3

In these things she hunted for truth and showed that virtue is a possession of choice, not of lineage, and having surpassed all the good in all things, she surpassed herself in the happiness of her marriage, having shared her marriage bed with such a man, my lord and caesar, such as neither sight has presented another 349 to us, nor have the histories of the ancients taught.

For other Greeks and Romans may have achieved other things, and some were demagogues, others were generals, others were esteemed for their words, and of these, one had practiced philosophy, another poetry; but for the same man to be a general and at the same time to preside over poems and to philosophize and to cast a vote and to arbitrate for orators and not to fall short of the summit in all things, but to conquer by name in each thing those esteemed in each, would be a thing of no one else at all but of caesar alone. Being ranked, then, under such fathers, these fine bridegrooms who are also brothers, and looking to such great examples, how, tell me, ought their souls to have been trained? In no other way, I think, than as they were trained; and they were trained in such a way as Plato, of course, legislates that the one who will preside over his republic should be trained. Therefore, as many good things as nature has bestowed upon them—I mean beauty and speed and strength—and as many as their noble upbringing—to ride a horse skillfully, to play ball, to hunt adroitly, to lead an army nobly when it was necessary to command a phalanx, and furthermore, the things concerning the body, royal garments and silver and gold and whatever other material man has honored, and splendid houses and Arabian horses and a not ignoble crowd of subjects (for these things also contribute to their whole happiness), let the eyes of each person confirm each thing; but I greatly admire their humble-mindedness and affability in the face of such things, and I am amazed at their obedience in every respect to their parents... my speech is amazed to comprehend and to the oth... What, then, is still lacking for such men, and from such stock, for the entire inheritance of happiness? Nothing else at all, except to marry fortunately and to be named fathers of children. So then, the one thing, the wedding, has already been celebrated, and this we celebrate today: of two royal and beautiful youths and two maidens, of the first lineage, of incomparable form and character, a most lawful 351 union; one might call it a newly-appeared conjunction of two suns and two moons. But the other thing is fair and numerous offspring; it is still wanting, but it is well augured by the succession from their ancestors up to now.

What do you say to these things, o divine soul and tongue of the caesar? Has my speech not shown your two sons to be happy, as far as it was able? I think so, and perhaps, I think, not far from the mark. What else, then, is fitting to do at this but to rejoice, both all others, but especially those who are closest? You, then, rejoice for me before all others, sacred and divine empress; for the foundress of the line must also be the foundress of the joy. And you too, O—and I know not what I might call you to address you worthily, most divine porphyrogenita, rejoice and share my joy with my lord, the wise caesar. For behold, your prayer has been fulfilled and your desire has been accomplished. You have seen your sons being led as bridegrooms fortunately, being crowned, being proclaimed to the senate council, to the people, to the tribunal, being escorted to their bridal chambers by the divine emperor who was escorted yesterday in a victory procession. Let all envy be absent; you have wedded handsome men to beautiful women, a matter worthy, one might say, of the Pythian; and you, divine ones of the children, rejoice, emperors and divine empresses over all and before all, you the bridegrooms; for you who have become the occasion of joy for others, may you be so much more for yourselves; for the women yoked in marriage have been fortunate in you, and you have been fortunate in them, those from chieftains with those from emperors, the women from chieftains the men from emperors, the maidens the youths

3

ἐν τούτοις ἀλήθειαν ἐθηράσατο καὶ προαιρέσεως οὐ γένους ἔδειξεν εἶναι κτῆμα τὴν ἀρετήν, καὶ πᾶσι πάσας ὑπεράρασα τοῖς καλοῖς, αὐτὴ ἑαυτὴν ὑπερήλασε τῇ κατὰ τὴν συζυγίαν εὐδαιμονίᾳ, τοιούτῳ τοῦ λέχους ἀνδρὶ κοινωνήσασα, τῷ ἐμῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ καίσαρι, οἷον οὔτε ὄψις ἕτερον 349 ἡμῖν παρεστήσατο, οὔτε ἱστορίαι παλαιῶν ἐδιδάξαντο.

Ἄλλοι μὲν γὰρ Ἑλλήνων τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἄλλα τυχὸν κατωρθώκεσαν, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐδημαγώγησαν, οἱ δὲ ἐστρατήγησαν, οἱ δ' εὐδοκίμησαν περὶ λόγους καὶ τούτων ὁ μὲν φιλοσοφίαν, ὁ δὲ ποιητικὴν ἐκμεμελετήκει· τὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ στρατηγεῖν ἅμα καὶ ἐπιστατεῖν ποιήμασι καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ ψηφηφορεῖν καὶ ῥήτορσι διαιτᾶν καὶ τῆς ἐν πᾶσι μὴ καθυστερεῖν ἀκρότητος, ἀλλ' ἑκάστῳ τοὺς περὶ ἕκαστον εὐδοκίμους φερωνύμως νικᾶν, οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη τῶν ἁπάντων ἢ μόνου καίσαρος. Ὑπὸ τοιούτοις ἄρα ταττομένους πατράσι τοὺς καλοὺς τούτους νυμφίους ἅμα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ πρὸς τηλικαῦτα ὁρῶντας παραδείγματα, πῶς, εἰπέ μοι, ἔδει τὰς ψυχὰς ἀσκηθῆναι; Οὐκ ἄλλως, οἶμαι, ἢ ὡς ἠσκήθησαν, ἠσκήθησαν δὲ οὕτως ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ Πλάτων τὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προστησόμενον πολιτείας ἀσκηθῆναι νομοθετεῖ. Ὅσα μὲν οὖν ἡ φύσις αὐτοῖς πεφιλοτίμηται ἀγαθά, κάλλος λέγω καὶ τάχος καὶ ῥώμην, καὶ ὅσα ἡ εὐανάγωγος ἀγωγή, εὐφυῶς ἱππεῦσαι, σφαιρίσαι, περιδεξίως θηρεῦσαι, οὐκ ἀγεννῶς στρατηγῆσαι δεῆσαν φαλαγγαρχῆσαι, ἔτι γε μὴν τὰ περὶ τὸ σῶμα, βασιλείους ἐσθῆτας καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ χρυσὸν καὶ ὅσην ἄλλην ὕλην ἐτίμησεν ἄνθρωπος, λαμπράς τε οἰκίας καὶ Ἄραβας ἵππους καὶ ὅμαδον ὑπηκόων οὐκ ἀγεννῆ, καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα τὴν ὅλην εὐδαιμονίαν συναπαρτίζουσιν, οἱ ἑκάστου ὀφθαλμοὶ πιστούτωσαν ἕκαστον· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τηλικούτοις ταπεινόφρον αὐτῶν καὶ προσηνὲς ὑπεράγαμαι καὶ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς γεννησαμένους μέρους παντὸς ὑπήκοον τέθηπα πρὸς ξυννοεῖν ὁ λόγος καὶ τοῖς ἀλ... Τοῖς οὖν τοιούτοις καὶ ἐκ τοιούτων τίνος ἔτι ἐνδεῖ πρὸς τὴν ὅλην τῆς εὐδαιμονίας συγκληρίαν; Οὐδενὸς ἄλλου πάντως ἢ τοῦ γῆμαί τε εὐτυχῶς καὶ πατράσι παίδων ὀνομασθῆναι. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἓν ὁ γάμος ἤδη ἑώρτασται καὶ τοῦτο παιανίζομεν σήμερον δύο παίδων βασιλικῶν καὶ ὡραίων καὶ νεανίδων δύο, γένους μὲν τοῦ πρώτου, εἴδους δὲ τοῦ ἀπαραμίλλου καὶ ἤθους, ἐννομωτάτην 351συνάφειαν· δυεῖν εἶπεν ἄν τις ἡλίοιν καὶ σελήναιν δυεῖν καινοφανῆ σύνοδον. Ἡ δ' εὐτεκνία ὁμοῦ καὶ πολυτεκνία τὸ ἕτερον· λείπεται μὲν ἔτι, τῇ δὲ μέχρι νῦν ἀπὸ τῶν προγόνων ἀκολουθίᾳ καλῶς οἰωνίζεται.

Τί πρὸς ταῦτα λέγεις, θεσπεσία ψυχὴ καὶ γλῶσσα τοῦ καίσαρος; Ἆρ' οὐκ εὐδαίμονάς σου τὼ παῖδε, ὡς οἷός τε ἦν, ὁ λόγος ἀπέδειξεν; Ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι καὶ οὐ πόρρω ἴσως, οἶμαι, σκοποῦ. Τί οὖν ἄλλο ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἢ χαίρειν εἰκὸς καὶ πάντας μὲν ἄλλους, μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους; Σύ μοι χαῖρε λοιπὸν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων, ἱερὰ καὶ θεία βασίλισσα· τὴν γὰρ ἀρχηγὸν τοῦ γένους καὶ ἀρχηγὸν εἶναι χρὴ τῆς χαρᾶς, καὶ σὺ δέ, ὦ καὶ οἶδα τί ποτ' ἄν σε καὶ προσειπὼν ἀξίως προσείπω, θειοτάτη πορφυρογέννητε, χαῖρε καὶ σύγχαιρέ μου τῷ δεσπότῃ, τῷ σοφῷ καίσαρι. Πεπέρασται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἰδοὺ ἡ εὐχὴ καὶ ἡ ἔφεσις τετελεύτηται. Εἴδετε νυμφαγωγουμένους εὐτυχῶς ὑμῶν τοὺς υἱέας, στεφανουμένους, κηρυττομένους τῇ συγκλήτῳ βουλῇ, τῷ δήμῳ, τῷ βήματι, προπεμπομένους τὰ νυμφευτήρια τῷ χθὲς τὰ ἐπινίκια προπεμφθέντι θείῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ. Σύμπας ἀπέστω φθόνος· καλοὺς καλαῖς ἐνυμφεύσατε, ἄξιον εἶπεν ἄν τις τοῦ Πυθίου τὸ χρῆμα· καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ θεῖοι τῶν παίδων, χαίρετε, βασιλεῖς καὶ θεῖαι βασίλισσαι ἐπὶ πᾶσι καὶ πρὸ πάντων, ὑμεῖς οἱ νυμφίοι· οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοις εὐφροσύνης γεγονότες ὑπόθεσις πολλῷ πλέον γένοισθ' ἂν ἑαυτοῖς· ὑμᾶς τε γὰρ αἱ συζυγεῖσαι καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰς συζυγείσας ἀντευτυχήκατε, αἱ ἐξ ἀρχηγῶν τοὺς ἐκ βασιλέων τὰς ἐξ ἀρχηγῶν οἱ ἐκ βασιλέων, αἱ νεάνιδες τοὺς νέους