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It is your work, O best of men, to also call the others to the festival of dedication. For out of your zeal and eagerness both the divine shrine was built and the loud-voiced heralds of the truth have arrived, who will inhabit it and guard those who approach in faith. But I write nevertheless, indicating the time of the feast. 68 TO EPIPHANIUS. I wished to summon you to the festival of the holy apostles and prophets, not only as fellow citizens, but also as fellow believers and tent-mates; but the passion of prejudice does not permit it. For which reason I put forward only the rights of our common motherland, and I beseech you to partake of the most lovely blessing of the holy apostles and prophets. For no discord prevents this partaking. 69 TO EUGRAPHIA. If the bonds of necessity had not held me, I would have run at once, upon learning of the falling asleep of the magnificent and renowned spouse of your wonderfulness. For I owe you very many thanks, having enjoyed all manner of honor from you in various ways. But since I was unwillingly prevented from repaying the debt, I thought it improper to send a letter at the very height of the mourning, with neither the letter-carrier being able to meet with your reverence, nor your grief permitting you to read the letter. But now that reason has found space to recover, to choke the passion, and to chastise the immoderation of your grief, I have dared to write and to exhort your wonderfulness, you who have considered human nature, who reckon the commonality of suffering, and in addition to these have been instructed in divine things, to measure your despondency by your faith. For that all-excellent man has not died, according to the voice of the Lord, but is sleeping a sleep longer than usual. For the Master has given us this hope; this promise we have received from the divine oracles. I know, therefore, that separation is grievous, and exceedingly grievous, and especially when a harmony of characters and a longer time have increased the affection; but let the grief be for a journey abroad, not for a death. But such philosophy is especially fitting for those reared in piety; with which I exhort your reverence also to be adorned. I offer this exhortation, not as one suffering from insensibility; for in truth I was grieved in my soul, having learned of the departure of the head dear to me. But I brought to mind the Ruler of the universe, and his ineffable wisdom, which orders all things for the best. And I exhort your wonderfulness to consider these things, and to overcome your suffering, and to hymn God, the Master of us all; for using his ineffable providence he governs our affairs. 70 TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF AEGAE. The story concerning the most noble Maria is worthy of a tragedy. For she is the daughter of the most magnificent Eudaemon, as she herself says and certain others have testified. But in the disaster that befell Libya, she fell from her ancestral freedom, and was changed to slavery. And some merchants, having bought her from the barbarians, sold her to some who inhabit our region. And a young maid was sold with her, who had long held the rank of a household servant with her; together, therefore, they dragged the bitter yoke of slavery, both the servant and the mistress. But she was not willing to be ignorant of the

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Σὸν μὲν ἔργον, ὦ ἄριστε, τὸ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων πανήγυριν καλεῖν. Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς σῆς σπουδῆς τε καὶ προθυμίας καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἐδομήθη σηκὸς καὶ οἱ μεγαλόφωνοι τῆς ἀληθείας ἀφίκοντο κήρυκες οἱ τοῦτον οἰκήσοντες καὶ τοὺς πιστῶς προσιόντας φρουρήσοντες. Γράφω δὲ ὅμως σημαίνων τῆς ἑορτῆς τὸν καιρόν. 68 ΕΠΙΦΑΝΙΩ. Ἐβουλόμην μὴ μόνον ὡς πολίτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ὁμοπίστους ὑμᾶς καὶ ὁμοσκήνους, εἰς τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων καὶ προ φητῶν συγκαλέσαι πανήγυριν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐᾷ τὸ τῆς προλήψεως πάθος. Οὗ δὴ χάριν τὰ τῆς ἐνεγκούσης μόνα προβάλλομαι δίκαια, καὶ παρακαλῶ τῆς ἀξιεράστου τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν μεταλαχεῖν εὐλογίας. Ταύτην γὰρ τὴν μετάλη ψιν οὐδεμία κωλύει διχόνοια. 69 ΕΥΓΡΑΦΙΑ. Εἰ μή με τὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης κατεῖχε δεσμά, εὐθὺς ἂν ἔδραμον, τὴν κοίμησιν γνοὺς τοῦ μεγαλοπρεποῦς καὶ ἀοιδίμου ὁμοζύγου τῆς σῆς θαυμασιότητος. Παμπόλλας γὰρ ὑμῖν ὀφείλω χάριτας, διαφόρως ἐγὼ παντοδαπῆς τιμῆς παρ' ὑμῶν ἀπολαύσας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἄκων ἐκωλύθην ἀποδοῦναι τὸ χρέος, ἄτοπον ᾠήθην γράμματα πέμψαι παρ' αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ πένθους ἀκμήν, οὔτε τοῦ γραμματοφόρου συντυχεῖν δυναμένου τῇ σεμνοπρεπείᾳ τῇ σῇ, οὔτε τῆς ὀδύνης συγχωρούσης τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐντυ χεῖν. Τοῦ δὲ λογισμοῦ λοιπὸν χώραν ἐσχηκότος ἀνανῆψαι, καὶ ἄγξαι τὸ πάθος, καὶ κολάσαι τοῦ πένθους τὴν ἀμετρίαν, ἐθάρρησα γράψαι καὶ τὴν σὴν παρακαλέσαι θαυμασιότητα, καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν ἐπεσκεμμένην, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ πάθους λογιζομένην, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένην, μετρῆ σαι τῇ πίστει τὴν ἀθυμίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν ὁ πάντα ἄριστος ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει ὕπνον τοῦ συνήθους μακρότερον. Ταύτην γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ ∆εσπότης δέδωκε τὴν ἐλπίδα· ταύτην ἐκ τῶν θείων λογίων δεδέγμεθα τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. Οἶδα μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἀνιαρὸν ὁ χωρι σμός, καὶ λίαν ἀνιαρόν, καὶ διαφερόντως ὅταν καὶ ἠθῶν εὐαρμοστία, καὶ χρόνος μακρότερος τὴν φιλίαν αὐξήσῃ· ἀλλ' ἀποδημίας ἔστω, μὴ τελευτῆς, ἡ λύπη. ∆ιαφερόντως δὲ τοῖς ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ τεθραμμένοις ἡ τοιαύτη προσήκει φιλοσοφία· ᾗ καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν σεμνοπρέπειαν κοσμηθῆναι παρακαλῶ. Προσφέρω δὲ τὴν παραίνεσιν, οὐχ ὡς ἀναλγησίαν νοσῶν· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ ἤλγησα τὴν ψυχήν, τῆς φίλης ἐμοὶ κεφαλῆς τὴν ἐκδημίαν μεμαθηκώς. Ἀλλ' εἰς νοῦν ἔβαλον τῶν ὅλων τὸν Πρύτανιν, καὶ τὴν ἄρρητον αὐτοῦ σοφίαν, τὴν ἅπαντα πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον οἰκονομοῦσαν. Καὶ τὴν σὴν παρακαλῶ θαυμασιό τητα ταῦτα δὴ λογίζεσθαι, καὶ τοῦ πάθους περιγενέσθαι, καὶ τὸν πάντων ἡμῶν ∆εσπότην ὑμνῆσαι Θεόν· ἀρρήτῳ γὰρ προ μηθείᾳ κεχρημένος τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς κυβερνᾷ. 70 ΕΥΣΤΑΘΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΑΙΓΩΝ. Τραγῳδίας ἄξιον τὸ κατὰ τὴν εὐγενεστάτην Μαρίαν διήγημα. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστι μὲν θυγάτηρ τοῦ μεγαλοπρεπεστάτου Εὐδαίμονος, ὡς καὶ αὐτή φησι καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς μεμαρτυρήκα σιν. Ἐν δὲ τῇ καταλαβούσῃ συμφορᾷ τὴν Λιβύην, τῆς προγο νικῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐξέπεσε, καὶ εἰς δουλείαν μετέπεσεν. Ἔμπο ροι δέ τινες, αὐτὴν παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων πριάμενοι, διεπώλησάν τισι τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκοῦσιν. Συνεπράθη δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ παιδίσκη, πάλαι τὴν οἰκετικὴν τάξιν ἔχουσα παρ' αὐτῇ· κοινῇ τοίνυν εἷλκον τὸν πικρὸν τῆς δουλείας ζυγόν, ἥ τε θεράπαινα καὶ ἡ δέσποινα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἀγνοῆσαι τὸ