The concept of asceticism is notoriously difficult to define, and we still cannot say that there is one ‘accepted’ definition. What we have are varying representations and propositions from ancient authors of the ascetic project, each with different emphases and goals in mind.1 Rather than straightjacketing an ancient author or literary work within a preconceived notion of asceticism, it should rather be asked how the author understands and utilises ascetic discourse and practice, and how this particular utilisation intersects with other related religious, cultural and political concepts and phenomena. One phenomenon with which asceticism has been shown to interact is that of violence. But the relationship between violence and ascetic discourse and practice has been shown to be quite complex.2 The notion that asceticism and acts of violence are not necessarily mutually exclusive has gained much ground in scholarly circles, and rightfully so.