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are being prepared. Blessed are you and thrice-blessed for the crowns from here, or rather, for the struggles themselves. For such is the nature of these struggles, that even before the prizes, and in the very wrestling pits, it holds both the rewards and the recompenses, the pleasure which you are now reaping, the gladness, the courage, the fortitude, the endurance, the incorruptibility, the invincibility, the being higher than all things, the training of yourself so as to be able to suffer no harm from anyone, the standing on the rock when so many waves are breaking, the being carried by a fair wind with much calm while the sea is raging. These are the rewards of tribulation here, even before the kingdom of heaven. For I know, I know that now, winged by pleasure, you do not even think you are clothed in a body, but if the time calls, you would more easily cast it off than others the garments they wear. Rejoice therefore and be glad, both for yourself and for those who have died the blessed death, not in bed nor in a house, but in prisons and chains and tortures. But mourn and weep only for those who do these things. For this too is worthy of your philosophy. But since you wish to learn also about the health of our body, we have for the time being been freed from the illness that was formerly troubling us and are now in a better condition; unless the winter, coming on again, should harm the weakness of our stomach; and on account of the Isaurians, we are in great safety.

17.t EPISTLE 17

17.1 On account of the severity of the winter and the weakness of our stomach and the Isaurian raids, do not be anxious on our account nor wear yourself out with cares. For the winter has been such as is likely to be in Armenia; for there is no need to say more; but it does not harm us much. For foreseeing these things, we contrive many things to ward off the harm from here, both by constantly lighting a fire and by fencing in the little room where we stay on all sides and by using many coverings and by always staying indoors. This is indeed burdensome for us, but on account of the gain from it, it is bearable. For as long as we stay indoors, we are not much afflicted by the cold; but if we are forced to go out a little and mingle with the outside air, we suffer no small harm. Wherefore I exhort your honorableness, and I ask it as a very great favor, to take much care to correct the weakness of your body. For despondency also causes illness; but when a body is also worn out and weakened, and lies in great neglect, and enjoys neither physicians nor temperate air nor an abundance of necessaries, consider that no small addition to the trouble comes from this. Wherefore I exhort your honorableness to use various and experienced physicians and medicines that are able to correct such things. Since we too, a few days ago, when our stomach was prone to vomiting from the state of the air, by using both other care and the medicine sent by my lady, the most honorable Synkletia, and not needing to apply it for more than three days, we corrected its weakness. I exhort you, therefore, to use it yourself and to have some of it prepared and sent to us again. For again, perceiving some relapse, we used it again and corrected the whole thing. For it suppresses deep-seated inflammations, draws up moisture, is moderately warm, imparts no ordinary strength, and stimulates the appetite for food, and of all these things we have had experience in a few days.

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παρασκευάζονται. Μακαρία σὺ καὶ τρισμακαρία τῶν ἐντεῦθεν στεφάνων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀγώνων. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν παλαισ μάτων ἡ φύσις τούτων, καὶ πρὸ τῶν βραβείων, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς σκάμμασιν ἔχει καὶ τὰς ἀμοιβὰς καὶ τὰς ἀντιδόσεις, τὴν ἡδονὴν ἣν καρποῦσαι νῦν, τὴν εὐφροσύνην, τὴν ἀνδρείαν, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν ὑπομονήν, τὸ ἀνάλωτον, τὸ ἀχείρωτον, τὸ πάντων ὑψηλοτέραν εἶναι, τὸ οὕτως ἑαυτὴν ἀσκῆσαι ὡς μηδὲν δύνασθαι παρὰ μηδενὸς παθεῖν δεινόν, τὸ τοσούτων κλυδωνίων γενομένων ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας ἑστάναι, τὸ τῆς θαλάσσης μαινομένης ἐξ οὐρίας φέρεσθαι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς γαλήνης. Ταῦτα τῆς θλίψεως καὶ πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐνταῦθα τὰ ἔπαθλα. Οἶδα γάρ, οἶδα ὅτι νῦν οὐδὲ περικεῖσθαι τὸ σῶμα ἡγῇ ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς πτερουμένη, ἀλλ' ἢν καιρὸς καλῇ, εὐκολώτερον αὐτὸ ἀποδύσῃ ἢ ἕτεροι τὰ ἱμάτια ἃ περίκεινται. Χαῖρε τοίνυν καὶ εὐφραίνου καὶ ὑπὲρ σαυτῆς καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν τὴν μακαρίαν τελευτησάντων τελευτὴν οὐκ ἐν κλίνῃ οὐδὲ ἐν οἰκίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις καὶ ἁλύσεσι καὶ βασάνοις. Θρήνει δὲ μόνους τοὺς ταῦτα ποιοῦντας καὶ δάκρυε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἄξιον τῆς σῆς φιλοσοφίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν ὑγιείας βούλει μανθάνειν, ἀπηλλάγημεν τέως τῆς πρώην ἐνοχλούσης ἡμῖν ἀρρωστίας καὶ ῥᾷον διακείμεθα νῦν· πλὴν εἰ μὴ πάλιν ἐπελθὼν ὁ χειμὼν λυμήνηται ἡμῖν τοῦ στομάχου τὴν ἀσθένειαν· καὶ τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἕνεκεν, ἐν πολλῇ καθεστήκαμεν ἀσφαλείᾳ.

