Letter 524

To Orestes the Key-maker. I once knew a man who threw a stone straight at his enemy. But the stone, going off on a slanting course, traveled toward the thrower's own child, who was standing in a certain spot without a care, and striking the boy's eye it blinded him. For the man who had wished to do harm to another was himself the more harmed, by the just verdict of the all-seeing God. I have said these things to you so that you may cease to send out curses against the one you consider your enemy, lest destruction overtake your house. For we have been commanded to pray on behalf of our enemies, and not to curse them.

Ἔγνων ποτέ τινα ἄνθρωπον ἐξ εὐθείας ῥίψαντα κατὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ λίθον. Ὁ δὲ λίθος λοξὴν πορευθεὶς κατὰ τοῦ τέκνου τοῦ ῥίψαντος ἔν τινι τόπῳ ἑστῶτος ἀμερίμνως, τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν πατάξας τοῦ παιδὸς ἀπ- ετύφλωσεν. Ὁ γὰρ βουληθεὶς ἄλλον κακοποιῆσαι, αὐτὸς μᾶλλον κεκάκωται τῇ δικαίᾳ ψήφῳ τοῦ παντ- επόπτου Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα δέ μοι εἴρηται, ἵνα παύσῃ τοῦ κατάρας ἐκπέμπειν καθ’ ὃν νομίζεις ἐχθρὸν, μήποτε καταλάβῃ τὸν οἶκόν σου ὄλεθρος. Προσεύχεσθαι γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐχθρῶν, οὐχὶ δὲ καταρᾶσθαι παρηγγέλ- μεθα.