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Comparatio regis et monachi

A COMPARISON OF ROYAL POWER AND WEALTH AND PRE-EMINENCE, WITH A MONK LIVING ACCORDING TO THE MOST TRUE PHILOSOPHY WHICH IS ACCORDING TO CHRIST.

47.387 αʹ. Seeing that the many among men love and admire what seems to be good rather than what is by nature useful and truly good, I think it necessary to make a brief discourse concerning each, and to set side by side now with one another those things that are neglected by many, and those that are objects of great earnestness, so that, having learned the difference of each, we may hold in high esteem the things worthy of earnestness and salvation, and be taught to despise the others as worthy of nothing. Therefore, wealth and power and authority and glory are loved, and the many count blessed the rulers of the nations, borne upon splendid carriages, and enjoying the shouting of heralds and a great bodyguard, but the life of those who practice philosophy is despised, and of those who have chosen the solitary life; and when the former appear, they turn the people towards themselves, but when the latter appear, they draw no one's eyes to themselves, or very few indeed. And no one would desire to become like these, but all would desire to become like those; and yet to acquire power, and to receive rule over a nation, is both difficult and for the many impossible, and lovers of rule would need much money; but to choose the solitary life, and to live in the worship of God, is for all alike both easily managed and simple. And the possession of rule perishes along with this life, or rather it even abandons its lovers while they are alive, and it has already brought some into great danger or dishonor; but the solitary life both fills the just with many good things now, and after the end of life leads them bright and rejoicing to the judgment seat of God the Father, at which time most of the rulers will be seen giving a great account of their lives. Come then, let us set side by side 47.388 both the good things of philosophy and what seem to be the benefits of power and glory in the present life, let us understand the difference between each of the good things; for side by side they will be clearer. Or rather, if you please, setting the pinnacle of good things, I mean kingship, beside philosophy, let us consider the fruits of each possession, having learned precisely what the king rules, and what the philosopher rules. Therefore, the king is set over cities and countries and many nations, leading generals and governors and armies and peoples and councils with his own nods; but he who has given himself to God, and has chosen the solitary life, rules over anger and envy and avarice and pleasure and the other evils, always considering and taking care, that he may not allow the soul to be subject to shameful passions, nor his reason to be enslaved by bitter tyranny, but may always hold his thought above all things, having set the fear of God over the passions. Such, then, is the rule and power that the king possesses, and such is that of the monk, so that one might more justly call this man a king, than the one shining in purple and crown, and sitting on a throne of gold.

βʹ. For a king is truly he who masters anger and envy and pleasure, and brings everything under the laws of God, and keeps his mind free, and does not allow the dominion of pleasures to hold power in the soul. I would gladly see such a man ruling also over peoples and land and sea, and cities and peoples and armies. For he who has set his reason over the passions of the soul would easily also preside over

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Comparatio regis et monachi

ΣΥΓΚΡΙΣΙΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗΣ ∆ΥΝΑΣΤΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΟΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΥΠΕΡΟΧΗΣ, ΠΡΟΣ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΝ ΣΥΖΩΝΤΑ ΤΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΣΤΑΤΗ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ

ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑ.

47.387 αʹ. Ὁρῶν ἐγὼ τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι καλὰ μᾶλλον ἀγαπῶντάς τε καὶ θαυμάζοντας, ἢ τὰ φύσει χρηστὰ καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀγαθὰ, ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι νομίζω περὶ ἑκατέρων βραχεῖς ποιήσασθαι τοὺς λόγους, καὶ παραθεῖναι νῦν ἀλλήλοις τά τε κατεῤῥᾳθυμημένα παρὰ πολλοῖς, τά τε πολλῆς τυγχάνοντα σπουδῆς, ἵνα μαθόντες τὸ διάφορον ἑκατέρων, τὰ μὲν ὡς ἄξια σπουδῆς καὶ σωτηρίας περὶ πολλοῦ ποιησώμεθα, τῶν δὲ καταφρονεῖν παιδευθῶμεν ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀξίων. Οὐκοῦν ἀγαπᾶται μὲν πλοῦτος καὶ δυναστεία καὶ ἀρχὴ καὶ δόξα, καὶ μακαρίζουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἄρχοντας, φερομένους ἐπὶ λαμπρῶν ὀχημάτων, καὶ κηρύκων βοῆς ἀπολαύοντας καὶ δορυφορίας πολλῆς, καταπεφρόνηται δὲ τῶν φιλοσοφούντων ὁ βίος, καὶ τῶν τὴν μονήρη δίαιταν ᾑρημένων· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν φανέντες, πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιστρέφουσι τὸν δῆμον, οὗτοι δὲ φανέντες οὐδενὸς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἢ κομιδῇ γε ὀλίγων, πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἕλκουσι. Καὶ τούτων μὲν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐπιθυμήσειε γενέσθαι ὅμοιος, ἐκείνων δὲ ἅπαντες· καίτοι γε δυναστείαν μὲν κτήσασθαι, καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔθνους λαβεῖν, χαλεπόν τε καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀδύνατον, καὶ πολλῶν ἂν δεηθεῖεν χρημάτων οἱ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐρασταί· τὸ δὲ μονήρη βίον ἑλέσθαι, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείᾳ συζῇν, πᾶσιν ὁμοίως εὔπορόν τε καὶ ῥᾴδιον. Καὶ τῆς μὲν ἀρχῆς ἡ κτῆσις τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ συνδιαφθείρεται, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ζῶντας ἀπολιμπάνει τοὺς ἑαυτῆς ἐραστὰς, ἤδη δέ τινας καὶ εἰς κίνδυνον μέγαν ἢ ἀδοξίαν κατέστησεν· ὁ δὲ μονήρης βίος νῦν τε πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀναπίμπλησι τοὺς δικαίους, καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου τελευτὴν λαμπροὺς καὶ χαίροντας ἐπὶ τὸ δικαστήριον ἄγει τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ὅτε τῶν ἀρξάντων οἱ πλείους μεγάλην ὀφθήσονται διδόντες τῶν βεβιωμένων τὴν δίκην. Φέρε δὴ παραθέντες ἀλλήλοις τά τε τῆς 47.388 φιλοσοφίας ἀγαθὰ, τά τε δοκοῦντα εἶναι χρηστὰ τῆς ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ δυναστείας καὶ δόξης, καταμάθωμεν τὸ διάφορον ἑκατέρων τῶν ἀγαθῶν· παράλληλα γὰρ ἔσται φανερώτερα· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δοκεῖ, τὴν κορυφὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν βασιλείαν λέγω, τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ παραθέντες, θεωρήσωμεν ἑκατέρας κτήσεως τοὺς καρποὺς, καταμαθόντες ἀκριβῶς τίνων μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς, τίνων δὲ ὁ φιλόσοφος ἄρχει. Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς πόλεσι καὶ χώραις καὶ πολλοῖς ἐφέστηκεν ἔθνεσι, καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ ὑπάρχους καὶ στρατόπεδα καὶ δήμους καὶ βουλὰς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ νεύμασιν ἄγων· ὁ δὲ Θεῷ δεδωκὼς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τὸν μονήρη βίον ᾑρημένος, θυμοῦ καὶ φθόνου καὶ φιλαργυρίας καὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἄρχει κακῶν, σκοπῶν ἀεὶ καὶ φροντίζων, ὅπως ἂν μὴ συγχωρήσειε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑπὸ τοῖς αἰσχροῖς γενέσθαι πάθεσι, μηδὲ δουλωθῆναι τὸν λογισμὸν τυραννίδι πικρᾷ, ἀλλ' ἀνωτέρω πάντων ἀεὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοι, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐπιστήσας τοῖς πάθεσι. Τοιαύτην μὲν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς, τοιαύτην δὲ ὁ μοναχὸς ἀρχὴν καὶ δυναστείαν κέκτηται, ὥστε δικαιότερον ἄν τις τοῦτον βασιλέα καλέσειεν, ἢ τὸν ἁλουργίδι καὶ στεφάνῳ λαμπόμενον, καὶ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου χρυσοῦ.

βʹ. Βασιλεὺς γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁ θυμοῦ καὶ φθόνου καὶ ἡδονῆς κρατῶν, καὶ πάντα ὑπὸ τοὺς νόμους ἄγων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἐλεύθερον τηρῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶν ἐνδυναστεῦσαι τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν δεσποτείαν τῶν ἡδονῶν. Τὸν τοιοῦτον ἡδέως ἂν εἶδον καὶ δήμων καὶ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης ἄρχοντα, καὶ πόλεων καὶ δήμων καὶ στρατοπέδων. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν λογισμὸν ἐπιστήσας, ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐπισταίη καὶ