187

announcing to your love. For to me it brings relief to communicate to you our affairs; and I know that you care for nothing so much as for our affairs. But now Elpidius, hurrying to his master, to refute the slanders falsely contrived against him by some enemies, asked us for this letter. By which we both greet your Reverence and recommend the man to you, both because he is worthy of your protection on account of his righteousness and for our sake; we who, even if we have nothing else to testify for him, yet that he considered it a great thing to become the bearer of our letter, hold him among your own people and remember us, and pray for the Church. But know that our most God-beloved brother is in exile, not bearing the troubles from the shameless. And Doara is tempest-tossed, with the very fleshy sea-monster stirring up trouble there. And our enemies are concocting plots against us at the Camp, as the report of those who know goes; but the hand of the Lord is with us for now. Only pray that we may not be forsaken to the end. For indeed our brother lives at ease, and Doara has driven away my old lion, but has nothing more; and the Lord will scatter the counsels of our enemies. Yet for us, the release from all grievous things, both present and expected, is to see you. So if it ever becomes possible for you, while we are still above the earth, deign to see us. The book On the Spirit has been written and completed by us, as you yourself know. But the brothers with me prevented me from sending it written on paper, saying that they have instructions from your Nobility to write it in a codex. Therefore, so that we may not seem to do anything contrary to your command, we have held back for now, but will send it a little later, only if we find a suitable person to carry it. May you be granted to me and to the Church of God, in health and good spirits, praying fervently to the Lord for us, by the philanthropy of the Holy One.

232.t TO AMPHILOCHIUS, BISHOP OF ICONIUM

232.1 Every day that brings a letter from your godliness is a feast for us, and the greatest of feasts. And when it also brings symbols of a feast, what else should one call it but a feast of feasts, just as the old law was accustomed to call sabbaths of sabbaths? We thank the Lord, therefore, having learned that you are both well in body and have completed the commemoration of the saving dispensation in a peaceful Church. But some disturbances have troubled us; yet we have not passed our time without dejection, since our most God-beloved brother has been driven into exile. But pray for him, that God may one day grant him to see his own Church healed of the wounds from heretical terrors, and deign to visit us very much, while we are still on earth. Do a deed consistent with yourself, and for us worthy of the greatest prayer. And the meaning of the gifts is also to be marveled at, that by riddles you have wished for us a strong old age. For you showed that by the lamps you rouse us to nocturnal labors, and by the dried fruits you guarantee that all our parts are well-strung. For gnawing is not for me at my age, since my teeth have long been worn away both by time and by illness. Therefore, to the questions asked, some answers have been made in the memorandum, such as were possible for me and as time allowed.

233.t TO AMPHILOCHIUS, BISHOP, WHO ASKED

233.1 I myself also know this, having heard it, and I recognize of the men the

disposition. What then shall we say to these things? That the mind is good and in this we have

187

διαγγέλλων σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ. Ἐμοί τε γὰρ κουφισμὸν φέρει τὸ ἀνακοινοῦσθαί σοι τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς· σέ τε οἶδα οὐδὲν οὕτω μεριμνῶντα ὡς τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ἀλλὰ νῦν Ἐλπίδιος πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δεσπότην ἐπειγόμενος, τοῦ ἀποδύσασθαι τὰς διαβολὰς τὰς ψευδῶς αὐτῷ παρά τινων ἐχθρῶν κατασκευασθείσας, ᾔτησεν ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐπιστολήν. ∆ι' ἧς καὶ προσφθεγγόμεθά σου τὴν εὐλά βειαν καὶ συνιστῶμέν σοι τὸν ἄνδρα διά τε τὸ δίκαιον ἄξιον ὄντα τῆς παρὰ σοῦ προστασίας καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς· οἳ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο ἔχομεν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅτι περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιήσατο γραμμάτων ἡμετέρων γενέσθαι διάκονος, τοῦτόν τε ἔχε ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ ἡμῶν μέμνησο, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εὔχου. Γίνωσκε δὲ ὅτι ὁ μὲν θεοφιλέστατος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ὑπερόριός ἐστι τὰς ὀχλήσεις μὴ φέρων τῶν ἀναισχύντων. ∆όαρα δὲ χειμάζεται, τοῦ κήτους τοῦ πολυ σάρκου τὰ ἐκεῖ συνταράσσοντος. Ἡμῖν δὲ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ Στρατοπέδου τυρεύουσιν, ὡς ὁ τῶν εἰδό των λόγος· ἡ δὲ χεὶρ τοῦ Κυρίου τέως ἐστὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν. Μόνον εὔχου μὴ ἐγκαταλειφθῆναι ἡμᾶς εἰς τέλος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς διάγει ἄνετος, καὶ ∆όαρα τὸν παλαιὸν ἀπέλαβε μου λίωνα, πλέον δὲ ἔχει οὐδέν· καὶ τὰς βουλὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν διασκεδάσει Κύριος. Πάντων μέντοι καὶ τῶν παρόντων καὶ τῶν προσδοκωμένων λυπηρῶν λύσις ἡμῖν τὸ σὲ θεάσασθαι. Ὥστε ἐὰν γένηταί σοί ποτε δυνατόν, ἕως ἔτι ἐσμὲν ὑπὲρ γῆς, καταξίωσον ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν. Τὸ περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος βιβλίον γέγραπται μὲν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐξείργασται, ὡς αὐτὸς οἶδας. Ἀποστεῖλαι δὲ ἐν χάρτῃ γεγραμμένον ἐκώλυσάν με οἱ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἀδελφοὶ εἰπόντες παρὰ τῆς εὐγενείας σου ἐντολὰς ἔχειν ἐν σωματίῳ γράψαι. Ἵν' οὖν μή τι δόξωμεν ὑπεναντίον ποιεῖν τῷ προστάγματί σου, ἐπέσχομεν νῦν, ἀποστελοῦμεν δὲ μικρὸν ὕστερον, μόνον ἐάν τινος ἐπιτη δείου τοῦ διακομίζοντος ἐπιτύχωμεν. Ἐρρωμένος καὶ εὔθυ μος ὑπερευχόμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν χαρισθείης μοι καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου φιλανθρωπίᾳ.

