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a declaration of the things unknown. These things are like some outline sketch of his asceticism; but in his confession, how many and how great things? He became a spectacle both to angels and to men. O, the cheerful and God-loving heart! He entered the stadium as a soldier of Christ, fearless, unshaken; from this side and that, the ministers of darkness tore with blows his back, his chest, his arms, they shed his blood, they cut his flesh, they left the saint thrown to the ground, not uttering a single untoward word at all, but making his testimony perfect in God, and these things for the sake of Christ, the Son of God and our God; for to contend for his holy icon is to bear witness for him himself. Let the meek hear and be glad, let the lovers of martyrs dance and rejoice. Let the devil be ashamed, let the band of iconoclasts fall. By the works of both, as commanded by God, know both; for they not only tortured this man in like manner, but also many of our own and not our own, but still our own (since we are all one body in Christ Jesus, who is the head of all), they killed, they strangled and whatever else followed these things. But he, paralyzed and dislocated by those most unbearable blows, has his body treated with severe pains and from then until the end, being broken down from this, he continued as one dying daily, and indeed in thanksgiving, and indeed in humility. And if, as you say, he also foretold his death, this too is a consequence of his struggles. But since you also mentioned that a great concourse of people attended the funeral, and indeed from the illustrious in both respects, this is a further testimony to the word; for such a gathering would not have happened for a man obscure in the flesh, were it not for a nod from God. He therefore has passed to heaven and has been added to his fellow athletes, and the choir of confessors and martyrs from the beginning of time has grown, for which there is joy and gladness in heaven; by his prayers may we be saved, brothers, and may you find a reward worthy of your holy service to him. And blessed are those who gathered, as truly pious, as truly lovers of martyrs; may their portion be with him whom they carried out for burial. Concerning his precious relic, as I have written concerning a rule, if the Lord is pleased, I will act. Greet one another with a holy kiss; for it must be read to all the brothers. The lord archbishop, the protopresbyter, the steward and the rest of the brothers greet you. The Lord be with you. Amen. 442 {1To Peter of Nicaea}1 This is our advice in response to the question of the lord abbot, that until the feast of the Holy Apostles they all be released from their penance, partaking of the holy things, but that the priests not perform the rites of the priesthood until the coming of an orthodox synod, in which there is every release and all gladness. And in common, let them all, as common monks, whether ordained or not, bless and be blessed, pray and receive prayers. And since it is necessary that the divine liturgy also be celebrated, let a presbyter and a deacon be ordained, filling the place of those who are excluded, for whom let there be known not envy but thanksgiving, since we are apostolically commanded to bear one another's burdens, this now being confessed beforehand by all, that if God, according to His unseen judgments of righteousness, should allow a persecution to be kindled again, to choose everything up to death rather than betray the truth. Thus we the humble think, since we also answer to all; but as seems best to your paternal holiness, that would certainly be the more judicious course. 443 {1To Demetrius the consul}1 A little while ago also through our letter we made our apology that your faith, my lord, is great and beyond our worth, as well as your honor and your love. But we are not as you suppose, but sinners, being of no benefit either to you or to others. But may you have, according to your confidence, the reward and the mercy from the Lord, together with the lady consuless and your noble offspring; of whom also the

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τῶν ἀγνοουμένων δήλωσις. Ταῦτα ὡς ἴνδαλμά τι σχέδιον τῆς ἀσκήσεως· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ὁμολογίας πόσοι καὶ ἡλίκοι; θέατρον ἐγενήθη καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις. ὢ τῆς εὐθύμου καὶ θεοφιλοῦς καρδίας· εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στάδιον ὡς Χριστοῦ στρατιώτης, ἀδείλαντος, ἀτρέμας· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν οἱ ὑπηρέται τοῦ σκότους κατέξαναν ταῖς πληγαῖς νῶτα, στέρνα, βραχίονας, ἐξέχεαν αἵματα, ὑπέτεμον σάρκας, εἴασαν εἰς γῆν ἐρριμμένον τὸν ἅγιον, μὴ προέμενον ῥῆμα ἀριστερὸν τὸ καθόλου, ἀλλὰ θεοτελῆ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ποιούμενον, καὶ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ θεοῦ ἡμῶν· τὸ γὰρ περὶ τῆς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ εἰκόνος ἐναθλεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου ἐστὶ μαρτυρεῖν. ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν, χορευσάτωσαν φιλομάρτυρες καὶ γεγηθέτωσαν· αἰσχυνέσθω διάβολος, πιπτέτω εἰκονομάχων στῖφος. ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἀμφοτέρων θεοκελεύστως ἐπιγνώσατε ἀμφοτέρους· οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐ τόνδε μόνον, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ἡμετέρων καὶ οὐχ ἡμετέρων, ἡμετέρων δ' οὖν ὅμως (ἐπειδὴ οἱ πάντες ἓν σῶμα ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς κεφαλὴ πάντων) ὡσαύτως ᾐκίσαντο, ἔκτειναν, ἐλιμαγχονήσαντο καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τούτοις ἑπόμενα· ὁ δέ, ἀπὸ τῶν δυσφορωτάτων ἐκείνων πληγῶν παραλυθεὶς καὶ ἐξαρθρωθείς, καὶ χειρουργεῖται ἀνίαις δριμείαις τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἔκτοτε μέχρι τέλους ἐντεῦθεν διαλελυμένος ὡς καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκων διετέλει, καί γε ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ, καί γε ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ. εἰ δέ, ὡς σὺ φῆς, καὶ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ προηγόρευσε, καὶ τοῦτο ἀκόλουθον τῶν ἄθλων. ἐπειδὴ δὲ προεῖπας καὶ πολυάνθρωπον συνδρομὴν γενέσθαι τῆς κηδείας καί γε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν περιφανῶν κατ' ἀμφότερα, ἔτι μαρτύριον τοῦ λόγου· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰς ἄνθρωπον ἀφανῆ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, εἰ μὴ θεοῦ νεῦσις, ἡ τοιαύτη συνάθροισις ἐγεγόνει. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν μετέβη πρὸς οὐρανὸν καὶ προσετέθη τοῖς συνάθλοις, καὶ ηὔξησεν ὁ χορὸς τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος ὁμολογητῶν καὶ μαρτύρων, ἐφ' ᾧ χαρὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ θυμηδία· οὗ ταῖς εὐχαῖς σωθείημεν, ἀδελφοί, εὕροιτε δὲ μισθαποδοσίαν ἀξίαν τῆς ὁσίας ἐξυπηρετήσεως αὐτοῦ. εὐλογημένοι δὲ καὶ οἱ συναγερθέντες ὡς ἀληθῶς εὐσεβεῖς, ὡς ἀληθῶς φιλομάρτυρες· ὧν ἡ μερὶς μεθ' οὗ ἐξεκομίσαντο εἶεν. περὶ τοῦ τιμίου αὐτοῦ λειψάνου, ὡς γέγραφα περὶ κανόνος, εἰ εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος, ποιήσω. ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ· καὶ γὰρ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἀναγνωστέον. ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς ὁ κύριος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, ὁ πρωτοπρεσβύτερος, ὁ οἰκονόμος καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀδελφοί. ὁ Κύριος μεθ' ὑμῶν. ἀμήν. 442 {1Πέτρῳ Νικαίασ}1 Αὕτη ἡ παρ' ἡμῶν συμβουλὴ πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡγουμένου, ἵνα μέχρι τῶν Ἁγίων Ἀποστόλων καὶ λυθῶσι πάντες τοῦ ἐπιτιμίου, μετέχοντες τῶν ἁγιασμάτων, οὐ μέντοι ἐνεργεῖν τοὺς ἱερεῖς τὰ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἕως ἐλεύσεως ὀρθοδόξου συνόδου, ἐν ᾗ πᾶσα λύσις καὶ πᾶσα θυμηδία. κοινῶς δὲ πάντες ὡς κοινοὶ μοναχοί, εἴτε ἱερωμένοι εἴτε μή, εὐλογείτωσαν καὶ εὐλογείσθωσαν, εὐχέσθωσαν καὶ εὐχὰς λαμβανέτωσαν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ λειτουργίαν θείαν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, ἵνα χειροτονηθῇ καὶ πρεσβύτερος καὶ διάκονος, ἀναπληροῦντες τὸν τόπον τῶν εἰργομένων, ὧν οὐχὶ φθόνος, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστία γνωριζέσθω, ἐπείπερ ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζειν ἀποστολικῶς διατετάγμεθα, ἤδη τούτου προδιομολογουμένου ὑπὸ πάντων, τὸ εἰ παραχωρήσοι θεὸς κατὰ τὰ ἀθεώρητα αὐτοῦ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης πάλιν διωγμὸν ἀναφθῆναι, πάντα ἑλέσθαι μέχρι θανάτου ἢ τὴν ἀλήθειαν προδοῦναι. Οὕτως ἡμεῖς οἱ ταπεινοὶ φρονοῦμεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀποκρινόμεθα· ὡς δὲ δοκεῖ τῇ πατρικῇ σου ἁγιωσύνῃ, εἴη ἂν πάντως τὸ εὐκριτώτερον. 443 {1∆ημητρίῳ ὑπάτῳ}1 Μικροῦ καὶ πρότερον διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ἀπελογησάμεθα ὡς πολλὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν ἡμῶν ἡ πίστις σου, δέσποτα, ἥ τε τιμὴ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπησις. ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐσμέν, καθὰ ὑπολαμβάνετε, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτωλοί, εἰς οὐδὲν ὄφελος οὔτε ὑμῖν, οὔτε μὴν ἄλλοις ὑπάρχοντες. εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὴν πεποίθησιν ὁ μισθὸς καὶ ὁ ἔλεος παρὰ Κυρίου σὺν τῇ κυρίᾳ ὑπατίσσῃ καὶ τοῖς εὐγενέσιν ὑμῶν κλάδοις· ὧν καὶ τὰς