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full of madness? What if a camel, from natural insolence, 847 bellowing with its throat, and stretching out its neck to you, should stand wrestling? or is it prudent to flee? What if a prostitute should assail you with her own shames? for this is common for prostitutes, for whom it is a terrible shame to know shame, having the art of being ashamed of nothing at all. But the man from Sinope, approaching those from the brothel, insulted them, so the story goes; remembering what? To bear insults easily with insults. Pondering these things, you will despise insults. Shall I say something technical, though not worthy of those who honor meekness? But still I will say it. For it is an extinguisher of unpleasantness. Have you ever seen boxers? how at first their stance is a contest for them, to take the high ground? 848 For it contributes no small thing to victory. So, wish yourself to take the better one. And that is to assail the raging one with jests. Laughter is the greatest weapon in the battle of anger. Just as those who send an empty hand at athletes with a violent and maddened rush grow more weary than the bodies that are laboring (and mastery is not skillful, but a breaking of strength); so he who insults one who is not angered, but laughs off the fight, feels more pain. But resistance also brings a certain pleasure. For more fuel is provided for anger, an exceedingly sweet and insatiable thing. Let that be the end of your deliberation. What is the meekest of beings? God. 849 And what is the wrathful nature? The man-slayer. Know that he is also called Anger, in addition to the names of wickedness by which he is called. Choose whichever of these portions you wish; for both are not possible. And consider this: who is laughed at, and who is among the praised? For this is no small thing to those who consider. For the rest, I adjure you, friend of evils, hostile advocate and champion, swelling up and giving to the gates of Hades, to yield today to God and the Word, O anger, boiling rage, fullness of the man-slayer, manifest shame of the face, storm of the mind, 850 short-sighted drunkenness, precipice-plunger, Tartarus-bearer. O legion of spirits, composite evil, tearing apart bonds and fetters with their knots, Christ wills you, whom this universe does not contain, but he himself carries the universe with unerring helm, guiding the life of mortals and of angels, who also brings release from evil spirits and from passions, to those who call upon him earnestly, he wills you to flee from here as quickly as possible; entering, fill the depths of your swine; they will readily receive you, who are about to fall into the abyss. But keep away from us who are God's concern. And these things of silence; but those who have let loose their speech, 851 if you would utter a word worthy of these things, speak to me also; but if of silence, not to me. And I will bind my ears to your words, just as to your reason.

20. To a difficult nobleman. A certain man of good blood, completely wicked, to a man whose lineage was not of the well-born, but whose other qualities were admirable, was boasting of his ancestors. And he, laughing very sweetly, spoke a word worthy of memory, thus: "My lineage is a reproach to me, but you are to your lineage." Keep this in mind, so that you do not place anything else before virtue. If someone mocked your ugliness, or your foul smell, would you have said, "Was my father handsome, or fragrant with myrrh?" And if someone scoffed at you as cowardly and unmanly; 852 "That my ancestors won many Olympic victories?" 852 So it is, if someone convicts you of being wicked and foolish. Do not speak to me of your fathers, nor of the dead. Someone holding a gold-bound lyre, played most wretchedly. Another from a common one sent forth a noble melody. Which of these, O best of men, seems to you the better lyre-player? The one who preserves the harmony with skillful strokes. But you were born of golden fathers, as they say of you, but you yourself are not good. Then you are proud? Is this your illustrious lineage, the long-dead ancestors, and the fictions of myths, and old women's tales? You are jesting. But I look only to you, whether one is just or wicked. And the origin, we are all equal clay. 853 We all have similar skins, but we who are lofty are puffed up, by wealth and glory, and great homelands. So what are these superfluous things to me, father, lineage? Neither myths delight me, nor tombs. But, good sir, I look at you. We are all one dust, the offspring of one creator. But tyranny has split the affairs of mortals into two, not nature. Every foolish man is a slave to me; he is free, whoever is best. But if

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λύσσης γέμων; Τί δ' ἂν κάμηλος φυσικῆς ἐξ ὕβρεως 847 Βροντῶσα λαιμῷ, καὐχέν' ἐκτείνουσά σοι, Στήσῃ παλαίων; ἢ τὸ φεύγειν σώφρονος; Τί δ' εἴ σε πόρνη τοῖς ἑαυτῆς αἴσχεσι Βάλλοι; σύνηθές ἐστι γὰρ πόρναις τόδε, Αἷς ἐστι δεινὸν αἶσχος, αἶσχος εἰδέναι, Τέχνην ἐχούσαις μηδὲν αἰσχύνεσθ' ὅλως. Ὁ δ' ἐκ Σινώπης προσιὼν ταῖς ἐκ στέγους, Ὕβριζε ταύτας, ὡς λόγος· τί μνώμενος; Φέρειν τὰς ὕβρεις εὐκόλως ταῖς ὕβρεσι. Ταῦτ' ἐννοῶν σὺ τὰς ὕβρεις ἀτιμάσεις. Εἴπω τι καὶ τεχνικὸν, οὐ μὴν ἄξιον Τοῖς τὸ πρᾶον τιμῶσιν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐρῶ. Σβεστήριον γάρ ἐστι τῆς ἀηδίας. Πύκτας ποτ' εἶδες; ὡς τὸ πρῶτον ἡ στάσις Τούτοις ἀγώνισμ' ἐστὶν, ὑψηλὴν λαβεῖν; 848 Οὐ γὰρ μικρόν τι τῷ κρατεῖν συνεισφέρει. Οὕτω θέλησον αὐτὸς ἣν λῷον λαβεῖν. Ἡ δ' ἔστι τὸν λυσσῶντα βάλλειν παιγνίοις. Γέλως μέγιστον ὅπλον εἰς ὀργῆς μάχην. Ὡς οἱ κεινὴν πέμποντες ἀθληταῖς χέρα Ὁρμήματι σφοδρῷ τε καὶ μεμηνότι Κάμνουσι πλεῖον τῶν πονούντων σωμάτων (Κράτημά τ' οὐκ ἔντεχνον ἰσχύος κλάσις)· Οὕτως ὃς ὑβρίζει μὴ χολούμενόν τινα, Ἀλλ' ἐκγελῶντα τὴν μάχην, ἀλγεῖ πλέον. Τὸ δ' ἀντιπῖπτον καί τιν' ἡδονὴν φέρει. Πλείων γὰρ ὕλη τῷ χόλῳ καθίσταται, Λίαν γλυκεῖ τε καὶ ἀπλήστῳ πράγματι. Ἐκεῖνό σοι γένοιτο τῆς βουλῆς τέλος. Τί τὸ πρᾶον μάλιστα τῶν ὄντων; Θεός. 849 Τίς δ' ἡ χολώδης φύσις; ὁ βροτοκτόνος. Ὀργήν γέ τοι γίνωσκε καὶ καλούμενον, Πρὸς αἷς καλεῖται κλήσεσι πονηρίας. Τούτων ἑλοῦ τιν' ἣν θέλῃς μοῖραν σύγε· Ἄμφω γὰρ οὐκ ἔνεστι. Καὶ τοῦτο σκόπει· Τίς μὲν γελᾶται, τίς δὲ τῶν αἰνουμένων; Μικρὸν γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦτο τοῖς σκοπουμένοις. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ὁρκίζω σε τῶν κακῶν φίλον, Τὸν δυσμενῆ συνήγορον καὶ προστάτην, Οἰδοῦντα καὶ διδοῦντα ταῖς ᾅδου πύλαις, Εἶξαι Θεῷ τε καὶ Λόγῳ τὸ σήμερον, Θυμὲ, ζέσις, πλήρωμα τοῦ βροτοκτόνου, Αἶσχος προσώπου ἐμφανὲς, φρενῶν ζάλη, 850 Μέθη μύωψ, κρημνιστὰ, ταρταρηφόρε. Ὦ πνευμάτων λεγεὼν, κακὸν σύνθετον, ∆εσμοὺς διασπῶν καὶ πέδας σὺν ἅμμασιν, Χριστός σε βούλεθ', ὃν τὸ πᾶν τόδ' οὐ φέρει, Αὐτὸς φέρει δ' οἴαξιν ἀπταίστως τὸ πᾶν, Νωμῶν βροτῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων βίον, Ὃς καὶ πονηρῶν πνευμάτων λύσιν φέρει Παθῶν τε, τοῖς καλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἐκτενῶς, Οὗτός σε βούλετ' ἔνθεν ὡς τάχος φυγεῖν· Τῶν σῶν συῶν πλήρωσον εἰσελθὼν βάθη· ∆έξονθ' ἑτοίμως εἰς βυθὸν πεσούμενον. Ἡμῶν δ' ἀπόσχου τῶν Θεῷ μεμηλότων. Καὶ ταῦτα σιγῆς· οἱ δὲ λύσαντες λόγον, 851 Εἰ μέν τοι τούτων ἄξιον φθέγγοισθ' ἔπος, Φθέγξασθε κἀμοί· εἰ δὲ σιγῆς, οὐκ ἐμοί. Καὶ ὦτα δήσω τοῖς λόγοις, ὥσπερ λόγον.