232.τ ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ

232.1 Πᾶσα ἡμέρα γράμματα ἔχουσα τῆς θεοσεβείας σου ἑορτὴ ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ ἑορτῶν ἡ μεγίστη. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ σύμβολα ἐπι φέρηται ἑορτῆς, τί ἄλλο χρὴ ὀνομάζειν ἢ οὐχὶ ἑορτὴν ἑορ τῶν, ὥσπερ ὁ παλαιὸς νόμος σάββατα σαββάτων προσαγο ρεύειν εἰώθει; Εὐχαριστοῦμεν οὖν τῷ Κυρίῳ, μαθόντες ὅτι καὶ ἔρρωσαι τῷ σώματι καὶ εἰρηνευούσῃ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆς σωτηρίου οἰκονομίας τὴν ἀνάμνησιν ἐτέλεσας. Ἡμᾶς δὲ θόρυβοί τινες διετάραξαν· οὐ μὴν ἔξω κατηφείας διηγάγο μεν τῷ τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν πεφυγαδευμένον εἶναι. Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ μὲν ἐκείνου προσεύχου, ἵνα δώῃ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός ποτε ἐπιδεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν τῶν αἱρετικῶν δειμάτων τὰ τραύματα ἰαθεῖσαν, ἡμᾶς δὲ καταξίωσον λίαν ἐπισκέψασθαι, ἕως ἔτι ἐσμὲν ἐπὶ γῆς. Ποίησον ἔργον σαυτῷ μὲν ἀκόλουθον, ἡμῖν δὲ εὐχῆς ἄξιον τῆς μεγίστης. Θαυμά σαι δέ ἐστι καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν εὐλογιῶν, ὅτι δι' αἰνιγμά των ηὔξω ἡμῖν γῆρας ἰσχυρόν. Ἔδειξας γὰρ ὅτι διὰ μὲν τῶν λαμπηνῶν πρὸς τοὺς νυκτερινοὺς διεγείρεις καμάτους, διὰ δὲ τῶν τραγημάτων τὸ πᾶσι τοῖς μέρεσι τετονῶσθαι κατεγγυᾷ. Οὐ γὰρ ἔμοιγε καθ' ἡλικίαν τὸ τρώγειν, πάλαι τῶν ὀδόντων ἔκ τε τοῦ χρόνου καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀρρωστίας ἐκτε τριμμένων. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὰ ἐπερωτηθέντα γεγόνασί τινες ἐν τῷ ὑπομνηστικῷ ἀποκρίσεις οἵας ἐμοὶ δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ ὡς ὁ καιρὸς ἐδίδου.

233.τ ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΕΡΩΤΗΣΑΝΤΙ

233.1 Οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκούσας τούτου, καὶ γνωρίζω τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν

κατασκευήν. Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα; Ὅτι καλὸν μὲν ὁ νοῦς καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἔχομεν