Plutarch, Quaestiones Convivales, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 3.6.4

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[4] 15 Ἀθλητικὰ ταῦτʼ εἶπεν ὁ Σώκλαρος ὦ Ὀλύμπιχε, παντάπασιν ἔτι τῆς κοτταβίσεως ὄζοντα καὶ τῶν κρεοφαγιῶν¹ ἐκείνων, οὐκ ἐν δέοντι. νέοι τε γὰρ πάρεισι γεγαμηκότες, ὑφʼ ὧν δεῖ φιλοτήσια² ἔργα τελεῖσθαι· καὶ ἡμᾶς οὔπω παντάπασιν ἡ Ἀφροδίτη 20 πέφευγεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσευχόμεθα δήπουθεν 654d αὐτῇ λέγοντες ἐν τοῖς τῶν θεῶν ὕμνοις

ἀνάβαλλʼ ἄνω τὸ γῆρας,

ὦ καλὰ Ἀφροδίτα.

σκοπῶμεν οὖν, εἰ δοκεῖ, πότερον ἐμμελῶς καὶ προσηκόντως ὁ Ἐπίκουρος⁴ ἢ παρὰ πᾶν δίκαιον ἀφαιρεῖ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην τῆς νυκτός· καίτοι⁵ κράτιστον αὐτῇ θεῶν⁶ μετεῖναί φησιν ἐρωτικὸς ἀνὴρ Μένανδρος. συνετέθη⁷ γὰρ οἶμαι καλῶς παρακάλυμμα 5 τῆς ἡδονῆς τὸ σκότος προθεμένους ταῦτα πράσσειν, καὶ μὴ διὰ φωτὸς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἐξελαύνειν⁸ τῶν ὀμμάτων τὸ αἰδούμενον⁹ καὶ τῷ ἀκολάστῳ 654e θάρσος ἐμποιεῖν καὶ μνήμας ἐναργεῖς, αἷς τὸ¹⁰ ἐνδιατρίβειν αὖθις ἐκριπίζει¹¹ τὰς¹² ἐπιθυμίας. ὄψις γὰρ 10 ἡμῖν ὀξυτάτη τῶν διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἔρχεται κατὰ τὸν Πλάτωνα¹³ παθημάτων, καὶ σφόδρα¹⁴ ταῖς ἐγγὺς φαντασίαις τὴν¹⁵ ψυχὴν ἐγείρουσα¹⁶ πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα τῆς ἡδονῆς, καινὴν ἀεὶ ποιεῖ¹⁷ καὶ πρόσφατον ἐπιθυμίαν. ἡ δὲ νὺξ τὰ πλεῖστα καὶ μανιωδέστατα 15 τῶν ἔργων ἀφαιροῦσα παράγει καὶ κατευνάζει τὴν φύσιν, οὐκ ἐξοκέλλουσʼ¹⁸ ὑπὸ τῆς ὄψεως εἰς ὕβριν. ἄνευ δὲ τούτων, τίνʼ ἔχει λόγον ἀπὸ δείπνου μὲν ἥκοντα γεγανωμένον, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, στέφανον κομίζοντα καὶ¹⁹ μύρῳ κεχριμένον, ἀποστραφέντα καὶ 20 654f συγκαλυψάμενον²⁰ καθεύδειν· ἡμέρας δὲ καὶ διὰ μέσου τῶν πράξεων ἐκ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος τὴν γυναῖκα μεταπέμπεσθαι πρός τι τοιοῦτον ἢ πρωὶ δίκην ἀλεκτρυόνος συμπλέκεσθαι; τὴν γὰρ ἑσπέραν, ὦ ἑταῖρε, τῶν πόνων ἀνάπαυσιν²¹ τὸν δʼ ὄρθρον ἀρχήν· καὶ τὴν μὲν ὁ Λύσιος ἐπισκοπεῖ Διόνυσος μετὰ τῆς 5 Τερψιχόρης καὶ Θαλείας²², ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐργάνην Ἀθηνᾶν καὶ τὸν ἀγοραῖον Ἑρμῆν ἐπανίστησι. διὸ τὴν μὲν ᾠδαὶ κατέχουσι καὶ χορεῖαι καὶ ὑμέναιος

κῶμοί τʼ²³ εἰλαπίναι τε καὶ ἠχήεις θρόος αὐλῶν·

τὸν δὲ κτύποι ῥαιστήρων καὶ τρισμοὶ²⁴ πριόνων καὶ 10 655a τελωνικῶν ἐπορθρισμοὶ κεκραγμῶν καὶ κηρύγματα καλουμένων ἐπὶ δίκας ἢ θεραπείας τινῶν βασιλέων ἢ ἀρχόντων· ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ φροῦδα τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς,

λήγει δὲ Κύπρις θαλίαι²⁵ τε νέων,

²⁶

οὐδέ τι²⁷, θύρσος φύλλα Βακχείου²⁸·

15 συντείνουσι γὰρ αἱ φροντίδες. ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς τῶν ἡρώων οὔτε γαμετῇ τινα μεθʼ ἡμέραν οὔτε παλλακίδι συγκατέκλινε, πλὴν ἢ τὸν Πάριν δραπετεύσαντα ποιήσας καταδυόμενον εἰς τοὺς κόλπους τῆς γυναικός²⁹, ὡς οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ἀλλὰ μοιχοῦ 20 λυσσῶντος οὖσαν τὴν μεθημερινὴν ἀκρασίαν. καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμα βλάπτοιτʼ ἂν ὑπὸ τῆς συνουσίας μᾶλλον, ὡς Ἐπίκουρος³⁰ οἴεται, μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον, ἄν 655b γε μὴ μεθύων τις ἢ ῥηγνύμενος ὑπὸ πλησμονῆς ἅπτηται καὶ³¹ βεβαρημένος· ἀμέλει γὰρ οὕτως ἐπισφαλὲς τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ βλαβερόν. ἂν δʼ ἱκανῶς ἔχων τις αὑτοῦ καὶ μετρίως διακεχυμένος, τοῦ τε σώματος αὐτοῦ³² μαλακοῦ γεγονότος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς παρεστώσης³³, 5 διὰ χρόνου ποιῆται τὴν ἔντευξιν, οὔτε ταραχὴν ἀπεργάζεται μεγάλην διὰ τὸν ὄγκον οὔτʼ ἄλλο τι ὧν ἐπήγαγεν ἢ³⁴ ψῦξις ἢ μετάθεσις ἐξ ἕδρας ἀτόμων, φησιν Ἐπίκουρος· ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει τὸ οἰκεῖον³⁵ ἀποδούς, ἑαυτὸν δέ πως ἀπογαληνίσας³⁶ ἀναπληρώσει, 10 νέας ἐπιρροῆς τοῖς κενώμασι γιγνομένης. ἐκεῖνο δὲ 655c μᾶλλον ἄξιον εὐλαβείας, τὸ σύνεγγυς ὄντα τῶν πράξεων ἀφροδισίοις χρῆσθαι, μήποτʼ³⁷ ἄρα μετέωρον τὸ σῶμα καὶ κεκλονημένον αἵ τε τῆς ψυχῆς φροντίδες αἵ τε περὶ τὰς χρείας πραγματεῖαι καὶ κόποι 15 παραλαβόντες εὐθὺς ἐκτραχύνωσιν, οὐχ ἱκανὸν ἐν μέσῳ διάλειμμα τῆς φύσεως εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν λαβούσης. οὐ γὰρ πάντες, ὦ ἑταῖρε, τὴν Ἐπικούρου³⁸ σχολὴν καὶ ῥᾳστώνην ὑπὸ λόγου καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἄφθονον εἰς ἀεὶ παρεσκευασμένην ἔχουσι· πολλοὶ δʼ 20 ἕκαστον ἀγῶνες ἐκδέχονται διʼ ἡμέρας, γυμνάσια 655d δʼ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἅπαντας· οἷς οὔτε καλὸν οὔτε συμφέρον οὕτω διακείμενον³⁹ τὸ σῶμα παρέχειν λυσσώσῃ συνουσίᾳ διακεχυμένον. τὸ δὲ μακάριον καὶ ἄφθαρτον ἔστω μὲν ὂν⁴⁰ οἷον αὐτῷ⁴¹, μὴ φροντίζον⁴² τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς· ἡμῖν δέ που νόμῳ πόλεως συνεπομένοις⁴³ ἐξευλαβητέον ἐστὶν εἰς θέρος ἐμβαλεῖν⁴⁴ καὶ κατάρχεσθαι θυσιῶν, ὀλίγον ἔμπροσθεν διαπεπραγμένοις τι 5 τοιοῦτον. ὅθεν εὖ ἔχει τὸ τὴν νύκτα καὶ τὸν ὕπνον ἐν μέσῳ θεμένους καὶ ποιήσαντας ἱκανὸν διάλειμμα καὶ διάστημα καθαροὺς αὖθις ὥσπερ ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς καὶ νέα⁴⁵ ἐφʼ ἡμέρῃ φρονέοντας κατὰ Δημόκριτον 10 ἀνίστασθαι.

Quaestiones Convivales. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1892.

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Current edition Perseus

Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. IV. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1892.)

Translations (1)

Symposiacs Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. III. Goodwin, William W., editor; Creech, Thomas, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 3.6.4 focus

[4] What you say, Olympicus, said Soclarus interposing, befits wrestlers indeed; it smells, methinks, of their cottabus, and their meals of flesh and casks of wine, but is not suitable to the present company, for there are some young married men here,

Whose duty ’tis to follow Venus’ sports.

Nay, we ourselves seem to have some relation to Venus still, when in our hymns to the Gods we pray thus to her,

Fair Venus, keep off feeble age.

But waving this, let us enquire (if you think fit) whether Epicurus does well, when contrary to all right and equity he separates Venus and the Night, though Menander, a man well skilled in love matters, says that she likes her company better than that of any of the Gods. For, in my opinion, night is a very convenient veil, spread over those that give themselves to that kind of pleasure; for it is not fit that day should be the time, lest modesty should be banished from our eyes, effeminacy grow bold, and such vigorous impressions on our memories be left, as might still possess us with the same fancies and raise new inclinations. For the sight (according to Plato) receives a more vigorous impression than any other bodily organ, and joining with imagination, that lies near it, works presently upon the soul, and ever raises a new and fresh desire by those images of pleasure which it brings. But the night, hiding many and the most furious of the actions, quiets and lulls nature, and doth not suffer it to be carried to intemperance by the eye. But besides this, how absurd is it, that a man returning from an entertainment, merry perhaps and jocund, crowned and perfumed, should cover himself up, turn his back to his wife, and go to sleep; and then at day-time, in the midst of his business, send for her out of her apartment to come to him for such a matter; or in the morning, as a cock treads his hens. No, sir, the evening is the end of our labor, and the morning the beginning. Bacchus the Loosener and Terpsichore and Thalia preside over the former; and the latter raiseth us up betimes to attend on Minerva the Work-mistress, and Mercury the merchandiser. And therefore songs, dances, and epithalamiums, merry-meetings, with balls and feasts, and sounds of pipes and flutes, are the entertainment of the one; but in the other, nothing but the noise of hammers and anvils, the scratching of saws, the morning cries of noisy tax-gatherers, citations to court or to attend this or that prince and magistrate, are heard.

Then all the sports of pleasure disappear,

Then Venus, then gay youth removes;

No Thyrsus then which Bacchus loves;

But all is clouded and o’erspread with care.

Besides, Homer makes not one of the heroes lie with his wife or mistress in the daytime, but only Paris, who, having shamefully fled from the battle, sneaked into the embraces of his wife; intimating that such lasciviousness by day did not befit the sober temper of a man, but the mad lust of an adulterer. But, moreover, the body will not (as Epicurus fancies) be injured more after supper than at any other time, unless a man be drunk or overcharged,—for in those cases, no doubt, it is very dangerous and hurtful. But if a man is only raised and cheered, not overpowered by liquor, if his body is pliable, his mind agreeing, if he interposes some reasonable time between, and then he sports, he need not fear any disturbance from the load he has within him; he need not fear catching cold, or too great a transportation of atoms, which Epicurus makes the cause of all the ensuing harm. For if he lies quiet he will quickly fill again, and new spirits will supply the vessels that are emptied. But this is especially to be taken care of, that, the body being then in a ferment and disturbed, no cares of the soul, no business about necessary affairs, no labor, should distract and seize it, lest they should corrupt and sour its humors, Nature not having time enough for settling what has been disturbed. For, sir, all men have not the command of that happy ease and tranquillity which Epicurus’s philosophy procured him; for many great incumbrances seize almost upon every one every day, or at least some disquiets; and it is not safe to trust the body with any of these, when it is in such a condition and disturbance, presently after the fury and heat of the embrace is over. Let, according to his opinion, the happy and immortal Deity sit at ease and never mind us; but if we regard the laws of our country, we must not dare to enter into the temple and offer sacrifice, if but a little before we have done any such thing. It is fit therefore to let night and sleep intervene, and after there is a sufficient space of time past between, to rise as it were pure and new, and (as Democritus was wont to say) with new thoughts upon the new day.

Notes on the current edition

Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία

1. κρεοφαγιῶν *: κρεωφαγιῶν

2. φιλοτήσια] cf. Hom. λ 246

3. Bergk. 3 p. 656

4. Ἐπίκουρος] vid. Usener. p. 118

5. καίτοι] ἧς τὸ Doehnerus

6. κράτιστον - θεῶν] πλεῖστον θεῶν αὐτῇ Ἀφροδίτης Cobetus. πλεῖστον αὐτῇ θεῶν Doehnerus. cf. Kock. 3 p. 209

7. συνετέθη *: ἐνετέθη

8. ἐξελαύνων mei

9. em. Anonymus: αἰδόμενον

10. τὸ Basileensis: τὸ μὴ

11. ἐκριπίζει Turnebus: ἐκριπτεῖ

12. τὰς Basileensis: τῆς

13. Πλάτωνα] Phaedr. p. 250d ubi pro παθημάτων est αἰσθήσεων

14. σφοδρὰ R

15. τὴν] εἰς τὴν idem

16. ἐγείρουσαι mei

17. ποιεῖ Doehnerus coll. p. 1085 a

18. ἐξοκέλλουσαν Benselerus

19. κἂν?

20. ἐγκαλυψαμενον Hirschigius

21. post ἀνάπαυσιν exciderit ut vid. tale quid ἡμῖν οἱ θεοὶ δεδώκασιν

22. *: θαλίας

23. ignoti poetae versus τε Turnebus

24. em. idem: τριμμοὶ

25. θάλειαί Vd. θάλλει αἱ E

26. Nauck. p. 915

27. οὐδ’ ἔτι M

28. βακχίου mei. θύσθλα τ’ Ἰάκχου Nauckius

29. τῆς γυναικὸς] cf. Hom. Γ 447

30. Ἐπίκουρος] vid. Usener. p. 118

31. καὶ W

32. αὐτῷ R

33. καθεστώσης Herwerdenus sed vid. Symb. meas

34. [ οὔτ’ ἄλλο τι ὧν ἐπή] γαγεν ἢ *: 6 Vd 8 P 15 E ταγένη

35. ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει τὸ οἰκεῖον supplevi cum W: 5-6 Vd 20 E

36. ἀπογαληνίσας W: ἀπογαλ 7-8 Vd 13 E

37. μήποτε *: μήτε

38. Ἐπικούρου] Usener. p. 284

39. διακεχυμένον Doehnerus: δια 7-8 Vd 13 E cf. Plat. de Legg. p. 775 c

40. μὲν ὂν *: μένον

41. αὐτῷ(sc. Epicuro) R: αὐτὸ Fr. om. Usenerus

42. φροντίζον Duebnerus: φροντίζειν

43. συνεπομένοις Doehnerus ex Plat. de Legg. p. 916 d: εὖ ἑπομένοις

44. θέρος ἐμβαλεῖν] θεῶν ἱερὸν (vel θ’ ἱερὸν) προσεμβάλλειν?

45. νέα R: νέᾳ libri. νέα νέᾳ Madvigius cf. Mullach. 1 p. 355

Plutarch Quaestiones Convivales 3.6.4

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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