Letter XVII.167    Placed during the reign of Julian.

To Origenes.168    Nothing is known of this Origen beyond what is suggested in this letter.  He is conjectured to have been a layman, who, alike as a rhetorician and a writer, was popularly known as a Christian apologist.

It is delightful to listen to you, and delightful to read you; and I think you give me the greater pleasure by your writings.  All thanks to our good God Who has not suffered the truth to suffer in consequence of its betrayal by the chief powers in the State, but by your means has made the defence of the doctrine of true religion full and satisfactory.  Like hemlock, monkshood, and other poisonous herbs, after they have bloomed for a little while, they will quickly wither away.  But the reward which the Lord will give you in requital of all that you have said in defence of His name blooms afresh for ever.  Wherefore I pray God grant you all happiness in your home, and make His blessing descend to your sons.  I was delighted to see and embrace those noble boys, express images of your excellent goodness, and my prayers for them ask all that their father can ask.

ΩΡΙΓΕΝΕΙ

[1] Καὶ ἀκουόμενος εὐφραίνεις, καὶ ἀναγινωσκόμενος δι' ὧν γράφεις ἐνεργεστέρας ἡμῖν παρέχεις εὐφροσύνας. Καὶ χάρις πολλὴ τῷ ἀγαθῷ Θεῷ τῷ μηδὲν ἐλαττωθῆναι ποιήσαντι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν τῇ προδοσίᾳ τῶν δῆθεν ὑπερκρατούντων, ἀλλὰ δι' ὑμῶν τὴν συνηγορίαν τοῦ λόγου τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀναπληρώσαντι. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν, ὡς τὸ κώνειον ἢ τὸ ἀκόνιτον καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλη ἀνδροφόνος βοτάνη, πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀνθήσαντες ταχὺ ἀποξηρανθήσονται. Ὑμῖν δὲ ἀνθηρὸν καὶ ἀεὶ νέον ὁ Κύριος τὸν μισθὸν τῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ λαληθέντων παρέξει. Ἀνθ' ὧν καὶ παράσχοι ὑμῖν ὁ Κύριος πᾶσαν εὐθηνίαν οἴκου καὶ εἰς παῖδας παίδων τὴν εὐλογίαν διαβιβάσαι. Τὰ δὲ εὐγενέστατα παιδία, τοὺς ἐναργεῖς τῆς σῆς χρηστότητος χαρακτῆρας, εἶδον ἡδέως καὶ περιεπτυξάμην καὶ εὔχομαι αὐτοῖς ὅσα ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ πατὴρ εὔξῃ.