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| To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
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Letter
CCXXXII.2947
| 2947 Placed in
376. Maran, Vit. Bas. xxxv., thinks that this
letter is to be placed either in the last days of 375, if the
Nativity was celebrated on December 25, or in the beginning of 376,
if it followed after the Epiphany. The Oriental usage up to
the end of the fourth century, was to celebrate the Nativity and
Baptism on January 6. St. Chrysostom, in the homily on the
birthday of our Saviour, delivered c. 386, speaks of the separation
of the celebration of the Nativity from that of the Epiphany as
comparatively recent. cf. D.C.A., 1, pp.
361, 617. |
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
Every day that brings me
a letter from you is a feast day, the very greatest of feast
days. And when symbols of the feast are brought, what can I call
it but a feast of feasts, as the old law used to speak of Sabbath of
Sabbaths? I thank the Lord that you are quite well, and that you
have celebrated the commemoration of the economy of
salvation2948
in a Church at
peace. I have been disturbed by some troubles; and have not
been without distress from the fact of my God-beloved brother being
in exile. Pray for him that God may one day grant him to see
his Church healed from the wounds of heretical bites. Do come to see
me while I am yet upon this earth. Act in accordance with your
own wishes and with my most earnest prayers. I may be allowed
to be astonished at the meaning of your blessings, inasmuch as you
have mysteriously wished me a vigorous old age. By your
lamps2949
| 2949 The reading of
the Ben. ed. is λαμπηνῶν.
The only meaning of λαμπήνη in
Class. Greek is a kind of covered carriage, and the cognate
adj. λαμπήνικος
is used for the covered waggons of
Numb. vii. 3 in the LXX. But the
context necessitates some such meaning as lamp or
candle. Ducange s.v. quotes John de Janua
“Lampenæ sunt stellæ
fulgentes.” cf. Italian
Lampana, i.e.
lamp. | you rouse me to
nightly toil; and by your sweet meats you seem to pledge yourself
securely that all my body is in good case. But there is no
munching for me at my time of life, for my teeth have long ago been
worn away by time and bad health. As to what you have asked me
there are some replies in the document I send you, written to the
best of my ability, and as opportunity has
allowed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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