§7ὑπερφυῶς δὲ φαίνεται περὶ τὴν παραμυθίαν ὁ ποιητὴς εὐδοκιμεῖν, ποιήσας τὸν Ἀχιλλέα λέγοντα πρὸς τὸν Πρίαμον ἥκοντα ἐπὶ λύτρα τοῦ Ἕκτορος ταυτί
"
ἀλλʼ ἄγε δὴ κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζευ ἐπὶ θρόνου, ἄλγεα
δʼ ἔμπης
ἐν θυμῷ κατακεῖσθαι ἐάσομεν ἀχνύμενοί περ
οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις πέλεται κρυεροῖο γόοιο.
Amazingly, the poet seems to be highly esteemed regarding consolation, making Achilles say these things to Priam, who had come for the ransom of Hector: "But come, sit upon a seat, and our sorrows we shall let rest in our minds, although we are grieved; for there is no profit in cold lament.
ὣς γὰρ ἐπεκλώσαντο θεοὶ δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσι,
ζώειν ἀχνυμένοις· αὐτοὶ δὲ τʼ ἀκηδέες εἰσί.
For so the gods spun the thread for wretched mortals, to live in grief; but they themselves are without care.
δοιοὶ γάρ τε πίθοι κατακείαται ἐν Διὸς οὔδει
δώρων οἷα δίδωσι, κακῶν, ἕτερος δὲ ἐάων.
For two jars lie on the floor of Zeus of the gifts he gives, one of evils, and the other of blessings.
ᾧ μὲν κʼ ἀμμίξας δώῃ Ζεὺς τερπικέραυνος,
ἄλλοτε μέν τε κακῷ ὅ γε κύρεται ἄλλοτε δʼ
ἐσθλῷ· ᾧ δέ κε τῶν λυγρῶν δώῃ, λωβητὸν ἔθηκε
καὶ ἑ κακὴ βούβρωστις ἐπὶ χθόνα δῖαν ἐλαύνει,
φοιτᾷ δʼ οὔτε θεοῖσι τετιμένος οὔτε βροτοῖσιν. "
ὁ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτον καὶ τῇ δόξῃ καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ, καίτοι τῶν Μουσῶν ἀναγορεύων ἑαυτὸν μαθητὴν Ἡσίοδος, καὶ οὗτος ἐν πίθῳ καθείρξας τὰ κακά, τὴν Πανδώραν ἀνοίξασαν ἀποφαίνει σκεδάσαι τὸ πλῆθος ἐπὶ πᾶσαν γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, λέγων ὧδε
"
ἀλλὰ γυνὴ χείρεσσι πίθου μέγα πῶμʼ ἀφελοῦσα
ἐσκέδασʼ ἀνθρώποισι δὲ μήσατο κήδεα λυγρά.
To whomsoever Zeus who delights in thunder gives a mixed portion, at one time he meets with evil, and at another with good; but to whomsoever he gives of the grievous things, he makes him an outcast, and evil hunger drives him over the divine earth, and he wanders honored neither by gods nor by mortals." And Hesiod, who comes after him both in reputation and in time, although declaring himself a disciple of the Muses, also, having shut up evils in a jar, reveals that Pandora, by opening it, scattered their multitude over all the earth and sea, speaking thus: "But the woman, taking off the great lid of the jar with her hands, scattered them, and devised grievous anxieties for men.
μούνη δʼ αὐτόθι Ἐλπὶς ἐν ἀρρήκτοισι δόμοισιν
ἔνδον ἔμεινε πίθου ὑπὸ χείλεσιν, οὐδὲ θύραζε
ἐξέπτη· πρόσθεν γὰρ ἐπέλλαβε πῶμα πίθοιο.
Only Hope remained inside beneath the rim of the jar, and did not fly out of the door; for before that, she put on the lid of the jar.
ἄλλα δὲ μυρία λυγρὰ κατʼ ἀνθρώπους ἀλάληται.
But countless other grievous things wander among men.
πλείη μὲν γὰρ γαῖα κακῶν,
πλείη; δὲ θάλασσα.
For the earth is full of evils, and full is the sea.
νοῦσοι δʼ ἀνθρώποισιν ἐφʼ ἡμέρῃ αἱ δʼ ἐπὶ νυκτὶ
αὐτόματοι φοιτῶσι, κακὰ θνητοῖσι φέρουσαι
σιγῇ, ἐπεὶ φωνὴν ἐξείλετο μητίετα Ζεύς. " §8ἀπηρτημένως δὲ τούτοις ὁ κωμικὸς ἐπὶ τῶν δυσπαθούντων ἐπὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις συμφοραῖς ταυτὶ λέγει
"
εἰ τὰ δάκρυʼ ἡμῖν τῶν κακῶν ἦν φάρμακον,
ἀεὶ θʼ ὁ κλαύσας τοῦ πονεῖν ἐπαύετο,
ἠλλαττόμεσθʼ ἂν δάκρυα, δόντες χρυσίον.
