Gregory of Nazianzus, Letters

“What a word has escaped the fence of your teeth,” or how could you dare to say such a thing, if I too may be somewhat daring? How could your mind set it going, or your ink write it, or your paper receive it, O lectures and Athens and virtues and literary labours! You almost make me write a tragedy by what you have written. Do you not know me or yourself, you eye of the world, and great voice and trumpet and palace of learning? Your affairs trifles to Gregory? What then on earth could any one admire, if Gregory admire not you? There is one spring among the seasons, one sun among the stars, and one heaven that embraces all things; and so your voice is unique among all things, if I am capable of judging such things, and not deceived by my affection—and this I do not think to be the case. But if it is because I do not value you according to your worth that you blame me, you must also blame all mankind; for no one else has or will sufficiently admire you, unless it be yourself, and your own eloquence, at least if it were possible to praise oneself, and if such were the custom of our speech. But if you are accusing me of despising you, why not rather of being mad? Or are you vexed because I am acting like a philosopher? Give me leave to say that this and this alone is higher than even your conversation.

[46] ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ

Πῶς ἐπιφυλλὶς ἡμῖν τὰ σά, ὦ θεία καὶ ἱερὰ κεφαλή;

ποῖον σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων; ἢ πῶς τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ἐθάρρησας, ἵνα τι καὶ αὐτὸς θαρρήσω μικρόν; Πῶς ἢ διάνοια ὥρμησεν ἢ μέλαν ἔγραψεν ἢ χάρτης ἐδέξατο; Ὦ λόγοι καὶ Ἀθῆναι καὶ ἀρεταὶ καὶ λόγων ἱδρῶτες: μικροῦ γάρ με καὶ τραγῳδὸν οἷς γράφεις ποιεῖς. Πότερον ἡμᾶς ἀγνοεῖς ἢ σεαυτόν, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὀφθαλμός, ἡ μεγάλη φωνὴ καὶ σάλπιγξ, τὸ τῶν λόγων βασίλειον; Μικρὰ Γρηγορίῳ τὰ σά; Τί ἂν οὖν τίς ἄλλο θαυμάσειε τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, εἰ μὴ σὲ Γρηγόριος; Ἓν μὲν ἔαρ ἐν ὥραις, εἷς δ' ἥλιος ἐν ἀστράσιν, εἷς δὲ περιέχων ἅπαντα οὐρανός, μία δὲ φωνὴ κατὰ πάντων ἡ σή, εἴπερ τι ἐγὼ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἱκανὸς κρίνειν μηδ' ἀπατᾷ με τὸ φίλτρον, ὅπερ οὐκ οἴομαι. Εἰ μὲν ὅτι μὴ πρὸς ἀξίαν θαυμάζομεν, τοῦτο ἐγκαλεῖς, ἐγκάλει καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλος τις ἀξίως ἐθαύμασεν ἢ θαυμάσεται, ὅτι μὴ καὶ σὺ καὶ ἡ σὴ μεγαλοφωνία, εἴπερ οἷόν τ' ἦν ἑαυτὸν ἐπαινεῖν καὶ τοῦτο εἶχεν ἡμῖν ὁ τῶν λόγων νόμος. Εἰ δὲ τὸ καταφρονεῖν ἐγκαλούμεθα, τί μὴ μανίαν πρότερον; Ἀλλ' ὅτι φιλοσοφοῦμεν, ἀγανακτεῖς; Δὸς εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο μόνον καὶ τῶν λόγων τῶν σῶν ὑψηλότερον.