Letter 508: The bishop's role in conflict, Lampetios, is not to silence the parties but to help them understand each other — and...
Let each one who reads this letter hold whatever opinion he has concerning what is about to be said. For my part, I have not now set out to define the priesthood itself, but rather to mark out the road leading to it. I say that the one who comes too quickly to this office of rule, before submitting to the rule of the divine ordinances, does not enter upon the administration for the good of those governed. But the one who has been trained in the virtues of leadership while in the rank of a subordinate, and has distinguished himself, comes to the exercise of the ministry with the greatest asset — experience. For the former, attempting to put others in order before being put in order himself, misses the truth entirely. But the latter, having first been disciplined and having gained practical experience of the matter, will be found fit to put others in order. For the former thinks he has been appointed general before he has practiced with weapons; but the latter, having become a distinguished soldier, will be an even more distinguished general. And the one who is ignorant of tactics thinks himself a commander of ranks; but the one who has been trained in such exercises is properly appointed a tactician.
To Maron — How great a good is freedom from the love of money, and concerning self-sufficiency: Even if you were to open up ten thousand roads of prosperity, I say that you will not find even satisfaction, let alone the roads that prosperity travels. For it hates those who insatiably pursue riches, and does not endure to visit them. But above all it loves those who adorn their life with frugality and self-sufficiency, and gladly comes to them.
To Strategius the Monk: When good counsel has led the way, and every power of a person has served virtue, having put aside every excuse and delay — then indeed God brings virtue to its completion, he who even urges those unwilling to choose it toward choosing it. For it is not consistent to drive those fleeing from virtue toward it, while not extending a helping hand to those who choose it of their own accord.
To Antiochus: You seem not to know that the one who continually conquers the raging passions of the body, exulting in his trophies, has his toils stolen away by his joy without his noticing.
To Orion the Monk: I hear that in the outward form of the contest you came in second, but in truth you conquered all your peers. For the one who was judged ahead of you in humility, by appearing second to you, showed that all the rest were defeated.
To Apollonius the Bishop — On what is written in the law, "You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit": Poverty, when it scorns supplication and turns to accusation, and makes use of its misfortune for meddlesome litigation, and takes on the role of accuser and adversary instead of supplicant and suppliant, does not deserve to be pitied. Therefore the fountain of justice declared, "You shall not show pity to a poor man in judgment." For one who is in need and begging ought to be pitied, but not one who is bringing charges and accusing. For such a one does not ask for a favor, but insists that he is being wronged.
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
Ἕχαστος μὲν τῶν ἐντευξομένων τῷδε τῷ γράμ- ματι, ὡς ἔχει δόξης περὶ τοῦ λεχθησομένου, ἐχέτω. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὄρον μὲν ὑπογράψαι ἱερωσύνης νῦν οὐ δι- εγνωχὼς, τὴν δ᾽ ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτην φέρουσαν δριζό- μενος, φημὶ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ ταύτην θᾶττον ἐλθὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν, πρὶν τῆς τῶν θεσμῶν ἀρχῆς ἀνασχέσθαι, οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθῷ τῶν ἀρχομένων τὴν οἰχονομίαν μέτεισιν " ὁ δ' ἐν ὑπηχόου τάξει ταῖς ἀρχιχκαΐῖς ἐγγυμνασάμενος χαὶ εὐδοχιμήσας ἀρεταῖς, εἰς τὴν τῆς λειτουργίας διαχείρησιν, μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν τὴν ἐμπειρίαν ἔχων, ἔρχεται. Ἑχεῖνος μὲν γὰρ πρὶν [ῥυθμισθῆναι)] ῥυθ- μίξειν ἄλλους ἐπιχειρῶν, τῆς ἀληθείας διαμαρτάνει. Οὗτος δὲ ῥυθμισθεὶς πρότερον, χαὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἐν πείρᾳ γεγενημένος, ἐπιτήδειος ἐπὶ τὸ ῥυθμίζειν ἄλλους εὑρεθήσεται ἐπειδήπερ ἐχεῖνος μὲν πρὸ τοῦ ἐμμελετῆσαι τοῖς ὅπλοις, στρατηγὸς οἴεται χεχει- ροτονῇσθαι" υὗτος δὲ εὐδόχιμος στρατιώτης γενόμε- νος, εὐδοχιμώτερος ἔσται χαὶ στρατηγός. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ΥΑΒΙΑ ΠΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂. () Ἕξοντες. Β., ἕξουσιν, φιοά ρυΐϊο πιεῖ, αἱ τολροράδδι ργοδάδηι πανσομένοις. Αἰψαΐ τηυ- Δὰν ΓἸη ἕξοντες, ΓΟΤΙΑ556 Ταβροχὶϊ αἱἱ ἅτε ἐφιέμενοι, ΠΟΙ ΓροΙα. ἤιττ. () Ῥγὸ ἱμάτιον ἰάθη οὐ, ἰαζυηὶ ἱματίων. ΡΟδΞΞΙν. ἘΡΙΒΤΟΙΑΒΌΜ .. -- ἘΡΙΘΤ. ΟΟἸΧΧ. τῶν ταχτιχῶν ἄπειρος ὧν, ταξίαρχος εἶναι ἡγεῖται" Α ἰδ ρτοῦϊ ἀἱ οἰδτγὶ πι! ε οδεῖο Πιηοίπ8, ργϑείδημίοῦ ὁ δὲ ἐν γυμνασίοις τοιούτοις ἀσχηθεὶς, ταχτιχὸς χει- ροτονεῖται. 4ηο4ι6 οἱ ᾿ΠΠυδιγίον ογὶ! ἱμρογαίογ, Θ.ζ4 Αἰρις ᾳυΐάθπι ἱπείγυθπαϊ ἰη δοίοιη ὀχογοῖ ὀχροῦϑ οἱ ἰ5η8- για, υπὶ πο δ νΐ8 σγράυπι δἰ δὲ νἱηάιοαί ; ἢ] δυίϊθι ἰθ εὐυδιηουϊ διυαϊ νϑγεᾶῖβ οἱ δχουϊυ8, ἔσὶ- Κνυηυδ ἀθείζηδιιγ. ΣΞΕ', - ΜΑΡΩΝΙ͂. Πηλίχον ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀςριϊλαργυρίας, καὶ περὶ αὐταρκείας. ΕἸ καὶ μυρίας ἀνατέμοις εὐπορίας ὁδοὺς, οὔ φημι κἂν χόρον, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὰς ὁδοὺς, ἃς ἐπιπορεύετα!, εὑρήσεις. Μισεῖ γὰρ τοὺς ἀπλήστως τὰ χρήματα διώ- χόντας, καὶ ἐπιφοιτᾷν αὐτοῖς οὐχ ἀνέχεται. Φιλεῖ δὲ μάλιστα πάντων τοὺς ὀλιγοδείᾳ χαὶ αὐταρχείᾳ τὸν ἑαυτῶν χοσμοῦντας βίον, ἀσμένως αὐτοῖς ἐπιφοιτᾷ. ΣΞ(". --- ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΙΩ ΜΟΝΑΧΩ. Ὅταν εὐδουλίας προχαθηγουμένης πᾶσα ἧ τοῦ ἀν- θρώπου δύναμις ὑπουργήσῃ εἰς τὴν ἀρετὴν, πᾶσαν ἐχποδὼν ποιησαμένη σκῆψιν χαὶ μέλλησιν “ τότε δὴ, «ότ: ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τέλος ταύτην ἄγει, ὁ χαὶ τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους αὐτὴν ἑλέσθαι εἰς τὸ ἐλέσθαι παραθή- γων, Οὐ γάρ ἐστι τοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοὺς μὲν ἀποδιδρά- σχοντας αὑτὴν, εἰς αὐτὴν συνελαύνειν, τοῖς δ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ἑαυ- τῶν ἑλομένοις χεῖρα βοηθείας μὴ ὀρέγειν. ΣΕΖ'. -« ἈΝΤΙΟΧΏ. Ἕοιχας ἀγνοεῖν, ὅτι ὁ συνεχῶς τὰ λυττῶντα πάθη «οὔ σώματος νιχῶν, τοῖς τροπαίοις ἀγαλλόμενος, τοὺς πόνους ὑπὸ τῆς εὐφροσύνης λανθάνει () χλε- πτόμενος. ΣΞΗ͂', --- ΩΡΙΩΝῚ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ. Πυνθάνομαι, ὅτι τῷ μὲν σχήματι τῆς ἀγωνίας, ἑνός" τῷ δ᾽ ἀληθεῖ, πάντων ἐχράτησας τῶν ὁμηλί- χων. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων εἰς ταπεινοφροσύνην προχριθεὶς, δεύτερος δέ σου πεφηνὼς, πάντας ἧττη- μένους ἔδειξεν. ΣΞΘ΄. --- ἈΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ͂Ω ἘΠΙΣΚΌΠΩ. Εἰς τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ γόμῳ'" « Πέγνητα οὐκ "δήσεις ἐν κχρίσϑι. » Ἢ πενία, ὅταν τὴν ἱχεσίαν ἀτιμάσασα ἐπὶ χατ- Ἡγορίαν τραπείη, χαὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ εἰς φιλοπραγμο- σύνην χαταχρήσηται, χαὶ διαδίχον χατηγόρονυ ἀνθ᾽ ἱχέτου χαὶ πρόσφυγος πρόσχημα ἀναδέξηται, ἐλεεῖ- σθαι οὐχ ἂν εἴη δικαία. Διὸ καὶ ἡ τῆς διχαιοσύνης πηγὴ ἔφη « Οὐχ ἐλεήσεις πτωχὸν ἐν χρίσει.» Ἐλεεῖ- σθαι μὲν γὰρ δεόμενον καὶ ἀντιδολοῦντα χρὴ, ἐγχα- λοῦντα δὲ χαὶ χατηγοροῦντα οὐχί. Οὐ γὰρ χάριν ἀπαιτεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀδιχεῖσθαι διαδεδαιοῦται. ΣΟ΄. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Πῶς γνοητέον τὸ γεγραμμένον" ε« Μή ποτε τοῖς ὁὀφθα.ϊμοὶς αὑτῶν ἴδωσι, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκού- σωσι. " Ἢ μεταδολὴ τῶν προσώπων, τὸν νοῦν τῶν εἰ- ) Εχοά. χχιιι,ὅ. . υἱἍ, ), Μαιν. χη, . ΟΟΙΧΥ͂. --- ΜΑΒΟΝΙ. Ομαπίυπι ϑοπμπι εἰς αὐατίτἶα υαοφιμηι Φ822, εἰ ( δι(βεϊεηιΐα. ΕΠΙΔΙ8Ϊ βοχοθηί85 Ορυπὴ Υἱᾶβ ϑδρογίδϑ, ἰΔΠΊ6Π, ποι; ἀΐοδπὶ !] 6ἰδῖδπι, σὰ ἢ υἱῶβ αὐυΐάδπι, ἐΠα ρογαστγδηι, ἰηνθηΐθβ. υΐ δι οἀΐο ᾿ϑθθηὶ, ἱραχρίθ Ὁ αν ἀϊιδῖθ ροουμΐλ8 Θοηδθοιϑηυγ, Π66 δὰ Ὑδηΐγα βδυβιίποηϊ. (οηῖγα οπιηΐυπὶ πηδχὶ ΠΊΘ ἀπιδηῖ φυὶ ραγοϊηοηΐα οἱ [γα ρα νἱϊδπη βυϑπη ογηδηῖ, ᾿Ιθεηϊογαυὸ ᾿ρ808 νϑηιΔη . ΟΟἸἾΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΒΘΤΒΑΤΕΟΘΙΟ ΜΟΝΔΟΗΟ. Ουπὶ ρίοῦο σοηβι!ΐο ρεδουηία οἵη ηΐἷδ8 Π Υ18, οηλΐ ἀχουδαίίΐοης πόογὰ πιράϊΐο βδυμίδία, δὰ νἱγίυϊδαν ἰπβογυὶ, ἰυπὶ νογ0 , 4υΐ
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