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For a prosperous voyage, a pilot and a wind; (836) but for happiness, there is need of reason and art.
One must enjoy good fortune when it is present, just like the season's fruit.
He is irrational who is vexed by things that happen according to natural necessity.
Bias. He said that the unfortunate man is he who cannot bear misfortune.
The same man, when asked, What is difficult? said, To nobly endure a change for the worse.
Zeno. Zeno of Citium, having suffered shipwreck and lost his possessions, uttered nothing ignoble; but said, Well done, O fortune, that you have confined us to this worn cloak.
Of Hiero. The same man, when asked, Who is the happy man? said, He who is healthy in body, resourceful in soul, and well-educated in nature.
Thales. Thales, when asked, How might one best bear misfortune? said, If he should see his enemies faring worse.
Romylus. Do not readily call blessed a man who is tossed about by friends or children, or by any of those things that have an ephemeral salvation. For such things are precarious; but to be borne up by oneself, of God alone is secure.
The same man said that sufferings are lessons for men about life. For many, unable to foresee the future with reason, perceived matters through suffering.
Rejoice in the good things that happen, and grieve moderately for the bad things that happen.
Philistion. Our misfortunes resolve misfortunes, Evils comfort us through other evils.
Euripides. But in misfortunes to do good to friends. For when fortune provides, what need is there of a friend? For God himself suffices, wishing to help.
Of Josephus. Just as it is of the tasteless to be excessively elated by success; so too
it is of the unmanly to cower at failures; for the reversal for both is swift.
DISCOURSE XIX.
Concerning anger and wrath. Matt. 5. Everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
(837) Eph. 4. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.
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Εἰς μέν τό εὐπλοῆσαι, κυβερνήτου καί πνεύματος· (836) εἰς δέ τό εὐδαιμονῆσαι, λογισμοῦ δεῖ καί τέχνης.
Τῆς εὐτυχίας ὥσπερ ὀπώρας παρούσης ἀπολαύειν δεῖ.
Ἀλόγιστός ἐστιν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς συμβαίνουσι κατά φυσικήν ἀνάγκην ἀχθόμενος.
Βίας. Ἀτυχῆ ἔφη εἶναι τόν ἀτυχίαν μή φέροντα.
Ὁ αὐτός ἐρωτηθείς, Τί δυσχερές; Τήν ἐπί τό χεῖρον, ἔφη, μεταβολήν εὐγενῶς ὑπενεγκεῖν.
Ζήνων. Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς περιπεσών ναυαγίῳ καί τά ὄντα ἀπολέσας, οὐδέν ἀγεννές ἐφθέγξατο· ἀλλ᾿ Εὖγε, εἶπεν, ὦ τύχη, ὅτι συνέστειλας ἡμᾶς εἰς τό τριβώνιον τοῦτο.
Ἱέρωνος. Ὁ αὐτός ἐρωτηθείς, Τίς ὁ εὐδαίμων; ἔφη, Ὁ τό μέν σῶμα ὑγιής, τήν δέ ψυχήν εὔπορος, τήν δέ φύσιν εὐπαίδευτος.
Θαλῆς. Ὁ Θαλῆς ἐρωτηθείς, Πῶς ἄν τις ἀτυχίαν ἄριστα φέροι; ἔφη, Εἰ τούς ἐχθρούς χείρονα πράττοντας βλέποι.
Ῥωμήλ. Ῥαδίως μή μακαρίσῃς ἄνθρωπον σαλεύοντα ἐπί φίλοις ἤ τέκνοις, ἤ τισι τῶν ἐφήμερον σωτηρίαν ἐχόντων. Ἐπισφαλῆ γάρ τοιαῦτα· τό δέ ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ὀχεῖσθαι, τοῦ Θεοῦ μόνου βέβαιον.
Ὁ αὐτός ἔφη, τά παθήματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, μαθήματα εἶναι περί τόν βίον. Πολλοί γάρ οὐ δυνάμενοι τό μέλλον προορᾷν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ πάσχειν ᾔσθοντο τά πράγματα.
Χαῖρε ἐπί τοῖς συμβαίνουσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καί λυποῦ μετρίως ἐπί τοῖς συμβαίνουσι τῶν κακῶν.
Φιλιστίων. Λύουσιν ἡμῶν συμφοραί τάς συμφοράς, Παρηγοροῦσι τά κακά δι᾿ ἑτέρων κακῶν.
Εὐριπίδ. Ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς δέ τούς φίλους εὐεργετεῖν. Ὅταν γάρ ἡ τύχη διδῷ, τί χρή φίλου Ἀρκεῖ γάρ ὁ Θεός αὐτός ὠφελεῖν θέλων.
Ἰωσήππου. Ὥσπερ ἀπειροκάλων τό λίαν ἐπαίρεσθαι ταῖς εὐπραγίαις· οὕτως
ἀνάνδρων τό καταπτήσσειν ἐν τοῖς πταίσμασι· ὀξεῖα γάρ ἀμφοτέροις ἡ μεταβολή.
ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΘ´.
Περί ὀργῆς καί θυμοῦ. Ματθ. ε´. Πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ, ἔνοχος ἔστι τῇ κρίσει.
(837) Ἐφ. δ´. Ὁ ἥλιος μή ἐπιδυέτω ἐπί τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν· μηδέ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ.