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For these people, seeing us now for the first time, are so broken by despondency that they cannot even recover easily, but although we implore, comfort, and advise them, they shed hotter streams of tears, it is clear that the storm is more violent where you are. But the more violent the storm, the greater the prizes, if you continually bear it with thanksgiving and with fitting courage, as indeed you do bear it. Since also pilots, when a violent wind is blowing, if they spread the sails beyond measure, they overturn the boat; but if they do it moderately and as is proper, they steer it with great safety. Knowing these things, therefore, my most God-beloved lady, do not give yourself over to the tyranny of despondency, but conquer the storm with your reason; for you are able, and the surge is not greater than your skill; and send us letters announcing this so that we too, while dwelling in a foreign land, may reap much gladness, learning that you have borne this despondency with your fitting understanding and wisdom. I have written these things to your honor, having now come near Caesarea.

4.t LETTER IV 4.1 Having escaped the illness which I endured on the road, the remnants of which I even carried to Caesarea, and having now returned to complete health, I write to your piety from Caesarea itself, where, having enjoyed much treatment, I recovered more easily, having found the best and most renowned physicians, who treated us more with sympathy and affection than with skill alone, one of whom promised to go away with us, and many others among those in high positions. And we often write about our affairs, but you, as I have complained before, rarely do this. And so that you may learn that this is due to your indifference, and not that the scarcity of letter-carriers causes this, my lord the brother of the blessed bishop Maximus met me two days ago and, when asked by us for letters, said that no one was willing to give him any; but also that Tigrius the presbyter, when asked by him, did not provide one. I beg you, reproach him for this, and our genuine and ardent admirer, and all the others around Cyriacus the bishop. For the sake of the place, that it might be changed, do not trouble them nor anyone else. We have accepted the favor. For perhaps they wished to but were not able. Glory to God for all things; for I will not cease from always saying this upon everything that happens to me. Let it be so; they were not able. Were they also not able to write? Give many thanks to my ladies, the sisters of my most honorable lord Bishop Pergamius, who are taking great pains on our behalf. For they have prepared my lord the duke, his son-in-law, to be very well-disposed toward us, so that he too very much desires us to be there. And you too continually inform us about your health and that of those who love us. But on our account, be without care. For we are in health and good spirits and enjoy much relief, up to this present day. But we desire to learn about the matters concerning Cyriacus the bishop, if they have been settled; and no one has reported anything clear to us; inform us of this also. Tell Cyriacus the bishop that being grieved with him, I am not writing.

5.t LETTER V

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γὰρ οὗτοι νῦν πρῶτον ἡμᾶς ἑωρακότες οὕτω κατακλῶνται ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ὡς μηδὲ ἀνενεγκεῖν ῥᾳδίως, ἀλλὰ ἱκετευόντων ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλούντων καὶ συμβουλευόντων, θερμοτέρους ἤφιον δακρύων κρουνούς, εὔδηλον ὅτι παρ' ὑμῖν σφοδρότερος ὁ χειμών. Ἀλλ' ὅσῳ σφοδρότερος ὁ χειμών, τοσούτῳ καὶ μείζονα τὰ βραβεῖα, εἰ διηνεκῶς αὐτὸν εὐχαρίστως ἐνέγκοιτε καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἀνδρείας, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ φέρετε. Ἐπεὶ καὶ κυβερνῆται ἀνέμου σφοδροῦ πνέοντος, ἂν μὲν πέρα τοῦ μέτρου τὰ ἱστία ἀναπετάσωσιν, περιτρέπουσι τὸ σκάφος· ἂν δὲ συμμέτρως καὶ ὡς προσῆκεν, ἰθύνουσιν αὐτὸ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας πολλῆς. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖα, δέσποινά μου θεοφιλεστάτη, μὴ ἐκδῷς σεαυτὴν τῇ τῆς ἀθυμίας τυραννίδι, ἀλλὰ κράτει τῷ λογισμῷ τοῦ χειμῶνος· δύνασαι γάρ, καὶ οὐ μεῖζόν σου τῆς τέχνης τὸ κλυδώνιον· καὶ πέμπε γράμματα ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἀπαγγέλλοντα ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν εὐφροσύνην, μαθόντες ὅτι μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης σοι συνέσεως καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἤνεγκας τὴν ἀθυμίαν ταύτην. Ταῦτα ἐγγὺς Καισαρείας λοιπὸν ἐλθὼν ἐπέσταλκά σου τῇ τιμιότητι.

4.t ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ∆ʹ 4.1 Τὴν ἀρρωστίαν διαφυγὼν ἣν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπέμεινα, ἧς καὶ τὰ λείψανα εἰς Καισάρειαν ἐκόμισα, καὶ πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἐπανελθὼν λοιπὸν καθαράν, ἐπιστέλλω σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ ἀπὸ Καισαρείας αὐτῆς, ἐν ᾗ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας θεραπείας ῥᾷον διετέθην, ἰατρῶν ἀριστῶν καὶ σφόδρα εὐδοκιμωτάτων καὶ συμπαθείᾳ καὶ φίλτρῳ μᾶλλον οὐχὶ τέχνῃ μόνῃ θεραπευόντων ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχών, ὧν θάτερος καὶ συναπελθεῖν ἡμῖν ὑπέσχετο καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πλείους τῶν ἐν ἀξιώμασι. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν πολλάκις ἐπιστέλλομεν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς, αὐτὴ δέ, ὃ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐνεκάλεσα, σπανιάκις τοῦτο ποιεῖς. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ῥᾳθυμίας σῆς ἐστι τοῦτο, καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ σπάνις τῶν γραμματηφόρων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὁ κύριός μου ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ μακαρίου Μαξίμου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου πρὸ δύο τούτων ἀπήντησεν ἡμερῶν καὶ αἰτηθεὶς παρ' ἡμῶν γράμματα ἔφησε μηδένα βουληθῆναι δοῦναι αὐτῷ· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Τίγριον τὸν πρεσβύτερον αἰτηθέντα παρ' αὐτοῦ μὴ παρασχεῖν. Παρακαλῶ, ὀνείδισον αὐτῷ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ γνησίῳ καὶ θερμῷ ἡμῶν ἐραστῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δὲ πᾶσιν τοῖς περὶ Κυριακὸν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον. Τοῦ γὰρ τόπου ἕνεκεν ὥστε ἐναλλαγῆναι, μήτε αὐτοῖς μηδὲ ἄλλῳ μηδενὶ ἐνοχλήσητε. ∆εδέγμεθα τὴν χάριν. Ἴσως γὰρ ἠβουλήθησαν καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. ∆όξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν· οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι τοῦτο ἐπιλέγων ἀεὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσί μοι τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν. Ἔστω τοῦτο· οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. Μὴ καὶ γράφειν οὐκ ἠδύναντο; Πολλὰ εὐχαρίστησον ταῖς κυρίαις μου ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ τιμιωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Περγαμίου, πολλὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ποιουμέναις σπουδήν. Καὶ γὰρ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν δοῦκα τὸν γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ σφόδρα παρεσκεύασαν περὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι, ὡς σφόδρα κἀκεῖνον ἐπιθυμεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖσε εἶναι. Καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν δήλου τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς καὶ τῶν ἀγαπώντων ἡμᾶς. Ἡμῶν δὲ ἕνεκεν ἄφροντις ἔσο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὑγιείᾳ ἐσμὲν καὶ εὐθυμίᾳ καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύομεν τῆς ἀνέσεως, μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν δὲ μαθεῖν περὶ τῶν κατὰ Κυριακὸν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον εἰ ἀφέθησαν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν σαφὲς οὐδὲν ἀπήγγειλεν· καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν δηλώσατε. Εἰπὲ Κυριακῷ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὅτι λυπούμενος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐπιστέλλω.

5.t ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Εʹ