ON ST. SISOES THE GREAT, CONFESSOR,
ON THE MOUNTAIN OF ST. ANTONY,
IN THE THEBAID.
Fifth Century.
Historical Collection.
Sisoes, anchorite, in the Thebaid (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. P.
Virtues and miracles begot for St. Sisoes an illustrious name among the Greeks. He is everywhere honored in the Greek Fasti with the title of the Great. He is found inscribed in the Typicon of St. Sabas, the Menaia of the Ambrosian Library, the epitome of the Greek Menologium, The cult the Greek Horologion, Maximus bishop of Cythera, and the printed Menaia, in which last the following little verses are added:
Ἄλλος Σισώης ἀσινὲς ψυχῆς ἔχων, Ἀπῆλθε σῶος εἰς οὐράνιον κλέος.
No longer is Sisoes Sisoes; for, bearing an innocent heart, He went away safe to the glory of heaven.
The poetic charm is to be sought from the affinity of the words ἀσινὴς, σίνω, and σῶος, with the proper name Sisoe, as though you should say: Sisoes, that is, "harmed" or "harming" in name only, is now no longer Sisoes in reality: for, having a harmless soul, he went away safe to heaven. Thus I at least judge this poetic allusion is to be understood; to investigate which at length is not of this place.
[2] an elogium and miracles from the Basilian Menologium, I subjoin the elogium of our holy Confessor from the Basilian Menologium: Blessed Sisoes, when he had loved Christ God from boyhood; and had placed his Cross upon his shoulders, followed him; and put to flight the ranks of the invisible enemies, and passed to the laborious stadia of the ascetic life. And having ascended the highest summit of humility, he received also the gift of working miracles. For he even raised the dead themselves, cast demons out of men, healed the sick, and also wrought very many other miracles. He was, moreover, in intercourse gentle and moderate, and sweet in his apophthegms, of which he wrote very many for the benefit of many. Besides, converting not a few dissenting brothers to penitence by apt examples, he corrected them. He had also this peculiar, that he never judged any man. So, therefore, his life having been spent in angelic manner, he migrated to God, whom he desired, receiving the heavenly kingdom which had been prepared for him.
[3] The same nearly, some things being passed over, is read in the printed Menaia. and by Sirletus. Sirletus thus briefly recounts him: The commemoration of the holy father Sisois, very notable in the exercise of the monastic life, on whom, for his eminent humility and other virtues, Christ the Lord conferred the grace of raising the dead. The Slavo-Russian Menologium too commemorates the natal of our Saint: Of our holy father Sisois the Great. Molanus too transferred him from Greek sources into his Martyrology, and indeed markedly on this same sixth day; whom elsewhere among the Latins you would not find. Baillet therefore errs, when he asserts that certain Latin Martyrologists have this holy Abbot on the 5th of this month, citing in the margin Molanus on Usuard.
[4] You heard above that in the Basilian Menologium mention was made of the apophthegms, Some circumstances of his life and death written by our Saint for the benefit of many. Which opened for us a way to other characteristic marks pertaining to him, which otherwise would here have lain buried in the shadows. Therefore from those we have, that our Abbot lived in the time of the great patriarch of ascetics, Antony, and first devoted his labor of ascetic life in the desert of Scetis: which, when he saw too frequented, for the sake of greater solitude, he hid himself in the mountain of St. Antony, so called ἀντονομαστικῶς by antonomasia from the life and death of the same Saint, concerning whose site more is discussed on 17 January, in the second paragraph of the preliminary Commentary. Moreover, that withdrawal happened not long after the death of St. Antony; which, since it occurred in the year 356, you will now easily determine concerning the time of the said withdrawal. That our ascetic tarried there up to seventy-two years is made out from the apophthegm placed below, n. 32. And hence we can fix the death of the Saint at about the year 429.
[5] It is to be observed, that the Sisoes of whom here we treat is to be distinguished from two others of the same name, to be sought from the apophthegms. the one indeed a Theban, the other a Petraean, of whom there is treatment in Cotelier in the Monuments of the Greek Church among the Apophthegms of the Fathers, volume 1, page 671 and 674, and elsewhere. These and many other things can be illustrated from a handful of apophthegms, which I glean from the same volume 1 of Cotelier, from page 162.
