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correcting the remains. And we have said these things to your excellency, since we know very well that you rejoice in our relief, for indeed we are never able to forget what you have done there, restraining those rash and irrational disturbances, and doing everything to establish us in security, and fulfilling your own part. And we proclaim these things to everyone wherever we arrive, acknowledging many thanks to you, my most wonderful master, for such great care. But in order that we may not only enjoy being loved by you, but also from your letters 52.741 indicating your health, may reap great gladness, grant us this favor. For we will receive no ordinary 52.742 comfort, even while living in a foreign land, if we might receive such letters from your wonderfulness.

CCXXXVII. OF CONSTANTIUS THE PRESBYTER TO HIS MOTHER.

This is a tender-hearted and child-loving mother, that, whenever something necessary is needed,

to exhort her child, and to drive him from home, and to bear the separation gently, and to be very grateful to him for his journey abroad. You have overthrown the very tyranny of nature, by bidding us to exchange a city for a desert, and the Isaurian fear for security, and our separation from your company, so that we should be forced to do nothing improper. For these things we are very grateful to you, not because you gave birth, but because you raised us thus, becoming in this the kind of mother one ought to be. For those who are weakened by their affection, and seek the presence of their children before their welfare, would not rightly be called mothers, but child-killers. But just as you have been courageous in this, and stronger than iron, having laid up beforehand for yourself an unspeakable reward from the benevolent God through this resolve, so we exhort and beseech you also in all other things to show the same philosophy, and to know that there is one misfortune, sin alone, and all other things are a fable: powers, and glories, and honors from men. And the road that leads to heaven is especially this one, through tribulations. For through many tribulations we must enter, it says, 52.742 into the kingdom of God. And all the saints, both in the Old and in the New Testament, traveled this road, being continually plotted against, driven out, becoming fugitives and exiles, city-less, homeless, enduring untimely deaths, and at the hands of those from whom they least deserved it. For what is more painful, tell me, or more grievous than to be struck down by a brother's right hand, and to endure an untimely and violent end, after such crowns and high repute? what is more painful, than, being an only child and given in extreme old age, to be ordered to be slaughtered by a father's hand, and for the one who begot him to become the agent of such a slaughter? For do not tell me this, that after these things he received him back healthy and safe. For that just man, knowing none of these things, but that he would certainly kill him, thus both led him up to the mountain, and built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and seized the knife, and drove through the sword; for indeed he did drive it through, as far as his intention was concerned; for which reason he is also sung of throughout the whole world. And if I speak of his descendant, you will see him too, because of a brother's envy, again becoming a fugitive and city-less, and a slave, and serving in a foreign land, and fearing the ultimate fear. And if I speak of Joseph who was sold, who served as a slave 52.743, who was bound for so many years, who suffered countless terrible things; and if I speak of Moses, who suffered so many evils from the Jews; for the things of the apostles it is not even possible to set forth in words; Therefore, gathering all these things together, and considering the reward of patience, offer a sacrifice to God, to bear things nobly

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λείψανα διορθοῦντες. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰρήκαμεν πρὸς τὴν σὴν λαμπρότητα, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἴσμεν χαίροντά σε τῇ ἀνέσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἃ αὐτόθι πεποίηκας οὐδέποτε ἐπιλαθέσθαι δυνάμεθα, τοὺς προπετεῖς ἐκείνους καὶ ἀλογίστους ἀναστέλλων θορύβους, καὶ πάντα ποιῶν, ὥστε ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀδείᾳ καταστῆσαι, καὶ τὰ σαυτοῦ πληρῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς ἅπαντας ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀφικώμεθα ἀνακηρύττομεν, πολλάς σοι χάριτας εἰδότες, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, τῆς τοσαύτης κηδεμονίας. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ μόνον ἐκ τοῦ φιλεῖσθαι παρὰ σοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων 52.741 ἀπολαύειν τῶν σῶν περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς σημαινόντων πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν εὐφροσύνην, δίδου ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσαν δεξό52.742 μεθα καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ γῇ διατρίβοντες παράκλησιν, εἰ τοιαῦτα γράμματα δεξαίμεθα παρὰ τῆς θαυμασιότητός σου.

ΣΛΖʹ. ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΟΥ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΜΗΤΕΡΑ.

Τοῦτο μήτηρ φιλόστοργος καὶ φιλόπαις, τὸ, ἡνίκα ἂν δέῃ τι τῶν δεόντων,

παραινεῖν τῷ παιδὶ, καὶ ἐλαύνειν αὐτὸν οἴκοθεν, καὶ πράως φέρειν τὸν χωρισμὸν, καὶ χάριτας αὐτῷ πολλὰς εἰδέναι τῆς ἀποδημίας. Κατέλυσας αὐτὴν τῆς φύσεως τὴν τυραννίδα, κελεύσασα ἡμᾶς ἔρημον ἀνταλλάξασθαι πόλεως, καὶ φόβον Ἰσαυρικὸν ἀδείας, καὶ τὸν χωρισμὸν ἡμῶν τῆς συνουσίας τῆς μεθ' ὑμῶν, ὥστε μηδὲν ἀναγκασθῆναι ποιῆσαι τῶν μὴ προσηκόντων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σοι πολλὰς χάριτας ἵσμεν, οὐχ ὅτι ἔτεκες, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὕτως ἀνέθρεψας, κἀν τούτῳ γινομένη μήτηρ οἵαν γίνεσθαι χρή. Ὡς αἵ γε τῷ πάθει καταμαλακιζόμεναι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ συμφέροντος τῶν παίδων τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτῶν ἐπιζητοῦσαι, οὐ μητέρες, ἀλλὰ παιδοκτόνοι δικαίως ἂν κληθεῖεν. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐνταῦθα ἀνδρεία γέγονας, καὶ σιδήρου στεῤῥοτέρα, ἄφατον παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς γνώμης ταύτης προαποθεμένη σοι τὸν μισθὸν, οὕτω παρακαλοῦμεν, καί σου δεόμεθα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ εἰδέναι ὅτι μία ἐστὶ συμφορὰ, ἁμαρτία μόνον, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα μῦθος, δυναστεῖαι, καὶ δόξαι, καὶ τιμαὶ, αἱ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄγουσα ὁδὸς, αὕτη μάλιστα ἡ διὰ τῶν θλίψεών ἐστι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν, φησὶν, 52.742 εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ ἅγιοι, οἵ τε ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, οἵ τε ἐν τῇ Καινῇ, ταύτην ὥδευσαν τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐπιβουλευόμενοι συνεχῶς, ἐλαυνόμενοι, φυγάδες καὶ μετανάσται γινόμενοι, ἀπόλιδες, ἄοικοι, θανάτους ἀώρους ὑπομένοντες, καὶ παρ' ὧν μάλιστα οὐδαμῶς ἐχρῆν. Τί γὰρ ὀδυνηρότερον, εἰπέ μοι, ἢ χαλεπώτερον τοῦ παρὰ δεξιᾶς ἀδελφικῆς κατενεχθῆναι, καὶ ἄωρον καὶ βίαιον ὑπομεῖναι τελευτὴν, μετὰ στεφάνους καὶ εὐδοκίμησιν τοσαύτην; τί δὲ ὀδυνηρότερον, καὶ μόνον καὶ ἐν ἐσχάτῳ δοθέντα γήρᾳ κελευσθῆναι σφάττεσθαι ὑπὸ πατρικῆς χειρὸς, καὶ τὸν γεννησάμενον διάκονον γενέσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης σφαγῆς; Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο λέγε, ὅτι μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ὑγιῆ καὶ σῶον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτων εἰδὼς ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ὅτι πάντως αὐτὸν ἀναιρήσει, οὕτω καὶ ἀνήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ τὰ ξύλα ἐπέθηκε, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν ἥρπασε, καὶ τὸ ξίφος διήλασε· καὶ γὰρ καὶ διήλασε, τό γε εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην ἧκον· διὸ καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ᾄδεται. Ἂν δὲ τὸν ἔκγονον εἴπω τὸν ἐκείνου, καὶ αὐτὸν ὄψει ὑπὸ ἀδελφικῆς βασκανίας πάλιν φυγάδα καὶ ἄπολιν γενόμενον, καὶ δοῦλον, καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ θητεύοντα, καὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων δεδοικότα φόβον. Ἂν δὲ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τὸν πραθέντα, τὸν δουλεύ52.743 σαντα, τὸν δεθέντα ἔτη τοσαῦτα, τὸν μυρία παθόντα δεινά· ἂν δὲ τὸν Μωϋσέα, καὶ τοσαῦτα παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων παθόντα κακά· τὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι ἔνι τῷ λόγῳ· ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα συναγαγοῦσα, καὶ λογιζομένη τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὸν μισθὸν, θυσίαν ἀνένεγκε τῷ Θεῷ, τὸ γενναίως ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