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

BOOK II. xxn. 1 2-1 8just see what words he utters! Were not Eteoclesand Polyneices born of the same mother and the samefather?Had they not been brought up together.,lived together, played together, slept together, manya time kissed one another ? So that I fancy if anyonehad seen them, he would have laughed at thephilosophers for their paradoxical views on friendship.But when the throne was cast between them, like apiece of meat between the dogs, see what they say :Eteo. Where before the wall dost mean to stand ?Poly. Why asked thou this of me ?Eteo. I shall range myself against thee.Poly. Mine is also that desire 1!Such also are the prayers they utter. 2It is a general rule be not deceived that everyliving thing is to nothing so devoted as to its owninterest. Whatever, then, appears to it to stand inthe way of this interest, be it a brother, or father,or child, or loved one, or lover, the being hates,accuses, and curses it. For its nature is to lovenothing so much as its own interest ; this to itis father and brother and kinsmen and country andGod. When, for instance, we think that the godsstand in the way of our attainment of this, we revileeven them, cast their statues to the ground, andbum their temples, as Alexander ordered the templesof Asclepius to be burned when his loved one died. 3For this reason, if a man puts together in one scale1Euripides, jPhoenisaae, 621 f.a In vv. J365 fl and 1373 fl'., where each prays that hekill his brother.3Hephaestion ; cf. Arrian, Anabasis, VII. 14, 5.maygloss tyurqs in Marc. 471 on P/wenissae, 621, where the MSS.give tffrope1s tand Trans, Am,. Philol. Assoc. % LII. 49.397