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You have arrogance, what has this to do with your family? How is the pack-ass father ever a reproach to mules? Not at all. And what glory is there for asses from mules? And eagles give birth, and also cast out their young. So why do you speak to me of fathers, having forsaken yourself? It is better to be excellent from a bad family, than to be most vile and well-born; and a rose from a rough 854 plant has blossomed, a rose indeed. But if you have come as a thorn from soft earth, you are worthy of the fire. How can you, being most vile, be so proud of your ancestors, O mill-ass, having the height of a horse?

27. Concerning the same thing. If, having dressed up an ape as a lion, I eagerly brought it to you, would you have respected it on seeing it? And how could I? and what if the crow, the ugliest of all birds, strove to seem a swan to you, having been painted white? or would it have been more ridiculous? To me it seems so. But if the man of ignoble character boasts of high birth, shall I respect him? For a painted image is not more than a living man, even if it shines. Let others be painted; but to me, character is lineage. 855 What is this, and what are you suffering, O mortal race? No one is a horse, who is not a horse by nature, nor a bird, who is not lightened by a wing. And seeing an ox did anyone say, This is a dolphin? But what each thing is, it is also known as. But these two things are the comedy of life. An animal lying on the earth has been made a constellation, and a document makes the vilest man noble. Would you buy a horse that is beautiful and swift, or one that is bad, but from a well-known stock? The beautiful one, I know. And the dogs, not the swift ones? Just so. What then, not everything in the same way? All things are alike. But you, being most vile, 856 call yourself well-born? You talk nonsense in vain. Let the sown seed show it to be right, and I am persuaded. You call me low-born, even though I am free. I laugh at your sickness, if being most vile you think to cover your bad character with your family. Wealth has judged men noble, not character, at least perhaps those from whom you descend. Consider character also; What has this to do with you, the nobly-born scoundrel? The one who is well-born, but base in character, I consider a corpse reeking of fine things. There is one nobility, to bear a good character.

28. Against the wealthy Alas, alas, with how many evils the wicked are full! 857 But not even this do the thrice-wretched know, that they might receive something for salvation, some word, or counsel, or remembrance of God; all of which are medicines for those who have been struck. But they are strong, so they think. O wretched suffering! Like the paralyzed and the mad, to think their disease and madness is strength. They fly, they plow, without wings, without oxen. They run to the rescue, but the phalanx is not near; they sail while not sailing, they compete alone, they are rich, they are kings, they win lawsuits. All these things are of the disease. Does anyone persuade them? You will suffer some evil sooner than you will persuade them by speaking, 858 that they need medicines for their sickness. For who, thinking he is not sick but strong, either takes medicine or seeks salvation? This is the mark of one who is sick, but moderately so. But he who thinks the just man is sick, when would he accept comfort for his suffering? You are rich; you force no one to be your neighbor. You seek to have a field; but the one nearby is not yours; the matter is a misfortune. The view ought to be yours alone. It would be terrible, if your body were cut. Your neighbor's property is a nail in your eyes. Would that it were so. For perhaps you would then stand, always reaping the greater part, 859 like some flame, or a torrent, or a plague's disease, with nothing in the middle holding sway. Thus you seem to me to have no enjoyment even of your own things, unless something of what you desire is added. Then sycophancy is the handmaid of your greed. An insult? I have you as a debtor, an exactor immediately, tortures, bonds; the poor man spares his body; he gives everything, wishing to be saved. He is courageous, not willingly, in what he has. “What then? Are you not liable for public service and command of the fleet? And are you not a friend of the robber?” He says what is not true, so that by frightening he may gain. “And how did your ox insult my property? This is insolence, tell me? It bellowed louder, being a poor man's ox, and this as if desiring a fight, 860 or as if it had already won. And the

