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being hard-pressed, gives up the money which he has and what he does not possess. 4.4.5 And approaching the doors in turns they succeed one another and until late evening there is no respite from the evil, but faction overtakes faction and shout shout and loss loss. 4.5.1 This finest festival also becomes a cause of loans for men, and these with interest; an occasion for poverty, a beginning of misfortunes. But if someone, because of the unreliability of his substance, cannot even find a lender, he is dragged off like one who has defaulted on the imperial taxes, he weeps like one whose property is confiscated, he laments like one who has fallen among robbers, he is imprisoned, he is scourged. 4.5.2 But if some small thing exists in the house for the nourishment of his wife and wretched children, he gives this up; and he sits starving with his whole family during the bright festival. A new law of an evil custom, that unpleasantness be celebrated and the destitution of men be called a festival. 4.6.1 This day also teaches small, guileless, and simple children to be lovers of money and prepares them to go from house to house and to offer strange gifts, fruits studded with silver. And the gift is a requital of double, and the commercial and illiberal spirit from here begins to be stamped on the tender minds of the young. 4.6.2 And the sacred and best farmers, how this day treats them! It makes the city a place to be fled and unapproachable for them; and they flee from it more than hares the nets. For those who are found are scourged, treated with drunken violence, they lose what is in their hands, in peace they are warred against, they are mocked, they are ridiculed in words and deeds; our best providers are filled with insolence, the harmless creatures, the simple images of God, the faithful slaves of our life in freedom. 4.6.3 Thus then those in office, thus the poor, thus children, thus country-folk. Some toil, others grumble, and others learn what it is good not to know. 4.7.1 But let us consider how also the armed soldiers are benefited by this festival. They suffer loss in money and as a penalty for one lapse they offer up the provision for war. They are harmed in their ways and morals. For they learn illiberality, the practices of stage-players, dissolution and softness of morals, mockery against the laws and the authority, of which they were appointed guardians. 4.7.2 For they mock and disparage the greatest authority, mounting a chariot as if on a stage and appointing counterfeit bodyguards and publicly performing the acts of buffoons. And these are the more respectable parts of the procession. But the other things, how could one describe? 4.7.3 Does not also the champion become effeminate, having disrobed, he who is lion-like in spirit, he who after arming is wonderful to be seen by his own people and terrible to his enemies; and let his tunic down to his ankles and wrap the girdle around his chest and use women's footwear and place the top-knot on his head, as is the custom for women; 4.7.4 and carry the distaff full of wool and with his right hand draw down the thread, the hand that once carried the trophy; and changing the tone of his soul, does he speak in a higher, womanish voice? These are the good things of the festival; these are the advantages of the public festival today. 4.8.1 And those who have mounted to the summit of human dignities, the much-talked-of consuls, spend their wealth on vanity, scattering heaps of money for the barrenness of justice and the fruit of sin; whose folly is as manifest as their throne is high. 4.8.2 For having stepped upon many human thrones and having administered the greatest offices of the empire, they take the most from every source unsparingly; some having appropriated the rations of poor soldiers, others having often sold justice and truth, and others from the imperial treasuries having drawn out unspeakable wealth and having eagerly gathered things from everywhere; sparing no gain, not unseemly, not unjust; 4.8.3 and provoking God they now sit in state, and after a little while dividing the gold among charioteers and

