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mixed. But does virtue alone, as it seems—whether one wishes to call it a craft, or a science for contests and labors, or husbandry and planting—not have a good end capable of comforting in the time of its toils? But do the temperate act with temperance in vain, and struggle against the many and various passions, striving to extinguish their fire? And do the workers of justice fight against injustice in vain, both refraining from what belongs to others and giving away their own possessions? And is the possession of courage useless to those who pursue it; for though they nobly bear the painful things that befall them, do they have no judge of the contest? But this is not so, it is not so. For the possession of virtue is worthy of admiration and worthy of being possessed. And you too would say this, pushed by the necessity of conscience. For this knowledge is innate in human beings, and no one who has obtained its possession needs imported arguments, whether brought from God or offered by men; for the innate reason is sufficient for this teaching. The workers of wickedness bear witness, both pursuing it in secret, and, if they are caught, devising defenses for themselves. For burglars, and grave-robbers, and clothes-stealers, and adulterers, and murderers, and those who dare to pursue things related to these, using darkness as a collaborator, attempt to do these things. And if anyone should try to do any of these things during the day, he takes the desolation of men as an ally. Therefore, by the ways in which they try to hide, they reveal the discernment they have concerning what is happening. For they would not hide if they supposed they were doing good things; but by trying to hide, and dreading to be caught, they confess that the things being done are wicked. Therefore you also know, O most ungrateful ones, that the possession of virtue is good, and that it has very many toils yoked with it. It is fitting, therefore, that what is praised by all, both by its own and by its opponents, and is reaped with many toils, should have worthy recompense. But we see in the present life, many choosing this, and enduring many toils for its sake, yet not all enjoying any praise and honor because of it; but some, as lovers of this, being carried on the lips of all, and becoming much talked of, and after death having an ever-memorable glory; while others are completely unknown and hidden, and are like a pearl still covered in the deep, and confined in the oyster. 83.728 Seeing these things, therefore, let us consider within ourselves, why indeed among those who esteem divine things highly, some are very distinguished, while others are completely obscure; then let us reckon, that the Maker and Judge of all, being just, will rightly preside over His own contestants, and the scale of justice will not allow what is just to be corrupted. Then, seeing both the one and the other have died, some with great glory, others very humbly, as any ordinary person, let us reckon again, that He has prepared another life, in which He repays according to their worth those who have lived well. For by those whom He has honored with renown, He has revealed the crowns of virtue; but by not making all illustrious and conspicuous in the present life, He lays bare the expected life. And the honor concerning some becomes a sign of the justice of God; but the fact that not all the workers of these things partake of the same rewards, proves the future life, and confirms the hope of things expected. For this reason the Ruler of all does not proclaim all who have lived well and nobly in the present life, nor does He likewise punish all who have lived with wickedness; but some He delivers to punishment, both showing the justice of the verdict, and through these frightening the rest, and calling them to repentance; but not all

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συγκεκραμέ νην. Μόνην δὲ, ὡς ἔοικε, τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς, εἴτε τέχνην τις ὀνομάζειν ἐθέλοι, εἴτε ἐπιστήμην ἐπὶ ἀγῶνας καὶ ἄθλους, εἴτε γεωργίαν καὶ φυτουργίαν, οὐκ ἔχειν τέλος χρηστὸν ἐν καιρῷ τῶν πόνων ψυχαγωγῆσαι δυνάμενον; Ἀλλὰ μάτην μὲν σωφρονοῦσιν οἱ σώ φρονες, καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ ποικίλοις ἀνταγωνίζον ται πάθεσι, τὴν τούτων πυρὰν κατασβέσαι φιλονει κοῦντες; Μάτην δὲ οἱ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐργάται τῇ ἀδικίᾳ πυκτεύουσι, τῶν τε ἀλλοτρίων ἀπεχόμενοι, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα προϊέμενοι; Ἄχρηστος δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἡ κτῆσις τοῖς μετιοῦσιν· γενναίως γὰρ φέ ροντες τὰ προσπίπτοντα λυπηρὰ, τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην οὐκ ἔχουσιν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Ἀξιάγαστον γὰρ καὶ ἀξιόκτητον τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ κτῆ μα. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς ἂν φαίητε, ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ συνει δότος ἀνάγκης ὠθούμενοι. Ἐμπέφυκε γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡ γνῶσις, καὶ οὐ δεῖται τῶν ταύτης λα χόντων τὴν κτῆσιν οὐδεὶς, λόγων ἐπεισάκτων, ἢ θεόθεν φερομένων, ἢ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων προσφερομέ νων· ἀπόχρη γὰρ ὁ ἔμφυτος λόγος εἰς τὴν τούτων διδασκαλίαν. Μαρτυροῦσι δὲ οἱ τῆς κακίας ἐργάται, καὶ κρύβδην αὐτὴν μετιόντες, καὶ ἐὰν φω ραθῶσιν, ἀπολογίας σφίσιν αὐτοῖς μηχανώμενοι. Καὶ γὰρ τοιχωρύχοι, καὶ τυμβωρύχοι, καὶ λωποδύται, καὶ μοιχοὶ, καὶ ἀνδροφόνοι, καὶ οἱ τὰ τούτων συγγενῆ μετιέναι τολμῶντες, σκότῳ συνεργῷ κεχρημένοι, ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τις πειραθείη τούτων τι δράσαι, σύμμαχον λαμβάνει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἐρημίαν. Οὐκοῦν, δι' ὧν λανθά νειν πειρῶνται, δηλοῦσιν ἣν ἔχουσι περὶ τῶν γινο μένων διάκρισιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔλαθον, εἰ καλὰ ποιεῖν ὑπέλαβον· λανθάνειν δὲ πειρώμενοι, καὶ τὸ φωραθῆ ναι δειμαίνοντες, ὁμολογοῦσιν ὡς πονηρὰ τὰ γινό μενα. Οὐκοῦν ἴστε καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ λίαν ἀχάριστοι, ὡς ἀγαθὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ ὡς μάλα πολλοὺς ἔχει πόνους συνεζευγμένους. Προσήκει τοίνυν τὴν παρὰ πάντων ἐπαινουμένην, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων, καὶ τῶν ἀντιπάλων, καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν πόνων καρπουμέ νην, ἀξίας ἔχειν τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. Ἀλλ' ὁρῶμεν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, πολλοὺς μὲν ταύτην αἱρουμένους, καὶ πολλῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πόνων ἀνεχομένους, οὐ πάν τας δὲ ἐπαίνου τινὸς καὶ τιμῆς δι' αὐτὴν ἀπο λαύοντας· ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ὡς ταύτης ἐραστὰς ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασι περιφερομένους, καὶ πολυθρυλλή τους γινομένους, καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν ἀείμνηστον ἐσχηκότας τὸ κλέος· τοὺς δὲ, παντάπασιν ἀγνοουμέ νους καὶ κρυπτομένους, καὶ μαργαρίτῃ προσεοικότας ἔτι τῷ βυθῷ καλυπτομένῳ, καὶ τῷ ὀστρείῳ καθειργ 83.728 μένῳ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ὁρῶντες, σκοπώμεθα παρ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς, τί δήποτε τῶν τὰ θεῖα περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμέ νων, τινὲς μὲν εἰσὶ λίαν ἐπίσημοι, τινὲς δὲ παντελῶς ἄσημοι· εἶτα λογιζώμεθα, ὡς δίκαιος ὢν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Ποιητὴς καὶ Κριτὴς, τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀγωνισταῖς ἀγω νοθετήσει δικαίως, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέξεται παραφθεῖραι τὸ δίκαιον ἡ τοῦ δικαίου τρυτάνη. Ἔπειτα καὶ τούτους κἀκείνους τετελευτηκότας ὁρῶντες, καὶ τοὺς μὲν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκλείας, τοὺς δὲ λίαν εὐτελῶς, ὡς τῶν τυχόντων τινὰς, λογιζώμεθα πάλιν, ὡς ἕτερόν τινα βίον ηὐτρέπισεν, ἐν ᾧ πρὸς ἀξίαν τοὺς εὖ βεβιωκότας ἀμείβεται. ∆ι' ὧν μὲν γὰρ ἐνίους περι φανείᾳ τετίμηκε, τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς παρεδήλωσε στε φάνους· τῷ δὲ μὴ πάντας κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον λαμπροὺς ἀποφῆναι καὶ περιβλέπτους, τὸν προσδοκώμενον βίον παραγυμνοῖ. Καὶ γίνεται ἡ μὲν περὶ ἐνίους τιμὴ, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης σημεῖον· τὸ δὲ μὴ πάντας τοὺς τούτων ἐργάτας τῶν ἴσων μετα λαγχάνειν, τὸν μέλλοντα βίον τεκμηριοῖ, καὶ βε βαιοῖ τὴν τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἐλπίδα. Τούτου χάριν οὐ πάντας ἀνακηρύττει κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, τοὺς εὖ καὶ καλῶς βεβιωκότας τῶν ὅλων ὁ Πρύτανις, οὐδὲ πάντας ὡσαύτως κολάζει τοὺς κακίᾳ συνεζηκό τας· ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν παραδίδωσι τιμωρίᾳ, καὶ τῆς ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον παραδεικνὺς, καὶ διὰ τούτων τοὺς λοιποὺς δεδιττόμενος, καὶ εἰς μεταμέλειαν προκαλού μενος· μὴ πάντας δὲ