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We have been deprived also of this consolation, the good shoot having been cut down by a warrior's sword. O, the pitiful tragedy! O, the inconsolable misfortune! The mind is now unsteady, reviewing the suffering: where and how it came to pass, against which limb the murderous hand was stretched, in what place he fell and breathed his last. Was it quick? Was it from a single blow? Did he say anything? Alas for the story! Woe to that hour! We sent forth our treasure with good hope and have reaped an inconsolable lamentation. And what could one say worthy of lament, bewailing the suffering? Perhaps to you even the sun is grim, and the air sullen, and the sea not pleasant, and the earth not desirable, and the sky burdensome, not having your spiritual star. So many things and even more than these shake your soul and grip your heart and pour forth hot tears and send up cries of grief and make you despair even of life itself. But come, my lady, come, be refreshed (for it is time for recovery), open your ears, hearkening to the divine words. Man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he will flourish. There is no man who will live and not see death. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Therefore, we have not lost our son, but a little later, when the last trumpet sounds, he will rise to meet the Lord in the air and there we shall see him. He was struck a mortal blow here, but there he will not experience eternal torment, having put on Christ through baptism, and having held the orthodox faith and not yet having been filled with the pleasures of this life, having but tasted them with the tip of his finger because of his youth; for which reason we believe that for those things which, as a man, he overlooked or sinned, he will receive forgiveness on account of such an untimely and unjust death. For of how many evils, O lady, was he to be filled, had he remained in the flesh? Or does it not seem to you that life here is established as a trial for man, the taking of a spouse, the acquisition of children, the possession of slaves and other things useful for life, and I might add also the advancement of earthly glory? Freed from all these things, he will have great freedom of soul, being brought close to God and having his soul but lightly sprinkled by the salty, stormy sea of life. Therefore, from this, let up, let go, mistress, of your inconsolable grief; set a sufficient limit to your suffering. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, of thanksgiving; say with the blessed Job: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so also it has come to pass. Utter the words of David: Return, my soul, to your rest; for the passing of your son is your soul. And looking to your widowhood, cry out: The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. For by so disposing yourself, you will first gladden God, as you willingly offer your son as a sacrifice like Abraham, and then you will also grant the best things to your beloved child, who sees you bearing it with thanksgiving, and you would establish for all others an example of good patience in Christ Jesus our Lord; whom we pray, having touched your heart in mercy and compassion, to create in you a comforting light, to make your life continue in peace, and having taken up a life here that is pleasing to God, to deem you worthy of the sight of your son and of eternal rejoicing with him. 499 {1To Niketas the monk}1 We have read the book sent to us from your Holiness through the most God-loving metropolitan; and he who wrote it is not of right mind concerning the dogma of the venerable icons. For he says the following: "4We prescribe that the ineffable and incomprehensible love of God for us and the sacred struggles of the saints be extolled in sacred writings, taking no delight at all, for our part, in any image or picture; but we do allow the simpler folk, who are more imperfect, because of their natural inclination and

