John Chrysostom, Letters

the nature of things, and not deceived by cosmetics and outward shows, but understanding the matters stripped of their appearances, I am unable to find the reason for your silence. But that you love us now just as before, or rather more now than before, I know clearly. But for what reason, feeling this way, you have been silent for so long a time, I cannot say, but indeed for this very reason I am especially at a loss. Solve for us, then, this riddle by a letter, if it is not burdensome, nor troublesome. And before that letter, teach those who bring this 52.651 letter to you, I mean my most honored and most reverent presbyter, and those with him, what we too are convinced of, that the silence was not due to laziness. For it is enough to say this, for them to receive kindness from your admirableness. 80. To Firminus. As to your company, your being ill has deprived us of much; but as to love, it has not harmed us in the least. For it was enough for us to meet with you just once, to become your ardent lovers. And of this you yourself are the cause, having shown for us from the very beginning such a vehement and frantic love, and not allowing for the need of the test of time, but at once appearing, and capturing, and binding us to yourself with precision. For this very reason we too are writing, and we are declaring what you desire to hear. And what are these things? We are well; we have completed the journey safely; we delight in quiet and much tranquility; we enjoy much goodwill from all; we reap unspeakable comfort. There is no one here driving us out, nor troubling us. And why are you surprised if in the city, when we even completed the journey with much safety? So make clear to us your own news, so that just as we have pleased you with these reports, so too we ourselves may enjoy much cheer, learning about your health. For you know how much pleasure it gives to those who know how to love genuinely, to learn something good about their beloved. 81. To Hymnetius the chief physician. We will not cease admiring you among all, both as a good man, and as an excellent physician, and as one who knows how to love genuinely. For whenever conversations about our illness arise here, you of necessity enter into these reports, and having experienced your great knowledge and goodwill, we cannot keep your good deeds in silence, but we proclaim them to all, doing ourselves the greatest favor. For you have placed such affection in us, that although we are well, we would pay a great price to draw you here, just to see you. But since this is difficult, both because of the hardship of the road, and because of the fear of the Isaurians, this we do not attempt for now; but we ask you to write continually. For you will be able to grant us the pleasure of your presence by the continuity of your letters, tinging the letters with the honey of your character. 82. To Cytherius. Our meeting with you there was brief; but the love born from it is great and high and noble. For those who know how to love genuinely do not need a long time for this, but it is possible even in a short time to accomplish everything. This is what has happened in our case; and we have become your ardent lovers, as if we had spent a long time together. Wherefore we also 52.652 write to declare our news, that we are well, and are living in quiet and tranquility. For we know that we will bring you joy by reporting these things. And we ask for letters from you bringing us the same good news. Do not, then, hesitate to write to us continually, and to announce the good news about your health. For thus you will grant the greatest favors to those living in a foreign land by writing these things, which we continually desire to learn. 83. To Leontius. We have been driven from your city, but we have not been driven from your love. For the one depended on others, whether to remain there or to be cast out; but the other depends on us. Wherefore no one will be able to take it from us, but wherever we go, we carry everywhere the honey of your love, and we delight in the memory of your nobility, your love

πραγμάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπατωμένης τοῖς ἐπιτρίμμασι καὶ ταῖς ὑπογραφαῖς, ἀλλὰ γυμνὰ τῶν προσώπων τὰ πράγματα καταμανθανούσης, τὴν αἰτίαν οὐ δύναμαι τῆς σιγῆς εὑρεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν ἡμᾶς ὁμοίως ἐρᾷς καὶ νῦν ὥσπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν, μᾶλλον δὲ μειζόνως νῦν ἢ ἔμπροσθεν, οἶδα σαφῶς. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν οὕτω διακείμενος τοσοῦτον ἐσίγησας χρόνον, εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα ἀπορῶ. Λῦσον δὴ ἡμῖν τὸ αἴνιγμα δι' ἐπιστολῆς, εἰ μὴ βαρὺ, μηδὲ ἐπαχθές. Καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἐκείνης τοὺς ταύτην 52.651 σοι κομίζοντας τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, λέγω δὴ τὸν κύριόν μου τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον πρεσβύτερον, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ δίδαξον, ὅπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπείσμεθα, ὅτι ῥᾳθυμίας οὐκ ἦν ἡ σιγή. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, εἰς τὸ τυχεῖν αὐτοὺς φιλοφροσύνης παρὰ τῆς σῆς θαυμασιότητος. Πʹ. Φιρμίνῳ. Εἰς μὲν τὴν συνουσίαν σου μεγάλα ἡμᾶς τὸ ἀῤῥωστεῖν σε ἐζημίωσεν· εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην οὐδὲ μικρὰ παρέβλαψεν. Ἤρκεσε γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ ἅπαξ σοι συγγενέσθαι, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι σου σφοδροὺς ἐραστάς. Τούτου δὲ αἴτιος αὐτὸς, οὕτως ἐκ προοιμίων σφοδρὸν καὶ μανικὸν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδειξάμενος ἔρωτα, καὶ οὐκ ἀφεὶς δεηθῆναι τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου πείρας, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ τε φανεὶς, καὶ ἑλὼν, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας σαυτῷ προσδήσας ἡμᾶς. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς γράφομεν, καὶ ἅπερ ἐπιθυμεῖς ἀκοῦσαι δηλοῦμεν. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτά ἐστιν; Ὑγιαίνομεν· ἀδεῶς τὴν ὁδὸν διηνύσαμεν· ἐντρυφῶμεν ἡσυχίᾳ καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ πολλῇ· πολλῆς παρὰ πάντων ἀπολαύομεν εὐνοίας· ἄφατον καρπούμεθα παραμυθίαν. Οὐδεὶς ὁ ἐλαύνων ἐνταῦθα, οὐδὲ ἐνοχλῶν. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις εἰ ἐν τῇ πόλει, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν μετὰ πολλῆς ἠνύσαμεν τῆς ἀδείας; ∆ήλου δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν τὰ σὰ, ἵν' ὥσπερ σὲ τούτοις ἥσαμεν τοῖς διηγήμασιν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσωμεν τῆς εὐφροσύνης, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς μανθάνοντες. Οἶσθα γὰρ ἡλίκην ἐντίθησι τὴν ἡδονὴν τοῖς φιλεῖν ἐπισταμένοις γνησίως τὸ χρηστόν τι περὶ τῶν ἀγαπωμένων μανθάνειν. ΠΑʹ. Ὑμνητίῳ ἀρχιατρῷ. Οὐ παυσόμεθά σε παρὰ πᾶσι θαυμάζοντες, καὶ ὡς ἅνδρα χρηστὸν, καὶ ὡς ἰατρὸν ἅριστον, καὶ ὡς φιλεῖν εἰδότα γνησίως. Ὅταν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐνταῦθα περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἡμῶν γίνωνται λόγοι, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπεισέρχῃ τοῖς διηγήμασι τούτοις, καὶ τῆς πολλῆς σου καὶ ἐπιστήμης καὶ εὐνοίας πεῖραν λαβόντες, οὐ δυνάμεθα σιγῇ τὰς εὐεργεσίας κατέχειν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἅπαντας ἀνακηρύττομεν, ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τὰ μέγιστα χαριζόμενοι. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἡμῖν φίλτρον ἐνέθηκας, ὅτι καίτοι γε ὑγιαίνοντες πολλοῦ ἂν ἐπριάμεθά σε ἐνταῦθα ἑλκύσαι, ὥστε σε μόνον ἰδεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἐργῶδες, καὶ διὰ τὴν τῆς ὁδοῦ δυσκολίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸν τῶν Ἰσαύρων φόβον, τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐπιχειροῦμεν τέως· ἀξιοῦμεν δὲ συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν. ∆υνήσῃ γὰρ ἡμῖν τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρουσίας ἡδονὴν χαρίζεσθαι τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν γραμμάτων, τῷ μέλιτί σου τῶν τρόπων τὰ γράμματα ἀναχρωννύς. ΠΒʹ. Κυθηρίῳ. Ἡ μὲν συνουσία ἡμῖν ἡ αὐτόθι βραχεῖα γέγονε πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἡ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν τεχθεῖσα ἀγάπη μεγάλη καὶ ὑψηλὴ καὶ γενναία. Τοῖς γὰρ γνησίως εἰδόσι φιλεῖν οὐ δεῖ εἰς τοῦτο χρόνου μακροῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ δυνατὸν κατορθῶσαι τὸ πᾶν. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν γέγονε· καὶ γεγόναμεν ὑμῶν ἐρασταὶ σφοδροὶ, ὡς πολλῷ συγγενόμενοι τῷ χρόνῳ. Ὅθεν δὴ καὶ 52.652 ἐπιστέλλομεν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς δηλοῦντες, ὅτι τε ὑγιαίνομεν, καὶ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ διάγομεν. Ἴσμεν γὰρ ὅτι χαριούμεθα ταῦτα ὑμῖν ἀπαγγέλλοντες. Καὶ τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν αἰτοῦμεν γράμματα τὰ αὐτὰ ἡμῖν εὐαγγέλια καμίζοντα. Μὴ δὴ κατοκνεῖτε γράφειν ἡμῖν συνεχῶς, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβουσι χαριεῖσθε ταῦτα ἐπιστέλλοντες, ἅπερ συνεχῶς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν μαθεῖν. ΠΓʹ. Λεοντίῳ. Τῆς μὲν πόλεως ὑμῶν ἀπηλάθημεν, τῆς δὲ ἀγάπης σου οὐκ ἀπεληλάμεθα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐφ' ἑτέροις ἔκειτο, τὸ μένειν αὐτόθι ἢ ἐκβάλλεσθαι· τὸ δὲ, ἐφ' ἡμῖν. ∆ιὸ οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς αὐτὸ ἀφελέσθαι δυνήσεται, ἀλλ' ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀπίωμεν, πανταχοῦ περιφέρομέν σου τὸ μέλι τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἐντρυφῶμεν τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς, τὸν ἔρωτά σου