Ch. 20
That we can derive advantage from all external things.
IN the case of appearances which are objects of the vision,518
nearly all have allowed the good and the evil to be in
ourselves, and not in externals. No one gives the name
of good to the fact that it is day, nor bad to the fact
that it is night, nor the name of the greatest evil to the
opinion that three are four. But what do men say? They
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say that knowledge is good, and that error is bad; so that
even in respect to falsehood itself there is a good result,
the knowledge that it is falsehood. So it ought to be in
life also. Is health a good thing, and is sickness a bad
thing? No, man. But what is it? To be healthy, and
healthy in a right way, is good: to be healthy in a bad
way is bad; so that it is possible to gain advantage even
from sickness, I declare. For is it not possible to gain
advantage even from death, and is it not possible to gain
advantage from mutilation? Do you think that Menoeceus
gained little by death?519 Could a man who says so, gain so
much as Menoeceus gained? Come, man, did he not maintain the character of being a lover of his country, a man of
great mind, faithful, generous? And if he had continued
to live, would he not have lost all these things? would he
not have gained the opposite? would he not have gained
the name of coward, ignoble, a hater of his country, a man
who feared death?520 Well, do you think that he gained
little by dying? I suppose not. But did the father of
Admetus521 gain much by prolonging his life so ignobly
and miserably? Did he not die afterwards? Cease, I
adjure you by the gods, to admire material things. Cease
to make yourselves slaves, first of things, then on account
of things slaves of those who are able to give them or take
them away.
Can advantage then be derived from these things?
From all; and from him who abuses you. Wherein
does the man who exercises before the combat profit the
athlete? Very greatly. This man becomes my exerciser
before the combat: he exercises me in endurance, in keeping my temper, in mildness. You say no: but he, who lays
hold of my neck and disciplines my loins and shoulders,
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does me good; and the exercise master (the aliptes, or
oiler) does right when he says; Raise him up with both
hands, and the heavier he (ἐκεῖνος) is, so much the more is
my advantage.522 But if a man exercises me in keeping my
temper, does he not do me good?This is not knowing
how to gain an advantage from men. Is my neighbour
bad? Bad to himself, but good to me: he exercises my
good disposition, my moderation. Is my father bad? Bad
to himself, but to me good. This is the rod of Hermes:
touch with it what you please, as the saying is, and it
will be of gold. I say not so: but bring what you please,
and I will make it good.523 Bring disease, bring death,
bring poverty, bring abuse, bring trial on capital charges:
all these things through the rod of Hermes shall be made
profitable. What will you do with death? Why, what
else than that it shall do you honour, or that it shall show
you by act through it,524 what a man is who follows the
will of nature? What will you do with disease? I will
show its nature, I will be conspicuous in it, I will be firm,
I will be happy, I will not flatter the physician, I will not
wish to die. What else do you seek? Whatever you
shall give me, I will make it happy, fortunate, honoured,
a thing which a man shall seek.
You say No: but take care that you do not fall sick: it
is a bad thing. This is the same as if you should say, Take
care that you never receive the impression (appearance) that
three are four: that is bad. Man, how is it bad? If I think
about it as I ought, how shall it then do me any damage?
and shall it not even do me good? If then I think about
poverty as I ought to do, about disease, about not having
office,525 is not that enough for me? will it not be an advan-
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tage? How then ought I any longer to look to seek evil
and good in externals? What happens? these doctrines
are maintained here, but no man carries them away
home; but immediately every one is at war with his slave,
with his neighbours, with those who have sneered at him,
with those who have ridiculed him. Good luck to Lesbius,526
who daily proves that I know nothing.