Plutarch, Consolatio Ad Uxorem, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 2

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[2] μόνον, ὦ γύναι, τήρει κἀμὲ ¹ τῷ πάθει καὶ σεαυτὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ καθεστῶτος. ² ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸς μὲν οἶδα καὶ ὁρίζω τὸ συμβεβηκὸς ἡλίκον ἐστίν· ἂν δὲ σε τῷ δυσφορεῖν ὑπερβάλλουσαν εὕρω, τοῦτό μοι 15 μᾶλλον ἐνοχλήσει τοῦ γεγονότος. καίτοι ³ οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ δρυὸς οὐδʼ ἀπὸ πέτρης⁴ ἐγενόμην οἶσθα δὲ καὶ αὐτή, τοσούτων μοι παιδίων ⁵ ἀνατροφῆς κοινωνήσασα, πάντων ἐκτεθραμμένων οἴκοι διʼ αὐτῶν ἡμῶν· τούτου ⁶ δέ, ὅτι καὶ σοὶ ποθούσῃ θυγάτηρ μετὰ τέσσαρας υἱοὺς ἐγεννήθη κἀμοὶ τὸ σὸν ὄνομα θέσθαι ποθούμενον ⁷ ἑν αὐτῇ ⁸ παρέσχεν, ἀγαπητοῦ διαφερόντως μοι γενομένου. πρόσεστι δὲ καὶ δριμύτης ἰδία τις τῷ πρὸς τὰ τηλικαῦτα φιλοστόργῳ, καὶ τὸ εὐφραῖνον 5 αὐτῶν ⁹ καθαρόν ἐστι καὶ πάσης ἀμιγὲς ὀργῆς 608d καὶ μέμψεως. αὕτη ¹⁰ δὲ καὶ φύσει θαυμαστὴν ἔσχεν εὐκολίαν καὶ πραότητα, καὶ τὸ ἀντιφιλοῦν καὶ χαριζόμενον αὐτῆς ἡδονὴν ἅμα καὶ κατανόησιν τοῦ φιλανθρώπου παρεῖχεν·, οὐ γὰρ μόνον βρέφεσιν 10 ἄλλοις ἀλλὰ καὶ σκεύεσιν, οἷς ἐτέρπετο, καὶ παιγνίοις ἐκέλευε τὴν τίτθην ¹¹ διδόναι καὶ προσφέρειν τὸν μαστὸν καὶ προσεκαλεῖτο καθάπερ πρὸς τράπεζαν ἰδίαν ὑπὸ φιλανθρωπίας, ὧνπερ ¹² ἐγίγνωσκε καὶ εἶχε τὰ ἥδιστα κοινουμένη τοῖς εὐφραίνουσιν αὐτήν. 15

Consolatio Ad Uxorem. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1891.

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Current edition Perseus

Παραμυθητικός εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτου (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. IΙI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1891.)

Translations (1)

Plutarch's Consolatory Letter to His Wife Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; Creech, Thomas, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 2 focus

[2] Only, dear wife, let you and me bear our affliction with patience. I know very well and do comprehend what loss we have had; but if I should find you grieve beyond measure, this would trouble me more than the thing itself. For I had my birth neither from a stock nor a stone;¹ and you know it full well, I having been assistant to you in the education of so many children, which we brought up at home under our own care. This daughter was born after four sons, when you were longing to bear a daughter; which made me call her by your own name. Therefore I know she was particularly dear to you. And grief must have a peculiar pungency in a mind tenderly affectionate to children, when you call to mind how naturally witty and innocent she was, void of anger, and not querulous. She was naturally mild, and compassionate to a miracle. And her gratitude and kindness not only gave us delight, but also manifested her generous nature; for she would pray her nurse to give suck, not only to other children, but to her very playthings, as it were courteously inviting them to her table, and making the best cheer for them she could.

Notes on the current edition

Παραμυθητικός εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτου

1. καμὲ] κἄμ’ ἐν?

2. καθεστῶτος] γεγονότος codex C

3. καίτοι γʼ?

4. cf. Hom. τ 163

5. παιδίων *: παίδων. cf. paulo post τὰ τηλικαῦτα

6. τούτου *: τούτοις

7. ποθούμενον *: ποιούμενον

8. ἐν αὐτῇ] malim ἑαυτῇ

9. αὐτῶν scripsi ex αὐτὸν, idem voluerat Stegmannus

10. αὕτη idem: αὐτὴ

11. τίτθην *: τιτθὴν

12. ὦνπερ *: ὥσπερ

Plutarch Consolatio Ad Uxorem 2

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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