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πολιορκούμενος προῆται τὸ ἀργύριον ὅπερ ἔχει καὶ ὃ οὐ κέκτηται. 4.4.5 Ἀμοιβαδὸν δὲ προσιόντες ταῖς θύραις ἀλλήλους διαδέχονται καὶ μέχρις δείλης ὀψίας ἄνεσις οὐκ ἔστιν τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ φατρία φατρίαν καταλαμβάνει καὶ βοὴ βοὴν καὶ ζημία ζημίαν. 4.5.1 Αὕτη ἡ βελτίστη ἑορτὴ καὶ δανεισμάτων αἰτία γίνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις, καὶ τούτων ἐντόκων· ἀφορμὴ πενίας, δυστυχημάτων ἀρχή. Ἂν δέ τις διὰ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ἀναξιόπιστον μηδὲ τοῦ δανείζοντος εὐπορήσῃ, ἕλκεται ὡς ὁ τοὺς φόρους τοὺς βασιλικοὺς ἐλλιπών, δακρύει ὡς ὁ δημευό μενος, ὀλοφύρεται ὡς ὁ λῃσταῖς περιπεσών, φρουρεῖται, μαστίζεται. 4.5.2 Ἂν δέ τι μικρὸν ὑπάρχῃ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν εἰς διατροφὴν γαμετῆς καὶ παίδων ἀθλίων, τοῦτο προΐεται· κάθηται δὲ λιμώττων παγγενεὶ ἐπὶ τῆς φαιδρᾶς ἑορτῆς. Καινὸς κακῆς συνηθείας νόμος, ἀηδίαν ἑορτάζεσθαι καὶ ἀπορίαν ἀνθρώπων πανήγυριν λέγεσθαι. 4.6.1 Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ τοὺς μικροὺς παῖδας καὶ ἀφελεῖς καὶ ἁπλοϊκοὺς φιλαργύρους εἶναι διδάσκει καὶ παρασκευάζει οἰκίαν ἀμείβειν ἐξ οἰκίας καὶ δῶρα προσφέρειν καινά, ὀπώρας ἀργυρίῳ καθηλωμένας. Ἔστιν δὲ ἡ δόσις τοῦ διπλοῦ ἀντίδοσις καὶ τὸ καπηλικὸν καὶ ἀνελεύθερον ἐντεῦθεν ἄρχεται ἁπαλοῖς τοῖς φρονήμασιν ἐντυποῦσθαι τῶν νέων. 4.6.2 Τοὺς δὲ ἱεροὺς καὶ βελτίστους γεωργοὺς οἷα διατίθησιν αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα! Φευκτὴν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄβατον τὴν πόλιν ἐργάζεται· καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὴν ἀποδιδράσκου σιν ἢ οἱ λαγοὶ τὰ δίκτυα. Οἱ γὰρ εὑρισκόμενοι μαστίζονται, παροινοῦνται, ἀπολλύουσιν τὰ ἐν χερσίν, ἐν εἰρήνῃ πολεμοῦνται, ἐπιχλευάζονται, κωμῳδοῦνται λόγοις καὶ ἔργοις· πληροῦνται τῆς ὕβρεως οἱ βέλτιστοι ἡμῶν προφῆται, τὰ ἀπόνηρα ζῷα, αἱ ἁπλοϊκαὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκόνες, οἱ ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ πιστοὶ δοῦλοι τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς. 4.6.3 Οὕτως μὲν οὖν οἱ ἐν τέλει, οὕτως πένητες, οὕτως παιδία, οὕτως ἄγροικοι. Οἱ μὲν μοχθοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ γογγύζουσιν, οἱ δὲ μανθάνουσιν ἃ μὴ εἰδέναι καλόν. 4.7.1 Σκεψώμεθα δὲ ὅπως καὶ οἱ ἔνοπλοι στρατιῶται παρὰ ταύτης ὠφελοῦνται τῆς ἑορτῆς. Εἰς χρήματα ζημιοῦνται καὶ ἑνὸς ἐκπτώματος μισθὸν προσφέρουσιν τὸν ἐπισιτισμὸν τοῦ πολέμου. Εἰς τρόπους καὶ ἤθη βλάπτονται. Μανθάνουσι γὰρ ἀνελευθερίαν, ἐπιτηδεύματα σκηνικῶν, ἔκλυσιν καὶ μαλακίαν ἠθῶν, παιδιὰν κατὰ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἧς ἐτάχθησαν φύλακες. 4.7.2 Τὴν γὰρ μεγίστην ἀρχὴν κωμῳδοῦσιν καὶ διασύρουσιν, ἅρμα ὡς ἐπὶ σκηνῆς ἀναβαίνοντες καὶ δορυφόρους πεπλασμέ νους χειροτονοῦντες καὶ δημοσίᾳ ποιοῦντες τὰ τῶν ἐξυρημένων πρὸς κόνδυλον. Καὶ ταῦτ' ἔστιν τῆς πομπείας τὰ σεμνότερα. Τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πῶς ἄν τις εἴποι; 4.7.3 Μὴ καὶ ἐκκαλυψάμενος γυναικίζεται ὁ ἀριστεύς, ὁ τὸν θυμὸν λεοντώδης, ὁ μετὰ τὴν ὅπλισιν θαυμαστὸς ὀφθῆναι τοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ φοβερὸς τοῖς ἐναντίοις· καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα μέχρι τῶν σφυρῶν ἀφίησι καὶ τοῖς στέρνοις περιελίττει τὴν ζώνην καὶ ὑποδήματι κέχρηται γυναικείῳ καὶ τὸν κρώβυλον ἐπιτίθεται τῇ κεφαλῇ, ᾗ γυναιξὶ νόμος· 4.7.4 καὶ φέρει τὴν ἠλακάτην ἐρίου γέμουσαν καὶ τῇ δεξιᾷ νῆμα κατάγει, τῇ ποτε φερούσῃ τὸ τρόπαιον· καὶ τὸν τόνον τῆς ψυχῆς ἐναλλάττων τὸ ὀξύτερον καὶ γυναικῶδες φθέγγεται; Ταῦτα τῆς πανηγύρεως τὰ χρηστά· ταῦτα τῆς πανδήμου ἑορτῆς τὰ συμφέροντα σήμερον. 4.8.1 Καὶ οἱ τῆς κορυφῆς τῶν ἀξιωμάτων ἀνθρωπικῶν ἐπιβάντες, οἱ πολυθρύλητοι ὕπατοι, τῇ ματαιότητι δαπανῶσι τὸν πλοῦτον, σωροὺς χρημάτων σκορπίζοντες εἰς ἀκαρπίαν δικαιοσύνης καὶ καρπὸν ἁμαρτίας· ὧν τοσοῦτον περιφανὴς ἡ ἀφροσύνη, ὅσον ὑψηλὸς ὁ θρόνος. 4.8.2 Πολλοῖς γὰρ ἀνθρωπικοῖς ἐμβατεύσαντες θρόνοις καὶ τὰς μεγίστας τῆς βασιλείας ἀρχὰς διοικήσαντες, λαμβάνουσιν ἀφειδῶς ἀπὸ πάσης τὰ πλεῖστα· οἱ μὲν πενήτων στρατιωτῶν τὸ σιτηρέσιον σφετερισάμενοι, ἄλλοι τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν πολλάκις πωλήσαντες, καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν ταμιείων ἕτεροι ἄφατον ἐξαντλήσαντες πλοῦτον καὶ τὰ πανταχόθεν σπουδαίως ἀθροίσαντες· φεισάμενοι δὲ οὐδενὸς λήμματος, οὐκ ἀπρεποῦς, οὐκ ἀδίκου· 4.8.3 καὶ Θεὸν παροξύνοντες προκάθηνται νῦν, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον ἡνιόχοις μερίζοντες τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