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The lack of necessaries spoils the benefit from the treatment. For not only is there a scarcity here of medicines and of the other things that can restore a worn-out body, but already even famine and pestilence are expected. And the continuance of the raids of brigands is now bringing forth these evils, which, pouring out to the furthest parts of the roads and walling off the roads that are cut everywhere, from this bring great danger also to travellers. Andronicus, at any rate, as he says, also fell into their hands and having been stripped was thus saved. Therefore I entreat your Grace to send no one here henceforth. For there is a fear lest the occasion of the journey to us become a pretext for slaughter for the one who comes; and you know how much pain it will bring us. But if you should get hold of some trustworthy person arriving here on other business, through him make known to us the news of your health. Specifically, however, let no one come here for this purpose, not even for our need, because of the fear which we have mentioned before.

16.t LETTER 10

16.1 Nothing strange or unlikely has happened to your Piety, but it is very likely and consistent that through the succession of repeated temptations, the sinews of your soul have become stronger, and your eagerness and strength for the struggles greater, and that from this you have reaped much pleasure. For such is the nature of affliction; whenever it lays hold of a noble and youthful soul, it is its nature to produce these results. And just as fire makes gold more refined when it comes into contact with it, so also affliction, coming upon golden souls, makes them purer and more refined. Therefore Paul also said: "Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, character." For these reasons we also leap and rejoice and reap the greatest consolation of this wilderness at this courage of yours. For these reasons, even if ten thousand wolves should surround you and many assemblies of evil-doers, we fear nothing; but we pray that the existing temptations be extinguished and that others not be added, fulfilling the Lord's law which commands to pray not to enter into temptation. But if indeed it should be permitted to happen again, we are confident for your golden soul which from this also gathers for itself the greatest wealth. For with what will they be able to frighten you, those who dare everything against their own head? With the loss of money? But I know well that these things are considered by you to be dust and more worthless than any clay. But with expulsion from homeland and house? But you know how to inhabit even the great and populous cities just like the deserts, having lived all your time in tranquility and quietness and having trampled upon the illusions of this life. But do they threaten death? But you, anticipating this also, have practiced it throughout all your time, and if they should drag you to slaughter, they will drag a dead body to it. Why is it necessary to say many things? No one will be able to inflict anything upon you for which he will not find the endurance long since perfected in you with great abundance. For having always travelled the narrow and afflicted way, you have been trained in all these things. Therefore, having practiced this most beautiful knowledge in the training-schools, you have now appeared more brilliant in the contests, not only not at all disturbed by the things that are happening, but also taking wing and leaping and dancing. For of those things for which you undertook the training, you now handle the contests of these things with much ease in a woman's body that is weaker than spiderwebs, trampling down with much laughter the madness of vigorous men gnashing their teeth, and being ready to suffer more things than they

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λυμαίνεται τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς θεραπείας ὠφέλειαν ἡ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀπορία. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον φαρμάκων ἐνταῦθα σπάνις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν δυναμένων διορθῶσαι σῶμα πεπονηκός, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ λιμὸς μελετᾶται καὶ λοιμός. Καὶ ταῦτα λοιπὸν ὠδίνει τὰ κακὰ ἡ συνέχεια τῶν λῃστρικῶν ἐφόδων, αἳ μέχρι πορρωτάτω τῶν ὁδῶν ἐκχεόμεναι καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἀποτειχίζουσαι τὰς πανταχοῦ τετμημένας, ἐντεῦθεν πολὺν καὶ ὁδοιπόροις ἐπάγουσι κίνδυνον. Ἀνδρόνικος γοῦν, καθώς φησι, καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνων περιέπεσε χερσὶ καὶ ἀποδυθεὶς οὕτω διεσώθη. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ σου τὴν ἐμμέλειαν μηδένα λοιπὸν ἀποστέλλειν ἐνταῦθα. ∆έος γὰρ μὴ τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποδημίας ἡ ὑπόθεσις ἀφορμὴ τῷ παραγινομένῳ σφαγῆς γένηται· καὶ οἶσθα ὅσην ἡμῖν οἴσει τὴν ὀδύνην. Ἀλλ' εἴ τινος ἐπιλάβοιο γνησίου κατὰ χρείαν ἑτέραν ἐνταῦθα ἀφικνουμένου, δι' αὐτοῦ δήλου τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας ἡμῖν τῆς σῆς. Ἰδικῶς μέντοι εἰς τοῦτο μηδεὶς ἐνταῦθα παραγινέσθω, μηδὲ δι' ἡμετέραν χρείαν, διὰ τὸ δέος ὃ προειρήκαμεν.

