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to think, to speak, and to act before God the overseer; which I also do not cease to ask with tears night and day both for you, my beloved and like-minded one beyond your other brothers, and for them, so that we might all carry through this noble contest pleasingly to the Lord, manfully and as martyrs, not shaming our previous accomplishments before those already present. For this reason, you also labor on my behalf among the brothers, drawing some with a living voice and strengthening them, calling back others with ink, and in general, give your whole self to whatever the need may call for. Do not trouble yourself about any bodily need (we have sufficiency by God's providence), but do not send the books, I do not know if the lexicon and the notebook, in which I made a discourse with signs, which Hypatius also showed to Callistus for him to copy. And again as the Lord provides, we will make known; for through friends we were able to have something to read here also. May God do you well, because you sent to the ˉα; but I wrote again, and when someone is found, you will send it. I am anxious about the two brothers, how things are with them, so when you find out, let me know, likewise concerning the nineteen. May God shelter you, child, under His mighty hand. Greet those who keep the word, especially the ˉδ, the ˉλ, the ˉι. 153 {1To the same}1 You have hastened, child, to visit our lowliness, but longing is an insatiable thing, reckoning days as hours and years as seasons. I thank my God, therefore, that though unworthy I am so loved and cared for by you. You sent the good Hadrian for my courage and comfort (not without toil, it is clear, because of the joining and un-joining of those with him; I am thankful in this too), whom I also detained, as he was traveling somewhere outside. But I sent back again those with the brother Silvanus, having been comforted in them. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, of those who preach good things; such are the men, that I may present what concerns them briefly. For us the lowly, there is health of body, may there also be health of soul through your prayers. As many things as were reported to me by letter and by mouth, I have learned; and I pray as a sinner that all our fathers and brothers, those of our body and those of the general congregation, may be further confirmed in our immovable faith of the truth. Blessed is he who abounds in the sufferings for Christ and brings the contest to an end. Behold, now is the time of martyrdom, for the one who conquers, the crown is from God. Rejoice, therefore, and strive, O good Naucratius, becoming by your name a 'strength of mind', always being sober, doing all things according to the divine will; for it says, 'giving no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed, but in everything commending ourselves as ministers of God'. For the time being, let no one pass through to us because of the departure of the nation or until it returns. How much I lamented for the suffering of the two brothers, the letter to Abba Athanasius also declares. Let the good Silvanus go on his journey in the Lord with thanksgiving, having also been supplied by you with letters. Let the discourse which I sent be copied out in other copies too, so that it may be preserved; I dared to compose it out of longing, if indeed it is not very despised by those who read it and an insult to the mother of the Lord. But may you be called upon to propitiate her on my behalf. Greet the ˉδ, the ˉθ, greet the cell-mates, greet the guardians of the mysteries; Those with me greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, amen. 154 {1To my child Litoïos}1 Through both your letters, beloved child, I have learned now also of your complete repentance and conversion, especially that you have fled the pastimes in the city, taking refuge with the steward. This has persuaded me to love you completely, or rather God, through whom I love and am loved, in whom I also have begotten you, my son

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ἐφόρῳ θεῷ καὶ διανοεῖσθαι καὶ διαλέγεσθαι καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι· ὅπερ κἀγὼ ὑπέρ τε σοῦ, τοῦ ποθητοῦ μου καὶ ὁμοκαρδίου παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους σου ἀδελφούς, καὶ αὐτῶν παρακαλεῖν μετὰ δακρύων νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν οὐ διαλιμπάνω, ὡς ἂν οἱ πάντες εὐαρέστως Κυρίῳ, ἀνδρικῶς τε καὶ μαρτυρικῶς διενέγκοιμεν καὶ τόνδε τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα, μὴ καταισχύνοντες τοῖς ἤδη παρισταμένοις τὰ προϋπηργμένα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μόχθει καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, τοὺς μὲν ἕλκων διὰ ζώσης φωνῆς καὶ στηρίζων, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ μέλανος ἀνακαλούμενος, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ὅλον ἐπιδίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ὅ τι ἂν ἡ χρεία καλοίη. περὶ τῆς οἱασοῦν σωματικῆς χρείας μὴ καταπονοῦ (ἔχομεν τὴν αὐτάρκειαν θεοῦ προνοίᾳ), ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὰς βίβλους πέμψῃς, οὐκ οἶδα ἐὰν τὸ λεξικὸν καὶ τὸ τετράδιον, ἐν ᾧ διὰ σημείων λόγον ἐποίησα, ὅπερ καὶ ὑπέδειξεν ὁ Ὑπάτιος τῷ Καλλίστῳ πρὸς τὸ μεταγράψαι αὐτόν. καὶ πάλιν ὡς οἰκονομεῖ ὁ Κύριος δηλοῦμεν· διὰ γὰρ φίλων ἠδυνήθημεν καὶ ὧδε ἔχειν τινὰ πρὸς ἀνάγνωσιν. εὖ σε ποιήσαι ὁ θεός, ὅτι ἔπεμψας εἰς τὸ ˉα· ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ἐπέστειλα, καὶ ὅτε εὑρεθῇ τις ἀποστελεῖς. μεριμνῶ δὲ περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν, πῶς τὰ κατ' αὐτούς, διὸ εὑρίσκων σήμανόν μοι, ὡσαύτως περὶ τῶν ἐννέα καὶ δέκα. Ὁ θεός σε, τέκνον, ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα σκεπάσειεν. προσαγόρευσον τοὺς φυλάσσοντας λόγον, ἐξαιρέτως τὸ ˉδ, τὸ ˉλ, τὸ ˉι. 153 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ἐτάχυνας, τέκνον, τοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαι ἡμῶν τὴν ταπείνωσιν, ἀλλ' ὁ πόθος πρᾶγμα ἄστεκτον, τὰς ἡμέρας ὡς ὥρας καὶ τοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς ὡς καιροὺς λογιζόμενος. εὐχαριστῶ οὖν τῷ θεῷ μου, ὅτι ἀνάξιος ὢν οὕτως ὑφ' ὑμῶν στέργομαι καὶ περιέπομαι. πέπομφας τὸν καλὸν Ἀδριανὸν εἰς ἀνδρείαν καὶ παρηγορίαν μου (οὐκ ἀκόπως δῆλον ὅτι διὰ τὴν σύζευξιν καὶ ἀποσύζευξιν τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ· εὐχαριστῶ κἀν τούτῳ), ὅνπερ καὶ ἐκράτησα, ἔξωθέν που περιάγοντα. τοὺς δὲ περὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Σιλουανὸν ἀνέπεμψα πάλιν, παρακληθεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς. ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων εἰρήνην, τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων τὰ ἀγαθά· τοιοῦτοι οἱ ἄνδρες, ἵν' ἐν συντόμῳ τὸ κατ' αὐτοὺς παραστήσω. Ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς ὑγιεία πάρεστι σώματος, εἴη δὲ καὶ ψυχῆς διὰ τῶν ὑμετέρων προσευχῶν. ὅσα καὶ διὰ γράμματος καὶ στόματος ἀπηγγέλη μοι, ἔγνων· καὶ δέομαι ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς ἔτι βεβαιωθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἀμετακινήτῳ πίστει ἡμῶν τῆς ἀληθείας πάντας τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν καὶ ἀδελφούς, τοὺς τοῦ ἡμετέρου σώματος καὶ τοὺς τοῦ κοινοῦ πληρώματος. μακαριστὸς ὁ πλεονάζων ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παθήμασι καὶ τέλος ἀγῶνος ἀποδιδούς. ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς μαρτυρίου, τῷ νικῶντι παρὰ θεοῦ ὁ στέφανος. ἥσθη τοίνυν καὶ ἀγωνίζου, ὦ καλὲ Ναυκράτιε, νοὸς κράτος φερωνύμως γενόμενος, πάντοτε νήφων, πάντα κατὰ θείαν βουλὴν διαπραττόμενος· μηδεμίαν γάρ φησιν ἐν μηδενὶ προσκοπὴν διδόντες, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ ἡ διακονία ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι. Τέως ἄρτι μηδεὶς διέλθῃ εἰς ἡμᾶς διὰ τὴν ἐξέλευσιν τοῦ ἔθνους ἢ ὅταν ὑποστραφῇ. ὁπόσα ἀπεκλαυσάμην διὰ τὸ πάθος τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν, δηλοῖ καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀθανάσιον ἐπιστολή. μετ' εὐχαριστίας ἀπίτω ὁ χρηστὸς Σιλουανὸς τὴν ἐν Κυρίῳ πορείαν αὐτοῦ, ἐφοδιασθεὶς καὶ παρ' ὑμῶν γράμμασι. τὸν λόγον, ὃν ἔπεμψα, μεταγραφείτω καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις, ἵνα διασῴζηται· ἐτόλμησα αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι ἐκ πόθου, εἰ ἄρα μὴ πολύ ἐστιν ἀπόπτυστος τοῖς ἀναγινώσκουσιν καὶ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ὕβριν. Ἀλλ' ἱλεώσασθαι αὐτὴν παρακληθείητε ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. ἄσπασαι τὸ ˉδ, τὸ ˉθ, ἄσπασαι τοὺς συγκελλίτας, ἄσπασαι τοὺς μυστηριοφύλακας· ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ σὺν ἐμοί. ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, ἀμήν. 154 {1Λιτοΐῳ τέκνῳ}1 ∆ιὰ τῶν ἀμφοτέρων σου ἐπιστολῶν, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, ἔγνων καὶ νῦν τὴν ὁλικήν σου μετάνοιαν καὶ ἐπιστροφήν, μάλιστα ὅτι ἐξέφυγες τῶν ἐν ἄστει τὰς διατριβάς, προσφυεὶς τῷ οἰκονόμῳ. τοῦτό με πέπεικεν ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου σε φιλεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ θεόν, δι' ὃν στέργω καὶ στέργομαι, ἐν ᾧ καὶ γεγέννηκά σε, υἱέ μου