Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [97] μᾶλλον δὲ δούλους καὶ ὑπηρέτας λωβώμενος καὶ καταισχύνων πάντα τρόπον, ἐάν τε ἐν ἰδιώτου σχήματι λάβῃ τινὰς ἐάν τε ἐν βασιλέως.

  [97] A foul and loathsome spirit is this, for he brings every possible insult and shame upon his own friends and comrades, or, rather, his slaves and underlings, whether he find them in the garb of private citizens or in that of royalty.

  [98] ἢ οὐ πολλοὺς τῶν καλουμένων βασιλέων ἰδεῖν ἔστι καπήλους καὶ [p. 72] τελώνας καὶ πορνοβοσκούς; ἀλλὰ Δρόμωνα μὲν καὶ Σάραμβον, ὅτι ἐν Ἀθήναις καπηλεύουσι καὶ ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων τοῦτο ἀκούουσι τὸ ὄνομα, δικαίως φαμὲν ἀκούειν, Δαρεῖον δὲ τὸν πρότερον, ὅτι ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ Σούσοις ἐκαπήλευε, καὶ Πέρσαι αὐτὸν ἔτι καὶ νῦν καλοῦσι κάπηλον, οὐ δικαίως κεκλῆσθαι; ἴδιόν γε μὴν τούτῳσυμβέβηκε παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους δαίμονας:

  [98] Or is it not plain to see that many who are called kings are only traders, tax-gatherers, and keepers of brothels? Shall we assert that Dromon and Sarambus, because they keep shops in Athens and are called shopkeepers by the Athenians, come fairly by the name, but that the elder Darius, who kept a shop in Babylon and in Susa, and whom the Persians still to this day call a shopkeeper, has not deserved this name?

  [99] ἐνίοτε μὲν γὰρ ἄρχει καὶ κρατεῖ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐνίοτε δὲ ἐκείνοις συνέπεται διὰ τὸ πάσης ἐπιθυμίας καὶ σπουδῆς ὑπηρέτην τε καὶ διάκονον ἀπροφάσιστον εἶναι τὸν πλοῦτον.

  [99] Moreover, there is one peculiarity about this spirit, not shared by the others: although he sometimes rules and masters the soul, yet sometimes he seems to be compliant, the reason being that wealth is the handmaid and the willing ministrant to every appetite and interest.

  [100] ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ λέγω νῦν τὸν αὐτὸν ἡγούμενον καὶ προεστηκότα τῆς τοῦ δυστυχοῦς ἀνθρώπου διανοίας, οὔτε ἐφ᾽ ἡδονήντινα οὔτε εἰς δόξαν ἀναφέροντα τὴν τῶν χρημάτων κτῆσιν, οὐδὲ ὡς ἀναλώσοντα καὶ χρησόμενον ξυνάγοντα, ἀνέξοδον δὲ καὶ ἀχρεῖον φυλάττοντα τὸν πλοῦτον τῷ ὄντι, κατάκλειστον ἔν τισι κρυπτοῖς καὶ ἀφεγγέσι θαλάμοις.

  [100] I, however, am now speaking of the spirit that takes the lead himself and dominates the faculties of his unhappy possessor; he has neither pleasure nor glory as the motive for the acquisition of wealth, and does not intend to spend or to use what he has gotten together, but keeps his wealth out of circulation and useless, actually locked up in secret and sunless vaults.

  [101] εἶεν: ὁ δὲ δὴ δεύτερος ἀνήρ τε καὶ δαίμων ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀνδρός,ὁ τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἀναφαίνων ὄργια καὶ τὴν θεὸν ταύτην θαυμάζων καὶ προτιμῶν, ἀτεχνῶς γυναικείαν θεόν, ποικίλος καὶ πολυειδὴς περί τε ὀσμὰς καὶ γεύσεις ἀπλήρωτος, ἔτι δὲ οἶμαι περὶ πάντα μὲν ὁράματα, πάντα δὲ ἀκούσματα τὰ πρὸς ἡδονήν τινα φέροντα, πάσας δὲ ἁφὰς προσηνεῖς τε καὶ μαλακὰς λουτρῶν τεὁσημέραι θερμῶν μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ χρίσεων οὐ κάματον ἰωμένων,

  [101] “So far so good. The second man and the attendant spirit of that man is the one which proclaims the orgies of Pleasure and admires and honours this goddess, a truly feminine being. He is of many hues and shapes, insatiable as to things that tickle nostril and palate, and further, methinks, as to all that pleases the eye, and all that affords any pleasure to the ear, as to all things that are soothing and agreeable to the touch, such as warm baths taken daily, or rather, twice a day, anointings that are not for the relief of weariness

  [102] πρὸς δὲ αὖ τούτοις ἐσθήτων τε μαλακῶν ἕλξεις καὶ κατακλίσεις ἠσκημένας καὶ διακονίας ἀκριβεῖς καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐπιθυμίαν τε καὶ χρείαν, περὶ ταῦτα πάντα δεινῶς ἐπτοημένος, μάλιστα μέντοι καὶ ἀκρατέστατα περὶ τὴν τῶν ἀφροδισίων ὀξεῖανκαὶ διάπυρον μανίαν θηλυκῶν τε καὶ ἀρρενικῶν μίξεων καὶ ἔτι πλειόνων ἀρρήτων καὶ ἀνωνύμων αἰσχρουργιῶν, ἐπὶ πάντα ὁμοίως [p. 73] τὰ τοιαῦτα φερόμενος καὶ ἄγων, οὐδὲν ἀπώμοτον οὐδὲ ἄπρακτον ποιούμενος.

  [102] and, besides, the wearing of soft sweeping robes, bolstered repose, and attentive service for every appetite and desire. He is passionately devoted to all these things, but especially and most unrestrainedly to the poignant and burning madness of sexual indulgence, through intercourse both with females and with males, and through still other unspeakable and nameless obscenities; after all such indiscriminately he rushes and also leads others, abjuring no form of lust and leaving none untried.

  [103] νῦν γὰρ δὴ ἕνα τοῦτον τίθεμεν τὸν ἁπάσας τὰς τοιαύτας παρειληφότα νόσους καὶ ἀκρασίας τῆς ψυχῆς, ἵνα μὴ πολύν τινα ἀθροίσωμεν ἑσμὸν μοιχικῶν τινων δαιμονίων καὶ φιλόψων καὶ φιλοίνων καὶ ἄλλων δὴ μυρίων, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῶς ἕνα δαίμονα τιθῶμεν τὸν ἀκόλαστον καὶ δεδουλωμένον ὑφ᾽ ἡδονῆς,

  [103] “At present, it should be explained, we are treating as one this spirit which is afflicted with all these maladies and excesses of the soul; for we do not want to assemble a huge gallery of lecherous, gluttonous, and bibulous spirits and others unnumbered, but to treat as simply one that spirit which is incontinent and enslaved to pleasure,

  [104] ἐὰν μὲν ἐπιρρέῃ ποθὲν ἀνελλιπὲς τὸ τῆς χορηγίας, χρημάτων βασιλικῶν ἤ τινος μεγάλης ἰδιωτικῆς ὑπούσης οὐσίας, ἐν πολλῇ καὶ ἀφθόνῳ κυλινδούμενον ἀσελγείᾳ μέχρι γήρως: εἰ δὲ μή, ταχὺ μάλα ἐξαναλώσαντα τὰ παρόντα, πένητα ἀκρατῆ καὶ ἀκόλαστον ἐν σπάνει καὶ ἱμέρῳ

  [104] which — if only there is from some source an inflow of inexhaustible means, whether from royal coffers or from great private estate — wallows in a deep and boundless slough of debauchery until old age comes; failing such resources, the man speedily squanders the fortune he began with, or is reduced to impotent and licentious penury, and in deprivation combined with craving falls terribly short of his desires.

  [105] δεινῶς τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν λειπόμενον. ἔτι δέ τινας οὗτος τῶν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων εἰς γυναικεῖον μετέβαλε βίον τε καὶ σχῆμα, ὥσπερ οἱ μῦθοί φασι τοὺς μεταβαλόντας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων εἰς ὄρνιθας ἢ θηρία, ἐὰν τύχωσι τοιαύτης ἡττηθέντες ἡδονῆς:

  [105] And, further, this spirit has sometimes changed those possessed by it to the life and the garb of women, just as the myths relate of those who transformed human beings into birds or beasts, if they were unfortunate enough to have become enslaved to an appetite of such a nature.

  “But here ag
ain we find a contrast in our examples.

  [106] πάλιν δὲ κἀνταῦθα διττὴ χορηγία πέφηνεν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀσθενής τε καὶ ἄτολμος ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γένους δαίμων ἐπί τε τὰς γυναικείας νόσους καὶ ἄλλας αἰσχύνας, ὁπόσαις πρόσεστι ζημία καὶ ὀνείδη, προσάγει ῥᾳδίως: ὅπου δὲ ἡδονῶν τινων τιμωρίαι πρόσεισι, θανάτοις ἢ δεσμοῖς κολάζουσαι τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας ἢ χρημάτων πολλῶν ἐκτίσεσιν, οὐ πάνυ τι πρὸς ταῦτα ἐφίησιν.

  [106] There is, first in this class, the weak and unventuresome spirit, which easily leads men into effeminate vices and other kinds of misconduct which involve loss and disgrace, but, where certain indulgences are followed by punishments that inflict upon the culprit death or imprisonment or heavy fines, altogether avoids inciting the victim to those extremes.

  [107] ὁ δὲ ἀτενέστερός τε καὶ θρασύτερος πάντα ἁπλῶς ὑπερβαίνειν ἀναγκάζει τά τε ἀνθρώπινα καὶ τὰ θεῖα. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀσθενής τε καὶ ἄτολμος ἔνθα προσθέμενος τὴν τοιαύτην αἰσχύνην ὁμολογεῖ οὐδενὸς ἀνδρείου πράγματος ἁπτόμενος, ἀλλὰ παραχωρῶν τῶν κοινῶν καὶ πολιτικῶν τοῖς ἄμεινον βεβιωκόσιν:

  [107] There is, however, the more aggressive and audacious spirit, which compels its victim to overleap absolutely all bounds, both human and divine. Now while the weak and unventuresome spirit no sooner gets involved than he acknowledges his shameful weakness by taking up no manly occupation, but leaving social and civic activities to those who have lived a better life,

  [108] ὁ δὲ ἰταμὸς καὶ ἄτρεστος, πολλὰς ὕβρεις τε καὶ αἰσχύνας ὑπομείνας, ὀστράκου, φασί, μεταπεσόντος, στρατηγὸς ἢ δημαγωγὸς πέφηνεν ὀξὺ καὶ διάτορον βοῶν, ὥσπερ [p. 74] οἱ τῶν δραμάτων ὑποκριταί ἀπορρίψας μεταξὺ τὴν γυναικείαν στολήν, ἔπειτα στρατιώτου τινὸς ἢ ῥήτορος στολὴν ἁρπάσας περιέρχεται συκοφάντης καὶ φοβερός, ἀντίον πᾶσι βλέπων.

  [108] the bold and impetuous spirit, after enduring many a rebuff and humiliation, by a sudden turn of fortune’s wheel, as they say, emerged as a general or as a popular leader with shrill and piercing voice, and, like actors on the stage, discards his feminine attire for the time being and then, having seized that of a general or an orator, stalks about as a blackmailer and an object of terror, looking all the world in the eye.

