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of anger for me alone, If it is necessary also to suffer the usual things. For since we have restrained our speech with an oath, Bearing the fruit of silence worthy of speech; Knowing anger to be the very root of an oath, Along with many others from which this terrible thing grows, 814 The wildest and the blackest; And this, God willing, we shall root out, Cutting, as is possible, with the incision of reason. And first I ask, not to be angered by my speech. For so is this disease of the unrestrainable, That they are often enraged even at shadows, And at their own true counselors. But it is necessary, as it seems, not to say anything soft, When such a great evil is the subject of our discourse; But as with the wild flame of a roaring fire, Leaping, darting with many sparks, Rushing upward with a living force, 815 Greedily ever claiming what is before it, We must send water and dust to quell it by force; Or a beast appearing from a shady thicket, Bristling, with fiery eyes, foaming at the mouth, Lusting for battle, and slaughter, and corpses, We must subdue with spears, hunters, and slings. Perhaps thus we might become Superior to the passion, God willing, or in some measure Restrain it. Nor is this a small thing to me, Some small yielding of a very great evil, As for those who are afflicted by a grievous disease. Let us examine the disease from the beginning for a little, What it is, from whence it comes, and how it is to be guarded against, Considering the collections of the men of old, 816 All who have investigated the natures of things. There are some who say the outburst is a boiling of the blood, That which is near the heart; Those who assign the disease to the body, Just as many of the passions are assigned to other things. But others have called it a desire for retaliation (Attributing the harm to the soul, not the body), And anger the impulse; but if it remains within, Lying in wait, this happens to be malice. And to as many as thought the disease belongs to the composite being, They said it was a boiling of the blood, but the cause, They said, was desire, combining reason as well. How these things are, is not now to be considered. But that, indeed, is among the things very well known, 817 That the mind is the ruler of all things; which the Master has given us As an ally against the passions. As, then, houses are shelters from hail, And bushes from cliffs, and buttresses from the depths, And walls for those fleeing from some battle; So is reason against the presence of anger. When the burning thing makes your mind smoke, Before it kindles a fire, and the flame is fanned, Whenever you feel the spirit moving, Immediately draw near to God, and considering this One As presiding over you, and a witness of your movements, With reverence and fear check the impulse of the matter, Until the disease is soothed. Immediately cry out the words of the disciples: 'Master, a terrible storm surrounds me.' 818 Shake off sleep, and you will drive out your anger, As long as you are in control of your reason and mind, Of which this disease is the first flood. As long as the bit, like an unruly horse, Not yet biting with its teeth, it comes on swiftly, Panting for the race and ravines and depths, Having darkened with rage the guidance of the eyes. For it is easier to choke it with reason at its beginning, Than to seize it first and restrain it by force. For kindling itself it does not stop, Until it hurls down reason, the horseman. Then for me, consider how great the shame is, What it makes of the one who has been badly struck. For the diseases of the others are also hidden, Love, envy, grief, and evil hatred; 819 And of some they do not appear at all, or only a little, But the diseases are restrained within. For perhaps it may waste away in the depth of the mind, Before even becoming manifest to those who see. But misfortune is also a gain when hidden. But anger is a whole, naked, and manifest evil, An image protruding from an unwilling body. If you have seen any of those seized by this passion, You know clearly what I mean, and my speech will describe it. A mirror should have been set up for the angry, So that seeing, but their own insolence, They might a little relax the passion from the sight, Bending their mind to a silent accuser. Or this too stands, and he himself, your insolent one, 820 In whom you will see yourself, if you should have the leisure. For for whom the passion is one, the symptoms are also common. A bloodshot eye, and contorted positions, Bristling hair, and a slobbering jaw, A pale cheek, an appearance of death; Of others red, and of some leaden; Just as, I suppose, the frenzied and most wicked painter might happen to have colored someone; A swelling neck, twisted veins, Breath

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χόλων ἐμοὶ μόνος, Εἰ δεῖ τε καὶ πάσχειν γε τῶν εἰωθότων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὅρκον τῷ λόγῳ κατείχομεν, Σιγῆς φέροντες καρπὸν ἄξιον λόγου· Πάμπαν τιν' ὅρκου ῥίζαν εἰδότες χόλον, Πολλαῖς σὺν ἄλλαις, αἷς τὸ δεινὸν φύεται, 814 Τὴν ἀγριωτάτην τε καὶ μελαντάτην· Καὶ τὴν, Θεοῦ διδόντος, ἐξαιρήσομεν, Τέμνοντες, ὡς οἷόν τε, τῇ λόγου τομῇ. Αἰτῶ καὶ πρῶτον, μὴ χολοῦσθαι τῷ λόγῳ. Οὕτω γάρ ἐστιν ἡ νόσος τῶν ἀσχέτων, Ὥστ' ἀγριοῦσθαι πολλάκις καὶ ταῖς σκιαῖς, Αὐτοῖς τε τοῖς σφῶν γνησίοις παραινέταις. ∆εῖ δ', ὡς ἔοικε, μή τι μαλθακὸν λέγειν, Κακοῦ τοσούτου τῷ λόγῳ προκειμένου· Ἀλλ' ὡς πυρὸς βρέμοντος ἀγρίαν φλόγα, Πηδῶντος, αἰθύσσοντος ἐντινάγμασι Πολλοῖς, ἄνω ῥέοντος ἐμψύχῳ φορᾷ, 815 Λάορως ἀεὶ τὰ πρόσθεν οἰκειουμένου, Ὕδωρ, κόνιν πέμποντας εὐνάσαι βίᾳ· Ἢ θῆρα λόχμης ἐκφανέντα συσκίου, Φρίσσοντα, πῦρ βλέποντα, ἐξαφρούμενον, Μάχης ἐρῶντα, καὶ φόνων καὶ πτωμάτων, Λόγχαις, κυνηγοῖς, σφενδόναις καταιχμάσαι Ἴσως ἂν οὕτω τοῦ πάθους γενοίμεθα Κρείσσους, Θεοῦ διδόντος, ἤ τι μετρίως Σχοίημεν. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο τῶν μικρῶν ἐμοὶ, Κακοῦ μεγίστου καί τις ἔνδοσις μικρὰ, Ὡς τοῖς βαρείας ἐκ νόσου στενουμένοις. Μικροῦ δ' ἄνωθεν τὴν νόσον σκεψώμεθα, Ἥτις, πόθεν τε καὶ ὅπως φυλακτέα, Ἀνδρῶν παλαιῶν συλλογὰς σκοπούμενοι, 816 Ὅσοι διεσκέψαντο πραγμάτων φύσεις. Εἰσὶν μὲν οἳ λέγουσιν αἵματος ζέσιν, Τοῦ γειτονοῦντος καρδίᾳ, τὴν ἔκστασιν· Ὅσοι νέμουσι τὴν νόσον τῷ σώματι, Ὥσπερ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν παθῶν ἄλλοις τισίν. Ἄλλοι δ' ὄρεξιν εἶπον ἀντιπλήξεως (Ψυχῇ διδόντες τὴν βλάβην, οὐ σώματι), Ὀργὴν δὲ τὴν ὁρμῶσαν· εἰ δ' ἔνδον μένει Λοχῶσα, τοῦτο μνησικακίαν τυγχάνειν Ὅσοις δ' ἔδοξεν ἡ νόσος τοῦ συνθέτου, Ζέσιν μὲν εἶπον αἵματος, τὴν δ' αἰτίαν, Ὄρεξιν εἶναι, συντιθέντες καὶ λόγον. Ταῦθ' ὡς ἔχει μὲν, οὐχὶ νῦν σκοπητέον. Ἐκεῖνο μέν τοι καὶ λίαν τῶν γνωρίμων, 817 Ὡς νοῦς ἁπάντων ἡγεμών· ὃν σύμμαχον ∆έδωκεν ἡμῖν κατὰ παθῶν ὁ ∆εσπότης. Ὡς οὖν χαλάζης οἱ δόμοι σκεπάσματα, Θάμνοι δὲ κρημνῶν, καὶ βυθῶν ἐρείσματα, Τείχη δὲ τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἐκ μάχης τινός· Οὕτω λογισμὸς πρὸς χόλου παρουσίαν. Ὅταν καπνίζῃ τὸ φλέγον τὴν σὴν φρένα, Πρὶν πῦρ ἀνάψαι, καὶ ῥιπισθῆναι φλόγα, Ὅταν ποτ' αἴσθῃ πνεύματος κινουμένου, Εὐθὺς Θεῷ πλάκηθι, καὶ τόνδ' ἐννοῶν Ὡς σοῦ προεστῶθ', ὧν τε κινῇ, μάρτυρα, Αἰδοῖ φόβῳ τε τὴν φορὰν τοῦ πράγματος Ἐπίσχες, ἄχρις ἡ νόσος παρήγορος. Εὐθὺς βόησον τῶν μαθητῶν ῥήματα· «Ἐπιστάτα, κλύδων με δεινὸς ἀμφέπει.» 818 Τίναξον ὕπνον, καὶ σὸν ἐξώσεις χόλον, Ἕως λογισμοῦ καὶ φρενῶν ἐπικρατεῖς, Ὧν πρῶτόν ἐστιν ἡ νόσος κατάκλυσις Ἕως χαλινὸν, ἵππος ὡς δυσήνιος, Οὔπω δακὼν ὀδοῦσιν ἔρχετ' εὔδρομος, Πνέων δρόμον τε καὶ φάραγγας, καὶ βάθη, Θυμῷ σκοτώσας ὀμμάτων ὁδηγίαν. Ῥᾷον γάρ ἐστιν ἀρχόμενον ἄγξαι λόγῳ, Ἢ πρῶτον ἁρπάσαντα κατασχεῖν βίᾳ. Αὐτὸς γὰρ αὑτὸν ἐκκᾴων οὐχ ἵσταται, Ἕως λογισμὸν κρημνίσῃ τὸν ἱππότην. Ἔπειτά μοι, τὸ αἶσχος ἡλίκον, σκόπει, Οἷον τίθησι τὸν κακῶς πεπληγότα. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων αἱ νόσοι καὶ λάθριοι, Ἔρως, φθόνος, λύπη τε καὶ μῖσος κακόν· 819 Τινῶν δὲ φαίνοντ' οὐδ' ὅλως, ἤ τι βραχὺ, Ἀλλ' ἔνδον εἰσὶν αἱ νόσοι κατάσχετοι. Τυχὸν γὰρ ἐκτάκειεν ἐν βάθει φρενὸς, Πρὶν καὶ γενέσθαι τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐκφανεῖς. Κέρδος δὲ λανθάνουσα καὶ δυσπραγία. Θυμὸς δ' ὅλον γυμνόν τε καὶ δῆλον κακὸν, Εἰκὼν προκύπτουσ' οὐχ ἑκόντος σώματος. Εἴ σοί τις ὦπται τῶν ἁλόντων τῷ πάθει, Οἶδας σαφῶς ὅ φημι, καὶ γράψει λόγος. Ἔσοπτρον ἐχρῆν ἑστάναι χολουμένοις, Ὡς ἂν βλέποντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ὕβριν Μικρὸν χαλῷεν, τοῦ πάθους ἐξ ὄψεως, Κατηγόρῳ σιγῶντι κάμπτοντες φρένα. Ἦ καὶ τόδ' ἔστη, καὐτὸς ὑβριστὴς ὁ σὸς, 820 Ἐν ᾧ κατόψει σαυτὸν, εἰ σχολὴν ἄγοις. Πάθος γὰρ οἷς ἓν, κοινὰ καὶ συμπτώματα. Ὕφαιμον ὄμμα, καὶ θέσεις διάστροφοι, Τρίχες συώδεις, καὶ γένυς διάβροχος, Ὠχρὰ παρειὰ, νεκρότητος ἔμφασις· Ἄλλων ἐρυθρὰ, καὶ μολιβδώδης τινῶν· Ὅπως ἂν, οἶμαι, καί τινα χρώσας τύχοι Ὁ μανιώδης καὶ κάκιστος ζωγράφος· Αὐχὴν διοιδῶν, ἐγκυλούμεναι φλέβες, Πνοὴ