Letter 1581: Just as the inequality we see in this present life — the righteous suffering, the wicked prospering — appears to be...
To Dorotheos, bishop.
Do not gorge yourself on prosperity beyond what nature allows, nor beyond what is moderate; but everywhere keep human limits in view, and look to the reversals that can often, within a single day, transform circumstances into their opposites. For in this way you will be welcome to others, and you will hold your good fortune securely. And if a reversal should come upon you, you will suffer nothing grievous, since you will have laid up for yourself beforehand the treasures of kindness to your fellow men.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Μὴ πέρα τῆς φύσεως, μηδ’ ἔξω τοῦ μετρίου ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς εὐημερίας ἀξίου· ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον σκόπει, καὶ πρὸς τὰς μεταβολὰς ὅρα, τὰς ἐν μιᾷ πολλάκις ἡμέρᾳ πρὸς τἀναντία τὰ πράγματα μεταστοιχειῶσαι δυναμένας. Οὕτως γὰρ καὶ ἀσπαστῶς ἔσῃ, καὶ τὴν εὐπραγίαν βεβαίαν ἕξεις. Εἰ δὲ καὶ συμβαίη μεταβολή, οὐδὲν ἀργαλέον πείσῃ, ἅτε προαποθέμενος σαυτῷ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τοὺς θησαυρούς.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from modern isidore pelusium workflow v1.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://archive.org/details/PatrologiaGraeca
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