Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  1 Nicomedia and 2 Nicaea were near neighbours. While Nicomedia profited from its nearness to the sea and was the “metropolis” of the district, Nicaea lay on an important trade route and seems to have outstripped its neighbour in material prosperity. Under the Empire it appears to have enjoyed the special favour of Rome. As early as 29 B.C. Augustus established there the cults of Roma and of Julius Caesar, and at the time of our Discourse Nicaea was honoured with the title πρώτη. This title it continued to hold despite the counterclaims of Nicomedia, and that it was no empty honour seems to be attested both by coins and inscriptions and by Dio’s own words (§ 26), which seem to negative the disparaging reference immediately preceding. His efforts to establish concord between these rivals seem not to have had lasting success, for as late as the Council of Chalcedon the bishops of these two cities presented counterclaims to the right of ordaining bishops in Bithynia.

  Dio does not provide a clue as to the precise date of our Discourse, but both his choice of theme and the spirit in which he deals with it indicate with some clearness that it belongs to his philosophic period. With what appears to be false modesty, he professes not to know why he, a native of Prusa, some sixty miles distant, should have been honoured with citizenship in Nicomedia. Possibly it had been the first city of the province so to honour him. However that may be, in his address before the people of Apameia (Or. 41.2) he states in no uncertain terms that such marks of distinction had become for him a common experience “wherever I have been, not only cities in general, but even, I may say, most of those which are of standing equal to your own, have presented me with citizenship, with membership in the Council, and with their highest honours without my asking it, believing me to be not unserviceable to themselves or unworthy of being honoured.” Although loyal to his birthplace and ambitious for its advancement, Dio’s long exile had fostered in him wider sympathies, and he seems to have been sincerely concerned for the welfare of Bithynia at large. It was only to be expected that the cities of the province should welcome the opportunity to enlist in their support a man with such an outlook, to profit by his wisdom, and to shine by his reflected glory.

  [1] ΠΡΟΣ ΝΙΚΑΕΙΣ. Ὅταν ἐκλογίσωμαι τὰς αἰτίας, ἄνδρες Νικομηδεῖς, δἰ ἃς ἐποιήσασθέ με πολίτην: οὐ γὰρ πλοῦτον ὄντα ὁρῶ μοι μέγαν, ὥστε νομίζειν ὅτι διὰ χρήματα ἐσπουδάσθην ὑφ̓ ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ θεραπεύειν τοὺς ὄχλους ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντι ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα: οὔκουν οὐδὲ εἰς τοῦτό μου χρῄζειν δοκεῖτε, τὸ ταῖς ὁρμαῖς ὑμῶν ἁπάσαις ὑπηρετεῖν ἑτοίμως ἐμέ: ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ συμποτικός εἰμί τις οὐδὲ κοινὸς ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις συνουσίαις, ὥστε ἀπό γε τούτου παρέχειν τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἡδονήν: εἰ δὲ μὴ διαμαρτάνω μήτε τῆς ὑμετέρας περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ προαιρέσεως, ὅσα τε ὑμῖν δύναμαι χρήσιμος εἶναι, ταῦτα ἐπίσταμαι: τὸ λοιπόν ἐστιν, δἰ ὃ πολίτης ἐγὼ γεγένημαι παῤ ὑμῖν σπουδῆς, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τὸ συμβουλεύειν ἐμέ τι περὶ [p. 30] τῶν κοινῇ συμφερόντων ἴσως μᾶλλον ἑτέρων καὶ βούλεσθαι καὶ

  The Thirty-eighth Discourse: To the Nicomedians on Concord with the Nicaeans

  Men of Nicomedia, when I undertake to compute the reasons why you gave me citizenship, I am at a loss; for I do not see that I have great wealth such as to warrant my believing that I have been sought after by you for mercenary reasons, nor am I conscious of having an attitude for flattering the masses; so you do not seem to want me even for the purpose of readily serving your every whim. No, the fact is that I am not even good company at a banquet or a sociable person at gatherings of that sort, so as to be able at least to afford pleasure for the populace from that quality. However, if I do not wholly mistake your purpose regarding me, and also if I am cognizant of all the matters in which I am capable of serving you, the only thing left to account for my having been made a citizen by you is naught else than that, perhaps to a greater degree than others, I have both the desire and the ability to give advice on the interests of the commonwealth.

