Letter 204: When mercy is sought, let it be found.
To Didymos. Just as the net cast into the sea... To Gerontios. If you wish to conquer the enemy, lead your army with the fear of God. For righteousness brings victory. But our injustice is an ally of the adversaries. 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, both 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AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
ΔΙΔΥΜΟ.
"Ωσπερ ἡ ῥιπτομένη ἐν θαλάσσῃ σαγήνη, διά-
ΣΔ΄. – ΓΕΡΟΝΤΙΟ.
Εἰ τῶν πολεμίων βούλει κρατεῖν, ἄγε τὸ στρατό-
πεδον φόβῳ Θεοῦ. Δικαιοσύνη γὰρ φέρει τὴν ἀρι-
στείαν. Ἡ δὲ ἡμῶν ἀδικία, τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστὶ συμ-
μαχία.
ΣΔ'. – ΑΥΣΟΝΙΟ.
Ἡ μὲν ἀμφισβήτησις κρίσει ἀναρτάσθω· ἡ δὲ κρί
σις τοὺς ἐλέγχους βασανιζέτω· ἡ δὲ βάσανος τὸ δέον
ὁριζέτω· ὁ δὲ ὅρος γεγράφθω· τὰ δὲ γεγραμμένα
κυρούσθω· τὰ δὲ κυρωθέντα βεβαιούσθω τοῖς ἔργοις·
πᾶσά τε ἁψιμαχία οἰχέσθω, καὶ φιλία χορευέτω· ἧς
ἴσον οὐδὲν· καὶ εἰς ἀρετῆς, καὶ εὐδοκιμήσεως, καὶ
εἰς εὐφροσύνης λόγον.
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