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THAT THE WHOLE NATION IS SLANDERED “Let us then consider the matter in this way. Come, if someone should praise the nourishment from goats and the animal itself, as it is a good possession, but another, having seen goats grazing without a goatherd in cultivated lands and doing damage, should censure them, and seeing any flock without a leader or with bad leaders should find fault in this way, would we think such a person's censure could ever justly censure anything at all? And how could we?” And a little later: 12.33.2 “That one is to praise or censure any community whatsoever, in which there is naturally a ruler and with him it is beneficial, but who had never seen it rightly communing with itself with a ruler, but always being without a ruler or consorting with bad rulers; do we think that such observers of such communities would ever censure or praise anything good? How could they?” 12.33.3 Therefore, it is not right, if among us some should appear to be doing evil things without a leader and ruler or with bad rulers, to censure our entire school, but rather to admire it from those who rightly pursue the pious way of life. 12.34.1 34. HOW PLATO CHANGED THE SAYINGS IN PROVERBS TO A MORE GREEK STYLE

Since in the Proverbs of Solomon it is concisely stated, “The memory of the just is with praises, but the name of the wicked is extinguished,” and again it is said, “Call no man blessed before his death,” hear how Plato interprets the thought, saying in the seventh book of the Laws: 12.34.2 “Of the citizens, as many as might have reached the end of life, having accomplished noble and laborious deeds in body or in soul and having been obedient to the laws, it would be fitting for them to receive praises. How could it not be? 12.34.3 But to honor those still living with encomiums and hymns is not safe, until someone has run the whole course of his life and set a noble end to it. And let all these things be common for us for good men and good women who have proved to be distinguished.”

12.35.1 35. CONCERNING WEALTH AND POVERTY

When Solomon said in Proverbs, “Give me neither wealth nor poverty,” Plato says in the third book of the Republic: “There are other things, it seems, that we have spoken of to the guardians, which must be guarded by every means so that they may never slip into the city unnoticed by them. What are these? Wealth, I said, and poverty; since the one produces luxury and idleness and innovation, and the other illiberality and evil-doing, in addition to innovation.” And evil-doing is every dishonorable action.

36. CONCERNING HONOR OF PARENTS Again, when Moses said in the laws, “Let each man fear his father and his mother,” and, “Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you,” Plato similarly to Moses says to both honor and fear in this way in the Laws: “Every one who has understanding fears and honors the prayers of parents, knowing that for many people they have often been fulfilled.” And again in another place he says: “Let every one of us reverence his elder

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ΤΟ ΠΑΝ ΕΘΝΟΣ ∆ΙΑΒΑΛΛΕΣΘΑΙ «Σκεψώμεθα δή πη τῇδε. φέρ', εἴ τις αἰγῶν τροφὴν καὶ τὸ ζῷον αὐτό, κτῆμα ὡς ἔστι καλόν, ἐπαινοῖ, ἄλλος δέ τις ἑωρακὼς αἶγας χωρὶς νεμομένας αἰπόλου ἐν ἐργασίμοις χωρίοις δρώσας κακὰ διαψέγοι καὶ πᾶν θρέμμα ἄναρχον ἢ μετὰ κακῶν ἀρχόντων ἰδὼν οὕτω μέμφοιτο, τὸν τοιούτου ψόγον ἡγούμεθα ὑγιὲς ἄν ποτε ψέξαι καὶ ὁτιοῦν; Καὶ πῶς;» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· 12.33.2 «Ὅτι δὲ ἐπαινέτην ἢ ψέκτην κοινωνίας ἡστινοσοῦν, ᾗ πέφυκέ τε εἶναι ἄρχων μετ' ἐκείνου τε ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ μήτε ἑωρακὼς εἴη ποτὲ ὀρθῶς αὐτὴν ἑαυτῇ κοινωνοῦσαν μετ' ἄρχοντος, ἀεὶ δὲ ἄναρχον ἢ μετὰ κακῶν ἀρχόντων ξυνοῦσαν· οἰόμεθα δή ποτε τοὺς τοιούτους θεωροὺς τῶν τοιούτων κοινωνιῶν χρηστόν τι ψέξειν ἢ ἐπαινεῖσθαι; Πῶς δ' ἄν;» 12.33.3 Οὐ δὴ χρὴ καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν εἴ τινες φαίνοιντο δίχα προστάτου καὶ ἄρχοντος ἢ μετὰ κακῶν ἀρχόντων δρῶντες κακά, ψέγειν τὸ πᾶν ἡμῶν διδασκαλεῖον, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρθῶς μετιόντων τὸ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα θαυμάζειν. 12.34.1 λδʹ. ΟΠΩΣ Ο ΠΛΑΤΩΝ ΜΕΤΕΒΑΛΕΝ ΕΠΙ ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΩΤΕΡΟΝ ΤΑ ΕΝ

ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΙΣ ΛΟΓΙΑ Ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίας Σολομῶνος συντόμως φερομένου τοῦ «Μνήμη δικαίων μετ' ἐγκωμίων, ὄνομα δὲ ἀσεβῶν σβέννυται» καὶ πάλιν εἰρημένου τοῦ «Μὴ μακαρίσῃς ἄνδρα πρὸ τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ,» ἐπάκουσον ὅπως τὴν διάνοιαν ἑρμηνεύει λέγων ὁ Πλάτων ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ τῶν Νόμων· 12.34.2 «Τῶν πολιτῶν ὁπόσοι τέλος ἔχοιεν τοῦ βίου κατὰ σώματα ἢ κατὰ ψυχὰς ἔργα ἐξειργασμένοι καλὰ καὶ ἐπίπονα καὶ τοῖς νόμοις εὐπειθεῖς γεγονότες, ἐγκωμίων αὐτοὺς τυγχάνειν πρέπον ἂν εἴη. Πῶς δ' οὔ; 12.34.3 Τούς γε μὴν ἔτι ζῶντας ἐγκωμίοις τε καὶ ὕμνοις τιμᾶν οὐκ ἀσφαλές, πρὶν ἂν ἅπαντά τις τὸν βίον διαδραμὼν τέλος ἐπιστήσηται καλόν. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἡμῖν ἔστω κοινὰ ἀνδράσι τε καὶ γυναιξὶν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἀγαθαῖς διαφανῶς γενομέναις.»

12.35.1 λεʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΠΛΟΥΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΝΙΑΣ

«Πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς» τοῦ Σολομῶνος φήσαντος ἐν Παροιμίαις ὁ Πλάτων ἐν γʹ Πολιτείας φησίν· «Ἕτερα δή, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῖς φύλαξιν εἰρήκαμεν, ἃ παντὶ τρόπῳ φυλακτέον ὅπως μή ποτε αὐτοὺς λήσῃ εἰς τὴν πόλιν παραδύντα. Τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα; Πλοῦτός τε, ἦν δ' ἐγώ, καὶ πενία· ὡς τοῦ μὲν τρυφὴν καὶ ἀργίαν καὶ νεωτερισμὸν ἐμποιοῦντος, τῆς δ' ἀνελευθερίαν καὶ κακοεργίαν πρὸς τῷ νεωτερισμῷ.» Κακοεργία δέ ἐστι πᾶσα πρᾶξις ἄτιμος.

λςʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΓΟΝΕΩΝ ΤΙΜΗΣ Πάλιν Μωσέως ἐν τοῖς νόμοις φάντος· «Ἕκαστος πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ μητέρα αὐτοῦ φοβείσθω» καί· «Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ἵνα εὖ σοι ᾖ,» καὶ ὁ Πλάτων ὁμοίως Μωσεῖ καὶ τιμᾶν καὶ φοβεῖσθαι ὧδέ πως φησὶν ἐν τοῖς Νόμοις· «Πᾶς δὴ νοῦν ἔχων φοβεῖται καὶ τιμᾷ γονέων εὐχάς, εἰδὼς πολλοῖς καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιτελεῖς γενομένας.» Καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρῳ φησί· «Πᾶς ἡμῖν αἰδείσθω τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πρεσβύτερον