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he advises in his discourses not to demand the good precisely or purely in the mixed living being, and he says: "First, then, it must be said that those seeking the beautiful in the mixed thing must not demand it in every respect, but only so far as the mixed thing has it beautifully, nor seek first things in second things, but since it also has a body, to concede that something from this also goes to the whole, and to demand from the reason as much as the mixture was able to receive, 6.69 if it is not lacking in this." Then he is indignant with those who do not wish to struggle for virtue, but expect to be saved by God, and he says: "But now some are unarmed, while others who are armed prevail, where a god was not needed to fight himself for the unwarlike; for the law says one must be saved from wars by acting bravely, not by praying; nor to get fruits by praying, but by cultivating the earth; nor to be healthy without taking care of one's health, nor to be vexed if the wicked get more fruits, or if they farm at all or do it better. Then it is ridiculous to do all other things in life according to one's own judgment, even if they do not act in a way dear to the gods, but to be saved by the gods alone without even doing these things by which the gods command them to be saved. And so their deaths are better for them than to live in such a way that the laws in the universe do not wish them to live; so that when the opposite happens, when peace is maintained in all follies and vices, the affairs of providence would be in a strange state, allowing the worse things to prevail in this way. The wicked rule because of the cowardice of the ruled; for this is just, and not the other way. For providence must not be such that we are nothing; but if providence were everything and it alone, it would not exist; for of what would it be? But there would only be the divine." 6.70 And a little later he shows the rewards of the good: "For to those," he says, "who have become good, there will be and is laid up a good life for the future; but for the wicked, the opposite. But for those who have become wicked to expect others to be their saviors, having abandoned themselves, is not a lawful 6.71 prayer for them to make." Then also concerning the other living creatures he speaks thus: "Since also as to the other, lesser living creatures, which bring adornment to the earth, no one with sense finds fault. For it would be ridiculous if someone were to complain that they bite men, as though they ought to live sleeping. But it is necessary for these too to exist; and while some benefits from them are obvious, time has discovered many that are not apparent, so that none of them exist in vain, not even for men. And it is ridiculous to complain that many of them are wild, when men too become 6.72 wild." And after many other things he also said these: "But we, just as those unskilled in the art of painting complain that the colors are not beautiful everywhere, while the artist has in fact assigned the appropriate ones to each place, or as if someone were to criticize a drama because not all in it are heroes, but also a servant and some rustic speaking poorly; but it is not beautiful if one removes the inferior characters, being composed also of 6.73 these." And the whole discourse, both the first and the second, is full of these arguments. But I, avoiding length, will omit the greater part; and though I could use Xenophon the Socratic and Epictetus the Stoic and many other witnesses, and am able to refute by physical proofs the folly of those who disbelieve this argument, I think what has been collected is sufficient at least for the confirmation of the truth. 6.74 This one thing I have thought it useful to add to what has been said, that since it is clear that the Creator provides for all things, the account of the Savior's economy is surely shown to be irrefutable and indisputable; for it was fitting for the one who fashioned all things and who bestowed being on non-beings not to overlook the perishing nature of men, for whose sake he created all visible things. 6.75 For the earth is their dwelling place, and they have the heaven as a roof; and air and sea and rivers and springs and the birth-pangs of clouds and dews and breezes, and moreover both fruitful and unfruitful plants, and land and flying and swimming and amphibious animals, and myriad kinds of herbs and metallic substances supply the need of the race of men. 6.76 And indeed also the sun and moon and of the stars the
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λόγους παραινεῖ μὴ ἀκριβῶς ἐν τῷ μικτῷ ζῴῳ μηδὲ ἀκραι φνῶς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀπαιτεῖν, καί φησιν· "Πρῶτον τοίνυν λεκτέον ὡς τὸ καλὸν ἐν τῷ μικτῷ ζητοῦντας χρὴ μὴ πάντῃ ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀλλ' ὅσον τὸ καλῶς ἐν τῷ μικτῷ ἔχει, μηδὲ ἐν δευτέροις ζητεῖν τὰ πρῶτα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ σῶμα ἔχει, ξυγχωρεῖν καὶ παρὰ τούτου ἰέναι εἰς τὸ πᾶν, ἀπαιτεῖν δὲ παρὰ τοῦ λόγου, ὅσον ἠδύνατο δέ 6.69 ξασθαι τὸ μῖγμα εἰ μηδὲν τούτῳ ἐλλείπει." Εἶτα νεμεσᾷ τοῖς ἀγωνίζεσθαι μὲν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς μὴ βουλομένοις, σώζεσθαι δὲ ἀξιοῦσι παρὰ Θεοῦ, καί φησιν· "Νῦν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἄοπλοι, οἱ δὲ ὁπλισθέντες κρατοῦσιν, ἔνθα οὐ θεὸν ἔδει ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπολέμων αὐτὸν μάχεσθαι· σώζεσθαι γὰρ ἐκ πολέμων φησὶ δεῖν ὁ νόμος ἀνδριζομένους, ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐχομένους· οὐδὲ γὰρ κομίζεσθαι καρποὺς εὐχομένους, ἀλλὰ γῆς ἐπιμελουμένους· οὐδὲ ὑγιαίνειν μὴ ὑγείας ἐπιμελουμένους, οὐδ' ἀγανακτεῖν δέ, εἰ τοῖς φαύλοις πλείους γίνοιντο οἱ καρποί, ἢ ὅλως αὐτοῖς γεωργοῦσιν ἢ ἄμεινον. Ἔπειτα γελοῖον τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν βίον γνώμῃ τῇ ἑαυτῶν πράττειν, κἂν μὴ ταύτῃ πράττωσιν ᾗ θεοῖς φίλα, σώζεσθαι δὲ μόνον παρὰ θεῶν οὐδὲ ταῦτα ποιήσαντας, δι' ὧν κελεύουσι τούτους οἱ θεοὶ σώζεσθαι. Καὶ τοίνυν οἱ θάνατοι αὐτοῖς βελτίους ἢ τὸ οὕτω ζῶντας εἶναι, ὅπως ζῆν αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν οἱ ἐν τῷ παντὶ νόμοι· ὥστε τῶν ἐναντίων γινομένων, εἰρήνης ἐν ἀνοίαις καὶ κακίαις πάσαις φυλαττομένης, ἀτόπως ἂν ἔσχε τὰ προνοίας, ἐώσης κρατεῖν οὕτω τὰ χείρω. Ἄρχουσι δὲ οἱ κακοὶ ἀρχομένων ἀνανδρίᾳ· τοῦτο γὰρ δίκαιον, καὶ οὐκ ἐκεῖνο. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ οὕτω τὴν πρόνοιαν εἶναι δεῖ, ὥστε μηδὲν ἡμᾶς εἶναι· πάντα δὲ οὔσης προνοίας καὶ μόνης αὐτῆς οὐδ' ἂν εἴη· τίνος γὰρ ἂν ἔτι εἴη; ἀλλὰ μόνον ἂν εἴη τὸ θεῖον." 6.70 Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα δὲ δείκνυσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ ἆθλα· "Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθοῖς" φησι "γενομένοις ἀγαθὸν βίον ἔσεσθαι καὶ κεῖσθαι καὶ εἰς ὕστερον· τοῖς δὲ κακοῖς τἀναντία. Κακοὺς δὲ γενομένους ἀξιοῦν ἄλλους αὐτῶν σωτῆρας εἶναι ἑαυτοὺς προεμένους οὐ θεμι 6.71 τὸν εὐχὴν ποιουμένων." Εἶτα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ὧδέ φησιν· "Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὅσα ἐλάττω ζῷα αὐτοῦ κόσμον γῇ φέροντα μέμφεται οὐδεὶς νοῦν ἔχων. Γελοῖον γὰρ εἴ τις μέμ φοιτο ὅτι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δάκνοι, ὡς δέον αὐτοὺς ζῆν κοιμωμέ νους. Ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ ταῦτα εἶναι· καὶ αἱ μὲν πρόδηλοι παρ' αὐτῶν ὠφέλειαι, τὰς δὲ οὐ φανερὰς ἀνεῦρε πολλὰς ὁ χρόνος, ὥστε μηδὲν αὐτῶν μάτην μηδὲ ἀνθρώποις εἶναι. Γελοῖον δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἄγρια πολλὰ αὐτῶν μέμφεσθαι, γινομένων καὶ ἀνθρώπων 6.72 ἀγρίων." Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα δὲ πλεῖστα καὶ ταῦτα ἔφη· "Ἡμεῖς δέ, ὥσπερ οἱ ἄπειροι γραφικῆς τέχνης αἰτιῶνται, ὡς οὐ καλὰ χρώματα πανταχοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἄρα τὰ προσήκοντα ἀπέδωκεν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ, ἢ εἴ τις δρᾶμα μέμφοιτο, ὅτι μὴ πάντες ἥρωες ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκέτης καί τις ἄγροικος καὶ φαύλως φθεγγόμε νος· τὸ δὲ οὐ καλόν ἐστιν, εἴ τις τοὺς χείρους ἐξέλοι, καὶ ἐκ 6.73 τούτων ξυμπληρούμενον." Καὶ πᾶσα δὲ ἡ διάλεξις, καὶ ἡ προ τέρα καὶ ἡ δευτέρα, τούτων τῶν λόγων ἀνάπλεως. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ μῆκος φεύγων τὰ πλείονα παραλείψω· καὶ Ξενοφῶντι τῷ Σω κρατικῷ καὶ Ἐπικτήτῳ τῷ Στωϊκῷ καὶ ἄλλοις πλείοσι μάρτυσι δυνάμενος χρήσασθαι καὶ φυσικαῖς ἀποδείξεσιν οἷός τε ὢν δι ελέγξαι τῶν ἀπιστούντων τῷδε τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ἄνοιαν, ἀποχρῆν οἶμαι τὰ ξυνειλεγμένα εἴς γε τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας βεβαίωσιν. 6.74 Ἐκεῖνο δὲ μόνον τοῖς εἰρημένοις προύργου προσθεῖναι νενό μικα, ὡς δήλου γε ὄντος, ὅτι προνοεῖ τῶν ὅλων ὁ ποιητής, ἄμα χος δήπουθεν καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητος δέδεικται τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἰκονομίας ὁ λόγος· ἔπρεπε γὰρ τῷ τὰ πάντα τεκτηναμένῳ καὶ τοῖς μὴ οὖσι τὸ εἶναι δωρησαμένῳ μὴ παριδεῖν διολλυμένην τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, ἧς ἕνεκεν τὰ ὁρώμενα κατεσκεύασεν ἅπαντα. 6.75 Ἥ τε γὰρ γῆ τούτων ἐστὶν ἐνδιαίτημα, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὄροφον ἔχουσι· καὶ ἀὴρ καὶ θάλαττα καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ πηγαὶ καὶ νεφῶν ὠδῖνες καὶ δρόσοι καὶ αὖραι, καὶ μέντοι καὶ φυτὰ κάρπιμά τε καὶ ἄκαρπα καὶ ζῷα χερσαῖά τε καὶ πτηνὰ καὶ νηκτὰ καὶ ἀμφίβια καὶ βοτανῶν γένη μυρία καὶ ὕλαι μεταλλικαὶ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώ 6.76 πων τὴν χρείαν προσφέρουσιν. Καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη καὶ τῶν ἀστέρων τὸ