Letter 70: Chrysostom asks Aphthonius, Theodotus, and Chaereas for prayers and letters amid siege and illness.

I myself wanted to see you come here. Since many things prevent that, I do not dare ask it now. Instead I ask that, even from far away, you provide us the alliance of your bold prayers. This help does not wither with time or become separated by length of road. Wherever someone who has boldness before God may be, as you do, he can from there benefit even those who are far away. Along with prayers, provide us continual letters bringing good news of your health. Many waves surround us on every side: the desolation of the place, the siege, the attack of the Isaurians, and daily death. We live with constant death, shut up in this fortress as in a prison and wrestling with a grievous bodily weakness. Nevertheless, though the circumstances are many, we have your love as no small consolation for these evils. Even though we were with you only a short time, we received much proof of your disposition: genuine, fervent, sweeter than honey, unchangeable, stable, and firm, shown both when you are present and when you are absent. For these reasons, though we are far from you and oppressed by so many dreadful things, we rest as in a harbor in the memory of your virtue, considering your love a very great treasure. We have been freed from the grievous illness, now that winter has passed and spring has come, but we still carry remnants of it, which the continuing disturbances from the Isaurians make worse. Knowing these things, and though you are far away, do not hesitate to remember us continually and to write constantly whenever possible, bringing good news about your health.

Οʹ. Ἀφθονίῳ, Θεοδότῳ, Χαιρέᾳ, πρεσβυτέροις καὶ μονάζουσιν. Ἐβουλόμην καὶ αὐτὸς παραγενομένους ὑμᾶς ἐνταῦθα ἰδεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλὰ τὰ κωλύοντα, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ τολμῶ νῦν ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀξιῶ δὲ, καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πεπαῤῥησιασμένων εὐχῶν ὑμῶν παρέχειν συμμαχίαν ἡμῖν αὕτη γὰρ οὔτε χρόνῳ μαραίνεται ἡ βοήθεια, οὔτε ὁδοῦ μήκει διείργεται, ἀλλ' ὅπουπερ ἂν διάγῃ τις παῤῥησίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχων, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς, δύναται καὶ τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας ἐντεῦθεν τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελεῖν, μετὰ δὲ τῶν εὐχῶν καὶ γράμματα ἡμῖν παρέχειν τὰ συνεχῶς περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν εὐαγγελιζόμενα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλὰ τὰ πανταχόθεν ἡμῖν περιεστοιχισμένα κύματα, καὶ ἐρημία τόπου, καὶ πολιορκία, καὶ Ἰσαύρων ἔφοδος, καὶ καθημερινὸς θάνατος θανάτῳ γὰρ συζῶμεν διηνεκεῖ, καθάπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ, ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ τούτῳ συγκεκλεισμένοι, καὶ σώματος ἀσθενείᾳ παλαίοντες χαλεπῇ, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰ καὶ πολλαὶ αἱ περιστάσεις, οὐ μικρὰν εἰς παραμυθίαν τῶν κακῶν τούτων τὴν ὑμετέραν ἔχομεν ἀγάπην. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὀλίγα ὑμῖν συνεγενόμεθα, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν πεῖραν ὑμῶν τῆς διαθέσεως εἰλήφαμεν, τῆς γνησίας καὶ θερμῆς καὶ μέλιτος γλυκυτέρας, τῆς ἀπεριτρέπτου, τῆς σταθηρᾶς καὶ πεπηγυίας, ἣν καὶ παρόντες καὶ ἀπόντες ἐπιδείκνυσθε. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καίτοι καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὑμῶν ὄντες, καὶ τοσούτοις συνεχόμενοι δεινοῖς, ὥσπερ ἐν λιμένι τινὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀρετῆς ἐπαναπαυόμεθα, θησαυρὸν μέγιστον τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην εἶναι νομίζοντες. Τῆς μὲν οὖν χαλεπῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπηλλάγημεν, τοῦ χειμῶνος παρελθόντος, καὶ ἐπιστάντος τοῦ ἦρος, ἔτι δὲ τὰ λείψανα αὐτῆς περιφέρομεν, ἅπερ ἐπιτρίβει τῶν Ἰσαυρικῶν θορύβων ἡ συνέχεια. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντες μεμνῆσθαί τε ἡμῶν διηνεκῶς μὴ κατοκνεῖτε, καὶ γράφειν ἡμῖν συνεχῶς, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐαγγελιζόμενοι.