Texte grec :
| [3,50] περὶ δὲ τῆς εὐδαίμονός τε καὶ θείας καταστάσεως τῆς νῦν ἐπικρατούσης
χρὴ διελθεῖν ἐπιμελέστερον. πολλαὶ μὲν οὖν εἰκόνες ἐναργεῖς καὶ παραδείγματα
οὐκ ἀμυδρὰ τῆσδε τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἔν τε ἀγέλαις καὶ σμήνεσι διασημαινούσης
τῆς φύσεως τὴν κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ κρείττονος τῶν ἐλαττόνων
ἀρχὴν καὶ πρόνοιαν· οὐ μὴν φανερώτερον οὐδὲ κάλλιον ἕτερον ἂν
γένοιτο τῆς τοῦ παντὸς ἡγεμονίας, ἣ ὑπὸ τῷ πρώτῳ τε καὶ ἀρίστῳ θεῷ.
(51) τοιοῦτος δὲ ὢν πρῶτον μέν ἐστι θεοφιλής, ἅτε τῆς μεγίστης τυγχάνων παρὰ
θεῶν τιμῆς καὶ πίστεως. καὶ πρῶτόν γε
καὶ μάλιστα θεραπεύσει τὸ θεῖον, οὐχ ὁμολογῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ
καὶ πεπεισμένος εἶναι θεούς, ἵνα δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔχῃ τοὺς κατ´ ἀξίαν ἄρχοντας.
(52) ἡγεῖται δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις συμφέρειν τὴν
αὑτοῦ πρόνοιαν οὕτως ὡς αὐτῷ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀρχήν. καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνο
ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς ὡς οὔποτε δῶρον δέξεται παρὰ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν,
οὐδὲ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀναθήμασιν οὐδὲ θυσίαις οἴεται χαίρειν τῶν ἀδίκων {ἀνδρῶν},
παρὰ μόνων δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσίεσθαι τὰ διδόμενα.
τοιγαροῦν θεραπεύειν ἀφθόνως αὐτοὺς σπουδάσει καὶ τούτοις·
ἐκείνοις γε μὴν οὐδέποτε παύσεται τιμῶν, τοῖς καλοῖς ἔργοις καὶ
ταῖς δικαίαις πράξεσιν. ἕκαστόν γε μὴν τῶν θεῶν ἱλάσκεται κατὰ
{τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ} δύναμιν.
(53) ἡγεῖται δὲ τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν ὁσιότητα, τὴν δὲ κακίαν πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν.
εἶναι γὰρ ἐναγεῖς καὶ ἀλιτηρίους οὐ
μόνον τοὺς τὰ ἱερὰ συλῶντας ἢ λέγοντάς τι βλάσφημον περὶ τῶν
θεῶν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον τούς τε δειλοὺς καὶ ἀδίκους καὶ ἀκρατεῖς
καὶ ἀνοήτους καὶ καθόλου τοὺς ἐναντίον τι πράττοντας τῇ τε δυνάμει
καὶ βουλήσει τῶν θεῶν.
(54) οὐ μόνον δὲ ἡγεῖται θεούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ δαίμονας καὶ ἥρωας ἀγαθοὺς
τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ψυχὰς μεταβαλούσας ἐκ τῆς θνητῆς φύσεως·
τοῦτο δὲ βεβαιοῖ τὸ δόγμα οὐχ ἥκιστα χαριζόμενος αὑτῷ.
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Traduction française :
| [3,50] but it is my duty to discuss more carefully the
happy and god-given polity at present in force. Now
there are many close parallels and striking analogies to
this form of government to be found in nature, where
herds of cattle and swarms of bees indicate clearly
that it is natural for the stronger to govern and care
for the weaker. I-Iowever, there could be no more
striking or beautiful illustration than that government
of the universe which is under the control of the first
and best god.
(51) A ruler of this character is, to begin with, highly
favoured of the gods, seeing that he enjoys their
greatest respect and confidence, and he will give the
first and chief place to religion, not merely confessing
but also believing in his heart that there are gods, to the
end that he too may have worthy governors under him.
And he believes that his own oversight is advantageous
to others just as the rule of the gods is to himself.
Furthermore, being firmly resolved in his own heart
never to receive a gift from wicked men, he believes
that the gods also do not delight in the offerings or
sacrifices of the unjust, but accept the gifts made by
the good alone. Accordingly, he will be zealous
to worship them with these also without stint. Of a
truth he will never cease honouring them with noble
deeds and just acts. Each one, indeed, of the gods he
will propitiate as far as within him lies. Virtue he regards
as holiness and vice as utter impiety, being firmly
persuaded that not only those who rob temples or
blaspheme the gods are sinners and accursed but,
much more so, the cowardly, the unjust, the licentious,
thc fools, and, in general, those who act contrary to
the power and will of thc gods. Furthermore, he
believes not only in gods but also in good spirits
and demi-gods, which arc the souls of good men that
have cast off this mortal nature ; and in confirming
this belief he does no small service to himself as well.
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