Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [8] Dio. Very well. The physician, at any rate, practises his healing art on land and has a profession not inferior to that of the joiners.

  Int. Well, what of that?

  Dio. Do you really suppose he would like to be the only one acquainted with his art in a city as large as this, particularly if many are ill?

  Int. What is to prevent his wishing to be the only one? For though for everybody else the situation may be worse, since they cannot all be treated by a single physician, still his work is prized more highly under these conditions. Nor can one tell the amount and the number of the fees he might take in if he, single-handed in the midst of so many sick, were able to provide treatment.

  Dio. But I am not speaking to you of a physician who is crazy.

  [9] ἰατρὸν λέγω σοι. — Τί δέ; μαινομένου σοι δοκεῖ τὸ ἐπιθυμεῖν σφόδρα τιμᾶσθαι καὶ πολλὰ χρήματα λαμβάνειν; — Δ. Ὅταν γε αὐτὸς ὑπὸ ληθάργου ἐχόμενος ἢ φρενίτιδι περιπεσὼν χαίρῃ, ὅτι οὐδένα ἔχει τὸν ἰασόμενον οὐδὲ τὸν δώσοντα μανδραγόραν πιεῖν ἢ [p. 210] ἄλλο φάρμακον ὑγιεινόν, ἵνα δὴ μόνος ἔχῃ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει μισθούς τε καὶ τιμάς. εἰ δὲ δὴ σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ παιδία νοσοῖ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καὶ οἱ φίλοι πάντες ἐπισφαλῶς, ἆρα καὶ τότε εὔχοιτ̓ ἂν μηθένα ἄλλον ἰατρὸν εὑρεθῆναι τὸν βοηθήσοντα: ἐὰν δὲ φανῇ τις, κατὰ τὸν Ἡσίοδον κοτέειν μέλλει καὶ ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν αὑτοῦ σωτῆρα

  [9] Int. What! Do you consider it the mark of insanity in a man to wish to be very highly prized and to amass great wealth?

  Dio. Yes, if when he himself is a victim of lethargic fever or has an attack of inflammation of the brain he is delighted that he has no one to cure him and give him a potion of mandragora to drink or some other healthful drug, his purpose being, forsooth, to be the only one to get the fees and honours in the city. But if, then, besides himself, his children also and his wife and his friends should be ill, all dangerously ill, would he even then pray that no other physician be found to come to his rescue; and if one does make his appearance, is the physician likely, as Hesiod puts it, to rage and to regard as an enemy his own saviour and the saviour of those dearest to him?

  [10] καὶ τῶν φιλτάτων; φέρε, ἐὰν δὲ συμβῇ πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτον ὁποῖόν ποτε συνέτυχε περὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἰατρούς: ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἰώμενοι Δαρεῖον τὸν Πέρσην, ὡς ἔτυχεν αὐτῷ πεσόντι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἵππου μεταχωρήσας ὁ ἀστράγαλος, οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦσαν ἰᾶσθαι κατὰ τὴν αὑτῶν τέχνην, ἀλλ̓ εἰς ἀγρυπνίας τε καὶ ἀλγηδόνας δεινὰς ἐνέβαλον αὐτόν, ἕλκοντες καὶ βιαζόμενοι τὸ ἄρθρον. τούτους μὲν οὖν ἐκέλευσε φυλάττειν, ὅπως ἀποθάνοιεν στρεβλωθέντες. πυθόμενος δ̓ ἐν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις εἶναί τινα Ἕλληνα ἐπιχειροῦντα ἰᾶσθαι, καλέσας

  [10] Again, suppose there should occur some such thing as once befell the Egyptian physicians. You see, they tried to cure Darius the Persian — for in falling from his horse his ankle bone happened to slip out of place — and they were unable by means of their own art to correct the injury, but, instead, they brought upon him insomnia and awful pains by pulling the joint and trying to force it into place. So Darius gave orders to keep these men in prison, intending that they should be tortured to death. But learning that among his captives there was a certain Greek who endeavoured to heal people, summoning him in desperation he ordered him to help him if he could.

