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the shepherd of the Church, when the Lord grants him to appear on his own throne, some recounting one thing, some another, of the things you have administered for the Church of God, and on the great day of the Lord each receiving recompense from the greatly-giving God according to the proportion of his labors. But by remembering us and writing as often as possible you will both do what is right, repaying us in like manner, and at the same time you will gladden us not a little, by sending through your letters clear tokens of your most pleasant voice to us.

184.t TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF HIMERIA

184.1 I know that orphanhood is a sad and busy matter, because it brings on a destitution of leaders. Wherefore I reckon that your Reverence also, being saddened by what has happened, does not write to us, and at the same time is now in greater business; running about the flocks of Christ on account of the insurrection of enemies from every side. But since conversation with like-minded souls is a consolation for every grief, deign, as often as it is possible for you, to write to us and to find rest yourself in speaking to us and to comfort us in sharing with us your words. This we also will be eager to do, as often as circumstances permit us. Pray yourself, and exhort the whole brotherhood to earnestly beseech the Lord, that He may at some time show us a release from the dejection which surrounds us.

185.t TO THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF BEROEA

185.1 I know that even if you do not write to us, yet in your heart is the memory of us. And I infer this not because I myself am worthy of any fond remembrance, but because your soul is rich in the abundance of love. Nevertheless, as much as is possible for you, use the opportunities that fall in your way for writing to us, that we too may be more cheerful, learning of your affairs, and may receive an occasion for ourselves also to signify to you our affairs. For this is the manner of conversation for those so separated in body, that by letters, of which let us not deprive one another, so far as circumstances permit. And may the Lord grant us also a meeting face to face, that we may both increase our love and abound in thanksgiving to our Master for the greater gifts from Him.

186.t TO ANTIPATER THE GOVERNOR

186.1 How fine a thing is philosophy, both in other respects and because it does not permit its pupils even to be doctored expensively, but the same thing serves it for both relish and health. For your failing appetite, as I learned, you revived with cabbages pickled in vinegar, which I formerly disliked both because of the proverb and because they were a reminder of my companion, poverty. But now I think I shall change my own mind and laugh at the proverb, seeing it is so good a nurse of youths, which has brought our governor back to his prime. And for the future I shall consider nothing to be comparable to it, not only the Homeric lotus, but not even that ambrosia, whatever it was, that satisfies the Olympians.

187.t ANTIPATER TO BASIL

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τὸν ποιμένα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὅταν δῷ ὁ Κύριος αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ἰδίων φανῆναι θρόνων, ἄλλος ἄλλο τι τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ πεπολιτευμένων ὑμῖν διηγούμενοι, ἐν δὲ τῇ μεγάλῃ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμέρᾳ ἕκαστος κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῶν πεπονημένων παρὰ τοῦ μεγαλοδώρου Θεοῦ δεχόμενοι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Ἡμῶν δὲ μεμνημένοι καὶ ἐπιστέλλοντες ὁσάκις ἂν ᾖ δυνατὸν δίκαιά τε ποιήσετε τοῖς ἴσοις ἡμᾶς ἀμει βόμενοι καὶ ἅμα οὐ μικρῶς ἡμᾶς εὐφρανεῖτε, τῆς ἡδίστης ἡμῖν φωνῆς ὑμῶν ἐναργῆ σύμβολα διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων διαπεμπόμενοι.

184.τ ΕΥΣΤΑΘΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΙΜΜΕΡΙΑΣ

184.1 Οἶδα ὅτι στυγνοποιὸν πρᾶγμα ἡ ὀρφανία καὶ πολυάσχο λον, διὰ τὸ

ἐρημίαν ἐπάγειν τῶν προεστώτων. Ὅθεν λογίζομαι καὶ τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν ἐπιστυγνάζουσαν τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι μὴ ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν, καὶ ὁμοῦ ἐν πλείονι εἶναι νῦν ἀσχολίᾳ· περιτρέχειν τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποίμνια διὰ τὴν πανταχόθεν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπανάστασιν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πάσης λύπης παρηγορία ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοψύχους ἐστὶν ὁμιλία, καταξίου, ὁσάκις ἂν δυνατόν σοι, ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτός τε ἀναπαύεσθαι ἐν τῷ φθέγγεσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἡμᾶς παρηγορεῖν ἐν τῷ μεταδιδόναι ἡμῖν τῶν σεαυτοῦ ῥημάτων. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς σπουδάσομεν ποιῆσαι, ὁσάκις ἂν ἡμῖν ἐνδιδῷ τὰ πράγματα. Εὔχου δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀδελφότητα παρακάλεσον σπουδαίως δυσω πεῖν τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα δείξῃ ποτὲ ἡμῖν λύσιν τῆς περιεχούσης ἡμᾶς κατηφείας.

185.τ ΘΕΟ∆ΟΤΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΒΕΡΟΙΑΣ

185.1 Οἶδα ὅτι εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπιστέλλεις ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ὑπάρχει ἡ

μνήμη ἡμῶν. Καὶ τοῦτο τεκμαίρομαι οὐχ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἄξιός εἰμι μνήμης τινὸς δεξιᾶς, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ σὴ ψυχὴ πλουτεῖ ἐν τῇ τῆς ἀγάπης περιουσίᾳ. Πλὴν ἀλλ', ὅσον δυνατόν σοι, ταῖς παρεμπιπτούσαις προφάσεσι κέχρησο εἰς τὸ ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς μᾶλλον εὐψυχῶμεν μανθάνοντες τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀφορμὴν λαμβάνωμεν εἰς τὸ καὶ αὐτοὶ σημαίνειν ὑμῖν τὰ ἡμέτερα. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τρόπος τῆς ὁμιλίας τοῖς τοσοῦτον διεζευγμένοις τῷ σώματι, ὁ δι' ἐπιστολῶν, οὗ μὴ ἀποστερῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθόσον ἂν ἐνδιδῷ τὰ πράγματα. Παράσχοι δὲ ὁ Κύριος καὶ τὴν κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμῖν συντυχίαν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην αὐξήσωμεν καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίαν πλεονάσωμεν ἐπὶ μείζοσι ταῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ δωρεαῖς.

186.τ ΑΝΤΙΠΑΤΡΩ ΗΓΕΜΟΝΙ

186.1 Ὡς καλὴ ἡ φιλοσοφία τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲ ἰατρεύεσ θαι πολυτελῶς

τοῖς τροφίμοις αὐτῆς ἐπιτρέπει, ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ὄψον ἐστὶ παρ' αὐτῇ καὶ πρὸς ὑγείαν ἀρκεῖ. Τὰς γάρ τοι ὀρέξεις ἀποκαμούσας, ὡς ἐπυθόμην, κράμβαις ἐν ὄξει ταριχευθείσαις ἀνεκαλέσω, ἃς ἐγὼ πρότερον μὲν ἐδυσχέραινον καὶ διὰ τὴν παροιμίαν καὶ ὅτι ὑπόμνημα ἦσαν τῆς συντρόφου πενίας. Νῦν δέ μοι δοκῶ καὶ ἐμαυτὸν μεταπείσειν καὶ τῆς παροιμίας καταγελάσεσθαι ὁρῶν αὐτὴν οὕτως ἀγαθὴν κουροτρόφον, ἣ τὸν ἄρχοντα ἡμῶν εἰς ἀκμὴν ἐπανήγαγε. Καὶ οὐδὲν εἶναι τοῦ λοιποῦ κατ' αὐτὴν ἡγήσομαι, οὐχ ὅπως τὸν Ὁμηρικὸν λωτόν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ἀμβροσίαν ἐκείνην, ἥτις ποτ' ἄρα ἦν, ἡ τοὺς Ὀλυμπίους χορτάζουσα.

187.τ ΑΝΤΙΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