167

of a willing mind, on the one hand by coming and bringing what was necessary in the house of the ruler who seized me, on the other hand by embarking and encouraging me towards better hopes for the brotherhood, which was guarded by a military hand at Stoudios. And indeed you have shown from what you were eager for, having counseled well alone, even if recklessly; what is this? To anathematize the sinner Antony, who cast down the holy icons, with the whole brotherhood; for which reason you were flogged with nine men who excelled the others in bravery. You have done the work, my child, of a martyr, of a soldier of Jesus Christ. O your greatness of mind; O your stout-heartedness, being the first to be scourged for Christ and with Christ and emerging from so many bloody and flesh-cutting blows, neither to let out a mournful cry nor to fall on your face, but to utter that saying which many sing, "4Do not be afraid, brothers, these things are nothing"5. O your holy tongue; this voice shamed the tyrant and all-subduer, who struck you still for this reason, and encouraged your brothers to contend equally with you, and, what is greatest, it gladdened God, who is preparing for you the crown of righteousness. Only, child, let us fight the good fight perfectly; but I am confident that he who began this contest in you will also complete it. Help also in exile, brother, your fellow exiles in word, in deed. Pray also for me, the humble one, that I may endure all things for Christ, who is now persecuted through his holy icon. Your brothers with me greet you; the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 247 {1To my child Hyperechius}1 Well done, well done, Hyperechius my child, you have been deemed worthy to carry away a good prize for Christ; you were beaten, you were imprisoned, you were exiled, you were counted among the confessors of Christ. whence to you this grace, the heavenly gift, that you should see your blood shed for Christ and your flesh torn by scourges? You have washed away your sins, you have sanctified yourself. See, my brother, that you never forget the benefit, that you never fall asleep away from God. Be vigilant for your salvation, I beseech you, for patient endurance until the end; for not only to begin, but also to finish is blessed. You have endured the pains of blows, endure, my child, also the labors of asceticism, cleansing evil thoughts from your heart, from which a man is led forth into the act of sin. God is fearsome, a consuming fire for those who despise him; let us flee boldness, the door of lawlessness, let your seat be without offense, holy. You have psalmody, you have song, you have prayer; have reading, tears, always consider death, the day of judgment, when all things will stand naked and exposed. what fear and trembling there is for a sinner like me and how great is the joy and exultation for the just. Yes, child, let us keep ourselves with diligence, so that our deposit, that is, the soul, we may bring to God safe and pure; for even if it is defiled by crooked thoughts, yet it is cleansed again by tears of repentance. Pray for me, the sinner, that I may be saved in all things. Your brothers with me greet you; grace be with you. Amen. 248 {1To my child Aphrodisius}1 Rejoice, Aphrodisius, my child, or rather God's, for whom the present contest is. What has happened in you, that you have so readily deserted to give up your own flesh to scourges for Christ, bearing so many blows strongly like adamant? Hail, soldier of Christ; see where grace has called you, how you have leaped up to the height of virtue, reclaiming yourself from previous faults. You have glorified God, my child, in your limbs, you have honored me, the sinner, as well; you shone in your brotherhood with the company of your fellow-contestants like the morning star, you became a pillar of the church of God. Blessed are you and it will be well for you. But see the work

167

εὐπροθύμου γνώμης, τοῦτο μὲν ἐλθὼν καὶ ἐνεγκὼν τὰ κατὰ χρείαν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἁρπάσαντός με ἄρχοντος, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐμπλοήσας καὶ συμπροθυμησάμενός με περὶ τῶν χρηστοτέρων ἐλπίδων εἰς τὴν ἀδελφότητα, φρουρουμένην στρατιωτικῇ χειρὶ εἰς τὰ Στουδίου. καί γε δέδειχας ἐξ ὧν προεθυμοῦ μόνος καλῶς βουλευσάμενος, εἰ καὶ ῥιψοκινδύνως· τί τοῦτο; ἀναθεματίσαι τὸν ἀλιτήριον Ἀντώνιον, καθελόντα τὰς σεπτὰς εἰκόνας, σὺν πάσῃ τῇ ἀδελφότητι· δι' ἣν αἰτίαν ἐτύφθης σὺν ἐννέα προέχουσιν ἀνδρείᾳ τῶν ἄλλων. ἔργον ἐποίησας, τέκνον μου, μάρτυρος, στρατιώτου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ὢ τῆς μεγαλονοίας σου· ὢ τῆς στερροκαρδίας σου, πρώτου μαστιγωθέντος ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ καὶ μετὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐκβάντος ἐκ τῶν τοσούτων πληγῶν ἐξαίμου καὶ σαρκοτμήτου, μήτε γοερὰν φωνὴν ἀφεῖναι μήτε συμπεσεῖν τῷ προσώπῳ, ἀλλ' ἐκείνην ῥῆξαι τὴν ῥῆσιν, ἣν ᾄδουσι πολλοί, "4μὴ φοβηθῆτε, ἀδελφοί, οὐδέν ἐστι ταῦτα"5. ὢ τῆς ἁγίας σου γλώσσης· αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ καὶ τὸν τύραννον καὶ πανδαμάτορα ᾔσχυνεν, τύψαντά σε ἔτι διὰ ταύτην, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου παρεθάρρυνεν ἴσα σοι ἐνηθληκέναι, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, τὸν θεὸν εὔφρανεν, τὸν ἑτοιμάζοντά σοι τὸν στέφανον τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Μόνον, τέκνον, τελείως ἀγωνισώμεθα τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα· πέποιθα δὲ ὅτι ὁ ἐναρξάμενος ἐν ὑμῖν τὸν ἆθλον τοῦτον καὶ τελειώσειεν. βοήθει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐξορίᾳ, ἀδελφέ, τοῖς συνεξορίστοις σου λόγῳ, ἔργῳ. προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ἵνα ἐνέγκω πάντα διὰ Χριστόν, τὸν νῦν διωκόμενον διὰ τῆς ἁγίας εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ. προσαγορεύουσίν σε οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀδελφοί σου· ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου. ἀμήν. 247 {1Ὑπερεχίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Εὖγε, εὖγε, Ὑπερέχιε τέκνον ἐμόν, καλὸν ἆθλον ἠξιώθης ἀπενέγκασθαι ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ· ἐδάρης, ἐφυλακίσθης, ἐξωρίσθης, ἐλογίσθης μετὰ ὁμολογητῶν Χριστοῦ. πόθεν σοι ἡ χάρις αὕτη, τὸ δῶρον τὸ οὐράνιον, ἵνα σου τὸ αἷμα ἴδῃς διὰ Χριστὸν περιρρεόμενον καὶ τὰς σάρκας ἐξεσμένας ταῖς μάστιξιν; ἀπελούσω τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἡγίασας σεαυτόν. βλέπε, ἀδελφέ μου, μή ποτε ἐπιλάθῃ τῆς εὐεργεσίας, μή ποτε ἀπονυστάξῃς ἀπὸ θεοῦ. γρηγόρει εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν σου, παρακαλῶ, εἰς ὑπομονὴν τελειώσεως· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἄρξασθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τελειῶσαι μακάριον. ἤνεγκας πόνους πληγῶν, ἔνεγκον, τέκνον μου, καὶ κόπους ἀσκήσεως, λογισμοὺς πονηροὺς καθαίρων ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας σου, ἐξ ὧν προάγεται ἄνθρωπος εἰς πρᾶξιν ἁμαρτίας. φοβερὸς ὁ θεός, πῦρ καταναλίσκον τοὺς καταφρονητάς· φύγωμεν τὴν παρρησίαν, τὴν θύραν τῆς ἀνομίας, ἔστω τὸ κάθισμά σου ἀσκανδάλιστον, ὅσιον. ψαλμὸν ἔχεις, ᾠδὴν ἔχεις, εὐχὴν ἔχεις· ἀνάγνωσιν ἔχε, δάκρυον, ἀναλογίζου ἀεὶ τὸν θάνατον, τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτε γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα σταίη τὰ σύμπαντα. οἷος φόβος ἐκεῖ καὶ τρόμος τῷ κατ' ἐμὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ πηλίκη χαρὰ καὶ ἀγαλλίασις τῷ δικαίῳ. Ναί, τέκνον, φυλακῇ φυλάξωμεν ἑαυτούς, ἵνα τὴν παραθήκην ἡμῶν, τουτέστι τὴν ψυχήν, προσενέγκωμεν τῷ θεῷ σώαν, καθαράν· κἂν γὰρ ῥυποῦται διὰ τῶν σκολιῶν λογισμῶν, ἀλλὰ καθαρίζεται πάλιν διὰ τῶν ἐν μετανοίᾳ δακρύων. προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι ἐν πᾶσιν. οἱ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἀδελφοί σου προσαγορεύουσίν σε· ἡ χάρις μετὰ σοῦ. ἀμήν. 248 {1Ἀφροδισίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Χαίροις, Ἀφροδίσιε, τὸ ἐμὸν τέκνον, μᾶλλον δὲ θεοῦ, ὑπὲρ οὗ ὁ προκείμενος ἀγών. τί τὸ γεγονὸς ἐν σοί, ὅτι οὕτως ἀπηυτομόλησας ἐκδοῦναι τὰς ἑαυτοῦ σάρκας εἰς μάστιγας ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, οὕτως ἐνεγκὼν τὰς τοσαύτας πληγὰς ὡς ἀδάμας καρτερῶς; χαῖρε, τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιῶτα· ὅρα ποῦ σε κέκληκεν ἡ χάρις, πῶς ἀνεπήδησας εἰς ὕψος ἀρετῆς, ἀναποιησάμενος ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ προλαβόντων ἐλαττωμάτων. ἐδόξασας τὸν θεόν, τέκνον μου, ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί σου, ἐτίμησας κἀμὲ τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν· ἔλαμψας ἐν τῇ ἀδελφότητί σου μετὰ τῆς ἰσάθλου ἑταιρείας ὡς ἀστὴρ ἑωθινός, ἐγένου τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ στῦλος. Μακάριος εἶ καὶ καλόν σοι ἔσται. ἀλλὰ βλέπε τὸ ἔργον