Procopius of Gaza, Letters

Stephen, I think it does not escape your notice either, that he is unable to make a living with his hands, having almost been deprived of his eye by Fortune. Whence devising some cure for his poverty, he has changed into the habit of a deacon. But his stratagem is in danger of profiting him nothing, unless he should obtain help from you, which I am persuaded is offered to all who wish to obtain it; for if you ask, I think one of the bishops in your parts will consent to have him either serving or just being supported. But you know that even when he receives no benefit, he does not cease chattering; and if he should receive some kindness, where is it not likely he would proclaim the favor? For he will expend, I think, his innate chatter on remembering the favor. 68 To Thomas The memory of good men knows how to bring joy even without the sight of them, and then more so, when having filled with complete love those who have experienced them, they are no longer present to continually supply pleasure to the sight. For then, being at a loss what to do, they have their longing instead of the sight of them, continually supplying the memory. For they re-fashion for themselves those who have departed and devise an imitation of them being present. I utter these maxims having fallen into such a state, from which, having experienced him, I admired him, and now that he is not present I seek him again, and I pray to Fortune to contrive something new and to bring together at some time lovers so far apart from each other. 69 To Palladius The letter from your wisdom, when seen, moved in all, as is usual, pleasure; but when it was necessary to learn its contents, we nearly filled it with tears. For those whose successes are shared, it is entirely necessary for them also to partake in whatever is grievous. But see, by the gods, how wantonly Fortune behaves, wishing to distinguish in no way whether she hastens to strike the wicked, or if she lets fly her arrows against the good. For if it were possible for events to be measured by virtue, know well you would not have experienced unjust Fortune. But now you lament a wife, a prudent one, as is likely, and such as was fitting for a wise man to live with, and what is most terrible, the mother of children, and of those still in need of a mother. Who hearing these things would not weep, and who, having suffered them, would endure, not having been fortunate enough to have your judgment? For I am persuaded that, following Isocrates, before suffering anything, you yourself trained for events, seeing many such things, and hearing many recounted. For what of the difficult things does not lead our life? And what does it show that is calmer than the sea? One man is raised up great, another, having come to a high position, had Fortune betray him and has fallen; and one man grows old asking for death as a consolation, while another has been snatched away before youth. Another man marries, while another mourns the one who lived with him. These things fill life, and it hastens to confirm the opinion of Homer, that "1the earth nourishes