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for those who have slipped and we must pray and be on guard for ourselves, lest somehow, having preached to others, says Paul, I myself should become disqualified. Therefore, brother, make your prayer for me more fervent, so that with firmness of soul I might fight against the enemies both within and without; for that I ask concerning you, the Lord is my witness that seven times a day I take you up in my humble prayer, for you to be saved and to be greatly glorified in the Lord. Peace to you, wisdom, strength, my beloved; those with me greet you. 195 {1To Joseph, brother and archbishop}1 The letter from your holiness is a consolation to my humble soul, whenever it arrives, and especially now, when I, the humble one, have been astounded by the things that have happened among our brothers. Thaddeus was put to death by scourging for the sake of Christ and was taken up with the martyrs, as were also Dorotheus with Bessarion and Jacob, even though they still remain in the flesh; the humble Lucian has been defeated, having given way somewhere in the midst of the blows and betrayed the truth, as have four others, some having been beaten a little, others terrified by the mere threat. Oh, the events! From the first, unspeakable joy, but from the second, unbearable grief. What else? Altars have disappeared and every sacred house is disappearing, every religious community is choosing heresy, every place has been set on fire, every door of piety has been shut. Deep night, the evils are over our head. Do you see, brother, for what sort of days we have been kept, differing from Hellenism either not at all or very little? But nevertheless, even so, thanks be to our good God who chose us for the testimony of his gospel. And who are we, the unworthy ones, as far as I am concerned, and from where has this come to us that we should be martyrs of his holy icon? But may it be that we complete the course of confession to the end, by the prayers of those who have gone before us. I rejoice to hear that your precious body is as strong as your soul; and I too am likewise, although in both respects, on account of my sins since then, there is nothing praiseworthy in me, even if I am spoken of with reverence by your tested virtue, as you know. And I, the least, pray that you may shine forth until the end among the high priests of Christ, signaling splendors of achievements upon your former splendors. Those with me greet with reverence my brothers under your holy hand; especially I send many greetings to Athanasius, my fellow-laborer and fellow-contestant. 196 {1To Eucharistus, my child}1 Since you sought, my beloved child, to have a letter from me, behold your desire; but what will you gain from it, being pitiful and worthy of nothing? Yet it is a work of your faith and sincere love, through which the true subject is known and the path to better things is made manifest. May you be kept for me, therefore, improving in both and being led forward to the glory of virtues, you who are truly thankful and named for joy, and may I see you numbered with the holy and shining forth with the righteous. Pray for me, sweetest child. 197 {1To John the abbot}1 And again I write to your holiness (and writing I would not cease, if only I could find a letter-carrier), on the one hand fulfilling the duty of love, which for me is kindled beyond that for many, not diminished by former events but signaled by subsequent brilliant deeds, and on the other hand also accepting with blessing your present manliness, or rather confession of Christ, and how you considered nothing of the present life more precious than divine love, for which you endure hardships in exile, accomplishing a martyr's struggle, nor indeed were you turned aside from your steadfast purpose by the tripping up of the mind-deceived false brethren, although previously held by a loving relationship with them, but as if torn away from all like a rope, you became of the desire for things above alone. For these things, then, I also bless you, O father, and love you greatly and ask you earnestly to pray as for your bosom friends also for me, the least, that in every way I might always be well-pleasing to the Lord, because up to now I do not know that I have done anything good

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ὠλισθηκόσι καὶ εὐκτέον καὶ φυλακτέον τὸ περὶ ἡμᾶς, μή πως ἄλλοις κηρύξας, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος, αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι. ∆ιό, ἀδελφέ, θερμότερον ποιοῦ μοι τὴν προσευχήν, ἵνα στερεότητι ψυχῆς τούς τε ἔνδοθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν ἐχθροὺς πολεμήσαιμι· περὶ γὰρ σοῦ ὅτι ἐγὼ αἰτῶ, μάρτυς Κύριος ὡς ἑπτάκις σε τῆς ἡμέρας λαμβάνω ἐν τῇ ταπεινῇ μου εὐχῇ εἰς τὸ σῴζεσθαί σε καὶ εὐδοξῆσαι μεγάλως ἐν Κυρίῳ. εἰρήνη σοι, σοφία, ἰσχύς, φιλητέ μου· οἱ σὺν ἐμοί σε ἀσπάζονται. 195 {1Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ}1 Παραμύθιον τῇ ταπεινῇ μου ψυχῇ τὸ τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου γραμματεῖον, ὁσάκις ἂν καὶ ἐπιφοιτήσῃ, καί γε μάλιστα ἄρτι, ὁπηνίκα ἐκπέπληγμαι ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐκ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἡμῶν συμβεβηκότων. ἐθανατώθη ὁ Θαδδαῖος ταῖς μάστιξιν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἤρθη μετὰ μαρτύρων, ἐπεὶ καὶ ∆ωρόθεος σὺν Βησσαρίωνι καὶ Ἰακώβῳ, κἂν ἔτι ἐπιμένωσιν ἐν σαρκί· ἥττηται Λουκιανὸς ὁ ταπεινός, περὶ τὰ μέσα που τῶν πληγῶν ὀκλάσας καὶ προδοὺς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἕτεροι τέσσαρες, οἱ μὲν ὀλίγα δαρέντες, οἱ δὲ αὐτὴν τὴν ἀπειλὴν καταπλαγέντες. ὢ τῶν συμβάσεων· ἐκ μὲν τῶν πρώτων χαρὰ ἀνεκλάλητος, ἐκ δὲ τῶν δευτέρων λύπη δυσφόρητος. τί τἆλλα; ἠφάνισται θυσιαστήρια καὶ ἀφανίζεται πᾶς ἱερὸς οἶκος, πᾶς θίασος αἱρετίζει, πᾶς τόπος ἐμπέπρησται, πᾶσα ἀποκέκλεισται θύρα εὐσεβείας. νὺξ βαθεῖα, ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τὰ κακά. Ὁρᾷς, ἀδελφέ, εἰς οἵας ἡμέρας τετηρήμεθα, ἑλληνισμοῦ ἢ οὐδὲν ἢ μικρόν τι διενηνοχυίας; ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω χάρις τῷ προελομένῳ ἡμᾶς ἀγαθῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν εἰς μαρτύριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου αὐτοῦ. καὶ τίνες ἐσμὲν οἱ ἀχρεῖοι, ὅσον τὸ κατ' ἐμέ, καὶ πόθεν ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἵνα μάρτυρες τῆς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ εἰκόνος εἴημεν; ἀλλὰ γένοιτο μέχρι τέλους τὸν τῆς ὁμολογίας δρόμον διανύσαι εὐχαῖς τῶν προεκδημησάντων. χαίρω ἀκούων ὅτι ἔρρωταί σου τὸ τίμιον σῶμα ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ ψυχή· ἔχω δὲ κἀγὼ ὡσαύτως, κἂν ἐπὶ τοῦ συναμφοτέρου διὰ τὰς ἔκτοτε ἁμαρτίας οὐδὲν ἐπαίνου ἐν ἐμοί, κἂν σεμνολογῶμαι ὑπὸ τῆς δοκιμότητός σου, ὡς οἶσθα. εὔχομαι δὲ ὁ ἐλάχιστος ἕως τέλους ἐκλάμπειν σε ἐν ἀρχιερεῦσι Χριστοῦ, λαμπρότητας κατορθωμάτων ἐπὶ ταῖς προλαβοῦσι λαμπρότησι φρυκτωροῦντα. Οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ μετ' αἰδοῦς ἀσπάζονται τοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν ἱεράν σου χεῖρα ἀδελφούς μου, κατ' ἐξοχὴν Ἀθανάσιον τὸν σύμπονον καὶ σύναθλον πλεῖστα προσαγορεύω. 196 {1Εὐχαρίστῳ τέκνῳ}1 Ἐπειδὴ ἐπεζήτησας, τέκνον μου ἠγαπημένον, γράμμα μου ἔχειν, ἰδού σοι τὸ ἐπιθύμιον· ἀλλὰ τί ὀνήσῃ ἐξ αὐτοῦ, οἰκτροῦ ὄντος καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀξίου; πλὴν πίστεώς σου καὶ ἀγάπης εἰλικρινοῦς ἔργον, δι' ὧν ὁ ἀληθινὸς ὑπήκοος γνωρίζεται καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὰ κρείττονα πορεία ἐμφανίζεται. φυλαχθείης μοι τοίνυν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις βελτιούμενος καὶ εἰς κλέος ἀρετῶν προαγόμενος, ὁ ὡς ἀληθῶς εὐχάριστος καὶ χαρᾶς ἐπώνυμος, καὶ ἴδοιμί σε ὁσίοις συναρίθμιον καὶ δικαίοις συνεκλάμποντα. Προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ, γλυκύτατον τέκνον. 197 {1Ἰωάννῃ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Καὶ πάλιν ἐπιστέλλω τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ σου (καὶ ἐπιστέλλων οὐ παύσοιμι, μόνον εἰ γραμματηφόρου ἐπιτεύξοιμι), ὁμοῦ μὲν τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης καθῆκον ἀποπληρῶν, ὃ παρὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἔστι μοι ἀναπτόμενον, μὴ ταῖς πρότερον συμβάσεσι μειούμενον ἀλλὰ ταῖς μετέπειτα ἐκλάμψεσι φρυκτωρούμενον, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ ἀποδεχόμενος ἐν μακαρισμῷ τὴν παροῦσάν σου εὐανδρίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁμολογίαν Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἡγήσω τι τῶν παρόντων προτιμότερον τῆς θείας ἀγάπης, δι' ἣν ἐν ἐξορίᾳ τληπαθῶν διανύεις μαρτυρικὸν ἀγῶνα, οὐδ' οὐ μὴν παρετράπης τῆς ἐνστατικῆς προθέσεως τῇ τῶν φρεναπατηθέντων ψευδαδέλφων ὑποσκελίσει, προηγουμένως κρατούμενος τῇ τούτων ἀγαπητικῇ σχέσει, ἀλλ' οἷον πάντων ἀπορραγεὶς καθάπερ κάλων μόνης ἐγένου τῆς ἐφέσεως τῶν ἄνω. ∆ιά τοι ταῦτα καὶ μακαρίζω σε, ὦ πάτερ, καὶ ἀγαπῶ λίαν καὶ αἰτῶ πάνυ προσεύχεσθαι ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐγκαρδίων σου φίλων καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἐλαχίστου, ὅπως ἐν παντὶ τρόπῳ πάντοτε εὐαρεστήσαιμι Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἕως τοῦ δεῦρο οὐκ οἶδα ἀγαθόν τι πεποιηκὼς