167

wisdoms that become burdensome in political powers, and vulgar in the crafts. Therefore for the one who does wrong and says or does unholy things, it is far best not to grant that he is clever because of his villainy. 12.29.18 For they rejoice in the reproach and think they are hearing that they are not triflers, useless burdens on the earth, but men such as those must be in a state who are to be saved. The truth must be told, then, that they are all the more the kind of men they do not think they are, precisely because they do not think so. For they are ignorant of the penalty for injustice, which they ought least of all to be ignorant of. For it is not what they suppose, blows and deaths, which sometimes those who do no wrong suffer, but one which it is impossible to escape. 12.29.19 What do you mean? Of the patterns, my friend, that are established in reality, the one divine and most blessed, the other godless and most wretched, not seeing that this is so, through their foolishness and utter senselessness they do not realize they are becoming like the one and unlike the other through their unjust actions; for which they pay the penalty, living the life that is like 12.29.20 the one they resemble. And if we say that unless they get rid of their cleverness, when they die that place which is pure of evils will not receive them, but here on earth they will always have the likeness of themselves in their way of life, evil men consorting with evil men, they will hear these things as clever and villainous men hear from fools. 12.29.21 Very much so, Socrates. I know it, my friend. One thing, however, happens to them: when in private they must give and receive an account of the things they censure, and are willing to endure it manfully for a long time and not run away in an unmanly fashion, then, strangely, my good sir, in the end they are not pleased with themselves concerning what they say, and that rhetoric of theirs somehow withers away, so that they seem to differ in no way from children.”

12.30.1 30. CONCERNING ALL THE SOPHISTRY AMONG MEN And among us it has been said concerning all the sophistry among men: “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the 12.30.2 scribe? where is the disputer of this world?” But also concerning the need for those who philosophize according to God to think nothing petty, we are taught in the words: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: 12.30.3 for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” And concerning evil hovering around the earth and mortal life, the divine word says somewhere: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil;” and: “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” And the prophet also says: “Cursing and stealing and adul12.30.4 tery and murder are poured out upon the land, and blood touches blood.” And concerning fleeing from hence to God, Moses says: “You shall walk after the Lord your God, and you shall cleave to him.” And he himself teaches to imitate God, saying: “You shall be holy, for the Lord our God is holy.” 12.30.5 And David, knowing God is just and urging us to become imitators, says: “The Lord is righteous, and he loves righteousness.” And he himself taught to despise wealth, saying: “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them;” and: “Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he shall carry nothing away: 12.30.6 his glory shall not descend with him.” But he also taught not to admire the powers among men in these words: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

167

σοφίαι ἐν μὲν πολιτικαῖς δυναστείαις γιγνόμεναι φορτικαί, ἐν δὲ τέχναις βάναυσοι. τῷ οὖν ἀδικοῦντι καὶ ἀνόσια λέγοντι ἢ πράττοντι μακρῷ ἄριστ' ἔχει τὸ μὴ συγχωρεῖν δεινῷ ὑπὸ πανουργίας εἶναι. 12.29.18 ἀγάλλονται γὰρ τῷ ὀνείδει καὶ οἴονται ἀκούειν ὅτι οὐ λῆροί εἰσι, γῆς ἄλλως ἄχθη, ἀλλ' ἄνδρες οἵους δεῖ ἐν πόλει τοὺς σωθησομένους. λεκτέον οὖν τἀληθές, ὅτι τοσούτῳ μᾶλλόν εἰσιν οἷοι οὐκ οἴονται, ὅτι οὐχὶ οἴονται. ἀγνοοῦσι γὰρ ζημίαν ἀδικίας, ὃ δεῖ ἥκιστα ἀγνοεῖν. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἣν δοκοῦσι, πληγαί τε καὶ θάνατοι, ὧν ἐνίοτε πάσχουσιν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντες, ἀλλὰ ἣν ἀδύνατον ἐκφυγεῖν. 12.29.19 Τίνα δὴ λέγεις; Παραδειγμάτων, ὦ φίλε, ἐν τῷ ὄντι ἑστώτων, τοῦ μὲν θείου εὐδαιμονεστάτου, τοῦ δὲ ἀθέου ἀθλιωτάτου, οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει, ὑπὸ ἠλιθιότητός τε καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας λανθάνουσι τῷ μὲν ὁμοιούμενοι διὰ τὰς ἀδίκους πράξεις, τῷ δὲ ἀνομοιούμενοι· οὗ δὴ τίνουσι δίκην, ζῶντες τὸν εἰκότα 12.29.20 βίον ᾧ ὁμοιοῦνται. ἐὰν δ' εἴπωμεν ὅτι, ἂν μὴ ἀπαλλαγῶσι τῆς δεινότη τος, καὶ τελευτήσαντας αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖνος μὲν ὁ τῶν κακῶν καθαρὸς τόπος οὐ δέξεται, ἐνθάδε δὲ τὴν αὑτοῖς ὁμοιότητα τῆς διαγωγῆς ἀεὶ ἕξουσι, κακοὶ κακοῖς συνόντες, ταῦτα δὴ καὶ παντάπασιν ὡς δεινοὶ καὶ πανοῦργοι ἀνοήτων τινῶν ἀκούσονται. 12.29.21 Καὶ μάλα δή, ὦ Σώκρατες. Οἶδά τοι, ὦ ἑταῖρε. ἓν μέντοι τι αὐτοῖς συμβέβηκεν, ὅταν ἰδίᾳ λόγον δέῃ δοῦναί τε καὶ δέξασθαι περὶ ὧν ψέγουσι καὶ ἐθελήσωσιν ἀνδρικῶς πολὺν χρόνον ὑπομεῖναι καὶ μὴ ἀνάνδρως φυγεῖν, τότε ἀτόπως, ὦ δαιμόνιε, τελευτῶντες οὐκ ἀρέσκουσιν αὐτοὶ αὑτοῖς περὶ ὧν λέγουσι καὶ ἡ ῥητορικὴ ἐκείνη πως ἀπομαραίνεται, ὥστε παίδων μηδὲν δοκεῖν διαφέρειν.»

12.30.1 λʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΝ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΙΣ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΕΙΑΣ Καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν περὶ πάσης τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις σοφιστείας εἴρηται· «Ἡ γὰρ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ θεῷ ἐστι. γέγραπται γάρ· Ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν, καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω. ποῦ σοφός; ποῦ 12.30.2 γραμματεύς; ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου;» ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ δεῖν μηδὲν σμικρολόγον φρονεῖν τοὺς κατὰ θεὸν φιλοσοφοῦντας διδασκόμεθα ἐν οἷς εἴρηται· «Σκοπούντων ἡμῶν οὐ τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα· 12.30.3 τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια.» καὶ περὶ τοῦ τὴν κακίαν περὶ γῆν καὶ τὸν θνητὸν βίον εἰλεῖσθαί φησί που ὁ θεῖος λόγος· «Ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσι·» καί· «Ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς.» λέγει δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης· «Ἀρὰ καὶ κλοπὴ καὶ μοι12.30.4 χεία καὶ φόνος κέχυται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ αἵματα ἐφ' αἵμασι μίσγουσι.» περὶ δὲ τοῦ φεύγειν ἐνθένδε παρὰ τὸν θεόν φησιν ὁ Μωσῆς· «Ὀπίσω κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου πορεύσῃ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ.» ὁ δ' αὐτὸς μιμεῖσθαι τὸν θεὸν διδάσκει λέγων· «Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἅγιός ἐστι.» 12.30.5 δίκαιον δὲ καὶ ὁ ∆αβὶδ τὸν θεὸν εἰδὼς ἡμᾶς τε αὐτοὺς μιμητὰς γενέσθαι παρορμῶν φησι· «∆ίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν.» ὁ δ' αὐτὸς πλούτου καταφρονεῖν ἐπαίδευσε λέγων· «Πλοῦτος ἐὰν ῥέῃ, μὴ προστίθεσθε καρδίᾳ·» καί· «Μὴ φοβοῦ ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ· ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτὸν λήψεται τὰ πάντα 12.30.6 οὐδὲ συγκαταβήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ.» ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὰς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀρχὰς θαυμάζειν ἐδίδασκεν ἐν τούτοις· «Μὴ πεποίθατε ἐπ' ἄρχοντας, ἐφ' υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία. ἐξελεύσεται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ· ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται πάντες οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ.»