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we endure. What could be more irrational than this, to pay the penalty for those things for which, suffering badly, we were pushed toward evil? Fate made a man a murderer, and it demands his life for obeying it; what doctrine could be more harmful than this? It is as if someone, having pushed a man into a pit, and having found the one who fell, should then demand punishment on account of these things; or as if someone, having handed a man over to a barbarous mistress to be tortured and surrounded with countless evils, should demand punishment from the one handed over for his slavery and captivity. Could anything be more irrational than this, tell me, or more wretched than this kind of thing? If these things are so, and enemies and foes know how to forgive their own foes, when they do any of the most grievous things to them unwillingly and not by choice; but fate will not know forgiveness for its subjects, who are obedient in all things, or rather, are compelled, but for the very things it compelled them to do, it demands justice from them; what heap of confusion, what labyrinth, what dizziness will imitate 50.768 this confusion, tell me? One mode of injustice was not enough for me, that having sinned in nothing I am cast into wickedness, and that another, having achieved nothing good, becomes good and enjoys honor; this injustice alone is not enough, that it simply and irrationally made me evil and him good, but it also adds another, and does not even imitate the just judgment of men; but men, so humane and gentle, as to distinguish involuntary from voluntary acts; but this fury and evil demon that administers human affairs, thus confuses everything. If, then, there is no God who oversees these things, the argument is refuted from another direction. For it is not possible in so great an order that there be no providence. But if there is no God, how did these things come to be at all? And if there is, how does he overlook these things? For if he himself did it, see the impiety, and the excess of blasphemy; but if he did not do it. but overlooks what has happened, again the charge is not less than the former. Do you see how from every side the devil is hard-pressed, driving men into madness against the Lord? Do you wish to persuade me that you obey fate, and think that it is some doctrine? Do not accuse an adulterous woman, nor be filled with anger, nor bring the adulterer to the tribunal of a judge. If you see a wall being broken through, do not seize the one breaking it through, nor demand justice; for he did not do this willingly, as you say. Neglect all your own affairs; for in any case the things of fate will come to you; throw away as much gold as you have; neglect houses, markets, slaves; the indifference of fate will not be harmed at all by your indifference. But you will endure none of these things, as if convinced by deed that you have condemned the doctrines of fate. For what reason, then, do you put it forward in your sins, having condemned it everywhere? Do you see that this doctrine has been introduced from nowhere else but from laziness, and negligence, and from being disheartened by the toils for virtue? If there is fate, there is no judgment; if there is fate, there is no faith; if there is fate, there is no God; if there is fate, there is no virtue, there is no vice; if there is fate, all things are in vain, all things we do and suffer are for naught; there is no praise, there is no blame, there is no reverence, there is no shame, there are no laws, there are no courts of justice. From where then is so-and-so rich, he says, and from where is another poor? Especially if we are ignorant of the reasons, we ought to remain in ignorance, rather than take up another evil doctrine. For it is better to be ignorant in a good way, than to know in an evil way; for the one has no accusation, but the other is deprived of forgiveness. But nevertheless it has now become clear to us through the grace of God, from where one is rich, and another is poor. For either having received a paternal inheritance, or having engaged in trade and retail, or having seized and forced the things of others, or having made a wealthy marriage, or by farming, or by a craft, or by some other such thing. And

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ὑπομένομεν. Τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν ἀλογώτερον, ὑπὲρ ὧν κακῶς πάσχοντες ὠθισθέντες πρὸς κακίαν, ὑπὲρ τούτων καὶ τιμωρίαν διδόναι; Ἐποίησεν ἀνδροφόνον ἡ εἱμαρμένη, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπαιτεῖ ἀνθ' ὧν ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῇ· τί τούτου βλαβερώτερον δόγμα γένοιτο ἄν; Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις εἰς τὸ βάραθρον ὠθήσας, καὶ καταλαβὼν τὸν κρημνισθέντα, πάλιν τιμωρίαν ἀπαιτοίη τούτων ἕνεκεν· ἢ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις βαρβάρᾳ δεσποίνῃ παραδοὺς αἰκίζεσθαι, καὶ μυρίοις περιβαλεῖν κακοῖς, τὸν παραδεδομένον ὑπὲρ τῆς δουλείας καὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπαιτοῖ τιμωρίαν. Ἆρά τι γένοιτο ἂν τούτου ἀλογώτερον, εἰπέ μοι, ἢ ἀθλιώτερον τοῦ γένους τούτου; Εἰ ταῦτα τοιαῦτα, καὶ ἐχθροὶ μὲν καὶ πολέμιοι τοῖς αὐτῶν πολεμίοις ἴσασι συγγινώσκειν, ὅταν ἄκοντες καὶ μὴ βουλόμενοι πράττωσί τι τῶν χαλεπωτάτων αὐτοῖς· ἡ δὲ εἱμαρμένη τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, καὶ πάντα πειθομένοις, μᾶλλον δὲ κατηναγκασμένοις, οὐκ εἴσεται συγγνώμην, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὧν αὐτοὺς κατηνάγκασε πρᾶξαι, ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῶν αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην· ποῖος φορυτὸς, ποῖος λαβύρινθος, ποία ζάλη ταύτην 50.768 μιμήσεται τὴν σύγχυσιν, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐκ ἤρκεσέ μοι τρόπος εἷς ἀδικίας, ὅτι μηδὲν ἁμαρτὼν εἰς κακίαν ἐμβέβλημαι, καὶ ὅτι ἕτερος μηδὲν κατορθώσας ἀγαθὸς γίνεται, καὶ τιμῆς ἀπολαύει· οὐκ ἀρκεῖ αὕτη μόνη ἡ ἀδικία, ὅτι ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀλόγως καὶ ἐμὲ κακὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἐκεῖνον καλὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέραν προστίθησιν, καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων δικαιοκρισίαν μιμεῖται· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἄνθρωποι, οὕτω φιλάνθρωποι καὶ ἥμεροι, ὡς διαιρεῖν τὰ ἀκούσια τῶν ἑκουσίων· ἡ δὲ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα διοικοῦσα ἐριννύς τις καὶ δαίμων πονηρὸς, οὕτω πάντα συγχεῖ. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸς ὁ ταῦτα ἐφορῶν, ἐλέγχεται μὲν ὁ λόγος ἑτέρωθεν. Οὐ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἐν εὐταξίᾳ τοσαύτῃ πρόνοιαν μὴ εἶναι. Πλὴν εἰ μὲν οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸς, πῶς ὅλως ταῦτα συνέστηκεν; εἰ δέ ἐστι, πῶς ταῦτα περιορᾷ; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν, ὅρα τὴν ἀσέβειαν, καὶ τῆς βλασφημίας τὴν ὑπερβολήν· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησε. γενόμενα δὲ περιορᾷ, πάλιν οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ προτέρου τὸ ἔγκλημα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πανταχόθεν στενοχωρεῖται ὁ διάβολος, συνελαύνων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου μανίαν; Βούλει με πεῖσαι, ὅτι εἱμαρμένῃ πείθῃ, καὶ νομίζεις εἶναί τι δόγμα; Μὴ ἐγκάλει μοιχευομένῃ γυναικὶ, μηδὲ πλησθῇς θυμοῦ, μηδὲ εἰς κριτήριον δικαστοῦ ἀγάγῃς τὸν μοιχόν. Ἂν ἴδῃς τοῖχον διορυττόμενον, μὴ ἐπιλάβῃ τοῦ διορύττοντος, μηδὲ ἀπαιτήσῃς δίκην· οὐ γὰρ ἑκὼν τοῦτο ἐποίησε, καθὼς σὺ φῄς. Ἀμέλησον τῶν σαυτοῦ πάντων· πάντως γὰρ ἥξει σοι τὰ τῆς εἱμαρμένης· ῥῖψον ὅσον ἔχεις χρυσίον· ἀμέλησον οἰκιῶν, ἀγορῶν, ἀνδραπόδων· οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας τῆς σῆς ἡ τῆς εἱμαρμένης ῥᾳθυμία παραβλαβήσεται. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνέξῃ τούτων οὐδὲν, ὡς ἔργῳ πεισθεὶς, ὅτι κατέγνωκας τῶν δογμάτων τῆς εἱμαρμένης. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτὴν προβάλλῃ, πανταχοῦ κατεγνωκώς; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐδαμόθεν τὸ δόγμα τοῦτο εἰσενήνεκται, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας, καὶ ὀλιγωρίας, καὶ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκλελύσθαι πόνους. Εἰ γένεσίς ἐστι, κρίσις οὐκ ἔστιν· εἰ γένεσίς ἐστι, πίστις οὐκ ἔστιν· εἰ γένεσίς ἐστι, Θεὸς οὐκ ἔστιν· εἰ γένεσίς ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρετὴ, οὐκ ἔστι κακία· εἰ γένεσίς ἐστι, πάντα μάτην, πάντα εἰκῇ καὶ ποιοῦμεν, καὶ πάσχομεν· οὐκ ἔστιν ἔπαινος, οὐκ ἔστι ψόγος, οὐκ ἔστιν αἰδὼς, οὐκ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη, οὐκ εἰσὶ νόμοι, οὐκ εἰσὶ δικαστήρια. Πόθεν οὖν ὁ δεῖνα πλουτεῖ, φησὶ, πόθεν ἕτερος πένεται; Μάλιστα μὲν εἰ καὶ τοὺς λόγους ἀγνοοῦμεν, ἔδει μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἕτερον δόγμα πονηρὸν ἀναλαμβάνειν. Βέλτιον γὰρ ἀγνοεῖν καλῶς, ἢ εἰδέναι κακῶς· τὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει κατηγορίαν, τὸ δὲ ἀπεστέρηται συγγνώμης. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν δῆλον ἡμῖν γέγονε διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, πόθεν ὁ μὲν πλουτεῖ, ὁ δὲ πένεται; ἢ γὰρ πατρῷον παραλαβὼν κλῆρον, ἢ ἐμπορίᾳ καὶ καπηλείᾳ χρησάμενος, ἢ τὰ ἑτέρων ἁρπάσας καὶ βιασάμενος, ἢ γάμῳ χρησάμενος εὐπόρῳ, ἢ γεωργίᾳ, ἢ τέχνῃ, ἢ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ τοιούτῳ. Καὶ