Letter 736: I knew perfectly well that you would be among the first to share in my joy, since I also knew you were among the...
Δημητρίῳ. (362)
Ὅτι μὲν τῶν μάλιστα συνηδομένων ἴσῃ, καλῶς ἠπιστά-
μὴν, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνο ἠπιστάμην, ὅτι μετὰ τῶν μάλιστα φιλούν-
των τυγχάνεις ὤν.
μὴ μέντοι νόμιζε τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ωῦν
ἐπαινούντων ἡδονὴν μείζω τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν σῶν ἐπαίνων πάλαι
μοι γιγνομένης. ὃν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι τῶν νῦν λεγόντων ἄριστον,
τούτῳ λέγειν ἄριστα δοκῶν εὐφραίνομαι πλέον ἢ εἰ πάντες
ἄνθρωποι πάντα ποιοῖεν λέγοντες.
ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ταύτην
ἀμβλύνει τὴν εὐθυμίαν τὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς κακόν. πρὸς τὰ
πρῶτα μὲν ἐπολέμησεν Εὐκαρπίων φαρμάκοις καὶ τῆς ὑπερ-
βολῆς ἀφεῖλε, δείσας δὲ μὴ πάλιν εἰς ταὐτὸν ἀφίκηται, μετὰ
σιδήρου πεποίηται τὴν μάχην.
εἰ μὶν οὖν τι γένοιτο χρη-
στόν, Εὐκαρπίωνι τοῦτο λογίζου· τὸ δεινὸν δὲ εἰ κρατοίη,
παρ’ ἐμοὶ ζητεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὡς οὐκ ἤνεγκα πᾶν ὅσον ἤθελεν
ἡ τέχνη.
λόγους δὲ εἰ μὲν αὖθις ποιήσομεν, οὐκ οἶδα· τὸν
δὲ πρῴην ῥηθέντα πέπομφά σοι, τοὺς γὰρ ἔτι πρότερον εὑρεῖν
οὐκ εἶχον. ὁ γάρ τοι τῶν παίδων ἐπὶ ταῦτα τεταγμένος χρυ-
σοχόον ἐδίωκεν ἀποδεδρακότα πολλὰ πολλῶν ἔχοντα.
Related Letters
I am amazed that even this much was collected.
What debt you say I have not repaid, I do not know.
You have gotten back the man you were seeking, and I am looking for the man I had.
What a treasure I had in my hands and never used!
In this letter Jerome, at the request of Damasus, gives a minutely detailed explanation of the parable of the prodigal son. About this page Source. Translated by W.H.