§1## ΟΤΙ το ΠΑΟΤΤΕΙΝ ΑΔΙΚί2Σ ΤΟΤ> ΠΕΝΕΣΘΑΙ ΑΘΑΙί^ΤΕΡΟΝ.
χθές τις ἐσπέρας ἤλγει τε καὶ ἔστενε τοὺς προσαιτοῦντας ἀριθμῶν, τοὺς μὲν ἑστῶτας, τοὺς δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτο δυναμένους, τοὺς δὲ οὐδὲ καθῆσθαι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἠκρωτηριασμένους, τοὺς δὲ μᾶλλον τετηκότας ἢ πολλοὶ τῶν τεθνεώτων.
[Heading] That getting rich unjustly is more wretched than being poor. Yesterday evening, someone was grieving and groaning as he counted the beggars—some standing, some unable even to do this, others unable even to sit, some mutilated, and others more wasted away than many of the dead.
ἐλεεινὸν δὲ ἔφασκεν εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἐν ῥακίοις τοιούτοις ψῦχος τοιοῦτον διαφέρειν τοῖς μὲν ὄντων μόνων διαζωμάτων, τοῖς δὲ ἐκ βουβώνων τε καὶ ὤμων ἄκρων χειρῶν τε καὶ ποδῶν γεγυμνωμένῶν.
He said it was pitiful that they had to endure such cold in such rags, some having only loincloths, while others had their loins, shoulders, and the tips of their hands and feet bare.
§2ἐφαίνοντο δέ τινες καὶ οἷς οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ἐκεκάλυπτο τοῦ σώματος, δεήσεις τε ἦσαν ἀφ’ ἑκάστου συχναὶ | δοῦναί τι τὸν παριόντα, καὶ μέγα ἦν οὐκ
C = codex Chisianus
Α = Monacensis gr. 483 (Augustanus)
Ρ = Palatinus gr. 282
U = Urbinas gr. 126
Ι = Marcianus append. XCI 2
Β = Barberinus II 41
Ma = Marcianus append. XCII 7
ἄρτον μόνον λαβεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἤδη καὶ ὀβολόν.
Some also appeared to have absolutely no part of their body covered. There were frequent entreaties from each of them to any passerby to give something, and it was a great thing not only to receive bread, but already even an obol.
§3ἐν δὲ τῷ στένειν καὶ ἀποκαλεῖν ἀθλίους ὄντος ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου λελουμένοι τινὲς σοβοῦντες ᾔεσαν ὑπὸ λαμπάδων ἐπὶ δεῖπνα πάντα ἔχοντα πλὴν ἀμβροσίας καὶ νέκταρος.
While that man was groaning and calling them wretched, some who had just bathed were walking pompously under the light of torches to dinners containing everything except ambrosia and nectar.
ὁ δέ, ὡς εὐδαίμονες οἱ ἄνδρες, ἐβόησε καὶ διεξῄει χρυσὸν πολὺν τίκτοντα χρυσόν.
He cried out, "How happy those men are!" and went on to describe at length much gold that gives birth to more gold.
§4ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἔφην οἷς ἐστι πλοῦτος, τούτους πάντως δεῖν καὶ μακαρίους νομίζειν.
But I said that we should by no means think those who possess wealth must be happy.
εἶναι γὰρ ἐνίους τῶν ἄγαν πλουσίων μᾶλλον ἀξίους ἐλεεῖσθαι ἢ οἶς ἡ δεξιὰ διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας ὑπτία τέταται προκαλουμένη τὸν δώσοντα.
For some of the excessively rich are more worthy of pity than those whose right hand is stretched out, palm upwards, through the whole day, inviting someone to give.
§5τοῖς μὲν γάρ ἐστι τὸ κακὸν ἐν τῷ τὸν δώσοντα ζητεῖν, οὐ μὴν ἀποροῦσί γε τοῦ δώσοντος, ζῶσι γοῦν, δικαστὴς τε οὐδεὶς οὔτε ἐπὶ γῆς οὔτε ὑπὸ γῆς δίκην ἂν πτωχὸν ἀπαιτήσαι πτωχείας τῆς κατὰ τὴν τύχην.
For the former have their evil in seeking a giver, yet they are not indeed without a giver, for they live at least; and no judge, either on earth or under the earth, would demand a penalty from a poor man for a poverty that comes by fortune.
§6οὐδέ εἰσι νόμοι κείμενοι κατὰ τῶν ἢ οὐ μεγάλας ἐκδεξαμένων οὐσίας ἢ οὐκ αὐτῶν κτήσασθαι δυνηθέντῶν, κατὰ δέ γε τῶν κτησαμένων | αὐτῶν, οὐ μὴν σὺν τῷ καλῷ, γραφαί τε καὶ κρίσεις καὶ κατηγορίαι καὶ δίκαι καὶ μίση παρά τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ θεῶν.
