When Even Meals Are Measured

This is a total aside. This has nothing to do with anything. Then again, in a collection of "selections from seminary", there are bound to be a few random tid-bits that do not fit in anywhere else. Something has to break up the monotony from time to time. (You would think that on Christmas Break, I would not need to break the monotony.) Regardless, here it is.

"Everything is best in moderation." Or maybe "All in good measure." How would I say that in Greek?

Well, I was reading the eighth letter of St. Basil, and the last sentence said, "...let me make an end to this letter, since everything is best in moderation, as the proverb has it." Then, the footnote says "This saying was attributed to Cleobulus, one of the Seven Sages, who lived in Lindus in Rhodes at about 580 B.C." Too cool. And since this book has Greek on the opposing page, I can look up the Greek saying for "All in good measure"? That would be the ultimate nerdy seminarian saying! (Except for one from St. Irenaeus that I am now tempted to share...on another day.)

ἐπειδὴ πᾶν μέτρον ἄριστον. Hmm, πᾶν ("pan") is 'everything' or 'all'. And μέτρον ("metron") sure sounds like "meter", or here, 'measured'. I see where this is heading: 'everything measured..." But what is ἄριστον? All the meanings have something to do with meals, whether as a noun meaning breakfast or lunch or any common meal, or as a verb meaning to come together for a meal. What?

I dare you to find any translation online of "πᾶν μέτρον ἄριστον" that mentions meals. So, having no (questionable, wayward) guidance from the Internet, how do we read that? "Everything in measure, just as we measure meals." Or more simply, maybe, "For all meals are measured." Or possibly, "For we even measure our meals." That is it, the "even" really adds that certain something we needed. So, I will stop my letter, too, FOR, ...
as Cleobulus, one of the Seven Sages, said, "even meals are measured."

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