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meeting, unless some hindrance from our sins should again arise for us, but the interview with the bishops we shall postpone to another time.

96.t TO SOPHRONIUS THE MAGISTER

96.1 And who is so patriotic as to honor his native land that bore and raised him equally with his parents, as you yourself do, praying for good things for the whole city in common and for each one individually, and not only praying, but also confirming your prayers through your own actions. For you are able, with God, to do such things, and may you be able for the longest time, being so good. But yet in your time our fatherland became rich as in a dream, having as a man entrusted with its care such a one as those who know the most ancient of our affairs say no other had previously ascended the thrones of office, but was quickly deprived of him by the insolence of certain men, who made the man's freedom and aversion to flattery a pretext for war against him and contrived slanders against him, escaping the ears of your Excellency. Therefore we all, with one accord, are gloomy, having been deprived of a ruler who alone was able to raise up our city, already brought to its knees, an exact guardian of justice, accessible to the wronged, fearsome to the lawless, fair to both poor and rich, and, what is greatest, restoring the affairs of the Christians to their ancient honor. For the fact that he is the most incorruptible of men we know, and one who grants no favor contrary to justice, we have omitted, as things smaller than the man's remaining virtue. We testify to these things late in the day, like those who console themselves by singing dirges, not doing anything useful for the situation. Nevertheless, this is not useless: that the memory of the man be stored up in your great soul, and that you show gratitude as to a benefactor of the land that bore you, and, if any of those who are angry because justice was not preferred should rise up against him, that you defend and stand for him, making it clear to all that you consider the man your own, taking as a sufficient reason for friendship the good testimony concerning him and the experience of his deeds, which is not in proportion to the length of time. For what would not have been accomplished by another even in many years, these things have been achieved by him in a short time. And it is a sufficient favor for us and a consolation for what has happened, if you will commend him to the Emperor and clear away the slanders brought against him. Consider that the whole fatherland says these things to you through our one voice, and that it is the common prayer of all that something favorable may happen for the man through your Excellency.

97.t TO THE COUNCIL OF TYANA

97.1 The Lord who reveals deep things and makes manifest the counsels of hearts has given also to the humble understanding of the devices which some think are hard to perceive. Therefore nothing has escaped our notice, nor is any of what has been done hidden. But nevertheless we neither see nor hear anything other than the peace of God and what leads to it. For if others are powerful and great and self-confident, yet we who are nothing and worthy of nothing would never suppose ourselves to be so great as to think that we can prevail in matters in isolation, knowing precisely that we need the help of each one of the brethren more than one of our hands needs the other. Since also from the very constitution of our body the Lord has taught us the necessity of fellowship. For when I look at these very members of ours, that no single one is self-sufficient for its own function, how shall I reckon myself to be sufficient for myself in the affairs of life? For neither would a foot walk safely unless

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συντυχίας, ἐὰν μή τι πάλιν ἐπιγένηται ἡμῖν ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν κώλυμα, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἔντευξιν εἰς ἕτερον χρόνον ὑπερθησόμεθα.

96.τ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΩ ΜΑΓΙΣΤΡΩ

96.1 Καὶ τίς οὕτω φιλόπολις ὃς τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν καὶ θρεψα μένην πατρίδα ἴσα

γονεῦσι τιμῶν, ὡς αὐτὸς σύ, κοινῇ τε πάσῃ τῇ πόλει καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ τὰ ἀγαθὰ συνευχόμενος, καὶ οὐκ εὐχόμενος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βεβαιῶν τὰς εὐχὰς διὰ σαυτοῦ. ∆ύνασαι γάρ που, σὺν Θεῷ, τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ δύναιό γε ἐπὶ μήκιστον, οὕτω χρηστὸς ὤν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπὶ σοῦ ὄναρ ἐπλούτησεν ἡ πατρὶς ἡμῶν, ἄνδρα μὲν ἔχουσα τὸν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτῆς ἐπιτραπέντα, οἷον οὔ φασιν ἄλλον οἱ τὰ παλαιότατα τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ἐπιστάμενοι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχικῶν θρόνων πρότερον ἀναβῆναι, ἐπηρείᾳ δέ τινων ἀφαιρεθεῖσα ταχέως, οἳ τὸ ἐλεύθερον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἀθώπευτον τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν πολέμου ἀφορμὴν ἐποιήσαντο καὶ διαβολὰς αὐτῷ κατεσκεύασαν, λαθόντες τὰς ἀκοὰς τῆς σῆς τελειότητος. ∆ιὸ πανδημεὶ πάντες σκυθρωπά ζομεν, ζημιωθέντες ἄρχοντα μόνον δυνάμενον εἰς γόνυ κλιθεῖσαν ἤδη τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ἀνορθῶσαι, ἀκριβῆ φύλακα τοῦ δικαίου, εὐπρόσιτον τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, φοβερὸν τοῖς παρανομοῦσιν, ἴσον καὶ πένησι καὶ πλουσίοις, καί, τὸ μέγιστον, τὰ τῶν χριστιανῶν πράγματα πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐπανάγοντα τιμήν. Τὸ γὰρ ὅτι ἀδωρότατος ὧν ἴσμεν ἀνθρώπων καὶ οὐδὲν παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον χαριζόμενος, ὡς μικρότερα τῆς λοιπῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ ἀνδρός, παρελίπομεν. Ταῦτα ὀψὲ μὲν τοῦ καιροῦ μαρτυροῦμεν, ὥσπερ οἱ μονῳ δοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς παραμυθούμενοι, οὐχὶ τοῖς πράγμασί τι ποιοῦντες χρήσιμον. Πλὴν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἄχρηστον ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ σου ψυχῇ τὴν μνήμην τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀποκεῖσθαι χάριν τε εἰδέναι ὡς εὐεργέτῃ τῆς ἐνεγκούσης, καί, εἴ τις ἐπι φύοιτο αὐτῷ τῶν διὰ τὸ μὴ προτιμηθῆναι τοῦ δικαίου χαλεπαινόντων, ὑπερμαχεῖν καὶ προΐστασθαι, πᾶσι ποιή σαντα φανερὸν ὅτι οἰκεῖον σεαυτῷ τὸν ἄνδρα τίθεσαι, ἀρκοῦσαν ἀφορμὴν εἰς οἰκειότητα τὴν ἀγαθὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν τιθέμενος καὶ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων πεῖραν οὐ κατὰ τὴν τῶν χρόνων ἀναλογίαν ὑπάρχουσαν. Ἃ γὰρ οὐδ' ἂν ἐν πολλοῖς ἔτεσι παρ' ἄλλου γένοιτο, ταῦτα ἐν ὀλίγῳ παρ' αὐτοῦ κατώρθωται. Ἀρκοῦσα δ' ἡμῖν χάρις καὶ τῶν συμβάντων παραμυθία, ἐὰν καὶ Βασιλεῖ συστήσῃς αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς ἐπενεχθείσας αὐτῷ διαβολὰς ἀποσκευάσῃ Ταῦτά σοι πᾶσαν οἴου τὴν πατρίδα διὰ μιᾶς τῆς ἡμετέρας φωνῆς διαλέγεσθαι καὶ κοινὴν εἶναι πάντων εὐχὴν γενέσθαι τι τῷ ἀνδρὶ διὰ τῆς σῆς τελειότητος δεξιόν.

97.τ ΤΗ ΒΟΥΛΗ ΤΥΑΝΩΝ

97.1 Ὁ ἀνακαλύπτων βαθέα καὶ φανερῶν βουλὰς καρδιῶν Κύριος ἔδωκε καὶ

τοῖς ταπεινοῖς σύνεσιν τῶν δυσθεωρήτων, ὥς τινες οἴονται, τεχνασμάτων. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἡμᾶς ἔλαθεν οὐδὲ τῶν πεπραγμένων τι κεκρυμμένον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡμεῖς οὔτε ὁρῶμεν οὔτε ἀκούομεν ἄλλο τι ἢ τὴν εἰρήνην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὅσα πρὸς αὐτὴν φέρει. Εἰ γὰρ ἕτεροι δυνατοὶ καὶ μεγάλοι καὶ ἑαυτοῖς πεποιθότες, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς οἱ μηδὲν καὶ τοῦ οὐδενὸς ἄξιοι οὐκ ἄν ποτε τοσοῦτον ἑαυτοὺς ὑπολάβοιμεν ὥστε ἐν τῇ μονώσει δύνασθαι νομίσαι περιέσεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀκριβῶς εἰδότες ὅτι πλέον ἡμεῖς τῆς ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπικουρίας δεόμεθα ἢ ὅσον ἡ ἑτέρα τῶν χειρῶν τῆς ἑτέρας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν κατασκευῆς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς κοινωνίας ὁ Κύριος ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν. Ὅταν γὰρ πρὸς αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἀπίδω τὰ μέλη ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἓν οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ πρὸς ἐνέργειαν αὔταρκες, πῶς ἐμαυτὸν λογίσομαι ἐξαρκεῖν ἑαυτῷ πρὸς τὰ τοῦ βίου πράγματα; Οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ποῦς ἀσφαλῶς βαδίσειε μὴ