Plutarch, De cohibenda ira, William Clark Helmbold (Translator), 9

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[9]

FUNDANUS.

These base examples, to be sure, were not pleasant to observe, but merely unavoidable; but in discussing those who deal with transports of rage in a mild and gentle way I offer instances which are very beautiful both to hear and to witness, and I begin with a word of scorn for those who say,

It was a man you wronged: should a man bear this?¹

and

Trample him underfoot, tread on his neck,

And bring him to the ground!²

and other provocative expressions, by using which some err in transferring anger from the women’s quarters to the men’s. For although courage gets along well with justice in all other respects, yet, as it seems to me, it fights for the possession of gentleness alone, as belonging rather to itself. But although cases do occur in which even baser men gain the mastery over their betters, yet to erect in the soul a trophy of victory over anger (which Heracleitus³ says it is difficult to contend against: for whatever it wishes, it buys at the price of the soul) is proof of a great and victorious strength which possesses against the passions the weapons of its judgements, as in very truth its nerves and sinews.⁴

FUNDANUS.

For this reason I always strive to collect and to peruse, not only these sayings and deeds of the philosophers, who are said by fools to have no bile,⁵ but even more those of kings and despots. There is, for instance, the remark of Antigonus⁶ to his soldiers who were reviling him near his tent in the belief that he could not hear them: he merely thrust out his staff and cried, Good heavens! will you not go somewhere farther off to abuse me? And there is the case of Arcadion⁷ the Achaean who was always railing against Philip and advising flight

Until one comes to men who know not Philip⁸;

when Arcadion later visited Macedonia on some chance or other, Philip’s friends thought that he should not be let off but punished. Yet Philip, when he met him, treated him kindly and sent him friendly presents and gifts; and later bade his friends inquire how Arcadion now spoke of him to the Greeks. When all testified that the fellow had become a wonderful eulogist of the king, Philip said, Then I am a better physician than you. So in Olympia⁹ when Philip was being defamed, and some persons said that the Greeks should smart for it since they spoke evil of Philip though they were being well treated by him, Philip said, What will they do, then, if they are badly treated?

FUNDANUS.

Likewise admirable was the behaviour of Peisistratus¹⁰ to Thrasybulus, and of Porsenna¹¹ to Mucius, and of Magas¹² to Philemon. For when Magas had been publicly ridiculed by Philemon in a comedy at the theatre:

A. For you some letters, Magas, from the king.

B. Unhappy Magas, who no letters know!¹³

Magas later captured Philemon, who had been cast ashore by a storm at Paraetonium, and ordered a soldier merely to touch Philemon on the neck with a naked sword and then depart courteously; and Magas sent dice and a ball to Philemon, as to a senseless child, and sent him on his way. So also Ptolemy, when he was jeering at a pedant for his ignorance, asked him who was Peleus’ father; and the pedant replied, I shall tell you if you will first tell me who was the father of Lagus.¹⁴ This was a jest at the dubious birth of the king, and everyone was indignant at its improper and inopportune character; but Ptolemy said, If it is not the part of a king to take a jest, neither is it to make one. But Alexander had behaved more harshly than was his custom toward Callisthenes and Cleitus.¹⁵ And so Porus,¹⁶ when he was taken captive, requested Alexander to treat him like a king. When Alexander asked, Is there nothing more? In the words like a king, replied Porus, there is everything. For this reason also they call the king of the gods Meilichios, or the Gentle One, while the Athenians, I believe, call him Maimactes, or the Boisterous¹⁷; but punishment is the work of the Furies and spirits, not of the high gods and Olympian deities.

De cohibenda ira. Plutarch. William Clark Helmbold (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1939.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

On the Control of Anger (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. VI. Helmbold, William Clark, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ ἀοπγησίας Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol III. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.) — 9 focus

[9]

ΦΟΥΝΔ.

τὰ μὲν οὖν φαῦλα παραδείγματα τὴν θέαν οὐκ εὔχαριν ἀλλʼ ἀναγκαίαν μόνον εἶχε· τοὺς δʼ ἠπίως καὶ λείως ὁμιλοῦντας ὀργαῖς κάλλιστα μὲν ἀκούσματα κάλλιστα δὲ θεάματα ποιούμενος, ἄρχομαι καταφρονεῖν τῶν λεγόντων·

ἄνδρʼ ἠδίκησας · ἄνδρʼ ἀνεκτέον τόδε;

¹ 5 καὶ

βαῖνε λάξ, ἐπὶ τραχήλου βαῖνε, καὶ πέλα² χθονί,

³ 457d καὶ τἄλλα παροξυντικά, διʼ ὧν ἔνιοι τὸν θυμὸν ἐκ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος εἰς τὴν ἀνδρωνῖτιν οὐκ εὖ μετοικίζουσιν. ἡ γὰρ⁴ ἀνδρεία κατὰ τἄλλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ 10 συμφερομένη περὶ μόνης μοι δοκεῖ διαμάχεσθαι τῆς πραότητος, ὡς αὐτῇ μᾶλλον προσηκούσης. ἀνθρώπων μὲν γὰρ κρατῆσαι καὶ χείροσι βελτιόνων ὑπῆρξε, τὸ δʼ ἐν ψυχῇ στῆσαι κατὰ θυμοῦ τρόπαιον ʽ ᾧ χαλεπὸν εἶναι διαμάχεσθαι φησὶν Ἡράκλειτος⁵ ὅ τι 15 γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ, ψυχῆς ὠνεῖται μεγάλης ἐστὶ καὶ νικητικῆς ἰσχύος, ὥσπερ νεῦρα καὶ τόνους ἀληθῶς ἐπὶ τὰ πάθη τὰς κρίσεις ἐχούσης. διὸ καὶ συνάγειν 457e ἀεὶ πειρῶμαι καὶ ἀναγιγνώσκειν οὐ ταῦτα δὴ μόνον τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων, οὕς φασι χολὴν οὐκ ἔχειν οἱ 20 νοῦν οὐκ⁶ ἔχοντες, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὰ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τυράννων οἷον Ἀντιγόνου τὸ πρὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας τοὺς παρὰ τὴν σκηνὴν λοιδοροῦντας αὐτὸν ὡς οὐκ ἀκούοντα· τὴν βακτηρίαν γὰρ ὑποβαλὼν ἔξω παπαί εἶπεν οὐ πορρωτέρω ποι τραπόμενοι κακῶς 25 ἐρεῖθʼ ἡμᾶς; Ἀρκαδίωνος δὲ τοῦ Ἀχαιοῦ τὸν Φίλιππον ἀεὶ κακῶς λέγοντος καὶ φεύγειν παραινοῦντος

εἰσόκε τοὺς ἀφίκηται οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι Φίλιππον

⁷ εἶτά πως ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ φανέντος, ᾤοντο δεῖν οἱ 457f φίλοι κολάσαι καὶ μὴ περιιδεῖν· ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος ἐντυχὼν αὐτῷ φιλανθρώπως καὶ ξένια καὶ δῶρα πέμψας 5 ἐκέλευσεν ὕστερον πυνθάνεσθαι, τίνας λόγους ἀπαγγέλλοι πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας· ὡς δὲ πάντες ἐμαρτύρουν ἐπαινέτην αὐτοῦ γεγονέναι τὸν ἄνδρα θαυμάσιον, ἐγὼ τοίνυν ἔφη βελτίων ἰατρὸς ὑμῶν. ἐν Ὀλυμπίοις δὲ βλασφημίας περὶ αὐτοῦ γενομένης 10 καί τινων λεγόντων, ὡς οἰμῶξαι προσήκει τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὅτι εὖ πάσχοντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου κακῶς αὐτὸν λέγουσι· τί οὖν ἔφη ποιήσουσιν, ἂν κακῶς πάθωσι; καλὰ δὲ καὶ Πεισιστράτου τὰ πρὸς 458a Θρασύβουλον καὶ Πορσήνα τὰ πρὸς Μούκιον⁸ καὶ 15 Μάγα τὰ πρὸς Φιλήμονα· δημοσίᾳ γὰρ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ κωμῳδηθεὶς ἐν θεάτρῳ

παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως γράμμαθʼ ἣκει σοι, Μάγα.

⁹

Μάγα κακόδαιμον, γράμματʼ οὐκ ἐπίστασαι·

¹⁰

λαβὼν ὑπὸ χειμῶνος εἰς Παραιτόνιον ἐξενεχθέντα, 20 στρατιώτην¹¹ μὲν ἐκέλευσε γυμνῇ τῇ μαχαίρᾳ θιγεῖν τοῦ τραχήλου μόνον εἶτα κοσμίως ἀπελθεῖν· ἀστραγάλους δὲ καὶ σφαῖραν ὡς παιδαρίῳ νοῦν οὐκ ἔχοντι προσπέμψας; ἀφῆκε. Πτολεμαῖος.; δὲ γραμματικὸν εἰς ἀμαθίαν ἐπισκώπτων ἠρώτησε τίς ὁ τοῦ Πηλέως 25 458b πατὴρ ἦν· κἀκεῖνος ἂν σὺ πρότερον εἴπῃς ἔφη τίς ὁ τοῦ Λάγου· τὸ δὲ σκῶμμα τῆς δυσγενείας ἥπτετο τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ πάντες ἠγανάκτησαν ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτήδειον ὄντα φέρειν· καὶ ὁ Πτολεμαῖος εἰ τὸ φέρειν ἔφη σκωπτόμενον, οὐδὲ τὸ σκώπτειν βασιλικόν 5 ἐστιν. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ πικρότερος αὑτοῦ γέγονεν ἐν τοῖς περὶ Καλλισθένη καὶ Κλεῖτον. καὶ, Πῶρος ἁλοὺς παρεκάλει χρήσασθαι· βασιλικῶς αὐτῷ καὶ πυθομένου μή τι πλέον; ἐν τῷ βασιλικῶς ἔφη πάντʼ ἔνεστι. διὸ καὶ τῶν θεῶν τὸν βασιλέα 10 458c μειλίχιον Ἀθηναῖοι δέ· Μαιμάκτην οἶμαι καλοῦσι· τὸ δὲ κολαστικὸν ἐρινυῶδες καὶ δαιμονικόν, οὐ θεῖον οὐδʼ ὀλύμπιον.

Translations (1)

Concerning the cure of anger: a dialogue Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; Dillgham, William, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 9 focus

[9]

FUNDANUS.

Indeed such evil examples as these afford us speculations which are necessary, though not pleasant. But now, from those who have carried themselves mildly and gently in their anger, I shall present you with most excellent sayings and beautiful contemplations; and I begin to contemn such as say, You have wronged a man inded, and is a man to bear this?—Stamp on his neck, tread him down in the dirt,—and such like provoking speeches, whereby some do very unhandsomely translate and remove anger from the women’s to the men’s apartment. For fortitude, which in other respects agrees with justice, seems only to disagree in respect of mildness, which she claims as more properly her own. For it sometimes befalls even worser men to bear rule over those who are better than themselves; but to erect a trophy in the soul against anger (which Heraclitus says it is an hard thing to fight against, because whatever it resolves to have, it buys at no less a price than the soul itself) is that which none but a great and victorious power is able to achieve, since that alone can bind and curb the passions by its decrees, as with nerves and tendons.

Wherefore I always strive to collect and read not only the sayings and deeds of philosophers, who (wise men say) had no gall in them, but especially those of kings and tyrants. Of this sort was the saying of Antigonus to his soldiers, when, as some were reviling him near his tent, supposing that he had not heard them, he stretched his staff out of the tent, and said: What! will you not stand somewhere farther off, while you revile me? So was that of Arcadio the Achaean, who was ever speaking ill of Philip, exhorting men to flee

Till they should come where none would Philip know.

When afterwards by some accident he appeared in Macedonia, Philip’s friends were of opinion that he ought not to be suffered, but be punished; but Philip meeting him and speaking courteously to him, and then sending him gifts, particularly such as were wont to be given to strangers, bade him learn for the time to come what to speak of him to the Greeks. And when all testified that the man was become a great praiser of Philip, even to admiration, You see, said Philip, I am a better physician than you. And when he had been reproached at the Olympic solemnities, and some said it was fit to make the Grecians smart and rue it for reviling Philip, who had dealt well with them, What then, said he, will they do, if I make them smart? Those things also which Pisistratus did to Thrasybulus, and Porsena to Mutius, were bravely done; and so was that of Magas to Philemon, for having been by him exposed to laughter in a comedy on the public stage, in these words:—

Magas, the king hath sent thee letters:

Unhappy Magas, thou dost know no letters.

And having taken Philemon as he was by a tempest cast on shore at Paraetonium, he commanded a soldier only to touch his neck with his naked sword and to go quietly away; and then having sent him a ball and huckle-bones, as if he were a child that wanted understanding, he dismissed him. Ptolemy was once jeering a grammarian for his want of learning, and asked him who was the father of Peleus: I will answer you (quoth he) if you will tell me first who was the father of Lagus. This jeer gave the king a rub for the obscurity of his birth, whereat all were moved with indignation, as a thing not to be endured. But, said Ptolemy, if it is not fit for a king to be jeered, then no more is it fit for him to jeer others. But Alexander was more severe than he was wont in his carriage towards Calisthenes and Clitus. Wherefore Porus, being taken captive by him, desired him to treat him like a king; and when Alexander asked him if he desired no more, he answered, When I say like a king, I have comprised all. And hence it is that they call the king of the Gods Meilichius, while the Athenians, I think, call him Maimactes; but the office of punishing they ascribe to the Furies and evil Genii, never giving it the epithet of divine or heavenly.

Notes on the current edition

On the Control of Anger

1. Nauck, Trag. Graec. Frag. 2, p. 912, ades. 382.

2. Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Graec., iii. p. 694; Diehl, Anthologia Lyrica, i. p. 265; Edmonds, Elegy and Iambus, ii. p. 304: an anonymous tetrameter attributed by Meineke to Archilochus.

3. Diels, Frag. d. Vorsokratiker 2, i. p. 170, Frag. 85; cf. Life of Coriolanus, xxii. (224 c), and Moralia, 755 d. But Heracleitus’s meaning is probably that it is Love, not Anger, which it is difficult to contend against.

4. Perhaps a correction (as 457 c, supra) of Plato, Republic, 411 b ( Cf. also Moralia, 449 f, supra).

5. That is, our no guts; Cf. Archilochus, Frag. 131, Bergk, and Capps’s note on Menander, Perikeiromene, 259.

6. Cf. Moralia, 182 c; Seneca, De Ira, iii. 22. 2.

7. Cf. Athenaeus, vi. 249 c-d: Arcadion, while in flight from Macedonia, accidentally met Philip who asked him how long he was going to stay in exile. This is Arcadion’s reply.

8. A parody of Homer, Od., xi. 122; xxiii. 269.

9. Cf. Moralia, 143 f; 179 a with Nachstädt’s note ad loc.

10. Cf. Moralia, 189 c, and Nachstädt ad loc.

11. Ibid. 305 f; Life of Publicola, xvii. (106 a-d) with Lindskog’s note.

12. Cf. 449 f, supra.

13. Kock, Com. Att. Frag., ii. p. 522, Frag. 144.

14. Officially the father of Ptolemy I, who, however, was commonly thought to have been the bastard son of Philip of Macedon.

15. Cf . Life of Alexander, lv. (696 d-e); 449 e, supra; Seneca, De Ira, iii. 17. 1.

16. Cf. Moralia, 181 e, 332 e; Life of Alexander, ix. (699 c), and Ziegler’s note.

17. But Gentle when propitiated. See Hesychius and Roscher, Lexicon d. gr. u. röm. Mythologie, s.v.; and Hewitt, Harvard Stud. Class. Phil., xix. (1908), 75-78.

Plutarch De cohibenda ira 9

William Clark Helmbold (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

FUNDANUS.

FUNDANUS.

FUNDANUS.

Current edition Perseus

ΦΟΥΝΔ.

FUNDANUS.

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers