Letter 210: Chrysostom asks Theodore to rouse Salustius from slackness during the church crisis.

I was surprised to learn from others about the slackness of the presbyter Salustius. I have been told that by October he had delivered barely five homilies, and that he and the presbyter Theophilus are both failing to come regularly to the assembly, one from hesitation and the other from fear. I have written more sharply to Theophilus himself. For Salustius I am writing to you, because I know how warmly you love him, and I rejoice in that. Still, I am hurt that you did not tell me. You should either have corrected him or at least made the matter known. Now, then, do both him and us the greatest kindness: wake him up more forcefully. Do not let him sleep or idle. If he does not show courage now, in this winter storm of affairs, when will we need him? Only when calm and peace have already returned? Act as befits you, and rouse him.

ΣΙʹ. Θεοδώρῳ. Ἐθαύμασα πῶς παρ' ἑτέρων ἔμαθον τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν Σαλουστίου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγνωρίσθη μοι ὅτι μόλις πέντε ὁμιλίας εἶπεν ἕως Ὀκτωβρίου μηνὸς, καὶ ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ Θεόφιλος ὁ πρεσβύτερος, ὁ μὲν ὄκνῳ, ὁ δὲ δειλίᾳ, οὐ παραβάλλουσι τῇ συνάξει. Ἀλλὰ Θεοφίλῳ μὲν σφοδρότερον ἐπέστειλα, καθαψάμενος αὐτοῦ, Σαλουστίου δὲ ἕνεκεν τῇ σῇ ἐπιστέλλω τιμιότητι, ἐπειδὴ οἶδα πῶς αὐτοῦ σφοδρὸς ἐραστὴς εἶ· καὶ σφόδρα χαίρω καὶ εὐφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Καὶ ἀλγῶ πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα, ὅτι μοι οὐκ ἐποίησας τοῦτο δῆλον, δέον καὶ διορθῶσαι, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐδέτερον τούτων ἐποίησας. Νῦν γοῦν παρακαλῶ, καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ ἡμῖν τὰ μέγιστα χαριζόμενος, διέγειρον αὐτὸν σφοδρότερον, καὶ μὴ ἔα αὐτὸν καθεύδειν, μηδὲ ἀργεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ νῦν ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τῶν πραγμάτων τούτων καὶ τῇ ζάλῃ τὴν προσήκουσαν ἐπιδείξαιτο ἀνδρείαν, πότε αὐτοῦ δεηθησόμεθα οὕτως; ὅταν γαλήνη γένηται καὶ εἰρήνη; Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν, τὰ σαυτῷ πρέποντα ποιῶν καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ πάντας διέγειρον εἰς τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ τὴν ἀντίληψιν τοῦ χειμαζομένου λαοῦ, ὃ καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων γραμμάτων εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι οἴκοθεν καὶ παρὰ σαυτοῦ ποιεῖς.