Recipient identification follows the Evagrius CPG 2437 parallel edition where named; uncertain labels are recorded conservatively. Source text is Frankenberg's Greek retroversion from the Syriac transmission, licensed CC BY 4.0; source Syriac length 1650 chars, Greek retroversion length 2446 chars. Letter 57 uses Joel Kalvesmaki's 2014 CC BY 4.0 English translation as an existing published English witness rather than a first-time Roman Letters translation.
Since you are mortal, do not be greatly grieved that our blessed father has fallen asleep; for we are going toward him, while he will not turn back toward us. And my will concerning all that belongs to me is this: I vowed a vow to God when I entered the order of the monks, that after the death of my father I would leave nothing on the earth for myself, but would expend everything on works of righteousness for the Lord. In keeping with your word, you wrote to us at the time when the grief had withered within you; but I, while still within that mourning, have asked for this letter and am compelled to write these things that I received from you. But God, who comforts the lowly, comforted us, granting us at once knowledge of both death and of life, of the body, which is our vessel, and of the rational soul; of why souls are bound to the body and again are loosed; and of why the angels and the demons come into our world, but we do not come into their worlds. For we are not strong enough to attach the angels more closely to God, nor do we suppose that we defile the demons further (?), inasmuch as we neither reach up to that magnitude of knowledge nor sink down into this ignorance; and of how our fathers are fathers of the bodies only, while God is the Father of the soul; and how, just as the sickness of a son grieves the father, so the disorder of the soul grieves God. The father, when his son is sick, calls the physician; but God sent forth the physician of souls from heaven, so that, charming human beings away from vice toward virtue and from ignorance toward the recognition of God, he might lead them over. And of how to the angels he gave as a dwelling place the Jerusalem above, as it is written, "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels" [Hebrews 12:22], while the demons he bound in fetters of darkness and handed over to the lowest part of the earth to be kept for condemnation; but us he set in this world and bound together with bodies that labor, as it is written, "The heaven of heaven belongs to the Lord, but the earth he gave to the sons of men" [Psalm 113:24/115:16], so that, doing works of mercy, we might be shown mercy and might become fellow heirs with the angels, among whom I believe our blessed father to be; for he was merciful, and the witnesses are those who received works of righteousness from him and bought oil for him. These words, the firstfruits of a beginner's knowledge, came upon me at the time of mourning, and they displaced my grief. But you, holy one, have done well, having given the blessed one rest in his life and, when he fell asleep, having honored him with a holy tomb, where our father Abraham and his sons sleep; and I will make confession before the Lord and before the holy angels, who, leading you, will set you before the judgment seat of the Lord our Savior.
Since you are mortal, you should not be very disheartened concerning the falling asleep of our revered father. “For we are proceeding to meet him, but he is not returning to us.” My desire, then, concerning all I have is this: I pledged a vow before God when I entered the rank of monks that after the death of my father nothing on the earth would be left for me, but I would spend it all as alms for the Lord. According to your word, then, you wrote to us in the time when sadness was burning you. But I, though also in lamentation, was called upon for this letter, and I was compelled to write these things that I received from you. God, who comforts the downtrodden, also comforts us, by his suddenly granting us knowledge . . . (a) . . . of both death and life; (b) . . . of the body—which is our vessel—and of the rational soul; (c) . . . of why souls are bound by bodies and yet [the body] is perishable; (d) . . . of what reason angels and demons come to our realm; We, certainly, do not go to their realms, for neither are we able to bind further the angels to God, nor do we intend the spirits to be more foul. For neither do we attain to such great knowledge, nor are we left to such ignorance. (e) . . . also of how our fathers are our fathers only with regard to the body, but God is the Father of the soul. In the same way the sickness of the son disheartens the father, so also the disorder of the soul disheartens God. A father, at the sickness of his son, summons a physician. But from heaven God sends for the physician of our souls so that he might entice and draw men from wickedness to virtue and from ignorance to the knowledge of God. (f) . . . also of how he granted to the angels a habitation—the Upper Jerusalem (just as it is written, “You approached Mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and the multitude of angels.”)—whereas he bound the demons in chains of darkness and committed them to the lowest parts of the earth so that they might be kept for the Judgment. But he placed us in this realm and joined us with laboring bodies, as it is written, “The heaven of heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth he gave to men,” so that, when we enact mercies, mercies might come to us, and that we might become co-inheritors with the angels, with whom, I believe, is our revered father, for he was merciful. Those who received mercies from him and sold him oil are witnesses. These words of beginning knowledge emerged as lamentation touched me, and they transformed my distress. But you, O holy one, did well. You refreshed the blessed one in his life and, as he slept, you reverenced him within his holy grave, where our father Abraham and his sons sleep. And I shall confess [your deeds] before my Lord and before the holy angels, who will lead you and set you before the judgment seat of Christ our Savior.
Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0):
θνητος ων μη πολυ θλιβου οτι ο πατηρ ημων ο μακαριος κεκοιμηται οτι ημεις προς αυτον απερχομεθα αυτος δε προς ημας ου μεταναστρεψει. το δε θελημα μου περι παντος μοι υπαρχοντος τοδε· ευχην ευχημαι θεωι εις την των μοναχων ταξιν εισελθων οτι μετα τον θανατον του πατρος μου ουδεν εμοι επι της γης καταλειψω αλλα παντα δικαιοσυναις του κυριου καταναλωσω. κατα το ρημα σου καιρωι οτε εμαρανθη εν σοι η λυπη ημιν γεγραφας εγω δε εν αυτωι ων τωι πενθει ταυτην την επιστολην απηι τημαι και βιαζομαι ταυτα γραφειν α παρ' υμων απεδεξαμην. ο δε θεος ο παρακαλων τους ταπεινους ημας παρεκαλεσε διδους ημιν παραχρημα γνωσιν του τε θανατου και της ζωης, του σωματοος ο εστιν ημων σχευος και της λογικης ψυχης δια τι αι ψυχαι τωι σωματι προσδεδενται και παλιν λυονται και δια τι οι μεν αγγελοι και δαιμονες εις τον ημων κοσμον ερχονται ημεις δε εις τους αυτων κοσμους ου. ου γαρ τους αγγελους θεωι μαλλον προσαπτειν ισχυομεν ουδε τους δαιμονας μαλλον μιαναι εννοουμεν (?), ως εις εκεινο της γνωσεως μεγεθος ουκ εξικνουμενοι ουδε εις ταυτην την αγνωσιαν καταληγοντες· και οπως οι πατερες ημων των σωματων μονον εισιν, ο δε θεος πατηρ της ψυχης εστι και ως η νοσος του υιου τον πατερα θλιβει ουτως η ακαταστασια της ψυχης τον θεον καταλυπει. ο πατηρ του υιου νοσηλευοντος τον ιατρον καλει ο δε θεος τον των ψυχων ιατρον ουρανοθεν εξεπεμψεν ινα θελγων τους ανθρωπους απο κακιας προς αρετην και απ’ αγνωσιας προς επιγνωσιν θεου μεταγηι· και πως τοις μεν αγγελοις κατοικητηριον εδωκε την ανω Ιερουσαλημ καθως γεγραπται προσεληλυθατε Σιων ορει και πολει θεου ζωντος Ιερουσωλημ επουφανιωι και μυριασιν αγγελων (Hebr. 12.22), τους δε δαιμονας πεδαις σκοτους καταδησας τωι κατωτατωι της γης παραδεδωκεν φυλαττεσθαι εις το κατακριμα, ημας δε εν τουτωι τωι κοσμωι εθηκε τε και σωμασιν εργαζομενοις συνεδησε καθως γεγραπται· ο ουρανος του ουρανου τωι κυριωι την δε γην εδωκε τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ινα ελεημοσυνην ποιουντες ελεηθωμεν και συγκληρονομοι των αγγελων γενωμεθα μεθ' ων πιστευω οτι ο μακαριος πατηρ ημων εστιν· ελεημων γαρ ην, μαρτυρες δε οι παρ' αυτου λαβοντες δικαιοσυνας και ελαιον αυτωι αγορασαντες. ουτοι οι λογοι αρχαριου γνωσεως επετυχον μοι καιρωι πενθους την δε λυπην μου εξεστησαν. συ δε αγιε καλως πεποιηκας τον μακαριον εν τηι ζωηι αναπαυσας κοιμωμενον δε αγιωι ταφωι τιμησας ου ο πατηρ ημων Αβρααμ και οι υιοι αυτου κοιμωνται, και ομολογησω εμπροσθεν του κυριου και των αγιων αγγελων οι αγοντες σε στησουσιν εμπροσθεν βημα κυριου του σωτηρος ημων
Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.
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Since you are mortal, do not be greatly grieved that our blessed father has fallen asleep; for we are going toward him, while he will not turn back toward us. And my will concerning all that belongs to me is this: I vowed a vow to God when I entered the order of the monks, that after the death of my father I would leave nothing on the earth for myself, but would expend everything on works of righteousness for the Lord. In keeping with your word, you wrote to us at the time when the grief had withered within you; but I, while still within that mourning, have asked for this letter and am compelled to write these things that I received from you. But God, who comforts the lowly, comforted us, granting us at once knowledge of both death and of life, of the body, which is our vessel, and of the rational soul; of why souls are bound to the body and again are loosed; and of why the angels and the demons come into our world, but we do not come into their worlds. For we are not strong enough to attach the angels more closely to God, nor do we suppose that we defile the demons further (?), inasmuch as we neither reach up to that magnitude of knowledge nor sink down into this ignorance; and of how our fathers are fathers of the bodies only, while God is the Father of the soul; and how, just as the sickness of a son grieves the father, so the disorder of the soul grieves God. The father, when his son is sick, calls the physician; but God sent forth the physician of souls from heaven, so that, charming human beings away from vice toward virtue and from ignorance toward the recognition of God, he might lead them over. And of how to the angels he gave as a dwelling place the Jerusalem above, as it is written, "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels" [Hebrews 12:22], while the demons he bound in fetters of darkness and handed over to the lowest part of the earth to be kept for condemnation; but us he set in this world and bound together with bodies that labor, as it is written, "The heaven of heaven belongs to the Lord, but the earth he gave to the sons of men" [Psalm 113:24/115:16], so that, doing works of mercy, we might be shown mercy and might become fellow heirs with the angels, among whom I believe our blessed father to be; for he was merciful, and the witnesses are those who received works of righteousness from him and bought oil for him. These words, the firstfruits of a beginner's knowledge, came upon me at the time of mourning, and they displaced my grief. But you, holy one, have done well, having given the blessed one rest in his life and, when he fell asleep, having honored him with a holy tomb, where our father Abraham and his sons sleep; and I will make confession before the Lord and before the holy angels, who, leading you, will set you before the judgment seat of the Lord our Savior.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0):
θνητος ων μη πολυ θλιβου οτι ο πατηρ ημων ο μακαριος κεκοιμηται οτι ημεις προς αυτον απερχομεθα αυτος δε προς ημας ου μεταναστρεψει. το δε θελημα μου περι παντος μοι υπαρχοντος τοδε· ευχην ευχημαι θεωι εις την των μοναχων ταξιν εισελθων οτι μετα τον θανατον του πατρος μου ουδεν εμοι επι της γης καταλειψω αλλα παντα δικαιοσυναις του κυριου καταναλωσω. κατα το ρημα σου καιρωι οτε εμαρανθη εν σοι η λυπη ημιν γεγραφας εγω δε εν αυτωι ων τωι πενθει ταυτην την επιστολην απηι τημαι και βιαζομαι ταυτα γραφειν α παρ' υμων απεδεξαμην. ο δε θεος ο παρακαλων τους ταπεινους ημας παρεκαλεσε διδους ημιν παραχρημα γνωσιν του τε θανατου και της ζωης, του σωματοος ο εστιν ημων σχευος και της λογικης ψυχης δια τι αι ψυχαι τωι σωματι προσδεδενται και παλιν λυονται και δια τι οι μεν αγγελοι και δαιμονες εις τον ημων κοσμον ερχονται ημεις δε εις τους αυτων κοσμους ου. ου γαρ τους αγγελους θεωι μαλλον προσαπτειν ισχυομεν ουδε τους δαιμονας μαλλον μιαναι εννοουμεν (?), ως εις εκεινο της γνωσεως μεγεθος ουκ εξικνουμενοι ουδε εις ταυτην την αγνωσιαν καταληγοντες· και οπως οι πατερες ημων των σωματων μονον εισιν, ο δε θεος πατηρ της ψυχης εστι και ως η νοσος του υιου τον πατερα θλιβει ουτως η ακαταστασια της ψυχης τον θεον καταλυπει. ο πατηρ του υιου νοσηλευοντος τον ιατρον καλει ο δε θεος τον των ψυχων ιατρον ουρανοθεν εξεπεμψεν ινα θελγων τους ανθρωπους απο κακιας προς αρετην και απ’ αγνωσιας προς επιγνωσιν θεου μεταγηι· και πως τοις μεν αγγελοις κατοικητηριον εδωκε την ανω Ιερουσαλημ καθως γεγραπται προσεληλυθατε Σιων ορει και πολει θεου ζωντος Ιερουσωλημ επουφανιωι και μυριασιν αγγελων (Hebr. 12.22), τους δε δαιμονας πεδαις σκοτους καταδησας τωι κατωτατωι της γης παραδεδωκεν φυλαττεσθαι εις το κατακριμα, ημας δε εν τουτωι τωι κοσμωι εθηκε τε και σωμασιν εργαζομενοις συνεδησε καθως γεγραπται· ο ουρανος του ουρανου τωι κυριωι την δε γην εδωκε τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ινα ελεημοσυνην ποιουντες ελεηθωμεν και συγκληρονομοι των αγγελων γενωμεθα μεθ' ων πιστευω οτι ο μακαριος πατηρ ημων εστιν· ελεημων γαρ ην, μαρτυρες δε οι παρ' αυτου λαβοντες δικαιοσυνας και ελαιον αυτωι αγορασαντες. ουτοι οι λογοι αρχαριου γνωσεως επετυχον μοι καιρωι πενθους την δε λυπην μου εξεστησαν. συ δε αγιε καλως πεποιηκας τον μακαριον εν τηι ζωηι αναπαυσας κοιμωμενον δε αγιωι ταφωι τιμησας ου ο πατηρ ημων Αβρααμ και οι υιοι αυτου κοιμωνται, και ομολογησω εμπροσθεν του κυριου και των αγιων αγγελων οι αγοντες σε στησουσιν εμπροσθεν βημα κυριου του σωτηρος ημων
Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.