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[136]
τῷ πρωτοσυμβούλῳ αὐτοῦ: Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος,
φίλε, ὅτι ἐμοί τε καὶ σοὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ καθ̓ ἡμᾶς
ποτε ἤρεσε βίος, τοσαύτῃ δόξῃ καὶ τρυφῇ περ
διαλάμπων, ὡς ἡ εὐτελῆς αὕτη καὶ ταλαίπωρος
ζωὴ τούτους δὴ τοὺς ἀνοήτους τέρπει, καὶ ἡδύνει
λεῖος αὐτοῖς καὶ προσηνὴς ὁ τραχὺς οὗτος καὶ
ἀπευκταῖος βίος καταφαινόμενος. εὐκαίρου δὲ
δραξάμενος ὁ πρωτοσύμβουλος ὥρας, ἔφη: Ἀλλὰ
σοί γε, βασιλεῦ, πῶς ἡ τούτων φαίνεται βιοτή;
Πάντων, φησὶν ὁ βασιλεύς, ὧν πώποτε ἑώρακα
ἀηδεστάτη καὶ δυστυχεστάτη, βδελυκτή τε καὶ
ἀποτρόπαιος. τότε λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρωτοσύμβουλος,
Οὕτω, οὖν, εὖ ἴσθι, βασιλεῦ, καὶ πολλῷ
χαλεπώτερος ὁ καθ̓ ἡμᾶς λελόγισται βίος
τοῖς ἐπόπταις καὶ μύσταις τῆς ἀϊδίου δόξης
ἐκείνης καὶ τῶν πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαινόντων
ἀγαθῶν: αἵ τε χρυσῷ καταστίλβουσαι οἰκίαι
καὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ ταῦτα ἐνδύματα, καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ τοῦ
βίου τούτου τρυφή, σκυβάλων τε καὶ ἀμαυρῶν
εἰσιν ἀηδέστερα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν εἰδότων τὰ
1 ἀνεκδιήγητα κάλλη τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀχειροτεύκτων
[p. 232]
σκηνωματῶν, τῆς θεοϋφάντου τε στολῆς καὶ
2 τῶν ἀφθάρτων διαδημάτων, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς
τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, ὁ πάντων Δημιουργὸς καὶ
Κύριος. ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἀνοηταίνειν ἡμῖν οὗτοι
John, of Damascus (attributed author). G.R. Woodward. H. Mattingly. St. John Damascene Barlaam and Joseph. William Heinemann Ltd; Harvard University Press. London; Cambridge, Mass. 1914. Keyboarding.
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