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I am writing, since the time of the festival requires me to remain here. For I would have run and brought this comfort to you with my own voice; but since the need of the many has prevented me from doing this, we have sent the most God-beloved presbyter Agapetus to your virtue in our place. 48 TO AXIA THE DEACONESS, A LETTER OF COMFORT. You both understand the mortal nature of humanity and have been taught the hopes of the resurrection. Both of these are sufficient to dull the despondency over those who have died; and if someone has departed this life gloriously, it is altogether fitting for the grief to be extinguished. For all these reasons, therefore, I beseech you to bear nobly the death of the blessed Sosanna. And may the praises from all, both those who inhabit the country and those who live in our city, especially console your piety. For all sing of her praiseworthy life; one relates her prudence, another her philanthropy, another her care for others. And I am a witness to what is said by all; or rather, I say more than all, inasmuch as I also know more than others, since I take care to learn. Therefore, give thanks, O lover of Christ, to the Lord Christ, that having perfected her with many forms of virtue, he has transferred her to the life without pain, rejoicing and glad and being displeased with those who weep. And consider the separation from your daughter to be an exercise in philosophy, and persuade yourself that she has gone away to a more distant land, living to God and awaiting the rewards of virtue. 49 TO BASIL, BISHOP OF SELEUCIA IN ISAURIA. Bearing springs of words on your tongue, most holy one, you said you were thirsty, and that you longed for our drops, doing something like someone who would say the Egyptian river needed a small stream. But to me even a small drop brings much benefit; while your Godliness offers torrents to others. Nevertheless, I praise this good insatiability, for it has as its fruit the divine beatitude: For blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied . It is not easy to describe how much gladness I procured from your letter. For first it showed me the marks of your love for God, and kindled the torch of friendship; then the company of the one who brought it worked an even greater joy in me. For the most God-fearing fellow presbyter Domitianus is able to scatter all despondency and instill gladness in its place; for he has a character sweeter than honey, and carries within himself the wealth of the divine oracles, not priding himself only on the outer case of the scriptures, but also revealing the pearl hidden within them. Having delighted us completely, he distressed us as much as he delighted us, by leaving so quickly. And so I address your Holiness through him, and ask to enjoy the help of your prayers. 50 TO AERIUS THE SOPHIST. If you were ignorant, my dear friend, of this man and his character and life, you would rightly be praising his mercy and recounting praises of his philanthropy; but since you know who the man is, and that the inclination of his mind grows for the worse, and he does not wish to sing a recantation, learn from your Plato what this man is worthy of. But if you say that his laws do not prevail at present, listen to the master of all things legislating.

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γράφω, ἐπειδή με ὁ τῆς ἑορτῆς καιρὸς ἐνταῦθα προσε δρεύειν παρεγγυᾷ. Ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἔδραμον καὶ δι' οἰκείας φωνῆς ταύτην ὑμῖν τὴν παραψυχὴν προσενήνοχα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ τῶν πολλῶν χρεία τοῦτο ποιῆσαι κεκώλυκε, τὸν θεοφιλέστατον πρεσβύτερον Ἀγαπητὸν ἀνθ' ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀρετὴν ἀπεστείλαμεν. 48 ΑΞΙΑ ∆ΙΑΚΟΝΩ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΗΤΙΚΗ. Καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἐπίστασαι καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὰς ἐλπίδας δεδίδαξαι. Ἱκανὰ δὲ τὰ ἀμφότε ρα τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς τελευτῶσιν ἀθυμίαν ἀμβλῦναι· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ εὐκλεῶς τις ὑπεξέλθῃ τὸν βίον, παντελῶς προσήκει κατασβε σθῆναι τὴν λύπην. ∆ιὰ πάντα τοίνυν παρακαλῶ σε γενναίως ὑπενεγκεῖν τῆς μακαρίας Σωσάννης τὴν τελευτήν. ∆ιαφε ρόντως δὲ ψυχαγωγησάτωσάν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν αἱ παρὰ πάν των εὐφημίαι καὶ τῶν τὴν χώραν καὶ τῶν τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἡμε τέραν οἰκούντων. Ἅπαντες γὰρ αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπαινουμένην ᾄδουσι βιοτήν· καὶ ὁ μὲν αὐτῆς τὸ σῶφρον, ὁ δὲ τὸ φιλάνθρω πον, ὁ δὲ τὸ κηδεμονικὸν διηγεῖται. Τῶν δὲ παρὰ πάντων λεγομένων μάρτυς ἐγώ· μᾶλλον δὲ, πλείονα λέγω πάντων ἐγώ, ὅσῳ καὶ πλείονα τῶν ἄλλων, ἐπειδὴ φροντίζω μαθεῖν. Χάριν τοίνυν ὁμολόγησον, ὦ φιλόχριστε, τῷ δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ, ὅτι πολ λοῖς αὐτὴν ἀρετῆς εἴδεσι τελειώσας, εἰς τὸν ἄλυπον μετατέ θεικε βίον, εὐφραινομένην καὶ χαίρουσαν καὶ τοῖς κλαίουσι χαλεπαίνουσαν καὶ γυμνασίαν νόμισον εἶναι φιλοσοφίας τὸν τῆς θυγατρὸς χωρισμόν, καὶ πεῖσαι σαυτὴν ὡς εἰς μακροτέραν ἐξεδήμησε γῆν, ζῶσα τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰς ἀντιδόσεις προσμένουσα. 49 ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΕΛΕΓΚΕΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΙΣΑΥΡΙΑΣ. Λόγων πηγὰς ἐπὶ τῆς γλώττης, ὁσιώτατε, φέρων, διψῆν ἔφησθα, καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψεκάδων ἐφίεσθαι, ὅμοιον ποιῶν ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ποταμὸν λιβάδος εἴποι προσ δεῖσθαι μικρᾶς. Ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ ἡ βραχεῖα νοτὶς ὠφέλειαν φέρει πολλήν· ἡ δὲ σὴ θεοσέβεια κρουνοὺς τοῖς ἄλλοις προσφέρει. Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὅμως τὴν καλὴν ἀπληστίαν· καρπὸν γὰρ ἔχει τὸν θεῖον μακαρισμόν· Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψ ῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην· ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται . Ὅσην μὲν τὴν θυμηδίαν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐπορισάμην οὐ ῥᾴδιον διεξιέναι. Πρῶτον γὰρ τῆς σῆς μοι φιλοθείας ὑπεδείκνυ τοὺς χαρακτῆρας, καὶ τὸν τῆς φιλίας ὑφῆπτε πυρσόν· ἔπειτα τοῦ κεκομικότος ἡ συνουσία μείζονά μοι τὴν εὐφροσύνην εἰρ γάσατο. Ἱκανὸς γὰρ ὁ θεοσεβέστατος συμπρεσβύτερος ∆ομετιανὸς καὶ πᾶσαν ἀθυμίαν ἀποσκεδάσαι καὶ θυμηδίαν ἀντ' ἐκείνης ἐνθεῖναι· ἦθος μὲν γὰρ ἔχει γλυκύτερον μέλιτος, τῶν δὲ θείων λογίων ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιφέρει τὸν πλοῦτον, οὐ τῷ ἐλύτρῳ μόνῳ τῶν γραμμάτων καλλωπιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐν τούτοις κεκρυμμένον μαργαρίτην ὑποδεικνύς. Κομιδῇ δὲ ἡμᾶς εὐφράνας, ἠνίασεν ὅσον ηὔφρανε, καταλιπὼν ὅτι τάχιστα. Καὶ προσφθέγγομαι τοίνυν δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν σὴν ἁγιότητα, καὶ τῆς τῶν εὐχῶν ἐπικουρίας ἀπολαῦσαι παρακαλῶ. 50 ΑΕΡΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ Εἰ μὲν ἠγνόεις, ὦ φίλη μοι κεφαλή, τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν ἐκείνου τρόπον καὶ βίον, εἰκότως τὸν ἔλεον ἀνευφήμεις καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας διεξῄεις ἐπαίνους· ἐπεὶ δὲ οἶσθα τίς ὁ ἀνήρ, καὶ ὅτι αὔξει μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἡ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης ῥοπή, παλινῳδίαν δὲ ᾄδειν οὐ βούλεται, παρὰ τοῦ σοῦ μάνθανε Πλάτωνος τίνος ἄξιος οὗτος. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις μὴ τοὺς ἐκείνου νόμους ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος κρατεῖν, ἄκουσον τοῦ δεσπότου τῶν ὅλων νομοθετοῦντος.