  [2] δύνασθαι. τοῦτο δὲ εἰ μὲν οὐκ ἔστι τοιοῦτον, ὑμεῖς τε τῆς περὶ ἐμὲ σπουδῆς διημάρτετε ἐγώ τε ἔοικα μάτην ὑπακούσας ὑμῖν ἐπ̓ ἐλπίδι τοῦ γενήσεσθαι τῇ πόλει χρήσιμος, οὐ ποιουμένων μου χρείαν ὑμῶν, εἰς ἣν μόνον ἐπιτήδειός εἰμι. εἰ δὲ πάσαις μὲν ταῖς πόλεσι, μᾶλλον δὲ ταῖς μεγάλαις, δεῖ μὲν καὶ τῶν πλουσίων, ἵνα καὶ χορηγῶσι καὶ φιλοτιμῶνται ταυτὶ τὰ νενομισμένα δαπανήματα, δεῖ δὲ καὶ κολάκων ἀνδρῶν, ἵνα δημαγωγοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἥδωνται: δεῖ δὲ καὶ συμβούλων, ἵνα σῴζωνται ταῖς πολιτείαις, κἀγὼ καθ̓ ὅσον μοι δυνατὸν οὐκ ὀκνήσω περὶ τῶν μεγίστων συμβουλεύων

  [2] However, if such is not the case, then not only have you been misguided in your interest in me but I too, it would appear, was rash in heeding your call in the hope of proving useful to your city in the future, since you are not making that use of me for which alone I am adapted. If, on the other hand, all cities, or rather the great cities, need not only the men of wealth, both to finance the public spectacles and liberally to provide such customary expenses, and flatterers to afford pleasure by their demagogic clap-trap, but also counsellors to provide safety by their policies, I myself shall not shrink from aiding the city to the best of my ability by giving advice on matters of greatest importance.

  [3] ὠφελεῖν τὴν πόλιν. ἔστι μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ παῤ ὑμῖν ἐπαναρθώσεως ἄξια καὶ κατὰ μέρος αὐτῶν ποιήσομαι τὴν θεραπείαν, ἂν τἀληθῆ λέγων πιστευθῶ περὶ τῶν μειζόνων. τί δὲ παθὼν ἢ τί βουλόμενος οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν μικροτέρων συμβουλεύω πρότερον, οὐδὲ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἀποπειρῶμαι τοῦ δήμου τῆς εὐπειθείας, ἀλλ̓ εὐθὺς ἀξιῶ κινδυνεύειν περὶ τοῦ μεγίστου συμβουλεύων πράγματος; ὅτι πολλῷ μοι δοκεῖ ῥᾷον εἶναι πεῖσαι περὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἢ τῶν μικροτέρων καὶ φαύλων. τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἔξεστι καὶ καταφρονῆσαι τῆς ἀπ̓ αὐτῶν γιγνομένης βλάβης, ὁ δὲ χωρὶς ὧν ἀμήχανόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ σῴζεσθαι, περὶ τούτων οὐκ ἐθελήσας πεισθῆναι δῆλός

  [3] Well now, there are indeed some other things in your city which deserve correction, and one after the other I shall apply my treatment to them, provided I win your confidence by speaking the truth about the greater matters. But for what strange reason or with what purpose do I not first give advice about the smaller matters and in those matters test the willingness of the people to be persuaded, instead of choosing to jeopardize my reputation at the start by offering advice on the weightiest matter of all? It is because it seems to me far easier to persuade men concerning the weightiest matters than concerning those which are slighter or trivial. For while one may actually scorn the harm resulting from these minor matters, a man who, when it is a question of policies apart from which it is impossible for him to be saved, has refused to be persuaded regarding these things is clearly a man who will not even listen concerning the minor matters.
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  [4] ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τῶν μικροτέρων οὐδὲ ἀκουσόμενος. ὅτι μὲν οὖν, ἐὰν ὑπομείνητε τὴν συμβουλίαν, πεισθήσεσθέ μοι περὶ ὧν συμβουλεύων πάρειμι, καὶ δὴ σφόδρα θαρρῶ. τὸ δὲ δύσκολον τοῦτ̓ ἔστι, τὸ μήτε φορτικὴν ὑμᾶς ἡγήσασθαι τὴν ἀκρόασιν τὴν περὶ τοῦ πράγματος μήτε περιττὴν μήτε ἄκαιρον. ἵνα οὖν μοι μὴ ταῦτα προαπαντήσῃ παῤ ὑμῶν, Τί δὲ συμβουλεύεις σὺ περὶ ὧν ἡμεῖς τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐδὲ βουλευόμεθα; Τί δὲ σεαυτῷ λόγου μεταδίδως, οὗ σοὶ μὴ μετέδομεν ἡμεῖς; Διὰ τί δὲ τοσούτων πεπολιτευμένων παῤ ἡμῖν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιχωρίων, εἰσποιητῶν, ῥητόρων, φιλοσόφων, γερόντων, νέων, οὐδέποτε οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησεν ἡμῖν συμβουλεῦσαι ταύτην

