THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LEO, A CAPPADOCIAN MONK
In the reign of the Emperor and most faithful Caesar, Tiberius, we went to the Great Oasis. While we were there, we saw a monk, a Cappadocian by race, who was great in the eyes of God. Many people told us a multitude of wondrous stories about this monk. When we made contact with him and gained some experience of him, we reaped considerable benefits, especially from the humility, the recollection, the poverty, and the charity he showed to all.
This ever-memorable elder said to us: “Believe me, children, I am going to reign.” We replied, “Believe us, abba, nobody from Cappadocia ever reigned; this is an ill-suited thought you are harboring.” But he said again, “It is a fact, children, that I am going to reign,” and nobody could persuade him to abandon the idea.
When the Maziques came and overran all that region, they arrived at the Great Oasis and slew many monks, while many others were taken prisoner. Among those taken prisoner at the Lavra of the Great Oasis were Abba John, formerly lector at the Great Church in Constantinople, Abba Eustathios the Roman, and Abba Theodore, all three of whom were sick. After they had been captured, Abba John said to the barbarians: “Take me to the city, and I will have the bishop give you twenty-four pieces of gold.”
So one of the barbarians led him off and brought him near to the city. Abba John went in to see the bishop. Abba Leo was in the city at that time, as were some others of the fathers; that is why they were not captured. Abba John went in and began to implore the bishop to give the barbarian the twenty-four pieces of gold, but the bishop could only find eight. He was willing to give these to the barbarian, but he would not accept them. “Either give me twenty-four pieces of gold or the monk,” he said.
The men of the fortress had no choice but to hand over Abba John, who wept and groaned, to the barbarian; they took him away to their tents. Three days later, Abba Leo took the eight pieces of gold and went out into the wilderness to where the barbarians were camped. He pleaded with them in these words: “Take me and these eight pieces of gold, and let those three monks go. For, as they are sick and cannot work for you, you will only have to kill them. But as for me, I am in good health and I can work for you.”
Then the barbarians took both him and the eight pieces of gold he spoke of, letting the other three monks go free. Abba Leo went off somewhere with them, and when he was exhausted and could go no further, they beheaded him. And Abba Leo fulfilled that which is spoken in the scriptures: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Then we understood what he meant when he used to say, “I am going to reign,” for reign he did, having laid down his life for his friends.