John Chrysostom, Letters

you stir up your piety, and you make us more eager. What then is the cause of the silence? I for my part cannot say. But I beseech your grace, through the one who delivers this letter to your piety, to inform us through him about your health, and cheerfulness, and safety, both of you and of your whole house; so that we, sitting at such a great distance and living in so harsh a wilderness, may reap much comfort from such letters. 182. To Alypius. You yourself feared that by leaping forward first with a letter to us you might fall under the charge of rashness; for I will use your very own words; but I am so far from charging you with this, that I even accuse you of laziness on account of your tardiness, and I would have proclaimed you more greatly had you written sooner. And I say this, using your own judgment again as proof of it. For you said that this is the greatest sign of affection, to greet even when one is silent. Since, therefore, your fear of rashness has been taken away, which you feared without reason, and this has been shown to be a sign of greater love, send us henceforth snowflakes of letters. For you know how we have been and are disposed toward your grace. For even if we are carried off to this most desolate place, even if to the very ends of the inhabited world, we can never forget sincere love that has no deceit, but we continue to picture you each day, recreating the virtues of your soul through memory. And we would wish to write more often; but since this is difficult for us, settled so far from you, while for you it is easy, we beseech you to write to us continually about your health and that of your whole house. For in this way, even 52.717 while living in a foreign land, we will reap much comfort. 187. To Procopius. We were with you there only for a short time, my most admirable lord, but we have had great experience of your genuine love, and of your untroubled soul, and of your genuine and warm disposition. For this reason, though settled at the very ends of the inhabited world, and carried away to the utmost wilderness, because we carry you everywhere, wherever we may go, and have you engraved on our conscience, we both write from such a distance and render the greeting that is owed; and we ask your grace, if it is not burdensome and troublesome, that you yourself also grant us this favor, and bring us the good news about your health. For we learn of these things even when you do not write, by asking those who arrive from there, because it is of very great concern to us to know about your health and your good repute; but we wish these things to be declared by your tongue and by your hand, so that we may reap a double pleasure, both from writing and from receiving letters from your nobility. Grant us this favor, which is both most pleasant and reasonable, and provides us with much gladness. 188. To Marcellinus. We have been led away to the most desolate place of all, to Cucusus; yet when we consider the love of you who love us, we reap the greatest comfort, being rich in the wilderness. For it is no ordinary treasure to meet with men who know how to love genuinely. For this reason, even if we are not present in body, we are bound to you in spirit, being held fast by the chain of love. Therefore we also write from such a distance, and render the greeting that is owed. For that we have enrolled you among the first of our lovers, you yourself are not unaware, my most admirable lord. Grant us this favor yourself, and write to us continually, bringing the good news of your health, so that both by writing and by receiving such letters, we may reap much comfort and gladness, and, though living in a wilderness, may enjoy the greatest consolation. 189. To Antiochus. For when can we forget your sweet and fervent

εὐλαβείας τῆς σῆς διεγείρεις, καὶ προθυμοτέρους ποιεῖς. Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία τῆς σιγῆς; Ἐγὼ μὲν εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω. Παρακαλῶ δέ σου τὴν ἐμμέλειαν διὰ τοῦ τὰ γράμματα ἐγχειρίζοντός σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, δι' αὐτοῦ δηλῶσαι ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς, καὶ τῆς εὐθυμίας, καὶ τῆς ἀσφαλείας, καὶ σοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντός· ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενοι διαστήματος, καὶ ἐν οὕτω χαλεπωτάτῃ ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες, πολλὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων γραμμάτων καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. ΡΠʹ. Ἀλυπίῳ. Αὐτὸς μὲν ἔδεισας μὴ τῷ πρότερον ἐπιπηδῆσαι τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς γράμμασι προπετείας μέμψει περιπέσῃς· αὐτοῖς γάρ σου χρήσομαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν· ἐγὼ δέ σε τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω τούτου γράψασθαι, ὅτι καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐγκαλῶ τῆς βραδυτῆτος ἕνεκεν, καὶ μειζόνως ἀνεκήρυξα πρότερον ἐπεσταλκότα. Καὶ τοῦτο λέγω, αὐτῇ πάλιν σου τῇ ψήφῳ εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τούτου κεχρημένος. Ἔφης γὰρ, τοῦτο μάλιστα φιλοστοργίας εἶναι, τὸ καὶ σιωπῶντας προσειπεῖν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τό τε δέος σοι τῆς προπετείας ἀνῄρηται, ὅπερ οὐ δεόντως ἐδεδοίκεις, τοῦτό τε μείζονος ἀποδέδεικται σημεῖον ἀγάπης, πέμπε λοιπὸν ἡμῖν νιφάδας γραμμάτων. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως καὶ διετέθημεν καὶ διακείμεθα περὶ τὴν σὴν ἐμμέλειαν. Κἂν γὰρ εἰς ἐρημότατον τοῦτο χωρίον ἀπενεχθῶμεν, κἂν εἰς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ πέρατα, τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς ἀγάπης καὶ δόλον οὐκ ἐχούσης οὐδέποτε ἐπιλαθέσθαι δυνάμεθα, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑκάστην σε τὴν ἡμέραν φανταζόμενοι διατελοῦμεν, τὰς ἀρετάς σου τῆς ψυχῆς διὰ τῆς μνήμης ἀναπλάττοντες. Καὶ ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο ἐργῶδες ἡμῖν ἐστι, τοσοῦτον ὑμῶν ἀπῳκισμένοις, ὑμῖν δὲ ῥᾴδιον, παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς καὶ παντὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ οἵκου. Οὕτω γὰρ, καὶ 52.717 ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες, πολλὴν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. ΡΠΖʹ. Προκοπίῳ. Ὀλίγα μέν σοι συνεγενόμεθα αὐτόθι, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, πολλὴν δέ σου τὴν πεῖραν τῆς γνησίας εἰλήφαμεν ἀγάπης, καὶ τῆς ἀπράγμονος ψυχῆς, καὶ τῆς γνησίας καὶ θερμῆς διαθέσεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπῳκισθέντες τὰ τέρματα, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ἐσχάτην ἐρημίαν ἀπενεχθέντες, διὰ τὸ πανταχοῦ σε περιφέρειν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀπίωμεν, καὶ ἔχειν ἐγκεκολαμμένον τῷ συνειδότι, καὶ γράφομεν ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος, καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀποδιδόαμεν πρόσρησιν· καί σου παρακαλοῦμεν τὴν ἐμμέλειαν, εἰ μὴ βαρὺ καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, καὶ αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ταύτην παρέχειν τὴν χάριν, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας εὐαγγελίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῆς σῆς. Μανθάνομεν γὰρ αὐτὰ καὶ μὴ γράφοντος, τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἀφικνουμένους ἐρωτῶντες, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα περισπούδαστον εἶναι ἡμῖν εἰδέναι τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς καὶ τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως· βουλόμεθα δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῆς γλώττης τῆς σῆς, καὶ παρὰ τῆς χειρὸς τῆς σῆς ταῦτα δηλοῦσθαι, ὥστε διπλῆν ἡμᾶς καρποῦσθαι τὴν ἡδονὴν, ἀπό τε τοῦ γράφειν, ἀπό τε τοῦ γράμματα δέχεσθαι παρὰ τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς. ∆ίδου δὲ ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, ἡδίστην τε οὖσαν καὶ εὔλογον, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν παρέχουσαν τὴν εὐφροσύνην. ΡΠΗʹ. Μαρκελλίνῳ. Εἰς μὲν αὐτὸ τὸ πάντων ἐρημότατον χωρίον ἀπήχθημεν, τὴν Κουκουσόν· πλὴν ὅταν τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν τῶν φιλούντων ἡμᾶς ἐννοήσωμεν, μεγίστην καρπούμεθα παράκλησιν, ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πλουτοῦντες. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ τυχὼν θησαυρὸς, ἀνδρῶν ἐπιτυγχάνειν γνησίως φιλεῖν εἰδότων. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο κἂν μὴ τῷ σώματι παρῶμεν, ὑμῖν τῇ ψυχῇ συνδεδέμεθα, τῇ τῆς ἀγάπης ἁλύσει σφιγγόμενοι. Ὅθεν καὶ ἐπιστέλλομεν ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος, καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀποδιδόαμεν πρόσρησιν. Ὅτι γὰρ εἰς τοὺς πρώτους σε τῶν ἐραστῶν ἐγράψαμεν τῶν ἡμετέρων, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε. ∆ίδου δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, καὶ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπίστελλε, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος, ἵνα καὶ τῷ γράφειν, καὶ τῷ δέχεσθαι τοιαύτας ἐπιστολὰς, πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παραμυθίαν καὶ εὐφροσύνην, καὶ μεγίστης, καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες, ἀπολαύσωμεν παρακλήσεως. ΡΠΘʹ. Ἀντιόχῳ. Πότε γάρ σου ἐπιλαθέσθαι δυνάμεθα τῆς γλυκείας καὶ θερμῆς