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

BOOK I. xxvin. 17-24respect a man's house and a stork's nest differ as aplace of habitation. Is there any similarity between? As fara stork and a man ? What is that you sayas the body is concerned,, a great similarity ; exceptthat the petty houses of men are made of beams andtiles and bricks,, but the nest of a stork is made ofsticks and clay.Does a man, then,, differ in no wise from a stork ?Far from it; but in these matters he does notdiffer. In what wise, then, does he differ? Seekand youwill find that he differs in some otherrespect. See whether it be not in his understandingwhat he does, see whether it be not in hiscapacity for social action, in his faithfulness, his selfrespect,his steadfastness, his security from error, hisintelligence. Where, then, is the great evil andthe great good among men ? Just where thedifference is ;and if that element wherein the differencelies be preserved and stands firm and wellfortified 011 every side, and neither his self-respect,,nor his faithfulness, nor his intelligence be destroyed,then the man also ispreserved but ifany of these;qualities be destroyed or taken by storm, then theman also is destroyed. And it is in this sphere thatthe great things are. Did Alexander come to hisgreat fall when the Hellenes assailed Troy withtheir ships, and when they were devastating theland, and when his brothers were dying? Not atall ;for no one comes to his fall because of another'sdeed ;but what went on then was merely thedestruction of storks' nests. Nay, he came to hisfall when he lost his self-respect, his faithfulness,his respect for the laws of hospitality, his decencyof behaviour. Whew did Achilles come to his fall ?183