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{1Theodore on behalf of Eustratius the hegoumen}1 The problem of what seems to you a good reputation, O sir, (to pass over your other preceding and following little phrases as being vulgar and solecistic) is this in wording: Christ our true God, having two natures, two wills, two energies, but one person of the two natures, whose person shall I depict? Since, then, you asked what kind of person, hear harmoniously: the one who was given form, since the formless character of the Father's hypostasis was given form in our likeness; the temporal one, since the eternal one took on a temporal extension; the one having eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, cheeks, since the unfigured one was found in figure as a man; the one who was kissed, since the uncontainable one, having been contained, was kissed by the betrayer; the one who was struck, since the intangible one, having become tangible, was struck by the servant; the one seen transversal on the cross, since the immortal one, bowing his head, gave up the spirit. And this is not indicative of two persons (away with the impiety), but is demonstrative of one person who is from two and in two natures, indivisibly and unconfusedly. Wherefore the holy apostle says: concerning his Son, who was descended from the seed of David according to the flesh, who was declared Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness. Therefore he has shown you that by saying 'according to the flesh' he is circumscribable, that is, depictable, and by saying 'according to the spirit of holiness' that the same Jesus Christ is uncircumscribable; from which all the God-bearing Fathers have received and cry out most clearly that he is circumscribable and uncircumscribable, visible and invisible, temporal and eternal. But if you do not comprehend, the notion is Judaic; and how, while saying that Christ is of two natures, do you say that he is uncircumscribable only? For this is indicative of his one nature, but what is of the two is to say consequently that he is circumscribable and uncircumscribable. Therefore you contradict yourself; for if he seems to you uncircumscribable only, this is also what the Manichaean thinks, who strips the Word of his humanity. For he who is stripped of this is uncircumscribable and undepictable; for both are the same. Or how again do you partake of the body and blood of Christ, when he according to you is uncircumscribable, but the things of which you partake are circumscribed? Either do not partake, O best of men, or partaking, confess that you partake of the circumscribed body and blood of the circumscribed Christ, lest you Paulianize, as one partaking of a mere man, and not of God incarnate. It is concluded therefore firmly from the truth that he who circumscribes Christ is not a man-worshipper according to Nestorius or a creature-worshipper according to Arius, as you have babbled in your ignorance, but is steadfastly a most true orthodox Christian, just as he who does not circumscribe him according to you is both a Manichaean and a Paulianist, on the one hand by the term 'uncircumscribable' introducing a naked God, fantastically become man, and on the other hand by the same term 'uncircumscribable' partaking of the body and blood as of a mere man according to Paul, and not of God truly become man. 497 {1To Theodore the patrician}1 This letter is late for the occasion, but it is because we also heard late the unwelcome news of the misfortune that has befallen our lord. And oh, the grievous tidings! The longed-for lady has left us, you have been cut off from your good spouse, you have been torn away from your praiseworthy flesh, if indeed the sacred word says, the two shall be one flesh. And if they are admittedly one flesh, it is clear that the separation inflicts so great a wound on those separated, as a sword does when cutting one man in two. The cut is truly painful and the blood as it were flows before your eyes and there is no balm to apply nor bandages, as far as human help goes; especially since she who has departed was not just any spouse, but a very praiseworthy and wonderful one, having first of all an unwavering piety of faith, and a love for her husband, if any other did, which the holy apostle requires above all in marriages; from which came both entreaties and prayers on behalf of her head, and cries and supplications to God, while she went barefoot

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{1Θεόδωρος ὑπὲρ Εὐστρατίου ἡγουμένου}1 Τὸ πρόβλημα τῆς δοκούσης σοι εὐδοξίας, ὦ τᾶν, ἵνα τἆλλά σου προηγούμενα καὶ ἑπόμενα λεξείδια ὡς ἀσύφιλά τε καὶ σεσολοικισμένα παρῶ, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ λέξεως· Χριστὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς ἡμῶν, δύο φύσεις, δύο θελήσεις, δύο ἐνεργείας, ἓν δὲ πρόσωπον ἔχων τῶν δύο φύσεων, τίνος εἰκονίσω πρόσωπον; ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἠρώτησας ποῖον πρόσωπον, ἄισον ἐμμελῶς· τὸ εἰδοποιηθέν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀνείδεος χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως τοῦ πατρὸς εἰδοποιήθη τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς· τὸ ἔγχρονον, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀίδιος παράτασιν εἴληφε χρονικήν· τὸ ἔχον ὀφθαλμούς, ὦτα, ῥῖνα, στόμα, παρειάς, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀσχημάτιστος ἐν σχήματι εὑρέθη ὡς ἄνθρωπος· τὸ φιληθέν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀπερίληπτος περιληφθεὶς ἐφιλήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ προδότου· τὸ ῥαπισθέν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀναφής, ἔπαφος γεγονώς, ἐρραπίσθη ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑπηρέτου· τὸ ἐν σταυρῷ ὀφθὲν ἐγκάρσιον, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἀθάνατος, κλίνας τὴν κεφαλήν, παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ οὐ δυοῖν προσώπων τοῦτο ἐμφαντικὸν (ἄπαγε τῆς ἀσεβείας), ἀλλ' ἑνὸς προσώπου τοῦ ἐκ δύο καὶ ἐν δυσὶ φύσεσιν ὄντος ἀδιαιρέτως καὶ ἀσυγχύτως ἀποδεικτικόν. διό φησιν ὁ ἱερὸς ἀπόστολος· περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, τοῦ ὁρισθέντος υἱοῦ θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης. τοίνυν δέδειχέ σοι διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν κατὰ σάρκα περιγραπτὸν εἶναι, ἤτοι ἐξεικονισμένον, διὰ δὲ τοῦ φάναι κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἀπερίγραπτον τὸν αὐτὸν ὑπάρχειν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν· ἀφ' οὗ ἐξειληφότες πάντες οἱ θεοφόροι πατέρες βοῶσι τρανότατα περιγραπτὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπερίγραπτον, ὁρατόν τε καὶ ἀόρατον, ἔγχρονόν τε καὶ ἀίδιον. Εἰ δὲ οὐ χωρεῖς, Ἰουδαϊκὸν τὸ λῆμμα· πῶς δὲ καὶ δύο φύσεων τὸν Χριστὸν λέγων φῆς ἀπερίγραπτον μόνον; τοῦτο γὰρ μιᾶς φύσεως αὐτοῦ ἐστι σημαντικόν, τὸ δὲ τῶν δύο, τὸ περιγραπτὸν εἰπεῖν ἀκολούθως καὶ ἀπερίγραπτον. οὐκοῦν σεαυτῷ ἐναντιολογεῖς· εἰ γὰρ ἀπερίγραπτος μόνον δοκεῖ σοι, τοῦτο καὶ Μανιχαίῳ, ἀπαμφιεννύντι τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. ὁ γὰρ τῆσδε γυμνὸς ἀπερίγραπτος καὶ ἀνεξεικόνιστος· ταὐτὸν γὰρ ἀμφότερα. ἢ πῶς πάλιν μετέχεις τοῦ σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, αὐτοῦ ὄντος κατὰ σὲ ἀπεριγράπτου, ὧν δὲ μετέχεις περιγεγραμμένων; ἢ μὴ μέτεχε, ὦ βέλτιστε, ἢ μετέχων ὁμολόγει τοῦ περιγεγραμμένου Χριστοῦ μετέχειν τὸ περιγεγραμμένον σῶμα καὶ αἷμα, ἵνα μὴ παυλιανίζῃς, ὡς ψιλοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετέχων, ἀλλ' οὐ θεοῦ σεσαρκωμένου. Συνῆκται οὖν ἐξ ἀληθείας ἀραρότως ὡς ὁ περιγράφων τὸν Χριστὸν οὐκ ἀνθρωπολάτρης κατὰ Νεστόριον ἢ κτισματολάτρης κατὰ Ἄρειον, ὡς ἐφληνάφησας ἀμαθαίνων, ἀλλ' ἀπρὶξ ὀρθόδοξος χριστιανὸς ἀληθέστατος, ὡς καὶ ὁ μὴ περιγράφων κατὰ σὲ μανιχαΐζων ὁμοῦ τε καὶ παυλιανίζων, τὸ μὲν τῇ τοῦ ἀπεριγράπτου φωνῇ γυμνὸν θεὸν εἰσάγων, φαντασιωδῶς ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, τὸ δὲ τῇ αὐτῇ φωνῇ τοῦ ἀπεριγράπτου ὡς ψιλοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετέχων σῶμα καὶ αἷμα κατὰ Παῦλον καὶ οὐ θεοῦ ἀληθῶς ἐνανθρωπήσαντος. 497 {1Θεοδώρῳ πατρικίῳ}1 Βραδὺ τοῦ καιροῦ τὸ γραμματεῖον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ βράδιον ἠκουτίσθημεν τὴν ἀπευκταίαν ἀκοὴν τῆς ἐπελθούσης συμφορᾶς τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δεσπότῃ. καὶ ὢ τῆς στενακτικῆς ἀπαγγελίας· ἀπολέλοιπεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ποθητὴ κυρία, ἐτμήθης τῆς καλῆς ὁμοζύγου, ἀπερράγης τῆς ἐπαινουμένης σαρκός, εἴπερ φησὶν ὁ ἱερὸς λόγος ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. εἰ δὲ μία σὰρξ ὁμολογουμένως, δῆλον ὅτι ὁ διαχωρισμὸς τηλικαύτην τὴν πληγὴν ἐνίησι τοῖς χωρισθεῖσιν, οἵαν ποιεῖ μάχαιρα τέμνουσα εἰς δύο τὸν ἕνα ἄνθρωπον. ἀλγεινὴ ἡ τομὴ τῷ ὄντι καὶ τὸ αἷμα οἱονεὶ ῥεῖ κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν μάλαγμα ἐπιθεῖναι οὐδὲ καταδέσμους, ὅσον ἐξ ἀνθρωπείας βοηθείας· ἄλλως ὅτι καὶ ἡ ἀπολιποῦσα οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν τῶν ὁμοζύγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἐπαινετὴ καὶ θαυμασία, πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἔχουσα τὸ εὐσεβὲς τῆς πίστεως ἀκλινές, τὸ φίλανδρον, εἰ καί τις ἄλλη, ὅπερ ἀπαιτεῖ πρὸ πάντων ἐν ταῖς συζυγίαις ὁ ἱερὸς ἀπόστολος· ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς δεήσεις τε καὶ προσευχαί, βοαί τε καὶ προσεδρίαι θεῷ, γυμνοποδούσης