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they remain in opposition for the love of God. But what is the drama of Nicaea, and certainly that having learned you may teach, since it also concerns the neighboring superiors. But why were you grieved about us? It is nothing; they are brothers and often contend with one another in a brotherly way. Pray, therefore, my child, that the hand of God may protect both, and these things are light. I received a letter from brother Cledonius and was refreshed; in due time I shall reply. And I ask you, because he asked me that you watch over him and care for him; and show that I asked. Greet him, as also brother Tithoes; I am writing to him by another letter. The brothers greet you. 117 {1To the same}1 You have been vigilant, my child, to give me a little freedom from care; and may the God of my father have mercy on you and give you rest. And having learned what was reported, I gave thanks to the Lord. All are gospels of joy, both the exiles of the most holy bishops, being for Christ, and the resistances of our good brothers. About which I, the humble one, have much care and anxiety, considering how things will turn out for them; for they are struggling more athletically than all. But Christ will be defending them, and indeed also the superiors, let alone those of the region. But you, O child, as one helped and protected by God, do not hesitate to write letters, to visit, to strengthen, to admonish, to console, to arouse, to instruct, to anoint those outside, those inside, those who are mistreated, those who are running well, not only up to now, but indeed also those who are not under our authority. For you must go further for Christ's sake, that is, using good management and opportunity; for now it is necessary for the students also to become teachers. I at least, the useless one, if I might get an opportunity and a faithful letter-carrier, whether from home or from outside, I am eager to write to all the exiled fathers (for this greatly benefits both the one writing and the one receiving, since it is also customary for the saints and useful to the church), but indeed I, the dog and the flea, am preparing to cry out even to the ends of the world. And who would be my co-worker in this except you, the fervent lover above all the brothers of both Christ and me, the wretched one? We are living here by the grace of Christ and your prayers, as I wrote previously through Adrian, lacking in nothing except books, but these too will come, whenever the Lord prospers the way. Pray for me, child, more fervently that I may be saved. 118 {1To the same}1 How good are your letters, beloved child, proclaiming to us all desirable things. first, the Lord's day of the Lady Theotokos, second, your better state of health, then the health of the brothers, and indeed also of the seven; then the miracle-working of the revered icon of Christ. For even if the death of the audacious man is lamentable (for how could it not be?), yet glorious is our Lord and God even in his icon that worked a miracle, even if the impious do not convert, contriving the death in another way, just as the Jews did the true resurrection of Christ. But to us, both are credible. May God do well by the good Gaianus. A good messenger has come, such a messenger, and let him depart as you have said. Blessed be also Nilus, if he visited the seven, along with those who sent him. Brother Ignatius also has come, being of sound mind. Let Proterius go. But why do I give you trouble by the frequent visit? Nevertheless, since it is the feast, may the Lord give you your reward. Greet A and B from us. 119 {1To the same}1 You have sufficiently instructed us, O beloved child, on the things that have happened and are now present, and indeed from the mouth of X. Since, therefore, we ought to give thanks to the Lord for all things and to contribute according to our ability to our brothers. For this reason, whatever gold X was bringing from benefactors and which I also had here, except for a small need, I have sent to you. And become a helper of those in need of help, as I instructed X; for our good God has permitted you for this purpose. Finding a faithful brother, send a letter to the ten; for I have sent one, and for the time being it is not necessary. But if

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ἐναντίων διαμένουσι διὰ θεοῦ ἀγάπην. πλὴν τί τὸ τοῦ Νικαίας δρᾶμα καὶ πάντως γε ἵνα μαθὼν διδάξῃς, ἐπεὶ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐγγύθεν ἡγουμένων. ἱνατί δὲ περὶ ἡμῶν ἐλυπήθης; εἰς οὐδέν ἐστιν· ἀδελφοί εἰσι καὶ ἀδελφικῶς πολλάκις διαφέρονται εἰς ἀλλήλους. Εὔχου οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἵνα ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ θεοῦ σκέπῃ ἀμφοτέρους, καὶ ταῦτα κοῦφα. παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Κληδονίου ἐδεξάμην γραμματεῖον καὶ ἀνεπάην· ἐν καιρῷ ἀντιγράφω. παρακαλῶ σε δέ, ὅτι παρεκάλεσέ με ἵνα αὐτὸν ἐπιτηρῇς καὶ περιέπῃς· καὶ δεῖξον ὅτι παρεκάλεσα. ὃν καὶ προσαγόρευσον ὥσπερ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Τιθόην· κἀκείνῳ δι' ἄλλης ἐπιστέλλω. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ προσαγορεύουσιν. 117 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ἐγρηγόρησας, τέκνον μου, δοῦναί μοι μικρὰν ἀμεριμνίαν· καί γε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου ἐλεήσαι σε καὶ ἀναπαύσαι σε. γνοὺς δὲ τὰ δηλωθέντα εὐχαρίστησα τῷ Κυρίῳ. πάντα χαρᾶς εὐαγγέλια, αἵ τε τῶν ἁγιωτάτων ἐπισκόπων ἐξορίαι, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖσαι, αἵ τε τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐνστάσεις. ἐφ' οἷς καὶ πολλή μοι μέριμνα καὶ ἀδολεσχία τῷ ταπεινῷ, πῶς ἀποβήσεται τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς σκοποῦντι· τῶν γὰρ πάντων ἀγωνιστικώτερον ἀθλοῦσιν. ἀλλ' ἔσται Χριστὸς ἐπαμύνων καὐτούς, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους, πολλοῦ γε εἰπεῖν τοὺς τῆς χώρας. Σὺ δέ, ὦ τέκνον, ὡς ὑπὸ θεοῦ βοηθούμενός τε καὶ σκεπόμενος μὴ φείσῃ ἐπιστέλλειν, ἐπιδημεῖν, στηρίζειν, νουθετεῖν, παραμυθεῖσθαι, διυπνίζειν, ἐκδιδάσκειν, ἐπαλείφειν τοὺς ἔξω, τοὺς ἔσω, τοὺς κακουμένους, τοὺς εὐδρομοῦντας, οὐ μὴν μέχρι τοῦδε, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τοὺς οὐχ ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἡμῶν τελοῦντας. δεῖ γάρ σε περαιτέρω χωρῆσαι διὰ Χριστόν, δηλονότι οἰκονομίᾳ καὶ εὐκαιρίᾳ χρώμενον· ἄρτι γὰρ δεῖ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς διδασκάλους γενέσθαι. Ἐγὼ γοῦν ὁ ἀχρεῖος, εἰ καιρὸν λάβοιμι καὶ πιστὸν γραμματηφόρον, εἴτε οἴκοθεν εἴτε ἔξωθεν προθυμοῦμαι πᾶσι τοῖς ἐξορίστοις πατράσιν ἐπιστεῖλαι (πολὺ γὰρ ὀνίνησι καὶ τὸν γράφοντα καὶ τὸν δεχόμενον τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις σύνηθες καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ χρήσιμον), ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ μέχρι τερμάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης βοῆσαι ὁ κύων καὶ ὁ ψύλλος παρασκευάζομαι. τίς δὲ τοῦδε εἴη μοι συνεργὸς πλὴν σοῦ, τοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν θερμοῦ φιλητοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ τάλαινος; ζῶμεν δὲ χάριτι Χριστοῦ καὶ εὐχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐνταῦθα, καθὼς προγέγραφα διὰ τοῦ Ἀδριανοῦ, ἐν οὐδενὶ λειπόμενοι πλὴν βιβλίων, ἥξει δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, ὁπόταν εὐοδοῖ Κύριος. Προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ, τέκνον, θερμότερον ἵνα σῴζωμαι. 118 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ὡς καλά σου τὰ γράμματα, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, πάντα ἡμῖν εὐκταῖα εὐαγγελιζόμενα. πρῶτον μὲν τὴν κυρίαν ἡμέραν τῆς κυρίας Θεοτόκου, δεύτερον τὴν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον εὐεξίαν σου, εἶτα τὴν ὑγιείαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ μὴν καὶ τῶν ἑπτά· εἶτα τὴν θαυματουργίαν τῆς Χριστοῦ σεπτῆς εἰκόνος. εἰ γὰρ καὶ στενακτὸς ὁ τοῦ τολμητία θάνατος (πῶς γὰρ οὔ;), ἀλλὰ δοξαστὸς ὁ Κύριος καὶ θεὸς ἡμῶν κἀν τῇ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνι θαυματουργησάσῃ, κἂν οὐκ ἐπιστρέφωνται οἱ ἀσεβοῦντες, μεθοδεύοντες ἄλλως τὸν θάνατον, ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τὴν ἀληθῆ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνάστασιν. ἡμῖν δὲ πιστὰ ἀμφότερα. εὖ δὲ ποιήσαι ὁ θεὸς τῷ καλῷ Γαϊανῷ. ἄγγελος ἀγαθὸς ἧκεν, ἄγγελος τοιοῦτος, καὶ ἀπίτω καθὰ εἴρηκας. εἴη εὐλογημένος καὶ ὁ Νεῖλος, εἰ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἐπεσκέψατο, μετὰ τῶν πεμψάντων αὐτόν. καλῶς φρονῶν ἐλήλυθεν καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ἰγνάτιος. ὁ Προτέριος πορευέσθω. ἱνατί δὲ κόπους ὑμῖν παρέχω τῇ συχνῇ ἐπισκέψει; ὅμως ἐπεὶ ἡ ἑορτή, τὸν μισθὸν ὑμῖν δοίη Κύριος. τὸ ˉα, τὸ ˉβ ἐξ ἡμῶν προσαγόρευσον. 119 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ἱκανῶς ἡμᾶς ἐξεδίδαξας, ὦ τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, τὰ γεγονότα καὶ ἤδη παριστάμενα, καὶ μέντοι ἀπὸ στόματος τὸ ˉχ. ἐπεὶ πᾶσιν οὖν εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν εἰσοίσειν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἡμῶν. διὰ τοῦτο ὅσον ἐπεφέρετο χρυσίον τὸ ˉχ ἐξ ἀγαθοποιῶν καὶ εἶχον κἀγὼ ἐνταῦθα, πλὴν μικρᾶς χρείας, ἀπέσταλκά σοι. καὶ γενοῦ βοηθὸς τῶν βοηθείας ἐνδεῶν, καθὰ διεταξάμην τὸ ˉχ· εἰς τοῦτο γάρ σε εἴασεν ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν θεός. γράμμα εἰς τοὺς δέκα εὑρίσκων πιστὸν ἀδελφὸν πέμψον· ἐγὼ γὰρ πέπομφα, καὶ τέως οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον. εἰ δὲ