Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [5] τοῖς δὲ ἔθεσι κἀκεῖνοι κατακολουθοῦσιν. καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐγγράφων οὐδὲν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἰσχύει, τὰ δὲ ἔθη φυλάττεται παρὰ πᾶσι, κἄν εἰς ἐσχάτην ἔχθραν προέλθωσιν. τὸ γοῦν μὴ κωλύειν τοὺς νεκροὺς θάπτειν οὐδαμῇ γέγραπται: πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὑπήκουον οἱ κρατοῦντες τοῖς τῶν ἡττωμένων ἐπιτάγμασιν; ἀλλ̓ ἔθος ἐστὶ τὸ ποιοῦν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ταύτης τοὺς κατοιχομένους τυγχάνειν. ὁμοίως τὸ τῶν κηρύκων ἀπέχεσθαι καὶ μόνοις τούτοις πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν εἶναι βαδίζουσιν. τῶν μὲν οὖν νόμον παραβαινόντων οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐπιδείξειεν οὐδένα οἶμαι φανερῶς ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν κεκολασμένον: Λακεδαιμόνιοι δ̓ ἐπεὶ παρέβησαν τὸ κηρύκων ἔθος, τοὺς παρὰ βασιλέως ἐλθόντας ἀνελόντες, ἐκολάσθησαν ὑπ̓ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δαιμονίου.

  [5] Again, of the written laws, not one is in force in time of war, but the customs are observed by all, even if men proceed to the extremity of hatred. For example, the provision that no one shall prevent the burial of the dead has nowhere been put in writing, for how could the victors obey the injunctions of the vanquished? Nay, it is custom which brings it to pass that the departed are granted that act of humanity. It is the same with the provision that no one shall lay hands on heralds, and that they alone enjoy complete security on their missions. Finally, from among those who transgress law, I believe that not one could be shown to have been punished openly by the gods; yet the Spartans, when they had transgressed the custom regarding heralds, having slain the heralds who came from the Great King, were punished by the divine power itself.

  THE SEVENTY-SEVENTH/EIGHTH DISCOURSE: ON ENVY

  ΠΕΡΙ ΦΘΟΝΟΥ.

  THE SEVENTY-SEVENTH/EIGHTH DISCOURSE: ON ENVY

  In enumerating the eighty items which he found in his copy of Dio, Photius lists next in order after Or. 76 two speeches entitled περὶ φθόνου. Some support is given Photius in that connexion by our manuscripts, for UB place at the beginning of the document before us the heading περὶ φθόνου α, and, to introduce § 15, a second heading, περὶ φθόνου β, while PH have preserved for us only §§ 1-14. These facts account for the double number attached to the present Discourse in editions of our author. How it came to be viewed as two separate documents is difficult to understand, for both parts deal with the same theme, the second part follows naturally upon the first, and there is no perceptible break between them. To be sure, dialogue predominates in the first part, while in the second there is almost unbroken exposition, but that is a phenomenon noticed in other specimens of Dio’s teaching.

  Arnim assigns this Discourse to the period of Dio’s exile and regards it as a trustworthy and significant illustration of the way in which at that period he sometimes imparted instruction. The dialogue begins abruptly, the opening words revealing that the discussion is already under way. Almost immediately Dio’s partner calls attention to the presence of a large company of listeners, who might find a detailed discussion irksome. Dio counters by asking if they have not assembled for the express purpose of listening to “wise words and about wise words,” and he proceeds to test the sincerity of their interest by continuing the argument. But by the time we reach § 9 we find that — possibly because he has taken to heart the warning about his audience — he begins to abandon dialectic and to launch forth into rather continuous exposition. One is reminded of the Borysthenitic Discourse (Or. 36), in which we are told that a large crowd has assembled to hear their visitor, and Dio, after a preliminary skirmish with the young Callistratus, directs his further remarks to his audience at large. The setting of our present Discourse cannot be determined with precision, but that it was delivered in some large city may be inferred from § 8. Furthermore, the size of the audience and the reference (§ 15) to a discussion which had taken place the day preceding suggest that Dio had been in residence long enough to have attracted some attention.

  [1] Δ. Ἆρα διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐνομίσθη σοφὸς ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν Ἡσίοδος καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀνάξιος ἐκείνης τῆς δόξης, ὡς οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῃ τέχνῃ τὰ ποιήματα ποιῶν τε καὶ ᾄδων, ἀλλὰ ταῖς [p. 207] Μούσαις ἐντυχὼν καὶ μαθητὴς αὐτῶν ἐκείνων γενόμενος; ὅθεν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὅ,τι ἐπῄει αὐτῷ πάντα μουσικά τε καὶ σοφὰ ἐφθέγγετο καὶ οὐδὲν μάταιον, ὧν δῆλον ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔπος ἐστίν. — Τὸ ποῖον; Δ. καὶ κεραμεὺς κεραμεῖ κοτέει καὶ τέκτονι τέκτων.

  The Seventy-seventh/eighth Discourse: On Envy

  Dio. Is it really for these and similar reasons that Hesiod came to be regarded as a wise man among the Greeks and by no means unworthy of that reputation, as being one who composed and chanted his poems, not by human art, but because he had held converse with the Muses and had become a pupil of those very beings? Whence it inevitably follows that whatever entered his mind he also expressed with both music and wisdom and in no instance without a purpose, as is clearly illustrated by the verse I have in mind.

  Interlocutor. What verse?

  Dio.

  Both potter at potter doth rage and joiner at joiner.

  [2] — Πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα φανήσεται τῶν Ἡσιόδου πεποιημένα καλῶς περί τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ θεῶν σχεδόν τι καὶ περὶ μειζόνων πραγμάτων ἢ ὁποῖα τὰ λεχθέντα νῦν: ἀτὰρ οὖν καὶ ταῦτα ἀπεφήνατο μάλ̓ ἀληθῶς τε καὶ ἐμπείρως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως. — Δ. Βούλει οὖν ἐπιμελέστερον σκοπῶμεν αὐτά; — Καὶ πῶς ἡμᾶς ἀνέξονται τοσοῦτος ὄχλος περὶ τοιούτων διαλεγομένους; — Δ. Τί δέ; οὐ σοφὰ καὶ περὶ σοφῶν ἥκουσιν ἀκουσόμενοι; — Φαῖεν ἄν, ὥς μοι δοκοῦσιν. — Δ. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸν Ἡσίοδον φαῦλον ἡγοῦνται καὶ ὀλίγου ἄξιον; — Οὐδαμῶς. — Δ. Ἀλλὰ περὶ φθόνου καὶ ζηλοτυπίας καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὕτως ἔχοντες καὶ ἐπὶ τίσιν οὐ χρήσιμον αὐτοῖς ἀκροᾶσθαι; — Πάντων μὲν οὖν χρησιμώτατον. —

  [2] Int. Many other verses of Hesiod’s will be seen to have been well expressed about both men and gods, and, I may almost add, about more important matters than the sort just mentioned; yet here too, no doubt, he has expressed himself very truthfully as well as with experience of human nature.

  Dio. Shall we, then, consider them more carefully?

  Int. Why, how will so large a gathering bear with us if we discuss such matters?

  Dio. Why not; have they not come to hear wise words and about wise words?

  Int. They would say so, it seems to me.

  Dio. But they do not regard Hesiod as commonplace and of small account, do they?

  Int. By no means.

  Dio. Well, is it not useful for them to hear about envy and jealousy, and who those are who are envious and jealous of one another, and for what reasons?

  Int. Of course, most useful of all.

  [3] Δ. Οὐκοῦν χρὴ ἤδη καὶ ἀποπειρᾶσθαι τῶν ἀνδρῶν. φέρε δή, δἰ ἄλλο τί φησι τούτους Ἡσίοδος εἶναι φθονεροὺς καὶ δυσκόλως ἀλλήλοις
ἔχειν ἢ διότι ἧττον ἂν ἐργάζοιτο τῆς αὐτοῦ τέχνης ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος ἕκαστος, ὅτου ἂν τύχῃ πράττων, πολλῶν ὄντων ὁμοίων; — Διὰ τί γὰρ ἄλλο; — Δ. Πότερον οὖν κεραμεῖ μὲν λυσιτελεῖ μηδένα ἄλλον εἶναι κεραμέα ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ πόλει τε καὶ κώμῃ, μαγείρῳ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ λυσιτελές, ὅπως ἐξῇ αὐτῷ ἀποδίδοσθαι ὁποἶ ἂν ἔχῃ τὰ κρέα τοῖς δεομένοις, ἂν καὶ πάνυ λεπτὸν ἱερεῖον ἢ πρεσβύτερον

  [3] Dio. Then it is useful also to test the patience of the gentlemen without delay. Well now, does Hesiod have any other reason for saying that these men of his are envious and ill-disposed toward one another than because each would make less profit from his occupation, whatever that occupation may be, if there were many of a similar occupation?

  Int. Why, what other reason could it be?

  Dio. Then, if it is profitable for a potter that there should be no other potter in the same city or village, is this not profitable for a butcher, to the end that he may have the opportunity to sell whatever kind of meat he has to those who need it, even if by chance he has bought a very lean or oldish carcass?

  Int. Evidently it is profitable for a butcher too.

