68

You have seen a natural pit, which some have been moved to call Charoneian pits, breathing forth a destructive air. Consider the evil of Podandos to be like something of this sort. Of three parts, then, some are fleeing, having risen up with their wives and households; others are being led away like captives, most of the best men in the city, a pitiful sight to friends, but to enemies fulfilling a wish, if indeed anyone has ever cursed us so much. And a third part, I suppose, is left. These, unable to bear the loss of their kinsmen and at the same time being proved too weak for the need, have despaired of life itself. We ask you to make these things known to all with your own voice and with your righteous boldness of speech, which you have from your life, stating clearly beforehand that if they do not quickly change their minds, they will not even have people to whom they can show their philanthropy. For either you will be of some benefit to the common good, or at least you will have done what Solon did, who, unable to defend them in their freedom, with the acropolis already occupied, put on his arms and sat before his doors, making it clear by his posture that he did not consent to what was happening. But this I know for certain, that even if anyone now does not accept your opinion, a little later he will add to it the greatest repute for goodwill and intelligence alike, when he sees events turning out according to your prediction.

75. TO ABURGIUS

75.1 Though there are many things which have made your character to be above others, nothing is so peculiarly yours as your zeal for your fatherland, as you render to it just recompense, since setting out from it you became so great that your distinction is known throughout the whole world. This fatherland, then, which bore you and nurtured you, has come to the incredibility of ancient tales, and no one visiting our city, not even one of our closest acquaintances, would recognize it. Thus has it been suddenly transformed into utter desolation, with many of its citizens having been taken away even before, and now with almost all having been relocated to Podandos. Mutilated by their loss, those who remain have themselves fallen into complete despair, and have caused so much despondency in all that the city now lacks even inhabitants and the situation here has become a terrible desolation, a pitiful sight to friends, but bringing much joy and gladness to those who have long lain in wait for our downfall. Whose hand, then, is there to stretch out to us, or whose to shed a sympathetic tear for us? Is it not that of your clemency, you who sympathize even with a foreign city suffering such things, let alone with the one that brought you into life? If, then, there is any power, show it to us now in our present need. And you surely have great influence from God, who has at no time forsaken you and has given you many proofs of His favor; only if you are willing to rouse yourself completely to our care and to use the power you now have for the help of your fellow citizens.

76. TO SOPHRONIUS THE MAGISTER

76.1 The magnitude of the misfortunes that have befallen our fatherland was forcing me myself, having reached the Camp, to recount to your genius the dejection that possesses our city, and to the others who are in the greatest authority of affairs. But since both the illness of my body and the care of the Churches detain me, for the time being by letter to lament to your

68

εἶδες βάραθρον αὐτοφυές, ἃ δὴ καὶ Χαρώνειά τισι προσα γορεύειν αὐτομάτως ἐπῆλθεν, ἀέρα φθοροποιὸν ἀναπνέ οντα. Τοιούτῳ τινὶ ἐοικὸς νόμισον καὶ τὸ Ποδανδοῦ κακόν. Τριῶν τοίνυν μοιρῶν, οἳ μὲν φεύγουσιν αὐταῖς γυναιξὶ καὶ ἑστίαις ἀπαναστάντες· οἳ δὲ ἀπάγονται ὥσπερ αἰχμάλωτοι, οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἄριστοι, ἐλεεινὸν φίλοις θέαμα, ἐχθροῖς δὲ εὐχὴν ἐκπληροῦντες, εἰ δή τις γέγονεν ὅλως τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν ἐπαρασάμενος. Τριτάτη δέ που μοῖρα λέλειπται. Οὗτοι δὲ τήν τε ἀπό λειψιν τῶν συνήθων οὐ φέροντες καὶ ἅμα τῆς χρείας ἀτονώτεροι ἀπελεγχόμενοι πρὸς αὐτὸ τὸ ζῆν ἀπειρήκασι. Ταῦτά σε φανερὰ ποιῆσαι πᾶσι παρακαλοῦμεν τῇ σεαυτοῦ φωνῇ καὶ τῇ σεαυτοῦ παρρησίᾳ τῇ δικαίᾳ, ἣν ἔχεις ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου, ἐκεῖνο σαφῶς προειπόντα ὅτι, ἐὰν μὴ ταχὺ μεταβουλεύσωνται, οὐδ' ἕξουσιν εἰς οὓς τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐνδείξονται. Ἢ γὰρ ἐγένου τι ὄφελος τοῖς κοινοῖς ἢ τό γε τοῦ Σόλωνος πεποιηκὼς ἔσει, ὃς ἀμύνειν αὐτοῖς τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ οὐκ ἔχων, τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἤδη κατεχομένης, τὰ ὅπλα ἐνδὺς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἐκαθέζετο, εὔδηλος ὢν τῷ σχήματι τοῖς γινομένοις μὴ συντιθέμενος. Ἐκεῖνο δ' ἀκριβῶς οἶδα, ὅτι, καὶ εἴ τίς σου νῦν τὴν γνώμην μὴ ἀποδέχοιτο, μικρὸν ὕστερον εὐνοίας τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συνέσεως τὴν μεγίστην δόξαν προσθήσει, ὅταν ἴδῃ τὰ πράγματα κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν ἀπαντήσαντα.

75.τ ΑΒΟΥΡΓΙΩ

75.1 Πολλῶν ὄντων ἃ τὸ σὸν ἦθος ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους εἶναι πεποίηκεν οὐδὲν

οὕτως ἴδιόν ἐστι σὸν ὡς ἡ περὶ τὴν πατρίδα σπουδή, δικαίας αὐτῇ ἀποδιδόντος σου τὰς ἀμοιβάς, ἐξ ἧς ὁρμηθεὶς τοσοῦτος ἐγένου ὥστε διὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης γνώριμον εἶναί σου τὴν περιφάνειαν. Αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ πατρίς, ἥ σε ἐνεγκοῦσα καὶ θρεψαμένη, εἰς τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν διηγημάτων ἀπιστίαν περιελήλυθεν, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἐπιστὰς ἡμῶν τῇ πόλει, οὐδὲ τῶν πάνυ συνήθων, αὐτὴν γνωρίσειεν. Οὕτως εἰς πᾶσαν ἐρημίαν ἀθρόως μετεσκεύασται, πολλῶν μὲν καὶ πρότερον αὐτῆς ἀφαιρεθέντων τῶν πολιτευομένων, νῦν δὲ σχεδὸν ἁπάντων εἰς τὴν Ποδανδὸν μετοικισθέντων. Ὧν ἀκρωτηριασθέντες οἱ λειπόμενοι καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰς πᾶσαν ἀπόγνωσιν καταπε πτώκασι, καὶ πᾶσι τοσοῦτον ἐνεποίησαν ἀθυμίας ὥστε σπανίζειν λοιπὸν καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων τὴν πόλιν καὶ γεγε νῆσθαι τὰ τῇδε ἐρημίαν δεινήν, ἐλεεινὸν μὲν φίλοις θέαμα, πολλὴν δὲ χαρὰν καὶ εὐθυμίαν φέρον τοῖς πάλαι ἐφ εδρεύουσιν ἡμῶν τῷ πτώματι. Τίνος οὖν ἐστι χεῖρα ἡμῖν ὀρέξαι ἢ τίνος συμπαθὲς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀφεῖναι δάκρυον; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τῆς σῆς ἡμερότητος, ὃς καὶ ἀλλοτρίᾳ συμπαθοῖς πόλει τοιαῦτα καμνούσῃ, μὴ ὅτι τῇ σε παραγαγούσῃ εἰς τὸν βίον; Εἴ τις οὖν δύναμις, ταύτην νῦν ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης χρείας ἡμῖν ἐπίδειξαι. Πάντως δὲ μεγάλην ἔχεις τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπήν, ὃς ἐπ' οὐδενὸς καιροῦ καταλέλοιπέ σε καὶ πολλὰς ἔδωκέ σοι τῆς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ εὐμενείας τὰς ἀποδείξεις· μόνον ἐὰν θελήσῃς ὅλως διαναστῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ σοι δυνάμει χρήσασθαι εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν πολιτῶν βοήθειαν.

76.τ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΩ ΜΑΓΙΣΤΡΩ

76.1 Τὸ μὲν μέγεθος τῶν καταλαβουσῶν συμφορῶν τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν αὐτὸν

ἐμὲ ἠνάγκαζε, καταλαβόντα τὸ Στρατόπεδον, τῇ τε σῇ μεγαλοφυΐᾳ διηγήσασθαι τὴν κατέχουσαν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν κατήφειαν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ὅσοι ἐπὶ μεγίστης ἐστὲ δυνάμεως τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἥ τε τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστία καὶ ἡ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπιμέλεια κατέχει με, τέως διὰ γράμματος ἀποδύρασθαι πρὸς τὴν σὴν