner of place it is.

And I proceeded with the angel and he carried me by the setting of the sun, and I saw the beginning of heaven founded on a great river of water, and I asked: What is this river of water? And he said to me: This is Ocean which surrounds all the Earth.

And when I was at the outer limit of Ocean I looked, and there was no light in that place, but darkness and sorrow and sadness: and I sighed.

And I saw there a fervent river of fire, and in it a multitude of men and women immersed up to the knees, and other men up to the navel, others even up to the lips, others moreover up to the hair. And I asked the angel and said: Sir, who are those in the fiery river?

And the angel answered and said to me: They are neither hot nor cold, because they were found neither in the number of the just nor in the number of the impious. For those spent the time of their life on earth passing some days in prayer, but others in sins and fornications, until their death.

And I asked him and said: Who are these, sir, immersed up to their knees in fire?

He answered and said to me: These are they who when they have gone out of church throw themselves into strange conversations to dispute. Those indeed who are immersed up to the navel are those who, when they have taken the body and blood of Christ, go and fornicate and did not cease from their sins till they died. Those who are immersed up to the lips are the detractors of each other when they assemble in the church of God; those up to the eyebrows are those who nod approval of themselves and plot spite against their neighbour.

And I saw on the north a place of various and diverse punishments full of men and women, and a river of fire ran down into it. Moreover I observed and I saw pits great in depth, and in them several souls together, and the depth of that place was as it were three thousand cubits, and I saw them groaning and weeping and saying: Have pity on us, O Lord! and none had pity on them. And I asked the angel and said: Who are these, sir?

And the angel answered and said unto me: These are they who did not hope in the Lord, that they would be able to have him as their helper.

And I asked and said: Sir, if these souls remain for thirty or forty generations thus one upon another, if they were sent deeper, the pits I believe would not hold them.

And he said to me: The Abyss has no measure, for beyond this it stretches down below him who is down in it. And so it is, that if perchance anyone should take a stone and throw it into a very deep well and after many hours it should reach the bottom, such is the Abyss. For when the souls are thrown in there, they hardly reach the bottom in fifty years.

I, indeed, when I heard this, wept and groaned over the human race. The angel answered and said unto me: Why dost thou weep? Art thou more pitiful than God? For though God is good, He knows also that there are punishments, and He patiently bears with the human race, dismissing each one to work his own will in the time in which he dwells on the earth.

And he carried me south and placed me above a well, and I found it sealed with seven seals: and the angel who was with me said to the angel of that place: Open the mouth of the well that Paul, the well-beloved of God, may see, for authority is given him that he may see all the pains of hell. And the angel said to me: Stand afar off that thou mayest be able to bear the stench of this place.

When therefore the well was opened, immediately there arose from it a certain hard and malign stench, which surpasses all punishments; and I looked into the well and I saw fiery masses glowing in every part, and narrow places, and the mouth of the well was narrow so as to admit one man only. And the angel said unto me: If any man shall have been put into this well of the abyss and it shall have been sealed over him, no remembrance of him shall ever be made in the sight of the Father and His Son and the holy angels.

And I said: Who are these, sir, who are put into this well?

And he said to me: They are whoever shall not confess that Christ has come in the flesh and that the Virgin Mary brought him forth, and whoever says that the bread and cup of the Eucharist of blessing are not this body and blood of Christ.

And I looked to the south in the west and I saw there a restless worm and in that place there was gnashing of teeth; moreover the worms were one cubit long, and had two heads, and there I saw men and women in cold and gnashing of teeth. And I asked and said, Sir, who are these in this place?

And he said to me: These are they who say that Christ did not rise from the dead and that this flesh will not rise again.

And I asked and said: Sir, is there no fire nor heat in this place?

And he said to me: In this place there is nothing else but cold and snow, and again he said to me: Even if the sun should rise upon them, they do not become warm on account of the superabundant cold of that place and the snow.

But hearing these things I stretched out my hands and wept, and sighing again, I said: It were better for us if we had not been born, all of us who are sinners.

But when those who were in the same place saw me weeping with the angel, they themselves cried out and wept saying, Lord God have mercy upon us! And after these things I saw the heavens open, and Michael the archangel descending from heaven, and with him was the whole army of angels, and they came to those who were placed in punishment and seeing him, again weeping, they cried out and said, Have pity on us! Michael the archangel, have pity on us and on the human race, for on account of thy prayers the earth standeth. We now see the judgment and acknowledge the Son of God! It was impossible for us before these things to pray for this, before we entered into this place; for we heard that there was a judgment before we went out of the world, but impediments and the life of the world did not allow us to repent.

And Michael answered and said: Hear Michael speaking! I am he who stands in the sight of God every hour. As the Lord liveth, in whose sight I stand, I do not intermit one day or one night praying incessantly for the human race, and I indeed pray for those who are on the earth; but they do not cease doing iniquity and fornications, and they do not bring to me any good while they are placed on earth; and ye have consumed in vanity the time in which ye ought to have repented. But I have always prayed thus and I now beseech that God may send dew and send forth rains upon the earth, and now I desire until the earth produce its fruits and verily I say that if any have done but a little good, I will agonise for him, protecting him till he have escaped the judgment of penalties. Where therefore are your prayers? Where are your penances? a Ye have lost your time contemptuously. But now weep and I will weep with you and the angels who are with me with the well-beloved Paul, if perchance the merciful God will have pity and give you refreshment.

But hearing these words they cried out and wept greatly, and all said with one voice: Have pity on us, Son of God!

And I, Paul, sighed and said: O Lord God! have pity on thy creature, have pity on the sons of men, have pity on thine image.

And I looked and saw the heaven move like a tree shaken by the wind. Suddenly, moreover, they threw themselves on their faces in the sight of the throne. And I saw twenty-four elders and twenty-four thousand adoring God; and I saw an altar and veil and throne, and all were rejoicing. And the smoke of a good odour was raised near the altar of the throne of God, and I heard the voice of one saying: For the sake of what do ye our angels and ministers intercede?

And they cried out saying: We intercede seeing thy many kindnesses to the human race.

And after these things I saw the Son of God descending from heaven, and a diadem was on his head. And seeing him those who were placed in punishment exclaimed all with one voice saying: Have pity, Son of the High God! Thou art He who shewest refreshment for all in the heavens and on earth, and on us likewise have pity, for since we have seen Thee, we have refreshment.

And a voice went out from the Son of God through all the punishments saying: And what work have ye done that ye demand refreshment from me? My blood was poured out for your sakes, and not even so did ye repent. For your sakes I wore the crown of thorns on my head; for you I received buffets on my cheeks, and not even so did ye repent. I asked water when hanging on the cross and they gave me vinegar mixed with gall; with a spear they opened my right side; for my name’s sake they slew my prophets and just men. And in all these things I gave you a place of repentance and ye would not. Now, however, for the sake of Michael the archangel of my covenant and the angels who are with him, and because of Paul the well-beloved, whom I would not vex, for the sake of your brethren who are in the world and offer oblations, and for the sake of your sons, because my precepts are in them, and more for the sake of mine own kindness, on the day on which I rose from the dead, I give to you all who are in punishment a night and a day of refreshment forever.

And they all cried out and said, We bless thee, Son of God, that Thou hast given us a night and a day of respite. For better to us is a refreshment of one day above all the time of our life which we were on earth, and if we had plainly known that this was intended for those who sin, we would have worked no other work, we would have done no business, and we would have done no iniquity: what need had we for pride in the world? For here our pride is crushed which ascended from our mouth against our neighbour; our plagues and excessive straitness and the tears and the worms which are under us, these are much worse to us than the pains which we have left behind us.

When they said thus, the malign angels of the penalties were angered with them, saying: How long do ye lament and sigh? for ye had no pity. For this is the judgment of God who had no pity. But ye received this great grace of a day and a night’s refreshment on the Lord’s Day for the sake of Paul the well-beloved of God who descended to you.

[tr. ANDREW RUTHERFORD]

ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA

Monasticism attached itself to the Church as an adopted child in the fourth century. Groups of ascetic cenobites existed in the East before Christ; Philo, for instance, describes in detail the life of the Essenes, a Hebrew brotherhood formed in the second century B.C. But the notion of renouncing the world to adopt an eremitical life as, to use Montalembert’s phrase, a war against nature, struck fire when the Roman world sank into profligacy (luxuria). The first Christian solitaries (monachi) practiced their ascetic life in cells near home, but shortly sought out the desert places in Asia Minor, notably in the region of Antioch, and in Egypt. They were especially stimulated by the mystical teachings of the Neoplatonic schools of Alexandria. It was natural that, as the number of Desert Fathers increased, they should form communities and set themselves under rules and chosen teachers. Monasticism from the first was characterized by excessive abstraction from external objects, rigorous chastisement of the flesh through fasting and flagellation, and a kind of torpid idleness. These traits, not unsuited to the semitropical South and East, led to extremes as monasticism during the next century swept like a tidal wave through the West, engulfing Italy, France, and Spain and even becoming, in the fifth century, the pattern of Irish ecclesiastical organization.

