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For know that it is suitable both to send you here, and also for you yourself to come at some time, only circumspectly so as not to come under the scrutiny of some of the more simple-minded brethren. And Adrianos knows when he entered and how. We need nothing except books. And if the commentary on John by my father according to the flesh is available, send it to me with the others of which I spoke. May God guard you, my child, as the apple of an eye. 104 {1To the same}1 I, the humble one, gave thanks to the Lord on seeing brother Proterios, having been anxious about his safe passage; and I know that this is from the Lord, who in overlooking my sins for the benefit of the brethren prospers his coming in and his going out and prepares him to pass as it were through the midst of fire unburnt. Such are the things now reported, both good and otherwise. But in the first there is joy, thanksgiving, especially that even women are acting manfully against the devil, but in the second, grief and groaning. For how would the falls of brethren not distress us, and all the more, inasmuch as the people-deceiving heresy also prospers? But nevertheless it is necessary to endure, we remaining steadfast in the love of Christ. And if again and again, which is also likely, the affairs of the Christians should be more difficult, it secures us well. But I do not know how you brought up the 'guard yourself from your bedfellow'; forgive me, brother, for speaking now, and do not be silent, for what is needed is 'I have many people', the former for those alien to the faith, the latter for those of like mind. But I, wretched one, am indignant each time, being seized by the fear of God's judgment, when I do not write and do not receive a letter. for this is a work of the love of God, but to be silent and for each to look to his own safety, not only fails to have [in it] the loving of one's neighbor, but also works a corruption of soul in the one who does so. For this reason I proceed somehow in a middle course, and this with the counsel and judgment of those with me, being careful to such an extent so as not to provoke God and fall from the truth before the attack of the enemies of God, considering that too, how much I must contend against the others, and finding it threefold and perhaps not even fulfilling the single part. Since it is also written that "from the one to whom they entrusted much, they will demand more." Nevertheless write, my child, and be secure; for I do not take it amiss, but again I would show you what is necessary. And may the God of my father look upon all that we do, and may we act so as to be for his good pleasure. Be well and be saved, much-longed-for child. 105 {1To the same}1 Having sufficiently lamented the death of my blessed Kalogeros in the letters to our brother the archbishop, beloved child, I have nothing to say now except that God has taken a chosen vessel from us; to recount his virtue is for me a work of prayer and not for the present time, especially since the letter-carrier is hastening and I am worn out with grief. For I want you to know, child, that grief has touched my heart exceedingly and I have poured out painful tears, not yet having seen his falling asleep; but again I quickly took heart, giving many thanks to my good God that because of him I happened to be separated both from him who has blessedly fallen asleep and from you. He then, having fought the good fight, as all know, and at the end having received the blessing of persecution for the Lord's sake like a God-woven crown (for I omit to speak of the things of old), departed from this life, having reached our blessed father with the renowned brethren, having been deemed worthy (I dare to say) of an angelic station and rest. But for us now is the struggle, child, not to be left behind by the good fathers; therefore let us stand firm, being steered by their prayers, and may the good God direct us to their harbor. I saw the good Gaianus and was refreshed, having asked and heard as much as I was seeking to learn. I was grieved to learn that you were again made sick by the grief of the death; and pay very much attention to taking care of yourself concerning the other things you indicated well. 106 {1To the

