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to have married, but to endure a bitter slavery. The child has fallen ill, a fear not small; it has departed prematurely, an inconsolable grief; and at every age, different cares for them, and fears and many toils. It is a terrible thing to take a poorer wife, a terrible thing a richer one; for the one has harmed his substance, the other his authority and freedom as a man. What need to mention the wickedness of servants? Is this then a life, O Theodore, for one soul to be divided into so many parts, to serve so many, to live for so many, but never for itself? But none of these things exists, O dear Theodore, among us, and I call you yourself as witness. For when you were willing for that short time to rise up from the waves, you know how much gladness and joy you enjoyed. For he is not, he is not free, but only he who lives for Christ. This man stands superior to all terrible things; when he himself does not wish to harm himself, another will never have the strength to hurt him, but he is invincible, not stung by the loss of money; for he has learned that “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out”; not captured by a desire for ambition or glory; for he has learned that “Our citizenship is in heaven”. No one reviling grieves him, no one striking provokes him; there is only one calamity for a Christian, to offend God; but the other things, such as loss of money, deprivation of homeland, the danger for the ultimate things, he does not even consider to be anything terrible. And that which all dread, to depart from hence to there, this is sweeter to him than living. For just as if someone having climbed to a high peak were to look upon the sea, and those sailing on it, some being submerged by waves, some dashing against reefs, and others hastening one way but being carried another, like prisoners to the force of the wind, and many being sunk, and some being carried on a single plank or on some piece from the ship, and some using only their hands instead of a ship and a rudder, and others floating dead, a calamity of many kinds and many faces; so indeed also the one who serves as a soldier for Christ, having withdrawn himself from the tumult of life and its waves, sits in a safe and high place. For what is safer and higher than to have one care, how one must please God? You have seen, Theodore, the shipwrecks of those sailing this sea; therefore, I beseech you, flee the open sea, flee the waves, and take a high place, from where it is not possible to be caught. There is a resurrection, Theodore, there is a judgment, a fearful tribunal awaits us when we have departed from hence. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ”. Not in vain has Gehenna been threatened, not for nothing have such great goods been prepared. A shadow, and more insignificant than a shadow are the affairs of this life, full of many fears, and many dangers, and of utter † slavery. Do not then be deprived of both this age and that, when it is possible to gain both, if you should wish. But that those who live for Christ also gain the things here, Paul teaches, saying: “But I spare you.” And again: “And this I say for your own profit.” Do you see then, O Theodore, that even here he who is anxious about the things of the Lord is superior to the one who has married? It is not possible to repent after departing there. No athlete, after the stadium is over and the theatre is dismissed, can wrestle again or compete. Always consider these things and you will shatter the sharp sword of the evil one by which he slays many; and this is despair, because it cuts off from hope those who have been cast down. This is his strong weapon, and he does not hold those he has captured in any other way than by binding them with this bond, which if we are willing, by the grace of God, we will be able to break quickly. 6 I know I have exceeded the measure of a letter, but forgive me; for not willingly did I come to this, but compelled by grief and by love, on account of which I also forced myself to write this letter, though many were hindering and saying: “Cease laboring in vain and, as it were, sowing upon rocks.” Many said these things to me. But I listened to no one; for there is hope, I said to myself, if God is willing,

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γεγαμηκέναι, τὸ δὲ πικρὰν ὑπομένειν δουλείαν. Ἠρρώστησεν τὸ παιδίον, φόβος οὐ μικρός· ἀπῆλθεν ἄωρον, πένθος ἀπαραμύθητον· καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡλικίαν διάφοροι φροντίδες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. καὶ φόβοι καὶ πόνοι πολλοί. ∆εινὸν πενιχροτέραν λαβεῖν γυναῖκα, δεινὸν εὐπορωτέραν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν ἔβλαψεν, τὸ δὲ εἰς αὐθεντίαν καὶ ἐλευθερίαν τὸν ἄνδρα. Τί δεῖ λέγειν τὰς τῶν οἰκετῶν μοχθηρίας; Βίος οὖν ἄρ' οὗτος, ὦ Θεόδωρε, εἰς τοσαῦτα μερίζεσθαι ψυχὴν μίαν, τοσούτοις δουλεύειν, τοσούτοις ζῆν, ἑαυτῷ δὲ μηδέποτε. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἐστίν, ὦ φίλε Θεόδωρε, παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτόν σε μάρτυρα καλῶ. Ὅτε γὰρ τὸν βραχὺν ἐκεῖνον χρόνον ἀνακύψαι τῶν κυμάτων ἠθέλησας, οἶσθα πόσης εὐφροσύνης ἀπέλαυσας καὶ χαρᾶς. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλεύθερος ἀλλ' ἢ μόνος ὁ Χριστῷ ζῶν. Οὗτος ἁπάντων ἀνώτερος ἕστηκεν τῶν δεινῶν· ὅταν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀδικῆσαι μὴ βούληται, ἕτερος τούτῳ οὐκ ἰσχύσει βλάψαι ποτέ, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἀνάλωτος, οὐ ζημίᾳ χρημάτων δακνόμενος· ἔμαθεν γὰρ ὅτι «Οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνησόμεθα»· οὐ πόθῳ φιλοτιμίας ἢ δόξης ἁλισκόμενος· ἔμαθεν γὰρ ὅτι «Ἡμῖν τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει». Οὐ λοιδορῶν τις λυπεῖ, οὐ τύπτων παροξύνει· μία συμφορὰ Χριστιανῷ μόνη, τὸ προσκροῦσαι θεῷ· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα, οἷον χρημάτων ἀποβολήν, πατρίδος στέρησιν, τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐσχάτων κίνδυνον, οὐδὲ εἶναί τι νομίζει δεινόν. Καὶ ὃ πάντες πεφρίκασιν, τὸ ἐνθένδε ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν, τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ τοῦ ζῆν ἥδιον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄν τις εἰς ἄκρον σκόπελον ἀνελθὼν θεωρῇ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ τοὺς ταύτην πλέοντας, τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ κυμάτων βαπτιζομένους, τοὺς δὲ ὑφάλοις προσαράσσοντας, ἄλλους δὲ ἑτέρωθι μὲν σπεύδοντας, ἑτέρωθι δὲ ἀγομένους, ὥσπερ δεσμίους τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος ῥύμῃ, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ὑποβρυχίους γινομένους, ἐνίους δὲ ἐπὶ σανίδος μιᾶς ἢ ἐπί τινος τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου φερομένους καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀντὶ πλοίου καὶ πηδαλίου ταῖς χερσὶν χρωμένους μόναις, ἄλλους δὲ νεκροὺς ἐπιπλέοντας, πολυειδῆ τινα καὶ πολυπρόσωπον συμφοράν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Χριστῷ στρατευόμενος, τῆς ταραχῆς τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν κυμάτων ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξαγαγὼν καθῆται μὲν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ καὶ ὑψηλῷ χωρίῳ. Τί γὰρ ἀσφαλέστερον καὶ ὑψηλότερον τοῦ μίαν ἔχειν φροντίδα, πῶς ἀρέσαι δεῖ θεῷ; Εἶδες, Θεόδωρε, τὰ ναυάγια τῶν ταύτην τὴν θάλατταν πλεόντων· διό, παρακαλῶ, φεῦγε τὸ πέλαγος, φεῦγε τὰ κύματα, καὶ ὑψηλὸν κατάλαβε χωρίον, ὅθεν οὐκ ἔστιν ἁλῶναι. Ἀνάστασις ἔστιν, Θεόδωρε, κρίσις ἔστιν, φοβερὸν κριτήριον ἡμᾶς ἐνθένδε ἐξελθόντας μένει. «Πάντας ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι δεῖ τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ». Οὐ μάτην ἠπείληται γέεννα, οὐκ εἰκῆ τοσαῦτα ἡτοίμασται ἀγαθά. Σκιά, καὶ σκιᾶς οὐδαμινέστερα τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα, πολλῶν μὲν γέμοντα φόβων, πολλῶν δὲ κινδύνων, ἐσχατῆς δὲ καὶ † δουλείας. Μὴ δὴ ζημιω θῇς καὶ τοῦτον κἀκεῖνον τὸν αἰῶνα, ἐξὸν ἀμφοτέρους κερδᾶναι, εἰ βούλοιο. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐνθάδε κερδαίνουσιν οἱ Χριστῷ ζῶντες, διδάσκει Παῦλος λέγων· «Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω πρὸς τὸ ὑμῖν συμφέρον.» Ὁρᾷς τοίνυν, ὦ Θεόδωρε, ὅτι καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ γεγαμηκότος ἀνώτερος ὁ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου μεριμνῶν; Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπελθόντα ἐκεῖ μετανοῆσαι. Οὐδεὶς ἀθλητής, ἐπειδὰν ἐξέλθῃ τὸ στάδιον καὶ διαλυθῇ τὸ θέατρον, πάλιν δύναται ἀναπαλαίειν ἢ ἀγωνίσασθαι. Ταῦτα ἀεὶ λογίζου καὶ τὴν ὀξεῖαν τοῦ πονηροῦ μάχαιραν συντρίψεις δι' ἧς πολλοὺς ἀναιρεῖ· αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἀπόγνωσις, διότι τοὺς καταβληθέντας ἐκκόπτει τῆς ἐλπίδος. Ἰσχυρὸν τοῦτο τὸ ὅπλον αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἁλόντας ἑτέρως οὐ κατέχει ἀλλ' ἢ τούτῳ δεσμεύων τῷ δεσμῷ, ὃν ἐὰν ἐθέλωμεν, θεοῦ χάριτι, διαρρῆξαι δυνησόμεθα ταχέως. 6 Οἶδα τὸ μέτρον ἐξελθὼν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἀλλὰ συγγνῶθι· οὐ γὰρ οὐχ ἑκὼν εἰς τοῦτο προῆλθον, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς λύπης καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀναγκασθείς, δι' ἣν καὶ ταύτην ἐβιασάμην ἐμαυτὸν γράψαι τὴν ἐπιστολήν, πολλῶν κωλυόντων καὶ λεγόντων· «Παῦσαι ματαιοπονῶν καὶ κατὰ πετρῶν οἷον σπείρων.» Ταῦτα ἔλεγόν μοι πολλοί. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδενὸς ἤκουσα· ἐλπὶς γάρ, ἔφην πρὸς ἐμαυτόν, θεοῦ θέλοντος,