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ἀφαιρήθημεν καὶ τῆσδε τῆς παρακλήσεως, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἔρνους μαχαίρᾳ πολεμικῇ τμηθέντος. ὢ τῆς ἐλεεινῆς τραγῳδίας· ὢ τῆς ἀπαρακλήτου συμπτώσεως· ἀστατεῖ ἄρτι ὁ νοῦς, ἀναθεωρῶν τὸ πάθος ποῦ καὶ πῶς ὑπήρχθη, κατὰ ποῖον μέλος ἡ φονία χεὶρ ἐτάθη, κατὰ τίνα τόπον πεσὼν ἀπέπνει. ἆρα θᾶττον; ἆρα ἐκ μιᾶς πληγῆς; ἆρά τι ἐπειπών; φεῦ τῆς ἱστορίας· ἀβάλε τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης· ἀπεστείλαμεν μετ' ἐλπίδος χρηστῆς τὸν θησαυρὸν καὶ ἐτρυγήσαμεν ἀπαραμύθητον ὀδυρμόν. καὶ τί ἄν τις εἴποι ἄξιον θρήνους, ἐλεεινολογῶν τὸ πάθος; τάχα σοι καὶ ὁ ἥλιος στυγνὸς καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ κατηφὴς καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐχ ἡδεῖα καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐκ ἐφετὴ καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐπαχθής, οὐκ ἔχων σου τὸν νοητὸν ἀστέρα. Τοσαῦτα καὶ ἔτι πλείω τούτων τὰ κραδαίνοντά σου τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ συνέχοντα τὴν καρδίαν καὶ προχέοντα τὰ θερμὰ δάκρυα καὶ ἀναπέμποντα τὰς οἰμωγὰς καὶ ἐξαποροῦντα καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ζῆν. ἀλλὰ δεῦρο, κυρία, δεῦρο, ἀναψύχησον (καιρὸς γὰρ ἀνακλήσεως), ἄνοιξόν σου τὰ ὦτα, ἐπακροωμένη τῶν θείων φωνῶν. ἄνθρωπος ὡσεὶ χόρτος αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ ἄνθος τοῦ ἀγροῦ, οὕτως ἐξανθήσει. οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ζήσεται καὶ οὐκ ὄψεται θάνατον. εἰ πιστεύομεν ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἀπέθανεν καὶ ἀνέστη, οὕτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἄξει σὺν αὐτῷ. οὐ τοίνυν λοιπὸν ἀπολώλαμεν τὸν υἱόν, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον, ἡνίκα ἡ ἐσχάτη σάλπιγξ φωνήσει, ἀναστήσεται εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα κἀκεῖ αὐτὸν ὀψόμεθα. ἐπλήγη καιρίαν ἐνταῦθα πληγήν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖσε ἀνίας αἰωνίου οὐ πειραθήσεται, Χριστὸν ἐνδεδυμένος διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, τήν τε πίστιν ὀρθόδοξον ἐσχηκὼς καὶ οὔπω ἐμπλησθεὶς τῶν τῇδε ἡδέων, ὅσον ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ ἀπογεύσασθαι διὰ τὴν νεότητα· οὗ χάριν πιστεύομεν καὶ τῶν ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ αὐτῷ παρεωραμένων καὶ πεπλημμελημένων διὰ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄωρον καὶ ἄδικον θάνατον συγχώρησιν λήψεσθαι. πόσων γὰρ ἔμελλεν, ὦ κυρία, ἐπιμένων τῇ σαρκί, ἐμφορηθῆναι κακῶν; ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ὅτι ὁ τῇδε βίος πειρατήριον τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ καθέστηκεν, συζύγου λῆψις, τέκνων κτῆσις, δούλων καὶ ἄλλων τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον χρησιμευόντων περιουσία, προσθείην δ' ἂν καὶ ἐπιγείου κλέους πρόοδος· ὧν ἁπάντων ἀπαλλαγεὶς πολλὴν ἕξει τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, τῷ θεῷ προσοικειούμενος καὶ ὀλίγα ῥαντισθεὶς ἐκ τῆς ἁλμυρᾶς τοῦ βίου τρικυμίας τὴν ψυχήν. Ἐντεῦθεν τοιγαροῦν, ἄνες, ἄφες, δέσποινα, τὸ ἀπαρηγόρητον λυπηρόν, πῆξον ὅρον τῷ πάθει διαρκῆ· θῦσον τῷ θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, ἀνθομολογήσεως, εἰπὲ μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰώβ· ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλατο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο. φθέγξαι τὰ τοῦ ∆αυίδ· ἐπίστρεψον, ψυχή μου, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου· ψυχὴ γάρ σου ἡ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀποβίωσις. πρὸς δὲ τὴν χηρείαν ἀποβλέπουσα, ἀνάκραξον· Κύριος ἐμοὶ βοηθός, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσομαι τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος. οὕτω γὰρ διατιθεμένη ἑαυτὴν πρῶτον μὲν θεὸν εὐφρανεῖς ὡς αὐθαιρέτως θυσίαν κατὰ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν υἱὸν προσφέρουσα, εἶτα καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ φιλτάτῳ τέκνῳ χαρίσῃ τὰ κράτιστα, ὁρῶντί σε εὐχαρίστως φέρουσαν, τοῖς τε ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ὑπόδειγμα ὑπομονῆς ἀγαθῆς καταστήσειας ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· ὃν εὐχόμεθα, ἁψάμενόν σου τῆς καρδίας ἐν ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς, ἐμποιῆσαί σοι φῶς εὐπαρηγόρητον διατελέσαι τε τὴν ζωήν σου εἰρηνεύουσαν κἀνταῦθα ἀράμενον θεοτελῆ βίον καταξιῶσαι τῆς τε τοῦ υἱοῦ συνοψίσεως καὶ συναγαλλιάσεως αἰωνίου. 499 {1Νικήτᾳ μονάζοντι}1 Τὸ παρὰ τῆς ὁσιότητος ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου μητροπολίτου ἀποσταλὲν ἡμῖν βιβλίον ἀνέγνωμεν· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ τοῦτο συγγραψάμενος ἐπὶ τῷ δόγματι τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκόνων ὀρθοφρονῶν. λέγει γὰρ τάδε· "4τὴν ἄρρητον καὶ ἀπερίληπτον εἰς ἡμᾶς τοῦ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς τῶν ἁγίων ἀγῶνας ἐν γράμμασι μὲν ἡμεῖς ἱεροῖς ἀνευφημεῖσθαι διατυποῦμεν, οὐδεμιᾷ πλάσει τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἢ γραφῇ καθάπαξ ἡδόμενοι· συγχωροῦμεν δὲ τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις, ἀτελεστέροις αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν, ὑπὸ συμφυοῦς αὐτῶν ἐναγωγῆς καὶ