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these things have now been wrought more madly. And Christ sleeps, and the salty sea of unbelief has crested, causing utter destruction. But may the genuine ones of the disciples be with you, waking Christ to rebuke and calm the danger. The sponsor of my habit is also gone, a good man, who carried off the prize of confession in such a very difficult sickness, as to be unable even to turn in bed; how? by resisting and being arrested and imprisoned, then also exiled, and in this way completing his martyrdom. The Lord, therefore, did not overlook his labors of submission, as many as you know, even if he was captured, on account of my sins, among the Moechians out of concern for his body, not sharing in their sentiment, as the facts showed. For this reason, having also been torn away from their faction by God, he has achieved a different kind of victory, just as the one of Medikion, and indeed also the one of Nicaea, as I was assured by their letters. And why do I speak of this one and that one? For I am persuaded that each of those who resist is also in this state; but indeed our true patriarch himself is confessing the truth, as I learned from the mouth of one who heard it from him and who praised the resistance at that time. I have said these things, on the one hand reasonably honoring the one who has departed, and on the other making known to your holiness the things that are owed. But you know that the bosom evil, Leontios, once ours, as he was previously joined to the Moechians, is now a leader of the iconoclasts. For this reason he has taken over the Stoudios monastery and unlawfully rules that of Sakkoudion. From the unclean, nothing is clean; such as the one who begot according to the flesh, such also is the offspring. May God convert him by your holy prayers and strengthen me, the sinner, in His fear. I greet those who have been deemed worthy to serve your honor. The one with me venerates you in a servile manner. 334 {1To Athanasios, my child}1 I rejoice, my child, receiving your letter of diligence, from which I not only take pleasure in hearing your voice, but I am also gladdened seeing the progress of your composition. Therefore, use the letter, since it would be profitable in both respects; for even wells, when drawn from, are widened in their streams, so too a tongue in composing letters. But I know of nothing favorable about myself, even if you should go through more encomiums about me; but you abash me as much as you praise me, being aware of my own circumstances. But if anything of what is said by us should seem to you for your benefit, the matter must be ascribed to God, from whom for your sakes there is both light in the blind and reason in the irrational, a certain small and poor one; which must not be held back, brother, but must be worked out in fear of the threat and in hope of the acceptance. And that you wander here and there, changing place from place out of caution for your persecutors, how is this not of the time, which is both patient of suffering and mournful? But because it would be for Christ's sake, it is joyful and accomplishable. And may the Lord do well by the good spatharios, who guides and cares for you for Christ's sake; who indeed has appeared to me to be useful in many things. I have now written to the archbishop, and not before, as you supposed, having not received a response to the previous ones; for who in the world is more honorable to me than he in all things, as is fitting and just? But you have seen the malice of the demon, that the letters were lost; but glory to God who did not make the letters public to the authorities. My spiritual father has fallen asleep, as you indicated. But read the letter of the archbishop and from there you might know how much I have groaned and spoken also about other persons. And may my namesake who was strategos also be at rest, and for this reason: for having remembered me, the unworthy one, in his last moments. How praiseworthy you are, being summoned by such persons and for such matters; may you appear still more holy and more chosen by many because you serve the one and only Lord of all; to whom cleaving very much you will be more exalted and honored, if indeed he speaks the truth when he says, "but I will honor those who honor me, and he who despises me

