Letter 194: First, you must overcome.

To Didymus. If the things reported about you are true, you will perhaps contrive a plausible defense, but you will not speak a true one; if, however, they are false, then write out the defense, which we will plant in the ears of those who murmur against you. But if you would cease from the self-indulgence that gives way to every irrational impulse, then even before the defense I think they will sing a recantation.

Εἰ ἀληθῆ τὰ ἀπαγγελθέντα περί σοῦ, πιθανὴν μὲν ἴσως ἀπολογίαν λογοποιήσεις, ἀληθῆ δὲ οὐ φράσεις· εἰ δὲ ψευδῆ, γράψε δὴ τὴν ἀπολογίαν, ἥντινα ἡμεῖς ταῖς ἀκοαῖς τῶν κισμυδούντων σε ἐγκαθιδρύσομεν. Εἰ δὲ παύσιο τῆς τρυφῆς τῆς εἰς πᾶσαν ἄλογον ὁρμὴν χωρούσης, καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀπολογίας οἶμαι αὐτοὺς παλινῳδίας φήσειν.