Letter 1082: A ruler's authority comes from God and must be exercised in justice.
On the Psalm verse, "Pierce my flesh with your fear." You make yourself a laughingstock — O what shall I call you so as to rebuke your insensibility? — when you pray: "Pierce my flesh with your fear." This prayer belongs to those who bring their own contribution, who fast and practice self-sufficiency, who chastise the leapings of the body, and who beseech that heavenly aid be sent to assist their ascetic discipline. But it does not belong to those who, like you, fatten their body with immoderate drunkenness, who rouse its leapings with every sort of luxury and self-indulgence, and who by their robust health put even athletes to shame. For you are doing the same thing as if someone entwined with a prostitute and in love with her were to pray for chastity. That prayer belongs to those who fly above her nets, not to those who bow down and submit themselves to her snares. It is as if you were throwing yourself from a ship into a boundless sea, preparing the danger for yourself, and then praying to be saved. And how is that possible? For this supplication belongs to those who do everything on their part and beseech that their craft not be swamped by the storm — not to those who hurl themselves into the open sea even before the waves come. Cease therefore from luxury. For if you master the belly, you will also overcome the things that follow the belly, and you will not incur ridicule by praying to receive the opposite of what you practice.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Εἰς τὸ, ε« Καθήϊζλωσον ἐχ τοῦ φόδου σου τὰς σάρ- ς κας μου. »"» Γέλωτα ὀφλισχάνεις (ὦ τί σε χαλέσας τῆς σῆς ἀναλγησίας χαθάψομαι) ; εὐχόμενος" « Καθήλωσον ἐκ τοῦ φόδου σου τὰς σάρχας μου. » Τῶν μὲν γὰρ τὰ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῶν εἰσφερόντων, χαὶ νηστευόντων χαὶ τῇ αὐταρχείᾳ χρωμένων, χαὶ τοῦ σώματος χολαζόντων αὰ σχιρτήματα, ἐστὶν αὕτη ἡ εὐχὴ, ἐπικουρίαν τῇ αὑτῶν () ἀσχήσει πεμφθῆναι οὐρανόθεν παραχα- λούντων. Τῶν δὲ, ὥσπερ σὺ, χραιπάλῃ ἀμέτρῳ πιαι- νόντων τὸ σῶμα, χαὶ τρυφῇ ποιχίλῃ καὶ παντοδα πῇ τὰ σχιρτήματα αὐτῆς διεγειρόντων, καὶ τῇ εὐεξίᾳ τοὺς ἀθλητὰς ἀποχρυπτόντων, οὐχ ἔστι. Ταὐτὸν γὰρ “ποιεῖς, ὡς ἂν εἰ χαὶ ἑταίρᾳ συμπλεχόμενος καὶ ἐρῶν αὐτῆς, εὔξοιο () σωφροσύνην λαδεῖν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀνωτέρω τῶν διχτύων ἐχείνης πετομένων ἐστὶν ἡ . . --- 2ΖΟ5Ι1ΜΟ. [π᾿ μα Ρεαϊηιὶ αἀἰοίιπι, ε« Οοηβσε πιοτὸ μ0 σατιεδ πιθαδ .» Βἴδυ ρτγοίδοιο ἀΐζηυδ , πὶ ἤοπιῸ (4υ θη ποπιΐηδ Δρρ6] 6πὶ παδοῖο, ἀυπὶ δι ρΟΓοπὶ ἰ00Π ΓΕρΡΓΘ- 6η40), απ ργθοδγὶϑ : ε Οοιἶφα εἰπιο γα ( Γ- Πι6848. » ΕοΥγΌΠι Θπἰ πὶ ἢ: ρΓγροδιίο, αυἱὶ φιοά ἷη 6ϑ8ῖὶ σοηίεγηηϊ, οἱ [] υ9ηϊ, οἱ 80υ8 50γί6 60η- ἰοηιὶ, ράγνυόαυὸ Βοδλιΐ νἵνυμ!, ΘΔ γαιΐοη6 ΟΑΓΉΪ8 Θσβυϊδηίοπι ἰδβοἰ ν᾽ λπὶ σλϑιίρδηϊ οἱ οομῃροβοῦηί, 4υΐ- οαἸΐιυ8. οραπὶ οἱ δυχὶ ΐυπὶ οχογοί διῖο πἱ εἶ ροϑηυΐίδηι. Αἱ Π ἱηίπιο σοηγθηΐὶ, αυΐ, αυ6π - δπποάυη ἴθ δεῖδ, ογαρυϊα ἰπηηοὐ ΐοα ΟΟΓΡι8 - εἰπδηῖ, δἱ γα . οπηηἰ πιο ἴΐβᾳυ ἀ6 1ς ρείι- ΙΔπιῖδπὶ ἰδπιθ πὶ δροδὶ υἱ Γαργίιπδηΐ, υἱ ροιΐυ8 6χοΐ- ἰοιἴ, οἱ δπα ουγϑία ουϊίου!α ἰρ5806 οἰΐδιῃ υἱνουηι. Ῥογϊηδθ πδιθα06 ἴδοθγο υἱἀογίϑ ; ἃς δὶ ἰῃ εὐχὴ" οὐ τῶν ἄρχυσιν ὑποχυπτόντων ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς Ὁ τῃηογοιτίο[[ μοΓοη5. δηιρίοχίδυ8, οἱ Γι1 ἀπιοτὶ ἀδπ αὐτῆς ἣ ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ πλοίου εἰς πέλαγος ἄπειρον σαὐτὸν Ρᾳ8]. οχυμ, . ορογδηι, ἰηΐαγθα ρυάἰοἰ ἰδ σΟΙΏρΟ5 ἔθτὶ ορί65. ΕΟΓΙΠΊ ΨΑΒΙΙ ΨΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑἅΙ͂. Θρίβιοϊ π . οοἀ. γοηοιΐ, συθπὶ ἰπ Ὀἰ οι α . Μίαγοὶ ὀχϑίδγα ἰθϑίϑίυν Χγβίυϑ ϑαηθηϑίβ. [ἃ τ δυρη δηλ 65ῖ, ργείογ 1ἃ αὐ ἀἰοπνΐ ᾿ΠΆθ60., 6χ ἴΠ ἶρ50 ἢυης οο0ι. Βαγαγίουη), υ46 ᾿, Θρίϑιοἰδ8 ἀ8 ΠΓΟΙΏριΆ . Ρ. εἱ ᾿υγ᾽. ρῥγίμΐ [οἰ ηλι18.. ἀσδογίριιΠ . ) ογάϊΐηθ δορὶ 5ιοἴάγυμι θ᾽ οτὶ ἀἰχὶ ἴῃ ργυ σὸς πηθηΐβ. ΕἸΤΤ. --- ΡΓγο χορεύουσιν 60ι,. δι. [ορὶϊ. χορευουσῶν, ῬΟἁΒΙΝ. ' () ᾿Αρίσετην» χορείαν χορεύουσιν. σοι ίπυπι ἰη ποίη ἰσαυϊμιν ᾿σἰογιι5 ΠΟδῖ Γ ὀμρι81. . . ὥσπερ χορείαν τινὰ ἀρίστην τῶν ὡρῶν χόρευουσῶν. φυδίυογ : 0Γ], αυδιῃ δρία 5ἰη1 οΓυϊ αι, οἱ ἰηνίςθη) ΘΟη564ηϑίυ, πιᾶρηυπ ργου θη. Ὠεὶ δγφυπιθημιηι ργναπι65, Υἱ οἱ Τ βεοάογεῖυμι Π θ. . ὃ Ῥτουϊάεπιϊα. (οηΓογγὶ φποαηα υἱοῦ ρΟΙΘΓΙΙ []- ἀοτὶ ποϑίγὶ ορίϑι. νην, δι θρ. ὅ08 [. νι]. Ἀΐττ. () ΠΔ6η οο(., οιἢ. ἐν 6ἱ νεγϑὺ ροδβὶ (6γιῖο βαδι- ζέτω ἰορὶι, ργο βαδ'είτω. ΡΟΒ31ΙΝ. () οι. γὰι. ἐνέγχοντα νοΓϑὺ ρΘηυ . ροβῖ μι- χρὸν ἅ Πι χαΐ. ἴν. () δε οοὐ., σφῶν, οἱ Υ6γ8. ρΡο051 ρΡΓῸ τὸ σῶμα, τὴν σάρχα. ἴν. () Ριὸ εὔξοιο ἰ(6πὶ οοἰἱ. ἰορὶι εὔξαιο, οἱ ΥΘΓΒ. ροϑὶ ργοὸ ὑποχυπτόντων, ὑποδαλλόντων. . ΙΒΙΠΟΒΙ ῬΕΙΓΒΙΟΤᾺ οηΐπη 6δὲ ἰδιυὼ νοίυπὶ, 4υΐ πηοΓοιγῖ οἶδ γι θυ π86 Α ῥίπτων, ἀντιδολοίης σωθῆναι ἐμδρόντητε, σαυτῷ κα- ᾿ φοίϑηϊ : ποη δογυπι, φυΐ ἱρβίυβ οοπιροι! υυ5 υἱ το δοιηο:Ἶρ508 ἰπάυσυηῖ. ] ρογίηά6, ] ὁχ πᾶνΐ [ 'ρ- δῦηι ἴῃ ἱπιπηθηθιπ) ΡΘ]αβ08 ρΓΟΪ εἶδ η8, οἱ υἱίγο ( ρ6- τίου ϊο ΟἹ) εἴη , ρΓῸ βαΐιια οἱ δοηβαγναιίοης τ] βῦρ- Ρ]οαγο8. Εἰ 4υο ρϑείο, 4υ:, ἢθπο [ πὶ οπλίηθαι. ἶρ58, δὶ γυδ] , ΒΘ γυΆΓ6 ροβϑἰ! ἢ Νδιῃ ἰΐ8, 4φυΐ ὁπι- εἷὰ αυς ἰῃ δυηϊ, ᾿πηρίδηϊ, 4ἶᾳυς δγίοπι βαδπ) ἴῃ δυχί ἰυπν νοσδηΐ, ἢ6 ἃ (διμραϑίαία πιογβϑηίυγ, . ] υδηηοδϊἑ οθηναπηίϊ ργΘοδιΪο : Πραυδῆιδπ) Υ6ΓῸ ἰΪ8, πασχεύαζων τὸν κίνδυνον, εὐχῇ σωθῆναι (). Καὶ πῶς οἷόν τε: Τῶν γὰρ πάντα τὰ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῶν πλη- ρούντων, καὶ παραχαλούντων μὴ βαπτισθῆναι τὴν οἰχείαν τέχνην ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος, ἐστὶν αὕτη ἡ δέη- σις οὗ τῶν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὸ πέλαγος καὶ πρὸ τοῦ χλύδωνος ῥιπτούντων. Παῦσαι τοίνυν τρυφῶν. Εἰ γὰρ γαστρὸς περιέσῃ, καὶ τῶν μετὰ γαστέρα χρατήσεις, χαὶ γέλωτα οὐχ ὀφλήσεις, ὡς τἀναντία ὧν διαπράττῃ λαδεῖν προσευχόμενος. ηυἱ] οεἶλπι δηίθαυλαν οΟΟΓίἃ ἴῃ πηλῦὶ υογίι (οπιρεδίδβ, δαὶ ἴῃ μαίδξυβ ρτγαοὶρίιδηι. Ὠεβίπο ἰφίτων ἀεἰ εἶλ8 ἴδεθγθ. Νδηι δἱ νϑηίγοπὶ ρογἀοιιμιογῖβ, οἰΐαπι ἰΐβ δυῦ Ὑδηῖγο δυηϊ, οὐἷδ δυρογίοῦ : ἢ66 υἹ[τἃ τ ἀϊουϊυπι ( ργῶ θα ἷ5, υἱ αυ! σοηιταγία (
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