John Chrysostom, To Eudoxia I

of the many things said. Therefore let your Christ-loving piety imitate those who have kept the faith unharmed and have run the 290 good race in this life through good deeds and command that their vineyard, which they had for a consolation, be given back to the humble wife of Theognostus and to her children. For the affliction and misfortune which has befallen them is enough for them, since he died in exile, and all their substance has been taken away. Yes, I beseech you to release your grudge against her, remembering the Savior in the Gospels exhorting us not to let the sun go down on our anger. And again when he clearly addresses that rich man and says: ‘Fool, this night they require your soul from you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ Will the sweetness of the fruit of the vine, or the sweetness of figs, or the richness of oil, or the abundance of money and possessions, and the glory of rule descend with us into Hades? Do we not depart leaving all things here behind, naked and unprotected? Therefore, remembering all these things, permit the vineyard to be restored, so that it may go well with you on the day of judgment.” 295 “I do not think you are unaware, spiritual child, that the authorities ordained by God, according to the apostle, were not established so that they might be permitted to do wrong, but so that they might correct wrongdoers and always lead and regulate their subjects toward a lawful and just life; and this is wont to be best achieved when those entrusted with the high offices are themselves seen to be the first of all to lay claim to justice and the other virtues; for the governed are for the most part wont to be disposed in a similar way as the governor.

Since, therefore, the patrician Theodoricus also, having never in any way offended your majesty as have the offenders, has now himself fled to the church of God, begging to suffer nothing unjustly, I ask that this request be fulfilled for him by you, and that you not wish 296 to bring the self-sufficiency of the empire, which rules all land and sea, to the want of one of its subjects. For thus, by appearing as practical teachers of virtue, you will be deemed worthy both of prosperity here concerning the imperial rule and of the kingdom there. Farewell, my dearest, most glorious empress, who dignifies the purple with a royal mind.” “I believe you are not unaware, O child,” he has written, “that I was born the son of renowned and wealthy men, and having sold everything into the hands of the poor, I pray to live and be rich in Christ alone, which I unceasingly exhort you and all the pious to do. This Theodoricus also did, having given nothing to me (for neither, even if he had given, would I have 297 received it), but having provided it through the poor to Christ, the King of kings. Therefore, not only what we have done and advised, but having with God accomplished something more, we ourselves have taught that which is far inferior and holds the last rank of virtue. For we, in order to abstain from what belongs to others, have also given up our own things to the needy; but you, who hold onto your own things, we have admonished as good counselors to keep away from what belongs to others. However, to the saying that we are all wise in giving advice, I for my part would say the contrary, that no one is truly wise, except only the one who has received the grace of wisdom from God, and how is it that when we sin we do not know it, since the tribunal of conscience is unerring for all? Nevertheless, “Blessed,” according to the divine apostle, “is the one who does not judge himself in what he approves” ... 503 From Chrysostom among the Saints to the Empress Eudoxia concerning the widow's vineyard God, being the creator of every nature, in essence has risen above all authority and lordship; but all men are equal, even if one seems to surpass another. And so He has bestowed upon you the scepters of the kingdom, not that you should think yourself superior to others, but that you should award equality and justice to the community; for glory and wealth and worldly splendor are not

τῶν πολλῶν λεγομένων. Μιμησάτω οὖν καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα φιλόχριστος θεοσέβεια τοὺς τὴν πίστιν τηρήσαντας ἀλωβήτως καὶ τὸν 290 καλὸν δρόμον ἐληλακότας ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πράξεων καὶ κελεύσει ἀναδοθῆναι τῇ ταπεινῇ Θεογνώστου γυναικὶ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτῶν, ὃν εἶχον εἰς παραμυθίαν. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἡ καταλαβοῦσα αὐτοὺς θλῖψις καὶ συμφορά, ἐκείνου μὲν ἐν ἐξορίᾳ τετελευτηκότος, τῆς δὲ ὑποστάσεως αὐτῶν πάσης ἀφαιρεθείσης. Ναί, παρακαλῶ σε λῦσαι πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν μνησικακίαν σου μεμνημένη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις παρακελευομένου ἡμῖν μὴ ἐπιδῦναι τὸν ἥλιον ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ἡμῶν. Πάλιν δὲ αὐτοῦ διαρρήδην πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον ἐκεῖνον ἀποτεινομένου καὶ λέγοντος· Ἆφρον, τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἃ δὲ ἡτοίμασας, τίνι ἔσται; Μὴ συγκαταβήσεται ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ Ἅδῃ γλυκύτης καρποῦ ἀμπέλου ἢ ἡδύτης σύκων ἢ λιπότης ἐλαίου ἢ χρημάτων καὶ κτημάτων περιουσία καὶ δόξα ἀρχῆς; Οὐχὶ πάντα παρεῶντες ἀπερχόμεθα τῶν ἐνταῦθα γυμνοὶ καὶ ἀπροστάτευτοι; Οὐκοῦν τούτων πάντων μνημονεύουσα ἐπίτρεψον ἀναδοθῆναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως». 295 «Οὐκ οἶμαί σε, τέκνον πνευματικόν, ἀγνοεῖν ὡς αἱ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τεταγμέναι κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον ἐξουσίαι οὐχ ὥστε ἐξεῖναι ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥστε διορθοῦν τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ἐτάχθησαν καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἔννομον καὶ δίκαιον βίον ἐνάγειν διὰ παντὸς καὶ ῥυθμίζειν τὸ ὑποχείριον· ὅπερ τηνικαῦτα κατορθοῦσθαι μάλιστα εἴωθεν, ὁπηνίκα πρῶτοι τῶν ἄλλων οἱ τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐγκεχειρισμένοι αὐτοὶ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς ἀντιποιούμενοι φαίνονται· φιλεῖ γὰρ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ πρὸς τὸ ἄρχον συνδιατίθεσθαί πως καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον.

Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ὁ Θεοδώριχος ὁ πατρίκιος μηδὲν μηδέποτε τῷ ὑμετέρῳ κράτει προσεπταικὼς κατὰ τοὺς προσκεκρουκότας καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ νῦν ἐκκλησίᾳ προσπέφευγε μηδὲν ἀδίκως παθεῖν ἐξαιτούμενος, πληρωθῆναι τούτῳ παρ' ὑμῶν τὴν ἐξαίτησιν ἀξιῶ καὶ μὴ 296 θελῆσαι τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἀνενδεὲς εἰς ἔνδειαν ἑνὸς τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα κατενεγκεῖν γῆς ἁπάσης καὶ θαλάσσης διακρατούσης. Οὕτω γὰρ ἔμπρακτοι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναφανέντες διδάσκαλοι διὰ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν περὶ τὴν βασίλειον ἀρχὴν εὐπραγίας καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν βασιλείας ἀξιωθήσεσθε. Ἔρρωσό μοι καταλύφω, ἐνδοξοτάτη βασίλισσα, βασιλικῷ φρονήματι τὴν ἁλουργίδα κατασεμνύνουσα». «Οἶμαί σε μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, ὦ τέκνον», γεγράφηκεν, «ὡς ἐπιδόξων καὶ πλουσίων υἱὸς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ καὶ πάντα ταῖς τῶν πενήτων χερσὶν ἀποδόμενος μόνῳ Χριστῷ ζῆν εὔχομαι καὶ πλουτεῖν ὃ καὶ ὑμᾶς ποιεῖν καὶ πάντας τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς ἀδιαλείπτως παρακαλῶ. Τοῦτο καὶ Θεοδώριχος διεπράξατο ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν δεδωκὼς (οὐδὲ γάρ, οὐδέ, εἰ ἐδίδου, ἔλαβον 297 ἄν), ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν πενήτων Χριστῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν βασιλέων παρεσχηκώς. Οὐ μόνον οὖν ὃ πεπράχαμεν καὶ συνεβουλεύσαμεν, ἀλλὰ πλέον τι σὺν Θεῷ κατωρθωκότες αὐτοὶ τὸ πολλῷ καταδεέστερον καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην ἐπέχον τάξιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐδιδάξαμεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀποσχέσθαι καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τοῖς ἐνδεέσι προήκαμεν· σὲ δὲ τῶν οἰκείων ἐχομένην τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀφίστασθαι ὡς ἀγαθοὶ νενουθετήκαμεν σύμβουλοι. Πρὸς μέντοι τὸ πάντες ἐσμὲν εἰς τὸ νουθετεῖν σοφοί, τοὐναντίον ἐγώ γε φαίην ἄν, ὡς οὐδείς ἐστι κυρίως σοφός, εἰ μὴ μόνος ὁ χάριν σοφίας παρὰ Θεοῦ εἰληφώς, πῶς δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτάνοντες οὐ γινώσκομεν, ἀπαραλογίστου πᾶσι τοῦ τῆς συνειδήσεως κριτηρίου τυγχάνοντος; Πλὴν «Μακάριος», κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, «ὁ μὴ κρίνων ἑαυτόν, ἐν ᾧ δοκιμάζει» ... 503 Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Χρυσοστόμου πρὸς τὴν βασίλισσαν Εὐδοξίαν περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τῆς χήρας Ὁ μὲν θεὸς πάσης ὢν φύσεως δημιουργὸς πάσης κατ' οὐσίαν ὑπερανέστηκεν ἐξουσίας καὶ κυριότητος· ἄνθρωποι δὲ πάντες ἴσοι, κἂν ὁ μὲν ἄλλου, ὁ δὲ ἑτέρου προέχειν δοκῇ. Καί σοι τοίνυν τὰ σκῆπτρα τῆς βασιλείας ἀπένειμεν, οὐχ ἵνα σαυτὴν τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερέχειν νομίζῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἰσονομίαν τῷ κοινῷ καὶ δικαιοσύνην βραβεύῃς· δόξα γὰρ καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ περιφάνεια κοσμικὴ οὐκ