John Chrysostom, Letters

being prevented by travel from writing to her more frequently. 45. To Symmachus the presbyter. It is nothing new nor unseemly for one traveling a road of affliction to be distressed. For such is the nature of virtue, it is full of toils and sweats, of plots and dangers. But such is the road; but from there come crowns, prizes, the ineffable good things, and things that have no end. Comfort yourself, then, with these things; for both the ease and the affliction of the present life pass away, and are brought to an end along with life itself. Let none of these things, then, puff you up, nor let these other things humble and contract you. For the best pilot is neither complacent in a calm, nor disturbed in a storm. Knowing these things, therefore, comfort yourself, and from this reap the greatest consolation. Write to us continually about your health. For though we are separated by a great length of road, and for a long time have been deprived of your careful attention, yet not of your love, but we carry it about with us always, unforgotten and flourishing, wherever we may be, since such is the nature of genuine love. 46. To Rufinus. I wished to write more frequently to your reverence, since I love you, and love you exceedingly, my most revered and devout master; and you yourself know both of these things. But since one is in our power, and the other is not; for we are masters of loving, but no longer of writing frequently, on account of both the difficulty of the road, and the season of the year; the one we do continually, but the other whenever it is possible; or rather, we do this also continually. For though we do not write continually with ink nor on paper, yet we do with our mind and thought; for such is genuine love. 47. To Namaia. Why do you go about seeking an apology, and asking for pardon 52.635 for things for which we crown and proclaim you, accepting that you wrote, but having cause to complain that you did so late and tardily? So if you think you have dared great things by writing, leave this aside and practice your apology for the charge of tardiness, and compose your defense. For the more you say you have loved us genuinely both present and absent, the more you increase the accusation. For if you were simply one of those disposed towards us, it would not be unseemly to have been silent for so long a time; but since you said you have shown such genuine and fervent love for us, as not to decline to come along so harsh a road, besieged by the fear of so many robbers, if your illness had not prevented you, one form of defense is left to you, to send us snowstorms of letters, able to console us for the cause of your long silence. Do this, and we have received everything. For since this letter, though it came late, breathed fervent love, it also paid the debt of the past time. But let the rest not imitate its tardiness. For thus this one will be able to show that it was late not through hesitation, but through a vain fear, as you yourself said, if the rest come to us with speed and great frequency. 48. To Arabius. I know your love, I know your affection, fervent, genuine, sincere, and enduring, and how neither difficulty of affairs, nor a crowd of cares, nor a multitude of circumstances, nor length of time, nor distance of road can make it dimmer. For this reason I greatly desire to receive letters continually from your nobility, bringing us the good news of your health. And if we complain, we do not complain as if you were negligent, but as desiring more of such letters. Knowing these things, therefore, my most honored and noble master, grant us this favor, which is both light and easy, and which provides great gladness to us even as we sit in the wilderness. 49. To Alphius. I myself wished to write more frequently, but the scarcity of letter-carriers does not allow this desire to be put into action; for the desolation of this place, and the fear of the Isaurians, and the severity of the winter do not permit people to visit us frequently. But nevertheless, both writing and being silent, the

ἀποδημίας κωλυθέντων συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν πρὸς αὐτήν. ΜΕʹ. Συμμάχῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Οὐδὲν καινὸν οὐδὲ ἀπεικὸς τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύοντα ὁδὸν στενοχωρεῖσθαι. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ φύσις, πόνων γέμει καὶ ἱδρώτων, ἐπιβουλῶν καὶ κινδύνων. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν ὁδὸς τοιαύτη· τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν στέφανοι, βραβεῖα, τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ τέλος οὐκ ἔχοντα. Τούτοις τοίνυν σαυτὸν παρακάλει· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἄνεσις καὶ ἡ θλίψις ἡ τοῦ παρόντος παροδεύεται βίου, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ βίῳ συγκαταλύεται. Μηδὲν οὖν μηδὲ ἐκείνων φυσάτω, μηδὲ τούτων ταπεινούτω καὶ συστελλέτω. Ὁ γὰρ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης οὔτε ἐν γαλήνῃ χαυνοῦται, οὔτε ἐν χειμῶνι ταράττεται. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς παρακάλει σαυτὸν, καὶ παραμυθίαν ἐντεῦθεν καρποῦ τὴν μεγίστην. Γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλῷ τῷ μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ διειργόμεθα, καὶ πολύν σου τῆς ἐμμελείας ἀπελείφθημεν χρόνον, ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς ἀγάπης, ἀλλ' ἄληστον αὐτὴν ἀεὶ περιφέρομεν καὶ ἀκμάζουσαν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν ἐπείπερ τοιαύτη τοῦ φιλεῖν γνησίως ἡ φύσις. Μʹ. Ῥουφίνῳ. Ἐβουλόμην μὲν συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, ἐπειδή σε φιλῶ, καὶ σφόδρα φιλῶ, δέσποτά μου αἰδεσιμώτατε καὶ εὐλαβέστατε· καὶ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα οἶσθα καὶ αὐτός. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἐν ἡμῖν κεῖται, τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐν ἡμῖν· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ φιλεῖν ἡμεῖς κύριοι, τοῦ δὲ συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν οὐκ ἔτι, διά τε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὴν δυσκολίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἔτους τὴν ὥραν· ἐκεῖνο μὲν διηνεκῶς ποιοῦμεν, τοῦτο δὲ ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο διηνεκῶς ποιοῦμεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ μέλανι μηδὲ χάρτῃ συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλομεν, ἀλλὰ γνώμῃ καὶ διανοίᾳ· τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ φιλεῖν γνησίως. ΜΖʹ. Ναμαίᾳ. Τί περιέρχῃ ἀπολογίαν ζητοῦσα, καὶ συγγνώμην 52.635 αἰτοῦσα ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμεῖς σε στεφανοῦμεν καὶ ἀνακηρύττομεν, ὅτι μὲν ἔγραψας, ἀποδεχόμενοι, ὅτι δὲ ὀψὲ καὶ βραδέως, ἐγκαλεῖν ἔχοντες; Ὥστε εἰ νομίζεις μεγάλα τετολμηκέναι τῷ γράψαι, τοῦτο ἀφεῖσα πρὸς τὸ ἔγκλημα τῆς βραδύτητος μελέτα, καὶ συντίθει τὴν ἀπολογίαν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅσῳπερ ἂν λέγῃς καὶ παρόντας καὶ ἁπόντας ἠγαπηκέναι γνησίως, τοσούτῳ μειζόνως αὔξεις τὴν κατηγορίαν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς τῶν περὶ ἡμᾶς διακειμένων ἦσθα, οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς μακρὸν χρόνον οὕτω σιγῆσαι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὕτω γνησίαν καὶ θερμὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδεδεῖχθαι ἀγάπην ἔφης, ὡς μηδὲ ἂν ἐλθεῖν παραιτήσεσθαι ὁδὸν οὕτω χαλεπὴν, καὶ φόβῳ λῃστῶν τοσούτων πολιορκουμένην, εἰ μὴ τὰ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας διέκοπτεν, ἕν σοι λοιπὸν ἀπολογίας λείπεται εἶδος, τὸ νιφάδας ἡμῖν πέμπειν γραμμάτων, δυναμένων τὴν ἐκ τῆς μακρᾶς σιγῆς παραμυθήσασθαι αἰτίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ ποίει, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀπειλήφαμεν. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὕτη χρονία ἐλθοῦσα ἡ ἐπιστολὴ, ἐπειδὴ θερμῆς ἔπνει τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ τοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου τὸ χρέος ἀπέτισεν. Πλὴν ἀλλ' αἱ λοιπαὶ μὴ μιμείσθωσαν τὴν ταύτης βραδυτῆτα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὕτη δυνήσεται δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐ δι' ὄκνον, ἀλλὰ διὰ δέος μάταιον, καθὼς καὶ αὐτὴ ἔφης, χρονία παραγέγονεν, εἰ αἱ λοιπαὶ μετὰ τάχους καὶ πολλῆς παραγένοιντο τῆς συνεχείας ἡμῖν. ΜΗʹ. Ἀραβίῳ. Οἶδά σου τὴν ἀγάπην, οἶδά σου τὸ φίλτρον τὸ θερμὸν, τὸ γνήσιον, τὸ εἰλικρινὲς, τὸ διαρκὲς, καὶ ὡς οὔτε δυσκολία πραγμάτων, οὔτε ὄχλος φροντίδων, οὔτε περιστάσεων πλῆθος, οὔτε χρόνου μῆκος, οὔτε ὁδοῦ διάστημα δύναται ταύτην ἀμαυροτέραν ποιῆσαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶ συνεχῶς δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρὰ τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς, εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Κἂν ἐγκαλῶμεν, οὐχ ὡς ῥᾳθυμοῦντι ἐγκαλοῦμεν, ἀλλ' ὡς πλειόνων ἐρῶντες ἐπιστολῶν τοιούτων. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐγενέστατε, δίδου ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, κούφην τε οὖσαν καὶ εὔκολον, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθημένοις παρέχουσαν τὴν εὐφροσύνην. ΜΘʹ. Ἀλφίῳ. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβουλόμην συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν, ἡ δὲ τῶν γραμματηφόρων σπάνις οὐκ ἀφίησι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ χωρίου τούτου ἐρημία, καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἰσαύρων φόβος, καὶ ἡ τοῦ χειμῶνος σφοδρότης οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει συνεχῶς τινας ἡμῖν ἐπιχωριάζειν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, καὶ γράφοντες καὶ σιγῶντες, τὴν