Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [157] Now I say all this, I assure you, with no desire to incur your hatred or to disparage your city, but in order to prevent its being found doing anything unworthy of itself or alien to the general decorum of its public life. And it seems to me that anyone would have good reason for being moved, by his good will toward all the Hellenes, and not alone toward you, if in fact there should be any practice here in Rhodes that is not as it should be, to mention it and make it known to you. For in the past, indeed, many elements contributed to the high standing in which we all share, and many peoples exalted Hellas — you, the Athenians, the Spartans, the Thebans, the Corinthians for a while, and in ancient times the Argives;

  [158] οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ὅλως ἀνῄρηνται καὶ ἀπολώλασιν, οἱ δὲ ἀσχημονοῦσι πράττοντες οἷα ἀκούετε καὶ πάντα τρόπον τὴν παλαιὰν δόξαν ἀφανίζοντες, οἰόμενοι τρυφᾶν οἱ ἀνόητοι καὶ κέρδος ἀριθμοῦντες τὸ μηθένα κωλύειν αὐτοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας. λοιποὶ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε: καὶ γὰρ μόνοις ὑμῖν ὑπάρχει τὸ δοκεῖν ὄντως τινὰσγεγονέναι καὶ μὴ τελέως καταπεφρονῆσθαι. διὰ μὲν γὰρ τοὺς οὕτω χρωμένους ταῖς ἑαυτῶν πατρίσιν, ὡς ἀληθεύοντες ἔνιοι λέγουσιν, οὐθὲν ἐκώλυε πάλαι Φρυγῶν πάντας ἢ Θρᾳκῶν ἀτιμοτέρους γεγονέναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας.

  [158] but at the present time all the rest count for naught. For while some of them have been utterly destroyed and have perished, others disgrace themselves by doing the sort of things of which you hear and in every way blotting out their ancient glory, thinking that they are having an easy life, fools that they are, and counting it gain that there is no one to keep them from erring. But you are left, for you alone still are believed to have proved yourselves to be in truth a people of consequence and not utterly despised. In fact, because of those who treat as they do their native countries, there was nothing to prevent the Hellenic race from having become long since — as some men are saying with perfect truth — more despised than the Phrygians or Thracians.

  [159] ὥσπερ οὖν οἰκίας ἠρημωμένης εὐδαίμονος καὶ μεγάλης, ὅταν εἷς ἔτι λοιπὸς ᾖ διάδοχος, ἐν ἐκείνῳπάντα ἐστί, κἂν οὗτος ἁμαρτάνῃ τι καὶ ἀκούῃ κακῶς, τὴν ὅλην δόξαν ἀφανίζει τῆς οἰκίας καὶ πάντας καταισχύνει τοὺς πρότερον: [p. 265] οὕτως τὰ ὑμέτερα νῦν ἔχει πρὸς τὴν Ἑλλάδα. μὴ γὰρ οἴεσθε πρωτεύειν αὐτῆς, ἄνδρες Ῥόδιοι, μὴ οἴεσθε. τῶν γὰρ ζώντων ἔτι καὶ τῶν αἰσθανομένων τιμῆς ἢ ἀδοξίας ἔστι πρώτους εἶναι. τὰ δὲ ἐκείνης οἴχεται καὶ πάντα τρόπον αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἐλεεινῶς διέφθαρται: καὶ οὐδὲ ἐπινοῆσαι λοιπὸν ἔστι τὴν ὑπεροχὴν καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα τῶν πόλεων εἴς γε τοὺς ἄνδρας ὁρῶντα.

  [159] Therefore, just as, when a prosperous and great family has been left desolate and only one male descendant survives, everything depends upon him, and if he errs in any way and bears a bad name, he destroys all the glory of his family and puts shame upon all who preceded him, so too is your position now in respect to Hellas. For you must not take it for granted, Rhodians, that you hold first place in Hellas, nay you must not. For it is only those Hellenes who still live and are sensible of the difference between honour and dishonour of whom it is possible for any to be first. But all the former are past and gone, have perished in an utterly shameful and pitiable way; and as to the rest, it is no longer possible to form a conception of the pre-eminence and splendour of their deeds and, as well, their sufferings, by looking at the men of the present time.

  [160] ἀλλ᾽ οἱ λίθοι μᾶλλον ἐμφαίνουσι τὴν σεμνότητα καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ τὰ ἐρείπια τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων: ἐπεὶ αὐτούς γε τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας καὶ τοὺς πολιτευομένους οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις οὐδὲ Μυσῶν ἀπογόνους: ὥστε ἔμοιγε δοκοῦσι τῶν οὕτως οἰκουμένων αἱ τελέως ἀνῃρημέναι πόλεις κρεῖττον ἀπαλλάττειν. ὑγιὴς γὰρ ἡ τούτων μνήμη μένει, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα δι᾽ οὐθὲν ὑβρίζεται τῶν πρότερον καλῶν: ὥσπερ οἶμαι καὶ τῶν τεθνεώτων τῷ παντὶ βέλτιον τὰ σώματα ἀνῃρῆσθαι καὶ μηδένα ὁρᾶν ἢ φαίνεσθαι σηπόμενα.

  [160] Nay, it is rather the stones which reveal the grandeur and the greatness of Hellas, and the ruins of her buildings; her inhabitants themselves and those who conduct her governments would not be called descendants of even the Mysians. So to me, at least, it seems that the cities which have been utterly destroyed have come off better than those which are inhabited as they are now. For the memory of those men remains unimpaired, and the fame of those noble men of the past suffers insult for naught; just as it is true, methinks, with the bodies of the dead — it is in every way better that they should have been utterly destroyed and that no man should see them any more, than that they should rot in the sight of all!

  [161] καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἴσως πλείω τῶν εἰκότων ἐπῆλθέ μοι μνησθέντι τῆς ὅλης καταστάσεως. ἐκεῖνο δ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐβουλόμην ποιῆσαι φανερόν, ὅτι μόνοι καταλείπεσθε τῶν Ἑλλήνων, οἷς ἂν καὶ παραινέσαι τις καὶ περὶ ὧν ἔστιν ἔτι λυπηθῆναι δοκούντων ἁμαρτάνειν. εἰκότως ἂν οὖν πρόσχοιτε αὑτοῖς καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξετάζοιτε ἀκριβέστερον τῶν προγόνων. ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ ἐν πολλοῖς ὑπῆρχεν ἑτέροις ἡ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπίδειξις, ἐν τῷ προεστάναι τῶν ἄλλων, ἐν τῷ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, ἐν τῷ συμμάχους κτᾶσθαι, πόλεις οἰκίζειν, νικᾶν πολεμοῦντας:

  [161] And although these thoughts, which have come to me as I have portrayed the situation as a whole, have perhaps been more numerous than is usual, yet it was my wish to make this point clear to you — that you alone are left of the Hellenic peoples to whom advice could be offered and regarding whom it is still possible to grieve when they seem to err.

  It would, therefore, be reasonable to expect you to give heed to yourselves and to examine all such matters as these more carefully than did your ancestors. For whereas they had many other ways in which to display their virtues — in assuming the leadership over the others, in lending succour to the victims of injustice, in gaining allies, founding cities, winning wars — for you it is not possible to do any of these things.

  [162] ὑμῖν δὲ τοιοῦτον μὲν οὐθὲν πράττειν ἔνεστι, καταλείπεται δ᾽ οἶμαι τὸ ἑαυτῶν προεστάναι καὶ τὴν πόλιν διοικεῖν καὶ τὸ τιμῆσαί τινα καὶ κροταλίσαι μὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ βουλεύσασθαι καὶ τὸ δικάσαι καὶ τὸ τοῖς θεοῖς θῦσαι καὶ τὸ ἄγειν ἑορτήν: ἐν οἷς ἅπασιν ἔστι βελτίους τῶν ἄλλων φαίνεσθαι. τοιγάρτοι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑμῶν ἐπαίνου τυγχάνει, καὶ γιγνώσκεται παρὰ πᾶσιν οὐχ ὡς μικρά, τὸ βάδισμα, ἡ
κουρά, τὸ μηδένα σοβεῖν διὰ τῆς πόλεως, ἀναγκάζεσθαι δὲ διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν συνήθειαν καὶ τοὺς ἐπιδημοῦντας ξένους καθεστώτως πορεύεσθαι: καθάπερ οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ἀγροίκους ἰδεῖν ἔστιν, ὅταν εἰς παλαίστραν [p. 266]

  [162] But there is left for you, I think, the privilege of assuming the leadership over yourselves, of administering your city, of honouring and supporting by your cheers a distinguished man unlike that of the majority, of deliberating in council, of sitting in judgement, of offering sacrifice to the gods, and of holding high festival — in all these matters it is possible for you to show yourselves better than the rest of the world. That indeed is the reason why you are admired for such characteristics as I shall mention — and they are regarded by all the world as no trifling matters — your gait, the way you trim your hair, that no one struts pompously through your city’s streets, but that even foreigners sojourning here are forced by your conventional manners to walk sedately; just as, I fancy, one may see even the country clowns, when they enter a wrestling-school or a gymnasium, move their limbs less clumsily than is their wont.

