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if they do wrong, let them not be called gods; but if they do not belie their name, let them judge rightly and apportion the pains to me according to what is just.

46 Diogenes to Aristarchus Alexander, riding upon his horse Bucephalus, astounded Macedonia. And they relate that the horse did not obey the reins, nor was he softened by hand-tamed caresses; for the creature was untamable and by its temper was deprived of being a horse, and it was some unapproachable evil and exceedingly difficult to meet for those who encountered it. When, therefore, it was allotted Alexander as its rider, it blended its harshness with a kind of gentleness, exchanging its snorting for dejection; and it was possible to see the unruly one become self-controlled. For it was not right to fight against Alexander. Be, therefore, Aristarchus, obedient to fortune as well; for the horse Bucephalus obeyed not Alexander, but fortune.

47 Poemnion to Arnon The udders of the sheep are about to burst for me from the milk, and of wooden cups, I do not know how we have run short. Therefore, you give me the wooden cups; and I will provide you with milk, repaying small favors with great gifts.

48 Chrysogone to Terpander Do not blame me for reviling and insulting you; for those who are in love find even insults sweet, and often they are even adorned by blows and bruises. But if you are annoyed at being insulted, you will not gather a rose if you are wary of the thorn.

49 Leonides to Periander The son of Thetis revered even Priam when he came as an envoy—for the son of Peleus was ashamed before the gray hair of his enemies—and he gives the dead son to his father, honoring Priam with a most unfortunate gift. And I have marveled at the one's courage, and praised the other's humanity. Become for me an Aeacid yourself, and receive the tears of gray hair, bestowing my living son upon me as a gift. For we too are unfortunate, just like Priam; for we would not have sent an embassy to you, being an enemy, on behalf of our son, having engraved the letters of this epistle with tears, not ink. But if you too desire to attain equal humanity, let the gift anticipate the request; but if reason does not rule with you, but anger and grief have been allotted the first place, you will be glad for a short time, but you will be grieved more greatly, exacting for yourself great penalties for an unphilosophical temper.

50 Calamon to Speiron If you have wished to be a farmer, stand aloof from political disturbances. But if orators and law-courts and speaker's platforms are earnestly sought after by you, then leaving your mattock, take up pen and paper and go to the crows, old man. For the community of farmers does not often welcome sycophantic men and those who cry out 'Men of the jury'.

51 Rhodocleia to Hypsipyle I was patrolling the Piraeus yesterday night; and I saw your lover with Chrysippe, and a young boy was carrying a torch, and the friendly old woman Abrotonon was their escort. But when I addressed the procuress, the boy put out the torch; for your lover ordered this, so that what was being done might escape notice in the darkness. Therefore, do not trust him when he swears an oath nor when he flatters; for each is a most terrible sophism of the tongue.

52 Socrates to Cleon Whenever wolves come upon a great prey and in their satiety they philosophize as if practicing self-control, they have the character of lambs, and they exchange their savagery for benevolence, and satiety teaches the wolves a certain wondrous justice; they graze together with the sheep, harming the flock in no way, and they make a truce with the shepherds and honor moderation, until their belly can breathe again. But you possess a character even more shameless than that of wolves, and you have a more grasping intemperance, whenever gold gushes forth from your treasuries, just like drunkards. For they thirst when they are sated

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ἀδικοῦσι, θεοὶ μὴ κεκλήσθωσαν· εἰ δὲ τὴν προσηγορίαν οὐ ψεύδονται, ὀρθὰ δικαζέτωσαν καὶ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας ἐμοὶ κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον μεριζέτωσαν.

46 ∆ιογένης Ἀριστάρχῳ Κατέπληττε τὴν Μακεδονίαν Ἀλέξανδρος τῷ βουκεφάλῳ ἐποχούμενος ἵππῳ. τὸν δὲ ἵππον χαλινοῖς ἱστοροῦσι μὴ πείθεσθαι, μήτε δὲ χειροήθεσι κολακείαις μαλάττεσθαι· ἦν γὰρ ἀτιθάσευτον τὸ ζῷον καὶ τῷ θυμῷ τὸ εἶναι ἵππος ἀφῄρητο, καὶ κακόν τι ἀπρόσιτον ἦν καὶ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι λίαν δυσάντητον. ὅτε τοίνυν ἐπιβάτην Ἀλέξανδρον ἐκληρώσατο, τὴν ἀπήνειαν ὥσπερ πραότητι συνεκέρασεν, ἀμειβόμενος τῇ κατηφείᾳ τὸ φρύαγμα· καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν σώφρονα τὸν ἀκόλαστον. οὐ γὰρ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ θέμις ἦν ἀντιμάχεσθαι. ἔσο τοίνυν, Ἀρίσταρχε, καὶ σὺ τῆς τύχης ὑπήκοος· οὐ γὰρ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τύχῃ ὁ βουκέφαλος ἵππος ἐπείθετο.

47 Ποιμνίων Ἄρνωνι Τὰ τῶν προβάτων οὔθατα ὑπὸ τοῦ γάλακτος μέλλει μοι διαρρήγνυσθαι, καὶ κισσυβίων οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἠπορήμεθα. διὸ δίδου μὲν αὐτὸς τὰ κισσύβια· ἐγὼ δέ σοι γάλα παρέξομαι, μεγάλοις δώροις μικρὰς ἀμειβόμενος χάριτας.

