§313.
3.
ΚΡΟΝΟΣ ΤΟΙΣ ΠΛΟΥΣΙΟΙΣ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ
Οἱ πένητες ἔναγχος ἐπεστάλκασί μοι αἰτιώμενοι ὑμᾶς μὴ μεταδιδόναι σφίσιν ὧν ἔχετε, καὶ τὸ μὲν ὅλον ἠξίουν με κοινὰ πᾶσι ποιεῖν τἀγαθὰ καὶ τὸ μέρος ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἔχειν.
CRONUS TO THE RICH, GREETINGS. The poor have recently sent me letters accusing you of not sharing with them what you have, and on the whole they requested me to make the goods common to all, and for each of them to have his share.
δίκαιον γὰρ εἶναι ἰσοτιμίαν καθεστηκέναι καὶ μὴ τῷ μὲν πλέον, τῷ δὲ μηδ’ ὅλως μετεῖναι τῶν ἡδέων.
For they say it is just that equality should be established, and not for one to have more, and another to have no share at all in pleasant things.
ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἔφην ἄμεινον σκέψασθαι τὸν Δία, περὶ δὲ τῶν παρόντων καὶ ὧν ἀδικεῖσθαι ᾤοντο κατὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἑώρων ἐπ’ ἐμὲ καθήκουσαν τὴν κρίσιν, καὶ ὑπεσχόμην γράψειν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
I said that as for these things, Zeus would consider them better, but as for the present matters and those in which they thought they were being wronged during the festival, I saw that the judgment fell to me, and I promised to write to you.
Ἔστι δὲ ἅπερ ἀξιοῦσι ταῦτα μέτρια, ὡς ἐμοὶ ἔδοξε.
And what they demand is moderate, as it seemed to me.
πῶς γάρ, φασί, ῥιγοῦντες τοσούτῳ κρύει καὶ λιμῷ ἐχόμενοι προσέτι ἑορτάζοιμεν ἄν;
For how, they say, when we are shivering with so much cold and moreover gripped by hunger, could we keep the festival?
εἰ τοίνυν ἐθέλοιμι κἀκείνους μετέχειν τῆς ἑορτῆς, ἐκέλευόν με ἀναγκάσαι ὑμᾶς ἐσθήτων τε ὧν ἔχετε μεταδοῦναι αὐτοῖς, εἴ τινες περιτταὶ καὶ παχύτεραι ἢ καθ’ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου ὀλίγον ἐπιστάξαι αὐτοῖς.
Therefore, if I should wish them also to participate in the festival, they ordered me to compel you to share with them of the clothes which you have, if there are any extra and thicker than what you need, and to drop a little of your gold upon them.
εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα, φασί, ποιήσετε, μηδὲ ἀμφισβητεῖν ὑμῖν ἔτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Διός, εἰ δὲ μή, ἀπειλοῦσι προσκαλέσασθαι ἐπὶ τὸν ἀναδασμόν, ἐπειδὰν τὸ πρῶτον δίκας ὁ Ζεὺς προθῇ.
For if you do these things, they say, they will no longer dispute with you over your goods before Zeus; but if not, they threaten to summon you for a redistribution of wealth as soon as Zeus first appoints trials.
ταῦτά ἐστιν οὐ πάνυ χαλεπὰ ὑμῖν ἀπὸ τοσούτων ἃ καλῶς ποιοῦντες ἔχετε.
These things are not at all difficult for you out of so many things which you happily possess.
§32Νὴ Δία καὶ τῶν δείπνων πέρι, ὡς συνδειπνοῖεν ὑμῖν—καὶ τοῦτο προσθεῖναι ἠξίουν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, ὡς νῦν γε μόνους ὑμᾶς τρυφᾶν ἐπικλεισαμένους τὰς θύρας, εἰ δέ ποτε κἀκείνων τινὰς ἑστιᾶν διὰ μακροῦ ἐθελήσετε, πλέον τοῦ εὐφραίνοντος ἐνεῖναι τὸ ἀνιαρὸν τῷ δείπνῳ, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ἐφ’ ὕβρει αὐτῶν γίγνεσθαι—οἷον ἐκεῖνο τὸ μὴ τοῦ αὐτοῦ οἴνου συμπίνειν, Ἡράκλεις, ὡς ἀνελεύθερον.
By Zeus, also concerning the dinners, that they should dine with you—they requested to add this also to the letter, since now you alone live in luxury having shut the doors, and if ever you should wish to feast some of them after a long interval, there is more of the vexing than of the pleasant in the dinner, and most things are done for their insult—such as that of not drinking of the same wine, Hercules, how illiberal!
καὶ καταγιγνώσκειν αὐτῶν ἐκείνων ἄξιον, ὅτι μὴ μεταξὺ ἀναστάντες οἴχονται ὅλον ὑμῖν τὸ συμπόσιον καταλιπόντες.
And it is worthy to condemn those men themselves, because they do not stand up in the middle and go away, leaving the whole banquet to you.
ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐς κόρον ὅμως φασὶ πίνειν.
But they say they do not even drink to satiety.
τοὺς γὰρ οἰνοχόους ὑμῶν ὥσπερ τοὺς Ὀδυσσέως ἑταίρους κηρῷ βεβύσθαι τὰ ὦτα.
