Letter 156: Theodore Studite, Letter 156; Greek heading: Εἰρήνῃ πατρικίᾳ.

Both when we write and when we do not write, it is our constant task to remember your Honor unforgettably, not only on account of the kindness which you showed long ago toward our lowliness, but indeed also on account of your manner of confessing Christ, for we count you among those who, here and there, are confined and contend as athletes for Christ's sake. For have you yourself not been persecuted, not driven from your home, not deprived of your city, not confined, not ever held in readiness for dangers? Yes, truly, and for this reason you are blessed, because yours is the kingdom of heaven. Who among the confessors does not know that you have confessed together with them? Where has it not been heard that even a senatorial lady [synkletike, a woman of senatorial rank] is among the martyrs? The ranks of monks have marveled at you, the assemblies of the laity have praised you. And what of these things? The very ranks of the angels and of the saints have rejoiced over you. And do not suppose this word to be flattery. Look then, O martyr of Christ, with what honor you have been honored, to what height you have been raised. Compare for me clay and gold: by so much, and by far more, does the heavenly dignity now granted to you by God-to be called a martyr of Christ, a confessor of the truth-surpass the earthly dignity which you left behind. Therefore I remind you not to turn aside at all from your firm stand [enstasis, the resolute resistance to heresy], you who are set firmly upon the immovable rock of orthodoxy; nor to become easily frightened and to waver in both directions at the falls of certain persons, whether of laity or of monks, even those who seem to be something, or simply of anyone whatsoever. For such people are false brethren, false apostles, having a form of godliness but having denied the power of it. Many who seemed wise, and who bore the appearance of high priests, and who seemed holy, were caught out in former times; but a few, the truly wise, shone like luminaries in the world-those who live their lives in the fear of God, since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and who did not think themselves to be worth much; for a human being looks upon the face, but God looks upon the heart. I exhort you further: temper yourself, as iron is tempered, by the live coal of divine love, cutting away every attachment [prospatheia, passionate clinging to things]; for thus you will cut down the assaults that are to come. For do not by any means suppose that you will remain untested, whether in word or also in deed; for the devil envies you, having received a mortal blow at your hands. "Because even a woman rises up against me," he says, "and she one under the yoke [married], and indeed a woman of distinction"-saying something of this sort: "I cannot bear it; I will yet set in motion many devices against her: her husband, her child, her whole blood-kin, the women of her own senatorial rank, her acquaintances, the menservants, the maidservants, her property, and besides these, piteous tears, entreaties, promises. But if from this quarter I fail, I shall pass over to the other kind: I bring on imperial threats, the envious resentments of those of equal rank, who say, 'Aha! Will she alone be above all? Who, and what sort of woman, is she?'-and insults too, mockeries, sneers, derisions, sometimes even spittings, perhaps even slaps, perhaps even buffetings, perhaps even death." See to it, sister in the Lord, that you do not give way. These are the marks of Christ, these are the heavenly crowns, making you a new martyr. For were not those women too [the early female martyrs] of the same flesh, noblewomen, of great wealth, cut off from husband by the sword of the spirit? Thus does the word counsel you to be prepared, sister and mother, that the tempter, the devil, may not entice you in anything, so that by your own example you may strengthen many, and may save them, that you may dance forever in the kingdom of God. Pray for me. I greet in the Lord your offshoot [your child or young companion] and fellow-contender.

