[5] For instance, the famous Sardanapallus, whose name is a by-word, held Nineveh and Babylon as well, the greatest cities that had yet existed, and all the nations which occupy the second continent, as far as what are called the uninhabited parts of the earth, were subject to him; but to kingship he could lay no claim, no more than could some rotting corpse. For the fact is, he neither would nor could take counsel or give judgement or lead troops.
[6] ἐδύνατο. ἐν δὲ τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀποδιδράσκων εἰς τὴν γυναικωνῖτιν καθῆστο ἐπὶ χρυσηλάτου κλίνης ἀναβάδην ὑπὸ ἁλουργέσι παστοῖς, ὥσπερ ὁ θρηνούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν Ἄδωνις, ὀξύτερον φθεγγόμενος εὐνούχων, τὸν μὲν τράχηλον ἀποκλίνων, ὑπὸ δὲ ἀργίας καὶ σκιᾶς λευκὸς καὶ τρέμων, τὸ σῶμα πελιδνός, τοὺς δὲ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀναστρέφων, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀγχόνης: ὃν οὐκ ἦν διαγνῶναι τῶν παλλακῶν. καίτοι χρόνον τινὰ κατέσχεν, ὡς ἐδόκει, τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰκῇ φερομένην, ὥσπερ ναῦν δίχα κυβερνήτου πολλάκις ἀλωμένην ὁρῶμεν μηδενὸς κατέχοντος ἐν τῷ πελάγει κατὰ τύχην, εὐδίας ἐπεχούσης: ἔπειτα ὀλίγος κλύδων ἐπαρθεὶς καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἓν κῦμα
[6] On the contrary, it was his custom to slip away into the women’s quarters in his palace and there sit with legs drawn up on a golden couch, sheltered by purple bed-hangings, just like the Adonis who is lamented by the women, his voice shriller than that of eunuchs, his neck lolling to one side, his face pale and twitching from indolence and living in the shade, his body livid, his eyes upturned as if he were being throttled — in short, one whom it would be impossible to distinguish from his concubines. And yet for a time, as it seemed, he maintained his empire, though it was drifting aimlessly, just as, for instance, a ship without a helmsman, roving on the sea, with no one in control, as fate directs, so long as fair weather holds; then, should a little sea arise, even a single wave easily swamps it.
[7] ἐπέκλυσεν. καὶ δὴ καὶ ἅρμα ἰδεῖν ἔστιν οὐδενὸς ἡνιοχοῦντος ἐν ἀγῶνι ῥεμβόμενον, ὃ νίκης μὲν οὐκ ἄν ποτε τύχοι, ταράττει δὲ καὶ ἀπόλλυσι τὸν ἐγγὺς ὄχλον τῶν θεατῶν. οὔτε γὰρ ἄφρων βασιλεὺς ἔσται ποτέ, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ τυφλὸς ἡγεμὼν ὁδοῦ γένοιτ̓ ἄν, οὔτε ἄδικος, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ κανὼν σκολιὸς καὶ ἄνισος ἄλλου προσδεόμενος κανόνος, οὔτε δειλός, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ λέων ἐλάφου λαβὼν ψυχὴν ἢ σίδηρος κηροῦ καὶ μολίβδου μαλακώτερος. τίνι δ̓ ἰσχυροτέρας ἐγκρατείας προσῆκον ἢ τῷ πλείστων μὲν ἡδονῶν ἐν μέσῳ ζῶντι, πλεῖστα δὲ πράγματα διοικοῦντι, ἐλαχίστην δὲ σχολὴν ἄγοντι, ὑπὲρ μεγίστων δὲ καὶ πλείστων φροντίζοντι; [p. 145]
[7] Yes, and one may also see a chariot, with no one holding the reins, wobbling crazily in a race, a chariot which, while it could never win a victory, nevertheless throws into confusion and even works destruction in the mob of spectators near the course.
Nay, there will never be a foolish king any more than there could be a blind guide for a traveller; nor an unjust king any more than a crooked, uneven measuring-rod needing a second rod to set it straight; nor a timid king any more than a lion with the spirit of a deer, or than iron softer than wax or lead. On the contrary, to whom appropriately belongs a sterner self-control than to him who lives surrounded by the greatest number of pleasures, who administers the greatest number of affairs, who has the least leisure, and who is concerned over the greatest and most numerous problems?
THE SIXTY-THIRD DISCOURSE: ON FORTUNE (I)
ΠΕΡΙ ΤΥΧΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ.
THE SIXTY-THIRD DISCOURSE: ON FORTUNE (I)
The authenticity of this encomium on Fortune was denied long ago by Emperius, and his judgement has been reaffirmed by Arnim. The criteria are stylistic: there is a notable disregard of hiatus, a phenomenon not to be expected of an able sophist in a composition such as this — Arnim cites the particularly objectionable passage in § 5: πολλὰ δὲ αὕτη ἔχουσα χρώματα ἐοικότα ἀφρῷ ἡμαγμένῳ ἐφήρμοσε τῇ γραφῇ — and the subject matter is treated in a dull and uninspired fashion. The one redeeming feature of the document is the anecdote, elsewhere recorded only by Sextus Empiricus, of Apelles and his sponge.
Although Tychê appears in Hesiod’s Theogony among the progeny of Tethys and Oceanus and is occasionally named by poets of later date, notably Pindar, the personification seems not to have taken firm hold upon Greek imagination. With the Romans, however, the case was different, and Tychê in her Latinized form, Fortuna, received ample honours as a deity in many parts of the Empire, being intimately associated with the ruling house.
[1] Οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐοίκασι πρὸς τὴν τύχην διακεῖσθαι ὃν τρόπον οἱ πλέοντες πρὸς τοὺς ἀνέμους τοὺς φορούς: ἄσμενοι γὰρ προσκαρτεροῦσι τῷ δρόμῳ, καὶ οἷς ἂν ὁ ἄνεμος παρῇ, ἐκεῖ τε ἦλθον ὅπου ἤθελον, οἱ δὲ ἀπολειφθέντες ἐν πελάγει μέσῳ μάτην ὀδύρονται: οὕτως οὖν καὶ τῆς τύχης παρούσης μὲν χαίρειν καὶ ἥδεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, μὴ παρούσης δὲ λύπην ἔχειν καὶ ἀπορίαν. πάντα γὰρ ἐκ τῆς δαίμονος ταύτης, καὶ γὰρ τὸ ἄπορον εὔπορον φαίνεται καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἰσχυρὸν καὶ τὸ αἰσχρὸν καλὸν καὶ ἡ πενία γίγνεται
The Sixty-third Discourse: On Fortune (I)
Mankind seems to feel toward Fortune as sailors do toward the winds that waft them on their way; for sailors gladly and with vigour apply themselves to their course, and those who have the breeze reach the port for which they aimed, while those who are abandoned by it in the midst of the open sea lament to no avail; so too when men have Fortune with them they rejoice and are glad, but when she is absent they are grieved and distressed. Yes, everything is the work of this goddess, for indeed when she is present the difficult appears easy, the weak strong, the ugly beautiful, and poverty turns to wealth.
[2] πλοῦτος. τύχης γοῦν ἐν θαλάττῃ γενομένης εὐπλοεῖ ναῦς καὶ ἐν ἀέρι φανείσης εὐτυχεῖ γεωργός. καὶ ψυχὴ γέγηθεν ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης αἰωρουμένη: εἰ δὲ ἀπολίποι τύχη, περίεστιν ὡς ἐν τάφῳ τῷ σώματι. οὔτε γὰρ εἰ λέγοι τις, εὐδοκιμεῖ, οὔτε εἰ πράττοι τις, ἐπιτυγχάνει, οὐδὲ ὄφελός τι εὐφυῆ γενέσθαι ἀπολιπούσης τύχης. ταύτης γὰρ μὴ παρούσης οὐ προῆλθε παιδεία οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι ἀγαθόν. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ἀρετὴ τότε ἔργων ἕνεκεν θαυμάζεται, ὅταν παρῇ τύχη: εἰ δὲ ἀφεθείη μόνη, λόγος ἐστὶ καλοῦ πράγματος ἄπρακτος. αὕτη πολεμούντων μέν ἐστι νίκη καὶ εἰρήνην ἀγόντων ὁμόνοια καὶ γαμούντων εὔνοια καὶ ἐρώντων ἡδονὴ καὶ ὅλως ἡ ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ γιγνομένῳ
[2] For instance, when Fortune comes at sea a ship has fair sailing, and when she shows herself in the atmosphere a farmer prospers.
Moreover, a man’s spirit rejoices when uplifted by Fortune, yet should Fortune fail, it goes about in its body as in a tomb. For neither does a man win approval if he speaks, nor does he succeed if he acts, nor is it any advantage to have been born a man of genius when Fortune fails. For when she is not present learning is not forthcoming, nor any other good thing. Why, even valour gains recognition for its achievements only when Fortune is present; on the other hand, if valour should be left to itself it is just a word, productive of no noble action. In time of war Fortune means victory; in time of peace, concord; at a marriage, goodwill; with lovers, enjoyment — in short, success in each and every undertaking.
[3] εὐπραγία. γῆν ὅτε ἂν καταλίπῃ τύχη, τότε καὶ σείεται καὶ τρέμει καὶ τὰ ἐπ̓ αὐτῆς καλὰ διαρριπτεῖται: τοῦτο γῆς νόσημα, μὴ παρούσης τύχης. ὡς δὲ ναῦς εἰκῇ φέρεται καὶ ταχὺ βυθίζεται, κυβερνήτου στερομένη, καὶ ὡς τείχη κατέπεσε θεμελίων πονησάντων, οὕτω πόλις εἰς φθορὰν ὅλη χωρεῖ σπάνει τύχης. Ἀθῆναί [p. 146] ποτε εἰς ῥήτορας ἠδικήθησαν καὶ ἤγετο Δημοσθένης, οὐκέτι τῆς τύχης ἐπισκοπούσης τὰς Ἀθήνας. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ καὶ οὐρανὸς τύχην ἔχειν,
[3] When Fortune deserts a land, then that land is shaken and trembles and tosses the lovely things upon it in all directions — this too a disease of the earth, Fortune not being present. Again, as a ship moves aimlessly and founders quickly when deprived of a pilot, or as fortifications crumble when foundations are damaged, so a city goes to utter ruin for lack of Fortune. Athens once suffered wrong to its orators and Demosthenes was haled to prison, all because Fortune no longer was watching over Athens. But, methinks, even the sky has Fortune, when it has clear weather instead of darkness.
[4] ὁπόταν αἰθρίαν ἔχῃ, μὴ σκότος. ὁρᾶν δὲ χρὴ καὶ τὸ εὐμήχανον αὐτῆς. ἤδη γοῦν τις ἐκπεσὼν νεὼς ἐν πελάγει εὐπόρησε τοῦ ζῆν, ἐλθούσης τύχης. ἄξιον δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸ συμβὰν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης Ἀπελλῇ τῷ ζωγράφῳ. ὡς γὰρ λόγος, ἵππον οὐχὶ ἐξ ἐργασίας, ἀλλὰ ἐκ πολέμου ἐποίει. ὑψηλὸς ἦν τῷ αὐχένι καὶ ἐπανεστὼς καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὄρθιος καὶ δριμὺς τὰς ὄψεις, ὡς ἐκ πολέμου παρών, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ δρόμου θυμὸν ἐν ταῖς ὄψεσιν ἔχων, οἱ δὲ πόδες ὑπεφέροντο ἐν τῷ ἀέρι, μικρὰ ψαύοντες ἀνὰ μέρος τῆς γῆς. καὶ ὁ ἡνίοχος ἐκράτει τοῦ χαλινοῦ, τὸ πολεμικὸν σάλευμα τοῦ ἵππου ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος
[4] But one should consider also the resourcefulness of the goddess. For example, there have been times when a man who had fallen overboard from a ship at sea was able to save his life because Fortune came to his aid. Moreover, what happened to Apelles the painter because of Fortune deserves recounting. For, as the story goes, he was painting a horse — not a work-horse but a war-horse. Its neck was high arched, its ears erect, its eyes fierce, like one come not from work but from war, with the spirit of the charge in theirº glance, and its feet were rising in the air, touching the ground lightly one after the other. Moreover, the driver had a firm grip on the reins, throttling the martial gallop of the horse in mid-career.
[5] ἄγων. ἅπαντα δὲ ἐχούσης τῆς εἰκόνος ἐοικότα ἔλειπεν ἀφροῦ χρῶμα, οἷον ἂν γένοιτο μιγέντος αἵματος καὶ ὑγροῦ κατὰ συνεχῆ μῖξιν, διώκοντος μὲν τοῦ ἄσθματος τὸ ὑγρὸν τῶν στομάτων, ἀφρίζοντος δὲ τῇ κοπῇ τοῦ πνεύματος, αἷμα δὲ ἐπιρραινούσης τῷ ἀφρῷ τῆς ἐκ τοῦ χαλινοῦ ὕβρεως. οὐ δὴ εὐπόρει γράφειν ἵππου ἀφρὸν κεκμηκότος ἐν ἀγῶνι. ἀπορῶν δὲ ἐπὶ πλέον, τέλος ἀπαλγήσας ἐνέσεισε περὶ τοὺς χαλινοὺς τῇ γραφῇ τὴν σπογγιάν. πολλὰ δὲ αὕτη ἔχουσα χρώματα ἐοικότα ἀφρῷ ᾑμαγμένῳ ἐφήρμοσε τῇ γραφῇ τὸ χρῶμα. Ἀπελλῆς δὲ ἰδὼν ἐχάρη τῷ ἐν ἀπογνώσει τέχνης τύχης ἔργῳ καὶ ἐτέλεσεν οὐ διὰ τῆς τέχνης, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τύχης τὴν γραφήν.
[5] But though the picture had everything true to life, there was lacking a colour wherewith to depict froth such as there would be when blood and saliva have mixed in constant intermingling, the panting breath driving before it the moisture of the lips and forming froth because of laboured breathing, while the cruel bit spattered blood upon the froth. So, then, Apelles knew not how to represent froth of a horse wearied in action. But as he was more and more perplexed, finally in a fit of desperation he hurled his sponge at the painting, striking it near the bit. But the sponge, containing as it did many colours, which when taken together resembled bloody froth, fitted its colour to the painting. And at the sight Apelles was delighted by what Fortune had accomplished in his moment of despair and finished his painting, not through his art, but through the aid of Fortune.
[6] τί δὲ ἄλλο Ἡρακλέα μέγιστον εποίησεν; ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ λέοντα ἄγξας ἔπνιξε καὶ πτηνὰ ζῷα ἐδίωξε τοῦ ἀέρος, καὶ τοῦ ἕλους τὴν ὕδραν ἀφείλετο, συντρίψας αὐτῆς τὰς κεφαλάς, καὶ οὐκ ἐφόβησεν αὐτὸν ὁ περὶ τὸν Ἐρύμανθον κάπρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑσπέραν [p. 147] ἦλθε καὶ τοῦ ἐκεῖ φυτοῦ τὸν καρπὸν ἐκόμισε. Γηρυόνου δὲ τὰς βόας ἀφείλετο καλὰς οὔσας, καὶ Διομήδη τὸν Θρᾷκα ἐνουθέτησεν ἵπποις σῖτον διδόναι, μὴ ἀνθρώπους ἐσθίειν, τάς τε Ἀμαζόνας, ὅτι εἶεν γυναῖκες, ἤλεγξεν. ἅπαντα δὲ ταῦτα ἔπραττεν ἑπομένης αὐτῷ τύχης.
[6] Again, what else was it that made Heracles most mighty? Why, he not only throttled and choked to death a lion, pursued winged creatures of the air, ejected the Hydra from the swamp, crushing its heads, and refused to be frightened by the boar which haunted Erymanthus; he even journeyed to the West and bore away the fruit of the tree which grew there. Moreover, he carried off the cattle of Geryones, fine animals that they were, admonished Diomedes the Thracian to give his horses grain, not men, to eat, and proved the Amazons to be mere women. But all these exploits he was able to accomplish because Fortune attended him.
[7] ἔχει δ̓ οὐ κακῶς οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν παλαιῶν αἰνίγματα περὶ αὐτήν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἔστησαν αὐτήν, οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ σφαίρας, οἱ δὲ πηδάλιον ἔδωκαν κρατεῖν: οἱ δὲ τὰ κρείττω γράφοντες τὸ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας ἔδοσαν κέρας πλῆρες καὶ βρύον ταῖς ὥραις, ὃ ἐν μάχῃ Ἡρακλῆς Ἀχελῴου ἀπέρρηξεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ξυρὸν τὸ ἀπότομον τῆς εὐτυχίας μηνύει: ἡ δὲ σφαῖρα ὅτι εὔκολος ἡ μεταβολὴ αὐτῆς ἐστιν: ἐν κινήσει γὰρ τυγχάνει πάντοτε ὂν τὸ θεῖον. τὸ δὲ πηδάλιον δηλοῖ ὅτι κυβερνᾷ τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον ἡ τύχη. τὸ δὲ τῆς Ἀμαλθείας κέρας μηνύει τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν δόσιν τε καὶ εὐδαιμονίαν. μὴ ὀνομάζωμεν ο�
�ν κακήν τινα τύχην: οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ἀρετὴν λέγει τις εἶναι κακὴν οὐδὲ τὸ ἀγαθὸν κακόν.
[7] Moreover, the riddles of the ancients in their representations of Fortune are not without merit. For instance, some have placed her on a razor’s edge, others on a sphere, others have given her a rudder to wield, while those who depict her most effectively have given her the horn of Amaltheia, full to overflowing with the fruits of the seasons, the horn which Heracles in battle broke off from Acheloüs. Now the razor’s edge betokens the abruptness with which good fortune changes; the sphere, that change of fortune is easy, for the divine power is, in fact, ever in motion; the rudder indicates that Fortune directs the life of men; and the horn of Amaltheia calls attention to the giving of good things and prosperity. Let us not, then, call any fortune evil; for one does not say that virtue is evil, or that goodness is evil.
THE SIXTY-FOURTH DISCOURSE: ON FORTUNE (II)
ΠΕΡΙ ΤΥΧΗΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ.
THE SIXTY-FOURTH DISCOURSE: ON FORTUNE (II)
This laudatio of the goddess Fortune, though longer than the foregoing, is hardly on a higher level. Arnim was doubtless correct in denying it a place among the genuine works of Dio. There is a monotony in its phrasing which one would be reluctant to associate with him, and also a certain indifference toward hiatus. But more objectionable still is a tedious parade of erudition, ranging all the way from the commonplaces of myth and history to points so obscure that one is tempted to ascribe them to the fertile imagination of the author. Was it his purpose to overawe with his learning a less erudite company?
Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom Page 344