χρόνον ὑπόχρεων ἀμαυτὸν εἶναι χάριτος ὁμολογῶ τῇδε, σφόδρα ὥρμησθε
ἀκούειν. ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι· ἐμοὶ γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὑτοσὶ σχεδὸν ἐκ παιδὸς
νηπίου γεγονὼς ἤπιος πᾶσαν ὑπερεβάλλετο φιλοτιμίαν, κινδύνων τε ἐξαρπάσας
τηλικούτων, οὓς οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἡβῶν ἀνὴρ εὖ μάλα διαφύγοι, [118] μὴ θείας τινὸς
καὶ ἀμηχάνου σωτηρίας τυχών, εἶτα τὴν οἰκίαν καταληφθεῖσαν καθάπερ ἐπ᾽
ἐρημίας παρά τοῦ τῶν δυναστῶν ἀφείλετο ξὺν δίκῃ καὶ ἀπέφηνεν αὖθις
πλούσιον. καὶ ἄλλα ἂν ἔχοιμι περὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ἔργα
πολλῆς ἄξια χάριτος, ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον εὔνουν ἐμαυτὸν ἐκείνῳ καὶ
πιστὸν παρέχων οὐκ οἶδα ἐκ τίνος [B] αἰτίας τραχυτέρως ἔχοντος ᾐσθόμην
ἔναγχος. ἡ δὲ ἐπειδὴ τὸ πρῶτον ἤκουσεν ἀδικήματος μὲν οὐδενὸς ὄνομα,
ματαίας δὲ ἄλλως ὑποψίας, ἠξίου διελέγχειν καὶ μὴ πρότερον προσέσθαι μηδὲ
ἐνδέξασθαι ψευδῆ καὶ ἄδικον διαβολήν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνῆκε ταῦτα δεομένη πρὶν ἐμὲ
ἤγαγεν ἐς ὄψιν τὴν βασιλέως καὶ τυχεῖν ἐποίησε λόγου· καὶ ἀπολυομένῳ πᾶσαν
αἰτίαν ἄδικον συνήσθη, καὶ οἴκαδε ἐπιθυμοῦντι πάλιν ἀπιέναι πομπὴν ἀσφαλῆ
παρέσχεν, [C] ἐπιτρέψαι πρῶτον τὸν βασιλέα ξυμπείσασα. δαίμονος δέ, ὅσπερ
οὖν ἐῴκει μοι τὰ πρόσθεν μηχανήσασθαι, ἤ τινος ξυντυχίας ἀλλοκότου τὴν
ὁδὸν ταύτην ὑποτεμομένης, ἐποψόμενον πέμπει τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ταύτην αἰτήσασα
παρὰ βασιλέως ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἀποδημοῦντος ἤδη τὴν χάριν, ἐπειδ\η με λόγοις
ἐπέπυστο χαίρειν καὶ παιδείᾳ τὸ χωρίον ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι ξυννοοῦσα. ἐγὼ δὲ
τότε μὲν αὐτῇ καὶ πρώτῳ γε, [D] ὡς εἰκός, βασιλεῖ πολλὰ καὶ ἀγαθὰ διδόναι
τὸν θεὸν ηὐχόμην, ὅτι μοι τὴν ἀληθινὴν ποθοῦντι καὶ ἀγαπῶντι πατρίδα
παρέσχον ἰδεῖν· ἐσμὲν γὰρ τῆς Ἑλλάδος οἱ περὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην καὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν
οἰκοῦντες ἔγγονοι, καὶ ὄστις ἡμῶν μὴ λίαν ἀγνώμων, ποθεῖ προσειπεῖν τοὺς
πατέρας καὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτὴν ἀσπάσασθαι. ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐμοὶ πάλαι μὲν ἦν, ὡς
εἰκός, ποθεινόν, [119] καὶ ὑπάρξαι μοι τοῦτο ἐβουλόμην μᾶλλον ἢ πολὺ
χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον. ἀνδρῶν γὰρ ἀγαθῶν φημι ξυντυχίαν πρὸς χρυσίου πλῆθος
ὁσονδηοῦν ἐξεταζομένην καθέλκειν τὸν ζυγὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπειν τῷ σώφρονι
κριτῇ οὐδὲ ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον ῥοπῆς ἐπιστῆσαι.
(Why, then, I say that I have been so kindly treated, and in return for
what I acknowledge that I am her debtor for all time, that is what you are
eager to hear. Nor shall I conceal the facts. The Emperor was kind to me
almost from my infancy, and he surpassed all generosity, for he snatched
me from dangers so great that not even “a man in the strength of his
youth”(557) could easily have escaped them, unless he obtained some means
of safety sent by heaven and not attainable by human means, and after my
house had been seized by one of those in power, as though there were none
to defend it, he recovered it for me, as was just, and made it wealthy
once more. And I could tell you of still other kindnesses on his part
towards myself, that deserve all gratitude, in return for which I ever
showed myself loyal and faithful to him; but nevertheless of late I
perceived that, I know not why, he was somewhat harsh towards me. Now the
Empress no sooner heard a bare mention, not of any actual wrong‐doing but
of mere idle suspicion, than she deigned to investigate it, and before
doing so would not admit or listen to any falsehood or unjust slander, but
persisted in her request until she brought me into the Emperor’s presence
and procured me speech with him. And she rejoiced when I was acquitted of
every unjust charge, and when I wished to return home, she first persuaded
the Emperor to give his permission, and then furnished me with a safe
escort. Then when some deity, the one I think who devised my former
troubles, or perhaps some unfriendly chance, cut short this journey, she
sent me to visit Greece, having asked this favour on my behalf from the
Emperor, when I had already left the country. This was because she had
learned that I delighted in literature, and she knew that that place is
the home of culture. Then indeed I prayed first, as is meet, for the
Emperor, and next for Eusebia, that God would grant them many blessings,
because when I longed and desired to behold my true fatherland, they made
it possible. For we who dwell in Thrace and Ionia are the sons of Hellas,
and all of us who are not devoid of feeling long to greet our ancestors
and to embrace the very soil of Hellas. So this had long been, as was
natural, my dearest wish, and I desired it more than to possess treasures
of gold and silver. For I consider that intercourse with distinguished
men, when weighed in the balance with any amount whatever of gold, drags
down the beam, and does not permit a prudent judge even to hesitate over a
slight turn of the scale.)
Παιδείας δὲ ἕνεκα καὶ φιλοσοφίας πέπονθεν οἶμαι νῦν τὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος
παραπλήσιόν τι τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις μυθολογήμασι καὶ λόγοις. λέγουσι γὰρ δὴ [B]
καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι τὸν Νεῖλον παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς εἶναι τά τ᾽ ἄλλα σωτῆρα καὶ εὐεργέτην
τῆς χώρας καὶ ἀπείργειν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς φθοράν, ὁπόταν ᾕλιος διὰ
μακρῶν τινων περιόδων ἄστροις γενναίοις συνελθῶν ἢ συγγενόμενος ἐμπλήσῃ
τὸν ἀέρα πυρὸς καὶ ἐπιφλέγῃ τὰ σύμπαντα. οὐ γὰρ ἰσχύει, φασίν, ἀφανίσαι
οὐδὲ ἐξαναλῶσαι τοῦ Νείλου τὰς πηγάς. οὔκουν οὐδὲ ἐξ Ἑλλήνων παντελῶς [C]
οἴχεται φιλοσοφία, οὐδὲ ἐπέλιπε τὰς Ἀθήνας οὐδὲ τὴν Σπάρτην οὐδὲ τὴν
Κόρινθον· ἥκιστα δὲ ἐστι τούτων(558) τῶν πηγῶν ἕκητι τὸ Ἄργος πολυδίψιον·
πολλαὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἄστει, πολλαὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεος περὶ τὸν
παλαιον ἐκεῖνον Μάσητα· τὴν Πειρήνην δὲ αὐτὴν ὁ Σικυὼν ἔχει καὶ οὐχ ἡ
Κόρινθος. τῶν Ἀθηνῶν δὲ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ καθαρὰ καὶ ἐπιχώρια τὰ νάματα, πολλὰ
δὲ ἔξωθεν ἐπιρρεῖ καὶ ἐπιφέρεται τίμια τῶν ἔνδον οὐ μεῖον· οἱ δὲ ἀγαπῶσι
καὶ στέργουσι, [D] πλουτεῖν ἐθέλοντες οὗ μόνου σχεδὸν ὁ πλοῦτος ζηλωτόν.
(Now, as regards learning and philosophy, the condition of Greece in our
day reminds one somewhat of the tales and traditions of the Egyptians. For
the Egyptians say that the Nile in their country is not only the saviour
and benefactor of the land, but also wards off destruction by fire, when
the sun, throughout long periods, in conjunction or combination with fiery
constellations, fills the atmosphere with heat and scorches everything.
For it has not power enough, so they say, to evaporate or exhaust the
fountains of the Nile. And so too neither from the Greeks has philosophy
altogether departed, nor has she forsaken Athens or Sparta or Corinth.
And, as regards these fountains, Argos can by no means be called
“thirsty,”(559) for there are many in the city itself and many also south
of the city, round about Mases,(560) famous of old. Yet Sicyon, not
Corinth, possesses Peirene itself. And Athens has many such streams, pure
and springing from the soil, and many flow into the city from abroad, but
no less precious than those that are native. And her people love and
cherish them and desire to be rich in that which alone makes wealth
enviable.)
Ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ποτε ἄρα πεπόνθαμεν; καὶ τίνα νῦν περαίνειν διανοούμεθα(561)
λόγον, εἰ μὴ τῆς φίλης Ἑλλάδος ἔπαινον, ἧς(562) οὐκ ἔστι μνησθέντα μὴ
πάντα θαυμάζειν; ἀλλ᾽ οὐ φήσει τις τυχὸν ὑπομνησθεὶς τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ταῦτα
ἐθέλειν ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς διελθεῖν, καθάπερ δὲ τοὺς Κορυβαντιῶντας ὑπὸ τῶν
αὐλῶν ἐπεγειρομένους χορεύειν καὶ πηδᾶν οὐδενὶ ξὺν λόγῳ, [120] καὶ ἡμᾶς
ὑπὸ τῆς μνήμης τῶν παιδικῶν ἀνακινηθέντας ᾆσαι τῆς χώρας καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν
ἐγκώμιον. πρὸς δὴ τοῦτον ἀπολογεῖσθαι χρεὼν ὧδέ πως λέγοντα· ὦ δαιμόνιε,
καὶ τέχνης ἀληθῶς γενναίας ἡγεμών, σοφὸν μὲν χρῆμα ἐπινοεῖς, οὐκ ἐφιεὶς
οὐδὲ ἐπιτρέπων τῶν ἐπαινουμένων οὐδὲ ἐπὶ σμικρὸν μεθίεσθαι, ἅτε αὐτὸς
οἶμαι ξὺν τέχνῃ τοῦτο δρῶν. ἡμῖν δὲ τὸν ἔρωτα τοῦτον, [B] ὃν σὺ φὴς αἴτιον
εἶναι τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἀταξίας, ἐπειδὴ προσγέγονεν, οἶμαι,
παρακελεύεσθαι μὴ σφόδρα ἐκνεῖν μηδὲ εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὰς αἰτίας. οὐ γὰρ
ἀλλοτρίων ἁπτόμεθα(563) λόγων δεῖξαι ἐθέλοντες, ὅσων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν αἰτία
γέγονε τιμῶσα τὸ φιλοσοφίας ὄνομα. τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ οἶδα ὅντινά μοι τρόπον
ἐπικείμενον ἀγαπήσαντι μὲν εὖ μάλα τὸ ἔργον καὶ ἐρασθέντι δεινῶς τοῦ
πράγματος, ἀπολειφθέντι δὲ οὐκ οἶδε ὅντινα τρόπον ὄνομα [C] ἐτύγχανε μόνον
καὶ λόγος ἔργου στερόμενος. ἡ δὲ ἐτίμα καὶ τοὔνομα· αἰτίαν γὰρ δὴ ἄλλην
οὔτε αὐτὸς εὑρίσκω οὔτε ἄλλου του πυθέσθαι δύναμαι, δι᾽ ἣν οὕτω μοι
πρόθυμος γέγονε βοηθὸς καὶ ἀλεξίκακος καὶ σώτειρα, τὴν τοῦ γενναίου
βασιλέως εὔνοιαν ἀκέραιον ἡμῖν καὶ ἀσινῆ μένειν ξὺν πολλῷ πόνῳ
πραγματευσαμένη, ἧς μεῖζον ἀγαθὸν οὔποτε ἐγώ τι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων νομίσας
ἑάλων, οὐ τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ὑπὸ γῆς χρυσὸν ἀντάξιον [D] οὐδ᾽ ἀργύρου πλῆθος,
ὁπόσος νῦν ἐστιν ὑπ᾽ αὐγὰς ἡλίου, καὶ εἴ ποτε ἄλλος προσγένοιτο, τῶν
μεγίστων ὀρῶν αὐταῖς, οἶμαι, πέτραις καὶ δένδρεσι μεταβαλλόντων εἰς τήνδε
τὴν φύσιν, οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν τὴν μεγίστην οὐδὲ ἄλλο τῶν πάντων οὐδέν· ἐκ μὲν γὰρ
δὴ ἐκείνης ταῦτά μοι γέγονε πολλὰ καὶ ὅσα οὐδεὶς ἂν ἤλπισεν, οὐ σφόδρα
πολλῶν δεομένῳ γε οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἐλπίσι τοιαύταις τρέφοντι.
(But as for me, what has come over me? And what speech do I intend to
achieve if not a panegyric of my beloved Hellas, of which one cannot make
mention without admiring everything? But perhaps someone, remembering what
I said earlier, will say that this is not what I intended to discuss when
I began, and that, just as Corybants when excited by the flute dance and
leap without method, so I, spurred on by the mention of my beloved city,
am chanting the praises of that country and her people. To him I must make
excuse somewhat as follows: Good sir, you who are the guide to an art that
is genuinely noble, that is a wise notion of yours, for you do not permit
or grant one to let go even for a moment the theme of a panegyric, seeing
that you yourself maintain your theme with skill. Yet in my case, since
there has come over me this impulse of affection which you say is to blame
for the lack of order in my arguments, you really urge me, I think, not to
be too much afraid of it or to take precautions against criticism. For I
am not embarking on irrelevant themes if I wish to show how great were the
blessings that Eusebia procured for me because she honoured the name of
philosophy. And yet the name of philosopher which has been, I know not
why, applied to myself, is really in my case nothing but a name and lacks
reality, for though I love the reality and am terribly enamoured of the
thing itself, yet for some reason I have fallen short of it. But Eusebia
honoured even the name. For no other reason can I discover, nor learn from
anyone else, why she became so zealous an ally of mine, and an averter of
evil and my preserver, and took such trouble and pains in order that I
might retain unaltered and unaffected our noble Emperor’s good‐will; and I
have never been convicted of thinking that there is any greater blessing
in this world than that good‐will, since all the gold above the earth or
beneath the earth is not worth so much, nor all the mass of silver that is
now beneath the sun’s rays or may be added thereto,(564) not though the
loftiest mountains, let us suppose, stones and trees and all were to
change to that substance, nor the greatest sovereignty there is, nor
anything else in the whole world. And I do indeed owe it to her that these
blessings are mine, so many and greater than anyone could have hoped for,
for in truth I did not ask for much, nor did I nourish myself with any
such hopes.)
Εὔνοιαν δὲ ἀληθινὴν οὐκ ἔστι πρὸς χρυσίον ἀμείψασθαι, οὐδὲ ἄν τις αὐτὴν
ἐντεῦθεν πρίαιτο, [121] θείᾳ δέ τινι καὶ κρείττονι μοίρᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἀγαθῶν
συμπροθυμουμένων παραγέγνεται.(565) ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐμοὶ παρὰ βασιλέως παιδὶ μὲν
ὑπῆρχε κατὰ θεόν, ὀλίγου δὲ οἴχεσθαι δεῆσαν ἀπεσώθη πάλιν τῆς βασιλίδος
ἀμυνούσης καὶ ἀπειργούσης τὰς ψευδεῖς καὶ ἀλλοκότους ὑποψίας. ἃς ἐπειδὴ
παντελῶς ἐκείνη διέλυσεν, ἐναργεῖ τεκμηρίῳ τῷ βίῳ τὠμῷ χρωμένη, καλοῦντός
τε αὖθις [B] τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὑπήκουον, ἆρα ἐνταῦθα κατέλιπεν,
ὡς οὐκέτι πολλῆς βοηθείας, ἅτε οὐδενὸς ὄντος ἐν μέσῳ δυσχεροῦς οὐδὲ
ὑπόπτου, δεόμενον; καὶ πῶς ἂν ὅσια δρῴην οὕτως ἐναργῆ καὶ σεμνὰ σιωπῶν καὶ
ἀποκρύπτων; κυρουμένης τε γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἐμοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ταυτησὶ τῆς γνώμης
διαφερόντως ηὐφραίνετο καὶ συνεπήχει μουσικόν, θαρρεῖν κελεύουσα καὶ μήτε
τὸ μέγεθος δείσαντα τῶν διδομένων ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸ λαβεῖν, [C] μήτε ἀγροίκῳ
καὶ αὐθάδει(566) χρησάμενον παρῥησίᾳ φαύλως ἀτιμάσαι τοῦ τοσαῦτα
ἐργασαμένου ἀγαθὰ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν αἴτησιν. ἐγὼ δὲ ὑπήκουον οὔτι τοῦτό γε
ἡδέως σφόδρα ὑπομένων, ἄλλως δὲ ἀπειθεῖν χαλεπὸν ὂν σφόδρα ἠπιστάμην, οἷς
γὰρ ἂν ἐξῇ πράττειν ὅ,τι ἂν ἐθέλωσι σὺν βίᾳ, ἦ που δεόμενοι δυσωπεῖν καὶ
πείθειν ἀρκοῦσιν. οὐκοῦν ἐπειδή μοι πεισθέντι γέγονε [D] καὶ μεταβαλόντι
ἐσθῆτα καὶ θεραπείαν καὶ διατριβὰς τὰς συνήθεις καὶ τὴν οἴκησιν δὲ αὐτὴν
καὶ δίαιταν πάντα ὄγκου πλέα καὶ σεμνότητος ἐκ μικρῶν, ὡς εἰκός, καὶ
φαύλων τῶν πρόσθεν, ἐμοὶ μὲν ὑπὸ ἀηθείας ἡ ψυχὴ διεταράττετο, οὔτι τὸ
μέγεθος ἐκπληττομένῳ τῶν παρόντων ἀγαθῶν· σχεδὸν γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας οὐδὲ
μεγάλα ταῦτα ἐνόμιζον, ἀλλὰ δυνάμεις τινὰς χρωμένοις μὲν ὀρθῶς σφόδρα
ωφελίμους, ἁμαρτάνουσι δὲ περὶ τὴν χρῆσιν βλαβερὰς [122] καὶ οἴκοις καὶ
πόλεσι πολλαῖς μυρίων αἰτίας ξυμφορῶν. παραπλήσια δὲ ἐπεπονθεῖν ἀνδρὶ
σφόδρα ἀπείρως ἡνιοχικῆς ἔχοντι καὶ οὐδὲ ἐθελήσαντι τύυτης μεταλαβεῖν τῆς
τέχνης, κᾆτα ἀναγκαζομένῳ καλοῦ καὶ γενναίου κομίζειν ἅρμα ἡνιόχου, πολλὰς
μὲν ξυνωρίδας, πολλὰ δέ, οἶμαι, τέτρωρα τρέφοντος καὶ ἅπασι μὲν
ἐπιβεβηκότος, διὰ δὲ(567) γενναιότητα φύσεως καὶ ῥώμην ὑπερβάλλουσαν
ἔχοντος οἶμαι τὰς ἡνίας πάντων ἐγκρατῶς, [B] εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μιᾶς ἄντυγος
βαίνοι, οὐ μὴν ἀεί γε ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς μένοντος, μεταφερομένου δὲ πολλάκις
ἐνθένδε ἐκεῖσε καὶ ἀμείβοντος δίφρον ἐκ δίφρου, εἴ ποτε τοὺς ἵππους
πονουμένους ἢ καὶ ὑβρίσαντας αἴσθοιτο, ἐν δὲ δὴ τοῖς ἅρμασι τοῖσδε
κεκτημένου τέτρωρον ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας καὶ θράσους ὑβρίζον, πιεζόμενον τῇ συνεχεῖ
ταλαιπωρίᾳ καὶ τοῦ θράσους οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπιλαθόμενον, ἀγριαῖνον δὲ ἀεὶ
[C] καὶ παροξυνόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν συμφορῶν ἐπὶ τὸ μᾶλλον ὑβρίζειν καὶ ἀπειθεῖν
καὶ ἀντιτείνειν, οὐ δεχόμενον ἀμῶς γέ πη πορεύεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὴ καὶ αὐτὸν
ὁρῴη τὸν ἡνίοχον(568) διὰ τέλους χαλεπαῖνον ἤ, τό γε ἔλαττον, στολὴν γοῦν
ἡνιοχικὴν ἄνθρωπον φοροῦντα·(569) οὕτως ἐστὶν ἀλόγιστον φύσει. ὁ δέ,
οἶμαι, παραμυθούμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄνοιαν ἄνδρα ἐπέστησε, δοὺς φορεῖν(570)
τοιαύτην ἐσθῆτα καὶ σχῆμα περιβαλὼν ἡνιόχου σεμνοῦ [D] καὶ ἐπιστήμονος, ὃς
εἰ μὲν ἄφρων εἴη παντελῶς καὶ ἀνόητος, χαίρει καὶ γέγηθε καὶ μετέωρος ὑπὸ
τῶν ἱματίων καθάπερ πτερῶν ἐπαίρεται, συνέσεως δὲ εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ σμικρὸν
μετέχοι καὶ σώφρονος νοῦ, σφόδρα εὐλαβεῖται,
(But genuine kindness one cannot obtain in exchange for money, nor could
anyone purchase it by such means, but it exists only when men of noble
character work in harmony with a sort of divine and higher providence. And
this the Emperor bestowed on me even as a child, and when it had almost
vanished it was restored again to me because the Empress defended me and
warded off those false and monstrous suspicions. And when, using the
evidence of my life as plain proof, she had completely cleared me of them,
and I obeyed once more the Emperor’s summons from Greece, did she ever
forsake me, as though, now that all enmity and suspicion had been removed,
I no longer needed much assistance? Would my conduct be pious if I kept
silence and concealed actions so manifest and so honourable? For when a
good opinion of me was established in the Emperor’s mind, she rejoiced
exceedingly, and echoed him harmoniously, bidding me take courage and
neither refuse out of awe to accept the greatness(571) of what was offered
to me, nor, by employing a boorish and arrogant frankness, unworthily
slight the urgent request of him who had shown me such favour. And so I
obeyed, though it was by no means agreeable to me to support this burden,
and besides I knew well that to refuse was altogether impracticable. For
when those who have the power to exact by force what they wish condescend
to entreat, naturally they put one out of countenance and there is nothing
left but to obey. Now when I consented, I had to change my mode of dress,
and my attendants, and my habitual pursuits, and my very house and way of
life for what seemed full of pomp and ceremony to one whose past had
naturally been so modest and humble, and my mind was confused by the
strangeness, though it was certainly not dazzled by the magnitude of the
favours that were now mine. For in my ignorance I hardly regarded them as
great blessings, but rather as powers of the greatest benefit, certainly,
to those who use them aright, but, when mistakes are made in their use, as
being harmful to many houses and cities and the cause of countless
disasters. So I felt like a man who is altogether unskilled in driving a
chariot,(572) and is not at all inclined to acquire the art, and then is
compelled to manage a car that belongs to a noble and talented charioteer,
one who keeps many pairs and many four‐in‐hands too, let us suppose, and
has mounted behind them all, and because of his natural talent and
uncommon strength has a strong grip on the reins of all of them, even
though he is mounted on one chariot; yet he does not always remain on it,
but often moves to this side or that and changes from car to car, whenever
he perceives that his horses are distressed or are getting out of hand;
and among these chariots he has a team of four that become restive from
ignorance and high spirit, and are oppressed by continuous hard work, but
none the less are mindful of that high spirit, and ever grow more unruly
and are irritated by their distress, so that they grow more restive and
disobedient and pull against the driver and refuse to go in a certain
direction, and unless they see the charioteer himself or at least some man
wearing the dress of a charioteer, end by becoming violent, so unreasoning
are they by nature. But when the charioteer encourages some unskilful man,
and sets him over them, and allows him to wear the same dress as his own,
and invests him with the outward seeming of a splendid and skilful
charioteer, then if he be altogether foolish and witless, he rejoices and
is glad and is buoyed up and exalted by those robes, as though by wings,
but, if he has even a small share of common sense and prudent
understanding, he is very much alarmed)
μήπως αὑτὸν τε τρώσῃ σύν θ᾽ ἅρματα ἄξῃ,
(“Lest he both injure himself and shatter his chariot
withal,”(573))
καὶ τῷ μὲν ἡνιόχῳ ζημίας, αὑτῷ δὲ αἰσχρᾶς καὶ ἀδόξου συμφορᾶς αἴτιος
γένηται. ταῦτα ἐγὼ ἐλογιζόμην ἐν νυκτὶ βουλεύων καὶ δι᾽ ἡμέρας κατ᾽
ἐμαυτὸν ἐπισκοπούμενος, [123] σύννους ὢν ἀεὶ καὶ σκυθρωπός. ὁ γενναῖος δὲ
καὶ θεῖος ἀληθῶς αὐτοκράτωρ ἀφῄρει τι πάντως τῶν ἀλγεινῶν, ἔργοις καὶ
λόγοις τιμῶν καὶ χαριζόμενος. τέλος δὲ τὴν βασιλίδα προσειπεῖν κελεύει,
θάρσος τε ἡμῖν ἐνδιδοὺς καὶ τοῦ σφόδρα πιστεύειν γενναῖον εὖ μάλα παρέχων
γνώρισμα. ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπειδὴ πρῶτον ἐς ὄψιν ἐκείνης ἦλθον, ἐδόκουν μὲν ὥσπερ ἐν
ἱερῷ καθιδρυμένον ἄγαλμα σωφροσύνης ὁρᾶν· [B] αἰδὼς δὲ ἐπεῖχε τὴν ψυχήν,
καὶ ἐπέπηκτό μοι κατὰ γῆς τὰ ὄμματα συχνὸν ἐπιεικῶς χρόνον, ἕως ἐκείνη
θαρρεῖν ἐκέλευε. καὶ τὰ μέν, ἔφη, ἤδη παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἔχεις, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἕξεις σὺν
θεῷ, μόνον εἰ πιστὸς καὶ δίκαιος εἰς ἡμᾶς γένοιο. τοσαῦτα ἤκουσα σχεδόν·
οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὴ πλεῖονα(574) ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπισταμένη τῶν γενναίων
ῥητόρων οὐδὲ ἓν φαυλοτέρους ἀπαγγέλλειν λόγους. ταύτης ἐγὼ τῆς ἐντεύξεως
ἀπαλλαγεὶς σφόδρα ἐθαύμασα καὶ ἐξεπεπλήγμην, ἐναργῶς δοκῶν ἀκηκοέναι
σωφροσύνης αὐτῆς φθεγγομένης· οὕτω πρᾷον ἦν αὐτῇ φθέγμα καὶ μείλιχον, [C]
ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἀκοαῖς ἐγκαθιδρυμένον.
(and so cause loss to the charioteer and bring on himself shameful and
inglorious disaster. On all this, then, I reflected, taking counsel with
myself in the night season, and in the daytime pondering it with myself,
and I was continually thoughtful and gloomy. Then the noble and truly
godlike Emperor lessened my torment in every way, and showed me honour and
favour both in deed and word. And at last he bade me address myself to the
Empress, inspiring me with courage and giving me a very generous
indication that I might trust her completely. Now when first I came into
her presence it seemed to me as though I beheld a statue of Modesty set up
in some temple. Then reverence filled my soul, and my eyes were fixed upon
the ground(575) for some considerable time, till she bade me take courage.
Then she said: “Certain favours you have already received from us and yet
others you shall receive, if God will, if only you prove to be loyal and
honest towards us.” This was almost as much as I heard. For she herself
did not say more, and that though she knew how to utter speeches not a
whit inferior to those of the most gifted orators. And I, when I had
departed from this interview, felt the deepest admiration and awe, and was
clearly convinced that it was Modesty herself I had heard speaking. So
gentle and comforting was her utterance, and it is ever firmly settled in
my ears.)
Βούλεσθε οὖν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἔργα καὶ ὅσα ἔδρασεν ἡμᾶς ἀγαθὰ καθ᾽
ἕκαστον λεπτουργοῦντες ἀπαγγέλλωμεν; ἢ τά γε ἐντεῦθεν ἀθρόως ἑλόντες,
καθάπερ ἔδρασεν αὐτὴ,(576) πάντα ὁμοῦ διηγησώμεθα; [D] ὁπόσους μὲν εὖ
ἐποίησε τῶν ἐμοὶ γνωρίμων, ὅπως δὲ ἐμοὶ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν γάμον
ἥρμοσεν. ὑμεῖς δὲ ἴσως ποθεῖτε καὶ τὸν κατάλογον ἀκοίειν τῶν δώρων,
(Do you wish then that I should report to you what she did after this, and
all the blessings she conferred on me, and that I should give precise
details one by one? Or shall I take up my tale concisely as she did
herself, and sum up the whole? Shall I tell how many of my friends she
benefited, and how with the Emperor’s help she arranged my marriage? But
perhaps you wish to hear also the list of her presents to me:)
ἕπτ᾽ ἀπύρους τρίποδας, δέκα δὲ χρυσοῖο τάλαντα
(“Seven tripods untouched by fire and ten talents of gold,”(577))
καὶ λέβητας ἐείκοσιν. ἀλλ᾽ οὔ μοι σχολὴ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀδολεσχεῖν· ἑνὸς
δὲ ἴσως τῶν ἐκείνης δώρων τυχὸν οὐκ ἄχαρι καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀπομνημονεῦσαι, ᾧ
μοι δοκῶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡσθῆναι(578) διαφερόντως· βίβλους γὰρ φιλοσόφων καὶ
ξυγγραφέων ἀγαθῶν [124] καὶ ῥετόρων πολλῶν καὶ ποιητῶν, ἐπειδὴ παντελῶς
ὀλίγας οἴκοθεν ἔφερον, ἐλπίδι καὶ πόθῳ τοῦ πάλιν οἴκαδε ἐπανελθεῖν τὴν
ταχίστην ψυχαγωγούμενος, ἔδωκεν ἀθρόως τοσαύτας, ὥστε ἐμοῦ μὲν ἀποπλῆσαι
τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν σφόδρα ἀκορέστως ἔχοντος τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνας(579) συνουσίας,
μουσεῖον δὲ Ἑλληνικὸν ἀποφῆναι βιβλίων ἕκητι τὴν Γαλατίαν καὶ τὴν Κελτίδα.
τούτοις ἐγὼ προσκαθήμενος συνεχῶς τοῖς δώροις, εἴ ποτε σχολὴν ἄγοιμι, οὐκ
ἔστιν ὅπως ἐπιλανθάνωμαι τῆς χαρισαμένης· [B] ἀλλὰ καὶ στρατευομένῳ μοι ἕν
γέ τι πάντως ἕπεται οἷον ἐφόδιον τῆς στρατείας πρὸς αὐτόπτου πάλαι
ξυγκείμενον. πολλὰ γὰρ δὴ τῆς τῶν παλαιῶν(580) ἐμπειρίας ὑπομνήματα ξὺν
τέχνηι γραφέντα τοῖς ἁμαρτοῦσι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν τῆς θέας ἐναργῆ καὶ λαμπρὰν
εἰκόνα φέρει τῶν πάλαι πραχθέντων, ὑφ᾽ ἧς ἤδη καὶ νέοι πολλοὶ γερόντων
μυρίων πολιὸν μᾶλλον ἐκτήσαντο τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὰς φρένας, [C] καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν
ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τοῦ γήρως ὑπάρχειν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μόνον, τὴν ἐμπειρίαν, δι᾽ ἣν ὁ
πρεσβύτης ἔχει τι λέξαι τῶν νέων σοφώτερον, τοῖς οὐ ῥᾳθύμοις τῶν νέων
ἔδωκεν. ἔστι δὲ οἶμαί τις ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ παιδαγωγία πρὸς ἦθος γενναῖον, εἴ
τις ἐπίσταιτο τοὺς ἀρίστους ἄνδρας καὶ λόγους καὶ πράξεις, οἷον ἀρχέτυπα
προτιθέμενος δημιουργός, πλάττειν ἤδη πρὸς ταῦτα τὴν αὑτοῦ διάνοιαν καὶ
ἀφομοιοῦν τοὺς(581) λόγους. ὧν εἰ μὴ παμπληθὲς ἀπολειφθείη, [D] τυγχάνοι
δὲ καὶ ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγον τῆς ὁμοιότητος, οὐ σμικρὰ ἂν ὄναιτο, εὖ ἴστε. ὃ δὴ καὶ
αὐτὸς πολλάκις ξυννοῶν παιδιάν τε οὐκ ἄμουσον ἐν αὐτοῖς ποιοῦμαι καὶ
στρατευόμενος καθάπερ σιτία φέρειν ἀναγκαῖα καὶ ταῦτα ἐθέλω· μέτρον δέ
ἐστι τοῦ πλήθους τῶν φερομένων ὁ καιρός.
(and twenty caldrons. But I have no time to gossip about such subjects.
Nevertheless one of those gifts of hers it would perhaps not be ungraceful
to mention to you, for it was one with which I was myself especially
delighted. For she gave me the best books on philosophy and history, and
many of the orators and poets, since I had brought hardly any with me from
home, deluding myself with the hope and longing to return home again, and
gave them in such numbers, and all at once, that even my desire for them
was satisfied, though I am altogether insatiable of converse with
literature; and, so far as books went, she made Galatia(582) and the
country of the Celts resemble a Greek temple of the Muses. And to these
gifts I applied myself incessantly whenever I had leisure, so that I can
never be unmindful of the gracious giver. Yes, even when I take the field
one thing above all else goes with me as a necessary provision for the
campaign, some one narrative of a campaign composed long ago by an eye‐
witness. For many of those records of the experience of men of old,
written as they are with the greatest skill, furnish to those who, by
reason of their youth, have missed seeing such a spectacle, a clear and
brilliant picture of those ancient exploits, and by this means many a tiro
has acquired a more mature understanding and judgment than belongs to very
many older men; and that advantage which people think old age alone can
give to mankind, I mean experience (for experience it is that enables an
old man “to talk more wisely than the young”(583)), even this the study of
history can give to the young if only they are diligent. Moreover, in my
opinion, there is in such books a means of liberal education for the
character, supposing that one understands how, like a craftsman, setting
before himself as patterns the noblest men and words and deeds, to mould
his own character to match them, and make his words resemble theirs. And
if he should not wholly fall short of them, but should achieve even some
slight resemblance, believe me that would be for him the greatest good
fortune. And it is with this idea constantly before me that not only do I
give myself a literary education by means of books, but even on my
campaigns I never fail to carry them like necessary provisions. The number
that I take with me is limited only by particular circumstances.)