John Chrysostom, Against Opponents of Monastic Life

philosophy with us; what seems to be contrary, moderation and loftiness, it brings together into one soul. And then indeed, as one loving money, he would have even rejoiced at your death; but now he prays that your life be extended to a great length, so that in this also his crowns may become brilliant. For indeed no small reward is laid up for us who honor those who have begotten us, but we are commanded to consider them as masters, to serve them in word and deed, when the things of piety are not harmed. For what, it says, will you repay them as they have you? Consider then the one who in all other things has reached the height of virtue, how it is likely that he will also guard this good thing with great excess. For even if it were necessary to die for your sake, he will not refuse, since he serves and honors you not only on account of the law established by nature, but before all else on account of God, for whose sake he has despised all other things together. When therefore he is now both more 47.345 esteemed and more prosperous and more powerful and more generous, and more your servant than before with such great-mindedness, for what reason, tell me, do you lament? that you do not tremble every day, lest he might fall in war, lest he might offend the king, lest he might be caught by the envy of his fellow soldiers? Or do not the fathers of the successful fear these things, and more than these? For just as those who have placed a child on some high place are forced to tremble lest it fall, so also are those who raise their sons to high office. But the belt, and the cloak, and the herald's voice have a certain pleasure. And for how many days are these things, tell me? For thirty, and a hundred, and twice that? And what after these things? Did not all those things pass away like a dream? Like a fable? Like a shadow? But now for him are the things of honor until the end, or rather even after death, and much more then, and no one will take this office from him, since he has been appointed not by men, but by virtue itself. But you wished to see him wearing costly garments, and being carried on a horse, and having a multitude of servants, and feeding parasites and flatterers. For what reason did you want these things? Was it not to procure pleasure for him through all these things? If then you should hear him say—for perhaps you will not be persuaded by us—that he considers this life so much more pleasant than that of those living in luxury and fornications and music and with parasites and flatterers and the other foolishness, that he would often choose ten thousand deaths, if one were to command him to abandon this pleasure and leap to that one, what will you say to these things? Do you not know how much pleasure the quiet life has? perhaps no other man at all, since he has not yet tasted of it purely. But when splendor is also present, and these unmixable things come together again, both security and good repute, what could be better than this life? But why do you discuss these things with me, he says, who stand far from philosophy? Why then do you also prevent your son from coming near it? it is enough for the loss to stop with you. Do you not consider it the greatest loss, when having driven on to extreme old age, since you have reaped no good thing in your early life, you are vexed at old age? And yet for this reason, he says, we are vexed at it, because youth profited us greatly. What great things? Show the old man possessing those great things; for if he had them, and they had remained sufficient, he would not lament so as one destitute of all these things; but if they have flown away and withered, what great things are they that are so quickly extinguished? But your child will not suffer this, but if ever he should come to a long old age, you will not see him despairing at these things as you do, but rejoicing and being gladdened and exulting; for his good things flourish more then. But your wealth, even if he has possessed myriad good things, has confined them to his early life; but this one not so, but it remains both in old age and goes with him after death. For these reasons you, seeing your substance increasing in old age, and having many grounds for glory and luxury, 47.346 are vexed, since your age is not sufficient for the enjoyment;

παρ' ἡμῖν φιλοσοφία· τὰ δοκοῦντα ἐναντία εἶναι, μετριοφροσύνην καὶ ὕψος, συνάγει εἰς μίαν ψυχήν. Καὶ τότε μὲν ἅτε χρημάτων ἐρῶν, καὶ ἠσμένισεν ἄν σου τὴν τελευτήν· νῦν δὲ καὶ εἰς μῆκος ἐκταθῆναί σοι τὴν ζωὴν εὔχεται, ὥστε καὶ ἐν τούτῳ λαμπροὺς αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τοὺς στεφάνους. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μικρὸς ἡμῖν κεῖται μισθὸς τοῖς τοὺς γεγεννηκότας τιμῶσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπότας αὐτοὺς ἡγεῖσθαι κελευόμεθα, λόγῳ τε καὶ ἔργῳ θεραπεύειν, ὅταν μηδὲ τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας παραβλάπτηται. Τί γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς ἀνταποδώσεις καθὼς αὐτοί σοι; Ἐννόησον οὖν τὸν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι πρὸς ἄκρον ἥκοντα τῆς ἀρετῆς, πῶς εἰκὸς καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ πολλῆς φυλάξεσθαι τῆς ὑπερβολῆς τὸ καλόν. Κἂν γὰρ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς δέοι κεφαλῆς, οὐ παραιτήσεται, ἅτε οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸν παρὰ τῆς φύσεως κείμενον νόμον θεραπεύων σε καὶ τιμῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων διὰ τὸν Θεὸν, δι' ὃν καὶ πάντων τῶν ἄλλων ὁμοῦ κατεφρόνησεν. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ εὐδο47.345 κιμώτερος ᾖ νῦν καὶ εὐπορώτερος καὶ δυνατώτερος καὶ ἐλευθεριώτερος, καὶ μᾶλλόν σου δοῦλος ἢ πρότερον μετὰ τῆς τοσαύτης μεγαλονοίας, τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, θρηνεῖς; ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην οὐ τρέμεις τὴν ἡμέραν, μή ποτε ἐν πολέμῳ πέσῃ, μή ποτε προσκρούσῃ βασιλεῖ, μή ποτε βασκανίᾳ τῶν συστρατευομένων ἁλῷ; ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ τούτων πλείονα δεδοίκασι τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων οἱ πατέρες; Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ παιδίον ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ τινος στήσαντες τόπου τρέμειν ἀναγκάζονται μὴ καταπέσῃ, οὕτω καὶ οἱ πρὸς μεγάλην ἀρχὴν ἀνάγοντες τοὺς υἱεῖς. Ἀλλ' ἔχει τινὰ ἡδονὴν ἡ ζώνη, καὶ ἡ χλαμὺς, καὶ ἡ τοῦ κήρυκος φωνή. Καὶ μέχρι πόσων ἡμερῶν ταῦτα, εἰπέ μοι; μέχρι τριάκοντα, καὶ ἑκατὸν, καὶ δὶς τοσοῦτον; Καὶ τί μετὰ ταῦτα; οὐχ ὥσπερ ὄναρ; οὐχ ὥσπερ μῦθος; οὐχ ὥσπερ σκιὰ πάντα διῆλθεν ἐκεῖνα; Νῦν δὲ αὐτῷ μέχρι τέλους τὰ τῆς τιμῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν, καὶ πολλῷ πλέον τότε, καὶ ταύτην αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ἀφαιρήσεται τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἅτε οὐχ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὑπ' αὐτῆς χειροτονηθέντα τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ἀλλ' ἐβούλου πολυτελῆ φοροῦντα ἱμάτια, καὶ ἐφ' ἵππου φερόμενον ὁρᾷν, καὶ πλῆθος ἔχοντα οἰκετῶν, καὶ παρασίτους τρέφοντα καὶ κόλακας. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα ἤθελες; οὐχ ἡδονὴν αὐτῷ διὰ τούτων ἁπάντων κατασκευάζων; Ἂν οὖν ἀκούσῃς αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἡμῖν γὰρ ἴσως οὐ πείσῃ, ὅτι τῶν ἐν τρυφῇ ζώντων καὶ πορνείαις καὶ μουσικῇ καὶ παρασίτοις καὶ κόλαξι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ βλακείᾳ, τοσούτῳ τὸν βίον ἡγεῖται τοῦτον ἡδίω, ὡς ἑλέσθαι μυρίους θανάτους πολλάκις, εἴ τις κελεύοιτο ταύτην τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀφέντα πρὸς ἐκείνην μεταπηδῆσαι, τί πρὸς ταῦτα ἐρεῖς; Οὐκ οἶδας ὅσην ὁ ἀπράγμων βίος ἔχει τὴν ἡδονήν; τάχα οὐδὲ ἄλλος ἀνθρώπων οὐδεὶς, ἅτε μηδέπω ταύτης γευσάμενος καθαρῶς. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ λαμπρότης προσῇ, καὶ τὰ ἄμικτα ταῦτα πάλιν συνέρχηται, ἀσφάλειά τε καὶ εὐδοκίμησις, τί ταύτης βέλτιον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ζωῆς; Ἀλλὰ τί μοι ταῦτα διαλέγῃ, φησὶ, πόῤῥω φιλοσοφίας ἑστῶτι; Τί οὖν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν κωλύεις γενέσθαι ταύτης ἐγγύς; ἀρκεῖ μέχρι σοῦ στῆναι τὰ τῆς ζημίας. Οὐχ ἡγῇ μεγίστην εἶναι ζημίαν, ὅταν πρὸς ἔσχατον γῆρας ἐλάσαντες, ἅτε μηδὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης ἡλικίας καρπωσάμενοι χρηστὸν, δυσχεραίνητε πρὸς τὸ γῆρας; Καὶ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, αὐτὸ δυσχεραίνομεν, ὅτι μεγάλα ἡμᾶς ὤνησεν ἡ νεότης. Ποῖα μεγάλα; δεῖξον ἔχοντα τὸν γέροντα τὰ μεγάλα ἐκεῖνα· εἰ γὰρ εἶχεν αὐτὰ, καὶ μεμενήκει διαρκῆ, οὐκ ἂν ὡς ἔρημος ὢν ἁπάντων τούτων οὕτως ὠδύρετο· εἰ δὲ ἀπέπτη καὶ ἐμαράνθη, ποῖα μεγάλα τὰ οὕτω ταχέως σβεννύμενα; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ παῖς τοῦτο πείσεται ὁ σὸς, ἀλλ' εἴ ποτε εἰς γῆρας ἔλθοι μακρὸν, οὐκ ὄψει ταῦτα ἀποδυσπετοῦντα ἅπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἀλλὰ χαίροντα καὶ γαννύμενον καὶ ἀγαλλόμενον· τὰ γὰρ ἀγαθὰ αὐτῷ τότε ἀκμάζει μᾶλλον. Ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος ὁ ὑμέτερος, κἂν μυρία ἀγαθὰ κεκτημένος ᾖ, ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης αὐτὰ συνέστειλεν ἡλικίας· οὗτος δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ μένει καὶ ἐν γήρᾳ καὶ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν συναπέρχεται. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ὑμεῖς μὲν τὴν οὐσίαν ὑμῖν αὐξανομένην ὁρῶντες ἐν γήρᾳ, καὶ πολλὰς καὶ δόξης καὶ τρυφῆς 47.346 ὑποθέσεις ἔχοντες, ἐπηρεάζεσθε, ἅτε οὐκ ἀρκούσης τῆς ἡλικίας πρὸς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν·