Letter 103

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: Count Apollonius Date: ~440 AD Context: A brief letter sent via traveling bishops, reflecting philosophically on calumny as an inevitable human experience. To the Count Apollonius, The most devout bishops have been driven to travel to the capital by the slanders directed against me. Through their holinesses I send your excellency my greeting and pay the debt of friendship -- not to cancel that cherished obligation, but to increase it. For the debts of friendship grow larger with each payment. That I should now be reaping the fruits of calumny is hardly extraordinary. Being human, I must expect anything. All troubles of this kind must be borne by those who have learned wisdom. Only one thing is truly distressing: that harm should come to the soul.

Letter 103 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To the Count Apollonius. The very godly bishops have been led to travel to the imperial city by the calumnies uttered against me, and I by their holinesses send your excellency my salutation, and pay the debt of friendship, not indeed to wipe out the cherished obligation, but to make it greater. For in truth the obligations of friendship are increased by their discharge. That I should now be reaping the fruits of calumny is not extraordinary, for, in that I am human, there is nothing that I must not expect. All troubles of this kind must be borne by them that have learned wisdom; one thing only is distressing — that harm should accrue to the soul.