Letter 31: Why did you choose the narrow way and make vows to God, only to walk the broad road that leads to death?

To Diophantos the Ruler. To rulers. Not only your office, but even your very life is brief. Why then do you sin without end, preparing for yourself eternal punishment in a few hours? Having thoroughly observed the many-turned and many-changed fickleness of affairs, strive rather to be known for good accomplishments, whose praises are received even here, and whose future rewards shall not perish. To Kerkyrios. Constant dangers and fears follow upon all-daring and reckless dispositions, while praises, honors, and good courage follow upon the gentle and mild. If therefore you have not lost the right judgment of things through folly, take the better share, abandoning the worst. To Apollonios the Bishop. For now let us feast our longing with these letters as with a prelude — a longing that leaps with divine gladness and hastens toward the sight of you, yet cannot rest until the time to come, unless, having obtained some consolation from this letter, it might seem from this point to lay down a sure hope — I mean the expectation of the coming assembly. Therefore, make haste as quickly as you can, bringing forth a festival for us by your presence. To Ophelios the Grammarian. How the phrase "Firstborn of all creation" is to be understood. Setting aside the well-worn explanations, I would state clearly what is meant, even if I should seem to some to be cutting a rather novel path of interpretation. The word "firstborn," if the second syllable is accented, indicates the one born first; but if the penultimate syllable, it indicates the one who first begot. And this you who study Homer know most precisely. For "firstborn" in Homer means the one who first gave birth. It is reasonable, then — or rather necessary — to understand that here too the divinely-inspired Paul used such a meaning, not teaching that Christ was created first among creation — far from it, since he calls him the radiance of the glory and the stamp of the Father's substance — but that he first begot, that is, made creation. So that with the third syllable accented, he is the first-begetter, not the first-begotten; the first-creator, not the first-created. To Peter. Those who think they are testing the art consider truth hard to hunt. For they say: If the supreme orator happens to be assigned to what appears to be the weaker side, such a one... even if he should not carry off the victory, we shall not blame him, nor shall we be content merely if he should use his skill to cast a shadow over the extreme weakness of his case, and furnish some strength to what seems poor, and increase the toil for his opponents. Nor shall we think it sufficient if he should create some fear by his vote in those who hoped to win by a sudden charge — but if he does not overturn everything, shall we call him simpleminded? And how is that not absurd? For the orator will say: I was buried, my friend, by the facts; yet I inflicted many wounds on my adversary, though he believed he would have the advantage without effort. The defeat came through the inequality of preparation; but that the victory was not swift was due to my skill; so that by the unexpected labor I prevailed. Why have I gone through all this? Because those who are reputed to be wise judge affairs not by the outcome but by the intention. And those who appeared to have lost they often proclaim as victors, while those who won they do not deem worthy of praise. For the former left undone nothing that ought to have been done, even if they accomplished nothing of what they intended; while the latter often won to the detriment of their own heads. You therefore will do better and more humanely if you do not create confusion, but separate these things from each other, and test each on its own — both the intention and the result — neither praising the one who won unjustly, nor blaming the one who was wronged from his defeat, nor defining success as virtue or misfortune as vice.

ΛΑ΄. – ΔΙΟΦΑΝΤΗ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΙ. Πρὸς ἄρχοντας Βραχυτελῆ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν ἔχεις τὴν ζωήν. Τί τοίνυν ἁμαρτάνεις ἀτελεύτητα, ἐν ὀλίγαις ὥραις τὴν αἰώνιον ἑαυτῷ κατασκευάζων κόλασιν ; Καταμαθὼν οὖν πᾶσαν τὴν πολύστροφον καὶ πολύτρεπτον τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπιστίαν, μᾶλλον ἐπὶ χρηστοῖς γνωρίζεσθαι * κατορθώμασι σπούδαζε, ὧν καὶ οἱ ἐνταῦθα τυγχάνουσιν ἔπαινοι, καὶ οἱ μέλ- λοντες μισθοὶ οὐκ ἀπόλλυνται. ΣΛΛ'. – ΚΕΡΚΥΡΙΩ (17). Ταῖς παντόλμοις καὶ θρασέσι γνώμαις κίνδυνοι καὶ φόβοι διηνεκεῖς ἀκολουθοῦσι, ταῖς δὲ πραέσι καὶ ἡμέροις ἔπαινοι καὶ τιμαὶ καὶ εὐτολμίαι. Εἰ τοίνον C μὴ τὴν ὀρθὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνοίᾳ ἐζημίωσαι κρίσιν, τῆς κρείττονος μοίρας γενοῦ, ἀφέμενος τῆς κακίστης. ΛΑ'. ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. Νῦν τοῖσδε τοῖς γράμμασι (14) καθάπερ προοι- μίοις ἐστιῶμεν τὸν πόθον, σκιρτῶντα μὲν ὑπὸ θείας εὐφροσύνης, καὶ πρὸς τὴν θέαν ἐπειγόμενον, ἀδυνα- τοῦντα δὲ πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα χρόνον ἠρεμεῖν, εἰ μὴ τινα παραψυχὴν ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς πορισάμε- νος, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἐλπίδα δόξειε καταβάλλεσθαι βε- βαίαν, τῆς μελλούσης φημὶ πανηγύρεως τὴν προσ- δοκίαν. Οὐκοῦν ὅσον τάχος ἐπείχθητι, ἑορτὴν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς παρουσίας ἀποτίκτων. ΙΖ΄. ΠΑΥΛΩ. Ἔδει τοὺς αὐτουργοὺς τῶν κακῶν καὶ ἐν π ΚΑΛΑ΄. – ΟΦΕΛΙΩ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΚΟ. Πῶς εἶρηται τὸ· « Πρωτότοκος πάσης φύσεως. » Τὰ κατημαξευμένα παρεὶς, σαφῶς εἶποιμι τὸ νενοημένον, εἰ καὶ δόξαιμί τισι καινοτέραν ἑρμηνείας ἀνατέμνειν ὁδόν. Ὁ πρωτότοκος, εἰ μὲν ἡ δευτέρα ὀξύνοιτο συλλαβή, τὸν τεχθέντα πρῶτον· εἰ δ᾽ ἡ παρεσχάτη, τὸν πρώτως τεκόντα μηνύει. Καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἀκριβῶς ἴστε μάλιστα ὑμεῖς οἱ ὀμηρίζοντες. Πρωτοτόκος γὰρ ἡ πρώτως τεκοῦσα ἐκείνῳ εἴρηται. Εἰκὸς οὖν, μᾶλλον δ᾽ ἀναγκαῖον ἐννοεῖν, ὅτι κἀνταῦθα τοιαύτῃ τινὶ ἐννοίᾳ ὁ θεσπέσιος ἐχρήσατο Παῦλος, οὐ πρῶτον τῆς κτίσεως αὐτὸν ἐκτίσθαι δογματίζων, ἅπαγε, ὅς γε ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτήρα τῆς ὑποστάσεως τῆς πατρικῆς αὐτὸν καλεῖ· ἀλλὰ πρῶτον τετοκέναι, τουτέστι, πεποιηκέναι τὴν κτίσιν, ἶν᾿ ᾗ (8), τῆς τρίτης συλλαβῆς ὀξυνομένης, πρωτογόνος, οὐ πρωτογενής· πρωτοκτίστης, οὐ πρωτόκτι- ``` Α΄. – ΠΕΤΡΩ Α νομίζουσιν, οἱ τὴν τέχνην δοκιμάζοντες τὴν γὰρ ἀλή θειαν δυσθήρατον εἶναι ἡγοῦνται (31). Φασὶ γὰρ, ὅτι Εἰ συμβαίη τὸν ἄκρον ῥήτορα μετὰ τῶν ἀσθε νεστέρων εἶναι δοκούντων πραγμάτων τετάχθαι, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἔλθος τῆς νι χης, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὴ καὶ τὴν νίκην ἀνέλοιτο, κακιοῦμεν, οὐδ᾽ ἀγαπήσομεν, εἰ συσκιάσει ἐν τῇ δεινότητι τὸ λίαν τῶν πραγμάτων σαθρὸν, καὶ παράσχοι τινὰ ῥώμην τοῖς δοκοῦσι φαύλοις, καὶ τὸν πόνον αὐξή σειεν τοῖς ἀντιτεταγμένοις τὴν ἀρχὴν; οὐδ᾽ ἀποχρῆν νομιοῦμεν εἰ παραστήσείε τινα φόδον ὑπὸ τῆς ψήφου τοῖς ἐλπίζουσιν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς αἰρήσειν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὴ πάντα ἀνατρέψειεν, εὐηθέστατον (32) ἐροῦμεν; Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον; ἐρεῖ γὰρ ὁ ρήτωρ · Κατεχώσθην, ὦ τὰν, ὑπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων· πολλὰ μέντοι καὶ αὐτὸς Β τὸν διάδικον τρώσας, καί τοι πεπιστευκότα τὸ κρά τος ἔξειν ἀπονητί (33). Ἡ μὲν οὖν γεγένηται τῷ τῆς παρασκευῆς ἀνίσῳ· τὸ δὲ μὴ ταχεῖαν τὴν νίκην, ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμῆς τέχνης· ὥστε τῷ παρ' ἐλπίδα πόνω περίειμι. Τοῦ χάριν δὴ ταῦτα διεξῆλθον; Ὅτι οἱ δου χοῦντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκβάσεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως τὰ πράγματα κρίνουσι. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἡττᾶσθαι δόξαντας, πολλάκις ἀνακηρύττουσι τοὺς δὲ νικήσαντας ἐπαίνων οὐκ ἀξιοῦσιν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐλλελοίπασι τῶν ὀφειλόντων πεπράχθαι, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ὧν προήρηντο κατώρθωσαν· οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλῆς, πολλάκις νενικήκασι, Kαὶ σὺ τοίνυν κάλλιον ποιήσεις (34), καὶ ἀνθρωπινώ τερον, εἰ μὴ σύγχυσιν ἐργάσοιο, ἀλλὰ χωρίσειας C ταῦτα ἀπ᾿ ἀλλήλων, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν δοκιμάσειας ἑκάτερον, τὴν τε προαίρεσιν καὶ τὸ πέρας, καὶ μήτε τὸν ἀδίκως νενικηκότα ἐπαινέσειας, μήτε τὸν ἀδι κηθέντα ἐκ τῆς ἥττης ψέξειας, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὴν εὐν ημερίαν ἀρετὴν, μηδὲ τὴν δυσπραγίαν κακίαν ὀρί σαιο. Εἰ μὲν γὰράναγκαίως ἐπείγετο τὸ τρόπαιον (35), ὁ τολμῶν μὲν, μὴ κατορθῶν δὲ, ἐδέχετο ἂν αἰτίαν. Εἰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν εὔροις ἂν γνώμῃ ἀρίστῃ χρώμενον, τέλει δὲ οὐ χρηστῷ, μὴ καταμέμφου τοῦτον, ᾧ συνάχθε- σθαι δίκαιον. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς σὲ μεἴρηται, τὸν πλέον τῶν ὀρωμένων εἰδότα μηδέν (36). Ἡμεῖς γὰρ οἱ τοῖς τῆς πίστεως ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν μέλλοντα ἀκριβῶς καθορῶντες βίον, τῶν μὲν πολέμων καὶ τῶν τρο παίων καὶ τῶν ἀναῤῥήσεων τῶν ἡμετέρων, ὅτε τῷ παρόντι συγκαταλυομένων βίῳ, εἰκότως καταφρο D νοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ πολεμοῦμεν τὸν πόλεμον, τὸν κατὰ τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων καὶ τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς παθῶν συγκροτούμενον, καὶ τὸν τούτων ἀκοιμήτῳ τέχνη κρατοῦντα, τροπαιοῦχον εἶναί φαμεν, κἂν ἀκλεῶς δοκοίη τόνδε ἐξεληλυθέναι τὸν βίον. Ἡ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ---CONTINUES--- ΛΑ΄. – ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. ᾿Αντίθεσις ἀξιάκουστος πρὸς "Ελληνα, περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος. Β Οἶδά ποτε διαλεγόμενον πρός με δεινὸν "Ελληνα, καὶ παρὰ πολλοῖς ἐπὶ δυνάμει λόγων μεγίστην δόξαν ἔχοντα, ἐν βραχέσιν ἐπιστομίσας. Προσφέροντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάθη, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, καὶ πλατὺν καταχέοντος γέλωτα, ἀπεκρίθην ἐγὼ αὐτῷ πράως· • Πόθεν γὰρ ἔχεις δεῖξαι ότι ἐσταυρώθη;» Πάντων δὲ τῶν ἀκροωμένων καταπλαγέντων, καὶ ἐννοούντων, τί ἄρα κατασκευάσαι βουλόμενος τοῦτο ἔφην, ἀπ- εκρίνατο ἐκεῖνος, ὡς δὴ τὴν νίκην ἀπονητὶ (19) ἀναι- ρησόμενος· «Ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται. » Ὦ εὐθὺς ἀντεπῆγον· « Οὐκοῦν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι καὶ ἀνέστη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀνῆλθε, γέγραπται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν πιστεύεις τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο λέγουσι πίστευσον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀτοπώτατον ποιεῖς, τὸ μὲν ἐγκρίνων, τὸ δὲ εἰσβάλλων (20). Μὴ γὰρ δὴ περὶ τὰς ὕβρεις ἀναπεπετασμένας καὶ ὀξυ- τάτας ἔχετε τὰς ἀκοὰς, περὶ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ θεῖα πεφραγμένας; Καὶ μάλιστα ἐπειδὴ οἱ λεγόμενοί σου θεοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἡττήθησαν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐσταυρώθη, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. Εἰ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ παραγράφῃ, μηδὲ τὰ ἐπονείδιστα πρόφερε. Θάτερον γὰρ θάτερου ἤρτηται, καὶ διαζευ- χθῆναι οὐκ ἀνέχεται. » Τούτων τοιγαροῦν εἰρημένων, τοσοῦτος ἐξερράγη κρότος, ὡς κἀμὲ κἀκεῖνον ἐρυ θριᾶσαι · ἐμὲ μὲν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν ὁ ἔπαινος ἦν· ἐκεῖνον δὲ, ὅτι ταῖς οἰκείαις συνεδέθη φωναῖς. Ταῦτα μηνύσας, ἀποκεκρίσθαι οἶμαι σαφῶς πρὸς τὰ παρὰ τῆς σῆς συνέσεως ἀποσταλέντα. ΛΑ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Δέον ὡς δεῖ εἰδέναι τοὺς τοῖς σαρκικοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποκειμένους, καὶ τίνες εὑρίσκονται οἱ τοῦτον παρεῖναι προθυμούμενοι. Ἐπὶ τούτῳ γὰρ μάλιστα ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ ὁ σωφρονῶν ἔοικε εἶναι, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ θεοφορουμένοις τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιχειροῦν. Εἰς τὸ, «Ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς.» Τὸ, «Ἐν αὐτῷ· κατοικεῖ (51) πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα Β τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς, » αὐτὸς μὲν ἔφης μὴ νοεῖν· ἐγὼ δ' οἶμαι εἰρῆσθαι ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐσιωδῶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐνέργεια θεότητος, ἣν ἐνουσία τίκτει, τὸν ναὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐκυβέρνα τὸν ἄχραντον, ἀλλ᾽ οὐσία μυρίας ἐνεργείας ἔχουσα· οὐ μερικὸν ἔχουσα χάρισμα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ πηγὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Αὐτὸς, φησὶν, ὁ τῷ Πατρὶ συμ βασιλεύων (32), καὶ τὰς τῶν ὑπερκοσμίων ἠνίας κατέχων, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια οἰακίζων, ἐνηνθρώπησε, καὶ στρατηγικοῖς ὅπλοις ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως ἔστη, ἵνα κἀκεῖνα κοσμήσῃ, καὶ νίκην τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει κατορθώσῃ, καὶ τοὺς ἀλιτηρίους τροπώσηται δαίμονας, καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν αὐτῶν μέγα φυσῶντα καταλύσῃ, καὶ μυρίων χαρισμάτων τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐμπλήσῃ. Ὁ βασιλεὺς, φησὶν, ἐστρατήγησεν, οὐχ ὁ στρατηγὸς βασιλικῷ ἀξιώματι ἐκεκόσμητο· ὁ βασι-C λεὺς τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ ἔκρυψεν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐν τῇ παρατάξει, οὐ στρατιώτης βασιλέως ἀξίωμα (33) ἑαυτῷ ἐπεφήμιζε. Βασιλεὺς ἦν νομοθετῶν, οὐ στρα-τιώτης νομοθετεῖν ἐπιχειρῶν· τὸ γὰρ, « Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, » βασιλέως. Τὸ γὰρ, « Θέλω, καθαρί σθητι, » αὐτοκράτορος· τὸ, « Γενηθήτω σοι ὡς θέ λεις, αὐτοτελῆ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντος· τὸ, « Σιώπα, πεφίμωσο, » δεσπότου· καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ πάντα καταλέγων μηκύνω τὸν λόγον (34). Εἰ δὲ τὸ πάθος σε ταράττει, τὸ κατὰ Θεοῦ μὲν τολμηθέν, σαρκὸς δὲ ἁψάμενον (35)· ἄκους τοῦ κορυφαίου τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγοντος • « Χριστοῦ οὖν παθόντος σαρκί. » ΛΑ΄. – ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Πολλοὶ μὲν φασιν, ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς βιῶν, ἀλλὰ περι στέλλειν βουλόμενος τὰ ἑαυτοῦ πταίσματα, τὴν τοῦ φιλομαθὴς εἶναι δόξαν θηρώμενος, ἀκολουθεῖς τοῖς σοφοῖς· ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ φήσαιμι, ἀλλὰ τῇ πείρᾳ μαθὼν, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τὸ εἰδέναι τὰ τῆς Γραφῆς ἄδυτα ἐρευνᾷν προσποιῇ, ἀλλὰ δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων μνώμενος· οὐκ ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι, θείῳ πειθόμενος χρησμῷ παρακελευομένῳ μὴ διδόναι τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ ῥίπτειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. ``` ΡΜΗ΄. – ΠΑΥΛΩ Τοὺς κατ' ἀλήθειαν φιλοσοφοῦντας καλλωπίζει μᾶλλον ἡ ταπείνωσις.