Letter 181: Your reverence is, I know, no less distressed than myself at the removal of the very God-beloved bishop Eusebius. We both of us need comfort. Let us try to give it to one another.
Your reverence is, I know, no less distressed than I am at the removal of our deeply beloved bishop Eusebius [Eusebius of Samosata, exiled by the Arian emperor Valens for his staunch Nicene faith]. We both need comfort. Let us try to give it to each other.
You write to me whatever you hear from Samosata, and I will report to you anything I learn from Thrace.
It is no small relief in our present distress to know of the constancy of his people. It will be the same for you to have news of our common father. I cannot, of course, put everything in a letter, but I commend to you the man who carries this -- he is fully informed and will tell you in what condition he left Eusebius, and how he bears his troubles.
Pray for him, and for me, that the Lord will grant him a swift release from his suffering.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Ὀτρηίῳ Μελητινης]
Οἶδα ὅτι καὶ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας τοσοῦτον ἅπτεται ὁ χωρισμὸς τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Εὐσεβίου ὅσον καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀμφότεροι χρῄζομεν παρακλήσεως, ἀλλήλοις γενώμεθα παραμυθία. καὶ σύ τε ἡμῖν ἐπίστελλε τὰ ἐκ Σαμοσάτων, ἡμεῖς τε ἅπερ ἂν μάθωμεν ἀπὸ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἀπαγγελοῦμεν. φέρει γὰρ ἐμοὶ μὲν τὸ γινώσκειν τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἔνστασιν οὐ μικρὰν ῥᾳστώνην ἐκ τῶν παρόντων λυπηρῶν, τῇ δὲ σῇ χρηστότητι τὸ διδάσκεσθαι ἐν οἷς ἐστὶν ὁ κοινὸς ἡμῶν πατήρ. ἀμέλει καὶ νῦν οὐ γράμμασι σημαίνειν ἔχομεν· ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν παρεστήσαμέν σοι τὸν ἀκριβῶς εἰδότα καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντα ἐν οἷς αὐτὸν κατέλιπε, καὶ ὅπως καὶ φέροντα τὰ συμπίπτοντα. εὔχου τοίνυν καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ Κύριος ταχεῖαν ἀπαγάγῃ τῶν δεινῶν τούτων τὴν λύσιν.
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