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spiritual things well-considered and safe, so as to make us more simple, who are thought to have some advantage in time. 163.2 Since, then, you wished to take us as partners in a spiritual consideration (I mean, on account of the oath, which George the man of Paspasus appears to have sworn), we will declare to your Piety what has occurred to us. 163.3 Many people deceive themselves, in my opinion, by considering the oaths set forth with curses to be oaths, but supposing written ones without the specific words to be a mere declaration and not an oath. 163.4 For how can a handwritten bond for debts be more binding than a simple agreement, while we suppose a written oath to be something other than an oath? And, to speak concisely, an oath for us is the full assurance of the one who questioned and was persuaded. 163.5 Moreover, to claim to have been forced is not a sufficient excuse (for the force was the law which he feared), nor to prevail later in court; for the very act of going to law is perjury. 163.6 This we persuaded our brother George also: not to 20make excuses for sins20, nor to invent arguments to defend his fault, but to recognize the written oath and weep before God and your Piety for his sin, even if he previously thought otherwise, deceiving himself. 163.7 These things, then, we ourselves discussed with the man; and you, it is clear, having discussed them more carefully, will yourself bring him to greater compunction, as a great healer of souls, and having medicated him with the canon for as long as it seems good, so you will apply the philanthropy of time; and the measure of the time is the measure of the compunction. 164.T TO TIMOTHY 164.1 I am always a fine hunter of fine things (if I may be a bit youthful), who with searching words found your learning when it was hidden and philosophizing in concealment, and made it known to others; and, to use one of our own expressions, I made public the light from under the bushel by putting it on the lampstand. 164.2 For to leave aside your other fine qualities, your education, your piety, the gentleness and moderation of your character (all of which are exceedingly difficult to find in one person), see how great this present thing is: 164.3 you both remember us, and greet us in your letters, and you add praises, not in order to praise (for I understand your philosophy), but in order to make us better and lead us forward, ashamed not to appear to be such as you suppose. 164.4 Our own affairs, then, have an end. We have yielded to envy, we philosophize in quietness to God, we converse with ourselves in prayers, we have been set free from the turmoil and disturbances of the world. 164.5 But you, for our sake, be strong and of good courage and fight for the Trinity with all your might. And let the meek one be a fighter, which you saw us also doing; for I do not wish for monkeys to be esteemed, while lions are quiet. 164.6 And pray for us who are very weary, that we may have a peaceful departure, for we are already inclining towards this. 165.T TO STAGIRIUS 165.1 I learn that you are bearing your suffering in an unphilosophical manner, and I did not praise it; for one must write the truth, especially to a man who is a friend and who lays claim to virtue. 165.2 For I hold this opinion on these matters, as I persuade myself, and very correctly: I praise neither extreme impassivity nor excessive passion; for the one is inhuman, the other unphilosophical. But one must walk the middle path, appearing more philosophical than those who are excessively distressed, and more human than those who are immoderately philosophical. 165.3 And if I were writing to someone else, 165.3 perhaps I would have needed longer arguments, and would have had to sympathize in some things, advise in others, and perhaps rebuke in others; for sharing in grief is sufficient for consolation, and that which is sick needs the therapy of one who is well. 165.4 But since I am addressing an educated man, it is sufficient to say this much: Be yourself and be true to the books with which you have conversed, in which are many lives, and many characters, and many pleasures and smooth things, and many, as is likely, misfortunes and rough things. 165.5 For he weaves

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περιεσκεμμένον καὶ ἀσφαλῆ τὰ πνευματικά, ὥστε καὶ ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν ἀφελεσ τέρους, τοὺς πλέον ἔχειν τι τῷ χρόνῳ νομιζομένους. 163.2 Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἠθέλησας κοινωνοὺς ἡμᾶς λαβεῖν πνευματικοῦ σκέμματος (λέγω δὴ τοῦ ὅρκου ἕνεκεν, ὃν Γεώργιος ὁ Πασπασινὸς ἄνθρωπος ὀμωμοκὼς φαίνεται), τό γε παραστὰν ἡμῖν τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ δηλώσομεν. 163.3 Παί ζουσιν ἑαυτοὺς οἱ πολλοί, κατὰ τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον, τοὺς μὲν κατὰ τῶν ἀρῶν προκειμένους ὅρκους ὅρκους νομί ζοντες, τοὺς ἐγγράφους δὲ δίχα τῶν ῥημάτων ἀφοσίωσιν ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅρκον ὑπολαμβάνοντες. 163.4 Πῶς γὰρ τὸ μὲν τῶν χρεῶν χειρόγραφον δεσμεῖ πλέον τῆς ἁπλῆς ὁμολο γίας, τὸν δὲ ἐγγεγραμμένον ὅρκον, ἄλλο τι ἢ ὅρκον ὑποληψόμεθα; Καί, συντόμως εἰπεῖν, ὅρκος ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ ἐπερωτήσαντος καὶ πεισθέντος πληροφορία. 163.5 Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ βεβιᾶσθαι φάσκειν ἱκανὸν εἰς παραίτησιν (ἡ βία γὰρ ἦν ὁ νόμος ὃν ἔδεισεν), οὐδὲ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ ὕστερον ὑπερέχειν· αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ δικάσασθαι, παρορκίας. 163.6 Τοῦτο καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Γεώργιον ἐπείσαμεν μὴ 20προφασίζεσθαι προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις20, μηδὲ λόγους ἀνευρίσκειν συνηγόρους τοῦ πλημμελήματος, ἀλλ' ὅρκον εἰδέναι τὸν ἐγγεγραμμένον καὶ ὑποκλαίειν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, εἰ καὶ πρότερον ἄλλως ὑπελάμβανεν, ἑαυτὸν ἀπατῶν. 163.7 Ταῦτα οὖν αὐτοί τε διελέχθημεν τῷ ἀνδρί· καὶ σὺ δῆλον ὅτι διαλεχθεὶς ἐπιμελέστερον, ἐπὶ πλέον αὐτὸς κατανύξεις, ὡς μέγας τῶν ψυχῶν θεραπευτὴς καὶ τῷ κανόνι φαρμα κεύσας αὐτὸν ἐφ' ὅσον ἂν δοκῇ χρόνον, οὕτως ἐποίσεις τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ χρόνου· τοῦ χρόνου δὲ μέτρον, τὸ μέτρον τῆς κατανύξεως. 164.Τ ΤΙΜΟΘΕΩΙ 164.1 Ἀεὶ καλὸς ἐγὼ τῶν καλῶν θηρευτὴς (ἵνα τι καὶ νεανιεύσωμαι), ὃς καὶ τὴν σὴν λογιότητα κρυπτομένην καὶ τὸ λανθάνειν φιλοσοφοῦσαν ἀνεῦρόν τε λόγοις ἰχνευ τικοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐγνώρισα· καί, ἵν' εἴπω τι τῶν ἡμετέρων, τὸ ὑπὸ τῷ μοδίῳ φῶς ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας ἐδημο σίευσα. 164.2 Ἵνα γὰρ ἐάσω τἄλλα τῶν σῶν καλῶν, τὴν παίδευσιν, τὴν εὐσέβειαν, τὸ τοῦ ἤθους ἐπιεικές τε καὶ μέτριον (ἃ πάντα ἑνὸς γενέσθαι τῶν λίαν ἐστὶ χαλεπῶν), ἰδοὺ τό γε παρὸν πηλίκον· 164.3 καὶ μνημονεύεις ἡμῶν, καὶ δεξιοῦσαι τοῖς γράμμασι, καὶ προστίθης ἐπαίνους, οὐχ ἵν' ἐπαινέσῃς (συνίημι γάρ σου τῆς φιλοσοφίας), ἀλλ' ἵνα κρείττους ποιήσῃς καὶ προαγάγῃς εἰς τοὔμ προσθεν, αἰσχυνομένους μὴ τοιούτους φαίνεσθαι οἵους ὑπολαμβάνεις. 164.4 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἡμέτερα πέρας ἔχει. Ὑπεχωρήσαμεν τῷ φθόνῳ, φιλοσοφοῦμεν ἐφ' ἡσυχίας τῷ Θεῷ, καθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς συγγινόμεθα ταῖς εὐχαῖς, τῶν ἐν μέσῳ κλόνων καὶ θορύβων ἠλευθερώμεθα. 164.5 Σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν ἀνδρίζου καὶ κραταιοῦ καὶ ὑπεραγωνίζου τῆς Τριάδος εἰς δύναμιν. Καὶ ὁ πραῢς ἔστω μαχητής, ὃ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἑώρας ποιοῦντας· οὐ γὰρ βούλομαι κέρκωπας μὲν εὐδο κιμεῖν, ἠρεμεῖν δὲ λέοντας. 164.6 Καὶ ἡμῶν ὑπερεύχου σφόδρα καμνόντων, ἵν' εἰρηνικῆς τύχωμεν τῆς ἐξόδου, ἤδη πρὸς τοῦτο νεύοντες. 165.Τ ΣΤΑΓΕΙΡΙΩΙ 165.1 Πυνθάνομαί σε πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἀφιλοσόφως ἔχειν καὶ οὐκ ἐπῄνεσα· δεῖ γὰρ τἀληθῆ γράφειν, ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρα φίλον καὶ καλοκἀγαθίας μεταποιούμενον. 165.2 Ἔχω γὰρ οὕτω περὶ τούτων, ὥς γε ἐμαυτὸν πείθω, καὶ λίαν ὀρθῶς· οὔτε τὸ λίαν ἀπαθὲς ἐπαινῶ, οὔτε τὸ ἄγαν περιπαθές· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπάνθρωπον, τὸ δὲ ἀφιλόσο φον. Ἀλλὰ δεῖ τὴν μέσην βαδίζοντα, τῶν μὲν ἄγαν ἀσχέτων φιλοσοφώτερον φαίνεσθαι, τῶν δὲ φιλοσοφούντων ἀμέτρως ἀνθρωπικώτερον. 165.3 Καὶ εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἄλλον 165.3 τινὰ ἐπέστελλον, ἴσως ἄν μοι καὶ μακροτέρων ἐδέησε λόγων, καὶ τὰ μὲν συμπαθεῖν ἔδει, τὰ δὲ παραινέσαι, τὰ δὲ ἴσως ἐπιτιμῆσαι· τό τε γὰρ συναλγεῖν ἱκανὸν εἰς παραμυθίαν καὶ δεῖται τὸ ἀρρωστοῦν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὑγιαί νοντος θεραπείας. 165.4 Ἐπεὶ δὲ πρὸς ἄνδρα πεπαιδευμένον ποιοῦμαι τοὺς λόγους, ἀρκεῖ τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν· Γενοῦ σεαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν βίβλων αἷς καθωμίλησας, ἐν αἷς πολλοὶ μὲν βίοι, πολλοὶ δὲ τρόποι, πολλαὶ δὲ ἡδοναὶ καὶ λειότητες, πολλαὶ δέ, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, συμφοραὶ καὶ τραχύτητες. 165.5 Πλέκει γὰρ