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remedies against evils, dissolving the impending danger. For this reason, I announce a short delay; for we hope that our philanthropic master will as quickly as possible disperse this gloomy and shrieking cloud. 18 TO AREOBINDUS, STRATELATES. When I was pursuing the solitary life, I chose the tranquility of all things together; for this the law of that life commands. But since God has commanded me, unworthy though I am, to shepherd souls, I am often forced, even against my will, to take care of matters, the concern for which is grievous to me, but lawful <and> beneficial to those who need them; for the apostolic law proclaims: ‘If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it’; and again: ‘he who leads, with diligence’. Serving these laws, I address your great genius through this letter and beseech that the estate of Sergitheon (which is in our parish), which is under your authority, may enjoy philanthropy. For the levy of oil, which they collect, wears down those who farm this land, since the land produced no fruit, or very little, either last year or this year. It is fitting for you, being resplendent in wisdom, with which you also adorn your courage, † the things supplied by God from the farmers, even if it ever withholds the bearing of fruit †, to deem worthy of mercy those who work the land, being unable to pay the appointed revenue; for not even springs can offer streams of water if they do not receive from the sources. We offer this supplication, having been often troubled by the farmers. And I know well that your magnificence, having considered what must be done and what is reasonable in what has been said, will impart philanthropy, since you desire to obtain this from the God of all. 19 TO CONSTANTINE, EX-PREFECT. The God of all adorned the nature of men with reason; for which reason it also finds what is right on its own; and witnesses are those of old, who did not receive laws from others, but themselves found laws and introduced the polity fitting for rational beings. But if someone, in addition to nature, should also acquire education and be diligently nurtured in the labors of others, he offers, as it were, a kind of matter, the manifold teaching, to nature. And it, like one with knowledge, separates out the superfluous, but accepts the beneficial and fashions the lovely images of virtue; for it does not simply and at random accept its lessons from poets or philosophers or indeed from other prose writers, but imitating the bee, it collects what is useful, and bids farewell to the superfluous. Your magnificence, embracing this life, has enhanced the reason implanted in your nature, or rather, has revealed it when it was hidden; for the passions make it submerged; but when it obtains wings, it swims over and emerges and lives as in the light. For this reason, I especially entreat your great genius on behalf of those in need of providence; for, being moved more rationally, it takes care of them with greater eagerness. I ask that the most admirable and illustrious Dionysius may also enjoy this care, who held office not according to his will, but lives with poverty, embracing a gentle and moderate life, yet is being pressed for payments which not even a slave who became a freedman could possibly pay. And if he were permitted to teach the tragedy of his own misfortunes (and you will surely permit it, being resplendent in gentleness), he will enjoy pity and mercy not only from you

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ἀλεξίκακα φάρμακα, τὸν ἐπηρτημένον διαλύοντα κίνδυνον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο μικρὰν ἀναβολὴν ἐπαγγέλλω· ἐλπίζομεν γάρ, ὡς τὸ ζοφῶδες τοῦτο καὶ τετριγὸς νέφος ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ἡμῶν ὅτι τάχιστα διασκεδάσει δεσπότης. 18 ΑΡΕΟΒΙΝ∆Ω ΣΤΡΑΤΗΛΑΤΗ. Ἡνίκα μὲν τὸν μονήρη μετῄειν βίον πάντων ὁμοῦ προῃρού μην τὴν ἡσυχίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ ἐκείνου τοῦ βίου παρακελεύεται νόμος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνάξιον ὄντα με ψυχὰς ποιμαίνειν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεός, ἀναγκάζομαι καὶ παρὰ γνώμην πολλάκις ἐπιμελεῖσθαι πραγμάτων, ὧν ἡ φροντὶς ἀν[ιαρ]ὰ μὲν ἐμοί, ἔννομος δὲ <καὶ> τοῖς χρωμένοις ὠφέλιμος· ὁ γὰρ ἀποστολικὸς νόμος βοᾷ· Εἰ πάσχει ἓν μέλος, συμπάσχει πάντα τὰ μέλη · καὶ πάλιν· ὁ προϊστάμενος ἐν σπουδῆ . Τούτοις δουλεύων τοῖς νόμοις, τὴν ὑμετέραν διὰ γραμμάτων μεγαλοφυΐαν προσφθέγγομαι καὶ τὸ Σεργιθέον χωρίον (τῆς ἐνορίας δὲ τοῦτο τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐσ τίν), ὑπὸ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐξουσίαν τελοῦν, ἀπολαῦσαι φιλανθρω πίας ἀντιβολῶ. Τρύχει γὰρ τοὺς τοῦτο γεωργοῦντας ὁ τοῦ ἐλαίου κανών, ὃν εἰσπράττονται, μήτε πέρυσιν μήτε τῆτες τῆς γῆς τεκούσης καρπὸν ἢ λίαν ὀλίγιστον. Πρέπει δὲ ὑμῖν, συνέ σει λαμπρυνομένοις, ᾗ καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν κοσμεῖτε, † τὰ θεόθεν χορηγούμενα παρὰ τῶν γηπόνων, κἂν ἐπίσχῃ ποτὲ τῶν καρπῶν τὴν φοράν †, φειδοῦς ἀξιοῦν τοὺς τὴν γῆν ἐργαζομένους, τὴν ὡρισμένην πρόσοδον ἀποδοῦναι μὴ δυναμένους· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ κρουνοὶ προσφέρειν δύνανται τῶν ὑδάτων τὰ νάματα, παρὰ τῶν πηγῶν μὴ δεχόμενοι. Ταύτην ἡμεῖς προσφέρομεν τὴν παρά κλησιν, ὑπὸ τῶν γεωργῶν πολλάκις ἐνοχληθέντες. Ἡ δὲ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια τὸ πρακτέον σκοπήσασα καὶ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι μεταδώσει φιλανθρωπίας, ἅτε δὴ ταύτης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ποθοῦσα τυχεῖν. 19 ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΩ ΑΠΟ ΥΠΑΡΧΩΝ. ∆ιεκόσμησε μὲν τῷ λόγῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός· οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ αὐτὴ καθ' ἑαυτὴν τὸ δέον εὑρίσκει· καὶ μάρτυρες οἱ πάλαι γενόμενοι, παρ' ἑτέρων μὲν οὐ δεξά μενοι νόμους, αὐτοὶ δὲ νόμους εὑρόντες καὶ τὴν λογικοῖς ἁρμόττουσαν πολιτείαν εἰσενεγκόντες. Εἰ δέ τις πρὸς τῇ φύσει καὶ παιδείαν προσλάβοι καὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων πόνοις ἐπιμελῶς ἐν τραφείη, οἷόν τινα ὕλην προσφέρει τὴν παντοδαπῆ διδασκα λίαν τῇ φύσει. Ἡ δὲ ἀποκρίνει μὲν τὰ περιττὰ ὡς ἐπιστή μων, τὰ δὲ ὀνησιφόρα δέχεται καὶ κατασκευάζει τὰ ἀξιέ ραστα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγάλματα· οὔτε γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ποιητῶν οὔτε παρὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων οὔτε μὴν παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων λογογ ράφων ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε δέχεται τὰ μαθήματα, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλιτταν μιμουμένη, τὸ μὲν χρειῶδες συλλέγει, τὸ δὲ περιτ τὸν χαίρειν ἐᾷ. Τοῦτον ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια τὸν βίον ἀσπαζομένη ηὔξησε τὸν ἐντεθέντα τῇ φύσει λόγον, μᾶλ λον δὲ τοῦτον κρυπτόμενον ἔδειξεν· ὑποβρύχιον γὰρ αὐτὸν τὰ πάθη ποιεῖ· ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐπιτύχῃ πτερῶν, ὑπερνήχεται καὶ ἀναδύνει καὶ ὡς ἐν φωτὶ πολιτεύεται. Τούτου εἵνεκα διαφερόν τως τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοφυΐαν ὑπὲρ τῶν προμηθείας δεομέ νων ἀντιβολῶ· λογικώτερον γὰρ κινουμένη μετὰ πλείονος αὐτῶν προθυμίας ἐπιμελεῖται. Ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς κηδεμονίας παρακαλῶ καὶ τὸν θαυμασιώτατον καὶ λαμπρότατον ∆ιονύσιον, ἄρξαντα μὲν οὐ κατὰ γνώμην, πενίᾳ δὲ συζῶντα, ἐπιεικῆ δὲ καὶ μέτριον ἀσπαζόμενον βίον, εἰσπραττόμενον δὲ ἃ μηδὲ δοῦ λος ἀντ' ἐλευθέρου γενόμενος δυνήσετ' ἂν ἀποδοῦναι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων συμφορῶν ἐπιτραπείη διδάξαι τὴν τραγῳδίαν (ἐπιτρέψετε δὲ πάντως, ἡμερότητι λαμπρυνόμενοι), οἴκτου καὶ φειδοῦς ἀπολαύσεται οὐ παρ' ὑμῶν μόνον τῶν