Letter 473: The damage done by idle talk, Ammonios, is rarely dramatic.
To Ammonios. Since excessive friendship seems not to be free from suspicion, let it be tempered with the fear of God, so that both may flourish within us: both the fear of God and the longing for friends — the one banishing wicked suspicions, the other producing love, the mother of all good things. For when we hold our love mingled with the fear of God, all good things blossom within us.
To Theodoros the Scholastic. That faith without works does not save a person. Not the one who wards off truth by cleverness and power of speech, O wise man, is worthy of praise; but the one who honestly lives according to philosophy. For this reason, I myself will also speak plainly what you wish to learn. The contests have been made easy through the divine visitation, so that we might conquer by striving, not so that we might abuse the greatness of grace as an occasion for laziness.
To Serinos. On arrogance. Let not the fact that you have prevailed over the enemy train you for arrogance. For many who were driven mad by boasting, as though they had set up trophies for all time, and prided themselves on these achievements, and thought they would never be diminished nor expected ever to be captured — for them, their seeming success clearly turned to the worse.
To the same Serinos. The initial successes of many have become the cause of countless evils. For having set up one or two trophies beyond their worth, since their boldness had led them to hope, they were puffed up by their unexpected good fortune, and casting themselves into greater undertakings, they came into the utmost danger even regarding their earlier achievements. Therefore one must deliberate more humanely, and when succeeding, look toward compassion and reckon with the swift reversals of fortune, and not think or speak beyond measure; and when failing, learn the lesson of human weakness, and not demand that affairs stand fixed and immortal as though belonging to God.
