St. John Chrysostom LETTERS TO OLYMPIAS : Index.

St. John ChrysostomLETTERS TO OLYMPIAS : C.4.theme of much gossip. For my lord Poeanius has disclosed to methat the presbyters of Pharetrius himself have arrived on the spot,who declare that they were in communion with me and had nocommunication or intercourse or partnership with my adversaries.Therefore to avoid upsetting them do not let any one know thesethings. For certainly the things which befell me were very grievous:and if I had not suffered any other distress the events whichhappened there would have sufficed to procure innumerable rewardsfor me: so extreme was the danger which I encountered. Now Ibeseech you to keep these matters secret, and so I will give you ashort account of them, not in order to grieve you but rather to makeyou glad. For herein consists the material of my gain, hereinconsists my wealth, herein the means of getting rid of my sins--thatmy journey is continually encompassed by trials of this kind, andthat they are inflicted upon me by persons from whom they werequite unexpected. For when I was about to enter the region ofCappadocia, having escaped from that man of Galatia, who nearlythreatened me with death, many persons met me on the way saying"the lord Pharetrius is awaiting you, and going about in all directionsfor fear of missing the pleasure of meeting you, and making everypossible endeavour to see you, and embrace you, and show you allmanner of affectionate regard; and he has set the monasteries ofmen and women in motion for this purpose. Now when I heard thesethings I did not expect that any of them would really take place, butformed an impression in my own mind precisely the reverse: but ofthis I said nothing to any of those who brought me this message.2. Now when I arrived late one evening at Caesarea, in an exhaustedand worn-out condition, being in the very height of a burning fever,faint and suffering to the last degree, I lighted upon an inn situatedjust at the outskirts of the city, and took great pains to find somephysicians and allay this fiery fever; for it was now the height of mytertian malady. And in addition to this there was the fatigue of thejourney, the toil, the strain, the total absence of attendants, thedifficulty of getting supplies, the want of a physician, the wastingeffects of toil, and heat and sleeplessness; thus I was well nigh adead man when I entered the city. Then indeed I was visited by thewhole body of the clergy, and the people, monks, nuns, physicians,and I had the benefit of great attention, as all paid me every kind ofministration and assistance. Yet even thus, being oppressed by thelethargy arising from the feverish heat I was in an extremelydistressed condition. At length by degrees the malady was comingto an end and abating. Pharetrius however nowhere appeared; butfile:///D|/Documenta%20Chatolica%20Omnia/99%20-%20Pr...i/mbs%20Library/001%20-Da%20Fare/01/ToOlympias-4.htm (2 of 8)2006-05-31 21:41:27