Letter 10: That nothing is greater than love, in which one has[43] brotherly union as proof.

To Ophelios the Grammarian. That the philosophy of enduring injustice and abuse is great. If Socrates, the lawgiver of Attic doctrines, did not retaliate even when struck, why do you merely grieve at being insulted, as you have written? For if you philosophize about it, you yourself will carry away the reputation of Socrates, even if you have been treated less harshly than Socrates; and the one on the other side will bear the reputation of the striker. To Heracleides the Bishop. Why Daniel was not condemned together with Ananias and his companions in the furnace. Why, you asked, was the great Daniel not condemned to the fire together with the three holy youths by the Babylonian king, though he was of one mind with them, of the same tribe, sharing the same way of life, and even more a teacher of piety? Because, I say, this was arranged by divine providence, lest the impious attribute the quenching of the flame to the name of the Babylonian god — for they called him Belteshazzar, in honor of his ability to interpret mysteries. And such a belief prevailed among them, that their god worked wonders even when merely named. Therefore, in order to destroy this opinion, God separated Daniel in this judgment, and the self-control of the youths was found standing on its own merit, and the help of God extinguished the roaring furnace. To Kyrillos the Sophist. It is fitting for you to demonstrate your zeal, since envy of those who fare ill has incited the more gentle ones — and those who were painted fairer and more beautiful for you, you should no longer bring forward more obscurely. To Herminos the Count. Many trophy-bearers who acquired courage preserved their subjects through philanthropy. And those whom they had enslaved unwillingly, they won over willingly. For courage is powerful in acquiring what one does not possess, but gentleness is superior in preserving what has been acquired. But those who boast of being students of the gentle trophy-bearer and soldiers of the heavenly king — those whom the original attendants won over willingly through gentleness, these present followers drive away unwillingly through arrogance. For those whom the former willingly brought into the fold, these latter expel even the unwilling through their own tyranny. For they treat their subjects as destroyers and avengers, not as shepherds. What then must be done, you ask? Nothing else but to practice virtue and await the divine tribunal. To the same. Since your soul so loved silence, you ought not to grieve nor to trouble us with your restlessness. To Niketas the Notary. I know how to greet the pious. But now I hear where you are delaying. For you there remains the goal to reach the finish. You have much that compels you to be diligent, so that none of your duties be found lacking. To Euagrios. In making a selection of disciples, do not hunt for the desires of those nearby, but keep the yoke of truth before your eyes.

That nothing is greater than love, in which one has[43] brotherly union as proof. Thus, nothing is as greatly desired by God than[44] love, through which both man had come into existence, and is a subject of love until death. For on this account, namely, the first call of his disciples, there happened to be two brothers; thus, from the beginning the all-wise savior immediately showed that he desires all his disciples to be united in a brotherly manner. Therefore, let us consider nothing more precious than love, which unites everyone, and protects everyone in harmonious accord.

ΙΑ΄. – ΩΦΕΛΙΩ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΚΟ. Ὅτι ἡ ἐν τῷ ἀδικεῖσθαι ἢ παροινεῖσθαι φιλοσοφία πολλή. (11) Εἰ Σωκράτης ὁ τῶν Ἀττικῶν δογμάτων νο- μοθέτης, καὶ τυπτηθεὶς οὐκ ἠμύνατο, αὐτὸς τὸ ἀλύεις μόνον ὑβρισθεὶς, ὡς γέγραφας; Εἰ γὰρ φιλοσοφή- σειας, αὐτὸς μὲν τὴν Σωκράτους δόξαν ἀποίσῃ, εἰ καὶ ἧττον Σωκράτους πεπαρώνησαι· ὁ δὲ ἐξ ἐναντίας ὡς ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΗ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. Λιὰ τὶ οὐ συγκατεδικάσθη τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀνανίαν ὁ Δανιὴλ ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ. Διὰ τί, ἔφης (20), μετὰ τῶν τριῶν ὁσίων παίδων τὴν πυρκαϊὰν οὐ κατεδικάσθη ὁ μέγας Δανιὴλ παρὰ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου, σύμφρων αὐτοῖς τυγχάνων καὶ συμφυλέτης, καὶ ὁμοδίαιτος, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς εὐσεβείας διδάσκαλος; Ἐπειδὴ, φημί, κατὰ θείαν τοῦτο ᾠκονομήθη προμήθειαν, ἵνα μὴ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου Θεοῦ, τὴν κατάκαυσιν τῆς φλογὸς οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπιγράφωσι· Βαλτάσαρ γὰρ αὐτὸν, εἰς τιμὴν τῆς τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων σαφηνείας, ὠνόμαζον. Κal δόγμα τοιοῦτο παρ' ἐκείνοις κρατεῖ, ὡς καὶ μόνον ὀνομαζόμενον, θαυματουργεῖν τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν. Ἵνα ταύτην τοίνυν καταργήσῃ τὴν δόξαν, ἐν τῇ κρίσει ταύτῃ τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐχώρισε, καὶ εὑρέθη γυμνὴ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ τῶν νέων ἐγκράτεια, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ βοήθεια, τὴν βροντῶσαν μαράνασα κάμινον. Γ. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Εἰ καὶ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἡμῖν διατέθεισθε, τὴν μεταμέλειαν καὶ τὴν ἀγαθήν διασώζεσθαι ὁμονο ΜΗ΄. – ΚΥΡΙΛΛΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ Δείκνυσι σοι προσήκειν τὴν σπουδὴν, τοῦ φθόνον τοῖς κακῶς πραττομένοις παρακροτήσαντος τοῖς πραοτέροις, οἱ καλλίους σοὶ καὶ καλλίων ὑπο- γραφεῖσαι, ἀφανέστερον οὐκέτι προεισάγοις. ΤΟ. – ΕΡΜΙΝΟ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Πολλοὶ μὲν τροπαιοῦχοι ἀνδρίαν κτησάμενοι, φιλ- ανθρωπίᾳ τοὺς ὑπηκόους διεσώσαντο. Καὶ οὓς ἄκον- τας κατεδουλώσαντο, τούτους ἑκόντας ἐχειρώσαντο. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀνδρία δεινὴ τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχον κτήσασθαι, ἡ δὲ πραότης αὐτὸ τὸ κτηθὲν ἀμείνων φυλάξαι. Οἱ δὲ τοῦ πράου τροπαιούχου αὐχοῦντες εἶναι φοιτηταὶ, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανίου βασιλέως στρατιῶται, οὓς οἱ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπασπισταὶ πραότητι ἑκόντας ἐχειρώ- σαντο, τούτους ἀλαζονείᾳ ἄκοντας ἀποσοβοῦσιν. Οὓς γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἐκόντας εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν παρεστήσαντο, τούτους καὶ μὴ βουλομένους διὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν τυραννί- δος ἀπελαύνουσιν. Ὡς γὰρ λυμεῶνες καὶ ἀλάστορες, οὐχ ὡς ποιμένες τοῖς ὑπηκόοις προσφέρονται. Τί οὖν ποιητέον, ἔφης ; Οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ ἀρετὴν ἀσκοῦντας, τὸ θεῖον ἀναμένειν δικαστήριον (97). Ι΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Ἐπεὶ οὕτως ἐφιλάκη ἡ σὴ ψυχὴ τὴν σιωπὴν, οὐκ ἔδει λυπεῖσθαι οὐδὲ ἡμᾶς ἐνοχλεῖν τῇ σῇ ἀγρυπνίᾳ. Κ΄. – ΝΙΚΗΤῌ ΝΟΤΑΡΙΩ. Προσαγορεύειν τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς οἶδα. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ νῦν ποῦ βραδύνεις ἀκούω. Σοὶ δὲ μένει τὸ ἄχρι τέρματος. Πολλὰ μὲν ἔχεις ἃ σὲ ἀναγκάζει σπουδάζειν, τοῦ φανεῖ- σθαι μηδὲν τῶν σῶν ἄρτι ἐλλεῖπον. ΡΟΖ΄. – ΕΥΑΓΡΙΩ Μαθητῶν ἐκλογὴν ποιούμενος, μὴ τὰς τῶν πλησίον ἐπιθυμίας θήρα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸν ζυγὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχειν. P. 266. - LIB. II, EP. 180. P. 328, lit. E, lin. 1, 4 deest in cat. ibid. 3. Ρ. άγ- γελεῖ, cat. ἀναγγελεῖ. ibid. 4. παιδίον deest in cat. ibid. 4, 5. ἐχρῆν γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι τέτοχε, des, in cal. ibid. 9. Ρ. ἀλλὰ ᾿Αβρ., cat. ἀλλ' 'Αβρ. ibid. 10. P. τις ἡγεῖται, cat. τις τοῦτο ἡγεῖται. ibid. 10. Ρ. τοῦ ᾿Αδρ., cat. τοῦ ᾿Αβρ. τοῦτό φησι. P. 329, lit. A, lin. 4. Ρ. περὶ παρόντων, cat. παρ- όντος. ibid. 4. Ρ. ὡς καὶ τό, cat. ὡς, τόν. ibid. 5. Ρ. εἰσανούσει, και. εἰσακούει. ibid. 10. Ρ. γάλακτος, cal. τοῦ γάλακτος. Οὐχ ὡς μηδενὸς πολε μήσοντος, καὶ σβέσαι ἐπι- χειρήσοντος, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀντ- ιστησομένων μὲν πολ- λῶν, ἡττηθησομένων δὲ κατὰ κράτος είρηται, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατ ισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς, τῆς Ἐκ κλησίας (δε) δηλονότι. Р. 712. - LIB. I, EP. 210. P. 61, lit. D. lin. 7. Ρ. τῆς τελευταίας τῶν χρό νων ἀνάγκης τὰ σημεῖα, ἅπερ ὁ κύριος πρὸς εἶδη- σιν ἡμῶν ἀπεκάλυψε, σαφηνισθῆναί σοι ἀξιώσας διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, ταχέως τὴν τούτων, κ. τ. λ. cat. δέξαι ταῦτα καὶ ὡς σημεῖα τῆς τελευταίας ἀνάγκης καὶ τὴν τούτων, κ. τ. λ. P. 61, lit. E, lin. 1, post δύναμιν addit ὑψηλότε pov cat. auct, ibid. 2. Ρ. δρη, οἱ ἐν εὐσεβ. cat. όρη, τουτέστιν οἱ ἐν τῇ εὐσεβ, ibid. 3. † deest in cat. ibid. 6. Ρ. αὐτοῦ, cat. αὐτοῦ. ibid. 6. Ρ. περιφρ., cal. κα- ταφρ. ibid. 10. Ρ. ῥαθυμίαν, cat. ἐπιθυμίαν P. 62, lit. A, lin. 3. Ρ. ἀπεκδυσάμενος, cal. άπο- δυσάμενος. ibid. 4. Ρ. σαρκίνοις, και. σαρκικοῖς. ibid. 6. èv deest in cat. ibid. 7. Ρ. κάκωσιν, cat. κα- τοίκησιν.