§12ΦΟΥΝΔ.αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἴσως οὐκ ὀργῆς ἰατρεία φανεῖται, διάκρουσις δὲ καὶ φυλακὴ τῶν ἐν ὀργῇ τινος ἁμαρτημάτων.
FUNDANUS. Now this, perhaps, will not seem to be a cure for anger, but a turning aside and defense against those sins committed in anger.
καίτοι καὶ σπληνὸς οἴδημα σύμπτωμα μέν ἐστι πυρετοῦ πραϋνόμενον δὲ κουφίζει τὸν πυρετόν, ὥς φησιν Ἱερώνυμος.
And yet, even a swelling of the spleen is only a symptom of fever, but when it is mitigated, it lightens the fever, as Hieronymus says.
ἀλλʼ αὐτῆς γε τῆς ὀργῆς ἀναθεωρῶν τήν γένεσιν ἄλλους ὑπʼ ἄλλων αἰτιῶν ἐμπίπτοντας εἰς αὐτὴν ἑώρων, οἷς ἐπιεικῶς ἅπασι τοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι καὶ ἀμελεῖσθαι παραγίγνεται.
However, considering the origin of anger itself, I saw that different people fall into it from different causes, in almost all of whom there arises the feeling of being despised and neglected.
διὸ καὶ τοῖς παραιτουμένοις δεῖ βοηθεῖν πορρωτάτω τὴν πρᾶξιν ὀλιγωρίας ἀπάγοντας καὶ θρασύτητος, εἰς ἄγνοιαν ἢ ἀνάγκην ἢ πάθος ἢ δυστυχίαν τιθεμένους ὡς Σοφοκλῆς
"
ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ, ὦ ʼναξ, οὐδʼ ὃς ἂν βλάστῃ μένει
νοῦς τοῖς κακῶς πράξασιν, ἀλλʼ ἐξίσταται.
Therefore, we must also assist those who are making their excuses, by removing their action as far as possible from contempt and insolence, and attributing it to ignorance or necessity or passion or misfortune, as Sophocles says: "For not even the mind that is born with them, O King, remains to those who fare ill, but it departs.
"
καὶ τῆς Βρισηΐδος τὴν ἀφαίρεσιν εἰς τὴν Ἄτην ἀναφέρων ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων, ὅμως
"ἂψ ἐθέλει ἀρέσαι, δόμεναὶ τʼ ἀπερείσιʼ ἄποινα. "
καὶ γὰρ τὸ δεῖσθαι τοῦ μὴ καταφρονοῦντός ἐστι, καὶ ταπεινὸς; φανεὶς ὁ ἀδικήσας ἔλυσε τὴν τῆς ὀλιγωρίας δόξαν.
"And Agamemnon, though attributing the taking away of Briseis to Ate, nevertheless says: "I am willing to make amends, and to give countless ransoms." For to entreat is the mark of one who does not despise, and the wrongdoer, by appearing humble, dissolves the impression of contempt.
οὐ δεῖ δὲ ταῦτα περιμένειν τὸν ὀργιζόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Διογένους
οὗτοί σου καταγελῶσιν ὦ Διόγενες· ἐγὼ δʼ οὐ καταγελῶμαι
λαμβάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, καὶ καταφρονεῖσθαι μὴ νομίζειν ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐκείνου καταφρονεῖν, ὡς διʼ ἀσθένειαν ἢ πλημμέλειαν ἢ προπέτειαν ἢ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἢ ἀνελευθερίαν ἢ γῆρας ἢ νεότητα πλημμελοῦντος.
But the angry person ought not to wait for this, but rather take to heart the saying of Diogenes: "These men are laughing at you, Diogenes!" "But I am not laughed at," and not think himself despised, but rather despise the other, as doing wrong through weakness or error or rashness or negligence or illiberality or old age or youth.
οἰκέταις δὲ καὶ φίλοις ἀφετέον τὸ τοιοῦτο παντάπασιν.
And towards servants and friends, one must abandon such a thought altogether.
οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἀδυνάτων οὐδʼ ὡς ἀπράκτων, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἐπιείκειαν ἢ διʼ εὔνοιαν οἱ μὲν ὡς χρηστῶν οἱ δʼ ὡς φιλούντων καταφρονοῦσι· νυνὶ δʼ οὐ μόνον πρὸς γυναῖκα καὶ δούλους καὶ φίλους ὡς καταφρονούμενοι τραχέως ἔχομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πανδοκεῦσι καὶ ναύταις καὶ ὀρεωκόμοις μεθύουσι πολλάκις ὑπʼ ὀργῆς συμπίπτομεν οἰόμενοι καταφρονεῖσθαι, καὶ κυσὶν ὑλακτοῦσι καὶ ὄνοις ἐμβάλλουσι χαλεπαίνομεν ὡς ἐκεῖνος ὁ βουλόμενος τύπτειν τὸν ὀνηλάτην, εἶτʼ ἀνακραγόντος ὅτι
Ἀθηναῖός εἰμι,
σὺ δὲ μὲν οὐκ εἶ Ἀθηναῖος
τὸν ὄνον λέγων ἔτυπτε καὶ πολλὰς ἐνεφόρει πληγάς.
For it is not as if they thought us incapable or powerless, but because of our indulgence or goodwill, some despise us as being good, and others as being loving; but as it is, we are harsh not only towards our wife, slaves, and friends, as if we were despised, but we often clash in anger with innkeepers, sailors, and drunken muleteers, thinking that we are despised, and we are angry with barking dogs and bumping asses, like that man who, wishing to beat the muleteer, when the muleteer cried out: "I am an Athenian!" said: "Well, you at least are not an Athenian," speaking to the ass, and beat it, inflicting many blows.