Dion, or On Living according to His Own Principles 272–304
Greek text: Krabinger 1.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 272
272Krabinger 1:272
τοὺς τελουμένους οὐ μαθεῖν τι δεῖν, ἀλλὰ παθεῖν 2, δηλονότι γινομένους ἐπιτηδείου. Ἑαὶ καὶ διατεθῆναι ᾿ ἐπιτηδειότῃι δὲ ἄλογος εἰ δὲ μηδὲ λόγος αὐτὴν παρασκευάδοι, πολὺ μᾶλλον. Τούτοις οὖν καὶ ἡὶ κάὅ θοδος εὐθυὺ; ἐπὶ σμικράν τινα πράξιν, ἄμεσος αὔτη καὶ πολὺ πόῤῥω, καὶ ἴοικε πτώματι, καθάπερ τὴν ἀνα-Β δρομὴν εἰκάδομεν ἄλματι. Οὗς “) γὰρ οὐ προὔπεμψε λόγος, τούτους οὐδὲ ἐπανιόντας ἰδέξατο. Πῶς ἦν ταῦτα ἀλλύήλοι; ἄν πρέψειε, νῦν μὲν ἐπαφὴν ἔχειν τοῦ Ἰθπρώτου, νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ ῥῶπας καὶ λύγου; ἐεράφθαι; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅγε ἄνθρωπο; κατὰ τὴν μέσην καὶ ἐπισατικὴν δύναμιν λογικὸς ἔτι τε καὶ προφαγορεύεται, ἣν οὐδέποτε αὶ γεγυμνάκασιν, οὔκουν ὅσαγε φαίνονται. Τὸ μὲν οὖν τέλος, καὶ οὐ) δεῖ γενέσθαι, κοινὸν ἀμφοῖν, καὶ τυχόντες, οὐδὲν ἀλλήλων ἂν διαφέροιμεν' τάν μέσῳ δὲ ὁ ἡμεδαπὸς φιλόσοφος ἄμεινον ἔσκεπται" ὁδὸν γὰρ παρεσκευάσατο, καὶ κλιμακηδὸν ἄνεισιν, ὥςτε καὶ
tous teloumenous ou mathein ti dein, alla pathein 2, dēlonoti ginomenous epitēdeiou. Heai kai diatethēnai ᾿ epitēdeiotę̄i de alogos ei de mēde logos autēn paraskeuadoi, poly mallon. Toutois oun kai hēi kao thodos euthyy? epi smikran tina praxin, amesos autē kai poly porrhō, kai ioike ptōmati, kathaper tēn ana-B dromēn eikadomen almati. Hous “) gar ou proupempse logos, toutous oude epaniontas idexato. Pōs ēn tauta allyēloi? an prepseie, nyn men epaphēn echein tou Ithprōtou, nyn de epi rhōpas kai lygou? eeraphthai? ᾿All᾽ hoge anthrōpo? kata tēn mesēn kai episatikēn dynamin logikos eti te kai prophagoreuetai, hēn oudepote ai gegymnakasin, oukoun hosage phainontai. To men oun telos, kai ou) dei genesthai, koinon amphoin, kai tychontes, ouden allēlōn an diapheroimen' tan mesǭ de ho hēmedapos philosophos ameinon eskeptai" hodon gar pareskeuasato, kai klimakēdon aneisin, hōste kai
that those being initiated need not learn something but undergo something, becoming, evidently, fit to receive. Fitness is irrational; and if reason does not even prepare it, all the more so. For these men, then, the descent too goes straight to some small activity, without any intermediary and very far down, and is like a fall, just as we compared the ascent to a leap. For those whom reason did not escort on the way out, it did not receive on their return either. How could these things suit each other: now to have touch with the First, now to be turned to wicker and withies? But man is called rational, and is so, by the middle, governing power, which these men have never exercised — at least so far as appears. The end, then, where one must arrive, is common to both, and once there we would not differ at all from one another; but in the middle our philosopher has planned better: he has prepared a road and ascends by a ladder, so that
Notes and citation
Summary: Like initiates who undergo rather than learn, the ascetics leap up and fall down, skipping reason; the Greek philosopher climbs by a ladder.
- Aristotle on the initiated: fragment 15 (Rose), known only from this passage of Synesius.
Extrabiblical texts: Aristotle, fr. 15 Rose (Aristotle (works); quotation)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 272 (Krabinger 1:272; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/272). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/272
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 273
273Krabinger 1:273
παρ᾽ ἐαντὸν τι ποίσαι" προϊόντα γὰρ εἰκὸς ἐντυχεῖν. ποι τῷ ἐρατῷ “: καὶ μὴ τυχὼν “δὲ, πρὸ ὁδοῦ γέγονε, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο μέντοι σμικρόν" ἀλλὰ διαφέροι ἂν τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων πλέον, κ ὅσον ἐκεῖνοι τῶν βοσκυμάτων. ) ᾿ ΨΙ Πε Ταύτῃ καὶ πλείους ἂν ἦν οἱ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀφικνούἄέενοι, κατὰ φύσιν ἐχούσυ; τῇς ἐπιχειρήσεως" ἐκείνῃ. δ᾽ εἰ μή τις εὐγένεια. τήχρι."), ψυχῆς ἄνωθεν ἔλκουσα τὴν στρώτην͵ καταβολὴν, παὶ νοῦ χρῆμα ἐξαίσιον οἷον αὖταρκες εἶναι καὶ παρ ἑαυτοῦ κινηθῆναι. ᾿Οποῖος᾿Αμοῦ; ) ὁ Αἰγύπτιος οὐκ ἐξεῦρεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔκρινε, χρείαν, γραμμάς των. Τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ ὅ) τοῦ νοῦ περιῇν. ὋὉ δὲ. δὴ τοιοῦτος. καὶ δίχα τῇς, φιλοσόφου. μεθόδου θᾶττον ἄναλύσειεν. “Ὁ, γάρ. "9. θυ σιπό ἀρκεῖ" πολὺ δήπου
par᾽ eanton ti poisai" proïonta gar eikos entychein. poi tǭ eratǭ “: kai mē tychōn “de, pro hodou gegone, kai oude touto mentoi smikron" alla diapheroi an tōn pollōn anthrōpōn pleon, k hoson ekeinoi tōn boskymatōn. ) ᾿ PsI Pe Tautę̄ kai pleious an ēn hoi par᾽ hēmōn aphiknouaeenoi, kata physin echousy? tę̄s epicheirēseōs" ekeinę̄. d᾽ ei mē tis eugeneia. tēchri."), psychēs anōthen elkousa tēn strōtēn͵ katabolēn, pai nou chrēma exaision hoion autarkes einai kai par heautou kinēthēnai. ᾿Opoios᾿Amou? ) ho Aigyptios ouk exeuren, all᾽ ekrine, chreian, grammas tōn. Tosouton autǭ ho) tou nou perię̄n. HoO de. dē toioutos. kai dicha tę̄s, philosophou. methodou thatton analyseien. “Ho, gar. "9. thy sipo arkei" poly dēpou
he achieves something by his own effort. For it is likely that, going forward, he will meet the beloved object somewhere; and if he does not reach it, he has at least advanced on the road, and even this is no small thing: he would differ from most people more than they differ from cattle. In this way, too, more would arrive from among us, since the attempt is in accordance with nature; but in that other way none would, unless some nobility of soul drew its first foundation from above, and a mind so extraordinary as to be self-sufficient and moved by itself — such as Amous the Egyptian, who did not invent but judged the use of letters, so much mind did he have to spare. Such a man would ascend more quickly even without the philosopher's method. For nature suffices; much more surely
Notes and citation
Summary: The gradual way lets many advance; the leap succeeds only for rare, self-moved minds like the Egyptian king Amous.
- Amous (Thamus), the Egyptian king who judged Theuth's invention of letters: Plato, Phaedrus 274d–275b.
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 274d-275b (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 273 (Krabinger 1:273; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/273). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/273
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 274
274Krabinger 1:274
μᾶλλον, εἰ καί τις! αὐτὸν παραθήξειέ τε καὶ ἐκκαλίσαιτο τὸ γὰρ ἔνδοθεν σπέρμα. δεινὸς αὐξῆσαι, καὲὶὲ νὴ δαικρόν' σπινθῆρα λογοὺ παραλαβὼν, πυρκαϊὰν ὅλην ἀνάψαι, Τούτοις μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦτο. μεῖον, ὅ εἰ μή γε καὶ προὔργου ποιήσει. Τὰ τῇς ᾿Ελληνικῆς δὲ ἀγωγῆς ) τοὺς ἧττον ἀδρούς προάγει τε καὶ ἀναῤῥιπίἔδει; καὶ ὅ τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς θεῖον ἐκθάλπει" ἑκὲλ δὲ χιόνοις τοῖς οἴκοθεν μακὰρίοις τὸ τέλος ἐπιτυγχάνξται. Σπανϊώτερον δὲ δήπου ") τὸ γένος τῶν τοιούτων ψυχῶν, ἢ τὸ τὸῦ φοΐνικος, ᾧ τὰς περιόδους μετροῦσιν Α|γύπτιοι. Οἱ δὲ κολλοὶ μάτην ἂν πονοῖεν καὶ ἀποέρύ- Χχοινέο,' δίχα νοῦ ἐῤν νοητὴν : οὐσίαν θηρώμένοι, καὶ Κα Ἡάλιςα οὔς οὔχ καὶ πρώτῃ φύσις ἐπὶ 'τόνδὲ "τὸν βίον ἐξώρμησεν. Οὐτοι᾿ “γὰρ ἂν ὀναϊντὸ τῇ! ὄρμθε" μὰλλον 'δὲ ἀὐτὴν ἐγὼ τὴν ὁρμὴν νόδ᾽ κἰνυυμΐνου" γνώριμα ποιούμαι; οἱ δὲ πλείους οὐδὲ ᾽ οἴκοθεν ἐκινή
mallon, ei kai tis! auton parathēxeie te kai ekkalisaito to gar endothen sperma. deinos auxēsai, kaeie nē daikron' spinthēra logou paralabōn, pyrkaïan holēn anapsai, Toutois men oun ouden para touto. meion, ho ei mē ge kai prourgou poiēsei. Ta tę̄s ᾿Ellēnikēs de agōgēs ) tous hētton adrous proagei te kai anarrhipiedei? kai ho to en autois theion ekthalpei" hekel de chionois tois oikothen makariois to telos epitynchanxtai. Spanïōteron de dēpou ") to genos tōn toioutōn psychōn, ē to tou phoïnikos, hǭ tas periodous metrousin A|gyptioi. Hoi de kolloi matēn an ponoien kai apoery- Chchoineo,' dicha nou ern noētēn : ousian thērōmenoi, kai Ka Hēalisa ous ouch kai prōtę̄ physis epi 'tonde "ton bion exōrmēsen. Outoi᾿ “gar an onaïnto tę̄! ormthe" mallon 'de autēn egō tēn hormēn nod᾽ kinyymïnou" gnōrima poioumai? hoi de pleious oude ᾽ oikothen ekinē
if someone also whets him and calls him out; for he is able to increase the seed within, and, taking a small spark of reason, to kindle a whole blaze. For these, then, it is no loss on this account, if it is not even an advantage. The Greek training leads forward those less robust, fans them, and warms the divine in them; but there the end is reached only by those already blessed from within, and the race of such souls is rarer than that of the phoenix, by which the Egyptians measure their periods. The many would toil in vain and wear themselves out hunting the intelligible essence without mind, especially those whom nature did not first urge on to this life. These might benefit from the impulse — or rather, I take the impulse itself as a sign of a mind in motion; but most were not moved from within
Notes and citation
Summary: Greek education helps ordinary souls rise, while the ascetic leap suits only souls rarer than the phoenix; most who attempt it toil in vain.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): αὐτῷ ΠΝ ΕΝ Ι,ρατ, Ῥ ἴων ᾿βειανῖῃ Ααποίδιι. δὰ Ῥε. Ἑά. ΒΌ. Βασῦ, Μίοα. ΒΡ. ΜΜδτος., Ρ. 18. οπαΐεὶς δέ, οου ας ν᾽ καὶ, «αυύδυν; ρρεάυπι Ἑά.. Μυτα, οἱ ηΜμ88 Ἑἀάά. Βοϊονίδπας εἱ ὔθηωμι8. Νίοσς!}. ἃς Ρεῖδν. 1. 2. υεἶπ πὰ} Οοάά. Ῥοεὶ ἐγωγφθε Παϊεεπαραθύξειεν, Βφ4ιμ,. Ροηυηῖ, [ἰδεῖ Ῥδῶγσ, ΛΌὺ. Μουη. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 274 (Krabinger 1:274; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/274). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/274
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 275
275Krabinger 1:275
θησαν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ, “τὸν δεύτερον «λεγόμενον. πλοῦν", ὑπὸ τὴς σχολῇ! εἰς νσῦν διεγείρονται" ὦιπερ δὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων, τὴν γενναίαν αἵρεσιν ἐδηλώκασι, παντοδαποί τε ὄντες τὰ γένῃ, καὶ κατὰ -χρείαγ." ἕκατοι συνιςάμενοι. Περὶ τούτων (δὴ. καὶ σαφῶς δεατείνομαι, ὅτι μάτην ἂν οὗτοι πομνοῖεν καὶ ἀποτρύχοιντο, ( οἷς οὔτε αὐτοφυής ἔσι νοῦν, υοὐτεί ἐπέκτῃ τος. "᾿Ἰευνδυνεύει ᾿ γὰρ οὐδ᾽ εἶναι θεμιτὸν ἄλλῳ τῳ ᾽ τῶν. ἐν φ μὲν οἴεσθᾶι τὸν θεὸν ἐνδημιύσειν ἀντὶ τοῦ νοῦ" νεὼς γὰρ οὗτος οἷκεῖος. θεῷ, Ταῦτ᾽ ἄρα. 'παὶ τὰς καθαρτικὰς μάρετάι ἀν) σπουδάξεσθαι παραδεδώκασιν Ἕλληνες σοφοὶ καὶ βάρ. βαροι, ἀποτειχίξοντεϊ Ἀ}ϊιᾳἥπασαν τὴν πραγματείαν " σῆς "φύσεως, ἵνα μηδὲν. ἐμπόδιον; παρέχοιμτῳ παϊρ, Ψαοβσεσιμ. Αὔτη μὲν ) καὶ διάνοια." τῶν’ πρώτων κεἰτουνσλμμένων ἑκατέραν: φιλοσοφίαν: “Οἱ δὲ καὶ τὰς εἰῥεαε ἄθέσι μάλ -Ὁ ὡς καὶ τρεῖς: οὐτὰν. ῥσνριπαι; λον, ᾽ λόγῳ. κρατύνουσι
thēsan, all' oude, “ton deuteron «legomenon. ploun", hypo tēs scholę̄! eis nsyn diegeirontai" ōiper de allo ti tōn eudokimountōn, tēn gennaian hairesin edēlōkasi, pantodapoi te ontes ta genę̄, kai kata -chreiag." hekatoi synisamenoi. Peri toutōn (dē. kai saphōs deateinomai, hoti matēn an houtoi pomnoien kai apotrychointo, ( hois oute autophyēs esi noun, youtei epektę̄ tos. "᾿Ieundyneuei ᾿ gar oud᾽ einai themiton allǭ tǭ ᾽ tōn. en ph men oiesthai ton theon endēmiysein anti tou nou" neōs gar houtos hoikeios. theǭ, Taut᾽ ara. 'pai tas kathartikas maretai an) spoudaxesthai paradedōkasin Hellēnes sophoi kai bar. baroi, apoteichixonteï A}ïiąēpasan tēn pragmateian " sēs "physeōs, hina mēden. empodion? parechoimtǭ païr, Psaobsesim. Autē men ) kai dianoia." tōn’ prōtōn keitounslmmenōn hekateran: philosophian: “Hoi de kai tas eirheae athesi mal -Ho hōs kai treis: outan. rhsnripai? lon, ᾽ logǭ. kratynousi
nor are they roused to mind by leisure, the so-called "second voyage"; but like any other esteemed thing, they have aimed at the noble choice, being of every kind of race and each joining it for some need. About these I clearly maintain that they would toil in vain and wear themselves out, having neither natural nor acquired mind. For perhaps it is not even lawful to think that God will dwell in anything of ours other than the mind, for this is God's proper temple. That is why wise men, Greek and barbarian, have handed down that the purifying virtues are to be pursued, walling off all the business of nature, so that nothing may stand in the way of those being purified. This was the intention of those who first founded each philosophy. But others strengthen the virtues by habit rather than by reason.
Notes and citation
Summary: Most who join the ascetic life lack mind, the only temple God inhabits; true philosophy seeks the purifying virtues by reason, not mere habit.
