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these ancient and Attic things, Pandion, Athens, Tereus, Thrace, the journey abroad, the marriage alliance, the outrage, the cutting out, the letters, and above all, Itys, and how from humans we became birds.” 114.4 And they, hating their chatter, scarcely deigned to give them a hearing, but when they did deign: “But for our sake,” they said, “O you women, someone might even come into the wilderness to hear our music, when we let the Zephyr breathe something sweet and harmonious into our wings; so that if we do not sing many things and among many people, yet this very thing is our finest quality, that we philosophize our melody with measure and do not mix our music with noise. 114.5 But as for you, people are annoyed when you settle in their houses and turn away when you sing; and quite rightly, since not even with your tongues cut out are you able to be silent, but while lamenting your own voicelessness and your suffering, you are then more talkative than any of the eloquent and musical?” 114.6 20Understand what I tell you20, says Pindar, and if you find my voicelessness better than your eloquence, cease chattering against our silence; or I will tell you a proverb that is very true and very concise, that swans will sing then when jackdaws fall silent. 115.T TO THEODORE 115.1 Your letter is also a feast, and what is better is that you anticipate the season, granting us through your eagerness the celebration beforehand. 115.2 Such, then, are the things from your Piety; but we give in return the greater thing that we have, our prayers. 115.3 And that you may have some remembrance from us, and the same from Saint Basil, we have sent you a small book containing selections from Origen's Philocalia of things useful to lovers of learning. 115.4 Deign to accept this and to give us proof of its benefit, being helped both by zeal and by the Spirit. 116.T TO EULALIUS 116.1 Lamis has become for me a place of silence and a training-ground for philosophy; and as I beheld it in silence, I desire to see it also while speaking, so that I may both fulfill the longing of the brothers and defend myself against you, the petty-minded and bad interpreters of my nods. 116.2 For I myself, the speaker, will be present, no longer being allegorized or conjectured about, but being clearly understood. 117.T TO THE SAME 117.1 I have experienced something new: having been silent when you were present, I long for you now that you are absent, that I may both impart and receive speech. For it is good, just as with everything else, so also to offer up the first-fruits of speech first to the Word, and then to those who fear the Lord. 118.T TO EUGENIUS 118.1 20For everything there is a season20, says Ecclesiastes; for this reason, 20I have set a guard to my mouth20, when it was time, and 20Behold, I will not restrain my lips20, since it is time for this. 118.2 For, 20I was silent20, says the Scripture; shall I also be silent forever? I was silent for myself; but I will speak