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doing well in what follows; and may you always appear to be adding something to your zeal, so that we may admire you even more. 83.3 The son Euphemius is not yet present, but is expected, and I think you will not need much trouble, if he should arrive. 84.T TO THE SAME 84.1 Fortunatus, the one entrusting this letter to you, is a friend and intimate of ours; and if anything needs to be added, also a deacon among those who are praised. This you needed to learn from us. 84.2 As for the rest, I know that you will add it of your own accord, namely to look upon the man as one of your own and with care in those things in which he may need your reverence. For whatever good you do for this man, you will be benefiting us. 85.T TO THE SAME 85.1 Make our affairs your own, as indeed you have already made them your own and have shown this through your deeds. And you will make our beloved brother and fellow presbyter Lucian your own, deigning to look upon him favorably in other matters and urging him to care for the house of our relatives there; 85.2 since, with God, the affairs have also received a favorable conclusion, both by your judgment and by the loving-kindness of the Almighty. 86.T TO THE SAME 86.1 How you tyrannize us out of friendship! Our rule concerning the prayers is being shaken, and we are admitting those who wear cloaks, though not yet transgressing so much as those skilled in love-matters among the Greeks. 86.2 For not only do they sacrifice to passion as to a god, but they also grant pardon to oaths made for the sake of love. But if we do transgress in some way, we are not sinning, because we suffer it for friendship's sake. 86.3 Come then, if you wish, in disguise, so that both things may be as good as possible for us: both to have you and not to violate our rule; but if not, by all means come even in your cloak. And if anyone should prosecute us for transgression, we will at least argue to this extent that you are one of those fulfilling the prayer, not one of the invited. 86.4 But if one of us should not accept this, what will he say to that: that we are inviting you as an orphan? So indeed you will even tyrannize, since the opportunity is yours. 86.5 And a third and greatest point, it is possible for you, even as one inviting us to a prayer, to share in the prayer. So we will receive you, arguing in this way. 86.6 But concerning the sister, no one will hold us accountable if she comes, but on the contrary, both her and us, if she does not come. So let her come uninvited; but you, be summoned and come meet us, trusting partly in us, and partly in the prayer, so that you may make the festival more joyful for us; since, with God, the matters concerning your stomach have been sufficiently arranged, or rather, in the manner of an orphan and, so to speak, very piously and nobly. 87.T TO PHILAGRIUS 87.1 As for our not being able to meet with one another, the cause is the same for both of us; for your body is as it is, that I may say no more, and know that I too am in a very wretched state. For I would not have hesitated above all things, upon returning from my journey—know this well—both to run to you and to embrace you and to use as a counselor concerning the matters at hand a man who is a friend, and prudent, and lofty in his piety. 87.2 What was left, then, for us to converse with one another through letters, this you yourself have done, and done well, and we are doing so as well. The matters about which you write are not small to us, nor of small account; whence we ourselves, having considered these things not carelessly or idly, but very diligently, have come to this judgment. 87.3 We have grown weary struggling against envy and the holy bishops who are dissolving the common harmony and making the faith a secondary matter to their own contentions. 87.4 For this reason we have decided to back water, as the saying goes, and to withdraw into ourselves, just as they say the nautilus fish does when it senses a storm, and to watch the others from afar being struck and striking, while we ourselves prepare for the life beyond. 87.5 But if it is dangerous to abandon the Church, as you write, which one? If it is our own, I too say so and it is rightly said; but if it is one that does not belong to us and was not assigned to us, we are not responsible. But because we took care of it for a time, are we constrained by this? Many others would also be constrained, all those who have taken care of strangers. 87.6 And perhaps to have labored has its reward, but to give up is not a matter for which one is accountable.

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ἑξῆς εὖ ποιῶν· ἀεὶ δέ τι φαίνοιο τῇ σπουδῇ προστιθείς, ἵνα σε καὶ πλέον θαυμά ζωμεν. 83.3 Ὁ δὲ υἱὸς Εὐφήμιος οὔπω μὲν πάρεστιν, ἐλπίζεται δέ, καὶ οἶμαί σοι μὴ πολλοῦ πόνου δεήσειν, εἰ παραγένοιτο. 84.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 84.1 Φορτουνάτος, ὁ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐγχειρίζων σοι, φίλος καὶ οἰκεῖός ἐστιν ἡμέτερος· εἰ δὲ δεῖ προσθήκης τινός, καὶ διάκονος τῶν ἐπαινουμένων. Ταῦτα ἔδει σε μαθεῖν παρ' ἡμῶν. 84.2 Τἄλλα δὲ οἶδ' ὅτι παρὰ σεαυτοῦ προσθήσεις, τὸ οἰκείως ὁρᾶν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ κηδεμονικῶς ἐν οἷς ἂν δέηται τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας. Ὡς ὅ τι ἂν τοῦτον εὖ ποιήσῃς, εὐεργετήσων εἶ ἡμᾶς. 85.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 85.1 Οἰκείωσαι τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ προλαβὼν ᾠκειώσω καὶ δι' ἔργων τοῦτο δεδήλωκας. Οἰκειώσῃ δὲ τὸν ἀγαπητὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ συμπρεσβύτερον ἡμῶν Λου κιανὸν τά τε ἄλλα ἡδέως ὁρᾶν ἀξιῶν καὶ προτρεψάμενος κήδεσθαι τῆς αὐτόθι τῶν συγγενῶν ἡμῶν οἰκίας· 85.2 ἐπειδὴ σὺν Θεῷ καὶ τὰ πράγματα πέρας ἔλαβε δεξιὸν κρίσει τε ὑμετέρᾳ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κρείττονος. 86.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 86.1 Οἷα τυραννεῖς ἡμᾶς ἐκ φιλίας· διακινεῖται ἡμῖν τὸ δόγμα τὸ περὶ τὰς εὐχάς, καὶ τοὺς χλαινοφόρους ἐγκρί νομεν, οὔπω μὲν τοσοῦτον παρανομοῦντες ὅσον οἱ δεινοὶ τὰ ἐρωτικὰ παρ' Ἕλλησιν. 86.2 Οὐ γὰρ θύουσι μόνον ὡς θεῷ τῷ πάθει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὅρκοις συγγνώμην νέμουσι τοῖς δι' ἔρωτα. Εἰ δέ τι καὶ παρανομοῦμεν, ὅτι διὰ φιλίαν πάσχομεν, τοῦτο οὐχ ἁμαρτάνοντες. 86.3 Ἧκε οὖν, εἰ μὲν βούλει, μεταμφιασμένος, ἵν' ἀμφότερα ἡμῖν ὡς κάλλιστα ἔχῃ, καὶ τὸ σοῦ τυχεῖν καὶ τὸ τοῦ δόγματος μὴ διαμαρτεῖν· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χλανίδος πάντως. Κἄν τις ἡμᾶς διώκῃ παρανομίας, ἄχρι τούτου γε ῥητο ρεύσομεν ὅτι τῶν ἐπιτελούντων εἶ τὴν εὐχήν, οὐ τῶν καλουμένων. 86.4 Ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτό τις ἐξ ἡμῶν μὴ προσδέ ξηται, τί πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἐρεῖ· ὡς ὀρφανὸν καλοῦμέν σε; Οὕτω μὲν δὴ καὶ τυραννήσεις, ἐπειδὴ σὸς ὁ καιρός. 86.5 Τρίτον δὲ καὶ μέγιστον, ἔξεστί σοι καὶ ὡς ἐπ' εὐχὴν ἡμᾶς καλοῦντι, μετασχεῖν τῆς εὐχῆς. Σὲ μὲν οὖν οὕτως εἰσδεξόμεθα ῥητορεύοντες. 86.6 Ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἡμᾶς οὐδεὶς εὐθυνεῖ παραγενομένης, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου κἀκείνην καὶ ἡμᾶς, εἰ μὴ παραγένοιτο. Ὥστε ἡ μὲν αὐτόκλητος ἡκέτω· σὺ δὲ παρακέκλησο καὶ ἀπάντησον τὸ μέν τι ἡμῖν θαρρήσας, τὸ δὲ τῇ εὐχῇ, ἵνα καὶ φαιδρο τέραν ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν τὴν πανήγυριν· ἐπειδή σοι σὺν Θεῷ ἱκανῶς τὰ περὶ τὴν γαστέρα ᾠκονόμηται, μᾶλλον δὲ ὀρφανικῶς καί, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, λίαν εὐκτικῶς καὶ γενναίως. 87.Τ ΦΙΛΑΓΡΙΩΙ 87.1 Τοῦ μὲν μὴ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς συγγενέσθαι ἀλλήλοις ταὐτὸν αἴτιον ἀμφοτέροις· σοί τε γὰρ χρῆται τὸ σῶμα ὡς χρῆται, ἵνα μηδὲν λέγω πλέον, ἐμέ τε ἴσθι λίαν ἔχοντα μοχθηρῶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὤκνησα πρὸ πάντων, ἐπανήκων ἐκ τῆς ἀποδημίας, εὖ τοῦτο ἐπίστω, καὶ προσδραμεῖν σοι καὶ περιπτύξασθαι καὶ συμβούλῳ χρήσασθαι περὶ τῶν προκειμένων ἀνδρὶ καὶ φίλῳ καὶ συνετῷ καὶ ὑψηλῷ τὴν εὐσέβειαν. 87.2 Ὃ δὲ λειπόμενον ἦν, τὸ διὰ γραμμάτων ὁμιλεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις, τοῦτο ἐποίησας μὲν αὐτὸς εὖ ποιῶν, ποιοῦμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς. Οὐ μικρὰ ἡμῖν ἐστι οὐδὲ μικροῦ λόγου περὶ ὧν ἐπιστέλλεις· ὅθεν οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ παρέργως οὐδὲ ῥᾳθύμως ταῦτα διασκεψάμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τὴν κρίσιν ταύτην προεληλύθαμεν. 87.3 Κεκμήκαμεν ἀγωνιζόμενοι πρὸς τὸν φθόνον καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἐπισκόπους τὴν κοινὴν ὁμόνοιαν διαλύοντας καὶ τῶν ἰδίων φιλονεικιῶν τὸ τῆς πίστεως πάρεργον ποιουμέ νους. 87.4 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔγνωμεν πρύμναν κρούσασθαι, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς συσταλῆναι, ὥσπερ τὸν ναυτῖλόν φασιν ἰχθὺν ὅταν χειμῶνος αἰσθάνηται, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ὁρᾶν πόρρωθεν βαλλομένους καὶ βάλλοντας, αὐτοὶ δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖσε μετασκευάζεσθαι. 87.5 Εἰ δὲ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καταλιπεῖν ἐπικίνδυνον, ὡς γράφεις, ποίαν; εἰ μὲν τὴν ἡμετέραν, κἀγώ φημι καὶ ὀρθῶς λέγεται· εἰ δὲ τὴν μηδὲν προσήκουσαν μηδ' ἐπικηρυχθεῖσαν ἡμῖν, ἀνεύθυνοι. Ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐπεμελήθημεν χρόνον τινά, τούτῳ κρατούμεθα; πολλοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι κρατηθεῖεν ἄν, ὅσοι ξένων ἐπεμελήθησαν. 87.6 Καὶ τάχα τὸ μὲν καμεῖν ἔμμισθον, τὸ δὲ ἀπειπεῖν οὐχ ὑπεύθυνον.