And diseases come to men by day and others by night of their own accord, bringing evils to mortals in silence, since counselor Zeus took away their voice." In connection with these things, the comic poet says these things to those who grieve deeply over such misfortunes: "If tears were a remedy for our evils, and he who wept always ceased from suffering, we would have exchanged tears, giving gold.
νῦν δʼ οὐ προσέχει τὰ πράγματʼ οὐδʼ ἀποβλέπει
εἰς ταῦτα, δέσποτʼ, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδόν,
ἐάν τε κλάῃς ἄν τε μή, πορεύεται.
But as it is, master, circumstances pay no attention, nor do they look to these things, but pursue the same path, whether you weep or not.
τί οὖν ποιεῖς πλέον;
What more then do you accomplish?
οὐδέν·
Nothing.
ἡ λύπη δʼ ἔχει
ὥσπερ τὰ δένδρα τοῦτο καρπὸν τὸ δάκρυον. "
ὁ δὲ παραμυθούμενος τὴν Δανάην δυσπενθοῦσαν Δίκτυς φησὶ
"
δοκεῖς τὸν ᾍδην σῶν τι φροντίζειν γόων
καὶ παῖδʼ ἀνήσειν τὸν σόν, εἰ θέλοις στένειν;
And grief, just like trees, has this fruit of tears." And Dictys, while comforting Danae in her deep grief, says: "Do you think Hades cares at all for your laments, and will release your son, if you wish to wail?
παῦσαι· βλέπουσα δʼ εἰς τὰ τῶν πέλας κακὰ
ῥᾴων γένοιʼ ἄν, εἰ λογίζεσθαι θέλοις
ὅσοι τε δεσμοῖς ἐμμεμόχλευνται βροτῶν,
ὅσοι τε γηράσκουσιν ὀρφανοί τέκνων,
τοὺς τʼ ἐκ μέγιστον ὀλβίας τυραννίδος
τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας, ταῦτά σε σκοπεῖν χρεών. "
κελεύει γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐνθυμεῖσθαι τὰ τῶν ἴσα καὶ μείζω δυστυχούντων, ὡς ἐσομένην ἐλαφροτέραν.
Cease; and by looking at the evils of your neighbors, you would become lighter, if you would only consider how many of mortals have been bound fast in chains, and how many grow old bereaved of children, and those who from a most highly prosperous tyranny have become nothing; these things you ought to contemplate." For he bids her reflect on the affairs of those who are equally or more unfortunate, so that she will become lighter.
§9ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἄν τις ἑλκύσειε καὶ τὴν τοῦ Σωκράτους φωνήν, τὴν οἰομένην, εἰ συνεισενέγκαιμεν εἰς τὸ κοινὸν τὰς ἀτυχίας, ὥστε διελέσθαι τὸ ἴσον ἕκαστον, ἀσμένως ἂν τοὺς πλείους τὰς αὑτῶν λαβόντας ἀπελθεῖν.
For here one might also invoke the saying of Socrates, who thought that if we were to bring our misfortunes into a common stock, so that each would divide an equal share, the majority would gladly take up their own and depart.
ἐχρήσατο δὲ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀγωγῇ καὶ Ἀντίμαχος ὁ ποιητής.
And the poet Antimachus also used such an approach.
ἀποθανούσης γὰρ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτῷ Λύδης, πρὸς ἣν φιλοστόργως εἶχε, παραμύθιον τῆς λύπης αὑτῷ ἐποίησε τὴν ἐλεγείαν τὴν καλουμένην Λύδην, ἐξαριθμησάμενος τὰς ἡρωικὰς συμφοράς, τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις κακοῖς ἐλάττω τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ποιῶν λύπην.
For when his wife Lyde died, to whom he was affectionately attached, he made for himself a consolation for his grief in the elegy called "Lyde," enumerating heroic misfortunes, making his own grief smaller by the evils of others.
ὥστε καταφανὲς εἶναι ὅτι ὁ παραμυθούμενος τὸν λελυπημένον καὶ δεικνύων κοινὸν καὶ πολλῶν τὸ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ τῶν καὶ ἑτέροις συμβεβηκότων ἔλαττον τὴν δόξαν τοῦ λελυπημένου μεθίστησι καὶ τοιαύτην τινὰ ποιεῖ πίστιν αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἔλαττον ἢ ἡλίκον ᾤετο τὸ συμβεβηκός ἐστιν.
So that it is clear that he who comforts the grieving person, by showing that what has happened is common to many and that it is smaller than what has happened to others, shifts the opinion of the grieving person and produces a certain conviction in him that what has happened is smaller than he thought it was.