Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [46] ἀνθρώποις ἐλευθέροις. οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τοῦτο οὔτε τῶν ἵππων οὐδεὶς δραμεῖται βράδιον οὐδὲ χεῖρον ᾄσεταί τις τῶν ᾀδόντων, ἂν εὐσχημονῆτε ὑμεῖς. νυνὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν τῶν ἡνιόχων τινὰ ἐκπεσεῖν ἐκ τοῦ δίφρου δεινὸν ἡγεῖσθε καὶ συμφορὰν πασῶν μεγίστην: αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐκπίπτοντες ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ προσήκοντος καὶ τῆς ἀξίας τῆσἑαυτῶν οὐ φροντίζετε. κἂν μὲν ὑμῖν ὁ κιθαρῳδὸς ἐκμελῶς ᾄδῃ καὶ παρὰ τὸν τόνον, συνίετε: αὐτοὶ δὲ παντελῶς ἔξω τῆς ἁρμονίας τῆς κατὰ φύσιν γιγνόμενοι καὶ σφόδρα ἀμούσως ἔχοντες οὐ διαφέρεσθε.

  [46] For it will not cause any of the horses to run more slowly or any of the singers to sing less pleasingly if you preserve a due decorum. But as things are now, if one of the charioteers falls from his chariot, you think it terrible and the greatest of all disasters, whereas when you yourselves fall from the decorum that befits you and from the esteem you should enjoy, you are unconcerned. And if you hear the harpist sing out of tune or off pitch, you are well aware of it, whereas when you yourselves utterly abandon the harmony prescribed by nature and are most discordant, you are quite indifferent.

  [47] καίτοι πόσοι διὰ ταῦθ᾽ ὑμῶν ἀπολώλασιν; ἀδοξοῦσι μὲν γὰρ πάντες. αἱ δὲ Σειρῆνες ἄλλο τι ἐποίουν, ὡς ὁ μῦθόσφησιν, οὐκ ἀπώλλυον τοὺς σφόδρα ἡσθέντας αὐταῖς; ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖναι μὲν ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἦσαν πελάγει καὶ μακρὰν ἀπῳκισμέναι καθ᾽ αὑτὰς ἐπὶ σκοπέλου τινός, ὅπου μηδεὶς ῥᾳδίως παρέβαλλε: κἀκεῖ δ᾽ ὁ νοῦν ἔχων ἐσώθη καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡσυχίας ἤκουσεν. αὗται δὲ σχεδὸν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν τῇ πολυανθρωποτάτῃ πασῶν πόλει τοιαῦταἐργάζονται, μὰ Δι᾽ οὐ δι᾽ αὑτῶν τινα ἡδονὴν ἢ δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀβελτερίαν. διὰ τί γὰρ ἔξω παραπλησίως ἀκούονται τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ πολλάκις ἀηδεῖς ἔδοξαν; μὴ τὰ ὦτα ἐπαλήλιπται τῶν ἐκεῖ; τί οὖν τοῦτο δείκνυσι;

  [47] And yet how many here have met destruction because of these allurements? Loss of reputation, at any rate, everyone has suffered. And did the Sirens do anything else according to the story? Did they not regularly destroy those who took extravagant delight in them? Yet the Sirens dwelt in a lonely sea and far away, all by themselves, on a lofty cliff, where no one could easily approach; and even there the man of sense escaped in safety and heard them with composure. These entertainers of Alexandria, however, ply their trade in what is practically the centre of the civilized world and in the most populous city of all, not, by Zeus, because of any charm or power of their own, but rather because of your fatuity. For why is it that outside Alexandria they produce an impression quite like that produced by the usual run of performers, nay, frequently have been thought to be unpleasant? Can it be that the ears of the people in those places have been stopped?

  [48] μὰ Δί᾽ οὐ μουσικῆς ἰσχὺν οὐδ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν τέχνης, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκροατῶν κουφότητακαὶ πόλεως ἀσθένειαν. φασὶ γοῦν ἤδη τινὰς τῶν ἀπολωλότων διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην πρόφασιν νεανιεύσασθαι, μὴ παραιτουμένους τὸν θάνατον, ἀλλὰ προσλιπαροῦντας, ὅπως ἀκούσωσιν ἐπὶ πλέον. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶ θαυμαστὸν ἐπ᾽ ὀνείδει καὶ καταγέλωτι τῆς πόλεως, εἰ παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀριστεῖς καὶ τυραννοκτόνοι μνημονεύονται,[p. 281] σωτηρίας ἕνεκεν τῶν πατρίδων ἐπιδιδόντες αὑτούς: παρὰ δὲ ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ χορδῆς τοῦτο πάσχουσι καὶ δι᾽ ἡδονὴν μικράν,

