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I was driven to great anxiety, knowing that neither has a ship on the sea, submerged by violent winds, ever so suddenly vanished, nor a city wiped out by earthquakes, nor one flooded by waters has come to such complete destruction as ours, which, swallowed up by this new arrangement of affairs, has come to a sudden disappearance. And our affairs have become a fable. For the city council is gone, and the whole civic body, having abandoned its residence in the city because of despair concerning the rulers, wanders through the countryside. The supply of necessities has now failed, and altogether a most unseasonable spectacle has become of the city that formerly prided itself on its learned men and lived without want of the other things in which cities abound. But we considered it our one consolation, in our troubles, to lament our sufferings to your Clemency and to entreat you, if there is any power, to stretch out a hand to our city which is brought to its knees. But as to the way in which you might come to the aid of our situation in time, I myself cannot suggest. But for you it is surely easy both to find a way, because of your intelligence, and to make use of what you find, because of the power given you by God, is not difficult.

77. UNTITLED, CONCERNING THERASIUS

77.1 This one thing we also enjoyed from the good rule of the great Therasius, the visit of your Learnedness, which happened to us frequently. And we have suffered this same loss in being deprived of the governor. But since the things once granted to us by God remain steadfast, and we dwell in each other's souls through memory, even if we are separated in body, let us at least write continually and speak to one another about necessary matters, and especially now, when the winter has brought about this short-lived truce. We hope that you will not fail the most wonderful man Therasius, judging it fitting to share with the man in such cares, that is, certainly not vainly welcoming an opportunity which allows you both to see your friends and to be seen by them. Though I have many things to say and about many topics, I have postponed them for our meeting, believing it not to be safe to entrust such things to letters.

78. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF ELPIDIUS

78.1 Your good zeal for our most revered companion Elpidius has not escaped our notice, how with your usual intelligence you gave the governor an opportunity for benevolence. We now ask you, therefore, through this letter to complete this favor, and to remind the governor by a personal order that the man be established in our native city, upon whom almost the entire care of public affairs depends. Thus you will have many plausible pretexts to suggest to the governor, from which he will necessarily order him to remain in our native city. As to what things are like here and how valuable the man is to our affairs, you will certainly need no instruction from us, knowing it precisely yourself through your own intelligence.

79. TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF SEBASTEIA

79.1 Even before receiving the letter, I knew the labor which you have on behalf of every soul, and especially on behalf of our humility, because I have been put forward in this struggle, and having received the letters from the most revered Eleusinius and having seen his very presence, I glorified God, for such a helper and fellow-champion, through spiritual aid, in the struggles on behalf of piety

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μεγαλόνοιαν ἠπείχθην, γνωρίζων ὅτι οὔτε σκάφος ἐν πελάγει πνεύμασι βιαίοις καταβαπτισθὲν οὕτως ἀθρόως ἠφανίσθη ποτέ, οὐ σεισμοῖς ἐκτριβεῖσα πόλις, οὐχ ὕδασιν ἐπικλυσθεῖσα εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἐχώρησε παντελῆ οὕτως ὡς ἡ ἡμετέρα, τῇ καινῇ ταύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων οἰκονομίᾳ καταποθεῖσα, εἰς ἀθρόον ἦλθεν ἀφανισμόν. Καὶ μῦθος γέγονε τὰ ἡμέτερα. Οἴχεται μὲν γὰρ τὸ Πολίτευμα, πᾶν δὲ τὸ πολιτικὸν σύνταγμα, τῇ περὶ τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἀθυμίᾳ καταλιπὸν τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει οἴκησιν, διὰ τῆς ἀγροικίας πλανᾶται. Ἐπιλέλοιπε δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀναγκαίων διάθεσις, καὶ ὅλως ἀωρότατον θέαμα γεγένηται ἡ πρότερον ἀνδράσι τε λογίοις ἐπαγαλλομένη καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς οἷς εὐθηνοῦνται πόλεις ἀνενδεῶς διάγουσα. Μίαν δὲ ἐνομίσαμεν, ὡς ἐν δεινοῖς, παραμυθίαν εἶναι τὸ ἐπιστενάξαι τοῖς πάθεσιν ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἡμερότητα καὶ παρακαλέσαι, εἴ τις δύναμις, χεῖρα ὀρέξαι τῇ πόλει ἡμῶν εἰς γόνυ κλιθείσῃ. Τὸν δὲ τρόπον δι' οὗ ἂν γένοιο ἐν καιρῷ τοῖς πράγμασιν αὐτὸς μὲν εἰσηγεῖσθαι οὐκ ἔχω. Σοὶ δὲ πάντως καὶ εὑρεῖν διὰ τὴν σύνεσιν ῥᾴδιον καὶ χρήσασθαι τοῖς εὑρεθεῖσι, διὰ τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένην σοι δύναμιν, οὐ χαλεπόν.

77.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΘΗΡΑΣΙΟΥ

77.1 Ἓν καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ μεγάλου ἀπελαύ σαμεν Θηρασίου,

τῆς σῆς λογιότητος τὴν ἐπιδημίαν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν γινομένην. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἐζημιώθημεν στερηθέντες τοῦ ἄρχοντος. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἅπαξ ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα μένει βέβαια καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀλλήλων ἐνοικούμενα διὰ τῆς μνήμης, εἰ καὶ τοῖς σώμασι διωρίσμεθα, γράφωμεν γοῦν συνεχῶς καὶ φθεγγώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους τὰ ἀναγκαῖα, καὶ μάλιστα νῦν, ὅτε ὁ χειμὼν τὴν ὀλιγοχρόνιον ταύτην ἐκεχειρίαν ἐσπείσατο. Ἐλπίζομεν δὲ μὴ ἀπολείψεσθαί σε τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου ἀνδρὸς Θηρασίου, πρέπον εἶναι κρίναντα κοινωνεῖν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τοιούτων φροντίδων, ἤγουν μὲν οὐ καὶ μάτην πρόφασιν ἀσμενίζοντα παρέχουσάν σε ἰδεῖν τε τοὺς φίλους καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν θεα θῆναι. Πολλὰ δὲ ἔχων εἰπεῖν καὶ περὶ πολλῶν, εἰς τὴν συντυχίαν ὑπερεθέμην, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι ἡγούμενος ἐπιστολαῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα καταπιστεύειν.

78.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΕΛΠΙ∆ΙΟΥ

78.1 Οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀγαθή σου σπουδὴ περὶ τὸν αἰδε σιμώτατον ἑταῖρον

ἡμῶν Ἐλπίδιον, ὅπως τῇ συνήθει σεαυτοῦ συνέσει ἔδωκας καιρὸν φιλανθρωπίας τῷ ἄρχοντι. Ταύτην οὖν τὴν χάριν νῦν σε τελειῶσαι παρακαλοῦμεν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι τὸν ἄρχοντα οἰκείῳ προστάγματι ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν καταστῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν φροντίδα τῶν δημοσίων ἐξηρτημένον. Ὥστε πολλὰς ἕξεις καὶ εὐπροσώπους ὑποβάλλειν προφά σεις τῷ ἄρχοντι, ἐξ ὧν ἀναγκαίως ἐπιμένειν αὐτὸν τῇ πατρίδι ἡμῶν προστάξει. Οἷα δὲ τὰ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ὅσου ἄξιος τοῖς πράγμασιν ὁ ἀνὴρ πάντως οὐδὲν δεήσῃ παρ' ἡμῶν διδαχθῆναι, αὐτὸς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ συνέσει ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος.

79.τ ΕΥΣΤΑΘΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΕΙΑΣ

79.1 Καὶ πρὸ τοῦ δέχεσθαι τὰ γράμματα ᾔδειν τὸν πόνον ὃν ἔχεις ὑπὲρ πάσης

ψυχῆς, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμε τέρας ταπεινώσεως, διὰ τὸ προβεβλῆσθαι ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι τούτῳ, καὶ δεξάμενος δὲ παρὰ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου Ἐλευ σινίου τὰ γράμματα καὶ αὐτὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν θεασάμενος ἐδόξασα τὸν Θεόν, τὸν τοιοῦτον παραστάτην καὶ συνασπιστήν, διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς βοηθείας, ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας