Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [89] For you must not think that the taking of a city consists alone in levelling its ramparts, slaughtering its men, leading its women into captivity, and burning its dwellings; nay, those happenings may mark the final stage, a stage of short duration and one that makes the victims more deserving of pity than of ridicule; but in the case of people who disregard all that is noble and are passionately enamoured of one thing that is ignoble, who centre their attention upon that alone and spend their time on that, constantly leaping and raving and beating one another and using abominable language and often reviling even the gods themselves and flinging away their own belongings and sometimes departing naked from the show — that is a disgraceful, an ignominious capture for a city.

  [90] καὶ γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ἑαλωκέναι φαμὲν οὐχ ὑπὸ λῃστῶν μόνον, ἢ ἑταιρῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑταίρας καὶ γαστρὸς καὶ ἄλλης τινὸς φαύλης ἐπιθυμίας. αἰχμάλωτος οὖν γενέσθαι καλῶς ἂν λέγοιτο καὶ ἀνὴρ καὶ πόλις, ἥτις ἂν τῶν κρειττόνων ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἀφεμένη καὶ μήτε ὁρῶσα μηδὲν μήτε ἀκούουσα τῶν φερόντων εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλ᾽ αἱρεθεῖσα ὑπὸ μέθης ἢ ᾠδῆς γυναικῶν ἢ ἁρμάτων ἄγηται καὶ φέρηται καὶ πᾶσα δι᾽ ὅλης θορυβῆται περὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκφρονῇ: καὶ νὴ Δία ἑαλωκέναι λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν καὶ κατὰ κράτος ὃς οὕτως ἑάλωκε καὶ περιηγκωνίσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἂν μὲν τὸ σῶμά τινος κρατῆται καὶ περιέχηται δεσμοῖς τισιν ἢ φρουροῖς, τὰ δυσχερῆ δεῖ ταῦτα νομίζειν αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ δουλείαν καὶ ἀπαγωγήν, τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς ἠνδραποδισμένης καὶ ἀπολωλυίας εἰρωνεύεσθαι καὶ ὑποτιμᾶσθαι.

  [90] For I assert that men have been taken captive, not by pirates only or other persons, but also by a courtesan or gluttony or by any other low desire. The term ‘captive,’ then, may well be used, not only of a person, but of a city too, provided that city, abandoning the nobler pursuits and having neither eyes nor ears for anything conducive to salvation, but yielding instead to the clutches of drink or singing girls or racing chariots, is made the prize of conquest and thrown into utter confusion thereby and bereft of its senses. Yes, by Zeus, the man who experienced such a capture might well be said to have been taken by storm and manacled to boot. For if when a man’s body has been overpowered and confined by chains or guards, we consider that these disagreeable happenings constitute captivity and slavery and violent seizure, when the soul has been taken captive and ruined, we should not dissimulate or underrate it.

  [91] καίτοι δεινὰ μέν που καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστων τὰ τοιαῦτα, τῷ παντὶ δὲ αἰσχίω δημοσίᾳ φαινόμενα. καὶ γὰρ αἱ λοιπαὶ νόσοι μέχρι μὲν [p. 294] τῶν καθ᾽ ἕνα εἰσὶν οὐ μεγάλης οὐδὲ φοβερᾶς προσηγορίας τυγχάνουσιν: ὅταν δὲ κοινὸν γένηται τὸ πρᾶγμα, τότε λοιμὸς καλεῖται. καθόλου γὰρ πάντα ἁμαρτήματα εὕροι τις ἂν πανταχοῦ, καὶ οἰνόφλυγες καὶ πόρνοι καὶ γυναιμανεῖς ἐν πάσαις εἰσὶ ταῖς πόλεσιν: ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν τοῦτο χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ ὑπερβάλλον: ὅταν δὲ ἐπικρατῇ τὸπάθος καὶ βλέπηται κοινόν, τότε ἐπίσημον καὶ μέγα καὶ δημοσίᾳ

  [91] And yet, while such experiences are doubtless terrible even in the case of individuals, they are altogether more disgraceful when they happen to a people. For indeed all other afflictions, as long as they affect a single person, receive no great or awful label; but when the visitation becomes general, it is called a plague. For, on the whole, all varieties of human weakness might be discovered anywhere at all, and drunkards, perverts, and woman-crazed wretches are present in every city; and yet not even that condition is disturbing or beyond endurance; but when malady becomes prevalent and a common spectacle, then it becomes noteworthy and serious and a civic issue.

  [92] γίγνεται. ποία γὰρ πόλις ἐστὶ τῶν μὴ σφόδρα ἐρήμων καὶ μικρῶν, ἐν ᾗ μὴ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν τις πυρέττει πάντως: ἀλλὰ Καυνίους μόνον παρείληφε κἀκείνων ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνειδος, ὅτι πάντες αὐτὸ πάσχουσιν: ὥσπερ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν βελτιόνων τινὲς ἐθαυμάσθησαν καὶδόξαν ἔσχον. πόσους γὰρ οἴεσθε Ἀθηναίων ἢ Μεγαρέων ἢ Κορινθίων τὰ σώματα ἀσκεῖν καὶ ζῆν φιλοπόνως πολλοὺς δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἀναγκαῖον ἦν αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν πατρίδων γίγνεσθαι;

  [92] For example, what city is there, unless it be one very sparsely populated and small, in which day by day there is not at least one person ill with fever? However, fever has all but taken possession of the Caunians, and in their case it is a reproach to the community, because they all suffer from it; just as also certain peoples have won admiration and esteem for traits that are better. For instance, how many Athenians or Megarians or Corinthians, do you suppose, used to cultivate their bodies and live laborious lives? Many, obviously, and especially in the days when they had to be valiant in defence of their countries.

  [93] τί οὖν μόνοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι τοῦτ᾽ ἔσχον τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τῆς δόξης ἀπολαύουσιν ἔτι καὶ νῦν; ὅτι κοινῇ ἐκτήσαντοτὴν φιλοτιμίαν. τοὺς δὲ Ἀθηναίους τὰ περὶ τοὺς λόγους μᾶλλον ἐπιτηδεύοντας καὶ ποίησιν καὶ χοροὺς ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτοὺς ἐποίησε θαυμάζεσθαι διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν. σκοπεῖτε δὲ μὴ ὑμεῖς οὐχ ὁμοίας μεταλάβητε δόξης τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἑτέροις τισίν: οὐ βούλομαι γὰρ ὀνομάσαι. ὅπερ γὰρἤδη πολλάκις εἶπον, αἰσχίω τὰ αἰσχρὰ καὶ καταγέλαστα μᾶλλον,

  [93] Why is it, then, that the Spartans alone among them got a name for that and have enjoyed the reputation ever since? It is because as a people they acquired the love of honour. And as to the Athenians, because they were more devoted to the cultivation of the arts of speech and poetry and choral song and dance, that devotion, for the same reason, caused them in their turn to be admired in these fields. But take care lest the reputation that you gain resemble, not that of the Athenians and the Spartans, but rather that of certain others — for I do not care to name them. For, as I have often said, shameful conduct is more shameful and ridiculous when it involves whole cities.

  [94] ὅταν ᾖ περὶ τὰς πόλεις. ὥσπερ ἐν ταῖς κωμῳδίαις καὶ διασκευαῖς Καρίωνα μὲν εἰσάγοντες μεθύοντα καὶ Δᾶον οὐ σφόδρα κινοῦσι γέλωτα, τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλέα τοιοῦτον ὁρῶσι γελοῖον δοκεῖ, παραφερόμενον, καὶ καθάπερ εἰώθασιν, ἐν κροκωτῷ, παραπλησίως καὶδῆμος οὕτως μέγας μινυρίζων διὰ βίου καὶ πάλιν ἡνιοχῶν χωρὶς ἵππων αἰσχρὸν γίγνεται καὶ καταγέλαστον. αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο Εὐριπίδης τὸν Ἡρακλέα φησὶ παθεῖν μαινόμενον: [p. 295]

  ἐκ τοῦδε βαίνων ἅρματ᾽ οὐκ ἔχων �
�χειν

  ἔφασκε, δίφρου δ᾽ εἰσέβαινεν ἄντυγας,

  κἄθεινε κέντρον δῆθεν ὡς ἔχων χερί.

  [94] Just as in the case of comedies and revues when the poets bring upon the scene a drunken Carion or a Davus, they do not arouse much laughter, yet the sight of a Heracles in that condition does seem comical, a Heracles who staggers and, as usually portrayed, is clad in womanish saffron; in much the same way also, if a populace of such size as yours warbles all through life or, it may be, plays charioteer without the horses, it becomes a disgrace and a laughing stock. Indeed this is precisely what Euripides says befell Heracles in his madness:

  Then striding to a car he thought was there,

  He stepped within its rails and dealt a blow,

  As if he held the goad within his hand.

  [95] μὴ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς κατὰ ζῆλον τὸν ἐπ᾽ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ: καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔλεγε Διὸς υἱὸς εἶναι. μᾶλλον δ᾽ ἴσως οὐχ Ἡρακλεῖ προσέοικεν ὑμῶν ὁ δῆμος, ἀλλὰ Κενταύρῳ τινὶ ἢ Κύκλωπι πεπωκότι καὶ ἐρῶντι, τὸ μὲν σῶμα ἰσχυρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ, τὴν δὲ διάνοιαν ἀμαθεῖ. πρὸς τοῦ Διὸς οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ὅσην ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ὑμῶν πεποίηται τῆς πόλεως ἐπιμέλειαν; οὐκοῦν χρὴ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντιφιλοτιμεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν πατρίδα κρείττω ποιεῖν, μὰ Δί᾽ οὐ κρήναις οὐδὲ προπυλαίοις: εἰς ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ οὐ δύνασθε ὑμεῖς ἀναλίσκειν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὑπερβάλοισθέ ποτε οἶμαι τῆν ἐκείνου μεγαλοψυχίαν: ἀλλ᾽ εὐταξίᾳ, κόσμῳ, τῷ δεικνύειν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς σώφρονας καὶ βεβαίους. οὕτως γὰρ ἂν οὔτ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγονόσι μετανοήσειε καὶ πλείονα ὑμᾶς ἀγαθὰ ἐργάσεται. καὶ ἴσως ἂν αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ἐνθάδε ἀφίξεως παράσχοιτε πόθον.

  [95] Maybe, then, like so many others, you are only following the example set by Alexander, for he, like Heracles, claimed to be a son of Zeus. Nay rather, it may be that it is not Heracles whom your populace resembles, but some Centaur or Cyclops in his cups and amorous, in body strong and huge but mentally a fool.

  In heaven’s name, do you not see how great is the consideration that your emperor has displayed toward your city? Well then, you also must match the zeal he shows and make your country better, not, by Zeus, through constructing fountains or stately portals — for you have not the wealth to squander on things like that, nor could you ever, methinks, surpass the emperor’s magnificence — but rather by means of good behaviour, by decorum, by showing yourselves to be sane and steady. For in that case not only would he not regret his generosity because of what has happened, but he might even confer on you still further benefactions. And perhaps you might even make him long to visit you.

  [96] οὐ γὰρ οὕτως τὸ κάλλος τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων προσάγειν αὐτὸν δύναται: πάντα γὰρ κρείττω καὶ πολυτελέστερα ἔχει τῶν ὅπου δήποτε: ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ἀκούσῃ τοὺς ὑποδεξομένους αὐτὸν εὐνοίας καὶ πίστεως ἀξίους καὶ τῶν πεμπομένων ἕκαστος καὶ διοικούντων ὑμᾶς προτιμήσῃ. μὴ γὰρ οἴεσθε ὑμᾶς μὲν πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ τῶν καταπλεόντων, ὁποῖοί τινες τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, καὶ τοιαύτην ἔχειν γνώμην εὐθὺς πρὸς αὐτούς, οἵας ἂν μετάσχητε τῆς φήμης, ἐκείνους δὲ περὶ ὑμῶν μὴ πολυπραγμονεῖν, ὁποῖος ὁ τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων δῆμος. οὐκοῦν ἂν ἀκούσωσιν ὅτι φρόνιμος, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷα τὰ νῦν λεγόμενα, ὡς ἐπτοημένος, ὡς εὐχερής, τὰ μικρὰ θαυμάζων, ἥττων τοῦ τυχόντος πραγμάτων, ἐραστὴς ἡνιόχων καὶ κιθαρῳδῶν, οὐκ ἄδηλον ὅπως ἕξουσιν.

  [96] For it is not so much the beauty of your buildings that might attract him, for he has buildings of every kind finer and more costly than anywhere; but he may be attracted when he hears that the people to receive him are worthy of his favour and his trust, and when each of his emissaries and ministers speaks highly of you. For you must not imagine, that, although you yourselves inquire about those who enter your harbour, what kind of people they chance to be, and your judgement concerning them at once corresponds to their reputation, yet the emperor’s agents are not curious to learn what kind of people the Alexandrians are. Therefore, if they hear that you are sensible, and not, as is now the common report, flighty, easy-going, inclined to admire petty things, with a weakness for trivialities, passionately devoted to jockeys and harpists, there is no doubt how they will feel.

  [97] Θεόφιλόν φασι παρ᾽ ὑμῖν γενόμενον ἄνδρα σοφὸν σιωπᾶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ μηδὲν ἐθέλειν διαλέγεσθαι. καίτοι τίνα γνώμην νομίζετε αὐτὸν ἔχειν; πότερον ὡς σοφοὺς ὑμᾶς καὶ μὴ δεομένους θεραπείας; ἢ μᾶλλον ὡς ἀνιάτων ἀπεγνωκέναι; [p. 296] παραπλήσιον γάρ, ὥσπερ εἴ τις τῶν ἐμπόρων πολλὰ καὶ τίμια ἔχων καταπλεύσειεν εἰς πόλιν, ἔπειθ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνέμων τινῶν ἢ τύχης ἄλλης κρατούμενος καὶ διατρίβων ἐκεῖ χρόνον συχνὸν μήτε προθείη τῶν ὠνίων μηδὲν μήτε δείξειε μηδέποτε: δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ἐσχάτην τινὰ αὐτῶν πενίαν κατεγνωκὼς ἢ ἀπειρίαν οὐκ ἂν θέλοι μάτηνἐνοχλεῖσθαι, σαφῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι οὔτ᾽ ἂν ὠνήσαιτο τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτων οὐθεὶς οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἴσως προσέλθοι.

  [97] Theophilus, they say, who proved himself a man of wisdom here in Alexandria, preserved silence toward you and would hold no converse with you. And yet what do you think was his purpose? Was it because he thought you to be wise yourselves and in need of treatment: or rather had he despaired of you as being incurable? For it is very much as if a trader with many precious wares should land at a city, and then, constrained by certain winds or by some mischance, should spend a long time there without either setting out any of his wares or displaying them at all; for evidently it would be because he was convinced either that the inhabitants were in extreme poverty, or else that they were ignorant, and so he would be unwilling to go to useless trouble, feeling certain that no one of the inhabitants would either make a purchase or, perhaps, come to see him.

  [98] καὶ Θεόφιλος τοίνυν πολλὰ ἔχων καὶ μεγάλα ἔνδον ὤνια παρ᾽ αὑτῷ ταῦτα, συνειδὼς ὑμῖν τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀπορίαν, οὐ χρημάτων, ἀλλὰ νοῦ καὶ συνέσεως. τοιγαροῦν τέθνηκε κατασιωπήσας ὑμῶν τὴν πόλιν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι καταδικάσας αὐτήν, καὶ ὑμεῖς τοῦ δεῖνος μὲν πολλάκις ἀκηκόατε καὶ διαμέμνησθε τῶν σκωμμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν τοῦ δεῖνος ᾀσμάτων, Θεοφίλου δὲ οὐκ οἶδα εἴ ποτε ἠκούσατε: ὥσπερ ἔφη τις τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ κανθάρους, τοῦ καθαρωτάτου μέλιτος ὄντος, τοῦ μὲν μηδέποτε γεύσασθαι, μηδ᾽ ἂν ἐκχέηται, τῆς δὲ ἑτέρας τροφῆς.

  [98] Theophilus too, we conclude, though he had many notable
wares inside of him, kept them to himself, being aware that you were extremely poor, not in money, but in judgement and understanding. Well, then, he is dead, having by his silence passed adverse judgement on your city, and, though you have often heard so-and-so speak and can well recall his jokes, and also the songs of what’s-his-name, I am not sure that you have ever heard Theophilus; just as someone has said of the beetles in Attica, that, though Attica has the purest honey, the beetles never taste of it, not even if it is poured out for them, but only of the other kind of food.

  [99] ἀλλ᾽ ἐστὲ ἱλαροὶ καὶ σκῶψαι πάντων δεινότατοι. οὐ δήμου τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα: πόθεν; οὐδὲ πόλεως, ἀλλὰ Θερσίτου τινός: αὐτὸν γοῦν ἐκεῖνον εἴρηκεν Ὅμηρος ἐν τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἕλλησιν ἀφικέσθαι γελωτοποιόν:

  ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι οἱ εἴσαιτο γελοίιον Ἀργείοισιν

  ἔμμεναι.

  ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τὸ γελοῖον ἀγαθόν ἐστιν οὐδὲ τίμιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ χαίρειν: ἀπορίᾳ δὲ καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ χαρᾶς ἄνθρωποι διώκουσι γέλωτα. τὴν γοῦν βοτάνην ἀκηκόατε τὴν σαρδόνιον καλουμένην, ἣ γέλωτα μὲν ποιεῖ,

  [99] But, someone will say, you are a jolly folk and the best jesters in the world. That is no calling for a people — how could it be? — nor for a city, but rather for a Thersites. At least Homer says that Thersites himself came among all the Greeks as a jester, not speaking with decorum,

  But what he thought would make the Argives laugh.