Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae, ed. William W. Goodwin, 18

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[18]

Question 18.

What is παλιντοκία?

Solution.

When the Megarians had expelled Theagenes the tyrant, they managed the commonweal for some time with moderation. But then (to speak with Plato), when their orators had filled out to them, even to excess, the pure strong wine of liberty, they became altogether corrupt, and the poor carried themselves insolently toward the richer sort in this among other things, that they entered into their houses and demanded that they might be feasted and sumptuously treated. But where they prevailed not, they used violence and abusive behavior, and at last enacted a law to enable them to fetch back from the usurers the use-money which at any time they had paid, calling the execution thereof palintocia, i.e. the returning of use-money.

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

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Greek 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 Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 18 focus

[18] τίς ἡ παλιντοκία;

Μεγαρεῖς Θεαγένη τὸν τύραννον ἐκβαλόντες, 295d ὀλίγον χρόνον ἐσωφρόνησαν κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν εἶτα πολλὴν κατὰ Πλάτωνα καὶ ἄκρατον αὐτοῖς ἐλευθερίαν τῶν δημαγωγῶν οἰνοχοούντων, διαφθαρέντες παντάπασι τὰ τά ἄλλα τοῖς πλουσίοις ἀσελγῶς προσεφέροντο, καὶ παριόντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν οἱ πένητες ἠξίουν ἑστιᾶσθαι καὶ δειπνεῖν πολυτελῶς· εἰ δὲ μὴ τυγχάνοιεν, πρὸς βίαν καὶ μεθʼ ὕβρεως ἐχρῶντο πᾶσι. τέλος δὲ δόγμα θέμενοι, τοὺς τόκους ἀνεπράττοντο παρὰ τῶν δανειστῶν οὓς δεδωκότες ἐτύγχανον, παλιντοκίαν τὸ γινόμενον προσαγορεύσαντες.

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 18 focus

[18] τίς ἡ παλιντοκία; Μεγαρεῖς Θεαγένη τὸν τύραννον ἐκβαλόντες, ὀλίγον χρόνον ἐσωφρόνησαν 295d κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν· εἶτα πολλὴν κατὰ Πλάτωνα ¹ καὶ ἄκρατον αὐτοῖς ἐλευθερίαν τῶν δημαγωγῶν οἰνοχοούντων, 20 διαφθαρέντες παντάπασι τὰ τʼ ἄλλα τοῖς πλουσίοις ἀσελγῶς προσεφέροντο, καὶ παριόντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν οἱ πένητες ἠξίουν ἑστιᾶσθαι καὶ δειπνεῖν πολυτελῶς· εἰ δὲ μὴ τυγχάνοιεν, πρὸς βίαν καὶ μεθʼ ὕβρεως ἐχρῶντο πᾶσι. τέλος δὲ δόγμα 25 θέμενοι, τοὺς τόκους ἀνεπράττοντο παρὰ τῶν δανειστῶν οὓς δεδωκότες ἐτύγχανον, παλιντοκίαν τὸ γιγνόμενον προσαγορεύσαντες.

Translations (1)

The Greek Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 18 focus

[18] What is return-interest?¹

When the Megarians had expelled Theagenes,² their despot, for a short time they were sober and sensible in their government. But later when the popular leaders poured a full and heady draught of freedom for them, as Plato³ says, they were completely corrupted and, among their shocking acts of misconduct toward the wealthy, the poor would enter their homes and insist upon being entertained and banqueted sumptuously. But if they did not receive what they demanded, they would treat all the household with violence and insult. Finally they enacted a decree whereby they received back again the interest which they chanced to have paid to their creditors, calling the measure return-interest.

Plutarch Quaestiones Graecae 18

ed. William W. Goodwin

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Question 18.

Solution.

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