John Chrysostom, Letters

Epistulae 18242

18. To Carteria.

Whether you write often or seldom, we maintain unshaken that same opinion which we have had from the beginning concerning your love. For we know that whether writing or silent you have been eager to be similarly disposed toward us. May God grant you the speediest health, and may He deliver you from all sickness. For it is not without reason that we are in a state of anxiety, hearing about your sickness. Therefore we also beseech your diligence, whenever it is possible, to inform us continually about your recovery, and if your body has made any progress toward the better. For you know both how we grieve when we hear you are in sickness, and how we rejoice and are winged with pleasure, whenever we hear that you are in good health. Knowing these things, therefore, my most modest and most noble lady, as often as it is possible, do not hesitate to write to us, and to inform us about your recovery. For you will grant us no ordinary favor by sending us such letters. 19. To Marcianus and Marcellinus. We would have wished, since you are such ardent lovers of us, to see you in person. But since this is not possible—for the length of the journey, the winter season, and the fear of robbers are sufficient to prevent the trip—we at least desire those who carry letters from us to you to meet with us more frequently, so that we might be able to fulfill our desire abundantly. But since the desolation of the place in which we are staying, and its being very far removed from the public road, has deprived us of this too, I ask you, if we do not do this continually, to grant us pardon, and whether we write or are silent, to hold the same opinion concerning our love, reckoning that it is often the desolation of the place, not laziness of character, that makes our silence longer. 20. To Agapetus. I know your love, genuine and fervent, guileless and sincere, and withered neither by a crowd of affairs, nor by a length of time, nor by a length of road; I know also how you desire both to see us with your own eyes, and to enjoy our company face to face. But since this is now difficult, both because of the length of the journey, and because of the season of the year, and the fear of the Isaurians, grant us the joy that comes through letters, continually informing us of your health, and that of your whole household. For if we continually receive such letters from your nobility and excellence, we shall, though dwelling in a desert, reap no ordinary consolation. For you are not ignorant of how very important it is to us that you be in good health, my most revered and admirable master. 52.624 21. To Alphius. Blessed and thrice-blessed are you, and this many times over, for doing such things and for applying yourself to such business, which lay up for you beforehand a great reward and treasure in heaven. For not without reason did you give us wings, by announcing the news concerning my lord John the presbyter, that you made a great effort to set him up and send him away to Phoenicia. But that you also gave him gold, you yourself were silent, doing this as befits your piety; but it did not escape our notice, for we learned this too, and the liberality which you provided. And for this reason we do not cease to admire you and call you blessed, because in those things in which one ought to be rich, in these you are rich; and we ask you to send us letters continually. For if it were possible to see you in person, we would have purchased this at a great price. But since this is not possible for now, write to us continually, bringing good news of your health, and of your whole household. For we shall reap no ordinary consolation by learning these things. Knowing therefore

Epistulae 18242

ΙΗʹ. Καρτερίᾳ.

Κἂν πολλάκις, κἂν ὀλιγάκις ἐπιστείλῃς, ἡμεῖς ἥνπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔχομεν ψῆφον περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς σῆς, ταύτην ἀκίνητον διατηροῦμεν. Ἴσμεν γὰρ ὅτι καὶ γράφουσα καὶ σιγῶσα ὁμοίως περὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι ἐσπούδακας. Ὁ Θεός σοι ταχίστην παράσχοι τὴν ὑγείαν, καὶ πάσης ἀπαλλάξειε ἀῤῥωστίας. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐν φροντίδι καθεστήκαμεν περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας τῆς σῆς ἀκούοντες. ∆ιὸ καὶ παρακαλοῦμέν σου τὴν ἐμμέλειαν, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν δηλοῦν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς, καὶ εἴ τινα πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον ἐπίδοσιν ἔλαβέ σου τὸ σῶμα. Οἶσθα γὰρ καὶ πῶς ἀλγοῦμεν ἀκούοντές σε ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ εἶναι, καὶ πῶς εὐφραινόμεθα, καὶ πτερούμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, ἐπειδὰν ἀκούσωμεν ἐν ὑγείᾳ σε καθεστάναι. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖα, κυρία μου κοσμιωτάτη καὶ εὐγενεστάτη, ὁσάκις ἂν δυνατὸν ᾖ, γράφειν ἡμῖν μὴ κατόκνει, καὶ δηλοῦν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἡμῖν χαριῇ χάριν, τοιαύτας πέμπουσα ἡμῖν ἐπιστολάς. ΙΘʹ. Μαρκιανῷ καὶ Μαρκελλίνῳ. Ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν ὑμᾶς σφοδροὺς ἡμῶν ὄντας οὕτως ἐραστὰς, καὶ παρόντας ἰδεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι τό τε γὰρ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, ἥ τε τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥρα, καὶ ὁ τῶν λῃστῶν φόβος ἱκανὰ διατειχίσαι τὴν ἀποδημίαν, τοὺς γοῦν τὰ γράμματα κομίζοντας παρ' ἡμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν συνεχέστερον ἡμῖν περιτυγχάνειν, ὥστε δύνασθαι μετὰ δαψιλείας πληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο παρείλετο ἡμᾶς ἡ ἐρημία τοῦ χωρίου ἐν ᾧ διατρίβομεν, καὶ τὸ σφόδρα αὐτὸ ἀπῳκίσθαι τῆς δημοσίας ὀδοῦ, παρακαλῶ, ἂν μὴ συνεχῶς τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, συγγνώμην ἡμῖν νέμειν, καὶ γραφόντων ἡμῶν καὶ σιγώντων, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς ἡμετέρας ψῆφον, λογιζομένους ὅτι τὴν σιγὴν ἡμῖν πολλάκις μακροτέραν ἡ ἐρημία τοῦ τόπου, οὐχ ἡ τοῦ τρόπου ῥᾳθυμία ἐργάζεται. Κʹ. Ἀγαπητῷ. Οἶδά σου τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν γνησίαν καὶ θερμὴν, τὴν ἄδολον καὶ εἰλικρινῆ, καὶ οὔτε πραγμάτων ὄχλῳ, οὔτε χρόνου πλήθει, οὔτε ὁδοῦ μήκει μαραινομένην· οἶδα καὶ ὅπως ἐπιθυμεῖς καὶ αὐτοψεὶ ἡμᾶς θεάσασθαι, καὶ τῆς κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀπολαῦσαι συνουσίας. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἤδη ἐργῶδες, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν, καὶ τὸν τῶν Ἰσαύρων φόβον, τὴν διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων πάρεχε ἡμῖν εὐφροσύνην, συνεχῶς δηλῶν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντός. Ἂν γὰρ τοιαῦτα δεχώμεθα συνεχῶς γράμματα παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐγενείας καὶ θαυμασιότητος, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τὸ ἐν ὑγιείᾳ σε εἶναι, δέσποτά μου αἰδεσιμώτατε καὶ θαυμασιώτατε. 52.624 ΚΑʹ. Ἀλφίῳ. Μακάριος καὶ τρισμακάριος εἶ, καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο, τοιαῦτα ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ τοιαύταις ἐπιτρέχων πραγματείαις, αἳ πολὺν ἐν οὐρανοῖς προαποτίθενταί σοι τὸν μισθόν τε καὶ θησαυρόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἡμᾶς ἀνεπτέρωσας, τὰ κατὰ τὸν κύριόν μου Ἰωάννην τὸν πρεσβύτερον ἀπαγγείλας, ὅτι πολλὴν ἐποίησας σπουδὴν ἀναστῆσαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐκπέμψαι εἰς τὴν Φοινίκην. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ χρυσίον αὐτῷ δέδωκας, αὐτὸς μὲν ἐσίγησας, καὶ τοῦτο πρέπον τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου ποιῶν· ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐκ ἔλαθες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο ἔγνωμεν, καὶ τὴν δαψίλειαν, ἣν παρέσχες. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτό σε θαυμάζοντες καὶ μακαρίζοντες οὐ παυόμεθα, ὅτι ἐν οἷς δεῖ πλουτεῖν, ἐν τούτοις πλουτεῖς· καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν γράμματα συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ κατ' ὄψιν σε ἰδεῖν, πολλοῦ ἂν ἐπριάμεθα τοῦτο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν, περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντός. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καρπωσόμεθα παράκλησιν ταῦτα μανθάνοντες. Εἰδὼς οὖν