Letter 361: This letter should have been praise for what you have done for Honoratus, but instead it arrives still carrying a...
Σπεκτάτῳ. (358)
Ταύτην ἔδει τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἔπαινον εἶναι τῶν εἰς Ὁνω-
ράτον ὑπὸ σοῦ πεπραγμένων, ἡ δὲ ἔρχεται παράκλησιν ἔτι
φέρουσα. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν δὴ μέτριον, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἄξιον δεῖσαι
μὴ καὶ ἡ μετὰ ταύτην ταύτην μιμήσηται.
καίτοι τί μαθὼν
οὐκ ἐπιτελεῖς ἅ γε ὑπέσχου; πότερον ὡς τὸ ψεύδεσθαι καλόν;
οὐ σόν γε τὸ ἐπαινέσαι ψεῦδος. ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐλάττων σοι δύναμις
ἧς αἰτοῦμεν χάριτος; καὶ μὴν ἐγέλας οὐδὲν σπουδῆς ἀνιέντος
τοῦ Κυρίνου καὶ παρεδήλους ὡς τά γε τηλικαῦτα κἂν καθεύ-
δῶν χαρίζοιο.
ἔτι τοίνυν δοῦναί σε ἔσμεν ἑτοίμως χαριζό-
μενον δεομένῳ καὶ διωθούμενον ἀναγκάζοντα. λείπεται οὖν
ὡς μὴ φιλούντων ἀμελεῖν. ἀλλ’ ὅταν τοῦτο περὶ τῆς μητρὸς
εἵπης, καὶ καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐξέσται σοι.
ἀλλ’ ὦ πράττων μὲν
ὅσα ἐθέλεις, ἃ δ’ ἑκὼν ὑπερβαίνεις, περὶ τούτων ἀπολογίας
μελετῶν, ἐννοήσας μὲν τοῦ νέου τὴν τῶν τρόπων ἀρετήν,
αἰσχυνθεὶς δὲ τὰς Κυρίνου δεήσεις ἃς ἐποιεῖτο καθ’ ἡμέραν
ἀνὴρ ὃν καὶ θεὸς ἂν αῖδεσθείη φανέντα, νομίσας δὲ καὶ ἐμὲ
πατέρα τινὰ τοῦ μαθητοῦ καὶ ταῦτα βούλεσθαι μὲν τὴν σὴν
μητέρα, βούλεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον θεῖον, προσθείην δ’
ἂν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν, ταῦτα ἐνθυμηθεὶς μὴ φροντίσῃς ὅ
τι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐρεῖς, ἀλλ’ ὅ τι πράξας χαριῇ.
Related Letters
Why should I not tell you the things with which I delight myself?
Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, to the Solitaries.
For 331. Easter-day xvi Pharmuthi; iii Id.
Therasius asked me to write to you, demonstrating his affection for both of us through this single gesture -- for he...
1. I heard of your unendurable loss, and was much distressed. Three or four days went by, and I was still in some doubt because my informant was not able to give me any clear details of the melancholy event.