90

the holy soul praying for the evils to cease by the illumination of divine providence, but also for me, the humble one, so that I may walk in the footsteps of you, the holy fathers. 75 {1To Ignatius, bishop of Miletus}1 I have hunted a good find, having come upon a letter-carrier, through whom I am writing to your holiness the letter in hand, being of no worth in other respects, but most especially having the greatest loving disposition; for we love you, O best of fathers, exceedingly, not only as a most blessed shepherd in that you were seen endangering yourself for the faith, choosing every hardship, exile and the loss of all things, but also because you are of the same habit as we and one of our acquaintances and friends from the beginning, and I might add, also because of the piety which you strove to mark out for yourself in self-control. We rejoice, therefore, that we have such and so great a father, or rather that the church of God has a pillar and foundation in this difficult earthquake of impiety; for it is truly an earthquake, in which the impious fall down, being unballasted, while of the pious some are shaken, but others suffer nothing at all because of their exceeding steadfastness of heart. For this reason, the more numerous the pillars and the spiritual foundations, the more we, the more lowly, are fortified. Blessed is God who has shown your virtue in the present time most brightly. For this trial is a test or, to speak more familiarly, a crucible, so that the chosen might be revealed and those who are otherwise might be exposed; for you are surely not unaware, O God-honored one, of what sort and how many there are on either side. Wherefore, grieving we also groan at the tearing apart of the members and how those who are precious and weighed against gold were accounted as earthen vessels. They are thus. But may the great hand of God protect you, our longed-for father, in good health, shining forth in teaching, renowned in boldness, and praying both for the church of Christ and for us the unworthy, so that I, following in your footsteps, may be delivered from the evil one. 76 {1To John, abbot of Chalkites}1 I wanted to use Silvanus, our spiritual son, as the courier of the present little letter, from whom I also received the greeting sent to me by your holiness at the time he was being sent into exile for the Lord's sake. But since it was not possible for me for the time being, I thought it fitting to address your reverence through the messengers I have just found. Greetings, O good brother, or rather to me, most longed-for of fathers; you are exiled with Christ, you suffer with the one who suffered for you; well done, that you have taken up a spiritual chariot; well done, that you considered all things rubbish for Christ's sake. The monastery which you established through much toil and sweat is beautiful, and outshining the surrounding islands both in the location of the place and in not a few other features. But see what a vibrant plot of paradise it has procured for you; and perhaps God will not be unable to give it back to you, if he wills. You have shone forth among your comrades more brightly than the sun; in deed you have fulfilled what it is to be a monk, being isolated from all, both spiritual children and relatives and friends and homeland and anyone else for the sake of the truth. May I say something even more boldly (for I have the confidence from you), you have fulfilled your promises; I have been defeated a good defeat and I greatly rejoice in being conquered, making your crown my own; for such are the bonds of love according to God. You know what I am saying, when I was reproaching the situation then, even if it was not thought so, but your piety was seeking more perfect things. You have me, O dear friend. But just as I might appear grateful here, so also do you there, I beseech you, agree. What is this? That even then the imprisonment was for the sake of truth. And I would not say this on my own behalf (far from it), but so that God, through that confession, might strengthen you in this one also, so that you may contend lawfully. These things have been said by me out of overflowing love; since to another I would not have dared to speak, although I pray that all think thus from head to toe. for now outside