- "Second voyage": a proverb for the next-best course (Plato, Phaedo 99c–d). The "noble choice" is the monastic life.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): 1΄. λεγόμενον θεεὶ ἃ "Ρατ' σ., τὴν Ἶν ἡμῖν δὲν '8. {« τὸν θεὸν αυο πλοπαὶϊ Βοεοπαί., δὰ Νι- αἴοσθαι (μάυτ. τὸ 8. ἰολιῃ φοτέμεοεῖ. Ἑὰρ. Ρ. 311., ἰΐοτι ἃ ἽΜου. τόυς οἴεσθαι..3. νὰ δάοιιν Οοδάᾶ, ΑΕ. εἰ Υἱηά. Πεορεχὶι Νοκίεν ΡΙαί. Ῥατίβ.. Νίσπδος. οἱ Νὶ πὰ. ΠἜυνΩ Ῥμαεάου. Ρ. 00..2.» αὶ νἀ. [ηω- ἀντὶ νούλαθσι βατΐα, σ14. σα- (εσρτοῖῖ. ἜΝ μά. ἐαζεν. οὰ ἸΝίδτο. Απίο δ τρ’ 588. 45, ἰδηλώκασιν Βατῦ. φΦὑΜοα, Ὁ. Ἐ. σι' θεβαατ. 'αἃ ΟἸδτω. “ΑἸεχ, → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 275 (Krabinger 1:275; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/275). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/275
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 276
276Krabinger 1:276
φρόνῃησιν' γὰρ. οὐ προρίενται, οἵ γε καὶ σωφρασύνην. αἴ γε δὴ σωφροσύνην ιεἶναι τὸ κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς, συγχωρήσὸόμε.} (Ὡς οὐκ ἔστι γε, μὴ. οὐκ εἰριέναι τε καὶ συναιῥέῖσαθαι. τὰς. ἀρετάς, διὰ. τὴν «ἀναγκαίαν ἀντακολούθηὅ σιν. υἱάλλ' οἷοντὰΐ. γε, δεῖν σωφρονεῖν, οὐ, διότε ") σωφρφνητίον, ιεἰδότες,: ἀλλ'. ἐπίταγμα λαβόντι;,.. ὥπερ νόμον ἀναίτιον, -ὃν ὁ μὲν θεὶς οἶδεν, ὅτι ιτοῖ το διε’ ἄλλα, διὰ τὰς νούῤσειΐ, παὶ ὅτι προύργουι πρὸς ἄνοδίο
phronę̄ēsin' gar. ou prorientai, hoi ge kai sōphrasynēn. ai ge dē sōphrosynēn ieinai to kat᾽ autous, synchōrēsoome.} (Hōs ouk esti ge, mē. ouk eirienai te kai synairheisathai. tas. aretas, dia. tēn «anankaian antakolouthēo sin. huiall' hoiontaï. ge, dein sōphronein, ou, diote ") sōphrphnētion, ieidotes,: all'. epitagma labonti?,.. hōper nomon anaition, -hon ho men theis oiden, hoti itoi to die’ alla, dia tas nourseiï, pai hoti prourgoui pros anodio
For they do not admit wisdom, they who admit temperance — if indeed we grant that what they have is temperance. It is not, since the virtues must enter and depart together, because they necessarily follow one another. But they think one must be temperate, not knowing why one must, but taking it as an order, like a law without reasons, which the one who laid it down knows is for the sake of other things — for the sake of intellection — and that it is useful for the ascent.
Notes and citation
Summary: Ascetic self-control practised without wisdom is not true temperance, for the virtues imply one another and serve the mind's ascent.
- Most of this page in the OCR is Krabinger's apparatus, removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἔθεσι Τιθυτ. Ῥαι. ΒΟ. Μοα. Ῥίἰεηάα, εγθὰ διὰ τὴν ἀναγκκίαν Δ. Μεϊτεσ. Ὑίη ἀν ὧπὰ οὐαν Τυτπ. μδγ τδ8: ἰπθεγῖδ᾽ βιιοἱ ἴω ΝΜίοπ. Αἱ Τμδολι. ἵναττὶ δὲ τὴ. Μόνο]. δὸς Ὠθιοίοοευτη ἐντακολουθήσει τῶν Ῥεῖαν, 1. 3. οχδίβεηι θέσοι. ἴοη. ἐρετῶν νἱὰ, ἢ οιυετ. ἀ6 Β οἰγτηδιῃ.. θέσει ᾿ Γ 25. Ρ- 205. 44. Ῥαυϊς. δὰ Οἷν Ἐ: Ἰθίσι Μον. Β. γρ. θίσει ἰαῖοτ Ωγ, Ὅπερ, Ταροο, 1, 4.2. οἵ Δῖα., Νάφεκτν. ἴω οσα ἤδθεῖ; γρ. -Ασαάετα. ἵ. 11. Ζζγειεηδ. δὰ ῬΙοι, ᾿ ἴθεσι Ραν. Β. ἰπ τῶρ. Ῥοεὶ κρα- ἄφι δυά, ροεῖ. Ρ. 52..λ. Ογειις. ἐὐνουσι Ματο. Β. ἔτ ρατρίι: καὶ χὰ Ῥγοῦὶ. οπιπεθηι. δὰ Ρίδι. ΑἹοἴονται γε δεῖν. σωφρ.. ἰηϊετπια- ἰμ᾽δά, ἵ. νΡ. 310. οἱ δὰ Ρίοιίπ. ἀμν οτα θείε. γετθὰ οἵ γε καὶ σω- τὶ Π|, Ρ. 18. 8. οο11. Νοεῖς. Οὐ. ἰὼ ΩΣ δε Βεξα. Οδρ. ΥἹΙ. ἴπ Βα. Ῥοεὶ «Τῷ φροσύνην » ρων ἰδ οιανο λοπεῖνε ᾿ν»τακολούθησιν᾽ ἰπ Οοάά. Ῥδτ. Ὁ Μ ᾿ ἣ ἡ ᾿ς δυτ. ᾿Μοπαοὲ. οὐ ε8, Μάτο. (ΒΧ. 6}, θ60.᾽ τῇ. ἤθει. Βοῃά. Αἰ- “αγατ χει πο πὶ Ἂς πυρτρνορς ἈΑ. Βεδὰ. ἐϊ Νἱηά τερεϊα πίων, ρελας Ῥίατα,, Ουοὰ. φοφυίϊυτ δὺ ρεο καὶ, Ἢ δὲ καὶ τ :, Ετέθθα {{8: οἱ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐἀριτάς «ᾳυοὰ ἴῃ Βαάά. Νίοκε}}. εἰ υἱτδὰσε Σ ὠ ἐ ὄφμαν δ. ἀπημ ἙἘὰ ἴθεσι μάλλον κνῇ λόγῳ κρατύνουῥῷ Ἂν. «6ἴ, ἐθο6 ἡρλθνων γ μὰ σιν" ἀλλ' (λει Ῥοε" Ο, Νουα. ὑτθον ἀρδρασα Τδοῖαθ! ψοῦδε ΑΒ Νάτο Α. Βεϊιὰ, οἱ γι, εα- Ῥοσῖος, {ἃδυτ δίοδος. Βομὰ Υάπἀ. ὁ. : ν Ρ ίθοηι κρατύνουσι" καὶ, υἱ ταξ. Μοετμν, Ατιϊουϊα8 δοΐθ κατ᾽ «. : Νοτοὶὶ εἰ Ῥείαν. 1.ν νθί, εαβοτα τοῦς; Δθοβὶ δ᾽ὕ Ρδι. Α. [δυτ.. ΕΣ ΠΗ Μοι. ΒΌ. Ἀ ᾿ ἐς σχοίδηι) οἴονταί γε. Ῥτο καὶ οἷονἐαλν ἑαλα ἀπε με ἔν χα γέωδο αι ταρ. Νίθοεαι. Ρε. ἣν. «11 43. 224: οὐν Μοα. Εν οτθα οοτεάχί!: ἀλλ᾽ οἴονταί, γε ἃ. ἴΩ οὐκ ἔτεΐ γε," μὴ ἀφοὰπεία Μίοτο!]....1 0(] γΡ'καὶ ΣΙ ἐ οἱ Ῥεῖδν. 1... παβδυϊων ἰὰ πνοὰ ἴῃ Μομν Β,.49ὶ ἀλλ. τωι το. ἦ ἐδὰ ἐϊας ᾿υΕἱ ρέο ἔσι ἰφρδλυτο.. 2.2.0. ὦ δεῖν Τιαυτ. δεῖ Βετ."" ἔτι. Ῥδτιϊοὶ "γε ᾿ἰϊδ ἀεείφετδεας Ἵ ἴα βος. Βέγανν, Βγοι οὐδ εἰῥεέναι. 1. 25..μὖν Νσπ. Βῦν ΠῚ δίαχο. 1δυξ. σἀτι ον. οὐ τ συνεένάι. (δοοι Δ.» Ἀπ ρεδησείριρ. ἄνε τ πὲ ἀντ ἀριτὰς ΝΝΙεεται. ἀδι. ἔθεσε: μάλλον.! Δ26ιι: {4 Ρατΐεε. [,δυν᾽ Θατὸ. ου:. ὡ- αὐἰδρράτύθονσι, παὶ ἰοἱόνταί ΑΒΟΏ. Νίατο.λ." Υἱπὰ. δὰ οατα γεν ἵν τόρ δὐϊοσι ἃ Υὐ τον Βαθοῖ ταδὶ Ῥρυοὶ!,: ΦΕ Ῥοίαν,. Δ. 2: διὰ διὰ. τῆν. ἀναγ. ἀντακυλούθόσιν τὰς διαινοήσρι; 6}. ο.. αἰεὶ». Βαοἱ" (516λ. δὲ- καὶ τας' ἐῤεταν" ἴθεσι οἰ αὶ! ἑα Ἀν νος ροΠ]διίο φᾷς ΒΑΡΒῥᾶλλ! υὐ φορτα Ῥόεῦ. ἀῤεταί ἰοαγ-. ΝΩς, σαῦ (Ράο) ἀν! ἄλῃ, ΜΙΡοτκας → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 276 (Krabinger 1:276; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/276). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/276
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 277
277Krabinger 1:277
δονν τὸ πρὸ! μηδὲν τῶν "ἐν ὕλῃ! παθαίρεσθὰν. Οἷ- δὲ ἀπέχονται μίξεων, αὐτὸ "δι᾽ αὐτὸ τἐθαυμεικότες μτκαὴ μεέγιτον ἄγοντε, τὸ σμικρότατον; τὴν παραφκεύὴν τέλος ἡγούμενοι. ᾿Ημεῖς δὲ τὰς ἀρετὰς ὥςπερ (ξδιχεῖά τῆς ὅλης φιλοσοφίας σπυδάδομεν. Τὸ μὴ καθαρῷ ὦ γάρ καθαροῦ ἰφάπτεσθαι. μὴ οὐ θεμιτὸν ἡ Πλάτωνος ἀπεδεξάμεθα, ᾿"Αρεταὶ δὲ καθαίρουσι, τὸν ἀλλότριαν 8., ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ἦν ἡ ψυχὴ ταἀγαθὸν, τἤρμει ἢ ῥιπτῦσαι καθήρασθθαι, καὶ ἦν ἀγαθὸν ἤδη τῷ μόνῃ ᾿γενόσθαι" νῦν δὲ οὐ γάρ ἕξιν ἀγαθόν' οὐ γάρ ἂν ἐγένετό Β ποτε ἐν κακῷ)" ἀλλ' ἀγαθοειδὴς ἐσι καὶ - μέσῃ τὴν
donn to pro! mēden tōn "en hylę̄! pathairesthan. Hoi- de apechontai mixeōn, auto "di᾽ auto tethaumeikotes mtkaē meegiton agonte, to smikrotaton? tēn paraphkeuēn telos hēgoumenoi. ᾿Ēmeis de tas aretas hōsper (xdicheia tēs holēs philosophias spydadomen. To mē katharǭ ō gar katharou iphaptesthai. mē ou themiton hē Platōnos apedexametha, ᾿"Aretai de kathairousi, ton allotrian 8., ᾿All᾽ ei men ēn hē psychē taagathon, tērmei ē rhiptysai kathērasththai, kai ēn agathon ēdē tǭ monę̄ ᾿genosthai" nyn de ou gar hexin agathon' ou gar an egeneto B pote en kakǭ)" all' agathoeidēs esi kai - mesę̄ tēn
for being purified of everything in matter. But these men abstain from intercourse, admiring it for its own sake, making the smallest thing the greatest, and thinking the preparation the end. We pursue the virtues as the elements of the whole of philosophy; for we have accepted from Plato that it is not lawful for the impure to touch the pure. The virtues purify what is alien. If the soul were the good, it would be enough for it to be purified by casting things off, and it would be good as soon as it was alone; but as it is — for it is not the good, or it would never have come to be in evil — it is good-like and in the middle in
Notes and citation
Summary: The ascetics make continence an end in itself; for the philosopher the virtues are only purifications preparing the soul, which is not itself the good.
- "Not lawful for the impure to touch the pure": Plato, Phaedo 67b.
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaed. 67b (Plato (works); quotation)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 277 (Krabinger 1:277; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/277). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/277
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 278
278Krabinger 1:278
φύσιν. ἹἙέψασαν. οὖν "εἰς τὸ χεῖρον ἐπανήγαγεν καὶ ἀρετὴς καὶ τῇεαιηλῖδον ἀπέλυσε, καὶ πάλιν μέσην ἐποίησε. “εἶ δὴ καὶ ")υπροελθεῖν ἐπὶ τἀγαθόν᾽ τοῦτο δὲ. ἠδ᾽ διὰ, λόγαυ: οΙοῦς γάρ ἐσι τὸ σύδυγον. ὄμμα") τῶν νοητῶν, Οἷον" εἰν τέλαρ εἴν τὸ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἰδεῖν, ἐκ. ἀπόῥη μή. κεκυφέναι πρὸς τοὔδαφος, ἀλλὰ δεὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐν! (μέσῳ. τάσιν τῇς ὄψεως ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω νεῦσαι “ὅ). Καὶ δέεα τῶν ἀρετῶν ὄναιτο ἄν τις τὸ ἀπηλλάχθαι ς τῷς ὑλικῆς προιπαθείας. “Ζεἰ δὲ καὶ ἀναγωγῆτ" οὐ γὰρ.θ ἀπόχρῃ μὴ κακὸν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ θεὸν εἶναι ὃ). Ἑαὶ ξοὶκεν εἶναι τὸ μὲν οἷον ἀπεεράφθαι τὸ σῶμα καὶ ὅσα τοῦ σώματος " τὸ δὲ οἷον ἐπεεράφθαι διὰ νοῦ πρὸς, θεόν. ᾿Ημεῖς; οὖν τιμῶντες τὰς ἀρετὰς ἴσμεν
physin. HiEepsasan. oun "eis to cheiron epanēgagen kai aretēs kai tę̄eaiēlidon apelyse, kai palin mesēn epoiēse. “ei dē kai ")yproelthein epi tagathon᾽ touto de. ēd᾽ dia, logau: oIous gar esi to sydygon. omma") tōn noētōn, Hoion" ein telar ein to pros ouranon idein, ek. aporhē mē. kekyphenai pros toudaphos, alla dei meta tēn en! (mesǭ. tasin tę̄s opseōs epi ta anō neusai “ho). Kai deea tōn aretōn onaito an tis to apēllachthai s tǭs hylikēs proipatheias. “Zei de kai anagōgēt" ou gar.th apochrę̄ mē kakon einai, alla dei kai theon einai ho). Heai xoiken einai to men hoion apeeraphthai to sōma kai hosa tou sōmatos " to de hoion epeeraphthai dia nou pros, theon. ᾿Ēmeis? oun timōntes tas aretas ismen
its nature. When it had turned toward the worse, virtue brought it back, freed it from its stains, and made it middle again. But it must also go forward to the good, and this through mind; for mind is the eye yoked to the intelligibles. It is as if the goal were to look toward heaven: it is not enough not to stoop toward the ground; after holding the gaze level, one must look up to the things above. Through the virtues one may be released from the passions of matter; but there must also be an ascent. For it is not enough not to be evil; one must also be god. The one seems like being turned away from the body and all that belongs to it, the other like being turned through mind toward God. We, then, honouring the virtues, know
Notes and citation
Summary: Virtue only restores the soul to its middle state; to reach the good it must also ascend through mind toward God.
- "One must also be god": Plotinus, Enneads 1.2.6 (the goal is not to be without sin but to be god).
