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5.1 So then, it was not my fate, even after departing the city, to be rid of the things that crush our mind. For those who meet us along the way, some from the east, some from Armenia, and others from elsewhere in the world, release fountains of tears when they see us, and add wailings, and accompany the whole journey with lamentations. I have said these things so that you may learn that I have many who suffer with us; and this is no small thing by way of consolation. For if the prophet laments the opposite as heavy and unbearable, saying: "And I waited for someone to grieve with me, but there was no one, and for comforters, but I found none." It is clear that this brings much consolation, to have the whole world as partners in despondency. And if you seek another consolation, we who have suffered so many and so great evils are living in health, in security, in great tranquility, counting our various and continuous sufferings, our afflictions, the plots against us, and continually reveling in the memory of these things. Therefore, considering these things yourself, scatter the cloud of despondency and write to us continuously about your health. Since even now, when my most beloved master Arabius has written to us, I was surprised how your honor did not write, even though my mistress, his free-born wife, is a very great friend of yours. And consider this too, that both the good and the grievous things of the present life all pass away. For though the gate is narrow and the way is afflicted, yet it is a way; for I will remind you of a saying I have often discussed with you: "Even if the gate is wide and the way is spacious, this too is a way." Therefore, having been set free from the earth, or rather from the very bond of the flesh, raise the wing of your philosophy and do not allow it to be submerged and dragged down by the shadow and smoke—for such are human affairs. But even if you see those who have committed such great transgressions against us holding their cities and enjoying honor and armed escorts, repeat this saying: "Wide is the gate and spacious is the way that leads to destruction," and for these reasons weep and lament for them instead. For he who does some evil here, and then in addition to not paying the penalty also enjoys honor from men, will depart having his honor as the greatest provision for punishment. For this very reason that rich man was grievously tormented, not only because he was paying the penalty for the cruelty he showed towards Lazarus, but also for the prosperity which he continually enjoyed in such great cruelty, and by which he did not become any better. By discoursing with yourself on these and similar things—for we have not ceased continually chanting these things to you—my most God-beloved lady, put away the heavy burden of despondency and make this clear to us so that, as I also wrote before, learning that you gain something more by way of consolation even from our letters, I may use the remedy more frequently.

6.t EPISTLE VI 6.1 We have scarcely caught our breath, having arrived at Cucusus, from where we are also writing; we have scarcely been able to see clearly from the smoke and the varied cloud of evils that overtook us along the way. For now that the painful things have passed, I relate them to your reverence. For when we were in the midst of them, I was not willing to do this, lest I should grieve you exceedingly. For for almost thirty days or even more I continued to struggle with most grievous fevers, and so I traveled this long and difficult road, besieged also by other most grievous illnesses of the stomach. Consider the consequences of this, there being no doctors, no baths, no provisions, no other relief,

