Letter 450: Your letter reached me, and I read it with care.

To Eutonios the Deacon, concerning the title affixed to the cross of the Master: The inscription on the tablet that Pilate set before the Lord's head fulfilled the Lord's own words: "When I am lifted up, I will draw all to myself." The reading from that place therefore made plain that the saving passion had taken place not for Judea alone, but for every Greek and barbarian as well. To Heron the Presbyter, on why there was inscribed upon the altar "To an Unknown God": Two causes are given for the inscription at Athens upon the altar, "To an Unknown God." Some say that the Athenians sent Pheidippides as a day-runner to the Spartans seeking an alliance when the Persians invaded Greece. On Mount Parthenion an apparition of Pan met him, and it reproached the Athenians for neglecting him while worshipping other gods, but promised to help them. Having won the victory, they built an altar and inscribed it "To an Unknown God." Others say that a plague struck Athens and so inflamed them that they could not endure even the finest linen garments. Though they worshipped their supposed gods, they gained nothing. Reasoning, then, that perhaps there was some god whom they had left unhonored -- the one who had sent the plague -- they built a temple and altar, inscribed "To an Unknown God," and offered sacrifice, whereupon they were immediately healed. Paul seized upon this from their own beliefs and mastered the Athenians, who prided themselves greatly on their wisdom. Just as the life of the accused, being reputable and distinguished, has a way of rendering certain charges incredible, so too the character of those being praised, being coarse and base, has a way of rendering certain encomiums incredible. For even though many people -- those who wish to do nothing worthy of account -- delight in accusations yet bristle at praises (since they suppose the former are spoken even against themselves, while they never expect to enjoy the latter), nevertheless those who are crowned with virtue acquit the best men of charges they do not recognize even before any trial, while they judge the base to be unworthy of praise if praised to flatter them, casting their votes not from what is said but from what is done. Therefore let neither the best be distressed when slandered -- for the words do not touch them -- nor the worst exult when praised, for the praises do not belong to them.

ΥΖΑ΄. – ΕΥΤΟΝΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Περὶ τοῦ ἐπιτεθέντος τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Δεσπότου τίτλου. Ἡ τῆς σανίδος (76) γραφή, ἣν Μιλᾶτος πρὸ τῆς Κυριακῆς ἔπηξε κεφαλῆς, τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπλήρου φωνὴν, « Ἐπειδὰν ὑψωθῶ, λέγοντος, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.» Ἐδήλου τοίνυν ἡ ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάγνωσις, οὐχ ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίας μόνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ · πάσης Ἕλληνος καὶ βαρβάρου γεγενῆσθαι τὸ σωτήριον πάθος. ΣΘ. – ΗΡΩΝΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ (18). Διὰ τί ἐν τῷ βωμῷ ἐπεγέγραπτο, « ᾿Αγνώστῳ Θεῷ. » Δύο φασὶν αἰτίας εἶναι, τοῦ (19) ἐπιγεγράφθαι ᾿Αθήνῃσι τῷ βωμῷ· « ᾿Αγνώστῳ θεῷ. » Οἱ μὲν γάρ φασιν, ὡς Φιλιππίδην ἔπεμψαν ᾿Αθηναῖοι ἡμερο- δρόμον πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους περὶ συμμαχίας, ἡνίκα Πέρσαι ἐπεστράτευσαν τῇ Ἑλλάδι · διὸ κατὰ τὸ Παρ- θένειον ὄρος Πανὸς φάσμα ἐντυχὸν, ᾐτιᾶτο μὲν ᾿Αθη- ναίους ὡς ἀμελοῦντας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄλλους θεοὺς θερα- πεύοντας, βοηθεῖν δὲ ἐπηγγέλλετο.] (20) Νικήσαντες οὖν, βωμὸν ᾠκοδόμησαν, καὶ ἐπέγραψαν · « ᾿Αγνώ- στῷ Θεῷ· · Ἄλλοι δὲ φασιν, ὅτι λοιμὸς κατέσκη- ψεν (21) ᾿Αθήναζε, καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον αὐτοὺς ἐξέκαυ- σεν, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν λεπτοτάτων σινδόνων ἀνέχεσθαι, Τοὺς νομιζομένους οὖν θεοὺς ἑαυτῶν θεραπεύοντες, οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο. Ἐννοήσαντες οὖν, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἴσως θεός τις, ἂν αὐτοὶ κατέλιπον ἀγέραστον, ὁ τὸν λοιμὸν κατα- πέμψας, ναὸν δειμάμενοι καὶ βωμὸν, ἐπιγράψαντες, « ᾿Αγνώστῳ Θεῷ, » καὶ θύσαντες, εὐθέως ἐθερα- πεύθησαν. Ταῦτα λαβὼν ὁ Παῦλος ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων δογμάτων, τοὺς μέγα ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ φρονοῦντας ᾿Αθη- ναίους εχειρώσατο. νέα νοσώς Ὥσπερ ἔνια τῶν ἐγκλημάτων εἴωθεν ἅπιστα ποιεῖν ὁ τῶν κρινομένων βίος, εὐδόκιμος ὢν καὶ λαμπρὸς · οὕτως ἔνια τῶν ἐγκωμίων πέφυκεν ἅπιστα ποιεῖν ὁ τῶν ἐγκωμιαζομένων τρόπος, σκαιὸς ὢν καὶ φαῦλος. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τῶν μηδὲν λόγου ἄξιον ποιεῖν ἐθελόντων, χαίρουσι μὲν ταῖς διαβολαῖς, δυσχεραίνουσι δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις (τὰς μὲν γὰρ καὶ καθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἡγοῦνται λέγεσθαι, τῶν δὲ οὐδέποτε ἀπολαῦσαι προσδοκῶσιν)· ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε οἱ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐστεμμένοι, τοὺς μὲν ἀρίστους ἐφ᾽ οἷς οὐ συνίασι, διαβαλλομένους, καὶ πρὸ διαγνώσεως ἀπαλλάττουσι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων. Τοὺς δὲ φαύλους, εἰ πρὸς χάριν ἐγκωμιασθεῖεν, ἀναξίους εἶναι τῶν ἐπαίνων νομίζουσιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν λεγομένων, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τῶν πραττομένων τὰς ψήφους φέροντες. Οὐκοῦν μήτε οἱ ἄριστοι διαβαλλόμενοι δυσχεραινέτωσαν, (οὐδὲν γὰρ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὰ λεγόμενα), μήθ' οἱ κάκιστοι ἐγκωμιαζόμενοι ἀγαλλέσθωσαν. ᾿Αλλότρια γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐστι τὰ ἐγκώμια. Ρ. 450.- Lis. II, EP. 236. Catenæ auctor incipit in hunc modum : Μηδὲ λό γου μεταδοὺς, όπερ, κ. τ. λ. Omisit igitur lineas 30.