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and good counsel adorns zeal. These things I have distinguished according to the given measure of my knowledge; but he who clearly understands both the deeds and the thoughts will show on the day of the Epiphany who has counseled better. 4 FESTAL. The Creator of souls and bodies has given to each nature what is suitable and at the same time has inundated us with both intelligible and perceptible goods. For indeed with the all-holy feast he has also given the much-desired rain, so that he might render the festival pure of despondency. And we, having hymned the greatly-giving Master, have customarily used festal letters and, addressing your piety, we ask for help from your prayers. 5 FESTAL. Having yoked us to cares and sorrows after the sin, God who created us has provided us with occasions for comfort by placing the divine feasts in our midst. For the subjects of these both remind us of the God-given gifts and proclaim the complete release from afflictions. Having now enjoyed these good things and having been filled with gladness, we address your magnificence and pay the measure of friendship according to the law of the feast. 6 FESTAL. The philanthropic Master has granted us, along with the zeal of the Christ-loving people, to celebrate the divine and saving feast and to gather from it the fruits of spiritual benefit. Knowing, therefore, the disposition of your reverence toward us, I make this clear to it through letters. For those who are well-disposed toward someone are pleased when they hear something gladdening about them. 7 TO THEONILLA. I would have written long ago, if I had known long ago of the death of the most magnificent spouse of your reverence. And now I write, not in order to quell the excess of despondency with consoling words; for to those who know how to philosophize and have considered the nature of this life, reason alone is sufficient to scatter the surging waves of grief. And if it reminds you of that long companionship, it itself reads the divine laws and sets against her tears both the course of nature and the decree of God and the hope of the resurrection. Knowing these things, I do not need many words, but I urge you to use philosophy at the proper time; and to consider the death of the departed a long journey; and to await the promise of our God and Savior. For he who promised the resurrection is without falsehood, but rather the fount of truth. 8 TO EUGRAPHIA. I think it is superfluous to offer spiritual incantations to grief again. For the memory alone of the saving passions is sufficient to extinguish even flourishing despondency. For these things happened on behalf of human nature. For the Master destroyed death, not in order to render one body superior to death; but so that through that one he might

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τῇ προθυμίᾳ καὶ ἡ εὐβουλία κοσμεῖ. Ταῦτα ἐγὼ μὲν πρὸς τὸ δεδομένον τῆς γνώσεως διέκρινα μέτρον· ὁ δὲ καὶ τὰ πράγματα καὶ τὰ ἐνθυ μήματα σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος ἐν τῇ τῆς ἐπιφανείας ἡμέρᾳ δεί ξει τὸν ἄμεινον βουλευσάμενον. 4 ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗ. Ὁ ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων ∆ημιουργὸς ἑκατέρᾳ φύσει τὰ πρόσ φορα δέδωκε καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῖς νοητοῖς καὶ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἐπέκλυσεν ἀγαθοῖς. Μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τῆς παναγοῦς ἑορτῆς καὶ τὸν τριπόθητον ἔδωκεν ὑετόν, ἵνα καθαρὰν ἀθυμίας τὴν πανήγυριν ἀποφήνῃ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν μεγαλόδωρον ὑμνή σαντες ∆εσπότην, τοῖς ἑορταστικοῖς συνήθως κεχρήμεθα γράμμασι καί, τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν προσφθεγγόμενοι, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν προσευχῶν αἰτοῦμεν βοήθειαν. 5 ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗ. Φροντίσιν ἡμᾶς καὶ λύπαις μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν συζεύξας ὁ δημιουργήσας ἡμᾶς Θεὸς παρέσχεν ἡμῖν παραψυχῆς ἀφορμὰς τὰς θείας ἐν μέσῳ τεθεικὼς ἑορτάς. Αἱ γὰρ τούτων ὑποθέσεις καὶ τῶν θεοσδότων ἡμᾶς ἀναμιμνήσκουσι δωρεῶν καὶ τὴν παντελῆ τῶν ἀνιαρῶν προμηνύουσι λύσιν. Τούτων τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ νῦν ἀπολαύσαντες καὶ θυμηδίας ἀναπλησθέντες τὴν σὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν προσφθεγγόμεθα καὶ τῆς φιλίας τὸ μέτρον ἐκτίνομεν κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῆς ἑορτῆς. 6 ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗ. Παρέσχεν ἡμῖν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης μετὰ τῆς τοῦ φιλοχρίστου λαοῦ προθυμίας ἐπιτελέσαι τὴν θείαν καὶ σωτή ριον ἑορτὴν καὶ τοὺς τῆς πνευματικῆς ὠφελείας ἐξ αὐτῆς τρυγῆσαι καρπούς. Τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς τοίνυν διάθεσιν τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας εἰδώς, δῆλον αὐτῇ διὰ γραμμάτων τοῦτο ποιῶ. Ἥδονται γὰρ οἱ εὖ περί τινας διακείμενοι, ὅταν τι περὶ αὐτῶν θυμῆρες ἀκούσωσιν. 7 ΘΕΟΝΙΛΛΗ. Πάλαι ἂν ἐγεγράφειν, εἰ πάλαι ἐγνώκειν τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ μεγαλοπρεπεστάτου τῆς σῆς σεμνοπρεπείας ὁμοζύγου. Καὶ νῦν δὲ γράφω, οὐχ ἵνα τὴν τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολὴν λόγοις παραμυθητικοῖς κατευνάσω· τοῖς γὰρ ἐπισταμένοις φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ τοῦδε τοῦ βίου τὴν φύσιν ἐπεσκεμμένοις ἀπόχρη καὶ μόνος ὁ λογισμὸς ἀποσκεδάσαι τῆς λύπης τὰς τρικυμίας. Κἂν τῆς μακρᾶς ἐκείνης συνηθείας ἀναμιμνήσκῃ, αὐτὸς τοὺς θείους νόμους ἀναγιγνώσκει καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνης δάκρυσιν ἀντι τάττει καὶ τῆς φύσεως τὸν δρόμον καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ὅρον καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Ταῦτ' εἰδὼς οὐ δέομαι λόγων πολλῶν, ἀλλ' εἰς καιρὸν τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ κεχρῆσθαι παρακαλῶ· καὶ νομίσαι τοῦ κατοιχομένου τὴν τελευτὴν ἀποδημίαν μακράν· καὶ προσμεῖναι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὑπόσχεσιν. Ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ὁ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐπαγγειλάμενος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀληθείας πηγή. 8 ΕΥΓΡΑΦΙΑ. Περιττὸν μὲν οἶμαι τὸ πάλιν ἐπῳδὰς τῇ λύπῃ προσφέρειν πνευματικάς. Ἀπόχρη γὰρ καὶ μόνη τῶν σωτηρίων παθημάτων ἡ μνήμη σβέσαι καὶ τὴν ἀκμάζουσαν ἀθυμίαν. Ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ταῦτα γεγένηται φύσεως. Τὸν γὰρ θάνατον ὁ ∆εσπότης κατέλυσεν, οὐχ ἵνα ἓν σῶμα κρεῖττον ἀποφήνῃ θανάτου· ἀλλ' ἵνα δι' ἐκείνου τὴν