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Virtue ought to be free from all fear. For virtue is without master and voluntary, free from all fear and necessity.

It is not possible to conceive of another birth of evil than the absence of virtue. Of Clement. The deliverance from evils is the beginning of salvation. As it seems, justice is four-square, equal and like in word, in deed,

in abstinence from evils, in well-doing, in gnostic perfection; in no way limping at all, so that it may not appear unjust and unequal.

Of Didymus. Form virtue, not so that you might deceive, but so that you might benefit. The kingdom of God should be called the state of those according to the divine laws

living in an orderly way. All practical virtue has its being in the becoming, and not in the having become. Of Nilus.Rejoice in virtue when you practice it; but do not be lifted up, lest ever the

shipwreck happen in the harbor. Of Cyril.It is necessary for virtue not to limp in either respect, but in deed and in word

to be upright and perfect in both. 15Ε_018 728 Rough is virtue, and straight the path to it; and one would not

take it without long toil. From the Fathers. The soul is defiled through four things: by walking

in the city and not guarding the eyes, and by having any acquaintance with women, and by having friendship with the glorious ones of the world, and by loving carnal conversations and vain talk.

Of Plutarch.The brilliance of unknown virtue, just like that of buried gold, is not seen.

Food seems sweet to those who exercise, and virtue to those who are educated.

A life, like a coin discredited at the beginning, becomes unapproved throughout the whole world.

Resolve to do everything as though it will escape no one's notice. For even if you hide it for the moment, you will be seen later.

When a certain man wronged him, and was avoiding him and was ashamed to meet him, meeting him once he said: You should not flee me, but I you, since you are worthless.

A cowardly and feeble man, corrupted by wealth and softness, is not worthy of a dog or a donkey.

Choose to live in such a way, as to be neither despised by the more powerful, nor to be feared by the less fortunate.

Demosth. Just as of a house, I think, and of a ship and of other such things, the parts below must be stronger; so also of actions the beginnings and the foundations must be true and just.

Of Cleitarchus.Do not consider having virtue to be good, but rather having it as one ought and for the sake of what one ought.

15Ε_020 Having virtue, you will have all things; but having vice, not even yourself. Socrates. Seeing one of his disciples, of the field

taking care, but neglecting his conduct; "See, O you," he said, "lest wishing to cultivate the field, you make your soul wild."

And observing one of his acquaintances who was eager that his statue might be a likeness of him, he said to him. You are eager that the stone may be a likeness of you; but that you yourself may not be a likeness of a stone, you do not care.

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Ἐλευθέραν εἶναι προσήκει παντός φόβου τήν ἀρετήν. Ἀδέσποτον γάρ ἀρετή καί ἑκούσιον, παντός φόβου καί ἀνάγκης ἐλεύθερον.

Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλην κακίας γέννησιν ἐννοῆσαι, ἤ ἀρετῆς ἀπουσίαν. Κλήμεντος. Ἡ τῶν κακῶν ἀπαλλαγή σωτηρίας ἐστίν ἀρχή. Ὡς ἔοικεν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη τετράγωνός ἐστιν, ἴση καί ὁμοία ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἔργῳ,

ἐν ἀποχῇ κακῶν, ἐν εὐποιίᾳ, ἐν τελειότητι γνωστικῇ· οὐδαμῆ οὐδαμῶς χωλεύουσα, ἵνα μή ἄδικος καί ἄνισος φανῇ.

∆ιδύμου. Σχηματίζου τήν ἀρετήν, οὐχ ὅπως ἀπατήσῃς, ἀλλ᾿ ὅπως ὠφελήσῃς. Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ λεκτέον τήν κατάστασιν τῶν κατά τούς θείου νόμους

τεταγμένως βιούντων. Πᾶσα πρακτική ἀρετή ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι, καί οὐκ ἐν τῷ γεγονέναι, τό εἶναι ἔχει. Νείλου.Χαῖρε τήν ἀρετήν ἡνίκα πράττεις· ἀλλά μή ἐπαίρου, μή ποτε τό

ναυάγιον ἐν τῷ λιμένι γένηται. Κυρίλλου.Χρή τήν ἀρετήν μή χωλεύειν καθ᾿ ἑκάτερον, ἀλλ᾿ ἔργῳ καί λόγῳ

ὀρθήν καί ἀπηρτισμένην κατ᾿ ἀμφότερα εἶναι. 15Ε_018728 Τραχεῖα ἡ ἀρετή, καί ὀρθῶς οἷμος ἐπ᾿ αὐτήν· καί οὐκ ἄν

τι ἕλοιτο ταύτην δίχα πόνου μακροῦ. Ἐκ τῶν Πατέρων. ∆ιά τεσσάρων πραγμάτων ἡ ψυχή μιαίνεται· τῷ περιπατεῖν

ἐν πόλει καί μή φυλάσσειν τούς ὀφθαλμούς, καί τῷ ὅλως ἔχειν γνῶσιν μετά γυναικῶν, καί τῷ ἔχειν φιλίαν μετά τῶν ἐνδόξων τοῦ κόσμου, καί τῷ ἀγαπῆσαι τάς σαρκικάς ὁμιλίας καί ματαιολογίας.

Πλουτάρχου.Τῆς ἀγνοουμένης ἀρετῆς ὥσπερ τοῦ κατορωρυγμένου χρυσίου ἡ λαμπρότης οὐ βλέπεται.

Ἡ μέν τροφή τοῖς γυμναζομένοις, ἡ δέ ἀρετή τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις ἡδεία φαίνεται.

Ὁ βίος καθάπερ νόμισμα διαβληθείς ἐν ἀρχαῖς, εἰς πάντα τόν κόσμον ἀδόκιμος γίνεται.

Ἅπαντα δόκει ποιεῖν, ὡς μηδένα λήσων. Καί γάρ ἄν παραυτίκα κρύψῃς, ὕστερον ὄφθήσῃ.

Ἀνθρώπου τινός αὐτόν ἀδικήσαντος, καί περιφεύγοντος καί ἀπαντᾷν αἰσχυνομένου, συντυχών ἅπαξ εἶπεν· οὐ δέ χρή ἐμέ φεύγειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐμέ σέ, φαῦλον ὄντα.

Οὐκ ἔστι κυνός ἀντάξιος οὐδ᾿ ὄνου δειλός ἀνήρ καί ἄναλκις, ὑπό πλούτου καί μαλακίας διεῤῥυηκώς.

Οὕτως ζῇν προαιροῦ, ὡς μήτε τῶν δυνατωτέρων καταφρονεῖσθαι, μήτε τοῖς ὑποδεεστέροις φοβερός εἶναι.

∆ημοσθ. Ὥσπερ οἰκίας, οἶμαι, καί πλοίου καί τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων, τά κάτωθεν ἰσχυρότερα εἶναι δεῖ· οὕτω καί τῶν πράξεων τάς ἀρχάς καί τάς ὑποθείσεις, ἀληθεῖς καί δικαίας.

Κλειτάρχου.Μή τό ἔχειν ἀρετήν καλόν νόμιζε, ἀλλά τό ὡς δεῖ καί ὑπέρ ὧν δεῖ.

15Ε_020 Ἀρετήν μέν ἔχων, πάντα ἕξεις· κακίαν δέ, οὐδέ σεαυτόν. Σωκράτης. Θεασάμενός τινα τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μέν ἀγροῦ

ἐπιμελούμενον, τῆς πράξεως δέ ἀμελοῦντα· Ὅρα, ὦ οὗτος, ἔφη, μή τόν ἀγρόν ἐξημερῶσαι βουλόμενος, τήν ψυχήν ἀγριώσῃς.

Καταμαθών δέ τινα τῶν γνωρίμων ἐσπουδακότα ὅπως αὐτῷ ἡ εἰκών ὁμοία γένηται, πρός αὐτόν εἶπε. Σύ ὅπως μέν σοι ὁ λίθος ὅμοιος γένηται ἐσπούδακας· ὅπως δέ μή αὐτός λίθῳ ὅμοιος γένῃ, οὐ φροντίζεις.