ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ∆ʹ
Recovery and a Gentle Rebuke
Chrysostom reports his recovery from illness and gently rebukes Olympias for her infrequent letters, while affirming his acceptance of circumstances and giving glory to God.
I've recovered from the illness I had on the road—I still had some lingering effects when I arrived in Caesarea—and now I'm back to full health. I'm writing to you, Your Reverence, from Caesarea itself. While there, I received a lot of care and felt much better, having found excellent physicians of the highest reputation. They treated us with compassion and affection more than with skill alone. One of them even promised to travel on with us, and several other high-ranking people did the same. And we, for our part, write often about how we're doing; but you yourself—as I've already complained before—do this only rarely. And so you'll learn that this comes from your own carelessness, not from a scarcity of letter-carriers: my lord, the brother of the blessed Bishop Maximus, met us two days ago. When we asked him for letters, he said that no one had been willing to give him any—and that even Tigrius the priest, when asked, would not provide them.1 I beg you, reproach him for this—and our true and warm devoted friend as well, and all the others around Bishop Cyriacus.2 As for changing my place, don't trouble them or anyone else about it. We've accepted the favor.3 For perhaps they wanted to and couldn't. Glory to God for everything. I will never stop saying this, always, over everything that happens to me.
Greetings and Requests for News
Chrysostom asks Olympias to convey thanks to benefactors, reassures her of his well-being, and requests news about Bishop Cyriacus and his associates, while also expressing his grievance with Cyriacus.
So be it; they couldn't. But they couldn't write either? Give my warmest thanks to my ladies, the sisters of my lord, the most honored Bishop Pergamius, who are taking such great pains on our behalf.4 For they have also strongly disposed my lord the duke, his son-in-law, to feel kindly toward us, so much so that he too is very eager for us to be there.5 And you yourself, keep letting us know continually how your health is, and about those who love us. But as for us, don't worry. For we are in good health and good spirits, and we enjoy a great deal of ease, right up to today. But we want to learn about those connected with Bishop Cyriacus — whether they have been released; and no one has brought us any clear report. Let us know this too.6 Tell Bishop Cyriacus that I am not writing to him because I am upset with him.7
Read the original Greek
Τὴν ἀρρωστίαν διαφυγὼν ἣν κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπέμεινα, ἧς καὶ τὰ λείψανα εἰς Καισάρειαν ἐκόμισα, καὶ πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἐπανελθὼν λοιπὸν καθαράν, ἐπιστέλλω σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ ἀπὸ Καισαρείας αὐτῆς, ἐν ᾗ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας θεραπείας ῥᾷον διετέθην, ἰατρῶν ἀριστῶν καὶ σφόδρα εὐδοκιμωτάτων καὶ συμπαθείᾳ καὶ φίλτρῳ μᾶλλον οὐχὶ τέχνῃ μόνῃ θεραπευόντων ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχών, ὧν θάτερος καὶ συναπελθεῖν ἡμῖν ὑπέσχετο καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πλείους τῶν ἐν ἀξιώμασι. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν πολλάκις ἐπιστέλλομεν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς, αὐτὴ δέ, ὃ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐνεκάλεσα, σπανιάκις τοῦτο ποιεῖς. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ῥᾳθυμίας σῆς ἐστι τοῦτο, καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ σπάνις τῶν γραμματηφόρων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὁ κύριός μου ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ μακαρίου Μαξίμου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου πρὸ δύο τούτων ἀπήντησεν ἡμερῶν καὶ αἰτηθεὶς παρ' ἡμῶν γράμματα ἔφησε μηδένα βουληθῆναι δοῦναι αὐτῷ· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Τίγριον τὸν πρεσβύτερον αἰτηθέντα παρ' αὐτοῦ μὴ παρασχεῖν. Παρακαλῶ, ὀνείδισον αὐτῷ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ γνησίῳ καὶ θερμῷ ἡμῶν ἐραστῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δὲ πᾶσιν τοῖς περὶ Κυριακὸν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον. Τοῦ γὰρ τόπου ἕνεκεν ὥστε ἐναλλαγῆναι, μήτε αὐτοῖς μηδὲ ἄλλῳ μηδενὶ ἐνοχλήσητε. ∆εδέγμεθα τὴν χάριν. Ἴσως γὰρ ἠβουλήθησαν καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. ∆όξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν· οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι τοῦτο ἐπιλέγων ἀεὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσί μοι τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν.
Ἔστω τοῦτο· οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν. Μὴ καὶ γράφειν οὐκ ἠδύναντο; Πολλὰ εὐχαρίστησον ταῖς κυρίαις μου ταῖς ἀδελφαῖς τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ τιμιωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Περγαμίου, πολλὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ποιουμέναις σπουδήν. Καὶ γὰρ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν δοῦκα τὸν γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ σφόδρα παρεσκεύασαν περὶ ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι, ὡς σφόδρα κἀκεῖνον ἐπιθυμεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖσε εἶναι. Καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν δήλου τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς καὶ τῶν ἀγαπώντων ἡμᾶς. Ἡμῶν δὲ ἕνεκεν ἄφροντις ἔσο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὑγιείᾳ ἐσμὲν καὶ εὐθυμίᾳ καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύομεν τῆς ἀνέσεως, μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν δὲ μαθεῖν περὶ τῶν κατὰ Κυριακὸν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον εἰ ἀφέθησαν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν σαφὲς οὐδὲν ἀπήγγειλεν· καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν δηλώσατε. Εἰπὲ Κυριακῷ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὅτι λυπούμενος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐπιστέλλω.
Notes
- 1 ↩μακαρίου of Bishop Maximus is rendered 'blessed' in the conventional patristic sense for the deceased; 'late' would also be defensible in modern prose.
- 2 ↩ἐραστῇ is spiritual/devotional devotion ('devoted friend'/'ardent admirer'), not romantic love.
- 3 ↩χάριν here is the favor/kindness of the present arrangement, not theological 'grace' as divine gift.
- 4 ↩Μὴ καὶ γράφειν οὐκ ἠδύναντο; is a rhetorical question with μή: the expected force is that of course they could write, even if they could not do more.
- 5 ↩δοῦκα is the Greek loan-title for Latin dux (military governor/duke); γαμβρόν is 'son-in-law' of Pergamius.
- 6 ↩ἀφέθησαν most naturally means 'were released' (from custody/charges); τῶν κατὰ Κυριακόν may mean either the people around Cyriacus or the affairs concerning him. Rendered as the people associated with him, matching the previous section's οἱ περὶ Κυριακόν.
- 7 ↩λυπούμενος αὐτῷ marks personal grief/hurt directed at Cyriacus, not mere sadness in general; the dative marks the person toward whom the grief is aimed.
Letters to Olympias (Letters of St. John Chrysostom) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit