The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 2Julian, Emperor of Rome
Philosophy
The Works of the Emperor Julian, Vol. 2
Julian, Emperor of Rome
Speeches, addresses, etc., Greek -- Translations into English
complete ruin, and moreover the disgrace of such conduct is greater than
any punishment—at least in the sight of the wise.(491))
Ταῦτα διανοηθείς, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς τε συστρατιώταις τοῖς ἐμοῖς
διῆλθον καὶ πρὸς κοινοὺς τῶν πάντων Ἑλλήνων πολίτας γράφω. θεοὶ δὲ [D] οἱ
πάντων κύριοι συμμαχίαν ἡμῖν τὴν ἑαυτῶν, ὥσπερ ὑπέστησαν, εἰς τέλος δοῖεν
καὶ παράσχοιεν ταῖς Ἀθήναις ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν τε εἰς ὅσον δύναμις εὖ παθεῖν καὶ
τοιούτους σχεῖν ἐς ἀεὶ τοὺς αὐτοκράτορας, οἳ μάλιστα καὶ διαφερόντως αὐτὰς
αἰδέσονται(492) καὶ ἀγαπήσουσιν.
(These then are the views, men of Athens, which I have communicated to my
fellow soldiers and which I am now writing to the whole body of the
citizens throughout all Greece. May the gods who decide all things
vouchsafe me to the end the assistance which they have promised, and may
they grant to Athens all possible favours at my hands! May she always have
such Emperors as will honour her and love her above and beyond all other
cities!)
FRAGMENT OF A LETTER TO A PRIEST
Introduction
Julian was Supreme Pontiff, and as such felt responsible for the teachings
and conduct of the priesthood. He saw that in order to offset the
influence of the Christian priests which he thought was partly due to
their moral teaching, partly to their charity towards the poor, the pagans
must follow their example. Hitherto the preaching of morals had been left
to the philosophers. Julian’s admonitions as to the treatment of the poor
and of those in prison, and the rules that he lays down for the private
life of a priest are evidently borrowed from the Christians.
This Fragment occurs in the Vossianus MS., inserted in the Letter to
Themistius,(493) and was identified and published separately by Petavius.
It was probably written when Julian was at Antioch on the way to Persia.
FRAGMENTUM EPISTOLAE
.... πλὴν ἢν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ἐπίδωσιν ἀτακτοῦντάς τινας, αὐτίκα μάλα
κολάζουσιν· ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς οὐ προσιόντας τοῖς θεοῖς ἐστι τὸ τῶν πονηρῶν
δαιμόνων τεταγμένον φῦλον, [B] ὑφ᾽ ὧν οἱ πολλοὶ παροιστρούμενοι τῶν ἀθέων
ἀναπείθονται θανατᾶν, ὡς ἀναπτησόμενοι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν, ὅταν ἀπορρήξωσι
τὴν ψυχὴν βιαίως. εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ καὶ τὰς ἐρημίας ἀντὶ τῶν πόλεων διώκουσιν,
ὄντος τἀνθρώπου φύσει πολιτικοῦ ζῴου καὶ ἡμέρου, δαίμοσιν ἐκδεδομένοι
πονηροῖς, ὑφ᾽ ὧν εἰς ταύτην ἄγονται τὴν μισανθρωπίαν. ἤδη δὲ καὶ δεσμὰ καὶ
κλοιοὺς ἐξηῦρον οἱ πολλοὶ τούτων· οὕτω πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς ὁ κακὸς
συνελαύνει δαίμων, ᾧ δεδώκασιν ἑκόντες ἑαυτούς, ἀποστάντες τῶν ἀιδίων καὶ
σωτήρων θεῶν. [C] ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων ἀπόχρη τοσαῦτα εἰπεῖν· ὅθεν δ᾽
ἐξέβην εἰς τοῦτο ἐπανήξω.
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