Letter 135: Chrysostom thanks Theodotus for concern over the siege and asks him to pray for safety.

I know well that you would have been with us long ago if fear of the Isaurians had not walled you off. A person willing to run here through freezing cold and so much snow would surely not choose to remain there once spring appeared and the air became calm. I know the sweetness, gentleness, warmth, sincerity, and freedom of your soul. For this reason I grieve deeply that, in this mild season of the year, you bring us a serious winter of despondency by being separated from us so long. I do not say this to drag you here, even if you wanted it a thousand times, for everything is full of wars. I say it so you may know that even though we enjoy much quiet and calm, we cannot be without grief while separated from your honor. Thank you for the care you have about the disturbances here. The siege grows worse each day, and we sit in this fortress as if in a trap. Already, at midnight, a band of three hundred Isaurians rushed the city and almost captured us. But God's hand quickly turned them back before we even knew it, so that we were freed not only from danger but from fear, learning what had happened only when day came. So rejoice, and do not stop asking God to establish us in safety and free us from the illness that still presses on us. I have written this not to grieve you, but to stir you more earnestly to pray for us. I commend to your Reverence my most honored lord Theodotus the lector. Be a harbor for him in everything you can, for we have learned that many things distress him.

ΡΛΕʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀγνοῶ, ὅτι πάλαι μεθ' ἡμῶν ἔμελλες εἶναι, εἰ μὴ τῶν Ἰσαύρων ὁ φόβος διετείχιζεν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐν κρυμῷ πάντα πηγνύντι, καὶ χιόνι τοσαύτῃ δραμεῖν ἐνταῦθα ἀνασχόμενος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ ἤρους φανέντος, καὶ πολλῆς τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα γαλήνης οὔσης, οὐκ ἂν ἠνέσχου μένειν αὐτόθι. Οἶδα γὰρ τὸ γλυκὺ, καὶ προσηνὲς, καὶ θερμόν σου τῆς διαθέσεως, τὸ εἰλικρινὲς, τὴν πολλῆς γέμουσαν ἐλευθερίας ψυχήν. ∆ιὸ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀθυμῶ, ὅτι ἐν τῇ οὕτως ἡμερωτάτῃ τοῦ ἔτους ὥρᾳ, χειμῶνα οὐ τὸν τυχόντα ἡμῖν ἐπάγεις ἀθυμίας, τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν χωριζόμενος χρόνον. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω οὐχ ἕλκων σε ἐνταῦθα κἂν μυριάκις αὐτὸς θέλῃς πολλῶν γὰρ ἅπαντα πολέμων ἐμπέπλησται, καὶ τοῦτο εἴσῃ διὰ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖσε ἀφικνουμένων, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι γε ἡσυχίας καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνης πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντες, ἀλύπως δυνάμεθα εἶναι ἐνταῦθα τῆς σῆς κεχωρισμένοι τιμιότητος, καὶ τοῦτο μαθὼν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλῃς, μὴ μόνον διὰ τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν ἐκεῖσε ἐρχομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἁπτομένων τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀφίξεως. Πολλὴν δέ σοι χάριν ἴσμεν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε, καὶ τῆς φροντίδος, καὶ τῆς μερίμνης, ἣν ἔχεις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνταῦθα θορύβων. Καὶ γὰρ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπιτείνεται τὰ τῆς πολιορκίας τῆς ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ὡς ἐν παγίδι, τῷ φρουρίῳ τούτῳ καθήμεθα. Ἤδη γοῦν καὶ μέσων νυκτῶν παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν καὶ προσδοκίαν, στῖφος Ἰσαύρων τριακοσίων τὴν πόλιν κατέδραμον, καὶ μικροῦ ἂν καὶ ἡμᾶς εἷλον. Ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χεὶρ ταχέως αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ αἰσθομένων ἡμῶν ἀπέστρεψεν, ὡς μὴ μόνον τῶν κινδύνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ φόβου ἐκτὸς γενέσθαι, καὶ ἡμέρας γενομένης, τότε μαθεῖν τὰ συμβάντα. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου, καὶ μὴ παύσῃ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλῶν, ὥστε ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἡμᾶς καταστῆσαι πάσῃ, καὶ ἀπαλλάξαι καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἡμῖν ἀῤῥωστίας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ σφαλερῶς ἔχειν ἠλευθερώμεθα, ἀλλ' ὅμως μένει ἔτι λείψανα τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἡμῖν, συνεχῶς τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀναμιμνήσκοντα. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐπεστάλκαμεν, οὐχ ἵνα λυπήσωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα σε σπουδαιότερον πρὸς τὰς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν διεγείρωμεν εὐχάς. Τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον τὸν ἀναγνώστην Θεόδοτον παρακατατίθεμαί σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, ὥστε κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐν ἅπασιν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι λιμένα. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς ἔγνωμεν, αὐτὸν τὰ λυποῦντα.