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to grant. For I myself guarantee on the part of the brethren that they will object to nothing, but will show you every excess of good order, if this one thing which is sought by them is readily granted to them by your perfection.

115. TO SIMPLICIA, A HERETIC

115.1 Unwittingly men both hate their betters and love their

inferiors. Wherefore I myself also hold my tongue, stifling the reproach of my insults in silence. But I will await the Judge from on high who knows how to punish all wickedness in the end. For even if one pours out money more than the sand, he harms his soul by trampling on justice. For God always seeks sacrifice, not because He needs it, I think, but He accepts as a costly sacrifice a pious and just mind. But when one transgressing tramples upon himself, he considers prayers as common things. Remind yourself therefore of the last day, but as for us, if you wish, do not instruct us. We know more than you and are not so much choked by the thorns within, nor do we mix tenfold wickedness with a little good. You have stirred up against us lizards and toads, spring beasts forsooth, but unclean nevertheless. But a wing will come from above that will devour them. For the account is for me, not as you think, but as God knows how to judge. And if there is need of witnesses, slaves will not stand, nor the dishonored and utterly destroyed race of eunuchs—this very thing that is un-female, un-male, woman-crazy and envious, ill-paid, fickle, ungenerous, all-welcoming, insatiable, crying at dinner, quick-tempered, mad for gold, harsh, effeminate, a slave to its belly—and what more can I say? With its very birth condemned to the knife. For how can the judgment be straight of those whose very feet are crooked? These men are temperate without reward by means of steel, but they rage without fruit through their own shamefulness. These will not stand as witnesses of the judgment, but the eyes of the just and the faces of perfect men, all who then see, beholding with understanding.

116. TO FIRMINUS

116.1 Your letters are both rare and short, either from a reluctance to write or

otherwise managing to escape the satiety that comes from quantity, or perhaps even accustoming yourself to brevity. For us, however, nothing is sufficient, but even if it exceeds in quantity, it is less than our desire, because we want to learn every single thing about you: how your body is, how your ascetic practice is, and whether you are abiding by what was decided from the beginning or what you have changed your mind about, altering your resolve in the face of events. If, then, you had remained the same, we would not have sought a quantity of letters, but this would have been enough for us: “So-and-so to so-and-so; know that we are well, and farewell.” But since we hear things that we are ashamed even to say, that you have abandoned the station of your blessed ancestors to desert to your paternal grandfather and are eager to become Brettanius instead of Firminus, we seek to hear these very things and to learn the reasonings by which you were led to come to this way of life. But since you yourself have been silent out of shame for your decision, we ask you neither to make shameful decisions nor, if anything has slipped into your mind, to drive this from your thoughts, to become yourself again and, having bid a long farewell to the army and weapons and the hardships of the camp, to take possession of your fatherland, considering it sufficient for the security of your life and for all distinction to rule the city on equal terms with your ancestors; which we are convinced will come to you without trouble, looking both to your natural fitness and to the lack of

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παρασχέσθαι. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγγυῶμαι τὸ μέρος τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὡς εἰς οὐδὲν ἀντεροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξονται εὐταξίας ὑπερβολήν, ἑνὸς τούτου αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἐπιζητου μένου παρ' αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας τελειότητος ἑτοίμως παρασχεθέντος.

115.τ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΙΜΠΛΙΚΙΑΝ ΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΗΝ

115.1 Ἀβούλως οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ μισοῦσι τοὺς κρείττονας καὶ φιλοῦσι τοὺς