  [4] So then, if you will endure my advice with patience, I am indeed very confident you will be persuaded by me in the matters about which I am here to advise you. What then? It is a hard task to get you to view my remarks upon the subject which I have in mind as neither tiresome nor superfluous nor untimely. In order, therefore, that I may not at the outset encounter such objections on your part as: “But why do you offer advice in matters about which, to begin with, we are not even deliberating?” “But why do you accord yourself the privilege of the floor, when we have not bestowed it on you?” “But for what reason, when so many have been active in politics in our city, native-born and adopted, orators and philosophers, old and young, has no one ever presumed to give us this advice?” — to forestall all such objections,

  [5] τὴν συμβουλίαν; αἴτημα θέλω ποιήσασθαι τοῦτο αὐτὸ παῤ ὑμῶν, ἄνδρες Νικομηδεῖς, καὶ χαρίσασθέ μοι καὶ ὑπομείνατε, ἀκοῦσαι λόγου περιττοῦ καὶ ἀκαίρου καὶ μὴ πείσοντος ὑμᾶς. καὶ οὐδὲ [p. 31] μεγάλην εἶναι νομίζω τὴν δωρεάν: εἴτε γὰρ πεισθήσεσθε, ἄξιόν ἐστιν ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ τὰ λυσιτελῆ λέγοντος: εἴτε ἐφ̓ ὑμῖν ἀπόκειται τὸ πεισθῆναι, τί τοῦτο δύσκολόν ἐστιν, ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ λόγου μεταδοῦναι βουλομένῳ μάτην εἰπεῖν. καὶ τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὑπὲρ οὗ μέλλω μὲν συμβουλεύειν, ὀνομάσαι δὲ αὐτὸ ὀκνῶ; τὸ μὲν ὄνομα οὐκ ἀηδές, ὦ ἄνδρες Νικομηδεῖς, οὔτε ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις οὔτε ἐν ταῖς συγγενείαις οὔτε ἐν ταῖς

  [5] I wish to make this very special request of you, men of Nicomedia — and do me the favour of being patient — that you listen to a speech which is superfluous and untimely and which may not convince you. Moreover, I do not consider it a great favour I am asking either; for if you are persuaded by my words, it is worth your while to have listened to one who tells you what is to your advantage; while, on the other hand, if you reserve your acquiescence, what is there unpleasant in having allowed a friend to take the floor who is willing to speak to no avail?”

  Very well, what is this subject on which I am about to offer advice, and yet am reluctant to name it? The word, men of Nicomedia, is not distasteful whether in the home or the clan or in friendly circles or cities or nations;

  [6] φιλίαις οὔτε ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν οὔτε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ὑπὲρ γὰρ ὁμονοίας ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι, καλοῦ μὲν ὀνόματος, καλοῦ δὲ πράγματος, ἄν δ̓ εὐθὺς προσθῶ περὶ τῆς πρὸς τίνας ὁμονοίας, τοῦτο δέδοικα, μὴ τὴν μὲν ὁμόνοιαν αὐτὴν ἐφ̓ ἑαυτῆς καλὴν εἶναι πιστεύσητε, τὸ δὲ πρὸς τούτους ὁμονοεῖν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, οἷς ὁμονοεῖν φημι δεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἀδύνατον εἶναι νομίσητε. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, ὃ μέχρι νῦν εἰς τὴν ἔχθραν καθίστησιν ὑμᾶς τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ οὐκ ἐᾷ γενέσθαι τὴν φιλίαν, τὸ πεπεῖσθαι δίχα λόγου μὴ δυνατὴν εἶναι ταῖς πόλεσι τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. μὴ θορυβήσητε δὲ ἀρχομένῳ πάλιν,

  [6] for concord is what I am going to talk about, a fine word and a fine thing; but if I proceed to add forthwith concord with whom, I fear lest, while you may be convinced that concord of and by itself is fine, you may believe that being concordant with those persons with whom I claim you should be concordant is impossible. For what till now has set you at your present enmity one toward another, and has prevented the establishment of friendship, is the unreasoning conviction that concord is impossible for your cities. Nay, don’t raise an outcry when I make a fresh start but bear with me.

  [7] ἀλλ̓ ὑπομείνατε. φημὶ δεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἄνδρες Νικομηδεῖς, ὁμονοῆσαι πρὸς Νικαεῖς: ἀκούσατε δὲ καὶ μὴ χαλεπήνητε μηδέπω, πρὶν ἂν εἴπω τὰς αἰτίας. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ νοσῶν πρὸς τὸν ἰατρὸν ὀργίζεται διατάττοντα τὴν θεραπείαν, ἀλλ̓ ἀκούει μὲν ἀηδῶς αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι αὐτὸν καὶ τμηθῆναι δεῖ καὶ καυθῆναι, πείθεται δὲ ὅμως: περὶ γὰρ σωτηρίας ὁ κίνδυνός ἐστι. καίτοι τί τοῦτο εἶπον; τὸ γὰρ ἐμὸν φάρμακον, ὃ προσφέρω ταῖς πόλεσιν, ἥδιστόν ἐστι φαρμάκων

  [7] What I say, men of Nicomedia, is that you must achieve concord with the Nicaeans; but hear me out and don’t get angry yet before I state my reasons. For neither is the sick man angry with his physician when he prescribes his treatment, but, though he dislikes to hear him say he must submit to surgery or cautery, still he obeys; for his life is at stake. And yet why have I said this? For my remedy, the one I offer your cities, is a most pleasant remedy, and one without which no man would wish to live, if he has good sense.

  [8] καὶ χωρὶς οὗ ζῆν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐθελήσειεν εὖ φρονῶν. βούλομαι δὲ διελεῖν τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς εἰπεῖν τῆς ὁμονοίας τῆς καθόλου, ποδαπόν τέ ἐστι καὶ τίνων αἴτιον, ἐξ ἐναντίας τὴν στάσιν καὶ τὴν ἔχθραν διακρίνας τὴν φιλίαν: εἶτα ῾ἔσται γάρ ἀκόλουθον τὸ τῆς ὁμονοίας ἀποδειχθείσης ὠφελίμου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἅπασιν̓ ἀποδεῖξαι ταύτην τὴν ὁμόνοιαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτην οὖσαν ὑμῖν καὶ λυσιτελεστάτην. οὐκ ἀποστήσομαι δὲ εἰπεῖν οὐδ̓ ὅπως ἂν μεῖναι γενομένη δύναιτο: καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο ὁρῶ [p. 32]

  [8] But I want to break up my address, and first of all to speak about concord itself in general, telling both whence it comes and what it achieves, and then over against that to set off strife and hatred in contradistinction to friendship. For when concord has been proved to be beneficial to all mankind, the proof will naturally follow that this particular concord between these particular cities is both quite indispensable for you and quite profitable as well. I shall not, however, refrain from telling also how concord may endure when once achieved; for that problem, indeed, I see is bothering many.

  [9] πολλοῖς ἐνοχλοῦν. εὔχομαι δὲ τοῖς θεοῖς πᾶσι καὶ τοῖς ὑμετέροις κα
ὶ τοῖς ἐκείνων, εἰ ταῦτα εὐνοίᾳ τῇ πρὸς μόνους ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ νῦν λέγω καὶ μηδεμίαν οἰκείαν θηρώμενος δόξαν ἤ λυσιτέλειαν ἐκ τῆς καταλλαγῆς τῆς ὑμετέρας, καὶ πρὸ πάντων εἰ μέλλει λυσιτελήσειν τῇ πόλει, δοῦναι μὲν ἐμοὶ τοὺς ἀξίους τοῦ πράγματος εἰπεῖν λόγους, παρασχεῖν δὲ ὑμᾶς ἐμοὶ πεισθῆναι τὰ συμφέροντα βουλομένους.

  [9] But I pray to all the gods, both yours and theirs, that if what I now say is said because of goodwill to you alone and not in pursuit of any personal glory or advantage to be devoted from your reconciliation, and above all if it is destined to be of advantage to the state — if this is true, I pray that the gods may not only grant me such eloquence as is worthy of my cause, but that they may also make you willing to take my advice in the matters which are to your advantage.

  [10] ὁμόνοιαν τοίνυν πάντες μὲν ἐπῄνεσαν ἀεὶ καὶ λέγοντες καὶ γράφοντες, καὶ μεστὰ τῶν ἐγκωμίων αὐτῆς ἐστι καὶ τὰ ποιήματα καὶ τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων συγγράμματα, καὶ ὅσοι τὰς ἱστορίας ἐξέδοσαν ἐπὶ παραδείγματι αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ἀπέδειξαν αὐτὴν μέγιστον οὖσαν τῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ πολλοὶ τολμήσαντες ἤδη τῶν σοφιστῶν παραδόξους εἰπεῖν λόγους μόνον τοῦτον οὐκ ἐπενοήθησαν ἐξενεγκεῖν, ὡς οὐ καλὸν ἡ ὁμόνοια καὶ σωτήριόν ἐστιν: τοῖς τε νῦν βουλομένοις αὐτὴν ἐγκωμιάζειν καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἄφθονος ἡ τῶν λόγων ὕλη, καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ πλείω καὶ