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Philosopher; [the one] who said that it is not easy for men to philosophize, but rather impossible. When I heard this saying I loathed it at the time, thinking that it was not truly said and not worthy to be said. But Sallustius knew how to state the inner truth. For he did not complain about the philosophers simply, but he was by nature evil-hating and, as the Heraclitan term has it, 'mob-reviling' and opposed to all who erred.[1] In whatever way he could, from any excuse, he criticized and ridiculed each man, sometimes seriously, but for the most part enjoying his humorous and jesting character. Sallustius was moderately witty and naturally inclined and eager to make jokes; he had this tendency in a high degree himself, but also had it from his family background. Sallustius is also the man who called the true belief about the gods the fifth virtue, although it seems sometimes to be in the most wicked men. Besides, when some of the foreigners were praising his other qualities, but saying that he was lacking one thing, that he did not hold the same beliefs about the gods as the majority,[2] he said, "Allow me to keep this to ward off my nemesis." Meeting Pamprepios when he was at the height of his powers, when he asked ostentatiously, "What do the gods have to do with men?" [Sallustius] said, "Who does not know that I have never yet become a god nor you a man?"[3] So much about Sallustius. His philosophy was rather in the Cynic style.[4]
[Note] that Sallustius, the commander of the palace under Julian, was a man exceptional for love of mankind; he had so much mildness and gentleness towards everyone that even that Marcellus, who when he [i.e. Julian] was Caesar treated him insolently, and was very fearful because of his earlier actions--although when his son was proved to have rebelled because of his friendship for Constantius, he imposed punishment on the young man, but paid exceptional honor to Marcellus.[5][6]

*salou/stios, filo/sofos: o(\s e)/fh a)nqrw/pois ou) r(a/|dion ei)=nai filosofei=n, a)lla\ kai\ a)du/naton. tou=ton a)kou/sas a)pe/stuca dh\ to/te to\n lo/gon, w(s ou)/te a)lhqh= lego/menon ou)/te le/gesqai a)/cion. a)lla\ ga\r o( *salou/stios h)/|dei to\ e)no\n ei)pei=n. ou) ga\r diebe/blhto pro\s tou\s filoso/fous a(plw=s, a)lla\ fu/sei misopo/nhros h)=n kai\ kata\ to\n *(hra/kleiton o)xloloi/doros kai\ pa=sin e)pitiqe/menos toi=s a(marta/nousi, kai\ o(pwsou=n e)k pa/shs profa/sews e)le/gxwn e(ka/stous kai\ diakwmw|dw=n: e)ni/ote me\n spouda/zwn, ta\ de\ polla\ tw=| geloi/w| xai/rwn h)/qei kai\ filoskw/mmoni. kai\ ga\r h)=n o( *salou/stios eu)tra/pelos i(kanw=s kai\ skw/ptein eu)fue/stato/s te kai\ proxeiro/tatos, e)caire/tous me\n e)/xwn au)to/s, e)k ge/nous de\ o(/mws ta\s toiau/tas xa/ritas. o( ga/r toi pe/mpthn a)reth\n o)noma/sas th\n peri\ qew=n do/can a)lhqh=, dokou=san e)nei=nai/ pote toi=s ponhrota/tois, *salou/stio/s e)stin. e)/ti de\ pro\s e)ni/ous tw=n a)llofu/lwn, ta\ me\n a)/lla au)tou= e)painou=ntas, e(\n de\ au)tw=| lei/pein ei)rhko/tas, to\ mh\ doca/zein peri\ qew=n ta\ au)ta\ toi=s polloi=s: e)a=te, e)/fh, tou=to/ ge dia\ th\n ne/mesin prosei=nai/ moi. tw=| de\ *pamprepi/w| me/giston h)/dh duname/nw| e)ntuxw/n, e)peidh\ e)kei=nos w(rai+zo/menos, ti/ qeoi\ pro\s a)nqrw/pous, e)/fh: ti/s de/, e)/fh, ou)k oi)=den, w(s ou)/t' e)gw\ pw/pote qeo\s e)geno/mhn ou)/te su\ a)/nqrwpos. tau=ta peri\ *salousti/ou. kunikw/teron de\ e)filoso/fei. o(/ti *salou/stios, o( th=s au)lh=s e)/parxos e)pi\ *)ioulianou=, a)nh\r h)=n diafero/ntws peritto\s ei)s filanqrwpi/an: w(=| ge tosou=ton h(mero/thtos kai\ prao/thtos u(ph=rxen e)s a(/pantas, w(/ste kai\ to\n *ma/rkellon e)kei=non, to\n h(ni/ka h)=n *kai=sar u(bristikw=s au)tw=| xrhsa/menon, pa/nu peridea= o)/nta dia\ ta\ progegenhme/na: kai/toi tou= paido\s e)legxqe/ntos e)pani/stasqai dia\ th\n pro\s *kwnsta/ntion fili/an, tw=| neani/skw| th\n di/khn e)pe/qhke, to\n de\ *ma/rkellon kai\ diafero/ntws e)ti/mhse.

For this man see already sigma 62.
[1] On Heraclitus see generally eta 472. This particular adjective, however, was applied to him, by Timon: see Diogenes Laertius 9.6.
[2] These "foreigners" were probably Christians.
[3] On Pamprepios, see pi 137.
[4] Damascius, Life of Isidore fr. 88 Asmus, 66A Athanassiadi, 147 Zintzen.
[5] A different Sallustius: Eunapius fr. 17 FHG (4.21), Blockley, Eunapius fr.25.[5]; cf. pi 1326, sigma 64.
[6] Blockley, Vol. II, p. 134, n. 50, asserts that this passage describes the actions of Julian rather than Sallustius (properly Salutius).

David Whitehead (another x-ref and more keywords; cosmetics) on 28 March 2006@02:01:05.
David Whitehead (another note; tweaking) on 19 December 2013@09:36:41.
Aaron Baker (In translation, corrected "Constantine" to "Constantius; modified translation in other details; added Blockley citation for Eunapius; and added Blockley to bibliography.) on 16 September 2014@02:07:16.
Catharine Roth (cosmetics) on 17 September 2014@00:45:38.
Aaron Baker (Added n. 6.) on 21 September 2014@16:35:47.
Aaron Baker (Added bracket to Blockley citation (bracket used by Blockley to indicate possibly by Eunapius).) on 28 September 2014@18:03:55.
Catharine Roth (added bibliography) on 27 January 2016@22:56:33.
Catharine Roth (another cross-reference) on 23 January 2022@22:37:04.

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