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an addition would greatly benefit two horses, but for us the favor is recorded. 198.5 And let this also be added; help the misfortune of the man, grievously crushed by an accident. 199.T TO THE SAME 199.1 If I seem burdensome to you by writing often, do not be surprised, or I will accuse you to yourself, the just judge, and I know that you will acquit me of the charge. 199.2 You yourself have become the cause of my boldness, by readily offering what I ask, inviting me to do so; and it is no wonder. For there are many reasons for which you would readily grant the favor: old age, illness, our fellowship in letters (if indeed our own contribution counts for anything in letters), the very fact that I long for a meeting, but am prevented by my weakness and miss so great a thing. 199.3 But what is the embassy? and if it is unjust, I would be ashamed before so great a man; but if it is just, grant it readily. 199.4 Again our most revered son Theodosius comes to your learning, who is mine and yours, my observer but your suppliant. And he has come to plead on behalf of a pitiful matter; orphans are in danger, and the human lot, uncertain in its midst, as to what it will come to, and we dread the removal of a father who has relieved the orphanhood of many. 199.5 Grant this one favor to them all; give a hand to the misfortune, which you yourself will experience. 199.6 For your office needs no addition for its good repute, any more than the Morning Star needs brightness; but if you seek any addition, know well that none could be greater or more splendid than this, as many who wish to speak the truth will teach of your goodness. 200.T TO THE SAME 200.1 You made your rule a philosophy for us, and I know that you will do so, if indeed God cares for our affairs. 200.2 Nevertheless, it were best to be with you now, when you have leisure, which you desired, from public affairs, and it is possible in quiet to enjoy your wisdom, of which having partaken a little, and as much as of a flash of lightning that the sight cannot hold, we have missed the greater part. 200.3 But to pray for this is a great thing, but to receive it is not easy, since our body is in the state that it is. 200.4 If then we should obtain this, we shall have everything (for you also owe us some conversation from your promise concerning our discourse, which you left somehow incomplete); but if not, we ourselves will unwillingly bear the loss. 200.5 But know that you are with us, wherever you may be, and may you be guided by our prayers. 200.6 And know yourself that you remain with us, as long as we breathe, in those on whom you inscribed yourself, no less honored than any pillar, and you will inscribe yourself even more, whenever you become God's and clearly ours, or we yours, if it is more pleasant to say so.

201.T TO THE SAME 201.1 What is this? You passed us by without our knowing, and

it was not possible to grasp you, any more than for those nearby to hold an echo, thinking they have it and being deceived by its replies; truly this one thing of all things we would have seized tyrannically. 201.2 But at least write to us, O wonderful man, and we shall have this instead of you, a shadow, as they say, instead of a body. 203.T TO VALENTINIAN 203.1 We are driven from Karbala 20most unholily20, for I will use the word from tragedy, slightly altered. We are driven out not at all in word, but in deed and very forcefully. 203.2 For it were much better to proclaim our withdrawal by a public notice than by means of the women whom you have settled as our representatives, cutting away the dignity of our life and yoking us to daily indecency and slander from those who readily insult men who have chosen to live as we do. 203.3 And if it is not too bold to say, you have cast us also out of paradise through Eve. For it is easy to find some specious pretext and absolve yourself and seem to speak justly, as that we are neither being pushed out by you and are honored by your wish to be our neighbor; 203.4 and you will perhaps add that you also wish to greet us in a friendly and kinsmanlike way and to enjoy something of our friendship. But this is word, not deed. 203.5 For when you visit the place we both receive and greet you; but by the households of women

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ἂν μέγα ὀνήσαιεν ἵππω δύο προστίμησις, ἡμῖν δὲ ἡ χάρις ἀνάγραπτος. 198.5 Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προσ κείσθω· τῇ συμφορᾷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς βοήθησον σφόδρα συντριβέντος ἀπὸ συμπτώματος. 199.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 199.1 Εἴ σοι δοκῶ φορτικὸς συχνὰ ἐπιστέλλων, μηδὲν θαυμάσῃς, ἢ κατερῶ σου πρὸς σὲ τὸν δίκαιον δικαστήν, καὶ οἶδ' ὅτι ἀφήσεις με τῆς αἰτίας. 199.2 Αὐτός μοι τοῦ θαρρεῖν αἴτιος γέγονας τῷ προθύμως παρέχειν τὸ αἰτεῖν προκαλούμενος· καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστιν οἷς προθύμως ἂν δοίης τὴν χάριν, τὸ γῆρας, ἡ ἀρρωστία, ἡ κοινωνία τῶν λόγων (εἴπερ τι καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον ἐν λόγοις), αὐτὸ τὸ ποθεῖν με τὴν συντυχίαν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀσθενείας κωλύεσθαι καὶ διαμαρτάνειν τοσούτου πράγματος. 199.3 Ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ πρεσβεία; καὶ εἰ μὲν ἄδικος, αἰσχυνοίμην ἂν ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον· εἰ δὲ δικαία, προθύμως ἐπίνευσον. 199.4 Πάλιν ὁ αἰδεσιμώτατος υἱὸς ἡμῶν Θεοδόσιος ἥκει πρὸς τὴν σὴν λογιότητα, ὁ ἐμὸς καὶ σός, σκοπὸς μὲν ἐμός, σὸς δὲ ἱκέτης. Καὶ ἥκει πρεσβεύων ὑπὲρ ἐλεεινοῦ πράγματος· ὀρφανοὶ κινδυνεύουσι, καὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἐν μέσῳ ἄδηλον ὂν εἰς ὃ περιστήσεται, καὶ μετάστασιν αἰδούμεθα πατρὸς πολλοῖς ὀρφανίαν ἐπικουφίσαντος. 199.5 Μίαν τοῖς πᾶσι κατάθου χάριν· δὸς χεῖρα τῇ συμφορᾷ, ἣν αὐτὸς δοκι μάσεις. 199.6 ∆εῖται μὲν γὰρ οὐδεμιᾶς προσθήκης εἰς εὐδοξίαν ἡ σὴ ἀρχή, οὐδὲ γὰρ λαμπρότητος Ἑωσφόρος· εἰ δέ τινα καὶ προσθήκην ζητεῖς, οὐκ ἂν μείζων ταύτης, εὖ ἴσθι, οὐδὲ λαμπροτέρα γένοιτο, ὡς πολλοὶ τἀληθῆ βουλόμενοι λέγειν τὴν σὴν καλοκἀγαθίαν διδάξουσιν. 200.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 200.1 Ἐποίεις μὲν ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ οἶδ' ὅτι ποιήσεις, εἴ γε τῷ Θεῷ μέλει τῶν ἡμετέρων. 200.2 Ὅμως δὲ κράτιστον ἦν νῦν συγγενέσθαι σοι, ἡνίκα σχολὴν ἄγεις, ὅπερ ἐπόθεις, ἀπὸ τῶν δημοσίων, καὶ καθ' ἡσυχίαν ἔξεστι τῆς σῆς ἀπολαύειν συνέσεως, ἧς ὀλίγα μετασχόντες, καὶ ὅσα γε ἀστραπῆς τῆς ὄψει μὴ κρατουμένης, τοῦ πλείονος διημάρτομεν. 200.3 Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο εὔξασθαι μὲν μέγα, λαβεῖν δὲ οὐ ῥᾷστον, οὕτως ἔχοντος ἡμῖν, ὥσπερ ἔχει, τοῦ σώματος. 200.4 Εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ τούτου τύχοιμεν, τὸ πᾶν ἕξομεν (καὶ γάρ τινα καὶ χρεωστεῖς ἡμῖν συνουσίαν ἐξ ὑποσχέσεως περὶ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς, ἥν πως ἀτελῆ κατέλιπες)· εἰ δὲ μή, αὐτοὶ μὲν τὴν ζημίαν οἴσομεν ἄκοντες. 200.5 Σὺ δὲ ἴσθι μεθ' ἡμῶν ὤν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ᾖς, καὶ ὁδηγοῖο ταῖς ἡμετέραις εὐχαῖς. 200.6 Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ἴσθι παρ' ἡμῖν μένων, ἕως ἂν ἐμπνέωμεν, οἷς σαυτὸν ἐνέγραψας, οὐδεμιᾶς στήλης ἀτιμοτέροις, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγγράψεις, ἐπειδὰν γένῃ Θεοῦ καὶ σαφῶς ἡμέτερος, ἢ σοί γε ἡμεῖς, εἰ τοῦτο λέγεσθαι ἥδιον.

201.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 201.1 Τί τοῦτο; παρέδραμες ἡμᾶς ἀγνοήσαντας, καὶ

λαβέσθαι οὐκ ἦν, οὐ μᾶλλόν γε ἢ τῆς ἠχοῦς τοὺς πλησίον ἔχειν αὐτὴν νομίζοντας καὶ ἀπατωμένους ταῖς ἀντιρρή σεσιν· ἦ τοῦτο μόνον ἂν τῶν πάντων ἐτυραννήσαμεν. 201.2 Ἀλλ' ἐπιστέλλοις γε ἡμῖν, ὦ θαυμάσιε, καὶ τοῦτο ἕξομεν ἀντὶ σοῦ, σκιάν, ὃ δὴ λέγεται, ἀντὶ σώματος. 203.Τ ΟΥΑΛΕΝΤΙΝΙΑΝΩΙ 203.1 Ἐξελαυνόμεθα Καρβάλης 20ἀνοσιώτατα20, συγχρή σομαι γὰρ τῷ τῆς τραγῳδίας, μικρὸν ἐναλλάξας. Ἐξελαυ νόμεθα δὲ λόγῳ μὲν οὐδαμῶς, ἔργῳ δὲ καὶ πάνυ σφοδρῶς. 203.2 Πολλῷ γὰρ βέλτιον ἦν προγράμματι κηρύξαι τὴν ὑποχώρησιν ἢ γυναιξίν, ἃς ἀντιπροσώπους ἡμῶν συνῴ κισας, τὸ σεμνὸν τοῦ βίου περικόπτων καὶ καθημερινὴν ἀσχημοσύνην καὶ βλασφημίαν παραζευγνὺς παρὰ τῶν ῥᾳδίως ἐπηρεαζόντων τοῖς οὕτω ζῆν ἑλομένοις, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς. 203.3 Εἰ δὲ μὴ τολμηρὸν εἰπεῖν, καὶ ἡμᾶς τοῦ παραδείσου διὰ τῆς Εὔας ἐκβέβληκας. Ῥᾴδιον μὲν γὰρ εὑρεῖν εὐπρεπές τι καὶ ἀφοσιώσασθαι καὶ δόξαι δίκαια λέγειν, ὡς οὔτε ἐξωθούμεθα παρὰ σοῦ καὶ τιμώμεθα γειτνιᾶν ἡμῖν θέλοντος· 203.4 προσθήσεις δὲ ἴσως, ὅτι καὶ δεξιοῦσθαι φιλικῶς τε καὶ συγγενικῶς καί τι παραπο λαύειν τῆς φιλίας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Τὸ δὲ λόγος, οὐκ ἔργον ἐστίν. 203.5 Ὑμᾶς μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδημοῦντας τῷ τόπῳ καὶ δεχόμεθα καὶ ἀσπαζόμεθα· οἰκαρχίαις δὲ γυναικῶν