  [109] ἆρ᾽ οὖν ἀρρενωπόν τι καὶ σεμνὸν εἶδος τῷ τοιούτῳ δαίμονι πρέπει ἢ μᾶλλον ὑγρόν τε καὶ μαλθακόν ; οὐκοῦν τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτῷ σχῆμαπροσθήσομεν, οὐχ ὃ πλαττόμενος ἐνδύεται πολλάκις ἀνδρεῖον καὶ φοβερόν:

  [109] “Now does a manly and grave appearance befit such a spirit, or rather a weak and effeminate one? Therefore we shall dress him up in his proper attire, not in the brave and awe-inspiring clothes which he often assumes when playing a part.

  [110] προΐτω γε μὴν νὴ Δία τρυφῶν τε καὶ μύρου καὶ οἴνου ἀποπνέων ἐν κροκωτῷ μετὰ πολλοῦ καὶ ἀτάκτου γέλωτος, μεθύοντι προσεοικώς κωμάζοντι μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀσελγῆ κῶμον, στεφάνους τινὰς ἐστεφανωμένος ἑώλους τήν τε κεφαλὴν καὶ περὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ , καὶπλάγιος φερόμενος, ὀρχούμενός τε καὶ ᾄδων θῆλυ καὶ ἄμουσον μέλος.

  [110] So, by heavens, let him step forth luxurious, breathing of myrrh and wine, in a saffron robe, with much inordinate laughter, resembling a drunken reveller in a wanton midday riot and wearing faded garlands on his head and about his neck, reeling in his gait, dancing and singing an effeminate and tuneless song. Let him be led by brazen, dissolute women,

  [111] ἀγέσθω δὲ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν ἀναισχύντων καὶ ἀκολάστων, ἐπιθυμιῶν τινων λεγομένων ἄλλων ἐπ᾽ ἄλλα ἑλκουσῶν, μηδεμίαν αὐτῶν ἀπωθούμενος μηδὲ ἀντιλέγων, ἀλλὰ ἑτοίμως δὴ καὶ προθύμως συνεπόμενος. αἱ δὲ μετὰ πολλοῦ πατάγου κυμβάλων τε καὶαὐλῶν φέρουσαι μαινόμενον αὐτὸν σπουδῇ προΐτωσαν.

  [111] known as certain of the sensual lusts, each pulling him her own way, and he rebuffs none of them nor says her nay, but follows readily and eagerly enough.

  [112] ὁ δ᾽ ἐκ μέσων ἀναβοάτω τῶν γυναικῶν ὀξύτερον καὶ ἀκρατέστερον, λευκὸς ἰδεῖν καὶ τρυφερός, αἰθρίας καὶ πόνων ἄπειρος, ἀποκλίνων τὸν τράχηλον, ὑγροῖς τοῖς ὄμμασι μάχλον ὑποβλέπων, ἀεί ποτε τὸ σῶμα καταθεώμενος, τῇ ψυχῇ δὲ οὐδὲν προσέχων οὐδὲ τοῖς ὑπ᾽

  [112] And let them, with a great din of cymbals and flutes, come eagerly forth, escorting the frenzied fellow. And from the midst of the women let him utter shriller and more passionate cries than they; he is pale and effeminate in appearance, unacquainted with heaven’s air or honest toil, lets his head droop, and leers lasciviously, with his watery eyes ever studying his fleshy self, but heedless of the soul and her mandates.

  [113] αὐτῆς προσταττομένοις. τοῦτον ἀγαλματοποιὸς ἢ γραφεὺς ἀναγκαζόμενος εἰκάζειν οὐκ ἂν ὁμοιότερον ἄλλῳ ἐργάσαιτο ἢ τῷ Σύρων βασιλεῖ μετ᾽ εὐνούχων καὶ παλλακῶν ἔνδον διαβιοῦντι, στρατοπέδου δὲ καὶ πολέμου καὶ ἀγορᾶς ἀθεάτῳ τὸ παράπαν.

  [113] Whether a statuary or a painter compelled to represent this man, he could create no better likeness of him than that of the Syrian king, who spent his life in his harem with eunuchs and concubines without ever a sight of army or war or assembly at all.

  [114] προηγείσθω δὲ καὶ τούτου ἀπάτη, πάνυ ὡραία καὶ πιθανή, κεκοσμημένη κόσμοισπορνικοῖς, μειδιῶσα καὶ ὑπισχνουμένη πλῆθος ἀγαθῶν, ὡς ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἄγουσα τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν, ἕως ἂν εἰς τὸ βάραθρον καταβάλῃ λαθοῦσα, εἰς πολύν τε καὶ ῥυπαρὸν βόρβορον, ἔπειτα ἐάσῃ κυλινδεῖσθαι μετὰ τῶν στεφάνων καὶ τοῦ κροκωτοῦ.

  [114] Let his steps also be guided by Delusion, a very beautiful and enticing maid, decked out in harlot’s finery, smiling and promising a wealth of good things and making him believe that she is leading him to the very embrace of happiness, till unexpectedly she drops him into the pit, into a morass of foul mud, and then leaves him to flounder about in his garlands and saffron robe.

  [115] τοιούτῳ δεσπότῃ λατρεύουσαι καὶ τοιαῦτα πάσχουσαι πλανῶνται κατὰ τὸν βίον ὅσαι[p. 75] ψυχαὶ πρὸς μὲν πόνους δειλαὶ καὶ ἀδύνατοι, δεδουλωμέναι δὲ ἡδοναῖς, φιλήδονοι καὶ φιλοσώματοι, βίον αἰσχρὸν καὶ ἐπονείδιστον οὐχ ἑλόμεναι ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ ἐνεχθεῖσαι πρὸς αὐτόν.

  [115] In servitude to such a tyrant and suffering such tribulatio
n those souls wander through life which, craven and impotent in the face of hardships, enslaved to pleasure, pleasure-loving, and carnally-minded, go on living a disgraceful and reprehensible life, not from choice, the because they have drifted into it.

  [116] οὐκοῦν μετὰ τοῦτον ὁ λόγος ὥσπερ ἐν ἀγῶνι σφύττει τρίτον εἰσάγειν, ὡς ἐκεῖ χορόν, τὸν φιλότιμον, οὐ πάνυ προθύμως τὰ νῦν ἀγωνιούμενον, καίτοι φιλόνικον ὄντα τῇ φύσει περὶ πάντα καὶ πρωτεύειν ἀξιοῦντα: πλὴν οὐ περὶ δόξης ἢ τιμῆς ἡ κρίσις αὐτῷ

  [116] “And now, leaving this spirit, my discourse is eager, as in a contest, to bring in the third spirit, as the herald to bring in a chorus — I mean the ambitious one. He is not so very eager at present to contest, although he is naturally emulous about everything and demands to be first. However, the present trial is not concerned with the question of any fame or honour that may come to him, but with his abundant and merited dishonour.

  [117] τὰ νῦν ἐνέστηκεν, ὑπὲρ δὲ πολλῆς καὶ δικαίας ἀδοξίας. φέρε δὴ ποῖόν τι πλάττωμεν τό τε σχῆμα καὶ εἶδος τοῦ φιλοτίμου δαίμονος; ἢ δῆλον ὅτι πτερωτόν τε καὶ ὑπηνέμιον κατὰ τὸ ἦθος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἅμα τοῖς πνεύμασι φερόμενον, ὁποίους τοὺς Βορεάδας ἐνεθυμήθησάν τε καὶ ἔγραψαν οἱ γραφεῖς, ἐλαφρούς τε καὶ μεταρσίους, ταῖς τοῦ πατρὸς αὔραις συνθέοντας.

  [117] So come, what garb and appearance shall we give to the ambitious spirit? Or is it manifest that he shall be winged and buoyant in keeping with his character and ambition, floating along with the breezes like those sons of Boreas whom artists have conceived and painted, lightly poised on high and running in company with their father’s breezes?