Delphi Complete Works of Dio Chrysostom

by Dio Chrysostom

  [24] καθόλου δὲ οὐ τοῦτο μάλιστα τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει βουλόμενος εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ οἷόν ἐστι δεῖξαι προῆλθον ἴσως, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο σαφὲσὑμῖν ποιήσων, ὅπως διάκεισθε πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ νὴ Δία εἰ πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς ἄξιον τῇ παρούσῃ καταστάσει καὶ κατ᾽ ἀλήθειαν οἴεσθαι νῦν συμπεπνευκέναι. οἰκίαν γὰρ ἔγωγε καὶ ναῦν καὶ τἄλλα οὕτως ἀξιῶ δοκιμάζειν οὐ τὸ παρὸν σκοποῦντας, εἰ σκέπει νῦν καὶ μὴ δέχεται τὴν θάλατταν, ἀλλὰ καθόλου πῶς παρεσκεύασται καὶ

  [24] But, speaking generally, it was not, perhaps, with the purpose of treating this special one among the problems of your city nor of pointing out its seriousness that I came before you, but rather that I might make plain to you how you stand with regard to one another, and, by Zeus, to make plain also whether it is expedient that you should rely upon the present system and believe that now you are really united. Take, for example, a house or a ship or other things like that; this is the way in which I expect men to make appraisal. They should not consider merely present conditions, to see if the structure affords shelter now or does not let in the sea, but they should consider how as a whole it has been constructed and put together, to see that there are no open seams or rotten planks.

  [25] πέπηγεν, εἰ μηδέν ἐστι διεστηκὸς μηδὲ σαθρόν. καὶ μὴν ὅ γε ἔφην τὸ πρότερον αὐξῆσαι τὴν πόλιν, τοῦτο οὐχ ὁρῶ νῦν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχον, τὸ ἐξαίρετον εὐεργεσίαν καὶ χάριν καταθέσθαι τῷ κρατοῦντι, [p. 323] δῆλον ὅτι τῷ μὴ δεηθῆναι μηδενὸς αὐτὸν τοιούτου: πλὴν ὅτι γε εἰ μηδὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἔχετε πλεῖον πρὸς αὐτόν: ὥστε ὧν παρ᾽ ἐκείνου τότε δι᾽ εὔνοιαν καὶ φιλίαν ἐτύχετε, ταῦτα ὀφείλετε φυλάττειν τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον δι᾽ εὐταξίαν καὶ τὸ μηδεμίαν αἰτίαν διδόναι καθ᾽ αὑτῶν.

  [25] And I must add that I do not find existing in your favour now that asset which I said had in the past increased the prestige of Tarsus — your having placed to your credit with the Emperor exceptional service and kindness — evidently because he has no further need of such assistance. However, the fact remains that you have no advantage with him over the other dominions; consequently what you obtained from Caesar on that former occasion through your loyalty and friendship you should safeguard for the future through good behaviour and through giving no occasion for criticism.

  [26] καὶ μηδείς με νομίσῃ ταῦτα λέγειν ἁπλῶς ἁπάντων ἀνέχεσθαι παραινοῦντα ὑμῖν καὶ πάντα πάσχειν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως ἔμπειροι τῶν καθ᾽ αὑτοὺς ὄντες καὶ νῦν ἄμεινον βουλεύησθε καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὕτως ἀπαιτῆτε τὸν παριόντα μὴ ῥᾳδίως ὑμῖν μηδ᾽ ὡς ἂν ἐπέλθῃ μηδὲν εἰσηγεῖσθαι, πάντα δὲ εἰδότα καὶ περὶ πάντων ἐσκεμμένον. καὶ γὰρ ἰατρόν, ὅστις ἐξήτακεν ἀκριβῶς τὰ τοῦ κάμνοντος, ὡς μηδὲν αὐτὸν λανθάνειν, τοῦτον εἰκὸς ἄριστα θεραπεύειν.

  [26] And let no one suppose that in saying this I am advising you to put up with absolutely anybody and to endure any and every thing; nay, my purpose is rather that you, being acquainted with your own situation, may not only take better counsel in the present instance, but may also in the future demand that the man who comes forward to speak shall make his proposals to you, not in an off-hand manner nor on the inspiration of the moment, but with full knowledge and after careful examination of every detail. For the physician who has investigated minutely the symptoms of his patient, so that nothing can escape him, is the one who is likely to administer the best treatment.

  [27] ὅτι μὲν οὖν δεῖται τὰ παρόντα προσοχῆς καὶ βελτίονος συμβούλου οὐ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης καὶ δι᾽ ἀργύριον ἢ διὰ γένος παριόντων, ἐνθένδε ὁρᾶτέ πως. ὅταν γὰρ μήτε αὐτοὶ βεβαίως ὁμονοῆτε μήθ᾽ αἱ πλείους τῶν πέριξ πόλεων οἰκείως ὑμῖν ἔχωσιν, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν φθονῶσιν, ἐκ πολλοῦ ἀντιφιλοτιμούμενοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οἱ δὲ ἀπεχθάνωνται, διὰ τὸ ὑπὲρ τῆς χώρας ἀμφισβητεῖν, οἱ δὲ οὐκ οἶδα ὅπως γε ἐνοχλεῖσθαι λέγωσιν, ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς οἴηται μὲν τὰ βελτίω φρονεῖν περὶ αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς, ἠναγκασμένοι δὲ ἦτε προσκροῦσαι καὶ πρότερον ἀλλήλοις, ἔτι δὲ ἐπίφθονοι τῷ τε μεγέθει τῆς πόλεως νομίζησθε καὶ τῷ πολλὰ τῶν ὄντων ἀπολαβεῖν δυνήσεσθαι: πῶς οὐχὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἐπιμελοῦς καὶ περιεσκεμμένης γνώμης δεῖσθε;

  [27] That your present situation, then, demands careful attention, and a better adviser than those who ascend the rostrum by chance or for mercenary reasons or because of family position, you can perceive in some measure from what follows. For at a time when your own harmony is not assured, and when most of the cities that surround you are not on friendly terms with you, but some are envious through long rivalry with you, while others are actively hostile because of disputes over territory, and still others claim to be subject to annoyance in one form or another, and when the general supposes, to be sure, that your feeling toward him is improving, although you and he have been compelled to clash with one another even previously, and when, furthermore, you are viewed with jealousy because of the very magnitude of your city and the ability you will have to rob your neighbours of many of their possessions — at a time like this, how can you for these reasons fail to require careful and well-considered judgement?

  [28] τί οὖν; οὐχ ἱκανοὶ ταῦτα οἱ πολῖται συνιδεῖν καὶ παραινέσαι; πόθεν; εἰ γὰρ ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ τὸ δέον εὑρίσκειν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν οἱ προεστῶτες καὶ πολιτευόμενοι, πάντες ἂν ἀεὶ καλῶς ἀπήλλαττον καὶ ἀπαθεῖς ἦσαν κακῶν, εἰ μή τις αὐτόματος ἄλλως ἐπέλθοι τισὶ [p. 324] συμφορά. ἀλλ᾽ οἶμαι καὶ πάλαι καὶ νῦν πλείονα εὕροι τις ἂν συμβεβηκότα δεινὰ ταῖς πόλεσι δι᾽ ἄγνοιαν τοῦ συμφέροντος καὶ τὰ τῶν προεστώτων ἁμαρτήματα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ δαιμονίου καὶ παρὰ τῆς τύχης.

  [28] “Well then,” you interject, “are not the citizens competent to appraise this situation and to give advice regarding it?” Absurd! For if the leaders and statesmen in the cities were competent to hit upon the proper course, all men would always fare handsomely and be free from harm — unless of course some chance misfortune should perversely befall one city or another. But on the contrary, in my opinion, both in former days and at the present time you would find that more dreadful things have happened to cities through ignorance of what is to their interest and through the mistakes of their leaders than the disasters that happen by divine will or through mere chance.

  [29] οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν δυνάμενοι τῶν δεόντων ἰδεῖν οὐδ᾽ ἐπιμεληθέντες αὑτῶν πρότερον, μηδὲ κώμην ὄντες ἱκανοὶ διοικῆσαικατὰ τρόπ�
�ν, ἄλλως δὲ ὑπὸ χρημάτων ἢ γένους συνιστάμενοι προσέρχονται τῷ πολιτεύεσθαι: τινὲς δὲ ταύτην ἐπιμέλειαν εἶναι νομίζοντες, ἂν ῥήματα συμφορῶσι καὶ ταῦτα τῶν πολλῶν ὁπωσδὴ θᾶττον συνείρωσι, μηδενὸς τἄλλα ἀμείνους ὄντες. τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, διὰ μὲν τὸ βέλτιστον καὶ τῆς πατρίδος αὐτῆς ἕνεκεν οὔ, λοιπὸν δὲ διὰδόξας καὶ τιμὰς καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι πλέον ἑτέρου καὶ στεφάνους καὶ προεδρίας καὶ πορφύρας διώκοντες, πρὸς ταῦτα ἀποβλέποντες καὶ τούτων ἐξηρτημένοι τοιαῦτα πράττουσι καὶ λέγουσιν, ἐξ ὧν αὐτοί τινες εἶναι δόξουσιν.

  [29] For sometimes men without any ability to perceive what is needful, men who have never given heed to their own welfare in the past, incompetent to manage even a village as it should be managed, but recommended only by wealth or family, undertake the task of government; still others undertake that task in the belief that they are displaying diligence if they merely heap up phrases and string them together in any way at all with greater speed than most men can, although in all else they are in no way superior to anybody else. And what is most serious is that these men, not for the sake of what is truly best and in the interest of their country itself, but for the sake of reputation and honours and the possession of greater power than their neighbours, in the pursuit of crowns and precedence and purple robes, fixing their gaze upon these things and staking all upon their attainment, do and say such things as will enhance their own reputations.

  [30] τοιγαροῦν ἐστεφανωμένους πολλοὺς ἰδεῖν ἔστι καθ᾽ ἑκάστην πόλιν καὶ θύοντας ἐν κοινῷ καὶ προϊόντας ἐνπορφύρᾳ: γενναῖον δὲ καὶ φρόνιμον ἄνδρα καὶ κηδεμόνα ὄντως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδος καὶ φρονοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα τἀληθῆ καὶ δι᾽ ὃν ἄμεινον οἰκεῖται καὶ μετέσχηκεν ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἡ πειθομένη πόλις, σπάνιον εὑρεῖν. καὶ τοῦτο ἀναγκαῖον συμβαίνειν τρόπον τινά.

  [30] Consequently one may see in every city many who have been awarded crowns, who sacrifice in public, who come forth arrayed in purple; but a man of probity and wisdom, who is really devoted to his own country, and thinks and speaks the truth, whose influence with the city that follows his advice insures better management and the attainment of some blessing — such a man is hard to find.

  [31] ὅταν γὰρ οἴωνται τοὺς λελειτουργηκότας ἢ τοὺς μέλλοντας ἑαυτοῖσδεῖν συμβουλεύειν, κἂν ᾖ τις γυμνασίαρχος ἢ δημιουργός τις, καὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ μόνῳ λέγειν ἐπιτρέπωσιν ἢ νὴ Δία τοῖς καλουμένοις ῥήτορσιν, ὅμοιόν ἐστιν ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ τοὺς κήρυκας ἐκάλουν μόνους ἢ τοὺς κιθαρῳδοὺς ἢ τοὺς τραπεζίτας. τοιγαροῦν ἄνθρωποι παρίασι καὶ ἀνόητοι καὶ δοξοκόποι καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθουσθόρυβον κεχηνότες, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ γνώμης ἀσφαλοῦς οὐδὲ συνέντες λέγουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἐν σκότει βαδίζοντες κατὰ τὸν κρότον ἀεὶ καὶ τὴν βοὴν φέρονται.

  [31] Yes, this is bound to happen, one might say. For when men think it is those who have performed liturgies or will some day do so who should counsel them, and when, provided a man is gymnasiarch or demiourgos, he is the only one whom they allow to make a speech — or, by Zeus, the so-called orators — it is very much as if they were to call upon only the heralds or the harpists or the bankers. Accordingly men come forward to address you who are both empty-headed and notoriety-hunters to boot, and it is with mouth agape for the clamour of the crowd, and not at all from sound judgement or understanding, that they speak, but just as if walking in the dark they are always swept along according to the clapping and the shouting.

  [32] καίτοι κυβερνήταις εἴ τις λέγοι αὐτοῖς ὥστε ζητεῖν ἐξ ἅπαντος ἀρέσκειν τοῖς ἐπιβάταις, καὶ κροτουμένοις ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, ὅπως ἂν ἐκεῖνοι θέλωσιν, οὕτως κυβερνᾶν, οὐ μεγάλου[p. 325] τινὸς αὐτοῖς δεήσει χειμῶνος, ὥστε ἀνατρέψαι. πολλάκις γοῦν ἄγροικος ἄνθρωπος ναυτιῶν ἢ γύναιον, ἐὰν ἴδῃ πέτρας, γῆν ἑωρακέναι δοκεῖ καὶ λιμένα, καὶ δεῖται προσσχεῖν.

  [32] And yet if someone should tell pilots that they should seek in every way to please their passengers, and that when applauded by them they should steer the ship in whatever way those passengers desired, it would take no great storm to overturn their ship. Frequently, you know, a seasick land-lubber or some nervous female at the sight of rocks fancies that land and harbour are in view and implores the skipper to steer for shore.

  [33] ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν σύμβουλον τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸν ἄξιον προεστάναι πόλεώς φημι δεῖν πρὸς ἅπαντα μὲν ἁπλῶς παρεσκευάσθαι τὰ δοκοῦντα δυσχερῆ, μάλιστα δὲ πρὸς τὰς λοιδορίας καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλήθους ὀργήν, καὶ ταῖς ἄκραις ὅμοιον εἶναι ταῖς ποιούσαις τοὺς λιμένας, αἵτινες ἅπασαν ἐκδέχονται τὴν βίαν τῆς θαλάττης, τὸ δὲ ἐντὸς ἀκίνητον καὶ γαληνὸν φυλάττουσι, κἀκεῖνον δὲ ἐκκεῖσθαι τῷ δήμῳ, κἂν ὀργισθῆναί ποτε θέλῃ κἂν κακῶς εἰπεῖν κἂν ὁτιοῦν ποιῆσαι, πάσχειν δὲ μηδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν τοιούτων θορύβων, μήτε ἂν ἐπαινῆται, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπαίρεσθαι,

  [33] But I say that the counsellor who is a good counsellor and fit to be leader of a city should be prepared to withstand absolutely all those things which are considered difficult or vexatious, and especially the vilifications and the anger of the mob. Like the promontories that form our harbours, which receive the full violence of the sea but keep the inner waters calm and peaceful, so he too should stand out against the violence of the people, whether they are inclined to burst into a rage or abuse him or take any measures whatever, and he should be wholly unaffected by such outbursts, and neither if they applaud him, should he on that account be elated, nor, if he feels he is being insulted, should he be depressed.

  [34] μήτε ἂν ὑβρίζεσθαι δοκῇ, ταπεινοῦσθαι. τὸ μέντοι γε παρ᾽ ὑμῖν γιγνόμενον οὐ τοιοῦτόν ἐστι, καὶ οὐδείς, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, τῶν πολιτευομένων τοῦτο ἔχει προκείμενον οὐδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἔτι τῶν κοινῶν: ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν ὅλως ἀφεστᾶσιν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐκ παρέργου προσίασιν ἁπτόμενοι μόνον τοῦ πράγματος, ὥσπερ οἱ σπονδῆς θιγγάνοντες, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι λέγοντες ἀναθεῖναι αὑτοὺς πολιτείᾳ. καίτοι ναυκληρεῖν μὲν ἢ δανείζειν ἢ γεωργεῖν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἱκανῶς δύναιτο πάρεργον αὐτὸ ποιούμενος, πολιτεύεσθαι δὲ ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ πάντα ἔμπροσθεν τούτου τιθέντες.

  [34] However, what happens at Tarsus is not like that. No one of your statesmen, as I am told, h
olds that to be his function, nor is it so any longer with the commons; but, on the contrary, some persons stand absolutely aloof, and some come forward to speak quite casually, barely touching on the issue — as people touch the libation with their lips — claiming that it is not safe for them to dedicate their lives of that government. And yet, though no one could be successful as a ship-owner or money-lender or farmer if he made those occupations a side-issue, still men try to run the government out of their spare time and put everything else ahead of statecraft.

  [35] ἔνιοι δ᾽, ἂν εἰς ἀρχήν τινα καταστῶσιν, ἐν ἐκείνῃ μόνον ζητοῦσιν ἅψασθαί τινος πράξεως, ὅπως ἀπέλθωσιν ἐνδοξότεροι, τοῦτο μόνον σκοποῦντες. τοιγαροῦν πρὸς ἓξ μῆνάς εἰσιν ὑμῖν ἀνδρεῖοι, πολλάκις οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι τῆς πόλεως. ὥστε νῦν μέν ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ λέγων, κἀκείνῳ ἔτι εὐθὺς ἄλλος, εἶθ᾽ ἕτερος: καὶ τὸν πρὸ τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν λαμπρὸν καὶ μόνον φάσκοντα κήδεσθαι τῆς πόλεως οὐδ᾽ ἰδεῖν ἔστι προσιόντα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ,

  [35] And some, in case they do accept office, seek therein only to engage in some enterprise out of which they may emerge with added glory for themselves, making that their sole aim. Accordingly for six months they are your ‘men of valour,’ frequently not to the advantage of the city either. And so at one moment it is So-and-so who makes the motions, and hard upon his heels comes someone else in quick succession, and then a third; and he who but one brief month ago was resplendent and claimed to be the only one who cared for the city cannot be seen even coming to the assembly.