16.t ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Ιʹ

16.1 Οὐδὲν ξένον οὐδὲ ἀπεικὸς γέγονεν ἐπὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας τῆς σῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα εἰκὸς καὶ ἀκόλουθον τὸ τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν ἐπαλλήλων πειρασμῶν, εὐτονώτερά σοι γενέσθαι τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ νεῦρα καὶ μείζονα πρὸς τὰ παλαίσματα τὴν προθυμίαν καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπώσασθαί σε τὴν ἡδονήν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς θλίψεως ἡ φύσις, ὅταν γενναίας καὶ νεανικῆς ἐπιλάβηται ψυχῆς, ταῦτα ἐργάζεσθαι πέφυκεν. Καὶ καθάπερ τὸ πῦρ δοκιμώτερον ποιεῖ τὸ χρυσίον, ὅταν αὐτῷ συγγένηται, οὕτω καὶ ταῖς χρυσαῖς ψυχαῖς ἐπιοῦσα θλῖψις καθαρωτέρας αὐτὰς ἐργάζεται καὶ δοκιμωτέρας. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· «Ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν.» ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς σκιρτῶμεν καὶ χαίρομεν καὶ τῆς ἐρημίας ταύτης μεγίστην καρπούμεθα παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ σου ταύτῃ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα, κἂν μυρίοι σε κυκλώσωσι λύκοι καὶ πολλαὶ συναγωγαὶ πονηρευομένων, οὐδὲν δεδοίκαμεν· ἀλλ' εὐχόμεθα μὲν καὶ τοὺς ὄντας σβεσθῆναι πειρασμοὺς καὶ ἐτέρους δὲ μὴ προσγενέσθαι, δεσποτικὸν πληροῦντες νόμον τὸν κελεύοντα εὔχεσθαι μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν. Εἰ δ' ἄρα συγχωρηθείη γενέσθαι πάλιν, θαρροῦμεν ὑπὲρ τῆς χρυσῆς σου ψυχῆς τῆς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μέγιστον ἑαυτῇ συναγούσης πλοῦτον. Τίνι γάρ σε δεδίξεσθαι δυνήσονται οἱ κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν πάντα τολμῶντες κεφαλῆς; Ζημίᾳ χρημάτων; Ἀλλ' εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι κόνις σοι ταῦτα καὶ πηλοῦ παντὸς εὐτελέστερα εἶναι νομίζεται. Ἀλλὰ πατρίδος ἐκβολῇ καὶ οἰκίας; Ἀλλ' οἶσθα σὺ καὶ τὰς μεγάλας καὶ πολυανθρώπους πόλεις καθάπερ τὰς ἐρήμους οὕτως οἰκεῖν, ἡσυχίᾳ καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ τὸν πάντα συζήσασα χρόνον καὶ τὰς βιωτικὰς καταπατήσασα φαντασίας. Ἀλλὰ θάνατον ἀπειλοῦσιν; Ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ τοῦτο προλαβοῦσα διὰ παντὸς ἐμελέτησας τοῦ χρόνου, κἂν ἑλκύσωσιν ἐπὶ σφαγήν, νεκρὸν ἐπὶ ταύτην ἕλξουσι σῶμα. Τί δεῖ τὰ πολλὰ λέγειν; Οὐδείς σε οὐδὲν ἐργάσασθαι δυνήσεται τοιοῦτον οὗ τὴν ὑπομονὴν μετὰ πολλῆς οὐχ εὑρήσει τῆς περιουσίας ἐν σοὶ πάλαι κατορθωθεῖσαν. Τὴν γὰρ στενὴν ἀεὶ καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύσασα ὁδὸν ἐν ἅπασιν ἐγυμνάσω τούτοις. ∆ιόπερ τὴν καλλίστην ταύτην ἐπιστήμην ἐν τοῖς γυμνασίοις ἀσκήσασα, νῦν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι λαμπροτέρα ἀνεφάνης, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν γινομένων θορυβουμένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ πτερουμένη καὶ σκιρτῶσα καὶ χορεύουσα. Ὧν γὰρ προσέλαβες τὰ γυμνάσια, τούτων τοὺς ἀγῶνας μετὰ πολλῆς νῦν μεταχειρίζεις τῆς εὐκολίας ἐν γυναικείῳ σώματι καὶ ἀραχνίων ἀσθενεστέρῳ ἀνδρῶν σφριγώντων καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας βρυχόντων μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ γέλωτος τὴν μανίαν καταπατοῦσα καὶ πλείονα ἑτοίμη οὖσα παθεῖν ἢ ἐκεῖνοι