- Source
- Aristotle. Aristotelis Ars Rhetorica. Ross, William David, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press,1959 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg038.humanitext-grc2:2.9.9-2.9.16
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The author discusses how people are more prone to feel indignation toward newly fortunate individuals and those in unsuited positions, and explains that virtuous people who rightly value themselves are highly susceptible to indignation, showing how to prevent the audience from feeling pity in a speech.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐγγύς τι φαίνεται τοῦ φύσει, ἀνάγκη τοῖς ταὐτὸ ἔχουσιν ἀγαθόν,1 ἐὰν νεωστὶ ἔχοντες τυγχάνωσι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εὐπραγῶσι, μᾶλλον νεμεσᾶν· μᾶλλον γὰρ λυποῦσιν οἱ νεωστὶ πλουτοῦντες τῶν πάλαι καὶ διὰ γένος· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἄρχοντες καὶ δυνάμενοι καὶ πολύφιλοι καὶ εὔτεκνοι καὶ ὁτιοῦν τῶν τοιούτων. καὶ ἂν διὰ ταῦτα ἄλλο τι ἀγαθὸν γίγνηται αὐτοῖς, ὡσαύτως· καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα μᾶλλον λυποῦσιν οἱ νεόπλουτοι ἄρχοντες διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον ἢ οἱ ἀρχαιόπλουτοι. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων.
Since what is ancient seems to be something close to what is natural, it is necessary to feel more indignation at those who possess the same good, if they happen to have acquired it recently and are prosperous because of it; for those who have recently become rich pain us more than those who have been rich of old and by birth; and likewise also those who rule, those who have power, those who have many friends, those who have good children, and any other such things. And if because of these some other good comes to them, it is the same; for in this case too, those who are newly rich and in power pain us more because of their wealth than those who have been rich of old and are in power. And likewise in the other cases as well.
αἴτιον δʼ ὅτι οἱ μὲν δοκοῦσι τὰ αὑτῶν ἔχειν οἱ δʼ οὔ· τὸ γὰρ ἀεὶ οὕτω φαινόμενον ἔχειν ἀληθὲς δοκεῖ, ὥστε οἱ ἕτεροι οὐ τὰ αὑτῶν ἔχειν.2
And the cause is that the former seem to possess what is their own, while the latter do not; for what is always seen to be in this state seems to be true, so that the others seem to possess what is not their own.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ἕκαστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος ἄξιον, ἀλλά τις ἔστιν ἀναλογία καί τι ἁρμόττον, οἷον ὅπλων κάλλος οὐ τῷ δικαίῳ ἁρμόττει ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀνδρείῳ, καὶ γάμοι διαφέροντες οὐ τοῖς νεωστὶ πλουσίοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐγενέσιν· ἂν οὖν ἀγαθὸς ὢν μὴ τοῦ ἁρμόττοντος τυγχάνῃ,3 νεμεσητόν. καὶ τὸ τὸν ἥττω τῷ κρείττονι ἀμφισβητεῖν, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν τοὺς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ, ὅθεν καὶ τοῦτʼ εἴρηται, "Αἴαντος δʼ ἀλέεινε μάχην Τελαμωνιάδαο· Ζεὺς γὰρ οἱ νεμέσασχʼ, ὅτʼ ἀμείνονι φωτὶ μάχοιτο·" εἰ δὲ μή, κἂν ὁπωσοῦν ὁ ἥττων τῷ κρείττονι, οἷον εἰ ὁ μουσικὸς τῷ δικαίῳ· βέλτιον γὰρ ἡ δικαιοσύνη τῆς μουσικῆς.
And since each of the goods is not worthy of just any chance person, but there is a certain proportion and a certain fitness, for example, beauty of arms fits not the just man but the courageous, and distinguished marriages fit not the newly rich but those of noble birth; if, then, someone who is good does not obtain what fits him, it is a matter for indignation. And for the inferior to dispute with the superior is also a matter of indignation, especially indeed among those in the same field, whence this also has been said: “But he avoided battle with Ajax, son of Telamon; for Zeus was indignant with him whenever he fought with a better man;” otherwise, if in any way whatever the inferior disputes with the superior, as if a musician should dispute with a just man; for justice is better than music.
οἷς μὲν οὖν νεμεσῶσι καὶ διὰ τί, ἐκ τούτων δῆλον· ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτά ἐστιν. αὐτοὶ δὲ νεμεσητικοί εἰσιν, ἐὰν ἄξιοι τυγχάνωσιν ὄντες τῶν μεγίστων ἀγαθῶν καὶ ταῦτα κεκτημένοι· τὸ γὰρ τῶν ὁμοίων ἠξιῶσθαι τοὺς μὴ ὁμοίους4 οὐ δίκαιον.
From these things, then, it is clear whom they feel indignation at, and for what reasons; for these and such things are the causes. And they themselves are prone to indignation if they happen to be worthy of the greatest goods and have acquired them; for it is not just that those who are not equal should be thought worthy of equal things.
δεύτερον δέ, ἂν ὄντες ἀγαθοὶ καὶ σπουδαῖοι τυγχάνωσιν· κρίνουσί τε γὰρ εὖ, καὶ τὰ ἄδικα μισοῦσι.
And secondly, if they happen to be good and virtuous; for they judge well and hate unjust things.
καὶ ἐὰν φιλότιμοι καὶ ὀρεγόμενοί τινων πραγμάτων, καὶ μάλιστʼ ἂν περὶ ταῦτα φιλότιμοι ὦσιν ὧν ἕτεροι ἀνάξιοι ὄντες τυγχάνουσιν.
And if they are ambitious and desire certain objects, and especially if they are ambitious about those very things which others happen to possess without being worthy.
καὶ ὅλως οἱ ἀξιοῦντες αὐτοὶ αὑτοὺς ὧν ἑτέρους μὴ ἀξιοῦσι, νεμεσητικοὶ τούτοις καὶ τούτων· διὸ καὶ οἱ ἀνδραποδώδεις καὶ φαῦλοι καὶ ἀφιλότιμοι οὐ νεμεσητικοί· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔστιν οὗ ἑαυτοὺς οἴονται ἀξίους εἶναι.
And in general, those who think themselves worthy of things of which they do not think others worthy, are prone to indignation at these people and because of these things; wherefore also slavish, worthless, and unambitious persons are not prone to indignation; for there is nothing of which they think themselves worthy.
φανερὸν δʼ ἐκ τούτων5 ἐπὶ ποίοις ἀτυχοῦσι καὶ κακοπραγοῦσιν ἢ μὴ τυγχάνουσι χαίρειν ἢ ἀλύπως ἔχειν δεῖ· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν εἰρημένων τὰ ἀντικείμενά ἐστι δῆλα, ὥστʼ ἐὰν τούς τε κριτὰς τοιούτους παρασκευάσῃ ὁ λόγος,6 καὶ τοὺς ἀξιοῦντας ἐλεεῖσθαι, καὶ ἐφʼ οἷς ἐλεεῖσθαι, δείξῃ ἀναξίους ὄντας τυγχάνειν ἀξίους δὲ μὴ τυγχάνειν, ἀδύνατον ἐλεεῖν.
From these things it is clear at what kinds of misfortunes, bad fare, or failures of others one ought to rejoice or feel no pain; for from what has been said the opposites are clear, so that if the speech prepares the judges to be in this state, and shows that those who claim pity, and the things for which they claim it, are unworthy of obtaining it and worthy of not obtaining it, it is impossible to feel pity.
- 1387aτοῖς ταὐτὸ ἔχουσιν ἀγαθόν
This dative phrase is governed by the infinitive νεμεσᾶν (to feel indignation), which depends on the impersonal expression ἀνάγκη [ἐστίν]. Although it is grammatically possible to interpret it as the logical subject of ἀνάγκη ("it is necessary for those who possess..."), the context clearly indicates that they are the object of indignation (the newly fortunate).
- 1387a25ὥστε οἱ ἕτεροι οὐ τὰ αὑτῶν ἔχειν
An infinitive clause introduced by the conjunction ὥστε (expressing result). While the subject of an infinitive is typically in the accusative, the nominative οἱ ἕτεροι is used here to emphasize the contrast with the subject of the main clause (the established rich vs. the newcomers).
- 1387a30ἂν οὖν ἀγαθὸς ὢν μὴ τοῦ ἁρμόττοντος τυγχάνῃ
The subject of the conditional clause (the third-person singular "someone") is omitted. The participle ἀγαθὸς ὢν (being good) agrees with the omitted subject in the nominative and functions here with a concessive or conditional force. In the main clause, νεμεσητόν is a neuter singular verbal adjective acting impersonally, with ἐστίν omitted.
- 1387b5τὸ τῶν ὁμοίων ἠξιῶσθαι τοὺς μὴ ὁμοίους
A substantivized infinitive clause introduced by the neuter article τὸ. The accusative τοὺς μὴ ὁμοίους (those who are not equal) acts as the subject of the passive perfect infinitive ἠξιῶσθαι (to be thought worthy), while the genitive τῶν ὁμοίων (of equal things) is the object of worth.
- 1387b10νεμεσητικοί τούτοις καὶ τούτων
A rare syntactic construction where the adjective νεμεσητικός (prone to indignation) simultaneously governs both a dative τούτοις (at these people) and a genitive τούτων (because of these things), indicating the target and the cause of the emotion respectively.
- 1387b15ὥστʼ ἐὰν τούς τε κριτὰς τοιούτους παρασκευάσῃ ὁ λόγος
A long conditional clause starting with ἐὰν and continuing until μὴ τυγχάνειν. The subject is ὁ λόγος (the speech), which coordinates the verbs παρασκευάσῃ (prepare) and δείξῃ (show). The latter, δείξῃ, governs an accusative-and-participle/infinitive structure. The logical subject of ἐλεεῖν (to feel pity) depending on the main clause ἀδύνατον [ἐστίν] is τούς ... κριτάς (the judges) from the conditional clause.