  [4] τύχῃ πριάμενος; — Δῆλον ὅτι καὶ μαγείρῳ. — Δ. Τί δέ; βαφεῖ τὴν βαφικὴν ἐργάζεσθαι τέχνην οὐ μόνῳ αὐτῷ ἄμεινον ἢ μεθ̓ ἑτέρων ἀντιτέχνων, ἵνα ὁποιαοῦν ἀποδιδῶται τὰ βάμματα [p. 208] ταῖς γυναιξίν; ἀγαπήσουσι γὰρ ὠνούμεναι κἂν ὀλίγῳ βελτίω ἢ ὁποῖα εἰώθασιν αὐταὶ βάπτειν ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς ὡς ἔτυχε, καὶ οὐ ζητήσουσι δευσοποιὰ καὶ ἁλουργῆ. — Πῶς γὰρ ζητήσουσι; — Δ. Φέρε, πορνοβοσκῷ δὲ οὐ κερδαλεώτερόν τε καὶ ἄμεινον πρὸς τὴν ἐμπολὴν μόνον ἔχειν τοῦτο τὸ ὄνειδος καὶ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀκούειν κακῶς ἢ σὺν ἑτέροις, ὁμοίως μὲν ἐν πόλει τρέφοντα καὶ ἀσκοῦντα τοιοῦτον θρέμμα, ὁμοίως δὲ εἰς Πυλαίαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πανηγύρεις πορευόμενον καὶ περιάγοντα; — Καὶ πάνυ μοι δοκεῖ πορνοβοσκὸς εὔξασθαι ἂν ἀνδρῶν ὁμοτέχνων πολλὴν ἐρημίαν. — Δ.

  [4] Dio. Well then, is it not preferable for a dyer to ply his trade as a dyer all by himself rather than in competition with other craftsmen, so that he may be able to sell his dyes, of whatever quality they may be, to the women? For they will then be satisfied to buy dyes even slightly better than the kind than they are themselves accustomed to use for dyeing on their farms, dyes picked up at random, and they will not demand fast colours and royal purples.

  Int. Of course they will not.

  Dio. Well, how about a brothel-keeper? Is it not more profitable and better with a view to his earnings that he alone should have this reproach and alone be called vile names rather than in company with others, alike whether supporting and training that kind of cattle in the city or taking to the road and dragging his stock about to the congress at Thermopylae and to the other great festive gatherings as well?

  Int. Indeed I am quite sure that the brothel-keeper would pray that fellow artists might be very scarce.

  [5] Ἆῤ οὖν καὶ περὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς οὕτως ὑπελάμβανε τῶν τὰς αὐτὰς ἐργασίας ἐργαζομένων, ὡς βλαβεροὺς ὄντας ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἐμποδὼν πρὸς τὸν βίον; — Περὶ πάντων, ὡς τὸ εἰκός. — Δ. Ἀλλ̓ οὐκ ἔπρεπεν οἶμαι καθ̓ ἕκαστον ἐπεξιέναι. καὶ γὰρ ἐπ̓ ἄλλοις ἔθος ἐστὶν αὐτῷ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ πράγματος φράζειν ἐφ̓ ἑνὸς ἢ δυοῖν: οἷον ὅταν φῇ μηδ̓ ἂν βοῦν ἀπολέσθαι τινὶ ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ γείτονος πονηρίας, οὐ δήπου φησὶν ὅτι βοῦν μὲν ἀπολέσαι ἂν γείτων πονηρὸς ἢ ἄλλῳ συγγνοίη, πρόβατον δὲ οὔκ, ἂν ἀπόλοιτο, ἐὰν δύνηται λαθεῖν, οὐδὲ αἶγα τῶν καλῶν, τῶν πολὺ ἀμελγομένων καὶ διδυμοτοκουσῶν: ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὅτι ὡς πρὸς συνιέντας λέγει τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας

  [5] Dio. Then, was it about all, that is, all who are engaged in the same line of business, that he was making an assumption so sweeping, believing that all are detrimental to one another and a hindrance in the gaining of their living?

  Int. Yes, he meant all, most likely.

  Dio. Aye, it was not like him, I suppose, to take them up one by one. For certainly in other matters it is his custom to treat of the whole topic by means of one or two examples. For instance, when he says that a man would not even lose an ox except for the depravity of his neighbour, he surely does not mean that, while a bad neighbor would destroy an ox or condone the crime in others, he would not steal a sheep, provided he could escape detection, or one of the fine goats which yield abundant milk and bear twins; nay, manifestly he speaks to those who read his poems as to intelligent persons.

  [6] τοῖς ποιήμασιν. οὐκοῦν περὶ πάντων αὐτὸν ἑνὶ λόγῳ φῶμεν ἐν βραχεῖ λέγειν οὕτως τῶν ὁμοτέχνων, ὡς οὔτε φιλούντων αὑτοὺς οὔτε λυσιτελούντων ἀλλήλοις; — Πάνυ μὲν οὖν. — Δ. Φέρε δὴ πρὸς θεῶν, ἡ ναυτικὴ τέχνη ἐστίν, ἢ ἧττόν τι τῆς κεραμευτικῆς [p. 209] ἢ τῆς μαγειρικῆς τυγχάνοι ἂν τοῦδε τοῦ ὀνόματος; — Οὐχ ἧττον ἴσως. — Δ. Ἆῤ οὖν ἐν νηὶ μεγάλῃ πολλὰ ἱστία ἐχούσῃ καὶ φόρτον πολὺν καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβατῶν ὅμιλον εἷς ναύτης καλῶς πράττοι ἄν, καὶ συμφέροι αὐτῷ μηδένα ἄλλον ἐν τῇ νηὶ πλεῖν μήτε μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ μήτε ἔλαττον ἐπιστάμενον τὰ ναυτικά: ἂν δὲ πολλοὶ ὦσιν, ἀσύμφοροι ἀλλήλοις ἔσονται καὶ πρὸς βλάβης, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν νηὶ μισοῦσιν ἀλλήλους οἱ πλείονες ναῦται; — Τοῦτο μὲν ἕτερον

  [6] Are we, then, putting it concisely, to say that the poet, speaking thus briefly, refers to all who belong to the same craft as not loving one another and not benefiting one another?

  Int. Most assuredly.

  Dio. Well now, in Heaven’s name, is seafaring a craft, or would it receive that label in any degree less than the craft of the potter or of the butcher?

  Int. Not less, I suppose.

  Dio. Then in a large ship with many sails and a large cargo and a crowd of passengers would a single sailor be successful, and would it be to his advantage to have no other sailor on board, be his knowledge of nautical affairs either greater or less than his own; and, on the other hand, if there are many of them, will they be detrimental to one another and harmful, and on that account on a ship do the majority of the sailors hate each other?

  [7] τὸ τῶν ναυτῶν. ἀλλὰ κυβερνήτης γε οἶμαι κυβερνήτην οὐκ ἂν ἥδοιτο ὁρῶν συμπλέοντα αὑτῷ. — Δ. Πότερον ὅταν χειμὼν ἰσχυρὸς ᾖ καὶ μὴ κατισχύῃ τοῖν πηδαλίοιν ἑκατέρου διὰ γῆρας ἢ διὰ βίαν τῆς θαλάττης, οὐδὲ τότε φιλεῖ κυβερνήτην ἄλλον οὐδ̓ εὔχεται φα
ίνεσθαι τὸν διαδεξόμενον, οὐδ̓ ὅταν κατακοιμηθῆναι δέηται, πολλὰς ἐφεξῆς ἀγρυπνῶν νύκτας καὶ ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε ὁμοίως μισεῖ καὶ ζημίαν αὑτοῦ νενόμικεν, εἰ κυβερνήτης ἐν τῇ νηὶ ἕτερός ἐστιν; — Οὐκ ἂν ἴσως τότε μισοῖ: πῶς γὰρ; ἀλλ̓ ἡμεῖς οὐ περὶ ναυτιλίας

  [7] Int. This matter of the sailors is a different story. Yet at any rate a pilot, I fancy, would not enjoy seeing another pilot sailing with him.

  Dio. When there is a violent storm and the pilot cannot control each of his two rudders because of old age or the violence of the sea, even at such a time does he not like another pilot or pray that the one to relieve him may make his appearance; or, again, when he needs to sleep, having been without sleep for many nights and days opening, even in such circumstances too does he feel the same hatred, and does he consider it his loss if a second pilot is on board?

  Int. Perhaps he would not hate him then; how could he? Still, we are not speaking of a sailor’s craft or of nautical affairs either.

  [8] οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάττῃ λέγομεν. — Δ. Εἶεν: οὐκοῦν ὅ γε ἰατρὸς ἐπὶ γῆς ἰᾶται καὶ τέχνην οὐδὲν ἐλάττονα ἔχει τῶν τεκτόνων. — Τί οὖν δὴ τοῦτο; — Δ. Ἆρά γε δοκεῖ σοι βούλεσθαι μόνος ἂν εἶναι τὴν τέχνην ἐπιστάμενος ἐν πόλει τηλικαύτῃ τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ταῦτα πολλῶν νοσούντων; — Τί δὲ κωλύει βούλεσθαι μόνον εἶναι; τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοις ἴσως χεῖρον οὐ δυναμένοις ὑφ̓ ἑνὸς ἰατρεύεσθαι: τὸ δέ γε ἐκείνου τιμιώτερον οὕτως. οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἔστιν ἡλίκων ἂν καὶ ὅσων μισθῶν τυγχάνοι μόνος ἐν τοσούτοις νοσοῦσιν ἱκανὸς ὢν ἰᾶσθαι. — Δ. Ἀλλ̓ οὐ μαινόμενον