you expect? a supercilious countenance? Does the Zeus at Olympia lift up
his brow? No, his look is fixed as becomes him who is ready to say:

Irrevocable is my word and shall not fail.--Iliad, i., 526.

Such will I show myself to you, faithful, modest, noble, free from
perturbation. What, and immortal, too, except from old age, and from
sickness? No, but dying as becomes a god, sickening as becomes a god.
This power I possess; this I can do. But the rest I do not possess, nor
can I do. I will show the nerves (strength) of a philosopher. What
nerves are these? A desire never disappointed, an aversion which never
falls on that which it would avoid, a proper pursuit ([Greek: hormaen]),
a diligent purpose, an assent which is not rash. These you shall see.

* * * * *

THAT WHEN WE CANNOT FULFIL THAT WHICH THE CHARACTER OF A MAN PROMISES,
WE ASSUME THE CHARACTER OF A PHILOSOPHER.--It is no common (easy) thing
to do this only, to fulfil the promise of a man's nature. For what is a
man? The answer is, A rational and mortal being. Then by the rational
faculty from whom are we separated? From wild beasts. And from what
others? From sheep and like animals. Take care then to do nothing like a
wild beast; but if you do, you have lost the character of a man; you
have not fulfilled your promise. See that you do nothing like a sheep;
but if you do, in this case also the man is lost. What then do we do as
sheep? When we act gluttonously, when we act lewdly, when we act rashly,
filthily, inconsiderately, to what have we declined? To sheep. What have
we lost? The rational faculty. When we act contentiously and harmfully
and passionately and violently, to what have we declined? To wild
beasts. Consequently some of us are great wild beasts, and others little