Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom
Page 183
[83] Reasoning thus, the good king endures without repining. He realizes too that toil brings health and salvation and goodly report as well; while, on the other hand, luxurious ease brings quite the opposite. Then again, toil endured ever grows less and easier to support, the while it makes pleasure greater and less harmful if it follows the toil. Ease, on the other hand, makes toil appear more and more difficult in that it lessens pleasure and blunts its edge.
[60] εἰ δὲ δεῖ τὰς αὐτὰς μὲν φροντίδας ἔχειν ἢ καὶ πλείους, πολὺ δὲμείζους ἀσχολίας, ὁμοίως δὲ εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὰς ἡδονάς, ὁμοίως δὲ τοὺς κινδύνους ὑπομένειν, πόσῳ γε κρεῖττον μετὰ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀρετῆς ἢ μετὰ πονηρίας καὶ ἀδικίας πάντα ταῦτα ἐπιτηδεύειν, καὶ μετὰ ἐπαίνου φαίνεσθαι τοιοῦτον ἢ μετὰ ψόγου, ἀγαπώμενον μὲν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων, ἀγαπώμενον δὲ ὑπὸ θεῶν, ἢ τοὐναντίον μισούμενον;
[84] The man who lives in the lap of luxury and never puts his hand to a single task, ends by being unable to endure any task or to feel any pleasure at all, however intense.
[61] καὶ τοίνυν τὸ μὲν παρὸν βραχύ τι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ ἀσυλλόγιστον, κατέχει δὲ τοῦ βίου τὸ πλεῖστον ἡ μνήμη τῶν προγεγονότων καὶ ἡ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίς. πότερον οὖν τοῖν ἀνδροῖν ἡγώμεθα εὐφραίνειν τὴν μνήμην καὶ πότερον ἀνιᾶν, καὶ πότερον θαρρύνειν τὰς ἐλπίδας καὶ πότερον ἐκπλήττειν; οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡδίονα ἀνάγκη τὸν βίονεἶναι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ βασιλέως.
[85] Consequently, he who loves to toil and exercises self-control is not only better qualified to be king but is able to live a much more pleasant life than those in the opposite case.
[86] φιλίαν γε μὴν ἁπάντων νενόμικε τῶν αὑτοῦ κτημάτων κάλλιστον καὶ ἱερώτατον. οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αἰσχρὸν εἶναι τὸ βασιλεύειν οὐδὲ ἐπικίνδυνον χρημάτων ἀπορεῖν ὡς φίλων, οὐδ᾽ ἂν οὕτως τῇ χορηγίᾳ καὶ τοῖς στρατοπέδοις καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ δυνάμει διαφυλάττειν
[86] Friendship, moreover, the good king holds to be the fairest and most sacred of his possessions, believing that the lack of means is not so shameful or perilous for a king as the lack of friends, and that he maintains his happy state, not so much by means of revenues and armies and his other sources of strength, as by the loyalty of his friends.
[87] τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ὡς τῇ πίστει τῶν φίλων. μόνος μὲν γὰρ οὐδεὶς πρὸς οὐδὲν οὐδὲ τῶν ἰδίων ἱκανός ἐστι: τοῖς δὲ βασιλεῦσιν ὅσῳ πλείω τε καὶ μείζω πράττειν ἀνάγκη, πλειόνων δεῖ καὶ [p. 49] τῶν συνεργούντων καὶ μετ᾽ εὐνοίας πλείονος. ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ σπουδαιότατα τῶν πραγμάτων ἢ πιστεύειν ἑτέροις ἢ προΐεσθαι.
[87] For no one, of and by himself, is sufficient for a single one of even his own needs; and the more and greater the responsibilities of a king are, the greater is the number of co-workers that he needs, and the greater the loyalty required of them, since he is forced to entrust his greatest and most important interests to others or else to abandon them.
[88] καὶ τοίνυν τοῖς μὲν ἰδιώταις οἱ νόμοι παρέχουσι τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖσθαι ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τούτων οἷς ἂν συμβάλωσιν ἢ χρήματα πιστεύσαντες ἢ οἶκον ἐπιτρέψαντες ἢ ἔργου τινὸς κοινωνήσαντες, ζημιοῦντες τὸν ἀδικοῦντα: τοῖς δὲ βασιλεῦσι τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖσθαι πιστεύσαντας οὐκ ἔστι παρὰ τῶν νόμων ζητεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς εὐνοίας.
[88] Furthermore, the law protects the private individual from being easily wronged by men with whom he enters into business relations, either by entrusting them with money, or by making them agents of an estate, or by entering into partnership with them in some enterprise; and it does so by punishing the offender. A king, however, cannot look to the law for protection against betrayal of a trust, but must depend upon loyalty.
[89] καὶ γὰρ ἰσχυροτάτους μὲν εἰκὸς ἁπάντων εἶναι τοὺς ἐγγὺς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν συνδιοικοῦντας. ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φυλακὴ πλὴν τὸ ἀγαπᾶσθαι: καὶ τοῖς μὲν τυχοῦσιν οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἰκῇ μεταδιδόναι δυνάμεως, ὅσῳ δ᾽ ἄν τις τοὺς φίλους ἰσχυροτέρους ποιῇ, τοσούτῳ ἰσχυρότερος αὐτὸς γίγνεται.
[89] Naturally, those who stand near the king and help him rule the country are the strongest, and from them he has no other protection than their love. Consequently, it is not a safe policy for him to share his power carelessly with the first men he meets; but the stronger he makes his friends,
[90] ὅρα δὲ ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων κτημάτων τὰ μὲν ἀναγκαῖα μόνον καὶ χρήσιμα δοκεῖ πᾶσι, τέρψιν δὲ οὐδεμίαν παρέχεται: τὰ δὲ ἡδέα μόνον, συμφέροντα δὲ οὔ: τοὐναντίον δὲ τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἡδέων ἀσύμφορα εὑρίσκεται.
[90] the stronger he becomes himself.
[91] καὶ τοίνυν ὅσα μὲν ἀναγκαῖα καὶ χρήσιμα τῶν κτημάτων, οὐ πάντως ἡδονήν τινα ἔχει τοῖς κεκτημένοις: ὅσα δὲ τερπνά, οὐκ εὐθὺς διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συμφέροντα: τοὐναντίον γὰρ πολλὰ τῶν ἡδέων ἀξύμφορα ἐξελέγχεται.
[91] Once more, necessary and useful possessions do not in all cases afford their owner some pleasure, nor does it follow that because a thing is pleasing it is also profitable. On the contrary, many pleasant things prove to be unprofitable.
[92] αὐτίκα τείχη μὲν καὶ ὅπλα καὶ μηχανήματα καὶ στρατόπεδα τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐστὶ κτημάτων τοῖς κρατοῦσιν: ἄνευ γὰρ τούτων οὐχ οἷόν τε σώζεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν: τέρψιν δὲ οὐχ ὁρῶ ποίαν δίχα γε τῆς ὠφελείας ἔχει.
[92] Fortifications, for example, arms, engines, and troops are possessions necessary for a ruler, since without them his authority cannot be maintained, but I do not see what gratification they afford — at least, apart from their utility;
[93] καλὰ δὲ ἄλση καὶ οἰκίαι πολυτελεῖς καὶ ἀνδριάντες καὶ γραφαὶ τῆς παλαιᾶς τε καὶ ἄκρας τέχνης καὶ χρυσοῖ κρατῆρες καὶ ποικίλαι τράπεζαι καὶ πορφύρα καὶ ἐλέφας καὶ ἤλεκτρος καὶ μύρων ὀσμαὶ καὶ θεαμάτων παντοίων καὶ ἀκουσμάτων τέρψεις διά τε φωνῆς καὶ ὀργάνων, πρὸς δὲ αὖ τούτοις γυναῖκες ὡραῖαι καὶ παιδικὰ ὡραῖα ξύμπαντα ταῦτα οὐδεμιᾶς ἕνεκα χρείας, ἀλλ᾽ ἡδονῆς εὑρημένα [p. 50]
[93] and on the other hand, beautiful parks, costly residences, statues, paintings in the exquisite early style, golden bowls, inlaid tables, purple robes, ivory, amber, perfumes, everyt
hing to delight the eye, delightful music, both vocal and instrumental, and besides these, beautiful maidens and handsome boys — all these evidently subserve no useful purpose whatever, but are obviously the inventions of pleasure.
[94] φαίνεται. μόνῃ δὲ τῇ φιλίᾳ συμβέβηκεν ἁπάντων μὲν εἶναι συμφορώτατον, ἁπάντων δὲ ἥδιστον. εὐθὺς οἶμαι τῶν ἀναγκαίων τὰ μέγιστα, ὅπλα καὶ τείχη καὶ στρατεύματα καὶ πόλεις, ἄνευ τῶν διοικούντων φίλων οὔτε χρήσιμα οὔτε συμφέροντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἐπισφαλῆ: οἱ δέ γε φίλοι καὶ δίχα τούτων ὠφέλιμοι.
