§10οὐ μόνον δὲ δεῖ τοὺς λόγους ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πράξεις ἕκαστον ἐπισκοπεῖν εἰ τὸ χρειῶδες τοῦ πανηγυρικοῦ καὶ τοῦ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν αὐταῖς πλέον ἔνεστι τὸ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν.
It is necessary that each person examine not only their discourses but also their actions, to see whether the useful and that which tends toward truth exists in them to a greater degree than the festive and that which is for exhibition.
εἰ γὰρ ἀληθινὸς ἔρως παιδὸς ἢ γυναικὸς οὐ ζητεῖ μάρτυρας, ἀλλὰ καρποῦται τὸ ἡδὺ κἂν κρύφα κατεργάσηται τὸν πόθον, ἔτι μᾶλλον εἰκός ἐστι τὸν φιλόκαλον καὶ φιλόσοφον συνόντα διὰ τῶν πράξεων τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ χρώμενον αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ σιωπῇ μέγα φρονεῖν, ἐπαινετῶν καὶ ἀκροατῶν μηδὲν δεόμενον ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ καλῶν ἐκεῖνος οἴκοι τὴν θεραπαινίδα καὶ βοῶν
θέασαι, Διονυσία, πέπαυμαι τετυφωμένος,
οὕτως ὁ ποιήσας τι χαρίεν καὶ ἀστεῖον εἶτα τοῦτο διηγούμενος καὶ περιφέρων ἁπανταχόσε δῆλός ἐστιν ἔξω βλέπων ἔτι καὶ πρὸς δόξαν ἑλκόμενος, οὔπω δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς γεγονὼς θεατής, οὐδʼ ὕπαρ ἀλλʼ ὄναρ αὐτῆς ἐν σκιαῖς καὶ εἰδώλοις ῥεμβόμενος, εἶθʼ ὥσπερ ζωγράφημα προτιθεὶς ἐπὶ θέαν τὸ πεπραγμένον.
For if a true love of a boy or a woman does not seek witnesses, but enjoys its pleasure even if it achieves its desire in secret, it is still more fitting that the lover of beauty and wisdom, associating with virtue through actions and using it within himself in silence, should think highly of himself, needing nothing of praisers and listeners. Just like that man who called his maidservant at home and cried out, "Look, Dionysia, I have stopped being puffed up," so he who, having done something graceful and elegant, then narrates and carries it around everywhere, is clearly still looking outward and being dragged toward reputation, not yet having become a spectator of virtue, nor wandering in its substance but in its shadows and images as if in a dream, and then, like a painting, putting up what has been done for exhibition.
ἔστιν οὖν τοῦ προκόπτοντος 1 οὐ μόνον δόντα τῷ φίλῳ καὶ γνώριμον εὐεργετήσαντα μὴ φράσαι πρὸς ἑτέρους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψῆφον ἐν πολλαῖς θέμενον ἀδίκοις δικαίαν καὶ πρὸς ἔντευξιν αἰσχρὰν πλουσίου τινὸς ἢ ἄρχοντος ἀπισχυρισάμενον καὶ δωρεὰς ὑπεριδόντα καὶ νὴ Δία διψήσαντα νύκτωρ καὶ μὴ πιόντα ἢ πρὸς φίλημα καλῆς ἢ καλοῦ διαμαχεσάμενον, ὡς ὁ Ἀγησίλαος, ἐν ἑαυτῷ κατασχεῖν καὶ σιγῆσαι.
It is, therefore, the mark of one who is progressing, not only, when having given to a friend and benefited an acquaintance, not to tell it to others, but also, when having cast a just vote among many unjust ones, and when having resisted a shameful request of some rich person or ruler, and when having looked down on gifts, and, by Zeus, when having thirsted at night and not drunk, or when having fought off the kiss of a beautiful woman or boy, as Agesilaus did, to keep it within himself and remain silent.
οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸς εὐδοκιμῶν παρʼ ἑαυτῷ μὴ καταφρονῶν ἀλλὰ χαίρων κἀγαπῶν ὡς ἱκανὸς ὢν μάρτυς ἅμα καὶ θεατὴς τῶν καλῶν δείκνυσι τὸν λόγον ἐντὸς ἤδη τρεφόμενον καὶ ῥιζούμενον ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ κατὰ Δημόκριτον αὐτὸν
ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ λαμβάνειν τὰς τέρψιας ἐθιζόμενον
οἱ μὲν οὖν γεωργοὶ τῶν σταχύων ἥδιον ὁρῶσι τοὺς κεκλιμένους καὶ νεύοντας ἐπὶ γῆν, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὸ κουφότητος αἰρομένους ἄνω κενοὺς ἡγοῦνται καὶ ἀλαζόνας·
For in this way, being well-esteemed in his own judgment, not despising but rejoicing and loving himself as a sufficient witness and spectator of noble things, he shows that the logos is already being nourished within and taking root in himself, and, according to Democritus himself, "becoming accustomed to receiving pleasures from himself." Now, farmers look with greater pleasure upon those ears of corn that are bent and leaning toward the earth, but those that are raised upward due to lightness they consider empty and boastful.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ τῶν φιλοσοφεῖν βουλομένων νέων οἱ μάλιστα κενοὶ καὶ βάρος οὐκ ἔχοντες θράσος ἔχουσι καὶ σχῆμα καὶ βάδισμα καὶ πρόσωπον ὑπεροψίας καὶ ὀλιγωρίας μεστὸν ἀφειδούσης ἁπάντων, ἀρχόμενοι δὲ πληροῦσθαι καὶ συλλέγειν καρπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων τὸ σοβαρὸν καὶ φλοιῶδες ἀποτίθενται.
So also among those young men who wish to practice philosophy, those who are most empty and have no weight possess boldness, posture, gait, and a face full of arrogance and contempt that spares no one; but when they begin to be filled and to collect fruit from discourses, they lay aside the pompous and bark-like exterior.
καὶ καθάπερ ἀγγείων κενῶν ὑγρὸν δεχομένων ὁ ἐντὸς ἀὴρ ὑπέξεισιν ἐκθλιβόμενος, οὕτως ἀνθρώποις πληρουμένοις τῶν ἀληθινῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐνδίδωσιν ὁ τῦφος καὶ γίγνεται τὸ οἴημα μαλακώτερον, καὶ παυόμενοι τοῦ διὰ πώγωνα καὶ τρίβωνα φρονεῖν μέγα τὴν ἄσκησιν ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μεταφέρουσι, καὶ τῷ δηκτικῷ καὶ πικρῷ χρῶνται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς μάλιστα, τοῖς δʼ ἄλλοις πραότερον ἐντυγχάνουσι.
And just as when empty vessels receive liquid, the air inside goes out, being squeezed out, so when men are filled with true goods, their vanity gives way and their self-conceit becomes softer; and ceasing to think highly of themselves because of a beard and a cloak, they transfer their training to the soul, and use what is biting and bitter mostly against themselves, while meeting others more gently.
τὸ δὲ φιλοσοφίας ὄνομα καὶ τὴν τοῦ φιλοσοφεῖν δόξαν οὐχ ἁρπάζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς ὡς πρότερον οὐδὲ προσγράφουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσαγορευθεὶς ὑφʼ ἑτέρου τῇ προσηγορίᾳ ταύτῃ φθάσας ἂν εὐφυὴς νέος εἴποι μετʼ ἐρυθήματος. "
οὔ τίς τοι θεός εἰμι· τί μʼ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐίσκεις; "
νέας
μὲν γὰρ
γυναικός,
ὡς Αἰσχύλος φησίν,
"
οὔ τι λανθάνει φλέγων
ὀφθαλμός, ἥτις ἀνδρὸς ᾖ γεγευμένη
"
νέῳ δʼ ἀνδρὶ γευσαμένῳ προκοπῆς ἀληθοῦς ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ τὰ Σαπφικὰ ταυτὶ παρέπεται
"
κὰμ μὲν γλῶσσα ἔαγε, λέπτον δʼ
αὔτικα χρῷ πῦρ ὑποδέδρομεν,
"
ἀθόρυβον δʼ ὄψει καὶ πρᾶον ὄμμα, φθεγγομένου δʼ ἂν ἀκοῦσαι ποθήσειας.
And they do not snatch for themselves the name of philosophy and the reputation of practicing philosophy as before, nor do they ascribe it to themselves; but even if addressed by another by this title, a gifted young man would quickly say with a blush, "I am no god, why do you liken me to the immortals?" For while, as Aeschylus says, "the burning eye of a young woman who has tasted of a man does not escape notice," so to a young man who has tasted true progress in philosophy, these Sapphic lines apply: "my tongue is broken, and a thin fire has immediately run under my skin." And you will see an untroubled and gentle eye, and if he speaks, you would yearn to listen.
ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τελούμενοι κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἐν θορύβῳ καὶ βοῇ συνίασι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὠθούμενοι, δρωμένων δὲ καὶ δεικνυμένων τῶν ἱερῶν προσέχουσιν ἤδη μετὰ φόβου καὶ σιωπῆς, οὕτω καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ περὶ θύρας πολὺν θόρυβον ὄψει καὶ λαλιὰν καὶ θρασύτητα, ὠθουμένων πρὸς τὴν δόξαν ἐνίων ἀγροίκως τε καὶ βιαίως ὁ δʼ ἐντὸς γενόμενος καὶ μέγα φῶς ἰδών, οἷον ἀνακτόρων ἀνοιγομένων, ἕτερον λαβὼν σχῆμα.
For just as those who are being initiated assemble at first in noise and shouting, pushing against one another, but when the sacred rites are being performed and shown, they attend now with fear and silence, so also at the beginning of philosophy and around its doors you will see much noise, talkativeness, and boldness, with some pushing themselves rudely and violently toward reputation; but he who has come inside and seen a great light, as if the inner shrine were opened, assumes another posture, silence, and amazement, and humbly and orderly follows the logos as if it were a god.
καὶ σιωπὴν καὶ θάμβος ὥσπερ θεῷ τῷ λόγῳ
ταπεινὸς ξυνέπεται καὶ κεκοσμημένος. εἰς δὲ τούτους ἔοικε καὶ τὸ Μενεδήμῳ πεπαιγμένον καλῶς λέγεσθαι· καταπλεῖν γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπὶ σχολὴν Ἀθήναζε, σοφοὺς τὸ πρῶτον, εἶτα γίγνεσθαι φιλοσόφους, εἶτα ῥήτορας, τοῦ χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος ἰδιώτας, ὅσῳ μᾶλλον ἅπτονται τοῦ λόγου, μᾶλλον τὸ οἴημα καὶ τὸν τῦφον κατατιθεμένους.
And the joke well made by Menedemus seems to apply to these: for he said that most people sail down to Athens for study, being wise at first, then becoming philosophers, then rhetoricians, and as time goes on, laymen, the more they lay aside self-conceit and vanity the more they touch upon the logos.