26.  The dew would more easily resist the morning rays of the sun, than any remains of anger continue in him; but as soon as he had spoken, his indignation departed with his words, leaving behind only his love for what is good, and never outlasting the sun; nor did he cherish anger which destroys even the prudent, or show any bodily trace of vice within, nay, even when roused, he preserved calmness.  The result of this was most unusual, not that he was the only one to give rebuke, but the only one to be both loved and admired by those whom he reproved, from the victory which his goodness gained over warmth of feeling; and it was felt to be more serviceable to be punished by a just man than besmeared by a bad one, for in one case the severity becomes pleasant for its utility, in the other the kindliness is suspected because of the evil of the man’s character.  But though his soul and character were so simple and divine, his piety nevertheless inspired the insolent with awe:  or rather, the cause of their respect was the simplicity which they despised.  For it was impossible to him to utter either prayer or curse without the immediate bestowal of permanent blessing or transient pain.  The one proceeded from his inmost soul, the other merely rested upon his lips as a paternal reproof.  Many indeed of those who had injured him incurred neither lingering requital nor, as the poet63    The poet.  Pindar. says, “vengeance which dogs men’s steps;” but at the very moment of their passion they were struck and converted, came forward, knelt before him, and were pardoned, going away gloriously vanquished, and amended both by the chastisement and the forgiveness.  Indeed, a forgiving spirit often has great saving power, checking the wrongdoer by the sense of shame, and bringing him back from fear to love, a far more secure state of mind.  In chastisement some were tossed by oxen oppressed by the yoke, which suddenly attacked them, though they had never done anything of the kind before; others were thrown and trampled upon by most obedient and quiet horses; others seized by intolerable fevers, and apparitions of their daring deeds; others being punished in different ways, and learning obedience from the things which they suffered.

Κ#2ʹ. Δρόσος ὑφίσταται μᾶλλον ἡλιακὴν ἀκτῖνα ἑωθινὰ βάλλουσαν, ἤ τι παρέμενεν ἐκείνῳ θυμοῦ λείψανον: ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ τε ἐφθέγγετο, καὶ ὁ χόλος τοῖς ῥήμασι συναπήρχετο, μόνον ἀφεὶς τὸ φιλάγαθον, καὶ οὔποτε ἡλίου φανεὶς μακρότερος: οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπολλύουσαν καὶ φρονίμους ὀργὴν γεωργήσας, ἤ τι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κακίας ἐνσημήνας τῷ σώματι, τὸ δὲ γαληνὸν διασώζων κἀν τῷ κινήματι. Τοιγαροῦν συνέβαινεν ἐκείνῳ τὸ παραδοξότατον, οὐ μόνῳ μὲν ἐπιτιμᾷν, μόνῳ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων ἀγαπᾶσθαί τε καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι, νικῶντος τοῦ χρηστοῦ τὴν θερμότητα: καὶ ὄντως τιμιώτερον εἶναι τὸ τῷ δικαίῳ παιδεύεσθαι, ἢ τῷ πονηρῷ καταλείφεσθαι: τοῦ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τὸ τραχὺ προσηνὲς διὰ τὴν ὠφέλειαν, τοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ χρηστὸν ὕποπτον διὰ τὸ κακόηθες. Καίπερ δὲ οὕτως ἔχων ψυχῆς καὶ ἤθους ἁπλοϊκοῦ καὶ θεοειδοῦς, ὅμως τι τοῖς ὑβρισταῖς καὶ φοβερὸς ἦν διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τὸ πλῆττον ἦν, ἢ ἁπλότης καταφρονουμένη. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτὸν εὐχῆς, ἢ κατάρας προέσθαι ῥῆμα, καὶ μή τι δοῦναι παραυτίκα, ἢ ἀγαθὸν διαρκὲς, ἢ λυπηρὸν πρόσκαιρον: τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἐκ βάθους ψυχῆς, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ χείλεσι μόνον, καὶ πατρική τις ἐπίπληξις. Πολλοῖς γέ τοι τῶν λελυπηκότων οὐδὲ ὑπερήμερος ἀπήντησεν ἡ ἀντίδοσις, οὐδὲ ὀπισθόπους ἡ δίκη, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ποιητικόν: ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτὰ τῆς κινήσεως ἐπλήγησαν, ἐπεστράφησαν, προσῆλθον, ἐγονυπέτησαν, συγγνώμης ἔτυχον, ἀπῆλθον, ἡττημένοι καλῶς, ἀμείνους ἐγένοντο, καὶ σωφρονισθέντες, καὶ συγγνωσθέντες. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ σύγγνωμον πολλάκις μέγα πρὸς σωτηρίαν, αἰδοῖ κατεῖργον τὸν ἀδικήσαντα, καὶ μετάγον εἰς φίλτρον ἐκ φόβου τὴν ἀσφαλεστέραν εὔνοιαν. Ἐπαιδεύθησαν δὲ, οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ βοῶν ἀναῤῥιφέντες τῇ ζεύγλῃ τετρυχωμένων, καὶ ἀπαντησάντων ἀθρόως, οὔπω τοῦτο πρότερον πεπονθότων: οἱ δὲ ἵπποις σφενδονηθέντες, καὶ συμπατηθέντες, τῶν εὐπειθεστάτων τε καὶ ἡμερωτάτων: οἱ δὲ πυρετοῖς ἀσχέτοις καταληφθέντες, καὶ φαντασίαις ὧν τετολμήκασιν: οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι ἄλλο τι παιδαγωγηθέντες, καὶ μαθόντες τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἐξ ὧν ἔπαθον.