John Chrysostom, Letters

receiving letters, you keep it continually firm, unmoved, steadfast, unchangeable, unwavering, flourishing, and blooming, we did not consider our letters necessary for this, but to pay a debt of affection. For indeed now we are writing not out of necessity, but for the sake of friendship. For that, even if many storms should arise from many quarters, and countless waves be raised on high, nothing can harm you, and cast you into the surge of despondency, the time past has sufficiently shown. Therefore we do not write as to those in need of comfort from here, but to declare that we rejoice, we leap, we are delighted with the pleasure, enjoying such great love from such a distance from your graciousness. But since I know well that it brings you much gladness to learn how our affairs are faring, we are freed from the weakness of the stomach, we are well, neither sieges, nor raids of bandits, nor the desolation of the place, nor a multitude of countless circumstances, nor anything else of that kind contracts and troubles us, but we enjoy security, freedom from business, and much quiet, being careful for your affairs each day, speaking about these things to those who come in to us. For such is it to love genuinely; it causes one always to have the beloved on one's tongue. Which we also do, since we love you exceedingly, and this you also know. Considering all these things, therefore, do not think that we have become lazy, nor that we have grown neglectful with time concerning our affection for you. For love never fails, but even if a long time passes, even if the difficulties of affairs increase, even if we are separated by a greater length of road, it is not broken by any of these things, nor does it fade, but it flourishes more, and increases. 131. To Elpidius the bishop. We, neither scorning nor neglecting your love, were silent for the time before, but the terrible things surrounding us caused this long silence. For we are not settled in one place, but now we wander about Cucusus, now Arabissus, now the ravines and the deserts; so everything is filled with tumults and confusion, and fire and iron consume all things, both bodies and buildings. And already cities have been overthrown with all their men, and each day, beset by continuous rumors, we become migrants, enduring a certain harsh and new kind of exile, and expecting daily death. For not even shut up in the fortress as in a prison can we now be confident, because the Isaurians dare to attack even such places. And a severe illness was added to us, and having with difficulty escaped the worst of it, we still carry around its remnants; and just as if we had been settled on some island surrounded by a vast sea, so we are not able to easily see anyone from anywhere, every road being walled off by the fear of these tumults. Therefore I beseech you to forgive us, my most honored and most reverend lord; for you know the love which from the first and from the beginning we have shown toward your reverence, and not to cease praying for us. For we are very confident that if you should easily find those who will serve for letters, you will need no reminder to write to us continually about your health. And we too, if these terrible things should cease, and we should be able to look out from this prison, and breathe a little from the siege that holds us, we will not cease writing continually to your honor. For in doing this, we will be doing the greatest favor for ourselves. 132. To Gemellus. O amazement, how great a thing is a noble and vigorous soul, reaping both its pleasure and its security not from anywhere outside, but from within, and from itself, and, what is truly wonderful, from those things that seem to be fearsome and perilous to the many. For to be not only not troubled, nor pained at being hated by 52.691 some, but even to be adorned by this, and not only to be adorned, but also to pity those who hate, and to desire them

δεχόμενοι γράμματα, παγίαν, ἀκίνητον, μόνιμον, ἄτρεπτον, ἀκλινῆ, ἀκμάζουσαν, καὶ ἀνθοῦσαν αὐτὴν διηνεκῶς διατηρεῖτε, οὐκ ἀναγκαίας εἰς τοῦτο ἐνομίζομεν ἡμῶν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ διαθέσεως ἀποδοῦναι ὄφλημα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν οὐ χρείας, ἀλλὰ φιλίας ἕνεκεν ἐπιστέλλομεν. Ὅτι γὰρ κἂν πολλοὶ πολλαχόθεν οἱ χειμῶνες φύωνται, καὶ μυρία πρὸς ὕψος ἐγείρηται τὰ κύματα, οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς βλάψαι δύναται, καὶ ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας κλυδώνιον, ἱκανῶς ὁ παρελθὼν ἔδειξε χρόνος. Οὐ τοίνυν ὡς προσδεομένοις τῆς ἐντεῦθεν παρακλήσεως ἐπιστέλλομεν, ἀλλὰ δηλοῦντες, ὅτι χαίρομεν, σκιρτῶμεν, εὐφραινόμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, τοσαύτης καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος ἀγάπης παρὰ τῆς ἐμμελείας ὑμῶν ἀπολαύοντες. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εὖ οἶδα, ὅτι πολλὴν ὑμῖν φέρει τὴν εὐφροσύνην τὸ μαθεῖν τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐν τίσιν ὁρμᾷ, ἀπηλλάγμεθα τῆς τοῦ στομάχου ἀσθενείας, ὑγιαίνομεν, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς οὔτε πολιορκίαι, οὔτε ἔφοδοι λῃστρικαὶ, οὔτε ἐρημία χωρίου, οὔτε μυρίων περιστάσεων ὄχλος, οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν συστέλλει καὶ θορυβεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀδείας ἀπολαύομεν, ἀπραγμοσύνης, ἡσυχίας πολλῆς καθ' ἑκάστην μερι52.690 μνῶντες τὰ ὑμέτερα, ὑπὲρ τούτων πρὸς τοὺς εἰσιόντας πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιούμενοι λόγους. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ φιλεῖν γνησίως· ἐπὶ γλώττης ἀεὶ τοὺς ποθουμένους ἔχειν παρασκευάζει. Ὃ καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα φιλοῦμεν, καὶ τοῦτο ἴστε καὶ ὑμεῖς. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογιζόμενοι, μὴ νομίζετε ἐῤῥᾳθυμηκέναι ἡμᾶς, μηδὲ ὀλιγώρους τῷ χρόνῳ γεγενῆσθαι περὶ τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν ὑμετέραν. Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει, ἀλλὰ κἂν χρόνος παρέλθῃ μακρὸς, κἂν πραγμάτων αὐξηθῶσι δυσκολίαι, κἂν μακροτέρῳ τῆς ὁδοῦ μήκει διειργώμεθα, οὐδενὶ τούτων αὐτὴ διακόπτεται, οὐδὲ ἐξίτηλος γίνεται, ἀλλ' ἀνθεῖ μειζόνως, καὶ ἐπιδίδωσιν. ΡΛΑʹ. Ἐλπιδίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ἡμεῖς οὔτε ὑπερορῶντες, οὔτε ὀλιγωροῦντές σου τῆς ἀγάπης, τὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἐσιγήσαμεν χρόνον, ἀλλὰ τὰ περιεστῶτα ἡμᾶς δεινὰ τὴν μακρὰν ταύτην σιγὴν ἐποίησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ ἱδρύμεθα χωρίῳ, ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν τὴν Κουκουσὸν, νῦν δὲ τὴν Ἀραβισσὸν, νῦν δὲ τὰς φάραγγας καὶ τὰς ἐρημίας περιπολοῦμεν· οὕτω πάντα θορύβων ἐμπέπλησται καὶ ταραχῆς, καὶ πῦρ καὶ σίδηρος ἅπαντα δαπανᾷ, καὶ σώματα, καὶ οἰκοδομήματα. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ πόλεις ἀνεσκάφησαν αὔτανδροι, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συνεχέσιν ἐπιβαλλόμενοι φήμαις μετανάσται γινόμεθα, χαλεπόν τινα καὶ καινὸν ἐξορίας ὑπομένοντες τρόπον, καὶ καθημερινὸν θάνατον προσδοκῶντες. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ καθάπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ νῦν ἀποκλεισθέντες ἔχομεν θαῤῥεῖν, διὰ τὸ καὶ τῶν τοιούτων τοὺς Ἰσαύρους κατατολμᾷν. Προσετέθη δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ ἀῤῥωστία χαλεπὴ, ἧς μόλις νῦν τὸ χαλεπώτερον διαφυγόντες, ἔτι τὰ λείψανα αὐτῆς περιφέρομεν· καὶ ὥσπερ εἰς νῆσόν τινα ὑπὸ πελάγους ἀπλώτου κυκλουμένην ἀποικισθέντες, οὕτως οὐδαμόθεν οὐδένα ῥᾳδίως ὁρᾷν δυνάμεθα, πάσης ὁδοῦ τῷ φόβῳ τῶν θορύβων τούτων ἀποτετειχισμένης. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν συγγνῶναι ἡμῖν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐλαβέστατε· οἶσθα γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς περὶ τὴν σὴν ἐπεδειξάμεθα εὐλάβειαν, καὶ μὴ διαλιπεῖν εὐχόμενον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ εἰ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιτύχοις τῶν πρὸς τὰ γράμματα ὑπηρετησομένων, οὐδὲν ὑπομνήσεως δεήσῃ πρὸς τὸ ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν συνεχῶς περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς, σφόδρα θαῤῥοῦμεν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, εἰ λωφήσειεν ταυτὶ τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ προκύψαι τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου τούτου δυνηθείημεν, καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι μικρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς κατεχούσης πολιορκίας ἡμᾶς, οὐ διαλείψομεν συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλοντές σου πρὸς τὴν τιμιότητα. Ἡμῖν γὰρ αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ποιοῦντες τὰ μέγιστα χαριούμεθα. ΡΛΒʹ. Γεμέλλῳ. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ γενναία καὶ νεανικὴ ψυχὴ, οὐκ ἔξωθέν ποθεν, ἀλλ' οἴκοθεν, καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καρπουμένη, καὶ, τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τῶν τοῖς πολλοῖς φοβερῶν καὶ σφαλερῶν εἶναι δοκούντων. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μόνον μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι, μηδὲ ἀλγεῖν μισούμενον παρά 52.691 τινων, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλλωπίζεσθαι ἐπὶ τούτῳ, καὶ μὴ καλλωπίζεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς μισοῦντας, καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖν αὐτοὺς