Жизнь и подвиги преподобного отца нашего и исповедника Феодора, игумена обители Студийской, описанные монахом Михаилом [Студитом] (Житие 2 – Vita B)

1. [Col. 233] Many of the saints, who in former times shone in various countries and fatherlands, like the sun, illuminated those approaching them with the rays of their virtues and both lovers of goodness and those who were carelessly in a different state encouraged them to compete in a pious life and disposed them to the better. But no less than the famous shepherd of our community and the brilliant pillar of the confession of Christ, Theodore, who shone like some bright star in our places and in our times, [he] illuminated almost the entire universe with the rays of ascetic life and the exploits of courageous confession. Through the severity of life and the firmness of virtue, he was such a zealous imitator of those who became famous for both, and so united their virtues in himself that the words of his teaching spread to the east and south, west and northern countries. In addition, the branches of his spiritual, God-blessed planting - his disciples - reached there, and from them truly abundant cities of souls and schools of virtue were formed; and there is not a single country where the glory of his life and name has not reached. But how this glorious leader and father of our life lived, some of his disciples immediately after his death described in song, briefly depicting the numerous exploits of his extremely lofty life in a few poetic sayings. After them, other clergy of the Church very elegantly compiled a detailed record in the form of a historical narrative and in the form of words of praise, preparing a cure for oblivion for old age. Therefore, those who are industrious and not too dull mentally from ignorance should read the works that have already been compiled and study from them everything that is superior to many [Col. 236] life of the Holy Father and, if they want, gain benefit and be amazed at the depth of his wisdom, the image of the monastic community, his exact traditions and godly institutions, which he decreed and handed down to his disciples and for this reason he was considered in his time as if he were another Basil [the Great]. But since the society of brethren and the minds of many, for the most part short-sighted, obviously prefer prosaic and simple speech as one that supports the mind in a wakeful state, listening to words, and brings greater benefit to their souls than a heavy and dark presentation of thoughts, then, in obedience to your commands, most honorable fathers, and we, humble and meaningless, will, if possible, compose about this divine forefather of ours and the wise teacher of the universe such a legend, which, although far from corresponding to his dignity, but, as far as possible for our weakness, has in mind intelligibility and clarity. Another St. Basil the Great 2. The great and invincible champion of the Orthodox faith and the famous ruler of the monastic brotherhood, Theodore, was born and raised in the city, the highest of all cities on earth, which was then ruled by the most wicked son of the wicked father - Constantine Copronymus, who turned out to be the most zealous continuer of the anti-Christ heresy, oppressing the new Israel of Christ, like the Egyptian ingenuity of Pharaoh once, with clay and by making plinths (Ex. 1:14) of iconoclastic pandemonium through the cruel overseers of this work, because he found him striving for the land of the gospel life and unswervingly following the Lord's commandments. His parents were pious and noble people, who by their deeds justified the meaning of the names given to them by their parents. Of these, his father 76, truly a light, in the words of the eloquent Athenians, born of God, was bright (φοτεινός) both in morals and in name, distinguished by his love of Philokalia and worthily adorned with the brilliance of chastity, as shown by the subsequent love of his godly soul for God; for, having received considerable power from the king, since he was the treasurer of the royal income, he, having considered this and all the other pleasures of life as nothing, resorts to God and the King of all with his entire household and chooses a serene life instead of life at the royal court; or, better yet, having despised things that disappear like smoke and dreams, he partakes of constant and ever-present blessings and joins the ranks of those who have dedicated themselves to God, having courageously renounced communication with his wife five years earlier out of excess of piety. Also, his mother was an excellent and famous woman, adorned with prudence and able to manage her children and home well, as created by God (υπό Θεοΰ κτισθεΐσα) and sealed with a name corresponding to her deeds; [Col. 237] for, having fully acquired the general name of God-givenness through a virtuous life, she was and was called Theoktista, having earned herself praise from everyone by her honest behavior. However, what course of life this venerable woman accomplished, her God-given fruit, richly endowed by God with the language of eloquence, has already spoken about it in the form of a public teaching to his subordinate brethren. Therefore, sending there those who want to know about her, we appropriately continue the conversation about our father. Rev.'s childhood and youth Theodora 3. Having spent the first seven years in accordance with natural properties, he began to study the introductory and primary subjects of science; for knowledge acquired from childhood, growing along with the soul, is united with it and remains strong with the one who acquired it. When he grew up, he learned grammar, then dialectics, which those knowledgeable in it usually call philosophy; In addition to what was mentioned, as much as he could, he mastered the beauty of rhetorical eloquence and was recognized by everyone as outstanding in terms of the vivacity of his natural talents and voluntary hard work. And not only for this was he respected by his peers and older people, but he was considered even more worthy of surprise by his behavior, since he loved virtue, lived his life in purity, avoided the company of bad people and always communicated with the prudent, if possible, often visited prayer churches during services and to the lives of previously famous saints, like a hardworking bee to fragrant meadows, he lay down with his thoughts and studied them; and he directed both one and the other, or, better, everything in general, towards the acquisition of the only good 78, that is, praiseworthy and respectable virtue, which delights the emotional senses more than honey and honeycomb (Ps. 18:11). Truly, this wondrous man from childhood was very wise and devoted to the teachings of Christ, having received from the Hypostatic Wisdom 79 of God the Father, who instructs every mind and will and brings from non-existence into being, as if as a special gift, the most important of all virtues, 80 which is usually followed by others among those who have more than one empty name, but justifies the name by which they are called. Completely guided by her, this divine Theodore walked the straight and royal path and was far from the paths of madness, which usually overthrows those who surrender to it and casts them into the hell of destruction; for so beautifully and wisely from childhood he set himself up, or, better, was set up by Divine grace, which extends a helping hand to those who choose the good, promotes and gives strength to achieve the best. 4. After the evil tormentor and king like Pharaoh died not in the Red Sea, but in Gehenna, for which flammable material, [Col. 240] that is, firewood, hay and straw (cf. 1 Cor. 3:12), the fruits of a vicious life, he delivered throughout his life, like a barren and thorny land, and after immediately after him, by family succession, his son Leo the Younger reigned for a short time and died, not wanting to understand David’s prophecy that the strongest horn was returned from David (Ps. 131:17), who crushed the horns of sinners, demons and ungodly people - the Head of the world, Christ, the great and only eternal king, raised up the horn of salvation (Luke 1:69) and at the same time peace (ειρήνης) for His Church, that is, Irene, corresponding to this name, and moreover, more by deeds than by name. It was then that the divine Theodore completely abandoned worldly vanity and, like a young horse that had tamed itself, resorted to the guidance of virtue, being twenty-two years old. It was when the most God-loving Irina, having been exalted by God to the power of autocracy, called from distant limits, from exile and dungeons, the remaining sparks of piety and monastic life, about which she cared and which she revered as the salt of the earth and the lamps of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), containing the word of life, as able to salt the members of the Church damaged by the serious illness of heresy and to enlighten with the light of the Orthodox faith the eyes of their minds, - then, leaving the Olympic Grove 81, the native brother of the above-mentioned glorious Theoktista, the most venerable Plato, arrived in the city, in whose honor the great Theodore composed a brilliant word of praise, adequately describing his life 82 in order to for his part strive and act together with other fathers gathered in Nicaea, numbering up to three hundred and fifty, for the deposition and extermination heresy and to restore the worship of sacred icons; This meeting was deservedly called the Seventh [Ecumenical] Council, since it served as a pacification of the troubles that preceded it, as a seal and completion of our Orthodox faith. Having united with Tarasius, a champion of piety and a famous universal luminary, who, according to his name, turned away (εκταράξαντι) all the storm of wickedness and, with the help of God, brought silence to the Church, he was his adviser in everything and his right assistant, just as this one showed all respect and honor to the monk for the firmness of his ascetic life and high origin. 5. While staying in Constantinople on this occasion, the wondrous Plato disposed many others to despise real perishable goods, and especially aroused a greater desire for a better monastic life in his own sister and pious nephew Theodora, who even before had an inner flame with a great love for heavenly life. This Theodore, filled with jealousy from the admonitions of the monk, with the assistance of his mother’s advice, [Col. 241] through her inspires saving and proper thoughts to the father and thus disposes him and his three brothers to be imbued with a similar love for virtue and subsequently join their own, for he had previously captured his two brothers 83 with one sister through the kind admonitions of their mother. When in this way they all agreed to renounce the world and devote themselves to God in an apostolic form, 84 they hastily sold everything related to worldly life and needed in the correction of royal positions, also their house, and, having distributed the proceeds to the poor, they gave free life to the slaves serving in the house, giving them another portion of the property. Then, leaving from there all together, they retire to the Sakkudion area, chosen in advance by them, which was their property and very convenient for monastic life and peace, for this estate is wooded, rounded in the shape of the moon and having an entrance only on one side; in the middle of it there is a plain on which various trees grow, fruitful and barren, there is a beautiful church in the name of [John] the Theologian, there is sufficient water, and nothing else appears to entertain the eyes of the inhabitants except the sky and the northern sea. From that time until now, this place has flourished and abounded with many brothers living in it and has become famous through the grace of our God-bearing confessors and fathers who laid the beginning and foundation of the angelic life in it. Spiritual exploits and virtues of St. Theodora 6. Living here at first together with others who were with him, the great Theodore devoted himself entirely to the leadership of the Monk Plato and, having received from him the full armor of the holy image, he completely followed his will in everything, both in his desires and in his actions. For, wary of the danger of self-indulgence, he believed that one must be far from one’s own will, finding evidence of this in the apostolic saying: I live not for this purpose, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, he so submitted to the ever-memorable Plato, showing humility of character and thoughts not only before him, but also before others higher and lower, that he was like a man without desire and will or a soulless statue, bridling the flesh with the fear of the Lord and abstaining from everything that vanity and envy, hatred and malice, anger and enmity with inattention of reason usually produce; but he showed generosity, zeal and unindulgent haste in bodily labors with the usual decency so zealously that the work entrusted to him was immediately brought to an end. He runs back and forth to each of the brethren to help those who are weak from illness or laziness and fill their shortcomings with his help, without refusing to carry firewood, work with a spade, clean the garden, [Col. 244] to serve proper food to the sick, but voluntarily doing this and the like, and they even often saw him carrying out animal dung secretly when the brethren were sleeping at night or midday. By this, they say, he surprised those who worked with him, presenting with his actions an obvious and great proof of the fiery and perfect love for Christ inherent in his inner man, who is in the image of God, not by the admiration of being equal to God, but by exhausting Himself, taking on the form of a servant, being obedient even to the point of death, the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6-8). 7. This and everything else written about Him as God and as man, contemplating with a cheerful thought, [St. Theodore] was enlightened in soul, touched in heart, inflamed in mind with a constant desire to please God and, if possible, to imitate. By the way, obeying the commands of the great Plato, he built a church in the name of John the Theologian, son of Gromov (Mark 3:17), which had the appearance of the vault of heaven, with multi-colored decorations, skillfully decorating not only the upper part of it and providing those living there with a wondrous and beautiful meeting place, but also covering the floor itself with various and gilded stones, so that their feet could enjoy the shine of the stones. Sending up prayers to the Lord together with those present, he especially shone with the light of love for God and tenderness, first of all entering the house of God and after all leaving from there, although some of those who settled there were, by the grace of God, very zealous in this. 8. In addition, he also performed private prayers, secretly isolating himself from others, especially on those days when he was not engaged in work, and he wet his cheeks and the floor on which he stood with streams of tears, for he received in abundance the gift of tenderness from God, from whom every perfect gift is given to those who are worthy and prepared. He observed abstinence all the more because he found it useful for those who wanted to serve Christ purely and immaculately. Having placed the mind, as it were, as an incorruptible judge between the spirit and the flesh, through this he fulfilled his due in relation to both of them in such a way that neither the visible part of him weakened from excessive fasting and did not become extremely incapable of serving in Christ, nor the mental faculties from satiety with food were subjected to the passions of relaxation, from which a monk usually suffers death. And so the blessed one, living in this way, served as a model by his deeds, although by name he did not clearly define the exact properties of each virtue in general for those who followed him. Indeed, looking at him, his companions, especially the wondrous Joseph, who was related to him both by nature and in morals, adorned their souls with his beauty, showing the same strong zeal to be like him in deeds, therefore he was considered by them to be like another Theodore, distinguished by virtue and knowledge. He, by Divine determination, at one time took the reins of the Holy Church of God in Thessalonica, and suffered many expulsions and imprisonments for the Orthodox faith 85. With him were also Anthony and Timothy, Athanasius and Naucratius and a numerous host of others, who then, with an ascetic life, and after a courageous struggle, killed the uds on the ground, and trampled all the strength of the enemy (Col. 3:5). 9. Meanwhile, our father Theodore read the lives and works of all the God-bearing fathers with a contrite heart and in a spirit of humility, having in mind the only useful goal: how to please God with those who have chosen the same life. Especially, they say, he was a lover and imitator of the heavenly Basil. Studying his ascetic rules and all the other dogmatic reasoning of his very godly books and greatly marveling at the vastness of his wisdom and prudence, he tried to be completely like the Great, since negligence for good no longer had a place in him. Seeing that the outline of his ascetic rules at that time was neglected by those who chose a communal life, namely, slaves, herds of livestock and female animals were acquired, he greatly lamented his heart at such a violation of the commandments; then he takes courage and comes to Elder Plato with a prudent proposal, saying that such an incurable illness of many should not be ignored, but that by one’s own example one should destroy the innovation that arose among many from unbelief and love of peace, for it is indecent for saints to seek benefits that are characteristic of those who are in the world and leading a life that is not entirely holy. This was fulfilled rather than said, with the help of Christ and the Monk Plato, who recognized the salutary nature of the proposal: they released a crowd of servants to live in freedom, providing them with letters of leave, and distributed other things to the poor and thus turned out to be obvious executors of fatherly traditions and true examples of monastic deanery, since this good deed of the ever-memorable men was publicized everywhere and encouraged lovers of goodness to similar competition in virtue, and those who were accustomed to deviate from the true path of asceticism were moved to ungodly hatred. [Col. 248] They, delighting in the words of the former, did not fall into vanity, as if they had accomplished something great, and, being subject to the censure of the latter, did not abandon the godly commandment, but, observing themselves within the limits of sound judgment, prudently avoided harm from both. Ordination of Rev. Theodora 10. Meanwhile, when their affairs were so prosperous and their brotherhood multiplied and, like a fat and fruitful field, perfectly cultivated by the experience of skillful farmers, brought repeated fruit to the Lord, then the wise shepherd Plato, rightly judging that the one who had long ago sacrificed himself worthily to the Trinity through the perfect mortification of his members and became the purest church of innocence, should be made and performer of the bloodless and glorious Sacrifice, goes with him to the divinely inspired Patriarch Tarasius. He [Theodore], although he was very sad about the monk’s intentions regarding him, nevertheless obeyed out of humility, so as not to seem as if he reasoned better than his father. The divine clergyman, having received them with great joy, as longed-for treasures, lays his hand on Theodore and performs the sacrament of the priesthood over him, starting with the lowest subdeacon and reaching the presbyterian rank. When they soon sailed to their monastery, the Monk Theodore did not think that it was necessary to limit himself to previous exploits, knowing well the constant progress of virtue; but just as the bravest warrior, who had already put his opponents to flight and gained the glory of victory over them, subsequently shows greater courage and zeal, so the ascetic of virtue Theodore, considering the degree of ordination a reward received for victory over hostile passions, and recognizing this honor as an incentive to great feats, did not give sleep to his eyes, and in every way he slumbered and rested. scraniama, according to the expression of the Psalmist (Ps. 132:4), but, exhausting his flesh with all-night exercises in the Holy Scriptures, he almost conquered natural need and showed supernatural abstinence in the most necessary satisfaction of the demands of nature, so that he did not sleep even one whole hour a day, and used the rest of the hours for good deeds. 11. When in this way Theodore daily grew in virtues, the Monk Plato, seeing this, several times wanted to declare him, as already experienced in a high and excellent life, the abbot of the brotherhood, which went to heaven under his leadership and multiplied by the grace of Christ to a whole hundred; but did not convince him to do so, in all other respects he submitted softer than wax, but knew well what kind of judgment threatens those who carelessly approach such power, the impossibility of which the great [Gregory] Theologian depicted in these words: [Col. 249] “It is difficult to be able to obey, but it seems much more difficult to be able to rule over people” 86. However, the spiritual lamp should not always remain hidden, but should be placed on the candlestick of the pastoral elevation in order to shine on everyone in the house (cf. Matthew 5:15) with the excellent light of its brilliant deeds. One day the Monk Plato became ill and burned internally for several days with a strong fever, so that it seemed to many that he would depart from temporary life; and since whoever after him was to be the head of the flock had to join this rank upon the election of the brotherhood, he forms a council of all his spiritual sons and, having told them briefly about his visible illness, invites them to judge and say whom they will choose to be their shepherd. When they, as if with one voice, chose the great Theodore, he invites him to come out into the middle and, having confirmed to him with words and movements that his illness is fatal, then saying that the voice of the spiritual council of the brethren in Christ has been cast for him and that it is desirable that he take care of them in the rank of primate, with difficulty he finally convinces him to accept this, in the thirteenth year of his true obedience in the Lord and thirty fifth year of his life. Thus, he enters into the leadership of the brethren, tormented by fear and trembling for the sake of the destruction that threatens the souls of the flock from the foolishness of [the shepherds]. 12. So, he gets up and, completely abandoning his beloved tranquility, becomes active and begins to organize his flock. Trusting in the one wise and powerful God, who girdes the weak with strength and makes the blind themselves wise (Ps. 64:7; 15:8), he accepts the weapons of light (Rom. 13:12), that is, the sayings of the Scriptures, and stands in the midst of the sacred host there, as an experienced warrior and a strong warrior. Taking up the loud trumpet of teaching, he calls his companions to the proper formation against spiritual enemies, skillfully arming them with bows and spears, shields and helmets and shouts of victory. Thus, he strengthens their souls against the invisible Midianites and shows them what is involved, what is for what, how and when they need to have desires and thoughts, words and actions, through which, with the help of God, it would be possible to avoid the snares of the spiritual Philistines 87 and erect glorious trophies of victory over them. 13. And the own life of our holy father was truly a silent edification, and the state of morals in all respects testified to him as a trustworthy shepherd who can encourage others to perform deeds of virtue. But since he, besides being taught the wisdom of Divine and human, [Col. 252] received the ability to teach from the eternal streams of the Spirit, he constantly poured out the verbal world of his mind and exuded streams of life-giving teaching; others who were ready to burn in the fiery furnace of passions, he irrigated and turned the soul-destroying coals of his lust into ashes; He examined another, who was sick internally from evil thoughts and was carried away by them to sinful death, like some kind of heavenly doctor and, offering the suffering person a healing cup of saving speeches, miraculously delivered him from the infection that had befallen him. Thus, Theodore was useful on both sides, that is, both in deeds and in teaching, partly offering healing against infirmities to each of those who came to him individually, according to the nature of their confession, and partly delivering useful conversations for everyone together in church at the end of the morning hymns; He, as a prudent trustee, offered this spiritual food of the word to his fellow servants three times a week, with fear and love for the common Lord and Savior of all, Christ. Christ is not involved in criminal souls 14. However, it is time for us to begin the feats of struggle of this great champion of piety. At that time, Constantine, the son of the Christ-loving Irene, reigned as the sole ruler, who, having youthful incontinence and unbridledness and indulging in fiery carnal desires, rejected his former lawful wife and, having forcibly forced her to take the veil, in an adulterous manner, like ancient Herod, shamelessly took another, named Theodota, causing an unfortunate, greatest temptation not only for the Church God, but also for all leaders of nations and governors. The Divine Patriarch Tarasius, not deigning to such cohabitation, refuses to place marriage crowns on them and does not approve of the lawless relationship, for Christ is not involved in criminal souls, as one of the fathers who came before us said. But one presbyter and steward of the same most holy Great Church, 88 Joseph, who was close to the adulterers, boldly takes upon himself this matter and crowns the lawless, breaking Divine and human laws. And this evil spreads not only in the capital, but also in the most distant countries; So the king of the Lombards, the Goths, and the toparch [governor] of the Bosporus, based on this violation of the commandment, indulged in adulterous relationships and unbridled lusts, finding a plausible justification in the act of the Roman emperor, as if when he did this, there was approval from both the patriarch and the bishops who were with him. Abhorrence of adultery 15. Having learned about these iniquities, the man, who was likened to Jesus Christ, [Col. 253] as much as possible, always clearly fulfilling all truth and caring for the people of the same tribe with fatherly sympathy, grieved, was indignant in himself and mourned the general destruction of present and future people; for he rightly feared that the madness of the ruler, having been accepted into law by the unreasonable, would turn into an irreparable practice among subsequent generations. Therefore, he does not leave evil without reproof, but immediately, together with his father [Abbot Plato], breaks off communication with them. Such godly aversion from adultery reaches the ears of the emperor, who at first indifferently accepts this, not expressing indignation at the unpleasant news, but then, having learned about this from others and from the adulteress herself and in some way fearing excommunication from the blessed men who enjoyed incomparable and extensive fame in monastic life, he tries in every possible way to persuade the adamant to approve his vile deed, especially hoping for the fact that the one accepted into the palace was their relative, for the one married to Constantine was the cousin of our father Theodore. Therefore he inspired her to send them gold with due greetings from them; but since he was deceived in his hope, having learned that God-bearing men are above his flattery, he decides to fight them in a different way. Having feigned the idea of ​​bathing in the warm water that naturally flows out of the earth, 89 he arranges a royal trip to Prussa, thinking that those of ever-memorable will certainly come to him, along with others, to show their usual respect. But having not achieved the fulfillment of any of his assumptions, he is inflamed with anger in his soul and returns to the palace as soon as possible, greatly indignant at the innocent. The first exile of Rev. Theodora 16. So, he, calling to himself the chief of the court guard, sent with him the general of Opsiki to the monks in order to subject them to torture. Those, having arrived at the monastery, beat [Theodore], who had long wanted this for the sake of Christ, and the other three of the leading brethren with belts; then they exile him with the other ten of the most famous members of the brotherhood to Thessalonica, ordering those who took them away to carefully guard them and imprison them not all together, but each separately and away from each other in different rooms, so that it would be impossible for any of them to come to another; Blessed Plato is sent to the monastery of Saint Sergius, not allowing anyone to approach him and ordering him to remain there. But what and how great a result the feat of our God-bearing father had for the entire universe can now be seen: the bishops and presbyters who lived in the countries of the Kherson and Bosphorus region, as well as the most pious of the monks, heard about the deed of our holy father and found it in agreement with the Divine Gospel, [Col. 256] imitate his boldness in good, so that here too the words are fulfilled: even from you zeal has provoked those who are abundant in good (2 Cor. 9:2); and then they cease to accept gifts brought to the churches of God from those who performed the same deeds with the younger Constantine, excommunicate them from the sacred and most pure Mysteries of Christ and, in accordance with the sacred and wise Theodore, say to those who humiliated the Christian tradition: “It is not permissible for you to have wives contrary to the laws established by Christ.” Finally, they too are expelled from their churches and monasteries, and are subjected to other sufferings invented by the persecutors, for when rage is in charge, then the violent hand of a brutal warrior is especially pressing. Passions left unpunished constantly strive for the worse 17. As a result of this, fear attacks almost the entire Roman Empire against those who commit such deeds; persecution of the pious becomes a bridle for the intemperate, and as a result the flow of evil is kept from spreading further; for passions, left unpunished, constantly strive for the worse, like a viper, take possession of the heart and mind and lead to complete destruction of those who indulge in them. And to prevent this from happening, the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, shining in the above-mentioned ascetics, clearly exposed the work of lawlessness. Thus, the great Theodore becomes even more famous, being an imitator of the Forerunner and Elijah the Thesbite not only in neighboring countries, but throughout the entire universe, for, remaining in custody in the city of Thessalonica during the entire reign of Constantine, he spread the glory of his exploits to the most distant countries. He also wrote to the Pope of ancient Rome 90, informing him of events through his disciples, and he accepted this with great respect, as from such a man who did not fail to proclaim what was pleasing to God; He himself received letters in response from him, in which his zeal, rebellion in defense of good and a feat worthily likened to the boldness of the divine Forerunner were praised. 18. But since, according to Scripture, a king who is insolent will fall into evil (Proverbs 13:18) and the ways of the wicked are dark, they do not know how they stumble (Proverbs 4:19), then after a little time Constantine, against whom his own army rebelled, is deprived of both eyes and deposed from the royal throne as a hated and unbearable burden. Then his mother, the Christ-loving Irina, rises again, whom he had previously, indulging in debauchery, removed from the royal palace. This most God-loving wife, as soon as she took the helm of the kingdom, summons the great Theodore from exile and introduces him into communion with the most holy Patriarch Tarasius, while Joseph, after the deposition of Constantine, was deprived of the priesthood. [Col. 257] Both of them, said the queen, acted well and pleasing to God: one as having appeared as a defender of the Gospel dogmas to the point of blood and torment and through this having to deliver to his descendants the pure salvation of souls, and the other as having usefully applied himself to the circumstances (οίκονομήσας) and having rejected the evil intention of the frantic king who threatened to harm the Church of Christ evil worse than those who reigned before him, if he met an obstacle to his wishes. This was confirmed by His Holiness Tarasius, having entered into communication with our father, as the ascetic of the Savior Theodore himself wrote. We will agree with them and will not condemn either side, but, approving of both, we will not cease, however, to obey the Gospel commandments, for what is being done is not the law and not everything is impeccable. So Paul applied himself to the circumstances, circumcising Timothy, but this was not included in the law, for he himself rejected it, loudly crying: if I preach circumcision, why are we still persecuting? (Gal. 5:11). 19. So, having enjoyed spiritual joy with His Holiness Tarasius, our father Theodore goes to his monastery, and sheep, scattered in his absence, flock there from all sides. Plato, the most reverend father of fathers and the builder of this God-protected sacred monastery of brethren, is also released from prison; and a great crowd of people from near and far countries gathers to them to look at them as courageous warriors who have returned from battles for piety. The name of Sakkudion is even more glorified, Theodore is magnified by the lips of everyone, the matter of his exile for the sake of God becomes known throughout the whole of heaven, and in general he teaches everyone to follow the Gospel commandments, that is, the husband must be the master of one wife, according to the establishment of the Divine Word, and the wife must also be a concubine of one husband (Matthew 5:32), and, moreover, in a legal manner, and not in some collateral and adulterous manner cohabitation, because adultery and carnal passions distort a person and clearly separate him from union with God. From that time on, many citizens of the great city, as well as residents of remote and neighboring villages, not only from our own, but also the most distinguished of those who had acquired secular education, flocked to this great mentor, wanting to experience monastic wisdom. Receiving them cordially, the holy teacher of piety watered them with streams of his active wisdom, cleansing the impurity that had clung to their souls from sin, and directing their feet, according to the will of God, onto the path of holiness and truth. The Gospel commandment of monogamy 20. But since at that time the godless Hagarites were devastating the upper regions and instilling fear of death in the souls of the nearest inhabitants, [Col. 260] then it seemed necessary to the fathers to act profitably in relation to the circumstances of the time and move to the capital without delay. Having hastily done this, they were cordially received by both the venerable bishop Tarasius and the most pious empress and, at their urgent proposal, occupied the famous monastery of Studium, which had long been built by him and served as the residence of the reverend fathers 91, but in which Constantine Copronymus did not allow even ten people to stay, while it could accommodate a large host of Nazarenes. For it was necessary, indeed it was necessary for the one who appeared as an imitator of the great Forerunner and openly denounced the disease of adultery, to settle at the church dedicated to his name, and to make it an earthly heaven through the incessant praises of the Trinity. Truly, who could describe in words the local angelic institutions and generally beneficial rules of this father, which he taught and instilled in those who came to him from everywhere, bringing the thoughts of many to one evangelical agreement, since everyone always loves one like himself? He accepted not only those newly renouncing worldly vanities, but also those already experienced in ascetic labors who came to him, and added them to his community, fulfilling the following saying of the Lord: He who comes to Me will not be cast out (John 6:37), not preferring someone tonsured by himself to someone tonsured by someone else, as many people unwisely do, submitting to the passions of their souls, but still showing love and guardianship and giving honor and respect to the virtue of everyone, so that the number of disciples in this new Jerusalem greatly increased and reached almost a thousand people. Relocation to the Studite Monastery 21. Looking with spiritual disposition at them, obediently submitting to the yoke of Christ, he himself sets himself up like the lofty Moses and instructs the people of God with words of wisdom and purity of morals, excellently leading them to the spiritual promised peace. The dignity of the legislator, they say, is to foresee the best and have those who are guided by the laws to fulfill them, and the job of the people is to observe everything established and not change anything, either in happiness or in misfortune; this is the holiest way of serving God. So, he becomes a legislator, setting out for them the God-given commandments, which he received from God, having ascended the mountain of high life and entering the darkness of Divine and blessed knowledge, and which were inscribed by the finger of the Spirit on the tablets of his hardest heart, as if on stone tablets. [Col. 261] How that Seer of God, having obeyed the advice of his father-in-law, appointed rulers of thousands and hundreds, and rulers of fifties and tens (Exod. 18:25), to whom the affairs that were taking place were reported and received a right decision, and he himself was free from this concern, and our Moses does the same, borrowing an example from there, although changing the name somewhat. He appoints heads of services and gives titles appropriate to the occupation, calling them observers (επιστημοναρχης), mentors (παιοευτης) and guardians (επιτηρητής); also supplies, under other names, those who are more advantageous among all the brethren, such as: the steward occupying second place [after the abbot], the assistant steward, and others otherwise named; and he prescribed rules to everyone individually assigned to various services, setting them out in iambic verse. To put it more clearly, starting with the most important and first, that is, the abbot’s service, and ending with the last service of the cook, he provided the appropriate information on each subject about what should be done and what should not be done; At the same time, he determined punishments for those who deviate from due diligence and who come late for any disrespectful reason to the assembly for Divine chants; He also prescribed the appropriate penance for those who do not observe the hour of fraternal service established for everyone, or who break a vessel, or who cause any offense or insult to their neighbor. Obedience is the holiest way to serve God 22. He established that clothes should not be used separately and not chosen according to the will of each, but even in this he commanded them to wear the image of the apostle, as it says in the book of Acts: all who believed were united and the name was all in common (Acts 2:44); and one more thing: the people who believed had one heart and soul, and not only did they have their own existence from their possessions, but they had all things in common (Acts 4:32). Therefore, he assigned a room for them, in which they, putting together their worn-out clothes, received others on every Saturday from the hands of the brethren assigned to this service. Having prescribed this for them, our father did not separate his own clothes from the common room of clothes, but in everything, so in this he was a model for the flock, knowing well that there are two ways of any instruction and moral education, one of which is carried out by a teaching word, and the other by an example of moral asceticism. Therefore, he himself, giving away his underwear every week, received instead another one, not different from the others, but equally coarse and even worse. Always remembering the words of the apostle: below the bread the bread is dead (2 Thess. 3:8) and: Serve this hand for me and for those who are with me (Acts 20:34), [Col. 264] he did not tolerate an inactive state of idleness, but he worked himself, copying books with his own hands and adding them to the works of his brothers; Some of these books remain with us to this day, as precious and worthy of all respect. Organization of Rev. Theodore monastic life 23. But he himself compiled quite a lot of books, having received the talent of wisdom from above for an abundance of purity, and the first - the one that is read to this day three times a week and is called the book of “Small Catechetical Teachings”, numbering up to one hundred and thirty-four, spoken by him without preparation, according to the custom of interviews with the brethren; then he compiled and published the second, third and fourth book of the “Great Catechetical Teachings” not without preparation, but deliberately; however, in both of them the Divine and heavenly grace of the word pouring out of his mouth is clearly revealed; for, in my opinion, from no other book of the godly fathers can a prudent student acquire so much benefit in relation to communal deanery as from the mentioned “Catechetical Teachings” of our father, because they embrace all types of virtue, wisely teach all kinds of healing against various and varied diseases of vice and introduce enlightenment and tenderness into the souls of readers. He also compiled a book of “Words of Praise,” in which he glorified some of the feasts of Christ and the Mother of God and all the feasts of the great Baptist and Forerunner and some other famous saints no worse than the most important panegyrists. He also composed another, very useful book, exclusively in iambic verse, in which he described the creation and fall of the progenitor; in addition, as it should, he depicted the sad picture of sin and corruption; then he especially presented Cain’s envy of Abel and his murder; then he justly glorified Enoch and Noah and the three most God-loving forefathers born from him, separately and in order of each, as well as their ever-memorable wives. In addition, he counted all heresies and cursed them with three-dimensional and pure verses, as I said, and he refuted some of them in a perfect way. 24. Five more books of his “Letters” remain with us to this day; in terms of the importance of thoughts and the purity of sayings, they are distinguished by such high beauty and represent the dignity inherent in letters with such fidelity that not a single one of them can be read without tears by anyone who does not have a completely stone heart. [Col. 265] Besides these, there is another dogmatic work of his, written in prose, in which he, with three competitive (άντιρρητικοΐς) “Words,” as if another David of the foreigner Goliath, decisively overthrew the alien heresy of the iconoclasts and delivered the Church from this grave shame, and both emperors, former the heads of the mentioned blasphemous heresy, that is, Constantine Copronymus and the beast according to the soul, or, better, the beast and by the name of Leo, raising high with accusatory words, as if with some spears, he triumphantly overthrew and put to shame and their wicked deeds were separately and clearly depicted for posterity. Thus, having devoted all the innate power of his mind to the pursuit of Divine subjects, studying the law of the Lord all day and night and, if possible, establishing the Kingdom of Heaven within himself and his followers, or, better yet, making the famous abode of the Forerunner a kingdom of heaven, by the same way of life, he himself was like the sun among many spiritual stars, pouring out the rays of his virtue and wisdom, enlightening those around him, changing and transforming them to to the best. 25. But always gloating and the father of envy, truly the blackest and lowest raven, the devil could not tolerate that such a virtue of his father was happily glorified, that the host of those who were saved under his power and perfectly led by him remained without confusion, and that such a high kind of ascetic life appeared among a crowded city. Often and in various ways, having been struck by the actions of the great [father], he, however, even now does not hesitate to carry out the intrigues that he was plotting against him. It was at that time that Nikephoros held the scepter of the kingdom, who apparently was no worse than the previous pious kings, but in fact departed far from them, for it is known that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). And so, having found him an evil vessel and full of wickedness, the ever-hater of the good deeds of the righteous puts into his heart the thought of declaring innocent the one who had previously committed an adulterous union, and returning to him the priestly rank as the former author of the world, he said, and caring for the useful. So, having accepted the serpent’s suggestion, the king, in a conversation with the sacredly wise patriarch, asks and forces him to allow Joseph from the prohibition with which His Holiness Tarasius bound him and left him like that, moving to God, promising him that by royal measures he will persuade everyone to agree to such a concession. Thus, he convinces the patriarch named after victory (νίκη), 92, contrary to his wishes and will, to accept the excommunicated man again as a fellow servant. And again there is disagreement and confusion of opinions and division of persons between bishops and monks, since some thought that it would be good not to irritate the king for such a matter, [Col. 268] and those around the great Theodore, on the contrary, said that it was unfair to violate the sentence pronounced on Joseph by the venerable Tarasius and which took place then for the benefit of everyone, for relaxation in this, he said, would clearly approve of the adulterous union; Moreover, one must keep in mind and not forget the righteous judgment of God, which has already befallen Constantine the Younger; and from here we must understand the will of the Divine law, so that, to the destruction of our souls, we do not create pretexts for indulgence for the frivolous soul and unbridled impulses of the mind, which have never brought any benefit to the universe. Therefore, remaining disagreeing in their judgments, they separated from each other, as Paul and Barnabas once had a disagreement regarding John, called Mark, about which it is written: there was a quarrel, as if he were separated from himself: Barnabas, therefore, we sing Mark sailed to Cyprus: Paul, having chosen Silas, went out and was given over to the grace of God from the brethren (Acts 15:39-40); talking about this, the divine Chrysostom, in his divine interpretation of the Acts, says this: “Which of them advised better is not our business to decide” 93 . 26. We will say about this subject that they both acted well, just as the ever-memorable Tarasius acted in his indulgence in relation to the circumstances; for he, too, then, seeing the anger and rage of the king and knowing how he was naturally disposed towards injustice and suffers from an inclination towards sin, weakened the reins of severity so that he would not do anything worse against the Church of God, and, allowing lesser and particular evil, wisely preserved the general good, fulfilling the words: time redeems, for the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). It is precisely necessary to argue here that blessed Nicephorus made a relaxation in relation to the circumstances, not wanting to, but being forced by the king; and our father Theodore observed the exact fulfillment of the Divine commandments, prompted by God, and not being carried away by evil passion, so that illegal cohabitation would not become a law among bestial people given over to intemperate desires, and so that impartiality would appear for those who fully trust in God and do not please persons to the harm of their souls, so that the commandment of the Lord would not have to be sacrificed to the power of the king, who commands unjustly, according to psalmist David: and spoke of Your testimonies before the kings, and were not ashamed (Ps. 119:46). True, the affairs of church government in this case were not going well during the days of those two emperors, which the divinely inspired patriarchs themselves knew well; for the leader of Orthodoxy Tarasius would not have spoken about the great Theodore, who returned from Thessalonica, [Col. 269] that he did well, if he were not sure that he was steadily walking in the true way of the Gospel; neither the priest named after the victory [Nicephorus], in turn, would have accepted him and crowned him with praise as a champion of the truth, if he had not recognized his right to observe the word of faith. Moreover, it must be added that if each of them had not considered it a bad thing for someone who had committed an adulterous union out of fear of the emperors to be accepted into the priesthood, then they would not have excommunicated the daring one from the host of priests after the death of these kings and the speedy vengeance that befell them from God for Saint Theodore. This is how God-loving people need to reason about the nature of these matters and not condemn either side of our venerable primates. 27. Meanwhile, the arrogant king, seeing that his decision was rejected by our fathers and was not given any respect, with anger ordered to send the great Theodore and the hierarch of Christ Joseph, who was of one mind with him, together with their uncle and their leader Plato, to the islands lying near the city, and to keep them in custody not together and not in the same room, but each of them separately in different rooms, and the fraternal society ordered a detachment of soldiers guard them in their own monastery. Having arrived a few days later at the Elevtherian royal palace, he invites everyone to his place for a meeting; then, having separated the most important of them, he tries with words of persuasion to distract them from their father’s decision. But when he saw that his verbal proposal, like a worthless spear, was decisively repelled by their firm objection, he turned to the company of the brethren and said to them: “Those of you who want to follow our admonitions and be in communion with the patriarch and the Catholic Church, move to my right side; and those who decide to remain with their previous opinion, stand on the left side.” By this he thought to deceive them, some of whom were ignorant of verbal tricks, but all were ready to despise the world, and kinship, and life itself for the sake of impeccably remaining in the obedience of God. Then all of them, unanimously taking the left side, boldly say to him: “We, king, truly know that our fathers, who learned everything from the Inspired Scripture and were guided by the Holy Spirit, thought and taught better and closer to salvation, therefore we ourselves, without a doubt, following in their footsteps, do not accept the newly formed opinion.” He, amazed by such a bold answer from the reverend men, commands to immediately disperse them and keep them under the strictest guard in monasteries close to the city, as criminals and disobedient to the royal and hierarchical commands. Prophecy of Rev. Theodora 28. [Col. 272] But he did not go mad for long, for soon the Divine judgment, having befallen him with his entire army, deposed him too in a foreign country. Precisely, having undertaken a campaign against the Scythians, the reckless Nikephoros became a victim of the enemy’s hand, so that, as I think, from this it would be clearly revealed that the struggle of our God-bearing father for the truth was not vain and thoughtless, but attested by God both before and now, and therefore firm. Thus the unfortunate king fell, becoming the subject of great shame, and subjecting the Roman Empire to very great shame; and the prophecy of the prophet Hosea was fulfilled on him: and instill in the house of the kings that there is judgment upon you: as the guards were quickened, and as the trap was spread out on Itaviria, even the fishermen were struck down; Their princes will fall because their tongue is not punished. This is their reproach to the land of Egypt. In their bosom, because you have transgressed My covenant and disobeyed My law (Hos. 5:1–2; 7:16; 8:1). It is worth adding to what has been said that the great Theodore also predicted this to him. It was when Caesar Nicephorus, exalting himself with pride at the instigation of his entourage and according to his natural disposition, had an uncontrollable desire to go against the Scythians, then, calling our holy father Theodore to one of the suburban places, he convinced and forced him, through some nobles, to finally agree to the relaxation he had made [in the case of Joseph]. The monk, as if inspired by the Spirit, answers him as follows: “You should repent of your deeds, and not further attract us to the same destruction; but since you, without accepting such advice, are leaving from here, this is what the Lord Almighty says: without returning the way you went there today (1 Kings 13:9).” And indeed, after this disobedient king, according to the prophecy of our God-bearing shepherd, lost his life in the Bulgarian country and his son Stavraki, having barely returned from there wounded to the capital and reigning for only two months, died, then the latter’s brother-in-law by sister, the same name Archangel, who was in the rank of Kuropalat 94, inherited royal power. This Michael, most Christian and faithful in the Lord, immediately calls the great Theodore and those with him from exile; He commands the release of his disciples, who were kept in custody in monasteries, and becomes, together with the Pope of ancient Rome, a Christ-like intercessor and mediator between those who disagree; both of them cooperate - one with letters of exhortation, [Col. 273] and the other, by personal conversation and persuasion - to the decent unanimous union of the most holy patriarch and our venerable father, excommunicating from the priesthood the daring perpetrator of an adulterous union in accordance with the sentence of the ever-memorable and great Tarasius pronounced over him before. Thus, by the grace and love of Christ our good God, after the removal of temptations, lasting peace again came to His most holy Catholic Church. Return from second exile 29. So, our father Theodore, upon returning to his Studio monastery and after his scattered pupils had gathered there with the all-holy patriarch, maintained the most friendly agreement and unanimity, and taught his disciples the usual edification, correcting their morals with the word of teaching to the degree of perfect obedience and thoroughly cleansing the impurity of self-love that had come to them from time to time with the sponge of admonition; and thus the word of God again prospered and the society of the disciples improved and greatly increased. Then this beautiful place was truly like a varied and blooming garden, containing all kinds of intelligent plants, on which all kinds of knowledge were usefully displayed, like ripe fruits; for, along with high communal piety and proper active philosophy, the monks did not remain ignorant of verbal sciences, but were lovingly engaged in the study of grammar, through which those who study learn to write correctly and acquire the skill of reading, as well as philosophical exercises and learning by heart paternal thoughts, with the help of which they could refute the empty absurdities of any heresy, using true judgments and conclusions. They produced very intelligent scribes and singers, compilers of kontakia and other chants, poets and excellent readers, experts in chants and writers of stichera about Christ. In the same way, they were engaged in almost all common crafts: weavers and tailors, shoemakers and tent makers, artists of small things and house builders, basket weavers and manufacturers of elegant works, makers of utensils using fire and iron were in this earthly sky; and they all sat orderly and orderly in their places in their workshops, uniting with the work of their hands the singing of the divine songs of David. Truly, then one could see the flowering grapes of the Lord of hosts, covering with its canopy the mountains of worldly dominion, and its intelligent branches rising above the cedars of God, and its rods stretching out to the sea and even to the rivers of its branches (Ps. 79:9-12); for some of those who succeeded in the deeds of virtue and benefited from his excellent instructions to an old age, having gone to a foreign land due to the above-mentioned confusion, [Col. 276] after their release from prison or even before that, they scattered to different countries under heaven and, settling there, founded beautiful monasteries with the help of the Holy Spirit, which to this day bear the name of Studite 95. Studio abode - earthly sky 30. When the flock of Christ was so prosperous and the Churches of God were perfectly guided by the Orthodox dogmas of the faith and were multiplying, an evil boar appeared, escaped from the forest of the Armenian tribe, and began to devastate it like a wild boar. Namely: Leo, the strategist of the east, violating the limits of duty, bribed the army that was under his command and, having attracted its leaders to his side with promises of the highest honors, creates an indignation against the Christ-loving Tsar Michael; having arrived in the Thracian regions near the capital, he is proclaimed Augustus by the Macedonian guard army; departing from there, he enters the capital without encountering any opposition, and the iconoclast is openly proclaimed emperor with the assistance of his bodyguards. Thus, having seized royal power, this daring Thracian, completely covering himself with a veil of hypocrisy (for it was not false when he said: “I consider the Armenians not simple people, but very secretive and insidious” 96 [St. Gregory the Theologian ]), at the beginning of his tyranny, I won’t say reign, pretends to be pious; then, having mastered the affairs of state at will, he throws off the mask of hypocrisy and shamelessly reveals the hidden disease of his vicious heart, revealing himself to be the successor to the destructive fury of Constantine Copronymus, his hatred of God and enmity towards Christ, and asserting that one should not accept icons of Christ and the Holy Ever-Virgin who gave birth to Him immaculately and other righteous and venerable people, as if these images were like idols. 31. He, the madman, did not understand that the images of those prototypes that are opposite in essence obviously receive opposite names, and when we take the names of good prototypes, they certainly exclude the names of bad prototypes. Likewise, their images, similar to the prototypes in the unity of their names, also borrow names from them, from good to good and from bad to bad. Therefore, if our Lord and God Jesus Christ was the destroyer of the polytheistic idolatrous delusion, then it is obvious that His glorious image is free from suspicion that it is an idol; the image of a good prototype cannot be the culprit of evil and vice versa, [Col. 277] for the image of prototypes, opposite in natural properties, communicates, in turn, the corresponding name and action to their work. Thus, fire can never take on the properties of cooling and honey will not produce bitterness in the user who consumes it. Therefore, no one with sense and prudence can attribute opposite properties to objects and will never recognize opposite objects as the cause of each other. It is also possible to discern their dissimilarities and differences by the word production itself. Idol is called by this name as a type of deception (είθος θόλου), for false polytheistic idolatry is truly deception and deception, removing God from the true essence and opposing the creation to the Lord who created it; therefore, sensible people would not call such a thing an icon, and I cannot understand how an idol and an icon can be identical. The icon is called so because of its similarity (τό ' εσικεναι) with the prototype, sacred - from the sacred, holy - from the holy; and it has such a resemblance to him that it is identified with the depicted object by name. Often, when we see images of trees or birds on wall paintings, we do not say that this is an image of a palm tree or that what we see is an image of a crane, but, although they are images, we nevertheless say: this is a palm tree and a crane. Likewise, when we see an image of a cross, we call it a cross; in the same way, in relation to icons of saints or other objects, it is the icon of Christ that is called Christ, due to its similarity; the icon of St. George, for example, is called St. George, just as the image of a king is called a king, not differing from the one whose image it is in anything other than identity in essence. 32. But the fierce and stupid Leo, who knew nothing of this, having found the vessels of wrath perfected for destruction (Rom. 9:22) - [in the person of] some of his peers who were dissolute, idle, accustomed to vices, truly corrupters of youth, who cared about bodily beauty and catered to his desires, is corrupted along with them and through them offers everyone the ungodly and ungodly. teaching; among them there was, as it were, another Janius, and not John, worthy to be called (2 Tim. 3:8), who rushed first into this labyrinth, a son of the earth, coming from Assyria, speaking fables, not the truth, a new idle talker, rightly called Lecanomancer 97, more knowledgeable than others in grammar, the most evil demonic weapon of the most absurd of all idle talk, a most wicked and capable of throwing great things into confusion 98 . And first, the king directly approaches the most solid and so-called victory pillar of the Orthodox faith 99 and tests his way of thinking, [Col. 280] to make him fearful and voiceless before his like-minded people, both by offering promises of worldly blessings, and not what is characteristic of those who live according to God, and by threatening many trials and grave disasters in this life. But when he saw the inflexibility of the valiant priest and was convinced from experience that he stood above his expectations, then, having ascended the throne and calling those around the holy patriarch to himself, with arrogance, like a lion, he began to spew out what was worthless and hidden in his wicked soul, saying that the servants of truth and teachers of Divine subjects had sinned in faith, therefore it is now necessary to enter into reasoning about dogmas, so that when various opinions were considered, the best was separated from the worst by the voice of many and received approval. To this, each of those called answered the emperor as he had prepared, refuting his absurd fables and proving the worship of honest icons with evidence from Scripture and paternal definitions of faith. When, having heard this, he called into the middle the perpetrators of evil and the zealots of lies, proposing that both sides compete in front of him about the issues at hand, then our fathers, knowing the incorrigibility of his way of thinking, decided that one should not enter into an interview with people accustomed to making jokes, especially when there is no impartial judge between them; and the fiery pillar of piety, Theodore, seeing the indignation of the fiercest [Leo] against them, decisively told him the following. 33. “Why and why did you, emperor, begin to create confusion and storm in the Church of God, which enjoys the world? Why are you foolishly trying to bring back the tares of wickedness among the excellent and chosen people of the Lord, which were beautifully plucked out? Haven’t you heard the blessed Apostle Paul writing to Timothy: Let ye not teach otherwise, but give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which they create even more than God’s building in faith (1 Tim. 1:3-4); and one more thing: if someone teaches otherwise and does not begin to sound words and teachings, he is proud of his faith, he knows nothing, but he is sick about strife and verbal disputes, from which comes envy, zeal, blasphemy, indecency of the evil one, evil conversations of people corrupt in their minds and deprived of the truth, who do not despise the acquisition of being piety: depart from such (1 Tim. 6:3–5); and again: remember this, testifying before the Lord, do not argue with words, nor will I demand anything, for the ruin of those who hear. Sweep away the nasty vanities, you know, as they give birth to quarrels? (2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 23). [Col. 281] Ignatius the God-Bearer also teaches in accordance with this: “I warn you,” he says, “from heretics, these wild beasts in human form, whom we should not only not accept, but, if possible, even associate with them” 100. If it is so determined and we are forbidden to converse with wicked heretics, then who can force us to enter into reasoning with those who reject the statutes and rules of the ancient faith and boldly abuse the Divine Scriptures to deceive many? For just as Jannes and Jambres resisted the servant of God Moses, so these too resist the truth (2 Tim. 3:8), carried away by their own vanity and vile greed, which destroys many; but they will no longer prosper, as Scripture says, for their foolishness will be revealed to everyone, just as they were (2 Tim. 3:9). Even today we did not do as we should have, coming before you with some condemnation of their madness; for to pay attention to someone who expresses something contrary to the opinions of many is unreasonable, as the secular proverb says 101.” Conversation by Rev. Theodora with Leo the Armenian 34. Having heard these words and being in great indignation, the emperor said: “So, Cyrus 102 -Theodore, do you think that I am doing too much? You almost force me to tell you a really unnecessary word so that you can no longer return to your monastery, - indirectly expressing with such words either a sentence of exile, or some kind of death penalty, - but you will not force me, - he continued, - to act imprudently at your request and from me you will not become a martyr, having prepared for this; no, although I am despised by you, I will endure it kindly, unless you refuse to reason with those who reject your opinion, which is contrary to the common faith; if you don’t want this, then you yourself will clearly recognize yourself as defeated, and therefore you will need to follow their desires against your will.” But the entire meeting of bishops with the divine shepherd unanimously refuses to interview the condemned and says in the words of Blessed Paul: “It is not great for us, lest we be extorted from the persons shown, or from the human day [of judgment], - from the former, as not having the holy rank at all, from the latter, because we are not vindicating ourselves, according to the purity of our faith (1 Cor. 4:3),” directing the reproach to his face. [Col. 284] And since the king did not understand the power of what was said, the great Theodore, again taking the sword of the Spirit, answers stronger, wanting to curb the insolence of the one who set himself up as a judge in such a matter, and says: “Emperor, listen to what the divine Paul tells you through us about church deanery, and, having learned that the king should not put himself as the judge and decider in these matters, follow yourself, if you agree to be faithful, apostolic rules; Namely, he says this: God has made in the church first the apostles, second the prophets, third teachers (1 Cor. 12:28); these are those who organize and investigate the affairs of faith according to the will of God, and not the emperor, for the holy Apostle did not mention that the emperor manages the affairs of the Church.” To this, Caesar objected: “So, you, Theodore, are throwing me out of the Church today?” The monk says to him: “Not I, but the mentioned guide of her bride and the divine Apostle Paul; however, if you want to be her son, then nothing prevents you: just follow your spiritual father in everything,” pointing with his right hand to His Holiness Nicephorus. After such explanations, the persecutor, as if in a frenzy of mind, could not utter a single sensible word from excessive rage, but, emitting a frantic sound, he himself, contrary to decency, shouted: “Get out of here.” Then the champions of Orthodoxy, returning together to the patriarchal house, surrounded the great ascetic of piety Theodore, extolling him with praise as having, with the help of God, pierced the common enemy with the power of his sharpest words and in his person having even more destroyed their opponents. The difference between secular and ecclesiastical power 35. Meanwhile, from the iparch [prefect] of the city, the blessed ones received orders to immediately return to their places, and not dare to stay there any longer; The unshakable stronghold of confession Theodore answered to those who announced this: “If our father and the common ruler of those who are unanimous does not invite us, then even without your order we will not do this; Otherwise, your order will in no way be fulfilled by me, but I will go and say what should be said.” This is what the blessed one did, rejecting all human fear and fully preparing for suffering. Namely: having returned to his monastery and having confirmed his disciples with words of exhortation for the upcoming feat and rousing their minds to defend the dogma of the Orthodox faith to the point of death and scourging, a few days later he again went to the most holy patriarch - to console him, who had fallen into despondency due to confusion and disorder in the Church, [instilling] among other things, that for this he would receive the greatest glory from God. And did the divine Nicephorus say or do anything like that, [Col. 285] that would not have been guided by Theodore’s judgment and would not have received support from him, was it useful for the time of that time or for another reason? Our divine father enjoyed such respect among him that he occupied second place after him in the council of bishops, distinguished by everyone for his wisdom and piety before God. Meanwhile, after a little time, the patriarch of blessed memory was deposed from the hierarchical throne on the night of the twentieth day of March and sent to his own monastery, which he himself built in one of the mountainous places in Asia near the strait 103. In a similar way, other clergy were subjected to the same sentences and sent to different countries and cities, and the hated Christ-fighters took possession of the churches, the sacred icons of saints that were in them are scary to even hear! - they fearlessly overthrew or covered up and plotted vain and vain things against the rest of the children of Orthodoxy. Rev.'s boldness Theodora 36. When the solemn feast of our Savior came on the week of Vai, our father Theodore, performing the usual meeting of Christ with the people gathered to him, ordered the brethren carrying honorable icons to raise these images high and thus go around the vineyard adjacent to the monastery, not at all afraid of the raging persecution of Christ. Such an action, which took place before the eyes of the wicked neighbors and was solemnly performed in the middle of the city, reached the ears of the cruel ruler; Having learned about this and being greatly indignant in his soul, he, through one of the nobles, announces to our sacred father: “You are not calming down. You don’t sit silently, but invent this and that to my insult? Know that if you do not curb your wisdom and do not stop teaching about faith in the future, then very soon I will subject you to the death penalty and send you to the inhabitants of hell.” Having heard this, the unyielding pillar of the confession not only did not weaken his zeal for the faith, but also the city abbots, who gathered to him after the holy and luminous three-day Resurrection of our Savior Christ from the dead for advice regarding the upcoming need to go to the patriarchal house 104, accepted and gave them good and godly advice; and he himself did the same, writing a message to those who attempted to distort the truth, which begins like this: “Following the Divine commandments and canonical decrees that one should not do or say anything concerning church deanery without the consent of one’s bishop, and even more so relating to dogmatic issues, although your authority has once and twice invited our humility to do so, we did not dare to come and thereby do anything contrary to the laws, as placed by the Divine Spirit under the sacred hand of His Holiness Patriarch Nicephorus” and so on. Having handed this message to two persons, [Col. 288] to the more courageous of those gathered, he sent them to those who wished to fight Christ; those, having learned the meaning of the message, become even more irritated and, having showered those who brought them with slaps, with insults and dishonor, drive them out of the meeting hall, threatening them with disasters of all kinds beyond the previous ones: they then went rejoicing on behalf of the cathedral, because for the name of Christ they were deemed worthy to receive dishonor (Acts 5:41). Third expulsion and imprisonment of Rev. Theodora 37. But our father Theodore did not stop after that, writing letters one after another and arousing those near and far to courage, thus wanting to make himself visible to the frantic defender of heresy and show how he does not regard it as a threat and is not afraid of death for piety. Angry at this even more, the malevolent Leo condemns him to exile. Our Holy Father and shameless preacher of Orthodoxy, upon receiving this long-awaited and long-awaited sentence, calls to himself a society of disciples and appoints seventy-two leaders over them, inviting the brotherhood to divide under their authority by voluntary election, and gives them a commandment that after his removal none of them should remain there, although the true life and love the days to see good things, as St. David sings (Ps. 33:13 ); and he himself, having been taken by a messenger from the king, is joyfully taken to a fortress lying near Lake Apollo and called Metope. However, even there, kept in custody, the prisoner of Christ did not stop the same godly activities, but again with his messages he strengthened those who decided to adhere to piety throughout the entire earth and encouraged them for good. Having learned about this again, the cruel Leo sends another courtier, named Nikita, the son of Alexius, completely pious and Christian, but unknown to the beast [emperor] on this side, and through him he relocates the priest to another fortress in the Anatolian theme, named Vonita, declaring through his servants an order to his father so that he does not see anyone and does not teach the faith through letters. But the man, apostolic in mind and life, answered with the following apostolic words: if it is righteous to listen to you before God rather than to God, judge: we cannot, even though we have seen and heard, not speak. It is fitting to obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19–20; 5:29). Those who do their duty are not abandoned by God 38. The emperor, having heard about this and reprimanded the Christ-loving Nikita as having not then committed retribution for his imperial power, sends him a second time, ordering him to give the venerable martyr a hundred blows with belts. He, having arrived and announced the order of the emperor to the ascetic of Christ, receives from the monk an offer to unswervingly fulfill the will of the ruler; but seeing that the righteous man willingly and without coercion from others prepared to accept blows, the god-loving and the same-name victory (νίκη) commander bowed to mercy, especially when he saw the naked body of the sacred man, exhausted from asceticism. Having despised in his soul the hateful command of the persecutor, he takes the sheep's skin and, placing it on his father's shoulders, strikes at it, remaining alone in the cell with his ever-memorable father; then, piercing his hand with a needle until it bleeds, he stains the end of the scourge with his own blood; then, coming out of there and breathing heavily, he threw him to the ground, and he himself, as if tired, sat down on the seat prepared for him. Seeing such a cunning, our father was very surprised at the faith and prudence of this man, however, despite the threats of the tormentor, he did not cease even after that to do the work of the Lord constantly, with the most ardent striving of the soul, with a lively heart and a vigorous mind. Confined there in one cramped dwelling, he strengthened the fathers and brothers and spiritual children kept in different places of the dioceses with his inherent divinely inspired teaching, exhorting, admonishing, convincing to remain in the confession of Christ and not to lose heart in real suffering for the truth, but to expect deliverance from God, for the poor for God’s sake will not be completely forgotten, the patience of the poor will not completely perish (Ps. 71:13; 73:19): those who do their duty are not forgotten by God and are not left without His help. Thus, many who, from long-term exile, admitted the guilt of apostasy, he persuaded with his letters to wash away such shame from their souls, spiritually accepting them after confession and proper repentance and joining them to the host of those persecuted for the sake of the Lord. He also wrote to the four patriarchs, on the one hand, depicting the violent and grave actions of heresy, on the other, asking for possible protection for those making the journey, since our great father himself joyfully received those who came to him, for he loved and wanted to be useful to everyone and lead everyone to a godly life. Meanwhile the following happened. 39. One noble cleric, who came from the region of Thracia, from the city of Mastavra, went to the countries neighboring the area in which the sun of the Gospel dwelt [Rev. Theodore], to see, according to custom, his relatives; Having learned that our divine father Theodore the Studite was being held there in exile, he, having long heard about his holiness, wished to bow to him. When he fulfilled his desire, then, asked by the saint, whether he contains Orthodox faith, [Col. 292] he answered in the affirmative and listened from him to several more perfect instructions about the pure and immaculate faith of those who worship Christ in the honest image of His all-holy flesh; and thus, having received the blessing of his prayers, he returned to his place. There, addressing fellow members of the clergy, he decides to reveal to one of those closest to him that he saw the famous father of the fathers Theodore and himself listened to his conversation about the dogmas of the true faith; then, having agreed not to serve with their bishop, they separated from ecclesiastical communion with him. And this wicked man, having subsequently learned about the separation of the clergy, immediately and immediately went to the military commander and informed him of all the above. It was Oravius, a truly lawless man and full of vicious days, who received the dignity of strategos for blaspheming sacred icons with his godless tongue. He, having heard news from the bishop about the teachings of our blessed father, first of all writes to the strategist of the eastern regions 105 that those who despise the laws of the emperor should not be left unattended and those who violate them should be allowed to live with impunity; then he informed the emperor himself about the incident with the bishop and clergy. The military commander of the East, having collected information about the previous circumstances upon receipt of the letter and fearing the indignation of the ruler, sends one of those who served with him to subject Saint Theodore to fifty blows with belts. He, having arrived at the place, announces to the monk the punishment assigned to him; our father, having glorified God on this occasion, willingly takes off the covers of his body and, giving himself up to this man, says: “Do what you have been ordered, son, to do on me.” He, suddenly overwhelmed by fear at the sight of the voluntary ascetic and having shown the respect decent for Christians to the servant of God, falls with his face at the feet of the monk, asking for his blessing, which he received worthy, and then went to the one who sent him. 40. While he was still speaking and reporting at his embassy, ​​another messenger of evil from the emperor, named Anastasius, from the Martinaki family, a very cruel man and a zealous follower of the royal wickedness, appeared to the same strategist; he expressed many reproaches to the eastern military leader as being careless of the will of the emperor and not obeying his commands. When this one objected that he had sent Theodore, who opposed Caesar, to be punished with scourging, he got up and went to the righteous man, took off his clothes and, not finding any sign of blows on him, laughed loudly and loudly and said: “Where are the recent traces of the belts?” Then, having inflicted one hundred severe blows on the saint, as he was ordered, he imprisons him in some cramped dwelling together with one of his disciples, young in age, but perfect in mind and faith. [Col. 293] This was Nicholas, who himself turned out to be a long-suffering champion of piety and, distinguished from that time to us, the humble, by various sufferings for the confession, appeared as a perfect man of God in our generation 106. So, having imprisoned him together with the ascetic Theodore, carefully blocking the door of the cell and leaving in it only one hole for light, he ordered the guards assigned to them to deliver meager means of living to the monks through this hole. 41. Having done this to the saints, the wicked man hastily returned to the strategist with two disciples of the God-bearing [father] and angrily reproached him for not scourging the saint. He, fearing to be slandered before the emperor, called on the Christ-loving Theophan and, before the eyes of Martinacius, gave him twice the number of blows with belts compared to how many he ordered the holy father to give; Having consoled himself with this, the arrogant nobleman mounted the public horses and soon returned to the one who had sent him. And what and how many needs and calamities the ever-venerable fathers endured in this imprisonment is not easy to describe in words. During the winter, exposed to the cold, they had to endure an extreme lack of warmth, having no relief from the warming fire; at a time opposite to winter, scorched by intense heat, they seemed to endure torment no less than from a fireplace flame; Moreover, the fleas born from the dust greatly intensified their torment, since the confessors of Christ did not change clothes. In addition to the above, another temptation was caused to them by the insidious serpent, who always hates the exploits of saints; he, inciting the leaders of that time to zealously please the wishes of the emperor, inspired them to reduce even the most pitiful daily food of two to an amount sufficient for one. In those days, they say, the great Theodore said to his prisoner and associate Nicholas: “As I see, my son, these people want to kill us with the cruelty with which they are now treating us; Let us therefore cast all our care upon the Lord; I will be content with Divine Communion until Christ gives strength and the breath of life to this body, and you eat the food you receive from them, so that you can somehow be saved from the death from hunger that threatens us and announce to the steward and our brothers about the Lord my departure from the body.” And this would really have come true with the steadfast ascetic of Christ, if by the grace of God, who fulfills every living creature’s good pleasure through the opening of His providential hand (Ps. 144:16), a powerful nobleman who passed that way and learned of their situation, [Col. 296] did not stop this diabolical deed, ordering with strong reproach and threat to deliver food to those prisoners for the sake of Christ in sufficient quantities. 42. Thus, for three whole years, the glorious Father Theodore, who was spiritually soaring in heavenly contemplations, was kept in physical custody together with his disciple and our father Nicholas, enduring various sufferings, for in addition to the above-mentioned disasters, he also had a severe indigestion. Meanwhile, I don’t know how, the public message from the teacher of the universe, Theodore, fell into the hands of the cruel emperor, which contained a bold conversation with those persecuted for the sake of the Lord or otherwise imprisoned for the piety of Christ, as well as exhortations to courage and the revelation of the lies and intrigues of the dishonest sect of icon-burners. Having read this message, the tyrant became furious from the heating of the blood in his heart and, immediately sending a letter to the eastern strategist with the message attached, he orders that, if possible, he himself punish the exhausted ascetic of piety with a hundred blows with belts, and if he himself is inconvenient, then he would send the commander of the military detachment to do this. Having received the command, the eastern strategist - it was Craterus - hastily went to the most reverend one and, having led both of them out of prison, shows the venerable father the imperial letter and his message attached to it and says to him: “Do you recognize this?” When he recognized that this was really his work, and not someone else’s, he first ordered Blessed Nicholas to be undressed and, having sufficiently tormented him with whips, turned to the great Theodore and very cruelly and inhumanly inflicted one hundred blows on him with belts; then he again moves on to the young ascetic Nicholas, forcing him to renounce the worship of sacred icons and devotion to his father and teacher; but, seeing that he did not obey and firmly opposed his proposals, he gave him many blows with whips until he bled and left him naked to suffer from the cold, for this event with the glorious men took place on the twenty-third day of the month of February. Then the wicked servant of the low Caesar, confining them again in a cramped dwelling, went home. 43. While this was happening with the valiant confessors of Christ Theodore and Nicholas in the Anatolian region, one woman in the Opsikian theme, possessed by divinatory spirits, began to be exposed to their action, as usual, and in front of those present she spoke to the demons nesting in her: “My evil Leo has now again sent a bunch of whips to Theodore to torment his flesh with them; hurry up and see what happens, and quickly bring me an answer; however, do not enter his cell, [Col. 297] so that this fiery-mouthed and fiery-mouthed one does not burn you, but, remaining outside, see what happens.” Then, after two or three hours, she again began to babble and talk to herself: “What is this? Nothing happened, what did we want? I knew that the gray cloak would again cover his shoulders and prevent him from feeling the pain of the blows.” From this most severe scourging, the great ascetic of the confession of Christ, Theodore, they say, almost died, for the scars, inflamed and turned into the most terrible ulcers, and the rotten pieces of his body almost did not give him the opportunity to take a breath in order to give strength to patience or to plunge into deep sleep, which would ease the pain caused to him by inflammation, or to gain a good appetite for taking something edible. Therefore, his most excellent servant, associate and fellow exile Nicholas, taking out barley broth, gave him no more than one cup every day; in addition, in the absence of medical assistance, the father allowed this spiritual son, who turned out to be another Silas or Timothy 107, to cut off the dead parts of his hanging skin with a knife, so that the rest of the body mass would gradually and over time return to its normal state of health. The fiery pillar of Orthodoxy, Theodore, spent the entire period of Holy Pentecost and beyond in such suffering from bodily pain; barely in the last days of Holy Pentecost his body regained full health. 44. But these wounds had not yet healed well, when another evil messenger arrived from the king to resettle him in the Smyrna diocese. Attacking with an accompanying crowd of saints or, better yet, dogs, he broke down the locked door of the home and, taking out the sacred fathers, demanded from them, like a covetous man, the remnants of wealth that they did not have; not receiving what he wanted, he ordered a thorough inspection of the walls and cracks inside the cell. When their efforts turned out to be in vain, the villains, becoming enraged, hastily and mercilessly, in intense heat, led the saints on their way, without showing them any compassion, although they saw that the God-bearing Theodore was completely exhausted in body and was almost no different from a dead man. Having thus traveled a short distance, late in the evening they came to one village, in which, having driven the feet of the prisoners of Christ into stocks 108, they forced them to spend the whole night in suffering, [Col. 300] and in the morning, having set off from there, they continued their journey in the same way, while our father could hardly walk from the pain in his legs; but, however, he encouraged himself with hope in God and strengthened the weakness of nature with the hope of the blessings prepared for the righteous. So, having reached the Smyrna diocese in a few days, they were handed over to its primate - a heretic, who, drunk in his soul with the wine of wickedness, imprisoned the confessors of Christ in the fence of the metropolis, in one cramped dwelling, allowing them in this room only to take daily food, consisting of bread and water, and under strong threat, ordering them to deprive them of all communication with people. When the God-bearing father was condemned to such imprisonment together with his disciple Nicholas, the bloodsucker and murderer Leo, after some time, again sent the same bloodthirsty Anastasius, nicknamed Martinakiy, to him, ordering him to be mercilessly tormented by scourging with belts. This one soon arrived in Smyrna and, with great zeal, fulfilling the command of the cruel ruler over our long-suffering father Theodore, returned to the capital. Tempted by such suffering for the sake of piety, the firm and unshakable pillar of Orthodoxy, Theodore, sang within himself the words of blessed Paul: if we suffer, then, of course, we will be glorified with Christ (Rom. 8:17), who suffered for us in the flesh, so that by His goodness he could deliver us from the dishonor of the passions. 45. Meanwhile, the local military leader (it was Varda, the emperor’s brother-in-law and like-minded person), having suffered from a physical illness at that time, arrived at the metropolis and, lying here in bed, awaited the judgment of Providence; and one of his subordinates, named Diogenes, noble by birth, Orthodox by faith, having love for those who fought for the faith of Christ, strongly desired to see the saint and ask for the blessing of his prayers. And so, when the saint met with the God-loving Diogenes and they talked with each other through the hole 109, the wonderful and kind husband informed the God-bearing father about the position of the strategist. The Great [Theodore] answers him: “Tell your master the following: look at what you will do when, perhaps, you are at the end of your life and you have no helper or deliverer; Therefore, remember what you did in the prosperous time of your power with the confessors of Christ and especially with my monastery; glorious Thaddeus 110 you yourself cruelly beat with belts and put to death, but he, adorned with martyrdom, in heaven now enjoys the glory of God Almighty with all the saints, and here you are still tormented by the chains of your sins, in the next century you will be subjected, against your will, [Col. 301] full condemnation; and if the temporary is so painful and unbearable, then we must think about the eternal punishment of the wicked and those who violate the commandments of our Savior Christ: for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, as the prophet said (Isa. 6:24).” 46. ​​He, having heard these words, came to contrition about his deeds and, overwhelmed with fear at the news of death, immediately asks for forgiveness from the monk and prayerful help to him, promising from now on to arrange and fulfill all his affairs according to the commandment of the great [father], if only he could now get rid of mortal danger. Our Divine Father, imitating the humane Master and Lord, Who does not want the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live (Ezek. 18:23), sent the sick man the sacred icon of the Mother of God, commanding him to venerate her, also to ask for the prayers of the ascetic and martyr of Christ Thaddeus, and then hope that he will be better. And he himself prayed all night for him before the God of all and delivered him from his illness, so that the next day he got out of bed and successfully engaged in human affairs. And the grace of healing would have remained unchanged with him if he, deceived by the proposals of the wicked [bishop], had not begun to use the oil blessed by him, as if to restore perfect health. Having learned about this, the miraculous Theodore, full of the prophetic gift, immediately predicted the return of the disease and the death that would follow from it to the unfortunate man, which happened to him a few days after communicating with the heresy leader, for truly “communication with the evil ones is not an unpunished thing,” in the words of Blessed Cyril 111. Thus ended the life of that man. Our father and confessor of Christ Theodore, who was kept in custody for twenty months under that false metropolitan, among other fathers and confessors, had his own disciples, who were almost equal to him in suffering; Among them were famous: the famous and great Naucratius and the pillar of presbyteral perfection Dorotheus, the wondrous Bessarion and the most steadfast Jacob, the most valiant Dometian and the patient Typhoid, Timothy, distinguished by his ascetic and angelic life, the most courageous and the same with complacency (ευθυμία) confessor [Euphymius]. All of them, with very many others, having experienced many scourges and various temptations, gained the glory of confession, not even inclined to please the desires of the persecutors of Christians with a word, for those who believed that God looks at their lives do not at all dare to sin. 47. Meanwhile, God is a jealous God, who removes his opponents from the face of the earth, as the prophet says (Zeph. 1:3), [Col. 304] Who is long-suffering in mercy, but strains the bow of His righteous wrath to destroy sinners and through it gives the unrepentant vessels of death (Ps. 7:14), Who does not allow the rod of sinners to weigh down the fate of the righteous to the end (Ps. 125:3), remembered the groaning of the prisoners and the one who devoured Jacob and devastated places dedicated to Him (see Ps. 79:7), punished for crimes, determining that he lost his life from a murderous sword in the very places where he humiliated the Divine incarnation of Emmanuel, so that the prediction of the blessed prophet Habakkuk would be fulfilled on him, saying this: you intended shame on the house of the Lord, you died in the footsteps of men, and your soul sinned, therefore satiety dishonor will befall you, you and you will drink, you will be shaken and shaken, the cup of the right hand of the Lord will pass over you, and dishonor will be gathered upon your head. Even before the wickedness of Lebanon will cover you, and the passion of the beasts will make you afraid (Hab. 2:10, 16-17). Also to Hosea: Ephraim angered Me and angered Me, and his blood will be shed on him, and the Lord will repay his reproach (Hos. 12:14). Together with them, the loudest prophetic trumpet proclaims to him: just as a robe soaked in blood will not be clean, so you will not be clean, for you have destroyed My land and you have beaten My people (Is. 14:20). Return of Rev. Theodora from the third exile 48. When in this way this bestial and cruel ruler was killed at night in one of the churches of the palace, then Michael [Travel] who killed him takes the scepter of the kingdom; Although he had long been completely imbued with heretical leaven, he was distinguished by a meek disposition and therefore issued commands ordering the release from bonds of everyone exiled by Leo and kept in custody. Then, together with other confessors of Christ, the famous preacher of Orthodoxy Theodore, returning from Smyrna to his native and beloved region and shining with the brilliance of holiness and righteousness, was warmly received by many in different places and villages, especially by the good-loving and God-fearing residents of the so-called Xirolofi. Soon afterwards, moving to a neighboring area called Lake Mitata, he was received with dignity there and lived for many days; Almost all the senior members of the brotherhood that were under his command flocked there; Likewise, the wise Joseph, the firmest defender of the truth, arrived to meet his brother from the fortress called Elpizon, where he was kept in custody. There, our divine father, they say, performed miracles worthy of remembrance, which, with God’s help, I will try to briefly describe. [Col. 305] The most pious man named Leo, who then received our holy father, who was awarded the title of ipata 112, and then entered monasticism, taking the name of Theodore out of respect for the monk, came annually to reverently venerate the sacred shrine of his relics; This glorious and faithful Theodore, having come according to his custom to pay veneration to his beloved God-bearing husband, having offered up a prayer to the Lord at his request and venerated the tomb of his fathers, sat down with the brethren and started talking about the life and exploits of the great Theodore, ignited inside from the memories of him, as if from fire, and with color in his face, and with a stream of abundant tears, clearly expressing what joy it was fulfilled when remembering the life of the great; when those who were sitting with him were very happy about this and became moved, the elder asked to listen carefully to his words and began to talk about this subject in this order. 49. “At that time,” he said, “when I was honored to receive the confessor of Christ and the common father of us all, it happened that the girl we had chosen for my son Dionysius and had already been married to him, suddenly, for some unfortunate reason, fell into a strong fever, and on this occasion the wedding songs gave way to lamentable ones, and we, depressed by grief, expected the premature death of the girl. Having learned about this from us, the man of God blessed the oil and, having sent it to us from the village called Ptelei, in which he was located, ordered to anoint the sick person’s forehead with it, as well as the palms of both hands and the soles of the feet; and when this was done, the girl immediately received healing, and we again began to rejoice, glorifying God for such a quick salvation of the girl.” 50. Attaching one story to another, the noble elder continued: “Listen, fathers, to something else. One man, named Lev, from a village called Akhirao, had a wife possessed by an unclean spirit, who was so tormented by the demon that she bit her own body without feeling pain. Her husband, prompted by faith in the servant of Christ Theodore, while this blessed one was passing there on a mule, approached him with his wife and asked him to give her the blessing of his prayers. Our wonderworker, placing his right hand on the woman’s head, said a prayer over her for those possessed by demons; and as soon as he finished it, the removal of the demon from the suffering woman followed, with a terrible sign that clearly took place before the audience at the hour of his expulsion, for along with the expulsion of the unclean and evil spirit, the nails came out of her hands and feet and fell to the ground; Surprised by this, the husband gave glory and thanksgiving to God, who unexpectedly accomplished such wondrous deeds with his wife through His servant.” 