Letter CCXXXI.1204    Placed in 375.

To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.

I find few opportunities of writing to your reverence, and this causes me no little trouble.  It is just the same as if, when it was in my power to see you and enjoy your society very often, I did so but seldom.  But it is impossible for me to write to you because so few travel hence to you, otherwise there is no reason why my letter should not be a kind of journal of my life, to tell you, my dear friend, everything that happens to me day by day.  It is a comfort to me to tell you my affairs, and I know that you care for nothing more than for what concerns me.  Now, however, Elpidius1205    It is doubtful whether this Elpidius is to be identified with any other of the same name mentioned in the letters. is going home to his own master, to refute the calumnies falsely got up against him by certain enemies, and he has asked me for a letter.  I therefore salute your reverence by him and commend to you a man who deserves your protection, at once for the sake of justice and for my own sake.  Although I could say nothing else in his favour, yet, because he has made it of very great importance to be the bearer of my letter, reckon him among our friends, and remember me and pray for the Church.

You must know that my very God-beloved brother is in exile, for he could not endure the annoyance caused him by shameless persons.1206    On the withdrawal of Gregory of Nyssa, cf. note, p. 267.  Doara1207    Doara was one of the bishoprics in Cappadocia Secunda under Tyana; now Hadji Bektash.  Ramsay, Hist. Geog. Asia Minor, p. 287. is in a state of agitation, for the fat sea monster1208    i.e.Demosthenes.  Such language may seem inconsistent with the tone of Letter ccxxv., but that, it will be remembered, was an official and formal document, while the present letter is addressed to an intimate friend. is throwing everything into confusion.  My enemies, as I am informed by those who know, are plotting against me at court.  But hitherto the hand of the Lord has been over me.  Only pray that I be not abandoned in the end.  My brother is taking things quietly.  Doara has received the old muleteer.1209    Possibly another hit at Demosthenes.  The name might be thought to fit Anthimus, but with him Basil had made peace.  cf. Letter ccx.  She can do no more.  The Lord will scatter the counsels of my enemies.  The one cure for all my troubles present and to come is to set eyes on you.  If you possibly can, while I am still alive, do come to see me.  The book on the Spirit has been written by me, and is finished, as you know.  My brethren here have prevented me from sending it to you written on paper, and have told me that they had your excellency’s orders to engross it on parchment.1210    ἐν σωματί& 251·, i.e. in a volume, not on leaves of papyrus, but in book form, as e.g. the Cod. Alexandrinus in the B.M.  Not, then, to appear to do anything against your injunctions, I have delayed now, but I will send it a little later, if only I find any suitable person to convey it.  May you be granted to me and to God’s Church by the kindness of the Holy One, in all health and happiness, and praying for me to the Lord.

ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ

[1] Ὀλίγας εὑρίσκω τοῦ γράφειν πρὸς τὴν θεοσέβειάν σου τὰς ἀφορμάς, καὶ λυπεῖ με τοῦτο οὐ μικρῶς. Ὅμοιον γάρ, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ ἐξὸν πολλάκις ὁρᾶν σε καὶ ἀπολαύειν σου, ὀλιγάκις ἐποίουν τοῦτο. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔξεστί μοι γράφειν, δι' ἀπορίαν τῶν ἐντεῦθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀφικνουμένων: ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ἐκώλυεν οἱονεὶ ἐφημερίδα τοῦ ἐμοῦ βίου τὰ γράμματα εἶναι, τὰ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συμπίπτοντα 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. Δι' ἧς καὶ προσφθεγγόμεθά σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν 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. Δόαρα δὲ χειμάζεται, τοῦ κήτους τοῦ πολυσάρκου τὰ ἐκεῖ συνταράσσοντος. Ἡμῖν δὲ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ Στρατοπέδου τυρεύουσιν, ὡς ὁ τῶν εἰδότων 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 Δόαρα τὸν παλαιὸν ἀπέλαβε μουλίωνα, 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 ἐπιτηδείου τοῦ διακομίζοντος ἐπιτύχωμεν. Ἐρρωμένος καὶ εὔθυμος ὑπερευχόμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν χαρισθείης μοι καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου φιλανθρωπίᾳ.