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with truth what is necessary. This is a law for tutors and trainers and for all who are appointed to rule or who teach some art and science. Trusting in this <law>, and in addition to this, in the gentleness and disposition of your sacred soul, with which from on high your God-reverence has deemed us worthy, I overstep the bounds, and with that frankness of which I spoke, I instruct my master concerning the despondency that has unexpectedly befallen me. For I was truly grieved and exceedingly disheartened that no one informed me of the visit of your holiness—I mean, the one to Archaios'—not even the most God-beloved presbyter Aetius. For I bring a charge against him before your holiness, as one who has been most greatly wronged. For I wished to learn in advance of your lovely presence, and to run as if on wings, and to cross the Gindarus, and to pay at least the smallest portion of the honor I owed, and to spend those few days together, and to offer every compulsion of fatherly affection, and to persuade you to sanctify our city with your holy feet. But now I have been deprived of all these things. For when your holiness arrived, I did not know; but on the fourteenth, while celebrating the festival of the victorious Martyrs in Meningoi, I heard this being rumored. And upon inquiring and investigating the truth, I found others saying that your God-reverence had departed, having spent only two days there; and not trusting second-hand reports, but sending to Maschalas and learning that both reports were true, I was prevented from the journey. And I was sorely grieved in my soul both because I did not seek the paternal gift, but was deprived of the spiritual benefit, and because I was not counted in the company of those who serve your holiness; for not being approved by them, I remained uninformed of your visit, O father. These things, as a grieving son, I have taught my father and master, most revered by me for all reasons, both apologizing for my ignorance and grieving because of my ignorance. 46 TO HELLADIUS THE CURATOR. Fame has made your magnificence known to me; and I have not simply believed it, but have heard it spoken of by all, weaving its praises and recounting the list of your achievements. For nothing else is to be heard about your magnificence than what a lover of virtue is likely to possess. And one of those relating these things is the most devout deacon Pappus; for he himself urged us to write, saying that your mindset is not commensurate with your power, but befitting a man who is both wise and prudent and has considered nature. Therefore I have taken courage <to write> the letter, and I address your greatness and I beseech the God of all both to preserve your present blessings and to add greater ones. 47 TO EURYCIANUS THE TRIBUNE, A CONSOLATION. I know both the gloom of winter and I understand the violence of the surge, and the present life has nothing permanent or lasting; but only the beauty of virtue is unfading. And for now I say these things speaking in general terms to men; but it is now time to remind you of the divine doctrines, and to lead you from sorrow to those great hopes, and to scatter the cloud of despondency, and to show you in words those things which until now are seen through faith. The power of death has been loosed, and that fearful death has become a sleep, and we all await the resurrection, we who have received the ray of faith. For this reason also our master Christ, the only-begotten Word of God, who exists before the ages, who is co-eternal with the
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μετὰ ἀληθείας ἃ δεῖ. Οὗτος καὶ παιδονόμοις καὶ παιδοτρίβαις νόμος καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄρχειν λαχοῦσιν ἢ τέχνην τινὰ καὶ ἐπιστήμην παιδεύουσι. Τούτῳ θαῤῥῶν <τῷ νόμῳ>, καὶ πρὸς τούτῳ τῇ τῆς ἱερᾶς σου ψυχῆς ἡμερότητι καὶ διαθέσει, ἧς ἄνωθεν ἡμᾶς ἠξίωσεν ἡ σὴ θεοσέβεια, ὑπερβαίνω τοὺς ὅρους, καὶ τὴν ἀδο κήτως μοι συμβᾶσαν ἀθυμίαν μετ' ἐκείνης, ἧς ἔφην, παῤῥησίας, τὸν ἐμὸν διδάσκω δεσπότην. Ἤλγησα γὰρ ὄντως καὶ λίαν ἠθύμησα, ὅτι μοι τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος, τὴν εἰς τοῦ Ἀρχαίου φημί, οὐδεὶς κατεμήνυσεν, οὐδὲ ὁ θεοφιλέστατος Ἀέτιος ὁ πρεσβύτερος. Γράφομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς σῆς ἁγιό τητος ὡς ἠδικημένος τὰ μέγιστα. Ἤθελον γὰρ καὶ προμαθεῖν σου τὴν ἐπέραστον παρουσίαν, καὶ δραμεῖν ὡς ὑπόπτερος, καὶ τὴν Γίνδαρον ὑπερβῆναι, καὶ ἧς ὤφειλον τιμῆς μοῖραν γοῦν βραχυτάτην ἐκτῖσαι, καὶ τὰς ὀλίγας ἐκείνας ἡμέρας συν διατρῖψαι, καὶ πᾶσαν προσενεγκεῖν πατρικῆς φιλοστοργίας ἀνάγκην, καὶ πεῖσαι τοῖς ἱεροῖς σου ποσὶν ἁγιάσαι τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Νῦν δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων ἐστέρημαι. Ἡνίκα μὲν γὰρ παρεγένετό σου ἡ ὁσιότης οὐκ ἔγνων· τῇ δὲ τεσσα ρεσκαιδεκάτῃ, τῶν καλλινίκων Μαρτύρων ἐν Μηνίγγοις τὴν πανήγυριν ἐπιτελῶν ἤκουσα τοῦτο θρυλούντων. Πυνθανόμενος δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς ἐξετάζων εὗρον ἑτέρους λέγοντας ὡς ἐξε δήμησέ σου ἡ θεοσέβεια, δύο μόνον ἡμέρας ἐκεῖ διατρίψασα· καὶ μὴ δευτέροις πιστεύσας, εἰς δὲ τὸ Μασχαλᾶς ἀποστείλας, καὶ μαθὼν ἀληθεῖς ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ἀγγελίας ἐκωλύθην τῆς ὁδοῦ. Ἤλγησα δὲ χαλεπῶς τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ὅτι τὸ πατρῷον οὐκ ἐζήτησα γέρας, ἀλλὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἐστερήθην ὠφε λείας, καὶ ὅτι τῇ τῶν θεραπευόντων σου τὴν ἁγιωσύνην οὐ συντέταγμαι μοίρᾳ· οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνοις ἐγκεκριμένος, ἄπυστος ἔμεινα τῆς σῆς, ὦ πάτερ, ἐπιδημίας. Ταῦτα ὡς υἱὸς ἀλγῶν, τὸν πάντων εἵνεκα σεβασμιώτατόν μοι πατέρα καὶ δεσπότην ἐδίδαξα, καὶ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀγνοίας, καὶ ἀλγῶν διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν. 46 ΕΛΛΑ∆ΙΩ ΚΟΥΡΑΤΩΡΙ. Ἐμοὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἡ φήμη πεποίηκε γνώρι μον· οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ταύτην πεπίστευκα, ἀλλὰ ταύτης λεγούσης διὰ πάντων ἀκούσας, καὶ τοὺς αὐτῆς ὑφαινούσης ἐπαίνους, καὶ τὸν τῶν κατορθωμάτων διεξιούσης κατάλογον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἕτερον περὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοπρεπείας ἀκούειν ἐστίν, ἢ ὅσα ἔχειν εἰκὸς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐραστήν. Εἷς δὲ τῶν ταῦτα διηγουμένων ὁ εὐλαβέστατος διάκονος Πάππος· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ γράψαι παρώτρυνεν, οὐ σύμμετρον τῇ δυνάμει φήσας ὑμῖν εἶναι τὸ φρόνημα, ἀλλ' ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ τε καὶ συνετῷ καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἐπεσ κεμμένῳ συμβαῖνον. ∆ιὸ τεθάῤῥηκα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν <γράψαι>, καὶ τὸ ὑμέτερον προσφθέγγομαι μέγεθος καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἱκε τεύω Θεὸν καὶ τὰ παρόντα ὑμῖν ἀγαθὰ φυλάξαι, καὶ τὰ μείζω προσδοῦναι. 47 ΕΥΡΥΚΙΑΝΩ ΤΡΙΒΟΥΝΩ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΗΤΙΚΗ. Καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος οἶδα τὸ σκυθρωπὸν καὶ τοῦ κλύδωνος ἐπίσταμαι τὸ σφοδρόν, καὶ μόνιμον οὐδὲ διαρκὲς ὁ παρὼν ἔχει [βί]ος· μόνης δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ κάλλος ἀμάραντον. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τέως ὡς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους κοινῶς διαλέγομαι· καιρὸς δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ τῶν θείων ὑμᾶς ἀναμνῆσαι δογμάτων, καὶ εἰς τὰς μεγάλας ἐκείνας ἐλπίδας ἀπὸ τοῦ πάθους μεταγαγεῖν, καὶ τῆς μὲν ἀθυμίας ἀποσκεδάσαι τὸ νέφος, ὑποδεῖξαι δὲ ἐκεῖνα τῷ λόγῳ, ἃ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος διὰ τῆς πίστεως ὁρᾶται. Λέλυται τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος, καὶ ὕπνος ὁ φοβερὸς ἐκεῖνος γεγένηται θάνατος, καὶ ἀνάστασιν περιμένομεν ἅπαντες οἱ τῆς πίστεως τὴν ἀκτῖνα δεξάμενοι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν Χριστός, ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων ὑπάρχων, ὁ συναΐδιος τῷ