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It is a terrible and most difficult thing for the worse to rule the better, and for the more foolish to command the wiser.

15Ε_100 Eumenes. Eumenes the king used to say to his brothers always: If you conduct yourselves toward me as toward a king, I will grant you favors as brothers; but if as toward a brother, I [will act] toward you as a king.

Cotys. Cotys the king of the Thracians, when the Thebans boasted that they had led the Lacedaemonians, said: I have seen winter torrents become greater than ever-flowing rivers, but for a short time.

The same man, when asked, To whom do you leave the kingdom? said: To the one who is able. Philo. In the substance of his body, the king is equal to every man; but in

the authority of his office, he is like the God who is over all. For he has no one higher than himself on earth. It is necessary, therefore, both as a mortal not to be arrogant, and as a god not to be angry. For though he is honored with a divine image, yet he is also interwoven with the dust of the earth, through which he is taught simplicity [likeness] toward all.

Of Musonius. One must try to be regarded by his subjects as impressive rather than fearsome; for gravity [that of gravity] accompanies the one, but harshness the other.

Democritus. An evil nature, when it gets hold of power, produces public calamities.

Antisthenes. It happens that cities are destroyed then, when those in power are not able to distinguish the wicked from the good.

It is dangerous to give a sword to a madman, and power to a wicked man. Of Menander. Unreasoning wealth, having acquired power, makes even those who seem

to be wise, foolish. Demosthenes. For to fare well beyond one's desert, (784) becomes an occasion for thinking

wrongly beyond one's desert. DISCOURSE 10. Concerning blame and slander. 15Ε_102 Matthew 5. Blessed are you, when they revile you and persecute you,

and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Corinthians 4. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are slandered, we entreat. Proverbs 10. Righteous lips cover enmity; but they who bring forth railings,

are most foolish. Sirach 28. A sinful man will trouble friends, and among those at peace

he will cast slander; according to the fuel of the fire so it will be kindled. Ecclesiastes 11. It is not the nature of words to stir up griefs, but the contempt against the one

who has reviled us, and the contempt of each of them. These ignoble flatteries are somehow wont to grow up beside great powers,

which, because they lack any good of their own by which to be known, establish themselves by the evils of others.

Of the Theologian. For to criticize is no great thing; for it is easy and for anyone who wishes; but to introduce one's own opinion in opposition is the mark of a pious and intelligent man.

It is better to be spoken of badly than to speak badly. Blame touches not only the many, but also the best. 15Ε_104 Chrysostom. Just as speaking well and praising is the beginning of friendship,

so speaking badly and slandering has become the beginning and cause of enmity, and hatred, and countless evils.

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∆εινόν καί χαλεπώτατον τούς χείρους τῶν βελτιόνων ἄρχειν, καί τούς ἀνοητέρους τοῖς φρονιμωτέροις προστάττειν.

15Ε_100 Εὐμένης. Εὐμένης ὁ βασιλεύς ἔλεγε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς διαπαντός· Ἐάν μέν ὡς βασιλεῖ προσφέρησθε, ὡς ἀδελφοῖς ὑμῖν χαρίσομαι· ἐάν δέ ὡς ἀδελφῷ, ἐγώ ὑμῖν ὡς βασιλεύς.

Κότυς. Κότυς ὁ τῶν Θρακῶν βασιλεύς, Θηβαίων σεμνυνομένων ὅτι Λακεδαιμονίων ἡγήσαντο· Ἐγώ, φησίν, ἑώρακα χειμάῤῥους ποταμῶν μείζους τῶν ἀεννάων γινομένους, ἀλλ᾿ ὀλίγον χρόνον.

Ὁ αὐτός ἐρωτηθείς, Τίνι καταλιμπάνεις τό βασίλειον; ἔφη· Τῷ δυναμένῳ. Φίλων. Τῇ μέν οὐσίᾳ τοῦ σώματος, ἴσος παντός ἀνθρώπου ὁ βασιλεύς· τῇ

ἐξουσίᾳ δέ τοῦ ἀξιώματος, ὅμοιός ἐστι τό ἐπί πάντων Θεῷ. Οὐκ ἔχει γάρ ἐπί γῆς αὐτοῦ ὑψηλότερον. Χρή τοίνυν καί ὡς θνητόν μή ἐπαίρεσθαι, καί ὡς Θεόν μή ὀργίζεσθαι. Εἰ γάρ καί εἰκόνι θεϊκῇ τετίμηται, ἀλλά καί κόνει χοϊκῇ συμπέπλεκται, δι᾿ ἧς ἐκδιδάσκεται τήν πρός πάντας ἁπλότητα [ὁμοιότητα].

Μουσωνίου. Πειρατέον καταπληκτικόν μᾶλλον τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, ἤ φοβερόν θεωρεῖσθαι· τῷ μέν γάρ σεμνότης [τό σεμνότητος], τῷ δέ ἀπήνεια παρακολουθεῖ.

∆ημοκρίτ. Πονηρά φύσις ἐξουσίας ἐπιλαβομένη, δημοσίας ἀπεργάζεται συμφοράς.

Ἀντισθέν. Τότε τάς πόλεις ἀπόλλυσθαι συμβαίνει, ὅταν μή δύνανται οἱ κρατοῦντες τούς φαύλους ἐκ τῶν σπουδαίων διακρίνειν.

Ἐπισφαλές μαινομένῳ δοῦναι μάχαιραν, καί μοχθηρῷ δύναμιν. Μενάνδρου. Πλοῦτος ἀλόγιστος προσλαβών ἐξουσίαν, καί τούς φρονεῖν

δοκοῦντας ἀνοήτους ποιεῖ. ∆ημοσθ. Τό γάρ εὖ πράττειν παρά τήν ἀξίαν, (784) ἀφορμήν τοῦ κακῶς

φρονεῖν παρά τήν ἀξίαν γίνεται. ΛΟΓΟΣ Ι´. Περί ψόγου καί διαβολῆς. 15Ε_102 Ματθ. Ε´. Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καί διώξωσιν,

καί εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρόν ῥῆμα καθ᾿ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Κορινθ. ∆´.Λοιδορούμενοι, εὐλογοῦμεν· βλασφημούμενοι, παρακαλοῦμεν. Παροιμ. Ι´. Καλύπτουσιν ἔχθραν χείλη δίκαια· οἱ δέ ἐκφέροντες λοιδορίας,

ἀφρονέστατοί εἰσι. Σιράχ ΚΗ´. Ἀνήρ ἁμαρτωλός ταράξει φίλους, καί ἀναμέσον εἰρηνευόντων

βαλεῖ διαβολήν· κατά τήν ὕλην τοῦ πυρός οὕτως ἐκκαυθήσεται. Ἐκκλησ. ΙΑ´. Οὐ τά ρήματα πέφυκε τάς λύπας κινεῖν· ἀλλ᾿ ἡ κατά τοῦ

λοιδορήσαντος ἡμᾶς ὑπεροψία, καί ἡ ἑκάστου αὐτῶν ὑπεροψία. Πεφύκασί πως ταῖς μεγάλαις δυναστείαις αἱ ἀνελεύθεροι αὗται παραφύεσθαι

θεραπεῖαι, αἱ διά τό ἀπορεῖν οἰκείου ἀγαθοῦ δι᾿ οὗ γνωρισθῶσιν, ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κακῶν ἑαυτούς συνιστῶσιν.

Θεολόγου. Τό μέν γάρ ἐπιτιμᾷν, οὐ μέγα· ῥᾷστον γάρ καί τοῦ βουλομένου παντός· τό δέ ἀντεισάγειν τήν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην, ἀνδρός εὐσεβοῦς καί νοῦν ἔχοντος.

Κακῶς ἀκούειν κρεῖσσον, ἤ λέγειν κακῶς. Ἅπτεται οὐ τῶν πολλῶν μόνον, ἀλλά καί τῶν ἀρίστων ὁ μῶμος. 15Ε_104 Χρυσοστ. Ὥσπερ τό καλῶς λέγειν καί ἐγκωμιάζειν ἀρχή φιλίας

ἐστίν· οὕτω τό κακῶς λέγειν καί διαβάλλειν, ἔχθρας, καί ἀπεχθείας, καί μηρίων κακῶν ἀρχή καί ὑπόθεσις γέγονεν.