John Chrysostom, Letters

The blessed Paul, even while living in a prison, and having been scourged, and drenched with blood, and bound to the wood, and suffering so many things, both initiated into the mysteries in the prison, and baptized the jailer, and did all that was in his power 52.678. Considering therefore all these and such things, as I have exhorted your love, stand firm, unmovable, undeceived, awaiting the hope of God, and the alliance from there, to which there is no equal; and be zealous to write back to us about everything at once. For this reason we also sent John the most devout presbyter for this purpose, to encourage your mind, and not to allow it to be shaken by anyone. I have done my part, both exhorting with words, and setting right with counsel, and providing an abundance of necessities, so that you might lack in nothing. But if you are not willing to bear with me, but to be persuaded by those who deceive you and stir you up, I am without blame. But you know upon whom this condemnation and this loss comes. So that nothing of the sort may happen, I beseech you to bear with me, who loves you exceedingly. And concerning whatever you may need, either write to us, or, if you wish, send someone to us, and you will lack nothing at all. 124. To Gemellus. Others indeed rejoice with your excellency at your office, but I with the city, and with your magnificence, not because of the honor from it—for you have made it your study to be above such things—but because you have received an opportunity which allows you with great freedom to show your intelligence to the many, and your gentleness, and to gather the profit from it. For I know well that you will be able to teach even those who are utterly nailed to the earth, and who gape at these dreams—I mean, the glory from the many—that a ruler consists not in the cloak, and the belt, nor in the voice of the herald, but in restoring what is distressed, and correcting what is amiss, and punishing injustice, while not allowing justice to be driven away by power. For I know your boldness, your freedom of speech, the loftiness of your mind, your contempt for the things of this life, your hatred of evil, your gentleness, your philanthropy, which a ruler especially needs. Wherefore I also know this clearly, that you will be a harbor for the shipwrecked, a staff for those brought to their knees, a tower for those warred against by unjust power; and you will be these things easily. For you need no toil, nor sweat, nor long time to accomplish these things; but just as the sun appears and at once dispels all darkness, so you also, having appeared on the throne, I know well that from the first day you have checked those who attempt to do wrong, and you have delivered the wronged from all insolence, even before they entered the court; and the reputation of your philosophic soul has been sufficient for this correction. For these reasons, although I am sitting in a desert, and am constrained by many circumstances, I am full of much gladness, considering the support of the wronged as our pleasure.

52.681 125. TO CYRIACUS THE BISHOP, HIMSELF ALSO IN EXILE.

Come now, let me again drain the wound of despondency, and scatter the

thoughts that gather this cloud. For what is it that grieves you and makes you distressed? Is it because the storm is severe and the shipwreck that has befallen the Church is bitter? This I also know, and no one will deny it; but if you wish, I will fashion for you an image of what is happening. We see the sea being stirred up from the very abyss below, the sailors, instead of rudders and oars, having wrapped their hands around their knees and being perplexed by the helplessness of the storm, seeing not the sky, not the sea, not the land, but lying on the decks, and lamenting, and weeping. And these things happen so on the sea; but now on our sea the tumult is worse, and the waves are worse. But exhort the Master

ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ μεμαστιγωμένος, καὶ αἵματι περιῤῥεόμενος, καὶ ξύλῳ προσδεδεμένος, καὶ τοσαύτα πάσχων, καὶ ἐμυσταγώγει ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, καὶ τὸν δεσμοφύλακα ἐβάπτιζε, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πάντα 52.678 ἐποίει. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λογιζόμενοι, καθάπερ ὑμῶν παρεκάλεσα τὴν ἀγάπην, στήκετε ἑδραῖοι, ἀμετακίνητοι, ἀνεξαπάτητοι, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλπίδα ἀναμένοντες, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν συμμαχίαν, ἧς ἴσον οὐδέν· καὶ ἀντιγράψαι ἡμῖν περὶ πάντων σπουδάσατε ἐξ αὐτῆς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν εὐλαβέστατον πρεσβύτερον εἰς τοῦτο ἀπεστείλαμεν, ὥστε παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ μὴ ἀφεῖναι ὑπὸ μηδενὸς παρασαλευθῆναι. Ἐγὼ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ πεποίηκα, καὶ λόγοις παρακαλῶν, καὶ συμβουλαῖς ἀνορθῶν, καὶ τῶν χρειῶν τὴν ἀφθονίαν παρέχων, ὥστε ἐν μηδενὶ ὑμᾶς ὑστερηθῆναι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ βουληθείητέ μου ἀνέχεσθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀπατῶσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀναπτεροῦσι πεισθῆναι, ἐγὼ ἀνεύθυνός εἰμι. Ἴστε δὲ καὶ ἡ κατάγνωσις αὕτη καὶ ἡ ζημία ἐπὶ τίνα ἔρχεται. Ἵν' οὖν μηδὲν τοιοῦτον γένηται, παρακαλῶ ἀνέχεσθαί μου, τοῦ σφόδρα ὑμᾶς ἀγαπῶντος. Καὶ περὶ ὧν ἂν δέησθε, ἢ ἐπιστείλατε ἡμῖν, ἢ, εἰ βούλεσθε, ἕνα τινὰ πέμψατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ὑστερήσει καθόλου. ΡΚ∆ʹ. Γεμέλλῳ. Ἄλλοι μὲν τῇ θαυμασιότητί σου συνήδονται τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ τῇ πόλει, καὶ τῇ μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ δὲ τῇ σῇ, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν τιμὴν ὑψηλότερος γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων μεμελέτηκας εἶναι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ λαβεῖν ἀφορμὴν τὴν παρέχουσάν σοι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς δεῖξαι τὴν σύνεσίν σου, καὶ τὴν ἡμερότητα, καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος συναγαγεῖν. Εὖ γὰρ οἶδα ὅτι καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένους, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ὀνείρατα ταῦτα κεχηνότας, λέγω δὴ τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξαν, παιδεῦσαι δυνήσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῇ χλανίδι, καὶ τῇ ζώνῃ, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ φωνῇ τοῦ κήρυκος ὁ ἄρχων, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τὰ πεπονηκότα ἀνακτᾶσθαι, καὶ τὰ κακῶς ἔχοντα διορθοῦν, καὶ κολάζειν μὲν ἀδικίαν, μὴ συγχωρεῖν δὲ ὑπὸ δυναστείας τὸ δίκαιον ἀπελαύνεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ οἶδά σου τὴν παῤῥησίαν, τὴν ἐλευθεροστομίαν, τῆς διανοίας τὸ ὕψος, τὴν τῶν βιωτικῶν ὑπεροψίαν, τὸ μισοπόνηρον, τὸ ἥμερον, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, οὗ μάλιστα ἄρχοντι δεῖ. ∆ιὸ κἀκεῖνο οἶδα σαφῶς, ὅτι λιμὴν ἔσῃ τῶν ναυαγούντων, βακτηρία τῶν ἐπὶ γόνυ κλιθέντων, πύργος τῶν ὑπὸ δυναστείας ἀδίκου πολεμουμένων· καὶ ἔσῃ ταῦτα ῥᾳδίως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πόνου σοι δεῖ, οὐδὲ ἱδρῶτος, οὐδὲ χρόνου μακροῦ εἰς τὸ κατορθοῦν ταῦτα· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος ὁμοῦ τε φαίνεται, καὶ πάντα λύει ζόφον· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου φανεὶς, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι ἐκ πρώτης ἡμέρας τούς τε ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀνέστειλας, τούς τε ἀδικουμένους, καὶ πρὶν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον εἰσελθεῖν, πάσης ἐπηρείας ἀπήλλαξας· καὶ ἤρκεσεν εἰς τὴν τούτου διόρθωσιν ἡ τῆς φιλοσόφου σου ψυχῆς ὑπόληψις. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καίτοι ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενος, καὶ πολλαῖς συνεχόμενος περιστάσεσι, πολλῆς γέμω τῆς εὐφροσύνης, ἡμετέραν ἡδονὴν τὴν τῶν ἀδικουμένων συμμαχίαν ἡγούμενος.

52.681 ΡΚΕʹ. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΟΝ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΝ ΕΝ ΕΞΟΡΙΑ ΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΝ.

Φέρε δὴ πάλιν ἀπαντλήσω τῆς ἀθυμίας τὸ ἕλκος, καὶ διασκεδάσω τοὺς

λογισμοὺς τοὺς τὸ νέφος τοῦτο συνιστῶντας. Τί γάρ ἐστιν ὃ λυπῇ καὶ ἀδημονεῖς; ∆ιότι χαλεπὸς ὁ χειμὼν καὶ πικρὸν τὸ ναυάγιον τὸ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καταλαβόν; Τοῦτο οἶδα κἀγὼ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ· ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει, εἰκόνα σοι ἀναπλάττω τῶν γινομένων. Θάλατταν ὁρῶμεν ἀπ' αὐτῆς κάτωθεν ἀναμοχλευομένην τῆς ἀβύσσου, τοὺς ναύτας ἀντὶ τῶν οἰάκων καὶ τῶν κωπῶν τὰς χεῖρας τοῖς γόνασι περιπλέξαντα καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀμηχανίαν τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀπορηθέντας, οὐκ οὐρανὸν βλέποντας, οὐ πέλαγος, οὐ ξηρὰν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῶν στρωμάτων κειμένους, καὶ ὀλοφυρομένους, καὶ κλαίοντας. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης οὕτω συμβαίνει· νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας θαλάσσης χείρων ὁ θόρυβος, καὶ χείρω τὰ κύματα. Ἀλλὰ παρακάλει τὸν ∆εσπότην