Ch. 24
How we should struggle with circumstances.
IT is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men
are.151 Therefore when a difficulty falls upon you, re-
member that God, like a trainer of wrestlers, has matched
you with a rough young man. For what purpose? you
may say. Why that you may become an Olympic con-
queror; but it is not accomplished without sweat. In
my opinion no man has had a more profitable difficulty
than you have had, if you choose to make use of it as an
athlete would deal with a young antagonist. We are now
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sending a scout to Rome;152 but no man sends a cowardly
scout, who, if he only hears a noise and sees a shadow any
where, comes running back in terror and reports that the
enemy is close at hand. So now if you should come and
tell us, Fearful is the state of affairs at Rome, terrible is
death, terrible is exile; terrible is calumny; terrible is
poverty; fly, my friends; the enemy is nearwe shall
answer, Be gone, prophesy for yourself; we have committed only one fault, that we sent such a scout.
Diogenes,153 who was sent as a scout before you, made a
different report to us. He says that death is no evil, for
neither is it base: he says that fame (reputation) is the
noise of madmen. And what has this spy said about pain,
about pleasure, and about poverty? He says that to be naked
is better than any purple robe, and to sleep on the bare
ground is the softest bed; and he gives as a proof of each
thing that he affirms his own courage, his tranquillity, his
freedom, and the healthy appearance and compactness of
his body. There is no enemy near, he says; all is peace.
How so, Diogenes? See, he replies, if I am struck, if I
have been wounded, if I have fled from any man. This is
what a scout ought to be. But you come to us and tell us
one thing after another. Will you not go back, and you
will see clearer when you have laid aside fear?
What then shall I do? What do you do when you leave
a ship? Do you take away the helm or the oars? What
then do you take away? You take what is your own, your
bottle and your wallet; and now if you think of what is
your own, you will never claim what belongs to others.
The emperor (Domitian) says, Lay aside your lati-
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clave.154 See, I put on the angusticlave. Lay aside this
also. See, I have only my toga. Lay aside your toga.
See, I am now naked. But you still raise my envy. Take
then all my poor body; when, at a man's command, I
can throw away my poor body, do I still fear him?
But a certain person will not leave to me the succession
to his estate. What then? had I forgotten that not one of
these things was mine. How then do we call them mine?
Just as we call the bed in the inn. If then the innkeeper
at his death leaves you the beds; all well; but if he leaves
them to another, he will have them, and you will seek
another bed. If then you shall not find one, you will
sleep on the ground: only sleep with a good will and
snore, and remember that tragedies have their place among
the rich and kings and tyrants, but no poor man fills a
part in a tragedy, except as one of the Chorus. Kings
indeed commence with prosperity: ornament the palace
with garlands: then about the third or fourth act they
call out, Oh Cithaeron,155
why didst thou receive me?
Slave, where are the crowns, where the diadem? The
guards help thee not at all. When then you approach any
of these persons, remember this that you are approaching
a tragedian, not the actor, but Oedipus himself. But you
say, such a man is happy; for he walks about with many,
and I also place myself with the many and walk about
with many. In sum remember this: the door is open;156
be not more timid than little children, but as they say, when
the thing does not please them, I will play no longer,
so do you, when things seem to you of such a kind, say I
will no longer play, and be gone: but if you stay, do not
complain.
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