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Calm for me the heart that is barking and growing wild. Let the passions be ashamed at the appearance of the reason within you, just as the disorder in children is ashamed at the presence of a venerable man. How then can we escape the harm that comes from being angry? If we persuade anger not to anticipate our reasonings, but first take care of this, that it never runs ahead of our thought; and if we have it like a horse yoked under us, and obedient to reason as to a kind of bridle, in no way stepping out of its proper order, but being led by reason wherever it may lead. For the spirited part of our soul is still useful for many of the works of virtue, when, like a soldier laying his weapons beside the general, it readily provides assistance for what is commanded, and is an ally to reason against sin. For anger is the sinew of the soul, creating in it tension for perseverance in good things.

For if it should ever find the soul enervated by pleasure, by tempering it, as it were, like the dipping of iron, it makes it stern and brave from being too soft and lax. For unless you become angry at the evil one, it is not possible for you to hate him as much as he deserves. For it is necessary, I think, to have equal earnestness both for the love of virtue and for the hatred of sin. For which anger is most useful; when, like a dog to a shepherd, so anger, following reason, remains gentle and tame to those who benefit it, and easily recalled by reason, while growing fierce at a strange voice and sight, even if it seems to offer kindness, but cowering when its familiar friend calls out. This is the best and measured cooperation for the rational part of the soul from its spirited part.

For such a person will be irreconcilable and implacable to those who plot against him; never accepting friendship with what is harmful, but always barking at and tearing apart treacherous pleasure as if it were a wolf. Such then is the benefit from anger for those who know how to manage it. Since each of the other faculties also becomes either bad or good for its possessor according to the manner of its use. For example, with the desiderative part of the soul, the one who misuses it for the enjoyment of the flesh and of impure pleasures is abominable and dissolute, but the one who has turned it to the love of God and the longing for 31.368 eternal goods, is enviable and blessed. And again, with the rational part, the one who manages it well is prudent and intelligent; but the one whose mind is sharpened for the harm of his neighbors is malicious and an evildoer. Let us not, then, make the things given to us by the Creator for salvation an occasion for sin for ourselves. Thus indeed anger also, when moved when it should and as it should, produces courage and endurance and self-control; but when acting contrary to right reason, it becomes madness. For this reason the Psalm also admonishes us: Be angry, and do not sin.

And the Lord threatens judgment to the one who is angry without cause; but He does not forbid using anger for necessary things, as a kind of medicine. For the saying, I will put enmity between you and the serpent; and the saying, Be hostile to the Midianites, teaches to use anger as a weapon. For this reason Moses, the meekest of all men, avenging idolatry, armed the hands of the Levites for the slaughter of their brothers. Let each man, he says, put his sword on his thigh, and go from gate to gate, and return through the camp; and let each man kill his brother, and each man his neighbor, and each man his kinsman. And a little after: And Moses said, he says, You have consecrated your hands today to the Lord, each one in his son and in his brother, that a blessing may be given upon you. And what was it that justified Phinehas? Was it not righteous anger against those who fornicated? who, though for the most part gentle and meek, when he saw the fornication

5

Καθησύχασόν μοι τὴν καρδίαν ὑλακτοῦσαν καὶ ἀγριαί νουσαν. Αἰδείσθω τὰ πάθη τοῦ ἐν σοὶ λόγου τὴν ἐπι φάνειαν, ὥσπερ τὸ ἐν παισὶν ἄτακτον ἀνδρὸς αἰδεσί μου παρουσίαν. Πῶς ἂν οὖν ἐκφύγοιμεν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὀργίζεσθαι βλάβην; Ἐὰν πείσωμεν τὸν θυμὸν μὴ προλαμβάνειν τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἀλλὰ τούτου πρῶτον ἐπιμελώμεθα, ὡς μηδέποτε αὐτὸν προεκτρέχειν τῆς διανοίας· ἔχωμεν δὲ ὥσπερ ἵππον ὑπεζευγμένον ἡμῖν, καὶ οἷον χαλινῷ τινι τῷ λόγῳ καταπειθῆ, μη δαμοῦ τῆς τάξεως ἐκβαίνοντα τῆς οἰκείας, ἀγόμενον δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου, ἐφ' ὅπερ ἂν καθηγῆται. Ἔτι γὰρ πρὸς πολλὰ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργων ἐπιτήδειον ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ θυμοειδὲς, ὅταν, ὥσπερ τις στρα τιώτης, παρὰ τῷ στρατηγῷ τὰ ὅπλα θέμενος, ἑτοίμως ἐπὶ τὰ παραγγελλόμενα τὰς βοηθείας παρέχηται, καὶ σύμμαχος ᾖ τῷ λόγῳ κατὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Νεῦρον γάρ ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς ὁ θυμὸς, τόνον αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν τῶν καλῶν ἔνστασιν ἐμποιῶν.

Εἰ γάρ ποτε λάβοι αὐ τὴν ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ἐκλυθεῖσαν, οἱονεὶ βαφῇ σιδήρου στομώσας, αὐστηρὰν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀνδρείαν ἐκ μαλακῆς ἄγαν καὶ ἀνειμένης ἐποίησεν. Οὐ γὰρ, εἰ μὴ θυμωθείης κατὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ, δυνατόν σοι μισῆσαι αὐτὸν ὅσον ἄξιον. ∆εῖ γὰρ, οἶμαι, τὴν ἴσην σπουδὴν ἔχειν περί τε τὴν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ περὶ τὸ μῖσος τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Πρὸς ὅπερ μάλιστα χρήσιμος ὁ θυμός· ἐπειδὰν οἷον κύων ποιμένι, οὕτως ὁ θυμὸς τῷ λογισμῷ παρεπόμενος, πρᾶος μένῃ καὶ χει ροήθης τοῖς ὠφελοῦσι, καὶ εὐανάκλητος τῷ λογισμῷ, πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ φωνὴν καὶ ὄψιν ἐξ αγριούμενος, κἂν θεραπείαν ἔχειν δοκῇ, τοῦ δὲ συν ήθους αὐτῷ καὶ φίλου ἐμβοήσαντος, ὑποπτήσσων. Αὕτη ἀρίστη ἐστὶ καὶ ἔμμετρος τῷ φρονίμῳ τῆς ψυχῆς μέρει παρὰ τοῦ θυμοειδοῦς ἡ συνεργία.

Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ἀδιάλλακτος ἔσται τοῖς ἐπιβούλοις καὶ ἄσπονδος· μηδέποτε τὴν πρὸς τὸ βλάπτον φιλίαν καταδεχόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπίβουλον ἡδονὴν ὥσπερ τινὰ λύκον ὑλακτῶν ἀεὶ καὶ σπαράσσων. Τοιοῦτον μὲν δὴ τὸ ἀπὸ θυμοῦ ὠφέλιμον τοῖς εἰδόσι μεταχειρίζεσθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων ἑκάστη παρὰ τὸν τρόπον τῆς χρήσεως ἢ κακὸν ἢ ἀγαθὸν τῷ κεκτημένῳ γίνεται. Οἷον, τῷ ἐπιθυμητικῷ τῆς ψυχῆς ὁ μὲν εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων ἡδονῶν ἀποχρησάμενος βδελυκτὸς καὶ ἀκόλαστος, ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ τρέψας, καὶ τὴν ὄρεξιν τῶν 31.368 αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, ζηλωτὸς καὶ μακάριος. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ λογιστικὸν ὁ μὲν καλῶς μεταχειριζόμενος φρόνιμός ἐστι καὶ συνετός· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τῶν πλησίον ἠκονημένος τὸν νοῦν, κακεντρεχής ἐστι καὶ κακοῦργος. Μὴ δὴ οὖν τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν δεδομένα παρὰ τοῦ κτίσαντος ἀφορμὴν ἑαυτοῖς ἁμαρτίας ποιήσωμεν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ θυμὸς, ὅτε δεῖ, καὶ ὡς δεῖ κινούμενος, ἀνδρίαν ποιεῖ καὶ ὑπομονὴν καὶ ἐγκράτειαν· παρὰ δὲ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον ἐνεργῶν, μανία γίνεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς ὁ Ψαλμὸς νουθετεῖ· Ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε.

Καὶ ὁ Κύριος τῷ μὲν ὀργιζομένῳ εἰκῆ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπανατείνεται· τὸ δὲ ἐφ' ἃ δεῖ κεχρῆσθαι τῇ ὀργῇ, ὡς ἐν φαρμάκου εἴδει οὐ παραιτεῖται. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως· καὶ τὸ, Ἐχθραίνετε τοῖς Μαδιηναίοις, διδάσκοντός ἐστι κεχρῆσθαι τῷ θυμῷ ὥσπερ ὅπλῳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς ὁ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πραότατος, ἐκδικῶν τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, τὰς τῶν Λευϊτῶν χεῖρας πρὸς τὸν τῶν ἀδελφῶν φόνον ἐξώπλισε. Θέσθω, φησὶ, τὴν ῥομφαίαν ἕκαστος ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ διέλθετε ἀπὸ πύλης εἰς πύλην, καὶ ἀνακάμψατε διὰ τῆς παρεμβολῆς· καὶ ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Καὶ εἶπε, φησὶ, Μωϋσῆς· Ἐπληρώσατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν σήμερον τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, δοθῆναι ἐφ' ὑμᾶς εὐλογίαν. Τί δὲ τὸν Φινεὲς ἐδικαίωσεν; Οὐχ ἡ δικαία ὀργὴ κατὰ τῶν πορνευσάντων; ὃς, τὰ πολλὰ ἐπιεικὴς ὢν καὶ πρᾶος, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὴν πορνείαν