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be exceedingly bitten by painful things. For if we are less grieved, they are less grievous. It is nothing terrible if the heretics have revived and, creeping out of their dens, are emboldened in the spring, as you write. They will hiss a little, I know well, then they will sink down again, warred against by both truth and time, and all the more so the more we entrust everything to God. 73. TO THE SAME 73.1 Concerning what you wrote, we are thus: neither are we vexed when overlooked, and we rejoice when honored. For of the one we are worthy, but the other is due to your generosity. Pray for us. Forgive the brevity; for certainly, even if these things are small, they are at least longer than silence. 74. TO THE SAME Even while remaining, I journey with you through love; for longing makes all our things common. And I have great hopes, trusting in the loving-kindness of God and in your prayers, that all things will turn out for you according to your mind, and the storm will be resolved into a gentle breeze, and God will give you this reward for your orthodoxy: to overcome those who harass you. 74.2 Most of all, then, may we see you soon and receive you back as we pray. But if you should delay, with matters so shaping up, at least do not refuse to gladden us with letters reporting your affairs and to pray the customary prayers for us. May the good God grant that you be strong and cheerful in all things, you who are the common support of the Church. 75. TO VITALIANUS 75.1 We do not converse with you continuously. And the reason is that many are around you, and those in whom we take the least pleasure. But if you would cleanse yourself of the many and have virtue as your housemate, you will see even the lame running, as the proverb says. For this we both promise with God's help and will perform. 76. TO GREGORY OF NYSSA 76.1 This too was in store for my wretched life, to hear of Basil's death and the departure of that holy soul, which went forth from us that it might be at home with the Lord, having made his whole life a preparation for this. 76.2 But I, along with other things, have been deprived of this also, because my body is still in a bad and very dangerous state: to embrace the holy dust and to be present with you as you bear it philosophically and to comfort our common friends. 76.3 For to see the desolation of the Church, shorn of such a glory and having cast off such a crown, is neither endurable to the sight nor tolerable to the hearing of those who have understanding. 76.4 But you, it seems to me, though there are many friends and words for consolation, would be consoled by no one so much as by yourself and by his memory; you who have become to all others a model of philosophy and a kind of spiritual rule for both good order in prosperity and endurance in sorrows, since philosophy knows these two things: to manage good fortune with moderation and misfortune with grace. 76.5 These things from us to your honor; but what time or word will comfort me, who write these things, except your company and conversation, which the blessed one has left to us in place of all else, so that by beholding in you his qualities as in a beautiful and clear mirror, we may think we have him also? 77. TO THEODORE 77.1 I learn that you are taking badly the insults that have come to us from the monks and the poor. And it is no wonder that you, being still simple and inexperienced in our troubles, are distressed at such things. 77.2 But we, as having experienced even greater evils and having shared in the insult, might reasonably be considered credible in advising your reverence on those things which both old age teaches and reason shows. 77.3 The things that have happened are terrible and beyond terrible, who will deny it? - that altars have been outraged, mysteries thrown into confusion, that we stood in the midst of those performing the rites and those throwing stones, and that prayers were made a remedy against the stonings, that the modesty of virgins was forgotten, the good order of monks, the misfortune of the poor, who were deprived of even their pity by the harshness. 77.4 But perhaps it is better to be long-suffering and from what we suffer to give to many an example of long-suffering; for reason does not so persuade the

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σφόδρα δάκνου τοῖς λυπηροῖς. Ἃν γὰρ ἧττον λυπώμεθα, ἧττόν ἐστι λυπηρά. Οὐδὲν δεινὸν εἰ ἀνεθάλφθη σαν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ καὶ τῷ ἔαρι θαρροῦσι τῶν φωλεῶν ἐξερπύσαντες, ὡς γράφεις. Μικρὰ συριοῦσιν, εὖ οἶδα, εἶτα καταδύσονται, καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τῷ καιρῷ πολεμούμενοι, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον ὅσῳπερ ἂν τῷ Θεῷ τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέπωμεν. 73.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 73.1 Περὶ ὧν ἐπέσταλκας, οὕτως ἔχομεν· οὔτε ὑπερορώμενοι δυσχεραίνομεν, καὶ τιμώμενοι χαίρομεν. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἄξιοι, τὸ δὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας φιλοτιμίας. Προσεύχου περὶ ἡμῶν. Τῇ βραχυλογίᾳ συγγίνωσκε· πάντως γάρ, εἰ καὶ μικρὰ ταῦτα, σιωπῆς γε μακρότερα. 74.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ Καὶ μένων συνεκδημῶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῖν· πάντα γὰρ ὁ πόθος κοινοποιεῖ τὰ ἡμέτερα. Καὶ πολλὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχω, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ θαρρῶν καὶ ταῖς ὑμετέραις εὐχαῖς, ὅτι πάντα κατὰ νοῦν ὑμῖν ἐκβήσεται καὶ ἡ καταιγὶς εἰς αὔραν λυθήσεται καὶ τοῦτον ὑμῖν ὁ Θεὸς τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας δώσει μισθὸν τὸ τοὺς ἐπηρεάζοντας ὑπερσχεῖν. 74.2 Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν ἴδοιμεν ὑμᾶς ἐν τάχει καὶ ἀπολάβοιμεν ὡς εὐχόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ χρονίζοιτε, τῶν πραγμάτων οὕτω τυπούντων, γράμμασι γοῦν εὐφραίνειν ἡμᾶς μὴ ἀπαξιοῦτε δηλοῦσι τὰ ὑμέτερα καὶ προσεύχεσθαι τὰ συνήθη περὶ ἡμῶν. Ἐρρωμένους ὑμᾶς καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν εὐθύμους ὁ ἀγαθὸς Θεὸς χαρίσαιτο, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸ κοινὸν ἔρεισμα. 75.Τ ΒΙΤΑΛΙΑΝΩΙ 75.1 Οὐ συνεχῶς ὁμιλοῦμέν σοι. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὅτι πολλοὶ περὶ σέ, καὶ οἷς ἥκιστα χαίρομεν. Εἰ δ' ἀνακαθήραις σαυτὸν τῶν πολλῶν καὶ σύνοικον ἔχοις τὴν ἀρετήν, ὄψει καὶ χωλῶν δρόμον, ὡς ἡ παροιμία. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὑπισ χνούμεθα σὺν Θεῷ καὶ πράξομεν. 76.Τ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩΙ ΝΥΣΣΗΣ 76.1 Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπέκειτο τῇ μοχθηρᾷ μου ζωῇ, τὸ Βασι λείου θάνατον ἀκοῦσαι καὶ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκείνης ψυχῆς ἐκδημίαν, ἣν ἐξεδήμησεν ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἵν' ἐνδημήσῃ πρὸς Κύριον, πάντα τὸν βίον μελέτην τούτου πεποιημένος. 76.2 Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ μὲν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο ἀφῄρημαι διὰ τὸ καὶ νῦν ἔτι πονηρῶς ἔχειν τοῦ σώματος καὶ λίαν ἐπικινδύνως, τὸ καὶ περιπτύξασθαι τὴν ἁγίαν κόνιν καί σοι παρεῖναι τὰ εἰκότα φιλοσοφοῦντι καὶ τοὺς κοινοὺς ἡμῶν φίλους παραμυθήσασθαι. 76.3 Τὸ γὰρ τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἰδεῖν ἐρημίαν, τοιαύτην ἀποκειραμένης δόξαν καὶ τοιοῦτον ἀποσεισαμένης στέφανον, οὔτε ὄψει θεατὸν οὔτε ἀκοῇ χωρητὸν τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι. 76.4 Σὺ δέ μοι δοκεῖς, πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ φίλων καὶ λόγων τῶν εἰς παρά κλησιν, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἂν οὕτω παρακληθῆναι ὡς ὑπὸ σεαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου μνήμης· οἳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι γεγόνατε φιλοσοφίας ὑπόδειγμα καὶ οἷόν τις στάθμη πνευματικὴ τῆς τε ἐν τοῖς χρηστοῖς εὐταξίας καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἀνιαροῖς καρτερίας, ἐπειδὴ δύο ταῦτα οἶδε φιλοσοφία εὐπραξίαν τε διαθέσθαι μετρίως καὶ συμφορὰν εὐσχημόνως. 76.5 Ταῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα· ἐμὲ δὲ τίς παραμυθήσεται χρόνος ἢ λόγος, τὸν ταῦτα γράφοντα, πλὴν τῆς σῆς συνουσίας καὶ ὁμιλίας, ἣν ἀντὶ πάντων ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος καταλέλοιπεν, ἵν' ἐν σοὶ τὰ ἐκείνου καθορῶντες ὥσπερ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καλῷ τε καὶ διαυγεῖ, κἀκεῖνον ἔχειν νομίζωμεν; 77.Τ ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΩΙ 77.1 Πυνθάνομαί σε βαρέως ἔχειν πρὸς τὰς γεγενημένας ἡμῖν παρὰ τῶν μοναστῶν καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὕβρεις. Καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν, ἀπλῆγα ἔτι σε τυγχάνοντα καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν ἀπείρατον, πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα δυσφόρως ἔχειν. 77.2 Ἡμεῖς δέ, ὡς καὶ κακῶν πλειόνων πεπειραμένοι καὶ τῆς ὕβρεως κοινωνήσαντες, εἰκότως ἂν ἀξιόπιστοι νομισθείημεν παραινοῦντες τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ ἅπερ ἥ τε πολιὰ διδάσκει καὶ ὁ λόγος ὑποδείκνυσι. 77.3 ∆εινὰ μὲν τὰ γεγενημένα καὶ πέρα δεινῶν, τίς ἀντερεῖ; -ὑβρισθῆναι θυσιαστήρια, συγχυθῆναι μυστήρια, μέσους ἡμᾶς ἑστάναι τῶν τελουμένων καὶ τῶν λιθαζόντων, καὶ φάρμακον ποιεῖσθαι κατὰ τῶν λιθασμῶν τὰς ἐντεύξεις, αἰδῶ παρθένων ἐπιλησθῆναι, μοναστῶν εὐκοσμίαν, πτωχῶν συμφοράν, ζημιωθέντων ἐκ τῆς τραχύτητος καὶ τὸν ἔλεον. 77.4 Ἀλλ' ἴσως μακροθυμεῖν ἄμεινον καὶ πολλοῖς ἐξ ὧν πάσχομεν διδόναι μακροθυμίας ὑπόδειγμα· οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ὁ λόγος πείθει τοὺς