Ep. CLVII.  To Theodore, Archbishop of Tyana.

Our spiritual affairs have reached their limit:  I will not trouble you any further.  Join together:  take your precautions:  take counsel against us:  let our enemies have the victory:  let the canons be accurately observed, beginning with us, the most ignorant of men.  There is no ill-will in accuracy; only do not let the rights of friendship be impeded.  The children of my very honoured son Nicobulus have come to the city to learn shorthand.  Be kind enough to look upon them with a fatherly and kindly eye (for the canons do not forbid this), but especially take care that they live near the Church.  For I desire that they should be moulded in character to virtue by continual association with Your Perfectness.

[157] ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩΙ

Τὰ μὲν πνευματικὰ πέρας ἔχει: οὐκέτι προσθήσω διοχλεῖν ὑμῖν. Συνίοιτε, φράσσοισθε, βουλεύοισθε καθ' ἡμῶν. Νικάτωσαν οἱ μισοῦντες ἡμᾶς: φυλαττέσθωσαν ἀκριβῶς οἱ κανόνες, ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἀρξάμενοι τῶν ἀμαθεστάτων. Οὐδεὶς ἀκριβείας φθόνος: τὰ φιλικὰ δὲ μὴ κεκωλύσθω. Οἱ τοῦ τιμιωτάτου υἱοῦ Νικοβούλου παῖδες ἥκασιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταχυγραφεῖν μαθησόμενοι: τούτους τά τε ἄλλα καὶ οἰκείως ἰδεῖν καὶ πατρικῶς θέλησον (οὐ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο κωλύουσιν οἱ κανόνες), καὶ ὅπως ἂν γειτονῶσι τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ φρόντισον. Βούλομαι γὰρ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸ ἦθος τυποῦσθαι πρὸς ἀρετήν, τῇ σῇ τελειότητι συνεχῶς ἐντυγχάνοντας.