- Source
- Diogenes Laertius. Hicks, R. D., editor. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1925.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.8-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0004.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.3.165-7.3.166
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-09-28
The doctrines of Herillus of Carthage—identifying knowledge as the end, distinguishing it from the subordinate end, and admitting circumstantial change—along with a youth anecdote and catalogue of his writings.
Ἥριλλος δʼ ὁ Καρχηδόνιος τέλος εἶπε τὴν ἐπιστήμην, ὅπερ ἐστὶ ζῆν ἀεὶ πάντʼ ἀναφέροντα πρὸς τὸ μετʼ ἐπιστήμης ζῆν καὶ μὴ τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ διαβεβλημένον. εἶναι δὲ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἕξιν ἐν φαντασιῶν προσδέξει ἀνυπόπτωτον ὑπὸ λόγου1. ποτὲ δʼ ἔλεγε μηδὲν εἶναι τέλος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς περιστάσεις καὶ τὰ πράγματʼ ἀλλάττεσθαι αὐτό, ὡς καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν χαλκὸν ἢ Ἀλεξάνδρου γινόμενον ἀνδριάντα ἢ Σωκράτους. διαφέρειν δὲ τέλος καὶ ὑποτελίδα· τῆς μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς μὴ σοφοὺς στοχάζεσθαι, τοῦ δὲ2 μόνον τὸν σοφόν. τὰ δὲ μεταξὺ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας ἀδιάφορα εἶναι. ἔστι δʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ βιβλία ὀλιγόστιχα μέν, δυνάμεως δὲ μεστὰ καὶ περιέχοντα ἀντιρρήσεις πρὸς Ζήνωνα.
Herillus of Carthage declared knowledge to be the end, which is to live always referring all things to life accompanied by knowledge and not being led astray by ignorance. He also defined knowledge as a disposition in the reception of impressions that cannot be overthrown by argument. At times, however, he used to say that there is no single fixed end, but that it changes according to circumstances and affairs, just as the very same bronze becomes a statue either of Alexander or of Socrates. He also held that the end differs from the subordinate end; for even those who are not wise aim at the latter, whereas only the wise man aims at the former. Moreover, things intermediate between virtue and vice are indifferent. His books are short in length, but full of power and containing objections against Zeno.
Λέγεται δʼ ὅτι παιδὸς ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἠράσθησαν ἱκανοί, οὓς ἀποτρέψαι βουλόμενος ὁ Ζήνων ἠνάγκασε ξυρᾶσθαι Ἥριλλον, οἱ δʼ ἀπετράποντο. Τὰ δὲ βιβλία ἐστὶ τάδε· Περὶ ἀσκήσεως. Περὶ παθῶν. Περὶ ὑπολήψεως. Νομοθέτης. Μαιευτικός. Ἀντιφέρων. Διδάσκαλος. Διασκευάζων. Εὐθύνων. Ἑρμῆς. Μήδεια. Διάλογοι. Θέσεων ἠθικῶν.
It is said that when he was a boy, many fell in love with him, and Zeno, wishing to turn them away, compelled Herillus to shave his head, whereupon they departed. His books are the following: On Training On Passions On Opinion The Lawgiver The Obstetric The Contender The Teacher The Reviser The Corrector Hermes Medea Dialogues Ethical Theses
- 165ἀνυπόπτωτον ὑπὸ λόγου
The compound adjective ἀνυπόπτωτον (derived from the privative ἀν- and ὑποπίπτω, 'to fall under, succumb') is governed by the prepositional phrase ὑπὸ λόγου ('by rational argument'), signifying 'incapable of being overthrown or refuted by argument'.
- 165τῆς μὲν γὰρ ... τοῦ δὲ
The pronouns exhibit a chiasmus in their reference. The feminine genitive τῆς μὲν refers back to the immediately preceding feminine noun ὑποτελίς ('subordinate end'), while the neuter genitive τοῦ δὲ refers to the antecedent neuter noun τέλος ('end'), reversing the order of their mention.