114. К Поливию 92

Someone else in our place would have complained and lamented about the unbearable cold, about the terrible desolation of this place, about his cruel illness (since we had to get sick here); and I, leaving this, complain about separation from you, which is harder for me than desert, illness, and cold. Now winter has made it even harsher than before. Previously, I had at least one consolation that eased the bitterness of separation - I could talk with you in writing; but the coming winter took away this only pleasure from us, covering all the roads with a lot of snow, so that it is impossible to get to us from anywhere and stay with us, or to go from us and ride to you. No less, if not much more, the fear caused by the Isaurians is producing the same thing at the present time, increasing the desolation and driving everyone away, putting them to flight, making everyone exiles. No one now dares to live at home and everyone, leaving their home, hurries to take refuge somewhere. In cities, only walls and roofs remain, and forests and gorges become cities. Just as wild animals - leopards or lions - believe that deserts are much safer for them than populated cities, so we, the inhabitants of Armenia, are forced to run from place to place every day, living the life of some nomads or nomads and not daring to stop anywhere: to such an extent confusion and anxiety reign everywhere here. Those who are found at home are cut, burned, and converted from a free state into slavery. And those who run away at one rumor become homeless wanderers, or also die. How many young people, in fact, perished, who, often at midnight, in the freezing cold, were forced to instantly flee from home due to a terrible rumor about the appearance of enemies, as if fleeing from a fire! There was no need for Ysaurian swords to say goodbye to their lives. They died freezing in the snow, and thus the reason for their flight from death became for them the cause of death even more cruel. This is the state of our affairs. We told you about this not in order to sadden you (although, of course, our story will deeply sadden you), but in order to reveal to you the reason for our long silence and explain exactly why we have not written to you for so long. Everyone has left us to such an extent that it is impossible to find any of the visitors, and we are now forced to send away from here and send to your honor the presbyter living with us. Having accepted it with your characteristic disposition, quickly send it back to us with the joyful news of the health of your dimension. You know how impatiently we look forward to receiving this information. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” Probably written in 406. You might be interested in: