John Chrysostom, Letters

to give a reason for the silence. For this reason we also previously hastened with letters to your Nobility, so that it might not be possible for you to take refuge even in this. Write to us continually then, most revered and most noble master, and fulfill our desire. For having once been captivated by mere reputation alone, and bound to your Nobility, we ourselves would not be able to be silent henceforth, nor to bear one who is silent, but we shall give you countless troubles, unless you send us continuous and frequent letters, contriving by the frequency of your letters the pleasure derived from your presence. 109. To Daniel the presbyter. Blessed be God, who provides consolation much greater than the afflictions, and gives you such endurance, as to bear even with great joy the sorrowful things that befall you. This especially doubles your reward, to bear things, and to bear them with joy; this also provides us with great consolation, whenever we hear of your manliness, your boldness, the steadfastness of your mind, your vigor, your patience, your fortitude, your zeal hotter than fire. For these reasons, though we are sitting 52.723 in a desert, and besieged by the fear of robbers, and now afflicted by the winter season, we are sensible of none of these things, because of the greatness of your good repute, but we even leap for joy, and rejoice, and are very proud of your great fortitude. In order, then, that we may continually rejoice hearing these things, write to us continually and most frequently, announcing these very things, and the good news about your health. For from this you will provide us with the greatest joy and pleasure. 200. To Callistratus, Bishop of Isauria. I for my part desired to see your Reverence arrive here, so as to delight in your company and enjoy your genuine and warm love; but since for the time being this is not possible, both because of the season of the year and the length of the journey, I pay the address due to you through a letter, and I am grateful to your Reverence, because you were the first to hasten with letters to us. For this is a mark of warm and genuine friendship; and not only did you act not unreasonably, but also very fittingly for you. Grant us this favor continually then, and more frequently inform us about your health. And if it should become possible for your Reverence to trouble yourself to come to us, you will do us the greatest favors, and fill us with much joy. Considering, therefore, that we too desire to see your Reverence, and that the matter is not very troublesome, if a suitable time for travel should arise, do not deprive us of your meeting. But until this happens, be entreated to contrive the pleasure of your presence by the frequency of your letters. 201. To Herculius. Do not weary yourself seeking an apology for your long silence, my most admirable and magnificent master, and taking refuge in the scarcity of letter-carriers. For we, whether you write or are silent, hold an unchangeable verdict concerning your love, which you have shown by your deeds so clearly that the whole city knows our warm and passionate lover. Nevertheless, though we are so disposed, we strongly desire to continually receive letters from your Admirableness, which tell of your health. For just as you yourself said that the greatest comfort for the separation is to learn about our health, and you know how great a thing this is for a man who knows how to love, since you also know well how to love, so also is this a matter of great concern to us. Grant us this favor then, so that though we are sitting in such a great desert, we may reap much consolation from it. 202. To Cyriacus the bishop. Are these things tolerable? Are these things bearable? Do you think you have even a shadow 52.724 of an apology? While we are in such great despondency, for so long a time, in so much uproar, and confusion, and crushing, and misery, you have not deigned to write to us even once; but we have written once, and twice, and many times, while you are silent for so long a time, and do you think you have committed a common sin, having been so ungrateful towards us? me into

αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν τῆς σιγῆς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πρότερον τοῖς πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐγένειαν ἐπεπηδήσαμεν γράμμασιν, ἵνα μηδὲ εἰς τοῦτό σοι καταφυγεῖν ἐξῇ. Γράφε δὴ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν, δέσποτα αἰδεσιμώτατε καὶ εὐγενέστατε, καὶ πλήρου τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἡμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἅπαξ χειρωθέντες ἀπὸ φήμης ψιλῆς μόνης, καὶ συνδεθέντες σου τῇ εὐγενείᾳ, οὐδὲ ἂν αὐτοὶ σιγᾷν δυνηθείημεν λοιπὸν, οὔτε τοῦ σιγῶντος ἀνέχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μυρία σοι παρέξομεν πράγματα, εἰ μὴ συνεχεῖς καὶ πυκνὰς ἡμῖν πέμπεις τὰς ἐπιστολὰς, τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν γραμμάτων τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρουσίας σοφιζόμενος ἡδονήν. ΡΘʹ. ∆ανιήλῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ πολλῷ μείζονα τῶν θλίψεων παρέχων τὴν παράκλησιν, καὶ ὑμῖν τοσαύτην διδοὺς τὴν ὑπομονὴν, ὡς καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς εὐφροσύνης φέρειν τὰ συμπίπτοντα λυπηρά. Τοῦτο μάλιστα διπλασιάζεται ὑμῖν τὸν μισθὸν, τὸ καὶ φέρειν, καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς φέρειν· τοῦτο καὶ ἡμῖν πολλὴν παρέχει τὴν παράκλησιν, ὅταν ἀκούωμεν τὴν ἀνδρείαν ὑμῶν, τὴν παῤῥησίαν, τὸ ἀπερίτρεπτον τῆς γνώμης, τὴν εὐτονίαν, τὴν ὑπομονὴν, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὸν ζῆλον τὸν πυρὸς θερμότερον. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθ52.723 ήμενοι, καὶ φόβῳ λῃστῶν πολιορκούμενοι, καὶ τῇ τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ λοιπὸν κατατεινόμενοι, οὐδενὸς τούτων αἰσθανόμεθα, διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐδοκιμήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκιρτῶμεν, καὶ χαίρομεν, καὶ μέγα φρονοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῇ τοσαύτῃ ὑμῶν καρτερίᾳ. Ἵν' οὖν διηνεκῶς χαίρωμεν ταῦτα ἀκούοντες, διηνεκῶς ἡμῖν καὶ συνεχέστατα ἐπιστέλλετε, αὐτά τε ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν εὐαγγελιζόμενοι. Μεγίστην γὰρ ἡμῖν παρέξετε εὐφροσύνην ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡδονήν. Σʹ. Καλλιστράτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰσαυρίας. Ἐγὼ μέν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραγενομένην ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν, ὥστε ἐντρυφῆσαί σου τῇ συνουσίᾳ, καὶ ἀπολαῦσαί σου τῆς γνησίας καὶ θερμῆς ἀγάπης· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, διά τε τὴν τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, τὴν διὰ γραμμάτων ὀφειλομένην σοι πρόσρησιν ἀποδίδωμι, καὶ χάριν ἔχω σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, ὅτι καὶ πρότερος τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπεπήδησας γράμμασι. Θερμῆς γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ γνησίας φιλίας· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἔπραξας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα σοι προσηκόντως. Χαρίζου δὴ ταύτην συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, καὶ πυκνότερον ἡμῖν δήλου τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. Ἂν δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν γένηται τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τῇ σῇ σκυλῆναι ἕως ἡμῶν, τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν χαριῇ, καὶ πολλῆς ἡμᾶς ἐμπλήσεις εὐφροσύνης. Ἐννοήσας τοίνυν ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἰδεῖν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, καὶ ὡς τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐ σφόδρα ἐργῶδες, εἰ γένοιτο καιρὸς ἐπιτήδειος πρὸς ὁδοιπορίαν, μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς ἡμᾶς τῆς συντυχίας τῆς σῆς. Ἕως δ' ἂν τοῦτο γένηται, τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν γραμμάτων τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρουσίας ἡδονὴν σοφίζεσθαι παρακλήθητι. ΣΑʹ. Ἑρκουλίῳ. Μὴ κάμνε ζητῶν ἀπολογίαν τῆς μακρᾶς σιγῆς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατε, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σπάνιν τῶν γραμματηφόρων καταφεύγων. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ, καὶ γράφοντός σου καὶ σιγῶντος, ἀκίνητόν σου τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης σου ψῆφον ἔχομεν, ἣν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπεδείξω οὕτω σαφῶς, ὡς πᾶσαν εἰδέναι τὴν πόλιν τὸν θερμὸν ἡμῶν καὶ μανικὸν ἐραστήν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω διακείμενοι, σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν συνεχῶς δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρὰ τῆς σῆς θαυμασιότητος, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας δηλοῦντα τῆς σῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς μεγίστην ἔφης παραψυχὴν εἶναι τοῦ χωρισμοῦ, τὸ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ἡμετέρας μανθάνειν καὶ οἶσθα ἡλίκον τοῦτο ἀνδρὶ φιλεῖν ἐπισταμένῳ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ φιλεῖν οἶσθα καλῶς, οὕτω καὶ ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τοῦτο. Χαρίζου δὴ ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τοσαύτῃ καθήμενοι, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. ΣΒʹ. Κυριακῷ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ταῦτα ἀνεκτά; ταῦτα φορητά; οἴει κἂν σκιὰν 52.724 ἀπολογίας ἔχειν; Ἐν τῇ τοσαύτῃ ἀθυμίᾳ, ἐν οὕτω χρόνῳ μακρῷ, ἐν τοσούτῳ θορύβῳ, καὶ ταραχῇ, καὶ συντριβῇ, καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ καθεστώτων ἡμῶν, οὐδὲ ἅπαξ ἡμῖν ἐπιστεῖλαι κατεδέξω· ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς μὲν καὶ ἅπαξ, καὶ δὶς, καὶ πολλάκις ἐπεστάλκαμεν, σὺ δὲ σιγᾷς χρόνον οὕτω μακρὸν, καὶ νομίζεις τὸ τυχὸν ἡμαρτηκέναι ἁμάρτημα, οὕτως ἀγνώμων περὶ ἡμᾶς γεγενημένος; Ἐμὲ εἰς