State super vias et videte et interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona et ambulate in ea et invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris

26 Oct 2022

Master And Servant

Δεσπότης ἐστὶν ὁ νοῦς, δοῦλος δὲ τὸ σαρκίον. Μὴ τοίνυν τὸν δοῦλον ἀμέτρως θεράπευε διὰ γαστριμαργίας, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιλαθόμενος τῶν ἰδίων μέτρων εἰς τυραννίδα ἔλθῃ, καὶ ὅπλα πολμήσῃ ἆραι κατὰ τοῦ κτησαμένου· διόπερ ὁ Σολομὼν ἐπιστράμενος τὴν ἀφορσύνην τοῦ σώματος ἔλεγεν· Οὐ συμφέρει τῷ ἄφρονι ἡ τρυφὴ, κἂν οἰκέτης ἄρχῃ μεθ' ὕβρεως τοῦ ἰδίου δεσπότου.

Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΡΞ Δεκουριωνι

Source: Migne PG 79.148c
The mind is the master, flesh the servant. Do not then indulge the body in gluttony without measure, lest neglecting the proper rule a tyrant come forth, and he dares to equip himself that he might take possesion. On account on which insolence of the body Solomon said: 'Do not give yourself to mindless luxury, lest an insolent house servant comes to rule over the master.' 1

Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 147, to Decurion

1 Prov 19.10

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