Asceticon


The Asceticon by Abba Isaiah of Scetis is a diverse anthology of essays by an Egyptian Christian monk who left Scetis around 450 AD.

Contents

Originally composed in Greek, the Asceticon consists of 30 essays on subjects including: advice for novice monks; precepts for those who have renounced the world; sayings and stories by Abba Isaiah; various letters, sermons, and sayings. Logos 30 includes several sayings that were also included in the Apophthegmata Patrum, but in a different form, giving scholars some evidence on how those sayings evolved into their final form in the Apophthegmata Patrum. Abba Isaiah was also influential in bringing Christianity to Palestine.
The 29 discourses in John Chryssavgis's translation of the Asceticon are:
  1. Rules for the brothers who live with him
  2. On the natural state of the intellect
  3. On the condition of beginners and anchorites
  4. On the conscience of those who stay in their cells
  5. Faithful commandments for the edification of those who wish to live peacefully together
  6. On those who desire to lead a life of good silence
  7. On virtues
  8. Sayings
  9. Commands for those who have renounced
  10. Another discourse
  11. On the grain of mustard seed
  12. On wine
  13. On those who have struggled and reached perfection
  14. Acts of mourning
  15. On detachment
  16. On the joy that comes to the soul that desires to serve God
  17. On thoughts about renunciation and exile
  18. On forgiveness
  19. On passions
  20. On humility
  21. On repentance
  22. On the conduct of the new person
  23. On perfection
  24. On tranquillity
  25. To Abba Peter, his disciple
  26. Recorded by Isaiah's disciple, Abba Peter, who had heard it spoken by his master
  27. In which he says, "attend diligently"
  28. The branches of malice
  29. Lamentations

    Sogdian fragments

The Asceticon was read and translated by the Nestorians of Central Asia. A Sogdian fragment of the 4th discourse, translated from Syriac, was found in MC C2, along with part of a commentary on the 15th discourse by Dadisho Qatraya.