284

Temporary glory is nothing, flowing wealth is nothing, luxury that runs away is nothing, there is no profit in anything of what is considered by lovers of life to be good and beautiful, but all is vanity and vexation of spirit, as he says who made trial of all the pleasures of this age. And would that it were vanity only; but that instead of it eternal torments are stored up for those who have wallowed in it. But for us, to whom spiritual life has been granted by the Lord, how great and how terrible a punishment will be laid up, if we do not flee from it? For this reason, my brothers, I remind, I advise, I exhort as one in debt, as your servant for the Lord's sake, that we may conduct ourselves justly and piously for the time to come, so that we may inherit eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 458 {1To Euphrosyne, abbess of Kloubion}1 The event concerning the blessed lady and our common mother (for I do not shrink from calling her our mother too on account of her virtue) demanded that we ourselves should have come and sung the fitting funeral oration for her, and to you, who are left behind and as it were orphaned of your mother's company and fellowship, to utter a word of consolation, if indeed such a medicine could be found, able to soothe the painful and fallen state of your soul. But since this is not possible, the visit is by letter. Oh, how the good mother has flown away from us, the Christ-bearing woman, the treasure of modesty, the graced countenance, the sacred precinct of reverence, the spectacle full of days, both those that are passing and those that remain, the sanctified temple, the olive grove of sympathy, the compassion of generosity, the creature truly formed by God, the ungrudging eye, the un-envious heart, who even before death was an exile from the things here because of the longed-for bridegroom Christ and because of the sorrowless and unceasing life there. Oh, oh, by saying how many things might I be able to empty out the praise that crowds my heart, although I am a late learner of the lady and of the virtues present in you, and so little experienced, as one who has touched honey with the tip of his finger. But nevertheless the brief taste gives an indication of the whole sweetness, and especially having been taught by the brothers more experienced in your virtue, I have sufficient knowledge about her in the Lord. She was led from such a life into this way of life; for I must take up the story from the beginning and dwell a little on it for the sake of consolation. It is as follows. Her family was from the lands of the rising sun, both in place and in manner, that is Armenia, from whence also her virtue, and if one must also inquire about her blood, it was of a royal mixture; generalships and popular leaderships both in Armenia and in Greece, I mean of her husband, since the man held the first generalship here as well as the patrician dignity; torn from him by death, she did not bear to remain unyoked, but to have a suitor; who then? not this or that ruler or king as is the desire of the many, who are attached to flesh and blood, but the only beautiful bridegroom, the prince of peace; wherefore also the bride has a name from peace, Christ the king of all, the Lord of glory, and having betrothed herself to him through the monastic profession. In this, how she excelled in doing the things of her beloved, the account has already shown as in a sketch. Her brilliant prayer, her compunction, her shedding of tears, her unspeakable tongue, her unassuming disposition, her Christ-imitating humility, her commandment-loving right hand, her divinely-watchful mind, her heart burning with the fire of Christ's love, and finally her orthodox worship and her guarding against heretical communion with unshrinking boldness. And it is a wonder how in the persecution that passed by she, with God, kept not only herself, but also you, lady, and your whole holy community un-partaking of it, sealing a fine crown on her end, having partaken of the sacraments from orthodox sources and from there departing joyfully; which is a very great sign of the attainment of what she longed for, to obtain Christ and to be with Christ forever. Thus, therefore, lived the

