§3.8#2καὶ τὸν θυμὸν δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν φέρουσιν· ἀνδρεῖοι γὰρ εἶναι δοκοῦσι καὶ οἱ διὰ θυμὸν ὥσπερ τὰ θηρία ἐπὶ τοὺς τρώσαντας φερόμενα, ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἀνδρεῖοι θυμοειδεῖς·
People also refer anger to courage; for those who, driven by anger, rush upon those who have wounded them, like wild beasts, also seem to be courageous, because the courageous are also high-spirited.
ἰτητικώτατον γὰρ ὁ θυμὸς πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους, ὅθεν καὶ Ὅμηρος
"σθένος ἔμβαλε θυμῷ"
καὶ
"μένος καὶ θυμὸν ἔγειρε"
καὶ
"δριμὺ δʼ ἀνὰ ῥῖνας μένος"
καὶ
"ἔζεσεν αἷμα· "
πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔοικε σημαίνειν τὴν τοῦ θυμοῦ ἔγερσιν καὶ ὁρμήν.
For anger is most impetuous in rushing into dangers, whence Homer also says, "put strength into his passion," and "roused his might and anger," and "bitter wrath in his nostrils," and "his blood boiled"; for all such expressions seem to signify the arousal and impulse of passion.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀνδρεῖοι διὰ τὸ καλὸν πράττουσιν, ὁ δὲ θυμὸς συνεργεῖ αὐτοῖς· τὰ θηρία δὲ διὰ λύπην· διὰ γὰρ τὸ πληγῆναι ἢ διὰ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ ἐάν γε ἐν ὕλῃ ᾖ, οὐ προσέρχονται.
Now, the courageous act for the sake of the noble, and passion cooperates with them; but wild beasts act from pain; for they act because they have been wounded or because they are frightened, since if they are in the forests, they do not attack.
οὐ δή ἐστιν ἀνδρεῖα διὰ τὸ ὑπʼ ἀλγηδόνος καὶ θυμοῦ ἐξελαυνόμενα πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον ὁρμᾶν, οὐθὲν τῶν δεινῶν προορῶντα, ἐπεὶ οὕτω γε κἂν οἱ ὄνοι ἀνδρεῖοι εἶεν πεινῶντες· τυπτόμενοι γὰρ οὐκ ἀφίστανται τῆς νομῆς·
Therefore, they are not courageous because, driven by pain and passion, they rush towards danger without foreseeing any of the perils; since on this showing even asses would be courageous when they are hungry, for they do not leave their pasture even when beaten.
καὶ οἱ μοιχοὶ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τολμηρὰ πολλὰ δρῶσιν.
Adulterers also do many daring things because of their desire.
φυσικωτάτη δʼ ἔοικεν ἡ διὰ τὸν θυμὸν εἶναι, καὶ προσλαβοῦσα προαίρεσιν καὶ τὸ οὗ ἕνεκα ἀνδρεία εἶναι.
But the courage that is due to passion seems to be the most natural, and if it takes to itself choice and purpose, it is true courage.
καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι δὴ ὀργιζόμενοι μὲν ἀλγοῦσι, τιμωρούμενοι δʼ ἥδονται· οἱ δὲ διὰ ταῦτα μαχόμενοι μάχιμοι μέν, οὐκ ἀνδρεῖοι δέ· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὸ καλὸν οὐδʼ ὡς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ διὰ πάθος· παραπλήσιον δʼ ἔχουσί τι.
Indeed, men when angry feel pain, and when they exact vengeance they feel pleasure; but those who fight for these reasons are pugnacious, not courageous; for they do not act for the sake of the noble nor as reason directs, but from passion; yet they possess something very like courage.
οὐδὲ δὴ οἱ εὐέλπιδες ὄντες ἀνδρεῖοι· διὰ γὰρ τὸ πολλάκις καὶ πολλοὺς νενικηκέναι θαρροῦσιν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις·
Nor indeed are those who are optimistic courageous; for they are confident in dangers because they have conquered often and many.
παρόμοιοι δέ, ὅτι ἄμφω θαρραλέοι· ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν ἀνδρεῖοι διὰ τὰ πρότερον εἰρημένα θαρραλέοι, οἳ δὲ διὰ τὸ οἴεσθαι κράτιστοι εἶναι καὶ μηθὲν ἂν παθεῖν.
But they resemble the courageous because both are confident; yet the courageous are confident for the reasons already stated, whereas the optimistic are so because they think they are the strongest and will suffer nothing.
τοιοῦτον δὲ ποιοῦσι καὶ οἱ μεθυσκόμενοι· εὐέλπιδες γὰρ γίνονται.
Drunken people also do something of this sort; for they become optimistic.
ὅταν δὲ αὐτοῖς μὴ συμβῇ τὰ τοιαῦτα, φεύγουσιν· ἀνδρείου δʼ ἦν τὰ φοβερὰ ἀνθρώπῳ ὄντα καὶ φαινόμενα ὑπομένειν, ὅτι καλὸν καὶ αἰσχρὸν τὸ μή.
But when things do not turn out as they expected, they flee; whereas it was the mark of a courageous person to endure things that are and appear terrifying to a human being, because it is noble to do so and disgraceful not to.
διὸ καὶ ἀνδρειοτέρου δοκεῖ εἶναι τὸ ἐν τοῖς αἰφνιδίοις φόβοις ἄφοβον καὶ ἀτάραχον εἶναι ἢ ἐν τοῖς προδήλοις· ἀπὸ ἕξεως γὰρ μᾶλλον ἦν, ὅτι ἧττον ἐκ παρασκευῆς·
Therefore also, to be fearless and undisturbed in sudden alarms seems to belong to a more courageous person than to be so in dangers that are foreseen; for it was more a result of character, because it depends less on preparation.
τὰ προφανῆ μὲν γὰρ κἂν ἐκ λογισμοῦ καὶ λόγου τις προέλοιτο, τὰ δʼ ἐξαίφνης κατὰ τὴν ἕξιν.
For one might choose foreseen dangers even from calculation and reason, but sudden ones are chosen according to character.
ἀνδρεῖοι δὲ φαίνονται καὶ οἱ ἀγνοοῦντες, καὶ εἰσὶν οὐ πόρρω τῶν εὐελπίδων, χείρους δʼ ὅσῳ ἀξίωμα οὐδὲν ἔχουσιν, ἐκεῖνοι δέ.
Those who are ignorant also appear courageous, and they are not far from the optimistic, but they are worse to the extent that they have no self-esteem, whereas the optimistic have it.
διὸ καὶ μένουσί τινα χρόνον· οἱ δʼ ἠπατημένοι, ἐὰν γνῶσιν ὅτι ἕτερον ἢ ὑποπτεύσωσι, φεύγουσιν· ὅπερ οἱ Ἀργεῖοι ἔπαθον περιπεσόντες τοῖς Λάκωσιν ὡς Σικυωνίοις.
Therefore, they also stand their ground for a certain time; but those who have been deceived, if they find out or suspect that the case is otherwise, they flee, as happened to the Argives when they fell in with the Lacedaemonians, mistaking them for Sicyonians.
οἵ τε δὴ ἀνδρεῖοι εἴρηνται ποῖοί τινες, καὶ οἱ δοκοῦντες ἀνδρεῖοι.
We have now described both the courageous and those who are thought to be courageous.