90

ἡ ἁγία ψυχὴ δεομένη ὑπὲρ τοῦ λωφῆσαι τὰ κακὰ ἐπιλάμψει θείας προμηθείας, ἀλλά γε καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ, ἵνα κατ' ἴχνος ὑμῶν τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων πορεύσωμαι. 75 {1Ἰγνατίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Μιλήτου}1 Εὕρεμα καλὸν ἐθήρασα ἐπιτυχὼν γραμματηφόρου, δι' οὗ χαράττω σου τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἐπιστολήν, οὐδενὸς μὲν ἀξίαν λόγου ὡς ἄλλως, πλείστην δὲ ὅτι μάλιστα τὴν ἀγαπητικὴν διάθεσιν ἔχουσαν· φιλοῦμεν γάρ σε, ὦ πατέρων ἄριστε, διαφερόντως οὐ μόνον ὡς ποιμένα θεομακάριστον καθ' ὅτι προκινδυνεύων ὤφθης τῆς πίστεως, ἑλόμενος πᾶσαν κακοπάθειαν, ἐξορίαν καὶ ἀφαίρεσιν πάντων, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ὁμόσχημος ἡμῖν ὑπάρχεις καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς γνωρίμων τε καὶ φίλων, προσθείην δ' ἄν, καὶ διὰ τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ἣν ἐν ἐγκρατείᾳ χαρακτηρίσαι ἑαυτῷ ἠγωνίσω. Χαίρομεν οὖν ὅτι τοιοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον ἔχομεν πατέρα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἔχει ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία στῦλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χαλεπῷ σεισμῷ τῆς ἀσεβείας· σεισμὸς γὰρ τῷ ὄντι, ἐν ᾧ ἀσεβεῖς μὲν καταπίπτουσιν ἀνερμάτιστοι ὄντες, εὐσεβεῖς δὲ οἱ μὲν σαλεύονται, οἱ δὲ οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν πάσχουσιν ἐκ τῆς ἄγαν στερροκαρδίας. διὰ τοῦτο ὅσον πολλοὶ οἱ στῦλοι καὶ τὰ νοητὰ ἑδραιώματα, τοσοῦτον ὀχυρούμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ὑφειμενέστεροι. εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὑποδείξας σου τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ μάλα τηλαυγέστερον. δοκίμιον γάρ ἐστιν ἤ, ἵν' οἰκειότερον εἴπω, χωνευτήριον ἡ πεῖρα αὕτη, ὡς ἂν οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ φανῶσι καὶ οἱ ἄλλως ἔχοντες διελεγχθῶσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνήκοος εἶ πάντως, θεοτίμητε, οἷοι καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους. διὸ καὶ λυπούμενοι στένομεν τῷ διασπασμῷ τῶν μελῶν καὶ πῶς οἱ τίμιοι καὶ ἀντιτιθέμενοι χρυσίῳ ὡς ἀγγεῖα ὀστράκινα ἐλογίσθησαν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὕτως. σὲ δὲ ἡ μεγάλη τοῦ θεοῦ χεὶρ περιφυλάξειεν τὸν ποθητὸν ἡμῶν πατέρα, ὑγιαίνοντα, διαλάμποντα τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, διαβοούμενον τῇ παρρησίᾳ, προσευχόμενόν τε ὑπέρ τε τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἀναξίων, ἵνα κατακολουθῶν ἔσομαι τοῖς ἴχνεσιν ὑμῶν ῥυόμενος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ. 76 {1Ἰωάννῃ ἡγουμένῳ Χαλκίτου}1 Ἐβουλόμην διακόνῳ χρήσασθαι τοῦ παρόντος γραμματείου Σιλουανῷ τῷ πνευματικῷ ἡμῶν τέκνῳ, παρ' οὗ καὶ προσαγορίαν ἐδεξάμην ὑπὸ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου πεμφθεῖσάν μοι καθ' ὃν καιρὸν ἐστέλλετο τὴν διὰ Κύριον ἐξορίαν. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐξεγένετό μοι ἐν τῷ τέως, δι' ὧν εὗρον ἄρτι ἀποκρισιαρίων ἁρμόζον ἡγησάμην προσφθέγξασθαι τὴν τιμιότητά σου. χαίροις, ὦ καλὲ ἀδελφέ, μᾶλλον δέ μοι πατέρων ποθεινότατε, συνεξορίζῃ Χριστῷ, συμπάσχεις τῷ παθόντι ὑπὲρ σοῦ· εὖγε ὅτι ἦρες ἅρμα πνευματικόν, εὖγε ὅτι ἡγήσω πάντα σκύβαλα διὰ Χριστόν. καλὸν τὸ μοναστήριον ὃ συνεστήσω διὰ πολλῶν κόπων καὶ ἱδρώτων καὶ τῶν κύκλωθεν νήσων ὑπερλάμπον τῇ τε θέσει τοῦ τόπου καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγοις ἑτέροις γνωρίσμασιν. Ἀλλ' ὅρα ὅ τι τὸ ζωηρὸν χωρίον τοῦ παραδείσου σοι προεξένησεν· καὶ τάχα καὶ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει θεὸς ἀποδοῦναί σοι, εἴπερ βούλεται. ἐξέλαμψας ἐν τοῖς ὁμοταγέσιν ἡλίου τηλαυγέστερον· ἔργῳ τὸ μοναχὸς εἶναι ἐξεπλήρωσας, μονωθεὶς ἁπάντων, καὶ πνευματικῶν τέκνων καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων καὶ πατρίδος καὶ εἰτινοσοῦν ἄλλου διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. εἴπω τι καὶ παρρησιαστικώτερον (ἔχω γὰρ τὸ παρὰ σοῦ θαρρεῖν), ἐξεπλήρωσας τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, ἥττημαι τὴν καλὴν ἧτταν καὶ χαίρω νενικημένος μάλα, ἐμὸν ποιούμενος τὸν σὸν στέφανον· τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ κατὰ θεὸν φίλτρα. οἶδας ὃ λέγω, ἡνίκα ὠνείδιζον ἐγὼ πρὸς τὴν τότε σύμπτωσιν, εἰ καὶ οὐκ ἐνομίζετο, ἐζήτει δὲ ἡ σὴ εὐλάβεια τὰ τελεώτερα. Ἔχεις με, ὦ φιλότης. ἀλλ' ὡς εὐγνωμονῶν ἐγὼ ἐνταῦθα φαίνοιμι, οὕτω καὐτὸς ἐκεῖσε, παρακαλῶ, συντίθεσο. τί τοῦτο; ὅτι καὶ τότε ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ἡ φυλακή. καὶ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ τοῦτο λέγοιμι (ἄπαγε), ἀλλ' ἵνα σε θεὸς διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας ἐκείνης κρατύνειεν κἀν ταύτῃ, ὡς ἂν ἀθλῇς νομίμως. ταῦτα ἐξ ὑπερβαλλούσης ἀγάπης εἴρη ταί μοι· ἐπεὶ πρὸς ἄλλον οὐκ ἂν ἐθάρρησα λέγειν, καίτοι γε εὔχομαι πάντας οὕτω φρονεῖν ἀπὸ κορυφῆς ἕως ποδῶν. ἄρτι γὰρ ἔξω