John Chrysostom, Letters

to preach the gospel. For even if we are separated by a great distance on the road, yet nevertheless we do not cease continually bearing you in our mind, and being near you, and being with you each day. For such are the eyes of love for those who know how to love genuinely. And this you yourselves also know clearly, since you too know how to love genuinely. 63. To Tranquillinus. All other things yield to time and give way, growing old and decaying, the bloom of bodies, and the size of buildings, and meadows, and gardens, and all things from the earth; but love alone has escaped the harm from this, and not only does it not wither with the multitude of time, but it is not even severed by death itself. For this very reason, we too, even if we have been deprived for a long time of your delightful company, yet we preserve it flourishing, with the tongue now, but with the mind always. Therefore we have also continually written to your Reverence. But since it is very important for us to learn how your health is faring—for you know how we cling to it—if it should be possible, and if you should readily find someone to carry our letters, doing what is fitting for you, be pleased to make this clear to us. For as for our affairs, both those in Armenia, 52.644 and those in Thrace, the one who delivers this letter will relate to your genuine and warm love. 64. To Cyriacus the bishop. My lord Sopatrus, the governor of Armenia, of this Armenia in which we are now confined, ruled Armenia as a father, and showed us a greater care than a father. Being eager and seeking to repay him for this goodwill, I seem to have found a most excellent way, your thoughtful and watchful soul, through which I will be able to repay him. How and in what manner? He has a son who has been staying there for a long time now for the acquisition of learning. If you would hasten to see this man with eagerness, and with the love befitting you, and make him enjoy some kindnesses, we shall have paid our whole debt. Do this, and make him known also to those in authority who are also known to you, and who are able to make the foreign land sweeter to him than his native one. For in this way you will do a favor to him, you will do a favor to me, and you will do a favor to yourself, by helping through his child a good and philanthropic man and a common haven for the poor. 65. To Marcianus and Marcellinus. You have sufficient consolation for the despondency you are enduring, as you have written, in your philosophical and lofty mind, your unswerving and steadfast disposition. For just as not even a calm, and being carried with the current, will be able to greatly benefit the slack and dissolute man; so not even a harsh winter ever shakes the firm, and well-composed, and sober man, but even makes him more glorious. For such is the nature of temptations; to those who bear them nobly it brings many prizes, and glorious crowns. Knowing these things, therefore, my most honored and most noble lords, and having this sufficient consolation in terrible things, neither be disturbed by any of the things that are happening, nor cease from continually writing to us. For we wished to see you present and to embrace you. But since this is not possible for the time being, but the hindrances are many, do not hesitate to write to us continually, making known the things concerning your health. For you know how great a favor you will do us by doing this, and with how much gladness you fill us. 60. To Castus, Valerius, Diophantus, Cyriacus, presbyters of Antioch. With the tongue I have written few times to your Reverence, but with the mind more continuously and more frequently. Do not think, then, that our letters are as many as you have received on paper and with ink, but as many as we desired to send you. For if you should wish to judge so, snowflakes of letters have been sent from us to you. But if there is no one to carry them, the silence is not due to our neglect, but to the difficulty 52.645 of the circumstances. I have said these things, so that whether we are writing or are silent, you may cast the same vote concerning our love for you. For wherever we may be,

εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλῷ διειργόμεθα τῷ μέσῳ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ παυόμεθα διηνεκῶς ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ διανοίας φέροντες, καὶ πλησίον ὑμῶν ὄντες, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ὑμῖν συγγινόμενοι τὴν ἡμέραν. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ τῆς ἀγάπης ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν γνησίως εἰδότων φιλεῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἴστε καὶ αὐτοὶ σαφῶς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ φιλεῖν ἴστε γνησίως. ΞΓʹ. Τραγκυλίνῳ. Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα εἴκει χρόνῳ καὶ παραχωρεῖ παλαιούμενα καὶ γηράσκοντα, καὶ σωμάτων ἄνθη, καὶ οἰκοδομημάτων μεγέθη, καὶ λειμῶνες, καὶ παράδεισοι, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἅπαντα· μόνη δὲ ἡ ἀγάπη τὴν ἐντεῦθεν διέφυγε βλάβην, καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ μαραίνεται χρόνου πλήθει, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτῷ διακόπτεται τῷ θανάτῳ. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἰ καὶ μακρὸν ἀπελείφθημεν χρόνον τῆς ἐμμελείας τῆς σῆς, ἀλλ' ἀκμάζουσαν αὐτὴν διατηροῦμεν, καὶ γλώττῃ μὲν νῦν, γνώμῃ δὲ ἀεί. ∆ιὸ καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπεστάλκαμέν σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον μανθάνειν οἷ τὰ τῆς ὑγιείας ὁρμᾷ τῆς σῆς οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως αὐτῆς ἀντεχόμεθα, εἰ δυνατὸν γένοιτο, καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιτύχοις τινὸς τοῦ διακομίζοντος ἡμῖν τὰ γράμματα, τὰ σαυτῷ πρέποντα ποιῶν, δῆλον τοῦτο ποιῆσαι ἡμῖν παρακλήθητι. Τὰ γὰρ καθ' ἡμᾶς, τά τε ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ, 52.644 τά τε ἐν Θρᾴκῃ, διηγήσεταί σου τῇ γνησίᾳ καὶ θερμῇ ἀγάπῃ ὁ τὰ γράμματα ἐγχειρίζων. Ξ∆ʹ. Κυριακῷ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ὁ δεσπότης μου Σώπατρος, ὁ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ἄρχων, Ἀρμενίας ταύτης ἐν ᾗ νῦν ἐσμεν καθειργμένοι, ἦρξε μὲν Ἀρμενίας ὡς πατὴρ, ἐπεδείξατο δὲ περὶ ἡμᾶς θεραπείαν πλείονα ἢ πατήρ. Ταύτης αὐτῷ τῆς εὐνοίας ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ἀμοιβὴν σπουδάζων τε καὶ ζητῶν, εὑρηκέναι μοι δοκῶ καλλίστην ὁδὸν, τὴν μεμεριμνημένην σου καὶ ἄγρυπνον ψυχὴν, δι' ἧς δυνήσομαι αὐτὸν ἀμείψασθαι. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Υἱός ἐστιν αὐτῷ διατρίβων αὐτόθι χρόνον ἤδη πολὺν ἐπὶ λόγων κτῆσιν. Τοῦτον ἐὰν σπουδάσῃς μετὰ προθυμίας ἰδεῖν, καὶ τῆς σοὶ πρεπούσης ἀγάπης, καὶ ποιήσῃς ἀπολαῦσαί τινος τῶν χρηστῶν, τὸ πᾶν ἐσόμεθα ἐκτετικότες. Ποίει δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ καθίστη γνώριμον αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς ἐν τέλει, τοῖς καὶ σοὶ γνωρίμοις, καὶ δυναμένοις αὐτῷ τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν ἡδίω τῆς ἐνεγκούσης ποιῆσαι. Οὕτω γὰρ χαριῇ μὲν ἐκείνῳ, χαριῇ δὲ ἐμοὶ, χαριῇ δὲ σαυτῷ, ἄνδρα χρηστὸν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ κοινὸν τῶν πενήτων λιμένα διὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ὠφελῶν. ΞΕʹ. Μαρκιανῷ καὶ Μαρκελλίνῳ. Ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχετε παραμυθίαν τῆς ἀθυμίας ἧς ὑπομένετε, καθὼς ἐπεστάλκατε, τὴν φιλόσοφον ὑμῶν γνώμην καὶ ὑψηλὴν, τὴν ἀπερίτρεπτον καὶ ἀκλινῆ διάθεσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν χαῦνον καὶ διαλελυμένον οὐδὲ γαλήνη, καὶ τὸ κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρεσθαι, ὠφελῆσαί τι μέγα δυνήσεται· οὕτω τὸν στεῤῥὸν, καὶ συγκεκροτημένον, καὶ νήφοντα οὐδὲ χειμὼν χαλεπὸς διασαλεύει ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρότερον ἐργάζεται. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἡ φύσις· τοῖς γενναίως αὐτοὺς φέρουσι πολλὰ κομίζει τὰ βραβεῖα, καὶ λαμπροὺς τοὺς στεφάνους. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, κύριοί μου τιμιώτατοι καὶ εὐγενέστατοι, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν παραμυθίαν, μήτε θορυβεῖσθέ τινι τῶν γινομένων, μήτε διαλίπετε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλοντες. Ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν γὰρ καὶ παρόντας ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν καὶ περιπτύξασθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ τὰ κωλύματα, συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν μὴ κατοκνεῖτε, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας δηλοῦντες τῆς ὑμετέρας. Ἴστε γὰρ ἡλίκον ἡμῖν χαριεῖσθε τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, καὶ ὅσης ἡμᾶς ἐμπιπλᾶτε τῆς εὐφροσύνης. Ξʹ. Κάστῳ, Οὐαλερίῳ, ∆ιοφάντῳ, Κυριακῷ, πρεσβυτέροις Ἀντιοχείας. Τῇ γλώττῃ μὲν ὀλιγάκις ὑμῶν ἐπέστειλα τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, τῇ γνώμῃ δὲ συνεχέστερον καὶ πυκνότερον. Μὴ δὴ τοσαύτας εἶναι νομίζετε ἡμῶν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς, ὅσας ὑπεδέξασθε διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος, ἀλλ' ὅσας ἐπεθυμοῦμεν ὑμῖν διαπέμψασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ οὕτω βουληθείητε δικάσαι, νιφάδες γραμμάτων παρ' ἡμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπέμφθησαν. Εἰ δὲ οὐδεὶς ὁ διακομίζων, οὐ τῆς ἡμετέρας ὀλιγωρίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων 52.645 δυσκολίας ἡ σιγὴ γίνεται. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, ἵνα καὶ γραφόντων ἡμῶν, καὶ σιγώντων, τὴν αὐτὴν περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀγάπης τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς φέρητε ψῆφον. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν,