Letter 114: Chrysostom praises Elpidius as a watchful pilot and reports peace and health at Cucusus.

This too is your work, the work of a sober and watchful pilot: not to yield when the storm has risen so high, but still to care, to act, and to contribute all you can. By letters you run everywhere, gathering those near and far, rousing them, and urging them not to be swept away by the sea but to stand firm and stay alert, even if ten thousand waves more grievous than these should come. None of your work has escaped us, though we are so far away. We bless and admire your Reverence: your awakened soul, steadfast mind, and youthful zeal in so great an old age. When a task requires bodily strength, age can be a hindrance; when it requires wisdom of soul, gray hair casts no shadow over achievement. Your labor and vigilance will bear fitting fruit. Because your great love has made you take thought for us as well as for the whole world, you want to know how we are, where our affairs stand, and who is with us, so that you may thank them. We will never stop proclaiming and celebrating you for such love. As for us, we have been removed to Cucusus, a very desolate place, but we hardly feel the desolation because we enjoy such quiet, safety, and care from everyone. By your prayers we have cast off the remnants of illness, live in good health, have been freed from fear of the Isaurians, and are settled in peace. The honored presbyters Constantius and Euethius are with us, and others, released from their bonds, are expected soon. Do not stop praying for us, most revered and God-loving master, and write whenever possible about your health. Give many greetings from us to the honored presbyter Asyncrition, to his dear children, and to all the clergy of your piety.

ΡΙ∆ʹ. Ἐλπιδίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Καὶ τοῦτο σὸν, τοῦτο νήφοντος καὶ ἐγρηγορότος κυβερνήτου, τὸ μηδὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀρθέντος τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀναπεσεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐπιμένειν ἔτι μεριμνῶντα καὶ φροντίζοντα, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ πάντα εἰσφέροντα, πανταχοῦ διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων περιτρέχοντα, τοὺς ἐγγὺς, τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν συγκροτοῦντα, διεγείροντα, παρεγγυῶντα μηδένα τῷ κλυδωνίῳ παρασυρῆναι, ἀλλ' ἑστάναι, καὶ νήφειν, κἂν μυρία τούτων ἐπίῃ χαλεπώτερα κύματα, καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ ἱδρυμένων τόπῳ, πανταχοῦ διὰ τῆς παραινέσεως ἵπτασθαι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἔλαθε τῶν σῶν, καίτοι ἐκ τοσούτου καθημένους διαστήματος. ∆ιὸ καὶ μακαρίζομεν καὶ θαυμάζομέν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, καὶ τὴν διεγηγερμένην ψυχὴν, καὶ τὴν ἀπερίτρεπτον γνώμην, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοσούτῳ γήρᾳ νεάζουσαν προθυμίαν· καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ τὰ προκείμενα τῆς τοῦ σώματος δέηται ῥώμης, κώλυμα ἐνταῦθα τὸ γῆρας γίνεται· ὅταν δὲ ψυχῆς ἀπαιτῇ φιλοσοφίαν, οὐδὲν ἡ πολιὰ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν ἐπισκοτεῖν εἴωθεν· οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ ἐπεσκότησεν, ἀλλ' ἅπαντα παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας εἰσενήνεκται. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ καρπὸν δώσει τὸν προσήκοντα ὁ πόνος οὗτος καὶ ἡ τοσαύτη ἀγρυπνία, οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν ἀμφιβάλλειν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης καὶ ἡμετέραν μέριμναν κατεδέξω, διὰ τὴν πολλήν σου καὶ θερμὴν ἀγάπην, καὶ μαθεῖν ἐπιθυμεῖς οἷ διατρίβομεν, καὶ ἐν τίσιν ὁρμᾷ τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ τίνες οἱ συνόντες ἡμῖν, καὶ μαθεῖν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὥστε καὶ χάριν αὐτοῖς εἰδέναι· ἡμεῖς μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοσαύτης ἀγάπης οὐ παυσόμεθά σε ἀνακηρύττοντες, στεφανοῦντες, παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀναγορεύοντες, χάριτας ὁμολογοῦντες παρὰ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι καὶ συγγινομένοις ἡμῖν. Αὐτὸς δὲ τὰς μεγίστας ἀμοιβὰς καὶ μείζους τῶν πόνων ἀνάμενε παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, τοῦ ταῖς ἀντιδόσεσιν ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος νικῶντος τοὺς ἀγαθόν τι ποιεῖν ἢ λέγειν ἐσπουδακότας. Ὥστε δέ σε καὶ ἑτέρωθεν ἡσθῆναι μαθόντα τὰ ἡμέτερα, πρὸς μὲν τὸ ἐρημότατον χωρίον ἀπῳκίσθημεν, τὴν Κουκουσὸν, πλὴν ἐρημίας οὐδεμίαν αἴσθησιν ἔχομεν· τοσαύτης ἀπολαύομεν ἡσυχίας, τοσαύτης ἀδείας, τοσαύτης παρὰ πάντων θεραπείας. Τά τε γὰρ λείψανα τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας εὐχαῖς ταῖς σαῖς ἀπεθέμεθα, καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ διάγομεν νῦν, τοῦ τε φόβου τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἀπηλλάγημεν, καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ κατέστημεν, ἀπραγμοσύνῃ τε ἐντρυφῶντες πολλῇ. Πάρεισι δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ οἱ τιμιώτατοι πρεσβύτεροι Κωνστάντιος καὶ Εὐήθιος, προσδοκῶνται δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι ταχέως ἀφίξεσθαι, οὓς εἰς τὸ παρὸν τὰ δεσμὰ κατεῖχεν· ἀλλὰ πάντες ἀφέθησαν, καὶ εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι πτήσονται πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Μὴ δὴ διαλίπῃς εὐχόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν σφόδρα σε ἀγαπώντων, δέσποτα αἰδεσιμώτατε καὶ θεοφιλέστατε, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλων, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας δηλῶν τῆς σῆς. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον καθ' ἑκάστην, εἰ οἷόν τε, ἡμέραν περὶ ταύτης μανθάνειν. Τὸν δεσπότην μου τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον πρεσβύτερον Ἀσυγκρίτιον, μετὰ τῶν γλυκυτάτων αὐτοῦ παιδίων, καὶ πάντα σου τῆς θεοσεβείας τὸν κλῆρον πολλὰ παρ' ἡμῶν προσειπεῖν παρακλήθητι.