Letter 35: If you are trying to gain the kingdom of Christ — may persistence unworn away crown this –, and the prize of...

To Makarios the Bishop. Each person who has suffered misfortune is worthy of mercy and pity when he laments his own calamities. But if he turns to slandering and harassing others, he loses, as you know, the compassion due to his misfortune; for he is no longer judged worthy of pity but of hatred, abusing his misfortune for meddlesomeness. Since therefore one must cut out the seeds of meddlesomeness at their beginning, before they take root and become irresistible and bring danger to the very one who started them — for the one being slandered is celebrated by all for his nobility of character — deign to summon the man who is intoxicated by his misfortune and persuade him to leave the celebrated man alone. To Aristarchos. Those who seem to be better in small things ought to prove themselves in greater ones as well. To Paul. What it means that the prophet Zechariah saw sin seated upon a measure of lead. Since you asked: For what reason did Zechariah see sin seated upon a measure of lead? I say that the lead indicates the weight of sin. For nothing is more burdensome or more oppressive than sin, which hurls those it captures down to the very bottom of Hades. And the measure indicates the end of God's long-suffering toward sinners and the beginning of punishment. For they will not be permitted to sin without measure or forever; but very soon they will be exacted the most bitter penalties. To Neilos the Deacon. Truth adorns all arts and sciences; but if truth be absent, they have no beauty of propriety. For the philosophy of the Greeks, which professes to seek truth, has fallen away from it. Rhetoric cares only for cleverness and elegance. Grammar boasts of teaching expertise in words. If these, then, are adorned with truth, they ought to be desirable to the prudent. But if they arm themselves against truth, they justly deserve to be dishonored. To Neidos. Since the height of humility is great, and the fall of arrogance precipitous, I counsel you to embrace the former and not to fall into the latter. On the image of God. That man is made in the image of God with respect to sovereignty, not essence. Since it is written, "You saw no likeness on the day the Lord spoke to you," we must be careful. Man is an image of sovereignty and kingship, not of essence; and if he conducts himself well, of virtue also. For even if we define the rational soul as immortal, it is not of the same essence as that most divine and unoriginate nature, but is as distant from it as is fitting for a creature from its Creator. For if the soul is made in the image, so clearly is the woman's soul. Why then did Paul say, "A man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man"? For since the woman's soul is immortal and incorruptible, just as the man's, why did Paul express this with a certain distinction? If they should counter this by arming Moses against Paul with the text, "Let us make man in our image and likeness," it would be possible to say that the statement is singular and does not refer to both — but we shall not say this. And if they should advance the continuation, "and let them rule," the statement will be on our side. For the "in the image" is clearly characterized by the attribute of sovereignty. But if they should ask, "How then did Paul declare the man to be a divine image, but the woman the image of the man?" we shall say that from the beginning the woman was equal in honor and was deemed worthy of the same sovereignty; but since she stumbled, she was diminished, her sovereignty was curtailed, and she came under the man. "You could not bear equality," he says; "accept the diminishment. Your turning shall be toward your husband, and he shall rule over you." So the creation account reveals the woman's sovereignty before her sin; while the apostolic word reveals her subordination after the transgression.

If you are trying to gain the kingdom of Christ — may persistence unworn away crown this –, and the prize of immortality that God gives to those who administer it honestly, blend authority with mildness and lighten yourself of the weight of wealth by the necessary dispersion of it, for a king is not saved through ample power, nor does he escape the impiety of idolatry by keeping for himself abundant wealth.

ΛΕ΄. – ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ Τῶν δυσπραγέντων (16) ἕκαστος, ἐλέους ἐστὶ καὶ οἴκτου ἄξιος, κατοδυρόμενος τὰς ἑαυτοῦ συμφοράς. Ἐὰν δὲ πρὸς τὸ συκοφαντεῖν ἑτέρους καὶ ἐπηρεάζειν τρέπηται, καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ ταῖς δυσπραγίαις Ελεον, ὡς οἶσθα, ἀπόλλυσιν· οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ οἴκτου, μίσους δ' ἄξιος [εἶναι] κρίνεται, εἰς φιλοπραγμοσύνην τῇ συμφορᾷ καταχρώμενος. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν χρὴ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς φιλοπραγμοσύνης ἀρχόμενα ἐκκόπτειν πρὶν ἐναφυῆναι, καὶ ἀκάθεκτα γενέσθαι, καὶ κίνδυνον τον κεῖν αὐτῷ τῷ καταρξαμένῳ (ὁ γὰρ συκοφαντούμενος παρὰ πάντων ἐπὶ καλοκαγαθίᾳ ᾄδεται)· καταξίωσιν μεταπέμψασθαι τὸν ὑπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς μεθύοντα, καὶ πεῖσαι ἀποσχέσθαι ἀοιδίμου ἀνδρός. Β΄. ΑΡΙΣΤΑΡΧΩ. Ἔδει τοὺς δοκοῦντας ἐν ὀλιγοις εἶναι βελτίονας ΑΓ. – ΠΑΥΛΟ. Τι σημαίνει τὸ, ἐπὶ μέτρου μολύβδου τὸν προφή- την Ζαχαρίαν καθιεμένην ἰδεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐπειδὴ ἔφης· Δι᾿ ἣν αἴτιαν ἐπὶ μέτρου μολύβδου καθεδουμένην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἑώρακεν ὁ Ζαχαρίας; φημὶ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν μόλυβδος δηλοῖ τὸ βάρος τῆς ἁμαρ- τίας. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐπαχθέστερον οὐδὲ φορτικώτερον τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τῆς εἰς τὸν πυθμένα τοῦ ᾅδου κατ- ακοντιζούσης τοὺς ἁλόντας. Τὸ δὲ μέτρον, τὸ τέλος μηνύει τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτήσαντας μακροθυμίας, καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας τὴν ἀρχὴν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀμέτρως, οὐδ᾽ ἀεὶ ἁμαρτάνειν συγχωρηθήσονται· ἀλλ' ὅσον οὐδέπω πικροτάτας εἰσπραχθήσονται δίκας. ΣΕ. – ΝΕΙΛΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΟ. Ἡ ἀλήθεια πάσας τὰς τέχνας καὶ τὰς ἐπιστή- μας κοσμεῖ · εἰ δ᾽ αὐτὴ ἀπείη, οὐδεμίαν έχουσι κο- σμιότητος ὥραν. Φιλοσοφία μὲν γὰρ ἡ παρ' Ἕλλησι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπαγγελλομένη ζητεῖν, ταύτης ἐκπέ- πτωκε. Ῥητορικὴ δὲ δεινότητος καὶ ἁβρότητος μόνον φροντίζει. Γραμματικὴ δὲ τὴν τῶν λόγων ἐμπειρίαν διδάσκειν αὐχεῖ. Εἰ μὲν οὖν αὗται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καλλω- πίζονται, ποθειναὶ ὀφείλουσιν εἶναι τοῖς ἐχέφροσιν. Εἰ δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτῆς ὁπλίζοιντο, ἀτιμάζεσθαί εἰσι δί- καιαι. ΣΟ – ΝΕΙΔΩ. Ἐπεὶ (55) μέγα τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ ὕψος, καὶ τῆς ἀλαζονείας τὸ πτῶμα, συμβουλεύω σοι ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἀσπάσασθαι, τούτῳ δὲ μὴ περιπεσεῖν. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΑΡΟΥΜ ΛΙΒ. ΙΙΙ. - ΕΠΙΣΤ. XCV. δρα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν· ὅτι οὐκ ἴδετε πᾶν ὁμοίωμα ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἢ ἐλάλησε πρὸς ὑμᾶς; » Πλὴν οὐδ' ἐκεῖνοι τὸ ἀκριβὲς, ὡς γε ἡγοῦμαι, δογματίζουσιν. Ἀρχῆς γὰρ καὶ βασιλείας ἐστὶν εἰκὼν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ οὐσίας· εἰ δὲ εὖ πράξοι, καὶ ἀρετῆς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀθάνατον ὀριζόμεθα εἶναι τὴν νοεράν ψυχήν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῆς θειοτάτης ἐκείνης καὶ ἀνάρχου φύσεως ὁμοούσιον, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχουσαν, ὅσον εἰκὸς κτίσμα τοῦ Κτίσαντος. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ψυχὴ κατ' εἰκόνα, δηλονότι καὶ ἡ τῆς γυναικός. Τι οὖν δήποτε εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος· « ᾿Ανὴρ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτε-σθαι τὴν κεφαλὴν, εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ δόξα ἀνδρὸς ἐστι ; » Τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς τῆς γυναικὸς ἀθανάτου, καὶ ἀφθάρτου οὔσης, ὥσπερ καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τί δήποτε μετὰ διορισμοῦ τινος τοῦτ᾽ ἔφρασεν ὁ Παῦλος; Εἰ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ἀνθυπενέγ-κοιεν, ἀνθοπλίζοντες τὸν Μωσέα τῷ Παύλῳ, τό· « Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον καθ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν, καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, ο μάλιστα μὲν δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἑνικόν ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον, καὶ οὐ περὶ ἀμφοτέρων εἴρηται, πλὴν οὐ λέξομεν. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἑξῆς προαγάγοιεν τὸ καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν, πρὸς ἡμῶν ἔσται τὸ εἰρη-μένον. Δείκνυται γὰρ λαμπρῶς τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, ἐν τῷ ἀρχικῷ χαρακτηριζόμενον. Εἰ δ' εἴποιεν· Πῶς οὖν ὁ Παῦλος, τὸν μὲν, εἰκόνα θείαν, τὴν δὲ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀπεφήνατο; φήσομεν, ὅτι ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν ὁμότιμος ἦν ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἠξιοῦτο ἀρχῆς· ἐπειδὴ δ' ἔπταισεν, ἠλαττώθη, καὶ ἠκρωτηριάσθη αὐτῆς ἡ ἀρχὴ, καὶ ὑπὸ τὸν ἄνδρα γεγένηται. «Οὐκ ἤνεγκας, φησὶ, τὴν ἰσοτιμίαν, δέχου τὴν ἐλάττωσιν. Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύ-σει.» Ὥστε ἡ μὲν κοσμοποιία τὴν πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῆς γυναικὸς δηλοῖ ἀρχὴν· τὸ δ᾽ ἀποστολικὸν λόγιον, τὴν μετὰ τὸ πταῖσμα ὑποταγήν. Ὅτι δὲ τῷ κεχειρο-τονῆσθαι πάντων των ἐπιγείων ἄρχοντα τὸν ἄνθρω-πον, τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα σώζεται· ἄκουσον τοῦ Μελῳδοῦ τὰς θείας δέλτους, καὶ τὰς βασιλικὰς συλλαβάς ἑρμηνεύοντος, καὶ φράζοντος· « Δόξη παὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφά-νωσας αὐτὸν, καὶ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου. » Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ θεῖον πάν-των (54), οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς βασι-λεύει. Ἔχει μὲν οὖν τὸ ἀρχικὸν σῶζον τὴν βασιλι-κὴν εἰκόνα. Τὸ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, εἰ μὴ δοκοίη τισὶν ἐκ παραλλήλου λέγεσθαι (55), ὡς τότε Ἐὰν [δὲ] (56) ἐκοιμήθην καὶ ὕπνωσα, » καὶ τό· · Μακάριος ὁ συνιὼν ἐπὶ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα· · οὕτως ἑρμηνευ-τέον, ὅτι τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ ἐνεχείρισεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵν᾿ ἐπιδείξηται τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ σώσῃ τὴν ὁμοιότητας. Ἐδέξω, φησὶ, τὴν τιμὴν, δεῖξον τὴν ἀρετήν· ἵνα τὸ μὲν τῇ δημιουργίᾳ, τὸ δὲ τῇ προαιρέσει τοῦ δημιουργ---CONTINUES--- ΣΛΕ΄. – ΖΩΣΙΜΟ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Ὅτι ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχή. Τὸ νομίζειν σε φθείρεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ σώματος τὴν ψυχὴν, κομιδῇ γελοῖον καὶ ἠλίθιον, καὶ τῷ ὄντι σαρκικοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ βουλομένου μὲν μετὰ τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον μηδὲν εἶναι, βεβαιοῦντος δὲ τὰ παρὰ πάσης ἡλικίας περὶ σοῦ τραγῳδούμενα. Δυσωπῆσαι μὲν οὖν σε ὀφείλουσι, καὶ φιλόσοφοι καὶ ποιηταὶ, καὶ ῥήτορες, καὶ συγγραφεῖς, ὅσοι τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀθα νασίαν ἐδογμάτισαν, ὧν εἰ καὶ ἄπειρος εἶ, ὡς ἀπαῖ- δευτος ὧν ἐν πᾶσιν, ἀλλὰ γε παρὰ τῶν πεπαιδευμέ- νων μαθεῖν δίκαιος ἂν εἴης. Δυσωπήσει δὲ καὶ λογι- σμὸς ἀναντίῤῥητος. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ σώματος ἀεὶ ῥέοντος καὶ φθειρομένου ἐπιλαμβανομένη, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν αὐ- τοῦ καὶ ῥευστὸν ἐπισφίγγουσα, καὶ τὸ πίπτον ἐγεί ρουσα, καὶ παρέχουσα τοῖς μὲν ἀποῤῥέουσι (91) τροφὴν, τοῖς δὲ μαραινομένοις ἀναβλάστησιν, οὐκ ἂν δήπου καθ' ἑαυτὴν γενομένη ἀπολείπῃ τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν, δι' ἧς καὶ τὸ σῶμα συνεῖχε, καὶ διέσωζεν. Εἰ δὲ μήτε τοὺς ἔξωθεν σοφοὺς δυσωπηθείης, μήτε τούτῳ τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ λογισμῷ πεισθείης, ἅτε πολλῇ καὶ συγγνώμης μείζονι κακίᾳ βεβαπτισμένος · χρη σμόν σοι θεῖον ἀναγνωσόμεθα, δι' οὗ διαῤῥήδην ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀθανασία κηρύττεται. Τί [οὖν] οὗτός φησι; • Μὴ φοβηθήτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι. » Μὴ τοί- νυν ἐκ τῆς ὑπερβολῆς ὧν ἔδρασας κακῶν. (Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἅπρακτον, ὡς φασι, κατέλειψας) ἀσεβῆ δόγματα σαυτῷ δογμάτιζε· ἀλλὰ πιστεύων ἀθάνατον εἶναι τὴν ψυχήν· καὶ ὅτι πολλάκις μὲν κἀνταῦθα, πάντως δ' ἐκεῖσε δώσεις δίκην, ὡς οὐ λησόμενος τὴν δίκην, ἀπαλλάγηθι κἂν ὀψέ ποτε, τῆς πονηρίας. ---CONTINUES--- ΛΕ΄. – ΗΡΩΝΙ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΟ. Περὶ ζωοφθορίας, ἧς ὁ νομοθέτης ἐμνήσθη· καὶ εἰς τὸ · · ᾿Απόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, πάντες οἱ έργα- ζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν (22). ὥσπερ ἡ μυθευομένη τῶν ἑτερογενῶν σύνοδος ἀλλόκοτα ἔτικτε σώματα, Μινώταυρόν τινα καὶ κεν- ταύρους· ὧν ὁ μὲν τοὺς ᾿Αττικοὺς ἐθοινᾶτο παΐδας, οἱ δὲ τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἤρπαζον γυναίκας· οὕτως καὶ ἡ τῶν κακίστων ἀνδρῶν συνουσία, ἀλλόκοτα καὶ ἅτοπά ἤθη τίκτει, μικροῦ τὰ τῶν κενταύρων μιμούμενα τολμήματα. Δι' δ καὶ ὁ Μελῳδὸς τούτους ἀπήλαυνεν ὡς πορρωτάτω, λέγων· « ᾿Απόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν. » Οὐ γὰρ μικρὰν ἡ τούτων συνουσία τίκτει βλάβην, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς αὐτὴν βλέπουσαν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἧς οὐδὲν τιμιώτερον. Εἰ μὲν οὖν, ὡς φασί τινες, ἔργα γεγόνασιν οἱ μῦθοι (δι᾿ ὁ καὶ ὁ νομοθέτης τοῦθ᾽, ὅπερ ἠθέλησας (23) μαθεῖν, ἐθέσπισε, τὴν πρὸς ζῶα κωλύων σύνοδον, καὶ θα- νάτῳ τοὺς συνιόντας κολάζων, ὥστε μὴ τερατώδη τίκτεσθαι σώματα, καὶ τραγῳδίας βλαστάνειν), θαυ- μαζέσθω τοῦ νομοθέτου ἡ προμήθεια. Εἰ δὲ, ὡς φασί τινες, καὶ αὐτὸς μᾶλλον πείθομαι, ἡθῶν ποικίλων ἐπιμιξίαν δηλοῦσιν οἱ μῦθοι (οὐδὲν γὰρ, φασὶ, τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς γενομένων ἐπιλεῖψαι ἡνέσχετο), καὶ οὕτως φυλαττέσθωσαν τὴν τῶν πονηρῶν συνουσίαν· ὅτι γὰρ τὰ μέγιστα βλάπτει (24), δηλοῖ μὲν καὶ τὸ· illa indicant (nihil enim, inquiunt, eorum quæ ab sic conservat conditionem). Etiam ob hanc causam maximum detrimentum afferat, indicat hoc quoque : Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί. Δηλοῦσι δὲ καὶ Ἀμνῶν ὁ πρεσβύτατος, καὶ ᾿Αβε- σαλώμ ὁ νεώτατος υἱὸς (25) τοῦ Μελῳδοῦ, αἰσχρῶς ---CONTINUES--- ΛΕ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ καὶ μὴ σφοδρὸς ὁ λόγος περὶ τῶν συντυγχανόντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ ῥᾳδίως διαπίπτει πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἀξιώτερος καὶ σπουδαῖος ἡμῖν ἀεὶ ὡς καὶ προειρημένος διαμένει. Ι΄ – ΣΥΜΜΑΧΟ. Ἐν τοῖς ἐμφυλίοις πολέμοις, εἰ καὶ οἱ νικῶντες τῶν ἡττωμένων εἰσὶν ἀθλιώτεροι· πλέον γὰρ ἐκείνων αἰσχύνονται, ὅσῳπερ ἂν πλείω τι τῶν ἄλλων ἐργά- σωνται· ἀλλ' οὖν γε διαλλαγησόμενος διοίσονται. Ἐν δὲ ἡμῖν ἔνθα ο πόλεμος ἀργαλεώτερός ἐστι τοῦ ἐμφυλίου - σώματος γὰρ ἑνὸς ἐστιν ἅμιλλα,· ὡς οὐ διαλλαγησόμενοι διαφέρονται. ᾿Αλλ' ἐκεῖνος ἐγκαλ- λωπίζεσθαι δοκεῖ ὁ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων δράσας, καὶ ἐρυθριᾷν ὀφείλων. Τοῖς γὰρ δρῶσιν ἢ τοῖς πάσχου- σιν ἡ τιμωρία ἀπόκειται. ΡΝΒ΄. – ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Τὸ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πειθόμενον, ῥᾷστον ἐκφέρει τὸν ἀγῶνα.