Καὶ γράφοντες καὶ μὴ γράφοντες ἔργον ἔχομεν ἀνεπιλήστως μνημονεύειν σου τῆς τιμιότητος οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὸν τῆς εὐεργεσίας λόγον, ὃν ἐνεδείξω ἔκπαλαι πρὸς τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς ὁμολογίας Χριστοῦ τρόπον, συντάσσοντές σε τοῖς ὧδε κἀκεῖσε διὰ Χριστὸν περιωρισμένοις καὶ ἐναθλοῦσι· μὴ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ οὐ δεδιωγμένη, οὐκ ἄποικος, οὐκ ἄπολις, οὐ περιωρισμένη, οὐκ ἐμπαράσκευος ἀεὶ πρὸς κινδύνους; ναὶ ἀληθῶς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μακαρία, ὅτι σοί ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. τίς οὐκ οἶδεν τῶν ὁμολογητῶν ὅτι συνωμολόγησας; ποῦ οὐκ ἠκούτισται ὅτι καὶ συγκλητικὴ ἐν μάρτυσιν; ἐθαύμασάν σε μοναστῶν τάγματα, ᾔνεσάν σε λαϊκῶν συνεδρεύματα· τί δὲ ταῦτα; αὐτὰ τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ ἁγίων τάγματα εὐφράνθησαν ἐπὶ σοί. καὶ μὴ δοκήσῃς κολακείαν εἶναι τὸν λόγον. βλέπε οὖν, ὦ μάρτυς Χριστοῦ, οἷον τετίμησαι, οἷον ὕψωσαι· σύγκρινόν μοι πηλὸν καὶ χρυσόν, τοσοῦτον καὶ πολλῷ πλέον οὗ κατέλιπες ἐπιγείου ἀξιώματος τὸ νῦν δωρηθέν σοι ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἀξίωμα ἐπουράνιον, μάρτυρα καλεῖσθαι Χριστοῦ, ὁμολογητὴν ἀληθείας. Διὸ ὑπομνήσκω μὴ τραπῆναι τὸ καθόλου τῆς ἐνστάσεως, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσάλευτον πέτραν τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας ἐρηρεισμένην σε, μηδὲ εὐπτόητον καὶ ἀμφοτερίζουσαν γενέσθαι ταῖς τινων καταπτώσεσιν εἴτε λαϊκῶν εἴτε μοναστῶν καὶ δοκούντων εἶναί τι εἴτε ἁπλῶς οὑτινοσοῦν· οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδάδελφοι, ψευδαπόστολοι, ἔχοντες μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι. πολλοὶ δοκησίσοφοι καὶ ἀρχιεροφανεῖς καὶ ἁγιόδοκοι ἐν τοῖς πάλαι ἑαλώκεσαν· ἔλαμψαν δὲ ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ ὀλίγοι καὶ ἀληθινοὶ σοφοί, οἵτινές εἰσι φόβῳ θεοῦ διαζῶντες, ἐπείπερ ἀρχὴ σοφίας φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ μὴ οἰηθέντες εἶναι πολλοῦ ἄξιοι· ἐπειδὴ ἄνθρωπος εἰς πρόσωπον, θεὸς δὲ εἰς καρδίαν ὁρᾷ. Παρακαλῶ ἔτι, στόμωσον ἑαυτὴν τῷ ἄνθρακι τῆς θείας ἀγάπης, κόπτουσα πᾶσαν προσπάθειαν· οὕτω γὰρ συγκόψεις τὰς προσβολὰς τὰς μελλούσας. μὴ γὰρ πάντως οἴου ἀβασάνιστος διαμένειν εἴτε λόγῳ ἢ καὶ ἔργῳ· φθονεῖ σε γὰρ ὁ διάβολος, λαβὼν καιρίαν πληγὴν ἐπὶ σοί. "ὅτι καὶ γυνή μου κατεξανίσταται", φησί, "καὶ ταύτη ὑπὸ ζυγόν, καί γε ἐν περιφανείᾳ", τοιαῦτά πως λέγων· "οὐ φέρω, κινῶ κατ' αὐτῆς ἔτι μου πολλὰς μηχανάς, τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸ τέκνον, τὸ αἷμα ὅλον, τὰς ὁμοσυγκλήτους, τὰς γνωρίμους, τοὺς παῖδας, τὰς παιδίσκας, τὴν περιουσίαν, πρὸς τούτοις ἐλεεινὰ δάκρυα, παρακλήσεις, ὑποσχέσεις· εἰ δέ γε ἐντεῦθεν ἀποτύχω, μετέρχομαι ἐπὶ τὸ ἕτερον εἶδος, προσάγω βασιλικὰς ἀπειλάς, φθόνους τῶν ὁμοαξίων, "4οὐά"5, λεγόντων, "4ἐκείνη μόνη ὑπερέξει πάντων; ὅστις καὶ ποία;"5, ὕβρεις ἔτι, χλευασμούς, μυκτηρισμούς, καταγέλωτας, ἐνίοτε καὶ ἐμπτυσμούς, μὴ καὶ ῥαπίσματα, μὴ καὶ κολαφίσματα, μὴ καὶ θάνατον". Ὅρα, ἀδελφὴ ἐν Κυρίῳ, μὴ ἐνδώσῃς. ταῦτα Χριστοῦ στίγματα, ταῦτα στέφανοι οὐράνιοι, νέαν σε μάρτυρα ποιοῦντα· μὴ γὰρ κἀκεῖναι οὐχ ὁμοιόσαρκοι, εὐγενίδες, πολύολβοι, ἐξ ἀνδρὸς τμηθεῖσαι μαχαίρᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος; οὕτως σε ὁ λόγος παρασκευάσθαι ὑποτίθεται, ἀδελφομήτηρ, μή σε δελεάσῃ ἔν τινι ὁ πειραστὴς διάβολος, ἵνα πολλοὺς τῷ οἰκείῳ ὑποδείγματι στερεώσῃς, καὶ σώσῃς, ὅπως χορεύσῃς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ αἰώνια. Προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ· ἀσπάζομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ τὴν ὅρπηκά σου καὶ σύναθλον.