Plutarch, De curiositate, William Clark Helmbold (Translator), 14

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[14] Since, therefore, for the attainment of justice you may sometimes forgo an honest gain that you may accustom yourself to keep clear of dishonest profit, so likewise, for the attainment of continence, you may sometimes keep aloof from your own wife in order that you may never be stirred by another’s. Then apply this habit to inquisitiveness and endeavour sometimes not to hear or see some of the things that concern you, and when someone wishes to tell you something that has happened in your house, put him off and refuse to hear words that are supposed to have been spoken about you. It was, in fact, curiosity which involved Oedipus in the greatest calamities. Believing that he was no Corinthian, but a foreigner, and seeking to discover his identity, he encountered Laïus; and when he had killed Laïus and had taken, in addition to the throne, his own mother to wife, though seeming to all to be blessed by fortune, he began again to try to discover his identity. And although his wife attempted to prevent him, all the more vigorously did he cross-examine the old man who knew the truth, bringing every form of compulsion to bear. And at last, when circumstances were already bringing him to suspect the truth and the old man¹ cried out,

Alas! I stand on the dread brink of speech,²

Oedipus was none the less so inflamed and maddened by his affliction³ that he replied,

And I of hearing, and yet hear I must⁴;

so bitter-sweet, so uncontrollable is the itching of curiosity, like the itching of a sore which gets bloody whenever we scratch it. But the man who has got rid of this disease and is gentle by nature will say, if he is ignorant of something unpleasant,

Forgetfulness of evil, sovereign queen,

How wise you are!⁵

De curiositate. 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 Being a Busybody (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. VI. Helmbold, William Clark, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1939 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ πολυπραγμοσύνης Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. III. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.) — 14 focus

[14] ἔστι τοίνυν καὶ πρὸς δικαιοσύνην¹ ἄσκησις, ὑπερβῆναί ποτε λῆμμα δίκαιον, ἵνα πόρρω τῶν ἀδίκων ἐθίσῃς σεαυτὸν εἶναι· καὶ πρὸς σωφροσύνην ὁμοίως, ἀποσχέσθαι ποτὲ γυναικὸς ἰδίας, ἵνα μηδέποτε 5 κινηθῇς ὑπʼ ἀλλοτρίας. τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἔθος ἐπάγων τῇ πολυπραγμοσύνῃ πειρῶ καὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἔνια παρακοῦσαί ποτε καὶ παριδεῖν καί, βουλομένου τινὸς ἀγγεῖλαί τι τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, ὑπερβαλέσθαι, καὶ λόγους περὶ σοῦ λελέχθαι δοκοῦντας ἀπώσασθαι. 10 καὶ γὰρ τὸν Οἰδίποδα τοῖς μεγίστοις κακοῖς ἡ περιεργία 522c περιέβαλε· ζητῶν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ὡς οὐκ ὄντα Κορίνθιον ἀλλὰ ξένον, ἀπήντησε τῷ Λαΐῳ, καὶ τοῦτον ἀνελὼν καὶ τὴν μητέρα λαβὼν ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ γυναῖκα καὶ δοκῶν εἶναι μακάριος πάλιν ἑαυτὸν 15 ἐζήτει. καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς οὐκ ἐώσης, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἤλεγχε τὸν συνειδότα γέροντα, πᾶσαν προσφέρων ἀνάγκην. τέλος δὲ τοῦ πράγματος ἢδη περιφέροντος αὐτὸν τῇ ὑπονοίᾳ καὶ τοῦ γέροντος ἀναβοήσαντος

οἴμοι πρὸς αὐτῷ γʼ εἰμὶ τῷ δεινῷ λέγειν,

² 20 ὅμως ἐξημμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους καὶ σφαδᾴζων ἀποκρίνεται

κἄγωγʼ ἀκούειν· ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἀκουστέον.

³ 522d οὕτω τίς ἐστι γλυκύπικρος καὶ ἀκατάσχετος ὁ τῆς πολυπραγμοσύνης γαργαλισμός, ὥσπερ ἕλκος αἱμάσσων 25 ἑαυτόν, ὅταν ἀμύσσηται. ὁ δʼ ἀπηλλαγμένος τῆς νόσου ταύτης καὶ φύσει πρᾶος, ἀγνοήσας τι τῶν δυσχερῶν εἴποι ἄν⁴

ὦ πότνια λήθη τῶν κακῶν, ὡς εἶ σοφή.

⁵

Translations (1)

Of Curiosity, or an Over-Busy Inquisitiveness into Things Impertinent. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Wheeler, Maurice, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 14 focus

[14] Now as, in point of justice and honesty, it conduces much to prevent our defrauding and overreaching other men if we now and then in smaller matters voluntarily abate somewhat of our strict dues, and as it is a means to keep men chaste and continent to all other women if they sometimes forbear the lawful enjoyment of their own wives, so will these excesses of curiosity be cured by the same restraints, if, instead of enquiring into what concerns other men, we can prevail with ourselves so far as not to hear or see all that is done in our own houses, nor to listen to every thing that may be told us concerning ourselves or our private affairs. Oedipus by his curiosity fell into great mischief; for, being of a parentage to himself unknown and now at Corinth where he was a stranger, he went about asking questions concerning himself, and lighting on Laius he slew him; and then by the marriage of the queen, who was his own mother, he obtained the government. Not contented with the thoughts of being thus happy, he must needs once more (against all the persuasions of his wife) be enquiring concerning himself; when, meeting with an old man that was privy to the whole contrivance, he pressed him earnestly to reveal the secret. And when he now began to suspect the worst, the old man cried out,

Alas! So sad a tale to tell I dread;

but he, burning with impatience of knowing all, replied,

And I to hear ’t: but yet it must be said.¹

Thus oddly mixed with pain and pleasure is this restless itch of curiosity, that, like a healing wound, will hazard the loss of blood rather than want the seeming ease of being rubbed and scratched. But such as either by good nature or good discipline are free from this disease, and have experienced the invaluable felicity of a calm and undisturbed spirit, will rather rejoice in being ignorant than desire to be informed of the wickedness and the miseries that are in the world, and will sit down well satisfied in this opinion,

How sage and wise art thou, oblivion!²

Notes on the current edition

On Being a Busybody

1. The herdsman who had saved Oedipus on Cithaeron.

2. Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, 1169.

3. Curiosity.

4. Sophocles, l.c., 1170.

5. Euripides, Orestes, 213.

Plutarch De curiositate 14

William Clark Helmbold (Translator)

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