§12δεύτερον τοίνυν ἐθιζώμεθα θύραν παριόντες ἀλλοτρίαν μὴ βλέπειν εἴσω μηδὲ τῶν ἐντὸς ἐπιδράττεσθαι τῇ ὄψει καθάπερ χειρὶ τῇ περιεργίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Ξενοκράτους ἔχωμεν πρόχειρον, ὃς ἔφη μηδὲν διαφέρειν τοὺς πόδας ἢ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς ἀλλοτρίαν οἰκίαν τιθέναι· οὔτε γὰρ δίκαιον οὔτε καλόν, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἡδὺ τὸ θέαμα.
Secondly, then, let us accustom ourselves, when passing another's door, not to look inside, nor to grasp at the things within with our eyes as if with the hand of curiosity, but let us keep at hand the saying of Xenocrates, who said that it makes no difference whether one places one's feet or one's eyes into another's house; for the sight is neither just nor honorable, nor even pleasant.
"δύσμορφα μέντοι τἄνδον εἰσιδεῖν, ξένε· "
τὰ γὰρ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις, σκευάρια κείμενα καὶ θεραπαινίδια καθεζόμενα καὶ σπουδαῖον οὐδὲν οὐδʼ ἐπιτερπές.
"Ugly indeed is it to look upon the things within, stranger." For most such things in houses are domestic utensils lying about and maidservants sitting, and nothing serious or delightful.
ἡ δὲ συνδιαστρέφουσα τὴν ψυχὴν παράβλεψις αὕτη καὶ παρατόξευσις αἰσχρὰ καὶ τὸ ἔθος μοχθηρόν·
But this sidelong glance and casting of the eyes, which together distorts the soul, is shameful and the habit is mischievous.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Διογένης θεασάμενος εἰσελαύνοντα τὸν ὀλυμπιονίκην Διώξιππον ἐφʼ ἅρματος, καὶ γυναικὸς εὐμόρφου θεωμένης τὴν πομπὴν ἀποσπάσαι τὰς ὄψεις μὴ δυνάμενον ἀλλʼ ὑποβλέποντα καὶ παρεπιστρεφόμενον,
ὁρᾶτʼ
εἶπε
τὸν ἀθλητὴν ὑπὸ παιδισκαρίου τραχηλιζόμενον
τοὺς δὲ πολυπράγμονας ἴδοις ἂν ὑπὸ παντὸς ὁμοίως θεάματος τραχηλιζομένους καὶ περιαγομένους, ὅταν ἔθος καὶ μελέτη γένηται τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῖς πανταχοῦ διαφορουμένης δεῖ δʼ, ὡς οἶμαι, μὴ καθάπερ θεράπαιναν ἀνάγωγον ἔξω ῥέμβεσθαι τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἀλλʼ ἀποπεμπομένην ὑπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπὶ·
For Diogenes, having observed the Olympic victor Dioxippus entering on a chariot, and being unable to tear his eyes away from a beautiful woman who was watching the procession, but looking askance and turning around, said: "Do you see the athlete being neck-twisted by a little girl?" But you might see the meddlesome being neck-twisted and turned around in the same way by every spectacle, when habit and practice of their sight being dispersed everywhere has been established.
τὰ πράγματα συντυγχάνειν αὐτοῖς ταχὺ καὶ διαγγέλλειν· εἶτα πάλιν κοσμίως ἐντὸς εἶναι τοῦ λογισμοῦ καὶ προσέχειν αὐτῷ.
But it is necessary, as I think, that the senses should not wander about outside like an unruly maidservant, but when sent out by the soul upon affairs, they should meet them quickly and report; then, in an orderly manner, remain again within the reason and attend to it.
νῦν δὲ συμβαίνει τὸ τοῦ Σοφοκλέους
"
ἔπειτα δʼ Αἰνιᾶνος ἀνδρὸς ἄστομοι
πῶλοι φοροῦσιν
"
αἱ μὴ τυχοῦσαι παιδαγωγίας ὥσπερ ἐλέγομεν ὀρθῆς μηδʼ ἀσκήσεως αἰσθήσεις προεκτρέχουσαι καὶ συνεφελκόμεναι πολλάκις εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ καταβάλλουσι τὴν διάνοιαν.
But now what Sophocles says happens: "And then the unbridled colts of the Aenian man carry him away" for the senses, not having obtained, as we were saying, proper guidance or training, run ahead and drag along, often casting down the mind into things they ought not.
ὅθεν ἐκεῖνο μὲν ψεῦδός ἐστι, τὸ Δημόκριτον ἑκουσίως σβέσαι τὰς ὄψεις ἀπερεισάμενον εἰς ἔσοπτρον πυρωθέν, καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀνάκλασιν δεξάμενον, ὅπως μὴ παρέχωσι θόρυβον τὴν διάνοιαν ἔξω καλοῦσαι πολλάκις, ἀλλʼ ἐῶσιν ἔνδον οἰκουρεῖν καὶ διατρίβειν πρὸς τοῖς νοητοῖς, ὥσπερ παρόδιοι θυρίδες ἐμφραγεῖσαι· τοῦτο μέντοι παντὸς μᾶλλον ἀληθές ἐστιν, ὅτι τὴν αἴσθησιν ὀλίγα κινοῦσιν οἱ πλεῖστα τῇ διανοίᾳ χρώμενοι.
Hence that story is false, that Democritus voluntarily quenched his sight by fixing it upon a burning mirror and receiving its reflection, so that they might not produce disturbance by calling the intellect outside often, but might allow it to keep house inside and pass time with intelligible things, like windows on the street being blocked up; but this is true above all else, that those who make the most use of the intellect move their senses little.
καὶ γὰρ τὰ μουσεῖα πορρωτάτω τῶν πόλεων ἱδρύσαντο, καὶ τὴν νύκτα προσεῖπον
εὐφρόνην
μέγα πρὸς εὕρεσιν τῶν ζητουμένων καὶ σκέψιν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἡσυχίαν καὶ τὸ ἀπερίσπαστον.
For they even established the shrines of the Muses furthest from the cities, and called the night "euphrone" (the kindly one), considering quietness and freedom from distraction a great help toward the discovery and contemplation of what is sought.
§13ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνο χαλεπὸν καὶ δύσκολον, ἀνθρώπων λοιδορουμένων ἐν ἀγορᾷ καὶ κακῶς λεγόντων ἀλλήλους μὴ προσελθεῖν· ἢ συνδρομῆς ἐπὶ τι πλειόνων γενομένης μεῖναι καθήμενον·
Moreover, neither is that difficult and troublesome, when men are reviling each other in the marketplace and speaking ill of one another, not to go near; or when a crowd has gathered for something, to remain seated; but if you are incontinent, to rise up and go away.
ἐὰν δʼ ἀκρατῶς ἔχῃς, ἀπελθεῖν ἀναστάντα χρηστοῦ μὲν γὰρ οὐδενὸς τοῖς πολυπραγμονοῦσιν ἀναμίξας σεαυτὸν ἀπολαύσεις, μεγάλα δʼ ὠφεληθήσῃ τὸ πολύπραγμον ἀποστρέψας βίᾳ καὶ κολούσας ὑπακούειν τῷ λογισμῷ συνεθιζόμενον.
For you will enjoy no good thing by mixing yourself with the meddlesome, but you will benefit greatly by turning back your meddlesomeness by force and curtailing it, accustoming it to obey reason.
ἐκ δὲ τούτου μᾶλλον ἐπιτείνοντα τὴν ἄσκησιν ὀρθῶς ἔχει καὶ θέατρον ἀκροάματος εὐημεροῦντος παρελθεῖν, καὶ φίλους ἐπʼ ὀρχηστοῦ τινος ἢ κωμῳδοῦ θέαν παραλαμβάνοντας διώσασθαι, καὶ βοῆς ἐν σταδίῳ γενομένης ἢ ἱπποδρόμῳ μὴ ἐπιστραφῆναι.
And following this, by intensifying the training, it is right also to pass by a theater where a performance is succeeding, and to reject friends who invite you to the sight of some dancer or comedian, and when a shout arises in the stadium or racecourse, not to turn around.
καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ Σωκράτης παρῄνει φυλάττεσθαι τῶν βρωμάτων ὅσα μὴ πεινῶντας ἐσθίειν ἀναπείθει, καὶ τῶν πωμάτων ὅσα πίνειν μὴ διψῶντας· οὕτω χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τῶν θεαμάτων καὶ ἀκουσμάτων φυλάττεσθαι καὶ φεύγειν ὅσα κρατεῖ καὶ προσάγεται τοὺς μηδὲν δεομένους.
For just as Socrates advised to guard against those foods which persuade men to eat when they are not hungry, and those drinks which persuade them to drink when they are not thirsty; so must we also guard against and flee from those sights and sounds which master and attract those who have no need of them.
ὁ δὲ Κῦρος οὐκ ἐβούλετο τὴν Πάνθειαν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Ἀράσπου λέγοντος ὡς ἄξιον θέας εἴη τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς εἶδος,
οὐκοῦν
ἔφη
διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον αὐτῆς ἀφεκτέον· εἰ γὰρ ὑπὸ σοῦ πεισθεὶς ἀφικοίμην πρὸς αὐτήν, ἴσως ἄν με πάλιν ἀναπείσειεν αὐτὴ καὶ μὴ σχολάζοντα φοιτᾶν θεᾶσθαι τε καὶ παρακαθῆσθαι προέμενον πολλὰ τῶν σπουδῆς ἀξίων
ὁμοίως οὐδʼ Ἀλέξανδρος εἰς ὄψιν ἦλθε τῆς Δαρείου γυναικὸς ἐκπρεπεστάτης εἶναι λεγομένης· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν μητέρα φοιτῶν αὐτῆς πρεσβῦτιν οὖσαν, οὐχ ὑπέμεινε τὴν νέαν καὶ καλὴν ἰδεῖν.
And Cyrus did not wish to see Panthea, but when Araspes said that the form of the woman was worth seeing, he said: "Therefore, all the more must we abstain from her; for if, persuaded by you, I should go to her, perhaps she might persuade me again to visit her even when I have no leisure, and to gaze and sit by her, letting go many of the things worthy of serious attention." Similarly Alexander did not come into the sight of Darius' wife, who was said to be most outstanding; but visiting her mother, who was an old woman, he did not endure to see the young and beautiful one.
ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῖς φορείοις τῶν γυναικῶν ὑποβάλλοντες τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τῶν θυρίδων ἐκκρεμαννύντες, οὐδὲν ἁμαρτάνειν δοκοῦμεν οὕτως ὀλισθηρὰν καὶ ῥευστὴν εἰς ἅπαντα τὴν πολυπραγμοσύνην ποιοῦντες.
But we, casting our eyes into the litters of women and hanging from the windows, think we are doing nothing wrong, thus making our meddlesomeness slippery and flowing toward everything.