Plutarch, Amatorius, ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, 6

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[6]

ΑΥΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ.

λεγομένων τούτων ὁ Πεισίας ἦν δῆλος ἀγανακτῶν καὶ παροξυνόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Δαφναῖον· μικρὸν 20 δʼ αὐτοῦ καταλιπόντος¹ ὦ Ἡράκλεις ἔφη τῆς εὐχερείας καὶ θρασύτητος· ἀνθρώπους ὁμολογοῦντας 752c ὥσπερ οἱ κύνες ἐκ τῶν² μορίων συνηρτῆσθαι πρὸς τὸ θῆλυ μεθιστάναι καὶ μετοικίζειν τὸν θεὸν ἐκ γυμνασίων καὶ περιπάτων καὶ τῆς ἐν ἡλίῳ καθαρᾶς 25 καὶ ἀναπεπταμένης διατριβῆς εἰς ματρυλεῖα³ καὶ κοπίδας καὶ φάρμακα καὶ μαγεύματα καθειργνύμενον ἀκολάστων γυναικῶν ἐπεὶ ταῖς· γε σώφροσιν οὔτʼ ἐρᾶν οὔτʼ ἐρᾶσθαι δήπου προσῆκόν ἐστιν. ἐνταῦθα μέντοι καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἔφη τοῦ Πρωτογένους 5 ἐπιλαβέσθαι καὶ εἰπεῖν

τόδʼ ἐξοπλίζει τοὔπος Ἀργεῖον λεών,

⁴ καὶ νὴ Δία Δαφναίῳ συνδίκους ἡμᾶς προστίθησιν οὐ μετριάζων ὁ Πεισίας, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γάμοις ἀνέραστον ἐπάγων καὶ ἄμοιρον ἐνθέου φιλίας κοινωνίαν, 10 752d ἣν τῆς ἐρωτικῆς πειθοῦς καὶ χάριτος ἀπολιπούσης μονονοὺ ζυγοῖς καὶ χαλινοῖς ὑπʼ αἰσχύνης καὶ φόβου μάλα μόλις συνεχομένην ὁρῶμεν. καὶ ὁ Πεισίας ἐμοὶ μέν εἶπεν ὀλίγον μέλει τοῦ λόγου· Δαφναῖον δʼ⁵ ὁρῶ ταὐτὸν πάσχοντα τῷ χαλκῷ· καὶ γὰρ 15 ἐκεῖνος οὐχ οὕτως ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός, ὡς ὑπὸ τοῦ πεπυρωμένου χαλκοῦ καὶ ῥέοντος, ἂν ἐπιχέῃ τις, ἀνατήκεται καὶ ῥεῖ συνεξυγραινόμενος καὶ τοῦτον οὐκ ἐνοχλεῖ τὸ Λυσάνδρας κάλλος, ἀλλὰ συνδιακεκαυμένῳ⁶ καὶ γέμοντι πυρὸς ἤδη⁷ πολὺν χρόνον⁸ πλησιάζων 20 752e καὶ ἁπτόμενος ἀναπίμπλαται· καὶ δῆλός ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ ταχὺ φύγοι⁹ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, συντακησόμενος. ἀλλʼ ὁρῶ εἶπε γιγνόμενον ὅπερ ἂν μάλιστα σπουδάσειεν Ἀνθεμίων, προσκρούοντα τοῖς δικασταῖς καὶ ἐμαυτόν, ὥστε παύομαι καὶ ὁ Ἀνθεμίων ὤνησας εἶπεν 25 ὡς ἔδει γʼ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς λέγειν τι πρὸς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν.

Amatorius. Plutarch. ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs. Leipzig. 1892.

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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.) — 6 focus

[6]

AUTOB.

These things thus said, it was apparent that Pisias found himself touched to the quick, and much concerned for what Daphnaeus had spoken. But after he had been silent awhile, O Hercules, said he, what a strange impudence and levity is this in men, to acknowledge themselves tied to women by their generating parts, like dogs to hitches; by this means expelling and banishing love from the places of exercise, from the public porticos, and from conversing under the open sky and sunshine, to the stews, poniards, philters, and sorceries of lascivious women; for it is not convenient for the chaste either to love or to be beloved. At which words, as my father told me, he took Protogenes by the hand, and repeated to him these verses:

Words such as these the Argive courage warm;

And the affronted youth provoke to arm.

AUTOB.

For surely (he added) the exorbitant language of Pisias gives us good reason to take Daphnaeus’s part, while he introduces over the head of wedlock a society void of love, and utterly a stranger to that same friendship which descends and is inspired from above; which, if real affection and submission be wanting, can hardly be restrained by all the curbs and yokes of shame and fear. Then Pisias: For my part, said he, I give little heed to this argument; for as for Daphnaeus, I find him in the same condition with brass. For as brass is not so easily melted by the fire as by the force of the same melted and liquid metal being poured upon it, which mollifies both alike, and causes them to run and mix together; so it is not the beauty of Lysandra that inflames him, but the conversing along with one that is already inflamed and full of fire, that sets him all in a flame himself; and it is apparent that, unless he makes haste to us, he will suddenly be melted with his own heat. But I perceive, said he, the same thing will befall me which Anthemion has most reason to desire, that I too shall offend the judges; and therefore I shall say no more. Then Anthemion: ’Tis very true indeed, your fear is just; for you ought at the first to have spoken to the purpose, and what was proper to the argument in hand.

Notes on the current edition

Ἐρωτικός

1. διαλιπόντος Herwerdenus

2. τῶν Duebnerus

3. cf. Kock. 3 p. 450

4. Nauck. p. 916

5. δὲ] δὴ BE

6. συνδιακεκαλυμμένῳ iidem

7. ἥδη M: δ

8. χρόνον W: χρόνον ὁ

9. malim ἂν μὴταχὺ φύγῃ

Plutarch Amatorius 6

ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs

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ΑΥΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ.

Current edition Perseus

AUTOB.

AUTOB.

Notes on the current edition

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