§8ἄνευ δὲ τούτου τὴν περὶ τὴν γλῶτταν ἐγκράτειαν, οὐ μικρὸν ἀρετῆς μέρος οὖσαν, ὑπήκοον ἀεὶ τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ πειθήνιον ἔχειν οὐκ ἔνεστιν, ἂν μή τις ἀσκήσει καὶ μελέτῃ καὶ φιλοπονίᾳ τὰ κάκιστα τῶν παθῶν, οἷόν ἐστιν ἡ ὀργή, κατεργάσηται.
Without this, indeed, it is not possible to keep control of the tongue, which is no small part of virtue, always obedient and submissive to reason, unless one subdues the worst of the passions, such as anger, by exercise, care, and diligence.
ἡ γὰρ
ἀκουσίως ἐκπίπτουσα φωνὴ
καὶ τὸ
"
ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων,
"
καὶ τὸ ἔνια ἐξίπτασθαι τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτόματα τοῖς ἀνασκήτοις μάλιστα θυμοῖς οἷον ὀλισθάνουσι καὶ διαρρέουσιν ἐπιγίγνεται διʼ ἀσθένειαν θυμοῦ, διʼ ἀκρατῆ γνώμην, διαίτῃ θρασείᾳ.
For the voice falling out involuntarily, and the saying "a word has escaped the barrier of the teeth," and the flying out of some words of their own accord, especially happens to unexercised tempers, as if slipping and flowing away, through weakness of temper, through an uncontrolled mind, and through a bold way of living.
λόγου δὲ κουφοτάτου πράγματος βαρυτάτη ζημία κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Πλάτωνα καὶ παρὰ θεῶν ἕπεται καὶ παρʼ ἀνθρώπων.
But for a word, which is the lightest thing, the heaviest punishment, according to the divine Plato, follows both from gods and from men.
ἡ δὲ σιγὴ πανταχοῦ μὲν ἀνυπεύθυνον οὐ μόνον ἄδιψον, ὥς φησιν Ἱπποκράτης, ἐν δὲ λοιδορίαις σεμνὸν καὶ Σωκρατικόν, μᾶλλον δʼ Ἡράκλειον, εἴ γε κἀκεῖνος οὐδʼ
"
ὅσσον μυίας στυγερῶν ἐμπάζετο μύθων
"
οὔτι μὴν τούτου σεμνότερον καὶ κάλλιόν ἐστι, τοῦ λοιδοροῦντος ἐχθροῦ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν λισσάδα πέτραν φιλοκέρτομον ὣς παρανηχομένους, οὐδʼ ἄλλη μείζων ἄσκησις.
Silence, indeed, is not only everywhere unaccountable and, as Hippocrates says, without thirst (harmless), but also in abuses it is dignified and Socratic, or rather Herculean, since even he "did not care even a fly's worth for hateful words." And yet, there is nothing more dignified and beautiful than this: to keep silence against a abusing enemy, swimming past as though treating the scorner like a smooth rock, nor is there any other greater exercise.
ἂν γὰρ ἐχθρὸν ἐθισθῇς λοιδοροῦντα φέρειν σιωπῇ, πάνυ ῥᾳδίως οἴσεις γυναικὸς ὀργὴν κακῶς λεγούσης, καὶ φίλου φωνὰς καὶ ἀδελφοῦ πικροτάτας ἀκούων ὑπομενεῖς ἀθορύβως· πατρὶ δὲ καὶ μητρὶ τυπτόμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος παρέξεις ἄθυμον καὶ ἀμήνιτον σεαυτόν.
For if you accustom yourself to bear a abusing enemy in silence, you will very easily bear the anger of a wife speaking ill, and hearing the most bitter words of a friend and a brother, you will endure them without disturbance; and being struck and pelted by a father and a mother, you will present yourself without anger and without resentment.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Σωκράτης ἔφερε τὴν Ξανθίππην θυμοειδῆ καὶ χαλεπὴν οὖσαν, ὡς εὐκόλως συνεσόμενος ἑτέροις, ἂν ἐκείνην ὑπομένειν ἐθισθῇ· πολὺ δὲ βέλτιον ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἀλλοτρίων ἐγγυμνασάμενον βδελυρίαις καὶ ὀργαῖς καὶ σκώμμασι καὶ λοιδορίαις ἐθίσαι τὸν θυμὸν ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν μηδʼ ἀσχάλλειν ἐν τῷ λοιδορεῖσθαι
For Socrates indeed bore Xanthippe, who was passionate and difficult, so that he might easily associate with others, if he accustomed himself to endure her; but it is much better, having trained oneself in the rudeness, anger, jests, and abuses of enemies and strangers, to accustom the temper to keep silence and not to be vexed when being abused.
§9πραότητα μὲν οὖν καὶ ἀνεξικακίαν οὕτως ἔστιν ἐνεπιδείξασθαι ταῖς ἔχθραις, ἁπλότητα δὲ καὶ μεγαλοφροσύνην καὶ χρηστότητα μᾶλλον ἐν ταῖς φιλίαις.
Gentleness, therefore, and forbearance can thus be demonstrated in enmities, but simplicity, magnanimity, and goodness rather in friendships.
φίλον μὲν γὰρ οὐχ οὕτω τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν καλόν, ὡς αἰσχρὸν τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν δεόμενον· ἐχθροῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ τιμωρίαν παραλείπειν καιροῦ παρασχόντος ἐπιεικές ἐστι.
For to do good to a friend is not so noble as it is shameful not to do so when he is in need; but even to omit revenge on an enemy when opportunity offers is reasonable and fair.
τὸν δὲ καὶ πταίσαντι συμπαθήσαντα καὶ δεηθέντι συλλαβόμενον καὶ παισὶν ἐχθροῦ καὶ οἰκείοις πραγμάτων ἐν χρείᾳ γενομένοις σπουδήν τινα καὶ προθυμίαν ἐνδειξάμενον ὅστις οὐκ ἄγαται τῆς εὐμενείας οὐδʼ ἐπαινεῖ τὴν χρηστότητα, κεῖνος
"
ἐξ ἀδάμαντος
ἢ σιδάρου κεχάλκευται μέλαιναν καρδίαν
"
τῷ Καίσαρι κελεύσαντι τὰς Πομπηίου τιμὰς ἀνασταθῆναι καταβεβλημένας ὁ Κικέρων
τοὺς Πομπηίου
φησὶν
ἀνδριάντας ἀνέστησας, τοὺς δὲ σοὺς ἔπηξας
ὅθεν οὐδʼ ἐπαίνου φειστέον οὐδὲ τιμῆς περὶ ἀνδρὸς ἐχθροῦ δικαίως εὐδοκιμήσαντος.
And he who sympathizes with an enemy when he has stumbled, and assists him when in need, and shows some zeal and eagerness for the children and relatives of an enemy when they are in need of help—whoever does not admire the goodwill of such a man, nor praises his goodness, he "is forged of adamant or iron, with a black heart." When Caesar ordered the thrown-down honors of Pompey to be set up again, Cicero said, "You have set up the statues of Pompey, but you have fixed your own." Wherefore, one must not spare praise or honor concerning an enemy who is justly of good repute.
ἔπαινόν τε γὰρ φέρει μείζονα τοῖς ἐπαινοῦσι, καὶ πίστιν ἔχει πάλιν ἐγκαλῶν, ὡς οὐ τὸν ἄνδρα μισῶν ἀλλὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀποδοκιμάζων τὸ δὲ κάλλιστον καὶ χρησιμώτατον, ἀπωτάτω καθίσταται τοῦ φθονεῖν καὶ φίλοις εὐτυχοῦσι καὶ κατορθοῦσιν οἰκείοις ὁ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐθισθεὶς ἐπαινεῖν καὶ μὴ δάκνεσθαι μηδὲ βασκαίνειν εὖ πραττόντων.
For it brings greater praise to those who praise, and it has trust again when complaining, as one who does not hate the man, but disapproves of his deed. And what is most beautiful and most useful, he who is accustomed to praise his enemies and not to be stung nor to envy them when they prosper, is placed furthest from envying successful friends and prospering relatives.
καίτοι τίς ἄσκησις ἑτέρα μείζονα ὠφέλειαν ἐνεργάζεται ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἢ διάθεσιν κρείττονα τῆς ἀφαιρούσης τὸ δύσζηλον ἡμῶν καὶ φιλόφθονον;
And indeed, what other exercise works greater benefit to the souls, or a better disposition, than that which takes away our jealousy and spitefulness?
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν πολέμῳ πολλὰ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἄλλως; δὲ φαύλων ἔθους λαβόντα καὶ νόμου δύναμιν οὐκ ἔστι ῥᾳδίως ἀπώσασθαι καὶ βλαπτομένους, οὕτως ἡ ἔχθρα συνεισάγουσα τῷ μίσει φθόνον, ζηλοτυπίαν ἐπιχαιρεκακίαν μνησικακίαν ἐναπολείπει.
For just as in war many of the necessary but otherwise base things, having taken on custom and the force of law, cannot easily be pushed away even when they are harmful, so enmity, bringing in envy along with hatred, leaves behind jealousy, spite, and malice.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ πανουργία καὶ ἀπάτη καὶ ἐπιβουλή, δοκοῦσα μὴ φαῦλον εἶναι μηδʼ ἄδικον πρὸς ἐχθρόν, ἂν ἐγγένηται, παραμένει δυσαπάλλακτος·
In addition to these, also cunning, deceit, and conspiracy, which seem not to be base or unjust against an enemy, if they are engendered, remain difficult to get rid of; then they use them against their friends themselves out of habit, if they do not guard against them towards their enemies.
εἶτα χρῶνται πρὸς τοὺς φίλους αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ συνηθείας, ἂν μὴ φυλάξωνται πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εἴπερ οὖν ὀρθῶς ὁ Πυθαγόρας, ἐν ἀλόγοις ζῴοις ἐθίζων ὠμότητος ἀπέχεσθαι καὶ πλεονεξίας, ὀρνέων τε θηρευτὰς παρῃτεῖτο καὶ βόλους ὠνούμενος ἰχθύων ἐκέλευεν ἀφιέναι, καὶ παντὸς ἡμέρου ζῴου φόνον ἀπηγόρευε, πολὺ δήπου σεμνότερόν ἐστιν ἐν διαφοραῖς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους καὶ φιλονεικίαις, γενναῖον ἐχθρὸν ὄντα καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ἀψευδῆ, τὰ μοχθηρὰ καὶ ἀγεννῆ καὶ πανοῦργα πάθη κολάζειν καὶ ταπεινὰ ποιεῖν, ὅπως ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς φίλους συμβολαίοις παντάπασιν ἀτρεμῇ καὶ ἀπέχηται τοῦ κακουργεῖν.
If, therefore, Pythagoras rightly, accustoming men to abstain from cruelty and greed in irrational animals, requested bird-catchers to desist and, buying hauls of fish, ordered them to be let go, and forbade the slaughter of any tame animal, it is surely much more dignified in differences and rivalries against men, being a noble, just, and true enemy, to chastise and make low the vicious, ignoble, and cunning passions, so that in dealings with friends one may be altogether calm and abstain from doing evil.
Σκαῦρος ἐχθρὸς ἦν Δομιτίου· καὶ κατήγορος.
Scaurus was an enemy of Domitius and his accuser.
οἰκέτης οὖν τοῦ Δομιτίου πρὸ τῆς δίκης ἧκε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς ἔχων τι μηνῦσαι τῶν λανθανόντων ἐκεῖνον, ὁ δʼ οὐκ εἴασεν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ συλλαβὼν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπήγαγε πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην.
A slave of Domitius, therefore, before the trial, came to him as if having something to reveal of things unnoticed by him, but he did not allow him to speak, but having seized the man, led him away to his master.
Κάτωνι δὲ Μουρήναν διώκοντι δημοκοπίας καὶ συνάγοντι, τοὺς ἐλέγχους ἐξ, ἔθους παρηκολούθουν οἱ τὰ πραττόμενα παραφυλάττοντες.
And when Cato was prosecuting Murena for bribery and gathering evidence, those who watched over his doings accompanied him according to custom to watch what was done.
πολλάκις οὖν αὐτὸν ἠρώτων εἴ τι μέλλει σήμερον συνάγειν ἢ πραγματεύεσθαι πρὸς τὴν κατηγορίαν· εἰ δὲ μὴ φαίη, πιστεύοντες ἀπῄεσαν.
Many times, therefore, they asked him if he was about to gather anything today or to busy himself for the prosecution; and if he said no, believing him they went away.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν αὐτοῦ τῆς δόξης ἔχει τεκμήριον μέγιστον· ἀλλὰ μεῖζον καὶ κάλλιον, ὅτι τῷ δικαίῳ χρῆσθαι καὶ πρὸς ἐχθροὺς ἐθισθέντες οὐδέποτε μὴ προσενεχθῶμεν ἀδίκως καὶ πανούργως τοῖς συνήθεσι καὶ φίλοις.
These things, indeed, hold the greatest proof of his reputation; but greater and more beautiful is it, that having been accustomed to use justice even towards enemies, we may never behave unjustly and cunningly towards our companions and friends.