Letter 214

To Therinus the Monk. Just as those who do evil upon the sea in no way set upon those who are sailing where there is a city, or a harbor-town, or a port - for that would be to run a risk in vain - but if they catch a vessel in the middle of the open sea, having for their provision the desolation that leaves the sailors without anyone to come to their aid, then they stir up everything, and turn everything about, and do not desist beforehand until either they have sunk those aboard or have suffered this fate themselves: so too the terrible temptation of pleasure brings upon the man who has chosen virginity a great storm, and a harsh tempest, and unbearable surging waves, stirring up everything from top to bottom, so as to capsize the vessel by force and by its rush. For it has heard that the monk does not have license to marry, nor to come to anchor, as in a harbor, in the practice of sexual union, but must wrestle throughout, and do battle against the demons that provoke the soul to sensual indulgences. Let us not, then, be astonished at being made war upon, nor grow weary in the face of the battle, for we have a great shield-bearer in the all-holy Spirit, through whom we shall be able easily to quench all the flaming arrows of the devil - the arrows of shameful desires and of the kindlings of the flesh.

Ὥσπερ οἱ κατὰ τὴν θάλασσαν κακοῦργοι, ἔνθα μὲν πόλις ἐστὶν, ἢ ἐπίνειον, ἢ λιμὴν, οὐδαμῶς ἐπι- τιθέντες τοῖς πλέουσιν, τοῦτο γὰρ μάτην ἂν εἴη κιν- δυνεύειν· ἐὰν δὲ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πελάγει τὸ σκάφος ἀπο- λάβωσιν, ἐφόδιον ἔχοντες τὴν τοῦ βοηθησόντων ἐρη- μίαν, πάντα κινοῦσι, καὶ στρέφουσιν, καὶ οὐ πρό- τερον ἀφίστανται, ἕως ἂν ἢ καταδύσωσι τοὺς ἐμπλέ- οντας, ἢ τοῦτο πάθωσιν αὐτοί· οὕτως καὶ ὁ δεινὸς τῆς ἡδονῆς πειρασμὸς τῷ προηρημένῳ τὴν παρθενίαν πολὺν ἐπάγει τὸν χειμῶνα, καὶ χαλεπὴν τὴν ζάλην, καὶ ἀφορήτους τὰς τρικυμίας, πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω κινῶν, ὥστε τῇ βίᾳ καὶ τῇ ῥύμῃ περιστρέψαι τὸ σκά- φος. Ἤκουσε γὰρ, ὅτι ὁ μοναχὸς οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν γαμῆσαι, καὶ. καθάπερ λιμένι ἐγκαθορμισθῆναι τῇ χρήσει τῆς μίξεως, ἀλλ’ ἀνάγκῃ δι’ ὅλου παλαίειν, καὶ μάχεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ταῖς ἡδυπαθείαις τὴν ψυχὴν ἐρεθίζοντας δαίμονας. Μὴ οὖν ξενιζώμεθα πολεμού- μενοι, μηδὲ ἀποκάμωμεν πρὸς τὴν μάχην, ἔχομεν γὰρ μέγαν ὑπερασπιστὴν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα, δι’ οὗ δυνησόμεθα πάντα τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ πεπυρωμένα βέλη τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν καὶ τῶν ὑπεκκαυμάτων τῆς σαρκὸς ῥᾳδίως σβέσαι.