to others. And if they should say what is right, all thanks; but if not, we will also stop our ears. 119.T TO PALLADIUS 119.1 I put my tongue to death with Christ when I was fasting, and I raised it up with him when he rose. This is for me the mystery of silence, so that, just as I offered an unspoken thought, so I might also offer a purified word. 120.T TO HELLADIUS 120.1 Having been taught to see from afar the things for which we hope (for I shall use your own preface), we also rejoice in the things already present. For the holy day of Pascha, which we have reached, I know to be an initiation into the good things from there, being a feast of passage. You have done well to remind us of these things yourself, by what you have sent and by what you write. 120.2 I have already passed through many Paschas, and have profited this from a longer life. But now I desire more purely, having departed this Egypt of a life that is heavy and dark, and having been freed from the clay and the brick-making to which we are bound, to migrate to the land of promise. 120.3 Pray and pray earnestly for these things for us, if you care at all about doing us the greatest good. And may it be yours many times to celebrate with the community of the Church while enjoying a long life. 120.4 And if you would grant me to end my old age well, giving to this Church

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ταῦτα δὴ τὰ ἀρχαῖα καὶ ἀττικά, τὸν Πανδίονα, τὰς Ἀθήνας, τὸν Τηρέα, τὴν Θρᾴκην, τὴν ἀποδημίαν, τὸ κῆδος, τὴν ὕβριν, τὴν ἐκτομήν, τὰ γράμματα, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τὸν Ἴτυν, καὶ ὡς ἐγενόμεθα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ὄρνιθες.» 114.4 Καὶ οἳ μόλις μὲν αὐτὰς ἠξίωσαν καὶ λόγου τῆς ἀδολεσχίας μισήσαντες, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἠξίωσαν· «Ἀλλ' ἡμῶν μὲν ἕνεκεν, ἔφασαν, ὦ αὗται, κἂν εἰς τὴν ἐρημίαν ἀφίκοιτό τις ὥστε ἀκοῦσαι τῆς μουσικῆς, ὅταν ἀνῶμεν τῷ Ζεφύρῳ τὰς πτέρυγας ἐμπνεῖν ἡδύ τι καὶ ἐναρμόνιον· ὥστ' εἰ μὴ πολλὰ καὶ ἐν πολλοῖς ᾄδομεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο κάλλιστόν ἐστιν ἡμῶν ὅτι μέτρῳ φιλοσοφοῦμεν τὸ μέλος καὶ οὐκ ἀναμίγνυμεν θορύβοις τὴν μουσικήν. 114.5 Ὑμᾶς δὲ καὶ εἰσοικιζομένας οἱ ἄνθρωποι δυσχεραίνουσι καὶ ᾀδούσας ἀποστρέφονται· καὶ μάλα ἐν δίκῃ, αἵ γε οὐδὲ ἐκτμηθεῖσαι τὴν γλῶτταν δύνασθε σιωπᾶν, ἀλλ' αὐταὶ τὴν ἀφωνίαν ὑμῶν ὀδυρόμεναι καὶ τὸ ἐφ' ὑμῖν πάθος, ἔπειτά ἐστε λαλίστεραι τίνος οὐχὶ τῶν εὐγλώττων καὶ μουσικῶν;» 114.6 20Σύνες ὅ τοι λέγω20, φησὶν ὁ Πίνδαρος, κἂν εὕρῃς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφωνίαν ἀμείνω τῆς σῆς εὐγλωττίας, παῦσαι καταφλυαρῶν ἡμῶν τῆς σιωπῆς· ἤ σοι παροιμίαν ἐρῶ μάλα μὲν ἀληθῆ, μάλα δὲ σύντομον, ὅτι τότε ᾄσονται κύκνοι ὅταν κολοιοὶ σιωπήσωσιν. 115.Τ ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΩΙ 115.1 Ἑορτὴ καὶ τὰ γράμματα, καὶ τὸ κρεῖσσον ὅτι προφθάνεις τὸν καιρόν, τῇ προθυμίᾳ τὸ προεορτάζειν ἡμῖν χαριζόμενος. 115.2 Τὰ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐλα βείας, τοιαῦτα· ἡμεῖς δὲ ὧν ἔχομεν τὸ μεῖζον ἀντιδίδομεν, τὰς εὐχάς. 