Plutarch, Quaestiones Romanae, ed. William W. Goodwin, 76

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[76]

Question 76.

Why do they that would be preferred before others in gentility wear little moons on their shoes?

Solution. Is this the reason (as Castor saith), that this is a symbol of the place of habitation that is said to be in the moon, signifying that after death souls should have the moon under their feet again? Or was this a fashion of renown among families of greatest antiquity, as were the Arcadians of Evander’s posterity, that were called men born before the moon ( προσέληνοι)? Or is this, like many other customs, to put men who are lofty and high-minded in mind of the mutability of human affairs to either side, setting the moon before them as an example,

When first she comes from dark to light,

Trimming, her face becomes fair bright,

Increasing, till she’s full in sight;

Declining then, leaves nought but night?

Or was this for a doctrine of obedience to authority,— that they would have us not discontented under it; but, as the moon doth willingly obey her superior and conform unto him, always vamping after the rays of the sun (as Parmenides hath it), so they that are subjects to any prince should be contented with their lower station, in the enjoyment of power and dignity derived from him?

Quaestiones Romanae. Plutarch. ed. William W. Goodwin. Boston. 1874.

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Current edition Perseus

Roman Questions (English) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Chauncy, Isaac translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.)

Editions (2)

Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 76 focus

282a

διὰ τί τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὑποδήμασι σεληνίδας οἱ διαφέρειν δοκοῦντες εὐγενείᾳ φοροῦσιν;

πότερον, ὡς Κάστωρ φησί, σύμβολόν ἐστι τοῦτο τῆς λεγομένης οἰκήσεως ἐπὶ τῆς σελήνης ¹ καὶ ὅτι μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν αὖθις αἱ ψυχαὶ τὴν σελήνην ὑπὸ πόδας ἕξουσιν, ἢ τοῖς παλαιοτάτοις τοῦθʼ ὑπῆρχεν ἐξαίρετον; οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν Ἀρκάδες τῶν ἀπʼ ² Εὐάνδρου Προσελήνων λεγομένων.

ἢ, καθάπερ ἄλλα πολλά, καὶ τοῦτο τοὺς ἐπαιρομένους καὶ μέγα φρονοῦντας ὑπομιμνσῄκει ³ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀμφότερον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μεταβολῆς παράδειγμα ποιουμένους τὴν σελήνην, ὡς 282b

ἐξ ἀδήλου πρῶτον ἔρχεται νέα

πρόσωπα καλλύνουσα καὶ πληρουμένη,

χὤταν περ αὑτῆς εὐπρεπεστάτη ⁴ φανῇ,

πάλιν διαρρεῖ κἀπὶ ⁵ μηδὲν ἔρχεται;

ἤ πειθαρχίας ἦν μάθημα βασιλευομένους ⁶ μὴ δυσχεραίνειν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ σελήνη προσέχειν ἐν ἐθέλει τῷ κρείττονι καὶ δευτερεύειν

ἀεὶ παπταίνουσα πρὸς αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο

κατὰ τὸν Παρμενίδην, οὕτω τὴν δευτέραν τάξιν ἀγαπᾶν χρωμένους τῷ ἡγεμόνι καὶ τῆς ἀπʼ ἐκείνου δυνάμεως καὶ τιμῆς ἀπολαύοντας;

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ῥωμαϊκά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 76 focus

[76] διὰ τί τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὑποδήμασι σεληνίδας οἱ διαφέρειν δοκοῦντες εὐγενείᾳ φοροῦσιν; πότερον, ὡς Κάστωρ ¹ φησί, σύμβολόν ἐστι τοῦτο τῆς λεγομένης οἰκήσεως ἐπὶ τῆς σελήνης καὶ ὅτι μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν αὖθις αἱ ψυχαὶ τὴν σελήνην ὑπὸ πόδας 10 ἕξουσιν, ἢ τοῖς παλαιοτάτοις τοῦθʼ ὑπῆρχεν ἐξαίρετον; οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν Ἀρκάδες τῶν ἀπʼ Εὐάνδρου Προσελήνων λεγομένων. ἤ, καθάπερ ἄλλα πολλά, καὶ τοῦτο τοὺς ἐπαιρομένους καὶ μέγα φρονοῦντας ὑπομιμνήσκει ² τῆς ἐπʼ ἀμφότερον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μεταβολῆς 15 παράδειγμα ποιουμένους τὴν σελήνην, ὡς 282b

ἐξ ἀδήλου ³ πρῶτον ἔρχεται νέα

πρόσωπα καλλύνουσα καὶ πληρουμένη,

χὤταν περ αὑτῆς εὐπρεπεστάτη ⁴ φανῇ,

πάλιν διαρρεῖ κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται; 20

ἢ πειθαρχίας ἦν μάθημα βασιλευομένους μὴ δυσχεραίνειν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ σελήνη προσέχειν ἐθέλει τῷ κρείττονι καὶ δευτερεύειν

ἀεὶ παπταίνουσα πρὸς αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο

⁵ κατὰ τὸν Παρμενίδην οὕτω τὴν δευτέραν τάξιν 25 ἀγαπᾶν χρωμένους τῷ ἡγεμόνι καὶ τῆς ἀπʼ ἐκείνου δυνάμεως καὶ τιμῆς ἀπολαύοντας;

Translations (1)

The Roman Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 76 focus

[76] Why do they that are reputed to be of distinguished lineage wear crescents on their shoes?¹

Is this, as Castor says,² an emblem of the fabled residence in the moon, and an indication that after death their souls will again have the moon beneath their feet³; or was this the special privilege of the most ancient families? These were Arcadians of Evander’s following, the so-called Pre-Lunar⁴ people.

Or does this also, like many another custom, remind the exalted and proud of the mutability, for better or worse, in the affairs of men, and that they should take the moon as an illustration⁵:

When out of darkness first she comes anew

Her face she shows increasing fair and full;

And when she reaches once her brightest sheen,

Again she wastes away and comes to naught?

Or was it a lesson in obedience to authority, teaching them not to be disaffected under the government of kings, but to be even as the moon, who is willing to give heed to her superior and to be a second to him,

Ever gazing in awe at the rays of the bright-gleaming Sun-god,

as Parmenides⁶ puts it; and were they thus to be content with their second placeo living under their ruler, and enjoying the power and honour derived from him?

Notes on the current edition

Roman Questions

1. From Sophocles, Frag. 786.

Plutarch Quaestiones Romanae 76

ed. William W. Goodwin

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Question 76.

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