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on whose behalf he has come, in need of your protection. He will tell you everything himself; for this is more seemly than for me to go through each particular in this letter.

9. To Stagireius

9.1 They say that wonder-workers in the theaters devise some such spectacle as this: taking a story from history or some of the ancient narratives as a subject for their wonder-working, they recount the history to the spectators in action. And they recount what is suitable for the things being related in this way: having assumed the forms and characters and having fashioned a city from curtains upon the stage through some likeness and having made the hitherto bare place familiar through a vivid imitation of the events, they become a wonder to the onlookers, both the imitators themselves of the events in the story and the curtains, 9.2 that is, the city. What then does my story mean? Since we have need to show the non-existent city as existing to those who are assembling, be entreated to become the impromptu founder of our city, having by your very appearance alone prepared the desolate place to seem to be a city. 9.3 The road for you is not long, and the favor you will grant is very great. For we wish to show ourselves more venerable to those who are assembling, being adorned by your cheerfulness in place of any other ornament.

10. To Otreius, bishop of Melitene

10.1 What such flower in spring, what such voices of songbirds, what tranquil sea is sweetened by gentle and pleasant breezes, what tilled land is so pleasant to farmers, either abounding in crops or already undulating with the fruit of the ears of corn, what grace from a vine is so great, when with its foliage through the air * and overshadows the stake with its leaves, as the spiritual spring from your peaceful ray through the brightness in your letter has brightened our life from dejection? 10.2 For thus perhaps the prophetic word is fitting for us, that 'According to the multitude of the sorrows in the heart, the consolations of God through your goodness have gladdened our soul', warming our life, which was distressed by the frost, like rays of sun. For the extremity is equal in both, I mean of the harshness of the painful things and of the 10.3 sweetness of your good things. And if by merely announcing your presence to us you have brightened us so much, that everything for us has been changed from extreme pain to a cheerful state, what then will your honorable and good presence do, just by being seen? And how much consolation will your sweet voice give to our souls when it sounds in our 10.4 ears? But may these things happen quickly by the cooperation of God, who gives relief to the faint-hearted and rest to the contrite. But know that as for us, if we look at our own situation, we are greatly grieved by present circumstances and do not cease being distressed, but if we look to your honor, we confess great thanks to the providence of the Master, that it is possible for us from nearby to enjoy your sweet and good disposition and to be filled at will to satiety with such nourishment, if indeed there is any satiety of such things.

11. To Eupatrius the scholar

11.1 Seeking to give some fitting and suitable preface to my letter, from my usual sources, I mean the scriptural readings, I did not have anything I could use, not because I could not find what was appropriate, but because I judged it superfluous towards one not

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ὑπὲρ ὧν ἥκει τῆς σῆς προστασίας δεόμενος. λέξει δὲ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὰ πάντα· οὕτω γὰρ εὐπρεπέστερον ἢ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον ἐμὲ διεξιέναι τῷ γράμματι.

9.τ Σταγειρίῳ

9.1 Τοιοῦτόν τι θέαμά φασιν ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις τοὺς θαυματοποιοῦντας

τεχνάζεσθαι· μῦθον ἐξ ἱστορίας ἤ τινα τῶν ἀρχαίων διηγημάτων ὑπόθεσιν τῆς θαυματοποιΐας λαβόντες ἔργῳ τοῖς θεαταῖς διηγοῦνται τὴν ἱστορίαν. διηγοῦνται δὲ οὕτως τὰ κατάλληλα τῶν ἱστορουμένων· ὑποδύντες σχήματά τε καὶ πρόσωπα καὶ πόλιν ἐκ παραπετασμάτων ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρχήστρας δι' ὁμοιότητός τινος σχηματίσαντες καὶ τὸν τέως ψιλὸν τόπον τῇ ἐναργεῖ μιμήσει τῶν πραγμάτων οἰκειώσαντες, θαῦμα τοῖς θεωμένοις γίνονται αὐτοί τε οἱ μιμηταὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ πραγμάτων καὶ τὰ παραπετά9.2 σματα, ἡ πόλις δή. τί οὖν μοι τὸ διήγημα βούλεται; ἐπειδὴ χρεία ἡμῖν τὴν μὴ οὖσαν πόλιν ὡς οὖσαν δεῖξαι τοῖς συνιοῦσι, παρακλήθητι γενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως ἡμῶν οἰκιστὴς αὐτοσχέδιος, αὐτῷ τῷ φανῆναι μόνον τὸ πόλιν εἶναι δοκεῖν 9.3 τὸν ἔρημον χῶρον παρασκευάσας. ἔστι δέ σοι καὶ ἡ ὁδὸς οὐ πολλὴ καὶ ἡ χάρις, ἣν δώσεις, σφόδρα πολλή· βουλόμεθα γὰρ σεμνοτέρους ἑαυτοὺς δεῖξαι τοῖς συνιοῦσιν, ἀντ' ἄλλου τινὸς κόσμου τῇ φαιδρότητι ὑμῶν καλλωπιζόμενοι.

10.τ Ὀτρηίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Μελιτηνῆσ

10.1 Ποῖον τοιοῦτον ἄνθος ἐν ἔαρι, τίνες τοιαῦται τῶν ᾠδικῶν ὀρνίθων

φωναί, ποία λεπταῖς καὶ προσηνέσι ταῖς αὔραις καταγλυκαίνεται γαληνιάζουσα θάλασσα, τίς ἄρουρα τοῖς γεηπόνοις οὕτως ἡδεῖα, ἢ εὐθηνουμένη ληΐοις ἢ τοῖς καρποῖς ἤδη τῶν ἀσταχύων ὑποκυμαίνουσα, τίς ἐξ ἀμπέλου τοσαύτη χάρις, ὅτε κομῶσα διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος * καὶ τοῖς φύλλοις κατασκιάζει τὴν κάμακα, ὅσον τὸ πνευματικὸν ἔαρ ἐκ τῆς εἰρηνικῆς σου ἀκτῖνος διὰ τῆς ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι λαμπηδόνος τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἐκ κατηφείας ἐφαίδρυνεν; 10.2 οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν τάχα τὸ προφητικὸν ἁρμόζει, ὅτι Κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὀδυνῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αἱ τοῦ θεοῦ παρακλήσεις διὰ τῆς σῆς ἀγαθότητος τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν εὔφραναν, ἀκτίνων δίκην κεκακωμένην τῇ πάχνῃ τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν ἐπιθάλπουσαι· ἴση γάρ ἐστιν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἡ ἀκρότης, τῆς τε τραχύτητος λέγω τῶν λυπηρῶν καὶ τῆς 10.3 γλυκύτητος τῶν σῶν ἀγαθῶν. καὶ εἰ μόνον εὐαγγελισάμενος ἡμῖν τὴν παρουσίαν σου τοσοῦτον ἐφαίδρυνας, ὥστε πάντα ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀλγηδόνος εἰς φαιδρὰν μεταβληθῆναι κατάστασιν, τί ποτε ἄρα ποιήσει καὶ ὀφθεῖσα μόνον ἡ τιμία σου καὶ ἀγαθὴ παρουσία; πόσην δὲ δώσει ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν παράκλησιν ἡ γλυκεῖά σου φωνὴ ταῖς 10.4 ἀκοαῖς ἐνηχήσασα; ἀλλὰ γένοιτο ταῦτα διὰ τάχους κατὰ θεοῦ συνεργίαν τοῦ διδόντος ὀλιγοψύχοις ἄνεσιν καὶ τοῖς συντετριμμένοις ἀνάπαυσιν. ἡμᾶς δὲ γίνωσκε, ἐὰν μὲν εἰς τὸ ἡμέτερον βλέψωμεν, περιαλγεῖν τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ δυσφοροῦντας μὴ παύεσθαι, ἐὰν δὲ πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἀπίδωμεν τιμιότητα, πολλὴν ὁμολογεῖν τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν χάριν, ὅτι ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἐκ γειτόνων ἀπολαύειν τῆς γλυκείας σου καὶ ἀγαθῆς προαιρέσεως καὶ ἐμφορεῖσθαι κατ' ἐξουσίαν μέχρι κόρου τῆς τοιαύτης τροφῆς, εἰ δή τις κόρος τῶν τοιούτων ἐστίν.

11.τ Εὐπατρίῳ σχολαστικῷ

11.1 Ζητῶν τι προσφυὲς καὶ οἰκεῖον τῷ γράμματι δοῦναι προοίμιον, ἀπὸ μὲν

τῶν ἐμοὶ συνήθων, λέγω δὴ τῶν γραφικῶν ἀναγνωσμάτων, οὐκ εἶχον ὅτῳ καὶ χρήσομαι, οὐ τῷ μὴ εὑρίσκειν τὸ συμβαῖνον, ἀλλὰ τῷ περιττὸν κρίνειν πρὸς οὐκ