Preface by Blessed Jerome to the Latin translation of the rules of St. Pachomia

The translation of the “Pachomiev Corpus” was made by Bl. Jerome of Stridon in 404 at the request of the presbyter Silvanus for the needs of Latin-speaking monks who labored in the monasteries of Thebaid in Egypt. The “Rules” of St. Petersburg were translated into Latin. Pachomius the Great, as well as his 11 epistles and the ascetic writings of his students: “Epistle on Easter” by St. Theodore the Sanctified and the treatise of St. Orsisius of Tavenna "Teaching on the organization of monastic residence" (or "Book of Orsisius"). Placed at the end of the “Rules” “Instructions of St. Pachomius" do not belong to any blj. Jerome, neither St. Pachomius and represent another edition of the 3rd Epistle of St. Pachomia. Translations of the "Pachomius Corpus" along with Rufinus' translation of the "Rules" of St. Basil the Great influenced the formation and development of monasticism in the West in the 5th-6th centuries. *The title of the work in Latin is Pachomiana Latina. And a sharp, shiny sword becomes covered with rust and loses the shine of its former beauty if it lies in its sheath for a long time. This is what happened to me when, grieving over the death of the venerable Pavla (not because I acted contrary to the apostolic commandment, but because I regretted the consolation that her death deprived many), I received from the man of God, Presbyter Silvanus, the books assigned to me, which he took to give to me in Alexandria, where they were sent. He said that in the Onvaida monastery and in the monastery of Metania (because its former name Canon was successfully replaced by the name of repentance) 1 there live a lot of Latins who do not know the Egyptian and Greek languages, in which the rules of Pachomius, Theodora and Orsesius are written. These were the first to lay the foundation of a community in Thebaid and Egypt, following the commandment of God and the angel who came to them, having been sent for the sake of this institution. Since I was silent for a long time and indulged in my grief in silence, those sent to me on the same matter, Leontius the presbyter and other brethren with him, invited a scribe, and encouraged me to present in our speech what had been translated from Egyptian into Greek. But even with the insistence of such men, I will not say that I obeyed the requests and, as they say, at a good hour I broke the long silence, returning to my previous activities and cooling in my soul towards the holy woman, who was burning with love for monasteries and envisioned (realizing) on ​​earth what she had to see in heaven. And the venerable virgin Eustochia, her daughter, also had how to provide for the life of her sisters; and our brethren follow the example of the Egyptian, that is, Tabensky 2 monks, who have in each monastery fathers (abbots), housekeepers, weekly servants and abbots separately for each house, so that in one house there live forty or more or less brothers, obeying one abbot. In one monastery, depending on the number of brothers, there are thirty or forty houses; moreover, three or four houses are connected into a separate community, partly for going out to work together, partly for regular weekly services. Whoever entered the monastery first is the first to sit down, the first to rise, the first to sing a psalm, the first to extend his hand at the table, and the first to receive communion in church. Their attention is paid not to age, but to lifestyle. In their cells they have nothing but a psiatium 3, two libitonaries (this is a type of clothing of Egyptian monks that does not have sleeves) and one, already worn out, for sleeping or working; They also have a linen blanket, two hoods, a goatskin, which is called a mantle, a linen belt, shoes, and a staff - a companion on the road. The sick receive extraordinary care and food prepared in abundance; healthy people are distinguished by their ability to be abstinent. Twice a week, on the fourth and sixth days after Saturday, everyone fasts, except during Easter and Pentecost. On other days, those who wish eat in the afternoon; The dinner also includes a meal for workers, the elderly and children, and because the heat is too much. There are those who eat little by little twice, while others are content with eating food once for lunch or dinner. Some come out after eating some bread. They all eat together. Whoever does not want to go to the meal receives only bread, water and salt in his cell for a day or two, as he wishes. Brothers practicing the same trade live in the same house and under the same superior; for example, those who weave linen live together; those who prepare the mats constitute a special family; Swedes, cart makers, fullers, shoemakers, each separately governed by their own superiors. After a week, everyone submits reports on their work to the abbot of the monastery. At the head of all monasteries there is one chief commander. He lives in a monastery. On Easter days, with the exception of the most necessary people in the monastery, everyone gathers to him, so that up to fifty thousand people celebrate the Passion of the Lord together. In the month called Mesor, that is, in August, the day of liberation is celebrated like a jubilee; moreover, sins are forgiven to everyone, and those who had any enmity are reconciled with each other; at the same time, abbots, housekeepers, abbots, and servants are appointed for the monasteries, as far as necessity requires. The Thebans say that an angel taught Pachomius, Cornelius and Syrus (who is said to be still alive, having been more than one hundred and ten years old) a mysterious language, so that they could write and speak for themselves, hiding secret thoughts in a special alphabet, under certain signs and symbols. We translate these writings as they are read by the Egyptians and Greeks, presenting them in the composition in which we found them. The translation will show how much we have imitated the simplicity of Egyptian speech. This is so that rhetorical speech does not change the speech of men who are apostolic and filled with spiritual grace. As for the content of their treatises, I did not want to present it in advance, leaving it to be studied from the authors themselves. Let those who take pleasure in the study of holy asceticism drink better from springs than from streams. μετάνοια [metanoia] (Greek) – repentance. Tabenna is an island on the Nile River, on which Pachomius built a famous monastery, which was a nursery and, as it were, a metropolis of other monasteries. This was the name of the matting made of reeds or papyrus, which served the monks instead of a bed.