From the fifth to the twelfth centuries, monasticism is a distinguishing feature of western life and thought. As the ancient world sank into economic and political chaos, the poor monastic communities, established in wilderness or on marginal land, formed stable islands — centers from which the arts of peace were disseminated. Because western literature during that period is overwhelmingly monastic in inspiration and creation, what is peculiar to monasticism is peculiar to the literature. As monasticism came from the East, it brought eastern images, tales, and literary forms; as it was a reaction against nature, so the literature expressed either abhorrence, indifference, or distortion of nature.

Anthony was among the earliest of the Desert Fathers, the list of whom includes the renowned names of Pachomius, Simeon Stylites, Hilarion, and finally Jerome. Nothing is now known of Anthony except what is stated in the Life. Though a few modern scholars have questioned the attribution, from earliest times the Life has been considered the work of Athanasius (296?–373), Bishop of Alexandria; of him the church-historian William Bright has said, We shall not be extravagant if we pronounce his name to be the greatest in the Church’s post-apostolic history. This work is one of the first examples, if not the first, of a saint’s life. Its form was achieved by fusing elements from oriental biblical narrative, the classical panegyric, and the early Christian martyrology. Very shortly translated into Latin by Evagrius, it spread with monasticism through the West and became the pattern for the most popular form of creative literature during the next several centuries. Imitations and adaptations can be numbered in thousands. Through this Life and others that were shortly composed, readers learned to look upon the saint’s life as an entertaining book of manners, yielding the exaltation and edification of romance, not as theological doctrine. Features here found for the first time, which shortly became conventional, are the saint’s struggles with anthropomorphic demons and with Satan, the saint’s equanimity illustrated by miraculous anecdote, the communion with beasts in the wilderness, the transcription of the saint’s didactic speeches, the honors conferred by secular rulers, and the saint’s calm anticipation and realization of death. Though this popular form can be traced, in its effects, throughout modern romantic literature, the best-known derivative is Flaubert’s Temptations of St. Anthony.

LIFE OF ST. ANTONY

Athanasius of Alexandria (?) (A.D. 296?–373)

[From Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 1, 1844.]

The life and discipline of our holy father Antony, written and sent to the monks in foreign lands, by our father in God, Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.

HIS EARLY LIFE — COMMENCES HIS MONASTIC CAREER

Antony was by birth an Egyptian. His parents were noble and sufficiently wealthy and, being Christians, brought up their son in their own faith. During his early childhood, he was kept at home, seeing nothing but his parents and their house. In his boyhood and as he grew up, he would not go to school because he wished to avoid associating with other boys. His sole desire was to be, as is said of Jacob, a plain man, dwelling in his own house. He used to attend church with his parents, and when there he was not listless while a boy nor disdainful when a young man; but he was obedient to his parents and attentive to the reading and careful to treasure up the instruction in his breast. Again, though his parents were in easy circumstances, he never importuned them for different and dainty food nor sought pleasure in such gratifications, but was content with what he found and asked for nothing more.

When he was about eighteen or twenty years of age, his parents died, leaving to his care their house and his only sister, who was yet very small. Not six months after the death of his parents, he was going to church as usual, and his thoughts dwelt upon the Apostles’ leaving all and following the Saviour, and those mentioned in the Acts, who sold their possessions and brought the price and laid it at the Apostles’ feet, to be distributed among the poor, and upon the hopes laid up for them in Heaven. In the midst of these reflections he entered the church, just as that passage in the Gospels was read where the Lord says to the rich man, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come and follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven. Antony considered his recollections of the saints as from God and the reading as addressed to himself, and immediately left the church and made over his patrimony, consisting of three hundred arurae [more than a hundred acres] of fertile and pleasant land, to the people of his village, to prevent them from molesting at all either himself or his sister. His personal property he sold for a large sum of money which he gave to the poor, reserving only a little for his sister.

Entering the church again, he heard our Lord saying, in the Gospel, Take no thought for the morrow. He could stay no longer, but went out and distributed the remainder of his property to the poor. Having entrusted his sister to some known and faithful virgins to be brought up in a nunnery, he devoted himself with circumspection and firmness to an ascetic life before his own house; for monasteries were not then common in Egypt, nor had any monk at all known the great desert; but every one who wished to devote himself to his own spiritual welfare performed his exercises alone not far from his own village.

Now there was at that time in a neighboring village an old man who had lived a monastic life from his youth. Antony saw him and was filled with pious emulation. At first he took up his abode in places in the vicinity of the village; and if he heard of any one remarkable for Christian attainments, he would go and seek him out, like the wise bee, and he never returned until he had seen him and obtained from him some provisions to support him on the way to virtue. Therefore remaining here at first, he established his mind so as not to turn again toward his patrimony nor remember his relatives, but to have all his desires and zeal for rigor in his asceticism. Accordingly, he labored with his hands; for he had heard, If any will not work, neither shall he eat. Part of the proceeds of his labor he spent for bread, and gave the remainder to the poor. And he prayed constantly, having learned that he ought to pray without ceasing in secret. And he was so attentive to the reading that nothing of the Scriptures fell from him to the ground, but he retained all; so that at last his memory served him instead of books.

Conducting himself thus, Antony was beloved by all. To the devout men to whom he went he paid the utmost deference, and learned the peculiar excellences of character and practice in each: the gentleness of one, the prayerfulness of another, the meekness of another, the philanthropy or the vigils or the studious habits of another. He would admire another’s endurance of suffering and fasting and sleeping upon the ground, or observe another’s mildness and long-suffering; while he marked the piety toward Christ and love for each other which all displayed. Thus he would return richly laden to his own cell, and labor to make his own all the several graces which he had found. He had no contest with those of his own age, except only not to seem second to them in virtue; and this he did so as to grieve no one, but to cause all to rejoice in him. And the villagers and the pious men with whom he had conversed, seeing him such, called him the friend of God, and they loved him, some as a son, others as a brother.

HIS CONFLICTS WITH THE DEVIL

But the devil, the envier and enemy of all good, could not bear to see such a purpose in so young a man, and accordingly tried his old arts upon him. At first he assayed to turn him aside from his ascetic life by suggesting recollections of his estate or care for his sister, and his rank and the love of money and of glory, and the various gratifications of the appetites and other delights of life; and he added the hardship and toil attendant upon virtue and the feebleness of his body and the long life before him. In fine, he raised a great dust of thoughts in his mind, aiming to turn him from his holy purpose. But the adversary found that, so far from being able to shake Antony’s resolution, he was himself defeated by his constancy, vanquished by his strong faith, and falling before his ceaseless prayers. His next reliance was upon the force which is in the navel of his belly, and in this he greatly confided. He assailed him, as he is wont first to assail the young, harassing him by night and so besetting him by day that any one who saw him might perceive the conflict which was going on between them: the one suggesting impure imaginations, the other repelling them by prayer; the one inciting the passions, the other blushing and defending himself by faith and prayer and fasting. The wretched devil would assume, by night, the form and imitate the deportment of a woman, to tempt Antony; but he would put out the coal of his temptation by reflecting upon Christ and the nobility which He gives and the spirituality of the soul. Again, the adversary would suggest the sweetness of pleasure, to which Antony, like one grieved and enraged, opposed the threat of the fire and the worm, and thus came off unharmed. So that all these attempts resulted in the confusion of the adversary. For he who thought to be like unto God was baffled by a youth, and he who gloried over flesh and blood was overthrown by a man in the flesh; for he had the aid of the Lord who took the flesh for us and hath given to the flesh the victory over the devil, so that every true soldier of His may say, Not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

At last, failing in this assault upon Antony and finding himself thrust out of his heart, the dragon gnashed with his teeth, as it is written; and, as if beside himself, assumed the form of a boy as black as his own nature, and falling before him he no more assailed him with imaginations; for the deceiver had been cast out. But using a human voice, he said, I have deceived and overcome multitudes, but I find the temptations which prevailed with them too weak for thee. Antony asked, Who art thou that sayest this to me? He replied, in a woeful voice, I am the friend of fornication. My charge is to tempt and incite the young to this sin, and I am called the spirit of fornication. How many who wished to live correctly have I led astray, and how many who struggled to keep the body in subjection have I overcome by my enticements! It was on my account that the prophet rebuked those who had fallen, saying, ‘The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err; for by me were they caused to stumble.’ I am he that hath so often assailed thee and so many times been foiled by thee. Then Antony gave thanks to the Lord and took courage and said to the demon, Thou art most worthy of contempt; for thou art black in soul and weak as a child. I have no more care for thee, for the Lord is my helper and I will rejoice over my enemies. Hearing this, the black one fled in terror at his word, not daring longer to be near the man.

This was Antony’s first victory over the devil, or rather the glorious work, in Antony, of that Saviour who condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Still, Antony did not conclude that the demon was vanquished and relax his watchfulness, nor did the adversary desist from his machinations. For he prowled about like a lion seeking some occasion against him. But Antony had learned from Scripture that many are the wiles of the devil and he was zealous in his practice of the ascetic life, considering that though the devil had failed to lead his heart astray by sensual pleasure, he would constantly be laying new snares in his way; for the devil loves sin. Accordingly, he reduced and subjected his body more and more, lest having prevailed over some temptations he should yield to others.

