Letter 101: , a newly-professed monk Concerning the need always to be sober You have grasped the ploughshare well and to the point.

The one who has chosen the most temperate and self-sufficient life is brilliant and great in soul, though humble in mode of living. For being worth much, he spends little. But the one who honors a luxurious life and pursues an extravagant table is lowly and small in soul, and though spending much, is worth nothing. The truly rich man is the one who needs least.

, a newly-professed monk Concerning the need always to be sober You have grasped the ploughshare well and to the point. You are succeeding in escaping from suffocating [6] matter. You have stepped forth well towards a higher citizenship. Stand [7] therefore wide awake as a heavy-armed soldier, lest sleep slip in rendering you flabby and show you up as a deserter, which God forbid. For we are not unaware of the designs of the Evil One. [1] The Greek relative pronoun could also refer to Christ, who is the initial subject and whose power to forgive is central to the NT. The translation would then read: by the authority of whose divine Spirit… [2] Mt.5.39 [3] Mt.20.12 [4] See L. Meridier, L’influence de la seconde sophistique sur l’œuvre de Grégoire de Nysse, Rennes, 1906. [5] For a Christian writer’s effort to include ψογος in his rhetorical repertoire see J. Bernardi, Grégoire de Nazianze, Discours 4-5, Contre Julien, (Sources Chrétiennes 309) introduction p.15, Cerf, 1983. [6] cf. Mk. 4,7 [7] cf. Plato, Ap. 28D These letters were translated for us by Clive Sweeting — many thanks!

ΤΟΛ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΟ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ (97*). Ὁ μὲν τὸν ἐγκρατέστατον καὶ αὐταρκέστατον βίον ἑλόμενος, τῇ μὲν ψυχῇ λαμπρός ἐστι καὶ μέγας, τῷ δὲ βίῳ εὐτελής. Πολλοῦ γὰρ ἄξιος ῶν, ἀναλίσκει ὀλίγα. Ὁ δὲ τὸν ἀβροδίαιτον βίον τιμῶν, καὶ τὴν φλεγμαίνουσαν τράπεζαν διώκων, τῇ μὲν ψυχῇ τα- πεινός ἐστι καὶ μικρὸς, καὶ χαρίτων ἔρημος, τῷ δὲ βίῳ πολυτελής. Οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἄξιος ὧν πλεῖστα ἀνα- λίσκει. Διὸ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἄτε ὀλίγοις ἀρχόμενος, πλουσιώτατον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ἡγεῖται· οὗτος δὲ πολλὰ ἀναλίσκων, εἰς τὰς τῶν πέλας οὐσίας τὰς μιαρὰς ἑαυτοῦ ῥίπτει χεῖρας. Διὸ καὶ πενέστατον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ἡγεῖται. Τίς οὖν τῶν ἐχεφρόνων τὸν μὲν πρό- τερον οὐ ζηλώσει, τὸν δὲ δεύτερον οὐ μισήσει; ΠΕΤΡΩ Τὴν εἰς Θεὸν πίστιν οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως ἐξευτελίζουσιν οἱ ἄπιστοι · ἧς εὐμαρὴς μὲν ἡ γνῶσις, ἀσφαλὴς δὲ ἡ κτῆσις, ἀήττητον δὲ τὸ πέρας. ΡΞΗ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Κέρδος κεκτῆσθαι πρὸς ἃς ἀπηνῶς διακεῖται.