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319.1 Immediately after your departure, this son who is delivering this letter to you came to us, being in need, as a man living in a foreign land, of all the comfort owed to strangers by Christians. He himself will therefore relate the matter to you more clearly, and you yourself will provide the help that is in your power and necessary for the matters at hand. If, then, the governor is present, you yourself will of course introduce him. Otherwise, you will provide for him what is needed through the civil magistrates. For it is of no small concern to me that he should return having accomplished everything according to his wishes.

320.τ UNINSCRIBED, A LETTER OF GREETING

320.1 After a long time we have been able to greet your honor, because the one carrying the replies spent a long time in our country and fell in with more difficult men and affairs. For a whole year he was away from his homeland. Led on by the deceits of men and by settlements to believe that if he could overcome his present trouble, he would prevail in the whole matter, he perceived too late the main part of his loss, as his perception was stolen by gradual deceit. Since, therefore, he is returning, freed both from the troubles of the climate and the wickedness of men, we greet you through him, asking you to remember us in your prayers (for we need much help from prayers), and at the same time we indicate that those who were left responsible for the payment of the debt by the blessed bishop—who mentioned in his will both the debt itself and from where and through whom it was fitting that it be paid—having disregarded friendly reminders, are waiting for the compulsions of the courts. For this reason our companion has returned unsuccessful, and he has asked that these very things be testified on his behalf by us, so that he might not incur a charge of idleness or carelessness from your honor. So much for these matters. But as for the state of the Churches, whether they are permitted to remain in their like state, or have fallen into a worse condition, or have any hope of a change for the better, deign to make it known to us through one of the genuine brethren.

321.τ TO THECLA

321.1 The past year a severe frost came upon the fatherland and checked the buds of the vines as they were opening for birth; and those that remained, being barren, have rendered our cups dry and unwetted. Why, then, do I dramatize for you the barrenness of the plants? So that you, according to Solomon, might become for us a flowering vine and a fruitful branch, not by blossoming with a bunch of grapes, but by making into wine through your labors the dew of the grapes. There are certain men with us who are building the wall for the enclosure of the synod. As I have no mountain drink to give these men, I have resorted to your grape-laden right hand, that you might bid your streams to flow to us from their source. For by doing this quickly you will refresh the souls of many, and you will gladden as much as possible even me, the Atticizing beggar.

322.τ UNINSCRIBED, ON SYMPATHIZING WITH A FRIEND

322.1 Having received the letters of your honor, I was pleased, as is natural, and I thanked the Lord and was eager to reply, if someone had reminded me at the right time about replying. For the matter about which you instructed us was taking time

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319.1 Κατὰ πόδας τῆς ἀναχωρήσεώς σου ἐπέστη ἡμῖν ὁ υἱὸς οὗτος ὁ τὴν ἐπιστολήν σοι ταύτην ἀποδιδοὺς χρείαν ἔχων, ὡς ἀνὴρ ἐν ἀλλοδαπῇ διάγων, πάσης τῆς παρὰ τῶν χριστια νῶν ὀφειλομένης τοῖς ξένοις παραμυθίας. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρᾶγμα οὗτός σοι ἐναργέστερον διηγήσεται, τὴν δὲ βοήθειαν αὐτὸς παρέξεις τήν σοι κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ ἀναγκαίαν τοῖς προκειμένοις. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν παρῇ ὁ ἡγεμών, αὐτὸς ξεναγήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν δηλονότι. Ἐπεί, διὰ τῶν πολιτευομένων παρέ ξεις αὐτῷ τὰ σπουδαζόμενα. Οὐ γὰρ μικρῶς μοι μέλει τὸ πάντα αὐτὸν κατὰ γνώμην πράξαντα ἐπανελθεῖν.

