§11.18.1Πρῶτον, τίς ἡ πρὸς αὐτούς μοι σχέσις καὶ ὅτι ἀλλήλων ἕνεκεν γεγόναμεν καὶ καθ’ ἕτερον λόγον προστησόμενος αὐτῶν γέγονα ὡς κριὸς ποίμνης ἢ ταῦρος ἀγέλης.
First, what is my relation to them, and that we have been made for one another; and, in another aspect, that I was made to be at their head, as a ram is of a flock or a bull of a herd.
ἄνωθεν δὲ ἔπιθι ἀπὸ τοῦ· εἰ μὴ ἄτομοι, φύσις ἡ τὰ ὅλα διοικοῦσα· εἰ τοῦτο, τὰ χείρονα τῶν κρειττόνων ἕνεκεν, ταῦτα δὲ ἀλλήλων.
But go back to the first principles, starting from this: if not atoms, it is nature which governs all; if this is so, the inferior things exist for the sake of the superior, and these for the sake of one another.
Δεύτερον δέ, ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης, ὲν τῷ κλιναρίῳ, τἄλλα· μάλιστα δέ, οἵας ἀνάγκας δογμάτων κειμένας ἔχουσι· καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα, μεθ’ οἵου τύφου ποιοῦσιν.
Second, what kind of people they are at table, in bed, and elsewhere; and especially, what necessities of doctrine they are under, and with what pride they do these very things.
§11.18.2Τρίτον, ὅτι, εἰ μὲν ὀρθῶς ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν, οὐ δεῖ δυσχεραίνειν· εἰ ὀ οὐκ ὀρθῶς, δηλονότι ἄκοντες καὶ ἀγνοοῦντες.
Third, that if they do these things rightly, you ought not to be displeased; but if not rightly, it is clear that they do so involuntarily and in ignorance.
πᾶσα γὰρ ψυχὴ ἄκουσα στέρεται, ὥσπερ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς, οὕτως καὶ τοῦ κατ’ ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ προσφέρεσθαι.
For as every soul is unwillingly deprived of the truth, so is it also of the power of acting towards each person according to his worth.
ἄχθονται γοῦν ἀκούοντες ἄδικοι καὶ ἀγνώμονες καὶ πλεονέκται καὶ καθάπαξ ἁμαρτητικοὶ περὶ τοὺς πλησίον.
Therefore, they are vexed when they are called unjust, ungrateful, grasping, and in general wrongdoers towards their neighbors.
Τέταρτον, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς πολλὰ ἁμαρτάνεις καὶ ἄλλος τοιοῦτος εἷ· καὶ εἴ τινων δὲ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπέχῃ, ἀλλὰ τήν γε ἕξιν ἐποιστικὴν ἔχεις, εἰ καὶ διὰ δειλίαν ἢ δοξοκοπίαν ἢ τοιοῦτό τι κακὸν ἀπέχῃ τῶν ὁμοίων ἁμαρτημάτων.
Fourth, that you yourself also commit many errors and are of the same kind as they; and even if you refrain from certain errors, yet you have at least the disposition to commit them, even if through cowardice or desire for reputation or some similar vice you abstain from the like errors.
§11.18.3Πέμπτον, ὅτι οὐδὲ εἰ ἁμαρτάνουσι κατείληφας· πολλὰ γὰρ κατ’ οἰκονομίαν γίνεται καὶ ὅλως πολλὰ δεῖ πρότερον μαθεῖν, ἵνα τις περὶ ἀλλοτρίας πράξεως καταληπτικῶς τι ἀποφήνηται.
Fifth, that you do not even comprehend whether they are in error; for many things are done by way of management, and in general one must first learn many things before one can pronounce a certain judgment on another's action.
Ἕκτον, ὅτι, ὅταν λίαν ἀγανακτῇς ἢ καὶ δυσπαθῇς, ἀκαριαῖος ὁ ἀνθρώπειος βίος καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγον πάντες ἐξετάθημεν.
Sixth, that when you are excessively angry or even grieved, human life is but a moment, and in a little while we shall all be stretched out dead.
Ἕβδομον, ὅτι οὐχ αἱ πράξεις αὐτῶν ἐνοχλοῦσιν ἡμῖν· ἐκεῖναι γάρ εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνων ἡγεμονικοῖς· ἀλλὰ αἱ ἡμέτεραι ὑπολήψεις.
Seventh, that it is not their actions which trouble us—for these are in their own ruling faculties—but our own opinions.
ἆρον γοῦν καὶ θέλησον ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὡς περὶ δεινοῦ κρίσιν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἡ ὀργή.
Remove, then, and resolve to dismiss the judgment that these things are dreadful, and your anger is gone.
πῶς οὖν ἀρεῖς;
How then will you remove it?
λογισάμενος ὅτι οὐκ αἰσχρόν· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ μόνον ᾖ τὸ αἰσχρὸν κακόν, ἀνάγκη καὶ σὲ πολλὰ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ λῃστὴν καὶ παντοῖον γενέσθαι.
By reflecting that what they do is not shameful to you; for unless that which is shameful is the only evil, you also must of necessity commit many errors and become a robber and a man of every sort.
§11.18.4Ὄγδοον, ὅσῳ χαλεπώτερα ἐπιφέρουσιν αἱ ὀργαὶ καὶ λῦπαι αἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις, ἤπερ αὐτά ἐστιν ἐφ’ οἷς ὀργιζόμεθα καὶ λυπούμεθα.
Eighth, how much more grievous are the consequences of our anger and grief at such things than the things themselves at which we are angry and grieved.
Ἔνατον, ὅτι τὸ εὐμενὲς ἀνίκητον, ἐὰν γνήσιον ᾖ καὶ μὴ σεσηρὸς μηδὲ ὑπόκρισις.
Ninth, that kindness is invincible, if it be genuine and not a smirk or a pretense.
τί γάρ σοι ποιήσει ὁ ὑβριστικώτατος, ἐὰν διατελῇς εὐμενὴς αὐτῷ καί, εἰ οὕτως ἔτυχε, πρᾴως παραινῇς καὶ μεταδιδάσκῃς εὐσχολῶν παρ’ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ὅτε κακοποιεῖν σε ἐπιχειρεῖ· ʽμή, τέκνον· πρὸς ἄλλο πεφύκαμεν. ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ μὴ βλαβῶ, σὺ δὲ βλάπτῃ, τέκνον.
For what will the most insolent do to you, if you continue to be kind to him, and if, as opportunity offers, you gently advise him and quietly instruct him at the very moment when he is trying to do you harm: "Not so, my child; we are made for something else.
ʼ καὶ δεικνύναι εὐαφῶς καὶ ὁλικῶς ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτως ἔχει, ὅτι οὐδὲ μέλισσαι αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν οὐδ’ ὅσα συναγελαστικὰ πέφυκε.
I shall not be harmed, but you are harming yourself, my child." And show him gently and in general terms that this is so, and that even bees do not do this, nor any other animals that are gregarious by nature.
δεῖ δὲ μήτε εἰρωνικῶς αὐτὸ ποιεῖν μήτε ὀνειδιστικῶς, ἀλλὰ φιλοστόργως καὶ ἀδήκτως τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐν σχολῇ μηδὲ ἵνα ἄλλος παραστὰς θαυμάσῃ, ἀλλ’ ἤτοι πρὸς μόνον καὶ ἐὰν ἄλλοι τινὲς περιεστήκωσι.
But you must do this neither with irony nor as a reproach, but affectionately and without any sting in your soul; not as if lecturing in a school, nor that some bystander may admire you, but to him alone, even if others are standing around.
§11.18.5Τούτων τῶν ἐννέα κεφαλαίων μέμνησο ὡς παρὰ τῶν Μουσῶν δῶρα εἰληφὼς καὶ ἄρξαι ποτὲ ἄνθρωπος εἶναι, ἕως ζῇς.
Remember these nine rules as gifts received from the Muses, and begin at last to be a man while you live.
φυλακτέον δὲ ἐπίσης τῷ ὀργίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς τὸ κολακεύειν αὐτούς· ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἀκοινώνητα καὶ πρὸς βλάβην φέρει.
But you must guard equally against flattering them and being angry with them; for both are unsocial and lead to harm.
πρόχειρον δὲ ἐν ταῖς ὀργαῖς ὅτι οὐχὶ τὸ θυμοῦσθαι ἀνδρικόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρᾷον καὶ ἥμερον ὥσπερ ἀνθρωπικώτερον, οὕτως καὶ ἀρρενικώτερον καὶ ἰσχύος καὶ νεύρων καὶ ἀνδρείας τούτῳ μέτεστιν, οὐχὶ τῷ ἀγανακτοῦντι καὶ δυσαρεστοῦντι·
Let this be ready at hand when you are angry, that to be passionate is not manly, but that mildness and gentleness, as they are more human, so are they more masculine; and he who possesses these has strength, nerves, and courage, not he who is indignant and discontented.
ὅσῳ γὰρ ἀπαθείᾳ τοῦτο οἰκειότερον, τοσούτῳ καὶ δυνάμει.
For the nearer it is to freedom from passion, the nearer it is to power.
ὥσπερ τε ἡ λύπη ἀσθενοῦς, οὕτως καὶ ἡ ὀργή· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ τέτρωνται καὶ ἐνδεδώκασιν.
And as grief is a sign of weakness, so is anger; for in both cases they have been wounded and have yielded.
§11.18.6Εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ δέκατον παρὰ τοῦ Μουσηγέτου δῶρον λάβε, ὅτι τὸ μὴ ἀξιοῦν ἁμαρτάνειν τοὺς φαύλους μανικόν· ἀδυνάτου γὰρ ἐφίεται.
And if you will, receive also a tenth gift from the Leader of the Muses, namely, that to expect the bad not to do wrong is madness; for it is aiming at the impossible.
τὸ δὲ συγχωρεῖν ἄλλοις μὲν εἶναι τοιούτους, ἀξιοῦν δὲ μὴ εἰς σὲ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἄγνωμον καὶ τυραννικόν.
But to allow them to be such to others, and to expect them not to do wrong to you, is irrational and tyrannical.