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warlike and crazed instead of wise, or on the contrary, moderate and temperate instead of rash and uneducated, they might produce by such examples. For those whom it is difficult to turn from vice even without things that draw them to the worse, and to move them from the worse to the better lot, who could persuade these to be gentle and restrained, when they use gods as guides and champions of their passions; where evil is also honorable, as having some god presiding over it, whose passion is honored with altars and sacrifices, and has received lawful license? For this is the most terrible thing, that what is punished by the laws, these things are revered as divine; so great is your abundance of injustice.

121. Secondly, let there be set before them reverence and honor for parents, and to revere the first cause of their being after the First Cause; let reason introduce this, and let theology persuade them. But how will Cronus not persuade them, having castrated Uranus, so that he might be barren of gods, and allowing the waves to create a god, the offspring of foam; 35.661 and Zeus rising up against Cronus, in imitation of his father, the sweet stone and bitter tyrant-slayer; or if their books bring forth anything else of this kind for the honor of their parents. Thirdly, let them have contempt for money, and not seek profit from every source, nor take evil acquisition as a pledge of misfortune. How then will the god of gain be established for them, and the purse be put forward, and the thievish power of the god be honored, and the saying: "Phoebus does not prophesy without bronze," nor is there anything more honorable than the obol? For these are their solemn and revered things.

122. What more? Let them teach temperance, let them introduce self-control; and the persuader is near, he who becomes all things for women, Zeus, and for Phrygian youths a most beloved eagle-lover (so that the gods might banquet most pleasantly, being served wine by the favorites of Zeus); and Heracles contending with the fifty daughters of Thestius in one night, the Thrice-Evening one, and having accomplished this thirteenth labor, which I know not how is not counted with the others. Let Ares check anger, Dionysus drunkenness, Artemis hatred of strangers, their crooked oracle-giver deception, the limping god immoderate laughter, when the gods are grieving, and being strengthened by his spindly shanks; Zeus gluttony, running to a rich feast with the blameless Ethiopians along with the other divinities; the Ox-Slayer, having tyrannized the farmer, and having devoured the plow-ox, and having taken his name from the deed, and all of them running after the savor of burnt offerings and libations.

123. And yet how are these things near to our ways, for whom the standard of friendship is each one himself, and to wish for our neighbors the same things as for ourselves; for whom it is a crime not only to have become evil, but also nearly to have intended it, and anger is punished as an action; for whom temperance is so earnestly pursued that even the eye is restrained; and the murderous hand is kept so far away that even anger is brought under control; and to swear a false oath is so terrible and monstrous, that for us alone even the 35.664 oath happens to be forbidden? And for many, there was no money at all; and for many, for this reason alone, they would gladly have had more, so that they might despise more, philosophizing that having nothing is a substitute for all wealth; and many have cast away the belly as a bitter and abominable mistress, and the mother of all evils; it is no great thing to say, that they are not even forced to be flesh, consuming the mortal in the immortal; and for them there is one law of virtue, not to be overcome even by small things, which are overlooked by all. For the finest thing is that, while others punish the results according to the laws, we punish even the beginnings, checking from afar, as it were, a wicked and uncontrollable stream.

124. And where, and among which people, tell me, is it the custom to speak well of those who revile us, to exhort those who blaspheme us, as if slander does not harm

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μαχίμους, καὶ παραπλῆγας ἀντὶ σοφῶν, ἢ τοὐναντίον μετρίους καὶ σώφρονας ἀντὶ θρασέων καὶ ἀπαιδεύτων τοῖς τοιούτοις ἂν ἐργάσαιντο παραδείγμασιν. Οὓς γὰρ καὶ δίχα τῶν εἰς τὸ χεῖρον ἑλκόντων χαλεπὸν μεταθεῖναι κακίας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κρείσσω μεταστῆσαι μοῖραν ἀπὸ τῆς χείρονος, τούτους τίς ἂν πείσειεν ἡμέρους εἶναι καὶ καθεκτοὺς, θεοῖς χρωμένους ὁδηγοῖς τῶν παθῶν καὶ προστάταις· ἔνθα τὸ κακὸν εἶναι καὶ τίμιον, ὡς θεῶν τινα προϊστάμενον, οὗ τὸ πάθος ἐστὶ βωμοῖς τε καὶ θυσίαις τιμώμενον, καὶ παῤῥησίαν εἰληφὸς ἔννομον; Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ δεινότατον, ὅτι ἃ τοῖς νόμοις κολάζεται, ταῦτα ὡς θεῖα σέβεται· τοσαύτη τις ὑμῖν τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ περιουσία.

ΡΚΑʹ. ∆εύτερον αὐτοῖς προκείσθω γονέων αἰδὼς καὶ τιμὴ, καὶ τὸ τὴν πρώτην αἰτίαν τοῦ εἶναι σέβειν μετὰ τὴν πρώτην· τοῦτο καὶ λόγος εἰσηγείσθω, καὶ θεολογία πειθέτω. Πῶς δὲ οὐ πείσει Κρόνος Οὐρανὸν ἐκτεμὼν, ἵν' ἄγονος ᾖ θεῶν, καὶ δῷ κύμασιν ἀποτελέσαι θεὸν, ἀφροῦ γέννημα· 35.661 καὶ Κρόνῳ Ζεὺς ἐπανιστάμενος, κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ πατρὸς, ὁ γλυκὺς λίθος καὶ πικρὸς τυραννοκτόνος· εἴτε τι ἄλλο τοιοῦτον αὐτοῖς εἰς τιμὴν τῶν γεννησαμένων αἱ βίβλοι φέρουσι. Τρίτον αὐτοῖς ἔστω χρημάτων ὑπεροψία, καὶ τὸ μὴ πανταχόθεν κερδαίνειν, μηδὲ τοῦ δυστυχεῖν ἀῤῥαβῶνα, τὸ κακῶς κτᾶσθαι λαμβάνειν. Πῶς οὖν ὁ Κερδῷος αὐτοῖς σταθήσεται, καὶ τὸ σακέλλιον προβληθήσεται, καὶ ἡ κλεπτικὴ τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις τιμηθήσεται, καὶ τό· Ἄνευ χαλκοῦ Φοῖβον μὴ μαντεύεσθαι, μηδὲ εἶναί τι τοῦ ὀβολοῦ τιμιώτερον; Ταῦτα γὰρ αὐτῶν τὰ σεμνὰ καὶ σεβάσμια.

