Letter 1516: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Even if teachers and fathers, having abandoned flattery as being the most harmful and ruinous thing, hold out fear — the former to their pupils, the latter to their children — we too must, if we are wise, turn away from flatterers even more than from those who insult us. For the one who insults wounds openly and puts us on our guard, but the one who flatters wounds secretly and leaves us defenseless. The insult is a medicine that tastes bitter but heals; flattery is a poison that tastes sweet but kills. The insulter is an honest enemy; the flatterer is a treacherous friend. Therefore let us welcome the one who speaks the truth, even when his truth is painful, and let us flee the one who speaks pleasant lies, even when his lies are comforting. For it is better to be wounded by a friend than kissed by an enemy, and better to hear a bitter truth that saves than a sweet falsehood that destroys. The flatterer robs his victim of the most precious of all possessions: the knowledge of himself. The person who is constantly told that he is wise becomes a fool; the person who is constantly told that he is virtuous becomes a hypocrite. But the person who is told the truth — however painful — retains the capacity for growth, for only the person who knows his disease can seek its cure, and only the person who recognizes his weakness can pray for strength.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Εἰ χαὶ διδάσχαλο! χαὶ πατέρες τῆς χολαχείας ἀφ- μενοι, ὡς τὰ μέγιστα βλαπτούσης χαὶ λυμαινομένης, φύβον ἐπανατείνονται, οἱ μὲν τοῖς φοιτηταῖς, οὗ δὲ τοῖς παισί" χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς, εἴγε σωφρονοῦμεν, μᾶλ- λον τῶν ὑδριζόντων τοὺς χολαχεύοντας ἀποστρέφε- ὅθαι. Μείζονα γὰρ ἔχει λύμην τῆς ὕδρεως ἢ τοιαύτη τιμὴ τοῖς μὴ προσέχουσι " χαὶ δύσχολον ταύτου Χρᾶ- τῇσαι ἣ ἐχείνου τοῦ πάθους. ΞΡ, - ἈΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ. γίγιαΣ εἰἰὶ πιογοός. Υιγίυ8 ροβϑ ἀδηίθιη μοίοδὶ ογιιᾶγο. ΝᾺ] ἔϑαυο ἴῃ ἀϊρηΐϊίδια σοηβιϊυἱυ ὁ ὁχ ΠΟπογρηὶ μᾶθοὶ, ἃ δυ Δοοίρὶ! : ὧἱ υἱγίυςὶξ ρεγϑιυ οἰἰδπὶ Μόνη ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτάρχης χοσμῆσαι τὸν ἔχοντα. Οὐδεὶς γοῦν τῶν ἐν τέλει χαθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἔχει τὸ γέρας, ἀλλὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑπηχόοις χέχτηται τὴν τιμὴν ὁ δὲ ἦ δεῖρβο . ἄδοι:β, φυοά δυζεγγὶ πϑαυδαὶ, δ6]- σ φιλάρετος χαὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ χαὶ ἀναφαίρετον ἔχει τὰ »ἰδείιυγ. ΧΊΥ. .-- ΠΙΕΆΛΕΙ ὈΙΑΓΟΝΟ. χλέος. ΞΔ’, --.ἰἸΕΡΑΚῚ ΔΙΑΆΚΟΝΩ. γ οιμς σα ἰδφμα ςοτρογὶς, φιαίΐδ. ((οπ[ον. ὁρ. , , .) Θυὶ οὐΐι ᾳφιδηΐιπ) ἴϑπηὶ εἰδρο! ] ον θα: . 66ὶ, ἰηάυϊ! ναϑιϊηθη!, ΟΠ . σογρυβ ἴοβϑηι, Β ἴΠ οἱ δηΐ μὰ γον νοι! συ αν) σοι ράᾶγαιὶ, οἱ ΒΔΠΟΙΟτΟ φυθεγηδουΐθ ... αἰϊγί σοι [δοϊ , οἱ Π φαοᾳυς οοηργυὰ δγιηῶ, δἵ ιν Ιγγϑην ο0η- εἰηηδπι δάλριαι. Ουἱ δηΐπι ἀ6 ρ᾽ησιθβοθηβ Γ- ΡῬΟΓΘῈ ἃς γϑϑιϊθ8 πι0 ηἷ π ῖ5. ἰη ἶσαὶ, υἱ ]- Υἱαῖ, οἱ ἰη δυβυγάδα ἱπάυϊ! ἱπηπ Π οὐρ! , Δίχια δδο γϑάαϊ πιο], θοηδπιηυ6 σοτγρογίϑ ἰφα δ μαι ΐῃοιη : πη μι! ἢ ΠΠ1 « νῖ!, Θη6Γ- ψαίαυθ, ϑιΐπο οἰΐϊδιῃ ππὶ ρᾶΓΑι. ( Οὔ ΓΟΤΩ ἢ σΓ[ΓΟ46 Υἱοῖα ΘΟ] ΘΟΥΡΟΥΪΒ. πΐμ Δρϑιἰποίο. υὑχλῦ. --- ΕἸΘΕΜΝ. Ὁ τοσοῦτον ἐσθίων ὅσον λῦσαι λιμὸν, χαὶ τοιαῦτα περιθαλλόμενος ὅσον ἐσχεπάσθαι χοσμίως, ὄχημα χαλὸν τῇ ψυχῇ παρασχενάζει τὸ σῶμα, χαὶ τῷ χυ- δερνήτῃ εὐμεταχειρίστους τοὺς οἴαχας, χαὶ τῷ στρα- τιώτῃ εὐάρμοστα τὰ ὅπλα, καὶ τῷ ἁρμονιχῷ μουσι- κὴν τὴν λύραν. Ὁ γὰρ τρυφῇ πιαίνων, χαὶ ἱματίοις χαλλωπίζων, σχιρτᾷν αὐτὸ παρασχευάξει, χαὶ εἰς ἀτόπους ἐπιθυμίας ἐξάπτει, χαὶ μαλαχώτερον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, χαὶ τὴν εὐεξίαν αὐτοῦ λυμαίνεται, χαὶ τῇ πολλῇ βλαχείᾳ διαλύει αὐτὸ, χαὶ τῇ ψυχῇ πολέμιον χατασχευάζει. Οὐχοῦν πέπαυσο χἀχεῖνο χαὶ τοῦτο ποιῶν. ΞΕ'. -- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. γιηαμάμε ἀερεοίας πιμίϊογιπι, μὲ ροισαπαϊ ἀπεα. [ἡ ἱΠμ4 Μαιίῆ. ν, , ε« Ομἱ γοεροχοτὴϊ τηνι ἴοτοπι, ν δίς. ((οπίεν ἐν. , , , .) Νόοη δἰ μιρ οἶον, οριΐπια νἱγογι, 4υΐ οογία η6- δίγ βί πρυ διιη οοι Ἰαἀἷϊ, ἰαχα μγαθοδρὶ!, ποῖ ἢἢ ( - " ἈΒΘΡίσΟΓΘ τη1Π Γῆ], δ6ὰ υἱ ἃ πιοίαοιἰα ἰδη(:- ΠΟΠΟ4116 " ᾿Πθυγαγοῖ, Οὐν δηΐην ἰομθ6 [ΔςΟ Π [ΟΤιΟ88Π ΠΟΏ δρροίδγα [τη 8π), Βραείδιδ δᾶ ᾿ ἀγΔίΟ46 δδυεὶο δουϊιῃ ὀχ θι6 νυΪηι ᾿αῖγοο [ Ὁ δίι8 ργαϑογροὶῖ. (δγιλυι πᾶ τ Ἰονίογα (πὸ γα ροὸ " " φιδίδιῃ Οὐχὶ ἀπλῶς, ὦ βέλτιστε, ὁ πλάσας χατὰ μόνας τὰς χαρδίας ἡμῶν ἐνομοθέτησε μὴ ἰδεῖν ἀχολάστως εἰς γυναῖχα, ἀλλὰ πραγμάτων ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάττων. Ἐπειδὶ, γὰρ πολλῷ εὐχολώτερον μὴ ἰδεῖν εὐπρόσωπον γυ- ναΐῖχα, ἣ θεασάμενον χαὶ τρωθέντα ἐξελχῦσαι τὸ βέλος, χαὶ θεραπεῦσαι τὸ τραῦμα, τοῦτο προσέταζε. Κουφότεροι γὰρ ἐν προοιμίοις οἱ ἀγῶνες ( μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἀγῶνος δεῖ [] ) τῷ μὴ τὰς θύρας ἀνοίγοντι τῷ ΥΑΠΙΖ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. γδοῦ ΟΟΟΌΓΓΙ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἀγῶνος δεῖ, δυρεγνδοῦπουηι ΓΙ ΓΟΓ, ἑάῤοηυο ἀΕἰ68» ἘΡΙΒΤΟΙΑΒΌΝ . Υ. -- ἘΡΙΒΤ. ΕΧΥῚ΄]ὄ πολεμίῳ, μηδὲ τὰ σπέρματα δεχομένῳ. Εἰ τοίνυν αὶ ορυβ ) οἱ αυΐ ποδιΐ ποη ἀραγὶῖ ρογί8, γαὶ Διο ἐξὸν χωρὶς συμπλοχῆς στῆσαι τὸ τρόπαιον, τί πρά- γὙματα σαυτῷ παρέχεις περιττά; Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτος ἱδρὼς συμθαίνει ἐν τῷ μὴ ὁρᾷν, ὅσος ἐν τῷ ὁρῶντα χρατῆσαι" μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ πόνος τὸ πρότερον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πολὺς μόχθος μετὰ τὴν θέαν φύεται. Ὅταν οὖν χκαὶ τὸ χέρδος μέγιστον ἧ, χαὶ ὁ πόνος μιχρὸς, τί σαυτὸν ἐμδάλλεις () εἰς τὸ ἀδιεξόδευτον τῆς ἐπιθυμίας πέλαγος οὐ γὰρ εὐχερέστερον μόνον ὁ μὴ θεώμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαθαρώτερον περιέστα!. "Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὁρῶν μετὰ πόνου πλείονος χαὶ χηλῖδος ἀπαλλάττετα', ἐὰν ἄρα) ἀπαλλαγῇ " οὕτως ὁ μὴ ἰδὼν χαὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐστὶ χαθαρός. Ξα΄. -- ΟΦΕΛΙΩ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΚΏ. ποη δϑὶ πιουρηδὶ[ " . δ: ἰσίταν ἰἰσααὶ σ᾽ σου Π] δία ᾿γορ πὶ δίδίσσγα, " ΘΙ ρογνλο δυσοὶρὶ5 [ἃ - ΒΟΓ68 Ὁ ΝΌη δηΐπι ἰΔη1π ἸΔΠῸΓ 6ϑὲ ποη νἱάθηθο [ον - πιδηῖ, αυληΐυ5 , δυρογαηο, ] υἱάοι; ᾿τπῸ ἴῃ θγίογα ἰΔθΟΓ ποη δῖ, ] ροϑῖ ςοηϑροοίυμ) Π- ο οχϑίβι αι 0ὺν. Ουπι ἰείίυν οἱ ΠΟ τὰ πὶ δῖ πιαχί πῇ, ἃ ΠῸΓ Θἰαπη οχί σι, ΘΓ ἴ
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