Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [10] Well then, concord has been lauded by all men always in both speech and writing. Not only are the works of poets and philosophers alike full of its praises, but also all who have published their histories to provide a pattern for practical application have shown concord to be the greatest of human blessings, and, furthermore, although many of the sophists have in the past ventured to make paradoxical statements, this is the only one it has not occurred to them to publish — that concord is not a fine and salutary thing. Therefore, not only for those who now desire to sing its praises, but also for those who at any time would do so, the material for their use is abundant, and it will ever be possible to say more and finer things about it.

  [11] κρείττω περὶ αὐτῆς ἐξέσται λέγειν. εἴτε γὰρ ὑπὲρ γενέσεως αὐτῆς πολυπραγμονεῖν ἐθέλοι τις, ἀνάγκη τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῆς ἐπανάγειν ἐπὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν θείων πραγμάτων. ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ καὶ φιλία ἐστὶ καὶ καταλλαγὴ καὶ συγγένεια, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα περιείληφεν. καὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα δὲ τί ἄλλο ἢ ὁμόνοια ἑνοῖ; καὶ δἰ οὗ σῴζεται πάντα τὰ μέγιστα, τοῦτό ἐστι, καὶ δἰ οὗ πάντα ἀπόλλυται, τοὐναντίον. εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ θνητὸν ἦμεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι γένος μηδ̓ ἔδει πολλὰ εἶναι τὰ φθείροντα ἡμᾶς, οὐκ ἂν ἦν οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἡ στάσις, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς θείοις ἔνεστιν. ᾧ δὲ μόνῳ τῆς εὐδαιμονίας ἀπολειπόμεθα τῆς θείας καὶ τῆς ἀφθάρτου διαμονῆς ἐκείνων, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι μὴ πάντες ὁμονοίας αἰσθανόμεθα, ἀλλ̓ εἰσὶν οἱ καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν αὐτῇ φιλοῦντες, τὴν στάσιν, ἧς μέρη καὶ ὑπουργήματα πόλεμοι καὶ μάχαι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς δήμοις ἀναστρέφεται

  [11] For example, if a man should wish to delve into its origin, he must trace its very beginning to the greatest of divine things. For the same manifestation is both friendship and reconciliation and kinship, and it embraces all these. Furthermore, what but concord unites the elements? Again, that through which all the greatest things are preserved is concord, while that through which everything is destroyed is its opposite. If, then, we human beings were not by nature a race of mortals, and if the forces which destroy us were not bound to be numerous, there would not be strife even in human affairs, just as also still not in things divine. However, the only respect in which we fall short of the blessedness of the gods and of their indestructible permanence is this — that we are not all sensitive to concord, but, on the contrary, there are those who actually love its opposite, strife, of which wars and battles constitute departments and subsidiary activities, and these things are continually at work in communities and in nations, just like the diseases in our bodies.

  [12] καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν αἱ νόσοι. καὶ γὰρ τὴν ὑγείαν ἐπιστάμενοι μέγιστον οὖσαν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀγαθῶν ὅμως αὐτῇ πολλάκις αὐτοὶ καθ̓ αὑτῶν ἐπιβουλεύομεν, οἱ [p. 33] μὲν ἡδοναῖς πεισθέντες, οἱ δὲ πόνους φεύγοντες ὑγιεινοὺς καὶ διαίτας σώφρονας. εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο τοῖς μεγίστοις τῶν κακῶν ὑπῆρχε βοήθημα, ἡ παραυτίκα ἡδονή, δύναμιν ἂν οὐδ̓ ὅλως εἶχε βλάπτειν: νῦν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔδωκεν ἡ φύσις, ὥστε ἐξαπατᾶν δύνασθαι

  [12] For in fact, though we know full well that health is the greatest of human blessings, still many times we ourselves plot against it to our own undoing, some yielding to the seduction of pleasures and some shirking labours which are healthful and habits which are prudent. On the other hand, if the greatest of our evils did not have for their support the pleasure of the moment, they would have no power at all to harm us; yet as it is, Nature has given that to them, and so they can deceive and delight their victims.

  [13] καὶ τέρπειν τοὺς ἀδικουμένους. καὶ ἐπί γε ᾧ τις ἂν καὶ μάλιστα φθονήσειεν αὐτοῖς, ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν ὅτι πάντα τὰ κακὰ λυπεῖ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁποῖά ἐστιν ἐπισταμένους. εἰ μὲν οὖν τις ἐρωτήσειεν ἕνα ἄνδρα ἢ πολλοὺς ὁμοῦ περὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων αἰτῶν, ἐν ποίῳ δὴ μέρει τὰ τοιαῦτα κατατάττεται, πόλεμοι καὶ στάσεις καὶ νόσοι καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὁμότροπα, οὐδὲν ἂν μελλήσας ἀποκρίναιτο οὐδεὶς ὅτι ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς τάττεται καὶ οὕτως ὡς ἔχει καὶ νενόμισται

  [13] Moreover, what might actually make one most indignant toward mankind is this — that all the evils afflict them though knowing well their nature. At any rate, if one were to question a single person, or a company of persons, about the terms themselves, asking in what category are to be placed such terms as wars, factions, diseases, and the like, no one would hesitate a moment to reply that these are classed among the evils, and that they not only are so but have been so considered and are called evils.

  [14] καὶ καλεῖται κακά. τὰ δ̓ ἐναντία τούτοις, εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμόνοια καὶ ὑγεία, καὶ ταῦτα οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι μὴ οὐχὶ ἀγαθὰ καὶ εἶναι καὶ λέγεσθαι. φανερᾶς δὲ οὕτως οὔσης τῆς μάχης τῶν κακῶν καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὅμως εἰσί τινες, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλοί, οἵτινες τῶν κακῶν τοῖς ὁμολογουμένοις χαίρομεν. καὶ περὶ δὲ τῆς νεὼς πάντες οἱ πλέοντες ἐπιστάμενοι διότι μία αὕτη ἐστὶ σωτηρία, τὸ τοὺς ναύτας ὁμονοεῖν καὶ τῷ κυβερνήτῃ πείθεσθαι, γενομένης δὲ στάσεως ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἀπειθείας διότι καὶ τὰ δεξιὰ πολλάκις τῶν πνευμάτων εἰς ἐναντίον τῇ νηὶ περιίσταται καὶ τῶν λιμένων ἀποτυγχάνουσιν ἐγγὺς ὄντων, ὅμως στασιάζουσιν ἔστιν ὅτε ὑπὸ ἀφροσύνης οἱ ναῦται,

  [14] And as for their opposites, peace and concord and health, no one would deny that they likewise both are and are called goods. But though the conflict between the evil things and the good is so manifest, yet there are some among us — or rather a good many — who delight in the things which are admittedly evil. And take, for example, a ship — though all on board are well aware that the one hope of reaching port in safety lies in having the sailors on good terms with one another and obedient to the skipper, but that when strife and mutiny arise in it, even the favourable winds often veer round to oppose the ship’s course and they fail to make their harbours, even when close at hand, still the sailors sometimes foolishly quarrel, and this works their ruin, though they know the cause of their destruction.

  [15] καὶ τοῦτο ἀπόλλυσιν αὐτοὺς ἐπισταμένους τοῦ ὀλέθρου τὴν αἰτίαν. καὶ τῶν οἴκων δὲ τῆς σωτηρίας οὔσης ἔν τε τῇ τῶν δεσποτῶν ὁμοφροσύνῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν οἰκετῶν πειθαρχίᾳ, πολλοὺς ὅμως οἴκους ἀπώλεσεν ἥ τε δεσποτικὴ στάσις καὶ ἡ κακοδουλία. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἅρματι ποία καταλείπεται σωτηρία τῶν ἵππων συνθ�
�ῖν μὴ θελόντων; ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἄρξωνται διαστάντες ἀφέλκειν ἄλλος ἀλλαχῇ, πᾶσα ἀνάγκη κινδυνεύειν τὸν ἡνίοχον. ὁ δὲ γάμος ὁ ἀγαθὸς τί ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἢ ὁμόνοια ἀνδρὸς πρὸς γυναῖκα; καὶ ὁ κακὸς γάμος τί ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἤ ἡ τούτων διχόνοια; καὶ τέκνων δὲ τίς ὠφέλεια γονεῦσιν, ὅταν [p. 34] ὑπὸ ἀφροσύνης ἄρξηται στασιάζειν πρὸς αὐτούς; ἡ δὲ ἀδελφότης

  [15] Again, take our households — although their safety depends not only on the like-mindedness of master and mistress but also on the obedience of the servants, yet both the bickering of master and mistress and the wickedness of the servants have wrecked many households. Why, what safety remains for the chariot, if the horses refuse to run as a team? For when they begin to separate and to pull one this way and one that, the driver is inevitably in danger. And the good marriage, what else is it save concord between man and wife? And the bad marriage, what is it save their discord? Moreover, what benefit are children to parents, when through folly they begin to rebel against them? And what is fraternity save concord of brothers? And what is friendship save concord among friends?

  [16] τί ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἢ ἀδελφῶν ὁμόνοια; ἡ δὲ φιλία τί ἄλλο ἢ φίλων ὁμόνοια; καὶ ταῦτα πάντα οὐ μόνον ἀγαθά ἐστι καὶ καλά, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἥδιστα: τὰ δὲ ἐναντία τούτοις οὐ κακὰ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀηδῆ: καὶ ὅμως αὐτὰ πολλάκις ἀντὶ τῶν ἡδίστων ἀγαθῶν προαιρούμεθα. τοὺς μὲν οὖν πολέμους ἤδη τινὲς ἀντὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπανείλοντο μεγάλων ὄντων τῶν διαφόρων, οὐχ ὡς τὸ μάχεσθαι κρεῖττον ὂν ἢ ἥδιον καὶ δικαιότερον τοῦ τὴν εἰρήνην ἄγειν, ἀλλ̓ οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ βασιλείας, οἱ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας, οἱ δὲ γῆν κτώμενοι μὴ ἔχοντες, οἱ δὲ θάλατταν περιποιούμενοι: καὶ τηλικούτων ὅμως τῶν ἄθλων κειμένων ἐν τῷ μέσῳ πολλοὶ κατέθεντο τὸν πόλεμον ὡς οὐκ ἂν

  [16] Besides, all these things are not only good and noble but also very pleasant, whereas their opposites are not only evil but also unpleasant; and yet we often prefer them instead of the most pleasant goods. For example, there have been times when people have chosen wars instead of peace, despite the great differences between the two, not under the delusion that fighting is better or more pleasant and more righteous than keeping the peace, but because some were striving for kingly power, some for liberty, some for territory they did not have, and some for control of the sea. And yet, though the prizes await the victor are so rich, many have laid war aside as an evil thing and not fit to be chosen by them in preference to the things of highest value.

  [17] ὄντα οὐδὲ ἀντὶ τῶν μεγίστων αἱρεθῆναί σφισιν ἄξιον. τὸ δὲ καὶ χωρὶς ὑποθέσεως πολεμεῖν καὶ μάχεσθαι τί ἄλλο ἢ μανία παντελής ἐστι καὶ διὰ ταύτην κακῶν ἐπιθυμία; τὰ μὲν οὖν θηρία διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα οἱ ἄνθρωποι μισοῦμεν, ὅτι πόλεμος ἡμῖν ἀδιάλλακτος πρὸς ταῦτά ἐστιν ἀεί. πολλοὶ δὲ καί τινες ἡμῶν καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὡς θηρίοις χρώμενοι χαίρουσι τῇ πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον γιγνομένῃ μάχῃ. καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν σημείων αἰσθανόμεθα τῶν θείων, ὅσα

  [17] But, the waging of war and fighting even without occasion, what is that but utter madness and a craving for evils which is occasioned by madness? Now the chief reason why we human beings hate wild beasts is that remorseless warfare exists between them and us for ever; yet many even of us treat human beings too as wild beasts and take pleasure in the conflict waged with those of our own kind.

  [18] διδάσκοντες ἡμᾶς ὁμονοεῖν αὑτοῖς ἐπεφήμισαν. καὶ γὰρ κήρυκές τινες ἐκ τῶν θεῶν εἶναι λέγονται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ παῤ ἡμῖν εἰρήνη μὲν ἐπικηρύσσεται, πόλεμοι δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἀκήρυκτοι γίγνονται. καὶ γυμνοὶ πρεσβεύουσιν εἰς ὡπλισμένους ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης καὶ ἀδικῆσαι οὐκ ἔξεστιν αὐτῶν οὐδένα, ὡς τῶν θεῶν ἅπαντας τοὺς ὑπὲρ φιλίας ἀγγέλους. καὶ ὅταν συνερχομένων εἰς μάχην στρατῶν ἢ διοσημία φανῇ αἰφνίδιος ἢ τῆς γῆς γένηται σεισμός, ἀποστρέφονται εὐθὺς οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἀποχωροῦσιν ἀπ̓ ἀλλήλων,

  [18] What is more, we take no notice of the signs sent by the gods, all those signs and omens by which they try to teach us to live on good terms with one another. Indeed they are said to be, as it were, heralds sent by the gods, and for that reason among ourselves also, while peace is proclaimed by heralds, wars for the most part take place unheralded. Furthermore, men go unarmed into an armed camp as envoys to sue for peace and it is not permitted to wrong any of them, the belief that all messengers in behalf of friendship are servants of the gods. Again, whenever, as armies come together for battle, there suddenly appears an omen from heaven or there occurs a quaking of the earth, immediately the men wheel about and withdraw from one another, believing the gods do not wish them to fight;

  [19] ὡς τῶν θεῶν οὐ βουλομένων αὐτοὺς μάχεσθαι. πολέμου δὲ σημεῖον οὐδὲν θεῖόν ἐστιν ὑπειλημμένον. καὶ ὅσα δὲ ἥδιστά τε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις2καὶ εὐδαιμονίας σύμβολα, ταῦτα πάντα ποιοῦμεν, ἐπειδὰν εἰρήνη γένηται, καὶ στεφανούμεθα καὶ θύομεν καὶ ἑορτάζομεν: τὰ δὲ ἐναντία πάντα ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς πένθεσι, καὶ συγκλειόμεθα ἔσω πυλῶν καὶ δεδοίκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἀπελπίζομεν ἑαυτούς: καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τότε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνδρῶν κλαίουσι καὶ οἱ [p. 35]

  [19] but no divine portent is deemed a signal for war. And furthermore, when peace is brought about, we do all those things which are not only most pleasant for mortals but also tokens of happiness — we bedeck ourselves with garlands, offer sacrifice, and hold high festival; but we do quite the opposite in time of war, just as in time of mourning — we shut ourselves within the gates, live in dread of every thing, and abandon ourselves to despair. Moreover, at such times the women wail for their husbands and the children for their fathers, as they would over the greatest calamities.

  [20] παῖδες ὑπὲρ τῶν πατέρων ὡς ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις κακοῖς. ἐπειδὰν μὲν οὖν λοιμὸς ἢ σεισμὸς γένηται, τοῖς θεοῖς ἐγκαλοῦμεν, ὡς κακῶν παρέχουσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις αἰτίας, καὶ οὔ φαμεν αὐτοὺς εἶναι δικαίους οὐδὲ φιλανθρώπους, οὐδὲ ἂν τὰ μάλιστα ἡμῖν ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἐπιτιμῶσι σὺν τῇ δίκῃ: τοσοῦτον μῖσός ἐστι πρὸς τὰ αὐτόματα τῶν κακῶν. πόλεμον δέ, ὅστις οὐχ ἧττον ἀπόλλυσιν ἢ σεισμός, αὐτοὶ προαιρούμεθα καὶ τοῖς αἰτίοις τούτων ἀνθρώποις οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦμεν οὐδέν, ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων
τοῖς θεοῖς, ἀλλὰ τούτους εἶναι καὶ φιλοδήμους δοκοῦμεν καὶ λεγόντων ἥδιστα ἀκούομεν αὐτῶν καὶ συμβουλεύουσι πειθόμεθα, καὶ πάσας αὐτοῖς παρέχομεν ἀντὶ τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἀμοιβάς: ἀμοιβαὶ γὰρ ἐξ ἴσων ἄν ἐγίγνοντο πρὸς αὐτοὺς κακῶν: ἀλλὰ χάριτας καὶ τιμὰς καὶ ἐπαίνους: ὥστε σφόδρα ἂν εἶεν

  [20] Again, whenever there comes a pestilence or an earthquake, we blame the gods, in the belief that they cause misery for mankind, and we claim they are not righteous or benevolent, not even if they are punishing us justly for most grievous sins; so great is our hatred of those evils which occur through chance. Yet war, which is no less destructive than an earthquake, we choose of our own volition; and we do not blame at all the human beings who are responsible for these evils, as we blame the gods for earthquake or pestilence, but we even think them patriotic and we listen to them with delight when they speak, we follow their advice, and in payment for the evils they occasion we give them every kind of — I won’t say return, for return would mean evil for evil — but rather thanks and honours and words of praise; and so they would be very witless indeed if they spared those who are even grateful for their evils.