15

benevolent; for the Loves are envious, offering the desiring, but taking away the attaining.

79 Isocrates to Dionysius Escorts and lictors and heralds and the attainment of the highest thrones is a mist before philosophy, and the separation from the virtues is by nature most divisive. You have not changed your nature with your fortune. You still have your leather pouch; for from the beginning you have had a mortal constitution. Why then has this empty and light little opinion so puffed up this clay wineskin? You have been filled with great folly, O wretched one, and you have been deprived of the knowledge of your nature. Thus the lofty movements of fortune have forced you to depart from your former contemplation, and prepared you to retreat from that sober madness. To you, long ago, what was lowly was sublime; but now the highest limit of fortune is both low and of the earth. Therefore, stand aloof from false happiness, and flee from runaway fortune; for by anticipating the ungrateful one, you will not be distressed when the change suddenly befalls you.

80 Corydon to Ampelon There is nothing more wretched than farmers. We wretches are tyrannized even by the winds; the south wind destroys us, it has rendered my ears of corn faded, it has ruined the vine and destroyed the grapes. And I am not able to drag the offender to court. Therefore I will cast away both the sickle and the shovel, taking up a shield and helmet and sword, and I will become a soldier and, having changed my trade, I will outwit fortune.

81 Leander to Callicome If there is anything more precious to men than gold, teach me, and with greater gifts will I repay the enjoyment; but if not, give me your favors more quickly. For you do not have a beauty more stately than Danae's, nor am I richer than Zeus, buying your virginity with gold.

82 Socrates to Alcibiades Even the playthings of poetry are full of all wisdom. The son of Meles says that the companions of Odysseus stopped their ears with wax, when in their ships they were putting out to sea towards the licentious Sirens, but that the son of Laertes was constrained by bonds as if in some inescapable prison. He tells in a myth the secrets of philosophy. For I think that poetry fashions the Sirens to be unseemly pleasures. And I greatly admire Homer for blending truth with his fictions and for mixing a potion sweeter than nectar for our ears, just as if mixing the water of falsehood with the most potent wine of truth. For thus we are neither deceived by the fictions, nor are our minds intoxicated by the hard-to-grasp comprehension of reality. Therefore by the wax he indicated inexperience, and by the bond, philosophy. Hence he tells the wondrous tale of Odysseus alone hearing the super-swanlike songs, and of his desire being checked by the bonds. For the removal of evils is an unphilosophical virtue, but the withdrawal from pleasures is a competitive trophy of philosophy. Since, therefore, Alcibiades, the present life is an image of the wandering of Odysseus, and wretched man swims about in the sea of turmoil, and the echoes of Siren-like pleasures circle around us, and like winds, monstrous things sometimes resound from here, and sometimes from elsewhere, let us imitate the husband of Penelope, having practiced philosophy as a certain unbreakable and divine bond of the virtues.

83 Anthinus to Ampelinus The grape harvest has already appeared, and the cluster is filled with sweet new wine and is eager to be poured out into the wine-press. So guard the highway very well and keep the Cretan dog as your helper. For the hands of a wayfarer are undisciplined and most ready to wrong the toils of a farmer.

84 Chrysippe to Sosipater You have not been caught by the nets of love, Sosipater, in loving Anthousa. It is a proof of prudent eyes to love a comely maiden. Do not groan, being conquered by beauty; for you will have enjoyment greater than your pains. Erotic

15

φιλάνθρωπον· βασκαίνουσι γὰρ οἱ Ἔρωτες, τὸ μὲν ποθεῖν παρεχόμενοι, τὸ δὲ τυχεῖν ἀφαιρούμενοι.

79 Ἰσοκράτης ∆ιονυσίῳ Προπομποὶ καὶ ῥαβδοῦχοι καὶ κήρυκες καὶ θρόνων ὑψηλοτάτων ἐπίτευξις φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶν ἀχλύς, καὶ διαιρετικώτατος πέφυκε τῶν ἀρετῶν χωρισμός. οὐκ ἤμειψας μετὰ τῆς τύχης τὴν φύσιν. ἔτι τὸν θύλακον ἔχεις δερμάτινον· θνητὴν γὰρ ἔχεις ἐκ προοιμίου τὴν σύστασιν. τί δῆτα τὸ κενὸν τοῦτο καὶ κοῦφον δοξάριον ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον τὸν πήλινον ἀσκὸν διεφύσησε; μεγάλης ἀνοίας ἐνεφορήθης, ὦ δύστηνε, καὶ τῆς φύσεως τὴν γνῶσιν ἀφῄρησαι. οὕτω τὰ μετέωρα τῆς τύχης κινήματα ἐκστῆναί σε τῆς πάλαι θεωρίας ἠνάγκασαν, καὶ τῆς σώφρονος ἐκείνης μανίας ἀπαναχω-ρεῖν παρεσκεύασαν. ἦν σοι πάλαι μετάρσιον τὸ χαμαίζηλον· νῦν δὲ καὶ χθαμαλὸν καὶ περίγειον ὁ τῆς τύχης ὅρος ἀκρότατος. οὐκοῦν τῆς ψευδοῦς εὐδαιμονίας ἀφίστασο, καὶ τὴν δραπέτιν τύχην δραπέτευε· προφθάνων γὰρ τὴν ἀγνώμονα ἄφνω τὴν μεταβολὴν οὐ δυσφορήσεις προσπίπτουσαν.

