45

he is freed from passion. How many good things, then, does humility bear for us! What do you want? forbearance, freedom from anger, love of mankind, vigilance, attentiveness? All these good things are from humility, and their opposites from arrogance. For such a person must be insolent, and violent, and wrathful, and bitter, and grim, and more a beast than a man. Are you strong, and think highly of yourself? Therefore, for this reason you ought rather to be humbled; why do you think highly of yourself for something that is nothing? For a lion is bolder than you, and a boar is stronger, and you are not even a gnat compared to them; and robbers and grave-robbers and gladiators and your servants, and perhaps the more ungrateful, are stronger than you. Is this, then, worthy of praise? And do you not bury yourself, thinking highly of yourself for this? But are you handsome and beautiful? The boast of crows; you are not more beautiful than the peacock, neither for its bloom nor its feathers; in the things of the bird is the victory; it far surpasses you in its plumage, in its bloom. And the swan is also very beautiful, and many other birds, compared to which if you were placed, you would see yourself as nothing. And often humble children, and unmarried maidens, and prostitute women, and effeminate men have had this boast. Is this, then, worthy of arrogance? ʹ. But are you rich? from where? what possessing? gold, silver, precious stones? This is also the boast of robbers, and murderers, and of those who work the mines. The labor of convicts, this is your boast. But do you adorn and beautify yourself? It is also possible to see horses being adorned; and among the Persians one might see camels being adorned; and among men, all those on the stage. Are you not ashamed, then, to think highly of yourself for these things, in which irrational animals and slaves and murderers and effeminate men and robbers and grave-robbers share with you? But do you build splendid houses? And what of this? many jackdaws inhabit more splendid ones, and have more stately lodgings. Or do you not see those who are mad about money, who have built houses in fields and in desert places, lodgings for jackdaws? But do you think highly of yourself on account of your voice? You will never be able to sing more sweetly than the swan and the nightingale. But on account of varied skill? And what is wiser than the bee in this? what embroiderer 62.237, what painter, what geometer will be able to imitate its works? But for the fineness of your clothing? But here spiders defeat you. But for the swiftness of your feet? Again the first prize belongs to the irrational animals, to the hare and the gazelle, and as many of the beasts as are not lacking in swiftness of foot. But do you travel abroad? But not more than the birds; for they make the journey more easily; they do not need provisions, nor beasts of burden, but their wing is sufficient for them for everything. This is both ship, and beast of burden, and carriage, and wind, and whatever one might say. But do you see sharply? but not like a gazelle nor like an eagle. But do you hear sharply? but the donkey hears more sharply. But do you have a keen sense of smell? but the dog does not let you surpass it. But are you good at providing? but you fall short of the ant. But do you bear gold? but not so, as the Indian ants. But on account of health? the irrational animals are much better than us, both in good health and in being well provided for; they do not fear poverty. For look, he says, to the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into barns. Therefore, he says, God created the irrational animals better than us. Do you see how great is the thoughtlessness? Do you see the unexamined? Do you see how much the examination of things bestows on us? He who thinks himself greater than all men, was found to be more lowly even than the irrational animals. But let us spare him, and not imitate him, nor because he thought himself greater than our nature, bringing him down to the rank of irrational animals,

45

ἀπήλλακται πάθους. Πόσα οὖν τίκτει ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰ ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη! Τί βούλει; τὸ ἀνεξίκακον, τὸ ἀόργητον, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, τὸ νηπτικὸν, τὸ προσεκτικόν; Πάντα ταῦτα ἀπὸ ταπεινοφροσύνης τὰ καλὰ, καὶ τὰ ἐναντία ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπονοίας. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν τοιοῦτον καὶ ὑβριστὴν εἶναι, καὶ πλήκτην καὶ ὀργίλον, καὶ πικρὸν, καὶ ἀμειδῆ, καὶ θηρίον μᾶλλον, ἢ ἄνθρωπον. Ἰσχυρὸς εἶ, καὶ μέγα φρονεῖς; Οὐκοῦν, διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ὀφείλεις ταπεινοῦσθαι· διὰ τί ἐπὶ πράγματι μέγα φρονεῖς οὐδαμινῷ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ λέων σοῦ θρασύτερος, καὶ ὗς ἰσχυρότερος, καὶ οὐδὲ κώνωψ εἶ πρὸς αὐτούς· καὶ λῃσταὶ δὲ καὶ τυμβωρύχοι καὶ μονομάχοι καὶ οἱ οἰκέται οἱ σοὶ, καὶ ἴσως οἱ ἀγνωμονέστεροι, ἰσχυρότεροί σου. Τοῦτο οὖν ἄξιον ἐπαίνου; Καὶ οὐ κατορύττεις σαυτὸν, ἐπὶ τούτῳ μέγα φρονῶν; Ἀλλὰ καλὸς εἶ καὶ ὡραῖος; Κορωνῶν τὸ καύχημα· οὐκ εἶ τοῦ ταῶ καλλίων, οὐδὲ ἄνθους ἕνεκεν οὐδὲ πτερῶν· ἐν τοῖς τοῦ ὄρνιθος ἡ νίκη· πολύ σε παρελαύνει τῇ κόμῃ, τῷ ἄνθει. Καὶ ὁ κύκνος δὲ σφόδρα ἐστὶ καλὸς, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων ἕτεροι, πρὸς οὓς εἰ παραβληθείης, οὐδὲν ὄψει σαυτόν. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ παιδία εὐτελῆ, καὶ κόραι ἀπειρόγαμοι, καὶ πόρναι γυναῖκες, καὶ ἄνδρες μαλακοὶ τοῦτο ἔσχον τὸ καύχημα. Τοῦτο οὖν ἄξιον ἀπονοίας; ʹ. Ἀλλὰ πλουτεῖς; πόθεν; τί κεκτημένος; χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους; Τοῦτο καὶ λῃστῶν ἐστι, καὶ ἀνδροφόνων τὸ καύχημα, καὶ τῶν τὰ μέταλλα ἐργαζομένων. Ὁ τῶν καταδίκων πόνος, τουτί σοι καύχημα. Ἀλλὰ κοσμῇ καὶ καλλωπίζῃ; Καὶ ἵππους ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καλλωπιζομένους· παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Πέρσαις καὶ καμήλους ἴδοι τις ἂν καλλωπιζομένας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοὺς ἐπὶ σκηνῆς ἅπαντας. Οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ οὖν ἐπὶ τούτοις μέγα φρονῶν, ἐν οἷς τὰ ἄλογά σοι κοινωνεῖ καὶ δοῦλοι καὶ ἀνδροφόνοι καὶ μαλακοὶ καὶ λῃσταὶ καὶ τυμβωρύχοι; Ἀλλ' οἰκίας οἰκοδομεῖς λαμπράς; Καὶ τί τοῦτο; πολλοὶ κολοιοὶ λαμπροτέρας οἰκοῦσι, καὶ σεμνότερα ἔχουσι καταγώγια. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς τούτους τοὺς περὶ τὰ χρήματα μαινομένους, οἳ ἐν ἀγροῖς καὶ ἐν ἐρήμοις τόποις ᾠκοδόμησαν οἴκους, κολοιῶν καταγώγια; Ἀλλὰ φωνῆς ἕνεκα μέγα φρονεῖς; Τοῦ κύκνου καὶ τῆς ἀηδόνος οὐδέποτε σὺ δυνήσῃ ᾆσαι λιγυρώτερον. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ποικιλίᾳ τέχνης; Καὶ τί τῆς μελίττης ἐν τούτῳ σοφώτερον; ποῖος ποικιλ 62.237 τὴς, τίς ζωγράφος, τίς γεωμέτρης τὰ ταύτης ἔργα μιμήσασθαι δυνήσεται; Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ λεπτότητι ἐσθῆτος; Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθά σε ἀράχναι νικῶσιν. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ταχύτητι ποδῶν; Πάλιν τὰ πρωτεῖα παρὰ τοῖς ἀλόγοις, λαγωῷ καὶ δορκάδι, καὶ ὅσα τῶν κτηνῶν οὐκ ἀπολείπεται τῇ ταχύτητι τῶν ποδῶν. Ἀλλ' ἀποδημεῖς; Ἀλλ' οὐ μᾶλλον τῶν πτηνῶν· ταῦτα γὰρ εὐκολώτερον τὴν ἀποδημίαν ποιεῖται· οὐκ ἐφοδίων δεῖται, οὐδ' ὑποζυγίων, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ πρὸς πάντα αὐτοῖς τὸ πτερόν. Τοῦτο καὶ ναῦς, τοῦτο καὶ ὑποζύγιον, τοῦτο καὶ ὄχημα, τοῦτο καὶ ἄνεμος, καὶ πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν εἴποι τις. Ἀλλ' ὀξὺ βλέπεις; ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς δορκὰς οὐδ' ὡς ἀετός. Ἀλλ' ὀξὺ ἀκούεις; ἀλλ' ὁ ὄνος ὀξύτερον. Ἀλλ' ὀσφραίνῃ; ἀλλ' ὁ κύων οὐκ ἀφίησί σε αὐτὸν παρελθεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ποριστικὸς εἶ; ἀλλὰ τοῦ μύρμηκος ἀπολείπῃ. Ἀλλὰ χρυσοφορεῖς; ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως, ὡς οἱ Ἰνδικοὶ μύρμηκες. Ὑγείας δὲ ἕνεκεν; πολλῷ βελτίω ἡμῶν τὰ ἄλογα, καὶ εὐεξίας καὶ τοῦ εὐπορεῖν· οὐ δέδοικεν ἐκεῖνα πενίαν. Ἐμβλέψατε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας. Οὐκοῦν, φησὶν, ἡμῶν τὰ ἄλογα κρείττονα ἐδημιούργησεν ὁ Θεός. Ὁρᾷς πόσον ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπερίσκεπτον; ὁρᾷς τὸ ἀνεξέταστον; ὁρᾷς, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐξέτασις ὅσον ἡμῖν χαρίζεται; Ὁ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μείζω φρονῶν, εὑρέθη καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ταπεινότερος. Ἀλλὰ φεισώμεθα αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μιμησώμεθα αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως μεῖζον ἐφρόνησε, καταγαγόντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων τάξιν,