§51εὐμενῶς, πάντως οὐδέν γε σοὶ ἀδύνατον, ἀρχήν τε ἥτις σοι φίλη πορίζειν, καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ πρῶτα ἔδωκας, οὕτω καὶ τὰ δεύτερα εἰσακούσας γενοῦ.
Favorably; at all events, nothing is impossible for you, and to provide whatever beginning is pleasing to you; and just as you granted the first things, so also, having heard my prayer, become the one who grants the second things.
καὶ πάντα γὰρ πανταχοῦ διὰ σοῦ τε καὶ διὰ σὲ ἡμῖν γίγνεται ἃ μάλιστʼ ἂν ἡμῖν γίγνεσθαι βουλοίμεθα.
For indeed all things everywhere happen to us through you and because of you, which we would most desire to happen to us.
ὅστις μὲν δὴ καὶ ἥντινα τὴν φύσιν ἔχων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς ἱερεῦσί τε καὶ λογίοις Αἰγυπτίων παρείσθω λέγειν τε καὶ εἰδέναι, ὅσων δὲ καὶ οἵων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιος ἀνθρώποις δείκνυται, ἀρκούντως τʼ ἂν ἐγκωμιάζοιμεν ὡς ἐν τῷ παρόντι λέγοντες καὶ ἅμα καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτοῦ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων ἔξεστιν ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι.
Now, who the god is, and what kind of nature he has, let it be left to the priests and learned men of the Egyptians to speak of and to know; but of how many and what kind of goods he is shown to be the cause for humans, we would praise him sufficiently, speaking as we can under the present circumstances, and at the same time it is possible to examine his nature through these very things.
ἂν γὰρ ἃ δύναταί τις καὶ διαδίδωσιν εἴπωμεν, καὶ τὸ ὅστις ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ ἥντινα ἔχει τὴν φύσιν σχεδὸν εἰρήκαμεν.
For if we speak of what someone is able to do and distributes, we have almost said both who he is and what kind of nature he has.
οὐ γὰρ ἀλλοῖός ἐστιν ἢ οἷος ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιφαίνει καὶ δείκνυται.
For he is not other than such as he appears and is shown from his works.
τίνα οὖν ἔργα Σαράπιδος;
What then are the works of Sarapis?
οὐκ ἀνθρωπείας μοι δοκεῖ δεῖσθαι τοῦτʼ ἔτι τῆς ἀποκρίσεως.
This does not seem to me to require a human answer any longer.
ἀλλʼ Ὅμηρος δέκα γλώττας καὶ δέκα στόματα οὐκ ἄν φησιν οἷός τε εἶναι λαβὼν τὸν τῶν νεῶν ἀριθμὸν εἰπεῖν ὅσαι τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς εἵποντο, εἰ μὴ αἱ Μοῦσαι εἴποιεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἡγήσαιντο τοῦ λόγου· ἐμοὶ δὲ τὰ τοῦ μεγίστου τῶν θεῶν ἔργα τε καὶ δῶρα εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀεὶ τελούμενα ἦ που σφόδρα ἀμήχανον ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων στόματα καὶ πᾶσαν ὅση ἀνθρωπίνη φωνὴ κτησαμένῳ, εἰ μὴ θεοί τινες ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡγεμόνες τῷ λόγῳ γένοιντο.
But Homer says that, even if he had ten tongues and ten mouths, he would not be able to tell the number of the ships that followed the Achaeans, unless the Muses should tell him and lead the way for his speech; but for me, indeed, it would be extremely impossible to speak of the works and gifts of the greatest of the gods which are always being fulfilled toward humans, even if I should acquire the mouths of all humans and all the human voice there is, unless some gods should truly become leaders of my speech.
καὶ δὴ θεοὶ μὲν κεκλήσθων αὖθις, τὰ δὲ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ λέγωμεν· βούλεται γὰρ καὶ δίδωσι λέγειν αὐτοῖς οἷς ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος διοικεῖται καὶ σώζεται, ταῦτά ἐστιν ἔργα Σαράπιδος.
And indeed, let the gods be called upon again, and let us speak of the works of the god; for he wishes and grants to speak of those very things by which the life of humans is administered and preserved; these are the works of Sarapis.
ἀρκτέον δὲ, φασὶν, ἐξ ἀρχῆς.
And we must begin, as they say, from the beginning.
τρία ταῦτα ἐπὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου θεωρεῖται καὶ συνέχει τὸν βίον, ψυχὴ, σῶμα, ὅσα τούτων ἐκτὸς εἰς χρείαν ἔρχεται.
These three things are observed in every human and sustain life: soul, body, and whatever things outside of these come into use.
τούτοις δὴ πᾶσιν ἐφέστηκεν οὗτος ὁ θεὸς, ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε ἡμᾶς ἄγων εἰς φῶς καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀρχὴν καὶ γενομένοις ὅπως ἕκαστα ὑπάρξει προνοούμενος, τὴν μὲν ψυχὴν σοφίᾳ κοσμῶν ἡμῶν, ἣ μόνη τὴν πρὸς θεοὺς §52συγγένειαν ἀνθρώποις δείκνυσι καὶ ᾗ τῶν ἄλλων θνητῶν ἢ ζώων διαφέρομεν, ἣ θεῶν τε αὐτῶν ἔννοιαν ἔδωκεν ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἱερὰ καὶ τελετὰς καὶ τιμὰς πάσας εὗρεν, ἔτι δὲ νόμους καὶ πολιτείαν καὶ μηχανήματα πάντα καὶ τέχνας πάσας ἐδίδαξε καὶ κατεστήσατο, καὶ ψευδοῦς καὶ ἀληθοῦς ἔδωκε διάγνωσιν, ὡς δʼ εἰπεῖν, ἐποίησε τὸν βίον·
Over all these, indeed, this god presides, leading us from the beginning into the light and his own rule, and providing for us once we are born how each thing shall be available, adorning our soul with wisdom—which alone shows to humans their kinship with the gods, and by which we differ from other mortals or animals; which gave to humans the conception of the gods themselves, and invented temples, initiations, and all honors, and furthermore taught and established laws, constitution, all devices, and all arts, and gave the discernment of false and true, and, so to speak, made life.
τὴν μὲν δὴ ψυχὴν, ὅπερ εἶπον, σοφίᾳ καθαίρων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα ὑγίειαν διδοὺς σώζει, ἧς χωρὶς οὔτε τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθοῖς χρῆσθαι οὔτʼ ἄλλης οὐδεμιᾶς εὐτυχίας ἀπολαύειν ἔστι.
Thus, while purifying the soul, as I said, with wisdom, he preserves the body by giving health, without which it is possible neither to use the goods of the soul nor to enjoy any other good fortune.
τοσαύτην δʼ ἔχει δύναμιν καὶ τιμὴν παρὰ θεοῖς καὶ ἀνθρώποις ὥστε ἐκ μὲν θεῶν οἴκων οὐδὲ ἐξέρχεται, οὐ πρότερόν γε ἢ ἄστρα τε ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐρανὸς ἐξέλθοι ποτʼ ἂν τῆς αὑτοῦ χώρας, ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὓς ἂν προλίπῃ ζῶντες οἰκτείρονται μᾶλλον ἢ τελευτήσαντες.
And health has such great power and honor among gods and humans that it never even departs from the houses of the gods—at least, not before the stars from heaven and heaven itself should ever depart from its own place—and among humans, those whom it leaves behind are pitied while living more than those who have died.
μόνος δὲ ὁμοίως μὲν βασιλεῦσιν, ὁμοίως δὲ ἰδιώταις τίμιος, ὁμοίως δὲ σοφοῖς καὶ φαύλοις, καὶ μεγάλοις καὶ ἐλάττοσι, καὶ καλῶς καὶ τοὐναντίον πράττουσι, τοῖς μὲν τῆς ὑπαρχούσης εὐδαιμονίας ὄνησιν διδοὺς, τοῖς δὲ ἀντὶ τῶν ἄλλων δυσχερῶν μόνος γιγνόμενος.
And it alone is equally honored by kings and by private citizens, equally by the wise and the simple, by the great and the small, and by those who fare well and the opposite, giving to some the enjoyment of their existing happiness, and for others becoming the sole comfort in place of all other difficulties.
τὴν δʼ αὖ μεθʼ ὑγίειαν περισπούδαστον ἀνθρώποις χρημάτων κτῆσιν καὶ ταύτην Σάραπις δίδωσιν ἄνευ πολέμων καὶ μάχης καὶ κινδύνων·
And again, the acquisition of property, which is highly desired by humans after health, this too Sarapis grants without wars and battle and dangers.
οὕτω διὰ παντὸς ἡμῖν εὐμενής ἐστι τοῦ βίου καὶ οὐδεμία ἀργὸς χώρα παρείθη τῷ θεῷ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεθʼ ὧν ἄνθρωπον δεῖ νοεῖν, πάνθʼ οὗτος ἐξετάζει καὶ κατὰ πᾶν μέρος εὐεργεσίαν ἔχει, ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρξάμενος καὶ τελευτῶν εἰς τὰς ἔξωθεν εὐπορίας.
Thus he is favorable to us through the whole of life, and no inactive region has been passed over by this god, but along with the things which a human must think of, he examines everything and has beneficence in every part, beginning from the soul and ending in external abundance.
καὶ πεποίηκεν ἡμῖν οἷον ἁρμονίαν τὸν βίον καὶ συνῆψε ταῖς δωρεαῖς, σοφίας ἐρᾶν διʼ ὑγιείας ποιήσας, ὑγίειαν δὲ ἡδίω σὺν εὐπορίᾳ καταστήσας, τῷ δὲ μέσῳ τὰ ἄκρα οἷον γόμφῳ συλλαβὼν καὶ βεβαιωσάμενος τῇ ὑγιείᾳ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὴν τῶν ὄντων ὄνησιν.
And he has made our life like a harmony and bound it together with his gifts, by making us love wisdom through health, and establishing health as sweeter with abundance, binding the extremes with the middle like a dowel, and confirming with health the goods of the soul and the enjoyment of existing things.
πῶς οὖν οὐ τοῦτον ἀνακηρύττειν
How then should we not proclaim him?