284

οὐδὲν δόξα πρόσκαιρος, οὐδὲν πλοῦτος ῥευματιζόμενος, οὐδὲν τρυφὴ ἀπορρέουσα, οὐδὲν ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν νομιζομένων τοῖς φιλοζώοις καλῶν καὶ ὡραίων ὄφελος, ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ περισσεία πνεύματος, ὥς φησιν ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων ἡδέων τοῦδε τοῦ αἰῶνος ἀπόπειραν ποιησάμενος. καὶ εἴθε ματαιότης μόνον· ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀντ' αὐτῆς αἰώνιοι βάσανοι ταμιεύονται τοῖς ἐγκεκυλισμένοις αὐτῇ. ἡμῖν δέ, οἷς ἡ πνευματικὴ ζωὴ κεχάρισται ὑπὸ Κυρίου, πόση καὶ πηλίκη τιμωρία, εἰ μὴ φευξόμεθα αὐτῆς, ἀποκείσεται; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ἀδελφοί μου, ὑπομιμνήσκω, παραινῶ, παρακαλῶ ὡς ὀφειλέτης, ὡς δοῦλος ὑμῶν διὰ Κύριον, δικαίως καὶ ὁσίως πολιτευσώμεθα καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς, ἵνα κληρονομήσωμεν ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν. 458 {1Εὐφροσύνῃ ἡγουμένῃ τοῦ Κλουβίου}1 Ἀπῄτει τὸ συμβὰν περὶ τὴν μακαρίαν κυρίαν καὶ κοινὴν μητέρα (οὐ γὰρ παραιτοῦμαι καὶ ἡμῶν μητέρα αὐτὴν ὀνομάζειν διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν) αὐτοὺς ἡμᾶς ἀφῖχθαι καὶ τὸν προσήκοντα ἐπιτάφιον ἐκείνῃ μὲν ᾆσαι, σοὶ δὲ τῇ ὑπολελειμμένῃ καὶ οἱονεὶ ὀρφανῇ τῆς μητρικῆς συναφείας τε καὶ συμπνοίας φθέγξασθαι παραμύθιον, εἴ γε καὶ ἐξευρεθείη τοιοῦτον φάρμακον, δυνάμενον καταπραῧναί σου τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀλγεινὸν καὶ συμπεπτωκός. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐνδέχεται, διὰ γράμματος ἡ ἐπισκοπή. ὤ, πῶς ἀπέπτη ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἡ καλὴ ἀμμάς, ἡ χριστοφόρος γυνή, τὸ κειμήλιον τῆς σωφροσύνης, τὸ κεχαριτωμένον πρόσωπον, τὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας τέμενος, τὸ πλῆρες ἡμερῶν, τῶν τε λυομένων καὶ μενουσῶν, θέαμα, ὁ ἡγιασμένος ναός, ὁ ἐλαιὼν τῆς συμπαθείας, ὁ οἰκτιρμὸς τῆς ἐπιδόσεως, τὸ ζῷον ὄντως τὸ θεόπλαστον, ὁ ἄφθονος ὀφθαλμός, ἡ ἀβάσκανος καρδία, ἡ καὶ πρὸ θανάτου ἔκδημος τῶν τῇδε διὰ τὸν ποθούμενον νυμφίον Χριστὸν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐκεῖσε ἄλυπον ζωὴν καὶ ἀμήρυτον. ὤ, ὤ, πόσα λαλήσας δυνηθείην κενῶσαι τὸ συνωθοῦν τὴν καρδίαν μου σεμνολόγημα, καίτοι γε ὀψιμαθὴς ἐγὼ τῆς κυρίας καὶ τῶν ἐνόντων ὑμῖν ἀρετῶν καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐν πείρᾳ, ὅσον ἄκρῳ δακτύλῳ ἐφαψάμενός τις μέλιτος. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ βραχεῖα γεῦσις δήλωσιν παρίστησι τῆς ὅλης γλυκύτητος, ἄλλως τε καὶ παρὰ τῶν μᾶλλον πεπειραμένων ὑμῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀδελφῶν ἐκδιδαχθεὶς ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχω τὴν περὶ αὐτῆς γνῶσιν ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ἐκείνη ἀπὸ τοιούτου βίου ἤχθη εἰς τόδε τὸ πολίτευμα· δεῖ γάρ με ἄνωθεν ὑπολαβεῖν καὶ μικρόν τι ἐνδιατρίψαι τῷ λόγῳ παρηγορίας χάριν. ἔχει οὕτως. τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν τὸ γένος καὶ κατὰ τόπον καὶ τρόπον, εἴπερ ἡ Ἀρμενία ὅθεν καὶ ἡ ἀρετή, εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ αἷμα δεῖ ζητεῖν, ἐκ βασιλικοῦ κράματος· στρατηγίαι καὶ δημαγωγίαι καὶ ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ καὶ ἐν Γραικίᾳ, τοῦ ὁμοζύγου λέγω, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν πρώτην στρατηγίδα εἷλεν ἐνταῦθα ὥσπερ καὶ τὴν πατρικιότητα ὁ ἀνήρ· οὗ ἀπορραγεῖσα διὰ θανάτου οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ἄζυξ μένειν, ἀλλ' ἔχειν μνηστῆρα· τίνα ἆρα; οὐ τόνδε καὶ τόνδε ἄρχοντα ἢ βασιλέα ὡς ἡ τῶν πολλῶν ἔφεσις, σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι προσκειμένων, ἀλλὰ τὸν μόνον ὡραῖον νυμφίον, τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς εἰρήνης· διὸ καὶ εἰρηνώνυμος ἡ νύμφη, τὸν τῶν ὅλων βασιλέα Χριστόν, τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης, καὶ τοῦτον διὰ τοῦ μοναδικοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος μνηστευσαμένη. ἐφ' ᾧ ὅπως ἠρίστευσεν πράττουσα τὰ τοῦ ἐραστοῦ προδεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ὡς ἐν σκιαγραφίᾳ. ταύτης ἡ ἀστράπτουσα προσευχή, ἡ κατάνυξις, ἡ τῶν δακρύων χύσις, ἡ ἀκατάλαλος γλῶττα, ἡ ἀπαρρησίαστος ἕξις, ἡ χριστομίμητος ταπεινοφροσύνη, ἡ φιλέντολος δεξιά, ἡ θεογρήγορος διάνοια, ἡ καιομένη τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης Χριστοῦ πυρὶ καρδία καὶ τέλος ἡ ὀρθόδοξος λατρεία καὶ τὸ πεφυλαγμένον τῆς αἱρετικῆς κοινωνίας μετὰ ἀνυποστόλου παρρησίας. καὶ θαῦμα, πῶς ἐν τῷ παριππεύσαντι διωγμῷ οὐ μόνον ἑαυτήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σέ, κυρία, καὶ ὅλην σου τὴν ἁγίαν συνοδίαν ἀμέθεκτον σὺν θεῷ ταύτης διεφυλάξατο, καλὴν κορωνίδα τῷ τέλει ἐπισφραγισαμένη, ἐκ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων πηγῶν μετασχοῦσα τῶν ἁγιασμάτων κἀντεῦθεν ἀπάρασα χαιρομένως· ὅπερ σημεῖον μέγιστον τῆς ὧν ἐπεπόθει ἐπιτεύξεως, Χριστοῦ τυχεῖν καὶ μετὰ Χριστοῦ ἔσεσθαι εἰσαεί. Οὕτως οὖν ἐβίω ἡ