269

the soul of virtue, one law is not sufficient for our salvation, but it is necessary to keep them all with precision.

Let us not say, then, that so-and-so is by nature evil, and so-and-so is by nature good. For if one is good by nature, he will never be able to become evil; and if one is evil by nature, he will never become good.

Darkness does not withstand the presence of light; disease does not stand when health takes hold; the passions are not active when dispassion is present.

It is fitting for virtue to be free from all fear. For virtue is without a master and voluntary, free from all fear and necessity.

It is not possible to conceive of any other birth of evil, than the absence of virtue.

Of Clement. The release from evils is the beginning of salvation.

As it seems, righteousness is four-square, equal and like in word, in deed, in refraining from evil, in doing good, in gnostic perfection; in no place and in no way limping, so that it may not appear unjust and unequal.

Of Didymus. Form virtue, not so that you might deceive, but so that you might benefit.

The Kingdom of God should be called the state of those living in an orderly way according to the divine laws.

Every practical virtue has its being in becoming, and not in having become.

Of Nilus.Rejoice in virtue when you practice it; but do not be lifted up, lest the shipwreck happen in the harbor.

Of Cyril.It is necessary for virtue not to limp in either respect, but to be upright and perfected in both deed and word.

(728) Virtue is rough, and straight is the path to it; and no one would choose this without long labor.

From the Fathers. The soul is defiled by four things: by walking in a city and not guarding one's eyes, and by having any acquaintance with women, and by having friendship with the glorious of the world, and by loving carnal conversations and vain talk.

Of Plutarch.The splendor of unknown virtue, just as of buried gold, is not seen.

Food seems pleasant to those who exercise, and virtue to those who are educated.

A life, like a coin that has been discredited at the start, becomes unapproved in all the world.

Resolve to do all things as if you will escape no one's notice. For even if you hide it for the moment, later you will be seen.

When a certain man who had wronged him was avoiding him and was ashamed to meet him, having met him once he said: You should not flee me, but I you, since you are a worthless man.

269

ψυχήν ἀρετῆς, οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν νόμος εἰς σωτηρίαν εἷς, ἀλλά δεῖ πάντας αὐτούς μετά ἀκριβείας φυλάττειν.

Μή τοίνυν λέγωμεν, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα φύσει κακός, καί ὁ δεῖνα φύσει καλός. Εἰ γάρ φύσει ἀγαθός, οὐδέποτε δυνήσεται γενέσθαι κακός· καί εἰ φύσει κακός, οὐδέποτε γενήσεται ἀγαθός.

Οὐχ ὑπομένει τό σκότος τήν τοῦ φωτός παρουσίαν· οὐ νόσος ὑγείας ἐπιλαβούσης ἵσταται· οὐκ ἐνεργεῖ τά πάθη τῆς ἀπαθείας παρούσης.

Ἐλευθέραν εἶναι προσήκει παντός φόβου τήν ἀρετήν. Ἀδέσποτον γάρ ἀρετή καί ἑκούσιον, παντός φόβου καί ἀνάγκης ἐλεύθερον.

Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλην κακίας γέννησιν ἐννοῆσαι, ἤ ἀρετῆς ἀπουσίαν.

Κλήμεντος. Ἡ τῶν κακῶν ἀπαλλαγή σωτηρίας ἐστίν ἀρχή.

Ὡς ἔοικεν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη τετράγωνός ἐστιν, ἴση καί ὁμοία ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἔργῳ, ἐν ἀποχῇ κακῶν, ἐν εὐποιίᾳ, ἐν τελειότητι γνωστικῇ· οὐδαμῆ οὐδαμῶς χωλεύουσα, ἵνα μή ἄδικος καί ἄνισος φανῇ.

∆ιδύμου. Σχηματίζου τήν ἀρετήν, οὐχ ὅπως ἀπατήσῃς, ἀλλ᾿ ὅπως ὠφελήσῃς.

Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ λεκτέον τήν κατάστασιν τῶν κατά τούς θείου νόμους τεταγμένως βιούντων.

Πᾶσα πρακτική ἀρετή ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι, καί οὐκ ἐν τῷ γεγονέναι, τό εἶναι ἔχει.

Νείλου.Χαῖρε τήν ἀρετήν ἡνίκα πράττεις· ἀλλά μή ἐπαίρου, μή ποτε τό ναυάγιον ἐν τῷ λιμένι γένηται.

Κυρίλλου.Χρή τήν ἀρετήν μή χωλεύειν καθ᾿ ἑκάτερον, ἀλλ᾿ ἔργῳ καί λόγῳ ὀρθήν καί ἀπηρτισμένην κατ᾿ ἀμφότερα εἶναι.

(728) Τραχεῖα ἡ ἀρετή, καί ὀρθῶς οἷμος ἐπ᾿ αὐτήν· καί οὐκ ἄν τι ἕλοιτο ταύτην δίχα πόνου μακροῦ.

Ἐκ τῶν Πατέρων. ∆ιά τεσσάρων πραγμάτων ἡ ψυχή μιαίνεται· τῷ περιπατεῖν ἐν πόλει καί μή φυλάσσειν τούς ὀφθαλμούς, καί τῷ ὅλως ἔχειν γνῶσιν μετά γυναικῶν, καί τῷ ἔχειν φιλίαν μετά τῶν ἐνδόξων τοῦ κόσμου, καί τῷ ἀγαπῆσαι τάς σαρκικάς ὁμιλίας καί ματαιολογίας.

Πλουτάρχου.Τῆς ἀγνουμένης ἀρετῆς ὥσπερ τοῦ κατορωρυγμένου χρυσίου ἡ λαμπρότης οὐ βλέπεται.

Ἡ μέν τροφή τοῖς γυμναζομένοις, ἡ δέ ἀρετή τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις ἡδεία φαίνεται.

Ὁ βίος καθάπερ νόμισμα διαβληθείς ἐν ἀρχαῖς, εἰς πάντα τόν κόσμον ἀδόκιμος γίνεται.

Ἅπαντα δόκει ποιεῖν, ὡς μηδένα λήσων. Καί γάρ ἄν παραυτίκα κρύψῃς, ὕστερον ὄφθήσῃ.

Ἀνθρώπου τινός αὐτόν ἀδικήσαντος, καί περιφεύγοντος καί ἀπαντᾷν αἰσχυνομένου, συντυχών ἅπαξ εἶπεν· οὐ δέ χρή ἐμέ φεύγειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐμέ σέ, φαῦλον ὄντα.