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to the Lord with you all; amen. 179 {1To the same}1 I have no need of many words in this letter, beloved child, because in the one sent previously I both accepted and answered the things now revealed to me through your letters; nevertheless, your second letter is also very acceptable to me. I pray therefore as a sinner that you may complete your course, not only the one through your whole life, but now especially the one at hand; for see what your brothers have suffered, some being crowned through endurance of pains, others being shamed through negligence. Strengthen yourself yet, strengthen yourself, my child, together with those under the hand of your ministry; and be prepared, I beseech you, each day to suffer the same things. But if anyone out of faithlessness shrinks back—according to my sins—let him withdraw, so that in addition to his own destruction he might not also become a cause of defeat for others; for how much better would it have been for Lucian and his companions to have done this and not, by seeming to be industrious, to have been led into a fall. Oh, my sins; for on account of me are all the evils. I have received your blessings now also, and they are many and I am burdening you, forgive me; nevertheless, may you be filled with every good thing. Greet the steward and the assistant steward and the rest, telling the steward that I received your letters with great pleasure. Those with me greet you. 180 {1To Domitian, child}1 You are always accustomed, my child, to call upon me in exile as a true child his own mother, although you have no need of milk, but are fed on solid food in the Lord. What then? The cause is your great love, which does not bear the separation patiently. But may the Lord give you his own kiss and strengthen you to finish excellently the contest now set before you on his behalf; for I know who you are, that you fervently seek Christ. Behold, the time for finding him is short; prepare yourself most excellently. Let us drink, my child, the cup which our Lord drank, that we may be sweetened with him for ages. Let us boil mightily with the fire of divine love, and we shall not fear the winter of faithlessness; for you know what the lukewarm brothers have suffered. We shall be of the fervent, whose crowns are equal to the martyrs'; may these things be so for us as well. I have received your offerings now also and especially the vessel of oil; and why did you send that very thing which you had? Nevertheless, may my God give you in return eternal things. Pray more fervently for me, the humble one. The brothers with me send greetings. 181 {1To Euthymius and the other brothers}1 What is this report that has resounded in the ears of my humility? What is this news that has suddenly astounded my wretched soul? And Euthymius my true son is among the martyrs with nine others, whose names are Ephraim, Aphrodisius, Ammonas, Hyperechius, Stephen Parthenius, Hegesimus, Symeon and Dorotheus. I almost disbelieve, I am almost hindered from writing, being overcome with tears and joy together. Glory to you, O God, who has made you shine with the contests of martyrs. You have borne, good children, the marks of Christ in your precious members, you have likewise given your back to so many scourges; the earth has been sanctified by your blood. Whence and how, out of all, have you yourselves inherited this glory? Great is your boldness, victorious your testimony against the Christ-fighter Antonius. Blessed are you by the Lord, a holy first-fruit, a pillar of courage for the church of Christ, a noble zeal and rekindling of the monastic order. The punishment is for one hour and the reward is eternal, the pains for a little while and the good things without measure. Go forth, you too, children of gold, be ranked with the Cretan martyrs of equal number to you. Pray that I too, your unworthy father, may follow you by the good pleasure of God. Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Byzantium rejoiced, indeed, the east and the west, blessing your God-crowned decade. Thus have I spoken to you in brief, although you are worthy of many encomiums; whose memory the future time will declare for the boast of the orthodox, for the shame of the enemy. But for now, suffering evil together with

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Κυρίῳ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν. 179 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Οὐ πολλοῦ μοι λόγου χρεία ἐν τῇδε τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, διὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ προπεμφθείσῃ τὰ νῦν δηλωθέντα μοι διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων σου καὶ ἀποδέξασθαι καὶ ἀποκριθῆναι· ὅμως καὶ ἡ ἐπιδευτέρωσίς σου ἀποδεκτέα μοι πάνυ. εὔχομαι οὖν ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς τελειῶσαί σου τὸν δρόμον οὐ μόνον τὸν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου, ἀλλ' ἤδη μάλιστα τὸν ἐνιστάμενον· ἴδε γὰρ τί ἔπαθον οἱ ἀδελφοί σου, οἱ μὲν διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τῶν ὀδυνῶν στεφανωθέντες, οἱ δὲ διὰ τῆς ὀλιγωρίας καταισχυνθέντες. κράτυνον ἔτι, κράτυνον σαυτόν, τέκνον μου, σὺν τοῖς ὑπὸ χεῖρα τῆς διακονίας σου· καὶ ἐμπαράσκευοι ἐστέ, παρακαλῶ, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν πρὸς τὸ τὰ ἴσα παθεῖν. εἰ δέ τις ἐξ ἀπιστίας ὀκλάζει κατὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου, ὑποχωρείτω, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἀπωλείᾳ καὶ ἄλλοις γίνοιτο αἴτιος ἥττης· πόσῳ γὰρ συνέφερεν τοὺς περὶ Λουκιανὸν τοῦτο πρᾶξαι καὶ μὴ τῷ δοκεῖν φερεπόνους ὑπάρχειν καὶ εἰς πτῶσιν ἐνεχθῆναι. Ὢ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου· δι' ἐμὲ γὰρ πάντα τὰ κακά. ἐδεξάμην καὶ νῦν τὰς εὐλογίας ὑμῶν, καὶ πολλαί εἰσιν καὶ καταβαρῶ ὑμᾶς, συγχωρήσατε· πλὴν πληρωθείητε παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ. ἄσπασαι τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ παροικονόμον καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς, λέγων τῷ οἰκονόμῳ ὅτι πάνυ ἀπεδεξάμην τὰ γράμματά σου. οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ προσαγορεύουσίν σε. 180 {1∆ομετιανῷ τέκνῳ}1 Εἴωθας πάντοτε, τέκνον μου, ἀνακαλεῖσθαί με ἐν ταῖς ἐξορίαις ὡς παῖς γνήσιος τὴν οἰκείαν μητέρα, καίπερ οὐ γάλακτος δεόμενος, ἀλλὰ στερεοτροφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ. τί οὖν; τῆς πολλῆς σου ἀγάπης τὸ αἴτιον, οὐκ ἀνεκτῶς φερούσης τὸν χωρισμόν. ἀλλὰ δῴη σοι Κύριος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ φίλημα καὶ στερεώσειέν σε τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἀγῶνα ἤδη προκείμενον ἄριστα διανύσαι· οἶδά σε γὰρ τίς εἶ, ὅτι θερμῶς ζητεῖς τὸν Χριστόν. ἴδε καιρὸς σύντομος εὑρέσεως, διάθου σαυτὸν κράτιστα. πίωμεν, τέκνον μου, τὸ ποτήριον, ὃ ἔπιεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, ἵνα γλυκανθῶμεν σὺν αὐτῷ εἰς αἰῶνας. ζέσωμεν μάλα τῷ πυρὶ τῆς θείας ἀγάπης, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα τῆς ἀπιστίας οὐ δείσωμεν· οἱ γὰρ χλιαροὶ ἀδελφοὶ τί πεπόνθασιν, οἶσθα. ἡμεῖς τῶν ζεόντων ἐσόμεθα, ὧν τὰ στέφη ἰσομάρτυρα· εἶεν ταῦτα καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. Ἐδεξάμην σου καὶ νῦν τὰς προσφορὰς καὶ μάλιστα τὸν καμψάκην τοῦ ἐλαίου· καὶ ἱνατὶ αὐτὸ ὃ εἶχες ἔπεμψες; πλὴν ὁ θεός μου ἀντιδοίη σοι τὰ αἰώνια. προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ θερμότερον. οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀδελφοὶ ἀσπάζονται. 181 {1Εὐθυμίῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀδελφοῖσ}1 Τίς ἡ ἀκοὴ ἡ τὰ ὦτα τῆς ἐμῆς ταπεινώσεως περιηχήσασα; τίς ἡ ἀγγελία ἡ τὴν ἀθλίαν μου ψυχὴν ἐξάπινα ἐκθαμβήσασα; καὶ Εὐθύμιος ὁ ἐμὸς γνήσιος υἱὸς ἐν μάρτυσι μεθ' ἑτέρων ἐννέα, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα Ἐφραίμ, Ἀφροδίσιος, Ἀμμωνᾶς, Ὑπερέχιος, Στέφανος Παρθένιος, Ἡγήσιμος, Συμεὼν καὶ ∆ωρόθεος. μικροῦ καὶ ἀπιστῶ, μικροῦ καὶ τοῦ γράφειν ἐγκόπτομαι, δάκρυσιν ὁμοῦ καὶ χαρᾷ περιεχόμενος. δόξα σοι ὁ θεός, ὁ μαρτυρικοῖς ἀγῶσι περιαστράψας ὑμᾶς. ἐβαστάξατε, τέκνα ἀγαθά, αὐτοὶ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τοῖς τιμίοις ὑμῶν μέλεσιν, ἐδώκατε ὡσαύτως τὸν νῶτον ὑμῶν εἰς τοσαύτας μάστιγας· ἡγιάσθη ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς αἵμασιν ὑμῶν. πόθεν καὶ πῶς ἐκ πάντων αὐτοὶ τόδε τὸ κλέος ἐκληρώσασθε; πολλὴ ἡ παρρησία, ἀθλοφορικὴ ἡ πρὸς τὸν χριστομάχον Ἀντώνιον ὑπόκρισις ὑμῶν. εὐλογημένοι ὑμεῖς τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία, στήλη ἀνδρείας τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ, εὐζηλία καὶ ἀναπύρωσις τοῦ μοναδικοῦ τάγματος. μία ὥρα ἡ ποινὴ καὶ διαιωνίζουσα ἡ μισθαποδοσία, ἐπ' ὀλίγον τὰ ἀλγεινὰ καὶ ἀπλήρωτα τὰ ἀγαθά. ἄπιτε καὶ αὐτοὶ χρυσότεκνοι, τάττοισθε μετὰ τῶν ἰσαρίθμων ὑμῶν κρητιαίων μαρτύρων. προσεύξασθε ἑπομένως ὑμῖν κἀμὲ τὸν ἀνάξιον ὑμῶν πατέρα θεοῦ εὐδοκίᾳ ἐπιέναι. ἤκουσεν καὶ ηὐφράνθη Σιὼν καὶ ἠγαλλιάσαντο αἱ θυγατέρες τῆς Βυζαντίδος, εἰ δ' οὖν ἀνατολὴ καὶ δύσις, μακαρίζουσα ὑμῶν τὴν θεοστεφάνωτον δεκάδα. Οὕτως ὑμῖν ἐν βραχέσι διελέχθην, πολλοῖς ἐγκωμίοις οὖσιν ἀξίοις· ὧν τὴν μνήμην ὁ ἑξῆς δηλώσει χρόνος εἰς καύχημα ὀρθοδόξων, εἰς αἰσχύνην τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. τὰ δὲ νῦν, συγκακοχούμενος καὶ