Κʹ. Εἰς εὐγενῆ δύστροπον. Αἵματος ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ τις, ἅπαν κακὸν, ἀνδρὶ γένος

μὲν Οὐ τῶν εὐπατέρων, τἄλλα δὲ θαυμασίων, Προύφερε τοὺς προγόνους. Καὶ ὃς μάλα ἡδὺ γελάσσας, Εἶπε λόγον μνήμης ἄξιον, ὡς «Τὸ γένος Ἔστιν ὄνειδος ἔμοιγε, γένει δὲ σύ.» Τοῦτο φύλασσε Ὡς μὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄλλο τι πρόσθεν ἄγοις. Εἰ σοῦ τις τὸ δυσειδὲς ἐκέρτομεν, ἢ τὸ δυσῶδες, Εἶπες ἂν, ὡς «Ὁ πατὴρ ἦν καλὸς, ἢ μυρίπνους;» Εἰ δέ σέ τις ὡς δειλὸν ἐπέσκωπτεν καὶ ἄνανδρον· 852 «Ὡς πρόγονοι πολλὰς εἷλον ὀλυμπιάδας;» 852 Οὕτω, εἴ σε κακόν τις ἐλέγχει καὶ ἀνόητον. Μή μοι τοὺς πατέρας, μηδὲ τὰ νεκρὰ λέγε. Χρυσόδετον κιθάρην τις ἔχων, ἔκρεξε κάκιστον. Ἄλλος ἀπ' εἰκαίης εὐγενὲς ἧκε μέλος. Τίς τούτων, ὦ λῷστε, ἀμείνων σοι κιθαριστής; Ὃς σώζει τεχνικοῖς κρούμασιν ἁρμονίας. Ἀλλὰ σὺ χρυσῶν μὲν πατέρων ἔφυς, ὥς σε λέγουσιν, Αὐτὸς δ' οὐκ ἀγαθός. Εἶτα μέγα φρονέεις; Τοῦτό γέ σοι λαμπρὸν γένος ἐστὶν, οἱ προπάλαιοι Νεκροὶ, καὶ μύθων πλάσματα, καὶ γραΐδες; Παίζεις. Πρὸς σὲ δ' ἔγωγε βλέπω μόνον, εἰ δίκαιός τις Ἣ κακός. Ἡ δ' ἀρχὴ, πηλὸς ἅπαντες ἴσος. 853 ∆έρματα πάντες ὅμοια, φυσώμεθα δ' οἱ μετέωροι, Πλούτῳ καὶ δόξῃ, καὶ πατρίσι μεγάλαις. Ὥστε τί μοι τὰ περισσὰ, πατὴρ, γένος; Οὔτε με μῦθοι Τέρπουσ', οὔτε τάφοι. Ἀλλ', ἀγαθὲ, σὲ βλέπω. Εἷς χοῦς πάντες, ἑνὸς πλάστου γένος. Ἡ δὲ τυραννὶς Εἰς δύο τὰ θνητῶν ἔσχισεν, οὐχὶ φύσις. ∆οῦλος ἐμοὶ πᾶς σκαιός· ἐλεύθερος, ὅστις ἄριστος. Εἰ δὲ