He resolved to adopt a more rigorous life. Many were astonished at him, but he bore the labor easily, for the ardor of his soul, enduring for a long time, had wrought in him such an excellent temper that a little incitement from others produced great zeal in him. Such were his vigils that he often passed the whole night without sleep; this he did not merely once but so frequently as to be an object of astonishment. He used to eat but once in the day, after sunset, and often he would fast for two and even four days. His food was bread and salt and his drink water only. But we need not speak of meat and wine, for nothing of the kind is found among other ascetics. His bed was a small rush mat, but he usually slept upon the bare ground. He would not be anointed with oil because he said that young monks should be in earnest in their asceticism; instead of seeking emollients for the body, they should train it to hardship, remembering the words of the apostle, When I am weak then am I strong. For he used to say that the powers of the mind were most vigorous when the pleasures of the body were most under restraint.

Thus constrained, Antony retired to some tombs at a distance from the village and, having directed one of his friends to bring him bread at long intervals, he entered one of the tombs, which was closed by his friend, and he was left alone. This was more than the adversary could bear. He was afraid that by degrees Antony would fill the desert with asceticism. He came upon him one night with a host of demons and beat him until he lay upon the ground speechless from his sufferings. His tortures, as he said afterwards, were such as no blows by men could inflict. But by the Providence of God, for the Lord never overlooks those who trust in Him, his friend came the next day to bring his bread; and upon opening the entrance and finding him lying upon the ground as if dead, he took him up and carried him to the church in the village and laid him on the ground. Many of Antony’s relatives and the people of the village sat down by him as if he were dead. But about midnight he came to himself; and being aroused and finding all asleep except his friend, he beckoned him to come to him and requested him to carry him back to the tombs without awaking any one.

He was accordingly carried back by the man and the door closed as usual, and he was left alone again. Finding himself unable to stand on account of the blows, he lay down and prayed; and after the prayer he cried out, Here am I Antony. I flee not your blows. And should you even inflict more, nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ. Then he sang, Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Thus thought and said our ascetic.

But the enemy of all righteousness, astonished at Antony’s daring to come after his flagellation, called his dogs together and said, You see that we have not been able to stop this man either by the spirit of lust or by flagellation; but he is bold against us. We must vary our mode of attack. For it is easy for the devil to assume different shapes for his wicked purposes. Then in the night, they made such a din that the whole place seemed to be shaken, and the demons appeared to break the four walls and rush in upon all sides in the shapes of wild beasts and reptiles; and in a moment the place was full of lions, bears, leopards, bulls, serpents, asps, scorpions and wolves, all acting according to their several natures, — the lion roaring and striving to come upon him, the bull thrusting at him with his horns, the serpent creeping about but unable to reach him, and the wolf being held back in the act of springing upon him. In fine, the noises of all the shapes were dreadful and their rage terrific.

Under these assaults and tortures, Antony suffered cruel pains of body, but his soul was fearless and vigilant. And as he lay groaning from his corporeal tortures, he would deride the fiends, crying, If ye had any power, it would be enough for one alone of you to come upon me; but now that the Lord hath made you weak, ye think to terrify me by your numbers. Your assuming the forms of brutes is proof enough of your feebleness. And again he would confidently exclaim, If ye are strong, if ye have received any power against me, come upon me at once. But if powerless, why do ye attempt in vain to alarm me? a For our trust in the Lord is a seal and wall of protection. After many assaults, the demons gnashed their teeth at him, being themselves more imposed upon than he.

And the Lord did not forget the conflict of Antony, but came to his relief. Raising his eyes, he saw as it were the roof opened and a ray of light coming down upon him. Instantly the demons vanished; his bodily pain left him, and his habitation was whole again. Antony, feeling the relief, breathing again and free from pain, thus addressed the vision: Where wast thou? Why didst thou not appear at first to deliver me from my agony? A voice replied: I was not away but was here, Antony, a witness of thy conflict; and since thou hast endured and not yielded, I will always be thy helper, and will make thy name known everywhere. Hearing this, he rose up and prayed, and found himself even stronger in body than before. He was at this time nearly thirty-five years of age.

The next day he went out yet more full of pious zeal, and coming to an old man, he asked permission to live with him in the desert. Rejected here, on account of his youth and the novelty of his request, he went at once to the mountain. But again the adversary, seeing his zeal, sought to ensnare him by putting in his