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In Joseph (fragmenta)

DISCOURSE ON JOSEPH

72 But you were sold to a eunuch, and being preeminent in conduct you were honored; his wife lusted after your beauty. A divine law had surely not yet been written down, saying: You shall not commit adultery. From what impulse did you keep an unwritten precept of the law? But you feared a master, designated by name and appearance as the husband of a licentious woman (for how was it possible for a eunuch to take a wife in the bond of lawful marriage? but it is clear that by living with him and being mistress of his house she seemed to preserve only the name of the marriage-tie).

Did you then with a pure conscience keep yourself for the one who had bought you, not wishing to defile the deed which is spoken of by name, but to vindicate for yourself the natural law, you attempted, being practiced in an excess of self-control. 73 Reuben and Judah gave the best counsel; otherwise, however, for they were dealing with savage men. For those around Simeon and Levi, having tasted no small amount of manslaughter, had already at some point become accustomed to the deed, and they longed to track and creep after such savory smells; and the men were so bold and rash that they alone slaughtered the Shechemites, the entire nation.

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In Joseph (fragmenta)

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΩΣΗΦ

72 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ μὲν ἐπράθης εὐνούχῳ, πολιτείᾳ δὲ προὔχων ἐτιμήθης, ἠράσθη σου τῆς εὐμορφίας ἡ τούτου γυνή. Θεῖος οὐ δήπου προέγραφεν νόμος φάσκων· οὐ μοιχεύσεις, πόθεν ὁρμώμενος ἐπίταγμα νόμου περιεποίεις ἄγραφον; Ἀλλὰ δεσπότην ἐδεδοίκεις, ὀνόματι καὶ τῷ δοκεῖν ἄνδρα γυναικὸς ἐπιγραφόμενον ἀσῴτου (πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν ἀνθρώπῳ σπάδοντι γυναῖκα νομίμου γάμου συζυγίᾳ λαβεῖν; ἀλλὰ συνοικοῦσα δῆλον καὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ προστάτις οὖσα τοὔνομα μόνον τῆς κηδεμονίας ἐδόκει φρουρεῖν).

Ἄρ' οὖν ἐταμιεύου καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει τῷ κτησαμένῳ συνεῖναι, μηδὲ τὸ λεγόμενον ὀνόματι πρᾶγμα χρᾶναι βουληθείς, ἑαυτῷ δὲ φυσικὸν ἐκδικῆσαι νόμον, ἐπειράθης ὑπερβολῇ σωφροσύνης ἀσκούμενος. 73 Ῥουβὴν καὶ Ἰούδας ἄριστα συνεβουλευσάτην, ἄλλως μέντοι, πρὸς ἄνδρας γὰρ εἶχον ἀνημέρους. Οἱ γὰρ ἀμφὶ τὸν Συμεῶνα καὶ τὸν Λευῒ, οὐ μετρίως ἀπογευσάμενοι τῆς ἀνδροφονίας, ἐν συνηθείᾳ μὲν ἤδη ποτὲ τοῦ πράγματος ἐγεγόνεισαν, ἕρπειν δὲ περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ὠρέγοντο κνίσας ἰχνευτικῶς, οὕτω δὲ τολμηροὶ καὶ προπετεῖς ἦσαν ἄνδρες ὥστε μόνοι τοὺς Σικιμίτας ἀπέσφαζον ἐθνηδόν.