Letter 810: True humility is not the absence of accomplishment but the refusal to boast about it.
Some, admiring not the beauty and grace of speech, but rather its contentious and quarrelsome quality, accuse its morals as they approach the hearing.
To Theodorus the Scholasticus: Your brother, O admirable one, is marveled at for his character, but you for your eloquence; he for the rectitude of his judgment, you for the sharpness of your discourse. Why then do you not join both excellences together? For the one who possesses learning without virtue is like a ship with sails but no rudder, and the one who has virtue without learning is like a lamp hidden under a bushel. But the one who unites both — uprightness of life with the power of the word — this is the one who brings the greatest benefit to those who encounter him. I urge you therefore to add to the skill of your tongue the beauty of your conduct, so that your speech may be not merely admired but also profitable, not merely applauded but also fruitful. For what use is it to charm the ear if the soul remains uncorrected? The true teacher is one whose life confirms his doctrine, whose works give weight to his words, and whose entire existence bears witness to the truth he proclaims. The teacher must therefore be like Moses, who not only received the law from God but also lived by it, who not only spoke to the people on God's behalf but also interceded with God on the people's behalf. He must be a bridge between heaven and earth, standing with one foot in each world, translating the eternal truths into temporal language and the divine commands into human action. This is the highest and most demanding of all callings, and the one who undertakes it must do so with fear and trembling, knowing that he will be judged with greater strictness, and that to whom much has been given, much will be required.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Ουϊάδηι οὐ πη ρδϑη δουηηθη ἃς ἀϊοοηαὶ ἔδει] - (ΘᾺ δάπηϊγδηῖοδ, υἱ οθπίοπιΐοδυπι δίηυο 8δἀ δυάΐδη- . ἀππὶ ἀἰδοθιθ οἱ πιογόϑυπι δοοῦβαμ!. Νδῃῃ οὐπὶ δι . ΙΒΙΠΟΒΙ ΡΕΠΌΞΘΙΟΤΙΕ Δ Μ’. --- ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΊΚΏ, Ὃ μὲν ἀδελφὸς, ὦ θαυμάτιε, ὃ σὸς, διὰ τρόπον θαυμάζξεται, σὺ δὲ διὰ λόγον" ἔχεῖνος δι᾽ ὀρθότητα γνώμης, σὺ δὲ διὰ δεινότητα γλώττης " ἐχεῖνος διὸ μετριότητα ἤθους, σὺ δὲ διὰ φράσεως ὄγχον " ἐχεῖνος ὡς χαρπῷ βρύων, σὺ δ᾽ ὡς φύλλοις χομῶν. Εἰ τοί- νον τοῦθ᾽ οὔτως ἔχει, ζῆλον τὸν σαυτοῦ ἀδελφὸν, ἵνσ κατ᾽ ἄμφω εὐδόχυμος εἴης. Θὺ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἐχεῖνος τῶν σῶν, ὅσον σὺ τῶν ἐχείνου, χρήζεις κλεονεχτὴ- μάτων. ΜΑ΄. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Θαυμάζοντές σέ τινες δι’ ὀξύτητα νοῦ, καὶ γλώττης δεινότητα, γράφονται ὡς δύσεριν χαὶ δυσπρόσιτον χαὶ δύσχολον. Δέον γὰρ τοῖς ὑποδεεστέ- Ἰηεγίοτοβ ἀεπιίϊδιατα ἀδυθᾶδ, ἰὰ σοηίγα Π6 80ρ6- αὶ ροῖς συγχατιέναι, οὐδὲ τοῖς χρείττοσι παραχωρεῖς. τἱοῦῖθι5 φυϊάθηι ργδίδηι γί υ8 οαὐΐδ. Ουοοίγοι, δὶ ΓῈ5 [ ΠδὈ6ῖ, π6 ὀγτυσ Θ8π , ἰῃ ἴθ ΒιΙΠ1ΠΔ δδί, ΡῈ ΔηΪηΐ δἰ ηἰϑι 816Π ἀἰηυθ ᾿πρτο- Ῥίιδῖθη) ΡΤΌΘΥΟ ἃς ἀδάθοογο [ : γϑγαιη ἐσγορίδ Ἰ1ηάυ "ει σι δίθν, οἱ οἰοαυδι δ ποτα δυδνὶδ- ἴοπι οἱ (6οἰ Πα δΙ ἢ διπηΐβε : 4αυὺ υἱνΐπ4θο Ἰδυάδιη διὸ πυιη ποἰοθτὶ αἴθπὶ δοποὶ . ΧΙ, --- ΕἸΌΒΝ. ΕἸοφυδηίθη) ρ0 πη φἰδμιοῦίη,, 4υἱ ἰώ, νοι! 4ι) σομοόρὶ!, ρεγαρίουα ογιθμ!θ ὠθη) - δΙΓΆΓΟ ΡΟΙΟΒΙ, 4ι;ἷΝΈεΞἀοοιϊβοὶ . δ᾽ δ ἐμ γὙ ΓΡί5, οἶδ) 4υδὲ Οἰλγᾷ οἱ ἀϊυο ἀ δυιη, οὐδοῳ» γα! ΠΠΠ δἰᾳυϊάοαι), φυοΐ ἰδιοι, ἰυ ἰυσθην ρῥγοΐδει : είς, ΠπΔ οιίαπι φιυοά οὐππίθιδ ραγβρίοιηι οὶ, ἰῷ ΔΘ η0 γ οὐσυ αι. Εὐᾳιθ ποιηΐηο , υἱ ηυἱὶ δυάΐ- ΛοΥ Α ργοάθ586 οἰ ρίδὶ, ΔιΙῊ . Δ α. - γαίυγ αἰ Οη!Γ4, υἱ αυἱ ρον β0υ: σιρ! Διο ἤσστοι, ΒομοΥγΒ ΓΦ ΘΧΡΘΥΒ ΤΟΙ . ΧΠ1 . --- ΡΑΌΠ0. ἶδυ πγῃην ἰδία νἱἀογὶ ἀσῦθι, ᾳφυοι αἐὶ ἐμ νὶ- ἐΐις [δοΐϊθιι5 ἰηΠλιπιηδπιυῦ, η6 ὑφιιοῆο αμυΐάθι ] οτος ἰνηϊ. Αοοοριὶς οηἷπὶ Ὀοποίϊο πιδα ἰγγὶ- ἰπΐαγ, φυΐα δῖ] "απ πη α16 Οριϊ8 ἀβηΟδοι . ΧΙΙΥ. --- ΒΕΒΑΡΙΟΝΙῚ ἘΡΙΘΟΟΡΟ. ἡιυπηθοφυίάσδηι (Θπλομϑιγαι πὶ γογι Οὐβοῦτᾶ- γι ἰὐρίαχ ρῥγὶπαϊρίυ ἢ 6δ8ι (οπηηἶ8 . «ἰ6] - διγλ τ 6ἱ ΘΟΠΠ ΓΙ Δι9 ναὶ ἃ ., γὺ ] ἃ ρογβρί σα Οὐχοῦν εἰ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, μὴ κχαθύδριζε τὴν ἀρίστην παίδευσιν τῇ τῆς γνώμης σχαιότητι " ἀλλὰ χίρνα τῇ εὐφυΐχ τὴν εὐμένειαν, χαὶ τῇ τῶν λόγων δεινότητι τὴν τῶν τρόπων ἡμερότητα, ἵνα ἑχατέρω- θεν ἀοίδιμος γένοιο. ΜΒ’, .- ΤΏ ΑΥ̓Τῴ. Συφὸν «ᾧῷ λόγῳ ἔγωγε ἀρισαέμην, τὸν σαφῶς παραστῆσαι δυνάμενον τὸ νοῃϑὲν, οὐ τὸν ὑπερσό- φοῖς χαὶ ὑψηλαῖς λέξεσι χαὶ τὰ σαφῇ ἐπισχιάζοντα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ «ὃ λεληθὸς εἰς φῶς ἄγει᾽ ὁ δὲ χαὶ τὸ φ«ἄφι ὅλον ἐν σχότῳ χαταχρύπτει. Διὸ ὀχεῖνος μὲν ς ὅτε τ: τῶν ἀκροατῶν ὠφελείας ἐφιέμενος, πολυύμνη- τος " οὗτος δὲ ἅτε τῆς ἰδίας δόξης ὀρεγόμενος, ἀγέ- ραστος. Μ- -- ΠΑΥΛΏ. Θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν εἰ οἱ φθόνῳ πυρσευόμενοι, οὐδὲ ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις γίνονται βελτίους. Πρὸς γὰρ τὰς χάριτας μᾶλλον παροξύνονται, ἐπειδήπερ συνίσασιν ἑαυτοὺς δεηθέντας χρηστότητος. ΜΔ'. -- ΣΕΡΑΙΠΩΝῚ ἘΠΙΣΚΌΠΩ (). Ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἀποδείξεων τῶν ἀφανῶν πραγμάτω" ἀρχαὶ διτταὶ τυγχάνουσιν (ἢ γὰρ ἐξ αἰσθήσεως ἣ ἐχ νοήσεως ἐναργοῦς πᾶσα ἀπόδειξις χαὶ πίστι: (αἰδί ἀεγδίίονα ἱπίτἰυπὶ ἀκ ), τ δῖ χη6. ἅι1 βογαηι Ὦ ἄρχεται), χἀμὲ ἀναγχαϊόν ἐστιν, ἣ θατέρῳ τούτων ἢ δίίαγο, δι ιὲ διΪλπὶ ΓΟ]υθ ἃι σδιϊδη εἰ ᾶπὶ ᾿Γ8- εὐπεδπ, Ἰηθ , αἱ 'ρ86 56τ,ρδ5ι!, ρθοίογα [ὃγ- γρηο, Πααθ6586 Οβῖ : ϑι1η1 αυΐδι )υ εἰ ο] . ἀμφοτέροις χεχρῆσθαι πρὸς τὸ χοιμίσαι σου τὸν θυμὸν, ἐχ μέσης χαρδίας, ὡς γέγραφας, ζέοντα" οὐτῶν δὲ τῶν διὰ τοῦ λόγου κρίσεων, οὐχ ἅπασιν ΥΑΒΙ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕἝ. ἃ ἀϊναγεὶβ ποπιϊηΐυ9, νοὶ οἰλγὶ5 γϑὶ ΟὈδβοιΓὶ5, ὉΓ0- ἰι8. ποῆ δδιπδη νἱμὰ ἰιαῦοϑί, υἱ δρυΐ δρίθη- εἰδδ Ευγὶρί θη : ...« Λόγος γὰρ ἕκ τ᾽ ἀδοξούνγτων ἰὼν Καὶ τῶν δοκούντων, αὐτὸς οὐ ταὑτὸν σθέόγϑδι. δ, ΝΆγΟΙ ἐν ἐς αρυὰ γι οαιίιη ἀμ 4η. ἴη Ανϊθΐϊο (ἡπιϑδῖο : Τγγαμβηότγηηι δἰΐλμι οι οἰ πο ξυθοια ταῖσι Ἀυςιου αι5 φιλί ἰοθθι!. ἔττ. () Σεραπίωνι ἐπισκόπῳ. Ὀυδίιο δὴ δἷς εἰἷϊ αυη5. δὲ δι οἰ εἶα ἰητἰπ ὰ . 6ϑὶ ἰδ ἀογυ8 ποϑβίεγ, οἱ ᾿ϑγο8 δχϑὶ εἰ (δευϊδιυπ), αυώ5 .. ὀποῦθι5 ναὶ γἰε5. νι οοπϑίανδμηῖ, υἱ . δριι ϑυϊάδπι ἰη Σὰ» ραπίων. μῊΟ ρτορίι5 6δὶ υἱ [ Θυπηάδπι ρΘΓ6- ξ6π). δηΐιη δηδοιογθίβ ροιὶι8 δ᾽ οι ραΓρϑιιςο- Τυμα ἰοιηΐηυπι [, δχ ὉΠ ἀοδογίριίοπα ἐϊάϊοὶ- , 4υ4 Υἱῖᾶα δρίϑ
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