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For wiser than the many are those who have separated themselves from the world, and consecrated their life to God.
Nothing is more durable than philosophy, nothing more free from grief. Everything will give way before a philosopher does. These two are unconquerable, God and angel, and the third, philosophy. [For a philosopher is] immaterial in matter, uncircumscribed in a body, heavenly upon earth, impassive amidst passions, defeated by all except in spirit; conquering by being conquered those who think they are prevailing.
I know one wisdom, to fear God. For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. And, Hear the whole conclusion of the matter: fear God, and keep His commandments.
Make education a weapon of righteousness, and not of death.
Chrysost. Just as it is not possible for earth that is not watered, even if it receives countless seeds, to bring forth ears of corn; so it is not possible for a soul that is not enlightened by the divine Scriptures, even if one pours out countless words, to show forth any fruit.
Didym. One must apply oneself to the divine Scriptures. For just as wine when drunk relieves grief, and changes the heart to gladness; so spiritual wine changes the soul to joy.
For one to know that he is ignorant, is wisdom; just as also to know that he has done wrong, is righteousness.
Being rich never makes the gnostic rejoice, nor does being in want of money lead him to humiliation; since virtue and wisdom highly exalt him, and prepare him to stand above them.
Of Philo. Through the inexperience and vice of the charioteer, it is necessary that what is yoked be carried over cliffs and chasms; just as through experience and virtue it is saved. It is impossible for great things to be learned before small ones.
Clement. Works follow knowledge, as the shadow follows the body.
Of Plutarch. The life of the uneducated is like a dream, having empty fantasies. One must seek neither a voice in fish, nor virtue in the uneducated. One must disturb neither muddy water, nor an uneducated soul. The uneducated, being hard to please, from their choices day by day, as if from houses
they move out.
Strangers wander on the roads, but the uneducated wander in their affairs.
(824) Of Plato. All knowledge separated from justice and the rest of virtue, appears to be craftiness, but not wisdom.
Isocrat. Just as we see the bee, settling upon all the plants, but taking from each what is useful; so too must those who yearn for education be inexperienced in nothing, but collect what is useful from every quarter.
Guard the deposits of words more than those of money.
Aristot. We believe that happiness consists not in possessing many things; but rather, in the soul being well-disposed. For indeed the body not with splendid raiment
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Σοφώτεροι γάρ τῶν πολλῶν οἱ κόσμου χωρίσαντες αὐτούς, καί τῷ Θεῷ τόν βίον καθιερώσαντες.
Οὐδέν ἀναλωτότερον φιλοσοφίας, οὐδέν ἀλυπότερον. Πάντα ἐνδώσει πρότερον ἤ φιλόσοφος. ∆ύο ταῦτα δυσκράτητα, Θεός καί ἄγγελος, καί τό τρίτον, φιλοσοφία. [Ἔστι γάρ φιλόσοφος] ἄυλος ἐν ὕλῃ, ἐν σώματι ἀπερίγραπτος, ἐπί γῆς οὐράνιος, ἐν πάθεσιν ἀπαθής, πάντων ἡττώμενος πλήν φρονήματος· νικῶν τῷ νικᾶσθαι τούς κρατεῖν νομίζοντας.
Ἐγώ μίαν σοφίαν οἶδα, τό φοβεῖσθαι Θεόν. Ἀρχή τε γάρ σοφίας, φόβος Κυρίου. Καί, Τέλος λόγου τό πᾶν ἄκουε, τόν Θεόν φοβοῦ, καί τάς ἐντολάς φύλασσε.
Ποιήσατε δικαιοσύνης ὅπλον, καί μή θανάτου, τήν παίδευσιν.
Χρυσοστ. Ὥσπερ γῆν μή βρεχομένην οὐκ ἔστι κἄν μυρία λάβῃ σπέρματα στάχυας ἐξενεγκεῖν· οὕτω ψυχήν οὐκ ἔστιν μή ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς φωτισθεῖσαν, κἄν μυρία τις ἐκχέῃ ῥήματα, καρπόν τινα ἐπιδείξασθαι.
∆ιδύμ. Ἐντυγχάνειν δεῖ ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς. Ὥσπερ γάρ ὁ οἶνος πινόμενος ἀναπαύει λύπην, καί μεταβάλλει καρδίαν εἰς εὐφροσύνην· οὕτως ὁ πνευματικός οἶνος εἰς χαράν μεταβάλλει τήν ψυχήν.
Τό εἰδέναι τινά ὅτι ἀγνοεῖ, σοφίας ἐστίν· ὡς καί τό εἰδέναι ὅτι ἠδίκησε, δικαιοσύνης.
Τόν γνωστικόν οὐδέποτε τό πλουτεῖν γήθειν ποιεῖ, οὐδέ τό χρημάτων ἀπορεῖν εἰς ταπείνωσιν ἄγει· τῆς ἀρετῆς καί σοφίας αὐτόν ὑπερυψούσης, καί ὑπεράνω αὐτῶν ἵστασθαι παρασκευαζούσης.
Φίλωνος. Ἀνάγκη ἀπειρίᾳ καί κακίᾳ ἡνιόχου, τά ὑποζευγμένα κατά κρημνῶν φέρεσθαι καί βαράθρων· ὥσπερ ἐμπειρίᾳ καί ἀρετῇ διασώζεσθαι. Ἀμήχανον τά μεγάλα πρό τῶν μικρῶν παιδευθῆναι.
Κλήμεντ. Ἕπεται τῇ γνώσει τά ἔργα, ὡς τῷ σώματι ἡ σκιά.
Πλουτάρχου. Ὀνείρῳ ἔοικεν ὁ τῶν ἀπαιδεύτων βίος, κενάς ἔχων φαντασίας. Οὔτε ἐν ἰχθύσι φωνήν, οὔτε ἐν ἀπαιδεύτοις ἀρετήν δεῖ ζητεῖν. Οὔτε ὕδωρ θολερόν, οὔτε ἀπαίδευτον ψυχήν ταράσσειν δεῖ. ∆υσάρεστοι ὄντες οἱ ἀπαίδευτοι, καθάπερ ἐξ οἰκιῶν, τῶν προαιρέσεων καθ᾿ ἡμέραν
μετοικίζονται.
Οἱ μέν ξένοι, ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, οἱ δέ ἀπαίδευτοι, ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι διαπλανῶνται.
(824) Πλάτωνος. Πᾶσα ἐπιστήμη χωριζομένη δικαιοσύνης καί τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς, πανουργία, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ σοφία φαίνεται.
Ἰσοκράτ. Ὥσπερ τήν μέλιτταν ῥῶμεν, ἐφ᾿ ἅπαντα μέν τά βλαστήματα καθιζάνουσαν, ἀφ᾿ ἑκάστου δέ τά χρήσιμα λαμβάνουσαν· οὕτω δεῖ καί τούς παιδείας ὀρεγομένους, μηδενός μέν ἀπείρως ἔχειν, πανταχόθεν δέ τά χρήσιμα συλλέγειν.
Μᾶλλον τήρει τάς τῶν λόγων, ἤ τάς τῶν χρημάτων παρακαταθήκας.
Ἀριστοτ. Νομίζομεν δέ τήν εὐδαιμονίαν οὐκ ἐν τῷ πολλά κεκτῆσθαι γίνεσθαι· μᾶλλον δέ, ἐν τῷ τῇ ψυχῇ εὖ διακεῖσθαι. Καί γάρ τό σῶμα οὐ τό λαμπρᾷ ἐσθῆτι