  [11] αὐτὸν ὑπὸ ἀμηχανίας ἐκέλευσεν, εἴ τι ἔχοι, βοηθεῖν. ἦν δὲ ἄρα Δημοκήδης ὁ Κροτωνιάτης, ὅσπερ ἄριστος ἐδόκει τῶν τότε ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἰατρῶν: ὃς καὶ παραχρῆμα μὲν καθυπνῶσαι αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν, εἶτα καταπλάττων καὶ καταιονῶν καὶ τἄλλα ἐπιμεληθεὶς ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ὑγιῆ ἀπέδειξεν. κελεύσαντος δὲ Δαρείου λαβεῖν ὅ,τι βούλεται, τοὺς ἰατροὺς παρῃτήσατο ἀφεῖναι αὐτόν. καὶ μέντοι ἀφείθησαν, ἐκείνου δεηθέντος. πότερον οὖν τότε ἐφθόνουν τῷ Δημοκήδει καὶ ἐχθρὸν ἡγοῦντο, ᾗ φησιν Ἡσίοδος ἐπὶ τῶν κεραμέων ἢ τεκτόνων, λυσιτελεῖν νομίζοντες αὑτοῖς, εἰ μηδεὶς ἄλλος ἰατρὸς ἐφάνη βασιλέα ἰασάμενος, ἢ σφόδρα ἠγάπων καὶ χάριν ᾔδεσαν;

  [11] Now the man was Democedes of Croton, who was considered the ablest of the Greek physicians of that day. And he did immediately cause him to fall asleep, and then by means of poultices and fomentations and so forth within a few days he made him sound and well. But when Darius bade him take as reward anything he pleased, he besought him to release the physicians. And, indeed, they were released, because Democedes had requested it. Now I ask you whether in such circumstances they were jealous of Democedes and regarded him as an enemy, as Hesiod says is true with the potters or the joiners, because they believed it to be to their advantage if no other physician turned up and cured the king, or whether they felt a strong affection for Democedes and were grateful to him.

  Int. It would be reasonable to suppose they were grateful.

  [12] — Εἰκὸς μὲν ἦν χάριν εἰδέναι. — Δ. Καὶ μὴν θωρακοποιοί εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ κρανοποιοὶ καὶ τειχοποιοὶ καὶ δορυξόοι καὶ ἕτεροι πλείους: εἰ οὖν τούτοις λυσιτελεῖ ἕνα ἕκαστον ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῶν πόλεων εἶναι τῆς τέχνης δημιουργὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς ἱκανούς, ἡδέως ἔγωγ̓ ἂν πυθοίμην. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς πολεμίων ἐπιόντων, καὶ μήτε τῶν τειχῶν ἑστηκότων μήτε ὡπλισμένων ἁπάντων, ἀναγκάζοιντ̓ [p. 211]

  [12] Dio. Again, there are corselet-makers in the cities and helmet-makers and wall-builders and spear-polishers and many others; whether, therefore, it is to their advantage that only one in each city should be a worker at each craft rather than enough to do the work is a matter I would gladly learn. For it is clear that, if enemies attack at a time when the walls have not been completed and not all the citizens have been equipped with arms, then they would be forced to hazard all without arms and walls.

  [13] ἂν ἄνοπλοι καὶ ἀτείχιστοι διακινδυνεύειν. ὥστε ἁλούσης τῆς πόλεως οὐκ ἂν ἴσως οὗτοί γε ἀποθάνοιεν, ληφθέντες δὲ καὶ δεθέντες προῖκα ἂν ἐργάζοιντο τοῖς πολεμίοις πρὸς ἀνάγκην, ἀνθ̓ ὧν πρότερον θρυπτόμενοι πολλῆς τιμῆς ἀπεδίδοντο τούς τε θώρακας καὶ τὰ κράνη καὶ τὰ δόρατα, καὶ γνοῖεν ἂν ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς οὐδ̓ ἐπ̓ ἀγαθῷ ἐφθόνει καὶ ἐμήνιε διὰ τὴν τέχνην οὔτε χαλκεὺς χαλκεῖ οὔτε τέκτονι τέκτων, οὐδὲ λῷόν τε καὶ ἄμεινον ἦν αὐτῷ

  [13] Therefore, if the city were taken, though possibly these craftsmen might escape with their lives, still, taken captive and in chains, they would work for the foe without pay and at forced labour, all because previously t
hey had lived pampered lives and sold their corselets and helmets and spears at an excessive price, and they would recognize that it was not right nor for their own good for a craftsman to be jealous or angry because of his craft, whether it was blacksmith against blacksmith or joiner against joiner, and that it was not more profitable or better for him to be the only worker at his craft than to have a few fellow workers.

  [14] μόνῳ ἢ σὺν ὀλίγοις εἶναι τῆς τέχνης ἐργάτην. ἀλλὰ δὴ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις σχεδὸν οὐκ ἀεὶ βέλτιον, ὅ φησι βούλεσθαι αὐτοὺς Ἡσίοδος, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς κεραμεῦσι καὶ μαγείροις τε καὶ βαφεῦσι καὶ πορνοβοσκοῖς. οὐκοῦν ἡ ζηλοτυπία καὶ ὁ φθόνος καὶ τὸ μηδένα ἄλλον ἐθέλειν πράττειν τὸ αὐτὸ ἔργον μαγειρικόν τε καὶ βαφικὸν καὶ κεραμευτικὸν καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον πορνοβοσκοῖς προσῆκον ἤπερ ἰατροῖς τε καὶ κυβερνήταις ἢ ἄλλο τι σπουδαιότερον πράττουσιν. εἶεν: ἀλλ̓ εἰ κυβερνήταις τε καὶ ἰατροῖς καὶ οἷς νῦν δὴ ἐλέγομεν οὐ βέλτιον ἐν σπάνει τῶν ὁμοτέχνων ζῆν, ἦπου τοῖς γε φρονίμοις καὶ σοφοῖς ἀνδράσι λῷόν τε καὶ ἄμεινον ὁρᾶσθαι μόνοις; — Οὐδαμῶς.

  [14] Well then, for the others, I dare say, what Hesiod says they desire is not always preferable, but only for the potters and butchers and dyers and brothel-keepers. Then jealousy and envy and the desire that no one else shall ply the same trade, whether it be that of the butcher or the dyer or the potter, are even still more suitable for the brothel-keepers than for physicians and pilots or for those who are engaged in any other more serious pursuit.

  Very good. But if for pilots and physicians and those just mentioned it is not better to live where there is a shortage of their fellow craftsmen, can it be that for men of prudence and wisdom it is better and more profitable to find themselves without associates?

  Int. By no means.

  [15] — Δ. Ὅτι πρὸς τῷ μεγαλόφρων τε εἶναι καὶ ἄλυπος ὁ νοῦν ἔχων καὶ φιλάνθρωπος καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπίστασθαι συμφέρουσαν αὐτῷ τήν τε αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν τῶν πέλας καὶ μηδέποτε ἂν ὑπὲρ τούτων μηδένα μηδὲ τῶν φαυλοτέρων ἄλλον ἄλλῳ φθονεῖν, ἃ κοινὰ ὑπάρχει πᾶσιν ἀγαθά: πρὸς τούτοις πᾶσιν οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐφ̓ οἷς ὅ τε φθόνος γίγνεται καὶ τὸ βασκαίνειν ἀλλήλοις τοὺς πολλοὺς, οὔτε θαυμάζει τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν οὔτε ἄξιον σπουδῆς νενόμικεν, οἷον [p. 212]

  [15] Dio. Yes, because with the man of intelligence and benevolence, in addition to his being magnanimous and inoffensive, in addition to his knowing that virtue is beneficial to him, both his own virtue and that of his neighbours, and in addition to the unlikelihood that any one, even of the commoner sort, would ever be jealous one toward another regarding these things which are the common blessings of all mankind — in addition, I say to all this, of the other things which are the occasion of envy and reciprocal ill-will among the masses, not only does he not admire a single one, but he does not consider any to deserve serious regard, just as yesterday we were saying with reference to wealth.

  [16] δὴ χθὲς περὶ πλούτου ἐλέγομεν. ὥστε οὐδ̓ ἂν φθονήσειεν οὐδενὶ χρυσοῦ ἢ ἀργύρου ἢ βοσκημάτων ἢ οἰκίας ἢ ἄλλου τῶν τοιούτων, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐλέγομεν: ὥς φησιν ἕτερος ποιητής, οὐχ αὑτοῦ γνώμην ἀποφαινόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξηγούμενος δόξαν: οἷσίν τ̓ εὖ ζώουσι καὶ ἀφνειοὶ καλέονται: ὡς μόνον καλουμένων αὐτῶν ἀφνειῶν, ἀλλ̓ οὐκ ὄντων κατ̓ ἀλήθειαν.

  [16] Consequently, neither would he envy any one gold or silver or cattle or house or any other thing such as we were speaking of — as another poet says, not expressing his own private sentiment but expounding the opinion of mankind,

  The things whereby men live at ease and gain

  The epithet of affluent,

  his idea being that they merely are called affluent, but are not truly so.

  [17] εἶεν: οὐκοῦν χρημάτων μὲν κρείττων ὁ γενναῖος καὶ τέλειος ἀνὴρ ἡμῖν δοκεῖ: περὶ δὲ δόξης τυχὸν ἐρίζοι ἂν καὶ φθονοῖ, οὓς ἂν τιμωμένους μᾶλλον παρὰ τῷ πλήθει βλέπῃ καὶ μειζόνων ἐπαίνων τυγχάνοντας; ἢ οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν φήσομεν ὡς ἔστιν ἡ δόξα ὁ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἔπαινος: εἰ δὲ τῶν πολλῶν, δῆλον ὅτι τῶν οὐκ εἰδότων;

  [17] Very well; then we are agreed, the high-minded, perfect man is above material wealth; but in the matter of reputation would he perhaps quarrel with and envy those whom he sees more highly honoured by the crowd and winning greater plaudits? or shall we say that he is not unaware that fame is the praise bestowed by the masses; but if the masses, evidently the unintelligent?

  Int. By no means is it likely that he is ignorant of that.

  [18] — Οὐδαμῶς τοῦτό γε εἰκὸς αὐτὸν ἀγνοεῖν. — Δ. Φέρε οὐκ οὖν δοκεῖ σοι ἀγαθὸς αὐλητὴς ἥδεσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ μέγα φρονεῖν ὑπὸ ἀμούσων καὶ ἀτέχνων ἐπαινούμενος, κἂν εἰ περιστάντες αὐτὸν παῖδες συφορβοὶ καὶ ποιμένες θαυμάζοιεν καὶ κροτοῖεν, ἐπαίρεσθαι ἐπ̓ αὐτῷ τούτῳ καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἄξιον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν παῤ ἐκείνων ἔπαινον; ἀλλὰ μὴν ἐδήλωσεν ὁ Θηβαῖος αὐλητὴς οὐδὲ τῷ θεάτρῳ πάνυ προσέχων τὸν νοῦν οὐδὲ τοῖς κριταῖς ἀπείροις οὖσιν αὐλήσεως, καὶ ταῦτα περὶ ἄθλου καὶ νίκης ἀγωνιζόμενος: ἀλλ̓ ὅμως οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἐκβῆναι τοῦ ῥυθμοῦ τοῦ πρέποντος ἐτόλμησεν,

  [18] Dio. Well then, do you believe that a good flautist takes pleasure in his skill and is proud when praised by unmusical and unskilled persons, and that, if youthful swineherds and shepherds crowding around him express their admiration and applaud him, he is elated over this thing itself and feels that praise from those persons is worth everything? Why, the Theban flautist made it plain that he did not pay very much attention either to the audience in the theatre or to the judges, inexperienced in flute-playing as they were — and that, too, although he was contending for a prize and victory — but for all that, he did not venture to depart even slightly from the proper rhythm, but he said that he was piping for himself and the Muses. What then!

  [19] αὑτῷ δὲ καὶ ταῖς Μούσαις αὐλεῖν ἔφη. τί οὖν; οἴει τὸν Ὀρφέα, τὸν τῆς Μούσης υἱόν, εἰ ἀληθὴς ὁ κατ̓ αὐτὸν μῦθος, μᾶλλον ἂν χαίρειν τῶν ὀρνίθων καταπετομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾄδοντα καὶ τῶν θηρίων κηλουμένων ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς καὶ παρεστηκότων πρᾴως καὶ ἀθορύβως, ὁπότε ἄρξαιτο μελῳδεῖν, ἔτι δὲ τῶν δένδρων προσιόντων ἅμα τῷ καρπῷ τε καὶ ἄνθει, καὶ τῶν λίθων κινουμένων καὶ ξυνιόντων, ὥστε μεγάλα ἕρματα �
��θροίζεσθαι λίθων πλησίον αὐτοῦ, μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τούτοις γιγνομένοις ὁρῶντα τέρπεσθαι καὶ μεγαλαυχεῖσθαι, νομίζοντα τῆς μουσικῆς ἥκειν ἐπ̓ ἄκρον, ἢ εἴπερ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτὸν ἡ Καλλιόπη κιθαρίζοντα ἐπῄνεσέ τε καὶ εἶπε καταψήσασα ἅμα τὴν κεφαλήν, ὡς ἱκανῶς ἔχοι μουσικῆς καὶ σοφώτατος εἴη

  [19] Do you suppose that Orpheus, the son of the Muse — if the tale about him is true — would rejoice more when the birds flew down to him as he sang and the wild beasts were entranced by his voice and stood by tamely and quietly every time he began to make melody, and when, moreover, the trees came toward him with their fruit and flowers, and when the stones moved and came together, so that great cairns of stones were collected near him — do you suppose, I say, that at the sight of these doings he was delighted and proud, believing that he had reached the pinnacle of musical success, more than if his mother Calliopê had praised his playing the cithara and had stroked his head and said that he was fairly competent in music and very skilful in the fine points of his art?

  [20] τὰ τῆς τέχνης; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἶμαι μᾶλλον ὑπὸ Φιλάμμωνος αὐτὸν ἐθέλειν ἐπαινεθῆναι περὶ μουσικὴν ἢ εἴ τις ἦν τῶν τότε ἔμπειρος κιθαρῳδίας ἢ ξυμπάντων ἁπλῶς τῶν θηρίων τε καὶ ὀρνέων: ἀλλ̓ [p. 213] οὐδὲ τῶν κύκνων ἐπιβοώντων καὶ συμφθεγγομένων φροντίσαι ἂν οὐδέν, ὅτι οὐκ εἶχον τέχνην οὐδὲ ἐπιστήμην περὶ τὸ μελῳδεῖν. εἶεν τί δέ; ὑγιείας μάρτυρα καὶ ἐπαινέτην βούλοιτ̓ ἂν ὁ νοῦν ἔχων ἀνὴρ ἕνα λαβεῖν, ὅστις ἰατρικὸς καὶ περὶ σώματος θεραπείας ἔμπειρος, ἢ πολλὰς μυριάδας ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲν ἐπαϊόντων, οἵ, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, πεπρημένον ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν ὑπὸ νόσου καὶ οἰδοῦντα καὶ ὕπουλον, μακαρίζοιεν ὡς Πουλυδάμαντα τὸν Θετταλὸν καὶ