Letter 420: Theodore Studite, Letter 420; Greek heading: Στεφάνῳ μαγίστρῳ.

I know, master, that one ought to hold back before those of high rank, and most of all before your own unsurpassable eminence; yet nevertheless your accessibility and the moderation of your spirit have given us the freedom both to write to you once long ago and now to do the same, since the time calls for it, and since we sinners have been released from the imprisonment we bore for the Lord's sake at the cessation of the persecutor. When this was heard, it made both ears of every man ring [cf. 1 Samuel 3:11] -- not simply because it was lifted, but because it was lifted in such a manner. This, then, is the occasion of the letter. But before the subject that has prompted me to write, I make this much clear: that it was not without groaning and not unmoved that I bore the report of the death of your good and ever-remembered consort, reflecting how great a blow your honored soul received at the parting. For the blessed woman was, so far as report from outside could tell, one of the truly praiseworthy women -- of whom I, the humble one, had small experience, but my blessed father had received more; though you yourself, my lord, are the one who knows all things in every respect. May her memory, then, be with the just [cf. Psalm 111:6-7]; for I judge that she was also exceedingly orthodox in mind, along with her other virtue. The reason for the letter is plain to your great authority. The choir of the persecuted seeks you out; the word of truth calls upon you -- the one as a lover of piety and a lover of monks, the other as a courageous lover of itself [i.e., of the truth]. Not that you have remained unmoved until now, for you have championed both, since we have heard what things, by God's prompting, you have both done and said; but that you may continue to do so for the future as well. Do you see, my master, how great is the evil of the heresy [hairesis -- here, iconoclasm, the rejection of holy images]? For were it not so great, there would not be so many who suffer, nor so many the tortures and afflictions, which have spread to the farthest ends of the inhabited world. Do you see also the death of the persecutor? Be encouraged, you who are easily encouraged; be moved together with us, you who are moved by God. Stretch out a hand to our Church, which lies cast down upon the ground, as far as you are able; as far as your strength allows, speak yet good things into the ears of our pious emperor. For Christ is your contest, for the Theotokos [the Mother of God], for all the saints. For if a man who clings to the image [eikon -- icon] of the emperor says or does anything, he renders his speech to no other than the emperor himself. And if what is said concerned but one saint, the prize for you would be very great; but where it is Christ, and the deed is done for Christ's sake, is it not joy for you, and glory and exultation, to give your whole self with great eagerness? Yes, my ever-longed-for lord, I too, the wretched one, entreat you -- and on this further ground, that in caring for the common good we do good to our very selves, since we are ill together with the rest, even if not in a perverse mind, yet defiled all the same by communion with the heretics. This is our humble request, this the reminder; and that even for a simply good word no contemptible rewards are laid up for you -- still less for one who has given himself to so great a labor, as we have heard. May the mighty hand of God preserve you, who are truly worthy of all admiration and hold the foremost seat of the Senate.

Οἶδα, δέσποτα, ταῖς ὑπεροχαῖς ὑποστέλλεσθαι καὶ μάλιστα τῇ σῇ ἀνυπερβλήτῳ· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ εὐπρόσιτόν σου καὶ μέτριον τοῦ φρονήματος ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν παρρησίαν καὶ πάλαι ποτὲ ἐπιστεῖλαι καὶ ἄρτι τὸ αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι, καλοῦντος τοῦ χρόνου καὶ ἀφεμένων ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τῆς διὰ Κύριον φυλακῆς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ διώκοντος παῦλαν. ἥτις ἀκουσθεῖσα ἤχησε παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀμφότερα τὰ ὦτα, οὐχ ὅτι ἁπλῶς ἤρθη, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοιουτοτρόπως. Αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ πρόφασις τῆς ἐπιστολῆς. ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸ τῆς ὁρμηθείσης μοι ὑποθέσεως εἰς τὸ γράψαι ἐκεῖνο ὑποδηλῶ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀστενάκτως καὶ ἀπαθῶς ἤνεγκα τὴν ἀκοὴν τοῦ θανάτου τῆς ἀγαθῆς καὶ ἀειμνήστου ὁμοζύγου σου, ἐνθυμούμενος ἡλίκην πληγὴν ἔλαβεν ἡ τιμία σου ψυχὴ τῇ διαζεύξει· ἐπεὶ ἦν ἡ μακαρία τῶν ὄντως ἐπαινετῶν γυναικῶν ὅσον ἀπὸ τῆς ἔξω ἀκοῆς, ἧς πεῖραν κἀγὼ μικρὰν ὁ ταπεινός, πλέον δὲ μᾶλλον ὁ μακάριός μου πατὴρ εἴληφεν, τὰ δὲ πάντα κατὰ πάντα αὐτὸς εἶ, κύριέ μου, ὁ εἰδώς. Ἐκείνης μὲν οὖν εἴη τὸ μνημόσυνον μετὰ δικαίων· τεκμαίρομαι γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ὀρθόφρων ἦν λίαν μετὰ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς. οὗ δὲ χάριν τὸ γράμμα, πρόδηλον τῇ μεγαλοφυεῖ σου ἐξουσίᾳ. ἐπιζητεῖ σε ὁ χορὸς τῶν δεδιωγμένων, ἐπικαλεῖταί σε ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁ μὲν ὡς φιλευσεβῆ καὶ φιλομόναχον, ὁ δὲ ὡς ἐραστὴν αὐτῆς εὐπαρρησίαστον. οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἐκινήθης ἕως τοῦ νῦν, προμαχῶν ἀμφοτέρων, ἐπείπερ ἠκούσαμεν οἷα θεοκινήτως καὶ πέπραχας καὶ λέλεχας, ἀλλ' ὅπως καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς. ὁρᾷς, δέσποτά μου, οἷον τὸ κακὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως; οὐδὲ γάρ, εἰ μὴ τηλικοῦτον, τοσοῦτοι οἱ πάσχοντες καὶ τοσαῦτα τὰ αἰκίσματα καὶ θλιπτήρια, ἃ μέχρις ἐσχάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης διέδραμεν. βλέπεις καὶ τὸν τοῦ διώξαντος θάνατον; παρακλήθητι, ὁ εὐπαράκλητος, συγκινήθητι, ὁ θεοκίνητος· ὄρεξον χεῖρα χαμαὶ κειμένῃ τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίᾳ ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, ἐφ' ὅσον ἰσχὺς λάλησον εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς ἡμῶν βασιλέως ἔτι ἀγαθά. ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ σοι τὸ ἀγώνισμα, ὑπὲρ τῆς Θεοτόκου, ὑπὲρ πάντων ἁγίων· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἴ τις τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως εἰκόνος ἀντεχόμενος λέγει τι ἢ πράσσει, ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ χαρίζεται τὸν λόγον. καὶ περὶ ἑνὸς ἁγίου εἰ ἦν τὸ λεγόμενον, μέγιστόν σοι τὸ ἆθλον· ὅπου δὲ Χριστὸς καὶ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ ἡ διάπραξις, ἆρα οὐχὶ χαρά σοι, δόξα τε καὶ ἀγαλλίασις σὺν πολλῇ προθυμίᾳ ὅλον σεαυτὸν ἐπιδοῦναι; ναί, κύριέ μου ἀειπόθητε, ἐκδυσωπῶ κἀγὼ ὁ τάλας καὶ ἄλλως ὅτι ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς εὐεργετοῦμεν τοῦ κοινοῦ φροντίζοντες, ἐπείπερ συννοσοῦμεν, κἂν οὐ φρονήματι στρεβλῷ, ὅμως δ' οὖν χραινόμενοι τῇ αἱρετικῇ κοινωνίᾳ. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ταπεινὴ ἡμῶν ἐξαίτησις, τοῦτο τὸ ὑπόμνημα καὶ ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ λόγου ἁπλῶς ἀγαθοῦ οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητοι μισθοί σοι ἀπόκεινται, μὴ ὅτι γε τοσούτῳ μόχθῳ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδώσαντι, καθὰ ἠκούσαμεν. σῴζοι σε ἡ κραταιὰ χεὶρ τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀξιάγαστον καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου πρωτόβαθρον.