Texte grec :
| [36,30] ἅμα τε οὐκ ἦν ἴσως πρέπον οὐδὲ πιθανὸν
κυρίως εἰπόντας εἶναι τὸν κόσμον ζῷον ἔπειτα φάσκειν ὡς ἔστι
πόλις· τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ πόλιν τε καὶ ζῷον οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι ῥᾳδίως ὑπομένοι
τις ὑπολαβεῖν. ἀλλὰ τὴν νῦν διακόσμησιν, ὁπηνίκα διῄρηται καὶ μεμέρισται
τὸ πᾶν εἰς πολλάς τινας μορφὰς φυτῶν τε καὶ ζῴων θνητῶν
καὶ ἀθανάτων, ἔτι δὲ ἀέρος καὶ γῆς καὶ ὕδατος καὶ πυρός, ἓν οὐδὲν
ἧττον πεφυκὸς ἐν ἅπασι τούτοις καὶ μιᾷ ψυχῇ καὶ δυνάμει διεπόμενον, ἁμῃγέπῃ πόλει προσεικάζουσι διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ
γιγνομένων τε καὶ ἀπογιγνομένων, ἔτι δὲ τὴν τάξιν καὶ τὴν εὐκοσμίαν
τῆς διοικήσεως.
(36,31) ὁ δὲ λόγος οὗτος ἔμβραχυ ἐσπούδακε ξυναρμόσαι
τῷ θείῳ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον γένος καὶ ἑνὶ λόγῳ περιλαβεῖν πᾶν τὸ
λογικόν, κοινωνίας ἀρχὴν καὶ δικαιοσύνης μόνην ταύτην ἰσχυρὰν
καὶ ἄλυτον εὑρίσκων. πόλις μὲν γὰρ δὴ κατὰ τοῦτο ἂν εἴη λεγομένη
μὰ Δί´ οὐ φαύλων οὐδὲ μικρῶν τυχοῦσα ἡγεμόνων οὐδὲ ὑπὸ
τυράννων τε καὶ δήμων καὶ δεκαρχιῶν δὴ καὶ ὀλιγαρχιῶν καί τινων
ἄλλων τοιούτων ἀρρωστημάτων διαφορουμένη καὶ στασιάζουσα
τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, ἀλλὰ τῇ σωφρονεστάτῃ καὶ ἀρίστῃ βασιλείᾳ
κεκοσμημένη, τῷ ὄντι βασιλευομένη κατὰ νόμον μετὰ πάσης φιλίας
καὶ ὁμονοίας·
(36,32) ὅπερ δὴ ὁ σοφώτατος καὶ {ὁ} πρεσβύτατος ἄρχων
καὶ νομοθέτης ἅπασι προστάττει θνητοῖς καὶ ἀθανάτοις, ὁ τοῦ
ξύμπαντος ἡγεμὼν οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς ὅλης δεσπότης οὐσίας, αὐτὸς
οὕτως ἐξηγούμενος καὶ παράδειγμα παρέχων τὴν αὑτοῦ διοίκησιν
τῆς εὐδαίμονος καὶ μακαρίας καταστάσεως· ὃν οἱ θεῖοι ποιηταὶ
μαθόντες ἐκ Μουσῶν ὑμνοῦσιν ἅμα καὶ ὀνομάζουσι πατέρα θεῶν
καὶ ἀνθρώπων.
(36,33) κινδυνεύει γὰρ οὖν δὴ τὸ ποιητικὸν γένος οὐ πάνυ
ἄστοχον εἶναι τῶν ἱερῶν λόγων οὐδὲ ἄπο στόχου φθέγγεσθαι τὰ
τοιαῦτα πολλάκις, οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ μεμυῆσθαι καθαρῶς κατὰ θεσμὸν
καὶ νόμον τῶν μυουμένων οὐδὲ εἰδέναι τοῦ ξύμπαντος πέρι τῆς
ἀληθείας σαφὲς οὐδέν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν· ἀτεχνῶς δὲ ἔοικεν ὅμοιον
εἶναι τοῖς ἔξω περὶ θύρας ὑπηρέταις τῶν τελετῶν, πρόθυρα
κοσμοῦσι καὶ βωμοὺς τοὺς ἐν τῷ φανερῷ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα
παρασκευάζουσιν, οὐδέ ποτ´ ἔνδον παριοῦσιν. ὅθεν δὴ καὶ θεράποντας
Μουσῶν αὑτοὺς ὀνομάζουσιν, οὐ μύστας οὐδὲ ἄλλο σεμνὸν ὄνομα.
(36,34) οὐκοῦν, ὡς ἔφην, τούς τε πλησίον ἀναστρεφομένους τελετῆς τινος πρὸς ταῖς εἰσόδοις εἰκὸς τό γε τοσοῦτον τῶν ἔνδοθεν αἰσθάνεσθαί
τινος, ἤτοι ῥήματος ἐκβοηθέντος ἑνὸς μυστικοῦ ἢ πυρὸς ὑπερφανέντος,
καὶ τοῖς ποιηταῖς ἐνίοτε, λέγω δὲ τοῖς πάνυ ἀρχαίοις,
φωνή τις ἐκ Μουσῶν ἀφίκετο βραχεῖα καί πού τις ἐπίπνοια θείας
φύσεώς τε καὶ ἀληθείας, καθάπερ αὐγὴ πυρὸς ἐξ ἀφανοῦς λάμψαντος·
ἃ ἔπασχον ἐκ Μουσῶν καὶ κατείχοντο Ὅμηρός τε καὶ Ἡσίοδος.
(36,35) οἱ δὲ μετ´ ἐκείνους ὕστερον ἐπὶ σκηνὰς καὶ θέατρα τὴν
αὑτῶν σοφίαν ἀγαγόντες ἀμύητοι ἀμυήτοις πολλάκις ἐξέφερον
ἀτελῆ παραδείγματα ὀργίων· θαυμαζόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν
ἐπεχείρουν αὐτοὶ τελεῖν τὸν ὄχλον, τῷ ὄντι βακχείων τινὰς σκηνὰς
ἀκαλύπτους πηξάμενοι ἔν τισι τραγικαῖς τριόδοις. οὗτοι δ´ οὖν
πάντες οἱ ποιηταὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ τὸν πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον θεὸν
πατέρα καλοῦσι συλλήβδην ἅπαντος τοῦ λογικοῦ γένους καὶ δὴ
καὶ βασιλέα.
(36,36) οἷς πειθόμενοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι Διὸς βασιλέως ἱδρύονται
βωμούς, καὶ δὴ καὶ πατέρα αὐτὸν οὐκ ὀκνοῦσι προσαγορεύειν τινὲς
ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς, ὡς τοιαύτης τινὸς ἀρχῆς καὶ συστάσεως οὔσης τοῦ
παντός. ὥστε ταύτῃ γε οὐδὲ οἶκον δοκοῦσί μοι ὀκνῆσαι ἂν ἀποφήνασθαι
τοῦ Διὸς τὸν ἅπαντα κόσμον, εἴπερ ἐστὶ πατὴρ τῶν ἐν
αὐτῷ, καὶ νὴ Δία πόλιν ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς προσεικάζομεν κατὰ τὴν
μείζονα ἀρχήν.
(36,37) βασιλεία γὰρ πόλει μᾶλλον ἢ οἴκῳ πρεπόντως
ἂν λέγοιτο. οὐ γὰρ δὴ βασιλέα εἰπόντες τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅλων οὐκ
ἂν βασιλεύεσθαι τὸ ὅλον ὁμολογοῖεν οὐδὲ βασιλεύεσθαι φήσαντες
οὐκ ἂν πολιτεύεσθαι φαῖεν οὐδὲ εἶναι πολιτείαν {βασιλικὴν} τοῦ
παντός. πολιτείαν δ´ αὖ συγχωροῦντες πόλιν οὐκ ἂν ἀποτρέποιντο
ὁμολογεῖν ἤ τι τούτῳ παραπλήσιον τὸ πολιτευόμενον.
(36,38) ὅδε μὲν
οὖν ὁ τῶν φιλοσόφων λόγος, ἀγαθὴν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον ἀποδεικνὺς
κοινωνίαν δαιμόνων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, μεταδιδοὺς νόμου καὶ πολιτείας
οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσι τῶν ζῴων, ἀλλ´ ὅσοις μέτεστι λόγου καὶ
φρονήσεως, πολὺ κρείττω καὶ δικαιοτέραν τῆς Λακωνικῆς νομοθεσίας εἰσηγούμενος, καθ´ ἣν οὐδὲ ὑπάρχει τοῖς Εἵλωσι γενέσθαι
Σπαρτιάταις· ὅθεν δὴ {καὶ} διατελοῦσιν ἐπιβουλεύοντες τῇ Σπάρτῃ.
(36,39) ἕτερος δὲ μῦθος ἐν ἀπορρήτοις τελεταῖς ὑπὸ μάγων ἀνδρῶν ᾄδεται θαυμαζόμενος, οἳ τὸν θεὸν τοῦτον ὑμνοῦσιν ὡς τέλειόν τε καὶ
πρῶτον ἡνίοχον τοῦ τελειοτάτου ἅρματος. τὸ γὰρ Ἡλίου ἅρμα
νεώτερόν φασιν εἶναι πρὸς ἐκεῖνο κρινόμενον, φανερὸν δὲ τοῖς
πολλοῖς, ἅτε προδήλου γιγνομένης τῆς φορᾶς. ὅθεν κοινῆς φήμης
τυγχάνειν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἀπὸ πρώτων σχεδόν τι τῶν ποιητῶν τῶν
ἀνατολὰς καὶ δύσεις ἑκάστοτε λεγόντων κατὰ ταὐτὰ πάντων ἐξηγουμένων ζευγνυμένους τε τοὺς ἵππους καὶ τὸν Ἥλιον αὐτὸν ἐπιβαίνοντα
τοῦ δίφρου.
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Traduction française :
| [36,30] if, after stating in the strict sense of the term that the universe
is a living creature, they should then call it a city, for that the same thing is both a city
and a living being is a proposition that, I imagine, no one would readily consent
to entertain. Yet the present orderly constitution of the universe ever since the whole
has been separated and divided into a considerable number of forms of plants and
animals, mortal and immortal, yes, and into air and earth and water and fire, being
nevertheless by nature in all these forms one thing and governed by one spirit and
force — this orderly constitution, I say, the Stoics do in one way or another liken to a
city because of the multitude of the creatures that are constantly either being born or
else ending their existence in it, and, furthermore, because of the arrangement and
orderliness of its administration.
31 "This doctrine, in brief, aims to harmonize the human race with the divine, and to
embrace in a single term everything endowed with reason, finding in reason the only
sure and indissoluble foundation for fellowship and justice. For in keeping with that
(p451) concept the term 'city' would be applied, not, of course, to an organization that
has chanced to get mean or petty leaders nor to one which through tyranny or
democracy or, in fact, through decarchy or oligarchy or any other similar product of
imperfection, is being torn to pieces and made the victim of constant party faction.
Nay, term would be applied rather to an organization that is governed by the sanest
and noblest form of kingship, to one that is actually under royal governance in
accordance with law, in complete friendship and concord. 32 And this, indeed, is
precisely what the wisest and eldest ruler and law-giver ordains for all, both mortals
and immortals, he who is the leader of all the heaven and lord of all being, himself
thus expounding the term and offering his own administration as a pattern of the
happy and blessed condition, he whom the divine bards, instructed by the Muses,
praise in song and call the 'father of gods and men.'
33 "For the chances are, indeed, that poets as a class are not utterly bad marksmen
when they speak of sacred things and that they are not missing the mark when they
use such expressions as that repeatedly; on the other hand, it is not likely that they
have received a real initiation according to the rites and regulations of true initiates,
or that with reference to the universe they know anything, if I may say so, which is
true and clear. But we may think of them as merely like the attendants at the rites,
who stand outside at the doors, decking portals on the altars which are in full view and
attending to the other preparations of that kind but never passing within. Indeed that
is the very reason why the poets call themselves 'attendants of the Muses,' not
initiates (p453) or any other august name. 34 So, as I was saying, it is reasonable to
suppose that not only do those who busy themselves near some ritual, hard by the
entrance to the sanctuary, gain some inkling of what is going on within, when either a
lone mystic phrase rings out loudly, or fire appears above the enclosure, but also that
there comes sometimes to the poets — I mean the very ancient poets — some
utterance from the Muses, however brief, some inspiration of divine nature and of
divine truth, like a flash of fire from the invisible. This is what happened to Homer
and Hesiod when they were possessed by the Muses. 35 But the poets who came after
them in later days, bringing to stage and theatre naught but their own wisdom,
uninitiate addressing initiate, have often times disclosed imperfect patterns of holy rites;
but, being applauded by the multitude, they tried in their own right to initiate the
mob, actually, as we might say, building open booths for Bacchic rites at tragic
crossroads.
"Yet all these poets in precisely the same fashion call the first and greatest god Father
of the whole rational family collectively, yes, and King besides. 36 And trusting to
these poets men erect altars to Zeus the King and, what is more, some do not hesitate
even to call him Father in their prayers, believing that there exists some such
government and organization of the universe as that. Therefore, from that standpoint
at least, it seems to me, they would not hesitate to apply the term 'home of Zeus' to
the (p455) entire universe — if indeed he is father of all who live in it — yes, by Zeus, and his 'city' too, our Stoic similitude, to suggest the greater office of the god. 37 For
kingship is a word more appropriate to a city than to a home. For surely men would
not apply the term King to him who is over all and then refuse to admit that the whole
is governed by a king, nor would they admit that they are governed by a king and then
deny that they are members of a state or that there is a kingly administration of the
universe. And again, conceding 'administration,' they would not balk at accepting
'city,' or something very like it, as descriptive of that which is administered.
38 "This, then, is the theory of the philosophers, a theory which sets up a noble and
benevolent fellowship of gods and men which gives a share in law and citizenship, not
to all living beings whatsoever, but only to such as have a share in reason and
intellect, introducing a far better and more righteous code than that of Sparta, in
accordance with which the Helots have no prospect of ever becoming Spartans, and
consequently are constantly plotting against Sparta.
39 "Moreover, there is besides a myth which arouses admiration as sung in secret rites
by the Magi, who extol this god of ours as being the perfect and original driver of the
most perfect chariot. For the chariot of Helius, they claim, is relatively recent when
compared with that of Zeus, though visible to the many because its course is run in
full view. Therefore, they say, the chariot of Helius has enjoyed a reputation with all
mankind, since the poets, beginning practically with the earliest times, so it would
seem, are always telling of its rising and (p457) its setting, all in the same manner
describing the yoking of the horses and Helius himself mounting his car.
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