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to assent to what is said. 14.10.1 But I will even go to an extreme; I do not hold to an equal share. I condescend to the weakness of the body. I leave the ten months to the body, and a little more. Let it grant me the forty days without insult, so that I may be rid of the mire, the clay cooled by self-control. These things, O Christians, are both just and irrefutable, whether God judges or man. 14.10.2 And you, the judge, give your verdict for me; for you have come at the right time for the soul disputing with the body. Take away from me, then, O Christian, sensual pleasure as something childish. You are a man, do not think the thoughts of infants. If they do not get honey, they wail; if you do not offer them meat or wine, they fall down and thrash about, and they wear everyone out by whimpering for a very long time. 14.10.3 I blush at the dejection of the gluttonous, how they mourn their fasting; they yawn constantly, lie down for a little, get up again, sleep under compulsion. They are eager to spend their days in insensibility, they are vexed by the sun lingering on its way to setting. They call the days longer than usual. Finally, they invent stomach aches and tensions of wind and heaviness of the head and an upsetting of their constitution. 14.10.4 And yet 14.10.4 these are the signs of gluttony, not of fasting. They come unpleasantly to the sober table, they grumble about the vegetables, they revile the legumes as having been introduced into creation in vain; for the lovers of pleasure even become natural philosophers against the foods of self-control. 14.10.5 They gulp down water without breathing as if they had received it from doctors to drink as an unpleasant medicine. And many sophisticate even their wine with adulterated preparations, consoling their love of pleasure. And others, accordingly, contrive the necessary food with vegetables and become varied sophists of enjoyment. But this is exceedingly simple-minded and foolish. 14.10.6 For self-control is a contest of a free and autonomous will, not a servile contrivance seeking to accomplish the task at hand not as is proper, but to contrive it in a servile manner. You demand a reward for living according to the law of virtue. But a reward and wages are promised to the honest workers, not to the evildoers. 14.11.1 Do not adulterate the fast, lest you suffer the fate of the innkeepers. For if they are punished for mixing water with wine, how will you go unpunished for introducing sophisticated pleasures into the austerity of the fast? Do not imitate feigned weaknesses, do not slander the forty days as causing sickness, for on the contrary it is productive of health. Do not make excuses in sins with men who work for pleasure. 14.11.2 Because of your bad habit, self-control is considered an enemy; yet it is not naturally burdensome. And the proof of this statement is all the barbarians, who neither plant vines nor drink wine, but draw up the spontaneous and uncultivated drink, water, and are known to be noble and excellent in wars and conquer those who drink much wine, as is natural, the sober conquering the drunk. 14.11.3 Their bodies are light and hardy, and such men are swift to mount a horse, and they are clever and daring and good archers. Secure with their courage and capable of finding a plan in difficulties. Do not, therefore, accuse water of making those who use it pale and weak; for experience refutes your slander. 14.11.4 What am I saying about wine? The Scythian nomads, who dwell near the Bosporus and who live by the Rhine river, are without houses and without hearths. They live as tent-dwellers, making a shelter for themselves from felt and fleeces and whatever coverings are at hand. 14.11.5 They do not know the plow nor do they cut open the earth; for which reason they do not eat bread; for how could they, having not learned the cultivation of wheat and the subsequent seeds? Nevertheless, living without bread and wine, they are brave and worthy opponents in war against entire nations, conquering and surpassing most; and nothing

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λεγομένοις ἐπιψηφίσαι. 14.10.1 Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὑπερβολὴν ποιήσομαι, οὐχ ἀντέχομαι τῆς ἰσομοιρίας. Συγκαταβαίνω τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τοῦ σώματος. Ἀφίημι τοὺς δέκα μῆνας τῷ σώματι καὶ μικρόν τι πρός. Χαρισάσθω μοι τὴν τεσσαρακοστὴν ἀνύβριστον, ἵνα μικρὸν ἀπαλλαγῶ τοῦ βορβόρου, τοῦ πηλοῦ τῇ ἐγκρατείᾳ ψυγέντος. Ταῦτα, ὦ χριστιανοί, δίκαιά τε καὶ ἀναντίρρητα, κἂν Θεὸς δικάζῃ κἂν ἄνθρωπος. 14.10.2 Καὶ σὺ δέ μοι, ὁ δικαστής, ἐπιψήφισον ἐν καιρῷ γὰρ παρεγένου ἀμφισβητούσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ πρὸς τὸ σῶμα. Ἄνελε τοίνυν μοι, ὁ χριστιανός, τὴν ἡδυπάθειαν ὡς μειρακιώδη. Ἀνὴρ εἶ, μὴ φρόνει τὰ τῶν νηπίων. Ἐκεῖνα ἂν μὴ λάβῃ τοῦ μέλιτος, θρηνεῖ· ἂν μὴ τοῦ κρέως ὀρέξῃς ἢ τοῦ οἴνου, πίπτοντα ἀποσπαίρει, ἀποκναίει δὲ πάντας ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὅσον κλαυθμυριζόμενα. 14.10.3 Ἐρυθριῶ πρὸς τὴν κατήφειαν τῶν γαστριμάργων, ὅπως πενθοῦσι τὴν ἀσιτίαν· χασμῶνται συνεχῶς, κατακλίνονται μικρόν, διανίστανται πάλιν, καθεύδουσιν ἠναγκασμένοι. Ἐν ἀναισθησίᾳ σπουδάζουσι τὰς ἡμέρας διατελεῖν, ἄχθονται τῷ ἡλίῳ πρὸς τὴν δύσιν βραδύνοντι. Μακροτέρας τῆς συνηθείας τὰς ἡμέρας προσαγορεύουσι. Πλάσσονται δὲ λοιπὸν στομάχων ἀλγηδόνας καὶ πνευμάτων ἐντάσεις καὶ βάρη τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ ἀνατροπὴν τῆς ἕξεως. 14.10.4 Καίτοιγε 14.10.4 ταῦτα τῆς πλησμονῆς εἰσιν, οὐ νηστείας γνωρίσματα. Ἀηδῶς ἐπὶ τὴν σεμνὴν ἔρχονται τράπεζαν, καταγογγύζουσι τῶν λαχάνων, λοιδοροῦσι τὰ ὄσπρια ὡς μάτην ἐπεισαχθέντα τῇ κτίσει· γίνονται γὰρ καὶ φυσιολόγοι οἱ φιλήδονοι κατὰ τῶν ὄψων τῆς ἐγκρατείας. 14.10.5 Ἀπνευστὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἕλκουσιν ὡς ἀηδὲς φάρμακον παρὰ ἰατρῶν λαβόντες πιεῖν. Οἱ πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τὸν οἶνον σοφίζονται νόθοις κατασκευαῖς τὴν φιληδονίαν παραμυθούμενοι. Καὶ ἄλλοι τοιγαροῦν τὴν χρείαν λαχάνοις ἐπιτηδεύουσι καὶ ποικίλοι γίνονται τῆς ἀπολαύσεως σοφισταί. Τοῦτο δὲ λίαν εὔηθες καὶ ἀνόητον. 14.10.6 Ἐγκράτεια γὰρ αὐτεξουσίου καὶ ἐλευθέρου φρονήματός ἐστιν ἀγώνισμα, μὴ γὰρ δουλότροπος σκευωρία ζητοῦσα τὸ προκείμενον οὐ καθὼς προσῆκεν ἐξεργάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ δουλοπρεπῶς σκευωρῆσαι. Μισθὸν ἀπαιτεῖς ἐφ' οἷς ζῇς κατὰ νόμον τῆς ἀρετῆς. Μισθὸς δὲ καὶ ἐπίχειρα τοῖς ἀδόλοις ἐργάταις, οὐ τοῖς κακούργοις ἐπήγγελται. 14.11.1 Μὴ νόθευε τὴν νηστείαν, ἵνα μὴ πάθῃς τὰ τῶν καπήλων. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τῷ οἴνῳ ὕδωρ παραμιγνύντες κολάζονται, σὺ τῷ αὐστηρῷ τῆς νηστείας τὰς σεσοφισμένας ἀπολαύσεις ἐπεισάγων πῶς ἀτιμώρητος παρελεύσῃ; Μὴ μιμοῦ τὰς πεπλασμένας ἀσθενείας, μὴ καταψεύδου τῆς τεσσαρακοστῆς ὡς νοσοποιοῦ, τοὐναντίον γὰρ ὑγιείας ἐστὶ ποιητική. Μὴ προφασίζου προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις σὺν ἀνθρώποις ἐργαζομένοις φιληδονίαν. 14.11.2 ∆ιὰ συνήθειαν σοι κακὴν πολέμιος νομίζεται ἡ ἐγκράτεια· οὐ μὴν φυσικῶς ἐστιν ἐπαχθής. Τεκμήριον δὲ τοῦ λόγου πάντες βάρβαροι, ὅσοι οὔτε ἀμπέλους φυτεύουσιν οὔτε πίνουσιν οἶνον, ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτόματον ἐπισπῶνται καὶ ἀγεώργητον πόμα, τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ γνωρίζονται γενναῖοι καὶ ἀριστεῖς ἐν πολέμοις καὶ κρατοῦσι τῶν πολυοίνων, ὡς εἰκός, μεθυόν των οἱ νήφοντες. 14.11.3 Σώματα δὲ αὐτοῖς κοῦφα καὶ μοχθηρὰ καὶ ταχεῖς μὲν ἀναβῆναι ἵππον οἱ τοιοῦτοι, εὐφυεῖς δὲ καὶ τολμηταὶ καὶ πρὸς τοξείαν εὔστοχοι. Ἀσφαλεῖς δὲ μετὰ τοῦ θράσους καὶ γνώμην ἐν ἀπόροις εὑρεῖν ἱκανοί. Μὴ οὖν κατηγόρει τοῦ ὕδατος ὡς ἐξιτήλους καὶ ἀσθενεῖς τοὺς χρωμένους ἐνεργαζομένου· ἐλέγχει γάρ σου τὴν συκοφαντίαν ἡ πεῖρα. 14.11.4 Τί λέγω περὶ τοῦ οἴνου; Σκύθαι οἱ νομάδες, ὅσοι προσοικοῦσι τὸν Βόσπορον καὶ ὅσοι τῷ Ῥήνῳ ποτάμῳ προσκάθηνται, ἄοικοι μέν εἰσι καὶ ἀνέστιοι. Σκηνιταὶ δὲ βιοῦσιν ἐκ πίλων καὶ κωδίων καὶ τῶν προστυχόντων προκαλυμμάτων ἑαυτοῖς τὴν σκεπὴν πηγνύμενοι. 14.11.5 Ἄροτρον δὲ οὐκ ἴσασιν οὐδὲ γῆν ἀνατέμνουσι· διὸ καὶ ἄρτον οὐ προσφέρονται· πῶς γὰρ οἱ τοῦ σίτου καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς σπερμάτων μὴ μεμαθηκότες τὴν γεωργίαν; Ὅμως χωρὶς ἄρτου καὶ οἴνου διαζῶντες εἰσὶν ἀνδρεῖοι καὶ ὅλοις ἔθνεσι πρὸς πόλεμον ἀξιόμαχοι τῶν δὲ πολλῶν κρατοῦντες καὶ ὑπερέχοντες· καὶ οὐδὲν