[6] Sisoes teaches the forgetting of injuries, A brother, having been wronged by another brother, came to abbot Sisoes, and said to him: I have suffered an injury from a certain brother, and I wish to avenge myself. But the old man exhorted him with these words: By no means, son, but rather leave the parts of vengeance to God. He rejoined: I will not cease, until I have avenged myself. Then the old man: Let us pray, he says, brother. And rising, he said: God, we no longer need thee to take care of us: for we ourselves exact the penalties of the injury received. This heard, therefore, the brother fell at the feet of the Old man, saying: I no longer contend with my brother. Forgive me, Abba.
[7] temperance, A brother thus questioned abbot Sisoes: What shall I do, because I go to the church, where often an agape love-feast is celebrated, and they detain me? The old man says to him: It is a laborious matter. Then Abraham his disciple inquired: If a meeting occur on the Sabbath or the Lord's day, and a brother drink three cups, is it much? The old man answered: If there be no satan, it is not much.
[8] The disciple of abbot Sisois said to him: Father, thou hast grown old, let us now depart near to inhabited lands. the flight of the other sex, The old man says: Where there is no woman, let us go thither. Then the disciple: And what place is there, having no woman, except the desert? The old man: Lead me into the desert.
[9] Frequently the disciple of abbot Sisois said: Abba, arise, let us eat. He to him: Have we not eaten, Son? He answered: No, Father. Then the Old man: If we have not eaten, bring [it], and we will take food.
[10] the custody of the tongue, Abbot Sisoes once pronounced with confidence: Trust [me], behold, for thirty years I no longer entreat God concerning [any] fault; but I pray in this manner: Lord Jesus, protect me from my tongue. And even so I daily slip through it, and sin.
[11] A brother said to abbot Sisois: Why do the passions not depart from me? The Old man says to him: Their vessels are within thee. Give them their pledge, and they will depart.
[12] lowliness of mind, Abbot Sisoes once resided in the mountain of abbot Antony, and his minister delaying, and not coming to him, he did not see a man for ten months. But walking in the mountain, he found a man of Pharan, hunting wild beasts. To whom the old man: Whence, he says, comest thou; and for how long a time hast thou been here? He answered: Truly, Abba, for eleven months I have dwelt in this mountain, nor have I seen a man except thee. Which heard, the Old man, entering into his cell, struck himself: Behold, Sisoes, saying, thou hast thought thou hadst done something: but not even like this worldly man hast thou yet done.
[13] the flight of gluttony, An oblation was celebrated in the mountain of abbot Antony, and there was found there a small cask of wine: and one of the old men, taking a small vessel with a cup, brought it to abbot Sisoes, and gave it to him: who drank. Likewise he did a second time, and he accepted [it]. He offered it to the same a third time, and he would not accept, saying: Cease, Brother: dost thou not know that it is satan?
[14] contempt of himself, One of the brothers met abbot Sisoes in the mountain of abbot Antony, and among their talk said: Hast thou not yet arrived, Father, at the measure of abbot Antony? The Old man says to him: If I had but one thought of abbot Antony, I should become wholly like fire. Nevertheless I know a man, who, though with labor, can bear his thought.
[15] There came once a certain man of the Thebans to abbot Sisoes, blind obedience; desiring to profess himself a monk. The Old man questioned him, whether he had anyone pertaining to himself in the world? He answered: I have a son. Then the Old man: Go: cast him into the river; and then thou shalt become a monk. When, therefore, he had departed, the Old man sent a brother to prevent him. The brother says: Cease, what dost thou? He rejoined: The abbot commanded that I cast him in. So the brother to him: But just now he forbade thee to cast him in. And leaving him, he came to the Old man: and he became a good monk on account of his obedience.
[16] A brother asked abbot Sisoes, whether satan had persecuted the ancients in like manner. And the old man says to him: Now more. Because his time draws near, and he is troubled.
[17] Abraham, the disciple of abbot Sisois, was once tempted by a demon, confidence in God, and the Old man saw that he had fallen. So, rising, he stretched out his hands to heaven, and said: God, willy-nilly, I do not let thee go, unless thou heal him: and immediately he obtained the cure.
[18] A brother inquired of abbot Sisoe in this manner: again contempt of himself. I perceive that the memory of God remains with me. The Old man says to him: It is not a great matter that thy thought be with God: but it is a great thing to behold oneself as inferior to every creature. For this, joined to bodily labor, leads to the habit of humility.
[19] Of the Saint's splendor, and apparitions before death, They related of abbot Sisoe, that when he was near death, the fathers sitting around him, his face shone like the sun; and he said to them: Behold, abbot Antony comes. A little after: Lo, he says, the choir of the Prophets comes. And again his face shone in a greater manner. And he says: Lo, the choir of the Apostles has approached. And still his face became doubly more shining. And behold him, as it were speaking with certain ones. So the Old men asked him, saying: With whom dost thou discourse, Father? He answered: Angels came, to take me up: and I beseech, that I be permitted to do penance a little. The Old men rejoin: Thou needest not penance, Father. Then the Old man to them: In truth, I am not conscious to myself that I have laid the beginning of penance. But all understood that he was perfect. Again his face suddenly became like the sun; whereat all were terrified. He says to them: See: the Lord comes, saying: Bring me the chosen vessel of the desert. And at once he gave up his spirit: and he went away like lightning, and the whole place was filled with a good odor.
[20] Abbot Adelphius, Bishop of Nicopolis, set out contempt of human glory, to abbot Sisoes, in the mountain of abbot Antony; and when they were about to depart, before they set out on the journey, he took care that they should eat from the morning. But they were fast-days. After, therefore, they had set the table, behold, brothers knock. He said to his disciple: Give them a little pottage; because they are wearied. Abbot Adelphius says to him: Leave [it] indeed, lest they say that abbot Sisoes eats from the morning. And the Old man looked at him, and commanded the brother: Go, give them [it]. When, therefore, they beheld the pottage, thus they spoke: Have you guests? Does the Old man too eat with you? The brother answered: Yes. Wherefore they began to be grieved and to say: God forgive you, that you have allowed the Old man to take food now. Do you not know that he will macerate himself for many days? When the Bishop had heard them, he bowed himself before the Old man, saying: Forgive me, Abba: because I reckoned something human: but thou hast done that which is of God. Then abbot Sisoes to him: Unless God glorify a man, the glory of men is nothing.
[21] Certain [men] came to abbot Sisoes, that they might hear from him a word; nor did he speak anything to them: but always he said: humility, Forgive me. But seeing his baskets, they said to his disciple Abraham: What do you do with these baskets? He answered: Here and there we expend them. Which heard, the Old man says: Even Sisoes eats hence and thence. And they, hearing, made much gain of soul; and departed with joy, edified in his humility.
[22] purity of soul. Abbot Ammon of Rhaithou inquired of abbot Sisoes: When I read the sacred Scripture, my mind wishes to prepare a discourse, that I may have something for questioning. The Old man says to him: It is not worth the while: but rather from purity of mind acquire for thyself both to be free from care and to speak.
[23] He recalls a dead boy to life, There came once a man of the world with his son to abbot Sisoes, in the mountain of Abbot Antony: and on the way it happened that the son died: nor was the father troubled, but, full of faith, carried him to the Old man. And with his son he prostrated himself, as if humbly saluting to receive a blessing from the Old man. Then, rising, he left the boy at the feet of the Old man, and went out. But the Old man, who thought that he prostrated himself for a salutation, says to him: Arise, go out from this place: for he knew not that he was dead. And immediately he arose, and departed. Whom the father, seeing, was astounded: thereupon, entering, with veneration he saluted the Old man, and announced the matter to him. But the Old man, hearing, was affected with sadness: for he would not have wished this to happen. And the disciple of Sisois charged the man not to tell anyone until the death of the Old man.
[24] he gives an example of confidence in God, and of humility, Three old men went to abbot Sisoes, having heard the things which pertained to him: and the first says to him: Father, how can I escape the fiery river? But he did not answer. The second says to him: Father, by what means shall I be able to flee the gnashing of teeth and the worm that never sleeps? The third likewise asks: Father, what shall I do? The memory of the outer darkness kills me. But the Old man, answering, said to them: I remember none of these things: for since God is merciful, I hope that he will do mercy with me. That word heard, the old men departed sad. But the Old man, not wishing to let them depart with sadness, made them return, and said: Blessed are you, brothers, and I envy you your felicity. For the first of you spoke of the fiery river, the second of Tartarus, the third of the darkness. If therefore your mind holds the dominion of such recollection, it cannot be that you sin. But what shall I do, a man of hard heart, to whom it is not granted to know even that a punishment awaits men: whence at every hour I sin? Then they, pardon being humbly asked of him, confessed: As we have heard, so also we have seen.
[25] of hope concerning God's mercy, Some inquired of abbot Sisoe: If a brother have fallen, ought he not to do penance for a year? He answered: This is a hard word. They say: But six months? Again he answered: It is much. They rejoin: Up to forty days? He says: It is still much. They: What then, if a brother have fallen, and immediately an agape be celebrated, shall he himself come to the agape? The Old man says to them: By no means: but a penance of a few days is necessary. For I trust in God, that if that man do penance from his whole soul, even within three days God will admit him.
[26] When abbot Sisoes had once come to Clysma, worldly men came to see him. of temperance. They spoke many things; nor did he answer them anything. Afterward one of them said: Why are you troublesome to the Old man? He does not eat; therefore neither can he speak. The Old man rejoined: I, where necessity demands, eat.
[27] Abbot Joseph inquired of abbot Sisoe, in how much time a man ought to cut off the passions. The Old man says to him: Dost thou wish to speak of times? And abbot Joseph: Yes, he says. The Old man therefore says: At whatever hour the passion shall come, cut it off at once. Next follows in Cotelier an apophthegm of Sisoes the Petraean, which I pass over.
[28] They said of abbot Sisoe, that sitting in his cell, he always shut the door.
[29] There came once Arians to abbot Sisoes in the mountain of abbot Antony, How he bore himself toward the Arians; and began to prate against the orthodox. But the Old man answered them nothing at all: but, having called his disciple, he said: Abraham, bring me the book of St. Athanasius, and read. Then, they being silent, their heresy was recognized. And he dismissed them in peace.
[30] Abbot Amun came once from Rhaithou to Clysma, to visit abbot Sisoes; and, seeing him afflicted, how much he esteemed solitude; that he had left the desert, he says: Why dost thou grieve, Abba? For what couldst thou now do further in solitude, who hast come to such old age? But the Old man fixed his eyes on him with sadness; and said: What dost thou allege to me, Amun? Was not the sole liberty of my mind in the desert sufficient for me?
[31] Abbot Sisoes was once sitting in his cell: and when his disciple had knocked, the Old man cried out: Flee, Abraham, enter not; already the things which are here lack leisure.
[32] A brother asked abbot Sisoes
with this speech: How didst thou leave Scetis, dwelling with abbot Or, how long, having left Scetis, he lived in the mountain. and come to sit here? The Old man answered him: When Scetis began to be frequented, and when I had heard that abbot Antony was dead, I arose, and set out hither to the mountain, and, finding these places quiet, I settled here for a short time. The brother says to him: How many years hast thou passed here? The Old man: Seventy-two.
[33] Abbot Sisoes said: When a man is present, having care of thee, thou oughtest not to give orders.
[34] A brother inquired of abbot Sisoes: If we walk on the way, and the guide of the journey has strayed, ought one to tell him? He teaches his [disciples silence,] The Old man answered: No. The brother subjoined: But shall we allow him to turn us from the way? Then the Old man to him: What then, wilt thou take a staff, with which to beat him? I know brothers, whose guide, as they were journeying, strayed by night: and they were twelve, and all knew that they were wandering, and each one contended with himself, not to say [it]. But the day having risen, the guide of the way, discovering that they had gone astray, says to them: Forgive me, I have turned aside from the way. And all rejoined: We too knew it, but kept silence. Which he, hearing, was amazed, and said: Even to death the Brothers abstain from speech. And he celebrated God with praises. But the distance of the way, from which they had been led away, was twelve miles.
[35] he keeps brotherly charity; There came at a certain time Saracens, and despoiled the Old man and his brother. And when these had gone out into the solitude, that they might find something eatable, the Old man found the dung of camels, which, being broken, he obtained grains of barley. And he ate one grain, and put another in his hand. But his brother, coming, met him eating, and says: Is this charity, that, having found something eatable, thou eatest alone, nor didst call me? Abbot Sisoes answered: I have done thee no injury, Brother: behold, thy part I have kept in my hand. There are subjoined two apophthegms of abbot Sisoes the Theban, or inhabitant of Calamon of Arsinoe, which, as alien to our purpose, I pass over.
[36] he hands down the manner of bearing oneself in prosperity and adversity, One of the Fathers questioned abbot Sisoes: If, while I sit in the desert, a barbarian come, wishing to kill me, and I prevail against him, shall I kill [him]? The Old man answered: By no means: but commit him to God. For whatever temptation befall a man, he ought to say: On account of my sins this happened. But if some good happen, let him say: It is of God's dispensation. I pass over the three next, one of Siloe the Theban, another of Sisoe the Petraean, the third again of the Theban.