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ταῦτα μανικώτερον ἐξείργασται νῦν. καὶ Χριστὸς καθεύδει, καὶ ἡ ἁλμυρὰ τῆς ἀπιστίας θάλασσα κεκορύφωται, πανωλεθρίαν ποιοῦσα. ἀλλ' εἴησαν σὺν σοὶ οἱ γνησιεύοντες τῶν μαθητῶν, Χριστὸν εἰς ἐπιτίμησιν καὶ καταστόρεσιν τῆς κινδυνεύσεως διεγείροντες. οἴχεταί μου καὶ ὁ τοῦ σχήματος ἀνάδοχος, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός, ὁμολογίας ἆθλον ἀπενεγκάμενος ἐν τοιαύτῃ χαλεπωτάτῃ νόσῳ, ὡς ἐνδεῶς ἔχειν καὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ κλίνης στρέφεσθαι· πῶς; ἐνστὰς καὶ ἀρθεὶς καὶ φυλακισθείς, εἶτα καὶ ἐξορισθείς, καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ μαρτύριον τελέσας. οὐ παρεῖδεν οὖν αὐτοῦ Κύριος τοὺς ὑποτακτικοὺς κόπους, ὁπόσους οἶσθα, κἂν ἑάλω κατὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου ἐν τοῖς μοιχειανοῖς φειδοῖ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ συναιρούμενος τῷ φρονήματι, ὡς τὰ πράγματα ἐδείκνυ. διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὸ θεοῦ καὶ ῥαγεὶς τῆς συμμορίας ἑτεραλκέα τὴν νίκην πεποίηται ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Μηδικιώτης, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὁ Νικαίας, ὡς γράμμασιν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστώθην. καὶ τί λέγω τοῦτον κἀκεῖνον; καὶ γὰρ πείθομαι καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν ἐνισταμένων οὕτως ἔχειν· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἡμῶν πατριάρχης ὁμολογῶν ἐστι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὡς ἔμαθον ἐκ στόματος τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀκηκοότος καὶ ἐπαινοῦντος τὴν τότε ἔνστασιν. Εἴρηκα ταῦτα, ὁμοῦ μὲν τὸν ἐκδημήσαντα εἰκότως ἀποτιμῶν, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ ὁσιότητι γνώριμα καθιστῶν τὰ ὀφειλόμενα. ἀλλ' οἶδας ὅτι τὸ ἐγκόλπιον κακὸν Λεόντιος ὁ ποτὲ ἡμέτερος ὡς συναπήχθη τοῖς μοιχειανοῖς πρότερον καὶ νῦν προστάτης τῶν εἰκονομάχων. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ Στουδίου παρέλαβεν καὶ τοῦ Σακκουδίωνος ἀνόμως ἄρχει. ἐξ ἀκαθάρτου οὐδὲν καθαρόν· οἷος ὁ φύσας κατὰ σάρκα, τοιοῦτον δὴ καὶ τὸ γέννημα. ὃν ὁ θεὸς μεταστρέψειεν εὐχαῖς σου ἁγίαις κἀμὲ στηρίξειεν τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν εἰς φόβον αὐτοῦ. τοὺς ἠξιωμένους ὑπηρετεῖσθαι τῇ τιμιότητί σου προσφθέγγομαι. ὁ σὺν ἐμοί σε δουλικῶς προσκυνεῖ. 334 {1Ἀθανασίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Χαίρω, τέκνον, δεχόμενός σου γράμμα τῆς ἐμμελείας, ἐξ ὧν οὐ μόνον τῆς φωνῆς σου ἀκούων ἥδομαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν προκοπὴν τῆς ὑπαγορείας ὁρῶν εὐφραίνομαι. χρῷ τοιγαροῦν τῷ γράμματι, ἐπὰν κατ' ἀμφότερα λυσιτελοίη· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ φρέατα ἀντλούμενα εὐρύνεται τοῖς ῥείθροις, ταῦτ' ἤδη καὶ γλῶττα ἐξεργαζομένη τὰς ἐπιστολάς. ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ οἶδά τι ἐμαυτῷ δεξιόν, κἂν πλείονα τοῖς κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐγκωμίοις διεξερχόμενος εἴης· ἀλλά με τοσοῦτον συστέλλεις, ὁπόσον καὶ ἐπαινοίης, αἰσθόμενον τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτόν. εἰ δέ τι ὑμῖν φαίνοιτο εἰς ὄνησιν τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν λεγομένων, τῷ θεῷ ἀναθετέον τὸ πρᾶγμα, παρ' οὗ δι' ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐν τῷ τυφλῷ φῶς καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀλόγῳ λόγος, μικρός τις καὶ πενιχρός· ὃν οὐ συστελτέον, ἀδελφέ, ἀλλ' ἐξεργαστέον δέει τῆς ἀπειλῆς καὶ ἐλπίδι τῆς ἀποδοχῆς. ὅτι δὲ ὧδέ τε κἀκεῖσε περιέρχῃ, τόπον ἐκ τόπου ἀμείβων φειδοῖ τῶν διωκόντων, πῶς οὐ τοῦ καιροῦ, ὃ καὶ τληπαθὲς καὶ στενακτικόν; ἀλλ' ὅτι διὰ Χριστὸν εἴη, χαρμονικὸν καὶ διανυστικόν. Εὖ δὲ ποιήσαι Κύριος τῷ ἀγαθῷ σπαθαρίῳ, ξεναγοῦντι καὶ περιέποντί σε διὰ Χριστόν· ὅς γε κἀμοὶ χρηστὸς ὦπται ἐν πολλοῖς. τανῦν ἐπέστειλα τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ, τὸ δὲ μὴ πρότερον, ὡς ὑπέλαβες, μὴ ἀντίδοσιν τῶν προαγόντων δεξάμενος· ἐπεὶ ἐμοὶ τίς προτιμότερος ἐν κόσμῳ ἐκείνου ἐφ' ἅπασιν, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς ἔχει καὶ δίκαιον; εἶδες δὲ σκαιωρίαν τοῦ δαίμονος, ὅτι ἀπώλοντο αἱ ἐπιστολαί· ἀλλὰ δόξα θεῷ τῷ μὴ ἔκφορα ποιήσαντι τὰ γράμματα τοῖς κρατοῦσιν. κεκοίμηταί μου ὁ πνευματικὸς πατήρ, καθὰ ἐσήμανας. ἀλλὰ ἀνάγνωθι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου κἀκεῖθεν γνοίης ὅσον ἐστέναξά τε καὶ ἐλάλησα καὶ περὶ ἑτέρων προσώπων. εἴη δὲ ἐν ἀναπαύσει καὶ ὁ στρατηγήσας ὁμώνυμός μου καὶ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ μνημονεῦσαί μου τοῦ ἀναξίου ἐν τοῖς τελευταίοις. ὡς ἐπαινετὸς σύ, παρὰ τοιούτων προσκαλούμενος καὶ ἐπὶ τοιαύταις ὑποθέσεσιν· ὀφθείης ἔτι ὁσιώτερος καὶ αἱρετώτερος ὑπὸ πολλῶν διὰ τὸ τὸν ἕνα σε καὶ μόνον Κύριον τῶν ἁπάντων θεραπεύειν· ᾧ μάλα προσκολλώμενος μᾶλλον ὑψωθήσῃ καὶ τιμηθήσῃ, εἴπερ ἀληθεύει λέγων, ἀλλ' ἢ τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, καὶ ὁ ἐξουθενῶν με