Letter 469

To Philo the Bishop. You are yourselves quite capable, on your own, of regulating the members of your monastery as is fitting in all matters. But since you have reminded me about diet through your letter, asking that it be made clear to you, I think it well -- since the constitution of bodies differs, some being sickly and others in health -- to set out a varied regimen, one suited to each person: for those in health, the use of pulses [legumes]; for the weak, the relief that comes from vegetables; and for those who are excessively enfeebled and have collapsed, to extend the measured help that comes from meat.

Ἱκανοὶ ἔστε καὶ αὐτοὶ καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς τοὺς τοῦ μοναστηρίου ὑμῶν κανονίζειν δέοντως ἐφ’ ἅπασιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ περὶ διαίτης ἐπεμνήσατέ με διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἀξιοῦντες δηλωθῆναι ὑμῖν, νομίζω καλῶς ἔχειν, διαφόρου οὔσης τῆς τῶν σωμάτων κράσεως, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀσθενούντων, τῶν δὲ ὑγιαινόντων, ποικίλην, καὶ ἁρμόζουσαν ἑκάστῳ προσώπῳ ἐκτάξαι τὴν δίαιταν· τοῖς μὲν ὑγιαίνουσι τὴν τῶν ὀσπρίων χρείαν, τοῖς δὲ ἀσθενοῦσι τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν λαχάνων παραμυθίαν, τοῖς δὲ ἐξησθενηκόσιν ὑπὲρ λίαν, καὶ καταπεπτωκόσι, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν σύμμετρον ὀρέγειν βοήθειαν.