115.3 Ἵνα δέ τι καὶ ὑπόμνημα παρ' ἡμῶν ἔχῃς, τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Βασιλείου, πυκτίον ἀπεστάλκαμέν σοι τῆς Ὠριγένους Φιλοκαλίας ἐκλογὰς ἔχον τῶν χρησίμων τοῖς φιλολόγοις. 115.4 Τοῦτο καὶ δέξασθαι καταξίωσον καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ἡμῖν δοῦναι τῆς ὠφελείας, καὶ σπουδῇ καὶ Πνεύματι βοηθούμενος. 116.Τ ΕΥΛΑΛΙΩΙ 116.1 Γέγονε καὶ ἡ Λαμὶς ἐμοὶ τῆς σιωπῆς χωρίον καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐγγυμναστήριον· ἣν ὡς σιγῶν ἐθεασάμην, ἰδεῖν ἐπιθυμῶ καὶ φθεγγόμενος, ἵνα τοῖς τε ἀδελφοῖς πληρώσω τὸν πόθον καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀμύνωμαι τῆς μικρολογίας τοὺς κακοὺς τῶν ἐμῶν νευμάτων ἐξηγητάς. 116.2 Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ λαλῶν παρέσομαι, οὐκέτ' ἀλληγορούμενος οὐδὲ εἰκαζόμενος, ἀλλὰ καθαρῶς νοούμενος. 117.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 117.1 Καινόν τι πέπονθα· παρόντι σιγήσας, ἀπόντα ποθῶ, ἵνα καὶ μεταδῶ λόγου καὶ μεταλάβω. Καλὸν γὰρ ὥσπερ ἄλλου παντός, οὕτω δὴ καὶ λόγων ἀπαρχὰς ἀνατιθέναι τῷ Λόγῳ πρῶτον, εἶτα τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸν Κύριον. 118.Τ ΕΥΓΕΝΙΩΙ 118.1 20Καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι20, φησὶν ὁ Ἐκκλη σιαστής· διὰ τοῦτο 20Ἐθέμην φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου20, ἡνίκα καιρός, καὶ 20Ἰδοὺ τὰ χείλη μου οὐ μὴ κωλύσω20, ἐπειδὴ τούτου καιρός. 118.2 20Ἐσιώπησα20 γάρ, φησὶν ἡ Γραφή· μὴ καὶ ἀεὶ σιωπήσομαι; Ἐσιώπησα μὲν ἐμαυτῷ· λαλήσω δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις. Οἳ δέ, εἰ μὲν ἃ χρὴ φθέγγοιντο, πᾶσα χάρις· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ τὰ ὦτα φραξόμεθα. 119.Τ ΠΑΛΛΑ∆ΙΩΙ 119.1 Χριστῷ συνενέκρωσα τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡνίκα ἐνήστευον, καὶ ἀναστάντι συνήγειρα. Τοῦτό μοι τῆς σιωπῆς τὸ μυστήριον, ἵν', ὥσπερ ἔθυσα νοῦν ἀνεκλάλητον, οὕτω θύσω καὶ λόγον κεκαθαρμένον. 120.Τ ΕΛΛΑ∆ΙΩΙ 120.1 Ὁρᾶν τὰ ἐλπιζόμενα πόρρωθεν διδαχθέντες (χρή σομαι γὰρ τῷ σῷ προοιμίῳ), καὶ τοῖς ἤδη παροῦσιν ἐνευφραινόμεθα. Τὴν γὰρ ἁγίαν τοῦ Πάσχα ἡμέραν, εἰς ἣν ἀπηντήκαμεν, τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἀγαθῶν οἶδα μυσταγωγίαν, ἑορτὴν οὖσαν διαβατήριον. Ὧν καλῶς ἐποίησας καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναμνήσας ἡμᾶς, οἷς ἀπέσταλκας καὶ οἷς γράφεις. 120.2 Ἐγὼ δὲ πολλὰ μὲν ἤδη Πάσχα διῆλθον, καὶ τοῦτο ὠνάμην τῆς μακροτέρας ζωῆς. Νῦν δὲ καθαρώτερον ἐπιθυμῶ, τὴν Αἴγυπτον ταύτην ἐξελθὼν τοῦ βίου τὴν βαρεῖαν καὶ σκοτεινήν, καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τῆς πλινθείας ἐλευθερωθεὶς ᾗ συνδεδέμεθα, πρὸς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας μεταναστῆναι. 120.3 Ταῦθ' ἡμῶν προσεύχου καὶ ὑπερεύχου, εἴ τί σοι μέλει τοῦ τὰ μέγιστα εὖ ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς. Σὲ δὲ πολλάκις γένοιτο τῷ κοινῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συνεορτάσαι βιωσίμως ἔχοντα. 120.4 Εἰ δέ μοι δοίητε καὶ τὸ γῆρας ἐν καλῷ καταλῦσαι τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ταύτῃ δόντες