Nor are there laws established against those who have either not inherited great estates or have not been able to acquire them themselves; but against those who have acquired them, yet not with honor, there are indictments, trials, accusations, penalties, and hatred from both men and gods.
§7καὶ αὐτοῖς τὰ τῇδε φεύγουσι δικαστήρια πλέον οὐδέν, ἀλλ’ ὂν οὐχ οἷόν τε ὑπερπηδῆσαι, κάθηται δικαστὴς Μίνως ὁ Δῖός, διαγιγνώσκων εὐθὺς Ἰδῶν ψυχὴν ἄδικόν τε καὶ δικαίαν·
And it is of no help to them even if they flee the courts here; but in a place that is impossible to leap over, there sits the judge Minos, son of Zeus, discerning at once, upon seeing it, a soul whether it is unjust or just.
συμμαχία δὲ οὐδαμόθεν τῇ κακῇ οὔτε ἀπὸ λόγων δεινότητος οὔτε ἀπὸ χρημάτων πλήθους οὔτε ἀπὸ συγγενείας ἢ φίλων, ἀλλ’ ὠσθεῖσὰν οἷ τέτακται φέρειν ἀνάγκη κολαζομένην.
No alliance comes from anywhere to the evil soul, neither from skill of words, nor from abundance of wealth, nor from relatives or friends, but thrust to where it has been assigned, it must bear its punishment.
8. Ὅστις οὖν ὀρθῷ ἐλέῳ χρήσεται, μᾶλλον αὐτῷ δόξουσιν οἵδε οἱ πλούσιοι τῶν πτωχῶν ἐκείνων εινοί, κἂν πάνυ πεινῆν ἐκεῖνοι λέγωσιν ὀμνύντες.
Whoever, therefore, exercises right pity, to him these rich men will seem more pitiful than those poor, even if the latter say with oaths that they are utterly starving.
πολὺ γὰρ δήπου δεινότερον τοῦ μετὰ τῶν κυνῶν ἐν φορυτῷ καθεύδειν τὸ ἐν ἀργυραῖς κλίναις οὐ καλῶς πεπορισμέναις.
For it is surely far more terrible to sleep on silver beds acquired dishonorably than to sleep with dogs in the straw.
§9τούτων τοίνυν τῶν τοὺς μεγάλους εἰργασμένων πλούτους οὐκ ὀλίγους εὕροις ἂν ἑτέρους ἐκδεδυκότας, οὐ κατὰ τοὺς λωποδύτας τουτουσὶ τοὺς τὰ μικρὰ ἀδίκους, ἀλλὰ πολλοὺς μὲν οἰκέτας, πολλὰς δὲ συνοικίας ἀφελομένους, πολλοὺς δὲ ἀγρούς, πολλὰς δὲ ὁλκάδας, χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, ἐσθῆτα.
Among these, then, who have made great fortunes, you would find not a few who have stripped others—not like these footpads here who commit small injustices, but taking away many slaves, many tenements, many fields, many merchant ships, gold, silver, and clothing.
§10οἱ δὲ καὶ τεμένη τε καὶ νεὼς κτήματα ἑαυτῶν ἐποιήσαντο, εἶτα μάλα εὐχερῶς ἐκρίψαντες τὰ ἔδη ξύλων, οἱ δὲ ἀχύρων τοὺς νεὼς ἐνέπλησαν, οἱ δὲ αὖ ἀνδρειότεροι καὶ καθελόντες | οἰκίας ᾤκησαν τῶν ἐκεῖθεν λίθων πεποιημενας.
And some even made sacred precincts and temples their own possessions, then very casually throwing out the wooden statues, while others filled the temples with straw, and others, more audacious still, tore down houses and dwelt in homes built from those stones.
11. Ὧν οἱ μὲν ἔδοσαν ἤδη δίκην, οἱ δὲ οὔπω μέν, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ὅ, τι αὐτοὺς ἐξαιρήσεται.
Of these, some have already paid the penalty, while others have not yet, but there is nothing that will rescue them.
λέγων δὲ αὐτούς, αὐτοὺς λέγω καὶ παῖδας καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐκείνων.
And when I say "them," I mean both them and their children and those descended from them.
ὧν ἐφ’ ὅντινα ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ πλῆττον, ὁ γεννάδας ἐκεῖνος πέπληκται.
Whomever of them the blow falls upon, that "noble" man has been struck.
§12τούτους οὖν οἰκτείρειν χρεὼν ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον ἢ ὅσοι βλέπουσιν εἰς τοὺς ἑτέρων δακτύλους· ὡς τοῖς μὲν ἡ τελευτὴ λύσει τὸ χρῄζειν τῶν ἐπαρκεσόντων, τοῖς δὲ ἀντὶ μικροῦ χρόνου τοῦ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἀθάνατος ἐπικείσεται ζημία.
These, therefore, we ought to pity more than those who look to the fingers of others; since for the latter, death will release them from the need of those who assist, but for the former, instead of a brief time of pleasure, eternal punishment will lie upon them.