Letter 242: All honors are fleeting, and all positions of power are temporary.

To Lampetios the Bishop. Each one who reads this letter may hold whatever opinion he has concerning what is about to be said. But I, having determined not to define the boundary of the priesthood now, but rather reflecting upon the road that leads to it, say this: that the one who comes too quickly to this office before enduring the discipline of the ordinances does not undertake the stewardship for the good of those who are governed. Rather, the one who has been trained in the rank of an obedient subordinate, learning first to be ruled before presuming to rule, is the one who will exercise authority wisely and well. For the priesthood is not a right to be seized but a burden to be accepted with trembling, and the one who eagerly grasps at it before being properly prepared reveals by that very eagerness that he does not understand its nature. The true priest is fashioned by years of humble service, patient suffering, and gradual growth in wisdom and holiness, not by ambition or political maneuvering or the influence of wealthy patrons.

ΣΕΔ'. - ΛΑΜΠΕΤΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Ἕκαστος μὲν τῶν ἐντευξομένων τῷδε τῷ γράμ ματι, ὡς ἔχει δόξης περὶ τοῦ λεχθησομένου, ἐχέτω, Ἐγὼ δὲ ὅρον μὲν ὑπογράψαι ἱερωσύνης νῦν οὐ δια εγνωκώς, τὴν δ᾽ ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτην φέρουσαν βριζό μενος, φημὶ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ ταύτην θᾶττον ἐλθὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν, πρὶν τῆς τῶν θεσμῶν ἀρχῆς ἀνασχέσθαι, οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἀγαθῷ τῶν ἀρχομένων τὴν οἰκονομίαν μέτεισιν· öö ἐν ὑπηκόου τάξει ταῖς ἀρχικαῖς ἐγγυμνασάμενος καὶ εὐδοκιμήσας ἀρεταῖς, εἰς τὴν τῆς λειτουργίας D διαχείρησιν, μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν τὴν ἐμπειρίαν ἔχων, ἔρχεται. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ πρὶν [ῥυθμισθῆναι] ῥυθ- μίζειν ἄλλους ἐπιχειρῶν, τῆς ἀληθείας διαμαρτάνει. Οὗτος δὲ ῥυθμισθεὶς πρότερον, καὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἐν πείρᾳ γεγενημένος, ἐπιτήδειος ἐπὶ τὸ ῥυθμίζειν ἄλλους εὑρεθήσεται· ἐπειδήπερ ἐκεῖνος μὲν πρὸ τοῦ ἐμμελετῆσαι τοῖς ὅπλοις, στρατηγὸς οἴεται κεχει- ροτονῆσθαι· οὗτος δὲ εὐδόκιμος στρατιώτης γενόμε νος, εὐδοκιμώτερος ἔσται καὶ στρατηγός. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ΣΜΓ. – ΕΥΔΑΙΜΟΝΙ. Εἰς τὸ, « Αὕτη κληθήσεται γυνὴ, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἐλήφθη. Εὐ μὲν οὐ κατὰ λόγον ἔφης εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, Αὕτη κληθήσεται γυνή, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἐλήφθη. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ μόνον κατὰ λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμασίως αὐτὸ γεγράφθαι φημὶ, καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. Ἡ γυνή παρὰ τὴν γονὴν εἴρηται. Αὕτη γοῦν κληθήσεται γυνή, τουτέστι γονίμη, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἱἀνδρὸς] αὐτῆς (5) τοῦ μέλλοντος γόνιμον ποιεῖν, ἐλήφθη. Τὴν γὰρ παρθένον ὁ ἀνὴρ συναπτόμενος, γυναίκα, τουτέστι γόνιμον ποιεῖ. Διὸ καὶ παρ' Αθηναίοις ἡ συνάφεια ἡ κατὰ νόμον, ἐπ᾿ ἀρότρῳ παίδων ἐλέγετο γίνεσθαι, καὶ γονεῖς οἱ τεκόντες καλοῦνται. Τοῦς γὰρ λέγοντας παρὰ τὰ γυῖα, τουτέστι τὰ μέλη, εἰρῆσθαι, οὐδὲ λόγου ἀξιωτέον. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ μέλει καὶ μέρει τὸ ὅλον καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀντιδιαστέλλεται. Τῇ δὲ γυναικὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ, τουτέστι τῷ σπείροντι γεωργῷ καὶ ἀνορύττοντι τὴν γυναικείαν χώραν (6)· παρ᾿ ὁ καὶ ἀνὴρ, ὡς οἶμαι, λέγεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος κοινὸν αὐτοῖς ἐστιν όνομα · ἡ σπειρομένη γῆ (7), καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γόνιμος γινομένη. Τῶν πρός τι γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τοῦτ' εἶναι. Ἅμα γὰρ εἴποις ἄνδρα, καὶ γυνὴ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ συνε σ-· έρχεται · ὡς καὶ πατρὸς ῥηθέντος, ὁ παῖς συνυπα- κούεται, καὶ δεσπότου λεχθέντος, ὁ δοῦλος συνεπι νοείται.