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Ad Eudoxiam 17

286 «As I see, what I hasten to build up for the salvation of your God-loving soul, you the more do not hesitate to tear down. For I pray that you not only enjoy this temporal kingdom in a ripe old age, but also that you be shown to be an heir of the heavenly and boundless kingdom of the heavens through your good works. For what greater boast do we have than this, that your goodness become known to all, living in all piety and well-doing? But I was truly astonished and amazed when I heard what was said by you today to Theodoric the patrician, a man living according to God, that since God has established you as masters of all land and sea, the empire does not need his possessions, especially when he has done it no wrong. I beseech your God-lovingness, therefore, to seek nothing from him of what you said to him, but to forgive him all things, and to command him also to conduct himself without perversion, and may our master and God Jesus Christ fulfill all your requests for good according to His own will, O Christ-loving one. Farewell, may you remain for many years in the commonwealth of the Romans». 287.10 «As I think, the nobility and wealth of my parents and the eminence of their rank does not escape your God-lovingness, and again, how I never loved riches, nor desired money or human glory, but even advised them many times to abandon such a vain care and to take care of their own salvation by distributing to the poor, so that they might obtain the heavenly kingdom. And how shall I desire money, when in my expositions I always admonish and rebuke those who possess these things and do not sprinkle them into the hands of the poor? For a little bread with salt and wretched vegetables is sufficient nourishment for me because of the weakness of my body. But concerning Theodoric you have indicated that I appropriated his property for my own gain. Let this therefore be known to you, that to me he has never given anything. But neither, if he had given, would I have received anything at all from him. But he lent them to Christ, depositing them here into the hands of the poor and needy, so that he might receive them back from Him many times over in the age to come. Would that you too had emulated him by emptying your money into the eternal treasuries, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and thieves and plotters do not dare to dig through. For he has given them to the hospice of the church, so that through them the care of the needy might be provided. If therefore you wish to take these things and grieve Christ, you will see. For believe me, that if you do this, he is grieved against you». 289 «The Christ-loving faith and conduct of your parents is manifest to all. Wherefore also, being moved by their prayers and virtues, God has bestowed on you the sceptres of this earthly kingdom, expecting through your works to show you an heir of the heavenly kingdom also; for wealth and glory and worldly eminence will not profit us on the fearful day of judgment, but only our conduct through our works.

Do not, therefore, become forgetful of this, nor of the fear of God, knowing clearly that the breath of us all is in his hands, and to one he adds, and from another he takes away as he wishes. Being dust and ashes, after a little while we are brought down to the earth in dark and lightless places, just as all the kings and rulers and ruled before us. Look upon the kings before you. Understand what they were then, and what they have become now; how on each occasion some are remembered for good things, while others who accomplished wicked things are frequently remembered by all for evils and no ordinary curses; not even their names by