ΡΚΒʹ. Τί ἔτι; Σωφροσύνην διδασκέτωσαν, ἐγκράτειαν εἰσηγείσθωσαν· καὶ ὁ πείθων ἐγγὺς, πάντα γινόμενος διὰ τὰς γυναῖκας, ὁ Ζεὺς, καὶ Φρυξὶ μειρακίσκοις ἀετὸς ἐραστὴς ὁ φίλτατος (ἵν' ὡς ἥδιστα συμποσιάζοιεν οἱ θεοὶ, τοῖς ∆ιὸς οἰνοχοούμενοι παιδικοῖς)· καὶ ταῖς πεντήκοντα Θεστίου θυγατράσιν ἐναθλεύων Ἡρακλῆς ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ ὁ Τριέσπερος, καὶ τρισκαιδέκατον ἆθλον τοῦτον ἐπιτελέσας, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τοῖς ἄλλοις γε οὐ συναριθμούμενον. Ἐπικοπτέτω τὸν θυμὸν Ἄρης, μέθην ∆ιόνυσος, μισοξενίαν Ἄρτεμις, ἀπάτην ὁ λοξίας αὐτῶν χρησμολόγος, γέλωτος ἀμετρίαν ὁ καταχωλεύων θεὸς, τῶν θεῶν λυπουμένων, καὶ ἀραιαῖς ταῖς κνήμαις ἐπιῤῥωννύμενος· γαστριμαργίαν ὁ Ζεὺς ἐπὶ δαῖτα λιπαρὰν τρέχων μετ' ἀμύμονας Αἰθιοπῆας σὺν τοῖς λοιποῖς δαίμοσιν· ὁ Βουθοίνας, τὸν γεωργὸν τυραννήσας, καὶ τὸν ἀρότην βοῦν λαφύξας, καὶ τὴν κλῆσιν λαβὼν ἐκ τῆς πράξεως, καὶ πάντες ταῖς κνίσσαις καὶ ταῖς λοιβαῖς ἐπιτρέχοντες.

ΡΚΓʹ. Καίτοι πῶς ταῦτα τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐγγὺς, οἷς ὅρος μὲν φιλίας αὐτὸς ἕκαστος, καὶ τὸ τὰ αὐτὰ βούλεσθαι τοῖς πλησίον ἃ καὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς· ἔγκλημα δ' οὐ μόνον τὸ γενέσθαι κακὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μελλῆσαι μικροῦ, καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς κολαζομένης, ὡς πράξεως· οἷς σωφροσύνη μὲν οὕτω σπουδάζεται, ὥστε καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς ἀναστέλλεται· χεὶρ δὲ φονικὴ τοσοῦτον πόῤῥωθεν εἴργεται ὥστε καὶ θυμὸς σωφρονίζεται· ἐπίορκον δὲ ὀμόσαι οὕτω δεινὸν καὶ ὑπέρογκον, ὥστε καὶ τὸν 35.664 ὅρκον μόνοις ἡμῖν τυγχάνειν ἀπώμοτον; Χρήματα δὲ τοῖς μὲν πολλοῖς οὐδ' ἐγένετο· πολλοῖς δὲ διὰ τοῦτ' ἂν ἦν ἡδέως πλείω καὶ μόνον, ἵνα πλειόνων ὑπερίδωσι, τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν ἀντὶ παντὸς πλούτου φιλοσοφοῦντες· γαστέρα δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀποῤῥίψαντες ὡς πικρὰν δέσποιναν καὶ ἀπόπτυστον, καὶ πάντων κακῶν μητέρα· οὐ μέγα φῆσαι, ὅτι μηδὲ σάρκες εἶναι βιάζονται, τῷ ἀθανάτῳ τὸ θνητὸν ἀναλίσκοντες· καὶ νόμος εἷς αὐτοῖς ἀρετῆς, τὸ μηδὲ τῶν μικρῶν ἡττᾶσθαι, καὶ πᾶσι παρορωμένων. Τὸ γὰρ κάλλιστον, ὅτι, τῶν ἄλλων τὰ τέλη τιμωρουμένων κατὰ τοὺς νόμους, ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς κολάζομεν, ὥσπερ τι ῥεῦμα πονηρὸν καὶ δυσκάθεκτον πόῤῥωθεν ἀναστέλλοντες.

ΡΚ∆ʹ. Ποῦ δὲ καὶ παρὰ τίσιν ἀνθρώπων, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ λοιδορουμένους εὐφημεῖν, βλασφημουμένους παρακαλεῖν, ὡς οὐ τῆς κακηγορίας βλαπτούσης