Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

[71] τὸ δὲ πάντων χαλεπώτατον, ἀνάγκη παραμένειν τῷ δημιουργῷ τὴν εἰκόνα ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀεί, μέχρις ἂν ἐκτελέσῃ τὸ ἔργον, πολλάκις καὶ πολλοῖς ἔτεσι. καὶ δὴ τὸ λεγόμενον, ὡς ἔστιν ἀκοῆς πιστότερα ὄμματα, ἀληθὲς ἴσως: πολύ γε μὴν δυσπειστότερα καὶ πλείονος δεόμενα ἐναργείας. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὄψις αὐτοῖς τοῖς ὁρωμένοις συμβάλλει, τὴν δὲ ἀκοὴν οὐκ ἀδύνατον ἀναπτερῶσαι καὶ παραλογίσασθαι, μιμήματα εἰσπέμποντα γεγοητευμένα μέτροις καὶ ἤχοις.

  [71] “But the most difficult thing of all is that the sculptor must keep the very same image in his mind continuously until he finishes his work, which often takes many years. Indeed, the popular saying that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears is perhaps true, yet they are much harder to convince and demand much greater clearness; for while the eye agrees exactly with what it sees, it is not impossible to excite and cheat the ear by filling it with representations under the spell of metre and sound.

  [72] καὶ μὴν τά γε ἡμέτερα τῆς τέχνης ἀναγκαῖα μέτρα πλήθους τε πέρι καὶ μεγέθους: τοῖς δὲ ποιηταῖς ἔξεστι καὶ ταῦτα ἐφ᾽ ὁποσονοῦν αὐξῆσαι. τοιγαροῦν Ὁμήρῳ μὲν ῥᾴδιον ἐγένετο εἰπεῖν τὸ μέγεθος τῆς Ἔριδος, ὅτι

  οὐρανῷ ἐστήριξε κάρη καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ βαίνει:

  ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀγαπητὸν δήπουθεν πληρῶσαι τὸν ὑπὸ Ἠλείων ἢ Ἀθηναίων ἀποδειχθέντα τόπον.

  [72] Then again, while the measures of our art are enforced upon us by considerations of numbers and magnitude, the poets have the power to increase even these elements to any extent. For this reason it was easy enough for Homer to give the size of Eris by saying,

  With humble crest at first, anon her head,

  While yet she treads the earth, affronts the skies.

  But I must be content, I suppose, merely to fill up the space designated by Eleans or Athenians.

  [73] σὺ μὲν οὖν φήσεις, ὦ σοφώτατε τῶν ποιητῶν Ὅμηρε, πολὺ τῇ τε δυνάμει τῆς ποιήσεως καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ προέχων, σχεδὸν πρῶτος ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς Ἕλλησι τῶν τε ἄλλων ἁπάντων θεῶν [p. 176] καὶ δὴ τοῦ μεγίστου θεῶν πολλὰς καὶ καλὰς εἰκόνας, τὰς μέν τινας ἡμέρους, τὰς δὲ φοβερὰς καὶ δεινάς.

  [73] “Thou certainly wilt agree, O Homer, wisest of poets, who both in the power of thy poetry and in time dost by far excel and wast practically the first to show the Hellenes many beautiful images of all the gods, and especially of the greatest among them, some images mild but others fear-inspiring and dread.

  [74] ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος εἰρηνικὸς καὶ πανταχοῦ πρᾷος, οἷος ἀστασιάστου καὶ ὁμονοούσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐπίσκοπος: ὃν ἐγὼ μετὰ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ τέχνης καὶ τῆς Ἠλείων πόλεως σοφῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς βουλευσάμενος ἱδρυσάμην, ἥμερον καὶ σεμνὸνἐν ἀλύπῳ σχήματι, τὸν βίου καὶ ζωῆς καὶ ξυμπάντων δοτῆρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, κοινὸν ἀνθρώπων καὶ πατέρα καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ φύλακα, ὡς δυνατὸν ἦν θνητῷ διανοηθέντι μιμήσασθαι τὴν θείαν καὶ ἀμήχανον φύσιν.

  [74] But our god is peaceful and altogether gentle, such as befits the guardian of a faction-free and concordant Hellas; and this I, with the aid of my art and of the counsel of the wise and good city of the Eleans have set up — a mild and majestic god in pleasing guise, the Giver of our material and our physical life and of all our blessings, the common Father and Saviour and Guardian of mankind, in so far as it was possible for a mortal man to frame in his mind and to represent the divine and inimitable nature.

  [75] σκόπει δέ, εἰ μὴ πάσαις ταῖς ἐπωνυμίαις ταῖς τοῦ θεοῦ πρέπουσαν εὑρήσεις τὴν εἰκόνα: Ζεὺς γὰρ μόνος θεῶν πατὴρ καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐπονομάζεται, Πολιεύς τε καὶ Ὁμόγνιος καὶ Φίλιος καὶ Ἑταιρεῖος, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Ἱκέσιός τε καὶ Φύξιος καὶ Ξένιος καὶ Κτήσιος καὶ Ἐπικάρπιος καὶ μυρίας ἄλλας ἐπικλήσεις ἔχων πάσας ἀγαθάς, βασιλεὺς μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ δύναμιν ὠνομασμένος, πατὴρ δὲ οἶμαι διά τε τὴν κηδεμονίαν καὶτὸ πρᾷον, Πολιεὺς δὲ κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸ κοινὸν ὄφελος, Ὁμόγνιος δὲ διὰ τὴν τοῦ γένους κοινωνίαν θεοῖς καὶ ἀνθρώποις,

  [75] “And consider whether you will not find that the statue is in keeping with all the titles by which Zeus is known. For he alone of the gods is entitled ‘Father and King,’ ‘Protector of Cities,’ ‘God of Friendship,’ and ‘God of Comradeship’ and also ‘Protector of Suppliants,’ and ‘God of Hospitality,’ ‘Giver of Increase,’ and has countless other titles, all indicative of goodness: he is addressed as ‘King’ because of his dominion and power; as ‘Father,’ I think, on account of his solicitude for us and his kindness: as ‘Protector of Cities’ in that he upholds the law and the common weal; as ‘Guardian of the Race’ on account of the tie of kinship which unites gods and men;

  [76] φίλιος δὲ καὶ Ἑταιρεῖος, ὅτι πάντας ἀνθρώπους ξυνάγει καὶ βούλεται φίλους εἶναι ἀλλήλοις, ἐχθρὸν δὲ ἢ πολέμιον οὐδένα οὐδενός, Ἱκέσιος δέ, ὡς ἂν ἐπήκοός τε καὶ ἵλεως τοῖς δεομένοις, Φύξιος δὲ διὰ τὴντῶν κακῶν ἀπόφυξιν, Ξένιος δέ, ὅτι δεῖ μηδὲ τῶν ξένων ἀμελεῖν μηδὲ ἀλλότριον ἡγεῖσθαι ἀνθρώπων μηδένα, Κτήσιος δὲ καὶ Ἐπικάρπιος, ἅτε τῶν καρπῶν αἴτιος καὶ δοτὴρ πλούτου καὶ δυνάμεως.

  [76] as ‘God of Friendship’ and ‘God of Comradeship’ because he brings all men together and wills that they be friends of one another and never enemy or foe; as ‘Protector of Suppliants’ since he inclines his ear and is gracious to men when they pray; as ‘God of Refuge’ because he gives refuge from evils; as ‘God of Hospitality’ because we should not be unmindful even of strangers, nor regard any human being as an alien; as ‘Giver of Wealth and Increase’ since he is the cause of all crops and is the giver of wealth and power.

