Letter 119: Chrysostom opens the door for Theophilus to write and urges him to resist despondency.

Since I have opened a door for you to write, show that your earlier silence came not from laziness but from waiting to receive from us the freedom to write. Send us a shower of letters telling us good news of your reputation, for you know how much we care about it. Do not let the tyranny of despondency throw you into silence. Tear it apart more easily than a spider's web. Stand bright in the battle line, and by your boldness and freedom confound your adversaries. Now is the time for good reputation and great profit. A merchant does not gather cargo by sitting in harbor, but by crossing wide seas, daring waves, fighting hunger and the dangers of the deep, and enduring many hardships. So consider this terrible season a time for profit, approval, and unspeakable rewards. Lift up the wings of your mind, shake off the dust, and write to us often about your health and courage.

ΡΙΘʹ. Θεοφίλῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδή σοι θύραν ἀνέῳξα τοῦ γράφειν, δεῖξον ὡς οὐχ ὁ ὄκνος ἐποίει τὴν ἔμπροσθεν σιγὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀναμένειν λαβεῖν τοῦ γράφειν τὴν παῤῥησίαν, καὶ πέμπε νιφάδας ἡμῖν γραμμάτων, τὴν σὴν ἀπαγγελλόντων ἡμῖν εὐδοκίμησιν· οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως αὐτῆς ἀντεχόμεθα· μηδὲ ἀφῇς τῆς ἀθυμίας τὴν τυραννίδα εἰς σιγήν σε ἐμβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάσης ἀράχνης εὐκολώτερον αὐτὴν διασπάσας, φαίνου λαμπρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως, καὶ τῇ πολλῇ παῤῥησίᾳ καὶ ἐλευθερίᾳ συγχέων τοὺς ἐναντίους. Νῦν γάρ ἐστι καιρὸς εὐδοκιμήσεως καὶ ἐμπορίας πολλῆς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔμπορος ἐν λιμένι καθήμενος, τὰ φορτία συνάγειν δύναιτ' ἂν, ἀλλὰ μακρὰ διαπερῶν πελάγη, καὶ κυμάτων κατατολμῶν, καὶ λιμῷ καὶ θηρίοις τοῖς ἐν πελάγει πυκτεύων, καὶ πολλὰς ἑτέρας ὑπομένων δυσκολίας. Ταῦτ' οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς λογισάμενος, ὡς ὁ τῶν δεινῶν καιρὸς οὗτος τῆς ἐμπορίας ἐστὶ καιρὸς, καὶ πολλῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως, καὶ μισθῶν ἀφάτων, διανάστησόν σου τὸ πτερὸν τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τὴν κόνιν τῆς ἀθυμίας ἀποτιναξάμενος μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας πᾶσαν περίτρεχε τὴν φάλαγγα, συγκροτῶν, ἀλείφων, ἅπαντας διεγείρων, νευρῶν, σπουδαιοτέρους ποιῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα ἡμῖν δήλου διὰ γραμμάτων τῶν σῶν, μηδὲν ὑφορώμενος, εἰ κατορθώματα μέλλοις αὐτὸς ἀπαγγέλλειν τὰ σὰ, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑπόταγμα ἡμέτερον ἀνύων, χαρίζου ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ἵνα καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντες, πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν ἡδονὴν, ταῦτα ἀκούοντες παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας, ἅπερ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν μανθάνειν.