What is it then that disturbs and terrifies the multitude?  Is it the tyrant and his guards? (By no means.) I hope that it is not so.  It is not possible that what is by nature free can be disturbed by anything else, or hindered by any other thing than by itself.  But it is a man’s own opinions which disturb him.  For when the tyrant says to a man, I will chain your leg, he who values his leg says, Do not; have pity.  But he who values his own will says, If it appears more advantageous to you, chain it.  Do you not care?  I do not care.  I will show you that I am master.  You cannot do that.  Zeus has set me free; do you think that he intended to allow his own son to be enslaved?  But you are master of my carcase; take it.  So when you approach me, you have no regard to me?  No, but I have regard to myself; and if you wish me to say that I have regard to you also, I tell you that I have the same regard to you that I have to my pipkin.

What then?  When absurd notions about things independent of our will, as if they were good and (or) bad, lie at the bottom of our opinions, we must of necessity pay regard to tyrants:  for I wish that men would pay regard to tyrants only, and not also to the bedchamber men.  How is it that the man becomes all at once wise, when Caesar has made him superintendent of the close stool?  How is it that we say immediately, Felicion spoke sensibly to me?  I wish he were ejected from the bedchamber, that he might again appear to you to be a fool.

Has a man been exalted to the tribuneship?  All who meet him offer their congratulations; one kisses his eyes, another the neck, and the slaves kiss his hands.  He goes to his house, he finds torches lighted.  He ascends the Capitol; he offers a sacrifice on the occasion.  Now who ever sacrificed for having had good desires? for having acted conformably to nature?  For in fact we thank the gods for those things in which we place our good.

A person was talking to me to-day about the priesthood of Augustus.  I say to him:  Man, let the thing alone; you will spend much for no purpose.  But he replies, Those who draw up agreements will write my name.  Do you then stand by those who read them, and say to such persons, It is I whose name is written there?  And if you can now be present on ail such occasions, what will you do when you are dead?  My name will remain.  Write it on a stone, and it will remain.  But come, what remembrance of you will there be beyond Nicopolis?  But I shall wear a crown of gold.  If you desire a crown at all, take a crown of roses and put it on, for it will be more elegant in appearance.

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