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| Second Letter to Orsisius.
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Letter
LVIII.—Second Letter to Orsisius.
‘But the most holy
Archbishop Athanasius, when he heard about our father Theodorus, was
grieved, and sent this letter to the Abbat Orsisius and the brethren to
console them for his decease, as follows:’—
Athanasius to Orsisius, Abbat, father of monks,
and to all with him who practise the solitary life, and are settled in
faith in God, beloved brethren most longed for in the Lord,
greeting.
I have heard about the decease of the blessed
Theodorus4695
| 4695 On
Theodore see Amelineau, S. Pakhôme, &c., pp.
xcv.–xcvii. The death of Theodore is fixed for April 27, 364, on
the following grounds. He died (Vit. Pachom. 95) of a short and
sudden illness, on Pachon 2 (April 27), and shortly after Easter.
Moreover his death took place 18 years after that of Pachomius. But
Ammon (as he tells us himself, supr. p. 487) became a Christian
and a monk ‘a year and more’ after March 15, 351
(proclamation of Gallus as Cæsar), and six years after the death
of Pachomius. (Ep. Amm. 4, 5.) This dates the latter event a
little less than five years before March 15, 351. But Pachomius
died, according to his Life, on Pachon 14 (May 9), of an
epidemic which attacked the community after Easter. This double
condition is satisfied by the year 346, in which Easter fell on Pharm.
4, forty days before the day of Pachomius’ decease. If then
Pachomius died in 346, Theodore died in 364. Against this result we
have (1) the fact that in that year April 27 was twenty-three days
after Easter; but the Easter gathering of the monks would last over
April 11 (Low Sunday), and the death of Theodore would come suddenly
enough a fortnight later; (2) the fragment (supr. p. 551)
probably belonging to Letter 39, which a coptic life of Theodore makes
him state that he received before his last Easter. But this cannot be
correct; for all known data forbid us to place the death of Theodore as
late as 367. (Tillemont’s tentative opinion, vii. 691, 761, is
bound up with an obsolete chronology of the exiles of Athan.) On the
other hand Theodore cannot have died as early as 363. Athanasius was
with him (supr. p. 487) in the summer of that year, and when our
present letter was written Ath. had clearly kept Easter at home, which
suits 364, but excludes 363. | , and the tidings caused me great
anxiety, knowing as I did his value to you. Now if it had not been
Theodorus, I should have used many words to you, with tears,
considering what follows after death. But since it is Theodorus whom
you and I have known, what need I say in my letter save ‘Blessed
is’ Theodorus, ‘who hath not walked in the council of the
ungodly4696
?’ But if ‘he is blessed
that feareth the Lord4697
,’ we may now
confidently call him blessed, having the firm assurance that he has
reached as it were a haven, and has a life without care. Would that the
same had also befallen each one of us; would that each of us in his
running might thus arrive; would that each of us, on his voyage, might
moor his own bark there in the stormless haven, so that, at rest with
the fathers, he might say, ‘here will I dwell, for I have a
delight therein4698
.’ Wherefore,
brethren beloved and most longed-for, weep not for Theodorus, for he
‘is not dead, but sleepeth4699
.’ Let none weep when he remembers him, but
imitate his life. For one must not grieve over one that is gone to the
place where grief is not. This I write to you all in common; but
especially to you, beloved and most longed for Orsisius, in order that
now that he is fallen asleep, you may take up the whole charge, and
take his place among the brethren. For while he survived, you two were
as one, and when one was away, the work of both was carried on: and
when both were there you were as one, discoursing to the beloved ones
what made for their good. Thus act, then, and so doing write and tell
me of the safety of yourself and of the brotherhood. And I exhort you
all to pray together that the Lord may grant further peace to the
Churches. For we now kept festival with joy, both Easter and Pentecost,
and we rejoice in the benefits of the Lord. I write to you all. Greet
all who fear the Lord. Those with me greet you. I pray that you may be
well in the Lord, beloved and much-longed-for brethren.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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