102

Of Thespis. Let no one boast in the nobility of ancestors; for all have clay as the forefather of their race, both those who are nurtured in purple and fine linen, and those who are consumed in abysmal poverty.

Of Sclerius. For many mortals, the appearance is noble; But the mind in it is found to be ignoble. Sostratus. Sostratus the flute-player, being reproached by someone on account of his parents

being obscure, said: "And for this reason, ought I not rather to be admired, because a lineage begins from me?"

Of Phalaris. To pride oneself on nobility, just as on any other of the fine things, is not unreasonable. But I know one virtue, and all other things, fortune. And it might be that the good man from base origins is the most noble of kings and of all men; but the base man from good origins is the most ignoble of himself and of the lowliest. Therefore, boast in the praise of your soul, not in the nobility of ancestors, which has died out into more inglorious men.

He who is born from virtue, he is pictured as noble. Demosthenes. We do not judge grain to be best from the most beautiful field, but that which

is suitable for food; nor a worthy man (15E_446> or a benevolent friend, the one who is from a distinguished family, but the one who is better in character.

It is most urgent for the noble and the beautiful, to have beauty in appearance, moderation in the soul, and courage in both of these; and to continually have grace in their words.

Diogenes. When someone asked, "Who among men are the most noble?" "Those who despise," he said, "wealth, glory, pleasure, life; and are superior to their opposites: poverty, dishonor, toil, death."

Zeno. He himself said, that one should not investigate (996) men, if some are from great cities, but if they are worthy of great cities.

Of Epicharmus. I am choked when someone, being a nobody, speaks ill of nobility, while being himself ignoble in character. For what fellowship is there between a mirror and a blind man? Of Charicles. For the display of nobility and beauty and appearance, a thievish character;

nothing; it can subdue and control nothing, even of the most squalid things. Socrates. Socrates the philosopher, having observed one of his students, on the one hand

caring for his field, but on the other hand neglecting his conduct, said, "See here, you, lest while wishing to cultivate the field, you make your soul wild."

Plutarch. For what else do we consider nobility to be, if not ancient wealth, or ancient glory? Neither of which is in our power, but the one is of uncertain fortune, the other because of human intemperance. So that the puffed-up name, nobility, hangs from two alien things. And wealth, indeed, does not make those born similar to it; but he who is born from virtue, he is pictured as noble.

DISCOURSE 64. Concerning Laughter. (15E_448> Luke 6. Woe to you who laugh, for you shall mourn and weep. Ephesians 5. Filthiness and foolish talking and coarse jesting, and things which are not fitting, let them not even

be named among you; but rather thanksgiving. Solomon 7. As the sound of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of

fools.

102

Θεσπίδου. Ἐπί προγόνων εὐγενείᾳ μηδείς ἐγκαυχάσθω· πηλόν γάρ ἔχουσι πάντες τοῦ γένους προπάτορα, καί οἱ ἐν πορφύρᾳ καί βύσσῳ τρεφόμενοι, καί οἱ ἐν πενίᾳ ἀβύσσῳ δαπανώμενοι.

Σκληρίου. Πολλοῖς, θνητῶν ἡ μέν ὄψις εὐγενής· Ὁ νοῦς δ᾿ ἐν αὐτῇ δυσγενής εὑρίσκεται. Σώστρατος. Σώστρατος ὁ αὐλητής ὀνειδιζόμενος ὑπό τινος ἐπί τῷ γονέων

ἀσήμων εἶναι, εἶπεν· Καί μή διά τοῦτο μᾶλλον ὤφειλον θαυμάζεσθαι, ὅτι ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ γένος ἄρχεται.

Φαλάριδος. Σεμνύνεσθαι μέν ὥσπερ ἄλλῳ τινί τῶν καλῶν ἐπ᾿ εὐγενείᾳ, οὐκ ἀπεικός ἐστιν. Ἐγώ δέ μίαν ἀρετήν οἶδα, τά δ᾿ ἄλλα πάντα τύχην. Καί γένοιτ᾿ ἄν, ὁ μέν ἐκ φαύλων ἀγαθός, καί βασιλέων καί πάντων εὐγενέστατος· ὁ δέ ἐξ ἀγαθῶν φαῦλος, αὐτός αὐτοῦ καί τῶν ταπεινοτάτων δυσγενέστατος. Ὥστε ψυχῆς ἔπαινον αὔχει, μή προγόνων τεθνηκυῖαν εἰς ἀδοξοτέρους εὐγένειαν.

Ὁ ἐξ ἀρετῆς γεννηθείς, ἐκεῖνος εὐγενής εἰκονίζεται. ∆ημοσθ. Οὔτε σῖτον ἄριστον ἐκ τοῦ καλλίστου πεδίου κρίνομεν, ἀλλά τόν

εὔθετον πρός τροφήν· οὔτε ἄνδρα σπουδαῖον (15Ε_446> ἤ φίλον εὔνουν, τόν ἐξ ἐπιφανοῦς ὄντα γένους, ἀλλά τόν ὑπάρχοντα τῷ τρόπῳ κρείττονα.

Τοῖς εὐγενέσι καί καλοῖς μάλιστα κατεπείγει, κάλλος μέν ἐπί τῆς ὄψεως, σωφροσύνην δέ ἐπί τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀνδρείαν δέ ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέρων τούτων· χάριν δέ ἐπί τῶν λόγων διατελεῖν ἔχουσι.

∆ιογένης. Πυνθανομένου τινός, Τίνες τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐγενέστατοι; Οἱ καταφρονοῦντες, εἶπε, πλούτου, δόξης, ἡδονῆς, ζωῆς· τῶν δέ ἐναντίων ὑπεράνων ὄντες, πενίας, ἀδοξίας, πόνου, θανάτου.

Ζήνων. Ὁ αὐτός ἔφη, μή δεῖν ζητεῖν τούς (996) ἀνθρώπους, εἴ τινες ἐκ μεγάλων πόλεών εἰσιν, ἀλλ᾿ εἰ μεγάλων πόλεων ἄξιοι.

Ἐπιχάρμου. Πνίγομ᾿ ὅταν εὐγένειαν οὐδέν ὤν κακῶς λέγει τις, αὐτός δυσγενής ὤν τῷ τρόπῳ. Τίς γάρ κατόπτρῳ καί τυφλῷ κοινωνία; Χαρικλείου. Εὐγενείας γάρ ἔμφασις καί κάλλους καί ὄψις, ληστρικόν ἦθος·

οὐδέν· οὐδέν ὑποτάττειν καί κρατεῖν, καί τῶν αὐχμηροτάτων, δύναται. Σωκράτ. Σωκράτης ὁ φιλόσοφος, θεασάμενός τινα τῶν μαθητῶν, τοῦ μέν

ἀγροῦ ἐπιμελούμενον, τῆς δέ πράξεως ἀμελοῦντα, Ὅρα, ὦ οὗτος, ἔφη, μή τόν ἀγρόν ἐξημερῶσαι βουλόμενος, τήν ψυχήν ἀγριώσῃ.

Πλουτάρχ. Τί γάρ ἄλλο νομίζομεν εἶναι τήν εὐγένειαν, εἰ μή παλαιόν πλοῦτον, ἤ παλαιάν δόξαν; οὐδέτερον ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν ὄν, ἀλλά τά μέν τύχης ἀδήλου, τά δέ ἀκρασίας χάριν ἀνθρωπίνης. Ὥστε ἐκ δυοῖν ἀλλοτρίων κρέμαται τό πεφυσωμένον ὄνομα, ἡ εὐγένεια. Καί ὁ πλοῦτος μέν, οὐχ ὁμοίους αὐτῷ τούς γεννηθέντας ποιεῖ· ἀλλ' ὁ ἐξ ἀρετῆς γεννηθείς, ἐκεῖνος εὐγενής εἰκονίζεται.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ξ∆´. Περί γέλωτος. (15Ε_448> Λουκ. στ´. Οὐαί ὑμῖν, οἱ γελῶντες, ὅτι πενθήσετε καί κλαύσετε. Ἐφ. ε´. Αἰσχρότης καί μωρολογία καί εὐτραπελία, καί τά οὐκ ἀνήκοντα, μηδέ

ὀναμαζέσθω ἐν ὑμῖν· ἀλλά μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία. Σολομ. ζ΄. Ὥσπερ φωνή ἀκανθῶν ὑπό τόν λέβητα, οὕτως ὁ γέλως τῶν

ἀφρόνων.