12

more beautiful, but I was only thought to be so, and her beauty at once met those who saw her, and through her appearance, her hidden beauty was also pictured, but mine was perhaps not such, of which I have little to say, but our parents were deceived by what was not so, bribing their judgments through goodwill. And it was not that our parents were so disposed towards us, but we differently towards one another, but just as two branches growing up from the same stock, we had grown together, both divided and not divided at the same time, except that her birth was earlier, and I grew up more tender, and to her, time "gave the honors of seniority" of nature, but for me, the better portion of our family balanced my lesser state against hers. but I simply took after my father, while she had grown up like her mother, having been broken off, as it were, from her two parts, both soul and body, and preserving the likeness to both. hence she surpassed all in both respects, except for her mother; for from her she differed not even a little, hence to each came victory through the other. for if the mother seemed to be superior, the sister had taken away the victory, and if the latter was seen to be better than the others, the mother received the prize for beauty, and so great was the similarity between them both that only in number was there a difference between them. for if someone did not see one of them, he was mistaken about the other, and even if he saw both, he did not immediately grasp the degree of relation. so utterly unspeakable was their likeness. for the mother, having given birth to her in the flower of her age and preceding her by only a small number of years, was indistinguishable in bloom from her offspring, but from one another they were in no way divided. But my sister was senior to me both in age and in the graces of her soul and was greatly revered, except that she did not, like my mother, restrain her affection for me out of propriety nor did she keep her tenderness hidden, but she also kissed me often and embraced me and "shared everything with me," both counsel and opinion and deeds. and she guided me towards self-control and in other things she conversed with me as an equal, but to be self-controlled she commanded, as it were, despotically. But she was thus both sisterly and friendly, and I yielded to her in all things and approached her with reverence even whenever she most embraced me. Her, not only her family admired, nor the one from which she was given in marriage, but also the one to which she was joined by marriage. I will tell a short story about her, so that from this I might show how great was her abundance of self-control. 14. A certain woman of the neighbors "received a wage" for her youth from those who wished it and lived basely in this regard, like a courtesan, representing herself and with "artificial beauty" charming the many. of course, even the sick youth around her grew strong and the better and nobler ones contended for her with the others. the sister often accused this woman and reproached her for her licentiousness and blamed her for her indecency and finally ordered her to live far away. but at first she was deaf to every accusation and exhortation and held unchangeably to the life she had adopted. but when the sister did not let up, both striking and rebuking her, she said: "But if I give up being a courtesan, from where will I get the necessary means to live?". that beauty-loving nature, or rather, philosophical one, seizes upon the words, and "gives" unspeakable "oaths," that surely she would support her "not only with the necessities," "but also with superfluities." on these terms the woman is persuaded and "they make a compact with each other," the one, to no longer even lift her eyes to men, but to completely abstain from her former company and habits, the other, to share with her all things that she lacked: house, clothing, food, and if she wished, even luxury. she rejoiced, therefore, as one who had snatched away a soul that had become food for the evil beast. So, then, she cared for her and lavishly attended to her, so that many from her family were jealous of that woman and blamed the savior for the

12

καλλίων, ἐγὼ δὲ νομιζόμενος, κἀκείνης μὲν τὸ κάλλος ἀπήντα τοῖς ἰδοῦσιν εὐθὺς καὶ διὰ τοῦ φαινομένου καὶ τὸ κρυπτόμενον εἰκονίζετο, τὸ δὲ ἐμὸν ἴσως οὐ τοιοῦτον, οὗ δή μοι καὶ βραχὺς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλ' οἵ γε τεκόντες καὶ τῷ μὴ ὄντι περιπεπλάνηντο, δεκάζοντες τὰς κρίσεις διὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν. Καὶ οὐχ' οἱ μὲν γεννήσαντες οὕτως περὶ ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀλλοιότερον πρὸς ἀλλήλους διετιθέμεθα, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκ ταὐτοῦ πρέμνου δύω ἀνιόντε κλάδω, συνεπεφύκειμεν ἀλλήλοις, διαιρούμενοί τε ἅμα καὶ μὴ διαιρούμενοι, πλὴν ὅσον τῇ μὲν πρωϊαιτέρα ἡ ἔκφυσις, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνέδραμον ἁπαλώτερος, κἀκείνῃ μὲν ὁ χρόνος «τὰ πρεσβεῖα ἐδίδου» τῆς φύσεως, ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ ἔλαττον ἀντανίσου πρὸς ἐκείνην ἡ κρείττων τοῦ γένους μερίς. ἀλλ' ἐγὼ μὲν πατρῴζων ἀτεχνῶς ἦν, ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὴν γεννησαμένην ἀναπεφύκει, δυεῖν τῶν ἐκείνης ὥσπερ ἀποσπασθεῖσα μερῶν, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ πρὸς ἄμφω τὴν ὁμοιότητα διασώζουσα. ὅθεν ἀμφοῖν ἐκράτει πασῶν, πλὴν τῆς γε μητρός· πρὸς γὰρ ἐκείνην οὐδὲ κατὰ βραχύ τι διήλλαττεν, ὅθεν ἑκάστῃ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρας προσῆν τὸ νικᾶν. εἴ τε γὰρ ἡ μήτηρ κρατεῖν ἐδόκει, ἡ ἀδελφὴ τὸ κράτος ἀνῄρητο, εἴ τε κρείττων αὕτη τῶν ἄλλων ὦπτο, ἡ μήτηρ τὸ καλλιστεῖον ἐλάμβανε καὶ τοσοῦτον ἦν τὸ παρ' ἀμφοῖν ὅμοιον ὡς ἀριθμῷ μόνῳ τὸ παρ' αὐταῖς εἶναι διάφορον. εἰ γὰρ μή τις ἴδοι θάτερον μέρος, περὶ θάτερον ἐπεπλάνητο, κἂν ἄμφω θεάσαιτο, οὐκ εὐθὺς τοῦ βαθμοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν ἐλάμβανεν. οὕτως ἄρρητος αὐταῖς ἡ ὁμοιότης παντάπασιν ἦν. ἐπ' ἀνθούσῃ γὰρ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτὴν ὠδινήσασα καὶ βραχεῖ τῳ μέρει προλαβοῦσα ἐτῶν, ἀδιάφορος καὶ τὴν ἄνθην πρὸς τὸ γέννημα ἦν, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀλλήλων μὲν κατ' οὐδὲν ἄρα διῄρηντο. Ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐπρέσβευεν ἡ ἀδελφὴ καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ καὶ ταῖς τῆς ψυχῆς χάρισι καὶ ἦν αἰδέσιμος ἐκ πολλοῦ, πλὴν οὐχ ὥσπερ ἡ μήτηρ ἐπεῖχέ μοι δι' οἰκονομίαν τὴν σχέσιν οὐδὲ τὸ σπλάγχνον ὑπήνοιγεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πυνκὰ κατεφίλει καὶ ἠγκαλίζετο καὶ «ἐκοινώνει μοι πάντων», καὶ βουλῆς καὶ γνώμης καὶ πράξεων. ἐρρύθμιζε δὲ καὶ πρὸς σωφροσύνην καὶ τἆλλα μὲν ἐξ ὁμοίας μοι προσωμίλει τῆς ἀξιώσεως, τὸ δὲ σωφρονεῖν δεσποτικῶς, ὥσπερ ἐπέταττεν. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν οὕτως ἀδελφικῶς ἅμα καὶ φιλικῶς, ἐγὼ δὲ πάντα ὑποπεπτώκειν αὐτῇ καὶ σὺν αἰδοῖ προσῄειν καὶ ὁπότε με μάλιστα ἀγκαλίζοιτο. ταύτην οὐ τὸ γένος μόνον ἐθαύμασεν οὐδ' ὅθεν ἐξεδόθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπῃ κεκήδευτο. ἐρῶ δέ τινα βραχεῖαν περὶ ἐκείνης διήγησιν, ἵν' ἐντεῦθεν ἐνδείξαιμι ὁπόσον ἐκείνῃ τῆς σωφροσύνης τὸ περιόν. 14. Γυνή τις τῶν ἐγγειτόνων «μισθὸν» τοῖς βουλομένοις τῆς ὥρας «ἐλάμβανε» καὶ φαύλως περὶ τοῦτο ἔζη, ἑταιρικῶς, ἑαυτὴν ὑπογράφουσα καὶ «τῷ ἐπιποιήτῳ κάλλει» τοὺς πολλοὺς καταθέλγουσα. ἀμέλει καὶ νεότης νοσοῦσα περὶ αὐτὴν ἐπερρώννυντο καὶ διημφισβήτουν αὐτῆς τοῖς ἄλλοις οἱ κρείττους καὶ γενναιότεροι. ταύτην ᾐτιᾶτο πολλάκις ἡ ἀδελφὴ καὶ προσωνείδιζε τὸ ἀκόλαστον καὶ κατεμέμφετο τῆς ἀσχημοσύνης καὶ τέλος οἰκεῖν πόρρω προσέταττεν. ἡ δὲ πρῶτα μὲν ἐξεκώφει πρὸς πᾶσαν καὶ αἰτίασιν καὶ παραίνεσιν καὶ ἀμεταθέτως εἶχεν οὗ ἐνεστήσατο βίου, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ ἀδελφὴ οὐκ ἀνίει πλήττουσά τε καὶ ἐπιπλήττουσα, ἡ δέ· «ἀλλ' ἂν τοῦ ἑταιρεῖν-φησίν-ἀποστήσωμαι, πόθεν τὰς ἀναγκαίας τοῦ ζῆν λήψομαι ἀφορμάς;». ἁρπάζει τὸν λόγον ἡ φιλόκαλος ἐκείνη φύσις, ἢ μᾶλλον φιλόσοφος, καὶ «δίδωσιν ὅρκους» ἀρρήτους, ἦ μὴν «οὐ τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις μόνον» ἐκθρέψειν, «ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς περιττοῖς». ἐπὶ τούτοις πείθεται ἡ γυνὴ καὶ «συντίθενται πρὸς ἀλλήλας», ἡ μὲν μηκέτι μηδ' ὀφθαλμὸν ἀνασχέσθαι ἀρρένων, ἀλλὰ παντάπασι τῆς προτέρας ἀποστήσεσθαι ὁμιλίας καὶ συνηθείας, ἡ δὲ κοινωνήσειν αὐτῇ πάντων ὧν ἐνδεῶς ἔχοι, οἰκίας ἐσθῆτος τροφῆς, εἰ βούλοιτο καὶ τρυφῆς. ἔχαιρε γοῦν ὡς ἀφελομένη ψυχὴν τῷ πονηρῷ θηρὶ γενομένην κατάβρωμα. Οὕτω γοῦν περιεῖπε ταύτην καὶ λιπαρῶς ἐθεράπευεν ὡς καὶ πολλὰς ἐκ τοῦ γένους ἐπ' ἐκείνῃ ζηλοτυπεῖν καὶ τὴν σώτειραν καταμέμφεσθαι τῶν