Plutarch, Quaestiones Convivales, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 9.15.2

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[2] ἔφη δὲ τρία εἶναι, τὴν φορὰν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα 747c καὶ τὴν δεῖξιν. ἡ γὰρ ὄρχησις ἔκ τε κινήσεων καὶ σχέσεων συνέστηκεν, ὡς τὸ μέλος τῶν φθόγγων καὶ τῶν διαστημάτων ἐνταῦθα δʼ αἱ μοναὶ πέρατα¹ τῶν κινήσεών εἰσι. φορὰς μὲν οὖν τὰς κινήσεις ὀνομάζουσι, σχήματα δὲ σχέσεις καὶ διαθέσεις, εἰς ἃς φερόμεναι 5 τελευτῶσιν αἱ κινήσεις, ὅταν Ἀπόλλωνος ἢ Πανὸς ἤ τινος Βάκχης σχῆμα διαθέντες ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος γραφικῶς τοῖς εἴδεσιν ἐπιμένωσι. τὸ δὲ τρίτον, ἡ δεῖξις, οὐ μιμητικόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ δηλωτικὸν ἀληθῶς τῶν ὑποκειμένων ὡς γὰρ οἱ ποιηταὶ 10 747d τοῖς κυρίοις ὀνόμασι δεικτικῶς χρῶνται, τὸν Ἀχιλλέα καὶ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὀνομάζοντες, ὡς ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν λέγονται· πρὸς δὲ τὰς ἐμφάσεις καὶ τὰς μιμήσεις καὶ ὀνοματοποιίαις χρῶνται καὶ μεταφοραῖς, κελαρύζειν καὶ καχλάζειν² 15 τὰ κλώμενα τῶν ῥευμάτων λέγοντες, καὶ τὰ βέλη φέρεσθαι λιλαιόμενα χροὸς ἆσαι,³ καὶ τὴν⁴ ἰσόρροπον μάχην ἴσας ὑσμίνη⁵ κεφαλὰς, ἔχειν· πολλὰς δὲ καὶ συνθέσεις τῶν ὀνομάτων κατὰ μέλη μιμητικῶς σχηματίζουσιν, ὡς Εὐριπίδης 20

ὁ πετόμενος⁶ ἱερὸν ἀνὰ Διὸς αἰθέρα γοργοφόνος,

⁷ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἵππου Πίνδαρος⁸

ὅτε παρʼ Ἀλφεῷ⁹ σύτο δέμας

ἀκέντητον ἐν δρόμοισι παρέχων¹⁰

747e καὶ Ὅμηρος¹¹ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱπποδρομίας

ἅρματα δʼ αὖ χαλκῷ¹² πεπυκασμένα κασσιτέρῳ τε

ἵπποις ὠκυπόδεσσιν ἐπέτρεχον·

οὕτως ἐν ὀρχήσει τὸ μὲν σχῆμα μιμητικόν ἐστι μορφῆς καὶ ἰδέας, καὶ πάλιν ἡ φορὰ πάθους τινὸς ἐμφαντικὸν 5 ἢ πράξεως ἢ δυνάμεως· ταῖς δὲ δείξεσι κυρίως αὐτὰ δηλοῦσι τὰ πράγματα, τὴν γῆν, τὸν οὐρανόν, αὐτοὺς τοὺς πλησίον· ὃ δὴ τάξει μέν τινι καὶ ἀριθμῷ γιγνόμενον ἔοικε τοῖς ἐν ποιητικῇ κυρίοις¹³ ὀνόμασι μετά τινος κόσμου καὶ λειότητος ἐκφερομένοις, 10 ὡς τὰ τοιαῦτα 747f

καὶ Θέμιν αἰδοίην ἑλικοβλέφαρὸν τʼ Ἀφροδίτην

¹⁴

Ἥρην¹⁵ τε χρυσοστέφανον καλήν τε Διώνην·

καὶ

Ἕλληνος¹⁶ δʼ ἐγένοντο θεμιστοπόλοι βασιλῆες¹⁷¹⁸, 15

Δῶρός τε,Ξοῦθός τε καὶ Αἴολος¹⁹ ἱππιοχάρμης

εἰ δὲ μή, τοῖς ἄγαν πεζοῖς καὶ κακομέτροις, ὡς τὰ τοιαῦτα

ἐγένοντο τοῦ μὲν Ἡρακλῆς τοῦ δʼ Ἴφικλος²⁰·

²¹ καί²² 20

τῆς δὲ πατὴρ καὶ ἀνὴρ καὶ παῖς βασιλεῖς, καὶ ἀδελφοί,²³ 748a

καὶ πρόγονοι· κλῄζει δʼ Ἑλλὰς Ὀλυμπιάδα.

τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἁμαρτάνεται καὶ περὶ τὴν ὄρχησιν ἐν ταῖς δείξεσιν, ἂν πιθανότητα μηδὲ χάριν μετʼ εὐπρεπείας καὶ ἀφελείας ἔχωσι. καὶ ὅλως ἔφη μεταθήσειν²⁴ τὸ Σιμωνίδειον ἀπὸ τῆς ζωγραφίας ἐπὶ 5 τὴν ὄρχησιν· ποίησιν γὰρ εἶναι τὴν ὄρχησιν σιωπῶσαν, καὶ φθεγγομένην ὄρχησιν πάλιν²⁵ τὴν ποίησιν²⁶· ὅθεν εἶπεν²⁷ οὔτε γραφικῇ μετεῖναι ποιητικῆς οὔτε ποιητικῇ γραφικῆς, οὐδὲ χρῶνται τὸ παράπαν ἀλλήλαις. ὀρχηστικῇ²⁸ δὲ καὶ ποιητικῇ κοινωνία πᾶσα 10 καὶ μέθεξις ἀλλήλων ἐστί, καὶ μάλιστα μιμούμεναι 748b περὶ τὸ²⁹ ὑπορχημάτων γένος ἐνεργὸν ἀμφότεραι τὴν διὰ τῶν σχημάτων καὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων μίμησιν ἀποτελοῦσι. δόξειε δʼ ἂν ὥσπερ ἐν γραφικῇ τὰ μὲν ποιήματα τοῖς χρώμασιν ἑοικέναι τὰ δʼ ὀρχήματα³⁰ 15 ταῖς γραμμαῖς, ὑφʼ ὧν ὁρίζεται³¹ τὰ εἴδη. δηλοῖ δʼ ὁ μάλιστα κατωρθωκέναι δόξας ἐν³² ὑπορχήμασι καὶ γεγονέναι πιθανώτατος ἑαυτοῦ τὸ δεῖσθαι τὴν ἑτέραν τῆς ἑτέρας τὸ γάρ

ἀπέλαστον³³ ἵππον ἢ κύνα³⁴ 20

Ἀμυκλαίαν ἀγωνίῳ³⁵

ἐλελιζόμενος ποδὶ μίμεο καμπύλον μέλος διώκων·

ἢ τό

οἷος³⁶ ἀνὰ Δώτιον³⁷ ἀνθεμόεν πεδίον³⁸

³⁹

πέταται θάνατον κεροέσσᾳ⁴⁰ τε

εὑρέμεν ματεύων⁴¹ ἐλάφῳ

τὰν δʼ ἐπʼ αὐχένι⁴² στρέφοισαν⁴³ ἕτερον⁴⁴ κάρα πάντʼ 5 ἐπʼ οἶμον⁴⁵

748c καὶ τὰ⁴⁶ ἑξῆς μονονοὺ λειόθεν⁴⁷ τὴν ἐν ὀρχήσει διάθεσιν τὰ ποιήματα καὶ παρακαλεῖν τὼ χεῖρε καὶ τὼ πόδε, μᾶλλον δʼ ὅλον ὥσπερ τισὶ μηρίνθοις ἕλκειν τὸ σῶμα τοῖς μέλεσι καὶ ἐντείνειν, τούτων δὲ λεγομένων 10 καὶ ᾀδομένων, ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν μὴ δυναμένοις. αὐτὸς γοῦν ἑαυτὸν οὐκ αἰσχύνεται περὶ τὴν ὄρχησιν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τὴν ποίησιν ἐγκωμιάζων, ὅταν⁴⁸ δὲ γηρῶσαι νῦν

ἐλαφρὸν⁴⁹ ὄρχημʼ ἀοιδᾷ⁵⁰ ποδῶν μιγνύμεν⁵¹, 15

Κρῆτα μιν⁵² καλέοισι⁵³ τρόπον.

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν οὕτως τὸ νῦν ἀπολέλαυκε τῆς κακομουσίας ὡς ἡ ὄρχησις. διὸ καὶ πέπονθεν ὃ φοβηθεὶς Ἴβυκος⁵⁴ ἐποίησε

δέδοικα μή τι πὰρ⁵⁵ θεοῖς⁵⁶

ἀμπλακὼν⁵⁷ τιμὰν πρὸς ἀνθρώπων ἀμείψω.

748d καὶ γὰρ αὕτη καὶ⁵⁸ πάνδημόν τινα ποιητικὴν προσεταιρισαμένη τῆς δʼ οὐρανίας ἐκπεσοῦσʼ ἐκείνης 5 τῶν μὲν ἐμπλήκτων⁵⁹ καὶ ἀνοήτων κρατεῖ θεάτρων, ὥσπερ τύραννος ὑπήκοον ἑαυτῇ πεποιημένη μουσικὴν ὀλίγου δεῖν⁶⁰ ἅπασαν⁶¹, τὴν δὲ παρὰ τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσι καὶ θείοις⁶² ἀνδράσιν ὡς ἀληθῶς τιμὴν ἀπολώλεκε.

ταῦτα σχεδόν, ὦ Σόσσιε Σενεκίων, τελευταῖα τῶν ἐν τοῖς Μουσείοις τότε παρʼ Ἀμμωνίῳ τῷ ἀγαθῷ φιλολογηθέντων⁶³.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

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.) — 9.15.2 focus

[2] He said they were three,— φορά, σχῆμα, and δεῖξις. For dancing is made up of motion and manner ( σχέσις), as a song of sounds and stops; stops are the ends of motion. Now the motions they call φοραί, and the gestures and likeness to which the motions tend, and in which they end, they call σχήματα: as, for instance, when by their own motions they represent the figure of Apollo, Pan, or any of the raging Bacchae. The third, δεῖξις, is not an imitation, but a plain downright indication of the things represented. For the poets, when they would speak of Achilles, Ulysses, the earth, or heaven, use their proper names, and such as the vulgar usually understand. But for the more lively representation, they use words which by their very sound express some eminent quality in the thing, or metaphors; as when they say that streams do babble and flash; that arrows fly desirous the flesh to wound; or when they describe an equal battle by saying the fight had equal heads. They have likewise a great many significative compositions in their verses. Thus Euripides of Perseus,

He that Medusa slew, and flies in air;

and Pindar of a horse,

When by the smooth Alpheus’ banks

He ran the race, and never felt the spur;

and Homer of a race,

The chariots, overlaid with tin and brass,

By fiery horses drawn ran swiftly on.

So in dancing, the σχῆμα represents the shape and figure, the φορά shows some action, passion, or power; but by the δεῖξις are properly and significatively shown the things themselves, for instance, the heaven, earth, or the company. Which, being done in a certain order and method, resembles the proper names used in poetry, decently clothed and attended with suitable epithets. As in these lines,

Themis the venerable and admired,

And Venus beauteous with her bending brows,

Dione fair, and Juno crowned with gold.

And in these,

From Hellen kings renowned for giving laws,

Great Dorus and the mighty Xuthus, sprang,

And Aeolus, whose chief delight was horse.

For if poets did not take this liberty, how mean, how grovelling and flat, would be their verse! As suppose they wrote thus,

From this came Hercules, from the other Iphitus.

Her father, husband, and her son were kings,

Her brother and forefathers were the same;

And she in Greece was called Olympias.

The same faults may be committed in that sort of dancing called δεῖξις, unless the representation be lifelike and graceful, decent and unaffected. And, in short, we may aptly transfer what Simonides said of painting to dancing, and call dancing mute poetry, and poetry speaking dancing; for poesy doth not properly belong to painting, nor painting to poesy, neither do they any way make use of one another. But poesy and dancing have much in common, especially in that sort of song called Hyporchema, in which is the most lively representation imaginable, dancing doing it by gesture, and poesy by words. So that poesy may bear some resemblance to the colors in painting, while dancing is like the lines which mark out the features of the face. And therefore he who was the most famous writer of Hyporchemes, who here even outdid himself,⁴ sufficiently evidenceth that these two arts stand in need of one another. For, whilst he sings these songs, he shows what tendency poetry hath to dancing; whilst the sound excites the hands and feet, or rather as it were by some cords distends and raiseth every member of the whole body; so that, whilst such songs are pronounced or sung, they cannot be quiet. But now-a-days no sort of exercise hath such bad depraved music applied to it as dancing; and so it suffers that which Ibycus as to his own concerns was fearful of, as appears by these lines,

I fear lest, losing fame amongst the Gods,

I shall receive respect from men alone.

For having associated to itself a mean paltry sort of music, and falling from that divine sort of poetry with which it was formerly acquainted, it rules now and domineers amongst foolish and inconsiderate spectators, like a tyrant, it hath subjected nearly the whole of music, but hath lost all its honor with excellent and wise men.

These, my Sossius Senecio, were almost the last discourses which we had at Ammonius’s house during the festival of the Muses.

Notes on the current edition

Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία

1. πέρατα Turnebus: πέρα

2. cf. Hom. Λ 813. Φ 261.

3. id. ε 323. Λ 574. O 317. Λ 72

4. καὶ τὴν M: τὴν

5. ὑσμίνη] del. Grafius

6. ib. em. Nauckius: πετάμενος

7. Nauck. p. 678

8. Πίνδαρος] Olymp. 1, 20

9. idem: ἀλφειῷ

10. παρεχόμενον mei

11. Ὁμηρος] Ψ 503

12. ἅρματα δὲ χρυσῷ Homerus

13. Turnebus: κυρίως

14. Hes. Theog. 16

15. Ἡβην Hesiodus

16. Basileensis: ἕλληνες

17. θεμιστοπόλου βασιλῆος Tzetzes. φιλοπτολέμου βασιλῆος Kinkelius ex Schol. vet. ad Lycophr.

18. id. Fragm. 27

19. Ἀίολος *: αἰόλος

20. ib. em. idem (ex Schol. AB 11. Ξ 323): ἴφιτος cf. p. 285f et Eudoc. Viol. (ed. Flach.) p. 336

21. Nauck. p. 915

22. καὶ Cobetus

23. Epigramma de Olympiade non inveni in Anthologiis

24. μεταθήσειν X: μετάθεσιν

25. πάλιν *: δὲ πάλιν

26. ποίησιν γὰρ εἶναι τὴν ὄρχησιν * cf. p. 346 f

27. ὅθεν εἶπεν] ὅθεν οὔτε εἰπεῖν ἔστι W. Malim ὅθεν εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν ib. em. W: γραφικὴν εἶναι ποιητικῆς οὔτε ποιητικὴν γραφῆς

28. ὀρχηστικὴ δὲ καὶ ποιητικὴ mei

29. τὸ] τῶν iidem. τὸ τῶν?

30. τοῖς χρώμασιν ἐοικέναι τὰ δ’ ὀρχηματα Doehnerus nisi quod ego pro ταῖς χρώσεσιν scripsi τοῖς χρώμασιν

31. ὀργίζεται mei

32. δόξας ἐν M: δόξειεν

33. πελασγὸν Meinekius

34. cf. Bergk. 3 p. 400

35. ἀγωνίῳ W: ἀγωνιῶν

36. οἷος] add. δὲ κύων Bergkius

37. ἀναδώτιον mei

38. ib. W: ἀνθεμόεντα παιδίον

39. Bergk. ib.

40. idem: κεράσασα

41. ματεύων Schneidewinus: μανύων libri. κύων W. εὐρέμεναι κύων Hermannus

42. τὰν δ’ ἕλ’ αὐχένι Schneidewinus; malim τὰν δ’ ἕλ’ ἐπ’ αὐχένι

43. ib. em. W: στρέφοιαν

44. ἕτερον] σφέτερον Schneidewinus. ὅταν λέγῃ · Ῥῶσαι νῦν Blassius

45. ib. em. idem: πάντα ἕτοιμον

46. τὰ] τὰς mei

47. λειόθεν] leg. vid. λέγει (= λε) ποθεῖν

48. ὅταν] ὅτ’ ἂν mei

49. ὄπα δὲ γαρῦσαι σύν τ’ ἐλαφρὸν Schneidewinus. ὅταν λέγῃ· Ῥῶσαι νῦν Blassius

50. em. Bergkius: ὄρχημα οἶδα

51. ib. μίγνυμεν codd.

52. em. Casaubonus: κρῆτα μὲν

53. ib. em. Schneidewinus: καλέουσι cf. Athen. p. 181b

54. Ἰβυκος] Bergk. 3 p. 245

55. πὰρ Duebnerus: παρὰ

56. θεοὶς Bergkius ut accusativus sit

57. ἀμβλακὼν idem ex Plat. Phaedr. p. 242c. ἀπλάκων mei

58. αὕτη καὶ] καὶ αὕτη W. αὕτη Emperius

59. ἐμπλήκτων *: ἐκπληκτικῶν cf. p. 139a. 256f

60. δεῖν *: τινὰ

61. ib. ἅπασαν W: πᾶσι

62. θείοις] ἀστείοις Grafius

63. φιλολογοθέτων mei

Plutarch Quaestiones Convivales 9.15.2

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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