100

on account of this long silence which you have kept, and this though you have often received frequent letters from us. But since I know that whether silent, or writing, 52.732 you are similarly disposed toward us, for this reason I could not bring myself to complain on account of the silence, even though I greatly desire to receive frequent letters from you, reporting on your health. For you could not take refuge in not frequently finding a letter-carrier; for our most longed-for and sweetest beloved Salustius, I know well, was able to serve you in this. But nevertheless I do not complain against you even so, because I am very confident of your love. I myself, however, whenever it is possible, will not cease to write continually; for I know the genuineness and warmth of your disposition. 220. To Paianius. We have breathed again, we have leaped for joy, we no longer consider that we dwell in a strange or foreign land, since your excellency has returned to the city that suffers such things. But what causes us such great pleasure is not that you have enjoyed greater honor; for your honor is the virtue of your soul, and neither before was anyone able to take it from you, nor has anyone now given it back—for how can what was not taken away be given back?; but we leap for joy because you have entered that city as the greatest comfort to the persecuted, the slaughtered, the imprisoned, having become a common benefit and a most spacious harbor for them. For you know how to gain what one ought to gain. Write then of the magnitude of your achievements, and tell us clearly how many who were prostrate you have raised up, how many who had fallen you have set upright, whom that were shaken you have strengthened, for whom that were afflicted in this long time you have stood by, whom that were indolent you have made zealous, whom that were zealous you have made more zealous, and simply every single one of your heroic deeds in this battle line of yours. For I know these things even before your letters, since I know your soul, the noble athlete, and the wondrous champion; but still I wish to learn these things from that tongue most longed-for by me. Grant us this request then; for you know how great a favor you will bestow by doing this. 221. To Constantius the presbyter. On the fourth of the month of Panemos, being about to set out from Nicaea, I am sending these letters to your God-fearing self, exhorting, as I have never ceased to exhort, that even if the winter should become harsher than the present one, and even if the waves should become greater, you not fail to fulfill your part in the dispensation which you took up from the beginning; I mean the destruction of Hel52.733 lenism, the build52.733 ings of the churches, the care of souls; and let not the difficulty of the situation make you supine. For a pilot, seeing the sea raging and rising up, will not step away from the rudders; nor will a physician, seeing a sick person overcome by disease, withdraw from the treatment, but then especially will each of these make use of his art. And so you too, my most honored and most reverent master, use much zeal now, and let not what is happening make you supine; for we shall not give an account for the evils which others do to us, but we shall even receive a reward. But if we ourselves should not contribute what is from our side, but should be negligent, the turmoil of affairs will not stand in our defense for this; since Paul too, dwelling in a prison and bound to the wood, was doing his part, and Jonah being carried in the belly of the sea-monster, and the three youths spending their time in the furnace; and none of them did these various prisons make more negligent. Considering these things, therefore, my master, do not cease to care for the Churches of Phoenicia, and of Arabia, and of the East, knowing that you will receive a greater reward, inasmuch as, with so many hindrances, you are contributing what is from your side. And do not hesitate to write to us continually, but even very frequently. For as we have now learned, we were ordered to go no longer to Sebasteia, but to Cucusus, where it is also easier for you to write to us. Write to us therefore how many

