From Epictetus, Discourses, 3.1: "On Beautiful Appearance" / ΠΕΡΙ ΚΑΛΛΩΠΙΣΜΟΥ
(Translation revised from Thomas Wentworth Higginson’s 1865 ed.; boldface emphasis added)
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If, then, you wished to appear beautiful, young man, strive for human excellence [τὴν ἀρετὴν τὴν ἀνθρωπικήν].
"What is that?"
Consider whom you praise in all fairness [τοὺς δικαίους]; is it the honest or the dishonest?
"The honest."
The judicious or the dissolute? [τοὺς σώφρονας ἢ τοὺς ἀκολάστους]
"The judicious."
The temperate or the intemperate? [τοὺς ἐγκρατεῖς δ᾽ ἢ τοὺς ἀκρατεῖς]
"The temperate."
Then, if you make yourself into that, evidently you will be making yourself beautiful [οὐκοῦν τοιοῦτόν τινα ποιῶν σαυτὸν ἴσθι ὅτι καλὸν ποιήσεις]; but while you neglect these things, though you use every contrivance to appear beautiful, you must necessarily be deformed [αἰσχρόν σ᾽ εἶναι ἀνάγκη].
[...]
"You are a human being; that is, a mortal animal, capable of a rational use of things as they appear. And what is this rational use? A perfect conformity to Nature. [ἄνθρωπος εἶ: τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶ θνητὸν ζῷον χρηστικὸν φαντασίαις λογικῶς. τὸ δὲ λογικῶς τί ἐστιν; φύσει ὁμολογουμένως καὶ τελέως.] What is especially excellent about you? Is it the animal part? No. The mortal? No. That which is capable of the mere use of these things? No. Excellence lies in the rational part. Adorn and beautify this; but leave your hair to him who formed it as he thought good. Well, what other appellations have you? Are you a man or a woman? A man. Then adorn yourself as a man, not as a woman. A woman is naturally smooth and delicate, and if hairy, is a monster, and shown among the monsters at Rome. It is the same thing in a man not to be hairy; and if he is by nature not so, he is a monster. But if he depilates himself, what shall we do with him? Where shall we show him, and how shall we advertise him? "A man to be seen, who would rather be a woman." What a scandalous show! Who would not wonder at such an advertisement? I believe, indeed, that these very persons themselves would; not apprehending that it is the very thing of which they are guilty."
What would you accuse your nature for, sir—for having given birth to you as a man? [τί ἔχεις ἐγκαλέσαι σου τῇ φύσει; ὅτι σε ἄνδρα ἐγέννησεν]? Why, were all to be born women, then? In that case what would have been the use of your finery? For whom would you have made yourself fine, if all were women? But the whole affair still dissatisfies you. Go complete your work, then. Remove your manhood itself and make yourself a woman entirely, that we may be no longer deceived, nor you be half man, half woman. To whom would you be agreeable—to the women? Be agreeable to them as a man!
"Ay; but they are pleased with dandies."
Why don’t you just hang yourself [οὐκ ἀπάγξῃ]! Suppose they were pleased with every debauchery, would you consent? Is this your business in life? Were you born to please dissolute women? Shall we make someone like you, in the Corinthian republic for instance, governor of the city, master of the youth, commander of the army, or director of the public games? Will you pursue the same practices when you are married? For whom, and for what? Will you be the father of children, and introduce them into the state, such as yourself?
Oh, what a fine citizen, and senator, and orator! Surely, young man, we ought to pray for a succession of young men disposed and bred like you!
Now, when you have once heard this discourse, go home and say to yourself, It is not Epictetus who has told me all these things—or how should he?—but some propitious god through him; for it would never have entered the head of Epictetus, who is not used to dispute with any one. Well, let us obey God then [ἄγε οὖν τῷ θεῷ πεισθῶμεν], that we may not incur divine anger. If a crow has signified anything to you by his croaking, it is not the crow that signifies it, but God through him. And if you have anything signified to you through the human voice, doth he not cause that man to tell it to you, that you may know the divine power [τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ δαιμονίου] which acts thus variously, and signifies the greatest and principal things through the noblest messenger [περὶ δὲ τῶν μεγίστων καὶ κυριωτάτων διὰ καλλίστου ἀγγέλου σημαίνει]?
[...]
Hermes, descending from heaven, was to warn him and the gods now, likewise, send a Hermes, the slayer of Argus, as messenger to warn you not to invert the well-appointed order of things [μὴ ἐκστρέφειν τὰ καλῶς ἔχοντα], nor be absorbed in vain matters; but suffer a man to be a man [ἀφεῖναι τὸν ἄνδρα ἄνδρα], and a woman to be a woman; a beautiful man to be beautiful as a man; a deformed man to be deformed as a man; for you are not flesh and hair, but character [προαίρεσις]. If you will have it beautiful, then you will be beautiful. But all this while, I dare not tell you that you are deformed; for I fancy you would rather hear anything than this. But consider what Socrates says to the most beautiful and blooming of all men, Alcibiades. " Endeavor to make yourself beautiful." What does he mean to say to him, - "Curl your locks, and depilate your legs "? Heaven forbid! But rather, "Order your character [to its natural end, or in conformity with divine nature]; cast aside your base doctrines." [‘κόσμει σου τὴν προαίρεσιν,ἔξαιρε τὰ φαῦλα δόγματα]
" What is to be done with the poor body, then? "
Leave it to nature (ὡς πέφυκεν). Another has taken care of such things. Give them up to Him.
"What, then; must one be filthy? "
By no means; but be in conformity with nature [ὃς εἶ καὶ πέφυκας]. A man should care for his body, as a man; a woman, as a woman; a child, as a child. If not, let us pick out the mane of a lion, that he may not be filthy; and the comb of a rooster, for he too should be tidy. Yes, but let it be as a rooster: and a lion, as a lion; and a hound as a hound.
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