Extrabiblical texts: Plotinus, Enn. 1.2.6 (Plotinus, Enneads; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 278 (Krabinger 1:278; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/278). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/278
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 279
279Krabinger 1:279
ὥνειν᾽. ἔχουσι τάξιν 4“), ἣν αἱ. τῶν ετοιχείων, γραμμαὶ πρὸς ἱπιεήμην βιβλίου" πρῶται γάρ, εἰσιν͵ ἀνιόντῳν ἐπὶ τὸν. νοῦν. ᾿4λλ᾽ οὐ “) τὸ πᾶν ἴχομεν ἔχοντες τὰς ἀρετὰς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀφῃρήκαμεν, τὸ ἐμπόδιον, καὶ ὧν χωρὶ ἢ οὐδὲ ὅσιόν ἐειν ἐλπίσαι τυχεῖν τοῦ τέλους, ταῦτρος τίω; παρεσκευάκαμεν. Ταύτῃ “ δὲ οὐκ ἀπογινώσκομτες, ὐδη μέτιμεν αὐτὸ διὰ νοῦ σὺν τάξει παλαιοῖς τει καὶ μακαρίοις; ἀνδράσιν ἐξευρημένῃ" καὶ δητοῦντες, ἐκ οἷδα εἴ ποτε ἔλοιμεν' σχολῇ γε") ἂν περιτύχοι τῷ εὐτε ἑρασθέντι, μήτ᾽ εἰ δμτητέον εἰδότι, ζαί τοι κά4-! λιεα ἀπαλλάττουσιν αὐτῶν οἱ μένοντες ἐπὶ τούτου, καὶ μηδὲν προιϊπεριεργαδόμενοι" εἶεν γὰρ ἂν οὐ κακαὶ κα- Ἃ θηράμενρι. Οἷς δὲ ἐπῆλθε ἢ) διενέγκαι τοῦ πλήθους κατὰ τύἡντινοῦν
hōnein᾽. echousi taxin 4“), hēn hai. tōn etoicheiōn, grammai pros hipieēmēn bibliou" prōtai gar, eisin͵ aniontǭn epi ton. noun. ᾿4ll᾽ ou “) to pan ichomen echontes tas aretas, all᾽ aphę̄rēkamen, to empodion, kai hōn chōri ē oude hosion eein elpisai tychein tou telous, tautros tiō? pareskeuakamen. Tautę̄ “ de ouk apoginōskomtes, ydē metimen auto dia nou syn taxei palaiois tei kai makariois? andrasin exeurēmenę̄" kai dētountes, ek hoida ei pote eloimen' scholę̄ ge") an peritychoi tǭ eute herasthenti, mēt᾽ ei dmtēteon eidoti, zai toi ka4-! liea apallattousin autōn hoi menontes epi toutou, kai mēden proiïperiergadomenoi" eien gar an ou kakai ka- Ha thēramenri. Hois de epēlthe ē) dienenkai tou plēthous kata tyēntinoun
that they hold the rank that the letters of the alphabet hold toward knowledge of a book; for they are first for those ascending to mind. But we do not have the whole by having the virtues; we have removed the obstacle and prepared the things without which it is not even holy to hope to reach the end. Not despairing of this, then, we pursue it through mind, with an order discovered by ancient and blessed men; and, seeking, I do not know whether we shall ever take it — still less would one find it who neither loved it nor knew that it must be sought. Yet those of them fare best who stay at this point and meddle no further; for they would not be bad, being purified. But those to whom it occurred to stand out from the crowd by some chance,
Notes and citation
Summary: The virtues are like the alphabet for reading, a first step; ascetics who rest content with purity are blameless, but some go further foolishly.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): } Υἱά. «ηΐ εορίοθἰδεῖπνο ἀδ Ἤδο τὰ ν ὄντι ᾿ς τκρυσιν τιν οι, ὀχροφείι Ρίοιίπ. 1. 2. 1. Ρ. 11. Δ. ᾿ ᾿ δε44. εἴ ρ. 13, 6, 5έ6ηη. -- Πεΐη σι παρεσκευάσαμεν ἥοη. ΑΒΌΡ. Ρατ. Ο. Νίηά. ἔχω, ἰπ τηρ. ἔχουσι σ. εἰ Υἱηὰ. Μουη. Ὦ. ἔχω (ε, Μοιη, ΕΒ. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 279 (Krabinger 1:279; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/279). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/279
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 280
280Krabinger 1:280
χηνμαθοῦσιν, ὅτι λόγος Ἶ) ἐεὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπου καλὸν, εἶτα παιδείαν μὲν ἄπασαν ἠτιμάπκασιν,, ὑφ᾽ ἡ, ὁ νοῦς ἀναῤῥώννυται" κινοῦνται δὲ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ' ἀτόπους κενήσεις ἦ, καὶ ἀποσεμνύνονξεαι. μὲν. πρὸς φιλόσοφίαν, τι δ᾽. ἄν εἰς αὐτοὺς δ) ἐμπέσῃ παράκυσμα, 'τοῦτο ταῖς “" παρ᾽ αὐτῶν προιθήκαι, πονηρὸν ἀπίδωκαν καὶ κακόγθει, τυφλὰ γεννήματα, νοῦ μὲν ὑκ ἄξιον εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ Ἴ) οὐδὲ διανοίας, δόξῃς δὲ ἀτόπου καὶ φαντασίας ἠμαρτημένης ἐκφίροντε," τούτους ἂν ἴδοις ") γελοίως δια- Β κειμένους, μᾶλλον δὲ λίαν ἐλεεινῶς. "Αξιον γὰρ ἀνθρώπους “ ὄντας ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων συμφοραὶς μὴ γελᾷν, ἀλλ᾽ ὀλοφύρεσθαι. Φιὺ τῶν λόγων" φεῦ τῶν δογμάτων. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπέλθοι ᾽ φιλοσοφεῖν τοῖς κριοῖς, οὐκ οἶδα ἅττ᾽ ἂν ἀντὶ τούτων᾽.}) πρεσβεύσειαν. "Α4λλ' ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς εἴπωμεν " 1ὅ ἄξιον γάρ' ὦ τολμηρότατοι πάντων, εἰ μὲν ἠπιτάμεθα ὑμᾶς εὐμοιρήσαντας ἐκείνην τῇς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀξίαν, ἣν ᾿Αμοῦ;, ἣν Ζωροάςρῃ:, ἣν 'Ἔρμῃ!, ἣν ᾿Αντώνιος, οὐκ
chēnmathousin, hoti logos I) eei to anthrōpou kalon, eita paideian men apasan ētimapkasin,, hyph᾽ hē, ho nous anarrhōnnytai" kinountai de par᾽ heautōn ' atopous kenēseis ē, kai aposemnynonxeai. men. pros philosophian, ti d᾽. an eis autous d) empesę̄ parakysma, 'touto tais “" par᾽ autōn proithēkai, ponēron apidōkan kai kakogthei, typhla gennēmata, nou men hyk axion eipein, all᾽ I) oude dianoias, doxę̄s de atopou kai phantasias ēmartēmenēs ekphironte," toutous an idois ") geloiōs dia- B keimenous, mallon de lian eleeinōs. "Axion gar anthrōpous “ ontas ep᾿ anthrōpōn symphorais mē geląn, all᾽ olophyresthai. Phiy tōn logōn" pheu tōn dogmatōn. Ei gar epelthoi ᾽ philosophein tois kriois, ouk oida hatt᾽ an anti toutōn᾽.}) presbeuseian. "A4ll' hēmeis autois eipōmen " 1ho axion gar' ō tolmērotatoi pantōn, ei men ēpitametha hymas eumoirēsantas ekeinēn tę̄s psychēs tēn axian, hēn ᾿Amou?, hēn Zōroasrę̄:, hēn 'Ermę̄!, hēn ᾿Antōnios, ouk
having learned that reason is the good of man, then dishonoured all education, by which the mind is strengthened. They are moved by themselves in absurd motions and give themselves airs about philosophy; whatever scrap of hearsay falls into their ears they turn, by their own additions, into something wicked and malicious — blind offspring, not worth calling products of mind, nor even of thought, which they bring forth from absurd opinion and erring imagination. You would see these men in a ridiculous state, or rather a very pitiable one; for being human we ought not to laugh at human misfortunes but to lament them. Alas for the arguments! Alas for the doctrines! If it occurred to rams to philosophize, I do not know what they would champion instead of these. But let us speak to them, for it is worth it: "O most daring of all men, if we knew that you had been granted the worth of soul that Amous had, and Zoroaster, and Hermes, and Antony, we would not
Notes and citation
Summary: Some uneducated ascetics, scorning learning, spin absurd and malicious doctrines; Synesius addresses them directly.
- Antony is the Egyptian monk (d. 356), named with legendary sages as a self-taught exception. The polemic against unlearned monks is translated as written.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 280 (Krabinger 1:280; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/280). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/280
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 281
281Krabinger 1:281
ἂν ἠξιοῦμεν φρενοῦν, οὐδὲ. διὰ μαθήσεω; ἄγειν, νόῦ μέγεθος ἔχοντας, ᾧ προτάσεις εἰσὶ καὶ τὰ συμπεράσματα' ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐντυχεῖν ποτὲ ᾽) τῷ τοιούτῳ γένοιτο; σεβοίμεθά τὲ ἂν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀξοίμεσα: ὑμᾶς δὲ ὁρῶὅμεν τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως ὄντας ἥττονας, καὶ οὐ μᾶλλον “ὁ ἀγχίνους ἢ παχεῖ. ὋὝΜμας ἐν ἀξιοῦμεν καὶ -νουθετεῖν, ἐν κοινῷ τιθέντες ὅ τι ἀν ἄριτον ὑμῖν " ἐξευρίσκωμεν. Ἢ τοίνυν ἐπὶ ἐῶν πρώτων ὑποθέσεων μένετε" παρέδοσαν γὰρ αὐτὰς ἄνδρες ἀγχίσποροι τοῦ θεοῦ: 10καὶ οὕτως ἂν εἴητε κατὰ Πλάτωνα μέσως ἔχονεε;"!Β
an ēxioumen phrenoun, oude. dia mathēseō? agein, nou megethos echontas, hǭ protaseis eisi kai ta symperasmata' alla kan entychein pote ᾽) tǭ toioutǭ genoito? seboimetha te an auton kai axoimesa: hymas de horōomen tēs koinēs physeōs ontas hēttonas, kai ou mallon “ho anchinous ē pachei. HoUMmas en axioumen kai -nouthetein, en koinǭ tithentes ho ti an ariton hymin " exeuriskōmen. Ē toinyn epi eōn prōtōn hypotheseōn menete" paredosan gar autas andres anchisporoi tou theou: 10kai houtōs an eiēte kata Platōna mesōs echonee?"!B
think fit to bring you to your senses, nor to lead you by learning, since you would have a greatness of mind for which the premises are also the conclusions; and if we ever met such a man, we would revere and honour him. But we see that you are inferior to the common nature, and no more quick-witted than dull. So we think it right to admonish you, setting before you in common whatever we find best for you. Either stay with the first principles — for they were handed down by men near akin to God — and so you would be, as Plato says, in a middle state:
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius tells the unlearned ascetics that, lacking the genius of an Antony, they should either keep to the traditional teachings or be educated.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): τεχῖϊ Η. Σοϊβι:. να Ῥοῖίαν. τ. ν δοτίδιι τοτέ. Ὠεἰπάε τῶν τοιούτων Ῥείαν. 2. ἐορεημιἑορεῖοια Οοὐά, ρεΐπιο Υἱηά. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 281 (Krabinger 1:281; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/281). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/281
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 282
282Krabinger 1:282
γοὐκέτι τμὲν ἀμαθεῖς,. οὔπω :δέ γε σοφοὶ, δόξαν ὀρθὴν πρεσβεύοντες, δίχα λόγου καὶ ἀποδείξεω.. Τὸ τε γὰρ ἀληθὲρ οὐχ ὅσιον᾽ ἀμαθὲς οἴεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἄλογον εἶναι σοφὸν οὐδεὶς ἐπιτρέψει λόγο... Ταύτην ἀγαὅ πῶντερ" τὴν τάξιν, μετρίως ἄν. εἴγτε πεπραγότες, καὶ ἀναίτιοι μὲν. παρὰ θεῶν, ἀναίτιοι δὲ καὶ παρὰ. ἀνθρώπων ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐπαίνου δικαίυ τυγχάνοιτε" δήμυ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ καὶ τὸ ὅτι αὐταρκε:. Εἰ δὲ μὴ κατὰ χώραν ΠΝ νοιτε, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι ὁὀρίξεσθε τοῦ πρόσω, καὶ τὸ διότι Ἁ΄ ὅ3 1ὐ πολυπραγμονήσετε, καλῶς μὲν ἂν ποιοίητε σοφίας ἐρῶντεῦ, ἱεροῦ χρήματος, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ποιεῖσθε τὴν θήραν" ἀγύμνατοι γάρ ἔτε, καὶ κίνδυνος εἰς ἄβυσ
gouketi tmen amatheis,. oupō :de ge sophoi, doxan orthēn presbeuontes, dicha logou kai apodeixeō.. To te gar alēther ouch hosion᾽ amathes oiesthai, kai to alogon einai sophon oudeis epitrepsei logo... Tautēn agao pōnter" tēn taxin, metriōs an. eigte pepragotes, kai anaitioi men. para theōn, anaitioi de kai para. anthrōpōn alla kan epainou dikaiy tynchanoite" dēmy gar andri kai to hoti autarke:. Ei de mē kata chōran PN noite, all᾽ eti hoorixesthe tou prosō, kai to dioti Ha΄ ho3 1y polypragmonēsete, kalōs men an poioiēte sophias erōnteu, hierou chrēmatos, alla mē eph᾽ heautōn poieisthe tēn thēran" agymnatoi gar ete, kai kindynos eis abys
no longer ignorant, not yet wise, holding right opinion without reason and demonstration. For it is not holy to think the truth ignorant, and no reason will allow the irrational to be wise. If you are content with this rank, you will have done moderately well, blameless before gods and blameless before men; you might even win just praise, for to a man of the people the "that" is enough. But if you do not stay in your place, but still reach out for what lies beyond and busy yourselves with the "why," you would do well to love wisdom, a sacred thing; only do not make the hunt on your own. For you are untrained, and there is danger that you fall into a bottomless pit
Notes and citation
Summary: Holding right opinion without reasons is a respectable middle state; those who seek the reasons need training, or they will fall into folly.
- The middle state of right opinion: Plato, Symposium 202a, 204a–b.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): καὶ ἃ ᾿οτσὶ τθ. οὕτως Νίεετηι. ὅλως ἀνθρώποις υἵεταυο Νίατο. παρὰ Τυτη, Τμοοῖϊ, νάττ. εἰ πλρ. Νίοτσεϊ!. ἀνθρώπων ὕατ. Ὁ. δ. Βεῖδν. 1. 2. -- κατὰ Πλάτωνα. μέσως ἔχοντεῇ Υἱά, Ρίαι. Οοανῖν. 21: μένητε Ῥατ. Β0. Μοι. ΜΌ. ». 202. Α. εἰ 204. Β. Ρτο οὐκ ἔτι δτοο. μένετε Ῥατ. Δ, (εχ πιυϊαῖ.) ς. Οοάά, Ῥας, 0Ό. οι. ΑΒΏ. εἰ Ο. Μοη. Α. Βεϊά. Υἱπὸ. εἰ ἴα οἱ Ὑἱηὰ, δοτί ρείταυς οὐκέτι. Μοχ 8. Μόοτεῖ!. δὸ Ῥεῖδν. 1. 2.; ὄἴϊα Πομὰ, Βαδοὶ οὗ που. [λεῖϊπὰα ἀπο- δΧ οοττ. εἰΐδιν δυς, Ἑΐως Ἰοοο δείξεως ρτο νυΐβ. ἀποδείξεων το- Ἀαγεενο «οτἰθεη ἄυπι νοεῖν μὲοερίστι εχ Ῥασ. ΑΒΟ. Μοι. ΑΟΏ. νεῖτε. ΐοη. Ο. Βαθεὶ μάένεται, υἱ δαρτα, θιαιίπι δὁρέξεσθθαι Νίεετηι. ἀποδείξεων οεἰ 'ἰπ Μίοη. Β. ὀρεξέσθη Ῥεῖαν. 1. ὀρέξασθαι Μοα.. καλῶς → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Symp. 202a (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 282 (Krabinger 1:282; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/282). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/282
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 283
283Krabinger 1:283
σόν. τινα. φλυαρίᾳι. ἐμπεσοῦσι διαφθαρῆναι,» ὃ, καὶ Σωκράτην ἰφηβύθῃ παθεῖν, καὶ τὸ πάθοι! οὐκ ἀπεκρύψατο φίλρυς ἄνδρας,. Παρμενίδην καὶ Ζήνωνα. Ἀκαίτον Σωκράτης ἐκεῖνος ἦν" ὑμεῖι δὲ, οἵπερ ἐεέ " δειν. δὲ ὅμως ἡ τόλμα, δόγμασιν ἀποῤῥήτοις ἀξιούντων -ἐνάλο Β λεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν λέξεσι τριοδίτισιν..Ο μὲν οὖν Ἡάδμου σπόρος αὐθημερὸν ὁπλίτας, φησὶν, ἀνεδίδον. σπαρτούς᾽" σπαρτοὺς δὲ θεολόγους οὐδείς πω "μὖθος ἔτερατεύσατο. Οὐ γάρ ἔτιν ἡ ἀλήθεια πράγμα ἐκκείμε: 10νον, οὐδὲ καταβεβλημένον, οὐδὲ θήρᾳ ληπτίον, ΤΙ τ οὖνς ᾿Ενταῦθα καλείσθω φιλοσοφία σύμμαχος, καὶ παρασκευαδέσθωσαν 3.) ἀνεξόμενοι πάσῃς ἐκείνης. τῆς διεξόδου, μῆκοι ἐχούσης μυρίον,' παιδευόμενοι καὶ προπαιδευόμενοι. “]εἶ γάρ τοι πρῶτον ἀποδῦναι τὴν ἀγροικίαν, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ἐποπτεῦσαι πρὸ τῶν μειδό- ἡἣ
son. tina. phlyariąi. empesousi diaphtharēnai,» ho, kai Sōkratēn iphēbythę̄ pathein, kai to pathoi! ouk apekrypsato philrys andras,. Parmenidēn kai Zēnōna. Akaiton Sōkratēs ekeinos ēn" hymeii de, hoiper eee " dein. de homōs hē tolma, dogmasin aporrhētois axiountōn -enalo B lesthai, kai tauta en lexesi trioditisin..O men oun Hēadmou sporos authēmeron hoplitas, phēsin, anedidon. spartous᾽" spartous de theologous oudeis pō "mythos eterateusato. Ou gar etin hē alētheia pragma ekkeime: 10non, oude katabeblēmenon, oude thērą lēption, TI t ouns ᾿Entautha kaleisthō philosophia symmachos, kai paraskeuadesthōsan 3.) anexomenoi pasę̄s ekeinēs. tēs diexodou, mēkoi echousēs myrion,' paideuomenoi kai propaideuomenoi. “]ei gar toi prōton apodynai tēn agroikian, kai ta mikra epopteusai pro tōn meido- hēē
of nonsense and are ruined — which Socrates nearly suffered as a youth, and he did not hide the experience from friendly men, Parmenides and Zeno. Yet that was Socrates; and you are what you are. Terrible is the daring of those who think fit to deal with ineffable doctrines, and that in street-corner language. The sowing of Cadmus, they say, produced sown hoplites on the same day; but no myth has ever invented sown theologians. For truth is not a thing lying in the open or thrown on the ground, nor to be taken by a quick hunt. What then? Here let philosophy be called in as an ally, and let them prepare to endure that whole course, of immense length, being educated and first given preparatory education. For one must first strip off boorishness and look upon the small things before the greater,
Notes and citation
Summary: Even Socrates nearly went astray; theologians cannot spring up overnight; truth demands a long course of education.
- Socrates' youthful perplexity before Parmenides and Zeno: Plato, Parmenides 130a–135d.
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Parm. 135c-d (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 283 (Krabinger 1:283; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/283). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/283
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 284
284Krabinger 1:284
νων, καὶ 'χορεῦσαι πρὶν δᾳδουχῆσαι, καὶ δᾳδουχῆσαε πρὶν ᾿"ἱεροφαντῆσαι. Οὔκουν ἐθελήσετε' πόνων ἐπὲ πόνοιλᾳ ἀνέχεσθαι; ᾿Αλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ μεγάλα ἀκονιτὶ παρα“ γίνεται... Καίτοιγε. εἰ σὺν ὥρᾳ τοῦ πράγματος ἥψασθε, "καὶ ἡδονῆς ' ἄν τι τῷ ἔργῳ -προφῆν," ἦε οὗ ἡ προελθόντες ἀντιλαμβάνονται. ᾿μεῖς δὲ ὀψιμαθίαν αἰσχύνεσθε. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὗτοι τοῦτο αἰσχρόν" ἡ δὲ ἀμαθία (καὶ, τοῦτο μεῖδον, τοῦτο αἰσχρὸν), ἐν καὶ κείμενοι, Ὁ τῆς. μὲν ἁπλῆς οὐκ ἀνέχεσθε" πάλιν γὰρ ἂν εἴητε μετρίως. διακείμενοι, οὔτε εἰδότες, οὔτε εἰδέναι προιποιὀύμενοι, τοῦτ᾽ ἔειν ἐξ ἡμισείας εἰδότερ᾽ αὐτὸ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτο ἠπίξασθε, τὸ μηδενὸς ὑμῖν ἐπιρήμῃν παρεῖναι. 'Τὴν δὲ διπλὴν ἄγνοιαν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτούς. μεγαλο
nōn, kai 'choreusai prin dądouchēsai, kai dądouchēsae prin ᾿"hierophantēsai. Oukoun ethelēsete' ponōn epe ponoilą anechesthai? ᾿All' oude ta megala akoniti para“ ginetai... Kaitoige. ei syn hōrą tou pragmatos hēpsasthe, "kai hēdonēs ' an ti tǭ ergǭ -prophēn," ēe hou hē proelthontes antilambanontai. ᾿meis de opsimathian aischynesthe. ᾿All᾽ houtoi touto aischron" hē de amathia (kai, touto meidon, touto aischron), en kai keimenoi, Ho tēs. men haplēs ouk anechesthe" palin gar an eiēte metriōs. diakeimenoi, oute eidotes, oute eidenai proipoioumenoi, tout᾽ eein ex hēmiseias eidoter᾽ auto gar an touto ēpixasthe, to mēdenos hymin epirēmę̄n pareinai. 'Tēn de diplēn agnoian eph᾽ heautous. megalo
dance in the chorus before carrying the torch, and carry the torch before being hierophant. Will you not, then, be willing to bear toil upon toil? Great things do not come without dust. And yet if you had taken up the thing at the right age, some pleasure would have been added to the work, which those who go forward lay hold of. But you are ashamed of learning late. That is not shameful; ignorance is — and this is the greater thing, this is shameful — to remain in it. Simple ignorance you will not bear — for then you would again be in a moderate state, neither knowing nor pretending to know, that is, knowing by half, for you would know this very thing, that no knowledge is present to you. But double ignorance you drag upon yourselves in grand style;
Notes and citation
Summary: Initiation into wisdom comes by stages; late learning is no shame, but the unlearned ascetics add to ignorance the pretence of knowledge.
- Double ignorance (not knowing that one does not know): Plato, Laws 9.863c; Sophist 229c.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἵξότα Δθοταὶ, Ὁ ζοττ, πὶ. δἀάϊιυπι 57. οὔτι οη. Ο. Ρεοχίπις καὲ τι. Μίοχ ἀποδῦναι Νοη. Β. ἀπο- ἂν υάτ ΔΕς “γα. ὕναι “ νυ]Ε. τούτου ἀεϊηὰε τοοερὶ τοῦτο δοῦναι οη. Ε. ἀποδοῦναι Μοη. "5 » (αἀάΐιο οοπιπιδῖ εχ ᾿ἰθεὶ οι. Ὅ. εἰ Βοπιά. ἀποδύναι Μοη. ΑΟ. ἈΒΟΌ. Ροι. ΟὉ. Βεμά. Υγἱαά. εχ οοττς. εἰ Υἱηά. Τυΐ σμικρὰ Ῥειαυΐμ Ἰερὶϊ πολὺ, νετίεαθ: ἔπι- Μοα. Α. οἱ ὑποπτεῦσαι Νῖατο. Β. Ρεγί εἶα αὐΐειπ ἴοπβε πιαῖοτ “ἷϊ ἐἰιν- Ῥιοχίανιε νθῦβθὰ καὶ δαδουχῆσαι Ρίϊμᾶο, Ἰίοοο νοτβογυπιὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἀφευηϊ ἴῃ Βασ. Β. οἱ Νίαδσο. Α.; ᾿ μεῖδον Νίατο. Β. εἰ (ἴῃ πνρ.) Ρατμδθοῖ ἰδγωθη Ῥοβίεγιοσ [5 τὯβ. Ὡς ῆρτς, Α. ἐχῃίθουϊ καὶ μάλα. Υἱὰ. Ἱμοδεεὰ ἈξίβορΆ. Τ΄, Ρ.128. Βεερεχίι ἔοτι, Ρίαι. Τίανδο. Ρ. 88. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 284 (Krabinger 1:284; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/284). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/284
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-dion-284) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 285
285Krabinger 1:285
σερεπῶ; ἕλκετε" φρονήματος: γὰρ ἀντὶ φρονήφεω; ὑποσελησθέντε;, καὶ πρὶν μαθεῖν διδάσκειν ἐπιβαλλόμε- -ψνοι, πάλιν ἐρῶ, φεῦ τῶν λόγων, φεῦ τῶν͵ δογμάτων, οἷα καὶ τίκτεται 4“) παρ᾽ ὑμῶν τέρατα ἀτεχνῶς, διέσπασμίνα καὶ πολυκέφαλα, οἷά φασιν ἐπαναεῆνρί ποτε τοῖς; θεοῖ. αὶ ταῦτα τί ἂν εἴποι τις, ἦ, σπαράττειν ἡ τὸ θεῖον. ἅπαν “) ταῖς ἀτόποις. ὑπονοίαις “περὶ αὐτοῦς Οὐκ ἄν, εἴ γε τὸν ἰδιώτην καλῶς ἐτηρήσατε, ἐνλ᾽ ἦν ἐκεῖ τὸ κατορθοὺν ἐν τῷ μετρίῳ. Ὃ Ἴκαρον ἐπειδὴ τοῖν ποδοῖν ἀπηξίου κεχρῆσθαι, ταχὺ. μάλα καὶ. ἀέρος καὶ γῇ: ἀπετύγχανεν,. ὧν τῇ μὲν ὑπερεῖδε, Ν τοῦ δὲ οὐκ ἐφίκετο.
serepō? helkete" phronēmatos: gar anti phronēpheō? hyposelēsthente?, kai prin mathein didaskein epiballome- -psnoi, palin erō, pheu tōn logōn, pheu tōn͵ dogmatōn, hoia kai tiktetai 4“) par᾽ hymōn terata atechnōs, diespasmina kai polykephala, hoia phasin epanaeēnri pote tois? theoi. ai tauta ti an eipoi tis, ē, sparattein hē to theion. hapan “) tais atopois. hyponoiais “peri autous Ouk an, ei ge ton idiōtēn kalōs etērēsate, enl᾽ ēn ekei to katorthoun en tǭ metriǭ. Ho Ikaron epeidē toin podoin apēxiou kechrēsthai, tachy. mala kai. aeros kai gę̄: apetynchanen,. hōn tę̄ men hypereide, N tou de ouk ephiketo.
for, puffed up with pride instead of wisdom, and setting out to teach before you have learned — again I say, alas for the arguments, alas for the doctrines! — such monsters are born from you, torn apart and many-headed, like those they say once rose against the gods. And what would one call this but tearing apart the whole divine by absurd conjectures about it? It would not be so if you had kept well to the layman's part, since there success lay in moderation. Icarus, because he disdained to use his feet, very quickly lost both air and earth: the one he despised, the other he did not reach.
Notes and citation
Summary: Teaching before learning, the unlearned produce monstrous doctrines that tear the divine apart; like Icarus they lose both earth and sky.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἤν φῆ ον ἐν ἹΜυιϊὰνὶ ἀεΐποορα νυΐἱᾷ. νεεθογυπὶ τὸν φιλόσοφον" ἀπὸ τοῦ φῤοντι. οτάϊωθτι μεψαλοπρ. ἐφ᾽ ἰαυτ. ἱλκ. τῃρίου, καὶ τὸν χειροτέχνῃην οἰπὸ Ῥτδεθαηιθυθ Ἰιθτῖς Ῥατῖββ. Ιμδυτ. τοῦ βαναυσεῖν αἀναεήσαντα καὶ ἀπὸ β α τοῦ πωλητρηρίου τὸν ὄντα πρὸς τού- Μοη. Δ6Ε. Υἱπά, μεγαλ. ἐφ᾽ ἰαυτ. τῷ (Μοοτιη. πρὸς τοῦτο). Ἔξι δύ) ἐχ οοὐχ. αροὶ εἰΐατι Νίβατω.: ἀπόδοσις ἄνω τὸ -καταλέγειν. "»τ Αἀν. μεγαλοπρεπῶς δθεεὶ Ματο Οεἴεγατα νίά. Ἐρΐπει." 154; Ρ' 200. Β, [ ο-- Ὁ. Ὀεΐη παρ᾽ ἡμῶν εεττη.,ὑπο. ν. Μοχ διεσπα ἐνα Μοη, οῇμὰ. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 285 (Krabinger 1:285; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/285). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/285
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-dion-285) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 286
286Krabinger 1:286
Ταῦτα οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ ἢ) τῇς ἑτέρας ἀγωγῇς μᾶλλον, ἢ, καὶ πρὸ! τοὺς παρ᾽ ἡμῖν σὺν ᾿ἀλογίᾳ Ἶ μεγὰλοφώνου;, οἵ καὶ παρέσχον ἀφορμὴν τῷ λόγῳ, βοηθῆσαι τοῖς; προπαιδεύμασιν" ὧν τὶ ἂν τις Ὁ καὶ δοίη ἄἀν-Ὲ δ θρῶπων. ἁἀλαδόνων καὶ ἀνοήτων; Πολλοῦ μέντ᾽ ἂν εἶεν τρεῖς ᾿τοὐβολοῦ. Ἔγω δὲ χάριν οἶδα καὶ ποιῃταῖς δεξιόῖε, καὶ ῥήτορσιν ἀγαθοῖ;, καὶ δετι! ἱσορίαν τινὰ "κατεβάλετο λόγυ ἀξίως" καὶ ἀπαξαπλῶς οὐδένα τῶν 'συνειςἐνεγκόντων εἰς κοινὸν ᾿τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὅ τις καὶ ἐἶχεν ἀγαθὸν, ἀγέρατον εἶναι βοὐλόμαι, ὅτι παῖδάς τε παραλαβόντες ἡμᾶςς ἐτιθηνήσαντο, καὶ ἀσθενεῖς ὄντος ἔτι ἢ τὴν γνώμην, ἐνοσοκόμῃσαν, τοῖς ὠφελίμοις ἐγειαταμιιγνύντεν: ἡδύσματα ἄκρατα γὰρ οὐδε ἂν ταῦἕα παρεέδίξατὸ διά “τε συφότητα καὶ τὴν τότε τῶν Ο αἰσθύσεῳν, ἁπαλότητα κἄθ᾽ οὕτω ῥώσανεις,: καὶ παραπέμψαντε,. ἄλλος δι᾽ ἄλλου, ταῖν; ἡπθμαις παρέδο- "τς δὲ. παρεσκεύασαν οἵους εἶναι τῶν ἄκρων ἐπο-
Tauta ou pros tous ek ē) tę̄s heteras agōgę̄s mallon, ē, kai pro! tous par᾽ hēmin syn ᾿alogią I megalophōnou?, hoi kai pareschon aphormēn tǭ logǭ, boēthēsai tois? propaideumasin" hōn ti an tis Ho kai doiē aan-E d thrōpōn. haaladonōn kai anoētōn? Pollou ment᾽ an eien treis ᾿toubolou. Egō de charin oida kai poię̄tais dexioie, kai rhētorsin agathoi?, kai deti! hisorian tina "katebaleto logy axiōs" kai apaxaplōs oudena tōn 'syneisenenkontōn eis koinon ᾿tois Hellēsin, ho tis kai eichen agathon, ageraton einai boulomai, hoti paidas te paralabontes hēmass etithēnēsanto, kai astheneis ontos eti ē tēn gnōmēn, enosokomę̄san, tois ōphelimois egeiatamiignynten: hēdysmata akrata gar oude an tauea pareedixato dia “te syphotēta kai tēn tote tōn O aisthyseǭn, hapalotēta kath᾽ houtō rhōsaneis,: kai parapempsante,. allos di᾽ allou, tain? hēpthmais paredo- "ts de. pareskeuasan hoious einai tōn akrōn epo-
These words are addressed no more to those of the other way of life than to those among us who are loud-voiced without reason, who gave the argument occasion to come to the aid of the preparatory studies. What would one give for such boastful and foolish men? Three of them would be worth a great deal for an obol. But I am grateful to clever poets and good orators, and to anyone who has composed a history worth the name; and in short I wish no one who contributed something good to the common stock of the Greeks to go without honour. For they took us as children and nursed us, and while we were still weak in mind they tended us, mixing sweets with what was useful — for unmixed we would not have accepted even that, because of the tenderness of our senses at that time. And so, having strengthened us and passed us on, one to another, they handed us over to the Muses; and the Muses made us able
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius's rebuke applies equally to boastful Greeks; he honours the poets, orators and historians who nurture the young toward the Muses.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): 0: ἅτιι: ι. τουὶ κ ὁπι. Ῥατ. 5. καὶ ποιῃταῖς χάριν οἶδα καὶ ΒΝΓάτο, Β. Βεμὰ, Ἱάφοτη. Ῥεδθ- ῥήτορσι καὶ ὅτις ( Μλις, Β. τοὺ ον ἀγαθοῖ; Αθθοὶ καὶ Υἱπά. Ροθ. ἐκ ΜᾺ ΔΝ οΙ. Ὁ. πρὸς τῇ, Ρο διτις Νίβεγιι. Βδθοι. ἄν ΟΣ ἄτα μάθοι [μ4ιΣ. Ὡεΐη, ἀπογῆς ἴῃ τῖρ. ἰδία δ᾽ δἱ. πὶ. ὅίτις. Ἀεῖνς ἀπὸ γι ΜΟΙ. Ἐ. οἰ Μετ. Φμπι κατεβάλετο ρέο κατέβάλλετο ιΗϊο ἰθπιρα ῥῃ ξρ ἀγωγῆη.... τέρερίυτη οχ Ῥδτ, ΑΟὮ. ἔδατ, ί ἰσὺν εὐλογίᾳ Νῖοι:..Ο. Ατίϊο. ἡΜιοἾ; ἈΒΌ-.: Ματο. ΑΟ ὙἹ πὰ. Ῥημρον φῖς ῥοςς ἰπ Ῥάτ, Δ. ο 6. ἄπρακτον Ῥατ ΑΘ. Μοη. Ἁ. ' ᾿γιπᾶς οἵ εχ οοτε. Νου. Ἐς, Πστα εο, σι μῶκφ' τι τι ἰδοά. Ε. ΠΝ ἀρ “ταρ Μεούσ; 'γρ.᾽ ἀγέρατον Βυτα, δφίη, Δθιρεΐορο ποιμΐε. Α. Ῥατν Ά. οἵδ. ᾿διαῖαι ᾿βευλόμε "οϊβμες. ἸΔ ΟΡε νὰ νοῦ Νίατο: Β.. ἢ. φιλνγοῤλὰν ας. Β. Βοίη τοῦ.. Ἐν ἔτ, ὄντατ᾽ Νίατο. 8. ᾿εῖϊαάο βολοῦ, ᾳυοά τοοερί, Ῥατ. ΔΌ. τ γνώμῃ Μοα. ΩΝ; μου. Α. Μετο. Β. Νίορτιμι. εἰ οχ δ. παρεδέξατο θανας [μδυν. πῶς οοττ. Βομά, τουβόλου ( Ῥαάτ. Β. ραδέξαιτο" Ἥᾶατο. Β. “Νίοχ ἀλά: τοὐβολοῦ Νοη. ΒΟΌΕ. τοῦ 'βολοῦ ττὰ Νῖοα. Ἐ. εἰ Ῥΐδοταηι, 150: ΨΩ ἃ]: ᾿Αἰτατηθηῖο βοτίριδ, τατε Βηοτ Τὰ" τ. Βαῖδοι. ὦκα. 'λότητα κθῖδ).»5 “Ὁ νεπά. “βολοῦ (ἐΐο 858]. τα. παῖ, 9. ούνων ἅδη: Ἁ. Φά: παρᾶ. τοῦ ὀβολοῦ νὰ. " ἘΣ ΣΝ → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 286 (Krabinger 1:286; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/286). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/286
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 287
287Krabinger 1:287
ρέξασθαι ")" ἐκεῖ τε γενομένων. ὅταν αἴσθωνται τὸν ψυχὰς ῥαινομένας ἱδρῶτι καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἡμῶν ἀπαγορεύουσαν,᾽ αὖθις ἀνεκαλέσαντο ν}) πραέω;, καὶ ἡ Καλλιόπῃ παραλαβοῦσα' ἥκοντας αὐχμοῦ πλέως, ἀνέκαυσέ ὅτε εἰς. ἀνθεινοὺς ἀγαγοῦσα "λειμῶνας, ὦ; μὴ διακναισθῆ-. νῶι τῷ 'πόνῳ, καὶ πανδαισίαν. παρέθηκεν ᾿Αττικῶν καταγλωττισμάτων καὶ καρυκεία; “ποιητικῆς, ὑφ᾽ ὧν. τὴν Ὦ μὲν πρώτην διέχειν, ἔπειτα ἐμυώπισε λαθοῦσα, καὶ κατὰ μικρόν πως. ἐπέερρεψέ' τελευτῶσα δὲ, ἐπὶ τὸν αὖ- 109ις ἀγῶνα ἐγύμνασε. αὶ δέτις δὲ οὐ προτέλειον ἡγεῖται τὰς ΜΙούσας, ἀλλὰ τὸ 'κράτος αὐτῷ ": τῇς σοφίας ἐν ταύταις εἶναι, καὶ οὐδ᾽, εἴ τι περιττόν αἰνίττονταί 'ποτε καὶ παραδηλοῦσι, συνιέναι βούλεται, τὸ δὲ ἐκκείμενον αὐτῶν κάλλος; ἠγάσθηῃ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ κέχηνε, καὶ ὑπὸ Ἰθ τούτου κατέχεται" οὐδὲ οὗτος μέντοι δεινὸν οὐδὲν εἶρ-
rexasthai ")" ekei te genomenōn. hotan aisthōntai ton psychas rhainomenas hidrōti kai tēn physin hēmōn apagoreuousan,᾽ authis anekalesanto n}) praeō?, kai hē Kalliopę̄ paralabousa' hēkontas auchmou pleōs, anekause hote eis. antheinous agagousa "leimōnas, ō? mē diaknaisthē-. nōi tǭ 'ponǭ, kai pandaisian. parethēken ᾿Attikōn kataglōttismatōn kai karykeia? “poiētikēs, hyph᾽ hōn. tēn Ō men prōtēn diechein, epeita emyōpise lathousa, kai kata mikron pōs. epeerrepse' teleutōsa de, epi ton au- 109is agōna egymnase. ai detis de ou proteleion hēgeitai tas MIousas, alla to 'kratos autǭ ": tę̄s sophias en tautais einai, kai oud᾽, ei ti peritton ainittontai 'pote kai paradēlousi, synienai bouletai, to de ekkeimenon autōn kallos? ēgasthēę̄, kai eis auto kechēne, kai hypo Ith toutou katechetai" oude houtos mentoi deinon ouden eir-
to reach for the summits. And when we are there, whenever they perceive our souls sprinkled with sweat and our nature failing, they gently call us back; and Calliope, receiving us parched, refreshed us by leading us into flowery meadows, so that we might not be worn away by toil, and set before us a full feast of Attic delicacies and poetic seasonings. With these she first held us, then spurred us on before we noticed, and gradually turned us, and at last trained us for the contest again. But whoever does not regard the Muses as a preliminary rite, but thinks that the power of wisdom lies for him in them, and does not even wish to understand what extraordinary thing they may sometimes hint at, but admires their outward beauty, gapes at it and is held by it — not even he has done anything terrible,
Notes and citation
Summary: The Muses refresh the weary philosopher and send him back to the contest; even one who loves only their outward beauty does no harm.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 287 (Krabinger 1:287; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/287). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/287
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 288
288Krabinger 1:288
γαται δὴ), ἀλλὰ «καὶ κολλὰ ἀγαθά γε αὐτῷ γένοιτο, μουσικῷ. τε 'ἀνδρὶ' καὶ υχαρίεντι. αὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ τεθήπαμῖν τοὺς κύκνους, ὥιπερ τοὺς ἀετοὺς αἰρομένους ὑψοῦ, "καὶ. ὑπὶρ πᾶν τὸ ὁρώμενον, ἀλλὰ γαννύμεθα γε - καὶ ὁρῶντες αὐτοῦς,. καὶ ἀκούοντες τῆς ᾧδηῆφ᾽ καὶ ἐμοῦ γε ἕνεκα μηδείς ποτε κύκνων τὸ ἔσχατον ἄσειεν. Εἰ "δὲ" βασίλειοί τέ εἰσιν. ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ διαιτῶνται παρὰ τὰ. [τοῦ] “ιὸς σκῆπτρα, καὶ τούτους εἴληχέ τις θεῶν ἐκ «Ιιὸς γεγονὼς, καὶ ἐκ ἀπαξιοῦνται. τοῦ τρίποδοι.. 10᾿᾽»Μετὸν δὲ ἅμα 3}) καὶ κύκνον γεένέσθαι, καὶ τὰ ἀμφοῖνΒ ἔχειν πλεονεκτήματα, ὄρνισι μὲν ἡ φύσις. οὐ ξυνεχώρησεν᾽ ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς, ὅτῳ καὶ ἔδωκε γλώττης ιτε ἐὖ. ἥκειν, καὶ φιλοσοφίας. ἐπήβολον εἶναι. ᾿Ηγώνιταί γε Ἶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀμούσου; ὑπὲρ Μουσῶν, 1ὅ οἱ [καὶ] Ὁ ἐαροῦθῳι ἀποδιδράσκουσι τὸν ἔλεγχον τῇς
gatai dē), alla «kai kolla agatha ge autǭ genoito, mousikǭ. te 'andri' kai ycharienti. ai gar ei mē tethēpamin tous kyknous, hōiper tous aetous airomenous hypsou, "kai. hypir pan to horōmenon, alla gannymetha ge - kai horōntes autous,. kai akouontes tēs hǭdēēph᾽ kai emou ge heneka mēdeis pote kyknōn to eschaton aseien. Ei "de" basileioi te eisin. ekeinoi, kai diaitōntai para ta. [tou] “ios skēptra, kai toutous eilēche tis theōn ek «Iios gegonōs, kai ek apaxiountai. tou tripodoi.. 10᾿᾽»Meton de hama 3}) kai kyknon geenesthai, kai ta amphoinB echein pleonektēmata, ornisi men hē physis. ou xynechōrēsen᾽ anthrōpǭ de edōken ho theos, hotǭ kai edōke glōttēs ite eu. hēkein, kai philosophias. epēbolon einai. ᾿Ēgōnitai ge I pros tous amousou? hyper Mousōn, 1ho hoi [kai] Ho earouthǭi apodidraskousi ton elenchon tę̄s
but many good things may come to him, as a musical and graceful man. For if we do not marvel at swans as we do at eagles soaring high above all that is seen, still we delight in seeing them and hearing their song; and for my part may no one ever sing the swans' last song. If they are royal birds and live beside the sceptre of Zeus, one of the gods born of Zeus has them as his portion, and they are not thought unworthy of the tripod. To become eagle and swan at once and have the advantages of both, nature did not grant to birds; but God gave it to the man to whom he gave both excellence in speech and a share in philosophy. I have contended for the Muses against the unmusical, who also run away from the test of
Notes and citation
Summary: The cultured man is a swan, the philosopher an eagle; God lets a man be both, joining eloquence and philosophy.
