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If those who accept an idle report would not obtain pardon; what defense will those who slander and revile have?

Let us not be pained by hearing ill, but by justly hearing ill.

The majority of people become advocates for their own sins, but accusers of others'.

Of Plutarch. A slanderous tongue is the proof of an evil mind.

Of Isocrates. Beware of slanders, even if they are (785) false. For the majority are ignorant of the truth, but look to opinion.

This man, having heard from someone, that So-and-so was reviling you thus in his presence; said, If you had not listened gladly, he would not have reviled.

Of Democritus. A sword cuts; but slander separates friends.

Socrates. When someone reported to him, that So-and-so speaks ill of you, he said, Let him even strike me, when I am not present.

Do not accept a whispering and slanderous man. For he does not do this out of goodwill. For as he revealed the secrets of others to you, so also will he report to others the things said by you.

Of Moschion. To be slandered by many evil men is neither true nor harmful; but to be censured by one good man is both true and beneficial.

Of Demonax. When a certain sophist was accusing him, and saying, Why do you speak ill of me? Because you do not despise the one who speaks ill, he said.

Diogenes. Being reviled by a certain bald man, he said: I do not insult you, but I praise your hair, because it has escaped from an evil skull.

And when a certain traitor was speaking ill of him, he said: I am glad to have become your enemy; for you do not harm your enemies, but your friends.

Aristippus.Aristippus, being insulted by someone, was withdrawing; and when the man pursued him and said, Are you fleeing? Yes, he said; for you have the power to speak ill, but I have the power not to listen.

Pelopidas. When a brave soldier was slandered to him, as one who was reviling him; I see his deeds, he said, but I have not heard his words.

Philemon. There is nothing more pleasant nor more refined than to be able to bear being reviled. For the reviler, if the one being reviled pays no mind, is himself reviled.

Demosthenes. Demosthenes, when someone was reviling him; I will not descend, he said, into

a contest in which the loser is better than the winner.

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Εἰ δέ παραδεχόμενοι ἀκοήν ματαίαν οὐκ ἄν τύχοιεν συγγνώμης· οἱ διαβάλλοντες καί λοιδοροῦντες ποίαν ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν;

Μή τό κακῶς ἀκούειν ἀλγῶμεν, ἀλλά τῷ δικαίως ἀκούειν κακῶς.

Οἱ πολλοί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τῶν μέν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων συνήγοροι γίνονται· τῶν δέ ἀλλοτρίων κατήγοροι.

Πλουτάρχου. Γλῶσσα βλάσφημος, διανοίας κακῆς ἔλεγχος.

Ἰσοκράτ. Εὐλαβοῦ τάς διαβολάς, κἄν ψευδεῖς (785) ὦσιν. Οἱ γάρ πολλοί, τήν μέν ἀλήθειαν ἀγνοοῦσι, πρός δέ τήν δόξαν ἀποβλέπουσιν.

Οὗτος ἀκούσας παρά τινος, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα ἐπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τάδε κατά σοῦ ἐλοιδόρει· Εἰ μή σύ, εἶπεν, ἡδέως ἤκουσας, οὐκ ἄν ἐκεῖνος ἐλοιδόρει.

∆ημοκρίτ. Ἡ μέν μάχαιρα τέμνει· ἡ δέ διαβολή χωρίζει φίλους.

Σωκράτης. Ἀπαγγείλαντός τινος αὐτῷ, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνά σε κακῶς λέγει, Καί τυπτέτω με, ἔφη, μή παρόντα.

Ψίθυρον καί διάβολον ἄνδρα, μή παραδέχου. Οὐ γάρ ἕνεκεν εὐνοίας τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Ὡς γάρ τά τῶν ἄλλων ἀπόῤῥητα ἀπεκάλυψέ σοι, ὡσαύτως καί τά ὑπό σοῦ λεγόμενα ἑτέροις ἀναθήσεται.

Μοσχίωνος. Ὑπό πολλῶν διαβάλλεσθαι κακῶν, οὔτε ἀληθές, οὔτε βλαβερόν· τό δέ ὑφ᾿ ἑνός ἀγαθοῦ ψέγεσθαι, καί ἀληθές καί λυσιτελές.

∆ημώνακτ. Τινός σοφιστοῦ αἰτιωμένου αὐτόν, καί λέγοντος, ∆ιατί με κακῶς λέγεις; Ὅτι μή καταφρονεῖς, ἔφην, τόν κακῶς λέγοντα.

∆ιογένης. Λοιδορούμενος ὑπό τινος φαλακροῦ, ἔφη· Σέ μέν οὐχ ὑβρίζω, τάς δέ τρίχας σου ἐπαινῶ, ὅτι κακόν ἐξέφυγον κρανίον.

Προδότου δέ τινος κακῶς αὐτόν λέγοντος, ἔφη· Χαίρω ἐχθρός σου γενόμενος· σύ γάρ οὐ τούς ἐχθρούς, ἀλλά τούς φίλους κακῶς ποιεῖς.

Ἀρίστιππ.Ἀρίστιππος ὑβριζόμενος ὑπό τινος, ἀνεχώρει· τοῦ δέ ἐπιδιώκοντος καί λέγοντος, Φεύγεις; Ναί, ἔφη· τοῦ μέν γάρ κακῶς λέγειν σύ τήν ἐξουσίαν ἔχεις, τοῦ δέ μή ἀκούειν, ἐγώ.

Πελοπίδ. Πελοπίδας ἀνδρείου στρατιώτου δαβληθέντος αὐτῷ, ὡς βλασφημοῦντος αὐτόν· Ἐγώ τά μέν ἔργα, ἔφη, αὐτοῦ βλέπω, τῶν δέ λόγων οὐκ ἤκουσα.

Φιλήμον. Ἥδιον οὐδέν οὐδέ μουσικώτερον Ἔς' ἤ δύνασθαι λοιδορούμεον φέρειν. Καί γάρ ὁ λοιδορῶν, ἄν ὁ λοιδορούμενος Μή προσποιῆται, λοιδορεῖται ὁ λοιδορῶν.

∆ημοσθ. ∆ημοσθένης, λοιδορουμένου τινός αὐτόν· Οὐ συγκαταβαίνω, εἶπεν, εἰς

ἀγῶνα ἐν ᾧ ὁ νικώμενος τοῦ νικῶντός ἐστι κρείττων.