Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [43] Furthermore, that which is the aim of all human action, pleasure, becomes greater than tongue can tell. For to achieve, on the one hand, the elimination of the things which cause you pain — envy and rivalry and the strife which is their outcome, your plotting against one another, your gloating over the misfortunes of your neighbours, your vexation at their good fortune — and, on the other hand, the introduction into your cities of their opposites — sharing in things which are good, unity of heart and mind, rejoicing of both peoples in the same things — does not all this resemble a public festival?

  [44] λογίσασθε δὲ οὕτως. εἴ τις ὑμῖν, ἄνδρες Νικομηδεῖς, θεῶν αἵρεσιν ἔδωκεν, εἰ βούλεσθε μὴ μόνον τὴν αὑτῶν πόλιν ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Νικαέων, οὐκ ἂν παράδοξον μὲν ὑπὸ μεγέθους ἐφάνη ἀγαθὸν ὑμῖν, εὔξασθε δ̓ ἂν πάσας εὐχάς, ὥστε αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν; ἀλλὰ τοῦτο τὸ παράδοξον δοκοῦν ἔξεστιν ἤδη γενέσθαι καὶ τὴν Νίκαιαν

  [44] But figure it this way. If some god, men of Nicomedia, had given you the option of having not merely your own city, but also that of the Nicaeans, would not that have seemed to you a boon of incredible magnitude, and would you not have made all sorts of vows in the hope of obtaining it? Well, this thing which seems incredible can take place at once — Nicaea can be yours and your possessions theirs.

  [45] ὑμετέραν εἶναι καὶ τὰ παῤ ὑμῖν ἐκείνων. ἢ τῶν μὲν ἀδελφῶν θαυμάζομεν τοὺς εἰς ἅπαν τὸν κοινὸν οἰκοῦντας οἶκον καὶ μὴ νενεμημένους τὰ πατρῷα ὑπὸ μικρολογίας, ὅ τε πλοῦτος αὐτῶν ἔτι μᾶλλον θαυμάζεται μείζων καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο, τῷ μὴ νενεμῆσθαι μηδὲ ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἥμισυ γεγονέναι τῶν πάντων, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὅλον ἀμφοτέρων [p. 42] δοκεῖν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὡς ἀγαθοὺς πάντες ἐκείνους ὁρῶσι καὶ ὡς δικαίους καὶ ὡς τῷ ὄντι ἀδελφούς: ἐν δὲ ταῖς πόλεσι γενομένη αὕτη ἡ ἀδελφότης οὐχὶ καὶ μεῖζον ἀγαθὸν ἔσται καὶ

  [45] Or, since we admire those brothers who share completely a common estate and have not because of stinginess divided their patrimony; whose wealth, moreover, is even more admired, since it is greater for the very reason that it has not been divided and half of everything is thought to belong to both; and whom, furthermore, all men regard as good and just and really brothers — since this is true, if this spirit of brotherhood is achieved in your cities, will it not be an even greater blessing, more beautiful and richer?

  [46] κάλλιον καὶ πλουσιώτερον; ἄξιον δὲ αὐτὴν γενέσθαι καὶ διὰ τοὺς προγόνους κοινοὺς ὄντας ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ διὰ τοὺς θεούς, ὧν καὶ παῤ ἐκείνοις καὶ παῤ ὑμῖν ὁμοιαί εἰσι τιμαί. τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, ἐφ̓ ᾧ καὶ μάλιστα ὀδυνηθείη τις ἄν, ὅτι πάντα κοινὰ ἔχοντες, καὶ προγόνους καὶ θεοὺς καὶ ἔθη καὶ ἑορτάς, οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ συγγενείας ἰδιωτικὰς καὶ φιλίας, ὥσπερ Ἕλληνες πρὸς βαρβάρους μαχόμεθα, ἢ τὸ ἔτι τούτου τῷ γιγνομένῳ ὑφ̓ ὑμῶν

  [46] Moreover, it deserves to be achieved, not alone because of the ancestors which both cities have in common, but also because of the gods, whose rites are alike both in their city and in yours. For this is a fact which might cause one even greater sorrow, that though we have everything in common — ancestors, gods, customs, festivals, and, in the case of most of us, personal ties of blood and found, still we fight like Greeks against barbarians, or, what is still more like your conduct than that, like human beings against wild beasts!

  [47] ὁμοιότερον, ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι πρὸς θηρία. οὐκ ὄψεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους; οὐκ ἀκούσεσθε ἀλλήλων; οὐκ ἀντιδεξιώσονται τὴν ἀρχὴν ποιησαμένων ὑμῶν ἀλλήλας αἱ πόλεις; οὐχὶ πάντα τὰ παρὰ ἀμφοτέροις ἀγαθὰ κτήσεσθε καταλλαγέντες; οὐ χρήσεσθε αὐτοῖς θέλοντες; ὄφελον ἐξῆν καὶ τὸν Ἐφεσίων δῆμον ποιήσασθαι ἀδελφὸν ὑμῶν. ὄφελον καὶ τὰ Σμυρναίων οἰκοδομήματα κοινὰ ὑμῖν ἐγένετο.

  [47] Will you not look each other in the face? Will you not listen to each other? Will your two cities not clasp hands together, you being the first to extend your hand? Will you not by making peace acquire for yourselves all the good things both possess? Will you not enjoy them eagerly? Oh that it were possible for you to make even the Ephesians your brothers! Oh that the edifices of Smyrna too might have been shared by you!

  [48] ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τηλικαῦτα ὄντα ἀγαθὰ ἑνὸς ἕνεκα ὀνόματος ἀπόλλυτε, ποίαν ὠφέλειαν, τίνα ἡδονήν; ἀλλ̓ ὅτι μὲν καὶ λυσιτελήσει ταῖς πόλεσιν ἡ καταλλαγὴ γενομένη καὶ μέχρι νῦν ὑμῖν οὐκ ἐλυσιτέλησεν ἡ στάσις οὖσα καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἐκ τῆς ὁμονοίας γενησόμενα καὶ τὰ κακὰ τὰ διὰ τὴν ἔχθραν ὑπάρχοντα,

  [48] But all these things, mighty blessings that they are — are you forfeiting them for lack of one single word, gains so rich, pleasure so great?

  However, that the reconciliation will be profitable to you two cities when it is achieved, and that the strife still going on has not been profitable for you down to the present moment, that so many blessings will be yours as a result of concord, and that so many evils now are yours because of enmity — all this has been treated by me at sufficient length.

  [49] προείρηταί μοι μετρίως. λοιπὸν δὲ εἰπεῖν ὅτι καὶ μενεῖ ταῦτα διαλλαγέντων ὑμῶν. ἤδη γάρ τινές εἰσιν οἱ καὶ τοῦτο δεδοικότες, ὧν ἀποδέχομαι τοῦ φόβου τὴν αἰτίαν, εἴ γε λέγουσιν αὐτὸ ταῖς ἀληθείαις ἐπιθυμοῦντες τῆς ὁμονοίας καὶ φοβούμενοι μὴ λυθῇ καὶ οὐ τοὐναντίον αὐτοῦ χάριν τοῦ μηδὲ ὅλως αὐτὴν γενέσθαι τοῦτο προβάλλονται. τὸ μὲν οὖν μέγιστον ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ πιστότατον τοῦ μενεῖν τὴν ὁμόνοιαν ἐνέχυρον ἔστω τὸ συμφέρειν αὐτήν. ἃ γὰρ καὶ λόγῳ παραδειχθέντα διότι συνοίσει μόνον ἤδη πείθειν ὑμᾶς ἔοικε, πῶς οὐ χρὴ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ἕξειν αὐτὰ πειθὼ [p. 43]

  [49] But it remains for me to add that these advantages will be permanent when you have made peace with one another. For already there are some who have fears on this score too, men whose reasons for fear I understand, at least if they give utterance to it from a genuine desire for concord and a fear that concord may be destroyed, and if they are not, instead, putting forth this idea for the very purpose of preventing any reconciliation at all.

  Well, let the greatest and most trustworthy guarantee that your concord will be permanent by its expediency. For if the mere recital of the reasons which show that it will be advantageous apparently is already convincing you, why should not these reasons when supported by experience have a persuasiveness even more unshakable?

  [50] βεβαιοτέραν; ἔτι δὲ εὔθυμός εἰμι καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς �
�υνηθείας ὑμᾶς δυσαπαλλάκτως ἔχειν. εἰ γὰρ ἡ στάσις τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ διὰ τὴν συνήθειαν μόνον ἐμμεμένηκεν ὑμῖν, τηλικοῦτον οὖσα κακόν, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ τὰς διαλλαγὰς εἰκός ἐστιν ἡδίους τε οὔσας καὶ δικαιοτέρας ποιήσειν καὶ τὴν συνήθειαν ἡδίονα; καὶ φυλάττεσθαι δὲ μικρά τινα δεήσει καὶ πρὸ ἁπάντων τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἀδόξους, ἄν ποτε διαβάλλωσιν ὑμᾶς ἀλλήλοις. μὴ γὰρ ἀκούσητε αὐτῶν ἴδιόν τι θηρωμένων, εἰ βουλήσονται πάλιν αὑτοῖς γενέσθαι τινὰ χώραν. καὶ

  [50] But what is more, I am hopeful also because of your being difficult to dislodge from accustomed habit. For instance, if strife, which is so great an evil, has remained among you so long merely through force of habit, why is it not reasonable to expect that your reconciliation, since it is more pleasant and more righteous, will make that habit also more potent? But you will need also to be watchful of little matters, and above all to be watchful of the men of no reputation, in case they ever malign you to each other — for you must not listen to them when they pursue some selfish purpose, in case they with again to secure for themselves a kind of pleasure — and you will need also to avoid becoming irritated for petty reasons.

  [51] μικρῶν δὲ ἕνεκεν μὴ παροξύνεσθαι. καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς δὲ εἰκός ἐστιν μᾶλλον πάντων ἐπιμελήσεσθαι τοῦ συμμεῖναι τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. οἶμαι γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴν ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν παῤ ἐκείνων γενέσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἐπελθεῖν μοι τολμῆσαι περὶ τηλικούτου πράγματος ἐν ὑμῖν λέγειν, ὑπὲρ οὗ μηδεὶς πρότερον εἶπε μήτε νέος μήτε πρεσβύτερος. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄξιον αὐτοῖς εὔξασθαι πάλιν. οὐκοῦν ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν εὐξάμην αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μοι πειθομένους παράσχωσιν ὑμᾶς: ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἤδη ἐοίκατε ποιεῖν, λοιπόν ἐστιν εὔξασθαι περὶ τοῦ φυλάττειν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀεὶ τὰ καλῶς δόξαντα ὑμῖν.

  [51] A further reason for my optimism is that it is likely the gods will make it their prime concern that concord shall endure. In fact, I feel that even this beginning is due to them, and that otherwise it would not have occurred to me to dare to speak in your presence on so great a topic, a topic on which no one previously, whether old or young, has ever spoken. And it is even fitting that I pray to them once more. You remember that in the beginning I prayed them to make you heed my words; but now that you evidently are doing this already, it remains for me to pray that they may preserve for ever your admirable resolutions.

  THE THIRTY-NINTH DISCOURSE: ON CONCORD IN NICAEA UPON THE CESSATION OF CIVIL STRIFE

  ΠΕΡΙ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑΣ ΕΝ ΝΙΚΑΙΑΙ ΠΕΠΑΥΜΕΝΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΑΣΕΩΣ.

  THE THIRTY-NINTH DISCOURSE: ON CONCORD IN NICAEA UPON THE CESSATION OF CIVIL STRIFE

  As noted in the introduction to the preceding Discourse, Bithynia was a turbulent province. The present Discourse, as its title indicates, was delivered following a period of civil strife in Nicaea. Neither the occasion nor the date is known. Arnim would place the speech in the period following Dio’s return from exile, but Schmid and Lemarchand would assign it to his sophistic period on stylistic grounds. The speaker’s allusion to frail health would lend some support to the later dating.

  The opening paragraphs are of special interest as an expression of that pride which the several communities of the province took in their Greek ancestry, but which unfortunately failed to knit them together to form a harmonious entity. Whatever may have been the ancestry of the inhabitants of this region, they were evidently eager to claim Greek blood and the patronage of Greek gods. Their pride of race may have been heightened because of their proximity to the world of the barbarian.

  Ancient tradition is not united regarding the founding of Nicaea. On the evidence of its coinage, Dionysus would seem to have been claimed as founder and the name of the city to have been derived from the nymph Nicaea. Strabo (12.565) mentions Antigonus as the original founder, adding that he called his settlement Antigoneia, but Strabo says that it was founded a second time by Lysimachus, who renamed it Nicaea in honour of his wife, the daughter of Antipater. Stephanus of Byzantine calls it a castle of Bottiaea, which may be interpreted as referring its founding to veterans of Alexander’s army. Whatever may have been the truth of the matter, at the time of our Discourse Nicaea could boast of a fair degree of antiquity.

  [1] Ἐγὼ χαίρω τιμώμενος ὑφ̓ ὑμῶν, ὥσπερ εἰκός ἐστι χαίρειν τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν σώφρονα τιμώμενον ὑπὸ πόλεως ἀγαθῆς καὶ λόγου ἀξίας, ὥσπερ ἡ ὑμετέρα πόλις κατά τε ἰσχὺν καὶ μέγεθος. οὐδεμιᾶς ἡττωμένη τῶν ὁποίποτε ἐνδόξων γένους τε γενναιότητι καὶ πλήθους συνοικήσει, τῶν φανερωτάτων γενῶν οὐκ ἀλλαχόθεν ἄλλων συνελθόντων φαύλων καὶ ὀλίγων, ἀλλὰ Ἑλλήνων τε τῶν πρώτων καὶ Μακεδόνων: τὸ δὲ μέγιστον ἥρωάς τε καὶ θεοὺς οἰκιστὰς λαβοῦσα.

  The Thirty-ninth Discourse: On Concord in Nicaea upon the Cessation of Civil Strife

  I am delighted at being honoured by you, as indeed it is to be expected that a man of sound judgement would be when honoured by a city which is noble and worthy of renown, as is the case with your city in regard to both power and grandeur, for it is inferior to no city of distinction anywhere, whether in nobility of lineage or in composition of population, comprising, as it does, the most illustrious families, not small groups of sorry specimens who came together from this place and from that, but the leaders among both Greeks and Macedonians, and, what is most significant, having had as founders both heroes and gods.

  [2] πρέπει δὲ τοῖς ὑπὸ θεῶν ᾠκισμένοις εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμόνοια [p. 44] καὶ φιλία πρὸς αὑτούς. αἰσχρὸν γάρ. εἰ σφόδρα εὐδαίμονες ἔσονται καὶ θεοφιλεῖς καὶ διοίσουσί τι τῶν ἄλλων εὐτυχίᾳ, βουλόμενοί γε ἀληθὲς ἐπιδεικνύειν τὸ τοῦ γένους, ἀλλὰ μὴ ψευδῆ καὶ μάταιον λόγον. θεοὶ γὰρ οἰκισταὶ καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ προπάτορες οὐδὲν οὕτως ἐθέλουσι τοὺς αὑτῶν ἔχειν, οὔτε χώρας κάλλος οὔτε καρπῶν ἀφθονίαν οὔτε πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων, ὡς σωφροσύνην καὶ ἀρετὴν καὶ πολιτείαν νόμιμον καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀγαθῶν πολιτῶν τιμήν,

  [2] But it is fitting that those whose city was founded by gods should maintain peace and concord and friendship toward one another. For it is disgraceful if they do not prove to be extremely lucky and blessed of heaven and to some extent superior to the others in good fortune, desiring, as they must, to show birth to be something real and not merely a sham and empty term. For founders, kinsmen, and progenitors who are gods desire their own people to possess nothing — neither beauty of country nor abundance of crops nor multitude of inhabitants — so much as sobriety, virtue, orderly government, honour for the good citizens and dishonour for the base.

  [3] τῶν δὲ κακῶν ἀτιμίαν. ὡς ἔγωγε ἥδομαι νῦν ὁρῶν ὑμᾶς ἓν μὲν σχῆμα ἔχοντας, μίαν δὲ φωνὴν ἀφιέντας, ταὐτὰ δὲ βουλομένους. ποῖον μὲν γὰ
ρ θέαμα κάλλιον πόλεως ὁμοφρονούσης; ποῖον δὲ ἄκουσμα σεμνότερον; ποία μὲν βουλεύεται πόλις ἄμεινον τῆς ἅμα βουλευομένης; ποία δὲ εὐμαρέστερον πράττει τῆς ἅμα πραττούσης; ποία δὲ ἧττον ἀποτυγχάνει τῆς ταὐτὰ βουλομένης; τίσι μὲν ἡδίω τἀγαθὰ τῶν ὁμονοούντων; τίσι δὲ κουφότερα τὰ λυπηρὰ τῶν κοινῇ φερόντων, ὥσπερ βάρος; τίσι δὲ σπανιώτερον συμβαίνει τὰ χαλεπὰ τῶν ἀλλήλους φυλαττόντων; ποία μὲν τοῖς πολίταις προσφιλεστέρα

  [3] Even as I myself rejoice at the present moment to find you wearing the same costume, speaking the same language, and desiring the same things. Indeed what spectacle is more enchanting than a city with singleness of purpose, and what sound is more awe-inspiring than its harmonious voice? What city is wiser in council than that which takes council together? What city acts more smooth than that which acts together? What city is less liable to failure than that which favours the same policies? To whom are blessings sweeter than to those who are of one heart and mind? To whom are afflictions lighter than to those who bear them together, like a heavy load? To whom do difficulties occur more rarely than to those who defend each other?