- Swans belong to Apollo (Plato, Phaedo 84e–85b).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): τι,) ὙΦῚβ 6. εἂ. Βοεοϊεῖι. Αἀ τοι. ξούτους ἐλ ον οὐδε (ἰο) Μοη. Ο, ἐἴργαταν ἴα αι. Ραν' Ο. οἱ ΝΜίδεταςν, δάοὐδὶνΥἱαὰ, εἰργασθαι οὐδίνΜουἙ. μοεϊθι νοις ε μρ κόϊνονεν μεν 16: αὐτῷ βαρετεοσί ρύμπι ἔπ Νίοπ. γογ,." δαρρίεῖ) ὁ ἀπόλλων. ΥἹἱά. Ο, ἑαυτῷ, Βδθεῖ Ῥαν. Β. Ῥατιῖο. Ῥίαι. ῬὨδεάοα. ρ' 84. Ε. 54. ὕοῖθα τε ΔΌθεὲ Ματρ, ἌἜ. τοῦ τρίποδο! Υἱπά. ἈΠ Βέτ ἃ 5. τὰ. → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaed. 85a-b (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 288 (Krabinger 1:288; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/288). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/288
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 289
289Krabinger 1:289
ἀμαθία; τῷ καταφεύγειν ἐπὶ τὴν λοιδορίαν ὧν ἡγνοήπκασιν. Εἰ δή τι ὅ καὶ σπουδαιότερον εἴρηται παρὰ τὴν πρώτην ὑπόσχεσιν, τὶ μὲν ἄν γένοιτο καὶ σπυδαῖον παιδόντων. Οὐ μὴν ἔξι τι ποιεῖν δ) μὴ ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς ἕξεω," ἀλλ᾽, εἰ τῷ πλέονι δ) παίδομεν, οὐ τοῦ παντὸς αὶ ἁμαρτάνομεν; Παιδιὰ γὰρ παρεμβαλλόμεθα 7, ἐνδοθείσῃ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεῖν εὐρέσθαι τινὰ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ μαρτυρίαν τὸν “Ζίωνα, ἵνα μοι γένοιτο καὶ τῆς φιλίας αὐτοῦ κληρόνομος ὁ παῖς ὁ “οιρίδιος" δραμούσῃ δὲ ἐπὶ πολλὰ, καὶ δρόμους παντοίυρ" ἀόριτοι γὰρ αἱ τῶν παιδόντων ὁρμαί. Τοιοῦτόν ἐξιν ἀγρὸς καὶ ἐλευθερία, καὶ τὸ μὴ πρὸς ὕδωρ εἰρησομένους γράφειν τοὺς λόγου. 'Ὡ, εἶδον ἐγὼ 1} δικατὴν ἐφέτην μετροῦντα τὸν χρόνον τοῖς ἀγορεύουσιν" αὐτὸς μέντοι τοῦ προςμεμετρημένου τὸ μέν τι κατεδάρθανε, τὸ δὲ μάτην
amathia? tǭ katapheugein epi tēn loidorian hōn hēgnoēpkasin. Ei dē ti ho kai spoudaioteron eirētai para tēn prōtēn hyposchesin, ti men an genoito kai spydaion paidontōn. Ou mēn exi ti poiein d) mē apo pasēs tēs hexeō," all᾽, ei tǭ pleoni d) paidomen, ou tou pantos ai hamartanomen? Paidia gar paremballometha 7, endotheisę̄ men apo tou dein euresthai tina par᾽ emou martyrian ton “Ziōna, hina moi genoito kai tēs philias autou klēronomos ho pais ho “oiridios" dramousę̄ de epi polla, kai dromous pantoiyr" aoritoi gar hai tōn paidontōn hormai. Toiouton exin agros kai eleutheria, kai to mē pros hydōr eirēsomenous graphein tous logou. 'Hō, eidon egō 1} dikatēn ephetēn metrounta ton chronon tois agoreuousin" autos mentoi tou prosmemetrēmenou to men ti katedarthane, to de matēn
their ignorance by taking refuge in abuse of what they do not know. If something more serious has been said than the first promise, what serious thing could come from people at play? Yet one cannot do anything except from one's whole disposition; but if for the most part we are playing, do we wholly miss the mark? For we have inserted a game, prompted by the need for Dio to find some testimony from me, so that my son, the fated one, might inherit his friendship too; and it ran on to many things and all sorts of courses, for the impulses of those at play are boundless. Such are the country and freedom, and not writing speeches to be spoken against the water-clock. I once saw a judge of appeal measuring out the time for the speakers; he himself slept through part of the allotted time and was idly
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius calls his essay a game written in freedom for his son, not a timed speech for a court.
- Speeches timed by the water-clock: Plato, Theaetetus 172e.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Ὦ ἵΜοπδος. Νίπά. φυδιε υἱμοϊπῖθ νᾶγτ. εἰ τὰρ. ΝΜοτα]!, δὸ Βείΐαν. 1. οοὔτουΐ. 2. Ῥεϊεῖο παιδείας, ἴπ Μοα. Ἐ. ὅ. ἦδη τε Ῥατ. Α. δυρετβοτὶρίαπι φιλίας, ΑΒοοὶ ὁ → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Theaet. 172e (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 289 (Krabinger 1:289; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/289). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/289
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 290
290Krabinger 1:290
ἐγρηγόρει, καὶ ἀπῆν ὧς, ποῤῥωτάτω τοῦ πράγματος" ἀλλ᾽ ὑδὲν ἧττον ὁ ῥήτωρ ἡγόρευεν, ὡς ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκης σιωπῃσόμενος αὐτίκα ἐμὲ δὲ ἀφίησι καὶ οὐ ςενοχωρεῖ προθεσμία τῷ μήτε πρὸς οὕτως ἄτοπον παπρασκευάδεσθαι δικαεὴν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ μέλλειν εἰς δεκαεήριον ἀγνωμονέξερον εἰριέναι τὸ θέατρον, θυροκο-᾿ πήσαντα καὶ ἐπαγγείλαντα τοῖς ἐν ἄξει μειρακίοις ἀκρόαμα ἐπιδέξιον" ὡς σχέτλιά γε τῶν δεικνύντων Ἂ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις τοὺς λόγου. Ὃν ") γὰρ δεῖ τοσού- Ἃ Ὡθ τοις ἀρέσκειν ἀνομοίως διακειμένοις, πῶς ἐκ ἀνεφίκτων ἐρᾷ; Οὗτος οὖν ἐεὶν ὁ δημόλογο; ἀτεχνῶς, ὁ δοῦλος ὁ δημόσιος, ὁ πᾶσιν ἐκκείμενος, ὃν ἔξεςι τῷ βουλομένῳ διαθεῖναι κακῶ. ΒΚαὰν γελάσῃ τις, ὁ σοφι-
egrēgorei, kai apēn hōs, porrhōtatō tou pragmatos" all᾽ hyden hētton ho rhētōr hēgoreuen, hōs hyp᾽ anankēs siōpę̄somenos autika eme de aphiēsi kai ou senochōrei prothesmia tǭ mēte pros houtōs atopon papraskeuadesthai dikaeēn, alla mēde mellein eis dekaeērion agnōmonexeron eirienai to theatron, thyroko-᾿ pēsanta kai epangeilanta tois en axei meirakiois akroama epidexion" hōs schetlia ge tōn deiknyntōn A en tois theatrois tous logou. Hon ") gar dei tosou- Ha Hōth tois areskein anomoiōs diakeimenois, pōs ek anephiktōn erą? Houtos oun eein ho dēmologo? atechnōs, ho doulos ho dēmosios, ho pasin ekkeimenos, hon exesi tǭ boulomenǭ diatheinai kakō. BKaan gelasę̄ tis, ho sophi-
awake for the rest, and was as far as possible from the business; yet the rhetor spoke on no less, as though about to be silenced by necessity at any moment. But no deadline releases or hems me in, since I neither prepare for so absurd a judge, nor am about to enter a theatre more unfeeling than ten judges, after knocking on doors and announcing to the youths of the city a clever recital. How wretched is the lot of those who display their speeches in theatres! For one who must please so many people of different dispositions — how is he not in love with the unattainable? This, then, is plainly the public talker, the public slave, exposed to all, whom anyone who wishes may treat badly. And if someone laughs, the sophist
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius, free of courts and audiences, pities the sophist who must please a crowd and becomes a public slave.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 290 (Krabinger 1:290; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/290). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/290
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 291
291Krabinger 1:291
τ τίθνηκε, καὶ τὸν σκυθρωπὸν ὑποπτεύει" σοφιεὴς γάρ ἔσι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν γένος λόγων προεήσηται, δόξαν ἀντ᾽ ἀληθείας ἐρανιδόμενοι. “Δυπεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ σεανὺ προιέχων τὸν νοῦν, ὦ; λαβὴν ") θηρώμενο;" ἀλλ' 5» οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁ περιδινῶν ἁπανταχόσε τὴν κεφαλὴν, ὡ; οὐκ ἀξιῶν ἀκοῇς τὰ δεικνύμενα, Μαίτοιγε Β οὐκ ἐν δίκῃ πικρῶν τυγχάνει τῶν δεσποτῶν, δετι; πολλὰς μὲν νύκτας ἀύὔπνους ἀνέτλῃ, πολλὰς δὲ ἡμέρας παρετάθη, καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἀπεράλαξε τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπό 10τε λιμοῦ καὶ φροντίδων, 'ἵν᾽ ἀγαθόν τι συλλέξηται" καὶ ὕκει φίρων ἄκουσμα χάριέν τε καὶ ἡδὺ τοῖς ἀγερώχοι; αὐτοῦ παιδικοῖρ, δι᾿ οὗς ἔχει μὲν πονήρως, σκήπτεται δὲ ὑγιαίνειν. “Ο δὲ καὶ ἐλούσατο πρὸ τῆς κυρίας, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν ἀπόντοσεν, ἐσθῆτι καὶ σχύματι σοβαρὸς, ἵνα καὶ θέαμα καλὸν ἦ, καὶ προιςγελᾷ τῷ θεάτρῳ, καὶ χαίρει" δῆθεν" ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ κατα-᾿ τείνεται, ἐπεὶ καὶ τραγακάνθη; ἐδήδοκεν, ἵνα τορόν
t tithnēke, kai ton skythrōpon hypopteuei" sophieēs gar esi, kan hotioun genos logōn proeēsētai, doxan ant᾽ alētheias eranidomenoi. “Dypei de auton kai ho seany proiechōn ton noun, ō? labēn ") thērōmeno?" all' 5» ouden hētton ho peridinōn hapantachose tēn kephalēn, hō? ouk axiōn akoę̄s ta deiknymena, Maitoige B ouk en dikę̄ pikrōn tynchanei tōn despotōn, deti? pollas men nyktas auypnous anetlę̄, pollas de hēmeras paretathē, kai mikrou dein aperalaxe tēn psychēn hypo 10te limou kai phrontidōn, 'hin᾽ agathon ti syllexētai" kai hykei phirōn akousma charien te kai hēdy tois agerōchoi? autou paidikoir, di᾿ hous echei men ponērōs, skēptetai de hygiainein. “O de kai elousato pro tēs kyrias, kai eis autēn apontosen, esthēti kai schymati sobaros, hina kai theama kalon ē, kai proisgelą tǭ theatrǭ, kai chairei" dēthen" hē de psychē kata-᾿ teinetai, epei kai tragakanthē? edēdoken, hina toron
is dead, and he suspects the sullen listener; for he is a sophist, whatever kind of speech he professes, collecting opinion instead of truth. The one who attends very closely also distresses him, as though hunting for a hold; and no less the one who turns his head in every direction, as though he thought the show not worth hearing. And yet it is unjust that he meets with such bitter masters — he who endured many sleepless nights and strained through many days, and all but broke his soul with hunger and cares, to collect something good; and he comes bringing a charming and sweet recital for his haughty darlings, on whose account he is in poor health but pretends to be well. He has bathed before the appointed day and come to it, haughty in dress and bearing, so as to be a fine sight; he smiles at the theatre and pretends to be glad; but his soul is on the rack, for he has even eaten tragacanth so that he may
Notes and citation
Summary: The sophist lives in fear of his audience's every look, after nights of toil and anxious preparation for a single performance.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): δὸ Ῥεῖδν. 1. 2. γελαῖός τις ( κἄν ἰπ Νίοη. Ἑ. κν εἐχμίβεηι »Ἢ"»- Μοῦ. ΔΟ, Ραδσ. 6, Υἱηά. Βεμὰ, ῬΔΌΪΙΟ Ροθὶ τὸ (ν τ τον 20, αὐτοῦ Πἰδτὶ βοτίριϊ οἱ δάϊε' δαροτῖθοτ.) σκυθρωπὸν ΝΌΩ. Δ. οἷς Ἑδυάοτα βογίθογων τδιϊοπ τι 86- παιδικῆς Νίοη. Ε, Νοχ σκέπτεται αυἱϊας Ράτ. 5. τὸ σκυθρ. 6δι ἵπ Μίοπ. Ὁ. γὶν νι παπιὶ ὑποπτεύσει ἜΧὨΙΒ6ηὶ Νίου. ΒΏΌ., ὑποπτεύειν Ν εττη. δοιμαρὸε ἀὐτὺν θάθεο, Βὲ' σχύ' μ ᾿ ματι ἰδοὶϊθ ταυϊανὶϊ ἰη σχήμασι μὴν οσοροε ἈΡΙΒΟ, Ογειοῖ!. ΤΉδαι.. ΒΒΘΙΣ 1. ΠῚ, ὁ. ᾿.. ἽΜ.. ᾿ λόγω Μίδτο. Β. Πεΐη προςήσεται “᾿ Ῥ ἀνᾷ φοβάρῇν γα σόβω 1{Δδυτ. Ῥαι. ΒΏ. Μοη. ΟΌ. Υἱηά. βοίῃ φγδδὶς “ νανο. ἢ ρεῖ σοβαρῷ, ρτδερυοταηῖ Οοάά. αυϊδυρουπι οοηερίγαι Ἐὰ. Ἀϊοτο]]. ὁτιθεβ, Βενίηβὶ! οοηϊδοϊοτατη Ῥτγοχίπιθ ὠνούμενος Ῥτο ἐρανιξό- ἑξτεξὶο Ἀτπιδηῖοθ, Ουοὰ βοφυΐμενος Ἰνῖδτο. Β. ΄ → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 291 (Krabinger 1:291; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/291). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/291
