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preserving our honor. But it is true that we have been somewhat neglectful. And the cause is not ours. Since your Holiness arrived, you began to deal with us as if the church had no clergy, taking no thought for us at all, neither for the greater nor for the lesser. And in the face of such misgovernment we have neglected much of our attendance, because no office was being performed, nor did anything else, whether income or honor or livelihood, appear from that quarter. For this reason we ran to our common benefactor, the holy emperor. And from where the beneficence from there was hindered, God knows. Nevertheless, you 646 ordered that half the stipend be given. And the emperor judged it to be little. But what is even this becoming? Or are we held in any account or in honor? But how much hardship we have, God will witness and those who pity us. Then why did it seem good to your Holiness to visit us, and this with bitterness? For we are reproached as opportunists watching for March and September. And in addition to these things, the much-talked-of payment is six hyperpyra or even eight. Alas, alas, master, what does your Holiness think of these things? It is a marvel, by the truth, what he is doing to us. When it is time for payment, [you cite] the necessity of the situation, the constraint and the difficulty of the time. Let them toil, let them suffer hardship; for the difficulty is common. But when it is the time for service, you demand service from us as if we had sufficient for our households. And when we meet in the temple of God, first we receive a smileless and unapproachable demeanor. For the time being, the prayer is to be relieved from our hardships and for our holy emperor. And then we will run to his divine majesty, and whatever the holy soul of his majesty may decree, this will also come to pass; and if he should also decree that we serve thus, those who have accepted it will offer their reverence. But we have nothing more to say to your Holiness, except that in the church of God we were 647 both born and raised and have grown old, and in the church we will remain and serve according to our ability. But your Holiness knows what he is doing, because even if anything is left of our households from our enemies, the overseer of your revenues collects even that. And is this good? But we ask only this, that since you command that your letters to us be read in the synod, and our brethren the abbots vote for us the things that are pleasing to your Holiness, that this letter of ours also be read, and whatever they may decide as Christians. And another, more terrible thing oppresses us, that for so many years we remain unpromoted. This seemed good to you, and so be it. Where the loss falls, the wise man knows. But to be deprived also of the revenues of our offices and to die of hunger, what canon of the church or what practice of the fathers or what rights allow it? Nevertheless, let this also be so. But lest we become our own murderers, we will run around to the doors of Christians and beg, and as vagabonds, alas, we the nurslings of the church will be fed from the doors of Christians, proclaiming our affairs with a wide mouth, as is likely. We beg you, while keeping quiet. And let us not be provoked by your letters, and this while being wronged. For the time being, we intend to serve according to our ability, 648 and we are confident that our reward, if God wills, we will not lose, even if you do not shrink from breaking a bruised reed and from becoming harsher than the times. But it should not be so for one entrusted with the good and philanthropic spirit. We have said these things under compulsion, yet as Romans and freedmen in Christ, not enslaving our freedom. And yet the well-composed rescripts of Severus and Antoninus, impious emperors, are also upheld among the pious, so that slaves are not to be compelled beyond their ability in any way whatsoever. Then, regarding the ordinances of God, that those standing in church should be wholly fixed on God, speaking not at all to one another, even if some necessary matter should arise, was it fitting that this also happen to us, master? if we too [are to behave] like monks, that we should attend church as they do, so as not well

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περιποιούμε νοι τὴν τιμήν. ἀληθὲς δὲ ὑπ' ὀλίγον ἠμελήσαμεν. καὶ ἡ αἰτία οὐκ ἀφ' ἡμῶν. ἐπειδὴ ἐπέστη ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου, ὥσπερ ἂν μὴ εἶχεν ἡ ἐκκλησία κλῆρον, οὕτως ἤρξω πρὸς ἡμᾶς διατίθεσθαι, μὴ φροντίζων ἡμῶν τὸ σύνολον, μήτε μείζονος μήτε ἐλάττονος. καὶ πρὸς τοιαύτην ἀκυβερνησίαν τὰ πολλὰ τῆς προσεδρείας κατη μελήσαμεν, ὅτι οὐκ ὀφφίκιον ἐνηργεῖτο, οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι, ἢ πρόσο δος ἢ τιμὴ ἢ ζωή, ἐκεῖθεν ἐφαίνετο. διὰ τοῦτο προσεδράμομεν εἰς τὸν κοινὸν εὐεργέτην ἡμῶν τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἅγιον. καὶ ὁπό θεν ἐνεποδίσθη ἡ ἀπεκεῖθεν εὐεργεσία ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν. ὅμως διε 646 τάξω διδόναι τὸ ἥμισυ τῆς ῥόγας. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀλίγον εἶναι διέκρινεν. ἀλλὰ τί κἂν τοῦτο γίνεται; ἢ ἐν λόγῳ τινί ἐσμεν ἢ ἐν τιμῇ; ὁπόσην δὲ κακοπάθειαν ἔχομεν, ὁ θεὸς μαρτυρήσει καὶ οἱ ἐλεοῦντες ἡμᾶς. εἶτα τί ἔδοξε τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ σου ἡμᾶς ἐπισκέψασθαι, καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ πικρίας; ὀνειδιζόμεθα γὰρ ὡς καιροσκοποῦντες Μαρτίους καὶ Σεπτεμβρίους. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἡ θρυλλουμένη δόσις τὰ ἓξ ὑπέρπυρα ἢ καὶ ὀκτώ. αἲ αἴ, δέσπο τα, τί πρὸς ταῦτα διανοεῖται ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου; θαῦμα μὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὅπερ εἰς ἡμᾶς διαπράττει. ὅτε καιρὸς δόσεως, ἡ ἀνάγκη τῶν πραγμάτων, ἡ βία καὶ τὸ δυσχερὲς τοῦ καιροῦ. καμνέτωσαν, ταλαιπωρείτωσαν· κοινὴ γὰρ ἡ δυσχέρεια. ὅτε δὲ καιρὸς δουλείας, ἀπαιτεῖς ἡμᾶς οὕτως δουλείαν ὥσπερ εἰ εἴχομεν ἱκανῶς τῶν οἰκονομιῶν ἡμῶν. ὅταν δὲ ἀπαντήσωμεν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, πρῶτον ἀμειδὲς ἦθος καὶ ἀπροσήγορον λαμβάνο μεν. τέως δὲ εὐχὴ ἀνεθῆναι τῶν δυσχερῶν καὶ τὸν ἅγιον βασι λέα ἡμῶν. καὶ τότε ἀναδραμούμεθα πρὸς τὸ θεῖον κράτος αὐ τοῦ, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν νεύσῃ ἡ ἁγία ψυχὴ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ γενήσεται· εἰ δὲ καὶ οὕτως ὁρίσῃ δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς, οἱ κατα δεξάμενοι προσκυνήσουσιν. ἡμεῖς δὲ πλέον οὐκ ἔχομεν λέγειν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἁγιότητα, εἰ μὴ ὅτι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ 647 ἐγεννήθημεν καὶ ἐτράφημεν καὶ ἐγηράσαμεν, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πά λιν μενοῦμεν καὶ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν δουλεύσομεν. ἡ δὲ σὴ ἁγιω σύνη οἶδεν ὅ τι ποιεῖ, ὅτι καὶ ἐὰν καί τι ἐναπολειφθὲν ᾖ τῶν ἡμετέ ρων οἰκονομιῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ αὐτὸ περισυνάγει ὁ τῶν σῶν δικαίων ἔφορος. καὶ τοῦτο καλόν; πλὴν δὲ τοῦτο μόνον παρακα λοῦμεν, ὅτι ἐπεὶ τὰς σὰς γραφὰς τὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς συνοδικῶς προσ τάττεις ἀναγινώσκεσθαι, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν οἱ ἡγούμενοι ἐπι ψηφίζονται ἡμῖν τὰ ἀρεστὰ τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ σου, ἵνα ἀναγνωσθῇ καὶ αὕτη ἡ γραφὴ ἡμῶν, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν διακρίνωσιν ὡς Χριστια νοί. καὶ ἄλλο πιέζει ἡμᾶς δεινότερον, τὸ ἐπὶ τοσούτοις χρόνοις ἀπροβιβάστους διαμένειν ἡμᾶς. ἔδοξε τοῦτο ὑμῖν, καὶ ἔστω. ὅπου ἡ ζημία πίπτει, ὁ συνετὸς οἶδεν. τὸ δὲ καὶ τῶν προσόδων τῶν ὀφφικίων ἡμῶν στερεῖσθαι καὶ ἀπὸ λιμοῦ ἀποθνήσκειν, ποῖος κανὼν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἢ ποία τῶν πατέρων πρᾶξις ἢ ποῖα δικαιώ ματα δίδωσιν; ὅμως ἔστω καὶ τοῦτο. πλὴν ἵνα μὴ αὐτοφόνται γενώμεθα, τὰς τῶν Χριστιανῶν περιθρεξόμεθα θύρας καὶ ἀπαι τήσομεν, καὶ μολοβροί, οἴμοι, οἱ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τρόφιμοι ἐκ τῶν Χριστιανῶν θυρῶν τραφησόμεθα, πλατεῖ τῷ στόματι ἐκ τραγῳδοῦντες, ὡς εἰκός, τὰ ἡμέτερα. παρακαλοῦμεν ἡσυχά ζοντες. καὶ μὴ ἐκ τῶν σῶν γραφῶν παροτρυνώμεθα, καὶ ταῦτ' ἀδικούμενοι. τέως δὲ δουλεύειν μὲν μέλλομεν κατὰ δύναμιν, 648 τὸν δὲ μισθὸν ἡμῶν θαρροῦμεν ὡς, εἰ θεὸς θέλοι, οὐκ ἀπολέ σομεν, κἂν κάλαμον συντετριμμένον κατεάγειν οὐκ ἀποκνεῖς καὶ τοῦ καιροῦ δριμύτερος γίνεσθαι. ἐχρῆν δὲ οὐχ οὕτω τοῦ ἀγα θοῦ καὶ φιλανθρώπου πιστευόμενον πνεύματος. ταῦτα ἡμεῖς βια σθέντες εἴπομεν, πλὴν ὡς Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀπελεύθεροι, οὐ καταδουλούμενοι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. καίτοι γε Σευήρου καὶ Ἀντωνίνου ἀσεβῶν βασιλέων ἀντιγραφαὶ καλῶς ἔχουσαι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς εὐσεβέσι κατέχονται, ὡς μὴ ἀναγκάζεσθαι παρὰ δύναμιν τοὺς δούλους κἂν ὁπωσδήποτε. εἶτα τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας ἱσταμένους ὅλους ἐστηλωμένους εἶναι θεῷ δεῖ, μηδὲν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, κἂν ἀναγκαία παρεμπέσοι χρεία, τὸ οἱονοῦν ὁμιλοῦντας, καὶ τοῦτο ἔπρεπε καὶ ἡμῖν γίνεσθαι, δέσποτα; εἰ κατὰ μοναχοὺς καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι ἐκκλησιαζώμεθα, ὥστε μὴ καλῶς