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Is there anyone who will contradict? B. But what of the Old [Testament]? A. It does not forbid the oath, But seeks what is true. For then killing was lawful, But now not even striking. B. For what reason? A. Then the end of evil deeds was judged, Now even the impulse. B. So it seems to me. For it has gone further. A. So a temperate person will not even swear. B. What then? Have you given to some, as to infants, The first food, So that they may also receive the later food? A. Rightly and most wisely. 806 B. And Paul swore, they say. A. Who told you this? What nonsense it was! B. "God is my witness," and, "God knows this," Were these not of an oath? A. And of what sort? It is an unbreakable confirmation for such great things. B. But will you grant it to me? A. And may you become for me in all things a Paul in strength. This at least is a just standard. B. Will anger take hold of anything? A. Well then, at that time, Whenever something happens. Does a simple evil seem worse, or a double one? Such as this: To fall into an oath suddenly, unprovoked. What does it seem to you? B. Yes, envy. 807 A. What if, having been challenged, you do something else worse? B. This very thing, I suppose. But if out of ignorance? A. Less. But responsible For what was moved by me. B. But if not unwillingly, but delivering from dangers? A. Let someone else give it. B. But if one should write it, not having sworn an oath? A. What then does the writing mean? And a handwritten bond binds more than fetters. B. But if out of necessity? A. How is it that I have not died? One ought to have died before. B. But if the Scriptures are not set before us? A. Does the page, or God, grant what is sacred? B. This is clear. A. You fear the parchment, but I fear God more. 808 B. For many this disease is customary. A. For many this is the case; as if someone, striking and dishonoring his master, Should want to release or honor the slave. B. What great dishonor! A. Or as if someone should save the image of a king, While deposing the king himself. B. It is so. But add this still, If anything is lacking in the argument. A. "The tongue has sworn, but the mind is unsworn," Many say. All things are contrived beforehand, or else an oath. Let no one be deceived at all. It is indeed an oath, and how great is the evil Of duplicity added to it! 809 B. I am considering. But what is an oath? A. The intention of what has been agreed. B. I shuddered hearing what you say. A. You say so. But I do not yet know until I learn by experience. For faith is action. Indeed even swine shudder immediately, When a boar cries out. B. It is so. A. But it is nothing great. But if the word Should touch the heart, I praise it. B. What? Is not the bath a purification for me? A. It is. But consider. B. What should I consider? A. Not of your way of life, at any rate, but of your sins. B. But of my way of life, how could it be? A. Only in this way, if it should also wash something away beforehand. B. I understand. A. For fear of what is to come; But forgiveness for many things is not to be honored. 810 B. How would one say this? A. Lest there be need of a second purification? B. But what is this? Make it known. A. It is of long tears and wasting away. B. May it not happen to me. A. It is a terrible thing to give up an easier gift. B. These are the tablets of God. A. For they are of God; but written on the tablets Of your heart. Do you wish to learn how this is a struggle of envy, Envying your right actions? B. You will help by speaking; for I struggle much. A. Listen. B. Speak. A. I heard you speaking not without tears. B. What of this? I will not deny it. 811 A. That if ever I happen to say any word, But do not add an oath, I am ashamed as if my words are not complete. B. This is that, clearly. A. You yourself add what is lacking to the word. This is an oath, An evil fulfillment of the terrible flame. And Plato also does this, So as not to swear by any god, observing reverence. B. I know well what you will say. A. There was a certain plane tree, by which alone he swore, But not even by this aptly. But he knows how, but who it was, was no longer present. 812 But what is this? A certain shadow of an oath, and an anonymous emphasis. B. An oathless oath. How strange! A. By the divine power, the wise ones say. B. This is already a universal oath. A. Let this be the end of the argument. B. You threaten to leave me, who am thirsty, so quickly. A. If indeed an oath seems to you a small thing, I do not praise this. But if it is, as it is, one of the most dreadful things, I too dare something of the noble things; The oath itself for you, turn away from oaths. B. You have the victory. 813 A. If I should have this, my Christ, I glorify you, The wonder-worker, as present. And let us all, agreeing, say this, Amen, may it be so. 25. Against Anger. I am enraged with anger, the demon who dwells with me, He is just... of the

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ἔστιν ὅστις ἀντερεῖ. Β. Τί δ' ἡ Παλαιά; Α. Οὐ τὸν ὅρκον κωλύει, Ζητεῖ δ' ἀληθῆ. Καὶ γὰρ φονεύειν τηνικαῦτ' ἦν ἔννομον, Νῦν δ' οὐδὲ παίειν. Β. Τοῦ χάριν; Α. Τόθ' ἡ τελευτὴ τῶν κακῶν ἐκρίνετο, Νῦν καὶ τὸ κινοῦν. Β. Οὕτω δοκεῖ μοι. Καὶ γὰρ ἦλθ' ἐπὶ πλέον. Α. Ὥστ' οὐδ' ὀμεῖται σωφρονῶν Β. Τί οὖν; δέδωκας ἔστιν οἷς, ὡς νηπίοις, Τροφῆς τὰ πρῶτα, Ὡς ἂν λάβωσι καὶ τροφὴν τὴν ὕστερον; Α. Ὀρθῶς γε καὶ σοφώτατα. 806 Β. Καὶ Παῦλος ὤμνυ, φασί. Α. Τίς τόδ' εἶπέ σοι· Ὡς λῆρος ἦν τις! Β. «Μάρτυς Θεός μοι,» καὶ, «Θεὸς τόδ' ἱστορεῖ,» Ταῦτ' οὐκ ἦν ὅρκου; Α. Καὶ τίνος; Πίστωσις ἐστι τοῖς τοσούτοις ἀῤῥαγής, Β. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δώσεις; Α. Καὶ πάντα μοι γένοιο Παῦλος εἰς σθένος. Στάθμη δικαία τοῦτό γε. Β. Θυμός τι λήψετ'; Α. Εὖγε, τηνικαῦτα δὴ, Ἐπάν τι συμβῇ. Ἁπλοῦν κακόν τι χεῖρον, ἢ δισσὸν δοκεῖ; Οἷον τόδ' ἐστί· Τὸ δ' οὐ προκληθέντ' ἀθρόως ὅρκῳ πεσεῖν. Τί φαίνεταί σοι; Β. Ναὶ φθόνος. 807 Α. Τί δ', ἂν προκληθεὶς, ἄλλο χεῖρον εἰργάσω; Β. Τοῦτ' αὐτὸ δή που. Εἰ δ' ἐξ ἀγνοίας; Α. Μεῖον. Ἀλλ' ὑπεύθυνος, Ὧν ἦν τὸ κίνημ' ἐξ ἐμοῦ. Β. Εἰ δ' οὐκ ἄκων μὲν, κινδύνων δ' ἐλευθερῶν; Α. Ἄλλος δότω τις. Β. Εἰ δ' ἐγγράφοι τις, ὅρκον οὐκ ὀμωμοκώς; Α. Τί οὖν τὸ γράμμα βούλεται; Χειρόγραφον δὲ τῶν δεσμῶν δεσμεῖ πλέον. Β. Εἰ δ' ἐξ ἀνάγκης; Α. Πῶς οὐ τέθνηκ'; ἐχρῆν δὲ πρόσθεν καὶ θανεῖν. Β. Εἰ δ' οὐ Γραφῶν προκειμένων; Α. Σελὶς τὸ σεπτὸν, ἢ Θεὸς χαρίζεται; Β. ∆ῆλον τόδ' ἐστί. Α. Φοβῇ τὸ δέρμα, τὸν Θεὸν δ' ἐγὼ πλέον. 808 Β. Πολλοῖς συνήθης ἡ νόσος. Α. Πολλοῖς τόδ' ἐστίν· οἷον εἴ τις δεσπότην Παίων, ἀτιμῶν, Τὸν δοῦλον ἢ ἀφεῖτο, ἢ τιμᾷν θέλοι. Β. Πολλῆς γε τῆς ἀτιμίας! Α. Ἢ καὶ βασιλέως εἰκόνα σώζοιτό τις, Αὐτὸν καθαιρῶν. Β. Ἔχει μὲν οὕτω. Τοῦτο προστίθει δ' ἔτι, Εἴπερ τι λείπει τῷ λόγῳ. Α. Ἡ γλῶσσ' ὀμώμοχ', ἡ δὲ φρὴν ἀνώμοτος, Πολλοὶ λέγουσιν. Ἅπαντα πρόσθεν, ἢ ὅρκος, σοφίζεται. Μηδεὶς πλανάσθω μηδόλως. Ὅρκος μέν ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ διπλόη πόσον Κακὸν πρόσεστι! 809 Β. Σκοπῶ. Τί δ' ὅρκος; Α. Τῶν δεδογμένων ὁ νοῦς. Β. Ἔφριξ' ἀκούων οἷς λέγεις. Α. Λέγεις μέν. Οὔπω δ' οἶδα πρὶν πείρᾳ μάθω. Πίστις γὰρ ἔργον. Φρίσσουσι μέν τοι καὶ σύες παραυτίκα, Συὸς βοῶντος. Β. Ὧδ' ἔχει. Α. Ἀλλ' οὐ μέγ' οὐδέν. Εἰ δὲ καρδίας λόγος Ἅψαιτ', ἐπαινῶ. Β. Τί δ'; οὐ τὸ λοῦτρόν ἐστί μοι καθάρσιον; Α. Ἔστι. Σκόπει δέ. Β. Τί σκοπῶ; Α. Οὐ τοῦ τρόπου πάντως γε, τῶν δ' ἐπταισμένων Β. Τρόπου δὲ, πῶς ἄν; Α. Οὕτω μόνως ἂν, ἤν τι καὶ προεκπλύνῃ. Β. Νοῶ. Α. Φόβος γὰρ τοῦ πρόσω· Πολλῶν δὲ συγχώρησις οὐ τιμητέα. 810 Β. Πῶς ἂν τόδ' εἴποι; Α. Μή που δέησις δευτέρου καθαρσίου; Β. Τί δ' ἔστι τοῦτο; γνώρισον. Α. Ἔστι δὲ μακρῶν δακρύων καὶ τήξεως. Β. Μή μοι γένοιτο. Α. ∆εινὸν προέσθαι δῶρον εὐκολώτερον. Β. Πλάκες τάδ' εἰσὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Α. Θεοῦ γάρ εἰσιν· ἐγγράφοις δὲ καρδίας Πλαξί γε τῆς σῆς. Βούλει μαθεῖν ὡς τοῦτο τοῦ φθόνου πάλη, Τοῖς σοῖς φθονοῦντος δεξιοῖς; Β. Εἰπὼν ὀνήσεις· πολλὰ γὰρ παλαίομαι. Α. Ἄκουε. Β. Φάσκε. Α. Ἤκουσά σου λέγοντος οὐκ ἀδακρυτί. Β. Τί τοῦτο; οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι. 811 Α. Ὡς ἤν ποτ' εἰπὼν ὀντινοῦν λόγον τύχω, Ὅρκον δὲ μὴ θῶ, Ὡς οὐ τελείοις τοῖς λόγοις αἰσχύνομαι. Β. Τοῦτ' ἔστ' ἐκεῖνο ἐμφανῶς. Α. Τὸ λεῖπον αὐτὸς προστιθῇς σὺ τῷ λόγῳ Τόδ' ἐστὶν ὅρκος, Κακὸν πλήρωμα τῆς δεινῆς φλογός. Πλάτων δὲ ποιεῖ καὶ τόδε Ὡς μὴ θεόν τιν' ὀμνύειν τηρῶν σέβας. Β. Εὖ οἶδ' ὃ φήσεις. Α. Ἦν τις πλάτανος, καθ' ἧς ὤμνυ καὶ μόνης, Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ταύτης εὐστόχως. Ἀλλ' οἶδεν ᾗ τὸν, τίνα δ', οὐ προσῆν ἔτι. 812 Τί τοῦτο δ' ἔστιν Ὅρκου σκιά τις, ἔμφασίς τ' ἀνώνυμος. Β. Ἄνορκος ὅρκος. Ὡς ξένον! Α. Μὰ τὸ δαιμόνιον οἱ σοφοί. Β. Πανορκία Τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἤδη. Α. Πέρας τόδ' ἔστω τοῦ λόγου. Β. ∆ιψῶντά με Λείψειν ἀπειλεῖς ὡς τάχος. Α. Εἰ μέν τοι μικρὸν ὅρκος εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ, Τοῦτ' οὐκ ἐπαινῶ. Εἰ δ' ἔστιν, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ, τῶν φρικτῶν λίαν, Κἀγώ τι τολμῶ τῶν καλῶν· Αὐτόν γέ σοι τὸν ὅρκον, ὅρκους ἐκτρέπου. Β. Ἔχεις τὸ νῖκος. 813 Α. Εἰ τοῦτ' ἔχοιμι, Χριστέ μου, σὲ δοξάζω Τὸν θαυματουργὸν, ὡς παρός. Πάντες δ' ὁμοῤῥοθοῦντες εἴπωμεν τάδε, Ἀμὴν, γένοιτο. ΚΕʹ. Κατὰ θυμοῦ. Θυμῷ χολοῦμαι τῷ συνοίκῳ δαίμονι, Οὗτος δίκαιος τῶν