![From the Emperor Julian's Letter to a Priest:
Who, I ask, ever became poor by giving to his neighbours? […]
We ought then to share our money with all men, but more generously with the good, and with the helpless and poor so as to suffice for their need. And I will assert, even though it be paradoxical to say so, that it would be a pious act to share our clothes and food even with the wicked. For it is to the humanity in a man that we give, and not to his moral character. Hence I think that even prisoners have a right to the same sort of care; since this kind of philanthropy will not hinder justice. For when many are in prison to await trial, of whom some will be found guilty, while others will prove to be innocent, it would be harsh indeed if out of regard for the innocent we should not bestow some pity on the guilty also, or again, if on account of the guilty we should behave ruthlessly and inhumanly to the innocent. This too, when I consider it, seems to me altogether wrong; I mean that we call Zeus by the title "God of Strangers," while we show ourselves more inhospitable to strangers than are the very Scythians. How, I ask, can one who wishes to sacrifice to Zeus, the God of Strangers, even approach his temple? With what conscience can he do so, when he has forgotten the saying "From Zeus come all beggars and strangers; and a gift is precious though small"?
Again, the man who worships Zeus the God of Comrades, and who, though he sees his neighbours in need of money, does not give them even a drachma, how, I say, can he think that he is worshipping Zeus aright? When I observe this I am wholly amazed, since I see these titles of the gods are from the beginning their express images, yet in practice we pay no attention to anything of the sort. The gods are called by us "gods of kindred," and Zeus the "God of Kindred," but we treat our kinsmen as though they were strangers. I say "kinsmen" because every man, whether he will or no, is akin to every other man […]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hicrf2xidufft42ma2bwsxpl/bafkreihwclgaq4bvfpqsoqjw2jzsudicxhvvndduvwyodymyovowgeq2fi)
From the Emperor Julian's Letter to a Priest: Who, I ask, ever became poor by giving to his neighbours? […] We ought then to share our money with all men, but more generously with the good, and with the helpless and poor so as to suffice for their need. And I will assert, even though it be paradoxical to say so, that it would be a pious act to share our clothes and food even with the wicked. For it is to the humanity in a man that we give, and not to his moral character. Hence I think that even prisoners have a right to the same sort of care; since this kind of philanthropy will not hinder justice. For when many are in prison to await trial, of whom some will be found guilty, while others will prove to be innocent, it would be harsh indeed if out of regard for the innocent we should not bestow some pity on the guilty also, or again, if on account of the guilty we should behave ruthlessly and inhumanly to the innocent. This too, when I consider it, seems to me altogether wrong; I mean that we call Zeus by the title "God of Strangers," while we show ourselves more inhospitable to strangers than are the very Scythians. How, I ask, can one who wishes to sacrifice to Zeus, the God of Strangers, even approach his temple? With what conscience can he do so, when he has forgotten the saying "From Zeus come all beggars and strangers; and a gift is precious though small"? Again, the man who worships Zeus the God of Comrades, and who, though he sees his neighbours in need of money, does not give them even a drachma, how, I say, can he think that he is worshipping Zeus aright? When I observe this I am wholly amazed, since I see these titles of the gods are from the beginning their express images, yet in practice we pay no attention to anything of the sort. The gods are called by us "gods of kindred," and Zeus the "God of Kindred," but we treat our kinsmen as though they were strangers. I say "kinsmen" because every man, whether he will or no, is akin to every other man […]
Just posting this from my Emperor.
#JulianTheApostate #JulianThePhilosopher