Texte grec :
| [41,10] ἣν προσήκει μιμουμένους ὑμᾶς πρᾴους καὶ
μεγαλόφρονας φαίνεσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἐγγὺς οὕτω καὶ συνοίκοις σχεδὸν
μὴ χαλεποὺς μηδὲ ὑπερηφάνους γείτονας, πρὸς οὓς ὑμῖν καὶ
γάμοι κοινοὶ καὶ τέκνα καὶ πολιτεῖαι καὶ θυσίαι θεῶν καὶ πανηγύρεις
καὶ θεάματα, καὶ συμπαιδεύεσθε τοῖς καθ´ ἕνα καὶ συνεστιᾶσθε
καὶ ἀλλήλους ὑποδέχεσθε καὶ {ἀλλήλοις} τὸν πλείω χρόνον
συνδιατρίβετε καὶ σχεδὸν εἷς ἐστε δῆμος καὶ μία πόλις ἐν οὐ πολλῷ
διαστήματι. καὶ τοίνυν πλείους τῶν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ πολίτας πεποίησθε,
καὶ βουλῆς μετεδώκατε, καὶ ἄρχοντας οὐκ ἀπηξιώσατε γενέσθαι
παρ´ ὑμῖν, καὶ τῶν σεμνῶν τούτων, ἃ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐστὶ πόλεως,
ἐκοινωνήσατε.
(41,11) πῶς οὖν εἰκὸς καθ´ ἕνα μὲν ἕκαστον ἡγεῖσθαι
φίλον καὶ τιμᾶν, κοινῇ δὲ τὴν πόλιν ἐχθρὰν νομίζειν, ὑμᾶς τε
ἐκείνην κἀκείνους τὴν ὑμετέραν; οἱ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀγαπῶντες
καὶ ἐπιμιγνύμενοι τούτοις καὶ προσαγόμενοι πολίτας τί λοιπὸν ἢ
τὸν ἀέ〈ρα〉 ἐχθαίρουσι καὶ τοὺς τόπους, ἤ, ὃ μηδὲ εἰπεῖν ὅσιον,
τοῖς θεοῖς ἀπεχθάνονται; καὶ τοίνυν ἅπασα μὲν ἔχθρα πρὸς ἅπαντας
ἐργῶδες καὶ χαλεπόν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὕτως ἀσθενὴς ἐχθρὸς ὅστις
οὐκ ἐλύπησεν ἐπὶ καιροῦ καὶ τὸν ἄγαν φαινόμενον ἰσχυρὸν καὶ τὸ
μῖσος ἐνεδείξατο ἢ λόγον τινὰ εἰπὼν λυπηρὸν ἢ ἔργον ἀσύμφορον
πράξας.
(41,12) οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, οὐδέποτε ἡδὺς οὐδὲ ὠφέλιμος
ὁ τοῦ μίσους καρπός, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἁπάντων ἀηδέστατος καὶ
πικρότατος, οὐδὲ βάρος οὕτω χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ ἐπίπονον ὡς ἔχθρα
φέρειν. ταῖς μὲν οὖν εὐτυχίαις ἀεὶ παρενοχλεῖ, τὰς δὲ συμφορὰς
αὔξει, καὶ τῷ μὲν ἄλλο τι λυπουμένῳ τὴν λύπην ἀπεργάζεται
διπλασίονα, τοὺς δὲ εὖ πράττοντας οὐκ ἐᾷ χαίρειν κατὰ τὴν
ἀξίαν. ἀνάγκη γὰρ οἶμαι τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπὸ μὲν ἀλλήλων βλάπτεσθαι,
παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καταφρονεῖσθαι καὶ ἀδοξεῖν, ὡς
τοῦτο μὲν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῖς ἐναντίων, τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοὺς ἄφρονας
καὶ φιλονίκους. φιλίας δὲ καὶ ὁμονοίας οὐδὲν κάλλιον οὐδὲ θειότερον
καὶ ἀνδρὶ πρὸς ἄνδρα καὶ πόλει πρὸς πόλιν.
(41,13) τίνες μὲν
γὰρ εὐπρεπέστερον κτῶνται τἀγαθὰ τῶν φίλων συμποριζόντων
αὐτοῖς; τίνες δὲ ἀποφεύγουσι τὰ κατὰ ῥᾷον ἢ οἷς ἂν φίλοι
συμμαχῶσι; τίνων δὲ ἧττον ἅπτεται τὰ λυπηρὰ ἢ τῶν ἐχόντων
τοὺς συναλγοῦντας καὶ συμφέροντας αὐτοῖς; τίσι δὲ ἥδιον τὸ
εὐτυχεῖν ἢ ὅσοι μὴ μόνον αὑτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλους εὐφραίνουσιν
εὖ πράττοντες; ὡς ἔγωγε οὐδ´ ἂν εὐτυχεῖν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἄνδρα φαίην
ὃς οὐδένα ἔχει τὸν συνηδόμενον.
(41,14) {τίς δὲ συνεργός,} τίς δὲ σύμβολος
ἀμείνων τοῖς ἰδοῦσιν ἢ φίλος ἐντυχών; σχεδὸν γὰρ οὗτος σύμβολος
οὐ μόνον εὐφημότατος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφελιμώτατος, {καὶ} ὅτῳ
ἂν ἐντύχῃ ἀνὴρ εὔνους. τὰ δὲ τοῦ μίσους καὶ τὰ τῆς ἔχθρας
πανταχῇ λυπηρὰ καὶ δυσχερῆ. χαλεπὸν μὲν ἐν σπουδῇ, χαλεπὸν
δὲ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ παρὼν ἐχθρός, λυπηρὸν μὲν ὁρῶσι, λυπηρὸν δὲ
μνημονεύουσι, πολὺ δὲ πάντων πειρωμένοις βλαβερώτατον.
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Traduction française :
| [41,10] In emulation of that city it is fitting that you should show yourselves gentle and
magnanimous toward men who are so close to you, virtually housemates, not harsh
and arrogant neighbours, since they are men with whom you have common ties of
wedlock, offspring, civic institutions, sacrifices to the gods, festive assemblies, and
spectacles; moreover, you are educated together with them individually, you feast
with them, you entertain each other, you spend the greater portion of your time
together, you are almost one community, one city only slightly divided. Besides,
several citizens of Prusa you have even made citizens of Apameia, you have made
them members of the Council, you have deemed them not unworthy of becoming
magistrates among you, and you admitted them to partnership in these august
privileges which pertain to Roman citizenship. 11 How, then, is it reasonable to regard
individuals singly as friends and to show them honour, and then as a community to
view their city as a foe, as Apameia and Prusa both are doing? For when men love the
inhabitants of a city and (p161) mingle with them and welcome them to citizenship, what
explanation remains except that they do not like each other's climate and the position
of each other's city, or else an unholy thing even to suggest that they detest each
other's gods? Furthermore, any enmity towards any people is an irksome, grievous
thing. For there is no enemy so weak as not on occasion to hurt even the man who
appears to be very strong, or to display his hatred by either saying some painful word
or doing some injurious act.
12 For the fruit of hatred is never, so to speak, sweet or beneficial, but of all things
most unpleasant and bitter, nor is any burden so hard to bear or so fatiguing as
enmity. For example, while it always interferes with strokes of good fortune, it
increases disasters, and while for him who suffers from something else it doubles the
pain, it does not permit those who are enjoying good fortune to rejoice in fitting
measure.15 For it is inevitable, I suppose, that the masses should be harmed by one
another, and, on the other hand, be despised and held in low esteem by the others,
not only as having antagonists to begin with, but also as being themselves foolish and
contentious. 13 However, there is nothing finer or more godlike than friendship and
concord, whether between man and man or between city and city. For who are they
who acquire the good things of life more becomingly, when it is their friends who
assist in supplying them? Who escape the bad things more easily than those who have
friends as allies? Who are less affected by distress than those who have persons to
share their suffering and to (p163) help them bear it? To whom is good fortune sweeter
than to those who gladden by their success not only themselves but others too? For
I would not count that man fortunate who has no one to share his pleasure. 14 Again,
what helper, what counsellor, is more welcome to behold than a friend met
unexpectedly? In fact one might almost say that he is also an augury, not only most
auspicious, but even most helpful, and to whomever he may meet a loyal friend. But
the works of hatred, indeed, and of enmity are painful and grievous everywhere. The
presence of an enemy is a grievous thing, whether in a serious business or in the
midst of good cheer, a painful thing to behold and painful to recall, but beyond all
things most baneful to experience.
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