John Chrysostom
Ioannes Chrysostomus
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All letters (242)
The following letter is added as a specimen, out of a very large number, of the natural, almost playful style, and...
The most reverend and divinely favored deaconess Olympias, I John, Bishop, send greeting in the Lord.
Do not be anxious on my behalf, nor rack yourself with solicitude, on account of the severity of the winter, and the...
Having risen from the very gates of death I address this letter to the discreet lady; and I am very glad that your...
Why do you lament? Why do you belabour yourself, and demand of yourself a punishment which your enemies were not...
Nothing strange or unnatural has befallen your Piety, but only what is quite natural and consonant to reason, that...
Chrysostom tells Olympias not to despair over the church's storm, arguing that only sin can truly harm the soul and that God often waits until disaster seems complete before revealing deliverance.
Chrysostom urges Olympias not to be anxious about his winter exile or her illness, argues that bodily sickness bravely endured wins greater crowns than other trials, and asks her to prove her recovery from despondency by recovering her health.
Chrysostom rebukes Olympias for surrendering to grief, recounts his illness, violent expulsion from Caesarea, and dangerous flight, then asks her to keep working quietly on Maruthas, the Gothic bishopric, and Hilary's letters.
Chrysostom tells Olympias that despondency is a harsher trial than death, argues that patiently endured suffering wins crowns like Job, Lazarus, Paul, and Joseph, and urges her to scatter grief like smoke.
Chrysostom tells Olympias that intensified attacks prove her victory, compares her endurance to Job's, and urges her to encourage others.
Chrysostom writes after a severe winter illness, rejoices in Olympias's recovery and courage, and praises her as a steadying force for the city.
Chrysostom insists that Olympias has already won a public victory, turns slander and exile into crowns of patience, and says her enemies are punished by conscience even before judgment.
Chrysostom urges Olympias to stop measuring her troubles only by their pain and to see them as brief trials that produce lasting reward.
Chrysostom tells Olympias that a life of virtue necessarily brings conflict, reports his own illness and shortages, and asks her not to send anyone through dangerous roads solely for him.
Chrysostom praises Olympias's endurance under repeated trials, compares affliction to fire refining gold, and sends news that his health has improved for now.
Chrysostom reports on winter, illness, medicine, and danger in Armenia, then urges Olympias to treat her body and resist wishing for death under the weight of sickness and grief.
Correspondence with Pope Innocent I
Innocent, bishop, to presbyters and deacons, and to all the clergy and people of the Church of Constantinople, the...
Chrysostom asks Agapetus for letters about his household's health while travel is blocked by season and danger.
Chrysostom praises Alphius for supporting John the presbyter and asks for regular news.
Chrysostom reflects on love as an inexhaustible debt and sends a letter for Romanus.
Chrysostom assures Romanus that distance and exile cannot erase their bond of love and prayer.
Chrysostom excuses Hesychius's illness and treats his intention as equivalent to a visit.
Chrysostom explains why Cucusus limits correspondence and asks Elpidius for news of his health.
Chrysostom writes first to Magnus and asks for news of his health and church care.
Chrysostom thanks Domnus for sending a presbyter and says loving letters ease bodily separation.
Chrysostom praises Basil's pastoral zeal against pagan error and asks for reports of his work.
Chrysostom consoles Chalcidia and Asyncritia through afflictions and asks for news of their health.
Chrysostom asks Hortius for health updates and describes the desolation and danger of Cucusus.
Chrysostom renews an old friendship with Marcellinus after mutual silence.
Chrysostom praises Euthalia's spiritual steadiness and asks for letters about her security and health.
Chrysostom worries over Adolia's illness and asks for quick news of improvement.
Chrysostom thanks Carteria for a medicinal gift but most wants news of her health.
Chrysostom blesses Alphius for steady love, explains travel delays, and declines burdensome gifts.
Chrysostom tells Maron that love sees across distance and asks for prayers and news.
Chrysostom sends the ill bishop Seleucus to Tranquillinus and asks for news that Eutychius failed to bring.
Chrysostom entrusts the coughing bishop Seleucus to Hymnetius's medical skill.
