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you have indicated, what can I say and what can I speak except that following the harshness of the heresy is also the bitter persecution? For what do you wish to see, when Christ has been denied through the outrage against his holy icon? Not blood being poured out and flesh being cut, not afflictions and hardships, not bonds and prisons and every other kind of maltreatment, not vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, of which the one you mentioned is one? And you will yet see, brother, more terrible things, when the heresy lasts a long time. But blessed are those who endure, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven; already the choirs of the confessors, of the martyrs exult, they rejoice, receiving some through a timely death, and anointing others invisibly with visitations. And why do I say martyrs? Christ himself who is witnessed to is both rejoicing and contending with each one of the confessors. For if it were not so, those who endure would not endure the present things nobly, nor would women have acted like men in the manner of the holy women of old, nor would laity and senatorial women have stripped for the contests, nor would virgins have despised the sight of impious men, nor would public prisons have been shown everywhere and deserted mountains and glens and caves have been filled with those exiled for the Lord's sake, nor would it have been sounded forth under heaven, to put it briefly. So that it must be clearly believed that Christ has been persecuted, so that it must be hoped and eagerly desired at the same time that everyone who believes in truth might bear any punitive measure whatsoever with Christ and in Christ. Such are our accounts. Let the meek hear and be glad, let the east and west hear the things in Byzantium and give praise; where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Here is an athletic contest, here blood flows, watering the church of Christ more than the irrigation of the paradise in Eden. As I live, says the Lord, I will glorify those who glorify me, and he who despises me shall be dishonored. And you too, whoever you may be, being zealous for the Lord, write down the newly wrought, or rather divinely wrought, martyrdoms, so that later generations might see that God is truly in us and the seed of the righteous lives and the golden race of martyrs bears Christ, against which the gates of Hades have not prevailed nor could they prevail, as is the promise of the one who does not lie. It is hard for you, he says, to kick against the goads, and it cannot be otherwise. I, the wretched one, say these things, but you, O holy child, give me your prayers in return. Greet your fellow confessors by name and fellow disciples and not only these, but, if you have time, all the other elect of God, those chosen from myriads, the lights in the world, the vessels of mercy, those useful to God, those desired by the Trinity, by whose prayers may we too, the unworthy, be saved. He who is with me greets you along with all. 416 {1To Nicholas the child}1 Since you are eager to learn, brother Nicholas, from which four propositions the truth concerning the venerable icon of Christ is established, it must be known: from natural dogma, from ancient history, from the voices of the saints, from synodical proclamation. How from natural dogma? because this is the nature of a body, to be subject to touch and color, and that which is subject to touch and color is circumscribable, that is, able to be depicted; and such is the body of Christ, just as ours is, tangible and having color. And indeed it is written: and as many as touched him, were saved. And elsewhere: the appearance of his face was altered. Therefore he is depicted according to the character of his body, having suffered nothing with regard to the uncircumscribability of his divinity, because not even I, being necessarily circumscribed in body, am also circumscribed with respect to my invisible soul; nor, because my body is circumscribable and my soul is uncircumscribable, am I, a single being, cut in two. Thus much more does not Christ undergo a cutting or division on account of his being depicted in a bodily character. How from ancient history? because the church under heaven shows his venerable icon inscribed in the holy temples from the very ascension of Christ; than which what could be clearer for a proof of truth, if indeed deed is more certain than word, and eye

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ἐσήμανας, τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω ἢ ὅτι κατὰ τὸ χαλεπὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως ἀκόλουθος καὶ ὁ πικρὸς διωγμός; τί γὰρ βούλει ὁρᾶν, ἐπὰν ὁ Χριστὸς ἤρνηται δι' ὕβρεως τῆς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ εἰκόνος; οὐχὶ αἵματα κενούμενα καὶ σάρκας τεμνομένας, οὐ θλίψεις καὶ στενοχωρίας, οὐ δεσμὰ καὶ φυλακὰς καὶ ἄλλην παντοίαν κάκωσιν, οὐχὶ σκεύη ὀργῆς κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὧν εἷς ὃν εἶπας; καὶ ἔτι ὄψει, ἀδελφέ, δεινότερα, ἐπὰν μακροχρονῇ ἡ αἵρεσις. ἀλλὰ μακάριοι οἱ ὑπομένοντες, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἤδη οἱ χοροὶ τῶν ὁμολογητῶν, τῶν μαρτύρων ἀγάλλονται, εὐφραίνονται, οὓς μὲν διὰ θανάτου αἰσίου ὑποδεχόμενοι, οὓς δὲ ἐπαλείφοντες ἀοράτως ταῖς ἐπισκέψεσιν. καὶ τί λέγω μάρτυρας; αὐτὸς Χριστὸς ὁ μαρτυρούμενος χαίρων τε καὶ συναθλῶν ἐστιν ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὁμολογούντων. εἰ μὴ γὰρ οὕτως, οὐκ ἂν ἔφερον οἱ φέροντες τὰ παρόντα γενναίως, οὐκ ἂν καὶ γυναῖκες ἠνδρίζοντο κατὰ τὰς πάλαι ἁγίας, οὐκ ἂν καὶ λαϊκοὶ καὶ συγκλητικαὶ ἀπεδύοντο πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας, οὐκ ἂν καὶ κόραι κατεφρόνουν ὄψεως ἀρρένων ἀσεβούντων, οὐκ ἂν ἐδείκνυντο πανταχοῦ δημόσιοι φυλακαὶ καὶ ἐπληροῦντο ἔρημοι ὄρη τε καὶ νάπαι καὶ σπήλαια τῶν διὰ Κύριον πεφυγαδευμένων, οὐκ ἂν ἐκωδωνεῖτο ἡ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν τέλος εἰπεῖν. ὥστε πιστευτέον ἐναργῶς ὅτι Χριστὸς δεδίωκται, ὥστε ἐλπιστέον ὁμοῦ καὶ προθυμητέον ὅτι οἴσειεν πᾶς τις ἐν ἀληθείᾳ πιστεύων πᾶν ὁτιοῦν κολαστικὸν μετὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ. Τοιαῦτα τὰ ἡμέτερα διηγήματα. ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν, ἀκουέτω ἀνατολὴ καὶ δύσις τὰ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ καὶ αἰνείτω· ὅπου ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. ὧδε ἔνστασις ἀθλητική, ὧδε αἷμα ῥεῖ, ἄρδον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τὸν ποτισμὸν τοῦ ἐν Ἐδὲμ παραδείσου. ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος, ἀλλ' ἢ τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω καὶ ὁ ἐξουθενῶν με ἀτιμασθήσεται. ἀπόγραφε καὶ σύ, ὅστις ἂν εἴης, ζηλῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὰ νεουργά, μᾶλλον δὲ θεουργὰ μαρτύρια, ὡς ἂν ἴδοιεν οἱ μεταγενέστεροι ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὄντως ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν καὶ ζῇ τὸ σπέρμα τῶν δικαίων καὶ χριστοφορεῖ τὸ χρυσοῦν γένος τῶν μαρτύρων, οὗ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατίσχυσαν οὔτε κατισχύσειεν, ὡς ἡ ὑπόσχεσις τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς. σκληρόν σοι, φησί, πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν, καὶ ἀλλοίως οὐκ ἔστιν. Ἐγὼ μὲν ὁ τάλας ταῦτα προσφωνῶ, σὺ δέ, ὦ παῖ ἱερέ, ἀντιδίδου μοι τὰς εὐχάς. ἄσπασαι τοὺς συνομολογητάς σου κατ' ὄνομα καὶ συμμαθητὰς καὶ οὐ μόνον τούσδε, ἀλλ', εἰ φθάζοις, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ, τοὺς ἐκλελοχισμένους ἀπὸ μυριάδων, τοὺς ἐν κόσμῳ φωστῆρας, τὰ σκεύη τοῦ ἐλέους, τοὺς χρησίμους θεῷ, τοὺς ἐφετοὺς τῇ Τριάδι, ὧν εὐχαῖς σωθείημεν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀνάξιοι. σὲ σὺν πᾶσι καὶ ὁ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀσπάζεται. 416 {1Νικολάῳ τέκνῳ}1 Ἐπειδὴ φιλοπευστεῖς μαθεῖν, ἀδελφὲ Νικόλαε, ἀπὸ ποίων τεττάρων ὑποθέσεων ἡ περὶ τὴν σεπτὴν εἰκόνα Χριστοῦ ἀλήθεια κρατύνεται, ἰστέον ἀπὸ φυσικοῦ δόγματος, ἀπὸ ἀρχαίας ἱστορίας, ἀπὸ φωνῶν ἁγίων, ἀπὸ συνοδικῆς ἐκφωνήσεως. Πῶς ἀπὸ φυσικοῦ δόγματος; ὅτι αὕτη φύσις σώματος, ἁφῇ καὶ χροιᾷ ὑποπίπτειν, τὸ δ' ἁφῇ καὶ χροιᾷ ὑποπῖπτον περιγραπτόν, ἤγουν ἐξεικονιζόμενον· τοιοῦτον δὲ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθάπερ καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον, ἁπτὸν καὶ ὑπόχροιον. καὶ γοῦν γέγραπται· καὶ ὅσοι ἂν ἥπτοντο αὐτοῦ, ἐσῴζοντο. καὶ ἑτέρωθι· ἐγένετο τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον. οὐκοῦν ἐγγράφεται κατὰ τὸν τοῦ σώματος χαρακτῆρα, μηδὲν πεπονθὼς εἰς τὸ ἀπερίγραπτον αὐτοῦ τῆς θεότητος, ὅτι μηδὲ ἐγὼ σώματι περιγραφόμενος ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀθέατον ψυχὴν συμπεριγέγραμμαι· οὐδὲ ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν σῶμά μου περιγραπτόν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ ἀπερίγραπτος, ὁ εἷς εἰς δύο τέτμημαι. οὕτω πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ Χριστὸς τομὴν ἢ διαίρεσιν ὑφίσταται διὰ τὸ ἐξεικονίζεσθαι αὐτὸν σωματικῷ χαρακτῆρι. Πῶς ἀπὸ ἀρχαίας ἱστορίας; ὅτι ἡ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναλήψεως Χριστοῦ τὴν σεπτὴν αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ναοῖς ἐγγεγραμμένην ὑποδείκνυσιν· οὗ τί ἂν γένοιτο εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἀληθείας ἐναργέστερον, εἴπερ ἔργον λόγου βεβαιότερον καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς