he was so lazy that he had been in the habit of letting Sura write most of
his speeches for him; so he shouted rather than spoke, and meanwhile
displayed to the gods his Getic and Parthian trophies, while he accused
his old age of not having allowed him to extend his Parthian conquests.
“You cannot take us in,” said Silenus; “you reigned twenty years and
Alexander here only twelve. Why then do you not put it down to your own
love of ease, instead of complaining of your short allowance of time?”
Stung by the taunt, since he was not deficient in eloquence, though
intemperance often made him seem more stupid than he was, Trajan began
again. “O Zeus and ye other gods, when I took over the empire it was in a
sort of lethargy and much disordered by the tyranny that had long
prevailed at home, and by the insolent conduct of the Getae. I alone
ventured to attack the tribes beyond the Danube, and I subdued the Getae,
the most warlike race that ever existed, which is due partly to their
physical courage, partly to the doctrines that they have adopted from
their admired Zamolxis.(644) For they believe that they do not die but
only change their place of abode, and they meet death more readily than
other men undertake a journey. Yet I accomplished that task in a matter of
five years or so. That of all the Emperors who came before me(645) I was
regarded as the mildest in the treatment of my subjects, is, I imagine,
obvious, and neither Caesar here nor any other will dispute it with me.
Against the Parthians I thought I ought not to employ force until they had
put themselves in the wrong, but when they did so I marched against them,
undeterred by my age, though the laws would have allowed me to quit the
service. Since then the facts are as I have said, do I not deserve to be
honoured before all the rest, first because I was so mild to my subjects,
secondly because more than others I inspired terror in my country’s foes,
thirdly because I revered your daughter divine Philosophy?” When Trajan
had finished this speech the gods decided that he excelled all the rest in
clemency; and evidently this was a virtue peculiarly pleasing to them.)
Τοῦ Μάρκου δὲ ἀρχομένου λέγειν, ὁ Σειληνὸς ἠρέμα πρὸς τὸν Διόνυσον, [C]
Ἀκούσωμεν, ἔφη, τοῦ Στωικοῦ τουτουί, τί ποτε ἄρα τῶν παραδόξων ἐκείνων
ἐρεῖ καὶ τεραστίων δογμάτων. ὁ δὲ ἀποβλέψας πρὸς τὸν Δία καὶ τοὺς θεούς,
Ἀλλ᾽ ἔμοιγε, εἶπεν, ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ θεοί, λόγων οὐδὲν δεῖ καὶ ἀγῶνος. εἰ μὲν γὰρ
ἠγνοεῖτε τἀμά, προσῆκον ἦν ἐμοὶ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἴστε καὶ λέληθεν
ὑμᾶς τῶν ἁπάντων οὐδέν, [D] αὐτοί μοι τιμᾶτε τῆς ἀξίας. ἔδοξε δὴ οὖν ὁ
Μάρκος τά τε ἄλλα θαυμάσιός τις εἶναι καὶ σοφὸς διαφερόντως ἅτε οἶμαι
διαγινώσκων,
(When Marcus Aurelius began to speak, Silenus whispered to Dionysus, “Let
us hear which one of his paradoxes and wonderful doctrines this Stoic will
produce.” But Marcus turned to Zeus and the other gods and said, “It seems
to me, O Zeus and ye other gods, that I have no need to make a speech or
to compete. If you did not know all that concerns me it would indeed be
fitting for me to inform you. But since you know it and nothing at all is
hidden from you, do you of your own accord assign me such honour as I
deserve.” Thus Marcus showed that admirable as he was in other respects he
was wise also beyond the rest, because he knew)
Λέγειν θ᾽ ὅπου χρὴ καὶ σιγᾶν ὅπου καλόν.
(“When it is time to speak and when to be silent.”(646))
Τῷ Κωνσαταντίνῳ μετὰ τοῦτον λέγειν ἐπέτρεπον. ὁ δὲ πρότερον μὲν ἐθάρρει
τὴν ἀγωνίαν. ὡς δὲ ἀπέβλεπεν εἰς τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἔργα, μικρὰ παντάπασιν εἶδε
τὰ ἑαυτοῦ. [329] δύο γὰρ τυράννους, εἴ γε χρὴ τἀληθῆ φάναι, καθῃρήκει, τὸν
μὲν ἀπόλεμον τε καὶ μαλακόν, τὸν δὲ ἄθλιόν τε καὶ διὰ τὸ γῆρας
ἀσθενῆ,(647) ἀμφοτέρω δὲ θεοῖς τε καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἐχθίστω. τά γε μὴν εἰς
τοὺς βαρβάρους ἦν γελοῖα αὐτῷ· φόρους γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐτετελέκαι,(648) καὶ πρὸς
τὴν Τρυφὴν ἀφεώρα· πόρρω δὲ εἱστήκει τῶν θεῶν αὕτη περὶ τὰ πρόθυρα τῆς
Σελήνης· ἐρωτικῶς τε οὖν εἶχεν αὐτῆς, καὶ ὅλος πρὸς ἐκείνην [B] βλέπων
οὐδὲν ἔμελεν αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς νίκης.(649) ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐχρῆν καὶ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τι,
Ταύτῃ τούτων κρείττων, ἔφη, εἰμί, τοῦ Μακεδόνος μέν, ὅτι πρὸς Ῥωμαίους καὶ
τὰ Γερμανικὰ καὶ Σκυθικὰ γένη καὶ οὐχὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀσιανοὺς βαρβάρους
ἠγωνισάμην, Καίσαρος δὲ καὶ Ὀκταβιανοῦ τῷ μή, καθάπερ οὗτοι, πρὸς καλοὺς
κἀγαθοὺς πολίτας στασιάσαι, τοῖς μιαρωτάτοις δὲ καὶ πονηροτάτοις τῶν
τυράννων ἐπεξελθεῖν. [C] Τραïανοῦ δὲ τοῖς μὲν κατὰ τῶν τυράννων
ἀνδραγαθήμασιν εἰκότως ἂν προτιμηθείην, τῷ δὲ ἣν οὗτος προσεκτήσατο χώραν
ἀναλαβεῖν ἴσος ἂν οὐκ ἀπεικότως νομιζοίμην, εἰ μὴ καὶ μεῖζον ἐστι τὸ
ἀνακτήσασθαι τοῦ κτήσασθαι. Μάρκος δὲ οὑτοσὶ σιωπῶν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν
τῶν πρωτείων ἐξίσταται. καὶ ὁ Σειληνός, Ἀλλ᾽ ἦ τοὺς Ἀδώνιδος κήπους ὡς
ἔργα ἡμῖν, ὦ Κωνσταντῖνε, σεαυτοῦ προφέρεις; τί δέ, εἶπεν, εἰσὶν οὓς
λέγεις Ἀδώνιδος κήπους; [D] οὓς αἱ γυναῖκες, ἔφη, τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀνδρὶ
φυτεύουσιν ὀστρακίοις ἐπαμησάμεναι γῆν λαχανίαν· χλοήσαντα δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς
ὀλίγον αὐτίκα ἀπομαραίνεται. καὶ ὁ Κωνσταντῖνος ἠρυθρίασεν, ἄντικρυς
ἐπιγνοὺς τοιοῦτον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἔργον.
(Constantine was allowed to speak next. On first entering the lists he was
confident enough. But when he reflected on the exploits of the others he
saw that his own were wholly trivial. He had defeated two tyrants, but, to
tell the truth, one of them(650) was untrained in war and effeminate, the
other(651) a poor creature and enfeebled by old age, while both were alike
odious to gods and men. Moreover his campaigns against the barbarians
covered him with ridicule. For he paid them tribute, so to speak, while he
gave all his attention to Pleasure, who stood at a distance from the gods
near the entrance to the moon. Of her indeed he was so enamoured that he
had no eyes for anything else, and cared not at all for victory. However,
as it was his turn and he had to say something, he began: “In the
following respects I am superior to these others; to the Macedonian in
having fought against Romans, Germans and Scythians, instead of Asiatic
barbarians; to Caesar and Octavian in that I did not, like them, lead a
revolution against brave and good citizens, but attacked only the most
cruel and wicked tyrants. As for Trajan, I should naturally rank higher on
account of those same glorious exploits against the tyrants, while it
would be only fair to regard me as his equal on the score of that
territory which he added to the empire, and I recovered; if indeed it be
not more glorious to regain than to gain. As for Marcus here, by saying
nothing for himself he yields precedency to all of us.” “But Constantine,”
said Silenus, “are you not offering us mere gardens of Adonis(652) as
exploits?” “What do you mean,” he asked, “by gardens of Adonis?” “I mean,”
said Silenus, “those that women plant in pots, in honour of the lover of
Aphrodite, by scraping together a little earth for a garden bed. They
bloom for a little space and fade forthwith.” At this Constantine blushed,
for he realised that this was exactly like his own performance.)
Ἡσυχίας δὲ γενομένης οἱ μὲν ἐῴκεσαν περιμένειν, ὄτῳ θήσονται τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν
πρωτείων οἱ θεοὶ ψῆφον· οἱ δ᾽ ᾤοντο δεῖν τὰς προαιρέσεις εἰς τοὐμφανὲς τῶν
ἀνδρῶν προάγειν [330] καὶ οὐ κρίνειν ἐκ(653) τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτοῖς, ὧν ἡ
Τύχη μετεποιεῖτο τὸ πλεῖστον καὶ πάντων αὐτῶν καταβοῶσα παρειστήκει πλὴν
Ὀκταβιανοῦ μόνου. τοῦτον δὲ εὐγνώμονα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν εἶναι ἔλεγεν. ἔδοξεν οὖν
τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπιτρέψαι καὶ τοῦτο τῷ Ἑρμῇ, καὶ ἔδοσαν αὐτῷ πρῶτον [B]
Ἀλεξάνδρου πυθέσθαι, τί νομίσειε κάλλιστον καὶ πρὸς τί βλέπων ἐργάσαιτο
καὶ πάθοι πάντα ὅσαπερ δεδράκοι τε καὶ πεπόνθοι. ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Τὸ πάντα νικᾶν.
εἶτα, εἶπεν ὁ Ἑρμῆς, οἴει σοι τοῦτο πεποιῆσθαι; καὶ μάλα, ἔφη ὁ
Ἀλέξανδρος. ὁ δὲ Σειληνὸς τωθαστικῶς μάλα γελάσας, Ἀλλα ἐκράτουν γέ σου
πολλάκις αἱ ἡμέτεραι θυγατέρες, αἰνιττόμενος τὰς ἀμπέλους, [C] τὸν
Ἀλέξανδρον οἷα δή τινα μέθυσον καὶ φίλοινον σκώπτων. καὶ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἅτε
δὴ γέμων Περιπατητικῶν παρακουσμάτων, Οὐ τὰ ἄψυχα, ἔφη, νικᾶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ
ἀγὼν ἡμῖν ἐστι πρὸς ταῦτα· ἀλλὰ πᾶν μὲν ἀνθρώπων, πᾶν δὲ θηρίων γένος, καὶ
ὁ Σειληνὸς ὥσπερ οἱ θαυμάζοντες εἰρωνικῶς μάλα, [D] Ἰού, ἰού, ἔφη τῶν
διαλεκτικῶν κιγκλίδων. αὐτὸς δὲ ἡμῖν ἐν ποτέρῳ σαυτὸν θήσεις γένει, τῶν
ἀψύχων ἢ τῶν ἐμψύχων τε καὶ ζώντων; καὶ ὃς ὥσπερ ἀγανακτήσας, Εὐφήμει,
ἔφη· ὑπὸ γὰρ μεγαλοψυχίας, ὅτι δὴ καὶ θεὸς γενοίμην, μᾶλλον δ᾽ εἴην,
ἐπεπείσμην. Αὐτὸς οὖν, εἶπεν, ἡττήθης σεαυτοῦ πολλάκις. Ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν ἑαυτοῦ,
εἶπεν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, κρατεῖν καὶ ἡττᾶσθαι ὁμωνύμως λέγεται· [331] ἐμοὶ δὲ
ἦν ὑπὲρ τῶν πρὸς ἄλλους ὁ λόγος. Βαβαὶ τῆς διαλεκτικῆς, εἶπεν, ὅπως ἡμῶν
τὰ σοφίσματα διελέγχεις. ἀλλ᾽ ἡνίκα, εἶπεν, ἐν Ἰνδοῖς ἐτρώθης καὶ ὁ
Πευκέστης ἔκειτο παρὰ σέ, σὺ δὲ ἐξήγου ψυχορραγῶν τῆς πόλεως, ἆρα ἥττων
ἦσθα τοῦ τρώσαντος, ἢ καὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐνίκας; Οὐκ ἐκεῖνον, ἔφη, μόνον, ἀλλὰ
καὶ αὐτὴν ἐξεπόρθησα τὴν πόλιν. Οὐ σύ γε, εἶπεν, ὦ μακάριε· σὺ μὲν γὰρ
ἔκεισο κατὰ τὸν Ὁμηρικὸν Ἕκτορα ὀλιγοδρανέων καὶ ψυχορραγῶν· [B] οἱ δὲ
ἠγωνίζοντο καὶ ἐνίκων. Ἡγουμένων γ᾽ ἡμῶν, εἶπεν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος. καὶ ὁ
Σειληνός, Πῶς; οἵ γε ἐφέρεσθε μικροῦ νεκροί; εἶτα ᾖδε τῶν ἐξ Εὐριπίδου
(Silence was then proclaimed, and the Emperors thought they had only to
wait till the gods decided to whom they would vote the first prize. But
the latter agreed that they must bring to light the motives that had
governed each, and not judge them by their actions alone, since Fortune
had the greatest share in these. That goddess herself was standing near
and kept reproaching all of them, with the single exception of Octavian;
he, she said, had always been grateful to her. Accordingly the gods
decided to entrust this enquiry also to Hermes, and he was told to begin
with Alexander and to ask him what he considered the finest of all things,
and what had been his object in doing and suffering all that he had done
and suffered. “To conquer the world,” he replied. “Well,” asked Hermes,
“do you think you accomplished this?” “I do indeed,” said Alexander.
Whereupon Silenus with a malicious laugh exclaimed, “But you were often
conquered yourself by my daughters!” by which he meant his vines, alluding
to Alexander’s love of wine and intemperate habits. But Alexander was well
stocked with Peripatetic subterfuges, and retorted, “Inanimate things
cannot conquer; nor do we contend with such, but only with the whole race
of men and beasts.” “Ah,” said Silenus, “behold the chicanery of logic!
But tell me in which class you place yourself, the inanimate or the
animate and living?” At this he seemed mortified and said, “Hush! Such my
greatness of soul that I was convinced that I should become, or rather
that I was already, a god.” “At any rate,” said Silenus, “you were often
defeated by yourself.” “Nay,” retorted Alexander, “to conquer oneself or
be defeated by oneself amounts to the same thing. I was talking of my
victories over other men.” “No more of your logic!” cried Silenus, “how
adroitly you detect my sophisms! But when you were wounded in India,(654)
and Peucestes(655) lay near you and they carried you out of the town at
your last gasp, were you defeated by him who wounded you, or did you
conquer him?” “I conquered him, and what is more I sacked the town as
well.” “Not you indeed, you immortal,” said Silenus, “for you were lying
like Homer’s Hector in a swoon and at your last gasp. It was your soldiers
who fought and conquered.” “Well but I led them,” said Alexander. “How so?
When you were being carried away almost dead?” And then Silenus recited
the passage in Euripides(656) beginning)
Οἴμοι, καθ᾽ Ἑλλάδ᾽ ὡς κακῶς νομίζεται,
Ὅταν τρόπαιον πολεμίων στήσῃ στρατός.
(“Alas how unjust is the custom of the Greeks, when an army
triumphs over the enemy—”)
καὶ ὁ Διόνυσος, Παῦσαι, εἶπεν, ὦ παππίδιον, τοιαῦτα λέγων, [C] μή σε οὗτος
ὁποῖα τὸν Κλεῖτον ἐργάσηται.(657) καὶ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐρυθριάσας τε ἅμα καὶ
ὥσπερ συγχυθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν δακρύων τὰ ὄμματα ἐσιώπα. καὶ ὅδε μὲν ὧδε ἔληξεν ὁ
λόγος.
(But Dionysus interrupted him saying “Stop, little father, say no more, or
he will treat you as he treated Cleitus.” At that Alexander blushed, his
eyes became suffused with tears and he said no more. Thus their
conversation ended.)
Ὁ δὲ Ἑρμῆς ἤρετο πάλιν τὸν Καίσαρα, Σοὶ δέ, εἶπεν, ὦ Καῖσαρ, τίς ἐγένετο
σκοπὸς τοῦ βίου; Τὸ πρωτεύειν, [D] ἔφη, τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ μηδενὸς μήτε εἶναι
μήτε νομίζεσθαι(658) δεύτερον. Τοῦτο, εἶπεν ὁ Ἑρμῆς, ἀσαφές ἐστι· πότερον
γάρ, εἰπέ,(659) κατὰ σοφίαν ἢ τὴν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις δεινότητα ἢ πολεμικὴν
ἐμπειρίαν ἢ πολιτικὴν δύναμιν; Ἦν μὲν οὖν, ἔφη ὁ Καῖσαρ, ἡδύ μοι τῶν
πάντων ἐν πᾶσιν εἶναι πρώτῳ· τούτου δὲ οὐ δυνάμενος ἐπιτυχεῖν τὸ δύνασθαι
μέγιστον παρὰ τοῖς ἐμαυτοῦ πολίταις ἐζήλωσα. [332] Σὺ δέ, εἶπεν, ἐδυνήθης
μέγα; πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Σειληνός. καὶ ὅς, Πάνυ γε, ἔφη· κύριος γοῦν αὐτῶν
ἐγενόμην. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μέν, εἶπεν ἐδυνήθης· ἀγαπηθῆναι δὲ ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν οὐχ οἷός
τε ἐγένου, καὶ ταῦτα πολλὴν μὲν ὑποκρινάμενος ὥσπερ ἐν δράματι καὶ σκηνῷ
φιλανθρωπίαν, αἰσχρῶς δὲ αὐτοὺς πάντας κολακεύων. Εἶτα οὖκ ἀγαπηθῆναι
δοκῶ, [B] εἶπεν, ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου τοῦ διώξαντος Βροῦτον καὶ Κάσσιον; Οὐκ
ἐπειδή σε ἀπέκτειναν, ἔφη· διὰ τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ὁ δῆμος ἐψηφίσατο
εἶναι ὑπάτους· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀργύριον, ἐπειδὴ τῶν διαθηκῶν ἀκροασάμενοι
μισθὸν ἑώρων τῆς ἀγανακτήσεως αὐτοῖς οὔτοι(660) τὸν τυχόντα
προσεγγεγραμμένον.
(Next Hermes began to question Caesar, and said, “And you, Caesar, what
was the end and aim of your life?” “To hold the first place in my own
country,” he replied, “and neither to be nor to be thought second to any
man.” “This,” said Hermes, “is not quite clear. Tell me, was it in wisdom
that you wished to be first, or in oratorical skill, or in military
science, or the science of government?” “I should have liked well,” said
Caesar, “to be first of all men in all of these; but as I could not attain
to that, I sought to become the most powerful of my fellow‐citizens.” “And
did you become so very powerful?” asked Silenus. “Certainly,” he replied,
“since I made myself their master.” “Yes, that you were able to do; but
you could not make yourself beloved by them, though you played the
philanthropic rôle as though you were acting in a stage‐play, and
flattered them all shamefully.” “What!” cried Caesar, “I not beloved by
the people? When they punished Brutus and Cassius!” “That was not for
murdering you,” replied Silenus, “since for that they elected them
consuls!(661) No, it was because of the money you left them. When they had
heard your will read they perceived what a fine reward was offered them in
it for such resentment of your murder.”)
[C] Λήξαντος δὲ καὶ τοῦδε τοῦ λόγου, τὸν Ὀκταβιανὸν αὖθις ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἐκίνει.
Σὺ δέ, εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐρεῖς ἡμῖν, τί κάλλιστον ἐνόμιζες εἶναι; καὶ ὅς,
Βασιλεῦσαι, ἔφη, καλῶς. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ καλῶς, ὧ Σεβαστέ, φράσον, ἐπεὶ τοῦτό
γε ἔστι καὶ τοῖς πονηροτάτοις λέγειν. ᾤετο γοῦν καὶ Διονύσιος καλῶς
βασιλεύειν καὶ ὁ τούτου μιαρώτερος Ἀγαθοκλῆς. Ἀλλ᾽ ἴστε, [D] εἶπεν, ὦ
θεοί, ὡς προπέμπων τὸν θυγατριδοῦν ηὐξάμην ὑμῖν τόλμαν μὲν αὐτῷ δοῦναι τὴν
Καίσαρος, δεινότητα δὲ τὴν Πομπηίου, τύχην δὲ τὴν ἐμήν. Πολλά, εἶπεν ὁ
Σειληνός, καὶ θεῶν ὄντως σωτήρων ἔργα δεόμενα συνεφόρησεν οὗτος ὁ
κοροπλάθος. Εἶτα διὰ τί τοῦτο, ἔφη, τὸ ὄνομά μοι γελοῖον οὕτως ἔθου; Ἢ γὰρ
οὐκ ἔπλαττες ἡμῖν, εἶπεν, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι τὰς νύμφας, ὦ Σεβαστέ, θεούς, ὧν
ἕνα καὶ πρῶτον τουτονὶ Καίσαρα; [333] καὶ ὁ μὲν Ὀκταβιανὸς ὥσπερ
δυσωπούμενος ἀπεσιώπησεν.
(When this dialogue ended, Hermes next accosted Octavian. “Now for you,”
he said, “will you please tell us what _you_ thought the finest thing in
the world?” “To govern well,” he replied. “You must say what you mean by
‘well,’ Augustus. Govern well! The wickedest tyrants claim to do that.
Even Dionysius,(662) I suppose, thought that he governed well, and so did
Agathocles(663) who was a still greater criminal.” “But you know, O ye
gods,” said Octavian, “that when I parted with my grandson(664) I prayed
you to give him the courage of Caesar, the cleverness of Pompey, and my
own good fortune.” “What a many things,” cried Silenus, “that do need
really saving gods have been jumbled together by this doll‐maker!” “Why
pray do you give me that ridiculous name?” asked the other. “Why,” he
replied, “just as they model nymphs did you not model gods,(665) Augustus,
and first and foremost Caesar here?” At this Octavian seemed abashed and
said no more.)
Ὁ δὲ Ἑρμῆς πρὸς τὸν Τραïανὸν βλέψας, Σὺ δέ, εἶπε, τί διανοούμενος ἔπραττες
ὅσαπερ ἔπραξας; Τῶν αὐτῶν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ σωφρονέστερον, εἶπεν, ὠρέχθην. καὶ ὁ
Σειληνός, Ἡττήθης μὲν οὖν,(666) εἶπε, καὶ σὺ τῶν ἀγεννεστέρων. ὁ μὲν γὰρ
θυμοῦ τὸ πλεῖστον ἥττων ἦν, σὺ δὲ αἰσχρᾶς ἡδονῆς καὶ ἐπονειδίστου. [B]
Βάλλ᾽ εἰς μακαρίαν, εἶπεν ὁ Διόνυσος, ἐπεὶ σκώπτεις σὺ πάντας αὐτοὺς καὶ
ποιεῖς οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν λέγειν. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνων εἶχέ σοι χώραν τὰ
σκώμματα· πρόσεχε δὲ νῦν, ὅπως ἀντιλήψῃ τοῦ Μάρκου δοκεῖ γὰρ εἶναί μοί πως
ἀνὴρ κατὰ τὸν Σιμωνίδην τετράγωνος ἄνευ ψόγου τετυγμένος. ὁ Ἑρμῆς δὲ
βλέψας εἰς τὸν Μάρκον, Σοὶ δέ, εἶπεν, ὦ Βῆρε, τί κάλλιστον ἐδόκει τοῦ βίου
τέλος εἶναι; καὶ ὃς ἠρέμα καὶ σωφρόνως, [C] Τὸ μιμεῖσθαι, ἔφη, τοὺς θεούς.
ἔδοξε μὲν οὖν εὐθέως ἡ ἀπόκρισις οὐκ ἀγεννής, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἀξία.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἑρμῆς οὐκ ἐβούλετο πολυπραγμονεῖν, πεπεισμένος ὅτι πάντα ὁ
Μάρκος ἀκολούθως ἐρεῖ. τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλοις θεοῖς ἐδόκει ταύτῃ· μόνος δὲ ὁ
Σειληνός, Ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον ἀνέξομαι τούτου τοῦ σοφιστοῦ. τί δήποτε
γὰρ ἤσθιες, εἰπέ,(667) [D] καὶ ἔπινες οὐχ ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἀμβροσίας τε καὶ
νέκταρος, ἄρτου δὲ καὶ οἴνου; Ἀλλ᾽ ἔγωγε, εἶπεν, οὐχ ᾗπερ οὖν ᾤμην τοὺς
θεοὺς μιμεῖσθαι, ταύτῃ προσεφερόμην σιτία καὶ ποτά· τὸ σῶμα δὲ ἔτρεφον,
ἴσως μὲν ψευδῶς, πειθόμενος δέ, ὅτι καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα σώματα δεῖται τῆς ἐκ
τῶν ἀναθυμιάσεων τροφῆς. πλὴν οὐ κατὰ ταῦτά γε ὑμᾶς εἶναι μιμητέους, ἀλλὰ
κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν ὑπέλαβον. [334] ὀλίγον ὁ Σειληνὸς διαπορήσας(668) ὥσπερ
ὑπὸ πύκτου δεξιοῦ πληγείς, Εἴρηται μέν σοι τοῦτο, εἶπε, τυχὸν οὐκ ἀτόπως,
ἐμοὶ δέ, ἔφη, φράσον, τί ποτε ἐνόμιζες εἶναι τὴν τῶν θεῶν μίμησιν; καὶ ὅς,
Δεῖσθαι μὲν ὡς ἐλαχίστων, εὖ ποιεῖν δὲ ὡς ὅ, τι μάλιστα πλείστους. Μῶν
οὖν, εἶπεν, οὐδενὸς ἐδέου; καὶ ὁ Μάρκος, Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδενός, ἴσως δὲ τὸ
σωμάτιόν μου μικρῶν. δόξαντος οὖν [B] καὶ τοῦτο ὀρθῶς εἰρηκέναι τοῦ
Μάρκου, τὸ τέλος ἀπορούμενος ὁ Σειληνὸς ἐπιφύεται τοῖς περὶ τὸν παῖδα καὶ
τὴν γαμετὴν αὐτῷ δοκοῦσιν οὐκ ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ κατὰ λόγον πεποιῆσθαι, τὴν μὲν
ὅτι ταῖς ἡρωίναις ἐνέγραψε, τῷ δὲ ὅτι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπέτρεψεν. Ἐμιμησάμην,
εἶπε, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τοὺς θεούς· Ὁμήρῳ μὲν γὰρ ἐπειθόμην λέγοντι περὶ τῆς
γαμετῆς, [C] ὅτι ἄρα, ὅστις ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἐχέφρων, τὴν αὑτοῦ φιλέει καὶ
κήδεται· περὶ δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Διὸς ἀπόφασιν ἔχω· αἰτιώμενος γὰρ
τὸν Ἄρεα, Πάλαι ἄν, εἶπεν, ἐβέβλησο τῷ κεραυνῷ, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸ παῖδά σε
εἶναι ἠγάπων. ἄλλως τε καὶ οὐδὲ ᾤμην ἐγὼ τὸν παῖδα πονηρὸν οὕτως ἔσεσθαι.
εἰ δὲ ἡ νεότης ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα μεγάλας ποιουμένη ῥοπὰς ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἠνέχθη,
οὐχὶ πονηρῷ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπέτρεψα, συνηνέχθη δὲ τὸν λαβόντα πονηρὸν
γενέσθαι. [D] τά τε οὖν περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα πεποίηταί μοι κατὰ ζῆλον Ἀχιλλέως
τοῦ θείου, καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν παῖδα κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ μεγίστου Διός, ἄλλως τε
καὶ οὐδὲν καινοτομήσαντι. παισί τε γὰρ νόμιμον ἐπιτρέπειν τὰς διαδοχάς,
καὶ τοῦτο ἅπαντες εὔχονται, [335] τήν τε γαμετὴν οὐκ ἐγὼ πρῶτος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ
πολλοὺς ἄλλους ἐτίμησα. ἴσως δὲ τὸ μὲν ἄρξασθαι τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστιν
εὔλογον, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ πολλῶν γενόμενον τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους ἀποστερεῖν ἐγγὺς
ἀδικίας. ἀλλ᾽ ἔλαθον ἐμαυτὸν ἐγὼ μακρότερα ἀπολογούμενος πρὸς εἰδότας
ὑμᾶς, ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ θεοί· διόπερ μοι τῆς προπετείας ταυτησί συγγνώμονες
γένοισθε.
(Then Hermes addressing Trajan said, “Now you tell us what was the
principle that guided all your actions?” “My aims,” he replied, “were the
same as Alexander’s, but I acted with more prudence.” “Nay,” said Silenus,
“you were the slave of more ignoble passions. Anger was nearly always his
weak point, but yours was pleasure of the vilest and most infamous sort.”
“Plague take you!” exclaimed Dionysus, “You keep railing at them all and
you don’t let them say a word for themselves. However, in their case there
was some ground for your sarcasms, but now consider well what you can find
to criticise in Marcus. For in my opinion he is a man, to quote Simonides,
‘four‐square and made without a flaw.’ ”(669) Then Hermes addressed Marcus
and said, “And you, Verus, what did you think the noblest ambition in
life?” In a low voice he answered modestly, “To imitate the gods.” This
answer they at once agreed was highly noble and in fact the best possible.
And even Hermes did not wish to cross‐examine him further, since he was
convinced that Marcus would answer every question equally well. The other
gods were of the same mind; only Silenus cried “By Dionysus I shall not
let this sophist off so easily. Why then did you eat bread and drink wine
and not ambrosia and nectar like us?” “Nay,” he replied, “it was not in
the fashion of my meat and drink that I thought to imitate the gods. But I
nourished my body because I believed, though perhaps falsely, that even
your bodies require to be nourished by the fumes of sacrifice. Not that I
supposed I ought to imitate you in that respect, but rather your minds.”
For the moment Silenus was at a loss as though he had been hit by a good
boxer,(670) then he said “There is perhaps something in what you say; but
now tell me what did you think was really meant by ‘imitating the gods.’ ”
“Having the fewest possible needs and doing good to the greatest possible
number.” “Do you mean to say,” he asked, “that you had no needs at all?”
“I,” said Marcus, “had none, but my wretched body had a few, perhaps.”
Since in this also Marcus seemed to have answered wisely, Silenus was at a
loss, but finally fastened on what he thought was foolish and unreasonable
in the Emperor’s behaviour to his son and his wife, I mean in enrolling
the latter among the deified and entrusting the empire to the former. “But
in that also,” said the other, “I did but imitate the gods. I adopted the
maxim of Homer when he says ‘the good and prudent man loves and cherishes
his own wife,’(671) while as to my son I can quote the excuse of Zeus
himself when he is rebuking Ares: ‘Long ago,’ he says, ‘I should have
smitten thee with a thunderbolt, had I not loved thee because thou art my
son.’(672) Besides, I never thought my son would prove so wicked. Youth
ever vacillates between the extremes of vice and virtue, and if in the end
he inclined to vice, still he was not vicious when I entrusted the empire
to him; it was only after receiving it that he became corrupted. Therefore
my behaviour to my wife was modelled on that of the divine Achilles, and
that to my son was in imitation of supreme Zeus. Moreover, in neither case
did I introduce any novelty. It is the custom to hand down the succession
to a man’s sons, and all men desire to do so; as for my wife I was not the
first to decree divine honours to a wife, for I followed the example of
many others. It is perhaps absurd to have introduced any such custom, but
it would be almost an injustice to deprive one’s nearest and dearest of
what is now long‐established. However, I forget myself when I make this
lengthy explanation to you, O Zeus and ye other gods; for ye know all
things. Forgive me this forwardness.”)
Παυσαμένου δὲ καὶ τοῦδε τοῦ λόγου, τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον ὁ Ἑρμῆς ἤρετο, [B] Σὺ
δὲ τί καλὸν ἐνόμισας; Πολλά, εἶπε, κτησάμενον πολλὰ χαρίσασθαι, ταῖς τ᾽
ἐπιθυμίαις ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ταῖς τῶν φίλων ὑπουργοῦντα. ἀνακαγχάσας οὖν ὁ
Σειληνὸς μέγα, Ἀλλ᾽ ἦ τραπεζίτης εἶναι, ἔφη, θέλων ἐλελήθεις σεαυτὸν
ὀψοποιοῦ καὶ κομμωτρίας βίον ζῶν;(673) ᾐνίττετο δ᾽ αὐτὰ πάλαι μὲν ἥ τε
κόμη τό τε εἶδος, ἀτὰρ νῦν καὶ ἡ γνώμη σοῦ κατηγορεῖ. τούτου μὲν οὖν ὁ
Σειληνὸς πικρότερόν τως καθήψατο.
(When Marcus had finished his speech, Hermes asked Constantine, “And what
was the height of _your_ ambition?” “To amass great wealth,” he answered,
“and then to spend it liberally so as to gratify my own desires and the
desires of my friends.” At this Silenus burst into a loud laugh, and said,
“If it was a banker that you wanted to be, how did you so far forget
yourself as to lead the life of a pastrycook and hairdresser? Your locks
and your fair favour(674) betokened this all along, but what you say about
your motives convicts you.” Thus did Silenus sharply reprove Constantine.)
[C] Σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης ἔφερον οἱ θεοὶ λάθρᾳ τὰς ψήφους. εἶτα ἐγένοντο
πολλαὶ τῷ Μάρκῳ. κοινολογησάμενος δὲ ὁ Ζεὺς ἰδίᾳ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα προσέταξε
κηρῦξαι τῷ Ἑρμῇ. ὁ δὲ ἐκήρυττεν, Ἄνδρες οἱ παρελθόντες ἐπὶ τουτονὶ τὸν
ἀγῶνα, νόμοι παρ᾽ ἡμῖν εἰσι καὶ κρίσεις τοιαῦται γίνονται, ὥστε καὶ τὸν
νικῶντα χαίρειν καὶ τὸν ἡττώμενον μὴ μέμφεσθαι. πορεύεσθε οὖν, εἶπεν, ὅποι
φίλον ἑκάστῳ, [D] ὑπὸ θεοῖς ἡγεμόσι βιωσόμενοι τὸ ἐντεῦθεν· ἑλέσθω δ᾽
ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ τὸν προστάτην τε καὶ ἡγεμόνα. μετὰ τὸ κήρυγμα τοῦτο ὁ μὲν
Ἀλέξανδρος ἔθει πρὸς τὸν Ἡρακλέα, Ὀκταβιανὸς δὲ πρὸς τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα, ἀμφοῖν
δὲ ἀπρὶξ εἴχετο τοῦ Διὸς καὶ Κρόνου Μάρκος. πλανώμενον δὲ πολλὰ καὶ
περιτρέχοντα τὸν Καίσαρα κατελεήσας ὁ μέγας Ἄρης ἥ τε Ἀφροδίτη παρ᾽
ἑαυτοὺς ἀκαλεσάτην· Τραïανὸς δὲ παρὰ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἔθει ὡς ἐκείνῳ
συγκαθεδούμενος. [336] ὁ δὲ Κωνσταντίνος, οὐχ εὑρίσκων ἐν θεοῖς τοῦ βίου
τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, ἐγγύθεν τὴν Τρυφὴν κατιδὼν ἔδραμε πρὸς αὐτήν· ἡ δὲ
ὑπολαβοῦσα μαλακῶς καὶ περιβαλοῦσα τοῖς πήχεσι πέπλοις τε αὐτὸν ποικίλοις
ἀσκήσασα καὶ καλλωπίσασα πρὸς τὴν Ἀσωτίαν ἀπήγαγεν, ἵνα καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν
εὑρὼν ἀναστρεφόμενον καὶ προαγορεύοντα πᾶσιν, “Ὅστις φθορεύς, ὅστις
μιαιφόνος, ὅστις ἐναγὴς καὶ βδελυρός, [B] ἴτω θαρρῶν· ἀποφανῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν
τουτῳὶ τῷ ὕδατι λούσας αὐτίκα καθαρόν, κἂν πάλιν ἔνοχος τοῖς αὐτοῖς
γένηται, δώσω τὸ στῆθος πλήξαντι καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τατάξαντι καθαρῷ
γενέσθαι,” σφόδρα ἄσμενος ἐνέτυχεν αὐτῷ, συνεξαγαγὼν τῆς τῶν θεῶν ἀγορᾶς
τοὺς παῖδας. ἐπέτριβον δ᾽ αὐτόν τε κἀκείνους οὐχ ἧττον τῆς ἀθεότητος οἱ
παλαμναῖοι δαίμονες, αἱμάτων συγγενῶν τιννύμενοι δίκας, ἕως ὁ Ζεὺς διὰ τὸν
Κλαύδιον καὶ Κωνστάντιον ἔδωκεν ἀναπνεῦσαι.