Chrysostom remembers Chalcidia's constant love and asks for letters about her health.
Chrysostom consoles Asyncritia in affliction and asks whether her illness has eased.
Chrysostom presses Valentinus to answer after three letters and to report his health directly.
Chrysostom tells Candidianus that distance, raids, illness, and solitude have not weakened love.
Chrysostom trusts Bassiana's love despite silence and asks for news of her household.
Chrysostom asks Theodotus to forward letters or explain his silence to Carteria through mutual friends.
Chrysostom consoles Symmachus that virtue's hard road leads to lasting rewards.
Chrysostom says he loves Rufinus continually even when roads and season prevent frequent writing.
Chrysostom playfully accepts Namaia's letter but complains that it came late.
Chrysostom praises Arabius's enduring love and asks for more letters about his health.
Chrysostom explains that winter, isolation, and Isaurian danger make frequent writing difficult.
Chrysostom praises Diogenes's wintertime love but returns gifts he does not need.
Chrysostom asks Diogenes to redirect support through Aphraates for church work in Phoenicia.
Chrysostom rejoices that Adolia recovered from a grave illness and presses her to write directly.
Chrysostom praises Nicolaus's care for Phoenicia and asks him to send Gerontius, John, and other helpers.
Chrysostom urges Gerontius to go quickly to Phoenicia before winter closes the road.
Chrysostom asks presbyters and monks near Apamea for prayers, letters, and helpers for John in Phoenicia.
Chrysostom says love can bind unseen friends across winter roads and asks the monks for news.
Chrysostom continues writing to Adolia and asks for more news of her household's health.
Chrysostom compares Theodosius's letter to honey and asks for continued news of his household.
Chrysostom rebukes Theodotus's silence and forgives it if he writes frequently from now on.
Chrysostom consoles Chalcidia and Asyncritia over a presbyter's repeated trials.
Chrysostom sends away Theodotus's son because Armenia is too dangerous and asks care for the boy.
Chrysostom asks Antiochene presbyters to protect Constantius from unjust harassment.
Chrysostom reflects that love outlasts time and asks Tranquillinus for health news.
Chrysostom asks Cyriacus to help the son of Sopater, governor of Armenia.
Chrysostom consoles Marcianus and Marcellinus by praising steadfastness under trial.
Chrysostom thanks the Antiochene presbyters for receiving a monk and calming his opponents.
Chrysostom grieves over Theodotus's rare letters and asks him to write longer health reports.
Chrysostom delights in receiving two letters from Theodotus and describes Armenia's dangers.
Chrysostom tells Firminus that illness prevented a meeting but not friendship, and reports safe arrival.
Chrysostom praises Hymnetius's medical skill and asks him to replace presence with frequent letters.
Chrysostom says a brief meeting created lasting friendship and asks Cytherius for health news.
Chrysostom says exile removed him from Leontius's city but not from his love.
Chrysostom reports his safe arrival at Cucusus and asks Faustinus for letters.
Chrysostom praises Lucius for rejecting the church disorders and urges continued courage.
Chrysostom praises Maras's steady judgment during the church crisis and asks him to encourage others.
Chrysostom remembers Eulogius's virtue from Cucusus and praises his stand for the churches.
Chrysostom urges John of Jerusalem to continue separating from those who disturbed the churches.
Chrysostom tells Theodosius that love crosses distance and urges him to reject those disturbing the churches.
Chrysostom urges Bishop Moses to keep separating from those who harmed the churches and to encourage others.
Chrysostom thanks Romanus for keeping friendship alive during the storm and asks for health news.
Chrysostom asks Moses the presbyter to pray for the churches and to write often about his health.
Chrysostom asks a monastic and clerical community to support him through prayer across distance.
Chrysostom praises Pentadia's bold defense of the truth and reports his own health.
Chrysostom tells Paeanius to mourn the persecutors rather than the sufferers and asks for health news.
Chrysostom encourages Amproucla and her companions to rejoice in trials and write about their health.
Chrysostom urges Hypatius not to be disturbed by sufferings endured for God's sake.
Chrysostom anxiously asks Chalcidia to report whether she has recovered from illness.
Chrysostom explains to Asyncritia that rare letters are caused by an impassable road, not diminished affection.
Chrysostom explains that his silence is only outward and asks for health news.
Chrysostom asks Severus to break a long silence and write directly about his health.
Chrysostom encourages Theodotus to rejoice in trials while caring for his weak eyes.
Chrysostom praises Amproucla and her companions for courage and asks them to write even in their own language.
Chrysostom praises Pentadia's suffering for truth and urges her not to leave her city.
Chrysostom consoles Chalcidia in trial and frames present suffering as a journey toward the true homeland.
Chrysostom urges Asyncritia and her companions to endure trials for the heavenly prize.
Chrysostom compares the presbyters' trials to gold refined by fire and asks for joyful news.
Chrysostom tells Urbicius that genuine love is not dimmed by time or the dangers around Cucusus.
Chrysostom recalls Rufinus from Antioch and asks him to remember the exile in Cucusus.
Chrysostom gently rebukes Bassus for not writing despite their friendship and proximity.
Chrysostom writes to Anatolius of Adana after hearing of his love from others.
Chrysostom thanks Theodore for efforts on his behalf and asks him to keep love in bloom.
Chrysostom asks Palladius for prayers over the storm afflicting the churches.
Chrysostom praises Elpidius as a watchful pilot and reports peace and health at Cucusus.
Chrysostom tells Theophilus he has written to Theodore the prefect and others on his behalf.
Chrysostom rejoices in Valentinus's promotion but rebukes his silence.
Chrysostom asks Theodora to forgive Eustathius and receive spiritual profit from mercy.
Chrysostom congratulates imprisoned bishops and presbyters on suffering chains for God.
Chrysostom opens the door for Theophilus to write and urges him to resist despondency.
Chrysostom tells Theodora of the misery of his journey to Caesarea and asks her to press his friends for a gentler place of exile.
Chrysostom praises Arabius's grief over the church crisis and asks for continued prayer and letters.
Chrysostom praises Marcianus for supporting widows, orphans, and the poor during the crisis.
Chrysostom urges the clergy and monks teaching in Phoenicia not to abandon their work during the storm.
Chrysostom congratulates Gemellus's city because his office will let him protect the wronged.
Chrysostom consoles the exiled bishop Cyriacus with examples of endurance and urges him to cast off despondency.
Chrysostom urges Rufinus to go quickly to Phoenicia after renewed attacks on monks there.
Chrysostom explains that winter, illness, and Isaurian raids caused his long silence.
Chrysostom celebrates spring because it reopens letter-writing after winter closed the roads.
Chrysostom praises Marcianus and Marcellinus as a beloved pair joined by love.
Chrysostom describes letters as a debt of love and reports recovery from stomach illness.
Chrysostom explains that raids, illness, and forced movement caused his silence to Elpidius.
Chrysostom praises Gemellus for pitying his enemies and urges him not to delay baptism.
Chrysostom urges Adolia to break free from worldly entanglements and send treasure ahead to heaven.
Chrysostom asks Diogenes for frequent letters as consolation in exile.
Chrysostom thanks Theodotus for concern over the siege and asks him to pray for safety.
Chrysostom tells Theodotus that leaving Armenia did not remove him from Chrysostom's heart.
Chrysostom answers Theodotus's charge of slowness and asks for health news.
Chrysostom tells Elpidius that illness and isolation caused silence of the tongue but not of the mind.
Chrysostom asks Theodore not to measure love by the number of letters.
Chrysostom explains that Isaurian raids have blocked the roads and reports partial recovery.
Chrysostom thanks Theodotus for receiving his spiritual son and encouraging virtue.
Chrysostom tells Elpidius that love writes in the mind even when letters are few.
Chrysostom says he has been driven from city walls but still lives in the city of his friends' souls.
Chrysostom says Diogenes's love makes dangerous Cucusus feel like paradise.
Chrysostom asks Nicholas for health news as consolation in daily fear and illness.
Chrysostom says love makes the absent clergy present and asks them for prayers and letters.
Chrysostom says Anthemius adorns his offices and will become a harbor for the wronged.
Chrysostom praises four bishops for laboring for church peace and commends John and Paul to them.
Chrysostom praises Aurelius of Carthage for laboring to bring troubled churches into peace.
Chrysostom thanks Maximus for long labor and watchfulness in correcting the church crisis.
Chrysostom urges Asellus to keep helping the churches of the East through counsel, prayer, and action.
Chrysostom thanks a group of bishops for fatherly concern toward the suffering eastern churches.
Chrysostom tells the same bishops that their shared grief and help have consoled him in exile.
Chrysostom greets the same bishops by letter because exile prevents bodily meeting.
Chrysostom praises Chromatius of Aquileia for love, boldness, and care for the churches.
Chrysostom thanks bishops whose zeal for truth has become publicly known.
Chrysostom praises bishops from the West for their long journey on behalf of church correction.
Chrysostom says the bishops' labors bring crowns to them and consolation to him.
Chrysostom says the bishops' long journey for the churches has allowed him to breathe again.
Chrysostom thanks a western bishop for laboring at home and across the sea for the churches.
Chrysostom thanks Roman presbyters for crossing the sea in support of the churches.
Chrysostom apologizes to Anysius for late writing and thanks him for his church zeal.
Chrysostom urges Anysius and Macedonian bishops to finish their long stand with courage.
Chrysostom writes to Alexander of Corinth as a beloved ally in the church crisis.
Chrysostom praises bishops who traveled with western bishops for the churches' benefit.
Chrysostom thanks the same bishops for leaving home and enduring travel for church peace.
Chrysostom gives thanks for the bishops' vigor, labor, and journey on behalf of the church.
Chrysostom tells Proba that distance cannot hide her warm love and zeal.
Chrysostom encourages Juliana and her companions to endure for the greater reward.
Chrysostom tells Italica that women and men share the same contests and crowns in virtue.
Chrysostom says he is far from Montius in body but near through affection and memory.
Chrysostom says a brief meeting with Helladius proved his genuine love.
Chrysostom tells Euethius that bodily separation has not broken their bond of love.
Chrysostom blesses clergy confined in Chalcedon for bearing chains with apostolic courage.
Chrysostom asks Agapetus to support Elpidius's missionary work around Mount Amanus.
Chrysostom asks Hesychius for letters because travel is hard but writing can substitute for presence.
Chrysostom commends Antiochus to Artemidorus and asks Artemidorus for health news.
Chrysostom thanks Euthalia for letters full of sincere and warm love.
Chrysostom tells Adolia that travel may be hard but writing is easy and asks for more letters.
Chrysostom blesses Hypatius for endurance in persecution and asks for news of his health.
Chrysostom praises bishops who keep trying to correct the eastern church crisis despite delays.
Chrysostom urges Venerius of Milan to keep using bold zeal for the troubled churches.
Chrysostom asks Hesychius of Salona to keep helping the wounded eastern churches.
Chrysostom thanks Gaudentius of Brixia for vigilance and labor on behalf of truth.
Chrysostom rebukes Pentadia's silence and asks for news of her household's health and safety.
Chrysostom tells Alypius that writing first is a sign of love, not forwardness.
Chrysostom remembers Procopius's genuine love and asks him to write about his health.
Chrysostom writes from Cucusus that friendship makes him rich even in the wilderness.
Chrysostom says he carries Antiochus's warm love with him even at the world's edge.
Chrysostom gently rebukes Brison for failing to write despite publicly showing affection.
Chrysostom praises Amproucla for writing first and asks for more letters.
Chrysostom consoles Onesicratia after the death of her daughter.
Chrysostom praises Paianius for saying 'Glory to God for all things' amid painful news.
Chrysostom writes from besieged Cucusus asking Gemellus for health news.
Chrysostom playfully rebukes Claudianus for a long silence and demands a letter.
Chrysostom tells Aetius that letters from friends console exile, illness, and danger.
Chrysostom consoles Studius on the death of his brother and urges measured grief.
Chrysostom rebukes Hesychius's silence and asks for frequent letters.
Chrysostom praises Daniel for bearing affliction with joy and asks for frequent news.
