Plutarch, Praecepta gerendae reipublicae, Harold North Fowler (Translator), 22

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[22] And it is also a service to the people sometimes to endure the evil speech and anger of a man in office, repeating to oneself either the words of Diomedes:

For unto him will accrue mighty glory,¹

or the saying of Demosthenes,² that now he is not only Demosthenes, but also one of the thesmothetae,³ or a choregus, or the wearer of a crown.⁴ We should, therefore, put off our requital to the right time; for then either we shall attack him after his term of office is ended or in the delay our gain will be the cessation of anger.

Praecepta gerendae reipublicae. Plutarch. Harold North Fowler (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Precepts of Statecraft (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. X. Fowler, Harold North, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. V. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.) — 22 focus

[22] δημοτικὸν δὲ καὶ βλασφημίαν ἐνεγκεῖν καὶ ὀργὴν ἄρχοντος ἢ τὸ τοῦ. Διομήδους ὑπειπόντα,

τούτῳ μὲν γὰρ κῦδος ἅμʼ ἕψεται

15 ἢ τὸ τοῦ Δημοσθένους², ὅτι νῦν οὐκ ἔστι Δημοσθένης μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ θεσμοθέτης ἢ χορηγὸς ἢ στεφανηφόρος;. ἀναθετέον οὖν τὴν ἄμυναν εἰς τὸν χρόνον³ ἢ γὰρ ἐπέξιμεν ἀπαλλαγέντι τῆς ἀρχῆς ἢ κερδανοῦμεν ἐν τῷ περιμένειν τὸ παύσασθαι τῆς 20 ὀργῆς. 817d

Translations (1)

Political Precepts Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; White, Samuel, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 22 focus

[22] It is also a popular thing and wins greatly on the multitude, to bear patiently the reproaches and indignation of a magistrate, saying either with Diomedes,

Great glory soon will follow this,

or this, which was sometime said by Demosthenes,—that he is not now Demosthenes only, but a magistrate, or a director of public dances, or a wearer of a diadem. Let us therefore lay aside our revenge for a time; for either we shall come upon him when he is dismissed from his office, or shall by delaying gain a cessation of anger.

Notes on the current edition

Precepts of Statecraft

1. Homer, Il. iv. 415.

2. Demosthenes, xxi. ( Against Meidias) 524. Meidias had insulted Demosthenes in public when Demosthenes was choregus, officially appointed to bear the expense of a chorus.

3. The thesmothetae were the six junior archons at Athens. Their chief duty was supervision of the courts of law.

4. The stephanephori were officials whose duties varied in different cities. At Athens they were concerned with public festivals.

Plutarch Praecepta gerendae reipublicae 22

Harold North Fowler (Translator)

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