CHAMÉUNIA (χαμέυνια). — A family penance among Christian ascetics, consisting in sleeping on bare ground (from χαμαί “on the ground” and εὐνή “bed”).
The Greek Fathers coined the term, which passed into Latin. St ATTANASIO (PG 27, 278), commenting on the opening words of Ps 62: “O God, my God, I watch for You at dawn,” says: “It is not enough for us to cultivate piety, but we must also please God with our body; that is, through fasting, frequent prayer, sleeping on the ground (διὰ χαμέυνίας), manual labour, so as to have something to give in alms.” St GIROLAMO (Ep., 52, 3: PL 22, 528): “Almost all the bodily virtues fade in old age, and while wisdom alone increases, the rest decline: fasts, vigils and alms, sleeps taken on the floor (chamémia), and frequent running about, etc.” And St GIOVANNI DAMASCENO (De virtute et vitio: PG 95, 86 sgg.): “These are the virtues of the body, or rather the