For the ears of your cupbearers, just like those of Odysseus' companions, have been plugged with wax.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα οὕτως αἰσχρά ἐστιν, ὥστε ὀκνῶ λέγειν, ἃ περὶ τῆς νομῆς τῶν κρεῶν αἰτιῶνται καὶ τῶν διακόνων, ὑμῖν μὲν παρεστώτων ἔστ’ ἂν ὑπερεμφορηθῆτε, ἐκείνους δὲ παραθεόντων, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα μικροπρεπῆ καὶ ἥκιστα ἐλευθέροις πρέποντα.
For the other things are so shameful that I hesitate to speak, which they accuse concerning the distribution of the meat and the servants, with them standing by you until you are overfilled, while they run past them, and many other such petty things and least of all fitting for free men.
τὸ γοῦν ἥδιστον καὶ συμποτικώτερον ἡ ἰσοτιμία ἐστί, καὶ ὁ ἰσοδαίτης τούτου ἕνεκα ἡγεῖται ὑμῖν τῶν συμποσίων, ὡς τὸ ἴσον ἅπαντες ἔχοιεν.
At any rate, equality is the sweetest and most fitting for a banquet, and for this reason the distributor of equal shares leads your banquets, so that all may have an equal portion.
§33Ὁρᾶτε οὖν ὅπως μηκέτι ὑμᾶς αἰτιάσωνται, ἀλλὰ τιμήσωσι καὶ φιλήσωσι τῶν ὀλίγων τούτων μεταλαμβάνοντες· ὧν ὑμῖν μὲν ἡ δαπάνη ἀνεπαίσθητος, ἐκείνοις δὲ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς χρείας ἡ δόσις ἀείμνηστος.
See to it then that they no longer accuse you, but honor and love you, sharing in these few things; of which the expense is imperceptible to you, but to them the gift in time of need is unforgettable.
ἄλλως τε οὐδ’ ἂν οἰκεῖν δύναισθε τὰς πόλεις μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ πενήτων συμπολιτευομένων καὶ μυρία πρὸς τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ὑμῖν συντελούντων, οὐδ’ ἂν ἔχοιτε τοὺς θαυμάζοντας ὑμῶν τὸν πλοῦτον, ἢν μόνοι καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ ὑπὸ σκότῳ πλουτῆτε.
Especially since you would not even be able to inhabit your cities unless the poor also shared the citizenship and contributed countless things to your happiness, nor would you have those who admire your wealth, if you should be rich alone, privately and in the dark.
ἰδέτωσαν οὖν πολλοὶ καὶ θαυμασάτωσαν ὑμῶν τὸν ἄργυρον καὶ τὰς τραπέζας καὶ προπινόντων φιλοτησίας, μεταξὺ πίνοντες περισκοπείτωσαν τὸ ἔκπωμα καὶ τὸ βάρος ἴστωσαν αὐτοὶ διαβαστάσαντες καὶ τῆς ἱστορίας τὸ ἀκριβὲς καὶ τὸν χρυσὸν ὅσος, ὃς ἐπανθεῖ τῇ τέχνῃ.
Let many, therefore, see and admire your silver and tables and the loving-cups of those pledging healths; let them look around at the cup while drinking, and let them know the weight by lifting it themselves, and the accuracy of the story, and how much gold blooms upon the art.
πρὸς γὰρ τῷ χρηστοὺς καὶ φιλανθρώπους ἀκούειν καὶ τοῦ φθονεῖσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ἔξω γενήσεσθε.
For in addition to being called good and benevolent, you will also be free from being envied by them.
τίς γὰρ ἂν φθονήσειε τῷ κοινωνοῦντι καὶ διδόντι τῶν μετρίων;
For who would envy one who shares and gives of moderate things?
τίς δ’ οὐκ ἂν εὔξαιτο εἰς τὸ μήκιστον διαβιῶναι αὐτὸν ἀπολαύοντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν;
And who would not pray for him to live through to the longest time, enjoying his goods?
ὡς δὲ νῦν ἔχετε, ἀμάρτυρος μὲν ἡ εὐδαιμονία, ἐπίφθονος δὲ ὁ πλοῦτος, ἀηδὴς δὲ ὁ βίος.
But as you are now, your happiness is unwitnessed, your wealth is envied, and your life is unpleasant.
§34οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ ὁμοίως ἡδύ, οἶμαι, μόνον ἐμπίπλασθαι, ὥσπερ τοὺς λέοντάς φασι καὶ τοὺς μονιοὺς τῶν λύκων, καὶ συνόντας δεξιοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ πάντα χαρίζεσθαι πειρωμένοις, οἳ πρῶτα μὲν οὐ κωφὸν καὶ ἄφωνον τὸ συμπόσιον ἐάσουσιν εἶναι, ἀλλ’ ἐν μύθοις συμποτικοῖς καὶ σκώμμασιν ἀνεπαχθέσι καὶ φιλοφροσύναις ποικίλαις συνέσονται, οἷαι διατριβαὶ ἥδισται, φίλαι μὲν Διονύσῳ καὶ Ἀφροδίτῃ, φίλαι δὲ Χάρισιν, ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν διηγούμενοι ὑμῶν τὴν δεξιότητα φιλεῖσθαι παρασκευάσουσι.
For I think it is not even equally pleasant to fill oneself alone, as they say lions and solitary wolves do, as to associate with clever men who try to please in everything, who first of all will not allow the banquet to be mute and voiceless, but will associate in sympotic tales, harmless jests, and various friendly greetings—such pastimes as are sweetest, dear to Dionysus and Aphrodite, and dear to the Graces—and then, by narrating your cleverness to all on the next day, they will prepare you to be loved.
ταῦτα πολλοῦ πρίασθαι καλῶς εἶχεν.
These things would have been well worth buying at a great price.