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to provide for the conquering of the passion. And in addition to these things, that the departed one became a father of children, and left them as youths, and ascended to the very summit of dignities; and having become conspicuous, he gave no place to envy, but increased affection, and left behind a reputation for generosity and hatred of evil and gentleness and the other virtues of character, these things are sufficient to console even those excessively enslaved by grief. But if indeed we also take into our minds the divine promises and the hopes of Christians, I mean the resurrection, and eternal life, and the life in the kingdom, and what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him, what pretext for despondency will then be left? especially as the Apostle cries out explicitly: I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. And I know many of those who have no hope who have overcome the passion by reason alone. But it is among the most absurd things, for those who are borne on such a hope to be found worse than those who have no hope. Therefore, I beseech you, let us consider death a long journey abroad, and just as we are accustomed to be grieved when he travels, but to await his return, so now also let the separation grieve us moderately—for I advise things commensurate with nature—but let us not mourn him as dead, but let us rejoice with him for his departure, and his release from here, because he has been freed from doubtful affairs and fears no change, not of the soul, not of the body, not of the things concerning the body, but having come outside the contests, he awaits the prizes. Let not orphanhood and widowhood grieve you too much; for we have a greater guardian, who also legislates for others to take great care of orphans and widows; and concerning him, the divine David says: He will take up the orphan and the widow, and he will destroy the way of sinners. Let us entrust our rudders to Him and we will obtain all kinds of providence. For he will be more of a guardian to us than any man; for his is the voice: Can a woman forget her nursing child, or not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even if a woman should forget to do these things, yet I will not forget, said the Holy One. For he is more kindred to us than father and mother; for he is our maker and creator. For marriage does not make fathers, but at his nod fathers become fathers. I have been compelled to write these things now, because my bonds do not permit me to run to you. But the most God-beloved and most holy bishop alone is sufficient, to work out every consolation for your most faithful soul both by word and deed and sight and sharing of cares and by his spiritual and God-given wisdom, through which I believe the storm of despondency will be calmed. 15 TO SILVANUS THE MAGISTRATE. I know that I have been late and have delayed concerning words of comfort; but I have not done this without reason; for I thought it expedient to give way to the passion when it was strong. For not even the wisest of physicians offer remedies at the height of fevers; but they apply the aid of their art at the right time. For this reason I too have given way for these few days, considering the excess of the pain. For if the news so greatly distressed us and filled us with very much despondency, what must not a man have suffered who pulled the same yoke and was joined into one flesh, according to the divine Scripture, when the union formed by time and desire was violently torn apart? But while nature has wrought that pain, let reason devise the consolation, considering both the mortality of nature and of the passion the