100

μακρᾶς ἕνεκεν ταύτης σιγῆς ἣν ἐσιγήσατε, καὶ ταῦτα πολλάκις καὶ συνεχῆ παρ' ἡμῶν δεχόμεναι γράμματα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἶδα ὅτι καὶ σιωπῶσαι, καὶ γράφουσαι, 52.732 ὁμοίως περὶ ἡμᾶς διάκεισθε, τούτου χάριν ἐγκαλεῖν οὐκ ἂν ἀνασχοίμην τῆς σιγῆς ἕνεκεν, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶ πυκνὰ παρ' ὑμῶν δέχεσθαι γράμματα, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν δηλοῦντα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχοιτ' ἂν καταφυγεῖν εἰς τὸ μὴ συνεχῶς ἐπιτυγχάνειν γραμματηφόρου· ὁ γὰρ ποθεινότατος καὶ γλυκύτατος ἀγαπητὸς ἡμῶν Σαλούστιος, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι πρὸς τοῦτο ὑμῖν διακονήσασθαι ἠδύνατο. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ὑμῖν ἐγκαλῶ, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα θαῤῥεῖν ὑμῶν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης. Αὐτὸς μέντοι, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν οὐ παύσομαι· οἶδα γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ γνήσιον καὶ θερμὸν τῆς διαθέσεως. ΣΚʹ. Παιανίῳ. Ἀνεπνεύσαμεν, ἐσκιρτήσαμεν, οὐκέτι ἀλλοτρίαν, οὐδὲ ξένην οἰκεῖν ἡγούμεθα, τῆς σῆς θαυμασιότητος πρὸς τὴν τοιαῦτα πάσχουσαν ἐπανελθούσης πόλιν. Ποιεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν τὴν τοσαύτην ἡδονὴν, οὐ τὸ σὲ πλείονος ἀπολελαυκέναι τιμῆς· ἡ γὰρ σὴ τιμὴ τῆς ψυχῆς σού ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ οὔτε ἔμπροσθέν σέ τις αὐτὴν ἀφελέσθαι ἴσχυσεν, οὔτε νῦν ἀποδέδωκεν πῶς γὰρ τὴν μὴ ἀφαιρεθεῖσαν;· σκιρτῶμεν δὲ ὅτι μεγίστη παράκλησις τοῖς ἐλαυνομένοις, τοῖς σφαττομένοις, τοῖς δεδεμένοις, εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην εἰσελήλυθας, κοινὸν ὄφελος καὶ λιμὴν εὐρύτατος τούτων γενόμενος. Καὶ γὰρ οἶσθα κερδαίνειν ἃ κερδαίνειν χρή. Γράφε δὴ λοιπὸν τῶν κατορθωμάτων σου τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ λέγε σαφῶς πόσους κειμένους ἀνέστησας, πόσους καταπεπτωκότας ἀνώρθωσας, τίνας σαλευομένους ἐστήριξας, τίσι πεπονηκόσιν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ τούτῳ χρόνῳ παρέστης, τίνας ῥᾳθυμοῦντας σπουδαίους ἐποίησας, τίνας σπουδαίους ὄντας σπουδαιοτέρους εἰργάσω, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς καθ' ἕκαστον τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεώς σου ταύτης ἀνδραγαθήματα. Οἶδα μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ πρὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν σῶν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν οἶδα τὴν σὴν, τὸν γενναῖον ἀθλητὴν, καὶ τὸν θαυμαστὸν ἀριστέα· ἀλλ' οὖν βούλομαι καὶ παρὰ τῆς ποθεινοτάτης μοι γλώττης ταῦτα μανθάνειν. ∆ίδου δὴ ἡμῖν ταύτην τὴν αἴτησιν· οἶσθα γὰρ ἡλίκην χαριῇ χάριν, τοῦτο ποιῶν. ΣΚΑʹ. Κωνσταντίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Τῇ τετάρτῃ τοῦ Πανέμου μηνὸς μέλλων ἀπὸ τῆς Νικαίας διεξορμᾷν, ταῦτα διαπέμπομαι τὰ γράμματα πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν, παρακαλῶν, ὅπερ ἀεὶ παρακαλῶν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην, κἂν χαλεπώτερος τοῦ νῦν κατέχοντος γένηται ὁ χειμὼν, κἂν μείζονα τὰ κύματα, μὴ διαλιπεῖν τὰ σαυτοῦ πληροῦντα εἰς τὴν οἰκονομίαν, ἧς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἥψω· λέγω δὴ τοῦ Ἑλλη52.733 νισμοῦ τὴν καθαίρεσιν, τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τὰς οἰκοδο52.733 μὰς, τῶν ψυχῶν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν· μηδέ σε ὕπτιον ποιείτω τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ δυσκολία. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κυβερνήτης τὸ πέλαγος ὁρῶν μαινόμενον καὶ διανιστάμενον, ἀποστήσεται τῶν οἰάκων· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἰατρὸς τὸν κάμνοντα βλέπων τῇ νόσῳ κρατούμενον, ἀναχωρήσει τῆς θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα ἕκαστος τούτων τῇ τέχνῃ χρήσεται. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐλαβέστατε, πολλῇ νῦν χρῆσαι τῇ προθυμίᾳ, μηδὲ ὕπτιον ποιείτω σε τὰ συμβαίνοντα· οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὧν ποιοῦσιν ἡμᾶς ἕτεροι κακῶν λόγον δώσομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισθὸν ληψόμεθα. Εἰ δὲ αὐτοὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν μὴ εἰσενέγκαιμεν, ἀλλὰ ῥᾳθυμήσαιμεν, οὐδὲν εἰς τοῦτο ἡμῶν προστήσεται ὁ τῶν πραγμάτων θόρυβος· ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ προσδεδεμένος, τὰ αὑτοῦ ἐποίει, καὶ Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τοῦ θαλαττίου θηρὸς φερόμενος, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες οἱ ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ διατρίβοντες· καὶ οὐδένα τούτων τὰ ποικίλα δεσμωτήρια ταῦτα ῥᾳθυμότερον πεποίηκε. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοῶν, δέσποτά μου, καὶ Φοινίκης, καὶ Ἀραβίας, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν μὴ παύσῃ φροντίζων Ἐκκλησιῶν, εἰδὼς ὅτι πλείονα λήψῃ τὸν μισθὸν, ὅσῳ καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν κωλυμάτων, τὰ παρ' αὑτοῦ εἰσφέρεις. Καὶ γράφειν δὲ ἡμῖν συνεχῶς μὴ κατόκνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πυκνότατα. Ὡς γὰρ ἔγνωμεν νῦν, οὐκέτι εἰς Σεβάστειαν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν Κουκουσὸν ἐκελεύσθημεν ἀπελθεῖν, ὅπου σοι καὶ εὐκολώτερον ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν. Γράφε τοίνυν ἡμῖν πόσαι