Letter 197: I do not admire the custom of lavishing adornment on the body.
I marvel how certain men who have now ascended the teaching chair and who admire Paul do not examine the qualities through which he became admirable. That man did not seek thrones or honors but labors and sufferings. He did not demand the obedience of others but offered his own obedience to Christ. If you would be a successor of the apostles, follow not their titles but their toil.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Οοπίτα πὲπιέμης πεμ ἑόγμηι ογπαίμηι. (οη[. ερὶδῖ. , ἰδ. , δὲ διρ. ορίεί. .) ΜΙηϊῆοθ αδαυΐϊόδαι ἰδαυάο νοϑίδγεπιὶ ϑραγίδηοσυπιὶ ὦ Λίαν ἄγαμαι τὴν παλαιὰν Λαχεδαίμονα,, χοσμεῖ- ὉΡΌθπι Ποποδιΐβ πηδίγοηΐβ ογηαίυπιὶ ἰηἰοΓἀϊοΘη (ΘΠ, υθ δοογιἷβ ἰπρυτίδαυθ [ΘΠ πιδρἷ δΟΠΥΘηἶγΓΘ, υς ἰδαυδθοῦ ἃς ται δοίθδοθηιθυ ᾿υχυγίδ ὁΓ- τυριὶα ἰοπάδηϊ, Ἔχ δι π|ῶθαιὶ. θυ Θηΐπ) ΟΓΠΘΐ ρυδΐολφυο ὡρρᾶγοϑὶ, ογηϑίι αἰ πηῖ πιογθυπὶ οπἰθηιδι δυυῆ). Ουοά δβᾶοτ ἀδημπηιίδη ϑεγίριυγα δυδάεϊ ποῦ οἱ πρλγχαῦὶ εἶθ, νοὶ ργοιίοβᾶ νϑβίθ, Ὀοη οροτῖθυ ῥ᾽ εἰδίοπιν οοἰδηῖθ ὀχογηαγίὶ ", [ἃ δὶ ρῈῦ ἱπδρίεἰδίυν, ἀΐοο, πηοη , Ἰαρί ὀυπι [υἱρότγοιη, οἱ ἰη- δυγο, ουπὶ ἀείογην! πιυϊοτὶ ἰυπὸ ρυ]ΟἸΓ ΟὔΘ. [{|π| οπΐ πὶ γοργαμοπάυηι, μᾶς γοΓῸ δυθγίυηϊ. Ἐορτομοηάυπι αυΐϊάαπι, ἰυτγρίοτοπ! οδίθπάθησο ; δϑδυοσυηϊ γογῸ ἃ ρυϊοιγῖδ, οπὶ ἀδ Ν}} Ἰοφυὶ ποϊϊοηι, ὧς οτηδῖα πἰιηΐο ἰδδη γογὺϑ ἰδοίυηϊ. ΠΟΙ. -- ΕΠΑΡΗ͂ΙΟ ἘΡΙΒΟΟΡΟ. σθαι ἀπαγορεύσασαν ταῖς σώφροσι τῶν γυναιχῶν" ἑταίραις γὰρ πρέπειν τοῦτ᾽ ἐνόμισε, ταῖς καὶ πάγας καὶ δίχτυα ἐπὶ θήρᾳ τῶν ἀχολάστων νέων ἐπινοού- σαις. Ἧ γὰρ χοσμία χαὶ σώφρων εἶναι δοχοῦσα, εἰ τοῦτο δράσειε, τὴν οἰχείαν ἐχπομπεύει νόσον. “Δ περ ἀποχηρύττουσα ἡ θεία Γραφὴ παραινεῖ, μὴ χρυσῷ χαὶ μαργαρίταις, ἣ ἐσθῆτι πολυτελεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς χοσμεῖσθαι τὰς τῆς θεοσεδείας ἐφιεμένας. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ χαὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα χαθ᾽ ἑαυτὸ σχοπκῆσαι, φημὶ (|), ὅτι ὅρμοι, χαὶ αὐγαὶ λίθων, χαὶ περι- δέῤῥαια χαὶ ταῖς δυσειδέσι, χαὶ ταῖς ἄγαν ὡραίαις ἀντιπράττουσι" τὰς μὲν γὰρ ἐλέγχοναι, τῶν δὲ ἀπ- ἀγουσι" τὰς μὲν ἐλέγχουσι, χαχίονας ἐπιδειχνυμένας " τῶν δὲ ἀπάγουσιν. ᾿Αφέμενοι γὰρ τοῦ περὶ αὑτῶν Ὁ φράσαι, περὶ τῶν χοσμίων διαλέγονται.
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