The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 1 — John Shaqi
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
(The Spartan polity, however, by securing a satisfactory development of
the moral qualities in their kings, even if it gave them a training in no
way different from that of the crowd, at least endowed them with the
attributes of well‐bred men. But as for the Carthaginians, there was
nothing to admire even in the discipline that they all shared. The parents
turned their sons out of doors and bade them win the necessaries of life
by their own efforts, with the injunction to do nothing that is considered
disgraceful. The effect of this was not to uproot the evil inclinations of
the young, but to require them to take pains not to be caught in wrong‐
doing. For it is not self‐indulgence only that ruins character, but the
lack of mere necessaries may produce the same result. This is true at any
rate in the case of those whose reason has not yet assumed the power to
decide, being swayed by physical needs and persuaded by desire. It is
especially true when one fails to control the passion for money‐getting,
if from boyhood one is accustomed to it and to the trading and bartering
of the market‐places. This business, unfit for a youth of gentle birth to
mention, or so much as hear spoken of, whether the youth finds it out for
himself or learns it from those of greater experience, leaves many scars
on the soul; and even a respectable citizen ought to be free from all
this, not a king or general alone.)
ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐπιτιμᾶν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐκείνοις προσήκει· [16] δείξω δὲ
μόνον τῆς τροφῆς(67) τὸ διαφέρον, ᾗ χρησάμενος κάλλει καὶ ῥώμῃ καὶ
δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ διήνενκας, διὰ μὲν τῶν πόνων τὴν εὐεξίαν
περιβαλόμενος, δὰα δὲ τῶν νόμων τὴν σωφροσύνην κατακτησόμενος,(68) καὶ τῷ
μὲν σώματι ῥωμαλεωτέρῳ διὰ τὴν ἐγκράτειαν τῆς ψυχῆς, τῇ ψυχῇ δ᾽ αὖ διὰ τὴν
τοῦ σώματος καρτερίαν δικαιοτέρᾳ χρώμενος, τὰ μὲν ἐκ φύσεως ἀγαθὰ συναύξων
ἐκ παντός, τὰ δὲ ταῖς ἐπιμελείαις ἔξωθεν ἀεὶ προσλαμβάνων· [B] καὶ
δεόμενος(69) μὲν οὐδενός, ἐπαρκῶν δ᾽ ἄλλοις καὶ χαριζόμενος μεγάλας δωρεὰς
καὶ ὅσαι τοὺς λαβόντας ἤρκουν ἀποφῆναι τῷ Λυδῶν δυνάστῃ παραπλησίους,
ἐνδεέστερον μὲν ἀπολαύων αὐτὸς τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἀγαθῶν ἢ Σπαρτιατῶν ὁ
σωφρονέστατος, τοῦ τρυφᾶν δὲ παρέχων ἄλλοις χορηγίαν, καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις
σωφρονεῖν παρέχων σαυτὸν μιμεῖσθαι, ἄρχων μὲν πρᾴως καὶ φιλανθρώπως τῶν
ἄλλων, [C] ἀρχόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς σωφρόνως καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν πολλῶν τόν
ἅπαντα διετέλεις χρόνον. παιδὶ μὲν ὄντι σοι καὶ μειρακίῳ ταῦτά τε ὑπῆρχε
καὶ ἄλλα πλείονα, περὶ ὧν νῦν λέγειν μακρότερον ἂν εἴη τοῦ καιροῦ.
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