Letter 1545: The road that seems finest to me is the one that leads toward piety and ends in open, spacious freedom.
To Cassian. What is the difference between "involuntary" and "unwilling"? "Involuntary" and "unwilling" are not the same: the former signifies thoughtlessness, the latter signifies what is against one's will. The former looks to acting, the latter to suffering. For the one is an unconsidered deed, the other a compelled experience. To Ausonios. Let the dispute be referred to judgment; let the judgment examine the evidence; let the examination determine what is right; let the decision be written down; let what is written be ratified; let what is ratified be confirmed by deeds; let all petty strife depart and let friendship dance — than which nothing is equal, for virtue, reputation, and joy.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
δοχεῖ, καλλίστη ἐστὶν ὁδὸς, ἐπὶ τὴν εὐσέδειαν ἄγουσα, χαὶ εἰς πλατεῖαν εὐρυχωρίαν τελευτῶσα. ᾿ ΣΓΙν, --- ΚΑΣΣΙΑΝΏ. ρυἱά αἀϊῇεταμι, ἄδουλος καὶ ἀδούλητος. Νοη ἰάθη δδὶ ἱπιργυάδηιϊίδ εἰ ἰηνο!υηίατγίυπι ἄδου- λον χαὶ ἀδούλητον. Π14 ὀηΐπ ἱποοη : ἀΘγϑη 8π), ἢος Ὑ6 ΓῸ ἑπυϊίμπι οἱ ποη Ὑο]θηίαπὶ ] Πςαὶ : οἱ Πα ἀ ἴῃ ἀφοηάο, ἰιος ἱπ ραιοπάο . οογηίυν, ΝΑΙ ἡΠυ δοιῖο δδβὶ ἱποοπβίάδγαϊα, ἴος ὙΓῸ ὁοδοίᾷ ΓΟΙΥ. --- ΑὔΒΟΝΙΟ. Οὐ ταυτὸν τὸ ἄδουλον, καὶ τὸ ἀδούλητον᾽ τὸ μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἀπερίσχεπτον, τὸ δὲ τὸ ἀχούσιον μηνύει" χαὶ τὸ μὲν εἰς τὸ πράττειν, τὸ δὲ εἰς τὸ πάσχειν βλέπεις. Τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἄσχεπτος πρᾶξις, τὸ δὲ χατηναγ- χασμένον πάθος. ΣΔ', --- ΑΥ̓́ΣΟΝΙΩ. . Οποπιοάο τέο αὶ εἶμι αὐπιϊπὶειτείμν, Ῥμίοίτα τεὶ Ἰμαϊσαί ρθταάακὶο. Οιπηΐβ σθηἰτογογβία ἰυάϊοὶο ἀϊγιππδίιγ : ῥυἀϊοΐυαι Ἧ μὲν ἀμφισδήτησις χρίσει ἀναρτάσθω’ ἡ δὲ χρί-- γ6ΓῸ ϑοοιιβαίογαϑ οχδιηϊπαί ; Ἔχϑηῖθι ϑαυυηπ) ἀοΠηΐλι, Β σις τοὺς ἐλέγχους βαϑανιζέτω' ἡ δὲ βάσανος τὸ δέον εἰυβᾳυδ βεπιθηια βαρ θδῖυγ. ϑογίρία γϑτῸ οοηῇτγιηθ- ἴωγ, οὐηῇγηιδίδ τοῖρϑα βιδυ ϊαῖαγ. Οπιηΐβ υθγὸ - (πιο , οἱ διηϊοἰια βυοοράδι, οἱ ΩἾΪΜ ] ρϑΓ 6ϑ8ὶ οἱ βοοιιηάυηη, οὐολ δὰ Υἱγίυ!ϊ6 πὶ, ἰᾳπὶ ρίογίδη) ἐοηπδααιδηάδη), ἃ. ἀδηΐᾳι6 δὰ τ ταῖθηι δίῃ » ᾿εἰεΐδη. ΟΟΥ̓͂. -- ΡΙΠΙΈΕΤΆΙΟ. ὁριζέτω" ὁ δὲ ὅρος γεγράφθω" τὰ δὲ γεγραμμένα χυρούσθω᾽ τὰ δὲ χυρωθέντα βεδαιούσθω τοῖς ἔργοις" πᾶσά τε ἀψιμαχία οἰχέσθω, καὶ φιλία χορευέτω" ἧς ἴσον οὐδέν᾽ χαὶ εἰς ἀρετῆς, χαὶ εὐδοχιμήσεως, καὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνης λόγον. ΣΕ΄..--- ΦΙΛΗΤΡΙΩ. Απιϊεϊα υἱς. ΔΑ ποπιθη αἰκαϊ ῬΑ οἰτὶϊ. ((οπ[εγ. ἐρῖει. .) Ετρο ἀπιϊοϊ εἶα ] ΓΘ οαριΐ ΠΟη θη σΟΓΘῺ8 οὐαὶ δοάδιῃ ᾿πηρε ἢ ΕσοΘ Θηΐ εἰΐδη) Ἰοηβ6 ἀἰ85:., π0 1Π ΠΠΠ 6γ] ὑῃᾳι 8π) ΔΟΟΘΡΙΪΒ, ἰυἱ Διῆογα τηϊγἢο6 ἰποεη , δίροφιρ νιυπαγαϑίὶ, ὃν Π6 τηοπιθηί0 αυΐάθπι ἰοηρογίβ ιυἱ Οὐ] ν͵δοῖ Ρ05- ΟΟΥ̓͂Ι. -- ΒΙΌΥΜΟ Β50ΗΠΟΓΑ5ΤΙΟΟ. Ἔμελλες ἄρα, ἣ φιλίας, ἣ τοῦ τετρῶσθαι ὑπὸ φι» λίας ἐπώνυμος ὧν χαὶ ἄλλους εἰς ταύτην ἐμδαίνειν. Ἰὸσὺ γὰρ χαὶ ἡμᾶς πόῤῥω τυγχάνοντας, χαὶ μηδὲ- πώποτε συντετυχηχότας διὰ γραμμάτων, εἰς τὴν σαυτοῦ ἀγάπην ἐξεδάχχευσας χαὶ τοσοῦτον χατ- ἐτρωσας, ὡς μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀχαρὲς δύνασθαι ἀμνγυ. ( μονεῖν.
Related Letters
What seems narrow turns out to be the most beautiful road — the one that leads to piety, and ends in broad and...
On the question of whether God is the cause of evil.
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
If I claimed to possess words capable of eliminating every kind of wickedness, I would rightly be accused of arrogance.
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.