Plutarch, Septem sapientium convivium, Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator), 4

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[4] When we had entered the dining-room, Thales, in a louder voice than usual, said, Where is the place at table to which the man objected? And when its position was pointed out to him he made his way to it, and placed himself and us there, at the same time remarking, Why, I would have given money to share the same table with Ardalus. This Ardalus was from Troezene, a flute-player and a priest of the Ardalian Muses, whose worship his forefather, Ardalus of Troezene, had established.¹

Aesop too, as it happened, having been sent by Croesus only a short time before on a mission both to Periander and to the god at Delphi, was present at the dinner, seated on a low chair next to Solon, who occupied the place just above. Aesop said ²: A Lydian mule caught sight of his own image reflected in a river, and, suddenly struck with admiration at the beauty and great size of his body, tossed his mane and started to run like a horse, but then, recalling that his sire was an ass, he soon stopped his running, and gave up his pride and animation.

Whereupon Chilon, dropping into Laconian dialect, remarked, It’s slow ye are, and ye’re running on like the mule.

Just then Melissa came in and took her place on the couch next to Periander, but Eumetis sat during the dinner. Then Thales, addressing himself to me (my place was just above that of Bias), said, Diocles, why do you not tell Bias at once that our guest from Naucratis has again come to him with a king’s problems, so that he may hear them stated while he is sober and circumspect?

Hear that! said Bias; this man has been trying for a long time to terrify me with such adjurations; but I know that Dionysus, besides being clever in other ways, is called the solver by virtue of wisdom, so I have no fears that if I become ³ filled with his spirit ⁴ I shall compete with less courage.

In such repartee as this did those men indulge while dining; but to me, as I was noticing that the dinner was plainer than usual, there came the thought that the entertainment and invitation of wise and good men involves no expense, but rather curtails expense, since it does away with over-elaborate viands and imported perfumes and sweetmeats and the serving of costly wines, all of which were in fairly free use every day with Periander in his royal position and wealth and circumstance. But on this occasion he tried to make an impression on the men by simplicity and restraint in expenditure. Nor was this limited to these other matters, but he also made his wife put aside and out of sight her usual elaborate attire, and present herself inexpensively and modestly attired.

Septem sapientium convivium. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1928.

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Current edition Perseus

The Dinner of the Seven Wise Men (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. II. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1928 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πων επτά σοφών συμπόσιον Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol I. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N,, editor. Leipzig. Teubner, 1888.) — 4 focus

[4] ἐπεὶ δʼ εἰσήλθομεν, ἤδη μεῖζον ὁ Θαλῆς φθεγξάμενος ποῦ δʼ εἶπεν ὁ ἀνὴρ κατακλινάμενος ἐδυσχέρανεν; ἀποδειχθείσης δὲ τῆς χώρας περιελθὼν ἐκεῖ κατέκλινεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐπριάμην 25 150a εἰπών Ἀρδάλῳ κοινωνεῖν μιᾶς τραπέζης. ἦν δὲ Τροιζήνιος ὁ Ἄρδαλος, αὐλῳδὸς καὶ ἱερεὺς τῶν Ἀρδαλίων Μουσῶν, ἃς ὁ παλαιὸς Ἄρδαλος ἱδρύσατο ὁ Τροιζήνιος. ὁ δʼ Αἴσωπος (ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ὑπὸ Κροίσου νεωστὶ πρός τε Περίανδρον ἅμα καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εἰς Δελφοὺς ἀπεσταλμένος, καὶ παρῆν ἐπὶ δίφρου τινὸς χαμαιζήλου παρὰ τὸν Σόλωνα καθήμενος ἄνω κατακείμενον) ἡμίονος δʼ ἔφη Λυδὸς 5 ἐν ποταμῷ τῆς ὄψεως ἑαυτοῦ κατιδὼν εἰκόνα καὶ θαυμάσας τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ σώματος ὥρμησε θεῖν ὥσπερ ἵππος ἀναχαιτίσας. εἶτα μέντοι συμφρονήσας ὡς ὄνου υἱὸς εἴη, κατέπαυσε ταχὺ 150b τὸν δρόμον καὶ ἀφῆκε τὸ φρύαγμα καὶ τὸν θυμόν 10 ὁ δὲ Χίλων λακωνίσας τῇ φωνῇ καὶ τύνη ἔφη , βραδὺς καὶ τρέχεις τὸν ἡμίονον. ἐκ τούτου παρῆλθε μὲν ἡ Μέλισσα καὶ κατεκλίθη παρὰ τὸν Περίανδρον, ἡ δʼ Εὔμητις ἐκάθισε παρὰ τὸ δεῖπνον. καὶ ὁ Θαλῆς ἐμὲ προσαγορεύσας ἐπάνω τοῦ Βίαντος 15 κατακείμενον τί οὐκ ἔφρασας εἶπεν ὦ Διόκλεις Βίαντι τὸν Ναυκρατίτην ξένον ἥκοντα μετὰ προβλημάτων βασιλικῶν αὖθις ἐπʼ αὐτόν, ὅπως νήφων καὶ προσέχων ἑαυτῷ τὸν λόγον δέχηται; Καὶ ὁ Βίας ἀλλʼ οὗτος μέν ἔφη πάλαι δεδίττεται ταῦτα παρακελευόμενος, 20 150c ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν Διόνυσον οἶδα τὰ τʼ ἄλλα δεινὸν ὄντα καὶ Λύσιον ἀπὸ¹ σοφίας προσαγορευόμενον, ὥστʼ οὐ δέδια τοῦ θεοῦ μεστὸς γενόμενος μὴ ἀθαρσέστερον ἀγωνίσωμαι Τοιαῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἅμα δειπνοῦντες ἔπαιζον· ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ 25 δεῖπνον εὐτελέστερον ὁρῶντι τοῦ συνήθους ἐννοεῖν ἐπῄει πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ὡς σοφῶν κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ὑποδοχὴ καὶ κλῆσις οὐδεμίαν προστίθησι δαπάνην ἀλλὰ συστέλλει μᾶλλον, ἀφαιροῦσα περιεργίας ὄψων καὶ μύρα ξενικὰ καὶ πέμματα καὶ πολυτελῶν οἴνων διαχύσεις, οἷς καθʼ ἡμέραν χρώμενος ἐπιεικῶς ὁ 150d Περίανδρος ἐν τυραννίδι καὶ πλούτῳ καὶ πράγμασι, τότε πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκαλλωπίζετο λιτότητι καὶ 5 σωφροσύνῃ δαπάνης. οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῶν ἄλλων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀφελὼν καὶ ἀποκρύψας τὸν συνήθη κόσμον ἐπεδείκνυε σὺν εὐτελείᾳ καὶ μετριότητι κεκοσμημένην.

Translations (1)

The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Davis, Roger, translator. Boston. Little, Brown, and Company, 1874.) — 4 focus

[4] When we entered into the house, Thales raising his voice enquired where it was his worship refused to be placed; which being shown him, he sat himself in that very place, and prayed us to sit down by him, and said, I would gladly give any money to have an opportunity to sit and eat with Ardalus. This Ardalus was a Troezenian by birth, by profession a minstrel, and a priest of the Ardalian Muses, whose temple old Ardalus had founded and dedicated. Here Esop, who was sent from Croesus to visit Periander, and withal to consult the oracle at Delphi, sitting by and beneath Solon upon a low stool, told the company this fable: A Lydian mule, viewing his own picture in a river, and admiring the bigness and beauty of his body, raises his crest; he waxes proud, resolving to imitate the horse in his gait and running; but presently, recollecting his extraction, how that his father was but an ass at best, he stops his career and checks his own haughtiness and bravery. Chilo replied, after his short laconic way, You are slow and yet try to run, in imitation of your mule.

Amidst these discourses in comes Melissa and sits her down by Periander; Eumetis followed and came in as we were at supper; then Thales calls to me (I sat me down above Bias), Why do you not make Bias acquainted with the problems sent him from the King by Niloxenus this second time, that he may soberly and warily weigh them Bias answered, I have been already scared with that news. I have known that Bacchus is otherwise a powerful God, and for his wisdom is termed λύσιος, that is, the interpreter; therefore I shall undertake it when my belly is full of wine. Thus they jested and reparteed and played one upon another all the while they sat at table. Observing the unwonted frugality of Periander at this time, I considered with myself that the entertainment of wise and good men is a piece of good husbandry, and that so far from enhancing a man’s expenses in truth it serves to save charge, the charge (to wit) of costly foreign unguents and junkets, and the waste of the richest wines, which Periander’s state and greatness required him every day in his ordinary treats to expend. Such costly provisions were useless here, and Periander’s wisdom appeared in his frugality. Moreover, his lady had laid aside her richer habit, and appeared in an ordinary, but a very becoming dress.

Notes on the current edition

The Dinner of the Seven Wise Men

1. Cf. Pausanias, ii. 31. 3.

2. Cf. No. 140 in the collection of fables that passes under the name of Aesop.

3. Cf. No. 140 in the collection of fables that passes under the name of Aesop.

4. Dionysus was the god of wine.

Plutarch Septem sapientium convivium 4

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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