The Handbook of Epictetus
Handbook 24.4
Translated by Clint Miller
‘But my country,’ he says, ‘as far as it depends on me, will get no help.’ Again – what kind of help do you mean? It won’t get colonnades from you, or bathhouses. And so what? It doesn’t get shoes from the blacksmith either, or weapons from the shoemaker. It is enough if each person does his own work well. If you provided your country with one more trustworthy and self-respecting citizen, wouldn’t you be doing it some good? ‘Yes.’ Then you yourself are not useless to it.
«ἀλλ’ ἡ πατρίς, ὅσον ἐπ’ ἐμοί,» φησίν, «ἀβοήθητος ἔσται.» πάλιν, ποίαν καὶ ταύτην βοήθειαν; στοὰς οὐχ ἕξει διὰ σὲ οὔτε βαλανεῖα. καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑποδήματα ἔχει διὰ τὸν χαλκέα οὐδ’ ὅπλα διὰ τὸν σκυτέα· ἱκανὸν δέ, ἐὰν ἕκαστος ἐκπληρώσῃ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἔργον. εἰ δὲ ἄλλον τινὰ αὐτῇ κατεσκεύαζες πολίτην πιστὸν καὶ αἰδήμονα, οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτὴν ὠφέλεις; «ναί.» οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ σὺ αὐτὸς ἀνωφελὴς ἂν εἴης αὐτῇ. «τίνα οὖν ἕξω,» φησί, «χώραν ἐν τῇ πόλει;» ἣν ἂν δύνῃ φυλάττων ἅμα τὸν πιστὸν καὶ αἰδήμονα.