Plutarch, De E apud Delphos, Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator), 21

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[21] Those who hold that Apollo and the sun are the same,¹ it is right and proper that Ave welcome and love for their goodness of heart in placing their concept of the god in that thing which they honour most of all the things that they know and yearn for. But, as though they were now having a sleepy vision of the god amid the loveliest of dreams, let us wake them and urge them to proceed to loftier heights and to contemplate the waking vision of him, and what he truly is, but to pay honour also to this imagery of him in the sun and to revere the creative power associated with it, in so far as it is possible by what is perceived through the senses to gain an image of what is conceived in the mind, and by that which is ever in motion an image of that which moves not, an image that in some way or other transmits some gleams reflecting and mirroring his kindliness and blessedness. And as for his vagaries and transformations when he sends forth fire that sweeps his own self along with it, as they say,² and again when he forces it down here and directs it upon the earth and sea and winds and living creatures, and, besides, the terrible things done both to living creatures and to growing vegetation — to such tales it is irreverent even to listen; else will the god be more futile than the Poet’s fancied child³ playing a game amid the sand that is heaped together and then scattered again by him, if the god indulges in this game with the universe constantly, fashioning the world that does not exist, and destroying it again when it has been created. For, on the contrary, so far as he is in some way present in the world, by this his presence does he bind together its substance and prevail over its corporeal weakness, which tends toward dissolution. And it seems to me right to address to the god the words Thou art, which are most opposed to this account, and testify against it, believing that never does any vagary or transformation take place near him, but that such acts and experiences are related to some other god, or rather to some demigod, whose office is concerned with Nature in dissolution and generation; and this is clear at once from the names which are, as it were, correspondingly antithetic. For the one is spoken of as Apollo ( not many), the other as Pluto ( abounding); the one Delian ( clear), the other Aïdoneus ( unseen); the one Phoebus ( bright), the other Scotios ( dark)⁴; with the one are associated the Muses and Memory, with the other Oblivion and Silence; the one is Theorian ( observing) and Phanaean ( disclosing), and the other

Lord of the darkling Night and idling Sleep⁵;

and he is also

Of all the gods most hateful to mortals.⁶

Whereas concerning the other Pindar⁷ has said not unpleasingly

And towards mortal men he hath been judged the most gentle.

It was fitting therefore for Euripides⁸ to say,

Drink-offerings for the dead who are gone

And the strains that the god of the golden hair,

Apollo, will never accept as his own.

And even before him Stesichorus,⁹

The harp and sport and song

Most doth Apollo love;

Sorrows and groans are Hades’ share.

And it is evident that Sophocles¹⁰ assigns each of the instruments to each god in these words:

No harp, no lyre is welcome for laments.

As a matter of fact it was only after a long lapse of time and only recently that the flute ventured to utter a sound over things of delight, but during all the early time it used to be fetched in for times of mourning, and it had the task of rendering service on these occasions, not a very honourable or cheerful one. Later it carne to be generally associated with everything. Especially did those who confounded the attributes of the gods with the attributes of demigods get themselves into confusion.

But this much may be said: it appears that as a sort of antithesis to Thou art stands the admonition Know thyself, and then again it seems, in a manner, to be in accord therewith, for the one is an utterance addressed in awe and reverence to the god as existent through all eternity, the other is a reminder to mortal man of his own nature and the weaknesses that beset him.

De E apud Delphos. 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

The Ε at Delphi (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. 5. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ τοῦ Ε τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol 3. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.) — 21 focus

[21] τοὺς δʼ Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ ἥλιον ἡγουμένους τὸν αὐτὸν ἀσπάζεσθαι μὲν ἄξιόν ἐστι καὶ φιλεῖν διʼ εὐφημίαν, ὃ μάλιστα τιμῶσιν ὧν ἴσασι καὶ ποθοῦσιν, εἰς τοῦτο τιθέντας τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ἐπίνοιαν. ὡς δὲ νῦν ἐν τῷ καλλίστῳ τῶν ἐνυπνίων τὸν θεὸν ὀνειροπολοῦντας¹ 15 ἐγείρωμεν καὶ παρακαλῶμεν ἀνωτέρω προάγειν καὶ θεάσασθαι² τὸ ὕπαρ³ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν· τιμᾶν δὲ καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τήνδε καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν γόνιμον, ὡς ἀνυστόν ἐστιν αἰσθητῷ νοητοῦ 393e καὶ φερομένῳ μένοντος, ἐμφάσεις τινὰς καὶ εἴδωλα 20 διαλάμπουσαν ἁμωσγέπως τῆς περὶ ἐκεῖνον εὐμενείας καὶ μακαριότητος. ἐκστάσεις δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ μεταβολὰς πῦρ ἀφιέντος, αἳ αὐτὸν ἀνασπῶσιν⁴ ὡς λέγουσιν, αὖθις τε καταθλίβοντος ἐνταῦθα καὶ⁵ κατατείνοντος εἰς γῆν⁶ καὶ θάλασσαν καὶ ἀνέμους καὶ ζῷα, καὶ τὰ 25 δεινὰ παθήματα καὶ ζῴων καὶ φυτῶν, οὐδʼ ἀκούειν ὅσιον ἢ τοῦ ποιητικοῦ⁷ παιδὸς ἔσται φαυλότερος, ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἔν τινι ψαμάθῳ συντιθεμένῃ καὶ διαχεομένῃ πάλιν ὑφʼ αὑτοῦ παίζει⁸ παιδιάν, ταύτῃ περὶ τὰ ὅλα χρώμενος ἀεί, καὶ τὸν κόσμον οὐκ ὄντα πλάττων 393f εἶτʼ ἀπολλύων γενόμενον. τοὐναντίον γὰρ ὅσου ἁμωσγέπως 5 ἐγγέγονε τῷ κόσμῳ, τοῦτο συνδεῖ τὴν οὐσίαν καὶ κρατεῖ τῆς περὶ τὸ σωματικὸν ἀσθενείας ἐπὶ φθορὰν φερομένης. καί μοι δοκεῖ μάλιστα πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἀντιταττόμενον τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ μαρτυρόμενον εἶ φάναι πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ὡς οὐδέποτε 10 γιγνομένης περὶ αὐτὸν ἐκστάσεως καὶ μεταβολῆς, 394a ἀλλʼ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ θεῷ, μᾶλλον δὲ δαίμονι τεταγμένῳ περὶ τὴν ἐν φθορᾷ καὶ γενέσει φύσιν, τοῦτο ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν προσῆκον·⁹ ὡς δῆλόν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων εὐθὺς οἷον ἐναντίων ὄντων καὶ ἀντιφώνων. 15 λέγεται γὰρ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόλλων ὁ δὲ Πλούτων, καὶ ὁ μὲν Δήλιος ὁ δʼ Ἀιδωνεύς, καὶ ὁ μὲν Φοῖβος ὁ δὲ Σκότιος· καὶ παρʼ ᾧ μὲν αἱ Μοῦσαι καὶ ἡ Μνημοσύνη, παρʼ ᾧ δʼ ἡ Λήθη καὶ ἡ Σιωπή· καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεώριος καὶ Φαναῖος, ὁ δὲ 20

νυκτὸς ἀιδνᾶς ἀεργηλοῖὸ θʼ¹⁰ Ὕπνου κοίρανος·¹¹

καὶ ὁ μὲν 394b

βροτοῖσι θεῶν¹² ἔχθιστος ἁπάντων

πρὸς ὃν δὲ Πίνδαρος¹³ εἴρηκεν οὐκ ἀηδῶς

κατεκρίθη δὲ θνατοῖς ἀγανώτατος¹⁴ ἔμμεν.

εἰκότως οὖν ὁ Εὐριπίδης,¹⁵ εἶπε

λοιβαὶ¹⁶ νεκύων φθιμένων

ἀοιδαί, τὰς¹⁷ χρυσοκόμα

Ἀπόλλων οὐκ ἐνδέχεται. 5

καὶ πρότερος ἔτι τούτου ὁ Στησίχορος,¹⁸

μάλα τοι μάλιστα¹⁹

παιγμοσύνας τε²⁰ φιλεῖ μολπὰς τʼ Ἀπόλλων,

κάδεα δὲ²¹ στοναχάς τʼ Ἀίδας ἔλαχε.

Σοφοκλῆς²² δὲ καὶ τῶν ὀργάνων ἑκατέρῳ προσνέμων 10 ἑκάτερον δῆλός ἐστι διὰ τούτων,

οὐ νάβλα²³ κωκυτοῖσιν οὐ λύρα φίλα

καὶ γὰρ ὁ αὐλὸς²⁴ ὀψὲ καὶ πρῴην ἐτόλμησε φωνὴν ἐφʼ 394c ἱμερτοῖσιν²⁵ ἀφιέναι· τὸν δὲ πρῶτον χρόνον εἵλκετο πρὸς τὰ πένθη, καὶ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα λειτουργίαν²⁶ οὐ 15 μάλʼ ἔντιμον οὐδὲ φαιδρὰν εἶχεν, εἶτʼ ἐμίχθη πάντα πᾶσι.²⁷ μάλιστα δὲ τὰ θεῖα πρὸς τὰ δαιμόνια συγχέοντες εἰς ταραχὴν αὑτοὺς²⁸ κατέστησαν. ἀλλά γε τῷ Ε τὸ γνῶθι σαυτόν²⁹ ἔοικέ πως ἀντικεῖσθαι καὶ τρόπον τινὰ πάλιν συνᾴδειν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐκπλήξει 20 καὶ σεβασμῷ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὡς ὄντα διὰ παντὸς ἀναπεφώνηται, τὸ δʼ ὑπόμνησίς ἐστι τῷ θνητῷ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν φύσεως καὶ ἀσθενείας.

Translations (1)

Of the word ΕΙ engraven over the gate of Apollo's temple at Delphi Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. 4. Goodwin, William W., editor; Kippax, R, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 21 focus

[21] Now, as for those who think Apollo and the Sun to be the same, they are to be caressed and loved for their ingenuity, as placing the notion of God in that which they most reverence, of all things that they know and desire. And now, as if they were dreaming of God the most glorious dream, let us stir up and exhort them to ascend higher, and to contemplate his reality and his essence; but to honor also this his image (the Sun), and to venerate that generative faculty he has placed in it, since it exhibits in some sort by its brightness—as far as it is possible for a sensible thing to represent an intellectual, and a movable thing that which is permanent—certain manifestations and resemblances of his benignity and blessedness. But as for those his sallyings out and changes, when he casts forth fire, and when he again draws himself in, afterwards extending himself into the earth, sea, winds, animals, and strange accidents both of animals and plants, they cannot so much as be hearkened to without impiety; or else God will be worse than the child in the poet,—who made himself sport with a heap of sand, first raised and then again scattered abroad by himself,—if he shall do the same in respect of the universe, first framing the world when it was not, and then destroying it when made. On the contrary, whatsoever of him is in any sort infused into the world, that binds together its substance, and restrains the corporeal weakness which tends to corruption. And it seems to me that this word is chiefly opposed to that doctrine, and that Εἶ, Thou art, is spoken to this God, as testifying that there is never in him any going forth or change. But to do and suffer this agrees to one of the other Gods, or rather Daemons, ordained to take care about Nature in generation and corruption; as is immediately manifest from their names, being wholly contrary and of different significations. For the one is called Apollo (or not many), the other Pluto (or many); the one Delius (from clearness), the other Aidoneus (from obscurity); the one Phoebus (or shining), the other Scotius (or dark); with the one are the Muses and Mnemosyne (or song and memory) with the other Lethe and Siope (or forgetfulness and silence). The one is (from contemplating and showing) named Theorius and Phanaeus; the other is

Prince of dark night and sluggish sleep, whose fate

Is that men him most of all Gods do hate.

Of Apollo also Pindar not unpleasantly sung, that he

The gentlest of all Gods to mortals is declared.

And therefore Euripides rightly also said:

These mournful songs suit well with men deceased,

With which gold-haired Apollo’s no way pleased.

And before him Stesichorus:

Apollo joys in sports and pleasant tones;

But Pluto takes delight in griefs and moans.

Sophocles also evidently attributes to either of them his proper instruments, in these words:

Neither the lute nor psaltery is fit

For mournful matters.

For it is but very lately, and in a manner of yesterday, that the pipe has dared to introduce itself into delightful matters; having in former times drawn men to mourning, and possessing about these things no very honorable or splendid employment. But afterwards all was brought into confusion, which was due especially to those who confounded the affairs of the Gods with those of the Genii.

But the sentence, Know thyself, seems in one respect to contradict this word EI, and in another to agree with it. For the one is pronounced with admiration and veneration to God, as being eternal; and the other is a remembrance to mortal men of their nature and infirmity.

Notes on the current edition

The

1. Ibid. 1130 a, and 386 b, supra.

2. Cf. 389 c, supra.

3. Cf. Homer, Il. xv. 362.

4. Cf. the note on 385 b, supra.

5. Cf. Moralia, 1130 a; Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. iii. p. 719, Adespota, no. 92; or Edmonds, Lyra Graeca (in L.C.L.), iii. p. 452.

6. Homer, Il. ix. 159.

7. Pindar, Frag. 149 (ed. Christ), quoted also in 413 c, infra, and in Moralia, 1102 e.

8. Suppliants, 975.

9. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec. iii. p. 224, Stesichorus, no. 50; or Edmonds, Lyra Graeca (in L.C.L.), ii. p. 58.

10. Nauck, Trag. Graec. Frag., Sophocles, no. 765.

Plutarch De E apud Delphos 21

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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