Plutarch, De gloria Atheniensium, Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator), 5

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[5] Athens, to be sure, possessed no famous writer of either epic or melic poetry; for Cinesias¹ seems to have been an infelicitous dithyrambic poet. He was himself without family or fame but, jeered and mocked by the comic poets, he acquired his share in unfortunate notoriety. And for the dramatic poets, the Athenians considered the writing of comedy so undignified and vulgar a business that there was a law forbidding any member of the Areopagus to write comedies. But tragedy blossomed forth and won great acclaim, becoming a wondrous entertainment for the ears and eyes of the men of that age, and, by the mythological character of its plots, and the vicissitudes which its characters undergo, it effected a deception wherein, as Gorgias² remarks, he who deceives is more honest than he who does not deceive, and he who is deceived is wiser than he who is not deceived. For he who deceives is more honest, because he has done what he promised to do; and he who is deceived is wiser, because the mind which is not insensible to fine perceptions is easily enthralled by the delights of language.

What profit, then, did these fine tragedies bring to Athens to compare with the shrewdness of Themistocles which provided the city with a wall, with the diligence of Pericles which adorned the Acropolis, with the liberty which Miltiades bestowed, with the supremacy to which Cimon advanced her? If in this manner the wisdom of Euripides, the eloquence of Sophocles,³ and the poetic magnificence of Aeschylus rid the city of any of its difficulties or gained for her any brilliant success, it is but right to compare their tragedies with trophies of victory, to let the theatre rival the War Office, and to compare the records of dramatic performances with the memorials of valour.

De gloria Atheniensium. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

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Current edition Perseus

Were the Athenians More Famous in War or in Wisdom? (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Πότερον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ πόλεμον ἢ κατὰ σοφίαν ἐνδοξότεροι Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 5 focus

[5] Ἐπικῆς ¹ μὲν οὖν ποιήσεως ἡ πόλις οὐκ ἔσχηκεν ἔνδοξον δημιουργὸν οὐδὲ μελικῆς. ὁ γὰρ Κινησίας ἀργαλέος ἔοικε ποιητὴς γεγονέναι διθυράμβων· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἄγονος καὶ ἀκλεὴς γέγονε, σκωπτόμενος σὲ καὶ χλευαζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν κωμῳδιοποιῶν οὐκ εὐτυχοῦς δόξης μετέσθηκε. τῶν δὲ δραματοποιῶν τὴν μὲν κωμῳδιοποιίαν οὕτως ἄσεμνον ἡγοῦντο καὶ φορτικόν, ὥστε νόμος ἦν μηδένα ποιεῖν κωμῳδίας Ἀρεοπαγίτην. ἤνθησε δʼ ἡ 348c τραγῳδία καὶ διεβοήθη, θαυμαστὸν ἀκρόαμα καὶ θέαμα τῶν τότʼ ἀνθρώπων γενομένη καὶ παρασχοῦσα τοῖς μύθοις καὶ τοῖς πάθεσιν ἀπάτην, ὡς Γοργίας φησίν, ἣν ² ὃ τʼ ἀπατήσας δικαιότερος τοῦ μὴ ἀπατήσαντος, καὶ ὁ ἀπατηθεὶς σοφώτερος τοῦ μὴ ἀπατηθέντος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀπατήσας δικαιότερος, ὅτι τοῦθʼ ὑποσχόμενος πεποίηκεν· ὁ δʼ ἀπατηθεὶς σοφώτερος· εὐάλωτον γὰρ ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς λόγων τὸ μὴ ἀναίσθητον.

τίνʼ οὖν αἱ καλαὶ τραγῳδίαι ταῖς Ἀθήναις ὄνησιν ἤνεγκαν ὡς ἡ Θεμιστοκλέους δεινότης ἐτείχισε τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ἡ Περικλέους ἐπιμέλεια τὴν ἄκραν ³ 348d ἐκόσμησεν, ὡς Μιλτιάδης ἠλευθέρωσεν, ὡς Κίμων προῆγεν εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν; εἰ οὕτως ἡ Εὐριπίδου σοφία καὶ ἡ Σοφοκλέους λογιότης καὶ τὸ Αἰσχύλου στόμα τι τῶν δυσχερῶν ἀπήλλαξεν ἤ τι τῶν λαμπρῶν περιεποίησεν, ἄξιόν γε τὰ δράματα τοῖς τροπαίοις ἀντιπαραθεῖναι καὶ τῷ στρατηγίῳ τὸ θέατρον ἀνταναστῆσαι καὶ ταῖς ἀριστείαις τὰς διδασκαλίας ἀντιπαραβαλεῖν.

Πότερον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ πόλεμον ἢ κατὰ σοφίαν ἐνδοξότεροι Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig. Teubner, 1889.) — 5 focus

[5] ἐπικῆς ¹ μὲν οὖν ποιήσεως ἡ πόλις οὐκ ἔσχηκεν ἔνδοξον δημιουργὸν οὐδὲ μελικῆς· ὁ γὰρ Κινησίας ἀργαλέος ἔοικε ποιητὴς γεγονέναι διθυράμβων· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἄγονος καὶ ἀκλεὴς γέγονε, 20 σκωπτόμενος δὲ καὶ χλευαζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν κωμῳδιοποιῶν ² οὐκ εὐτυχοῦς δόξης μετέσχηκε. τῶν δὲ δραματοποιῶν τὴν μὲν κωμῳδιοποιίαν ³ οὕτως ἄσεμνον 348c ἡγοῦντο καὶ φορτικόν, ὥστε νόμος ἦν μηδένα ποιεῖν κωμῳδίας Ἀρεοπαγίτην. ἤνθησε δʼ ἡ τραγῳδία καὶ 25 διεβοήθη, θαυμαστὸν ἀκρόαμα καὶ θέαμα τῶν τότʼ ἀνθρώπων γενομένη καὶ παρασχοῦσα τοῖς μύθοις καὶ τοῖς πάθεσιν ἀπάτην, ὡς Γοργίας φησίν, ἣν ⁴ ὃ τʼ ἀπατήσας δικαιότερος τοῦ μὴ ἀπατήσαντος, καὶ ὁ ἀπατηθεὶς σοφώτερος τοῦ μὴ ἀπατηθέντος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ 5 ἀπατήσας δικαιότερος, ὅτι τοῦθʼ ὑποσχόμενος πεποίηκεν· 348d ὁ δʼ ἀπατηθεὶς σοφώτερος· εὐάλωτον γὰρ ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς λόγων τὸ μὴ ἀναίσθητον. τίνʼ οὖν αἱ καλαὶ τραγῳδίαι ταῖς Ἀθήναις ὄνησιν ἤνεγκαν ὡς ἡ Θεμιστοκλέους δεινότης ἐτείχισε τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ἡ Περικλέους 10 ἐπιμέλεια τὴν ἄκραν ⁵ ἐκόσμησεν, ὡς Μιλτιάδης ἠλευθέρωσεν, ὡς Κίμων προῆγεν εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν; εἰ οὕτως ἡ Εὐριπίδου σοφία καὶ ἡ Σοφοκλέους λογιότης καὶ τὸ Αἰσχύλου στόμα τι τῶν δυσχερῶν ἀπήλλαξεν ἤ τι τῶν λαμπρῶν περιεποίησεν, ἄξιόν γε 15 τὰ δράματα τοῖς τροπαίοις ἀντιπαραθεῖναι καὶ τῷ στρατηγίῳ τὸ θέατρον ἀνταναστῆσαι καὶ ταῖς ἀριστείαις τὰς διδασκαλίας ἀντιπαραβαλεῖν.

Translations (1)

Whether the Athenians Were More Renowned For Their Warlike Achievements or For Their Learning Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; Smith, R, translator. Boston. Little, Brown, and Company, 1874.) — 5 focus

[5] Athens therefore never bred up any true artist in epic or lyric verse. For Cinesias was a troublesome writer of dithyrambics, a person of mean parentage and of no repute; and being jeered and derided by the comedians, proved very unfortunate in the pursuit of fame.

Now for the dramatic poets, the Athenians looked upon comedy to be so ignoble and troublesome, that they published a law that no Areopagite should make any comedies. But tragedy flourished and was cried up, and with wonder and admiration heard and beheld by all people in those days, deceiving them with fables and the display of various passions; whereby, as Gorgias says, he that deceived was more just than he that deceived not, and he that was deceived was wiser than he who was not deceived. He that deceived was more just, because it was no more than what he pretended to do; and he that was deceived was wiser, for that he must be a man of no sense that is not taken with the sweetness of words. And yet what benefit did those fine tragedies procure the Athenians? But the shrewdness and cunning of Themistocles walled the city, the industry of Pericles adorned their citadel, and Cimon advanced them to command their neighbors. But as for the wisdom of Euripides, the eloquence of Sophocles, the lofty style of Aeschylus, what calamity did they avert from the city; or what renown or fame did they bring to the Athenians? Is it fitting then that dramatic poems should be compared with trophies, the stage with the generals’ office, or lists of dramas with noble achievements?

Notes on the current edition

Were the Athenians More Famous in War or in Wisdom?

1. Cf. Moralia, 1141 e; Aristophanes, Birds, 1373 ff.; Frogs, 366; Ecclesiazusae, 327 ff.; Plato, Gorgias, 502 a. Athenaeus, 551 d, quotes from an oration of Lysias against him; but even though unpopular he was at least witty; cf. Moralia, 22 a (170 a).

2. Cf. Moralia, 15 d.

3. Cf. Haigh, Tragic Drama of the Greeks, p. 166.

Plutarch De gloria Atheniensium 5

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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