Letter 762

To Alcibiades the Scholasticus [advocate]. You write to me that you greatly love humility, and that you wish to learn the manner by which you may attain the grace of such honor from God. If, then, you wish to flee the vain and God-hated swelling of pride, and to become master of that blessed gift, neglect none of the things that contribute to it. Rather, be willing to practice all the things that conduce to its perfecting. For the soul is wont to be made like to its pursuits, and toward whatever it does continually, it is molded and shaped. Let there be, then, a bearing, and a garment, and a gait, and a manner of sitting, and food, and bedding, and all things, to put it simply, practiced toward frugality; and indeed also speech, and movement of the body, and the encounter with one's neighbor; and let these too look toward moderation rather, and not toward pomp. Be kind and gentle toward your brother, long-suffering toward those who oppose you, loving toward others and compassionate toward the humbled, comforting and consoling those who are sick, visiting every person beset by pains, and toils, and afflictions; overlooking no one at all, sweet in address, cheerful in your answers, good through all things, and approachable to all.

Γράφεις μοι ἐρᾶν πάνυ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, καὶ βούλεσθαι τὸν τρόπον μαθεῖν, δι' οὗ ἐπιτεύξῃ τῆς τοιαύτης θεοτιμίας χάριτος. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει μὲν δραπετεῦσαι τῶν μεματαιωμένων καὶ θεοστυγῆ ὄγκον τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, περικρατὴς δὲ γενέσθαι τοῦ μακαρίου δώρου, μηδὲν παρῇς τῶν συντελούντων εἰς τοῦτο. Πάντα δὲ βούλου ἀσκεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὸν τοῦτου ἀπαρτισμόν. Ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι ἐξομοιοῦσθαι εἴωθε, καὶ πρὸς ἅπερ πράττει ἀεί, τυποῦται καὶ σχηματίζεται. Ἔστω τοίνυν καὶ σχῆμα, καὶ ἱμάτιον, καὶ βάδισμα, καὶ καθέδρα, καὶ τροφή, καὶ στρωμνή, καὶ πάντα, ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, πρὸς εὐτέλειαν ἠσκημένα· καὶ μὴν καὶ λόγος, καὶ κίνησις σώματος, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἔντευξις· καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς μετριότητα μᾶλλον, καὶ μὴ πρὸς ὄγκον ὁράτω. Χρηστὸς ἔσο καὶ πρᾶος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἀνεξίκακος πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιπράττοντας, φιλάνθρωπος καὶ συμπαθὴς πρὸς τοὺς ταπεινωθέντας, παρηγορῶν καὶ παραμυθούμενος τοὺς νοσηλευομένους, ἐπισκεπτόμενος πάντα ἄνθρωπον συνεχόμενον ὀδύναις, καὶ πόνοις, καὶ θλίψεσι· μηδένα παρορῶν τοκαθόλου, γλυκὺς ἐν προσηγορίᾳ, φαιδρὸς ἐν ταῖς ἀποκρίσεσιν, ἀγαθὸς διὰ πάντων, καὶ εὐπρόσιτος πᾶσιν.