Plutarch, Amatorius, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 13

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[13]

ΑΥΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ.

παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Πεμπτίδου καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀρξαμένου τι περὶ τούτων λέγειν, ἕτερος ἧκεν 20 ἐκ πόλεως, τὸν Ἀνθεμίωνα μεταπεμπομένης τῆς Ἰσμηνοδώρας· ἐπέτεινε γὰρ ἡ ταραχή, καὶ τῶν γυμνασιάρχων¹ ἦν διαφορά, τοῦ μὲν οἰομένου δεῖν τὸν Βάκχωνα ἀπαιτεῖν τοῦ δὲ πολυπραγμονεῖν οὐκ ἐῶντος. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀνθεμίων ἀναστὰς ἐβάδιζεν· ὁ δὲ 25 πατὴρ τὸν Πεμπτίδην ὀνομαστὶ προσαγορεύσας μεγάλου μοι δοκεῖς ἅπτεσθαι εἶπεν καὶ παραβόλου 756b πράγματος, ὦ Πεμπτίδη, μᾶλλον δʼ ὅλως τὰ ἀκίνητα² κινεῖν τῆς περὶ θεῶν δόξης ἣν ἔχομεν, περὶ ἑκάστου λόγον ἀπαιτῶν καὶ ἀπόδειξιν· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ πάτριος καὶ παλαιὰ πίστις, ἧς οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν οὐδʼ ἀνευρεῖν τεκμήριον ἐναργέστερον 5

οὐδʼ εἰ διʼ ἄκρας τὸ σοφὸν εὕρηται φρενός³,

⁴ ἀλλʼ ἕδρα τις αὕτη καὶ βάσις ὑφεστῶσα κοινὴ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, ἐὰν ἐφʼ ἑνὸς ταράττηται καὶ σαλεύηται τὸ βέβαιον αὐτῆς καὶ νενομισμένον, ἐπισφαλὴς γίγνεται πᾶσι καὶ ὕποπτος. ἀκούεις δὲ δήπου τὸν 10 756c Εὐριπίδην, ὡς ἐθορυβήθη ποιησάμενος ἀρχὴν τῆς Μελανίππης ἐκείνης,

Ζεύς, ὅστις ὁ Ζεύς⁵, οὐ γὰρ οἶδα πλὴν λόγῳ,

⁶ μεταλαβὼν δὲ χορὸν⁷ ἄλλον ἐθάρρει δʼ⁸ ὡς ἔοικε τῷ δράματι γεγραμμένῳ πανηγυρικῶς καὶ περιττῶς⁹ 15 ἤλλαξε τὸν στίχον ὡς νῦν γέγραπται

Ζεύς, ὡς λέλεκται τῆς ἀληθείας ὕπο.

¹⁰ τί οὖν διαφέρει τὴν περὶ τοῦ Διὸς δόξαν ἢ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἢ τοῦ Ἔρωτος εἰς ἀμφίβολον τῷ λόγῳ¹¹ θέσθαι ἢ καὶ ἄδηλον¹²; οὐ γὰρ νῦν αἰτεῖ πρῶτον βωμὸν 20 ὁ Ἔρως καὶ θυσίαν οὐδʼ ἔπηλυς ἔκ τινος βαρβαρικῆς δεισιδαιμονίας, ὥσπερ Ἄτται τινὲς καὶ 756d Ἀδώνιοι¹³ λεγόμενοι, διʼ ἀνδρογύνων καὶ γυναικῶν παραδύεται κρύφα¹⁴ τιμὰς οὐ προσηκούσας καρπούμενος, ὥστε παρεισγραφῆς δίκην φεύγειν καὶ νοθείας τῆς ἐν θεοῖς. ἀλλʼ ὅταν Ἐμπεδοκλέους¹⁵ ἀκούσῃς 5 λέγοντος, ὦ ἑταῖρε,

καὶ Φιλότης ἐν τοῖσιν ἴση μῆκός τε πλάτος τε,

τὴν σὺ¹⁶ νόῳ δέρκου¹⁷, μηδʼ ὄμμασιν ἧσο τεθηπώς·

ταῦτʼ οἴεσθαι χρὴ λέγεσθαι περὶ Ἔρωτος· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὁρατὸς ἀλλὰ δοξαστὸς ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς οὗτος ἐν 10 τοῖς πάνυ παλαιοῖς· ὧν ἂν περὶ ἑκάστου τεκμήριον ἀπαιτῇς, παντὸς ἁπτόμενος ἱεροῦ καὶ παντὶ βωμῷ σοφιστικὴν ἐπάγων πεῖραν, οὐδένʼ ἀσυκοφάντητον οὐδʼ ἀβασάνιστον ἀπολείψεις πόρρω γὰρ οὐκ ἄπειμι 756e

τὴν δʼ Ἀφροδίτην οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅση θεός;

¹⁸

ἥδʼ ἐστὶν ἡ σπείρουσα καὶ διδοῦσʼ ἔρον,

οὗ πάντες ἐσμὲν οἱ κατὰ χθόνʼ ἔκγονοι.

¹⁹

ζείδωρον γὰρ αὐτὴν Ἐμπεδοκλῆς εὔκαρπον δὲ Σοφοκλῆς²⁰ ἐμμελῶς πάνυ καὶ πρεπόντως ὠνόμασαν. ἀλλʼ ὅμως τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ θαυμαστὸν Ἀφροδίτης 20 μὲν ἔργον Ἔρωτος δὲ πάρεργόν ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτῃ συμπαρόντος· μὴ συμπαρόντος δὲ κομιδῇ τὸ γιγνόμενον ἄζηλον ἀπολείπεται καὶ ἄτιμον κἄφιλον²¹. ἀνέραστος γὰρ ὁμιλία καθάπερ πεῖνα καὶ δίψα πλησμονὴν 756f ἔχουσα πέρας εἰς οὐδὲν ἐξικνεῖται καλόν· ἀλλʼ ἡ θεὸς Ἔρωτι τὸν κόρον ἀφαιροῦσα τῆς ἡδονῆς φιλότητα ποιεῖ καὶ σύγκρασιν. διὸ Παρμενίδης²² μὲν ἀποφαίνει τὸν Ἔρωτα τῶν Ἀφροδίτης ἔργων πρεσβύτατον, ἐν τῇ κοσμογονίᾳ γράφων 5

πρώτιστον μὲν Ἔρωτα θεῶν μητίσατο πάντων.

Ἡσίοδος²³ δὲ φυσικώτερον ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ ποιεῖν Ἔρωτα²⁴ πάντων προγενέστατον, ἵνα πάντα διʼ ἐκεῖνον μετάσχῃ γενέσεως. ἂν οὖν τὸν Ἔρωτα τῶν νενομισμένων τιμῶν ἐκβάλλωμεν, οὐδʼ αἱ²⁵ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης 10 757a κατὰ χώραν μενοῦσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τῷ μὲν Ἔρωτι λοιδοροῦνταί τινες ἀπέχονται δʼ²⁶ ἐκείνης, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ μιᾶς σκηνῆς ἀκούομεν

ἔρως γὰρ ἀργὸν κἀπὶ²⁷ τοιούτοις ἔφυ·

²⁸ καὶ πάλιν 15

ὦ παῖδες, ἥ τοι Κύπρις²⁹ οὐ Κύπρις μόνον,

³⁰

ἀλλʼ ἔστι πολλῶν ὀνομάτων ἐπώνυμος³¹.

ἔστιν μὲν Ἅιδης, ἔστι δʼ ἄφθιτος βία,

ἔστιν δὲ λύσσα μανιάς³²·

ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων θεῶν σχεδὸν ἀλοιδόρητος 20 οὐδεὶς ἐκπέφευγε τὴν εὐλοιδόρητον³³ ἀμαθίαν. σκόπει δὲ τὸν Ἄρην καθάπερ ἐν πίνακι χαλκῷ τὴν ἀντικειμένην ἐκ διαμέτρου τῷ Ἔρωτι χώραν ἔχοντα³⁴ πηλίκας εἴληχε τιμὰς ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων καὶ πάλιν ὅσα κακῶς ἀκούει, 757b

τυφλὸς γάρ, ὦ γυναῖκες, οὐδʼ ὁρῶν Ἄρης³⁵ 5

συὸς προσώπῳ πάντα τυρβάζει κακά³⁶.

καὶ μιαιφόνον³⁷ Ὅμηρος αὐτὸν καλεῖ καὶ ἀλλοπρόσαλλον³⁸ ὁ δὲ Χρύσιππος ἐξηγούμενος τοὔνομα τοῦ θεοῦ κατηγορίαν ποιεῖ καὶ διαβολήν· ἀναιρεῖν³⁹ γὰρ εἶναι τὸν Ἄρην φησίν, ἀρχὰς διδοὺς τοῖς τὸ μαχητικὸν 10 ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ διάφορον καὶ θυμοειδὲς Ἄρην κεκλῆσθαι νομίζουσιν. ἕτεροι δʼ αὖ φήσουσι τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἐπιθυμίαν εἶναι καὶ τὸν Ἑρμῆν λόγον καὶ τέχνας τὰς Μούσας καὶ φρόνησιν τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν. 757c ὁρᾷς δήπου τὸν ὑπολαμβάνοντα βυθὸν ἡμᾶς ἀθεότητος, 15 ἂν εἰς πάθη καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ ἀρετὰς διαγράφωμεν ἕκαστον τῶν θεῶν;

Amatorius. 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

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

Translations (1)

Of Love. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. IV. Goodwin, William W., editor; Philips, John, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 13 focus

[13]

AUTOB.

So soon as Pemptides had done, and my father was about to say something in answer to his question, another messenger came from the city in Ismenodora’s name, requesting Anthemion to come to her; for that the tumult increased, and the presidents of the games could not agree, while one was of opinion that Baccho was to be demanded and delivered into their hands, and the other thought it an impertinence to meddle with that which nothing concerned them.

AUTOB.

Thus Anthemion being gone, my father addressed himself to Pemptides by name, and so entered into the following discourse: You seem to me, sir, to have hit upon a very strange and nice point, or rather, as I may so say, to have endeavored to stir things which are not to be moved, in reference to the opinion which we have of the Gods, while you demand a reason and demonstration of every thing in particular. For it is sufficient to believe according to the faith of our forefathers and the instructions of the country where we have been bred and born, than which we cannot utter or invent a more certain argument;

For surely all the wit of human brain

This part of knowledge never could attain.

AUTOB.

For this is a foundation and basis common to all piety and religion; of which if the steady rule and decreed maxims be once disordered and shaken, all the rest must totter and become suspected. And no question but you have heard what a clamor was raised against Euripides when he made this beginning of his Melanippe:

Jupiter, if his name be so;

’Tis only by hearsay that I know.

AUTOB.

But when he exhibited the tragedy a second time, he seems to have had such a confidence in the lofty style and elaborate eloquence of his work, that he thus altered the verse:

Jove, for we own he has received that name

From truth alone, and not from common fame.

AUTOB.

What difference then is there between calling in question the name of Jupiter and Minerva, and doubting of the name of Cupid or Love? For it is not of late that Love has challenged altars and sacrifices, neither is he a foreigner started up out of any barbarian superstition, as were the Attae and the Adonii, introduced by I know not what sort of hermaphrodites and idle women. Nor has he clandestinely crept into honors no way becoming him, to avoid the accusation of bastardy and being unduly enrolled in the catalogue of the Gods. But when you hear Empedocles thus saying,

And friendship too (observe my song)

Is like to these, both broad and long;

But this thou must not think to find

With eyes of body, but of mind,

AUTOB.

you ought to believe all this to be said of Love. For Love is no more visible than any of the rest of the ancient Deities, but apprehended only by opinion and belief; for every one of which if you require a reason and demonstrative argument, by enquiring after every temple and making a sophistical doubt upon every altar, you shall find nothing free from inquisition and malicious slander. For, that I may go no farther, observe but these:

I do not Venus see with mortal eyes,

The Goddess unto whom we sacrifice;

Yet this is she that mighty Cupid bare,

Whose offspring all terrestrial beings are.

⁴

AUTOB.

Therefore Empedocles gives her the epithet of the Giver of Life, and Sophocles calls her Fruitful; both very aptly and pertinently. For indeed the great and wonderful work of generation is properly the work of Venus, where Love is only an assistant when present with Venus; but his absence renders the act itself altogether irksome, dishonorable, harsh, and ungrateful. For the conjunction of man and woman without true affection, like hunger and thirst, terminates in satiety, and produces nothing truly noble or commendable; but when the Goddess by means of Love puts away all loathsome glut of pleasure, she perpetuates delight by a continual supply of friendship and harmony of temper. Therefore Parmenides asserts Love to be the most ancient of all the works of Venus, writing thus in his Cosmogony:

Of all the Gods that rule above,

She first brought forth the mighty Love.

AUTOB.

But Hesiod, in my opinion, seems more philosophically to make Love the eldest of all the Gods, as from whom all the other Deities derive their beginning. Therefore, should we deprive Love of the honors which are decreed him, the ceremonies we ascribe to Venus will be no longer in request. For it is not sufficient to say, that some men reproach Love and load him with contumelies, but abstain from giving her an ill word; for upon the same theatre we hear these scandals fixed upon both:

Love, idle of himself, takes up his rest

And harbors only in the slothful breast.

⁵

AUTOB.

And in another place thus upon Venus:

She does not the name of Cypris only own,

But by a hundred other names is known:

She’s hell on earth, continued violence,

And rage subduing all the force of sense.

⁶

AUTOB.

As indeed we may say of the rest of the Gods, that there is not one that has escaped the scandalous jibes of illiterate scurrility. Look upon Mars, as in a brazen sculpture, possessing the place just opposite to Love, how highly has he been honored, how lowly degraded by men?

Swine-snouted Mars, and as a beetle blind, —

’Tis he, fair dames, disorders all mankind.

⁷

AUTOB.

Homer also gives him the epithets of murderous and Jacka-both-sides. Moreover, Chrysippus, explaining the name of this Deity, fixes a villanous accusation upon him. For, says he, Ares is derived from ἀναιρεῖν, which signifies to destroy; thereby affording an occasion for some to give the name of Ares or Mars to that same proneness and perverse inclination of men to wrath and passion, and to quarrel and fight one with another. Others affirm Venus to be nothing but our concupiscence; that Mercury is no more than the faculty of speech; that the Muses are only the names for the arts and sciences; and that Minerva is only a fine word for prudence. And thus you see into what an abyss of atheism we are like to plunge ourselves, while we go about to range and distribute the Gods among the various passions, faculties, and virtues of men.

Notes on the current edition

Ἐρωτικός

1. *: γυμνασιαρχῶν

2. τἀκίνητα?

3. δι’ ἃκρων - φρενῶν idem

4. Eur. Bacch. 203

5. ὅστις ὁ Ζεὺς Lucianus (Iov. Trag. 41)

6. Nauck. p. 510

7. δὲ χορὸν Sauppius: δι’ ἔχθρὸν

8. ib. δʼ *

9. τῷ δράματι γεγραμμμένῳ πανηγυρικῶς καὶ περιττῶς] locum singularem Nauckius omisit

10. Nauck. p. 511

11. τῷ λόγῳ] respicitur ad λόγῳ versus Euripidei (lib. 12)

12. ἢ καὶ ἂδηλον] i. e. ἢ καὶ εἰς ἄδηλον

13. em. Bergkius: ἀδωναῖοι

14. κρύφα Aldina: καὶ κρύφα

15. Ἐμπεδοκλέους] Mullach. 1 p. 3 vs. 81

16. σὺ X: σὺν

17. δέρκευ Clemens Alex. (p. 653 Pott.): δέρκου

18. Nauck. p. 648

19. Eur. Hipp. 449. 450

20. Σοφοκλῆς] Nauck. p. 310

21. cf. Aesch. Choeph. 295

22. Παρμενίδης] Mullach. 1 p. 128 vs. 132

23. Ἡσίοδος] Theog. 120

24. malim τὸν Ἐρωτα

25. οὐδ’ αἱ *: οὐδὲ

26. ἀπέχονται δʼ Schellensius: ἀλλὰ ἀπέχονται

27. κἀπὶ X: καὶ ἐπὶ

28. Nauck. 455

29. ἥ τοι Κύπρις Stobaeus (63, 6): 9 E 11 B

30. Nauck. p. 329

31. αἰτιώνυμος BE

32. μανιὰς Porson: μανίας

33. M: ἀλοιδόρητον

34. em. R: ἔχοντι

35. Nauck. p. 308

36. καλὰ R praeter necessitatem

37. μιαιφόνον] Hom. E 31. Φ 402

38. ἀλλοπρόσαλλον] idem ib. 831. 889

39. ἀναιρεῖν] ἔριν conieceram in Symb. Nunc malim ἀναίρεσιν cum Petersenio cf. Clem. Alex. p. 24 et 56 Pott. Heraclit. Allegor. ed. Mehler c. 31 ubi Ἀρης est πόλεμος παρὰ τὴν ἀρὴν ὠνομασμένος (cf. et c. 69).

Plutarch Amatorius 13

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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