John Chrysostom, Letters

the health of your Diligence. For you know how very eager we are to learn this. 228. To Marinianus. To all other men, spring is pleasant, because it beautifies the face of the earth with flowers, and shows everything as meadows; but to me, because it also provides a great facility for conversing with my customary friends through letters. For I wished to see you in person; but since this is not possible, I do what is possible with great eagerness, speaking to you through letters. And sailors and mariners do not cut the back of the sea with such pleasure, when that season of the year has come, as I handle the pen, and paper, and ink, when I am about to write to your Diligence. For during the winter season, with the frost freezing everything, and the unspeakable snow walling up the roads, no one from outside endured to visit us, nor to set out from here. Therefore we also, as if in a prison, confined in the rooms here, and as if held by some tongue-fetter, because of the lack of letter-carriers, unwillingly kept a long silence. But since the season has now opened the main roads for travel, and has loosed the bonds of our tongue, having sent the presbyter who is with us from here, we have despatched him to your Nobility, to learn about your health. Receive him, therefore, my most admirable lord, as is fitting for you, and having seen him with the love that befits you, when he returns, be so good as to inform us about your health, For you know how very eager we are to learn about this. 229. To Marcianus and Marcellinus. How beautiful is your pair, and very dear to us, bound together not only by the law of nature, but also by the chain of a most ardent love. For these reasons we are adorned, taking pride in your friendship, and we desire also to share in a meeting face to face. But since this is not yet possible, we do what is possible: we write constantly, we remember you continually, we carry you everywhere in our thoughts, wherever we may be, nor are we separated in the least by the length of the road from your Diligence. For such is the wing of love; it easily crosses road and distance, and becomes higher than the circumstances of events. Therefore we also, though 52.689 beset by many afflictions, desolations, sieges, continual raids by robbers, have become in none of these things more slothful about loving you, but we continually maintain a flourishing disposition towards you. Therefore we also ask you to write to us more constantly, bringing good news about your health. For you yourselves know how much comfort we shall reap from this, even while sitting in the desert. 230. To Castus, Valerius, Diophantus, Cyriacus, presbyters of Antioch. Love is a torrential and violent thing, and more violent than any harsh creditor. For they do not so press and demand from those who owe them money, as you, having put around us the chain of love, urge us to the payment of letters, although we have many times paid this debt. But such is the nature of this debt; it is always being paid, and is always owed. For this reason you also, though having received letters many times, are not satisfied. For this is also its advantage, and it imitates the sea, which, though countless rivers flow into it from all sides, is not filled. Such also is the breadth of your hearing; for this reason, the more we cast in, the more we stir up the flame of your disposition. Do not, therefore, think that we have been silent for this short time because we suspected your friendship. For we would have done entirely the opposite, if we had suspected it, and we would have written more often. For just as the strong have no need of a physician, so the neglectful and the fallen need much therapy. If, therefore, we had perceived your disposition to be limping, we would not have neglected to contribute what we could, so as to rekindle it more greatly. But by being very confident in you, and knowing clearly, that both receiving, and not

τὴν ὑγείαν τῆς σῆς ἐμμελείας. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τοῦτο μανθάνειν. ΡΚΗʹ. Μαρινιανῷ. Τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ἡδὺ τὸ ἔαρ, ὅτι τὴν ὄψιν τῆς γῆς ἄνθεσι καλλωπίζει, καὶ πάντα δείκνυσι λειμῶνας· ἐμοὶ δὲ, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἐθάσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς συγγίνεσθαι διὰ γραμμάτων εὐκολίαν παρέχει πολλήν. Ἐβουλόμην μὲν γὰρ καὶ αὐταῖς ὄψεσιν ὑμᾶς θεωρεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι, ὅπερ ἔνι μετὰ πολλῆς ποιῶ τῆς προθυμίας, διὰ γραμμάτων ὑμῖν ὁμιλῶν. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτω ναῦται καὶ πλωτῆρες μεθ' ἡδονῆς τὰ θαλάττια τέμνουσι νῶτα, ἐκείνης τοῦ ἔτους τῆς ὥρας ἐπιστάσης, ὡς ἐγὼ κάλαμον, καὶ χάρτην, καὶ μέλαν μεταχειρίζομαι, μέλλων ἐπιστέλλειν ὑμῶν τῇ ἐμμελείᾳ. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ τὸν τοῦ χειμῶνος καιρὸν τοῦ κρυμοῦ πάντα πηγνύντος, καὶ τῆς ἀφάτου χιόνος τὰς ὁδοὺς ἀποτειχιζούσης, οὔτε ἔξωθέν τις ἡμῖν ἐπιχωριάζειν ἠνείχετο, οὔτε ἐντεῦθεν ἀναστῆναι. ∆ιόπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς, καθάπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ, τοῖς ἐνταῦθα δωματίοις καθειργμένοι, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὶ γλωσσοπέδῃ κατεχόμενοι, τῇ τῶν γραμματηφόρων ἀπορίᾳ, καὶ ἄκοντες τὴν μακρὰν ἐσιγήσαμεν σιγήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ λοιπὸν ἀνέῳξε τὰς λεωφόρους τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ ἡμῖν τὰ δεσμὰ τῆς γλώττης ἔλυσε, τὸν σὺν ἡμῖν πρεσβύτερον ἐντεῦθεν ἀναστήσαντες, ἀπεστάλκαμεν πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐγένειαν, εἰσόμενοι τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν. ∆εξάμενος τοίνυν αὐτὸν, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, καθώς σοι πρέπον ἐστὶ, καὶ ἰδὼν μετὰ τῆς σοὶ πρεπούσης ἀγάπης, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐπανίῃ, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας σου δηλῶσαι ἡμῖν παρακλήθητι, Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον περὶ ταύτης μανθάνειν. ΡΚΘʹ. Μαρκιανῷ καὶ Μαρκελλίνῳ. Ὡς καλὴ ὑμῶν ἡ ξυνωρὶς, καὶ σφόδρα ἡμῖν ποθεινὴ, οὐ νόμῳ φύσεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγάπης σφοδροτάτης ἀλύσει συνδεδεμένη. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καλλωπιζόμεθα ὑμῶν τῇ φιλίᾳ ἐναβρυνόμενοι, καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καὶ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν συντυχίας μετασχεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, ὅπερ ἔνι ποιοῦμεν, γράφομεν συνεχῶς, μεμνήμεθα διηνεκῶς, ἐπὶ διανοίας ὑμᾶς πανταχοῦ περιφέρομεν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν τῷ μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ διειργόμεθα τῆς ἐμμελείας τῆς ὑμετέρας. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης τὸ πτερόν· καὶ ὁδὸν καὶ διάστημα εὐκόλως περᾷ, καὶ πραγμάτων περιστάσεως ὑψηλότερον γίνεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι 52.689 πολλαῖς συνεχόμενοι θλίψεσιν, ἐρημίαις, πολιορκίαις, συνεχέσιν ἐφόδοις λῃστρικαῖς, οὐδενὶ τούτων ῥᾳθυμότεροι περὶ τὸ φιλεῖν ὑμᾶς γεγενήμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀνθοῦσαν διηνεκῶς τὴν περὶ ὑμᾶς διατηροῦμεν διάθεσιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχέστερον ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐαγγελιζομένους. Ἴστε γὰρ αὐτοὶ ὅσην ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενοι τὴν παράκλησιν. ΡΛʹ. Κάστῳ, Οὐαλερίῳ, ∆ιοφάντῳ, Κυριακῷ, πρεσβυτέροις Ἀντιοχείας. Ῥαγδαῖόν τι χρῆμα καὶ βίαιον ἡ ἀγάπη, καὶ δανειστοῦ παντὸς σφοδροῦ βιαιότερον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς τὰ χρήματα ὀφείλοντας αὐτοῖς ἄγχοντες ἀπαιτοῦσιν, ὡς ὑμεῖς τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν ἄλυσιν περιθέντες, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἡμᾶς ἔκτισιν κατεπείγετε, καίτοι πολλάκις τοῦτο καταθέντας τὸ ὄφλημα. Ἀλλὰ τοιαύτη τούτου τοῦ χρέους ἡ φύσις· ἀεὶ κατατίθεται, καὶ ἀεὶ ὀφείλεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς πολλάκις δεξάμενοι γράμματα, οὐ κορέννυσθε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἐκείνης τὸ πλεονέκτημα, καὶ μιμεῖται τὴν θάλασσαν, ἣ μυρίων πανταχόθεν εἰς αὐτὴν ῥεόντων ποταμῶν, οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται. Τοιοῦτον καὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς ὑμῶν τὸ πλάτος· διὰ τοῦτο, ὅσῳ ἂν πλείονα ἐμβάλωμεν, τοσούτῳ μειζόνως τὴν φλόγα τῆς διαθέσεως ὑμῶν ἐγείρομεν. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσητε ὑποπτεύσαντας ὑμῶν τὴν φιλίαν, τὸν βραχὺν τοῦτον σεσιγηκέναι χρόνον. Καὶ γὰρ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ἐπάθομεν ἂν, εἴ γε ὑπωπτεύσαμεν, καὶ πλεονάκις ἂν ἐπεστάλκαμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, οὕτως οἱ ὀλίγωροι καὶ ἀναπεπτωκότες πολλῆς δέονται τῆς θεραπείας. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς ᾐσθόμεθα χωλευούσης ὑμῶν τῆς διαθέσεως, οὐκ ἂν ἠμελήσαμεν τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσφέροντες, ὥστε αὐτὴν ἀνακαῦσαι μειζόνως. Τῷ δὲ σφόδρα ὑμῖν θαῤῥεῖν, καὶ εἰδέναι σαφῶς, ὅτι καὶ δεχόμενοι, καὶ μὴ