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4

Demonax.He used to reproach those who cared for their bodies but neglected themselves, as those who care for their houses, but neglect their inhabitants.

Democritus.One must have more secure writings, but more splendid deeds.

729 To do nothing unworthy of God will make you worthy of him. Bias. Try to live thus, as if you will live both a short and a long time. Laconian. A Laconian, when asked why Sparta is without walls: “Do not lie,” he said;

“for it is walled by the virtues of its inhabitants.” Diogenes, when someone reproached him for entering unclean places,

said: “So does the sun, but it is not defiled.” Of Lindius. One must maintain piety; advise citizens on what is best;

to master pleasure; to do nothing by force; to consider the enemy of the people a foe; not to punish drunken servants; otherwise, you will seem to be drunk yourself.

Of Lycurgus.Lycurgus the lawgiver, said that the worth of men lies in their substance; but their trustworthiness, in their character.

Of Pythagoras. It is impossible for the same person to be a lover of pleasure, a lover of the body, a lover of money, and 15Ε_022 a lover of God. For the lover of pleasure is by all means also a lover of money; and the lover of money is, of necessity, also unjust; and the unjust man is impious toward God, and lawless toward man.

Of those things which you will not need when freed from the body, as you train yourself against these, call upon God to be your helper.

Of Diodorus. All men, on account of the weakness of nature, live for a fleeting part of all eternity; and are dead for all subsequent time. And for those who have done nothing noteworthy in life, at the same time as the end of their bodies, all other things in their life also die with them; but for those who have acquired glory through virtue, their deeds are remembered for all eternity, proclaimed by the most divine mouth of history.

Of Hyperides. The good man must show, in his words, what he thinks; and in his deeds, what he does.

Pittacus the philosopher. The good among men have some portion of God. Aristotle. It is for God to do what he wills; but for man, what is needful

to be zealous for. Of Antiphanes. When a wealthy man does shameful things, what of these things

do you expect him to do when he is poor.

DISCOURSE 2. Concerning prudence and counsel. 15Ε_024 Sirach 40. Gold and silver will make the feet stand sure, and above

both counsel shall be approved. Sirach 22. A wooden beam bound into a building, in an earthquake will not

be shaken apart; so a heart established on thoughts of counsel, in time of need will not be afraid.

Of Basil. The name of prudence is twofold. For one kind is protective of one's own interest, like that of the serpent which preserves its own head; and another kind seems to be a mischievousness of character, quickly discovering its own advantage and snatching it from the more innocent; such was that of the unjust steward. But true prudence is the discernment of things to be done and not to be done; by which

4

∆ημώνακτ.Τούς τῶν σωμάτων ἐπιμελουμένους, ἑαυτῶν δέ ἀμελοῦντας ὠνείδιζεν, ὡς τῶν μέν οἴκων ἐπιμελουμένους, τῶν δέ ἐνοίκων ἀμελοῦντας.

∆ημόκριτ.Τάς μέν γραμμάς ἀσφαλεστέρας, τάς δέ πράξεις λαμπροτέρας ἔχειν δεῖ.

729 Θεοῦ ἄξιόν σε ποιήσει, τό μηδέν ἀνάξιον αὐτοῦ πράττειν. Βίας. Οὕτω πειρῶ ζῇν, ὡς καί ὀλίγον καί πολύν χρόνον βιωσόμενος. Λάκων. Λάκων ἐρωτηθείς, διατί ἀτείχιστός ἐστιν ἡ Σπάρτη· Μή ψεύδου, ἔφη·

τετείχισται γάρ ταῖς τῶν οἰκούντων ἀρεταῖς. ∆ιογένης, Ὀνειδίσαντος αὐτῷ τινος, ὡς εἰς ἀκαθάρτους τόπους εἰσέρχεται,

ἔφη· Καί ὁ ἥλιος, ἀλλ' οὐ μιαίνεται. Λινδίου. Εὐσέβεαιν δεῖ φυλάσσειν· πολίταις τά βέλτιστα συμβουλεύειν·

ἡδονῆς κρατεῖν· βίᾳ μηδέν πράττειν· τόν τοῦ δήμου ἐχθρόν πολέμιον νομίζειν· οἰκέτας μεθύοντας μή κολάζειν· εἰ δέ μή, δόξεις παροινεῖν.

Λυκούργου.Λυκοῦργος ὁ νομοθέτης, τό μέν ἀξιόχρεων τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔφη ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ κεῖσθαι· τό δέ ἀξιόπιστον, ἐν τοῖς τρόποις.

Πυθαγόρου. Φιλήδονον, φιλοσώματον, φιλοχρήματον καί 15Ε_022 φιλόθεον τόν αὐτόν, ἀδύνατον εἶναι. Ὁ γάρ φιλήδονος πάντως καί φιλοχρήματος· ὁ δέ φιλοχρήματος, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καί ἄδικος· ὁ δέ ἄδικος, εἰς μέν Θεόν ἀνόσιος, εἰς δέ ἄνθρωπον παράνομος.

Ὧν τοῦ σώματος ἀπαλλαγείς οὐ δεήσῃ, πρός ταῦτά σοι ἀσκουμένῳ Θεόν παρακάλει γίνεσθαι συλλήπτορα.

∆ιοδώρου. Πάντες ἄνθρωποι διά τήν τῆς φύσεως ἀσθένειαν, βιοῦσι μέν ἀκαριαῖόν τι μέρος τοῦ παντός αἰῶνος· τετελευτήκασι δέ πᾶν τόν ὕστερον χρόνον. Καί τοῖς μέν ἐν τῷ ζῇν μηδέν ἀξιόλογον πράξασι, ἅμα ταῖς τῶν σωμάτων τελευταῖς συναποθνήσκει καί τά ἄλλα πάντα κατά τόν βίον· τοῖς δέ δι᾿ ἀρετήν περιποιησαμένοις δόξαν, αἱ πράξεις ἅπαντα τόν αἰῶνα μνημονεύονται, διαβοώμεναι τῷ θειοτάτῳ τῆς ἱστορίας στόματι.

Ὑπερίδου. ∆εῖ τόν ἀγαθόν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἐν μέν τοῖς λόγοις, ἅ φρονεῖ· ἐν δέ τοῖς ἔργοις, ἅ ποιεῖ.

Ἱττάχου φιλοσόφ. Τούς ἀγαθούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Θεοῦ τι μέρος ἔχειν. Ἀριστοτέλ. Θεοῦ μέν ἐστι πράττειν ἅ βούλεται· ἀνθρώπου δέ, τά δέοντα

προθυμεῖσθαι. Ἀντιφάνους. Ὅταν εὐπορῶν τις αἰσχρά πράττῃ πράγματα, τί τούτων

ἀπορήσαντα πράξειν προσδοκᾷς.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Β´. Περί φρονήσεως καί βουλῆς. 15Ε_024 Σιράχ μ´. Χρυσίον καί ἀργύριον ἐπιστήσουσι πόδας, καί ὑπέρ

ἀμφότερα βουλή εὐδοκιμήσει. Σιράχ κβ´. Ἱμάντωσις ξυλίνη ἐνδεδεμένη εἰς οἰκοδομήν, ἐν σεισμῷ οὐ

διαλυθήσεται· οὕτω καρδία ἐστηριγμένη ἐπί διανοήμασι βουλῆς, ἐν καιρῷ οὐ δειλιάσει.

Βασιλείου. ∆ιπλοῦν ἐστι τό τῆς φρονήσεως ὄνομα. Ἡ μέν γάρ τίς ἐστι φυλακτική τοῦ οἰκείου συμφέροντος, οἵα ἡ τοῦ ὄφεως τήν κεφαλήν ἑαυτοῦ συντηροῦντος· ἡ δέ τις ἔοικεν εἶναι κακεντρέχεια τρόπων, ὀξέως τό ἴδιον λυσιτελές ἐξευρίσκουσα καί συναρπάζουσα τούς ἀκεραιοτέρους· ὁποία ἦν ἡ τοῦ οἰκονόμου τῆς ἀδικίας. Ἡ δέ ἀληθής φρόνησις, διάγνωσίς ἐστι τῶν τε ποιητέων καί οὐ ποιητέων· ᾗ