Letter 615

To Kleonikos the Scholasticus [a scholasticus is an advocate/lawyer]. Some say that, after the Flood, when wine had been discovered, certain people who drank it neat without measure died; that others then, after testing it, instead measured out the drink mixed with water, and by using this beverage were preserved. Those who had not yet drunk the vine's flow, for fear of death, inquired of those who had already drunk whether they were still alive; and when these answered, "Yes indeed, we are alive," the others would call out, rejoicing together with each man who had been saved, or who was near at hand: "May you live, may you live!" For this reason, from that time until now the custom has prevailed of saying to those who drink off their cup: "May you live!" These things I have said in answer to your question. Let us not wait to be greeted first and only then return the greeting; for this belongs to a puffed-up and senseless mind. Rather let us always be the first to greet, whether it be friend or enemy, so that in this God too may praise us, and people may approve of us, calling us courteous in address. For the Apostle [Paul] also bids us in honor to regard one another as surpassing ourselves [Romans 12:10]. This very accomplishment, then, has been wanting -- I mean that of greeting first; it has severed many friendships and wrought many enmities; but when it is fulfilled with eagerness, it has put an end to long-standing wars, made implacable enmities vanish, and, in the case of genuine friends, has tightened their affection and increased their longing for one another.

Φασί τινες, μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν ἐξευρεθέντος τοῦ οἴνου, ἀμέτρως ἀκράτιον τινας πίνοντας ἀποθνήσκειν · εἶτα δοκιμάσαντας ἑτέρους μᾶλλον μετρῆσαι τὴν πόσιν ὕδατι κεκραμένην, καὶ τούτῳ χρησαμένους τῷ ποτίῳ διασωθέντας. Οἱ δὲ μήπω πιόντες φόβῳ θανάτου τῆς ἀμπέλου τὸ νᾶμα, ἐπύθοντο τῶν ἤδη πεπωκότων, εἴγε ζῶσιν · κἀκείνων ἀποκριθέντων · Ναὶ δή, ζῶμεν, ἐπεφθέγγοντο συγχαίροντες ἑκάστῳ τῶν σεσωσμένων ἀνθρώπῳ, ἢ πλησίον · ζησείαις, ζήσειας. Διόπερ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι νῦν τὸ ἔθος κεκράτηκε, τοῖς ἐκπιοῦσιν ἐπιλέγειν τό · Ζήσειας. Ταῦτά μοι εἴρηται πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐπερώτησιν. Μὴ ἀναμένωμεν πρῶτοι προσαγορευθῆναι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο προσειπεῖν· τετυφωμένης γάρ, καὶ ἀπονενοημένης τοῦτό γε διανοίας. Ἀλλ’ ἡμεῖς πρῶτοι ἀεὶ προσαγορεύσωμεν, εἴτε φίλον, εἴτε ἐχθρόν, ἵν’ ἐπὶ τοῦτο καὶ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπαινέσῃ, καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἀποδέξωνται, εὐπροσηγόρους ἡμᾶς ἀποκαλοῦντες. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος κελεύει ἡμῖν τῇ τιμῇ ἀλλήλους ἡγεῖσθαι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν. Τοῦτο γοῦν ἐλήλειπεν τὸ κατόρθωμα, τὸ τῆς προῤῥήσεως φημι, πολλὰς φιλίας διέκοψε, πολλὰς ἔχθρας εἰργάσατο· μετὰ σπουδῆς δὲ πληρούμενον, χρονίους πολέμους κατέλυσεν, ἀσπόνδους ἔχθρας ἠφάνισεν, τῶν δὲ γνησίων φίλων ἐπέσφιγξε τὴν στοργὴν, καὶ τοὺς πόθους ἐπήυξησεν.