§1τίς τῶν λόγων, ὦ Σόσσιε Σενεκίων, σώσει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βελτιουμένου πρὸς ἀρετὴν συναίσθησιν, εἰ μηδεμίαν αἱ προκοπαὶ ποιοῦσι τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἄνεσιν, ἀλλʼ ἴσῳ σταθμῷ πᾶσιν ἡ κακία περιτιθεμένη
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μολυβδὶς ὥστε δίκτυον κατέσπασεν;
What argument, Sossius Senecio, will salvage the consciousness of one's own improvement toward virtue, if advancements produce no relaxation of folly, but vice, imposed on all with equal weight, "like a leaden sinker, drags down the net"?
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οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν μουσικοῖς τις ἢ γραμματικοῖς ἐπιδιδοὺς ἂν γνοίη μηδὲν ἐν τῷ μανθάνειν ἀπαρύτων τῆς περὶ ταῦτα ἀμαθίας ἀλλʼ ἴσης ἀεὶ τῆς ἀτεχνίας αὐτῷ παρούσης, οὐδὲ κάμνοντι θεραπεία μὴ ποιοῦσα ῥᾳστώνην μηδὲ κουφισμὸν ἁμωσγέπως τοῦ νοσήματος ὑπείκοντος καὶ χαλῶντος αἴσθησιν ἂν παρέχοι διαφορᾶς, πρὶν εἰλικρινῆ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἕξιν ἐγγενέσθαι παντάπασιν ἀναρρωσθέντος τοῦ σώματος.
For neither would anyone improving in music or grammar realize it, if in learning he drew off nothing of his ignorance in those matters, but equal unskilfulness were always present with him; nor would treatment for a sick man, producing no relief or alleviation as the disease yields and relaxes in some way or other, provide an awareness of a difference, before the opposite, pure habit was engendered when the body had recovered altogether.
ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐν τούτοις οὐ προκόπτουσιν, ἂν προκόπτοντες ἀνέσει τοῦ βαρύνοντος οἷον ἐπὶ ζυγοῦ πρὸς τοὐναντίον ἀναφερόμενοι μὴ γιγνώσκωσι τὴν μεταβολήν, οὕτως ἐν τῷ φιλοσοφεῖν οὔτε προκοπὴν οὔτε τινὰ προκοπῆς αἴσθησιν ὑποληπτέον, εἰ μηδὲν ἡ ψυχὴ μεθίησι μηδʼ ἀποκαθαίρεται τῆς ἀβελτερίας, ἄχρι δὲ τοῦ λαβεῖν ἄκρατον τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τέλειον ἀκράτῳ τῷ κακῷ χρῆται.
But just as in those cases they do not make progress, if, though progressing, they do not recognize the change by the relaxation of what weighs them down, being raised up toward the opposite as if on a scale, so too in philosophizing, one must assume neither progress nor any consciousness of progress, if the soul releases nothing nor is cleansed of its stupidity, but, until it receives the pure and perfect good, experiences pure evil.
καὶ γὰρ ἀκαρὲς χρόνου καὶ ὥρας ἐκ τῆς ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα φαυλότητος εἰς οὐκ ἔχουσαν ὑπερβολὴν ἀρετῆς διάθεσιν μεταβαλὼν ὁ σοφός, ἧς οὐδʼ ἐν χρόνῳ πολλῷ μέρος ἀφεῖλε κακίας ἅμα πᾶσαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκπέφευγε.
For indeed, the wise man, having changed in a split second of time and hour from the greatest possible baseness into a state of virtue that admits of no excess, simultaneously and suddenly escapes all of that vice, of which he had not removed even a part over a long period of time.
καίτοι ἤδη τοὺς ταῦτά γε λέγοντας οἶσθα δήπου πάλιν πολλὰ παρέχοντας αὑτοῖς πράγματα καὶ μεγάλας ἀπορίας περὶ τοῦ διαλεληθότος, ὃς αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν οὐδέπω κατείληφε γεγονὼς σοφός, ἀλλʼ ἀγνοεῖ κἀμφιδοξεῖ τῷ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐν χρόνῳ πολλῷ τὰ μὲν ἀφαιροῦντι τὰ δὲ προστιθέντι γιγνομένην τὴν ἐπίδοσιν καθάπερ πορείαν τῇ ἀρετῇ λαθεῖν ἀτρέμα προσμίξασαν.
And yet, you surely know that those who say these things in turn cause themselves much trouble and great difficulties concerning the "unconscious wise man"—who has not yet comprehended that he himself has become wise, but is ignorant and doubts it—because they assume that improvement occurs little by little over a long time, removing some things and adding others, like a journey that has quietly and unnoticed reached virtue.
εἰ δὲ γʼ εἴη τάχος τοσοῦτον τῆς μεταβολῆς καὶ μέγεθος, ὥστε τὸν πρωῒ κάκιστον ἑσπέρας γεγονέναι κράτιστον, ἢ ἂν οὕτω τινὶ συντύχῃ τὰ τῆς μεταβολῆς, καταδαρθόντα φαῦλον ἀνεγρέσθαι σοφὸν καὶ προσειπεῖν ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς μεθεικότα τὰς χθιζὰς ἀβελτερίας καὶ ἀπάτας
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ψευδεῖς ὄνειροι, χαίρετʼ· οὐδὲν ἦτʼ ἄρα,
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τίς ἂν ἀγνοήσειεν ἑαυτοῦ διαφορὰν ἐν αὑτῷ τοσαύτην γενομένην καὶ φρόνησιν ἀθρόον ἐκλάμψασαν;
But if there were indeed such speed and magnitude of change that one who was worst in the morning became best by evening, or if the circumstances of the change should so happen to someone that, having fallen asleep a base man, he woke up wise and could address, having dismissed from his soul yesterday's follies and deceptions, "False dreams, farewell; you were nothing after all," who could fail to recognize so great a difference arisen within himself, and wisdom suddenly shining forth?
ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖ μᾶλλον ἄν τις, ὡς ὁ Καινεύς, γενόμενος κατʼ εὐχὴν ἀνὴρ ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀγνοῆσαι τὴν μετακόσμησιν, ἢ σώφρων καὶ φρόνιμος καὶ ἀνδρεῖος ἐκ δειλοῦ καὶ ἀνοήτου καὶ ἀκρατοῦς ἀποτελεσθεὶς καὶ μεταβαλὼν εἰς θεῖον ἐκ θηριώδους βίον ἀκαρὲς διαλαθεῖν αὑτόν.
For to me it seems that someone, like Caeneus, having become a man from a woman in accordance with a prayer, would be more likely to fail to notice the transformation, than that one who has been made temperate, wise, and courageous from being cowardly, foolish, and intemperate, and has changed in a split second from a beastlike to a divine life, should remain unnoticed by himself.