Chrysostom thanks Callistratus for writing first and hopes for a visit when travel allows.
Chrysostom dismisses excuses for Herculius's silence while still asking for health news.
Chrysostom sharply rebukes Cyriacus for failing to write during the crisis.
Chrysostom warns Salustius against slack preaching during persecution.
Chrysostom praises Paianius as a champion supporting the persecuted across several regions.
Chrysostom explains that illness delayed his writing to Anatolius and asks for health news.
Chrysostom urges Theodulus to keep preventing disturbance in Gothia and to pray for peace.
Chrysostom encourages Gothic monks enduring plots and insults while preventing church disturbance.
Chrysostom urges Acacius to write quickly with news of his health.
Chrysostom asks Salvian for news of his health, his wife's health, and his whole household.
Chrysostom asks Theodore to rouse Salustius from slackness during the church crisis.
Chrysostom thanks Timothy for zeal and endurance in danger.
Chrysostom rebukes Theophilus for reported neglect of the assembly and urges correction.
Chrysostom praises Philip after expulsion from the school and asks for news of his health.
Chrysostom tells Sebastianus that love overcomes bodily separation and asks for health news.
Chrysostom praises Pelagius's kindness and asks for continuing news of his health.
Chrysostom writes despite Musonius's silence and describes winter, robbers, and scarce carriers.
Chrysostom asks Valentinus to aid widows and virgins threatened by famine.
Chrysostom encourages Euthymius after expulsion from the school and asks for letters.
Chrysostom gently complains of Severina and Romula's silence while trusting their love.
Chrysostom rejoices that Paianius has returned to a suffering city as a source of comfort.
Chrysostom urges Constantius to keep building churches and caring for eastern communities.
Chrysostom thanks Antiochene presbyters for eager letters and celebrates steadfast love.
Chrysostom writes first to Hesychius and asks for frequent letters about his health.
Chrysostom presses Marcianus and Marcellinus to end their silence with health news.
Chrysostom praises Constantius as a harbor for people in need and asks for letters.
Chrysostom praises Marcianus and Marcellinus for finally writing first.
Chrysostom accepts Carteria's intention as presence and asks for news of her illness.
Chrysostom tells Theodore the physician that love makes him present despite his busyness.
Chrysostom writes to Severa after hearing from Libanius about her zeal for the faith.
Chrysostom asks Elpidius to receive Libanius warmly and sends greetings to his clergy.
Chrysostom tells Adolia that he wants letters about her health and good spirits.
Chrysostom thanks Carteria for letters and Libanius's visit while explaining why he returned gifts.
Chrysostom protests slander and exclusion in a severe letter to the bishop of Antioch.
Chrysostom describes the hard seventy-day road to Cucusus and asks Brison to keep writing.
Chrysostom thanks Porphyrius for steadfast love from near Cucusus.
Chrysostom thanks Carterius for restraining disturbances and describes Cucusus as quiet harbor.
Chrysostom accepts Chalcidia and Asyncritia's intention as presence and asks for health news.
The deaconess Olympias to whom seventeen of Chrysostom's extant letters are addressed was the most eminent of his...
Chrysostom describes fleeing to Arabissus and asks Nicolaus for health and Phoenician news.
Chrysostom asks Aphthonius, Theodotus, and Chaereas for prayers and letters amid siege and illness.
Chrysostom consoles Malchus and his wife on the death of their daughter.
Chrysostom praises Alphius's generosity to those in need and asks for household news.
Chrysostom tells Agapetus that time and distance have not weakened their friendship.
Chrysostom does not summon Hesychius because of danger but asks for health letters.
Chrysostom asks Harmatius for letters rather than material help through servants.
Chrysostom prefers a presbyter's safety to his presence and exhorts Chalcidia through trials.
Chrysostom counts Asyncritia present in spirit and asks whether her illness has improved.
Chrysostom praises Romanus's famous love and asks for letters and prayers.
Chrysostom playfully asks Gemellus to solve the riddle of his silence after gaining office.
If ancient emperors strove to devise laws so that their subjects might enjoy delightful peace, it is far nobler to...