[37] he warns that after a fall one must always rise. A brother questioned abbot Sisoes, saying: What shall I do, Abba, because I have fallen? The Old man answered: Rise again. The brother says: I rose, and again I fell. The Old man rejoined: Rise up again and again. The Brother therefore asked: Until when? The Old man gave answer: Until thou be taken up, whether in good or in fault. For in what a man is found, in that also he sets out.
[38] Various other apophthegms A brother inquired of the Old man in this manner: What shall I do? Because I am vexed on account of the work of my hands. For I love the plaited work, and cannot complete it. The Old man answered, from a saying of abbot Sisois, that one ought not to do a work which delights us.
Abbot Sisoes said: Seek God, and seek not where he dwells.
He said again, that shame and the absence of fear often produce sin.
A brother asked of abbot Sisoe what he should do. He said to him: The thing which thou seekest is to be silent much, and humility. For it is written: Blessed are they who abide in it. Thus thou wilt be able to stand.
Abbot Sisoes said: Be abject; cast thy will behind thy back; free thyself from cares, and thou shalt have rest.
A brother questioned abbot Sisoes: What shall I do on account of the passions? And the Old man says: Each one is tempted by his own concupiscence.
[39] A brother asked abbot Sisoes to bring forth to him some word of doctrine. But he begins: Why dost thou force me to speak idly? Behold, do that which thou seest.
[40] Abbot Abraham, disciple of abbot Sisois, went once to the ministry, and for many days would not be ministered to by any other, saying: Shall I allow another man to grow accustomed to me, besides my brother! Nor did he admit [any], until his disciple had returned, but bore the labor.
[41] They related of abbot Sisoe, that when he sat, he cried out with a loud voice: O calamity! His disciple asks him: What ails thee, Father? The Old man answered: I seek one man, with whom to speak, and find none.
[42] Abbot Sisoes once went from the mountain of abbot Antony to the outer mountain of the Thebaid, and instructions. and there dwelt. Now there were in that place Melitians, inhabiting Calamon of Arsinoe. Certain [men], therefore, having discovered that he had gone out to the outer mountain, desired to see him. But they said: What shall we do? For in the mountain dwell Melitians. And we know indeed that the Old man is not harmed by them: but we must fear, lest perhaps, wishing to meet with the Old man, we fall into the temptation of the heretics. Wherefore, lest they should meet the heretics, they did not visit the Old man.
[43] They related of abbot Sisoe, that he fell into sickness: the old men sitting around him, he spoke with certain ones. They say to him: What seest thou, Abba? He says to them: I behold certain ones coming over me; whom I beg, that they let me do penance a little. Then to him one of the old men: If they permit thee, canst thou now usefully devote thyself to penance? The Old man answered: Although I cannot, yet I groan a little over my soul, and that suffices me.
[44] They commemorated of abbot Sisoe, that when he came to Clysma, he grew sick, and, he sitting in his cell with his disciple; behold, the knocking of the door was heard: which the Old man, perceiving, says to his disciple Abraham: Say to him who knocks: I, Sisoes, in the mountain, I, Sisoes, on the mat. But he, hearing, vanished. The whole handful of apophthegms of abbot Sisoe is concluded by two others, which, since they treat of Sisoe the Theban, I touch not.
[45] Whether all the apophthegms are to be understood of Sisoes the Great. Gather, that not everywhere do the same characters shine in the apophthegms adduced, and so that it is not equally certainly established whether all are to be understood of one and the same Sisoes of ours, to whom we have already said the surname of the Great adhered, or whether certain of them are to be referred to another or others of the same name, hermit-dwellers, of whom above. Not a few things, however, occur here, which accord quite fittingly with the Basilian elogium, produced above, in which it is recorded that he was sweet in apophthegms, and wrote very many of them for the benefit of many; that he shone with singular lowliness of mind, and the virtue of raising the dead. With which, expressed in the said Menologium, there agree exceedingly, almost everywhere in the several apophthegms, the contempt of self breathing in them; the raising of the dead boy, as thou hast in n. 23; the appellation by which he was called by the Lord, appearing to him a little before death, the vessel of election, as is reported in n. 19; finally the two-and-seventy years spent in the mountain, as is read in n. 32. All which seem to square rather with Sisoes the Great, and therefore with ours, than with the others, whose name seems to have been more obscure, nor to have shone with such celebrity. And let these things said of Sisoes and his apophthegms suffice, concerning whom Rosweyd too can be seen scattered in various places in the Lives of the Fathers. The Monastic History, published in French, book 1 page 56, also treats of our Saint.