In Praise of Baldness 175–207 (In Praise of Baldness)

Synesius of Cyrene

In Praise of Baldness 175–207

Synesius of Cyrene · In Praise of Baldness · ca. 400-404 · Cyrene · 33 passages

Greek text: Krabinger 1.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 175

175Krabinger 1:175

ἥΖωνι τῷ χρυσῷ τὴν γλῶτταν ἐποιήθη βιβλίον, κόμη: Ὦ ἐγκώμιον, οὕτω δή τι λαμπρὸν, ὦ; ἀνάγκην. εἶναι παρὰ τοῦ λόγου φαλακρὸν ἄνδρα αἰσχύνεσθαι. Β Συνεπιτίθεται γὰρ ὁ) ὁ λόγος τῇ φύσει" φύσει δὲ ἅπαν- 5» τες ἐθέλομεν εἶναι καλοὶ, πρὸς ὃ μέγα μέρος αἱ τρίχες συμβάλλονται, αἷς ἡμᾶς ἐκ παίδων ἡ φύσις ὠκείωσεν. ᾿Εγὼ μὲν οὖν' καὶ, ὁπηνίκα τὸ δεινὸν ἤρχετο..

hēZōni tǭ chrysǭ tēn glōttan epoiēthē biblion, komē: Ō enkōmion, houtō dē ti lampron, ō? anankēn. einai para tou logou phalakron andra aischynesthai. B Synepitithetai gar ho) ho logos tę̄ physei" physei de hapan- 5» tes ethelomen einai kaloi, pros ho mega meros hai triches symballontai, hais hēmas ek paidōn hē physis ōkeiōsen. ᾿Egō men oun' kai, hopēnika to deinon ērcheto..

For Dio of the golden tongue a book was composed, an encomium of hair, so brilliant that the argument makes it inevitable for a bald man to be ashamed. For the argument joins forces with nature, and by nature we all wish to be beautiful, and hair contributes a large part to that — hair, with which nature has made us familiar since childhood. As for me, when the trouble began

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius explains that Dio Chrysostom's Encomium of Hair would shame any bald man, for nature makes us all want to be beautiful.

Synesius answers Dio Chrysostom's lost Encomium of Hair, which he quotes in part (pp. 180–183).
Krabinger's pages begin and end mid-sentence; each page is translated as far as its Greek runs. The OCR is rough: obvious misreadings are translated by sense; only larger slips and leaked notes are corrected.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: the work's title and Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΦΑΜΛΜΕΡΑΣ ἘΓΒΩΠΙ- Οκαν. ἴ. 2. κωμη: Νίατο. Δ. ΟΝ] Ὑπὲρ φαλάκρας Ἰναυν, Β. ΟΥ, τὸ ντἱά. Υ͂. ΟἹ. σεεὶ ἴα Τιεῖϊτο ἁ Τῆοπι. Νίορ. Ἑείορε. νοοο. Αἰΐος. ΝΗ͂, Ηδε6 βὰν ἴα Ὠίβοουτ Ὠΐοη Ρ. 263, 227, 283, 285φ 287, 5253. ΟΠτγεορίοτηεν ἱπεϊτυ]έ ΕἸοΒ6 ἀο εὐ. Πιϊοο. περὶ φαλάκρας ἰάθπι οπονοίωτο. ογάο, 1830. 8. Ρ. 5. Ῥ- 138. “10γος κατὰ κόμῃς καὶ κΞεηᾳ. ὑπὲρ φαλάκρας Ῥατίβ. Β. εἰ ΒατΡ. -, Τιὰ Οοἀά, οπιηεδ. δῆτα να]. Ἐγκώμιον περὶ φαλάκρας Νῖδτο. δή τοι Τῆοπι. ΝΝΙ86. Ρ. 265.. Α. θ8εὰ ἰπεοτίριϊο φαλάκρας ἐγκώ- δὲ μιον εοπτπιδῖυτ ποῦ θοϊυτη -ὀ 4. γὰρ Ῥατ. Β. Ποίη ὅλος ὁ αἰχυ θεοί τοΐθ εἰ οριϊτιῖ5 ἰδ τὶθ, βεὰ λόγος ῖαγο. Β. Ατιίου]αθ δηΐο εἰΐδτι ἃ Νίεσρλοτο Οαἰϊίείο Ηΐεῖ. φύσει ἱπιετοϊάϊε ἴα ἙάΔὰ, Ῥεῖαν. «ςε!. ΧΙ͂Υ. 55. Τ. 1]. Ρ. 571. Ο., Νίοη. Ὁ. οχμὶθεθαὶ τῇ φύσει δὲ, Ἰαεςατγίο ΟἈγγεοςερῆαϊο οβεὶ. αυοὰ νυἱτίυπι τος. τὰ. οοτγοχὶὶ ἀ6- 8}. ῬιΠοίδοπ. Δηοοάοιι. Ογ, Τί Ἰεῖο δειΐο. τῇ] εἱ δὰ τηδσξ. αἀὐϊθοιὶθ → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 175 (Krabinger 1:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/175). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/175

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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 176

176Krabinger 1:176

καὶ θρὶξ ἀπεῤῥύῃ, μέσην αὐτὴν δέδηγμαι τὴν καρδίαν" καὶ ἐπειδὴ προιέκειτο μᾶλλον, ἄλλῃς ἐπ᾿ ἄλλῃ πιπτούσης, ἤδη δὲ καὶ σύνδυο καὶ κατὰ πλείου,, καὶ ὁ πόλεμος λαμπρὸς ἦν, ἀγομένης καὶ φερομένης τῇς ὕκεφαλῇι!, τότε δὴ, τότε χαλεπώτερα πάσχειν ᾧμην, Ὁ ὑπ᾽ ᾿Αρχιδάμου τοὺς ᾿Αθηναίου; ἐπὶ τῇ δενδροτομίᾳ τῶν ᾿Αχαρνῶν 1}), ταχύ τε ἀπεδείχθην ἀνεπιτήδευτος Ἷ) Εὐβοεὺς, οὖς ὄπιθεν κομόωντας ἱεράτευσεν ἐπὶ Τροιαν ἡ ποίγσι,. Ἐν ᾧ τίνα μὲν θεῶν, τίνα δὲ δαι- Ἰθμόνων παρῆλθον ἀκατηγόρητον; ᾿Επεθέμην δὲ καὶ ᾿Επικούρου τι γράφειν ἐγκώμιον, οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ

kai thrix aperrhyę̄, mesēn autēn dedēgmai tēn kardian" kai epeidē proiekeito mallon, allę̄s ep᾿ allę̄ piptousēs, ēdē de kai syndyo kai kata pleiou,, kai ho polemos lampros ēn, agomenēs kai pheromenēs tę̄s hykephalę̄i!, tote dē, tote chalepōtera paschein hǭmēn, Ho hyp᾽ ᾿Archidamou tous ᾿Athēnaiou? epi tę̄ dendrotomią tōn ᾿Acharnōn 1}), tachy te apedeichthēn anepitēdeutos Hi) Euboeus, ous opithen komoōntas hierateusen epi Troian hē poigsi,. En hǭ tina men theōn, tina de dai- Ithmonōn parēlthon akatēgorēton? ᾿Epethemēn de kai ᾿Epikourou ti graphein enkōmion, ou kata tauta

and hair after hair flowed away, I was bitten to the very heart. And when it advanced further, one hair falling after another, and now two at a time and more, and the war was in full blaze, my head being plundered and pillaged, then, then indeed I thought I suffered worse than the Athenians suffered at Archidamus's hands when he cut down the trees of Acharnae; and I was soon shown, without trying, to be one of the Euboeans whom the poem marshals against Troy "long-haired behind." Which of the gods, which of the daemons, did I then leave unaccused? I even set out to write an encomium of Epicurus, not in the same spirit …

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius tells how his hair fell out like an army ravaging a countryside, leaving him bald in front; he blamed the gods.

"Long-haired behind": Homer, Iliad 2.542 (the Abantes of Euboea). The Spartan ravaging of Acharnae is in Thucydides 2.19–20.
The sentence breaks off; the next page begins elsewhere, so lines are probably lost in the OCR.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): “. ἀπεβρύει Τιαατ. Β. ου.. πλείοσι. --ο καταπλείοσι (ους ἃ Ῥτ. → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 2.542 (Homer, Iliad; quotation); Thucydides, 2.19-20 (Thucydides, History; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 176 (Krabinger 1:176; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/176). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/176

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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 177

177Krabinger 1:177

μὴν " ἀντιδηξόμενον. ᾿Ελεγον γὰρ ὅτι ποῦ τὰ τῇ! ῃ προνοίας ἐν τῷ παρ᾽ ἀξίαν ἑκάτου; Μαὶ τί γὰρ ἀδικῶν ἐγὼ φανοῦμαι ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἀειδέξερος; Οὐ δεινὸν, εἰ ταῖς ἱκ γειτόνων " τὰ γὰρ ἐς ἀφροδίτην " ἐγὼ δικαιότατος, κἂν τῷ Βελλεροφόντῃ σωφροσύνης ἀμφιρβητήσαιμι. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ μήτηρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδελφαὶ, φασὶ, τῷ κάλλει τὶ νέμουσι τῶν ἀῤῥένων"

mēn " antidēxomenon. ᾿Elegon gar hoti pou ta tę̄! ę̄ pronoias en tǭ par᾽ axian hekatou? Mai ti gar adikōn egō phanoumai tais gynaixin aeidexeros? Ou deinon, ei tais hik geitonōn " ta gar es aphroditēn " egō dikaiotatos, kan tǭ Bellerophontę̄ sōphrosynēs amphirbētēsaimi. ᾿Alla kai mētēr, alla kai adelphai, phasi, tǭ kallei ti nemousi tōn arrhenōn"

… to bite back. For I said: where is providence, when each gets what he does not deserve? What wrong have I done, that I shall look uglier to women? Not that it matters as regards the neighbours' wives — in matters of love I am most upright, and might contend with Bellerophon for chastity. But even a mother, even sisters, they say, give something to the beauty of their males;

Notes and citation

Summary: In his grief Synesius questioned providence: he was chaste, yet even mothers and sisters favour handsome men.

Only a few lines of this page survive in the OCR; the beginning is lost.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΟΓ, Βοϊεεοπαά, Δυοςδά. 6τ. νοϊ. ἑκάσῳ ἰΐοπν Ἰιαθοαὶ Μοη, Ε. εἰ ΤΙ. Ρ. 262. πη οτὰ Νίεοτηι. ει → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 177 (Krabinger 1:177; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/177). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/177

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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 178

178Krabinger 1:178

ἐδήλωσε δὲ καὶ Παρύσατι;, ᾿ἀρταξέρξυην.τὸν βασιλέα διὰ Κύρον τὸν καλὸν ἀποεςέρξασα. Ταῦτ᾽ ὃ ἄρα ἱποτνιώμην, καὶ μικρὸν οὐδὲν ἐπε.-' νόουν περὶ τῇς συμφορᾶ,. ᾿Επεὶ δὲ ὃ τε) χρόνος αὐ τὴν συνηθεξέραν ἱποίησε, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἀντειριὼν κατεξανί:η ὅ τοῦ πάθου;, τὸ δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπεξίτατο, δ᾽ διὰ ταῦτα ῥάᾷων ὅδ) ἦν καὶ ἀνέφερον" νυνὶ δὲ ἀνθυπήνεγκεν αὐτὸ ῥιῦμα ἕτερον οὗτὸς αὐτὸς ὁ “]ίων, καὶ ἢ ἐπανήπει μοι μετὰ συνηγόρουι Πρὸς δύο δὲ, Ιθοφησὶν ὁ λόγος, οὐδ᾽ ᾿Ηρακλῇς, εἰ τοὺς Πολιονίδας ἐκ λόχου προπεσόνταίῤ οὐκ ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ὗ ὕδραν ἀγωνιδόμενος, τέως μὲν εἶς ἑνὶ συνεφεήκεσαν 5. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ καρκίνος αὐτῇ παριγένετο, κἂν ἀπεῖπεν, ιἱ μὴ τὴν ᾿Ιόλεω συμμαχίαν ἀντιπηγάγετο. άγώ μοι δοκῶ παραπλήσιόν τι παθεῖν ὑπὸ “]Ζίωνος, οὐκ ἔχων ἀδελφιδοῦν τὸν ᾿Ιὐλεων. Πάλιν οὖν ἐκλαθόἅενο; ἐμαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν λογισμῶν, ἐλεγεῖα ποιῶ, : θρηνῶν ἐπὶ τῇ κόμῃ. Σὺ δὲ ἐπειδὴ φαλακρῶν μὲν

edēlōse de kai Parysati?, ᾿artaxerxyēn.ton basilea dia Kyron ton kalon apoeserxasa. Taut᾽ ho ara hipotniōmēn, kai mikron ouden epe.-' nooun peri tę̄s symphora,. ᾿Epei de ho te) chronos au tēn synēthexeran hipoiēse, kai ho logos anteiriōn katexani:ē ho tou pathou?, to de kata mikron hypexitato, d᾽ dia tauta rhaąōn hod) ēn kai anepheron" nyni de anthypēnenken auto rhiyma heteron houtos autos ho “]iōn, kai ē epanēpei moi meta synēgoroui Pros dyo de, Ithophēsin ho logos, oud᾽ ᾿Ēraklę̄s, ei tous Polionidas ek lochou propesontair ouk ēnenken, alla kai pros tēn Hy hydran agōnidomenos, teōs men eis heni synepheēkesan 5. Epei de ho karkinos autę̄ parigeneto, kan apeipen, hii mē tēn ᾿Ioleō symmachian antipēgageto. agō moi dokō paraplēsion ti pathein hypo “]Ziōnos, ouk echōn adelphidoun ton ᾿Iyleōn. Palin oun eklathoaeno? emautou te kai tōn logismōn, elegeia poiō, : thrēnōn epi tę̄ komę̄. Sy de epeidē phalakrōn men

as Parysatis showed, who turned against King Artaxerxes for the sake of handsome Cyrus. So I lamented these things and thought my misfortune no small one. But when time made it more familiar, and reason resisted and rose up against the feeling, and the feeling gradually gave way, I was easier for that reason and recovered. But now this same Dio has brought on another flood against me, and it has come back on me with an advocate. "Against two," says the saying, "not even Heracles" — if he could not withstand the sons of Molione when they fell on him from ambush. Even in his fight with the Hydra, as long as it was one against one, he held out; but when the crab came to its aid, he would have given up, had he not brought in Iolaus as his ally. I seem to have suffered something similar at Dio's hands, not having a nephew Iolaus. So again, forgetting myself and my reasonings, I compose elegies lamenting my hair. But you, since, though bald, you

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius had come to terms with baldness until Dio's speech renewed his grief, like the crab that joined the Hydra against Heracles.

Parysatis favoured her younger son Cyrus over Artaxerxes II (Xenophon, Anabasis 1.1). "Not even Heracles against two" is a proverb (Plato, Phaedo 89c).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ᾿ ᾽ “. ΔΑΡοδὶ καὶ ἃ Μοη. Ο. Ὠεῖα → .

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaed. 89c (Plato (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 178 (Krabinger 1:178; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/178). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/178

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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 179

179Krabinger 1:179

ἐμπάδῃ τῷς συμφορᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ, ὅταν: ἔξνους προκειμένου μετώπων ἐξέτασις γίνηται ᾽, σαυτὸν ἐπιλέγεις, ὧς ἐπ᾿ ἀγαθῷ δὴ ἔινι φιλοτιμούμενος, οὐκδοῦν ἀνάσχου τοῦ λόγου, καὶ τήρησον ἐν. πείσῃ, φασὶ 2, τὴν καρδίαν, ὥςπερ ὁ Ὀδυσσεὺς πρὸς τὴν ἀναγωγίαν τῶν γυναικῶν ἀνέκπληκτος ἔμεινε" καὶ σὺ πειρῶ μηδὲν ὑπὸ τούτου͵ παθεῖν., ᾿Αλλ᾽ιιούκ, ἂν δύναιο; Τί φής; αὶ μὴν δυνήσῃ. Τοιγαροῦν 'ἄκαονε. “εῖ δὲ οὐδὲν ἐξελίττειν τὸ βιβλίον, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ἱρῷ. αὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ πολύειχόν ἐξι" γλαφυρὸν;

empadę̄ tǭs symphoras, alla kai, hotan: exnous prokeimenou metōpōn exetasis ginētai ᾽, sauton epilegeis, hōs ep᾿ agathǭ dē eini philotimoumenos, oukdoun anaschou tou logou, kai tērēson en. peisę̄, phasi 2, tēn kardian, hōsper ho Odysseus pros tēn anagōgian tōn gynaikōn anekplēktos emeine" kai sy peirō mēden hypo toutou͵ pathein., ᾿All᾽iiouk, an dynaio? Ti phēs? ai mēn dynēsę̄. Toigaroun 'akaone. “ei de ouden exelittein to biblion, all᾽ autos hirǭ. ai gar oude polyeichon exi" glaphyron?

pay no heed to the misfortune, but even, when a review of foreheads is held in company, count yourself in, priding yourself on it as on a good thing — well then, bear with the speech, and keep your heart "in obedience," as they say, as Odysseus remained undismayed at the misconduct of the women; you too, try to be unaffected by it. But you could not? What do you say? Indeed you will be able. So listen. There is no need to unroll the book; I will tell it myself. For it is not long, and it is elegant;

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius addresses a bald friend who is proud of his baldness and offers to recite Dio's speech from memory.

"Keep your heart in obedience": Homer, Odyssey 20.23, of Odysseus restraining his anger at the maidservants.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): μέγξρεν καὶ τὸ τοριτοΐ εχ Ῥατΐββ Τ,λυττ. Ἢ ἪΝ ἐν ὙΠόσῃ [ετ- ποιίαε ᾿Πισν. ἜΝ Μοι. ΑΒΏΕ. γι. Μάγος Πρ μὰ. Παοδιπᾶηηι. σὰ Γιγοορῃε, Αἰεχαὴ τ. 15.-. δοκεῖ Μοη. ΕΞ τ νυ Υοῖ, }» Ρ. 25...οὃ..27.}, τοῦτ '-ἔει διάνοῦ ᾿ φροντίδες ἰ(Οοἀά. τουτέει), παρασκεύασρν σε- → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Od. 20.23 (Homer, Odyssey; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 179 (Krabinger 1:179; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/179). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/179

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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 180

180Krabinger 1:180

Κάλλο) αὐτοῦ 'προρμδάνει τῇ μνήμῃ ὥςτε οὐδὲ βοῦ. ἱλόμινον ἐπιλαθέσθαι με.} οἱόν τε.; "- Ἡλι ς,ὅτ'. εὐ» ε} οὐναςὰς ξωθὲν, καὶ ἑούς 'θεούὺς προριπὼν, ὅπερ ζωθα,ἰπεμελούμην "τῆς κόμη "καὶ γὰρ ἱἰτύγχανον μα- "σλακώτερον τὸ σῶλμια ἔχων" ἡὶ δὲ ἠμέλητο᾽ ἔν πλείονος. "Πάνὸ-. γοῦν συνέερραλπτο, καὶ συνεπέπλεκτο ὅ τὰ Ὁ πολλὰ αὐτῇ!, οἷον τῶν ὀΐων τὰ πεῤὶ τοῖς σκέλεσιῤ αἰώρούμενα". πολὺ δὲ) ταῦτα σκληρότερα ὦ, ἄν ἐκ λεπτο-Π΄ τίρων δυμβεμλεγμῖνα τῶν τριχῶν. Ἦν οὖν ὀφθῦναι 10τὲ ἀγρίᾳ ΕΙ κόμν καὶ βαρεῖα " μόλις δὲ διελύετο, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ. αὐτῇς ἀπεσπᾶτο ἴ). καὶ διετείνετο: Οὐκοῦν ἐπήει μοι τοὺς φιλοκόμου; ἐπαινεῖν ' οἱ ὅ) φιλόκαλοι ὄντες καὶ τὰς κόμας περὶ πλείφσου ποιούμενοι ἐπιμελοὺνται οὐ ῥᾳθύμω;,. ἀλλὰ κάλαμόν τινα ἔχουσιν ἀεὶ ")δ; μ, ᾿ ᾿ ᾿ μω “

Kallo) autou 'prormdanei tę̄ mnēmę̄ hōste oude bou. hilominon epilathesthai me.} hoion te.? "- Hēli s,hot'. eu» e} ounasas xōthen, kai heous 'theouys proripōn, hoper zōtha,ipemeloumēn "tēs komē "kai gar hiitynchanon ma- "slakōteron to sōlmia echōn" hēi de ēmelēto᾽ en pleionos. "Pano-. goun syneerralpto, kai synepeplekto ho ta Ho polla autę̄!, hoion tōn oïōn ta peri tois skelesir aiōroumena". poly de) tauta sklērotera ō, an ek lepto-P΄ tirōn dymbemlegmina tōn trichōn. Ēn oun ophthynai 10te agrią EI komn kai bareia " molis de dielyeto, kai ta polla. autę̄s apespato i). kai dieteineto: Oukoun epēei moi tous philokomou? epainein ' hoi ho) philokaloi ontes kai tas komas peri pleiphsou poioumenoi epimelountai ou rhąthymō?,. alla kalamon tina echousin aei ")d? m, ᾿ ᾿ ᾿ mō “

its beauty takes hold of the memory, so that I could not forget it even if I wished. "Rising at dawn and addressing the gods, as is my custom, I attended to my hair; for I happened to be somewhat unwell in body, and it had been neglected for a long time. Much of it had become matted and tangled, like the tufts of sheep that hang about their legs — and these are much harder, being tangled out of finer hairs. So it was wild and heavy to look at; it would barely come apart, and much of it was torn out and stretched. So it occurred to me to praise the lovers of long hair, who, being lovers of beauty and setting great store by their hair, care for it not idly but always have a reed

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius quotes the opening of Dio's speech: combing his neglected, matted hair, Dio was moved to praise those who love long hair.

Pages 180–183 quote Dio Chrysostom, Encomium of Hair (preserved only here).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΗΠ.. Η᾽ ΨΌ τον ἡ. δὲ οτι. Ὗῖ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 180 (Krabinger 1:180; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/180). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/180

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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 181

181Krabinger 1:181

ἐν '᾿αὐτῇ. τῇ. κόμῃ, ᾧ ξαίνουσιν αὐτὴν, ὅταν σχολὴν. ἄγωσι" καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ, χαλεπώτατον ᾿,. χαμαὶ κοιμώμενοε φυλάττουσιν ὅπως; μηδέποτε, ἅψωνται τῇς γ7:» ὑπερείδοντες ὑπὰ τὴν κεφαλὴν μικρὸν ξύλον, δόπω, ἀπέχῃ τῦι γῆ. ὧν! πλεῖστον, καὶ μάλλον φροντί- Η ἔουσι τοῦ καθαρὰν͵ φέρειν τὴν κόμην, ὃ, τοῦ ἡδέως κα- Βεύδειν" ἡ μὲν γὰρ καλού, τε "καὶ φοβεροὺς ᾽. ἔοικε ποιεῖν" ὁ δὲ ὕπνος, κὰν πάνυ ἡδὺ, ᾧ, βραδεῖς τε καὶ ἀφυλάκτου. “]οκοῦσι δέ, μοι ἱκαὶ. “Μακεδαιμόνιοι

en '᾿autę̄. tę̄. komę̄, hǭ xainousin autēn, hotan scholēn. agōsi" kai touto dē to, chalepōtaton ᾿,. chamai koimōmenoe phylattousin hopōs? mēdepote, hapsōntai tę̄s g7:» hypereidontes hypa tēn kephalēn mikron xylon, dopō, apechę̄ tui gē. hōn! pleiston, kai mallon phronti- Ē eousi tou katharan͵ pherein tēn komēn, ho, tou hēdeōs ka- Beudein" hē men gar kalou, te "kai phoberous ᾽. eoike poiein" ho de hypnos, kan pany hēdy, hǭ, bradeis te kai aphylaktou. “]okousi de, moi hikai. “Makedaimonioi

in their hair, with which they comb it when they have leisure. And — what is hardest — when they sleep on the ground they take care that it never touches the earth, propping a small piece of wood under their heads so that it is held as far from the earth as possible; they care more about keeping their hair clean than about sleeping comfortably. For hair seems to make them handsome and fearsome, while sleep, however sweet, makes them slow and off guard. And the Lacedaemonians, too, seem to me

Notes and citation

Summary: Dio's speech continues: lovers of long hair comb it constantly and sleep on wooden headrests to keep it clean.

The quotation breaks off here; the next page begins elsewhere, so lines are probably lost in the OCR.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 181 (Krabinger 1:181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/181). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/181

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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 182

182Krabinger 1:182

ἄλλο σῶμα ἐπαινεῖ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μόνον τοὺ! Ἔλλῃηύας ᾿ἐἑλίκωπας καλεῖ" ἀλλ᾽ οὔδὲν ἧττον καὶ ᾽τὸν ᾿4γα- Μέμνονα' τὸ "κοινὸν ἐκὶ τοῖς “Ελλησὶν" ἀπὸ δὲ τῇ κόμὴ ᾿πάνταρ " πρῶξόν μὲν ᾿Αχιλλία, διττὰ ἸαΔ ομ, τ “ἔανθη, δὲ κόμης ἴλε Πηλείωνα" (' ἔπειτα Μινἐλεὼν 347; ξανθὸν ἑπονομιάδων ἀπὸ τ! κό- ΠΝ τῇ: δὲ “Ἕκτορο χἀΐτη! μέμνηται, 5.5 μρδηδο ἐὩτ τ Ἐὲ πεν τς ἀμφὶ δὲ 'χαῖται 'ποάδνεαὶ. πεφύρῃντο.

allo sōma epainei autou kai ou monon tou! Ellę̄ēuas ᾿heelikōpas kalei" all᾽ ouden hētton kai ᾽ton ᾿4ga- Memnona' to "koinon eki tois “Ellēsin" apo de tę̄ komē ᾿pantar " prōxon men ᾿Achillia, ditta IaD om, t “eanthē, de komēs ile Pēleiōna" (' epeita Mineleōn 347? xanthon heponomiadōn apo t! ko- PN tę̄: de “Hektoro chaïtē! memnētai, 5.5 mrdēdo heŌt t Ee pen ts amphi de 'chaitai 'poadneai. pephyrę̄nto.

… he praises … and not only calls the Greeks "quick-eyed" but no less Agamemnon too, which is common to the Greeks; but he praises them all from their hair. First Achilles: "… she seized the son of Peleus by his yellow hair"; then Menelaus, calling him "fair-haired" from his hair; and he mentions Hector's locks: "… and about him his dark hair spread out,"

Notes and citation

Summary: Dio notes that Homer praises his heroes for their hair: Achilles, Menelaus, Hector.

The beginning of the page is lost in the OCR. Quotations: Iliad 1.197 (Athena seizes Achilles by the hair); Menelaus is "fair-haired" (ξανθός) throughout Homer; Iliad 22.401–402 (Hector's hair in the dust).

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 1.197 (Homer, Iliad; quotation); Homer, Il. 22.401-402 (Homer, Iliad; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 182 (Krabinger 1:182; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/182). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/182

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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 183

183Krabinger 1:183

Ἰυάνεαι δ᾽ ἐγένοντο ἔθειραι " πάλιν δ᾽ 3}) ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ" Π} -- - - - -- καδδὲ κάρητος Οὖλας ὁκε κόμαι, ὑακινθίνῳ ἄνθει ὁμοίαις. ὃ αὶ πρέπειν. γε μάλλον τοῖς ἀνδράσι φαίνεται καθ᾽ Ὅμηρον ὁ κόσμιος ὁ τῶν τριχῶν ἡ ταῖς γυναϊξί. Γυναικῶν γοῦν περὶ κάλλους διεξιὼν, οὐ τοσαυτάκις φαίνεται κόμης μεμνημένος, ἐπεί τοι καὶ τῶν θεῶν τὰς μὲν θηλείας ἄλλως ἐπαινεῖ" χρυσὴν γὰρ ᾿Αφροδίτην 3, καὶ βοῶπιν Ἥραν, καὶ Θέτιν ἀργυρόπεξαν. “ἢ Τοῦ “]Πὸς δὲ μάλιςα ἐπαινεὶ τὰς χαίτας" ᾿“ἱμβρόσιτχι δ᾽ ἄρα χαῖται ἐπεῤῥώσαντο ἄνακτος. Ταυτὶ μὲν σοι τὰ “]ωνοι. ᾿Ατὰρ ἴ), ὦ; οὐδὲ μάντις εἰμὶ πονηρὸς, δειν Ὦ Θρασύμαχον ἐρυθριῶντα ὀψό-

Iyaneai d᾽ egenonto etheirai " palin d᾽ 3}) epi tou autou" P} -- - - - -- kadde karētos Oulas hoke komai, hyakinthinǭ anthei homoiais. ho ai prepein. ge mallon tois andrasi phainetai kath᾽ Homēron ho kosmios ho tōn trichōn hē tais gynaïxi. Gynaikōn goun peri kallous diexiōn, ou tosautakis phainetai komēs memnēmenos, epei toi kai tōn theōn tas men thēleias allōs epainei" chrysēn gar ᾿Aphroditēn 3, kai boōpin Hēran, kai Thetin argyropexan. “ē Tou “]Pos de malisa epainei tas chaitas" ᾿“himbrositchi d᾽ ara chaitai eperrhōsanto anaktos. Tauti men soi ta “]ōnoi. ᾿Atar i), ō? oude mantis eimi ponēros, dein Ō Thrasymachon erythriōnta opso-

"and dark grew his locks"; and again of the same man: "and from his head she let fall curling locks, like the hyacinth flower." And according to Homer the adornment of hair seems to suit men more than women. At any rate, when he describes the beauty of women, he does not seem to mention hair so often; even among the gods he praises the goddesses in other ways — golden Aphrodite, ox-eyed Hera, silver-footed Thetis — but of Zeus he praises above all the locks: "and the ambrosial locks of the lord waved." These, then, are Dio's words for you. But, since I am no bad prophet, I expect I must see Thrasymachus blushing

Notes and citation

Summary: Dio concludes that Homer honours hair in men, and in Zeus above all, more than in women; Synesius now prepares his reply.

Quotations: Odyssey 16.176 and 6.230–231 (Odysseus); Iliad 1.529 (Zeus). "Thrasymachus blushing": Plato, Republic 1.350d, of an opponent forced to concede.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): δῦ ἡυοὰ τὸ γοῦν ἃ πι. ρτ. πδθοναι, πρὶ τοῦ κάλλους οχίδεπι Μίοη, ἀεϊεῖυ πὶ εεῖ. Α, Ῥατ. Ὁ. Υαι. ᾿ τρίχες 57. ἄλλως ἱπαινεῖ, χρυσὴν λί- → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Od. 16.176 (Homer, Odyssey; quotation); Homer, Od. 6.230-231 (Homer, Odyssey; quotation); Homer, Il. 1.529 (Homer, Iliad; quotation); Plato, Resp. 350d (Plato (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 183 (Krabinger 1:183; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/183). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/183

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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 184

184Krabinger 1:184

μενος. ᾿Αλλὰ περὶ ἱμὲ γὰῤ οὐκέτι) παραπλήσιον πά- 90, ἐγίνετο. Ἐομιδῇ γὲ τὸι τὴν πρώτην ἑαλωκὼς τοῦ λόγου, νῦν μοι δοκεῖ “ων λέγειν μὲν εἶναι δεινὸς, οὐκ ἔχειν δὲ ὃ τι καὶ λέγοι " λέγειν 'δέ ὅμως ὑπὸ πε. δριουσίας τοῦ δύνασθαι" Ἐπεί τοι πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερο! ἂν φανῆναι, τοὐναντίον ἐπαινέσαι προιλόμενος, τὸ καθ᾽᾿ ἡμαᾶ, πρᾶγμια τῇς κεφαλὴ. Ὃ γὰῤ ἐν" ἀπόροις εὔπορος τί ᾿ἂν ἐποίησεν, ἐμπισὼν ὕλῃ χωρούσῃ τὴν δύναμιν; Ιγυνὶ δὲ οὖσης αὐτῷ' κόμης "καὶ τέχνης, ἰχρή- Ἰ0σάτο τῇ τέχνῃ περὶ τῆς κόμην ἴ). 'Ὥς δὲ καὶ πανούρ-᾿ γως ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ βιβλίον παρήγαγεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἕτερός τί, δ) σιν ὁ ἐν τῷ. λόγῳ' φιλόκομλιος, ὁ τῷ καλάμῳ καλλύνων τὴν κόμην, ἀλλ᾽ οὗτος αὐτὸς, ὅτῳ ποτὲ τῷ καλάμῳ τὸν λόγον ξυνέγραψεν. Εἰ δὲ κἀγὼ Ιῦ φαλακρός εἰμι, καὶ δύναμαι λέγειν, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦ πράγματός; πλέονι κάλλιόν ἔειν, ᾽ ἰγὼ “ίωνος οὐκ ἀνταποδίχείρων, τὶ Ὁμαι, καὶ λαμβάνω πεῖραν τοὶ.

menos. ᾿Alla peri hime gar ouketi) paraplēsion pa- 90, egineto. Eomidę̄ ge toi tēn prōtēn healōkōs tou logou, nyn moi dokei “ōn legein men einai deinos, ouk echein de ho ti kai legoi " legein 'de homōs hypo pe. driousias tou dynasthai" Epei toi pollǭ thaumasiōtero! an phanēnai, tounantion epainesai proilomenos, to kath᾽᾿ hēmaa, pragmia tę̄s kephalē. Ho gar en" aporois euporos ti ᾿an epoiēsen, empisōn hylę̄ chōrousę̄ tēn dynamin? Igyni de ousēs autǭ' komēs "kai technēs, ichrē- I0sato tę̄ technę̄ peri tēs komēn i). 'Hōs de kai panour-᾿ gōs heauton eis to biblion parēgagen. Ou gar heteros ti, d) sin ho en tǭ. logǭ' philokomlios, ho tǭ kalamǭ kallynōn tēn komēn, all᾽ houtos autos, hotǭ pote tǭ kalamǭ ton logon xynegrapsen. Ei de kagō Iy phalakros eimi, kai dynamai legein, kai to pragma tou pragmatos? pleoni kallion eein, ᾽ igō “iōnos ouk antapodicheirōn, ti Homai, kai lambanō peiran toi.

here. For with me it no longer turned out the same way. Though at first I was entirely captured by the speech, now Dio seems to me clever at speaking but to have nothing to say, and yet to speak all the same out of a surplus of ability. He would have appeared far more wonderful if he had chosen to praise the opposite, our condition of the head. For one who is resourceful where there are no resources, what would he not have done had he come upon material that gave his power room? As it is, having hair and having art, he used his art on his hair. And how slyly he brought himself into the book! For the lover of long hair in the speech, who beautifies his hair with a reed, is none other than he himself, with whatever reed he wrote the speech. But if I too am bald and can speak, and my subject is finer than his by a good margin, should I not answer Dio in kind, and make trial

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius judges Dio clever but empty, and resolves to answer him by praising baldness, the finer subject.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Β. τοᾶπα Ἂδθου]δ ΧΙΥ͂, δὰ- ἰθοοταὶ ᾿ ακεβεϊάϊιις θ811ν. οτἶϊ. ἀϊιὰ πδοεθυηῖ: Οὐ (ἱ. ε. σημειοῦ, Ῥ. 1Υ0 ρ.. 117. εἱ πυροῦ Υ͂. (ΟἹ. νοὶ σημείωσαι, νεὶ σῃμειωτίον. Υἱ ἃ, Οεεϊλις Ἐρίδι, Ἰ4ν ἃ, Ρ. 18. κετὶ δὶ δολασίεν οἱ Βα:ι. δὰ Οτοβοτ. Οοσ. ἰυθοὶ! δοβροηιϊεπιΐθη9 Οοάά, δ. Ῥ- 215. 64.}" ἐκ τῆι ἃ τῶν τοῦ Ο' Ἧι. εἰ Νίδις, Δ. πλάτωνος πολιτειῶν (Ρ. 350. ΏὨ.)" 60. χορηγούσρ ἴ,δυτ. Β. τότε καὶ εἶδον ἐγὼ, πρότερον δὴῇ᾽ ἀΦ, λαρὰ τῆς κόμης Νίοα, ΒΏ. εύσω, θρλαύμαχον θρυδριώνμες 8. τίς οτν. 1,8ιτ. Β. εἰ Νῖδτο. Α. Μ 8... ΑΟ. η... Βεμὰ, Μεοσπι. οὐκ ἔτι νυ]. φ: καλλύναι Τιδυτ. Β. Βεῖΐα παραλόγου, πα τῦβ. ἃὉ αἱ... 10. Δειΐοηϊυπι δηῖε καλάμῳ πι. τὸ παραπλήσιον ἸΝΙεοτιη. Δτ- τοοερὶ εχ Ῥδτ. ΑΒΟ. [1Ἃμδιτ. Α. εἰουϊατπι τὸ δπῖα παραπλήσιον, Βοιν. Μοα, ΛῈ. Νίασο. Δ. Ῥεο ἀυετν ἐπ Τυδυτ. Β. τεο. τὰ. βὰ- ξυνέγραψεν Ἰορίϊην ἔξυνέγραφεν ἴῃ Ῥετβογί μοί, ἰΐοτι ἐχμίθεπι Βατσ. αν. ΔΒ. [,θυττ. Βδερ. ΝΜίοπαςες. ΑΟ. Μοη. Α. αι. εἰ Ματοο. οἱ ΝΜίαγοο. ἔννέγραφε ἵπ Ῥατ, Ὁ. ΔΒ. ος. πάθος, οπιίδευτα ἴα σδυνέγραφεν ἴῃ Ῥατ. Ο. εἰ αι. Ὠ6 Νατο. Δ., Βατῦ. ἃ 8. πὶ. ἰπίος Ἰιοσαπλ ἰοιηροτθηῦ οοηξυδίοπο ᾿ἰδυὰ ἱπίγοσμοηιϊ νἱὰ, Απεοῖδε, νοῖβ. Πδθεὶ.. δὰ Οαρ. ΧΥ͂. ρ. το., εἱ Βοΐ-- → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 184 (Krabinger 1:184; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/184). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/184

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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 185

185Krabinger 1:185

ἐμαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῇς ὑποθθέσεως, εἰ ἄρα δυναίμην ἀντιπεριτῆσαι τοῖς κομήταις τὸ ὄνειδος; ᾿Εῤῶ 'δὲ, οὔτε προοιμιασάμενο; ἀκμαὶόν τι καὶ τορὸν, οἵῳ τοὺς ἀγωνιεικοὺς λόγους οἱ ῥήτορες, ὥιπερ ἐμβόλοις τὰρ τριή: ἄρεις ὁπλίδουσιν, οὔτε προάσαι, ὅπερ “]ίων ἐποίησε; μέλος ἀναβεβλημίνον καὶ λιγυρὸν, ἅτε κιθαρῳδικοῦ νόμου, τοῦ λόγου προανακρουσάμενοι " ᾿Αναςας ἕωθεν, “καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς προφειπὼν, ὅπερ εἴωθα, ἐπεμελὸύμὴν τῆς κόμη. αὶ γὰρ ἐτύγχανον μαλακώτερον τὸ Ἰθσώμια ἔχων " ἡ δὲ ἡμέλητο ἐκ πλείονος. ᾿ἰάθ᾽ οὕτω προϊὼν διὰ τῶν συμπτωμάτων τὴς ἀμελείας ν)͵, ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς κατὰςὰς εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς ἐπιμελείας. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἡμᾶς δρῶσιν οἱ δεινοὶ τῶν λόγων δημιουργοί" νῦν μὲν κηλοῦσι, νῦν δὲ καταπλήττουσιν. ᾿Εγὼ δὲ δυναί- ἢ τ μην οὐ χεῖρον ἐτέρου συνιέναι περὶ πραγμιάτων᾽ ῥη. τορικὴν δὲ οὐκ ἐργάδομαι, ἀλλὰ προὐεησάμῃην τοῦ βίου τέχνας δύο, φυτγκομεῖν τε καὶ κυνοκομεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν ͵ θηρίων τὰ ἀλκιμώτατα. “]1ἀκτυλοι δὲ οὗτοι σκαφίσι

emautou te kai tę̄s hypoththeseōs, ei ara dynaimēn antiperitēsai tois komētais to oneidos? ᾿Erō 'de, oute prooimiasameno? akmaion ti kai toron, hoiǭ tous agōnieikous logous hoi rhētores, hōiper embolois tar triē: areis hoplidousin, oute proasai, hoper “]iōn epoiēse? melos anabeblēminon kai ligyron, hate kitharǭdikou nomou, tou logou proanakrousamenoi " ᾿Anasas heōthen, “kai tous theous propheipōn, hoper eiōtha, epemeloumēn tēs komē. ai gar etynchanon malakōteron to Ithsōmia echōn " hē de hēmelēto ek pleionos. ᾿iath᾽ houtō proïōn dia tōn symptōmatōn tēs ameleias n)͵, elathen hēmas katasas eis epainon tēs epimeleias. Tauta gar hēmas drōsin hoi deinoi tōn logōn dēmiourgoi" nyn men kēlousi, nyn de kataplēttousin. ᾿Egō de dynai- ē t mēn ou cheiron eterou synienai peri pragmiatōn᾽ rhē. torikēn de ouk ergadomai, alla proueēsamę̄ēn tou biou technas dyo, phytnkomein te kai kynokomein epi tōn ͵ thēriōn ta alkimōtata. “]1aktyloi de houtoi skaphisi

of myself and my subject, to see whether I can turn the reproach round against the long-haired? I shall speak without a vigorous and piercing prelude, such as the rhetors use to arm their combative speeches, as triremes are armed with rams, and without singing a prelude, as Dio did — a drawn-out, shrill tune, as though striking up a citharode's nome before his speech: "Rising at dawn and addressing the gods, as is my custom, I attended to my hair; for I happened to be somewhat unwell in body, and it had been neglected for a long time." And so, going on through the consequences of the neglect, he slipped unnoticed into praise of care. This is what the clever craftsmen of speeches do to us: now they charm, now they astound. I could understand matters no worse than another; but I do not practise rhetoric. I have chosen two crafts for my life, tending plants and keeping hounds for hunting the most valiant of beasts. These fingers have been worn by mattocks

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius will reply plainly, without Dio's rhetorical preludes, for he is a farmer and huntsman, not a rhetor.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 185 (Krabinger 1:185; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/185). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/185

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-phalakras-185) · 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 186

186Krabinger 1:186

καὶ προβολίοις ἀντὶ καλάμων τετρίφαται, εἰ μὰ καλαμον λέγοις ἀντὶ τοῦ γραφέως τὸ ἐν βέλει. Τούτῳ μὲν γὰρ. οὐδὲν θαυμαςὸν εἰ καὶ προιςτετῴκασιν. Οὐ δὴ καταισχυνῶ τὰ πάτρια τῶν ἀγρῶν, οὐδε φαδνοῦμαι ερογγύλλων λογάρια, προοίμιά τινα καὶ προνόμμα" ἀλλ᾽ ὃ κράτιτον ἡγοῦμαι καὶ ἀγροίκῳ πρὸς δ τρόπου,. ψιλὰ! αὐτάς τῶν νοημάτων τὰς φάσεις εἰς μέσον κατατιθέμενο;, ἀγωνιοῦμαι τοὶς πράγμασι, μόνον

kai proboliois anti kalamōn tetriphatai, ei ma kalamon legois anti tou grapheōs to en belei. Toutǭ men gar. ouden thaumason ei kai proistetǭkasin. Ou dē kataischynō ta patria tōn agrōn, oude phadnoumai erongyllōn logaria, prooimia tina kai pronomma" all᾽ ho kratiton hēgoumai kai agroikǭ pros d tropou,. psila! autas tōn noēmatōn tas phaseis eis meson katatithemeno?, agōnioumai tois pragmasi, monon

and hunting spears instead of reeds — unless you mean by "reed" not the writer's but the one in an arrow; that it should have stood in front of these is no wonder. So I shall not shame the ancestral ways of the fields, nor shall I be caught rounding off little speeches, preludes and preambles; but doing what I think best and suited to a countryman, setting the bare statements of my thoughts before you, I shall contend with the facts alone,

Notes and citation

Summary: As a countryman, Synesius will argue his case with plain facts, not polished speeches.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ῃ 41. τοῦτο Νοη. Ο. τῷ Δι. Πεἴιδυτι. εἰ Μάσις. φυτοκομεῖν Ῥᾶτ. ὑπ δ μὲν οτη. Τδυτ, Β., εἰ γὰρ ΒΒ, ὁμπι ΒΔ}. διὰ ρτοθα ὑϊγᾶσ ἐπ ογοίαἑι ἴα Βεμά, διίς Νίδετνισ, 405 ἔογιια, Υἱ Δ. δελιαίίεγ. ἴιν τεττ, Ῥίο οὐδὲν εδι οὐ ἴιι Ῥατίκ8. 1υαυτ. εἰ νοτΡΡ. ἰπάϊο. δὰ ΔΙατίι. νυ. ἢ, ΜΊοα. ΑΒΟΌΏ. γι. εν ά. Ρτο- Ῥτγθοὶ! ἐχ οὐ: Βοίεε, Ρ' 138. "κδθ χίπιο καὶ ραποιῖς κυρροβὶὶς ἀ6δεοῖ.. δὰ Ῥιγγηΐοῖ, Ρ. 061. Βοίμον γος. Βατρ. Ποία [ὑδυγ. Α. Ὁ παὰ. Δηεσάοιι. Ο-. Υο]. 1]. Ὁ. προιτετήκασι. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 186 (Krabinger 1:186; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/186). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/186

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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 187

187Krabinger 1:187

εἰ τῇ, γλώττῃς τὸν τόνον ἀπὸ τῇς διαλέξεως εἰς ἐπι: σρόφὴν μεθαρμόσαιμι, ἀπὸ “Ιωρίου, φασὶν, ἐπὶ Φρύγιονὸ “]εῖ᾽ γὲ τοι πνεύματος 'ἀρκοῦντος ἐπιχειρήμασιν, “ἅττα μοι πολλὰ᾽ τὴν καρδίαν. ἀναδώσειν μιανὅ τεύολιαι. τ 1. ᾿Οὐμὸς οὖν λόγος ὁριεεὶ πάντων ὕπιεα, χρῆναι φαλακρὸν ἄνδρα αἰσχύνεσθαι, Τί γάρ, εἰ ψιλὴν "μὲν ἔχει ἦ τὴν κιφαλὴν, λάσιον δὲ τὸ φρονοῦν, οἷον τὸν “ἰακίδην ἡ ποίησις ὕμνησεν; ᾿4λλ' οὐτὸς γε ῥἡμέλει τῶν Β Ιθτριχῶν, ἂς καὶ δωρεῖται νεκρῷ, ἹΝεκρὸν γάρ τι") καὶ αὐται, καὶ τοὶς δῶσιν οὐ δῶντα μέρῃ παρύρτηνται, Ἰαύτῃ δ) τῶν δώων τὰ ἀλογώτερα κατὰ “χαντὸς αὖὐ- Ἱτὰς ὁ) ἠμφίεται τοῦ σώματος" ἄνθρωπος δὲ, ἐπεὶ μετεῖληφεν. ἐναργιτέρας δωΐε Ἶ), γυμνός ἐξε τῷ -πλείρῳ τὰ Ιόσυμφυοῦ; φορτίου" ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἀνεπίμικτον ὅδ) ὃν τῷς πρὸς πὰ θνητὰ κοινωνίας ἁλαξονεύηται, μέρεσιν

ei tę̄, glōttę̄s ton tonon apo tę̄s dialexeōs eis epi: srophēn metharmosaimi, apo “Iōriou, phasin, epi Phrygiono “]ei᾽ ge toi pneumatos 'arkountos epicheirēmasin, “hatta moi polla᾽ tēn kardian. anadōsein miano teuoliai. t 1. ᾿Oumos oun logos horieei pantōn hypiea, chrēnai phalakron andra aischynesthai, Ti gar, ei psilēn "men echei ē tēn kiphalēn, lasion de to phronoun, hoion ton “iakidēn hē poiēsis hymnēsen? ᾿4ll' outos ge rhēmelei tōn B Ithtrichōn, as kai dōreitai nekrǭ, HiNekron gar ti") kai autai, kai tois dōsin ou dōnta merę̄ paryrtēntai, Iautę̄ d) tōn dōōn ta alogōtera kata “chantos auy- Hitas ho) ēmphietai tou sōmatos" anthrōpos de, epei meteilēphen. enargiteras dōïe I), gymnos exe tǭ -pleirǭ ta Iosymphyou? phortiou" hina de mē anepimikton hod) hon tǭs pros pa thnēta koinōnias halaxoneuētai, meresin

if I were to change the pitch of my tongue from conversation to intensity — from the Dorian, as they say, to the Phrygian. For there must be breath enough for the arguments, which, I expect, will make my heart pound many a time. My argument, then, will prove the most ridiculous of all claims to be that a bald man must be ashamed. For what if he has a bare head but a shaggy mind, like the son of Aeacus whom poetry has sung? Yet he took little account of his hair, which he even gives to a corpse. For hairs are a dead thing, and hang upon living beings as parts that do not live. That is why the more irrational animals are clothed in them over the whole body; while man, since he has a share in a more vivid life, is bare of that inborn burden over most of himself; and, so that he might not boast of being wholly unmixed with what is mortal, he has hair on a few

Notes and citation

Summary: Synesius begins his argument: hair is dead matter; beasts are covered with it, while man, who has a higher life, keeps it only in a few places.

"Shaggy mind": Achilles' "shaggy breast" (Iliad 1.189); he cuts his hair for the dead Patroclus in Iliad 23.141–153.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ὁλέἐμὸς Πεμιά, Νίατρ. Ῥαείδἰ πὶ Β. εἰ των, Ῥεοκίπιε φύσεις Νῖοπ. Α, Ρατ. ΝΙδετπιδηπίδοϊ εχίδει ἐνάγνωθι᾽ “ἡ Ο. ωι. Νίδις. Α. φύσεις το]. σὺν ἱπιεροφῇ. ΜἌτεο. Ῥγάνδτη Ἰεοϊΐοπεσι θέσει, 9, ἵχειν Μοη. Ο. Νὸχ τὸ φῤό- 4υ86 θυϊάσε ργ. ἰοσπτι οεεὶνρα- νῆμα, ἰᾳ πιᾷ. γρ. τὸ ἡ φρονοῦν νεταῖ, ὁ αὐἱηηιε (ὐάἀὴ. επηθη- Ἰγίδις. Α. δανίι ΘαίεΠονἀπῖ. ᾿εἴύτυτι Ὦ 8. ειϊσυίμαι οἱ,» Ρός. ὦ, νετθα 2ρ. ΠΠεχἠοσργαρθ τ [14 διαὶ ταυϊαια: αὐταὶ δὲ τὰς φάσεις τῶν {" 79: Ῥτὸ τι Ἀεμά. νοημάτων εἰς μέσον τιθέμενος. Ῥιο 5: ταύτῃ καὶ θάτ, Ο, δι. Μάτνο, εἰς μέσον κετίδυης ἐς μέσον Ῥωτ. Δ: -- Οοθά, ας. Ὁ, γι. εἰ Μου,. ει ος Οείη πῆρ. εχ νἶθεηὶ ἤθο 0] ἑν ς Ο. εἰ αι. Ὠοΐη κατατιθέμενσι πρῶτον ἐπιχείρημα, ὅτι οὐ καλὸν Νίου. Ἑ. αἱ τρίχει. → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 1.189 (Homer, Iliad; allusion); Homer, Il. 23.141-153 (Homer, Iliad; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 187 (Krabinger 1:187; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/187). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/187

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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 188

188Krabinger 1:188

γοις κολιᾷ, - “Οεῆις οὖν οὐδὲ τοῖς ὀλίγοις πκομᾷ, οὗτος, ἔρι ὃ πρὸς ἕτερον ἄνθρῳπον, ὄπιρ, ἄνθρωποι. πρὸς. θ5ρίον... !Ὥνπερ δὲ ἄνθρωπος, τῶν ἐπὶ γθε. φρονιμώτατὸν τὲ.) ὁμοῦ καὶ ψιλότατον, οὕτως ὁμολογεῖται δμὲν τῶν βοσκημάτων ἁπάντων πρόβατον ἡλιθιώτατον αὶ εἶναι" τοῦτο δὲ ἔσιν δ᾽ μὴ διακεκριμένας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συεήματα τὰς τρίχας ἀνίησιν" ὥςτε κινδυνεύει τὸ τῶν. τριχῶν. τοῦτο πρᾶγμα πόλεμον ἔχειν 'πρὸς φρόνησιν" οὐδενὶ 'γὰρ ἐθέλουσιν ἅμα συγγίνεσθαι. “Εἰ δὲς δεῖ τι 'συντελέσαι καὶ κυνηγέται" φίλοι γὰρ οἱ ἄνδρες ὁ καὶ ἣν. μετέρχονται τέχνην" ἐκεῖναι σοφώταται "τῶν τ κυνῶν, ὧν ὦτα καὶ γαςέρες ψιλαΐ" αἱ λάσιοι. δὲ. ἔμπλην ντοι! καὶ θρασεῖαι, καὶ΄ βελτίους εἰσὶν ἀπούσαι τῆς 97ραφ. “Ἑἰ' δὲ «καὶ Πλάτων ὁ- σοφὸ, τῇς συνωρίδος;, ἣν “ἐλαύνει. ψυχὴ, τὸν ἄδικον ιἴππον περὶ. ὦτα. λασιός Ὁ κωφον Λέγει, τί καὶ καλὸν ᾿ἐννοεῖ περὶ τῶν: τριχὼν; ᾿Αλλάᾶ' κἀὶ "μὴ λέγοντος Πλάτωνος ἀνάγκῃ κωφὸν. εἶναι ὁ: τόν ταύτῃ λάσιον, ὅθεν «ἀκούομεν, ὥςπερ 'τυφλὸν τὸν ταύτῃ. λάσιον, ὅθεν ὁρῶμιεν. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν εἰ γένοιτο, τέρας ἐείν. "᾿Ηδη δὲ " ἀνεφύτην ἐπὶ θλεβάρου

gois kolią, - “Oeēis oun oude tois oligois pkomą, houtos, eri ho pros heteron anthrǭpon, opir, anthrōpoi. pros. th5rion... !Hōnper de anthrōpos, tōn epi gthe. phronimōtaton te.) homou kai psilotaton, houtōs homologeitai dmen tōn boskēmatōn hapantōn probaton hēlithiōtaton ai einai" touto de esin d᾽ mē diakekrimenas, alla kata syeēmata tas trichas aniēsin" hōste kindyneuei to tōn. trichōn. touto pragma polemon echein 'pros phronēsin" oudeni 'gar ethelousin hama synginesthai. “Ei des dei ti 'syntelesai kai kynēgetai" philoi gar hoi andres ho kai hēn. meterchontai technēn" ekeinai sophōtatai "tōn t kynōn, hōn ōta kai gaseres psilaï" hai lasioi. de. emplēn ntoi! kai thraseiai, kai΄ beltious eisin apousai tēs 97raph. “Hei' de «kai Platōn ho- sopho, tę̄s synōridos?, hēn “elaunei. psychē, ton adikon iippon peri. ōta. lasios Ho kōphon Legei, ti kai kalon ᾿ennoei peri tōn: trichōn? ᾿Allaa' kai "mē legontos Platōnos anankę̄ kōphon. einai ho: ton tautę̄ lasion, hothen «akouomen, hōsper 'typhlon ton tautę̄. lasion, hothen horōmien. Touto men oun ei genoito, teras eein. "᾿Ēdē de " anephytēn epi thlebarou

parts. So whoever has no hair even on those few parts is to another man what men are to beasts. And just as man is at once the most intelligent of things on earth and the most hairless, so it is agreed that of all livestock the sheep is the most stupid; and it is the one that sends up its hair not in separate strands but in masses. So the business of hair seems to be at war with intelligence: they will not keep company together in anyone. If huntsmen too must make a contribution — for these men are my friends, as is the craft they pursue — the cleverest hounds are those with bare ears and bellies, while the shaggy ones are dull and rash and are better away from the hunt. And if Plato the wise says that, of the pair the soul drives, the unruly horse is shaggy about the ears and deaf, what good does he think of hair? Even without Plato saying it, one who is shaggy where we hear must be deaf, just as one shaggy where we see must be blind. That, if it happened, would be a monstrosity. Already, when double hairs grow on the eyelid,

Notes and citation

Summary: Hair is at war with intelligence: man is the most hairless and wisest animal, the sheep the woolliest and stupidest; Plato's bad horse is shaggy-eared and deaf.

