Letter 1125: Character is revealed not by what a person says but by what he does when no one is watching.
On the soul. Pythagoras, Plato, and the other illustrious philosophers among the Greeks, following the compulsions of demonstrative reasoning, rightly declared the soul to be more sovereign than the body. They called the one the craftsman, the other the instrument; the one incorporeal, the other extended in three dimensions; the one immortal and incorruptible. For even if they erred concerning certain other matters, in this at least they grasped the truth — that the soul is superior to the body, governs it, and uses it as a tool. The soul is the pilot, the body the ship; the soul the rider, the body the horse; the soul the musician, the body the lyre. And just as when the musician departs, the lyre lies silent, so when the soul departs, the body lies still and is dissolved into the dust from which it was taken. This truth, which the Greek philosophers perceived dimly through reason, the divine Scriptures proclaim clearly through revelation: that God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. The soul therefore derives not from the body but from the breath of God, and its destiny is not dissolution but judgment, not extinction but eternity. I urge you therefore, by the mercies of God and by the judgment that is to come, to take these words to heart and act upon them without delay. For the time is short, the stakes are eternal, and the opportunity for repentance, though still available, will not remain so forever. The sun is setting, the shadows are lengthening, and the night in which no man can work draws ever nearer. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, walking honestly as in the day, and preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, who will reward every person according to his works.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
ἢ απὶηια. Πυθαγόρας μὲν, καὶ Πλάτων, χαὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἔνδοξοι ῷ Ῥγιϊαφοταβ αυϊάεπι οἱ Ρ]διο, δἰ αῖι6 ἀρ ἀτοος παρ᾽ “Ἕλλησι σοφοὶ, ἀποδειχτιχαῖς ἀνάγχαις ἑἐπό- μενοι, ἡγεμονιχωτέραν τὴν Ψυχὴν τοῦ σώματος εἰ- χότως ἀπεφήναντο" χαὶ ἐχάλεσαν τὴν μὲν τεχνίτην, τὸ δὲ ὄργανον, τὴν μὲν ἀσώματον τὸ δὲ τριχῆ διαστατόν ()" τὴν δ᾽ ἀθάνατον χαὶ ἄφθαρτον (). Εἰ γὰρ καὶ περὶ ἄλλα τινὰ διήμαρτον τῆς ἀληθείας, ἐν τούτῳ χατὰ σχοποῦ ἠνέχθησαν. Γαληνὸς δὲ (οὐ γὰρ ἔλαθε τοὺς συνετῶς ἀναγινώσχοντας, ἀἁρμόνιον () αὐτὴν λύραν οὐ λυρῳδὸν ἡγησάμενος ) θνητὴν ἀπεφή- νᾶτο (). Προσθέμενος γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι τῇ χράσει τοῦ σώματος ἕπονται αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις, εἰς τὸ φάναι τὸ μηδὲ εἶναι Ψυχὴν ἀσώματον χαὶ ἀθάνατον ἐτελεύτησεν, τὴν χρᾶσιν ψυχὴν οὐχ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως ὁρι- βδρί θη Ορἰπίοπα οἰατὶ, ποροδβὶἰδῖ65 ἀδπηοηβίΓἃ- ιἰοηπὶ βθοιυὶ, δι πηδη) σΟΥΡΟΓΘ ΓΘ δΙ Δ 0γΓθ πη] ἀΐ- δηϊογοη4ι ἱπροῦῖο, [ ΓῸ πη γῇ ργοηυπιϊαγαμὶ : οἱ Π 4πὶ φυΐάσπι νι ἴσα) ; δ06 γὙ6γῸ ἰηδίγυμηθηίυπιὶ ΔΌρΟΙΙΔρυηὶ : τη αι θη ΘοΓρογὶβ ΘΧρΡΘΓΙΘΙῺ ; ἰβίυς διι6 πὶ (ΓηΠ8 σοηδίδηβ αἰη)δηδβίοηα : ἰβυ ὦ αυϊάδει γί] οἱ οογγυριϊοπὶ οθηοχίυηι : [Π8η Ὑ6ΡῸ ἰπη- ΠΙΟΡΙΆΪ6Π), δὲ οΟΥΓυρ ϊοηἶΒ Θχρογίθη). ()υλησυδη) οηΐηι ἴῃ γοῦυβ ἃ ὙδΥὶ1816 ΔΌΘΓΓΑΓΙΩΙ : ἰΔΠΊ6 ἢ Πᾶς ἰ" Γ6 Βοορπ) δι ἰᾳαγιηϊ. (ἀαίθὴ8 δ ῖθπν (πο οηΐπὶ 4υὶ ἰπ οι ἰρϑηιη ἰόσηηὶ, [αφὶ , φυσά ςοπαϊμδπι) 4φυδηγμάδηιν ΙΥγαη), ποθὴ ἰγγιοἴπαπι, ᾿ΠΠ ἀυχογὶ! πηογιδίθι ργοηυηιίαν!. Νῶπι οἱ [ ΥΑΒΙ.Σ ΜΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ͂.. ὃ) Οοἄ. αίῖο., Προσεχίῳ. ῬΟΒ5ΙΝ, ) Τὸ δὲ τριχῆ διαστατόν. ὕοϑὶ [ ΥἱύσιυΓ ΠΟπΠΪ ἀδθαθα ΠΝ Π 1ΠΔ αυἱάρίαιη, τὸ μὲν θνητὸν χαὶ φθαρτόν. Ἀιττ. () Οοὐ. αι. ρμῖο τὴν δ᾽ ἀθάνατον χαὶ ἄφθαρτον Ποῖ τὴν μὲν ἀθάνατον, τὸ δὲ φθαρτόν. ΡΟΒ5ΙΝ. () Ῥγο ἁρμόνιον οἱ λύραν ἐδιῃ μυηΐξ ἁρμονίαν οἱ λύρας. Ἶε6Γ5. ἰηιἰ6 , προσθέμενος ᾿ προθέμενος Ἐη1Π41, οἱ εἶπεν ἴῃ εἰπεῖν. [. () Γα.1ηνὸς δὲ... θνητὴν ἀπεφήνατο. σιϊοηυιη ἰ) βδηϊδηια ( δηΐμμα ἰθ6Γ ἴαγα ναγίαββα, ἴῃ δογίρι! ἀΠΠ φοπῖονῦ νογϑαιὶ ἀοο ! ΥἹγὶ ΟἸΒΟΓΨΆΓΝΗΙ, ΑἸ δ ᾿ ΘΟ, ΔΙΊ Γ υγυι, Δ γ΄ δον οιη ἀς ΘᾺ 50ΓΙρβῖ586, Ειίθγο ᾿συΐϊδαπιὶ τὶ δὲ ρίαεἰς ΡΙαΙοηὶς εἰ Ηἱρροοταιὶς, Βα δογιυΐι : ΕἸ δὲ χαὶ περὶ Ψυχῆς οὐ - σίας ἀποφήνασθαι χρὴ, δυοῖν θάτερον ἀναγχαῖον εἰπεῖν, ἢ τοῦτ᾽ εἶναι τὸ αὐγοειδές τε χαὶ ἀνθερῶδες σῶμα λεχτέον αὐτήν. Εἰς ὃ, χἂν μὴ βούλωνται, χατ ἀχολουθίαν ἀφιχνοῦνται Στοῖχοί τε χαὶ ᾿Αριστοτέ- λης " ἣ αὐτὴν μὲν ἀσώματον ὑπάρχειν οὐσίαν - ὄχημα δὲ τὸ πρῶτον αὐτῆς εἶναι τουτὶ τὸ σῶμα δι᾿ οὗ μέσου τὴν πρὸς τἄλλα σώματα χοινωνίαν λαμθάνει. (υἦυς ἰοεΐ ἱπι Ποία [δοῖι ἡπἰΠ 8ηῖ δέ πη πιοὺ8 30δπ. Ουην. ΒΠυϊπ ., χ᾽ πν05 οἱ ΡΠ ΟΘΟρἢ οἱ πιο η)]- (, ἢ60 ρου] ὅ50, αυΐ! ᾿Ιᾶς Οοοδϑίοηθ ΡΟΤΓῸ [μ(- ΓΝ Π ,. οὐη ψγαῖδ υἱγὶ πηϑιμοτρ, Ἀιττ. , ἸΒΙΡΟΆΙ ΡΕΓΌΒΙΟΤΕ δὐάϊάϊι, δογρονῖθ ΘΠ ρογαπ)οπίυπ) ϑ64υΐ Ἰδου! Α σάμενος ὡς ἐλέγχεσθαι αὑτὸν μάτην μὲν τὸ ὄνομα ηη : Θοσὺς ἰϑηοηι ρογυοηῖ!, πἴ ἀϊοογοῖ, Π6 4ιυϊάθιη σοΡροΥΪ ΟΧ ρΟΓΙ ὁ πὶ Οἱ ᾿πη ΠΟΥ ΆΪ6Π 8η] - ", Οαπὶ Πποδοίο αυοι!οἋο ἐδπιρεγαπιοπίυιη ἐ6ῇ- πἰογὶι δηϊΐπηδπὶ, υ0ἱ ἰἰὰ δγζυδίυνγ γυδιγα ἂς εἰἶο τη πὶ συ ΠΟΠΊΘΩ αὐϊάθπιη Π ΟΓΟΌΓΙ . . - ρΆΓΟ βαγιβο : ὅν αὐυϊοπη ἢῸς ΥΟΓῦ0 [ (Ομ , πα ν᾽ ἀ6]] 166ὲ τὴ δ ρί πε σΟη ΓΔ61- (ογὰ υἱάδδίυτγ, γϑῖη ἰπίογοα ᾿μ88πὶ) Ορρηρπαι. ΠΟῚ ἰρ8ὶ ᾿ς ἴῃ τὰ διιβει ! πάν. ΝᾺΠῚ ἀπ ἶο0 ἀορπιδιὶ δεοοηγμηοι! Υΐ,, : Π ἃΓσ ( πὶ Π τὰ οἱ σοπηπηοη γα ν οὐ , να γῖ184. ΘΙ ΓΔΙῊ ἐπ ϑηΡοΓ ἢ θ0 ., . συγαϊΐοηα πϑιβαυθ ΠΟΓΡΘΡΙΠΗΝ, ποίαν ἴπ [ΝΔ6 ἃγία Ἔχ ίοης [υἷ1 ΔΙ Ι͂ὸχ, υἷν Π , Ἰσφυδίυῦ 58Π6 : δ᾽΄Γ γαῖ : πο΄ὺθ ομ ἢ Ἰρδὶ ἀϊφηϊιδιθην ἴῃ ἢ γοῦυβΒ βύδπ) ἐξίγαῃ4π)ι. δὲ ΔηΪΠΙ8 ΓῸ ὁΟΥΙΔΠΊ6 ἢ Οὐ" Δ ρΙ Θη Π6 5ιιϑεὶρί4!, " ἐδβοο θαι ἰη Ἰυσίδηι, ἴῃ α0Δ Π01) 68ι ὀχϑγοῖ- ἰδί1: οἱ ᾿ρτγο πο , Π6486 ΟἸ1Π δὶῖ Δι - ὁἰου τη :] δυπηδὶ δγῖ6 πιυβίοἃ : σα Π] ΟΠ ΠῚ δι μγυάδη!!8π Εἰγοᾶ ΘΟΓρΡΟΓᾺ ΟΟΠΒΌΙΉρ8ΟΥ, ἀ6 δηΐμμα ἰγδύδι ἀομιμαῖα : πόαπ6 οΓοίδι, δηϊπιδιὶ σομβίφιογα ἴῃ σΟΠΟΙ διε ἰιΔγιοηΐα οἱ ΘΟ ΘΙΏΡΘΓΔ- “ οἰδιμθιοτγιπι. ὶ οηΐ τ μος ἱρδὶ δχ ᾿ιγροι οὶ ἀοιυῦ (Π6Π Θηΐπὶ βημίθ ΟΣ ΔΪΠΊΟ . ) : δ] φυϊάδπι ἰἰἃ 6ι Γαΐ νυ , ΟΠ 'ρ80 (θε- ρΡΟγδθΏ0, Υ6] ροι υμἱἱὰ οὐπὶ ΠΟΙΡΟΓΟ δηΐιηᾶ ἀχϑίίη-- δυεῖυτ. Κ.] Θη Πη 8ηϊπ ὰ 65ι Βαγπιοηΐδ, ἴθ οἱ Π1ἃ σομϑι υδίυτ, οἱ ργί πη ρογίπιϑίυγ. μὺγὰ οηΐπ οἱ σοηοίηηδῖ αὐϊ δπὶ ἀρίΔίαυ6 σομσδηίαπ) ρατγ
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