On the Eight Vices

John Cassian's systematic treatment of the eight destructive thought-patterns — the logismoi as Evagrius taught them, translated into Latin and made accessible to a Western audience.

More narrative and accessible than Evagrius's analytical approach to the same material. Cassian writes for people unfamiliar with the desert tradition, explaining each vice in terms of how it operates, what feeds it, and how it can be opposed. This text became the foundation for the Western tradition's teaching on the capital sins. For readers in the Western tradition, it's the most familiar entry point into this material. For readers who want the fuller version, Evagrius's own texts on discrimination are the source.