Libanius was one of the great Greek rhetoricians of all time and in his writings, he was fond of mentioning Antioch, his native city in which he was born in 314 AD. Here, this text, from his great Orations, only deals with the parts about the senate and the people of Antioch.
I thank Dr. Athanasia Stavrou for her precious contributions.
On The Senate
Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν βουλὴν σκοπῶμεν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ πᾶν σχῆμα τῆς πόλεως, <ἐπὶ ταύτης> ὥσπερ ἐπί τινος ῥίζης, ἕστηκε. μόνη τοίνυν αὕτη μεγίστη τῶν πανταχοῦ καὶ ἀρίστη, πατέρας καὶ πάππους καὶ ἐπιπάππους καὶ ἔτι περαιτέρω τῆς αὐτῆς τάξεως καταλέγειν ἔχοντες, διδασκάλοις τῆς εἰς τὴν πόλιν εὐνοίας τοῖς γονεῦσι κεχρημένοι, μετὰ τῆς οὐσίας ἕκαστος παρειληφώς, ὅτι χρὴ τὴν οὐσίαν τῷ κοινῷ κεκτῆσθαι. οὗτοι γὰρ διὰ μὲν εὐδαιμονίαν πατρῷα ἐκληρονόμησαν, διὰ δὲ φιλοτιμίαν πλεῖστα ἀνηλώκασι, διὰ δὲ φιλεργίαν πολλὰ κέκτηνται, τοῦ πλούτου μὲν τὰς ἀρχὰς φιλεργίαν πολλὰ κέκτηνται, τοῦ πλούτου μὲν τὰς ἀρχὰς ἀμέμπτους ἔχοντες, λαμπρότητι δὲ πάσῃ πρὸς τὰς λειτουργίας χρώμενοι, προνοίᾳ δὲ τὴν πενίαν φεύγοντες, ἥδιον μὲν δαπανώμενοι περὶ τὴν πόλιν ἢ κερδαίνουσιν ἕτεροι, οὕτω δὲ πρὸς τὴν δαπάνην ἀφειδῶς ἐξορμῶντες, ὥστ’ ἤδη φόβον, μὴ πρὸς ἔνδειαν ὑπενεχθῶσι, παριστάναι, ἐν πολυτρόποις εἴδεσι τὰς ἀναλώσεις ποιούμενοι, νῦν μὲν τὸ πλῆθος διατρέφοντες ἐν ταῖς χρείαις καὶ ἐπιδόσεσι τὰς τῆς γῆς ἐνδείας ἀφανίζοντες, ἀεὶ δὲ τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν λουτρῶν τε ἀπολαύσει καὶ θεαμάτων χάρισιν ὠφελοῦντές τε καὶ ψυχαγωγοῦντες, ἔτι ζῶντες εἰσάγοντες εἰς τὸ λειτουργεῖν τοὺς παῖδας καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων ἀτέλειαν ταῖς μεγαλοψυχίαις εἰς τέλος ἄγοντες, φαιδρότεροι τῶν οὔπω κεχορηγηκότων οἱ τὰ αὑτῶν ἀνηλωκότες. ὃ γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ τῷ κερδαίνειν ἕπεται, τοῦτο τῇδε τῷ δαπανᾶσθαι συνέζευκται, καὶ μᾶλλον ἄν τις αἰσχύνοιτο πλουτῶν ἐκ τοῦ φεύγειν τὸ λειτουργεῖν ἢ τὴν οὐσίαν ἐλάττω ταῖς λειτουργίαις ποιῶν. ὥσπερ γὰρ θεῶν τινα ἐγγυητὴν ἔχοντες, ὅτι ὧν ἂν πρόωνται διπλάσια παρὰ τῆς Τύχης ἀφίξεται, οὕτως ἐκκεχυμένως ἀναλίσκουσιν εἰς ἀγῶνας ἱππικούς οὕτως ἐκκεχυμένως ἀναλίσκουσιν εἰς ἀγῶνας ἱππικούς τε καὶ γυμνικούς, οἱ μὲν ἀξίως τῶν ὄντων σφίσιν, οἱ δὲ μειζόνως ἢ κατὰ τὰ ὄντα σφίσιν. ἀγώνισμα δὲ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ λειτουργεῖν ἐστι τὸ τὸν μὲν ἔμπροσθεν ὑπερβῆναι, τῷ δὲ ἑπομένῳ τὴν ἅμιλλαν ἀποκλεῖσαι καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀεὶ ποιούμενα κάλλιον δεῖξαι, τοῖς δὲ εἰωθόσι καινὰ προσθεῖναι. μόνοις δὲ παρ’ ἡμῖν πλείων ἔρις ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαβέσθαι λειτουργίας ἢ παρ’ ἑτέροις ὑπὲρ τοῦ διαδρᾶναι, καὶ πολλοὶ πολλάκις δι’ ἀναλωμάτων ἐμνήστευσαν τὴν εἰς τοῦτο πάροδον δαπάνην δαπάνῃ συνείροντες καὶ διὰ τῆς προτέρας εἰς τὴν δευτέραν ἐμβαίνοντες, οὐ μικροῖς ὠνούμενοι τὴν τῶν μειζόνων φυγήν, ἀλλὰ πολλοῖς ποριζόμενοι τὸ πλείω καταθεῖναι. αἴτιον δὲ μεγαλοφροσύνη τις ἔμφυτος, δι’ ἣν οὐκ ἀνέχονται μείζω λόγον ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν φοιτᾶν ἢ περὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἑτέρωσε φέρεσθαι νομίζοντες ἀνεπίφθονον τὴν οἰκείαν ἐν οἷς ἔξεστιν ὑψηλοτάτην ποιεῖν. Σοφίας τοίνυν καὶ τῆς ἐν λόγοις ἰσχύος τοσοῦτον ἡ βουλὴ μετείληφεν, ὥστε φαίης ἂν αὐτὴν χορόν τινα εἶναι σοφιστῶν ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τοῦ βίου χορόν τινα εἶναι σοφιστῶν ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τοῦ βίου τὴν τέχνην ἐπιδεικνύντων. οὕτως αὐτοῖς νοῦς τε ὀξὺς καὶ ῥήματα στρογγύλα καὶ ῥεῦμα ἄπαυστον, ὥστε πολλοὶ τῶν φιληκόων εἰς τὰ δικαστήρια συνθέουσιν, ὥσπερ εἰς μουσεῖα παιδευτῶν, ἐπ’ ἀκροάσει τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἀγώνων, οὓς ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα ἀνύτουσιν ἀσφαλέστερον τῶν ἐσκεμμένων.
Translation of the Part about the Senate
And let us first consider the senate, since the whole shape of the city is placed on this as if on some root. Therefore, it is alone the greatest and the best in everywhere, the men being able to list their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, and still further of the same political order, consulting their ancestors for the affection for the city, and each having inherited, along with their wealth, the idea that it is necessary to hold this wealth for the common good. They have acquired their paternal inheritance on account of their prosperity, they have spent great amounts of their assets owing to their altruism, they have procured great wealth through their diligence. Also, they hold their office without any blame against their wealth, by all their munificence in the public service, escaping from poverty with their providence, spending more pleasantly for the city than the others who derive profit, thus incurring expenses so lavishly that there is a fear that they may fall into poverty by making their expenditures in various forms: supporting the people in times of need and wiping out the deficiency of land with their bestowments, always benefiting and refreshing the whole city with the enjoyment of baths and the graces of spectacles. Besides, while they are still alive, they introduce their children serving the city and with their magnanimity and they end their exemption from public burdens- the ones who have spent for the city are more beaming than those who have provided nothing. For which is accorded with deriving profit elsewhere, here it is closely bound up with spending, and a rich man would feel more shame for escaping from public service rather than to make his property smaller by public service. As if they are holding a guarantee of one of the Gods, that whatever they gave away twice as many as from the Fortune comes, hence they extravagantly spend for horse races and gymnastic contests; some spending as much as their wealth, others even exceeding it.
The competition for the public services in each of them is to surpass the ancestors, is to preclude the contest for superiority for their successors and always to show finer deeds and to add novelties to the accustomed ones. With us alone, there is more strife on assuming public services than among other cities on escaping them, and many men have often pledged through expenses to this aim, piling up expenses, and through this prior expenses embarking upon the next one, spending not the small to escape from a greater expense, but providing more to their previous great commitments. Certain innate greatness of mind is the reason for this; for that they can not hold the thought that another city might have greater repute in Antioch than their city has elsewhere, esteeming that their city is without reproach amongst it is possible to consider her the noblest one. Moreover, the senate has such wisdom and effective speech that you may say that it is the chorus of Sophists demonstrating their art in their prime of life. Their perception is so sharp, their words so pithy, and their flow is so everlasting that many men, fond of hearing them, flock in the law-court, as if they flock to the Museum, to hear the rhetorical contests before the magistrates, which they accomplish immediately and which are more convincing than those which they had prepared before.
On the People
Περὶ δὲ τοῦ δήμου τί μεῖζον εἴποι τις ἂν ἢ ὅτι τῇ βουλῇ πρέπων ὁ δῆμος καὶ οὔτε ἐκείνην ἑτέρου χρῆν προεστάναι τοῦτόν τε οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν πασῶν ἑτέρας εἶναι. οὕτως ἡ μὲν ἡγεῖται χρηστῶν, ὁ δὲ ἀρίστοις ἕπεται, καθάπερ δεξιὸς χορὸς κορυφαίῳ βελτίονι. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ γυνή τέ ἐστιν ἑκάστῳ καὶ παῖδες καὶ ἡ κατ’ οἶκον κατασκευή· ταῦτα δὲ εὐλάβειαν παιδεύειν δύναται καὶ τὸ τὴν ἡσυχίαν διώκειν, ὥσπερ οἷς οὐδὲν τούτων ἐστί, στάσεις τε ὀξεῖς ἐμβαλεῖν καὶ ξιφῶν ἅψασθαι καὶ τέρψιν ποιήσασθαι τὸ φθειρόμενον καὶ συμφορὰν ὅτῳ τύχοιεν προσβαλόντες ἐπ’ ἄλλον νον ἐπ’ ἄλλον ἀποδραμεῖν, ἃ πολλὰ μὲν κατ’ Αἴγυπτον, πολλὰ δὲ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ τολμᾶται τῶν μὲν ἅπαν ῥῆμα θορύβου ποιουμένων πρόφασιν, τῶν δὲ ἐν ταῖς τῆς βουλῆς ἀκαιρίαις τρυφώντων. ὁ δὲ παρ’ ἡμῖν δῆμος τὰ παίδων μιμεῖται πρὸς γονεῖς, καὶ γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ πρὸς τοῦτον τὰ πατέρων μιμεῖται, ἡ μὲν ἔνδειαν οὐκ ἐῶσα τῷ δήμῳ προσπεσεῖν, ὁ δὲ ἀντεισφέρων ἐν τροφείων τάξει τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἀλγῶν μὲν ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνης δυσθυμίαις, ἐν δὲ ταῖς εὐημερίαις ὡς μάλιστα γεγηθώς, κοινωνῶν ἑκατέρας τύχης καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ἐκείνης οὐχ ἑαυτοῦ νομίζων, ἥδιστα ἂν τῶν παίδων ἀποστὰς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν προεστώτων σωτηρίᾳ. γνοίη δ’ ἄν τις τοῦ δήμου τὸν τρόπον, εἰ τὴν ἐξέτασιν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ποιοῖτο τῶν δυσχερῶν. ἃ γὰρ ᾐτιάθη, ταῦτα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν ἐμφαίνει, καὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα αὐτῷ τὰ τῶν ἐγκωμίων δύναται. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πόλιν οὖσαν ἔδει τι καὶ ὑπομεῖναι τῶν ἐνοχλούντων τὴν γῆν, τὴν τοῦ μὴ κωλύσαι τὸ συμβάν, οὐ τὴν τοῦ δεδρακέναι τι δεινὸν μέμψιν ἐδέξατο.
[…]
φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοίνυν τοσοῦτον περίεστιν, ὥστε ἃ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ἑτέροις παραλείπεται, ταῦτα τούτῳ περὶ τοὺς ξένους πέπρακται. τῶν γὰρ παρ’ ἄλλοις πολιτευομένων δεῦρο ἀνασπασθέντων ἐπ’ αἰτίαις ὧν ἡ δίκη θάνατος, ἀγομένων ἐπὶ τὰς σφαγὰς ἔπεσε μὲν ὁ δῆμος εἰς δάκρυα καὶ περιέρρεον τὸ βασίλειον σὺν ἱκετηρίᾳ, τὴν δὲ τοῦ τότε κρατοῦντος ζέουσαν ὁρμὴν αἱ τούτων δεήσεις ἐστόρεσαν. οὐκοῦν οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πρὸς ἔλεον ῥέπειν ἱκέτευον, ὁ δ’ ὡς ἀξίοις καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λαβεῖν ἐχαρίζετο, καὶ εἶχον τοὺς μὲν πολίτας αἱ πόλεις, οἱ δὲ τὴν τοῦ καὶ δεδεῆσθαι καὶ τετυχηκέναι δόξαν, ὁ δὲ τὴν τοῦ καὶ δεδεῆσθαι καὶ τετυχηκέναι δόξαν, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ νικῆσαι τὸν θυμὸν εὔκλειαν. Οὐ μὴν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἡ χρηστότης ἐπιχώριον ἡμῖν, τὴν δὲ ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς ἀνδρίαν μετὰ τῆς τῶν ὁπλιτικῶν μελέτης ἀποβέβληκεν ἡ πόλις, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν ἔπαυσεν ὁ νόμος, τὴν δὲ ἐτήρησεν ἡ φύσις. τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ Περσῶν ἐπιόντων οὐκ ἠξίωσαν φεύγοντες σωθῆναι, ἀλλ’ ἔμειναν ἐχόμενοι τῆς πατρίδος ἀκριβέστερον ἢ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῶν ἀσπίδων, τοῦτο δὲ τὸν ἐκ Σελευκείας τύραννον ἐξαίφνης ἀναφύντα τε καὶ δεῦρο εἰσπεσόντα κατήνεγκε ταῖς τῶν ἐνοικούντων χερσί, καὶ δεξιαὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἐργαστηρίοις ὄργανα ἀφεῖσαι στρατιώτας ζῶντας ἐν αἵματι καὶ φόνοις ἀφώπλισαν.
Translation of the Part about the People
About the people of the city what one should say more, that the people befits the senate and that neither the senate ought to govern any other people nor the people ought to belong to any other senate. In this way, on the one hand, the senate leads good citizens, on the other hand, the people follow the best men, like as a dexterous chorus an even better chief. Firstly each of them has a wife and children and a household with all the furniture; and these things can teach discretion and the pursuit for tranquility, for those men who have none of these, rush in sharp discords, and grasp the sword, and delight in ruining and after bringing misfortune upon whomsoever they meet, they run against someone else, that is undertaken in Egypt and Italia largely, where some men made every word an excuse for clamor, and some rejoice in the times of trouble of the senate. And among us, the people are like children to their parents, and the senate is like parents to the people, for the senate does not permit the people to fall into deficiency, and the people, who are in the position of the maintenance of the senate, gave their favor in return to the senate, grieve for the despairs of the senate, rejoice greatly in its prosperity, and share both good and bad fortune, think that all that the senate has also belong to them, and they would gladly turn away from their childhood for the safety of their leaders. One would perceive the character of the people –the Antiochenes- if they make a close examination of their difficulties; for the things they accused of revealing their virtue, and the accusations to them are worthy of praises. For when, being a city, it had to withstand something troubling the land, we were blamed for not having prevented the occurrence, not for having done something terrible.
[…]
Therefore, there is so much benevolence that, what is omitted by the others for their citizens here it is practiced for strangers. For when citizens from other places were drawn here upon accusations of which there is a death penalty, while they were being led to the execution, Antiochenes fell into tears and they surrounded the palace with entreaties, and their entreaties calmed the furious rage of the leader of that time. Accordingly, they beseeched because of their inclination towards mercy, and he granted them their request because they deserved to receive such things. And the cities kept their citizens, and the Antiochenes got the reputation for their entreaty and for obtaining it, and the leader got a good repute for that he overcame his wrath. It is not to say, while goodness is innate in us, that the city cast away its courage in terrible times or the exercise of soldiery. The law ceased the soldiery but our nature retained its courage. For when Persians attacked our city, Antiochenes did not think that it is proper to escape from danger, but they stayed holding the fatherlands with greater strength than that the Lacedaemonians were holding their shields.
When the rebel from Seleucia suddenly arose and attacked here, the city brought him down with the hands of its dwellers, and the workers, leaving the tools in the workshops, disarmed soldiers who used to live among blood and slaughter.
