§2.21.1περὶ δὲ γνωμολογίας, ῥηθέντος τί ἐστιν γνώμη μάλιστʼ ἂν γένοιτο φανερὸν περὶ ποίων τε καὶ πότε καὶ τίσιν ἁρμόττει χρῆσθαι τῷ γνωμολογεῖν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις.
Concerning the speaking in maxims, once it is stated what a maxim is, it would become most clear concerning what kinds of things, when, and for whom it is appropriate to use speaking in maxims in speeches.
§2.21.2ἔστι δὴ γνώμη ἀπόφανσις, οὐ μέντοι οὔτε περὶ τῶν καθʼ ἕκαστον, οἷον ποῖός τις Ἰφικράτης, ἀλλὰ καθόλου, οὔτε περὶ πάντων, οἷον ὅτι τὸ εὐθὺ τῷ καμπύλῳ ἐναντίον, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὅσων αἱ πράξεις εἰσί, καὶ ἃ αἱρετὰ ἢ φευκτά ἐστι πρὸς τὸ πράττειν, ὥστʼ ἐπεὶ τὸ ἐνθύμημα ὁ περὶ τοιούτων συλλογισμός ἐστιν, σχεδὸν τὰ συμπεράσματα τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων καὶ αἱ ἀρχαὶ ἀφαιρεθέντος τοῦ συλλογισμοῦ γνῶμαί εἰσιν, οἷον
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χρὴ δʼ οὔ ποθʼ ὅστις ἀρτίφρων πέφυκʼ ἀνήρ
παῖδας περισσῶς ἐκδιδάσκεσθαι σοφούς. "
τοῦτο μὲν οὖν γνώμη·
A maxim is indeed an assertion, not however about particulars—for instance, what kind of person Iphicrates is—but about the universal; yet not about all universals—for instance, that the straight is contrary to the curved—but about those things which actions are concerned with, and which are to be chosen or avoided in respect of acting. Therefore, since the enthymeme is a syllogism concerning such things, the conclusions and premises of enthymemes, when the syllogism is removed, are virtually maxims. For instance: "A man who is of sound mind by nature ought never to have his children educated to be excessively wise." This, then, is a maxim; but when the cause and the reason why are added, the whole becomes an enthymeme.
προστεθείσης δὲ τῆς αἰτίας καὶ τοῦ διὰ τί ἐνθύμημά ἐστιν τὸ ἅπαν, οἷον
"
χωρὶς γὰρ ἄλλης ἧς ἔχουσιν ἀργίας,
φθόνον παρʼ ἀστῶν ἀλφάνουσι δυσμενῆ,
"
καὶ τὸ
"
οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις πάντʼ ἀνὴρ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
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καὶ τὸ
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οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνδρῶν ὅστις ἔστʼ ἐλεύθερος
"
γνώμη, πρὸς δὲ τῷ ἐχομένῳ ἐνθύμημα,
"
ἢ χρημάτων γὰρ δοῦλός ἐστιν ἢ τύχης. " §2.21.3εἰ δή ἐστιν γνώμη τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀνάγκη τέτταρα εἴδη εἶναι γνώμης· ἢ γὰρ μετʼ ἐπιλόγου ἔσται ἢ ἄνευ ἐπιλόγου.
For instance: "For besides the other idleness they possess, they win hostile envy from the citizens." And this: "There is no man who is happy in all things," and this: "There is no one of men who is free" are maxims, but when added to what follows, it is an enthymeme: "For he is a slave either to money or to fortune." If, then, a maxim is what has been said, it is necessary that there are four species of maxims; for it will either be with an epilogue or without an epilogue.
§2.21.4ἀποδείξεως μὲν οὖν δεόμεναί εἰσιν ὅσαι παράδοξόν τι λέγουσιν ἢ ἀμφισβητούμενον· ὅσαι δὲ μηδὲν παράδοξον, ἄνευ ἐπιλόγου.
Those that need proof are as many as say something paradoxical or disputed; but those that say nothing paradoxical are without an epilogue.
§2.21.5τούτων δʼ ἀνάγκη τὰς μὲν διὰ τὸ προεγνῶσθαι μηδὲν δεῖσθαι ἐπιλόγου, οἷον
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ἀνδρὶ δʼ ὑγιαίνειν ἄριστόν ἐστιν, ὥς γʼ ἐμὶν δοκεῖ
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(φαίνεται μὲν γὰρ τοῖς πολλοῖς οὕτω), τὰς δʼ ἅμα λεγομένας δήλας εἶναι ἐπιβλέψασιν, οἷον
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οὐδεὶς ἐραστὴς ὅστις οὐκ ἀεὶ φιλεῖ. " §2.21.6τῶν δὲ μετʼ ἐπιλόγου αἱ μὲν ἐνθυμήματος μέρος εἰσίν, ὥσπερ
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χρὴ δʼ οὔ ποθʼ ὅστις ἀρτίφρων,
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αἱ δʼ ἐνθυμηματικαὶ μέν, οὐκ ἐνθυμήματος δὲ μέρος·
Of these, it is necessary that some, because they are already known, need no epilogue, for instance: "For a man to be healthy is best, at least so it seems to me" (for it appears so to the majority), and others, at the same time they are spoken, are clear to those who look closely, for instance: "No one is a lover who does not love always." Of those with an epilogue, some are a part of an enthymeme, just like: "A man who is of sound mind ought never..." while others are enthymematic indeed, but not a part of an enthymeme; which indeed are most highly esteemed.
αἵπερ καὶ μάλιστʼ εὐδοκιμοῦσιν. εἰσὶν δʼ αὗται ἐν ὅσαις ἐμφαίνεται τοῦ λεγομένου τὸ αἴτιον, οἷον ἐν τῷ
"
ἀθάνατον ὀργὴν μὴ φύλασσε θνητὸς ὤν· "
τὸ μὲν γὰρ φάναι
μὴ δεῖν φυλάττειν
γνώμη, τὸ δὲ προσκείμενον
θνητὸν ὄντα
τὸ διὰ τί.
These are those in which the cause of what is said is made manifest within them, for instance in: "Do not, being mortal, nurse an immortal wrath." For to say "one ought not to nurse [it]" is a maxim, but the addition "being mortal" is the reason why.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ
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θνατὰ χρὴ τὸν θνατόν, οὐκ ἀθάνατα τὸν θνατὸν φρονεῖν. " §2.21.7φανερὸν οὖν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων πόσα τε εἴδη γνώμης, καὶ περὶ ποῖον ἕκαστον ἁρμόττει·
And similarly also: "A mortal should think mortal thoughts, not a mortal immortal thoughts." It is clear, then, from what has been said, how many species of maxim there are, and to what kind of subject each is appropriate.
περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων ἢ παραδόξων μὴ ἄνευ ἐπιλόγου, ἀλλʼ ἢ προθέντα τὸν ἐπίλογον γνώμῃ χρῆσθαι τῷ συμπεράσματι (οἷον εἴ τις εἴποι
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, ἐπειδὴ οὔτε φθονεῖσθαι δεῖ οὔτʼ ἀργὸν εἶναι, οὔ φημι χρῆναι παιδεύεσθαι
), ἢ τοῦτο προειπόντα ἐπειπεῖν τὰ ἔμπροσθεν·
For concerning disputed or paradoxical things, [they should] not [be used] without an epilogue, but either, having put the epilogue first, one should use the conclusion as a maxim (for instance, if one should say, "I, then, since one ought neither to be envied nor to be idle, say that one should not be educated"), or, having said this first, one should add the former things.
περὶ δὲ τῶν μὴ παραδόξων ἀδήλων δὲ προστιθέντα τὸ διότι στρογγυλώτατα.
But concerning those that are not paradoxical but are unclear, [one should use them] adding the reason why in the most concise way.
§2.21.8ἁρμόττει δʼ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις καὶ τὰ Λακωνικὰ ἀποφθέγματα καὶ τὰ αἰνιγματώδη, οἷον εἴ τις λέγει ὅπερ Στησίχορος ἐν Λοκροῖς εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ ὑβριστὰς εἶναι, ὅπως μὴ οἱ τέττιγες χαμόθεν ᾄδωσιν.
And in such cases, Laconian apophthegms and riddles are also appropriate, for instance, if someone says what Stesichorus said among the Locrians, that "they must not be insolent, lest the cicadas sing from the ground."