  [163] ἢ γυμνάσιον ἔλθωσιν, ἧττον ἀρρύθμως κινουμένους: ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις τῆς ἐσθῆτος ὁ τρόπος, τὸ ἴσως ἄν τινι γελοῖον φανέν, τῆς πορφύρας τὸ μέτρον: τὰ φανερώτερα ἤδη, τὸ μεθ᾽ ἡσυχίας θεωρεῖν, ὁ ποππυσμός: πάντα ταῦτα σεμνὴν τὴν πόλιν ποιεῖ, διὰ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων διαφέρειν δοκεῖτε, ἐπὶ τούτοις ἅπασι θαυμάζεσθε,ἀγαπᾶσθε: τῶν λιμένων, τῶν τειχῶν, τῶν νεωρίων μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς κοσμεῖ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἔθεσιν ἀρχαῖον καὶ Ἑλληνικόν, τὸ παρ᾽ ὑμῖν μὲν ὅταν τις γένηται, εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀποβάντα εἰδέναι, κἂν τύχῃ βάρβαρος ὤν, ὅτι οὐ πάρεστιν εἴς τινα πόλιν τῆς Συρίας ἢ τῆς Κιλικίας: παρ᾽ ἄλλοις δὲ ἂν μή τις ἀκούσῃ τοῦ τόπου τὸ ὄνομα, φέρε εἰπεῖν ὅτι καλεῖται Λύκειον ἢ Ἀκαδήμεια, μηθὲν διαφέρειν.

  [163] Then again, take the mode you affect in dress — which perhaps toº some appears ridiculous — the width of the purple stripe; we come now to things still more noticeable — your remaining silent as you watch the games, your applauding by making a clucking sound with your lips — all these manners lend your city dignity, they all cause you to be looked upon as superior to the others, for all these customs you are admired, you are loved; more than by your harbours, your fortifications, your shipyards are you honoured by that strain in your customs which is antique and Hellenic, so that when anybody comes among you he recognizes instantly on disembarking, even if he happens to be of barbarian race, that he has not come to some city of Syria or of Cilicia. But in other cities, unless the stranger hears some one mention the name of the place he sees, that it is called, let us say, ‘Lyceum’ or ‘Academy,’ they are all alike to him!

  [164] τίνος οὖν χάριν ταῦτα παυόμενος ἤδη λέγω καὶ τί δηλῶσαι βουλόμενος; ὅτι τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς φιλοτιμεῖσθαι δεῖ καὶ μηθὲν παραπέμπειν τῶν γιγνομένων. κἂν οὕτως ἔχητε ἐν ἅπασιν οἷσπράττετε, ἴσως οὐθὲν δόξετε κακίους εἶναι τῶν προγόνων. τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει διαφυλάττειν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ μένειν ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς σχήματος θαυμαστὸν ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ:

  [164] What is my object, then, in mentioning these matters when I am about to conclude, and what do I wish to make clear? It is that you ought to be all the more jealous about your city and to be indifferent to nothing that takes place here. And if you have this spirit in everything you do, perhaps men will think that you are no whit worse than your ancestors. For that you do preserve your character in your present situation, and hold fast to your rôle of moral excellence is, in my opinion at least, an admirable thing.

  [165] καθάπερ οἶμαι καὶ τῶν πλεόντων ἰδεῖν ἔστι χειμῶνος μὲν ἐπιπεσόντος ἢ σφοδροῦ τοῦ πνεύματος μηδὲ τοὺς ἀσελγεστάτους αὐτῶν αἰσχρόν τι ποιοῦντας,ἀλλὰ πρὸς μόνῳ τῷ πλεῖν ὄντας, ἐν δὲ τῇ γαλήνῃ καὶ τῶν ναυτῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν ἐπιπολάζουσαν τὴν ὕβριν, κἂν μὴ ὦσιν ἀκόλαστοι: τὸν αὐτὸν οἶμαι τρόπον ὁ μὲν πόλεμος εἴωθε καὶ τοὺς φαυλοτέρους ἐγείρειν καὶ κρατεῖν, ἐν τοσαύτῃ δὲ εἰρήνῃ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ τῶν ἀρίστων ἀνδρῶν εἰς μηδεμίαν αἰσχύνην μηδὲ ἀταξίαν ὑπενεχθῆναι.[p. 267]

  [165] An apt illustration is found, I think, in the conduct of men on board a ship at sea: when a storm strikes them or a hurricane, not even the most wanton of them is to be seen doing anything base; but they are all giving undivided attention to the sailing; whereas in fair weather recklessness prevails among both the sailors and the passengers, even if they do not indulge in licentiousness. In the same way I believe that war is wont to arouse and to sway even the meaner souls; but in such peaceful and quiet times as these, it is the part of the best men not to drift into any shameful or disorderly practices.

  THE THIRTY-SECOND DISCOURSE: TO THE PEOPLE OF ALEXANDRIA

  πρὸς ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΣ.

  THE THIRTY-SECOND DISCOURSE: TO THE PEOPLE OF ALEXANDRIA

  This Discourse was delivered before the people of Alexandria in their great theatre. Public meetings were not infrequently held in Greek theatres. The purpose of this particular meeting is not known, but the great length of Dio’s address and the seeming patience with which his audience listened to him lend colour to the supposition that Dio was known to be the bearer of an important message, and the people had assembled especially to hear it. Arnim, who argues with plausibility that the speech was delivered in the reign of Trajan, regards Dio as being, in fact if not in name, the emissary of that emperor. Several passages recall thoughts and phrases found in the four Discourses on Kingship, which are thought to have been addressed to Trajan, and Dio speaks as one who enjoys the friendship of the emperor.

  Our Discourse is notable for the frankness with which the speaker attacks the foibles and vices of the populace for which the Alexandria of that day was so notorious. Not all the allusions can be explained with certainty, for the history of the period is none too well documented. The very scarcity of contemporary documents, however, lends especial value to the testimony of Dio. Modern writers have drawn heavily upon his statements.

  [1] ἆρά γε βούλοισθ᾽ ἄν, ὦ ἄνδρες, σπουδάσαι χρόνον σμικρὸν καὶ προσέχειν; ἐπειδὴ παίζοντες ἀεὶ διατελεῖτε καὶ οὐ προσέχοντες καὶ παιδιᾶς μὲν καὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ γέλωτος, ὡς εἰπεῖν, οὐδέποτε ἀπορεῖτε: καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ γελοῖοί ἐστε καὶ ἡδεῖς καὶ διακόνους πολλοὺς τούτων ἔχετε: σπουδῆς δὲ ὑμῖν τὴν πᾶσαν ἔνδειαν ὁρῶ οὖσαν.

  The Thirty-second Discourse: To the People of Alexandria

  My friends, would you kindly be serious for a brief while and give heed to my words? For you are forever being frivolous and heedless, and you are practically never at a loss for fun-making and enjoyment and laughter — indeed you have many who minister to such tendencie
s — but I find in you a complete lack of seriousness.

  [2] καίτοι τινὲς ἐπαινοῦσιν ὑμᾶς ὡς σοφούς τε καὶ δεινούς, ὅτι τοσαῦται μυριάδες ἀνθρώπων ἅμα καὶ τὰ δέοντα ἐννοεῖτε καὶ ταχὺ φθέγγεσθε ὅ,τι ἂν ἐννοήσητε: ἐγὼ δὲ μᾶλλον ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐπῄνουν βραδὺ μέν φθεγγομένους, ἐγκρατῶς δὲ σιγῶντας, ὀρθῶς δὲ διανοουμένους, ὃ καὶ νῦν ποιήσατε, ἵνα κτήσησθε πρὸς ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἐπαίνῳ καινὸν ἕτερον μείζω τε καὶ σεμνότερον, ὅτι τοσοῦτοι ὄντες λόγων χρησίμων γενομένων ἅπαντες ἐσιωπήσατε, καὶ πρὸς τούτῳ ἐδείξατε ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐστὲ ἱκανοὶ νοήσαντες εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀκούσαντες νοῆσαι. χοροῦ μὲν γὰρ ἔπαινος τὸ ἅμα εἰπεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τούτου: τί γάρ, ἂν κοινῇ πάντες ἀποτυγχάνωσι τοῦ μέλους;

  [2] And yet there are those who praise you for your wisdom and cleverness, asserting that, although you assemble here in thousands, you not only can conceive what is fitting but at the same time are quick to put your conceptions into words. But I for my part should prefer to praise you as being slow to speak, indeed, and self-restrained enough to keep silent, and yet correct of judgement. Pray display these qualities now, in order that you may acquire, in addition to that other praise, new praise of a different nature, both greater and more honourable — for having all become silent in this great throng when useful counsel was being given and, furthermore, for having shown that you can not merely think before you speak but also listen before you formulate your thought. For while it is praising a chorus to say that they all speak the words together in unison — or rather not even a chorus, for what if all in common miss the tune? — the highest praise you can accord a mass-meeting is to say that it listens well.