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death holds. For he will not count many fathers who have suffered the same things as he, but he will show himself practicing death in his body each day, and always prepared for it, and having made the arguments concerning the resurrection more credible, so he will send him away, having laid aside the great weight of his pain, and his words, much more than funeral feasts and banquets, and his demonstration through deeds, will be able more easily to set the sufferer's mind at ease. And in this way he will heal this one. And let another be brought to him, if you wish, one who has had his eyes put out by a long disease; how will you be able to help this one? For that one, showing that this is nothing terrible, being shut up in a little cell, and hastening towards another light, and considering the present light as nothing great in comparison to that one, will teach him to bear the misfortune nobly. But will you be able to persuade those who are abused to be philosophical? In no way, but you will even annoy them more; for we are accustomed to see our own evils more clearly in the good fortune of our neighbors. But your son will win these over more easily. I pass over the help that comes from prayers, being much greater than all these things; but I pass it over, since my argument is now with you. But if you wish to be honored on account of your son and not to be despised—for it is likely you desire these things too—I do not know how else you could have obtained this more, than by possessing a son who surpasses human nature, and thus appears illustrious everywhere in the world, and with this high repute has not a single enemy. For while he was in that position of power, he was respected by many, 47.344 but also hated by many; but here all who honor him do this with pleasure. For if some who are humble and of humble origin, sons of rustics and artisans, having come to this philosophy, have become so honored by all, that no one holding high office is ashamed to come to their lodging, and to share in their conversation and table, but rather, having enjoyed them as some great goods, which indeed they are, they are thus disposed, how much more, when they see one who has come from an illustrious family, a splendid fortune, and such great expectations, coming to that virtue, will they do this. So that what you grieve over more, his going from such things to those, is what most of all makes him of high repute, and henceforth persuades all to pay attention to him not as a man, but as some angel. For they will not suspect these things about him, which they suspect about others, that desiring honor, and aiming for money, and wishing to become illustrious from a humble state, he chose this path; for even if these things said about others are false and words of wickedness, in the case of your son, it will not be possible to give rise even to suspicion.

9. And do not suppose that these things happen only when the emperors are pious, but even if the state of the government should change and the rulers become unbelievers, even then your son's affairs will be more illustrious. For our affairs are not like those of the Greeks, nor do they follow the opinions of rulers, but stand on their own strength, and appear greatest then, when they are most warred against. Since a soldier is of high repute even when there is peace, but he will be more illustrious when war has broken out. So that even if Greeks are ruling, your honor will be the same and even greater. For those who then revere your son, will do so much more, when they see him arrayed for battle, and using greater boldness of speech, and having many opportunities for high repute. Do you wish that we examine also the matters concerning you, or is this argument superfluous? For he who is so gentle and meek towards others, as to give no handle to anyone, will much more hold his father in great honor, and will serve him much more than if he had pursued worldly power. For having come into high office, it is uncertain if he would not also have come to look down on his father; but now he has chosen a life, on account of which, though being more kingly than the king, he will be more humble than all towards you. For such is the

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θάνατος ἔχει· οὐ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἀριθμήσει πατέρας τὰ αὐτὰ πεπονθότας ἐκείνῳ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν δείξει καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ σώματι μελετῶντα τὴν τελευτὴν, καὶ πρὸς ταύτην παρεσκευασμένον ἀεὶ, καὶ τοὺς περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγους πιστοτέρους ποιήσας, οὕτως ἀποπέμψει τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὀδύνης ἀποθέμενον βάρος, καὶ τῶν συνδείπνων καὶ περιδείπνων πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τούτου ῥήματα, καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπίδειξις ῥᾷον τὸν παθόντα διαθεῖναι δυνήσεται. Καὶ τοῦτον μὲν οὕτως ἰάσεται. Ἀγέσθω δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἕτερος, εἰ βούλει, νόσῳ μακρᾷ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκκοπείς· τί τούτου δυνήσῃ προστῆναι; Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲν τοῦτο δεινὸν, κατακεκλεισμένος τε ἐν οἰκίσκῳ μικρῷ, καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον ἐπειγόμενος φῶς, καὶ τὸ παρὸν οὐδὲν μέγα πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἡγούμενος, παιδεύσει γενναίως τὴν συμφορὰν ἐνεγκεῖν. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐπηρεαζομένους πεῖσαι δυνήσῃ φιλοσοφεῖν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνοχλήσεις μᾶλλον· τὰ γὰρ οἰκεῖα κακὰ ἐν τοῖς τῶν πέλας ἀγαθοῖς ἀκριβέστερον εἰώθαμεν καθορᾷν. Ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ὁ σὸς καὶ τούτους εὐκολώτερον ἀνακτήσεται. Παρίημι τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν εὐχῶν βοήθειαν, πολλῷ τούτων ἁπάντων οὖσαν μείζονα· παρίημι δὲ, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς σέ μοι νῦν ὁ λόγος ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ τιμᾶσθαι βούλει διὰ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ μὴ καταφρονεῖσθαι εἰκὸς γάρ σε καὶ τούτων ἐρᾷν, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ἂν ἑτέρως μᾶλλον ἔτυχες τούτου, ἢ παῖδα κτησάμενος τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβαίνοντα φύσιν, καὶ λαμπρὸν οὕτω πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης φαινόμενον, καὶ μετὰ τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως ταύτης οὐδὲ ἐχθρόν τινα ἔχοντα. Ἐν ἐκείνῃ μὲν γὰρ ὢν τῇ δυναστείᾳ, πολλοῖς μὲν 47.344 αἰδέσιμος, πολλοῖς δὲ καὶ μισητὸς ἦν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάντες αὐτὸν οἱ τιμῶντες μεθ' ἡδονῆς τοῦτο πράττουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ταπεινοὶ καὶ ἐκ ταπεινῶν ὄντες τινὲς ἀγροίκων υἱοὶ καὶ χειροτεχνῶν, ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ταύτην ἐλθόντες, οὕτως ἐγένοντο τίμιοι πᾶσιν, ὡς μηδένα τῶν ἐν τοῖς μεγάλοις ὄντων ἀξιώμασιν αἰσχυνθῆναι πρὸς τὸ καταγώγιον τούτων ἐλθεῖν, καὶ λόγων μετασχεῖν καὶ τραπέζης, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ μεγάλων τινῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστιν, ἀπολαύσαντας οὕτω διατεθῆναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅταν ἀπὸ λαμπροῦ μὲν ὁρμώμενον γένους, λαμπρᾶς δὲ οὐσίας, τοσούτων δὲ ἐλπίδων, πρὸς ἐκείνην ἴδωσιν ἐλθόντα τὴν ἀρετὴν, τοῦτο ἐργάσονται. Ὥστε ὃ μᾶλλον πενθεῖς, τὸ ἐκ τοιούτων ἐπ' ἐκεῖνα βαδίσαι, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ μάλιστα πάντων αὐτὸν εὐδόκιμον ποιεῖ, καὶ πάντας οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀγγέλῳ τινὶ προσέχειν ἀναπείθει λοιπόν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ταῦτα, ἃ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὑποπτεύουσιν, ὑπονοήσουσι καὶ περὶ τούτου, ὅτι τιμῆς ἐρῶν, καὶ χρημάτων ἐφιέμενος, καὶ λαμπρὸς ἐκ ταπεινοῦ γενέσθαι ἐπιθυμῶν, ταύτην εἵλετο τὴν ὁδόν· ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων λεγόμενα ψευδῆ τέ ἐστι καὶ πονηρίας ῥήματα, ἐπὶ τοῦ σοῦ παιδὸς οὔτε ὑπόνοιαν δυνήσεται παρασχεῖν.

θʹ. Καὶ μή τοι νομίσῃς βασιλέων ὄντων εὐσεβῶν ταῦτα γίνεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ κἂν μεταπέσῃ τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ οἱ κρατοῦντες ἄπιστοι γένωνται, καὶ τότε τὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἔσται λαμπρότερα. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ οἷα τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, τοιαῦτα καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ ταῖς τῶν κρατούντων ἕπεται γνώμαις, ἀλλ' ἕστηκεν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἰσχύος, καὶ τότε μάλιστα φαίνεται, ὅταν μάλιστα πολεμῆται· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης εὐδόκιμος μέν ἐστι καὶ εἰρήνης οὔσης, λαμπρότερος δὲ ἔσται καταλαβόντος πολέμου. Ὥστε καὶ Ἑλλήνων κρατούντων, ὁμοίως ἔσται σοι καὶ μειζόνως τὰ τῆς τιμῆς. Οἱ γὰρ δὴ τότε τὸν υἱὸν αἰδούμενοι τὸν σὸν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτο ποιήσουσιν, ὅταν παραταττόμενον ἴδωσι, καὶ πλείονι κεχρημένον τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ, καὶ πολλὰς τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως ἔχοντα τὰς ἀφορμάς. Βούλει καὶ τὰ πρὸς σὲ ἐξετάσωμεν, ἢ περιττὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος; Ὁ γὰρ πρὸς ἑτέρους οὕτως ἥμερος ὢν καὶ πρᾶος, ὡς μηδενὶ λαβὴν παρασχεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν πολλῇ τὸν πατέρα ἕξει τιμῇ, καὶ θεραπεύσει πολλῷ πλέον, ἢ εἰ δυναστείαν μετῆλθε κοσμικήν. Ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν γὰρ μεγάλῃ γενόμενος, ἄδηλον εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἔμελλεν ὑπερορᾷν· νῦν δὲ βίον εἵλετο, δι' ὃν καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως βασιλικώτερος ὢν, πάντων ἔσται πρὸς σὲ ταπεινότερος. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