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and you will not fail to receive the reward of gracious acceptance because of all these things, and even more so, on account of virtue, my lord, beloved both in blood and in spirit, you have reasonably become so to all who have known and seen you. and witnesses to this statement are your promotions according to your merits, being the prize of virtue; in which, along with the law of nature, having formed sons and daughters together with your spouse, you have shown them to be truly clear images of your piety, most truly recognized from the resemblance to you which is manifest in them. But the discourse on this is such. But what word of consolation could I, the humble one, find for the suffering concerning your most beautiful offspring, namesake of the Forerunner, that might soothe a little the sorrow of your precious souls? since it was reported to me by his own brother what the pain was, what the tears, dripping warm from the eyes, and the cries, the laments and the groans, so that upon hearing each of the boy's advantages, I almost suffered the same as you. oh how we have been made like the divine David, who sang a mournful psalm over his son. but if he did so for one who was reckless and rebellious and paid a just penalty for patricide, what must one say here and how great a contribution of speech must one make? A boy is gone, in the very prime of his life, well-educated in manner and speech, graceful in character and voice, from his very appearance drawing the beholder into affection; what is greater, pure in body, white in soul, the one by his virginity, which is admirable, not having been captured by the wanton-minded, but leaping over passion, the other by non-participation in the now frenzied heresy. which wonderfully came together in the same thing, incorruptibility, incorruptibility of soul, of body. How praiseworthy are the parents, having been called the fathers of such a child, bearing not only physically, but also spiritually a most gifted offspring. How blessed the child, who at once resembled his father and at the same time patterned himself on Christ; who, having honored virginity by his virgin birth, has taken your son as his attendant, as a son of light. What then? Is the event one of lament or of joy? Clearly of gladness, even if his separation has caused you grief. He rejoices with joy now in heaven, being established as an elder. Therefore we must rejoice from now on with him who rejoices, and not grieve him by being grieved. Let the discourse have an end, carrying with it thanksgiving and an apology for the blessing that was sent. 399 {1To Gregorias, a layman}1 Greetings, confessor of Christ; with good reason I long ago called you a man of God. See, my humble word was not proven false, being shown to be lofty in you. How is the prison? You even bear irons, as I hear, with your flesh being pressed within. The matter is wearisome; but may you be strengthened in the Lord, contending piously and as a martyr. Ah, ah, brother, how you have shone forth, how high you have been exalted; one layman out of all (I mean of those under this authority) you alone were shown confessing God to both men and angels. Do you see where the persecutors hold you? In the palace, like a pearl, like a king of sufferings, even if they do not think so. Do not, friend, be terrified nor again fear the coming lashes. May you endure them; Christ is the one lightening the burden, the one helping, the one contending and being struck with you. If, then, being held by someone under authority, you had the emperor defending you and in being scourged, being scourged with you in spirit, would you not rejoice to suffer, loving the world, since by suffering you would reap the things you desired: money, honors, first places? How much more must this be understood here; which we must of necessity love, so that we may not receive these dreamlike and vain things, but the eternal and true and ineffable good things, having fled the eternal punishments, which those who deny Christ will subject themselves to be registered for. From which may we be delivered, brother, praying for one another. 400 {1To Leo, patrikios and sakellarios}1 If you yourself love to learn of our humble life, as by your good and brotherly-loving disposition

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καὶ οὐκ ἀποτεύξῃ τοῦ τῆς εὐαποδεξίας μισθοῦ διὰ ταῦτά τοι πάντα, καὶ ἔτι πλέον εἰς ἀρετῆς λόγον εἰκότως ὁ ἐμὸς δεσπότης καὶ αἵματι καὶ πνεύματι φιλούμενος γέγονας πρὸς πάντων τῶν γνωρισάντων καὶ ὁρώντων σε. καὶ μάρτυρες τοῦ λόγου αἱ κατὰ τὰς ἀξίας ὑπεροχαί σου, ἀρετῆς ἔπαθλον ὑπάρξασαι· ἐφ' ᾗ σὺν τῷ τῆς φύσεως νόμῳ μορφώσας υἱούς τε καὶ θυγατέρας ἅμα τῇ ὁμοζύγῳ εἰκόνας ὄντως ἐναργεῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας σου ἐναπέδειξας, ἐκ τῆς πρὸς σὲ ἐπιφαινομένης αὐτοῖς ὁμοιότητος ἐπιγινωσκομένους ἀψευδέστατα. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν περὶ τούτου λόγος τοιοῦτος. τίνα δὲ λόγον παραμυθητικὸν ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει τοῦ τοῦ Προδρόμου ὁμωνύμου ἔρνους σου παγκαλλίστου ἐξεύροιμι ὁ ταπεινός, λεαίνοντα μικρόν τι τὸ τῶν τιμίων ὑμῶν ψυχῶν θλιβερόν; ἐπεὶ ἀπηγγέλη μοι πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ὁποῖον τὸ ἄλγος, οἷα τὰ δάκρυα, ἀποστάζοντα θερμὰ ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν, τάς τε ἀνακλήσεις, ἐλεεινολογίας τε καὶ στοναχήσεις, ὡς ἀκούσαντι ἕκαστα τὰ τοῦ παιδὸς πλεονεκτήματα, παθεῖν τι μικροῦ δεῖν ὁμοιοπαθὲς ὑμῖν. ὢ πῶς ὡμοιώθημεν τῷ θείῳ ∆αυίδ, πενθήρη ψαλμὸν ἐπὶ υἱῷ ᾄσαντι. εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος οὕτως ἐπὶ ἀτασθάλῳ καὶ ἀντάραντι καὶ δικαίαν δίκην τῆς πατραλοίας δώσαντι, τί δεῖ ἐνταῦθα εἰπεῖν καὶ πηλίκον ἔρανον τοῦ λόγου ποιήσασθαι; οἴχεται παῖς αὐτὸ τῆς ἡλι κίας ἄγων τὸ βιώσιμον, εὐπαίδευτος καὶ τρόπῳ καὶ λόγῳ, εὐμελὴς καὶ ἤθει καὶ φθέγματι, ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ὁράσεως εἰς φίλτρον ἐπισπώμενος τὸν θεώμενον· τὸ μεῖζον, καθαρὸς τὸ σῶμα, λευκὸς τὴν ψυχήν, τὸ μὲν τῇ παρθενίᾳ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀξιάγαστον, μὴ κατὰ τοὺς ῥηξίφρονας ἁλούς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πάθους ὑπεραλλόμενος, τὸ δὲ τῇ ἀμεθεξίᾳ τῆς νῦν κορυβαντιώσης αἱρέσεως. ὅπερ θαυμασίως εἰς ταὐτὸν συνέδραμεν, ἀφθορία, ἀφθορία ψυχῆς, σώματος. ὡς ἐπαινετέοι οἱ γεννήτορες, τοιούτου παιδὸς πατέρες χρηματίσαντες, ἐνεγκόντες οὐ σωματικῶς μόνον, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πνευματικῶς εὐφυέστατον ἔρνος. ὡς μακαριστὸς ὁ γόνος, ὁμοῦ μὲν πατρῴζων, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν Χριστῷ ἰνδαλματίσας· ὃς τῇ παρθένῳ γεννήσει τὴν παρθενίαν τιμήσας ὀπαδὸν αὐτοῦ ὡς υἱὸν φωτὸς τὸν υἱὸν ὑμῶν εἴληφε. Τί οὖν; κλαυθμοῦ τὸ δρᾶμα ἢ χαρᾶς; δῆλα δὴ εὐφροσύνης, κἂν ἀνίας ὑμῖν ὁ χωρισμὸς αὐτοῦ ἐνεποίησεν. οὗτος χαίρει χαρᾷ νῦν ἐν οὐρανοῖς πρέσβυς καθιστάμενος. δεῖ οὖν συγχαίρειν ἡμᾶς τῷ χαιρομένῳ ἀπ' ἄρτι, ἀλλὰ μὴ λυπεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ λυπεῖσθαι. πέρας ὁ λόγος ἐχέτω, τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ πεμφθείσῃ εὐλογίᾳ εὐχαριστίαν καὶ ἀπολογίαν συναποφερόμενος. 399 {1Γρηγορᾷ λαϊκῷ}1 Χαῖρε, ὁμολογητὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· εἰκότως ἄνθρωπον τοῦ θεοῦ πάλαι προηγόρευσά σε. ἴδε, οὐ διεψεύσθη ὁ ταπεινός μου λόγος, ὑψηλὸς ἐν σοὶ ἀποφανθείς. πῶς ἡ φυλακή; φέρεις καὶ σίδηρα, ὡς ἀκούω, ἔνδον πιεζόμενος τὰς σάρκας. κοπῶδες τὸ πρᾶγμα· πλὴν ἐνδυναμωθείης ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὁσίως καὶ μαρτυρικῶς διαθλῶν. ἔ, ἔ, ἀδελφέ, ποῖος ἐξέλαμψας, ἡλίκον ὑψώθης· εἷς ἐκ πάντων λαϊκὸς (τῶν ὑπὸ τήνδε τὴν ἐξουσίαν λέγω) σὺ μόνος τῷ θεῷ ὁμολογῶν ὑπεδείχθης καὶ ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἀγγέλοις. ὁρᾷς ποῦ σε καὶ κατέχουσιν οἱ διῶκται; εἰς τὰ βασίλεια, ὡς μαργαρίτην, ὡς βασιλέα τῶν παθῶν, κἂν οὐχ οὕτως νομίζουσιν. μὴ δή, φίλε, δείσῃς μηδ' αὖ φοβηθῇς μάστιγας ἐρχομένας. ὑποίσειας· Χριστὸς ὁ συγκουφίζων, ὁ συναντιλαμβανόμενος, ὁ συναθλῶν καὶ συντυπτόμενος. ἐὰν οὖν κατεχόμενος ὑπό τινος τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα εἶχες τὸν βασιλεύοντα ὑπερασπιζόμενόν σου καὶ ἐν τῷ δέρεσθαι συνδερόμενόν σοι τῇ διαθέσει, οὐκ ἂν ἔχαιρες παθεῖν φιλῶν τὸν κόσμον, ὡς ἂν τῷ πάθει ἐδρέψω ἃ ἐπόθεις χρήματα, δόξας, πρωτεῖα; πόσῳ δὴ ὧδε μᾶλλον τοῦτο νοητέον· ὃ καὶ φιλητέον ἡμῖν ἐξ ἀναγκαίου, ἵνα μὴ τὰ ὀνειρώδη ταῦτα καὶ μάταια, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀίδια καὶ ἀληθινὰ καὶ ἀνεκλάλητα ἀγαθὰ ἀπολάβοιμεν, φυγόντες τὰς αἰωνίους τιμωρίας, ἃς οἱ ἀπαρνούμενοι Χριστὸν ἐγγράφεσθαι ὑποστήσονται. ὧν ῥυσθείημεν, ἀδελφέ, ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων προσευχόμενοι. 400 {1Λέοντι πατρικίῳ καὶ σακελλαρίῳ}1 Εἰ αὐτὸς φιλεῖς μανθάνειν τὰ τῆς ταπεινῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, ὡς τῇ ἀγαθῇ καὶ φιλαλλήλῳ διαθέσει