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Ad Eudoxiam 17

286 «Ὡς ὁρῶ, ἅπερ σπεύδω οἰκοδομεῖν πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῆς θεοφιλοῦς σου ψυχῆς, σὺ τὸ μᾶλλον καταβάλαι οὐκ ὀκνεῖς. Ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ μόνον ταύτης τῆς προσκαίρου βασιλείας ἀπολαῦσαί σε εὔχομαι ἐν γήρᾳ πίονι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου καὶ ἀπεράντου τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας κληρονόμον σε ἀναδειχθῆναι διὰ τῆς ἀγαθοεργίας σου. Ποίαν γὰρ καύχησιν ὑπερτέραν ταύτης ἔχομεν τοῦ πᾶσι γνώριμον γενέσθαι τὴν ὑμετέραν καλοκαγαθίαν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ εὐπραγίᾳ βιοῦν; Ἐκπέπληγμαι δὲ ἀληθῶς καὶ ἐξέστην ἀκηκοὼς τῶν παρ' ὑμῶν ῥηθέντων σήμερον Θεοδωρίχῳ τῷ πατρικίῳ, ἀνδρὶ κατὰ Θεὸν ζῶντι, καθότι ὁ Θεὸς κατέστησεν ὑμᾶς δεσπότας πάσης γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης καὶ οὐ δέεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῦ καὶ μάλιστα μηδὲν αὐτοῦ πταίσαντος αὐτῇ. Παρακαλῶ οὖν τὴν ὑμετέραν θεοφίλειαν μηδέν, ὧν εἴπατε αὐτῷ, ζητῆσαι παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ συγχωρῆσαι αὐτῷ πάντα, κελεῦσαι δὲ καὶ ἀδιαστρόφως αὐτὸν πολιτεύεσθαι, ὁ δὲ δεσπότης καὶ θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐκτελέσαι πάντα τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν κατὰ τὸ αὑτοῦ θέλημα, φιλόχριστε. Ἔρρωσο πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν διαμένουσα τῇ πολιτείᾳ Ῥωμαίων». 287.10 «Ὡς οἶμαι, οὐ διαλανθάνει τὴν σὴν θεοφίλειαν ἡ τῶν ἐμῶν γεννητόρων εὐγένεια καὶ εὐπορία καὶ τῆς ἀξίας αὐτῶν ἡ περιφάνεια, πάλιν δὲ ὡς οὐδέποτε ἠγάπησα πλοῦτον, οὔτε ἠράσθην χρημάτων ἢ δόξης ἀνθρωπίνης, ἀλλὰ κἀκείνοις πολλάκις συνεβούλευον ἀποκτήσασθαι τὴν τοιαύτην ματαίαν φροντίδα καὶ ἐπιμελήσασθαι τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας διὰ τῆς εἰς τοὺς πένητας μεταδόσεως, ὅπως κτήσωνται τὴν ἐπουράνιον βασιλείαν. Πῶς δὲ καὶ χρημάτων ἐπιθυμήσω ἀεὶ νουθετῶν καὶ ἐπιπλήττων ἐν ταῖς ἐξηγήσεσι τοὺς ταῦτα κεκτημένους καὶ μὴ ῥαντίζοντας αὐτὰ εἰς τὰς τῶν πενήτων χεῖρας. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς ἀποτροφὴν ὀλίγος ἄρτος σὺν ἅλατι καὶ λαχάνοις οἰκτροῖς διὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν. Περὶ δὲ Θεοδωρίχου ἐσήμανας ὡς ἐσφετέρισα τὴν ὕπαρξιν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἴδιόν μου κέρδος. Τοῦτο οὖν γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, ὡς ἐμοὶ τί ποτε οὐκ ἔδωκεν. Ἀλλ' οὔτε, εἰ ἔδωκεν, ἐλάμβανον παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ εἴ τι οὖν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος τῷ Χριστῷ ἐδάνεισεν αὐτά, ἐνταῦθα παραθέμενος εἰς τὰς τῶν πενήτων καὶ δεομένων χεῖρας, ὅπως ταῦτα κομίσηται παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι πολυπλασίονα. Εἴθε δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ τοῦτον ἐζήλωσας κενώσασα τὰ χρήματά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰωνίους θησαυρούς, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, οὐ κλέπται καὶ ἐπίβουλοι διορύττειν τολμῶσι. ∆έδωκε γὰρ αὐτὰ εἰς τὸ ξενοδοχεῖον τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὅπως δι' αὐτῶν γένηται ἡ φροντὶς τῶν δεομένων. Εἰ οὖν βούλει ταῦτα λαβεῖν καὶ λυπῆσαι τὸν Χριστόν, σὺ ὄψει. Πίστευε γάρ μοι, ὅτι ἐὰν τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, θλίβεται κατὰ σοῦ». 289 «Ἡ μὲν φιλόχριστος πίστις καὶ διαγωγὴ τῶν ὑμετέρων γονέων πᾶσι κατάδηλος ὑπάρχει. ∆ιὸ καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ καλοκαγαθίαις αὐτῶν ὁ Θεὸς δυσωπούμενος ἀπένειμέ σοι τὰ τῆσδε τῆς ἐπιγείου βασιλείας τὰ σκῆπτρα, ἐκδεχόμενος διὰ τῶν ἔργων σου καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας κληρονόμον ἀναδεῖξαί σε· πλοῦτος γὰρ καὶ δόξα καὶ περιφάνεια κοσμικὴ οὐκ ὠφελήσει ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ φοβερᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἡμῶν διαγωγή.

Μὴ οὖν ἐπιλήσμων γενήσῃ τούτου, μηδὲ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ, σαφῶς ἐπισταμένη, ὅτι ἡ πνοὴ πάντων ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ ᾧ μὲν προστιθεῖ, ἐξ οὗ δὲ βούλεται καὶ ἀφαιρεῖ. Χοῦς καὶ σποδὸς ὑπάρχοντες μετ' ὀλίγον εἰς γῆν καταφερόμενοι ἐν σκοτεινοῖς καὶ ἀφεγγέσι χωρίοις καθὼς καὶ οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν πάντες βασιλεῖς καὶ ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι. Ἀπόβλεψον εἰς τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν βασιλέας. Τί μὲν ἦσαν τότε, τί δὲ νῦν γεγόνασι, σύνες· πῶς ἐφ' ἑκάστης οἱ μὲν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς μνημονευόμενοι, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα διεξελθόντες ἐπὶ κακοῖς ἀεὶ καὶ κατάραις οὐ ταῖς τυχούσαις ὑπὸ πάντων μνημονευόμενοι πλειστάκις· οὐδὲ τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτῶν ὑπὸ