To Paul. Let not those things that are barely captured even after infinite sweats and labors — let no one think them easily captured. Rather, from labors and prayers and exercises, and from the study of Holy Scripture, and from the watchfulness of our elders, take your way to maturity.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Ἐπειδὴ οὖχ ἔδω ὑποψίας εἶναι δοχεῖ ἧ ἄγαν φιλία, ΟἿ, --- ΑΜΜΟΝΙῸὺ. Θυοπίαπι πίπ! δπιοϊεἶδ Ξυξρίοἷοπθ σἄγορ τηΐ- πιρνάσθω τῷ θείῳ φόδῳ, ἵν᾽ ἀμφότερα βρύῃ ἐν ἡμῖν, ἢ) Ὠΐπι6 ν᾽ δῖαν, ἀΐνηο ἀνεῖὰ Θπυρογείυγ : ἂἱ Βέγττα.- Φ« χαὶ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόθος, χαὶ ὁ τῶν φίλων πόθος " ὁ μὲν τὰς πονηρὰς ὑποψίας ἐξοστραχίζων" ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀγά- πῆν, τὴν πάντων νῶν ἀγαθῶν μητέρα τέχτων. Ὅταν Ἱὰρ κεχραμένον φόδῳ Θεοῦ τὸν πόθον ἔχωμεν, πάντ᾽ ἐν ἡμῖν βλαστάνει τὰ ἀγαθά. ΡΓν.--- ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΊΚΩ. Ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων οὐ σώξϑει τὸν ἄγθρωπον. Οὐγ ὁ δεινότητι καὶ δυνάμει λόγων, ὦ σοφξ, τἀλη- αυὸ ἱπ ποὺΐδ αυυηάει, πέπιρα εἰ Ὀεῖ τηει , Οἱ ΔΙ ΟΌΓΙΙΗΊ ΔΠΠῸΓ : [ ππρτοθλ5 ϑυϑρίοἰον . 6Ρ- τΐη4η8, ᾿ς οἰ γἤδίοη δὺ Ὀδηδνο δι δι νομογυῃ ὉΒΊΠἰυΠΊ ΠηΔΓ6 ΠῚ ρᾶγίθηβ. Νδπι οὐπὶ οὶ πιδῖι] [6Π] - ΡῬεγατνη δἰ ροτηι ) Δ ΠΟΓΘΉ Δ ΟΕΙΠΌ5, ὉΠΊη9 Ὀοπογυιὴ ξθηυσ ἴῃ πονὶϑ ρα! Αἱ. ΕΠ]. ---- ΤΙΕΟΡΟΒΟ ΒΟΙΟΙΑΘΤΊΟΟ. Ομοά βάεε εἶπο ορογὶθι8 πο βαίναι πυπιΐπεπι. Νοὴ 4πὶι Υἱ οορίαηιια ἀΐσαπαϊ σαγὰπὶ ργορυΐϊϑαῖ, , ΥΔΠΙἙ ἹΕΘΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΩ. β6) ΡιῸ συμθαλεῖται ἀυο οοὐὰ. γαιϊς, οἱ Ἀ11. ἰαθεηὶ συμδάλλεται. .. Ρ6η. ΡΓῸ σοφίας ἐο. ΑἸ!. ᾿Ιοα᾽Σ φιλοσοφίας. Ροδδηπ. () (οὐ. γαειὶς. οι ΑἸι. Ἰορυηῖ ἐστέρητα: ἢν. . ΙΘΙΌΟΒΙ ΡΕΙῸΌΘΙΟΤΑ ὁ δορίδηϑ, Δ δ πὶ) ΠΙΔΡΘΙῸΡ : ε6ὦ αυΐ ρῃ γα ρίδῃϑαιβ Α θὲς διαχρουόμενος, ἐπαίνων ἄξιος " ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἀτεχνὼς ἐΠπε οἰοφιίαν. Εδηια ἀ6 οαυβ8, 'ρ56 ΄συοῆυθ, υοῦ δείγα δύ68, ραγβρίοευθ ἀΐσλπι. Εδο ἶὰ οἱ ργϑηᾶ ῥῈΓ εἀἰνίπυπη φανοηΐι σογιδιη πα γι ἶ14 δα, υἱ ρι!- ξηληι68 νἱοϊογίδιῃ . ΠΏ, ΠΟῚ διιίθπι υἱ ξ.Γ8- εἰ π)λαηϊυὐΐπα ἀἀ ἐφηανία οσσαβίοηθη αὐυυϊδιη0Γ. δε αντοργαμῖϊα. Νὰ ἢΠυά δὰ δγτορδηιδη δρυ , φηοά ᾿οβίοιη δ: ΡΟ Γ2Γ8. (Οπιρ! υγίθυ. οεΐπι ργῷ ἰοἰδηιΔ (ἀγοη!ιΐ- "υ8, υὧυὐ 4φυΐ ρ6Ρ θπιη6 Υἱῷ -ἰΘρυβ ἰΓορφᾶ διϑίι - δ6ηϊ, ποιηΐπα φἰοτίδη ., πος υη4υ8π ἰη[- ΤίοΟΓΟ8 [Ὁ δ4υ6 ὀχριρηδίυπ), ἱγὶ Ἔχϑροοίδηι ) . , [εἰϊοὶια ᾳυς νυἱάδθαίαν, ρογϑρίουθ ἴῃ Ρ6] ἐθ58 . ΟΥ̓. -- ΕἸΡΕΜ. Μυϊιῖὶδ βδουηδῇ δβυςδοδϑυβ, αιΐθυς ρείπηιπι υἱ υδγαηὶ, ἰηβηϊ ογυπι πηδίοτυπι οδυϑαπὶ δἰἰυ]οΓηί. Ναὶ οὐ ἀπυπὶ δ0ὶ δίιογυπι π0 πιοείιο (γῸ- ρΡϑυπι δγοχ , ργορίογδα αυο δοτὺπὶ ἰοπ] Γ[ οὐ, 406η] δρόγΓαῦδπι δυθηΐϊυπι ἰαὈθυΐδδοὶ, ἰπορὶ- δῖα [εἰϊοϊιαι6 ].1ἷ, δίφυς ἰῃ Ὠ)]0Γ68 δ0ι0η68 ῬΓΟΪ οἰοπί68, ἀθ διιρουίογ φυοηαυὸ Γουυϑ ρΓα"- οἴαγα ζθ81 ἢ ὀχιγθιηυ ρογουϊυπὶ νοπογυηῖ. () υ8- Ῥγορίον πο ἷβ (εἰ θη ἀὰπ ὁδὶ, υἱ Ὠυϊηδηΐυδ ὁ0η8ι - ἰθπ ι18, :, αὐ) αυΐϊὰ ργϑείαγο δίᾳφυς ὁχ δϑηίθη- ιἷὰ ᾳογίπγυβ, πιϊδογὶ οογ δι πο] ) Οοι] ρΓορο- "ϑιη0υ., π66 ργῶίον πιοίυπι δοπιϊδηιυ8 ἃς ἰοαᾳυδηλυν : αὐτὸ φράζων. Διὸ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς σαφῶς ὃ βούλει μα- θεῖν, λέξω. Εὔχολα γέγονεν ἐχ τῆς θείας ἐπιφοιτή- σεως τὰ παλαίσματα, ἵνα νιχήτωμεν ἀγωνιζόμενοι, οὐχ ἵνα τῷ μεγέθει τῆς χάριτος πρὸς ῥᾳθυμίας ὑπό- θεσιν ἀποχρησώμεθα. ῬΔ', -- ΣΕΡΙΝΏΩ. Περὶ ἀ.λαζονδβίας. Μὴ τὸ ἐχθροῦ χεχρατηχέναι, εἷς ἀλαζονείαν σε παιδοτριδείτω. Πολλοῖς γὰρ ὑπὸ μεγαλαυχίας μεμη- νόσι, ὡς ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον τρόπαια στήσασι, καὶ φιλοτιμουμένοις ἐπὶ τούτοις, χαὶ μὴ νομίζουσιν , ἔλαττον ἕξειν, μηδὲ ἀλώσεσθαί ποτε προσδοχήσασιν, ἡ δοχοῦσα εὐπραγία εἰς τὸ χεῖρον περιφανως .προ- Β ἐχώρησε. ΡΕ'. -- ΤῺ ΑΥ̓́ΤΩ. Πολλοῖς αἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπιτυχίαι κακῶν ἀμυθήτων γεγόνασι πρόξενοι. Ἕν γάρ που ἣ δεύτερον παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν στήσαντες τρόπαιον, ἅτε χωρησάσης αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐλπίδα τῆς τόλμης, ἐπαρθέντες τῇ ἀδοχήτῳ () εὖ- πραγίᾳ, καὶ εἰς μείζους ἑαυτοὺς ῥίψαντες πράξεις, ἐχινδύνευσαν ἐσχάτως χαὶ περὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆῇς χατο ορθωμάτων. Διὸ χρὴ ἀνθρωπινότερον βουλεύεσθαι, χαὶ χατορθοῦντες μὲν εἰς οἶχτον βλέπειν, χαὶ τὰς ὀξυῤῥόπους ἐχλογίζεσθαι μεταδολὰς, χαὶ μὴ πέρα «οὔ μέτρου φρονεῖν τε καὶ φράζειν " διαμαρτάνοντας δὲ παιδεύεσθαι τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν, χαὶ μὴ ὡς Θεῷ πεπηγέναι τὰ πράγματα ἀθάνατα ἀξιοῦν. οὐ δυΐοπι οἴδποϊο Δῦδγγδηνυβ, δυπδιδηὶ ἰΏ . ΠπῚΔ οι) οογγ ψϑιηυδ, ἰΠΠυὰ ροϑιιθυβ υἱ Γαδ ὨοδῖΓα δὃοἷ ἰπϑῖαν ἱπηιοτία ἢχϑδ . -. ΑΥ̓Ι. --- ΡΑΌΓΠ0Ο. Να 6ἃ, 4υδ νυἱχ, ἀίφυδ οἰ ἱπή! ηἶ δυάογίδυ8 ἃ6 ον δι ἶνι8 οαρίυπιυγ, ( ουγϑὶ) οδϑρίυτυπι δχὶ- δἰΐπιᾶ : γογυπὶ ἃ ἰυογῖθυβ οἱ ργδοῖθυδ ὀχογϑιιβ, οἱ δυουραπάου δογίρίυΓᾶΒ ΒΔΟΓ 86ηδι5, : δηΐ10- τυπὶ ποβίγογιν βοϊογι δαὶ δὰ πιδὐυγοίη οαἰοτγἰ(δίοιη ὀχδουμη!, ἴ6 οΟηΐογ. ΟΥἹΙ. --- ΕὔΤΟΝΙΟ
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To Pentadius the Augustalis [the governor of Egypt].
The spiritual life is a journey with a beginning, a middle, and an end.