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he should remember God, but he also rejoices; 20I remembered20, he says, 20God and was glad20. 223.4 Those also who are attached to the world feel pain, and much more so than those who serve God; but their pain is without reward; for us, even to suffer has a reward, when we endure for God's sake. 223.5 For come, let us weigh the painful things against the pleasant, and the present things against the future, and we will not find these to be even a small fraction of those; so much do the better things exceed. 223.6 A good medicine for us, therefore, when we are in pain, is to then remember God and the hopes from there and to experience what David did, 20to be enlarged in distress20, but not to be straitened in our thoughts nor to be covered by grief as by a cloud, but then especially to hold fast to hope and to look towards the blessedness laid up there for those who endure. 223.7 And we would be especially persuaded to persevere in terrible things and to be above the many when we are in pain, if we would consider what we professed to God and what we hoped for when we approached philosophy; 223.8 to be rich? to be cheerful? to prosper in this life? Or from the opposites: to be afflicted? to suffer hardship? to be in distress? 20to bear all things, to endure all things20 for the hope of things to come? These things, I know, not those, we expected. 223.9 I fear, therefore, that we may even be false to our covenants with God, when we both seek to have these things and hope for those. Let us not destroy the business, but let us bear these things for the sake of obtaining those. 223.10 Those who afflicted us have afflicted us, those who departed have grieved us; but let us keep our soul unenslaved to the passions. Thus we will overcome those who grieve us. 223.11 And consider this: for whom are we afflicted? Is it not for those who have passed away? And what could we do to please them? Is it not by enduring? Let us therefore grant this to them; for I am persuaded that the souls of the saints are aware of our affairs. 223.12 On top of all and before all, let us consider this, that it is absurd to be a philosopher outside of necessity, but in passions to appear unphilosophical, and not to become an example to the many, just as of thanksgiving in cheerful times, so also of endurance in terrible times. 223.13 And I write these things, not teaching one who is ignorant, but reminding one who already knows. But may the 20God of comfort20 keep you unwounded by the passions, and grant to us to see your piety again and to be persuaded by your works that our labor was not in vain, but that we are something more to you than the others, 223.14 as we have shared in the affliction, so also having received a partner in philosophy, which perhaps is owed to this our gray hair and our labors for God. 224.T TO AFRICANUS 224.1 In what do horses most delight? Clearly, in horses. And eagles, in what? In none other than eagles. And you hear the proverb, "a jackdaw settles next to a jackdaw." 224.2 So also, think that an Attic man delights in Attic men, and one who pursues goodness and nobility delights in a lover and champion of it. 224.3 For this is what a ruler seems to me to be: a helper of virtue and an antagonist of vice, whether he rules a bloodless rule like us, or one with sword and baldric. 224.4 For we will not even attribute bloodshed to you, knowing that you rule by virtue, not restraining by violence, and punishing the wicked by fear rather than by deed, which is the definition of the best rule. 224.5 For these reasons, indeed, the matter of meeting you was very important to me and still is; but not having any way to achieve this on account of my illness, I have necessarily come to writing, and what is best, that I address you through a man who is a kinsman and friend and relative, the most honorable Nicobulus, who is everything to me, who will also speak in my defense to you (and the man is trustworthy, if any other is, as far as I know), and through us he will make himself known to your perfection. 225.T TO HELLEBICHUS 225.1 What losses we suffer from illness; I ought to have run to you and embraced you and reminded you of our old friendship and acquaintance. 225.2 But things are not so for us

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μνησθῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐφραίνεται· 20Ἐμνήσθην20 γάρ, φησι, 20τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εὐφράνθην20. 223.4 Ἀλγοῦσι καὶ οἱ τῷ κόσμῳ προστετη κότες καὶ πολὺ πλείονα τῶν τῷ Θεῷ δουλευόντων· ἀλλ' ἄμισθον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἀλγεῖν· ἡμῖν δὲ καὶ τὸ πάσχειν ἔμμισθον, ὅταν διὰ τὸν Θεὸν καρτερῶμεν. 223.5 Φέρε γὰρ ἀντισταθμήσωμεν τὰ λυπηρὰ τοῖς ἡδέσι καὶ τὰ παρόντα τοῖς μέλλουσι, καὶ οὐδὲ πολλοστὸν μέρος εὑρήσομεν ταῦτα ἐκείνων· τοσοῦτον ὑπερβάλλει τὰ χρηστότερα. 223.6 Καλὸν οὖν φάρμακον ἡμῖν, ὅταν ὀδυ νώμεθα, τότε μεμνῆσθαι Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδων καὶ τὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ πάσχειν, 20ἐν θλίψει πλατύνεσθαι20, ἀλλὰ μὴ στενοχωρεῖσθαι τοῖς λογισμοῖς μηδὲ ὥσπερ νέφει τῇ λύπῃ καλύπτεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα τῆς ἐλπίδος ἔχεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκεῖθεν διαβλέπειν μακαριότητα τὴν ἀποκειμένην τοῖς ὑπομένουσι. 223.7 Μάλιστα δ' ἂν οὕτω πεισθείημεν ἐγκαρτερεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς εἶναι ὅταν ἀλγῶμεν, εἰ ἐνθυμηθείημεν τί ἐπηγγει λάμεθα τῷ Θεῷ καί τί ἠλπίσαμεν ὅτε τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ προσέ βημεν· 223.8 πλουτεῖν; εὐθυμεῖν; εὐημερεῖν κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον; ἢ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων θλίβεσθαι; κακοπαθεῖν; στενοχωρεῖσθαι; 20πάντα στέγειν, πάντα ὑπομένειν20 διὰ τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδα; Ταῦτα, οἶδα, οὐκ ἐκεῖνα προσεδοκήσαμεν. 223.9 Φοβοῦμαι οὖν μὴ καὶ τὰς συνθήκας τὰς πρὸς Θεὸν ψευδώμεθα, ὅταν καὶ ταῦτα ζητῶμεν ἔχειν κἀκεῖνα ἐλπίζωμεν. Μὴ καταλύσωμεν τὴν πραγματείαν ἀλλ' ἐνέγκωμεν ταῦτα ὑπὲρ τοῦ τυχεῖν ἐκείνων. 223.10 Ἔθλιψαν ἡμᾶς οἱ θλίψαντες, ἠνίασαν οἱ μεταχωρήσαντες· ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἀδούλωτον τοῖς πάθεσι τὴν ψυχὴν φυλάξωμεν. Οὕτω τῶν λυπούντων κρατήσομεν. 223.11 Κἀκεῖνο σκόπει διὰ τίνα θλιβόμεθα· οὐ διὰ τοὺς μεταστάντας; Τί δ' ἂν ποιοῦντες ἐκείνοις χαρισαίμεθα; Οὐ καρτεροῦντες; Τοῦτο οὖν αὐτοῖς χαρισώμεθα· καὶ γὰρ πείθομαι τὰς τῶν ἁγίων ψυχὰς τῶν ἡμετέρων αἰσθά νεσθαι. 223.12 Ἐπὶ πᾶσι καὶ πρὸ πάντων ἐκεῖνο λογιζώ μεθα, ὅτι τῶν ἀτόπων ἐστὶν ἔξω μὲν τῆς ἀνάγκης φιλοσο φεῖν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πάθεσιν ἀφιλοσόφους φαίνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς τύπον γενέσθαι ὥσπερ τῆς ἐν τοῖς εὐθύμοις εὐχαριστίας, οὕτω καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς καρτε ρίας. 223.13 Καὶ ταῦτα γράφω, οὐχ ὡς ἀγνοοῦσαν διδάσκων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπισταμένην ὑπομιμνῄσκων. Ὁ δὲ 20Θεὸς τῆς παρακλήσεως20 σέ τε ἄτρωτον φυλάξειε τοῖς πάθεσι καὶ ἡμῖν γε χαρίσαιτο πάλιν ἰδεῖν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων πεισθῆναι ὅτι ὁ κόπος ἡμῶν οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐσμέν τι παρὰ σοὶ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων, 223.14 ὡς τῆς θλίψεως ἐκοινωνήσαμεν οὕτω καὶ τῆς φιλοσοφίας κοινωνὸν λαβόντες, ὃ τάχα τῇ πολιᾷ ἡμῶν ταύτῃ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν καμάτοις ὀφείλεται. 224.Τ ΑΦΡΙΚΑΝΩΙ 224.1 Τίσιν ἵπποι μάλιστα χαίρουσι; ∆ῆλον ὡς ἵπποις. Ἀετοὶ δὲ τίσι; Οὐκ ἄλλοις ἢ ἀετοῖς. Κολοιὸν δὲ ποτὶ κολοιὸν ἱζάνειν καὶ τῆς παροιμίας ἀκούεις. 224.2 Οὕτω δὴ καὶ Ἀττικὸν Ἀττικοῖς οἴου χαίρειν καὶ τὸν καλοκἀγαθίας μεταποιούμενον τῷ ταύτης ἐραστῇ καὶ προστάτῃ. 224.3 Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ ἄρχων εἶναί μοι φαίνεται, βοηθὸς ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀνταγωνιστὴς κακίας, κἂν τὴν ἀναίμακτον ἀρχὴν ἄρχῃ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, κἂν τὴν μετὰ ξίφους καὶ τελαμῶνος. 224.4 Αἷμα γὰρ οὐδέ σοι προσθήσομεν, ἀρετῇ κρατοῦντα γινώσκοντες, οὐ βίᾳ καθείργοντα, καὶ φόβῳ μᾶλλον ἢ ἔργῳ κολάζοντα τοὺς κακούς, ὅπερ τῆς ἀρίστης ὅρος ἀρχῆς. 224.5 ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα σφόδρα μὲν τὸ τῆς συντυχίας ἐσπουδάζετό μοι καὶ νῦν ἔτι σπουδάζεται· οὐκ ἔχων δὲ ὅπως τούτου τύχοιμι διὰ τὴν ἀρρωστίαν, ἀναγκαίως ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὰ γράμματα καὶ τὸ κάλλιστον, ὅτι προσφθέγ γομαί σε δι' ἀνδρὸς οἰκείου καὶ φίλου καὶ συγγενοῦς, τοῦ τιμιωτάτου τὰ πάντα ἐμοὶ Νικοβούλου, ὃς καὶ ἀπολογή σεταί σοι περὶ ἡμῶν (ἀξιόπιστος δὲ ὁ ἀνήρ, εἴπερ ἄλλος τις, ὅσα δὴ ἐμὲ γινώσκειν), καὶ δι' ἡμῶν ἑαυτὸν γνωρίσει τῇ σῇ τελειότητι. 225.Τ ΕΛΛΕΒΙΧΩΙ 225.1 Οἷα ζημιούμεθα παρὰ τῆς ἀρρωστίας· προσδραμεῖν ἔδει καὶ περιπτύξασθαι καὶ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἀναμνῆσαι φιλίας καὶ συνηθείας. 225.2 Ἔχει δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν τὰ τοῦ