  [77] ὅτου δὲ ἦν ἐπιδεῖξαι ταῦτα μὴ φθεγγόμενον, ἆρα οὐχ ἱκανῶς ἔχει κατὰ τὴν τέχνην; τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα βούλεται δηλοῦντὸ ἰσχυρὸν τοῦ εἴδους καὶ τὸ μεγαλοπρεπές: τὸν δὲ πατέρα καὶ τὴν κηδεμονίαν τὸ πρᾷον καὶ προσφιλές: τὸν δὲ Πολιέα καὶ νόμιμον ἥ τε σεμνότης καὶ τὸ αὐστηρόν: τὴν δὲ ἀνθρώπων καὶ θεῶν ξυγγένειαν αὐτό που τὸ τῆς μορφῆς ὅμοιον ἐν εἴδει συμβόλου: τὸν δὲ Φίλιον καὶ Ἱκέσιον καὶ Ξένιον καὶ Φύξιον καὶ πάντα τὰτοιαῦτα ἁπλῶς ἡ φιλανθρωπία καὶ τὸ πρᾷον καὶ τὸ χρηστὸν [p. 177] ἐ
μφαινόμενα προσομοιοῖ: τὸν δὲ Κτήσιον καὶ τὸν Ἐπικάρπιον ἥ τε ἁπλότης καὶ ἡ μεγαλοφροσύνη, δηλουμένη διὰ τῆς μορφῆς: ἀτεχνῶς γὰρ διδόντι καὶ χαριζομένῳ μάλιστα προσέοικε τἀγαθά.

  [77] “And so far as it was possible to reveal these attributes without the help of words, is the god not adequately represented from the point of view of art? For his sovereignty and kingship are intended to be shown by the strength in the image and its grandeur; his fatherhood and his solicitude by its gentleness and kindliness; the ‘Protector of Cities’ and ‘Upholder of the Law’ by its majesty and severity; the kinship between gods and men, I presume, by the mere similarity in shape, being already in use as a symbol; the ‘God of Friends, Suppliants, Strangers, Refugees,’ and all such qualities in short, by the benevolence and gentleness and goodness appearing in his countenance. The ‘God of Wealth’ and the “Giver of Increase’ are represented by the simplicity and grandeur shown by the figure, for the god does in very truth seem like one who is giving and bestowing blessings.

  [78] ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν ἐμιμησάμην, ἅτε οὐκ ἔχων ὀνομάσαι. συνεχῶς δὲ ἀστράπτοντα ἐπὶ πολέμῳ καὶ φθορᾷ πλήθους ἢ ὄμβρων ὑπερβολὴν ἢ χαλάζης ἢ χιόνος, ἢ τανύοντα κυανῆν ἶριν, τοῦ πολέμου ξύμβολον, ἢ ἀστέρα πέμποντα ξυνεχεῖς σπινθῆρας ἀποβάλλοντα, δεινὸν τέρας ναύταις ἢ στρατιώτῃ, ἢ ἐπιπέμποντα ἔριν ἀργαλέαν Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις, ὥστε ἔρωτα ἐμβάλλειν πολέμου καὶ μάχης ἄπαυστον κάμνουσιν ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἀπειρηκόσιν: οὐδέ γε ἱστάντα ἐπὶπλάστιγγος ἀνθρώπων ἡμιθέων κῆρας ἢ στρατοπέδων ὅλων, αὐτομάτῳ ῥοπῇ κρινομένας: οὐκ ἦν διὰ τῆς τέχνης μιμεῖσθαι: οὐ

  [78] “As for these attributes, then, I have represented them in so far as it was possible to do so, since I was not able to name them. But the god who continually sends the lightning’s flash, portending war and the destruction of many or a mighty downpour of rain, or of hail or of snow, or who stretches the dark blue rainbow across the sky, the symbol of war, or who sends a shooting star, which hurls forth a stream of sparks, a dread portent to sailors or soldiers, or who sends grievous strife upon Greeks and barbarians so as to inspire tired and despairing men with unceasing love for war and battle, and the god who weighed in the balance the fates of the godlike men or of whole armies to be decided by its spontaneous inclination — that god, I say, it was not possible to represent by my art; nor assuredly should I ever have desired to do so even had it been possible.

