Letter 151: What you call unreasonable, I consider to be wisdom.

To Athanasius. A funeral oration for one who lived a life conspicuous in virtue. The blessed Timothy, your brother, has departed from among men, leaving in the earth all the mortal part that he had, but with his soul walking the heavens; and, as I believe, joining the chorus of the divine and supramundane Powers. Therefore we too, though our grief was very great and, as we held out against it as far as we were able, all but overpowered us, have crossed it out, considering that the end of his life here has become for him there the beginning of the greatest good things. For the man did not pass his life here in any ordinary way, but manfully and nobly, and was proclaimed by all for his deeds of excellence, being superior to every praise, yet crowned with such praises as our powers allow. For he was truly a palace of self-control [sophrosyne], a hearth of prudence, a citadel of courage, a mother-city of justice, a treasury of loving-kindness, a sacred precinct of gentleness, and, to speak in sum, a treasure-house of all the virtues. For he acquired each one of them as another man would make much of acquiring some single one. For, becoming a lover of the supramundane realities, he leapt up toward the upper air in his reasoning, and busied himself with heavenly things, and neglected the things of earth. For, rightly supposing self-control to be the truest pleasure, and one befitting Christians, he tyrannically mastered the belly and the passions that come after the belly, laying down for the one [the belly] the law of self-sufficiency, and not even permitting the others [the passions] to take wing. From here his fame heralded his renown on every side, and he was on the lips of all, and all [were hoping] that, if he should take hold of an ecclesiastical office, he would send forth still more brilliant rays of his virtue. But, like an athlete, while the spectators still longed for him, he flew away to be crowned in the heavenly courts, leaving behind here, like a winding-sheet, his glory and his memory, [and] the praise of all. Who, then, wishing to praise such a man, could touch even a little upon his worth? Who, wishing to commend him, would not, falling behind the theme, blame himself for having attempted a thing impossible? Who, attempting to sketch in words his mildness and his graciousness, and his reverence toward all, but most of all toward those who love virtue, would not reproach himself, finding nothing to say that is a match for the truth? For so did he win over those who were with him, that in the bond of friendship the first place was assigned to him. For he was lofty in virtue, yet humble in mind; gentle in his dealings, yet keen in his thoughts; abundant in his benefactions, yet swift in his consolations. And what will not let me cease, though I wish to do so, must be told: that, loving almsgiving above all things, he hunted after giving, showing his love of mankind; knowing well that this above all is almsgiving. For those who perform it with ostentation do not, it seems to me, show love of mankind, but make a tragedy of the misfortunes of those they benefit, and ruin the divine work with a most grievous disease. For, longing to be called lovers of mankind and benefactors, they do not refrain from parading the distresses of others. But that man of song [the celebrated one] -- for it is not lawful to be silent, and those who speak must necessarily be convicted of not preserving for him his due worth -- not only by giving, but also by doing this in secret, refreshed with dew those who happened to be in the furnace of poverty. But why do I labor, trying with a paltry speech to imitate a sea of good things? Therefore I, for my part, will halt my discourse here; and do you, ceasing from your grief over him, honor that most excellent man by honoring virtue.

Ἐπιτάφιος πρὸς διαφόρῳ ἐν ἀρετῇ ζήσαντα. Ὁ μακάριος Τιμόθεος ὁ σὸς ἀδελφός, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ᾤχετο, πᾶ μὲν ὅσον εἶχε θνητόν, ἐν γῇ καταλείψας, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ οὐρανοβατῶν· καὶ ταῖς θείαις καὶ ὑπερκοσμίοις, ὡς πιστεύω, συγχορεύων δυνάμεσι. Διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν λύπην, καίτοι μεγίστην ἦσαν, [καὶ] εἰς τὸ δυνατὸν ἀντέχοντας, σχεδὸν χειρωσαμένην, παρεγραψάμεθα, ἐννοήσαντες, ὅτι ἡ τῶν ἐνθάδε τελευτή, ἀρχὴ τῶν μεγίστων αὐτῷ ἐκεῖσε καθέστηκεν ἀγαθῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἔτυχεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐνθάδε βίον διήθηλσεν· ἀλλ' ἀνδρείως καὶ γενναίως, καὶ παρὰ πάντων ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀριστείαις ἀνακηρυττόμενος, πάσης μὲν εὐφημίας κρείττων ὤν, τοῖς δὲ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐπαίνοις στεφανούμενος. Ὄντως γὰρ ἦν ἀνάκτορον μὲν σωφροσύνης, ἑστία δὲ φρονήσεως, ἀκρόπολις δὲ ἀνδρείας, μητρόπολις δὲ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ταμιεῖον μὲν φιλανθρωπίας, τέμενος δὲ ἡμερότητος, καὶ συλλήβδην εἰπεῖν, πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν θησαυρός. Οὕτως γὰρ ἑκάστην ἐκτήσατο, ὡς ἂν ἕτερος μίαν τινὰ κτήσασθαι περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιήσατο. Τῶν γὰρ ὑπερκοσμίων ἐρᾶς τῆς γενόμενος ἐπήδα πρὸς τὸν αἰθέρα τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ τὰ οὐράνια ἐπολυπραγμόνει, καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων ἠμέλει. Ἡδονὴν γὰρ ἀληθεστάτην, καὶ Χριστιανοῖς πρέπουσαν, τὴν σωφροσύνην εἰκότως ὑπειληφώς, γαστρός, καὶ τῶν μετὰ γαστέρα παθῶν τυραννικῶς ἐκράτησε, τὴν μὲν τὴν αὐτάρκειαν νομοθετήσας, τοῖς δὲ οὐδὲ πτερῦσθαι συγχωρήσας. Ἐντεῦθεν πᾶν-ταχόθεν διήγγελλεν ἡ φήμη τὸ κλέος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασιν ἦν, καὶ πάντες [ἤλπιζον] λαμπροτέρας αὐτὸν, εἰ ἀρχῆς ἐπιλάβοιτο ἐκκλησιαστικῆς, πέμψειν τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰς ἀκτῖνας. Ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ ἀθλητὴς, ποθούντων ἔτι τῶν θεατῶν, εἰς τὰς οὐρανίους αὐλὰς στεφησόμενος ἀπέπτη, καταλείψας ἐνθάδε ὥσπερ ἐντάφιον δόξαν καὶ μνήμην, [καὶ] τὸν παρὰ πάντων ἔπαινον. Τίς τοιγαροῦν τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐγκωμιάσαι βουλόμενος, κἂν ἐπ᾿ ὀλίγον τῆς ἀξίας ἐφάψοιτο; Τίς ἐπαινέσαι θέλων οὐ κατόπιν τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἀπολειφθεὶς ἑαυτὸν αἰτιάσοιτο, ὡς πράγματι ἀμηχάνῳ ἐγχειρήσας; Τίς τὴν πρᾳότητα καὶ τὸ μειλίχιον, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἅπαντας μὲν, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς φιλάρετους αἰδῶ, λόγοις ἐπιχειρήσας ὑπογράψαι, οὐχ ἑαυτὸν μέμψοιτο, μηδὲν εὑρίσκων εἰπεῖν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφάμιλλον; Οὕτω γὰρ τοὺς συνόντας ᾔρει, ὡς εἰς τὸν τῆς φιλίας δεσμὸν, αὐτῷ νέμεσθαι τὰ πρωτεῖα. Ὑψηλὸς μὲν γὰρ ἦν τῇ ἀρετῇ, ταπεινὸς δὲ τῷ φρονήματι, καὶ πρᾶος μὲν ἐν ταῖς συντυχίαις· ὀξὺς δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἐννοίαις· καὶ πολὺς μὲν ἐν ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις, ταχὺς δὲ ἐν ταῖς παρακλήσεσιν. Ὁ δέ με καταπαῦσαι βουλόμενον οὐκ ἐᾷ, τοῦτο ῥητέον, ὅτι τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην διαφερόντως ἀγαπῶν, τὸ λαβεῖν φιλανθρωπευόμενος ἐθηρᾶτο· εὖ εἰδὼς, ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐλεημοσύνη. Οἱ γὰρ μετ᾿ ἐπιδείξεως ταύτην διαπραττόμενοι (59), οἷ μοι δοκοῦσι φιλανθρωπεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὰς εὖ πασχόντων ἐκτραγῳδεῖν συμφορὰς· καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἔργον ἀργαλεωτάτῳ λυμαίνεσθαι νοσήματι. Φιλάνθρωποι γὰρ καὶ εὐεργέται καλεῖσθαι ποθοῦντες, τὰς τῶν ἄλλων ἐκπομπεύειν οὐ παραιτοῦνται δυσπραγίας. Ὁ δὲ ἀοίδιμος ἐκεῖνος· σιωπᾶν γὰρ οὐ θέμις, καὶ φθεγγομένους ἀναγκαῖον ἐλέγχεσθαι τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῷ μὴ σῴζοντας· οὐχὶ τῇ παρέχειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ λανθανόντως τοῦτο διαπράττεσθαι, τοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τῆς πενίας τυγχάνοντας (60) ἐδρόσιζεν. Ἀλλὰ τί κάμνω, πέλαγος ἀγαθῶν, εὐτελεῖ λόγῳ ἀμυμῆσαι πειρώμενος; Διὸ δὴ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐνταῦθα στήσω τὸν λόγον· αὐ τὸς δὲ τῆς λύπης τῆς ἐπ' αὐτῷ παυσάμενος, τίμα τὸν ἄριστον ἐκεῖνον τῇ τιμήσει τῆς ἀρετῆς (61).