Lausiac History, Chapter 8: Amoun of Nitria
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“(Arsisius) used to say that Amoun lived in this wise. When he was a young man of about twenty-two he was constrained by his uncle to marry a wife—he (himself) was an orphan.”
Irenaeus
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Lausiac History, Chapter 7: The Monks of Nitria
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“So then, after my visit to the monasteries round Alexandria with their 2000 or so most noble and zealous members and my three years sojourn there, I left them and went to the mountain of Nitria.”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 6: The Rich Virgin
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“But I must not omit from my story those also whose life has been characterized by pride, that I may praise those who have remained true and ensure the safety of my readers.”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 5: Alexandra
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“He told me also of a maid-servant named Alexandra, who having left the city and shut herself up in a tomb, received the necessaries of life through an opening, seeing neither women nor men face to face for ten years.”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 4: Didymus
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“Very many indeed of the men and women who reached perfection in the Church of Alexandria were worthy (to inherit) the land of the meek. Among these was Didymus the blind author.”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 3: Potamiæna
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“This blessed man Isidore, who had met Antony of blessed memory, told me a story which is worth recording, which he had heard from Antony.”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 2: Dorotheus
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“Handing me over to Dorotheus, a Theban ascetic who was spending the sixtieth year in his cave, he ordered me to complete three years with him in order to tame my passions…”
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Lausiac History, Chapter 1: Isidore
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“The first time that I set foot in the city of the Alexandrians, in the second consulate of the great Emperor Theodosius, who now lives with the angels because of his faith in Christ, I met in the city a wonderful man, distinguished in every respect, both as regards character and knowledge, Isidore the priest…”
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Lausiac History, Introductory Pieces
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“This book is a record of the virtuous asceticism and marvellous manner of life of those blessed and holy fathers, the monks and anchorites which inhabit the desert…”
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The Reading Habits of St. Joseph the Hesychast
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“Even though the young novice Francis [i.e., St. Joseph] was unlettered, he would not stop reading the writings of the holy Fathers for help and support. Since most of his free time was spent on noetic prayer, he did not devote himself to exhaustive studies. Nevertheless, he kept reading every day because persistent and arduous…