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50. TO BISHOP INNOCENT

50.1 And to whom else was it fitting both to inspire courage in the timid and to awaken those who sleep, than to your godliness, who belongs to our Master, who have made known your own perfection in all things in this also, by deigning to condescend even to us the humble, as a true disciple of Him who said, "There I am in your midst," not as one who reclines, but "As one who serves." For you yourself have also deigned to minister to us your spiritual gladness and with your own precious letters to restore our souls and, as it were, to embrace the infancy of children with your own greatness. Pray, therefore (we beseech your good soul), that we may be worthy both to receive the benefits from your greatness and to receive a mouth and wisdom to dare to speak in return to you who are led by the Holy Spirit, of whom hearing that you are a friend and a true glorifier, we acknowledge great grace for your firm and unwavering love for God, praying that our portion may be found with the true worshippers, among whom we are persuaded that your perfection also is, and we pray to the Lord, the great and true Bishop who has filled the whole world with his own wonder.

51. TO BISHOP BOSPORIUS

51.1 How do you think my soul was pained by the report of that slander, which some of those who do not fear the Judge poured out against me, who will destroy all who speak falsehood? So that I remained almost sleepless the whole night over the words of your love, so deeply did the grief touch my heart. For truly, according to Solomon, "Slander humbles a man," and no one is so callous as not to suffer in his soul and be bowed down to the earth, having fallen victim to mouths ready for falsehood. But it is necessary to endure all things, to bear all things, casting the vengeance for ourselves upon the Lord, who will not overlook us, because "He who slanders the poor man provokes the one who made him." But those who composed this new drama of blasphemy against us seem to be completely unfaithful to the Lord, who declared that we will give an account even for an idle word on the day of judgment. But I, tell me, did I anathematize the most blessed Dianius? For this is what they have reported of us. Where or when? In whose presence? On what pretext? With mere words or in writing? Following others or myself initiating and authoring the audacious act? Oh, the shamelessness of those who utter everything so readily! Oh, the contempt for the judgments of God! Unless, perhaps, they add this to their fiction, that I was once even out of my mind, so as to be ignorant of my own words. For being in my right mind, I know I have done nothing of the sort, nor did I choose it in the first place. But this I know better about myself, that from my earliest youth I was brought up with affection for him, and I looked up to the man, as venerable to behold, as magnificent, and as having a sacred dignity in his appearance. But when speech was then also mine, then indeed I came to know him from the goods of his soul, and I rejoiced in his company, learning the simplicity and nobility and liberality of his ways and whatever other things were characteristic of the man, the gentleness of his soul, his greatness of nature together with his mildness, his comeliness, his freedom from anger, his cheerful and approachable manner mixed with gravity. So that I counted him among the most distinguished in virtue. 51.2 However, concerning the last things of his life (for not

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50.τ ΙΝΝΟΚΕΝΤΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ

50.1 Καὶ τίνι ἄλλῳ ἔπρεπε καὶ δειλοῖς θάρσος ἐμποιεῖν καὶ καθεύδοντας

διυπνίζειν, ἢ τῇ σῇ τοῦ ἡμετέρου ∆εσπότου θεοσεβείᾳ, ὃς τὴν ἐν πᾶσι σεαυτοῦ τελειότητα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώρισας, τῷ καταδέξασθαι καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ταπει νοῖς συγκαταβῆναι, ὡς ἀληθινὸς μαθητὴς τοῦ εἰπόντος ὅτι «Ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν», οὐχ ὡς ὁ ἀνακείμενος, ἀλλ' «Ὡς ὁ διακονῶν». Κατηξίωσας γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς διακονῆσαι ἡμῖν τὴν σὴν πνευματικὴν εὐφροσύνην καὶ τοῖς τιμίοις ἑαυτοῦ γράμμασιν ἀναλαβεῖν ἡμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς καὶ ὥσπερ παίδων νηπιότητα τῷ ἑαυτοῦ μεγέθει προσαγκαλίσασθαι. Εὔχου οὖν (δεόμεθά σου τῆς ἀγαθῆς ψυχῆς) ἀξίους ἡμᾶς εἶναι καὶ ὑποδέχεσθαι τὰς παρὰ τῶν μεγάλων ὑμῶν ὠφε λείας καὶ λαμβάνειν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν εἰς τὸ τολμᾶν ἀντιφθέγγεσθαι ὑμῖν τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀγο μένοις, οὗ φίλον σε εἶναι καὶ δοξαστῆρα ἀληθινὸν ἀκού οντες, μεγάλην ἐπὶ τῇ στερρᾷ σου καὶ ἀκλινεῖ περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπῃ τὴν χάριν ὁμολογοῦμεν, εὐχόμενοι μετὰ τῶν ἀληθινῶν προσκυνητῶν εὑρεθῆναι ἡμῶν τὸ μέρος, ἐν οἷς πεπείσμεθα εἶναι καὶ τὴν σὴν τελειότητα, καὶ τοῦ μεγά λου καὶ ἀληθινοῦ Ἐπισκόπου τοῦ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην τοῦ ἰδίου πληρώσαντος θαύματος, τοῦ Κυρίου δεόμεθα.

51.τ ΒΟΣΠΟΡΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ

51.1 Πῶς μου οἴει τὴν ψυχὴν ὠδύνησεν ἡ ἀκοὴ τῆς συκο φαντίας ἐκείνης, ἣν

κατέχεάν μού τινες τῶν μὴ φοβου μένων τὸν Κριτήν, ὃς ἀπολεῖ πάντας τοὺς λαλοῦντας τὸ ψεῦδος; Ὥστε πᾶσαν τὴν νύκτα ἐπὶ τοῖς ῥήμασι τῆς ἀγάπης σου ὀλίγου δεῖν ἄϋπνον διαμεῖναι, οὕτω μέσης ἥψατό μου τῆς καρδίας ἡ λύπη. Ὄντως γάρ, κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα, «Συκοφαντία ἄνδρα ταπεινοῖ», καὶ οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἀνάλγητος ὡς μὴ παθεῖν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ κατα καμφθῆναι εἰς γῆν, στόμασιν εἰς ψευδολογίαν εὐκόλοις παραπεσών. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀνάγκη πάντα στέγειν, πάντα ὑπο μένειν, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν ἐκδίκησιν ἐπιρρίψαντας τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὃς οὐ περιόψεται ἡμᾶς, διότι «Ὁ συκοφαντῶν πένητα παροξύνει τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτόν». Οἱ μέντοι τὸ καινὸν τοῦτο δρᾶμα τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν βλασφημίας συνθέντες ἐοίκασι παντελῶς ἀπιστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὃς καὶ περὶ ἀργοῦ ῥήματος δώσειν ἡμᾶς λόγον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως ἀπεφήνατο. Ἐγὼ δέ, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν μακαριώτατον ∆ιάνιον ἀνεθεμάτισα; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῶν κατήγγειλαν. Ποῦ ἢ πότε; Τίνων παρόντων; Ἐπὶ ποίᾳ προφάσει; Ψιλοῖς ῥήμασιν ἢ ἐγγράφοις; Ἑτέροις ἀκολουθῶν ἢ αὐτὸς κατάρχων καὶ αὐθεντῶν τοῦ τολμήματος; Ὢ τῆς ἀναιδείας τῶν πάντα φθεγγομένων ῥᾳδίως. Ὢ τῆς καταφρονήσεως τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων. Πλὴν εἰ μὴ ἄρα τῷ πλάσματι αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦτο προστραγῳδήσωσιν, ὅτι ἐγενόμην καὶ ἔκφρων ποτέ, ὥστε ἀγνοεῖν αὐτὸς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ῥήματα. Ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν λογισμῶν ὑπάρχων τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ, οὐδὲν οἶδα ποιήσας τοιοῦτον, οὐδὲ προελόμενος τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μᾶλλον ἐμαυτῷ συνε πίσταμαι, ὅτι ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας συνετράφην τῷ περὶ αὐτὸν φίλτρῳ, καὶ ἀπέβλεπον πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, ὡς μὲν γεραρὸς ἰδεῖν, ὡς δὲ μεγαλοπρεπής, ὅσον δὲ ἔχων τὸ ἱεροπρεπὲς ἐν τῷ εἴδει. Ἐπεὶ δέ μοι λοιπὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος παρῆν, τότε δὴ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθῶν αὐτὸν ἐπεγίνωσκον, καὶ ἔχαιρον αὐτοῦ τῇ συνουσίᾳ, τὸ ἁπλοῦν καὶ γενναῖον καὶ ἐλευθέριον τῶν τρόπων καταμανθάνων καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἦν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἴδια, ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμερότης, τὸ μεγαλοφυές τε ὁμοῦ καὶ πρᾶον, τὸ εὐπρεπές, τὸ ἀόργη τον, τὸ φαιδρὸν καὶ εὐπρόσιτον τῇ σεμνότητι κεκραμένον. Ὥστε αὐτὸν ἐναρίθμιον εἶχον τοῖς περιφανεστάτοις κατ' ἀρετήν. 51.2 Περὶ μέντοι τὰ τελευταῖα τοῦ βίου (οὐ γὰρ