80 Κορύδων Ἀμπέλωνι Οὐκ ἔστι τι γεωργῶν ἀθλιώτερον. τυραννούμεθα καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις οἱ τάλανες· ἀπόλλυσιν ὁ νότος ἡμᾶς, τοὺς ἀστάχυας ἐξιτήλους μοι ἀπειργά-σατο, τὴν ἄμπελον ἐλυμήνατο καὶ τὰς ῥᾶγας διέφθειρε. καὶ πρὸς δικαστή- ριον ἕλκειν οὐχ οἷός τέ εἰμι τὸν λυπήσαντα. διὸ καὶ τὸ δρέπανον καὶ τὴν ἄμην ἀπώσομαι, ἀσπίδα καὶ κράνος καὶ ξίφος ἀράμενος, καὶ στρατιώτης γενήσομαι καὶ τὴν τέχνην ἀμείψας τὴν τύχην σοφίσομαι.

81 Λέανδρος Καλλικόμῳ Εἰ μέν τι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις χρυσοῦ τιμιώτερον, δίδασκε, καὶ μείζοσι δώροις ἀμείψομαι τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν· εἰ δὲ μή, δίδου μοι θᾶττον τὰς χάριτας. οὐ γὰρ ∆ανάης ἔχεις τὸ κάλλος σεμνότερον, οὔτε ∆ιὸς ἐγὼ πλουσιώτερος χρυσῷ τὴν παρθενίαν ὠνούμενος.

82 Σωκράτης Ἀλκιβιάδῃ Καὶ τὰ τῆς ποιήσεως παίγνια πάσης ἔμπλεα σοφίας καθέστηκε. κηρῷ τοὺς Ὀδυσσέως ἑταίρους διαβῦσαι τὰ ὦτά φησιν ὁ τοῦ Μέλητος, ὅτε ταῖς ὁλκάσι πρὸς τὰς ἀκολάστους Σειρῆνας ἀνήγοντο, τὸν δὲ Λαέρτου δεσμοῖς ἀπείργεσθαι ὡς ἐν εἱρκτῇ δυσφύκτῳ τινί. μυθολογεῖ τὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἀπόρρητα. Σειρῆνας γὰρ δοκῶ τὰς ἀσχήμονας ἡδονὰς τὴν ποίησιν ἀνα-πλάττεσθαι. καὶ θαυμάζω λίαν τὸν Ὅμηρον συγκιρνῶντα τοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ κυκεῶνα νέκταρος προσηνέστερον ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἡμῶν ἀναμίξαντα, οἷάπερ ὕδωρ τὸ ψεῦδος οἴνῳ τονικωτάτῳ τινὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κεράσαντα. οὕτω γὰρ οὔτε τοῖς πλάσμασιν ἀπατώμεθα, οὔτε τῇ δυσ-εφίκτῳ τῶν ὄντων καταλήψει τὸν νοῦν μεθυσκόμεθα. διὸ κηρῷ μὲν τὴν ἀπειρίαν, δεσμῷ δὲ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐδήλωσεν. ἐντεῦθεν Ὀδυσσέα μόνον τῶν ὑπερκυκνείων μελῶν ἀκούοντα τερατεύεται καὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς τὴν ἔφεσιν διακόπτεσθαι. ἡ μὲν γὰρ τῶν κακῶν ἀφαίρεσις ἀφιλόσοφος ἀρετή, ἡ δὲ τῶν ἡδονῶν ἀναχώρησις φιλοσοφίας ἐναγώνιον τρόπαιον. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, Ἀλκιβιάδη, τῆς Ὀδυσσέως πλάνης ὁ παρὼν βίος εἰκόνισμα, καὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ τῶν θορύβων ὁ δείλαιος ἄνθρωπος περινήχεται, καὶ Σειρηνείων ἡμῖν ἡδονῶν περιπολοῦσιν ἠχήματα, καὶ πνευμάτων δίκην ποτὲ μὲν ἐνθένδε, ἄλλοθεν δέ ποτε περικροτοῦσιν ἐξαίσια, τὸν Πηνελόπης ὁμόζυγα μιμησώμεθα, ἄρρηκτόν τινα τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ θεῖον δεσμὸν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἀσκήσαντες.

83 Ἄνθινος Ἀμπελίνῳ Ὁ τρυγητὸς ἤδη προκέκυφε, καὶ ὁ βότρυς γλεύκους πεπλήρωται καὶ ὀργᾷ τῇ ληνῷ διαχεῖσθαι. περιφρούρει γοῦν τὴν λεωφόρον κάλλιστα καὶ τὴν Κρῆσσαν κύνα συνέριθον κέκτησο. ὁδίτου γὰρ χεῖρες ἀκόλαστοι καὶ γεωργικοὺς ἱδρῶτας ἀδικεῖν ἑτοιμόταται.

84 Χρυσίππη Σωσιπάτρῳ Ἐρωτικοῖς δικτύοις οὐχ ἑάλως, Σωσίπατρε, τῆς Ἀνθούσης ἐρῶν. φρονίμων ὀφθαλμῶν ἐστι τεκμήριον νεάνιδος ἐρᾶν εὐπρεποῦς. μὴ στέναζε κάλλει νικώμενος· μείζονα γὰρ τῶν πόνων τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἕξεις. ἐρωτικὸν