Plato, Phaedrus 253e (the unruly horse of the soul's chariot, "shaggy about the ears, deaf").

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΟὉ.; ἰἴεπι. Ῥας, Ο, σαι. Μίατο. ᾿᾿ 13. κινδυνεύει Ἢ ον ἀντὶ τοῦ ἴθ τὴβ. νεῖο γρ. ἀνεπίμικτον. --- ἐλίγχεται οι. δα. Ἑδάεπενεσθα, γρ. ἀνεπίμικτον ἰκτον αὐᾶς. Μδετπν. ἔπ τοβ, ὮΔΡεΡ, ἴω ἀνεπίμνητον Μοα. Β. ἀνεπίμνητον χαχο. Β. ἴῃ ἐεχίωτ ἱγγοβδογαηῖς Βομὰ, γρ. ἀνεπίμνητον τὴ. Δίεετπι. βυπὶ διε Ρυποιδο ποίδι4. Ῥδ]}1ο → .

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Phaedr. 253e (Plato (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 188 (Krabinger 1:188; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/188). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/188

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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 189

189Krabinger 1:189

δίδυμοι τρίχες, καὶ δοκεῖ τὸ ἔσχατον εἶναι κακῶν, παρῳκηκέναι' τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τρίχας, ἐφ᾽ ἃς ἅπασα τίχνῃ καὶ βέα κινεῖταί, "πὴ φθάσωσι τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἱξορύξασαι. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχεται τοῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἡ φύσις συὺδόντα τὰ ἀτιμίότατα. Τιμιώτατα δὲ τοῦ δώου τὰ αἰσθητήρια καὶ δίς μάλιτα τῶν τοῦ, σώματος μορίων -Φῶόν ἐδι" 'πρώτοι,΄ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἡ Ψυχὴ τὰς ἑαυτῇς δυνάμεις ἐμέρισεν" ὄψις δὲ "τὸ πάντων θειότατον, ἀλλά τοι καὶ τὸ Φιλότατον. Πάλιν οὖν ὠιπερ. ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου 3") 1ι0τα᾽ τιμιώτατα φαλακρότατα, οὕτως ἔχειν ἀνάγκῃ πρὸς" αὐτὸ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ γένους τὰ κράτιτα, Τουτὶ δὲ μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐδεικνύετο, καὶ δι᾽ ὁλοκλήρου τοῦ γένὑς, ὃ τοσοῦτον ἀναχωρεῖ θυηρίων, ὅσον τριχῶν. “Εἰ δὴ δώων μὲν ἁπάντων ἱερώτατον ἄνθρωπο; ἀνθρώπων δὲς οἷς ὑπήρξεν εὐμοιρῆσαι τὴν ἀποβολὴν τῶν τριχῶν, φαλακρὸς ἂν εἴν τῶν ἐπὶ γῇ, τὸ θειότατον. ΠΕ.

didymoi triches, kai dokei to eschaton einai kakōn, parǭkēkenai' tǭ ophthalmǭ trichas, eph᾽ has hapasa tichnę̄ kai bea kineitai, "pē phthasōsi ton ophthalmon hixoryxasai. Ou gar anechetai tois timiōtatois hē physis syydonta ta atimiotata. Timiōtata de tou dōou ta aisthētēria kai dis malita tōn tou, sōmatos moriōn -Phōon edi" 'prōtoi,΄ gar autois hē Psychē tas heautę̄s dynameis emerisen" opsis de "to pantōn theiotaton, alla toi kai to Philotaton. Palin oun ōiper. henos anthrōpou 3") 1i0ta᾽ timiōtata phalakrotata, houtōs echein anankę̄ pros" auto to genos autou genous ta kratita, Touti de mikrǭ prosthen edeiknyeto, kai di᾽ holoklērou tou genys, ho tosouton anachōrei thyēriōn, hoson trichōn. “Ei dē dōōn men hapantōn hierōtaton anthrōpo? anthrōpōn des hois hypērxen eumoirēsai tēn apobolēn tōn trichōn, phalakros an ein tōn epi gę̄, to theiotaton. PE.

it seems the worst of evils that hairs have settled beside the eye, and every art and force is set in motion against them, lest they dig out the eye first. For nature does not allow the most worthless things to live with the most honoured. The most honoured parts of a living being are the sense-organs, and they are the most alive of the parts of the body, for the soul gave its powers to them first; and sight is the most divine of all — and also the barest. Again, then, just as in one man the most honoured parts are the baldest, so the best of the race must stand in relation to the race itself. This was shown a little earlier for the race as a whole, which is as far removed from beasts as from hair. If, then, of all living beings man is the most sacred, and, among men, those who have had the good fortune to shed their hair, the bald man would be the most divine of things on earth.

Notes and citation

Summary: The noblest parts of the body, the senses, are hairless; so the bald man, as man is the noblest animal, is the most divine thing on earth.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 189 (Krabinger 1:189; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/189). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/189

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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 190

190Krabinger 1:190

βούλει τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος σοφῶν φαλακρῶν γὰρ ἂν εἷ. “᾿ ῥαι δόξειε θέατρον., ᾿Αἀπολλωνιὺς μὴ ἰνοχλείτω͵ τῷ, λόγῳ, μηδ᾽ εἴ τις ἕτερος γόγε καὶ περιττὸς Ὁ τὰ δαμιόνια. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ὄντες οὗτοι κομῆται δύνανται φαίνεσθαι τὰ πλύήθη καταπολιτευόμενοι". τάχα δὲ͵ οὐδὲ σοφία τὸ δ) τῶν γούτων, τερατουργία δὲ τίς ἐσι. καὶ οὐκ ἐπισήμῃ τις, ἀλλὰ δύναμι. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ νομοθέται σοφίαν μὲν τῶν τιμιωτάτων ἐνόμιδον" ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς γόητα, ἔτρεφον τοὺς δημιίου. ῶετε Ἶ) «εἰ καὶ κο- Ο μύτη, ἦν ᾿Απολλώνιοι, οὐδὲν πρὸς λόγον ἢ. Μαΐτοι φίλα ") μιοι πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ βουλοίμην. ἂν αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ ν καταλόγου. Αινδυνεύει γὰρ ἐκ τῶν εἰρῳμίνων ὑγιῶς ἀντιςρέφειν ὁ λόγος" εἰ σοφός ") τις, καὶ φαλακρόφ' εἰ μὴ φαλακρός τις, οὐδὲ σοφό!. Οὕτω δὲ ἔχει καὶ τὰ δαιμόνων. [Ὃς τὴν “]ιονύσου τε- "ἡ θέαται τελετὴν, τὸ μὲν ὅσον ἑεὶ τοῦ θιάσου, δασὺ τριχί" τῇ μὲν, οἰκείᾳ" τῇ δὲ, ἀλλοτρίᾳ κατάκομιον " Βακχικὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω,, ὡς κἡὶ νεβρίς" οἱ. δὲ καὶ

boulei tōn ex aiōnos sophōn phalakrōn gar an hei. “᾿ rhai doxeie theatron., ᾿Aapollōniys mē inochleitō͵ tǭ, logǭ, mēd᾽ ei tis heteros goge kai perittos Ho ta damionia. Kai gar ouk ontes houtoi komētai dynantai phainesthai ta plyēthē katapoliteuomenoi". tacha de͵ oude sophia to d) tōn goutōn, teratourgia de tis esi. kai ouk episēmę̄ tis, alla dynami. Houtō gar hoi nomothetai sophian men tōn timiōtatōn enomidon" epi de tous goēta, etrephon tous dēmiiou. ōete I) «ei kai ko- O mytē, ēn ᾿Apollōnioi, ouden pros logon ē. Maïtoi phila ") mioi pros ton andra, kai bouloimēn. an auton einai tou n katalogou. Aindyneuei gar ek tōn eirǭminōn hygiōs antisrephein ho logos" ei sophos ") tis, kai phalakroph' ei mē phalakros tis, oude sopho!. Houtō de echei kai ta daimonōn. [Hos tēn “]ionysou te- "hē theatai teletēn, to men hoson heei tou thiasou, dasy trichi" tę̄ men, oikeią" tę̄ de, allotrią katakomion " Bakchikon gar ouden houtō,, hōs kēi nebris" hoi. de kai

If you wish to review the wise men of all time, it would look like a theatre of bald men. Let Apollonius not trouble the argument, nor anyone else who is a wizard and extraordinary in matters of daemons. For these, though long-haired, can appear to be sages by swaying the crowds; but perhaps what wizards have is not wisdom but a kind of wonder-working, not a science but a power. Thus the lawgivers counted wisdom among the most honoured things, but kept public executioners for wizards. So even if Apollonius was long-haired, it is nothing to the argument. And yet I am well disposed toward the man and would wish him to be on the list. For the argument, from what has been said, seems to convert soundly: if someone is wise, he is bald; if someone is not bald, he is not wise either. It is the same with daemons. Whoever has watched the rite of Dionysus knows that all of his company are shaggy with hair, partly their own and partly borrowed — for nothing is so Bacchic as the fawnskin — and some even

Notes and citation

Summary: The wise have been bald; Apollonius, a wonder-worker rather than a sage, is no exception that counts; Dionysus's followers are shaggy.

Apollonius of Tyana, the long-haired wonder-worker. "Though long-haired": the OCR reads a negative (οὐκ ὄντες … κομῆται), which does not fit the argument; translated by sense, uncertain.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 190 (Krabinger 1:190; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/190). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/190

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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 191

191Krabinger 1:191

παρὰ τῶν πιτύων κόμας δανείξονται.. Τούτους μὲν ἅπαντας εἶδεν ἀνασειομένους τε καὶ βρυάδοντας, “καὶ ἐν ἀκόσμοις σκιρτήμασιν, ὠς ἄν, οἶμαι, τῇ μέθῃ κα ἢ κρατημένυς, ὅτις ποτὲ ἱσιν ἐν τελεταῖς ( ἡ μέθη" πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐοίκασιν εἰς τὸ πλημμελὲς ὑπενηνέχθαι τῇς φύσεω:. Σειληνῷ δὲ κακεῖ καθέδρα καὶ σκύτος “) ἱεὶ, καὶ τοῦ “]ιονύσου παιδαγωγὸς ἀποδέδεικται" ἔδει γὰρ, οἶμαι, φαλαπρὸν ὄντα, νοὺν ἔχειν καὶ σωφρονεῖν ἐν τοσούτοις παρακινήσασι. αΐτοι μὴ μικρὸν οἰγθὴς ιθ9 ὑπὸ τῷ «“]Πὸς ἁπάντων αὐτὸν προτετιμῆσθαι δαιμόνων, παρεῖναι καὶ φρενοῦν αὐτῷ τὸ παιδάριον.

para tōn pityōn komas daneixontai.. Toutous men hapantas eiden anaseiomenous te kai bryadontas, “kai en akosmois skirtēmasin, ōs an, oimai, tę̄ methę̄ ka ē kratēmenys, hotis pote hisin en teletais ( hē methē" plēn all᾽ eoikasin eis to plēmmeles hypenēnechthai tę̄s physeō:. Seilēnǭ de kakei kathedra kai skytos “) hiei, kai tou “]ionysou paidagōgos apodedeiktai" edei gar, oimai, phalapron onta, noun echein kai sōphronein en tosoutois parakinēsasi. aïtoi mē mikron oigthēs ith9 hypo tǭ «“]Pos hapantōn auton protetimēsthai daimonōn, pareinai kai phrenoun autǭ to paidarion.

borrow tresses from the pines. All these he saw tossing their heads and swelling with frenzy, in disorderly leaps, as though, I suppose, overcome by drunkenness — whatever the drunkenness in the rites may be; at any rate they seem to have been carried away into nature's discord. But Silenus there too has a seat and a staff and has been appointed tutor of Dionysus; for he had, I think, being bald, to keep his wits and stay sober among so many in a frenzy. And do not think it a small thing that he has been honoured by Zeus above all daemons, to be present and bring his boy to his senses.

Notes and citation

Summary: Amid the shaggy Bacchants, bald Silenus alone stays sober and is Dionysus's tutor, honoured by Zeus.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): “1Ἶ ΑΒΟΌ. Κι. Νίασο. Δ. Βοριὰ. 10. ἐπενηνέχθαι Ματο. ΟΟ ιἱπε- ΝΜ εετην., φαϊδυδοῦπι ἔδεΐα Ὑατ- νέχθῆναι [ππτ. Ὦ ὑπερηνέχθαι περ. Γ,εεῖῖ, ναττ, εἴ τρ. βεο, Εά. Νίατε. Α. Ῥεῖαν. τὸν μὲν -- τῷ δὲ Πωθεὶ 20. ἴα Οὐάά, πιεῖ οπνπεβ εχ- Μδτο, Β. εεριΐϊν Ῥᾳγ.. εἰ Βεῖνά,, ἀαόταην → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 191 (Krabinger 1:191; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/191). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/191

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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 192

192Krabinger 1:192

μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ "“ καὶ γεύσασθαι τοῦ ξωροῦ, καὶ μα-Ὁ9 νῇναί ποτὲ φύσεως; ἱμέρῳ, καὶ προελθεὶν τὴν παρα- “φορὰν ἐς ὃ ταῖς, Βάκχαι; συνεξορχύσνυται" Ἀετρεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν μανίαν ὁ Σειλῃνὸ;, μὴ λάθῃ πολὺς ᾿πῤυεὶς ἐπὶ θάτερα, καὶ γένηται τῷ πατρὶ δυιανάγωγο:. ᾿λλὰ ταχὺ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἐπανακτέον 3.), λαβόντας ἀποχρῶν τὸ τεκμήριον, αἷς ἐκεῖ φρένες, ὅθεν οἴχονται τρίχες" ἐκεῖ δὲ τρίχες, ὅθεν οἴχονται φρένε. Ταῦτ᾽ ἄρα καὶ Σωκράτης: ὁ Σωφρονίσκυ, μέτριος ἰς τάλλα γενόμενος, καὶ παρ᾽ ὀντινῦν οἰκείων ἐπαίνων φεισά-

men gar autǭ "“ kai geusasthai tou xōrou, kai ma-Ho9 nę̄nai pote physeōs? himerǭ, kai proelthein tēn para- “phoran es ho tais, Bakchai? synexorchysnytai" Aetrei de autǭ tēn manian ho Seilę̄no?, mē lathę̄ polys ᾿pryeis epi thatera, kai genētai tǭ patri duianagōgo:. ᾿lla tachy gar enteuthen epanakteon 3.), labontas apochrōn to tekmērion, hais ekei phrenes, hothen oichontai triches" ekei de triches, hothen oichontai phrene. Taut᾽ ara kai Sōkratēs: ho Sōphronisky, metrios is talla genomenos, kai par᾽ ontinyn oikeiōn epainōn pheisa-

For he lets him taste the neat wine, and sometimes rave from the desire of his nature, and carry the frenzy so far as to dance with the Bacchae; but Silenus measures out his madness, lest he be carried too far to one side before anyone notices and become hard for his father to bring back. But we must quickly return from there, having taken a sufficient proof: where there are wits, from there hairs depart; where there are hairs, from there wits depart. That is why Socrates, son of Sophroniscus, who was moderate in other things and more sparing of self-praise than anyone,

Notes and citation

Summary: Silenus restrains the young Dionysus's madness; wits and hair never dwell together, as Socrates knew.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ΑΟΌ. Υαι. Δίατγος. αὐτοῦ τις. «ἃ. δομιδλεῖ.), υἱὐ ξέτε ργδεβγεββο αὐτῷ ἰηδβηϊῖνο οοπί αποιίνυ πὶ δἰδὶ δὰαὐτοῦ Μου. Ἑ. αὐτὸ Ῥαν. Α. βοἶδοαι. ἵπ΄Ρδγ. Ὁ, βογϊ δίίατ συτὸ ὃ → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 192 (Krabinger 1:192; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/192). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/192

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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 193

193Krabinger 1:193

μένος, ἐκ ἠδύνατο μὴ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι! τῇ ᾿ πρὸς ἑὸν Β Σειληνὸν ὁμοιότητι. Ἔν. τούτῳ γὰρ ἅπαν ἐνὴν, ὅσον ἰβύλετο, νῦ δοχεῖον αὐτῷ κατασκευάσασθαι τὴν κεφαλήν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὦιπερ ἄλλα πολλὰ τῇς γνώμης ΣΣὠκράτυς, καὶ ὅτοῦτο τοὺς ἠλιθίου; ἐλάνθανεν, ὅτι τῷ Σειληνῷ λίαν. ἑαυτὸν ἀπεσέμνυνεν. Τὸ δὲ δη παιδαρίοις" μὲν ἐπιπρέπειν τὴν ἄνθην τῇς κόμη, ἐν ᾧ τοῦ βίου μήπω φρονῦμεν, τοῦ δὲ γῴρως ἀποφοιτᾷν, καὶ μῇ περιμίνειν ἡλικίαν, ὅτις ἐπιδήλω; νῦν τε καὶ φρόνησιν ἐνοικίξει τῷ ἐώῳ, τί ἂν εἴποις, ἢ καταδικάδειν ἀλογίαν τῇς Φίσεω; τῶν τριχῶν; Εἰ δὲ κομᾷ τις καὶ γέρων" καὶ γὰρ 4“) ἀφραίνει τις γέρων, καὶ οὐχ ἅπαν. τες ἄνθρωποι δήπουθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπνυ φθάνυσι

menos, ek ēdynato mē philotimeisthai! tę̄ ᾿ pros heon B Seilēnon homoiotēti. En. toutǭ gar hapan enēn, hoson ibyleto, ny docheion autǭ kataskeuasasthai tēn kephalēn. ᾿All᾽ ōiper alla polla tę̄s gnōmēs SSōkratys, kai hotouto tous ēlithiou? elanthanen, hoti tǭ Seilēnǭ lian. heauton apesemnynen. To de dē paidariois" men epiprepein tēn anthēn tę̄s komē, en hǭ tou biou mēpō phronymen, tou de gǭrōs apophoitąn, kai mę̄ periminein hēlikian, hotis epidēlō? nyn te kai phronēsin enoikixei tǭ eōǭ, ti an eipois, ē katadikadein alogian tę̄s Phiseō? tōn trichōn? Ei de komą tis kai gerōn" kai gar 4“) aphrainei tis gerōn, kai ouch hapan. tes anthrōpoi dēpouthen epi tēn anthrōpny phthanysi

could not help priding himself on his likeness to Silenus. For in this lay all he wished: to have made his head a receptacle for mind. But like many other things in Socrates' thinking, this too escaped the foolish: that he was very proud of being like Silenus. And that the bloom of hair befits little boys, at the time of life when we are not yet sensible, but departs in old age and does not wait for the age that plainly settles mind and wisdom in the living being — what would you say this is, but a verdict condemning the irrational nature of hair? If an old man too has long hair — well, an old man too is sometimes foolish, and surely not all people reach human

Notes and citation

Summary: Socrates prided himself on looking like Silenus; hair flourishes in thoughtless boyhood and departs as wisdom arrives with age.

Socrates' likeness to Silenus: Plato, Symposium 215a–b; Xenophon, Symposium 4.19.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ὅ5. ἐδύνατο Ρατιὶςβ. Νοπδος,.οδἵ), εἱ ἰω Οοάϊΐοα ουο υἱάοιωσς Μθτος. αι. Βεδὰ. Νίεφειν. Ργο- τορατίθθ οἰΐβι Ῥάγεα νετγίεως: χίταε Οοάδά. χαεὶ οπηπε8 σειληνὸν ἰωυεπεε ἀεοεὶ οοπμα. Νίεο δἰἰϊοσ ἰ6-ὸ ὁχοθριν Βα. Ὦ., φυΐ οεὐπὶ οἀϊιὶς οἷς Οογπαγίμς, φυΐῖρρε αυὶ τολαϊ" δον δὶς σιληνόν. Ἰθερεχὶϊ οἰτῖτ.. ἀενῖτ : αὐ ὑέγο ρμεγος ηυΐάενν' ἀε- Β.1. Νορίεν Ῥίαι. Οοανῖν. ρ. 215. ἐέγε Πογεπι οοτπας. Ὧφ υἱτίιςα Α--- Β- Οὐ. Χεπορῆ. Οοηνίν. ΤΥ. νουδὶ εοπίυβίοηθ περ] οδὲ 1α- → .

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Symp. 215a-b (Plato (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 193 (Krabinger 1:193; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/193). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/193

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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 194

194Krabinger 1:194

Ἱ τελειότητα. τ χει μὲν, ἦν ἅτως, "ὡς μὴ περιμένειν ἀλληλα γὺν ιτενκαὶ κόμην, ἀλλ᾽, ὥπερ φωτὶ σκότος, ἐξίξασθαι,. ἹΗκιξητοῦσι δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν͵ ὁ λόγος ἀποῤῥντότερο.., «Πειρᾳδόμεθα δ᾽ ἦν ὅσον εἰς τὴν παροῦὅ σαν. χρείαν. ἐρμεῖ, λαβόντες, εὐαγῶι περιξεῖλαι τὸ ὅσον. Τὰ πρῶτα τῶν ὄντων ἀπλὰ" κατιοῦσα δὲ κα φύσις ποικίλλεται. Ἢ δὲ ὕλῃ τῶν ὄντων τὸ ἔσχατον " ταύτῃ. καὶ εἰ ποικιλώτατον. εν 1η, κἂν τι δέκοται θεῖον, Ὁ καὶ σπίρματα, περιπλέκεταί τε αὐτοῖς, καὶ πλείςη περὶ αὐτὰ γίνεται. Τάχα μὲν οὖν ὃ) ἔχει δεξιουμένη, τάχα δὲ διὰ. τὴν ᾿ἀναγκαίαν͵ ἀντίθεσιν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ συ- 'ἱψόδῳ κατισχύουσα τοῦ θείου," πρὶν τελειωθῆνάι τὴν μφασιν.᾿ λύναϊτο δ᾽ ἂν καὶ ἑκάτερον. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσιν, ὔἰπὲρ δοκοῦσι ἴ, μάχην οἱ, λόγοι. ᾿Αλλ' ἐπεὶ μὴ "νῦν. περὶ! τούτων ἑεὶν, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα δι᾽ ἕτερα, δεικτέον " μέειε οὖν

Hi teleiotēta. t chei men, ēn hatōs, "hōs mē perimenein allēla gyn itenkai komēn, all᾽, hōper phōti skotos, exixasthai,. HiĒkixētousi de tēn aitian͵ ho logos aporrhntotero.., «Peirądometha d᾽ ēn hoson eis tēn parouo san. chreian. ermei, labontes, euagōi perixeilai to hoson. Ta prōta tōn ontōn apla" katiousa de ka physis poikilletai. Ē de hylę̄ tōn ontōn to eschaton " tautę̄. kai ei poikilōtaton. en 1ē, kan ti dekotai theion, Ho kai spirmata, peripleketai te autois, kai pleisē peri auta ginetai. Tacha men oun ho) echei dexioumenē, tacha de dia. tēn ᾿anankaian͵ antithesin en tę̄ prōtę̄ sy- 'hipsodǭ katischyousa tou theiou," prin teleiōthēnai tēn mphasin.᾿ lynaïto d᾽ an kai hekateron. Ou gar echousin, uiper dokousi i, machēn hoi, logoi. ᾿All' epei mē "nyn. peri! toutōn heein, alla tauta di᾽ hetera, deikteon " meeie oun

perfection. It is so, then, that mind and hair do not wait for each other, but give way to each other as darkness to light. For those who seek the cause, the account is rather secret; but let us try, taking as much as the present need requires, to cut away the rest reverently. The first of beings are simple; nature becomes manifold as it descends. Matter is the last of beings, and therefore also the most manifold; and if it receives something divine — seeds too — it entwines itself about them and gathers thickly around them, perhaps because it welcomes them, perhaps because, through the necessary opposition, it overpowers the divine at their first meeting, before its manifestation is complete. Both could be true; the accounts are not at war, as they seem. But since our subject now is not these things, and they must be shown for the sake of others, it is evident

Notes and citation

Summary: Mind and hair displace each other; Synesius begins a Neoplatonic explanation: matter, the lowest and most manifold being, entwines itself about divine seeds.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἴῃ ἔνδυν. Β. δτο [ω οἀϊιὶς δυΐετη ἤὺς ρεοποιθα νοὕτωι Μωη. Ε Ἐ. ἑοτὶΒλῖ ὄντως. Ἔνι οὐπὶ ρεθεοθάεηιϊθηθ ἱπηρίτατ, Ἐν αν Ἐὰν τι πῃ τεχῖνν οὐιΐβοαπι Μοη. ἰάδτη περιυίνειν, υἱ θυρτᾶ, παραμ. “Ἑ. ἴῃ τοξ. Ἠδθεῖ, εἴ δηῖο αὔτη εἰϊδῖῦ Νῖοπ. Δ» εἰ Μδτοε. ΒΟ. ἰηδουοπίυ τι. χκ3. Νοῖθα δροη4. ὑβηυα δὰ ὅσον 22: "καὶ δέξατο Μλτος, ΒΟ, δεῖπιο υθθ ]οοίᾳ Μίοῃ, Ἐν, 5. τ..." ᾿ 8; ὠγισιι Μίοηυ. Ε. ἷαὰ παρ. ἈαΡοὶ. θε4; ρὲφ ὁ λόγος, 4: περιπλίκεταί τι Βεἶγά. περι- ᾿δδάοπι πιθῆ 8, τη δοτί ρρὶϊ ἀλο- πέπλεκταὶ (ἰἴ64 εἰΐφιτι ας. ΑὮ. εἰ 2195. εἴ, Ρτοχίπηα δ᾽, οὖν οπκχί- Μου. ὮὨ.; περιπέπλεκται, κυροτδἰς. Ῥατιΐομ]α δ᾽ εκ 8ῃε8ι Ἀεῃὰ. βεῦ, ἡ περιπλέκεται, Νίαι. 8.) τι. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 194 (Krabinger 1:194; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/194). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/194

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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 195

195Krabinger 1:195

ἐεὶν ἐπὶ τῶν. πρᾳγμάτων δ),. ὧς ἐν ἀτελεξέροις ἡ φύσις ἰσχύει, δυναμουμένοις. δὲ ὑπεξίραται. ᾿Αρ᾽ οὖν οὐχὶ Α καὶ τῶν καταβαλλομένων ἐν γῇ σπερμάτων οἱ. λόγοι θεῖόν εἰσιν, εἰ καὶ τοῦ θείου, τὰ ἔσχατον;, Τούτων διτέλος μὲν ὁ καρπὸς, ἀλλὰ πρὶν ὕκειν εἰς τοῦτο, θία τὴν πομπείαν. καὶ τὰ κάλλῃ τῇς φύσεω.. 'Ρίδαι, καλάμῃ, φλοιὸς, ἀθέρες, λέμματα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς λέμμασιν ἕτερα λέμματα" ὁ δὲ, καρπὸς ἀτελὴς ἔτι καὶ κρύφιος. Παραγενομένου δὲ αὔᾳ πάντα 1), καὶ ἀπεῤῥύῃ τὴς ὕλυι τὰ παίγνια. ᾿Ὡραϊσμοῦ γὰρ οὐ δεῖται τὸ τέλειον. Ἤδη δὲ τέλειος ᾽, ἐν ᾧ λόγος.ἰεὶν ἕτερος ιαπέρματηι, ᾿Επὶ τούτοις.) ᾿Ελευσὶς ἄγει, τὰ “Ιήμητρος ἀνακαλυπτύήριᾳ. Εἰ δὴ νοῦς τὸ θειότατόν ἐξι. τῶμ ἄνωθεν ἠκόντῳν Βὶ. Η, δὲ -, » » σπιρμάτων, ἑνοικίξεται δὲ κεφαλῇ, καὶ αὐτῇ ᾽ καρ- 1ὅ πὸς ἐξσιν ὁ ἕνυλος νοῦ, καθᾶάπερ ὁ πυρὸς ἐκείνου τοῦ λόγου, εἰωθὸς, κἡὶ φύσις ποιεῖ, Θαυματοποιεῖ περὶ

eein epi tōn. prągmatōn d),. hōs en atelexerois hē physis ischyei, dynamoumenois. de hypexiratai. ᾿Ar᾽ oun ouchi A kai tōn kataballomenōn en gę̄ spermatōn hoi. logoi theion eisin, ei kai tou theiou, ta eschaton?, Toutōn ditelos men ho karpos, alla prin hykein eis touto, thia tēn pompeian. kai ta kallę̄ tę̄s physeō.. 'Ridai, kalamę̄, phloios, atheres, lemmata, kai epi tois lemmasin hetera lemmata" ho de, karpos atelēs eti kai kryphios. Paragenomenou de auą panta 1), kai aperrhyę̄ tēs hylui ta paignia. ᾿Hōraïsmou gar ou deitai to teleion. Ēdē de teleios ᾽, en hǭ logos.iein heteros iapermatēi, ᾿Epi toutois.) ᾿Eleusis agei, ta “Iēmētros anakalyptyērią. Ei dē nous to theiotaton exi. tōm anōthen ēkontǭn Bi. Ē, de -, » » spirmatōn, henoikixetai de kephalę̄, kai autę̄ ᾽ kar- 1ho pos exsin ho henylos nou, kathaaper ho pyros ekeinou tou logou, eiōthos, kēi physis poiei, Thaumatopoiei peri

in actual things that nature is strong in what is less perfect, but withdraws from what is gaining power. Are not the principles of the seeds sown in the earth divine, even if the last of the divine? Their end is the fruit; but before it comes to that, see the pomp and the beauties of nature: roots, stalk, bark, awns, husks, and on the husks other husks; and the fruit is still imperfect and hidden. When it arrives, all these are dry, and the playthings of matter have flowed away; for what is perfect needs no adornment. And it is already perfect when there is in it another seminal principle. For this Eleusis celebrates Demeter's festival of unveiling. If, then, mind is the most divine of the seeds that come from above, and dwells in the head, and the head itself is the fruit — the mind in matter, as the wheat is the fruit of that principle — nature does what it is accustomed to do: it works wonders about

Notes and citation

Summary: As grain sheds stalk and husk when the fruit ripens, so the head, the fruit in which mind dwells, sheds its hair.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): αὖδ. περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Ῥδτ. Ὦ. κάλλη καὶ τὴν πομπείαν τῆς φύἵΜοχ ρεο δυναμένοις ὁ Οοἰά. Ρατ, σεως. ἱ. ιν Ο. Βεώρ. Μίοοη. ΑἙ. αι. Βομὰ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 195 (Krabinger 1:195; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/195). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/195

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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 196

196Krabinger 1:196

τὴν, “παὶ τριχῶν αὐτὴν ἀγάλλει κάλλεσιν, ὥςπερ ἀθίρων τινῶν, ἢ λεμιμάτων, ἢ καὶ νὴ “]ἰα τῇς ἄν- 36, ἣν τοῖς φυτοῖς πρὸ τῶν ἀκροδρύων χαρίξεται. ᾿Αλλ' οὔτε ἀκρόδρυον ἐν φυτῷ ", τρὶν ἀπανθῆσαι" νοῦ! ἄε οὐκ ἄν καραγίνοιτο κεφαλῇ, πρὶν τελειωθεῖσαν ἀποσκυβαλίσαι τὰ περιττὰ, καθάπερ ὑπὸ πτύου, τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀἁποσκευάσασθαι τὴν φλυαρίαν τῆς φύσεως" ὃ ὥντε τοῦτ᾽ ἄν τις θεῖτο τεκμήριον τοῦ τέλειον ἡδη καρπὸν ἀποδεδεῖχθαι τὴν κεφαλήν. Ἣν ἂν ἀκριβῶς ἴδῃ: ἐκλελεμμένην, ἑκεῖ νόμιδε κατεσκηνωκέναι Ὁ) τὸν νοῦν, ἐκείνην ἡγοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν νεὼν τοῦ θεοῦ. "Αγοιτ' ἂν οὖν ἐν δίκῃ μυστήρια κεφαλῆς ἀνακαλυπτήρια, διὰ μὲν τοὺς βεβήλους οὐτωσί πωςς καλού-

tēn, “pai trichōn autēn agallei kallesin, hōsper athirōn tinōn, ē lemimatōn, ē kai nē “]ia tę̄s an- 36, hēn tois phytois pro tōn akrodryōn charixetai. ᾿All' oute akrodryon en phytǭ ", trin apanthēsai" nou! ae ouk an karaginoito kephalę̄, prin teleiōtheisan aposkybalisai ta peritta, kathaper hypo ptyou, tou chronou, kai pasan haaposkeuasasthai tēn phlyarian tēs physeōs" ho hōnte tout᾽ an tis theito tekmērion tou teleion hēdē karpon apodedeichthai tēn kephalēn. Hēn an akribōs idę̄: eklelemmenēn, hekei nomide kateskēnōkenai Ho) ton noun, ekeinēn hēgou tēn kephalēn neōn tou theou. "Agoit' an oun en dikę̄ mystēria kephalēs anakalyptēria, dia men tous bebēlous outōsi pōss kalou-

it, and adorns it with beauties of hair, as with awns or husks, or indeed with the flower that it gives to plants before the fruit. But there is no fruit on a plant before it has shed its flowers; and mind would not come to a head before the head, perfected, has winnowed off its superfluities by time as by a fan and cleared away all the frippery of nature. So one might take this as proof that the head has been shown to be already a perfect fruit. Whatever head you see neatly husked, consider that mind has taken up its dwelling there; regard that head as a temple of God. So mysteries of the head might justly be held, "unveilings," called so

Notes and citation

Summary: A bald head, its husk of hair winnowed away, is a ripe fruit and a temple of God where mind dwells.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 196 (Krabinger 1:196; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/196). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/196

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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 197

197Krabinger 1:197

μενα" οἱ σοφοὶ δ᾽ ἄν. εἰδεῖεν,".ὃτι νοῦ ταῦτα, ἐπιβατήρια" ὁ δὲ ἄρτι παραγγείλας. -εἰς ιφὰλαπρρὺ;, οὗτός ἔσιν ὁ νεοτελὴς, ὃ μεμυημένορ, τὰ «θεοφάνια ν᾽). 1. Ὠεπερῇ δὲ εἰσι " πυροὶ, καὶ ῥοιαὶ;, καὶ κάρυα "πονηρὰ καὶ ἐναποθνήσκοντα τοῖς: ἐλύτροις «καλ τοῖς, κελύφεσιν, οὔ- ( τὠς εἰσὶ καὶ κακαὶ κεφαλαὶ » τοῦ΄ θείου μὲν. ἅμοιροῦσαι, πολὺ “δὲ τὸ νεκρὸν 'περικεέμεναι. "Ἤδη “δὲ ἐγὼ κατενόησα. καὶ τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ θεραπευτὰς τοῦ, θείου μηδὲ τῶν ἐπίβλεφαριδίων ἀνεχομένηυφιτριχῶν" Ιθκαὶ ἦσαν μὲν ἰδεῖν γελοῖοιν σοφὸν δέ τι ἐνόουν, ἅτεκι ὄντες περιττοὶ καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι. Ταῖς γὰρ φύσεσι ταῖς. ἀϊδίοις καὶ οὐσιωμέναις δωῇ,, ἱταύταις οὐ χρεών ἕξι πελάδειν μετὰ ἀποθανόντων μερῶν. Εἰ τοίνυν ὁ ἔυραῖος χειροποίητος ἐσιν εὐσεβὴς, ὁ᾽ φύσει φαλακρὸς. αὐτοφυῶς ὠκέΐϊωται τῷ θεῷ.: ήηποτε γὰρ καὶ τὸ θεῖον, εἰ αὐτὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐσιν, “Ἱλεων δὲ εἴη τῷ λόχῳ" πάνυ γὰρ ἀπ’ “ εὐσιβοῦ! διανοίας, εἰρήσεται. ᾿ ν΄ ἄν Η ῶ, ἢ ΗῚ. “Ὅσον μὲν οὖν ξεὶ ἢ τοῦ θείου τὸ ἱμὴ ὠδινόμενον, : τὶ ἂν τις περιεργάδοιτο, ἅπαξ γε. ἢ βουλόμενον ἐμ-Β

mena" hoi sophoi d᾽ an. eideien,".hoti nou tauta, epibatēria" ho de arti parangeilas. -eis iphalaprry?, houtos esin ho neotelēs, ho memyēmenor, ta «theophania n᾽). 1. Ōeperę̄ de eisi " pyroi, kai rhoiai?, kai karya "ponēra kai enapothnēskonta tois: elytrois «kal tois, kelyphesin, ou- ( tōs eisi kai kakai kephalai » tou΄ theiou men. hamoirousai, poly “de to nekron 'perikeemenai. "Ēdē “de egō katenoēsa. kai tous en Aigyptǭ therapeutas tou, theiou mēde tōn epiblepharidiōn anechomenēuphitrichōn" Ithkai ēsan men idein geloioin sophon de ti enooun, hateki ontes perittoi kai Aigyptioi. Tais gar physesi tais. aïdiois kai ousiōmenais dōę̄,, hitautais ou chreōn hexi peladein meta apothanontōn merōn. Ei toinyn ho euraios cheiropoiētos esin eusebēs, ho᾽ physei phalakros. autophyōs ōkeïïōtai tǭ theǭ.: ēēpote gar kai to theion, ei auto toiouton esin, “Hileōn de eiē tǭ lochǭ" pany gar ap’ “ eusibou! dianoias, eirēsetai. ᾿ n΄ an Ē ō, ē ĒI. “Hoson men oun xei ē tou theiou to himē ōdinomenon, : ti an tis periergadoito, hapax ge. ē boulomenon em-B

for the sake of the profane; but the wise would know that these are mind's rites of entrance, and the one who has just been enrolled among the bald is the newly perfected, initiated into the divine appearances. But just as there are bad grains of wheat, pomegranates and nuts, which die inside their husks and shells, so there are bad heads, which have no share in the divine but wear much that is dead about them. I have also observed that the servants of the divine in Egypt do not tolerate even the hairs on their eyelids. They were ridiculous to look at, but they had some wise thought, being remarkable men and Egyptians. For it is not right to approach natures that are eternal and whose very being is life with parts that are dead. If, then, the man shaved by hand is pious, the man bald by nature is naturally akin to God. For perhaps the divine itself is such — may it be gracious to the argument, for it will be said from an entirely pious mind. As for that part of the divine which is not shown, why should one meddle with it, since it wills once for all not to be manifest?

Notes and citation

Summary: Baldness is an initiation; Egyptian priests shave even their eyelashes, and the naturally bald man is akin to God.

Egyptian priests shaving all their body hair: Herodotus, Histories 2.37.

Extrabiblical texts: Herodotus, Hist. 2.37 (Herodotus, Histories; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 197 (Krabinger 1:197; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/197). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/197

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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 198

198Krabinger 1:198

φανὲν εἶναις Ὕὸ δὲ ὁρώμενον ἅπαν ἀκριβεῖς εἰσὶ σφαὶϊραι, ἥλιος, σελήνῃ,. πάντες ἀξέρες, ἀπλανεῖς τε καὶ πλάφη τε, Εἰ δὲ ὃ). μείουγκαὶ μείδους "εἰσὶν; ἀλλ᾽ ὑμοιοσχήμονεί 'ἄπαντε: Τί. δ' ἀν σφαίραι. γένοιτο! -φαχακρότεὅρον; τί' δὲ θέσπεσεώτερον } “Ἱέγεται "δέ: τις καὶ ᾿λόγοι, ' ὅτι βούλεται μὲν αὶ ψυχὴ μιμεῖσθαι θεόνο. 'Ο. δέ ἐξιν᾽ ὁ τρίέοὶ θεδέ, ἡ 'τοῦ 'κοσμοῦ ψυχὴ, ὃν" ὁ. πατὴρ μὲν αὐτῆς, τοῦ δὲ σωμπτικθὺ κόσμου τδημιουργὸς ἐπειτήγαγε τῷ κόσμῳ, τέλεον αὐτὸν καὶ «ὅλον καὶ πᾶν ἐκ πάν-Ο Ἰθτῶν σπερμάτων τὲ καὶ σωμάτων. ἀπεργασάμενος, ἀπο-" υ" δοὺς διὰ 'τοῦτο καὶ σχῆμα" σχημάτων "τὸ περιεκτικώτατον. ᾿Εξτι δὲ τῶν. μὲν ᾿ἰσοπεριμέτρων μεῖδον ἀεὶ τὸ πολυγωνότερόν" τῶν δὲ πολυγώνων ἁπάντων κύκλοι ἐν. ἐπιπέδοιρ"" ἐν" δὲ τοῖῤ βάθοι ἔχουσι σφαῖρα, “Ἴσασιν οἱ γεωμεζβίαι αἱ πρευμάρίαι ἐπφβολὸν Ἂν Ἢ τε οὖν

phanen einais Hyo de horōmenon hapan akribeis eisi sphaiïrai, hēlios, selēnę̄,. pantes axeres, aplaneis te kai plaphē te, Ei de ho). meiounkai meidous "eisin? all᾽ hymoioschēmonei 'apante: Ti. d' an sphairai. genoito! -phachakroteoron? ti' de thespeseōteron } “Hiegetai "de: tis kai ᾿logoi, ' hoti bouletai men ai psychē mimeisthai theono. 'O. de exin᾽ ho trieoi thede, hē 'tou 'kosmou psychē, hon" ho. patēr men autēs, tou de sōmptikthy kosmou tdēmiourgos epeitēgage tǭ kosmǭ, teleon auton kai «holon kai pan ek pan-O Ithtōn spermatōn te kai sōmatōn. apergasamenos, apo-" y" dous dia 'touto kai schēma" schēmatōn "to periektikōtaton. ᾿Exti de tōn. men ᾿isoperimetrōn meidon aei to polygōnoteron" tōn de polygōnōn hapantōn kykloi en. epipedoir"" en" de toir bathoi echousi sphaira, “Isasin hoi geōmezbiai hai preumariai epphbolon An Ē te oun

But all of it that is seen consists of exact spheres: sun, moon, all the stars, fixed and wandering. And if they are smaller and greater, yet all have the same shape. What could be balder than a sphere? What more divine? There is also a teaching that the soul wishes to imitate God. The third god is the soul of the cosmos, which its father, the maker of the bodily cosmos, set over the cosmos, having made it perfect and whole and all, out of all seeds and bodies, and for this reason gave it the most comprehensive of shapes. Of figures with equal perimeter the one with more angles is always greater, and of all polygons the circle is greatest among plane figures, and among solids the sphere. Those versed in geometry know this. So the

Notes and citation

Summary: The visible divine bodies are bald spheres, and the world-soul received the sphere, the most perfect shape, from its maker.

Plato, Timaeus 33b–34b (the cosmos made spherical as the most comprehensive figure). "The third god": the world-soul in the Neoplatonic triad.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ᾿ Α, Ῥαγ. Οὐ οἱ Μαγο Α. οὖν οχ- Ῥιο πὰν μευίδίιων πάντα ἔπ. σα. Βιθοηι Μόετπν. εἰ Μοη. Ἐ;: Ῥτο. Ο. καντων ρτῖπνο Πδθοδαι Πδυτ, Β, ἐγφὶ ἰῃ Ἀομὰ. ρτίτνο ἰερεδοῖωτ ἐπὶ, ᾳυοὰ εχριυποίαπι εδι. Βεεροχῖϊ ΄ 8. Ῥοει σχημάτων ἀεἴδιυ τη ει καὶ Ρτοουὶ ἀυδίο Ρίαι. υεᾳ6. ΥἹΙ. ν. ἰη ΝΜίδεγαι. ᾿ιδυάδι Ῥοιδνίυβ Ρίαι. 821... "τῶν τς Τα. Ρ. 35. Β. Οἷο, ἀθ πδῖ. Ἄνοκε: Ἵ4. Ὑἱά, ΡΙαΙ. ΤιεΒΒ. Ρ.. 821: Β. 11, χ8. εἴ 45., φαΐδυε δάθαϊυτ εἰ 886. ἢ. Ἐρίποπι. Ῥ' 084.. Ργοεὶ. δὰ ῬΊωι, Τίτη. 1. ο. Ῥ- 100. (9011. 981. Ε.} εἰ ὝΤανδ. ἦν. Α. 54. «41εἰ. ἀε᾽ ἀοεὶε. ΡΙαΐ. ο. 12. --Ὁ. θείη καὶ σελήνη Μοῦ. ΒΌ. Φαυΐε. δὰ Οἵο. ἂς ηδιν ἀοοττ. 1. οἱ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ απ. ἀς. Νῖδιο, Ο. ν ἢ ᾿ τὰ ἠ. γ7ρ... : ὅ. Εἰ δὲ οι. Ῥατίμε, Ἴμαυττ. ο᾽ ἴσω περιμέτρων Νάφοετη, ἫΝ ΒΡ Μοῦδοο. ΑΒΌΕ, Και, Μάτος. τοξ: εἴσω περιμέτρων, ἢ ἴα τῦξ. ΑΒ. Βεμὰ, ἴμρ Βατθ, τόο, πὶ. δῦ ρ- σ, ζῶ. Ἰσοκέριμ. ν Μοη. ΒΌ. ἰσο- Ριονίι κἂν, φυοὰ οχρίαι ἴω ΝΜΊοη. περιμιτρήτων Νίοη. Ἐ, εἰ, αἱ νἱ- Ο., ἰα αἷϊ. δυΐετι ἴζδυς. ἀοϊοῖσπι͵ ἀείωτ, Ρεΐπιο᾽ Μου, ἃ, φυσι εεῖ, μείους δὲ καὶ ἐχὨϊθ6ι ᾿γῖδτο. Α. ΜΙ μόκθνὲ ΗΝ ή. γι, Εἶσαι, Τίσι, Ρ. 23..Β., Ποία μεῖδον ἔπ Νίοη, ΑΕ. οἱ γαϊ." → .

Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Tim. 33b-34b (Plato (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 198 (Krabinger 1:198; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/198). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/198

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-phalakras-198) · 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 199

199Krabinger 1:199

ὅλῃ, Ψύχη 'σφαῖραν ὄντα τὸν ὅλον. κόσμον...) ψυχοῖ, αἷ. τε ἀπὸ «τῆς. ὅλὴὶ ῥυεῖσαι καὶ μὲρῃ γενόμεναι θέλουσιν.ἐκάφῃ)" τοῦθ΄..),) ὁπὲρ ιὴ πᾶσα. ψυχή, δισινεῖν σώ: ἢ ματα 'καὶ 'κόσμων “εἶναι. ψυχαὶ, δ' καὶ, σοῦ" μέῤισμκοῦ δ γέγονεν αὐταῖς αἴτιον. Οὕτως ἐδέγσε: τῇ" φύσεεισφαι! “ ρῶν μερικῶν. "ἄνω μὲν οὖν ἀτέρες᾽ κάτω δὲ κεφαλαὶ διιπλάσθθησαν, ἵν' εἶεν οἶκοι ψυχῶν, ἐν κόσμῳ κόσμοι ἔδει, γὰρ ὁ) οἶμαι, εἶναι τὸν κόσμοὶΛ ᾿ Σῶον μικροί " ἐκ -ξώων συγκείμενον. Ταΐ μὲν οὖν εὐηθικωτέραις. ψύ. Ιῦ χαὶς: οὐδὲν, δεαφέρει καὶ" εἰς' κομῇτιν' κεφαλὴν ἐναικίς σασθαι, ταρὰ πλεῖτον᾽ σύόδαν τῆς ἀκριβείας τόϊ σχής ματος" σοφὴ δε ψυχὴ πρὸς ἀξίὰν ἐκάτγ' τὴν ἑαυτῆς, οἱ αν ᾿ἄερον,. ἡ δὲ φάλάκραν. ἐνεϊμάτο, ν.}. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἔν φέσι, ᾿ἀσθενεὶ 'πρόγ: τελέαν' κά ἐϊερήβεμηὸ, «ἀλλὰ τήντ)ε “αὖ πόσο ὦ

holę̄, Psychē 'sphairan onta ton holon. kosmon...) psychoi, hai. te apo «tēs. holēi rhyeisai kai merę̄ genomenai thelousin.ekaphę̄)" touth΄..),) hoper iē pasa. psychē, disinein sō: ē mata 'kai 'kosmōn “einai. psychai, d' kai, sou" merismkou d gegonen autais aition. Houtōs edegse: tę̄" physeeisphai! “ rōn merikōn. "anō men oun ateres᾽ katō de kephalai diiplasththēsan, hin' eien oikoi psychōn, en kosmǭ kosmoi edei, gar ho) oimai, einai ton kosmoiL ᾿ Sōon mikroi " ek -xōōn synkeimenon. Taï men oun euēthikōterais. psy. Iy chais: ouden, deapherei kai" eis' komę̄tin' kephalēn enaikis sasthai, tara pleiton᾽ syodan tēs akribeias toï schēs matos" sophē de psychē pros axian ekatg' tēn heautēs, hoi an ᾿aeron,. hē de phalakran. eneïmato, n.}. Ei gar hē en phesi, ᾿asthenei 'prog: telean' ka eïerēbemēo, «alla tēnt)e “au poso ō

whole soul ensouls the whole cosmos, which is a sphere; and the souls that flowed from the whole and became parts each wish to do what the whole soul does — to move bodies and be the souls of worlds; and this was the cause of their division. So nature needed partial spheres: above, stars; below, heads were formed, so that they might be houses of souls, worlds within the world. For the cosmos had to be, I think, a living being composed of living beings. To simpler souls it makes no difference if they dwell even in a long-haired head, far from the exactness of the figure; but a wise soul chose, according to its worth, the … one, the bald one …

Notes and citation

Summary: Individual souls imitate the world-soul by dwelling in heads, little spheres; a wise soul chooses a bald, perfectly spherical head.

The last lines of the page are badly garbled in the OCR and left untranslated.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: garbled lines and Krabinger's apparatus at the foot of the page): ΔΑ ΚΜ τ ἡ ΗἾΩ.- Υἱά. ῥίαι.. Τίπι..». 35. ΓῊ λαγγοι, ὥιπερ, ἐνεργοῦ μαχαΐραι, Οὐ ψεχοῖ Ι'Μδὴ. δ: ν εἰ ἅτε, ἴω ν μὲν ἀκμαιότερον προβεβλῆσθαι ἜΒ. ααἰστῆ δ αἱ. τπν. αἴ τε ψψίεν τὴς ἱφι Χ." σειγυλι νὰν Ηἰαι) Τί ἃ] ΔΊ εὐεαν,. Ὁ ἣν" " ὶ να τιν γι. ᾽80..8 -- Ὅ.. τοι. (9, Ο, οἰῇῷίαβ. → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 199 (Krabinger 1:199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/199). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/199

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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 200

200Krabinger 1:200

ἄνῳ "καὶ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἐπιφάνειαν ἡμῶν οὐκ ἀνέχεται μὰ οὐ κάσμον. εἶναι. τῷ. σχήματι... Ἡ φαλάκρα 'τοίνυν αἰ καὶ οὐρανὸς ἡμὶν ἀναπίφηνεν οὖὐσὰ, καὶ ὅσα τις ἂν εἴποι. σφαίρας. ἐγκώμια, αὐτὰ ταῦτα καὶ φαλάκραρ ὅ ἐγκώμια. διεξέρχεται... ΕΥΥ Πρὸς ταῦτα γραφέτω μὲν Ομῃηρος, πλαττέτω δὲ, εἰ. βούλεται, «καὶ Φειδίας ἀποδείξεις τῷ “Ζίωνι,. χαίτην τῷ “1 καθιέντες ἦ, καὶ ταύτην βαθείας τριχὸς, ἵν᾽ ἔχῃ Β κινεῖν «δ αὐτῶν ὀπότε θέλοι τὸν οὐρανόν. ᾽Ο "γὰρ ὁρώμενον ἐν οὐρανῷ Ζεύι,, ἅπαντες ἴσμεν οἷός ὃ) ἔσιν"," δὲ τις. ἔσει καὶ ἕτερος Ζεύς, οὐκ οἶδα μὲν,, εἴ τις «ἕξι Ἢ μετὰ σώματος ἕτερο.. ᾿Ἔτω δὲ, εἴ τις οἴεται. Πάντως οὖν ἢ πρῶτοι δ), ὃ', μετὰ τοῦτον. Οὐκοῦν εἰκών ἔσει παραδείγματος τούτου. ᾿᾿Οποτέρως δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ Ἴγ, τοιοῦ. τός ἐἔξιν,. ὁποῖος ὁ πᾶσι φαινόμενος, ὡς ἂν ἡ ταξις τῆς φύσεω;' χωρήσῃ ὃ τὴν ὑμοιότητα. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ ἐοίκασι ποιητική τε") καὶ πλαεικὴ, καὶ τὸ μιμητικὸν ἅπαν γὲ- " τ.", ΄. Ὁ.

anǭ "kai pros ouranon epiphaneian hēmōn ouk anechetai ma ou kasmon. einai. tǭ. schēmati... Hē phalakra 'toinyn ai kai ouranos hēmin anapiphēnen ouysa, kai hosa tis an eipoi. sphairas. enkōmia, auta tauta kai phalakrar ho enkōmia. diexerchetai... EUY Pros tauta graphetō men Omę̄ēros, plattetō de, ei. bouletai, «kai Pheidias apodeixeis tǭ “Ziōni,. chaitēn tǭ “1 kathientes ē, kai tautēn batheias trichos, hin᾽ echę̄ B kinein «d autōn opote theloi ton ouranon. ᾽O "gar horōmenon en ouranǭ Zeui,, hapantes ismen hoios ho) esin"," de tis. esei kai heteros Zeus, ouk oida men,, ei tis «hexi Ē meta sōmatos hetero.. ᾿Etō de, ei tis oietai. Pantōs oun ē prōtoi d), ho', meta touton. Oukoun eikōn esei paradeigmatos toutou. ᾿᾿Opoterōs d᾽ an echę̄ Ig, toiou. tos eexin,. hopoios ho pasi phainomenos, hōs an hē taxis tēs physeō?' chōrēsę̄ ho tēn hymoiotēta. ᾿Alla gar eoikasi poiētikē te") kai plaeikē, kai to mimētikon hapan ge- " t.", ΄. Ho.

above, and does not allow our surface turned up toward heaven not to be a world in its shape. Baldness, then, has been shown to us to be a heaven as well, and whatever praises one might speak of a sphere, these same praises tell of baldness. Against this let Homer write, and let Phidias too, if he likes, sculpt proofs for Dio, letting a mane fall on Zeus, and that of thick hair, so that he can move heaven with it whenever he wishes. For the Zeus who is seen in heaven — we all know what he is like. Whether there is also another Zeus I do not know, whether there is another with a body; let it be so, if anyone thinks so. In any case he is either the first or comes after this one, and so is an image of this model. Whichever way it is, he is like the one who appears to all, so far as the order of nature admits the likeness. But poetry and sculpture and the whole imitative race seem

Notes and citation

Summary: The bald head, like the sphere of heaven, is a little world; Homer and Phidias gave Zeus long hair, but the visible god in heaven is a sphere.

Phidias's Olympian Zeus was said to be modelled on Iliad 1.528–530.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ς011. Νοκίγο πές. ὕδῃ. ἀνεκίρύμεν ἡ ἐυὰ. γι 83. Ρ. εἴπ Ρτο εἰ δὲ τίς → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 200 (Krabinger 1:200; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/200). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/200

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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 201

201Krabinger 1:201

νος ὕκιεα μὲν εἶναι φιλάληθες᾽" δημαγωγικὸν 1}) δὲ᾽ ὡς μάλιτα, καὶ ποιεῖν ἅττα ποιεῖ, πρός δόξαν,Ο οὐ πρὸ, ἀλήθειαν. Τίμιον δὲ ἀμαθέσιν ἡ κόμη, καὶ πᾶν τὸ περικείμενον ξέωθεν. δήμου δόξα τεθαύμακεν, ᾿αγροὺς, καὶ. ἀπήνα!, καὶ οἰκίας, καὶ συνοικίας ἦ, ὅσα μὴ τὴς φύσεως ἐξὶ τῶν ἐχόντων, αλλ', ὥπερ αἱ τρίχε,, ἀλλότριον" πόῤῥω γάρ εἰσι.) νοῦ καὶ θεοῦ, καὶ ἀντὶ νοῦ καὶ θεοῦ φύσις αὐτοὺς διοικεῖ καὶ τύχῃ. Ἔτι τοῦτο ἁλλοτριώτιρον. ΔΙακαρίξεται δ᾽ οὖν. ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνοήτων 10ὅσα τύχῃς δῶρα καὶ φύσεως. Ὅστις [δ] ᾽) οὖν δήμῳ γράφει καὶ δήμῳ λέγει, τοῦτον ἄνάγμν δηλαν εἶναι τῷ Ὁ δόξῃ, ἵν᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρεσκόντῳν αὐτῷ πλάττῃ καὶ δια... λέγηται. αὶ γὰρ ἀμαθεῖς ὄντες, ἰσχυρογνώμονές εἰσι καὶ χαλεποὶ προτάται τῶν ἀτόπων προλῤψιων, ὡς» ἂν τίς τι τῶν πατρίων παρακινῇ, Ἰαχὺ πιεῖται ᾽ τὸ πάλνειον, Τί δ' ἂν οὖν δοκεῖς Ομηρον ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ἑλλῃηνῶν παθεῖν, αὐτὰ τάληθῇ περὶ τοῦ “1ιὸς εἰπόνεα «καὶ μηδὲν τοιοῦτο τερατευσάμενον, ᾧ τὰ παιδάρια παταπλύήττεται;; ων, ͵ χ

nos hykiea men einai philalēthes᾽" dēmagōgikon 1}) de᾽ hōs malita, kai poiein hatta poiei, pros doxan,O ou pro, alētheian. Timion de amathesin hē komē, kai pan to perikeimenon xeōthen. dēmou doxa tethaumaken, ᾿agrous, kai. apēna!, kai oikias, kai synoikias ē, hosa mē tēs physeōs exi tōn echontōn, all', hōper hai triche,, allotrion" porrhō gar eisi.) nou kai theou, kai anti nou kai theou physis autous dioikei kai tychę̄. Eti touto hallotriōtiron. DIakarixetai d᾽ oun. hypo tōn anoētōn 10hosa tychę̄s dōra kai physeōs. Hostis [d] ᾽) oun dēmǭ graphei kai dēmǭ legei, touton anagmn dēlan einai tǭ Ho doxę̄, hin᾽ apo tōn areskontǭn autǭ plattę̄ kai dia... legētai. ai gar amatheis ontes, ischyrognōmones eisi kai chalepoi protatai tōn atopōn prolrpsiōn, hōs» an tis ti tōn patriōn parakinę̄, Iachy pieitai ᾽ to palneion, Ti d' an oun dokeis Omēron hypo tōn ᾿Hellę̄ēnōn pathein, auta talēthę̄ peri tou “1ios eiponea «kai mēden toiouto terateusamenon, hǭ ta paidaria pataplyēttetai?? ōn, ͵ ch

to be least of all lovers of truth and most of all crowd-pleasers, making whatever they make for opinion, not for truth. Hair is precious to the ignorant, and so is everything that lies about us from outside, which popular opinion admires — fields, carriages, houses, rented blocks — things that do not belong to the nature of their owners but, like hairs, are alien; for they are far from mind and God, and instead of mind and God, nature and fortune govern them; and fortune is more alien still. The gifts of fortune and nature, then, are counted blessed by the foolish. So whoever writes for the people and speaks to the people must be a slave to opinion, so that he moulds his images and speaks from what pleases it. For being ignorant they are obstinate and harsh champions of their absurd preconceptions, so that if anyone disturbs any of the ancestral things, he quickly drinks the hemlock. What then do you think Homer would have suffered at the hands of the Greeks, had he told the very truth about Zeus and invented nothing of the kind that awes little children?

Notes and citation

Summary: Poets and sculptors please popular opinion, which prizes externals like hair; telling the truth about the gods would have cost Homer dearly.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 201 (Krabinger 1:201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/201). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/201

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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 202

202Krabinger 1:202

“2 ΓΙ ὁ γπν ν1} Ὡς “ν᾽, ν᾿.. "1... ΣΡ αν ΡΤ ψ. ᾿Αἰγύπτιοι "δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ν σοφοὶ, χα υἵΓ τὰ 'προ- γ: φητινᾶ ἂ" γίνη βαναύσοις ᾿ μὲ 'λαὶ χειρώναξιν οὐκ ἐπὶ: τ ἡἐπουσὶ Ὦ δὴαιουργεϊν»" εἶδ θεῶν, ἐν α εὐ τὶ τοιοῦτο Ἵ παρανομήσώσιν ἀλλα' ΩΣ ΠῚ ῥαάμφεσὶ 4} τῶν ᾿ἰἐράὃ κων τε 'κἀὶ τῶν᾽ ἴβεων! ἃ᾿ τὸν; κρδτὲμεν δι άσιν" ἐγκοχάπτὸυσι γ κἀτμιωκῶντοι ἰοῦ δύμου: αὐτοὶ" δὲ ματαδύντες δ ὰ ἯΙ Γ ᾿ἱεροὺς χρραμιόὺὶ κὰν ἀνε' "ἂν ᾿ἀπεργάσων: ἑαι.Ἡ περιείλλουσὶ" καὶ! “ἕςιν' "αύτοῖς κωμαφήρια 5γ} τὰ κἰβωτιά᾽ κρύπτοντα;; φὰσὶ, ᾿ταύτας νάϊ σφαΐϊρας, ἂς ὁ [ΠῚ "4 δῆιλον," ἐὰν ἴδῃ, ᾿χαλεπανεὶ" τὸ δὲ βάτον ἌΝ κατὰ γελάτ ἀξ ἀμηδεϊἐξὴι γὰρ᾽ εἰῤαμῖας. Πῶς “, οὐ ἀνα Ὲ δ: εὍ! "1 : 1.5..." ΠΟΤ Ως» ᾿ εἶ “τ εἰ

“2 GI ho gpn n1} Hōs “n᾽, n᾿.. "1... SR an RT ps. ᾿Aigyptioi "de kai touto n sophoi, cha huiG ta 'pro- g: phētina a" ginē banausois ᾿ me 'lai cheirōnaxin ouk epi: t hēepousi Ō dēaiourgeïn»" eid theōn, en a eu ti toiouto Hi paranomēsōsin alla' ŌS PI rhaamphesi 4} tōn ᾿ierao kōn te 'kai tōn᾽ ibeōn! ha᾿ ton? krdtemen di asin" enkochaptousi g katmiōkōntoi iou dymou: autoi" de matadyntes d a HēI G ᾿hierous chrramioui kan ane' "an ᾿apergasōn: heai.Hē perieillousi" kai! “hesin' "autois kōmaphēria 5g} ta kibōtia᾽ kryptonta?? phasi, ᾿tautas naï sphaïïras, as ho [PI "4 dēilon," ean idę̄, ᾿chalepanei" to de baton AN kata gelat ax amēdeïexēi gar᾽ eiramias. Pōs “, ou ana E d: heO! "1 : 1.5..." POT Ōs» ᾿ ei “t ei

The Egyptians are wise in this too: they do not allow common workmen and craftsmen to fashion the images of the gods, lest they transgress in some such way; but they carve beaks of hawks and ibises … mocking the people, while they themselves, going down into the sacred chambers, carry round … and they have processional caskets which hide, they say, these spheres, at which the people, if it saw them, would be angry, and the … would laugh …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Egyptian priests show the people animal-headed images but keep the true images of the gods, spheres, hidden in sacred caskets.

The OCR of this page is badly garbled; only the general sense can be given, and gaps are marked.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Ολρ. Νον αὐτιταῦτα ἔδεε Δ. Μφη. 40. νι. Ματος Δ Δ.» ἔϊεπι, Ἡξωα Μεξταν. ἥν περινὶλ. ει τοῦτο οὐσὶν Μοι. ΒὉ. ἘΝ ΣΝ εἰ κεδεμίων τ ΕΤ «9: Κωμλαγήρια͵ (ρει τθιξ, ε3υσιᾳταῦτα ν Δίεοττα. ΠῚ προ ΗΝ γρι. ἀν οτ νν ὑπι τα τρια ναι. πωματήρια τοὶ “Ρὲδτελέως οἁ Ὀϊδὸτ. ιθίο "1. 5. γ. ᾿βιτρέκουξιν Μδη. Ο. εΐη μεμα το Το 1. γ᾿ 177... καὶ μυζρρια,τζωος εἰδῃ θεῶν δημ. Νίδτο. Ο. δεοκῖις Δεϊδορῃ. Ὑ. 1. νΡ. 572., ἃ- τοιοῦτον Νίου, Ὠ, 16. Μοῃ. κχογ.. ταἀάϊιϊε -Ηἰξ᾽ νοεδύουτλαδρηί Ο, εταθσι μος ς εν οὐ στο Π φήοφις δ} ἀφαγδία φὐδὶ νι πὰ ]τὰ κέν → .

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 202 (Krabinger 1:202; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/202). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/202

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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 203

203Krabinger 1:203

μὸς γε ὦν; “)ιὸ τεθεῖσθαι πᾶσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνδριάσι τὰ ῥάμφη "τῶν ἵβεων" ἕνα δὲ, ὃν οὐ κρύπτουσιν. ἀλλ᾽ ἀναδεικνύδυσι, τὸν ᾿Ασκληπιὸν, τοῦτον ἂν ἴδοις ὑπέρου "πολὺ φαλακρότερον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὗτος ἐν ᾿Επιδαύὅρῳ κομᾷ " Ἕλλησι γὰρ ἀταλαίπωρο; τῇ ἀληθείας" ἡ δήτησις, ὧς ἐν δίκῃ τὸ γίνος ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἐλοι: δόρησεν. " Αἰγύπτιοι. δὲ καὶ: ὁρῶσιν αὐτὸν ὁσημέραι καὶ τὴν διὰ λόγων συγγίνονται, οὐχ ᾿οὗ τὴν ἑξίαν' ἔχει μόνόν, οὐδ᾽ ὡς ἀν αὐτὸς, καὶ ὅσα προέληται: ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐγὼ γάρ ἀκούω λεγόντων, ὦ; ἀνὴρ Αἰγύπτιος τέχνην Ο' ἐπὶ τοὺς θεούξ᾽ ἔχει, 'καί τινας ἴυγγας δ" ᾿τ᾿ώςθ᾽, ὅταν ᾿ἐθέλοι, μικρὸν ὑποβαρβαρίσα: ἅπαν ἐἴλκυσεν ὅσον ἐξὶ τοῦ θείου τὸ πεφυκὸς ὑλκαὶς τισὶν: ἔεσθαι. ᾿ Παρὰ τούτων οὖν, "οὐ παρ᾽ ᾿Ελλήνων" χηπτίον “τοῦ ᾿θείου τὰς ἀληθεεέρας" ἐἰκόνα,.. Ἑαίτοιγε ἀπόχρη, τὸ σμι ὁ κρῷ πρότερον" εἰρημένον, τὸν ἥλιον ἰδόντι. καὶ τοὺς ἀςέρας μηδὲν ΚΡΟΈΡΕΡΥ ἐδεύθοις Εἰ δὲ τις ἔξει καὶ.

mos ge ōn? “)io tetheisthai pasin epi tois andriasi ta rhamphē "tōn hibeōn" hena de, hon ou kryptousin. all᾽ anadeiknydysi, ton ᾿Asklēpion, touton an idois hyperou "poly phalakroteron. ᾿All᾽ houtos en ᾿Epidauorǭ komą " Hellēsi gar atalaipōro? tę̄ alētheias" hē dētēsis, hōs en dikę̄ to ginos ho syngrapheus eloi: dorēsen. " Aigyptioi. de kai: horōsin auton hosēmerai kai tēn dia logōn synginontai, ouch ᾿hou tēn hexian' echei monon, oud᾽ hōs an autos, kai hosa proelētai: ᾿All᾽ egō gar akouō legontōn, ō? anēr Aigyptios technēn O' epi tous theoux᾽ echei, 'kai tinas iyngas d" ᾿t᾿ōsth᾽, hotan ᾿etheloi, mikron hypobarbarisa: hapan eilkysen hoson exi tou theiou to pephykos hylkais tisin: eesthai. ᾿ Para toutōn oun, "ou par᾽ ᾿Ellēnōn" chēption “tou ᾿theiou tas alētheeeras" eikona,.. Heaitoige apochrē, to smi ho krǭ proteron" eirēmenon, ton hēlion idonti. kai tous aseras mēden KROERERY edeuthois Ei de tis exei kai.

since it is a crowd. That is why the beaks of ibises are set on all the statues. But one god whom they do not hide but display, Asclepius — him you would see much balder than a pestle. Yet at Epidaurus he has long hair; for among the Greeks the search for truth is careless, as the historian rightly reproached the race. The Egyptians see him every day and converse with him by speech, not only in the form he has, nor only as he himself chooses. For I hear people say that an Egyptian has an art directed at the gods, and certain charms, so that whenever he wishes, with a little barbarous muttering, he draws down whatever of the divine is by nature drawn by spells. From these, then, not from the Greeks, must the truer images of the divine be sought. And yet what was said a little earlier is enough for one who has looked at the sun and the stars … If there is also

Notes and citation

Summary: The Egyptians show Asclepius bald, the Greeks long-haired; truer images of the gods come from Egypt, whose priests even converse with them.

"The search for truth is careless": Thucydides 1.20.3.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ᾿ 10. Ερρώτμον, ΜΑΣΤῸΝ κε ΠΣ → .

