§20ἄγαμαι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Διογένους, ὃς τὸν ἐν Λακεδαίμονι, ξένον ὁρῶν παρασκευαζόμενον εἰς ἑορτήν τινα καὶ φιλοτιμούμενον
ἀνὴρ δʼ
εἶπεν
ἀγαθὸς οὐ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἑορτὴν ἡγεῖται
καὶ πάνυ γε λαμπράν, εἰ σωφρονοῦμεν, ἱερὸν γὰρ ἁγιώτατον ὁ κόσμος ἐστὶ καὶ θεοπρεπέστατον·
And I admire Diogenes too, who, seeing a stranger in Lacedaemon preparing for a certain festival and taking pride in it, said: "Does not a good man consider every day a festival?" And indeed a very splendid one, if we are wise.
εἰς δὲ τοῦτον ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰσάγεται διὰ τῆς γενέσεως οὐ χειροκμήτων. οὐδʼ ἀκινήτων ἀγαλμάτων θεατής, ἀλλʼ οἷα νοῦς θεῖος αἰσθητὰ νοητῶν μιμήματα, φησὶν ὁ Πλάτων, ἔμφυτον ἀρχὴν ζωῆς ἔχοντα καὶ κινήσεως ἔφηνεν, ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ ἄστρα καὶ ποταμοὺς νέον ὕδωρ ἐξιέντας ἀεὶ καὶ γῆν φυτοῖς τε καὶ ζῴοις τροφὰς ἀναπέμπουσαν.
For the cosmos is a most holy and most god-befitting temple; into this, man is introduced through birth, not as a spectator of hand-made or motionless statues, but of things which the divine mind has revealed—sensible imitations of intelligible things, as Plato says—having an innate principle of life and motion: the sun and moon and stars, and rivers always sending forth fresh water, and the earth sending up nourishment for plants and animals.
ὧν τὸν βίον μύησιν ὄντα καὶ τελετὴν τελειοτάτην εὐθυμίας δεῖ μεστὸν εἶναι καὶ γήθους.
Since life is an initiation into these things and a most perfect ritual, it ought to be full of tranquility and joy.
οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ πολλοὶ Κρόνια καὶ Διάσια καὶ Παναθήναια καὶ τοιαύτας ἄλλας ἡμέρας περιμένουσιν; ἵνʼ ἡσθῶσι καὶ ἀναπέμψωσιν ὠνητὸν γέλωτα, μίμοις καὶ ὀρχησταῖς μισθοὺς τελέσαντες.
Is it not different from the way the multitude wait for the Saturnalia and Diasia and Panathenaea and other such days, in order that they may enjoy themselves and burst into bought laughter, having paid wages to mimes and dancers?
εἶτʼ ἐκεῖ μὲν εὔφημοι καθήμεθα κοσμίως· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὀδύρεται μυούμενος οὐδὲ θρηνεῖ Πύθια θεώμενος ἢ πίνων ἐν Κρονίοις·
Then, indeed, we sit there decorously keeping holy silence; for no one laments while being initiated, nor wails while watching the Pythian games or drinking at the Saturnalia.
ἃς δʼ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν ἑορτὰς χορηγεῖ καὶ μυσταγωγεῖ καταισχύνουσιν, ἐν ὀδυρμοῖς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ βαρυθυμίαις καὶ μερίμναις ἐπιπόνοις διατρίβοντες.
But the festivals which the god provides for us and in which he initiates us, they defile, spending most of their time in lamentations, despondency, and painful cares.
καὶ τῶν μὲν ὀργάνων χαίρουσι, τοῖς ἐπιτερπὲς ἠχοῦσι καὶ τῶν ὀρνέων τοῖς ᾄδουσι, καὶ τὰ παίζοντα καὶ σκιρτῶντα τῶν ζῴων ἡδέως ὁρῶσι, καὶ τοὐναντίον ὠρυομένοις καὶ βρυχωμένοις καὶ σκυθρωπάζουσιν· ἀνιῶνται τὸν δʼ ἑαυτῶν βίον ἀμειδῆ καὶ κατηφῆ καὶ τοῖς ἀτερπεστάτοις καὶ πάθεσι καὶ πράγμασι καὶ φροντίσι μηδὲν πέρας ἐχούσαις πιεζόμενον ἀεὶ καὶ συνθλιβόμενον ὁρῶντες, οὐχ ὅπως αὐτοὶ μὲν ἑαυτοῖς ἀναπνοήν τινα καὶ ῥᾳστώνην πορίζουσί ποθὲν, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἑτέρων παρακαλούντων προσδέχονται λόγον, χρώμενοι καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀμέμπτως συνοίσονται καὶ τῶν γεγονότων εὐχαρίστως μνημονεύσουσι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἵλεων τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ φαιδρὰν ἔχοντες ἀδεῶς καὶ ἀνυπόπτως προσάξουσιν.
And while they delight in instruments that sound pleasingly, and in birds that sing, and gladly look upon animals playing and skipping, and on the contrary are vexed by those that howl and roar and look sullen; yet, seeing their own life smile-less and dejected, and always oppressed and crushed by the most unpleasant passions, activities, and endless cares, not only do they not provide some breathing-space and ease for themselves from somewhere, but they do not even accept the word of others who encourage them—by employing which they would both bear with the present without complaint, and remember the past with gratitude, and for the future, keeping their hope gracious and bright, would go forward without fear and suspicion.