John Chrysostom, Letters

of our neglect, but silence comes from the difficulty 52.645 of the situation. I have said these things so that, whether we are writing or are silent, you may hold the same opinion about our love for you. For wherever we may be, having engraved your memory upon our mind, we carry it everywhere. And now we are very grateful to you, because you have received the good monk with the goodwill befitting you, and have made more gentle those who wished to quarrel with him inopportunely. So I was not speaking in vain, nor flattering you, when I said that even if ten thousand waves should rise from every side, your affairs are in a calm sea. For those who so easily avert shipwrecks for others, it is clear that you stand far from the surging waves. So write to us continually about your health. For you know how eager we are to learn this. For your letters announcing your good health to us have such power that, even though we are surrounded by so many dangers—wars, disturbances, tumults, daily deaths—whenever we receive such letters from you, we are lifted up by pleasure, and from this we reap the greatest comfort. For such is genuine love, that even through letters containing such good news, those separated in body can easily be recovered. 67. To Theodotus the deacon. You yourself, my most honored and reverent lord, have at least been delivered from the evils in Armenia, but for us, amid the disturbances here, or rather the daily deaths, it is no small grief also to be separated from your sweetness, and from your genuine and sincere disposition. And another addition to this grief has occurred: your long, careful silence. For since you departed from here, this is only the second letter we have received; and I say this not to reproach, but in pain. For no one is unaware that the road leading here is impassable for travelers; but while this might be a sufficient excuse for you, it is by no means a comfort for us; rather, for this very reason we are especially grieved, that we have been deprived even of this remaining solace for your absence. Since, therefore, this difficulty cannot for the present be resolved, but the dangers are intensified each day, I beg you to comfort in another way the despondency that arises in us from your long silence, by remembering us continually, and whenever you write, by making your letters longer, and by dwelling on accounts of your health, cheerfulness, and safety. For in this way you will be able to make up for what we lack in frequency by the length of your letters. 68. To the same. And this is characteristic of you, our most ardent and fervent lover. After reading the first letter, I received a second also, both on the same day, and was exceedingly pleased. For the second had something more, 52.646 showing us not only your words, but also your handwriting; which has also given us an addition of pleasure, because we beheld the image not only of your warm and genuine soul, but also of your right hand in abundance. So do this continually, and provide in abundance the comfort which you yourself devised for us in this way. For we do not dare to draw you here now; so great are the evils of Armenia, and another winter has succeeded them all. For wherever one may go, one will see torrents of blood, a multitude of dead bodies, houses torn down, cities destroyed. And we seem to be in safety as if in a harsh prison, shut up in this fortress; yet we are not able to enjoy security, on account of the daily fears, the rumors full of deaths, the constantly expected attack of the Isaurians, and the weakness of body with which we struggle even now. But nevertheless, though we are in such great evils, we reap no small comfort even in such a circumstance, when we receive letters bringing us the good news of your health. 69. To Nicolaus the presbyter. And this of the

ἡμετέρας ὀλιγωρίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων 52.645 δυσκολίας ἡ σιγὴ γίνεται. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, ἵνα καὶ γραφόντων ἡμῶν, καὶ σιγώντων, τὴν αὐτὴν περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀγάπης τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς φέρητε ψῆφον. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν, ἐγκολάψαντες ἡμῶν τῇ διανοίᾳ τὴν μνήμην τὴν ὑμετέραν πανταχοῦ περιφέρομεν. Καὶ νῦν δὲ χάριν ὑμῖν ἴσμεν πολλὴν, ὅτι τὸν καλὸν μοναχὸν καὶ μετὰ τῆς πρεπούσης ὑμῖν εὐνοίας ὑπεδέξασθε, καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους ἀκαίρως πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλονεικεῖν ἡμερωτέρους πεποιήκατε. Οὐκ ἄρα μάτην ἔλεγον, οὐδὲ κολακεύων ὑμᾶς, ὅτι κἂν μυρία πανταχόθεν ἐγείρηται κύματα, ἐν γαλήνῃ τὰ ὑμέτερα. Οἱ γὰρ οὕτω ῥᾳδίως ἑτέροις ναυάγια διαλύοντες, εὔδηλον ὅτι πόῤῥω τῶν κλυδωνίων ἑστήκατε. Γράφετε δὴ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς ὑμετέρας. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τοῦτο μανθάνειν. Τοσαύτην γὰρ ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν τὰ γράμματα ὑμῶν, τὰ τὴν ῥῶσιν ὑμῶν ἡμῖν ἀπαγγέλλοντα, ὅτι καὶ τοσούτοις περιεστοιχισμένοι δεινοῖς, πολέμοις, θορύβοις, ταραχαῖς, θανάτοις καθημερινοῖς, ἡνίκα ἂν τοσαύτας ὑμῶν δεξώμεθα ἐπιστολὰς, καὶ ἀναπτερούμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, καὶ μεγίστην ἐντεῦθεν καρπούμεθα τὴν παραμυθίαν. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ φιλεῖν γνησίως, ὡς καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων δύνασθαι τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα εὐαγγέλια ἐχόντων τοὺς τῷ σώματι κεχωρισμένους ἀνακτᾶσθαι ῥᾳδίως. ΞΖʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Αὐτὸς μὲν, κύριέ μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐλαβέστατε, τῶν γοῦν ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ ἀπηλλάγης κακῶν, ἡμᾶς δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἐνταῦθα θορύβων, μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν θανάτων τῶν καθημερινῶν, οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε λυπεῖ καὶ τὸ τῆς σῆς κεχωρίσθαι γλυκύτητος, καὶ τῆς γνησίας καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς διαθέσεως. Γέγονε δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα λύπης ταύτης προσθήκη, ἡ μακρά σου τῆς ἐμμελείας σιγή. Ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπῆρας, δευτέραν ταύτην ἐδεξάμεθα μόνην ἐπιστολήν· καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν λέγω, ἀλλ' ἀλγῶν. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἄβατος ὁδοιπόροις ἡ ἐνταῦθα φέρουσα ὁδὸς, οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν εἰς ἀπολογίαν σὴν ἀποχρῶν ἂν εἴη, εἰς δὲ ἡμετέραν παραμυθίαν οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα ἀλγοῦμεν, ὅτι καὶ τὴν λειπομένην ἡμῖν παραψυχὴν τῆς ἀποδημίας τῆς σῆς καὶ ταύτην ἀφῃρήμεθα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοῦτο λυθῆναι τέως οὐκ ἔνι τὸ ἄπορον, ἀλλ' ἐπιτείνεται καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὰ δεινὰ, ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ τὴν ἐκ τῆς μακρᾶς σιγῆς ἀθυμίαν ἐγγινομένην ἡμῖν παραμυθήσασθαι παρακλήθητι, μεμνημένος τε ἡμῶν διηνεκῶς, καὶ ἡνίκα ἂν γράφῃς, μακροτέρας ποιῶν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς, καὶ τοῖς περὶ τῆς σῆς ὑγείας τε καὶ εὐθυμίας καὶ ἀσφαλείας ἐνδιατρίβων διηγήμασιν. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνήσῃ τὸ λεῖπον ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ χρόνου, ἐκ τοῦ μήκους παραμυθήσασθαι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν. ΞΗʹ. Τῷ αὐτῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο σὸν τοῦ θερμοτάτου καὶ σφοδροῦ ἡμῶν ἐραστοῦ. Μετὰ μὲν τὸ τὴν προτέραν ἀναγνῶναι ἐπιστολὴν, ἐδεξάμην καὶ δευτέραν, ἐν μιᾷ ἀμφοτέρας ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ σφόδρα ἥσθην. Εἶχε γάρ τι πλέον ἡ δευ52.646 τέρα, οὐχὶ ῥήματα σὰ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράμματα σὰ ἡμῖν ἐπιδεικνῦσα· ὃ καὶ προσθήκην ἡμῖν πεποίηκεν ἡδονῆς, ὅτι μὴ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μόνον τῆς θερμῆς καὶ γνησίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς μετὰ δαψιλείας τὴν εἰκόνα ἐθεασάμεθα. Ποίει δὴ τοῦτο συνεχῶς, καὶ τὴν παραμυθίαν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν καὶ τοῦτον ἐπενόησας τὸν τρόπον, μετὰ δαψιλείας πάρεχε. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ σε ἑλκύσαι λοιπὸν οὐ τολμῶμεν· τοσαῦτα τῆς Ἀρμενίας τὰ κακὰ, καὶ χειμὼν ἕτερος ἅπαντα διεδέξατο. Ὅπου γὰρ ἄν τις ἀφίκηται, χειμάῤῥους αἱμάτων, πλῆθος σωμάτων νεκρῶν, οἰκίας κατεσκαμμένας, πόλεις ἀνηρημένας ὄψεται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ δοκοῦμεν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ εἶναι ὥσπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ χαλεπῷ, τῷ φρουρίῳ τούτῳ κατακεκλεισμένοι· οὐ μὴν ἀδείας ἀπολαύειν δυνάμεθα, διὰ τοὺς καθημερινοὺς φόβους, διὰ τὰς φήμας τῶν θανάτων γεμούσας, διὰ τὴν συνεχῶς προσδοκωμένην τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἔφοδον, διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος, ᾗ μέχρι νῦν προσπαλαίομεν, ἀσθένειαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντες κακοῖς, οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ περιστάσει καρπούμεθα παραμυθίαν, ὅταν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς δεχώμεθα γράμματα. ΞΘʹ. Νικολάῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς