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impressed, but having learned the beauty of the inner man through a variety of words, because each of us speaks from the abundance of the heart, we have glorified our God who in every generation chooses those who are well-pleasing to him; who formerly raised up a ruler for his people from the flocks of sheep, and strengthening Amos from the goatherd's station through the Spirit, exalted him to be a prophet, but now has drawn a man from the imperial city, entrusted with the rule of a whole nation, lofty in mind, brilliant in family, conspicuous in life, powerful in speech, admired for all worldly things, to the care of the flocks of Christ. Who, having cast aside all the advantages of life and having considered them loss that he might gain Christ, was entrusted with the rudders of the great Church of Christ, renowned for its faith in God. Come then, O man of God, since it was not from men that you received or were taught the Gospel of Christ, but the Lord himself transferred you from the judges of the earth to the presidency of the Apostles, fight the good fight, correct the infirmities of the people, if the passion of the Arian madness has touched any, renew the ancient footprints of the Fathers, and be zealous to build upon this foundation of love toward us which you laid, by the continuity of your addresses. For thus we will be able to be near one another in spirit, even if we are separated by a very great distance in our dwelling on earth. 197.2 But your ambition and zeal concerning the most blessed bishop Dionysius 197.2 bears witness to your every love for the Lord, honor for your predecessors, and zeal for the faith. For the disposition toward the well-disposed of one's fellow-servants has its reference to the Master whom they have served, and he who honors those who have contended for the faith is clearly one who has equal zeal for the faith, so that this one action bears witness to much virtue. And we make known to your love in Christ that the most zealous brothers, who were preferred by your piety for the ministry of this good work, first brought praise to all the clergy by the propriety of their manners; for in their own decorum they manifested the common steadfastness of all. Then, employing all zeal and care, they dared an impassable winter, and with all vigor persuaded the faithful guardians of the blessed body to yield to them the protection of their own lives. And know that neither principalities nor powers of men would ever have been able to compel those men, had not the vigor of the purpose of these brothers shamed them into concession. And the presence of our most desired and most devout son, Therasios the fellow-presbyter, especially contributed to the accomplishment of what was being earnestly sought; who, having voluntarily undertaken the labor of the journey, checked the violent impulse of the faithful there, and having persuaded by word those who were resisting, in the presence of presbyters and deacons and many others who feared the Lord, taking up the remains with fitting reverence, he preserved them together for the brothers; which you have received with as much joy as the guardians sent them forth with sorrow. Let no one doubt, let no one be uncertain; this is that unconquered athlete. The Lord knows these bones that contended together with the blessed soul. These he will crown with it on the day of his just recompense, according to what is written: that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body. One was the coffin that received that precious body, no one lying near him, distinguished the burial, a martyr's the honor. Christians, those who gave him hospitality, with their own hands both laid him down then and took him up now. These men wept as though deprived of a father and patron, but they sent him on, holding your joy to be more precious than their own consolation. Those who delivered him over

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ἐντυπωσάμενοι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου τὸ κάλλος ποικιλίᾳ λόγων καταμαθόντες, ὅτι ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας λαλεῖ, ἐδοξάσαμεν τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν τὸν καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν ἐκλεγόμενον τοὺς αὐτῷ εὐαρεστοῦντας· ὃς πρότερον μὲν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων τῶν προβάτων ἤγειρεν ἄρχοντα τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν Ἀμῶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰπολίου ἐνδυναμώσας διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὕψωσεν εἰς προφήτην, νῦν δὲ ἄνδρα ἐκ τῆς βασιλευούσης πόλεως, ἀρχὴν ὅλου ἔθνους πεπιστευμένον, ὑψηλὸν τῷ φρονήματι, γένους λαμπρότητι, περιφανείᾳ βίου, λόγων δυνάμει, πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον περίβλεπτον, εἵλκυσεν εἰς τὴν τῶν ποιμνίων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιμέλειαν. Ὅς, πάντα ῥίψας τὰ τοῦ βίου πλεονεκτήματα καὶ ἡγησάμενος αὐτὰ ζημίαν ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσῃ, τοὺς οἴακας ἐπετράπη τῆς μεγάλης καὶ περιβοήτου ἐπὶ τῇ εἰς Θεὸν πίστει τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας. Ἄγε τοίνυν, ὦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπε, ἐπειδὴοὐ παρ' ἀνθρώπων παρέλαβες ἢ ἐδιδάχθης τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' αὐτός σε ὁ Κύριος ἀπὸ τῶν κριτῶν τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τὴν προεδρίαν τῶν Ἀποστόλων μετέθηκεν, ἀγω νίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα, διόρθωσαι τὰ ἀρρωστήματα τοῦ λαοῦ, εἴ τινος ἄρα τὸ πάθος τῆς Ἀρειανῆς μανίας ἥψατο, ἀνανέωσαι τὰ ἀρχαῖα τῶν Πατέρων ἴχνη, καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης ὃν κατεβάλου τοῦτον θεμέλιον ἐποικοδομεῖν σπούδαζε τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν προσρήσεων. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησό μεθα ἐγγὺς ἀλλήλων εἶναι τῷ πνεύματι, εἰ καὶ τῇ οἰκήσει τῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς παμπληθὲς ἀπῳκίσμεθα. 197.2 Ἡ δὲ περὶ τὸν μακαριώτατον ∆ιονύσιον τὸν ἐπίσκο 197.2 πον φιλοτιμία σου καὶ σπουδὴ πᾶσάν σοι μαρτυρεῖ ἀγάπην πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, τιμὴν εἰς τοὺς προλαβόντας, σπουδὴν περὶ τὴν πίστιν. Ἡ γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς εὔνους τῶν ὁμοδούλων διάθεσις τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἐπὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἔχει ᾧ δεδουλεύ κασι, καὶ ὁ τοὺς διὰ πίστιν ἠθληκότας τιμῶν δῆλός ἐστι τὸν ἴσον ζῆλον ἔχων τῆς πίστεως, ὥστε μία αὕτη πρᾶ ξις πολλῆς ἀρετῆς ἔχει τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Γνωρίζομεν δέ σου τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπῃ ὅτι οἱ σπουδαιότατοι ἀδελφοί, οἱ παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἔργου διακονίαν προτιμηθέντες, πρῶτον μὲν παντὶ τῷ κλήρῳ ἔπαινον ἤνεγκαν διὰ τῆς ἐμμελείας τῶν τρόπων· ἐν γὰρ τῇ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς εὐσχημοσύνῃ τὸ κοινὸν πάντων εὐσταθὲς κατεμήνυον. Ἔπειτα πάσῃ σπουδῇ καὶ ἐμμελείᾳ χρησάμενοι κατετόλμη σαν μὲν χειμῶνος ἀβάτου, ἔπεισαν δὲ μετὰ πάσης εὐτονίας τοὺς πιστοὺς φύλακας τοῦ μακαρίου σώματος τὰ φυλακτή ρια τῆς ἑαυτῶν ζωῆς παραχωρῆσαι τούτοις. Καὶ γίνωσκε ὅτι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε δυναστεῖαι ἀνθρώπων ἐξίσχυσαν ἄν ποτε βιάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους, εἰ μὴ τὸ εὔτονον τῆς προαιρέσεως τῶν ἀδελφῶν τούτων ἐξεδυσώπησεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν συγχώρησιν. Συνήργησε δὲ μάλιστα πρὸς τὸ καταπραχθῆναι τὰ σπουδαζόμενα καὶ ἡ παρουσία τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου καὶ εὐλαβεστάτου υἱοῦ ἡμῶν Θηρασίου τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου, ὃς αὐθαιρέτως τὸν κόπον τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ὑποδεξάμενος ἔπαυσε μὲν τὸ σφοδρὸν τῆς ὁρμῆς τῶν ἐκεῖ πιστῶν, λόγῳ δὲ συμπείσας τοὺς ἀντεχομένους, ἐπὶ πρεσ βυτέρων καὶ διακόνων καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Κύριον μετὰ τῆς πρεπούσης εὐλαβείας ἀνελόμενος τὰ λείψανα, συνδιέσωσε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· ἃ μετὰ τοσαύτης χαρᾶς ὑποδέξασθε μεθ' ὅσης λύπης προέπεμψαν οἱ φυλάσσοντες. Μηδεὶς διακρινέσθω, μηδεὶς ἀμφιβαλλέτω· οὗτός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀήττητος ἀθλητής. Ταῦτα γνωρίζει τὰ ὀστᾶ ὁ Κύριος τὰ συνδιαθλήσαντα τῇ μακαρίᾳ ψυχῇ. Ταῦτα μετ' αὐτῆς στεφανώσει ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀνταποδό σεως αὐτοῦ τῇ δικαίᾳ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· ὅτι δεῖ ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξε διὰ τοῦ σώματος. Μία λάρναξ ἦν ἡ ὑποδεξαμένη τὸ τίμιον ἐκεῖνο σῶμα, οὐδεὶς ὁ πλησίον αὐτοῦ κατακείμενος, ἐπίσημος ἡ ταφή, μάρτυρος ἡ τιμή. Χριστιανοί, οἱ ξενίσαντες, ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ καὶ κατέθεντο τότε καὶ ἀνείλοντο νῦν. Οὗτοι ἔκλαυσαν μὲν ὡς πατέρος καὶ προστάτου στερούμενοι, προέπεμψαν δὲ τὴν ὑμετέραν χαρὰν τῆς ἰδίας παρακλήσεως προτιμοτέραν θέμενοι. Οἱ παραδόντες