  [48] What, then, does their success with you signify? Not, by Zeus, musical power or artistic pre-eminence, but rather the shallowness of your listeners and the weakness of your city. It is said, at any rate, that some who have already met their ruin through such a cause, instead of trying by entreaty to escape their death, with youthful bravado have implored the privilege of listening to their destroyers even more. And here is an amazing thing which bring reproach and ridicule upon the city — that whereas elsewhere nobles and tyrannicides are held in memory because they gave their lives for the salvation of the fatherland, with you it is for a bit of catgut that men meet their fate and because of an enjoyment that is fleeting, or, more properly, a fancy that has no substance.

  [49] μᾶλλον δὲ δόξαν κενήν. οὐ γὰρ ἡδόμενοι τοσοῦτον ὅσον οἰόμενοι καὶ βουλόμενοι προΐενται σφᾶς αὐτούς. τοσαύτη δ᾽ ἐστὶ δυστυχία τῶν ταλαιπώρων, ὥστε ἀνδρεῖον ἡγοῦνται τὸ πάντων ἀνανδρότατον καὶ σεμνὸν τὸ αἴσχιστον. ἑλοίμην γὰρ ἂν ἔγωγε λῃστεύων ἀποθανεῖν ἢ διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν. τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἀνδρὸς πονηροῦ θάνατος, τὸ δὲ ἀνδραπόδου δυστυχοῦς. κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἀδικηθεὶς ἴσως ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἦλθεν, ὑπὲρ τοὺς νόμους ἀμύνασθαι πειρώμενος, καὶ τάχα τι καὶ γενναῖον ἐδύνατο πρᾶξαι μὴ τοιούτου τυχὼν δαίμονος: ὁδὶ δὲ κραυγῇ μόνον καὶ ἀνοίᾳ διὰ δυστυχῆ φθόγγον καὶ κακὴν ἔγκλισιν καὶ τὰς ἐκμελεῖς καμπὰς καὶ λήρους καὶ κυνισμοὺς καὶ ὀλέθρους ἀκλεῶς ἀπολλύμενος. ἔστι δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος μυίας θάνατος. καὶ γὰρ ἐκείναις ὅ, τι ἂν γευσαμέναις γλυκὺ φανῇ, πρὸς τούτῳ διαφθείρονται. τί οὖν τοῦτο λαμπρόν,

  [49] For it is not through real enjoyment so much as through wishful thinking that these men sacrifice their lives.

  And so great is misfortune of the poor wretches, that they regard as manly what is most unmanly of all, and as dignified what is most shameful. Why, I would rather be put to death for robbery than for such a cause. For in the one case it is the death of a bad man but a man, in the other of a slave in hard luck. The one possibly came to such a pass because he had been wronged and was striving to get redress over and above the laws, and it may be that he might have achieved something actually noble, had he not encountered such an evil genius; but the other came to his inglorious end merely through shouting and a frenzy caused by an ill-starred voice and a wicked nod of the head, by dissonant variations and nonsense and a cynical, pestilential behaviour. But such is the death of a fly! For whatever tastes sweet to the fly is the thing at which it meets destruction.

  [50] ὦ κακοδαίμονες; ὑπὲρ μὲν γὰρ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ πατρῴων γερῶν καὶ νόμων καὶ χρηστοῦ βασιλέως, εἰ δέοι, πονεῖν καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν ἀγαθῆς ἐστι καὶ οὐ φιλοζῴου ψυχῆς: ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς ψαλτρίας ἀπάγχεσθαι, καθάρματος ἀγεννοῦς καὶ ζῆν οὐκ ἀξίου, πόσης αἰσχύνης; καὶ τούτους μὲν ἐάσωμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ θέᾳ τὰ γιγνόμενα οὐκ αἰσχρὰ καὶ μεστὰ πάσης ὕβρεω
ς, τὸ ἀνατετάσθαι καὶ ἀποβλέπειν, μόνον οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς χείλεσι τὰς ψυχὰς ἔχοντας, καθάπερ οἶμαι διὰ τῶν ὤτων τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν δεχομένους, σωτῆρα καὶ θεὸν καλοῦντας ἄνθρωπον ἄθλιον; πόσον τινὰ γέλωτα τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῶν καταγελᾶν οἴεσθε, ὅταν πάλιν ἐκείνους προσκυνοῦντες ταὐτὰ προσφέρησθε καὶ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀναγκάζησθε τιμᾶν τὸ δαιμόνιον; ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν εὐγνώμων ὁ θεός, ὡς [p. 282]

  [50] What distinction, then, can your conduct bring you, you luckless creatures? For whereas in the cause of justice and virtue and ancestral rights and laws and for a good king, a noble soul, one that does not cling to life, will, if need be, suffer and even die; yet if a man hangs himself for the sake of his chorus-girl, a low-born outcast, not fit to live, what depths of disgrace does that betoken!

  And now let us say no more about these poor unfortunates; but, directing our attention to the spectacle itself, is the conduct of the spectators not disgraceful and replete with every variety of wantonness? — I mean the intensity of their gaze, their souls all but hanging on their lips — as if, one would think, it were through the ear that men receive felicity — and applying the terms ‘saviour’ and ‘god’ to a pitiful human being! With what boundless laughter, think you, must the gods laugh you to scorn, when next in your worship of them you conduct yourselves in the same fashion and find yourselves compelled to use those same terms in honouring the deity? However, god is indulgent, I suppose, since he is god, and he treats lightly the folly of the masses.

  [51] θεός, οἶμαι, καὶ φέρει πρᾴως τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἄνοιαν. τοιγαροῦν ὡς παισὶν ὑμῖν παιδαγωγοὺς δέδωκε τοὺς φρονιμωτέρους τῆς πόλεως, μεθ᾽ ὧν καὶ θεωρεῖτε καὶ τἄλλα ἄμεινον πράττετε. ἐπεὶ πῶς ἂν ἀπείχεσθε ἀλλήλων; καίτοι ποίους τινὰς ἂν ὑμεῖς ἡγοῖσθε ἀνθρώπους, οἷς ἐλευθερία μὴ συμφέρει; νὴ Δία, τὸ γὰρπρᾶγμά ἐστι φύσει τοιοῦτον. οὐ γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἄλλαις πόλεσιν ᾄδουσι καὶ νὴ Δία αὐλοῦσι καὶ τρέχουσι καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὅσα γίγνεται καὶ παρ᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ παρ᾽ ἑτέροις τισίν; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδαμοῦ τοιοῦτος ἔρως ἐστὶ τοῦ πράγματος οὐδὲ οἶστρος.

  [51] Accordingly to you as his children has he given as guardians and guides those who are more prudent than you Alexandrians, and by their companionship, not only at the theatre but elsewhere too, your conduct is improved. For otherwise how could you keep your hands off one another?

  And yet what kind of human beings do you think they are for whom freedom is not advantageous? “None, by Zeus,” someone says, “for freedom is by nature advantageous. For do not other cities also have singing, aye, by Zeus, and flute-playing and foot-racing and all those other entertainments that are found, not only here in Alexandria, but among certain other people too?” Aye, but nowhere is there such a passion for that sort of thing, such a mad desire, as with yourselves.

  [52] ἴστε Ῥοδίους ἐγγὺς οὕτως ὑμῶν ζῶντας ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ μετὰ πάσης ἀδείας: ἀλλὰ παρ᾽ ἐκείνοισοὐδὲ τὸ δραμεῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει δοκεῖ μέτριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ξένων ἐπιπλήττουσι τοῖς εἰκῇ βαδίζουσι. τοιγαροῦν εἰκότως εὐδοκιμοῦσι καὶ πάσης τιμῆς τυγχάνουσιν. αἰδούμενοι γὰρ αὑτοὺς πρῶτοι καὶ μηδὲν ἀνόητον ποιοῦντες εἰκότως οἶμαι παρά τε τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων αἰδοῦς τυγχάνουσιν: ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εὑρήσομεντὰ πλεῖστα ταὐτὰ πράττοντας τοῖς ἀνοήτοις τοὺς σώφρονας, οἷον ἐσθίοντας, βαδίζοντας, παίζοντας, θεωροῦντας:

  [52] For example, you know that the Rhodians, your near neighbours, enjoy freedom and complete independence of action; however, in Rhodes even running within the city limits is held not to be respectable, but, on the contrary, they even reprove strangers for being careless in their walk. So it is with good reason that the Rhodians should enjoy fair renown and universal honour. For since they are the first to show respect to themselves and to refrain from any foolish act, it is with good reason, I believe, that they have the respect of men in general and of their teachers as well.

  The fact is, we shall find that in most other matters too the wise engage in the same activities as the foolish, such as eating, walking, playing, attending the theatre and the games.

  [53] ἡ γὰρ φύσις ἀναγκάζει πολλῶν ὁμοίων δεῖσθαι: διαφέρουσι μέντοι περὶ ταῦτα πάντα: αὐτίκα ἑστιώμενοι πρῶτον οἱ μὲν οὔτε ἀμαθῶς οὔτε ἀπρεπῶς διάγουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ εὐσχημόνως ἅμα καὶ προσηνῶς, εὐωχίας,οὐ παροινίας, ἄρχοντες, φιλοφρονούμενοι τοὺς συνόντας, οὐ θρασυνόμενοι πρὸς αὐτούς: οἱ δὲ ἀπηνῶς καὶ ἀκολάστως, μετὰ βοῆς καὶ ἀταξίας ὀργιζόμενοι καὶ γελῶντες, πλεονεκτοῦντες ἀλλήλους, οὐ παρακαλοῦντες, τελευτῶντες ἀπίασι κακόν τι τοῖς συμπόταις δόντες ἢ παρ᾽ ἐκείνων λαβόντες: οἵαν ποτὲ γενέσθαι φασὶ

  [53] For nature compels them to have many needs in common with the foolish; there are, however, differences of behaviour in all these matters. Take feasting as the first instance: whereas the wise behave neither boorishly nor regardless of decorum, but with elegance combined with courtesy, as men beginning a joyous feast and not a drunken debauch, being gracious toward their companions, not subjecting them to effrontery; the foolish, on the other hand, behave disgustingly and without restraint, giving vent to anger or to laughter with shouts and disorder, trying to get more than their companions, not inviting them to partake, and finally, before leaving for home, either they have done some damage to their fellow banqueters or received damage themselves, as we are told was the case at the party once held by the Centaurs.

  [54] Κενταύρων συνουσίαν. καὶ τί δεῖ τἄλλα ἐπεξιέναι καθ᾽ ἕκαστον; ἀλλὰ τὸ βαδίζειν, ὃ κοινόν ἐστι καὶ ἁπλοῦν δήπουθεν, τοῦ μὲν ἐμφαίνει τὴν ἡσυχίαν τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τὸ προσέχειν ἑαυτῷ, τοῦ δὲ ταραχήν καὶ ἀναίδειαν: σπουδῇ πρόσεισι, φθέγγεται βαδίζων ἢ πεσών τινα ἔωσε, μάχεται πρὸς ἕτερον. ὁμοίως καὶ περὶ τὰς[p. 283] θέας οἱ μέν εἰσιν ἄπληστοι καὶ λίχνοι καὶ περὶ πάντα ὁμοίως ἐπτοημένοι τὰ τυχόντα, οἱ δὲ κοσμίως καὶ μετ᾽ εἰρήνης μετέχουσιν.

  [54] And yet why run through all the other differences one by one? But just take walking, for example, an activity common to all men and surely a simple one. One man’s gait reveals the composure of his nature and the attention he gives to his conduct, while that of another reveals his confusion of mind and his shamelessness: he is hurried as he approaches, talks as he walks, or bursts in and jostles someone, comes to blows with someone else. Similarly also with reference to the theatre: some persons are insatiate and greedy and all aflutter over everything alike, however commonplace, but others participate in the spectacle decorously and in peace.


  [55] ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ὑμεῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκπεπληγμένοι κάθησθε, ἀναπηδᾶτε τῶν ὀρχηστῶν μᾶλλον, συντείνεσθε ὑπὸ τῶν ᾀσμάτων: τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους ἡ μέθη πρὸς ᾠδὴν τρέπει καὶ ὄρχησιν: παρ᾽ ὑμῖν δὲ τοὐναντίον ἐστίν. ἡ γὰρ ᾠδὴ μέθην ἐμποιεῖ καὶ παράνοιαν. οἴνου μὲν οὖν τοιαύτη φύσις, τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι σωφρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ δυσχερῆ πράττειν ἀναγκάζεσθαι τοὺς σκαιῶς αὐτῷ καὶ ἀμέτρως χρωμένους: ὑπὸ δὲ ᾠδῆς σφαλλομένους καὶ πολὺ κάκιον ἔχοντας τῶν παροινούντων εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς,

  [55] But not so with you; on the contrary, you sit dumbfounded, you leap up more violently than the hired dancers, you are made tense with excitement by the songs: for while other people are moved to song and dance by drink with you the opposite is true — song is the occasion of drunkenness and frenzy. So while wine’s natural effect is as we have seen, producing inability to preserve one’s self-control, but on the contrary forcing those who use it stupidly and in excess to commit many distasteful acts, yet men intoxicated by song and in far worse condition than those who are crazed by wine — and what is more, at the very start and not by easy stages as at a drinking party — such men, I say, are to be found nowhere but in Alexandria.