nothing feebler than man"2; for from all sides the divine power decrees that nothing remain as it has been, but if there is anything to men's liking, "1wait"2 it says "1a little, and it will surely be gone"2. Therefore let suffering be granted by God's providence and by a nod that in all ways directs our affairs well, but to bear nobly whatever God gives is to conquer by virtue and not to give everything to Fortune. For this is the ornament of the good, that their judgment does not fall along with their circumstances. Therefore let there be enough of tears; for you "1will not raise her up, before you suffer yet another evil"2. But to your children you yourself will become a mother, and God will bring the hopes for them to fulfillment with His nod. 70 To Nestorius I was pleased with your fine and excellent letter, on the one hand apologizing for the long silence, which, although you had written many times, you were at least silent to me, until I received the letters, and on the other hand chiding me greatly, because I accused you of silence in the first place. I was pleased with both these things, by the gods. For the one was of a man who has not erred regarding friends, and the other of a man not even wishing to seem so. I am defeated, therefore, for having accused you of silence, and I would wish to be vanquished in this always. But I have received your letters after a time and with difficulty, and the first one from you arrived to us second. It would be for you to consider how, if when I only seem to be wronged I complain so much, what I would become if I truly suffered it. 71 To Stephen You are still silent, and this though you live in Daphne, that chattering and prophetic water; but I

Στέφανος, οὐδ' ὑμᾶς οἶμαι λανθάνειν, καὶ ὅτι μηδ' ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ δύναται ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ βίου μικροῦ δεῖν καὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ὑπὸ τῆς Τύχης ἀφῃρημένος. ὅθεν θεραπείαν τινὰ πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειαν σοφιζόμενος εἰς διακόνων ἐνήλλακται σχῆμα. κινδυνεύει δὲ μηδὲν αὐτὸν ὀνῆσαι τὸ σόφισμα, πλὴν εἰ μὴ τῆς ἐπικουρίας τύχοι τῆς παρὰ σοῦ, ἣν καὶ πᾶσι προκεῖσθαι πείθομαι τοῖς βουλομένοις τυχεῖν· ὑμῶν γὰρ αἰτούν των ἐπινεύσει τις οἶμαι τῶν παρ' ὑμῖν ἐπισκόπων ἢ λειτουργοῦντα τοῦτον ἕξειν ἢ καὶ μόνον τρεφόμενον. ἴστε δὲ ὡς καὶ μηδὲν ὠφελούμενος οὐ παύεται φλυαροῦν· εἰ δὲ τύχοι τινὸς εὐεργεσίας, ποῦ τοῦτον οὐκ εἰκὸς ἀνακηρῦξαι τὴν χάριν; ἀναλώσει γάρ, οἶμαι, τὴν ἔμφυτον φλυαρίαν εἰς τὸ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς χάριτος. 68 Θωμᾶι Τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν εὐφραίνειν οἶδε καὶ χωρὶς θέας ἡ μνήμη, καὶ τότε μᾶλλον, ἡνίκα τοὺς πειραθέντας ὅλου πληρώσαντες ἔρωτος μηκέτι παρῶσι χορηγοῦντες ἀεὶ τῇ θέᾳ τὴν ἡδονήν. τότε γὰρ ἀποροῦντες οἵτινες γένωνται τὸν πόθον ἔχουσιν ἀντὶ τῆς θέας ἀεὶ χορηγοῦντα τὴν μνήμην. ἑαυτοῖς γὰρ ἀνατυποῦσι τοὺς ἀπελθόντας καὶ παρόντων σοφίζονται μίμημα. ταῦτα γνωμολογῶ τοιούτῳ πάθει περιπεσών, ἐξ οὗ καὶ πειραθεὶς ἐθαύμασα καὶ μὴ παρόντα πάλιν ζητῶ, καὶ τὴν Τύχην προσεύχομαι μηχανᾶσθαί τι και νὸν καὶ συνάγειν ποτὲ τοὺς τοσοῦτον ἀλλήλων ἀπέχοντας ἐραστάς. 69 Παλλαδίωι Ἡ τῆς ὑμετέρας σοφίας ἐπιστολὴ ὁρωμένη μὲν πᾶσιν ἐκίνει συνήθως τὴν ἡδονήν· ὡς δὲ καὶ μανθάνειν ἔδει τὰ γεγραμμένα, μικροῦ δεῖν καὶ δακρύων αὐτὴν ἐπληρώσαμεν. ὧν γὰρ αἱ εὐπραγίαι κοιναί, τούτους καὶ εἴ τι λυπεῖ μετέχειν πάντως ἀνάγκη. ἀλλ' ὅρα πρὸς θεῶν, ὁπόσον ἡ Τύχη νεανιεύεται, μηδὲν ἐθέλουσα διακρίνειν, εἰ βάλλειν ἐπείγεται πονηρούς, εἰ κατὰ σπου δαίων ἀφίησι τὰ τοξεύματα. εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἀρετῇ μετρεῖσθαι τὰ πράγματα, οὐκ ἂν εὖ ἴσθι τῆς ἀδίκου Τύχης πεπείρασο. νυνὶ δὲ γυναῖκα θρηνεῖς, σώφρονα μέν, ὡς εἰκός, καὶ οἵαν ἔπρεπεν ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ συνοικεῖν, τὸ δὲ δεινότατον, παίδων μητέρα, καὶ τούτων ἔτι δεομένων μητρός. ταῦτα τίς μὲν ἀκούων οὐκ ἂν δακρύσειε, τίς δὲ παθὼν καρτεροίη μὴ γνώμην εὐτυχήσας τὴν σήν; πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὡς Ἰσοκράτει πειθόμενος, πρίν τι παθεῖν, αὐτὸς ἐγυμνάσω τοῖς πράγμασι, πολλὰ μὲν ὁρῶν τοιαῦτα, πολλὰ δὲ διηγουμένων ἀκούων. τί γὰρ τῶν χαλεπῶν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἄγει τὸν βίον; τί δὲ θαλάττης δείκνυσιν ἡμερώτερον; ὁ μὲν αἴρεται μέγας, ὁ δὲ πρὸς ὕψος ἐλθὼν προδιδοῦσαν ἔσχε τὴν Τύχην καὶ πέπτωκε· καὶ ὁ μὲν γηρᾷ τὸν θάνατον εἰς παραμυθίαν αἰτῶν, ὁ δὲ πρὸ τῆς ἥβης ἀνήρπασται. γαμεῖ τις ἕτερος, ὁ δὲ τὴν συνοικοῦσαν ὀδύρεται. ταῦτα τὸν βίον πληροῖ, καὶ τὴν Ὁμήρου βεβαιοῦν ἐπείγεται γνώμην, ὡς "1οὐδὲν ἀκιδνότερον γαῖα τρέφει ἀνθρώποιο"2· πανταχόθεν γὰρ ψηφίζεται τὸ δαιμόνιον μηδὲν μένειν οἷον καὶ γέγονεν, ἀλλ' εἴ τι κατὰ νοῦν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις, "1μικρόν"2 φησιν "1ἀνάμεινον, καὶ πάντως οἰχήσεται"2. τὸ μὲν οὖν παθεῖν θεοῦ προνοίᾳ δεδόσθω καὶ νεύματι πάντως καλῶς ἄγοντι τὰ ἡμέτερα, τὸ δὲ φέρειν ὅ τι ἂν ὁ θεὸς διδῷ γενναίως, νικᾶν ἐστιν ἀρετῇ καὶ μὴ πάντα διδόναι τῇ Τύχῃ. τοῦτο γὰρ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἐγκαλλώπισμα, τὸ μὴ τὴν γνώμην συμμεταπίπτειν τοῖς πράγμασιν. οὐκοῦν ἅλις ἔστω δακρύων· οὐ γάρ "1μιν ἀνστήσεις, πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα"2. τοῖς δὲ παισὶν αὐτός τε μήτηρ γενήσῃ καὶ θεὸς τὰς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐλπίδας εἰς ἔργον ἄξει τῷ νεύματι. 70 Νεστορίωι Ἥσθην σου τῇ καλῇ καὶ λίαν ἐπιστολῇ, τὰ μὲν ἀπολογουμένῃ περὶ τῆς μακρᾶς σιωπῆς, ἥν, εἰ καὶ πολλάκις ἐγεγράφεις, ἐμοὶ γοῦν ἐσίγας, μέχρι τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἐδεξάμην, τὰ δὲ καὶ λίαν ἐπιτιμώσῃ, ὅτι σοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνεκάλουν σιγήν. ἥσθην ἄμφω ταῦτα, μὰ τοὺς θεούς. τὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἡμαρτηκότος ἦν περὶ φίλους, τὸ δὲ μηδὲ βουλομένου τοιοῦτον δοκεῖν. ἥττημαι τοίνυν σιωπὴν ἐγκαλέσας, καὶ βουλοίμην ἂν διὰ παντὸς ἐν τούτῳ νικᾶσθαι. δέδεγμαι δέ σου τὰς ἐπιστολὰς χρόνῳ καὶ μόλις, καὶ ἥ γε παρὰ σοῦ πρώτη πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφῖκται δευτέρα. σὸν δ' ἂν εἴη σκοπεῖν ὡς, εἰ δοκῶν ἀδικεῖσθαι τοσοῦτον κατηγορῶ, τίς ἂν γενοίμην ὄντως παθών. 71 Στεφάνωι Σὺ μὲν ἔτι σιγᾷς, καὶ ταῦτα τὴν ∆άφνην οἰκῶν, τὸ λάλον ὕδωρ ἐκεῖνο καὶ μαντικόν· ἐγὼ δὲ