Letter 476

To Pierius, the Younger Count. Love according to God is one thing, and quite another is the bestial and irrational affection that is according to the world and the flesh. Now the substance of your letter, namely that this month a desire has come upon you for Dionysiodorus, the son of the magister [a high official], a desire great and unbearable, so that you wish neither to eat, nor to drink, nor to live, unless you first behold the youth who first loved you; and that certain other tokens and signs are contained in the letter written to me by you: all this has made plain to my own insignificance the deceitful and much-stained demon, the one who lies in ambush, eagerly striving against your virtuous and God-loving soul. For from your letter I have easily detected the robber and his cunning stagecraft; for he is clever at working evil. For the spirit of fornication, which the children of the Greeks [the pagans] are accustomed to call Eros, those who are inclined toward pleasure and who despise the judgments to come and that ecumenical [universal] tribunal, it drags down openly and swiftly and without any toil into the pit of licentiousness; but those who have a care for their salvation, and who fight against the beasts of voluptuousness, it pursues with certain baits and contrivances and deceits. And at first, to be sure, it instills nothing ostensibly harsh, but only a [...] and an unsuspecting tenderness for some person, whether a stranger or a fellow countryman, male or female. Then it urges them to converse together and to spend time together, and to travel together, to exchange company and to be lifted up together, to share in necessary affairs, and to keep festival together, and to jest pleasantly together, and to eat together, apart from any fornicating thought. But all these things become the foundations, and the bases, and the beginnings, and the roots of sin. And after these things, in time, when the evil habit has been made hard to break off, then indeed, then the demon, drawing near to the generative members, suddenly kindles the inflammations of the flesh, and makes the limbs seethe like a cauldron, and having shot the heart with the fiery darts of the thoughts of unlawful pleasure, it presses one urgently toward the wicked deed, as if violently firing up that Babylonian furnace. Whence thereupon the soul, having often become faint, and having grown weak in its intellectual sinews through the titillations, and being unstrung, is compelled to cry out the words of the Scripture: "They surrounded me, yea, they compassed me about, and they were kindled like a fire among thorns" [Psalm 117:12 LXX], with the burning of the body and with the unseemly motions, casting into my reins [kidneys, the seat of desire] the venom of the filthy serpent, sparing nothing, and "My loins are filled with mockings" [Psalm 37:8 LXX]. For behold, the strength of the dragon has worked upon my loins. "I was wretched and was bowed down" [Psalm 37:7 LXX]; I am walled about in a circle with the rampart of shameful passion. And how then shall I be able to pass over this wall? "The demons have prepared a snare for my feet, and they have bowed down my soul" [cf. Psalm 56:7 LXX]. For there is darkness in my eyes, but I have hastened not to see. And a grievous blindness is fornication, and, to speak briefly, every gratification and willing of the flesh. I am hunted like a lion to the slaughter, and I am led like a dog to bonds, and like a bird to a snare, and I burn with the most raging fever of uncleanness. Who, then, will entreat on my behalf the Master who loves mankind to come to my aid, and to take hold of my hand, just as once He took hold of the hand of Peter's mother-in-law, that the temptation may depart from me, that the love which scorches me, that dread and abominable love, may leave me, and that I may thus be strong enough to be roused up toward chastity, and to serve my own Lord in sobriety? But that I may not write much at present, I beseech you, who are a good shoot springing from a good root, guard yourself and protect yourself beforehand, with all your power, against this pander and wicked demon, by avoiding any meeting with Dionysiodorus, and by neither keeping festival with him, nor joining in public assemblies, nor eating with him, nor drinking with him, nor choosing to spend time with him, nor even to travel together with him for a short while. But if anywhere there should be a necessity to meet such a one, do not look at him fixedly, lest through your windows, that is to say through your eyes, as the prophet says, the death of sin go up upon your soul [cf. Jeremiah 9:21 LXX]; but looking down toward the ground, with a stern eye and an austere countenance give your replies, not consenting to laugh together or to bathe together with him. For it behooves us to seize beforehand the strongholds and the devices of the filthy serpent, before he himself seizes us beforehand with his manifold nets and snares through the desire for the said boy. For the aforesaid young man has not acquired good reports, and one must flee his suppositions. Since, then, the flesh-loving disposition turns out to be the root of the deed done according to the body, root and all one must destroy the other, before the evil bends forward to the outside and sprouts and is at last made into a trunk; so that it is necessary to make ready axes and to busy oneself with fire, and to require much help for the abolition of the tree of licentiousness. For a root, remaining for a time, has often utterly rotted even a most excellently built wall, and has split a rock. Flee, therefore, the hook of corruption, and run away from the snares of the devil, and crush his traps, fortifying yourself with fasting, and with frequent prayer, and with genuflections, and with bodily toil, and with pious vexation, and securing yourself with the other helps as well, which I have many times been eager to set before you, and sing together with the blessed David to Christ, the most high Savior and our benefactor: "Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity" [Psalm 140:9 LXX]. And remember also the commandments in the Gospel: "Let your loins be girt about with chastity also, and the lamps of your understanding burning, and be yourselves like men who wait for their Lord, when He shall come from the heavens, and shall find watching those who genuinely revere and love Him, that He may make them to shine as the sun in the heavenly kingdom" [cf. Luke 12:35-36; Matthew 13:43]. And know this also, that the enemy tempts certain people not only toward comely faces, but indeed even toward ill-favored and shapeless faces, both of females and of males, casting upon the soul a certain blind love. For the filth-loving demon, being mischievous and manifold, often makes trial in this or in that form to ensnare through the inordinate and shameful appetite. Flee, then, the company of impure youths, both the well-formed and the ill-formed. And whenever at some time you perceive, and catch yourself being troubled by the base passion, and being carried off toward a darkness of soul and a muddy condition, consider that your mind is King Saul being choked by the evil spirit of erotic madness, and bringing the book of David into the midst, charm your heart, as one possessed by a demon, with the words of the Holy Spirit, and it will be well with you in singing to the Lord: "Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity" [Psalm 140:9 LXX], and, "Deliver me from the hand of the enemies that pursue me" [cf. Psalm 30:16 LXX]. And the demon, fearing and being put to shame by the divine words and the greatly profitable melody, will leap away from you; and you yourself will be drawn up out of the pit of misery through the divine grace, and will then thirst for the strange air of purity, and for a state passionless and pure and unconfounded, and a most radiant clear sky, taking its rest after a kind of misty and gloomy night, so that you may say: "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" [Psalm 117:24 LXX]. "Open to me at last, O angels of God, the gates of righteousness" [cf. Psalm 117:19 LXX]; having entered into them: "I will give thanks to You, for You have heard me, and have become my salvation. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, and His mercy from me" [Psalm 117:21; cf. Psalm 65:20 LXX].

Ἑτέρα ἐστὶν ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγάπη, καὶ ἄλλη ἐστὶ κατὰ κόσμον καὶ σάρκα κτηνώδης τισὶ καὶ ἄλογος φιλία. Τὸ οὖν περιέχον τὰ γράμματά σου, ὅτι πό- θος σοι ἱκανὸς γέγονε κατὰ τὸν μῆνα τοῦτον πρὸς Διονυσιόδωρον τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ μαγίστρου πολὺς καὶ ἀφόρητος, ὥστε μήτε φαγεῖν, μήτε πιεῖν, μήτε ζῆν βούλεσθαι σε, εἰ μὴ πρότερον θεάσῃ τὸν μείρακα τὸν προαγαπήσαντά σε, καὶ τὸ ἄλλα τινὰ γνωρί- σματα καὶ σημεῖα ἐγκέτοσθαι τῇ παρά σοῦ μοι γρα- φείσῃ ἐπιστολῇ, φανερὸν τῇ ἐμῇ εὐτελείᾳ κατέστησε τὸν δόλιον καὶ πολυσπίλιον δαίμονα, τὸν ἐνεδρεύον σπουδάζοντα τὴν σὴν ἐνάρετον καὶ φιλότεον ψυχήν. Ἐκ γὰρ δὴ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, εὐμαρῶς πεφώρακα τὸν ληστήν, καὶ τὴν τοῦτου σοφὴν δραματουργίαν· σο- φὸς γάρ ἐστιν εἰς τὸ κακοποιῆσαι. Τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα τῆς πορνείας, ὅπερ ἔρωτα Ἑλλήνων παῖδες κικλή- σκειν εἰώθασι, τοὺς μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐπίφθε- πεῖς, καὶ καταφρονοῦντας τῶν μελλόντων κριμάτων καὶ τοῦ οἰκουμενικοῦ ἐκείνου δικαστηρίου, φανερῶς καὶ ταχέως καὶ δίχα παντὸς καμάτου πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀσελγείας βάραθρον κατασύρει· τοὺς δὲ φροντίδα ἔχοντας τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἡδυπαθείας θη- ρίοις μαχομένους, δελεάμασί τισι καὶ μηχαναῖς καὶ δόλοις μετέρχεται· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν οὐδὲν δῆθεν χαλεπὸν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐ.... μόνον καὶ στοργὴν ἀπολυ- πραγμόνητον ἐντίθησι προσώπου τινὸς ξένου, ἢ ἐγχωρίου, ἄῤῥενος, ἢ θηλείας. Εἶτα συνομιλεῖν καὶ συνδιάγειν προτρέπει, καὶ συνοδεύειν, συν- αλλάσσειν τε καὶ συμμετωρίζεσθαι, κοινωνεῖν τε ἐν πράγμασιν ἀναγκαίοις, καὶ συνεορτάζειν, καὶ συγχαριεντίζεσθαι, καὶ συντρώγειν χωρὶς λογισμοῦ πορνικοῦ. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα θεμέλιοι γίνονται, καὶ ὑποθέσεις, καὶ ἀρχαὶ, καὶ ῥίζαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα λοιπὸν προβέβηκότος χρό- νου, καὶ τῆς κακῆς συνηθείας δυσαποσπάστου κατά- σκευασθείσης, τότε δή, τότε τοῖς γεννητικοῖς μορίοις πλησιάσας ὁ δαίμων, αἰφνίδιον τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐξ- άπτει φλογίσματα, καὶ καθάπερ χαλκίον τὰ μέλη ἀναβράζει, τοῖς τε πεπυρωμένοις βέλεσι τῶν λογι- σμῶν τῆς ἀθέσμου ἡδονῆς τοξεύσας τὴν καρδίαν κατ- επείγει πρὸς τὸ πονηρὸν ἔργον, ὥσπερ τὴν Βαβυ- λωνίαν ἐκκαίων σφοδρῶς κάμινον. Ὅθεν λοιπὸν ἡ ψυχὴ ἐξίτηλος γενομένη πολλάκις, καὶ ἐξασθενήσασα τοῖς τόνοις τοῖς νοεροῖς διὰ τῶν γαργαλισμῶν, καὶ ἐχνευριζομένη, ἀνάγκην ἔχει κράζειν τὰ τῆς Γραφῆς ῥήματα· «Κυκλώσαντές ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ ἐξεκαύ- θησαν ὡς πῦρ ἐν ἀκάνθαις,» τῇ πυρώσει τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ταῖς ἀπρεπέσι κινήσεσι, βάλλοντες εἰς νεφρούς μου τὸν ἰὸν τοῦ ῥυπαροῦ ὄφεως, μὴ φειδόμενοι, καὶ «Αἱ ψύαι μου ἐπλήσθησαν ἐμπαιγμάτων.» Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ δράκοντος ἐπὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ὀσφύος ἐνήργη- σεν. «Ἐταλαιπώρησα, καὶ κατεκάμφθην·» κύκλῳ περιῳκοδόμημαι τῷ τῆς αἰσχροπαθείας τειχίσματι. Καὶ πῶς ἄρα τοῦτο τὸ τεῖχος ὑπερβῆναι δυνήσομαι; «Παγίδα ἡτοίμασαν οἱ δαίμονες τοῖς ποσί μου, καὶ κατέκαμψαν τὴν ψυχήν μου.» Σκότος γάρ ἐστιν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου, ἐγὼ δὲ ἔσπευσα τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν. Ἀβλεψία δὲ χαλεπὴ ἡ πορνεία, καὶ πᾶσα, συντό- μως εἰπεῖν, τῆς σαρκὸς πληροφορία καὶ βούλησις. Ἀγρεύομαι δὲ ὥσπερ λέων εἰς σφαγήν, καὶ φέρομαι ὥσπερ κύων εἰς δεσμά, καὶ ὡς ὄρνεον εἰς παγίδα, καὶ πυρέττω πυρετὸν ἀκαθαρσίας λαβρότατον. Τίς τοίνυν παρακαλέσει ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ τὸν Δεσπότην τὸν φιλάνθρωπον ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὸ βοηθῆσαί μοι, καὶ τῆς χειρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἐψάφασθαι, ὥσπερ ποτὲ ἥψατο τῆς πενθερᾶς τοῦ Πέτρου, ἵνα ἀπέλθῃ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ὁ πειρασμός, ἵνα καταλείπῃ με ὁ πυρπολῶν με ἔρως ὁ δεινὸς καὶ βελυρὸς, καὶ ἰσχύσω οὕτως διεγερθῆναι πρὸς σωφροσύνην, καὶ διακονεῖν τῷ ἰδίῳ Κυρίῳ ἐν νηφαλιότητι; Ἀλλ’ ἵνα μὴ πολλὰ γράφω νυνί, παρακαλῶ σε, ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχοντα βλάστημα, φυλάττου καὶ προφυλάττου, ὅση δύ- ναμις, τοῦτον τὸν μαστρωπὸν καὶ πονηρὸν δαί- μονα, ἐκκλίνων τὴν συντυχίαν τοῦ Διονυσοδώρου, καὶ μήτε συνεορτάζων αὐτῷ, μήτε ἐπανηγύρεις συνάπτων, μήτε συνεσθίων, μήτε συμπίνων αὐτῷ, μηδὲ συνδιατρίψαι τούτῳ, κἂν πρὸς βραχὺ συνοδεύειν αἱρούμενος. Εἰ δέ που ἀνάγκη γένοιτο συντυχεῖν τῷ τοιούτῳ, μὴ βλέπε τοῦτον τρανῶς, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τῶν θυρίδων σου, τουτέστι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου, ὡς φησιν ὁ προφήτης, ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ὁ θάνατος τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἀλλὰ κάτω θεωρῶν εἰς τοὔδαφος, βλο- συρῷ τῷ ὄμματι καὶ αὐστηρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις δίδου, μὴ καταδεχόμενος συγγελάσαι ἢ συνλοῦσασθαι τούτῳ. Χρὴ γὰρ προκαταλαμβάνειν ἡμᾶς τὰ ὀχυρώματα καὶ τὰ μηχανήματα τοῦ ῥυ- παροῦ ὄφεως, πρὶν ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς προκαταλάβῃ ταῖς ποικίλαις σαγήναις καὶ τοῖς βρόχοις διὰ τῆς ἐφέσεως τοῦ εἰρημένου παιδός. Οὐκ ἀγαθὰς γὰρ φήμας κέ- κτηται ὁ λεχθεὶς νεανίας, καὶ δέον ἀποδιδράσκειν τὰς ὑπολήψεις αὐτοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ῥίζα τῆς κατὰ τὸ σῶμα πράξεως τυγχάνει ἡ φιλόσαρκος γνώμη, πρόῤῥιζον τὸν ἄλλον ἀνελεῖ, πρὶν πρὸς τὸ ἔξω προκύψῃ καὶ βλαστήσῃ τὸ κακόν, καὶ στελεχωθῇ λοιπόν· ὥστε ἀναγκαίων ἀξίνας φιλοκαλεῖν, καὶ πῦρ πολυπραγμονεῖν, καὶ πολλῆς προσδεῖσθαι βοηθείας πρὸς ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ δένδρου τῆς ἀσελγείας. Ῥίζα γὰρ παραμείνασα χρόνον, καὶ τοῖχον πολλάκις κάλλιστα δομηθέντα ἐσάθρωσεν, καὶ πέτραν διέρρηξεν. Φεῦγε τοιγαροῦν τὸ ἄγκιστρον τῆς φθορᾶς, καὶ τὰ θήρατρα τοῦ διαβόλου δραπέτευσον, καὶ τὰς παγίδας αὐτοῦ σύντριψον, τῇ νηστείᾳ σεαυτὸν περιφράττων, καὶ τῇ πυκνῇ προσευχῇ, καὶ ταῖς γονυκλισίαις, καὶ κόπῳ σωματικῷ, καὶ σκυλμῷ εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀσφαλίσασθαι καὶ βοηθήμασι, οἷσπερ πλεονάκις ὑποθέσθαι σοι προεθυμήθην, καὶ ψάλλε ἅμα τῷ μακαρίῳ Δαυΐδ πρὸς Χριστὸν τὸν πανύψιστον Σωτῆρα καὶ εὐεργέτην ἡμῶν· «Φύλαξόν με ἀπὸ παγίδος, ἧς συνεστήσαντό μοι, καὶ ἀπὸ σκανδάλων τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὴν ἀνομίαν.» Μέμνησο δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παραγγελμάτων· «Ἔστωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι καὶ σωφροσύνῃ, καὶ οἱ λύχνοι τῆς διανοίας καιόμενοι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ὅμοιοι ἀνθρώποις προσδεχομένοις τὸν Κύριον αὐτῶν, πότε ἥξει ἐξ οὐρανῶν, καὶ εὑρήσει γρηγοροῦντας τοὺς γνησίως σέβοντας καὶ ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν, ἵνα ποιήσῃ λάμψαι αὐτοὺς ὡς τὸν ἥλιον ἐν τῇ ἐπουρανίᾳ βασιλείᾳ.» Κἀκεῖνο δὲ γίνωσκε, ὅτι οὐ μόνον εἰς τὰς εὐειδεῖς ὄψεις πειράζει τινὰς ἐχθρός, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὰ δυσειδῆ καὶ ἄμορφα πρόσωπα, θηλειῶν τε καὶ ἀρρένων, τυφλόν τινα τῇ ψυχῇ ὑποβάλλων ἔρωτα. Καχομήχανος γὰρ καὶ ποικίλος ὑπάρχων ὁ φιλορύπαρος δαίμων, δοκιμάζει πολλάκις ἐν τούτῳ ἢ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ εἴδει παγιδεῦσαι διὰ τῆς ἀτόπου καὶ αἰσχρᾶς ὀρέξεως. Φεῦγε τοίνυν τὰς συναναστροφὰς τῶν ἀκαθάρτων νέων, τῶν τε εὐμόρφων, τῶν τε ἀμόρφων. Ὅταν δὲ καιρῷ τινὶ συναισθῇ, καὶ καταλάβῃς σεαυτὸν ὀχλούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ φαύλου πάθους, καὶ πρὸς γνόφον ψυχῆς καὶ ἰλυώδη κατάστασιν ἐκφερόμενον, νόμιζε τὸν νοῦν σου εἶναι τὸν βασιλέα Σαοὺλ ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος τῆς ἐρωτομανίας πνιγόμενον, καὶ τὴν βίβλον τοῦ Δαυΐδ φέρων εἰς μέσον, κατέπαθε τὴν καρδίαν σου ὡς δαιμονιζομένην τοῖς ῥήμασι τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ καλῶς σοι ἔσται ἐν τῷ ψάλλειν πρὸς Κύριον· «Φύλαξόν με ἀπὸ παγίδος ἧς συνεστήσαντό μοι, καὶ ἀπὸ σκανδάλων τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὴν ἀνομίαν» καὶ, «Ῥῦσαί με ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν τῶν καταδιωκόντων με.» Καὶ τὸ μὲν δαιμόνιον τοῖς θείοις λόγοις καὶ τὴν μεγαλωφελῆ μελῳδίαν φοβηθέν, καὶ αἰσχυνθέν, ἀποπήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἀνελκυσθήσῃ διὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος, καὶ δίψῃ τότε ἀέρα ξένον ἁγνείας, καὶ κατάστασιν ἀπαθῆ τε καὶ καθαράν, καὶ ἀσύγχυτον, καὶ αἰθρίαν φαιδροτάτην, ἀναπεπανουμένην ἐξ ὁμιχλώδους τινὸς καὶ ζοφερᾶς τῆς νυκτός, ὥστ' ἂν εἰπεῖν σε· «Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος· ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ.» «Ἀνοίξατέ μοι λοιπόν, οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, πύλας δικαιοσύνης·» εἰσελθὼν ἐν αὐταῖς. «Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι ἐπ- ηκούσας μου, καὶ ἐγένου μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν. Εὐ- λογητὸς ὁ Θεός, ὃς οὐκ ἀπέστησε τὴν προσευχήν μου, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ.»