Letter 504: The difficulty you are experiencing in maintaining the disciplines you have chosen is not a sign that you chose...

To Palladios. If those who are struck by the sharp goads of worldly glory embrace voluntary labors, then those who have been wounded by the keenest darts of supramundane renown would be all the more justified in stripping for the contest of labors with youthful vigor. In the blessed Aphrodisios, your brother, and a presbyter in dignity, reverence dwelt in his eyes, persuasion on his lips, and wisdom on his tongue; self-sufficiency was in his belly, and continence in the parts below the belly; and, to speak in sum, he was a common storehouse and dwelling-place of nearly all the virtues. Since, then, he has been summoned to the heavenly courts, having received rewards worthy of his labors, we ought not to grieve, but rather to rejoice, that he now reaps the prizes of his contests. For he who laments the death here of the saints would justly be lamented by all who think rightly. Just as he who bewails those who have conquered and been crowned would himself be worthy of pity and tears. And let this much be said concerning him. Know, then, that the wealth of virtue alone is carried in safety, whenever the one who possesses it does not betray the possession through laziness, nor become enamored of office. For I consider that, beyond all audacity, not you alone but I also reckon those to go who have not even laid a hand to the labors of the athletes, and yet strip themselves to contend with the crowned victors; men who, not even enrolled among genuine disciples, are eager to run up into the ranks of the leaders; men for whom it is not their character that gains them their place, but their place that gives credit to their character. For they buy offices in order that they may outrage the virtues; and they attempt to say things which they did not even deign to learn; and they dare to command such things as they could not even bear to hear. Who, then, acting under such leaders, will be able either to do or to be conscious of anything great, even a trifle? And who will not blush at becoming a hearer of men who only yesterday and the day before were worn out in taverns or law-courts? And which of one's enemies will not laugh, and consider the whole matter a stage-play and a pretense? But since you have written asking what must be done, I say nothing else than this: virtue must be practiced, stillness must be kept, the judgment must be awaited, and the devil's methods must be beaten off. For the enemy of mankind is terrible and crafty, casting his spells partly by flatteries, partly by false reasonings; and especially since [...] he does not know how to fight in a straight line, for he would not [...] quickly; but under the guise of friendship he often conceals the venom of fornication. For just as, having led man up toward equality with God, he set him lower than the irrational beasts, not only stripping away the advantages that belonged to him, but also procuring for him the defects that did not belong to him - I mean sweat and labors, death and corruption. But since many, hunting out his methods, have rendered idle [...] siege-engines [...] one must also [do] all things in which there is a share of prudence and which belong to salvation.

Εἰ οἱ τοῖς ὀξέσι τῆς κοσμικῆς δόξης κέντροις πλητ- τόμενοι πόνους αὐθαιρέτους ἀσπάζονται · οἱ τοῖς ὀξυτάτοις τῆς ὑπερκοσμίου εὐκλείας βέλεσι τετρω- μένοι πολλῷ μᾶλλον νεανικῶς ἐπὶ τῶν πόνων ἀγῶνα ἀποδύεσθαι ἂν εἶεν δίκαιοι. Ἀφροδισίῳ τῷ μακαρίῳ, τῷ σῷ μὲν ἀδελφῷ, πρεσβυτέρῳ δὲ τὴν ἀξίαν, αἰδὼς μὲν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς κατώικει, πειθὼ δὲ ἐν χείλεσι, σοφία δὲ ἐπὶ γλώσσης· καὶ αὐτάρκεια μὲν ἐν γαστρί, ἐγκράτεια δὲ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ γαστέρα, καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, πασῶν σχεδὸν τῶν ἀρετῶν κοινὸν ἦν ταμιεῖον, καὶ ἐνδιαίτημα. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν περὶ τὰς οὐρανίους αὐλὰς μετεπέμφθη, ἄξια τῶν πόνων δεξάμενος τὰ γέρα, οὐ χρὴ λυπεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον χαίρειν, ὅτι τῶν ἄθλων λοιπὸν καρποῦται τὰ ἔπαθλα. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν ἐνθάδε τῶν ἁγίων οἰκτείρων τελευτήν, δίκαιος ἂν εἴη παρὰ πάντων τῶν εὖ φρονούντων οἰκτείρεσθαι. Ὡς καὶ ὁ τοὺς νενικηκότας καὶ στεφθέντας θρηνῶν, οἴκτου ἄν εἴη καὶ δακρύων ἄξιος. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοῦτον. Ἴθι δὲ οὖν ὅτι μόνος ὁ τῆς ἀρετῆς πλοῦτος ἐπ᾽ ἀσφαλείας ὀχεῖται, ὅταν ὁ τοῦτον κεκτημένος μὴ τῇ ῥαστώνῃ προδοίη τὸ κτῆμα, μηδὲ ἀρχῆς ἐρασθείη· πάσης γὰρ ἐπέκεινα τόλμης, οὐ σὺ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔγωγε, χωρεῖν ὑπολαμβάνω τοὺς μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀθλητικοὺς ἀψαμένους πόνους, καὶ τοῖς στεφανίταις ἐπαποδυομένους· οἵτινες μηδὲ γνησίοις ἐγγραφέντες μαθηταῖς, εἰς τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἀνατρέχειν φιλονεικοῦσιν· ὧν οὐχ ὁ τρόπος τὸν τόπον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ τόπος τὸν τρόπον πιστεύεται· ὠνοῦνται (46) γὰρ τὰς ἀρχάς, ἵνα ὑβρίσωσι τὰς ἀρετάς· καὶ λέγειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν, ἃ μηδὲ μαθεῖν κατεδέξαντο· καὶ προστάττειν τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν, ἃ μηδὲ ἀκοῦσαι ἠνέσχοντο. Τίς οὖν ὑπὸ τοιούτους ἡγεμόσι πράττων μέγα τι καὶ γυναῖον, ἢ πρᾶξαι ἢ συνεῖδεν δυνήσεται; τίς δὲ οὐκ ἐρυθριάσει ἀνδρῶν χθὲς καὶ πρῴην ἐν καπηλείοις ἢ δικαστηρίοις κατατριβέντων ἀκροατὴς γινόμενος; τίς δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν οὐ γελάσεται, καὶ σκηνὴν καὶ ὑπόκρισιν νομίσειε τὸ πρᾶγμα; Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας, τί ποιητέον, φημὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀρετὴν ἀσκητέον καὶ ἡσυχαστέον, καὶ τὴν κρίσιν προσδοκητέον, καὶ τὰς διαβολικὰς μεθόδους διακρουστέον. Δεινὸς γὰρ καὶ ποικίλος ὁ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἐχθρός, τὰ μὲν κολακείαις, τὰ δὲ παραλογισμοῖς καταγοητεύσαι· καὶ μάλιστα ἐπε (47) οὐκ οἶδε τὴν ἐξ εὐθείας μάχην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἑλῶ ταχέως· ἀλλὰ προσχήματι φιλίας πολλάκις κρύπτει τὸν τῆς πορνείας ἰόν. Ὡς γὰρ εἰς ἰσοθέαν ἀγαγὼν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τῶν ἀλόγων κατέστησεν ἐλεεινότερον· οὐ μόνον τὰ προσόντα πλεονεκτήματα ἀπαμφιάσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μὴ προσόντα ἐλαττώματα προξενήσας, ἱδρῶτάς φημι καὶ πόνους, θάνατόν τε καὶ φθοράν. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ θηρώμενοι αὐτοῦ τὰς μεθόδους, ἀργὰς ἀποδείξαντες (48) ἐλεπόλεις (49) χρὴ καὶ πάντα, οἷς φρονήσεως μέτεστι καὶ σωτηρίας ἐστί.