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it seems that there are also certain other things, it might be made equal to this; or it might be made equal, but would not surpass it. Therefore, someone might say, O Democritus, and you, O Chrysippus, and you, O seer, since you are indignant if someone should wish to take away your own self-perception—for no longer those many 6.7.18 books to exist—come, let us also be indignant in turn. Why on earth, where it seems good to you, will this be both most trustworthy and most ancient, but where it does not seem good, will something hidden from it hold sway there, Fate <or> Destiny, having a difference for each of you, for one from God, for another from those little bodies that are carried downwards and rebound upwards and become entangled and are dissolved and stand apart and are set beside one another by necessity? 6.7.19 For behold, in the way we have a grasp of ourselves, in this way also we grasp the things in us that are of our own choice and those that are by force. and it has not escaped our notice how great the difference is between walking 6.7.20 and being led, nor how great the difference is between choosing and being compelled. And for what reason did I bring these things into the argument? Because what we are masters of has escaped you, O seer, and you who know all things would not know these things at least, of which the cables 6.7.21 are fastened to our will. And this appeared to be the beginning of not a few things; but he whom the beginning, which was the cause of the things that followed, has escaped, 6.7.22 how, I ask you, could this man know the things that come after the beginning? Shameless, clearly, is the one who prophesies to Laius that his own son will kill him. For surely the son was going to be master of his own will, and neither any Apollo nor anyone superior to him is able with any power to reach those things for which there is neither existence nor 6.7.23 necessity of coming into being. For that is indeed the most ridiculous thing of all, the mixture and conjunction of there being something in the power of men and there being a causal chain no less. For it resembles, as the wiser men say, the Euripidean 6.7.24 account. For that Laius willed to beget a child, that Laius was master of this and this escaped the Apollonian vision; but for him, having begotten a child, there was an ineluctable necessity to be killed by his son; thus then the necessity regarding the future 6.7.25 provides the seer with the foreknowledge of what will happen. And surely the son was also master of his own will, just like his father, and as the latter was of begetting a child or not, so was the former of killing or not. Such are all your prophecies; and the Apollo of Euripides was saying that very thing, that 'and all your house will go through blood'. 6.7.26 that there will be a maiming by the son’s own hand on account of marriage with his mother and the tyranny which he received for solving a riddle, and the mutually murderous slaughters of his children on account of the flight of one from power and the greed of the other, and the marriage of the exile in Argos and an expedition of seven ridiculous generals and an engagement; and since these things are divided into many beginnings and authorities, how could you know them thoroughly or how could the causal chain 6.7.27 bind them together? For if Oedipus, being master of him<self>, had not wished to be tyrant, or having wished and done this, had not chosen to marry Jocasta, or having married her, had not been blinded nor was despondent and displeased, how could each of these things have been done? And how could he have touched his eyes? And how could he have cursed his children 6.7.28 with the curse of Euripides and your own? And in what way could the things subsequent to these have happened, if the prior causes had not occurred, or what could you say of the future? And again, if the sons, having come to an agreement, had reigned together, or if, having made a pact to rule in turn, they had abided by their agreements, or if the one who was driven out had decided to go not to Argos, but to Libya or to the Perrhaebians, or if having come to Argos he had decided 6.7.29 to be a seller of salt-fish and not take a rich wife, but some poor spinner or a female shopkeeper, or if Adrastus had not given his daughter to him, or if Adrastus had given her, but the other had not desired the journey home, or if having desired it he had controlled himself, or if Adrastus had not paid attention to him when he requested an alliance, or if neither Amphiaraus nor Tydeus nor any of the other commanders had followed Adrastus, or if some had followed, but he, having come, did not fight with his brother, but either having come to terms reigned together with him or withdrew when his brother was unwilling, being persuaded by Euripides when he says:

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δοκεῖ καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ εἶναι, τούτῳ γ' ἂν παρισωθείη· ἢ παρισω6.7.17 θείη μὲν ἄν, ὑπερβάλλοι δὲ οὐκ ἄν. Οὐκοῦν, φήσειεν ἄν τις, ὦ ∆ημόκριτε, καὶ σύ, ὦ Χρύσιππε, καὶ σύ, ὦ μάντι, ἐπειδὴ ἀγανακτεῖτε εἴ τις ἐθελήσαι παρελέσθαι τὴν ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀντίληψιν οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τὰς πολ6.7.18 λὰς ἐκείνας βίβλους εἶναι, φέρε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνταγανακτήσωμεν· τί δή ποτε, ἔνθα μὲν ἂν ὑμῖν δοκῇ, ἔσται τοῦτο καὶ πιστότατον καὶ πρεσβύτατον, ἔνθα δ' ἂν μὴ δοκῇ, ἐκεῖ καταδυναστεύσει τι λεληθὸς αὐτοῦ, Εἱμαρμένη <ἢ> Πεπρωμένη, διαφορὰν ἑκάστῳ ὑμῶν ἔχουσα, τῷ μὲν ἐκ θεοῦ, τῷ δὲ ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν ἐκείνων σωμάτων τῶν φερομένων κάτω καὶ ἀναπαλλομένων ἄνω καὶ περιπλεκομένων καὶ διαλυομένων καὶ διισταμένων καὶ παρατιθεμένων ἐξ ἀνάγ6.7.19 κης; ἰδοὺ γὰρ ᾧ τρόπῳ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀντειλήμμεθα, τούτῳ καὶ τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν αὐθαιρέτων καὶ βιαίων. οὐ λέληθε δὲ ἡμᾶς ὅσον τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦ βαδίζειν 6.7.20 καὶ τοῦ ἄγεσθαι, οὐδὲ ὅσον τοῦ αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ ἀναγκάζεσθαι. ὧν δὲ ἕνεκα ταῦτα προσεισήνεγκα τῷ λόγῳ; ὅτι σε ἐκπέφευγεν, ὦ μάντι, ὧν κύριοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ ὁ τὰ πάντα εἰδὼς ταῦτά γε οὐκ ἂν εἰδείης, ὧν τὰ πείσματα 6.7.21 ἀνῆπται ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας βουλήσεως. αὕτη δέ γε ἐφαίνετο οὐκ ὀλίγων οὖσα πραγμάτων ἀρχή· ὃν δὲ ἡ ἀρχή, ἥτις ἦν τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα αἰτία, ἐκπέφευγεν, 6.7.22 ἦ πού γε τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰδείη ἂν οὗτος; ἀναίσχυντος δηλαδὴ ὁ Λαΐῳ προμαντευόμενος ὅτι αὐτὸν ἀποκτενεῖ ὁ φύς. ἤμελλε γάρ που ὁ φὺς κύριος ἔσεσθαι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βουλήσεως, καὶ οὔτε τις Ἀπόλλων οὔτε τις αὐτοῦ ὑπέρτερος ἐξικνεῖσθαι ἱκανὸς οὐδεμιᾷ δυνάμει ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε ὕπαρξις οὔτε 6.7.23 γενέσεως ἀνάγκη. ἐκεῖνο γὰρ δὴ τὸ καταγελαστότατον ἁπάντων, τὸ μίγμα καὶ ἡ σύνοδος τοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τι εἶναι καὶ εἱρμὸν οὐδὲν ἧττον εἶναι. προσεοικέναι γὰρ αὐτόν, ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ σοφώτεροι, τῷ Εὐριπι6.7.24 δείῳ λόγῳ· τεκνῶσαι μὲν γὰρ ἐθελῆσαι τὸν Λάϊον, κύριον εἶναι τὸν Λάϊον καὶ τοῦτο ἐκπεφευγέναι τὴν Ἀπολλωνίαν ὄψιν· τεκνώσαντι δ' αὐτῷ ἐπεῖναι ἀνάγκην ἄφυκτον ὑπὸ τοῦ φύντος ἀποθανεῖν· οὕτως οὖν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ μέλλοντι 6.7.25 ἀνάγκην παρέχειν τῷ μάντει τὴν τοῦ γενησομένου προαίσθησιν. ἦν δέ που καὶ ὁ φὺς τῆς ἰδίας βουλήσεως κύριος, ὥσπερ ὁ φύσας, καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖνος τοῦ τεκνῶσαι καὶ μή, οὕτως οὗτος τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι καὶ μή. τοιαῦτα δὲ ὑμῶν τὰ μαντεύματα πάντα· καὶ ὁ Εὐριπίδειος Ἀπόλλων τοῦτ' ἐκεῖνο ἦν ὃ ἔλεγε, τὸ καὶ πᾶς σὸς οἶκος βήσεται δι' αἵματος. 6.7.26 ὅτι πήρωσις μὲν ἔσται αὐτοχειρίᾳ τοῦ φύντος ἐπὶ γάμῳ μητρὸς καὶ τυραννίδι, ἣν παρέλαβεν ἐπ' αἰνίγματος λύσει, παίδων δὲ ἀλληλοκτόνοι σφαγαὶ ἐπὶ φυγῇ μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἑτέρου, τοῦ δὲ ἑτέρου πλεονεξίᾳ, καὶ γάμῳ τοῦ φυγάδος ἐν Ἄργει καὶ στόλῳ στρατηγῶν ἑπτὰ καταγελάστων καὶ συμβολῇ· ὧν ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας διαιρουμένων πῶς ἂν εἴη σοι ἐξεπίστασθαι ἢ ὁ εἱρμὸς 6.7.27 συνδεῖν δύναιτο; εἰ γὰρ αὑ<τοῦ> κύριος ὢν μὴ ἐβουλήθη τυραννεῖν ὁ Οἰδίπους, ἢ τοῦτο βουληθεὶς καὶ πράξας γαμεῖν τὴν Ἰοκάστην οὐ προείλετο, ἢ γήμας μὴ ἐτετύφωτο μηδ' ἦν δύσθυμος καὶ δυσάρεστος, πῶς ἂν τὰ καθ' ἕκαστα ἐπράχθη; πῶς δ' ἂν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἥψατο; πῶς δ' ἂν τοῖς παισὶν ἐπηράσατο 6.7.28 τὴν Εὐριπίδου καὶ τὴν σὴν ἀράν; τά τε ἑξῆς τούτων τίνα ἂν τρόπον ἐγεγόνει, μὴ προτέρων αἰτιῶν γιγνομένων, ἢ σὺ τί τῶν μελλόντων λέγειν ἠδύνασο; πάλιν δ' αὖ εἰ συμβάντες οἱ παῖδες ἅμα ἐβασίλευον, ἢ εἰ συνθέμενοι παρὰ μέρος ἔμενον ἐπὶ τοῖς συγκειμένοις, ἢ εἰ ὁ ἀπελαθεὶς ἔγνω μὴ εἰς Ἄργος, ἀλλ' εἰς Λιβύην ἢ εἰς Περραιβοὺς ἀπελθεῖν, ἢ εἰ ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ Ἄργος ἔγνω 6.7.29 ταριχοπωλεῖν καὶ μὴ πλουσίαν λαβεῖν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ χερνῆτίν τινα ἢ κάπηλιν, ἢ εἰ ὁ Ἄδραστος μὴ ἔδωκε τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῷ, ἢ εἰ ὁ μὲν ἔδωκεν, ὁ δ' οὐκ ἐπεθύμησε τῆς οἴκαδε ὁδοῦ, ἢ εἰ ἐπιθυμήσας ἐκράτησεν ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ εἰ μὴ προσέσχεν αὐτῷ δεομένῳ συμμαχίας ὁ Ἄδραστος, ἢ εἰ τῷ Ἀδράστῳ μήτε ὁ Ἀμφιάραος μήτε ὁ Τυδεὺς μηδὲ τῶν ἄλλων ταξιαρχῶν ἕκαστος ἠκολούθουν, ἢ εἰ οἱ μὲν συνηκολούθουν, ὁ δὲ ἐλθὼν οὐκ ἐμάχετο τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ἀλλ' ἢ συμβὰς ἐβασίλευσεν ἅμα αὐτῷ ἢ μὴ βουλομένῳ ἀνεχώρησε, πεισθεὶς Εὐριπίδῃ λέγοντι·