[30,40] πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἐξεμοῦσιν ὑπὸ πλησμονῆς· γίγνεται δὲ μετὰ σπαραγμοῦ τε καὶ λύπης τῆς ἐσχάτης τὸ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐκβάλλειν. ὅστις δ´ ἂν ἰσχύσῃ, κουφίζεται καὶ ῥᾷον διάγει τὸ λοιπόν. σπανίως δὲ τοῦτο συμβαίνει τὸ ἐθέλειν ἐξεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀεὶ πίνειν ἐθέλουσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ παύονται τοῦ δίψους, ἀλλ´ ἀεὶ σφοδρότερον ἔχουσι, καθάπερ οἱ τῷ οἴνῳ ἀκράτῳ χρωμένοι. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν τοιοῦτοί εἰσι καὶ καταισχύνουσι καὶ ὑβρίζουσι τὴν χάριν τῶν θεῶν· οἱ δὲ μέτριοί τε καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς τῇ μὲν ἡδονῇ πρᾴως χρῶνται καὶ διὰ χρόνου φοβούμενοι· ὥσπερ {δὲ} ἄνθρωπος ἐλευθέριος κληθεὶς ὑπό τινος τῶν κρειττόνων, βασιλέως ἢ δυνάστου, τοῦ μὲν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν ἀμελεῖ, πλὴν ὅσον ἀναγκαῖον, προσέχει δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον καὶ τούτοις τέρπεται· κἀκεῖνοι μέθης μὲν καὶ πεττῶν καὶ ἀστραγάλων ἀμελοῦσιν, ὁρῶσι δὲ τἄνδον ὅπως ἔχει, καὶ τόν τε ἀνδρῶνα, ἐν ᾧ κατάκεινται, θαυμάζουσί τε καὶ ζητοῦσιν ὅπως γέγονε, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα ὥσπερ γραφάς τινας εὐειδεῖς καὶ καλὰς κατανοοῦσι, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην οἰκονομίαν τε καὶ τάξιν καὶ τὰς ὥρας, ὡς εὖ τε καὶ ἐπισταμένως ἅπαντα πράττουσι, καὶ προσέχουσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μόνοι δὴ τοῦ κάλλους (42) αἰσθάνονται. μέλει δ´ αὐτοῖς ὅπως μὴ δοκῶσιν ὡς τυφλοί τε καὶ κωφοὶ μετειληφέναι τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπαλλαγέντες ἔχωσί τι εἰπεῖν περὶ αὐτῶν, εἴ τις πυνθάνοιτο, ἅ τε εἶδον ἅ τε ἔγνωσαν. καὶ ταῦτα φροντίζοντες καὶ μετὰ νοῦ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐμμελῶς μετέχοντες διάγουσιν, εἷς ἑνὶ διαλεγόμενοι καὶ κατὰ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ὅμοιοι. ἐνίοτε δὲ μεγάλης κραυγῆς γενομένης καὶ θορύβου παρὰ τῶν μεθυόντων κἀκεῖσε ἀπέβλεψαν, ἔπειτα εὐθὺς πάλιν πρὸς ἑαυτοῖς ἐγένοντο. (43) καὶ ἐπειδὰν ἀπιέναι δέῃ, οἱ μὲν ἄσωτοι καὶ ἀκρατεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκολουθούντων ἕλκονται καὶ σύρονται μετὰ πόνων τε καὶ νοσημάτων κεκραγότες καὶ οἰμώζοντες, οὐδὲν εἰδότες οὔτε ὅποι παρῆλθον οὔτε ὅπως εἱστιάθησαν, κἂν πάνυ πολύν τις αὐτῶν μείνῃ χρόνον. οἱ δὲ ὀρθοί τε καὶ ἀσφαλῶς τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ποσὶν ἀπίασι, προσαγορεύσαντες τοὺς φίλους, φαιδροί τε καὶ γεγηθότες, ὡς οὐδὲν (44) ἀσχημονήσαντες. ταῦτα οὖν ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπῶν καὶ πάντας ὁρῶν ὡς ἐν ἰδίῳ οἴκῳ ὅπως ἕκαστος εἱστιᾶτο, τοὺς βελτίστους ἀεὶ παρ´ αὑτὸν καλεῖ, κἄν τῳ σφόδρα ἀρεσθεὶς τύχῃ, μένειν αὐτὸν κελεύει καὶ συμπότην καὶ ἑταῖρον ἐποιήσατο, καὶ τοῦ νέκταρος ἤδη οὗτος εὐωχεῖται. τοῦτο δὲ ἔοικε μὲν τῷ τῆς σωφροσύνης πώματι, διαυγέστερον δέ ἐστιν ἐκείνου πολὺ καὶ καθαρώτερον, ὡς ἂν οἶμαι θείας ὂν καὶ ἀληθοῦς εὐφροσύνης’.

[30,40] Many too vomit from surfeit, and it is accompanied by retching and the severest pain - this casting out of the pleasure. But whoever persists is relieved and gets on better for the future. Yet it rarely happens that a person wishes to vomit; much rather do they wish to keep on drinking. For their thirst does not cease, but ever becomes more intense, just as with people who use untempered wine. (41) "Such, then, is the character of these people, and they disgrace and insult the bounty of the gods ; whereas the temperate and reasonable enjoy pleasure in moderation and at intervals, owing to their fear; and just as a gentleman who has been invited by some superior, such as a king or a prince, neglects the food and drink, except in so far as he cannot avoid eating and drinking, and pays attention to what is in the palace and enjoys this ; so the reasonable neglect the drinking and draughts and dice, and look at the state of the things within, admire the banqueting-hall in which they are reclining, try to learn how it was made, and observe everything that is in it, just as they would some fair and beautiful paintings ; and they notice the management also and its orderly system, and the Seasons too, observing how well and intelligently they do everything ; they observe attentively all these things and alone perceive their beauty. They are anxious also not to appear to take part in all this like persons who are blind and deaf, but they wish to have something to tell about it when they leave, if anyone should ask them about what they saw and observed. And throughout the banquet they continue to take thought for these things and to enjoy the pleasure intelligently and moderately, while they debate man to man, or in congenial groups of two or three. Sometimes, however, when a great noise and disturbance is caused by those who are drunk, they look in their direction and then straightway again give attention to their own concerns. (43) "And when they have to depart, the dissolute and intemperate are pulled and dragged away by their slave attendants with discomforts and spells of sickness, shouting and groaning the while, and having no knowledge whatever where they have been or how they have feasted, even if one or another of them remains a very long time. But the others depart erect and standing securely upon their own feet after bidding farewell to their friends, joyous and happy because they have done nothing unseemly. God, therefore, looking upon these things and observing all the banqueters, as if he were in his own house, how each person has comported himself at the banquet, ever calls the best to himself; and if he happens to be especially pleased with any one, he bids him remain there and makes him his boon companion ; and thenceforth this man regales himself with nectar. This resembles the beverage of Sobriety, but is clearer by far than the other and purer because, as I think, it belongs to divine and true sobriety."

[30,45] (DION) Παπαῖ, ὦ Χαρίδημε, οἷος ὢν ἡμῖν τέθνηκας, ὡς πολὺ τῶν κατὰ σαυτὸν ἀνθρώπων ὑπερέξειν ἔμελλες, οἵαν δὲ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τοῖς πολίταις ἐπίδειξιν σαυτοῦ παρέσχου, μὰ Δί´ οὐ λόγων, ἀλλὰ μεγάλης καὶ ἀληθινῆς ἀνδρείας. ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἔχω ὅπως παραμυθήσωμαι ὑμᾶς τοιούτου στερηθέντας μὴ βαρέως φέρειν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐμαυτὸν οἷός τέ εἰμι (46) ἱκανῶς παραμυθήσασθαι ἐν τῷ παρόντι. σὺ δέ, ὦ Τίμαρχε, μόνος δύνασαι τὸν πατέρα τοῦτον κουφίζειν καὶ θεραπεύειν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀτυχίαν, ἐὰν μέλῃ σοι μὴ πολὺ ἐκείνου καταδεεστέρῳ φαίνεσθαι. καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον, εἰ τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν μὲν ἤδη παρείληφας τοσαύτην οὖσαν, τὴν δὲ αὖθις λήψῃ τοῦδε ἀποθανόντος, τὴν δὲ σωφροσύνην καὶ τὸ θάρσος καὶ τὸ τῶν καλλίστων ἐρασθῆναι ἀφήσεις, ὡς κατά γε ταῦτα οὐδὲν ἐκείνῳ προσήκων.

[30,45] (Dion) Alas, Charidemus, what a man has been lost to us in your death ! How far you would have surpassed the men of your generation, and what a splendid revelation of your character you have given to your father and your fellow citizens, a display, not of words assuredly, but of great and true manliness. For my part, I know not how to console you of his family, bereft of such a man, by exhorting you not to sorrow too deeply, for I am not able adequately to console even myself for the present. (46) You alone, Timarchus, are able to lighten this father's grief and to bring healing to his misfortune, by making it your concern not to be found much inferior to the departed. For it would be strange indeed if, while you have already received part of his property, great as it was, and will receive the other part in the future when your father here dies, yet you should forsake sobriety, courage, and a love for all that is most beautiful, as if in these matters you were of no kin at all to Charidemus.