320.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΕΠΙ ΠΡΟΣΗΓΟΡΙΑ

320.1 ∆ιὰ μακροῦ ἡμῖν ὑπῆρξε προσειπεῖν τὴν τιμιότητά σου τῷ τὸν

ἀνακομίζοντα τὰς ἀποκρίσεις πολὺν χρόνον ἐνδια τρίψαι τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ καὶ ἀνδράσι καὶ πράγμασι δυσχερεστέροις περιπεσεῖν. Ἐνιαυτὸν γὰρ ὅλον ἀπεξενώθη τῆς ἐνεγκούσης. Ἀπάταις ἀνθρώπων καὶ διαλύσεσιν ὑπαχθείς, εἰ τῆς παρού σης αὐτῷ κακουργίας κρατήσειε, τοῦ παντὸς περιέσεσθαι, ὀψὲ τοῦ κεφαλαίου τῆς ζημίας ἐπῄσθετο ἐν τῇ κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπάτῃ τῆς αἰσθήσεως κλεπτομένης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐπάνεισι τῶν τε τοῦ ἀέρος ὀχληρῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν μοχθηρίας ἀπαλλαγείς, ἀσπαζόμεθά σε δι' αὐτοῦ παρακαλοῦντες μεμνῆσθαι ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν (πολλῆς γὰρ τῆς ἐκ τῶν εὐχῶν βοηθείας δεόμεθα) καὶ ἅμα σημαίνομεν ὅτι οἱ ὑπεύ θυνοι καταλειφθέντες πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ὀφλήματος ἔκτισιν παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου ἐπισκόπου ἐπιμνησθέντος ἐν ταῖς διαθήκαις αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ χρέους καὶ ὅθεν προσῆκεν ἐκτισθῆναι καὶ διὰ τίνων, ὑπεριδόντες τῶν φιλικῶν ὑπομνήσεων τὰς ἐκ τῶν δικαστηρίων ἀνάγκας ἐκδέχονται. ∆ιὸ ἄπρακτος ἐπανῆλθεν ὁ ἑταῖρος ἡμῶν καὶ ταῦτα αὐτὰ ἠξίωσεν αὐτὸν παρ' ἡμῶν μαρτυρηθῆναι, ὡς μὴ ἀργίας μηδὲ ῥᾳθυμίας ἔγκλημα σχεῖν παρὰ τῇ τιμιότητί σου. Ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. Τὰ δὲ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ὅπως ἔχει, εἴτε συγκεχώρηται μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁμοιότητος, εἴτε καὶ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἐκπέπτωκεν, ἤ τινα ἐλπίδα τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἔχει μεταβολῆς, γνωρίσαι ἡμῖν διά τινος τῶν γνησίων ἀδελφῶν καταξίωσον.

321.τ ΘΕΚΛΗ

321.1 Τὸ παριππεῦσαν ἔτος κρυμὸς γεγένηται τῇ πατρίδι βαρὺς καὶ τῶν

ἀμπέλων τὰς βλεφαρίδας πρὸς ὠδῖνας λυομένας ἀνέκοψεν· αἱ δὲ ἀπομείνασαι στεῖραι αὐχμηρὰς ἡμῶν καὶ ἀβρόχους τὰς φιάλας εἰργάσαντο. Τί δήποτ' οὖν σοι τῶν φυτῶν τὴν ἀκαρπίαν ἐκτραγῳδῶ; Ἵνα ἡμῖν, κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα, αὐτὴ γένῃ ἄμπελος κυπρίζουσα καὶ κατάκαρπος κληματίς, οὐ βότρυν ἐξανθήσασα, ἀλλὰ τῶν βοτρύων ἐξοι νώσασα τοῖς πόνοις τὴν δρόσον. Εἰσί τινες παρ' ἡμῖν ἄνδρες οἱ τὸν περίβολον τῆς συνόδου τειχίζοντες. Τούτους ὀρεινῷ μεθύσματι ποτίζειν οὐκ ἔχων ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὴν πολυστάφυλόν σου κεχώρηκα δεξιάν, ἵν' ἡμῖν ἐκ ποταμίας τοὺς τῶν σῶν κελεύσῃς ἐπιρρεῦσαι κρουνούς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιήσασα τάχος πολλῶν μὲν ἀναπαύσεις ψυχάς, εὐφρανεῖς δὲ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα καὶ τὸν ἀττικιστὴν ἐπαίτην ἐμέ.

322.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΕΠΙ ΦΙΛΩ ΣΥΜΠΑΣΧΑΣΑΙ

322.1 ∆εξάμενος τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος ἥσθην, ὡς εἰκός, καὶ

εὐχαρίστησα τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ προθύμως εἶχον ἀντιφθέγξασθαι, ἐάν τις κατὰ καιρὸν περὶ ἀντιγράφων ὑπέμνησε. Τὸ γὰρ πρᾶγμα ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐπέταξας ἡμῖν χρόνῳ ἐλάμβανε