Demosthenes, The Erotic Essay, Norman W. DeWitt (Translator), Norman J. DeWitt (Translator), 54

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[54] The proofs by which you must be judged worthy of my praises must also acquit me of all censure for the friendship I bear you.

I would not be pressing you so urgently to study philosophy¹ unless I thought that in this I was making you a most precious contribution as evidence of my goodwill, and unless I observed that our city often makes use of ordinary men for lack of men of the best type, and through their bungling incurs the gravest misfortunes.

The Erotic Essay. Demosthenes. Norman W. DeWitt (Translator), Norman J. DeWitt (Translator). London. 1949.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

The Erotic Essay (English) (Demosthenes, Vol. VII: Funeral Speech, Erotic Essay, LX, LXI, Exordia and Letters. DeWitt, Norman W. and Norman J., translators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1949 (printing).)

Editions (1)

ἐρωτικὸς Perseus (Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. III. Rennie, W., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931.) — 54 focus

[54] διʼ ἃ δεῖ σε τῶν ἐπαίνων ἄξιον εἶναι δόξαντα καὶ ἐμὲ τῆς σῆς φιλίας ἀνεπιτίμητον ἀφεῖναι. οὐχ οὕτως δʼ ἄν σε προθύμως ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν παρεκάλουν, εἰ μὴ τῆς μὲν εὐνοίας τῆς ἐμῆς τοῦτον ἄν σοι κάλλιστον ἔρανον εἰσενεγκεῖν ᾤμην, τὴν δὲ πόλιν ἑώρων διὰ μὲν ἀπορίαν τῶν καλῶν κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν τοῖς τυχοῦσιν πολλάκις χρωμένην, διὰ δὲ τὰς τούτων ἁμαρτίας αὐτὴν ταῖς μεγίσταις ἀτυχίαις περιπίπτουσαν.

Notes on the current edition

The Erotic Essay

1. Blass notes the occurrence of this sentence in Isoc. 6.87 , with ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον instead of ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν.

Demosthenes The Erotic Essay 54

Norman W. DeWitt (Translator), Norman J. DeWitt (Translator)

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