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When a certain Athenian accused him, why, praising the Lacedaemonians more, he did not live among them, "For not even a physician," he said, "being a producer of health, spends his time among the healthy."

Of Eteocles. "Not the powers of the speakers," he said, "but test the natures of the things themselves."

15Ε_152 Socrates. Associate with rulers as little as possible, or as pleasantly as possible. It is not from words that things [are judged], but from things that words must

be confirmed. For things are not accomplished for the sake of words, but words [arise] from things.

Let the character of the speaker be what persuades, not the speech. For to speak well is a terrible thing, if it should bring any harm. Antagoras. When Antagoras was reading among the Boeotians the writing of the *Thebaid*

and no one showed appreciation, closing the book, he said, "You are rightly called Boeotians; for you have the ears of oxen."

Hieron. This man, making a speech, said he had aimed at three things: to benefit the intelligent, to teach the inexperienced, and to grieve the envious.

Oinopides. This man said that of whatever sort the nature of a man is, so also is his speech.

Romulus. This man said that pottery is tested by its sound when struck; but a man by his speech.

DISCOURSE 16. Concerning admonition. 15Ε_154 John 5. The Lord said to the paralytic, "Behold, you have become well;

sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." 1 Thess. 5. We ask you, brethren, admonish the fainthearted and

the unruly; and help the weak, and always pursue what is good. Solomon 12. For this reason you correct those who fall away little by little, O Lord,

and by reminding them of the things in which they sin, you admonish them, so that, having been delivered from their wickedness, they may believe in you.

Sirach 18. The mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh, correcting and admonishing and turning [them] as a shepherd his flock.

Basil. For a lesson learned by force is not apt to remain; but that which enters with pleasure and grace, somehow settles more permanently in souls.

He who wishes to raise the one who is lying down, must by all means be higher 817 than the one who has fallen; but he who has fallen equally, he himself also lies [waiting] for another to raise him.

The Theologian. Let neither suffering be without comfort, nor doing well without discipline. Chrysostom. Let us not attempt to heal others, while we ourselves are teeming with sores. It is profitable for sinners to be stung by the pain of words,

so that they may be freed from the shame that comes through deeds. One must not be burdened by exhortation. For if it were necessary to be burdened, 15Ε_156 it should be me

who speaks often and am not heard; not you, who are always hearing, but always disobeying.

Aristotle. Do not consider being admonished as less than being praised.

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Ἀττικοῦ τινος ἐγκαλοῦντος αὐτῷ, διατί Λακεδαιμονίους μᾶλλον ἐπαινῶν, παρ᾿ ἐκείνοις οὐ διατρίβει, Οὐδέ γάρ ἰατρός, ἔφη, ὑγείας ὤν ποιητικός ἐν τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι τήν διατριβήν ποιεῖται.

Ἐτεοκλέους. Μή τάς τῶν λεγόντων, ἔφη, δυνάμεις, ἀλλά τάς τῶν πραγμάτων φύσεις δοκιμάζειν.

15Ε_152 Σωκράτης. Ὡς ἤκιστα τοῖς δυνάσταις, ἤ ὡς ἥδιστα ὁμιλεῖν. Οὐκ ἐκ τῶν λόγων τά πράγματα, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων τούς λόγους δεῖ

κρατεῖν. Οὐ γάρ ἕνεκα τῶν λόγων τά πράγματα συντελεῖται, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων οἱ λόγοι.

Τρόπος ἔστω πείθων τοῦ λέγοντος, οὐ λόγος. Τό γάρ λέγειν εὖ, δεινόν ἐστιν, εἰ φέροι Τινά βλάβην. Ἀνταγόρας. Ἀνταγόρας ἐπεί ἐνεγίνωσκε παρά Βοιωτοῖς τό τῆς Θηβαΐδος

σύγγραμμα, καί οὐδείς ὑπεσημήνετο, κλείσας τό βιβλίον, ∆ικαίως εἶπε, καλεῖσθε Βοιωτοί· βοῶν γάρ ὦτα ἔχετε.

Ἱέρων. Οὗτος ἀκρόασιν ποιούμενος, εἶπε τριῶν ἐστοχάσθαι, τούς συνετούς ὠφελῆσαι, τούς ἀπείρους διδάξαι, καί τούς φθονερούς λυπῆσαι.

Οἰνοπίδ. Οὗτος, ὁποία ἡ φύσις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐστί, τοιοῦτον ἔφασκεν εἶναι καί τόν λόγον.

Ῥωμύλ. Οὗτος, τόν μέν κέραμον ἐκ τοῦ κοπτοῦ ἔφη δοκιμάζεσθαι· τόν δέ ἄνθρωπον ἐκ τοῦ λόγου.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ιστ´. Περί νουθεσίας. 15Ε_154 Ἰωανν. ε´. Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ παραλυτικῷ, Ἰδέ ὑγιής γέγονας,

μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μή χεῖρόν τί σοι γένοιτο. Α´ Θεσσ. ε´. Παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, νουθετεῖτε ὀλιγοψύχους καί

ἀτάκτους· καί ἀντέχετε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, καί πάντοτε τό ἀγαθόν διώκετε. Σολομῶντος ιβ´. ∆ιά τοῦτο τούς παραπίπτοντας κατ᾿ ὀλίγον ἐλέγχεις, Κύριε,

καί ἐν οἷς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὑπομιμνήσκων νουθετεῖς, ἵνα ἀπαλλαγέντες τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν πιστεύσωσιν ἐπί σέ.

Σιράχ ιη´. Ἐλεος Κυρίου ἐπί πᾶσαν σάρκα, ἐλέγχων καί νουθετῶν καί ἐπιστρέφων ὡς ποιμήν τό ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ.

Βασιλ. Βίαιον γάρ μάθημα οὐ πέφυκε παραμένειν· τό δέ μετά τέρψεως καί χάριτος εἰσδυόμενον, μονιμώτερόν πως ψυχαῖς ἐνιζάνει.

Ὁ τόν κείμενον ἐγείρειν βουλόμενος, ὑψηλότερος 817 εἶναι τοῦ πεπτωκότος πάντως ὀφείλει· ὁ δέ ἐξ ἴσου καταπεσών, ἑτέρου καί αὐτός ἀνιστῶντος κεῖται.

Θεολ. Μήτε τό ἀλγεῖν ἀπαραμύθητον, μήτε τό εὖ πράττειν ἀπαιδαγώγητον. Χρυσοστ. Μή ἄλλους ἰατρεύειν ἐπιχειρήσωμεν, αὐτοί βρύοντες ἕλκεσιν. Συμφέρει δάκνεσθαι διά τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων ἀλγηδόνος τούς ἁμαρτάνοντας,

ἵνα τῆς διά τῶν πραγμάτων ἀσχημοσύνης ἀπαλλαγῶσιν. Μή δεῖ βαρύνεσθαι τήν παραίνεσιν. Εἰ γάρ βαρύνεσθαι ἔδει, 15Ε_156 ἐμέ

ἔδει τόν πολλάκις λέγοντα καί οὐκ ἀκουόμενον· οὐχ ὑμᾶς, τούς ἀεί μέν ἀκούοντας, ἀεί δέ παρακούοντας.

Ἀριστοτ. Μή ἔλαττον ἡγοῦ τοῦ ἐπαινεῖσθαι τό νουθετεῖσθαι.