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to be attended and guarded, it is more terrible than dying to suffer misfortune undeservedly. For this reason, many of the emperors celebrated among the Romans, having been unfortunate in battle, chose rather to die than to live and serve in shame; and apart from these things, to be insulted and reviled by the guards attending to him as a prisoner, would be more bitter than any water of the Styx. Furthermore, to bind and guard him offers us no security. For if by some means he should be able to escape his bonds, that which we now possess, to reap the goodwill of all by seeming to be wronged, will pass to him, and he will wage war more fiercely, using as eager allies both the neighboring barbarians and the Romans. Since, therefore, to kill him attaches the stigma of avengers and murderers not only to us, but also to our children 1.47 hereafter, while to imprison and guard him, along with the shame, also invites the greatest dangers, I think it is both expedient and just, holding to our former reasonings, to protect our emperor, defending ourselves if anyone should attack. But you will say, "What then? If the emperor marches against us, shall we not fight him, nor kill him, if it should so happen?" Most certainly we shall defend ourselves with all our might, but to initiate an attack and to defend oneself are not the same thing. For to the former, in addition to shame, is attached injustice, while to defend oneself, in addition to being just, also has the glory that comes from one's deeds. For if it happens that the initiator of the attack suffers misfortune, it is just to reckon the outcome of his deeds not to the one defending himself but to the one attacking. So for us, exercising our reason on both sides, much has been said by each party. But for the emperor, who hears all, it will be possible, in the manner of fishermen whose dragnet has enclosed much, to select what is useful and to refrain from what is useless.” At this, when the others had also agreed and had referred the judgment of the arguments to the emperor, he himself also spoke as follows: 10. “For those deliberating about great matters, I think it is necessary to be many in number. For this reason both the Romans and the Greeks of old, both in democracies and under the rule of the best, formed their councils from many men, thinking rightly that in this way they would not easily err concerning what is good 1.48 and expedient. And one of the wise men of old of our court has said that in much counsel there is safety, and declared that the man without counsel is an enemy to himself. And so, since you are both many and excellent in these matters and have used not a few words concerning the affair, it will be possible for me also, in the manner of the fishermen you mentioned, when the dragnet has brought down much, to select what is useful and to cast away what is not. I too, then, will say what seems best to me, and it will be for each of you to choose what seems expedient. Not to all men do the same things seem choiceworthy and to be avoided, pleasant and not so, but however they are disposed toward them, such are the judgments they pass upon them. As I myself, then, feel about the matters before us, I will speak. I am so far from wishing anything irremediable to happen to my lord and emperor for the sake of either life or honor, that if it should happen that he himself, having drawn his sword as if to kill me, were to come at me, I would for my part seek my safety in flight; and if, while fleeing, some obstacle to my flight should occur, I am so far from wishing to turn and defend myself that, covering my head, I would receive the blows in silence, fearing lest, by looking at him and being, as it were, driven out of my mind by the passion, I should be moved to take the sword from him and cast it far away, since I judge this too to be among the impious acts, in the same way as to raise a hand against one's father. That I hold such an opinion concerning the honor due to my grand 1.49 father, I call to witness the all-seeing eye of God. For which reason, I wish you also, being clearly persuaded of this, to stir up no argument about this matter, nor to attempt to change my mind; for you will have accomplished nothing more. If, then, you are willing, holding to your original reasonings, procuring safety for yourselves by flight from the suspected danger

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θεραπεύεσθαι καὶ δορυφορεῖσθαι, φοβερώτερον τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν, τὸ παρ' ἀξίαν κακοπραγεῖν. διὸ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ὑμνουμένων παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις αὐτοκρατόρων, μᾶλλον εἵλοντο ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ ζῶντες αἰσχρῶς δουλεύειν ἀτυχήσαντες περὶ τὰς μάχας· καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, τὸ παρὰ τῶν φυλάκων ὡς δεσμώτῃ προσεχόντων περιυβρίζεσθαι καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι, παντὸς ἂν εἴη πικρότερον ὕδατος Στυγός. ἔτι δ' οὐδ' ἀσφάλειαν ἡμῖν παρέχει τὸ δήσαντας φρουρεῖν. ἂν γὰρ ὁτῳδήτινι τρόπῳ δυνηθείη τὰ δεσμὰ διαφυγεῖν, ὅπερ ἡμῖν πρόσεστι νῦν, τὸ δοκοῦντας ἀδικεῖσθαι καρποῦσθαι τὴν ἁπάντων εὔνοιαν, ἐκείνῳ περιστήσεται, καὶ σφοδρότερον πολεμήσει, συμμάχοις προθύμοις καὶ τοῖς περιοίκοις βαρβάροις καὶ Ῥωμαίοις χρώμενος. ὅτε τοίνυν τὸ μὲν ἀποκτεῖναι ἀλαστόρων καὶ ἀνδροφόνων ἐπιτιμίαν οὐ μόνον ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παισὶν ἡμετέροις 1.47 ἔπειτα προσάπτει, τὸ δ' εἵρξαντας φρουρεῖν μετὰ τοῦ αἰσχροῦ καὶ τοὺς ἐσχάτους ὑποπτεύει κινδύνους, καὶ λυσιτελὲς ἅμα καὶ δίκαιον εἶναι νομίζω, τῶν προτέρων ἐχομένους λογισμῶν, τὸν ἡμέτερον βασιλέα διασώζειν ἀμυνομένους ἄν τις ἐπίῃ. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς, Τί οὖν; ἂν ἐπιστρατεύῃ βασιλεὺς ἡμῖν, οὐ μαχούμεθα αὐτῷ, οὐδ' ἀποκτενοῦμεν, ἂν οὕτω συμβαίη; Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν ἀμυνούμεθα πάσῃ δυνάμει, ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει τό, τε κατάρχειν καὶ τὸ ἀμύνασθαί τινα, λόγον. τῷ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τῷ αἰσχρῷ πρόσεστι καὶ τὸ ἀδικεῖν, τὸ δ' ἀμύνασθαι πρὸς τῷ δικαίῳ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων εὔκλειαν ἔχει. ἂν γὰρ συμβῇ τὸν προκατάρχοντα παθεῖν κακῶς, οὐ τῷ ἀμυνομένῳ τὴν ἀπόβασιν ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐπιόντι λογίζεσθαι τῶν ἔργων δίκαιον. ἡμῖν μὲν οὖν ἐπ' ἀμφότερα γυμνάζουσι τὸν λόγον ἑκατέροις εἴρηται πολλά. βασιλεῖ δὲ πάντων ἀκροωμένῳ ἐξέσται τὸν τῶν ἁλιέων τρόπον τῆς σαγήνης πολλὰ περισχούσης τὰ χρήσιμα ἐκλεξαμένῳ, τῶν ἀχρήστων ἀποσχέσθαι.» ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων συνθεμένων καὶ τὴν διάκρισιν τῶν λόγων ἀναθεμένων τῷ βασιλεῖ, εἶπε καὶ αὐτὸς τοιαῦτα· ιʹ. «Τοῖς περὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων βουλευομένοις ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι νομίζω καὶ πολλοῖς εἶναι τὸν ἀριθμόν. διὸ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Ἕλληνες τὸ παλαιὸν, καὶ δημοκρατούμενοι καὶ τῶν ἀρίστων ἀρχόντων, ἐκ πλειόνων τὰς βουλὰς συνεκρότουν, τοῦ κα 1.48 λοῦ καὶ συμφέροντος οὕτως οὐκ ἂν οἰόμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἁμαρτεῖν, ὀρθῶς φρονοῦντες. καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν δέ τις σοφὸς τῆς ἡμετέρας αὐλῆς ἐν πολλῇ βουλῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν εἴρηκεν εἶναι, καὶ πολέμιον ἑαυτῷ τὸν ἀσύμβουλον ἀπεφήνατο. καὶ ὑμῶν τοίνυν καὶ πολλῶν καὶ περὶ ταῦτα ἀρίστων ὄντων καὶ λόγοις οὐκ ὀλίγοις περὶ τοῦ πράγματος χρησαμένων, ἐξέσται κἀμοὶ ὃν εἰρήκατε τῶν ἁλιέων τρόπον, πολλὰ τῆς σαγήνης καταγαγούσης, τὰ χρήσιμα ἐκλεξαμένῳ ἀποῤῥίψαι τὰ μὴ τοιαῦτα. ἐρῶ τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸς ἅ μοι δοκεῖ βέλτιστα εἶναι, ὑμῖν δ' ἐξέσται ἑκάστῳ ἃ δοκεῖ συμφέροντα ἑλέσθαι. οὐ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τὰ αὐτὰ αἱρετὰ καὶ φευκτὰ, καὶ ἡδέα καὶ μὴ τοιαῦτα δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅπως ποτὲ ἔχουσι περὶ αὐτὰ, τοιαύτας καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐξάγουσι τὰς κρίσεις. ὡς ἔχω τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τῶν προκειμένων ἐρῶ. τοσούτου δέω τοῦ τι τῶν ἀνηκέστων καὶ ζωῆς ἕνεκα καὶ τιμῆς περὶ τὸν ἐμὸν κύριον καὶ βασιλέα γενέσθαι βούλεσθαι, ὥστ' εἰ συμβέβηκε τὸν αὐτὸν ξίφος ὡς ἀποκτενοῦντά με σπασάμενον ἐπιέναι, φυγῇ μὲν ἂν ἐπραγματευσάμην τὴν σωτηρίαν· εἰ δὲ κώλυμά τι μεταξὺ φεύγοντι συμβέβηκε τῆς φυγῆς, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω τοῦ συστραφεὶς ἀμύνεσθαι βούλεσθαι, ὥστ' ἐγκαλυψάμενος ἐδεχόμην ἂν σιγῇ τὰς πληγὰς, δείσας μὴ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὁρῶν καὶ οἷον τῷ πάθει τῶν φρενῶν ἐκκρουσθείς, πρὸς τὸ λαβεῖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ κινηθῶ καὶ μακρὰν ἀποῤῥίψαι τὸ ξίφος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο τῶν ἀνοσίων κρίνω, καθ' ὅντινα τρόπον χεῖρας ἀνασχεῖν τῷ πατρί. τοιαύτην ἔχειν γνώμην περὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν πάπ 1.49 πον τιμῆς τὸν πάντα ἐφορῶντα μαρτύρομαι ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. διὸ δὴ καὶ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι οὕτως ἔχειν σαφῶς πεισθέντας, μηδένα περὶ τούτου λόγον κινεῖν, μηδὲ μεταπείθειν ἐπιχειρεῖν· ἔσεσθε γὰρ ἠνυκότες πλέον οὐδέν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐθελήσετε τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐχόμενοι λογισμῶν, τὴν σωτηρίαν ἑαυτοῖς ποριζομένοις φυγῇ τὸν ὑφορώμενον κίνδυνον