Letter 837
To the same person.
In the time now past you were spending your life in the desert and in freedom from disturbance, in no way struck by any of the things one does not wish for; for in this way Providence was training you for the contests of virtue. But now, having come into the midst of the arena and the wrestling-pits [the contest grounds where the trials of asceticism are met], you lose heart, and you are distraught, and you cry out in lamentation again and again.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Τὸν παρελθόντα χρόνον ἐν ἐρήμῳ διέτριβες καὶ ἀνενοχλησίᾳ, μηδάμως κτυπούμενός τινι τῶν ἀδουλήτων· οὕτω γάρ σε Πρόνοια ἐγύμναζε πρὸς τοὺς ἄθλους τῆς ἀρετῆς. Νῦν δὲ γενόμενος μεταξὺ τοῦ σταδίου καὶ τῶν σκαμμάτων, ἀθυμεῖς, καὶ ἀλύεις, καὶ πολλὰ ποτνιᾶσαι.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from modern nilus ancyra workflow v1.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: project source import
Related Letters
[The beginning of this epistle is the same as that of Epistle VII. to the same Anastasius as far as the words stand on the shore of virtue; after which it is continued as follows.] But, as to your calling me the mouth and lantern of the Lord, and alleging that I profit many by speaking, and am able to give light to many, I confess that you have ...
Gregory to Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch. I have received through the hands of our common son the deacon Sabinianus the longed for letter of your most sweet Holiness, in which the words have flowed not from your tongue but from your soul. And it is not surprising that one speaks well who lives perfectly.