Letter to Demetrius Kidon

In the corpus of epistolary works of rights. Nicholas Kavasila includes a letter written by him to his friend and famous Byzantine scholar Demetrius Kidon (Kidonis) in 1363 from Thessalonica to Constantinople. In the letter, the author shares personal experiences and suffering that befell him after returning home. He describes a difficult and dangerous journey, learns of his father's death upon arrival, battles a debilitating illness that has left him physically exhausted, and faces serious legal problems stemming from his relatives' attempts to appropriate property saved from the Serbs. Righteous Nicholas expresses his despair, inability to enjoy life and complains about the injustice and corruption of the judicial system of that time. He asks Dimitri to verbally support and console him. It must be added that Demetrius Kydonis was a prominent Byzantine statesman and scientist of the 14th century. He came from an aristocratic family, served for a long time as a mesason (in fact, prime minister) under several emperors, criticized the court and opposed hesychasm. Studying Latin and translations of Thomas Aquinas, Kydonis secretly converted to Catholicism around 1357 due to his theological beliefs and rejection of Palamism. He supported the errors of Barlaam of Calabria and Gregory Akindinus, denied the doctrine of the uncreated Tabor light, and blasphemed the Fathers of the Church. Kydonis actively advocated an alliance with the West against the Turks, participating in diplomatic missions, but his pro-Latin views led to strong opposition to the Orthodox party and expulsion from Constantinople in 1396. He died in Crete at the end of 1397. Demetrius Kydonis was posthumously anathematized by the Orthodox Church for his heresies, opposition to Palamism and the decrees of the Palamite councils. Written at Thessalonica in 1363. Sent to Constantinople Having addressed ourselves with greetings, we upset you - everything painful met me: first of all, the sailing itself, what evil is worse? Then we had to walk, everything was full of fear, and even the land was no more polite to us than the sea. Therefore, I thought that misfortunes would follow us home: then it would be possible to rest. It was the other way around. The fact is that misfortunes that turned out to be worse were discovered at home. For I learned about the misfortune that my father had died many days earlier at that very time. And now measure the horror. Moreover, it is a terrible disease, and for a long time it suffocated me. And now, expelled with difficulty through many inventions of doctors, she left me with such a body that I do not rejoice in anything from food, since I am inactive; The best parts of my body seem to be connected, although not a single one is damaged by unprecedented decline. The end of the misfortunes was domestic concerns, namely a crowd surrounding several noble relatives who were trying to plunder the property that had eluded the Serbs. And I am so unhappy that from now on I am preoccupied even with the laws, precisely the same ones that are applied today, and the matter goes all the way to court. The bad thing is that I lacked legal advocates, and I think it is regrettable that, passing by once and accidentally meeting them, I greeted them. For I was afraid that, by speaking at the trial myself, I would awaken in my body the bile that had now been soothed with difficulty. The main thing is that you know the courts, legal proceedings, judges and how much they are sold for: after all, for very little. Thus, everything present is depressing, but nothing is impossible, as a result of which I would consider consolation to be suffering. I passionately long for your voice, which, like some medicine, will save you with a word. It is absolutely impossible to listen only to what is happening. Therefore, speak and do good to those who treat you exclusively in a friendly manner. You might be interested in: