Letter 189: Let us hold only to those possessions we will need after our departure from this life.
To Harpocras the Sophist. Reproaches must be endured.
Let one who goes around slandering nearly everyone to everyone be corrected with a more weighty threat, lest he should later require punishment.
To the same. An invitation to frequent correspondence.
Whenever I receive letters from your eloquence, I am filled with learning and I greatly rejoice. For in them there is a display both of affection and of the power of words. But if you should even briefly delay your writing, I am greatly discouraged, and my tongue grows dull, since neither does gladness come to me nor the benefit of your words. Do not, therefore, violate the law of friendship, but write frequently. For thus you will be even dearer to me.
To Eirene.
Correct the man who slanders nearly everyone to everyone with a more weighty threat, lest he should afterward require punishment.
Let us hold fast only to the possession of those things of which we shall have need after our departure from this life; but let us disdain the rest. For the things that are eternal and heavenly must be pursued, while the things that are perishable must be scorned. Hold fast to your possessions of those goods that you will need when your sojourn in this world is ended. All the rest must be held in contempt.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
“Εἰετηὶς εἰ τιαπειτὶδ αὐϊατεπάμιν ; ρετίἐιγα αμίόπι σοπίεπιποηάα. Ηδχις ροβδθϑϑιομίθιβ [ θδίφυδ, αυΐθυ οὑπὶ οτἷι πιογίθηθιπι, ορυβ εἰῖ. Ἀοϊΐᾳυδ ν ΓοῸ οοηιθηϊπᾶ- ΟΧΣΧΙΥ. --- ΠΑΒΡΟΘΒΦ( ΒΟΡΗ͂ΙΤΖ. Μόνης τῆς χτήσεως ἐχείνων ἐχώμεθα, ὧν μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦδε τοῦ βίου δεηθητόμεθα " τῶν δὲ ὃ λοιπῶν χαταφρονήδσωμεν. ῬΚΓ". --- ΔΡΠΟΚΡᾺ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. (οἰιϑοπάα εοαἰμπεπὶα. Ολ]υπιπίδηιοπὶ [ἐγ ὑπίνογβος γοίγοῃδ σΡΑΥΪΟΓΟ ΘΟ] Δ , Βυρρ !εἷο ροδίθα ἰῃάϊΐᾳοαι. ΟΧΧΥ. -- ΕἸΡΕΜ. Τὸν διαδάλλοντα σχεδὸν πᾶσι πάντας, ἐμόριθε- στέρᾳ ἀπειλῇ σωφρόνισον " ἵνα μὴ τιμωρίας ὕστερον δεηθείη. ΡΚΕ'. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Αα {τεφιεπίες ἰἱεγας ἱπυὶίαί. Θυοιίεδ [ δοοίρίο ᾿᾿ΠΓ ἀΐθογίδα {}|, οἱ ἨΜ} ἀΐδο, δἰ Ὠδϑηληι ἰπἀ οΔρίο υἱἱ!δῖο πη). δὶ Θηΐπ) ἰῃ ἰΐβ οἱ αἴϊδοιυδ, οἱ υδγθογηπι υἱβ. δὶ δυϊδιη Ἡνίχα γράμματα δεχοίμην τῆς σῆς λογιότητος, χαὶ παιδεύσεως πληροῦμαι, χαὶ σφόδρα γέγηθα. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς χαὶ διαθέσεως, χαὶ λόγων ἐπί- ΒογθοΓο δὰ π| ΔΙ ᾳυ πο } , ἀϊδογυςίοῦ θΘυ}- δειξις. Εἰ δὲ πρὸς βραχὺ ὑπέρθοιο τὸ γράφειν, λίαν ΥΑΒΙΔ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΚ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () μδοοῃίδι!ο οἰΐδι" οἰοβᾶπ ἀγοφουὶὶ Νοζίδηζοηὶ Ἔχϑίαι δὰ Νιοοθυίαιη ερ᾿ , ϑοηοττ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΌΜ . Υ. -- ΕΡΙ͂Β]. ΟΧΧΥΤΙΙ. ἀθυμῶ, καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀμδλύνομαι, οὔτε τῆς εὐ- Αὶ ἀθι πἰτΐυα. φυλιίυπι, οἱ ἤΠηφσυὰ ἰοτραί, πθηυ :- φροσύνης μοι προσγινομένης, οὔτε τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λό- γῶν ὠφελείας, Μὴ τοίνυν ἀδίχει τὸν τῆς φιλίας θε- σμὸν (), ἀλλὰ συχνῶς γράφε. Οὕὔτω γὰρ ἔσῃ μοι πλέον χεχαρισμένος. ᾿ ΡΚα'. --- ΦΙΛΗΤΡΙΩ. ἴυηι αυϊὰ δεοίαϊι, ἤθυδ }} πὶ ρόΓοϊρὶο ἃ Γ- τη ἰυο. ΝΟΙΪ ᾿ἰἰΔᾳὰ «πιὶοἰκϊ (υ νἱοίδγο, βεά [τοαυθιον βδογῖὶθθ. βίας ηιϊεἱ Ιοηρα Β οἰ δεῖογ.. ΟΧΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΡΗΠΙΕΤΆΙΟ. δε Βεείφεϊα υμἱποτίϑις εἴδη ας ρετδαπαπαϊε, ἀμγοα ἐρὶδιοία. (ΟΉ[ἐγ. ορὶε!. εἰ .) Ἐγὼ, ὅτι μὲν πρώην ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐχχλησία χαὶ τοὺς διδασχάλους εἶχε λαμπροὺς, καὶ τοὺς φοι- τητὰς εὐδοχίμους, μάλα ἀχριδῶς οἶδα " καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ γὰρ, οὐχὶ πάλαι μόνον, γέγονε ταῦτα ἀμφότερα " ὅτι δὲ χαὶ νῦν τοῦτο οὐχ ἔστιν ἀδύνατον γενέσθαι, ὡς φὴς, ἀλλὰ δυνατὸν, οὐχ ἔστιν ἀμφίδολον. Ἑὰν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ὑφηγητῶν βεδαίως ὑπάρξῃ, χαὶ παυσάμε- νοι τῆς τυραννίδος πατριχὴν χηδεμονίαν ἐπιδείξων- ται, τότε χαὶ περὶ τοῦ τίνα τρόπον σωθήσονται οἱ ὑπήχοοι, ἐξέσται σχοπεῖν" πρὶν δὲ τὴν χρηπίδα ὀρθῶς ὑποθέσθαι, λίαν περιττὸν ἡγοῦμαι, τὸν περὶ τῆς χορωνίδος ποιεῖσθαι λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐθελήσωσιν ἔχεῖνοι, χἂὰν μυριάχις ἀχούσωσι, πείθεσθαι, ἂν μὴ διὰ πραγμάτων μάθοιεν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν παρὼν χαιρὸς χαὶ βονλῆῇς χαὶ προνοίας δεῖται πολλῆς " ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὃ τι χρὴ παραινέσαι, δυσχολώτατον ἡγοῦμαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο ἀπορῶ, τίνα χρὴ τρόπον πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν. Πείθομαι γὰρ ἀκριδῶς, ἐξ ὧν χαὶ παρὼν καὶ πυν- θανόμενος σύνοιδα, τὰ πλείω τῶν θείων θεσπισμάτων αὑτοὺς ἐκφυγεῖν, τῷ μὴ θέλειν τὰ δέοντα πράττειν, Ῥιοῦθ φυϊάθιῃ ποΥΐ ἰη αἸιγῖϑι! ρει πὶ ΕΟ οἴ ἀοοίογοβ οαγοφίοβ οἰδγυΐδδα, ἰδ αυ ργουδίοδ εἰΪ]- Ρυϊοῦ : οἱ π| αυϊάἐπι ἰοπροῦο, ποη Οἰΐπὶ ἰδηίυ), αἰγυμηᾳι ἤογυπὶ [Δοίυτ . [ἃ δυΐθη) Ὠοάΐδ ἰρο- δ[}, αὐ τ αυϊάδηι Υἱ ἷ, ΠΟ , ἤοΡΐ ρ, ποιηΐηΐ ἀυθίυπι . δὶ δηΐη) το ἰδία Δ ἴΐ, αυἱὶ ρΓαβπηΐ, ] .ἀ ἰηϊιϊυπὴ βυπιαὶ, οἱ {}, τὙγδηηϊά ροβίί, }}}ο τυ θη) Ππ| ουγϑληυ ΓΖ ρδ.Γ[ΔΠ) οδίδηάστγίηϊ, ἰυης οιἰἰαπὶ ΓΑιίθη δαϊγψατὶ Βυθ .}, [ἰοοθὲι νἱάοτο. Ῥυγίυ δηἷπι υλπ) γοοῖο [ δἰηΐ [υηἀΔπιθηῖ, ἀ σοτγοηΐά [{|πἰο ϑογπιοποαὶ ἰηδι ἢ Γ, γ} δυρογυλοδηθι ἀθςο. Νοαυθ οηΐπὶ γοϊσηιϊ ΠΠ|, διϑὶ τὶ} δυάδίοτίηί, ογούδγο, πἰδὶ οσρο- εἰπιθηῖο ἀϊάϊδατῖηι. Ῥγθβθὴ ἰΐίδυθ (ΘΙΩρι πα ἱπαϊσοί οοηϑὶ!ο οἱ ργυάδηιϊία. Εφο νϑγοὸ αἰ ΠΠ| }} πα ηὶ ΔΡΌΪΓΟΓ, πΠῸη αυορὰ οροτίοδι δαθηοπογο; δὶ ἀθ . ἀνθ ῖιο, φυθηδπὶ πιοάο οοιῃραίϊαγα | ομρογίοδί, ὅδγιο δηΐῃ τηἰ πὶ ρογβυϑίθο ἂχ , οἱ ΠΟΓΠ εἴ βοἰβοϊίδηάο οοφοονΐ, ἔιζογο ροἰθγααυς αἰ ν ποι ογδουϊογυπι ; αιιοά πο] πὶ, υξ Ορουτίρι, (ΔΟΘΓΘ, Π- οὕτω μὴ συνιέναι. Παραινῶ τοίνυν αὐτοῖς, ἐὰν μετ αι δάἀάίθοογα. Ουδπιοῆγεπι { Ἔχ ΒΟΥΙΟΡ (αἱ Π Θὰ, παῤῥησίας εἴποιμι, φέρειν τοῦτο, θεωμένους εἰ τά- ληθῇ λέξαιμι χαὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα βελτίους γένωνταε. Ἐχ γὰρ τοῦ χολαχεύειν ἐνίους, εἰς τοιαύτην ταρα- χὴν ἐψέπεσε τὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν πράγματα. Τί οὖν χρὴ ποιεῖν; Συντόμως ἐρῶ, καὶ οὐχ ἀποχρύψομαι. Εἰ μὲν μύθους ἡγοῦνται τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, σιγὴν ἀσχεί- τωσᾶν᾽ εἰ δὲ ὄντως οὐρανίους θεσμοὺς, πραττέτωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα δημηγορείτωσαν" μὴ τοιούτων γὰρ αὐτῶν ὄντων, ὁ θεῖος νόμος ἀποχλείει τὸ στόμα.
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