  [79] μὴν οὐδὲ παρὸν ἠθέλησά γ᾽ ἄν ποτε. βροντῆς γὰρ εἴδωλον ἄφθογγον ἢ ἀστραπῆς ἢ κεραυνοῦ εἴκασμα ἀλαμπὲς ἐκ τῶν τῇδε ἐπιγείων μεταλλευμάτων ποῖον ἄν τι καὶ γένοιτο; ἔτι δὲ γῆν σειομένην καὶ κινούμενον Ὄλυμπον ὑπὸ νεύματι βραχεῖ τῶν ὀφρύων ἤ τινα νέφους περὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανον Ὁμήρῳ μὲν εἰπεῖν εὐμαρὲς καὶ πολλὴ πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἅπαντα ἐλευθερία, τῇ δέ γε ἡμετέρᾳ τέχνῃ παντελῶς ἄπορον, ἐγγύθεν ἐχούσῃ καὶ σαφῆ τὸν ἔλεγχον τῆς ὄψεως.

  [79] For of thunder what sort of soundless image, or of lightning and of the thunderbolt what kind of a likeness without the lightning’s flash could by any possibility be made from the metals taken from the subterranean workings of this land at least? Then when the earth was shaken and Olympus was moved by a slight inclination of the eyebrows, or a crown of cloud was about his head, it was easy enough for Homer to describe them, and great was the freedom he enjoyed for all such things; but for our art it is absolutely impossible, for it permits the observer to test it with his eyes from close at hand and in full view.

  [80] εἰ δ᾽ αὖ τὸ τῆς ὕλης ἀσημότερον ἡγεῖταί τις ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦτο μὲν ἀληθές τε καὶ ὀρθόν: ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε τοὺς δόντας οὔτε τὸν ἑλόμενον καὶ δοκιμάσαντα ἐν δίκῃ μέμφοιτ᾽ ἄν. οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρα φύσις ἀμείνων οὐδὲ λαμπροτέρα πρὸς ὄψιν, ἣν δυνατὸν εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἀφικέσθαι καὶ μεταλαβεῖν δημιουργίας.

  [80] “But if, again, anyone thinks that the material used is too lacking in distinction to be in keeping with the god, his belief is true and correct. But neither those who furnished it, nor the man who selected and approved it, has he any right to criticize. For there was no other substance better or more radiant to the sight that could have come into the hands of man and have received artistic treatment. To work up air, at any rate, or fire, or ‘the copious source of water,’ what tools possessed by mortal men can do that?

  [81] ἀέρα γὰρ ἢ πῦρ ἐργάσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἄφθονον πηγὴν ὕδατος ἔν τισι θνητοῖς ὀργάνοις ὅσον τε ἐν ἅπασι τούτοις στερεὸν ἕρμα: λέγω δὲ οὐ χρυσοῦ καὶ λίθου, ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ σμικρὰ καὶ [p. 178] φαῦλα, ἀλλὰ τὴν πᾶσαν ἰσχυρὰν καὶ βαρεῖαν οὐσίαν: ἰδίᾳ τε ἕκαστον διακρίνοντα καὶ συμπλέκοντα εἰς ταὐτὸ γένεσιν ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν, οὐδὲ θεοῖς πᾶσι δυνατὸν ἢ μόνῳ τούτῳ σχεδὸν ὃν πάνυ καλῶς ποιητὴς προσεῖπεν ἕτερος,

  Δωδωναῖε μεγασθενὲς ἀριστοτέχνα πάτερ.