[94] To friendship alone has it have been given to be both the most profitable of all and the most pleasurable of all. To illustrate: I presume that our greatest necessities, arms, walls, troops, and cities, without friends to control them, are neither useful nor profitable; nay, they are exceedingly precarious; while friends, even without these, are helpful. Besides, these things are useful in war only,
[95] καὶ ταῦταμὲν ἐν πολέμῳ μόνον χρήσιμα, τοῖς δὲ ἀεὶ βιωσομένοις ἐν εἰρήνῃ,
[95] while for men who are going to live in unbroken peace — if such a thing be possible — they are a useless burden. Without friendship, however, life is insecure even in peace.
[96] ἂν ᾖ δυνατόν, ἀχρεῖα καὶ βαρέα: ἄνευ δὲ φιλίας οὐδ᾽ ἐν εἰρήνῃ ζῆν ἀσφαλές. καὶ μὴν ὧν εἶπον ἡδέων τὸ μὲν κοινωνεῖν φίλοις τερπνότερον, μόνον δὲ ἀπολαύειν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πάντων ἀηδέστατον, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ὑπομείνειεν: ἔτι δὲ λυπηρότερον, εἰ δεήσειε κοινωνεῖν
[96] Once more, the pleasures I have mentioned afford more delight when shared with friends; to enjoy them in solitude is the dreariest thing imaginable, and no one could endure it. But it would be still more disagreeable if you had to share them with people who disliked you.
[97] τοῖς μὴ ἀγαπῶσιν. ποία μὲν γὰρ εὐφροσύνη προσφιλής, ῾εἰ μὴ καὶ πάντα παρείη τὰ μέγιστἀ, ποῖον δὲ συμπόσιον ἡδὺ χωρὶς εὐνοίας τῶν παρόντων; ποία δὲ θυσία κεχαρισμένη θεοῖς ἄνευ τῶν συνευωχουμένων;
[97] Nay, what festivity could please unless the most important thing of all were at hand, what symposium could delight you if you lacked the good-will of the guests? What sacrifice is acceptable to the gods without the participants in the feast?
[98] οὐ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια ταῦτα ἥδιστα καὶ ἀνυβριστότατα ὅσα γίγνεται μετὰ φιλίας τῶν συνόντων καὶ ὅσα μαστεύουσιν εὔνοιαν ἀνθρώποις ἐπῆλθε παρὰ παιδικῶν ἢ παρὰ γυναικῶν;
[98] Indeed, are not even those love relations the pleasantest and least wanton which are based on the affection of the lovers, and which men whose object is good-will experience in the society of boys or women?
[99] πολλαὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐπωνυμίαι τῆς φιλίας, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ χρεῖαι: ἡ δὲ μετὰ κάλλους καὶ ὥρας γιγνομένη φιλία δικαίως ἔρως ὠνόμασται, καὶ δοκεῖ κάλλιστος τῶν θεῶν.
[99] Many are the names applied to friendship just as its services undoubtedly are many; but where youth and beauty enter in, there friendship is rightly called love and is held to be the fairest of the gods.
[100] καὶ μὴν τά γε ὠφέλιμα φάρμακα τοῖς μὲν νοσοῦσιν ὠφέλιμα, τοῖς δὲ ὑγιαίνουσιπεριττά. φιλίας δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν ἀεὶ σφόδρα δεῖ καὶ τοῖς νοσοῦσιν: ἥ συμφυλάττει μὲν πλοῦτον, ἐπαρκεῖ δὲ πενίᾳ, λαμπρύνει πρύνει μὲν δόξαν, ἀμαυροῖ δὲ ἀδοξίαν.
[100] Again, salutary drugs are salutary to the sick, but of no use to the well. Of friendship, however, men stand ever in the greatest need, whether in health or in sickness: it helps to defend wealth and relieves poverty; it adds lustre to fame and dims the glare of infamy.
[101] μόνον δὲ τοῦτο τὰ μὲν δυσχερῆ πάντα μειοῖ, τὰ δὲ ἀγαθὰ πάντα αὔξει. ποία μὲν γὰρ συμφορὰ δίχα φιλίας οὐκ ἀφόρητος, ποία δὲ εὐτυχία χωρὶς φίλωνοὐκ ἄχαρις; εἰ δὲ σκυθρωπὸν ἐρημία καὶ πάντων φοβερώτατον, οὐ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἐρημίαν χρὴ τοιοῦτον νομίζειν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν φίλων:
[101] It is this alone that makes everything unpleasant seem less so and magnifies everything good. For what misfortune is not intolerable without friendship, and what gift of fortune does not lose its charm if friends be lacking? And although solitude is cheerless and of all things the most terrible, it is not the absence of men that we should consider as solitude, but the absence of friends; for often complete solitude is preferable to the presence of persons not well-disposed.
[102] ἐπεὶ τῶν γε μὴ εὐνοούντων πολλάκις ἡ ἐρημία κρείττων. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδ᾽ εὐτυχίαν ἐκείνην νενόμικα, ἥ μηδένα ἔχει τὸν συνηδόμενον. ῥᾷον γὰρ ἄν τις συμφορὰν τὴν χαλεπωτάτην φέροι μετὰ φίλων ἢ[p. 51] μόνος εὐτυχίαν τὴν μεγίστην. ὡς ἐκεῖνον ἀθλιώτατον ἐγὼ κρίνω δικαίως ὃς ἐν μὲν ταῖς συμφοραῖς πλείστους ἔχει τοὺς ἐφηδομένους,
[102] For my part, I have never regarded even good fortune to be such if attended by no friend to rejoice with me, since the severest strokes of misfortune can more easily be borne with friends than the greatest good fortune without them. For with good right I judge that man most wretched who in misfortune has the largest number to gloat over him but in good fortune no one to rejoice with him.
[103] ἐν δὲ ταῖς εὐτυχίαις οὐδένα τὸν συνηδόμενον. ᾧ γὰρ πλεῖστοι μὲν καὶ ἄριστοι φίλοι, δυσμενὴς δὲ φαυλότατος, εἴτις ἄρα ἐστί, καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν οἱ ἀγαπῶντες, πλείους δὲ οἱ ἐπαινοῦντες, ψέγειν δὲ οὐδεὶς δυνάμενος, πῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος οὐ τελέως εὐδαίμων; ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ἀνὴρ πολλοὺς μὲν ἔχει τοὺς συνηδομένους, οὐδένα δὲ ἐφηδόμενον καὶ διὰ τὸ εὐτυχεῖν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι καὶ διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς μὲν ἔχειν φίλους, μηδένα δὲ ἐχθρόν.
[103] When a man has hosts of excellent friends and his foes areº very few in number — if he has any foe at all — when he has many who love him, still more who admire him, and no one who can censure him, is he not perfectly happy? For such a man has multitudes to share his joy but not one to gloat over him in misfortune, and for this reason he is fortunate in all things, in that he has hosts of friends but not a single enemy.
[104] εἰ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ ὦτα καὶ γλῶττα καὶ χεῖρες ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ παντὸς ἄξια οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὸ ἥδεσθαι ζῶντα, ἀλλὰ δύνασθαι ζῆν, τούτων οὐκ ἔλαττον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον φίλοι χρήσιμοι.
[104] If eyes, ears, tongue, and hands are worth everything to a man that he may be able merely to live, to say nothing of enjoying life, then friends are not less but more useful than thes
e members.
[105] διὰ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μόλις ὁρᾶν ἔστι τὰ ἐμποδών, διὰ δὲ τῶν φίλων καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς πέρασι θεᾶσθαι. καὶ διὰ μὲν τῶν ὤτων οὐκ ἄν τις ἀκούσαι ἢ τῶν σφόδρα ἐγγύθεν, διὰ δὲ τῶν εὐνοούντων οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὅπου δήποτε ἀνήκοός ἐστι.
[105] With his eyes he may barely see what lies before his feet; but through his friends he may behold even that which is at the ends of the earth. With his ears he can hear nothing save that which is very near; but through those who wish him well
[106] καὶ τῇ μὲν γλώττῃ μόνοις τοῖς παροῦσι σημαίνει, καὶ ταῖς χερσίν, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα εἴη καρτερός, οὐκ ἂν ἐργάσαιτο πλεῖον ἔργον ἢ δύ᾽ ἀνδρῶν: διὰ δὲ τῶν φίλων δύναται καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις διαλέγεσθαι καὶ πάντων ἔργων ἐφικνεῖσθαι. οἱ γὰρ εὐνοοῦντες πάντα ἐκείνῳ συμφέροντα καὶ λέγουσι καὶ δρῶσι.
[106] he is without tidings of nothing of importance anywhere. With his tongue he communicates only with those who are in his presence, and with his hands, were he never so strong, he can not do the work of more than two men; but through his friends he can hold converse with all the world and accomplish every undertaking, since those who wish him well are saying and doing everything that is in his interest.
[107] τὸ δὲ δὴ πάντων παραδοξότατον, ἕνα γὰρ ὄντα ἐγχωρεῖ, ὅστις πολύφιλος, πολλὰ μὲν ἐν ταὐτῷ χρόνῳ πράττειν, περὶ πολλῶν δὲ ἅμα βουλεύεσθαι, πολλὰ δὲ ὁρᾶν, πολλὰ δὲ ἀκούειν, ἐν πολλοῖς δὲ ἅμα εἶναι τόποις, ὃ καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς χαλεπόν, ὡς μηδαμοῦ μηδὲν ἔρημον ἀπολείπεσθαι τῆς ἐκείνου προνοίας.