Plutarch, De Pythiae oraculis, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 15

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[15] κἀκεῖνος ἡσυχῆ διαμειδιάσας οὕτως εἶπεν 401c ὥστε¹ καὶ σοὶ προσεγκαλεῖν τὰ μικρότατα τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πλημμελημάτων ἐλέγχοντι. καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ Σωκράτης; ἑστιώμενος² ἐν Καλλίου³ τῷ μύρῳ πολεμεῖ⁴ 20 μόνον, ὀρχήσεις δὲ παίδων καὶ κυβιστήσεις καὶ φιλήματα καὶ γελωτοποιοὺς ὁρῶν ἀνέχεται καὶ σύ μοι δοκεῖς ὁμοίως γύναιον εἴργειν τοῦ ἱεροῦ χρησάμενον ὥρᾳ σώματος οὐκ ἐλευθερίως, φόνων δὲ καὶ πολέμων καὶ λεηλασιῶν ἀπαρχαῖς καὶ δεκάταις κύκλῳ 25 περιεχόμενον τὸν θεὸν ὁρῶν, καὶ τὸν νεὼν σκύλων Ἑλληνικῶν ἀνάπλεων⁵ καὶ λαφύρων οὐ δυσχεραίνεις, οὐδʼ οἰκτίρεις τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐπὶ τῶν καλῶν ἀναθημάτων 401d αἰσχίστας ἀναγιγνώσκων ἐπιγραφὰς Βρασίδας καὶ Ἀκάνθιοι ἀπʼ Ἀθηναίων καὶ ʽ Ἀθηναῖοι 5 ἀπὸ Κορινθίων καὶ Φωκεῖς ἀπὸ Θεσσαλῶν, Ὀρνεᾶται δʼ ἀπὸ Σικυωνίων, Ἀμφικτύονες δʼ ἀπὸ Φωκέων. ἀλλὰ Πραξιτέλης ὡς· ἔοικε· μόνος ἠνίασε Κράτητα τῇ ἐρωμένῃ τυχὼν αὐτόθι δωρεᾶς,⁶ ὃν ἐπαινεῖν ὤφειλε Κράτης, ὅτι τοῖς χρυσοῖς βασιλεῦσι 10 τούτοις παρέστησε χρυσῆν ἑταίραν, ἐξονειδίζων τὸν πλοῦτον ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχοντα θαυμάσιον οὐδὲ σεμνόν. δικαιοσύνης γὰρ ἀναθήματα καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ μεγαλονοίας καλῶς ἔχει⁷ τίθεσθαι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ τοὺς 401e βασιλεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, οὐ χρυσῆς καὶ τρυφώσης 15 εὐπορίας ἧς μέτεστι καὶ τοῖς αἴσχιστα βεβιωκόσιν.

De Pythiae oraculis. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1891.

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Current edition Perseus

Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.)

Translations (2)

The Oracle at Delphi no Longer Given in Verse Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. V. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 15 focus

[15] Theon, with a quiet smile, said, In such a way as to lodge complaint against you as well for bringing up the most trifling of the peccadilloes of the Greeks. For just as Socrates, while being entertained at Gallias’s house, shows hostility toward perfume only,¹ but looks on with tolerance at children’s dancing, and at tumbling,² kissing,³ and buffoons⁴; so you also seem to me, in a similar way, to be excluding from this shrine a poor weak woman who put the beauty of her person to a base use, but when you see the god completely surrounded by choice offerings and tithes from murders, wars, and plunderings, and his temple crowded with spoils and booty from the Greeks, you show no indignation, nor do you feel any pity for the Greeks when upon the beautiful votive offerings you read the most disgraceful inscriptions: Brasidas and the Acanthians from the Athenians, and The Athenians from the Corinthians, and The Phocians from the Thessalians, and The Orneatans from the Sicyonians, and The Amphictyons from the Phocians. But Praxiteles, apparently, was the only one that caused annoyance to Crates by gaining for his beloved the privilege of a dedication here, whereas Crates ought to have commended him because beside these golden kings he placed a golden courtesan, thus rebuking wealth for possessing nothing to be admired or revered. For it would be well for kings and rulers to dedicate votive offerings to commemorate justice, self-control, and magnanimity, not golden and luxurious affluence, which is shared also by men who have led the most disgraceful lives.

Wherefore the Pythian Priestess now Ceases to Deliver her Oracles in Verse Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. III. Goodwin, William W., editor; Philips, John, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 15 focus

[15] In the same manner, and as easily, replied Serapio, as I may charge and accuse yourself for reproaching the slightest faults among the Greeks. For as Socrates reprehended Callias for being always at enmity with perfumes and precious odors, while yet he could endure to see boys and girls dance and tumble together, and to be a spectator of the lascivious gestures of wanton mummers and merryandrews; so, in my opinion, it is with you that envy the standing of a woman’s statue in the temple, because she made ill use of her beauty. Yet, though you see Apollo surrounded with the first-fruits and tenths of murders, wars, and plunder, and all the temple full of spoils and pillage taken from the Greeks, these things never move your indignation; you never commiserate your countrymen, when you read engraved upon these gaudy donatives such doleful inscriptions as these,—Brasidas and the Acanthians dedicate these spoils taken from Athenians,—the Athenians these from the Corinthians,—the Phocians these from the Thessalians,—the Orneatae these from the Sicyonians,—the Amphictyons these from the Phocians. Now if it is true that Praxiteles offended Crates by erecting a statue in honor of his mistress, in my opinion Crates rather ought to have commended him for placing among the golden monuments of kings and princes the statue of a courtesan, thereby showing a contempt and scorn of riches, to which there is nothing of grandeur or veneration due; for it becomes princes and kings to consecrate to the God the lasting monuments of justice, temperance, magnanimity, not of golden and superfluous opulency, which are as frequently erected to the most flagitious of men.

Notes on the current edition

Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν

1. ὥστε R: ὥς γε

2. ἐστιώμενος R: αἰτιώμενος

3. Καλλίου idem: καλλία cf. Xen. Symp. 2, 3 sqq.

4. πολεμεῖ R: πολεμεῖν

5. ἀνάπλεων R: ἀνάπλεω

6. δωρεᾶς] χώρας Emperius. Cf. Xen. Cyrop. IV 6, 7: καὶ ἐλπίδα τινὰ λάβοιμι τῷ φίλῳ παιδὶ τιμωρίας ἄν τινος μετὰ σοῦ τυχεῖν

7. ἔχειν BE

Plutarch De Pythiae oraculis 15

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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