51. [Col. 308] To the above he added something else, and Theodore, wondrous in faith, said the following: “One river flows near our places, called Onopnyktis, which by its very name, I think, expresses the harm caused by its flooding, so that even unreasonable animals do not escape death from its floods; sometimes, rising and protruding from its banks, it devastated the Ptelei region quite a lot. Therefore, having chosen a convenient time, we notified the performer of miracles, our father, about this; he, greatly saddened by the unpleasant news, late that same day comes with us to the place of the river flood and, having offered evening praises to the Lord there, erects a cross prepared for that purpose in the place of the devastating waters. Looking at this sign of the cross, the stream of the river, once stormy, from that time until now retreats before the Lord’s sign, like an obedient slave, not daring to overflow with its former strength.” 52. To these three, the truth-loving husband added in his speech another miracle that happened to him, saying with tears: “When our blessed father was still living in our house in Pteleya, it happened,” he says, “for one reason I had to go to another village called Meteoris. Having completed the task, I returned home again; when I approached the mountain adjacent to the high road, I met a tiger that looked terrible; noticing [me], he stood right in front of me and was preparing to jump on me; I, as if having driven out fear from my soul, tell him in a loud voice: “Get away, indomitable beast, and do not come near me at all, for I am hastening to the servant of Christ Theodore.” He, struck by this word, as if from the presence of fire (Ps. 67:3), turned back from me and went along the paved road, and I, seeing the wondrous retreat of the beast, burst into tears and glorified the Lord Christ, who delivered me from the murderous and evil animal through one name of His faithful servant Theodore.” We learned this from the sacredly wise and noble Theodore, truly the oldest both in gray hair and in faith; and since they talk about other miracles of the father, which were performed by him even earlier and about which our divine father Sophronius spoke, then, having begun to talk about this, I think it is necessary to add them here, so that the story worthy of attention about this is complete and continuous. 53. “At that time,” he said, “when our holy father Theodore led a heavenly and angelic life with the numerous host under his control in the monastery of Studio, [Col. 309] one day he came, according to his custom, to the hospital to visit the brethren who were lying there; one of them, who had been ill for a long time and could no longer endure attacks of pain, greatly grieved and despaired of his life, so that he aroused compassion and pity in those lying with him with his lamentations. Therefore, he begged the one who was caring for the sick - it was Simeon, the wondrous son of obedience and the clearest lamp of prudence - to ask his father on his behalf to pray to God for a speedy release from his bonds. When the God-bearing shepherd came, he who went after the sick, following him, tells him the request of the sick person; the great Theodore, having heard this, asked whether the sick brother really spoke like that, and when he confirmed with his testimony, then his thoughts were in heaven [the father], turning to the east and flaring up in his face from a feeling of compassion in his heart, raising his hands in grief and shedding tears, he began to pray in his mind to the Lord, who has power over life and death, while the brethren who were with him looked at this, and after prayer, turning to Simeon, said: “Return to your brother as soon as possible, for the Lord has shown mercy at his request.” He, immediately returning, found that he had breathed his last, and those standing before him covered his eyes with their hands; and it was clearly revealed that when the monk spoke about his brother’s exodus, then his soul left his body.” 54. And our holy father Sophronius, who was the successor in his [Theodore’s] place and after him shepherded his flock, left us a story about another miracle. He said that once, during the time of iconoclastic unrest, he walked in the Paphlagonian region together with his tonsured father, Anatoly, an excellent student and former clerk of the great father, who courageously endured scourging and imprisonment for the Orthodox faith. “After,” he continued, “we had been traveling from morning to evening, we stopped to rest near a hay warehouse in the stacks; It happened that a military detachment of the Roman Empire was stationed there. When many fires were lit to heat the water, then, I don’t know how, the fire engulfed the hay and began to greatly devastate the haystacks standing around; from this there was great confusion and indignation between the soldiers, and when everyone was looking for the culprit of this with murderous looks and movements, then our reverend father and confessor of Christ Anatoly, seeing the severe irritation of the people and fearing that the soldiers in a strong fit of fiery rage would not kill us both, as if guilty of such evil, turned to the east and, raising his hands to the sky, cried out to God, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, God of heaven and earth, if You were pleased to accept the exploits of Theodore, [Col. 312] my father, then be appeased now with his prayers and extinguish this flame, so that people do not kill us unjustly.” And as soon as he said this, the fire went out as if from heavy rain; The soldiers, having become meek and amazed, glorified God and our most reverend father, the glorious Theodore.” 55. A miracle similar to this took place in Constantinople, according to the same glorious Sophronius, in the house of one of the nobles who lived in Ravdos, about which he heard from the lady of the house herself, who told him about this subject as follows. “At noon,” she said, “there was a fire in our hayloft, I don’t know why or how, and the fire from the burning of flammable substances flared up so that all our property was in danger of being destroyed. When everyone shouted and scattered with screams and anxiety to bring water and pumps, I, also running back and forth and sobbing heavily, remembered that the letter recently sent from the great Theodore was lying in one of the baskets made of palm branches. So, hastily taking it in my hands, I cried out in a loud voice with tears: “Reverend Theodore, help us with your prayers at this hour”; and with such words I throw him from the elevated place where I stood towards the rising flame, which, as if ashamed of the words of the holy father written on the charter, suddenly ceased to rage and little by little decreased so that the running of the people here and there and the placement of pumps in places became in vain, and everyone glorified God for extinguishing the fire in a marvelous way.” 56. A rumor reached us from the island of Sardinia about another miracle of our father and performer of miracles. Namely, one of our fathers, having met with the leading Christ-loving and very pious leader in that country, learned from him about this event, and he told him the following. “I,” he says, “have long ago acquired the three songs of the Holy Pentecost, which were compiled by our God-bearing father and confessor of Christ Theodore, and sang them annually with proper faith, as I do now by the grace of Christ. At that time, apparently, monks stayed with me, calling themselves disciples of Gregory, the former archbishop of the city of Syracuse in Sicily, who, while living with me, received considerable consolation. When the time of the Holy Pentecost arrived, I made preparations according to my established order for the glorification of God and ordered that during the Pentecost there should be three songs of our holy father, as was usually done with me in previous years. Having heard about this, they were embarrassed and at the same time amazed that the teaching and glory of our venerable father had reached us, and they began to ridicule the saint and condemn his creations, as if they were not compiled according to the rules of art. [Col. 313] Having been corrupted in my mind by them, I myself accepted their unclean, perverse words against the God-bearing, and therefore, at the onset of the Holy Pentecost, as I said, I did not want to sing its Three Songs. But the next night, the servant of Christ Theodore appeared before me, tall, lean, pale-yellow in face, half-gray in hair and bald; and behind him followed the scolders, important in appearance, to whom he ordered with a gesture to stretch me mercilessly, and ordered some of them to beat me hard with rods, while he himself exclaimed very angrily, turning to me: “Do you, infidel, despise my works?” And again he said to those around him: “You are ordered to punish him sufficiently, so that he learns not to accept evil conversations, which can extremely corrupt good customs (1 Cor. 15:33).” Thus I received quite a few blows, so that, apparently, I could hardly breathe; Having awakened from sleep, I came to my senses with a trembling in my heart, and I felt very painful signs on my body, which I showed to those around me as preserved intact and imprinted on my body as evidence of what happened to me for my participation in the unbelief of evil people to our righteous father. Then I immediately drove out of my house those who brought me such an unpleasant treat, and from that time until now the hymns of the holy father are respected and preferred by us to others, and we honor him as one of the apostles of Christ and a God-given teacher of the Catholic Church and formed such an opinion about him not just from hearsay, but from actual experience and from Divine and unfalse, as said, revelation.” 57. There were many other miracles performed by our father and wonderworker, both during his life and after his relocation to a better life, according to legends from those who saw and experienced them. Thus, one of the demoniacs said that he received healing through him; another of those suffering from other bodily illnesses owes him a complete recovery. There was also one who, suddenly having a severe stomach ache, only looked at the icon of the saint written on a pillar, called on his name for help and immediately got rid of the excruciating pain. Another one, who had taken harmful and very coarse food, like snake venom, felt pain in his entrails from it and already seemed to many to be completely dying, drank oil from the lamp hanging over his sacred tomb, and, beyond his hopes, after a little vomiting, he received deliverance from the poison that was in it. In a similar way, another, having tasted the same healing oil from the palm of his hand, was freed from the most severe stone disease. Still another, possessed by the disease of unnatural fear, was afraid to sleep in a separate room and did not even dare to go out at night to perform the appointed service, after drinking a little oil from the mentioned lamp and depicting the sign of the cross on the body near the heart and on the forehead, [Col. 316] has since become fearless and courageous. In general, we would not have enough time if we wanted to talk about each of the miracles of our most reverend father, for from that time until now his wondrous works have not ceased to be performed on those who come with faith to the honest and venerable shrine, which we see, and after us, of course, others will see: unrepentant for the gift of God (Rom. 11:29). Therefore, leaving the conversation about this, let’s move on to the subsequent circumstances of his life. 58. So, blessed Theodore, having lived for many days in Ptelei with the brothers and fathers who had arrived to meet him and his companions, then departed from there and arrived with them in the outskirts of Prussa. When the rumor about this spread throughout the entire Olympian region, 113 almost everyone gathered to him, who had long since devoted themselves to deeds of virtue in the deserts and in the mountains and in the abysses of the earth (Heb. 11:38), wanting to see him as the first ascetic in the field of confession, and together to receive the blessing of his prayers. The great lamp, teaching, if possible, each individually and all together in the spiritual struggle against demons and constantly occurring temptations and arousing divine love in their souls, sent them away with a blessing. Then, having reached Chalcedon and greeted Theoktistus, who once had the title of master, and then was tonsured and now labored in his own monastery with strict observance of right dogmas, from there he comes to the glorious Patriarch Nicephorus; and they had spiritual joy during their mutual meeting and shed tears before God, and they both praised the man-loving Lord for the deeds that He had done and is doing, always providing, as a merciful one, for the salvation of all. Stay in the Criscentia places 59. After living with him for several days, our father Theodore departs from there to the Gulf of Nicomedia and settles in the so-called Criscentian places 114. There again a great multitude of monks and laity gathered there for the sake of his prayer and Divinely inspired teaching. Then Peter 115, great in asceticism, shining with the light of miracles and rightly nicknamed Avukis 116 for his excessive abstinence from food, arrived from his home near Mount Olympus to this high clergyman to talk with him about those who condemned his life and called him a magician for the miracles he performed. The great lamp of wisdom, having received him, very carefully questioned him about faith and life and, having learned that in both respects he was a perfect servant of Christ in the Lord, meekly advised him to sometimes eat bread and wine and other dishes of the monastic meal, due to the tendency of weak people to condemn, and to wear shoes in winter; [Col. 317] and [those who reproached him] reproachfully commanded them to better pay attention to their own shortcomings and henceforth to refrain from slandering the holy elder, so that through hostility towards the ascetic of Christ they would not become offenders of the Spirit of truth acting in him (John 14:17). Such was the divine teacher of piety Theodore, who wanted to win everyone for Christ, like the saint who said: who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is tempted, and I am not liquefied? (2 Cor. 11:29). 60. Meanwhile, those elected from the most God-loving metropolitans at their council agreed and with a common voice recognized the need to go to the emperor all together, excluding the divinely inspired patriarch, in order to tear apart, like a web, those slander that the Christ-hating iconoclasts spread against our right and immaculate faith, and to show the Catholic Church of our Savior Christ as having no blemish and filth (cf. Eph. 5:27), as sprinkled and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God and Father who became man, slain for her. So, with the help of one faithful nobleman, the priests of Christ, dedicated to the Divine service, who were and were worthy of the priesthood both in activity and in angelic image, entered the palace and each of them said greetings to Caesar as best he could; then they asked him not to forget God’s love for mankind in the unexpected mercy given to him, by which he got rid of the hands of the former cruel ruler, but to present to Christ, as an indispensable duty, retribution for this - in the form of restoration in the Church of His former God-devoted decoration with sacred icons. He, as an uneducated person, rude in disposition and not at all knowledgeable in Scripture, listened to this with displeasure and invited the great Theodore to express his opinion; and when he expressed the same sacred thoughts as the hierarchs, and extremely clearly presented the victory of truth, then he, recklessly boasting of dishonor, as if of valor, said to the sacred council of bishops: “Your words are good and beautiful, but since I have never before venerated any icon, then as I found the Church, so I leave it; I give you the power to freely adhere to the dogmas, as you say, of the Orthodox faith, but only outside this city, where each of you will want to live, without fear and without expecting any danger from our power.” Having said this, he released them from the palace. 61. Our father Theodore, having left the capital, again goes to his disciples in the Criscentian places and there continues the ascetic labors of the monastic community until the indignation of the rebel and villain Thomas 117. When the violence of the latter began to devastate the Asian country, [Col. 320] then the royal decree orders the adherents of the divine patriarch Nicephorus to arrive in Constantinople; This was done by Caesar not out of concern for them, but out of fear that some of them would not go over to the side of Thomas, since they said that he accepted holy icons and worshiped them; on this occasion, our great father Theodore again comes to the fatherland. But as soon as the unfortunate Thomas crossed into Europe and was taken by the emperor, our father, having left Byzantium, sailed to the peninsula adjacent to Akritos, called by the name of Saint Tryphon; from here, on one of the solemn days, he went with the highest metropolitans to the most holy patriarch and was most magnificently, in accordance with his true deeds for piety, awarded him the advantage of honor; namely, the priest Nicephorus depicted the undoubted and true feats of his courage and daring before everyone, the signs of scourging, the disasters of imprisonment, hunger and daily mortal dangers that he suffered from the defenders of iconoclastic madness during five years of the tyranny of the indomitable and cruel Leo, and not only with verbal praises gave him primacy, but even more so with his deeds; for when they began the meal, he left him alone to sit on the same dais with himself, saying to the sacred guests: “Allow, brethren, our long-suffering father to preside just as I do, although he, the wise one, does not at all desire this, so that we both, sitting together, may break bread; for whoever has shown more signs of love for the common Master will be rewarded more, as the Lord said in the Gospel (Lk. 7:47); just as there is a difference in the lives of saints, so it happens in honors; in accordance with the merits of each, God proportions the reward; if it is so with God, then it should be so with us, the humble.” Such was the respect for Saint Theodore who adorned the high priestly throne with his victorious virtues. 62. May the envy that rises up against the righteous Theodore disappear, may those who reproach the godlike leader and teacher of the monastics be ashamed and put their hand on their lips, according to the expression of Scripture (Wis. 8:12), seeing the mutual disposition of these venerable and famous persons! Truly, the shepherd of our flock would not often come to His Holiness Nicephorus if he did not know and with full confidence recognize him as a worthy priest of Christ; on the other hand, the great clergyman would not have preferred the divine Theodore to the metropolitans and bishops if his godly mind had not recognized him as far superior to others in the glory of virtue and confession of Christ and having evidence of this. [Col. 321] If any of the opponents does not believe what we have written here for the benefit of the ignorant, let him look at the scrolls of our father’s letters and be a believer, having learned from them the truth of our words about this; If anyone still remains in a hostile disposition even after this, let him think about how he might not end up suffering from a struggle against the rock or, better yet, outright fighting against God, and this is characteristic of a person who is not good, but who is very God-hating and insane. However, enough about this. 63. Finally, let the word begin with the end of the God-bearing, if only it can be called the end of life, and not death, as the beginning of the truest life. For whoever throughout his entire life has been subjected to voluntary death, that is, the mortification of the passions, and has righteously preferred the life hidden in Christ to the voluntary life, one can rightly think of one who is dead to sin in the corruptible and laborious state of natural life as passing from this life, as from death, to unchangeable and eternal life. So, our father and divine confessor of Christ Theodore, even when he reached the very end of his life, did not cease to send saving medicines to all countries and cities in his own letters, joining and attracting many to the Orthodox faith; He also favorably received people of every rank and age who came to him, and with streams of his honeyed tongue he disposed their souls to virtue; and first one and then another came to him not only from this great city - the most famous of the most holy metropolitans, and very many of the abbots, and the most distinguished of the monastics - but also from all the distant islands and cities flocked most diligently in order to be worthy of his sight and blessing as a guide to virtue and in the advancement of piety, for the venerable one was more beautiful and more desirable than any material garden, having within itself and in its outward appearance as it were pleasant fruits and fragrant gifts of the All-Holy Spirit: it was glorified in person, like Moses (Exod. 34:30), and wore the signs of voluntary death in the extreme pallor of his sacred face; He was tall in stature, and this entire lyre had proportionate strings and made harmonious sounds, pronouncing the most pleasant and sweet teaching word. 64. So, after almost sixty-seven years of his entire life in the flesh and twelve years of the third exile for the truth of Christ, our reverend father, around the beginning of November, was subjected to an illness that was hidden in him and had long befallen him from long-suffering imprisonment and exile and the resulting complete neglect of health, namely, stomach illness, and even before his death the blessed one seemed almost dead, completely deprived of appetite. Then, after lying in bed for four days, he, by the grace of God, regained his health again and - oh the generosity of the blessed one! - during the illness itself, he did not want to enjoy peace or any other consolation, so he despised real life to the end! [Col. 324] For, already weakened by old age and exhausted by heavy and continuous labor, he did not give sleep to his eyes and always doze and rest scraniam (Ps. 132:4), until he taught saving and ordinary teaching to the brethren. Sitting on the seat and not being able to clearly speak to those present, he dictated it to one of the cursive writers and through him spoke it to a host of disciples, clearly indicating his impending death, which was already at the door. “Brothers and fathers,” he said, “I was weak, and again I was strengthened by your prayers; but how long will we return to this “again”? It’s true that the day of death will come, when this “again” will no longer take place, will separate me from you and send me away from here...” and other things said in the “Catechetical Teaching.” 65. After the fourth day on the next, which was Sunday, when the venerable one sat down on the seat and read this very “Catechetical Teaching,” what was done? He is strengthened by cheerfulness of spirit and begins to do Divine works, for both work brings health, and cheerfulness of spirit restores the dying, and he enters the house of the Lord to sacredly perform the service of the Holy and Most Pure and Consubstantial Trinity. Having made a bloodless Sacrifice to God and with his own hands taught to all those present the Life-giving Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from there he goes to the meal; here, having cordially received some of the arriving fathers and confessors, he talked and talked in detail about his repose and sent them away, for the whole time of his blessed life was nothing more than thinking about death and the desire to be resolved and be with Christ (Phil. 1:23). After that, he again lay down in his bed and, calling the steward - this was the glorious Naucratius, who became his successor - said: “Have we forgotten any of our duties?” His soul was so caring, worrying and caring about everyone at all times and about everything! Then the next day - it was Tuesday, on which the memory of the great clergyman and confessor of the Trinity Paul 118 is commemorated - he, as a lover of God and the saints, fulfilling the apostolic commandment (see Heb. 13:7), again performs the Divine mystery with reverence in the memory of the saint. And when evening came, after a long conversation with those sitting near him, he went to his cell and, having offered the usual psalmody and prayers to the Lord, lay down on the bed; but at four o'clock he suffered an attack of a common illness. Calling one of those sleeping near his cell, he told him about his suffering, and the brethren immediately flocked to see what was happening to their father. He, having spent two days in moderate suffering 119, the next day calls everyone and in a farewell conversation says to them: The last words of Rev. Theodora to his students 66. [Col. 325] “Brothers and fathers. This is the common cup that all our fathers drank; I also drink it and go to my fathers; look at the testament that I left you, keep your faith unshakable and your life blameless; I have nothing more to say, because I have already proclaimed and taught everything that should be said.” To this, the son of peace and love added the following: “Convey my greetings from me to our lord, the bishop, with respect and veneration, also to the other hierarchs, priests and confessors of Christ, persecuted for the sake of the Lord, to all brothers, friends, acquaintances and laborers with us in the struggle for the faith, small and great.” And to the question of the venerable Naucratius about the monks and laity who were under penance, this truly compassionate and Christ-imitating doctor answered: “May the Lord forgive everyone.” Then, having blessed the brethren three times, he said: “The Lord of peace (2 Thess. 3:16) be with your spirit” - and, bidding farewell to all those present, he remained in this position. 67. When the rumor about this spread far, a great multitude of people came to him, whom he blessed and overshadowed with the sign of the cross, greeted, and after a gentle conversation with them dismissed; he did this for two days. On Sunday, on which the memory of the holy and glorious martyr Mina was celebrated, 120 having sung the usual chants, received communion of the Holy Mysteries, anointed his members with oil as usual, raised his hands to the mountain and prayed, at about the sixth hour he felt weak and quietly ordered the wax candles to be lit; and when in this position the brethren began to sing “blameless” and reached the verse of the second article, which says: I will never forget your justifications, for in them you have quickened me (Ps. 119:93), in their presence he betrayed his holy soul. And he venerated himself to the righteous from the ages - persecuted throughout his life for the truth, to the saints - a lover and performer of holiness, to the martyrs - a lover of martyrs, their companion and long-sufferer, to the apostles - who walked the same path of faith with them, to the prophets - honored by God with equal talent and sealed the predictions by their deeds, as asserting that the incarnation of Emmanuel must certainly be revered through sacred images, to all the holy Angels - imitating in the flesh their lives with all his strength, to the Almighty God and Lord of glory and King of all - out of fear of Him, counting earthly and finite kingdoms as nothing, trampling all human glory like dust, and as far as possible becoming like God and Christ. 68. His all-sacred and long-suffering body was then transferred from the above-mentioned peninsula to the island of Prinkipo, and there decent hymns and burial were performed over him. [Col. 328] It rested on this island for about eighteen years and, by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwelt in it, it was preserved intact and incorruptible, so that decay did not even touch its skin, although this blessed body by its nature would have been subject to decay; then it was solemnly transferred to his own studio flock 121 at the beginning of the [triumph] of our Orthodoxy, during the ministry of Methodius, the most holy patriarch 122 and destroyer of the semi-Christian heresy 123, and placed in the tomb of the most reverend Plato, his abbot, together with Joseph, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, his brother 124. For God and our Savior Jesus Christ so pleased that we, having in them patrons and doctors of our souls and bodies and intercessors before the Holy, Simple, Uncreated and Consubstantial Trinity, would always be delivered through their prayers from all heavenly wrath, harm and attacks by visible and invisible enemies, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, our only God, forever and ever. Amen. Troparion to St. Theodore 125 Teacher of Orthodoxy, teacher of piety and purity, lamp of the universe, God-inspired fertilizer for monastics, Theodore the Wise, with your teachings you have enlightened everything, spiritual priest, pray to Christ God to save our souls. Of course, “Catechetical funeral eulogy in honor of his mother” by Rev. Theodora Studite. In TFS: “one good”. – Ed. The hypostatic Wisdom of God is God the Son. – Ed. We are talking, apparently, about the virtue of prudence. – Ed. This refers to Mount Olympus in Bithynia (Asia Minor); here was the monastery of Symbols, in which Plato was abbot. – Ed. The memory of the Venerable Plato the Confessor, abbot of Studium, is celebrated on April 5/18. The author compares monasticism with apostolate from the point of view of renunciation of property, non-acquisitiveness and dedication of oneself to the service of God. – Ed. St. Joseph of Thessaloniki (762–830). Memory in the Orthodox Church - January 26 / February 8. -Ed. Wed: St. Gregory the Theologian. Homily 3, 10 // St. Gregory the Theologian. Creations. T. 1. P. 30. – Ed. The Midianites and Philistines are Palestinian peoples with whom Israel, under the leadership of Moses, waged war. In patristic literature, the invisible and spiritual Midianites, Philistines, Amalekites, and others meant the devil and unclean spirits - demons with whom Orthodox Christians have to wage spiritual warfare. – Ed. The Great Church is the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. – Ed. Warm baths near Prussa. This refers to Pope Leo III. – Ed. Studite monastery in Constantinople with a church in the name of St. John the Baptist was built by the patrician and consul Studius, translated into Greek by Euprepius (Ἐΰπρέπειος), who arrived from Rome to Constantinople around 459 AD. That is, Nikephoros, the successor of Tarasius. See note. us. 132. – Ed. St. John Chrysostom. Discourses on the Acts of the Apostles 36, 1 (PG. T. 60. Col. 246). – Ed. See note. 2 on p. 136. – Ed. Leroy writes about five monasteries that were part of the community of Studite monasteries. These are the Studite Monastery in Constantinople, Sakkudion, the Monastery of the “Pure Ones”, the Monastery of St. Christopher, Tripyliene or “Three Gates” (possibly located on Olympus in Asia Minor). (TSGC. pp. 72–73). – Ed. Wed: St. Gregory the Theologian. Sermon 43, 17 // St. Gregory the Theologian. Creations. T. 1. P. 519. – Ed. We are talking about John the Grammar. – Ed. We are talking about St. Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople. – Ed. St. Ignatius the God-Bearer. Epistle to the Smyrnites, 4; cf.: Epistle to the Ephesians, 7. Horace. Satire 3. Book. I. Art. 66. That is, master (κύριος). – Ed. This means the Bosphorus. At Grossu we find the name of this monastery - the Monastery of the Good (see: Grossu. St. Theodore the Studite. P. 145). – Ed. They were invited there by the iconoclasts, who formed a council under the chairmanship of the new Patriarch of Constantinople, Theodotus (815–821). – Ed. The strategist of the eastern regions is here, apparently, the head of the Eastern (Anatolian) theme. Chiefs of themes in the 8th - mid-9th centuries. were very powerful and concentrated military, financial and legal power in their hands (see: ODB. P. 1964). – Ed. About him, see the note on p. 151. – Ed. Apostles from the seventy, companions of the Apostle Paul. – Ed. There is an omission in the Greek text. In the wall or door of the room where the Rev. was kept. Theodore. – Ed. Memory of Rev. The Orthodox Church celebrates Thaddeus Studite on December 29/January 11. – Ed. St. Cyril of Alexandria. On Worship in Spirit and Truth, XV (PG. T. 68. Col. 1000B). – Ed. The TFS added: “consul”. – Ed. This refers to the lands in Bithynia (Asia Minor), adjacent to Mount Olympus. – Ed. In the area of ​​the Nicomedia Gulf of the Sea of ​​Marmara in Bithynia (Asia Minor). – Ed. About him, see note. 2 on p. 163. – Ed. A βούκις - “not eating a single piece of bread.” We are talking about the impostor Thomas the Slav. About him, see note. 1 on p. 164. – Ed. Oh St. Paul (the Orthodox Church commemorates November 6/19) see note. us. 167. – Ed. Instead of δυαημερεύαας we prefer to read δυσημερεϋσας, as in many manuscripts; Accordingly, we translate: “after spending two days”; this is in accordance with the chronological order in the story of Theodore’s last days, both according to his life and according to the district epistle of Naucratius. November 11/24; On this day the memory of St. Theodore the Studite, who died in 826, is celebrated. About him, see note. 2 on p. 169. – Ed. This is what the author of the Life calls the iconoclasts. – Ed. Died in 832 - Ed.