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destroying their own, and fearing men rather than God. 79.9 Whom you think will say again, on account of their facility, that they were transferred out of fear for you, and far more truly; since they must always be at fault, and false and sophistical excuses must be hunted down. But if it seems to you that these things are rightly said, but you demand an account of the dispensation (since I hear this too, for you did not complain in your letters), let this be demanded justly and humanely, and we will find no fault; for we are not pleased to be deprived of the clemency of masters. 79.10 What then remains? that the man is perhaps consid ered unworthy and for this reason you object to the appointment? For this is somehow a more seemly accusation. My argument against this is simple and easy. We do not leave anyone else who is under accusation unexamined, not even if he is one of our very friends or of the well-born (for nothing is more revered than God and the canon), nor will we let this man go. 79.11 But if anyone has any accusation to make, if you wish, in your pres ence and with you as co-judge; but if not, also in your absence, having been examined by us, if he should be found innocent, even if he is a slave, let him be acquitted; since both of slaves and of masters there is the same Father and God, and justice is not determined by ranks. But if he should be convicted, then he will be condemned by his own sin. 79.12 And thus neither will the canon be insult ed nor will the one who has departed be dishonored (for what concerns us should perhaps even be overlooked, as being of no worth), and you yourself will escape evil suspicion, as if because of your alienation towards us and the sound faith, you devise these things sophistically but not nobly, being moved by one thing, but alleging another. 79.13 Which I advise you not to suffer, as it is neither holy nor seemly; nor having dishonored our laws, to take refuge in those outside, nor to con tend with us, but to forgive, if we have done anything too simply because of the freedom of grace, and to accept being overcome nobly rather than to conquer basely by resisting the Spirit. 80.T TO PHILAGRIUS 80.1 You ask how things are with us. And very bitterly. I do not have Basil, I do not have Caesarius, my spiritual brother and my physical one. 20My father and my mother have forsaken me20, I will cry out with David. 80.2 The things of the body are in a bad state, old age is upon my head, entanglements of cares, invasions of affairs, the things of friends are unfaithful, the things of the Church are without a shepherd. The good things have perished, the bad things are bare, the voyage is at night, a beacon nowhere, Christ is asleep. 80.3 What must I suffer? One release from evils for me, death. And the things there are fearful to me, judging by the things here.

81.T TO GREGORY OF NYSSA 81.1 You are displeased with the circuit and you seem to yourself to be unstable

just like the pieces of wood that are carried on the water. By no means, O admirable one, do not be so disposed. For their movement is involuntary, but your circuit is according to God, and it is a fixed thing to do good to many, even if you are not fixed in place. 81.2 Unless someone should also blame the sun because it runs its course, sowing its ray and giving life to all things it comes upon, or also, while praising the fixed stars, should revile the plan ets, whose very wandering is harmonious. 82.T TO ALYPIUS 82.1 I am writing this first letter to you and presenting an embassy, so that I might be justified on this account as well in obtaining what I announce from you. And what do I announce? The good Palladius is tearing apart our household among you, as I ascer tain, with violent assaults, and there is no one to help. 82.2 It is good, therefore, for you to care for the man especially when he is present, but much more when he is absent, so that his affairs may not be utterly lost, having been corrupted and wasted away due to the great lack of anyone to prevent it, and that those fighting may have no advantage, having no prize for their struggle. 83.T TO THE SAME 83.1 I praise that you care for our affairs; I further praise that you also made it known to us by letter that you are doing this. For the one you grant to justice, the other to us. 83.2 But see that you do not grow weary for us and towards the

