Concluding Sayings of Aristotle and Catalogue of Works — Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers §5.1.20-5.1.24 (Diogenes Laertius) | Greek text & English translation

ἐρωτηθεὶς τί ἐστι φίλος, ἔφη, μία ψυχὴ δύο σώμασιν ἐνοικοῦσα. τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔλεγε τοὺς μὲν οὕτω φείδεσθαι ὡς ἀεὶ ζησομένους, τοὺς δὲ οὕτως ἀναλίσκειν ὡς αὐτίκα τεθνηξομένους¹. πρὸς τὸν πυθόμενον διὰ τί τοῖς καλοῖς πολὺν χρόνον ὁμιλοῦμεν, τυφλοῦ, ἔφη, τὸ ἐρώτημα². ἐρωτηθεὶς τί ποτʼ αὐτῷ περιγέγονεν ἐκ φιλοσοφίας, ἔφη, τὸ ἀνεπιτάκτως ποιεῖν ἅ τινες διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων φόβον ποιοῦσιν. ἐρωτηθεὶς πῶς ἂν προκόπτοιεν οἱ μαθηταί, ἔφη, ἐὰν τοὺς προέχοντας διώκοντες τοὺς ὑστεροῦντας μὴ ἀναμένωσι. πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα ἀδολέσχην, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῦ πολλὰ κατήντλησε, μήτι σου κατεφλυάρησα; μὰ Δίʼ, εἶπεν· οὐ γάρ σοι προσεῖχον.

When asked what a friend is, he said, "A single soul dwelling in two bodies." Concerning men, he used to say that some are as thrifty as if they were going to live forever, while others spend as if they were going to die immediately. To one who inquired why we spend so much time with the beautiful, he said, "That is a blind man's question." When asked what he had gained from philosophy, he said, "To do without being commanded what some do through fear of the laws." When asked how students might make progress, he said, "If they pursue those ahead and do not wait for those lagging behind." To a chatterbox who, after pouring out a flood of words on him, said, "Have I bored you with my chatter?" he replied, "By Zeus, no," adding, "for I wasn't paying attention to you."

πρὸς τὸν αἰτιασάμενον ὡς εἴη μὴ ἀγαθῷ ἔρανον δεδωκώς— φέρεται γὰρ καὶ οὕτως— οὐ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, φησίν, ἔδωκα, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ³. ἐρωτηθεὶς πῶς ἂν τοῖς φίλοις προσφεροίμεθα, ἔφη, ὡς ἂν εὐξαίμεθα αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν προσφέρεσθαι. τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἔφη ἀρετὴν ψυχῆς διανεμητικὴν τοῦ κατʼ ἀξίαν. κάλλιστον ἐφόδιον τῷ γήρᾳ τὴν παιδείαν ἔλεγε. φησὶ δὲ Φαβωρῖνος ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ τῶν Ἀπομνημονευμάτων ὡς ἑκάστοτε λέγοι, ᾧ φίλοι, οὐδεὶς φίλος⁴· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ τῶν Ἠθικῶν ἐστι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀναφέρεται. Συνέγραψε δὲ πάμπλειστα βιβλία, ἅπερ ἀκόλουθον ἡγησάμην ὑπογράψαι διὰ τὴν περὶ πάντας λόγους τἀνδρὸς ἀρετήν·

To someone who blamed him on the ground that he had given alms to a worthless man— for the story is also told in this way—he said, "I did not give to the man, but to humanity." When asked how we should behave toward our friends, he said, "As we would pray that they behave toward us." He said that justice is a virtue of the soul distributive of what is according to desert. He used to say that education is the best provision for old age. Favorinus says in the second book of his Memorabilia that he was accustomed to say on every occasion, "O friends, there is no friend"; and indeed this is also found in the seventh book of the Ethics. And these sayings are attributed to him. He also wrote very many books, which I considered it appropriate to list below because of the man's excellence in every field of discourse:

Περὶ δικαιοσύνης α′ β′ γ′ δ′. Περὶ ποιητῶν α′ β′ γ′. Περὶ φιλοσοφίας α′ β′ γ′. Περὶ πολιτικοῦ α′ β′. Περὶ ῥητορικῆς ἢ Γρῦλος α′. Νήρινθος α′. Σοφιστὴς α′. Μενέξενος α′. Ἐρωτικὸς α′. Συμπόσιον α′. Περὶ πλούτου α′. Προτρεπτικὸς α′. Περὶ ψυχῆς α′. Περὶ εὐχῆς α′. Περὶ εὐγενείας α′. Περὶ ἡδονῆς α′. Ἀλέξανδρος ἢ ὑπὲρ ἀποίκων α′. Περὶ βασιλείας α′. Περὶ παιδείας α′. Περὶ τἀγαθοῦ α′ β′ γ′. Τὰ ἐκ τῶν νόμων Πλάτωνος α′ β′ γ′. Τὰ ἐκ τῆς πολιτείας α′ β′. Περὶ οἰκονομίας α′. Περὶ φιλίας α′. Περὶ τοῦ πάσχειν ἢ πεπονθέναι α′. Περὶ ἐπιστημῶν α′. Περὶ ἐριστικῶν α′ β′. Λύσεις ἐριστικαὶ δ′. Διαιρέσεις σοφιστικαὶ δ′. Περὶ ἐναντίων α′. Περὶ εἰδῶν καὶ γενῶν α′. Περὶ ἰδίων α′.

On Justice, 1, 2, 3, 4. On Poets, 1, 2, 3. On Philosophy, 1, 2, 3. On the Statesman, 1, 2. On Rhetoric, or Gryllus, 1. Nerinthus, 1. Sophist, 1. Menexenus, 1. Erotic, 1. Symposium, 1. On Wealth, 1. Protreptic, 1. On the Soul, 1. On Prayer, 1. On Nobility of Birth, 1. On Pleasure, 1. Alexander, or On Colonists, 1. On Kingship, 1. On Education, 1. On the Good, 1, 2, 3. Extracts from the Laws of Plato, 1, 2, 3. Extracts from the Republic, 1, 2. On Economics, 1. On Friendship, 1. On Being Affected, or Suffering, 1. On Sciences, 1. On Eristic Discourses, 1, 2. Eristic Solutions, 4. Sophistic Divisions, 4. On Opposites, 1. On Species and Genera, 1. On Property, 1.

Ύπομνήματα ἐπιχειρηματικὰ γ′. Προτάσεις περὶ ἀρετῆς α′ β′. Ἐνστάσεις α′. Περὶ τῶν ποσαχῶς λεγομένων ἢ κατὰ πρόσθεσιν α′. Περὶ παθῶν 〈ἢ περὶ〉 ὀργῆς α′. Ἠθικῶν α′ β′ γ′ δ′ ε′. Περὶ στοιχείων α′ β′ γ′. Περὶ ἐπιστήμης α′. Περὶ ἀρχῆς α′. Διαιρέσεις ιζʼ. Διαιρετικὸν α′. 〈Περὶ〉 ἐρωτήσεως καὶ ἀποκρίσεως α′ β′. Περὶ κινήσεως α′. Προτάσεις α′. Προτάσεις ἐριστικαὶ α′. Συλλογισμοὶ α′. Προτέρων ἀναλυτικῶν α′ β′ γ′ δ′ ε′ σ′ ζ′ η′. Ἀναλυτικῶν ὑστέρων μεγάλων α′ β′ Περὶ προβλημάτων α′. Μεθοδικὰ α′ β′ γ′ δ′ ε′ σ′ ζ′ η′. Περὶ τοῦ βελτίονος α′. Περὶ τῆς ἰδέας α′. Ὅροι πρὸ τῶν τοπικῶν α′ β′ γ′ δ′ ε′ σ′ ζ′. Συλλογισμῶν α′ β′.

Dialectical Notes, 3. Propositions on Virtue, 1, 2. Objections, 1. On the Various Senses in which a Thing is Said, or On Addition, 1. On Passions, or On Anger, 1. Ethics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. On Elements, 1, 2, 3. On Science, 1. On the First Principle, 1. Divisions, 17. On Division, 1. On Question and Answer, 1, 2. On Motion, 1. Propositions, 1. Eristic Propositions, 1. Syllogisms, 1. Prior Analytics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Greater Posterior Analytics, 1, 2. On Problems, 1. Methodics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. On the Better, 1. On the Idea, 1. Definitions before the Topics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. On Syllogisms, 1, 2.

Συλλογιστικὸν καὶ ὅροι α′. Περὶ τοῦ αἱρετοῦ καὶ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος α′. Τὰ πρὸ τῶν τόπων α′. Τοπικῶν πρὸς τοὺς ὅρους α′ β′. Πάθη α′. Διαιρετικὸν α′. Μαθηματικὸν α′. Ὁρισμοὶ ιγʼ. Ἐπιχειρημάτων α′ β′. Περὶ ἡδονῆς α′. Προτάσεις α′. Περὶ ἑκουσίου α′. Περὶ καλοῦ α′. Θέσεις ἐπιχειρηματικαὶ κεʼ. Θέσεις ἐρωτικαὶ δ′. Θέσεις φιλικαὶ β′. Θέσεις περὶ ψυχῆς α′. Πολιτικὰ β′. Πολιτικῆς ἀκροάσεως ὡς ἡ Θεοφράστου α′ β′ γ′ δ′ ε′ σ′ ζ′ η′. Περὶ δικαίων α′ β′. Τεχνῶν συναγωγὴ α′ β′. Τέχνης ῥητορικῆς α′ β′. Τέχνη α′. Αλλης τεχνῶν συναγωγῆς α′ β′. Μεθοδικὸν α′. Τέχνης τῆς Θεοδέκτου συναγωγὴ α′. Πραγματεία τέχνης ποιητικῆς α′ β′. Ἐνθυμήματα ῥητορικὰ α′. Περὶ μεγέθους α′. Ἐνθυμημάτων διαιρέσεις α′. Περὶ λέξεως α′ β′. Περὶ συμβουλίας α′.

On the Syllogism and Definitions, 1. On the Desirable and the Accidental, 1. Matters Prior to the Topics, 1. Topics against Definitions, 1, 2. Passions, 1. On Division, 1. Mathematical Treatise, 1. Definitions, 13. On Arguments, 1, 2. On Pleasure, 1. Propositions, 1. On the Voluntary, 1. On the Beautiful, 1. Dialectical Theses, 25. Erotic Theses, 4. Theses on Friendship, 2. Theses on the Soul, 1. Politics, 2. Lecture on Politics, like that of Theophrastus, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. On Just Matters, 1, 2. Collection of Arts, 1, 2. Art of Rhetoric, 1, 2. Art, 1. Another Collection of Arts, 1, 2. Methodic, 1. Collection of the Art of Theodectes, 1. Treatise on the Art of Poetry, 1, 2. Rhetorical Enthymemes, 1. On Magnitude, 1. Divisions of Enthymemes, 1. On Diction, 1, 2. On Deliberation, 1.

Syntax notes4 items

5.1.20ὡς ἀεὶ ζησομένους ... ὡς αὐτίκα τεθνηξομένους
The conjunction ὡς combined with future participles (ζησομένους and τεθνηξομένους) functions as an adverbial phrase expressing subjective presumption or intention ('as if they were going to...'). The accusative masculine plural endings agree with their subject accusatives, τοὺς μέν ... τοὺς δέ.
5.1.20τυφλοῦ ... τὸ ἐρώτημα
τυφλοῦ is a predicate genitive expressing possession or characteristic quality, with the copula ἐστί omitted: '[The question is that] of a blind man.'
5.1.21οὐ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ... ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ
A contrast between the concrete individual person (τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ) and the substantivized neuter adjective denoting abstract 'humanity' or 'the human condition' (τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ). Both datives function as the indirect object of ἔδωκα.
5.1.21ᾧ φίλοι, οὐδεὶς φίλος
Two readings exist for ᾧ φίλοι (corrupted from vocative ὦ φίλοι or taken as the dative singular relative pronoun ᾧ): (1) understanding it as the vocative ὦ φίλοι ('O friends, there is no friend'), which is the traditional understanding; (2) reading the relative pronoun ('He who has friends has no friend'). While the latter is grammatically plausible, the traditional vocative reading is adopted here in accord with the standard citation of this proverb.

Model: gemini-3.8-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0004.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.1.20-5.1.24