Letter 12: Although you conceal failure, still you show yourself as haughty, being puffed up concerning your tribe, strength,...

To Ammonios. Even though you conceal your defeat, you are plainly puffed up beyond your lineage, your strength, and your dignity, snorting with pride. Either acquire a moderate spirit within yourself, or know that you are laughed at by all. To the same. Concerning the question of the Forerunner: "Are you the one who is coming?" "Are you the one who is coming, or shall we expect another?" John indicated to the Lord, being about to be beheaded for the sake of truth, and being eager to bring his own disciples before Christ, since they doubted his testimony about whether the Lord was greater than John, on account of the strict manner of life of John. And this the Lord showed through the things he immediately did, confirming the testimony of John through his many miracles, and sending away the unbelieving ones after they had confirmed by sight what they had heard. To Gaius. That wickedness has a pleasure that is destructive, while virtue has a toil that is most glorious and praiseworthy, most renowned one — for good reputation is sweetly watered by honest sweat — you well know. One must therefore flee the former and cling tenaciously to the latter. To the same. If you know the matter, you would not have honored those who praised themselves too boldly, as one must demonstrate how to associate with those who are more courageous. To the same. If your soul is truly turned toward the truth, it would be necessary to cast down every desire, and to strip away deception as much as possible. To Theodore the Count. You hear evil things, if you do not cry out as one who has given and received so many things within heaven. You will fulfill what seems impossible when you see the labor being completed. And you will have this as though it were fulfilled. To Peter. Let not the child of wealthy parents revere fortune, but let him love piety. Thus indeed it came to pass. For the Church was fought against, yet was not defeated; but through those very ones who attempted to extinguish it, it was shown to be more brilliant. Why then do you marvel, if the saints are also fought against here? For from wars the trophies appear more brilliant and the spoils more honored.

Although you conceal failure[48], still you show yourself as haughty, being puffed up concerning your tribe[49], strength, and worth. Therefore, either get for yourself a spirit that is in measure with you, or else be someone who is laughed at by all.

ΙΒ΄. – ΑΜΜΩΝΙΟ (12). Εἰ καὶ κρύπτεις τὸ ἥττημα, ἀλλὰ φαίνῃ φυσώμε- νος πέρα καὶ τοῦ γένους, καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος, καὶ τῆς ἀξίας σου φρυαττόμενος. Η τοίνυν σύμμετρον σαυτῷ κτῆσαι φρόνημα, ἢ ἴσθι παρὰ πάντων γελώμενος. ΑΔ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Περὶ τῆς ἐρωτήσεως τοῦ Προδρόμου · « Σὺ εἶἰ δ ἐρχόμενος ; • Σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; ι Ἰωάννης τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐδήλου, ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ἀποτέ- μνεσθαι μέλλων, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους [αὐτοῦ] μαθητάς προσαγαγεῖν σπουδάζων, ἀμφιβάλλοντας πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν, εἰ μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ Κύριος Ἰωάν- ου, [διὰ τὴν ἀκριβῆ πολιτείαν Ἰωάννου] καὶ τοῦτο δι' ων εὐθὺς ἔπραξεν ὁ Κύριος ἔδειξε, ταῖς πολλαῖς θαυματουργίαις ἐπαληθεύσας τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰωάν- νου, καὶ ὄψει πιστωσαμένους τὴν ἀκοὴν τοὺς ἀπι- στοῦντας ἐκπέμψας. ΙΒ΄. – ΓΑΙΩ. Ὅτι ἡ κακία τὸ τερπνὸν ὀλέθριον έχει, ἡ δ' ἀρετὴ τὸ ἐπίπονον, εὐκλεέστατε, καὶ εὐδόκιμον (97) (ἰδρῶσι γὰρ ἡδέως ἀρδεύεται ἡ εὐδοκίμησις), οἶσθα. Χρή C τοίνυν τὴν μὲν φεύγειν, τῆς δ᾽ ἀπρὶξ ἔχεσθαι. Δ. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Εἰ τὸ πρᾶγμα γινώσκεις, οὐκ ἂν τοὺς θρασύτε ρον σφᾶς ἐπαινεσάντας οὐκ ἐτιμήσας οἷσπερ χρὴ δεικνύναι πρὸς τοὺς ἀνδρειοτέρους ὁμιλεῖν ἑκασ ΙΒ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἴπερ πρὸς τὸ ἀληθὲς ἐστραμμένη ἡ σὴ ψυχή, δέοι ἂν αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν πᾶσαν καταβαλεῖν, καὶ ὅσον οἷόν τε ἀποδύσασθαι τὴν ἀπάτην. ΚΒ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ ΚΟΜΕΣΙ. Κακῶς ἀκούεις, εἰ μὴ βοᾷς ὡς δοὺς καὶ λαβὼν τοσούτους οἷς ἐντὸς οὐρανοῦ ἐξεβόησας. Πληρώσεις δὲ τὰ ἀδύνατα, ἐπειδὰν ἴδῃς τοῦ πόνου ἀναπληροῦντος. Καὶ τοῦτο οὕτως ἕξεις, ὡς ἀναπληρωθέντων. ΡΟΘ΄. – ΠΕΤΡΩ Πλουσίων γονέων τέκνον, μὴ τὴν τύχην αἰδέσθω, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀγαπάτω. Р. 313. LIB. 1, EP. 192. P. 57, lit. A, lin. 3, 4. ἐν τῷ τίκτεσθαι des. in cal. Cæterum exstat etiam apud catenæ aucto- rem epistolæ inscriptio. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ γέγονεν. Ἐπολεμήθη μὲν γὰρ, οὐχ ἡττήθη δὲ· ἀλλ᾽ αὐτῶν τῶν σβέσαι ἐπιχειρησάντων λαμπροτέρα ἀπεφάνθη. Τι τοίνυν θαυμάζεις, ἐἰ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι ἐνταῦθα που λεμοῦνται; Ἐκ γὰρ τῶν πολέμων λαμπρότερα φαί- νεται τὰ τρόπαια, καὶ σεμνότερα τὰ σχῦλα. LIB. I, EP. 211. Οὐαὶ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ σαις, φησὶ, τὸν θεῖον έρωτα ψυχαῖς, καὶ οὐ θαρρούσαις παρρησιάσα σθαι, καὶ τεκεῖν τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ ὁμολογίαν καὶ ἔν- καὶ ἀτελῆ περὶ τὴν θείαν μακροθυμίαν γνώμην κει κτημέναις, καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι εχούσαις *, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπειλαῖς γαυνωθεί- σαις, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων γυμνωθείσαις.