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τὰ ἑαυτῶν καταλύοντες καὶ ἀνθρώπους μᾶλλον ἢ Θεὸν φοβούμενοι. 79.9 Οὓς πάλιν ἐρεῖν οἴου διὰ τὴν εὐκολίαν, ὅτι φόβῳ τῷ πρὸς σὲ μετετέθησαν, καὶ πολλῷ γε ἀληθέστερον· ἐπειδὴ δεῖ πταίειν μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀεί, θηρᾶσθαι δὲ ψευδεῖς καὶ σεσοφισμένας ἀπολογίας. Εἰ δέ σοι ταῦτα μὲν ὀρθῶς δοκεῖ λέγεσθαι, οἰκονομίας δὲ ἀπαιτεῖτε λόγον (ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἀκούω, οὐ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐνεκάλεσας), δικαίως τοῦτο ἀπαιτείσθω καὶ φιλανθρώπως, καὶ οὐδὲν μεμψόμεθα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀρέσκει ζημιοῦσθαι δεσποτῶν ἐπιείκειαν. 79.10 Τί λοιπὸν ἔτι; ὡς ἀναξίου τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἴσως λαμβά νεσθαι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπισκήπτειν τῇ καταστάσει; Τοῦτο γάρ πως καὶ ἐγκαλεῖν εὐπρεπέστερον. Ὁ δέ μοι πρὸς τοῦτο λόγος ἁπλοῦς καὶ ῥᾴδιος. Ἡμεῖς οὐδ' ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν ἐν αἰτίαις ἀφίεμεν ἀνεξέταστον, οὐδ' ἂν πάνυ τῶν φίλων ᾖ καὶ τῶν εὖ γεγονότων (οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ κανόνος αἰδεσιμώτερον), οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἀφήσομεν. 79.11 Ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἔχοι τι κατηγορεῖν, εἰ μὲν βούλει, παρού σης σου καὶ συνδικαζούσης· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ ἀπούσης, ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἐξετασθείς, εἰ μὲν ἀθῷος εὑρίσκοιτο, κἂν ᾖ δοῦλος, ἀποφευγέτω· ἐπειδὴ καὶ δούλων καὶ δεσποτῶν ὁ αὐτὸς πατὴρ καὶ Θεός, καὶ οὐ ταῖς ἀξίαις τὸ δίκαιον διορίζεται. Εἰ δὲ ἁλίσκοιτο, τηνικαῦτα ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἁμαρτίας κατακριθήσεται. 79.12 Καὶ οὕτως οὔτε ὁ κανὼν ὑβρισθή σεται οὔτε ὁ ἀπελθὼν ἀτιμασθήσεται (τὸ γὰρ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἴσως καὶ παροπτέον, ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀξίους), καὶ αὐτὴ φεύξῃ πονηρὰν ὑπόνοιαν, ὡς διὰ τὸ ἀλλοτρίως ἔχειν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν ὑγιῆ πίστιν, ταῦτα τεχνάζουσα σοφιστικῶς ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐγενῶς, καὶ ὑπ' ἄλλου μὲν κινουμένη, εἰς ἄλλο δὲ ἀποσκήπτουσα. 79.13 Ὃ συμβουλεύω σοι μὴ παθεῖν ὡς οὔτε ὅσιον οὔτε εὐπρεπές· μηδὲ τοὺς ἡμετέρους νόμους ἀτιμάσασαν, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν καταφεύγειν, μηδὲ προσφι λονεικεῖν ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ συγγινώσκειν, εἴ τι ἁπλούστερον πεποιήκαμεν διὰ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς χάριτος, καὶ δέξασθαι νικηθῆναι μᾶλλον καλῶς ἢ νικῆσαι κακῶς τῷ ἀντιβῆναι τῷ Πνεύματι. 80.Τ ΦΙΛΑΓΡΙΩΙ 80.1 Ἐρωτᾷς πῶς τὰ ἡμέτερα. Καὶ λίαν πικρῶς. Βασίλειον οὐκ ἔχω, Καισάριον οὐκ ἔχω, τὸν πνευματικὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ τὸν σωματικόν. 20Ὁ πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μητήρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με20, μετὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ φθέγξομαι. 80.2 Τὰ τοῦ σώματος πονηρῶς ἔχει, τὸ γῆρας ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς, φροντίδων ἐπιπλοκαί, πραγμάτων ἐπιδρομαί, τὰ τῶν φίλων ἄπιστα, τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποίμαντα. Ἔρρει τὰ καλά, γυμνὰ τὰ κακά, ὁ πλοῦς ἐν νυκτί, πυρσὸς οὐδαμοῦ, Χριστὸς καθεύδει. 80.3 Τί χρὴ παθεῖν; Μία μοι τῶν κακῶν λύσις, ὁ θάνατος. Καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖθέν μοι φοβερά, τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν τεκμαιρομένῳ.

81.Τ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩΙ ΝΥΣΣΗΣ 81.1 ∆υσχεραίνεις τῇ περιόδῳ καὶ ἀστατεῖν σεαυτῷ

φαίνῃ, καθάπερ τῶν ξύλων ἃ καθ' ὕδατος φέρεται. Μηδαμῶς, ὦ θαυμάσιε, μὴ οὕτως ἔχε. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀκούσιος ἡ φορά, σοῦ δὲ κατὰ Θεὸν ἡ περίοδος, καὶ πάγιον τὸ τοὺς πολλοὺς εὖ ποιεῖν, κἂν εἰ μὴ τῷ τόπῳ πεπήγοις. 81.2 Εἰ μὴ καὶ τὸν ἥλιον αἰτιῷτό τις ὅτι περιτρέχει σπείρων τὴν ἀκτῖνα καὶ πάντα ζῳογονῶν ὅσα ἐπέρχεται, ἢ καὶ τῶν ἀστέρων τοὺς ἀπλανεῖς ἐπαινῶν κακίζοι τοὺς πλάνη τας, ὧν καὶ τὸ πλάνον ἐναρμόνιον. 82.Τ ΑΛΥΠΙΩΙ 82.1 Πρώτην σοι ταύτην καὶ ἐπιστολὴν γράφω καὶ προσάγω πρεσβείαν, ὥστε δίκαιος ἂν εἴην καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τυχεῖν σου περὶ ὧν ἀπαγγέλλω. Ἀπαγγέλλω δὲ τί; Σπαράσσει τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκίαν τὴν παρ' ὑμῖν, ὡς πυνθά νομαι, βιαίοις ἐφόδοις ὁ καλὸς Παλλάδιος, ὁ δὲ βοηθήσων οὐδείς. 82.2 Καλὸν οὖν ἐστί σοι μάλιστα μὲν καὶ παρόντος κήδεσθαι τοῦ ἀνδρός, πολλῷ δὲ πλέον ἀπόντος, ὡς ἂν μὴ παντάπασιν οἴχηται διαφθαρέντα καὶ διαρρυέντα τὰ πράγματα κατὰ πολλὴν τοῦ κωλύσοντος ἐρημίαν, καὶ μηδὲ τοῖς μαχομένοις αὐτοῖς ᾖ τι πλέον, τὸ ἆθλον οὐκ ἔχουσι τοῦ παλαίσματος. 83.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 83.1 Ἐπαινῶ ὅτι κήδῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων· ἔτι ἐπαινῶ τὸ καὶ γνωρίσαι δι' ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῖν ὅτι τοῦτο ποιεῖς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῷ δικαίῳ χαρίζῃ, τὸ δὲ ἡμῖν. 83.2 Ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ ἀποκάμνῃς ἡμῖν καὶ πρὸς τὸ