Letter 1530: If you have a very sharp tongue, try above all to bridle it and rein it in.
To Theodosios the Scholastic. On how one should give without measure. If you have a very sharp tongue, first of all bridle it and rein it in with a bit. But if you are unable, use it for what is necessary: for the divine and undefiled glory, for the defense of those who are wronged, for the advocacy of the best things, against the greed of those who do wrong, against the ignorance of those who ascribe the providence of the universe to evil demons, against the madness of heretics, against the superstition of the Greeks, against the ignorance of the Jews, against the accusation of sinners. But if, leaving these aside, you use your sharpness against those you encounter, you will do something most absurd.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
ἰϊδ4υθ ἀοίογαπι ποδίγιη ἰυἱ φραιΐα βυβοορίυηι) []- Ιογα υἱβ, ὁπ πθη] ογ6 ἰδρί θη), πὸ τηᾶῖς οἴ ρ8 ΟΧΙ͂Χ. -- ΤΠΕΟΌΟΙΟ ΒΟΠΟΙΑΘΤΙΟΟ. ζήπσωα φμοπιοάο ϑέπε μιεπάμπι. ( 1π . ορῖεῖ. ἀν, οἱ ἐπ Οἰτγυδοείοιο (ἰαεαῦ. ἱπ ἑαἱ. ἃ Βεγδὶϊ.) ΕἸ ὀξυτάτην ἔχεις τὴν γλῶτταν, μάλιστα μὲν αὐτὴν ἐπιστόμιζε, χαὶ χαλινῷ ἀνασείραζε " εἰ δὲ ἀδυνατεῖς, χρῆται αὑτῇ εἰς δέον ὑπὲρ τῆς θείας χαὶ ἀχηράτου δόξης, ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδιχουμένων βοηθείας, ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν καλλίστων συνηγορίας, κατὰ τῆς τῶν ἀδιχούντων πλεονεξίας (), κατὰ τῆς τῶν δαίμοσι πονηροῖς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς Πρόνοιαν ἐπιτρεπόντων ἀμαθίας, χατὰ τῆς τῶν αἱρετιχῶν φρενοθλαδείας, κατὰ τῆς ᾿Βλλῆ- νων δεισιδαιμονίας, κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀπαιδευσίας, κατὰ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων χατηγορίας. Εἰ δὲ τού- των ἀφέμενος, τῇ ὀξύτητι χατὰ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων χρῷο, ἀτοπώτατόν τι ποιήσεις. Ταυτὸν γάρ τι πρά- ξεις, οἷον ἂν εἰ μάχαιραν ἔχων ὀξεῖαν, κατὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐπέφερες, ἣ ῥώμην, χατὰ τῶν πολιτῶν" δέον τῇ μὲν χατὰ τῶν πολεμίων, τῇ δὲ χατὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων χρῆσθαι. Μὴ τοίνυν τὸ φάρμαχον δηλη- τήριον χατασχεύαζε, ἀλλὰ δεόντως αὑτῷ χέχρησο. υἱᾶγα ΥθπΠ60, ] πιογάδηϊοπι δουϊδηηυδ ἰδυδὲ ᾿ἰπσυλιη, ονίυγὰ πιαχίπια, οἱ ἴγεθπο ἐοϑγοοίο. [( 5ἱ πιῖιῸ8 Ροι68, υἱοῦ δὰ ρτὸ αἸνίηα οἱ ἰησογγυρία [οὶ ρτο- [οβϑίοηθ ἴῃ ργϑϑιΐαηι ᾿ ὈΡΡΓΘΒΒΟΓΙΙΝ, υριῖ- πόγὰ πὶ ἀοίδηἰοηθη : ΘΟ Γᾶ ΔΥΔΓΙΠ2π οοτγυηι, αυὶ ΡΟ ποία ἀϊίδοῖυγ; ὁΟηιΓὰ ὀογαμὶ ἱπιρογίἰδιῃ, 4υἱ υπἱγνοΓδὶιδι15 οὶ ρτεονϊμϑδείδηι τ8 δβογὶθυηὶ Βρὶ γἰ εἰ ..; δύνογβυθ ἰιοογοίσογυπὶ Δηοῖ, Οἵ Ὁ δεοιιίαν βυρογδί ἰοηθη ; οΟηγ δυύθδαογυπι ἰη80]- ιἰδῃ!; οοηίγὰ ρασοληίί πὶ σον ἷα οἱ ῃιαϊοἀϊοίἃ. Ουοΐ 5ἱ ποῃ (ροοτίβ, ᾿ἰπσῦ8δ τὲ δουΐα ἃ Οὐνὶα ηυφηυ δῦιδι8, ἀὐβυγάνπι (δοογῖ8, Εδοΐθϑ δηΐπι ρΡαγΐπι , δι δἱ δου ϑϑ᾽ παπὶ πδοιυ8 τ δάϊιπι, ἰῃ ΠΘΟΟββΑΓΪο8 ἰογγαηι Ομ να Γί25 ; ναὶ ΓΟΌΌΓ Υἱγαβ υα ὁοηϊτα οἶνα Δ , οὐἹἢ ἃ ἢύβ8ι6 ὉΓῸ - ρυφιδγα οροῦίεγοι, οἱ ᾿ΐπφια ἴῃ δινργβδγίοϑ, ποη δι βιγπροηάδ. δύ ἰρίυγ, Π6 ὕΓῸ ρῃδγπῆᾶ00 ΄αυΐῆ γμοῖυ8 4υοιηούν οροτίοϊ, υἱ6Γ6. ΥΑΙ Ὁ ΜΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. () Ρεο τὴν καχοδοξίαν 5ετίθυ! τὰς χαχοδο- ξίας ἐοοι]. ῬΟ55ΙΝ. () ἸοΓ πλεονεξίας οἱ χατὰ οοὐμ. αι. οἱ ΑΙΙ. ᾿μθς οὐπηΐα ἱποοτονα δυρρογιηῖ, χατὰ τῇς τῶν εἱμαρμένην εἶναι λεγόντων ἀλογίας, χατὰ τῆς τῶν αὐτοματισμὸν φανταζομένων ἀνοίας, κατὰ τ. [ ρ.
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