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and by hymns; from which comes self-control and the subduing of the body, the giving to the needy, the ministering to priests and monks, that which is therefore hymned and sung in many other modes of piety. Therefore from your own resources and from yourself you are well able to sing to your soul what is fitting, and not only so, but also to your daughter-in-law and daughter and to all the Abrahamic household as a common teacher, as a model of virtue, as one who has long since treasured up the divine oracles and is able to distribute to each his portion of food in due season. Remember, O noble and wonderful among women, that what has happened is nothing strange or unexpected. Consider those from Adam until today and enter into the deep judgments of God and see that man is like grass; his days pass by like shadows. Since therefore the forefather was mortal through sin, his offspring is mortal too, coming in succession until now. But yet, since Christ, death is no longer death, but the beginning of an immortal rebirth. You have both borne and sent forth a pious and orthodox child, a lover of monks and a lover of good. Let this be sufficient consolation for you and a cause for thanksgiving. Yes, we entreat, we entreat you, who are comforted by God and all-wise, be here, as in all other things, an example of magnanimity, a good epitaph also for your most excellent son, as one who longs in spirit for what is his due, offering a portion to God; for perhaps for this reason God has preserved you as the last of those who have gone before, so that, having arranged all things in a manner befitting God, you might depart from hence with a good prayer and inherit eternal life with them. These things our brother, the most God-beloved archbishop, also voices, my most precious lady.

523 {1To Pantoleon the logothete}1 We know that being over-bold is reprehensible, we understand also that the time dictates restraint for us. But nevertheless the exceeding abundance of your immense and ready goodwill towards us humble ones has compelled us to make bolder use even of this letter; for it is truly a bold thing not only to report our own affairs, but also to have entreated on behalf of others. However, as has been said, your great goodwill and twofold piety has encouraged us to be bold. What then is being said? Concerning Theodotus the protospatharios, who is in distress on account of the steward of the church in the West who departed with him, your unsurpassed excellency surely discerns. Who else then might be found as a helper for the assistance of the man? And who would be more prudent than your great-mindedness to see what is needful? And who in power has more immediate access than your genuine assistance? Give the mercy you have received from God, all-desired master, to the one in need. We prostrate ourselves at your precious feet; your counsel is like the counsel of an angel, your voice like a flashing bolt, both in the brilliance of its frankness and in the splendour of its love. If your suppliant were deemed worthy to become a partaker of this, he would surely get beyond the accusatory arrows of his adversary, as you, the lofty mind, know in various ways, and we the humble will offer you many thanks and prayers for the health of you both, of the truly good and admirable couple. And perhaps beyond those who offer golden gifts, the God-given gift and the goodwill granted from the Lord for the salvation of both your souls and bodies, of the all-desired and all-praised dyad, would not be less honorable to you.

524 {1To Theophanes the monk}1 If the letter from us insignificant ones is dear to you, receive it again, O thrice-desired one, having indeed nothing elegant and eloquent, as you kindly say, but yet, by all admission, a symbol of love; and indeed, as much as there might be an exchange of letters, so much might the disposition of love increase; than which what could be more important? But let this now be set aside here, and the discourse must proceed to what follows. what is the new thing innovated there now and who are the newly appeared dragons,

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τε καὶ ὑμνῳδίαις· ἀφ' ὧν καὶ τὸ ἐγκρατὲς καὶ τὸ ὑπωπιαστικὸν τοῦ σώματος, τὸ πρὸς τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς ἐπιδοτικόν, ἱερεῖς τε καὶ μοναστὰς θεραπευτικόν, τὸ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς οὖν ἄλλοις εὐσεβείας τρόποις ὑμνούμενόν τε καὶ ᾀδόμενον. οἴκοθεν τοιγαροῦν καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῆς ἱκανῶς ἔχεις ἐπᾴσαι τῇ ψυχῇ τὰ εἰκότα, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ νύμφῃ καὶ θυγατρὶ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ Ἀβραμιαίᾳ ἑστίᾳ ὡς κοινὸς διδάσκαλος, ὡς ἀρετῆς ὑπόδειγμα, ὡς ἔκπαλαι τὰ θεῖα λόγια θησαυρίσασα καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τὸ σιτομέτριον ἑκάστῳ διανέμειν ἔχουσα. ἀναμνήσθητι, ὦ γενναία καὶ θαυμαστὴ ἐν γυναιξίν, ὡς οὐδὲν ξένον καὶ τῶν παρ' ἐλπίδα τὸ συμβεβηκός. ἀναθεώρησον τοὺς ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι τῆς σήμερον καὶ χώρησον εἰς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ βαθέα κρίματα καὶ ἴδε ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὡσεὶ χόρτος· αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ σκιαὶ παράγουσιν. ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ προπάτωρ θνητὸς δι' ἁμαρτίαν, θνητὸς καὶ ὁ γόνος, ἀλληλούχως ἰὼν μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο. ἀλλ' ὅμως ὅτι ἀφ' οὗ Χριστὸς οὐκέτι θάνατος ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλὰ ἀρχὴ παλιγγενεσίας ἀθανάτου. εὐσεβῆ παῖδα καὶ ὀρθόδοξον, φιλομόναχόν τε καὶ φιλάγαθον καὶ γεγέννηκας καὶ προύπεμψας. ἔστω σοι παραμυθία αὔταρκες καὶ εὐχαριστίας ὑπόθεσις. Ναί, παρακαλοῦμεν, παρακαλοῦμέν σε, τὴν θεοπαράκλητον καὶ πανσύνετον, γενοῦ ὡς ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις κἀνταῦθα μεγαλοψυχίας ὑπόδειγμα, καλὸν ἐντάφιον καὶ τῷ παγκάλῳ υἱῷ, ὡς καὶ ψυχικῶς ὀμειρομένη τὰ αὐτῷ ἐπιβάλλοντα, ἀπόμοιραν θεῷ εἰσοίσουσα· τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο θεός σε ἐταμιεύσατο τῶν προλαβόντων ὑστάτην, ἵνα, πάντα θεοπρεπῶς διαθεμένη, εὐκταίως συναπάρῃς τῶν ἐνθένδε καὶ κληρονομήσῃς σὺν αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. ταῦτα καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, συμφθεγγόμενός ἐστιν, πολυτιμιωτάτη μοι κυρία. 523 {1Παντολέοντι λογοθέτῃ}1 Ἴσμεν καὶ τὸ εὐπαρρησίαστον νεμεσητὸν ὑπάρχειν, συνεπιστάμεθα καὶ τὸν καιρὸν συστολὴν ἡμῖν ἐπιτρέπειν. ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς ἀμυθήτου σου περὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ταπεινοὺς εὐμενείας εὐδιάθετον ἠνάγκασεν ἡμᾶς τολμηρότερον χρήσασθαι καὶ τῷδε τῷ γραμματείῳ· τολμηρὸν γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς οὐ μόνον τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀναφέρειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων δεδεῆσθαι. ὅμως, ὡς εἴρηται, τὸ πολύ σου εὐμενὲς καὶ διπλοῦν εὐσεβὲς παρεθάρρυνεν ἡμᾶς τολμῆσαι. τί οὖν τὸ λεγόμενον; περὶ Θεοδότου τοῦ πρωτοσπαθαρίου, ὅς, ὅπως ἐστὶν ἐναγώνιος αἰτίᾳ τοῦ συναπάραντος αὐτῷ οἰκονόμου τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν τῇ ∆ύσει, διαγινώσκει πάντως ἡ ἀνυπέρβλητός σου ὑπεροχή. τίς οὖν ἄλλος ἂν ἐξευρεθείη ἀρωγὸς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀντιλήψει τοῦ ἀνδρός; τίς δ' ἂν ἐχεφρονέστερος τῆς σῆς μεγαλονοίας συνιδεῖν τὸ δέον; τίς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κράτους τὸ ὑπόγυον ἔχων πλέον τῆς σῆς γνησιευτικῆς παραστάσεως; ∆ὸς ὃ εἴληφας παρὰ θεοῦ ἔλεος, δέσποτα παμπόθητε, τῷ δεομένῳ. προκυλινδούμεθά σου τοῖς τιμίοις ἴχνεσιν· βουλή σου ὡς βουλὴ ἀγγέλου, φωνή σου ὡς βολὶς ἀστράπτουσα τῇ τε λαμπρότητι τῆς παρρησίας καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀγλαΐᾳ. ἧς εἰ ἀξιωθείη μέτοχος γενέσθαι ὁ ἱκέτης σου, πάντως ἂν ἔξω που γένηται τῶν κατηγορητικῶν βελῶν τοῦ ἀντικειμένου αὐτῷ, ὡς οἶδας ὁ ὑψηλὸς νοῦς κατὰ διαφόρους τρόπους, ἡμεῖς τε οἱ ταπεινοὶ προσοίσομέν σοι πολλὰς τὰς εὐχαριστίας τε καὶ προσευχὰς ὑπὲρ ὑγείας ἀμφοτέρων ὑμῶν, τῆς καλῆς ὄντως καὶ ἀξιαγάστου συζυγίας. καὶ τάχα ὑπὲρ τῶν τὰ χρύσεα δῶρα προσφερόντων οὐκ ἀτιμοτέρα εἴη ὑμῖν ἡ θεοπάροχος δωρεὰ καὶ ἡ ἀπὸ Κυρίου χορηγουμένη εὐμένεια εἰς σωτηρίαν ψυχῆς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ σώματος ὑμῶν, τῆς παμποθήτου καὶ πανευφήμου δυάδος. 524 {1Θεοφάνει μονάζοντι}1 Εἴ σοι φίλον τὸ πρὸς ἡμῶν τῶν εὐτελῶν γράμμα, δέχοιο καὶ αὖθις, ὦ τριπόθητε, οὐδὲν μὲν ἔχον εὐπρεπές τε καὶ εὐφραδές, ὡς χάριτι φῆς, τὸ δ' οὖν τῆς ἀγάπης σύμβολον καὶ πάνυ ὁμολογουμένως· καί γε ὅσον ἡ ἀντίδοσις τῶν γραμμάτων γίνοιτο, τοσοῦτον ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης διάθεσις αὔξοιτο· οὗ τί ἂν εἴη σπουδαιότερον; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο νῦν κείσθω ἐνταῦθα, πρὸς δὲ τὸ ἑξῆς βαδιστέος ὁ λόγος. τί τὸ νῦν καινοτομηθὲν ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι καὶ τίνες οἱ νεοφανεῖς δράκοντες,