Letter 1600: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
To Theodore the Prefect. The ruler who governs justly builds a monument more enduring than bronze or marble — a monument of gratitude in the hearts of those he has served. But the ruler who governs unjustly digs his own grave, for the oppressed never forget and history never forgives. You have been given authority over a great province, Theodore, and the way you exercise that authority will determine not only the welfare of your subjects but the fate of your own soul. Judge impartially, punish sparingly, reward generously, and always remember that the power you hold is borrowed, not owned — given by God for a season and to be returned to him with interest. The subjects over whom you rule are not your property but God's children, and he watches how you treat them with the jealous eye of a Father who loves his offspring more than any earthly parent could. The Roman law itself teaches that authority is a trust held for the common good, and the magistrate who uses his office for personal enrichment betrays both the law and the Lawgiver. Let your administration be characterized by transparency, your judgments by fairness, and your conduct by the integrity that befits a servant of both the emperor and the Emperor of heaven.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
ἱποογγυρίϑ δοιιροῦ ἀἰνίδαια υἱβ τοὶ οἱ ροίαοὶ Δι ΄Ζυθπι ΠοηογαΓ6. ϑοίυβ οι Ὠόυ5 ᾿αθοί φυο ἰο- ῃογδὶ, νοϊπίαιθ αυϊάδπι οὐ [οι οοΓιΔηΐο. ᾿υᾶτγα δἀδπιθπη8 θθιν), αυἱ δοῖυ8 οἱ νυ]ϊ ΠΟΠΟΓῸ Δί Ο6Γα, οἱ Παθθί αῦὸ πο ἰδηίυ ρτοὸ ἀϊᾳη δία, 56ιὶ οιΐδιν δυργαὰ πιογυπι Ποπογοὶ : ε Νομ ομίην, δΑἰϊ δογίρίυγα, οΘοπἀϊσπο δυηὶ Ρ 0Π ᾿Νυ ἰΘΙΠρυγί8 δ [υτγαῖ φἰογίδην, 4υ88 γαυϑ λυ ἰμ που ᾽“. » ΟΟΟΙΧΧΙΙ. --- ΤΠΕΟΡΘΌΟΔΟ ΡΆΖΕΕΟΤΟ. θΘμὶς ομιΐηις τοὶρωθίϊςΣ ργαεὶι δημαγωγός. ἤΑριστον δημαγωγὸν χαὶ ἡγεμόνα ἐχεῖνον ἂν ἔγωγε ὦ Βεἰρυθιϊοα οριϊπαπι διῖπὶ ἀϊχογίωι φυθοτηδίογθιη ὁρισαίμην, οὐ τὸν μισθοδοσίαις στάσεις χινοῦντα, χαὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἴσων (οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμι χειρόνων) ὥσπερ δεσποτῶν τὰς φωνὰς ἐξωνούμενον " ἀλλὰ τὸν δι᾽ ἀρετῆς χαὶ εὐσεδείας τοὺς δήμους ἑξαρτώμενον, καὶ οὐχ ὲν ταῖς φωναῖς μόνον ἀναχηρυττόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς γνώμαις στεφανούμενον. ΤΟΙ". -- ΖΩΣΙΜΏ, ΜΑΡΩΝΙ, ΧΑΙΡΗΜΟΝΙ, ΚΑΙ ΕΥ̓ΣΤΑΘΙΩ. ἃ. ρτγϑίοοιυηι, Π01 αυΐ ἰαγρὶἰοηἶθι. Βο !0Π68 60η- οἷοι, ἃς δὶ . πὶ. ποι) ἐϊοαπὶ εἰοἰογίογιιπι, νὸ- ᾿υκἱ ἀοπιϊογυι νοῦ γοαϊιημῖ, . νἱγίυϊα Ρἰοίδια δυδροηϑυπιὶ ἰθηθαὶ ρορυ απ) ἤραυα αἱ μ0- ῬυΠ ἰδιπὶ ΒΘΥΠΊΟ6 οἱ νοο6 ΟΟΘἰΘΌΓΟΙΓ, 86ι οἱ δΔηΪπΠΊ0. ΘΟΘΙΧΧΠΙ. -- ΖΟΘΙΜΟ, ΜΑΒΟΝΙ, ΘΗ ΖΞΈΚΕΜΝΟΝΙ, ΕΤ ΕΌΘΤΑΤΗΙΟ. Δα ϑοπαιὰ γτατγεις [γισέμι ἱπυΐαί. (5μ . ἐρὶδι. , εἰ .) Ἑλλόγιμοι χαὶ ἀληθεῖς ἄνδρες ἐχτόπως ὑμᾶς τῆς χαχίας διαδεδαιοῦνται εἶναι ἐραστὰς, χαὶ τὰ χατ᾽ εἶδος πλημμελήματα ὑμῶν ἐκχωμῳδοῦντες, πολλὴν γχαταχέουσι τοῖς μὴ ἀναλγήτοις τὴν ὀδύνην. Ἐγὼ δὲ Ὀίβορὶ] νἱγὶ ἰἰάθηφυθ ΥΟΡΙ διπάη68 ὨΔΓΓΔΗΐ, νῸ5 ΒΌρΓα τοὐπὶ ρτΟθΟ8 , γεϑβίγααιθ 11ἃ 'η- δυϊδιῖπι ΓΕΡΓΟΠΘηἀΘηϊ6 τ] πὶ ἀἤδγαμθ (γί ϑι ἴα» βθηϑυπὶ ἃἰϊχαθίη παρθαηιΐθι5. Εχαϊίθιῃ ἀμ ο" 68ι- αὐτὰ οὐ φράσω ὃδνοῖν ἕνεχεν. Οὔτε γὰρ βούλομαι μο- ἢ ποη τείθγαπι. Νϑαια ὀπίτη ΠΠπρύϑιῃ παγγδη λῦναι τὴν γλῶτταν, οὔτε εἰ βουλοίμην, δυναίμην " οὕτως ἅπαντα λόγον ὑπερῦαίνει. Ὑμῶν οὖν ἐστι οχοπεῖν, ὅπως παύσησθς τῶν τοιούτων δραμάτων, ἃ καὶ τοὺς λέγοντας ἐρυθριᾷν παρασχευάζει. ΤΟΔ', --- ΠΑΥ͂ΛΩ. σοι δι ΐπαγα γοο, , δὲ ψο]ϊη, ροβϑέιῃ, διίθυ ΟΠΊΠ6ΠΙ δυρογδηῖ ἀϊςοηδὶ νίμ. Ουᾶγο νοϑίγυπ) οϑδὶ πιδάνογίογα υἱ οἱ πούυπὶ ἀσἰϊοἰοταηι ἰη6 πὶ π ο- ἀυπιαυθ δβιδίυδι., υἱ οὐ " ϊ ορογίθυ8 αἰδιῖπ68- ιἰ5 ΠΆΓΓΑΠΕ μυι ογοι ἰπουϊαη, ΓσΟῸῸΙΧΧΙΥ. --- ΡΑΌΙΟ. γι γί αηιρίἐοιεπαάα. Τὰς ἀρετὰς τίμα, μὴ τὰς εὐημερίας θεράπευε. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀθάνατόν εἰσι χρῖμα, αἱ δὲ ῥᾳδίως σθὲν- γυνται. οιῃ. νει, . Υἱγιυϊθιη σο], π6ς [ογίυμα ὑοηΐᾳ βαγνίλς, Π θη ΐ αυΐ! ἱπηπηοΓγι8 δϑὶ ; [ρα τ γῸ ἤωχα βυηῖ, οἷ- ἴοηη6 ρΟΓΘαμ . ΝΑΙ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤ “. () Ἰμίοτ καὶ οἱ τοῦ ΔΏΜ σο . ἰπδοννὶ πρὸ οἱ μι] Ῥ051 ῃγυ ἀναγχάξουσι δβογίθυηϊ ἀναγχὰ ῬΟΦ“5ΙΝ. ΠσΟΟΙΧΧΥ. --- ΕἸΌΕΝ . ἸΘΙΌΟΒΙ ΡΕΓΌΘΒΙΟΤΑ ΤΟΙ’. -- Τῷ ΛΥΤΩ (). Ππἰοττοηαιῖο πὶ εαοτὶς Π οτὶ8 υεἠεηιοπίίοτεπι το αἷξ οταίἱοπεηι. Ουϊβᾳυΐβ ποι ἰδ ἀμπη ατ4η ἰμίθτγτοϑαὶ, ( οχδυύίθηιί τι Ἰυύίοῖο ἔδγὶ φδουϊομ εἴδη, Οἰδγίο οι οἱ οΠἤὶ᾽οδοίογθην ἰηϊογγοραηάο ἀδπιοηβιγδιίοπθιη [Ὡ6]!. Νδηι [υἀϊταη68 δγγορδηιί νυΐζυ5 δοουδᾶϊ. (ἡ 6ΓΓ0- ξληίοϑ γ6γῸ 6ἱ ἰθηηογίιδῖθ ΠΊΔ]ΟΓΟ5 ρυϊαί, οἱ ἸΙθομιαν ῥτοραῖ, 4ιδϑὶ ἀΐοῖ8 ρεγεϊρίδηί, οἱ ρογρθίυο ἸΤυάΐεοηϊ, Νὰπι βι ΠΓαρὶο δα πιθὶ ἴδῖ0 ΓΟυΘΟΔΓΘ γνογεουηάδημιγ. δ'ς ΟΠ γβίυ . ἰη6 6ἱ Ῥαι(γὶ8 δϑρί οἶα δ ρ6 Δ Γα ] ἱπιοΓΓορι]0η6Π2, τηαχίπια ἷν υἱη! οτγὶβ ρᾶτα ο ; γα : ε (υπὶ ΘΓΚΟ νοοῖ ἀοπιΐηι8 υἱηθ, αυϊὰ (Δεϊοῖ ἀργίΉ0 Ὁ. ν»͵ Π δυΐοπὶ ἀϊσαηυ8 : ε ΜΆΪΟ05 πη816 ροΓ(αὶ, οἱ νἱηθαπὶ δυδπὶ ἰοσα Δργὶο0 ", » ἰδίῃ Γέβρουμϑο ἰἰἰογασὶ δυοιογί θη δά αϊπ. ααπὶ αεΐπὶ ΘΠυΠ ἾΔΓΟ ἰρ86 [0Γ6 ροδ86ῖ, οοοσὶί δ56ηϊθη[8Π ἴογγθ, ἰἰδαυ δ δυρύγαν! οἱ δοηιθηἰπὶ . νι. Αἀ οπλἀδπ) του δὲ υδϑίυϑ Ῥαυ]ὰβ ] Π δυύϊῆον, [δοἷϊ. ἀὐπὶ θα ροϑ886ὶ δῇὶγπ)δίθ ἀἴοο ΓΘ : « Νοη ἀδοδὶ πν]]6Γο πὶ ἡ σαρ! Βουπὶ ρΓδοϑγί, » Ῥογ ἰυϊεγτοφαιϊοηθι ἀγαθηϊ ὀχίογϑὶὶ ΓΟΒΡΟΠδΌΠ,, οὐ δἷς αἷΐ : ε Ὗο8 ἱρϑὲ Ἰυάΐς65 ἀδβίοιβ, ἀδοδθίῃηθ στηῦ- ἐἰδγθῆν ποθὴ γοἸδίϑιη ογᾶγὸ θουπὶ " Τὰ δγρὸ εἰηὶ- , δἱ ᾳηϊὰ ἀθἤηϊΓα οιρίλ5, ρογίδη , - ψΟΓΟ8, 8θϊ ιΓ2685 [ΟΥ . Μ0 Θπἷπὶ πος πηυάο εοἰϑὶ δ'οαυϊ ὈεποαϊοοηιΒυ8 ΟὈ]οφαυηῖαν, αὐ τ0- ἀδϑίδᾳυθ ἰηϊογγοφαϊΐοηθ οἰοδοίογοπι) (δηηομ8ιΓ8- ιἰοποῖι ρῶγᾶγα ϑϑίαψο. ϑ΄[ θη ἶπὶ ΓΟ ΔΡΡΟΏ6Β, Ομ πὶ νἱοογίϑ, ἰαυθδηα8ὸ [οΓῸδ πι ἃς πιοάροΓγαί! ἱαροηΐΐ. ΟΟΟΘΕΧΧΥΙ. -- ΜΕΝΩΣ ὈΙΑΘΟΝΟ. ὋὉ μὴ ἀ
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