§34Λυκῖνος
ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ταῦτʼ ἐγίνετο, ποικίλα, ὦ Φίλων, ἐγὼ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἐνενόουν, οἷον τὸ πρόχειρον ἐκεῖνο, ὡς οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἦν ἄρα ἐπίστασθαι τὰ μαθήματα, εἰ μή τις καὶ τὸν βίον ῥυθμίζοι πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον·
Lycinus While these things were going on, Philon, I was reflecting in my own mind on various things, such as that obvious thought: that there was, after all, no use in knowing academic subjects if one did not also regulate one’s life for the better; at any rate, I saw those men, who were extraordinary in their words, incurring laughter in their actual conduct.
ἐκείνους γοῦν περιττοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἑώρων γέλωτα ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ὀφλισκάνοντας.
Then it occurred to me that perhaps what is said by the many is true, and that being educated leads away from correct reasoning those who gaze intently only at books and the cares contained in them.
ἔπειτα εἰσῄει με, μὴ ἄρα τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν λεγόμενον ἀληθὲς ᾖ καὶ τὸ πεπαιδεῦσθαι ἀπάγῃ τῶν ὀρθῶν λογισμῶν τοὺς ἐς μόνα τὰ βιβλία καὶ τὰς ἐν ἐκείνοις φροντίδας ἀτενὲς ἀφορῶντας· τοσούτων γοῦν φιλοσόφων παρόντων οὐδὲ κατὰ τύχην ἕνα τινὰ ἔξω ἁμαρτήματος ἦν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἐποίουν αἰσχρά, οἱ δʼ ἔλεγον αἰσχίω·
At any rate, although so many philosophers were present, not even by chance was it possible to see any single one free from error, but some were doing shameful things, and others were saying even more shameful things.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐς τὸν οἶνον ἔτι ἀναφέρειν εἶχον τὰ γινόμενα λογιζόμενος οἷα ὁ Ἑτοιμοκλῆς ἄσιτος ἔτι καὶ ἄποτος ἐγεγράφει.
For I could no longer even attribute what was happening to the wine, when I considered what sort of things Hetoimocles had written while still without food or drink.
§35Λυκῖνος
ἀνέστραπτο οὖν τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἰδιῶται κοσμίως πάνυ ἑστιώμενοι οὔτε παροινοῦντες οὔτε ἀσχημονοῦντες ἐφαίνοντο, ἀλλʼ ἐγέλων μόνον καὶ κατεγίνωσκον αὐτῶν, οἶμαι, οὕς γε ἐθαύμαζον οἰόμενοί τινας εἶναι ἀπὸ τῶν σχημάτων, οἱ σοφοὶ δὲ ἠσέλγαινον καὶ ἐλοιδοροῦντο καὶ ὑπερενεπίμπλαντο καὶ ἐκεκράγεσαν καὶ εἰς χεῖρας ᾔεσαν.
Lycinus Thus the situation was reversed, and the ordinary people, dining very decorously, appeared neither to act like drunkards nor to behave indecently, but were only laughing and, I suppose, condemning those whom they used to admire, thinking them to be somebody of importance from their outward appearance. But the wise men were behaving insolently, abusing one another, stuffing themselves, shouting, and coming to blows.
ὁ θαυμάσιος δὲ Ἀλκιδάμας καὶ ἐούρει ἐν τῷ μέσῳ οὐκ αἰδούμενος τὰς γυναῖκας.
And the wonderful Alcidamas even urinated in the midst, feeling no shame before the women.
καὶ ἐμοὶ ἐδόκει, ὡς ἂν ἄριστά τις εἰκάσειεν, ὁμοιότατα εἶναι τὰ ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ οἷς περὶ τῆς Ἔριδος οἱ ποιηταὶ λέγουσιν· οὐ γὰρ κληθεῖσαν αὐτὴν ἐς τοῦ Πηλέως τὸν γάμον ῥῖψαι τὸ μῆλον εἰς τὸ σύνδειπνον, ἀφʼ οὗ τοσοῦτον πόλεμον ἐπʼ Ἰλίῳ γεγενῆσθαι.
And it seemed to me, to make the best comparison possible, that the events at the banquet were very similar to what the poets say about Eris: that she, not having been invited to the wedding of Peleus, threw the apple into the feast, from which so great a war arose against Ilium.
καὶ ὁ Ἑτοιμοκλῆς τοίνυν ἐδόκει μοι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐμβαλὼν εἰς τὸ μέσον ὥσπερ τι μῆλον οὐ μείω τῆς Ἰλιάδος κακὰ ἐξεργάσασθαι.
And Hetoimocles too, therefore, seemed to me, by throwing his letter into the midst like an apple, to have brought about evils no less than those of the Iliad.
§36Λυκῖνος
οὐ γὰρ ἐπαύσαντο οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ζηνόθεμιν καὶ Κλεόδημον φιλονεικοῦντες, ἐπεὶ μέσος αὐτῶν ὁ Ἀρισταίνετος ἐγένετο· ἀλλά,
νῦν μέν,
ἔφη ὁ Κλεόδημος,
ἱκανόν, εἰ ἐλεγχθείητε ἀμαθεῖς ὄντες, αὔριον δὲ ἀμυνοῦμαι ὑμᾶς ὅντινα καὶ χρὴ τρόπον·
Lycinus For Zenothemis and Cleodemus and their companions did not stop quarreling after Aristaenetus became positioned in the midst of them; on the contrary, Cleodemus said: "For now, it is enough if you are convicted of being ignorant; but tomorrow I will avenge myself on you in whatever way is proper.
