Letter 8008: VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 8
VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 8
From: King Athalaric, writing through Cassiodorus
To: Victorinus, Venerable Bishop
Date: ~526-534 AD
Context: A letter to a bishop about the steadfastness that comes from wisdom, praising those who remain constant amid worldly fortune.
[1] Admonitions about faith and constancy are meant for those who are shaken by the shifting fortunes of human desire. But for you, whom God's wisdom has schooled — what worldly change could trouble your commitment? Those who have learned the discipline of heavenly teaching cannot be swayed by earthly events. A house built on solid foundations does not fear the turbulence of storms, and a mind instructed by divine truth keeps its balance even when the world around it wavers.
[2] Nevertheless, we thought it right to commend your faith and devotion, not because we doubt it, but because a word of acknowledgment strengthens even the steadfast. Continue in the path you have chosen: hold firm to the faith, guard the duties of your office, and let your constancy be a light to others in uncertain times.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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