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A man who has devoted even a little effort to virtue would never lie, having set himself to honor the truth, nor, having lied, would he blame the necessity of fate or the motion of the stars; but even if someone should bring fire or iron to his body, forcing him to corrupt the true word, he would speak freely and cry out in response: "Let fire come, let swords come; cut, burn my flesh, drink your fill of my black blood; for sooner will the stars go down below the earth, and the earth rise up to heaven, than a fawning word from me should meet you." 6.6.3 But the people-deceiving and guileful demon makes excuses, deceiving the foolish, so that in those cases where it fails in its prediction of the future, it might provide fate as a refuge for its own irrationality. 6.6.4 And by attributing everything to fate through its oracles, the demon, having destroyed that which is in our power, arising from free will, and having enslaved this also to necessity, see into what a ruin of evil doctrines it has cast those who obey it. 6.6.5 For if we must attribute not only external things to the stars and fate, but also the inclinations of our reason, and some inexorable necessity compels human wills, philosophy will be gone for you, and piety will be gone; nor was there any praise of virtue for the good, nor any divine favor, nor any worthy fruit of the labors of ascetic practice, since necessity 6.6.6 and fate have taken upon themselves the cause of all things. Therefore, it is not fitting to blame those who sin in their life, nor the impious and most abominable, nor even to admire the good; and in this way, as I said, the great glory of philosophy will also be gone, since it depends not on self-chosen study and practice, but on the necessity of the stars. 6.6.7 See, then, into what a pit of evil doctrines the wonderful gods have cast them, and consider how this doctrine incites and urges toward debauchery and injustice and countless other evils, working the complete overthrow of all life at once. 6.6.8 If, for instance, someone should immediately believe the wonderful oracles of the gods, that speaking truth and lying were not our own work, but that of inexorable fate, and also the will to set out on a military campaign or some other course of action, and the unwillingness to do such things, how would he not be willing to be neglectful and lazy in all things that cannot be accomplished without toils and labors and our 6.6.9 own zeal? For if he believed that a certain thing would happen by fate, whether we ourselves toiled for it and were diligent or not, how would one not choose the easier course, letting himself go and being neglectful, on the grounds that what is to be done will happen by fate and necessity? 6.6.10 Whence it is possible to hear the many saying that this, then, will be done, 6.6.11 if it is fated for me, and why must I give myself trouble? For if the one setting out on a military campaign did not do this from his own choice, but was driven by an external necessity, it is clear that the same is true for the one setting out for robbery and for tomb-robbing and for the other unholy and dissolute practices, or for orderly and sober pursuits; for this would be consistent with the doctrine of fate. 6.6.12 How then would one who believes he does not undertake these things of himself, but by an external necessity, ever pay attention to someone admonishing and teaching him not to give 6.6.13 himself up as a captive to the aforementioned things? For he would say to the one admonishing him, as has been said by some before us, "Why, O man, do you admonish me? For it is surely not in my power to change my choice; for fate 6.6.14 has already taken hold." Why then must I strain myself for things which I will not even be able to be zealous for, unless this also is fated for me? But I will be zealous, if it is fated, even without your teaching, being led by fate. Why then do you trouble 6.6.15 yourself in vain? But if you say that your exhorting and teaching is also accomplished by necessity in order to exhort and persuade me of such things, yet even in this what need is there to be diligent? For the exhortation is idle and useless. For if it is fated for me, I will be industrious; but if it is not fated, it will happen that both of us make our effort 6.6.16 in vain. And how not rather

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ἀνὴρ βραχεῖαν ἀρετῆς σπουδὴν εἰσενηνεγμένος οὔποτ' ἂν ψεύσαιτο, τἀληθὲς τιμᾶν προθέμενος, οὐδ' εἱμαρμένης ἀνάγκην οὐδ' ἄστρων φορὰν αἰτιάσαιτο ψευσάμενος· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τῷ σώματι πῦρ τις ἢ σίδηρον προσφέροι, διαφθείρειν ἐξαναγκάζων τὸν ἀληθῆ λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτον ἐλευθεροστομῶν ἀντιφθέγξεται· «ἴτω μὲν πῦρ, ἴτω δὲ φάσγανα· τέμνε, κάταιθε σάρκας, ἐμπλήσθητί μου πίνων κελαινὸν αἷμα· πρόσθε γὰρ κάτω γῆς εἶσιν ἄστρα, γῆ δ' ἄνεισ' ἐς οὐρανόν, πρὶν ἐξ ἐμοῦ σοι θῶπ' ἀπαντῆσαι λόγον.» 6.6.3 τὸ δέ γε λαοπλάνον καὶ ἀπατηλὸν δαιμόνιον σκήπτεται τοὺς ἄφρονας σοφιζόμενον, ἵν' ἐν οἷς ἂν τῆς τοῦ μέλλοντος προρρήσεως ἀποπίπτοι, κατα6.6.4 φυγὴν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀλογίας τὴν εἱμαρμένην πορίζοιτο. πάντα δ' εἱμαρμένης διὰ τῶν χρησμῶν ἀναρτήσας ὁ δαίμων καὶ τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς αὐτοπροαιρέτου κινήσεως ἀνελών, ἀνάγκῃ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο καταδουλώσας, θέα εἰς οἷον κακῶν 6.6.5 δογμάτων ὄλεθρον τοὺς αὐτῷ πειθομένους καταβέβληκεν. εἰ γὰρ ἄστροις καὶ εἱμαρμένῃ οὐ μόνα τὰ ἐκτός, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς κατὰ λογισμὸν προθυμίας ἀναθετέον καί τις ἀπαραίτητος ἀνάγκη τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας ἐκβιάζεται γνώμας, οἰχήσεταί σοι φιλοσοφία, οἰχήσεται καὶ εὐσέβεια· οὐδέ τις ἦν τοῖς σπουδαίοις ἔπαινος ἀρετῆς οὐδέ τις θεοφίλεια οὐδὲ τῶν ἐν ἀσκήσει πόνων καρπὸς ἐπάξιος, ἀνάγκης 6.6.6 καὶ εἱμαρμένης τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν πάντων ἀναδεδεγμένης. οὐ δὴ οὖν προσ ήκει καταμέμφεσθαι τοῖς περὶ τὸν βίον πλημμελοῦσιν οὐδέ γε τοῖς ἀσεβέσι καὶ ἐπιρρητοτάτοις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς σπουδαίους θαυμάζειν· ταύτη δέ, ὡς ἔφην, οἰχήσεται καὶ τὸ μέγα τῆς φιλοσοφίας κλέος, οὐκ αὐτοπροαιρέτου μελέτης καὶ ἀσκήσεως, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἄστρων ἀνάγκης ἀπῃωρημένον. 6.6.7 ὅρα οὖν εἰς οἷον κακῶν δογμάτων βυθὸν οἱ θαυμάσιοι θεοὶ καταβεβλήκασι, καὶ σκέψαι ὡς εἰς ἀσωτίαν καὶ ἀδικίαν καὶ ἄλλα κακὰ μυρία παρορμᾷ καὶ προτρέπει τουτὶ τὸ δόγμα, ἀνατροπὴν τοῦ παντὸς βίου ἀθρόως κατεργαζό6.6.8 μενον. εἰ γοῦν τις αὐτόθεν πιστεύσειε τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς τῶν θεῶν χρησμοῖς, ὅτι γε τὸ ἀληθεύειν καὶ τὸ ψεύδεσθαι οὐχ ἡμέτερον ἔργον ἦν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀπαραιτήτου εἱμαρμένης, καὶ τὸ θέλειν ἐπὶ στρατείαν ἢ ἐπ' ἄλλο τι τῶν πρακτέων ὁρμᾶν καὶ τὸ μὴ θέλειν τὰ τοιάδε, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἐθελήσειεν ἀμελεῖν καὶ καταρρᾳθυμεῖν ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς μὴ ἄνευ καμάτων καὶ πόνων καὶ τῆς ἡμῶν 6.6.9 αὐτῶν προθυμίας κατορθοῦσθαι δυναμένοις; εἰ γὰρ ἐξ εἱμαρμένης τόδε τι γενήσεσθαι νομίζοι, εἴτε πονοίημεν ἡμεῖς περὶ αὐτὸ καὶ σπουδάζοιμεν εἴτε καὶ μή, πῶς οὐκ ἄν τις ἐθελήσειε τὸ ῥᾷον αἱρεῖσθαι, παρεὶς ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀμελῶν, ὡς ἐξ εἱμαρμένης καὶ ἀνάγκης γενησομένου τοῦ πραχθησομένου; 6.6.10 ὅθεν καὶ λεγόντων ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν πολλῶν ὅτι ἄρα πραχθήσεται τοῦ6.6.11 το, εἴ γε εἵμαρταί μοι, καὶ τί με χρὴ παρέχειν ἐμαυτῷ πράγματα; εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἐπὶ στρατείαν ὁρμῶν οὐκ ἐκ προαιρέσεως οἰκείας τοῦτ' ἔπραττεν, ἐλαυνόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀνάγκης, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ λῃστείαν καὶ ἐπὶ τυμβωρυχίαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἤτοι ἀνοσιουργίας καὶ ἀκολασίας ἢ κοσμίους καὶ σώφρονας ἐπιτηδεύσεις· τοῦτο γὰρ ἂν εἴη ἀκόλουθον τῷ περὶ εἱμαρμένης λόγῳ. 6.6.12 πῶς οὖν ὁ ταῦτα μὴ ἐξ αὑτοῦ ἡγούμενος ἐγχειρεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀνάγκης προσέξοι ἄν ποτε τῷ νουθετοῦντι καὶ διδάσκοντι μὴ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδι6.6.13 δόναι ἔκδοτον τοῖς προειρημένοις; εἴποι γὰρ ἂν πρὸς τὸν νουθετοῦντα, ὡς καὶ τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν τισὶν εἴρηται, τί με, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, νουθετεῖς; ταῦτα γὰρ οὐ δήπου ἐστὶν ἐπ' ἐμοί, τὸ μεταβάλλειν τὴν προαίρεσιν· ἡ γὰρ εἱμαρμένη 6.6.14 προκατείληφε. τί οὖν δεῖ συντετάσθαι πρὸς ἃ οὐδὲ προθυμεῖσθαι δυνήσομαι, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο καθείμαρταί μοι; προθυμήσομαι δέ, εἰ καθείμαρται, καὶ ἄνευ τῆς σῆς διδασκαλίας ὑπὸ τῆς εἱμαρμένης ἀγόμενος. τί οὖν μάτην 6.6.15 σεαυτὸν ἐνοχλεῖς; ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τὸ σὲ παραινεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν φήσεις κατὰ ἀνάγκην ἐπιτελεῖσθαι εἰς τὸ παραινεῖν καὶ πείθειν ἐμὲ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ κἀν τούτῳ τί χρὴ σπουδάζειν; ἀργὴ γὰρ καὶ ἀνωφελὴς ἡ παραίνεσις. εἰ γὰρ εἵμαρταί μοι, φιλοπονήσω· εἰ δὲ μὴ εἵμαρται, ματαίαν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν σπουδὴν 6.6.16 ἀμφοτέρους συμβήσεται. πῶς δὲ οὐ μᾶλλον