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we always remember painful things, for this reason we say we are in sorrows. For it is not possible for one who is a human being to be always in sorrows. And if you wish, let us examine both the life of luxury, the delicate and dissolute one, and the burdensome, and oppressive and painful one. For we will show you that this one has sorrows, and that one has reliefs. But do not be disturbed. But let there be set before us a man in chains, and another, a young 58.531 king, an orphan, who has inherited a great fortune; let there be set forth also a hired laborer, toiling through the whole day, and another living continually in luxury. Do you wish, then, that we should first speak of the despondencies of that one who lives in luxury? Consider how his mind is likely to be tempest-tossed, when he longs for a glory that surpasses him, when he is despised by his household servants; when he is insulted by his inferiors; when he has countless accusers, and those who slander his extravagance. And the other things which are likely to happen with such wealth, it is not even possible to speak of; the burdens, the offenses, the accusations, the losses, the plots from the envious, who, whenever they are not able to transfer his wealth to themselves, drag, tear the young man from all sides, and raise countless storms for him. Do you wish that I speak also of the pleasure of this one, the hired laborer? He is free from all these things; and if someone insults him, he does not feel pain; for he does not consider himself greater than anyone; he does not fear for his money, he eats with pleasure, he sleeps with much gladness. Those who drink Thasian wine do not live so luxuriously, as he does when he goes to the springs and enjoys those streams. But his affairs are not such. But if what has been said is not sufficient for you, so that I may make the victory greater, come, let us compare the king and the prisoner; and you will often see this one in pleasure and playing and leaping, but that one in his diadem and purple robe, despondent, and having countless cares, and dead with fear. For it is not, it is not possible to find anyone's life without sorrow, nor yet void of pleasure; for our nature would not have endured it, as I said before. But if one rejoices more, and the other grieves more, this happens on account of the one who grieves himself, when he is fainthearted, not on account of the nature of things. For if we should wish to rejoice continually, we have many occasions. For if we lay hold of virtue, there will be nothing left to grieve us. For indeed it suggests good hopes to those who possess it, and makes them well-pleasing to God, and well-reputed among men, and it sends forth an unspeakable pleasure. For even if in acting rightly virtue has toil, yet the conscience fills one with much gladness, and places within so much pleasure as no speech will be able to represent. For what of the things in the present life seems to you to be sweet? a sumptuous table, and health of body, and glory and wealth? But these sweet things, if you compare them with that pleasure, will be more bitter than all things when compared to it. For nothing is sweeter than a good conscience, and a good hope. 5. And if you wish to learn this, let us examine one who is about to depart from hence, or one who has grown old; and having reminded him of the sumptuous table which he enjoyed, and of the glory and honor, and of the good works which he once wrought and did, let us ask at which of these he rejoices more, 58.532 and we will see him ashamed and covering his face at the former, but at the latter flying and leaping for joy. Thus also Hezekiah, when he was sick, did not remember a sumptuous table, not glory, not his kingdom, but his righteousness. For Remember, he says, how I have walked before you in a straight way. See also Paul leaping for joy at these things and saying: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. For what else did this man have to say? you say. Many things, and more than these, and the honors with which he was honored, and the bodyguard which he enjoyed, and much attendance. Or do you not hear him saying: You received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus; and that, If possible, having plucked out your eyes you would have given them to me; and that for his life they laid down their own necks? But nothing

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λυπηρῶν ἀεὶ μνημονεύομεν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐν λύπαις εἶναί φαμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ἀεὶ ἐν λύπαις εἶναι. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε, καὶ τὸν ἐν τρυφῇ βίον ἐξετάσωμεν, τὸν ἁβρὸν καὶ διαῤῥέοντα, καὶ τὸν φορτικὸν, καὶ ἐπαχθῆ καὶ ὀδυνηρόν. Ἐπιδείξομεν γὰρ ὑμῖν καὶ τοῦτον ἔχοντα λύπας, κἀκεῖνον ἀνέσεις. Ἀλλὰ μὴ θορυβήθητε. Προκείσθω δὲ εἰς μέσον δεσμώτης ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἄλλος βα 58.531 σιλεὺς νέος, ὀρφανὸς, οὐσίαν διαδεξάμενος μεγάλην· προκείσθω δὲ καί τις μισθωτὸς, δι' ὅλης πονούμενος τῆς ἡμέρας, ἕτερος δὲ τρυφῶν διηνεκῶς. Βούλει οὖν ἐκείνου τὰς ἀθυμίας πρότερον εἴπωμεν τοῦ τρυφῶντος; Ἐννόησον πῶς αὐτοῦ εἰκὸς χειμάζεσθαι τὴν διάνοιαν, ὅταν δόξης ἐφίηται τῆς ὑπερβαινούσης αὐτὸν, ὅταν καταφρονῆται παρὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν· ὅταν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐλαττόνων ὑβρίζηται· ὅταν μυρίους ἔχῃ κατηγόρους, καὶ τοὺς διαβάλλοντας αὐτοῦ τὴν πολυτέλειαν. Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ, ὅσα ἐν πλούτῳ τοιούτῳ συμβαίνειν εἰκὸς, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν ἔνι· τὰς ἐπαχθείας, τὰ προσκρούσματα, τὰς κατηγορίας, τὰς ζημίας, τὰς παρὰ τῶν φθονούντων ἐπιβουλὰς, οἳ ἐπειδὰν τὸν ἐκείνου πλοῦτον εἰς ἑαυτοὺς μετενεγκεῖν μὴ δυνηθῶσιν, ἕλκουσι, σπαράττουσι πανταχόθεν τὸν νέον, μυρίους ἐγείρουσι χειμῶνας αὐτῷ. Βούλει καὶ τούτου εἴπω τὴν ἡδονὴν τοῦ μισθωτοῦ; Ἁπάντων ἀπήλλακται τούτων· κἂν ὑβρίσῃ τις αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἀλγεῖ· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἡγεῖται μείζονα· οὐχ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων δέδοικε, μεθ' ἡδονῆς ἐσθίει, μετ' εὐφροσύνης καθεύδει πολλῆς. Οὐχ οὕτως οἱ τὸν Θάσιον οἶνον πίνοντες τρυφῶσιν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ πηγὰς ἀπιὼν καὶ τῶν ναμάτων ἀπολαύων ἐκείνων. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ ἐκείνου τοιαῦτα. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ σοι τὰ εἰρημένα, ἵνα μείζονα ποιήσω τὴν νίκην, φέρε, τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν δεσμώτην συγκρίνωμεν· καὶ ὄψει πολλάκις τοῦτον μὲν ἐν ἡδονῇ ὄντα καὶ παίζοντα καὶ πηδῶντα, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἐν διαδήματι καὶ πορφυρίδι ἀθυμοῦντα, καὶ μυρίας ἔχοντα φροντίδας, καὶ ἀποτεθνηκότα τῷ δέει Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι βίον ἄλυπον οὐδενὸς εὑρεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἡδονῆς ἄμοιρον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἤρκεσεν ἡμῶν ἡ φύσις, καθάπερ ἔφθην εἰπών. Εἰ δὲ ὁ μὲν χαίρει πλείονα, ὁ δὲ ἀλγεῖ πλείονα, τοῦτο παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν ἀλγοῦντα συμβαίνει, ὅταν μικρόψυχος ᾖ, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φύσιν. Εἰ γὰρ βουλοίμεθα συνεχῶς χαίρειν, πολλὰς ἔχομεν ἀφορμάς. Ἂν γὰρ ἐπιλαβώμεθα ἀρετῆς, οὐδὲν ἔσται τὸ λυποῦν ἡμᾶς λοιπόν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐλπίδας ὑποτείνει χρηστὰς αὕτη τοῖς κεκτημένοις αὐτὴν, καὶ Θεῷ εὐαρέστους ποιεῖ, καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίμους, καὶ ἡδονὴν ἐνίησιν ἄφατον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ κατορθοῦν πόνον ἔχει ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀλλὰ τὸ συνειδὸς πολλῆς πληροῖ τῆς εὐφροσύνης, καὶ τοσαύτην ἔνδον ἐντίθησι τὴν ἡδονὴν, ὅσην οὐδεὶς παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται λόγος. Τί γάρ σοι δοκεῖ τῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ εἶναι ἡδύ; τράπεζα πολυτελὴς, καὶ σώματος ὑγεία, καὶ δόξα καὶ πλοῦτος; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τὰ ἡδέα ἂν ἐκείνῃ παραβάλῃς τῇ ἡδονῇ, πάντων ἔσται πικρότερα πρὸς αὐτὴν συγκρινόμενα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἥδιον συνειδότος ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ ἐλπίδος χρηστῆς. εʹ. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε τοῦτο μαθεῖν, τὸν μέλλοντα ἀπιέναι ἐντεῦθεν ἐξετάσωμεν, ἢ τὸν γεγηρακότα· καὶ ἀναμνήσαντες αὐτὸν τραπέζης πολυτελοῦς ἧς ἀπέλαυσε, καὶ δόξης καὶ τιμῆς, καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ὧν εἰργάσατό ποτε καὶ ἐποίησεν, ἐρώμεθα ἐπὶ τίσι γάννυται μᾶλλον, 58.532 καὶ ὑψόμεθα ἐπ' ἐκείνοις μὲν αἰσχυνόμενον καὶ ἐγκαλυπτόμενον, ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ πετόμενον καὶ σκιρτῶντα. Οὕτω καὶ Ἐζεχίας ὅτε ἐμαλακίσθη, οὐ τραπέζης ἐμνημόνευσε πολυτελοῦς, οὐ δόξης, οὐ βασιλείας, ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνης. Μνήσθητι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡς ἐπορεύθην ἐνώπιόν σου ἐν ὁδῷ εὐθείᾳ. Ὅρα καὶ Παῦλον ἀπὸ τούτων σκιρτῶντα καὶ λέγοντα· Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα. Τί γὰρ καὶ εἶχεν εἰπεῖν οὗτος; φησί. Πολλὰ καὶ πλείονα τούτων καὶ τιμὰς ἃς ἐτιμήθη, καὶ δορυφορίας ἧς ἀπέλαυσε, καὶ θεραπείας πολλῆς. Ἢ οὐκ ἀκούεις αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν· καὶ ὅτι, Εἰ δυνατὸν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες ἂν ἐδώκατέ μοι· καὶ ὅτι Ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τὸν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν