John Chrysostom, Letters

they live as monks. For my part I wished to see you having come here also; for hearing of your piety, I have become an ardent admirer of you, picturing you with the eyes of love; but since this is not possible for now, both because of the length of the journey, and because of the winter season, and because of the fear of the Isaurians, I have made haste to be with your honor through this letter, making clear to you the disposition which we have towards your piety; for it is possible to love even those who are far away and have not been seen. For such is the power of love; it is not kept apart by length of road, nor does it wither with the passage of time, nor is it overcome by the onset of temptations; but conquering all these things, it becomes superior to all, and is lifted up to an ineffable height. For this very reason we also, since we are exceedingly disposed toward you, have not become more slothful on account of any of these things, but we both write, and we exhort you to inform us about your health. For so, even while abiding in the wilderness, we shall reap much consolation, whenever we hear that those who live thus, and who travel this narrow and afflicted way, are healthy and strong. 57. To Adolia. We, even if you yourself write rarely, will not cease, whenever we find those who are arriving there from here, to write to your nobility. For we wished to see you having come here also, and we desire this greatly. But since this perhaps seemed difficult to your nobility—for the troubles with the Isaurians have ceased completely—we will at least not cease providing for ourselves the consolation of writing continually to your honor. For whenever we find a letter-carrier arriving there, we reap no ordinary gladness in writing to your honor. Knowing this, therefore, my most modest and most pious lady, be exhorted to make it your business yourself to write to us continually about your health and good cheer. For just as we make no complaint on account of your absence, because the matter seemed to have difficulty; so on account of your long 52.641 silence we will not cease to find fault, because we greatly desire to learn continually about the well-being of you and of your whole house. 58. To Theodosius, former duke. You have colored the letter with much honey, or rather you have made it sweeter than honey itself. For when honey is more continually in company with those who enjoy its sweetness, it no longer seems equally sweet, as satiety destroys the tyranny of pleasure; but your letters, announcing your good health to us, are so far from suffering this, that they even increase our gladness all the more when they are sent more continually. You, then, embraced my letter; but I embraced you yourself, the father of the letter, and threw both my hands around you, and clinging to your neck, and kissing that head dear to me, I reaped much consolation. For I thought it was not only your letter arriving, but that you yourself were present with us and in our company. So great was the power of the letter. For such is the nature of genuine love: even if it pours forth its streams through letters, it makes us imagine the very source of the letters; which is indeed what we have experienced. And neither abundance of time, nor length of road, nor adverse circumstance, nor anything else has become a hindrance to us in this. Knowing these things, therefore, my most admirable master, do not hesitate to write to us continually, informing us about your health, and that of your whole house, and of your good cheer. For you know how very eager we are to learn. 59. To Theodotus the deacon. You have quickly forgotten us, adding the despondency from your long silence to your separation which has been very grievous to us. And you cannot even take refuge in lack of time; for the number of days is sufficient to provide a traveler with much facility for a return. Nor would we tolerate your putting forward the Isaurian troubles as an excuse, since we love you exceedingly. For many are the

μονάζουσι. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβουλόμην ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραγενομένους ἰδεῖν· ἀκούων γὰρ ὑμῶν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, σφοδρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἐραστὴς, τοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμᾶς φανταζόμενος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν, καὶ διὰ τὸν τῶν Ἰσαύρων φόβον, διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐσπούδακα ὑμῶν συγγενέσθαι τῇ τιμιότητι, δήλην ὑμῖν ποιῶν τὴν διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειαν τὴν ὑμετέραν· ἔνι γὰρ καὶ τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας καὶ μὴ ὁραθέντας φιλεῖν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ δύναμις· οὐ διείργεται ὁδοῦ μήκει, οὐδὲ μαραίνεται χρόνου πλήθει, οὐδὲ νικᾶται πειρασμῶν ἐπαγωγαῖς· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα νικῶσα ἀνωτέρα πάντων γίνεται, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἄφατον αἴρεται. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα περὶ ὑμᾶς διακείμεθα, οὐδενὶ τούτων γεγόναμεν ῥᾳθυμότεροι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράφομεν, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας δηλοῦν ἡμῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες, πολλὴν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, ὅταν ἀκούωμεν τοὺς οὕτω βιοῦντας, καὶ τὴν στενὴν ταύτην καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύοντας ὁδὸν, ὑγιαίνοντας καὶ ἐῤῥωμένους. ΝΖʹ. Ἀδολίᾳ. Ἡμεῖς, κἂν αὐτὴ σπανιάκις ἐπιστέλλῃς, οὐ παυσόμεθα, ὁσάκις ἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖσε ἀφικνουμένων, γράφοντες πρὸς τὴν εὐγένειαν τὴν σήν. Ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθά σε παραγενομένην ἰδεῖν, καὶ σφόδρα τοῦτο ἐπιθυμοῦμεν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἐργῶδες ἴσως κατεφάνη σου τῇ εὐγενείᾳ τὰ γὰρ τῶν Ἰσαύρων πέπαυται παντελῶς, τὴν γοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ γράφειν συνεχῶς τῇ τιμιότητί σου παράκλησιν οὐ παυσόμεθα παρέχοντες ἑαυτοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁσάκις ἂν ἐπιτύχωμεν γραμματηφόρου ἐκεῖσε παραγινομένου, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καρπούμεθα εὐφροσύνην ἐπιστέλλοντές σου τῇ τιμιότητι. Τοῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖα, κυρία μου κοσμιωτάτη καὶ εὐλαβεστάτη, καὶ αὐτὴ σπουδὴν ποιεῖσθαι παρακλήθητι τοῦ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς καὶ εὐθυμίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τῆς ἀποδημίας ἕνεκεν οὐδὲν ἐγκαλοῦμεν. διὰ τὸ δόξαι δυσκολίαν ἔχειν τὸ πρᾶγμα· οὕτω τῆς 52.641 σιγῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς μακρᾶς οὐ παυσόμεθα αἰτιώμενοι, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμεῖν συνεχῶς μανθάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς καὶ οἴκου σου παντός. ΝΗʹ. Θεοδοσίῳ ἀπὸ δουκῶν. Πολλοῦ τοῦ μέλιτος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνέχρωσας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ μέλιτος αὐτὴν ἡδίω πεποίηκας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὅταν συνεχέστερον ὁμιλήσῃ τοῖς ἀπολαύουσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς γλυκύτητος, οὐκ ἔτι ὁμοίως ἡδὺ φαίνεται, τοῦ κόρου τὴν τυραννίδα τῆς ἡδονῆς καταλύοντος· τὰ δὲ γράμματα τὰ σὰ τὴν ὑγίειαν ἡμῖν εὐαγγελιζόμενα τὴν σὴν, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦτο παθεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐπιτείνει τότε μάλιστα ἡμῖν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ὅταν συνεχέστερον πέμπηται. Σὺ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν περιεπτύξω τὴν ἐμήν· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτόν σε τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἐπιστολῆς καὶ περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ περιέβαλον ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, καὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ περιχυθεὶς, καὶ τὴν φίλην ἐμοὶ φιλήσας κεφαλὴν, πολλὴν ἐκαρπωσάμην τὴν παραμυθίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπιστολὴν ἐνόμιζον σὴν ἐπιέναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι ἡμῖν καὶ συγγίνεσθαι. Τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἡ δύναμις. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῆς γνησίας ἀγάπης ἡ φύσις· κἂν διὰ γραμμάτων αὐτῆς προχέῃ τὰ νάματα, αὐτὴν τὴν πηγὴν τῶν γραμμάτων φαντάζεσθαι παρασκευάζει· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπόνθαμεν. Καὶ οὔτε χρόνου πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁδοῦ μῆκος, οὔτε πραγμάτων περίστασις, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν πρὸς τοῦτο κώλυμα γέγονεν ἡμῖν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, ἐπιστέλλειν ἠμῖν συνεχῶς μὴ κατόκνει, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντὸς, καὶ τῆς εὐθυμίας δηλῶν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον μανθάνειν. ΝΘʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Ταχέως ἡμῶν ἐπελάθου, τῷ χωρισμῷ σου σφόδρα λυπηρῷ ἡμῖν γεγενημένῳ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς σιγῆς τῆς μακρᾶς προσθεὶς ἀθυμίαν. Καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς χρόνου στενοχωρίαν ἔχεις καταφυγεῖν· ἱκανὸν γὰρ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸ πλῆθος πολλὴν ὁδοιπόρῳ παρασχεῖν εὐκολίαν πρὸς ἐπάνοδον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ Ἰσαυρικὰ προβαλλομένου ἀνασχοίμεθα ἂν, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα σε φιλοῦμεν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ οἱ