2-8:8
Κἀγὼ οὖν προσδοκῶ ὑπό τινος τῶν ὠνομασμένων ἐπιβουλευθῆναι καὶ ξύλῳ ἐμπαγῆναι, ἢ κἂν ὑπὸ Κρίσκεντος τοῦ φιλοψόφου καὶ φιλοκόμπου. Οὐ γὰρ φιλόσοφον εἰπεῖν ἄξιον τὸν ἄνδρα, ὅς γε περὶ ἡμῶνἃ μὴ ἐπίσταται δημοσίᾳ καταμαρτυρεῖ, ὡς ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν Χριστιανῶν ὄντων, πρὸς χάριν καὶ ἡδονὴν τῶν πολλῶν τῶν πεπλανημένων ταῦτα πράττων. Εἴτε γὰρ μὴ ἐντυχὼν τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδάγμασι κατατρέχει ἡμῶν, παμπόνηρός ἐστι καὶ ἰδιωτῶν πολὺ χείρων, οἳ φυλάττονται πολλάκις περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστανται διαλέγεσθαι καὶ ψευδομαρτυρεῖν· ἢ εἰ ἐντυχών, μὴ συνῆκε τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς μεγαλεῖον ἢ συνεὶς πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὑποπτευθῆναι τοιοῦτος ταῦτα ποιεῖ, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀγεννὴς καὶ παμπόνηρος, ἰδιωτικῆς καὶ ἀλόγου δόξης καὶ φόβου ἐλάττων ὤν. Καὶ γὰρ προσθέντα με καὶ ἐρωτήσαντα αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσεις τινὰς τοιαύτας καὶ μαθεῖν καὶ ἐλέγξαι, ὅτι ἀληθῶς μηδὲν ἐπίσταται, εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς βούλομαι. Καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, εἰ μὴ ἀνηνέχθησαν ὑμῖν αἱ κοινωνίαι τῶν λόγων, ἕτοιμος καὶ ἐφ ὑμῶν κοινωνεῖν τῶν ἐρωτήσεων πάλιν· βασιλικὸνδ ἂν καὶ τοῦτο ἔργον εἴη. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐγνώσθησαν ὑμῖν αἱ ἐρωτησεις μου καὶ αἱ ἐκείνου ἀποκρίσεις, φανερὸν ὑμῖν ἐστιν, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπίσταται· ἢ εἰ καὶ ἐπίσταται, διὰ τοὺς ἀκούοντας δὲ οὐ τολμᾷ λέγειν ὁμοίως Σωρκάτει, ὡς προέφην, οὐ φιλόσοφος ἀλλὰ φιλόδοξος ἀνὴρ δείκνυται, ὅς γε μηδὲ τὸ σωκρατικὸν ἀξιέραστον ὂν τιμᾷ· Ἀλλ οὔτι γε πρὸ τῆς ἀληθείας τιμητέος ἀνήρ. Ἀδύνατον δὲ Κυνικῷ. ἀδιάφορον τὸ τέλος προθεμένῳ, τὸ ἀγαθὸν εἰδέναι πλὴν ἀδιαφορίας
I too, then, expect to be plotted against by some one of those I have named, and to be fastened to the stake—if not by Crescens, that lover of bluster and boasting. For the man does not deserve to be called a philosopher, who publicly testifies against us concerning things he does not understand, alleging that the Christians are atheists and impious, doing this to gain the favor and pleasure of the many who have been deceived. For if he attacks us without having met with the teachings of Christ, he is utterly wicked and far worse than ordinary men, who often guard against discussing and bearing false witness about things they do not understand; or if he has met with them, but has not grasped the greatness that is in them, or, having grasped it, does these things so as not to be suspected of being such a one himself, he is far more ignoble and utterly wicked, being inferior to vulgar and irrational opinion and fear. For I would have you know that I put certain such questions to him and inquired, and learned and proved that he truly understands nothing. And to show that I speak the truth, if these exchanges of arguments have not been reported to you, I am ready to engage in the questions again even in your presence; and this too would be a kingly act. But if my questions and his answers have become known to you, it is plain to you that he understands nothing of our affairs; or if he does understand, but does not dare to speak because of his hearers, he is shown, as I said before, like Socrates, to be not a lover of wisdom but a lover of opinion—a man who does not even honor that admirable Socratic saying: "But a man is in no way to be honored above the truth." But it is impossible for a Cynic, who has set up indifference as his end, to know the good except indifference.
所以我也料想，必被我所題名之人中的某一個謀害，被釘在木架上——若不是被克瑞斯肯這個喜好虛張聲勢、自誇之人所害。因為此人不配稱為哲學家，他在公眾面前就他所不明白之事控告我們，妄稱基督徒是無神論者、不虔之人，他這樣行乃是為討好那許多受了迷惑之人、使他們快意。因為他若未曾接觸基督的教訓便攻擊我們，他就是極其邪惡，比那些常常防備、不就自己所不明白之事妄論並作假見證的平庸之人還壞得多;或者他若接觸過，卻沒有領會其中的偉大，又或領會了卻為免自己被疑為這樣的人而仍如此行，那他就更加卑賤、更加邪惡，比那庸俗無理的意見與懼怕還不如。因為我要你們知道，我曾向他提出某些這樣的問題盤問，便看出並證明他實在一無所知。為要顯明我說的是真話，這些辯論的往來若未曾報給你們，我隨時準備甚至在你們面前再次就這些問題與他交鋒;這也是一件合乎君王體統的事。但你們若已知道我的提問與他的回答，便顯明他對我們的事一無所知;或者他即使明白，卻因聽眾的緣故不敢說，那他就如我先前所說，像蘇格拉底那樣，被顯為不是愛智慧的人，乃是愛虛名的人——這人甚至不尊崇那可羨慕的蘇格拉底名言：「然而人斷不可被尊崇於真理之上。」但對一個以無動於衷為其目的之犬儒派而言，除了無動於衷以外便不可能認識善了。