Letter 482: Your office is not merely vocal, Theophilos.
A funeral oration for one who lived distinguished in virtue. The blessed Timothy, your brother, has departed from among men, leaving behind on earth everything mortal that he possessed, but walking with his soul through heaven, and dancing together, as I believe, with the divine and supramundane powers. Therefore we too have set aside our grief — although it was very great and had almost overpowered us as we resisted with all our might — reflecting that the end of things here has become for him the beginning of the greatest goods there. For the man did not live his life here in any ordinary fashion; rather he strove courageously and nobly, and was proclaimed by all for his excellent achievements, surpassing every tribute of praise, yet crowned with such commendation as was within their power. For he was truly a sanctuary of temperance, a hearth of prudence, a citadel of courage, a metropolis of justice, a storehouse of philanthropy, a temple of gentleness, and — to sum it up in a word — a treasury of all the virtues. For he acquired each virtue as though another man would have counted it a great thing to acquire even one. Having become a lover of the things above the world, he leaped toward the heavens in his reasoning, busied himself with celestial matters, and neglected earthly things. For having rightly deemed temperance to be the truest pleasure, befitting Christians, he mastered the belly and the passions that follow the belly with tyrannical authority, legislating self-sufficiency for the one and not permitting the others even to stir. From that point his fame was proclaimed everywhere, and his name was on the lips of all, and everyone hoped that if he should obtain an ecclesiastical office, he would send forth the rays of his virtue yet more brightly. But like a good athlete, while the spectators still longed for more, he flew away to the heavenly courts to be crowned, leaving behind here as a burial shroud his glory and memory and the praise of all. Who then, wishing to eulogize such a man, could touch even a small part of what he deserves? Who, wishing to praise him, would not blame himself for falling short of the subject, as having undertaken an impossible task? Who, attempting to describe in words his gentleness, his kindness, and his reverence toward all — but especially toward lovers of virtue — would not reproach himself for finding nothing to say that rivals the truth? For he so captivated his companions that in the bonds of friendship, the first place was accorded to him by all. He was lofty in virtue yet lowly in spirit, gentle in conversation yet keen in thought, lavish in kindnesses yet swift in consolation. And what compels me to speak when I would wish to cease is this: that he loved almsgiving above all else, and hunted for the concealment of his charity — knowing well that this is the truest form of mercy. For those who perform it with display do not seem to me to be charitable, but rather to dramatize the misfortunes of those who receive — and to corrupt the divine work with the most grievous disease. For desiring to be called benefactors and philanthropists, they do not shrink from publicly parading the misfortunes of others. But that illustrious man — for it is not lawful to be silent, and those who speak must be convicted of falling short of what he deserves — not only by giving, but by doing so in secret, refreshed those who found themselves in the furnace of poverty. But why do I labor, attempting to hymn a sea of goodness with a humble speech? Therefore I shall halt my discourse here.
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
Ἐπιτάξιος πρὸς διαφόρῳ ἐν ἀρετῇ ζήσαντα. Ο μαχάριος Τιμόθεος ὁ σὸς ἀδελφὸς, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ὥχετο, πᾶν μὲν ὅσον εἶχε θνητὸν, ἐν γῇ χαταλείψας, Ὁ τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ οὐρανοδατῶν " καὶ ταῖς θείαις χαὶ ὑπερ- χοσμίοις, ὡς πιστεύω, συγχορεύων δυνάμεσι. Διὸ χαὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν λύπην, χαίτοι μεγίστην ἦσαν, [καὶ] εἰς τὸ δυνατὸν ἀντέχοντας, σχεδὸν χειρωσαμένην, παρεγρα- ψάμεθα, ἐννοήσαντες, ὅτι ἣ τῶν ἐνθάδε τελευτὴ, ἀρχὴ τῶν μεγίστων αὐτῷ ἐχεῖσε χαθέστηχεν ἀγαθῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἔτυχεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐνθάδε βίον διήθλῃσεν " ἀλλ᾽ ἀνδρείως χαὶ γενναίως, χαὶ παρὰ πάντων ἐπὶ ταῖς ΥΑΒΙΖΑ ΞΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕΥ̓ ΝΟΤΕ. () Τὸν ὅπιωινον..... καῖως ἔχειν. ἤφοο ἀδογαηὶ ἱη οάϊι. Ραγί5. οἱ βυρρίδηϊυγ ὁχ οοὐἀ. Βεναγίο0 . ἈΠ 1ΟγΘΠ δ πὶ, ἰηιδγργοίδιίοα δἰϊδπὶ χα ἢδης πογάτι ἀσοΟβϑίοη6 ΓΕΙΟΓΙΔῖΔ. ΕΌΙΤ. ῬΑΤΆ. () 1π16 ΠΠῖς Π Π4πὸ θθπ6 Ἰοηβᾶπι φυᾶ 6ϑ8ϊ βυρτ πιπηο. . () ᾿λόπογίθα ὁχ ΑἸι. ἔσῳ τὸ ἴσω. ῬΟΒΘΙΝ. ἘΡΙΞΤΟΙΑΆΌΝ . Π -- ΕΡΙ5Τ. ΟΠ. ἀριστείαις ἀναχηρυττόμενος, πάσης μὲν εὐφημίας Α ΓΕΠῚ ἴῃ πιοάμπν γἱν ἐΠ δα . νἱῖ δαγγίουϊ!η δὰ -- χρεΐττων ὧν, τοῖς δὲ χατὰ δύναμιν ἐπαίνοις στερα- νούμενος. "Ὄντως γὰρ ἦν ἀνάχτορον μὲν σωφροσύ- νης, ἑστία δὲ φρονήσεως, ἀχρόπολις δὲ ἀνδρείας, μητρόπολις δὲ διχαιοσύνης, χαὶ ταμιεῖον μὲν φιλαν- θρωπίας, τέμενος δὲ ἡμερότητος, χαὶ συλλήδδην εἰπεῖν, πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν θησαυρός. Οὕτως γὰρ ἐχάστην ἐχτήσατο, ὡς ἂν ἕτερος μίαν τινὰ χτήσασθαι περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιήσατο. Τῶν γὰρ ὑπερχοσμίων ἐρα- στὴς γενόμενος ἐπήδα πρὸς τὸν αἰθέρα τῷ λογισμῷ, χαὶ τὰ οὐράνια ἐπολυπραγμόνει, χαὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων ἠμέλει. Ἡδονὴν γὰρ ἀληθεστάτην, καὶ Χριστιανοῖς πρέπουσαν, τὴν σωφροσύνην εἰχότως ὑπειληφὼς, γαστρὸς, χαὶ τῶν μετὰ γαστέρα παθῶν τυραννιχῶς ἐχράτησε, τῇ μὲν τὴν αὐτάρχειαν νομοθετήσας, τοῖς "δὲ οὐδὲ πτερύξασθαι συγχωρήσας. Ἐντεῦθεν παν- Β ταχόθεν διήγγελλεν ἡ φήμη τὸ χλέος, χαὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπάντων στόμασιν ἦν, χαὶ πάντες [ἤλπιζον] λαμ- προτέρας αὑτὸν, εἰ ἀρχῆς ἐπιλάδοιτο ἐχχλησιαστι- χῆς, πέμψειν τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰς ἀχτῖνας, ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸ; ἀθλητὴς, ποθούντων ἔτι τῶν θεατῶν, εἰς τὰς οὐρανίους αὐλὰς στεφθησόμενος ἀπέπτη, χαταλείψας ἐνθάδε ὥσπερ ἐντάφιον δόξαν χαὶ μνήμην, [χαὶ] τὸν παρὰ πάντων ἕπαινον. Τίς τοιγαροῦν τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐγχωμιάσαι βουλόμενος, χἂν ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον τῆς ἀξίας ἐφάψοιτο ; Τίς ἐπαινέσαι θέλων οὐ χατόπιν τῆς ὑπο- θέσεως ἀπολειφθεὶς ἑαυτὸν αἰτιάσοιτο, ὡς πράγματ: ἀμηχάνῳ ἐγχειρήσας ; Τίς τὴν πραότητα χαὶ τὸ μει- λίχιον, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἅπαντας μὲν, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς φιλαρέτους αἰδὼ, λόγοις ἐπιχειρήσας ὑπογρά- ψαι, οὐχ ἑαυτὸν μέμψοιτο, μηδὲν εὑρίσχων εἰπεῖν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφάμιλλον ; Οὕτω γὰρ τοὺς συνόντας ἧρει, ὡς εἰς τὸν τῆς φιλίας θεσμὸν, αὑτῷ νέμεσθαι τὰ πρωτεῖα. 'Υψηλὸς μὲν γὰρ ἦν τῇ ἀρετῇ, ταπεινὸς δὲ τῷ φρονήματι, χαὶ πρᾶος μὲν ἐν ταῖς συντυχίαις " ὀξὺς δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἐννοίαις " χαὶ πολὺς μὲν ἐν ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις, ταχὺς δὲ ἐν ταῖς παραχλήσεσιν. Ὃ δέ με χαταπαῦσαι βουλόμενον οὐχ ἐᾶ, τοῦτο ῥητέον, ὅτι τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην διαφερόντως ἀγαπῶν, τὸ λαθεῖν φιλανθρωπευόμενος ἐθηρᾶτο" εὖ εἰδὼς, ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐλεημοσύνη. Οἱ γὰρ μετ᾽ ἐπιδείξεως ταύτην διαπραττόμενοι (), οὔ μοι δοχοῦσι φιλαν- θρωπεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν εὖ πασχόντων ἐχτρα- γὙῳδεῖν συμφοράς " χαὶ τὸ θεῖον ἔργον ἀργαλεωτάτῳ λυμαίνεσθαι νοσήματι. Φιλάνθρωποι γὰρ χαὶ εὐερ- γέται καλεῖσθαι ποθοῦντες, τὰς τῶν ἄλλων ἔἐχπομ- λεύειν οὐ παραιτοῦνται δυσπραγίας. Ὁ δὲ ἀοίδιμος ἔχεῖνος " σιωπᾷν γὰρ οὗ θέμις, χαὶ φθεγγομένους ἀναγχαΐον ἐλέγχεσθα! τὴν ἀξίαν αὑτῷ μὴ σώξοντας " οὐχὶ τῷ παρέχειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ λανθανόντως τοῦτο διαπράττεσθαι, τοὺς εἰς τὴν χάμινον τῆς πε- νίας τυγχάνοντας () ἐδρόσιξζεν. ᾿Αλλὰ τί χάμνω, πέλαγος ἀγαθῶν, εὐτελεῖ λόγῳ ἀνυμνῆσαι πειρώμε- νος Διὸ δὴ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐνταῦθα στήσω τὸν λόγον " αὖ , ΥὙΘΡΓΙΩΝ ΒΊΓΟΙΘ σΡΠΉΘΓΟΒ6,, ἀ( ἰἰὰ υἱ ὁ" ρΡυιεία γα [Δ οί πογὰ οἰ θυ5 ρῥτραϊοαγοϊγ,, δι Ομ 4υΐ δι) ᾿α16 δ] ΠΟΥ , Δι ! ἰδ0- ὁ π νἱγεδ ρογε ἰόγοί, σογοπϑγοίυγ. ΕἰδεΐΠ) Τονθγῷ ρυΚΠ ΠΟ ἃς ἰοιηρογαμεῖ ἀο᾽υγυη) ογαΐ, Ργυΐδαη , ΓΟγυ Δ ἌΓΧ, ἰυπι πιοῖρο- ΡΟ ᾽, δ δη . ροινιῖ., πη βυδι α . ἰθιηρί μη, δίφιιθ υἱ ὕὑηὴ0 νοΓΡῸ ουμῃρίθοιογ, νἱγία ἢ) ΟἸ ΠἾ ἰπδϑϑιγυβ. ᾽ οηἷην Οἴη68 διίόρίιι8 ὁδί, υἱ ππᾶπΔ αυδιπάδι δι ἰρίϑε! τπϑδι ] ἐρθιϊπη458561. ΕἸδΏ ἑν Γ
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