MACRINA RESOLVES NEVER TO LEAVE HER MOTHER

With such words repelling those who tried to talk her over, she settled on one safeguard of her good resolution, in a resolve not to be separated from her mother even for a moment of time. So that her mother would often say that she had carried the rest of her children in her womb for a definite time, but that Macrina she bore always, since in a sense she ever carried her about. But the daughter's companionship was not a burden to her mother, nor profitless. For the attentions received from her daughter were worth those [966A] of many maidservants, and the benefits were mutual. For the mother looked after the girl's soul, and the girl looked after her mother's body, and in all respects fulfilled the required services, even going so far as to prepare meals for her mother with her own hands. Not that she made this her chief business. But after she had anointed her hands by the performance of religious duties---- for she deemed that zeal for this was consistent with the principles of her life----in the time that was left she prepared food for her mother by her own toil. And not only this, but she helped her mother to bear her burden of responsibilities. For she had four sons and five daughters, and paid taxes to three different governors, since her property was scattered in as many districts. [966 B] In consequence her mother was distracted with various anxieties, for her father had by this time departed this life. In all these matters she shared her mother's toils, dividing her cares with her, and lightening her heavy load of sorrows. At one and the same time, thanks to her mother's guardianship, she was keeping her own life blameless, so that her mother's eye both directed and witnessed all she did; and also by her own life she instructed her mother greatly, leading her to the same mark, that of philosophy I mean, and gradually drawing her on to the immaterial and more perfect life.

Τοῖς τοιούτοις λόγοις ἀπωθουμένη τοὺς παραπείθειν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἓν ἐδοκίμασεν ἑαυτῇ τῆς ἀγαθῆς κρίσεως φυλακτήριον, τὸ μηδέποτε τῆς ἰδίας μητρὸς μηδὲ ἐν ἀκαρεῖ τοῦ χρόνου διαζευχθῆναι, ὡς πολλάκις τὴν μητέρα πρὸς αὐτὴν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν τέκνων τεταγμένῳ τινὶ χρόνῳ ἐκυοφόρησεν, ἐκείνην δὲ διὰ παντὸς ἐν ἑαυτῇ φέρειν πάντοτε τρόπον τινὰ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἑαυτῆς περιέχουσα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν ἐπίπονος οὐδὲ ἀκερδὴς τῇ μητρὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς ἡ συνδιαγωγή: ἀντὶ γὰρ πολλῶν αὐτῇ θεραπαινίδων ἦν ἡ παρὰ τῆς θυγατρὸς γινομένη θεραπεία καὶ ἦν ἀντίδοσίς τις ἀγαθὴ παρ' ἀμφοτέρων ἀλλήλαις ἀντιπληρουμένη. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν τῆς νέας, ἡ δὲ τὸ σῶμα τῆς μητρὸς ἐθεράπευεν, ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι τὴν ἐπιζητουμένην ὑπηρεσίαν ἀποπληροῦσα καὶ ἐν τῷ ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ πολλάκις τῇ μητρὶ παρασκευάζειν τὸν ἄρτον: ὅπερ οὐ κατὰ τὸ προηγούμενον αὐτῇ διεσπουδάσθη, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ταῖς μυστικαῖς ὑπηρεσίαις τὰς χεῖρας ἑαυτῆς ἔχρησε, πρέπειν ἡγησαμένη τῷ ἐπιτηδεύματι τοῦ βίου τὴν περὶ τοῦτο σπουδὴν ἐκ τοῦ περιόντος τῇ μητρὶ παρεχορήγει τὴν ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων πόνων τροφήν. Καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῇ συνδιῳκονόμει τὴν ἐπικειμένην φροντίδα: τεσσάρων γὰρ ἦν υἱῶν μήτηρ καὶ πέντε θυγατέρων καὶ τρισὶν ἄρχουσιν ὑπετέλει διὰ τὸ ἐν τοσούτοις ἔθνεσιν αὐτῆς κατεσπάρθαι τὴν κτῆσιν. Ποικίλως τοίνυν τῆς μητρὸς ταῖς φροντίσι διὰ τοῦτο μεριζομένης: ἤδη γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐξεληλύθει τὸν βίον: ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις κοινωνὸς ἦν τῇ μητρὶ τῶν πόνων συνδιαιρουμένη τὰς φροντίδας καὶ τὸ βαρὺ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπικουφίζουσα. Καὶ ὁμοῦ μὲν τῇ παιδαγωγίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς ἄμωμον διεφύλασσεν ἑαυτῇ τὸν βίον ἐν μητρῴοις ὀφθαλμοῖς διὰ παντὸς εὐθυνόμενόν τε καὶ μαρτυρούμενον, ὁμοῦ τε παρέσχε πρὸς τὸν ἴσον σκοπόν, τὸν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν λέγω, μεγάλην τῇ μητρὶ διὰ τοῦ βίου ἑαυτῆς τὴν ὑφήγησιν, κατ' ὀλίγον αὐτὴν πρὸς τὴν ἄϋλόν τε καὶ λιτοτέραν ζωὴν ἐφελκομένη.