John Chrysostom, Letters

you might find noble men, able to cooperate with him for the greatness of these achievements, be exhorted to send them along with him with much eagerness, considering how great a reward you will reap from this. 50. To Romulus and Byzus, monks. I for my part wished to see you having come here; for hearing of your piety, I have become a fervent admirer of you, picturing you with the eyes of love; but since for now this is not possible, both because of the length of the journey, and because of the winter season, and because of the fear of the Isaurians, I have hastened through this letter to be with your honor, making clear to you the disposition which we have towards your piety; for it is possible also to love those who are far away and have not been seen. For such is the power of love; it is not separated by length of journey, nor does it wither with the passage of time, nor is it conquered by the onset of temptations; but conquering all these things it becomes superior to all, and is lifted to an unspeakable height. For this very reason we too, since we are fervently disposed towards you, have not become more negligent for any of these reasons, but we both write and ask you to inform us about your health. For so, even while dwelling in a desert place, we shall reap much comfort, whenever we hear that those who live thus, and travel this narrow and afflicted way, are healthy and strong. 57. To Adolia. We, even if you yourself write rarely, will not cease, whenever we find those who are traveling from here to there, from writing to your nobility. For we wished to see you having come here, and we desire this greatly. But since this perhaps seemed difficult to your nobility—for the troubles from the Isaurians have ceased completely—we will at least not cease giving ourselves the comfort of writing continually to your honor. For whenever we find a letter-carrier arriving there, we reap no ordinary gladness in writing to your honor. Knowing this, therefore, my most modest and most pious lady, be urged yourself to make an effort to write to us continually about your health and good spirits. For just as on account of your absence we make no complaint, because the matter seems to have some difficulty; so on account of your long 52.641 silence we will not cease to find fault, because of our great desire to learn continually about your health and that of your whole household. 58. To Theodosius, former duke. You have colored your letter with much honey, or rather you have made it sweeter than honey. For when one partakes more constantly of its sweetness, it no longer seems equally sweet, as satiety destroys the tyranny of pleasure; but your letters, which bring us the good news of your health, are so far from suffering this, that they even increase our gladness then most of all, when they are sent more constantly. You, therefore, embraced my letter; but I embraced you yourself, the father of the letter, and threw both my hands around you, and clinging to your neck, and kissing your head so dear to me, I reaped much consolation. For I did not think it was only your letter coming to me, but that you yourself were present with us and in our company. So great was the power of the letter. For such is the nature of genuine love; even if it pours forth its streams through letters, it causes one to imagine the very source of the letters; which is indeed what we have experienced. And neither the passage of time, nor the length of the journey, nor the circumstance of affairs, nor anything else has been an impediment to us in this. Knowing these things, therefore, my most admirable master, do not hesitate to write to us continually, informing us of your health, and of your entire household, and of your good spirits. For you know how eagerly we desire to learn. 59. To Theodotus the deacon. You have quickly forgotten us, your separation having been very painful to us, and having added the despondency from your long silence. And not even into

εὕροιτε γενναίους ἄνδρας, δυναμένους αὐτῷ συμπρᾶξαι πρὸς τῶν κατορθωμάτων τούτων τὸ μέγεθος, πολλῇ τῇ προθυμίᾳ συναποστεῖλαι αὐτῷ παρακλήθητε, ἐννοοῦντες ἡλίκον ἐντεῦθεν καρπώσεσθε τὸν μισθόν. Νʹ. Ῥωμύλῳ καὶ Βύζῳ μονάζουσι. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβουλόμην ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραγενομένους ἰδεῖν· ἀκούων γὰρ ὑμῶν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, σφοδρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἐραστὴς, τοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμᾶς φανταζόμενος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν, καὶ διὰ τὸν τῶν Ἰσαύρων φόβον, διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐσπούδακα ὑμῶν συγγενέσθαι τῇ τιμιότητι, δήλην ὑμῖν ποιῶν τὴν διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειαν τὴν ὑμετέραν· ἔνι γὰρ καὶ τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας καὶ μὴ ὁραθέντας φιλεῖν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ δύναμις· οὐ διείργεται ὁδοῦ μήκει, οὐδὲ μαραίνεται χρόνου πλήθει, οὐδὲ νικᾶται πειρασμῶν ἐπαγωγαῖς· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα νικῶσα ἀνωτέρα πάντων γίνεται, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον αἴρεται. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα περὶ ὑμᾶς διακείμεθα, οὐδενὶ τούτων γεγόναμεν ῥᾳθυμότεροι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράφομεν, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας δηλοῦν ἡμῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες, πολλὴν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, ὅταν ἀκούωμεν τοὺς οὕτω βιοῦντας, καὶ τὴν στενὴν ταύτην καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύοντας ὁδὸν, ὑγιαίνοντας καὶ ἐῤῥωμένους. ΝΖʹ. Ἀδολίᾳ. Ἡμεῖς, κἂν αὐτὴ σπανιάκις ἐπιστέλλῃς, οὐ παυσόμεθα, ὁσάκις ἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖσε ἀφικνουμένων, γράφοντες πρὸς τὴν εὐγένειαν τὴν σήν. Ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθά σε παραγενομένην ἰδεῖν, καὶ σφόδρα τοῦτο ἐπιθυμοῦμεν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἐργῶδες ἴσως κατεφάνη σου τῇ εὐγενείᾳ τὰ γὰρ τῶν Ἰσαύρων πέπαυται παντελῶς, τὴν γοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ γράφειν συνεχῶς τῇ τιμιότητί σου παράκλησιν οὐ παυσόμεθα παρέχοντες ἑαυτοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁσάκις ἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν γραμματηφόρου ἐκεῖσε παραγινομένου, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καρπούμεθα εὐφροσύνην ἐπιστέλλοντές σου τῇ τιμιότητι. Τοῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖα, κυρία μου κοσμιωτάτη καὶ εὐλαβεστάτη, καὶ αὐτὴ σπουδὴν ποιεῖσθαι παρακλήθητι τοῦ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς καὶ εὐθυμίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τῆς ἀποδημίας ἕνεκεν οὐδὲν ἐγκαλοῦμεν. διὰ τὸ δόξαι δυσκολίαν ἔχειν τὸ πρᾶγμα· οὕτω τῆς 52.641 σιγῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς μακρᾶς οὐ παυσόμεθα αἰτιώμενοι, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμεῖν συνεχῶς μανθάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς καὶ οἴκου σου παντός. ΝΗʹ. Θεοδοσίῳ ἀπὸ δουκῶν. Πολλοῦ τοῦ μέλιτος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνέχρωσας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ μέλιτος αὐτὴν ἡδίω πεποίηκας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὅταν συνεχέστερον ὁμιλήσῃ τοῖς ἀπολαύουσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς γλυκύτητος, οὐκ ἔτι ὁμοίως ἡδὺ φαίνεται, τοῦ κόρου τὴν τυραννίδα τῆς ἡδονῆς καταλύοντος· τὰ δὲ γράμματα τὰ σὰ τὴν ὑγίειαν ἡμῖν εὐαγγελιζόμενα τὴν σὴν, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦτο παθεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐπιτείνει τότε μάλιστα ἡμῖν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ὅταν συνεχέστερον πέμπηται. Σὺ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν περιεπτύξω τὴν ἐμήν· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτόν σε τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἐπιστολῆς καὶ περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ περιέβαλον ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, καὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ περιχυθεὶς, καὶ τὴν φίλην ἐμοὶ φιλήσας κεφαλὴν, πολλὴν ἐκαρπωσάμην τὴν παραμυθίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπιστολὴν ἐνόμιζον σὴν ἐπιέναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι ἡμῖν καὶ συγγίνεσθαι. Τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἡ δύναμις. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῆς γνησίας ἀγάπης ἡ φύσις· κἂν διὰ γραμμάτων αὐτῆς προχέῃ τὰ νάματα, αὐτὴν τὴν πηγὴν τῶν γραμμάτων φαντάζεσθαι παρασκευάζει· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπόνθαμεν. Καὶ οὔτε χρόνου πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁδοῦ μῆκος, οὔτε πραγμάτων περίστασις, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν πρὸς τοῦτο κώλυμα γέγονεν ἡμῖν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, ἐπιστέλλειν ἠμῖν συνεχῶς μὴ κατόκνει, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντὸς, καὶ τῆς εὐθυμίας δηλῶν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον μανθάνειν. ΝΘʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Ταχέως ἡμῶν ἐπελάθου, τῷ χωρισμῷ σου σφόδρα λυπηρῷ ἡμῖν γεγενημένῳ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς σιγῆς τῆς μακρᾶς προσθεὶς ἀθυμίαν. Καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς