§1Πλούταρχος Πακκίῳ εὖ πράττειν.
Plutarch to Paccius, greeting.
ὀψέ σου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐκομισάμην, ἐν παρεκάλεις περὶ εὐθυμίας σοί τι γραφῆναι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν Τιμαίῳ δεομένων ἐπιμελεστέρας ἐξηγήσεως.
I received your letter late, in which you requested that something be written to you about tranquility of mind, and about those points in the Timaeus that require a more careful explanation.
ἅμα δέ πως τὸν ἑταῖρον ἡμῶν Ἔρωτα κατελάμβανεν αἰτία τοῦ πλεῖν εὐθὺς εἰς Ῥώμην, παρὰ Φουνδάνου τοῦ κρατίστου γράμματα δεδεγμένον, οἷος ἐκεῖνος, ἐπιταχύνοντα.
At the same time, it happened somehow that a necessity overtook our friend Eros to sail immediately to Rome, since he had received a letter from the excellent Fundanus—such as he is—urging him to make haste.
μήτε δὲ χρόνον ἔχων, ὡς προῃρούμην, γενέσθαι πρὸς οἷς ἐβούλου μήτε ὑπομένων κεναῖς παντάπασι τὸν ἄνδρα χερσὶν ὀφθῆναί σοι παρʼ ἡμῶν ἀφιγμένον, ἀνελεξάμην περὶ εὐθυμίας ἐκ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων ὧν ἐμαυτῷ πεποιημένος ἐτύγχανον ἡγούμενος καὶ σὲ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον οὐκ ἀκροάσεως ἕνεκα θηρωμένης καλλιγραφίαν ἀλλὰ χρείας βιωτικῆς ἐπιζητεῖν, καὶ συνηδόμενος, ὅτι καὶ φιλίας ἔχων ἡγεμονικὰς καὶ δόξαν οὐδενὸς ἐλάττονα τῶν ἐν ἀγορᾷ λεγόντων τὸ τοῦ τραγικοῦ Μέροπος οὐ πέπονθας, οὐδʼ ὡς ἐκεῖνον
"εὐδαιμονίζων ὄχλος ἐξέπληξε σε"
τῶν φυσικῶν παθῶν ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἀκηκοὼς μνημονεύεις ὡς οὔτε ποδάγρας ἀπαλλάττει πατρίκιος οὔτε δακτύλιος πολυτελὴς παρωνυχίας οὔτε διάδημα κεφαλαλγίας.
And since I neither had the time, as I would have preferred, to apply myself to what you wished, nor could bear to let the man be seen by you having arrived from us with completely empty hands, I gathered together what concerns tranquility of mind from the memoirs which I happened to have made for myself, thinking that you too seek this discourse not for the sake of a hearing that hunts for fine style, but for practical use in life, and I rejoice with you, because, although you possess friendships with leading men and a reputation second to none of those who speak in the forum, you have not suffered the fate of the tragic Merops, nor, as with him, "has the crowd, declaring you happy, driven you out of your mind," under the influence of natural passions, but you have often heard and remember that a patrician shoe does not cure gout, nor a costly ring a hangnail, nor a diadem a headache.
πόθεν γε δὴ πρὸς ἀλυπίαν ψυχῆς καὶ βίον ἀκύμονα χρημάτων ὄφελος ἢ δόξης ἢ δυνάμεως ἐν αὐλαῖς, ἂν μὴ τὸ χρώμενον εὐχάριστον ᾖ τοῖς ἔχουσι καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀπόντων μὴ δεόμενον ἀεὶ παρακολουθῇ;
For how indeed can wealth, or glory, or power in royal courts, be of any benefit toward achieving freedom from pain in the soul and a wave-free life, unless those who possess them have a disposition that is grateful for what is present and is accompanied by a lack of craving for what is absent?
τί δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἄλλο ἢ λόγος εἰθισμένος καὶ μεμελετηκὼς τοῦ παθητικοῦ καὶ ἀλόγου τῆς ψυχῆς ἐξισταμένου πολλάκις ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι ταχὺ καὶ μὴ περιορᾶν ἀπορρέον καὶ καταφερόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν παρόντων;
And what else is this but a reason accustomed and trained, when the emotional and irrational part of the soul often gets out of hand, to lay hold of it quickly and not allow it to slip away and be carried down by present circumstances?
ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Ξενοφῶν παρῄνει τῶν θεῶν εὐτυχοῦντας μάλιστα μεμνῆσθαι καὶ τιμᾶν, ὅπως, ὅταν ἐν χρείᾳ γενώμεθα, θαρροῦντες αὐτοὺς παρακαλῶμεν ὡς εὐμενεῖς ὄντας ἤδη καὶ φίλους·
Therefore, just as Xenophon advised that we should especially remember and honor the gods when we are prosperous, so that when we are in need we may call upon them with confidence as already being well-disposed and friendly; so also with regard to arguments that help against the passions, those who have sense must attend to them before the passions arise, so that being prepared long beforehand they may be of greater benefit.
οὕτω καὶ τῶν λόγων, ὅσοι πρὸς τὰ πάθη βοηθοῦσι, δεῖ πρὸ τῶν παθῶν ἐπιμέλεσθαι τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας, ἵνʼ ἐκ πολλοῦ παρεσκευασμένοι μᾶλλον ὠφελῶσιν ὡς γὰρ οἱ χαλεποὶ κύνες πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐκταραττόμενοι βοὴν ὑπὸ μόνης καταπραΰνονται τῆς συνήθους, οὕτω καὶ τὰ πάθη τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς διαγριαινόμενα καταπαῦσαι ῥᾳδίως οὐκ ἔστιν ἂν μὴ λόγοι παρόντες οἰκεῖοι καὶ συνήθεις ἐπιλαμβάνωνται τῶν ταραττομένων.
For just as fierce dogs, which are excited by every shout, are quieted only by a familiar one, so also it is not easy to quiet the passions of the soul when they grow wild, unless arguments that are intimate and familiar are present to take hold of them when they are disturbed.
§2ὁ μὲν οὖν εἰπὼν ὅτι
δεῖ τὸν εὐθυμεῖσθαι μέλλοντα μὴ πολλὰ πρήσσειν μήτε ἰδίῃ μήτε ξυνῇ,
πρῶτον μὲν ἡμῖν πολυτελῆ τὴν εὐθυμίαν καθίστησι, γιγνομένην ὤνιον ἀπραξίας· οἷον ἀρρώστῳ παραινῶν ἑκάστῳ
"μένʼ, ὦ ταλαίπωρʼ, ἀτρέμα σοῖς ἐν δεμνίοις"
καίτοι κακὸν μὲν ἀναισθησίας σώματι φάρμακον ἀπονίας· οὐδὲν δὲ βελτίων ψυχῆς ἰατρὸς ὁ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ καὶ μαλακίᾳ καὶ προδοσίᾳ φίλων καὶ οἰκείων καὶ πατρίδος ἐξαιρῶν τὸ ταραχῶδες αὐτῆς καὶ λυπηρόν.
He, therefore, who said that "he who would lead a tranquil life must not do many things, either in private or in public," first of all makes tranquility of mind a very costly thing for us, since it is to be bought at the price of inactivity; just as if one were to advise every sick person: "Stay, poor wretch, quiet in your bed." And yet, a pain-free state through lack of sensation is a bad remedy for the body; and no better is that physician of the soul who removes its disturbance and distress by means of laziness, soft living, and the betrayal of friends, relatives, and fatherland.
ἔπειτα καὶ ψεῦδός ἐστι τὸ εὐθυμεῖν τοὺς μὴ πολλὰ πράσσοντας· ἔδει γὰρ εὐθυμοτέρας εἶναι γυναῖκας ἀνδρῶν οἰκουρίᾳ τὰ πολλὰ συνούσας· νυνὶ δʼ ὁ μὲν βορέας
"διὰ παρθενικῆς ἁπαλόχροος οὐ διάησιν"
ὥς φησιν Ἡσίοδος, λῦπαι δὲ καὶ ταραχαὶ καὶ κακοθυμίαι διὰ ζηλοτυπίας καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας καὶ φιλοτιμίας καὶ κενῶν δοξῶν, ὅσας οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις, εἰς τὴν γυναικωνῖτιν ὑπορρέουσιν ὁ δὲ Λαέρτης εἴκοσιν ἔτη καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐν ἀγρῷ διαιτώμενος
"γρηὶ σὺν ἀμφιπόλῳ, ἥ οἱ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε"
παρτίθει, τὴν μὲν πατρίδα καὶ τὸν οἶκον καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔφυγε, τὴν δὲ λύπην μετʼ ἀπραξίας καὶ κατηφείας ἀεὶ συνοικοῦσαν εἶχεν.
Secondly, it is also a falsehood that those who do not do many things are tranquil; for it would then be necessary for women, who for the most part stay at home, to be more tranquil than men; but as it is, although the north wind "does not blow through the tender-skinned maiden," as Hesiod says, yet griefs, disturbances, and ill-tempers due to jealousy, superstition, ambition, and countless empty opinions, flow into the women’s quarters; while Laertes, though he lived for twenty years by himself in the country, "with an old handmaid, who set before him food and drink," and fled his country, home, and kingship, yet had grief always dwelling with him, along with inactivity and dejection.
ἐνίους δὲ καὶ τὸ μὴ πράσσειν αὐτὸ πολλάκις εἰς ἀθυμίαν καθίστησιν, ὡς τοῦτον· "
αὐτὰρ ὁ μήνιε νηυσὶ παρήμενος ὠκυπόροισι
διογενὴς Πηλέως υἱός, πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς
οὔτε ποτʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν πωλέσκετο κυδιάνειραν,
οὔτε ποτʼ ἐς πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ φθινύθεσκε φίλον κῆρ
αὖθι μένων, ποθέεσκε δʼ ἀυτήν τε πτόλεμόν τε. "
καὶ λέγει περιπαθῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ ἀσχάλλων αὐτός
"ἀλλʼ ἧμαι παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐτώσιον ἄχθος ἀρούρης. "
ὅθεν οὐδʼ Ἐπίκουρος οἴεται δεῖν ἡσυχάζειν, ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει χρῆσθαι πολιτευομένους καὶ πράσσοντας τὰ κοινὰ τοὺς φιλοτίμους καὶ φιλοδόξους, ὡς μᾶλλον ὑπʼ ἀπραγμοσύνης ταράττεσθαι καὶ κακοῦσθαι πεφυκότας, ἂν ὧν ὀρέγονται μὴ τυγχάνωσιν.
And in some cases, the very lack of action often throws them into dejection, as was the case with this man: "But he raged as he sat by the swift-faring ships, the Zeus-born son of Peleus, swift-footed Achilles; neither did he ever go to the market-place where men win glory, nor ever into war, but he kept wasting his own heart as he remained there, though he longed for the war-cry and battle." And he himself says, suffering deeply and grieving because of this: "But I sit by the ships, a useless burden on the earth." For this reason, not even Epicurus thinks that those who are ambitious and desirous of glory should remain quiet, but that they should follow their nature by engaging in public affairs and performing civic duties, on the ground that they are naturally more liable to be disturbed and harmed by inactivity if they do not obtain what they desire.
ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἄτοπος οὐ τοὺς δυναμένους τὰ κοινὰ πράσσειν προτρεπόμενος ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν μὴ δυναμένους.
But he is absurd, in that he does not urge those who are capable of managing public affairs to do so, but rather those who are unable to keep quiet.
δεῖ δὲ μὴ πλήθει μηδʼ ὀλιγότητι πραγμάτων, ἀλλὰ τῷ καλῷ καὶ τῷ αἰσχρῷ τὸ εὔθυμον ὁρίζειν καὶ τὸ δύσθυμον· τῶν γὰρ καλῶν ἡ παράλειψις οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τῶν φαύλων ἡ πρᾶξις ἀνιαρόν ἐστι καὶ ταραχῶδες, ὡς εἴρηται.
But one ought to define what is tranquil and what is untranquil not by the abundance or paucity of actions, but by what is noble and what is shameful; for the omission of noble deeds is no less distressing and disturbing than the commission of bad ones, as has been said.