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It is pleasing. A. Come now, be persuaded by me. B. And most certainly. A. With the remedies of reason restrain the whole disease. And many indeed of those we know have mastered even greater things than I wish. B. Of what greater things do you speak? A. Of anger, envy, satiety, of satiety. B. How are these greater? A. The appetite is greater. And for what the appetite is intense, the restraint is greater. B. It stands to reason. But if you do not have the disease restrainable for now, what must be done? 798 A. At least avoid for my sake multiplying oaths, always, and greater ones, and concerning everything. B. When then, and which ones, and for what purpose do you permit them? A. When there is a necessity. B. Let it be so. For what purpose, add this? A. That will free some people from dangers. B. A good thing, indeed. A. Or freeing yourself from a shameful accusation. But let an oath not bring you gain of money. For it seems exceedingly shameful. B. Exceedingly. A. What is more ready to bring a charge of perjury than these things? For more men are evil in matters of money. B. More; who will not agree? A. And this was held as a dogma by the sophists. B. What great thing then for us? 799 A. It is nothing to imitate them, but if we should appear worse, this is very shameful indeed. B. What oaths then must especially be avoided? A. It is obvious. B. But it is safe to hear it from you. A. I mean those which are more dreadful. B. Are you afraid to say? A. As many as simply contain a mention of God. B. What then of the Scriptures, and of the Passion, and of the Offering? A. And these are likewise mystical. B. And for us especially, those that are common among us; A. And I weep, indeed. For what is customary also becomes law. But all things can be conquered by reason. 800 B. What oath then have you left? A. Would that there were none, nor any other. B. Except by one's wife, children, one's salvation, life, a sorrowless existence. A. These are curses, but nevertheless seem to be oaths. B. For let them seem so, these by which, when we are struck, we have not perished; for there is not yet danger for the soul; for it to be destroyed, is complete doom. A. You are right. But for you, for everything, in the heat of your heart, God, the table, dearest things, the Cross, your wife, the divine blood, your own blood, earth and sea, whatever evil eagerness first brought forth, moved by your destroyer; 801 Who also makes the disease seem sweet, O the folly! As if one were pouring out gold from a babbling tongue. B. For it is just as you say. A. And waves upon waves are roused, perhaps by the blowing of anger, perhaps of money, perhaps of desire; for the snares are very many. He does not think the oath that was poured forth is terrible. B. For he does not think so. A. But by remaining in it, alas, wretched man! he is choked. B. It is as if you are a painter of the suffering. A. He thinks to persuade more by being disbelieved, if he is not understood. 802 What need have you of more words, if one prevails? B. Superfluous labor, clearly. A. What need of more oaths, if one prevails? B. I do not think so, indeed. A. The multitude of oaths then is a sign of lack of faith. B. It is not otherwise, you speak well. A. Either, then, to swear not at all, or if somewhere, a single one. B. This would be best. A. If one is turned, the whole will be turned also. B. What a fine sophism! A. Someone might say that the multitude is trusted? B. It is thought so. A. Or do you also make gold by putting dust together? B. Who else, or what is its nature? A. From many untrustworthy things, what sense is there that trust should arise? 803 B. None, it seems to me. A. Will you ever stop, better than most wicked Wealth? You shall not swear, then, by everything, nor at all times, while eating, dicing, sailing, traveling, being unfortunate, being fortunate, while selling something, acquiring something, rejoicing, groaning, among friends, among fellow drinkers, vomiting up the oath, like those who are full of food and drink. B. The matter is of great disaster. A. But not even for the sake of all things, as one who is easily caught, whenever you are overcome by a deed, a word, a shadow, and tyranny. B. As at least for the most part it seems. 804 A. You insult all things, both God and matters. B. How all things? A. By putting all things together into one, things which are not equal. This is a rein of rope. What then? Will you not say that God also is sometimes found by us swearing, as the Scriptures at least say? Or what is also greater than God? B. Nothing greater is found. A. But if nothing is greater, He would never swear. B. How then do they say it? A. He says something, and this is the oath of God. B. How then is it said that he swears by himself? A. How? Would he even exist at all, if he lies? B. You say something dreadful. 805 A. For it is the nature of God also to be without falsehood; not

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ἀρέσκει. Α. Φέρ' οὖν, ἐμοὶ πείσθητι. Β. Καὶ μάλιστα μέν. Α. Τοῖς τοῦ λογισμοῦ φαρμάκοις Πᾶσαν κάτασχε τὴν νόσον. Πολλοὶ δὲ δὴ Ὧν ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς Καὶ μειζόνων ἐκράτησαν ἢ βούλομαι. Β. Τίνων λέγεις δὴ μειζόνων; Α. Θυμοῦ, φθόνου τε, πλησμονῆς, τῶν πλησμονῆς. Β. Πῶς ταῦτα μείζω; Α. Πλείων ὄρεξις. Ὧν δ' ὄρεξις ἔντονος, Μείζων κάθεξις. Β. Πᾶς λόγος. Εἰ δ' οὐ καθεκτὴν τὴν νόσον τέως ἔχεις, Τί δεῖ γενέσθαι; 798 Α. Τὸ γοῦν ἀεὶ, καὶ μείζω, καὶ παντὸς πέρι, Ὅρκους πληθύνειν, φεῦγέ μοι. Β. Πότ' οὖν, τίνας τε, καὶ τίνων δίδως χάριν; Α. Οὔσης ἀνάγκης. Β. Ἔστω. Τίνος δὲ δὴ, προστίθει; Α. Κινδύνων Ἐλευθερώσων δή τινας. Β. Χρηστόν γε. Α. Ἢ σεαυτὸν αἰσχρᾶς αἰτίας Ἐλευθερῶν γε. Ὅρκος δὲ μή σοι χρημάτων κέρδος φέροι. Λίαν γὰρ αἰσχρὸν φαίνεται. Β. Λίαν. Α. Πρόχειρον ἐγκαλεῖν ψευδορκίαν Τούτων τί μᾶλλον; Πλείους κακοὶ γάρ εἰσιν εἰς τὰ χρήματα. Β. Πλείους· τίς οὐ συνθήσεται; Α. Καὶ τοῖς σοφισταῖς τοῦτ' ἐδογματίζετο. Β. Τί οὖν μέγ' ἡμῖν; 799 Α. Οὐδὲν τὸ μιμεῖσθαι, εἰ δὲ καὶ φαινοίμεθα Χείρους, τόδ' αἰσχρὸν καὶ μάλα. Β. Ὅρκους δὲ δὴ μάλιστα φευκτέον τίνας; Α. Εὔδηλόν ἐστι. Β. Πλὴν σοῦ γ' ἀκούειν ἀσφαλές. Α. Τούτους λέγω Ὅσοι γε φρικωδέστεροι. Β. ∆έδοικας εἰπεῖν; Α. Ὅσσοι ἂν μνήμην Θεοῦ Ἔχουσιν ἁπλῶς. Β. Γραφῶν δὲ δὴ τί, καὶ πάθους, καὶ προσφορᾶς; Α. Καὶ ταῦτ' ὁμοίως μυστικά. Β. Ἡμῖν δὲ δὴ μάλιστα τῶν ἐγχωρίων· Α. Καὶ δακρύω γε. Τὸ γὰρ σύνηθες καὶ νόμος καθίσταται. Πλὴν πάνθ' ἁλωτὰ τῷ λόγῳ. 800 Β. Τίν' οὖν λέλοιπας ὅρκον; Α. Εἴθε μηδένα, Μὴ δ' ἦν τις ἄλλος. Β. Εἰ μὴ γυναῖκα, τέκνα, τὴν σωτηρίαν, Ζωὴν, ἀπένθητον βίον. Α. Ἀραὶ τάδ' ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὅρκος δοκεῖ. Β. Καὶ γὰρ δοκείτω Ταῦθ', οἷ τε καὶ πληγέντες οὐκ ὀλώλαμεν· Ψυχῆς γὰρ οὔπω κίνδυνος· Ἣν ἐξολέσθαι, παντελής ἐστι μόρος. Α. Ὀρθῶς ἔχει σοι. Σοὶ δ' εἰς ἅπαντα, τῇ ζέσει τῆς καρδίας, Θεὸς, τράπεζα, φίλτατα, Σταυρὸς, γυνὴ, τὸ θεῖον αἷμα, αἷμα σὸν, Γῆ καὶ θάλασσα, Ὃ πρῶτον ἤνεγχ' ἡ κακὴ προθυμία, Τῷ σῷ φθορεῖ κινούμενον· 801 Ὃς καὶ γλυκεῖαν τὴν νόσον ποιεῖ δοκεῖν, Ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας! Ὥσπερ χέοι τε χρυσὸν ἐκ γλωσσαλγίας. Β. Ἔχει γὰρ οὕτως, ὡς λέγεις. Α. Ἄλλα δ' ἐπ' ἄλλοις κύματ' ἐξεγείρεται, Θυμοῦ πνέοντος Ἴσως, ἴσως δὲ χρημάτων ἴσως πόθου· Πλεῖσται γάρ εἰσιν αἱ πάγαι. Οὐ τὸν χεθέντα δεινὸν ὅρκον οἴεται. Β. Οὐκ οἴεται γάρ. Α. Τῷ δ' ἐμμένοντι, φεῦ τάλας! συμπνίγεται. Β. Ὥσπερ γραφεὺς εἶ τοῦ πάθους. Α. Πείθειν νομίζει τῷ ἀπειθεῖσθαι πλέον, Ἂν μὴ νοηθῇ. 802 Τί δεῖ λόγων σοι πλειόνων, ἂν εἷς κρατῇ; Β. Μόχθος περισσὸς δηλαδή. Α. Ὅρκων δὲ τί δεῖ πλειόνων, ἂν εἷς κρατῇ; Β. Οὐκ οἴομαί γε. Α. Τὸ πλῆθος οὖν γνώρισμα τῆς οὐ πίστεως. Β. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως, εὖ λέγεις. Α. Ἢ μηδόλως οὖν ὀμνύειν, ἢ εἴπου τινά. Β. Τοῦτ' ἦν ἄριστον. Α. Εἷς ἂν τρέπηται, καὶ τὸ πᾶν τραπήσεται. Β. Καλοῦ γε τοῦ σοφίσματος! Α. Εἴποι τίς ἂν, τὸ πλῆθος ὡς πιστεύεται; Β. Νομίζεθ' οὕτως. Α. Ἢ καὶ κόνιν συνθεὶς σὺ ποιεῖς χρυσίον; Β. Τίς δ' ἄλλος, ἢ τίς ἡ φύσις; Α. Ἐκ πλειόνων δὲ, τίς λόγος, ἀπιστουμένων Πίστιν γενέσθαι; 803 Β. Οὐδεὶς, ἔμοι γε φαίνεται. Α. Παύσεις ποτὲ Πλούτου κακίστου βέλτιον; Οὔκουν ὀμῇ τὰ πάντα, οὐδὲ πάντοτε, Ἔσθων, κυβεύων, Πλέων, ὁδεύων, δυστυχῶν, εὐημερῶν, Ἀπεμπολῶν, τὶ κτώμενος, Χαίρων, στενάζων, ἐν φίλοις, ἐν συμπόταις, Ἐμῶν τὸν ὅρκον, Ὡς οἱ τροφῆς τε καὶ ποτοῦ πεπλησμένοι. Β. Πολλῆς τὸ πρᾶγμα συμφορᾶς. Α. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πάντων εἴνεχ', ὡς ἁλώσιμος, Ἐπὰν κρατηθῇς Ἔργου, λόγου, σκιᾶς τε καὶ τυραννίδος. Β. Ὡς γοῦν τὰ πολλὰ φαίνεται. 804 Α. Τὰ πάνθ' ὑβρίζεις, καὶ Θεὸν καὶ πράγματα. Β. Πῶς δὴ τὰ πάντα; Α. Εἰς ἓν τὰ πάντα συντιθεὶς, οὐκ ὄντ' ἴσα. Σπάρτος τόδ' ἐστὶν ἡνίας. Τί δ'; οὐχὶ, φήσεις, καὶ Θεός ποτ' ὀμνύων Εὑρίσκεθ' ἡμῖν, Ὡς αἱ Γραφαὶ γοῦν; Ἢ τί καὶ κρεῖσσον Θεοῦ; Β. Τὶ κρεῖσσον οὐχ εὑρίσκεται. Α. Εἰ δ' οὔτι κρεῖσσον, οὐδ' ἂν ὀμνύοι ποτέ. Β. Πῶς οὖν λέγουσι; Α. Λέγει τι, τοῦτο δ' ὅρκος ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Β. Πῶς οὖν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ λέγεται; Α. Πῶς; οὐδ' ἂν εἴη παντελῶς, εἰ ψεύδεται; Β. Φρικτὸν λέγεις τι. 805 Α. Φύσις γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἀψευδεῖν Θεοῦ· Οὐκ