Texte grec :
| [4,55] Καὶ τίς, εἶπεν, ἔτι μοι καταλείπεται πολέμιος, ἐὰν ἕλω τούτους οὓς εἶπον;
Ὁ πάντων, ἔφη, δυσμαχώτατος, οὐ περσίζων, οὐ μηδίζων τῇ φωνῇ,
καθάπερ οἶμαι Δαρεῖος, ἀλλὰ μακεδονίζων τε καὶ ἑλληνίζων. καὶ
ὃς ἐταράχθη τε καὶ ἠγωνίασεν μή τινα ἐπίσταιτο ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἢ
(56) ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι παρασκευαζόμενον ὡς πολεμήσοντα καὶ ἤρετο, Τίς
οὗτός ἐστιν ἐμὸς πολέμιος ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἢ Μακεδονίᾳ; Σύ, ἔφη,
ἀγνοεῖς, πάντων μάλιστα γιγνώσκειν οἰόμενος; Ἔπειτα, ἔφη, οὐκ
ἐρεῖς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ κρύψεις; Πάλαι γάρ, εἶπε, λέγω, σὺ δὲ οὐκ
ἀκούεις, ὅτι σὺ αὑτῷ μάλιστα ἔχθιστος εἶ καὶ πολεμιώτατος,
μέχρι ἂν ᾖς κακὸς καὶ ἀνόητος. καὶ οὗτος, ἔφη, ἐστὶν ἁνήρ, ὃν σὺ
(57) ἀγνοεῖς, ὡς οὐδένα ἄλλον. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν ἀφρόνων καὶ πονηρῶν
ἐπίσταται ἑαυτόν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτο πρῶτον προσέταττεν ὁ Ἀπόλλων
(58) ὡς χαλεπώτατον ἑκάστῳ, γνῶναι ἑαυτόν. ἢ οὐ τὴν ἀφροσύνην
ἡγῇ μεγίστην καὶ τελεωτάτην πασῶν νόσον καὶ βλάβην τοῖς ἔχουσι
καὶ τὸν ἄφρονα ἄνδρα αὐτὸν αὑτῷ βλαβερώτατον; ἢ οὐ τὸν βλαβερώτατον
ἑκάστῳ καὶ πλείστων κακῶν αἴτιον, τοῦτον ἔχθιστον καὶ
(59) πολεμιώτατον ἐκείνῳ ὁμολογεῖς εἶναι; πρὸς ταῦτα χαλέπαινε καὶ
πήδα, ἔφη, καὶ μιαρώτατον ἀνθρώπων ἐμὲ νόμιζε καὶ λοιδόρει
πρὸς ἅπαντας, ἐὰν δέ σοι δόξῃ, τῷ δορατίῳ διαπερόνησον· ὡς
ἀκούσει παρὰ μόνου ἀνθρώπων ἐμοῦ τἀληθῆ, καὶ παρ´ οὐδενὸς ἄλλου
{ἀνθρώπων} ἂν μάθοις. πάντες γάρ εἰσι χείρους ἐμοῦ καὶ ἀνελευθερώτεροι.
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Traduction française :
| [4,55] "And what enemy have I still left," said he, "if I
capture those peoples I have mentioned ? " "The
most difficult of all to conquer," he answered, "one
who does not speak Persian or Median as Darius does,
I presume, but Macedonian and Greek." At this
Alexander was troubled and sore distressed for fear the
other knew of someone in Macedonia or Greece who
was preparing to make war on him, and asked, "Who
is this enemy of mine in Greece or Macedonia ?
"Why, do you not know," said he, "you who
think that you know more than anyone else ? "
"In that case will you please tell me? " he asked;
"do not conceal it." "I have been trying to tell
you for a long time, but you do not hear that you are
yourself your own bitterest foe and adversary as long
as you are bad and foolish. And this is the man of
whom you are more ignorant than of any other person.
For no foolish and evil man knows himself; else
Apollo would not have given as the first commandment,
` Know thyself! ' regarding it as the most
difficult thing for every man. Or do you not think
that folly is the greatest and most serious of all
ailments and a blight to those that have it, and that
a foolish man is his own greatest bane ? Or do you
not admit that he who is most harmful to a man
and causes him the most fils is that man's greatest
foe and adversary ? In view of what I say rage and
prance about," said he, "and think me the greatest
blackguard and slander me to the world and, if it be
your pleasure, run me through with your spear ; for
I am the only man from whom you will get the
truth, and you will learn it from no one else. For
all are less honest than I and more servile."
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