Plutarch, De fortuna Romanorum, Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator), 3

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[3] And now, methinks, from my lofty look-out, as it were, from whence I survey the matter in hand, I can descry Fortune and Virtue advancing to be judged and tried one against the other.¹ The gait of Virtue is unhurried, her gaze unwavering; yet the flush of ambition lends to her countenance some intimation regarding the contest. She follows far behind Fortune, who makes great haste, and in a throng conducting her and guarding her person are

Heroes slain in the conflict, wearing their blood-stained armour,²

men befouled with wounds in front, dripping blood with sweat commingled, trampling upon battered spoils. Is it your desire that we inquire what men are these? They declare themselves to be the Fabricii, the Camilli, the Decii, the Cincinnati, the Fabii Maximi, the Claudii Marcelli, and the Scipios. I see also Gaius Marius showing anger at Fortune, and yonder Mucius Scaevola is exhibiting his burning hand and crying, Do you graciously attribute this also to Fortune? And Marcus Horatius, the hero of the battle by the Tiber, weighed down by Etruscan shafts and showing his limping limb, cries aloud from the deep whirl of the waters, Then am I also maimed by Fortune’s will? Of such character is Virtue’s choir that advances to the lists,

Sturdy contender in arms, baleful to all that oppose.³

De fortuna Romanorum. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

On the Fortunes of the Romans (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 3 focus

[3] νυνὶ δέ μοι δοκῶ τοῦ προβλήματος ὥσπερ ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς καθορᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τήν τε Τύχην καὶ τὴν Ἀρετὴν βαδιζούσας. ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν Ἀρετῆς πρᾶόν τε τὸ βάδισμα καὶ τὸ βλέμμα καθεστηκός, παρέχει δέ τι καὶ τῷ 317d προσώπῳ πρὸς τὴν ἅμιλλαν ἐρύθημα τῆς φιλοτιμίας. καὶ πολὺ μὲν ὑστερεῖ σπευδούσης τῆς Τύχης, ἄγουσι δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ δορυφοροῦσι κατὰ πλῆθος

ἄνδρες ἀρηίφατοι βεβροτωμένα τεύχεʼ ἔχοντες,

ἐναντίων τραυμάτων ἀνάπλεῳ, αἷμα συμμεμιγμένον ἱδρῶτι σταλάζοντες, ἡμικλάστοις ἐπιβεβηκότες λαφύροις. βούλεσθε δὲ πυθώμεθα, τίνες ποτʼ εἰσὶν οὗτοι; Φαβρίκιοί φασιν εἶναι καὶ Κάμιλλοι καὶ Δέκιοι καὶ Κικιννᾶτοι καὶ Μάξιμοι Φάβιοι καὶ Κλαύδιοι Μάρκελλοι καὶ Σκιπίωνες. ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ Γάιον Μάριον ὀργιζόμενον τῇ Τύχῃ, καὶ Μούκιος ἐκεῖ Σκαιόλας τὴν φλεγομένην χεῖρα δείκνυσι βοῶν 317e μὴ καὶ ταύτην τῇ Τύχῃ χαρίζῃ; καὶ Μάρκος Ὡράτιος ἀριστεὺς παραποτάμιος Τυρρηνικοῖς βέλεσι βαρυνόμενος καὶ σκάζοντα μηρὸν παρέχων, ἐκ βαθείας ὑποφθέγγεται δίνης, οὐκοῦν κἀγὼ κατὰ τύχην πεπήρωμαι; τοιοῦτος ὁ τῆς Ἀρετῆς χορὸς πρόσεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν,

βριθὺς ὁπλιτοπάλας δάιος ἀντιπάλοις.

Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol 2. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 3 focus

[3] νυνὶ δέ μοι δοκῶ τοῦ προβλήματος ¹ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ σκοπῆς ² καθορᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τήν τε Τύχην καὶ τὴν Ἀρετὴν βαδιζούσας. ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν Ἀρετῆς πρᾶόν τε τὸ βάδισμα καὶ τὸ βλέμμα 5 καθεστηκός, ἐπανθεῖ ³ δέ τι καὶ τῷ προσώπῳ πρὸς 317d τὴν ἅμιλλαν ἐρύθημα τῆς φιλοτιμίας. καὶ πολὺ μὲν ὑστερεῖ σπευδούσης τῆς Τύχης, ἄγουσι δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ δορυφοροῦσι κατὰ πλῆθος

ἄνδρες ἀρηίφατοι βεβροτωμένα τεύχεʼ ἔχοντες, ⁴ 10

ἐναντίων τραυμάτων ἀνάπλεῳ, αἷμα συμμεμιγμένον ἱδρῶτι σταλάζοντες, ἡμικλάστοις ἐπιβεβηκότες λαφύροις. βούλεσθε δὲ πυθώμεθα, τίνες ποτʼ εἰσὶν οὗτοι; Φαβρίκιοί φασιν εἶναι καὶ Κάμιλλοι καὶ Μούκιοι καὶ Κικιννᾶτοι καὶ Μάξιμοι Φάβιοι καὶ Κλαύδιοι 15 Μάρκελλοι καὶ Σκιπίωνες. ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ Γάιον Μάριον ὀργιζόμενον τῇ Τύχῃ, καὶ Μούκιος ⁵ ἐκεῖ Σκευόλας τὴν φλεγομένην χεῖρα δείκνυσι βοῶν μὴ καὶ ταύτην 317e τῇ Τύχῃ χαρίζῃ; καὶ Μάρκος Ὡράτιος ⁶ ἀριστεὺς παραποτάμιος Τυρρηνικοῖς βέλεσι βαρυνόμενος καὶ 20 σκάζοντα μηρὸν παρέχων, ἐκ βαθείας ὑποφθέγγεται δίνης οὐκοῦν κἀγὼ κατὰ τύχην πεπήρωμαι; τοιοῦτος ὁ τῆς Ἀρετῆς χορὸς πρόσεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν,

βριθὺς ⁷ ὁπλιτοπάλας δάιος ἀντιπάλοις.

Translations (1)

Concerning the fortune of the Romans Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. IV. Goodwin, William W., editor; Oswald, John, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 3 focus

[3] And now methinks I behold, as from a turret, Virtue and Fortune coming to this conference. As to Virtue, her gait is modest, her countenance grave, the blushing color of her face shows her earnest desire of obtaining victory and honor in this contest. Fortune in her hasty pace, leaves her far behind, but she is led and accompanied by many brave and gallant men,

A martial host, ghastly with bloody arms,¹

all wounded in the fore part of their bodies, distilling blood mingled with sweat, and they lean upon the bending spoils of their enemies. If you enquire who they are, they answer, We are of the Fabricii, Camilli, and Lucii, and Cincinnati, and Fabii Maximi, and Claudii Marcelli, and the Scipios. I perceive also in the train of Virtue Caius Marius angry with Fortune, and Mucius Scaevola holding out his burning hand and crying with a loud voice, Will ye attribute this to Fortune also? And Marcus Horatius, who behaved himself gallantly at the river Tiber, when he cut the bridge and swam over, being loaded with Tyrrhenian darts, showing his wounded thigh, thus expostulates from out of the deep whirlpit of the river, Was I also thus maimed by mere chance? Such is the company of Virtue, when she comes to the dispute; a company powerful in arms, terrible to their foes.

Notes on the current edition

On the Fortune of the Romans

1. This scene is perhaps imitated from Xenophon, Memorabilia, ii. 1. 21-34: Prodicus’s Heracles and the contest of the goddesses, Virtue and Vice.

2. Homer, Od. xi. 41.

3. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. ii. p. 242, or Edmonds, Elegy and Iambus, i. p. 420; cf. Moralia, 334 d, infra, 640 a; Compar. of Demosthenes and Cicero, ii. (887 b); cf. 337 d, infra.

Plutarch De fortuna Romanorum 3

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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