Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §107.1

The Comparison Between Love and Wine and Moderation

Passage 112 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus quotes the tragic poet Chaeremon, comparing love to wine; both adapt to the user's character, being pleasant in moderation but extremely troublesome when excessive.

§107.1Fr. 107 Θ. ἐν τῷ Ἐρωτικῷ Χαιρήμονά φησι τὸν τραγικὸν λέγειν ὡς τὸν οἶνον τῶν χρωμένων τοῖς τρόποις κεράννυσθαι, οὕτως καὶ τὸν ἔρωτα, ὃς μετριάζων μέν ἐστιν εὔχαρις, ἐπιτεινόμενος δὲ καὶ διαταράττων χαλεπώτατος.
Fr. 107 Theophrastus in his Eroticus says that Chaeremon the tragic poet says that just as wine is mixed with the character of those who use it, so also is love, which, when moderate, is charming, but when intensified and causing disturbance, is most troublesome.

Notes

  1. §107.1Θ. — An abbreviation for Theophrastus (Θεόφραστος), identified by the context and the title of the work Eroticus (Ἐρωτικός).
  2. §107.1τῶν χρωμένων τοῖς τρόποις — The participle χρωμένων is the genitive plural of χράομαι (to use, here to drink wine). τοῖς τρόποις is the dative plural of τρόπος (character, disposition), serving as the dative object of the passive infinitive κεράννυσθαι (to be mixed). τῶν χρωμένων is a possessive genitive modifying τοῖς τρόποις, meaning 'with the character of those who use it'.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §107.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:107.1

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