Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §154.1

Warning Against Acting in Anger and the Need for Reason

Passage 159 of 196 · Greek

Summary

The passage warns against acting or punishing in anger, arguing that thoughtless passion leads to self-harm, and advises deliberative action instead of hasty revenge.

§154.1Fr. 154 Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ μετʼ ὀργῆς πρακτέον τοῖς φρονίμοις οὐδέν· ἀλόγιστος γὰρ θυμὸς καὶ μετὰ προνοίας οὐδὲν ἄν ποτε ποιήσειεν ἀλλὰ μεθύων ταῖς φιλονεικίαις ὡς ἔτυχε χρῆται ταῖς ὁρμαῖς·
Furthermore, the wise must do nothing with anger; for thoughtless anger would never accomplish anything even with foresight, but, drunk with rivalry, follows its impulses haphazardly.
ὥστε δεῖ μήτε ἐξ ὑπογυίου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὰς τιμωρίας μήτε παρὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν μήτε παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων λαμβάνειν ἵνα τὸ τῷ λογισμῷ κράτιστον μὴ τὸ τῷ θυμῷ φίλον ἀεὶ πράτης·
Therefore, one must not exact punishment immediately after transgressions, neither from household servants nor from others, so that you may always do what is best for reason, not what is pleasing to anger.
καὶ δίκην παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μὴ λαμβάνῃς ἐξ ἧς μέλλεις σαυτὸν μὴ αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους βλάψειν.
And do not exact penalty from your enemies, from which you are going to harm yourself and not those very men.
Τὸ γὰρ τιμωρεῖσθαί τινα κακῶς ἑαυτὸν ποιοῦντα δίκην διδόναι οὐχ ἧττον ἢ λαμβάνειν ἐστίν.
For to punish someone while doing harm to oneself is no less to suffer punishment than to inflict it.
Ὥστε δεῖ σχολῇ μᾶλλον ἀμύνεσθαι ζητεῖν ἢ ταχέως καὶ ἀλυσιτελῶς ἑαυτῷ κολάσαι τὸν ἐχθρόν.
Therefore, one should seek to defend oneself with deliberation rather than to chastise the enemy quickly and disadvantageously to oneself.

Notes

  1. 154.1πρακτέον τοῖς φρονίμοις — An impersonal construction using the verbal adjective `πρακτέον`. The agent is expressed by the dative `τοῖς φρονίμοις` (by the wise), indicating necessity or duty ('must do').
  2. 154.1καὶ μετὰ προνοίας — The conjunction `καὶ` here has a concessive force, qualifying `μετὰ προνοίας` to mean 'even with foresight' or 'although with consideration.'
  3. 154.1ἐξ ὑπογυίου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων — `ἐξ ὑπογυίου` is an adverbial phrase meaning 'immediately' or 'just after.' The genitive `τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων` indicates the starting point of time, yielding the meaning 'immediately after the transgressions.'
  4. 154.1ἵνα ... πράτης — The combination of the purpose conjunction `ἵνα` and the second-person singular present subjunctive `πράτης` (variant of `πράττῃς`). The accusative substantivized phrases `τὸ ... κράτιστον` and `τὸ ... φίλον` serve as its objects.
  5. 154.1κακῶς ἑαυτὸν ποιοῦντα — The participle `ποιοῦντα` agrees with the implied subject (conceived in the accusative) of the infinitive `τιμωρεῖσθαι`. It describes the condition of inflicting harm upon oneself while punishing another.
  6. 154.1δίκην διδόναι ... ἢ λαμβάνειν — In Greek idiom, `δίκην διδόναι` means 'to suffer punishment' (literally 'to give justice/satisfaction'), whereas `δίκην λαμβάνειν` means 'to inflict punishment' (literally 'to take justice/satisfaction'). The passage argues that the act of punishing (subject `Τὸ ... τιμωρεῖσθαι`) is as much a suffering of punishment (`διδόναι`) as an infliction of it (`λαμβάνειν`).

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §154.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:154.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.