Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [31] nay, not even if gold of its own accord were to fall from the sky and fill the fold of his garment, just as they say that once upon a time, when Danaë was being closely guarded in a bronze chamber, gold suddenly rained down upon her from above, drawn by her beauty; nay, not even if a torrent were to come from somewhere, sweeping down to him a flood of gold in a mass like mud, as, I believe, it is said that to Croesus in days of old the Pactolus, making its way through the midst of Sardis, brought ready wealth, a larger revenue and tribute than all Phrygia and Lydia, yes, and the Maeonians and Mysians and all who occupy the land this side the Halys River, brought him.

  [32] Μυσοὶ καὶ ξύμπαντες οἱ νεμόμενοι τὴν ἐντὸς Ἅλυος. οὐδέ γε τὸν λαβόντα παρὰ Κροίσου τὴν δωρεὰν ἐκεῖνον Ἀλκμέωνα ἐζήλωσεν οὔτε Σόλων οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς τῶν τότε σοφῶν ἀνδρῶν, ᾧ φασι τὸν Λυδὸν ἐπιτρέψαι τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἀνοίξαντα φέρειν αὐτὸν ὁπόσον βούλεται τοῦ χρυσοῦ. καὶ τὸν εἰσελθόντα πάνυ ἀνδρείως ἐμφορήσασθαι τῆς βασιλικῆς δωρεᾶς, χιτῶνά τε ποδήρη καταζωσάμενον καὶ τὸν κόλπον ἐμπλήσαντα γυναικεῖον καὶ βαθὺν καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἐξεπίτηδες μεγάλα καὶ κοῖλα ὑποδησάμενον, τέλος δὲ τὴν κόμην διαπάσαντα καὶ τὰ γένεια τῷ ψήγματι καὶ τὸ στόμα ἐμπλήσαντα καὶ τὰς γνάθους ἑκατέρας μόλις ἔξω βαδίζειν, ὥσπερ αὐλοῦντα τὴν τῆς Σεμέλης ὠδῖνα, γέλωτα καὶ θέαν Κροίσῳ παρέχοντα

  [32] Nay, not even the man who received from Croesus that famous gift did either Solon or any other of the wise men of that day envy, Alcmaeon, whom they say the Lydian allowed to open his treasuries and carry off on his own person as much of the gold as he wished. And yet, so the story runs, he entered in and set to work right manfully to load himself with the king’s bounty, girding about him a long, trailing tunic and filling its womanish, deep fold and the huge, capacious boots which he had put on for that express purpose and finally, after sprinkling the gold dust in his hair and beard and stuffing with it his cheeks and mouth, with difficulty he came walking out, the very image of a piper piping the birth-pangs of Semelê, thereby presenting a ludicrous spectacle for Croesus and his Lydians.

  [33] καὶ Λυδοῖς. καὶ ἦν τότε Ἀλκμέων οὐδεμιᾶς ἄξιος δραχμῆς, ὡς εἶχεν ἱστάμενος. οὔτε οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς ἔφην, ζηλοτυπήσειεν ἄν, οὔτε εἴ τινα βλέποι θαυμαζόμενόν τε καὶ ὑμνούμενον ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μυρίων ἢ δισμυρίων, εἰ δὲ βούλει, κροτούμενον καὶ ταινιούμενον, κορωνιῶντα καὶ γαυριῶντα, καθάπερ ἵππον ἐπὶ νίκῃ, παραπεμπόμενον ὑπὸ πλειόνων ἢ ὁπόσοι προπέμπουσι τοὺς νυμφίους: αὐτὸς δὲ ἀδοξότερος μὲν εἴη τῶν πτωχῶν, ἐρημότερος δὲ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐρριμμένων, μηδενὸς δὲ ἀξιούμενος παρὰ μηδενὶ λόγου, καθάπερ Μεγαρέας ποτέ φασι, διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι θεραπεύειν μηδὲ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλεῖν, ἅτε αὐστηρὸς ὢν τὴν φύσιν καὶ ἀληθείας φίλος, οὐδὲν ἀποκρυπτόμενος — οὐδὲ οὕτως πείσεται τὸ τῶν κεραμέων τε καὶ τεκτόνων καὶ ἀοιδῶν οὐδὲ καμφθήσεταί ποτε δἰ ἔνδειαν ἢ δἰ ἀτιμίαν οὐδὲ μεταβαλεῖ τὸν αὑτοῦ [p. 217]

  [33] Moreover, at that moment Alcmaeon was not worth a single drachma, standing there in that condition.

  So, as I was saying, our man of prudence would not be moved to envy, either by these things or if he were to see a man admired and extolled by ten or twenty thousand human beings, or, if you please, applauded and bedecked with ribbons, arching his neck and prancing like a horse exulting in a victory, escorted by more people than the crowds which escort a bride and groom; on the contrary, he might himself be more inglorious than the beggars, more destitute than the wretches who lie prostrate in the streets, held worthy of no consideration at all by anybody — just as they say was true of the Megarians once on a time — because of his inability to court favour or to be agreeable in converse, being austere by nature and a friend of truth, making no secret of his thoughts; still, not even so will he behave like the potters and joiners and bards, nor will he ever be warped through want or dishonour or change his own character, becoming a toady and cheat instead of noble and truthful.

  [34] τρόπον, κόλαξ καὶ γόης ἀντὶ γενναίου καὶ ἀληθοῦς φανείς. καίτοι τί ποτε βούλονται τῶν μακαρίων τινὲς θεραπεύεσθαι πρὸς ἀνθρώπων ἐλευθέρων εἶναι φασκόντων καὶ τοὺς καλουμένους φιλοσόφους ἐπὶ θύραις αὑτῶν ὁρᾶσθαι ταπεινοὺς καὶ ἀτίμους, καὶ μὴ καθάπερ ἡ Κίρκη ἐβούλετο τὴν οἴκησιν αὐτῆς φυλάττεσθαι ὑπὸ λεόντων δειλῶν καὶ κατεπτηχότων; οὔκουν οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνοι λέοντες ὄντες ἐφύλαττον αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ δύστηνοι ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἀνόητοι,

  [34] And yet why on earth do some of the prosperous wish to be courted by persons who claim to be free men, and why do they wish the so-called philosophers to be seen at their doors, humble and unhonoured, just as, so help me, Circê wished her dwelling to be guarded by lions that were timid and cringing? Nay, it was not even real lions that guarded her, but wretched, foolish human beings, who had been corrupted by luxury and idleness.

  [35] διεφθαρμένοι διὰ τρυφὴν καὶ ἀργίαν. οὐκοῦν ὅταν ἴδῃ τις τῶν φιλοσόφων τινὰ καλουμένων περὶ τὰς αὐλὰς καὶ πρόθυρα σαίνοντα καὶ ταπεινὸν ἐκείνων ἄξιον ἀναμνησθῆναι τῶν λεόντων, κυσὶν ὁμοίων πεινῶσι καὶ δειλοῖς, ὠρυομένων ὀξύτατον, ἅτε ὑπὸ φαρμάκων διεφθαρμένων. ἀλλὰ δή ἐστιν οὐκ οἶδ̓ ὁποῖόν τι ἡ τοιαύτη ἐπιθυμία. μυρίοι μὲν γάρ εἰσιν, οἵ ἑκόντες καὶ πάνυ προθύμως θεραπεύουσι τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ δυνατοὺς καὶ μεστὰ πάντα κολάκων ἐστὶ τῶν μετ̓ ἐμπειρίας καὶ τέχνης αὐτὸ πραττόντων.

  [35] Therefore, whenever any one beholds one of the so-called philosophers fawning about the courtyards and vestibules and grovelling, it is fitting to recall those lions of Circê’s, which resembled hungry, cowardly curs, howling most shrilly, since they had been perverted by sorcery.

  Nay, to such a desire as I have mentioned I know not what name to give. For there are thousands who willingly, yes, very eagerly, cultivate the rich and influential, and all the world is full of flatterers, who ply that calling with both experience and skill.

  [36] ὥστε οὐκ ἀπορίᾳ τοῦδε τοῦ χρήματος ζητοῦσι παρὰ τῶν οὐ πεφυκότων, ἀλλ̓ ἔστιν ὅμοιον τοῦτο ἑτέρῳ ἐπιχειρήματι τῶν σφόδρα ἀκολάστων, οἵ γυναικῶν ἀφθόνων οὐσῶν δἰ ὕβριν καὶ παρανομίαν ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρῶν γυναῖκας σφίσι γενέσθαι καὶ λαβόντες παῖδας ἐξέτεμον. ὅθεν πολὺ κάκιον καὶ δυστυχέσ
τερον γένος εὐνούχων ἐγένετο, ἀσθενέστερον τοῦ γυναικείου καὶ θηλύτερον.

  [36] Therefore it is not for lack of this line of goods that men seek to obtain it from persons of good breeding; rather this is like another enterprise of the very dissolute, who, although there are women in abundance, through wantonness and lawlessness wish to have females produced for them from males, and so they take boys and emasculate them. And thus a far worse and more unfortunate breed is created, weaker than the female and more effeminate.

  [37] ἀλλ̓ ὅ γε πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀνδρεῖος καὶ μεγαλόφρων οὐκ ἄν ποτε πάθοι τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν οὐδ̓ ἂν πρόοιτο τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τὴν αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν παρρησίαν τιμῆς τινος ἀτίμου χάριν ἢ δυνάμεως ἢ χρημάτων, οὐδ̓ ἂν φθονοῖ τοῖς μεταβαλλομένοις τε καὶ μεταμφιεννυμένοις ἐπὶ τοιαύταις δωρεαῖς, ἀλλ̓ ἡγοῖτ̓ ἂν ὁμοίους τοῖς μεταβάλλουσιν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων εἰς ὄφεις ἢ ἄλλα θηρία: ἐκείνους μὲν οὐ ζηλῶν οὐδὲ βασκαίνων αὐτοῖς τῆς τρυφῆς, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ὀλοφυρόμενος καὶ ἐλεῶν, ὅταν ἐπὶ δώροις, ὥσπερ οἱ παῖδες,

  [37] But he who in very truth is manly and high-minded would never submit to any such things, nor would he sacrifice his own liberty and his freedom of speech for the sake of any dishonourable payment of either power or riches, nor would he envy those who change their form and apparel for such rewards; on the contrary, he would think such persons to be comparable to those who change from human beings into snakes or other animals, not envying them, nor yet carping at them because of their wantonness, but rather bewailing and pitying them when they, like the boys, with an eye to gifts have their hair cut off, and grey hair at that!

  [38] ἀποκείρωνται, καὶ ταῦτα τὰς πολιάς: αὐτὸς δὲ τὸ καθ̓ αὑτὸν πειράσεται διαφυλάττειν εὐσχημόνως καὶ βεβαίως, μηδέποτε λείπων τὴν αὑτοῦ τάξιν, ἀρετὴν δὲ καὶ σωφροσύνην τιμῶν ἀεὶ καὶ αὔξων [p. 218] καὶ πάντας ἐπὶ ταῦτα ἄγων, τὰ μὲν πείθων καὶ παρακαλῶν, τὰ δὲ λοιδορούμενος καὶ ὀνειδίζων, εἴ τινα δύναιτο ἐξελέσθαι ἀφροσύνης καὶ φαύλων ἐπιθυμιῶν καὶ ἀκρασίας καὶ τρυφῆς, ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον ἀπολαμβάνων καὶ ἀθρόους νουθετῶν, ὁσάκις ἂν καιροῦ τύχῃ τινός, ἄλλον μειλιχίοις, ἄλλον στερεοῖς ἐπέεσσι,

  [38] But as for himself, the man of whom I speak will strive to preserve his individuality in seemly fashion and with steadfastness, never deserting his post of duty, but always honouring and promoting virtue and sobriety and trying to lead all men thereto, partly by persuading and exhorting, partly by abusing and reproaching, in the hope that he may thereby rescue somebody from folly and from low desires and intemperance and soft living, taking them aside privately one by one and also admonishing them in groups every time he finds the opportunity,

  With gentle words at time, at others harsh,

  [39] μέχρι ἂν οἶμαι διέλθῃ τὸν βίον κηδόμενος ἀνθρώπων, οὐ βοῶν οὐδὲ ἵππων οὐδὲ καμήλων τε καὶ οἰκημάτων, ὑγιὴς μὲν ἐν λόγοις, ὑγιὴς δὲ ἐν ἔργοις, ἀβλαβὴς μὲν συνοδοιπόρος ὅτῳ γένοιτο ἢ σύμπλους, ἀγαθὸς δὲ σύμβολος θύουσι φανείς, οὐ στάσιν ἐγείρων οὐδὲ πλεονεξίαν οὐδὲ ἐριδας καὶ φθόνους καὶ αἰσχρὰ κέρδη, σωφροσύνης δὲ ὑπομιμνήσκων καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ὁμόνοιαν αὔξων, ἀπληστίαν δὲ καὶ ἀναίδειαν καὶ μαλακίαν ἐξελαύνων ὅσον δυνατόν, πολὺ τῶν σπονδοφόρων καὶ τῶν κηρύκων τῶν ἐν

  [39] until, methinks, he shall have spent his life in caring for human beings, not cattle or horses or camels and houses, sound in words and sound in deeds, a safe travelling companion for any one to have on land or sea and a good omen for men to behold when offering sacrifice, not arousing strife or greed or contentions and jealousies and base desires for gain, but reminding men of sobriety and righteousness and promoting concord, but as for insatiate greed and shamelessness and moral weakness, expelling them as best he can — in short, a person far more sacred than the bearers of a truce or the heralds who in times of war come bringing an armistice.

  [40] τοῖς πολέμοις ἐκεχειρίας κομιζόντων ἱερώτερος. βούλεται μὲν οὖν καὶ προθυμεῖται καθ̓ ὅσον οἷός τέ ἐστι βοηθεῖν ἅπασιν: ἡττᾶται δ̓ ἑτέρων ἐνίοτε ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἐπιτηδευμάτων καὶ οὐδὲν ἢ μικρὸν ἰσχύει παντελῶς. λοιπὸν δὲ τὴν αὑτοῦ διάνοιαν καθαίρει τῷ λόγῳ καὶ πειρᾶται παρέχειν ἀδούλευτον, πολὺ μᾶλλον περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας μαχόμενος ἡδοναῖς τε καὶ δόξαις καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἅπασι μετ̓ ὀλίγων τῶν βουλομένων ἢ Λακεδαιμόνιοί ποτε τὰ στενὰ καταλαβόντες ἐμάχοντο πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας, ὀλίγοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὄντες, τρεῖς ἐφεξῆς νύκτας τε καὶ ἠμέρας, μέχρι κυκλωθέντες δἰ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς προδοσίαν ἐν ταὐτῷ μένοντες κατεκόπησαν: οἳ τὴν Σπάρτην ἐνόμιζον ἐλευθέραν διαφυλάττειν ἀτείχιστον

  [40] Therefore he wishes, yes, is eager, in so far as he can, to aid all men; though sometimes he is defeated by other men and other practices and has little or no power at all. Finally, he purges his own mind by the aid of reason and tries to render it exempt from slavery, fighting in defence of freedom a much more stubborn battle against lusts and opinions and all mankind, aided by the few who wish to help him, than once the Spartans fought when, having seized the pass, they gave battle to all the hordes from Asia, few though those Spartans were, for three nights and days in succession until, having been enveloped through one man’s treachery, they stood their ground and were hacked to pieces.

  [41] οὖσαν: τὸ δὲ σῶμα ἀσκῶν καὶ συνεθίζων κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν πονεῖν, οὐκ ἐᾷ θρύπτεσθαι λουτροῖς τε καὶ ἀλείμμασι καὶ μύροις, μέχρι ἂν γένηται μαλακώτερον καὶ σαθρότερον, ὥσπερ κακὸν σκεῦος. ταῦτα δὲ ὁρῶντες ἔνιοι δἰ εὐήθειαν αὐτὸν ἐπιτηδεύειν καὶ ἀφροσύνην φασί, τὸ πλουτεῖν ἐάσαντα καὶ τὸ τιμᾶσθαι [p. 219] καὶ τὸ διὰ παντὸς ἥδεσθαι, καὶ καταφρονοῦσι καὶ μαίνεσθαι

  [41] Moreover, he trains his body, inuring it to labour with all his might, not allowing it to become enervated by baths and ointments and perfumes until it becomes too soft and as unsound as a bad vessel. But some who see him say that he follows these practices out of foolishness and stupidity, having neglected the opportunity to be rich, to be honoured, and to life a life of continual pleasure, and they scorn him, think him insane, and esteem him lightly.

  [42] νομίζουσι καὶ ἀτιμάζουσιν. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ὀργίζεται πρὸς αὐτοὺς οὐδ̓ ἔχει χαλεπῶς, ἀλλ̓ ἔστιν οἶμαι καὶ πατρὸς εὐνού
στερος ἑκάστῳ καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ φίλων, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοὺς πολίτας τοὺς αὑτοῦ καὶ φίλους καὶ συγγενεῖς αἰδούμενος μέν, οὐκ ἀποκρυπτόμενος δὲ νουθετεῖ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὅσον τῶν ἄλλων οἰκειοτέρους τε καὶ ἀναγκαιοτέρους νενόμικεν, ὡς οἷόν τε ἐπιτείνας τοὺς λόγους καὶ σφοδροτέραν τὴν νουθεσίαν καὶ παρακέλευσιν ποιούμενος, αὑτῷ τε

  [42] Yet he is not enraged at them or vexed; on the contrary, I believe he is kinder to each one than even a father or brothers or friends. And in fact, though he shows respect for his own fellow citizens and friends and kinsmen, still he does not hide his thoughts from them — all the more so because he believes them to be closer to him than all others through home ties and relationship — stressing his words as much as possible and increasing the vehemence of his admonition and exhortation for himself and them alike.

  [43] κἀκείνοις. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἰατρός, ὅτῳ ἀνάγκη πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ παῖδας ἰᾶσθαι νοσοῦντας ἢ καὶ αὑτὸν διὰ σπάνιν τε καὶ ἐρημίαν ἄλλων ἰατρῶν, εἰ δέοι τέμνειν ἢ καίειν, ὅτι φιλεῖ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὸν πατέρα αἰσχύνεται καὶ τὴν μητέρα, διὰ τοῦτο ἀμβλυτέρῳ τῷ σιδήρῳ τέμοι ἂν καὶ χλιαρωτέρῳ τῷ πυρὶ καίοι, τοὐναντίον δὲ

  [43] Take, for example, the physician; if he should find it necessary to treat father or mother or his children when they are ill, or even himself through scarcity or lack of other physicians, in case he should need to employ surgery or cautery, he would not, because he loves his children and respects his father and his mother, for that reason cut with a duller knife or cauterize with milder fire, but, on the contrary, he would use the most potent and vigorous treatment possible.