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and having kept the same character for them, it accuses sin, which introduces this need, and here too it shows the equality of the Creator. For it preserved to the end the identity of substance, and drove out the disorder of sin by the order of leadership, and regulated its excess by the rule of law, like some shipwright straightening planks with a cord, and removing the excess. Therefore, do not accuse the Creator when you see slavery, but flee sin and blasphemy, through which the human race was divided into slavery and lordship. But you, when you see a vessel borne by fair winds, and the passengers sitting quietly, and the sailors, either rowing with the oars, or hauling the forestays, or doing some other of the commanded tasks, and the lookout scanning for reefs and shoals and ledges, and reporting to the captain, and the captain overseeing all, and steering the vessel with the rudders, you marvel at the order, and you do not command all to be captains, nor do you entrust the command of the ship to all; and seeing some resting, and others doing what is commanded, and another announcing what is seen, and another commanding all together, you are not indignant, nor do you accuse it of disorder, but you continue to marvel greatly at the order; but households you do not wish to be governed in a similar way to cargo ships, but you are displeased, seeing one leading the household, and others being led. And yet a household and a ship are very much like one another in their management. For the master, just like a captain, having taken hold of the rudders of the household, is in charge of all; and the one who is first among the servants, the one entrusted with the care of all the others, imitating the lookout, informs the master what he considers expedient. And of the other servants, some, similarly to the sailors, having been entrusted with partial cares, do what they are commanded; while the rest, like passengers, are in the midst of these, being directed by them, and receiving their necessities through them. Why then, indeed, do you praise a vessel so governed, but you continue to mock a household that receives the same management? And I think you also praise an army, which the general leads, and the captains guard the companies, and the commanders lead the ranks in order; and centurions and chiliarchs convey the general's commands to these, and now they draw up the army into a phalanx, now in a square formation, 83.677 at other times they lead them on the wing. And there are times when, having extended each wing very far, they encircle the enemy, not even permitting them to flee, but from all sides equally loosing their arrows, and utterly destroying them all. And none of these things would have happened, if the army had not been divided into rulers and ruled; for a multiplicity of commanders in an army is the most harmful thing of all, cutting it into many parts, and tearing apart its concord, and trying to steer with many counsels, it harms more than it governs. How then is it not absurd, that you, who marvel at the command of one on a ship, and praise the order of an army, which the laws of the generals produce, should find fault with a household being led in this manner? But, he says, it is a bitter thing to serve, and to have the enjoyment of necessities at the discretion of masters, and to be worn out by continuous toils. But if you would wish to truly consider each of the things said, having said farewell to contentious arguments, you will find some things full of despondency, and others of much benefit. For the master of the house, is besieged by many cares, considering how he might provide for the needs of his household, how he might bring the appointed tribute to the kings, how he might sell the surplus of his revenues, and buy what is lacking. The earth ungrateful has become towards the farmers, the of the

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κἀ κείνοις τὸν αὐτὸν φυλάξασα χαρακτῆρα, κατηγορεῖ μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ταύτην εἰσαγούσης τὴν χρείαν, τοῦ δὲ Ποιητοῦ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἰσότητα δείκνυσιν. Ἐφύλαξε γὰρ μέχρι τέλους τὴν τῆς οὐσίας ταυτό τητα, τὴν δὲ ἀταξίαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῇ τάξει τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐξέλασε, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνης πλεονεξίαν τῷ κανόνι τῆς νομοθεσίας ἐῤῥύθμισεν, οἷόν τις ναυ πηγὸς σπαρτίῳ τινὶ σανίδας ἀπευθύνων, καὶ τὸ περιττὸν ἀφαιρούμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ κατηγόρει τὴν δουλείαν θεώμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ βλασφημίαν φεῦγε, δι' ἣν εἰς δουλείαν καὶ δε σποτείαν διῃρέθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος. Σὺ δὲ, σκάφος μὲν ὁρῶν ἐξ οὐρίων φερόμενον, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πλωτῆρας ἡσυχῆ καθημένους, τοὺς δὲ ναύτας, ἢ ταῖς κώπαις ἐρέττοντας, ἢ τὰς προτόνους ἕλκοντας, ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν κελευομένων ἐργαζομένους, τὸν δὲ πρωρέα σκοπέλους καὶ βράχη καὶ σπιλάδας περισκο ποῦντα, καὶ τῷ κυβερνήτῃ μηνύοντα, τὸν δὲ κυ βερνήτην πᾶσιν ἐπιστατοῦντα, καὶ τοῖς πηδαλίοις τὸ σκάφος ἰθύνοντα, θαυμάζεις τὴν τάξιν, καὶ οὐ κε λεύεις εἶναι πάντας κυβερνήτας, οὐδὲ πᾶσι τὴν τῆς νηὸς ἡγεμονίαν πιστεύεις· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἡσυχά ζοντας βλέπων, τοὺς δὲ τὸ κελευόμενον δρῶντας, τὸν δὲ προλέγοντα τὸ φαινόμενον, τὸν δὲ πάντων ὁμοῦ προστατεύοντα, οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖς, οὐδὲ κατηγορεῖς ἀκοσμίαν, ἀλλὰ μάλα θαυμάζων τὴν τάξιν δια τελεῖς· τὰς δὲ οἰκίας οὐκ ἐθέλεις ταῖς ὁλκάσι πα ραπλησίως κυβερνᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ δυσχεραίνεις, τὸν μὲν ἡγούμενον βλέπων τῆς οἰκίας, τοὺς δὲ ἀγομένους. Καὶ μὴν οἰκία καὶ ναῦς κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν λίαν ἀλλήλαις ἐοίκασιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ δεσπότης, καθάπερ τις κυβερνήτης, τῶν τῆς οἰκίας οἰάκων ἐπειλημμέ νος, τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐφέστηκεν· ὁ δὲ τῶν οἰκετῶν πρω τεύων, ὁ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὴν κηδεμονίαν πεπι στευμένος, τὸν πρωρέα μιμούμενος, διδάσκει τὸν δεσπότην ἃ νομίζει συμφέρειν. Τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οἰκε τῶν, οἱ μὲν ναύταις παραπλησίως, μερικὰς ἐγκε χειρισμένοι φροντίδας, τὰ κελευόμενα πράττουσιν· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ, δίκην πλωτήρων, ἐν μέσῳ τούτων εἰσὶν, ὑπὸ τούτων ἰθυνόμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων διὰ τού των τυγχάνοντες. Τί δήποτε τοίνυν σκάφος μὲν οὕτω κυβερνώμενον ἐπαινεῖς, οἰκίαν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν δεχο μένην οἰκονομίαν σκώπτων διατελεῖς; Ἐγὼ δὲ ἡγοῦμαί σε καὶ στρατιὰν ἐπαινεῖν, ἧς ἡγεῖται μὲν ὁ στρατηγὸς, φυλάττουσι δὲ τοὺς λόχους οἱ λοχ αγοὶ, ἐν κόσμῳ δὲ τὰς τάξεις ἄγουσιν οἱ ταξιάρχαι· ἑκατόνταρχοι δὲ καὶ χιλίαρχοι τὰ παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ συνθήματα τούτοις διαπορθμεύουσι, καὶ νῦν μὲν εἰς φάλαγγα καθιστῶσι τὴν στρατιὰν, νῦν δὲ ἐν πλινθίῳ, 83.677 ἄλλοτε ἐπὶ κέρας ἄγουσιν. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε κέρας ἑκάτε ρον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐκτείναντες, κυκλοῦσι μὲν τοὺς πολεμίους, οὐδὲ φυγεῖν ἐπιτρέποντες, ἀλλὰ πάντοθεν ὁμοίως ἀφιέντες τὰ βέλη, καὶ ἄρδην ἅπαντας ἀναι ροῦντες. Τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν ἐγεγόνει, μὴ τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰς ἄρχοντας καὶ ἀρχομένους διῃρημένης· πολυαρχία γὰρ ἐν στρατιᾷ πάντων μάλιστα βλαβερώτατον, εἰς πολλὰ κατατέμνουσα, καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν διασπῶσα, καὶ πολλαῖς βουλαῖς ἰθύνειν μὲν πειρωμένη, βλά πτουσα δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ κυβερνῶσα. Πῶς τοίνυν οὐκ ἄτο πον, καὶ ἐν νηΐ σε θαυμάζοντα τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς προσ τασίαν, καὶ στρατιᾶς ἐπαινοῦντα τὴν τάξιν, ἣν οἱ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐργάζονται νόμοι, μέμφεσθαί σε οἰκίαν τοῦτον ἀγομένην τὸν τρόπον; Ἀλλὰ πικρὸν, φησὶ, τὸ δουλεύειν, κἀν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῶν δεσποτῶν ἔχειν τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ πόνοις διηνεκέσι ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι. Ἀλλ' εἰ φιλ αλήθως τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστον σκοπῆσαι θελήσειας, ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας τοῖς ἐριστικοῖς λόγοις, εὑρήσεις, τὰ μὲν ἀθυμίας, τὰ δὲ πολλῆς ὠφελείας μεστά. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῆς οἰκίας δεσπότης, πολλαῖς πολιορκεῖ ται φροντίσι, σκοπούμενος ὅπως τοῖς οἰκείοις πορίσῃ τὰς χρείας, ὅπως βασιλεῦσι τὴν τεταγμένην εἰσφορὰν εἰσενέγκῃ, ὅπως ἀποδῶται μὲν τῶν προσόδων τὰ περιττὰ, ὠνήσηται δὲ τὰ ἐνδέοντα. Ἀγνώμων ἡ γῆ περὶ τοὺς γηπόνους ἐγένετο, τὴν τῶν