χείρονας. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς κατέχω τὴν γλῶτταν, σιωπῇ τῶν ἐμῶν ὕβρεων πνίγων τὸν ὄνειδον. Ἐγὼ δὲ μενῶ τὸν ἄνωθεν ∆ικαστὴν ὃς οἶδε πᾶσαν κακίαν ἐν τέλει ἀμύνασθαι. Κἂν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ψάμμον τις ἐκχέῃ χρήματα, βλάπτει ψυχὴν πατήσας τὸ δίκαιον. Ἀεὶ γὰρ θυσίαν Θεός, οὐχ ὡς χρῄζων, οἶμαι, ζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ θυσίαν πολυτελῆ τὴν εὐσεβῆ καὶ δικαίαν γνώμην δεχόμενος. Ὅταν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν παραβαίνων πατῇ, κοινὰς λογίζεται τὰς εὐχάς. Σαυ τὴν οὖν τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας ὑπόμνησον, ἡμᾶς δὲ αὐτούς, εἰ βούλει, μὴ δίδασκε. Ἴσμεν σου πλείονα καὶ ταῖς ἔνδοθεν ἀκάνθαις οὐ τοσοῦτον συμπνιγόμεθα, οὔτε ἐν ὀλίγοις καλοῦ δεκαπλασίονα κακίαν ἐπιμίγνυμεν. Ἐπή γειρας ἡμῖν σαύρας καὶ φρύνους, ἐαρινὰ δῆθεν θηρία, πλὴν ὅμως ἀκάθαρτα. Ἀλλ' ἥξει πτερὸν ἄνωθεν τὸ ταῦτα νεμό μενον. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ λόγος, οὐχ ὡς σὺ νομίζεις, ἀλλ' ὡς οἶδε κρίνειν Θεός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μαρτύρων χρεία, οὐ δοῦλοι στή σονται οὐδὲ εὐνούχων γένος ἄτιμον καὶ πανώλεθρον τοῦτο δὴ τοῦτο ἄθηλυ, ἄνανδρον, γυναικομανὲς καὶ ἐπίζηλον, κακόμισθον, εὐμετάβλητον, ἀμετάδοτον, πάνδοχον, ἀπροσ κορές, κλαυσίδειπνον, ὀξύθυμον, χρυσομανές, ἀπηνές, θηλυδριῶδες, γαστρίδουλον, καὶ τί γὰρ ἔτι εἴπω; Σὺν αὐτῇ τῇ γενέσει σιδηροκατάδικον. Πῶς γὰρ ὀρθὴ γνώμη τούτων ὧν καὶ πόδες στρεβλοί; Οὗτοι μὲν σωφρονοῦσι ἄμισθα διὰ σιδήρου, μαίνονται δὲ ἄκαρπα δι' οἰκείαν αἰσχρότητα. Οὐχ οὗτοι στήσονται τῆς κρίσεως μάρτυρες, ἀλλ' ὀφθαλμοὶ δικαίων καὶ ὄψεις ἀνδρῶν τελείων, ὅσοι τότε ὁρῶσι βλέ ποντες σύνεσιν.

116.τ ΦΙΡΜΙΝΩ

116.1 Καὶ σπάνιά σου τὰ γράμματα καὶ μικρὰ ταῦτα, ἢ ὄκνῳ τοῦ γράφειν ἢ

ἄλλως τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους κόρον διαφεύγειν οἰκονομοῦντος ἤπου καὶ πρὸς βραχυλογίαν ἑαυτὸν συνε θίζοντος. Ἡμῖν μέντοι οὐδὲν ἐξαρκεῖ, ἀλλὰ κἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τῷ πλήθει, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐστὶν ἐλάττω, διὰ τὸ βούλεσθαι πάνθ' ἕκαστα μανθάνειν περὶ σοῦ· πῶς μέν σοι τὸ σῶμα ἔχει, ὅπως δέ σοι τὸ τῆς ἀσκήσεως, καὶ πότερον ἐπιμένεις τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγνωσμένοις ἢ τί καὶ μετεβουλεύσω πρὸς τὰ συμπίπτοντα τὴν γνώμην μεταθέμενος. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ αὐτὸς διέμεινας σεαυτῷ, οὐκ ἂν πλῆθος γραμμάτων ἐπεζητοῦμεν, ἀλλ' ἤρκει ἡμῖν τοσοῦτον· «Ὁ δεῖνα τῷ δεῖνι· ὑγιαίνειν ἡμᾶς ἴσθι καὶ ἔρρωσο.» Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀκούομεν ἃ καὶ λέγειν αἰσχυνόμεθα, καταλιπόντα σε τὴν τῶν μακαρίων προγόνων τάξιν ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς πατρὸς πάππον αὐτομολεῖν καὶ Βρέττανιν σπουδάζειν γενέσθαι ἀντὶ Φιρμίνου, ἐπιζη τοῦμεν αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἀκοῦσαι καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς μαθεῖν καθ' οὓς ἐπὶ ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τοῦ βίου τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπήχθης. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἀπεσιώπησας αἰδοῖ τοῦ βουλεύματος, ἡμεῖς σε παρακαλοῦμεν μήτε βουλεύεσθαι αἰσχύνης ἄξια καί, εἴ τι ὑπέδραμέ σου τὸν νοῦν, ἀπελάσαντα τοῦτο τῆς διανοίας σεαυτοῦ γενέσθαι πάλιν καὶ μακρὰ χαίρειν εἰπόντα στρατιᾷ καὶ ὅπλοις καὶ ταῖς ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου ταλαιπωρίαις καταλαβεῖν τὴν πατρίδα, ἀρκοῦν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν βίου καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν περιφάνειαν τὸ ἐξίσου τοῖς προγόνοις κρατῆσαι τῆς πόλεως ἡγησάμενον· ὅπερ ἀπόνως σοι παραγενήσεσθαι πεπιστεύκαμεν πρός τε τὴν ἐκ φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητα ἀφορῶντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν