The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 1Julian, Emperor of Rome
Religion
The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 1
Julian, Emperor of Rome
Speeches, addresses, etc., Greek -- Translations into English
καὶ ἐγρηγορὼς τοῖς καθεύδουσιν ἐμφερής. πειθομένους δὲ αὐτοὺς ἕξει καλῶς
αὑτῷ τε οἲμαι καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, [D] εἰ τοῖς ἀρίστοις πειθόμενος νόμοις
καὶ τοῖς ὀρθοῖς ξυνεπόμενος διατάγμασι δῆλος εἴη, καὶ ὅλως τὴν ἡγεμονίαν
ἀποδοὺς τῷ φύσει βασιλικῷ καὶ ἡγεμονικῷ τῆς ψυχῆς μορίῳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῷ
θυμοειδεῖ καὶ ἀκολάστῳ. καὶ καρτερεῖν δὲ καὶ ὑπομένειν τόν τε ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς
καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις κάματον ὁπόσα τε κατὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐξηυρέθη γυμνάσια
μελέτης ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ὀθνείους ἀγῶνας, πῶς ἄν τις μάλιστα πείσας
εἴη,(419) ἢ δῆλον ὡς αὐτὸς ὁρώμενος καρτερὸς καὶ ἀδαμάντινος; [88] ἔστι
γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἥδιστον θέαμα στρατιώτῃ πονουμένῳ σώφρων αὐτοκράτωρ,
συνεφαπτόμενος ἔργων καὶ προθυμούμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς δοκοῦσι
φοβεροῖς φαιδρὸς καὶ ἀδεὴς καὶ ὅπου λίαν θαρροῦσι σεμνὸς καὶ ἐμβριθής.
πέφυκε γὰρ ἐξομοιοῦσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων εὐλαβείας πέρι καὶ
θράσους. προνοητέον δὲ αὐτῷ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐ μεῖον ὅπως ἄφθονον τὴν τροφὴν
ἔχωσι καὶ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδέωνται. [B] πολλάκις γὰρ οἱ πιστότατοι
τῶν ποιμνίων φρουροὶ καὶ φύλακες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐνδείας ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἄγριοι τέ
εἰσι τοῖς νομεῦσι καὶ αὐτοὺς πόρρωθεν ἰδόντες περιυλακτοῦσι καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν
προβάτων ἀπέσχοντο.
(But it seems that my argument, as though it had reached some steep
descent, is glutting itself with unsparing abuse, and is chastising the
manners of these men beyond what is fitting, so that I must not allow it
to travel further. But now I must demand from it an account, as far as is
possible, of the man who is good and kingly and great‐souled. In the first
place, then, he is devout and does not neglect the worship of the gods,
and secondly he is pious and ministers to his parents, both when they are
alive and after their death, and he is friendly to his brothers, and
reverences the gods who protect the family, while to suppliants and
strangers he is mild and gentle; and he is anxious to gratify good
citizens, and governs the masses with justice and for their benefit. And
wealth he loves, but not that which is heavy with gold and silver, but
that which is full of the true good‐will of his friends,(420) and service
without flattery. Though by nature he is brave and gallant, he takes no
pleasure in war, and detests civil discord, though when men do attack him,
whether from some chance, or by reason of their own wickedness, he resists
them bravely and defends himself with energy, and carries through his
enterprises to the end, not desisting till he has destroyed the power of
the foe and made it subject to himself. But after he has conquered by
force of arms, he makes his sword cease from slaughter, because he thinks
that for one who is no longer defending himself to go on killing and
laying waste is to incur pollution. And being by nature fond of work, and
great of soul, he shares in the labours of all; and claims the lion’s
share of those labours, then divides with the others the rewards for the
risks which he has run, and is glad and rejoices, not because he has more
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