Letter CXXIV.670    Placed in 373.

To Theodorus.

It is sometimes said that slaves to the passion of love, when by some inevitable necessity they are separated from the object of their desire, are able to stay the violence of their passion by indulging the sense of sight, if haply they can look at the picture of the beloved object.  Whether this be true or not I cannot say; but what has befallen me in your case, my friend, is not very different.  I have felt a disposition towards your godly and guileless soul, somewhat, if I may so say, of the nature of love; but the gratification of my desire, like that of all other blessings, is made difficult to me by the opposition of my sins.  However, I have seemed to see a very good likeness of you in the presence of my very reverend brothers.  And if it had been my lot to fall in with you when far away from them, I should have fancied that I saw them in you.  For the measure of love in each of you is so great, that in both of you there is a plain contest for the superiority.  I have thanked God for this.  If any longer life be left me, I pray that my life may be made sweet through you, just as now I look on life as a wretched thing to be avoided, because I am separated from the companionship of those I love best.  For, in my judgment, there is nothing in which one can be cheerful when cut off from those who truly love us.

ΘΕΟΔΩΡῼ

[1] Λέγουσί τινες τοὺς ἑαλωκότας τῷ πάθει τοῦ ἔρωτος, ὅταν κατά τινα βιαιοτέραν ἀνάγκην τῶν ποθουμένων ἀπάγωνται, εἰ πρὸς τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαπηθείσης μορφῆς ἀποβλέψειαν, τὸ σφοδρὸν ἀναπαύειν τοῦ πάθους διὰ τῆς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀπολαύσεως. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ἢ μή, λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω: ὃ δέ μοι πρὸς τὴν σὴν συμβέβηκεν ἀγαθότητα οὐ πόρρω τῶν εἰρημένων ἐστίν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ γέγονέ τις διάθεσις ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν καὶ ἄδολόν σου ψυχήν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ἐρωτική, τὸ δὲ ἀπολαύειν τῶν ποθουμένων, ὡς οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν εὐκολίᾳ ἡμῖν ἐστι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἐναντίωσιν, ἐνόμισα εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαθότητός σου ἐναργεστάτην ἐν τῇ τῶν εὐλαβεστάτων ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν παρουσίᾳ ἑωρακέναι. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ δίχα τούτων συνέβη τῇ σῇ με περιτυχεῖν γνησιότητι, ἐλογισάμην ἂν ἐν σοὶ κἀκείνους ἑωρακέναι, διότι τῆς ἀγάπης, λέγω, τοσοῦτον ἐν ἑκάστῳ ὑμῶν τὸ μέτρον ἐστὶν ὡς ἐπίσης τὴν περὶ τοῦ πλείονος ἑκάστῳ φιλονεικίαν ἐμφαίνεσθαι. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ καὶ εὔχομαι, εἴπερ ἔτι ὑπολείπεταί τις χρόνος ζωῆς, γενέσθαι μοι διὰ σοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἡδεῖαν, ὡς, τό γε νῦν, ἄθλιον πρᾶγμα τὸ ζῆν καὶ φευκτὸν εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι τῆς τῶν φιλτάτων συνουσίας κεχωρισμένον. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν κρίσιν, ἐφ' ᾧ τις ἂν εὐθυμήσειε τῶν ἀληθῶς ἀγαπώντων διεζευγμένος.