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TO NOMOS THE PATRICIAN. Having already written twice, and I think even three times, I have not received a reply; and although I wished to be silent from now on and at last to know myself and to recognize the greatness of authorities, I thought it better to write again and to ask to learn the cause of the silence. For in truth I do not know of any offense I have committed against your magnificence. But since we err not only willingly but also unwillingly, and sometimes are ignorant of how we have offended, may your great genius, recalling the divine laws, which expressly command: If your brother sins against you, rebuke him between you and him alone, deign to make clear to me the occasion of the grief, so that I may either show myself innocent or, recognizing the offense, ask for forgiveness. I hope it will be the former, trusting in the testimony of my conscience. Now, magnanimity adorns all men, and not least those who, like your great genius, are leaders through secular education and are instructed in divine matters and understand the apostolic laws which openly cry out: Let not the sun go down on your anger; and who remember the Homeric verses: But you, restrain your great-hearted spirit in your breast; for friendliness is better. I said these things not to teach, but to remind your magnificence, which is among many; and indeed, also remembering the laws of the Lord, which proclaim these things: If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Following these, I thought it necessary also through the most God-beloved bishops to address your greatness, and to ask you to take thought for the peace of the Churches. For they have been filled with a very great storm. 97 TO SPORACIUS THE COMES. The letters of your magnificence have refreshed my soul; and the most God-beloved presbyter and monk Iamblichus increased my gladness, recounting your fervent zeal, and your diligence in divine matters, and your genuine disposition toward us. And I, having learned these things and hearing of the struggles on our behalf of the most glorious and Christ-loving lord the patrician, offer you the apostolic blessing, which the blessed Onesiphorus reaped from that holy tongue: May the Lord grant mercy -to your house-, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain; may the Lord grant you to find mercy from the Lord on that day. These things I pray for you, even if the enemies of the truth surround me with greater sorrows, as they suppose. For we have been taught to look to the intention. And let your greatness know this, that with piety, both death and the ends of the inhabited world are most sweet to us. Nevertheless, the winter of the Churches grieves us, which the Lord of all is able to end. 98 TO PANCHARIUS. We indeed are grieved seeing the surging waves of the Churches; but their Master and helmsman has always shown to men His own wisdom and power through the great waves. For suddenly He rebukes the winds and works a calm; and this He also did on the boat of the apostles. But nevertheless, knowing this power of our Savior and also knowing His other dispensations, even if something contrary should occur, we give thanks and receive it as a God-given gift. For we have been taught to despise present things, and to await those that are expected

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ΝΟΜΩ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. ∆ὶς μὲν ἤδη γράψας, οἶμαι δ' ὅτι καὶ τρίς, ἀντιγράφων οὐκ ἔτυχον· καὶ σιγῆσαι λοιπὸν βουληθεὶς καὶ νῦν γοῦν ἐμαυτόν τε γνῶναι καὶ τῶν ἐξουσιῶν τὸ μέγεθος ἐπιγνῶναι, ἄμεινον ᾠήθην αὖθις γράψαι καὶ παρακαλέσαι μαθεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς σιωπῆς. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ οὐκ οἶδά τι πλημμελήσας εἰς τὴν ὑμετέ ραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ μόνον ἑκόντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄκοντες πταίομεν καὶ ἀγνοοῦμεν ἔστιν ὅτε ἃ πλημμελοῦμεν, ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοφυΐα, τῶν θείων νόμων ἀναμνησθεῖσα, οἳ διαρρήδην παρεγγυῶσιν· Ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ ὁ ἀδελφός σου εἰς σέ, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ μόνον καὶ αὐτοῦ , δήλην μοι τῆς λύπης ποιῆσαι καταξιωσάτω τὴν ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἢ ἀθῷον ἐμαυτὸν ἐπιδείξω ἢ γνοὺς τὸ πλημμέλημα συγγνώμην αἰτήσω. Ἐλπίζω δὲ τὸ πρότερον ἔσεσθαι, τῇ τοῦ συνειδότος μαρτυρίᾳ θαρρῶν. Πάντας μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώπους ἡ μεγαλοψυχία κοσμεῖ, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοφυΐαν καὶ διὰ τῆς θύραθεν παιδείας ἡγμένους καὶ τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένους καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἐπαίοντας νόμων ἄντικρυς βοώντων· Μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τῷ παρ οργισμῷ ὑμῶν · καὶ τῶν Ὁμηρικῶν μεμνημένους ἐπῶν· Σὺ δέ, μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν Ἴσχειν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι· φιλοφροσύνη γὰρ ἀμείνων. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ διδάσκων ἔφην, ἀλλ' ἀναμιμνῄσκων ἐν πολλοῖς οὖσαν τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν· καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου μεμνημένος νόμων, οἳ ταῦτα διαγορεύουσιν· Ἐὰν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, κἀ κεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ἔχει τι ὁ ἀδελφός σου κατὰ σοῦ, ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστη ρίου, καὶ ὕπαγε, πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν προσφέρεις τὸ δῶρόν σου . Τού τοις ἑπόμενος, ἀναγκαῖον ᾠήθην καὶ διὰ τῶν θεοφιλεστάτων ἐπισκόπων προσειπεῖν ὑμῶν τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ παρακαλέσαι φροντίσαι τῆς τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν γαλήνης. Παμπόλλης γὰρ ἐνεπλήσθησαν ζάλης. 97 ΣΠΟΡΑΚΙΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Ἐψυχαγώγησέ με τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοπρεπείας τὰ γράμ ματα· ηὔξησε δέ μου τὴν θυμηδίαν καὶ ὁ θεοφιλέστατος πρεσ βύτερος καὶ μονάζων Ἰάμβλιχος, τὸν θερμὸν ὑμῶν διηγησά μενος ζῆλον, καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα σπουδήν, καὶ τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς γνησίαν διάθεσιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα μαθὼν καὶ τοῦ ἐνδοξοτάτου καὶ φιλοχρίστου τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ πατρικίου τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀγῶνας ἀκούων, τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ὑμῖν εὐλογίαν προσφέρω, ἣν ὁ μακάριος Ὀνησιφόρος ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκεί νης ἐκαρπώσατο γλώσσης· ∆ῴη ἔλεος Κύριος -τῷ ὑμε τέρῳ οἴκῳ-, ὅτι πολλάκις με ἀνέψυξε καὶ τὴν ἅλυσίν μου οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη· δῴη ὑμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἔλεος εὑρεῖν παρὰ Κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ . Ταῦτα ὑμῖν ἐπεύχομαι, κἂν μείζοσιν οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ περιβάλωσί με λυπηροῖς, ὡς νομίζουσιν. Εἰς γὰρ τὴν πρόθεσιν ἀφορᾶν ἐδιδάχθημεν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἴστω ὑμῶν τὸ μέγεθος, ὡς μετὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ ὁ θάνατος ἡμῖν ἥδιστος καὶ αἱ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐσχατιαί. Ἀνιᾷ δὲ ὅμως ἡμᾶς τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ὁ χειμών, ὃν δυνατὸς λῦσαι τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος. 98 ΠΑΓΧΑΡΙΩ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀνιώμεθα τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τὸν κλύδωνα βλέ ποντες· ὁ δὲ τούτων ∆εσπότης καὶ κυβερνήτης ἀεὶ διὰ τρικυ μιῶν ἔδειξε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὴν οἰκείαν σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν. Ἐξαίφνης γὰρ ἐπιτιμᾷ τοῖς ἀνέμοις καὶ τὴν γαλήνην ἐργά ζεται· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σκάφους τῶν ἀποστόλων πεποίη κεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταύτην τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν δύναμιν ἐπιστάμενοι καὶ τὰς ἄλλας αὐτοῦ πάλιν οἰκονομίας εἰδότες, κἄν τι τῶν ἐναντίων ἐκβῇ, χάριν ὁμολογοῦμεν καὶ ὡς θεόσδοτον δεχόμεθα δῶρον. Τῶν γὰρ παρόντων καταφρονεῖν, τὰ δὲ προσ δοκώμενα προσμένειν ἐδιδάχθημεν