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He sets up the tyrants as public executioners for the cities, in which he perceives violence, injustice, impiety, and other evils overflowing, so that 8.14.40 at some point it might stop and cease. Then indeed also those responsible, since they served not from a sound mind but from an impure and pitiless soul, He deems it right to pursue them above all, as being certain ringleaders. For just as the power of fire, when it has consumed the material placed before it, finally preys upon itself, in this way also those who have seized power over the multitudes, when after devastating the cities they have made them empty of men, are additionally destroyed, paying the penalty for all things. 8.14.41 And why do we wonder if God, through tyrants, casts away wickedness that has been poured out in cities and countries and nations? For often, not using other servants, He accomplishes this Himself through Himself, bringing on famine or plague or earthquake and as many other calamities sent from God, by which large and populous multitudes perish each day, and a great part of the inhabited world 8.14.42 is deserted for the sake of providing for virtue. Sufficiently, then, for the present, concerning the fact that none of the wicked is happy, has been said, I think; through which it is most clearly shown that there is a providence. But if you are not yet persuaded, speak with confidence of the doubt still lurking within; for both of us, by laboring together on how the truth is, will find it out.” 8.14.43 And after other things he says again: “The courses of winds and rains not for the ruin of those who sail, as you supposed, or of farmers, but for the benefit of our whole race did God work. For with waters He purifies the earth, and with winds all the region under the moon; 8.14.44 and with both He nourishes and increases and perfects animals and plants. But if it sometimes harms sailors or farmers who are not timely, it is no wonder; for these are a small part, but the care is for the whole human race. Just as, then, the anointing in the gymnasium is established for benefit, but often the gymnasiarch, on account of civic needs, has changed the customary order of the hour, through which some of those being anointed were late, so also God, as one caring for the whole world as a city, is accustomed to make summers wintry and winters spring-like for the benefit of the whole, even if some ship-masters or tillers of the soil should be harmed by these 8.14.45 anomalies. Therefore the changes of the elements into one another, from which the world was fixed and is constituted, He, knowing it to be a most necessary work, provides them unhindered. And frosts and snows and whatever is of a similar kind follow upon the cooling of the air, and again, from the collision and friction of clouds, lightnings and thunders. Of these things, perhaps none is by providence, but rains and winds are the causes of life and nourishment and 8.14.46 growth for things on earth, of which these things are consequences. As when a gymnasiarch, in his ambition, often makes lavish expenditures, some of the tasteless, being doused with oil instead of water, let drops fall to the ground, which at once becomes a most slippery mud, but no one in his right mind would say that the mud and the slipperiness came about by the providence of the gymnasiarch, but that these things 8.14.47 followed otherwise upon the abundance of the provisions. And a rainbow and a halo and whatever is of a similar kind are again consequences of rays of light being mixed in the clouds, not primary works of nature, but things that occur in addition to natural works. Nevertheless, these things also provide a certain necessary use for the more prudent; for they foretell calms and winds, and fair weather and storms, inferring from these things. 8.14.48 Do you not see the porticoes in the city? Most of them incline toward the south, in order that those walking in them may be warmed in winter, and cooled by breezes in summer. But something else also follows, which does not occur by the intention of the builder. And what is this? The shadows falling from our feet, 8.14.49 our own measures, mark the hours. And indeed fire is a most necessary work of nature,

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δημίους κοινοὺς ἐφίστησι τοὺς τυράννους ταῖς πόλεσιν, ἐν αἷς ἂν αἴσθηται βίαν, ἀδικίαν, ἀσέβειαν, τὰ ἄλλα κακὰ πλημμύροντα, ὅπως 8.14.40 ἤδη ποτὲ στάντα λωφήσῃ. τηνικαῦτα μὲν καὶ τοὺς αἰτίους, ἅτ' οὐκ ἀπὸ γνώμης ὑγιοῦς, ἀλλ' ἐκ δυσκαθάρτου καὶ ἀνηλεοῦς ψυχῆς ὑπηρετήσαντας, ἐφ' ἅπασιν ὥσπερ τινὰς κορυφαίους ἀξιοῖ μετέρχεσθαι. καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμις, ὅταν παραβληθεῖσαν ὕλην ἀναλώσῃ, τελευταῖον αὑτὴν ἐπινέμεται, τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς πλήθεσι δυναστείας εἰληφότες, ὅταν δαπανήσαντες τὰς πόλεις κενὰς ἀνδρῶν ἐργάσωνται, τὰς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τίνοντες 8.14.41 δίκας ἐπιδιαφθείρονται. καὶ τί θαυμάζομεν εἰ διὰ τυράννων ὁ θεὸς κακίαν ἀναχυθεῖσαν ἐν πόλεσι καὶ χώραις καὶ ἔθνεσιν ἀποδιοπομπεῖται; πολλάκις γὰρ μὴ χρώμενος ὑπηρέταις ἄλλοις αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτ' ἐργάζεται, λιμὸν ἐπάγων ἢ λοιμὸν ἢ σεισμὸν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα θεήλατα, οἷς ὅμιλοι μεγάλοι καὶ πολυάνθρωποι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπόλλυνται, καὶ πολλὴ μοῖρα τῆς οἰκουμένης 8.14.42 ἐρημοῦται διὰ προμήθειαν ἀρετῆς. Ἱκανῶς μὲν οὖν εἴς γε τὰ παρόντα περὶ τοῦ μή τινα τῶν φαύλων εὐδαιμονεῖν, ὡς οἶμαι, λέλεκται· δι' οὗ μάλιστα παρίσταται τὸ εἶναι πρόνοιαν. εἰ δὲ μηδέπω πέπεισαι, τὸν ἔθ' ὑποικουροῦντα ἐνδοιασμὸν εἰπὲ θαρρῶν· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ᾗ τἀληθὲς ἔχει συνδιαπονήσαντες εἰσόμεθα.» 8.14.43 Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα πάλιν φησίν· «Ἀνέμων καὶ ὑετῶν φορὰς οὐκ ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν πλεόντων, ὡς ἐνόμιζες, ἢ γεωργούντων, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τοῦ παντὸς ἡμῶν γένους ὁ θεὸς εἰργάζετο. ὕδασι μὲν γὰρ τὴν γῆν καθαίρει, τὸν δ' ὑπὸ σελήνην ἅπαντα χῶρον πνεύμασιν· 8.14.44 ἀμφοτέροις δὲ ζῷα καὶ φυτὰ τρέφει καὶ αὔξει καὶ τελειοῖ. εἰ δὲ τοὺς μὴ ἐν καιρῷ πλωτῆρας ἢ γεηπόνους ἔστιν ὅτε βλάπτει, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· βραχὺ γὰρ οὗτοι μέρος, ἡ δ' ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ παντὸς ἀνθρώπων γένους. ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ ἄλειμμα τίθεται μὲν ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ, πολλάκις δ' ὁ γυμνασίαρχος ἕνεκα πολιτικῶν χρειῶν ὥρας τῆς ἐν ἔθει μετέθηκε τὴν τάξιν, δι' ἧς ὑστέρησαν ἔνιοι τῶν ἀλειφομένων, οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεός, οἷα πόλεως τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιμελούμενος κόσμου, θέρη χειμαίνοντα καὶ χειμῶνας ἐαρίζοντας εἴωθε ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ παντὸς ὠφελείᾳ, κἂν εἰ ναύκληροί τινες ἢ γῆς ἐργάται μέλλοιεν ταῖς τού8.14.45 των ἀνωμαλίαις ζημιοῦσθαι. τὰς οὖν τῶν στοιχείων εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβολάς, ἐξ ὧν ὁ κόσμος ἐπάγη καὶ συνέστηκεν, εἰδὼς ἀναγκαιότατον ἔργον ἀκωλύτους παρέχεται· πάχναι δὲ καὶ χιόνες καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπα, ἀέρος ἐπακολουθεῖ καταψύξει, καὶ πάλιν προσαράξει καὶ παρατρίψει νεφῶν ἀστραπαί τε καὶ βρονταί· ὧν οὐδὲν ἴσως κατὰ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλ' ὑετοὶ καὶ πνεύματα ζωῆς καὶ τροφῆς καὶ 8.14.46 αὐξήσεως τοῖς περὶ γῆν αἴτια, ὧν ταῦτα ἐπακολουθήματα· οἷα γυμνασιάρχου φιλοτιμίαις πολλάκις ἀνειμένας ποιουμένου δαπάνας ἀνθ' ὕδατος ἐλαίῳ καταιονούμενοί τινες τῶν ἀπειροκάλων εἰς τοὔδαφος ῥανίδας ἀποστάζουσιν, ὃ δὴ ὀλισθηρότατος αὐτίκα γίνεται πηλός, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄν τις εὖ φρονῶν εἴποι τὸν πηλὸν καὶ τὸν ὄλισθον προμηθείᾳ τοῦ γυμνασιάρχου γεγονέναι, παρηκολου8.14.47 θηκέναι δὲ ἄλλως τῇ ἀφθονίᾳ τῶν χορηγιῶν ταῦτα. ἶρις δὲ καὶ ἅλως καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπα, πάλιν ἐστὶν αὐγῶν ἐγκιρναμένων τοῖς νέφεσιν ἐπακολουθήματα, οὐκ ἔργα φύσεως προηγούμενα, φυσικοῖς δ' ἐπισυμβαίνοντα ἔργοις· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ παρέχει τινὰ καὶ ταῦτα χρείαν ἀναγκαίαν τοῖς φρονιμωτέροις· νηνεμίας γὰρ καὶ πνεύματα, εὐδίας τε καὶ χειμῶνας ἀπὸ τούτων τεκμαιρόμενοι προ 8.14.48 λέγουσι. τὰς κατὰ πόλιν στοὰς οὐχ ὁρᾷς; τούτων αἱ πλείους πρὸς μεσημβρίαν νενεύκασιν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοὺς ἐμπεριπατοῦντας χειμῶνι μὲν ἀλεαίνεσθαι, θέρους δὲ καταπνεῖσθαι. παρακολουθεῖ δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον, ὃ μὴ τῇ γνώμῃ τοῦ κατεσκευακότος ἐπιγίνεται. τί δὲ τοῦτ' ἔστιν; αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκπίπτουσαι 8.14.49 σκιαί, τὰ ἡμέτερα μέτρα, διασημαίνουσι τὰς ὥρας. καὶ μὲν δὴ τὸ πῦρ φύσεως ἀναγκαιότατον ἔργον,