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your magnificence cares for the life to come and for those thrice-desired promises, which our Master made to us, promising to give to those who love him, things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, teaching that the things awaited are beyond the things seen; for which reason those who, according to piety, are nourished by those hopes look down upon present things, and send forward the majority of their possessions to that life, so that when they depart they may have provisions for their journey. And since they fear that dreadful tribunal, they hire the poor as advocates, as it were, so that through them they may draw the just judge to mercy and by sympathy for their neighbor may purchase philanthropy. For only those things journey with those who depart from here, which, while still living, they have sent ahead through those in need; but others become masters of the rest, in no way able to benefit those who have departed; which your magnificence, having clearly learned, will manage the God-given wealth for a good purpose; For a man's ransom is his own wealth, according to the divine Scripture. 4 TO AGATHON THE ARCHIMANDRITE. Those who know how to profit gather their profit from everywhere and imitate the bee, which, drawing the sweetest liquid even from bitter herbs, offers the most pleasant honey to men. Your reverence, imitating this, says that it has profited even from us. But we do not know the profit of the writing, but we praise your piety, which hunts for opportunities of commerce from every side, and we pray that you may run the course to the end and receive the prize of victory. 5 TO FLORENTIUS THE PREFECT. Otherwise I would not have dared to address your greatness through letters, knowing well how to measure my own lowliness and knowing the weight of your authority. But since, being adorned with faith and instructed in divine things, you endured to condescend so much and deemed a man obscure and from nowhere known worthy of your letters, I too have taken courage, according to the prophecy, for a ram to dwell with the lion. The wonder-worker of these paradoxes is Christ, the Master of all, who through fishermen and tax collectors and tanners guided the one wandering to the straight path. I inform your greatness, therefore, that we were entrusted to shepherd another province, but we are nevertheless able to offer fraternal counsel; which indeed we shall do, since you have commanded, and we shall try to persuade those in charge of the vote to yield to the letters. For I too have learned, that the most God-fearing presbyter Eustathius is adorned with reverence and takes great care in the service of the Lord God. 6 TO TITUS THE COUNT OF THE DOMESTICS. The multitude of good things belonging to you, both makes us ardent admirers of you, and renders the memory of your magnificence unforgettable. Therefore, when present, we soothe our longing with your continuous company, but when absent, we hasten to entertain ourselves with letters. And may it be by the prayers of the saints that you attain to the greatest virtue, and ascend to the highest summit of good things, so that in your achievements all who are minded of divine things may be beautified. For it is truly a great thing for good repute in a belt and a chlamys and such great authority piety and meekness and

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μέλει σου τῇ μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ τοῦ βίου τοῦ [μέ]λλοντος καὶ τῶν τριποθήτων ἐκείνων ὑποσχέσεων, ἃς ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐποιήσατο, δώσειν ὑποσχόμενος τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, μήτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη , διδάσκων ὡς ὑπὲρ τὰ ὁρώμενα ἐστὶ τὰ προσδοκώμενα· οὗ δὴ ἕνεκεν οἱ κατὰ τὴν ὁσιότητα ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐκείναις τρεφόμενοι ὑπερο ρῶσι μὲν τῶν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τῶν ὄντων εἰς ἐκείνην παραπέμπουσι τὴν ζωήν, ἵν' ἔχωσιν ἀποδημοῦντες ἐφόδιον. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ φρικῶδες ἐκεῖνο δειμαίνουσι δικαστήριον, οἷόν τινας συνηγόρους μισθοῦνται τοὺς πένητας, ἵνα δι' ἐκείνων τὸν δικαιοκρίτην εἰς ἔλεον ἐφελκύσωνται καὶ τῇ περὶ τὸν πέλας συμπαθείᾳ φιλανθρωπίαν ὠνήσωνται. Ἐκεῖνα γὰρ μόνα συνεκ δημεῖ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαίρουσιν, ἅπερ ἂν ἔτι περιόντες διὰ τῶν δεομένων προπέμψωσι· τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἕτεροι γίνονται κύριοι, οὐδαμῶς [ὀ]νῆ[σα]ι τοὺς ἀπελθόντας δυνάμενοι· ὅπερ ἡ σὴ σαφῶς μαθοῦσα μεγαλοπρέπεια εἰς δέον οἰκονομήσει τὸν θεόσδοτον πλοῦτον· Λύτρον γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦτος , κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν. 4 ΑΓΑΘΩΝΙ ΑΡΧΙΜΑΝ∆ΡΙΤΗ. Οἱ κερδαίνειν εἰδότες πανταχόθεν τὸ κέρδος συνάγουσι καὶ μιμοῦνται τὴν μέλισσαν, ἥ[τις] καὶ ἐκ πικρῶν βοτανῶν γλυκυ τάτην ἀρυομένη νοτίδα τὸ ἥδιστον μέλι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέ ρει. Ταύτην ἡ σὴ μιμουμένη εὐλάβεια καὶ ἐξ ἡμῶν κεκερδη κέναι φησίν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς μὲν γραφῆς τὸ κέρδος οὐκ ἐπισ τάμεθα, τὴν δὲ σὴν ἐπαινοῦμεν θεοσέβειαν, πανταχόθεν ἐμπορίας ἀφορμὰς θηρωμένην, καὶ εὐχόμεθα μέχρι τέλους ὑμᾶς διαδραμεῖν καὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς νίκης λαβεῖν. 5 ΦΛΩΡΕΝΤΙΩ ΥΠΑΡΧΩ. Ἄλλως μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐθάῤῥησα προσειπεῖν διὰ γραμμάτων τὸ ὑμέτερον μέγεθος, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν εὐτέλειαν μετρεῖν ἐπιστά μενος καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐξουσίας τὸν ὄγκον εἰδώς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πίστει κοσμούμενοι καὶ τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένοι, καταβῆναι τοσοῦτον ἠνέσχεσθε καὶ ἄσημον ἄνδρα καὶ οὐδαμόθεν γνώριμον ἠξιώσατε τῶν ὑμετέρων γραμμάτων, ἀνεθάῤῥησα κἀγώ, κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν, ἀρνειὸς σὺν τῷ λέοντι συναυλίζεσθαι . Τούτων δὲ τῶν παραδόξων θαυματουργὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότης Χριστός, ὁ δι' ἁλιέων καὶ τελωνῶν καὶ σκυτοτόμων τὸν πλανώ μενον εἰς τὴν εὐθεῖαν ποδηγήσας ὁδόν. ∆ιδάσκω τοίνυν τὸ ὑμέτερον μέγεθος, ὡς ἑτέραν μὲν ἡμεῖς ποιμαίνειν ἐνεχει [ρ]ί[σ]θημεν ἐπαρχίαν, ἀδελφικὴν δὲ ὅμως εἰσφέρειν δυνάμεθα συμβουλήν· ὃ δὴ καὶ ποιήσομεν, ἐπειδήπερ ὑμεῖς ἐκελεύσατε, καὶ τοὺς τῆς ψήφου κυρίους πειρασόμεθα πεῖσαι εἶξαι τοῖς γράμμασι. Μεμάθηκα γὰρ κἀγὼ, ὡς ὁ θεοσεβέστατος πρεσβύ τερος Εὐστάθιος εὐλαβείᾳ κοσμεῖται καὶ τῆς τοῦ δεσπότου Θεοῦ θεραπείας πολλὴν ποιεῖται φροντίδα. 6 ΤΙΤΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ ∆ΟΜΕΣΤΙΚΩ. Τῶν προσόντων ὑμῖν ἀγαθῶν τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ θερμοὺς ἡμᾶς ὑμῶν καθίστησιν ἐραστὰς, καὶ ἄληστον τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλο πρεπείας τὴν μνήμην ἐργάζεται. ∆ιὸ δὴ παρόντες μέν, τῇ συνεχεῖ θεραπεύομεν θέᾳ τὸν πόθον, ἀπόντες δέ, γράμμασιν ἑαυτοὺς ψυχαγωγεῖν σπουδάζομεν. Καὶ εἴη ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων εὐχαῖς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὑμᾶς ἀρετῆς ἀφικέσθαι, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀκρό τατον ἀναβῆναι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἵνα τοῖς ὑμετέροις κατορθώμασιν ἅπαντες οἱ τὰ θεῖα φρονοῦντες ὡραΐζωνται. Μέγα γὰρ ἀλη θῶς εἰς εὐφημίαν ἐν ζώνῃ καὶ χλα[μύ]δι καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ τοσαύτη εὐσέβεια καὶ πραότης καὶ