17.t ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΙΖʹ

17.1 Τῆς σφοδρότητος ἕνεκεν τοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ τῆς τοῦ στομάχου ἡμῶν ἀσθενείας καὶ τῶν Ἰσαυρικῶν καταδρομῶν, μηδὲν ἕνεκεν ἡμῶν μερίμνα μηδὲ κατάτεινε σαυτὴν φροντίσιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ χειμὼν γέγονεν οἷον εἰκὸς ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ εἶναι· οὐδὲν γὰρ δεῖ πλέον εἰπεῖν· ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐ μέγα τι παραβλάπτει. Ταῦτα γὰρ προορῶντες πολλὰ μηχανώμεθα πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν διακρούσασθαι βλάβην καὶ πῦρ ἀνακαίοντες συνεχῶς καὶ τὸ δωμάτιον ἔνθα καταμένομεν πανταχόθεν περιφράττοντες καὶ ἐπιβλήμασι κεχρημένοι πλείοσι καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἔνδον μένοντες. Ὅπερ ἐστὶ μὲν ἡμῖν ἐπαχθές, πλὴν διὰ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος φορητόν. Ἕως γὰρ ἔνδον μένωμεν, οὐ σφόδρα κατατεινόμεθα τῷ κρυμῷ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀναγκασθῶμεν μικρὸν προελθεῖν καὶ τῷ ἔξω ὁμιλῆσαι ἀέρι, οὐ μικρὰν προστριβόμεθα βλάβην. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν τιμιότητά σου παρακαλῶ καὶ ἐν μεγίστης αἰτῶ χάριτος μέρει πολλὴν ποιεῖσθαι ἐπιμέλειαν, ὥστε τὴν τοῦ σώματός σου διορθοῦν ἀσθένειαν. Ποιεῖ μὲν γὰρ νόσον καὶ ἀθυμία· ὅταν δὲ καὶ σῶμα πεπονηκὸς ᾖ καὶ ἐξησθενημένον, καὶ ἐν ἀμελείᾳ κέηται πολλῇ, καὶ μήτε ἰατρῶν ἀπολαύῃ μήτε ἀέρων εὐκρασίας μήτε τῆς τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφθονίας, ἐννόησον ὅτι οὐ μικρὰ ἐντεῦθεν προσθήκη γίνεται τοῦ δεινοῦ. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ σου τὴν τιμιότητα καὶ ἰατροῖς διαφόροις καὶ ἐμπείροις καὶ φαρμάκοις χρῆσθαι τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα διορθοῦν δυναμένοις. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸ τούτων τῶν ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν, εὐεμπτώτως ἡμῖν ἔχοντος τοῦ στομάχου πρὸς τοὺς ἐμέτους ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἀέρος καταστάσεως τῇ τε ἄλλῃ ἐπιμελείᾳ χρησάμενοι καὶ τῷ φαρμάκῳ τῷ ἀπεσταλμένῳ παρὰ τῆς κυρίας μου τῆς κοσμιωτάτης Συγκλητίου, καὶ οὐ δεηθέντες πλέον ἢ τριῶν ἡμερῶν αὐτὸ ἐπιθεῖναι διωρθώσαμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀσθένειαν. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν καὶ αὐτήν σε χρήσασθαι τούτῳ καὶ παρασκευάσαι πάλιν ἡμῖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ πεμφθῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ πάλιν αἰσθανόμενοί τινος ἀνατροπῆς, πάλιν αὐτῷ ἐχρησάμεθα καὶ τὸ πᾶν διωρθώσαμεν. Καὶ γὰρ φλεγμονὰς καταστέλλει τὰς ἐν τῷ βάθει, νοτίδα ἀνιμᾶται καὶ συμμέτρως ἐστὶ θερμὸν καὶ τόνον ἐντίθησιν οὐ τὸν τυχόντα καὶ ὄρεξιν διεγείρει τὴν πρὸς τὰ σιτία καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων ἡμῖν ἐν ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις πεῖραν