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And they say that he, while raising a staff against his child, stood for a long time holding it aloft; and being asked the reason, he said he was punishing the anger that had sprung up from him.

Naucrat. Naucrates the wise, said that the quick-tempered suffer something similar to lamps; for these too are consumed by too much oil.

844 Demonact. Punish with judgment, but not in anger. 15Ε_194 Of Menander. An evil man, having assumed a gentle guise, Is a hidden trap set for his neighbors. There is no remedy for anger, it seems, Except the earnest word of a friendly man, Even if you are greatly pained, not being provoked, You will act rashly; to control anger and irrationality, Especially in turmoil, is what the prudent man must do. Of Theognis. I cannot provide for you, my spirit, all things suitable. Do not show yourself quick-tempered over small things. Aristipp. For those who have done wrong, do not exact justice; for it is enough for them by their own

to be humbled by wickedness. It is good to live with an irascible woman for the sake of training. For indeed, horsemen

must be accustomed to using rough horses; for having mastered these, they will also easily master the others.

DISCOURSE 20. On silence and secrets. (15Ε_196> Matthew 12. Every idle word that men shall speak,

they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. James 1. Let every man be swift to hear, and slow to speak. Proverbs 21. He who guards his own mouth, keeps from affliction his

own soul. Sirach 20. Hidden wisdom and a treasure unseen, what profit is in

both? Solomon 18. A silent man calms contradiction; and he who loves his life, spares

his own mouth. Of Basil. We ought to know what we must say, and what we must be silent about. For not all

things of God can be spoken by the tongue, lest the mind like an eye wishing to gaze upon the whole sun, lose also the light which it has.

Of the Theologian. Speak, indeed, if you have something better than silence; but love quiet, where it is better to be silent than to speak.

845 Say something better than silence, or keep silent. Chrysost. Many men, when they have said something secret,

entreat the hearer and make him swear to tell no one else; thereby showing, that they did something worthy of accusation. For if you entreat him to tell no one else, how much more so should you yourself not have said these things to him in the first place.

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Φασί δέ αὐτόν καί ἐπανατεινόμενον τῷ παιδί βακτηρίαν, ἑστάναι χρόνον πολύν μετέωρον ταύτην ἔχοντα· καί τήν αἰτίαν ἐρωτώμενον, φῆσαι κολάζειν τόν ἐξ αὐτοῦ προορμήσαντα θυμόν.

Ναυκράτ. Ναυκράτης ὁ σοφός, τούς ὀξυθύμους ἔφη παραπλήσιον τοῖς λύχνοις πάσχειν· καί γάρ τούτους πλείονι ἐλαίῳ ἐκκαίεσθαι.

844 ∆ημώνακτ. Κόλαζε κρίνων, ἀλλά μή θυμούμενος. 15Ε_194 Μενάνδρου. Ἀνήρ κακοῦργος πρᾶον ὑπεισελθών σχῆμα, Κεκρυμμένη πρόκειται παγίς τοῖς πλησίον. Οὐκ ἔστιν ὀργῆς, ὡς ἔοικε, φάρμακον, Ἀλλ' ἤ λόγος σπουδαῖος ἀνθρώπου φίλου, Εἰ καί σφόδρα ἀλγεῖς, μηδέν ἠρεθισμένος, Πράξεις προπετῶς· ὀργῆς καί ἀλογίστου κρατεῖν, Ἐν ταῖς ταραχαῖς μάλιστα τόν φρονοῦντα δεῖ. Θεόγνιδος. Οὐ δύναμαί σοι, θυμέ, παρέχειν ἄρμενα πάντα. Μή ἐπί μικροῖς αὐτός ἑαυτόν ὀξύθυμον δείκνυε. Ἀριστίππ. Τούς ἀδικήσαντας, μή πράττε δίκας· ἀρκεῖ γάρ αὐτούς ὑπό τῆς ἰδίας

ταπεινοῦσθαι κακίας. Καλόν ἐστι συζῇν γυναικί θυμώδει χάριν ἀσκήσεως. Καί γάρ τούς ἱππέας

ἐθίζεσθαι δεῖ τραχέσιν ἵπποις κεχρῆσθαι· τούτων γάρ κρατήσαντες, καί τῶν ἄλλων ῥᾳδίως κρατήσουσιν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Κ´. Περί σιωπῆς καί ἀποῤῥήτων. (15Ε_196> Ματθ. ιβ´. Πᾶν ρῆμα ἀργόν, ὅ ἐάν λαλήσωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι,

ἀποδώσουσι περί αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσως. Ἰακ. α΄. Ἔστω πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχύς εἰς τό ἀκοῦσαι, καί βραδύς εἰς τό λαλῆσαι. Παροιμ. κα´. Ὅς φυλάσσει τό ἑαυτοῦ στόμα, διατηρεῖ ἐκ τῆς θλίψεως τήν

ψυχήν αὐτοῦ. Σιράχ κ΄ . Σοφία κεκρυμμένη καί θησαυρός ἀφανής, τίς ὠφέλεια ἐν

ἀμφοτέροις; Σολομ. ιη´. Ἀντιλογίαν πραΰνει σιγηρός· ἀγαπῶν δέ ζωήν αὐτοῦ, φείδεται

στόματος αὐτοῦ. Βασιλείου. Εἰδέναι, ὀφείλομεν ἅ χρή λαλεῖν, καί ἅ χρή σιωπᾶν. Οὐ γάρ πάντα

ῥητά τῇ γλώσσῃ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μή ὁ νοῦς καθάπερ ὀφθαλμός ὅλον τόν ἥλιον θέλων ἀποβλέπειν, ἀπολέσῃ καί ὅ ἔχει φῶς.

Θεολόγου. Φθέγγου μέν, εἴ τι κρεῖττον σιωπῆς ἔχεις· ἀγάπα δέ ἡσυχίαν, ἔνθα κρεῖττον λόγου σιωπᾷν.

845 Λέγε σιγῆς τι κρεῖσσον, ἤ σιγήν ἔχε. Χρυσοστ. Οἱ πολλοί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐπειδάν εἴπωσί τι τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων,

παρακαλοῦσι τόν ἀκούοντα καί ὁρκοῦσι μηδενί λοιπόν εἰπεῖν ἑτέρῳ· αὐτόθεν δηλοῦντες, ὅτι πρᾶγμα ἄξιον κατηγορίας ἐποίησαν. Εἰ γάρ ἐκεῖνον μηδενί εἰπεῖν ἑτέρῳ παρακαλεῖς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σέ πρότερον τούτῳ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἐχρῆν.