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lovers, and clothed with such great power, we did not obtain what convicts obtain, so as to be settled in a more civilized and nearer place; but with our body failing us, and with the fear of the Isaurians besieging everything, we did not obtain this small and humble favor. Glory to God for this also. For we do not cease glorifying Him in all things. May His name be blessed for ever. But I was very astonished also at your part, that having sent this fourth or even fifth letter to your disposition and modesty, I received one and only one. And yet this was not a difficulty, to write more frequently. And I say these things not to accuse you; for love is not a matter of necessity, but of choice. But I am greatly pained, that you have suddenly cast us out of your mind, sending us one letter in so long a time. If, therefore, we ask nothing burdensome nor onerous, grant us this, of which you are mistress, and which lies in your power. For we do not trouble you for other things, lest, besides accomplishing nothing, we should also seem burdensome and onerous to you. 121. To Arabius. The furnace of despondency, which you carry about in your soul over what has happened to us, your letter showed us most clearly, though we knew it even before. For we shall not be able to forget the fountain of tears, which you let flow at the beginning when these evils were being woven. But nevertheless the letter also, no less than those tears and lamentations, revealed to us the flame of grief that is in your heart. Expect the rewards for these things from the philanthropic God. For there is also a reward for grief, and a great and plentiful one. Since even in the evils of the Jews there were some, who were not able to correct the things being done by them, but only groaned and lamented, and they reaped such a reward, that while all the others were perishing and being given over to utter destruction, they escaped the wrath. For "Set a mark," he says, "on the foreheads of those who groan and lament." And yet they did not prevent what was happening, but because they did what was in their power, they groaned, they lamented what was happening, from this they acquired the greatest security. Do not you therefore cease, my masters, groaning over these things and imploring the philanthropic God to give a solution to the common shipwreck of the world. For you know, you know clearly, that all things are filled with tumult and confusion, and one must not only pray for Constantinople, but for the entire world; since indeed the evil, having begun from here, like a wicked torrent poured out, is ravaging the Churches everywhere on earth. And as for what you have urged upon us, be urged this very thing also by us, as long as we are separated from you in body for in spirit we are always bound together both with your nobility and with your house, to write to us continually, and do not hesitate to announce the good news concerning your health. For you know 52.676 how great a favor you will grant us. Since you ordered us to be lodged in your property, as I learned on departing, it was no longer decided that we be carried off to Sebasteia, but to Cucusus, a most desolate place of Armenia, and most dangerous on account of the raids of the Isaurians. Nevertheless we are grateful to your nobility, and we have accepted the honor, that even in our absence you took such care, as to prepare the lodging for us, and to request that we be lodged in your property. But if you have any friends at Cucusus, be so good as to write to them. 122. To Marcian. You are blessed, and thrice-blessed, and this many times over, in such a harsh winter, and in so great a storm of affairs, showing such great-mindedness towards those in need. For the greatness of your philanthropy has not escaped us, and that you have become a new harbor for all, standing by orphans, comforting widows in every way, enduring their poverty, correcting their indigence, not even allowing them to perceive this distress, but becoming all things to them, and nourishing a whole people with grain, and wine, and oil, and with

