Plutarch, De esu carnium II, Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator), 6

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

[6] There remains yet another contention with the Stoics¹ about flesh-eating, and this is not equal, either. For what is this great tension² on the belly and the kitchen? Why, when they count pleasure effeminate and denounce it as being neither a good nor an advanced principle³ nor commensurate with Nature,⁴ are they so concerned with these pleasures? It would certainly be consistent for them, since they banish perfume and cakes from their banquets, to be more squeamish about blood and flesh. But as it is, confining as it were their philosophy to their ledgers, they economize on their dinners in trivial and needless details while they do not deprecate this inhuman and murderous item of expense. Of course, they say, we human beings have no compact of justice with irrational animals.⁵ Nor, one might reply, have you with perfume or exotic sweetmeats either. Refrain from animals also, if you are expelling the useless and unnecessary element in pleasure from all its lurking-places.

De esu carnium II. Plutarch. Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1957.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

On the eating of flesh II (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. XII. Cherniss, Harold, and Helmbold, William C., translators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1957 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος β′ Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. VI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1895.) — 6 focus

[6] 999a οὐκ ἴσος δʼ ἔτι καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἀγὼν τοῖς Στωικοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς σαρκοφαγίας. τίς γὰρ ὁ πολὺς 5 τόνος· εἰς τὴν γαστέρα καὶ τὰ ὀπτανεῖα; τί τὴν ἡδονὴν θηλύνοντες καὶ διαβάλλοντες ὡς οὔτʼ ἀγαθὸν οὔτε προηγούμενον οὔτʼ οἰκεῖον οὕτω περὶ τὰ τῶν ἡδονῶν ἐσπουδάκασι; καὶ μὴν ἀκόλουθον ἦν αὐτοῖς, εἰ μύρον ἐξελαύνουσι καὶ πέμμα τῶν συμποσίων, 10 μᾶλλον αἷμα καὶ σάρκα δυσχεραίνειν. νῦν δʼ ὥσπερ εἰς τὰς ἐφημερίδας φιλοσοφοῦντες δαπάνην ἀφαιροῦσι τῶν δείπνων ἐν τοῖς ἀχρήστοις καὶ περιττοῖς, τὸ δʼ ἀνήμερον τῆς πολυτελείας καὶ φονικὸν οὐ παραιτοῦνται. ναί, φησίν, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν πρὸς 15 999b τὰ ἄλογα δίκαιον ἔστιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ μύρον, φαίη τις ἄν, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰ ξενικὰ τῶν ἡδυσμάτων ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἀποτρέπεσθε, τὸ μὴ χρήσιμον μηδʼ ἀναγκαῖον ἐν ἡδονῇ πανταχόθεν ἐξελαύνοντες.

Translations (1)

Of eating of flesh: Tract II. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; Baxter, William, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 6 focus

[6] The Stoics’ way of reasoning upon this subject of flesh-eating is no way equal nor consonant with themselves. Who is this that hath so many mouths for his belly and the kitchen? Whence comes it to pass, that they so very much womanize and reproach pleasure, as a thing that they will not allow to be either good or preferable, or so much as agreeable, and yet all on a sudden become so zealous advocates for pleasures? It were indeed but a reasonable consequence of their doctrine, that, since they banish perfumes and cakes from their banquets, they should be much more averse to blood and to flesh. But now, just as if they would reduce their philosophy to their day-books, they lessen the expenses of their suppers in certain unnecessary and needless matters, but the untamed and murderous part of their expense they nothing boggle at. Well! What then? say they. We have nothing to do with brute beasts. Nor have you any with perfumes, nor with foreign sauces, may some one answer; therefore expel these from your banquets, if you are driving out every thing that is both useless and needless.

Notes on the current edition

On the eating of flesh II

1. Cf. von Arnim, S.V.F. iii, pp. 91, 374.

2. A technical term of Stoic philosophy.

3. Further Stoic technical terms.

4. Further Stoic technical terms.

5. Cf. 970 b supra.

Plutarch De esu carnium II 6

Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers