§12ὅρα δὴ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ζήνωνος ὁποῖόν ἐστιν.
See now also what kind of thing that of Zeno is.
ἠξίου γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνείρων ἕκαστον αὑτοῦ συναισθάνεσθαι προκόπτοντος, εἰ μήθʼ ἡδόμενον αἰσχρῷ τινι ἑαυτὸν μήτε τι προσιέμενον ἢ πράττοντα τῶν δεινῶν καὶ ἀτόπων ὁρᾷ κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους, ἀλλʼ οἷον ἐν βυθῷ γαλήνης ἀκλύστου καταφανεῖ διαλάμπει τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ φανταστικὸν καὶ παθητικὸν διακεχυμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου.
For he thought it right that each person should perceive from his dreams that he is progressing, if he does not see himself either rejoicing in anything shameful or admitting or doing any of the terrible and absurd things in his sleep, but, as if in a depth of windless calm, the representative and passive part of the soul, diffused by reason, shines through clearly.
τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Πλάτων, ὡς ἔοικε, συνιδὼν πρότερος ἐξεμόρφωσε καὶ διετύπωσε τῆς φύσει τυραννικῆς ψυχῆς τὸ φανταστικὸν καὶ ἄλογον οἷα κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους δρᾷ.
And this too Plato, as it seems, having perceived beforehand, shaped and described what things the representative and irrational part of the naturally tyrannical soul does in sleep.
μητρί τε γὰρ ἐπιχειρεῖ μίγνυσθαι
καὶ πρὸς βρώσεις ὁρμᾷ παντοδαπάς, παρανομοῦν καὶ χρώμενον ἑαυτοῦ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις οἷον λελυμέναις, ἃς μεθʼ ἡμέραν ὁ νόμος αἰσχύνῃ καὶ φόβῳ καθείργνυσιν.
For it attempts to couple with its mother and rushes toward all kinds of foods, acting lawlessly and employing its own desires as if they were set free, which by day the law shuts up through shame and fear.
ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ πεπαιδευμένα καλῶς τῶν ὑποζυγίων, οὐδʼ ἂν ἀφῇ τὰς ἡνίας ὁ ἄρχων, ἐπιχειρεῖ παρατρέπεσθαι καὶ ἀπολείπειν τὴν ὁδόν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ εἴθισται πρόεισιν ἐν τάξει, διαφυλάττοντα τὴν πορείαν ἄπταιστον, οὕτως οἷς ἂν εὐπειθὲς τὸ ἄλογον ἤδη καὶ πρᾶον γεγονὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου καὶ κεκολασμένον, οὔτε καθʼ ὕπνους οὔθʼ ὑπὸ νόσων ἔτι ῥᾳδίως ἐξυβρίζειν ἢ παρανομεῖν ἐθέλει ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, ἀλλὰ τηρεῖ καὶ διαμνημονεύει τὸν ἐθισμόν, ἰσχὺν ἐμποιοῦντα τῇ προσοχῇ καὶ τόνον.
Just as, therefore, well-trained beasts of burden, even if the driver lets go of the reins, do not attempt to turn aside and leave the road, but proceed in order just as they are accustomed, keeping their course free from stumbling, so those in whom the irrational part has already become obedient and gentle and chastened by reason, do not easily wish, either in sleep or under sickness, to behave insolently or act lawlessly in their desires, but guard and remember their habituation, which imparts strength and tension to their attention.
εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τῇ ἀσκήσει τῆς ἀπαθείας ὑπήκοον ἑαυτὸ καὶ τὰ μέρη παρέχειν πέφυκεν, ὡς ὀφθαλμούς τε πρὸς οἶκτον ἴσχεσθαι δακρύων καὶ καρδίαν πηδήματος ἐν φόβοις, αἰδοῖά τε σωφρόνως ἔχειν ἀτρέμα καὶ μηδὲν ἐνοχλεῖν παρὰ καλοῖς ἢ καλαῖς, πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον εἰκός ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ παθητικοῦ τὴν ἄσκησιν ἐπιλαβομένην οἷον ἐκλεαίνειν καὶ συσχηματίζειν τὰ φαντάσματα καὶ τὰ κινήματα μέχρι τῶν ὕπνων πιέζουσαν;
For if even the body is naturally disposed, through the training of impassibility, to offer itself and its parts as obedient, so that the eyes are held back from tears at pity, and the heart from leaping in fears, and the private parts remain quietly temperate and do not disturb at all in the presence of beautiful men or women, how is it not much more reasonable that the training of the soul, taking hold of the passive part, should as it were smooth out and conform the representations and movements, repressing them even unto sleep?
οἷα λέγεται καὶ περὶ τοῦ φιλοσόφου Στίλπωνος, ὃς ἰδεῖν ἔδοξε κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους ὀργιζόμενον αὐτῷ τὸν Ποσειδῶνα μὴ θύσαντι βοῦν, ὥσπερ ἔθος ἦν Μεγαρεῦσιν· αὑτὸν δὲ μηδὲν ἐκπλαγέντα
τί λέγεις
φάναι
ὦ Πόσειδον;
Such things as are also said about the philosopher Stilpo, who seemed to see in his sleep Poseidon angry with him because he did not sacrifice a bull, as was the custom of the Megarians; but he himself, not at all startled, said, "What are you saying, Poseidon?
ὥσπερ παῖς ἥκεις μεμψιμοιρῶν ὅτι μὴ δανεισάμενος ἐνέπλησα κνίσης τὴν πόλιν, ἀλλʼ ἀφʼ ὧν εἶχον ἔθυσά σοι μετρίως οἴκοθεν; καὶ μέντοι δοκεῖν αὐτῷ τὸν Ποσειδῶνα μειδιάσαντα τὴν δεξιὰν προτεῖναι καὶ εἰπεῖν ὡς ἀφύων φορὰν Μεγαρεῦσι ποιήσει διʼ ἐκεῖνον.
Have you come complaining like a child because I did not borrow money and fill the city with the steam of sacrifice, but sacrificed to you moderately from what I had at home?" And indeed, it seemed to him that Poseidon, smiling, stretched out his right hand and said that he would make a great catch of anchovies for the Megarians because of him.
οἷς οὖν οὕτως εὐόνειρα καὶ φανὰ καὶ ἄλυπα, φοβερὸν δὲ μηδὲν ἢ τραχὺ μηδὲ κακόηθες ἢ σκολιὸν ἐκ τῶν ὕπνων ἐπαναφέρεται, ταῦτα τῆς προκοπῆς ἀπαυγασμούς τινας εἶναι λέγουσιν, οἴστρους δὲ καὶ πτοίας καὶ φυγὰς ἀγεννεῖς καὶ παιδικὰς περιχαρείας καὶ ὀλοφύρσεις ἐνυπνίων οἰκτρῶν καὶ ἀλλοκότων ῥαχίαις τέ τισι καὶ σάλοις ἐοικέναι, ψυχῆς οὔπω τὸ κοσμοῦν ἐχούσης οἰκεῖον, ἀλλὰ πλαττομένης ἔτι· δόξαις καὶ νόμοις, ὧν ἀπωτάτω γιγνομένη κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους αὖθις ἀναλύεται καὶ ἀνελίττεται τοῖς πάθεσι.
For those, then, whose dreams are thus good, bright, and painless, and nothing fearful, rough, malicious, or crooked is brought back from sleep, these things are said to be reflections of progress; but the frenzies, terrors, ignoble flights, childish joys, and lamentations of pitiable and strange dreams resemble certain breakers and tossings of the sea, of a soul not yet possessing its own ordering principle, but still being shaped by opinions and laws, from which becoming furthest away in sleep, it is again dissolved and rolled back into the passions.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν συνεπισκόπει καὶ αὐτός, εἴτε προκοπῆς ἐστιν εἴτε τινὸς ἕξεως ἤδη βεβαιότητα καὶ κράτος ἐχούσης ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις ἀσάλευτον.
These things, then, examine also yourself, whether they are of progress or of a certain state (hexis) already possessing stability and unwavering power upon reason.