# To Diognetus 10.5

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [To Diognetus](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/diognetus/) (*Epistula ad Diognetum*)
- Date: ca. 150–200 (disputed) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 25:372; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2, LCL 25 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1913), 350–379 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library and published by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/diognetus/10/5/

Summary: Imitating God is not domination or wealth.

## Greek text

οὐ γὰρ τὸ καταδυναστεύειν τῶν πλησίον οὐδὲ τὸ πλέον ἔχειν βούλεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων οὐδὲ τὸ πλουτεῖν καὶ βιάζεσθαι τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους εὐδαιμονεῖν ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις δύναταί τις μιμήσασθαι θεόν, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐκτὸς τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος.

## English translation (Claude)

For happiness is not in lording it over one's neighbors, nor in wishing to have more than the weaker, nor in being rich and using force against those who are poorer; nor can anyone imitate God in these things; rather, these things are foreign to his majesty.

## Citation (SBL)

Diogn. 10.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/diognetus/10/5/).