Letter CCXXXII.1211    Placed in 376.  Maran, Vit. Bas. xxxv., thinks that this letter is to be placed either in the last days of 375, if the Nativity was celebrated on December 25, or in the beginning of 376, if it followed after the Epiphany.  The Oriental usage up to the end of the fourth century, was to celebrate the Nativity and Baptism on January 6.  St. Chrysostom, in the homily on the birthday of our Saviour, delivered c. 386, speaks of the separation of the celebration of the Nativity from that of the Epiphany as comparatively recent.  cf. D.C.A., 1, pp. 361, 617.

To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.

Every day that brings me a letter from you is a feast day, the very greatest of feast days.  And when symbols of the feast are brought, what can I call it but a feast of feasts, as the old law used to speak of Sabbath of Sabbaths?  I thank the Lord that you are quite well, and that you have celebrated the commemoration of the economy of salvation1212    i.e.the incarnation.  cf. pp. 7 and 12, n. in a Church at peace.  I have been disturbed by some troubles; and have not been without distress from the fact of my God-beloved brother being in exile.  Pray for him that God may one day grant him to see his Church healed from the wounds of heretical bites.  Do come to see me while I am yet upon this earth.  Act in accordance with your own wishes and with my most earnest prayers.  I may be allowed to be astonished at the meaning of your blessings, inasmuch as you have mysteriously wished me a vigorous old age.  By your lamps1213    The reading of the Ben. ed. is λαμπηνῶν.  The only meaning of λαμπήνη in Class. Greek is a kind of covered carriage, and the cognate adj. λαμπήνικος is used for the covered waggons of Numb. vii. 3 in the LXX.  But the context necessitates some such meaning as lamp or candle.  Ducange s.v. quotes John de Janua “Lampenæ sunt stellæ fulgentes.”  cf. Italian Lampana,i.e. lamp. you rouse me to nightly toil; and by your sweet meats you seem to pledge yourself securely that all my body is in good case.  But there is no munching for me at my time of life, for my teeth have long ago been worn away by time and bad health.  As to what you have asked me there are some replies in the document I send you, written to the best of my ability, and as opportunity has allowed.

ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ

[1] Πᾶσα ἡμέρα γράμματα ἔχουσα τῆς θεοσεβείας σου ἑορτὴ ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ ἑορτῶν ἡ μεγίστη. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ σύμβολα ἐπιφέρηται ἑορτῆς, τί ἄλλο χρὴ ὀνομάζειν ἢ οὐχὶ ἑορτὴν ἑορτῶν, ὥσπερ ὁ παλαιὸς νόμος σάββατα σαββάτων προσαγορεύειν 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 διηγάγομεν 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. Θαυμάσαι δέ ἐστι καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν εὐλογιῶν, ὅτι δι' αἰνιγμάτων 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 ἐκτετριμμένων. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὰ ἐπερωτηθέντα γεγόνασί τινες ἐν τῷ ὑπομνηστικῷ ἀποκρίσεις οἵας ἐμοὶ δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ ὡς ὁ καιρὸς ἐδίδου.