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not pettily nor unmanly, but very ostentatiously and nobly, since your Cynaegeiruses and Callimachuses are of great worth to you, and the trophies, Marathon and Salamis, by which you consider yourselves to be fortunate and make the young so. 235.5 Let these things, then, be said by us in jest to this extent, even if it is out of season and contrary to our preference; but at any rate, it is from old habit. 235.6 May you both acquire these things and use what you have acquired for good. And you will use them thus, with the fear of God conquering vanity (which must be honored by all and everywhere), as much as is possible, even if we do not completely lay it aside. 235.7 But if these things seem to you to be rightly said, but that it is not philosophical to ask for a fee for my letters, you give me the money, and the poor will resolve the contradiction. 236.T TO LIBANIUS THE SOPHIST 236.1 I, a mother by nature, have sent children to a father by letters; so then, it will be your care, so that it may be my care. 237.T TO MACEDONIUS 237.1 We are not insatiable in receiving benefits from friends, even if you are generous in giving them; for this reason I sent the psalmist back to you according to our agreement, 237.2 being otherwise most excellent (as far as one can learn in a short time) and perhaps pleasing to you on account of his psalmody, which always brings to remembrance God and salvation. 237.3 And if you will do us a good turn again, whenever this is agreeable to you and the time seems right, you will do better, and this will be even more a mark of your friendship. 238.T To the most devout and in all things adorned brotherhood in Christ at Sannabodae of the blessed Leucadius among the monks and virgins consecrated in Christ Jesus, Gregory in the Lord, greeting. 238.1 What has happened according to the providence of God is a matter for thanksgiving, not tears, for those who have understanding: that the athlete has come to be outside the stadium after the good contest which he fought and has been received by the giver of the prize, so as to receive the crown of righteousness and to increase through himself the choir of angels. 238.2 All these things and such as these become an occasion of joy and gladness for those who look to the truth according to the Gospel. 238.3 But since a certain custom has prevailed to be downcast at the passing of the saints and to be thought worthy of consolation from loved ones, for this reason we deign neither to speak anything gloomy and dejected, nor do we advise you to lend your ears to such words, 238.4 but we fulfill the due consolation in advising your seemliness always to look to him by looking at one another; for we pray that each and every one be formed by the life of the blessed one, so that when you see one another you may be fully assured that you are gazing upon his character. 238.5 Let his purity, his freedom from anger, his humility, his active philosophy, his having his soul always intent on God, his not being carried away by the deceptions of this life, shape your life; so that seeing these things in one another you may paint his memorial in yourselves, and neither he nor you will be in death. 238.6 For in your life he too will be shown to be always living, and you, through your good conduct, will render yourselves strangers to the fellowship of death. 238.7 May the Lord protect you, strong and advancing in soul and body, in the power of the Holy Spirit, remembering us in your prayers. 239.T TO EPIPHANIUS 239.1 I challenge one law with another, the one that commands fathers to be honored with the one that commands children to be taught. Now, therefore, I am guiding you towards the noblest things, and receive my letter as a right hand of friendship. 239.2 And if you should respond and wish to do this often, perhaps you will make even an old man a warrior, no less noble than Nestor. 240.T TO MELETIUS 240.1 I have never received a letter from you, though it has been so long now, how I think you long for one; nor have I sent one, though I am persuaded that you yourself long for one. 240.2 O, the laziness, that I may not say the

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μὴ μικρολόγως μηδὲ ἀνάνδρως, ἀλλὰ λίαν ἐπιδεικτικῶς καὶ γενναίως, ἐπειδὴ καὶ πολλοῦ ἄξιον ὑμῖν οἱ Κυναίγειροι καὶ Καλλίμαχοι, καὶ τὰ τρόπαια, Μαραθών τε καὶ Σαλαμίς, ὑφ' ὧν αὐτοί τε εὐδαίμονες εἶναι νομίζετε καὶ ποιεῖν τοὺς νέους. 235.5 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν παιζέσθω, εἰ καὶ ἔξω τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας προαιρέσεως· ἀλλ' οὖν ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας. 235.6 Σὲ δὲ εἴη καὶ κτήσασθαι ταῦτα καὶ χρήσασθαι εἰς καλὸν τοῖς κτηθεῖσι. Χρήσῃ δὲ οὕτω, τοῦ θείου φόβου νικῶντος τὴν ματαιότητα (ὃν πᾶσι καὶ πανταχοῦ τιμητέον), ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, εἰ καὶ μὴ παντελῶς αὐτὴν ἀποσκευαζόμεθα. 235.7 Εἰ δέ σοι ταῦτα μὲν ὀρθῶς δοκεῖ λέγεσθαι, οὐ φιλόσοφον δὲ εἶναι τὸ τιμὴν τῶν πυκτίων αἰτεῖν, σύ μοι τὰ χρήματα, λύσουσι δὲ οἱ πένητες τὴν ἀντίθεσιν. 236.Τ ΛΙΒΑΝΙΩΙ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗΙ 236.1 Μήτηρ πατρὶ πέπομφα παῖδας, ἡ κατὰ φύσιν τῷ κατὰ λόγους· ὅπως οὖν ἐμοὶ μελήσῃ, σοὶ μελήσει. 237.Τ ΜΑΚΕ∆ΟΝΙΩΙ 237.1 Οὐκ ἄπληστοι περὶ τὸ πάσχειν εὖ παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἡμεῖς, εἰ καὶ σὺ πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν ἄφθονος· διὰ τοῦτό σοι τὸν ψάλτην ἀπεπεμψάμην κατὰ τὰ συγκείμενα, 237.2 βέλ τιστόν τε ἄλλως ὄντα (ὅσον ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ καταμαθεῖν) καί σοι κεχαρισμένον ἴσως διὰ τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν ὑπόμνησιν ἔχουσαν ἀεὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας. 237.3 Εἰ δὲ καὶ πάλιν εὐεργετήσεις ἡμᾶς, ἡνίκα ἂν ᾖ τοῦτό σοι φίλον καὶ καιρὸς φαίνηται, ποιήσεις ἄμεινον, καὶ μᾶλλόν τι τῆς σῆς τοῦτο φιλίας. 238.Τ Τῇ εὐλαβεστάτῃ καὶ διὰ πάντα κεκοσμημένῃ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφότητι τῇ κατὰ Σανναβοδάην τοῦ μακαρίου Λευκαδίου ἐν μονάζουσι καὶ παρθένοις ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, Γρηγόριος ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. 238.1 Τὸ μὲν γενόμενον κατ' οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ, εὐχαριστίας οὐ δακρύων ὑπόθεσίς ἐστι τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι, τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ σταδίου γενέσθαι τὸν ἀθλητὴν μετὰ τῆς καλῆς ἀγωνίας ἧς ἠγωνίσατο καὶ παραληφθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ ἀγωνοθέτου, ὥστε ἀπολαβεῖν τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανον καὶ πλεονάσαι δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων χορόν. 238.2 Πάντα ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα χαρᾶς καὶ εὐφροσύνης ἀφορμὴ τοῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν βλέπουσι κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον γίνεται. 238.3 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ συνήθειά τις ἐκράτησεν ὥστε καὶ σκυθρω πάζειν ἐπὶ τῇ μεταστάσει τῶν ἁγίων καὶ τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἀγαπητῶν παρακλήσεως ἀξιοῦσθαι, τούτου ἕνεκεν σκυ θρωπὸν μέν τι καὶ κατηφὲς οὔτε λαλῆσαι καταδεχόμεθα, οὔτε ὑμῖν συμβουλεύομεν ὑποσχεῖν τὰς ἀκοὰς τοῖς τοιούτοις τῶν λόγων, 238.4 τὴν δὲ χρεωστουμένην παρά κλησιν ἀποπληροῦμεν ἐν τῷ συμβουλεῦσαι τῇ κοσμιότητι ὑμῶν ἀεὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον βλέπειν διὰ τοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁρᾶν· τοῦτο γὰρ εὐχόμεθα ἕκαστον καὶ ἑκάστην τῷ βίῳ τοῦ μακαρίου μορφωθῆναι, ὥστε ὅταν ἀλλήλους ὁρᾶτε πληροφορεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς, ὅτι τῷ ἐκείνου χαρακτῆρι ἐνατε νίζετε. 238.5 Μορφούτω τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν τὸ ἐκείνου καθαρόν, τὸ ἀόργητον, ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη, ἡ ἐνεργὴς φιλοσοφία, τὸ ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν συντεταμένην τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχειν, τὸ μὴ πρὸς τὰς ἀπάτας τοῦ βίου τούτου ἐμμετεωρίζεσθαι· ἵνα ταῦτα ἐν ἀλλήλοις βλέποντες τὸ ἐκείνου μνημόσυνον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ζωγραφήσητε, καὶ οὔτε ἐκεῖνος οὔτε ὑμεῖς ἐν θανάτῳ γενήσεσθε. 238.6 Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ βίῳ κἀκεῖνος ζῶν διαπαντὸς ἐπιδειχθήσεται, καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς πολιτείας τῆς τοῦ θανάτου κοινωνίας ἀλλοτρίους ἑαυτοὺς καταστήσετε. 238.7 Ἐρρωμένους ὑμᾶς, ψυχῇ καὶ σώματι προκόπτοντας, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ὁ Κύριος σκεπάζοι μεμνημένους ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς. 239.Τ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΙΩΙ 239.1 Νόμῳ προκαλοῦμαι νόμον, τὸν κελεύοντα τιμᾶσθαι πατέρας τῷ κελεύοντι διδάσκεσθαι παῖδας. Νῦν μὲν οὖν ἐξηγοῦμαί σοι πρὸς τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ οἷον δεξιὰν φιλίας δέχου τὰ γράμματα. 239.2 Εἰ δὲ ἀντεπιθείης καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο ποιεῖν βουληθείης, ἴσως ποιήσεις καὶ γέροντα αἰχμητήν, οὐδὲν τοῦ Νέστορος ἀγεννέστερον. 240.Τ ΜΕΛΕΤΙΩΙ 240.1 Οὔτε ἐδεξάμην σου γράμματα πώποτε, τοσοῦτος ἐξ οὗ χρόνος ἤδη, πῶς οἴει ποθῶν· οὔτε ἐπέσταλκα, πείθομαι δὲ ὅτι καὶ αὐτῷ ποθοῦντι. 240.2 Ὢ τῆς ἀργίας, ἵνα μὴ λέγω τῆς