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ἐραστὰς, καὶ τοσαύτην δύναμιν περιβεβλημένους, οὐκ ἐτύχομεν οὗ τυγχάνουσιν οἱ κατάδικοι, ὥστε εἰς ἡμερώτερον καὶ ἐγγύτερόν που κατοικισθῆναι τόπον· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡμῖν ἀπαγορεύσαντος, καὶ τοῦ φόβου τῶν Ἰσαύρων πάντα πολιορκοῦντος, τῆς μικρᾶς ταύτης καὶ εὐτελοῦς οὐκ ἐπετύχομεν χάριτος. ∆όξα τῷ Θεῷ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο. Οὐ παυόμεθα γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσι δοξάζοντες. Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Πολὺ δὲ ἐξεπλάγην καὶ τὸ σὸν, ὅτι τετάρτην ταύτην ἐπιστολὴν ἢ καὶ πέμπτην ἐπεσταλκὼς τῇ διαθέσει σου καὶ τῇ κοσμιότητι, μίαν ἐδεξάμην καὶ μόνην. Καίτοι τοῦτο δυσκολίας οὐκ ἦν, τὸ ἐπιστέλλειν συνεχέστερον. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν σοι λέγω· τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάγκης, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως. Ἀλλὰ σφόδρα ἀλγῶ, ὅτι ἀθρόον ἐξέβαλες ἡμᾶς τῆς διανοίας τῆς σῆς, ἐν οὕτω χρόνῳ μακρῷ μίαν ἡμῖν πέμψασα ἐπιστολήν. Εἰ τοίνυν μηδὲν φορτικὸν μηδὲ ἐπαχθὲς αἰτοῦμεν, τοῦτο ἡμῖν πάρεχε, οὗ σὺ κυρία εἶ, καὶ ἐπὶ σοὶ κεῖται. Τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐνοχλοῦμεν, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἀνύειν καὶ φορτικοί τινες δόξωμεν καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς εἶναί σοι. ΡΚΑʹ. Ἀραβίῳ. Τὴν κάμινον τῆς ἀθυμίας, ἣν ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς περιφέρεις ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς γεγενημένων, σαφέστατα ἔδειξεν ἡμῖν τὸ γράμμα τὸ σὸν, καὶ πρὸ τούτου μὲν ἐπισταμένοις. Οὐ γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἐπιλαθέσθαι τῆς πηγῆς τῶν δακρύων, ἣν ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν κακῶν τούτων ὑφαινομένων ἠφίεις. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τῶν δακρύων οὐκ ἔλαττον καὶ τῶν ὀδυρμῶν ἐκείνων ἀπεκάλυψε τὴν φλόγα τῆς λύπης ἡμῖν, τῆς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῇ σῇ. Τούτων προσδόκα τὰς ἀμοιβὰς παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ λύπης μισθὸς καὶ μέγας καὶ πολύς. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰουδαϊκῶν κακῶν ἦσάν τινες, οἳ τὰ γινόμενα παρ' αὐτῶν διορθῶσαι μὲν οὐκ ἠδύναντο, ἔστενον δὲ μόνον καὶ ἐθρήνουν, καὶ τοιαύτην ἐκαρπώσαντο τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, ὡς τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἀπολλυμένων, καὶ πανωλεθρίᾳ παραδιδομένων, ἐκείνους διαφυγεῖν τὴν ὀργήν. ∆ὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ σημεῖον ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα τῶν στεναζόντων καὶ ὀδυρομένων. Καίτοι γε οὐκ ἐκώλυον τὰ γινόμενα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὗπερ κύριοι ἦσαν ἐποίουν, ἕστενον, ἐθρήνουν τὰ γινόμενα, μεγίστην ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἐκτήσαντο. Μὴ οὖν διαλίπητε καὶ ὑμεῖς, δεσπόται μου, στένοντες ταῦτα καὶ τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν παρακαλοῦντες δοῦναι λύσιν τῷ κοινῷ τῆς οἰκουμένης ναυαγίῳ. Ἴστε γὰρ, ἴστε σαφῶς, ὡς πάντα θορύβων καὶ ταραχῆς πεπλήρωται, καὶ οὐχ ὑπὲρ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως χρὴ μόνον παρακαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης· ἐπειδήπερ ἐντεῦθεν ἀρξάμενον τὸ κακὸν, καθάπερ ῥεῦμα πονηρὸν ἐκχυθὲν, πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς τὰς Ἐκκλησίας λυμαίνεται. Ὅπερ δὲ ἡμᾶς παρεκάλεσας, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς παρ' ἡμῶν παρακλήθητι, ἕως ἂν ὑμῶν ὦμεν κεχωρισμένοι τῷ σώματι τῇ γὰρ ψυχῇ ἀεὶ καὶ τῇ σῇ εὐγενείᾳ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ σου συνδεδέμεθα, συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας σου εὐαγγελίζεσθαι μὴ κατόκνει. Οἶ52.676 δας γὰρ ἡλίκην ἡμῖν δώσεις τὴν χάριν. Ἐπειδὴ ἐκέλευσας ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς σοῖς καταχθῆναι, καθὼς ἔμαθον ἐξελθὼν, οὐκ ἔτι ἔδοξεν ἡμᾶς εἰς Σεβάστειαν ἀπενεχθῆναι, ἀλλ' εἰς ἐρημότατον χωρίον τῆς Ἀρμενίας Κουκουσὸν, καὶ σφαλερώτατον τῆς τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἐπιδρομῆς ἕνεκεν. Χάριν μέντοι ἴσμεν τῇ εὐγενείᾳ τῇ σῇ, καὶ δεδέγμεθα τὴν τιμὴν, ὅτι καὶ ἀπόντων οὕτως ἐφρόντισας, ὥστε εὐτρεπίσαι τὸ καταγώγιον ἡμῖν, καὶ παρακαλέσαι ἐν τοῖς σοῖς ἡμᾶς καταχθῆναι. Ἀλλ' εἴ τινες εἶέν σοι φίλοι κατὰ τὴν Κουκουσὸν, ἐκείνοις ἐπιστεῖλαι παρακλήθητι. ΡΚΒʹ. Μαρκιανῷ. Μακάριος εἶ, καὶ τρισμακάριος, καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο, ἐν οὕτω χειμῶνι χαλεπῷ, καὶ τοσαύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων ζάλῃ, τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμενος περὶ τοὺς δεομένους μεγαλοψυχίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας σου τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ὅτι καινὸς ἅπασι γέγονας λιμὴν, ὀρφανοῖς παριστάμενος, χήρας παντὶ τρόπῳ παραμυθούμενος, ἀνέχων αὐτῶν τὴν πενίαν, διορθούμενος τὴν πτωχείαν, οὐδὲ αἴσθησιν ἀφιεὶς λαμβάνειν τῆς στενοχωρίας ταύτης, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ πάντων αὐτοῖς γινόμενος, καὶ δῆμον ὁλόκληρον διατρέφων σίτῳ, καὶ οἴνῳ, καὶ ἐλαίῳ, καὶ τοῖς