Oration 65
Imperial Dio Chrysostom Greek- Those who trust greatly in Fortune and are elated by her presence seem to me to be her best advocates and to make provision that, when she shifts, no one shall blame her. For, on the contrary, all men, being vexed at the oppressiveness of the prosperous and hating their insolence, when she forsakes one of them, applaud and declare that the change has been a just one for them. But men of sense ought so to use the goods that come of themselves that, while they possess them, no one finds fault with them, and, if these goods ever cease, no one rejoices over their fall. 2. For it is altogether better, while faring in want, to be loved and to seem to all to be departing this life below one's deserts, than, on the contrary, to be hated while prospering, and besides to become the occasion of slander against Fortune, as though she chose to benefit the wicked instead of the worthy. Now most men call those who use the goods of Fortune oppressively wicked and unworthy of good things, yet are not wont to call them unfortunate; but to me, on the contrary, these men seem to have become the most unfortunate of all. 3. For to derive from the so-called goods nothing useful, but to reap slander and hatred, besides making one's own baseness more notorious to all—how is this not a great and manifest misfortune? Therefore, I think, it is altogether more profitable for the senseless to fare in want, and to attain neither power nor wealth nor any such thing. For while they were lowly they would have escaped the notice of the multitude as to what manner of men they really are; but, raised up by Fortune, their baseness became conspicuous. 4. Just as, then, for those whose bodies are in a poor state it is better to undress by themselves and never in public, that they may have no witness of the shame attending it, so, I think, for those whose lot it is to have an ignoble and wretched soul, it would surely be profitable to pass their lives in obscurity and in the darkness of Fortune. — For the multitude seem to me to accuse Fortune unjustly, as having nothing stable nor trustworthy, but very quickly forsaking those to whom she is present and passing over to others. 5. For if it were possible to see those who receive her goods using them, for the most part, well, and not, on the contrary, straightway filled with insolence and misanthropy and effrontery, she would not be acting rightly in failing to remain with the same persons; but as it is, I think she chooses to benefit each one as though he were worthy and deserving of her gifts, and, when she perceives him to be base and mean, disgracing the goodwill she has shown, she reasonably withdraws and seeks another, in the hope that she may find one more reasonable. 6. But since the greater part are base, and human nature rarely produces one fit to prosper, of necessity she makes her changes continual—far more because of our nature than of her own. And it is absurd, if each man for himself cannot endure some of the prosperous, but, after associating with them a short time, withdraws, and chooses rather to bear his own poverty as best he may than to put up with their gross and senseless ways; yet thinks it fit that Fortune, a goddess, should live with these same men forever, and, though often grievously insulted, should remain beside a worthless slave. 7. For from the rich the insolence shown toward the men who live with them is abuse, foul treatment, mockery, and frequent blows; but toward Fortune herself it is arrogance, oppressiveness, and meanness. — Most unjustly, it seems to me, does the multitude bring charges against Fortune. For now they blame her, alleging that she is faithless and has nothing stable. But if she always remained with the same persons, there is no way she would not incur an altogether greater and juster accusation. For where now you see the prosperous so base and oppressive, and that too while the future remains uncertain, with how much arrogance and clumsiness do you suppose they would be filled, if they did not at all suspect the prospect of a change? 8. Many say that Fortune is undiscriminating, and abides with wicked men while neglecting the worthy, when they see those who have been deemed worthy of her goods to be oppressive and ill to deal with and ignoble. But to me it seems that Fortune might justly say to them that, being by nature kindly toward men, she is always present with some of us, choosing neither the worthy nor the wicked, but that, whatever sort of men she comes to, they are convicted of being such as they are. They ought, then, to blame their own nature, not hers, that they have turned out such men; 9. so that he who is still faring in want straightway seems worthy to be better off, whereas whoever has obtained her goods straightway shows himself wretched. For it is much as if a man, there being many vessels, none of them sound, were to blame the one pouring into them, seeing the contents always running out as they are filled. For he might say: "But they are all of this kind; only, while they are empty, it escapes notice." 10. I marvel how the multitude ever come to say that Fortune is perilous and that nothing of hers is stable. For when she gives anyone her goods—and these are money, strength, reputation, honours—she prevents no one from using them properly, and, by Zeus, from storing them up for himself in safety; and I mean not within the house nor in the strong-room, nor by setting keys and bars upon them—for nothing of hers is guarded by such means—but in the goodwill of men, the benefaction of one's country, the help of friends. 11. Therefore Fortune never took away anything from those who once acquired what is thus laid up. For these are the sure treasuries, plain to all, of the goods that come of themselves. But if a man, on receiving them, throws them away, or, by Zeus, lays them up ill, trusting to doors and keys, they perish no longer, I think, through her. 12. And this too is exceedingly absurd: for, besides much slandering of Fortune in words, the modellers and painters also revile her—some depicting her as mad and flinging things about, others as standing upon a sphere, as though not securely nor safely planted—when we ought rather to model and paint as such those who use everything wildly and ill, and, by Zeus, depict them as standing not upon a sphere but upon folly, and not to blame Fortune in vain. 13. About all things, one may say, the multitude judge wrongly, but most of all do they hold a false and mistaken opinion concerning Fortune. For they say that she gives men good things, but easily takes them away again; and on this account they slander her as faithless and envious. But I say that Fortune gives none of these things which the multitude suppose. 14. For that whereby each man becomes master of his possessions, and through which alone it is possible to hold one's goods securely, she does not give them along with the money and the reputation and the power. And this is the thing without which it is not possible even to hold any of the rest, but only to think one does, and to be deceived. Just as we ourselves, when we have brought someone into a house, or onto an estate, or have furnished him with some goods, do not thereby straightway make him master of them, unless there be added security of some kind and a deed of writing—so Fortune too makes no one master of what she gives, unless there be added the receiving of them with mind and prudence. 15. The multitude are wont to count men blessed straightway in whom they see the goods of Fortune present—just as they rejoice with voyagers when they see a wind holding, not knowing either whether it is favourable to them, or whether they have an experienced helmsman. But I think we should then judge those blessed who are in the midst of Fortune's abundance, when prudence too is present with them. For these goods by themselves, it is plain, would, if they fell to the senseless, prove the cause of danger and misfortune.