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Therefore you are reverent, you who received are accurate. Nowhere is there falsehood, nowhere deceit, we testify; let the truth be unslandered by you.

198. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA 198.1 After the letter, the one brought to us by the officials, one

other I received after this, sent to us. We ourselves have written, not many indeed, because of not even happening upon those who travel to you, but more than four, among which also the ones brought to us from Samosata upon the first letters from your God-fearingness, sealed, we sent through our most revered brother Leontius, the corrector of Nicaea, having requested through him that they be brought to the one caring for the house of our most revered brother Sophronius, so that he might take care of their transport to you. Since, therefore, the letters pass through many hands, it is likely that the preoccupation or negligence of one person became the cause of your Reverence not receiving them. So forgive, we ask, the scarcity of letters. But as for the fact that we did not do what was necessary, to send someone from among ourselves, this you yourself, with your own understanding, have rightly sought and have reproached us. But know that the winter with us has been so great that all roads were closed until the days of Pascha, and that we have no one who is boldly disposed to the difficulties of the road. For even if our body of clergy seems somehow to be numerous, yet they are men unpracticed in journeys, because they neither engage in trade nor choose the life abroad, but the many of them practice sedentary crafts, having from there their means for their daily life. At once we have also sent for this brother, whom we now have sent to your Reverence, from the country, and we have used him as a minister of the letters to your Holiness, so that he may both announce our affairs clearly and convey to us matters from your side plainly and quickly by the grace of God. And our most desired brother Eusebius the reader, who long ago was eager to go to your God-fearingness, we held back, awaiting a temperate state of the weather. And now, however, I am in no small anxiety, lest his inexperience with journeys cause him distress and provide a cause of sickness to his body, which is prone to weakness. 198.2 As for the innovations concerning the East, it is superfluous for us to signify them by letter, since the brothers themselves are able to report them accurately on their own. But know, my most honored head, that when I was writing these things, I was so poorly disposed that all my hopes of living had at last abandoned me. For it is not even possible to recount the multitude of the symptoms that came upon me, and the weakness and the magnitude of the fevers and their malignancy of what kind; except that from all of them one thing is concluded, that we should at last fulfill the time of our sojourning in this miserable and painful life.

199. TO AMPHILOCHIUS CONCERNING CANONS

Long ago to the questions proposed to us by your Reverence

having answered, I did not send the letter, on the one hand being occupied by my long and dangerous illness, on the other by the lack of ministers. For few among us are both experienced in the road and prepared for such services. So, having learned the reasons for the delay, give us your pardon. But we have marveled at your love of learning and your humility, that you deign both to learn, though entrusted with the office of teaching, and to learn from us

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τοίνυν εὐλαβεῖς, οἱ ὑποδεξάμενοι ἀκριβεῖς. Οὐδαμοῦ ψεῦδος, οὐδαμοῦ δόλος, μαρτυροῦμεν ἡμεῖς· ἀσυκοφάντητος ἔστω παρ' ὑμῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια.

198.τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ 198.1 Μετὰ τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀφφικιαλίων κομισθεῖσαν ἡμῖν, μίαν

ἄλλην ἐδεξάμην μετὰ ταῦτα πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποσταλεῖσαν. Αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐπεστείλαμεν, οὐ πολλὰς μέν, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀφικνουμέ νων, πλὴν πλείους τῶν τεσσάρων, ἐν αἷς καὶ τὰς ἀπὸ Σαμοσάτων κομισθείσας ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς πρώτοις γράμμασι τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας, ἐσφραγισμένας διεπεμψάμεθα τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ Λεοντίῳ τῷ ἐξισωτῇ τῆς Νικαίας, παρακαλέσαντες δι' ἐκείνου τῷ φροντίζοντι τῆς οἰκίας τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Σωφρονίου ἀποκομισθῆναι, ὥστε ἐκεῖνον ἐπιμεληθῆναι τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς διακομιδῆς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλὰς διαβαίνουσι χεῖρας αἱ ἐπιστολαί, εἰκὸς τὴν παρὰ ἕνα ἀσχολίαν ἢ ῥᾳθυμίαν αἰτίαν γενέσθαι τοῦ μὴ ὑποδέχεσθαι τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν. Ὥστε συγγνώμην ἔχε, παρακαλοῦμεν, τῇ σπάνει τῶν γραμμάτων. Τὸ δὲ ὅτι ἀπο στεῖλαί τινα δέον ἐξ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐποιήσαμεν, τοῦτο αὐτὸς μὲν τῇ σεαυτοῦ συνέσει ὀρθῶς ἐπεζήτησας καὶ καθήψω ἡμῶν. Γίνωσκε δὲ τὸν παρ' ἡμῖν χειμῶνα τοσοῦτον γεγενῆσθαι ὥστε πάσας μὲν ὁδοὺς ἐκκλεισθῆναι μέχρι τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ Πάσχα, μηδένα δὲ ἡμᾶς ἔχειν τὸν εὐθαρσῶς πρὸς τὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ δυσχερῆ διακείμενον. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ πολυάνθρωπόν πως εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ ἱερατεῖον ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπων ἀμελετήτως ἐχόντων πρὸς τὰς ὁδοιπορίας, διὰ τὸ μήτε ἐμπορεύεσθαι μήτε τὴν ἔξω διατριβὴν αἱρεῖσθαι, τὰς δὲ ἑδραίας τῶν τεχνῶν μεταχειρίζεσθαι τοὺς πολλούς, ἐκεῖθεν ἔχοντας τὴν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμέραν βίου. Αὐτίκα καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦτον, ὃν νῦν ἀπεστείλαμεν πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου ἐκ τῆς χώρας μεταστειλάμενοι, ἐχρησά μεθα αὐτῷ διακόνῳ τῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ὁσιότητα γραμμάτων, ἵνα καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα σαφῶς διαγγείλῃ καὶ τὰ αὐτόθεν ἡμῖν ἐναργῶς καὶ ταχέως τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι διακομίσῃ. Καὶ τὸν ποθεινότατον ἀδελφὸν Εὐσέβιον τὸν ἀναγνώστην πάλαι ἐπειγόμενον πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν ἐπέσχομεν, τὸ τῶν ἀέρων εὐκραὲς ἀναμένοντες. Καὶ νῦν μέντοι ἐν φροντίδι οὐ τῇ τυχούσῃ εἰμί, μήποτε αὐτῷ τὸ περὶ τὰς ὁδοιπορίας ἄηθες ξενισμὸν ἐμποιήσῃ καὶ ἀρρωστίας αἰτίαν παράσχῃ τῷ σώματι εὐαφόρμως ἔχοντι πρὸς τὴν ἀσθένειαν. 198.2 Τὰ μέντοι καινοτομηθέντα περὶ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν πε ριττὸν ἡμᾶς ἐστι διὰ γραμμάτων σημαίνειν, αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀκριβῶς δυναμένων ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν διαγγεῖλαι. Γίνωσκε δέ, τιμιωτάτη μοι κεφαλή, ὅτι ἡνίκα ταῦτα ἐπέστελλον, οὕτω διεκείμην φαύλως ὥστε πάσας με λοιπὸν τοῦ ζῆν τὰς ἐλπίδας ἐπιλελοιπέναι. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἐξαριθμήσασθαι δυ νατὸν τῶν ἐπιγινομένων μοι συμπτωμάτων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν πυρετῶν καὶ τὴν κακοήθειαν ὁποῖα· πλὴν ὅτι ἐκ πάντων ἓν τὸ συναγόμενον, πληρῶσαι ἡμᾶς λοιπὸν τὸν χρόνον τῆς παροικίας τοῦ δυστήνου τούτου καὶ ὀδυνηροῦ βίου.

199.τ ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩ ΠΕΡΙ ΚΑΝΟΝΩΝ

Πάλαι πρὸς τὰς παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου προταθείσας ἡμῖν ἐρωτήσεις

ἀποκρινάμενος, οὐκ ἀπέστειλα τὸ γράμμα, τοῦτο μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρρωστίας τῆς μακρᾶς καὶ ἐπικινδύνου ἀσχοληθείς, τοῦτο δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπορίας τῶν διακονουμένων. Ὀλίγοι γὰρ καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ ὁδοῦ ἔμπειροι καὶ πα ρεσκευασμένοι πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας ὑπηρεσίας. Ὥστε μαθὼν τὰς αἰτίας τῆς βραδύτητος δὸς ἡμῖν τὴν συγγνώμην. Ἐθαυμάσαμεν δέ σου τὴν φιλομάθειαν ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν ταπει νοφροσύνην, ὅτι καὶ μαθεῖν καταδέχῃ τὴν τοῦ διδάσκειν τάξιν πεπιστευμένος καὶ μανθάνειν παρ' ἡμῶν