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 292
292Krabinger 1:292
τε καὶ εὐηχὲς φθέγξῃηται. 'Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὁ σεμνότατο; αὐτῶν προποιήσαιτο, μὴ οὐ πάνυ μέλειν αὐτῷ καὶ πεπραγματεῦσθαι τὰ περὶ τὴν φωνὴν, ὅς γε) καὶ μεταξὺ τῇς ἐπιδείξεως; ἐσράφῃη, καὶ τὸ ληπύθιον ἤτησε, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀκόλουθος ὥρεξεν" ἐκ πολλοῦ γὰρ καὶ παρεσκεύασεν" ὁ δὲ ἀποῤῥοφεὶ τε καὶ ἀνακογχυλίξει, τοῦ νεαρῶς ἐπιτίθεσθαι τοῖς μέλεσι" Ὦ τυγχάνει δὲ οὐδ᾽ ὦ; ἀκροατῶν ἵλεων ὁ δύεηνο; ἄνθρωπο;, ἀλλὰ βούλοιντο μὲν ἄν αὐτὸν ἐξᾷσαι' γελῷεν ὶ γάρ ἄν" βούλοιντο δ᾽ ἂν καὶ διάραντα μόνον, ὥςπερ ἀνδριάντα, τὸ τόμα καὶ τὴν χεῖρα, ἔπειτα ἀφωνότερον ἀνδριάντος; γενέσθαι' ἀπαλλαγεῖεν γὰρ ἂν πάλαι δεόἱενοι. ᾿Εγὼ δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ γὰρ ἄδω, καὶ ταῖξδε ταῖς κυπαρίττοι; προιάδω ἢ), ὕδωρ δὲ τουτὶ θεὶ ἦ) διάττον 32,
te kai euēches phthenxę̄ētai. 'Touto men oun oud᾽ an ho semnotato? autōn propoiēsaito, mē ou pany melein autǭ kai pepragmateusthai ta peri tēn phōnēn, hos ge) kai metaxy tę̄s epideixeōs? esraphę̄ē, kai to lēpythion ētēse, kai ho men akolouthos hōrexen" ek pollou gar kai pareskeuasen" ho de aporrhophei te kai anakonchylixei, tou nearōs epitithesthai tois melesi" Ō tynchanei de oud᾽ ō? akroatōn hileōn ho dyeēno? anthrōpo?, alla boulointo men an auton exąsai' gelǭen i gar an" boulointo d᾽ an kai diaranta monon, hōsper andrianta, to toma kai tēn cheira, epeita aphōnoteron andriantos? genesthai' apallageien gar an palai deoienoi. ᾿Egō de ep᾿ emautou gar adō, kai taixde tais kyparittoi? proiadō ē), hydōr de touti thei ē) diatton 32,
speak in a clear and resonant voice. Not even the most solemn of them would pretend that he does not care a great deal about his voice and work hard at it — one even turned round in the middle of his display and asked for the oil-flask; the attendant held it out, for he had long had it ready; and he sips and gargles, so as to attack his cadences fresh. Yet even so the wretched man does not find his hearers gracious: they would like him to sing out — for they would laugh — or they would like him to open his mouth and raise his hand, like a statue, and then become more voiceless than a statue; for they would have been released long ago, as they pray. But I sing by myself; I sing to these cypresses here, and to this water that runs by,
Notes and citation
Summary: The sophist's care for his voice wins him only mockery; Synesius sings for himself, to the trees and the stream.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): οὐδὲν Νἴοπ. Ε. Τυῖν αὐτὸν Νίου. Ο. νά. “», γιίεπδαςῖ. δὰ ἰώ, Ῥτοχίπιε μέλλειν Ρδτ. Β. εἰ ΡΙυϊατοι. Ορρ. πιου. Τὶ {Ε{. ρ. Βοηὰ, Πεῖπε αὐτῶν Υἱηά, 266. εἱ δὰ Ρίαι. Ῥῃδοάοι. Ρ. 105. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 292 (Krabinger 1:292; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/292). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/292
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 293
293Krabinger 1:293
δρόλιον οὐ μεμετρημένον, οὐδὲ πρὸς κλεψύδραν ταμιευόμενον, ὅ τις ἂν καὶ ὑπηρέτης μειαγωγήσῃ δημόσιο!. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὦ) ἐγὼ μὲν εἰ μήπω παύομαι, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτίκα ἃ πεπαύσομιαι᾽ εἰ δὲ μὴ, καὶ μετὰ πλεῖστον" οὐ μὲν δὴ καὶ εἰς νύκτα γε ᾷσομαι. Τὸ δὲ καὶ πεπαυμένου ῥεῖ, καὶ ῥυύσεται καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν, καὶ εἰς νέωτα, καὶ ἀεί, Τί οὖν μὲ δεὶ προθεσμία δουλεύειν, ἐξὸν ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῇς αὐτονομίας, καὶ περιάγειν τοὺς λόγους, ἡ ἴοι δοκοῦσιν ἀκτέοι, οὐ κρινομένῳ πρὸς ὀλιγωἰθρίαν ἀκροατῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμαυτὸν ἔχοντι μέτρον; ᾿Εμοὶ γὰρ δὴ ὃ) ταύτην ἔδωκε τὴν μοῖραν ὁ θεὸς, ἀδέσποτον εἶναι καὶ ἄφετον, ὃ, οὐδὲ τρεῖς, οὐδὲ δύο περιεποιῃσάμῃην ἐμαυτοῦ μαθητα; εἶναι, δι᾽ οὖς ἂν ἐδέησεν εἰς ἀποδεδειγμένον χωρίον φοιτᾷν, καὶ περὶ συγκειμέ- αὶ Ιδνων ᾽}) πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλέγεσθαι" ἠπιτάμην γὰρ πολὺ ") τῇν ἐλευθερίας ὑποτιμούμενος, εἰ πρῶτον μὲν ἀνάγκην ἕξω βιβλίον ἐξονυχίδειν, ὑφ᾽ οὐ γίνεται τὸ κατὰ μνήμην ἐνεργεῖν, τὴν δὲ ἐπιβολὴν ἀγύμναξον εἶναι καὶ ἄγονον, ἣν δεὶ κριτὴν εἶναι βιβλίων, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τοῦτο ὁ φιλόσοφος μᾶλλον" ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀποδεδόσθω γραμματικοῖς. Εἶεν δ᾽ ἂν καὶ φιλοσόφων βιβλίων γραμ
drolion ou memetrēmenon, oude pros klepsydran tamieuomenon, ho tis an kai hypēretēs meiagōgēsę̄ dēmosio!. ᾿All᾽ ō) egō men ei mēpō pauomai, all᾽ autika ha pepausomiai᾽ ei de mē, kai meta pleiston" ou men dē kai eis nykta ge ąsomai. To de kai pepaumenou rhei, kai rhyysetai kai nyktōr kai meth᾽ hēmeran, kai eis neōta, kai aei, Ti oun me dei prothesmia douleuein, exon emphoreisthai tę̄s autonomias, kai periagein tous logous, hē ioi dokousin akteoi, ou krinomenǭ pros oligōithrian akroatōn, all᾽ emauton echonti metron? ᾿Emoi gar dē ho) tautēn edōke tēn moiran ho theos, adespoton einai kai apheton, ho, oude treis, oude dyo periepoię̄samę̄ēn emautou mathēta? einai, di᾽ ous an edeēsen eis apodedeigmenon chōrion phoitąn, kai peri synkeime- ai Idnōn ᾽}) pros autous dialegesthai" ēpitamēn gar poly ") tę̄n eleutherias hypotimoumenos, ei prōton men anankēn hexō biblion exonychidein, hyph᾽ ou ginetai to kata mnēmēn energein, tēn de epibolēn agymnaxon einai kai agonon, hēn dei kritēn einai bibliōn, epeidē kata touto ho philosophos mallon" ekeino de apodedosthō grammatikois. Eien d᾽ an kai philosophōn bibliōn gram
a little stream not measured out or rationed by a water-clock that some public slave would manage. If I have not stopped yet, I shall stop presently — or if not, after a very long time; I will not sing into the night. But the water flows even when I have stopped, and will flow night and day, into next year and for ever. Why, then, must I be a slave to a time limit, when I can take my fill of self-rule and lead my speeches wherever they seem to need to go, not judged by the impatience of hearers but taking myself as measure? For God gave me this lot, to be masterless and free, since I have not acquired even three, or even two, pupils of my own, for whose sake I should have to go to an appointed place and discourse on agreed subjects. For I knew I should be selling my freedom very cheap if, first, I had to scrape away at a book with my fingernails, which makes one work from memory while one's own aim — which must judge books, since in this one is more a philosopher — stays untrained and barren; the other may be left to grammarians. There might also be
Notes and citation
Summary: Free of clocks, pupils and fixed lectures, Synesius speaks as long as he likes; teaching would have cost him his freedom and his judgment.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): .μετρ. Ὑυϊβ. Ἰοοιΐοπεπ οἱ ἰὰθη- ὀ8βθ. ἐκτέοι ίοη. Εὶ ἀκταῖοι ίατο. τς Πεμ4. Μοπ. Ἐ. εἰ Νίοθετπι. Β, Πεϊπὰς κρινομένων Μιηὰ, Θᾶττον [το διάττον (δοΐϊο ἐοτίρεῖϊ 0. διὴ δαροτβοτίριατα ἰὰ Ῥδσ. Ὁ, Ἰαοοδεῖαε δὰ ῬΗΪΙοΕιεδι. Ππᾶρρ. 10. ἐμαυτῷ μ. ας. Β. εἰ Μοη. Ῥ- 336. -- πρὸς κλεψύδραν] Υἱά. οὔ Ῥαυΐς. δὰ Οἵςοτ. Ἴυβος. Ουδοριι. Ο. ἐμαυτῷ Ῥαν. Ὁ, μαθητ. ἐμαυ- → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 293 (Krabinger 1:293; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/293). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/293
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 294
294Krabinger 1:294
ματικοί τινες ἀποδεδειγμένοι, τὰς συλλαβὰς εὖ μάλα συγκρίνοντές τε καὶ διακρίνοντες, οἰκεῖον δὲ οὐδὲν Ο οὐδέποτε μαιευσόμενοι" ὅ τι δὲ καὶ τέκοιεν, ὑπὸ θράσου; τυφλὸν καὶ ἀνεμιαῖον᾽ οὐ γὰρ ἐκθάλπει τὸν δεΐσω λόγον ᾽, ὅτῳ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἱμεῖν ἀνάγκῃ" τό τε σπουδῇ σχεδιάδειν, ἐν μὴ δέοντι τῇ σπουδῇ χρώμενον, ἐξίτηλον αὐτὴν ἀποφαίνει. Φύονται μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ λόγοις ὠδῖνες ψυχῶν, ὠϊπερ ἐπὶ τόκοις σωμάτων" ὅιτις δὲ ἀώροι; αὐταῖς συνεθίδεται, καὶ τα λοιπὰ πέπονθε παραπλήσια τοῖς; ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων συμβαίνουσιν᾽ ὀλισθοῦσα δὲ ἕξις εἰς τὸ ἀμβλίσκειν οὐδὲν ἂν ὠδινήσειεν ἀρτιμελὲς καὶ βιώσιμον. ᾿Εντεῦθεν Ὁ ὁ πρόχειρος; εἰς δῆμον εἰπεῖν ἀδύνατος ἐπιεῦσαι, καὶ σκέμμα παραλαβὼν, ὥςπερ ἀνδριάντα ξέσα;, ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἀπεργάδεσθθαι.
matikoi tines apodedeigmenoi, tas syllabas eu mala synkrinontes te kai diakrinontes, oikeion de ouden O oudepote maieusomenoi" ho ti de kai tekoien, hypo thrasou? typhlon kai anemiaion᾽ ou gar ekthalpei ton deïsō logon ᾽, hotǭ kath᾽ hēmeran himein anankę̄" to te spoudę̄ schediadein, en mē deonti tę̄ spoudę̄ chrōmenon, exitēlon autēn apophainei. Phyontai men gar epi logois ōdines psychōn, ōïper epi tokois sōmatōn" hoitis de aōroi? autais synethidetai, kai ta loipa peponthe paraplēsia tois? epi tōn sōmatōn symbainousin᾽ olisthousa de hexis eis to ambliskein ouden an ōdinēseien artimeles kai biōsimon. ᾿Enteuthen Ho ho procheiros? eis dēmon eipein adynatos epieusai, kai skemma paralabōn, hōsper andrianta xesa?, es to akribes apergadesththai.
appointed grammarians of philosophic books, who compare and distinguish syllables very well but never bring anything of their own to birth; and whatever they do produce, out of boldness, is blind and a wind-egg. For a man who must disgorge every day does not warm the reason within; and improvising in earnest, spending earnestness where it is not needed, makes it fade. Birth-pangs arise in souls for speeches as in bodies for births; and whoever accustoms them to untimely deliveries suffers the rest like what happens to bodies: a habit that has slipped into miscarriage would bring forth nothing whole-limbed and viable. Hence the man always ready to speak to the people is unable to concentrate, and to take up a problem and work it out exactly, as one polishes a statue.
Notes and citation
Summary: Teachers who must lecture daily produce only barren or premature work and lose the ability to think a problem through.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 294 (Krabinger 1:294; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/294). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/294
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-dion-294) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 295
295Krabinger 1:295
“Ἅμα δὲ οὐδὲ μακάριον ᾧμην εὐθύνας ὑπέχειν ἢ) καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀκροατῶν, ὑπὲρ μὲν αὐτῶν τοῖς προτήκουσιν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν ὁσημὲραι λόγων αὐτοὶς : βούλοιτο γὰρ ἂν ὁ διδάσκαλος δ ἀνὴρ εὐδοκιμεῖν ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, καὶ θορυβεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ τὰ παιδάρια. Οὐκοῦν ἄλλο τοῦτο θέατρον ὅϊ παρὰ πολὺ δυιτυχέξερον ὃ). Ιγυνὶ δὲ ὁπόσοις τε βούλομαι, καὶ ὁπόσα καὶ περὶ ὧν, καὶ ὁπηνίκα, καὶ ὅπου), τοσαῦτα καὶ οὕτως σύνειμι καὶ ὁ μέν τις ὥνησε συγγενόμενος, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς ὥνατο. Βουλοίμην δ᾽ ἂν ἐγὼ τῶν ἀγαθόν τι λεγόντων' ἀκούειν μᾶλλον, ἡ λέγειν αὐτός" τῷ παντὶ γὰρ εὐτυχέσξερον ἀμέίνοσιν ἐντυγχάνειν δ) ἢ χείροσιν. ᾿Αλλ' ὄγε τοῦ διδασκάλου βίος. Μόγου δὲ ἐξηρήσθων Ὗ, εἴ τις εἴς, ἡ δύο φύσει ᾽) ιθτῶν ἐν τῷ πράγματι χαλεπῶν γεγόνασι διαφέροντες. Γένοιτο γὰρ ἂν 1}) κἀκεῖνο καὶ καθ᾽ ἕκατον ἐπιτήδευμα φανῆναϊ τινας ἀμείνυς, ἢ ὧς.) ἁλῶναι τοῖς προιπεφυκόσιν αὐτῷ καὶ παραβλαςάνουσι πάθεσιν᾽ ἐπεὶ ὅγε διδάσκαλος, ἐπειδὰν ἐξαρτήσηται τοὺς θαυμασομένου",
“Hama de oude makarion hǭmēn euthynas hypechein ē) kai autois tois akroatais kai hyper autōn tōn akroatōn, hyper men autōn tois protēkousin, hyper de tōn hosēmerai logōn autois : bouloito gar an ho didaskalos d anēr eudokimein en tois mathētais, kai thorybein epi tois logois autou ta paidaria. Oukoun allo touto theatron hoï para poly duitychexeron ho). Igyni de hoposois te boulomai, kai hoposa kai peri hōn, kai hopēnika, kai hopou), tosauta kai houtōs syneimi kai ho men tis hōnēse syngenomenos, ho de autos hōnato. Bouloimēn d᾽ an egō tōn agathon ti legontōn' akouein mallon, hē legein autos" tǭ panti gar eutychesxeron ameinosin entynchanein d) ē cheirosin. ᾿All' oge tou didaskalou bios. Mogou de exērēsthōn Hy, ei tis eis, hē dyo physei ᾽) ithtōn en tǭ pragmati chalepōn gegonasi diapherontes. Genoito gar an 1}) kakeino kai kath᾽ hekaton epitēdeuma phanēnaï tinas ameinys, ē hōs.) halōnai tois proipephykosin autǭ kai parablasanousi pathesin᾽ epei hoge didaskalos, epeidan exartēsētai tous thaumasomenou",
At the same time I did not think it a blessed thing to be accountable both to the hearers themselves and for the hearers — for them to their families, and to them for the daily speeches; for the teacher would wish to be admired by his pupils and to have the boys applaud his speeches. So this is another theatre, far more unhappy. As it is, I keep company with as many people as I wish, on as many things and on what subjects, when and where I wish; and one man has profited by being with me, while another has profited me. I would rather hear those who say something good than speak myself; for it is altogether more fortunate to meet better people than worse. But such is the teacher's life. Only let it be excepted if one or two by nature have proved superior to the difficulties of the business. For it may happen in every pursuit that some appear too good to be caught by the passions that grow up and sprout along with it; for the teacher, once he has attached his admirers to himself,
Notes and citation
Summary: A teacher answers to pupils and parents alike, a worse theatre than the sophist's; Synesius prefers free company and listening to better men.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): 4». ΧΥ ὑπάρχειν Ῥαι. Α. 8. ἐντυγχάνειν ἴῃ Νίοη. Α. επ8- ». αὐτοῖς Δθοεῖ ἃ ΝΜίδετηι. ἴχπλ εχ ἐντυγχάνῃ. ὅ. ποραπολυ (ἰϊα εἰ Νίοη, Ο.) 9. ταῖν ἴπ ποδὰ. ἐξρρήσθω τῶν ῥητόρων δυιτ. Νίοα. Α. Νἰπά, ἡ φθοπὶ θεΐατει Νδσε. Β. εἰ Νδοστω. εἰ ἰα τοῦ. Μίεετη,. παρὰ πολλῶν Βομὰ, Μοη. Ε. Μίοοττη. φυοτυτι 10. φησὶ Ματο. Β. Νίου. Ε. πὰ τος. πολὺ τῶν ρη- 611. Ρατῖῖο, ὧν δδοεὶ ἃ οι. Ο. τόρων. εῖθα τῶν ρῥητόρων ργῖο Ριο κἀκεῖνο Βευϊπρίιις.οοετὶροη- Εἰ. διαὶ πῃ Ῥατ. Ὁ. ἄμπι οοηδοὶ κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνο. → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 295 (Krabinger 1:295; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/295). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/295
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 296
296Krabinger 1:296
οὐδενὸς οὐδὲν ἀποδέξεται λέγοντος, καὶ κίνδυνος καταφρονηθῆναι, καὶ περιϊδεῖν ἀφιπτάμενα τὰ μειράκια. Ἐϊ γὰρ οὐ διοίσεται, τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἔφθειρε " δεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν τηρεῖσθαι διδάσκαλον. Εἰἱμαρμένῃ τοίνυν ἀνδρὸς δ διδασκάλου, καὶ φθονερὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι, τὸ μέγιτόν τε καὶ ὑλικώτατον τῶν παθῶν. Μαὶ ἀπεύξεται μὲν μηδένα. γενέσθαι σοφὸν ἐν πόλει" γενομένου δὲ λυμα- αὶ νεῖται τὴν δόξαν, ἵνα μόνος ἀποβλέποιτο. Καθιδεῖται. δὲ ὥςπερ κεράμιον ἐπιχειλὲς τῆς σοφίας, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι χωρῆσον. Οὔκουν ἀγαθόν γέ τι χωρεὶ, τελχὶς καὶ βάσκανος; ὧν. Πῶς οὖν 3") ἄν τις κάκιον ἀπαλλάἔειεν ἀνδρὸς, ὅτῳ μὴ ἕξεσι γενέσθαι βελτίονι; “Σωκράτης δὲ καὶ Προδίκῳ παρεῖχεν ἑαυτὸν ὠφελεῖν, εἴ τι δύναιτο, καὶ Ἱππίᾳ ξυνεχώρει τι λέγειν, καὶ ὦ; Πρωταγόραν ἐβάδιδε, καὶ συνίτῃ τοὺς πλουσιωτάτου; τῶν νέων τῷ τοιῷδε φύλῳ τῶν σοφιςῶν᾽ οὐ γὰρ
oudenos ouden apodexetai legontos, kai kindynos kataphronēthēnai, kai periïdein aphiptamena ta meirakia. Eï gar ou dioisetai, tēn hypothesin ephtheire " dei de auton tēreisthai didaskalon. Eiimarmenę̄ toinyn andros d didaskalou, kai phthoneron auton einai, to megiton te kai hylikōtaton tōn pathōn. Mai apeuxetai men mēdena. genesthai sophon en polei" genomenou de lyma- ai neitai tēn doxan, hina monos apoblepoito. Kathideitai. de hōsper keramion epicheiles tēs sophias, kai ouk an eti chōrēson. Oukoun agathon ge ti chōrei, telchis kai baskanos? hōn. Pōs oun 3") an tis kakion apallaeeien andros, hotǭ mē hexesi genesthai beltioni? “Sōkratēs de kai Prodikǭ pareichen heauton ōphelein, ei ti dynaito, kai Hippią xynechōrei ti legein, kai ō? Prōtagoran ebadide, kai synitę̄ tous plousiōtatou? tōn neōn tǭ toiǭde phylǭ tōn sophisōn᾽ ou gar
will accept nothing from anyone who speaks, and there is the danger of being despised and of watching the youths fly away. For if he does not excel, he has ruined his position; he must keep himself the teacher. It is fated, then, that a teacher be envious, which is the greatest and most material of the passions. He will pray that no one in the city become wise; and if one does, he will damage his reputation, so that he alone may be looked to. He sits like a jar filled to the brim with wisdom, which can hold no more. But it does not hold anything good, being a spiteful sorcerer and envious. How could a man fare worse than one who cannot become better? Socrates, on the other hand, offered himself to Prodicus to help him if he could, let Hippias say his piece, went to Protagoras, and introduced the richest of the young to this tribe of sophists; for
Notes and citation
Summary: A teacher must be envious of rivals and so cannot improve; Socrates, by contrast, learned from sophists and sent the rich young to them.
- Socrates and the sophists: Plato, Protagoras 310a–316a; Hippias Major; Cratylus 384b (Prodicus).
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 296 (Krabinger 1:296; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/296). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/296
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 297
297Krabinger 1:297
ἐποιεῖτο σοφὸς εἶναι “Σωκράτης " ἦν γὰρ σοφός" καὶ ἢ τοὶς μειρακίοις ἐξῆν, εἰ προεῖχον τὸν νοῦν, μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, ὅδιτις μὲν ὁ διδάσκων Πρωταγόρας, ὅξτις δὲ ὁ μανθάνων Σωκράτης. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ) Γλαύκων, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἐριτίας ἐκ τῇς ὁμοίας αὐτῷ διελέγοντο" καὶ οὐδὲ Σίμων ὁ σκυτεὺς πάνυ τι συγχωρεῖν ἠξίου Σωκράτει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπράττετο λόγον ἑκάτου λόγου" λειτοφῶν δὲ καὶ ἐλοιδόρησεν αὐτὸν ἐν Δυσίου τοῦ σοφιτοῦ, καὶ τὴν Θρασυμάχου. συνουσίαν προὐτίμησε. Σωκράτης δὲ ὰ οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο παρώξυντο Ἴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο Βλειτοφῶν κακῶς οἴεται. "Ἤρκει δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Φαῖδρος περιτυχὼν, καὶ εἴπετο Φαίδρῳ Σωκράτης πρὸ ἄρεος ἡγουμένῳ, καὶ ἠνέσχετο φορτικοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἀντεξἤγαγεν αὐτῷ ὅ) λόγον ἕτερον, ἵνα Φαίδρῳ χαρίσῃηται.
epoieito sophos einai “Sōkratēs " ēn gar sophos" kai ē tois meirakiois exēn, ei proeichon ton noun, mē agnoein, hoditis men ho didaskōn Prōtagoras, hoxtis de ho manthanōn Sōkratēs. ᾿Alla kai) Glaukōn, alla kai Eritias ek tę̄s homoias autǭ dielegonto" kai oude Simōn ho skyteus pany ti synchōrein ēxiou Sōkratei, all᾽ epratteto logon hekatou logou" leitophōn de kai eloidorēsen auton en Dysiou tou sophitou, kai tēn Thrasymachou. synousian proutimēse. Sōkratēs de a oude pros touto parōxynto I, alla kai touto Bleitophōn kakōs oietai. "Ērkei de autǭ kai Phaidros peritychōn, kai eipeto Phaidrǭ Sōkratēs pro areos hēgoumenǭ, kai ēnescheto phortikou logou, kai antexēgagen autǭ ho) logon heteron, hina Phaidrǭ charisę̄ētai.
Socrates did not pretend to be wise — for he was wise — and the youths, if they paid attention, could not fail to know which was Protagoras the teacher and which Socrates the learner. Glaucon and Critias too conversed with him as equals; not even Simon the cobbler thought fit to concede much to Socrates, but demanded a reason for every argument; and Clitophon even reviled him in the presence of Lysias the sophist and preferred the company of Thrasymachus. But Socrates was not provoked even by this, and it is Clitophon who is wrong about it too. Phaedrus also was enough for him when he met him: Socrates followed Phaedrus as he led him outside the city, put up with a vulgar speech, and produced another speech against it to please Phaedrus.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates let the young treat him as an equal, bore Clitophon's criticism, and humoured Phaedrus with a speech.
- Plato, Clitophon 406a–410e; Phaedrus 227a–237a.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Ἰαδοτιδίιας ΡῬτοίδρ. ὑ. 300. 56: → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 227a-237a (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 297 (Krabinger 1:297; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/297). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/297
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 298
298Krabinger 1:298
Οὕτως εὔκολος ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπεσεμνύνετο πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπου,. Αὐτὴ ") μὲν γὰρ ἡ Ξανθίππῃ, φεῦ τῇς ὁλιγωρίας, ὧς ἐχρῆτο Σωκράτει..᾽4λλ' οὐδὲν ἐκώλυσε ",) ᾿ Σωκράτην εὐθυμεῖσθαι καὶ καταφρονούμενον: οὐδ᾽ Β ἐμὲ τοίνυν, οὐδ᾽ ἄλλον οὐδένα ἄνθρωπον, ὅρτις οὐχ ὑπίθηκεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ παντοδαπῷ θυρίῳ, τῇ δόξῃ" ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτῷ ἀρίσκει καὶ τῷ θεῷ, τοῖς δὲ ἀνθρώποι; ἀνθρωπίνω; συνεῖναι καὶ βούλεται καὶ ἐπίσταται. ᾿Επεὶ τοι Ξωκράτῃ:ς καὶ τὸν ἀτοπώτερον τῶν λόγων διατιθέμενος, τὸν ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῶν ἐρωτικῶν, δύναται μεθαρμόσασθαι τὴν ἀληθετέραν, καὶ αὐτίκα γε μεθαρμόσεται, καὶ τὸ Ζ'ιὸς ἄρμα ὑμνύσει, καὶ τὰς ἱερὰς διφρείας τῶν ἕνδεκα θεῶν μένει γὰρ Ἑεία ἐν θεῶν οἴκῳ
Houtōs eukolos ēn, kai ouk apesemnyneto pros tous anthrōpou,. Autē ") men gar hē Xanthippę̄, pheu tę̄s holigōrias, hōs echrēto Sōkratei..᾽4ll' ouden ekōlyse ",) ᾿ Sōkratēn euthymeisthai kai kataphronoumenon: oud᾽ B eme toinyn, oud᾽ allon oudena anthrōpon, hortis ouch hypithēken heauton tǭ pantodapǭ thyriǭ, tę̄ doxę̄" all᾽ heautǭ ariskei kai tǭ theǭ, tois de anthrōpoi? anthrōpinō? syneinai kai bouletai kai epistatai. ᾿Epei toi Xōkratę̄:s kai ton atopōteron tōn logōn diatithemenos, ton epi diabolę̄ tōn erōtikōn, dynatai metharmosasthai tēn alētheteran, kai autika ge metharmosetai, kai to Z'ios arma hymnysei, kai tas hieras diphreias tōn hendeka theōn menei gar Heeia en theōn oikǭ
So easy-going was he, and he did not give himself airs toward people. As for Xanthippe herself — alas for her slighting of him! — how she treated Socrates! But nothing prevented Socrates from being cheerful even when despised. Nor does anything prevent me, or any other man who has not subjected himself to that many-headed beast, opinion; he pleases himself and God, and both wishes and knows how to be with people in a human way. Indeed Socrates, even while delivering the more absurd of the speeches, the one slandering love, can retune himself to the truer one, and presently will retune himself, and hymn the chariot of Zeus and the sacred cars of the eleven gods — for Hestia remains in the house of the gods
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates was cheerful though despised, even by Xanthippe; free of opinion's tyranny, he could move from a playful speech to a hymn of the divine.
- Socrates' two speeches on love and the chariots of the gods: Plato, Phaedrus 237a–257b (246e–247a).
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 246e-247a (Plato (works); quotation)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 298 (Krabinger 1:298; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/298). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/298
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 299
299Krabinger 1:299
κεόνῃ οὐμνεὶ δὲ καὶ ψυχὰς ὁπαδού, θεῶν, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα, ὃν ἔχουσιν ὑπερκῦψαι τῶν οὐρανοῦ νώτων: ᾽Εκεῖ που καὶ τὸν παρακπεκινδυνευμένον λόγον, «τὸ πεδίον ἐξηγεῖσθαι ιτολμᾷ τὸ ἐπέκεινα τῶν ταύτῃ ὅ παρὰ τὴν αὐτὴν πλάτανον, παρ᾽ ἣν ἐῤῥητόρευσε, καὶ " τῷ σοφιτῇ “υσίᾳ προμεγυμνάσατο 3.)}, καὶ πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν μέντοι παῖδα, οὗτοι λέγω τὸν Φαῖδρον" νεανίας γὰρ οὗτος καὶ ἀνὴρ ἤδη" ἀλλ᾽ ὑπόκειται μειράκιον αὐτῷ καλὸν καὶ ἐν ὥρα᾽ καὶ τοῦτο πείθει καὶ μετα: πείθει τὰ περὶ ἔρωτος, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸ παίξει τε καὶ... σπουδάξει.. Τί οὖν, εἰ κἀγὼ πρὸς τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ παῖδα ᾿), ὃν ὑπέσχετο μὲν εἰς νίωτα ὁ θεὸς, ἐμοὶ δὲ πάρεειν᾽ ὁ παῖς Ὦ ἤδη" πρὸς τοῦτον οὖν ἀξιῶ παίξειν τε καὶ σπουδά-
keonę̄ oumnei de kai psychas hopadou, theōn, kai ton agōna, hon echousin hyperkypsai tōn ouranou nōtōn: ᾽Ekei pou kai ton parakpekindyneumenon logon, «to pedion exēgeisthai itolmą to epekeina tōn tautę̄ ho para tēn autēn platanon, par᾽ hēn errhētoreuse, kai " tǭ sophitę̄ “ysią promegymnasato 3.)}, kai pros ton auton mentoi paida, houtoi legō ton Phaidron" neanias gar houtos kai anēr ēdē" all᾽ hypokeitai meirakion autǭ kalon kai en hōra᾽ kai touto peithei kai meta: peithei ta peri erōtos, kai pros auto paixei te kai... spoudaxei.. Ti oun, ei kagō pros ton emautou paida ᾿), hon hypescheto men eis niōta ho theos, emoi de pareein᾽ ho pais Ō ēdē" pros touton oun axiō paixein te kai spouda-
alone — and he hymns the souls that follow the gods, and the struggle they have to peer over the back of heaven. There he dares also to expound the hazardous account of the plain that lies beyond the things here, beside the same plane-tree by which he had played the rhetor and practised against the sophist Lysias, and to the same boy — I mean Phaedrus; for he is a youth, already a man, but a fair lad in his bloom is the subject of the speech, and him he persuades and persuades again about love, and plays and is serious toward him. What, then, if I too, toward my own boy — whom God promised for next year, but who is already present to me — think fit to play and be
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates rose from play to the highest vision before Phaedrus; Synesius likewise plays and is serious for his promised son.
- Plato, Phaedrus 247b–248b (the souls' struggle, the plain of truth).
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 248b (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 299 (Krabinger 1:299; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/299). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/299
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 300
300Krabinger 1:300
ἐἄειν; ᾿Επεί τοι καὶ αὐτὸν ἀμφόϊερα ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι βούλομαι, Ἂ- ΜΙύθων τε ῥητῆρ᾽ ἔμεναι, γνωςεῇρα τε ὄντων, καὶ μὴ καταφρονεῖν τοῦ Σωκράτους, ὃς οὐκ ἀπηξίου ὅ καὶ τοὺς δημοσίᾳ θαπτομένους δύνασθαι λόγῳ κοσμεῖν. Ἑαίτοι καὶ) τοῦτο μεῖδον ὁ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ᾧετο᾽ προιἐνεμε. γὰρ ᾿Ασπασίᾳ τὴν δύναμιν ταύτην, κΚὶ προρςεφοίτα Ἁ κατὰ χάριν τοῦ τὰ ἐρωτικὰ παιδευθῆναι. Εἰ δὲ τινα τὰ κατὰ ᾿Δσπασίαν τε καὶ Σωκράτην ἐρωτικὰ ἔννε- 1θνόγκα;, ἐκ ἀπιετήσεις, ὅτι φιλρσορία τὰς τελεωτάτας ἐποπτεύσασα ὅδ τελετὰς ἁπανταχοῦ τὸ καλὸν ἐπιγνώσεται, καὶ ἀσπάσεται, καὶ ῥητορικὴν ἑπαινέσεται, καὶ ἀσπασίως καὶ ποιητικῆς ἀνθέξεται" ταύτην μὲν γὰρ μένει νέωτα
eaein? ᾿Epei toi kai auton amphoïera agathon genesthai boulomai, A- MIythōn te rhētēr᾽ emenai, gnōseę̄ra te ontōn, kai mē kataphronein tou Sōkratous, hos ouk apēxiou ho kai tous dēmosią thaptomenous dynasthai logǭ kosmein. Heaitoi kai) touto meidon ho kath᾽ heauton hǭeto᾽ proieneme. gar ᾿Aspasią tēn dynamin tautēn, kKi prorsephoita Ha kata charin tou ta erōtika paideuthēnai. Ei de tina ta kata ᾿Dspasian te kai Sōkratēn erōtika enne- 1thnonka?, ek apietēseis, hoti philrsoria tas teleōtatas epopteusasa hod teletas hapantachou to kalon epignōsetai, kai aspasetai, kai rhētorikēn hepainesetai, kai aspasiōs kai poiētikēs anthexetai" tautēn men gar menei neōta
serious? For I wish him too to be good at both, "a speaker of words" and a knower of what is, and not to despise Socrates, who did not disdain to be able to adorn with speech those who were buried at public expense. And yet he thought this too great for himself; for he assigned this power to Aspasia, and frequented her for the sake of being taught about love. If you have understood the love-lessons of Aspasia and Socrates, you will not doubt that philosophy, having beheld the most perfect rites, will recognize beauty everywhere, embrace it, praise rhetoric, and gladly hold to poetry too; for this
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius wants his son to be both eloquent and wise, like Socrates, who learned the art of the funeral speech from Aspasia.
- "A speaker of words": Iliad 9.443, with Synesius's own ending. Aspasia's funeral speech: Plato, Menexenus 235e–236b.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΜΙ εοτπι. ἐς νέωτα ΥἹηὰ. τὰ ὀχΒίδεπιὶ υΐρ. ᾿ἰδτί, Ατιΐο. ἴω βε4ᾳ. ὧν ἀεοδῖ ἴω ΙΝίατε. Β'6 δηίε 'Ασπασίαν, αυΐ ἰϊδτ Ἰερίτοτ ἰη Μοη, ΒΏΌ. Νίατος. εἰ Υἱηά,, → .
Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 9.443 (Homer, Iliad; quotation); Plato, Menex. 235e-236b (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 300 (Krabinger 1:300; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/300). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/300
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 301
301Krabinger 1:301
ἄντικρυς εἰργάσατο καὶ Σωκράτῃς, οὐχ ὁ παῖρ, οὐδ᾽ ὁ νίος Σωκράτῃς, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μετὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἤδη δίαιταν ἔχων ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, ὁπηνίκα παίδειν ἤκιτα καὶ. ρὸς ἦν τηλικῷδε ὄντι, καὶ ἐν τοιούτοις, οὔπω λέγω Β δεινοὶ" τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ δεινὸν Σωκράτει; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ μέντοι παίδειν ἀξίοι;" ὁ δὲ τῷ θεῷ φησὶ πείθεσθαι 1"). Ἑκαὶ μὴ ἀπιεῶμεν " ὠκειοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ ἔργου. Ἢ οὐ ποιητής ἐσιν ὁ τὸ. χρητήριον ἔχων τὸ Πυθοῖ, καὶ νὴ “]α τὸ ἐν Βῤαγχίδαις; Οὗτος μέντοι μετεποιήθη ᾽) καὶ τῇς ᾿Ομήρου ποιήσεως ὡς αὐτῷ προ:ηκούσῃ;" Ἤειδον μὲν ἐγὼν, ὁ δ᾽ " ἀπέγραφε θεῖος “Ομῃρο:. Δελήθασιν οὖν ὑπὸ σοφίας οἱ Ξτασιῶται τῇ: ἀγλωτ- Ο τίας οὗτοι καὶ τὸν ᾿Απόλλω δεύτερον ἄγοντες ἑαυτῶν μετ᾽ ᾿Ασπασία; τε καὶ Ξωκράτου. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ πάν
antikrys eirgasato kai Sōkratę̄s, ouch ho pair, oud᾽ ho nios Sōkratę̄s, all᾽ ho meta tēn hēlikian ēdē diaitan echōn en tǭ desmōtēriǭ, hopēnika paidein ēkita kai. ros ēn tēlikǭde onti, kai en toioutois, oupō legō B deinoi" ti gar an kai deinon Sōkratei? all᾽ oude mentoi paidein axioi?" ho de tǭ theǭ phēsi peithesthai 1"). Hekai mē apieōmen " ōkeiouto gar auton tę̄ koinōnią tou ergou. Ē ou poiētēs esin ho to. chrētērion echōn to Pythoi, kai nē “]a to en Branchidais? Houtos mentoi metepoiēthē ᾽) kai tę̄s ᾿Omērou poiēseōs hōs autǭ pro:ēkousę̄?" Ēeidon men egōn, ho d᾽ " apegraphe theios “Omę̄ro:. Delēthasin oun hypo sophias hoi Xtasiōtai tę̄: aglōt- O tias houtoi kai ton ᾿Apollō deuteron agontes heautōn met᾽ ᾿Aspasia? te kai Xōkratou. Hēmeis de epi pan
Socrates plainly practised — not Socrates the boy or the youth, but Socrates already past his prime, living in the prison, when play was least fitting for a man of his age and in such circumstances — I do not say terrible ones, for what could be terrible to Socrates? — yet not fit for play. But he says he obeyed the god. And let us not disbelieve him; for the god made him his own by fellowship in the work. Or is not the one who holds the oracle at Pytho — and, by Zeus, the one at Branchidae — a poet? He even laid claim to the poetry of Homer as belonging to him: "I sang, and divine Homer wrote it down." So these partisans of tonguelessness, in their wisdom, have unwittingly ranked even Apollo below themselves, along with Aspasia and Socrates. But let us, to all
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates wrote poetry in prison at the god's command; Apollo himself is a poet, so those who despise poetry rank below Apollo.
- Socrates writing verse in prison: Plato, Phaedo 60c–61b. The verse is an epigram ascribed to Apollo (Greek Anthology 9.455).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): μουσικὴν ποίει καὶ ἰργάδονυ, αθὶ ἀΐεο Καγεοτο 1. ο. Ῥοβὶ δεινὸν νἱά. φζγιϊεπδαςῖ. Ρ. 1216., «011. Νίατς. Β. δάάϊι εἴρ. Ταπι σωκρά- Ἰαοοῦς. Λάάϊιδηιεπι, ἴθ Αἰμοπδο. τῷ7 Ραστ, Β. Ῥ- 218. 41. Υἱά, ΡΙαι. Ρῃδεάοη. Ῥ. 61.4.4. → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaed. 60d-61b (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 301 (Krabinger 1:301; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/301). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/301
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 302
302Krabinger 1:302
τας [τοὐ!] λόγους Γ) παρακαλῶμεν τὸν παῖδα καὶ συνευὐξώμεθα αὐτῷ, μὴ, πρὶν ἀμωςκγέπω; ἐμφορηθῆναι ἀφτορικῆς καὶ ποιήσεως, καὶ δύνασθαι νοῦν τε ἔχειν : καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῶν ἀμύνειν αὐταῖς, ἐντυχεῖν ἀνδρὶ θράσος ὅ ἔχοντι ᾿καὶ ἐπανιταμένῳ ταῖς Μούσαι.. Τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ χρήσαιο τοῖς κτήμασι τοῖς πατρῴοις; τὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀγροὺς ἐλάττους ἐποίησα, καὶ συχνοί μοι τῶν οἰκετῶν ἰσοπολῖται γεγόνασι, χρυσίον δὲ οὔτε ἐν φαλάροι: ἢ ἔχω γυναικῶν, οὔτε ἐν νομίσμασιν" ὅ τι γὰρ καὶ 1Ι0οἦν, ἅπαν αὐτὸ, ὥιπερ Περικλῆς, εἰς τὸ δέον ἀνάλωσα᾽" τὰ βιβλία δὲ πολλαπλάσια τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων ἀπέδειξα. Τούτοις; οὖν ἅπασι δέον σε δύνασθαι χρῆσθαι. Εἰ δὲ, ὅτι σοὶ.) μὴ διώρθωσα τὰ “Ζίωνο; γράμματα, δι᾽ ὃν καὶ προῆλθεν ἐπὶ τοσόνδε ὁ λόγος, διὰ Σ 5» τοῦτο δυιχεραίνεις τὸν πατέρα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἄλλο τί σοι διώρθωται τῶν τῇ: ὁμοίας ἕξεως" “Ἰίωνι γὰρ οὐκ ἀπο-
tas [tou!] logous G) parakalōmen ton paida kai syneuyxōmetha autǭ, mē, prin amōskgepō? emphorēthēnai aphtorikēs kai poiēseōs, kai dynasthai noun te echein : kai di᾽ autōn amynein autais, entychein andri thrasos ho echonti ᾿kai epanitamenǭ tais Mousai.. Ti gar an kai chrēsaio tois ktēmasi tois patrǭois? tys men gar agrous elattous epoiēsa, kai sychnoi moi tōn oiketōn isopolitai gegonasi, chrysion de oute en phalaroi: ē echō gynaikōn, oute en nomismasin" ho ti gar kai 1I0oēn, hapan auto, hōiper Periklēs, eis to deon analōsa᾽" ta biblia de pollaplasia tōn apoleiphthentōn apedeixa. Toutois? oun hapasi deon se dynasthai chrēsthai. Ei de, hoti soi.) mē diōrthōsa ta “Ziōno? grammata, di᾽ hon kai proēlthen epi tosonde ho logos, dia S 5» touto duicheraineis ton patera, all᾽ oude allo ti soi diōrthōtai tōn tę̄: homoias hexeōs" “Iiōni gar ouk apo-
kinds of literature, urge the boy on and pray with him, that before he has been filled somehow with rhetoric and poetry, and is able to have sense and defend them by means of them, he may not meet a man who has daring and rises up against the Muses. For what use would you make of your father's possessions? I have made the fields fewer, and many of my servants have become fellow-citizens; gold I have neither in women's ornaments nor in coin, for whatever there was I spent, like Pericles, on what was needed; but the books I have made many times more than were left to me. All of these you must be able to use. And if you are vexed with your father because I did not correct Dio's writings for you — on whose account this speech went so far — neither has anything else of the same sort been corrected for you; for Dio needs no defence
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius prays that his son be grounded in literature before meeting its enemies; he leaves him few lands and slaves but many books.
- Krabinger prints a bracketed τοὺς as a word to be deleted; it is left out. "Fellow-citizens": Synesius had freed many of his slaves.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ὃ ἰδυὰδδϊδαὶ ἃ Βοϊςεοπαᾶ, δὰ Ῥἢΐ- ο Ἰοεῖγαι. Ηθτὶ Ρ. 551., Ργὸ εὖγλ, αἰόταθο Ματο, χρήσαιτο οι. Ε. τοβοσίρείπιυβ οχ ἰἰδτίς Ῥατίβε. χρήσαιτο τε]]. ο. οἀϊιῖ8. Ῥτο κτή- Μοη. ΑΒΟΏ. ίασγοο, οοσσπ. μασι Ἰερίτυς χρήμασι ἰῃ Ῥατ. Ο. Ὁ Ι Ῥ 20. σοπολῖται (ο. ἰδου ηυ]ά δηῖα → .
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 302 (Krabinger 1:302; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/302). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/302
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 303
303Krabinger 1:303
λογία: Ἶ πρὸς τοῦτο δεήσει. Πάλιν οὖν δεήσει ῥῃητορικῇ!.. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμον ἐκ φιλοσοφίας παρέξομαι. Πυθαγόρα; Μνησάρχου Σάμιος ἐπιγέγραπται τῷ νόμῳ, ὅςτις ὁ νόμιος οὐκ ἐᾷ τοῖς βιβλίοις ἐπιποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ βού.ὅλεται μένειν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ. τῇς πρώτης χειρὸς, ὅπως "ποτὲ ἢ) ἔσχε τύχῃς ἢ τέχνης. Ἔ-ει μὲν οὖν ἐν ταῖς ῥητορείαις ὁ νόμος; τὸ ἀῤῥητόρευτον" ἐν γὰρ ταῖς ἀλόγοις ἠἡρίθμηται πίτεσιν, ὃ τι μὴ παρὰ τὴν πειθὼ τοῦ λέγοντος, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν πολιτείαν ἰσχύει. Καίτοι τινὲς ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν εὐ, ἀξιοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ τοιούτου ῥήτορες εἶναι, γραμματεῖ! ΒΕ ἀτεχνῶς; ὄντες. Οἱ δὲ, κἂν μάρτυρας ἀναβιβάσωνται, τοῦ πράγματος ἐπὶ τούτοις ὄντος, παρ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς οἰήσονται πεπρᾶχθαι τὴν δίκην οὕτως εἰσὶ κομψοί τε καὶ νεανίαι. ᾿Επεὶ δὲ ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐκ τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ἀξόνων 1ὅ τὸν νόμον ἀνέγνωμεν, ἵνα καὶ ἀκόντων ἂν ἰσχύῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἔξει φιλοσόφου καὶ παλαιοῦ, πειθώ τινα δεῖ
logia: I pros touto deēsei. Palin oun deēsei rhę̄ētorikę̄!.. ᾿All᾽ egō nomon ek philosophias parexomai. Pythagora? Mnēsarchou Samios epigegraptai tǭ nomǭ, hostis ho nomios ouk eą tois bibliois epipoiein, alla bou.holetai menein auta epi. tę̄s prōtēs cheiros, hopōs "pote ē) esche tychę̄s ē technēs. E-ei men oun en tais rhētoreiais ho nomos? to arrhētoreuton" en gar tais alogois hēērithmētai pitesin, ho ti mē para tēn peithō tou legontos, alla para tēn politeian ischyei. Kaitoi tines eph᾽ hēmōn eu, axiousin apo tou toioutou rhētores einai, grammatei! BE atechnōs? ontes. Hoi de, kan martyras anabibasōntai, tou pragmatos epi toutois ontos, par᾽ heautous oiēsontai peprachthai tēn dikēn houtōs eisi kompsoi te kai neaniai. ᾿Epei de hēmeis ouk ek tōn Rhōmaïkōn axonōn 1ho ton nomon anegnōmen, hina kai akontōn an ischyę̄, all᾽ andros exei philosophou kai palaiou, peithō tina dei
for that. So rhetoric will be needed again. But I will produce a law from philosophy. Pythagoras of Samos, son of Mnesarchus, is the author of the law, a law that does not allow additions to books but wants them to remain as they came from the first hand, by chance or art. Now in rhetorical speeches a law is something unrhetorical; for it is counted among the proofs that need no art, since its force comes not from the speaker's persuasion but from the constitution. And yet some in our time think themselves orators on the strength of this, when they are plainly clerks; and even if they bring up witnesses, on whom the case rests, they will think the suit was won by themselves — so clever and young they are. But since we did not read this law on the Roman tablets, so that it should be valid even against the unwilling, but have it from the practice of an ancient philosopher, some persuasion must
Notes and citation
Summary: Synesius cites the Pythagorean rule against altering books as his reason for leaving Dio's text uncorrected.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 303 (Krabinger 1:303; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/303). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/303
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 304
304Krabinger 1:304
προμεῖναι, καὶ γενέσθαι νόμον τὸν λόγον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅπως μὴ λάθωμεν αὖθις ) περὶ τῶν μικρῶν τι μεῖξον εἰπόντες" ὡς οὐκ οἷδ᾽ ὅπως ἀπὸ τῶν φαυλοτάτων εἰς σεμνὰ ἄττα ἀποφερόμεθα. Φυλαξόμεθα οὖν, ὅσῃ ὅ δύναμις" εἰ δὲ πάντως δέοι, τῶν εἰρημένων τι παραλῃηψόμεθα. Ἐὰν τοῦτο ἀρκῇ, τῷ παντὶ ἂν ἔχοι καλῶς μηδὲν προςπεριεργάσασθαι. 'Ερεϊ τοίνυν ὁ Πυθαγόρας, ἡ ὅ!τις ὁ Πυθαγόρου θιασώτῃς τε καὶ συνήγορος, ἐπειδὴ νόμους ἐκεῖνος φθέγγεται" ἄριεον ἢ μὲν εἶναι φῦναι τὸν νοῦν αὐτάρκη πρὸς ὁτιοῦν ἐπιτήδευμα, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν 7δη νοῦν ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦτο ὄντα, ῥητορικὸν ἢ ποιητικὸν, εἰ μῇ γε καὶ πρὸς ἅπαν ἀκροφ ἦδη τινὲς ἡ ἅπαν ἀκροφυέσατον᾽" καὶ ἡδη τινὲς ἧκον ἐνθάδε τοιοίδε,
promeinai, kai genesthai nomon ton logon. ᾿All᾽ hopōs mē lathōmen authis ) peri tōn mikrōn ti meixon eipontes" hōs ouk hoid᾽ hopōs apo tōn phaulotatōn eis semna atta apopherometha. Phylaxometha oun, hosę̄ ho dynamis" ei de pantōs deoi, tōn eirēmenōn ti paralę̄ēpsometha. Ean touto arkę̄, tǭ panti an echoi kalōs mēden prosperiergasasthai. 'Ereï toinyn ho Pythagoras, hē ho!tis ho Pythagorou thiasōtę̄s te kai synēgoros, epeidē nomous ekeinos phthengetai" arieon ē men einai phynai ton noun autarkē pros hotioun epitēdeuma, tout᾽ estin 7dē noun energeią touto onta, rhētorikon ē poiētikon, ei mę̄ ge kai pros hapan akroph ēdē tines hē hapan akrophyesaton᾽" kai hēdē tines hēkon enthade toioide,
be added, and the speech become a law. But let us take care not again to say something too great about small matters before we notice; for I do not know how we are carried from the most trivial things to solemn ones. Let us guard against it as far as we can; and if it is altogether necessary, we shall take up something already said. If this is enough, it would be altogether best to do nothing more. Pythagoras, then, will say — or whoever is a member of his company and his advocate, since he speaks laws: "It would be best to be born with a mind sufficient for any pursuit — that is, a mind already in act, rhetorical or poetic, if not most gifted for everything; and some such have already come here,
Notes and citation
Summary: The Pythagorean argument begins: best is a mind born already active and gifted, and some such have lived.
- A clause in the last sentence is duplicated in the OCR and is translated once.
Cite (SBL): Synesius, Dion 304 (Krabinger 1:304; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/304). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-dion/304
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-dion-304) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of Krabinger's edition (Landshut, 1850; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.