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γίνωσκε γὰρ ὅτι εὔθετόν ἐστι καὶ πέμπειν ὑμᾶς ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν καιρῷ τινι, μόνον εὐσκόπως πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐν διαγνώσει γενέσθαι ὑπό τινων ἀφελεστέρων ἀδελφῶν. οἶδεν δὲ ὁ Ἀδριανὸς πότε εἰσῆλθεν καὶ πῶς. οὐ χρειαζόμεθά τι πλὴν βιβλίων. καὶ ἐάν ἐστιν ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα πατρός μου, παράπεμψόν μοι μεθ' ἑτέρων, ὧν εἶπον. Ὁ θεός σε, τέκνον μου, φυλάξοι ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ. 104 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ Κυρίῳ ὁ ταπεινὸς ἰδὼν τὸν ἀδελφὸν Προτέριον, μεμεριμνημένος ὢν περὶ τῆς διασώσεως αὐτοῦ· καὶ οἶδα ὅτι παρὰ Κυρίου αὕτη, τοῦ παροράσει τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὄφελος εὐοδοῦντος τὴν εἴσοδον καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ καὶ οἷον ἐκ μέσου πυρὸς ἀφλέκτως αὐτὸν διαβαίνειν παρασκευάζοντος. οἷα δὲ καὶ τὰ νῦν ἀναγγελθέντα, εὖ τε καὶ ὡς ἑτέρως ἔχοντα. ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τοῖς πρώτοις χαρά, εὐχαριστία, μάλιστα ὅτι καὶ γυναῖκες ἀνδρίζονται κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἐν δὲ τοῖς δευτέροις λύπη καὶ στεναγμός· πῶς γὰρ οὐχὶ ἀνιῷεν ἡμᾶς πτώσεις ἀδελφῶν, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον εὐοδοῦται καὶ ἡ λαοπλάνος αἵρεσις; ἀλλ' ὅμως φέρειν ἀναγκαῖον, ἀτρέπτους ἡμᾶς διαμένοντας ἐκ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ· κἂν ἔτι καὶ ἔτι, ὅπερ καὶ τὸ εἰκὸς ἔχει, χαλεπώτερα εἴη τὰ τῶν χριστιανῶν, καλῶς ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλίζει. ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τὸ φύλαξαι ἀπὸ τῆς συγκοίτου σου προήγαγες, σύγγνωθι ἄρτι, ἀδελφέ, τὸ λαλεῖν καὶ μὴ σιωπήσῃς, ὅτι λαός μοι πολύς ἐστιν χρεία, ἐκεῖνο πρὸς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους τῆς πίστεως, τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς ὁμογνώμονας. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ τάλας σχετλιάζω ἑκάστοτε φόβῳ συνεχόμενος κρίματος θεοῦ ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιστέλλω καὶ μὴ δεχόμενος γράμμα· ἀγάπης γὰρ θεοῦ ἔργον τοῦτο, τὸ δὲ σιωπᾶν καὶ τὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστον σκοπεῖν ἀκίνδυνον οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔχει τὸ τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπᾶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σάθρωσιν ἐργάζεται ψυχῆς τῷ οὕτω ποιοῦντι. διὰ τοῦτο μέσως πως χωρῶ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ βουλῆς καὶ συγκρίσεως τῶν συνόντων μοι, τοσοῦτον ἀκριβαζόμενος, ὅσον μὴ παροργίσαι με τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐκπεσεῖν ἀληθείας πρὸ τῆς τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιχειρήσεως, σκοπῶν κἀκεῖνο, ὁπόσον με δεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους διαγωνίζεσθαι, καὶ εὑρίσκων τριπλοῦν καὶ μηδὲ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἴσως ἀποπληρῶν. ἐπεὶ καὶ γέγραπται ὅτι ᾦ παρέθεντο πολὺ περισσότερον ἀπαιτήσουσιν. Πλὴν γράφε, τέκνον μου, καὶ ἀσφαλίζου· οὐ γὰρ βαρέως φέρω, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τὸ δέον ὑποφαίνοιμί σοι. ὁ δὲ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου ἐπίδοι ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ποιοῦμεν καὶ πράττοιμεν εἰς εὐαρέστησιν αὐτοῦ εἶναι. ἔρρωσο καὶ σῴζοιο, τέκνον πολυπόθητον. 105 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀρχιεπίσκοπον γράμμασιν ἱκανῶς ἀποκλαυσάμενος τὸν θάνατον τοῦ μακαρίου μου Καλογήρου, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, οὐκ ἔχω νῦν τι λέγειν ἤ ὅτι σκεῦος ἐκλεκτὸν ἦρεν ὁ θεὸς ἀφ' ἡμῶν· οὗ τὴν ἀρετὴν διηγεῖσθαι ἔργον ἐμοὶ εὐχῆς καὶ οὐ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ, ἄλλως τε τοῦ τε γραμματηφόρου σπεύδοντος κἀμοῦ ὄντος τῷ πάθει τετρυχωμένου. γινώσκειν σε γὰρ βούλομαι, τέκνον, ὅτι λίαν ἥψατό μου ἡ λύπη τῆς καρδίας καὶ κεκένωκα δάκρυα ὀδυνηρά, μήπω θεασάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν κοίμησιν· ἀλλὰ πάλιν θᾶττον εὐθύμησα, πολλὰ εὐχαριστήσας τῷ ἀγαθῷ μου θεῷ ὅτι δι' αὐτὸν κεχωρισμένος ἔτυχον αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ μακαρίως κοιμηθέντος καὶ ὑμῶν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἀγωνισάμενος, ὡς ἴσασι πάντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει τὸν τοῦ διὰ Κύριον διωγμοῦ μακαρισμὸν οἷα θεόπλοκον στέφανον κομισάμενος (ἐῶ γὰρ τὰ πάλαι λέγειν) ἐξεδήμησε καταλαβὼν τὸν μακάριον ἡμῶν πατέρα σὺν τοῖς ἀοιδίμοις ἀδελφοῖς, στάσεως καὶ ἀναπαύσεως ἀγγελικῆς (θαρρῶ λέγειν) καταξιωθείς. ἡμῖν δὲ ἄρτι ἀγών, τέκνον, μὴ ἀπολειφθῆναι τῶν καλῶν πατέρων· διὸ στῶμεν κραταιῶς, πηδαλιουχούμενοι ταῖς εὐχαῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὁ θεὸς κατευθῦναι ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν ἐκείνων λιμένα. Εἶδον τὸν καλὸν Γαϊανὸν καὶ ἀνεπάην, ἐρωτήσας καὶ ἀκούσας ὅσα ἐζήτουν μαθεῖν. ἐλυπήθην μαθὼν ὅτι τῇ λύπῃ τοῦ θανάτου πάλιν ἐσιάνθης· καὶ πρόσσχες τῇ περιποιήσει ἑαυτοῦ λίαν περὶ ὦν ἄλλων ἐσήμανας καλῶς. 106 {1Τῷ