All the Works of Epictetus, Which Are Now Extant/Book 1/Chapter 19
CHAPTER XIX.
Of the Behaviour to be observed towards Tyrants.
§. 1.When a Person is possessed of some either real or imaginary Superiority, unless he hath been well instructed, he will necessarily be puffed up with it. A Tyrant, for Instance, says; "I am supreme over All."And what can you do for Me? Can you exempt my Desires from Disappointment? How should you? For do you never incur your own Aversions? Are your own Pursuits infallible? Whence should You come by that Privilege? Pray, on Ship-board, do you trust to yourself, or to the Pilot? In a Chariot, to whom but to the Driver? And to whom in all other Arts? Just the same. In what, then doth your Power consist?"All Men pay Regard to me."
So do I to my Desk. I wash it, and wipe it; and drive a Nail, for the Service of my Oil Flask."What, then, are these Things to be valued beyond Me?"No: but they are of some Use to me, and therefore I pay Regard to them. Why, Do not I pay Regard to an Ass? Do I not wash his Feet? Do not I clean him? Do not you know, that every one pays Regard to himself; and to you, just as he doth to an Ass? For who pays Regard to you as a Man? Show that. Who would wish to be like You? Who would desire to imitate You, as he would Socrates?"But I can take off your Head?""You say right. I had forgot, that one is to pay Regard to you as to a Fever, or the Cholic; and that there should be an Altar erected to you, as there is to the Goddess Fever at Rome.
§. 2. What is it, then, that disturbs and strikes Terror into the Multitude? The Tyrant, and his Guards? By no means. What is by Nature free, cannot be disturbed, or restrained, by any thing but itself. But its own Principles disturb it. Thus, when the Tyrant says to any one; "I will chain your Leg:" he who values his Leg, cries out for Pity: while he, who sets the Value on his own Will and Choice, says; "If you imagine it for your own Interest, chain it.""What! do not you care?"No: I do not care."I will show you that I am Master."You? How Should You? Jupiter has set me free. What! do you think he would suffer his own Son to be enslaved? You are Master of my Carcase. Take it."So that, when you come into my Presence, you pay no Regard to me?"No: but to myself: or, if you will have me say, to you also: I tell you; the same to you as to a Pipkin. This is not selfish Vanity: for every Animal is so constituted, as to do every thing for its own Sake. Even the Sun doth all for his own Sake: nay; and to name no more, even Jupiter himself. But, when he would be stiled the Dispenser of Rain and Plenty, and the Father of Gods and Men, you see that he cannot attain these Offices and Titles, unless he contributes to the common Utility. And he hath universally so constituted the Nature of every reasonable Creature, that no one can attain any of its own proper Advantages, without contributing something to the Use of Society. And thus it becomes not unsociable to do every thing for one's own Sake. For, do you expect, that a Man should desert himself, and his own Interest? How, then, can all Beings have one and the same original Instinct, Attachment to themselves? What follows, then? That where those absurd Principles, concerning Things independent on Choice, as if they were either good or evil, are at the Bottom, there must necessarily be a Regard paid to Tyrants: and I wish it were to Tyrants only, and not to the very Officers of their Bed-chamber too And how wise doth a Man grow on a sudden, when Cæsar has made him Clerk of the Close-stool? How immediately we say, "Felicio talked very sensibly to me!" I wish he were turned out of the Bed-chamber, that he might once more appear to you the Fool he is.
§. 3. Epaphroditus had [a Slave, that was] a Shoemaker; whom, because he was good for nothing, he sold. This very Fellow being, by some strange Luck, bought by a Courtier, became Shoemaker to Cæsar. Then you might have seen how Epaphroditus honoured him. "How doth good Felicio do, pray?" And, if any of us asked, what the great Man himself was about, it was answered; "He is consulting about Affairs with Felicio." Did not he sell him, as good for nothing? Who, then, hath, all on a sudden, made a wise Man of him? This it is to honour any thing, besides what depends on Choice.
§. 4. Is any one exalted to the Office of Tribune? All that meet him congratulate him. One kisses his Eyes, another his Neck, and the Slaves his Hands. He goes to his House; finds it illuminated. He ascends the Capitol. Offers a Sacrifice. Now, who ever offered a Sacrifice for having good Desires? For exerting Pursuits conformable to Nature? For we thank the Gods for that wherein we place our Good.
§. 5. A Person was talking with me To-day about the Priesthood[1] of Augustus. I say to him, Let the thing alone, Friend: you will be at great Expence for nothing. "But my Name, says he, will be written in the Annals." Will you stand by, then, and tell those who read them; "I am the Person whose Name is written there?" But, if you could tell every one so now, what will you do when you are dead?"My Name will remain."Write it upon a Stone, and it will remain just as well. But, pray what Remembrance will there be of you out of Nicopolis? "But I shall wear a Crown[2] of Gold."If your Heart is quite set upon a Crown, take and put on one of Roses; for it will make the prettier Appearance.
Footnotes
[edit]- ↑ When Temples began to be erected to the Emperors, as to Gods, the Office of Priest was purchased by vile Flatterers, at a very great Expence. Upton from Casaubon.
- ↑ Which was the Ornament of the Priests, while they were offering Sacrifice.Nicopolis was built by Augustus, in memory of the Victory at Actium.