Against Retaliation

Δεύτερον δὲ χαλεπὸν μὲν οἶδα λόγον ἐρῶν καὶ δυσπαράδεκτον τοῖς πολλοῖς· φιλεῖ γὰρ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ ἀντιδρᾷν κακῶς γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, ἄλλως τε κἂν δικαίαν ἔχων τὴν ὀργὴν ἐξ ὧν πέπονθεν, ἥκιστα λόγου πείθεσθαι χαλινοῖς τὸν θυμὸν ἀνακόπτοντος· ἀκουσθῆναι δὲ ὅμως καὶ προσδεχθῆναι ἄξιον. Μὴ ἀπλήστως χρησώμεθα τῷ καιρῷ, μὴ κατατρυφήσωμεν τῆς ἐξουσίας, μὴ πικροὶ γενώμεθα τοῖς ἠδικηκόσι, μὴ ὧν κατέγνωμεν, ταῦτα πράξωμεν· ἀλλ' ὅσον φυγεῖν τὰ δεινὰ τῆς μεταβολῆς ἀπολαύσαντες, ὅσον εἰς ἀντίδοσιν ἥκει, μισήσωμεν. Αὐτάρκης δίκη τοῖς γε μετρίοις τὸ τῶν λελυπηκότων δέος, καὶ τὸ προσδοκῆσαι ταῦτα παθεῖν, ὧν εἰσιν ἄξιοι, καὶ οἰκείῳ συνειδότι βασανισθῆναι· ἃ γάρ τις ὡς πεισόμενος δέδοικε, ταῦτα πέπονθε, κἂν μὴ πάθῃ, καὶ πλείω παρ' ἑαυτοῦ τυχὸν ἢ τῶν δρασόντων κολάζεται. Μὴ τοίνυν θελήσωμεν τὴν ὀργὴν μετρηθῆναι, μηδὲ φανῶμεν ἐλάττους κολασταὶ τῆς ἀξίας· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ πᾶν εἰσπράξασθαι μὴ δυνάμεθα, τὸ πᾶν συγχωρήσωμεν· γενώμεθα τούτῳ κρείττους τῶν ἠδικηκότων καὶ ὑψηλότεροι· δείξωμεν τί μὲν διδάσκουσιν ἐκείνους οἱ δαίμονες, τί δαὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκπαιδεύει Χριστὸς, ὃς, οἷς πέπονθε τὸ εὐδόκιμον ἔχον, οὐχ ἧττον νενίκηκεν οἷς δυνάμενος οὐ πεποίηκεν. Ἓν ἀντιδῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ χαριστήριον· αὐξήσωμεν χρηστότητι τὸ μυστήριον· εἰς τοῦτο τῷ καιρῷ χρησώμεθα Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Λόγος Ε', Κατὰ Ἰουλιανοῦ βασιλέως Στηλιτευτικὸς Δεύτερος Migne PG 35.712

Secondly, the words I am about to utter, I know, will be difficult and hard to admit for many, for a man when having the power to retaliate wickedly loves to do so, especially when righteously indignant because of what he has suffered, where reason is tardy to force anger to obey the rein, though indeed it deserves to be listened to and followed. Let us not overreach during the moment, let us not misuse our power, let us not be bitter towards those who have mistreated us, let us not do the things that we have deplored in others, but as much as we fly wretchedness and profit by that change, so let us as much hate all thoughts of retaliation. Sufficient justice for temperate men is the terror of those that have injured them, and their expectation that they will suffer the same things, being worthy if it, and the torments of their own conscience; for what someone fears that he shall suffer, the same he suffers even though he does not, and perhaps even more from himself than he would from those who would inflict it. Let us, then, not wish for anger to be measured out, nor let us appear as punishers less than is merited, but since we cannot exact the full debt from them, let us waive the whole, let us be better and more high minded than those who have been unjust, let us show them what the demons teach them and what Christ has taught us, who having glory in the things that He suffered, was not less in the things He refrained from doing though able. Let us return to God our thanks, let us magnify the Mystery by goodness, and so let us make good use of the time. Saint Gregory Nazianzus, from Oration 5, Against the Emperor Julian