Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

BOOK I. xxiv. 3-10man to wrestle with. And now we are sending youto Rome as a scout, to spy out the land. 1 But noone sends a coward as a scout ; that, if he merelyhears a noise and sees a shadow anywhere, he maycccome running back in terror and report The enemyisalready upon us." So now also, if you shouldcome and tell us, "The state of things at Rome isfearful ;terrible is death, terrible is exile, terribleis reviling, terrible is poverty ; flee, sirs, the enemyisupon us " we shall say to you, "Away, prophesy!to yourself] Our one mistake was that we sent aman like you as a scout."Diogenes, who before you was sent forth as a scout,has brought us back a different report. He says,a Death is not an evil, since it is not dishonourable"; he says, "111 reputeis a noise made bymadmen." And what a report this scout has madeus about toil and about pleasure and about poverty!He says, "To be naked is better than any scarletrobe; and to sleep on the bare ground," he says," is the softest couch." And he offers as a proof ofeach statement his own courage, his tranquillity, hisfreedom, and finally his body, radiant with healthand hardened. "There is no enemy near," sayshe; "all is full of peace." How so, Diogenes?" "Why, look "!says he, I have not been struckwith any missile, have I, or received any wound ?I have not fled from anyone, have I?" This iswhat it means to be a proper scout, but you returnand tell us one thing after another. Will you not1Domitian. had banished the philosophers from Rome ;the young man is, therefore, being sent from Nicopolis tolearn what isgoing on there that might be of interest to theoiuise of philosophy.153