Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §120.1

Gatherings of the Seven Sages and Wine as Relief for Old Age

Passage 125 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Mentions that the so-called Seven Sages held symposiac gatherings, and quotes Theophrastus' statement that wine soothes the despondency of old age.

§120.1Fr. 120 Ἐποιοῦντο δὲ καὶ οἱ ἑπτὰ καλούμενοι σοφοὶ συμποτικὰς ὁμιλίας· "παραμαυθεῖται γὰρ ὁ οἶνος καὶ τὴν τοῦ γήρως δυσθυμίαν" φησὶν ὁ Θ. ἐν τῷ περὶ μέθης.
And the so-called Seven Sages also used to hold symposiac gatherings; "for wine soothes even the despondency of old age," says Theophrastus in his *On Drunkenness*.

Notes

  1. §120.1Ἐποιοῦντο ... συμποτικὰς ὁμιλίας — A periphrastic expression combining the imperfect middle of ποιέομαι with the noun ὁμιλία (social intercourse, conversation), meaning "to hold conversations" or "to have gatherings." The imperfect tense denotes a habitual or repeated action.
  2. §120.1παραμαυθεῖται — A scribal error or spelling variant for παραμυθεῖται (third-person singular present of παραμυθέομαι, "to encourage, soothe, assuage").
  3. §120.1ὁ Θ. — A scribal abbreviation for the philosopher Theophrastus (ὁ Θεόφραστος), continuing the context from the preceding fragment.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §120.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:120.1

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