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I had no anxiety, as he was in all humility. But when the archbishop set out and, learning through him, I was relieved, also the same concerning our brothers still being held. I now seek to learn also about brother Proterius, if he has indeed set out, fearing because of the winter. Therefore when someone comes at the appointed time, make everything clear to me, and may the Lord be with your spirit. 111 {1To Joseph, brother and archbishop}1 I give thanks to my God that you continue in good health; for this good news was announced to me through your precious letters. Since who am I, the wretched one, to hear such things from your God-loving holiness, things which it would be more fitting for me to sing to you because of your admirable virtue? For among bishops you have truly praised the Lord not only now, when some of your own rank have risen up with you to the heights of the truth, but also of old and, so to speak, from the very starting-gate of your presidency, when many shepherds, though the word is harsh, acted foolishly by not seeking the Lord, and this in prisons, in confinements, in necessities, in distresses, in labors, in tears, in suffocations, as one might say, of affliction. Your boasts are apostolic, your contests equal to the fathers’; and if I too have something of such things, yet the smallness of my rank and the abundance of my sins covers it and does not allow it to appear. Nevertheless your boasts are mine, thrice-longed-for brother, crown of the fathers. Pray therefore rather, ceasing from praise, that my humble soul may be strengthened in the fear of God and against enemies unseen and seen, with the supplication of our blessed father also accompanying; for I am fearful about my own state, brother, as long as I am in this tent. And if I have any courage, this too is in the hope of God, who through his infinite goodness brings even the one in despair into the light. I was very much cheered that the good Athanasius is with you, and at the well-consoled sojourn of your exile. As for the things here, the good Silvanus, having understood them by sight, would relate them, and not only these, but also whatever is superfluous to write in a letter. If, then, the Lord has it in store for us to see each other again in the flesh, it is the work of his command; but if not, may you at least, O father, intercede that we may be seen with our father, or rather with fathers and brothers together with each other in a blessed vision and be seen favorably by God, for whom is the present separation and wars. Brother Nicholas, the only one left to me, greets you in servitude. Deign to greet those who are with your holiness, especially the good Athanasius. 112 {1To Euthymius of Sardis}1 I have now written twice to your blessedness. But alas for my sin; for my word is in tears, because a pair of the former letter-bearers who arrived at your exile has been drowned, which has crushed my humble soul not moderately. Nevertheless, since they were sons of obedience and apostles of such a ministry, and thirdly because there is only one pitiable death, that of sin, even if it comes upon a bed, I have borne it with thanksgiving, putting aside what is grievous. Therefore also in my first letters I offered the due blessing to your God-lovingness; for it is worthy to be blessed, having struggled preeminently among all and spoken boldly among hierarchs, and this while not even having the opportunity to be courageous on account of the vacancy of the throne. Nevertheless, in the power of the truth, holding the throne you surpassed almost all who were under thrones, carrying off the crown of confession. The same things I now proclaim to your sacred head, crowning you not with a gold-inlaid diadem (since the victory is not according to the flesh), but with God-woven words; for the victory is heavenly. Rejoice, therefore, and be glad, O admirable one, still bearing and completing the double-course of exile, so that at the end of your departure you may run back crowned to the heavens; and before this, may I see you in a time of peace, shining upon your presidential chair. For how our church is now disturbed and set on fire requires much telling, because of the manifold nature of the impiety. Divine altars are being destroyed, the venerable

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ἀμεριμνίαν ἔσχον, ἐν πάσῃ ταπεινώσει ὄντος αὐτοῦ. ὅπως δὲ ἀπεκίνησεν ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ μαθὼν ἀνέθην, περί τε τῶν ἔτι κρατουμένων ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν τὰ αὐτά. ἄρτι ζητῶ μαθεῖν καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Προτερίου, εἰ ἆρά γε ἀπεκίνησε, δεδιὼς διὰ τὸν χειμῶνα. Τοίνυν ἐρχομένου τινὸς κατὰ τὸ ὡρισμένον φανέρωσόν μοι περὶ πάντων, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔστω μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου. 111 {1Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ}1 Ἐγὼ εὐχαριστῷ τῷ θεῷ μου ὅτι ὑγιαίνων διατελεῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ εὐηγγελίσθην διὰ τῶν τιμίων σου γραμμάτων. ἐπεὶ τίς εἰμι ὁ τάλας τοιαῦτα ἀκούειν παρὰ τῆς θεοφιλοῦς σου ὁσιότητος, ἃ σοὶ μᾶλλον ἐπᾴδειν ἐμὲ δέον διὰ τὴν ἀξιάγαστόν σου ἀρετήν; ὅτι ἐν ἐπισκόποις ᾔνεσας ἀληθῶς τὸν Κύριον οὐκ ἄρτι μόνον, ὅτε καί τινες συνανέστησάν σοι πρὸς τὰ μετέωρα τῆς ἀληθείας τῶν ὁμοταγῶν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πάλαι καὶ οἷον εἰπεῖν ἐξ αὐτῆς βαλβῖδος τῆς προεδρίας, ἡνίκα ποιμένες πολλοί, εἰ καὶ τραχὺς ὁ λόγος, ἠφρονεύσαντο μὴ ἐζητηκότες τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν μονώσεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πόνοις, ἐν δάκρυσιν, ἐν πνιγμοῖς, ὡς ἄν τις φαίη, τῆς κακώσεως. ἀποστολικά σου τὰ αὐχήματα, ἰσοπάτρια τὰ ἀθλήματα· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐγώ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλ' ἡ σμικρότης τοῦ βαθμοῦ καὶ ἡ ἁδρότης τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καλύπτει καὶ φαίνειν οὐκ ἐᾷ. πλὴν τὰ σὰ ἐμὰ καυχήματα, τριπόθητε ἀδελφέ, πατέρων κορωνίς. προσεύχου τοίνυν μᾶλλον ἀφέμενος τοῦ ἐπαινεῖν, ἵνα μου ἑδραιοῦται ἡ ταπεινὴ ψυχὴ ἐν φόβῳ θεοῦ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀοράτους καὶ ὁρωμένους ἐχθρούς, συμπαρομαρτούσης καὶ τῆς τοῦ μακαρίου ἡμῶν πατρὸς ἱκετηρίας· καὶ γὰρ δεδοικώς εἰμι τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτόν, ἀδελφέ, μέχρις ἂν ὦ ἐν τῷ σκήνει τούτῳ. εἰ δὲ καί τι θαρρῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐλπίδι θεοῦ, τοῦ καὶ τὸν ἀπεγνωσμένον εἰς φῶς φέροντος δι' ἄπειρον ἀγαθότητα. Εὐθύμησα δὲ πάνυ ὅτι σύνεστί σοι ὁ καλὸς Ἀθανάσιος, ἐπί τε τῇ εὐπαρηγορήτῳ ξενίᾳ τῆς ἐξορίας σου. οἷα δὲ τὰ ἐνταῦθα, ὁ χρηστὸς Σιλουανὸς ὄψει ὑπολαβὼν διηγήσοιτο, καὶ οὐ μόνον ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσα δι' ἐπιστολῆς παρέλκον γράφειν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ταμιεύεται ἡμῖν Κύριος ἔτι ἐν σαρκὶ ἰδεῖν ἀλλήλους, τῆς αὐτοῦ κελεύσεως ἔργον· εἰ δὲ μή, ἀλλὰ σύ γε, ὦ πάτερ, πρεσβεύοις ὀφθῆναι ἡμᾶς σὺν πατρί, μᾶλλον δὲ πατράσι καὶ ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοῦ ἀλλήλοις ἐν μακαρίᾳ θέᾳ καὶ ὀφθήσεσθαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ εὐμενῶς, δι' ὃν ὁ παρὼν χωρισμὸς καὶ πόλεμοι. Προσκυνεῖ δουλικῶς ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος, μόνος ἐγκαταλειφθείς μοι. προσαγορεῦσαι ἀξίωσον τοὺς συνόντας τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ σου, ἐξαιρέτως τὸν καλὸν Ἀθανάσιον. 112 {1Εὐθυμίῳ Σάρδησ}1 ∆ὶς ἄρτι ἐπιστέλλω τῇ μακαριότητί σου. ἀλλὰ φεῦ τῆς ἐμῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἐν δάκρυσι γὰρ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι δυὰς τῶν πρὶν ἐπιστοληφόρων ἀφικομένη πρὸς τὴν ἐξορίαν σου ὑποβρύχιος γέγονεν, ὅ μου συνέτριψεν οὐ μετρίως τὴν ταπεινὴν ψυχήν. ὅμως ἐπειδὴ υἱοὶ ὑπακοῆς καὶ τοιαύτης διακονίας ἀπόστολοι, καὶ τρίτον ὅτι εἷς μόνος θάνατος οἴκτιστος, ὁ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, κἂν ἐπὶ κλίνης φθάσοι, ἤνεγκα εὐχαρίστως, ἀφέμενος τὸ λυπηρόν. Τοίνυν καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις γράμμασι τὸν ὀφείλοντα μακαρισμὸν ἀνῆψα τῇ θεοφιλίᾳ σου· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀξία μακαρίζεσθαι, πρόκριτα πάντων ἀγωνισαμένην καὶ παρρησιασμαμένην ἐν ἱεράρχαις, καὶ ταῦτα μηδὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ θαρρεῖν ἔχουσα διὰ τὴν σχολὴν τοῦ θρόνου. ὅμως ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας κράτει τὸν θρόνον ἔχων τοὺς ὑποθρόνους σχεδὸν πάντας ὑπερῆρας, ὁμολογίας στέφανον ἀπενεγκάμενος. τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ νῦν σου τῇ ἱερᾷ κορυφῇ προσφθέγγομαι, στέφων οὐ χρυσοκολλήτῳ διαδήματι (ἐπεὶ μηδὲ κατὰ σάρκα τὸ νῖκος), ἀλλὰ θεοπλόκοις λόγοις· οὐράνιον γὰρ τὸ ἐκνίκημα. χαῖρε τοίνυν καὶ θυμηδία, θαυμάσιε, φέρων ἔτι καὶ διανύων τὸν δίαυλον τῆς ὑπερορίας, ἵνα ἐπὶ στάματος τῆς ἐκδημίας ἐπαναδράμοις ἐστεμμένος εἰς οὐρανούς· καὶ πρό γε ταύτης εἴη μέ σε θεάσασθαι ἐν καιρῷ εἰρήνης λελαμπρυμένον ἐπὶ τῆς προεδρίας. Τὰ γὰρ νῦν ὅπως τετάρακται καὶ ἐμπεπύρισται ἡ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησία πολλοῦ τὸ λέγειν διὰ τὸ πολυειδὲς τῆς ἀσεβείας. θυσιαστήρια θεῖα ἀφανίζονται, αἰρομένων τῶν σεπτῶν