48 Χρυσογόνη Τερπάνδρῳ Μὴ μέμφου λοιδορουμένην τε καὶ ὑβρίζουσαν· οἱ γὰρ ποθοῦντες γλυκείας καὶ τὰς ὕβρεις προσφέρονται, καὶ πληγαῖς δὲ πολλάκις καὶ μώλωψιν ὡραΐζονται. εἰ δὲ δυσανασχετεῖς ὑβριζόμενος, οὐδὲ ῥόδον τρυγήσεις τὴν ἄκανθαν εὐλαβούμενος.

49 Λεωνίδης Περιάνδρῳ Ἠιδέσθη καὶ Πρίαμον ὁ τῆς Θέτιδος πρεσβευόμενον- καὶ πολιὰν γὰρ ἐχθρῶν ὁ τοῦ Πηλέως ᾐσχύνετο-καὶ δίδωσι τῷ πατρὶ τεθνηκότα τὸν παῖδα, δυστυχεστάτῳ φιλοτιμούμενος δώρῳ τὸν Πρίαμον. καὶ τοῦ μὲν τὴν τόλμαν τεθαύμακα, τοῦ δὲ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπῄνεσα. γίνου μοι καὶ αὐτὸς Αἰακίδης, καὶ πολιᾶς προσίεσο δάκρυα, τὸν παῖδά μοι ζῶντα δωρούμενος. δυστυχοῦμεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὥσπερ καὶ Πρίαμος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὄντα σε πολέμιον ὑπὲρ παιδὸς ἐπρεσβεύσαμεν, δακρύοις, οὐ μέλανι, τὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἐγχαράξαντες γράμματα. ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν τῆς ἴσης καὶ σὺ φιλανθρωπίας ἐρᾷς ἐπιτεύξασθαι, προφθανέτω τὸ δῶρον τὴν αἴτησιν· εἰ δὲ μὴ λόγος παρὰ σοὶ βασιλεύει, ἀλλὰ θυμός τε καὶ λύπη τὰ πρεσβεῖα κεκλήρωται, πρὸς ὀλίγον μὲν εὐφρανθήσῃ, λυπηθήσῃ δὲ μειζόνως, ἀφιλοσόφου θυμοῦ μεγάλας καὶ τὰς ποινὰς εἰσπραττόμενος.

50 Καλάμων Σπείρωνι Εἰ γεωργὸς εἶναι βεβούλησαι, τῶν πολιτικῶν θορύβων ἀφίστασο. εἰ δὲ ῥήτορες παρὰ σοὶ καὶ δικαστήρια καὶ βήματα περισπούδαστα, τὴν δίκελλαν ἀφείς, καλαμῖδα καὶ χάρτας ἀράμενος ἐς κόρακας χώρει, γερόντιον. οὐ γὰρ συκοφάντας ἄνδρας καὶ τὸ "3ἄνδρες δικασταί"3 φθεγγομένους πυκνότερον ἡ τῶν γεωργῶν πολιτεία προσίεται.

51 Ῥοδόκλεια Ὑψιπύλῃ Τὸν Πειραιᾶ χθὲς τῇ νυκτὶ περιεπόλουν· καὶ τὸν σὸν ἐραστὴν μετὰ τῆς Χρυσίππης ἑώρακα, καὶ μειράκιον ἐδᾳδούχει, καὶ προπόμπιος ἡ φιλία γραῦς ὑπῆρχεν Ἀβρότονον. ὅτε δὲ τὴν προαγωγὸν προσεῖπον ἐγώ, ἀπέσβεσε τὴν δᾷδα ὁ παῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ σὸς ἐνεκελεύετο ἐραστής, ἵνα τῷ σκότῳ τὸ πραττόμενον διαλάθοι. οὐκοῦν μήτε ὀμνύντι μήτε κολακεύοντι πείθου· γλώττης γὰρ σόφισμα δεινότατόν ἐστιν ἑκάτερον.

52 Σωκράτης Κλέωνι Ὅταν οἱ λύκοι μεγάλης περιτύχωσι θήρας καὶ τῷ κόρῳ φιλοσοφήσωσιν ὥσπερ ἐγκράτειαν ἀσκοῦντες, ἀρνῶν ἔχουσι τὸ ἦθος, καὶ τὸ ἄγριον πρὸς τὸ φιλάνθρωπον μεταβάλλουσι, καὶ θαυμαστήν τινα δικαιοσύνην ὁ κόρος ἐκδιδάσκει τοὺς λύκους· μετὰ τῶν προβάτων συννέμονται μηδὲν τὸ ποίμνιον λυμαινόμενοι καὶ σπένδονται τοῖς ποιμέσι καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην γεραίρουσιν, ἄχρις ἂν αὐτοῖς ἡ γαστὴρ ἀναπνεύσειεν. ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ τῶν λύκων τὸν τρόπον ἀναιδέστερον κέκτησαι, καὶ μᾶλλον πλεονεκτικώτερον τὸ ἀκόλαστον ἔχεις, ὅταν ὁ χρυσὸς ὑπεραναβλύσῃ τῶν σῶν θησαυρῶν, ὥσπερ οἱ μέθυσοι. διψῶσι γὰρ ὅταν κορεσθῶσι