Plutarch, De Amore Prolis, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 2

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[2] ὅρα περὶ τοὺς γάμους ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐν τοῖς 20 ζῴοις τὸ κατὰ φύσιν. πρῶτον οὐκ ἀναμένει νόμους ἀγαμίου¹ καὶ ὀψιγαμίου, καθάπερ οἱ Λυκούργου πολῖται καὶ Σόλωνος² οὐδʼ ἀτιμίας ἀτέκνων δέδοικεν, οὐδὲ τιμὰς διώκει τρίπαιδας,³ ὡς Ῥωμαίων πολλοὶ γαμοῦσι καὶ γεννῶσιν, οὐχ ἳνα κληρονόμους ἔχωσιν 493f ἀλλʼ ἵνα κληρονομεῖν δύνωνται. ἔπειτα μίγνυται τῷ θήλει τὸ ἄρρεν οὐχ ἅπαντα χρόνον· ἡδονὴν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει τέλος ἀλλὰ γέννησιν καὶ τέκνωσιν. διὰ 5 τοῦτʼ ἔτους ὥρᾳ, ἣ πνοάς τε γονίμους ἔχει καὶ πρόσφορον λοχευομένοις κρᾶσιν, συνῆλθεν εἰς ταὐτὸ⁴ τῷ ἄρρενι τὸ θῆλυ χειρόηθες καὶ ποθεινόν, ἡδείᾳ μὲν ὀσμῇ χρωτὸς ἰδίῳ δὲ κόσμῳ σώματος ἀγαλλόμενον, δρόσου καὶ βοτάνης ἀνάπλεων. καθαρᾶς· αἰσθόμενον 10 494a δʼ ὅτι κύει καὶ πεπλήρωται, κοσμίως ἄπεισι καὶ προνοεῖ περὶ τὴν κύησιν καὶ σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀποτεχθέντος. ἀξίως δʼ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τὰ δρώμενα, πλὴν ὅτι γίγνεται ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἐν⁵ τῷ φιλοστόργῳ, ταῖς προνοίαις, ταῖς καρτερίαις, ταῖς ἐγκρατείαις. ἀλλὰ 15 τὴν μέλιτταν ἡμεῖς σοφὴν καλοῦμεν καὶ νομίζομεν

ξανθὸν μέλι μηδομέναν

⁶ κολακεύοντες τὸ ἡδὺ καὶ γαργαλίζον ἡμᾶς τῆς γλυκύτητος· τὴν δὲ τῶν ἄλλων περὶ τὰς λοχείας καὶ τὰς ἀνατροφὰς σοφίαν καὶ τέχνην παρορῶμεν. οἷον 20 εὐθύς, ἡ ἁλκυὼν κύουσα τὴν νεοττιὰν συντίθησι, συλλαμβάνουσα τὰς ἀκάνθας τῆς θαλαττίας βελόνης καὶ ταύτας διʼ ἀλλήλων ἐγκαταπλέκουσα καὶ συνείρουσα, 494b τὸ μὲν σχῆμα περιαγὲς ὡς ἁλιευτικοῦ κύρτου καὶ πρόμηκες ἀπεργάζεται· τῇ⁷ δʼ ἁρμονίᾳ καὶ πυκνότητι 25 συμφράξασα τὰς ἀκάνθας⁸ ἀκριβῶς ὑπέθηκε⁹ τῷ κλύσματι τοῦ κύματος, ὡς¹⁰ τυπτόμενον ἡσυχῆ καὶ πηγνύμενον τὸ πίλημα τῆς ἐπιφανείας στεγανὸν γένηται· γίγνεται δὲ σιδήρῳ καὶ λίθῳ δυσδιαίρετον. ὃ δʼ ἐστὶ θαυμασιώτερον, οὕτω τὸ στόμα τῆς νεοττιᾶς 5 συμμέτρως πέπλασται¹¹ πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἁλκυόνος, ὥστε μήτε μεῖζον ἄλλο μήτε μικρότερον ἐνδύεσθαι ζῷον, ὡς δέ φασι, μηδὲ θάλατταν 494c παραδέχεσθαι¹² μηδὲ τὰ ἐλάχιστα. μάλιστα δʼ οἱ γαλεοὶ ζῳογονοῦσι μὲν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἐκβαίνειν 10 δὲ παρέχουσιν ἐκτὸς καὶ νέμεσθαι τοῖς σκυμνίοις, εἶτα πάλιν ἀναλαμβάνουσι καὶ περιπτύσσουσιν ἐγκοιμώμενα τοῖς σπλάγχνοις. ἡ δʼ ἄρκτος, ἀγριώτατον καὶ σκυθρωπότατον θηρίον, ἄμορφα καὶ ἄναρθρα τίκτει· τῇ δὲ γλώττῃ καθάπερ ἐργαλείῳ διατυποῦσα 15 τοὺς ὑμένας¹³ οὐ δοκεῖ γεννᾶν μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ δημιουργεῖν τὸ τέκνον. ὁ δʼ Ὁμηρικὸς λέων,

ᾧ ῥά τε νήπιʼ ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται¹⁴ ἐν ὕλῃ

¹⁵

ἄνδρες ἐπακτῆρες, ὁ δέ τε σθένεϊ βλεμεαίνει, 494d

πᾶν δὲ τʼ ἐπισκύνιον κάτω ἕλκεται ὄσσε καλύπτων

20 ἆρʼ οὐχ ὅμοιός; ἐστι, διανοουμένῳ πρὸς τοὺς κυνηγοὺς σπένδεσθαι περὶ τῶν τέκνων; καθόλου γὰρ ἡ πρὸς τὰ ἔκγονα¹⁶ φιλοστοργία καὶ τολμηρὰ τὰ δειλὰ¹⁷ ποιεῖ, καὶ φιλόπονα τὰ ῥᾴθυμα καὶ φειδωλὰ τὰ γαστρίμαργα καὶ ὥσπερ¹⁸ ἡ Ὁμηρικὴ ὄρνις προσφέρουσα τοῖς νεοττοῖς

μάστακʼ, ἐπεί κε λάβῃσι, κακῶς δέ τε οἱ πέλει αὐτῇ¹⁹ 5

τῷ γὰρ αὑτῆς τρέφει λιμῷ τὰ ἔκγονα,²⁰ καὶ τὴν τροφὴν τῆς γαστρὸς ἁπτομένην ἀποκρατεῖ καὶ πιέζει τῷ στόματι, μὴ λάθῃ καταπιοῦσα 494e

ὡς δὲ κύων ἀμαλῇσι περὶ σκυλάκεσσι βεβῶσα

²¹

ἄνδρʼ ἀγνοιήσασʼ ὑλάει μέμονέν τε μάχεσθαι 10

τὸν περὶ τῶν τέκνων φόβον ὡς δεύτερον προσλαβοῦσα θυμόν. αἱ δὲ πέρδικες ὅταν διώκωνται μετὰ τῶν τέκνων, ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἐῶσι προπέτεσθαι καὶ φεύγειν, αὑταῖς δὲ μηχανώμεναι προσέχειν τοὺς θηρεύοντας ἐγγὺς κυλινδούμεναι καὶ καταλαμβανόμεναι, 15 μικρὸν ὑπεκθέουσιν, εἶτα πάλιν ἵστανται καὶ παρέχουσιν ἐν ἐφικτῷ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἑαυτάς, ἄχρι ἂν οὕτω προκινδυνεύουσαι τῶν νεοττῶν τῆς ἀσφαλείας προαγάγωνται 494f πόρρω τοὺς διώκοντας. τὰς δʼ ἀλεκτορίδας ἐν τοῖς ὄμμασι καθʼ ἡμέραν ἔχομεν, ὃν τρόπον 20 τὰ νεόττια περιέπουσι, τοῖς μὲν ἐνδῦναι χαλῶσαι τὰς πτέρυγας, τὰ δʼ ἐπιβαίνοντα τῶν νώτων καὶ προσέρποντα²² πανταχόθεν ἀναδεχόμεναι μετὰ τοῦ γεγηθός τι²³ καὶ προσφιλὲς ἐπιφθέγγεσθαι· κύνας δὲ καὶ δράκοντας,²⁴ ἂν περὶ αὑτῶν φοβηθῶσι, φεύγουσιν, ἂν δὲ περὶ τῶν τέκνων, ἀμύνονται καὶ διαμάχονται παρὰ δύναμιν. εἶτα²⁵ ταῦτʼ οἰόμεθα τὰ πάθη τούτοις ἐνειργάσθαι τὴν φύσιν, ἀλεκτορίδων ἐπιγονῆς καὶ κυνῶν²⁶ καὶ ἄρκτων προνοοῦσαν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἡμᾶς δυσωποῦσαν 5 495a καὶ τιτρώσκουσαν ἐπιλογιζομένους, ὅτι ταῦτα παραδείγματα τοῖς ἑπομένοις, τοῖς δʼ ἀναλγήτοις ὀνείδη περίεστι τῆς ἀπαθείας, διʼ ὧν κατηγοροῦσι τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως μόνης μὴ προῖκα τὸ στέργειν ἐχούσης μηδʼ ἐπισταμένης φιλεῖν ἄνευ χρείας 10 θαυμάζεται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις ὁ εἰπών

μισθοῦ γὰρ ἄνθρωπον τίς ἄνθρωπον φιλεῖ

²⁷ κατʼ²⁸ Ἐπίκουρον ὁ πατὴρ τὸν υἱόν, ἡ ²⁹ μήτηρ τὸ τέκνον, οἱ παῖδες τοὺς τεκόντας. ἀλλʼ εἰ λόγου γένοιτο τοῖς θηρίοις σύνεσις, καὶ τοῦτό τις εἰς κοινὸν θέατρον 15 συναγαγὼν ἵππους καὶ βόας καὶ κύνας καὶ 495b ὄρνιθας; ἀναφθέγξαιτο μεταγράψας, ὡς οὔτε κύνες ἐπὶ μισθῷ σκύλακας φιλοῦσιν οὔθʼ ἵπποι πώλους³⁰ οὔτʼ ὄρνιθες νεοττοὺς ἀλλὰ προῖκα καὶ φυσικῶς, ἐπιγνωσθήσεται τοῖς ἁπάντων πάθεσιν ὡς εὖ καὶ 20 ἀληθῶς λεγόμενον. αἰσχρὸν γάρ, ὦ Ζεῦ, τὰς θηρίων γενέσεις καὶ λοχείας καὶ ὠδῖνας καὶ τεκνοτροφίας φύσιν εἶναι καὶ χάριν, τὰς δʼ ἀνθρώπων δάνεια καὶ μισθοὺς καὶ ἀρραβῶνας ἐπὶ χρείαις διδομένους.

De Amore Prolis. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1891.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοστοργίας (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.)

Translations (2)

On Affection for Offspring Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. VI. Helmbold, William Clark, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1939 (printing).) — 2 focus

[2] Observe to what extent there exists in animals conformity to nature in regard to their marriages. In the first place, they do not wait for laws against celibacy or late wedlock, as did the citizens of Lycurgus¹ and Solon, ² nor fear loss of civil rights because of childlessness, nor pursue the honours of the ius trium liberorum ,³ as many Romans do when they marry and beget children, not that they may have heirs, but that they may inherit. In the next place, the male does not consort with the female during all seasons, for the end and aim is not pleasure, but procreation and the begetting of offspring; therefore it is in the season of spring, which has procreative breezes⁴ and a temperature suitable to intercourse,⁵ that the female, rendered submissive and desirable, comes to consort with the male, exulting, as she does, in the pleasing odour of her flesh and the peculiar adornment⁶ of her body, and filled with dew and clean grass⁷; but when she perceives that she is pregnant and sated, she modestly retires and takes thought for the birth and safety of her offspring. But it is impossible to recount the procedure in a manner worthy of the subject, except to say that each of the pair is as one in their affection for their offspring, in their forethought, their endurance, and their self-control. Further, though we call the bee wise and believe that it

Makes the yellow honey its care,⁸

flattering the saccharine quality of its sweetness which tickles our palates, yet we overlook the wisdom and artifice of the other creatures which is manifested in the bearing and the nurture of offspring. As, for example, the king-fisher⁹ after conception makes her nest by gathering the thorns of the sea-needle and interweaving and joining them together, and makes it round and oblong in form, like a fisherman’s creel; and, packing the thorns closely together with the most exact jointure and density, submits it to the dashing of the waves so that, being gradually beaten upon and riveted together, the hard-packed surface may become water-proof; and it does become hard to divide with iron or stone. And what is more wonderful, the mouth of the nest is so exactly fitted to the size and measure of the king-fisher that no other creature, either larger or smaller, may enter, and, so they say, that it will not admit even the most minute drops of sea-water.¹⁰

And sea-dogs¹¹ are a very good example, for they bring forth their young alive within their bodies,¹² but permit their offspring to emerge and forage, and then take them back again and enfold them in their vitals and let them sleep there.

And the she-bear,¹³ the most savage and sullen of beasts, brings forth her young formless and without visible joints, and with her tongue, as with a tool, she moulds into shape their skin¹⁴; and thus she is thought, not only to bear, but to fashion her cub.

And in Homer¹⁵ the lion -

Whom hunters meet leading his young within

A wood; he glares with valour and draws down

His eye-lids till they hide his eyes -

does he look like a beast that has any notion of making terms with the hunters for his children’s lives? For, in general, the love of animals for their children makes the timid bold, the lazy energetic, the voracious sparing; like the bird in Homer¹⁶ which brings to her nestlings

Whatever morsels she can catch, though she

Fares ill herself,

for she feeds her young at the cost of her own hunger, and, though she has laid hold of food for her belly, she withholds it and presses it tightly with her beak, lest she gulp it down unawares; or

As a bitch bestrides her tender pups, and barks

At one she does not know, and longs to fight,¹⁷

acquiring, as it were, a second courage in her fear for her young.

And partridges,¹⁸ when, accompanied by their young, they are being pursued, allow the fledglings to fly ahead and attempt to escape, and contrive to fix the hunter’s attention on themselves by wheeling close and, when they are almost captured, fly off and away, then again remain at rest and place themselves within the reach of the hunter’s hope, until, by so exposing themselves to danger for their nestlings’ safety, they have led on the hunters to a considerable distance.

And we have before our eyes every day the manner in which hens¹⁹ care for their brood, drooping their wings for some to creep under, and receiving with joyous and affectionate clucks others that mount upon their backs or run up to them from every direction; and though they flee from dogs and snakes if they are frightened only for themselves, if their fright is for their children, they stand their ground and fight it out beyond their strength.

Are we, then, to believe that Nature has implanted these emotions in these creatures because she is solicitous for the offspring of hens and dogs and bears, and not, rather, because she is striving to make us ashamed and to wound us, when we reflect that these instances are examples to those of us who would follow the lead of Nature, but to those who are callous, as rebukes for their insensibility, by citing which they²⁰ disparage human nature as being the only kind that has no disinterested affection and that does not know how to love without prospect of gain? In our theatres, indeed, people applaud the verse of the poet who said,²¹

What man will love his fellow-man for pay?

And yet, according to Epicurus,²² it is for pay that a father loves his son, a mother her child, children their parents; but if beasts could come to understand speech and someone should bring together to a common theatre horses and cows and dogs and birds and should revise this speech and say, Dogs do not love their pups, nor horses their colts, nor birds their nestlings, for pay, but gratuitously and naturally, it would be recognized by the emotions of them all that this was well and truly spoken. For it is shameful - great Heaven! - that the begetting and the pains of travail and the nurture of beas ts should be Nature and a free gift, but that those of men should be loans and wages and caution-money, all given on condition of a return!²³

Of Natural Affection Towards One's Offspring Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. IV. Goodwin, William W., editor; Brown, R., translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 2 focus

[2] But in brutes observe how all things are accommodated to Nature. As to marriages, they tarry not till laws are passed against celibacy and late marriages, as Lycurgus and Solon’s citizens did; they matter not the disgrace of wanting children; nor are they ambitious of the honor of having three children, as many Romans, who marry and get children, not that they may have heirs, but that they may get estates. Again, the male accompanies with the female not at all times, because not pleasure but procreation is his end. Therefore in the spring time, when the fruitful breezes blow and the air is of a pregnant temper, then the female approaches the male, gentle and desirable, wantoning in the sweet smell and peculiar ornament of her body, full of dew and pure grass; and when she perceives she has conceived, she modestly departs, and provides for her bringing forth and for the safety of what she shall be delivered of. What brutes do cannot be sufficiently expressed; in all of them their affection to their young is evident by their providence, patience, and continence. Indeed we call the bee wise, and we celebrate her who deviseth the yellow honey, flattering her for glutting us with her sweetness; but the wisdom and art of other creatures, about their bringing forth and the rearing their young, we wholly neglect. For instance, first, the king-fisher, when she has conceived, makes her nest of the prickles of the sea-needle, weaving them one among another, in form of a long oval fishing-net; then she puts it under the dashing of the waters, that being by degrees beaten upon and milled, it may acquire a smooth surface, and become so solid that it cannot easily be divided by either stone or iron. And what is more wonderful, the mouth of the nest is so exactly fitted to the king-fisher, that neither a greater nor a less animal can enter it; and when she is in (as they say) it will not admit the sea-water. The sea-fish called γαλεοί give birth to their young within themselves, let them go abroad to feed, and then take them into their bellies again when they go to sleep. The bear, a most fierce and ugly beast, brings forth her young shapeless and without limbs, but with her tongue, as with a tool, she shapes the members; so that she seems not only to bring forth but to work out her young. And Homer’s lioness,—

Thus in the centre of some gloomy wood,

With many a step the lioness surrounds

Her tawny young, beset by men and hounds;

Elate her heart, and rousing all her powers,

Dark o’er the fiery balls each hanging eyebrow lowers;

does she not, I say, look as if she were contriving how to make a bargain with the huntsman for her whelps? For generally the love of their young makes bold creatures timorous, the slothful industrious, and the voracious parsimonious. So Homer’s bird gives to her young, though with herself it go hard.² She feeds them by starving herself, and when she has taken up her food, she lays it down again, and keeps it down with her bill, lest she should swallow it unawares. In like manner,

For tender whelps, when strangers come in sight,

The barking bitch prepares herself to fight;

and fear for her young turns into a second passion. When partridges and their young are pursued, the old suffer the young to fly away before, so contriving it that the fowler may think to catch them. Thus they hover about, run forward a little, then turn again, and so detain the fowler till their young are safe. We daily behold hens, how they cherish their chickens, taking some of them under their spread wings, suffering others of them to run upon their backs, and taking them in again, with a voice expressing kindness and joy. When themselves are concerned, they fly from dogs and serpents; but to defend their chickens, they will venture beyond their strength and fight.

And shall we think that Nature has bred such affections in these creatures, because she is solicitous for the propagation of hens, dogs, and bears, and not that she may by these means make us ashamed? Certainly we must conclude that these creatures, following the duct of nature, are for our example, and that they much upbraid the remorselessness of humanity, of which human nature alone is culpable, in not being capable of gratuitous love, nor knowing how to be a friend without profit. Well therefore might the comedian be admired who said, For reward only man loves man. Epicurus thinks that after this manner children are beloved of their parents, and parents of their children. But if the benefit of speech were allowed to brutes, and if horses, cows, dogs, and birds were brought upon the stage, and the song were changed, and it were said that neither the bitch loved her whelps for gain, nor the mare her foal, nor fowls their chickens, but that they were all beloved gratis and by impulse of nature, then by the affection of all brutes this assertion would be approved as just and true. And is it not a shame, that the procreation of beasts, their birth, pains in birth, and their education, should be by nature and gratis, and yet for these things that man should require usury, rewards, and bribes?

Notes on the current edition

Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοστοργίας

1. ἀγαμίου καὶ ὀψιγαμίου Doehnerus: ἀγάμου καὶ ὀψιγάμου

2. καὶ Σόλωνος] del. idem

3. τριπαιδίας idem

4. συνῆλθεν εἰς ταὐτὸ Doehnerus: ἦλθεν εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ

5. ἐν] ἓν Emperius

6. Bergk. 3 p. 411

7. τῇ] ἡ Doehnerus

8. τὰς ἀκάνθας R: τῆς ἀκάνθης

9. ἐπέθηκε Doehnerus

10. ὡς] ὅπως R

11. πέπλασται X: πεπλάσθαι

12. malim παρεισδέχεσθαι

13. ὑμένας] σκύμνους Doehnerus. cf. Theocr. XI, 41

14. ᾧ ῥά τε νήπι’ ἄγοντι συναντήσωνται Homerus: ὃν ῥά τε νήπια τέκνα ἄγοντα συναντήσονται

15. Hom. P 134

16. ἔκγονα *: ἔγγονα

17. τολμηρὰ τὰ δειλὰ Emperius: τὰ τολμηρὰ δειλὰ

18. καὶ ὥσπερ] ὥσπερ Stegmannus ut cum pracedentibus iungatur

19. Hom. I 324

20. ἔκγονα *: ἔγγονα

21. Hom. ν 14

22. προσέρποντα ( προστρέχοντα Doehnerus) W: προσέρχονται

23. τι R: ἢ

24. κύνας δὲ καὶ δράκοτας X: κυνέας δὲ καὶ δρακοντίας

25. τὰ Doehnerus

26. κυνῶν] ἀλκυόνων idem

27. Kock. 3 p. 450

28. κατʼ] καὶ κατʼ? vid. Usener. p 320

29. ἡ R

30. πώλους] add. οὔτε βόες μόσχους Doehnerus

Plutarch De Amore Prolis 2

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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