§55ἐμπόρων καὶ ναυκλήρων, οὐ μόνον δεκάτας ἀναγόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μερίτην ἐξ ἴσου ποιουμένων, ὥσπερ συνέμπορον καὶ κοινωνὸν τῶν διὰ μέσου πάντων· ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀνθρώποις ἐγκαταμέμικται.
As, for instance, is the communion of merchants and shipowners, who not only bring up tithes, but also make an equal sharing of their profits, as though having this god as a fellow-merchant and partner in all transactions; to such an extent has he mingled himself with humans.
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῷ ὄντι ταμίας ἀνέμων πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ νησιώτης, ὃν Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν, οὗτος κύριος ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδʼ ὀρνύμεν ὅν κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν· οὗτος ὕδωρ ἀνῆκε πότιμον ἐν μέσῃ θαλάττῃ, οὗτος κειμένους ἀνέστησεν, οὗτος περισπούδαστον ἡλίου φῶς τοῖς θεαταῖς ἔδειξεν, ὧν ἱεραὶ θῆκαι βίβλων ἱερῶν ἀπείρους ἀριθμοὺς ἔχουσι.
This is the one who is truly the steward of the winds, much more than that islander whom Homer created; this one is lord "both to lull and to rouse whomsoever he pleases." This one sent up drinkable water in the middle of the sea; this one raised up those who lay prostrate; this one showed the highly desired light of the sun to those who beheld it, of which things the sacred chests of sacred books contain infinite numbers.
μεσταὶ δὲ ἀγοραὶ, φασὶ, καὶ λιμένες καὶ τὰ εὐρύχωρα τῶν πόλεων τῶν καθʼ ἕκαστα ἐξηγουμένων.
And the markets, they say, and the harbors, and the spacious quarters of the cities are full of those who narrate individual events.
ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐγχειροῦντι λέγειν ἀπέραντον ἡμερῶν πλῆθος ἐπιρρυὲν ἀτέλεστον ὁμοίως ἕξει τὸν κατάλογον.
But for me, if I attempt to speak, an endless multitude of days flowing by will likewise leave my catalog unfinished.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἕστηκεν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα, οὐδὲ τοσαῦτά ἐστιν ὁπόσα γέγονεν, ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ νυκτὶ πρόσεισιν ἄλλα ἐπʼ ἄλλοις.
For his works do not stand still, nor are they only as many as have already happened, but day and night others are added upon others.
καὶ ὥσπερ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος καθʼ ἡμέραν ἑκάστην προϊόντος οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τὸ ἀπανηλωμένον, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τὸ ἴσον λείπεται, οὕτως οὐδʼ ὧν ὁ θεὸς ἔργων ἐργάζεται οὐκ ἔνεστιν εἰπεῖν πότερʼ ἃ εἰλήφαμέν ἐστι τὰ πλείω, ἢ τὰ μέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι· τοσαῦτα γίγνεται.
And just as, while the whole of time proceeds day by day, it is impossible to speak of what has been spent, but always an equal amount remains, so also concerning the works which the god performs, it is not possible to say whether those we have received are more, or those which are to be in the future; so many do they become.
εἰ δή τις οὖν ταῦτα καταλέγειν ἐπιχειροίη, τὰ ἐκφεύγοντα διώξεται, οἷον οἱ τὰ τῶν ποταμῶν ῥεύματα κατόπιν διώκοντες, καὶ ὅμοιον ποιήσει ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα ἀξιοίη ζῆν· πάντως γὰρ αὐτῷ δεήσει.
If indeed, therefore, anyone should attempt to list these, he will chase after things that escape, just as those who chase after the flows of rivers from behind, and he will do something similar to as if he should expect to live through all of time; for in any case, he will have need of it.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἀνὰ χρόνους ἄλλα ἄλλοι βοήσονται, οἱ μὲν ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, οἱ δὲ ἐν ἑτέροις ὁρῶντες γιγνόμενα.
But these things, as time goes on, some will cry out at one time and others at another, seeing them happening either in themselves or in others.
καὶ ἡμῖν ἤδη προειρήσθω κοινῷ λόγῳ ὥσπερ ἐν σπονδῶν ἀπαγγελίᾳ.
And let it have already been spoken by us in a common discourse, as if in a declaration of a treaty.
πάντως οὐ δέος μὴ ψευσώμεθα.
In any case, there is no fear that we shall speak falsely.
ὃ δʼ οὖν ὑπεθέμεθα ἐν ἀρχῇ, διὰ πάντων δείκνυται, οἷς τὸ ἀνθρώπειον φῦλον ἄγεται, ταῦτʼ εἶναι ἔργα Σαράπιδος καὶ μηδέποτε ἐκφεύγειν ἡμᾶς τὸ τούτου κράτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ σώζειν, καὶ ὕστερον εἶναι τὴν παρὰ τούτου πρόνοιαν.
At all events, what we hypothesized in the beginning is demonstrated through all things by which the human race is guided: that these are the works of Sarapis, and that we never escape his power, but are also saved, and that afterward there is providence from him.
§56προέστηκε δὲ καὶ πάντων ζώων γενέσεως καὶ τροφῆς, καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἱερῶν θρεμμάτων, ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι, πρὸς τοῦτον διαιτᾶται.
And he presides also over the birth and nourishment of all living creatures, and many of the sacred animals, just like humans, regulate their lives toward him.
οὗτος ἄγει Νεῖλον ὥρᾳ θέρους, οὗτος χειμῶνος ἀνακαλεῖ, οὗτος δύο καὶ τετταράκοντα ἱερὰ κατʼ Αἴγυπτον, οὗτος πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῇ γῇ νεὼς συνέχει τε καὶ κοσμεῖ, φύλαξ τῶν φανερῶν καὶ τῶν ἀπορρήτων, ἡγεμὼν ἀνθρώπων καὶ δαιμόνων· καὶ ἡμῶν ἤδη μεταστρέψει τὸν λόγον πρὸς αὑτὸν, καὶ προσειποῦσιν ὥρα κατεπαύειν.
This one leads the Nile in the summer season, this one calls it back in winter, this one sustains the forty-two temples throughout Egypt, this one sustains and adorns all the temples on the earth, being the guardian of the manifest and the hidden, the leader of humans and spirits; and now he will turn our discourse toward himself, and for us who have addressed him, it is time to cease.
ὦ τὴν καλλίστην ὧν ἐφορᾷς κατέχων πόλιν, ἥ σοι τὴν διʼ ἔτους πανήγυριν πληροῖ, ὦ κοινὸν ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις φῶς, ἡμῖν τε δὴ πρώην περιφανῶς γενόμενος, ὅτʼ ἐπιρρεούσης τῆς θαλάττης καὶ πολλῆς πάντοθεν αἰρομένης καὶ οὐδενὸς ὁρωμένου πλὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος καὶ σχεδὸν ἤδη παρόντος ὀλέθρου, χεῖρα ἀντάρας, οὐρανόν τε κεκρυμμένον ἐξέφηνας καὶ γῆν ἔδωκας ἰδεῖν καὶ προσορμίσασθαι, τοσοῦτον παρʼ ἐλπίδα ὥστʼ οὐδʼ ἐπιβᾶσι πίστις ἦν.
O you who hold the most beautiful city of those you look upon, which fulfills for you the annual festival, O light common to all humans, and who indeed recently appeared to us manifestly, when the sea was flowing in and rising high from every side, and nothing was seen except the destruction that was coming and was already almost present, raising your hand, you revealed the hidden heaven and granted us to see land and to anchor, so far beyond expectation that there was no belief even for those who had set foot on land.
τούτων τε δή σοι πολλὴ χάρις, ὦ πολυτίμητε, καὶ τὰ νῦν μὴ πρόῃ με, ἀλλʼ ἀνάσωσον βεβαίως, τόν τε ὕμνον τόνδε ὡς ἐν τοιούτοις πεποιημένον προσοῦ φαιδρῶς, χαριστήριον μὲν ἐκείνων τῶν ἔμπροσθεν, ἱκετηρίαν δὲ καὶ παράκλησιν περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, ἡδίω καὶ βελτίω τῶν παρόντων γενέσθαι.
For these things indeed much thanks to you, O highly honored one, and for the present do not abandon me, but save me securely, and receive this hymn graciously as one composed under such circumstances, as a thank-offering for those things of the past, and as a supplication and entreaty for the things of the future, that they may become sweeter and better than the present.