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παρασχεῖν εἰς τὸ νικῆσαι τὸ πάθος. Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὸ παίδων γενέσθαι πατέρα τὸν ἀπελθόντα, καὶ τούτους προσήβους καταλιπεῖν, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἀνελθεῖν τῶν ἀξιωμάτων τὴν κορυφήν· καὶ ἐν περιφανείᾳ γενόμενον μὴ δοῦναι τῷ φθόνῳ χώραν, ἀλλὰ αὐξῆ σαι τὸ φίλτρον, καὶ καταλιπεῖν κλέος ἐλευθερίας καὶ μισοπο νηρίας καὶ πραότητος καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῶν ἠθῶν ἀρετῆς, ἱκανὰ ταῦτα ψυχαγωγῆσαι καὶ τοὺς λίαν τῇ λύπῃ δεδουλω μένους. Ἂν δὲ δὴ καὶ τὰς θείας ἐπαγγελίας εἰς νοῦν λάβωμεν καὶ τὰς τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐλπίδας, τὴν ἀνάστασιν λέγω, καὶ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν, καὶ τὴν ἐν βασιλείᾳ διαγωγήν, καὶ ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, τίς λοιπὸν καταλειφθήσεται πρόφασις ἀθυμίας; μάλιστα τοῦ Ἀποστόλου διαρρήδην βοῶντος· Οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆσθε, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα . Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἐλπίδα λογισμῷ μόνον περιγενομένους τοῦ πάθους. Τῶν δὲ λίαν ἀτοπωτάτων, τοὺς ἐπὶ τοιαύτης ὀχου μένους ἐλπίδος χείρους εὑρεθῆναι τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἐλπίδα. Ἀποδημίαν τοίνυν παρακαλῶ μακρὰν τὴν τελευτὴν λάβωμεν, καὶ ὥσπερ εἰώθαμεν ἀποδημοῦντος αὐτοῦ λυπεῖσθαι μέν, προσ μένειν δὲ τὴν ἐπάνοδον, οὕτω καὶ νῦν μετρίως μὲν ὁ χωρισμὸς ἀνιάτω-τῇ φύσει γὰρ σύμμετρα παραινῶ-μὴ ὡς νεκρὸν δὲ θρηνῶμεν, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ μὲν συνησθῶμεν τῆς ἐκδημίας, καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγῆς ὅτι τῶν ἀμφιβόλων ἠλευθερώθη πραγμά των καὶ οὐδεμίαν δέδιε μεταβολήν, οὐ ψυχικήν, οὐ σωματι κήν, οὐ τῶν περὶ τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἔξω τῶν ἀγώνων γενόμενος τὰ βραβεῖα περιμένει. Ὀρφανία δὲ καὶ χηρεία μὴ λίαν ὑμᾶς ἀνιάτω· μείζονα γὰρ ἔχομεν κηδεμόνα, ὃς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις νομοθετεῖ ὀρφανῶν καὶ χηρῶν πολλὴν ποιεῖσθαι φροντίδα· καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβίδ· Ὀρφανὸν καὶ χῆραν ἀναλήψεται, καὶ ὁδὸν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀφανιεῖ . Αὐτῷ τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἐγχειρίσωμεν οἵακας καὶ τῆς παντοδαπῆς προμηθείας τευξόμεθα. Ἔσται γὰρ ἡμῖν παντὸς ἀνδρὸς κηδε μονικώτερος· αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐστι φωνή· Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται γυνὴ τοῦ παιδίου αὐτῆς, ἢ τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο γυνὴ τοῦ ταῦτα ποιῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαι, εἶπεν ὁ Ἅγιος . Οἰκειότερος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ πατρὸς καὶ μητρός· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστι ποιητὴς καὶ δημιουργός. Οὐ γὰρ γάμος ποιεῖ πατέρας, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ νεύοντος γίνονται οἱ πατέρες πατέρες. Ταῦτα γράψαι νῦν ἠναγκάσθην, ἐπειδή με δραμεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἐᾷ τὰ δεσμά. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ καὶ μόνος ὁ θεοφιλέστατος καὶ ὁσιώτατος ἐπίσκοπος, πᾶσαν τῇ πιστοτάτῃ σου ψυχῇ παραψυχὴν πραγματεύσασθαι καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ καὶ θέᾳ καὶ κοινωνίᾳ φροντίδων καὶ τῇ πνευματικῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ θεοσδότῳ σοφίᾳ, δι' ἧς κατευνασθήσεσθαι πιστεύω τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν ζάλην. 15 ΣΙΛΒΑΝΩ ΠΡΩΤΕΥΟΝΤΙ. Οἶδα μὲν ὑστερήσας καὶ περὶ τοὺς παραμυθητικοὺς μελλή σας λόγους· ἀλλ' οὐχὶ δίχα λογισμοῦ τοῦτο δέδρακα· ἐνδοῦναι γὰρ τῷ πάθει σφοδρῷ ὄντι προὔργου νενόμικα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν ἰατρῶν οἱ σοφώτατοι ἐν τῇ τῶν πυρετῶν ἀκμῇ τὰ ἀλεξίκακα προσφέρουσι φάρμακα· ἀλλ' εἰς καιρὸν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης βοήθειαν συνεισφέρουσι. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο κἀγὼ τὰς ὀλίγας ταύ τας ἡμέρας ἐνδέδωκα, λογισάμενος τὴν τῆς ὀδύνης ὑπερβολήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὕτως ἄγαν ἠνίασεν ἡ φήμη καὶ παμπόλλης ἀθυ μίας ἐνέπλησε, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν ἀνὴρ τὸν αὐτὸν ζυγὸν ἕλκων καὶ εἰς μίαν σαρκός, κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν, συνάφειαν ἁρμοσθείς, τῆς καὶ χρόνῳ καὶ πόθῳ γεγενημένης συναφείας βίᾳ διασπασθείσης; Ἀλλ' ἐκείνην μὲν τὴν ὀδύνην ἡ φύσις εἰργάσατο, τὴν δὲ παραψυχὴν ὁ λογισμὸς μηχανάσθω, τό τε τῆς φύσεως ἐπίκηρον ἐνθυμούμενος καὶ τοῦ πάθους τὸ