Letter 552

To Zenobius the Legate. Many of those caught in a storm at sea, with their own hands hurl the cargo, together with the most precious of their valuables, down into the deep, judging their property to be of less worth than their fleeting life, so that the ship may not be endangered and founder beneath the weight of its load. But you, though you count blessed those who trade for the eternal and unending life, are unwilling to share any of your wealth with those in need; rather, you choose to perish together with the cargo of your great estate, instead of saving yourself by jettisoning at least some part of it. And because of this wealth, does the fear of God not prevail with you as much as the fear of the sea prevails with sailors?

Πολλοὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ χειμαζομένων, αὐτόχει-ρες τὸν φόρτον σὺν τιμίοις τῶν κειμηλίων κατὰ τοῦ βυθοῦ ἀκοντίζουσι, δευτέραν τῆς προσκαίρου ζωῆς τὴν ὕπαρξιν πρίναιντες, ἵνα μὴ κινδυνεύσῃ τὸ πλοῖον τῷ βάρει τοῦ φόρτου καταδυόμενον. Σὺ δὲ μακαρίζων τοὺς πραγματευομένους τὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀτελεύτη-τον ζωήν, οὐδὲν θέλεις πλούτου μεταδιδόναις ταῖς χρήζουσιν, ἀλλ' αἱρῇ μᾶλλον συναπολέσθαι τῷ φορτίοις τῆς πολλῆς ὑποστάσεως, ἵπερ σώθητι ταύτης κἄν μέρον γοῦν ἀποσκευαζόμενος, καὶ δι' αὐτὴν παρὰ σοὶ οὐκ ἰσχύει φόβος Θεοῦ, ὅσον ἰσχύει ἡ τῆς θαλάσσης φόβος;