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the adornment of the church was taken away, the appearance of the holy temples, the holy things were given over to fire; another form is recognized in Christianity, if indeed one should call it Christianity and not Judaism. It is opportune even now to say, Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. and indeed they killed, and indeed they tore down; for is not scraping and gouging out their appearance manifestly tearing them down? Take away the face of a man, and he is no longer a man, but some abortion, if he can even live. They have set your sanctuary on fire. and this is true, having burned every divine image inscribed on any material. a blasphemous tongue has been opened, calling Christ an idol, the Theotokos, every saint. For the derivative possesses the name of the archetype, since it also possesses the veneration; for this reason we also call every type of cross a cross and in venerating it we embrace the life-giving cross. But I, the humble one, have dramatized these things not as if your all-wise perfection were ignorant of the ruin of the error (may I suffer no foolish thing), but to console the grievous suffering of my own heart through these accounts, which are somehow able, when spoken, to lighten the secret pains, and at the same time moving it to approach God more fervently, to make a swift rebuke to this wicked heresy for the salvation of his people. Pray also for me, your least child, my most holy father. 315 {1To Timothy my child}1 As is your soul, my longed-for child, so also is your letter, courageous, cheerful, eager, God-loving, martyr-loving. and indeed words are images of the soul and from the abundance of the heart each one brings forth his sayings; so that we too, upon hearing your words, were strengthened and grew more courageous and were urged on to the contest. But brother Adrianos astonished me even more by explaining, announcing your courage and steadfastness and outspokenness, and indeed also your dialectical skill towards the heretics. from where do you have these things? Is it not from your preceding good disposition and divine preservation, through which you endured the things that came before and you stand in the hope of the glory of God, preparing yourself even for death? Rejoice, be glad; with God you will have the strength to endure all things, having bound on the victor’s crown. But pray for me too, brother, to follow you and anyone else like you. and we are sufficient by the grace of Christ; for as the stadium is brilliant and conspicuous, many also are the martyrs. For do not suppose the present circumstances to be anything else than a denial of Christ for the persecutors and a witness to Christ for those who carry off the prizes, and this is quite clear; for as in the image of the cross the life-giving cross is both confessed and denied, so also in the image of Christ is the very same thing without change, even if the world is blinded and, denying Christ, makes sport of the outrage because of the long-suffering of the one who is outraged. And what wonder is it, if he endures, seeking the conversion of those who act insolently? Did not the soldiers place a crown of thorns upon his head? And did they not put a purple robe on him, who also said, Hail, king of the Jews, and gave him blows? But he bore all things, being laughed at, mocked, and whatever else he suffered on the cross. Such things is he now suffering through his image and in his image, since the archetype appears in the image, as has been said by the saints. But may there be mercy quickly for his church, strengthening those who confess. I hear that you are keeping a fast and I rejoice, but I advise you to eat each day after vespers; for this is the royal road and this is the praiseworthy self-control in martyrdom. 316 {1To Anna the abbess}1 That you wrote to me is reasonable; for through your letter I learned of the preservation of your honor and I gave thanks to God, as you persist in your good purpose and confession of Christ and do not regard the solitude, the imprisonment. And may you not grow weary, having Christ as your companion, for whom and because of whom you suffer;

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ἀφῃρέθη ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἡ ὄψις τῶν ἱερῶν ναῶν, πυρὶ παρεδόθη τὰ ἅγια· ἄλλο τι σχῆμα γνωρίζεται ἐν τῷ χριστιανισμῷ, εἴ γε χριστιανισμόν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἰουδαϊσμὸν καλεῖν. εὔκαιρον καὶ νῦν λέγειν, Κύριε τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν. καί γε ἔκτειναν, καί γε κατέσκαψαν· τὸ γὰρ ξέειν καὶ ἐξορύσσειν τὴν ὄψιν αὐτῶν οὐχὶ κατασκάπτειν ἐστὶν ἐμφανῶς; ἄφελε ὄψιν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλά τι ἔκτρωμα, εἴγε καὶ ἔστι ζῆν. ἐνεπύρισαν ἐν πυρὶ τὸ ἁγιαστήριόν σου. καὶ ταῦτα ἀληθῶς, πᾶσαν θείαν εἰκόνα ἐν πάσῃ ὕλῃ χαραχθεῖσαν ἐμπρήσαντες. ἀνέῳκται γλῶσσα βλάσφημος, τὸν Χριστὸν εἴδωλον λέγουσα, τὴν Θεοτόκον, πάντα ἅγιον. καὶ γὰρ τοῦ ἀρχετύπου τὴν κλῆσιν τὸ παράγωγον κέκτηται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν προσκύνησιν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πάντα τύπον σταυροῦ σταυρὸν λέγομεν καὶ προσκυνοῦντες τὸν ζωοποιὸν σταυρὸν προσπτυσσόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐξετραγῴδησα ὁ ταπεινὸς οὐχ ὡς ἀγνοούσης σου τῆς πανσόφου τελειότητος τῆς πλάνης τὸν ὄλεθρον (μή τι πάθοιμι μωρι κόν), τὸ θλιπτικὸν δὲ πάθος παραμυθούμενος τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ καρδίας διὰ τῶν ἀναφορῶν, οἵ πως πεφύκασι λαλούμενοι κουφίζειν τὰ ἐν κρυφῇ ἀλγεινά, καὶ ἅμα ὑποκινῶν αὐτὴν θερμότερον προσιέναι θεῷ, ταχεῖαν ἐπιτίμησιν ποιῆσαι τῇ πονηρᾷ ταύτῃ αἱρέσει εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἐλαχίστου σου τέκνου, ἁγιώτατέ μου πάτερ. 315 {1Τιμοθέῳ τέκνῳ}1 Οἵα σου ἡ ψυχή, τέκνον μου ποθητόν, τοιαῦτα καὶ τὰ γράμματα, θαρσαλέα, εὔθυμα, εὐπρόθυμα, φιλόθεα, φιλομάρτυρα. καί γε τῆς ψυχῆς εἰκόνες οἱ λόγοι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας ἕκαστος φέρει τὰ λόγια· ὥστε καὶ ἡμᾶς, ἀκούσαντάς σου τῶν ῥημάτων, ἐπιρρωσθῆναι καὶ μᾶλλον ἀνδρειωθῆναι καὶ πρὸς ἄθλησιν ἐπειχθῆναι. ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ἀδριανὸς ἐξηγησάμενος πλέον ἐξένισεν, ἀναγγείλας σου τὸ εὔθαρσον καὶ σταθερὸν καὶ εὐπαρρησίαστον, καὶ μέντοι καὶ διαλεκτικὸν πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετίζοντας. πόθεν σοι ταῦτα; ἢ οὐχὶ ἐπὶ τῆς προαγούσης ἀγαθῆς διαθέσεως καὶ θείας περιποιήσεως, δι' ἧς ἤνεγκας τὰ προλαβόντα καὶ ἕστηκας τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ, μέχρι θανάτου εὐτρεπιζόμενος; χαῖρε, εὐφραίνου· ἰσχύσεις σὺν θεῷ πάντα ἐνεγκεῖν, ἀθλοφορικὸν στέφανον ἀναδησάμενος. Ἀλλ' εὔχου κἀμοί, ἀδελφέ, συνέπεσθαι σοί τε καὶ εἴ τινι ἄλλῳ παραπλησίῳ. ἱκανοὶ δὲ χάριτι Χριστοῦ· καὶ γὰρ ὡς τὸ στάδιον λαμπρὸν καὶ ἐμφανὲς πλεῖστοι καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες. μὴ γὰρ οἴου τι ἄλλο εἶναι τὰ παρόντα ἢ Χριστοῦ ἄρνησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς διώκοντας καὶ Χριστοῦ μαρτυρίαν εἰς τοὺς τὰ ἆθλα φέροντας, καὶ τοῦτο εὔδηλον· ὡς γὰρ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ σταυροῦ ὁ ζωοποιὸς σταυρὸς καὶ ὡμολόγηται καὶ ἤρνηται, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι Χριστοῦ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπαραλλάκτως, εἰ καὶ τετύφλωται ὁ κόσμος καὶ Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενος παίζει τὴν ὕβριν διὰ τὴν τοῦ ὑβριζομένου μακροθυμίαν. καὶ τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ ὑπομένει, ζητῶν τὴν τῶν παροινούντων ἐπιστροφήν; μὴ οὐχὶ στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῦ τῇ κεφαλῇ οἱ στρατευόμενοι; μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ ἱμάτιον πορφυροῦν περιέβαλον αὐτόν, οἳ καὶ ἔλεγον, χαῖρε, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐδίδουν αὐτῷ ῥαπίσματα; ὁ δὲ ἔφερεν πάντα, καταγελώμενος, μυκτηριζόμενος καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πάσχων ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ. τοιαῦτά ἐστι νῦν πάσχων διὰ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι ἐκφαίνεται, ὡς εἴρηται τοῖς ἁγίοις. Ἀλλ' εἴη ἔλεος ἐν τάχει τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἐνδυναμῶν τοὺς ὁμολογοῦντας. ἀκούω ὅτι νηστείαν ἕλκεις καὶ χαίρω μέν, συμβουλεύω δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην σε ἐσθίειν μετὰ τὰ ἑσπερινά· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ βασιλικὴ ὁδὸς καὶ αὕτη ἐπαινετὴ ἐγκράτεια ἐν τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ. 316 {1Ἄννῃ ἡγουμένῃ}1 Ὅτι ἐπέστειλάς μοι, εἰκότως· μᾶλλον γὰρ διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐν γνώσει γέγονα τῆς διασώσεως τῆς τιμιότητός σου καὶ ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ θεῷ, οὕτως ἐπιμενούσης σου τῇ καλῇ προθέσει καὶ ὁμολογίᾳ Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐ κατανοούσης τὴν μόνωσιν, τὴν φυλακήν. μηδέ γε ἀτονήσειας Χριστὸν ἔχουσα ὑφέστιον, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ δι' ὃν πάσχεις·