Letter 95: Chrysostom tells Paeanius to mourn the persecutors rather than the sufferers and asks for health news.

What has happened is painful, but we must mourn not for those who have suffered and stood bravely, but for those who did these things. Wild beasts that are hard to kill sometimes fall in rage on the points of spears and drive the weapons deeper into their own bodies. In the same way, those who dare these lawless acts gather the harsh fire of Gehenna on their own heads. If they boast of what they have done, they are all the more pitiable and worthy of more tears, because by this very boasting they make their own reckoning harder. We should mourn them constantly. But we should rejoice with those who are being so bitterly slaughtered by them, because prizes and crowns are laid up for them in heaven. Their suffering is the clearest proof that the devil has received a decisive blow; if he had not been struck hard, he would not rage so violently through those who obey him. Think on all this, my most admirable master, and receive the greatest comfort. Write to us often about your health. We long to see and embrace your dear head, but since that is not possible now, I ask your nobility both to write to us continually about your strength and to make it easy for those who love us deeply to do the same.

Εʹ. Παιανίῳ. Χαλεπὰ τὰ γεγενημένα· ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν παθόντων καὶ στάντων γενναίως, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν ποιησάντων θρηνεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ δυσθάνατα τῶν θηρίων πολλῷ τῷ θυμῷ ταῖς ἀκμαῖς τῶν δοράτων ἐμπίπτοντα, πρὸς τὰ βαθύτερα τῶν σπλάγχνων ὠθοῦσι τὰ ξίφη· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ τὰς παρανομίας ταύτας τολμῶντες, τὸ χαλεπὸν τῆς γεέννης πῦρ κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν συνάγουσι κεφαλῆς. Εἰ δὲ ἐγκαλλωπίζονται οἷς ποιοῦσι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστά εἰσιν ἐλεεινοὶ, καὶ πλειόνων ἄξιοι δακρύων, ὅτι καὶ ταύτῃ χαλεπωτέρας ἑαυτοῖς τὰς εὐθύνας κατασκευάζουσι. Τούτους οὖν δεῖ θρηνεῖν διηνεκῶς, τοῖς δὲ πικρῶς οὕτω σφαττομένοις ὑπ' αὐτῶν συνήδεσθαι τῶν βραβείων, τῶν στεφάνων τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀποκειμένων, καὶ ταύτην μεγίστην ποιεῖσθαι καὶ σαφεστάτην ἀπόδειξιν τῆς καιρίας τοῦ διαβόλου πληγῆς. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ καιρίαν αὐτὴν ἐδέξατο, οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἔπνευσε διὰ τῶν πειθομένων αὐτῷ. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοῶν, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, μεγίστην δέχου παράκλησιν, καὶ γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν γὰρ ἰδεῖν καὶ περιπτύξασθαι τὴν φίλην ἡμῖν κεφαλήν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο νῦν οὐκ ἔνι, παρακαλῶ σου τὴν εὐγένειαν. αὐτόν τε ἡμῖν συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς, καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ἡμᾶς ἀγαπῶσι πολλὴν εἰς τοῦτο παρασκευάζειν τὴν εὐκολίαν.