Letter 68: I am almost in tears — and yet the very sound of your name ought to bring good fortune.
To Dositheus.
I am almost in tears — and yet the very sound of your name ought to bring good fortune. For it reminds me of our noble and wholly admirable father [their shared teacher]. If you make it your aim to imitate him, you will not only be happy yourself but will give the world, as he did, an example to be proud of. But if you are lazy, you will grieve me — and you will blame yourself when blaming no longer helps.
Human translation — Tertullian Project
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Δοσιθέῳ]
Μικροῦ μοι ἐπῆλθε δακρῦσαι· καίτοι γε ἐχρῆν εὐφημεῖν τοὔνομα τὸ σὸν φθεγξάμενον· ἀνεμνήσθην γὰρ τοῦ γενναίου καὶ πάντα θαυμασίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ὃν εἰ μὲν ζηλώσεις, αὐτός τε εὐδαίμων ἔσῃ, καὶ τῷ βίῳ δώσεις, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος, ἐφ’ ὅτῳ φιλοτιμήσεται· ῥᾳθυμήσας δὲ λυπήσεις ἐμέ, σαυτῷ δὲ ὅτε μηδὲν ὄφελος μέμψῃ.
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