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of praise, not honoring the wooden board nor the encaustic painting, but the image of the emperor; so creation does not honor the earthly form, but reveres the heavenly image. {1Of the synod in Antioch under Theodoret the patriarch}1 Not as another in form, but as the same one Lord being in one form, according to which also, being by nature the one image of the Father's hypostasis, and before the flesh, incorporeal, he was one, and in the flesh he is one, and in an icon the same one exists, not divided into two images nor split into two glories, but gathered into one. and after other things; but just as he is one from two opposites and is brought together into one person, so also his icon is one and of the same one Christ; and we will not say that the image which appeared to us in the flesh is one, and the image formed in an icon in the appearance of his form is another, but the same one, since the image is not spoken of insofar as it is body, but insofar as it is incorporeal. And this will be clarified more through the divine Chrysostom, who calls the image heavenly, since indeed from heaven, not insofar as he was body, but insofar as he was incorporeal, the only-begotten God, having come down from heaven, was incarnate and appeared, having put on our body. and after a little; Therefore, since the image shows him by reference, we venerate Christ himself and not the matter, which is artfully formed in the icon. {1Of the second synod in Nicaea}1 And the one who venerates the icon venerates in it the hypostasis of the one depicted. 529 {1To Eudokia the candidate}1 It was made known to me by brother Silvanus concerning your honorableness that you are in sorrow because a certain fear and terror arises in your soul without any cause; and having heard this, I, the humble one, did not bear it without feeling, but I was both grieved and I prayed, even if I am unworthy to be heard by God, that that dread be loosed from you. But still, both I and the lord archbishop and the brothers pray together that the affliction be assuaged from your piety; this affliction, my lady, is strange and to be despised, and you ought not to consider it at all as being able to harm you in any way, because, having put on Christ, you also have his cross as a weapon, by which, making the sign, believe that you immediately drive away all demonic wickedness, whether it happens that you are terrified by day or by night. Chant therefore to the Lord, "from fear of the enemy deliver my soul"; and again: "I will not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the thing that walks in darkness, nor of the mishap and the noonday demon"; and, "if God is for you, who can be against you," whose body you eat and whose blood you drink? By these things we trample upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy. Therefore, do not fall down nor be disheartened by this untimely fear, but be of good cheer in the Lord and, we remind you, pray, as is your custom, night and day, if you are able, and read a little, and the peace of God will guard you and will keep you unharmed in all things. 530 {1To Euphrosyne the abbess}1 I have learned from one who knows well that sorrow has touched your honorableness because one sister wishes to be cut off from your holy community. and the sorrow is not unreasonable; for how could a soul not be pained when its own member is cut off? but nevertheless, because such things happen from the spite of the one who lies in wait among the sons of disobedience, we must bear it with long-suffering, showing all care as much as the true word permits, so that we may be innocent of the blood of such a one, that is, of such a woman, whether named brother or sister. But you have sought to learn if it is without blame for your honorableness to release the sister who is striving contentiously to break away from you. And how, being wise and discerning, do you not recognize from yourself what is necessary? Therefore the separation, willingly happening, is not without danger either for yourself, the teacher, or for the one taught. For why and from where having a reasonable cause? For if, being perfect and

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εὐφημίας, οὐ σανίδα τιμῶντες οὐδὲ τὴν κηρόχυτον γραφήν, ἀλλὰ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τοῦ βασιλέως· οὕτως ἡ κτίσις οὐ τὸ γήινον σχῆμα τιμᾷ, ἀλλὰ τὸν οὐράνιον χαρακτῆρα αἰδεῖται. {1Τῆς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ συνόδου ἐπὶ Θεοδωρήτου πατριάρχου}1 Οὐχ ὡς ἕτερον τῇ μορφῇ, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὸν ἕνα Κύριον ἐν μιᾷ μορφῇ ὄντα, καθ' ὃν καὶ χαρακτὴρ εἷς πεφυκὼς τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ὑποστάσεως καὶ πρὸ σαρκὸς ἀσώματος εἷς τε ἦν καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ εἷς ἐστι καὶ ἐν εἰκόνι ὁ αὐτὸς εἷς ὑπάρχει, μὴ διαιρούμενος εἰς δύο χαρακτῆρας μήτε δὲ σχιζόμενος εἰς δύο δόξας, ἀλλ' εἰς μίαν συναγόμενος. καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ αὐτὸς εἷς ἐστιν ἐκ δύο τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ εἰς ἓν συνάγεται πρόσωπον, οὕτω καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ μία τέ ἐστι καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἑνὸς Χριστοῦ· καὶ οὐχ ἕτερον χαρακτῆρα ἐροῦμεν τὸν κατὰ σάρκα ἐπιφανέντα ἡμῖν καὶ ἕτερον τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα σχηματιζόμενον χαρακτῆρα ἐν εἴδει μορφῆς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἕνα, ἐπεὶ μήτε καθὸ σῶμα ὁ χαρακτὴρ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἀσώματον. καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον διὰ τοῦ θείου Χρυσοστόμου διευκρινηθήσεται, τὸν χαρακτῆρα οὐράνιον λέγοντος, ἐπείπερ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ οὐ καθὸ σῶμα, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἀσώματον ὁ μονογενὴς θεὸς κατελθὼν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐσαρκώθη καὶ ἐπέφανε, σῶμα περιθέμενος τὸ ἡμέτερον. καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ κατὰ ἀναφορὰν αὐτὸν δείκνυσι τὸν χαρακτῆρα, αὐτὸν Χριστὸν προσκυνοῦμεν καὶ οὐ τὴν ὕλην, τεχνικῶς σχηματιζομένην ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι. {1Τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου τὸ δεύτερον}1 Καὶ ὁ προσκυνῶν τὴν εἰκόνα προσκυνεῖ ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ ἐγγραφομένου τὴν ὑπόστασιν. 529 {1Εὐδοκίᾳ κανδιδατίσσῃ}1 Ἐδηλώθη μοι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Σιλουανοῦ περὶ τῆς τιμιότητός σου ὅτι ἐν λύπῃ ἐστὶ διὰ τὸ ἐγγίνεσθαί σοι φόβον τινὰ καὶ πτόησιν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἄνευ τινὸς αἰτίας· καὶ ἀκούσας οὐκ ἀπαθῶς ἤνεγκα ὁ ταπεινός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλυπήθην καὶ ηὐξάμην, εἰ καὶ ἀνάξιος ὑπακούεσθαι παρὰ θεοῦ, λυθῆναι τὸ δέος ἐκεῖνο ἀπὸ σοῦ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι κἀγὼ καὶ ὁ κύριος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ συνεύχονται καταρραϊσθῆναι τὸ πάθος ἀπὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας σου· τοῦτο δέ, κυρία, ἀλλόκοτόν ἐστι τὸ πάθος καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον καὶ οὐκ ὀφείλεις λογίζεσθαι αὐτὸ ὅλως ἔν τινι δυνάμενόν σε παραβλάπτειν, διότι, τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνδεδυμένη, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ ἔχεις ὅπλον, ἐφ' ᾧ σημειουμένη ἀποδιώκειν παραυτὰ πίστευε πᾶσαν σκαιωρίαν δαιμονικήν, κἂν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, κἂν ἐν νυκτὶ συμβαίνῃ σε ἐκθροεῖσθαι. ψάλλε οὖν πρὸς Κύριον, ἀπὸ φόβου ἐχθροῦ ἐξελοῦ τὴν ψυχήν μου· καὶ πάλιν· οὐ φοβηθήσομαι ἀπὸ φόβου νυκτερινοῦ, ἀπὸ βέλους πετομένου ἡμέρας, ἀπὸ πράγματος ἐν σκότει διαπορευομένου, ἀπὸ συμπτώματος καὶ δαιμονίου μεσημβρινοῦ· καί, εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ σοῦ, τίς κατὰ σοῦ, οὗ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἐσθίεις καὶ τὸ αἷμα πίνεις; ἐφ' οἷς καταπατοῦμεν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Μὴ τοίνυν συγκαταπέσῃς μηδὲ ῥαθυμήσῃς ἐν τῷ ἀκαίρῳ τούτῳ φόβῳ, ἀλλ' εὐθύμει ἐν Κυρίῳ καί, ὑπομιμνήσκομεν, προσεύχου, καθὼς καὶ εἴθισταί σοι, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν, εἰ δύνῃ, καὶ μικρὸν ἀναγίνωσκε, καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ φρουρήσει σε καὶ ἀπήμονα διατηρήσει ἐν πᾶσιν. 530 {1Εὐφροσύνῃ ἡγουμένῃ}1 Μεμάθηκα παρὰ τοῦ εὖ εἰδότος ὅτι σου ἥψατο λύπη τῆς τιμιότητος διὰ τὸ ἐθέλειν μίαν ἀδελφὴν τετμῆσθαί σου τῆς ἁγίας συνοδίας. καὶ οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ εἰκότος ἡ λύπη· πῶς γὰρ ἂν καὶ οὐκ ἀλγήσειεν ψυχὴ ἐκκοπτομένου τοῦ οἰκείου μέλους; ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὅτι συμβαίνει τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξ ἐπηρείας τοῦ ἐνεδρεύοντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας, καὶ χρὴ ἡμᾶς μακροθύμως φέρειν, πᾶσαν ἐπιδεικνυμένους ἐπιμέλειαν ὅσον ἐπιτρέπει ὁ ἀληθὴς λόγος, ὡς ἂν ἀθῷοι τοῦ αἵματος εἴημεν τοῦ τοιούτου, ἤγουν τῆς τοιᾶσδε, ἀδελφοῦ τε ὀνομασθέντος ἢ ἀδελφῆς. Ἐπεζήτησας δὲ μαθεῖν, εἰ ἀνένοχόν ἐστι τῇ τιμιότητί σου ἀπολῦσαι τὴν φιλονεικοῦσαν ἐκραγῆναί σου ἀδελφήν. καὶ πῶς, σοφὴ οὖσα καὶ συνετή, οὐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς ἐπιγινώσκεις τὸ δέον; οὔτε οὖν σεαυτῇ τῇ διδασκάλῳ οὔτε τῇ μαθητευθείσῃ ἀκίνδυνος ἡ διάστασις, ἐθελουσίως γινομένη. διατί γὰρ καὶ πόθεν τὸ εὔλογον ἔχουσα; εἰ μὲν γὰρ τελεία οὖσα καὶ