Letter 494: If there were no resurrection, Peter, the advice I give you would be foolishness.
How is the saying to be understood: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." The saying "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" was spoken, O wise friend, for this reason: because among them there was a great swell of pretension, bereft of truth, while in the Scriptures there was truth free from boasting. At that time, indeed, great courage and understanding were needed to strip bare every plausible sophistry that cleverly presented falsehood as truth. But now, even to the most rustic folk, their error has become easy to detect.
To Apollonios. On almsgiving. Almsgiving must be kept pure from abuse and reproach. For those who mingle these with it blend foul-smelling mire with fragrant perfume and wound the souls of the recipients. For what is given with reproach, however great it may be, is not pleasant to those who receive it, even if through necessity they silently endure the insults. And when the gifts are also small and given with abuse, they generate an intolerable storm in the souls of the poor. As for those who give nothing at all but actually heap insults besides, they need not even be mentioned; for they have surpassed every degree of beastly savagery. For those who come to them as to a harbor, they sink — neither fulfilling the necessary need, but even adding insults. One must therefore respond gently to those in need, provide according to ones ability, and conceal almsgiving as one would a free-born, noble, and modest maiden, and not parade it before everyone. And if someone does not have the means to comfort the suppliant, let him at least answer with peaceful words in gentleness. For behold, a kind word is better than a gift, and both are found in a gracious person.
To Euptios the Bishop. You yourself, perhaps following the common opinion, have said that the one who violated a maiden by force is more culpable than the one who persuaded her. But I, attending to the very nature of the matter, believe — and even if what I am about to say will seem paradoxical, it will nonetheless be said because it is true — that the one who persuaded is more guilty than the one who used force. For in this case, persuasion is more grievous than violence.
To Alypios the Bishop. If we rightly judge punishments to be greatest when they are witnessed by a multitude — for those that are hidden are somehow naturally lighter — what kind of punishment can we expect when it is decreed in the presence of the heavenly hosts and all of humanity?
To Isidoros the Bishop. On envy. Envy is not gentle toward any other thing that exists or seems beautiful, O namesake, but is fierce and grievous. Yet toward virtue, which has properly inherited the nature of the beautiful, envy is utterly inconsolable. Not to be envied may be painless, but it is certainly not glorious. For may it never befall either me or my friends to act in a manner worthy of envy. But the one who is envied must bear the malice of envy with a prudent mind.
To the same Isidoros. On love toward God. I say that nothing is lacking to those of yours for the practice of virtue. For many, while defining virtue as the greatest good — as indeed it is — do not greatly concern themselves with it. These, if they would not trust in their own strength but would refer their achievements to the divine impulse, would both overcome the passions and certainly arrive at the goal of virtue. For even if what exceeds human strength grants mastery over adversaries — so that nothing impedes the athletes eagerness — nevertheless the one whom the divine power assists both accepts the victory and ascribes it to God.
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
Πῶς εἴρηται τό" « Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράγνγθησαγν. » Τό, « Φάσχοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράνθησαν, » χαὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ὦ σοφὲ, εἴρηται, ἐπειδὴ παρ᾽ αὑτοῖς μὲν ὄγχος ἦν πολὺς ἀληθείας χηρεύων, παρὰ δὲ ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἀλήθεια κόμπου χαθαρεύουσα. Τότε μὲν οὖν ἀνδρείας ἔδει χαὶ συνέσεως πολλῆς, πᾶσαν πιθανό- τητα χεχομψευμένην, καὶ ἐντρεχῶς τὸ ψεῦδος ὡς ἀληθὲς παριστῶσαν ἀπογυμνούσης. Νῦν δὲ χαὶ αὐ- τοῖς τοῖς ἀγροίχοις ἡ πλάνη αὐτῶν εὐφώρατος γέ- γόνεν. ΣΙΔ΄. --- ΑἈΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ͂Ω. Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης. ΕἸδοιηοβ ηδηι ἃ ργΟῦτΟ οἱ οοπίυ!ηο]ϊὰ ριγ8πὶ δι- αὶ Τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην χρῇ χαθαρὰν ὕδρεως χαὶ ὀνεί- ἦυ6 ἱπιπηυπαπ)᾽ Οροτίοι. Νδη) φιὶ εἰ [ας δί- ἑυησυηῖ, [ἀρ γδηι υπσυφηῖϊο οσὐοηυμη δι ιν ΐδοθηὶ, δἴ4φι ᾿ ἈφΟἰρί δι 8Π ρογουκυηῖ. θυ δπίη οὐ! ῬγοΟῦ ΓΟ μογγζυμίιγ, οιἰδιηφὶ πιᾶχὶ πὰ δἰη!, δοοϊρίδη- πνἰηΐπια ᾿υσι ( δυηὶ : (Δπι6ιδὶ δἰΐοᾳυΐ περαδϑὶ- ἰδἰῈ σομδιγίεἰΐ σομη ἰΔεἶϊα ἰοΓδοὶ. Ουὐπ) ἃυῖα πὶ οἰἶδι) μογοχίψυλ ὁυμ!, δἰφυδ οὐπὶ σοηλι πιο ρΓ- υνδηίρ, ἱπιίοίογαν ἀϑὴ 4ιδπιάδηι οροπείυη) δηΐπ) . ιϑπιροβίδίοηι ρατγίθη!. Νὰ ἐδ 4υ] Ποη τηο0 ηἷ- ἈΝ Ἰασο τ, ] οἰἾ8πη) ράυραγθβ οοηνίοἑ οἱ 1ηὰ- Ἰόΐοι ϊ8 Ἰησαδϑυμί, " δηιοηοπὶ αὐυϊάθη) ἴδοογα ΕἾΤ 65ῖ. Θηλπθιι αυΐμμα [6γὴι1 οἱ ογυάο! αι δι πη ) ΘΣΟΟββογυηῖ. ἘῸ8 δπΐπι 4υΐ , ἰδπηυλὴ . ρου, Δρρμοίαηϊ, ροοουμδηϊ, ἀυηι "6ς , φυογυπὶ ροηυγία ἰδθογδηί, βδυρρούϊίδη!, [οἱ ΡΓΙΒΙόγοὰ οομ δα)!εΐυηι. Θυοείγει ᾿ναυρογὶ- θυ8 ἰδ Ρ οἱ ρῥίδοῖα ΓοΒροπάθγο ορογίοὶ, μγὸ Υἱγδυ5 ργώυθγο, αἴᾳυθ οἰθοιηοϑγηπη), ἰδ αυδη) ἰμ- βοιπδμ αυδιη δι) οἱ μου] πὶ Υἱγαὶπθη), ΟΟΟυ ΆΓΟ, ἃ π0η υἱηηΐ ὈΓγΓΟραΙΓΟ. ()υοά ] φυΐβ υπιἰ6 5Ὲ00 . ᾿ΙΟΠ σα] μαι 5ο]διΐυν δογαί, ἤθη μαθδαί, ρϑοϑῖο δὸ ἰδηΐ δι) ἱρϑὶ γοδροπάδαδι, Κη λρυά νἴγιιπ) φγϑιϊοβυ!. ΟΟΧΥ͂. --- ΕΥ̓ΟΡΤΙΟ ΕΡΙΘΟΟΡΟ. Τὰ αυϊάσαι, νυ]ρὶ [ΟΓι8856 δϑινίθπιϊλπ) βοαυθη8, Ετανίυῦ ρ6ο02886 εἰχ[διὶ, ] Υἱγαίἱ νἱπὶ διιι- , φυλ 4υΐ δπὶ δὲ βίυργιῃ ἱπάυχὶί. Εχο γϑγθ ἐρδϑιν γοὶ ηδίυγδπι διίθηθῃβ, δὶς δχἰϑ( ( δἰδὶ δους εἶναι. Οἱ γὰρ ἐχείνῃ ταῦτα μιγνύντες, εὐώδει μύρῳ δυσώδη χιρνῶσι βόρδορον, χαὶ τὰς τῶν λαμ- Θανόντων πλήττουσι ψυχάς. Τὰ γὰρ μετ᾽ ὀνείδους παρεχόμενα, χᾶν᾿ μέγιστα ἧ, οὐχ ἤδιστα τοῖ; λαμ- θάνουσι, χἄν διὰ τὴν ἀνάγχην σιγῇ στέργωσι τὰς ὕδρεις. “Ὅταν δὲ χαὶ ἐλάχιστα ἧ, χαὶ μεθ᾽ ὕδρεως παρέχηται, ἀφόρητόν τινα χειμῶνα ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν πενομένων τίχτει. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν μήτε παρεχόντων, ἀλχὰ χαὶ λοιδορούντοιν, οὐδὲ μεμνῆσθαι χρή" πᾶσαν γὰρ ὑπερδεδίχασι θηριωδείας ἀγριότητα. Τοὺς γὰρ πρὸς αὑτοὺς, ὡς πρὸς λιμένα, χαταίροντας χατα- δύουσι, μῆτε τὴν ἀναγχαίαν πληροῦντες χρείαν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ ὕόρεις προστιθέντες. Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν πράως ἀποχρίνασθαι τοῖς δεομένοις, χαὶ χατὰ δύναμιν Ο παρέχειν, χρύπτειν τε ἐλεημοσύνην, ὥσπερ ἐλευθέ- ρᾶν τινὰ χαὶ εὐγενῆ χαὶ σώφρονα παρθένον, χαὶ μὴ πᾶσιν αὐτὴν ἐχπομπεύειν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔχοι τις δι᾽ ὧν παραμυθήσεται τὸν ἱχέτην, ἀποχρινάσθω αὐτῷ εἰ- ρηνιχὰ ἐν πραῦτητι. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθὸν (), καὶ ἀμφότερα παρὰ ἀνδρὶ χεχαριτω- Θηΐπ), ΜῈ ΟΙΟΓ ΓΠ0 48π ἀουη), δὲ υἱΓυ ΣΙΕ'. --- ΕΥ̓ΠΤΙΩ ἘΠΙΣΚΟΠΏ. Αὐτὸς μὲν τῇ τῶν πολλῶν διανοίᾳ ἴσως ἑπόμενος χαλεπώτερον ἔφης τὸν βιασάμενον παρθένον τοῦ πείσαντος. Ἐγὼ δ᾽ αὐτῇ τοῦ πράγματος προσέχων τῇ φύσει, ἡγοῦμαι" εἰ γὰρ χαὶ παράδοξον εἶναι δόξει ὀπΐπὸ πονυιῃ οἱ ἰῃβο θης Υἱἀουΐίυγ αυοά ἐΐοια- θ τὸ λεχθησόμενον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἀληθὲς ὃν λελέξεται᾽ ὅτι Γι δι, ἰΔη16ι), 4υ͵α γογυμ 68ὶ, ἰ« ἀΐδάπ)) , δι δου οἷ ὈΪδη θδιὶ ΠΠΠΟχὶῖ, Πρ ἰοδἰογθὰ ὁ πείσας τοῦ βιασαμένου ἐναγέστερος τυγχάνει (). Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡ πειθὼ τῆς βίας ἀργαλεωτέρα ἐστὶ, ΥΑΒΙΖΣ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΝ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. () ᾿Ιδοὺ ,2όγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθόν. ἴιι Β. Ε. 6ϑὶ ἡδὺ γάρ. ἰμοοι5 ἀχκῖαι ᾿! Ῥάμπδγειο δι ϑδρίθι ΥΓ20 ., (. ΧΡ , Υ. , οἱ αυϊάδι ἰμ!ογγοραίίο- εἷκ χυτὰ ργοίδιυς : Οὐχ ἰδοὺ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγα- θὺν, χαὶ ἀμφότερα παρὰ ἀνθρώπων, ποι!, υἱ ἁνυὲ ἰδἰ ογιη, ἀνδρὶ χεχαριτωμένῳ. (Ονν βοδΙοι ΠΟ. . οὗ, ει οτί . ΧΗ], οι αἰϊδὶ, ᾿Ιδοὺ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθός. Εὶ Ιάἀδπ: ἢ . , 8ὲὲ ξαεσεταοίΐο, Ὑπὲρ δόματα ἀγαθόν. ηιδαιαι αἰ γ αυᾶη ἰδοὺ Ι6- εἰιυγ, υἱδὶ ἰη ἰδ ἀοΓ. . Βανδγ., υὐΐ ἡδὺ, φυοὺῦ ἰδπιθὴ ([ὉΤΓι2556 ΠΟῚ ῬγΟΥδ5 ἐοηϊοιηποηάδη, δἰἷῖ, 4φυδηλνῖ8 οἱ [μαι ἰπίαΓρΓΟ νϑίι γα ϊεϊο γι ἰδού " Νόοηπε, ἐεοο, υέγϑιιηι δι ρεΥ ἀαίμηι θοπιπι. ΠΊΤΤ. () β
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