ἀπόκριναί μοι οὖν, ὦ Ζηνόθεμι, ἢ σὺ ἢ ὁ κοσμιώτατος Δίφιλος, καθʼ ὅ τι ἀδιάφορον εἶναι λέγοντες τῶν χρημάτων τὴν κτῆσιν οὐδὲν ἀλλʼ ἢ τοῦτο ἐξ ἁπάντων σκοπεῖτε ὡς πλείω κτήσεσθε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀμφὶ τοὺς πλουσίους ἀεὶ ἔχετε καὶ δανείζετε καὶ τοκογλυφεῖτε καὶ ἐπὶ μισθῷ παιδεύετε, πάλιν τε αὖ τὴν ἡδονὴν μισοῦντες καὶ τῶν Ἐπικουρείων κατηγοροῦντες αὐτοὶ τὰ αἴσχιστα ἡδονῆς ἕνεκα ποιεῖτε καὶ πάσχετε, ἀγανακτοῦντες εἴ τις μὴ καλέσειεν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον·
Answer me then, Zenothemis—either you or the most decorous Diphilus—on what grounds, while saying that the acquisition of wealth is an indifferent thing, do you aim at nothing else in all matters than how you may acquire more, and because of this always hang around the rich, and lend money, and practice usury, and teach for pay? And again, while hating pleasure and accusing the Epicureans, why do you yourselves do and submit to the most shameful things for the sake of pleasure, being resentful if someone does not invite you to dinner?
εἰ δὲ καὶ κληθείητε, τοσαῦτα μὲν ἐσθίοντες, τοσαῦτα δὲ τοῖς οἰκέταις ἐπιδιδόντες
— καὶ ἅμα λέγων τὴν ὀθόνην περισπᾶν ἐπεχείρει, ἣν ὁ παῖς εἶχε τοῦ Ζηνοθέμιδος, μεστὴν οὖσαν παντοδαπῶν κρεῶν, καὶ ἔμελλε λύσας ἀπορρίπτειν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἀλλʼ ὁ παῖς οὐκ ἀνῆκε καρτερῶς ἀντεχόμενος.
And if you should be invited, why do you eat so much, and pass so much to your servants?"—And as he said this, he attempted to snatch away the cloth which Zenothemis’s slave boy was holding, which was full of all kinds of meat, and he was about to undo it and fling them to the floor, but the boy did not let go, holding on stoutly.
§37Λυκῖνος
καὶ ὁ Ἕρμων,
εὖ γε,
ἔφη,
ὦ Κλεόδημε, εἰπάτωσαν οὗτινος ἕνεκα ἡδονῆς κατηγοροῦσιν αὐτοὶ ἥδεσθαι ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀξιοῦντες. οὔκ, ἀλλὰ σύ,
ἦ δʼ ὃς ὁ Ζηνόθεμις,
εἰπέ, ὦ Κλεόδημε, καθʼ ὅ τι οὐκ ἀδιάφορον ἡγῇ τὸν πλοῦτον. οὐ μὲν οὖν, ἀλλὰ σύ.
Lycinus And Hermon said: "Well said, Cleodemus! Let them say for what reason they accuse pleasure while they themselves claim to enjoy it more than anyone else." "No, but you rather," said Zenothemis, "tell us, Cleodemus, on what grounds you do not consider wealth to be an indifferent." "No indeed, but you." And this went on for a long time, until Ion, leaning forward into a more prominent position, said: "Stop!
καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῦτο ἦν, ἄχρι δὴ ὁ Ἴων προκύψας ἐς τὸ ἐμφανέστερον,
παύσασθε,
ἔφη· ἐγὼ δέ, εἰ δοκεῖ, λόγων ἀφορμὰς ὑμῖν ἀξίων τῆς παρούσης ἑορτῆς καταθήσω ἐς τὸ μέσον· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀφιλονείκως ἐρεῖτε καὶ ἀκούσεσθε ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ παρὰ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ Πλάτωνι ἐν λόγοις ἡ πλείστη διατριβὴ ἐγένετο. πάντες ἐπῄνεσαν οἱ παρόντες, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρισταίνετόν τε καὶ Εὔκριτον, ἀπαλλάξεσθαι τῆς ἀηδίας οὕτω γοῦν ἐλπίσαντες.
And I, if it seems good, will set before you in the midst subjects for discussion worthy of the present festival; and you shall speak and listen without rivalry, just as indeed in our Plato’s works most of the time was spent in discussions." All those present approved, and especially Aristaenetus and Eucritus and their companions, hoping in this way at least to be rid of the unpleasantness.
καὶ μετῆλθέ τε ὁ Ἀρισταίνετος ἐπὶ τὸν αὑτοῦ τόπον εἰρήνην γεγενῆσθαι ἐλπίσας,
And Aristaenetus also returned to his own place, hoping that peace had been established,