Letter 703

To Theon the Monk. The man who wishes to contend in the ascetic struggle ought rather to spend his time together with the brethren in the monastery, and to train himself for spiritual philosophy, and not, simply and as it chances, to choose solitude recklessly and rashly, out of self-pleasing and self-will, lest unexpectedly his soul be destroyed by the spirits that lie in ambush; for the sword of the enemies has encircled him round about.

Χρὴ μᾶλλον ἀδελφοῖς συνδιατρίβειν ἐν τῷ ἀσκητη- ρίῳ τὸν βουλόμενον ἀθλεῖν, καὶ γυμνάζεσθαι πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν πνευματικὴν, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς, καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε, τὴν μόνωσιν ἐπιλέγεσθαι, ῥιψοκινδύνως καὶ προπετῶς κατὰ αὐταρέσκειαν καὶ αὐθάδειαν, μήποτε ἀπροσδοκήτως ὑπὸ τῶν λογώντων πνευμάτων ἀναι- ρεθῇ τὴν ψυχήν· ῥομφαία γὰρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν περιέστη κυκλόθεν.