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of a soul of martyr-mind, these things are of a heart seeking God with all its strength. Let the meek hear and be glad, that a woman of senatorial rank has taken up the crown of confession of Christ, let east and west hear that even now has sprung forth the golden race of blessed women from whom Thekla and Febronia arose. For what? Even if you were not slain, yet by your purpose and its consequences you have chosen the passion. Blessed are you among women, thrice blessed are you among mothers. Where might the other mothers be? Where might those be who hold the greatest dignities? You alone out of all and before all have excelled, you have given a timely blow to the devil. But since not he who has already begun the good is to be called blessed, but he who has brought the good enterprise to completion, I beseech you, my revered lady, strengthen your spirit for the end of the contests, leaving behind your own life as a written account of a glorious life for those who come after. This I ask and remind you, to have a care for the health of your body; for I know the unrestrained nature of your zeal. Use those things that can strengthen you; comfort yourself, sufficient is the prize for the deprivation of all things. To you, the mother, these things in brief. And what shall we say to the lady daughter who accompanies your virtue? From a good root you have sprouted as good fruit. Do not be sad that you were deprived of your husband; for if he were present, you would not have been found in the state you are in now, with a mother, yes, but also a martyr, with a father, but more so with the one above and immortal, no longer as in the flesh, but beyond the flesh. Anoint her who bore you, a martyr, I ask, share the prize of exile, just as you are doing, serve a confessor of Christ. Your dwelling together and contending together is sufficient for your good repute and salvation. These things are from spiritual love, from my laborious care for you; since, as has been said, we know that you are wise to do all that reason might require. I have accepted your offerings even now, and for how long now in exile. But for anyone with longing, a thing is easily accomplished. May all things be offered up as a fragrant aroma to Christ. Pray, you too, for me the sinner. 88 {1To Moschos the layman}1 Many are your good deeds, most God-loving master, which you not only have done for us, the lowly, but still are doing (in what way not comforting? in what way not sending?), along with which are also the present things, most numerous and very pleasant. And who is the one who repays but the good God? Through what you do you have shown your love to be unchangeable, you have revealed the flashing lightnings of your purpose. For from how far a place have I been displaced and yet I enjoy your good things, besides the fact that the brothers coming in also give you troubles; some of them, as I have heard, even being nursed in your Abrahamic and blessed hearth, because it is a lodging for many monks and a nursery for orphans. May the God who is father of the orphans nourish you for ever; may Abraham cherish you in his bosom as a fellow zealot with the lady sisters, with whom you serve Christ. Behold now, what is good or what is pleasant but for brothers to dwell together in unity? and in you it has been fulfilled. I enjoyed your good things as I was journeying into exile from your blessed suburb of Prousa; behold, even being far away you greet us. May all good things be multiplied for you both spiritually and bodily, may you be kept safe for me in health of body and indeed in soul from communion with the Christ-fighting heretics. 89 {1To Euschemon of Lampsacus}1 I learned that your holiness has been seized by the persecutors; and this is of providence, so that also through your confession the church of God may be supported and established from the earthquake of impiety that has overtaken it. For you see, O beloved, the falls; how almost few in number are the unfallen from all ranks, and all are on their backs. O the wrath that has been kindled! O the return to former times! We have become as from the beginning, when the adornment of the church was taken away and the law of God was scattered. Such are the present things, pitiable, gloomy; altars insulted through the dishonoring of the holy icons, temples defiled by the accursed

