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to be pushed toward things not your own, or to embrace this to which you are inclined, not only because it is best, but also because it is more natural to you. 178.4 The proverb also commands not to force the flow of a river, and poetry desires that one who has learned horsemanship not sing. Lest what happen? Lest you fail both at horsemanship and at song. 178.5 But what is this suitability? As it has appeared to me, at least, on consideration, first, your character and the calmness and artlessness of your disposition, and its unsuitability for these turnings of life; then, the natural talent and loftiness of your soul, and its readiness for contemplation; third, your poor health and bodily weakness, since this too seems to Plato to be no small thing for philosophy. 178.6 And indeed you are of such an age that the passions are already on the wane; and you seem to me not to be bent by poverty so much as to be adorned by it; and to know how to be ashamed, not in the manner of rhetoricians. 178.7 But you do not have a vulgar voice, nor have you become wicked, nor are you a marketplace man, nor do you have any such qualities, to put it briefly, with which Aristophanes molds his Agoracritus for demagoguery; but, though called a rhetorician, you belong to rhetoricians in everything before your character. 178.8 Do not, therefore, be willing to give up as much of philosophy as you have already grasped, nor to hold the second place in secondary things rather than the first place in the greatest things; and if we should grant you even the first place in the things of this world, do not endure to be the best among jackdaws, when you can be an eagle. 178.9 How long shall we be puffed up with little and earthly things, and play among boys and fantasies, and be carried away by applause? Let us pass on from here, let us become men, let us cast away dreams, let us run past the shadows, let us leave to others the pleasures of life which are also more painful. 178.10 Let envy and time and fortune play draughts and dice and games with others, which they say is the unstable and uneven element of human affairs. Away with thrones, powers, riches, splendors, elevations, falls, this cheap and despicable little glory, by which one would be more dishonored by being elevated than by laughing at the plays and theatrical shows of this great stage. 178.11 But let us lay hold of the Word and choose to have God instead of all things, the only lasting and our own good, so that we may have renown here, for those who are still small and seek this, or, at any rate, the renown from there, since the prize of virtue is to become God and to be illumined by the purest light which is contemplated in the triune Monad, of which we now have the rays in measure. 178.12 Toward these things go, advance, be winged in your mind, lay hold of eternal life, do not stand still anywhere in your hopes, until you come to the ultimate object of desire and blessedness; and you will praise us, I know well, now a little, but a little later more abundantly, when you see yourself in the things we promise and find that these are not an empty blessedness nor figments of the mind, but the reality of things. 179.T TO THE SAME 179.1 What do you say? Do we persuade you with these words, and will you change your discipline and be ranked with us, who were once on your level, but now, if you permit me to say, above you? Or must we sing longer charms over you? By no means, O admirable one, do not wait for this. 179.2 For it is shameful for one who has the greater part to lack the whole. For if the beginning is half of the whole, what else is more than half, but the whole? If, then, we are sufficient for exhortation, this is well, and let nothing more be sought. 179.3 But if you need a better counselor, Solomon commands you to drink wine with counsel, so that you may not be overturned by the drunkenness and whirl of life, but I say, slightly altering the counsel: Take counsel with God, and you will not fail of what is needful. 180.T TO THE SAME 180.1 You are of a good father, dear child, as I learn about you. Only be lifted up and prosper and reign; and we will be of good cheer, even if you do not yet confess philosophy. 180.2 For we pay attention not so much to what you say, as to what you do; since even not to confess philosophy is itself very philosophical. What about the

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ὠθίζεσθαι τῶν οὐκ οἰκείων ἢ ταύτης περιέχεσθαι πρὸς ἣν νένευκας, οὐχ ὅτι ἀρίστη μόνον ἐστίν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ προσφυεστέρα. 178.4 Τὸ δὲ μὴ βιάζεσθαι ῥοῦν ποταμοῦ, καὶ ἡ παροιμία κελεύει, καὶ ἱπποσύνην δεδαῶτα μὴ ᾄδειν ἐθέλει ἡ ποίησις· μὴ τί γένηται; μὴ καὶ τῆς ἱπποσύνης διαμάρτῃς καὶ τῆς ᾠδῆς. 178.5 Ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ ἐπιτηδειότης; Ὡς γοῦν ἐμοὶ θεωρήσαντι κατεφάνη, πρῶτον μὲν ὁ τρόπος καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἤθους γαληνόν τε καὶ ἄτεχνον καὶ πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βίου στροφὰς ταύτας ἀνεπιτήδειον· ἔπειτα τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐφυὲς καὶ ὑψίνουν καὶ πρὸς θεωρίαν εὐκίνητον· τρίτον ἡ νοσοκομία καὶ τὸ τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενές, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο οὐ μικρὸν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν εἶναι δοκεῖ τῷ Πλάτωνι. 178.6 Καὶ μὴν καὶ ἡλικίας οὕτως ἔχεις ὡς ἤδη τὰ πάθη κλίνεσθαι· καὶ τῇ πενίᾳ οὐ κάμπτεσθαί μοι δοκεῖς μᾶλλον ἢ καλλωπίζεσθαι· τό τε αἰσχύνεσθαι εἰδέναι, οὐ κατὰ ῥήτορας. 178.7 Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ φωνὴ μιαρά σοι, οὐδὲ γέγονας κακός, οὐδὲ ἀγοραῖος εἶ, οὐδέ τι τῶν τοιούτων ἔχεις, ἵν' εἴπω συντόμως, οἷς πλάττει τὸν Ἀγοράκριτον εἰς δημαγωγίαν Ἀριστοφάνης· ἀλλὰ ῥήτωρ καλούμενος, πάντα πρότερον ἢ κατὰ τὸ ἦθος τελεῖς εἰς ῥήτορας. 178.8 Μὴ τοίνυν θελήσῃς προέσθαι τῆς φιλοσοφίας ὄσον προείληφας, μηδὲ τὰ δεύτερα ἔχειν ἐν τοῖς δευτέροις μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ πρῶτα ἐν τοῖς μεγίσ τοις· εἰ δὲ καὶ τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ἐνταῦθα δοίημεν, μὴ ἀνάσχῃ ἀριστεύειν ἐν κολοιοῖς, ἀετὸς εἶναι δυνάμενος. 178.9 Μέχρι τίνος φυσώμεθα τοῖς μικροῖς καὶ χαμαὶ ἐρχομένοις, καὶ παίζομεν ἐν μειρακίσκοις καὶ πλάσμασι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν κρότων αἰρόμεθα; Μεταβῶμεν ἐντεῦθεν, ἄνδρες γενώμεθα, ῥίψωμεν τὰ ὀνείρατα, παραδράμωμεν τὰς σκιάς, ἄλλοις παρῶμεν τὰ τερπνὰ τοῦ βίου καὶ πλέον ὀδυνηρά. 178.10 Ἄλλους πεττευέτω καὶ μεταρριπτείτω καὶ παιζέτω φθόνος καὶ χρόνος καὶ τύχη, ὃ δή φασι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὸ ἄστατον καὶ ἀνώμαλον, ἐρρέτωσαν θρόνοι, δυναστεῖαι, πλοῦτοι, λαμπρότητες, ἐπάρματα, πτώματα, τὸ εὐτελὲς τοῦτο δοξάριον καὶ ἀπόπτυστον ᾧ μᾶλλον ἀδοξήσειεν ἄν τις αἰρόμενος ἢ γελώμενος τὰ τῆς μεγάλης ταύτης σκηνῆς παίγνιά τε καὶ θεατρίσματα. 178.11 Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦ λόγου περιδραξώμεθα καὶ Θεὸν ἀντὶ πάντων ἔχειν ἑλώμεθα, τὸ μόνον διαρκὲς ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἡμέτερον, ἵν' ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ ἐνταῦθα εὐδοκιμεῖν γένηται, τοῖς ἔτι μικροῖς καὶ τοῦτο ζητοῦσιν, ἢ τὸ ἐκεῖθεν πάντως, ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἆθλον Θεὸν γενέσθαι καὶ τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ φωτὶ καταστράπ τεσθαι τῷ ἐν τῇ τρισσῇ μονάδι θεωρουμένῳ, ἧς νῦν μετρίως ἔχομεν τὰς αὐγάς. 178.12 Πρὸς ταῦτα ἴθι, πρόβαινε, πτεροῦ τῇ διανοίᾳ, λαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, μηδαμοῦ στῇς τῶν ἐλπίδων, ἕως οὗ ἔλθῃς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον ἐφετὸν καὶ μακάριον· καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπαινέσεις, εὖ οἶδα, νῦν μὲν ὀλίγα, μικρῷ δὲ ὕστερον ἀφθονώτερα, ἐπειδὰν ἴδῃς σεαυτὸν ἐν οἷς ὑπισχνούμεθα καὶ μὴ κενὴν μακαρίαν ταῦτα εὑρίσκῃς μηδὲ διανοίας ἀναπλασμούς, ἀλλὰ πραγμάτων ἀλήθειαν. 179.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 179.1 Τί φῄς; πείθομέν σε τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις καὶ μετα θήσῃ τὴν παίδευσιν καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ταχθήσῃ τῶν ποτε κατὰ σέ, νῦν δέ, εἰ δίδως εἰπεῖν, ὑπὲρ σέ; ἢ δεῖ σοῦ κατε πᾴδειν μακρότερα; Μηδαμῶς, ὦ θαυμάσιε, μὴ τοῦτ' ἀναμείνῃς. 179.2 Αἰσχρὸν γὰρ τὸ πλεῖον ἔχοντα, τὸ πᾶν ἐλλείπειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀρχὴ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ παντὸς γίνεται, τοῦ ἡμίσεος τὸ πλέον τί ἄλλο γε, ἢ τὸ πᾶν; Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀρκοῦντες ἡμεῖς εἰς παραίνεσιν, ἔχει ταῦτα καλῶς καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητείσθω. 179.3 Εἰ δὲ δεῖ σοι καὶ κρείττονος συμβούλου, μετὰ βουλῆς μὲν οἰνοποτεῖν Σολομών σοι διακελεύεται, ἵνα μὴ τῇ τοῦ βίου μέθῃ καὶ δίνῃ περιτραπῇς, ἐγὼ δέ τί φημι μικρὸν τῆς συμβουλῆς παρατρέψας· Μετὰ Θεοῦ βουλεύου, καὶ οὐ διαμαρτήσεις τοῦ δέοντος. 180.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 180.1 Πατρὸς εἶς ἀγαθοῖο, φίλον τέκος, οἷα πυνθάνομαι περὶ σοῦ. Μόνον ἐπαίρου καὶ κατευοδοῦ καὶ βασίλευε· καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐθυμήσομεν, κἂν μήπω τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ὁμο λογῇς. 180.2 Οὐ γὰρ οἷς λέγεις προσέχομεν μᾶλλον, ἢ οἷς ποιεῖς· ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ μὴ ὁμολογεῖν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν σφόδρα φιλόσοφον. Ὃ περὶ τοῦ