  [81] These can work upon nothing but whatever hard residuary substance is held bound within all these elements. I do not mean gold or silver, for these are trivial and worthless things, but the essential substance, tough all through and heavy; and to select each kind of material and entwining them together to compose every species, both of animals and of plants — this is a thing which is impossible for even the gods, all except this God alone, one may almost say, whom another poet quite beautifully has addressed as follows:

  Lord of Dodona, father almighty, consummate artist.

  [82] οὗτος γὰρ δὴ πρῶτος καὶ τελειότατος δημιουργός, χορηγὸν λαβὼν τῆς αὑτοῦ τέχνης οὐ τὴν Ἠλείων πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πᾶσαν τοῦ παντὸς ὕλην. Φειδίαν δὲ ἢ Πολύκλειτον οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως ἀπαιτοῖτε πλέον οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα μείζω καὶ σεμνότερα τῆς ἡμετέρας χειρωναξίας.

  [82] For he is indeed the first and most perfect artificer, who has taken as his coadjutor in his art, not the city of Elis, but the entire material of the entire universe. But of a Pheidias or of a Polycleitus you could not reasonably demand more than they have done; nay, even what they essayed is too great and august for our handiwork.

  [83] οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν Ἥφαιστον Ὅμηρος ἐν ἄλλοις πεποίηκενἐπιδεικνύμενον τὴν ἐμπειρίαν, ἀλλὰ τεχνίτην μὲν θεὸν εὐπόρησεν ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς ἀσπίδος ἔργον, ὕλην δὲ ἑτέραν οὐκ ἐφίκετο εὑρεῖν. φησὶ γὰρ οὕτω:

  χαλκὸν δ᾽ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλεν ἀτειρέα κασσίτερόν τε

  καὶ χρυσὸν τιμῆντα καὶ ἄργυρον.

  ἀνθ�
�ώπων μὲν οὖν ἔγωγε οὐδενὶ παραχωρήσαιμ᾽ ἂν κρείττονα ἐμοῦ ποτε γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν τέχνην, αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ Διί, δημιουργοῦντι τὸν ἅπαντα κόσμον οὐ χρὴ ξυμβάλλειν οὐδένα θνητόν.

  [83] Indeed, not even Hephaestus did Homer represent as showing his skill in other materials, but while he furnished a god as the craftsman for the making of the shield, he did not succeed in finding any different sort of material for it. For he speaks as follows:

  The stubborn brass, and tin, and precious gold,

  And silver, first he melted in the fire;

  Nay, I will not concede to any man that there ever has been a better sculptor than I, but to Zeus, who fashioned the whole universe, it is not right to compare any mortal.”

  [84] ταῦτ᾽ οὖν εἰπόντα καὶ ἀπολογησάμενον τὸν Φειδίαν εἰκότως ἐμοὶ δοκοῦσιν οἱ Έλληνες στεφανῶσαι ἄν. ἴσως δὲ τοὺς πολλοὺσλέληθεν ὁ λόγος ὑπὲρ ὧν γέγονε, καὶ μάλα, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, φιλοσόφοις τε ἁρμόττων καὶ πλήθει ἀκοῦσαι, περί τε ἀγαλμάτων ἱδρύσεως, ὅπως δεῖ ἱδρῦσθαι, καὶ περὶ ποιητῶν ὅπως, ἄμεινον ἢ χεῖρον διανοοῦνται περὶ τῶν θείων, ἔτι δὲ περὶ τῆς πρώτης ἐπινοίας θεοῦ, ποία τις καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐγένετο. πολλὰδὲ οἶμαι καὶ περὶ δυνάμεως ἐρρήθη τοῦ Διὸς κατὰ τὰς ἐπωνυμίας. εἰ δὲ μετ᾽ εὐφημίας τοῦ τε ἀγάλματος καὶ τῶν ἱδρυσαμένων, πολὺ ἄμεινον.

  [84] So if Pheidias had said these things in his defence, I believe that the assembled Hellenes would have been justified in conferring a crown upon him.