Extrabiblical texts: Thucydides, 1.20.3 (Thucydides, History; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 203 (Krabinger 1:203; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/203). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/203

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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 204

204Krabinger 1:204

κομήτης ἀτήρ᾽ ἴδσι μὲν οὐδε" χώρα γὰρ ἀξέρων τὸ κύκλῳ σῶμα κινούμενον, περὶ ἣν οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε Ὁ) νεώτερον. γίνεται" ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ σελήνην τόπος,’ αὐτὰ τὰ - μεθόρια τῇς γενέσεως, οὗτος ἴσχει τὰ ὑπεκκαύματα, δ ψευδωνύμου, ἀςέρας,. τῷ μὲν ἐξθε. ὑποκεῖσθαι συγκινουμένου;, τῷ δὲ μὴ τὴς αὐτῇς φύσεως εἶναι. πλημλεξε λῶς κινουμένους.. ᾿Ηκὲ τις ἐπὶ τὸ της, ἰσημερίας. ση- ᾿ς μεῖον ἀπὸ ποῦ θυτηρίου. κἀκεῖθεν ἡξει παραφερόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν πόλον τὸν βόρειον, ἄν μὴ φθάσῃ προαπολόμενοι. Τούτων γὰρ ὄψει τινὰ πολυμλιήκῃ,..: καὶ τήμερον μὲν, ἂν. τύχῃ, δωδίου. μῆκος. ἐπέχοντα" εἰς τρίτην δὲ. οὐδὲ -τριτημόριον" ιἱς δεκάτην -δὲ καὶ εἰς «τριακοτὴν καλῶς ποιῶν οἴχεται, κατὰ σμικρὸν. ἀπεσβηκὼς καὶ: οὐδεὶς, γενόμενος οὐδαμοῦ, Τούτους ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδ᾽ ὅσιόν. ἐειν᾽ ἀξέρας καλεῖν... Εἰ, δὲ σὺ βούλες,, 3». οὐκοῦν τοσοὐτὸν ἐξιν αὶ κόμῃ κακὸν, ὦρτε καλεὶν

komētēs atēr᾽ idsi men oude" chōra gar axerōn to kyklǭ sōma kinoumenon, peri hēn ouden oudepote Ho) neōteron. ginetai" ho de hypo selēnēn topos,’ auta ta - methoria tę̄s geneseōs, houtos ischei ta hypekkaumata, d pseudōnymou, aseras,. tǭ men exthe. hypokeisthai synkinoumenou?, tǭ de mē tēs autę̄s physeōs einai. plēmlexe lōs kinoumenous.. ᾿Ēke tis epi to tēs, isēmerias. sē- ᾿s meion apo pou thytēriou. kakeithen hēxei parapheromenos epi ton polon ton boreion, an mē phthasę̄ proapolomenoi. Toutōn gar opsei tina polymliēkę̄,..: kai tēmeron men, an. tychę̄, dōdiou. mēkos. epechonta" eis tritēn de. oude -tritēmorion" hiis dekatēn -de kai eis «triakotēn kalōs poiōn oichetai, kata smikron. apesbēkōs kai: oudeis, genomenos oudamou, Toutous emoi men oud᾽ hosion. eein᾽ axeras kalein... Ei, de sy boules,, 3». oukoun tosouton exin ai komę̄ kakon, ōrte kalein

a long-haired star, a comet — I know of none. For the region of the stars is the body moving in a circle, about which nothing new ever happens; it is the region below the moon, the very borderland of coming-to-be, that holds the flare-ups, falsely called stars, which move along with the heaven because they lie beneath the aether, but move irregularly because they are not of the same nature. One comes from the Altar to the equinoctial point, and from there will be carried toward the north pole, unless it perishes first. You will see some of them very long, today perhaps stretching the length of a zodiac sign, on the third day not a third of that, and by the tenth or thirtieth it is gone — and good riddance — gradually quenched and turned into nothing anywhere. These I think it is not even holy to call stars. But if you wish to, then hair is so great an evil that to call

Notes and citation

Summary: Comets, "long-haired stars," are not true stars but short-lived flares below the moon; true stars are perfect spheres.

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 204 (Krabinger 1:204; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/204). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/204

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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 205

205Krabinger 1:205

καὶ ἐν ἄτρῳ' θνητὸν εἶδος ἐργάξεσθαι ". Καὶ φανέντε! δὲ, τίρας εἰσὶ πονηρὸν, οὖς οἱ τερατοσκύποι καὶ οἱ μάντεις ἐκθύονται. «““ημοσιωτάτας γέ τοι μαντεύουσι συμφοράς, ἐθνῶν ἀνδραποδισμοῦ!, πόλεων ἀναἡ;άσει;, βασιλίων ὀλέθρους, μικρὸν οὐξὶν, οὐξὶ μέτριον, ἀλλὰ πάντα πέρα δεινῶν. Οὐ μὲν πως ἀπόλωλεν ἀπευθής ἐκ “]ὸς ἀτὴρ, Ἔξ οὐ καὶ γενεῦῆθεν ἀκούομεν. “Οκτις οὖν ἀπόλωλεν, οὐκ ἔξιν ἀεήρ, ἀλλὰ πάντα σφαιρικὰ τὰ μακάρια σώματα. Ἐμοὶ δὴ καὶ τοῖς ἑμοῖρ παρείη τουτὶ τἀγαθὸν, ὃ με ποιεῖ τοὶς θεοῖς παραπλήσιον" οὐ γὰρ ἕτεροϊ τινές εἰσιν ἀντὶ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντῶν ἀντίθεοι, οὐδ᾽ οὖς μᾶλλον προφήκει θεοειδέας καὶ θεοεικέλους καλεὶν, καὶ τἄλλα πάντα τὰ τοῦ θείου κάλλους ὀνόματα. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτω μὲν ἀξιον,

kai en atrǭ' thnēton eidos ergaxesthai ". Kai phanente! de, tiras eisi ponēron, ous hoi teratoskypoi kai hoi manteis ekthyontai. «““ēmosiōtatas ge toi manteuousi symphoras, ethnōn andrapodismou!, poleōn anaē?asei?, basiliōn olethrous, mikron ouxin, ouxi metrion, alla panta pera deinōn. Ou men pōs apolōlen apeuthēs ek “]os atēr, Ex ou kai geneuēthen akouomen. “Oktis oun apolōlen, ouk exin aeēr, alla panta sphairika ta makaria sōmata. Emoi dē kai tois hemoir pareiē touti tagathon, ho me poiei tois theois paraplēsion" ou gar heteroï tines eisin anti tōn houtōs echontōn antitheoi, oud᾽ ous mallon prophēkei theoeideas kai theoeikelous kalein, kai talla panta ta tou theiou kallous onomata. Kai ouch houtō men axion,

something long-haired even in a star makes it a mortal kind. And when they appear they are an evil portent, which the portent-watchers and seers try to avert by sacrifice. They foretell the most public misfortunes: the enslavement of nations, the devastation of cities, the destruction of kings — nothing small, nothing moderate, but everything beyond terrible. "Never yet has a star from Zeus perished unnoticed, since we have heard from our birth." Whatever has perished, then, is not a star; but all the blessed bodies are spherical. May this good be mine and my family's, which makes me like the gods; for there are no others who are godlike rather than those so endowed, none whom it more befits to call god-shaped and god-resembling, with all the other names of divine beauty. And it is not that this is merely fitting

Notes and citation

Summary: Comets portend disaster and perish; true stars never perish and are spheres, so the bald are the most godlike of men.

The quotation is Aratus, Phaenomena 259–260.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): Ρῖδ, μθί ρορὶ καλεῖν δὰ άϊιιπ οὐσὶ. εδὲ κάλει, αυοά ἰῃ Μητοο. ΒΟ. δ0. μαντεύονται Δι. εἰ Νῖοα. τεχίατ οοουρανῖϊ. δε πος νερὸ Ε. μαντεύονται, ἴῃ οτὰ δὴ εδὰ. δάϊεοῖο Δηηοϊδίου μαυᾷ ἀυδία πι-: μαντεύουσι Νίδεταν, [πα ἐοάεπι βαρρίοτε νοίωἷϊι ἀροἀοθίη, 4υαὸ ἰἶδτο ἃυῖϊα πόλεων τ, πι. δυρετ- Ροοὶ εἰ δὲ ποι) τᾶτο βυρρτίυωνϊ- βοτί μθῖϊ καὶ. ἴων (οἷ, ο. 6. Ρ. 69. Β. ες. 10. ᾿ ᾿ Ρ' ἴδ: Ὁ. ᾿ς. 12. ρ. 15. Ο. ς. 17: 40. ἀπόλωλεν οὐκ ἵτιν ἀεὴρ, ἰδ υἱ δυνδυάϊει ἀμ οἷ εὖ ἔχει ἡυοά τ, πὰ. ἴω τηρ. εοττεχὶϊ. ἁἀπαυτοὶ οἷαί! αυἱά, Υἱά, Παπιό. Βοκ. θὴς ἐκ δ. ἀν, ἵπ ᾿'πξ. ἐκ ὃ. ἀπα- ἘΠῚ 088. σεν. ρ. 803. 3η4ᾳ. ἵκεππέρ. δὰ Ῥμαϊδυίἀ. Ερίδι. 8, Ρ. 51. 4. 8ηὴς ἀς. Νίοι. Ε. ἐκ δ. ἀπαθ, (α8 δὰ Ρίδι. ὕο τ. Ρ. 608. εἰ ἔτοιδβ. χ τυβ ρηδίο) ἐξ. Μοι. Α.΄ἐκ ὅ. Ῥ- 101. Βογπειπάππ. δὰ Χοπορθ, ὑπαθ, ἀξ, ναι, εἱ Τωτη, Γδοιῖ, Αμδὃ. Ῥ. 539. “4. δια δ. κἃ ΡΙαι. γα ἐκ ᾧ. ἀπευθὴς Ρατ. ΑΌ. οἱ θυτρ. Ρ- 98. 54. “ἀ. ΘΒ. 1. ατο. Δ. ἀπευθὴς, ἴνν τὴρ. γρ. ψέεθά καλεῖν --- καὶ ἐν ἄσρῳ, υἱ- ἀπαθὴς Ἀομὰ, ἀπευθυὺς ΜΊατο, Ὁ. Ῥοῖε ἔπ ἰοχία περ θοία, ἰπ Βα. γιὰ, γαῖ. ΡΗδεποῖη. ν. 250. 54. το τὰ. δὰ περ. δάἀβυτῖρεῖι.; → .

Extrabiblical texts: Aratus, Phaen. 259-260 (Aratus, Phaenomena; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 205 (Krabinger 1:205; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/205). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/205

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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 206

206Krabinger 1:206

ἑτέρως δὲ γίνεται" ἀλλ᾽ ἀκούσαις ἂν ὑποκοριδομένων καὶ ἄντικρυς σελήνια καλούντων τοὺς φαλακρούς. Γ᾿ Ἀκαὶ μικροῦ με παρῆλθεν ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ χάντων εἰπεῖν οἰκειότατον, ἡ σελήνη καὶ τῆς σελήνῃς αἱ φαἤσεις, αἱς φαλακρῶν παῖδες ὁμώνυμοι καὶ ὁμοιοσχήμόνε. Βαὶ γὰρ ἄρχεται μηνοειδὴς Ὗ ἡ φιλτάτη, καὶ διχόμηνο; γίνεται, καὶ πάλιν ἀμφίκυρτο;" τελευτῶσα δὲ 7δη πανσέληνοι. Ἰζαίΐτοι τοὺς εἰς ἄκρον εὐτυχίας ἐληλακότας, αὐτοὺς λίγω τοὺς πανσελήνου;, ᾿θέμις ἤδη καὶ ἡλίους καλεῖν εἰ οὐκέτι δ) γὰρ ἐπανίασιν ἐπὶ τὰς Ὁ φάσεις, ἀλλὰ διατελοῦσιν ὁλοκλήρῳ “ἢ τῷ κύκλῳ τοῖς κατ᾽ οὐρανὸν ἀντιλάμποντε,, ὥιπερ ἀμέλει τὸν δυσσέα Ἶ παίδουσιν οἱ μινηφῆρες, μειράκια κομῶντα καὶ διαῤῥέοντα, καὶ ταχὺ λιάλα κακῶς ἀπολούμενα, πλεῖον Ιδέκατόν, ὑφ᾽ ἐνὸς ἅπαντα φαλαπροῦ, ὃν τέως λαμιπαδηκότιον ὄντα καὶς φῶς ἅπτοντα χειροποίητον, νουθὲτοῦσιν ἀπηλλάχθαι πραγμάτων, ὡς ἀρκούσῃης τῇς κε

heterōs de ginetai" all᾽ akousais an hypokoridomenōn kai antikrys selēnia kalountōn tous phalakrous. G᾿ Akai mikrou me parēlthen ᾽ auto touto to chantōn eipein oikeiotaton, hē selēnē kai tēs selēnę̄s hai phaēseis, hais phalakrōn paides homōnymoi kai homoioschēmone. Bai gar archetai mēnoeidēs Hy hē philtatē, kai dichomēno? ginetai, kai palin amphikyrto?" teleutōsa de 7dē panselēnoi. Izaiïtoi tous eis akron eutychias elēlakotas, autous ligō tous panselēnou?, ᾿themis ēdē kai hēlious kalein ei ouketi d) gar epaniasin epi tas Ho phaseis, alla diatelousin holoklērǭ “ē tǭ kyklǭ tois kat᾽ ouranon antilamponte,, hōiper amelei ton dyssea I paidousin hoi minēphēres, meirakia komōnta kai diarrheonta, kai tachy liala kakōs apoloumena, pleion Idekaton, hyph᾽ enos hapanta phalaprou, hon teōs lamipadēkotion onta kais phōs haptonta cheiropoiēton, nouthetousin apēllachthai pragmatōn, hōs arkousę̄ēs tę̄s ke

and the practice otherwise: you may hear people calling the bald, endearingly and outright, "little moons." And I nearly passed over the very thing most fitting of all to say: the moon and the moon's phases, with which the sons of the bald share both name and shape. For the dearest one begins as a crescent, becomes a half-moon, then gibbous, and at last full. And those who have reached the summit of good fortune — I mean the "full moons" themselves — it is right to call suns, for they no longer return to the phases but go on shining back at the heavenly bodies with a whole circle. So of course the suitors mock Odysseus — long-haired, dissolute youths, soon to perish miserably, more than a hundred of them, all at the hands of one bald man — and while he was still a torch-bearer lighting a man-made light, they advise him to be rid of the work, since his head

Notes and citation

Summary: The bald are called "little moons"; the fully bald are suns; Homer's suitors mocked the bald Odysseus, who would kill them all.

The suitors' jest that Odysseus's bald head gives light: Odyssey 18.353–355.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): ἦ3. δὴ Νίοη. Ἢ τομος Ν Α. διχόμηνος (τόμος αἿ, τιν. 911- → .

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Od. 18.353-355 (Homer, Odyssey; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 206 (Krabinger 1:206; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/206). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/206

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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 207

207Krabinger 1:207

φαλὴής περιλάμψαι τὴμ ὅλην οἰκίαν. ' Οὐκοῦν αὐτὸ τοῦτο. καὶ τὸ θειότατόν ἐσιν, ὃ “καὶ τοῖς θεοὶς οὐκ ἔξσιν ἐμφε- Ὁ ρὲς, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ συγγενὲς,. φῶς ἔχειν. τε καὶ ποιεῖν. Τούτου μὲν οὖν, τὴς σιλπνότητος, ἡ λειότῃ; αἰτία. "Ετι 5δὲ οὐδὲν: ἕτερον ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ λειότης ᾽); ἢ) παντελὴς. ἀπουσία τριχῶν". ἅμα γάρ τις ἀναχωρεὶ τῶν χειρόνων, καὶ πρόςφεισι τοῖς βελτίοσιν, ὥςπερ ἐλέγομεν ἀντίθεσιν εἶναι τῷ νεκρῷ πρὸς ξωήν" ξδωὴ δὲ, καὶ φῶς, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς ἀγαθῇ; συτοιχίας.Ὦ) ἔξι τε καὶ νομιίδεται.. Εἰ δὴ ψιλότητι προιήκει τὸ φῶς, σκότῳ πρέπειν ἡγητέον ἐὴν κόμην" τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ εὖλογόν ἐξιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντάπασιν ἀναγκαῖον. Ἴσωε; δὲ' καὶ πειθώ τινα᾿ δεῖ προαγαγεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, μὴ μένοντας ἐπὶ τοὺ βιαίου ᾽ τῆς ἀποδείξεω:. Οὐκε ν ἅπαντες οἴονταί τε καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτοφυὲς εἶναι σκιάδειον τὴν κόμην" καὶ ὁ κάλλιτος ποιητῶν ᾿Αρχίλοχος ᾽ὦ) ἐπαινέσαι αὐτὴν, ἐπαινεὶ μὲν οὖσαν ἐν ἱταίρας σώματι, λέγει δὲ οὕτως"... Ξ-- -ὩΡ τα -ῷ καὶ δὲ οἱ κόμῃ 420 ᾿ "μους κατίσκιαδε καὶ μετάφρενα.

phalēēs perilampsai tēm holēn oikian. ' Oukoun auto touto. kai to theiotaton esin, ho “kai tois theois ouk exsin emphe- Ho res, all' ēdē kai syngenes,. phōs echein. te kai poiein. Toutou men oun, tēs silpnotētos, hē leiotę̄? aitia. "Eti 5de ouden: heteron en tę̄ kephalę̄ leiotēs ᾽)? ē) pantelēs. apousia trichōn". hama gar tis anachōrei tōn cheironōn, kai prospheisi tois beltiosin, hōsper elegomen antithesin einai tǭ nekrǭ pros xōēn" xdōē de, kai phōs, kai panta ta toiauta tēs agathę̄? sytoichias.Ō) exi te kai nomiidetai.. Ei dē psilotēti proiēkei to phōs, skotǭ prepein hēgēteon eēn komēn" touto gar ouk eulogon exin, alla kai pantapasin anankaion. Isōe? de' kai peithō tina᾿ dei proagagein tǭ logǭ, mē menontas epi tou biaiou ᾽ tēs apodeixeō:. Ouke n hapantes oiontai te kai legousin autophyes einai skiadeion tēn komēn" kai ho kallitos poiētōn ᾿Archilochos ᾽ō) epainesai autēn, epainei men ousan en hitairas sōmati, legei de houtōs"... X-- -HōR ta -ǭ kai de hoi komę̄ 420 ᾿ "mous katiskiade kai metaphrena.

was enough to light up the whole house. So this very thing is the most divine, which is not only like the gods but even akin to them: to have light and to make it. The cause of this brightness is smoothness, and smoothness in the head is nothing else than the complete absence of hair. For one at the same time withdraws from the worse and draws near the better, just as we said there is an opposition between the dead and life; and life and light and all such things are, and are reckoned, in the column of the good. If, then, light belongs to bareness, hair must be thought fitting to darkness; and this is not merely reasonable but altogether necessary. Perhaps, too, we should bring some persuasion to the argument and not rest on the compulsion of demonstration. Do not all people think and say that hair is a natural sunshade? And Archilochus, the finest of poets, wishing to praise it, praises it on the body of a courtesan, and speaks thus: "and her hair shaded her shoulders and back."

Notes and citation

Summary: Light, which bald heads give off, is akin to the gods; hair belongs with shade and darkness, as Archilochus's line on hair as a shade shows.

Archilochus, fragment 31 (West).
The "column of the good": the Pythagorean table of opposites.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR: Krabinger's apparatus leaked into the text): αὐτὴν ροεὶ οὖσαν ἰηβοτίμπι Ἱμν ῬΠγγυΐοῃ. Ῥ. 683. αθεθητίεπιίδυθ Βεπι Π80τ. Α. Ῥας. Β. Βετρ. Τυπὶ Οοάά. πιεὶς οπιηΐθυ8. ἑταίρας εκ ἑτέρας ἐπ δῖα πι νἰδεῖυτ → .

Extrabiblical texts: Archilochus, fr. 31 (Archilochus; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Synesius, Calv. 207 (Krabinger 1:207; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/207). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/synesius-phalakras/207

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-synesius-phalakras-207) · 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.