111

a sinner to be exiled and imprisoned for Christ's sake. And for what is more gracious or more delightful on earth than to suffer for God? I know you, therefore, to be strong in spirit, faithful to the Lord; keep yourself unstained from the Christ-fighting heresy. Alas for the traitor Nectarius, because he did not forget the ancient apostasy; alas for the wretched Orestes, because for the sake of his passions he denied Christ who suffered for him, having signed against his icon. If they persecuted me, says Christ, they will also persecute you; what is surprising, then, if we are persecuted for his sake? Would that we had also died. These things to you as in a testament from me, the humble one. But you, O good child, be diligent in faith and every good work; have genuine friendship with all your brothers, especially with the steward, so that with the harmony of the leaders the subordinates may also be in harmony. Apply yourself to reading, gain wisdom in divine things. Pray also for me, the sinner, that I may be saved. May Christ our God be a guard to you in all things. Amen. 132 {1To Naucratius, my child}1 I have been looking out anxiously for the delivery of your letters, my desired child, not only because of what you wrote to me before about how things turned out, but also because of the things rumored here concerning the earthquake. And when I received your letter and read it, I was quite beside myself, groaning over what had happened, pitying the dead, then that even with these things having happened the heart of the impious remains implacable, growing bolder, rather, in wickedness; for once they have been captured in the will of the devil they do not wish to recover, or even if they wish, they cannot. Who will calm the storm? Who will heal the fracture of our church? Who else but he who said to the sea, "Be still"? But this would not happen unless there were some who are disciples of Christ in truth, to whose cry the Lord, who wills mercy, would hearken. Become one of these, therefore, child, through a pure heart and make propitiation, so that God, being angry no longer, may not destroy the righteous with the impious, according to what is written. Strengthen the seven through letters and some messengers. May God do well by you, because you were kind to the cleric Stephen, and be kind still if you are able. Read the metropolitan's letter and give me an account of his request, and receive one also from the archbishop, revealing to him my opinion, but not that I have written to the metropolitan. You labor, child, feeding us, and you feed six. The handiwork for writing failed me, which I have for great comfort and help of the soul; therefore provide for me from now on handiwork of whatever cursive script you wish, only do not cause me a loss in the prices. And tell the brother what you will send shortly. Greet my brothers with you. Those here greet you warmly. It was reported to me concerning the dead, and blessed is the metropolitan. May his spirit be with the saints. 133 {1To the same}1 Circumstances increase the substances of the soul, wherefore it is necessary, child, to stand nobly in the trials that happen, permitted by God for the testing of our faith; for it is written, whom the Lord loves he disciplines. Whence then will the excess of impiety be known, if it did not weave persecutions and buffetings? And whence the fortress of the orthodox, if it did not walk in the footsteps of the fathers who have gone before? Count the trials and so many crowns you will find. Blessed are those who have died for the Lord, because in an instant of time they will gain unending ages. The archbishop was taken, which I was also anticipating; Christ be with him, pray fervently for him. Euprepianus was beaten; see the goodness of God, that he was pleased for him to be beaten for the sake of orthodoxy. Pray also for him (with him also guard the seven); send something to the man of God for the help of both. I do not think you still hold the monastery, nor that the archbishop is coming out. And thanks be to God that you are unbound. Our one true monastery, the Jerusalem above. Rejoice, my brothers, rejoice, because

111

ἁμαρτωλὸς διὰ Χριστὸν μεθορίζεσθαι καὶ φυλακίζεσθαι. καὶ τί γὰρ χαριέστερον ἄλλο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἢ τερπνότερον ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ θεὸν πάσχειν; οἶδά σε οὖν ὀχυρὸν τῷ πνεύματι, πιστὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ φύλαξον σεαυτὸν ἄσπιλον τῆς χριστομάχου αἱρέσεως. φεῦ τῷ προδότῃ Νεκταρίῳ, ὅτι τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀποστασίαν οὐκ ἐπελάθετο· φεῦ τῷ ἀθλίῳ Ὀρέστῃ, ὅτι διὰ τὰ πάθη τὸν παθόντα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ Χριστὸν ἠρνήσατο, ὑπογράψας κατὰ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, φησὶν ὁ Χριστός, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσι· τί οὖν θαυμαστόν, εἰ διωκόμεθα δι' αὐτόν; εἴθε καὶ ἀπεθάνομεν. Ταῦτά σοι ὡς ἐν διαθήκῃ παρ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ. σὺ δέ, ὦ καλὸν τέκνον, μετὰ τῆς πίστεως καὶ πάσης ἀγαθοπραξίας ἐπιμελοῦ· ἔχε φιλίαν γνησίαν μετὰ πάντων σου τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἐξαιρέτως μετὰ τοῦ οἰκονόμου, διὰ τὸ τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ τῶν πρώτων συνομονοεῖν καὶ τοὺς ὑφειμένους. ἔπεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, σοφίζου τὰ θεῖα. προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἵνα σωθῶ. εἴη Χριστὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν φυλακή σοι ἐν ἅπασιν. ἀμήν. 132 {1Ναυκρατίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Πεπονημένως ἀπεσκόπουν τὴν τῶν γραμμάτων σου ἀπαγγελίαν, τέκνον μου ποθητόν, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὰ προγεγραμμένα μοι παρὰ σοῦ ὅπως ἀπέκβη, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τὰ θρυλλούμενα ἐνταῦθα περὶ τοῦ σεισμοῦ. καὶ ὡς δεξάμενός σου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνέγνων, ἐξέστην ἔκστασιν ἱκανήν, στενάξας ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι, κατελεήσας τοὺς τεθνεῶτας, εἶτα ὅτι καὶ τούτων γεναμένων μένει ἀμείλικτος ἡ καρδία τῶν ἀσεβούντων, ἀνδριζομένη μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ· ἅπαξ γὰρ ζωγρηθέντες ἐν τῷ τοῦ διαβόλου θελήματι ἀνανήξασθαι οὐ βούλονται ἢ οὐδὲ βουλόμενοι δύνανται. τίς κοπάσει τὸν χειμῶνα; τίς ἰάσεται τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίας; τίς ἄλλος ἢ ὃς ἔφη τῇ θαλάσσῃ πεφίμωσο; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο, εἰ μὴ μαθητιῶντες εἶεν Χριστῷ κατὰ ἀλήθειάν τινες, ὧν ὑπακούσειεν τῆς κραυγῆς ὁ θελητὴς τοῦ ἐλέους Κύριος. Γενοῦ οὖν εἷς τῶν τοιούτων, τέκνον, διὰ καθαρᾶς καρδίας καὶ ἐξιλέωσαι, ἵνα μὴ ἔτι ὀργιζόμενος ὁ θεὸς συναπολέσῃ δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. στήριζε τοὺς ἑπτὰ διὰ γραμμάτων καί τινων ἀποστολῶν. εὖ σε ποιήσαι ὁ θεός, ὅτι ἐχρηστεύσω πρὸς τὸ κληρικὸν Στέφανον, καὶ ἔτι χρήστευσαι δυνάμενος. ἀνάγνωθι τοῦ μητροπολίτου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν καὶ δός μοι λόγον τῆς ἐρωτήσεως, λάβε δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου, ἀποκαλύπτων αὐτῷ τὴν γνώμην ὡς παρ' ἐμοῦ, μὴ μέντοι ὅτι γέγραφα τῷ μητροπολίτῃ. κοπιᾷς, τέκνον, τρέφων ἡμᾶς, τρέφεις δὲ ἕξ. ἐργόχειρον ἔλειψέν μοι τοῦ γράφειν, ὃ ἔχω εἰς πολλὴν παρηγορίαν καὶ βοήθειαν ψυχῆς· διὸ φρόντιζέ μοι ἀπάρτι ἐργόχειρα οἷα θέλεις συρμαιόγραφα, μόνον μὴ ζημιοῖς με εἰς τὰς τιμάς. εἶπον δὲ τῷ ἀδελφῷ τὸ τί πέμψεις συντόμως. Προσαγόρευσον τοὺς σὺν σοὶ ἀδελφούς μου. οἱ ἐνταῦθα ἀσπάζον ταί σε θερμῶς. ἀπηγγέλη μοι περὶ τῶν ἀποθανόντων, καὶ μακάριος ὁ μητροπολίτης. εἴη τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ μετὰ ἁγίων. 133 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Αἱ περιστάσεις τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς ὑποστάσεις αὔξουσι, διὸ χρή, τέκνον, στῆναι γενναίως ἐν τοῖς συμβαίνουσι πειρασμοῖς, ὑπὸ θεοῦ παραχωρουμένοις εἰς δοκίμιον τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν· γέγραπται γάρ, ὃν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος παιδεύει. πόθεν οὖν γνωσθήσεται τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς ἀσεβείας, εἰ μὴ διωγμοὺς καὶ κολαφισμοὺς ἐξυφάνοι; πόθεν δὲ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων τὸ ὀχύρωμα, εἰ μὴ κατ' ἴχνος βαδίσειεν τῶν προωδευκότων πατέρων; ἀρίθμει τοὺς πειρασμοὺς καὶ τοσούτους εὑρήσεις τοὺς στεφάνους. μακάριοι οἱ ἀποθανόντες διὰ Κύριον, ὅτι ἐν ἀκαριαίῳ χρόνῳ αἰῶνας ἀτελευτήτους κερδήσωσιν. ἤρθη ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, ὃ καὶ προεμελέτων· ὁ Χριστὸς σὺν αὐτῷ, ὑπερεύχεσθε αὐτοῦ. ἐδάρη ὁ Εὐπρεπιανός· ἴδε θεοῦ ἀγαθότητα, ὅτι ηὐδόκησεν ὑπὲρ ὀρθοδοξίας αὐτὸν τυφθῆναι. προσεύχεσθε καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ (σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ φυλάττεσθε)· πέμψον τι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς βοήθειαν ἀμφοτέρων. οὐ δοκῶ δὲ ἔτι τὸ μοναστήριον κρατεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸν ἀρχιεπίσκοπον ἐξέρχεσθαι. καὶ χάρις τῷ θεῷ ἀδέτους ὑμᾶς εἶναι. μία μονὴ ἡμῶν ἀληθινή, ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ. Χαίρετε, ἀδελφοί μου, χαίρετε, ὅτι