Letter 443: Theodore Studite, Letter 443; Greek heading: Δημητρίῳ ὑπάτῳ.

A little earlier, in our previous letter, we already excused ourselves, observing that your faith, master, and the honor and the love you show are great and beyond our deserving. We, however, are not such as you suppose, but sinners, being of no benefit either to you or indeed to others. But may there be to you, in accordance with your trust, the reward and the mercy from the Lord, together with the lady consul's wife and your noble offshoots [children]; whose offerings also, having received them, we have presented to the Lord as thank-offerings. But let our discourse turn to the pressing matter. Some, you say, were grieved on account of the second Herod, since he was orthodox and the Church commemorates him. First, then, it is customary to call rulers "Herod," as the Theologian [Gregory of Nazianzus] says: "If you should stand before Herod, keep silent." Next, let those who lay the charge consider whether the likeness is not fitting. The first Herod, having as wife the daughter of King Aretas, and having cast her out, took the wife of Philip his brother into a second cohabitation; and, since this was contrary to the law, he is reproved by the Forerunner [John the Baptist]; and, not bearing the reproof, he kills the prophet. Then, a little later, being stirred up against by his own people, he is slain, the God who judges justly bringing a fitting penalty upon the murderer: in return for a holy death, a most pitiable death. Let us come to the one of whom our discourse speaks. He too, having a wife, Maria, who had been lawfully joined to him from his youth, and having cast her out in adulterous fashion, contrary to the word of the Lord, took as wife Theodote the cubicularia [a lady of the imperial bedchamber] into a second cohabitation; and, since this was contrary to the Gospels, he is reproved face to face by Plato [Theodore's uncle, abbot of Sakkoudion]; and, not bearing the reproof, he shuts up the holy man as one buried. Then, a little later, being stirred up against by his subject people, he is blinded, the God who renders justice bringing a befitting penalty upon the jailer: in return for a holy imprisonment, the maiming of his eyes. Let everyone, therefore, who has understanding give ear to how rightly Constantine should be named a second Herod, since from then until now no other has committed such a thing, he himself having procured the name for himself by his deeds. And concerning this let them give us no trouble. Christ, the truth, cannot lie that he is an adulterer, nor can the one who resists deny that he is, no less, fighting against God; and what the adulterer has done will not cease to be spoken of until the consummation of the age. But since those who are grieved have been carried along together into the adultery, they are wickedly distressed at the reminder, when they ought rather to confess the truth and to fall down and weep before God on account of having been led astray, for which they will also render an account on the day of judgment if they do not repent. But these people, toward provoking God still further, draw upon themselves sins upon sin. Or has it escaped them what sort of persecution was kindled from this everywhere, and how many committed adultery from the foremost example? And the rest I pass over in silence, out of respect for certain persons. Let them cease grieving with a grief hateful to God, whoever they may be; for God does not accept the person [show partiality] of a human being; and, contrary to what we have received from the Gospel, if anyone should preach another gospel, even an angel, he is made subject to anathema, as the blessed Apostle cries out. Knowing these things, let the most reverend abbot also not bring a charge concerning Saint Theophanes, that he was blamed in the matter; for nothing is more to be preferred than the truth. And does he not refuse to hear that not even Peter the great Apostle [refused to acknowledge] the denial, nor David the holy [the] adultery, nor Cyprian the holy martyr [the] sorcery? As for the fact that he [Constantine] is commemorated as orthodox in the Church, this in no way stands against the Gospel, since Valentinian too is commemorated, yet not with respect to having two wives together unlawfully, but with respect to the right faith; and Jovian, yet not, as is recorded, that he was a corrupter of males; and Nikephoros, yet not insofar as he was grasping [avaricious]. And there is much to say concerning the others, who, even though slandered in other respects, yet obtained ecclesiastical commemoration on account of their orthodoxy alone. Let these things stand thus. But you yourself, master, keep the writing securely, not making it public, since there is danger, as the letter-carrier will report. The Lord be with your spirit. Amen.

Μικροῦ καὶ πρότερον διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ἀπελογησάμεθα ὡς πολλὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν ἡμῶν ἡ πίστις σου, δέσποτα, ἥ τε τιμὴ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπησις. ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐσμέν, καθὰ ὑπολαμβάνετε, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτωλοί, εἰς οὐδὲν ὄφελος οὔτε ὑμῖν, οὔτε μὴν ἄλλοις ὑπάρχοντες. εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὴν πεποίθησιν ὁ μισθὸς καὶ ὁ ἔλεος παρὰ Κυρίου σὺν τῇ κυρίᾳ ὑπατίσσῃ καὶ τοῖς εὐγενέσιν ὑμῶν κλάδοις· ὧν καὶ τὰς προσφορὰς δεξάμενοι προσηνέγκαμεν Κυρίῳ τὰ χαριστήρια. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ κατεπεῖγον ὁ λόγος. ἐλυπήθησαν, φησί, τινὲς διὰ τὸν δεύτερον Ἡρώδην, ὅτι ὀρθόδοξος ἦν καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία μνημονεύει αὐτοῦ. πρῶτον μέν, Ἡρώδην σύνηθες λέγειν τοὺς κρατοῦντας, καθά φησιν ὁ Θεολόγος, ἐὰν Ἡρώδῃ παραστῇς, σιώπησον· ἔπειτα σκοπείτωσαν οἱ ἐπισκήπτοντες, εἰ μὴ εἰκότως ἡ ἀφομοίωσις. ὁ πρῶτος Ἡρώδης, γυναῖκα ἔχων τὴν θυγατέρα Ἀρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ταύτην ἐκβαλών, εἴληφε τὴν γυναῖκα Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς δεύτερον συνοικέσιον· καί, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὸν νόμον τοῦτο, ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Προδρόμου· καί, μὴ φέρων τὸν ἔλεγχον, κτείνει τὸν προφήτην. εἶτα μετὰ μικρὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου λαοῦ ἀνασοβευθεὶς φονεύεται, τοῦ δικαιοκρίτου θεοῦ ἀξίαν ἐπαγαγόντος δίκην τῷ φονευτῇ, ἀντὶ θανάτου ὁσίου θάνατον οἴκτιστον. Ἔλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὸν περὶ οὗ ὁ λόγος. γυναῖκα καὐτὸς ἔχων Μαρίαν, τὴν νομίμως συναφθεῖσαν αὐτῷ ἐκ νεότητος, ἐκβαλὼν ταύτην μοιχικῶς κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου εἴληφε γυναῖκα Θεοδότην κουβικουλαρέαν εἰς δεύτερον συνοικέσιον· καί, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὰ εὐαγγέλια τοῦτο, ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ Πλάτωνος κατὰ πρόσωπον· καί, μὴ φέρων τὸν ἔλεγχον, κλείει τὸν ὅσιον ὡς τεθαμμένον. εἶτα μετὰ μικρὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑπηκόου ἀνασοβευθεὶς τυφλοῦται. τοῦ δικαιοδότου θεοῦ προσήκουσαν ἐπαγαγόντος δίκην τῷ φρουριστῇ, ἀντὶ φυλακῆς ὁσίας πήρωσιν ὀφθαλμῶν. ἐνωτισάσθω οὖν πᾶς ἔχων νοῦν ὡς ἄρα δικαίως δεύτερος Ἡρώδης Κωνσταντῖνος, ἐπὰν οὐκ ἄλλος ἔκτοτε μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο πέπραχε τοιοῦτον, ὀνομάζοιτο, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ προξενήσας πρακτικῶς τὸ ὄνομα. καὶ περὶ τούτου πράγματα μὴ παρεχέτωσαν ἡμῖν. οὐ δύναται Χριστός, ἡ ἀλήθεια, ψεύσασθαι, ὅτι μοιχός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ὁ ἀντιπίπτων, ὅτι μὴ οὐχὶ θεομαχεῖ· καὶ οὐ λήξοι λαλούμενον ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ μοιχεύσας ἕως συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ἀλλ', ἐπειδὴ οἱ λυπούμενοι συναπήχθησαν τῇ μοιχείᾳ, ἀνιῶνται κακῶς τῇ ὑπομνήσει, δέον αὐτοὺς ὁμολογεῖν τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ προσπίπτειν καὶ προσκλαίειν τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπαγωγῆς, ἐφ' ᾗ καὶ δώσουσι λόγον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως μὴ μετανοοῦντες. οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὸ παροξύνειν τὸν θεὸν ἔτι ἁμαρτίας ἐφ' ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐπισπῶνται· ἢ λέληθεν αὐτοὺς οἷος διωγμὸς ἐντεῦθεν ἀνήφθη πανταχοῦ καὶ ὅσοι ἐμοίχευσαν ἐκ τοῦ προύχοντος παραδείγματος; καὶ τἆλλα σιωπῶ λέγειν αἰδοῖ τινων προσώπων. παυσάσθωσαν λυπεῖσθαι λύπην θεοστυγῆ, οἵτινες ἂν εἶεν· πρόσωπον γὰρ θεὸς ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμβάνει· καί, παρ' ὃ ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου παρελάβομεν, ἐάν τις εὐαγγελίζηται ἕτερον, μέχρι καὶ ἀγγέλου, ἀναθέματι ὑποβάλλεται, καθὰ βοᾷ ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος. ταῦτα εἰδὼς καὶ ὁ εὐλαβέστατος ἡγούμενος μὴ ἐγκαλείτω περὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Θεοφάνους ὅτι ᾐτιάθη ἐν τῷ πράγματι· ἀληθείας γὰρ οὐδὲν προτιμότερον. καὶ οὐκ ἀπαναίνεται ἀκούων ὡς οὐδὲ Πέτρος ὁ μέγας ἀπόστολος τὴν ἄρνησιν, οὐδὲ Δαυὶδ ὁ ἅγιος τὴν μοιχείαν, οὐδὲ Κυπριανὸς ὁ ἱερομάρτυς τὴν γοητείαν; περὶ δὲ τοῦ ὅτι ὡς ὀρθόδοξος μνημονεύεται ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐδὲν προσίσταται τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, ἐπεὶ μνημονεύεται καὶ Οὐαλεντινιανός, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ τὸ δύο ὁμοῦ γυναῖκας ἔχειν παρανόμως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὀρθὴν πίστιν· καὶ Ἰοβιανός, ἀλλ' οὐ, καθὼς ἱστορεῖται, ὅτι ἀρρενοφθόρος ἦν· καὶ Νικηφόρος, ἀλλ' οὐ καθὸ πλεονέκτης. καὶ πολλοῦ ἐστι λέγειν περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, οἵ, κἂν τὰ ἄλλα διαβεβλημένοι, διὰ δὲ τὴν ὀρθοδοξίαν μόνον μνήμης ἔτυχον ἐκκλησιαστικῆς. Ταῦτα ἐχέτω ὧδε. αὐτὸς δέ, δέσποτα, κάτεχε ἀσφαλῶς τὸ σύγγραμμα, μὴ ἔκφορον αὐτὸ ποιῶν, ἐπειδὴ κίνδυνος, καθὰ ἀναγγελεῖ ὁ γραμματηφόρος. ὁ Κύριος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν. ἀμήν.