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ψυχῆς μαρτυρόφρονος, ταῦτα καρδίας ζητούσης τὸν θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης δυνάμεως. ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν, ὅτι γυνὴ συγκλητικὴ ἦρεν ὁμολογίας Χριστοῦ στέφανον, ἀκουέτω ἀνατολὴ καὶ δύσις ὅτι καὶ νῦν τὸ χρυσοῦν γένος τῶν μακαρίων θηλειῶν ἐξ ὧν Θέκλα καὶ Φεβρωνία ἀνατέταλκε. τί γάρ; εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐσφάγης, ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει καὶ τοῖς παρακολουθήμασιν εἵλου τὸ πάθος. μακαρία εἶ ἐν γυναιξί, τρισμακαρία εἶ ἐν μητράσι. ποῦ ποτ' ἂν εἶεν αἱ λοιπαὶ μητέρες; ποῦ ποτ' ἂν αἱ ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις ἀξιώμασι τελοῦσαι; μία ἐκ πασῶν καὶ πρὸ πασῶν σὺ ἠρίστευσας, σὺ δέδωκας καιρίαν πληγὴν τῷ διαβόλῳ. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὁ ἐναρξάμενος ἤδη τοῦ καλοῦ μακαριστός, ἀλλ' ὁ εἰς πέρας ἀγαγὼν τὴν καλὴν ἐγχείρησιν, δέομαί σου, δέσποινά μου αἰδέσιμε, τόνωσόν σου τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἀγώνων, βίου εὐκλεοῦς συγγραφὴν τοῖς μεταγενεστέροις τὴν σαυτῆς ζωὴν ἐγκαταλιμπάνουσα. τοῦτο δὲ παρακαλῶ καὶ ὑπομνήσκω, πεφεισμένως ἔχειν σε τοῦ σώματός σου τῆς ὑγείας· οἶδα γάρ σου τὸ ἀκρατὲς τῆς προθυμίας. χρῶ τοῖς ῥωννύειν σε δυναμένοις· παρηγοροῦ ἑαυτήν, ἱκανὸν τὸ ἆθλον τῆς στερήσεως πάντων. Σοὶ μὲν τῇ μητρὶ ταῦτα ὡς ἐν βραχέσι. τί δὲ φῶμεν τῇ κυρίᾳ θυγατρὶ καὶ παρομαρτούσῃ σου τῇ ἀρετῇ; ἐξ ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης ἀγαθὸς ἐβλάστησας καρπός. μὴ λυποῦ ὅτι ἐστερήθης τοῦ ὁμοζύγου· εἰ γὰρ παρῆν, οὐκ ἂν ἐν οἷς εἶ νῦν κατελαμβάνου, μετὰ μητρὸς μέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάρτυρος, μετὰ πατρός, ἀλλὰ πλέον μετὰ τοῦ ἄνω καὶ ἀθανάτου, οὐκέτι ὡς ἐν σαρκί, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ σάρκα. ἄλειφε τὴν τεκοῦσάν σε μάρτυρα, παρακαλῶ, συνδιάμειβε τὸ τῆς ἐξορίας ἆθλον, καθὰ καὶ ποιεῖς, ὑπηρέτει ὁμολογηστρίᾳ Χριστοῦ. ἀρκεῖ σοι εἰς εὐδοξίαν καὶ σωτηρίαν ἡ συνοίκησις καὶ συνάθλησις. ταῦτα ἐξ ἀγάπης πνευματικῆς, ἐκ φροντίδος μοι περιπονητικῆς· ἐπεί, ὡς εἴρηται, ἴσμεν σοφήν σε οὖσαν πάντα ποιεῖν ὅσα ὁ λόγος ἀπαιτοίη. Ἀπεδεξάμην καὶ νῦν τὰς προσφοράς σου καὶ ἕως ποτὲ ἄρτι ἐν ἐξορίᾳ. ἀλλὰ παντὶ ὁ πόθος πρᾶγμα εὐάνυστον. ἀνενεχθείησαν πάντα εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας τῷ Χριστῷ. εὔχεσθε καὶ αὐταὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 88 {1Μόσχῳ λαϊκῷ}1 Πολλά σου τὰ ἀγαθά, θεοφιλέστατε δέσποτα, ἃ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τοῖς ταπεινοῖς οὐ μόνον εἰργάσω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι ἐργάζῃ (τί οὐ παρηγορούμενος; τί οὐκ ἀποστέλλων;), μεθ' ὧν καὶ τὰ νῦν πλεῖστα καὶ ἡδυτερπῆ. καὶ τίς ὁ ἀνταποδιδοὺς ἀλλ' ἢ ὁ ἀγαθὸς θεός; δι' ὧν ποιεῖς ἔδειξάς σου τὴν ἀγάπην ἀναλλοίωτον, ἐφανέρωσάς σου τὰς ἀστραπὰς τῆς προθέσεως διᾳττούσας. ἐκ πόσου γὰρ τόπου διεκτοπισμένος καὶ ὅμως ἀπολαύω σου τῶν ἀγαθῶν, μετὰ τὸ καὶ τοὺς εἰσιόντας ἀδελφοὺς κόπους σοι παρέχειν· τοὺς μέν, ὡς ἀκήκοα, καὶ νοσηλευθέντας ἐν τῇ Ἀβραμιαίᾳ σου καὶ εὐλογημένῃ ἑστίᾳ, διὰ τὸ καταγώγιον αὐτὴν εἶναι πολλῶν μοναχῶν καὶ τροφευτήριον ὀρφανῶν. ὁ τῶν ὀρφανῶν σε πατὴρ θεὸς διαθρέψειεν εἰς αἰῶνας· ὁ Ἀβραάμ σε περιθάλψειεν ἐν κόλποις ὡς ὁμόζηλον σὺν ταῖς κυρίαις ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς, μεθ' ὧν θεραπεύεις Χριστόν. ἰδοὺ δή, τί καλὸν ἢ τί τερπνὸν ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; καὶ ἐφ' ὑμῖν πεπλήρωται. ἀπήλαυσά σου τῶν ἀγαθῶν διαπορευόμενος τὴν ἐξορίαν ἐκ τοῦ εὐλογημένου σου προαστείου τῆς Προύσης· ἰδοὺ καὶ πόρρωθεν ὢν δεξιοῦσαι ἡμᾶς. Πληθυνθείη σοι πάντα τὰ καλὰ πνευματικῶς τε καὶ σωματικῶς, φυλαχθείης μοι ἀσινὴς κατὰ σώματος ὑγίειαν καί γε κατὰ ψυχὴν ἐξ ἀκοινωνησίας τῶν χριστομάχων αἱρετικῶν. 89 {1Εὐσχήμονι Λαμψάκου}1 Ἔγνων ὡς ἡ ὁσιότης σου εἴληπται ὑπὸ τῶν διωκτῶν· καὶ τοῦτο τῆς προνοίας, ἵνα καὶ διὰ τῆς σῆς ὁμολογίας ὑπηρεισθῇ καὶ ἑδραιωθῇ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία ἐκ τοῦ καταλαβόντος αὐτὴν ἐξ ἀσεβείας σεισμοῦ. οἷα γὰρ ὁρᾷς, ὦ φιλότης, τὰ πτώματα· πῶς εὐαρίθμητοι σχεδὸν οἱ ἀκατάβλητοι ἐξ ἁπάντων βαθμῶν, πάντες δὲ ὕπτιοι. ὢ τῆς ἐξαφθείσης ὀργῆς· ὢ τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ πάλαι ἀναδρομῆς. ἐγενήθημεν ὡς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὅτε ἀφῄρητο ὁ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κόσμος καὶ διεσχέδαστο νόμος θεοῦ. τοιαῦτα τὰ παρόντα, ἐλεεινά, σκυθρωπά· θυσιαστήρια καθυβρισμένα δι' ἀτιμίας τῶν ἁγίων εἰκόνων, ναοὶ βεβηλούμενοι διὰ τῶν ἐναγῶν