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It is not possible for those who are in virtue to be well spoken of by all. But if those who accept an idle report would not obtain pardon; those

who slander and revile, what defense will they have? Let us not be pained at being spoken ill of, but at being spoken ill of justly. The majority of men become advocates for their own sins;

but accusers of others'. Plutarch. A slanderous tongue is a proof of an evil mind. Isocrates. Beware of slanders, even if they are false785. For the majority,

are ignorant of the truth, but look to reputation. This man, having heard from someone that, 'So-and-so in my presence was reviling you thusly'; 'If

you had not listened with pleasure,' he said, 'that man would not have reviled.' Democritus. The sword cuts; but slander separates friends. Socrates. When someone reported to him that, 'So-and-so speaks ill of you,' 'And

let him strike me,' he said, 'when I am not present.' Do not accept a whisperer and a slanderer. For not for the sake of goodwill this

he does. For just as he revealed the secrets of others to you, so also will the things spoken by you be reported to others.

Moschion. To be slandered by many evil men is neither true nor harmful; but to be blamed by one good man is both true and beneficial.

Demonax. When a certain sophist was accusing him, and saying, 'Why do you speak ill of me?' 'Because you do not despise,' he said, 'the one who speaks ill of you.'

15E_106 Diogenes. Being reviled by a certain bald man, he said: 'I do not insult you, but I praise your hair, because it has escaped an evil skull.'

And when a certain traitor was speaking ill of him, he said: 'I rejoice at having become your enemy; for you do not harm your enemies, but your friends.'

Aristippus.Aristippus being insulted by someone, was withdrawing; and when the man pursued him and said, 'Are you fleeing?' 'Yes,' he said, 'for you have the power to speak ill, but I have the power not to listen.'

Pelopidas. Pelopidas, when a brave soldier was slandered to him as one who blasphemed him; 'I see his deeds,' he said, 'but I have not heard his words.'

Philemon. There is nothing sweeter nor more musical Than to be able to bear being reviled. For the one who reviles, if the one being reviled Pays no heed, the reviler is reviled. Demosthenes. Demosthenes, when someone was reviling him: 'I will not step down,' he said,

'into a contest in which the loser is better than the winner.' Menander. Nothing is more toilsome than slander, for it is always necessary for one to take as his own reproach the sin that lies in another. Whoever is quickly persuaded by slanders, Is either wicked himself in his ways, Or has altogether the mind of a child.

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Οὐ δυνατόν τούς ἐν ἀρετῇ ὄντας παρά πάντων ἀκούειν καλῶς. Εἰ δέ παραδεχόμενοι ἀκοήν ματαίαν οὐκ ἄν τύχοιεν συγγνώμης· οἱ

διαβάλλοντες καί λοιδοροῦντες ποίαν ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν; Μή τό κακῶς ἀκούειν ἀλγῶμεν, ἀλλά τῷ δικαίως ἀκούειν κακῶς. Οἱ πολλοί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τῶν μέν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων συνήγοροι γίνονται·

τῶν δέ ἀλλοτρίων κατήγοροι. Πλουτάρχου. Γλῶσσα βλάσφημος, διανοίας κακῆς ἔλεγχος. Ἰσοκράτ. Εὐλαβοῦ τάς διαβολάς, κἄν ψευδεῖς 785 ὦσιν. Οἱ γάρ πολλοί,

τήν μέν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοοῦσι, πρός δέ τήν δόξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν. Οὗτος ἀκούσας παρά τινος, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα ἐπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τάδε κατά σοῦ ἐλοιδόρει· Εἰ

μή σύ, εἶπεν, ἡδέως ἤκουσας, οὐκ ἄν ἐκεῖνος ἐλοιδόρει. ∆ημοκρίτ. Ἡ μέν μάχαιρα τέμνει· ἡ δέ διαβολή χωρίζει φίλους. Σωκράτης. Ἀπαγγείλαντός τινος αὐτῷ, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνά σε κακῶς λέγει, Καί

τυπτέτω με, ἔφη, μή παρόντα. Ψίθυρον καί διάβολον ἄνδρα, μή παραδέχου. Οὐ γάρ ἕνεκεν εὐνοίας τοῦτο

ποιεῖ. Ὡς γάρ τά τῶν ἄλλων ἀπόῤῥητα ἀπεκάλυψέ σοι, ὡσαύτως καί τά ὑπό σοῦ λεγόμενα ἑτέροις ἀναθήσεται.

Μοσχίωνος. Ὑπό πολλῶν διαβάλλεσθαι κακῶν, οὔτε ἀληθές, οὔτε βλαβερόν· τό δέ ὑφ᾿ ἑνός ἀγαθοῦ ψέγεσθαι, καί ἀληθές καί λυσιτελές.

∆ημώνακτ. Τινός σοφιστοῦ αἰτιωμένου αὐτόν, καί λέγοντος, ∆ιατί με κακῶς λέγεις; Ὅτι μή καταφρονεῖς, ἔφην, τόν κακῶς λέγοντα.

15Ε_106 ∆ιογένης. Λοιδορούμενος ὑπό τινος φαλακροῦ, ἔφη· Σέ μέν οὐχ ὑβρίζω, τάς δέ τρίχας σου ἐπαινῶ, ὅτι κακόν ἐξέφυγον κρανίον.

Προδότου δέ τινος κακῶς αὐτόν λέγοντος, ἔφη· Χαίρω ἐχθρός σου γενόμενος· σύ γάρ οὐ τούς ἐχθρούς, ἀλλά τούς φίλους κακῶς ποιεῖς.

Ἀρίστιππ.Ἀρίστιππος ὑβριζόμενος ὑπό τινος, ἀνεχώρει· τοῦ δέ ἐπιδιώκοντος καί λέγοντος, Φεύγεις; Ναί, ἔφη· τοῦ μέν γάρ κακῶς λέγειν σύ τήν ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις, τοῦ δέ μή ἀκούειν, ἐγώ.

Πελοπίδ. Πελοπίδας ἀνδρείου στρατιώτου δαβληθέντος αὐτῷ, ὡς βλασφημοῦντος αὐτόν· Ἐγώ τά μέν ἔργα, ἔφη, αὐτοῦ βλέπω, τῶν δέ λόγων οὐκ ἤκουσα.

Φιλήμον. Ἥδιον οὐδέν οὐδέ μουσικώτερον Ἔς' ἤ δύνασθαι λοιδορούμεον φέρειν. Καί γάρ ὁ λοιδορῶν, ἄν ὁ λοιδορούμενος Μή προσποιῆται, λοιδορεῖται ὁ λοιδορῶν. ∆ημοσθ. ∆ημοσθένης, λοιδορουμένου τινός αὐτόν· Οὐ συγκαταβαίνω, εἶπεν,

εἰς ἀγῶνα ἐν ᾧ ὁ νικώμενος τοῦ νικῶντός ἐστι κρείττων. Μενάνδρου. Οὐδέν διαβολῆς ἐστιν ἐπιπονώτερον, τήν ἐν ἑτέρῳ γάρ κειμένην ἁμαρτίαν, Ἀεί μέμψιν ἰδίαν αὐτόν ἐπανάγκες λαβεῖν. Ὅστις δέ διαβολαῖς πείθεται ταχύ, ῞Ἤτοι πονηρός αὐτός ἐστι τοῖς τρόποις, Ἤ παντάπασι παιδαρίου γνώμην ἔχει.