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above all that you so nobly bear what happens, calling all these things a fable; and what is even greater, that you have also applied this title to the sickness of your body, which is the mark of a youthful soul abounding with the great fruit of courage. For to not only bear difficulties nobly, but not even to be aware of them when they are present, but to look down upon them and with much tranquility to wreathe oneself with the crown of patience, not growing weary, nor sweating, nor having troubles, nor causing them for others, but as if leaping and dancing, this is a proof of the most exact philosophy. For these things I rejoice and leap, I fly with pleasure, I do not perceive the present desolation nor the other circumstances, being gladdened and delighted and greatly exulting in your magnanimity and your successive victories, not for your sake alone, but also for that great and populous city for which you have become a tower and a harbor and a wall, sending forth a brilliant voice through your deeds and teaching each sex through your sufferings both to strip readily for such contests and to go down into the wrestling-grounds with all courage and to bear easily the sweat of such contests. And the wonderful thing is that, not bursting into the marketplace, nor occupying the center of the city, but sitting in a small house and a chamber, you strengthen, you anoint those who stand fast, and with the sea raging so and the waves cresting so, with cliffs and reefs and ledges and wild beasts appearing on all sides and the deepest night possessing everything, as if in midday and calm and with the wind standing astern, thus unfurling the sails of patience you sail with much ease, not only not being tossed by this harsh storm, but not even being splashed; and very reasonably so; for such are the rudders of virtue. And merchants and pilots and sailors and mariners, whenever they see a gathering of clouds or an assault of wild winds or the roaring of the wave boiling with very strong foam, keep their ships within the harbor; and if they should happen to be tossed on the open sea, they do and contrive everything so as to moor the vessel at a haven or an island or a shore. But you, with ten thousand winds, with so many wild waves breaking on all sides, with the depth of the sea being stirred up by the harshness of the storm, with some having been submerged, others floating dead on the waters, others being carried naked on a plank, leaping into the midst of the sea of evils you call all these things a fable, sailing with a fair wind in a storm; and very reasonably so. For the pilots... and dancing, this is a proof of the most exact philosophy. For these things I rejoice and leap, I fly with pleasure, I do not perceive the present desolation nor the other circumstances, being gladdened and delighted and greatly exulting in your magnanimity and your successive victories, not for your sake alone, but also for that great and populous city for which you have become a tower and a harbor and a wall, sending forth a brilliant voice through your deeds and teaching each sex through your sufferings both to strip readily for such contests and to go down into the wrestling-grounds with all courage and to bear easily the sweat of such contests. And the wonderful thing is that, not bursting into the marketplace, nor occupying the center of the city, but sitting in a small house and a chamber, you strengthen, you anoint those who stand fast, and with the sea raging so and the waves cresting so, with cliffs and reefs and ledges and wild beasts appearing on all sides and the deepest night possessing everything, as if in midday and

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πρὸ πάντων ὅτι οὕτω γενναίως φέρεις τὰ συμπίπτοντα μῦθον ἅπαντα ταῦτα καλοῦσα· καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον ὅτι καὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστίᾳ ταύτην περιέθηκας τὴν προσηγορίαν, ὃ ψυχῆς ἐστι νεανικῆς καὶ πολλῷ τῷ τῆς ἀνδρείας βρυούσης καρπῷ. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μόνον φέρειν γενναίως τὰ δυσχερῆ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ παρόντων αὐτῶν αἰσθάνεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὑπερορᾶν καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀπραγμοσύνης τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀναδήσασθαι στέφανον, οὐ κάμνουσαν, οὐδὲ ἱδροῦσαν, οὐδὲ πράγματα ἔχουσαν, οὐδὲ ἑτέροις παρέχουσαν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ σκιρτῶσαν καὶ χορεύουσαν, τοῦτο τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶν ἀπόδειξις. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα χαίρω καὶ σκιρτῶ, πέτομαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, οὐκ αἰσθάνομαι τῆς παρούσης ἐρημίας οὐδὲ τῶν λοιπῶν περιστάσεων, εὐφραινόμενος καὶ γαννύμενος καὶ σφόδρα καλλωπιζόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ μεγαλοφροσύνῃ καὶ ταῖς ἐπαλλήλοις νίκαις, οὐ διὰ σὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν μεγάλην καὶ πολυάνθρωπον πόλιν ἐκείνην ᾗ καὶ ἀντὶ πύργου καὶ λιμένος γέγονας καὶ τείχους, λαμπρὰν τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀφιεῖσα φωνὴν καὶ ἑκάτερον τὸ γένος ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί σου παιδεύουσα καὶ ἀποδύεσθαι ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ἀγῶνας καὶ καταβαίνειν εἰς τὰ σκάμματα μετὰ ἀνδρείας ἁπάσης καὶ φέρειν εὐκόλως τοὺς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγώνων ἱδρῶτας. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν ὅτι οὐκ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβάλλουσα, οὐδὲ τὰ μέσα τῆς πόλεως καταλαμβάνουσα, ἀλλ' ἐν οἰκίσκῳ βραχεῖ καὶ θαλάμῳ καθημένη, νευροῖς, ἀλείφεις τοὺς ἑστῶτας, καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης οὕτω μαινομένης καὶ τῶν κυμάτων οὕτω κορυφουμένων, σκοπέλων τε καὶ ὑφάλων καὶ σπιλάδων καὶ θηρίων πάντοθεν ἀγρίων ἀναφαινομένων καὶ νυκτὸς βαθυτάτης πάντα κατεχούσης, ὡς ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ γαλήνῃ καὶ κατὰ πρύμναν τοῦ πνεύματος ἱσταμένου, οὕτως ἀναπετάσασα τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὰ ἱστία μετὰ πολλῆς πλέεις τῆς εὐκολίας οὐ μόνον οὐ κλυδωνιζομένη ὑπὸ τοῦ χαλεποῦ τούτου χειμῶνος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ περιρραντιζομένη· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· τοιαῦτα γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ πηδάλια. Καὶ ἔμποροι μὲν καὶ κυβερνῆται καὶ ναῦται καὶ πλωτῆρες, ἐπειδὰν ἴδωσι νεφῶν συνδρομὴν ἢ ἀγρίων ἀνέμων ἐμβολὴν ἢ τὸ ῥόθιον τοῦ κύματος σφοδροτάτῳ ζέον ἀφρῷ, εἴσω λιμένος τὰ πλοῖα κατέχουσιν· εἰ δέ που καὶ τύχοιεν ἐν πελάγει σαλεύοντες, πάντα ποιοῦσι καὶ μηχανῶνται ὥστε πρὸς ὅρμον ἢ νῆσον ἢ ἀκτὴν ὁρμίσαι τὸ σκάφος. Σὺ δὲ μυρίων πνευμάτων, τοσούτων ἀγρίων κυμάτων πάντοθεν συρρηγνυμένων, τοῦ βυθοῦ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀναστραφέντος διὰ τὴν χαλεπότητα τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ τῶν μὲν ὑποβρυχίων γενομένων, τῶν δὲ ἐπιπλεόντων νεκρῶν τοῖς ὕδασιν, ἑτέρων γυμνῶν ἐπὶ σανίδος φερομένων, εἰς μέσον ἁλλομένη τὸ πέλαγος τῶν κακῶν μῦθον ἅπαντα ταῦτα καλεῖς ἐξ οὐρίας ἐν χειμῶνι πλέουσα· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ κυβερνῆ σαν καὶ χορεύουσαν, τοῦτο τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶν ἀπόδειξις. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα χαίρω καὶ σκιρτῶ, πέτομαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, οὐκ αἰσθάνομαι τῆς παρούσης ἐρημίας οὐδὲ τῶν λοιπῶν περιστάσεων, εὐφραινόμενος καὶ γαννύμενος καὶ σφόδρα καλλωπιζόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ μεγαλοφροσύνῃ καὶ ταῖς ἐπαλλήλοις νίκαις, οὐ διὰ σὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν μεγάλην καὶ πολυάνθρωπον πόλιν ἐκείνην ᾗ καὶ ἀντὶ πύργου καὶ λιμένος γέγονας καὶ τείχους, λαμπρὰν τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀφιεῖσα φωνὴν καὶ ἑκάτερον τὸ γένος ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί σου παιδεύουσα καὶ ἀποδύεσθαι ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ἀγῶνας καὶ καταβαίνειν εἰς τὰ σκάμματα μετὰ ἀνδρείας ἁπάσης καὶ φέρειν εὐκόλως τοὺς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγώνων ἱδρῶτας. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν ὅτι οὐκ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβάλλουσα, οὐδὲ τὰ μέσα τῆς πόλεως καταλαμβάνουσα, ἀλλ' ἐν οἰκίσκῳ βραχεῖ καὶ θαλάμῳ καθημένη, νευροῖς, ἀλείφεις τοὺς ἑστῶτας, καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης οὕτω μαινομένης καὶ τῶν κυμάτων οὕτω κορυφουμένων, σκοπέλων τε καὶ ὑφάλων καὶ σπιλάδων καὶ θηρίων πάντοθεν ἀγρίων ἀναφαινομένων καὶ νυκτὸς βαθυτάτης πάντα κατεχούσης, ὡς ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