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a provision of blessing from God, both in this my life and in the age to come. 64.5 For I am persuaded that for such a man, so contending for the faith of the Gospel and having endured such great persecutions and preparing for himself such great confidence before the just-judging God through the patient endurance of afflictions—for this man to be deemed worthy to become our protector through his prayers, has as much power, as it would for me even if it came from one of the holy martyrs. Therefore, be pleased to remember your Gregory without fail, in which things I pray to be worthy of your remembrance. 65.T TO THE SAME 65.1 Though in all things precious to us and among our genuine friends, our most reverend brother Eupraxios appeared more precious and more genuine because of his disposition toward you, who indeed now has rushed to your piety, so that I might use the words of David, like a deer with a great, unbearable thirst, cooling it at a drinkable and pure spring. 65.2 And blessed is the one deemed worthy to approach you, but more blessed is he who has added to his sufferings for Christ and his toils for the truth such a crown as few of those who fear God have obtained. 65.3 For you have not shown your virtue untested, nor have you sailed upright and guided the souls of others only in time of fair weather, but you have shone forth in the difficulties of trials and have become higher than your persecutors by nobly departing from your homeland. 65.4 And others have their 65.4 ancestral land, but we have the city above; others perhaps have our throne, but we have Christ. O what an exchange, what things we have despised for what we have received! 20We have passed through fire and water20, and I believe that we shall also come out 20to a place of refreshment20. 65.5 For God will not forsake us forever, nor will he overlook the right word being persecuted, but 20according to the multitude of our sorrows20 his 20comforts20 will 20gladden20 us. This, then, we both believe and pray for. But you, I ask, pray for our humility; 65.6 and as often as the opportunity arises, do not hesitate to bless us through letters and to make us more cheerful by declaring your circumstances, which you have deemed worthy to do even now. 66.T TO THE SAME 66.1 Both by writing and by remembering you gladden us, and, what is greater than this, by blessing us in your letters. But if we were worthy of your sufferings and of your contest for Christ and through Christ, we would have been deemed worthy even to come to you to embrace your piety and to receive an example of endurance in sufferings. 66.2 But since we happen to be unworthy of this, being troubled by many afflictions and occupations, we do what is second best; we greet your perfection and we ask you not to grow weary in remembering us. 66.3 For it is not only a benefit for us to be deemed worthy of your letters, but also a boast before many and an adornment that we are held in esteem by a man of such great virtue and having such great intimacy with God as to be able to make others intimate both by word and by example. 67.T TO JULIAN 67.1 I have many claims of friendship toward you, and if nothing else, our studies, than which nothing is more revered or more intimate to many; but of enmity there is no cause, nor may there ever be. For whatever things have grieved you concerning my brother Nicobulus or from Nicobulus, are no more my affair than the things being done in India; inasmuch as I am not pleased with any of the things that have happened. 67.2 Therefore, do not reckon these things to me nor because of this should you plan anything worse for yourself; but the philanthropy you promised to the poor, fulfill it. And indeed also, free from the census those clergy around me whom I have asked to be exempted, considering this: that it is exceedingly out of place for others to consecrate their whole substance to God, but for you not even to wish to be good for free, and for all those around the altar to be given to other cities, but for us not even those who are with us and serve us, and this from you who are most intimate, whom perhaps we will not shame. 67.3 These things to be sent to you

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παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογίας ἐφόδιον, καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ μου τῇ ζωῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι. 64.5 Τὸ γὰρ ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον, οὕτως ἐναθλοῦντα τῇ πίστει τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καὶ τηλικούτους διωγμοὺς ὑπομείναντα καὶ τοσαύτην ἑαυτῷ παρρησίαν ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαιοδότου Θεοῦ ἑτοιμάζοντα διὰ τῆς τῶν θλίψεων ὑπομονῆς τοῦτον καὶ ἡμῶν καταξιοῦν γενέσθαι προστάτην διὰ τῶν προ σευχῶν, πέπεισμαι ὅτι τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν, ὅση ἂν ἦν μοι καὶ εἰ παρά τινος τῶν ἁγίων ἐγίνετο μαρτύρων. Ὥστε παρακλήθητι ἀπαραλείπτως μεμνῆσθαι τοῦ σοῦ Γρηγορίου ἐν οἷς εὔχομαι εἶναί σου τῆς μνήμης ἐπάξιος. 65.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 65.1 Τὰ πάντα τίμιος ὢν ἡμῖν καὶ τῶν φίλων ἐν τοῖς γνησίοις, ὁ αἰδεσιμώτατος ἡμῶν Εὐπράξιος ὁ ἀδελφὸς τιμιώτερος ὤφθη καὶ γνησιώτερος ἐκ τῆς περὶ σὲ διαθέσεως, ὅς γε καὶ νῦν οὕτως ὥρμησε πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν, ἵν' εἴπω τὸ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ, ὡς ἔλαφος πολὺ δίψος, τὸ οὐ φορητόν, ποτίμῳ καὶ καθαρᾷ τῇ πηγῇ καταψύχουσα. 65.2 Καὶ μακάριος ὁ σοὶ πλησιάζειν ἠξιωμένος, μακαριώ τερος δὲ ὁ τοῖς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παθήμασι καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ἰδρῶσι τοιαύτην ἐπιθεὶς κορωνίδα ἧς ὀλίγοι τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Θεὸν τετυχήκασιν. 65.3 Οὐ γὰρ ἀβασάνιστον ἐπεδείξω τὴν ἀρετήν, οὐδὲ ἐν εὐδίας καιρῷ μόνον ὄρθιος ἔπλευσας καὶ τὰς τῶν ἄλλων ψυχὰς ἐκυβέρ νησας, ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς δυσχερείαις τῶν πειρασμῶν διεφάνης καὶ τῶν διωκόντων γέγονας ὑψηλότερος τῷ γενναίως μεταναστῆναι τῆς ἐνεγκούσης. 65.4 Καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν τὸ 65.4 πατρῷον ἔδαφος ἔχουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν ἄνω πόλιν· ἄλλοι τὸν ἡμέτερον ἴσως θρόνον, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν Χριστόν· ὢ τῆς πραγματείας, οἵων ὑπεριδόντες οἷα κεκομίσμεθα. 20∆ιήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος20, πιστεύω δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἐξελευσόμεθα 20εἰς ἀναψυχήν20. 65.5 Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τέλος ἐγκαταλείψει ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός, οὐδὲ περιόψεται τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον δεδιωγμένον, ἀλλὰ 20κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὀδυνῶν ἡμῶν20 αἱ 20παρακλήσεις20 αὐτοῦ 20εὐφρανοῦσιν20 ἡμᾶς. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν καὶ πιστεύομεν καὶ εὐχόμεθα. Σὺ δέ, παρακαλῶ, ὑπερεύχου τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν· 65.6 καὶ ὁσάκις ἂν ἐμπίπτῃ καιρός, καὶ εὐλογεῖν ἡμᾶς διὰ γραμμά των μὴ κατόκνει καὶ εὐθυμοτέρους ποιεῖν τὰ κατὰ σαυτὸν δηλῶν, ὃ ποιῆσαι καὶ νῦν κατηξίωσας. 66.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 66.1 Καὶ γράφων καὶ μεμνημένος εὐφραίνεις ἡμᾶς, καί, ὃ τούτου μεῖζον, εὐλογῶν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν. Ἡμεῖς δέ, εἰ ἦμεν ἄξιοι τῶν σῶν παθημάτων καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ καὶ διὰ Χριστὸν ἀθλήσεως, κατηξιώθημεν ἂν καὶ μέχρι σοῦ γενόμενοι περιπτύξασθαί σου τὴν θεοσέβειαν καὶ τύπον λαβεῖν τῆς ἐν τοῖς παθήμασι καρτερίας. 66.2 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνάξιοι τούτου τυγχάνομεν, πολλαῖς θλίψεσι καὶ ἀσχολίαις ἐνοχλούμενοι, ὃ δεύτερόν ἐστι ποιοῦμεν· προσαγορεύομεν πρὸς τὴν τελειότητά σου καὶ ἀξιοῦμεν μὴ ἀποκάμνειν σε μεμνημένον ἡμῶν. 66.3 Οὐ γὰρ ὠφέλεια ἡμῖν μόνον τῶν σῶν καταξιοῦσθαι γραμμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ καύχημα πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ καλλώπισμα ὅτι λόγος ἡμῶν ἐστι παρ' ἀνδρὶ τοσούτῳ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τοσαύτην ἔχοντι πρὸς Θεὸν οἰκειότητα ὥστε καὶ ἄλλους οἰκειοῦν δύνασθαι καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ὑποδείγματι. 67.Τ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΩΙ 67.1 Ἐμοὶ πρὸς σὲ φιλίας μὲν πολλὰ δίκαια, καὶ εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, οἱ λόγοι ὧν οὐδὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς αἰδεσιμώτερον οὐδὲ οἰκειότερον· ἀπεχθείας δὲ ὑπόθεσις οὐδεμία οὔτε ἐστί, μήτε γένοιτο. Ἃ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν Νικόβουλον ἢ παρὰ Νικοβούλου λελύπησαι, οὐκ ἐμὰ μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ ἐν Ἰνδοῖς πραττόμενα· ὅσον ἐπὶ τὸ μὴ συναρέσκεσθαι μηδενὶ τῶν γεγενημένων. 67.2 Μὴ τοίνυν ἐμοὶ ταῦτα λογίσῃ μηδὲ διὰ τοῦτο χεῖρόν τι βουλεύσῃ περὶ σεαυτοῦ· ἀλλ' ἣν ὑπέσχου τοῖς πτωχοῖς φιλανθρωπίαν, ταύτην ἐπιτελῆ ποίησον. Καὶ μέν τοι καὶ τοὺς περὶ ἐμὲ κληρικοὺς ὅσους παρῃτησάμην τῆς ἀπογραφῆς ἐλευθέρωσον, ἐκεῖνο ἐνθυμηθεὶς ὅτι λίαν τῶν ἀτόπων ἐστὶν ἄλλους μὲν καὶ οὐσίαν ὅλην καθιεροῦν τῷ Θεῷ, σὲ δὲ μηδὲ προῖκα βούλεσ θαι εἶναι χρηστόν, καὶ ἄλλαις μὲν πόλεσι πάντας τοὺς περὶ τὸ βῆμα δοθῆναι, ἡμῖν δὲ μηδὲ τοὺς συνόντας καὶ θεραπεύοντας, καὶ ταῦτα παρ' ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκειοτάτων οὓς τυχὸν οὐκ αἰσχυνοῦμεν. 67.3 Ταῦτα ἐπισταλῆναί σοι