Letter 68: Chrysostom delights in receiving two letters from Theodotus and describes Armenia's dangers.

This too is characteristic of you, our most ardent and fervent friend. After reading the first letter, I received a second also on the same day and was exceedingly pleased. The second had something more: it showed us not only your words but also your handwriting. This gave us an added pleasure, because we saw the image not only of your warm and genuine soul but also, in abundance, of your right hand. Do this continually, and provide in abundance the comfort you yourself devised for us in this way. We do not dare draw you here now, so great are the evils in Armenia, and another winter has followed all the rest. Wherever someone goes, he sees torrents of blood, a multitude of dead bodies, houses torn down, cities destroyed. We seem to be safe as if in a harsh prison, shut up in this fortress, yet we cannot enjoy security because of daily fears, rumors full of deaths, the constantly expected attack of the Isaurians, and the bodily weakness with which we still struggle. Nevertheless, though we are in such great evils, we reap no small comfort in such a situation whenever we receive letters bringing us good news of your health.

ΞΗʹ. Τῷ αὐτῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο σὸν τοῦ θερμοτάτου καὶ σφοδροῦ ἡμῶν ἐραστοῦ. Μετὰ μὲν τὸ τὴν προτέραν ἀναγνῶναι ἐπιστολὴν, ἐδεξάμην καὶ δευτέραν, ἐν μιᾷ ἀμφοτέρας ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ σφόδρα ἥσθην. Εἶχε γάρ τι πλέον ἡ δευτέρα, οὐχὶ ῥήματα σὰ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράμματα σὰ ἡμῖν ἐπιδεικνῦσα· ὃ καὶ προσθήκην ἡμῖν πεποίηκεν ἡδονῆς, ὅτι μὴ τῆς ψυχῆς σου μόνον τῆς θερμῆς καὶ γνησίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς μετὰ δαψιλείας τὴν εἰκόνα ἐθεασάμεθα. Ποίει δὴ τοῦτο συνεχῶς, καὶ τὴν παραμυθίαν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν καὶ τοῦτον ἐπενόησας τὸν τρόπον, μετὰ δαψιλείας πάρεχε. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ σε ἑλκύσαι λοιπὸν οὐ τολμῶμεν· τοσαῦτα τῆς Ἀρμενίας τὰ κακὰ, καὶ χειμὼν ἕτερος ἅπαντα διεδέξατο. Ὅπου γὰρ ἄν τις ἀφίκηται, χειμάῤῥους αἱμάτων, πλῆθος σωμάτων νεκρῶν, οἰκίας κατεσκαμμένας, πόλεις ἀνηρημένας ὄψεται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ δοκοῦμεν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ εἶναι ὥσπερ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ χαλεπῷ, τῷ φρουρίῳ τούτῳ κατακεκλεισμένοι· οὐ μὴν ἀδείας ἀπολαύειν δυνάμεθα, διὰ τοὺς καθημερινοὺς φόβους, διὰ τὰς φήμας τῶν θανάτων γεμούσας, διὰ τὴν συνεχῶς προσδοκωμένην τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἔφοδον, διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος, ᾗ μέχρι νῦν προσπαλαίομεν, ἀσθένειαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντες κακοῖς, οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ περιστάσει καρπούμεθα παραμυθίαν, ὅταν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς δεχώμεθα γράμματα.