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σὺ τύφον ἔχεις, τοῦτο τί πρὸς τὸ γένος; Ἡμιόνοις τί πατήρ ποθ' ὁ κάνθων ἐστὶν ὄνειδος; Οὐδέν. Τίς δέ τ' ὄνοις δόξα παρ' ἡμιόνων; Οἱ δ' ἀετοὶ τίκτουσι, καὶ οὓς ῥίπτουσι νεοσσούς. Ὥστε τί μοι πατέρας, σαυτὸν ἀφεὶς, σὺ λέγεις; Κρεῖσσον ἄριστον ἐόντα κακὸν γένος, ἠὲ κάκιστον Ἔμμεναι εὐγενέτην· καὶ ῥόδον ἐκ τραχέος 854 Ἐβλάστησε. φυτοῖο, ῥόδον γε μέν. Εἰ δ' ἀπὸ γαίης Ἦλθες ἄκανθ' ἁπαλῆς, τοῦ πυρὸς ἄξιος εἶ. Πῶς σὺ κάκιστος ἐὼν, τόσσον φρονέεις προγόνοισιν, Ὦ κάνθων μυλικὲ, ἵππιον ὕψος ἔχων;

ΚΖʹ. Περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Εἴ σοι πίθηκον εἰς λέοντα σκευάσας Σπουδῇ προσῆγον,

ἆρ' ἂν ᾐδέσθης ἰδών; Καὶ πῶς; τί δ' εἴ σοι κύκνος ἠγωνίζετο ∆οκεῖν ὁ πάντ' αἴσχιστος ὀρνίθων κόραξ, Χρωσθεὶς τὸ λευκόν; ἢ γελοῖος ἦν πλέον; Ἔμοιγε φαίνετ'. Εἰ δ' ὁ δυσγενὴς τρόπον Φρυάσσετ' εὐγένειαν, αἰδεσθήσομαι; Οὐ δὴ γὰρ εἰκὼ τὴν γεγραμμένην πλέον Τῆς τοῦ πνέοντος ἀνδρὸς, εἰ καὶ λάμπεται. Ἄλλοι γραφέσθων· ὁ τρόπος δ' ἐμοὶ γένος. 855 Τί ταῦτα, καὶ τί πάσχετ', ὦ θνητὸν γένος; Ἵππος μὲν οὐδεὶς, ὅστις οὐχ ἵππος φύσει, Οὐδ' ὄρνις, ὅστις οὐ πτερῷ κουφίζεται. Βοῦν δ' εἰσιδών τις εἶπε, ∆ελφὶς τοῦτό γε; Ὅπερ δ' ἕκαστόν ἐστι, καὶ γνωρίζεται. ∆ύω δὲ ταῦτα τῆς βίου κωμῳδίας. Κατηστέρισται ζῶον ἐν γῇ κείμενον, Καὶ γράμμα ποιεῖ τὸν κάκιστον εὐγενῆ. Ἵππον τιν' ὠνῇ τὸν καλόν τε καὶ ταχὺν Ἢ τὸν κακὸν μὲν, ἐκ γένους δὲ γνωρίμου; Τὸν καλὸν, οἶδα. Τοὺς κύνας δ', οὐ τοὺς ταχεῖς; Οὕτω. Τί δ', οὐχ ἅπαντα τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον; Τὰ πάνθ' ὁμοίως. Σὺ δέ μοι κάκιστος ὢν, 856 Καλεῖς σεαυτὸν εὐγενῆ; Ληρεῖς μάτην. Ἡ σπάρτος ὀρθὸν δεξάτω, καὶ πείθομαι. Σὺ δυσγενῆ με, κἂν ἐλεύθερον, καλεῖς. Ἐγὼ γελῶ σου τὴν νόσον, εἰ κάκιστος ὢν Οἴει καλύψειν τῷ γένει τὸ δύστροπον. Ὁ πλοῦτος ἔκριν' εὐγενεῖς, οὐχ ὁ τρόπος, Τυχόν γε τοὺς ἀφ' ὧν σύ. Θὲς καὶ τὸν τρόπον· Τί τοῦτο πρὸς σὲ τὸν κάκιστον εὐγενῆ; Τὸν εὐγενῆ μὲν, δυσγενῆ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ, Νεκρὸν νομίζω τῶν καλῶν ὀδωδότα. Μί' εὐγένεια, τὸν τρόπον χρηστὸν φέρειν.

ΚΗʹ. Κατὰ πλουτούντων Φεῦ, φεῦ, ὅσων γέμουσιν οἱ κακοὶ κακῶν! 857 Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτ' ἴσασιν οἱ τρισάθλιοι, Ὡς ἄν τι καὶ λάβοιεν εἰς σωτηρίαν, Λόγον τιν', ἢ σύμβουλον, ἢ μνήμην Θεοῦ· Ἃ πάντα φάρμακ' ἐστὶ τοῖς πεπληγμένοις. Ἀλλ' εὐσθενοῦσιν, ὡς δοκοῦσ'. Οἰκτροῦ πάθους! Ὡς οἱ παραπλῆγές τε καὶ μεμηνότες, Ἰσχὺν νομίζειν τὴν νόσον καὶ τῶν φρενῶν. Ἵπταντ', ἀροῦσιν, ἄπτεροι, βοῶν δίχα. Βοηδρομοῦσιν, ἡ φάλαγξ δ' οὐ πλησίον· Πλέουσιν οὐ πλέοντες, ἀθλοῦσιν μόνοι, Πλουτοῦσι, βασιλεύουσι, νικῶσι δίκας. Ἅπαντα ταῦτα τῆς νόσου. Πείθει δέ τις; Κακόν τι λήψῃ πρόσθεν, ἢ πείσεις λέγων, 858 Ὡς φαρμάκων χρῄζουσι τῆς ἀῤῥωστῖας. Τίς γὰρ, νομίζων μὴ νοσεῖν, ἀλλ' εὐσθενεῖν, Ἢ φαρμακεύετ', ἢ ζητεῖ σωτηρίαν; Τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῦ νοσοῦντος, ἀλλὰ μετρίως. Ὅστις δὲ τὸν δίκαιον οἴεται νοσεῖν, Πότ' ἂν δέξαιτο τοῦ πάθους παρήγορον; Πλουτεῖς· βιάζῃ γειτονεῖν σοι μηδένα. Ζητεῖς ἔχειν ἄρουραν· ἡ δὲ πλησίον Οὐ σή· τὸ πρᾶγμα συμφορά. Χρὴ σοῦ μόνου Τὴν ὄψιν εἶναι. ∆εινὸν, εἰ τὸ σῶμά σοι Κόπτοιτο. Ἧλος ὀμμάτων τὸ τοῦ πέλας. Ὡς εἴθε καὶ γένοιτο. Ἦ γὰρ ἂν τυχὸν Ἔστης ἀεὶ τὸ πλεῖον ἐκκαρπούμενος, 859 Ὡς φλόξ τις, ἢ χείμαῤῥος, ἢ λοιμοῦ νόσος, Μέσου κρατοῦντος οὐδενός. Ὥς μοι δοκεῖς Οὐδ' ἡντινοῦν ὄνησιν οὐδὲ σῶν ἔχειν, Εἰ μή τι προσγένοιτο τῶν ποθουμένων. Εἶθ' ἡ συνεργὸς τῆς χερὸς συκοφαντία. Ὕβρισμ'; ἔχω χρήστην σε, πράκτορ' εὐθέως, Στρέβλαι, τὰ δεσμά· φείδεται τοῦ σώματος Ὁ πένης· δίδωσι πάντα, σωθῆναι θέλων. Εὔψυχός ἐστιν, οὐχ ἑκὼν, ἐν οἷς ἔχει. «Τί δ'; οὐ πολιτείας σὺ καὶ ναυαρχίας Ὑπεύθυνος; σὺ δ' οὐχὶ τοῦ λῃστοῦ φίλος;» Λέγει τὸν οὐκ ὄνθ', ὡς φοβήσας κερδαίνειν. «Ὁ βοῦς δέ σοι πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐνύβρισεν; Ἥδ' ὕβρις, εἰπέ; Μεῖζον ἐβρυχήσατο, Πένητος ὢν, καὶ ταῦτα ὡς μάχης ἐρῶν, 860 Ἢ καὶ νενίκηχ'. Ἡ δὲ τῶν