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5.1 Οὐκ ἔμελλον ἄρα οὐδὲ τῆς πόλεως ἀναχωρήσας ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τῶν συντριβόντων ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Οἱ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ἀπαντῶντες, οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἀνατολῆς, οἱ δὲ ἐξ Ἀρμενίας, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἀλλαχόθεν τῆς οἰκουμένης, πηγὰς ἀφιᾶσι δακρύων ἡμᾶς βλέποντες καὶ κωκυτοὺς προστιθέασι καὶ δι' ὀδυρμῶν πᾶσαν παραπέμπονται τὴν ὁδόν. Ταῦτα δὲ εἴρηκα, ἵνα μάθητε ὅτι πολλοὺς ἔχω συναλγοῦντας ἡμῖν· οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίας λόγον. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ἐναντίον ὡς βαρὺ καὶ ἀφόρητον ὁ προφήτης θρηνεῖ λέγων· «Καὶ ὑπέμεινα συλλυπούμενον καὶ οὐχ ὑπῆρξεν, καὶ παρακαλοῦντας καὶ οὐχ εὗρον.» Εὔδηλον ὅτι τοῦτο πολλὴν φέρει τὴν παραμυθίαν, τὸ κοινωνοὺς ἔχειν τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν ζητεῖς παραμυθίαν, ἡμεῖς οἱ τὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα παθόντες κακὰ ἐν ὑγιείᾳ, ἐν ἀδείᾳ διάγομεν, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ πολλῇ, ἀριθμοῦντες ἡμῶν τὰ παθήματα τὰ ποικίλα καὶ συνεχῆ, τὰς θλίψεις, τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τούτων ἐντρυφῶντες διηνεκῶς. Ταῦτ' οὖν καὶ αὐτὴ λογιζομένη σκέδασον τῆς ἀθυμίας τὸ νέφος καὶ γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου Ἀραβίου ἐπεσταλκότος ἡμῖν, ἐθαύμασα πῶς ἡ σὴ τιμιότης οὐκ ἐπέστειλε, καίτοι τῆς κυρίας μου, τῆς ἐλευθέρας αὐτοῦ, σφόδρα σοι φίλης οὔσης. Ἐννόει δὲ κἀκεῖνο ὅτι καὶ τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ τοῦ παρόντος βίου παροδεύεται ἅπαντα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ στενὴ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδός, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁδός· ἀναμνήσω γάρ σε ῥήματος οὗ πολλάκις διελέχθην πρὸς σέ· «Εἰ καὶ πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη, καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδός, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὕτη ὁδός.» Ἀπαλλαγεῖσα τοίνυν τῆς γῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συνδέσμου τῆς σαρκός, διέγειρόν σου τῆς φιλοσοφίας τὸ πτερὸν μηδὲ ἀφῇς ὑπὸ τῆς σκιᾶς αὐτὸ καὶ τοῦ καπνοῦ-τοῦτο γὰρ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα-βαπτίζεσθαι καὶ καθέλκεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ κἂν ἴδῃς ἐκείνους τοὺς τοσαῦτα εἰς ἡμᾶς παρανομήσαντας καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν ἔχοντας καὶ τιμῆς ἀπολαύοντας καὶ δορυφορίας, ἐπίλεγε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· «Πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν» καὶ δάκρυε διὰ ταῦτα μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς καὶ θρήνει. Ὁ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα κακόν τι ποιῶν, εἶτα πρὸς τῷ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην καὶ τιμῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἀπολαύων, μέγιστον ἀπελεύσεται τιμωρίας ἐφόδιον ἔχων τὴν τιμήν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐκεῖνος χαλεπῶς ἀπετηγανίζετο, οὐ τῆς ὠμότητος μόνης ἕνεκεν ἣν περὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἐπεδείξατο δίκας διδούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς εὐημερίας ἧς ἐν ὠμότητι τοσαύτῃ διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύων οὐδὲ ταύτῃ βελτίων ἐγένετο. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὅμοια-οὐ γὰρ διελίπομεν ταῦτά σοι συνεχῶς ἐπᾴδοντες- διαλεγομένη πρὸς ἑαυτήν, δέσποινά μου θεοφιλεστάτη, ἀπόθου τὸ βαρὺ τῆς ἀθυμίας φορτίον καὶ δῆλον ἡμῖν τοῦτο ποίησον ἵνα, ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπέσταλκα, μαθὼν ὅτι γίνεται σοί τι πλέον εἰς παραμυθίας λόγον καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν ἡμετέρων, συνεχέστερον χρήσωμαι τῷ φαρμάκῳ.

6.t ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΣΤʹ 6.1 Μόλις ποτὲ ἀνεπνεύσαμεν εἰς τὴν Κουκουσὸν ἀφικόμενοι ὅθεν καὶ ἐπιστέλλομεν· μόλις ποτὲ διεβλέψαμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ καπνοῦ καὶ τῆς ποικίλης τῶν κακῶν νεφέλης τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμᾶς καταλαβόντων. Νῦν γὰρ ἐπειδὴ παρῆλθε τὰ ὀδυνηρά, διηγοῦμαι αὐτὰ τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου. Ὅτε γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἦμεν, οὐκ ἠβουλόμην τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, μὴ σφόδρα σε λυπήσω. Τριάκοντα γὰρ σχεδὸν ἢ καὶ πλείους ἡμέρας πυρετοῖς χαλεπωτάτοις διετέλεσα παλαίων καὶ οὕτω τὴν μακρὰν ταύτην καὶ χαλεπὴν ὁδεύων ὁδὸν καὶ ἑτέραις χαλεπωτάταις ἀρρωστίαις πολιορκούμενος ταῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ στομάχου. Λόγισαι τὰ ἐντεῦθεν, οὐκ ἰατρῶν ὄντων, οὐ βαλανείων, οὐκ ἐπιτηδείων, οὐ τῆς ἄλλης ἀνέσεως,