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From the facts themselves we have learned that not nature, but the will of men, prevails in virtue and vice. And some honor licentiousness, others moderation, governed not by nature, but by choice. For though many accuse the nation of the Isaurians of being lovers of money and gold, and desirous of more, we have found the most illustrious Neon, who though born and raised among them, detested the avaricious life, or rather not only did he not endure to stretch out his hand unjustly, but he did not even choose to profit justly, but he gave up his own possessions for the care of the cities, and offered a hearing to everyone who was wronged, but closed the gates of the courthouse to the unjust and sycophants. Therefore, what would they suffer who have been deprived of such care, it is possible for your magnificence to learn from these things. 41 TO ANDREW, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA. You have wonderfully painted for us, O excellent one, using the colors of words, the most God-beloved Damianus the presbyter; for we saw him to be such a man as you have interpreted through your letters. And I indeed have had experience of his character, but the people enjoyed his speech. For sickness prevented me, but I have only heard from his listeners that he is such a man as your holiness has indicated. But having given us a taste, and now imitating the clouds above, he lets fall a few drops, and passes by us who are thirsty. But it pleased me that he became the occasion for a letter from me to your holiness; for even being in poor health, I made haste through him to greet your holiness and to stir you to prayer [on my behalf]. 42 TO EUTHALIUS THE PRESBYTER. Having had one consolation in this city, the company of your piety, I was greatly distressed at not having enjoyed it for so long a time. And I grieve the more that having fallen into this unexpected loss, and being despondent, as is likely, you do not even have one to comfort you and to drive away despondency with the incantations of the all-holy Spirit. But, O admirable one, be your own counselor and teacher, and display in these struggles the philosophy which you have pursued from childhood, and let all learn that you philosophize in deed rather than in word, considering human affairs as nothing, and placing the streams of wealth and extreme poverty on an equal footing. For each, as you know, is wont to shift here and there according to the ebb and flow of the strait, and to belong now to this one, now to that one. But virtue, of which you are a foster-child, is the only stable good, and he who has acquired it must guard it securely, and he who does not have it must seek it diligently; but gold and the other goods of wealth one must manage fittingly when they are present, and not long for them when they are absent. These things you continue to philosophize; these things you have also often introduced to others. Let those who seek then learn that they have the power to take money, but they can never plunder virtue. 43 TO AGIANUS THE MONK. "Nothing in excess" and "measure is best," and as many such things have been said by the wise men of old, I consider to apply to everything good and beneficial; for not only wishing to prevent high and lofty thoughts did those who undertook the ordering of morals say these things, but also things that are too humble and lie somewhere below what is moderate

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∆ι' αὐτῶν μεμαθήκαμεν τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς οὐ φύσις, ἀλλὰ γνώμη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν ἀρετῇ καὶ κακίᾳ κρατεῖ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀκολασίαν, οἱ δὲ σωφροσύνην τιμῶσιν, οὐχ ὑπὸ φύσεως, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ προαιρέσεως κυβερνώμενοι. Πολλῶν [γὰ]ρ τὸ ἔ[θνος] τῶν Ἰσαύρων κατηγορούντων, ὡς ἐρῶσι χρημάτων καὶ φιλόχρυσοι καὶ τοῦ πλείονος ἐφιέμενοι, εὕρομεν τὸν λαμπρότατον Νέωνα, παρ' ἐκείνοις μὲν φύντα καὶ τραφέντα, τὸν πλεονεκτικὸν δὲ βδελυξάμενον βίον, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ μόνον ἀδίκως τὴν χεῖρα προ τεῖναι μὴ ἀνασχόμενον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ δικαίως κερδάναι προελόμε νον, τὰ δὲ οἰκεῖα προέμενον εἰς τὴν τῶν πόλεων ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ παντὶ μὲν ἀδικουμένῳ τὴν ἀκοὴν ὑποσχόντα, ἀδίκοις δὲ καὶ συκοφάνταις ἀποκλείσαντα τὰς τοῦ δικαστηρίου κιγκλίδας. Τί οὖν ἂν πάθοιεν οἱ τοιαύτης στερηθέντες κηδεμονίας ἔξεσ τιν ἐκ τούτων μαθεῖν τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν. 41 ΑΝ∆ΡΕΑ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ. Θαυμαστῶς ἡμῖν ἐζωγράφησας, ὦ ἄριστε, τοῖς τῶν λόγων χρησάμενος χρώμασι τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ∆αμιανὸν τὸν πρεσ βύτερον· τοιοῦτον γὰρ αὐτὸν εἴδομεν, οἷον διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἡρμήνευσας. Καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν πεῖραν ἔλαβον τοῦ τρόπου, τοῦ δὲ λόγου ἀπέλαυσεν ὁ λεώς. Ἐμὲ γὰρ ἡ νόσος ἐκώλυσε, μόνον δὲ τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἀκήκοα ὅτι τοιοῦτος ἀνήρ, οἷον ἡ σὴ ὁσιότης ὑπέδειξεν. Ἀλλὰ γεύσας ἡμᾶς, καὶ νῦν τὰ ὑπερκείμενα μιμη σάμενος νέφη, ψεκάδας ὀλίγας ἀφίησι, καὶ διψῶντας παρέρχε ται. Ἐμὲ δὲ ἧσεν, ὅτι μοι τῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἁγιότητα γραμ μάτων ἐγένετο πρόξενος· καὶ γὰρ ἀσθενῶς διακείμενος, ἐσπού δασα δι' αὐτοῦ προσειπεῖν σου τὴν ὁσιότητα καὶ εἰς τὴν [ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ] προσευχὴν διεγεῖραι. 42 ΕΥΘΑΛΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Μίαν ἐσχηκὼς παραψυχὴν ἐν τῇδ[ε τῇ] πόλ[ει], τὴν τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας συνουσίαν, σφόδρα ἠνιάθην, ταύτης ἐν τοσούτῳ μὴ ἀπολαύσας χρόνῳ. Ἀλγῶ δὲ πλέον ὅτι τῇ ἀδοκήτῳ ταύτῃ ζημίᾳ περιπεπτωκώς, καὶ ἀθυμῶν, ὡς εἰκός, οὐδὲ τὸν ψυχα γωγοῦντα ἔχεις καὶ τὴν ἀθυμίαν ταῖς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἐπῳδαῖς ἀπελαύνοντα. Ἀλλ', ὦ θαυμάσιε, γενοῦ σαυτῷ καὶ σύμβουλος καὶ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ἣν ἐκ παιδὸς μετῆλθες φιλο σοφίαν ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἐπίδειξαι, καὶ μαθέτωσαν ἅπαντες, ὡς ἔργῳ μᾶλλον ἢ λόγῳ φιλοσοφεῖς, οὐδὲν μὲν ἡγούμενος τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, πλούτου δὲ ῥεύματα καὶ πενίαν ἐσχάτην ἴσα τιθέ μενος. Ἑκάτερον γάρ, ὡς οἶσθα, κατὰ τὴν εὐρίπων ἐπίῤῥοιαν τῇδε κἀκεῖσε πέφυκε μεταβαίνειν, καὶ νῦν μὲν ὡς τοῦτον, νῦν δὲ ὡς ἐκεῖνον εἶναι. Ἀρετὴ δέ, ἧς τρόφιμος ὑπάρχεις, μόνι μόν ἐστιν ἀγαθόν, καὶ χρὴ ταύτην τὸν μὲν κεκτημένον ἀσφα λῶς φυλάττειν, τὸν δὲ οὐκ ἔχοντα σπουδαίως ζητεῖν· χρυσὸν δὲ καὶ τἆλλα ἀγαθὰ τοῦ πλούτου παρόντα μὲν δεόντως οἰκο νομεῖν, ἀπόντα δὲ μὴ ποθεῖν. Ταῦτα φιλοσοφῶν διατελεῖς· ταῦτα καὶ ἑτέροις εἰσηγήσω πολλάκις. Μαθέτωσαν τοίνυν οἱ ζητοῦντες, ὡς χρήματα μὲν λαβεῖν [ἰσ]χύουσιν, [ἀρε]τὴν δὲ [συ]λῆσαι οὐ δύνανται πώποτε. 43 ΑΓΙΑΝΩ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ. Τὸ μηδὲν ἄγαν καὶ μέτρον ἄριστον , καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα τοῖς πάλαι σοφοῖς εἴρηται, ἐπὶ παντὸς ἡγοῦμαι καλοῦ τε καὶ συμφέροντος· οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ ὑψηλὰ καὶ ὑπέρογκα κωλύειν φρονήματα ἐθέλοντες, ταῦτα ἔφασαν οἱ τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν ἀναδε ξάμενοι διακόσμησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λίαν ταπεινὰ καὶ πέρα τοῦ μετρίου κάτω που κείμενα