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to confess that they do anything at all, being such as we say they are? For in us, at least, idleness is the offspring of cowardice, and idleness and luxury are the offspring of indolence. 12.52.13 You speak most truly. Through idleness and indolence, then, no one of the gods is neglectful, for cowardice has no part in them. You speak most correctly. Therefore, what remains, if they neglect the small and few things of the universe, is that either knowing that one ought not to care for any such things at all, they would do this; or what is left but the opposite of knowing? Nothing. 12.52.14 Which, then, O best and noblest one, shall we take you as saying: that they are both ignorant and, though needing to take care, neglect things through ignorance, or that knowing they must, just as the worst of men are said to do, knowing it is better to do other things than what they are doing, they do not do them because of some defeat by pleasures or pains? 12.52.15 For how could that be? So then, human affairs partake of animate nature, and man is the most god-fearing of all animals. It seems so, at least. Indeed, we say that all things are the possessions of the gods, as many mortal animals as are intelligent, and the whole heaven. For how could they not be? 12.52.16 Now then, let someone say that these things are either small or great to the gods; for in neither case would it be fitting for those who possess us to be neglectful, being both most careful and best. For let us consider this also in addition to these things; Which is? The matter of perception and power, are they not by nature opposite to one another in respect to ease and difficulty? What do you mean? 12.52.17 It is, I suppose, more difficult to see and to hear small things than great things, but on the other hand, it is easier for anyone to carry and to control and to care for the small and few than for the opposite. By far. A physician, then, who is charged with treating a whole, being willing and able, will be careful of the great parts, but neglectful of the parts and the small things; then will the whole ever be well with him? By no means. 12.52.18 Nor indeed for pilots nor generals nor household managers nor yet for any statesmen nor for any other such person do many or great things exist without the few or small things; for stonemasons also say that without the small stones the large ones are not well laid. For how could they be? 12.52.19 Let us not, then, ever deem god to be inferior to mortal craftsmen, who, the better they are, the more precisely and perfectly do they accomplish their proper tasks, both small and great, with one skill; but god, being most wise and willing to care and being able, should in no way care for those things which are easier to care for, being small, as if he were idle or some coward shirking because of toils, but care for the great things. 12.52.20 Let us in no way accept such an opinion about the gods, O stranger; for in no way would we be thinking a thought that is either pious or true. And it seems to me that we have now argued quite moderately with the one who loves to accuse the gods of neglect. Yes, by forcing him with arguments to confess that he does not speak correctly. And yet it seems to me that he still needs some incantations of stories. What kind, my good man? 12.52.21 Let us persuade the young man with our arguments that for the one who cares for the universe, all things are ordered for the salvation and excellence of the whole, of which each part, according to its capacity, both suffers and does what is fitting. And over these things rulers are appointed for each part for the smallest degree of passion and action always, having worked out their end to 12.52.22 the ultimate division; of which your part also, O wretched man, is one, and it ever looks and contributes to the whole, although it is very small. But you have failed to see this very thing, that all generation comes to be for the sake of that other, so that there might exist for the life of the whole a happy being, not coming to be for your sake, but you for its sake. For every physician and every skilled craftsman works on all things for the sake of the whole, contributing to the common best; and indeed he fashions a part for the sake of the whole and not 12.52.23 the whole for the sake of a part. But you are vexed, not knowing how what is best for you contributes to the whole and to you according to the power of the common generation. And since a soul, always joined with a body, at one time

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αὐτοὺς ὁμολογεῖν πράττειν ὁτιοῦν τὸ παράπαν, ὄντας γε οἵους λέγομεν; δειλίας γὰρ ἔγγονοι ἔν γε ἡμῖν ἀργία, ῥᾳθυμίας δὲ ἀργία καὶ τρυφή. 12.52.13 Ἀληθέστατα λέγεις. Ἀργίᾳ μὲν δὴ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ οὐδεὶς ἀμελεῖ θεῶν, οὐ γὰρ μέτεστιν αὐτῷ που δειλίας. Ὀρθότατα λέγεις. Οὐκοῦν τὸ λοιπόν, εἴπερ ἀμελοῦσι τῶν σμικρῶν καὶ ὀλίγων τῶν περὶ τὸ πᾶν, ἢ γινώσκοντες ὡς τὸ παράπαν οὐδενὸς τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δεῖ, δρῷεν ἂν τοῦτο· ἢ τί τὸ λοιπὸν πλὴν τῷ γινώσκειν τοὐναντίον; Οὐδέν. 12.52.14 Πότερον οὖν, ὦ ἄριστε καὶ βέλτιστε, θῶμέν σε λέγοντα ὡς ἀγνοοῦντάς τε καί, δέοντας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, δι' ἄγνοιαν ἀμελοῦντας, ἢ γινώσκοντας ὅτι δεῖ, καθάπερ οἱ φαυλότατοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων λέγονται ποιεῖν εἰδότες ἄλλ' εἶναι βέλτιον πράττειν ὧν πράττουσι, διά τινας ἥττας ἡδονῶν ἢ λυπῶν οὐ ποιεῖν; 12.52.15 Πῶς γὰρ ἄν; Οὐκοῦν δὴ τά γε ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα τῆς τε ἐμψύχου μετέχει φύσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεοσεβέστατον αὐτό ἐστι πάντων ζῴων ἄνθρωπος. Ἔοικε γοῦν. Θεῶν γε μὴν κτήματά φαμεν εἶναι πάντα, ὁπόσα θνητὰ ζῷα ἢ νοερά, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὅλον. Πῶς γὰρ οὔ; 12.52.16 Ἤδη τοίνυν ἢ σμικρὰ ἢ μεγάλα τις φάτω ταῦτα εἶναι τοῖς θεοῖς· οὐδετέρως γὰρ τοῖς κεκτημένοις ἡμᾶς ἀμελεῖν ἂν εἴη προσῆκον, ἐπιμελεστάτοις τε οὖσι καὶ ἀρίστοις. σκοπῶμεν γὰρ δὴ καὶ τόδε ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις· Τὸ ποῖον; Τὸ περί τε αἰσθήσεως καὶ δυνάμεως ἆρ' οὐκ ἐναντίως ἀλλήλοις πρὸς ῥᾳστώνην καὶ χαλεπότητά ἐστον πεφυκότες; Πῶς λέγεις; 12.52.17 Ὁρᾶν μέν που καὶ ἀκούειν τὰ σμικρὰ χαλεπώτερον ἢ τὰ μεγάλα, φέρειν δὲ αὖ καὶ κρατεῖν καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῶν σμικρῶν καὶ ὀλίγων παντὶ ῥᾷον ἢ τῶν ἐναντίων. Πολύ γε. Ἰατρῷ δὴ προστεταγμένον ὅλον τι θεραπεύειν βουλομένῳ καὶ δυναμένῳ τῶν μὲν μεγάλων ἐπιμελὲς ἔσται, τῶν μορίων δὲ καὶ σμικρῶν ἀμελές· εἶθ' ἕξει ποτὲ καλῶς αὐτῷ τὸ πᾶν; Οὐδαμῶς. 12.52.18 Οὐ μὴν οὐδέ γε κυβερνήταις οὐδὲ στρατηγοῖς οὐδ' οἰκονόμοις οὐδ' αὖ τισι πολιτικοῖς οὐδὲ ἄλλῳ τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενὶ χωρὶς τῶν ὀλίγων ἢ σμικρῶν πολλὰ ἢ μεγάλα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνευ τῶν σμικρῶν τοὺς μεγάλους φασὶ λιθολόγοι λίθους εὖ κεῖσθαι. Πῶς γὰρ ἄν; 12.52.19 Μὴ τοίνυν τὸν θεὸν ἀξιώσωμέν ποτε θνητῶν δημιουργῶν φαυλότερον, οἳ τὰ προσήκοντα αὐτοῖς ἔργα, ὅσῳπερ ἂν ἀμείνους ὦσι, τόσῳ ἀκριβέστερα καὶ τελεώτερα μιᾷ τέχνῃ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἀπεργάζονται· τὸν δὲ θεὸν ὄντα τε σοφώτατον βουλόμενόν τε ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δυνατὸν εἶναι καὶ δυνάμενον, ὧν μὲν ῥᾷον ἐπιμεληθῆναι, σμικρῶν ὄντων, μηδαμῆ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, καθάπερ ἀργὸν ἢ δειλόν τινα διὰ πόνους ῥᾳθυμοῦντα, τῶν δὲ μεγάλων. 12.52.20 Μηδαμῶς δόξαν τοιαύτην περὶ θεῶν, ὦ ξένε, ἀποδεχώμεθα· οὐδαμῆ γὰρ οὔτε ὅσιον οὔτε ἀληθὲς τὸ διανόημα διανοοίμεθ' ἄν. δοκοῦμεν δέ μοι νῦν ἤδη καὶ μάλα μετρίως διειλέχθαι τῷ φιλαιτίῳ τῆς ἀμελείας πέρι θεῶν. Ναί, τῷ γε βιάζεσθαι τοῖς λόγοις ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ λέγειν ὀρθῶς. ἐπῳδῶν γε μὴν προσδεῖσθαί μοι δοκεῖ μύθων ἔτι τινῶν. Ποίων, ὦ 'γαθέ; 12.52.21 Πείσωμεν τὸν νεανίαν τοῖς λόγοις, ὡς τῷ τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιμελουμένῳ πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ ἀρετὴν τοῦ ὅλου πάντ' ἐστὶ συντεταγμένα, ὧν καὶ τὸ μέρος εἰς δύναμιν ἕκαστον τὸ προσῆκον πάσχει καὶ ποιεῖ. τούτοις δέ εἰσιν ἄρχοντες προστεταγμένοι ἑκάστοις ἐπὶ τὸ σμικρότατον ἀεὶ πάθης καὶ πράξεως, εἰς 12.52.22 μερισμὸν τὸν ἔσχατον τέλος ἀπειργασμένοι· ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ σόν, ὦ σχέτλιε, μόριον εἰς τὸ πᾶν ξυντείνει βλέπον ἀεί, καίπερ πάνσμικρον ὄν. σὲ δὲ λέληθε περὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὡς γένεσις ἕνεκα ἐκείνου γίνεται πᾶσα, ὅπως ᾖ τῷ τοῦ παντὸς βίῳ ὑπάρχουσα εὐδαίμων οὐσία, οὐχ ἕνεκα σοῦ γινομένη, σὺ δ' ἕνεκα ἐκείνου. πᾶς γὰρ ἰατρὸς καὶ πᾶς ἔντεχνος δημιουργὸς παντὸς μὲν ἕνεκα πάντα ἐργάζεται πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ ξυντεῖνον βέλτιστον· μέρος μὴν ἕνεκα ὅλου καὶ οὐχὶ 12.52.23 ὅλον μέρους ἕνεκα ἀπεργάζεται. σὺ δὲ ἀγανακτεῖς ἀγνοῶν ὅπη τὸ περὶ σὲ ἄριστον τῷ παντὶ ξυμβαίνει καὶ σοὶ κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν τῆς κοινῆς γενέσεως. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀεὶ ψυχὴ συντεταγμένη σώματι τοτὲ