§39κατακλίσεις ἀπόρους ὁδῶν μήκεσιν ἰώμενος, τροφῆς δʼ ἐνδείᾳ συνεχεῖ τὰς ἀμυθήτους καθάρσεις προστιθεὶς, ἀναπνεῖν δὲ ἀποροῦντι λέγειν καὶ γράφειν προστάττων, ὥστʼ εἴ τι καὶ τοῖς οὕτω θεραπευθεῖσιν ἔπεστιν αὔχημα, μηδʼ ἡμᾶς ἀμοίρους εἶναι τούτου.
healing hopeless confinements to bed by the length of journeys, adding unspeakable purgings through a continuous lack of food, commanding one who was at a loss to breathe to speak and write, so that if there is any pride in those who were cured in this way, we too are not without share in this.
καὶ μὴν οἱ μὲν καρτερήσεις ἑαυτῶν διηγοῦνται καὶ ὅσα καὶ οἷα ὑπέμειναν τοῦ θεοῦ καθηγουμένου, οἱ δὲ ὡς ῥᾳστώνην εὕροντο ὧν ἐδέοντο.
And indeed, some relate their own endurance and how many and what kind of things they endured under the guidance of the god, while others tell how they obtained relief from the things they needed.
ἡμῖν δὲ πλεῖστα μὲν δή που κεκαρτέρηται κατὰ πολλοὺς καὶ παντοδαποὺς τρόπους, τὰ δὲ πάνυ κούφως ἐν ἡδονῇ γεγένηται, ὡς μηδαμοῦ τοὺς τρυφῶντας ἂν εἶναι, εἰ βούλοιο ἀντεξετάζειν.
But for us, though very many things have been endured in many and various ways, on the other hand, things have occurred so very lightly and in pleasure that those who live in luxury would seem to be nowhere, if you should wish to compare them.
καὶ τὰς μὲν ἄλλας ἂν ἔχων εἰπεῖν πόλεις Ἀσίας καὶ Εὐρώπης καὶ τὰς περὶ ταύτας ὁμιλίας καὶ συνευφραινομένων ὡς ἐπʼ οἰκείοις ἀγαθοῖς, πῶς οὐκ ἐπέκεινα τρυφῆς θήσομαι;
And when I am able to speak of the other cities of Asia and Europe, and of the intercourse in them, and of those who rejoiced together as if for their own blessings, how shall I not place this beyond luxury?
τί δʼ ἂν εἴποις θορύβους ἐν βουλευτηρίοις καὶ σπουδὰς ἔξω παραδείγματος, τὸ δὲ καὶ πρὶν εἰπεῖν ὁτιοῦν πεπιστεῦσθαι προέχειν;
And what would you say of the applause in the council chambers and the zeal beyond example, and of being trusted to excel even before saying anything?
ἆρʼ οὐ θεία τις χάρις καὶ τὰ πρῶτα τῆς ῥᾳστώνης ἔχουσα;
Is this not some divine favor and one that holds the first place of relief?
φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε, εἴπερ εἴη μεμνῆσθαι τῶν κρειττόνων.
I, at least, would say so, if indeed it is permitted to remember the higher powers.
ἤδη τοίνυν τινῶν ἤκουσα λεγόντων ὡς αὐτοῖς πλέουσι καὶ θορυβουμένοις φανεὶς ὁ θεὸς χεῖρα ὤρεξεν.
Now I have already heard some saying that, when they were sailing and tossed in a storm, the god appeared and stretched out his hand to them.
ἕτεροι δέ γε φήσουσιν ὡς πράγματα ἄττα κατώρθωσαν ὑποθήκαις ἀκολουθήσαντες τοῦ θεοῦ.
And others indeed will say that they accomplished certain affairs by following the counsels of the god.
οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ λέγειν ἔχομεν πεπειραμένοι.
We are able to speak of these things from experience, rather than merely hearing of them.
ὅσα δʼ αὐτῶν οἷόν τε ἀπομνημονεῦσαι ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς καὶ ταῦτα ἔνεστι λόγοις.
And as many of them as can be remembered are also contained in the Sacred Tales.
ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφίσματα πυκτικὰ πύκτῃ τινὶ τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἐγκαθεύδοντι προειπεῖν λέγεται τὸν θεόν· οἷς ἔδει χρησάμενον καταβαλεῖν τινα τῶν πάνυ λαμπρῶν ἀνταγωνιστῶν.
But also, the god is said to have foretold boxing techniques to a certain boxer of our time who was sleeping in the temple, which he had to use to defeat one of the very brilliant opponents.
μαθήματα δὲ ἡμῖν γε καὶ μέλη καὶ λόγων ὑποθέσεις καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἐννοήματα αὐτὰ καὶ τὴν λέξιν, ὥσπερ οἱ τοῖς παισὶ τὰ γράμματα.
But to us, he gave instructions, songs, subjects of speeches, and besides these, the thoughts themselves and the expression, just as teachers teach children their letters.
ἐπιθεὶς τοίνυν ὥσπερ κεφάλαιον τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δὴ κατακλείσω τὸν λόγον ἐνταῦθά που.
Therefore, having added as it were the sum of the benefits of the god, I will indeed close my speech somewhere here.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ, ὦ δέσποτα Ἀσκληπιὲ, πολλὰ καὶ παντοῖα, §40ὥσπερ ὑπεῖπον, παρὰ σοῦ καὶ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας γεγένηται, μέγιστον δὲ καὶ πλείστης χάριτος ἄξιον καὶ σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν οἰκειότατον οἱ λόγοι.
For to me, Lord Asclepius, many and various things, as I hinted, have come from you and your philanthropy, but the greatest and worthy of the most gratitude, and so to speak, most close to me, is speech.
τὸ γὰρ τοῦ Πινδάρου μετέβαλες.
For you reversed the case of Pindar.
ἐκείνου μὲν γὰρ ὁ Πὰν τὸν παιᾶνα ὠρχήσατο, ὡς λόγος, ἐγὼ δὲ, εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν, ὧν ὑποκριτὴς εἶναι· προὔτρεψάς τε γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς ἀσκήσεως κατέστης ἡγεμών.
For in his case, Pan danced the paean, as the story goes, but in my case, if it is permitted to say so, you yourself are the actor of my words; for you yourself urged me toward them and established yourself as the leader of my practice.
καὶ οὐκ ἀπέχρη ταῦτα, ἀλλʼ ἃ καὶ τούτοις εἰκὸς ἦν ἀκολουθῆσαι, καὶ τούτων ἐπεμελήθης, ὅπως ἔσται μοι τὸ ἔργον ἐν δόξῃ.
And these things were not enough, but you also took care of what naturally followed them, so that my work should be in glory.
καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐ πόλις, οὐκ ἰδιώτης, οὐ τῶν εἰς ἄρχοντας τελούντων, ὃς οὐ καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἡμῖν ὁμιλήσας οὐκ ἠσπάσατο εἰς ὅσον οἷός τε ἦν τὸν ἔπαινον ἐκτείνων, οὐ τῶν ἐμῶν, οἶμαι, λόγων ταῦτα ἐργαζομένων, ἀλλὰ σοῦ τοῦ κυρίου.
And there is no city, no private individual, no one among those belonging to the rulers, who, having associated with us even for a short time, did not welcome us, extending his praise as far as he was able, not because my words accomplished this, I think, but because of you, the Lord.
τὸ δὲ δὴ μέγιστον τῶν περὶ ταῦτα τὸ καὶ τοῖς θείοις βασιλεῦσιν εἰς τοσοῦτον οἰκειῶσαι καὶ χωρὶς τῆς ἐπὶ τῶν γραμμάτων συνουσίας ἀποδεῖξαι λέγοντα ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ σπουδαζόμενον ἃ μηδεὶς πώποτε, καὶ ταῦτα ὁμοίως μὲν παρὰ τῶν βασιλέων, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν βασιλίδων γενέσθαι, καὶ παντὸς δὴ τοῦ βασιλείου χοροῦ.
And indeed, the greatest of these matters is that you made me so close to the divine emperors, and, apart from the intercourse through letters, you showed me speaking before them and being sought after as no one ever was, and that these things came about equally from the emperors, and equally from the empresses, and indeed from the whole imperial circle.
Ὀδυσσεῖ δὲ ὑπῆρξε παρʼ Ἀθηνᾶς ἐν Ἀλκινόου καὶ Φαίαξιν ἐπιδείξασθαι.
And to Odysseus, it was granted by Athena to show himself in the palace of Alcinous and among the Phaeacians.
μέγα δή που καὶ τοῦτο καὶ μάλα ἐν καιρῷ.
This too, surely, was great and very timely.
καὶ ταῦτά τε οὕτως ἐπέπρακτο καὶ τὸ σύνθημα παρῆν ἀνακαλοῦν, ἔργῳ σοῦ δείξαντος ὅτι πολλῶν ἕνεκα προήγαγες εἰς μέσον, ὡς φανείημεν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, καὶ γένοιντο αὐτήκοοι τῶν κρειττόνων οἱ τελεώτατοι.
And these things were thus accomplished, and the signal was present calling me back, with you showing in deed that you brought me forward into the public eye for many reasons, so that we might appear prominent in speech, and that the most perfect men might become direct hearers of the higher powers.
τούτων καὶ πολλῶν ἑτέρων οὔτε παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἡμῖν ἰδίᾳ κἀν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις ταῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τὴν δυνατὴν ἔχοντες χάριν οὐ παυσόμεθα, ἕως ἄν τι μνήμης καὶ τοῦ φρονεῖν μετὸν ἡμῖν τυγχάνῃ.
For these and many other benefits, we shall not cease to have such gratitude as is in our power, both in our own hearts privately and in our conversations with those we meet, as long as any share of memory and of understanding happens to remain with us.
φαίην δʼ ἂν ἔγωγε καὶ ταύτην παρὰ σοῦ κεκομίσθαι τὴν χάριν, τὸ σὲ τὸν πάντα ἄριστον παρεῖναί τε ἡμῖν καὶ ἐπιψηφίζειν τοὺς λόγους.
And I, at least, would say that I have received this favor from you as well, namely, that you, who are in all things the best, are present with us and give your vote of approval to our words.